In the Raw

Raw foodism is a growing trend. More and more raw food cookbooks are debuting, restaurants are opening and thriving, and celebs are jumping on the bandwagon. Have you ever thought about it, or at least been curious about the whole thing?

The basic claim raw foodists make is that food that is heated above 118 degrees loses its natural enzymes. Enzymes contribute to how foods are digested, and the enzymes in raw foods are more easily digested, leaving the body’s systems free to do other things–leading to benefits like more energy, more mental clarity, less allergies, and a better immune system. Also, not heating the foods usually keeps the vitamins and phytonutrients intact, so you get more from eating a raw carrot than a cooked one (there are exceptions, like tomatoes and broccoli). And, they claim, eating foods like meat and dairy can throw off your body’s natural acidity, leading to a ton of health problems.

I went to a raw food presentation a couple years ago, and it was compelling. The speakers had eliminated major health problems and lost weight switching to a raw food diet. And I don’t doubt it–when you eat raw, plants are the base of your diet. There’s no flour, there’s no white sugar, there’s no saturated fat. Even with the inclusion of high-fat foods like nuts or avocados, it’s still pretty hard to eat too many calories.

The downside, of course, is that it’s a major lifestyle change! The average person is probably not to buy a food dehydrator, start making desserts from cashews, give up her favorite foods, and let go of the social aspect of dining or the ability to eat most of the things that come her way.

But…that doesn’t mean you can’t give some aspects of this diet a try! No matter how you look at it, it’s hard to dispute the fact that the more raw, unprocessed foods you are eating, the better you are going to look and feel. So don’t think of it as taking cooked foods out–think of it as subbing raw foods in!

Friday night I met with Leah at Red Pepper Deli in Northville, MI. I was pretty excited to get the full raw food dining experience!

We checked out the menu for a few minutes. It seemed silly to get a raw salad or sandwich, since those are foods that are mostly raw anyway. We wanted to go for something more traditional, to see how it turned out raw. Leah ordered the raw tacos, and I got the raw burrito.

Even though I knew what I was getting, I was still expecting a “healthy” burrito–you know, in a tortilla, with some realistic looking soy crumbles. But it was actually all vegetable and nut products, wrapped in lettuce. Leah’s tacos looked like a huge salad. I had a moment of confusion.

But we dug in anyway! We were amazed by how much her tacos actually smelled and tasted like tacos. My burrito didn’t taste like a burrito, but it wasn’t bad either. It tasted very tomatoey and cheesy to me–sort of like the filling in lasagna. Beans and cheese are not raw, and I wish I had written down what they used to re-create these foods. I know nutritional yeast gave it the cheesy flavor (which was impressive) but I don’t know how everything else was created!

The meal was pretty filling, but could have benefited from something else–something carbier to be honest. There are plenty of raw cookies and snack bars, and I think it would have made the meal feel more complete; still, I didn’t walk away hungry or unsatisfied.

I don’t think I’d ever go completely raw, but I think it’s great to experiment with new recipes, and there are plenty of great ones for raw meals in cookbooks and all over the Internet. You can try challenging yourself to one raw meal a day, or one raw day a week, and see how it makes you feel. It’s actually pretty accessible–you don’t need a ton of fancy equipment to get started. Anyone can use lettuce leaves to make a wrap, and a lot of raw recipes are insanely simple–like, four ingredients. You may be surprised how easily you can whip up a raw pudding. Or just do what I did and let someone else “cook” it for you. I imagine the more living, green, whole foods you put in your body, the more get-up-and-go you’re going to have!

Eating more raw food is going to put more good things in your diet, so it can’t hurt. I’m not usually an “everything-but” girl, but I think that with so many different diets out there, and so many health benefits to each one, it’s cool to not go all the way with anything in particular.

Tagged as: Healthy Cooking, raw food