Raw Food Weight Loss: What It Is And Why It’s Not A Bad Idea

Years ago, if you told someone you were only eating "raw food," or that you were on a "raw food diet," they probably would have assumed that you were a blood sucking vampire. But today, with society being a lot more knowledgeable about the benefits of eating raw foods, those same people would likely pull up a chair and trade raw food weight loss tips with you.

If you’re interested in weight loss with a raw food diet, take a look at the FAQ below and see if it is a good fit for you and your lifestyle.

What is raw food?

Raw food dieting is a life styles choice, and it has absolutely nothing to do with eating cold, bloody lamb shanks with dry pasta. Instead, it’s a diet that centers on unprocessed, organic plant foods eaten in their natural form. Advocates of the raw diet lifestyle believe that consuming foods in their natural form gives the dieter access to the full benefits of the food’s enzymes and nutritional value, which is otherwise, believed, lost once they are cooked.

Why is raw food good for weight loss?

It’s good because the diet is extremely fruit and vegetable based. That means that your fiber intake will skyrocket and it will also mean that you cut out processed food, junk food, complex sugars, alcohol, and a lot of other stuff that encourages weight gain. By changing the way you eat and incorporating raw foods more into your daily diet, your body is going to be able to get rid of all the toxins and excess fat you’re carrying around.

So… everything is, like, cold?

Not necessarily. You’re not eating straight out of the fridge—unless of course you want to. You can allow refrigerated foods warm to room temperature, and you can warm up foods to no more than 104 °F (40 °C). Any hotter than that, and you won’t be getting the full nutritional content that the food has to offer. You can also have some herbal tea, or pair hot spices like cayenne and garlic with your meals to warm them up.

Is it just about eating a plate of uncooked vegetables for every meal?

Absolutely not! Well, not unless you decide to extricate guacamole, lasagna, cheesecake, smoothies, and pancakes from your diet. Raw food diets are enormously popular, and there is no lack of delicious recipes you can use to create amazing meals that won’t leave you hungry, or dissatisfied.

How do I get started on a raw food weight loss plan?

Well, there are a couple of ways you can start. You can throw out everything in your house that’s not raw and replace it with the food and ingredients you need to make the change. You can gradually eliminate non-raw foods, and work your way to an all-raw diet. You can also choose one day a week to "go raw", and increase that weekly until you’re eating raw foods seven days a week.

Couple this with some intense cardio, and you’ll be dropping weight in no time.