[Closed] Raw food diets - what's the score there then?

I'll just talk to myself then 🙁

Just made a big bowl of spirally courgette, grated carrot, grated cauliflower, chopped garlic, raisins, lemon oil, olive oil and seasoning.

Looks n tastes pretty good to me.

I thought that the 'raw food diet' was a recent pseudoscience fad for Americans who've decided that being vegan isn't restrictive or awkward enough? Is this something else?

What's wrong with steak tartare?

I've no idea what the reality is. Some 'spokesman' for it advocate how we need to move away from being the only animal that eats cooked food. Maybe there is some value in that, i.e. more goodness/nutrients etc to be had. And possibly quicker to prepare blah blah.

Can't see myself 'switching' to it full time though. Probably create a mash-up.

I reckon there are enough positives to give it some credence though.

Well,

There's nothing inherently wrong with uncooked food.

Where it all falls down in a spiral of stupidity and teen angst is, there's nothing wrong with cooked food either.

[cynic]The Raw Food diet might be a good idea with a sound basis.

Or it might just be another fad for attention-whores to whang on about, seeing as Vegetablism's now a bit too common and no longer attracts the same interest.[/cynic]

😉

Raw egg once gave me horrendous food poisoning.
And I don't like my meat rare.
And raw rice would be a git to chew.

well saves on gas or electric with a strong possibility in
losing a lot of weight through food poisoning

I think the reason is that there is evidence that many of the nutrients in vegetables are destroyed during the cooking process.

the odd raw vegetable is nice, but I can't imagine life would be much fun at all without any cooked food. I think you'd also be craving something warm to eat from time to time.

Nice idea, shame about the reality of it (rather like losing weight by taking iced baths)

Hard to argue against health-wise I'd say, assuming you can get enough protein (sushi?...). I'll keep eating cooked stuff though thanks, I even push the boat out and eat stuff cavemen didn't - I figure their life expectancy was crap so maybe McDonald's is the answer after all :p

Yeah, bollocks to raw eggs and most meat/fish. I'm talking about substituting various cooked 'components' for things that only involve combinations of raw veg/fruits/nuts/seeds.

Stolen from the interwebs:

"These foods should be cooked to fully utlize nutritional content, to avoid small quanities of naturally occuring toxins, and for taste reasons:

Raw olives contain an extremely bitter substance called oleuropein. They are inedible to all but the most stubborn raw foodists. Brining olives removes the oleuropein, as does pressing them into oil.

Raw eggplant contains the toxin solamine. Most of the nightshade family contain toxins in at least one part of the plan, but eggplants are noted for a high toxin quantity in the fruit. Solamine wont kill you, but it wont help you either. More importantly, eggplant should be salted, pressed and cooked in order to obtain a desirable flavor and texture.

Many raw mushrooms contain trace amounts of toxins that break down when cooked. Of course it depends on the variety of mushrooms and those standard, supermaket whitecaps are fairly benign. Again, cooking is also desirable for taste reasons.

Raw high fiber greens such as spinach and kale contain few bioavailable nutrients. The complex fibers are simply too difficult for your digestive system to break down unless you chew each bite 50 times. It's not going to hurt you, but you're not going to benefit from all of the naturally occuring nutrients. Greens also taste better cooked, especially in a bit of pork fat.

Cooking food was one of the most crucial developments in human evolution as it allowed us to eliminate naturally occuring toxins and break down nutrients so they are easier to absorb.

Why some raw foodists feel the need to transcend out physiology is beyond me."

There was a horizon program where a researcher was making a compelling case for cooked food being one of the reason why our brains are far more developed than other animals.

Basic premise was that cooking food enabled you break it down a lot easier, can't remember the exact figure but it was something like 5% from raw food compared to 40%+ from cooked food.

We're animals ?!?!

😯

My mate John's a vegan and once a year he does a week or raw foods only and reckons its good for him. The thing I find hilarious is he drinks more than Binners (I know!) and smokes weed 4/5 days out the week....

Well Alice Roberts (anthropologist, not just tv presenter) said that cooking was one of the major developments that helped humans become the dominant large animal. It releases far more nutrients from food than it destroys.

I think the 'destroying the nutrients' thing refers to vitamin C, which is plentiful in all sorts of food and isn't as fragile as some people thing - something like 20 mins of boiling only kills half the vit C iirc.

We might be the only animal that cooks its food but we're also the only animal who is sitting around having academic discussions on the internet - go figure, as they say.

We are however NOT the only animal that has adopted a stragegy for getting nutrients out of tough plant material. Cow have four (or however many) stomachs, rabbits eat their own poo etc etc. and we cook.

I saw that program too Molgrips, it made a lot of sense.

Apparently, tinning tomatoes releases more lycopene that we can absorb too. So who knows.

All things in moderation. Except meat of course, none of that rubbish 😉

assuming you can get enough protein

I'd have thought vitamin D would be a bigger issue. Don't come running to me when you've got rickets.

(oh, wait...)

http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_262145/The_Benefits_of_Soaking_Nuts_and_Seeds

"These inhibitors and toxic substances are enzyme inhibitors, phytates (phytic acid), polyphenols (tannins), and goitrogens."

eat all the raw food you want, you can't digest/process most of it. you'll be starving to death with a full stomach...

it sounds like a we're at a disadvantage; other animals don't need to cook their food - look at the pathetic humans.

but it means we can access a huge variety of foods, without the need to evolve complicated/large/heavy digestive systems.

we're light and fast. and we can eat anything.

Don't be put off this, I didn't see the thread earlier.. You're not alone in Raw Food'ist. I've dabbled, mixed it in with the normal diet and enjoy the differance it gives, also the after effects of feeling clensed.

Was expecting mixed opinions and research/evidence anyway, so no issues there.

Am just curious about the pros and cons. Like bikebouy says, I reckon I can see myself (and the missus) mixing up some 'raw food side dishes' to accompany the more regular things.

eat all the raw food you want, you can't digest/process most of it. you'll be starving to death with a full stomach...

IMO I find that hard to believe.

Well Alice Roberts (anthropologist, not just tv presenter) said that cooking was one of the major developments that helped humans become the dominant large animal. It releases far more nutrients from food than it destroys.

This

We might be the only animal that cooks its food but we're also the only animal who is sitting around having academic discussions on the internet - go figure, as they say.

And this.

Pretty much sums up what I was going to say on the matter.

Other animals don't cook their food? So what, we're better than them.

In the search for iDave compatible convenience lunchtime food in supermarkets, I noticed that you can often get edamame bean salad comprising some raw green beans, soy beans, rocket and something else - apparently all raw or at least soaked.. Holy crap! It's almost impossible to eat!You only get a tiny bit but it's still far too much because you end up chewing it for about 5 minutes (literally) each mouthful. Grim grim grim.

My cat digs it.

I reckon I can see myself (and the missus) mixing up some 'raw food side dishes' to accompany the more regular things.

The word you're looking for there is "salad."

IMO I find that hard to believe.

fair enough, why don'cha try it?

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