Raw Food Diet and Weight Loss

The raw food diet is an approach to weight loss that entails eating only uncooked, unprocessed and ideally, organic foods. Typically, to follow a raw food diet and achieve maximum benefits, at least 75 percent of foods consumed must be raw. A raw food diet is an extremely difficult and time consuming approach to weight loss, yet it seems to be gaining popularity with time. If you're considering a raw food diet as a means of weight loss, you should do some research and learn as much as you can about this plan prior to investing too much time or energy.
The raw food diet has a lot of benefits, which is why it is gaining popularity; however, there are also a lot of drawbacks to this diet that should be understood prior to embarking on a raw food weight loss plan. For many people, the draw of the raw food diet isn't simply rapid weight loss, but a combination of promised benefits, which include a decreased risk of heart disease, more efficient digestion of food, improved skin complexion and increased energy levels. While these benefits of the raw diet plan are attractive, it's important to recognize the potential risks that are also associated with the raw food diet. These risks include, the potential for a decrease in bone density, insufficient intake of protein and a deficiency in calcium, vitamin B-12 and iron. Due to the extreme nature of the raw food diet, it's important that you consult a medical professional prior to beginning your own raw food program.
The raw food diet is very restrictive and requires the consumption of limited food choices, which can only be prepared in specific ways. Some of the foods that are allowed on the raw food diet include, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, seaweed and legumes. Additional food items may be used if they are unprocessed organic foods. When preparing meals for the raw food diet, you have to ensure that you don't heat your ingredients to more than 116 degrees, as this is the highest temperature that can be used to cook while maintaining the nutritional value of the food. Some authorized cooking methods for the raw food diet include dehydrating foods, juicing fruits and vegetables and soaking nuts and beans. The raw food diet is highly restrictive and exclusionary. As a result, it is difficult to follow over an extended period of time. If you're considering using a raw food diet just to shed a few pounds, you will probably lose weight very quickly due to the restricted calorie intake that's also a part of the raw food diet. Additionally, if you are unable to maintain this diet over time, you'll find that whatever weight you lost on the diet, you'll gain back once you resume normal eating habits.