A raw foodist is a person who eats primarily raw or unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, seeds, sprouted legumes, and grains. People who follow this kind of diet may incorporate meat, fish, and dairy into their diets. This means some raw foodists are omnivorous, while others are raw vegans and raw vegetarians. When a raw foodist incorporates meat, fish, and dairy into her diet, the food must be in a raw state. These might include foods like beef carpaccio, sashimi, raw eggs, and dairy products such as yogurt and cheese that has been made with raw, unpasteurized milk.
In most cases, a raw foodist will consume foods that have been heated only to a low temperature. This means that some items included in a raw food diet may have been "cooked" to a certain degree. The peak temperature at which a raw foodist will cook her food varies from person to person. In most cases, a raw foodist will consume foods that have been cooked at temperatures up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (about 40 degrees Celsius). There are some who will consume food that has been cooked at temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (about 46 degrees Celsius).
There are many reasons that people choose a raw food diet. Many people who follow raw diets lose excess body fat and experience improved energy levels. Following this sort of diet, however, is not easy. The modern world is full of cooked and processed foods, so a raw foodist must take time to plan her meals and prepare her own foods. In some urban areas there are raw food restaurants, but they are rare. Furthermore, eating raw meat, fish, and dairy products does put one at risk for foodborne illnesses.
Another reason a person may follow a raw food diet has to do with nutrition and toxins. A raw foodist is likely to believe that cooking food destroys its enzymes and that enzymes are an important part of healthful foods. Most raw foodists also assert that when food is cooked over a certain temperature, the heat also destroys important nutrients and causes a change in the molecular structure of the food, causing it to become toxic to the body.
