A Rawsome Adventure

Thinking about going on a raw foods diet, my friend Karen and I watched the documentary Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days. Shot reality TV-style, the film follows six Americans with diabetes as they spend a month at a health center and give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, processed food, and all cooked food.

Spartan, true, but it was easy to be envious of this crew. They got a reprieve from the demands of their lives while a team led by a holistic medical doctor guided them toward health. They benefitted from prepared meals, health discussions, group support meetings, twice-daily medical checks, and lessons in how to prepare raw meals.

Some of the meals looked less than appetizing. Participants grumbled about the texture of what they were eating and rhapsodized over memories of their favorite junk foods. But then the pounds melted and the amount of meds decreased. The experiment seemed successful. How could they argue with the results they were getting? But argue they did, as emotional issues formerly kept at bay by old eating patterns started to erupt. It was fascinating to watch the ingenious ways these people tried to sabotage themselves and escape the program.

In the end, most stuck with it because of the good results. Previously, about half the group had been using insulin for an average of five years. By month’s end, all participants were off insulin and oral antidiabetic meds except for one individual with Type 1 diabetes.

The film made Karen and me optimistic about trying a raw foods program. At the very least, we figured we would drop a few pounds. We decided to aim for seven days raw. For the rest of the month we would eat as many raw foods as made sense given our current lifestyles and eating habits. We wondered why the people in the film were so attached to their old ways of eating when they reaped so many rewards by going raw. We were going to be sooooooooooo different.

Pros & Cons
Much has been written about the pros and cons of a raw foods diet. Many advocates recommend that at least 75 percent of a raw diet should consist of unprocessed, uncooked whole foods (nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, legumes, seaweed, fruits, and vegetables). Some also consume unpasteurized milk products.

Raw foodists do not cook food above 114 degrees, as they believe it destroys enzymes that help with digestion and nutrient absorption. Advocates cite benefits that include increased energy, improved health, weight loss, and clearer skin. Studies also show that a raw foods diet lowers total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.

Critics of raw foods agree that some cooking methods cause nutrients to be lost. But they point to studies that show certain phytochemicals—such as the carotenoids in golden, orange, and red winter vegetables—are easier for the body to absorb when the vegetables have been cooked.

A balanced approach is key. While a raw foods diet is beneficial in many ways, care needs to be taken to include sources of calcium, protein, iron, and vitamin B 12, as these can be low in people who follow the diet for long periods, according to integrative physician Elson M. Haas, MD.