In the RAW

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If you thought veganism was a tad bit extreme, wait until you learn about raw foodism. Pretty self explanatory, it is perhaps the farthest you can go with life-altering diets.

Raw foodism is no new fad. It dates back to the late 1800s, when a doctor discovered eating raw apples to be the cure to his jaundice attack. The diet continues to evolve to this day, albeit after a series of experiments on its effects on human health.

The basic idea is to have food that hasn’t been (hold on tight!) cooked, processed, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides or herbicides. Now don’t be disheartened just yet. You can eat fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs – in their natural state.

So why deprive yourself of good ol’ food as we know it? Advocates of the diet believe that cooking wipes out vitamins. There is hardly a defining aim behind the life changer. It could be justified as a means to weight loss, improved health and/or helping the environment.

While there isn’t any sort of science backing it up, raw foodism is thriving; it’d be wise to understand how and why it works. To begin with, following the rigid plan will reduce your consumption of calories to half of your normal diet. Surprise surprise, you will be shedding pounds like it’s nobody’s business! It is said that the natural enzymes and nutrients packed within raw food help the body reach optimal health.

Life in the raw
Now believe it or not, I had a go at this wild theory for two whole weeks. It wasn’t as hard as it seemed, except for the occasional hallucinations of steaks. Guess what, I had lost five kilos and that’s with out working out.

Now, I’ll have to admit I felt amazing for the first few days, much like any other detox. Weekends were hard with temptation in every direction. I could swear my senses had hit their peak. I could smell KFC four blocks away! The urges didn’t last long though. One bite of an apple and I was human again.

I then hit a phase, where normal food seemed unappealing. Eating got easier, but planning was tasking. It isn’t entirely cheap either. Eventually, I felt a lack of energy and then I fell ill. As it turns out, you need supplements to make up for some of the deficiencies that might occur. Now if I’m going to need supplements, I might as well just eat real food – and so I did.

The verdict:
If you’re looking for instant weight loss, go for it. If you’re going to turn it into a lifestyle choice, do your research, especially if you already have restrictions and preferences.