Raw Diet Tips

Raw diets are diets where dieters eat only raw foods in the form of fruits and vegetables rather than cooking the foods. Raw foods contain high enzyme levels and are often healthier than cooked foods. There are a variety of reasons that people start a raw diet, ranging from detoxing the body to starting a vegan lifestyle to losing weight. Getting started and maintaining the diet is a challenge because the body removes toxin build-up at the beginning, and it may take some time before the body starts to feel healthy and energetic.

Motivation

Determine the motivation behind the raw diet. There are several reasons to start a raw diet, and that reason is the motivation to keep going. If the motivation is a simple detox, it takes about 4 weeks before the diet will completely detoxify the body. If the motivation is weight loss, within a week there are results because raw and organic foods are naturally low in calories. Determine what the motivation behind the diet is, write down your ultimate goal and place the goal somewhere it is seen daily. This will prevent you from giving up halfway to the goal.

Buy Organic

The problem with raw foods is the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. Buying organic bypasses the potential for pesticide exposure and keeps the diet completely healthy. There are exceptions to the organic rule, like oranges and grapefruits, because anything with a thick peel that is removed and thrown away will not have pesticides on the fruit. Just wash those before peeling to prevent contaminating the fruit.

Take Vitamins

While there are many vitamins and minerals found in raw foods, some supplements are still needed for a healthy, well-balanced and nutritious diet. The main vitamin needed for a raw diet is vitamin B12, which is primarily found in meat products. Others include zinc, calcium and vitamin D, which are lower in raw foods than cooked foods. Talk to a doctor before using any vitamin supplements to ensure the body needs the supplements. Take supplements like iron, zinc and vitamin B12 in small amounts.

Juicing Option

Juicing is part of the raw diet because it uses raw fruits and vegetables to make fresh juice. The juice is full of enzymes, vitamins and healthy nutrients, and it is easy to get into the body. When starting out a raw diet, drink some juice in the morning before eating to get a boost in energy and vitamins.

Starting Out

Starting the diet is the hardest part. Rather than suddenly cutting out meat and cooked foods, start adding raw foods and juices to your current diet. Drink a juice in the morning before breakfast, and eat a raw breakfast of fruits. Start from there, and slowly add more fruits and vegetables that are raw to the diet. Eventually, most of the foods eaten will be raw. Never eat raw foods after eating cooked food. If continuing to eat cooked foods, eat them at night so that the body has a full 7 or 8 hours between meals to digest the cooked food and stop the acid production in the stomach.