After my Angelina Jolie post, I thought I’d had my fair share of raw/vegan diet controversy for a little while. That was until today, when my reader Nathalie sent me a link to this blog post, which was featured on WordPress. It recaps the reasons why one blogger chose to end a raw “cleanse” she had embarked on. I’d like for this post to enter into a dialog with that one, but I do it with respect and humility: hers was a thoughtful, researched, and valid post, and my real intent is not to challenge her ideas so much as to share what they evoked in me.
What first struck me about this blogger’s testimony was my frustration with some of the grandiose and unscientific claims made about raw foodism by well known raw foodists; these claims are presented as fact throughout the raw community, and they prove very alluring to newcomers who are exploring raw foods. The blogger who was ending her raw “cleanse” quoted from Alissa Cohen’s website:
Here are numerous benefits to eating a raw and living food diet. Some of these benefits include people healing themselves of diabetes, fibromyalgia, acne, migraines, back pain, neck and joint pain, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypoglycemia, colitis, diverticulitis, Candida, arthritis, serious allergies, depression, anxiety, mood swings, heartburn, gas, bloating, skin diseases, obesity, chronic fatigue, cancers and many more. Excess weight seems to just melt off your body when you eat a raw and living food diet! The raw and living food diet has helped many people feel better when nothing else has worked.
By eating a raw and living food diet you will begin to turn back the hands of time. People who eat raw food have a glow to their skin, a shine to their hair, a sparkle in their eyes, a healthy, fit, body and look younger than their age. They have a youthful energy and they feel good about themselves and happy to be alive!
People have reported their hair turning back to its natural color, teeth getting tighter and gums stop bleeding, wrinkles, deep creases and age spots disappearing, dark circles, bags and eye puffiness vanishing, acne and blemishes fading, looking better without make-up and having a natural sunny blush.
If you are sick, tired, overweight or just want to feel better than you do right now, this way of eating could be the answer that you are looking for. The raw and living food diet has been one of the greatest miracles in many peoples lives.
Of course, high raw diets can help to lessen many of the conditions listed in the first and second grafs. And they can be great miracles in many peoples’ lives. I am forever grateful for what discovering raw food gave me: health improvements, a new set of kitchen techniques, and a fresh way of looking at food. But I also cringe and feel angered when I read such claims as “by eating a living and raw food diet you will begin to turn back the hands of time. People who eat raw food have a glow to their skin, a shine to their hair, a sparkle in their eyes, a healthy, fit body and look younger than their age,” or “Excess weight seems to just melt off your body when you eat a raw and living food diet!”
I think it’s safe to say that most people who eat a balanced diet comprised of many raw foods enjoy good health. But raw foods are most certainly not a money-back guarantee. Having been a part of the raw community for some time now, I can say with assurance that many a raw fooder does not have perfect health, glowing skin, or an effortlessly svelte physique. Many don’t. And to present raw foodism as a catchall cure for all human ailments–let alone a fountain of beauty or youth!– is beyond misleading. Many people who try raw diets find that they do not magically cure grievous health conditions (that’s usually the nature of those conditions, not the fault of raw foods). Many more don’t take care to eat raw food in a reasonable, balanced way—they overdo it with sweets, or they restrict and under-eat, or they forget to balance their diets with sensible amounts of protein and iron—and they feel very poorly indeed. That a food is raw does not automatically mean that it’s healthy; it’s what kind of raw food you eat, and how you eat it that defines the value of your diet.
The blogger also points to Richard Wrangham’s book, How Cooking Made Us Human, and punches a hole in enzyme theory, especially as it’s been handed down by Ann Wigmore and her followers. I’m not the correct raw-eater to respond to this, since I don’t personally believe that uncooked foods contribute their own enzymes to digestion. I think our stomach acid denatures food enzymes, and that our body provides its own to the digestive process. (This doesn’t mean that heating doesn’t devalue food in other ways: water soluble vitamins are drastically lessened by heating, which is a good reason to eat more raw food, more often.)
The fact that my own motives for eating raw foods have nothing to do with enzymes should tell you something significant: not all raw foodists eat raw food for the same reasons. There is a huge spectrum of motives for eating all or semi-raw. To group raw foodists together under the rubric that only some raw foodists present to the world is unfair and misleading: it’s just as misleading as saying that all vegans are vegan because they love pets (some are vegan purely for health reasons; some, like me, are not born pet lovers, but believe that all sentient beings, our animal neighbors included, have a right to compassion).
I’ve met 100% raw foodists, high-raw eaters, semi-raw eaters, and raw dabblers. I’ve met some raw eaters who are trying to treat health conditions, some who just love the food, some who like how they feel when they eat raw, and some who do believe very firmly in enzyme theory. I’ve liked and respected all of these people, and admired their conviction. That doesn’t mean I wish for my intentions to be conflated with theirs, which is the problem I have when people google “raw foodism,” find a quote on a website, and then decide that all people who enjoy raw food must have similar things to say.
I’m united with many raw foodists in believing that raw foods are often more nutrient rich than cooked ones. I also think that most Americans never even think to eat anything raw, and that’s the main error that raw foodism corrects. It isn’t that most of us need to eat all or even mostly raw to be healthy: it’s simply that most of us don’t even know how to eat a raw meal that isn’t a salad–and that’s a shame! More raw foods, more of the time, is an easy and worthwhile goal for most people, and my hope is that sites like mine can help curious eaters to bridge the gap between cooking and uncooking.
I also believe—as all raw eaters must—that raw foods are conceptually useful. Many of us grew up eating plates of food that had been so processed and tampered with that they failed to evoke nature at all. For me, discovering how to prepare food raw helped me make a connection between what’s on my plate and what grows in the earth. This focus on the origins of my food deepened my vegan convictions, and it was highly rewarding.
What I do not believe is that raw foods are “magical,” or that they effortlessly restore human bodies to perfection. I don’t believe any diet—raw, paleo, omnivorous, macro, or whatever—has mystical superpowers, and I don’t like the suggestion that human health is easily perfected. Yes, we live in a world in which our health is unnecessarily compromised, and yes, there’s a lot we can do to change that. But the human body is also subject to the wear and tear of time, the capriciousness of errant cells, the invasion of pathogens and viruses. We are not supposed to be invincible. To say that we could all live longer, more vibrant, and less painful lives than with the help of good nutrition is an understatement, but I don’t accept the idea—so rampant in the raw community—that health can be rendered superhuman through diet. (As a side note, and in response to the blogger’s thoughts on the naturalistic fallacy, I’m not at all against allopathic medicine. I simply think it’s flawed, and should be practiced along with various holistic treatments.)
I think my main point is this: raw foodists come in many shapes and sizes. We’re not all exclusively married to enzyme theory, we’re not all believers that cooked food is poison (nothing could be farther from the truth, as far as I’m concerned), and we don’t all think that raw foods are a panacea. They aren’t. They’re simply one very excellent, fun, and creative way to get premium nutrition.
Each and every day, people email me to ask whether “going raw” or doing “a cleanse” can fix their binging habits, or their acne, or their sleep problems, or their depression, or their obesity. Well, they certainly might help: eating more whole, unprocessed, and delicious plant foods should strengthen immunity and boost health, and they might kick start weight loss. But as powerful as food is, it can only go so far. Raw foods won’t fix binge or restrict cycles unless the eater in question has committed to balance, and they may not cure an autoimmune disease without the additional help of medicine (holistic or allopathic). They can only be a part of the whole health picture–albeit a big and powerful part.
I have some additional questions, I suppose, for the blogger who shared her thought-provoking post. What was she trying to achieve by eating raw? Why did she attempt all raw? What did she eat? Most of all, why did she feel compelled to use the word “cleanse,” which is so often a euphemism for dieting or trying to “wipe the slate clean?”
Since I don’t know the answers, I can only direct you to A Sheep in Wolves Clothing for more exploration. But what I hope you’ll take away from this post is an understanding of the nuance that exists among people who eat—and love—raw foods. We have very different beliefs. To say that “the raw food diet”—a term that’s reductive and misleading in and of itself—“sucks” because of the unfounded claims put forth by some raw foodists is unfair. It’s unwise ever to take extremist positions within a community and hold them up as universally representative; within any group of people who share certain habits or beliefs, there’s a lot of variation.
What do you think, guys? What does “raw” signify to you? If you do eat raw, what are your motives? How do you feel about the post I linked to?
xo
I'm a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, a former book editor, and a post-baccalaureate pre-med student at Georgetown University. I'm passionate about helping people to discover and enjoy plant based foods in a simple and healthy way. My name is pronounced like "Jenna." 
{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved reading your thoughts on this post, Gena! I saw this on WordPress’s main page last night, and thought of you while I read it, wondering what your reaction would be. It ended up being an interesting read (admittedly, I starting skimming about halfway through because it was looooong) – but I found that I had a negative attitude about it from the get-go because of the title. “Why The Raw Food Diet Sucks” sound so unfair & judgmental, and I don’t think it even accurately sums up the writer’s attitude since she raised some fair points throughout… (But hey, it gets people reading, right…?) I also thought it was kind of lame that she quit the “cleanse” (whatever that means) after only a few days & then decided to draw such a definitive conclusion like “raw food sucks.” Like you, I wondered why she went ALL raw instead of simply incorporating more salads or smoothies into her cooked diet. There’s nothing wrong with starting slow, you know? Also, I was curious about what she ate. If she just munched on uncooked carrots all day – then yeah, that sucks!
I am so with you on what “raw” means to me. Personally, I don’t have any interest in being 100% raw; but of course I’m not judgmental whatsoever towards people who love & thrive that way. It’s just that *I* seem to thrive with some cooked vegan foods along with my raw goodness. My motives for incorporating more uncooked/living foods into my diet include health – and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t hope at least a little bit that my healthy diet will help me age gracefully – meaning in terms of health AND appearance. But I also love “raw” because of the (un)cooking adventures it allows me, how delicious & simple the food is, and how great it makes me feel.
I hope MANY people read your response here, Gena, and understand that raw foodists aren’t the same across the board. Like you said, there’s a lot of variation, and what works for some won’t work for all – especially with such extremism as going from a cooked diet to 100% raw, and expecting to feel miraculously healthy after merely three days. That’s just not realistic. A lot of us spent a good majority of our lives eating not-so-nourishing foods, so why should anyone go from that to eating 100% raw for a few measly days with FANTASTIC results immediately? I don’t get it. It’s magical thinking at its worst.
I’m starting to ramble now, but those are my thoughts!
You asked for ‘em. 
Damn, that’s a long comment! Holy moly.
P.S. I agree that some of the health claims about raw foodism are misleading – and I think THAT is a huge part of what sets some “raw flirters” up for disaster. It’s great to be excited about what raw can do for you (I’m constantly excited about my ever-evolving eating habits!) – but claims like unwanted weight “melting off” with absolutely no effort will ultimately disappoint when it doesn’t happen. Then the person trying raw is left feeling duped, and misses all the truly GREAT things that raw foods really DO offer regarding health & wellness!
Great point! (Everything you said, including this.) If a person who really wants and *needs* to lose weight buys into the “melting off” claim, then he or she is destined for unhappiness.
Jess, wow, you must have read my mind and typed what I was already thinking in your first paragraph
Gena, I am so impressed that you were able to write such a gracious response to this blog post. I never would have been able to write something so nice. I, too, like Jess had a negative reaction to the post basically because the writer only tried it for 5 days and then concluded that it “sucks.” I don’t personally think that is enough time to make such a strong conclusion. I also think that so many people wouldn’t be incorporating raw into their lives if it wasn’t helping them in some way. I myself have found it a significant aid to becoming healthier, and I think a lot of other people feel that way too.
I am learning more and more about raw foodism everday! I try to eat alot of raw foods daily! (i just made raw pizza crackers! & my kelp noodles I ordered came). My motives are for nutrition, getting more nutrients and living a healthier life! I think that person was not eating the right raw foods raw lasagna and stuff like that. Pine nut ricotta is so decadent, she was probably just eating boring things and not preparing food! I agree that many raw fooders have different motives like you I am not in it for weight loss, I also agree cooking does not destroy all the nutrients, it may destroy some but if people would eat more cooked vegetables than fries or hamburgers they would be healthier. How can cooking food completely destroy all nutrients? love your post
I also don’t think you can get all the food groups/nutrients your body needs by eating ALL raw.
Great post! I’m a big believer in balance. I’m also a big believer in listening to your body. Everyone is different. I eat a (mostly) clean, vegan diet. I cheat sometimes with Daiya cheese and processed foods, but try to do so in moderation. I make a point to try and eat at least one mostly raw meal a day, though it’s not rare for me to eat more than that. I find that this way of eating works well for me. I feel healthy, I have energy. When I slip into bad eating habits (if I’m on vacation, etc.) I can tell the difference. I think people would be better off being open to different diets and perspectives, seeing what works for them, and going from there. Raw cleanses are probably the worst way to go into a raw diet because it implies deprivation. Better to incorporate more raw foods into your meals all the time, no?
Anyways, I also like this post by Bethenny Frankel (ha, yes, the Real Housewives CAN be eduational): http://www.bethenny.com/2010/07/06/raw-food-diet-explained/
It’s sort of the same idea about balance, which (to my mind) is the key.
Hey Beth!
I liked that post in some ways, but she too claimed that you can eat as much as you like and lose or maintain weight, which is mighty fishy if you ask me!
G
Good point! I guess if that were the case she wouldn’t have needed to write her book — she just divulged the answer right there! : )
awesome post. I have a lot of conflicting feelings on this, as a good friend’s mother who was suffering from cancer dramatically improved her health by drinking lots of fresh juice and eating lots of sprouts — pretty compelling evidence for the medicinal properties of raw food. But with my own disordered history with raw food, I took for granted that raw food WAS a panacea, and if I felt sleepy/lethargic/low energy, rather than re-evaluating my diet, I told myself I just needed to get used to raw foods — that it was a problem with ME rather than the food I was eating. The trouble with seeing raw foods as a “cure-all” — for me at least — is that it distances me from my own natural reactions to the food I’m eating, and makes me doubt them.
There are so many ways to approach eating, within the confines of “omnivore”/”vegetarian”/”vegan”/”raw foodist” — it would be as silly to assume that all raw foodists are the same as it would to assume that all omnivores are the same!
Great comment.
So many people who are eating too raw, or not eating well on raw, or simply who need more cooked food to get their proper nutrition, see not thriving as a personal flaw or failing — or as “detox.” Usually some simple variations in diet can help, OR a healthy appreciation of the fact that some cooked foods and balance are in order
Awesome post, Gena! I really liked it. It’s a shame that people take fringe/radical/extremist positions and disseminate them as the mainstream view. Politicians and the media do this all too often and it’s one of the things I hate most about politics. Eating raw MUST be a personal choice and not easily influenced by other websites and people. I remember when I first stumbled upon the raw food lifestyle. I was so inspired and motivated by everything I saw that I had multiple reasons for trying to eat raw. Maybe that’s why I never maintained eating raw for too long. Now, I’m just strictly focused on eating as healthily as possible and that includes cooked foods. I want to make the best choice for me. It’s all a journey of self-discovery and finding out what works for you.
Thanks again for a good post
I’ll admit that the amazing health claims of a raw diet did initially peak my interests, but the appreciation of good, whole foods from politically correct, sustainable sources was more attractive to me. Also I really appreciate the kitchen skills I’ve acquired following a high-raw diet too and the ability to create amazing flavors from “scratch”. I refuse to take anyone’s diet experiment seriously when they can’t even make it a week without giving up, I think at least 30 days is needed along with willingness to make adjustments as needed. Anyway, this post was a great response!
I love how your blog is so informative. I have had so many issues with my digestion, and started incoorporating your tips, such as eating more plant-based foods/food combining and am feeling so much better! =)
Wow Gena what a fabulous post: passionate, articulate, and reasoned.
As you know last summer I tried to go “all raw” and you very perceptively recognized that for me, this was not a realistic or attainable goal. We settled on “raw, much of time” and that seemed to work well. But over the course of the year it became apparent to me that I really needed to add some animal protein to my vegetarian diet, and reluctantly I did. This change brought about impressive results, and a lot of fresh thinking on my part.
Like you, I try to avoid labels on what is the “best” diet; instead I work with what is the best diet for me at any given time. Over the summer this means lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, usually raw, as well as some fish or other animal protein. Moving into the colder months I’ll likely do more cooking, so the veggies will be lightly steamed or sauteed, and there will be more soups and legume-based meals.
Thinking back to your recent post about family and food, my own family has become accustomed to the changes in my diet: vegetarian, omni, gluten-free, lactose free, depending on what health issues I’m working through. I love food, and when I choose to limit or restrict certain items from my diet it usually brings about a creative spurt in the kitchen to find tasty alternatives. I don’t claim that my choices will “cure” anyone else, and they may not have the full effect on me, either, but as long as my diet is based on fresh local food, prepared in my kitchen and eaten with pleasure I figure I’m on to a good thing.
I always enjoy your posts, but especially when you dare to mess with “sacred cows” and invite the conversation to unfold. Brava to you!
Sigh. It saddens me to see an article like this. First of all because “trying” the raw food diet for only a couple of days just isn’t a fair trial. Also, I agree, her conclusion, the raw food diet sucks, is disheartening.
I started experimenting with raw 3 years ago. It spoke to me. It made sense to me. I was having a lot of health problems at way to young of an age (after being previously very healthy). I realized that my diet was making me sick.
I had some pretty amazing results. Many of the problems I had, did clear up and go away. I started my blog after realizing that I was on to something and wanted to help others discover the benefits of incorporating more raw food into their diets, that I had.
I have never pushed 100% raw. I have always talked about biochemical individuality. Everyone has to figure out what works or their body. I will say that when I am eating 100% raw, I feel the best. It isn’t always easy, but no mater what I eat (and I am careful to balance and not eat too much sweet) I feel good. I can’t say that when I am eating more cooked, processed food.
I have found it interesting, over the last year and a half, people’s attitudes about raw. Many of the most adamant raw food people now talk about incorporating cooked foods into their diets, and I am glad they do. Even Gabriel Cousens talks about being 80% raw.
I wish people could step away from the “raw foodist” label and realize that an apple is raw food. A salad is raw food. It is just food. But, it is healthier food. 95% of phytonutrients are killed in the cooking process. It is something to think about.
Thanks for writing this thoughtful post. And yes, there are a lot of us that realize the benefits of raw without having to be militant about it.
xo
Susan
I have found that I am healthiest and have the most energy when eating hi-raw. However, I also have trouble getting enough protein and iron (I know it can be done; I just haven’t done it well enough), and falling into a disordered mindset where foods are off limits. I guess I’d say I am eating semi raw now and that is going well although I’m a little heavier than when high-raw. I think raw foods are amazing- it’s just that black and white thinking that get’s us in trouble. I don’t think it’s a good idea to change your diet drastically overnight. The blogger in question might have been experiencing “detox,” her body might be in shock, she might not have been getting enough nutrition or missing key nutrients, or she simply might not have tried the diet long enough. I do think raw foods are cleansing when approached gradually and with a sensible nutrition plan. I might even describe the effect of raw foods on my life as magical- by which I simply mean that I do think they have strong health-giving properties. I also think cooked veggies, legumes, etc share many of these properties. It’s ridiculous of her to say that raw foods suck based on her experience- what she means is that a drastic dietary overhaul is not a comfortable approach. Thanks for linking her blog, though, I like it!
i don’t specifically think raw has all the answers. however some days i eat all raw except dinner and other days cooked foods the entire time. i think that the key to any lifestyle is finding what works best for you. just because grains and dairy make me feel like garbage doesn’t mean that i’m trying to convert the nation to my “cure.” i think any dietary overhaul will take adjustments and you either have the will to stick it out and see what happens or you bag it in early. we don’t know the blogger’s food/exercise history (though i did see she was a smoker in there). change begets change!
I agree with everything you said, Gena. And not to rag on Alissa Cohen, but it’s actually her website that made me get very suspicious of the raw food diet because I found her claims to be a little ludicrous. I went 100% raw for a couple of months earlier this year and to be honest, I didn’t notice any difference in my body or how I felt. I already eat a healthy vegan diet, though, and I do think a lot of the health benefits purported by the raw diet are attributable to eating vegan.
Clearly, a few days is not a long enough trial to determine the benefit of any kind of diet. And I still try and incorporate a large amount of raw foods into my diet because I think it’s healthy.
Hello! I find your comment very interesting. I am almost done with 30 days of being all-raw. (previously vegetarian). I feel that if I ever eat cooked again, it must be vegan. I feel fine now so I won’t indulge.
How long have you been eating a vegan diet? I always hear that people do feel a bit better transitioning to raw so I find your response to be different and refreshing.
I thought that the author of the other article was well-meaning and expressed herself well, but probably a little uneducated about what she was talking about. I’ve never gone full-raw for 24 hours, but I know that if you do, especially if your diet wasn’t vegan already, you’re going to get some headaches, some exhaustion, etc. – that’s a HUGE change, which is why personally I would say ease into it. Also, at the end she mentioned that the calories were less than she’d normally eat. That would DEFINITELY make her feel tired!
Great post, Gena!
I love eating lots of raw fruit and veggies, and I find the cuisine very interesting from a culinary standpoint…but I highly doubt I’m going to start looking like a fresh-fed vampire out of True Blood if I suddenly “went raw.”
Even though I disagree with his science, Mark Sisson makes a great point in his book “Primal Blueprint” — diet is important, but it’s only an aspect of a a great, healthy life. He maintains that if you do not exercise or make time for mental stimulation, sleep, and recreation, that you are not going to live optimally no matter how many bowls of broccoli and omega 3s you shove down your throat.
Thanks for this outstanding rebuttal.. you’re pretty much covering everything I wanted to say (but didn’t have the time to write) after reading “why the raw food diet sucks.” Well done:)
Thanks for this outstanding rebuttal.. you’re pretty much covering everything I wanted to say (but didn’t have the time to write) after reading “why the raw food diet sucks.” Well done:)
Thanks for writing this post. I read the article a few days ago and haven’t been able to let go of it. I’m just not comfortable with some of the points that were made, or some of the articles that were referenced.
I think the bottom line is that people are so disconnected from their bodies and forget to eat what makes their ‘body’ feel good. Not their mind, not their wallet- their body.
I started eating a raw food diet at the beginning of September and it’s done wonders for my MS. I have no predetermined timeline for this, but as long as it works and I continue to feel better, I’ll eat this way.
If steak helped me feel this way I’d eat steak.
Someone who thinks food will solve all of their problems is just as naive as someone who thinks a pill will solve all of their problems.
Raw Veganism is, in my opinion, the most natural and nourishing way to feed the body. But if I am still an uptight beotch that cannot destress at the end of the day (I may or may not be said uptight beotch…hehe), my health problems will remain.
Holistic healing is essential, and raw foods can be a powerful tool, but it is not the health panacea that raw food product hawkers would have you believe.
Wow Gena–you’ve articulated very well the very things I struggle with reconciling in the raw food world. It’s funny how she cites Richard Wrangham in her post. He was my housemaster at Harvard, and I’ve sat with him for several meals discussing his book in lieu of the raw food craze (something I was just beginning to explore), which in and of itself is a much longer, highly nuanced discussion.
But I believe you have pinned it on the spot. Diet is entirely personal, individual, and singular in its implications and underlying motivations. Some approach it from an economical standpoint, some from a nutritional, some from a seasonal, some from an animal-friendly etc etc. What works for you works for you, what works for me works for me, etc. We can bitch about what is right all we want, but it really just comes down to each person’s individual preferences–the what’s and how’s so to speak.
The part that she notes in her post that resonates with me is how the raw food diet undermines the resilience of the human body. While I do not believe this to be inherently true, I think this is a valid emotional argument. When I was beginning a high-raw lifestyle, I began to question my body’s ability to compensate for an indulgence or “toxic” day. This attitude is an abuse of the raw food diet, of course, but it is one I have observed to be very much prevalent among raw foodists. One day bad=abominable toxicity. Being 100% raw, fasting, or juicing becomes this ongoing obsession to detox, remove, and cleanse, and this constant feeling of having to externalize lends to a very real feeling of disconnect and rejection of self on my part, albeit allaying the fears of being dirty inside. I think the raw food diet ultimately praises the human body, but it is a lifestyle to approach with the right mindset, because subtle abuses bear profound emotional and physical implications.
Gena, thanks for writing this thought-provoking rebuttal.
Although from first glance it may seem this blogger had done her research well, I actually don’t think so. She clapped together extreme views and picked the best (cooked food aided human evolution) and the worst (wheatgrass/chlorophyll mirror blood cells; energy soup is a cure for AIDS etc; poor Ann Wigmore!!) to conclude that a raw food diet is rubbish.
I agree that some of the raw food “leaders” out there make very questionable claims (and I do not read their blogs/websites anymore) and I have to admit such claims drew me in too in the beginning, but of course now I’m in a more moderate place and see that raw food does not cure all. Fresh, wholefoods as much as possible is great for maintaining good health but there are other things to consider like stress, exercise, happiness, social viability of a raw diet etc…
Personally I’ve experienced improvements in various health conditions by eating a high raw diet and incorporating lots of wheatgrass, but yes, I can see that it is not some holy grail that can be got to solve all health problems. In fact, when approached wrongly, you can face more issues.
Very interesting post. I swear I didn’t read yours before i posted today. I think it’s interesting people are rethinking raw. I am not the type to completely dispute it, just call into question the extremes or “magic” of it. Sadly I have a few more wrinkles than I did when I first started eating raw, mostly because it’s been a few more years of life. I have been extremely frustrated that my health issues were not all cured on raw, like I was lead to believe after time. It has taken me time to even admit this because I feared being told I was just “doing raw wrong”, which is a trap a lot of people fall into. Thanks for your perspective of balance as usual. So appreciated!
Great comment B.
Just the way I’ll never write posts saying that raw foods are a cure all, I’ll also never be writing posts to say “the raw diet didn’t work for me, and I’m furious about it!” I love raw, and this post is in no way meant to say I’m completely disputing it, either. I just want readers to understand that raw life can be a question of degrees, of steps, of conscious choices. The approach most raw foodists have is you either are on the way to as raw as possible, you are as raw as possible, or you are not raw. I want to change that idea. One can live semi raw and get deep and rewarding benefits. I was healthy pre-raw, and I guess that’s my luck, but raw made me healthier. But thank god I wasn’t hoping for it to make my health “perfect.”
Never feel as though you didn’t “get the raw diet right,” Bitt. It doesn’t work that way. Sure, maybe you’ll continue to find foods that heal and foods that don’t, but I believe you’ll also find ways to lessen your pain that are not food related. I can think of few bloggers who eat more appealing and sensibly on raw than you, so while I know you’re dealing with the fact that it was not a panacea, never EVER assume you didn’t give it a full, healthy chance.
Love.
“It’s unwise ever to take extremist positions within a community and hold them up as universally representative; within any group of people who share certain habits or beliefs, there’s a lot of variation.”—
That is so true! Anytime we are lead to believe that the extremeist part of any population is the “norm” or shares the views that the whole party does, well, that’s never a good thing or easy to handle. For people new in the journey towards plant based foods, vegan/vegetarian choices, raw, etc…some of the more extreme segments just frankly scare off the masses from even wanting to try! Even after living this life, I am scared off when I read certain blogs or articles
I was led to high raw vegan choices for health reasons. It made the most sense given my particular set of issues and of course my initial “for health reasons” has shifted to include, for “compassion reasons” too!
I dont put stock in any one thing as the almighty, the one and only, the panacea; everything is just a tool in the toolbox. Some are better that others for certain jobs and some work wonderfully for one thing but suck for another. ie. raw veganism works great for someone and is just not the right path for another. For me, I feel better, but am not “cured” and given my issues, may never be, but I feel a hell of a lot better this way than other ways
Great post, Gena, thank you for putting this out there!!!
I love the toolbox analogy — thanks Averie.
I tried eating exclusively raw food for one week and it… did not go well for me. My husband on the other hand wants to eat a high raw diet all the time because he LOVES it. And while we researched raw food diets, we certainly came across some people spewing rainbow bullshit about the glory of raw food. One person even claimed that our relationships with animals would improve because they’ll know that we don’t eat them.
All of that said, I still see value in attempting to gradually add more raw food into my diet. And I agree with the statements you’ve made in your post. We all do it (or don’t do it or do it a little, etc.) for personal reasons. Well done. It was a good read.
Amazing post – as always. This really resonated with me as I have often berated myself for not being ‘able’ to go 100% raw. I now feel so much more comfortable knowing that I eat well at a mostly high raw diet but that it’s ok not to be a perfect ‘raw foodist’ and to stop labelling myself. Due to ill health the last month, I have incorporated some animal protein (after advice from well meaning doctors). I didn’t hate it but I think I will still try to find vegan ways of boosting my protein levels.
As you told me when I first started to evaluate my eating habits, it’s more important to have a healthy attitude to food rather than thinking that raw foods is going to be help me be a better person – physically and mentally. That was the best advice I could have gotten and I still return to that if I start having an ‘all or nothing’ mentality. Thanks again for your wonderfully balanced, healthy approach to life – i just love reading your posts!!
This was such a beautifully written and thought provoking post. I truly believe that the “bad rap” that raw foodists often receive or dark clouds that often appear over the raw food movement in general are 99% due to the fact that those who attempt these silly cleanses and one week stints with raw food (often not the right foods in the first place) become disappointed with there results due to lack of knowledge going into their quick fix and come out pointing their finger at the food rather than themselves. Who would ever put blame on themselves for failing to meet a nutritional goal? Probably not someone who still uses the word diet regularly (is my guess). I am in total agreement with your respectful views on the other article and i also feel that balance is indeed the key rather than eliminating all cooked or minimally processed foods. Thanks for all of the stimulating reads lately, your site is becoming one of my go-to references for good eats/reads/debates/fun!
Really excellent post, gena. I completely agree with your perspective, and you’ve explained yourself very clearly & well. Thanks.
I think it’s a great post Gena. I’d like to share how I’ve felt trying to go 100% raw last year for the first time (vegan for 5 years, vegetarian for 25). I loved it, but I live in Alaska and couldn’t sustain the diet in the winter. I needed warm, cook foods. When I cook, I cook either a macrobiotic based diet or an Ayurvedic based diet, both of which I’ve followed for years. Any individual who claims one sole diet can cure anything and everything I think could be a recipe for failure, hence why many fail at “diets”.
Sound nutrition and not the SAD (standard American diet) is where movement should be focusing today, esp with the rise of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, the list goes on.
I think exposing ourselves to a variety of sound, nutritional, organic (when possible), plant-based foods prepared in a variety of healthy ways whether raw or cooked is what we should encourage. There’s no one fix for everyone, as we all know from experience!
I will say, going raw for 8 mos., my salt cravings disappeared (french fries and potato chips). I’d never had a sweet tooth, but craved salt. Interestingly enough when I had a blood allergy test this summer my sodium levels were very low and I was encouraged to increase my salt intact. Perhaps my body was trying to tell me something and I wasn’t listening! (Thank God for seaweed, and healthy salts today!)
Balance is the key in everything. It is OK to eat raw food as often as we can, maybe a month per year it is a good idea to be 100% raw but.. it is also OK to eat cooked food to. I am avoiding highly processed food but I am still eating cooked food. I feel very good and, as far as I know, I am healthy.
Thank-you for consistently presenting a thoughtful and balanced approach to health and diet. I absolutely love your blog and have tried many of your delicious recipes.
What did I think of the linked post? The negative title and the first few lines where she exclaims that she’s given up on the raw food diet IN LESS THAN A WEEK infuriated me! How could she have done so much post-trial research debunking the whole movement yet not have done basic pre-trial research to have known what to expect in her first week, and to not know that less than a week’s trial is utterly meaningless? I believe to take such a black and white position on anything is irresponsible and detrimental to those who may have had curiosity enough to discover for themselves the benefits of such a trial prior to reading her temperamental rampage. She has no authority to report back on the raw food diet whatsoever, and it makes me very sad that those who agree with her will now shut themselves out from a true understanding of the benefits of choosing raw.
This is BRILLIANT. And it is a perfect example of why I’ve always loved your blog. You present raw food veganism as one of many healthy, balanced diets. You love it and it works for you, but you’ve never said it is the ONLY healthy way for people to live. You’ve never told me that the cooked food I eat is poison, or that I could cure all my health problems if I only went 100% raw.
I LOVE raw food, a lot. I started making a concerted effort to eat more last summer and it made me feel great. When I cranked it up to 100% raw it did not work for me, so I relaxed and just did what felt natural, which for me is anywhere between 25%-50% raw on any given day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I start every morning no matter what with a green smoothie. It is my all time favorite breakfast, and the only thing I ever want to eat when I wake up. I’ll always be grateful to raw foods for that!
Right on, sister! This blog post was very well voiced and articulated many things I feel as well. Thank you for putting this out there!
And to answer your questions: raw to me currently feels like a lifestyle that increases my nutrition, overall health, and connection with nature. It’s not just the uncooked part but all of the little things that come up in “raw culture” that I have fun learning about and experimenting with. It’s overall increasing the quality of my life, which are my big-picture goals anyway: more happiness, fun, and love.
To me, raw food is simply uncooked food. I incorporate some into my diet every day in the form of salads, smoothies, an apple out of hand, etc. It is a natural component that should be a part of every person’s diet– that’s my take on it! I’m not a “raw foodist” but I do love making fresh juices and salads. I love seeing new techniques for making food. However, I still like my bread baked, and I don’t own a dehydrator. And I’m ok with that. =) I love your blog, Gena, because of your skill and creativity in the kitchen, and I’ve learned to love more raw vegetables thanks to your techniques (massaged kale, anyone?) that have made them more accessible.
life is more than just food and if you only focus on the food you will unbalanced and not as healthy as you could be! I agree with your approach gena!
oops *be unbalanced
Gena, you are THE best. I always love your take on things.
I started to seriously dabble in raw food when an acquaintance of mine introduced me to it. I was attracted to it because of the claims of easily being able to maintain a healthy weight while also being able to eat as much (oh, the raw desserts!) as you want. Well, you can all probably guess how that went. Not! I quickly packed on the pounds.
But here’s what I love about raw: the incredible creativity of the foods. And, yes, being able to eat a dessert that I can feel enhances my well being, if not my waist line. At least they are nutritious!
So the world of raw food has a large and lasting place in my diet. It’s a fantastic balance to all of the amazing vegan cooked food out there. I’m NEVER bored or hungry!
ugh. leave it to you to provide a link to get me all riled up…ha.
well, i had to pop over to this article to at least give the girl a chance, but geez. i mean, with health claims like that who wouldnt be disappointed! if things were so black and white and not cooking our food really was the solution to depression, cancer, and neck pain, well its a wonder we even have hospitals! c’mon. anyone who believes that achieving shiny hair is the same process as recovering from diabetes, well, have i got a sales pitch for you! obviously this girl needed a reality check if she truly thought (1) that she would see such a wide range of improvements in her life and (2) that she would see them after just a partial week of going raw.
but, in the interest of being open-minded and believing in people having the best intentions, i will give her the benefit of the doubt about her motives for starting a raw lifestyle. i also don’t know her health background, so while i’d suggest dabbling in it before going full force 100% raw, maybe she already has. i dont know because i dont read her blog regularly. either way, she should give it more of a chance by easing herself into it. clearly the all or none approach isnt working if she truly feels so lethargic. maybe if she started upping whole, unprocessed, uncooked foods into her diet with increasing frequency it wouldnt be such a shock to her system. that said, i do think she needs to seriously adjust her expectations. doctors, scientists, etc. wouldn’t exist if there were such an easy solution to health problems and disease.
as for holistic/natural vs.western meds…i have so much to say on this and i dont want to blow up on your comment board. as a bio major, i can say with 100% certainty there is a flaw with this part of her post:
“when I quit smoking, I used an anti-depressant that is known for its ability to aid smoking cessation. It worked. We don’t know how. We also aren’t sure how it treats depression either. These unanswered questions are unsettling and make it easy to turn to alternative methods for healing. Especially when these alternative methods claim to have all of the answers.”
ok, just because SHE didn’t understand it, doesnt mean the scientists, pharmacists, and lab geek behind the scenes dont!! my god, do you know how long it takes to get a drug on the market. there ages and ages of research. you cant just try something and say “by golly that seems to do it somehow…and thats a good enough reason for me.” this is offense to me as an educated woman, after years of chemistry, biology, physics, and pharmacology, i can say for certain there is scientific data that backs up why any drugs are used. thats all i will say about that.
not to pull a 180 here, but i am also in favor of responsible, well researched holistic means of curing as well. i think herbs, teas, and the likes have definite use in treatment, and its a shame its thought of as a one or the other thing in our society. ok, i have to stop now because my comment is getting ridiculous.
thanks for the great discussion gena!
Gena, I didn´t think I could love your blog more, and then you write this! Thank you for keeping you feet firmly on the ground and your head on your shoulders.
hi Gena! seems to me this blogger was looking for a quick fix. it’s crazy to me that people still believe they’re going to find a magic solution after 3 days of trying out a certain lifestyle. it took me a year of reading about nutrition, trying out new recipes, finding substitutes and seeking out local and online sources for various ingredients before I felt ready to go 100% vegan (not to mention a lifetime of sorting out the complicated psychological aspects of this lifestyle). I’m planning on eating close to 100% for a month as a way to gauge the benefits of this slightly more hardcore lifestyle, but that’s not until next summer when I can benefit from the bounty of local raw rood in season. my point is, it’s irresponsible for anyone to think that they’re going to get all the benefits of a food lifestyle after 3 days, decide it’s not for them, and then go blogging about it like they’re some sort of expert. I also can’t imagine that she was well prepared for the challenge.
I meant close to 100% raw! I’ll be frequenting your blog for recipes!!
I have always felt that adding raw food to one’s diet based on how one feels post-consumption is very important. That is, people should learn to love eating foods that make them feel good, wholesome, and energized. If some meals happen to be more raw than others or people eat varied amounts of raw foods, I say individualism is key here for what raw food is really about.
great post, as always. i don’t think you need telling twice that you write eloquently. i should read all of the above comments, and i promise to later – but i dont think a raw food panacea exists. i think there is a fundamental reason why people / civilization started cooking foods in the first place. cooking makes food taste good and smell good and easier to digest in the stomach. i used to swear by the enzyme theory when i was extremely ill last winter and discovered raw foods for the first time, but i am not as sure.
i was almost 100% raw for 6-8 weeks which gave me relief from my severe ibs-c, but after a while i couldn’t do raw at all and (like many) i stressed out about the way my body was acting rather than re-think the raw (or even vegan) diet. instead i turned to cleansing and detoxing, only to realize that an underlying problem still existed. the ibs-c switched to ibs-d and i couldn’t handle anything raw for some time.
recently i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (which is not rare in ibs sufferers). this might explain why i felt better on the low-starch diet, but even as gabriel cousens, m.d. (a big raw food community member and holistic healer) points out, there is no vegan “answer” to bipolar disorder and must be supplemented with fish oil. in the last month i actually gave into my fearful stubbornness and started eating fish after 2 years of being nearly all vegan and since then i’ve actually been feeling more myself than ever. i’m actually trying to add more things into my diet now and looking into other ways of healing besides just raw veganism, which i clung onto for so long because it did truly get me out of a black hole i was in once upon a time. i’ve since then been looking into macrobiotics, paleo, and ayurvedic diets and trying to somehow incorporate what i believe to be the best from various diets, so that it works for my body.
as bitt posted, i think raw foodism has both pros and cons. as she also posted, i think both allopathic and naturopathic medicine should be used in BALANCE (something i never have quite found in recent years, until being diagnosed with bipolar). there was a time when i got so into learning about the “secret powers” of herbal medicine that i lived on nothing but herbal tea for a while. after that month, i was taking antibiotics and going to emergency room regularly. the truth is, both branches of medicine have their place and i don’t think completely ignoring one or the other works for people with health problems. i also think that if you are FREE of health problems, you may be creating some for yourself by leaning towards any kind of extreme diets.
Excellent points. Add raw/fresh to the diet. While I feel best high raw, and eating natural/organic foods has eliminated many symptoms that meds never could, there are other factors which have contributed to my health challenges along the way. (Like severely low vitamin/mineral levels, which have taken a ND/MD to help repair.)
great thoughts. You write so beautifully that I actually read every word of your posts, rather than just scrolling through like I do with every other blog. Actually, you are the ONLY blog I don’t put on my google reader, since I will always check it and don’t want to breeze through. Can’t wait to see you soon. Miss you so much.
Can’t say it better myself!
I just found your blog and really like it!
I became a raw foodist because of severe food sensitivities and allergies.
There’s something in processed foods that gets me every time!
Migraines, stomach problems, etc., etc., etc.
Daily!
Since I became mostly raw, the only time this stuff comes back to bite me,
is when I eat a cooked meal with processed foods. And any sugary things!
I have to admit, I miss the sound and smell of food frying in a pan!!
And cheese.
And a big fat chocolate donut.
I’m hungry now.
Alissa Cohen’s website is a haven also for fasting. One thread in particular is led by a person who has fasted over 110 days, and previously fasted for the better part of a year. She is doing a juice fast. My opinion on this is a little strong: I see long term fasting (the better part of a year or more) as a sign of a serious eating disorder. Instead of teaching people how to EAT, using raw food, it encourages NOT eating, and only drinking. It encourages deprivation to the point of extreme physical symptoms, instead of encouraging proper and healthy eating of raw or slightly cooked wholesome foods. More and more people are starting to follow the fasting thread and are duped into thinking that this is the goal of healthy eating, or some part of eating raw. On that entire website every imagingable symptom the body can come up with is always “detox.” And every imaginable ailment a person can suffer is something that can be “fixed” by raw food. This is why your website, Gina, is a relief and a sanctuary. From your gorgeous pictures to your intelligent writing and your sane and unfanatical explanation of your way of eating.
I discovered raw almost two years ago through the blog of someone who barely even dabbles in it. I figured it was a good idea for me because of my multiple food sensitivities. After a few months of it, I felt GREAT. I dropped 20 pounds after 3 or 4 months of eating high raw. I think it was mostly bloat.
That was it for the wieght loss after that. My digestion improved dramatically, my face cleared up, but my sleep never improved, and my energy was come and go. I started an initiative on one of the raw food websites and committed to eating 100% raw for 11 weeks. No huge changes, especially with my weight (and I had a lot of weight to lose!). Any questions I posted to the raw sites about my lack of weight loss were answered with questions about what I ate, and people telling me I ate too much or too little, too much fat, eat more fat, etc., or that maybe I was stressed. I didn’t understand why people wanted to know what I was eating if raw foodists were supposed to eat whatever they wanted, as long as it was raw and vegan. It also confused me as to why people with eating disorders can be skinny, yet if I don’t eat enough, I stay fat and even gain weight. All of the conflicting information had me frustrated, to say the least. I had to break away from the raw communities due to my frustration with the lack of or conflicting answers.
The only thing that kick-started my weight loss was exercise. Intense exercise. Daily intense exercise. Plus, I started tracking my calories and adding some cooked vegan back into my diet. I think it was easier for me to do 100% raw during the summer, when all kinds of fruit and veg are in season. I am at a loss for what to do during the cold months.
Anyway, that’s my raw story.
Wow, Gena, thanks for cranking out another brilliant article!
You are the voice of reason.
Here’s a few random thoughts in response:
Raw food is great for many things but I don’t think enzymes are one of them. Plant enzymes are for plants. If the plant enzymes were used for their own digestion, they would digest themselves
before we would ever put it into our mouth.
I’ve always been annoyed at the “raw food is holy” vs “cooked food is evil” debate. Even if cooked food were evil, certainly, there must be a *range* of evilness, not all black and white…
I have been equally annoyed at the people who instantly reject raw food without having actually gone through it. Raw food is experiential. I don’t eat raw food for any intellectual reasons – it simply makes me feel good when I eat a lot of it.
Having said all that, I do believe in a little bit of magic… if this makes me non-scientific, then be it. Moving towards a natural lifestyle made such a huge difference for me, it sure did feel magical – and still does to this day.
However, this included a lot more than just food. Enjoying food, exercise, career development, relationships – all equally
important parts of health.
Raw food, in and of itself, did not provide many of the things raw food “gurus” promised and I worry about people who believe it will and blame themselves when it doesn’t. To that end, I’m glad the person who wrote the blog post in question can make a concrete decision based on what she believes is best for her, not for what her nutritionist says.
I have to say the enzyme rumor that has been passed around is widely heard and known and it makes me sick to my stomach. I wish this myth was taken down; many a raw foodist truly believes in it. The lessening of vitamins through heating food should be a main point but somehow it has not been spread far and wide like the enzyme myth. It shows that myths can be taken as fact by people who do not do their research. Very sad.
Could not agree more. It really discredits us, and that’s such a shame. Thanks Nae!
Tell you what, I am a semi-raw foodist who believes that a proper balanced semi-raw food diet can cure almost anything,as I’m a living prof of it!
I used to suffer for years from:IBS,ulcers,sinus problems,bad breath,back pain,skin allergies, recurrent mouth,low autoimmune responses,low energy,insomnia,ulcers,etc…The list is very long,believe me!
After only 2 years on a semi-raw food diet i’m totally free from all of the above problems and plus have not had a cold or flu for 2 long years!
Even my doctor could not believe on the benefits of eating raw until he got to see what it done for my health.
I’ve done a little experiment last week to prof to my husband that my good health is indeed due to my great diet and that cooked food can be harmful to our digestive system;we went out and I had cooked Indian food,next day I had sinus pain,headache,nausea,stomach pain,diziness and some IBS symptoms,took me 2 days to detox and feel better again!
I will never,ever go back eating the way I used to eat some years ago!
A well balance,raw or semi-raw food diet is a truly healing experience.The Holy Bible says that God has given nature to us for nourishment and for healing,what else can I say?
For me this diet is nothing short of a miracle if done with the assistance of a good nutritionist so you will be having a well balanced healing experience.
hugs to all
Amazing post Gena. I am a semi-raw foodist (usually raw til dinner) and honestly I do it because I like to avoid processed foods and I want to do the best that i can for my body and deep down I know I’m not ready (and not sure if I truly ever will be) for a 100% raw lifestyle. I know that if I tried to commit to that, it would become restrictive for me since I’d be in a “diet” mentality and not doing it because I truly wanted to do it.
I do however cringe at hearing people say how “raw foods will magically make your white hairs turn black again” and things of that nature? Really? Do you understand how that makes people quick to say “see, they’re weirdos and it’s all a sham”. There are some really wonderful benefits and they differ by person because we all have different backgrounds, eating histories, familial disease issues, etc.
I have a question for you – slightly off topic, but it’s something I really struggle with. I went “vegan” a little over a year ago, yet I don’t know what to call myself because sometimes (like once a month) I will eat a sushi roll and also, while I don’t agree with fur, I do in fact wear leather (I know, it’s a little contradictory). When people ask, I’ve gotten used to saying I’m vegan because that is how I eat 99.9% of the time, but I feel like a fraud because I know I voluntarily stray sometimes and I know that I wear leather in my shoes and running shoes.
What are your thoughts on labels? I think some people take them very seriously and for that reason I’m always afraid I might be offending someone when I call myself vegan when in fact I don’t embrace the whole lifestyle. What I do works for me though, and I don’t want to change just so I can package myself up with a nice neat label. To steal a line from Alicia Silverstone, I try to be kind in my eating and overall living habits, but I’m at a loss for how I should explain myself and my choices accurately to others.
Long-winded, I know!
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