100% Raw Food Diet vs. Mostly Raw

There is a big debate about whether or not it is really important to eat a 100% raw food diet rather than just eating more raw foods. The general consensus is that the more raw you eat, the healthier you become.

Typically, eating 80% raw or higher is best. I have also heard many raw evangelists claim that the full health benefits are not realized if you are still eating cooked food in any amount. I think this is rubbish.

There is no argument that eating more raw foods will improve your health and that a high-raw diet will bring many health benefits. I don’t believe that cooked food is poison. No matter what you eat (or do), you won’t live forever, you won’t stop aging and you won’t be immune to all illness.

So that begs the question, should you strive for the goal of being a 100% raw foodist?

My Experience – High Raw to 100% Raw

I lived on a high raw food diet for over a year I did a 30-day, 100% raw trial. I was curious to see if there would be any additional detox or added health benefits when we cut the small amounts of cooked food from our diet. What I experienced surprised me. There was a difference, although not enough to convince me to stick to it.

Throughout the 30 days I ate 100% raw, my energy increased, I lost additional weight (but still within normal weight range) and I experienced additional detox symptoms.

The biggest thing I noticed was a greater sensitivity to the differences in energy in a raw meal vs. a cooked meal. This energy/digestion difference was crystal clear when I returned to cooked food the day after my 30-day experiment was up.

When eating a high-raw diet, I feel that it is important to ensure that the cooked foods you eat are whole foods. I think that was the issue I was having before my 100% raw food trial. I do not feel any problems at all when we eat low fat, cooked whole foods such as steamed vegetables, brown rice, lentils, beans or quinoa. Eating foods like whole grain bread, cereal and veggie burgers definitely lowered my energy and slowed my digestion. Even though they seemed healthy.

When High Raw Is Right For You

Don’t get me wrong, a high raw diet is great if 100% doesn’t feel attainable to you or you don’t want to give up cooked food forever. If you are just starting out, aim at eating 50% raw and increase it from there. Simply eating more whole fruits and vegetables every day will benefit you. If you have no interest or desire to be a strict raw foodist, set your sights on eating 85-95% raw and try to eat 100% raw most days when you can.

If You Are Starting Out Or Transitioning: If you are new to the raw food diet, start slowly. Most people are able to successfully make changes in their life when they do it gradually over time. Increasing the amount of raw foods you eat each month over the course of a year will set you up for greater success in maintaining a high-raw or 100% raw diet in the long run. If you go from Standard American Diet (SAD) omnivore to 100% raw food vegan overnight, you’ll have a difficult time with it and most people who do it this way ultimately fail.

If You Are Not Thriving On 100% Raw: The raw food diet is not about struggle. If you are not feeling your best after a few weeks on the raw food diet, it might be best to take a break, return to a high-raw diet and do a little more research. Don’t struggle and feel like crap while clinging onto a dietary dogma. Maybe the version of the raw diet you were trying is not right for you and you need to tweak it or try a different flavor of raw. Maybe you’ve been raw for a long time and are developing health problems or nutrient deficiencies because of some aspect of your diet or lifestyle you’ve overlooked. Return to high-raw, figure things out, seek advice and then try again or simply eat healthy and enjoy what you eat.

If You Are Currently Healthy: If you are currently healthy, you might not feel motivated to take your raw food journey all the way. That’s fine. I don’t have any underlying health conditions and weight is not an issue for me, so going 100% raw was never the goal. It just happened. But if you are healthy and fit (or close to it), then maintaining a high-raw diet where 85% or more of your foods come from raw, vegan sources is a very healthy lifestyle choice.

I do recommend that you eventually try out a 30-day raw food diet experiment for yourself just so you can see first-hand the difference. You might not notice anything at all, or you might feel a dramatic difference like I did. There’s no shame in enjoying your favorite cooked foods on occasion if you’re in great health to begin with.

If You Need To Lose Weight: Weight loss is achievable on a variety of diets, and I lost 40 pounds on a high-raw diet. In fact, I credit a daily green smoothie regimen with helping me drop down to my ideal weight and effortlessly maintain it long term. If weight loss is your goal, you probably don’t need to go 100% raw. I would still aim for 85% or better raw. Whatever you eat for cooked food should be healthy cooked food. You will sabotage your weight loss efforts if you’re countering all your fat-burning raw foods with pizza, dairy and other junk foods.

If You Feel Deprived: Feelings of deprivation or detachment from friends and family could lead to both health and emotional problems down the road. It is healthier to allow yourself an indulgence every so often rather than cling to a 100% raw food lifestyle but struggle with guilt, social isolation and feelings of deprivation. Enjoy life and try to make most of your food decisions healthy ones. Happiness and balance are just as important to health as the food you eat.

If You Want To Improve Your Health: Simply increasing your fruit and vegetable intake will significantly improve your health and reduce your risk for many chronic illnesses including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. You don’t have to be 100% raw to gain many health benefits from eating raw foods.

When 100% Raw Is Right For You

If You Want To Detox: A 100% raw vegan diet is the ultimate detox diet. Eating only organic, raw foods gives your body natural fuel to run at maximum efficiency as well as cleanse and purge built up toxins. Use it as a temporary or long-term diet to help undo years of eating junk food, carrying excess weight and overall poor diet and health.

In contrast, a high-raw diet might detox you to a certain degree, but depending on what cooked foods you are eating, you might find that you are always in a state of detox or you’ll stall detox. I did not notice any detox symptoms as I got used to eating a high-raw diet long term, but when I switched to 100% raw food diet, I started detoxing again!

If You Want To Make The Lifestyle Change: Committing to raw foods is not just a commitment to a dietary principle, but a lifestyle. Success on a raw food diet might require specialized kitchen equipment or a higher food budget. It might mean investing in your health by purchasing expensive superfoods, supplements or taking raw culinary classes and nutrition workshops. You’ll meet new friends and have new experiences. You will also need to reconcile your new way of eating with friends and family that don’t understand or support your desire for healthy eating.

If You Want To Heal: A raw food diet heals all wounds…or so we are told. I have noticed that when I am under a lot of stress, or feel like I am coming down with something, eating all raw helps speed up recovery and prevents me from getting full-blown sick.

Your choice to eat raw foods should be based on your health and feeling of well being. There is no special medal for being a strict, 100% raw foodist. Most people who call themselves raw foodists aren’t even 100% raw. The key is to enjoy life and enjoy your food. If that means eating high-raw, go for it. If you are happiest and balanced eating 100% raw, go for it!

Tags: 100& raw, diet, mostly raw, Raw Food Diet, Vegan