Raw Food Diet FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about the raw food diet and lifestyle. If you’ve got a burning question, ask us using our contact form.
Do I have to be raw AND vegan?
What is the healthiest ratio of carbohydrates, fat and protein?
What is the best way to detox and cleanse my body while on the raw food diet?
What detox symptoms should I expect?
How do I get my friends and family to eat raw food with me?
If I don’t eat red meat, won’t I become iron deficient?
How do I stay warm in the winter if I do not eat heated foods?
I’m hungry all the time, what do I do?
Is organic produce really better than non-organic produce?
I’m on the raw food diet and I don’t feel healthy. I just don’t feel right. What do I do?
Do I have to be raw AND vegan?
We were vegan before we transitioned to a raw food diet so it made sense for us to be a raw vegan. Being vegan is both a health and ethical decision we made. Should you ultimately choose to incorporate small amounts of raw dairy, eggs or meat into your diet, you should take extra precautions with where you source your raw animal products. Small, local farms are your best-bet and consuming raw animal foods that come from concentrated feed operations or factory farms should be avoided at all cost.
Our recommendation is to try out a raw vegan diet at first and stick with it through the detox period (about 30 days) while your body transitions into a healthier lifestyle. If you feel great, then continue on this path and periodically have your blood checked for deficiencies (which can happen on a non-vegan, non-raw diet as well). You might need to experiment with different foods and combinations to find the macronutrient ratio that works best for you.
Many raw vegans stay on the diet for life while others introduce raw goat milk or other foods on occasion. If you wish to remain vegan but feel you need some fortified foods, try going back to a high-raw vegan diet or seek out some high-quality superfoods or supplements that will address your nutrient concerns.
Adding small amounts of low fat, whole cooked foods can help balance a raw vegan diet.
What is the healthiest ratio of carbohydrates, fat and protein?
Different raw foodists will tell you different things. From our research and personal experience, we’ve found that the best macronutrient ratio that works well for us is in the 80/10/10 range (80% carbohydrates from sweet fruit, 10% protein and 10% fat). We recommend this ratio with some variation for certain people who may need slightly more fat. We feel that boosting fat intake to about 15% of calories is still healthy.
A typical raw food diet that is often promoted in books and in restaurants will almost be the reverse with up to 80% of calories coming from fat. Our research and personal experience has shown this to be an unsustainable diet long term and carries potential health risks over time.
There is plenty of scientific research that supports both sides and refutes both sides. Based on our personal experience and research, we eat and strongly recommend a fruit-based, low fat raw or high-raw vegan diet. We have found this diet to be the most sustainable, balancing, cleansing, energizing and fulfilling.
Where do I get my protein?
If we had a nickel for every time we were asked this question! As we got deeper into raw foods, we quickly discovered that animal flesh is not the only source of protein. It is not even the best source of protein. Unfortunately, we were brought up to believe that protein equals meat (as most people are lead to believe). It doesn’t.
Leafy greens, beans, lentils and even fruits and vegetables are rich sources of protein. You can get all the protein you need and meet your daily requirement for all essential amino acids by eating nothing but plant foods. Find out more about where to get protein on a raw vegan diet.
What is the best way to detox and cleanse my body while on the raw food diet?
We feel that the best way to detox and cleanse your body is WITH the raw food diet. As long as you are eating a low-fat, raw vegan diet that includes plenty of water-rich fruits and vegetables, your body will natural cleanse itself of toxins.
To maximize detoxification, minimize or eliminate your use of animal byproducts, synthetic cleaners and non-organic produce. Maintain a water-rich diet of fresh, ripe, whole foods and avoid too many fats, oils and refined, “raw” foods.
What detox symptoms should I expect?
Detoxification can occur when you transition to raw foods or any healthier diet. It might take a few days before you feel symptoms or you might feel symptoms on day one. Some people experience headaches, runny nose, fatigue, foggy head, bloodshot eyes, flu-like symptoms, acne, body aches and indigestion among other things while transitioning to raw foods.
Typically, the detox period lasts between one week to a month or even longer depending on how unhealthy you ate and lived before going raw. The best way to slow down detox and make the transition more bearable is to take it slow. Step up to raw foods over time rather than switching your diet overnight. We took a full year to transition from cooked omnivore to raw vegan. Because of that, we never felt any horrible detox symptoms and we were able to stick with it long term.
Of course, if you experience health issues that prevent you from functioning in your normal life or symptoms last longer than a few weeks, you should absolutely consult a qualified medical professional who is knowledgeable about raw food nutrition for advice and to rule out any deficiencies, allergies or underlying health conditions that might be present.
How do I get my friends and family to eat raw food with me?
It can be hard enough to eat raw in a cooked world. It’s even harder when you don’t have support and understanding from your friends and family. Unfortunately, you can’t convince anybody to radically change their diet if they are not ready to change. You can eat by example and introduce healthier meal options, but ultimately, each one of us is responsible for our own health.
As a parent, you can make green smoothies for your children and find other ways to “sneak” raw vegetables into their diet. The younger you start, the easier it will be. If your spouse or partner is not on board with your dietary decision, try including some raw side dishes with dinner. You can also suggest trying out a raw food diet for a limited amount of time, say a week or 30 days. Be sure to make tasty raw recipes and showcase all this diet has to offer as far as uncooked
alternatives. They might decide to come on board with you or they will at least adopt a healthier eating plan.
Either way, stay firm in your decision to eat raw foods for your health. Lead by example by being a healthy, radiant and sexy raw food vegan and don’t waste precious energy trying to convert people. You will be surprised with how many converts you do make with your energetic inspiration!
If I don’t eat red meat, won’t I become iron deficient?
Iron is another mineral that is abundant in plant foods, but we’ve been erroneously led to believe is best obtained from red meat. Many plant sources of iron, especially leafy greens, will provide all that you need without requiring an iron supplement for most people.
Where iron on a raw vegan diet gets tricky is for pre-menopausal women, who have a much higher iron requirement than adult men and post-menopausal women. According to dietary intake recommendations set by the Institute of Medicine in 2000, vegan/vegetarian women should get about 33 milligrams of iron daily.
This is a challenging amount to get from raw vegan foods such as leafy greens. In this case, women should monitor their iron intakes and consider supplementing with a quality iron supplement should the need arise.
Find out more about how to get iron on a raw vegan diet.
How do I stay warm in the winter if I do not eat heated foods?
We live in Chicago, which is anything but warm in the winter and we haven’t frozen to death yet by eating raw foods. Your body does not require cooked, warm food to keep itself warm. Your body maintains it’s own internal temperature independent of the temperature of the food you eat.
Some raw foodists experience a temporary increased sensitivity to cold while transitioning to raw foods. It is also important to make sure that you are getting adequate calories, vitamins and minerals to avoid excessive weight loss or certain deficiencies that can cause cold sensitivity. Periodically monitor your food intake and check to make sure that you are getting your recommended daily allowance of all essential nutrients. We use a little software application called Cron-o-Meter to quickly and easily monitor this.
I’m hungry all the time, what do I do?
If you are hungry all the time while on a raw food diet, it is most likely because you are not eating enough calories. It’s easy to misjudge your calorie intake while eating bulky, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.
It’s important to calculate your unique calorie needs and then track your food intake using software like Cron-o-Meter to ensure you are eating enough.
We do not advocate calorie restriction, especially on a raw food diet. Not getting enough calories on a raw food diet will lead to nutritional deficiencies and other health problems.
Be wary of any raw food expert who suggests that you don’t need to eat as much food on a raw food diet and be especially aware of any expert suggesting you reduce your food or calorie intake to low amounts.
Can I drink coffee and tea?
Neither coffee nor tea can be considered raw since both beverages are heated to near boiling temperatures. Can you be 100% raw and drink coffee? Sure, it’s your choice. It’s not like one cup of coffee will undo your entire diet and lifestyle.
As for tea, we don’t drink tea much, but we also don’t see anything wrong with drinking it. Again, it’s better to continue to enjoy a daily cup of tea than to give it up and feel deprived.
On another note, Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea and very popular in raw food circles because of it’s probiotics.
Is organic produce really better than non-organic produce?
Our preference is toward organic produce. Certified organic produce should not contain genetically modified (GM) products, it should not contain synthetic chemical residues from pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, and it should not have been irradiated to maintain a longer shelf life in the store.
However, it can be difficult or costly to purchase all organic produce. There are certain fruits and vegetables that consistently contain higher concentrations of chemical residues than others. The EWG’s Shoppers Guide to Pesticides is a handy list that shows you which foods are highest in chemical residues and which ones are lowest. This list will help you make economical decisions about which foods to always buy organic and which low-risk, conventionally grown foods can be purchased to save money.
I’m on the raw food diet and I don’t feel healthy. I just don’t feel right. What do I do?
Any diet transition will cause you to not feel “right” at first. When you transition from a cooked, standard American diet to a raw vegan diet, your body goes through dramatic changes. If you are within the first few weeks of switching to raw foods, you might experience strong cravings, detox symptoms, low energy, foggy head, runny nose, bloodshot eyes and all sorts of unpleasant feelings. This should pass and you will not only feel like your normal self again, you’ll feel like a
better, stronger, healthier self.
If you are feeling this way after the first 30 days of going raw, it is critically important that you get checked by a qualified practitioner. They can do a blood test and check for deficiencies and will be able to rule out health problems that might be interfering with your feeling great on raw foods. Look for someone who has experience with raw foods and nutrition.
Do you have a raw food diet question? Send it to us using our contact form.
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