The raw food diet (RFD) is yet another one of those that is taking the diet-crazy celebrities by storm. The raw food diet as well as the South Beach diet, the Atkins diet and the Zone diet are among the most popular diet programs today. The South Beach, Atkins, and Zone diets are low carb diets in which foods containing carbohydrates are limited to certain level. The raw food diet consists of, if you haven’t already guessed, raw foods. These include the likes of fresh fruit juices, herbs, dried fruits, seaweed, raw (or frozen) fruits and vegetables, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, yoghurt, sashimi, cheese, and steak carpaccio tartar. None of these things sound particularly appealing to live off, but the mantra behind the raw food diet is that uncooked and fresh foods contain more nutrients in them. When food is cooked, it gets rid of some of the goodness; depleting it of its nutritional value.

Forty-five year old ex supermodel Carol Alt swears by the raw food diet. She claims that this diet has turned back the clock for her and has given her a renewed supermodel figure as well as renewing her health and vivacity. Lots of celebrities around Hollywood are giving the raw food diet a run for its money, too. The likes of Demi Moore, Robin Williams, Woody Harrelson, David Bowie, Alicia Silverstone and Sting are all “raw foodists”, swearing by the power of eating raw foods.

Eating raw food actually has a positive effect on your body – providing of course that you don’t eat food that needs to be cooked in order to be edible – for example, raw poultry would be a no go! Raw food has a positive effect on your digestive system, making things move much quicker through your body. Cooking food may destroy its nutritional value, as the raw foodists claimed, and making it difficult to metabolize. Rraw foods have large amount of diestive enzymes fundamental to human health as well the digestion and metabolization of the ingested food. The enzyms and synergistic ingredients in raw food enhance digestion and revitalize the body. If you have a digestive disorder, the raw food diet could have a positive effect on this, improving your well being. Research has even shown recently that if you eat a diet that is high in raw food content, this could actually help to prevent serious illnesses – even cancer.

In the raw food diets, food is ingested uncooked and unprocessed. A raw food diet consists of nothing but raw foods (such as nuts, seeds, fruits, sprouted grains and beans), water, and freshly pressed juices. Raw food diets can be took in several forms: vegan, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, or omnivorous (mixed raw food diets). Cereals and dairy products are generally not served, and typically only a single food is eaten in one meal.

Because raw food is high in antioxidants, eating a lot of it can slow down premature aging, giving your skin a more healthy and youthful look. Raw foods have been reported to have the lowest glycemic index values of all. And raw food is much easier and cheaper to buy than all of these expensive face creams that “claim” to work. Because all the food you consume on the raw food diet is high in nutrients, you will also find that you have an increased amount of energy, which often leads to an overall feeling of good wellbeing.

Raw food diets, in general, are plant-based diets that are intended to prevent chronic disorders with the help from the high content of beneficial nutritional substances such as carotenoids. There’re many reports indicating that a strict raw food diet may contribute to the concentrations of triglyceride and low serum total cholesterol. Dietary guidelines do recommend people to have a high intake of fruits and vegetables and a low amount of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and cholesterol in order to low risks of cardiovascular diseases.

There are actually few downsides to this diet. Deficiencies of essential nutrients for human body such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, and iron occur due to the strictness of the diet regimen. Except, of course, it can become a little bland, as there is a limited amount of food you can eat – and everyone gets sick of eating the same things every day. So try and vary what you eat, and experiment with recipes in order to get the most out of it.

Related information

• Whole grain foods in healthy weight loss diets
• Essential weight loss foods
• Weight Watchers food points
• NutriSystem diet food
• Atkins diet foods to eat
• Fruit and vegetable diet
• High protein diets help you lose weight
• High fiber diets for weight loss and disease prevention
• Make healthy food choices for weight loss
• Natural diuretic foods for your diet plan
• A list of low carbohydrate foods
• Protein powder
• Foods that curb hunger
• Diabetes prevention diet
• Body cleansing diet for weight loss
• Calorie shifting diet
• Healthy meal plans for weight loss
• Pomegranate
• Foods that boost metabolism
• Antioxidant rich foods