Is A 100% Raw Vegan Diet Healthy Or Not?

Lately, I have been asked about my opinion on the raw food diet, especially on the 100% raw vegan diet. Not an easy question, but here are my thoughts….

Adding more raw foods to your diet will definitely bring tons of benefits, but I don’t believe the fact that cooked foods are poisonous and don’t provide health-promoting nutrients. The raw vegan diet has been promoted as the perfect diet that solves all health issues. Celebrities like Mel Gibson, Uma Thurman, Demi Moore, Donna Karen, Wooden Alan, Alicia Silverstone and Jason Mraz all have brought our attention to raw food and it rapidly became the new hype.

However, there is no such thing as the perfect diet! We are all unique creatures with different needs. While some people may thrive on a raw vegan diet, others might suffer and feel less energized. Though I have chosen to eat a 99 percent vegan diet (nobody is perfect, right?) with a lot of raw foods and at least one cooked meal a day, organic animal products from reliable sources and cooked foods can definitely be a part of a healthy diet.

Today we see many raw food gurus admitting that they are no longer 100% raw. This has actually nothing to do with a lack of willpower, but they have to admit that, although some people can thrive on going 100% raw and vegan, for the vast majority of people a 100% raw vegan diet simply doesn’t work long term.

However, that doesn’t mean it cannot work for you. Listen to your body, it will give you the signs whether it is liking the lifestyle or not. In our case, our body is liking what we are doing. My hubby is off his weekly Multiple Sclerosis (MS) injection and I have my heart condition under control without any medication.

If you have been following my blog then you know I’m not the person who likes the extremes. I’m an advocate of a clean, whole food diet, where raw foods play an important role. But cooked foods are definitely not the enemy who’s wreaking havoc on your health… in some cases it can be the 100% raw.

Here’s why raw food isn’t always the better option…

100% Raw Veganism Isn’t The Healthiest Solution Long Term

People who decide the go 100% raw feel fantastic, have the most beautiful glowing skin and tons of energy. So while they are convinced that they are living the healthiest lifestyle possible, they may be slowly ruining their health. Most 100% raw foodist feel great the first year or two which is quite normal as your body undergoes a serious cleansing period. It helps the body to get rid of toxins but actually doesn’t nourish your body.

After a while, many health issues start to emerge. Tooth decay, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, ridges in nails, low energy, constant fatigue, skin rashes, acne and improper digestion are only a few symptoms.

Most of these symptoms are due to a lack of healthy fats and proteins, which are the building blocks of your body. And another big reason is that fat-soluble activators A, D, and K2 are only found in animal products.  These activators boost mineral absorption and, when not present, cause mineral depletion and illness.

So even if you are eating tons of mineral- and vitamin-dense healthy raw foods, you can still be mineral or vitamin deficient, due to absorption issues.

ALSO READ: Why You Should Add Some Healthy Fats To Your Juices, Smoothies, Or Salads 

But What About The Live Enzymes

One of the biggest claims of the raw food diet is that all the foods still contain live enzymes (a special kind of protein) that speed up or catalyze chemical reactions involved in digestion. However, these delicate enzymes are inactivated, digested (or broken down into smaller pieces), absorbed, and used as building blocks for the body, just as any other protein. So actually these live enzymes do not aid digestion, they are only used as building blocks just as any other protein.

Some Cooked Foods Are More Nutritious

While it is true that cooking, especially overcooking or frying, can destroy up to 50% of certain nutrients, especially vitamin C, some foods are actually healthier when cooked. Tomatoes and carrots, for instance, contain more lycopene or lutein when cooked. Cooking also breaks down the cellulose wall of plant cells which makes them easier to digest. If you cook your veggies make sure to steam them. There will still be a significant loss of vitamin C, but the total nutrient loss is only about 10%.

ALSO READ: Raw vs Cooked: 5 Raw Foods That Are Healthier When Cooked 

I’m not saying you can’t thrive on raw foods, and they should definitely be a huge part of your daily diet. But keep in mind… for the vast majority of people, a raw vegan diet will slowly ruin your health in the long term.

If you want to reset your body, lose weight and learn how to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet, click here.