The Raw Deal

To heat or not to heat: the raw food debate

by Nancy Davidson

There are two ways to look at the raw foods way of eating: You can focus on the restrictions-no grilled burgers, no hot soup on a cold winter's day-or you can embrace the range and variety of the foods that are included. To Matthew Kenney, chef at New York City's gourmet raw food restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, the raw foods diet is a celebration of organic, high-quality foods eaten in a form as close as possible to their natural state.

The name raw can be misleading; you won't find many raw foodists eating steak tartare or sushi. Like a vegan diet, a raw food diet excludes animal products, including eggs and dairy, but it also eschews grains, beans, tofu-and cooking. The basic premise of the raw food philosophy is that food shouldn't be heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the better to preserve the "live" enzymes that raw foodists believe aid digestion and maximize absorption of nutrients.

According to some nutritionists, these beliefs about live enzymes are just that, beliefs with no science to back their claims. Elizabeth Applegate, PhD, Senior Lecturer and an expert on nutrition and fitness, says that most foods, including vegetables, are digested better when they are heated.

The choice to go raw is usually based on a desire to be healthy and feel energized, alert, lean and good about your body. But is a raw food diet compatible with a healthy, active lifestyle?

There are some definite pluses to the raw food diet, Applegate says. "By eating organic fruits and vegetables, you are getting lots of nutrients and fiber, not eating a lot of fat, avoiding refined foods, eating fewer calories and losing weight," she says. In addition, a raw food diet doesn't contain many foods that trigger sensitivities and food allergies, such as dairy, wheat and gluten. On the other hand, Applegate cautions, you need to make sure that you get enough protein, especially if you work out frequently, or you may end up feeling fatigued.

Kenney, however, has found just the opposite to be true. "If you follow the raw food diet carefully," as he does, "you feel a current that runs through your entire body and you have to burn it off." He finds nut butters, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and sea vegetables to be excellent sources of protein.

The best way to know if raw food works for you is to try it out for a few weeks. If you feel exhausted instead of energized after a workout, it may mean that you aren't getting enough protein and essential vitamins like D and B12. But be prepared, fiber-rich foods may be hard to digest at first for a body not conditioned to processing them. "When you eat processed foods, there's no fiber. The body isn't doing anything," says Kenney. Raw foods, on the other hand, are like exercise for your digestive system, he says. But when it comes to going raw, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Almost anyone can benefit from increasing their intake of raw fruits and vegetables.

Going Raw

At first glance, it may seem easy to include raw foods in your diet. But even though you don't have to cook the ingredients, there can be a lot of prep involved. A full-out raw diet requires a big commitment, one that often includes purchasing kitchen equipment. Common raw-food kitchenware includes juicers, dehydrators for intensifying flavors and making some foods edible, and mandolines for slicing fibrous root vegetables and for transforming squash or young coconuts into thinly sliced "noodles."

Trips to the health food store may also be in order for supplements such as blue-green algae, bee pollen and hemp protein, which are often used by raw foodists to replace nutrients they would otherwise get in a more traditional diet.

But that doesn't mean you can't make an attempt to include healthful raw foods in your meal plan. Here are some tips:

Eat Fruit for Breakfast

Even the busiest person can make time to eat a piece of fruit in the morning. Or pack it in your bag and eat it before or after your workout.

Get More Out of Your Salads

Choose dark, leafy greens, dried fruit, ground flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and raw cashews over the egg, chicken and bacon bits you might normally prepare.

Drink a Dairy-Free Smoothie

Blend a variety of fruits-such as orange, grapefruit, apple and lemon or mango, pineapple and blueberry-with filtered water, coconut water (available in health food stores) or coconut milk and top it off with a touch a agave honey (made from the heart of the same plant that, when fermented, gives us tequila).

Eat Dinner at a Raw Food Restaurant

Even carnivorous skeptics will find the beautiful and creative preparations at gourmet raw-food restaurants inspiring, tasty and satisfying.

Nancy Davidson is a freelance writer living in New York. Her work has appeared in Health, Cooking Light and other publications.