The raw food diet is based on the notion that eating raw food is best for the body. Although it is suggested that the food in this diet are eaten raw, the food can be heated at a certain degree of temperature. This reminds me of a sign I read from the Surgeon General at a sea food restaurant I went to over the weekend. It said, "The Surgeon General warns that eating food undercooked or raw will increase your risk of food borne illness."

This dietary practice has been done for a long time and many people swear by them. The logic of the raw food diet is to eat about 75 percent of uncooked food since the cooking process destroys the enzymes that help with the digestion process. Science does back this theory up. Heating any protein source will make it denature or change in shape. There is also science to backup the thought that this is unhealthy, as the Surgeon General warns.

Many people have adopted this kind of diet because it is an effective way to lose weight. Raw food diet has been linked to more energy, healthier skin, a reduced risk of heart disease and better digestion. This type of diet is basically made up of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and spices, dried fruit, sprouted seeds, grains, flaked or rolled grains. Some people tend to add cooked grains and legumes.

Eating raw food can be very helpful for a person. Most raw foods contain very high amount of vitamins and minerals, giving a person properly balances the nutrients needed to live longer. As studies show, they can be easily digested by the body hence there would be less energy to be consumed for digestion after eating a heavy meal. Raw foods can help in the prevention of different illnesses such as problems in indigestion, obesity, very low immune system, high level of cholesterol and allergies. In addition, raw food can also help in the prevention of developing cancer cells and weight loss. Weight loss is very certain on this diet because calorie and carbohydrate intake are reduced. It is hard to overeat on this diet because of the high water and fiber content; you feel full much quicker; therefore, weight loss will occur.

Cooking can diminish the food's nutritional value. It denatures the enzymes contained in the food. It is said that enzymes helps us in the digestion of foods and in the absorption of nutrients. Eating or consuming overcooked food can induce the body to use more energy in order to produce more enzymes. If the body will have lesser enzymes needed, it can lead to problems in digestion, gaining weight, deficiency in nutrients and faster aging. Cooking also promotes the formation of harmful compounds in food during the heating process.

Basing on the people's experiences and research showed that raw food diet can help in the prevention of developing malignant cancer cells by eating mostly raw and organic foods. Raw food suggests that meat should be avoided and nuts and seeds should be eaten instead because they contain protein just like meat does. It is advised that when buying organic fruits and vegetables, it is important that they are washed or peeled since the fruits and vegetables most often contain residues of pesticides.

Eating raw food together with cooked food might lead to indigestion because of the different stomach acids that it might produce. A high-fiber diet may also lead to excessive flatulence, which can be uncomfortable in public. If a person's previous diet was high in toxins, it is possible to experience headaches or nausea. This is due to the detoxification process and will pass in three to five days.

pass in three to five days. Raw food diet can be very challenging but is very helpful. A regular diet will prevent starvation, but it gives very little encouragement for good health and high level of well being. In raw food diet, foods need undergo very minimal processing in order for it to be consumed. And this can also give a person very minimal time in cooking since generally most of the foods eaten are in raw form. Nowadays, some people particularly the health conscious ones; try to avoid cooked foods. Others may serve cooked foods in the table, but still eat at least some raw foods such as fruits and vegetables in the form of salad or just plain raw for additional fiber and other important nutrients found in raw foods.