If you take some records about the raw food before and after figures, you may notice that your body figures have changed. Although to some, the thought of uncooked food may be unappealing, if done correctly, a raw food diet can be extremely beneficial to one's health and help to improve your body figure.

How Can Raw Food Help With Weight Loss?

1. Loads of Enzymes

There are numerous reasons for why raw food diets are beneficial for weight loss. One of these reasons is loads of enzymes in raw foods. Everything in your body is controlled by enzymes. They help you to metabolize and digest the food that you consume, and if your diet is filled with the right nutrients, you are less likely to over eat.

2. The Alkaline Property

Raw food diet is an alkaline diet, which is another reason as to why it is beneficial for weight loss, and why raw food before and after would yield different results. This is because alkaline diets help to eradicate acid waste products, as well as toxins from your body. And many of these acid toxin and waste products are stored within molecules of fat. If one does not balance the Ph. of their body—the balance of alkaline and acid, then the body is less likely to lose fat, and therefore weight.

3. Low Calories and Rich Fiber

Low calories and rich amount of fiber of the raw food contribute to weight loss. Raw foods are low in calories, which is quite less than the calories you consume by taking cooked foods. Thus you can eat as much as you feel full. Besides, the rich fiber content in raw foods helps to clean waste in your intestines.

The raw foods are assumed as the real foods that can be metabolized, and the processing of raw foods helps with the body's function system and purges fat and waste.

How to Take a Raw Food Diet

1. What Raw Food Can You Take?

In truth, there are many avenues you can take when exploring a raw food diet. Generally, around 80 percent of the food that you consume should be plant-based and not heated to above 115°F (it is rare to follow a 100% raw food diet). Fresh fruit and vegetables are the obvious choices, yet do not forget about the abundance of tasty nuts, seeds, and grains that will not only provide you with a healthy snack, but also fit perfectly within your diet.You may also indulge upon herbal teas and freshly-squeezed vegetable juices.

It is true that many people who abide by a raw food diet are vegan, but that's not to say that it's a requirement. There are many raw animal products, such as raw unpasteurized milk, raw butter, raw fish (such as sushi), and some raw meats. It is important to remember that some raw foods can cause harm when eaten, so ensure that you know what you are eating is safe before consumption.

2. How to Prepare

If you are committing to a raw food diet, then you will have to learn some new methods of food preparation. Many apparatuses, such as juicers, dehydrators, and blenders are available to assist you in food preparation.

A dehydrator, as the name would suggest, works to dry out food that you put within it. One thing you can try is to peel and thinly slice a sweet potato. Place the slices in the food dehydrator for around 5 hours, and then you have sweet potato chips. Many other tasty recipes are available to raw food enthusiasts, some of which are detailed later in this article. Below are some dos and don'ts when practicing raw food preparation:

• Don't consume any food that has been heated above 115°F, and ensure to avoid all processed foods, microwaved meals, genetically modified or engineered food, as well as food that come under exposure of herbicides and/or pesticides.
• Do buy the appropriate apparatus (dehydrator, blender, and juicer).
• Do be creative in your endeavors. Make numerous variations of meals and juices.

Delicious Raw Food Recipes to Try

1. Cool Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup and 2 tablespoons of raw cashew butter

¾ cup of thick raw coconut milk

¼ cup of cider vinegar

½ teaspoon of sea salt

1 minced clove of garlic

3 medium sized cucumbers, deseeded and sliced

3 slices scallions

Instructions:

For the dressing, add cashew butter, coconut milk, cider vinegar, sea salt, and garlic into a large bowl and whisk together until a smooth consistency is apparent.

Place the sliced cucumber and scallions into a bowl and pour the dressing created in step one over it. Toss the contents of the bowl to combine and infuse, then serve!

2. Fig Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of chia seeds

1 and ½ cups of coconut milk

6 organic figs (ripped)

1 tablespoon of coconut nectar

Vanilla bean powder (pinch)

Instructions:

Place the pinch of vanilla, coconut nectar, figs, and coconut milk into a blender and blend well.

Pour the blended mixture over the chia seeds (in a suitable bowl or container) and allow it to sit for around 25 minutes, ensuring that you stir the mixture every 5 minutes.

The mixture can then be eaten immediately or stored overnight. And you can top it with strawberries, raspberries and figs, for an extra taste sensation.

Are There Any Side Effects of Raw Food Diet?

1. Missed Menstrual Period

In some instances, following a strict diet based on raw food can cause a woman to miss her menstrual period, or they may even completely stop. This is believed to be caused by insufficient calorie intake and extreme weight loss.

2. Potential Toxic Risks

Some raw foods can be toxic when consumed by humans. Raw rhubarb, taro and cassava are to be avoided. You should also avoid the consumption of potatoes that have turned green in color, as they will most likely contain a toxin known as solanine, which is harmful even in small amounts. There is also a research suggesting that unpasteurized raw milk is harmful when consumed as it contains pathogens. This is why the product is banned for human consumption in over 20 states, and why the Food and Drug Administration in the USA say it's dangerous.

3. Lower Bone Mass and Mineral Density

Some research suggests that individuals who have followed a strict diet of raw food for 10 years had lower bone mass and mineral density than the average individual. Yet, it doesn't indicate increasing risks of the osteoporosis. But, researchers conclude that low body weight of the dieter may cause the osteoporosis issues.