Today’s society is always looking for the newest “fad” to lose weight, often highlighted by celebrities and by the press. The newest fads are always changing- previous trends include: The Whole30, Paleo, juice cleanses, the Baby Food Diet and more. I decided to try the Raw Food Diet. I love fruits & veggies and have even been referred to as a rabbit in my eating habits so I figured it wouldn’t be too hard. I am not setting out to lose weight like Regina George but there are many potential benefits & this is Why I Tried the Raw Foods Diet for a Week.
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The raw food diet is one that will require a high amount of effort. The idea is that heating food (above 118 degrees) destroys its nutrients and natural enzymes- AKA When you cook it, you kill it. You’ll be mostly be eating raw, uncooked, unprocessed, mostly organic foods. Think: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. Now that you have an understanding of what The Raw Food Diet is composed of, I want to talk about my experience. I love cooking, but I don’t always have the time and eating raw is quick because nothing is cooked — but not all recipes were simple. I recruited my mom to do it with me, morale support is always key.
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Day One: Surprisingly easy and high hopes
Photo by Anna Ciambrone
We started off the day by making mango & kale smoothies for breakfast. This was easy because it is usually a staple smoothie we like to make which gave us a feeling of comfort. For lunch we made a green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado & made a thai dressing to add some flavor. By dinner time, we were both more hungry than we thought. We decided to make a Marinated Mushroom Soup. It was very good — would have been better warm but the thickness and heartiness of the mushrooms filled us up.
Day Two: Still going strong
Photo by Anna Ciambrone
I woke up a little later than expected so I knew I needed to keep breakfast simple. I made a strawberry- banana smoothie and added some chia seeds for a little texture & crunch. For lunch, I kept it simple again with a green salad filled with: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and made a Avocado Lemon Tarragon Dressing – this dressing is something I will definitely make again. For dinner, we have been referencing 21 Awesome Raw Food Recipes for Beginners to Try and decided to make Raw Zucchini Noodles Marinara. This is where my mom fell off.. she craved cheese and topped hers with some grated parmesan. Now down to one, I felt the pressure to keep going.
Day Three: Hoping the end is near
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I knew I needed to push through so I made a mango kale smoothie to start my day off on a positive note. Breakfast and lunch are not hard for me as I love to have smoothies and salads- dinner is the killer. I find myself having more energy (even though I haven’t had coffee now in two days) and I have had no issues in digestion which I usually do have. For lunch I made a spiralized zucchini salad with the same thai dressing I made on day one. When I got home for dinner, I smelled vegetables roasting in the oven along with the Salmon my mom was cooking for herself and my dad. I told myself I would push through. My mom had kindly made me a raw vegetable lasagna, the taste was there but it was not very appealing while I had to eat my cold lasagna while watching my parents consume warm & tasty food.
Day Four: This was the end
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I woke up and headed downstairs where my mom asked me if I had quit yet? I already knew my defeat after finishing dinner last night. I made my usual smoothie for breakfast but added in some peanut butter ( which is healthy for you, but not considered raw). For lunch I made my usual salad which was raw but when I returned home for dinner I scarfed down: salmon, sweet potatoes, and roasted vegetables.
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What I learned was the Raw Food Diet is something that doesn’t need to be constantly continued. It is a good diet to follow when your body’s digestion seems to be out of whack and needs a good cleanse. I would say it is one of the easier fad diets but even as a rabbit eater I missed warm food. After three full days I did see an improvement in my energy and my digestion but I do think that after a long period of eating raw your body may start to crave the protein and starches you have been depriving yourself of.