healthtalks: Is Raw Food Really So Hot?
The first time I’d heard of the concept of raw food (apart from when I was younger and refused to eat ANY cooked veggies) was on that episode of Sex And The City when Sam was stalking Smith Jerrod and sat through an entire meal of cold soup and other elements resembling lawn clippings. I remember thinking that anyone who went to a raw restaurant was a nutter. These days, I recognise raw cuisine for the art form that it is. Raw desserts, in particular, are my favourite things to make and eat. But is an all-raw diet good for us?
This week’s episode of healthtalks dives into the topic of raw food. Mel and Sam and I chat about whether we think raw food lives up to the popular name it’s made for itself recently.
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What did you think of this episode? What’s your take on raw foods? Share away in the comments below.
Positive affirmation for the day: Loving myself heals my life. I nourish my mind, body and soul.
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I love raw food! My dad makes a raw cheesecake that’s to die for!
While being up in Brisbane I have been splurging on food from Raw and Peace at the Northey street markets, such heavenly treats. It is quite heavy, I had breakfast around seven thirty at the markets and didn’t end up eating again until late afternoon! So for that reason I like to mix it up as well.
I love how creative people are being with raw food and the desserts I find hard to resist! Looking forward to that tiramisu recipe!
Great show! I love raw food starting each day with 2 green smoothies plus plenty of activated nuts and dried food throughout the day as well as plenty of homemade dried fruit , veges and seeds. I also make lots of raw salads and soups and they are so yummy. Last night we had raw zucchini putenesca followed by raw chocolate cupcakes. However, I also need some cooked food. I eat about 60 – 70 % raw (closer to 60% in winter) but like the speakers on the show, I also need some protein from fish and the occasional piece of meat. I also like my soups hot on a really cold day. I don’t find the raw food heavy because I activate all legumes, nuts, seeds, etc. I also make my own nut cheeses. When I started, I started slowly and gradually built it up to 70%. I have got rid of major health issues by eating such a clean diet. Overall, however, the main point is INTEGRATE it and don’t make it your whole diet.
I loved this episode of Healthtalks. I have been going on about putting more raw food in my diet for ages. But having listened to you all chatting i think I have more raw food than i realised.
And of course living in Rotorua NZ it is freezing here in the winter and there is nothing more satisfying than a hot dinner. Now I am off to make an Avocado and Lime Cheesecake for dessert! X
I feel like I integrate raw food in my diet. Without trying I eat around 50 – 60% raw – lots of smoothies and salads and my body loves it. Great episode girls!
I love raw food, and eat raw food until dinenr most days- green smoothies, juices, big leafy green salads, snacks of nuts and seeds and fruit make up most of my diet. In the evening, my partner prefers cooked food, so we will make healthy vegan soups with loads of veg and beans or lentils and served with brown rice or quinoa. This works for me, and my constitution. I believe that if soemone has a health issue such as diabetes, or if they want to lose weight, or go on a detox, then doing a period of time 100% raw is going to be really beneficial, but then maintaining a healthy diet should include loads of raw foods with some healthy, cooked, vegan food.
Fantastic episode Ladies! Very relevant to current food trends with movements such 80/10/10 & Banana girl diet gaining momentum. For me, it couldn’t have come at a better time.. I am already high raw (70-80%) of my diet and was seriously considering going 100% raw but, after listening to ‘HealthTalks’, I feel reassured and confident that I am on the right path already. Thank you for your insights! xx Go raw cashew cheese! YUM!! 
A couple of years ago I got really excited about raw food and loved making it the primary feature of my diet. Then – I spent a winter in deep snow country, and realised almost immediately that raw wasn’t going to sustain me in that climate. Yikes! My body craved cooked richer foods that gave me the energy I needed to thrive in minus 15 degrees! These days I eat with the seasons. I especially try to eat foods that are grown locally each season – I figure if pumpkin grows like crazy in my veggie patch in mid autumn and winter – that’s probably the best time for me to be chowing it down! Eating this way feels really satisfied and somehow even makes me feel more connected with nature.
Thanks for another great episode!
good job on this one !
It is so good to give people the message that you give, to find a balance and to listen to their bodies.
and yes, Jess, to listen to nature too.
very inspiring.
makes me hungry.
sandra
I totally agree with your comments. I think the most important concept is to listen to your own body. Your body knows what it needs. Having said that, I do incorporate raw foods into my daily food. Things like juices, smoothies and salad. Yum! Thank you for today’s healthtalks. xxoo
Excellent post girls,
I like my raw smoothies and saladas but enjoy some cooked food as well, yes especially in Melbourne’s winter we do need something more sustainable.
Thank you!
By trying to eat raw you automatically eat whole nutritionally dense foods. So for people who are starting out and trying to figure out healthy living and eating , I think this is a great way to figure out what really goes into foods as it limits our choices of processed junk foods.
I am very passionate about health, and as much as I love the benefits of raw foods, I am also aware thast certain foods need to be slightly cooked in order to recieve certain nutrients (i.e tomato’s).
I have seen raw diets become extremely unhealthy though. And I mean this in a mental way.
It affects their lives because they are so strict and so afraid to eat anything steamed or slightly cooked.
Its important to have a healthy relationship with raw food. Aprrieciate its beauty but also enjoy the benefits of wholesome cooked foods such as quinoa, oats, rice ect..
Bone broths… Absolute happy food…
Green smoothies, raw salads, small amounts of activated nuts….
I totally agree everything in moderation….
eating for the seasons brings joy and happiness to the soul..
Love your website…
Great perspective on raw food. I like referring to it as “living cuisine”! The point made about the body craving warmer foods when the seasons change makes sense. Living in a place that remains warm most of the time means this craving is at a minimum for me. I wonder if the there are more raw foodies in the naturally warmer climates?
Everything in moderation and listen to your body = best advice. Thanks for the Healthtalk!
I can’t believe the great timing of this health talk! I went to a nutrition seminar on the weekend and thought a lot of great things were presented but wasn’t convinced about giving up organic red meat and yummy soups in winter. ‘Listen to your body’ hurrah thanks ladies 
Loved watching this! Your healthy perspective on raw foods was very enlightening! My husband and I are organic vegetable farmers and we eat a lot of raw food. However, in the winter months we enjoy warm soups, cooked grains, and the occassional slice of pizza.
Hi girls, I just wanted to say that I’m just loving health talks!!
I’m starting to incorporate some more raw foods into my diet and loving it but of course will always love my hot dinners and soups!!
Hi
Good talk. What digestive enzymes do you use? Do you believe you always need to use digestive enzymes? What about HCl? Is HCl dangerous or totally fine to use for digestion?
I love your message here. I turned to raw foods in a time that I needed significant healing in my body, and it helped immensely. I was never eating fully raw, but I’ve found that when the bulk of my diet is raw I feel spectacular. In the summers, I eat mostly fruits and raw veggies, but in the winter I love warmer cooked meals sometimes. It’s all about balance for me and remembering that both cooked and raw foods have a lot to offer health-wise!
Great advice! I’m trying to eat 60% raw 40% cooked currently
One more reason not to eat too many raw foods: many plants contain multiple anti-nutrients that can wreak havoc on the body. Read Plants Bite Back by Kaayla Daniel, PhD at westonaprice.org
and also Living with Phytic Acid, by Ramiel Nagel at westonaprice.org.
Both excellent articles on plant anti-nutriens.
I’m recuperating from adrenal fatigue and red meat has been my top ally. Along with warm veggies and a few raw ones. Every body is different and maybe raw works for some, but for me, a vata in ayurvedic/indian medicine, it is my kryptonite to cut warm foods and animal flesh out of my diet. Thanks for the good information!
If you have ever had a raw cheesecake, you will be converted to RAW!!
Great episode of health talks! I think raw foods definitely have their place in a healthy diet, but I’m a firm believer in moderation and balance and I agree with Mel in that I don’t think it’s sustainable to eat raw all the time. But everyone is different and what works well for some might not work for others.
Thanks for sharing
fabulous well rounded chat. ladies……love your digestion by giving it what it needs without struggle and strain that comes with strictness of regimes
the middle road is such a happy place to be…
When we tune in to nature and remember we are all part of nature, the elements and seasonal cycles and rythms then our intake of sustenance should follow the same
xx
I always love your videos but this one bothered me… don’t get me wrong, everything you’ve said makes sense – it’s how most people think and it’s what I hear all the time. I used to believe in ‘moderation’ and I never would have thought I’d go 100% raw vegan, but after 16 years with a serious chronic illness (Lyme Disease), my experience, intuition and lots of research led me to go full raw 3 months ago. I was already vegan, gluten-free and eating a good amount of raw so I didn’t think much would change. I have to say I’ve seen unbelievable shifts in pain and symptoms I’ve had for over a decade, that have been completely untouchable until then. I’ve tried acupuncture, craniosacral, naturopath, you name it. Sometimes people think raw ‘doesn’t agree with them’ because there is a detox period that can last some time, so people just back off. My digestion was a little rumbly in the first couple weeks, now it’s better than ever.
I also want to say it’s more than just salads, smoothies and it’s more than just overloading on nuts – you can do a lot under 118 degrees.
I’m sure people think Gerson therapy is extreme, and yet it’s helped you so much. I just wish you guys had maybe interviewed someone who had more experience with it. I don’t think everyone needs to be raw or vegan, but I hope people keep an open mind. Something changes when you go full raw, it’s hard to describe. It’s very soulful in a way. I love it.
Oh and PS? I live in Montreal, Canada where it goes down to -25 celsius and I went raw in the dead of winter with no problems.
Hugs,
Michele
@Michele – I am curious how your body is on fruit while dealing with the inflammation of your Chronic disease? I’ve been told to stay away from too much fruit because of the ‘sugar’ (candida growth, it feeds the bacteria, inflammation, etc…) Would love to know your thoughts! Thanks so much X Lisa
Yes well, within raw foods there’s an ongoing ‘hot’ debate about whether fruit or fats (avocadoes, oils, nuts) should be severely restricted. I personally don’t eat too much fruit, just about a serving in my smoothie in the morning and occasionally a piece of fruit in the afternoon. I’m definitely still learning. I’ve ordered the Body Ecology Diet book and will give that a go – it’s low/no fruit and no sugar, as well as no nuts aside from almonds to I’ll probably ease up on being full raw or it’s too restrictive.
Perfect timing for me girls! I’ve been reading The Raw Food Detox Diet and implementing a ‘raw till dinner’ approach, but struggling a little bit. I find I don’t feel grounded around 4pm and reach for an absurd amount of nuts! It’s possible I’ve also gone a little raw dessert crazy – time to implement some moderation and a bit more cooked food I think. Off to cook some quinoa for dinner tonight. Thank you for another wonderful episode!
Oh, I really this! It’s very refreshing for me to hear that there are people advocating a mix between raw and cooked food. I tried having raw in the winter in Vancouver and it just didn’t work for me. I was freezing, feeling hungry and always sick. I switched to having one raw meal a day and the rest cooked. I feel a million times better. I think it’s all about feeling happy and good in your body at the end of the day and this balance is different for everyone. Die hard raw people would argue with me; however, I feel like eating cooked food is a must in the winter.
Great talk. I integrate my diet with raw and cooked. I would like to eat more raw. Just wanted to say that you can warm your body by eating warming foods such as garlic, ginger, and cinnamon etc. instead of actual warm foods. They will warm up your body even thought they are raw.