Last weekend we went on a “Raw Food Cookery Course” in London. To be honest, I had little idea of what this involved but went with an open mind. The weekend objective was to make a Pizza with just raw food and no cooking.

This seemed to be a contradiction in terms.

To cut a long story short: we went, we made the Pizza and it was bloody delicious.

In order to make sense of what happened, here are some of my reflections mixed in with a bit of research for anyone who gives a shit….

What is a raw food diet?

Raw food is a diet of mainly unheated food or food cooked to a temperature of less than 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) some chefs suggest a benchmark of less than 40 degrees Celsius.

Below this temperature, nutrients are not destroyed. Above this temperature nutrients and enzymes are destroyed

Raw food is alive, full enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

Besides being mostly uncooked food it is also unprocessed and should be organic..

The diet should be made up mostly of fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts and vegetables. To be healthy you don’t have to be 100% raw but if you want to try fully raw (even for 30 days), the best results are seen in those who follow this low fat approach.

What is raw vegan food?

It is raw food that excludes not only meat and fish, but also dairy products, eggs and often honey, as well as other animal-derived substances. A raw vegan diet includes raw vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut pastes, grains and legume sprouts, seeds, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, and fresh juices.

What is raw vegetarian food?

It is a raw plant-based diet with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs and with the exclusion of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood or animal by-products).

What are the benefits of raw food?

Eating raw foods increases your energy.

There are a few reasons for this; one is that your body doesn`t have to spend as much energy digesting your food. Raw food also contains enzymes (the first thing lost when food is heated above 40 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit), which are proteins that help digestion, immune function, brain activity and energy production. Once the natural enzymes in food are destroyed, your body must then draw upon its reserves of enzymes for digestion, which takes energy and is why you feel sluggish after a meal.

Our bodies are about 90% water when we are born and reduce to about 60% water when we die. So the process of aging is closely related to dehydrating. Cooking foods dehydrates them, while raw foods maintain a high water content. Cooking food also destroys 50-80% of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Therefore, many people feel years younger when they eat raw.

Most of us are acidic from eating a diet of processed food, wheat, sugar, meat and fish. Raw foods are alkaline and help us to balance our bodies Ph.

Additional benefits of eating raw are:

• Easier digestion
• A sharper brain, less “brain fog”
• Better complexion
• A stronger immune system
• Increased energy and better sleep
• Feel Good factor
• Weight loss

The most important thing to remember in this change of lifestyle is not to just focus on raw food but also on exercise. 75% of all the good you do changing your diet and including raw will be lost if you don’t exercise.

“Raw food might reduce the risk of cancer” is also often cited by holistic advocates

PROS OF 100% RAW FOOD LIFESTYLE:

• By not eating cooked foods you’ve already eliminated 99% of common culprits that damage health, such as:

1. Fried foods,
2. Excess animal protein,
3. Grains, wheat and gluten,
4. S.G. and
5. Preservatives, E. numbers and additives.

Therefore, most of the benefits of a raw food diet come from the avoidance of these products and not from the fact that the food eaten is raw.

However, there are a few benefits that are specific to the ‘rawness’ of the diet.

• Increased Energy: The main pro of the 100% low fat raw approach is a greater sense of vitality. Most people report increased energy and a better mood. You’ll also find that you need less sleep (1-2 hours) but waken up feeling fresh and ready for the day without needing that cup of coffee. This makes sense because raw foods require less energy to digest than cooked foods
• Easier to stay consistent: Eating 100% raw makes it easier to avoid going off the wagon completely! If you allow yourself some cooked vegetables, you might quickly escalate to more ‘fatty’ cooked foods and pretty soon you’re no longer eating raw.
• Better for those with an active lifestyle: This diet is considered best if you lead an active lifestyle. The stable blood sugar and high energy provided by fruit alone is great for endurance sports such as running or cycling. It is also very easy, practical and quick to “cook” a raw meal.
• Better for weight management: It’s easier to reach your ideal weight on 100% raw than on a mostly raw diet.

CONS OF 100% RAW FOOD LIFESTYLE:

• Vitamin B12 deficiency.B12 is found naturally only in animal products. It is critical to nerve and red blood cell development. Deficiencies can lead to anaemia and other issues.
• Vitamin D deficiency:people who do not eat meat or dairy products should be aware  of their vitamin D intake — especially for people who live in northern Europe.
• Calcium loss:raw diets can be high in sulphur-containing amino acids – nuts and grains, for example — which can affect bone calcium.
• The Aspect of Social Isolation:  On a 100% raw diet, you can’t fully participate in normal social society. Eating out with friends becomes problematic. However, this is not insurmountable.
• Increased Cost of Food:Depending on where you live, a raw foods diet costs more than any other diet especially if you’re buying plenty of fruit & super-foods (e.g. Maca powder, nori, spirulina, etc).
• Body Sensitivity:The purer your diet, the more sensitive your body becomes. Going between 100% raw and eating some cooked food even creates a lot of problems, which is why many advocate a partially raw lifestyle.
• Detrimental Dental Health:Many raw advocates experience dental problems, especially enamel erosion, caused by the frequency of exposure to fruits. So if you eat this way, a rigorous dental hygiene program is needed.
• Cravings:The raw curse, which often leads raw foodists to binge out on high fat dried fruits and nuts such as dates and macadamia.

Many advocate 100% raw as the only way to go but many also believe that this is too difficult for most people. Nowadays, we constantly come into contact with cooked foods and to refuse them continually can be challenging. It’s important to have a healthy mind as well as a healthy body and some cooked whole foods can provide additional nutrients.

If you maintain just 50% raw, you will experience a huge increase in your well-being.

To qualify as mostly raw, the diet should be 70-80% raw.

The best applications of this lifestyle are:

• Eating raw all week but allowing 1 day/week or a few times/month eating something cooked.
• Eating raw every other day.
• Eating a small cooked meal every evening but eating some raw ingredients along with it too (e.g. salad and steamed vegetables).

PROS OF MOSTLY RAW:

• More Flexibility.
• Less Sensitivity: Being less sensitive to foods means you’re less likely to get sick.
• More Variety: Research shows that having a combination of both raw and cooked vegetables is best for overall nutritional balance.
• Less Fruit Sugar: Having less reliance on fruit sugar at every meal may be a benefit to some people battling with blood sugar issues such as candida or dental problems.
• Easier in winter: Long cold winters make it difficult to stick to fully raw all year round.
• Longevity and Health: For longevity, there is no evidence that eating a 100% raw diet is better than eating a mostly raw diet

CONS OF MOSTLY RAW:

• The slippery slope: It may be hard to limit yourself to cooked foods
• Slightly less vitality: Digesting cooked foods (in comparison to 100% raw) will make you feel more tired

What you need in the kitchen!

Having the right tools in the kitchen not only makes raw food creation much simpler but also speeds up preparation time. Some kitchen equipment can be quite expensive. However, you can keep your budget low with cheaper alternatives to help start a raw food diet.

Blender: A good quality blender really helps in a raw food kitchen. If you were going to invest in one piece of equipment, let it be the blender!

If you can’t afford a deluxe models – an off the shelf regular blender can last for ages and still create raw smoothies, soups and sauces.

If you are on a budget, then look for a cheaper model with a variable speed dial rather than just an on/off switch and a high/low switch.

Food Processor: The food processor is used for chopping up dry or whole ingredients without adding more liquid whereas the blender is used to whip up ingredients with water/nut milks to create a smoother texture. A food processor will save hours of chopping time. It processes, chops and grinds nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits. It usually comes with attachments for shredding and slicing.

Juicer: Many raw food people start the day with a smoothie (using a blender) or a fresh juice. If you prefer the latter then you need a good juicer. There are several types of juicers available, which vary in their abilities, quality and price. These include:

1. Centrifugal juicers – cheapest but the juice is not completely extracted so there is more waste and they have a shorter lifespan.
2. Hydraulic Press Juicers – the most expensive type of juicer but does allow the maximum amount of juice to be separated from the fibre pulp
3. Masticating Juicers are priced somewhere in the middle of the above two juicers. They might be heavy but they do everything from quality juicing to processing nut and seed spreads to making ice-cream! A masticating juicer is especially good at juicing green leafy vegetables. While a centrifugal juicer can juice green leafy vegetables, the centrifugal juicer is nowhere near as efficient as a masticating juicer in this regard.

Spiriliser: By far the most fun inexpensive piece of equipment to have in the kitchen is a spiraliser for making salads that not only taste good but look good too! This kitchen tool enables you to make ‘spaghetti’ shaped noodles with a variety of different hard vegetables like aubergine, beetroot, carrots, cucumber, green pepper, etc

Dehydrator: If you want to get into being really raw, the ultimate luxury kitchen tool is the dehydrator. It is the raw food oven, which allows food only to be dried at low temperatures to preserve enzymes.

Recommendations while on a raw food diet:

• Give yourself a fair trial. Start with a goal of 30, 60 or 90 days and learn from experience. See how that feels and carry on from there.
• Keep a good oral hygiene and healthy teeth.
• A great and quick snack to prepare are nuts. Soak nuts in water overnight to bring them back to life to aid digestion.
• Take Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 supplements or if you have enough time get ten to fifteen minutes of sunlight on the arms and face 2 to 3 times per week is usually sufficient time to manufacture enough vitamin D to meet one’s needs.Good Luck with that one !!!
• Raw vegans should make sure they get a minimum of 525 mg of calcium per day. It would be best to get 700 mg per day for adults, and at least 1,000 mg for people age 13 to 18 when bones are developing.
• Make sure you get enough sleep, exercise and have a positive attitude.
• Focus on light eating. Focus on fresh, water-rich, fibre-rich fruits, vegetables and low fat. The less energy your body has to use for digestion the more you’re going to have available for cleansing, healing, repairing and vitality.
• Natural juices are great because you get all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes without making your digestive system work.

Give it go.

You never know.

End of Message.

Going Gluten Free is a huge first step in improving your health. BUT it may not be enough by itself…

because:

Autoimmunity is a complex disease where your body mistakes your own tissue as foreign and your white blood cells attack it with the goal to destroy it!

The goal of everything you do to treat your gut issues should be to reduce the inflammation in your body and the attack on your own tissue.

Going gluten free is a step in the right direction because gluten sensitivity means your body is sensitive to the gluten protein.

There’s a crossover in people who have Celiac’s disease AND autoimmune disease so why isn’t it enough to eliminate it from your diet?

Reason 1

You’re still eating hidden gluten and causing inflammation

Here are a few quick ways to know if you are doing gluten free the wrong way:

1. You avoid breads, but you don’t look for gluten in other products (soy sauce, hot dogs, lipstick, toothpaste – these all have gluten in them!)
2. You avoid foods with gluten in them, but you still buy, cake mixes, ice cream, etc.
3. You did a great job taking out gluten but you still aren’t eating vegetables! That’s 5-9 servings per day!
4. You are gluten free 95% of the time but you make exceptions for your favourite treats.
5. You went gluten free for 4 weeks but didn’t notice a difference so you went back to eating it again.

Gluten is a highly inflammatory food.

That means it amps up your immune system and puts your body into a state of being hyper alert. When it’s in this stage, you’re now set up to accidentally attack your own body in what’s called autoimmunity.

Gluten is unfortunately the ringleader in this process and that’s why it’s so critical to completely remove it from your body!

That means:

1. You must COMPLETELY avoid gluten for at least 3 months – a trial period of 1 month will not do it.
2. Look for it everywhere and don’t make any assumptions – it’s hiding in the weirdest places
3. No cheating! Even a little bit of gluten amps your immune system back up in a hurry.
4. Eating healthy means eating fruits and vegetables…
5. That also means – gluten free junk food is still just junk food.

Try out these recommendations before you make the assumption that going gluten free didn’t work for you.

Reason 2

 You Have Other Gut Imbalances

Ever wonder why you’re so prone to gut problems?

Constipation, gas pains, abdominal pain, bloating, cramping…

People with gluten sensitivity are predisposed to developing other gut issues due to inflammation.

People with autoimmune diseases are more likely to have other gut issues like

• SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth),
• Intestinal Dysbiosis (too much bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria),
• Gut Infections (like parasites),
• Leaky Gut and
• Yeast Overgrowth.

These are serious issues that NEED to be taken care of, and going gluten free just simply isn’t enough to treat them.

How do you know if you have these problems?

You can do your own rough test by answering these questions:

1. Was I still constipated on a gluten free diet?
2. Did I still experience gas and bloating 30 minutes to 1 hour after a meal?
3. Do I still have abdominal pain?
4. Are my bowel movements still irregular? Diarrhoea one day, constipation the next?
5. Do I have a personal history of lots of antibiotic use?
6. Do I still experience unusual reactions to certain foods?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you likely have one or more of these gut related issues.

Reason 3

Your Immune System is compromised because of physical, emotional or other Stress.

It’s no secret that stress increases inflammation and activates your immune system. But what you may not have known is just how little stress can actually impact your entire body.

The truth is that even the small amount of constant every day stress takes a toll on our bodies and our guts. I’m not talking the death of a loved one either (though that can take a HUGE toll).

I’m talking about little stress: work stress, financial stress, family or marriage stress, social media stress, etc.

The little things day in and day out really add up over time to increase inflammation.

Just consider a few simple examples:

• Have you ever had diarrhoea before a stressful event?
• Have you ever had a “gut feeling” about something?
• Have you ever had “butterflies”?

Each example illustrates how emotions and thoughts can affect your gut!

Clearly, the daily stress we all deal with causes a number of negative changes in your gut:

1. It can change your gut bacteria – in favour of bad bacteria.
2. Stress increases “leaky gut”.
3. It is associated with an increased risk of: peptic ulcers, bowel problems and food allergies.

You can’t address your gut problems without addressing your stress levels.

Reason 4

You should  avoid foods that cross react with Gluten or directly cause inflammation by themselves (Milk, Rice, Corn, Sesame and Gluten Free Oats)

Unfortunately many foods cross react with the gliadin molecule (the part of gluten that people don’t tolerate). Put in simple terms: the protein of gliadin and of milk, corn, rice, sesame and gluten free oats looks so similar that your body can’t tell the difference.

Because of this you may react to these food groups causing a “sensitivity” and causing inflammation.

Take milk for instance:

Not only does it contain lactose and casein (which many people don’t tolerate).

Removing these foods for a short period of time is not only helpful but NECESSARY to reduce inflammation and start healing.

Pick a diet that avoids these major food groups along with gluten and stay on that diet for at least 3 months.

Reason 5

Multifaceted Approach to Treatment!

Multifaceted approach is not only recommended but required for optimal results.

A recommended treatment plan includes 6 steps and each step is critical:

1. Proper diet helps nourish the adrenals while focuses on nutrient deficiencies and reduces inflammation
2. Addressing gut health through probiotics.
3. Address adrenal status and adrenal fatigue.
4. Top up nutrient deficiencies, including: Iron, B12, Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, Iodine, and Vitamin D3
5. Removing toxins (Detox)

Drink at least 3 litres of mineral water per day (NOT tap water)

Last week there was a programme on the BBC called “The Truth about Healthy Eating” presented by Fiona Phillips. The approach of the programme essentially led the viewing public to believe that Healthy Eating was just a fad and presented various spurious analyses and quotes to back up their point.

A flurry of enraged comments then appeared on Social Media, some of which focused on Fiona Phillips’ wrinkles !!!

They can be reduced by healthy eating and good nutrition Daaaarling !!

Any how, the British Association of Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) issued a balanced and measured riposte to the programme which I reprint in its entirety below.

Have a read ….

 

BANT Response to the BBC’s Programme – “The Truth about Healthy Eating”

3 June 2016News

The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy is disappointed that a prime-time opportunity for sharing healthy eating messages was not exploited to its full potential and was, in places, misleading with use of simplistic tests that told part, but not all, of the picture.

Whilst some of the information was helpful, pointing out that you do not need to always buy the most expensive ingredients to have a healthy diet, the comparisons were poor and not representative of health benefits available in many of the foods used. Specifically BANT is disappointed that:

• quinoa and pearl barley were pitted against each other in the glycaemic load comparison, BANT feels that it may have been more representative of the UK’s eating patterns to compare one or both of these products with a refined white flour product
• milk being touted as a better source of hydration than water without the explanation that milk has other nutrients including protein, sugars and fats that make it more appropriate as a snack rather than something to sip throughout the day
• surprise was expressed that antioxidant levels were lower after a number of hours after eating them, when the simple explanation is that the antioxidants had probably been depleted whilst carrying out their role disarming Reactive Oxygen Species.
• milk was being put forward as the only source of viable iodine for thyroid function, without any mention of seafood and sea vegetables
• supplements were highlighted as a potential cause of harm despite the number of scientific studies that show their benefits if chosen well and properly recommended taking into account the health profile of a person.
• the BBC chose to portray 7-day detox diets as quick fix solutions rather than aiding the public’s understanding that detoxification is a biochemical process that takes place within every cell in our body on a continual basis. BANT supports the finding that healthy eating as a whole is vital for wellbeing but advises that individuality is key and any advice provided should be tailored to each person.

BANT is very much aware that much of the advice and information issued regarding the nation’s health and what we should be eating is confusing and often conflicting.  It can be difficult for the public to navigate and interpret the information available, especially in the light of Public Health England’s recent confirmation that the Eatwell Guide is a food selection tool that has been designed to cover the population as a whole which does not take into account individual health and weight profiles.

BANT experts have carefully developed a set of Wellbeing Guidelines, based on the latest science and research in the field of nutrition for optimal health. The BANT Wellbeing Guidelines were specifically designed to provide clear, concise, easy to understand information for the general public, avoiding out-dated information and research, and addressing some of the most common health concerns.  The most common reasons people seek nutritional advice is to address weight loss and/ or for general health and wellbeing. These issues are addressed by BANT with the following:

 

• THE WELLNESS SOLUTION
• FIGHT THE FAT / BEAT THE BLOAT (WEIGHT LOSS)

The clear, concise format of the BANT Wellbeing Guidelines enables people to see easily what food choices they should be making.  More detailed information is also given to guide people in how to make these choices and which other lifestyle factors they should be addressing.

Key advice provided by the BANT Wellbeing Guidelines includes the following:

• Eat a Rainbow: a varied diet of 7 differently coloured fruit and vegetables per day.
• Stay hydrated with water, herbal teas, green and black teas. Avoid alcohol, sugary drinks and too much caffeine.
• Ensure protein is lean: fish, poultry, eggs and vegetable sources. Limit red and processed meat.
• Include healthy fats: avocados, nuts, olive oil. Cook with healthy saturated fats: coconut oil and butter.
• Choose root vegetables and whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates and grains: Eat sparingly.
• For Weight Loss: include exercise, limit portion sizes, don’t eat between meals. Avoid: Sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol and refined carbohydrates.
• Include the right supplements: vitamin D, in particular, for most people and probiotics as advised by your Registered Nutritional Therapist
• Sleep and Exercise are an important aspect in overall Health and Wellbeing and Weight Management.

– Ends –

Click here to download the PDF version of this response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Daniel O’Shaughnessy

Communications@bant.org.uk

Tel: +44 7540  722307

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) is the professional body for Registered Nutritional Therapists. Its primary function is to assist its members in attaining the highest standards of integrity, knowledge, competence and professional practice, in order to protect the client’s interests; nutritional therapy and the registered nutritional therapist.

Nutritional therapy is the application of nutrition science in the promotion of health, peak performance and individual care. It is a progressive approach to health optimisation.  Registered Nutritional Therapists are recognised by the Professional Standards Authority to be as competent as other traditional healthcare providers.  It has been recognised that they can make a difference by working together with healthcare providers as part of multidisciplinary teams under NHS commissioning.