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What’s the deal with raw vegan?

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Raw vegan diets receive perhaps equal vilification and praise, with some people claiming them to be the magic pill to cure any ailment, and others telling you they’re downright dangerous- so what’s the truth?

What is a raw vegan diet?

A raw vegan diet is generally classified as one in which at least 75% of food consumed is uncooked and typically minimally processed. The foods are of course vegan, which excludes animal products including meat, eggs and dairy products, though some people following a raw vegan diet include bee products such as honey or bee pollen.

A raw vegan diet aims to preserve “life” in the food, by not destroying the enzymes contained within the food itself, and not changing the molecular structure of the food from how it was grown in nature.

Is a raw vegan diet nutritionally complete?

Just like cooked vegan diets (or vegetarian, or omnivorous diets for that matter) there is no one type of raw vegan diet that we can deem as nutritionally complete or incomplete, and what one “raw vegan” eats can look entirely different to another. Foods that can be included on a raw vegan diet are fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, seaweeds, certain soaked and sprouted legumes and whole grains; these same food groups are deemed by plant-based dietitians to comprise a balanced whole food plant-based diet. This same diet when supplemented with B12, and (IMO) optimised with Ahiflower oil, can readily provide all the macro and micronutrients we require for optimum health, along with abundant amounts of fibre and antioxidants- healthful features lacking from processed/animal-heavy diets. Often the most restrictive (and most nutritionally inadequate) raw vegan diets are the ones that gain the most attention both from critics and followers.

Is a raw vegan diet dangerous?

A raw vegan diet certainly could be dangerous! If you were to consume insufficient food groups in insufficient quantities for long enough, you could run into serious problems. Likewise if you are not mindful of keeping on top of your B12 levels (through regular monitoring in blood tests, and supplementation where required), you could face some serious consequences. However, were you to eat an unbalanced diet of any category, sooner or later you are likely to run into trouble, whether in the short term, or with the development of long term chronic disease.

The raw vegan community often advocates for extended fasting protocols- some of which if not suitably monitored by a healthcare professional can indeed be dangerous. “Dry fasting” where one does not consume liquids (including water) or solid food can be life-threatening, and the advocacy of this online appears to me very irresponsible.

It is perfectly possible to lead a raw vegan lifestyle in a sensible and balanced way, just as it is acknowledged by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that  appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.”

Can you eat warm food?

Believe it or not, you don’t HAVE to eat cold food on a raw vegan diet. Food can be warmed up to 38-48 degrees Celsius (opinions differ!) and remain raw. Tools such as a dehydrator, porringer, Thermomix or commercial Dynapro blender can aid with this. Whilst a raw vegan diet can easily feel delightful in the tropics, this flexibility goes a long way to making it doable in colder parts of the world.

Where do people go wrong with a raw vegan diet?

There are SO many ways in which people get a raw vegan diet wrong, in the same way that there are multiple ways people become unwell on any form of diet. However, a raw vegan diet is more easy to “get wrong” because it is the furthest away from the style of eating most of us have been raised on. One of the most common mistakes is not consuming sufficient quantities of the right foods to get enough calories; the calorie density of whole plant foods is drastically lower than processed or animal foods. Simply put, eating the right amount and the right type of foods is imperative to sustaining this diet in the long run, and simply takes a bit of education and effort to get right.

Ignoring the importance of B12, or partaking too frequently in cleansing practices (such as enemas, colonics, fasting) etc. can lead to significant deterioration of health. These factors are all readily avoidable, but unfortunately the rise of irresponsible voices on social media can encourage people to partake in these practices far more frequently than is advised, or in a way that is not safe.

What are the benefits?

There are innumerable potential benefits from a raw vegan lifestyle, many of which are so evident in the “glow” of those following this way of eating, that it is understandable why there is so much interest online about this way of eating, and why so many dive in head-first without getting sufficient support or education to maximise the chances of success. If designed properly, a raw vegan dietary pattern is likely to be extremely high in fibre, water and antioxidants, and to be sufficient in calories, macronutrients and micronutrients. It reduces exposure to any potentially harmful compounds created in the cooking process and makes it nearly impossible to eat processed and unhealthful food. If the diet is planned properly, the food is deeply hydrating, energising and nourishing. The evidently glowing health of long-term raw vegans, and the many personal stories of health transformation make this an appealing lifestyle to many people. As a vegan of over eight years who previously ate a cooked whole-food plant-based diet, and then switched over to a raw whole-food plant-based diet, I can attest that I have experienced numerous additional personal health benefits from the change.

How can I learn to do this properly?

Seeking advice and support from a healthcare professional who is qualified to give nutritional advice (i.e. a nutritionist, naturopath or dietitian with the corresponding qualifications) who is experienced in a raw vegan diet, is the safest way to achieve the positive health results you’re looking for from this way of eating. Unfortunately the internet is rife with people who are unqualified to give the advice they are giving, and in my mind it is these same people who give a plant-based diet, or a raw vegan diet a bad name.

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