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 There are quite a few questions that I hear all the time while following the raw food lifestyle.  Therefore, here is a list of frequently asked questions, as some of them may be the same as yours.

Frequently asked questions:


What is the raw food diet?

    The raw food diet, in general, is a diet which consists of eating uncooked foods.  A person who eats the raw food diet does not eat meat, nor dairy, stays away from consuming additives, such as MSG, and heavy food processing.  Cooking is believed by raw foodists to destroy nutrients and enzymes in the food, both of which are important to digestion and overall bodily health.  For these reasons, it is preferred by a raw food vegan to eat food uncooked rather than cooked.
    The goal of a person eating a raw food diet, is to gain optimal health.  This is pursued by eating a diet which is as unadulterated as possible, containing all of its vitamins, minerals and enzymes. 


What is the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and raw foodist?

    Vegetarian- A vegetarian, in general, does not eat meat.  A vegetarian does eat dairy, such as milk, butter, cheese and eggs.  A vegetarian cooks food.
    
    Vegan- A vegan eats neither meat, nor dairy.  A vegan tries to consume whole foods- such as beans, brown rice, fruit, and vegetables.  In addition, a vegan substitutes meat and dairy dairy products with vegan products in recipes that normally call for these ingredients.  For example, a vegan may use soy milk as a replacement for milk, or soy protein crumble as a replacement for hamburger.  A vegan cooks food.

    Raw Foodist- A raw foodist, like a vegan, eats neither meat, nor dairy, and eats whole foods.  In addition a raw foodist does not cook food.


Don’t you ever want other food/ do you get bored with raw food?

    In any diet, it is possible to become bored with certain foods.  I believe this is the result of being stuck in a rut as far as the creativity of what is prepared.  This is a universal rut, which is possible with any diet- the raw food diet, the vegetarian diet, the vegan diet, and the standard American diet. 
    One important point has to be made, though, which is that while eating a raw food diet, it is quite possible that your diet will become more varied than ever before.  For example, before eating this way, I had never eaten an avocado, a young coconut, tamarind, hardly ever had mangoes, or other exotic fruit.  These foods are now a consistent part of my diet.  I am so much more familiar with the abundance of foods  which are provided in nature that  I am able to focus on what I can eat, as opposed to what I can’t.
    
    
How much do you spend per week eating this way?

   It is very important to find fruit and vegetable markets, in which you can buy fruit and vegetables for low prices, and in bulk.  If you shop at a large chain food grocery store you may find avocados for $2.00 each.  If you shop at a fruit and vegetable market, you may find an avocado for $0.40.  Grapes at a chain food grocery store may cost $1.99 a pound.  Grapes at a fruit and vegetable market, may cost $0.99 a pound. 
    When eating a raw food diet, you may have to visit the store at least two times a week on average, because fresh food is perishable.  Fresh food ripens, and if left around too long, will spoil. 
    I will estimate that one person can live off a shopping budget of approximately $60.00 a week once a good fruit and vegetable market/ produce store is found.


What do you eat/ Can you list the foods that you eat?

    One of the questions I hear most often is the question of what exactly do I eat.  I understand that it is important for people to clearly see what is eaten in the raw food diet so therefore, I will provide a short lists which highlights the basic guidelines of the raw food diet.
    
    Basically, the foods eaten in the raw food diet fall under a few categories: Fruit, vegetables, fat, condiments and dried foods.


Fruit: Any fresh fruit is good to eat.  The term fresh fruit, means it is not cooked.   Apples, Bananas, oranges, pears, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes, plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, lemons, blueberries, strawberries, and any fruit you can think of is acceptable to eat.  Eat them any time of the day for breakfast lunch, or dinner.
Vegetables: Vegetables are eaten fresh, uncooked.  A person should choose vegetables which are able to be eaten and enjoyed without cooking, such as carrots, which are enjoyable raw, as opposed to potatoes, which are not.  Some fresh vegetables include: Carrots, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Tomatoes (which are a fruit vegetable), Bell peppers, hot peppers, Spinach, Mustard Greens, dill, onions, garlic, and so on.  You can make these vegetables into a salad, blend them, eat them individually- any way you like- for breakfast lunch or dinner.
Fats: Fats are important to a raw foodist, because without them, a person will become extremely thin, and eventually unhealthy.  Some fats in life are “good fats,” while some fats such as those found in the Standard American Diet are “bad fats.”  The fats, which raw foodists consume are “good fats.  They are not harmful to our bodies, do not raise cholesterol levels or cause obesity as “bad fats” do.  Some “good fats” are: Avocados, Olive Oil, Coconut, olives, coconut oil, Thai/Young Coconut, hazelnuts/filberts brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, Hemp nuts, sesame seeds, and black sesame seeds.
Condiments: Condiments are foods which add flavor to a raw food meal.  Although many raw condiments are not in their completely natural state, (for example, raw apple cider vinegar looks nothing like an apple) they still undergo minimal processing, and are therefore still raw and still healthy.   Some condiments are: Celtic sea salt, raw apple cider vinegar, raw red wine vinegar, unheated honey, raw sauerkraut, and raw kimchee.
Dried foods: Dried foods are foods which have been dehydrated, meaning that the water content has been taken out of them to enhance flavor- sort of the way cooking does.  Some commonly dried foods that raw foodists may eat are: raisins, dried bananas, dried hot peppers, dried coconut, dried berries, dried herbs, spices and herbal tea to name a few.
There is no such thing as breakfast foods, lunch foods and dinner foods in the raw food's diet.  All foods are acceptable to eat at any time. 


Here is an example of one day:

8am- a fruit salad
11am- guacamole made with two avocados and eaten with celery sticks.
2pm- some apples and hazelnuts.
5pm- nut milk smoothie.
8pm- A salad with spinach, tomatoes, vinegar/honey/olive oil dressing, and an avocado in it.

(This is just an example.  A persons diet may vary from this.  You could also eat the 8pm meal at 8am.  It would still be healthy.)


Can you live eating only fruits and vegetables?  Are you strong?

    I can personally report that I feel strong, am able to exercise- walk, run, and carry out daily tasks.  I am able to do everything that I used to do while on the Standard American Diet, except this time, I look and feel better than I used to, plus I can do much more due to greater vigor and health. 
   

What is the medical research supporting this diet?

    We know that eating a diet high in raw foods is very much supported by the medical community.  Raw foods have long been found to be beneficial.  They are proven to aid in digestion, help to remove harmful conditions from our bodies, and supply us with the essential vitamins and nutrients that we need for a healthy life.
    What makes the raw food diet so unique is that the concept of eating a predominately 100% raw foods diet is a relatively “new” idea because it involves eating only raw, uncooked foods, with no meat, or dairy for a long period of time. 
    The long term affects of the raw food diet is largely under researched because it differs so much from society.  Therefore, I, along with many other raw foodist, report the benefits of this diet based upon personal experience.
    How much raw food each person incorporates into his or her diet, whether 5%, 25% or 100% is an individual choice.  It is based upon a personal comfort level concerning which amount is felt to be the best to achieve the greatest amount of health. 
  

How do you manage to socialize while eating differently from everyone else?

         You may be surprised to find out that your social life does not suffer as much as you might think.  In fact, whenever you eat at a social event, there is often fresh fruit available.  Just fix a plate of this fresh food and eat without worrying, because most of the time, people do not care what you eat at a social event as long as you eat something!  In addition, social events present a great opportunity to express this diet to others if you desire.  Other people are usually very curious about it. 
    On the other hand, it has to be admitted that it is not always an easy task to eat a raw food diet, especially at the beginning.   It may feel like a lonely path at times.  For example, there are times when fresh fruit or vegetables are not available at social events.  In addition, on a consistent basis, your own family eats differently than you.  Your friends also eat differently than you, as well as your culture, city, state, nation and the rest of the world. 
    Even in the midst of all of this, I truly believe that the benefit that comes from choosing a healthy lifestyle outweighs the bad.  For one, you are making an individual decision to do what is best for oneself.  It involves taking ownership of your own body.  It is a choice that  requires independent thought.  I believe that choosing to do what is best for oneself regardless of what any one thinks is a great sign of strength, and you know what- I believe this is a socially admirable quality.