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The raw food diet is one of the most influential diet trends around.

The name of the 'raw food diet' may seem self-explanatory; of course it is based on raw food. But there is so much more to it that you need to understand. When you do, you'll see why this diet has acquired such a strong and loyal following.

Eating raw food is popular right now, but it's hardly original. Our prehistoric ancestors knew all about it before they discovered fire. But we forgot it for a while until the early 1900s. That was when people like Herbert Shelton and Ann Wigmore began to be a bit more vocal about the benefits for people following a raw food diet.

Some of the stated benefits of the raw food diet, as argued Artturi Virtanen, are that when raw food is chewed enzymes are released in the body, which helps us to digest the food more fully. The recent popularity of the raw food diet can perhaps be laid at the door of the book, "The New Raw Energy" by Leslie Kenton. This trend has many Hollywood celebrity followers such as Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson.

But what do we mean by 'raw food'? We don't mean raw meat. Advocates of the raw food diet are vegetarians. The diet is comprised of raw nuts, seeds and sprouted seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly squeezed or juiced fruit and vegetable juices, purified water, unpasteurized dairy products and other unprocessed foods free from chemicals.

Usually, people on a raw food diet eat 75% raw food. The rest of the diet may be fruit and vegetables dried in a food dehydrator below 116 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which a food dehydrator works.

The benefits of a raw food diet are: a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, greater energy, glowing skin with fewer signs of ageing, fewer digestive complaints, more easily maintained weight loss and even healing of some illnesses and chronic health conditions.

It is recommended to follow a diet plan specifically designed by a doctor who is expert in the raw food diet so you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need. This is because, unless you know what you're doing, it is quite difficult to get enough calcium and protein on the raw food diet.

The raw food diet isn't for everyone, but if you're still interested, now you know the basics, you may like to check it out with a doctor who has experience in this area, so they can help you put together a healthy eating raw food plan.

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