Experimenting With Diet - Raw Food Diet

What is the Raw Food Diet?

A raw foods diet consists of consuming foods that have not been heated above a certain temperature (I have read numbers anywhere from 104 degrees F to 118 degrees F).  The theory of a raw food diet is that there are enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in whole foods (fruits, vegetables, etc.) that are killed or deactivated when exposed to high temperatures and that to get the full nutritional benefit of the foods they should be consumed in as natural of a state as possible. 

The Experiment

In 2010, I intended to spend at least a week on a raw foods diet, including eliminating all seven food allergens (peanuts and tree nuts were the big two that would be difficult on this diet).  However, my goal of one week fell somewhat short.  Practical raw foods (those that do not require using judgement on the freshness of meat or fish for raw consumption) include fruit, vegetables, cold-pressed oils, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.  This list doesn't include very many sources of fats and proteins and limited sources of starch.  Take nuts out of the picture and the sources of fats and proteins reduce considerably.

I began the diet consuming all of the fruits and vegetables that I could possibly stuff down my throat.  Salads with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar sustained lunch and dinner.  But by the second day of the diet, my energy level was extremely low - I could barely keep my eyes awake at work and could do little more than lay on the couch afterward.  Instead of giving up on the diet, I decided to add nuts to the list - and started off by making a mango pie in a walnut date crust.  The next day, I added raw almonds and cashews to my snack regimen, which resulted in slow hot abdomen pain, as if someone put a heater against my abdomen and slowly turned up the heat.  Additionally, my already low energy level plummeted.  After another day of discomfort and fatigue, I ended my raw foods experiment.

My Take-a-Way

Eating raw foods provides a high fiber, high water content, low calorie, and nutrient dense way to consume foods - all of which can benefit overall health.  On the other side, cooking foods provides a means for eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses and "unlocks" certain nutrients in certain foods that would otherwise be unavailable if eaten in raw form (so I have read).  I have no doubt from my parallel experiences with diet that the raw foods diet provides a nutrient dense, low calorie means of consuming foods that can help improve health and reduce weight.  However, the diet was not feasible for me due to my nut intolerance - which, in my opinion, would be required for this diet to be sustainable.

Since going on this diet and considering the benefits of raw foods, I have considerably increased my consumption of raw fruits and vegetables (largely through smoothies and salads), which supplement a considerable range of cooked meats, gluten-free grains, fruits, and vegetables.

If you're interested in learning more about a raw foods diet, check out this link for Raw Food Recipes. 

Experimenting with Diet - The 5:2 Fasting Diet

What is the 5:2 Fasting Diet?

The 5:2 Fasting Diet is advocated by Dr. Michael Mosley.  The basic idea is to consume 600 calories or less for two days per week, every week to lose weight and live longer.  I first ran into the concept of the diet when researching fasting as a possible alternative therapy and ran into a BBC special called Eat, Fast, and Live Longer, an hour long special by Dr. Mosley that discusses calorie restriction as a secret to improved health and longer life.  The diet appears to be based on valid scientific research - predominantly that of Dr. Krista Varady (whose research validates an alternative day fasting diet, not the 5:2 fasting diet) - but attempts to minimize the frequency of fasting days. 

Click here to watch Eat, Fast, and Live Longer

The Experiment

In 2013, I stuck with the 5:2 fasting diet for two months and kept a detailed count of my calories using an online calorie counting program (Nutritional Assessment Tool) through the University of Illinois.  A typical fasting day:  A low-calorie smoothie for breakfast, water for lunch, lean meat and vegetables for dinner.  Hunger was a constant, headaches a companion, on fasting days.  The saving grace of the diet is that on the remaining five days of the week, you can eat whatever you wanted.  I took this part of the diet seriously and consumed cheeseburgers, french fries, pizza, donuts, and a host of other guilty pleasures.  Unfortunately, after two months of the diet, I neither felt improved health or had lost weight. 

My Take-a-Way

I have read and am inclined to believe that the weight loss effects of the 5:2 fasting diet are likely due to a net reduction in caloric intake over the entire week, which did not happen in my case - too many sweets.  Possible health improvements (metabolic, due to the fasting) are plausible but were not noticeable for my experience.  Dr. Varady also asserts that her diet, the alternative day fasting diet, is the only diet substantiated by her research and has more consistent results than the 5:2 fasting diet.  Click here for a Question and Answer session by Dr. Varady discussing the differences.  I have not tried the alternative day fasting diet but since I did not have success with the 5:2 diet may give it a whirl.  For the meantime, I do not discount the 5:2 fasting diet - I will only say that it did not work for me.

If you are interested in learning more about the 5:2 fasting diet, click here for Dr. Mosley's Website.

Experimenting with Diet

I have lost count of all of the diets that I've tried over the years - and none have struck me as particularly effective for my issues (as most of them allow foods that I consider inflammatory).  However, most of them have fairly interesting backgrounds and my experiences on these diets have influenced my overall thoughts on food, so a new series in this blog titled Experimenting with Diet will document my research and experiences.