For a start, some raw food is really good for us. A big
salad full of raw leafy greens and other crunchy, colourful vegetables is not only
delicious, it’s also satisfying to eat and full of nutrients. Fruit is the same
– often the best and healthiest way to eat it is in its natural state. It’s a
great idea to include some raw veges and fruit in your day.
On the other hand, some foods are actually better for us
when they are cooked. Tomatoes are an often-used example; the antioxidant
compounds they contain, especially lycopene, are more easily absorbed in cooked
tomato products than from raw. The same is true of the beta-carotene in carrots
and pumpkin. And some foods really can’t be eaten without cooking; think of
chicken, red meat, potatoes and most grains.
People eating a strictly raw diet don’t eat anything that’s
been heated beyond about 46 degrees. That rules out most meats, anything baked,
cheese, coffee and tea. Strictly speaking it rules out anything pasteurised
too, such as milk, yoghurt and other dairy products, which have been heated as
part of their processing. Raw foodists claim that cooking destroys nutrients
and enzymes in food. While this is true, it’s questionable how much impact this
has on our overall health. Eating lots of vegetables is a good idea, and
whether they’re cooked or raw you’re still going to get lots of goodness from
them.
So what about those sweet treats? Many of the slices, cakes
and ‘cheesecakes’ in raw food cooking are made from combinations of nuts, dried
fruit, coconut and coconut fat, along with fruits and honey. Although they have
a lot of good things going for them – they’re often high in fibre, for example
– raw sweet treats are often just as energy-dense as their cooked counterparts,
if not more so. A recent recipe I saw for a raw strawberry cake had more calories
per slice than an average main course. So just because they’re raw, doesn’t
make them diet food. If you’re eating an exclusively raw diet, there’s probably
room for a high-energy sweet treat. If you’re just popping into a raw café
every day, it could be worth limiting the treats.
The other thing to note is that for people prone to IBS, concentrated
amounts of coconut, dried fruit such as dates or sultanas, and nuts –
especially cashews and almonds – may cause unwelcome problems. That’s because
they’re high in FODMAPs – types of sugars which are poorly absorbed by some
people. For you, a raw treat could be more trouble than tonic.
First published in the Sunday Star Times, 28 September.
First published in the Sunday Star Times, 28 September.
