Raw food or the practice of eating minimally cooked food is a growing lifestyle choice, especially in the West. What does it mean and is it good for you?
After slow food, the raw food
movement is among the most significant developments to rock the modern culinary
world. The philosophy of raw food stands in defiance to the common notion that
uncooked food is unappetising. It is based on the idea that eating natural
foods in their natural state, mostly raw and not cooked to high temperatures is
most nutritious. So what does raw food mean — is it only eating green salads or
cut fruits? And what are the nutritional benefits of this movement, which is
fast gaining currency especially in the West?
Eating Without Heating
The credit for turning the focus to the healing properties of raw fruits and vegetables goes to 19th century Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner (also known for having invented muesli). At his healing centre in Zurich, he prescribed a diet for patients based mostly on natural, uncooked foods since he found it to accelerate the healing process. But in some ways, the idea of eating raw food is not new. Our huntergatherer ancestors ate food raw before fire was discovered.
Today, the idea of raw food has become much more sophisticated. A raw food diet usually means a diet consisting of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It is typically, but not always, a vegan diet that excludes all dairy products such as milk and yoghurt as well as animal byproducts such as eggs and honey. Some interpretations of the raw food diet, especially in the US, also advocate eating raw meat such as in sashimi or carpaccio. But these diets remain controversial.
The basic principle guiding raw food diets is that fruits and vegetables have enzymes in their natural state that are killed by cooking. It is based on the idea that cooking above 40º C alters the basic nutrient profile of the food and essential vitamins and minerals are lost. That’s why following the raw food diet is also called “eating without heating”.
But that doesn’t mean raw food is simplistic. There are processes used to prepare it too. These include soaking (whole grains such as rice is soaked overnight to soften them enough to be consumed), sprouting (seeds and nuts to increase their nutritional value), juicing and blending. Another process used extensively is dehydrating, either by drying foods in the sun or by using a dehydrator, which gradually leeches the moisture out of foods by circulating warm air. Dehydrating allows perishable foods such as fruits and vegetables to be preserved for a longer time.
The raw food diet demands its practitioners to be imaginative and innovative. For instance, instead of dairy, nuts such as almonds are soaked and ground to make almond milk; fermented raw cashews are used to make cashew cheese. Seeds such as flax seed are soaked and ground to make pâtés and used to layer vegetablebased lasagnes instead of cheese.
Cut Above Rest
“Raw food is all about textures, seasoning and how food is cut,” says Soorya Kaur, a New Delhi-based acupuncture and yoga authority, who also specialises in teaching people about raw food. “You can make beautiful raw soups, salads, even pasta — but you need to understand the techniques and also have the tools.” For instance, Kaur uses tools such as the mandolin to cut vegetables into thick ribbons and a spiraliser that lets you make noodle shapes out of vegetables like carrots and zucchini. “I would take a zucchini and make spaghetti out of it, mock meatballs out of soaked nuts, seeds and vegetables and a marinara sauce with sun-dried tomatoes. Visually, it would look like you’re eating a dish of spaghetti and meatballs but it would be completely raw,” says Kaur. The dehydrator is also used to make bread, chips and rotis.
Nutritional Value
While nutritionists don’t dispute the health benefits inherent in eating unprocessed fruits and vegetables, there is still no unanimity regarding the benefits of eating only uncooked food. For instance, some researchers contest the idea that the enzymes present in raw food present tangible benefits. They believe that digestive juices present in the stomach break down these enzymes during digestion. Further, eating only raw foods could lead to nutritional deficiencies. “We recommend a daily intake of 400 gm of fruit and vegetables per person but we don’t advise totally depending on a raw food,” says Dr Raghunatha Rao, deputy director and head of department of extension and training, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. “It is safer to eat cooked vegetables than to eat them raw. Besides, the nutritional value of certain vegetables is enhanced by cooking.” For instance, spinach contains fat-soluble vitamins beta-carotenes. This means that you need to cook spinach in a dietary fat such as olive oil for the body to be able to absorb beta-carotenes, which promote good eyesight and have an antioxidant effect on the body.
If you choose to follow the raw food diet, begin by incorporating elements of it into your daily regime. For instance, swap refined sugar with honey or palm sugar and white rice with red or brown, unhusked one. If you eat vegetables raw, wash them thoroughly with potable water and a light salt solution or apple cider vinegar. Use a pressure cooker, as it is a fast and efficient way of cooking that prevents the loss of too many nutrients. Eat local and choose organic when possible. Whether you choose to go raw or not, these simple tips can make a world of difference to the quality of the food you eat.
The credit for turning the focus to the healing properties of raw fruits and vegetables goes to 19th century Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner (also known for having invented muesli). At his healing centre in Zurich, he prescribed a diet for patients based mostly on natural, uncooked foods since he found it to accelerate the healing process. But in some ways, the idea of eating raw food is not new. Our huntergatherer ancestors ate food raw before fire was discovered.
Today, the idea of raw food has become much more sophisticated. A raw food diet usually means a diet consisting of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It is typically, but not always, a vegan diet that excludes all dairy products such as milk and yoghurt as well as animal byproducts such as eggs and honey. Some interpretations of the raw food diet, especially in the US, also advocate eating raw meat such as in sashimi or carpaccio. But these diets remain controversial.
The basic principle guiding raw food diets is that fruits and vegetables have enzymes in their natural state that are killed by cooking. It is based on the idea that cooking above 40º C alters the basic nutrient profile of the food and essential vitamins and minerals are lost. That’s why following the raw food diet is also called “eating without heating”.
But that doesn’t mean raw food is simplistic. There are processes used to prepare it too. These include soaking (whole grains such as rice is soaked overnight to soften them enough to be consumed), sprouting (seeds and nuts to increase their nutritional value), juicing and blending. Another process used extensively is dehydrating, either by drying foods in the sun or by using a dehydrator, which gradually leeches the moisture out of foods by circulating warm air. Dehydrating allows perishable foods such as fruits and vegetables to be preserved for a longer time.
The raw food diet demands its practitioners to be imaginative and innovative. For instance, instead of dairy, nuts such as almonds are soaked and ground to make almond milk; fermented raw cashews are used to make cashew cheese. Seeds such as flax seed are soaked and ground to make pâtés and used to layer vegetablebased lasagnes instead of cheese.
Cut Above Rest
“Raw food is all about textures, seasoning and how food is cut,” says Soorya Kaur, a New Delhi-based acupuncture and yoga authority, who also specialises in teaching people about raw food. “You can make beautiful raw soups, salads, even pasta — but you need to understand the techniques and also have the tools.” For instance, Kaur uses tools such as the mandolin to cut vegetables into thick ribbons and a spiraliser that lets you make noodle shapes out of vegetables like carrots and zucchini. “I would take a zucchini and make spaghetti out of it, mock meatballs out of soaked nuts, seeds and vegetables and a marinara sauce with sun-dried tomatoes. Visually, it would look like you’re eating a dish of spaghetti and meatballs but it would be completely raw,” says Kaur. The dehydrator is also used to make bread, chips and rotis.
Nutritional Value
While nutritionists don’t dispute the health benefits inherent in eating unprocessed fruits and vegetables, there is still no unanimity regarding the benefits of eating only uncooked food. For instance, some researchers contest the idea that the enzymes present in raw food present tangible benefits. They believe that digestive juices present in the stomach break down these enzymes during digestion. Further, eating only raw foods could lead to nutritional deficiencies. “We recommend a daily intake of 400 gm of fruit and vegetables per person but we don’t advise totally depending on a raw food,” says Dr Raghunatha Rao, deputy director and head of department of extension and training, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. “It is safer to eat cooked vegetables than to eat them raw. Besides, the nutritional value of certain vegetables is enhanced by cooking.” For instance, spinach contains fat-soluble vitamins beta-carotenes. This means that you need to cook spinach in a dietary fat such as olive oil for the body to be able to absorb beta-carotenes, which promote good eyesight and have an antioxidant effect on the body.
If you choose to follow the raw food diet, begin by incorporating elements of it into your daily regime. For instance, swap refined sugar with honey or palm sugar and white rice with red or brown, unhusked one. If you eat vegetables raw, wash them thoroughly with potable water and a light salt solution or apple cider vinegar. Use a pressure cooker, as it is a fast and efficient way of cooking that prevents the loss of too many nutrients. Eat local and choose organic when possible. Whether you choose to go raw or not, these simple tips can make a world of difference to the quality of the food you eat.
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