Should Your Kaufmann Diet Be A Raw Diet?

Have you ever considered eating an exclusively raw food diet? What are the pros and cons of eating this way, and is it compatible with the Kaufmann Diet?

Today more than ever, it seems that we have gotten away from a diet that is natural for us, a diet that comes from the earth and is similar to what our ancestors would have eaten. More than ever, though, research is affirming that this is exactly how we should be eating, if we want to support our health in a significant way.

It is no secret that many people in today’s modern world eat a diet that largely consists of pre-packaged, processed foods, fast foods or take out. As a result, most people know very little about what and how much they actually eat. If they really knew what they were eating, it is likely that many people’s diets would look dramatically different. 

Much of what people eat every day is: 

• • Rich in unhealthy fats, salt, preservatives 
  • High in MSG and other unhealthy ingredients  
  • Largely void of fiber, phytonutrients, and important vitamins and minerals. 

Furthermore, when you are eating mostly processed food, it is very unlikely that you are getting any types of raw foods in your diet in a meaningful way. 

Raw foods are any type of uncooked or unprocessed foods straight from the earth, foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These, of course, are what we are regularly encouraged to eat. But why?We know that there are definitely some benefits associated with raw foods: 

• • Raw foods have a high nutrient content. 
  • In the case of plant foods, they are often rich in fiber––a nutrient many people do not get enough of. 
  • Raw foods are also rich in enzymes which can assist in digestion. 

Raw foods are not necessarily relegated to plant foods, though; many animal proteins are enjoyed raw on occasion. Foods like sushi/sashimi or beef tartare are considered raw food. Particularly in the case of sushi, there are many health benefits associated with eating raw fish; sashimi is an excellent source of healthy omega 3 fats. (Some people should consult their doctor before eating raw or minimally cooked foods, particularly people with certain health conditions or women who are pregnant.) 

Almost unilaterally, raw foods are going to be richer in nutrition than processed foods. This leads some people to opt for eating exclusively raw diets; people who eat in this way avoid any foods that have been processed or cooked in favor of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds––many foods we know promote health. 

So does this mean that you should adapt your Kaufmann Diet to a raw diet?

It is certainly beneficial to include and abundance of raw foods in your Kaufmann Diet. In addition to the all the reasons listed, raw foods often contain anti-fungal nutrients that you certainly want to include in your diet. Plants are one of the best sources of anti-fungal nutrition, and eating them in their raw state can maximize the nutrition you get. Adding raw foods to your Kaufmann Diet can be as simple as including a hearty salad every day. Likely, on the Kaufmann Diet, you are finding more and more of these types of foods in shopping cart already. 

That said, there is no reason to eat an exclusively raw Kaufmann Diet. It is still perfectly acceptable to cook much of your food. Also, in the case of some fruits and vegetables, cooking can actually make the nutrients more bioavailable, such as the lycopene in tomatoes. 

Ultimately, it helps to be aware of the benefits afford by raw foods, and to include them generously in your diet for their inherent nutrition. On the Kaufmann Diet, however, as long as you are only eating foods permitted on the diet, there is no reason not to enjoy a healthy blend of cooked and raw foods.

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Lycopene Reduces Toxicity of the Mycotoxin Zearalenone