On a Raw Food Diet, Should a Person Fast?

The raw food diet is based on eating unprocessed and uncooked vegetarian foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs etc. The diet focuses on the fact that cooking the food destroys the enzymes in the food and hence is harder to absorb into the body and in order to get the greatest benefit from the food 75% of the diet must be raw.

It is suggested that the raw food diet not only helps reduce weight but also increases the energy level of the individual, increase blood flow, improves the complexion and reduces the risk of heart disease. How valid these notions are is still under question but the fact is when you cut out trans fat and saturated fats from your diet, your body will definitely improve in health and energy levels.

Plus, eating raw vegetables helps provide you with a natural source of minerals, vitamins, fiber and folate all of which can only benefit your health. While scientists may not have approved the validity of the raw food diet claims, the fact is the nourishment it provides is consistent with the properties associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart diseases and diabetes.

Yet, regardless of the benefits of the diet the question here is should you fast when on a raw food diet?

While there are a lot of benefits to the raw food diet there are some deficiencies that can occur while you are on it. Raw food diet is a low source of, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B12, Protein and calories. These deficiencies can cause anemia to develop and weaken the bone density of individuals. How each individual reacts depends on the constitution of the body.

A person on the raw food diet can fast. However, it should be supervised by a nutritionist or a physician and should not be more than 24 hours. Most fasts last 48-72 hours which is the time the body needs to detoxify its system but the person on the raw food diet would not have many caloric reserves. If the fast lasts longer than 24 hours the person may suffer weakness and dehydration. The Raw food diet does not overstress the body. The intestines work less and thus, may shrink. This causes the appetite to diminish hence causing weight loss. When the body is deprived of the energy for 24 hours of more the system may get stressed. The way the body reacts to nutritional deficiency is shutting down systems like the kidney, liver etc and creating reserves. Blood flow would decrease to the brain and the symptoms could be anything from faintness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting to more severe like dehydration.

While the raw food diet is a great way to make a person healthy, moderation is necessary in everything. A pregnant woman cannot go on this diet because the lack of calcium, iron and B-12 etc may prove fatal for the embryo. People suffering from osteoporosis should not be on this diet as they require a greater bone mass. Anemic patients should not go on the diet due to its being low on iron.

The fact is any diet will deprive the body of essential nutrients. People have to be careful that the deprivation is not excessive which is why moderation is always better. Ayurvedic professionals suggest that people living in cold temperatures are better equipped to handle the raw food diet as it robs the body of fat layers essential to ward of cold.

A raw food diet is not for everyone and anyone on the diet can fast but because there food reserves would be low the fast should be of shorter duration than normal.