Raw Food Diets are comprised of 75 to 100% fresh, raw, fruits and vegetables with variables such as nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, raw dairy, raw meat and wine. Following is a list of various raw food diets from The Raw Vegan Network.
”1.) The Fruitarian Diet is a branch of the raw-vegan diet in which people eat all or mostly fruit. For a time this is very healing, almost like a fast. Being Fruitarian is more viable when you have been raw for a long time and your body can absorb nutrients well. This diet is also extremely wonderful to do for a season and has been documented as beneficial for even up to three years.
2.) The Fruitarian Diet including Vegetables. The Fruitarian diet that also includes vegetables is often also called Fruitarian, because technically seed-bearing plants are fruits. And most vegetables, including tomatoes, avocados, green leafy vegetables, cucumbers, etc….do bear seeds. This is also the highest version of the High Raw diet. This diet is also extremely wonderful to do for a season or up to three years.
3.) The High-Raw Diet. The high-raw diet consists of 100% fruits, vegetables, and a limited amount of germinated seeds and nuts. People who do this diet tend to need less food after a while, and often tend to eat many mono-meals (meals consisting of only one food at a time), with up to three foods combined carefully if a recipe is employed. Recipes consist often of smoothies, salads, blended salads, and almond, sunflower and sesame seed milks and patés. The high raw diet does not include the use of salt, honey, oils, grains, dehydrated foods, fermented foods, processed foods such as olives, or any kinds of nuts as they are suspected of being heated or dried to prevent molding. (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds and filberts/hazelnuts or freshly harvested nuts are the exceptions as these are generally not treated with heating or drying)
4.) The Natural Hygiene Diet. This diet is similar to the High-Raw diet but more restrictive in that it espouses not eating spicy foods including garlic, onions, and hot peppers, fats including oils, or sulfuric fruits such as Durian and avocado.
5.) The Mucous-Free Diet: Similar to a 100% raw diet, but without raw sprouted grains as these are believed to cause mucous in the system. Grains seem to affect some people in this manner, while others find the enzymes in germinated grains cause bloating, while still others experience no negative effects and enjoy the feeling of fullness obtained through eating these grains.
6.) The Fat-Free Diet: Similar to a 100% raw diet, but without any fats, oils, or fatty fruits such as bananas, avocados, olives, and durians.
7.) The Fruit-Free Diet: Some raw teachers espouse not eating fruit or eating very little fruit because they believe that modern day fruit has been cultivated to be un-naturally sweet. This diet may be appealing to some, but I would not recommend being without fruit in the diet for too long. Many studies show that fruit is the main food humans were designed to eat.
8.) The 100% Raw Food Diet: This diet is what it says. All raw foods are allowed. No cooked foods are allowed. However, heating on low temperatures at which you can still put your finger in the food without pain is permitted. Dehydrating and Fermenting is also permitted. Any kinds of combinations are allowed. Many believe that when you eat raw food that food combining is un-necessary. (This may be truer on a high-raw diet however). The 100% raw food diet consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted legumes, germinated grains, raw honey, raw soy sauce called Nama Shoyu, cold pressed flax, hemp and olive oils, Celtic Sea Salt or similar untreated raw salt, and raw tahini (sesame seeds) and almond butter. Grains that will germinate when soaked in water include raw wheat germ, buckwheat groats, oat groats, wild rice, quinoa, amaranth, and others. Untreated natural salt can be identified because it usually has off-white, gray, or beige flecks in it that are minerals. There are many sub-variations of the 100% raw diet that either include or don’t include some of these foods. Some people even include wine as it is a fermented food.
9.) The 75%-90% Raw Food Diet: Usually all that is added to the 100% raw diet here is brown rice and steamed vegetables. Some other foods that will be included are manna bread, which is unleavened bread heated at low temperatures, usually made out of sprouted grains. Others may include cooked ancient grains (kamut, quinoa, amaranth and spelt), home-made bread, goat’s cheese, beans and rice, and/or popcorn.”
So that is a summary of the basic raw food diets. Exactly how much raw food you consume in your diet is a personal thing and something you will ultimately work out for yourself.
