Fw: [primaldiet] Newspaper article Raw food craze is set to sweep the world after debut in US

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" Grace Tabitha Lim " <gracetabithalim

<primaldiet >

Saturday, June 18, 2005 8:13 AM

[primaldiet] Newspaper article " Raw food craze is set to sweep the

world after debut in US "

 

 

> Raw food craze is set to sweep the world after debut in the US

> June 12, 2005

>

> By Steve Boomfield

>

> London - Cavemen may have thought nothing of sinking their teeth into the

> raw flesh of a freshly slaughtered animal, but things have progressed

> somewhat since then. Boiled, baked, griddled and grilled, almost

> everything

> we eat has been cooked in some way before it reaches our lips.

>

> But all that is set to change. The raw food revolution has swept the

> United

> States - and now it is spreading around the world.

>

> Forget the low blood sugar GI diet and the fry-up friendly Atkins. The

> only

> rule for the raw food diet is that nothing is cooked - whether it be beef

> or

> beetroot, lamb or leeks.

>

> A-list Hollywood actresses such as Uma Thurman, Demi Moore and Natalie

> Portman are devotees.

>

> A plethora of " cookbooks " is also being launched to promote the advantages

> of a raw food lifestyle, and several nutritionists and food experts have

> launched courses in how to make the switch to raw.

>

> The fad became mainstream in the diet-conscious US after the appearance of

> a

> raw food restaurant in Sex and the City. There are now more than 30

> eateries

> without ovens across the US - a trend set to take off internationally.

>

> Just because the food is not cooked does not mean meat is off the menu.

> While chicken and other poultry cannot be eaten raw, some red meats can.

> Veal, beef and venison can all be eaten safely providing they are prepared

> correctly.

>

> " A lot of people are a little bit intimidated about eating raw meat and

> fish, " said Ramsay, " which is a great shame, because I think they are

> really

> missing out - it is a very healthy and natural way of doing things. "

>

> The health benefits of going raw are, claim its proponents, numerous. Raw

> food has live enzymes that help provide more energy. If food is cooked at

> above 47,8°C, the enzymes die. Raw food will increase your energy levels

> and, according to those who eat only raw, will cut down the amount of

> sleep

> you need each night.

>

> Gillian McKeith, who presents Britain's Channel 4's You Are What You Eat,

> and has written several books on healthy eating, said more people were

> beginning to include raw food in their daily diet.

>

>

> " The message is starting to get through because it really works. When you

> eat only cooked food you do not feel as alive. You will notice a huge

> difference.

>

> " I have seen people who have complained of headaches and digestive

> disorders. They have started eating raw food with their cooked meals and

> suddenly realise such a difference in their health. "

>

> The first raw food restaurant in Britain has already opened, in London's

> Primrose Hill, and more restaurants are planned in the next two years.

> Katia Norain, the co-owner of the Little Earth Café, was converted to raw

> food after spending time in Hawaii with friends who ate nothing but

> uncooked.

>

> " It is an amazingly interesting way of preparing food; it is good to have

> live enzymes in your system and, most important, it is yummy, " she said.

>

> " This is not carrot sticks. "

>

> Dieticians are not all convinced that a 100 percent raw diet has health

> benefits. Dr Frankie Phillips, a registered dietician with the British

> Dietetic Association, said: " The jury is still out on whether they make a

> difference to people. It will provide plenty of fibre, but people should

> try

> and have a variety of raw and cooked. "

>

> There were food safety issues regarding raw meat, " but, " she added,

> " venison

> and beef can be safe to eat raw if it has been prepared safely. Carpaccio,

> for instance, is delicious. "

>

> Evangelists for the raw food diet are spreading the word through

> one-to-one

> coaching sessions and food preparatory courses.

>

> Karen Knowler, director of the Fresh Network, an organisation that

> promotes

> raw food, said interest in the diet had increased as awareness had grown

> of

> the dangers of obesity.

>

> " The word 'raw' puts some people off, " she said, " but it is about much

> more

> than lettuce or apples. Interest in raw food has increased enormously over

> the past two or three years. More people have a desire for a healthy diet

> these days.

>

> " The best thing is, you do not need to fuss about calories - you can eat

> as

> much as you want

>

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