Raw food, also known as "live food" or "Raw Food" is on the rise. And for good reason: this diet would allow the body to make the most of the nutritional qualities of food, which are therefore eaten raw.

But does it allow a balanced diet? What are the risks of default that we incur when we adopt it? Émilie Garel, an expert SuperFoods nutritionist who specializes in emotional eating gives us her advice and her advice to try the raw diet.

What is the raw diet?

Emilie Garel: Raw food consists of consuming raw foods, in order to benefit the maximum of their nutritional benefits. Indeed, without cooking or processing, nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are preserved (they are sensitive to heat).

How to choose your food?

Most often and according to the logic of benefiting from a maximum of nutrients, the products are chosen from organic farming, in order to optimize the nutritional quality of the food and to avoid any trace of pesticides. All, favoring seasonal products.

beef carpaccio raw raw food © ShyMan / iStockphoto.com

A predominantly vegan diet

Crudivorism is based on vegan diet but there are variants that incorporate products of animal origin.

The simplest version of raw food comes down to a diet based largely on raw fruits and vegetables, but it also extends to freshly squeezed juices, natural cooking such as fish tartares cooked in lemon juice (in marinade) .

You can also find pastries with the trend Raw food which is born tea rooms with cakes 100% raw food like the date paste that serves as a base.

A diet boosted with antioxidants

Raw Food is a good base for healthy eating: the diet is boosted with antioxidants, so anti-cancer weapons. With the raw diet, we also put more vegetables in its diet, which, in fact, becomes more alkaline.

This type of diet also brings less acid and therefore less chronic inflammation.

What risks of deficiencies?

Yes. This diet can also lead to digestive discomfort. In fact, too much raw vegetables can irritate the intestines - in general, cooking helps to soften the fibers, for better digestion.

In addition, some foods eaten raw may be at risk and cause food poisoning (beware of beef or raw fish, especially with the Anisakis worm, which, however, is killed by freezing!).

Finally, there is also a risk of mineral deficiency if, despite raw food, the overall diet is not balanced enough.