Raw Food Diets

Are they any good?

Why are so many people taking up raw food diets?

Let me start with a little basic info. A raw food diet means exactly that, eating nothing but pure, straight from the ground food. A raw food diet will not contain any pre cooked, steamed, or processed foods and is generally related to Veganism and some vegetarianism.

A raw food diet is not a fad, its a lifestyle choice. By "diet" I mean a constant day to day nutritional plan, not a quick fat loss fix.


What Do I Eat?

Essentially, your food would consist of a lot of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Already, this doesnt sound very appealing, but through a bit of research there are various ways to prepare the food if necessary to make it taste nice I guess!


Who promotes Raw Food?

I have noticed a few Youtubers who are advocates of the raw food lifestyle, such as the slightly wacky DurianRider and his better half Freelea. I have watched many of their videos, and while Durianrider is obviously a successful athlete, I'm not so sure I agree on his dietary ethics. Go check him out, he definately has some things for you to think about. Others worth noting are RawBrahs, and FullyRawKristina.


Is It Healthy?

Generally health organisations point out that while it would be safe for a sensible adult to take part in the raw lifestyle, its not something to do without fully understanding the risks. The most obvious is the possibility to a lack of nutrients, vitamins and minerals which are harder to find than in a regular diet. Such dangers are the lack of high quality protein and Vitamin B12, both of which are readily available in meat products. However they can be sourced elsewhere, and it is possible for a "raw foodie" to use supplements.

Many converts to this lifestyle report massive weight loss, an increase in energy levels, and reversal of many medical conditions. I am slightly sceptical when it comes to the medical side of things, as your diet would have to be spot on nutritionally in order to not see some side effects. Women for example may experience issues with menstrual cycles on certain extreme diets.

The abundance of carbohydrates though, would explain the rise in energy, and I assume the weight loss would be partly caused by the lower than usual levels of protein, which may in turn cause some degree of muscle atrophy.


What Do You Think?

Comment below and let me know what your views are on the Raw Food Diet. Have you tried it? If so, what was the outcome? I would love to know whether it was an easy choice or whether it only lasted a short period.

I personally would rather enjoy a good solid cooked meal when I fancy it, so I doubt i'll ever try this. Unless maybe for a short experiment!



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Strength Training Anatomy: Book Review

Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic Delavier

Amazon Link: Strength Training Anatomy (Sports Anatomy)

I bought this book for £13.99 at my local Waterstones. I was looking for Starting Strength, but that was unavailable and this one caught my eye.

Basically it is split into sections for bodyparts; Arms, Shoulders, Legs, Back, Buttocks and Abdomen. Each section contains around 15-20 exercises which may be performed on free weights or machines and there are some excellent illustrations with clearly marked muscle names. The illustrations of the person performing the exercise is drawn so that you can see the muscle fibres and clearly understand what is going on under the surface.

 

One of my personal favourite parts of this book is its attention to the possibilities of injury, with full reasoning and explanation as to why certain movements are not advised. Take for example the "dips" which engage the chest and triceps. In this book it explains that you should keep your head position in line with your spine, as the stress of the exercise itself can cause indirect pressure on the neck.

There are also more in depth explanations of health risks, such as the damage that may be caused to the knee joint during leg exercises. These are brightly marked with a yellow page and also fully determine the scientific facts behind the scenes.

Female readers may also be  drawn to this book as it not only shows the female body for many of the examples, but also goes into further detail, such as the reasoning behind rotation of the hips and the differences to men and why certain exercises may be easier or more difficult based on the physiology of the two sexes.

Although this book focuses solely on exercises and the motor functions of the human body, you cant fault its depth and completeness.

I am sure this will be a good read for those just starting out, and a great reference to pick up and absorb nuggets of information along the course of a fitness lifestyle.

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