Raw food diets are becoming increasingly popular. The theory behind raw is that it is healthier than cooked food. But is this actually the case?

The Raw Diet Defined

There are 2 definitions of raw diet. The first is fully raw, in which no foods are cooked in any manner.

The second is lightly cooked raw, that is, with no foods heated above 115° F. In general, raw diets usually mean no heating at all, so no baking, steaming or microwaving.

This means that a lot foods most of us take for granted are off the menu, such as bread, potatoes, most grains, and so on. Continue reading →

The word flexitarian is a combination of two words, flexible and vegetarian. This means you are flexible in your vegetarianism. Most of the time, a flexitarian follows a vegetarian lifestyle.

A vegetarian lifestyle is one in which they avoid eating any food which results in the slaughter of a living creature. Beef, chicken, turkey, pork, fish and seafood are all off the menu for a true vegetarian.

By contrast, a flexitarian will eat the above foods on occasion. There are a range of variations based on personal taste and ethics. For example, many flexitarians completely give up red meat. Some will continue to eat poultry. Others will continue to eat fish and seafood. Still others will continue to eat both.

The theory is that poultry and fish are not mammals and therefore do not feel the same degree of pain as a cow, pig or sheep. Chickens and fish do of course feel pain, so this is a spurious argument. Continue reading →