The raw food diet: yum or glum?

The raw food diet isn't short of celebrity supporters, but how does it actually work?

Raw sprouted beans and uncooked cauliflower don't sound like my idea of a good scran, but there must be something in the raw food movement if others are convinced? One famous follower is Woody Harrelson, who published a book related to the subject, and other stars like Demi Moore have also been known to 'indulge' in the raw diet regimen.

So what's it all about? The diet is based literally on raw foodstuffs, but that doesn't mean beef carpaccio or sushi, we're talking organically grown from Mother Earth; fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices, sprouted beans and natural sweeteners. And, according to nutritional advisor and wellbeing coach Barbara Louvrou (thewellworks.co.uk), eating like this is likely to be one of the most nutritious diets we can have.

'Food in its natural state is packed with all the nutrients which are often lost in the cooking process,' says Barbara. 'Heating also causes harmful changes in the chemical constituency of food, such as the production of acrylamide – a toxic carcinogenic substance, so people who prefer a raw food diet are avoiding these.'

And the recipes are not as boring and salad-based as you may think. Karen Knowler, the 'Raw Food Coach' (therawfoodcoach.com), has been a convert for many years and gives helpful advice on her site for people who want to dabble or switch. Her Chocolate Ice Cream Perfected (see below) and Tasty Almond Hummous don't look half bad. And Karen looks so fresh and gorgeous that she's a great advert for raw eating.

So, you want to try it but can only bear to go a little bit raw? That's okay, according to Karen. 'What matters more is the quality of the food you choose. And it is not just what you bring into your diet that's important, but what you leave out. It's no good eating lots of fresh vibrant food if you "balance" it out with take-aways and aspartame-ridden diet drinks!'

If you're looking for super-health then it does sound ideal, but surely there must be some drawbacks? Barbara adds: 'Well, people who strictly follow this diet do have to be very careful about how they'll receive all their nutrients, as some like vitamin B12 are mainly found in meat, and iron deficiency can be also a problem. People might need to take dietary supplements.'

Still, the idea of not being able to eat a hearty warming stew on a winter's evening makes me shiver. 'Mentally, you are used to the idea of hot food as comforting food,' says Barbara. 'But you can get your brain to think what it likes and dishes prepared with spices such as ginger, chillies and garlic can be equally seen as 'warming'.'

Personally, being the heathen that I am it's a bit too extreme for my liking – but I'm willing to give Karen's 'real' chocolate ice cream a go:

Ingredients:
4 cups of cashews OR 4 tablespoons of raw cashew butter
600 ml of pure water
4 tablespoons of raw chocolate powder
16 Medjool dates

Blend the cashews (or cashew butter) with the water to create cashew milk. Add in remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into an ice-cream maker and process until ready to eat OR pour into a suitable freezer container with a lid and freeze.

And, says Karen, 'When your ice cream is ready, serve, salivate and enjoy!'

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