Pros and Cons of the Raw Food Diet

The Raw Food Diet or "Going Raw" gained national attention when it was revealed that Demi Moore uses this to stay in shape. In the April issure of Esquire, Mama Mia star Amanda Seyfried admits to using the Raw Food Diet to keep off unwanted pounds, but not without a lot of animosity.

Giving into the the hype, I tried the Raw Food Diet a few weeks ago with successful results -- but with a price...literally. Here are the pros and cons of my results.

PROS

1. Weight Loss

I lost about 9 pounds in 7 days. I can't stress how great it felt to finally see the scale go backwards instead of forwards.

2. Energy

Starting my day off with a green smoothie gave me enough energy that last most of the day.

3. Clear Skin

I have had problems with acne since puberty. Within a few days of starting the diet, my face was completely clear.

CONS

1. Expensive

I was at the supermarket every two days spending $60 bucks on fruits and vegetables. This is not including the items I had to buy from Amazon.com, because they were not avaliable at Walmart or Kroger.

The kitchen appliances were the biggest burn in my pocket. I was required to buy a blender, food processor, and a dehydrator. I brought the blender, but after looking at the prices on the food processor and dehydrator, I decided to wait. The dehydrator they consider the best is the Excalibur--which cost over $200 dollars.

2. Hunger

Because I couldn't afford all three of the required kitchen appliances, I went to bed starving every night. I had a blender so I could have made smoothies but how many smoothies can a girl take? I was sick of salads after the third day.

3. Lack of Warmth

On the Raw Food Diet, you cannot heat your food above 115 degrees. This means the microwave and stove are out of existance. This means while my family is enjoying Chinese, I am stuck eating a salad.

I admit, there are more pros to the Raw Food Diet than I mentioned. There are many health benefits including a suppose "reverse aging". But unless you have the time, money, and the love for all vegetables, I would suggest a more simple diet.