I'm going on a raw food diet and I just wanted to know?!

Are you veg or omni? I'm going to assume you're talking about raw vegan foods, as you asked on the Veg category!

Yes, you can live on raw foods forever, if you do it right, and make sure you eat enough sprouted seeds, grains and legumes in addition to lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. You need a variety of different raw foods to ensure you get all your different nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, healthy fats, and of course, living enzymes! There are raw foodists who eat an entirely raw diet all the time. However, most people who are very interested in raw foods are somewhere else on the spectrum. Some people are what is called "high raw." Those of us in this category eat a very high percentage of our food raw, but allow ourselves the flexibility to eat some cooked foods. Others are "raw until dinner," which is exactly what it sounds like. Others are simply working on including more raw foods in their diets. All are okay!

You can eat almost all plant foods raw, but there are exceptions!

You should not eat potatoes raw, because they are very difficult to digest when raw. Most mushrooms contain small concentrations of toxins, and are not very good for you raw. (The toxins evaporate in the cooking process.) In large quantities, raw potatoes and raw mushrooms can make you sick. You will still see some raw recipes including these foods. They obviously won't kill you, but I don't recommend eating a lot of them. (Yes, I know raw mushrooms are on every salad bar in the country. Button mushrooms are not super dangerous, especially in small quantities. It's just healthier to cook them!)

The person who said bean sprouts were dangerous raw is operating under the assumption that you are eating purchased sprouts. Several months ago, there was a salmonella contamination scare in certain brands of mass-produced bean sprouts. If you do your own sprouting, and you keep your equipment clean and sterilized between batches, you will not be at risk.

This is a great website for sprouting resources, info, supplies, and recipes:

http://sproutpeople.org/

And this is a great hummus recipe (I use sunflower seed sprouts instead of garbanzo. You can make it 100% raw by making your own tahini out of soaked raw sesame seeds.) http://sproutpeople.org/recipes/appetize…

Sprouts are great, but don't rely exclusively on alfalfa sprouts. In large quantities, alfalfa sprouts can make you sick. But that's in really large quantities. To be safe, eat other sprouts more often, especially delicious broccoli sprouts, and high protein sprouted sunflower seeds!

Peanuts should not be eaten raw, and many people believe peanuts should not be eaten at all! They can be very high in aflotoxins, and are also hard to digest. In addition, they are the most common food allergen, and people who are allergic to peanuts are usually extremely allergic!

Legumes should not be eaten raw, unless they are sprouted! The sprouting process makes legumes digestible. Soy especially should not be eaten raw unless it is sprouted or fermented, and even then it should be used in small quantities.

Most grains and pseudograins should be sprouted if they are to be eaten raw. In small quantities, you are fine with unsprouted raw grains, but they are much healthier sprouted! (Or you can allow yourself some cooked brown rice or quinoa as part of a high raw diet.)

For optimal nutrition, nuts and seeds should be soaked and rinsed before eating. This allows the nut or seed to wake up! It releases enzyme inhibitors, and increases nutrient availability. It is also the first step toward sprouting, for seeds you choose to sprout.

More info here:
http://www.raw-food-living.com/soaking-n…

In addition to all these wonderful foods, you can also eat all dark green leafy veggies raw, and I recommend eating lots of them, every single day! You can also eat all root vegetables except potatoes raw. And just about every other veggie out there! And of course all the beautiful fruits, and even some flowers! As a raw foodist, you will need to make sure you eat frequently, and eat lots and lots of good, fresh food - especially veggies! Get a big dose of them in a green smoothie for breakfast. The best way to start your day!

Good luck, and enjoy!

Do not eat bean sprouts or meat raw. They carry a lot of bacteria, you will probably get sick if you eat them.

I wouldn't recommend living off of raw foods for the rest of your life.

Just do it until you have lost the amount of weight that you wanted to, or until a doctor says to stop. Depending on why you started going on it.