By now, just about everyone has heard about the raw food diet. It’s become so popular these days, it seems everyone from Hollywood stars to the guy in accounting has made the switch. And of course, by the name, it should be fairly obvious what the diet consists of – most of the food that you eat should be raw, or in as close to it’s natural state as possible.

Now of course, this doesn’t mean that we’re talking about eating raw meat! The diet is a mostly vegetarian eating plan, consisting of many raw fruits and vegetables. And of course, not all the food that you eat must be raw – it’s recommended that your meal plans consist of at least 75% raw foods in their most natural state. But the question is – Why? Why are so many people deciding to change their eating habits and take up a raw food diet?

The first thing you should know is this – while you can – and most likely will – lose weight by eating raw foods, it isn’t primarily a diet for weight loss. The biggest reason for switching is that people are recognizing that foods in their natural state contain an optimized balance of the nutrients that our bodies need – vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It is suggested that when food is cooked at high heat, it removes or breaks down these nutrients. This is especially true of the enzymes that are contained in raw food – these enzymes help your body to digest food. Without them, your body has to produce it’s own digestive enzymes, meaning your body has to work harder to get the nutrition it needs – and you have to eat more.

Supporters of raw foods also claim that since the cooked food takes longer to digest, it hangs around longer in the digestive tract while the body works at digesting it. The food product which doesn’t get fully digested becomes waste, and slows down the food traveling through your intestines. This can cause bloating, gas, constipation -and can possibly lead to some kinds of cancer. When we eat more raw fruits and vegetables, we naturally take in more fiber and more water. This helps to push the food through your intestines more quickly, and leaves less waste product to hang around causing problems. In general, this type of healthier eating makes the process of digestion more efficient and easier on your body. On top of that, your body receives more of the essential nutrients it needs, and ends up with less harmful waste products.

But the health benefits don’t stop there! You’ll also find you have more energy, as your body maximizes the nutrients it gets from your food, all the while working less hard to process the food. You’ll most likely find your hair and skin look healthier, and you’ll should also find that your skin will have few breakouts as your food contains less toxins.

As mentioned before, you will quite likely lose weight, and will find it much easier to manage your weight, as this healthier way of eating is naturally lower in fat and calories than most people’s regular diet. Most of the fats that you will eat are healthy, from nuts and other plant sources. Because of this, there’s less fat in your body to clog up arteries or to hang around on your hips – that means you’ll be at less risk of developing deadly heart disease.