Rawism: a new lifestyle
From all debates and perspectives in regards to the environment and the impacts it suffers, a lot of people have been adapting to alternative lifestyles to avoid enviromental catastrophes and even health issues. Starting with vegetarianism and through fruitarianism, everyday more people change their eating habits in order to avoid causing more damage to the environment and reaching a healthier lifestyle. Rawfoodism or Rawism, eating principle that is based on consuming food that is uncooked or unprocessed, is an alternative that has been attracting many new followers. They endorse that, by avoiding to change the natural form of foods, such cooking process would affect negatively its nutritional capacity.
The portuguese student Daniela Silva, aged 22, is a vegetarian for four years but, due to health problems, because a rawist two years ago: “It had to affect me deep down for me to understand I had to change my lifestyle. Just excluding the animal-based products wasn’t enough, specially because my diet was strongly based on processed products and fats”. The student points that, as well as a disposition increase, she felt positive changes at a physical level, like menstrual pains to psychological levels, such as feeling less depressed and anxious.
Yet, the Rio de Janeiro born Emanuela Oliveira, aged 19, went through a different process: became a rawist because of her father’s influence, who’s vegan for more than years: “In the begining I stopped eating all kinds of meat and, after that, all kind of cheese. One year ago I stopped eating all kinds of processed food and I intend to become a fruitarian”. She claims her headaches have reduced and she now runs 32 kilometers, aside from the decrease of hormonal problems.
Daniela, in Portugal, says she doesn’t have problems when looking for rawist restaurants. Emanuela’s reality in Brazil is much different. However, both girls state that they spend less money now that they did before: Daniela claims she is fulfilled faster than before, making her spend less money while Emanuela buys at smaller groceries, family based, spending the average of 30 reais a week.
The dietician Maria Vitória Falcão believes is hard to live out of raw foods on the daily basis, also adding that “some foods have an easier digestion and absorption process when cooked, such as tomatoes that, when slightly heated, has its lycopene levels increased. Lycopene is an antioxidant nutrient.
As far as adaptation, the opinions are very different: while the dietician Maria Vitoria cherishes planning and moderation, the rawist Emanuele reccomends cutting down once and for all, not little by little. However, one opinion is unanimous: listen to your body.
