A raw food diet is a way of eating that excludes heat treatment of foods. Only dried products are allowed in the sun or on the stove, in the oven, but heated to no more than 40 degrees. Thus, the answer to the question What do raw foodists eat in Russia? – is clear from the name itself – raw vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds. Cold-pressed vegetable oil, natural wine and mushrooms are also allowed (champignons can be eaten raw).
At first glance, the menu may seem sparse. But that's not true. Raw foodists have their own recipes for gourmet dishes that can surprise even inveterate lovers of fried and boiled foods.
A raw food diet can be compared to veganism, but it is not a subtype or form of it. This is a separate movement, a way of eating. Adherents of this diet are convinced that raw food is pure “live” food from which the body receives everything it needs. After heat treatment, the value of products decreases, since vitamins dissolve in water. In addition, thermally processed food requires more effort from the body to process, while raw food gives more than it takes away.
Whether they are right or wrong - there is no clear judgment. On the one hand, nutritionists agree. That a raw food diet does more good than harm. And a balanced menu can truly provide all the body’s needs. On the other hand, living in a metropolis, it is difficult to balance a raw vegetable menu so that the body receives strength and energy.
What do raw foodists eat in winter in Russia?
This is the most popular question among skeptics and those who are thinking about switching to this way of eating. It's one thing to live in warm climates where bananas and oranges grow. And it’s a completely different thing to live somewhere in Surgut, and even work hard.
So, what should a raw foodist eat in winter in Russia to feel good and not freeze? In fact, the menu is quite varied even in cold weather:
- dried fruits - from apples and pears to kiwi and mango;
- root vegetables: celery, beets, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, turnips, radishes;
- celery stalks, fennel tubers;
- winter varieties of apples and pears;
- dried, frozen berries;
- nuts, seeds, seeds (flax, sesame, amaranth, etc.);
- legumes and cereals.
This is all that you can grow yourself, you can always buy it on the market. In supermarkets you can buy greens, exotic fruits and fresh greenhouse berries.
Cold pressed oils are also available. In particular, flaxseed is considered one of the most useful. Yes, and it's delicious. You can use it on its own or as a salad dressing.
Important! Flaxseed oil can only be consumed fresh. When heated, it turns into a carcinogen.
Please note that not all products can simply be eaten in the form in which they are offered. For example, eating raw beans or beans is not the best option. But their sprouts will be an excellent cocktail of vitamins and nutrients for the body. Sprouting is not a difficult task, and the result will surpass the best pharmacy vitamins.
Legumes such as chickpeas and peas can be eaten raw, after soaking them in water and rinsing thoroughly.
Wheat, barley, buckwheat and other cereals can also be sprouted. Buckwheat, flax seeds, chia seeds are also suitable in their raw form. Just soak them in slightly warm water and the porridge is ready.
As you can see, the raw food menu is very varied at any time of the year and is affordable.
Important! Some plants may contain toxic substances that can only be removed thermally. Therefore, carefully study the composition and properties of the plants that you will consume raw.
Famous athletes are vegetarians and their stories (9 photos)
In this article, we have selected biographies of vegetarian athletes who have reached great heights without eating meat at all.
Carl Lewis , USA
Track and field athlete, multiple Olympic champion and world champion. Carl Lewis became a vegan in 1990, after which he won three gold medals at two Olympics (1992 and 1996) and many other awards. In 1999, as a result of voting by the International Olympic Committee, Lewis received the title of “Athlete of the Century”; he is also the “World Athlete of the Century” according to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), winner of the international Prince of Asturias Award.
CARL LEWIS Carl Lewis. Track and field athlete, multiple Olympic champion and world champion. Became vegan in 1990
According to Lewis, all these achievements were made possible thanks to a vegan diet.
Alexey Voevoda, Russia
Alexey Voevoda is a three-time world champion in arm wrestling, two-time Olympic champion in bobsleigh 2014 (double and foursome), Olympic silver medalist in foursomes in 2006, Olympic bronze medalist in 2010 (in doubles), world champion in doubles in 2011. He is the “best accelerater” in the world, an international master of sports in bobsleigh and arm wrestling, and a candidate master of sports in judo.
The uniqueness of this athlete is that he achieved such results while being a raw foodist and vegan. According to Alexey Voevoda, he tried everything: meat, milk, and protein shakes. But as it turned out, this is not what is needed to achieve results. He became a champion only after switching to a plant-based diet, when he became almost one hundred percent raw foodist.
Alexey Voevoda. Multiple world champion in arm wrestling, Olympic champion and world champion in bobsleigh. Vegan.
Ivan Poddubny, USSR
Another of our compatriots, he ate only vegetables and cereals and was a convinced vegetarian.
He was called “Ivan the Invincible”, “Champion of Champions”, “Iron Ivan” and absolutely justified. For 40 years that he was professionally engaged in wrestling, there was never a person who could defeat him. Ivan had a height of 184 cm, biceps 46, chest 136, neck 50. Poddubny went down in history as an undefeated world champion.
Ivan Poddubny. Iron Ivan. A professional fighter whom no one in the world could defeat
Joe Rollino, USA
Joe Rollino, despite his modest size - height 165 cm and weight 68 kg. was considered the strongest man in the world. He first received this title in 1920, when he lifted 1452 kg from the ground.
From the age of 20, he led a completely healthy lifestyle - he did not drink alcohol, did not smoke and did not eat meat at all.
Joe Rollino, despite his modest size - height 165 cm and weight 68 kg. was considered the strongest man in the world.
He was an athlete, a boxer, and went through the war. With one finger he could hold a weight of 290 kg. Joe Rollino lived to be 104 years old and even at that age he could easily bend a coin with his fingers. And I probably would have lived longer if I hadn’t fallen under the wheels of a car two months before my 105th birthday.
Edwin Moses, USA
Track and field athlete, 2-time Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles. From 1977 to 1987, Edwin Moses won all 122 races in which he took part. Edwin Moses was a vegetarian and humanist who promoted peace. In 2009, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts for his efforts to maintain the integrity of the Olympic Games and use of sport as a tool for positive social change.
Edwin Moses. Track and field athlete, 2-time Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles. Vegetarian.
Bill Pearl, USA
The famous bodybuilder, who received the title “Mr. Universe” four times. He is a lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats eggs and dairy products). After finishing his sports career, Pearl achieved incredible results as a coach. And his book “Keys to the Inner Universe” has become a bodybuilding classic.
Bill Pearl. The famous bodybuilder, who received the title “Mr. Universe” four times. Lacto-ovo vegetarian.
John Salley, USA
John Thomas Salley is an American professional basketball player, actor, and television host. First player in NBA history to win a championship with three different teams.
John Salley isn't just a basketball legend, he's also an active vegetarian advocate and actor. John starred in the films “Bad Boys” and “Bad Boys 2”.
John Thomas Salley is an American professional basketball player, actor, and television host. Vegetarian.
Georg Gakkenschmidt, Russia
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt is a Russian wrestler and circus athlete who performed at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the first professional wrestlers and the first world champion in freestyle wrestling, who also set several strength records, and a winner of the World Weightlifting Championships. Georg ate exclusively live, unprocessed food; his menu consisted of nuts, fruits and vegetables. With such a “meager” diet, his biceps were 45 cm, and he managed to set a new record in lifting a weight of just over 106 kg with one hand!
Georg Hackenschmidt is a Russian wrestler and circus athlete who performed at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the first professional wrestlers and the first world champion in freestyle wrestling. Vegan
Patrick Babumyan, Armenia
Patrick Babumyan is an Armenian record-breaking strongman, born in Iran, and now living in Germany. He is a professional bodybuilder who has achieved truly amazing results. In 2011 he won the title “The Strongest Man in Germany”, and in 2012 he became the European Champion. And at the vegetarian festival in Toronto, Bauyan actually set a world record: he carried a weight of 555.2 kg for 10 meters - something no strongman before him could do. At the same time, Patrick has been following an ethical diet for many years: since 2005 he has been a vegetarian, and in 2011 he became a vegan.
Patrick Babumyan is an Armenian record-breaking strongman, born in Iran, and now living in Germany. Vegetarian.
Only a few athletes are represented here - vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists. In fact, there are many more of them. And there are a lot of people who have switched to a raw food diet and vegetarianism and go in for sports. In the practice of professionals, we see that giving up meat and heavy sports are perfectly compatible. All professional vegetarian athletes noted that the combination of a raw food diet and exercise has only a positive effect on results.
Who are they, the famous raw foodists of Russia and the world?
Often, fans of famous people who have chosen such a food system for themselves become raw foodists. And all because they also want to look good, like their idols.
The most popular Russian raw food stars who have been eating exclusively raw food for years:
- Dima Bilan. One day, the artist posted a photo on the Internet. His thinness and aged face caused concern among fans. The singer replied that he had switched to a raw food diet. This caused me to lose 12 kg in less than six months. Bilan claims that he feels better this way. However, in the last photos he really looks great;
- Valeria Gai Germanika. The director has been eating only raw food for a long time and says that this is precisely the reason for her creativity and the success of each new film;
- Victoria Bonya. A relative newcomer, Bonya was clearly inspired by the idea of raw food. She willingly shares her delicious plant-based dishes, which she prepares without heat treatment;
- Sati Casanova. Until recently, she was known as a convinced vegetarian who came to this style of eating through her passion for yoga. Today she is included in the list of raw foodists.
The list includes only those well-known raw foodists in Russia who actively talk about it, show photos themselves on the Internet and are photographed by the paparazzi.
Among the world's famous raw foodists, it is worth noting Jared Leto, Angelina Jolie (until recently), Demi Moore, and Uma Thurman. Some of them are convinced raw foodists, and for others this is a choice for the current stage of life.
Thus, well-known raw foodists in Russia and the world are a fairly large group of people who actively act in films, engage in other activities and look good.
The conclusions are obvious - raw food nutrition for the purpose of recovery, improvement of life and appearance - works. But, like any other, such nutrition must be balanced.
Reasons why athletes switch to vegetarianism
In sports, as in other areas, people who achieve great heights are purposeful and strong-willed, who are ready to sacrifice their time, comfort and eating habits for the sake of future results. Today, a professional athlete is not just a pile of muscles and clear control of his body, but is often a well-read person who understands anatomy, nutrition and sports medicine. Most often, athletes refuse meat and other animal products for the following reasons:
- Increasing endurance and improving athletic performance . A properly selected plant-based diet can improve indicators such as: strength;
- endurance;
- speed;
- speed of muscle recovery after exercise;
- brain activity;
- mental condition.
“Athletes look better than raw foodists”
December 26, 2021 at 04:20 pm
Today you cannot complain about the lack of food on store shelves, so in the modern world food is not only a necessity of life, but also an expression of commitment to some religion, value system or fashion. One of the fashionable food systems today is the raw food diet, which is even more radical than veganism. Its supporters do not eat any processed food, and even cheese, milk or chocolate fall under it. They can only eat raw fruits, vegetables and nuts, and drink water and juices. The Village spoke with four former raw foodists about how they gave up cooking, how it affected their health, and why they eventually returned to eating traditionally.
Dasha Krokodilova
*The Village's editors do not recommend following a raw food diet unless your doctor has prescribed it for you.
Yulia Krasyuk
ballet dancer, choreography teacher
raw food diet experience - more than three years
I am a ballet dancer, teacher-choreographer and fitness trainer by profession. I have three children: the eldest is six years old, the twins are two years old. I switched to a raw food diet when my husband came across a very interesting book by Arnold Ehret about the mucusless diet. We read it, got acquainted with medical books, and became interested in trying it out for ourselves.
First, it was necessary to cleanse the intestines according to Ehret’s method. During the cleansing, you need to fast a little, sit on fresh juices, drink water. After about three days of cleansing, we switched to healthy foods, that is, fruits, vegetables, nuts, juices, ate small portions, but often.
Of course, when switching to another food, both physiological and psychological crises occurred: nervousness, irritability, and old sores surfaced. At first, breakdowns occurred quite often; out of old habit, I wanted to eat something tasty and unhealthy. But after three or four months, the intervals between breakdowns increased, and we moved to a more stable stage: balance, agreement with ourselves, our inner world. You feel lightness in your body, you can better free yourself from thoughts, meditate, and you want to write poetry.
At this time, it is very important to separate yourself from people and relatives who clutch their heads in horror and say that this is harmful, that you can’t eat like that. For complete balance, you need, of course, friends, like-minded people, a warm climate, fruits, vegetables, sun, and a calmer environment. I went to the doctors, the tests were very good, hemoglobin was normal, we got sick less often, and there was less mucus, since snot, cough and all this comes from the accumulation of toxins.
My husband and I followed a raw food diet for over a year before I got pregnant and flew to Thailand. During pregnancy I did not change my lifestyle. The doctors, of course, were against it, they scared that without meat and fish the child would not have enough protein and vitamins. But I ate nuts, made fresh greens, sprouted wheat, and felt great. I took tests, and according to the testimony, everything was normal. My gynecologist, of course, was surprised, but still continued to say that the picture might change later. I stopped going to doctors, I felt calmer.
Diet for a vegetarian athlete
Switching to a new type of diet usually causes stress for the body. Therefore, this should be done gradually and carefully. Some athletes do not adhere to a strict plant-based menu. There are several types of vegetarian diets:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarianism. This diet allows you to consume eggs and milk.
- Lacto-vegetarianism . This type of food does not allow the consumption of eggs.
- Veganism . The most strict type of diet. It involves a complete abstinence from meat, milk, eggs and even bee products. This is not just nutrition, but a philosophy of life. Vegans also avoid clothing and shoes made from animal fur and leather.
