If you look back over the history of mankind, then you soon realize that we have been eating fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts for most of our time on earth. It's only been in recent times that we've deviated substantially from a raw food diet. Even though we have the ability to use fire, as well as tools and implements, raw foods still comprised a substantial part of our diet.

With so much junky processed food available to us today, it's easy to forget about the basics of human nutrition. Many modern day nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, with most of our food choices coming from fruit and vegetable sources. So why do some people look upon the idea of a raw food diet as being some sort of new fad, like a new South Beach diet?

Humans are the only animals on the planet who cook their food, and destroy many of the vitamins and minerals it contains in the process. We take our food and deliberately make it less nutritious, which doesn't really make much sense. Or we forget about fruit and vegetables altogether, and eat synthetic, processed food full of calories and very few nutrients. Then we wonder why there are so many health problems in the western world today, as well as a huge increase in the number of obese men and women.

Eating raw food is a great way to boost your energy levels. Our bodies are designed to maximize the value of raw food, so by giving our bodies what they're craving, it's amazing the difference it makes to your metabolism. Many people have tried "Fit For Life", for example, which encourages you to eat only fruit before midday. If you've done this, you'll no doubt have been stunned by how much more energetic you felt most mornings. Whether this approach is nutritionally adequate is another question, but it certainly shows that your body responds well to raw food.

With all the information and knowledge we have today about good nutrition and physical health, you'd think we'd have decreasing levels of obesity and chronic disease. Because the opposite is true, and so many of today's health issues are diet related it's very clear that we need to return to the basics. For humans, that's a raw food diet. Try it, and you'll be amazed how much better you feel without all that sugar and fat in your diet. Even better, as your body can process raw food more efficiently, your health will improve and you are more likely to start losing weight.