Rather than a conventional diet used to lose weight or become healthier, the raw food diet is so much more. Although it is composed of these factors, especially the latter, the raw food diet is a way of life rather than exclusively a diet. The diet is vegan, where the person eats only vegetables, fruits and other plant-based foods. Foods can be dehydrated or heated up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Dieters believe that raw foods contain powerful enzymes; these enzymes are the basis of nutrition. Raw food enthusiasts firmly believe that food has incredible abilities to improve the functions of the human body and prevent disease (Mark Sherwinsky, pers. com., Haupt 2013). Recently my cousin converted to a raw food diet. Due to his dietary transition, my family and I are curious about his new food choice. I clearly knew I wanted to research the diet my family was exposed to and was so curious about. Raw foodism, or rawism, is a two-hundred-year-old practice. Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner discovered that his jaundice was cured by eating only raw apples. Once this discovery was made, he tested the health effects of other raw fruits and vegetables. This was the birth of the regime and since then it has developed and expanded (Haupt 2013). The belief behind raw foodists, or rawists, is that food in its natural state is filled with incredibly powerful enzymes that allow the body to thrive at peak health. For a food to be considered raw, it must not be processed in any way other than dehydration or heating up to 120 degrees. Fruits and vegetables cannot be boiled, baked, microwaved, genetically modified, or grown in an environment where herbicides or pesticides are used. Due to the end......middle of the article......ne, rawism has been shown to help prevent cancer and other disease-causing diseases. Rawism is capable of providing most of the vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain health. With dedication, rawism has very positive potential to help maintain the health of the body, despite the unknowns it possesses (Mark Sherwinsky pers. com., Johnson 2012, Haupt 2013). Works CitedHaupt, Angela. 2013. Raw Food Diet. US News Health and Wellness. Retrieved from: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/raw-food-diet.Johnson, Kimball. 2012. Raw Food Diet. WebMD. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/raw-food-diet.American Cancer Society. 2012. Gerson Therapy. American Cancer Society. Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/dietandnutrition/gerson-therapy.