We are surrounded by different books and magazines that claim to know how we 'should' be eating. No matter if we're overweight or underweight, healthy or ill, there is a diet for us.

But the problem lies in the fact that there doesn't seem to be one answer to our diet and health woes. However, the raw food craze seems to be stirring up the medical field and making people believers in what it can offer.

At its very basic sense, a raw food diet is one in which the food is organic, vegan (no animal products of any kind, except maybe honey), and unprocessed. The food is not cooked above a certain temperature point in order to allow it to retain its natural vitamins and minerals. It's the benefits this kind of eating can provide that really has people thinking about making the switch.

First of all, the meat free diet is generally considered to be healthier than the typical nutritional style of adults. When you're not eating meat, you're not taking in cholesterol or the saturated fats associated with meats.

You will also be avoiding things like trans fats that are found in processed foods as well as chemicals that are found in nearly every packaged food these days. Without these kinds of ingredients, people on the raw food diet have reported:

1. Fewer cases of heart disease
2. Lowered cholesterol levels
3. Clearer skin
4. Lower weights
5. Stronger immune systems
6. More energy
7. Better digestion

The raw food diet incorporates a lot of fiber which leads doctors to believe that it may help in the prevention of certain cancers and other digestive issues.

A raw food diet doesn't require a lot of cooking, though the actual preparation of such foods is time consuming in some cases. Another benefit of eating raw is that you will be buying fresh produce that allows local farmers and growers to benefit instead of larger companies.

The raw food diet has many converts because it has stripped away the counting and the difficulties associated with other kinds of diets. It doesn't require you to focus on the numbers, but rather on the quality of the food that you are eating. And in many cases, you can create similar tasting foods to those that you would eat in packaged form.

There are also a number of raw food stores and restaurants popping up to help make raw food something that you can follow for the rest of your life.

Eating raw foods takes a bit of time to get used to. The preparation and planning is more intense than popping a frozen dinner into the microwave. It is recommended that you gradually introduce raw foods into your diet.