It seems that almost every day a new, trendy diet enters into the mainstream, each one promising unmatched weight-loss and countless health benefits. One diet that has been around for a while now (which is always promising) is the raw food diet.

The core elements of the raw food diet are simple: cooking food over high heat causes the cell walls to break down, and essential nutrients are lost. Cooking over fire can also add unwanted chemicals to your food, depending on how you choose to cook it. Raw food believers say that we were not evolutionarily designed to eat prepared, cooked foods, and that foods in their natural state are better for you — so, why bother cooking them?!

As you may imagine, this diet tends to favor a predominantly vegetarian diet, as raw meat can house a number of harmful bacteria. Instead of heating foods, some raw food followers suggest the use of fermentation to render foods like beans more enjoyable. If you're interested in trying some raw food recipes, there are several raw food cookbooks available that serve up recipes for everything from burritos to pizza.

It’s pretty easy to understand why the raw food diet is finding fans, as it recalls a time when we lived simpler lives, less bombarded by technology and information-overload. But, keep in mind, the official jury is still out on whether or not a completely raw diet can truly deliver the health benefits that raw foodists claim.