Jim here... We know a lot of people who exist on a high-raw lifestyle, and many others who aspire to eat a 100% live food diet. I don't believe there is an exact threshold that makes one a "raw foodist." That term is more or less just a general description you might use about yourself or anyone. Aside from the labels, though... If you want to talk about recommended levels of raw intake for optimal health, quite a number of web sites and health books seem to recommend shooting for around 80% of one's intake to be raw, with a careful eye on the other 20%. We certainly agree with that as a good starting goal, adjusting upward or downward as you gain feedback from your body.

Of course, most of the people who do follow a high-raw diet are usually by definition highly health-conscious about any non-raw foods they eat. I've yet to meet, for example, a raw foodist who occasionally eats Burger King Double-Whoppers ?(although, I'm sure that seemingly odd combination must exist somewhere).

And then there are the "grey" food areas, much of which becomes subjective as to whether they're raw or not. I'm speaking of things like spices, teas, fermented foods, cured foods, dried foods, ?frozen foods, blended foods, food-processed foods, etc. Some people consider these things raw and/or, more importantly, not harmful to the human body. ?And, in cases in which foods are not considered harmful, they're generally considered to be health-neutral (like, say, herbal teas) or beneficial (as with fermented foods). Indeed, many people consider quite a variety of cooked foods to fall within these categories (neutral and/or possibly beneficial). Quinoa is a good example of a cooked food eaten by a number of (primarily) raw foodists.

In any case, if I do come across one interesting thing about raw foodists, it's that a lot of us have some "exceptions" to our dietary practices, or at least rationalizations about whatever we eat that is not raw or is questionable as to its "rawness." For some, it's just a general "allowance" of sorts. For example, they strive to eat a relatively high-raw diet, but will occasionally eat a cooked meal or even a small indulgence. This may be to "fit in" easier in a social situation, or just because they happen to love a certain style of cooking -- something without which life just wouldn't be the same.

I've been "high-raw" for going on four years, and darned near 100% for going on two years now. But I certainly have my own exceptions. So, I thought I'd list them here, if only for my own interests:

• Frozen foods. Yes, I do consume frozen foods. Almost always, it's some sort of fruit that I'll blend into smoothies. Frozen vegetables have been blanched prior to freezing, so I usually have fresh ones. Although, on rare occasions, I find that its easier to use something like frozen peas (gently thawed) in an otherwise raw recipe.
• Olives. I won't eat canned olives. But, I really do love many varieties of fresh olives, most of which have been cured in some way. To be honest, I haven't put a lot of research into which varieties can still be considered raw, although quite a lot of brands are specifically labeled as such. (Natural Zing has some amazing ones -- try the herbed ones, and the ones with aji, but avoid the dry ones in the jar -- yuk!). ?I avoided anything but "100% raw" olives (labeled as such) for a good year or more, but always found myself pining over olive bars at high-end grocery stores. Finally, I just said, "You know what? This is ridiculous. I can eat olives if I want to!" And so I do, sometimes. On occasion, I've also been known to eat a few of the artichoke hearts that you'll see at olive and salad bars. I'm certain those have been boiled or steamed, though.
• Teas. Yes, I enjoy them. At least 50% of the time, it's an herbal tea. The rest, it's green tea (even though I'm aware of the caffeine content). I haven't had coffee or black tea for many, many years (although I once adored my daily java!).
• Fermented foods. I love sauerkraut, kimchi, and also high-quality pickled items (such as the higher-end pickles -- no preservatives, etc. -- that you sometimes find in refrigerated sections). Many raw foodists seem to tout the benefits of these foods -- the probiotics, etc.
• Spices. Yes, I do use them, and don't always check to see if they're raw. ?I do strive for organics, though. However, there's not always a guaranteed organic source -- especially for things you can usually find only as imports (such as curries, garam masalas, and the like).
• Dried foods. Yes, but I do dry them at 105 degrees.
• Blended and food-processed foods. Yes, I consume them. I'm not in the camp that believes that the nutrition is destroyed by this kind of brief processing.

Hmmm, am I forgetting anything? ?I don't think so. Everything else is just raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds at the moment. I'm definitely drawn to beans lately, although I haven't had any in years. If I were to expand my list, it would be in that area -- beans, legumes, dal. ?So, what are your exceptions? I'm curious to know what our fellow raw foodists (well, those that consider themselves primarily raw, anyway) eat that isn't raw. And, if you care to ponder it, let us know why. There's no right or wrong here, btw. I'm not stating all of this stuff, or posting this kind of conversation, as a way to engage anyone in an argument or to ask anyone to be defensive, justify their diet, or post their rationale for eating whatever they like. It's more of just a general, light-hearted discussion, based solely on our interest in talking about food and nutrition.