Raw Till 4 - A Dietary Trend

Hello everyone!

Maybe you have already heard of the "Raw Till 4" diet. As the name suggests, you only consume raw food until 4 p.m. with this diet. After 4 p.m., a cooked meal follows. Sounds easy, but there are still a few rules that should be observed with "Raw Till 4". You can read here in this post exactly what the concept looks like and what it is supposed to achieve.

"Raw Till 4" is a trend that originated in Australia, more precisely from the so-called "Bananagirl". The nutrient distribution consists of 80% carbohydrates, 10% protein and 10% fat. It is a variant of the HCLF diet. The carbohydrates come from fruit, vegetables and starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, quinoa, etc. Fat and protein do not need to be supplied separately, as they are contained in sufficient quantities in plant-based foods.

Counting calories is not necessary here; you should always eat until you are full. 2,000-2,500 kcal are recommended for women and 3,000 kcal for men. Since the total calories come mainly from fruit and vegetables, you can really eat a lot!

To get a clearer picture of this lifestyle (yes, it is a lifestyle and not a diet), I have summarized the rules for you here and created a sample one-day meal plan.

Raw Till 4 Rules:

1. Until 4 p.m. (or a time you set for yourself, but definitely 3/4 of the day), only raw food is eaten. Recommended are fruit (preferably as a monomeal) or several types of fruit in combination (ideally no more than 3 types at the same time), dates or dried figs, or vegetables, preferably prepared as a smoothie. The main thing is raw!
2. After 4 p.m., a warm, cooked or baked meal can be eaten.
3. Breakfast and lunch should contain approx. 600-1,000 kcal each. Dinner a little less.
4. Oil is not used; it should be completely cut out of the diet. The same applies to salt; those who find this very difficult can use 500-1,000 mg of salt daily, but under no circumstances more.
5. Ideally, there should be 5 hours between meals.
6. You should eat completely raw at least one day a week (so dinner should also be raw on these days).
7. Legumes, nuts, seeds, and superfoods should be consumed as little as possible, and coffee not at all.
8. Fruit should always be fully ripe before being consumed.
9. Some foods may not be combined: sweet fruits and vegetables, as well as sweet fruits and nuts. Green leafy vegetables/salad can be combined with everything.
10. At least 8-10 hours of sleep!!!
11. At least 1 liter of cellular water per day (a large glass 30-45 min before each meal).

And here is an example of one day of eating according to the Raw Till 4 concept:

Breakfast: A green smoothie, a handful of blueberries, strawberries, 2 dates or figs.

Alternatively, a monomeal of, for example: approx. 1 melon, 8 oranges, 6 mangoes or 7-10 bananas.

Lunch: A large portion of fruit or a shake made from 5-7 bananas, 5 dates, water and cinnamon.

Dinner: A large salad made from butter lettuce or head lettuce, cucumber, grated zucchini, tomatoes, with pumpkin or potatoes from the oven (without salt, but gladly with lots of herbs). A dressing made from lemon juice, avocado or tahini (used sparingly!) and spices such as rosemary, basil, thyme, turmeric, cumin, pepper, etc. Or alternatively a vegetable soup or vegetable curry.

Throughout the day: 1 liter of water or herbal tea

Snack: 5-10 dates or figs or a monomeal of melon, cherries, grapes or kiwis (optional, only if you are really hungry in between. Actually, however, you should eat until you are full at the main meals so that a snack is usually not necessary).