By April Chong

Unlike most other vegetarians, yoga instructor Linda Loo, 31, takes her diet one step further - she eats raw fruit, nuts and vegetables.

While in her mid-20s, she found herself putting on weight, losing stamina and her skin condition worsening.

That was when she decided that her 'alcohol and rich food' diet had to go. 'I don't like the thought of ageing and I admit I am a vainpot,' declared Ms Loo, who is single.

Dieting plans devised by 'gurus' which she tried did not seem to help, so Ms Loo did some research. She read about the raw vegetarian concept, tried it and liked it.

'The less adulterated a meal is, the cleaner it is and the more nutrients you can get,' she said.

She does allow for her food to be heated or dried, but she does this herself, making sure it does not go beyond 47 deg C so that enzymes and nutrients are not destroyed.

She has a wide array of recipes, from pastas and stuffed mushrooms to desserts like brownies - all raw.

For example, her pasta is made of marinated zuccini strands and her brownie is made by blending and chilling a mixture of ingredients such as nuts, dates and raw cacao.

She said an intelligent use of marinades such as lemon juice, vinegar or salt makes raw food taste good and breaks down the tougher fibres.

Her desserts use no coagulants, preservatives or processed products like flour. The oils in the nuts act to bind the ingredients.

Ms Loo became so passionate about eating raw that she went to train as a raw food chef and teacher in Boston three years ago and now conducts classes for the growing number of health conscious people.

In the United States, eating raw food is a way of life for some, especially for people who turn to it to battle ailments such as cancer and chronic diseases, she said.

She added that she feels younger and looks better after she embarked on her raw food diet about five years ago.

Ms Loo said she gets the nutrients she needs by eating the correct mix of fruit and vegetables.

Her advice to those who want to practise raw food eating: Start by adding more raw vegetables and fruit to your meal and eventually replace one meal with raw food.

'If it can make you look 10 years younger, why not?' she said.

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.