There are two basic tenets of raw veganism. The first is the inclusion of only 100% plant-based foods, which means no meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, or any ingredients derived from animal sources, including honey, gelatin, and components of aforementioned foods, such as dairy-based whey protein. The second principle of raw veganism is that no food is heated above 118ºF.

Apart from excluding all animal-based foods, veganism generally extends to a lifestyle that involves not using any materials derived from animals, including leather, fur, wool, and silk. Household products, such as cosmetics and soaps, are also excluded if they are made with or tested on animals. This is also true of raw veganism, but the food is also raw. In other words, a traditional vegan may eat piping-hot vegan pizza, cooked veggie burgers, warm vegan chili and soups, and other foods that have been cooked at higher temperatures, including grilled, baked, and oven-roasted dishes. For this reason, a raw vegan diet is much more limited.

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There were 1,474 exclusively vegan restaurants in the US in 2020, according to foodservice industry publication Total Food Service. Of these restaurants, many served raw dishes or are entirely raw vegan establishments. Meals you might find on a raw vegan menu include a variety of salads and marinated veggie dishes; smoothies and cold-pressed juices; açaí bowls; chia pudding; and even raw versions of nachos, pizza, and pad Thai.

In addition to being a registered dietitian, I have two plant-based culinary certifications that required practicing raw vegan cooking. In these courses, I prepared a range of fun raw vegan dishes, including cashew sour cream—made from soaked raw cashews blended with water, lemon juice, and seasonings—and raw vegan chocolate tart. You can also use a dehydrator to make some foods fit into a raw vegan diet. A dehydrator is a machine that takes the moisture out of food, allowing you to make raw forms of foods like flatbreads, crusts, and crackers.

One major pro of a raw vegan diet is that it eliminates processed foods. A 2020 meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrients found that a higher intake of ultra-processed foods is linked to adverse health outcomes, including overweight, obesity, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression.

Proponents of raw veganism prioritize whole plant foods and believe that cooking food at higher temperatures destroys nutrients, as well as enzymes that aid digestion. But studies are actually mixed on this. While it's true that some nutrients are diminished when vegetables are cooked, research also shows that heating also improves the availability and absorption of some antioxidants.

Overall, there aren't many studies regarding health outcomes tied to a raw vegan diet. One older study asked people who had attended a raw vegan institute for one to three weeks to complete questionnaires upon arrival and 12 weeks later. The researchers found that a stay at the institute was associated with improved mental and emotional quality of life. Anxiety decreased by 18.6%, and perceived stress was reduced by 16.4%. In addition, participants' ratings of how well they were taking care of themselves improved.

Some members of Cambron's family are overweight, and her mother, grandmother, aunts, and uncles have diabetes. She recalls going to the doctor with her mom and seeing her inject insulin at every meal. "My oldest brother, he’s also type 2 diabetic, and for too long didn’t take care of himself," she says. "He wasn’t able to participate in a lot of things that someone his age should have been able to do.”

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According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the average adult in the United States has a 40% chance of developing type 2 diabetes. But if you’re a Hispanic American adult, your chance is more than 50%, and you’re likely to develop it at a younger age. These trends were apparent in Cambron's family. Her relatives saw diabetes as something that was going to happen, so you just took your medicine and dealt with the complications.

Cambron also developed diabetes six years ago. She began blacking out during periods of intense cardio—she always loved working out and being active. She went to the doctor to find out what was going on. A few weeks later, she was told she was prediabetic, and an endocrinologist recommended she see a diabetes educator to help get her health on track. It was at this meeting that she learned she actually had type 2 diabetes.

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“I remember sitting down with the educator and she kept saying, ‘As a diabetic’ and I tried to correct her, saying I was prediabetic. But she told me, ‘No, you have type 2 diabetes’ and I just started bawling. I felt like I had really let myself down.”

Her diagnosis meant Cambron now had to take insulin, just as her mom did. But it also made her realize she needed to make some changes. “I didn’t want to end up like some of my family members who have diabetic neuropathy (a type of nerve damage caused by the disease) and can’t even go for a walk,” she says.

For too long, Cambron had used her love of physical fitness as the sole barometer of health. She worked out consistently and could run half marathons, but she believed that her workouts compensated for unhealthy food choices. “People always say you can’t outrun a bad diet," she says. "And I really had to learn that the hard way.”

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As she began working on a healthier nutrition plan, she found herself unlearning her own preconceived notions. “Growing up, I don’t ever remember eating a salad. Maybe as a topping on tacos. But it was never something we actively strived to eat," she remembers. "It was something I always assumed was for rich people."

She struggled with giving up some of the foods and flavors she associated with her family traditions. “I felt like I losing part of my Mexican heritage," she says. "When I tried to introduce healthier options, I was definitely shunned a little [by family members]. It was almost like they treated me like I didn’t want to be Mexican because I didn’t want to eat eight tortillas."