CARRBORO - Talk about a raw-food diet, and images of hemp-wearing, animal-freeing extremists may come to mind. Maybe there's the vague, "Isn't that the diet that Demi Moore is on?"

It's certainly not the kind of diet you expect to find in the South, home of soul food, barbecue and deep-fried everything.

But Nice Polido dispels the stereotypes. She owns Carrboro Raw, a raw juice bar across from the Weaver Street Market.

"I'm mainly raw just because I like the way it makes me feel - I have so much energy," she said.

But she cautions: "I don't think people should be too fanatic. I think as soon as you become too stressed about what to eat and what not to eat, you lose that purpose of healing yourself and feeling better."

For many who follow it, the raw and living food diet is not so much a diet as it is lifestyle. It focuses on eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted legumes, sprouted grains, and healthy fats. Though the diet is typically a vegan diet, some raw afficionados - such as model Carol Alt - eat meat, which is often cold-smoked, and raw goat's milk dairy.

Foods are not cooked above 118 degrees in order to preserve the food's natural enzymes. Proponents of the diet say that when food is cooked, the body has to use its own enzymes to digest the food, robbing the body of energy and minerals.

At the juice bar, which she opened last fall, Polido sells juices, smoothies and nut milks. She uses fresh fruits and vegetables (organic where possible); natural sweeteners such as honey, agave and stevia; and so-called superfood supplements such as maca, acai powder and cacao.

The juices and smoothies help those interested in a healthier diet get more fruits and vegetables, and they are a good introduction to a raw diet, she said.

"I don't think everybody has to be 100 percent raw," said Polido, who estimates her own diet to be about 80 percent to 90 percent raw. "It's very important to have at least 50 percent of your food being raw. In nature, everything is pretty much raw."

Gaining traction

Polido's is one of several businesses focused on a raw-food lifestyle in the Triangle.

Twin Cakes Bakery in Raleigh features raw, vegan and gluten-free baked goods, such as desserts, breads and crackers, and Nama Cacao out of Chapel Hill offers raw chocolate treats. Both businesses sell products online, and the Twin Cakes Bakery sells at the Carrboro and Durham farmer's markets.

Raw Life Coaching in Raleigh is a service for those interested in adopting a raw diet, or in getting support for continuing one. Owners Rob Marra and Kelly Behling also offer drop-in workshops and demonstrations.

There are also two area Meetup.com groups for raw-food enthusiasts: NC Raw and Living Foods Community, with 163 members, and Your Radical Health: Raleigh Vegan, Raw Food Diet, with 283 members.

Twins Michelle and Lori Corso, 26, who own Twin Cakes Bakery, say they began their raw food journey almost three years ago after battling with food sensitivities and other health issues. Like Polido, they stress an individual approach to diet and health.

"We don't really like to put labels on it; we just eat to be healthy and happy and to feel good," Lori said.

The twins say they struggled with the notorious detox that can follow the adoption of a raw-food diet.

"Now we're at the point where we crave what we eat and we listen to our bodies, and we're not looking back," Michelle said.

Marra and Behling say they also struggled with detox symptoms, which can include fatigue and headaches.

"There's an emotional aspect, a mental aspect, as well, where your body just craves cooked foods for no other reason than that's what your body's used to," Marra said.

But like the twins, Marra and Behling say that they have experienced significant improvements in health, including more energy and clarity - and both say they lost about 15 pounds in two weeks.

"The mental fog seems to lift, too," Behling said. "I noticed that I was staying up later and getting up earlier without an alarm clock... I remember the first week we were raw, I said, 'Oh my god, this is great! I can breathe for the first time!'"

Through their business, Marra and Behling say they hope to help others who want to adopt a raw-food diet, and they hope to build and sustain the raw-food community.

That sentiment is echoed by other raw business owners, who say they want to promote the lifestyle.

Tarnima Andalid, 27, who runs Nama Cacao, started her business last year because there were few companies catering to those on a raw diet. She sells raw chocolate and other treats such as truffles, fudge, bark and halva.

"I thought it would be a great thing that would promote health benefits and still be tasty," she said.

Nutrition

Many people ask questions about nutrition in a raw diet, especially about protein and calcium.

Raw-food enthusiasts say that a staple of the diet - green leafy vegetables - are rich sources of both protein and calcium, and they argue that a varied plant-based diet offers all the nutrients that a body needs.

Pao-Hwa Lin, an associate research professor in the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, said deficiencie in the diet can be a problem but "with careful planning, [that concern] can be minimized for most people."

Lin recommends supplements for some nutrients that can be lacking in the diet without planning, such as iron, zinc and vitamins D and B-12, and says "people who would like to take on this way of eating would be wise to consult a registered dietitian first."

Overall, Lin says the diet has many benefits, as it is naturally rich in fiber, has a lot of vitamins and minerals, and is low in sugar and saturated fats.

"It can be healthy, but if it's necessary is debatable," she said. "In general, Americans are eating more animal products than they should, so the aspect of this way of eating to limit animal products and increase plant foods is good."

For those with special needs, such as athletes or pregnant women, Lin recommends mixing some raw foods with some traditional meals since the diet is so low in calories.

Twins Lori and Michelle - who recently ran a marathon - say that it is possible to eat well and get adequate nutrition on a raw diet, even for those who are extremely athletic. They say their secret to feeling sated and full of energy is to eat a lot of healthy fats.

And they recommend that everyone at least try a raw diet. Marra and Behling agree.

"One of the great things about the raw, living foods diet is how quickly you can start feeling better, how quickly your body can heal itself once you let it," Marra said.