If you’ve never heard of the raw foods diet, it may sound a little frightening and off-putting — do you eat raw meat? Uncooked foods only? But that’s not really how it works. Most raw foods diets include eating fresh fruits and vegetables, along with plenty of chilled beans, sushi, and raw dairy products. It’s easy to follow, delicious to eat, and has plenty of health benefits. Be warned, though: it’s not for everyone, so proceed with caution if you’re a true carnivore! Here are 7 reasons to try the raw foods diet.

1. It’s healthful

Eating a raw foods diet will almost certainly lower your cholesterol and, since it’s low in sodium, it may also help lower high blood pressure… it’s also been shown to reduce fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis pain, and will also lower your risk of obesity and it may even drastically lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Wow!

2. It’s easy

Since you’re truly only eating food that needs only be rinsed and consumed, with no recipes to follow, it’s an extremely easy diet to follow! You still need to make sure you’re consuming enough of each of the food groups, but aside from that, you can forget tough recipes, big kitchen messes, and even dirty pots and pans.

3. You won’t feel hungry

I found that when I followed a raw foods diet, I was eating small meals throughout the day, rather than two or three big meals. Because I was eating a little every couple of hours, I was never hungry! What a bonus!