Think adopting a diet of raw, uncooked vegan food sounds unappealing?Well Scott Mathias, from Noosa, Australia, is out to change that.The chef and deli owner, has lived for the past nine years eating only raw, vegan food, as well as no wheat, grains, processed foods or white sugar. This means even things like flour and honey are banned, as well as rice and pasta. Scott Mathias has now written his second cookbook, sharing raw vegan recipes that even carnivores will enjoy. Mathias said that his journey to becoming a raw vegan started, when he was only eight years old, and his body started rejecting the vast amounts of protein he was eating. He spent 45 years suffering from gut issues, despite being a vegetarian, and gained weight from overeating. Then nine years ago, he said he discovered both green papaya and then raw vegan food, and says that all of his digestion issues have since been resolved. But he said that although he was only eating uncooked vegan food, and his gut was thanking him for it, he didn’t want to lose the flavours of food or the enjoyment he had from it. s His book focuses on creating food that people will recognise, like tacos or lasagna, but with his raw vegan twist. And he says, “it tastes better than the original”. “The flavours of raw vegan food are infinitely superior to a cooked flavour.” Mathias says that not only is he in great health, but that his energy levels are high and that he has never felt better in his life. And it’s catching on. His raw vegan deli in Noosa is very popular, with both vegans and non vegans, and his first cookbook sold so well he wrote his second. “‘It’s not a fad – it’s a way of living. I’m living to live rather than living to die,” he explained.