TikTok Is Stunned Over A Woman's Raw Chicken Diet
Before we spent all of our time online, our daily eating habits were a much more private thing. Sure, we've always had controversial fad diets pushed on us by the media, and read about celebrities' bizarre eating habits in magazines — but in general, our obsession with what other people eat has only skyrocketed since the social media age. Even if we try to avoid this kind of content, we often accidentally come across it while we're scrolling through our phones. It's hard to open TikTok, in particular, without being fed unwanted information about other people's unconventional food habits.
Of course, the most bizarre and absurd diets are often the ones that go viral — whether that's YouTubers indulging in mukbang or the man who ate a rotisserie chicken every day for 40 days and eventually attracted crowds of fans who came to watch him do this live, per VICE. Recently, another TikTok user has gone viral for their love of chicken, though this time, regrettably, there's no rotisserie — or any cooking methods at all — in sight.
What is the raw chicken diet?
The controversial TikTok video was posted to the platform by user Mimi Graff, also known as @feralfraulein. In the video, Mimi is seen eating a piece of raw chicken skin, while the voiceover says "chewing gum is full of chemicals so you can eat this instead." In the caption and hashtags, she claims that "nature's chewing gum" contains healthy fats and collagen.
People were understandably horrified and confused. "Raw chicken also has a little something called salmonella" one person commented. "Love when my breath smells like raw chicken," another user said. Others were surprised that the video was made in earnest. "I THOUGHT IT WAS SATIRE I AM SO SHOCKED THAT IT'S NOT" one person wrote, dramatically.
This is definitely not an act, or a new thing, for holistic health coach Mimi, who advocates for the "raw meat revolution" on her profile. Other videos show her drinking raw eggs and eating raw chicken sushi, as well as answering questions from fans about how she avoids worms and other parasites. It seems she's not alone either, as other raw diet enthusiasts celebrate their unusual eating habits online — with one man from Nebraska telling Independent that eating only raw chicken, fish, and organs for three years left him "in the best health of his life."
Is eating raw meat safe?
Do we even need to say "Don't try this at home?" Generally, it's never a good idea to eat raw meat. According to Healthline, the biggest risk of raw meat is food poisoning from bacteria like E. Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. The article also explains that there is no concrete evidence that eating raw meat is beneficial or better for humans — as rather than cooking destroying food's nutritional benefits (as many raw food lovers suggest) some minerals including zinc, copper, and iron actually increase when meat is cooked.
While some raw meat and fish dishes are a part of traditional cuisines, such as steak tartare and ceviche — you should still eat these dishes with caution. Even if served at high-quality restaurants and treated well, there is still a risk of contracting a foodborne illness. And it goes without saying you absolutely shouldn't eat raw meat in full view of a potentially vulnerable social media audience, nor should you, like this man featured in The Metro, "eat raw meat every day to see how long you can survive," just to prove your strength or masculinity. You'll certainly regret it when you're spending the next few days in the bathroom.