After three days without eating any cooked food, Kathy and Danny Living said they felt great.

The Naperville couple continued their special diet for another day, then a week. By the end of 30 days, they decided never to go back, and became dedicated to the raw lifestyle, eating nothing that has been cooked above 115 degrees and going without processed foods like sugar, wheat or rice.

Since their lifestyle change, the Livings have been coming up with new ways to prepare old recipes, many of which will be available to try at their new restaurant, Borrowed Earth Cafe, which opens in Downers Grove Wednesday.

“Man originally didn’t cook food,” Danny Living said. “When food is cooked beyond 115 degrees, a lot of the nutrients are cooked out. Like olive oil in its original state is very healthy for the body, but when it’s cooked, the body doesn’t receive it as well and it gets stored as fat.”

Work began in October on the Station Crossing spot formerly occupied by Let’s Go Bistro, 970 Warren Ave. Danny Living said the couple has been receiving calls, e-mails and drop-ins almost daily with people inquiring about the restaurant. A poster on one window with pictures of celebrities eating raw food also has been stopping passersbys trying to guess what they have in common.

Borrowed Earth is one of three raw restaurants in the state of Illinois, said Danny Living. The couple decided they wanted a restaurant closer to home since the other two are both located in Chicago. The Livings already attracted a following through an Internet group for raw food, hosting dinners at their home that attracted increasingly large numbers, with their most recent meal bringing in more than 40 people.

Once they decided to go raw, Kathy Living said she checked out every book she could find on the subject from the library. The couple already were vegans — not eating any meat, eggs or milk — and Kathy Living wanted to see how they could “un-cook” their favorite recipes.

Instead of hot chocolate with milk, the restaurant serves melted cocoa with bananas and a hint of cayenne pepper. Indian curry vegetables are served wrapped in a collard green leaf. The couple hopes to win converts with good taste who might not ever think of eating raw or vegan on their own. They also plan on trying to spread the word with discussions and cooking classes in Downers Grove and other suburbs.

“Basically everything in the cooked world you can make in the raw world,” Kathy Living said. “You just realize that nothing really needs to be cooked.”