-
Share
Email
Print
May
4
Is My Diet Different than 80/10/10? Is 80/10/10 Ever Dangerous?
Filed under Raw Food & Health by Frederic Patenaude
47
Post Your Comments!
I often get questions about the amount of fat we should eat daily. Many people who have read my books are trying to eat less fat. However, the question of *exactly* how much fat is healthy is often debated.
Someone asked me recently what are some differences between my approach and the 80/10/10 Diet, by Dr. Doug Graham.
In case you don’t know, the 80/10/10 Diet is composed of at least 80% carbohydrates, and a maximum of 10% of fat and protein by calories. That’s where the name comes from.
Although I’ve been aware of the dangers of high-fat raw food diets since 2002 when I wrote my book “The Raw Secrets,” it was not until 2005 that I truly gave the 80/10/10 approach a try.
Dr. Graham’s information is truly top-notch in the raw food world, and more people thrive on an 80/10/10 diet, or something along those lines, than any other form of 100% raw diet.
Ever since 2005, I have learned a lot about the 80/10/10 Diet and met a lot of people who have followed it. I also worked with Dr. Graham on a number of projects, the main one being the Perfect Health Program, that is still considered today by many low-fat raw-foodists as one of the most complete courses on the topic.
However, because I do not follow a strict 80/10/10 Diet as taught by Dr. Graham, many people have been asking me what I think of it and what I would do differently.
Everybody who experiments with the raw food diet eventually either gives up or finds their own approach that works for them. In my experience, a low-fat raw food diet with a LOT of fruit and a LOT of greens works for the greatest number of people.
However, through my own research and experience, I’ve come to slightly different conclusions.
My teachings are still very close to the 80/10/10 diet in many key areas, such as:
- The importance of the low fat diet
- Eat enough fruit, and don’t be afraid to do it
- Eat lots of greens
- Fitness is just as important as nutrition for overall health.
Here are the few areas where I’m different.
1- No obsession about 100% raw. I recommend a diet based on fruits and vegetables, but I’m not as strict about the 100% raw part as I used to be in the past. In fact, I say that low-fat cooked items such as yams or vegetables are healthier than large amounts of raw fats found in most gourmet raw recipes (although the 80/10/10 Diet probably agrees with that too).
2- Fat. I allow more than 10% fat, over the course of a month. Although I have done the “less than 10%” thing for a while, I prefer to stay in the 12-18% range, with 15% being a good target for most people.
Many 80/10/10ers have such a fear of fat that they’ll avoid all nuts and seeds. Thus they end up eating only fruit, or only fruit and little greens. However, there are important nutrients in nuts and seeds, such as essential fatty acids and minerals, that are hard to get from just fruits and vegetables. Therefore, if your fat is coming from healthy sources, especially certain high-omega 3 seeds such as hemp, chia or flax then it’s okay to go above 10%.
I find that it’s actually easier to follow the diet that way, while keeping the overall fat content fairly low compared to most people. But, if you need to cleanse or heal, or have extra weight to release, then by all means go for a while without overt fats.
3- Supplements. I am no supplement whore. In fact, I’m one of the few raw food promoters to never have launched a line of supplements. That’s because I find that 99% of what’s on the market is useless in comparison to fresh foods.
But, certain supplements can be intelligently used, and it would be hard to argue that they don’t have their place.
For example, as I explained in my new book Raw Food Controversies, and even in my first book Raw Secrets, most raw foodists should take a B12 supplement to avoid any possible deficiencies that can offer lead to disastrous results. Vitamin D can also be an issue, and intelligent use of a supplement is often advisable when you live in a northern climate year round.
4- Condiments. Although in theory I agree with the idea that a condiment-free diet is best, most people, myself included, find such a diet too boring and ascetic.
In practice, I have found that using some fresh herbs, spices, and even some raw hot peppers can make food much more enjoyable. Try to avoid or limit salt though, and keep in mind the best condiments are raw herbs like dill and basil.
I also don’t mind using some “non-raw” condiments sometimes, such as salsa in a jar, as I find it to be a more suitable way to add zing to a salad rather than using a fatty dressing.
The most important thing is to eat a lot of greens and vegetables. If you find it easy to eat them plain, then by all means go for it. But if you’re like me and find your salads and raw soups more palatable and enjoyable with a bit of spice, then don’t feel guilty for not being “perfect.” It’s far better to eat salads and soups more frequently with a little seasoning than rarely and stay 100% natural hygiene.
To be honest I have noticed that a lot of people who are so strict about staying 80/10/10 don’t eat the right balance of nutrients. Many even get rid of all sources of fat in the diet, including nuts and seeds, even though Dr. Graham never advised to do that. They like to call this the 90/5/5 plan (less than 5% fat and protein) or the “no fat raw food diet”.
Even though nuts and seeds should be limited, let’s not forget that they contain important nutrients that cannot easily be found in fruits and vegetables.
It’s also noteworthy to consider that the 80/10/10 Diet is rather new, and almost no one in the history of mankind has actually eaten that way for more than a couple of decades.
Therefore, it’s quite obvious that not *all* answers have been found and that although I think that 80/10/10 has so much to offer, there’s still room for improvements (such as food quality and variety) and individualization.
A lot of people trying to follow a low fat diet have trouble eating enough greens. They know what’s recommended, but fall short and simply don’t get all the nutrients their body needs.
And just eating mono meals of lettuce or celery in massive quantities is not something most people are willing to do.
One way to get all your greens in a truly enjoyable way is to try out Roger Haeske’s “Savory Veggie Stews”. Check it out at:
I’ve raved about Roger’s program since it came out a year or two ago, as I found it’s the best way to beat dinner-time cravings for cooked foods. Roger’s “Stews” are also super-delicious, and I dare to say my top favorite raw food meal besides fruit.
Roger uses some healthy condiments to keep things interesting, but stays clear off salt and garlic. And you know what? You won’t even miss the salt as these Savory Stews are truly delicious on their own. So it’s a great way to eliminate or reduce salt intake.
If you find it hard to stay raw and low fat, and crave something more than salads for dinner, give Roger’s program a serious try at: http://www.veggiestews.com
As for the discussion about the differences between my approach and Doug’s 80/10/10, I will just say that even though my message is essentially about low fat raw vegan foods, I have found over the years that some people take it to an extreme and omit all fatty foods from their diet completely (like avocados, nuts, etc.).
They may feel great in the short term, but they risk serious problems in the long term, some of which I have witnessed with my own eyes in people trying out this more extreme approach.
I have talked extensively about this in my new book Raw Food Controversies.
If you’d like to discover how to avoid dangerous deficiencies while getting the most from the raw food approach, make sure to get your copy at:
http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/rawfoodcontroversies
That’s it for today. I just got back to Vancouver after a quick trip to the East Coast to see my family and move a bunch of stuff to my new place. After traveling for almost a year, I’m ready to sit down and not go anywhere for a while!
I hope today’s article answered some questions you may have had.
47 Responses to “Is My Diet Different than 80/10/10? Is 80/10/10 Ever Dangerous?”
-
Sharon Aveni says:
I am looking for your article about fungus and how it gets blocked by too much fat. Could you please forward that article to me?
-
ivan says:
i agree with the above, i find some people (including me in the beginning) are taking things toooo far… they want to cleanse and keep off the fats and become extremely sensitive (also in mood)… whenever they have some fats they end up sluggish, tired etc, because they have restricted so much… so they restrict fat intake even more, often forgetting than to eat enough (fruit and greens) and eventually going back to cooked…
I do 801010 during the day… mostly fresh , juicy fruits and seldom veggies, then at nite , during dinner I have more fats, usually a big bowl of salad with tahini-dressing and/or avocado, olives, greens and veggies,,, i do still use salts too and herbs… but much less than the usual raw foodist uses, just one meal a day, sometimes less than that… and no oils, very rare this days… Im ok, pollution nowadays is extreme, having 15-18% fat is still ok imo…
great to hear im not alone doin so.
-
Fred,
Thanks for this article. While I have not been exploring the raw diet as long as you have, I’ve come to really similar conclusions that you pointed out here. It’s just good to see you doing something similar as it validates what I’m doing!
-Arthur
-
Kathy Cromartie says:
Does your diet have enough minerals to remineralize the teeth? I’ve recently had cavities–due to eating junk foods with sugar and too much raw honey
-
Throughout my years of raw low fat vegan diet (more than 3 years), I learned that it is very easy to eat fruit but it is more difficult to learn enjoy eating green leaves, and now I am fully aware of the importance of including as much as we can, green leaves in our diet. To do this it is best to apply two of your usual recommendations: Roger Haeske’s “Savory Veggie stews” and “Green Smoothies”.
Thanks for posting this article. Comes rather hear the voice of reason.
Que el sol brille para ti!!
Tienes un amigo en Gran Canaria -
How about sprouts Alfalfa and Clover and add to that Barley, Buckwheat and Rye. Doug doesn’t like grain, yet so many raw foodists use it. We have our own special concoction ; 1/2 tsp Red Radish, 1 tsp Alfalfa, 2 tsp Red Clover sprouted in a 1/2 gallon Mason Jar. Unless I have misunderstood Doug doesn’t do the grain thing. What does Fred think about Grain. Is it considered a Veggie, a Fruit, or possibly a No No ?
-
Chris says:
Kathy – - even eating raw.. you need to eat Clean, green foods.. not the sugary sweets. Limit those greatly, if you have them at all.
I have 1 piece of fruit daily. . maybe 2… but mostly limit my diet to greens and fresh raw veg and do very well. Sometimes for a treat I’ll have some raisins.. or a kiwi, or some blueberries. I NEVER use Agave, Honey, Maple Syrup or any of those sweeteners..they stick to your teeth and can destroy them. Fresh fruit is quite enough. Junk food is still junk food – - even if its supposedly raw. Be sensible.. eat well. Feed your body what it needs and you will thrive.
-
R says:
It was great to read this article-refreshing and reasonable.
While the obsessive approach is attractive sometimes when we’re desperate to get well, your words as written here just seem balanced.
Maybe some will accuse you of selling out but the truth is, most people cannot maintain an ascetic diet long term. This is not to mention those who are scared off from even trying “Raw” due to extreme presentations.
I’ve been reading for a while and enjoy the evolution I think. -
Laura says:
Thanks for the info, I tend to stick to around what you are saying with the ratios of fat/carbs. I also enjoy Rogers SVS & Ann Wigmore’s energy soup (although I use garlic in energy soup).
This is off topic, but how do you feel about sprouts? Roger and Karmyn say they don’t eat them often because they find them to bitter…What about you?
I’m not sure how 80/10/10 people feel about sprouts…
We eat them in energy soup & our salads often. Do you feel they are a sufficient replacement for greens?
I have been wanting to transition us (4 adults) from using lots of spinach in our green soups to using lots of sprouts, just because we find it easier to grow/ harvest sprouts in large quantities than spinach, and we take up minimal space indoors with growing lots of sprouts. Any idea/comments?
-
80/10/10 has been a big inspiration to me lately. I was never comfortable with high-fat raw, and used to create my own lower-fat variations, but inevitably a bit too low in calories as a result… High-fruit is an excellent way to go.
10% fat requires a lot more attention than 15-20%, which is still not high relative to most diets. Taking it easier with nutrition and using the odd supplement – like B12 – and incorporating cooked food makes things a bit simpler… and low-fat cooked food isn’t totally contrary to 80/10/10. What you’ve outlined is what I’m going for at the moment.
I don’t think 80/10/10 requires obsession for everyone, but for others… the precise nature of it is not a priority, even if health is. A little condiments/kitchen alchemy is also important part of life for some of us!
-
Christopher Paulin says:
I follow 80/10/10 raw vegan (80/10/10RV) according to Doug Graham, but everyone has to make educated choices and choose one’s own path, which is what Frederic Patenaude did. I think that 80/10/10RV is the ideal for athletic performance as demonstrated by marathon runner Michael Arnstein, bicyclist Harley Johnstone (Durianrider), weight lifter Chris Califano, and gymnast Doug Graham himself. The strong examples and education that these people provide is what attracted me to follow a strict 80/10/10RV diet. In response to Frederic’s #1 difference, one’s tastes can change to not eat for stimulation and still enjoy sweet and juicy fruits and balancing greens. In response to #2, I rarely eat overt fats, and if I do, it’s below the 10% fat from calories on average. I eat an avocado occasionally and no nuts or seeds, which are not needed for nutrients. In response to #3, I don’t take B12 nor vitamin D supplements, and I live in Connecticut. I think that we make our own B12 with the proper conditions in the intestines created by a natural diet. I think that we store vitamin D during the warmer weather. In response to #4, I don’t eat condiments because I don’t eat for stimulation and still use sweet fruit as a way of adding flavor, if needed. If you can’t make a meal out it, it’s probably irritating to the body, and the body wants to get rid of it. In response to sprouts, I’ve never seen Doug Graham use sprouts. In Grain Damage book, sprouted grains still count as grains, just a grain with another name. Grains are cereal grass seeds. Sprouts can be any immature plant, so not all sprouts are grains (cereal grasses). I eat mature plants that grew up with time to absorb the sun and soil. Sprouts can have controversial antinutrients, which can bind minerals and reduce their dietary availability.
-
angel says:
I also think Dr. Grahams approach is one of the best in the raw food world. After reading his book three times, I feel that a little more fat than 10% is good as well. If you look in his book he shows a graph from John Robbins book on 3 cultures that have a history of living a long life. Their fat intake is 15-18% of their diet with protein 10-13% and the rest is carbs.
-
yamina says:
First, I would like to thank you for your islands videos ! Bora-Bora is so idyllic ! A dream ! Concerning your differences with 811, there are very thiny, I think. When you live in eastern countries, and have not the opportunity to find so marvelous fruits than in Costa Rica, for example, or so expensive that it is a ruin, I find that eating slicy cooked veggies is a good solution to feel great, especially if you are practicing intensive sport. Potatoes for example, are considered as a high nutrient food, its amino acids especially well balanced.
-
Amanda says:
Thank you for this wonderful article. This explains some of the more important issues of a raw food diet and emphasizes the importance of balance in nutrition versus “raw no matter what” (for example when you were talking about eating lots of high fat raw foods).
-
Fer says:
Thanks for your post Frederic,
It’ll be nice to hear your advise on what type of B12 and D vitamins to buy?
Thanks again
Fer,
London, England -
Mary Kay says:
Christopher P, Frederic and all,
I’d like to see the proof! I’d like you folks to publish your blood test results! and if you don’t test scientifically, then, I think you are not proving what you’re doing.
I’m quite high raw, but not a vegan and my vit D levels were 18 when I tested! Just to name the results of one of my tests…..
Thanks for sharing everyone.
-
Quinny says:
Thanks for the post. I’ve been on the 80/10/10 diet for the past 17 months, still struggling with how much fat to eat. I have an autoimmune disease which means I’m sensitive to all protein & fat. So, in order for me to heal, I rarely eat any kind of overt fat, otherwise, I’ll get flare-ups. However, my cholesterol and fatty acid level are both low. Even though my symptoms are clearing up, I do still feel very tired all the time, due to low cholesterol level is affecting my hormones. Now, when I try to eat more fat, especially omega 3 fat, I feel more tired and my skin gets irritated.
I don’t mind eating mono fruit meals or large quantity of celery & lettuce. They taste pretty good to me, I don’t feel bored. In fact, after reading your new book, I tried to eat some cook vegetables. I found that I could not stop thinking about it after I ate them, I craved more and more. I had to go on mono meals for a week to stop my craving for cooked food. And, the fact is, I did get fare-up from eating just steamed vegetables, so now, I’ll stay away from it. I think 100% raw works better for me, much less temptation.
-
Laura: Sprouts are a WONDERFUL Living Food! .. yes grow them on your countertops. . they are pure living nutrition for pennies and will result in glowing health for you.
I also don’t agree with all the glowing testimonials about Roger.. he’s actually quite immature for his age.. I can’t get past his nonsence chatter. He also disses garlic!! Come on. . that’s goofy. He is very full of himself though.. . if you like that kind of thing. Personally, I DON’T!! -
Grains are acidifying to the body Only IF you COOK them. . . NOT if you SPROUT them. Sprouted grains are a staple in many raw vegan diets, and a tremendous source of energy, as are greens.
Personally I am not a proponent of Doug Graham or 80/10/10. I am however a HUGE fan of and follow Anne Wigmore, which has resulted in glowing health for me. Sprouts, Wheatgrass, greens, energy soup and very small amounts of fruit. -
jmac67 says:
Hi Chris, if you don’t like Fred, or Doug Graham or 801010, that’s fine.
Just don’t waste your time posting here + making negative comments,,, -
joez says:
To Quinny, If you crave steamed vegetables you should probably eat them.
-
Chris didn’t harm anybody. He can choose his own diet. When we choose what to eat, we’re deciding on the fuel mixture that we want to put into our bodies. “Like high-performance race cars, the human body is designed to get the best results from a very specific fuel mixture,” The 80/10/10 Diet, page 70.
The only thing that I don’t understand about Ann Wigmore and Brian Clement is where they get their calories. I see many recipes with a lot of fat, such as from nuts. What is their caloronutrient ratio, and what are the sources of carbohydrates, protein, and fat? How many calories do they eat daily? Are they athletes running 200 miles per week like 80/10/10 athlete Michael Arnstein does? If so, on what fuel?
The 80/10/10 diet is the only diet of which I can think that can be done without anything man-made. If you had no man-made tools or clothes, you would be living in the tropics living on mostly 80/10/10 raw vegan fruit and greens. You would be in the majority with all of the species by eating foods using only your God-given body and thus what you were designed to eat. When humans try to invent diets that are not found in nature, they only separate themselves from the rest of the species. There’s no animal that takes supplements, so why should humans?
The digestion of starch is energy intensive compared to ripe fruit. The ripening process converts the starch in fruit to simple carbohydrates. “Every cell in your body is fueled by solely by simple sugars.” Grain Damage, page 23 to 24. Thus, why not give the body what it needs to thrive? The focus of 80/10/10 raw vegan is natural human compassion, easy digestion, and raising human performance to its limit.
I only started eating low-fat raw vegan since the second week of January, 2011, and it’s been a bliss. It’s like being on drugs without any drugs. My dentist said that my teeth are perfect on 80/10/10RV after having all my cavities filled from my previous vegan diet of brown rice with olive oil and sea salt to make it taste good. My acne is dramatically reduced but still comes and goes in small amounts. My hair loss has seems to have halted without medication. Hair loss is follicle death. You’re losing a part of your body, so I resorted to my only choice in fighting this dreadful disease by having some hair follicles from the back of my head surgically moved to the front to replace the dead ones. Fatigue is gone, a huge problem in the past. Intellectually, my brain is alive and ready to learn any subject that I wish to pursue. I don’t have any laboratory results, but I am now 38 years old, and I feel better than I did when I was a teenager. I just follow what the rest of the long-term people on this diet are doing, and I’m getting the same results. So, this is what life is like on 100% 80/10/10 raw vegan.
After watching many videos of other people’s diseases going away with raw diets, I’m convinced that those successful in modern medicine will pursue dietary changes before using medication and other techniques for chronic problems. You don’t put diesel in a gasoline engine and then try to put additives in the tank to make it run better. You put the correct fuel in tank.
-
If you had no man-made tools or clothes, you would be a bonobo, a chimp or a gorilla, Christopher !
-
jmac: Where in my writing do I say I don’t like Frederic? I never say that.. I think Frederic is a great guy and I appreciate all the information and insight he shares. Maybe you need to read my post again.
I have years of experience and am just sharing knowledge. At one time I was VERRRRRRY VERRRRRY sick. . and now I am verrry verrrrrry well. Nothing worked until I discovered Ann Wigmore’s information, so I’m very dedicated to the lifestyle. If it worked for me, its bound to work for others in need of similar information.
We’re all on the same side.. but no one approach works for everyone. If I ate high fruit, I’d be really sick again. . as would someone with cancer, etc.
Well, maybe I’m not on your side.. but I was vegan before it was popular to do so. My experience could greatly help another, perhaps not you. but someone.
-
jmac.. I read my post again. I do say I’m not crazy about Roger Haeske. . BECAUSE to me, he talks like a guy who doesn’t want to grow up. . so I don’t follow him, at all. I’m not fond of immature people. As an adult, we need to act like adults.. To me its not attractive to act or talk like a teenager when someone is in their 40′s.
I’m almost 60, I don’t LOOK 60 because I take care of myself.. but I act my age.. that’s all I’m saying. If one wants respect and admiration. . . they have to act the part.. to me, he does not. He may have something to offer.. but if I can’t get past his ego, which I can’t, I won’t listen to what he has to say.
If you have an issue with that, I’m sorry. If you act your adult age, you wouldn’t have any issue with it. People hide their emptiness behind flamboyant phrases.. he does a lot of that. Me, I just stand for truth; don’t need flamboyant phrases and empty words that mean a lot of nothing.
-
Ryan says:
None of you are really going to know what’s best for your body without a blood test. Look at the results behind the scenes and then go from there.
Of course your going to feel great compared to a SAD diet, but is your diet optimal? Personally I believe high fruit is the way to go, our taste buds are optimized for it. We’re not herbivores obviously so go easy on the veges. -
Disclaimer: You have to make your own educated decisions. I only give you my perspective to think about it.
Yamina, what you said about being a bonobo, chimpanzee, or gorilla is funny. I eat a lot of bananas, so it’s funny that I look like those animals. It is true that we would be eating like them. This is all referenced in The 80/10/10 Diet, page 70 – 71. Continue reading The 80/10/10 Diet book for more explanation than I provide. Doug Graham says 80/10/10 raw vegan (80/10/10RV) is a species-specific diet, so if you are a human, you eat the human diet for optimal health, which is 80/10/10RV. Every creature of similar type eats a similar diet. For example, all creatures that look like horses (zebras, donkeys, mules) eat from the same category of food. “Animals that are anatomically and physiologically similar thrive on a similar diet.” A “study found that 99.4 percent of the most critical DNA sites are identical in the corresponding human and [chimpanzee] genes” (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3744-chimps-are-human-gene-study-implies.html). I don’t believe that we evolved from any other species. I am just looking at anatomy and physiology of the species that were created. The anthropoid primates (gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos), which are anatomically and physiologically like humans, “thrive on a low-fat diet that is predominated by fruits and vegetables.” “The combined caloronutrient average for chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans is about 88/7/5. Add in the gorilla’s numbers, which come closer to 70% carbohydrate, and the average decreases, making the ratio almost exactly 80/10/10 for all of our anthopoid relatives.” If you follow a diet against what nature doing, you’re in the minority of what nature is doing. The closer you eat to how nature eats (at least transitional 80/10/10), the closer you are to the majority of what nature is doing. The answer about how not to be sick is in plain sight and is very simple. Follow nature.
Ryan, I’m going to get laboratory tests, but not right away. I’m first going to buy a book about the laboratory tests and educate myself about the tests so that I can interpret them myself. I earned a medical technologist bachelor degree, which is the person who performs the laboratory tests, but I am not practicing medical technology and forgot the information because it was an overwhelming amount of information to remember. I am also going to be studying weight lifting from Alwyn Cosgrove also before starting weight lifting.
Also, if you decide to eat 100% 80/10/10RV, I highly suggest buying your fruit in bulk boxes because you need to eat large amounts for the calories and for all the nutrients that come in fruit. I suggest at least buying bananas in bulk. You can ask for bulk boxes from the produce department of Whole Foods, for example. Whole Foods gives you a 10% discount from the price per pound.
Frederic Patenaude appears to cater to the transitional 80/10/10RV people. It was easy for me to transition to 100% 80/10/10RV because I was already eating a plain vegan diet with no alcohol, and I had an acne problem, fatigue, coughing mucus, and slight hair loss. I was impressed by the athletes and lack of sickness, so I had much motivation to change. However, if you’re on the standard American diet, you have much to give up, so you may need to transition slower to replace your cravings for your current food with cravings for fruits and vegetables. You may decide to stay transitional 80/10/10RV or continue to 100% with no stimulants like spices.
-
Christopher, it is interesting to read you, what you say about engines and their fuel, proper or not (I have not yet read Dr Graham’book, but I will soon, impossible to do otherwise ! lol !). I just wanted to suggest that there is something in humans that cannot be only resumed to its physiological aspects. Humans possess an very specific organ given by “nature” itself : brain ! What allows you to study blood tests results for instance. Thinking about 80/10/10 or 80/15/5… And this specificity is quite annoying, I think. In my opinion, it desorganizes all this apparently perfect order, simple and obvious. “If you had no man-made tools or clothes, you would be living in the tropics living on mostly 80/10/10 raw vegan fruit and greens…” have you written. I smile at these words : “living on mostly 80/10/10…” Too funny… I repeat : if you had no man-made tools… etc, living on 811 (lol !), you would NEVER run 200 miles per week, NEVER ! Doing such strange thing, and also funny, (imagine a chimp running seriously, with its wrinkled fronthead, sweating like a fontain… thinking about its mineral requirement… Have I eaten sufficient bananas for my potassium… scared about hyponatremia I had last…) This brain which permits so strange exhausting act, fortunately will also adjust the diet not to break down as a overdriven car !
-
Yamina, the short answer is the 811RV is successful at providing health to our species, as evidenced by the athletic examples and the reversal of diseases. 811RV is raw tender fruits and greens, including non-sweet fruits (have seeds) like cucumbers and tomatoes. The long answer has to do with how we arrive at that conclusion, which I’ll explain later because I don’t think that you have the complete logic. The main component is what happens when food is digested and how clean the diet is. Health (mental and physical) equals happiness.
-
Fred, I LOVE your writing, and your balanced perspectives!
As a longtime member of Dr. Graham’s staff and the editor of The 80/10/10 Diet (I actually wrote a sizeable chunk of the book), I’m very interested in this topic.
Although I agree with you (and Dr. Graham) that nuts and seeds are nutritious choices and see no reason to eliminate them, I thought I’d throw into the mix a very shocking (to me) piece of data…
You may be familiar with my very close and dear friend Robby Barbaro (www.RobbyBarbaro.com), an 80/10/10 enthusiast dedicated to spreading the message about the health benefits of a low-fat raw vegan diet. His tagline is “Type 2 diabetes is a choice. Make an educated one.” Robby also happens to be the marketing supervisor for the incredible Forks Over Knives documentary that is being released this week across the nation (www.forksoverknives.com).
Robby is a type 1 diabetic, and a posterboy for the 80/10/10 diet/lifestyle … or more accurately, the 90/5/5 “no-overt-fat” version, for the past 3+ years. During that time he consumed a small amount of nuts/seeds on only two days; the rest of the time he ate essentially all of his calories from fruit (including nonsweet fruits like tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumber), as well as an average of maybe 1-1.5 pounds of tender greens (mostly romaine and celery).
Robby’s choices are definitely NOT based in any dogma … he just finds that this program works incredibly well for him (and he tried LOTS of other plans along the way, including Gabriel Cousens fat-and-supplement program). Since 2008 Robby has posted more than 800 photos online of EVERYTHING he ate each day, including extremely detailed nutritional analysis. Here are some examples:
April 2009 food consumption – http://healthyoptimist.smugmug.com/gallery/7803699_FHBhT#505184041_p5Ts8
August 2010 food consumption – http://healthyoptimist.smugmug.com/Food-Consumption/2010/201008-August/13200324_NgHML#992466838_CEXCj
Last April, curious whether his high-fruit, no-overt-fat program was providing sufficient EFAs, Robby hired my friend Dr. Rick Dina (www.RawFoodEducation.com) to conduct a cell membrane fatty acid test performed by Genova Diagnostics (www.genovadiagnostics.com), called “Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acids Analysis (RBC).” Robby gave me copy of the results, in the form of a six-page PDF. They were amazing…
ALA = 0.41(the very tippy top of the reference range) … I’m not sure of the unit.
EPA = 2.31 (again, the absolute top end of the reference range)
DHA = 5.4, which looks to be about 80% of the top of the reference range.Of course, there’s a lot more to the story, but I just thought I’d throw this out there, for those of you who believe we have to eat flax/walnuts/chia, etc. to get our essential fatty acids. (Romaine lettuce actually contains quite a bit of ALA … as amply demonstrated here). Dr. Rick’s numbers from the same test, although excellent, weren’t as high in Omega 3s as Robby’s were. At the time Dr. Rick was eating about 90% raw, with about 25% of his calories from fat (mostly from flax, chia, sesame, almonds, and avocados), about 6 times the amount of whole-food raw fat that Robby eats (and about half of the fat the overwhelming majority of raw fooders tend to consume, in my experience). Mind-blowing … at least to me!
Along with his extremely busy schedule promoting Forks Over Knives right now, Robby is gearing up to begin speaking and teaching on the topic of the low-fat raw vegan diet, particularly as it relates to diabetes. At this time he is not prepared to engage in a lot of discussion on the topic, but rest assured … when he is ready, his information is going to make a huge splash in the raw vegan world! In the meantime, you can check out his website and in particular the amazing videos he has posted there.
Like this one: February 25, 2011 Produce Inventory – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9N7ebFVcz8&feature=channel_video_title
Enjoy!
Laurie Masters, freelance editor
Precision Revision
“I turn what you wrote into what you meant!”
http://www.GreenSongPress.org -
We are not just primates that have to use a tiny part of their brain to sustain themselves in order to run 200 miles a week or reverse health issues they have induced by overeating. This strange “organ” permits logic and also other imponderable factors that place human beings outside the strict evolution place they are supposed to occupy : near bonobos and chimps. I am right now studying nutrition and finding amazing conclusions that I’ll reveal later because I don’t think that you have the complete imponderable factors. Health certainly do not EQUAL happiness ! Imponderable factors make someone happy who is not healthy and impair health and lifespan of who is unhappy…
-
Nityanandi (i have just one name) says:
Vitamin E supplementation inestimably and indispensably valuable. I triple-broke humerus and arm filled with dark blood. Long story. Doctors promised internal scarring that would limit mobility, and insisted on ghastly excerises. No. Vitamin E. My shoulder’s mobility is indistinguishable from the preceding 6+ decades.
Similarly, there was a starkly horrible in eye due to contaminants. It looked lethal, as though one could easily die from brain infection. Once again, during hospitalization, doctors asseverated that there would be scarring and substantial loss of vision when i could no longer focus. Vitamin E. Natural Vitamin E, and during emergencies like this, i was probably ingesting 1500 IU natural form every day. I told principal doctor there would be no focusing or loss of visual acuity. He refused to acknowledge remembering, but had to acknowledge that it worked.
Thanks for your work. !!
-
Yamina, I’m going to break down your thoughts into questions. I’ll clarify. When you read The 80/10/10 Diet book, most of your questions will be answered.
How can humans be placed in the category of primates when trying to decide what to eat for a natural diet? Don’t we have smarter brains?
Humans are smarter-than-average animals but with vulnerable physical bodies. Eating involves the digestive system of the body and the nutrient requirements. Animals with similar DNA have similar digestion and seek similar nutrients.
However, humans can prepare food, and animals can’t, right?
When you cook food or spice food, you mask the true taste of the food. Our natural instincts about what to eat have been bypassed. When you eat a raw food by itself, your senses protect you from eating food that is not meant for human consumption. You would spit it out if you couldn’t eat it raw. For example, if you can’t eat a bunch of onions, then your senses are telling you that it’s making you sick. This is called natural instict, and it doesn’t happen when you mask the taste. Also, a high-fat raw diet is not common in nature throughout the year. Also, a high-fat raw diet will make you sick. The fat will block the oxygen and glucose from exiting the blood stream, resulting in diabetes, candida, and fatigue. I highly suggest not repeating mistakes made by others. This is why low-fat fruit is used for calories.
Humans don’t live in the topics, but chimpanzees and bonobos do? Aren’t humans different?
We live at room temperature. We bring the tropical temperature with us by using housing, clothes, and bedding.
What kind of vore (eater) is a human?
The simple answer is what you can eat as a meal in its raw form without getting sick and what you can obtain naturally, without technology. When you eat this way, you stack the cards in your favor. Your chances are small for getting: cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, sports injuries, intestinal problems, mental problems, being overweight, etc. You’re going to enjoy living without these things instead of having to live with them. People who have these horrible diseases are reversing them with a low-fat plant-based diet.
What does running 200 miles a week have to do with anything?
People ask me, can you thrive on fruits and greens? To show people that you can thrive on a diet, you need to give them some examples of results. The people who are the healthiest are the athletes who don’t have health problems. You can be fit and not healthy. Michael Arnstein is the one who can run 200 miles a week on fruits and greens. See his Web site: http://www.thefruitarian.com/. So, Michael Arnstein and other athletes who are in perfect health answer the question about whether you can thrive on this diet. The answer is yes. The opposite end of the health spectrum is the people who are very sick. Most of us are in the middle of the health spectrum.
Why does health equal happiness?
Health is mental. Health is also physical. Mental health is meeting your wholesome desires. Physical health is meeting your nutritional needs. Once you’ve met those needs, you are happy. The physical health, you may not realize, affects your mental health in big way. I saw testimonies of people from Hallelujah Acres of people who had anger problems, and the diet balanced their emotions so that they can think calmly. There’s a direct connection between diet (physical health) and emotions. I can feel it myself.
Can you explain more because I don’t believe this?
You have to experience it for yourself. If you think that you can eat anything that you want and still be a peak health, that’s not the case. If it were the case, we wouldn’t have an epidemic of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, sports injuries, intestinal problems, mental problems, being overweight, etc. Our health system in the United States is on the brink of collapse. The war on cancer is over. I know a woman who had a lump on her breast, and with water fasting and low-fat plant juices, the lump went away without chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. This what you would expect when you clean out your body. Chemotherapy and radiation are horrible to experience. What it did to my own mother was to destroy her body until it gave up and died. My aunt is now on a feeding tube from a stroke last week, and we are wondering whether or not she will (1) survive, (2) be paralyzed, and (3) need to be in a nursing home for the rest of her life. Health is not a joke. Please don’t laugh.
What is your goal?
My goal is to tell people how to be healthy because I know the harsh reality of disease. It is destroying lives, and it doesn’t have to be that way.
Do I have to follow 80/10/10 raw vegan?
No. You have freedom to eat the way you want to eat, but every decision that we make has consequences. I highly suggest not repeating mistakes made by others.
Let me know if you have any further questions, and I’ll be happy to answer them.
-
Thank you for your explanations.
If I follow your logic, we would not have to mix seeds with dry fruits with green leaves that are not very appetizing in their natural state, and add a banana to obtain a palatable smoothie. Don’t you think that this kind of eating confounds what remains of our old instinct and may impair health ?
Because most of rawfoodists calculate, count, evaluate the amount of the nutrients they ingest, in a quite obsessional manner, in my opinion, it mays alter their well being more than a sober and peaceful way of eating. The primates certainly do not count their calories, vitamines, etc. and do not eat more than their appetite require in order to obtain the exact grams of whatever component. The unpounderable factors influe on digestion (the dogs of Pavlov) and the scientific way of eating may cause a stress as fear does, or sadness, etc. and impair digestion. Eating to meet supposed body requirements (poor healthy bodies being the average) is worse than eating because it is good, simply, and our lingual, palatale secretions are activated. We decidedly have lost the geniune pleasure of eating. And certainly have lost our best guide : hunger. I don’t remember who said : earn your hunger ! Don’t you think that hunger is the worthly voice of our body ? The others (most thinkings) inducers of pain ?
Most of rawfoodists have had health issues in their past, due to drugs, alcool, overeating, anorexie, perhaps heredity ; some of them are in their middle age, the time where the physiological process tend to reverse (Dr Bichat). Don’t you think that this diet, even badly and fearly practiced, is better for those complexions than the main (not the american ! which is foolish !) that their poor digestive capacities do not allow them ? In a few words, that it is an old, sick persons diet, and inactive. Most of the surviving and active old persons have animals proteins in their meals. Is this diet the last one for the last days of the weak elderly and the last days of the sick who use their brain not to collapse too early ?
Those who practice intensive sports are young. Don’t you think that they are gambling what remains of their vitality ? Many of them have had health issues, or exhausted themselves to the point that they seriously impaired their health, then (for unponderable factors) discovered rawfoodism, and their energy regaining, return to their unnatural habits (intensive sports) thinking they have found the magic potion, no doubting that they are gambling their last forces, their youth capital ? In the name of unponderable factors… Those ones may be named Idols.
I have read the book of Luigi Cornaro. All the centenarians have had a sober way of eating, very little amounts of food, and elevated goals. It is not known that vegetarian people leave longer than the others. Because what is the purpose of those passionating researchs unless to live a long and healthy life and to die peacefully without pain ? The myth of eternal life…
But… I have another explanation… Secret this one ! Thank you in advance for your answers. -
I intend to reread and correct my words, but my post vanished suddenly… I am sure, Christopher, you will forgive my english !… some others unponderable factors ?…
-
Yamina, I have difficulty understanding your questions. Please number your number questions such as question 1, question 2, question 3, etc.
Define “unpounderable factors”. I have no idea what that means.
These 80/10/10 raw vegans are loving life. There is nothing about which to complain.
Dr. Doug’s Fitness Stunts – Low-Fat Vegan Raw Food Athlete
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzk-jh1eemI
Durianriders (Harley Johnstone):
http://www.youtube.com/durianriders/
Michael Arnstein:
If you want a nice-looking body and a happy life, Doug Graham says that 80/10/10 raw vegan and a high level of physical activity are the way to go. You don’t calories and nutrients. You simply eat lots of fruits and a big salad every day. That’s it. You don’t have to think much, except for food combining for best digestion.
All I did was to explain how Doug Graham determined that 80/10/10RV is the most natural diet for humans and our primate relatives. There are so many more details in the book, The 80/10/10 Diet, so I highly suggest reading the book to educate yourself more about this diet. Also, Grain Damage by Doug Graham is another recommended book. These books are very easy to read.
We are not calorie restricting. 80/10/10 for longevity says that you eat lots of calories and do lots of physical activity. You will not be weak. You will be strong and healthy.
Doug Graham does combine foods using food-combining knowledge so that you actually digest the food. However, the way to figure out which foods to eat is to be able to eat them as meal without getting sick. What is the point of eating a food that makes you sick? Sometimes the foods will causes chronic problems, so you don’t know until you have a disease many years later. It’s best to avoid those foods and stick to low-fat raw fruits and vegetables.
-
Yamina, my advice is get carbed up (lots of carbohydrates) with fruit and get exercise and sleep. You will look great and will feel great, without recreational drugs (alcohol) or stimulants (spices and cooked foods). Also, eat a big salad every day for your other nutrients. Put the fruit on the salad. It’s sweet and juicy. Your brain will be able to think clearly. You won’t have cravings or appetite (socially acceptable words for addiction and emotional eating) to your former diet. You’ll have motivation and strength to pursue your goals, whether it’s playing a musical instrument, pursuing a hobby, raising a family, etc. Don’t worry and keep it simple: fruit and salad. To fill in the details and motivation, read The 80/10/10 Diet book, the Grain Damage book, durianriders (Harley Johnstone) on YouTube, Frederic Patenaude (transitional 80/10/10RV), foodnsport.com (Doug Graham’s site), Doug Graham on YouTube, http://www.thefruitarian.com (Michael Arnstein), http://www.raw-food-health.net (Andrew Perlot). All of these people, including myself, are happy with their health and would like to keep it that way. None of us want to go back to they way we used to eat. We are completely satisfied with 80/10/10 raw vegan. This diet is for anyone who is not breast feeding (an infant). It’s the most 100% natural way for humans to eat.
-
michelle says:
Thanks for the article. I am really sick and tired of the whole “my way or the highway” that exists in the raw food community.Nobody ever allows for room for flexibility. What is wrong with having all the fruit I want, all the veg I want and maybe a little cooked food with some condiments and some supplements? 80/10/10 maybe good for some but for others it may feel like torture. We can’t live our lives tiptoeing around everything. Come on! Let’s try to accept that everyone is an individual and what may appeal you may not to me. Great you can run an ultramarathon. Kudos! That’s you. Stop slinging mud at others because they decided to follow a different path. Keep up the good work Fred
-
Michelle, I agree with you about what you said about having to decide for yourself what your diet will be. The only thing that I add is to use 80/10/10RV (raw vegan) as a reference point. If you move far away from 80/10/10RV (definitely not Frederic Patenaude) such as consuming dairy or high fat, then you risk damaging your health (your body). If you start feeling sick, then move closer to 80/10/10RV to remove the underlying cause of your sickness rather than treating symptoms. If you can be transitional 80/10/10RV (not strict) and you feel ok, then that’s ok. Always put your health first. We don’t want people getting sick.
-
How about what’s in it ? Of the 92 natural elements, 90 naturally occur, many as trace elements. Some we know more about than others, and we know that our soil is demineralized, so many are no longer available. For the plant, this means loss of natural ability to fight off pests and disease, and for the consumer of the plants, it means missing enzymes, bacteria and micro organisms, along with those trace elements. A major reason going hand in hand with herbicide and pesticide use, for our soil lacking Vitamin B12. We at OrganicTrek use Sea Agriculture to grow our sprouts, greens and outdoor plants because the Ocean contains all of the trace elements. Autopsies of old and young sea animals show no difference in organ health. This is amazing ! A trout in fresh water will develop liver cancer at about 5 1/2 years of age yet in salt water the same specie will live to be twice that age and never develop liver cancer. A tomato can absorb approximately 50+ elements yet a supermarket tomato may contain a possible dozen.
And this is the norm for all veggies. We are eating holograms / models of what these veggies once were or could be. The ( 6 ) ratio factor uses the age of maturity times 6 to determine time of death. With humans maturing at approximately age 20 , we should be living to 120. And this a healthy 120. Concerns should be to ask your local grower to consider Sea Agriculture. In the long run it will save them money as the plant will be able to care for itself , making herbicides and pesticide purchases and application unnecessary. Know that Drugs and Surgery address the symptom, Sea Agriculture addresses the disease. -
Christopher, unpounderable factors means what is not measurable with paleo or electronic, even logic, tools, such as : beauty, vitality, faith, pride, prejudices, egoism, frustration, selfishness, envy, chance, joy, meanness, election, destiny, wickness, heredity, etc. God, naturally…
1. Would you recommend 811 to a young man of 18, vigourously healthy, mentally sane, active but not collectionning world records ?
2. Mixing many elements doesn’t cause digestive issues ? Seeds fat, greens, acidic fruits, starchy ones ? Worse than a simple, “traditional” meal ?
3. Why lowfatgreensfruits eaters are aging like the average ? Grey hair, wrinckles, and deaths caused by common illnesses ? The years they sustain healthy would have purified their organismes ? No noticed extensive lifespan amoung vegans.
4. Exercising so intensively as many do need to supplement the deficit in minerals caused by such unnatural behaviors. Without this factor, do quiet beings really need so huge amount of food ?
5. Eating so much isn’t caused by the claim of the body for missing nutrients in vegan food, loss that is hardly fullfilled by the quantity instead of the quality of little concentrated food, secularly selected by human sagacity ?
6. People healthy in 811 would have been healthy even consuming meat, dairy, etc. because of their inner vitality, youth, heredity… After a while, they all admitt prohibited elements in their regimen, instinctively (many cheat and hide it). Do those who go on, adopt this diet because their capacity to assimilate stronger food is definitely compromised ? Isn’t it a diet for old people, inactive, meditative, ill, weack, etc. ?I have so many other questions to ask but I am afraid to be a little boring. I am just a researcher, convinced that fruitarianism is the original human diet, but a poor human being, afraid of committing big mistakes that will conduct me to the grave because of a sort of pride, volonté de puissance, désir d’immortalité…
I am glad that you don’t totally understand me. Thks to my folklorique english (practical excuse to the cloudness of my actual thinkings) !
But above all, I prefer not to conduct your perspicacity on the lands of my researchs, amazing discoverings, and astonishing secrets !
Thks for all your interesting comments and infos that I am going to read and listen to…
-
I’ve been taking French with the Alliance Française de Hartford, Connecticut (abbreviated CT) since the fall of 2008. I live in Manchester, CT, which is near our state capital, Hartford, CT. I started studying French since January 2008, at the beginning being self-taught.
1. Would you recommend 811 to a young man of 18, vigourously healthy, mentally sane, active but not collectionning world records?
Yes. I’m 38, have vigorous health, am mentally sane, active but not an athlete. I feel great on 811. It’s a species-specific diet. If you are a person, this diet is for you unless you’re breast feeding as an infant. All mammals breast feed and then start eating their species-specific diet. For an 18-year-old, this will benefit one’s college studies or performance at work if not going to college because of the high mental clarity and high energy level to perform whatever one needs to do. Combine 811 with exercise, plenty of sleep, some sunlight, and a good attitude, and you have a happy 18-year-old who will not age like the rest of the population.
2. Mixing many elements doesn’t cause digestive issues? Seeds fat, greens, acidic fruits, starchy ones? Worse than a simple, “traditional” meal?
I’m not strict about food combining. Because I mostly buy food or pick from food the plant and eat it whole, my meals are very simple. I can easily eat only a few types of foods or just one food. Traditional meals usually have more ingredients, so they are more complicated to food combine.
3. Why lowfatgreensfruits eaters are aging like the average? Grey hair, wrinckles, and deaths caused by common illnesses? The years they sustain healthy would have purified their organismes? No noticed extensive lifespan amoung vegans.
See the answer at the bottom of the answer to question 6.
4. Exercising so intensively as many do need to supplement the deficit in minerals caused by such unnatural behaviors. Without this factor, do quiet beings really need so huge amount of food?
These unnatural behaviors that you mention are 811 people trying to compete against other athletes, and most of these other athletes are cooked food people. Seeing 811 people at the top of their sport, even if they don’t win all the time, demonstrates that 811 people are competitive in sports. I am not an athlete.
I keep it very simple. I eat fruit when hungry for calories. I eat a big salad every day. I eat what is in the refrigerator, even if it doesn’t contain a large variety. My variety is over the year, not day by day. I buy my fruit in bulk because that is the majority of what I eat and buy my non-sweet fruit and greens in smaller amounts. I let the fruit ripen before putting it in the refrigerator and before eating it because it tastes best when it’s sweet and juicy. I eat a lot of food in a day and enjoy it. I do not take supplements, including B12. I usually eat my foods whole. I don’t spend much time preparing food. I just eat it or cut off the inedible parts and eat it. I don’t count calories, vitamins, or minerals because I get plenty. I buy 100% organic and do not support using chemicals, just as all animals eat organic because they are not capable of using chemicals.
5. Eating so much isn’t caused by the claim of the body for missing nutrients in vegan food, loss that is hardly fulfilled by the quantity instead of the quality of little concentrated food, secularly selected by human sagacity?
I eat because I’m hungry. I also desire minerals. I was craving sea salt (minerals), so I satisfied my mineral craving non-sweet fruits and greens (salad). I believe that I eat better than most people in the world for two reasons: 1) I’m not destroying my food with cooking and 2) I’m consuming large amounts of fruits and greens compared to most people because that’s all I eat. I also believe that we’re a land species, so I don’t consume sea vegetables, which contain B12 analogues (interfer with the real B12). I don’t eat seeds and nuts. Grains are grass seed.
I have Brix meter (refractometer) to measure the nutrient content in food, but I haven’t used it yet. It looks like a small telescope with a microscope slide at the end. You put a drop of fruit or leafy green juice on the slide, and you look through the eyepiece and see the water level. The reading is from 0 to 32 for our foods. As the water level goes up when you look through the lens, it goes from 0 on the bottom to 32 on the top, which are marked when you looked though the lens. When the Brix reading goes beyond a certain number, which is specific for a particular fruit or green, a couple of things happen. The person eating that food will be nourished, and pests do not eat that food, so they can be grown organically. The pests are designed to eat inferior foods, so when you grow nutrient-dense foods, the pests are out of work. There’s a design (by God, I believe) behind this. If you do things according to design (by God), everything works correctly. We would have healthy people living on a healthy Earth (not trashed). I’m still learning about this. So, you can test your own foods and find out which varieties have a high Brix reading and which do not. Either way, whether you measure the Brix or not, you’re still going to eat a lot. The calories are not concentrated as they are when cooking or when eating fat. You still need to eat your salad, including greens, to get more minerals than you get from fruits.
6. People healthy in 811 would have been healthy even consuming meat, dairy, etc. because of their inner vitality, youth, heredity… After a while, they all admit prohibited elements in their regimen, instinctively (many cheat and hide it). Do those who go on, adopt this diet because their capacity to assimilate stronger food is definitely compromised? Isn’t it a diet for old people, inactive, meditative, ill, weack, etc.?
I believe that 811 is the best diet for humans, young or old, athletic or non-athletic. That’s what I believe. As Frederic Patenaude said in this article, “Fitness is just as important as nutrition for overall health.” Doug Graham says the same thing, page 168, The 80/10/10 Diet, “This is because I base my [calorie] recommendation upon a healthful (high) level of activity — the level that humans would have to maintain in order to obtain sufficient food in a more natural setting.” I believe that nuts and seeds are not necessary because of the results of Michael Arnstein. http://www.thefruitarian.com/index.php/2010/08/nuts-arent-food-theyre-the-seeds-of-future-generations/ If they want to cheat, then they can cheat. The conflict is them against nature, and nature always wins. When you obey nature, you are unlikely to get sick. Like Doug Graham said in Grain Damage, page 25, “The laws of Nature cannot be broken, only proven.” Graham also said somewhere that healthy people do not drop dead. Some diseases sneak up on us like a heart attack and kill us. We didn’t know it was coming. Like Arnstein said, if you think that you can eat anything that you want and be healthly, that isn’t the case. The greatest advantage of 811 is that fruits and greens are easy to digest, which means that the body doesn’t have to work hard to digest those foods. Another advantage is that fruits and greens supply the human body with the nutrients that the body needs in the quantities in which it needs them. Because humans have similar body parts and functionality, 811 works for humans and their primate relatives. I think that it’s common sense. It’s as true as 2 + 2 = 4. It’s what is found in nature. It’s what humans can eat raw in large quantities without getting sick. 811 people rarely get sick. 811 people have lots of energy to do whatever they want with their energy. It is ecological. It consists of foods that we would eat if we remove the all the confusion that technology has created. Technology has removed us from our natural way of living, so we don’t know what is good to eat. 811 is so simple that people do not believe that it is truth. Their doctors don’t tell them. They don’t hear about it on television. They don’t read about it in the news. Their family and friends are not doing it. However, once you know about and see how common sense it is, you know it just like you know 2 + 2 = 4. You pass it along to other people who are willing to wake up. If they want to stay asleep, you enjoy the benefits for yourself. The benefits are listed here by Michael Arstein: http://www.thefruitarian.com/index.php/about/ My whole life is changing as a result of 811. I experience no to little body odor. My hair feels great and appears to not be dying, but time will tell. I use shea butter for my hands’ skin, but it’s usually not dry. My lips are not chapped. I lost weight but was already thin. My vision has not changed. I produce less mucus. I’m not tired after eating. If I eat too many bananas without using the calories, then I feel a sugar rush, but it’s temporary and can be prevented by eating slower or by exercising more. I still have ear wax. It may be less, but I’m not sure. My sense of smell is the same. I haven’t noticed a change in my sense of taste. My nails are ok. I haven’t noticed a difference in my nails. I don’t get illnesses unless I eat a lot of acid food. I don’t feel lighter in the morning, but I have a lot of energy after I carb up with bananas or cantaloupe in the morning and throughout the day. Elimination is super fast, sometimes too fast. Exercise is easy because of loads of energy. I don’t wear deodorant because my sweat doesn’t bother me. It has a slight smell if I put it up to my nose. My teeth are normal. I use tooth soap and a manual tooth brush. I brush often because I like clean teeth. I don’t crave other foods besides 811 foods. I don’t spend much time preparing food, which frees me up to do other things. Preparation is only to do things like peel an orange so that I can get to the edible parts. Mental clarity is great. I don’t need stimulants to keep me awake. Exercise seems to help. I have a positive attitude. If you don’t believe that 811 is truth, then take a look at the man who wrote The 80/10/10 Diet book, Doug Graham. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzk-jh1eemI After over 25 years on this diet, the man does not appear to be aging on the inside. I met him in person on November 22, 2010 in Windsor, CT. He has some external aging, but he is as young on the inside as a teenager. He can outperform teenagers at age 57 years young. For me, 25 years on this diet passes the test of time. It is tested enough. There are plenty of testimonies from other people. It works like a charm. Most people at Doug Graham’s age (57) are in a slow decline toward death, and they are the direct cause of the decline. They don’t have a clue. If you try to tell them, they don’t believe you because they are so programmed by culture. They can’t simply look out the window and look at how all the animals in world eat using their God-given bodies. The animals are making humans look like fools because they instinctively know what their natural diet is, and we don’t. As Doug Graham said in Grain Damage, page 32, “How many more times do you want to learn how to eat, each time thinking that it is the last?” I’m done learning how to eat. Now I just eat and enjoy eating. If 811 is not our natural diet, then what is it? With all of the success of 811 and the common sense behind it, I think that you would have a difficult time coming up with an alternative. As Michael Arnstein said, I don’t have to say another word because you can experience it for yourself. It should work as advertised.
-
1- No obsession about 100% raw.
It is not good to be obsessed about anything. The only thing that I am obsessed with is not having an obsession, Just kidding. Obsession cause stress and that is terrible for health. I have never heard of a supplement whore.
-
Thank you, Christopher, for your answers and links. The extracts of the book of Dr Graham are so interesting que je me fais une joie de les lire bientôt. Mille mercis !
-
Yamina,
Je vous en prie. Je vous comprends que vous avez dit en anglais:
… that I give myself a joy of reading them soon.
… que je me fais une joie de les lire bientôt.You can make a friendship with me on Facebook by following the Web link.
Vous pouvez faire une amitié avec moi à Facebook par suivre le lien de Web. -
Chuck,
The problem that we 811RV (raw vegan) people encounter is an obsession with cooked food. An obsession is a strong attachment. If no one had a strong attachment to cooked food, they would all be able to switch to raw food without hesitation once they were educated about the benefits of 100% raw food. However, the attachment to cooked food is very strong, from my experience.
The following is from my notes from my class at Raw Food Central (http://www.rawfoodcentral.com/) in Windsor, CT, USA.
—————————————
Here are some results of cooking your food:* Enzymes are destroyed
* Proteins are denatured
* Fats become carcinogenic (may cause cancer)
* Carbohydrates (sugars) are caramelized
* Vitamins and minerals are less available
* Water is eliminatedIn all of nature, only humans cook their food and only humans suffer a large variety of sickness and ailments. Have you ever seen an elephant or a tiger stopping to cook its food before eating? Maybe that is why they do not suffer from debilitating disease.
—————————————
The teachers of this class, a husband and wife, suffered from grave diseases. They experienced much pain. They are now healthy without pain. If you want a first-hand account of what they went through, including their desire for cooked food, you can go to their Web site and telephone them. They are very kind and knowledgeable.
