Why I’m MAD at the Raw Food Movement
Filed under Raw Food Movement by Frederic Patenaude
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- Word from the Editor
- Why I’m So Mad at the Raw Food Movement Today
- The State of the Raw Food Movement Today
I’ll be pretty brief with this section, because I know you want to jump right into the main article to know why I’m mad at the raw food movement today.
But there is something else that’s new:
I’ve just released a new program called “How to Move to a Tropical Paradise”.
This program is all about increasing your quality of life with more sunshine, less stress and better fresh fruits and vegetables by relocating part-time or full-time to a tropical paradise.
This is the first time that we’ll do this program live. You have until February 21st to sign up. Check it out here: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/tropicalparadise.html
Frederic
Why I’m So Mad at the Raw Food Movement Today
Last week I met someone whose story really moved me in a deep way.About two weeks ago, I was visiting Dr. Graham at his fasting retreat in Costa Rica, along with my girlfriend and my friend Roger Haeske.
Dr. Graham had generously invited us for dinner and also to spend the day visiting his retreat near the Chirripo Mountain in Costa Rica.
The place is absolutely gorgeous! It’s about 4000 feet in elevation, so the air is a little cool at night and in the evening, but it’s was superbly sunny during the day.
It’s right next to the Chirripo River, with amazingly beautiful water and big rocks, with a ton of little pools to jump into.
In fact, I couldn’t help myself but jumping in — and found the water to be surprisingly “refreshing”.
Let’s say that it got the blood flowing, like the cold water I’m used to in Canadian rivers and lakes.
Fortunately, there’s a pool with warmer water as well.But let’s get back to my story.
For lunch, we had a delicious smoothie made with bananas and papaya. It was of a beautiful bright orange color. We ate it with a variety of greens such as lettuce and celery.
I got to meet some of the people who fasted there, which reminded me of my own fast in 2005. At this point, they had started eating for about a week.
For dinner, we were served one of the most beautiful, tasty and yet simple raw food meal I remember EVER eating in my life.
The entrée was a delicious smoothie made with orange juice and mangoes. It was just “wow”.
Then we had a bright red tomato-mango soup, flavored with a few fresh herbs. The tomatoes had been slightly dehydrated in the sun for a day, which gave them a chunkier consistency and more intense flavor.
Then the main salad came. It was just beautiful. It was “rice” made with a tropical squash called “chayote” that they had processed to make a base for the salad. On top of it was a delicious mixture of tomatoes, cilantro, mangoes and a few other ingredients I can’t remember.
But the most amazing thing about this meal is that it did not contain any fat — no avocados, nuts or seeds, or oils — and did not contain any salt.
These two ingredients are SO common in raw food cuisine that it’s rare not to have them featured in every single dinner recipe.Yet, it was absolutely delicious and satisfying.
It’s not that they never served any fat, but they just didn’t that day. And nobody was missing it, I can tell you.
A Meeting That Moved Me
At the table, I was sitting beside a wonderful woman who had just completed her fast at the retreat. We chatted both in English and in Spanish, because she had moved from South America to the USA when she was younger.
At some point I asked her about her fast.She told me something shocking.For over three years, she could not walk. And since the fast, she was walking again.
I could see the tears filling up her eyes as she was telling me her story.What happened I asked?It was arthritis. In fact, it got so bad that she could not hold any utensils. Now she was doing it, and walking again!But here’s where the real shocker came:She told me that for 4 years she had been following a raw food diet!
That’s right! She had started the raw food diet 4 years ago, and her symptoms had gotten worse, to the point where she could not walk anymore.
But what kind of raw food diet?
“Frederic, she told me, I was eating raw foods for 4 years. I was following what they were saying, all of the gurus, like Robert Young and others.”
Turns out she had done some live blood cell analysis. At this point, I knew where the discussion was headed. I wished she had met me at that time, and I would definitely have advised her against it.
But she did it, and the expected thing happened: all of the gurus told her she had some “fungus” in her blood and she needed to avoid all sugar, including fruits.
So she followed the raw food program as it’s recommended now by most raw food diet books you’ll get everywhere: a diet where you actually eat very little fruit and not that much more vegetables, and where you get most of your calories from fat and oils.
And from that point, things got worse and worse with her health.You could tell that this woman was dedicated to improving her health. But she also got very confused along the way.
As she was telling me her story, I could see how she was actually MAD at the people who led her astray. Those so-called “gurus” who had no idea what they were talking about, and left her in a worse situation with their advice.
She had found out about the low-fat raw vegan diet and fasting through a friend of hers, who had in turn found out about it through my website.
It really was an amazing moment when these two persons came to me and told me eye-to-eye: “Frederic, I want to thank you. Without you, we would never be here.”
Other Examples of Confusion
I would like to say that the raw food movement is “one big happy family”, but that’s not the case.
There’s a WORLD of difference between the diet that I recommend, and the diet that you’ll see promoted in most other raw food books and websites.
The differences between the low-fat raw diet and let’s say, the Sunfood Diet (by David Wolfe), or the Hippocrates Diet, or Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine (by Gabriel Cousens) are as great or GREATER nutritionally than the differences between the vegetarian diet and the meat-based diet.
I’m not saying that because I want to draw a line in the sand.Any nutritionist looking at a detailed nutritional analysis of these two kinds of diets will have to agree: these are completely different diets!
So it’s very misleading to mix everything together and call that “the raw food diet.”When someone tells you they “failed” on the raw food diet, you have to ask “what kind of raw food diet?”
For example: I know a guy in Hawaii who was eating a 100% raw food diet for over 5 years. He even wrote a couple of books on the subject, and sold them through his website. Then a couple of years ago, he got really sick.
He stopped eating raw, and then revised his books to say that raw food was not the answer.
But he didn’t get sick because he started to eat cooked food.
He got sick ON the raw food diet program he was following.And what kind of raw food diet was it? The high-fat raw diet – the same diet that’s recommended everywhere in the raw food movement (even though they will never give it that name).
Another example: ME!
I started on the raw food diet in 1997. That’s starting to be a little while ago.When I first started, there was not as much information available as there is today. The Internet was just getting going. In fact, my website was one of the first websites on the topic.
When I started the raw food diet, I was doing pretty well. I was following the European model for raw food, which was pretty much the low-fat raw diet, after having studied with my first mentor, Albert Mosseri from France.
Then I moved to California for three years, and during that time, I was very influenced by the main leaders of the raw food movement. You probably heard about them. They’re the biggest names people associate with “raw food diets” today.
The advice was pretty simple: eat as much raw food as you’d like! As long as it’s raw, it’s okay. You can eat as many avocados as you’d like. Raw is law. Cooked food is poison.
After less than a year on the program, I got seriously ill.
For an entire month I had no energy at all. Just walking for 2 minutes made me dizzy.
I was even afraid to tell people that I was sick, because raw-foodists were not supposed to get sick.
So I stayed in bed for an entire month, and ate only apples and a few other fruits.
After a month, I was feeling much better, and started working again.Still to this day, I don’t know what happened to me. I did not consult any doctor (because doctors are cooked, I thought at the time), and I told very few people about what happened.
It was a sudden illness, but with plenty of warning signs.And I was young! I was in my early twenties, supposedly on the best diet in the world.
The rest of the story has been told in my book “The Raw Secrets”:
I discovered the mistake I was making, and then changed course to eat a lower-fat, high-fruit raw food diet, and now all of these years of struggle and low-energy just seem like a distant, unpleasant memory.
Some Good Examples
I told you earlier that my friend Roger Haeske came to visit me for a couple of weeks in Costa Rica.
I knew Roger because we had worked together on some projects, and through his own website and blog. But we had only met briefly in person while I was waiting for a flight in New York back in 2007.
He had never left North America in his life, and he was eager to come and check out Costa Rica. So I invited him to check it out, and got to show him around the Pacific Coast to some of my favorite, most beautiful spots I know in the world.Roger has been eating a 100% raw food diet for 6 or 7 years I think. He had a similar history: he had started eating the high-fat diet everybody recommended, did not do well, and then switched to a low-fat raw diet and has been thriving ever since.Let’s put it this way: Roger looks SHOCKINGLY young for his age.He’s almost 42.
When he was taking his shirt off and playing soccer with the Costa Rican kids on the beach, people were mistaking him for a “muchacho” in his twenties.
To be quite honest, I’ve never met a man in his early forties who looks as young as Roger does. He even looks better in person than he does in his pictures.
His open secret?
- The low fat raw diet
- Vigorous Exercise (Roger practices a series of high-intensity exercises he claims helps him stay young. I believe him. Check out his program here).
- Blended salads! (for more information, check this out)
Another Example
Last summer, I met a 35-year old guy named Grant.Grant is what people call “an ultra marathon runner”, and what I affectionately call, “a crazy dude!”
He’s done things such as running 100 kilometers through the mountains, where the hardest things at some point is just to fight off sleep while you’re running.Basically, when Grant invites you to go out for a run, you better have a few hours available (if not a few days!).Think Forrest Gump (without the chocolate part).People say all the time: those people who eat a high-fruit diet, they’re not really healthy. Eating 25 bananas a day can’t be healthy, they say.Yet, all of the healthiest people I have met have been eating this way.In fact, whenever I’ve been to a typical raw-food potluck, I see a lot of pretty pale-looking people. Not the type you’d necessarily ask to help you move your furniture.Except if it’s a low-fat group. Then I’ll meet people who just INSPIRE me to get healthier and fitter.But back to Grant…
When I saw him again at Chirripo, he just had a glow in his face. “This is not the guy I met last summer!” I told him.Even a camera won’t properly capture it.It’s something you’re not used to seeing. It’s a sort of radiating happiness.
Or maybe… it’s just this long-forgotten look we call “health”.I’ve met a lot of athletes. And often I just don’t see that look in their face.
Bodybuilders tend to be the worst. Even though they have the “perfect” body, they have the look of sickness in their eyes, coming from their protein overeating.
The State of the Raw Food Movement Today
I recently read an article written by a popular raw-food author.Maybe you’ve seen this article, or maybe not. I’d rather not reveal the identity of the author as to avoid attracting unnecessarily attention to his teachings, because honestly, I’ve rarely read something that bad.
But I think it pretty much sums up the state of the raw food movement today: that of mass confusion.Here’s the whole point of the article:
- The raw food diet is not the answer, but avoiding overeating is.
- The basic advice he gives is to eat raw, but to avoid overeating.
- You shouldn’t be counting calories, or percentages of fat versus sugar, but just make sure you don’t overeat.
Of course, “overeating” is never clearly defined in the article, and left to the imagination of the reader.
But he gives us some clues: according to him, eating 25 bananas a day is overeating.
On the good side, he advises against eating chocolate and too many raw food recipes.But what is overeating? Isn’t it not eating more than your body needs?
If an athletes needs 3000 calories per day, and yet eats 25 bananas a day plus some greens, they should technically be “under eating”, because the bananas only provide 2500 calories at the most, and the greens almost none.
Calories
Oh, now some people will say “calories don’t matter”.I used to believe that. Until I realized that calories are just the energy you get from food, and yes, they DO matter.
Everyone will naturally be drawn instinctively to eat the exact amount of calories they need, as long as they are provided with natural foods only and they put ridiculous theories in their minds such as “I must avoid overeating at all cost”.
Over the course of a month, a wild animal will eat the EXACT amount of calories it needs.I once did an experiment. I wrote down everything I ate for an entire month. I didn’t count calories. I just ate enough to be satisfied.
Then after a month, I calculated the calories for every day.I was very surprised to realize that I ate almost the EXACT same amount of calories every single day, without counting them at all.
So you do NEED a certain amount of calories to survive and thrive.
The Real Overeating
The average raw-foodist is NOT overeating on total calories. In fact, they are “under eating”.
What happens is the average beginner with the raw food diet will eat too much fat, and not enough fruits and vegetables.
Raw-Foodists are just not eating enough fruits and vegetables, period!The advice of “avoiding overeating” is simply one of the worst I’ve heard in a long time.
Here’s what will happen: people will try to follow it, but with no real understanding of the nutritional balance that must be achieved on a raw food diet.
So they’ll keep eating too much fat, and not enough fruit. They’ll constantly be craving something, but will try to use their willpower to eat less, because they think their problem is overeating.
In fact, they’ll notice that they feel better when they eat less.Of course! When they’re eating less, they’re eating less of the excess fat they were consuming!
But there’s still that nagging sense of constant hunger, and for that they blame themselves. “I must not overeat”.
Their body is BEGGING them to eat more carbohydrates, and they’re starting to seriously crave some sweets and some cooked foods.
But NO! I must not overeat.
Sooner or later, they’ll give in and either binge on something sweet other than fruit, or high-fat raw food recipes, or binge on chocolate and pasta.
Then they’ll feel bad, because of the “overeating”, but get enough calories to keep them going for a while.And the cycle will go on and on, over and over again, until their health goes down the drain.
Raw Food Restaurants
Last summer, I took two weeks to drive through California on a vacation.
I flew to Los Angeles, drove to San Diego, drove all the way to San Francisco, then Fort Bragg where the Raw Food Expo was happening, and then drove all the way back to LA.
Let’s say that I did a lot of driving!
But I also got to stop at many raw-food restaurants along the way, because after all, California is the “Mecca” of raw-foods.What I found by eating at a few different raw food restaurants is this:
- First of all, very few fruits and vegetables are served. In my opinion, you can get more fruits and vegetables if you go to an Italian restaurant, or even a Steak House, than you’ll ever get at a raw food restaurant.
For example, at Juliano’s restaurant, I was served the special of the day. It was a sort of imitation of Fettuccini Alfredo. The vegetables used were zucchini, bathing in a white sauce made with nuts and who knows what. The whole thing was very fatty, very salty, and in my opinion, not very good at all. The quantity of vegetables used was TINY compared to what I’m used to eating. And I got the same experience at every other raw food restaurant where I stopped!
- It takes much more creativity to create a gourmet meal out of fruits and vegetables, without using a lot of fat and without using salt and spices. Then you have to be a REAL chef and rely upon the natural flavors of food, the presentation, the combinations, etc.
But any fool can add a bunch of fat and salt to a dish and make it taste reasonably good. So that’s why I say I’m not impressed with raw food restaurants: I really don’t see a lot of creativity there. All they’re trying to do is reproduce the meals from the Standard American Diet using raw ingredients.
Conclusion
This is getting to be a pretty long article, and I feel I still have a lot more to say.So let me wrap it up with a conclusion.I’m mad at the raw food movement because of all of the misinformation spread everywhere.And in fact, I’m very close to saying that there is no such thing as the “Raw food movement”.
What we seem to have is a circus of self-proclaimed gurus who are promoting completely conflicting philosophies. You might as well separate them into two or three completely different diets.Yet, they all want to sing under the same banner. Well, not so fast…
As a group, the raw food movement is pretty confused; when in fact, it does not need to be so complicated. When in the world did we think that this diet was supposed to be about packaged “superfoods”, chocolate, and recipes that imitate cooked foods?
The whole thing was about eating LOTS of fruits and vegetables! An abundance of fruits and vegetables — not an abundance of fats and oils.You can become incredibly healthy, but you have to know where you’re going.
Are you going to keep trying to mix all kinds of conflicting philosophies into a mishmash of a program that works more or less for you… or are you ready to radically transform your health using the principles of the low-fat raw food diet?
I’ve met a TON of people all around the world who are experiencing amazing success with the low-fat raw food diet.They all seem to have some things in common:
- They have given it enough time. Not just a few weeks or a month or two.
- They are paying great attention to MANY factors of their health, not just diet.
- They eat a LOT of fruits AND greens, and very little fat.
- They try to make health and fitness their priorities.What do YOU think of all of this?
I want to hear from YOU. Do you have a story to share?
Please post your comment under this article.
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182 Responses to “Why I’m MAD at the Raw Food Movement”
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Deb says:
Has anyone used the 80-10-10 type philosophy to heal Type 1 diabetes? You hear alot about Type 2. What about Type 1? what is known about this in this train of thinking? Or is this a place where “no one has gone before”? Yes I have read Gabriel Cousin’s book but found the recipes very high in fat overall and you the diet very restrictive – basically everything is bad. And it costs quite a bit a money to go to his Tree of Life place to heal. It does not make sense that God created fruits but we aren’t to eat them. But instead we are to eat alot of nuts and seeds – which are high in fat. But a high fat diet has it’s own problems regardless whether it is raw or cooked food you are eating. Would appreciate some thoughts and if there are others out there who are healing from this problem or have healed it – please share. Fred makes some good points in his article – probably points that should have been brought up a long time ago.
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While it’s true that we each may have different dietary needs, this is more a reflection of our varying stages of health than the notion that each member of our species has their own specific nutritional requirements. Genetic predispositions or overconsumption of certain foods may have caused allergies or intolerances to various foods, but this does not negate the fact that there are certain optimal requirements for proteins, fats and sugars for all humans.
If we look at our closest relatives in nature, the bonobos, we can see that they don’t consume massive amounts of fat in their diet. They don’t spend their entire days cracking open nuts, when they could get energy much more quickly and easily by peeling a banana. They don’t gather and compress massive quantities of seeds so that they can consume concentrated oils. They don’t check their blood types before deciding what diet is appropriate for them. Their bodies instinctively tell them which sources of nutrition are the most efficient and give them the most ‘bang for their buck’.
Species specific diets do exist in nature. Why should humans be any different?
If you have thrived on the high-fat raw diet, then by all means continue to eat as you are accustomed. But, if like so many other raw foodists, including those who are ashamed to admit it, you are not feeling optimally healthy and energized with your current arrangement, where is the harm in trying what Fred suggests for a few days and letting your body give you feedback? You might be pleasantly surprised with the results. A few days of cutting down on your fat intake won’t kill you. But it just might let your body do some healing, and you might be able to conquer your chronic candida issues, not to mention your fatigue and (unwanted) weight gain.
We’re all reading this blog because we want optimal health. If what you are currently doing is not getting you there, then it’s time to examine why that is, and to modify things until you reach your goal.
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Karen says:
Thank you for simplifying my life – in a big way! What a great article! I respect you for writing it and for clearing up the confusion of the “raw food diet/movement”. I think the raw foodies pushing the high fat diet may be well-meaning; it is a new frontier. But I have always been suspicious of the elaborate and laborious “2 cups of nuts”-type recipes in my raw food cookbooks (I’m new to it). I love the idea and simplicity of eating mainly fruit (and greens) for meals. I have a piece of fruit prior to exercise because I discovered a long time ago that I have more energy and endurance if I do. But I don’t eat much fruit because I was raised with the idea of having lots of protein, fat, and complex carbs. Now I realize I could have the energy I get from fruit – all day! For me, there is the added benefit of saying “I’ll just have some fruit, please” or “I’m eating more fruits now” instead of trying to explain going raw. I’m so excited! I wish you all the best and am looking forward to reading more of your articles and books.
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Andy says:
I been following 80/10/10 diet for more than a year with small accassional diversions. And what i noticed was that if i overdo on fats(nuts avocados) I feel that i have less energy. When I eat lost of fruits(mainly bananas), i never feel tired and always full of energy.
So thanks fred, roger and dr. graham.Regarding blending. DOnt you think that by blending lots of different fruits and veg you confuse body. Because when you chew, body recognises the food and start making special enzymes to digest it also you mix it with saliva.Whereas when you blend , everything is mixe up and you obviously chew less.So what do you think bout blending
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Gretchen Goel says:
Great article! I have been vegan for several years after reading The China Study. I follow Joel Furhman’s low fat vegan plan but it is my goal to go completely raw folowing your plan or Graham’s. I’m wondering if it is easier to go raw in the summer since I naturally want to eat more raw in the summer?
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To Deb:
There is not just one Juvenile Diabetes. There are stages of it and even if somebody would claim healing from type 1, you cannot immediately generalize, because the healing will depend on more factors, overall state of health, adrenal exhaustion, beta cells capability of producing insulin etc. Better chance for healing have the newly diagnosed diabetics, but it should never be totally unworthy to do something right. Even if your body is not able to reverse back to normal state, if the ireparrable destruction has found the place and the functioning cells have been replaced by the fibrous tissue, you can still get many health improvements by doing the right things.
The diet is important, but not the most important part for diabetics, the same what is true about a state of health- It is as strong as its weakest part.
Of course, low fat is the way to go, but exercise has a profound effect on blood sugar regulation. If you exercise, cells of the skeletal muscles don’t need as much insulin, because exercise stimulates the cell to translocate GLUT4 receptors to the surface. The way to go for insulin depended diabetics is a whole body all day exercises combined with a low fat diet. Doesn’t need to be some kind of sport, it is perfect with gardening, hiking or other physical activities.
Believe and do the right things, nature works slowly, but safely. Patience and Perseverance. Love and Wisdom. -
Courtney says:
So how much greens do you now eat, Frederic, then to balance out all the fruit? 1/2 lb? 1 lb? 2 lbs?
Thanks so much!
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Reality Check says:
Amazing no complaints to Fred’s article. Are they being moderated?
Well here’s one. This is just another guy’s personal experience much like the guru’s he’s speaking against.
In the end this is really a personal journey. The human body is a complex creation. No one size diet fits all.
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Gwen says:
Fred,
I was very excited about your article. I have often found myself mad at the raw foods movement as well, and I agree with a lot that you have to say. In fact frequently lately, I have been very angry at the raw foods movement. I have especially been angry at the high levels of fat and sugar in gourmet recipes. I have all of these books with recipes that I am not much interested in cooking let alone eating, all full of agave, dates, and nuts. I believe one of the beautiful things about being raw is the simplicity of just eating food as it comes to you! So, I was very pleased to see your article in which you expressed the same thing.
However, I can include you with those I am mad at. I have been doing raw foods for many years, and I have tried every variety of raw foods diet. I have failed to get well with any of it, and I have been especially angry with those who tell me I can eat fruit and get well. Fruit has kept me sick with Candida even with no fat in my diet, so it makes me angry to be told it is okay. I went for years with no fruit in my diet, and then I tried a completely raw diet with fruit. I have been unable to stop eating fruit ever since, but the Candida won’t go away. Nonetheless, from my experiences, I believe almost everything you say, and am dedicated to raw foods. Saying the other Guru’s are as different from what you have to say as the SAD diet contributes to the confusion that has been a huge problem for someone like me trying to get well on raw foods. This sort of remark makes me and others figure, why bother eating raw, and then we never get there. I don’t think you are so different, and in spite of contradictions and slightly different angles, you are all a great help to people going raw. We all just need to find the common denominators and find what is best for us.
Gwen -
Christina says:
Thank you very much for making this clarification because I have been introduced to many other theories about the proper raw food diet and it had all become confusing to me; so thanks a lot.
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Dr. Clemente says that he could test any raw fooder(frutarian) at his hypocrates institute provided he agrees to annouce results public. He said he could prove that such person will be defficent in many nutrients and vitamins. Could Fred, Roger, or anyone else volunteer to him to be check by his blood test and prove that 80/10/10 is not making ppl deficent in minerals.
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Ooh…I agree with Andy. It would be great if Fred, Roger, or Doug could get tested, ALONG WITH Dr. Clement, to prove that 80-10-10 is nutritionally sound.
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nelda says:
If it were not for Emirle Lagasse or Food Network many would not know what fennel or purslane are. If Anne Wigmore had never graced us we would have never known the importance of a green drink and if sprouts had appeared in our super markets before Viktoras Kulvinskas made us aware of them mainstream would have never bought them. So let’s not burn our bridges or cast anything irregular out there in the direction of our pioneers meaning Clements, Cousens, Wolfe or Airola et al. – because without them our knowledge of raw would not be what it is today – to give us the oportunity to create our own path.
In allowing our desire for knowledge to come to us – we not only gain the satisfaction of having received it — we gain a whole new perspective from which to desire more. Reach for the feeling of Well-being first, and everything else will fll into place.
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Amen — it does confuse people when they hear the pitch “mine is better than their’s” if you are a good teacher you will help people find their individual way.
The common denominator here is raw. -
dear julie, nice to see you!
you said:
“And you are right on about the confusion. Yeah, fruit and low-fat is the way to go, for sure.”
i think you overseen that the diet frederic advise is including vegetables and nuts, and that is diferent than low fat fruit diet.
so, you are the one who is spot on!
much love,
fruity friend,
kveta -
I have eaten high raw (more than 75%) since about 2002 and started to eat 100% (appr., I am not too fussed about a little tamari or tahini that might not be quite raw, also use celtic sea salt) in 2006. I have severe rheumatism/arthritis, anemia and kidney issues followed suit, and was on pretty “nasty” drugs that still didn’t make me feel that great by 2002. The reason I stayed high-raw for four years was the fact that I always felt hungry when trying 100% (low-fat) raw for upto monthly periods. So, in 2006 I went on a higher-fat raw diet (not 70% though!). This really helped me feeling satisfied after meals. Interestingly enough, while initially I loved raw gourmet food with heaps of nuts/nut creams etc., some of the almost “nut-only” meals I used to eat back then make me feel quite nauseaus now. I have significantly increased my greens intake, but I still make cakes with coconut, cashews, coconut oil etc. I have noticed however that I tend to fill up the bulk with ripe fruit such as bananas nowadays; the nut-veggie burgers have become veggie-nut burgers with no added oil. I have also noticed that I tend to use far less oil in my salads, I just don’t like a heavy oily base anymore. And some days, I don’t seem to eat any added fats (there are some fats in fruit anyway, aren’t they?) at all! I personally don’t believe in doctrines, so I don’t care if it’s low fat or high fat, low carb or high carb, I think the body will work it out for itself if given the opportunity. I agree however that the “high-fat message” can sometimes be confusing. Initially when I had a “no-fat” day, I would actually start panicking (especially because I was worried about my breast milk not being “balanced” enough) in the evening and stuff myself with some nuts, which was silly because I wouldn’t actually crave them! I think, it’s important that people realise that they need to include heaps of greens and of course delicious fruit in their diet, and that they won’t “drop dead” if they don’t have tons of fat. But if they feel they want a fatty meal, I personally just go for it, but have noticed that my idea of a fatty meal has changed considerably! I am a little worried however that some people might take the “low-fat message” too far, trying to cut out every bit of fat and that surely can’t be good for them either! Some fats we do need!
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here is the link to the scientific study that showed that high fat diet increases metastasis, though it is just ordinary high fat diet
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225172639.htm -
I think Kevin Giani metntioned that according to Dr,Biscie bdoy can adapt to wither high fruit or high fat diet but not both, But im not sure if it is 100% true.
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Mish says:
Wow, am I comment # 1 million? Do I get a prize?
This was so well stated, one of the clearest posts I’ve read on this overly debated subject, which I truly was getting sick to death of until I read yours here. Peace and keep on keepin on.
A new fan,
Mish -
Andrée says:
Hi Joke,
I’m happy to read a commend from someone living in Belgium. I live nearby Mechelen. Love to get to know people sharing the same food/health interest.
kind regards, Andrée (Belgium)
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Trent Smith says:
How do I join the monthly rawfood mentor club?
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Frederic says:
Link for the Raw Vegan Mentor Club is: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/mentorclub.html
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Christine says:
Hi Frederick.Thanks for sharing about the overconsumption of fats in a raw food diet.I have noticed many of your readers cite cutting back on their fruit intake because of tooth decay problems.I don’t have this problem,possibly because of using a special dental cleaner which Victoria Boutenka mentioned in her book Greens For Life.I ordered 2 (one each for my son and myself),which cost $90, but worth the price of healthy gums/teeth is worth it!I recommend giving it a try!
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Jenny says:
I have just started researching about the low fat raw food diet. I’m glad I came across the 80-10-10 by Dr. Graham instead of these gurus. I would be on another failed path. I think this is going to be the best lifestyle change I have ever made or at least equal to quitting drinking.
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LovesRaw says:
I agree with many things you said. I’ve had many arguments with other raw foodists who insist you can eat all the nuts you want as long as it’s raw. 99% of the times, those arguing with me are on the chunky side and always trying to lose weight. You would think they would see the connection between their heavy consumption of raw fat and their heavier bodies, but they don’t.
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Kelsey Taylor says:
I AM SO MAD TOO AT MANY RAW ‘GURUS’
i began eating a low fat raw diet but was told my candida issue would never go away until i eat more fat and protein with green and NO fruit. but i also have severe lymphatic congestion and would retain 30-50 lbs of fluid throughout my body even through raw foods. It wasent until I read this that I now trust my natural instincts. I was right all along to eat raw fruits and vegetables. Even though I will probably incorporate low fat cooked foods in the winter (i live in Canada and our fruits are terrible in winter). but id too rather eat a low fat cooked diet than a high fat raw one. fats made my blood sugar go crazy, i too felt dizzy all the time, and i would have violent moods all the time! i osolated myself from all my friends and im just starting to get my health back. im spreading the word and telling all raw foodists who eat high-fat to consider low fat raw foods. if they shove all their fat-nonsense down our throats then we will hit them with the truth. Fred, look at all these posts of people whose lives were ruined through high fat- and now on low fat raw they feel like themselves again! thank you thank you thank you sooo much. o and i thank the universe for pointing me to this page. hehe. love to all here- good luck!
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Thank you so much for having the courage to speak out against all the hype and gurus and fads, etc. I am a “Certified Health Educator” from the Hippocrates Health Institute (which I completed in my second trimest of pregnancy!) and while I was there i kept asking “shouldn’t a pregnant woman be eating more fruit?” After leaving there I was unable to stay on the “diet” because of the high fat and lack of fruit. Now, as a nursing mama, I am trying again to find the balance and being tireda all the time with a baby or toddler is even more difficult. Thank you for speaking out! I have just finished your book, “Raw Secrets” and am delighted to say that my confusion is getting cleared out. I have known in my heart and instinctually that “raw” is right but the recipes and menu suggestions in the popular books and at the Institues are so unnatural, really…so complicated and processes…too high in fat and not enough simple carbs!
I am curious about a couple of points and clarification of those will help me to be finally confident in what I am doing…
1. Doesn’t blending food at high speeds cause rapid oxidation?…and isn’t blending itself unnatural…we wouldn’t do that in nature.
2. What about DHA…I didn’t notice it mentioned in the book and I am particularly concerned about it as a nursing mother and for my child’s diet after nursing? I don’t really see Blue-Green Algae as a supplement, but a food in it’s own right. What are your thoughts on E3 Live as a source of DHA? Some say raw goat’s milk is another good source. Here is an article about the causes of death and disease of some Natural Hygenists that makes me particularly nervous:
Leaders of the Vegan Movement Develop Parkinson’s: Case Studies
Herbert Shelton (1895 – 1985) a naturopath and chiropractor and the influential founder of the American Natural Hygiene Society and Nature Cure movement in America and prolific health writer advocated a natural food vegetarian diet of mostly raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. I read all of his highly motivating books, newsletters and writings in my teens. He lived in Texas, was physically fit, grew lots of his own food and ate carefully and fasted periodically. Of course he did not get cancer, he did not get heart disease, but he died of Parkinson’s disease and was so severely affected by the age of 78 that even walking was difficult. In 1973 when I met him he was already severely hunched over and had a difficult time walking and caring for himself. Though he lived many years with this significant disability, the quality of his later years was extremely poor.Prominent Vegetarian and Health Advocate – this leader in the natural health movement and a personal friend to me also suffered from and eventually died from a fall related to his Parkinson’s disease. During his young adult life he embarked on the path of healthy living and vegetarianism. A follower of Shelton’s works, he operated a large health food store, one of the first to sell organic fruits and vegetables in America; he became a leader in the health food industry. Of course he was not at risk of cancer or heart disease with his excellent diet, but he developed Parkinson’s which limited the quality of his later years.
When he was developing his Parkinsonian tremors, I ordered blood tests and was shocked to see his blood results showing almost a zero DHA level on his fatty acid test, in spite of adequate ALA consumption from nuts and seeds eaten daily. I had never seen a DHA level that low before. Since that time I have drawn DHA blood levels on other patients with Parkinson’s and also found very low DHA levels.
Was it a coincidence, that these leaders in the natural food, vegetarian movement, who ate a very healthy vegan diet and no junk food would both develop Parkinson’s? I thought to myself–could it be that deficiencies in DHA predispose one to Parkinson’s? Do men have worse ability to convert short chain omega-3 into long chain DHA? Is that why Parkinson’s affects more men than women? Is there evidence to suggest that DHA deficiencies lead to later life neurologic problems? Are there primate studies to show DHA deficiencies in monkeys leads to Parkinson’s? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding, yes.
More than 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by resting tremor, muscular rigidity, gait problems and impaired ability to initiate movements. Recent scientific findings show diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, in particular DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), have a protective effect on this type of neurodegenerative disease. Studies in animals clearly show that supplementation of DHA can alter brain DHA concentrations and thereby modify brain functions leading to reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.1
A recent study examined mice which were exposed to two diets; one group was fed a diet with DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids; while the other group was given ordinary food, lacking DHA. After a period of time they were given a dose of a chemical that causes the same damage to the brain as Parkinson’s disease. The mice on the DHA diet seemed to be immune to the effects of the chemical, whereas the mice that ate ordinary food developed symptoms of the disease.
According to the researchers, among the mice that had been given omega-3 supplementation – in particular DHA – omega-3 fatty acids replaced the omega-6 fatty acids in their brains. Due to the fact that concentrations of other omega-3s (LNA and EPA) had maintained levels in both groups of mice, the researchers suggested that the protective effect against Parkinson’s indeed came from DHA.2
Another conclusion drawn from this finding is that a brain containing a lot of omega-6 fatty acids may create a fertile ground for developing Parkinson’s disease. These fatty acids, are abundant in foods rich in either vegetable oil or animal fat, which we already know contribute negatively to our health.Another study observed the effect of DHA on monkeys treated with MPTP, a drug that induces Parkinson’s like symptoms, and the results suggested that DHA can reduce the severity of, or delay the development of these drug-induced symptoms and therefore can offer therapeutic benefits in the treatment of Parkinson’s. 3
Overall, this research provides evidence that DHA deficiencies can leave us vulnerable to developing diseases like Parkinson’s and Alheizmer’s. If you are a nutritarian, flexitarain, vegan, or vegetarian and you are not taking DHA or confirming your levels are adequate with blood work you are being negligent, and potentially increasing your risk of such a disease in later life. All the good efforts on proper nutrition can be undone with one deficiency such as Vitamin D, B12, or DHA. I see this every week in my practice.
History Repeats Itself
Some authors, doctors and leaders of the vegan movement today are heavily biased towards the idea of not needing these supplements. They simply give inadequate nutritional advice and in spite of all the science they still pooh-pooh taking long-chain omega-3 DHA. They are risking the quality of their own lives and that of their followers.
Likewise, I have seen so many vegan-promoting doctors and authors negate the need for taking B12, as well as dismiss the need to take vitamin D, stating minimal sunshine is enough. They also deny the need for omega-3 supplementation. There is so much scientific literature available today pointing to the contrary, however, this irresponsible information keeps radiating from the podium of lecture halls.
It reminds me of all the statements in the past, that the need for B12 was exaggerated and that the small amount of bacteria on organic produce or in seaweed was sufficient.
TC Fry (1926 – 1996)- another long-term Natural Hygienist, raw foodest, vegetarian-fruitari an, advocated you did not need supplements as food contained all that we need. He died of an atherosclerotic- related embolism at the age of 70. I saw his hospital record at his death and reviewed his blood work drawn immediately prior to his death. It was quite revealing. He had severe B12, deficiency, so long-standing that his B12 levels were almost undetectable and the lowest I have ever seen. It is kind of interesting reading internet interpretations of why he died, such as “did not practice what he preached,” “cheated on his diet,” “too much sex,” “ozone treatments for his vascular disease”. He died prematurely simply because long-standing B12 deficiency leads to extremely high homocysteine levels, which can cause intra-vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
I have seen this over and over again in vegans not supplementing with B12. I even had a patient with extremely severe hyper-homocysteinem ia and vascular disease who flew in to see me from Scandinavia. When I diagnosed the problem and discussed how to solve it, she still refused to take the B12 supplements, stating that Dr. Shelton and Dr. Vetrano said that nature provided us with all that we need in natural plant foods. She flew home angry that I disagreed. She died soon after.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that by merely eating right you are doing all you can do to protect your health. People must be made aware that by neglecting to take the supplements that are essential to assuring nutritional excellence, they are putting themselves in harm’s way. Specifically, not taking DHA, B12 and vitamin D can be potentially dangerous and even life threatening.
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I couldn’t agree more. It’s possible to thrive on a raw-food diet, but it’s hard to have energy and glow when you’re weighed down by fat and/or use powders as a meal. I felt great on about a 20-30% calories from fat raw-vegan high-fruit, high-green diet, but I feel even better and have better skin now that I’m about 5-10% calories from fat (on average weekly).
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Rebecca says:
I was eating around 80% raw for 10 years and people think I am in my thirties when I am in my fifties. However, I got away from it when we moved back near our family. I am beginning to get my old health problems back and want to go back to raw food and hopefully total raw. My problem is that I get severe diarhea and my stomache aches so bad that I give up and eat something cooked or packaged just to alleviate the pain. Help!
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Care says:
There was a comment posted earlier a about transition. For some a high fat diet may be just the perfect transition faze. I agree that there is a lot of contradictory information out there and it is somewhat healthy to get angry, “rant”, to fight for what is just and right….However, I also believe that it is more productive to just speak what works for you and not to cast stones. The problem with our society and most societies is that we are always creating conflict and saying our way is better than yours. As soon as we step outside of this dualistic left brain trap, we can see that we are all doing our best and that there are very few people out there in the raw food movement whose main motivation is to harm another person. We shouldn’t be making villains out of people whose philosophies are different from ours. By doing this we create more sickness in the world and fuel war inducing self-righteousness.
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What a great article. When reading everything I could about a raw diet and finding that nuts and oils sometime consisted of 70-80% of the total calories I just couldn’t fathom how this could be a healthy way to eat. Once I found 80/10/10 it all clicked. I am an 100 mile ultramarathoner, typically running 80-105 miles a week and 4-5 100 mile races each year. I went from a bodybuilders type diet to vegan, transitioning to 80/10/10. I can’t tell you how wonderful I feel. The preparation is MINIMAL. It just feels right. Juice, blended salads, banana/spinach smooties, fruit, fruit, fruit. It keeps me at a high level of energy all day long, I am more spiritual and ‘clear’ than ever. I just can’t get over it. Thank you for the great article and information that I am finding at your site.
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Brandon says:
Great artcle
I just listened to who I believe you commented on about overeating. He seems to be really confused. I look forward to reading raw secrets. Your book sunfood cuisine turned me on to raw food. I feel the best when i eat fruit and green smoothies. When you coming to NC?
