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Too Much Fruit
Some long-term 100% raw foodists run into troubles from eating an excessive
amount of fruit. Dr. Bisci has seen numerous disheartening cases of people
living primarily on fruit for many years. These unfortunate individuals
experience decaying teeth, hair loss, nutritional deficiencies and a host of
other maladies. We have never seen anyone succeed in the long-run on a diet
consisting primarily of fruit. The Raw Pioneers who chose this type of diet did
not do well.
I want to discuss the consequences of fermentation, in regards to our fruit and
sugar intake. To make this point clearer, it is important for you to understand
that sugar is a key ingredient for fermentation. Fermentation is the chemical
reaction which occurs when glucose (sugar) converts to carbon dioxide and energy
(ATP). Carbon dioxide is irritating to our cells and tissues, when not
eliminated.
Everything we eat breaks down to glucose (sugar) so it can be converted into
energy (ATP) by the cells of our body. The amount of sugar present in this
conversion process determines the amount of fermentation. Eating straight sweet
fruit causes more fermentation than eating fat, due to the amount of sugar
present. Fat slowly converts into glucose, giving us a steady supply of energy,
while eating sugar fruit is like taking a straight shot of whiskey.
We can handle a certain amount of natural sugar without a problem. In fact,
fruits and natural sugars, in reasonable quantity, have a soothing, alkalizing
effect on the body. However, if we frequently eat sweet fruit in massive
quantities, the resulting levels of fermentation create a highly acidic
condition in the body from all the carbon dioxide - gaseous acidic waste - being
produced.
I have also found that those who eat mostly fruit typically do not choose to
consume concentrated foods such as nuts and seeds. Eliminating these dense foods
from the diet moves one even closer to a fasting state, causing increased
cellular detox, which adds to the already excessive fermentation from
over-consuming fruit.
Increased detox + fermentation from excess sugar = tremendous acidic condition.
In the long-run, an acid body starts to leach alkaline salts from its skeletal
frame to combat the over-acidic condition. This is one of the reasons long-term
Fruitarians and many Raw Foodists have problems with their teeth. As thoroughly
discussed in my new book Raw Success, the Raw Diet is a life-long fast and the detox will always be there to a certain extent but even more so on a high-fruit,
low-fat type of diet. If you have already experimented with this kind of Raw
Diet and feel it did not serve you, it is most likely that your body is telling
you to not go in that direction.
Some think simply adding more greens to their diet will fix the problem. True,
adding greens helps to alkalize the body while at the same time providing extra
precious minerals and nutrients. If someone adds greens, but continues to
over-consume fruit, they may feel better initially. However, especially if they
are not cleansing their colon, overeating fruit will inevitably catch up to them
in the long-run even if they are eating more greens.
If you are exercising, you can handle more sugar because you are giving off more
of that excess carbon dioxide through your lungs. However, you still don't need
as much as you think. Even if you are exercising, there is a great possibility
that over-consuming fruit will catch up with you in the long-run.
Please do not misunderstand. I LOVE FRUIT! I eat fruit every day. It is an
integral, enjoyable, nourishing part of my diet. On rare occasions I will even
overeat a favorite fruit that lures me in. However, that is an exception and
only lasts one meal. If I were to overeat fruit twice that day or the following
day, I would suffer the effects tenfold. It is what you do MOST of the time that
really counts, rather than the little blips here and there.
Fruit vs. Fat
I would rather see someone overdoing fat than fruit. This does not mean I
advocate eating massive amounts of fat. Although less harmful than overeating
fruit, for long-term success the ideal is to find balance in your intake of all
the food groups.
If you truly become 100% Raw, over the years you will automatically evolve to
need less food.
Eight years ago, I plunged into a 100% Raw Lifestyle overnight. After being on
the typical American diet all my life, I was totally unaccustomed to the empty
(yet not hungry) feeling in my stomach. I had a wild need to feel full. Thus, my
evening ritual revolved around a HUGE salad that consisted of a LARGE head of
romaine lettuce, 10 cut up heirloom tomatoes, over an ounce of dulse, a handful
of sprouts, olives and 3 ENORMOUS avocados from the California Farmers Market. I
ate this gigantic salad every night for more than FOUR or FIVE YEARS! This is
how I survived the transition! That large salad was one of the tools I needed
for my success on the 100% Raw Diet. Gradually, I evolved and by year five or
six I never ate more than one avocado in any one day and my salads were
miniature in comparison.
In
Raw Spirit I share the story of a man who went 100% Raw, lost 50 pounds and
was experiencing a miraculous recovery from degenerative disease. During the
gathering at which we met, he declared to our group that he ate a jar of almond
butter every day, got knocked out from all the fat and protein, and then fell
asleep. In spite of his almond butter habit, this man was losing massive amounts
of excess weight and healing his body. I was thrilled to hear the advice given
to him: You are doing great! Keep up the good work. Who cares if you eat a jar
of almond butter a day and fall asleep? Eventually that impulse will be gone.
For now, eat all the almond butter you want. Just as I am not eating three large
avocados anymore, I would guarantee that he is not still eating that daily jar
of almond butter.
I heard David Avocado Wolfe once say that he used to eat nine avocados a day
when he first became Raw. Now I am sure he is not able to handle anywhere near
that volume.
For ultimate long-term success, we do not want large amounts of fat in our daily
diet. If you are eating large amounts of fat at this time and choose to cut
back, be careful to avoid a drastic increase in your quantities of fruit intake
instead, for that will inevitably cause complications in the long-run. If you
look at the quantities of fat and fruit that Dr. Norman Walker ate, you will
notice that he routinely consumed a small amount of each in his meals. The
Optimal Diet is an ideal balance of fat and fruit which is thoroughly discussed
in my new book Raw Success. My suggestion is to take your time, don't worry, and
as the years go by, continue to lower your quantity of fat, while keeping your
fruit intake steady.
- By Matt Monarch
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