Raw Fruits and Vegetables:
The Diet for Humans?
As children, we have all learned about many species-specific diets. We learn that lions and tigers are carnivores and they eat animals. We learn that cows are herbivores and they eat grass. We learn that birds are granivores and they eat seeds and grains. These are foods that they are biologically designed to eat! Their whole bodies are made for these types of food. They are attracted to their food in its raw, uncooked, unprocessed state, as nature intended.
Have you ever thought about what humans are biologically designed to eat? Well, we all know that you won't find processed hamburgers and french fries in nature! Not to mention, you won't find soda and chips growing out of the ground or Cheetos falling from trees! So how do we figure out the species specific diet for humans? We can take a look at our senses, compare humans to other animals, and use simple logic to figure it out.
Animals in nature are completely attracted to their biological diet in its raw, uncooked, unprocessed state. Carnivores salivate when they see their prey walking in a field. Do you salivate when you see a cow grazing in a field? Do you fantasize running up to it and ripping open its flesh with your bare hands? Do you crave to gobble up the warm, bloody guts? Or do you find ripe, colorful fruit appealing on an empty stomach? Do you crave a juicy, luscious piece of fruit picked straight from a tree? I'll let you decide.
The truth is, there are many differences between humans and carnivores. Many people think that a carnivore is simply an animal that eats mainly meat. However, there are many other characteristics that define a true carnivore. Below is a chart of characteristics that compare humans and carnivores. They are derived mainly from Dr. Graham's book, The 80/10/10 Diet:
|
| Humans | Carnivores |
| Walking | Two hands and two feet; walk erect | Four feet; perform locomotion using all fours |
| Tails | No tails | All carnivores have tails |
| Tongues | Smooth tongues | Rasping (rough) tongues |
| Claws | No claws | Claws |
| Opposing thumbs | Opposing thumbs | No opposing thumbs |
| Births | Give birth to one or two at a time | Give birth to litters |
| Colon formation | Convoluted colon | Smooth colon |
| Intestinal length | 12 times the length of the torso | 3 times the length of the torso |
| Mammary glands | One pair mammary glands on chest | Multiple teats on abdomen |
| Sleep | Two thirds of every 24 hour cycle are spent actively awake | Rest and sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day |
| Microbial tolerance | Little tolerance; deadly | Can digest large amounts of microbes |
| Perspiration | Sweat from pores on entire body | Sweat from tongues only |
| Vision | Full spectrum of color | Do not see in full color |
| Meal size | Fruit fits in hands, a few pieces will suffice for a meal, there is no waste | Eat entire animal when they kill it |
| Drinking | Suck water with lips | Tongues protrude outward so they can lap water |
| Placenta | Discoid-style placenta | Zonary placenta |
| Vitamin C | Essential nutrient found in food | Produce their own vitamin C |
| Jaw movement | Grind food; unique to plant eaters | Have no lateral movement in their jaws |
| Dental formula | 2 incisors, 1 canine, 5 molars | 3 incisors, 1 canine, 5 to 8 molars |
| Teeth | “Canines” are primarily flat, for mashing food | Canines are long, pointed, and sharp, for biting into flesh |
| Tolerance for fat | Do not handle large amounts of fat well | Thrive on a high-fat diet |
| Saliva and urine pH | When healthy, Alkaline saliva and urine | Acidic saliva and urine |
| Diet pH | Preferred foods are alkaline-forming; high amounts of acid-forming foods are deadly | Thrive on a diet of acid-forming foods |
| Stomach acid pH | pH level of the hydrochloric acid that humans produce in their stomach generally ranges about 3 to 4 or higher | Stomach acid runs in the 2s and is at least 10 times stronger than that of a human. (It can be 100 or even 1,000 times stronger) |
| Uricase | Secrete none; must neutralize this strong acid with alkaline minerals such as calcium. | Secrete an enzymes called uricase to metabolize the uric acid in flesh |
| Digestive enzymes | Produce ptyalin -aka amylase- to initiate the digestion of fruit | Do not produce ptyalin and have different digestive enzyme ratios |
| Sugar metabolism | The glucose and fructose in fruits fuel cells without straining the pancreas | Cannot handle sugars well |
| Intestinal flora | Different bacterial colonies living in intestines; the ones that are similar (such as lactobacillus and e. coli) are found in different amounts | Different bacterial colonies living in intestines; the ones that are similar (such as lactobacillus and e. coli) are found in different amounts |
| Liver size | Smaller livers | Proportionately larger livers |
| Cleanliness | Particular about the cleanliness of food | Least picky; will eat bugs, dirt, organic debris, and other items |
Table1: Humans vs. Carnivores (Graham).
If humans aren't carnivores, what are they? Well, humans are classified as anthropoid apes. Since primates are cousins to humans, the primate diet may reveal clues to the biological human diet. The closest relative to humans are bonobos. They have up to a 99.4% DNA match to humans. They are frugivores and eat mostly fruits, greens, young shoots and buds. Less than 1% of their diet comes from animal products such as insects, fish, and small animals. Even when they do eat animals on occasion, they gobble up the raw bloody flesh with their bare hands. My guess is that most humans would not find this appealing! Bonobos thrive from a diet that mainly consists of uncooked, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. They never consider cooking, seasoning, or altering their food in any way. Since humans are so closely related to them, it would only make sense that humans should also eat this way.
So, is it really possible for humans to survive on a diet mainly consisting of fruits and vegetables? Yes. Not only can humans survive but they can also thrive! Many people around the world are eating this way.
Here, I answer a few frequently asked questions:
So what exactly does your diet consist of? I eat uncooked, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Why don't you eat cooked food? When food is cooked, the enzymes, vitamins, and minerals are destroyed. Just think about what fire does to something. You can only imagine what it is doing to your food. It changes the molecular structure, denatures the proteins, oxidizes the fats, and kills the nutrients. No other animal cooks its food and no other animal has as much disease as humans, which is mainly diet-related. Coincidence? I think not.
Why did you start this diet? What inspired it? Well, I was trying all sorts of different ways of eating throughout my life and I never really felt exceptionally good on any of them. I am an athlete and I wanted a diet that would allow me to perform at my peak all the time. I used to live off of ice cream and pasta so anything would have made a change! I heard about this diet when I went vegan. My friend told me about it and then I looked it up online. I remember that as I was reading about the raw vegan diet online, I became addicted to the information. I sat at my computer for hours researching and everything made perfect sense to me. It was the most logical diet i've ever heard about and I starting eating this way the very next day! I got very inspired by other people doing it online and all the information I read about really sparked something inside me that has kept me doing it for over two years now!
What are some benefits you have received while eating this way? I have received endless benefits. I have experienced improved digestion, insanely increased energy, healthy weight loss, smooth skin, and increased happiness. I have friends who have cured diseases such as cancer and diabetes from this diet. I have also let go of many negative attributes that went along with my old standard American diet. I no longer get sick, have headaches, or get bloated. I have also cured depression and I've never felt better in my life!
Do you get all your nutrients on a raw food diet? Yes! am eating the most nutritional foods on the planet. The reality is that we shouldn't worry so much about this if we are eating a diet that is naturally appealing. Animals don't worry about if they are getting enough calcium or iron so neither should we. They just eat their biological diet and go on with their life! Nature has it all worked out for us!
But where do you get your protein? Ah, the protein question. This is the most commonly asked question! First of all, humans do not need as much protein as some people think. When we are infants, we grow at the most rapid state we will ever grow. We are meant to live on our mother's breast milk, which is 1-4% protein. Consequently, fruit happens to be 1-6% protein. As a parting thought, gorillas are one of the strongest mammals on the planet. Where do they get their protein? (fruits and greens!)
You mentioned you were an athlete. How has this diet effected your performance? Yes, I am a sponsored competitive rock climber and I only want the best diet for my performance. I have tried many diets over the years to try and achieve optimal performance. It was not until I found this natural diet when I achieved this goal. I have never felt this strong in years and I feel like the way I eat now has greatly effected my performance on the rock. I have been a regional champion for a few years now and have competed at nationals. I am stronger than ever.
What would you tell someone who wanted to start eating this way?
First, I would tell them to buy the book The 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham because it is so informative when it comes to this natural diet. Getting inspired and motivated was the most important part for my transition! Research, research, research! Next, I would tell them to start their day with a fresh fruit smoothie or piece of fruit. There are many ways to transition to this diet but I found that slowly adding fruits and greens to the existing diet is an easy way to ease in, starting with breakfast. Slowly start making the raw portion sizes bigger and the cooked food portions smaller. Soon enough, you'll be eating raw fruits and vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you need any help transitioning, feel free to email me for more personal help: badashclimber@gmail.com
I, among many others, am living proof that eating our biological diet is not only do-able, but beneficial. By comparing ourselves to other animals, looking at our senses, and using simple logic, we have found that humans are frugivores by nature. One could only imagine what the world would be like if everyone started eating our natural diet again. Would all disease fade away and be cured? Would depression be solved? Would people be happier and healthier? There is only one way to find out.
****if you found this post interesting, and would like to read more info on the subject, let me know. I wrote a more in depth paper that I am glad to share. Leave your email and I will send it to you.
AND OF COURSE, THE FOOD:
psychedelic!
d'awwww!!!!
d'awwww!!!!
