The Law of Satiation

A paragraph summary from the book "The Pleasure Trap" by Douglas J. Lisle, Ph.D.

How much food is enough? How can we know if we have had too little to eat, just enough, or too much? It is essential that we would achieve near-optimal solution to these problems, or we would be in trouble.

All animals have solved this puzzle almost flawlessly for countless generations. Have anybody seen an animal who consistently underfed itself, starving to death within environments of caloric plenty? Has anyone ever observed some animal species with individuals consistently overeating thus becoming too fat? More broadly, where has it ever been observed in nature that species in its natural environment either underfeeds or overeats to the point of health compromise? The answer appears to be never.

Animal feeding behavior appears to be regulated by what may be termed the "Law of Satiation": In a natural setting of caloric abundance, animals will consume the correct amount of food needed for optimal function.

While millions of men and women all over the world count their calories, animals never need to consider if they have overeaten or undereaten, as these computations are performed by ingenious innate machinery. Animals eat until they are satisfied and they never compromise their health by undereating or overeating. Those animals that given the opportunity, eat the right amount of food, drink the right amount of fluid, breathe the right amount of oxygen and sleep the right amount of time so they would more likely survive and reproduce.

As you see, animals seem to have a perfectly working system in their body for counting how much food they need to eat. We, humans, are the creation of nature as well and we have the exact same ability. We have just created the wrong environment and gave our body the wrong tools to use that system correctly. If you put the wrong kind of fuel in your car, it wont work properly. If you eat wrong food, you bodies natural mechanisms are disturbed.

Only one group of species on the planet have weight problems and that is us, humans. But we are not somehow doomed to be fat. It just means that we try to conceur the Law of Satiation like we did with the Law of Gravity by building airplanes or rocket ships. But can some man-made food be functioning the same with humans as our natural biological foods?

The hunger thrive is perfectly natural mechanism by nature to ensure survival. Once we have eaten, the hunger subsides. The pleasure of eating declines as we reach satiation, and the discomfort of hunger disappear. Like a well-engineered watch, this mechanism is designed to encourage us to eat the right amount for our needs. But something is clearly awry with this system in modern society. To understand the cause of eating problems we have to know why and how eating is naturally stopped.

There are three primary forces to hunger and they are designed to work together so we dont accidenatally overeat or undereat. These are the key to how the Law of Satiation works.

1. Strech sensation
2. Nutrient sensation
3. The "yowel" circuits

Strech sensation - When we feel hungry we want to eat and the food in our stomach stimulates nerves embedded in our gastrointestinal tissues (stretch receptors). These receptors tell us exactly how much we have eaten, so we feel satiated when enough food is consumed or we will still feel hungry when eating too little.

Nutrient sensation - Our nutrient receptors are able to detect the differences between foodstuffs of caloric densities. Foods differ dramatically in how many calories they contain per unit of weight volume. Raw vegetables contain about 100 calories per pound. Fresh fruits, in contrast, contains about 300 calories per pound. But animal flesh, such as hamburger, contain a whopping 1,200 calories per pound.

Food is composed almost entirely of substances referred to as macronutrients. These include protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and water. It also contains tiny amounts of micronutrients like vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, which have not been associated with satiation.

The hunger drive works in conjunction with stretch and nutrient reception to modulate hunger at about the right amount. But we also have other mechanisms in our body what know if we have to eat more food today because we did vigorous exercise or we have to eat less, because we didnt do much physical activity on the given day. Among most important is a set of amazing neural and hormonal equipment that we refer to as "yowel" circuits. These help us to regulate our food consumption such that our bodies remain healthy and fit despite daily deviations in caloric intake.

The "Yowel" circuits - While the hunger drive is primarily influenced by the amount of sort-term energy stores, the degree of hunger is also influenced by a fat-reserve monitoring system with sensors all over the body. This is system designed to detect the extent of the body´s fat storage and to communicate that information to the feeding centers of the brain. The system is comprised of a set of neural equipment that we have dubbed the "yowel" circuits.

These mechanisms are quiet when a body is within its optimal range. However, should an animal (or person) consistently overeat, fat stores quickly increase. If this continues, these special sensors begin to alert the brain that fat stores have become excessive and are beginning to compromise health and well-being. So these circuits will tell you, "You are over-weight, eat less!"


But can ANY food make these systems to work properly, or we still need the right kind of "gas" to fuel our "tank"?

What has happened to humans in the modern world that has resulted in widespread obesity? How can our calorie-accounting devices suddenly be failing so miserably? How and why do millions exhibit irrefutable evidence that they are eating too much? How is this possible given the elegant design of our bodies, engineered to obey the Law of Satiation?

There is a surprisingly simple answer to these questions, one that will point us to a permanent solution to the problem of weight management.

Artificial concentration - Our modern diet is artificially concentrated, and this artificial concentration causes our calorie-counting machinery to make errors. Specifically, our calorie-counting machinery consistently underestimates the caloric value of artificially concentrated foods, and this inexorably leads to overeating.

Fooling the machine - Our calorie-counting machine is fooled in two ways: through excessive fat intake and through the consumption of refined carbohydrates. Elimination of these foods solves the problem of weight management.

Our modern diet is artificially concentrated with high-fat animal products, oils, sugar, and other refined carbohydrates. Our ancestors rarely consumed 20% of fat, but in modern environment our diet provide typically between 35-80% of fat! Because fat is calorically very concentrated, a high-fat diet has an unnatural degree of caloric density and it causes mistakes by our innate calorie-counting machinery.

Our modern diet also contain plant foods whose fiber has been damaged or partially or completely removed. Fiber is essential to feel satiation. Whole brown rice, for example, contains about 500 calories per pound. White rice is just brown rice with the nonnutritive fiber removed. The same with white bread, pasta, flour.

We are designed by nature to consume the majority of our calories from plants: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, with the fiber in them. We cant use fiber for fuel, but our digestive system does register the presence of fiber.

Fiber increases the amount of strech receptor activity in the gastrointestinal system and thus helps the system to achieve an accurate caloric count. The removal of fiber, however, disrupts this sensitive system, what may result in underestimation of calories consumed.

When fiber is removed there is less bulk per calorie consumed. This means that the stretch receptor activity for that amount of caloric intake has been reduced. With less stretch receptor activity, the mechanisms of satiation signal that more food must be eaten.

A very simple explanation of weight management is this: modern foods pack too many calories into too small a space for us to feel full at the right time

A diet of soft drinks (zero fiber), croissants (almost zero fiber), hamburger buns (almost zero fiber), processed cereals (zero or greatly reduced fiber), white-flour pasta (almost zero fiber), pizza (almost zero fiber), together with cookies, candy and ice cream (zero fiber), is a diet that is extremely deficient in fiber.

This fiber deficiency, together with the modern diet´s high concentration of fat, fools the mechanisms of satiation in most people. This causes consistent overeating and obesity. For that reasn it is essential to understand the mechanics of the Law of Satiation.

Teeth problems and fruit

I have seen and heard of many people with teeth problems while on a raw food diet. Many say that its because of the fruit sugar. "And if you are on a fruitarian diet, then you will probably lose all your teeth." At least that´s what people say or think. But do you actually think that nature provided us with a perfect food (fruit) to provide us with excellent health, energy and vitality...BUT the only thing is that - our teeth will eventually just rot out?! It seems to me that a big confusion and misleading information is rather the case here.

Our body is very smart and it is NEVER working against us. It just makes the best out of what we provide. If you provide your body with healthy materials it creates health, if you give it junky or dead food, it will give you a junky and dead body.

For our teeth and bone health (and also for our entire body health) it is very important that our body remains alkaline, with a normal pH about 7.4. If it is too acidic, it has to put tremendous effort to balance the acidity with alkaline minerals from your body. If you consume acidic foods, your body has to leach calcium and other alkaline minerals from your teeth and bones. For example, it is really controversial that they say that "milk is good for your bones, it makes them stronger", while actually the opposite is true. Milk and all other animal products are very acid-forming to our body, and if you consume milk, you will actually lose calcium from your bones and osteoporosis will result.

The same is with your teeth, as teeth are your visible bones. Consume acidic forming foods and you will have tooth decay, cavities or worse.

ACID-FORMING: Foods which, when metabolized, form acidic end-products. Acids must be neutralized because the body must maintain an alkaline disposition of blood and fluids. Phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur and silicon are the most prevalent acid-forming elements.

ALKALINE-FORMING: Foods which, when metabolized, form bases or alkalis in the body. Alkalis are base elements that predominate in the body. We require an alkaline disposition of blood and fluids. Calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron are the most significant alkaline elements.

Acid-forming foods are:

• All animal products (meat, eggs, milk...)
• Processed foods (everything that you wont see in nature - canned foods, pastry, packaged foods...)
• Cooked foods (even if you cook otherwise alkaline vegetables, cooking will turn them acidic)
• Nuts and seeds except walnuts, chestnuts and coconuts (you should consume only raw nuts and seeds, but very moderately)
• All legumes and starches
• All grains except millet

Alkaline forming foods are:

• Raw fruits
• Raw vegetables
• Fresh raw green beans, peas and their sprouts

Also many raw foodists consume too much fat in their diet, commonly even more than a person on Standard American Diet (SAD). On a SAD diet people consume about 40% fat, but a person on a raw (gourmet raw) diet, consume 70% or more! That´s very easily done by adding nuts-avocados-oils to your dishes, as most raw gourmet foods contain plenty of them. Too much fat will ruin your teeth for sure!

So next time when you see a fruitarian with bad teeth then they probably did something wrong from the list i provided above: they consumed too much fat, animal products or cooked foods-grains as well. But if you are 100% low fat raw vegan, following 80/10/10 program, then you will NEVER have any teeth problems again. But if you come to this lifestyle with already existing teeth problems and detoxification will start to eliminate all the waste in your system it is possible that high fruit diet will just bring your already existing teeth problems to the surface. It is our past life bad eating habits, but not the fruits fault!

But how come some people can eat acid-forming foods 3 times a day 365 days a year without teeth problems or osteoporosis?

Now i wanna ask you, how smoking can be worse to the passive-smokers health?

Thats because passive-smoker doesn´t have the protecting mucous covering hes organs what was produced in smokers lungs in order to protect the body. Continuous smoking will cause body to make this sticky slime around your lungs to keep the body functioning. The non-smoker wont have that protective (but no needed) mucous in his body, because hes body never needed to produce it and thats why hes more vulnerable to such poisons.

Same is with little children who are still very pure and clean inside. If you give a baby child alcohol, tobacco or even such unbeknownst poison as cooked food, hes body will probably react pretty strong.

So the people who dont develop teeth problems seemingly, have a mucous covering their organs so it will just delay the problem. But if they get older, their body will eventually give up protecting them, because the toxicity is overwhelming and then they will have all sorts of problems. When we are young we can drink, smoke, eat junk, stay awake all night, play with our health - nothing happens, so we think we are somehow "stronger" in health than others. But if we get old, get osteoporosis or lose our teeth, we just blame it to our "old age", nothing to do with our past life...

If you are a low fat vegan or even low fat raw vegan, your body will detoxify, you will get rid of all the unnecessary mucous in your body, you will get clean. So yes, cooked food or other acidic foods will affect your body more than before. But it DOES NOT mean that you are now somehow weaker. Conversely you are much stronger health wise, as no "cold" or illness will affect you as long as you stay away from unhealthy foods.

This problem was also concerning me for some time since i begun my raw journey. I am not 100% low fat raw myself (yet). I eat fruit for breakfast and lunch but i still have a cooked food dinner. So i was worried if it will cause me teeth problems in long term? Most of the time i eat a very healthy vegan dinner. I only use whole grains and lots of vegetables. I dont consume any oil, and very little nuts or avocado, so its pretty low in fat. I try to eat a raw salad with my cooked meal.

From a book "Alive Raw foods" by T. C. Fry and David Klein i red that our diet must consist of at least 80% alakline forming and maximum 20% acid forming foods. If you still eat about 20% acid forming foods, the other 80% of alkaline forming foods will balance the acidity to normal levels without major damage to your body. So i recommend - if you still need to eat cooked foods, let it be healthy low fat vegan foods and keep it close to 20% of your daily intake. With the rest 80% consume raw fruits and salads. But keep it in mind that raw nuts are also acid forming, so not all raw is alkaline.

In the book "Raw Food Controversies" by Frederic Patenaude, he really scared me saying that after he had been raw food four years, he went to the dentist and was told to have 19 cavities! But he was a high fat raw for all those years. He believes that you have to rinse your mouth with water every time you eat fruit and even to brush your teeth every time you eat fruit. Im not sure if that all is necessary, but having a good dental hygiene is definitely essential! Freelee and Durianrider have been low fat raw vegans for over 5 years and they have PERFECT teeth, so does Douglas Graham who has been on 80/10/10 path for 30 years.

Heres a video where Durianrider speaks about teeth and being fruitarian on 1:50 sec: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLK3P_eyrxA

Here is Douglas Graham speaking about fruit and tooth decay: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0a8VWAtwMQ

Other important notes:

• Drink plenty of water as well, it will help to make your mouth pH more alkaline
• Eat your fruit ALWAYS ripe, it is also necessary for alkaline balance
• Even acidic fruits like oranges or grapefruit will have the alkaline END-PRODUCT in your body. Acidic fruits are NOT acid-forming.
• We should consume more food on a raw food diet in volume-wise, as raw fruits and vegetables contain much water. We have to make sure we eat enough calories so we get all necessary vitamins and minerals that are important for our teeth health.
• There are no long-term 100% low fat raw vegans, 811 followers, who have teeth problems!

Human Physiology

Almost everywhere you look in our modern world of health and medicine, you see ignorance and unawareness. "Doctors", "dietitians" and "nutritionists" are making us believe, that true health is something unreachable to us, that our own body is actually working against us and it is very hard to have a sickness-free life. Instead we should follow their instructions and silently take our drugs, accept the side effects and just hope for the best.

Meanwhile media is full of commercials about "healthy" food choices in McDonalds, how drinking more cows milk is going to free us from osteoporosis or how olive oil is good for your heart. We read magazines or local newspapers and yes, indeed, it seems to be true, as "scientists" are constantly approving these claims. We want to hear good things about our bad habits, but meanwhile we close our eyes to see that, despite all the "health information" available and millions of drug bottles in shops, we are sicker than ever before.

But nobody tells us, that if we get sick we can just look to the nature, our anatomy and physiology, and we would know what it is exactly that we are doing wrong. So it is very important to know how our body functions - why we actually get sick in the first place, why taking drugs simply won´t work, why we end up with tumors, heart disease or diabetes, how body has all the power to heal itself and how we can recover and stay healthy only by eating our natural biological foods. All this is easily explainable by human physiology.

We live years consuming unhealthy diet: meat, dairy, processed foods, cooked foods, fast foods and so on. We drink sodas and alcohol, we work long hours and never get adequate sleep or rest, we never exercise and have a very sedentary life. This is our sad outside picture, but on the inside things are even worse. Toxins from our bad eating habits and lifestyle choices are accumulating in our kidneys, blood vessels, intestinal tract.

As we don´t get enough sleep or exercise these toxins are very fast to build up, so we get sick. We are coughing and have mucous in our lungs and sinuses. We think it is because we got „cold“ or somebody else infected us, but it is actually our bodys most common way to release morbid matter and to say that we are doing something really wrong.

Having learnt from the media and "health professionals“, we go to the doctor and he gives us drugs to kill the ailment. At the same time our body has horrendous time with this new load of toxins caused by drugs. So our body discontinues previous symptoms and instead starts to deal with this even more dangerous threat. That´s why it seems that sickness is over, because there are no symptoms. But the truth is, when our body is strong enough to start fighting again with the toxins, we will become even more sick than the last time. And this is the endless road of taking drugs.

But the really frightful thing is, that if we eventually don´t change our unhealthy lifestyle, more serious disease will result. Cancer, heart disease and diabetes are few examples of toxic overload in our body which have accumulated for long periods. Some people realize only then that something more deep within has to change.

If we are lucky or smart enough we will have the opportunity to turn back to our roots and start living how nature intended us to. We would learn, that our body functions as its best when eating raw fresh organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. We are frugivores by our physiological disposal, not carnivores or omnivores as modern society promotes or believes.

And the beautiful thing is, that if we start to eat our natural biological diet, the body can start to heal itself. It has now all the nutrients, energy and possibility to do so. As we get rid of the toxins caused by unnatural diet or lifestyle, our body can almost recreate itself, because now it has the right tools to do so.

We can say that it is almost matter of life or death, that we would have the right education about our physiology. That we would know what really happens to our body when living unhealthy lifestyle. Nowadays most humans are victims of miseducation. We think that true health is something unreachable, but actually we don´t have to look the answers no further than ourselves.

Don´t Quit

Don´t Quit

by T. C. Fry

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

when the road you´re trudging seems all uphill,

when the funds are low and the debts are high,

and you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

when care is pressing you down a bit -

rest if you must, but don´t you quit.

Life is a queer with its twists and turns,

as every one of us sometimes learns,

and many a person turns about

when they might have won had they suck it out.

Don´t give up though the pace seems slow -

you may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up

when he might have captured the victor´s cup;

and he learned too late

when the night came down,

how close he was to the golden grown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

so stick to the fight when you´re hardest hit,

it´s when things seems worse that you mustn´t quit.

How to present the raw food message to others

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

How to effectively Present the Raw Food Diet Message

During our first few years of our raw food diet awakening many of us become super enthusiastic about wanting to help everyone we know get and embrace the raw food message. And many of us rub people the wrong way with our zeal.

We want to save the world and heal everyone who is sick. However, not everyone is open to be "saved" ( maybe its not yet their time). Despite our best intentions, most people need the freedom to figure out if the raw food diet approach is good for them So it is usually best to "plant seeds", give information - show the aquaintance a copy of  some good raw food book and perhaps invite them to a juice bar - IF she or he is open to listening and learning, and let go of the outcome, dont be attached to the result. Your "seeds" may need a while to germinate!

Understand that easiest way to get through to someone´s head is through their heart: people want and need to be treated lovingly and kindly. When we try to help someone while we are anxious, irritated or angry at them (or the world), the person will pick up on that, via your verbal, body language, or psychic communication, and they will feel as if they are being attacked. We need to be at ease and coming from our heart when we are educating and intending to help others.

Use the attitude that you are simply an educator (or "gardener") presenting wonderful information that has helped many people. Do not force or preach the information - present it when the opportunity opens up and you sense no tension. To become an effective "raw food info presenter" it helps immensely to practice your message delivery by yourself or with a raw food friend.

Be congruent with your message - if you are ill or healing and do not yet appear a model of raw food health, be mindful that image sells, and if your message is bombastic, your image may repel. When you become healthy and are glowing with vitality then you will be better help for others - your countenance will do the selling on its own!

Be aware of your own raw food attitude - avoid becoming a raw food fanatic. Remember: food is not life - raw food is simply one of many ingredients which together comprise the whole health recipe.

Be mindful when communicating with others, and remember that angels fly high because they take themselves lightly.

Emotional Eating

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Getting to the Core of Your Appetites via the Somatic Inquiry
"Know thy self" - Socrates

"Food! Feed me now and dont stop until i feel better!" Very often we eat just out of emotional habit. You may believe you need to work on "controlling your appetite". We dont understand the nature of the "appetite" nor how to approach it.

Understanding "appetites"

"Appetites" can be considered to be desires which arise from thoughts, memories and bodily needs. the needs can be physiological or emotional. Emotional eating can and does help us sometimes to cope. However, food can never fully solve an emotional "appetite".

Essential and non-essential eating

There are only three essential reasons to eat:
1. to nourish our bodies when we experience true hunger;
2. to hydrate our bodies when we are thirsty; and
3. to fuel our bodies before and during rigorous work and exercise.

Body awareness

The key to healthful eating is mindful body awareness. This practice leads to self knowledge, which is the gateway to health, freedom and longevity. As conscious beings, we have the ability to develop our self-awareness on our pathway of self-mastery. With regard to eating, it is beneficial to observe our food cravings/appetite, food choices, the manner in which we eat, what our mind is doing when we eat, our emotions, and our body´s sensations during and after we eat.

The Somatic Inquiry

The Somatic Inquiry is a practice of sensing and observing the energetic presences and voids in and of the boy, the inner terrain so to speak, and so discovering our true needs. In practicing the Somatic Inquiry you will naturally hone your ability to eat, live and care for yourself healthfully. By inquiring into your appetites you will gain a deeper understanding of the nature, so that you can discern what is and is not true hunger. After a while it becomes easy and natural to integrate the Somatic Inquiry into your life - just like sensing the outside air temperature and deciding how much clothing to wear.

Guidelines

Sit in quietude and develop an internal witness who silently and non-judgmentally observes everything about your self: your thoughts, emotions, sensations, circumstances, etc. In a relaxed manner, keep on observing and practicing being present in the body, every moment.

One or more times each day, while sitting in quietude, have the witness to a somatic inventory. From head to toe, or any direction, observe all of the qualities of the energies, sensations, feelings, emotions and voids you sense in your body. When you come to a strong and interesting presence, locate it in the body and delve or inquire into it via the Somatic Inquiry as follows: What is the temperature, shape, color, texture, density, space, movement of the energetic presence? Does it have a sound? Is there any message? If it is a void, can you delve into it? Stay with the energies or the void and delve deeper and deeper, without dwelling on or analyzing anything that comes up. A shift or resolution may occur as you sensefeel.

Keep  practicing emotional-body awareness all day, even while talking to people. Sense the energies in your body and just accept whatever is there. Also practice the same thing when you have food cravings. Focus on the energies in and of the body - get in touch with your true needs. Is it located in your stomach area? What do you feel? Observe and sense the energetic presence as a whole. Is this a clear food signal? Maybe it uncomfortable and just flexing. If you stay with it the craving may shift and resolve to something else. Try to drink a glass of water, maybe you are thirsty? Maybe your stomach is empty and just wants love - eating is not love. but caring for your emotional needs is loving. Invite the feelings of love in and see what happens.

Do you have a feeling somewhere that is calling for specific type of food locate it in your body and get to know it. What is the food your body truly needs. do you recognize the food it wants? If you do, and its healthful food then eat it slowly, sniff in the aroma and truly enjoy eating it being present all the time. Observe the sensations and how you feel as the food goes down. Relax into the eating and digestion process, stay tuned in and keep on observing how you feel. continue to eat until you are satiated. your appetite may shift, or the taste may change. Its best not to eat past a "stop" signals. Put the remaining food in the refrigerator, compost it, or share it with a friend.

If you have difficult time getting touch with your body, it may indicate that you need to detox further, work with a coach, or just keep practicing on your own.

After you have finished eating, observe for several hours how you feel. Notice your energy, any pleasant or unpleasant feelings in your body, any indigestion. Do you feel happy, balanced, unbalanced, energized, sleepy, moody? Are you experiencing an appetite/craving? If yes, locate it in the body, inquire into it and accept it as it is.

Overeating

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Twelve Reasons Why We Overeat and How to Overcome

1. We are malnourished - we eat nutrient-poor foods and are craving nutrients.
Tune in your body´s true needs and consume delicious mineral-rich, organically-grown fresh fruits an, if you like, their juices.

2. We harbor the false idea that we will not obtain enough nutrients by having small meals of raw fruits and/or vegetables. 
Understand that raw food nutrition is infinitely superior to your old diet of cooked foods - there is far more nutritional, health-promoting value in one apple than in a seven course meal of cooked food.

3. We are tired and are trying to stimulate our energy.
Understand that when we are tired, our primary need is for rest, not food, and food cannot digest well when we are tired. Eating when we are tired will only lead to enervation, toxemia and a worsening of fatigue.

4. We are not mindful or present when we eat.
Eat slowly and practice being aware/mindful/concious and present in your body while you eat.

5. We do not want to feel particular emotion.
choose to accept, feel and be with the emotion. Allow it to dissipate, or expand, to flow through your body and beyond.

6. We want to feel the nurturing "mother love" that is lacking in our lives.
Choose to cease covering up your emotions and to release emotional contractions and you will begin to feel nurtured by the love that is always present within yourself.

7. We feel and believe we are hungry when we are not - we are actually eating to fill up emptiness.
Choose to explore, accept and be with the emptiness. Meditation and "Somatic Inquiry" can help (see next post).

8. We feel bored and we eat recreationally.
Develop enjoyable and healthful activities away from the food or kitchen.

9. We feel socially obligated.
choose to act healthfully and be in your power - choose to take the best possible care of your self at all times.

10. We feel too thin when we are in the detoxification stage.
Accept and love yourself as you are, and understand that by living and eating correctly your detoxification and weightloss period will eventually shift into a rebuilding phase, in which you will add healthy weight with larger muscles and enjoy higher vitality.

11. We are not physically fit and are at the mercy of our sympathetic emotions.
Keep physically fit - strong pine and fit body translates into a strong nervous system, self-esteem, will-power, and keener physical awareness so that you can discern your true needs for nourishment.

12. We believe we can "get away with it" one more time.
Ask yourself: "How is this food going to make me feel in a few minutes, and in a few hours, and tomorrow?" Think about how you want to feel and make the healthful choice, knowing that as you do, you are raising your level of well-being.

Digestive problems

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet - Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

How to Overcome Any Gastric Distress When Beginning Your Natural diet

When we start eating a lot more raw fruits and vegetables, existing stagnant putrid and fermentive, gaseous food matter is flushed out of the bowel due to the energizing effect of the raw sugars and the high fiber and water content. Also, when raw fruit sugars contact existing bacteria-laden morbid matter from cooked starches and meat and dairy products, the fruit sugars will ferment and gas will evolve. this will pass when the bowels are clean. If we do not follow proper food combining guidelines, fermentation and putrefication will continue. Digestive difficulties during the initial transition/cleanout phase will be allevaited by eating very simple, properly combined foods. Raw salads with grated vegetables will help sweep out the bowels and eventually fruit sugar and protein foods will digest cleanly. Pure water, fruit juices and smoothies help us clean out as well. When the bowels are clean and the detoxification action calms down, digestion will be a quiet and thorough process as long as healthful eating principles are maintained. Remember: simple eating is always best.

See more about digestive issues here: http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/digestive-physiology-and-food-combining/food-combining-rules.html

Here is a food combining chart: http://www.followthefruitfly.com/2012/02/food-combining-chart.html

Raw Success Tips

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Part 12: Tools For Success Along The Raw Food Path

Education - Read books by noted authors on raw food living nutrition.  If you are really ambitious, enroll in the Natural Hygienic Course. Learn the basics of our physiology, namely detoxification process, healing requirements, raw food nutrition and digestion. Understand that it´s a continuously unfolding process. hire a diet coach if you need help.

Set goals - Set goals and write them down. go back to the list and revise it as needed each night before you go to sleep. Visualize, affirm, take action, give yourself validation and reinforcement, and you will attain your goals.

Psychology - Feed your mind positive healthful thoughts. There are over 20 lifestyle factors, aside from nutrition, which need to be optimized in order to create vibrant health. Eat mindfully and eat to live; don´t live to eat. Design your lifestyle to have a good, varied "diet" of activities that dont involve food intake.

Contemplation and meditation - The best if not the only way to access the answers from within - what, when and how to eat, as well as any other aspects of living - is to sit in silence. Tune in to your body´s signals and its needs will be revealed.

Practice body awareness to overcome emotional overeating - Emotional body awareness helps us delve into reason for overeating, which are typically a quest to fill an "emptiness" within or a resistance to feeling certain ambitions.

Exercise - Exercise makes the whole dietary transition go better and better. Exercise improves will-power, digestion, and elimination. Exercise vigorously at least twice daily to create true hunger.

Mineralize - If you are not in peak vibrant health, a mineral deficiency could be a key part of the problem. Minerals act as co-factors for our enzymes, powering them for maximum efficiency.

Peer support - Associate with other raw fooders via raw food pot lucks (try hosting your own), outings, phone and e-mail. Avoid non-supportive relationships.

BYO - Bring your own healthful food and drinks with you when you go to work, travel, visit friends...so that you are always able to eat the way you want to eat.

Transition - Substitute cooked fat with raw fat. Avocados, nuts and seeds (raw or soaked overnight) are healthy, satisfying sources of fat. Substitute salt with rinsed algaes, celery, and fresh or dried tomatoes. Substitute cooked starches with raw corn, zucchini, summer squash and artichokes. Always eat bigger portion of raw with cooked food.

Have no more than one heavy meal per day - If you have nuts or seeds, avoid avocado and starchy foods that day. If you have avocado, avoid nuts and seeds that day. If you have cooked starchy food, avoid nuts and seeds that day. Avocado combined with starchy food is a fair combination but works for most people. Avoid nuts, seeds and avocados all together if you are not feeling well.

Follow food combining rules - Eat sweet fruits only on an empty stomach. Dont eat them with or right after other foods, with this exeption: sweet fruit combines well with greens, celery and cucumber. Avoid eatin fats/ high protein foods (nuts-seeds) with starchy foods. Eat plenty of greens and/or cucumbers with heavy foods (fats, protein and cooked foods).

Be passionate - It is the intention behind your thoughts and expression that seeds the success you desire. It is the emotional force that you attach to your thoughts and your expression that catalyzes your transition and rejuvenation process. Choose to become vibrantly healthy and be passionate about life! Interact with other passionate, health-minded people, learn from them and share your passion and joy with them.

Relax, be patient and accept what is - Noting can be or needs to be any different than it is right now - this moment if perfect and you have done and are doing the best you can. Praise yourself for being where you are, having the courage and wisdom to be on be raw food path, and dont get down on yourself for no reason. If you stumble get up and dont give up. Rome was not built in a day; be patient, focus on the good things in your life, and in due time the fruits of life will be yours!

Natural Hygiene

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Part 11: The Art And Science of Healthful Living

Natural Hygiene is the art and science of living healthfully in accord with our natural biological heritage. Natural Hygiene embodies those principles which guide us to correct living practices. "Hygiene" is literally the science of health.

Our biological nature, the make-up (structure, function and living essence) of our bodies, determines our needs and how we should meet them. Health is our natural state of being. Disease are perfectly natural responses sent by our body for the purpose of detoxifying, rebalancing, adapting to harmful influences and healing. the condition of health is only possible when living healthfully, statisfying our mental, emotional, physiological, spiritual needs.

Natural Hygiene is about enhancing our well-being in all of those levels through education and right living. It provides us a simple, wholisic, living awareness system for regaining and maintaining superb human health and beauty. It teaches independence and rational action. It banishes fear and ignorance regarding human health and how to keep it. Ultimately it is about freedom.

Natural Hygiene always refers to nature as its nature and teacher. We can refer back to nature as the final authority. Present day seems to be losing contact with nature, so Natural hygiene brings us "back to the garden", so to speak. We truly believe that only by living healthfully, we can realize the loftiest joys, peace of mind and blissful connection with all of creation which is our birthright.

All animals are creatures of instinct, which directs them to meet their needs. discovering our natural instinct is part of the Natural hygiene. It is ignorance of our instincts and the laws of life that creates our sickness and suffering.

We contend that disease will not occur unless there is sufficient cause. When the organism is overwhelmed by toxic substances beyond its ability to eliminate them in normal course, the body institutes emergency action to effect expulsion of the toxic burden. this crisis is called sickness or disease. Toxic materials accumulate in the body from two sources: 1) from unexpelled body wastes that are endogenously generated as a normal part of our metabolism, and 2) from exogenous materials ingested and partially or wholly retained due to inability to cope with the eliminative load.

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We must eliminate the false knowledge we carry with us each moment. Using treatments, drugs, herbs, or anything else abnormal and unnatural to the body can interfere with healthful body functions but, under no circumstances can these agencies heal the body.Because these devitalizing agents depress and supress symptoms (or evidences) of body healing efforts, and because the body discontinues vital activities to contend with these agencies, which makes the symptoms disappear, the anti-vital effects of drugs and treatments are mistaken for healing effects. Body vitality may be lowered so much by the greater danger presented by the drugs or modalities that the original disease effort, which is actually an effort to purify the body, is discontinued in favor of devoting available energies to the more virulent enemy, the drugs within. thats why there are so many diseases caused by treatments.

Actually all physicians succeed in doing is to create additional disease. The original problem remains while the body must redirect its energies partly or wholly to removing the more dangerous drugs, herbs, or so-called medicines. thus symptoms of the original disease disappear (or are suppressed and masked) because the necessary energy and vitality to further conduct the disease is now lacking. Yet the body is in greater danger than before. Nothing but the body can heal itself.

The best way to help the body in disease is to "intelligently do nothing" and simultaneously establish conditions of health-conditions that enable the body to devote all its vitality to the healing crisis.

The body is always acting intelligently and correctly. It is always acting appropriately based on the conditions with which it must contend. We can interfere with its operations, but we cannot possibly help it other than by furnishing the normal needs of life consonant with exiting body conditions.

The prime requisities of health

1. Love of Self
2. Healthy Self Image and Esteem
3. Passionate Love of All Life
4. Awareness
5. Intention
6. Inner Focus/Listening
7. Abidance by the Senses and Intuition
8. True Knowledge
9. Graceful, Grateful, Respectful, Generous Attitude
10. Organic, Vegan, Properly-combined Alive Raw Food Diet
11. Pure Water
12. Pure air
13. Sunshine
14. Warm Climate
15. Fitness and Posture
16. Security and Peace of Mind
17. Rejuvenative Rest and Sleep
18. Heart-centered Self Nurturing
19. Sharing of Love
20. Relaxation
21. Humor
22. Creative Expression
23. Emotional Flow and Release
24. Rhythmic Movement
25. Musical Indulgence
26. Simple Lifestyle
27. Communing With Nature
28. Gardening
29. Service - Living Your Life´s Purpose
30. Engagement in Self-improvement Challenges

By living hygienically, or healthfully, we are enabled to rejuvenate and reach our full health potential.

The Food Combining Chart

by David Klein, derived from Life Science

The Raw Food Pearamid (Pyramid)

Healthful eating guidelines

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Part 10: Healthful eating guidelines

• Eat only if you are hungry [not so sure about this one...]
• Exercise to create true hunger, especially before breakfast.
• Do not eat when tired or emotionally upset.
• Drink one or more glasses of water before breakfast [i say drink more:)]
• Biologically, we are frugivores. Fruit is our natural and most healthful food. A diet of 50-90% of fruit is recommended.
• Include plenty of cucumbers, tomatoes, celery and leafy greens in your diet.
• The most healthful food choices are raw fruits, vegetables and sprouts with minimal amounts of seeds and nuts, all fresh from the orchard and garden.
• Eat fruit for breakfast.
• Eat only fresh food that tastes delicious.
• Chew your food slowly and well. Mix the food with saliva.
• Properly combine food Eat fruit only on an empty stomach. Eat melons alone. Eat cirtus fruits before sweet fruits. Do not eat fatty/protein foods (seeds and nuts, including coconut) with sweet fruit or starchy foods (squash, tubers, carrots and corn). Legumes are poorly digested and not recommended.
• Avoid old rancid nuts, seeds. living nuts and seeds soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours are more digestible.
• Fruit digests within minutes. Starches digest 2-4 hours. Protein-fatty foods require 4-6 hours.
• Try to eat only organic foods.
• Do not eat within two hours of going to sleep.
• Make a gradual transition off of all cooked food.
• If during your transition you eat cooked food, never eat all cooked, include salads.
• More healthful cooked food are steamed vegetables, squash and potatoes. Cooked grains are not recommended - they are sedating, mucus-forming and constipating.
• Avoid or eat minimally "hot" and spicy foods such as curries, spices, black pepper, onions, radishes, mustard greens, garlic and chili peppers.
• Avoid all animal products - i mean ALL! Also heated oils, chemical additives and preservatives, salt, spices, flour, white rice, white sugar, coffees, caffeinated teas, pasteurized drinks, irradiated foods, non-organic and non-whole foods and supplements, fermented products, roasted seeds and nuts, caramelized and crystallized dried sweet fruits, chlorinated and fluoridated water, and drugs.
• Learn how to inquire inwardly to understand the meaning of any emotional eating habits and cravings.
• Eat to support your body´s effort to create excellent health. Eat for body purity, perfect digestion, mental clarity, consistent balanced energy, and high vitality.
• If you are going to a place where healthy foods are not available - bring your own.
• If you are ill, ingest only purified water and fresh juices - do not eat any heavy foods such as nuts-seeds. Gt the right healing guidance.
• Choose to live and eat healthfully.
• Each day affirm that your dietary transition in as unfolding process that will improve your life in wonderful ways, and give yourself the patience and nurturing love you deserve.
• stay on the raw food oath for life. Dont allow anyone to influence you waywardly.
• Share your life with other health-minded supportive friends.
• Get the right education and guidance. Study books by Dr. Herbert Shelton on food combining, nutrition and fasting.
• Eat to live, dont live to eat. Find many daily pleasurable activities to enjoy, dont allow your life revolve around food.

Transition from SAD to RAW

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Part 9: Dietary Transition

My advice to people  desiring success on the raw food path is that they first get a proper education in nutrition and self-healing from Dr. Shelton´s, Dr. T. C. Fry, Dr. Douglas Graham´s and Arthur Baker´s books, and second, that they tune in to their bodie´s signals to discern what they truly need for nourishment, balance and healing. Here are some guidelines on how to make the transition to a diet of 90-100% alive raw organic foods.

Freelee´s transition pictures from SAD (Standard American Diet) to RAW

Phase 1 - Immediately to 3 weeks

• Discontinue salt.
• Go vegan: phase out all meat, eggs and dairy - replace with avocado, nuts, seeds.
• Discontinue white bread, white rice and soy products.
• Replace white bread with whole grain bread or avoid all bread entirely.
• Discontinue processed cheese.
• Discontinue all soft drinks and caffeinated beverages.
• Phase out all junk foods.
• Replace processed sugar sweets with dried and fresh fruit and raw honey.
• Begin shopping at healthfood stores, buying fruits and vegetables.
• Begin following food combining: fruit alone or with green vegetables; avoid starches with high protein foods.
• Have some fruit for breakfast - try citrus - and vegetable salads with each cooked food meal.
• Use a steamer to cook.
• Drink several glasses of distilled water per day, mostly in the morning.
• Exercise vigorously at least once per day.
• Optional: begin experimenting with fresh made fruit and vegetable juices.

Phase 2-3 to 8 weeks

• Have only raw food for breakfast, and no cooked food till noon (if at all).
• Phase out all pasta and white flour products.
• Phase out whole grain bread, cereals and related products.
• Gradually increase your raw food intake to at least 75%
• Have nuts/seeds only once per day (it at all).
• Do not eat starchy foods on the same day of eating nuts/seeds.

Phase 3-6 weeks to as long as it takes

• Gradually increase your raw food consumption to 90-100%
• Follow proper food combining all of the time.

Food shopping tips

• Experiment - try new foods.
• Get in touch with the foods your body finds to be most flavorful or refreshing and observe and select the most fragrant and visually attractive foods.
• Don´t over-stock perishable foods - shop often.
• Buy your mainstays in bulk quantities.
• Go 100% organic.
• Frequent farmers markets if available.

Remember that simple meal is best. If fruit is too sweet, than have a cucumber or celery with it. If you have strong craving for fat and want to eat lots of avocado or nuts, or strong craving for cooked starchy foods, then have some if it feels right, however, have plenty of fresh salad with it. Bring your healthy food always with you - to your workplace or when you travel or even when you go to visit somebody.

Try 100% one day!

You can do it! Juicing can help you to get ready. Don´t force it. Don´t judge yourself. Follow your goals, let it flow and enjoy!

Avocado: The Fruit That Would Make Butter and Meat Obsolete

by David Klein

If you love fatty, creamy, hearty foods and want to avoid cholesterol and toxicity of meat and dairy, anchor your diet with avocado!

Avocado is more than a ingredient in guacamole - it makes a hearty satisfying meal when eaten alone, in salads, and in other dishes. most people who transition from standard American diet to a vegan diet with avocado, nuts and seeds don´t miss the animal foods because raw vegan plant fat is so satisfying as well as more nutritious than cooked fatty animal foods! In hundreads of thousands of cases, people who have adopted a vegan diet of predominantly raw foods with minimal or no cooked starches as part of a healthful lifestyle (including regular exercise and adequate sleep), have lost excess weight, overcome illness, gained new vitality, and avoided the killer diseases which now plague our meat, bread, dairy, and junk-food eating society.

If your goal is to reduce your consumption or transition completely off of meat and dairy, avocado may be the perfect way to satisfy your natural cravings for creamy nourishment.

Avocado is also known as "alligator pear" because of the rough skin and some varieties. In the 17-18th centuries the fruit was also commonly known as "butter pear". In tropical Central America, avocado trees have been growing wild for thousands of years.

According to the Little Green Avocado Book, there is strong evidence that avocado trees flourished 50 million years ago in wah is now California, and avocados might have provided food for dinosaurs.

Avocado growing is relatively new in the United States. They are available year round. the harvest time depends on the variety. the Hass, the best known commercial variety, is a hybrid of the Mexican and the Guatemalan types and is picked from January into fall depending on where is it grown.

The Little Green Avocado Book also states that an acre of avocado trees can yield more food than an acre of any other tree crop. Imagine the economical implications - a perfectly healthful "meaty" food which requires 1/200th or less of the acreage needed by the cattle industry for a comparable yield in pounds, posing no pollution problems - and no carnage! Worried about mad cow disease? - eat raw avocados, seeds and nuts and stay sane and mentally keen!

Avocados are bursting vith nutrients - vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, H, K, and folic acid, plus the mineral magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and many other trace elements. Avocados provide all of the essential amino acids (those that must be provided by our diet), with 18 amino acids in all, plus 7 fatty acids, including Omega 3 and 6. Avocados contain more protein than cow´s milk, about 2% per edible portion. Since rapidly growing nursing infants obtain no more than 2% protein from mother´s milk, we can safely assume that children and adults do not regularly require foods icher in protein than avocado. Our bodies recycle approximately 80% of our protein; cooked protein is denatured and largely unusable, thus our protein need is far lower than what is taught by conventional dietetics. A small avocado will provide more usable protein than a huge steak because cooked protein in meat is deranged and mostly unavailable to our liver, the organ which makes all of our body´s protein. There is a clear evidence from many sources that cooked fatty and high-protein foods are the prime culprit in our country´s high rate of cancer, as well as colitis, Chron´s disease nd many other diseases. (I instantly healed up from long illness, ulcerative colitis, seventeen years ago after stopped eating meat and adopted a properly combined low-fat vegan diet of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, and i have since helped over 1,000 people recover from similar illnesses).

the water content of avocado by weight averages 74%. Becauseavocado is ripe, watery, enzymatically-alive fruit, it ranks as the most easily digested rich source of fats and proteins in whole food form. The ripening action of the sun "predigests" complex proteins into siple, easily digested amino acids. the fat content (by weight) varies from 7-26% according to the variety, averaging 15%. Approximately 63% of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated and 17% is saturated.

Avocado is an alkalizing food, i.e., the mineral end products of metabolism have an alkalizing effect in the blood and other bodily fluids. Meat, dairy and most raw nuts create acidity in the body - excess eating of these causes the leaching of alkalizing calcium from our bones to buffer the acidity, leading to osteoporosis.

dr Douglas Graham states: "Current bone density testing has verified loss of calcium from the bones after the consumption of just one meat meal. A similar meal containing the same amount of protein from plants results in no calcium loss. Fruit and vegetables proteins, which supply the complete spectrum of human nutrients, must be considered superior to animal protein which are deficient or missing many of our essential nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C and host of others.

Avocado generally requires approximately 1,5-2 hours in the stomach to be digested. It digests well if the eater is relaxed, hungry, energeti, has an empty stomach and follows proper food combining guidelines. If you eat avocado when you are tired, you may fall asleep.

For optimal digestion eat avocado alone or with any non-sweet-not-starchy fruit or any non-starchy vegetable food. Eating avocado with leafy greens, celery, cucumber will enhance the digestive process as additional digestive enzymes are secreted. People with weak digestion will generally experience ebhanced digestion when eating avocado with non-starchy salads as opposed to eating avocado alone.

Avoid eating avocado with or within 20 minutes of eating sweet fruit or drinking sweet fruit juice. Wait at least 3 hours after eating avocado before eating sweet fruit. Do not eat avocado with other fats like oils, nuts, seeds and wait several hours before eating these. Overeating avocados can lead to sluggishness, hyper-acid stomach, and skin outbreaks. Gnerally one avocado a day, 3-6 days per week is a good baseline, it depends on your digestion.

Avocado eaters who eat a healthful vegan diet typically experience more lustrious hair, softer, smoother skin, stronger nails, fewer joint problems, slimmer belly, less body odor, improved mental function and enhanced libido. Upon giving up animal meat and dairy, switching to a diet of 75-100% raw vegan foods with enzymatically-alive "plant meat, " and adopting a healthful lifestyle, a multitude of people have reaped amazing health benefits and joyous vitality.

Kiwis: Treasures With a Split Personality

by David Klein

Shaped like a goose egg and deviously disguised in a fuzzy skin resembling a plain brown wrapper, kiwi fruits seem like one of nature´s best kept secret treasures. Their dull outer appearance belies the sensual magnificence within.

Kiwis are the fruit of vining plants which beautifully adorn many patio fences and canopies in Northern California, the home of Living Nutrition. The fruits mature and drop in the coldest months of the year. they will be slightly soft when ripe and easy to peel. Avoid those which are very soft or mushy - they are over-ripe and bland at best. If you have never tried a fresh, perfectly ripe kiwi, brace yourself! Inside is a delicious tangy lime-green pulp which will energize (or should i say jolt?) the senses.

tiny black seeds bespeckle this green flesh, adding a subtle, slightly crunchy pizzazz of their own. the green flesh envelops a sweet, creamy pith which, although only a bite sized morsel, is a lemony-banana favored treasure into itself...a little slice on Heaven.

The contrasting tanginess and mellowness of the inner and outer parts make kiwi eating a most Quixotic experience! There are few fruits that can match its duality of flavors and textures. Just the anticipation of the next bite can bambooze the brain waves, but the fulfillment is an unforgettable delight.

Then there is the added dimension of the visual show. bite or slice one is half and gaze at it cross-section. the splendid symmetry, rich colors and opulent design may remind one of a supernatural cat´s eye. Or...? Write in and let us know what you see!

As if the exquisite taste sensations were not enough, kiwis rank with dates and bananas as the most nutritionally complete foods on the planet. Peeled by hand and eaten mono, or sliced and eaten in salads, kiwis are many things to the senses and exceptionally good for the body.

California Kiwifruit nutritional values

A serving of kiwifruit has more dietary fiber than a bowl of bran flakes, twice the vitamin C of an orange or grapefruit, and ounce for ounce as much potassium as a banana.

Serving size: 2 typical peeled, 5.3 oz

Calories - 90
Sodium - 0 mg
Protein - 1 g
Potassium - 450 mg
Cholesterol - 0 g
Dietary Fiber - 4 g
Carbohydrates - 18 g
Fat - 1 g

% USRDA
Protein - 2
Vitamin E - 10
Vitamin A - 2
Vitamin B6 - 4
vitamin C - 230
Folacin - 8
Phosphorus - 8
Riboflavin - 2
Magnesium - 6
Niacin - 2
Copper - 8
Calcium - 4
Pantothenic Acid - 2
Iron - 4

Dates: The Fruit Of The Ages

by Todd Selga

Possibly the first tree cultivated by humans, the enormous date palm yields a spectacular fruit. Dates require extremely hot climate to flourish, at least 100 days of 100 degrees Fahrenheit temperature during the summer and at the fall harvest exceed 120 degrees. This, along with their height, which averages 80 feet, makes harvesting no easy task since it means maneuvering 60 foot ladders and handling bunches of dates that weight up to 60 pounds.

I visited my friends Jaime and Anjou Jones in Niland, California, prominent organic date farmers who have made a quite reputation for themselves growing superb dates in the Southern California desert. Now calling themselves "The Date People," Jaime started out farming his own dates in 1985 under the name Cahuilla Gardens," Jaime, a twelve year raw foodist, is one of the few date farmers known as a "palmero" for his ability to work the tall date palms and maneuver a 62 foot date ladder. Being a raw foodist makes it much easier to work in there extreme desert temperatures and to keep up with the strenous demands of farming dates throughout the entire year.

(Click here to see how date harvesting is done :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIVDGcW6V2E)

Jaime began Cahuilla Gardens in 1985 with little more than a bisycle and a lot of motivation and energy while maintaining a day job. By 1990 he and Anjou were working several groves and employing many migrant and alternative workers during harvesting time (Sept-Nov). 1998 Jaime and Anjou moved to Niland, California, purchasing their own land. Now they have there over 500 date palms.

None of their farm work comes at any cost to the environment or to the health and well-being of the harvesters.  Jaime chooses to have his groves certified only by the most stringent organic certifier, Oregon Tilth Certified Organic. The Date People processed dates (date rolls and nuggets) are unique in that they are raw, having been spared the industry standard of cooking using steam hydration. They process their soft dates instead of the drier Deglet Noor date (which are commonly used and almost always requires steam hydration). The soft dates retain their enzymes making them easer to digest than their store bought (cooked) counterpants. This makes it extremely important to buy dates and processed date products directly from a grower who can assure you they are not hydrated.

As well as the traditional sugary sweet Medjhool and the nutty Deglet Noor, there are over 140 kinds of dates in the world. Barhis, Zahidis, black dates, Halawis, and Borrego Honeys are the names of only a few.

Dates can be enjoyed fresh and whole, processed into nuggets or rolls, or even blended with water or fruit juice into smoothies. Dates are best known in their dried form. However, each year´s harvest bring to market a significant number of undried dates in their fresh moist form. Moist dates are by far the absolute best. They literally melt in one´s mouth and can be relished in quantity due to their extreme moistness. Being very moist their sugars are less concentrated and they digest like high water content fruit.

Drying preserves the fruit´s shelf life. this may be done by using fans or hrough natural drying on the trees as practiced by The Date People. the fan simply draws the moisture out without any heat being involved.
The hardiest palm yeld 500 or more pounds of fruit. In their newsletter, The International Dateline, Anjou and Jamie note: "One date palm planted at birth could conceivably supply a person with practically their entire lifetime suppy of food." Dates are almost nutritionally complete and are a food staple in north Africa and Middle East.

Human history reveals a long acquaintance with dates. Mentioned in the Bible, spoken of in Eastern poetry, and uncovered in archaeological finds, the date palm enjoys a long and uninterrupted relationship with humankind. Today´s leading producers are Iraq and Egypt, but dates also bound in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria, Pakistan, and Sudan. Nearly all of the United States´ dates come from Arizona´s Salt River and the Colorado River Valley near Yuma along with the Salton Basin and interior valleys of California.

Female date palms produce fruit while the males produce the pollen. One male tree can produce enough pollen for fifty females. Date growers must do the pollination by hand, collecting and carrying the pollen to female flowers. The fruit develops following pollination and remains green and bitter, resempling an olive, before turning yellow and red, and finally ripening into shades of gold, brown, black. Date palms begin to fruit anywhere from four to ten years following their planting, and flourish in sandy alkaline soil. The main necessity for date cultivation, of course, is water for irrigation. Date bunches are susceptible to damage when nearing ripeness and are bagged or netted to prevent water, bird or insect damage.

It is crucial when purchasing this sweet ablong fruit to make sure it is organically grown, or grown using similar practices. As The Date People explain, organic dates, as compared to non-organic dates, provide "more nutrition, better taste [are part of a] healthier lifestyle, are not exposed to "malathion-insecticide, methyl bromide-fumigant, chlorine solutions-mold inhibitor, [nor do they cause] a more toxic environment." Commercial dates harm both our health and the life sustaining ability of their bioregion.

Date harvesting is a complicated and timely process. Dates need to be picked at exactly the right time when neither too wet (if harvested early) not too dry (if harvested late). If the dates are too wet they are prone to damage when being handled and may mold when kept in storage. Dates which are too dry have less flavor and more chance of becoming bug-infested.

The harvested dates are usually minimally dried and stored in refrigeration making them readily available year round.'Dates are nourishing addition to our diets. They can be enjoyed and relied upon for availability throughout the year. With so many diverse varieties to be had at such reasonable prices, dates can be easily stored and refrigerate well for over a year from their harvest. With the fast pace of life, they are a convenient and nutritious food source which also brings one great pleasure.

Date nutrition facts:
(10 dates, 85 grams edible portion)
Calories - 240
Carbohydrate - 57 g
Dietary Fiber - 6.4 g
Potassium - 560 mg
Protein - 2 g
Fat - 0 g
Sodium - 9 mg
10 dates provide the following % of the U. S. Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDA) for these nutrients:
Protein - 4
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - 2
Biboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 6
Niacin - 6
Calcium - 4
Iron - 4
Vitamin B6 - 8
Folic Acid - 4
Phosphorus - 4
Magnesium - 10
Zinc - 2
Copper - 6
Pantothenic Acid - 4

End´s note:
And it is assumed that the analyzed dates are not organically grown. From this and other analyses, dates appear to be one of the most nutrient rich foods on the planet. USRDA´s are derived fro conventional standard American cooked food dietetics based on an unhealthy population and are of little real value in many regards, USRDA theory falls apart when we study raw food nutritional science.

Bananas: The ideal food for humans

Summary from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Bananas: The ideal food for humans

Bananas deserve the highest rank as food for humans. It is one of the oldest foods of humans and has been treasured for its deliciousness. The ancients referred to the banana plant as the "Paradise Tree" and its fruit as the fruit of paradise. Bananas are one of our most important foods and deserve a far greater role in our diet - in fact, they should be our foremost item of diet as they are with many tropical peoples, who also eat other tropical fruits such as breadfruit, jackfruit, coconut, mango, etc. We are a class of frugivores that achieved our high development with fruits of the tree as the bulk of our diet. Fruits of the tree in our pristine habitat were mostly sweet fruits such as bananas, figs, grapes and dates.

In its general suitability and beneficence in the human diet few foods approach the banana. It is, ecologically and biologically, our most ideal food. Dates, figs, grapes, melons, oranges, quite common foods, deserve a place in our diet but in the final analysis, the banana wins on practically every count: economy, nutrition, convenience, plenitude, deliciousness, etc. Apples are a wholesome food but they are woefully deficient in protein, having only 0.2% by dry weight and then two or three essential amino acids, whereas bananas have all essential amino acids and have about 5.2% protein dry weight.

Bananas are available all through the year. It is best to buy them organically grown and green for ripening at home, where ripening conditions can be controlled - you can try putting them in a brown paper bag overnight and expose them to air during the day. Commercially grown bananas are usually picked long before they are ripe and nutritionally mature, and "gassed" with ethylene to facilitate ripening, as well as treated with such toxic chemicals as methyl bromide and aldicarb. Ethylene is the naturally occurring ripening gas produced by fruits, it is commercially synthesized by pyrolysis of hydrocarbons. Some organically grown bananas may also be gassed with ehylene so your best odds of getting ungassed organic bananas may be to get them green. Its also good idea to ask your grower if bananas have been gassed and to request ungassed organic bananas.




















Eat only nr 7, others are not ripe yet

Select bananas free from surface bruises, with skin intact at both tips. Ripen at room temperature. When the skin is bright yellow speckled with brown, the starch has changed to fruit sugar, and the fruit will be tender sweet and easy to digest. Fruit that ripens with brown speckles may not have been gassed, as i have been told that gassed bananas ripen with dark streaks and blotches instead of the brown speckles.

I stress bananas as major item in the diet primarily for reasons of overall goodness, availability and economy. It is of course beneficial to include other fruits as food, such as fresh figs, dates, grapes, or some other highly nutritious fruits, plus greens, some sea soft vegetables and nuts.

Humans are frugivores to their very cores! We will do best if we respect our natural disposition. The banana is one of the ideal foods in the human diet.

What should I eat?

Summery from the book...
"Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods"
by T. C. Fry and David Klein

Part 7: A General Guide to Food Selection

One way to know what to eat is to look what kind of metabolic end-product different foods produce. Acid-forming foods are pathogenic, we should consume only alkaline forming foods. At each meal we should consume at least 80% alkaline reaction foods.

Alkaline-forming foods:
- All raw vegetables
- All raw fruits including high acid fruits such as lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges, etc.
- All fresh raw green beans, peas and their sprouts.

Acid-forming foods:
- All meat including fish
- All animal products                                              
- All legumes or bean family members in their storage form of proteins, fats and starches
- All nuts and seeds excepting almonds, chestnuts and coconuts
- All grains excepting millet

When eating acid-forming foods in a meal, the meal must be predominantly of alkaline forming vegetables. Most fruits will not do, as they are digestively incompatible with protein, starchy and fatty foods.

How to select best foods for you, what are the criterions

First criterion - Can the food be eaten in its natural state? Is the food palatable, that is delectable and delicious? Can it be eaten with keen relish in its natural state?

Is the food good to eat at its raw state? Does it taste good without condiments or cooking? Does it look good to your eyes? If we cant eat the food "raw", if its not delicious and palatable in its natural living state it is not a feed for us!

Second criterion - Does the food introduce harmful or toxic substances into our digestive system?

It must conatin NO noxious or unwelcome substances. We dont need poisons to our system, no matter how little or how "mild". Anything that interferes with vital activities or destroys cells and tissue is poisonous to our system.

Third criterion - Is the food easy of digestion and assimilation?

Our natural foods are very easy to digest with minimum of vital energy being lost. To get full benefit from foods, they have to be easy on digestion. Millions of years of development made certain foods very easy of digestion - we developed constitutions, enzymes and processes that appropriated and assimilated certain foods with a minimum expenditure of vital resources and time.

Fourth criterion - Does the food contribute a broad range of nutrients? Does the food possess great biological value for us?

The problem in not that we should eat great variety in hopes of making sure to get all the nutrients needed, but rather to eat simply to afford our bodies every opportunity to easily digest and appropriate what the foods offer. We should never take more than 4-5 different foods at a single meal. Almost no preparation other than cleansing is necessary. But the ideal is single food per meal! We can take a narrow range of foods in season and just stick with them.

Green leves must be accorded the highest and most complete range of nutrients. This is one of the primary reason we must have them often in our diet for te best health. Of course we can miss them on occasion, but its good to not live them out for long period of time.

Fifth criterion - Is the food acid-forming in metabolic reaction? Is it alkaline in metabolic reaction?

The value of food in human nutrition is not determined by these considerations, but the human diet must be mostly alkaline-forming.

Sixth criterion - Is the food economical? Do we get good nutritive value for our money? 

A foods value to us must also be gauged by its cost versus its utility.

Seventh criterion - Is the food generally available in its fresh natural state?

This, too, is consideration. We must eat our foods as nature delivers them to us. even sun-dried foods are not nearly as wholesome as in their fresh state. Dried foods lose much of their vitality, but they are not nearly as bad as cooked foods. And they are excellent as fuel foods during the colder periods of year. But their use in the warmer times is unecessary and ill-advised.

What Does a Fruitarian Eat?

Written by T. C. Fry

Anyone who eats a predominantly fruit diet is a fruitarian! Anyone who eats more than 50% of his diet as fruit solids (considering all foods eaten on the basis of solids only) is fruitarian.

! am 154 pound man, plus or minus who just happens to be dietary 70 kilograms around which dietary requirements are formulated in most analyses. I am very active physically and mentally. I maintain my weight by weight-lifting and exertive exercises for a net time of only 10 minutes weekly. ! am 5´6´´. My aerobic exercises aggregate a net about 35 minutes weekly, much of it as short sprints and jumping jacks. I run only about three miles meekly and sprint perhaps 1,500 yards total. As a mostly mental worker, I have Baroque, Classical and Renaissance music as background, which facilitates thinking and learning. But nothing awakens me more than a 100 yard sprint, a mile run or 60 to 70 jumping jacks. My crossword puzzling and chess playing ability is quickly and immensely enhanced. As i do lots of writing, a burst of activity as in sprinting does wonders for energizing and sharpening my thinking power. I´ve analyzed a week foods i´´ve eaten. the foods were as follows in a very cool spring week in Michigan. Temperatures were in the 30s to 50s (fahrenheit) for the most part.

I eat on average of six occasions daily, holding that little and often is better than three bely-blogging meals per day. My single largest meal is a salad with nuts or avocados in the evening. My salads are mostly fruits, consisting of tomatoes, red peppers and avocados. I usually add bok choy or lettuce with a sprinkling of dulse powder. I eat well over 99% of my intake in raw condition. On rare occasions i might have a baked potato when eating out with others if the potato is baked "rare".

Note that the diet averages 2,000 calories daily. You need more calories when running and living in the North. You reuire more just to maintain your body heat. In summer my foods have much higher water content and my calorie intake is about 1,600 per day. Note that of a total solid intake of eight pounds, less than one pounds of nonfruits were taken, almost all being nuts and seeds which i are rather heavily of all winter and will eat very little during summer. Note that the total vegetable intake (lettuce, bok choy and dulse) amounted to only 2.6 ounces of solids out of 130 ounces of total intake, about 2% of the diet. Green leafy vegetables yield folic acid, an essential B complex vitamin. Believe me, half a pound of lettuce and/or bok choy a day is quite a bit of vegetable eating.

While tomatoes and red peppers are considered vegetables, they are really fruits. note that dulse was taken. It was in a powdered form and was added to salads consisiting of tomatoes, ock choy or lettuce, peppers and either nuts, seeds or avocados with lemon juice. Dulse gives you usable trace minerals which are rather sparse in land grown foods - its a kind of nutrient insurance.

Among my many phone calls are often questions like: "But, Mr. Fry, why dont you eat fresh raw sprouts? They are especially healthful. and you can eat fresh green peas and corn raw. Why dont you do so?". Well i´ve never eaten any sprouts yet that i liked except for sunflower sprouts. On the other hand, please tell me, what are the unique nutrients or qualities in sprouts? Highly vaunted alfalfa sprouts, which are current craze, contain a substance, canavanine, which we, unlike horses and other animals, secrete no enzyme to break down. Canavanine is carcinogen.

As to fresh green peas and corn still in the sugar stage, i do like them. As a farm boy i raided the garden and fields for these and other fruits and vegetables. but now, if i eat them, i get sleepier sooner and sleep longer. I experience as unaccustomed thirst. My stomach feels heavier. Moreover, my exercising is off somewhat in the morning - i bomb on the sprints sooner. I find myself clearing my throat more. And my thinking is not as sharp. After a meal of these foods its more difficult for me to get going. I eat what i like most for that makes me feel the best. I love eating mostly all-dessert meals.

Another question concerns my protein intake. Believe me, i have to shave off a lot of it every day. If your protein intake is too low, the body will not make any proteins available for hair which is mostly protein. While proteins are more than adequately supplied by fruits (Dr. Hegsted of Harvard University says we need only 21 grams daily - the body recycles more than 200 grams of its wastes, i ingest fully 50 grams daily. I also think that fruitarians have longer lived cells, hence require less protein than conventional eaters who require 21 grams daily. The Carib Indians get by nicely on 12 grams daily while eating cassava roots or manioc.