I recently criticized Mark Sisson’s primal diet, the low carb, high fat diet that he defended during Kevin Gianni’s Great Health Debate. I thought that was everything I had to say, but it seems there’s one more point that I really want to address.

And it actually has to do with a similarity between the two diets that we promote.

Give Up the Grain

One of Mark’s major problems with the typical high carb diets is that they rely too heavily on grains. According to Mark, “there is absolutely no reason to eat grains”. This includes wheat, oats, rice, barley, and buckwheat, among others.

But this critique doesn’t apply at all to a low fat raw vegan diet. Why?

Because grains are not included as part of an optimal low fat raw vegan diet. As Mark has pointed out, grains are full of insoluble fiber, low in vitamins and minerals, and contain toxic anti-nutrients such as gluten and lectin.

Grains also must be processed in order to be consumed, are acid-forming in the body and many of them (as well as other complex carbs like sweet potato) rank medium to high on the glycemic load scale and contain addictive opioids.

Get on the Fruit Train

Instead, a low fat raw vegan diet is predominated by fruit, including but not limited to bananas, oranges, grapes, mangoes, pineapple, peaches, jakfruit, cantaloupe, and strawberries.

Fruit is full of soluble fiber, rich in vital vitamins and minerals, very low in toxins, can (and should) be eaten in its raw state, is alkaline-forming (even “acidic” citrus fruit), is not high-glycemic, and contains no addictive substances.

Okay, I’m not so sure about that last one. I have quite a hard time resisting (read: cannot ever say no to) a perfectly ripe peach or heirloom summer tomato.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Have you heard about my raw food friend and mentor Frederic Patenaude’s latest release, Raw Food Controversies? It’s a book all about Frederic’s own personal journey with raw foods over the past 10+ years.

I’ve learned a little bit over the years about Frederic’s experience with the mainstream raw food diet, but nothing as in-depth, personal, or eye-opening as the information he divulges in this book:

Raw Food Controversies

How to Avoid Common Mistakes That May Sabotage Your Health

Click Here!

You’ll learn exactly what happened to Frederic while he followed a high-fat raw food diet, what it took to turn his health around, and exactly why he promotes the low fat raw vegan diet today.

You can learn more about the book and bonuses and purchase your copy here:

Raw Food Controversies

I’ll have my own review out for Raw Food Controversies early next week so stay tuned for that!

If not, maybe the answer to this week’s 5th cravings question will help cheer you up! Or how about the fact that my new e-bookHow to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All launches in just a few short days!

Oh, and don’t forget about the super sweet offer available to the first 15 people who purchase (shhh, that one’s still a secret)!

Are you good and cheery yet?

Awesome! Now it’s finally time for cravings questions number 5:

Question #5

How can I ever let go of cooked grains and is it really necessary?

Answer

Let me start by answering the second part of your question.

*Is giving up grains necessary?*

There is no reason whatsoever to consume grains. These foods offer nothing in the way of nutrition that cannot be found in fruits, greens, nuts and seeds.

In fact, they are lacking in many key vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, and C as well as sodium and calcium.

Grains are also highly acidic, rank high on the glycemic index, and even decrease vitamin D absorption!

And no, “raw” sprouted grains (I use scare quotes because the kernel must be processed before human consumption) are not exempt from any of these issues.

If you want optimal health, leave the cooked AND sprouted grains for the birds.

And now onto the first part:

*How can I ever let go of them?*

There are several different ways you can go about giving up grains.

One way is to just stop eating them cold turkey. Another is to start gradually by cutting your consumption in half. Another is to pick your favorite grain and cut out all the rest. Yet another is to start by avoiding only grains that contain gluten (e.g. wheat, barley, bran, etc.).

It doesn’t really matter which way you choose, as long as it’s a plan you can stick with. What does matter is that you eat lots and lots of fresh, raw fruit.

Eating as much fruit as you care for will make all the difference in your success with giving up grains for good.  You will find that you don’t miss grains one bit as long as you are filling up on fresh fruit.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. You can find questions 1-4 at the links below:

http://tinyurl.com/2ejptsw

http://tinyurl.com/2eoyc9f

http://tinyurl.com/248tszk

http://tinyurl.com/245ugz2

1. Eliminate Salt Intake
2. Eliminate Grains and Replace with Fruits and Vegetables, with an emphasis on sweet fruit
3. Exercise Everyday
4. Limit Fat Intake

You can find the rest of the article here.

Unfortunately, modern Americans with their SAD diet are not the only ones guilty of ignoring the lifestyle points above. Many health conscious individuals and their so-called nutritious diets fail as well.

For instance, vegans are known for eating tons of grain-based meals coupled with staggering levels of salt and oil. And while many vegans don’t struggle with hyperadiposity, there is definitely no shortage of under-muscled veg-heads.

But what about RAW vegans? Well, it seems that there is much room for improvement amongst this special class of health hobbyists as well.

Salt

The average raw foodist eats too much salt, as well as other spices and condiments. Here’s a raw soup recipe I found while scouring the web:

• South River unpasteurized miso
• Tomato concentrate by Premier Research
• Hijiki
• Goji Berries
• Hemp Seeds
• Raw Honey
• Sea Salt (pink himalayan salt is a great option)
• Other seaweed (optional)
• Nutritional flakes (optional)
• Agaricus mushroom powder (optional)

Can this really be considered a recipe? It seems to be made up of flavorings, rather than actual nutritious food.

Grains Over Fruits and Vegetables

You would think that most raw foodists would naturally favor ripe fruits and veggies over difficult to digest grains.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many cooked-made-raw recipes, like burgers, wraps, and pizzas, use sprouted grains.

Here’s an example of a raw pizza:

• 400g sprouted wheat (or sprouted buckwheat)
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes
• ½ a medium sized onion
• 6-8 sundried tomato halves (ideally pre-soaked)
• About 10 leaves of fresh basil
• Liberal shaking of Italian dried herbs mix
• 1 clove garlic
• ⅓ cup of olive oil

And while many mainstream raw foodists do eat good amounts of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., they put WAY too little emphasis on sweet fruit. Some even shun fruit completely!

For more on the problem with eating grains, check out my article here.

Exercise

I don’t know what it is, but mainstream raw food vegans seem to HATE to exercise…not including meditation and low-intensity yoga, of course.

Actually I DO know why: they don’t eat enough calories! It’s impossible to find the energy to work up a good sweat when you’re living on heavy fats and low-calorie veggies.

This is why it’s so common to see super skinny, yet still over-fat and under-muscled raw foodists.

Fat

Here’s the big one: raw foodists eat way too many avocados, nuts, seeds, and oils. They’re used in salads, soups, salsas, sauces, and even sweet desserts!

ESPECIALLY the desserts! Here are the ingredients for an almond cake recipe:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 2/3 cup almonds
• 1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

And that doesn’t include the almond creme…

• 1 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 2 tablespoons chopped almonds

…or the whipped creme…

• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3 tablespoons cacao powder
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons carob powder
• Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
• Pinch celtic sea salt
• 2 tablespoons melted cacao butter
• 1 tablespoons coconut oil

…that go along with it.

Holy Cannoli!

No wonder so many raw foodists have issues with candida overgrowth.

Raw Rules for Everyone

So yea, unfortunately cooked food lovers are NOT the only ones guilty of dietary sin. But that’s okay, because you definitely don’t have to follow the trend:

1. Eliminate Salt Intake
2. Eliminate Grains and Replace with Fruits and Vegetables, with an emphasis on sweet fruit
3. Exercise Everyday
4. Limit Fat Intake

No matter what your current diet, you will see tremendous health gains by adopting the 4 guidelines above.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. You’ve probably also noticed how most raw recipe books out there follow this same unhealthy pattern: lots of salt and other spices and condiments, lots of fat, grains and low-calorie veggies over sweet fruits.

Not this one:

Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes

P.P.S. And yes, the unhealthy recipes I talked about in this post actually exist on popular raw food websites (I’m sure you’ve seen many just like them). I didn’t want to put anyone out by linking to the websites while bashing their recipes!

I know, I’m too cool for school.

Human Diet: Its Origin and Evolution is one particular book that I have been reading lately. It’s a collection of essays written by numerous anthropologists, biologists, and other experts regarding—you guessed it —evolution and the human diet.

In “Evolution, Diet, and Health” by S. Boyd Eaton, Stanley B. Eaton III, and Loran Cordain, the authors examine dietary evolution from the last common ancestor of apes and humans all the way up to modern men of today.

They conclude the essay with four ways in which intensive agriculture (i.e. farming) and industrialization have changed human health for the worse:

#1: Sodium Intake Has Dramatically Increased

About 90% of current sodium intake results from food processing, preparation, and flavoring: Only 10% is intrinsic to the foods themselves.

Many groups of hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, and rudimentary horticulturalists that lack commercially available salt have been studied in this century. These ancestral human surrogates experience neither rising blood pressure with age nor clinical hypertension.

It is also important to note that most of these “ancestral human surrogates” do not consume any rock salt at all (i.e. table salt, sea salt, volcanic rock salt, etc.). They receive all of their sodium from the foods they eat.

#2: Grains Have Replaced Fruits and Vegetables

No primates other than humans ordinarily consume cereal grains, but from the introduction of agriculture onward, grains have been the single most important contributor to human food energy, providing from 40% to 90% of human caloric requirements.

In doing so they have displaced fruits and vegetables that, until the Neolithic [period], had been the dominant energy source for Stone Agers, earlier hominds, and our antecedent primate ancestors for fifty million years.

You may be thinking that this focus on grains has allowed us time to anatomically and physiologically adapt to digesting them. However, the authors make it clear that this isn’t so:

The phytochemicals of grains have interacted with the human genome for only ten thousand years. Hence, substitution of grains for vegetables and fruits in human diets might readily diminish our resistance to development of neoplastic [cancerous] disease.

Some sources do say 30,000 as opposed to 10,000 years. Nonetheless, supporters of evolutionary theory agree that this simply is not enough time for digestive adaption to occur.

#3: Fatter Bodies From Lack of Exercise

For primates and other mammals in natural settings, food procurement is inextricably linked to energy expenditure…The ratio of fat to muscle generally varies with season, but typically lies within fairly narrow limits; hyperadiposity [excess of fat tissue], as it exists for many contemporary humans, is rare or not existent for other primates.

In the present, however, obtaining food energy is no longer dependent on muscular exertion: From childhood on, calories are available at the lowest cost in human experience without reciprocal energy expenditure. The result is relative sarcopenia – deficiency of skeletal muscle.

And here is a dire result of hyperadiposity and sarcopenia (too much fat and not enough muscle):

…a given insulin secretory pulse, in response to a carbohydrate-containing meal, now produces less reduction in blood glucose levels than would have been achieved for prior humans with evolutionarily “appropriate” body composition. Additional, “extra” pancreatic insulin is required to produce glucose homeostasis…the process can proceed to glucose intolerance and overt diabetes.

Essentially, the fatter you are, the harder time your body has of properly assimilating glucose that has been absorbed into your bloodstream.

Sound familiar? That’s because I often talk about FAT as the true cause of sugar metabolic disorders like Diabetes and candida overgrowth, not sugar. As long as you are consuming a low-fat diet, you will have absolutely no trouble digesting the simple sugars in fruit.

For more on the dangers of a high fat diet, check out my article here.

Speaking of too much fat…

#4: Too Much Fat in the Diet

For ancestral humans, the cholesterol-raising saturated fatty acids constituted about 5% of total energy intake, and trans fatty acids intake was negligible. For Americans, cholesterol-raising saturated fatty acids approach 15% of dietary energy, while hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils provide an unprecedented quantity of trans fats.

This imbalance of Omega-6 and 3 fatty acids not only affects physical health (i.e. coronary atherosclerosis, the disease characterized by plaque on the arterial walls), but it also has a harmful impact on mental health:

…studies of plasma Omega-6:Omega-3 ratios in patients with depression reveal a direct association: Higher ratios of Omega-6 to Omega-3 PUFAs [polyunsaturated fatty acids] are correlated with more frequent and severe depressive episodes. Early therapeutic trials with Omega-3 PUFAs have shown symptomatic improvement.

These Guys Must Be Healthy Raw Vegans!

Not really, but I was really intrigued by the ramifications of this essay. As a low fat raw vegan, I agree with and encourage all 4 points…with a bit of modification, of course:

1. Eliminate Salt Intake. Raw fruits and vegetables provide all the sodium your body needs. There is no need to consume sodium chloride.
2. Eliminate Grains and Replace With Fruits and Vegetables. Emphasis on the fruit! The bulk of your calories should come from sweet fruit, but don’t neglect tender leafy greens and non-sweet fruits like tomatoes.
3. Exercise Everyday. It doesn’t always have to be intense (in fact, it’s best to vary intensity throughout the week), but you should do something active each day. Even a short walk around the block is exercise!
4. Limit Your Fat Intake. Optimally, overall fat intake should not exceed 10% of total calories. That may sound impossible, but it is really very easy as long as you are consuming enough sweet fruit. And you’ll notice the benefits almost immediately.

Hmmm. Perhaps we fruit defenders are not so strange after all?

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. That first guideline has got you down, huh?  I know, it’s tough giving up on salt for good.  It’s hard to enjoy the simple flavors of fruits and vegetables without the flavor enhancing, yet irritating and weight-retaining salts, spices, and condiments that we are all so used to.

That’s okay, because my low fat and fruity friend Roger Haeske has some delicious dishes that will put the kibosh on your savory salty cravings.  Called Savory Veggie Stews, these completely raw, completely low fat, and completely free of salt recipes are truly tasty.

Check ‘em out here:

http://tinyurl.com/ygwwahs

So what was this big change?

Did I eliminate animal products from my diet?

No.

Did I start exercising?

No.

Did I stop consuming junk food?

No again.

I stopped consuming grains.

Even though I had already made the above lifestyle changes and had seen good results, nothing brought upon the health and wellness that giving up grains brought for me.

My Quest for More Energy

As I’ve mentioned before, I struggled with anemia for many years.  In 2005, I started exercising in order to lose weight and maybe increase my energy.  I definitely lost weight, but I still felt tired.

In 2006, I stopped consuming junk food on a regular basis.  Still tired.

By 2007, I had cut out animal flesh and animal by-products.  Again, still tired.

While I did see some signs of improved health (i.e. weight loss, clear skin, better hair, etc.) with all of these changes, my energy level barely budged.  I couldn’t help but feel defeated and just, well…tired.

Finally in late 2007, I stumbled upon the low fat raw vegan diet.  Only then did I realize the huge role that grains had played in my life, especially since becoming a vegan.

Before going raw, a typical day looked like this:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with fresh fruit, orange juice
• Lunch: Vegetable sandwich, rice crackers, fruit
• Snack: Whole wheat crackers with hummus and salsa, fruit
• Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry with brown rice, raw veggies
• Dessert: Fruit and rice crackers

As you can see, every meal features some sort of grain.

Every.  Single.  One

This was a huge wake-up call for me.  I couldn’t believe I was eating that much wheat!  I decided then and there that it was time for me to give raw a real shot.

Giving Up The Grains

Giving up grains was not easy for me.  In fact, aside from eliminating salt, I’d say it is the hardest dietary change a person can make.

One reason most grains are so enticing is because they contain the protein gluten.  In Grain Damage: Rethinking the High-Starch Diet, author Dr. Douglas Graham writes:

Gluten, a protein found in many grain products, has been named as a causative factor in several psychoses and neurological disorders. It has been proven to chemically contain fifteen different opioid sequences, or morphine-like molecules.  Opioids that come from outside the body are called ‘exorphins.’

Exorphins are labeled by scientists as addictive and neurotoxic.  They have psychoactive properties and cause related behavioral problems such as addictive eating patterns.  Since the mid-1960s, scientists have repeatedly linked gluten consumption to learning disorders and schizophrenia.

Perhaps this explains why it’s so hard to eat just one cookie or a single slice of bread.

Another reason it is hard to give up grains is not necessarily because of the grains themselves, but what we mask them with.

As I’m sure you have experienced, grains on their own are extremely bland.  And RAW grains?  You’d have to be, well…a BIRD to eat those!

To give them some flavor, we like to add certain salts, spices, and other condiments.  Many of these “flavor enhancers,” such as aspartame and MSG, are more harmful than you might think.

In Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Russell L. Blaylock, MD, provides shocking evidence that these substances (called “excitotoxins”) are highly addictive and actually lead to the destruction of certain brain cells!

In regards to the dangerous effects of excessive monosodium glutamate (MSG), Blaylock writes:

Within fifteen to thirty minutes after being exposed to high doses of MSG, neurons suspended in tissue culture are seen to swell like balloons.  Under the microscope you can see degeneration of the small structures within the cell, called organelles, and also clumping of the chromatin of the nucleus.

Within three hours these neurons are not only dead, but the body’s defense mechanisms begin to haul away the debris.  Under experimental conditions using animals, this degenerative reaction is seen when MSG is either ingested in the diet, injected into the abdominal cavity, or applied directly to the neurons in tissue culture or into the brain by way of cannula or tube.

In short, you may love grains and their accompanying “flavor enhancers,” but they sure don’t love you back!

How To Make Things Easier On Yourself

Often the reason people struggle so much with eliminating grains is because they make up such a huge part of the diet.  It is important to replace them with another calorically dense food if you want to keep the cravings at bay.  This is something that many raw foodists fail to do.

The best advice I can give is to eat lots of sweet fruit.  Sweet fruit is both calorically dense AND high in volume.  This means that you will feel satiated after your meal for many hours.  You won’t find yourself back in the kitchen an hour later searching for some starchy sweets.

You just have to remember to eat a lot!  Put it this way: a cup of cooked brown rice is about 216 calories.  A cup of sliced peaches is only 66 calories!

But really this is a great thing.  What other diet allows you to eat as much as you want and still be healthy and lose weight?

It Was Worth It

The fact that I was able to eradicate my fatigue made all the effort worthwhile.  Thanks to giving up grains, I could actually drive somewhere in the middle of the afternoon without worrying about falling asleep!

Might sound crazy to you, but it was a lifesaver for me.

You Can Do It!

It might be tough at first to give up grains, but I know you can do it!  If you do go raw and find yourself craving grains and other complex carbohydrate concoctions (e.g. bread, pasta, cereal, cakes, etc.), the first step to take is to make sure you are consuming enough sweet fruit.

Keep adding on fruit to your meals until you can remain satiated for 3-5 hours after eating.  That means not even considering eating until meal time arrives.

And remember, you don’t have to go 100% raw right now!  There is no reason why you can’t gradually replace all your staple grain dishes with raw ones.  For instance, if you usually have oatmeal or toast for breakfast, try a couple of juicy melons instead!

Yes, that’s right.  I said TWO whole melons.

Find an approach that works for you and giving up grains will be fun, enlightening and, maybe for you, even life-saving.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. For more information on the harmful effects of consuming grains, raw or cooked, check out my article:

Should You Eat Grains on a Raw Food Diet?