Here is something I read and this is the type of thing that makes me scared of the raw food world:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/raw-food-diet?page=2

Don’t be scared, Anne! The claims in the link you provided—It’s a WebMd article titled “Is the Raw Food Diet Healthy?”—are easily debunked.

Here, I’ll show you…

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Researchers who studied the impact of a raw food diet found that participants had low cholesterol and triglycerides. They also had a vitamin B12 deficiency. This finding is consistent with another study of raw foodists in Finland.

B12 is found naturally only in animal products. It is critical to nerve and red blood cell development. Deficiencies can lead to anemia and neurological impairment.

Obviously low cholesterol and triglycerides is a good thing. But low B12? Not so good.

The thing is, vitamin B12 isn’t just associated with raw food vegans.

In one study analyzing the blood tests of 3,000 men and women, it was found that 39% of participants had low B12. And according to the researchers, most of these participants were meat-eaters.

For more vitamin B12 myths, click here.

Low Lycopene Levels

A German study of long-term raw foodists showed that they had healthy levels of vitamin A and dietary carotenoids, which comes from vegetables, fruits and nuts and protect against chronic disease. Yet the study participants had lower than average plasma lycopene levels, which are thought to play a role in disease prevention.

They are found in deep-red fruits like tomatoes. Lycopene content is highest, however, when tomatoes are cooked.

Healthy levels of vitamin A and dietary carotenoids, another great thing. But what about low plasma lycopene levels?

From the American Cancer Society:

Since tomatoes also contain vitamins, potassium, and other carotenoids and antioxidants, it may be that other compounds in tomatoes may account for some of the protective effects first thought to be due to lycopene.

These compounds may act alone or along with lycopene. When researchers look at large population groups with different lifestyles and habits, it is also possible that their findings can be explained by other factors that were not examined.

And despite what you hear on the news, science does not point conclusively to lycopene alone as a cancer-fighting substance. Several studies have been done on lycopene and cancer with mixed results.

If you’re worried about your lycopene levels, stop worrying. Eating fresh fruits and veggies as your mainstay will provide plenty of lycopene, along with all the other cancer-fighting phytonutrients your body needs.

If you’re still worried, eat some tomatoes. Watermelon, pink guava, grapefruit and gac (if you can get it) are also good sources.

Low Bone Mass

Low bone mass in the lumbar spine and hip may be another risk for raw foodists, who tend to be slim. Researchers concluded, however, that the raw foodists studied had “good bone quality.”

That’s because rapid weight loss at the beginning of the diet may have caused the decrease in bone mass.

As with many things in life, less (or lower) is more. We want lower cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, lower body fat. All of these have been associated with vegan and raw vegan diets.

It seems that low bone mass is no exception. It’s all about quality, not quantity.

Menstruation

Finally, another study showed that a raw food diet can interrupt the menstrual cycle, again because of drastic weight loss.

Female menstruation is a touchy subject within the raw vegan movement. Some believe that blood loss is unnatural, while others believe that bleeding is natural.

What is unanimous, though, is that periods should not be painful, should not be heavy, and should not last for more than a few days.

If you’ve lost your period on a raw vegan diet and it’s keeping you up at nights, visit your doctor and get some blood work done.

Deficiencies

The raw food diet is rich in nutrients. It’s full of fiber and it’s low in fat and sugars.

But raw foodists, along with vegans, need to make sure they’re getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, most of which are found naturally in animal products.

Everyone needs to make sure they’re getting enough B12, calcium, iron, and omega 3s. Not just raw vegans.

And the truth is, it’s very easy to meet your nutritional needs on raw foods. As long as you eat a healthy raw food diet based on fresh fruits and greens, you will receive plenty of nutrients, including calcium, iron, and omega 3s.

Vitamin B12 is another story, but it is still very easy to obtain enough on a vegan diet.

Protein

Raw foodists typically get the same amount of protein as nonvegetarians through plant foods eaten throughout the day. But because plant protein is less digestible, the ADA also recommends eating plenty of soy and bean products.

Ah, the dreaded protein issue.

The funny thing is, protein really isn’t an issue at all. As I show here, it’s so incredibly easy to get plenty of protein (and even EXCEED the RDA) on a raw vegan diet.

Calcium

Nutritionists at the ADA also recommend that raw foods and vegans increase their calcium intake. That’s because their diets are high in sulfur-containing amino acids – nuts and grains, for example — which can increase bone calcium loss.

First, this article is assuming that all raw vegans consume lots of nuts and grains.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Those consuming a HEALTHY raw food diet actually consume little to no grains at all and very small amounts (like 1 ounce a day) of nuts.

Second, vegans do not need more calcium.

As I spoke about here, healthy vegans actually need LESS. And it’s possible that raw vegans who consume little to no grains and legumes and small amounts of nuts and seeds need even less than that.

Zinc

Zinc is better absorbed by the body through meat. The ADA recommends soaking and sprouting beans, grains, and seeds. Doing this may help the body better absorb the nutrients from these foods.

According to the World Health Organization, the average adult male needs between 4-14 mg of zinc everyday, while the average adult female needs 3-10 mg/day (depending upon the bioavailability of the zinc being consumed).

It is very easy to meet this requirement on a diet of fruits, veggies, and limited amounts of nuts and seeds, as I show below…

• Breakfast: 5 medium bananas
• Lunch: 4 mangoes
• Mid-Afternoon: 8 peaches
• Dinner: Salad of 1 bunch spinach, 1 cucumber, 4 med. tomatoes, and 1 ounce brazil nuts

This made-up meal plan contains only 1995 calories, yet provides 8.2 mg of zinc. For someone eating a healthy raw vegan diet devoid of high-phytate foods like grains, this is plenty.

As far as soaking is concerned, read my article here.

Vitamin D

Finally, people who do not eat meat or dairy products should be vigilant about their vitamin D intake — especially for people who live in northern climates. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to weaker bones.

The ADA recommends vitamin-D fortified foods, including some brands of soy milk and rice milk, some breakfast cereals and margarines. You also may want to take a vitamin D supplement.

It’s estimated that 40-60% of the entire United States population is deficient in vitamin D. Is 40-60% of the US population vegan or even vegetarian? Of course not!

My point is that vitamin D deficiency is not just a vegan or vegetarian issue. Unless you live close to the equator and get plenty of sunshine, you’re at risk no matter what you eat.

Don’t Fear the Raw!

There’s no need to fear adopting a raw vegan diet. You just need to be smart about it.

Contrary to what most raw gurus will tell you, you can’t just eat whatever you want that’s raw and expect to meet all your nutritional needs, lose all your excess weight, have tons of energy, and be perfectly healthy.

There is a right way to go raw and a wrong way to go raw. Luckily the right way is pretty simple: eat fresh fruit, get in your greens, and limit your fat intake.

What Do You Think?

What do you think about a raw vegan diet? Think it’s the bee’s knees? Worried that it’s nutritionally lacking, unsustainable, or even dangerous?

Leave your comment below!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Want to go raw, but have no idea how to do the diet correctly? Know how to do it, but can’t stick with it because of crazy cravings?

That’s why I created this:

“How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All”

A Guide for Destroying Cravings on a Raw Food Diet

www.CookedFoodCravings.com

In this newly expanded edition of How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings, you’ll learn exactly how to do the raw diet right AND be completely cravings free!

To learn more about everything that’s included and order your copy today, click on the link below:

==> www.CookedFoodCravings.com

“Where do you get your B12?”

Itʼs one of the many nutritional questions we vegans get asked on a regular basis, but itʼs the only one most of us canʼt seem to answer. And the ones who can answer rarely ever agree with one another.

So in this month’s article, I get to the bottom of the B12 debate, shatter the top 8 myths surrounding this vitamin, and show you the proven—yet super simple—way to fulfill your B12 needs on a vegan diet.

Letʼs get to it, shall we?

Myth #1: Only vegans and vegetarians have to worry about B12 deficiency.

Contrary to popular belief, vegans and vegetarians are not the only ones at risk for a B12 deficiency. The truth is, no matter what you eat, you could be at risk.

According to Sally Pacholok, R.N. and Jeffrey J. Stuart , D.O., authors of Could It Be B12?:

 …while you need only a tiny, tiny amount of B12 each day (two to four micrograms or about a millionth of an ounce), it’s remarkably easy to become deficient in this nutrient.

While deficiency often occurs in vegans or vegetarians who fail to take the right supplements, the majority of B12 deficient people eat plentiful amounts of the vitamin-it’s just that their bodies can’t absorb or use it. (1)

The authors go on to say that the absorption process for B12 is very complex, more so than any other vitamin. Any disruption in this process will hinder B12 absorption.

And if the source of your B12 is meat, this adds an additional process because the B12 must be separated from the proteins in the meat that binds it. This is one possible explanation for why some meat-eaters ingesting plenty of B12 still struggle with getting enough of the vitamin.

Another step in the process involves intrinsic factor (IF), a glycoprotein that combines with B12 and carries the vitamin to the ileum for absorption. If you donʼt produce enough intrinsic factor—a condition known as pernicious anemia—you will not be able to absorb all of the B12 you consume.

Of course, there are other factors that affect intrinsic factor and your bodyʼs ability to absorb B12. Some of these unhealthy habits include drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs (prescribed or otherwise), consuming an acid-forming diet of meat, dairy, and processed grains, eating frozen foods, and using colon cleansing products and procedures.

In summary, B12 deficiency tends to be the result of improper absorption, not inadequacy in the diet. This means that everyone, not just vegans and vegetarians, is at risk for deficiency.

And the science confirms this. In one study, researchers at Tufts University found that almost 40% of 3,000 individuals under the age of 50 had low B12 levels! And according to one of the researchers, “There were very few vegetarians in our study, and a lot were taking vitamin supplements”. (2,3)

In another study, B12 status was analyzed in 340 Australian Seventh-day Adventist ministers. Itʼs no surprise that the vegans and vegetarians in the group had low levels of B12, with approximately 73% below the lower limit of 221 pmol/L. But out of the 53 participants who consumed one or more servings of meat each week, 40% also had blood serum readings below this lower limit. (4)

Myth #2: We can absorb plenty of B12 from bacteria in our intestines.

Many vegan and raw vegans believe that bacteria in our intestines can be an adequate source of vitamin B12. As long as we avoid the unhealthy lifestyle practices that hinder absorption and destroy protective bacteria, we will have no need for supplementation.

As it turns out, many mammals do have the ability to absorb B12 synthesized by bacteria inhabiting their gut. According to the World Health Organization:

Most microorganisms, including bacteria and algae, synthesize vitamin B12, and they constitute the source of the vitamin…

In many animals, gastrointestinal fermentation supports the growth of these vitamin B12 synthesizing microorganisms, and subsequently the vitamin is absorbed and incorporated into the animal tissues. (5)

But what about human beings? Can we really absorb all the B12 we need from the bacteria in our gut?…

Hope you enjoyed that little excerpt! If you’d like to read the rest, click here to join the Rawkin’ Raw Club.

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Lacking the education, motivation, and support you need to rawk it raw? Become a Rawkin’ Raw Member today:

==> www.RawkinRawClub.com

That said, there are some emails I receive rather frequently that really test my patience. They look something like this:

How can you eat an entire meal of bananas?! When I eat more than a couple of pieces of fruit, my blood sugar goes crazy!

What really irks me about comments like these is that more often than not, the person spewing them hasn’t actually tested their blood sugar after eating a meal of fruit. They really have no idea whether or not fruit actually “spikes” their blood sugar.

They just “feel” that it does.

Well today, I want to SHOW you what REALLY happens to your blood sugar level when you eat a meal of fruit. Check it out…

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Looking for tasty and healthy raw food recipes that most definitely won’t spike your blood sugar? Check this out…

“Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes”

Delicious and Healthy Raw Vegan Favorites for Every Meal

 www.fitonraw.com/low-fat-raw-vegan-favorites

To learn more about the book and order your copy, click below:

==> www.fitonraw.com/low-fat-raw-vegan-favorites

It seems to me, having lots of fruit at Breakfast will send a person’s blood sugar up, then the body will send it back down causing a feeling of hunger. Blood sugar will yo-yo.

Seems to me, protein with any meal is a good idea.

If you agree that fruit causes blood sugar spikes, makes you hunger, and doesn’t supply enough (or any) protein, keep reading to find out why you’re wrong:

Fruit Causes Blood Sugar Yo-Yoing

It’s true that when you eat fruit, the level of sugar in your blood raises and then comes back down sometime later. In fact, this is what happens every time you eat, no matter what you eat!

It could be hot dogs, it could a salad with oil and vinegar. Eating food will raise your blood sugar and your body will have to work to lower it again.

The important thing is how quickly your blood sugar returns to normal. With most difficult to digest foods eaten on a SAD diet (e.g. refined grains, fatty meats, etc.), this process is rather slow.

This is a problem because elevated glucose in the blood for extended periods is exactly what causes hyperglycemia, diabetes type II, and candida overgrowth.

On the other hand, fruit digests quickly and easily. Within just minutes after eating a meal of fruit, your body will already have started the process of transporting the sugar out of your blood and into your cells.

So yes, eating fruit raises your blood sugar. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. In fact, it’s simply a necessary part of eating food! As long as your blood sugar does not remain elevated and does not go above the accepted range (70-145 mg/dL), you have nothing to worry about.

If you still don’t believe that eating a high fruit diet won’t spike your blood sugar readings, check this out.

Fruit Causes Hunger

There are two things which cause hunger: a need for calories and a need for nutrients. This explains why fat people continue to eat even when they’ve had more than enough (fuel without the nutrients) and why we can’t just rely upon pills and powders (nutrients without the fuel).

Fruit is the perfect mix of both. Fruit provides excellent fuel in the way of the simple-sugar glucose, but it’s also full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, etc. Plus, fruit is full of fiber, which is absolutely necessary for feeling satiated after a meal.

So no, fruit does not cause hunger. In fact, myself and many others have found that fruit is the absolute best food for completely eradicated hunger and cravings!

Personally, the only diet that has allowed me to eat until full at every meal AND maintain a healthy waistline is a diet predominated by fruit.

You Need Protein at Every Meal

You’re right, you do need protein at every meal, but not in the way most people think we do.

When most people say “protein,” they’re thinking of high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and soy. But eating these foods isn’t necessary (and several studies show that you’re much better off without them, especially animal products).

When I say “protein,” I’m just talking about the macronutrient called protein that’s found in all whole foods. That’s right, fruits contain protein too. For instance, grapes contain 4% protein, apples have about 2%, and cantaloupe has 8% protein.

So no matter what fruit you’re eating for breakfast, you’re getting protein. There’s no need to add any other food or supplement for the sake of more protein because, contrary to popular belief, our protein needs are quite small.

The True Cause of Blood Sugar Yo-Yoing?

As long as you eat a healthy diet of fruit, vegetables, and limited amounts of fat, you shouldn’t have any blood sugar issues. The key here is that last part: you’ve got to limit your fat intake.

If you eat a diet high in sugar AND high in fat—just like your standard Western diet—you’re probably going to have problems with blood sugar yo-yoing. For more on this, be sure to check out this article.

 Your Experience?

Got any experience with rectifying blood sugar issues on a high fruit diet? Please leave your comment below!

Oh, and if you have any tips for learning to yo-yo, please leave those too. I’ve tried and tried to master this silly toy since I was a kid—we actually had a “yo-yo master” present at my elementary with his yo-yo Ted…it was pretty cool—but I just can’t do it.

I can’t even do the basic down and back up! So sad…

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Eating a fresh fruit-rich diet yet still having crazy food cravings? Be sure to check out my cravings-crushing program:

“How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All”

A Guide for Destroying Cravings on a Raw Food Diet

www.CookedFoodCravings.com

And this includes the new expanded edition of How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings AND the expanded edition of the bonus report EAT MORE FRUIT to Lose Weight.

To learn more about everything that’s included and order your copy today, click on the link below:

==> www.CookedFoodCravings.com

Why? Because the universe hates me.

Okay, not really.

It’s because I hurt my back Sunday night. I was working on a puzzle—yes, I know I’m a dweeb—when I bent over the table and, uh oh!

It felt like my lower back was tearing in two!

You may remember that I had some lower back trouble earlier this year, but this was different. This was much more painful. So much so that I couldn’t stand up at all!

Luckily, the pain subsided and I was able to get up and walk again thirty minutes later. This was a huge relief, but then I thought, why now? Why when everything else that day had been going my way?

The weather had cooled down to a comfortably warm 90 degrees with a slight breeze. I had just played tennis after almost two weeks off, feeling and playing better than ever. My weight training sessions had been going phenomenally well, with gains made almost every workout for the past 9 weeks.

And of course, I was all psyched and ready to learn new things, meet new people, and fill up on tasty fresh produce at the fruit festival. All of this with no back pain to speak of!

Then I realized something.

All this whining wasn’t helping me one bit. No amount of tears or curse words were going to make my pain go away and they sure as heck weren’t going to help me figure out what caused the injury in the first place.

What would make the pain go away? Rest and lots of it. That means no tennis, no lifting weights, and no flying to fruit festivals.

So that’s what I’ve been doing these past few days.

Okay, so I have cheated a bit. I did go out for a couple of hours Tuesday night. And guess what? I paid the price. My back ached all through the night and was even worse the next morning.

So it’s back to rest, rest, and more rest. And it’s paying off. The pain is significantly better than it was two days ago. I can actually bend forward a few inches without any pain!

But enough about me…

What about you?

We all know that disappointment is just a part of life. Things can’t go our way all the time and we have to be able to roll with the punches.

What disappointments have you experienced lately that have affected your health and fitness goals? What have you done to get back on track, make your situation better, or even just improve your mental outlook?

Leave your comments below!

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Wondering what caused my lower back injury? I’m pretty sure I have the answer to that and it’s actually pretty simple. In fact, it’s a nasty habit that almost every one of us engages in multiple times a day.

More on that in a future article…

P.P.S. Having trouble getting back on track with your raw food diet for lack of healthy raw food recipes that actually taste good? Be sure to check out my raw recipe e-book…

www.fitonraw.com/low-fat-raw-vegan-favorites

To learn more about the book and order your copy, click below:

==> www.fitonraw.com/low-fat-raw-vegan-favorites