This reasoning has just never sat right with me and here’s why:

Enzymes Are For the Plant, Not the Person

Raw foods contain enzymes that are necessary for proper development of the plant. For instance, an unripe banana contains enzymes that allow the starch in the fruit to convert to sugar, i.e. to ripen.

Once the process is complete, the enzymes are gone. So in order to actually consume these enzymes, you would have to consume unripe, acidic, nutritionally-underdeveloped food.

Kind of defeats the point of eating nutrionally-packed raw foods, eh?

And even if you did decide to consume unripe fruit, there is no reason to believe that the enzymes in the PLANT would be capable of functioning in YOUR digestive processes.

In short, these enzymes are important for the plant, not for us. Our bodies have their own enzymes that allow us to properly digest the foods we eat.

So Why Eat Raw Foods?

There are several reasons to eat a diet high in raw foods, the main one being that raw foods are nutritional powerhouses. The food has not been damaged via heat or processing and retains its nutritional integrity.

And, actually, for the enzymes!

As I mentioned, enzymes are very necessary in plant growth. By letting your food fully ripen before consumption, you will allow the enzymes present to work their magic, making the food much tastier and easy to digest…

So what do ya know, plant enzymes DO aid in human digestion after all!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

* What’s New: Meet Me in Michigan

* Feature Article: 4 Ways to Improve the Mainstream Raw Food Diet

Meet Me in Michigan

From Friday-Sunday, October 8-10, 2010, Dr. Douglas Graham (author of The 80/10/10 Diet) is going to be presenting five, 3-hour health lectures in Livonia, Michigan.

The schedule is:

• Friday Night – Fasting: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (6-9)
• Saturday AM – Basics and Basis of the 80/10/10 Lifestyle (9:30-12:30)
• Saturday PM – Nutrition and Energy (2-5)
• Sunday AM – Children’s Health (9:30-12:30)
• Sunday PM – Astonishing Case Studies (2-5)

But that’s not the best part.  The best part is that a “market place” will be open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, with restaurant vendors offering low fat raw vegan food!  There will be fresh fruit offered throughout both days as well!

And guess who’s booked for the whole weekend?  That’s right, ME!

So if you would like to learn more about health and wellness from the undisputed fruit master AND fill up on tasty fresh fruit with yours truly, then make your way over to Michigan this fall!

You can find out more information on the individual lectures and purchase your tickets here:

http://www.livingyoganow.com/dg/index.html

If you order by August 31 you get a $100 discount on the entire event and if you order by July 31 you get a free gift at the door.

I sure hope to see you there!

Swayze

4 Ways to Improve the Mainstream Raw Food Diet

Last week, I reviewed an essay on evolution and the human diet and concluded with 4 main ways to improve the modern human diet:

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!

You see, many raw foodists think that raw food is the end all be all.  They believe that if they shun cooked food and only eat raw food, they will be perfectly healthy.

Perhaps you’re feeling the same way.  Maybe you’ve read all the great testimonials from people who have released over 100 pounds, reversed cancer, and have finally begun to thrive and you are convinced that raw foods are the answer to everything.

I completely understand the enthusiasm – perhaps even fanaticism – surrounding raw foods.  It’s amazing to see the results that can be achieved just by going raw, especially if you go the low fat, high fruit route.

However, there are a couple of problems with this way of thinking.

Perfection

As I said, many raw foodists see a raw vegan diet as the “end all be all.”  They think they can give up cooked foods, go 100% raw and all their problems will *magically* be solved.

Let’s get one thing straight.  No one is perfect and no one ever will be…and that includes YOU!

I don’t care how little cooked food you eat or much raw foods you stuff down your gullet, you will *never* be perfect.

PERIOD.

Just look at all the raw food “gurus” out there.  Sure, they may market the raw food diet as the only way to achieve the “perfect” body, or to have “perfect digestion,” or to get “perfect” teeth…but that certainly does not make it so.

I mean, if this were really the case, wouldn’t these gurus be the pinnacle of perfection?  Some of them have been raw for 20+ years and yet I know they are nowhere near perfect…because no one is!

If these long-term raw food radicals still aren’t perfect, is there any reason to expect perfection from your own raw food results?

There’s More To Health Than Just Diet

One of the side effects of the mainstream raw food movement’s focus on food is the almost complete avoidance of exercise.  There are far too many raw foodists, gurus included, who rarely (if ever) participate in some form of bodily movement.

It’s as if they believe that eating raw will somehow “cancel out” the fact that they spend all day sitting on their butts!

In The 80/10/10 Diet, Dr. Graham actually lists a total of *32* “Fundamental Elements of Health” that you should be concerned with.

Here’s the first ten on the list:

1. Clean, fresh air
2. Pure water
3. Foods for which we are biologically designed
4. Sufficient sleep
5. Rest and relaxation
6. Vigorous activity
7. Emotional poise and stability
8. Sunshine and natural light
9. Comfortable temperature
10. Peace, harmony, serenity, and tranquility

See that?

“Foods for which we are biologically designed” (i.e. a low fat raw vegan diet) makes up just ONE single factor!

And it isn’t even first on the list!

Make What You Eat a Priority, Not an Obsession

I’m not arguing that improving your diet is not important.

It is *hugely* important, especially considering the harmful food and drugs that the majority of people consume day in and day out.  Eliminating cooked food and making healthy raw food a priority in your life will have wonderful consequences for you.

However, there’s no need to get obsessed.  Your diet is only ONE factor of many that play a role in your overall health and well-being.  If you truly want to thrive, you must consider every aspect and act accordingly.

As Doug Graham often says…

“You are only as strong as your weakest link.”

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

In addition to all this oil, raw foodists also tend to eat lots of fatty avocados and nuts as well. I think a more fitting name for the mainstream raw food diet would be the oil and avocado diet!

The problem here is that most raw foodists do not see eating all this oil as a negative. I mean, oil is RAW and HEALTHY, right?

Oil Is Not Raw

Many raw foodists will argue that because cold-pressed oils are not heated, they are still raw.

Here is the Merriam-Webster definition of raw:

being in or nearly in the natural state : not processed or purified

Any food that is processed is not raw. Any food that is no longer in its whole state is not raw. Olive oil is clearly a processed food, no longer in its whole state.

Oil is not a raw food.

Oil Is Nothing But Fat

Let’s not fool ourselves here. Oil is 100% pure fat.

A tablespoon of olive oil is about 100 calories, all of which comes from fat. Just because you eat it with a big, healthy bowl of greens and vegetables does not negate the fact that you are eating a tablespoon of fat.

Remember, greens contain very few calories and so a large salad with only a tablespoon or two of oil is still a high-fat meal. And a typical raw food salad includes much more than one measly tablespoon of oil and even *more* fatty ingredients like avocados and nuts.

That’s a lot of fat!

Oil Is Not Healthy

Some will argue that oil is really a health food, providing necessary monounsaturated fatty acids, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.

In reality, oil is a highly refined, highly fatty, *empty* calorie food.

That’s right, oil is nothing but EMPTY CALORIES! All of the good stuff, like fiber and water, has been removed. It is no longer a healthy whole food, but a refined mockery of the original.

Even the fat itself in oil is literally “bad,” as it does not take long for fat exposed to oxygen to become rancid.

Pass the bottle of “healthy” rancid liquid fat, please!

These oil supporters are also assuming the “more is better” fallacy. This belief is held by the vast majority of people, who are taught that if a food has more of a particular nutrient, it is automatically better for us.

The problem? The “more is better” belief does not take into account human nutritional requirements. Just because a certain food has more of a specific nutrient does NOT mean that it is automatically better for us.

In fact, as is the case with fatty oil, too much is often a very bad thing that has some very bad consequences!

To find out more about the dangers of eating a high fat diet, check out my article here.

The Verdict?

Let that oil spoil!

This fatty liquid is doing nothing in terms of fostering health. It will serve you well to get rid of the stuff for good.

If you feel that you must consume oils in your meals, make sure to keep the amounts to a minimum (i.e. 1 tbsp) and to avoid consuming with sweet fruit of any kind.

This food combining rule applies to all overt fats, even healthy raw ones like avocados and nuts and seeds.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. If you find it next to impossible to enjoy your dinner salad without a bit of fatty oil, you may want to check out Roger Haeske’s idiot-proof recipe system, Savory Veggie Stews.

These delicious and completely oil-free dishes (not to mention salt-free as well) will be sure to put the kibosh on all of your dinner time cravings:

http://tinyurl.com/ygwwahs

Enjoy!

It’s a little R.A.W. formula I came up with to help all you struggling raw foodies out there.

“R” Stands for…

*Reduce Your Fat Intake*

Too many raw foodists are eating way too much fat.  As Dr. Graham likes to say, the mainstream raw food diet is an unsustainable diet of “grass and fats.”

And it truly is!

With all the fruit fear mongering going around, raw foodists are only left with a couple of choices: fatty foods like avocado or grassy foods like greens…or even just plain ole’ grass!

And because grassy foods provide very little in the way of calories, it’s up to the fattier fare to pick up the slack.

The result? A food regimen that’s higher in fat than the average cooked food diet!

I experienced this myself when I first went raw. I had been a low fat food person for quite some time, but my cooked vegan diet was failing me and so I wanted to give raw a chance.

I followed a well-known raw food cuisine book (this particular book is one of the top-selling raw recipe books today, actually), but all of the oil and nuts used in 90%+ of the recipes just didn’t sit right with me.

When I finally sat down and calculated what I was eating, I was shocked to find that my daily “healthy” raw food diet was AVERAGING 45% fat!

I didn’t even consume that much fat as a SAD eater!

After a few more weeks of research, I made the switch to low fat raw and immediately saw improvements: no more bloating, gas, or lethargy!

And with all the yummy sweet fruit, I was finally satiated!  As long as I ate enough fruit (yes, this really is THE key), I never felt the need (and still don’t) to fill up on dense fatty foods.

“A” Stands for…

*Add in Some Greens*

While I’m sure you know how important sweet fruit is to a healthy raw food diet…

(And if you don’t, this article may help you out)

…you may be missing out on another important component: GREENS!

While fruits are absolutely vital because they come the closest to meeting our nutritional needs and provide sufficient calories, they do run low in some necessary nutrients (i.e. minerals).

That’s where greens come in!

Tender leafy greens like romaine and bib lettuce – as well as delicious non-sweet fruits like cucumber and red bell pepper – have a higher mineral content than sweet fruits do.

And you know what? It’s just really nice sometimes to have a big savory salad or a Fat Free Veggie Dip at the end of a fruit-filled day, which can really help with cravings and keep you on the raw path.

“W” Stands for…

*Work Your Body Everyday*

Sorry all you lazy raw foodists (a group in which I include myself), but if you want optimal results on raw (or ANY diet), you have to exercise.

You have to get yourself up off that couch and away from your computer/TV screen and move around a bit.

And if it’s *optimal* results you’re looking for, then you need to do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Even on my recovery days, I still do light stretching and low impact activities such as walking and biking.

And no, “low impact activities” do not include pushing the buttons on your remote or typing at your computer.

Of course, if you’re new to being physically active, be safe and start slow. A 30 minute walk around the neighborhood 3 times per week is an excellent place to start and can easily be modified (i.e. alternating jogging and walking) as you progress.

Get Great Raw Results!

By following this formula…

Reducing your fat intake,

Adding in your greens, and

Working your body everyday

…you will definitely see some radical (but totally welcome) raw results.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. You’re curious about that Fat Free Veggie Dip I mentioned, aren’t ya?  No problem!  Check out my completely low fat and healthy raw food recipe book:

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