Monday, August 09, 2010

Avocados on a Fruitarian Diet..

In reply to the anonymous someone that recently asked me once more about avocados on a fruitarian diet..

Hi Mango!
I frequent your website often. I would like to ask you something. You know, I like to eat avocados, but the 80-10-10 people say it's too much if you eat more than half of one a day! And, I can eat three a day. I have a feeling that I only want the avocados because they make me feel restrained and then I "binge" on them, which is usually three to 4. I don't eat any greens. they taste like dirt. I live off OJ, mangoes, cherries, watermelon, and avocado for now. But, what is your take on the avocado and its fat?
Thanks


scrumping avocados
Me scrumping organic avocados from local orchard

Well, I have no real doubt that there's a fair amount of sense in much of what the 80/10/10 diet and philosophy propose, however, I feel that trying to methodically stick to the 801010 pattern is not the right way to go.. Each day, the body's needs may vary greatly, and if you feel drawn to eating more avocados one day, or over a period of time, then there is little doubt in my mind that it makes good sense in eating them..

I'm not a calorie counter, nor into the nutritional science side of things, but they may be right in that 80/10/10 is an overall, seen over longer time period, reasonable average.. I wouldn't really know for sure though...

I tend to do things differently, for the record, I can regularly eat 4 or 5 avos throughout the course of a day, and sometimes more.. sometimes less too.. I never feel I binge on them. They're a fruit! Binging is something you do on foods that you shouldn't be eating at all in the first place..

descending the avocado tree
Climbing down from the avocado tree

Unlike others, I don't "diss" the avocado, or the tomato for that matter. I don't classify it as "fatty", - in my opinion a very derogatory term that doesn't give it credit for it's unique fruitiness.

Avocados are fruits like any other, and (provided you are not overly mixing them with other fruits - which is something you can say of all fruits!), I think it's unlikely your body would let you overdo them.. once you've had enough, your body will tell you, just as it does with every other fruit..

If you feel at times you overdo them, then maybe it is because you've eaten them too fast, or because they were overripe (too soft), or had some other deformity (like invisible mold!).. If you're energy appears to drop after eating them, don't stress unduly or give yourself a hard time, just try and flow with it.. go and lie down and have a siesta.. nothing wrong with that.. rest's good too..

Over time, it may be true, that one's desire for avos drops, and maybe even there will be times when they don't appeal at all, and that's good too.. just accept that no 2 bodies have the same nutritional needs at any given point in time.. and that at any given point in time, individual needs can vary greatly too..

pockets loaded with avos
After scrumping - pockets loaded with avocados and a cheeky grin on me face..

Avos are in my opinion, a great fruit, and I hope to have at least 3 trees on the eventual land that we end up living on..

peace,
mango.

16 comments:

Amit said...

Hi there, Mango

My name is Amit, i'm from Israel, and i'm new to fruitarianism. I love your blog very much. i've already read alot of your older posts, and you are a great inspiration to me.

i enjoyed this post especially. I really like your approach to fruitarianism, and i can relate to it much better than to all the other guru-followers approaches. no disrespect to them, i just believe that we have to listen to our bodies, instead of having restrictions, counting calories, and forcing ourselves to eat and drink tremendous amounts of food and water, even when we don't feel hunger or thirst (I already found out that it's almost impossible to be thirsty while eating fruits all day, even in the hot israeli summer).

Sorry if there are mistakes. my english is not so perfect.

Amit

Cosmic said...

Lovely natural shots of you, mango!

xoxox

Unknown said...

Dear Mango,

As Im sure you are aware, the 801010 ratio is based on a yearly average, not daily. so if sometimes you want to spend a day eating only avocados, that is fine, you just avoid fat for awhile after that. I like your attitude toward avos, I think that sometimes they get a bad rap and really they are quite delicious. I don´t think I could handle eating 5 in a day, but I have definitely enjoyed 2 :)

Debbie Took said...

So good to see this sensible piece on avocados!
Thank you Mango.

Fruitarian Mango said...

hi all, thanks for your much appreciated feedback!

Amit, yes, the guidelines I follow for fruitarianism are completely non scientific.. I have deliberately taken steps away from that side of things, and my main reasons are based around ethics..

I don't believe anyone can correctly say what any other person should or shouldn't eat during a day, or at any fixed meal.. only our own bodies, with their own innate intelligences can truly know that..

Thanks Cosmic.. Kveta's the artist there.. she takes many of the photos that I post on my blog..

Hi Parsley, I guess, I still don't like avocados being called "fats", when they are sooo much more.. and personally, I don't think of them as something that per necessity must be "avoided at times". I'd say, only avoid them if they are unappealing.. Of course, i could be wrong, we all have to make our own minds up on what's right and what's not..

Hi Debbie, glad you can see some sense in my words!

peace to you all!
mango.

Fruitarian Mango said...

hi again, amit, i forgot to mention i am in sound agreement with you about the restrictions and counting etc. etc.. and surely anyone truly on a fruitarian diet would only very very rarely have desire for water (probably only in the absence of juicy fruit)..
peace,
mango.

Anonymous said...

Bravo! I love this! Thank you so much! With out restrictions, I won't feel like it's a binge and I won't need to feel bad. Thanks a lot!
I completely agree with you.
:)

LifeInTheRaw said...

great post! I've been struggling with this myself, but you are right, avocados are a fruit and it makes no sense not to eat them. Sometimes I go overboard on fats, but then i chill out for a while :)

now if i could kick the salt, i'd be set!

Fruitarian Mango said...

yeah! kick the salts... and the sugar too! there's a good sound plan.. And remember that fruit doesn't contain "sugar" anymore than avos contain "fat".. there's so much more to fruit than individual (sub)microscopic elements.. they contain a life force, and everything they else contain is so intricately entwined, it is folly to focus on one element that only really exists after it has been extracted..

LifeInTheRaw said...

exactly:)

I'm glad I stumbled on your blog. It looks like you have a lot of good information and insight!

I was eating the SAD diet a few years ago... now it's just raw fruits and veggies... I've left behind gluten, sugar, animal products, coffee, energy drinks etc... the little bit of salt thats left is the last thing to go :)

Fruitarian Mango said...

Sounds like you're on the right track.. keep up the good work and i'm sure you'll keep on reaping the profits!

mango.

cbs said...

Thank you so much for posting this about avocados! I'm so tired of them being considered a "bad" food. I love and crave them myself. It seems like most people following a fruit based diet are not listening to their bodies at all, just going by what others say. I find this unnatural.

Heartofflesh said...

thanks for setting things straight about avocados! i love them and have the same feeling that i would hate to have to be 'working my way' toward not eating them. so many times i find myself out and about without access to enough fruits to satisfy me (i'll carry along a couple of bananas,oranges, and avodcados) so, i can just eat a couple of avos right out of their nature-made bowl and not be hungry for a while. quick and easy. kinda like people do when they can't take time for 'lunch' and grab a snicker's bar, but who's really getting satisfied??!!

Fruitarian Mango said...

@cbs & Heartofflesh,
i think a lot of the bad hype about avocados stems from doug graham and his movement, and personally feel that he made a mistake grouping them with nuts that are so clearly not raw and have an entirely different effect upon ones physiological wellbeing.
peace,
mango.

Barefoot Tyler said...

Great post. I felt guilty using avocados and guacamole for my salad dressing. I'm glad to know that the world is not going to end if I eat a *Gasp* "fatty fruit".

Anonymous said...

Hi Mango!!
I'm not even sure if you still respond on here or not, but I was wondering... I too feel that avocados should not be avoided and we should listen to our bodies. However, some just say to avoid them until the body is fully clean, b/c they can but a stop on detox, and that a lot of people with stomach/candida problems, will have problems until their guys are healed. Do you have an opinion on this?