Interview with a Fruitarian - 5 - Sarah Parker

Hi Sarah! -
Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions!
Could you please start off by telling us a little about yourself, how old you are, where you are living/grew up etc..?

I'm a 31 year old wife and mother of three young children.  I grew up in Malaysia, a fruitarian paradise, but for the last 12 years I have lived in the US.

Do you have an online presence - website/ blog/pictures??

http://sarah811.blogspot.com  -  my Before and After pictures are on that site.

Thanks for the introduction! How long have you known about fruitarianism, and how did you hear of it?

I have known about it for 7 years.  When my first children (twins) were born I began researching  diet and nutrition because I finally made the connection between food choices and health.  We made the choice to go vegan.  I did hear of fruitarianism but thought that was way too wacky for me to ever consider it.

So you weren't convinced that it was a good thing when you first heard of it then? When did you first realise that you wanted to live on just fruit?

Yes, I had high doubts!  I truly thought fruitarians were crazy people. It wasn't until I kept researching and very slowly made the transition to high fat raw gourmet (low fruit) to a high fruit/low fat diet that I realized I had become one of those crazy people myself.

What was your diet like while growing up?

I would say it was healthier than the typical American diet.  My parents served us plenty of fruit at each meal (for "dessert").  I also did not consume as much junk food and soda pop beverages in my early years.  (My parents did not let me.  :)  I'm so glad!). I did however grow up on things like white rice, small amounts of animal products (which I always hated until I got used to them as I grew older) and white bread.

Can you tell us a little about your health when you were eating that way, and how it has changed since moving toward an all fruit diet?

When I hit adolescence, I had horrible acne, was puffy and carrying around a lot of water weight. (Up til then I'd been an extremely skinny child).  I also had major teeth problems.  Along with the other various "normal" childhood diseases, I also went through a 1 year period of getting painful boils all over my body repeatedly.  The weight gain continued slowly all the way through my 20's and I began to feel old and often exhausted.

So you are married, what does your husband think of your choice of food? What about your 3 children, what do they make of mums new food outlook?

My husband slowly has come around.  He is currently pursuing this lifestyle with me.  He has always agreed with me on the concept intellectually, so he has never given me resistance to my own choices or my desire to feed my kids fruit.  My youngest has never had anything else.

That's great news! More fruitarian kids!! How has the health of your children been, especially comparing the youngest one with the older ones that have eaten things other than fruit?

All three are healthy and vibrant.  The worst thing that the youngest one has ever had is cold symptoms and slight fevers.  They now know what to do when sick and will take to bed with lots of water.  They never stay down very long and don't seem to get as sick as other kids.  The oldest two have only been fruitarian for over a year now, but have been vegan from birth.

And how about your parents, what do they think of you going fruitarian?

They do not understand it, but since my family is very healthy and active on this diet, they leave us alone about it and in fact try their best to be very supportive in general.  They are great!

What kind of things are you currently eating that you want to leave out from your diet and why?

I still occasionally consume dried tomatoes (unsoaked) and would like to leave those behind entirely.

Do you take any supplements or spirulina or stuff like that? Are you at all concerned about not getting enough calcium/protein/B12/whatevers??

No supplements or superfoods for me.  I have grown to be completely confident that a healthy lifestyle is all it takes to achieve glowing health.  Diet is a big part of that but so are several other factors, such as exercise, sunshine, emotional poise, etc.

Do you suffer from cravings, or have you ever binge eaten? how do you deal with such times?

If I ever have cravings now it is not for cooked food but for things like dried tomatoes or too many avocados.  I would say I rarely binge eat but I have overeaten on some things in short spurts before.  When I have cravings I just remind myself that I am human, but also that it is not worth feeding a craving for a few seconds of instant gratification, it is not worth the longer moments of ill health it would bring to my life.

What does your typical day look like foodwise? And for how long have you been eating this way?

I typically eat two meals a day, the first meal some time after noon and after I have worked out.  My first meal is typically mono fruit of some kind - bananas or persimmons or papayas or whatever is in season, cheap and appealing to me at that moment.  My second meal I have some acidic fruit like oranges or pummelos and I will usually have some fruit veggies and other veggies then too, usually tomatoes, bell peppers, and maybe some lettuce or celery.

Do you have a good variety of fruit for you to choose from where you live now?

Thankfully, yes.   I don't have it as good as I did growing up, but I really can't complain!  There is an abundance of fruit choices in the south where I live.

Have you ever met anyone (not online) who eats just fruit?

Besides my family, I have recently met Richard Blackman of fruitarianfitness.com

How long do you picture it taking before you are eating 100% fruit? Do you have a set time frame plans for getting there? Are you already there??

I do not necessarily have a goal of 100% fruit only.  My diet, by volume and calories, is definitely fruitarian by definition but I do not see any great improvement to be gained by leaving out all greens forever, so at this time I have no plans to ditch those unless as I go along I get clear, undeniable signals from my body telling me to do so.

Do you normally tell people how you eat? If so, what do you think is the most common question people ask you about your diet?

No, I am very secretive about it.  I find that most people either don't care or are not ready to hear about it.  Our close friends do know, for the most part, although we don't bring it up all the time in conversation either.  With others, I figure that the ones who are truly observant and curious will eventually notice and pick up on the trails I sometimes leave lying around just in case someone is truly interested.  I figure the ones who really want the info will know how to get it out of me.

Do you have a favourite fruit?

I have several, I can't pick.  I love: Mango (my favorite fruit since I was a very young child), durian, hachiya persimmons, papaya and grape tomatoes.

Can you recall the first time you tried any of those??

I remember loving mango since I was very very little.  My parents thought I was allergic to it so they would not let me have huge amounts of it very often, but I craved it and always begged for it.  It remained my favorite fruit all growing up.

Yes, I can imagine that growing up in Malaysia you must have had access to a wide variety of fruit.. Some of the best durian I've tried has been while travelling through Malaysia, and I love the chempadek there! Do you and your family sometimes go back there for visits?

Yes, I love chempedak too!  We haven't been back there since 2002.  The cost of so many plane tickets is just too high for us right now.  Unfortunately, the last time we were back, we weren't fruitarian yet, although I was vegan.  My older two kids did get their first taste of real fresh durian at that time, though!  I have pictures of them as 1 yr olds, smashing it in their mouths like there was no tomorrow.  I shoulda known then that fruit is their preferred food!

Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?

I see myself living in the same area but further out of the city, on a piece of land my husband and I have purchased.  I see us eating off our own fruit trees and being as self-sustainable as possible.  I see us having our land as our playground!  Either that, or Hawaii, we haven't completely decided.  :)

How do you feel if people tell you that you must be crazy, and that you can't possibly survive eating the way you do??

I say, "You may be right", smile and move on.  I'm not out to prove anything to anyone.  I just want to live my life quietly, the way I want it, with no interference from anyone.
 
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?

I'd like to say that you have discovered a truly beautiful and sustainable way of living.  Keep pursuing your dreams and you will begin to achieve more glowing health than you ever thought possible before!

Well, many thanks for taking the time for the interview Sarah, good luck and fare well on your journey!!
Mango.

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