This interview deleted after request from interviewee - 6th June 2018
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Fruitarian Interview - 39 - Stacey Barrington
This is the 39th Interview with various fruitarians scattered around the globe, it is with Stacey Barrington, a Canadian actress.. You can read more about her here: Stacey Barrington, and on her frequently updated blog: Go Fruit Yourself.
For further such interviews, please see the list of interviews with fruitarians.
Hi Stacey,
For the record, can I first ask what year you were born in, and where you grew up?
Sure, I was born in 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I lived in Vancouver until I was 9 then moved to Coquitlam and grew up there until I finished high school.
Is that where you're currently living too?
After high school, I finished my BFA in Theatre and English at Simon Fraser University, then moved to Los Angeles, CA, for almost 6 years. I've been back in Canada now for almost 8 years and have bounced back and forth between Vancouver and Coquitlam a couple times. Funny timing... I'm currently living in Coquitlam but will be moving back to Vancouver at the end of October.
Stacey Barrington
(Celebrating Graduation from SFU - 1995)
How is that corner of Canada as a place to be on a fruitarian diet? Do you find you get enough variety of fruit readily available and affordable there?
We get great fruit here! Whole Foods popped up here just as I was returning from LA and they get in some of the most amazing fruit. Affordable? I really only have LA as a comparison, so some things seem a little more expensive, some a little less... But it all seems to work out to about the same at the cashier.
You've been an actress since an early age right?
You've done your research! Yes, I started acting in Film & Television when I was 9 years old. Mostly commercials and some local print work. I trained in Theatre full time at SFU and it was an incredible experience... However, after I graduated, I found myself gravitating more toward film and television again. I've since worked on a variety of projects from TV series to independent films.
I guess that means you probably travel a far bit too, or is most of your work done within your State?
Most of my work is in Vancouver and the surrounding suburbs. A few years back, I had put it out there to the Universe that I'd like to travel more with acting and modeling... The next job I booked was in Whistler. I laughed and thought, okay, a little further than Whistler. The next job? Pemberton! Literally 30 minutes past Whistler. The Universe has such a funny sense of humour.
Do you find whichever studio you are with filming caters well for your fruit needs?
Fruit seriously has to be the easiest food to get on set. That being said, it usually gets gobbled up in the first 6 hours of the day and pickings get a little slimmer after that. I usually bring a bunch of bananas with me in case I get hungry at the end of a long day when the craft table is looking a little light in the fruit department.
I'm sure you've not always been fruitarian though, what was your diet like growing up, and what brought on the changes toward a fruit diet??
I would have never imagined myself being a Fruitarian when I was in university. I lived on Honey Nut Cheerios, Licorice, Pizza, Vodka, Bailey's, Coffee and of course, diet soda of all kinds. Not exactly the poster child of perfect nutrition. Growing up we always had lots of sugary processed snacks in the house and fish or meat at every dinner. Food really became a big issue for me in my teenage years. I found it very difficult to maintain a body weight I felt comfortable with. I tried every diet out there. I'd list them all, but I'd literally have to list them ALL! If you can think of it, I've probably tried it.
Stacey - Pre Raw - September 2005
Then, a little over 4 years ago I had a series of "irregular" pap smears. My doctor was very concerned with the results and had told me that if my next pap smear (scheduled for September) came back irregular again, we'd have to do a cone biopsy of my cervix. She explained this could possibly limit my chances of carrying a child if I ever decided to get pregnant.
Inspired by the desire to possibly have kids one day, I spent the next week researching my options on the internet. I came across raw food. I'd never heard of the concept before but what I read fascinated me. I went 100% raw overnight, but not vegan. I included everything and anything raw: fruit, veggies, nuts, seared rare steak, sashimi, raw milk cheese, vegetable juices, fruit juices and water. It was a pretty drastic change but I was determined to help my body heal itself.
How did that change effect your health and state of mind?
Three months later in September, still 100% raw, I had my first normal pap smear in almost 2 years. I was elated! ... And pretty darn proud of myself. During that time I had lost a little weight but nothing really drastic. At least I wasn't gaining weight anymore. I should also note that in the last 4 years of being raw, all of my pap smears have been normal.
Since my first transition to raw, over the past 4 years, I've slowly taken out the raw meats, fish, cheese ... Mostly for ethical reasons. I had tinkered with Vegetarianism eating cooked food but it never sat well with my body. I always felt bloated and gained weight. After I'd taken out the animal products, I significantly began to reduce the amount of raw dehydrated foods in my diet. Then I stopped juicing vegetables. Juicing veggies just never felt natural and I always felt a little queasy after drinking green juice. Eating Raw Vegan food is by far the best choice I've ever made for my body.
September 2006 - 3 Months Raw
I feel happier eating a Fruitarian diet. I never have to think about my weight anymore, I have almost no body odour, and I've gotten really good at picking the best ripe fruit in the market.
So are you currently eating 100% fruit, or are there some exceptions in your diet? Is everything raw, do you sometimes eat dried fruit? what about supplements?
I'm currently eating about 95% Fruit. I order romaine with guacamole for dressing at restaurants if they don't have any fruit (maybe once a month) and I do make raw dehydrated macaroons at Christmas for family and friends. That's pretty much it. I have been struggling the last couple months with those sugar free energy drinks but have finally put those to rest again and am back to drinking water only.
As far as vitamins go, I had been taking a multi daily over the past couple years. I'm beginning to find them a little hard on my tummy when I eat just fruit so I'm considering switching to a B12 supplement. I'm still a work in progress in that area.
Do you have a partner/family? If so, what is their opinion of your fruitarian diet?
My family is so used to my crazy diets over the decades they just ask me what I'm eating this week then buy it for me, lol. The've been very supportive of my transition to raw food having seen the health benefits I've experienced... And I've finally stopped talking about my weight!
Do other actors you might socialise and work with know of your fruit diet?
I'm actually very vocal about my food choices. If someone asks why I'm not lining up at the catering truck, I tell them I do this crazy fruit diet that I love. Being an actress, people tend to think I'm a tad eccentric anyway. What's funny is lately, when I tell people I only eat fruit, they are quick to respond that they eat a lot of fruit too! That's an interesting shift I've noticed in the last 6 months... Universal consciousness at work? Hmmmm....
What's the strangest question you've ever been asked about your diet?
I don't know about the strangest, but everyone asks me where I get my protein from. I've tried a few different answers over the years. Now I just say I don't really know.... And that there are well documented cases of people living on fruit for over 20 years and they seem fine so I thought I'd give it a try.
Do you know of any other fruitarians living in your area?
No I don't. In sharing my experience with others over the years, several of my close friends are now high raw vegetarians. I'm really happy for them and all the changes they've made.
May 2008 - She ate the fruit on the cake!
If you were to hazard a guess, how many fruitarians would you say there are in Canada.. in The world?
I honestly have no idea. I wish there were a whole lot more! It is such a kind, ethical, environmentally friendly way of living one's life. I really don't understand why everyone doesn't get it. It seems kinda obvious that a Fruitarian lifestyle is the best choice for our bodies and our planet.
As a fruitarian, do you sometimes find yourself facing or making compromises and taking on jobs that you don't necessarily agree with. I mean, how would you feel if some fast food joint wanted you for an ad?
My point of view is that they're going to hire someone for the job. Whether it's me or someone else will not make the difference as to how many people eat meat or frequent fast food restaurants. They can advertise their product all they want but when people, like myself, stop buying it, they'll have to change their product or go out of business. I'm more than happy to cash the cheque and buy fantastic fruit.
Have you ever suggested to someone within the field that they make a documentary on fruitarianism?
Funny you should ask... That's been on my mind lately. I don't personally know a lot of people who make documentaries but I truly believe the general public is almost ready for it. I say almost because I think the majority of people out there are just beginning to grasp the concept of eating raw food. Eating only fruit? I'd love to say everyone could do it tomorrow, but I don't think most people would be comfortable with that idea yet.
There is a great documentary out there called "Earthlings". (See below this paragraph). It's interesting when I mention it to people. So many people don't want to watch it because they don't want to know where their food comes from or how the animals are treated or how their food choices impact their health and the environment.
People do seem to show a little more interest in raw food and fruitarianism when it pertains to losing weight. That seems to be a sad statement to me on where people's priorities lie in the big picture.
Are you able to find enough work acting, or do you sometimes take on other lines of work too?
I've worked as an actress and an acting coach for a very long time. A few years back I got into buying, renovating and flipping residential properties. I really enjoyed it and recently got my licence as Realtor. It's my first "civilian" job (other than waitressing) since I graduated from SFU in my 20's. It's been fun to meet a whole new group of people and my brain is enjoying working in a different way. Acting will always be my number one passion, but Real Estate is becoming a very close second.
Could you give us a rough overview of what (and when - time of day) you might eat on a typical day?
I'm big into mono fruit meals at the moment. Some days I might eat 8-12 bananas and that's it!
Other days I may have a mini watermelon for breakfast, 8-10 Medjool Dates for lunch, then indulge in a Durian for dinner.
I like to eat early in the morning. I'm usually up at 6am every day and find a big fruit breakfast gets my system "moving". I like to nibble on something small for lunch around noon then dinner is usually between 4-7pm. When I'm alone, I eat dinner early. When I'm socializing with friends and family, dinner is usually later.
Do you perhaps have a garden where you grow some of your own food? fruit trees? How much do you think you spend a week on your fruit/food?
Nope, no garden. I'm terrible with plants! I've killed cactus with kindness... I over water them. I buy organic when it's available and otherwise look for the freshest ripest conventional fruit I can find. I probably spend about $100 a week on Fruit and Water. That would include eating out as well.
Have you done much travelling, and if so, any particular places you'ld recommend for fellow fruitarians?
Travelling as a Fruitarian is so easy. I found great little fruit shops in Paris and in North America, you can get fresh bananas at Starbucks and even gas stations! I'd love to travel to Thailand and have fresh Durian right off the tree. I usually buy it frozen and really enjoy it, but it would be awesome to get it at the source.
Any regular pass-times/hobbies?
Raw food nutrition is my biggest hobby. It is slowly morphing into some type of career and I'm excited to watch it take shape. I'm really enjoying developing my website www.gofruityourself.com.
Otherwise I really like hiking, snowshoeing, downhill skiing and ice skating. Gotta do something to make it thru the cold winter months! I also really enjoy taking long hot baths and drinking hot water to warm up during the colder winter months.
Can you name some fruits that you've not tried yet but are looking forward to trying?
Chocolate sapote!! I read Anne Osborne's book "Fruitarianism The Path to Paradise" and she made it sound amazing.
The infamous Chocolate Pudding Fruit
(AKA Black Sapote/Black Persimmon).
Tastes like chocolate mousse
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
That's a good questions. I miss the warmth of LA, but love the beauty of Whistler, and then there's the lure of Europe... I really don't know where I'll be living in 10 years, but I do know that wherever it is, I'll be a happy Fruitarian eating fruit and drinking water.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
Everyone has their own path to follow. I never imagined my raw food curiosity would lead me down a path to Fruitarianism... But I'm really glad it did! Allow yourself to experiment and find what works best for you at your pace. It's not a race and remember to enjoy the process. We all get to the end of our journey eventually.... Why not make it a fruitful one!
February 2009
Thanks Stacey!
Mango.
For further such interviews, please see the list of interviews with fruitarians.
Hi Stacey,
For the record, can I first ask what year you were born in, and where you grew up?
Sure, I was born in 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I lived in Vancouver until I was 9 then moved to Coquitlam and grew up there until I finished high school.
Is that where you're currently living too?
After high school, I finished my BFA in Theatre and English at Simon Fraser University, then moved to Los Angeles, CA, for almost 6 years. I've been back in Canada now for almost 8 years and have bounced back and forth between Vancouver and Coquitlam a couple times. Funny timing... I'm currently living in Coquitlam but will be moving back to Vancouver at the end of October.
Stacey Barrington
(Celebrating Graduation from SFU - 1995)
How is that corner of Canada as a place to be on a fruitarian diet? Do you find you get enough variety of fruit readily available and affordable there?
We get great fruit here! Whole Foods popped up here just as I was returning from LA and they get in some of the most amazing fruit. Affordable? I really only have LA as a comparison, so some things seem a little more expensive, some a little less... But it all seems to work out to about the same at the cashier.
You've been an actress since an early age right?
You've done your research! Yes, I started acting in Film & Television when I was 9 years old. Mostly commercials and some local print work. I trained in Theatre full time at SFU and it was an incredible experience... However, after I graduated, I found myself gravitating more toward film and television again. I've since worked on a variety of projects from TV series to independent films.
I guess that means you probably travel a far bit too, or is most of your work done within your State?
 December 2009 |
Do you find whichever studio you are with filming caters well for your fruit needs?
Fruit seriously has to be the easiest food to get on set. That being said, it usually gets gobbled up in the first 6 hours of the day and pickings get a little slimmer after that. I usually bring a bunch of bananas with me in case I get hungry at the end of a long day when the craft table is looking a little light in the fruit department.
I'm sure you've not always been fruitarian though, what was your diet like growing up, and what brought on the changes toward a fruit diet??
I would have never imagined myself being a Fruitarian when I was in university. I lived on Honey Nut Cheerios, Licorice, Pizza, Vodka, Bailey's, Coffee and of course, diet soda of all kinds. Not exactly the poster child of perfect nutrition. Growing up we always had lots of sugary processed snacks in the house and fish or meat at every dinner. Food really became a big issue for me in my teenage years. I found it very difficult to maintain a body weight I felt comfortable with. I tried every diet out there. I'd list them all, but I'd literally have to list them ALL! If you can think of it, I've probably tried it.
Stacey - Pre Raw - September 2005
Then, a little over 4 years ago I had a series of "irregular" pap smears. My doctor was very concerned with the results and had told me that if my next pap smear (scheduled for September) came back irregular again, we'd have to do a cone biopsy of my cervix. She explained this could possibly limit my chances of carrying a child if I ever decided to get pregnant.
Inspired by the desire to possibly have kids one day, I spent the next week researching my options on the internet. I came across raw food. I'd never heard of the concept before but what I read fascinated me. I went 100% raw overnight, but not vegan. I included everything and anything raw: fruit, veggies, nuts, seared rare steak, sashimi, raw milk cheese, vegetable juices, fruit juices and water. It was a pretty drastic change but I was determined to help my body heal itself.
How did that change effect your health and state of mind?
Three months later in September, still 100% raw, I had my first normal pap smear in almost 2 years. I was elated! ... And pretty darn proud of myself. During that time I had lost a little weight but nothing really drastic. At least I wasn't gaining weight anymore. I should also note that in the last 4 years of being raw, all of my pap smears have been normal.
Since my first transition to raw, over the past 4 years, I've slowly taken out the raw meats, fish, cheese ... Mostly for ethical reasons. I had tinkered with Vegetarianism eating cooked food but it never sat well with my body. I always felt bloated and gained weight. After I'd taken out the animal products, I significantly began to reduce the amount of raw dehydrated foods in my diet. Then I stopped juicing vegetables. Juicing veggies just never felt natural and I always felt a little queasy after drinking green juice. Eating Raw Vegan food is by far the best choice I've ever made for my body.
September 2006 - 3 Months Raw
I feel happier eating a Fruitarian diet. I never have to think about my weight anymore, I have almost no body odour, and I've gotten really good at picking the best ripe fruit in the market.
So are you currently eating 100% fruit, or are there some exceptions in your diet? Is everything raw, do you sometimes eat dried fruit? what about supplements?
I'm currently eating about 95% Fruit. I order romaine with guacamole for dressing at restaurants if they don't have any fruit (maybe once a month) and I do make raw dehydrated macaroons at Christmas for family and friends. That's pretty much it. I have been struggling the last couple months with those sugar free energy drinks but have finally put those to rest again and am back to drinking water only.
As far as vitamins go, I had been taking a multi daily over the past couple years. I'm beginning to find them a little hard on my tummy when I eat just fruit so I'm considering switching to a B12 supplement. I'm still a work in progress in that area.
Do you have a partner/family? If so, what is their opinion of your fruitarian diet?
My family is so used to my crazy diets over the decades they just ask me what I'm eating this week then buy it for me, lol. The've been very supportive of my transition to raw food having seen the health benefits I've experienced... And I've finally stopped talking about my weight!
Do other actors you might socialise and work with know of your fruit diet?
I'm actually very vocal about my food choices. If someone asks why I'm not lining up at the catering truck, I tell them I do this crazy fruit diet that I love. Being an actress, people tend to think I'm a tad eccentric anyway. What's funny is lately, when I tell people I only eat fruit, they are quick to respond that they eat a lot of fruit too! That's an interesting shift I've noticed in the last 6 months... Universal consciousness at work? Hmmmm....
What's the strangest question you've ever been asked about your diet?
I don't know about the strangest, but everyone asks me where I get my protein from. I've tried a few different answers over the years. Now I just say I don't really know.... And that there are well documented cases of people living on fruit for over 20 years and they seem fine so I thought I'd give it a try.
Do you know of any other fruitarians living in your area?
No I don't. In sharing my experience with others over the years, several of my close friends are now high raw vegetarians. I'm really happy for them and all the changes they've made.
May 2008 - She ate the fruit on the cake!
If you were to hazard a guess, how many fruitarians would you say there are in Canada.. in The world?
I honestly have no idea. I wish there were a whole lot more! It is such a kind, ethical, environmentally friendly way of living one's life. I really don't understand why everyone doesn't get it. It seems kinda obvious that a Fruitarian lifestyle is the best choice for our bodies and our planet.
As a fruitarian, do you sometimes find yourself facing or making compromises and taking on jobs that you don't necessarily agree with. I mean, how would you feel if some fast food joint wanted you for an ad?
My point of view is that they're going to hire someone for the job. Whether it's me or someone else will not make the difference as to how many people eat meat or frequent fast food restaurants. They can advertise their product all they want but when people, like myself, stop buying it, they'll have to change their product or go out of business. I'm more than happy to cash the cheque and buy fantastic fruit.
Have you ever suggested to someone within the field that they make a documentary on fruitarianism?
Funny you should ask... That's been on my mind lately. I don't personally know a lot of people who make documentaries but I truly believe the general public is almost ready for it. I say almost because I think the majority of people out there are just beginning to grasp the concept of eating raw food. Eating only fruit? I'd love to say everyone could do it tomorrow, but I don't think most people would be comfortable with that idea yet.
There is a great documentary out there called "Earthlings". (See below this paragraph). It's interesting when I mention it to people. So many people don't want to watch it because they don't want to know where their food comes from or how the animals are treated or how their food choices impact their health and the environment.
People do seem to show a little more interest in raw food and fruitarianism when it pertains to losing weight. That seems to be a sad statement to me on where people's priorities lie in the big picture.
Are you able to find enough work acting, or do you sometimes take on other lines of work too?
 |
Could you give us a rough overview of what (and when - time of day) you might eat on a typical day?
I'm big into mono fruit meals at the moment. Some days I might eat 8-12 bananas and that's it!
Other days I may have a mini watermelon for breakfast, 8-10 Medjool Dates for lunch, then indulge in a Durian for dinner.
I like to eat early in the morning. I'm usually up at 6am every day and find a big fruit breakfast gets my system "moving". I like to nibble on something small for lunch around noon then dinner is usually between 4-7pm. When I'm alone, I eat dinner early. When I'm socializing with friends and family, dinner is usually later.
Do you perhaps have a garden where you grow some of your own food? fruit trees? How much do you think you spend a week on your fruit/food?
Nope, no garden. I'm terrible with plants! I've killed cactus with kindness... I over water them. I buy organic when it's available and otherwise look for the freshest ripest conventional fruit I can find. I probably spend about $100 a week on Fruit and Water. That would include eating out as well.
Have you done much travelling, and if so, any particular places you'ld recommend for fellow fruitarians?
Travelling as a Fruitarian is so easy. I found great little fruit shops in Paris and in North America, you can get fresh bananas at Starbucks and even gas stations! I'd love to travel to Thailand and have fresh Durian right off the tree. I usually buy it frozen and really enjoy it, but it would be awesome to get it at the source.
Any regular pass-times/hobbies?
Raw food nutrition is my biggest hobby. It is slowly morphing into some type of career and I'm excited to watch it take shape. I'm really enjoying developing my website www.gofruityourself.com.
Otherwise I really like hiking, snowshoeing, downhill skiing and ice skating. Gotta do something to make it thru the cold winter months! I also really enjoy taking long hot baths and drinking hot water to warm up during the colder winter months.
Can you name some fruits that you've not tried yet but are looking forward to trying?Chocolate sapote!! I read Anne Osborne's book "Fruitarianism The Path to Paradise" and she made it sound amazing.
The infamous Chocolate Pudding Fruit
(AKA Black Sapote/Black Persimmon).
Tastes like chocolate mousse
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
That's a good questions. I miss the warmth of LA, but love the beauty of Whistler, and then there's the lure of Europe... I really don't know where I'll be living in 10 years, but I do know that wherever it is, I'll be a happy Fruitarian eating fruit and drinking water.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
Everyone has their own path to follow. I never imagined my raw food curiosity would lead me down a path to Fruitarianism... But I'm really glad it did! Allow yourself to experiment and find what works best for you at your pace. It's not a race and remember to enjoy the process. We all get to the end of our journey eventually.... Why not make it a fruitful one!
February 2009
Thanks Stacey!
Mango.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Fruitarian Interview - 38 - Rejean Durette
Hi Rejean,
I've just gotten through reading the book "The Fruit Hunters", by Adam Leith Gollner, in it he writes a chapter on Fruitarians, and makes mention of yourself, describing you as Americas "foremost authority on fruitarianism", is that a title you feel worthy of?
His book title sounds slightly Neanderthal. I'd rather be considered a lover than a hunter. How about "the fruit lovers". Haha.. I'll have to track that book down somewhere. It sounds very good from what you've said.
I believe that I have a lot of experience with the fruit diet, and that I have done a lot of research as well to back up my convictions. As such, I believe that many people do consider me to be the authority on fruitarian diet. I think that I also provided a no-nonsense approach on how to make it work. It's not just a spiritual philosophy, where you do lots of meditation or some other spiritual practice that enables you to live on fruit. There is very factual science behind the nutrition of a fruitarian diet. Once people realize this, and basically get a calorie sufficient diet of varied fruits, including fats, the diet is usually fairly easy to do. Of course, that's a very short oversimplification, but that's the basic idea.
Well, I wouldn't sing the praises of his book too much, there were some interesting parts, but his description of what he defines as a fruit was pretty confusing, and there's a fair bit of repetition in the book too, - did you ever get to meet the guy?
Can't say that I did.
I know he contacted you because he read your book "Fruit: The Ultimate Diet", to be honest, I've still not come across a copy of it yet, how many copies of it do you think you've sold so far, and is it still popular?
The book sold a few thousand copies, which I believe is a fair bit considering I did absolutely no promotion for it. A large portion of those were printed on my computer when I started, something I would never do again. It sold over a hundred copies at a local health food store down in Phoenix within a short time, perhaps because people could relate to all the local produce I spoke about, and obviously some of those people who read the book may have known about me.
Rejean is an interesting name, it sounds vaguely french, care to enlighten us as to how you pronounce it?
My heritage is 100% french canadian. The name is very difficult to pronounce if you are without french blood. I'm not even sure that my family pronounces it correctly.
I noticed that in your emails, your name appears as "David Owens", is that an alias of yours?
I worked as a radio dj/announcer for a decade or so, and David Owens is my radio name, because my real name was too difficult for people to deal with. Many people know me by that name, for sake of ease, or because they get to know my radio personality that way.
For the record, can I ask what year you were born in?
I was born in 65, in Canada
Rejean Durette AKA DJ David Owens
But you're living in Arizona right? Is that where you grew up too?
Been in Arizona since 88.
Do you have a blog or website where people can read more about you and your thoughts??
I don't have a blog right now, but there is a website at www.fruitarianvibes.com. I haven't updated it much, but there is some great info there.
When and how did you come to the realisation that fruit was, as you put it, "the ultimate diet"?
Probably as far back as 1989. I "flirted" with the idea a little in those days, and was just getting used to being vegan. I was doing mostly raw in August 1992, when I got involved in a relationship with a girl who was vegan, and then I ended up going back to more of a regular vegan diet for a while, but by early 1993, I apparently made an impact on her, and we both went full steam ahead with the idea of being fruitarian together. I believe it was May of 1993.
prior to that were you on a more conventional diet?
Conventional until September of 1989, but went vegan within a month in October of 1989. but was doing a lot of raw food off and on through the next 3 years or so until becoming 100% raw.
What brought on those changes? was it a book you read, influence from someone, anyone, anything in particular?
Prior to 1989, I lived in Canada, and ate a more conventional diet. I had NEVER heard about vegetarianism, but I was never heavy on meat. I can honestly say that I have never purchased a steak in my life and was never big on junk food, such as sodas and candy bars.
When I first came to the southwestern United States desert, I was on somewhat of a spiritual retreat, where I did a lot of meditation and yoga. I spent a lot of time in nature, hiking, biking and swimming. I think that because I have left my family, my career, and basically my entire life behind, it was easy for me to change my life in so many ways.
I ended up volunteering at a local vegetarian restaurant, around the same time that I became vegan in 1989, and I met an individual named Fred, who was fairly excited about the concept of fruitarian diet. He also introduced me to colon cleansing. While I didn't make those changes at that time to a total fruitarian diet, I did embrace the general idea at that time, and started to eat more and more fruit.
I remember one particular day, where I had come back from a long and very wonderful hike in Sedona, Arizona (USA), which is so amazingly beautiful. It had made such an impact on me, and I had started the day with a lot of yoga and meditation. I was definitely in an altered state. I came back to my campsite, in a secluded and peaceful area, and I looked into my refrigerator, and I saw some fish and eggs that there, and it seemed so wrong to eat something so unnatural, and so removed from nature, when I was in such a peaceful and natural place. I held the egg in my hand, and I felt the pain and suffering of the chickens and I understood why eggs were unhealthy, because they are not a food that can be raised in a compassionate way. Eggs have a certain purpose in this world, and it's certainly not to provide food for humans. I had a few oranges in my refrigerator, and I looked at it for a long time, the beautiful radiant almost sun-like quality of it's skin, the fragrance that draws us into it, etc.
What I became aware of for the first time in my life is that everything in this world is energy. The most important way to be aware of our own energy and "monitor" out energy is to eat the highest vibrational food available. It became very clear to me that the highest vibrational foods are ALWAYS fruit. Of course, organic, fresh, local fruits are always better.
I also thought a lot about how we automatically take on the eating customs of our society, our family, without questions; how our taste buds get perverted over time, so the point that we believe that the smell of a roasting dead corpse (meat) smells good to us.
None of this happened in a vacuum. It was partially became I had left my entire life behind, and I had begun to question why I was doing ALL the things I had done my whole life. It was almost like a near death experience where people get to review their entire life.
I changed so many things in my life during that time, not just diet, and looking back, I think it was a fairly magical stage of my existence.
what changes have you observed since those realisations? - weightwise/healthwise, spiritually, physically, emotionally etc?
That's the subject of an entire book, which I have started writing, by the way. Weight has pretty much stayed the same my entire life. Health has always been good. I just did a 13 mile mountain bike ride yesterday and I am planning a 50 mile one for Friday. So, I think I'm doing pretty good.
After just a few weeks on a juice fast, I couldn't stand my glasses anymore that I had worn for almost a decade, and was able to pass my driver's test without them. That's a real physical, measurable thing, and I was very excited about that.
Spiritually, I think is where the diet made the most changes for me. Fruit is the highest vibration of all foods, and I feel that whatever we put into our bodies, we became, at least to some degree. I've heard some so called spiritual types that claimed they could "transmute" the energy of what they put in their bodies, but you can't "transmute" animal suffering, or all the chemicals that are put on the food crops that we eat. They're in the environment working their way into the soils, into the water, etc.
Especially when I'm somewhere in nature, a pristine place, it seems almost sacrilegious when I see people with Doritos and beer, for example. I think that the more people live unnatural lives in cities, they more they tend to anesthetize themselves with wrong foods.
I feel that my mind is free to think and work properly and that my spirit is much more open to so many possibilities, and that I am a much happier person because of the dietary changes I've made.
Being vegan for me, was a lifestyle, not just a diet, and I feel the same about being fruitarian. I don't talk about it much these days, because it's just a part of who I am, I don't strive or try to do it, it just happens on a daily basis, without effort.
OK, I know that you believe in a 100% fruit fruitarianism, but you've also mentioned that you're not quite there yet, what kind of foods are you still eating that aren't fruit?
Dried foods, occasionally, but fairly rarely. I have on occasion eaten at the raw cafe we have here locally, or went to raw potlucks for fun, and eaten some non fruit foods, but I don't think that disqualifies me from being fruitarian. It might in some people's minds I suppose. The longest I have ever went being 100% raw fruitarian is 9 months. Then I might have eaten something that contained some greens or onions or something else raw, but I never really thought much about that. It's not like I broke down and had a cheese burger or anything.
Do you see yourself weening off of those items anytime soon?
I don't know if I would make any changes really. Like I said, it's only an occasional thing, and not something that I do often. Sometimes when I have been at potlucks, I have stuck with all fruit, but I feel that being social, and partaking of something that's 100% raw that a friend has made, is fine.
You managed to snag a 62 acre parcel near phoenix right? What kind of trees have you got growing on their now? how old are they? are they fruiting yet? is there water running through the place?
62 acre parcel is located between Phoenix and Yuma. I have done a fair bit of work there, including bringing the power in, a mobile home, a septic, and a large steel building, but so far, no well, and as such, no trees. Everything takes time (and money).
I have planted about 60 trees, at my other property just north of Phoenix. Those were planted in the spring of this year, (2010), and are mostly all doing quite well. The peaches already fruited, as they were large trees. I have stripped all the furit off the citrus trees to divert their energy into new growth.
I should start seeing some good crops by 2012. That might sound like a long ways into the future, but it's pretty exciting. In 1999, I managed to be 50% food sufficient with 100 fruit trees
What kind of fruits is the climate there not suitable for? anything particular you would like to be growing but can't?
I can't grow tropical fruits like bananas and avocados for example, and I've love to grow them. I have tried though.
Really, no avocados? They are more of a warm temperate fruit than tropical, I'm surprised they wouldn't grow there?!
I have tried to grow them. I have a few trees right now, but they rarely do very well. They need an awful lot of attention. The Arizona desert is too cold AND too hot for a lot of fruits. Avocados need more humidity, and don't like it when it gets over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While I love avocados, and would be thrilled if I could successfully grow them, it's best if I focus on the things that works well in the Arizona desert, and the list is so long:
I have all kinds of citrus, figs, dates, peaches, plums, apples, apricots, nectarines, almonds, melons, berries, pomegranates, persimmons, guavas, etc.
I am pretty lucky to be able to grow all that variety.
What line of work were you in to manage to scrape the money together for the land?
Some of the money came from the sale of a previous home, and then some came from my current business, growing sprouts !
Is it easy enough to get hold of good quality fruit choices in your area?
Tropical fruits, mostly.
You have a girl friend right? Is she into the fruit thing too?
Yes, oddly enough she is also a fruitarian. What are the odds of that ?
What do other members of your family make of your views on fruitarianism? I'm guessing you've shared your book with them?
Yes, my family is all aware of my dietary choices at this point. I am not sure what they say when I am not around, but I think they're ok with it.
Any kids at all?
I have a son who's 14
So, absolutely no cravings for any cooked foods? or other foods you definitely know are not good choices?
I was never really into most "junk foods", thankfully. People are amazed when I tell them I've never had a Twinkie or a M & M for example. My son was raised the same way, he's still never had a soda or a cookie, for example.
Could you give us a rough overview of what you might eat on a typical day?
Often I start out with a large smoothie, say 8 ounces coconut water, 3 bananas, 1/2 a pound of strawberries, maybe some mango, blueberries, raspberries, a kiwi, whatever I"m in the mood for....
This time of year, I eat a lot of watermelons, today I ate watermelon and then at around 1 or so, I had 3 avocados with a couple tomatoes, a some red peppers. After that I had a few figs and I will probably eat a few more bananas and maybe a few oranges, and that's about it.
How much of your food do you grow yourself? How much do you think you spend a week on your fruit/food?
Not much right now, except for watermelons, tomatoes and peppers.
I spend probably $150 a week on food, ouch.
Well, $100 to $150, depending on.....how rich I feel at the moment.
You say you have another book in the works, care to tell us more of what it'll be about?
Yes, a couple of books in the works, one about the spiritual aspects of the diet, and the other on a completely, ok, on a somewhat different topic, about dreams and out of body experiences!
Have you done much fruit travelling? any particular places on the globe you are particularly fond of?
Fruit travel, yes, my entire life is a fruit travel. I grew up in northern Canada, where it was too cold to even grow apples! Berries do grow abundantly there, and the last few years, I planned a visit there during wild blueberry season. During that time, there is also all the following berries in the wild: Saskatoons, cranberries, high bush cranberries, pincherries, chokecherries, and raspberries. My partner and I ate 5 gallons of blueberries combined in a six day period, and that's not counting all the other berries we ate.
I have also spent time in California, Florida, Mexico, South America and my favorite Hawaii, where I was fortunate enough to spend time on a few farms. How I love those Hawaiian papayas.
Can you name some fruits that you've not tried yet but are looking forward to trying?
Oh, nothing really that I am that excited about trying at this point.
Do you know any (or many!) other 100% fruitarians, or people headed that way?
Can't say that I know any personally, except for my partner, Holly.
Could you hazard a guess of how many 100% fruitarians there might be, in the US? in the world? Do you think the idea is spreading?
There must be at least 7 worldwide, maybe 8 or 9 by now, so I guess it must be spreading. Haha. I have no idea, but there are more than ever.
Do you're friends and neighbours know you're on a pretty much mostly fruit diet, and if so, what do they make of it?
Most of my neighbours have no idea, but most of my friends figure it out over time, and they seem to be alright with it.
My sister in law was worried as to how she was going to feed me once, and my brother said, don't worry about him, he'll take care of himself. That makes it super easy. Sometimes my family will try, but they tend to sometimes forget that I don't like to eat non organic foods.
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
I enjoy where I live now, because I am right by a creek, and I can run down there on my bike and swim, which I would do every day if time permitted, but some days I can't squeeze it in.
I do like Hawaii a lot, but I do detest mosquitoes. I don't live where my house is, at least not yet, but I do foresee a time when half of my food could come from that place. The southern desert part of Arizona is great for year round food production. When I lived there before, I averaged 15 pounds of fruit per day, YEAR ROUND out of my back yard, which was only 1/2 an acre total, and that was after only 3 years. In 7 years time, I probably would have averaged 30 pounds of fruit per day.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
I get a lot emails and questions from people, and I always tell them that they need to take baby steps. So many people think they can go from a meat and junk food based diet to full fledged fruitarianism, and they always fail miserably.
Go it slow, and do it step by step. Also, you don't have to be 100%. I tell people that if they can just increase their fruit intake by a little, that's a huge help. The average person only eats about 5% of their diet as raw food. Increasing that to say, 20% for most people would be massive. Not only from the great health benefits of the fruit, but also from the items in their diet they have replaced.
Also, I like to point out that there is no one thing in this world that can change you and make you 100% healthy. You can't forget exercise, getting enough sleep, what you do to support yourself, creating great relationships with people, etc. Like most people, I struggle with some of these things, and I am in no way perfect, but I like to think that I see health as a much larger thing than just diet.
The other thing is that people get far too focused on science, vitamins, minerals, etc. I tell people that no matter what fruits they like, they're all good. If you like peaches a lot, eat plenty of those, but don't force yourself to eat oranges if you have trouble getting them down, for instance. Eat fresh, local and organic as much as possible.
Well, that's a few ideas, I suppose, there's always lots to share about this way of life. Oh, by the way, I got involved with the sprout business when I first became vegan, and it has supported me for a long time, but I have also added some fruit offerings to what I deliver to the stores, such as some locally grown dates, and coconuts, and occasionally some other items, but I stick with fruits.
Thanks for the opportunity to share a bit of this info with you
Thanks Rejean!
I've just gotten through reading the book "The Fruit Hunters", by Adam Leith Gollner, in it he writes a chapter on Fruitarians, and makes mention of yourself, describing you as Americas "foremost authority on fruitarianism", is that a title you feel worthy of?
His book title sounds slightly Neanderthal. I'd rather be considered a lover than a hunter. How about "the fruit lovers". Haha.. I'll have to track that book down somewhere. It sounds very good from what you've said.I believe that I have a lot of experience with the fruit diet, and that I have done a lot of research as well to back up my convictions. As such, I believe that many people do consider me to be the authority on fruitarian diet. I think that I also provided a no-nonsense approach on how to make it work. It's not just a spiritual philosophy, where you do lots of meditation or some other spiritual practice that enables you to live on fruit. There is very factual science behind the nutrition of a fruitarian diet. Once people realize this, and basically get a calorie sufficient diet of varied fruits, including fats, the diet is usually fairly easy to do. Of course, that's a very short oversimplification, but that's the basic idea.
Well, I wouldn't sing the praises of his book too much, there were some interesting parts, but his description of what he defines as a fruit was pretty confusing, and there's a fair bit of repetition in the book too, - did you ever get to meet the guy?
Can't say that I did.
I know he contacted you because he read your book "Fruit: The Ultimate Diet", to be honest, I've still not come across a copy of it yet, how many copies of it do you think you've sold so far, and is it still popular?
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Rejean is an interesting name, it sounds vaguely french, care to enlighten us as to how you pronounce it?
My heritage is 100% french canadian. The name is very difficult to pronounce if you are without french blood. I'm not even sure that my family pronounces it correctly.
I noticed that in your emails, your name appears as "David Owens", is that an alias of yours?
I worked as a radio dj/announcer for a decade or so, and David Owens is my radio name, because my real name was too difficult for people to deal with. Many people know me by that name, for sake of ease, or because they get to know my radio personality that way.
For the record, can I ask what year you were born in?
I was born in 65, in Canada
Rejean Durette AKA DJ David Owens
But you're living in Arizona right? Is that where you grew up too?
Been in Arizona since 88.
Do you have a blog or website where people can read more about you and your thoughts??
I don't have a blog right now, but there is a website at www.fruitarianvibes.com. I haven't updated it much, but there is some great info there.
When and how did you come to the realisation that fruit was, as you put it, "the ultimate diet"?
Probably as far back as 1989. I "flirted" with the idea a little in those days, and was just getting used to being vegan. I was doing mostly raw in August 1992, when I got involved in a relationship with a girl who was vegan, and then I ended up going back to more of a regular vegan diet for a while, but by early 1993, I apparently made an impact on her, and we both went full steam ahead with the idea of being fruitarian together. I believe it was May of 1993.
prior to that were you on a more conventional diet?
Conventional until September of 1989, but went vegan within a month in October of 1989. but was doing a lot of raw food off and on through the next 3 years or so until becoming 100% raw.
What brought on those changes? was it a book you read, influence from someone, anyone, anything in particular?
Prior to 1989, I lived in Canada, and ate a more conventional diet. I had NEVER heard about vegetarianism, but I was never heavy on meat. I can honestly say that I have never purchased a steak in my life and was never big on junk food, such as sodas and candy bars.
When I first came to the southwestern United States desert, I was on somewhat of a spiritual retreat, where I did a lot of meditation and yoga. I spent a lot of time in nature, hiking, biking and swimming. I think that because I have left my family, my career, and basically my entire life behind, it was easy for me to change my life in so many ways.
I ended up volunteering at a local vegetarian restaurant, around the same time that I became vegan in 1989, and I met an individual named Fred, who was fairly excited about the concept of fruitarian diet. He also introduced me to colon cleansing. While I didn't make those changes at that time to a total fruitarian diet, I did embrace the general idea at that time, and started to eat more and more fruit.
I remember one particular day, where I had come back from a long and very wonderful hike in Sedona, Arizona (USA), which is so amazingly beautiful. It had made such an impact on me, and I had started the day with a lot of yoga and meditation. I was definitely in an altered state. I came back to my campsite, in a secluded and peaceful area, and I looked into my refrigerator, and I saw some fish and eggs that there, and it seemed so wrong to eat something so unnatural, and so removed from nature, when I was in such a peaceful and natural place. I held the egg in my hand, and I felt the pain and suffering of the chickens and I understood why eggs were unhealthy, because they are not a food that can be raised in a compassionate way. Eggs have a certain purpose in this world, and it's certainly not to provide food for humans. I had a few oranges in my refrigerator, and I looked at it for a long time, the beautiful radiant almost sun-like quality of it's skin, the fragrance that draws us into it, etc.
What I became aware of for the first time in my life is that everything in this world is energy. The most important way to be aware of our own energy and "monitor" out energy is to eat the highest vibrational food available. It became very clear to me that the highest vibrational foods are ALWAYS fruit. Of course, organic, fresh, local fruits are always better.
I also thought a lot about how we automatically take on the eating customs of our society, our family, without questions; how our taste buds get perverted over time, so the point that we believe that the smell of a roasting dead corpse (meat) smells good to us.
None of this happened in a vacuum. It was partially became I had left my entire life behind, and I had begun to question why I was doing ALL the things I had done my whole life. It was almost like a near death experience where people get to review their entire life.
I changed so many things in my life during that time, not just diet, and looking back, I think it was a fairly magical stage of my existence.
what changes have you observed since those realisations? - weightwise/healthwise, spiritually, physically, emotionally etc?
That's the subject of an entire book, which I have started writing, by the way. Weight has pretty much stayed the same my entire life. Health has always been good. I just did a 13 mile mountain bike ride yesterday and I am planning a 50 mile one for Friday. So, I think I'm doing pretty good.
After just a few weeks on a juice fast, I couldn't stand my glasses anymore that I had worn for almost a decade, and was able to pass my driver's test without them. That's a real physical, measurable thing, and I was very excited about that.
Spiritually, I think is where the diet made the most changes for me. Fruit is the highest vibration of all foods, and I feel that whatever we put into our bodies, we became, at least to some degree. I've heard some so called spiritual types that claimed they could "transmute" the energy of what they put in their bodies, but you can't "transmute" animal suffering, or all the chemicals that are put on the food crops that we eat. They're in the environment working their way into the soils, into the water, etc.
Especially when I'm somewhere in nature, a pristine place, it seems almost sacrilegious when I see people with Doritos and beer, for example. I think that the more people live unnatural lives in cities, they more they tend to anesthetize themselves with wrong foods.
I feel that my mind is free to think and work properly and that my spirit is much more open to so many possibilities, and that I am a much happier person because of the dietary changes I've made.
Being vegan for me, was a lifestyle, not just a diet, and I feel the same about being fruitarian. I don't talk about it much these days, because it's just a part of who I am, I don't strive or try to do it, it just happens on a daily basis, without effort.
OK, I know that you believe in a 100% fruit fruitarianism, but you've also mentioned that you're not quite there yet, what kind of foods are you still eating that aren't fruit?
Dried foods, occasionally, but fairly rarely. I have on occasion eaten at the raw cafe we have here locally, or went to raw potlucks for fun, and eaten some non fruit foods, but I don't think that disqualifies me from being fruitarian. It might in some people's minds I suppose. The longest I have ever went being 100% raw fruitarian is 9 months. Then I might have eaten something that contained some greens or onions or something else raw, but I never really thought much about that. It's not like I broke down and had a cheese burger or anything.
Do you see yourself weening off of those items anytime soon?
I don't know if I would make any changes really. Like I said, it's only an occasional thing, and not something that I do often. Sometimes when I have been at potlucks, I have stuck with all fruit, but I feel that being social, and partaking of something that's 100% raw that a friend has made, is fine.
You managed to snag a 62 acre parcel near phoenix right? What kind of trees have you got growing on their now? how old are they? are they fruiting yet? is there water running through the place?
62 acre parcel is located between Phoenix and Yuma. I have done a fair bit of work there, including bringing the power in, a mobile home, a septic, and a large steel building, but so far, no well, and as such, no trees. Everything takes time (and money).
I have planted about 60 trees, at my other property just north of Phoenix. Those were planted in the spring of this year, (2010), and are mostly all doing quite well. The peaches already fruited, as they were large trees. I have stripped all the furit off the citrus trees to divert their energy into new growth.
I should start seeing some good crops by 2012. That might sound like a long ways into the future, but it's pretty exciting. In 1999, I managed to be 50% food sufficient with 100 fruit trees
What kind of fruits is the climate there not suitable for? anything particular you would like to be growing but can't?
I can't grow tropical fruits like bananas and avocados for example, and I've love to grow them. I have tried though.
Really, no avocados? They are more of a warm temperate fruit than tropical, I'm surprised they wouldn't grow there?!
I have tried to grow them. I have a few trees right now, but they rarely do very well. They need an awful lot of attention. The Arizona desert is too cold AND too hot for a lot of fruits. Avocados need more humidity, and don't like it when it gets over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While I love avocados, and would be thrilled if I could successfully grow them, it's best if I focus on the things that works well in the Arizona desert, and the list is so long:
I have all kinds of citrus, figs, dates, peaches, plums, apples, apricots, nectarines, almonds, melons, berries, pomegranates, persimmons, guavas, etc.
I am pretty lucky to be able to grow all that variety.
What line of work were you in to manage to scrape the money together for the land?
Some of the money came from the sale of a previous home, and then some came from my current business, growing sprouts !
Is it easy enough to get hold of good quality fruit choices in your area?
Tropical fruits, mostly.
You have a girl friend right? Is she into the fruit thing too?
Yes, oddly enough she is also a fruitarian. What are the odds of that ?
What do other members of your family make of your views on fruitarianism? I'm guessing you've shared your book with them?
Yes, my family is all aware of my dietary choices at this point. I am not sure what they say when I am not around, but I think they're ok with it.
Any kids at all?
I have a son who's 14
So, absolutely no cravings for any cooked foods? or other foods you definitely know are not good choices?
I was never really into most "junk foods", thankfully. People are amazed when I tell them I've never had a Twinkie or a M & M for example. My son was raised the same way, he's still never had a soda or a cookie, for example.
Could you give us a rough overview of what you might eat on a typical day?
Often I start out with a large smoothie, say 8 ounces coconut water, 3 bananas, 1/2 a pound of strawberries, maybe some mango, blueberries, raspberries, a kiwi, whatever I"m in the mood for....
This time of year, I eat a lot of watermelons, today I ate watermelon and then at around 1 or so, I had 3 avocados with a couple tomatoes, a some red peppers. After that I had a few figs and I will probably eat a few more bananas and maybe a few oranges, and that's about it.
How much of your food do you grow yourself? How much do you think you spend a week on your fruit/food?
Not much right now, except for watermelons, tomatoes and peppers.
I spend probably $150 a week on food, ouch.
Well, $100 to $150, depending on.....how rich I feel at the moment.
You say you have another book in the works, care to tell us more of what it'll be about?
Yes, a couple of books in the works, one about the spiritual aspects of the diet, and the other on a completely, ok, on a somewhat different topic, about dreams and out of body experiences!
Have you done much fruit travelling? any particular places on the globe you are particularly fond of?
Fruit travel, yes, my entire life is a fruit travel. I grew up in northern Canada, where it was too cold to even grow apples! Berries do grow abundantly there, and the last few years, I planned a visit there during wild blueberry season. During that time, there is also all the following berries in the wild: Saskatoons, cranberries, high bush cranberries, pincherries, chokecherries, and raspberries. My partner and I ate 5 gallons of blueberries combined in a six day period, and that's not counting all the other berries we ate.
I have also spent time in California, Florida, Mexico, South America and my favorite Hawaii, where I was fortunate enough to spend time on a few farms. How I love those Hawaiian papayas.
Can you name some fruits that you've not tried yet but are looking forward to trying?
Oh, nothing really that I am that excited about trying at this point.
Do you know any (or many!) other 100% fruitarians, or people headed that way?
Can't say that I know any personally, except for my partner, Holly.
Could you hazard a guess of how many 100% fruitarians there might be, in the US? in the world? Do you think the idea is spreading?
There must be at least 7 worldwide, maybe 8 or 9 by now, so I guess it must be spreading. Haha. I have no idea, but there are more than ever.
Do you're friends and neighbours know you're on a pretty much mostly fruit diet, and if so, what do they make of it?
Most of my neighbours have no idea, but most of my friends figure it out over time, and they seem to be alright with it.
My sister in law was worried as to how she was going to feed me once, and my brother said, don't worry about him, he'll take care of himself. That makes it super easy. Sometimes my family will try, but they tend to sometimes forget that I don't like to eat non organic foods.
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
I enjoy where I live now, because I am right by a creek, and I can run down there on my bike and swim, which I would do every day if time permitted, but some days I can't squeeze it in.
I do like Hawaii a lot, but I do detest mosquitoes. I don't live where my house is, at least not yet, but I do foresee a time when half of my food could come from that place. The southern desert part of Arizona is great for year round food production. When I lived there before, I averaged 15 pounds of fruit per day, YEAR ROUND out of my back yard, which was only 1/2 an acre total, and that was after only 3 years. In 7 years time, I probably would have averaged 30 pounds of fruit per day.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
I get a lot emails and questions from people, and I always tell them that they need to take baby steps. So many people think they can go from a meat and junk food based diet to full fledged fruitarianism, and they always fail miserably.
Go it slow, and do it step by step. Also, you don't have to be 100%. I tell people that if they can just increase their fruit intake by a little, that's a huge help. The average person only eats about 5% of their diet as raw food. Increasing that to say, 20% for most people would be massive. Not only from the great health benefits of the fruit, but also from the items in their diet they have replaced.
Also, I like to point out that there is no one thing in this world that can change you and make you 100% healthy. You can't forget exercise, getting enough sleep, what you do to support yourself, creating great relationships with people, etc. Like most people, I struggle with some of these things, and I am in no way perfect, but I like to think that I see health as a much larger thing than just diet.
The other thing is that people get far too focused on science, vitamins, minerals, etc. I tell people that no matter what fruits they like, they're all good. If you like peaches a lot, eat plenty of those, but don't force yourself to eat oranges if you have trouble getting them down, for instance. Eat fresh, local and organic as much as possible.
Well, that's a few ideas, I suppose, there's always lots to share about this way of life. Oh, by the way, I got involved with the sprout business when I first became vegan, and it has supported me for a long time, but I have also added some fruit offerings to what I deliver to the stores, such as some locally grown dates, and coconuts, and occasionally some other items, but I stick with fruits.
Thanks for the opportunity to share a bit of this info with you
Thanks Rejean!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Interview with a Fruitarian - 37 - Yann Fanch
Well.. before I begin with the questions, maybe you could just introduce yourself, tell us who you are..
I like to be called "Yann Fanch", that's a breton name. I was born in Brittany and I love this part of the Earth.
Your age,
My official age became 43 in may 2010. But people usually think that I am 23 years old and ask me "are you a student ?".
where you are living/grew up? etc..etc.. - anything you consider relevant to get better insight into who you are..
I grew up in Brittany and live in Rennes. I used to go the beach everyday in summertimes when I was a kid. I used to catch sea shells and lobsters with my father when the tide was out, I realized they were struggling to save their live.
We had small chicken also as pets, and to make me eat my pet contributed several years after this sad event to make me a vegan.
We had lots of fruit trees also, I loved to climb and stay in trees.
OK, we met for the first time in Denmark I believe, at a small vegan gathering back in 1990/1991 right?
Yes.
And then once more, a year later at one of the international vegan festivals? - Was that in the UK or in Spain, or both, I'm no longer certain..
in the uk biggleswade
that was a fun festival! I recall at the time, like myself, you were interested in moving to a raw vegan diet.. Did that happen quickly for you?
no, quickly no, I tried many times to be strictly raw but too hard. I hadn't the tips how to succeed to stay a raw vegan. The main tip is to eat fruitarian : fresh uncooked undried quality fruit always available.
I'm presuming you grew up on a standard french diet,
Until 17 years old yes.
how long had you been vegan before we met, and what made you switch to a vegan diet?
About 1 or 2 years : I became vegan in 1989.
Were you influenced to go raw after hearing Francisco Martin give one of his talks?
Yes, but also raw vegan books showed me it existed and was healthier.
and when did you first hear of the fruitarian diet?
In vegetrian books a long time ago, perhaps in 1990 ?
Was that something you "understood" from the beginning, or something you had to think about a little first?
It was obvious to me, but very difficult to put into practice.
So how long have you been eating purely fruit now?
Since 2002.
No nuts, greens, roots etc?
No greens except a few salad leaves once or twice a year in a restaurant for social reasons, because restaurant raw salads that are nearly fruitarian often contain some lettuce or batavia leaves. I do not like the taste of leaves, I like the fruits on top of them.
My ideal is no nuts but in the winter I eat generally 250 grams of nuts every month.
I find carrots difficult to chew because of too much fibers, and a bit bitter, and fried patatoes give me stomach ache as it is too heavy to digest compared to fruit.
Are you currently living alone, or share living with family or a loved one?
At the weekend I share living with a vegan nearly fruitarian girlfriend and an omnivore child.
Do you have a website/blog or some way people can get in touch with you or follow your progress? Any places you like to hang out online?
www.fructivore.org
I like to watch Youtube videos and SMTV.
I like to listen to www.radioverda.com
I know you are organising a raw fruitarian festival happening very soon.. Can you tell us a little about that?
I searched in all forests of the world and brought the fruitarians I have found to this festival : www.fruktifest.org
Coming from France, I am sure that you must be familiar with the Instictive Eating movement started by Guy Burger? (they eat flesh and live maggots and >stuff) What's your personal opinion of their method of eating?
Speciesist, dangerous excess of protein, also fanatically against fruitarianism. But it does contains interesting ideas, such as the
avoidance of cereals, I should get the book. I know some instinctos.
So what does a normal days food look like for you?
fruit in season : peaches, melon, tomatoes in summertimes, oranges, peas and apples in wintertimes.
Does anyone else in your family understand your choices, or eat similarly?
Yes. My girlfriend only.
Can you tell us a little about your health before and after the changes you've made? What about your weight, - any major changes?
I feel healthier on raw fruitarian food. I master better my sexuality also.
Do you sometimes crave foods other than fruit? If so, how you deal with that?
No.
What kind of foods did you found most difficult to leave behind?
None
Do you feel any need to supplement your diet at all?
with fruitarian sea buckthorn B12 vitamin.
Are you happy with the choice and quality of fruit you are getting in france?
Yes
Ever tried a durian?
Yes
Any plans to travel or relocate to a warmer climate, or are you happy living where you are now?
I'd like to travel to discover other fruits. But I am happy here.
Do you normally tell people how you eat?
Yes
If so, what do you think is the most common question people ask you about your diet?
"Have you not liquid shits ?"
How do you answer their questions?
Calmly
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
A breatharian here.
Do you think you could improve on your diet at all??
No
Do you know any, or many, other fruitarians? Any that would care to be interviewed?
Yes
How many fruitarians do you think there are in France?
50
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 calmly convince them.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
Be patient.
I like to be called "Yann Fanch", that's a breton name. I was born in Brittany and I love this part of the Earth.
Your age,
My official age became 43 in may 2010. But people usually think that I am 23 years old and ask me "are you a student ?".
Yann Fanch
where you are living/grew up? etc..etc.. - anything you consider relevant to get better insight into who you are..
I grew up in Brittany and live in Rennes. I used to go the beach everyday in summertimes when I was a kid. I used to catch sea shells and lobsters with my father when the tide was out, I realized they were struggling to save their live.
We had small chicken also as pets, and to make me eat my pet contributed several years after this sad event to make me a vegan.
We had lots of fruit trees also, I loved to climb and stay in trees.
OK, we met for the first time in Denmark I believe, at a small vegan gathering back in 1990/1991 right?
Yes.
And then once more, a year later at one of the international vegan festivals? - Was that in the UK or in Spain, or both, I'm no longer certain..
in the uk biggleswade
that was a fun festival! I recall at the time, like myself, you were interested in moving to a raw vegan diet.. Did that happen quickly for you?
no, quickly no, I tried many times to be strictly raw but too hard. I hadn't the tips how to succeed to stay a raw vegan. The main tip is to eat fruitarian : fresh uncooked undried quality fruit always available.
I'm presuming you grew up on a standard french diet,
Until 17 years old yes.
how long had you been vegan before we met, and what made you switch to a vegan diet?
About 1 or 2 years : I became vegan in 1989.
Were you influenced to go raw after hearing Francisco Martin give one of his talks?
Yes, but also raw vegan books showed me it existed and was healthier.
and when did you first hear of the fruitarian diet?
In vegetrian books a long time ago, perhaps in 1990 ?
Was that something you "understood" from the beginning, or something you had to think about a little first?
It was obvious to me, but very difficult to put into practice.
So how long have you been eating purely fruit now?
Since 2002.
No nuts, greens, roots etc?
No greens except a few salad leaves once or twice a year in a restaurant for social reasons, because restaurant raw salads that are nearly fruitarian often contain some lettuce or batavia leaves. I do not like the taste of leaves, I like the fruits on top of them.
My ideal is no nuts but in the winter I eat generally 250 grams of nuts every month.
I find carrots difficult to chew because of too much fibers, and a bit bitter, and fried patatoes give me stomach ache as it is too heavy to digest compared to fruit.
Are you currently living alone, or share living with family or a loved one?
At the weekend I share living with a vegan nearly fruitarian girlfriend and an omnivore child.
Do you have a website/blog or some way people can get in touch with you or follow your progress? Any places you like to hang out online?
www.fructivore.org
I like to watch Youtube videos and SMTV.
I like to listen to www.radioverda.com
I know you are organising a raw fruitarian festival happening very soon.. Can you tell us a little about that?
I searched in all forests of the world and brought the fruitarians I have found to this festival : www.fruktifest.org
Coming from France, I am sure that you must be familiar with the Instictive Eating movement started by Guy Burger? (they eat flesh and live maggots and >stuff) What's your personal opinion of their method of eating?
Speciesist, dangerous excess of protein, also fanatically against fruitarianism. But it does contains interesting ideas, such as the
avoidance of cereals, I should get the book. I know some instinctos.
So what does a normal days food look like for you?
fruit in season : peaches, melon, tomatoes in summertimes, oranges, peas and apples in wintertimes.
Does anyone else in your family understand your choices, or eat similarly?
Yes. My girlfriend only.
Can you tell us a little about your health before and after the changes you've made? What about your weight, - any major changes?
I feel healthier on raw fruitarian food. I master better my sexuality also.
Do you sometimes crave foods other than fruit? If so, how you deal with that?
No.
What kind of foods did you found most difficult to leave behind?
None
Do you feel any need to supplement your diet at all?
with fruitarian sea buckthorn B12 vitamin.
Are you happy with the choice and quality of fruit you are getting in france?
Yes
Ever tried a durian?
Yes
Any plans to travel or relocate to a warmer climate, or are you happy living where you are now?
I'd like to travel to discover other fruits. But I am happy here.
Do you normally tell people how you eat?
Yes
If so, what do you think is the most common question people ask you about your diet?
"Have you not liquid shits ?"
How do you answer their questions?
Calmly
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
A breatharian here.
Do you think you could improve on your diet at all??
No
Do you know any, or many, other fruitarians? Any that would care to be interviewed?
Yes
How many fruitarians do you think there are in France?
50
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 calmly convince them.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
Be patient.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Oprah Magazine Fruitarian Interview..
Some months ago, we were contacted by the Oprah Winfrey people.. they asked if we could be featured in their online Oprah magazine as example fruitarians.
Not knowing fully what they had in mind, both Kveta and I agreed to being interviewed, and over the following week or 2, after initial contact, we were both interviewed online, via email..
They finally got around to publishing their article, in the online oprah magazine, (I believe you need to be a paid member to get access to it) a couple of weeks ago. It turned out to be more of a brief introduction to "extreme eaters", and despite giving our time freely to them, they ended up only publishing one brief sentence taken from Kvetas interview..
So, just for the record, I've decided to publish the interviews in full here.. I'll start with mine, and publish Kvetas in a few days..
1. Why did you decide to eat only fruit? Health? Ethical? Political?
It was certainly by no means an overnight decision for me.. In fact, I would say that my choice to eat solely fruit is an ongoing result of many years of debating with myself and others about the whole right and wrongs of food issues on many levels.
Predominantly I'd say it all started for me back when I was 25 (I'll be 49 this year). I'd been living on a pretty much standard diet up until then, and had never really given change to that fair any real thought, but after watching one particular movie, that really had little to nothing to do with food, I suddenly found myself questioning the whole ethics and ecological issues of eating animals. It's difficult to say why that movie had such a profound effect on me, I suppose that despite my unawareness of such, I must have been ready for a change..
I've always been a bit of a philosopher, and once I started paying attention to, and questioning diet more, I soon realised how important the changes I was making were to me.
The thought of taking the life of another being, or paying someone else to do so (which we all unwittingly do whilst still consuming flesh) repulsed me, and I genuinely wondered why it had taken me so long to feel that repulsion.. It dawned on me that by consuming all that flesh, I was effectively turning my body into a grave yard!!
So faced with the series of revelations I was having, it did not take me long to completely forsake (to the best of my ability) all animal products and become vegan too..
Although the catalyzer had predominantly been ethics, and a sense of moral repugnance toward the devouring of flesh of other beings, my awareness of other issues embracing economics, health and environmental concerns had also grown, and reinforced the sense of direction I had taken.
Some few years later, after my thoughts had become more settled and a new dietary pattern had established itself, I think it was 1990ish, I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture on the advantages of not cooking ones food, and although once more, I had not particularly been thinking any change was needed or forthcoming, this lecture had a profound effect on my life, and once more sparked my philosophical thoughts into action..
I became a keen disciple of the whole vegan "raw food" philosophy thing, understanding that just like with every other animal species out there, nature provides us with our food in an already perfect state, and that any thought that we may, somehow, be able to "improve" on nature by subjecting our food to extreme temperatures, was yet another "folly" I had unwittingly been brainwashed into accepting as truth.
In fact, the whole addictiveness of cooked food became sparklingly clear to me, as well as the detrimental side effects that a long term addiction to such foods has on our physiological bodies, resulting in all manner of degenerative diseases starting from the relatively innocent common cold, through to rheumatism, parkinsons and cancer..
It is my belief that pretty much all that ails modern man has it's roots in addiction to detrimental substances, - predominantly food. A fact that society in general tends to chose to stay blissfully unaware of.
Well, several years into eating purely raw vegan food, and it became clear to me that the most appealing of all foods, when eaten in it's raw natural ripe and ready state, was fruit. And consequently my consumption of fruit increased together with this realisation.
I had also been asked on numerous occasions, "well, you may not eat animals, but what about all the screaming carrots?", and although I was well aware that the questioner was more likely trying to provoke than start any truly deep and meaningful conversation, I still thought that there was some validity to the question.. How far should one extend one's moral duties toward others? Is it possible to truly live, without taking the life of another, whether the other be animal or vegetable??
These were all questions I felt I needed to ponder over.. Being perhaps a bit of a hopeless romantic at some levels, I felt somewhat attached to the immortalised beatle words of "all you need is love".. There appears to be a profound truth in those 5 small words, but how to make sense of them in a world that appears so glaringly contradictory to the idea..?
It was at this point that I realised that as far as food goes.. fruit is the exception.. fruit is the one and only food, that one can clearly see is actually given up by the plant that at some level, if you'll forgive the anthropomorphising, actually desires for us to eat it's fruit.. think about it.. anything else comes with some kind of karmic debt, and the fact that plants have no central nervous systems does not disprove that at some level they are in some way sentient (something probably ultimately unprovable and thus I tend toward giving the benefit of the doubt..).. It is to the plants benefit that the fruit appeals to us.. the more attractive and tasty it is, the more chance we will nurture and care for its seed, and disperse the species..
So fruit seemed to fit the bill well for me, with it's compatibility with the philosophy of "do no harm", and it's appealling look and tantalizing variety of tastes.. Also environmentally, the growing of fruit trees involves far less destruction and desertification of soil, producing far more yield per acre than any other crop..
2. What does your daily diet look like? What do you eat lots of? How much of certain fruits? Do you ever juice the fruits?
that would depend entirely on what's in season. Most of the food we eat is locally grown, within a few hundred kilometers of where we're at.. Somethings are year round staples though, like oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, pawpaws, bananas and pineapples we tend to always have at home, but then there are other fruits that come and go throughout the year.. nectarines, peaches, lychees, chocolate pudding fruit, rambutan, durian and heaps more..
Yes, we regularly juice fruits.. we have both a juicer and a blender and tend to start most days with a juice of some kind.. often freshly squeezed orange juice (juiced by hand).. we mostly drink a half litre of juice at a time..
At the moment, a typical day for us, might be breakfast of half a litre of orange juice each (probably juice from 4 or 5 oranges each).. half an hour later, we might feast on akee (they are a fruit originally from jamaica, and currently one of our favourite fruits!! beautifully creamy cheesy sweet .. sadly the season here has more or less ended, and I think we'll be eating the last of them today).. (maybe 10 akee fruit shared between 2 of us).. later we may eat a bowl of grapes each, and later still a cucumber juice (through the blender), most likely half a litre each.. maybe a pineapple juice later still (also through the juicer), and around 5 or 6, we might eat a bowl of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado, as our sort of only real main meal of the day.. later still we may eat another 10 akee between us, or some durian..
like i said, though, the juices can vary greatly from day to day, depending on what we have, but the general quantities remain more or less constant.. Neither of us drink water.
3. Some people ask about things like protein—how do you get adequate amounts?
Basically I have a different answer for different people depending on where I think they are at, and what kind of answer would suit them best.. I can get quite technical if needed, (at one point i used to know the name of every essential amino acid, where it could be found, and what it was good for!), but to be honest though, and I always like to add this to whatever answer I give, I really don't "do" the whole protein, mineral, carbohydrate, vitamin thing anymore.. I gave that all up a long time ago, as I believe that the solution is not difficult or intricate..
- many people will try and scare us into believing that we need to "know" all that stuff in order to eat healthily, but I believe the only knowledge we need to have is the ability to recognise what constitutes a real "food" and what doesn't.. If we can recognise that cooked food is denatured and detrimental to our healths, then forget the rest.. People don't get sick because they lack this or that vitamin (unless of course they are extremely malnourished and on a more or less starvation diet!), they get sick because they eat the wrong kind of foods, live in the wrong kind of environments, and breath the wrong kind of air.. predominantly though, it is the food that is the main reason for our woes.. not the lack of invisible elements in it..
4. What do you feel like, after making the switch?
Great. well.. there was no simple "switch".. as i said it was a gradual process following a gradual series of revelations.. But overall, I see my dietary choices as some of the most life changing, life enhancing, longevity compatible changes i've ever made.. not to mention the physiological cleansing, lack of yearly colds bouts, and peace of mind for no longer being a walking tombstone..
5. Do you know/live with other fruitarians? Do you socialize with others? Has it ever been an issue in social situations?
Well, my partner, Kveta, is also a long term fruitarian, so we share our lives on a daily basis, and eat most meals together.. As for other friends, we've only recently moved to the area we are currently living, so still in many ways getting to know the area, but we certainly have some friends here already.. One of my friends is actually a full on raw zombie flesh eater, and has very different ideas to us about what constitutes a healthy diet.. OK.. don't take the zombie thing to literally, that's just me being graphical.. I guess I feel quite accepting that the world is made up of many people with many conflicting ideas concerning what they feel is right, or not, and although I feel it sad that not everyone can see the sense in reducing the harm we do, I also feel resigned to the fact that it is really not up to me to change the world if it doesn't desire to be changed..
Socially I find the more accepting we are of others ideas, then the more accepting they will be of ours, regardless of how seemingly bizarre or different they may appear..
Through the internet I have met several others on a fruitarian path, some of whom I've also met in person, and occasionally I interview fruitarians I encounter, on my blog. (http://mangodurian.blogspot.com/2008/02/list-of-interviews-with-fruitarians.html)
6. Why did you decide to adopt the name Mango?
I think I was just ready for the change.. something more fitting for a new outlook on life, and I'd grown tired of the name I was given at birth.. Mango seemed more fun, and more lively, and my friends soon grew accustomed to my new name too..
Mango's had been my favourite fruit at one point.. but I must admit that durian and akee and other fruits have far exceeded mangos place in my top 5 fruit chart.. (I've no immediate intention of changing my name again though!!)
7. How has being a fruitarian impacted your identity, and how you think of yourself? How has it changed “Who you are?”
Well.. very much so I believe.. Had I not started down this path all those years ago, I am quite sure that my life would have turned out altogether differently. More likely I would still be working 9 to 5 and affluent enough to afford whatever luxury I desired.. I mean, I would have had that life that I sometimes wonder about, but I guess I'll never know..
Not having saved more wisely at the time (many moons ago, I used to be an IBM systems programmer), is something I occasionally have nagging regrets about.. especially now when we we are so focused on manifesting ourselves a piece of paradise in the tropics..
But ultimately, I shake those thoughts aside, and count my blessings, for I have no real doubts that my life is far richer now than any other path could have made me, and I am thankful and privileged to have had the insights I have had in this life, and be the person I have become.. even if there is still plenty of room for improvement!!
thankyou
Mango the Raw Vegan Fruitarian..
Not knowing fully what they had in mind, both Kveta and I agreed to being interviewed, and over the following week or 2, after initial contact, we were both interviewed online, via email..
They finally got around to publishing their article, in the online oprah magazine, (I believe you need to be a paid member to get access to it) a couple of weeks ago. It turned out to be more of a brief introduction to "extreme eaters", and despite giving our time freely to them, they ended up only publishing one brief sentence taken from Kvetas interview..
So, just for the record, I've decided to publish the interviews in full here.. I'll start with mine, and publish Kvetas in a few days..
Oprah Magazine Fruitarian Interview
1. Why did you decide to eat only fruit? Health? Ethical? Political?
It was certainly by no means an overnight decision for me.. In fact, I would say that my choice to eat solely fruit is an ongoing result of many years of debating with myself and others about the whole right and wrongs of food issues on many levels.
Predominantly I'd say it all started for me back when I was 25 (I'll be 49 this year). I'd been living on a pretty much standard diet up until then, and had never really given change to that fair any real thought, but after watching one particular movie, that really had little to nothing to do with food, I suddenly found myself questioning the whole ethics and ecological issues of eating animals. It's difficult to say why that movie had such a profound effect on me, I suppose that despite my unawareness of such, I must have been ready for a change..
I've always been a bit of a philosopher, and once I started paying attention to, and questioning diet more, I soon realised how important the changes I was making were to me.
The thought of taking the life of another being, or paying someone else to do so (which we all unwittingly do whilst still consuming flesh) repulsed me, and I genuinely wondered why it had taken me so long to feel that repulsion.. It dawned on me that by consuming all that flesh, I was effectively turning my body into a grave yard!!
So faced with the series of revelations I was having, it did not take me long to completely forsake (to the best of my ability) all animal products and become vegan too..
Although the catalyzer had predominantly been ethics, and a sense of moral repugnance toward the devouring of flesh of other beings, my awareness of other issues embracing economics, health and environmental concerns had also grown, and reinforced the sense of direction I had taken.
Some few years later, after my thoughts had become more settled and a new dietary pattern had established itself, I think it was 1990ish, I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture on the advantages of not cooking ones food, and although once more, I had not particularly been thinking any change was needed or forthcoming, this lecture had a profound effect on my life, and once more sparked my philosophical thoughts into action..
I became a keen disciple of the whole vegan "raw food" philosophy thing, understanding that just like with every other animal species out there, nature provides us with our food in an already perfect state, and that any thought that we may, somehow, be able to "improve" on nature by subjecting our food to extreme temperatures, was yet another "folly" I had unwittingly been brainwashed into accepting as truth.
In fact, the whole addictiveness of cooked food became sparklingly clear to me, as well as the detrimental side effects that a long term addiction to such foods has on our physiological bodies, resulting in all manner of degenerative diseases starting from the relatively innocent common cold, through to rheumatism, parkinsons and cancer..
It is my belief that pretty much all that ails modern man has it's roots in addiction to detrimental substances, - predominantly food. A fact that society in general tends to chose to stay blissfully unaware of.
Well, several years into eating purely raw vegan food, and it became clear to me that the most appealing of all foods, when eaten in it's raw natural ripe and ready state, was fruit. And consequently my consumption of fruit increased together with this realisation.
I had also been asked on numerous occasions, "well, you may not eat animals, but what about all the screaming carrots?", and although I was well aware that the questioner was more likely trying to provoke than start any truly deep and meaningful conversation, I still thought that there was some validity to the question.. How far should one extend one's moral duties toward others? Is it possible to truly live, without taking the life of another, whether the other be animal or vegetable??
These were all questions I felt I needed to ponder over.. Being perhaps a bit of a hopeless romantic at some levels, I felt somewhat attached to the immortalised beatle words of "all you need is love".. There appears to be a profound truth in those 5 small words, but how to make sense of them in a world that appears so glaringly contradictory to the idea..?
It was at this point that I realised that as far as food goes.. fruit is the exception.. fruit is the one and only food, that one can clearly see is actually given up by the plant that at some level, if you'll forgive the anthropomorphising, actually desires for us to eat it's fruit.. think about it.. anything else comes with some kind of karmic debt, and the fact that plants have no central nervous systems does not disprove that at some level they are in some way sentient (something probably ultimately unprovable and thus I tend toward giving the benefit of the doubt..).. It is to the plants benefit that the fruit appeals to us.. the more attractive and tasty it is, the more chance we will nurture and care for its seed, and disperse the species..
So fruit seemed to fit the bill well for me, with it's compatibility with the philosophy of "do no harm", and it's appealling look and tantalizing variety of tastes.. Also environmentally, the growing of fruit trees involves far less destruction and desertification of soil, producing far more yield per acre than any other crop..
2. What does your daily diet look like? What do you eat lots of? How much of certain fruits? Do you ever juice the fruits?
that would depend entirely on what's in season. Most of the food we eat is locally grown, within a few hundred kilometers of where we're at.. Somethings are year round staples though, like oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, pawpaws, bananas and pineapples we tend to always have at home, but then there are other fruits that come and go throughout the year.. nectarines, peaches, lychees, chocolate pudding fruit, rambutan, durian and heaps more..
Yes, we regularly juice fruits.. we have both a juicer and a blender and tend to start most days with a juice of some kind.. often freshly squeezed orange juice (juiced by hand).. we mostly drink a half litre of juice at a time..
At the moment, a typical day for us, might be breakfast of half a litre of orange juice each (probably juice from 4 or 5 oranges each).. half an hour later, we might feast on akee (they are a fruit originally from jamaica, and currently one of our favourite fruits!! beautifully creamy cheesy sweet .. sadly the season here has more or less ended, and I think we'll be eating the last of them today).. (maybe 10 akee fruit shared between 2 of us).. later we may eat a bowl of grapes each, and later still a cucumber juice (through the blender), most likely half a litre each.. maybe a pineapple juice later still (also through the juicer), and around 5 or 6, we might eat a bowl of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado, as our sort of only real main meal of the day.. later still we may eat another 10 akee between us, or some durian..
like i said, though, the juices can vary greatly from day to day, depending on what we have, but the general quantities remain more or less constant.. Neither of us drink water.
3. Some people ask about things like protein—how do you get adequate amounts?
Basically I have a different answer for different people depending on where I think they are at, and what kind of answer would suit them best.. I can get quite technical if needed, (at one point i used to know the name of every essential amino acid, where it could be found, and what it was good for!), but to be honest though, and I always like to add this to whatever answer I give, I really don't "do" the whole protein, mineral, carbohydrate, vitamin thing anymore.. I gave that all up a long time ago, as I believe that the solution is not difficult or intricate..
- many people will try and scare us into believing that we need to "know" all that stuff in order to eat healthily, but I believe the only knowledge we need to have is the ability to recognise what constitutes a real "food" and what doesn't.. If we can recognise that cooked food is denatured and detrimental to our healths, then forget the rest.. People don't get sick because they lack this or that vitamin (unless of course they are extremely malnourished and on a more or less starvation diet!), they get sick because they eat the wrong kind of foods, live in the wrong kind of environments, and breath the wrong kind of air.. predominantly though, it is the food that is the main reason for our woes.. not the lack of invisible elements in it..
4. What do you feel like, after making the switch?
Great. well.. there was no simple "switch".. as i said it was a gradual process following a gradual series of revelations.. But overall, I see my dietary choices as some of the most life changing, life enhancing, longevity compatible changes i've ever made.. not to mention the physiological cleansing, lack of yearly colds bouts, and peace of mind for no longer being a walking tombstone..
5. Do you know/live with other fruitarians? Do you socialize with others? Has it ever been an issue in social situations?
Well, my partner, Kveta, is also a long term fruitarian, so we share our lives on a daily basis, and eat most meals together.. As for other friends, we've only recently moved to the area we are currently living, so still in many ways getting to know the area, but we certainly have some friends here already.. One of my friends is actually a full on raw zombie flesh eater, and has very different ideas to us about what constitutes a healthy diet.. OK.. don't take the zombie thing to literally, that's just me being graphical.. I guess I feel quite accepting that the world is made up of many people with many conflicting ideas concerning what they feel is right, or not, and although I feel it sad that not everyone can see the sense in reducing the harm we do, I also feel resigned to the fact that it is really not up to me to change the world if it doesn't desire to be changed..
Socially I find the more accepting we are of others ideas, then the more accepting they will be of ours, regardless of how seemingly bizarre or different they may appear..
Through the internet I have met several others on a fruitarian path, some of whom I've also met in person, and occasionally I interview fruitarians I encounter, on my blog. (http://mangodurian.blogspot.com/2008/02/list-of-interviews-with-fruitarians.html)
6. Why did you decide to adopt the name Mango?
I think I was just ready for the change.. something more fitting for a new outlook on life, and I'd grown tired of the name I was given at birth.. Mango seemed more fun, and more lively, and my friends soon grew accustomed to my new name too..
Mango's had been my favourite fruit at one point.. but I must admit that durian and akee and other fruits have far exceeded mangos place in my top 5 fruit chart.. (I've no immediate intention of changing my name again though!!)
7. How has being a fruitarian impacted your identity, and how you think of yourself? How has it changed “Who you are?”
Well.. very much so I believe.. Had I not started down this path all those years ago, I am quite sure that my life would have turned out altogether differently. More likely I would still be working 9 to 5 and affluent enough to afford whatever luxury I desired.. I mean, I would have had that life that I sometimes wonder about, but I guess I'll never know..
Not having saved more wisely at the time (many moons ago, I used to be an IBM systems programmer), is something I occasionally have nagging regrets about.. especially now when we we are so focused on manifesting ourselves a piece of paradise in the tropics..
But ultimately, I shake those thoughts aside, and count my blessings, for I have no real doubts that my life is far richer now than any other path could have made me, and I am thankful and privileged to have had the insights I have had in this life, and be the person I have become.. even if there is still plenty of room for improvement!!
thankyou
Mango the Raw Vegan Fruitarian..
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Interview with a fruitarian - 36 - Jeff Atwell
OK, First, please just briefly introduce yourself.. your name, what year you were born, and where you're living now.. Also tell us about any online profiles, blogs or webpages you might currently have?
My name is Jeff Atwell. I was born in 1978. I’ve been a 100% low-fat raw vegan since mid-2007, and a 100% fruitarian since Dec. 2009. My wife, daughter, and I just moved the first week of July into our first house in Valencia, California. We’ve spent the previous 8 years living in apartments in Pasadena. Valencia & Pasadena are both suburbs of Los Angeles. I think the city of Valencia is named after the orange variety (because there are a lot of oranges grown nearby)… it should be a good place for a fruitarian to settle!
I don’t have my own website or blog. However, I am pretty active on several of the fruit / raw forums. Here are some places where you can get more information about me: iheartfruit.com, fruitariannirvana.ning.com, 30bananasaday.com, and rawnaturalhygiene.ning.com.
Jeff and his daughter, Rose
Thanks Jeff, so you're in Southern California now, is that where you grew up too?
No, I was actually born & raised in Ohio, and my parents and most of the rest of my family are still there now. I moved out to California in 2002 at the age of 24 to go to graduate school.
OK. I read on your profile at the fruitarian ning, that you're a stay at home dad looking after your 1 year old fruit loving daughter, how's that working out for you!?
In short, it has worked pretty well so far. Before the birth of my daughter, I was a graduate student. Officially, now I am still a graduate student, just one who is "on leave".
Is your daughter still being breast fed too? If so, how's that working out with mum being at work?
Yes, still breastfeeding. Mom pumps her milk at work. I’m into natural child raising. So, I really think it would be best for my daughter Rose if my wife stayed at home with her. This way, she could have fresh breast milk on demand. I believe that Rose getting fresh milk directly from the breast would be the best for her physically & emotionally. But, sometimes the practicalities of the real world take precedent.
My wife enjoys her job, and earns more at it than I could working right now. In truth, my wife would prefer to work than stay with Rose all day. And, I do enjoy watching Rose and think me giving Rose refrigerated breastmilk while she’s at work must be the next best thing to fresh. We don’t have any other family close by, and we certainly did not want a stranger to watch Rose while we both worked, and so one of us clearly needed to stay home.
Is your wife into the whole raw vegan fruit thing too?
My wife enjoys fruit, but she grew up in China, and still enjoys typical Chinese food (lots of stir-fry vegetables with a little meat added as a condiment). This has been a source of conflict between my wife & I, since I believe that her diet isn’t optimal for her or our daughter (via the breastmilk). My wife already knows what I think about cooked food, and to keep the peace I’ve found it helpful not to remind her every time she sits down to eat. I try to lead by setting a good example.
Rose is 17 months now, and has had only breastmilk and fruit thus far in her life. I am very glad my wife has let me do this with her.
Jeff and family outside house
So, you've been doing the 100% fruit thing now since the beginning of December 2009, more than half a year now, what's your verdict so far?
Yes, 100% fruit since December 1st, 2009. I am really enjoying it. In the couple years prior to this, my diet consisted of fruit & greens, but getting the greens down was always a struggle for me. After reading about you, Kveta, Anne Osborne, & Fruity Jules, I decided that I had to try it. My primary motive is that fruit is what tastes best to me. However, I also appreciate the ethical aspects of fruitarianism.
Absolutely 100% fruit? All raw fresh, IE, not dried or such?
Right, all raw, all fresh, and about 99% organic. No canned fruit, no frozen fruit, no dried fruit. As an example - mangoes are one of my favorite fruits. But, most of them in the US have been imported, and have been subject to hot water treatment. I no longer eat these. I only eat domestic mangoes in the summer when I can get them, which haven’t been heat treated.
Also, I eat the entire edible portion of the fruit, and don’t juice. I think some valuable nutrients are lost when one juices.
I'm guessing you're supplement free too?
Yes, I don’t take any supplements. I’m not going to worry about the B12 issue unless I start to notice a decline in my health, in which case I might consider taking a B12 test, at least. Many 80/10/10 types call themselves fruitarian, so I guess since Dec. 1 you could call me a “strict fruitarian”: no nuts (including coconuts), no seeds (except unavoidable ones, as in kiwi or strawberry), no greens, no salt, no spices, no peas, no seaweed, etc.
Great, I'm aware that the term fruitarian gets used very loosely these days, and it's refreshing for me to meet someone else who's using the term to describe 100% fruit..
Let's backtrack some, I'm presuming you grew up on a pretty standard diet? When was it you started making changes to it, and what drove you to make those changes?
Yeah, I did grow up on a pretty standard diet. I actually wasn’t too big of a meat eater growing up, but I did drink a lot of milk. I think I’ve always had an interest in nutrition. I recall eating bowls of milk & cereal for breakfast before middle school, and reading the nutrition facts on the label while I was eating. But I was in my 20s before I started to do things out of the ordinary in my diet. In my early 20s, I was really into improving my physical performance, getting stronger, faster, etc., and I started looking for ways to improve by adding supplements and changing my diet. By trial and error, I found that taking supplements didn’t have any beneficial effect, and was quite expensive. With the diet changes, I didn’t notice much effect on my physical strength no matter what I ate. However, I found that I could run much better if I ate less animal products, and less salt. At this point, I started to read a lot of books on the topic (veganism, raw, etc.), and I started to appreciate some of the other benefits to this lifestyle (ethical, environmental), whereas before I never really thought about it. Since then, I’ve gradually cleaned up my diet more & more, first as a cooking vegan, then as a low-fat cooking vegan, then as a low-fat raw vegan, and now finally as a fruitarian.
Any significant weight or health changes over the course of that time?
I am prone to overeating and weight gain. Before I was a low-fat raw vegan, I needed to calorie restrict to keep my weight down. Now, as a fruitarian, I eat as much fruit as I desire, and still don’t need to worry about unwanted weight gain. My health has always been very good, regardless of what I have eaten. Unlike many others, I didn’t come to this lifestyle because of an illness.
I’ve done the Mohican 100-mile Trail Run twice, in 2007 & 2008 (it’s in Ohio, near where my parents live). In the months leading up to the 2007 race, I had mainly a sort of junk food vegetarian diet, and I finished that race in a little over 27 hours, for 53rd place. In the months leading up to the 2008 race, I had a 100% low-fat raw vegan diet (I would say 95% fruitarian…I had a few greens), and I finished the race in 18 hours, 40 minutes, good enough for 2nd overall. I’m not going to pretend that all of this improvement is related to the diet, because it isn’t. In the second year doing the event, I was more familiar with the course, had trained harder, etc. But, I still think that my diet did play a part in this.
I am curious to know what I could do now in a race, but I haven’t done so since my daughter was born at the beginning of 2009. As a stay-at-home dad, training for a race of this distance is extremely difficult. I would like to race again, but I plan to wait until she gets older. Family first. :)
About your graduate student status, you were working on a PhD in theoretical physics right? I'm presuming that that would require a pretty logical mind set, do you think having that type of mind has helped you reach the conclusions you have? And if so, why do you think it is that others with apparent similar mindsets fail to reach those conclusions?
Yes to me, trying out a fruitarian diet seems to be such a logical thing to do. It is good for the environment, good for plants, good for animals, and likely good for us too. Furthermore, it seems all the other large primates live primarily on fruits, and I think this should be a clue as to what is likely good for us.
I have often referred to my 100% fruit diet over the past 7 months as an “experiment”, and that is how I am approaching it. I actually wouldn’t say that I have reached any conclusions yet. Thus far, I am feeling great on 100% fruit, and I am optimistic that I will continue to feel this way, but I cannot be certain.
I suppose that other scientists don’t consider trying an experiment on fruitarianism because they just haven’t thought about it, or they think it would be too hard, or too dangerous, or whatever.
Having come from a pretty conventional background, with both parents in the medical industry, how did they react when you started making those changes? What's their opinion of your current fruitarian diet?
I would say that my parents consider me to be just a little bit… well… different. I’ve got two siblings, and I was the one who was always doing things in an unconventional way. I think they would call my current 100% fruit experiment “extreme”. They fully appreciate that fruit is nutritious, but don’t see any reason to eat it to the exclusion of everything else.
I'm guessing their concerns would revolve around not getting enough protein or minerals or such? Were they the kind of things you perhaps found yourself also questioning in the years leading up to you becoming a
fruitarian?
Yes, my parents and others have asked those questions, and I know how to answer them pretty well. And yes, I used to worry about these things too.
So, are your parents accommodating [I mean, happy for you to sit and eat fruit with them, or does that create a tense situation] if you go and visit them?
Sure, we are on good terms. If I’m coming to visit, and I ask my mom to pick up a case of bananas in advance, she’ll do it. More than anything else, we like to laugh together about my diet.
Ha! That seems like a pretty healthy approach to me! What about your 2 siblings or other members of the family - what's their take on where you're at?
I have a younger brother and a younger sister. I’ve tried, at least a little bit, to convert pretty much everyone in my extended family, and I would say that I’ve had the most success with my siblings. I think both are eating primarily vegetarian diets right now. I don’t see any reason to continue in my attempts to convert family members. They already know what I think. I think it is best to simply set a good example.
Do you ever get cravings for foods other than fruit?
Not recently, no. The hardest food for me to give up was cheese. I think this is because I grew up eating a lot of dairy products. When I first went vegan in 2007, I used to dream about cheesy pizza. At first, I had to use my logical mindset to not give into my cheese cravings. I had to remind myself of all the reasons why cheese is a harmful, addictive substance, and tell myself that this is why I couldn’t trust my intuition at that time on cheese.
Fortunately, over the past few years, there has been a substantial shift in my intuition, so that now I only seem to crave fruits.
You stopped nuts a couple of years back, what was the principle reason for doing that, and how were you feeling after eating them?
I found nuts to be too easy to overeat. After I started, I couldn’t stop eating them, and then afterwards I would feel sick. I used to crave nuts, but similar to the cheese, I got over nuts too, and no longer desire them.
I understand that not every fruit appeals to everyone at any given point in time, I often go months not touching bananas and even finding the smell of them very unappealing, so I Guess I understand why you're not eating avocados at the moment.. What about your little daughter, Rose, has she ever tried one? does she like them? Are there any fruits she doesn't like? Has she tried durian?
Rose actually loves avocados. It is one of her favorite fruits. I let her eat as much avocado as she wants. We have let her try a wide variety of fruits, and she seems to like just about all of them, to varying degrees. No, she hasn’t had durian. I would love to give her some. However, all the durian around here is frozen and not organic. Rose’s diet is 100% organic.
Jeff, Daughter, Fruit
Could you give us a brief rundown of what (and when - time of day) you might eat on a typical day?
I usually only eat once or twice each day. If the meal consists of really juicy fruits, I’ll probably want to eat twice. But if the meal contains a lot of the more filling fruits (dates, persimmon, sapote, sapodilla, bananas, etc.), then I can be satisfied for the whole day on just one meal, particularly if I’m not exercising very much. I prefer to eat infrequent large meals for a couple reasons. I think it is easier on the teeth, and I think it makes it easier to go out and get work done.
I always have a morning meal, and I’ll have an afternoon meal if hungry. I really listen to my body regarding when & how much to eat. Right now, in July, I am eating mostly melons and stone fruit.
How much do you think you spend a week on your fruit?
My wife, daughter, & I usually have a weekly fruit bill in the range of $100-$150. And keep in mind that this is 100% organic, and includes a wide variety. We buy most of our fruit in cases from an organic wholesaler in Los Angeles. Buying it all from the local grocery would be a lot more expensive.
Is it easy to get hold of good quality fruit in California? A wide variety? What kind of things can't you find that you'ld like to be able to?
Yes, the fruit here is pretty good, both in quality and variety. For fruitarians in the US, California & Florida are probably the two best places to be. There are a lot of fruits I haven’t tried yet, and would like to, such as: charentais melon (after reading Anne’s book), ice cream bean, peanut butter fruit, chempedak, & cacao fruit.
Does the new place you've just moved into have a garden? If so, do you think you'll be growing any of your own food there?
We have a nice yard, with plenty of space to plant some fruit trees, raspberry bushes, melons, you name it. I’m looking forward to using my fruit scraps for compost now. I always felt guilty dumping them in a trash can.
I imagine looking after a 1 year and a half old all day must keep you pretty fit and active, do you spend a lot of time outdoors together? What else are you doing to keep fit and healthy now that your not training regularly for marathons?
Yeah, we go outside a lot. I’m a big fan of sunlight and getting vitamin D the natural way. I try to do some strength training and some running each day. I usually do that in the early morning, before my wife & daughter are up.
Do you know any (or many!) other 100% fruitarians, or people headed that way?
Only my daughter, plus people I know on the internet.
Could you hazard a guess of how many 100% fruitarians there might be in the world? Do you think the idea is spreading?
If we’re talking about long-term 100% fruitarians with absolutely no slip-ups for years, then, from what I gather via the web, the number appears quite small, like less than 10. However, I have to believe that there are some tropical jungle peoples without a web presence that live on fruit, and so I’m inclined to say the real number is probably in the thousands.
Yes, I think the idea is spreading. I think your website, and forums like iheartfruit.com and fruitariannirvana.ning.com have helped a lot to spread the word.
Have you done much travelling at all? Any places you can recommend for fellow fruit fanatics?
My wife & I have taken many small trips to national parks in the western US. That's one of our favorite things to do. I don't have much time overseas, but I spent the summer of 2002 doing physics at CERN (the particle accelerator), near Geneva, Switzerland. That was an interesting experience. Also my wife and I went to Hawaii in 2005, visited her family in China in 2006, and took a cruise to Alaska in 2007. Since then, with saving up for the house downpayment and then with my wife being pregnant and then having a baby, we haven't traveled much.
I look forward to taking some fruity vacations in the future. I would love to visit Central & South America and Southeast Asia. I'm sure that I could try many new tropical fruits in these places. I also want to get back to Hawaii, and visit the organic fruit farms there. During our 2005 visit, we stayed on Oahu and did mainly the standard tourist stuff.
Do you have many other interests?
I enjoy being outdoors, and being with family. So activities like hiking & camping really appeal to me. Researching nutrition is also a hobby of mine.
Do you're friends and neighbours know you're on a fruit diet, and if so, what do they make of it?
Well, we just moved to a new area, and I don’t really know anyone here yet. If we get invited to any neighborhood barbecues, I’ll be sure to set a good example with fruit.
Do you think that your diet could be improved further, or is your feeling that it's about as good as it gets?
I feel that my digestion and absorption of nutrients has improved since I removed greens from my diet. I am optimistic that this will continue to improve gradually. But besides that, I think fruitarianism is as far as one can go. I don’t think long-term mono-fruit diets are healthy. Variety is important.
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
We just bought a house, and in 10 years I expect we will still be here. By that time, we should have many mature fruit trees in our yard, and so hopefully a lot of my food can be coming from those.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
I encourage others to listen to their bodies, and proceed at their own pace. If you are craving greens, then this may indicate that they are providing useful nutrients to you at this time. I don’t think greens contain any essential nutrients which fruits do not, however it is certainly true that greens contain more of certain things than fruits do. If your ability to absorb these nutrients is compromised, then your body may need the greens right now. However, over time, your body’s ability to assimilate these nutrients may improve, and then you may find that your desire for greens will lessen.
Jeff & Rose
My name is Jeff Atwell. I was born in 1978. I’ve been a 100% low-fat raw vegan since mid-2007, and a 100% fruitarian since Dec. 2009. My wife, daughter, and I just moved the first week of July into our first house in Valencia, California. We’ve spent the previous 8 years living in apartments in Pasadena. Valencia & Pasadena are both suburbs of Los Angeles. I think the city of Valencia is named after the orange variety (because there are a lot of oranges grown nearby)… it should be a good place for a fruitarian to settle!
I don’t have my own website or blog. However, I am pretty active on several of the fruit / raw forums. Here are some places where you can get more information about me: iheartfruit.com, fruitariannirvana.ning.com, 30bananasaday.com, and rawnaturalhygiene.ning.com.
Jeff and his daughter, Rose
Thanks Jeff, so you're in Southern California now, is that where you grew up too?
No, I was actually born & raised in Ohio, and my parents and most of the rest of my family are still there now. I moved out to California in 2002 at the age of 24 to go to graduate school.
OK. I read on your profile at the fruitarian ning, that you're a stay at home dad looking after your 1 year old fruit loving daughter, how's that working out for you!?
In short, it has worked pretty well so far. Before the birth of my daughter, I was a graduate student. Officially, now I am still a graduate student, just one who is "on leave".
Is your daughter still being breast fed too? If so, how's that working out with mum being at work?
Yes, still breastfeeding. Mom pumps her milk at work. I’m into natural child raising. So, I really think it would be best for my daughter Rose if my wife stayed at home with her. This way, she could have fresh breast milk on demand. I believe that Rose getting fresh milk directly from the breast would be the best for her physically & emotionally. But, sometimes the practicalities of the real world take precedent.
My wife enjoys her job, and earns more at it than I could working right now. In truth, my wife would prefer to work than stay with Rose all day. And, I do enjoy watching Rose and think me giving Rose refrigerated breastmilk while she’s at work must be the next best thing to fresh. We don’t have any other family close by, and we certainly did not want a stranger to watch Rose while we both worked, and so one of us clearly needed to stay home.
Is your wife into the whole raw vegan fruit thing too?
My wife enjoys fruit, but she grew up in China, and still enjoys typical Chinese food (lots of stir-fry vegetables with a little meat added as a condiment). This has been a source of conflict between my wife & I, since I believe that her diet isn’t optimal for her or our daughter (via the breastmilk). My wife already knows what I think about cooked food, and to keep the peace I’ve found it helpful not to remind her every time she sits down to eat. I try to lead by setting a good example.
Rose is 17 months now, and has had only breastmilk and fruit thus far in her life. I am very glad my wife has let me do this with her.
Jeff and family outside house
So, you've been doing the 100% fruit thing now since the beginning of December 2009, more than half a year now, what's your verdict so far?
Yes, 100% fruit since December 1st, 2009. I am really enjoying it. In the couple years prior to this, my diet consisted of fruit & greens, but getting the greens down was always a struggle for me. After reading about you, Kveta, Anne Osborne, & Fruity Jules, I decided that I had to try it. My primary motive is that fruit is what tastes best to me. However, I also appreciate the ethical aspects of fruitarianism.
Absolutely 100% fruit? All raw fresh, IE, not dried or such?
Right, all raw, all fresh, and about 99% organic. No canned fruit, no frozen fruit, no dried fruit. As an example - mangoes are one of my favorite fruits. But, most of them in the US have been imported, and have been subject to hot water treatment. I no longer eat these. I only eat domestic mangoes in the summer when I can get them, which haven’t been heat treated.
Also, I eat the entire edible portion of the fruit, and don’t juice. I think some valuable nutrients are lost when one juices.
I'm guessing you're supplement free too?
Yes, I don’t take any supplements. I’m not going to worry about the B12 issue unless I start to notice a decline in my health, in which case I might consider taking a B12 test, at least. Many 80/10/10 types call themselves fruitarian, so I guess since Dec. 1 you could call me a “strict fruitarian”: no nuts (including coconuts), no seeds (except unavoidable ones, as in kiwi or strawberry), no greens, no salt, no spices, no peas, no seaweed, etc.
Great, I'm aware that the term fruitarian gets used very loosely these days, and it's refreshing for me to meet someone else who's using the term to describe 100% fruit..
Let's backtrack some, I'm presuming you grew up on a pretty standard diet? When was it you started making changes to it, and what drove you to make those changes?
Yeah, I did grow up on a pretty standard diet. I actually wasn’t too big of a meat eater growing up, but I did drink a lot of milk. I think I’ve always had an interest in nutrition. I recall eating bowls of milk & cereal for breakfast before middle school, and reading the nutrition facts on the label while I was eating. But I was in my 20s before I started to do things out of the ordinary in my diet. In my early 20s, I was really into improving my physical performance, getting stronger, faster, etc., and I started looking for ways to improve by adding supplements and changing my diet. By trial and error, I found that taking supplements didn’t have any beneficial effect, and was quite expensive. With the diet changes, I didn’t notice much effect on my physical strength no matter what I ate. However, I found that I could run much better if I ate less animal products, and less salt. At this point, I started to read a lot of books on the topic (veganism, raw, etc.), and I started to appreciate some of the other benefits to this lifestyle (ethical, environmental), whereas before I never really thought about it. Since then, I’ve gradually cleaned up my diet more & more, first as a cooking vegan, then as a low-fat cooking vegan, then as a low-fat raw vegan, and now finally as a fruitarian.
Any significant weight or health changes over the course of that time?
I am prone to overeating and weight gain. Before I was a low-fat raw vegan, I needed to calorie restrict to keep my weight down. Now, as a fruitarian, I eat as much fruit as I desire, and still don’t need to worry about unwanted weight gain. My health has always been very good, regardless of what I have eaten. Unlike many others, I didn’t come to this lifestyle because of an illness.
I’ve done the Mohican 100-mile Trail Run twice, in 2007 & 2008 (it’s in Ohio, near where my parents live). In the months leading up to the 2007 race, I had mainly a sort of junk food vegetarian diet, and I finished that race in a little over 27 hours, for 53rd place. In the months leading up to the 2008 race, I had a 100% low-fat raw vegan diet (I would say 95% fruitarian…I had a few greens), and I finished the race in 18 hours, 40 minutes, good enough for 2nd overall. I’m not going to pretend that all of this improvement is related to the diet, because it isn’t. In the second year doing the event, I was more familiar with the course, had trained harder, etc. But, I still think that my diet did play a part in this.
I am curious to know what I could do now in a race, but I haven’t done so since my daughter was born at the beginning of 2009. As a stay-at-home dad, training for a race of this distance is extremely difficult. I would like to race again, but I plan to wait until she gets older. Family first. :)
About your graduate student status, you were working on a PhD in theoretical physics right? I'm presuming that that would require a pretty logical mind set, do you think having that type of mind has helped you reach the conclusions you have? And if so, why do you think it is that others with apparent similar mindsets fail to reach those conclusions?
Yes to me, trying out a fruitarian diet seems to be such a logical thing to do. It is good for the environment, good for plants, good for animals, and likely good for us too. Furthermore, it seems all the other large primates live primarily on fruits, and I think this should be a clue as to what is likely good for us.
I have often referred to my 100% fruit diet over the past 7 months as an “experiment”, and that is how I am approaching it. I actually wouldn’t say that I have reached any conclusions yet. Thus far, I am feeling great on 100% fruit, and I am optimistic that I will continue to feel this way, but I cannot be certain.
I suppose that other scientists don’t consider trying an experiment on fruitarianism because they just haven’t thought about it, or they think it would be too hard, or too dangerous, or whatever.
Having come from a pretty conventional background, with both parents in the medical industry, how did they react when you started making those changes? What's their opinion of your current fruitarian diet?
I would say that my parents consider me to be just a little bit… well… different. I’ve got two siblings, and I was the one who was always doing things in an unconventional way. I think they would call my current 100% fruit experiment “extreme”. They fully appreciate that fruit is nutritious, but don’t see any reason to eat it to the exclusion of everything else.
I'm guessing their concerns would revolve around not getting enough protein or minerals or such? Were they the kind of things you perhaps found yourself also questioning in the years leading up to you becoming a
fruitarian?
Yes, my parents and others have asked those questions, and I know how to answer them pretty well. And yes, I used to worry about these things too.
So, are your parents accommodating [I mean, happy for you to sit and eat fruit with them, or does that create a tense situation] if you go and visit them?
Sure, we are on good terms. If I’m coming to visit, and I ask my mom to pick up a case of bananas in advance, she’ll do it. More than anything else, we like to laugh together about my diet.
Ha! That seems like a pretty healthy approach to me! What about your 2 siblings or other members of the family - what's their take on where you're at?
I have a younger brother and a younger sister. I’ve tried, at least a little bit, to convert pretty much everyone in my extended family, and I would say that I’ve had the most success with my siblings. I think both are eating primarily vegetarian diets right now. I don’t see any reason to continue in my attempts to convert family members. They already know what I think. I think it is best to simply set a good example.
Do you ever get cravings for foods other than fruit?
Not recently, no. The hardest food for me to give up was cheese. I think this is because I grew up eating a lot of dairy products. When I first went vegan in 2007, I used to dream about cheesy pizza. At first, I had to use my logical mindset to not give into my cheese cravings. I had to remind myself of all the reasons why cheese is a harmful, addictive substance, and tell myself that this is why I couldn’t trust my intuition at that time on cheese.
Fortunately, over the past few years, there has been a substantial shift in my intuition, so that now I only seem to crave fruits.
You stopped nuts a couple of years back, what was the principle reason for doing that, and how were you feeling after eating them?
I found nuts to be too easy to overeat. After I started, I couldn’t stop eating them, and then afterwards I would feel sick. I used to crave nuts, but similar to the cheese, I got over nuts too, and no longer desire them.
I understand that not every fruit appeals to everyone at any given point in time, I often go months not touching bananas and even finding the smell of them very unappealing, so I Guess I understand why you're not eating avocados at the moment.. What about your little daughter, Rose, has she ever tried one? does she like them? Are there any fruits she doesn't like? Has she tried durian?
Rose actually loves avocados. It is one of her favorite fruits. I let her eat as much avocado as she wants. We have let her try a wide variety of fruits, and she seems to like just about all of them, to varying degrees. No, she hasn’t had durian. I would love to give her some. However, all the durian around here is frozen and not organic. Rose’s diet is 100% organic.
Jeff, Daughter, Fruit
Could you give us a brief rundown of what (and when - time of day) you might eat on a typical day?
I usually only eat once or twice each day. If the meal consists of really juicy fruits, I’ll probably want to eat twice. But if the meal contains a lot of the more filling fruits (dates, persimmon, sapote, sapodilla, bananas, etc.), then I can be satisfied for the whole day on just one meal, particularly if I’m not exercising very much. I prefer to eat infrequent large meals for a couple reasons. I think it is easier on the teeth, and I think it makes it easier to go out and get work done.
I always have a morning meal, and I’ll have an afternoon meal if hungry. I really listen to my body regarding when & how much to eat. Right now, in July, I am eating mostly melons and stone fruit.
How much do you think you spend a week on your fruit?
My wife, daughter, & I usually have a weekly fruit bill in the range of $100-$150. And keep in mind that this is 100% organic, and includes a wide variety. We buy most of our fruit in cases from an organic wholesaler in Los Angeles. Buying it all from the local grocery would be a lot more expensive.
Is it easy to get hold of good quality fruit in California? A wide variety? What kind of things can't you find that you'ld like to be able to?
Yes, the fruit here is pretty good, both in quality and variety. For fruitarians in the US, California & Florida are probably the two best places to be. There are a lot of fruits I haven’t tried yet, and would like to, such as: charentais melon (after reading Anne’s book), ice cream bean, peanut butter fruit, chempedak, & cacao fruit.
Does the new place you've just moved into have a garden? If so, do you think you'll be growing any of your own food there?
We have a nice yard, with plenty of space to plant some fruit trees, raspberry bushes, melons, you name it. I’m looking forward to using my fruit scraps for compost now. I always felt guilty dumping them in a trash can.
I imagine looking after a 1 year and a half old all day must keep you pretty fit and active, do you spend a lot of time outdoors together? What else are you doing to keep fit and healthy now that your not training regularly for marathons?
Yeah, we go outside a lot. I’m a big fan of sunlight and getting vitamin D the natural way. I try to do some strength training and some running each day. I usually do that in the early morning, before my wife & daughter are up.
Do you know any (or many!) other 100% fruitarians, or people headed that way?
Only my daughter, plus people I know on the internet.
Could you hazard a guess of how many 100% fruitarians there might be in the world? Do you think the idea is spreading?
If we’re talking about long-term 100% fruitarians with absolutely no slip-ups for years, then, from what I gather via the web, the number appears quite small, like less than 10. However, I have to believe that there are some tropical jungle peoples without a web presence that live on fruit, and so I’m inclined to say the real number is probably in the thousands.
Yes, I think the idea is spreading. I think your website, and forums like iheartfruit.com and fruitariannirvana.ning.com have helped a lot to spread the word.
Have you done much travelling at all? Any places you can recommend for fellow fruit fanatics?
My wife & I have taken many small trips to national parks in the western US. That's one of our favorite things to do. I don't have much time overseas, but I spent the summer of 2002 doing physics at CERN (the particle accelerator), near Geneva, Switzerland. That was an interesting experience. Also my wife and I went to Hawaii in 2005, visited her family in China in 2006, and took a cruise to Alaska in 2007. Since then, with saving up for the house downpayment and then with my wife being pregnant and then having a baby, we haven't traveled much.
I look forward to taking some fruity vacations in the future. I would love to visit Central & South America and Southeast Asia. I'm sure that I could try many new tropical fruits in these places. I also want to get back to Hawaii, and visit the organic fruit farms there. During our 2005 visit, we stayed on Oahu and did mainly the standard tourist stuff.
Do you have many other interests?
I enjoy being outdoors, and being with family. So activities like hiking & camping really appeal to me. Researching nutrition is also a hobby of mine.
Do you're friends and neighbours know you're on a fruit diet, and if so, what do they make of it?
Well, we just moved to a new area, and I don’t really know anyone here yet. If we get invited to any neighborhood barbecues, I’ll be sure to set a good example with fruit.
Do you think that your diet could be improved further, or is your feeling that it's about as good as it gets?
I feel that my digestion and absorption of nutrients has improved since I removed greens from my diet. I am optimistic that this will continue to improve gradually. But besides that, I think fruitarianism is as far as one can go. I don’t think long-term mono-fruit diets are healthy. Variety is important.
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
We just bought a house, and in 10 years I expect we will still be here. By that time, we should have many mature fruit trees in our yard, and so hopefully a lot of my food can be coming from those.
Finally, is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
I encourage others to listen to their bodies, and proceed at their own pace. If you are craving greens, then this may indicate that they are providing useful nutrients to you at this time. I don’t think greens contain any essential nutrients which fruits do not, however it is certainly true that greens contain more of certain things than fruits do. If your ability to absorb these nutrients is compromised, then your body may need the greens right now. However, over time, your body’s ability to assimilate these nutrients may improve, and then you may find that your desire for greens will lessen.
Jeff & Rose
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Interview with a fruitarian - 35 - Robert Lockhart
35th interview with a fruitarian.. this time with Robert Lokhart who's a chiropractor up here in far north queensland..
this time it's a video interview..
Interview With a Fruitarian - Robert Lockhart
Enjoy..
mango.
this time it's a video interview..
Enjoy..
mango.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Intro to the fruitarian documentary
Hi all..
i just got an email from emile, who has today, just a few hours ago, uploaded the first intro to the fruitarian documentary he is working on..
the doco features myself and kveta and our escape from sydney..
enjoy..
peace,
mango.
i just got an email from emile, who has today, just a few hours ago, uploaded the first intro to the fruitarian documentary he is working on..
the doco features myself and kveta and our escape from sydney..
enjoy..
peace,
mango.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Interview with a Fruitarian - 34 - Tord Lyseving
34th in my series of interviews with fruit fruitarian fruit eaters
Hi Tord
OK, Could you please start off by introducing yourself? Just tell us who you are, where your from, where you're living now, your age, family situation, or anything else you think will give us a quick insight into who you are..
Once (I think it was in 1983/84) I was sitting in some meditation with closed eyes and saw 12 of my earlier lives. It came like tidal water waves, first one very clear picture, then one more and ….in some kind of historical time succession. I will only mention a few here. This experience was very strong and hit my mind with obvious consequences. It started in Africa where I was a medicine man treating a sick woman in my place, a little aside the village. I prepared a natural medicine with red berries in a wood vessel, I stirred and smashed the berries to a paste for her to eat and I also smeared this outside her body. Several people standing in a circle was expecting a healing miracle as before. I had a high position in this African village. Later in 1990 my former wife flew me to Africa, Gambia, where I stayed for a while and met many people, even an old medicine man in the bush who liked me to stay at his home to teach him my skills in natural medicine. I was honored to hear that and it was some kind of confirmation of my earlier life experiences.
Another strong "historical tidal water wave" hitting my mind was among Maya or Inca people in Mexico or Guatemala. I saw a colourful dressed man with a lot of power and also cruelty. Still I can paint this colourful man with a huge feather headgear on his head. In this life I have also visited Guatemala and came close to the old temples especially the Chichen itza temple was a great "deja vue", or recognition.
A third earlier life was in America, Canada, as an Indian chief. A funny thing is that even other friends in my surroundings expressed my connection to American indians as a famous indian chief. In 1960, in this life, I visited a place in Canada and at that time I was dancing with real indians in a camp, reserve. I was dancing with my history. In Russia I was, at different times a young and a famous piano player and very close to the Tsar Peter the great, helping to build warships. In this life I have also been in Russia twice, some kind of repetition to understand my own history!?
My last earlier life experience was as a war pilot in England during the second world war. I was a wing chief but quit, landing in the Netherlands on a farm and married a beautiful girl, the daughter of the farmer. In this life I have been (in a small scale) involved in aerobatic and gliding flight. Also some kind of recognition.
That was some of my background and of course I have also been poor, slave, put in prison and other life experiences but these 12 incarnations were so strong and clear like a branded pattern in my brow. I have also been involved in many battles....
In the present "Gregorian" time I was born in 1943 in the city of Luleå, in the very north of Sweden. I was a very active, sporty and talented boy and I never used any kind of drugs, cigarettes and just small amounts of alcohol. I was often put as a group captain in the school and the teacher often chose me to demonstrate things. Helping people has been an obvious "karma" to me. Probably because of my earlier life of cruelty and sacrificing other people. As a health, natural doctor I still have this task to help and inspire people to a better health and life. I have also been a so called coach for some top sportsmen and musicians in Sweden who got successful outcome.
When I was young I was very interested in art and I started painting very early and my drawings were often on the wall in my school to demonstrate how a good drawing should look like. Crazy thinking! Today, all the students paintings are on the wall.
I was studying at KTH (Technical collage) in Stockholm and as a researcher. I was also connected to FOA M (Swedish National Defence and M stands for section for material research, my speciality was plastic and rubber). I followed the studies for a doctor's degree for about two years at my institution of Polymer technology. I wrote several reports about my work and one international research article in Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 1973. At that time I was very proud to get this work accepted by the experts in the editorial board in USA. After that I was called "Dr. Tord Åredal" (my name at that time). This title, Dr., came on letters from all over the world and from the editorial board of the magazine. So I am not a real traditional technical doctor because I never got through the traditional trial with opponents.
I did not make any career in the common industry, just jumped on a new trail and bought two health food shop, where I could start my new life. I had all my patients in my shop and my loving mother (who became 92 years) often helped me with the customers.
I have three children (boy-40, girl-38 and girl-15 Gregorian years). My last wife was a flight captain and we travelled around the world with the hope to settle down in a place with a good climate and a lot of cheap and tasty fruit. We tried to settle down in Tenerife, La Palma or Brazil. We were anyhow and in some loving way taken back, by our spiritual friends, to Stockholm in 2006. Now I live with my girlfriend Lisa, look at the enclosed picture. We are helping Lisa’s parents to build at their farm and also in some extent in their business. My son is just going to start a new building company and I also help him in some matter. Lisa and I have, at the time, contact with people interested in the fruitarian lifestyle. Some young school people, mostly girls, like to make interviews with me and write project works about the fruitarian life and health in common. I am happy to see this interest especially from young people. The spiritual world sends old souls in young bodies to make the world more fruitful.
My website is: www.lyseving.com This site has not been updated for several years but my intention is to make a better one soon.
My best career of all was when I became fruitarian 1984/85 in Sweden. It has been my most exciting journey so far and I am expecting more interesting research and new discoveries in the future.
Congratulations to your nice website, Mango! Perhaps my site can be as good as yours?
I'm aware that in comparison to other Scandinavian countries, Sweden is more switched on in many ways regarding diet, especially with the work that Lily Johansson and Alf Spångberg did.. Were they at all influential in you becoming fruitarian?
In 1984, I was at that time fruitarian with nuts and some seeds, I was responsible for a health home in Norway for a time where we had a mixture of Raw Food diet and Lilly Johansson’s vegan diet. This health home was at the time close to a bankruptcy. They called for me and the business became successful. We were also in the Norwegian television and after that the ”flow” of people came to the place.
I visited Lily Johansson once with my mother to cure her gallbladder stones. She got out all stones, with help of olive oil cure and lemon juice and vegan food, and never after that any problem. I talked with Lilly and she said that she should like to eat more fruit and even to become a fruitarian but she could not because of her reumatic problems. She got pain when eating some kinds of fruit.
I tried to explain why and something about fruits ability to solve this but not with much success. Lilly died in 1999, age 79. Alf Spångberg was born in 1924 and I believe that he is still alive. I was already fruitarian when Alf Spångberg became a little known in Sweden.
I became a fruitarian because my spiritual guides helped me with this career. A common reaction when I became a fruitarian was that most of the people, including ”esoteric alternative", medial or not, looked at me to be very extreme. Even some medial friends thought I would die of malnutrition eating only fruits………????
So I'm guessing that growing up there, you would have been eating a more standard diet of the time and location? Can you tell us a little about how that was?
When I was young I loved fruit. When my father came home with a full box of oranges I could easily eat 7 to 8 of them directly. I also mention some of this behaviour in the book you got ”My Path to Freedom”. I could also eat lemons 4 to 5 at the same time without any problems. I loved tomatoes when I was young and some of my friends and I visited some tomato land where we could grab it. I was really born as a fruitarian child but my parents had no understanding of that. I was eating the food my mother served and not until the late 1970´s I became a vegetarian. In the beginning of the 1980’s my family lived on only raw food so called living food. My first wife and I went to Hippocrates institute in Boston to learn their program with sprouts and wheat grass and………..My wife got much better after that. We, my family and I, lived in that way for 2,5 years.After my revelation (also in my book) in a state of meditation, 1983/84, I became a true fruitarian. During my transition I have of course, a few times, got some temptations sometimes for bread, potatoes, fish (salmon) and even a few times meat. The few times I tested the common food I got very bad reactions. I like to call it cleansing reaction. Once, 1993, I tested a chicken, potatoes and bread. The reaction after that was just a loving experience. I got a lot of mucus from my nose and my right foot went to sleep or became paralyzed so I could not lift it for one week. I had to drag my foot and I also got pain in my right leg and tremblings in some muscles.
As soon as I was eating common food, just a few times and only one meal for test, and also vegetarian cooked food I got directly a lot of mucus from my nose and a creeping feeling in my legs and of course I had a heavy, unpleasant feeling in my head. It was obvious how the food effected my brain. This ”food regression” can be seen as a part of my experiments and to give me better understanding of my body reactions. A god part of my private research work.
Do you know that Shakespeare’s (Hamlet..) once expressed ”I am a heavy meat eater and I am aware that this will harm my wit”. Still he is well known and famous. Do you know what Shakespeare’s mean? It stands for shaking pears, so perhaps he was a potential fruitarian……???
What was your health like growing up? And your weight?
I was a healthy boy with just a few colds. I was in motion all the time with different sports, dancing, cycling, boxing, swimming, running, jumping, table tennis, football, ice hockey, bandy, tennis………
How does your health then, compare to your health now? Do you feel your age?
My age is today 66 and I never before felt better. I am together with a 35 year old girlfriend and I don´t feel much older then she, physically. Her father, a nice and creative man, who is my ”father-in-law” is one year younger than me and my ”mother in law”, also creative and nice business woman, is one year older than me!
Tord and Lisa
When was the last time you felt at all unwell?
Thirty years back in time. It is a question of definition but no diseases during my time as a fruitarian. When I was on the raw food diet I could get some cleansing reactions which are both good signs and normal. I will, as long as I live, never get any kind of disease. I have decided that, and will live the rest of my life without any kind of so called disease. The people who read my book carefully will understand my point.
What does a normal days food supply look like for you? Do you eat fixed meals at fixed times of the day?
The time doesn´t direct my eating. My wish is that the Gregorian time will not exist after 2012. I only eat when I am hungry. Some days I don´t eat at all, I am only drinking some small amount of lemon water. My intention in the near future is to minimize the food and to be independent of food. Lisa and I have the same goal. Many days I make a mixture in a blender of a few bananas, avocados, blueberries and a little soaked dried fruit. (mango, dates and pineapple). I mix this with juice from two hand squeezed grapefruits. Nowadays I take some berries, strawberry, blackberry, cloudberry, raspberry or some berries I have due to the season. I put it on the surface of the mix and sometimes with a little shredded coconut. Sometimes even carob. This mixture can last for two days.
I know you wonder about Durian fruits in Sweden. Once I went to Indonesia and Sumatra with my former wife and 8 year old daughter (at that time). We where eating Durian every day and the cost for one Durian was less than half a dollar. We usually carried a sack full of Durian. For me Durian is a favourite fruit like Jackfruit which I was eating a lot of during my visit in Australia. It is possible to get Durian in Sweden but the taste is mostly not good and the price for one Durian is around 40/50 dollars.
I gather you've written several books on fruitarianism, mostly in Swedish, but also one in English, when did you write the first one?
The first book was a Living-Food-book i.e a raw food book in 1983. I printed it myself and sold every book I made, around 600 copies. My first fruit book was written in 1986, ”Maten Din Medicin-fruktstadiet (The Food Your Medicin-the fruit stage)”. Still this book is selling and I have sold around 1000 copies so far.
Where can someone order them from?
In some health food stores, bookshops and from me directly. People can also get them from a library in Stockholm.
You mentioned that the 2nd of July was declared as World Fruit day in Sweden, I really meant to blog about it, but the day slipped past and I plain forgot.. How did you go about declaring the day, and what kind of response did you get?
There were at least 120 people who participated in this first World Fruit Day in Sweden. You participate by eating only fruit that day and many people liked this idea and manifestation, so for Lisa and me it was a good start. We will of course declare the World Fruit Day even next year, same date. Maybe we will organize some public event that day, we will see.
How many fruitarians do you know, how many do you think there are in Sweden, and why do you think there are so few fruitarians?
I think there have been 2-300 trying to become fruitarians. Some for short times, some for a few years with fantastic experiences. Many of these people fall back because of social conditions. They can’t stand the social pressure.
Of course all temptations, old dependence and cravings of the common food play a roll. Many try for short times but slip back.
Can you tell us a little about your transition to fruitarianism, was it overnight, or more of a gradual thing?
As I said before, I was meant to be fruitarian already when I was born. All kind of food in the childhood and when growing up I like to look at as a regression of food energy and to fit into the social world. I created my own reality which was just given with love and meaning. In my books, even the last one ”My Path to Freedom” I mention 6 different stages which can be a help for people trying to become a fruitarian. All people are not meant to be it. My own transition was from vegetarian over to raw food and then a quantum leap over to the fruit stage. The spiritual guides helped me to take this leap.
What did your family and friends make of your revelations?
Just to be a vegetarian, in the end of the 1970s, made reactions and to be so called fruitarian was a very radical and frightening thing for most of the people in my surroundings. My way was starked out so I just followed that path without any regard to my family or friends.
Has anyone else in your family made such changes??
No one.
What kind of foods did you find most difficult to leave behind?
In fact, it has not been any difficulties to leave the old food for only fruits because of my love for fruits already in early years. When I became a fruit eater I was thinking, “at last I can eat and live on only desserts! What a wonderful world……”.(Louis Armstrong).
As I mentioned before I had sometimes longings for bread, potatoes, salmon….. My private research with my body as a laboratory gave me a lot of understanding of cause and effect from the food I took. This was a loving experience. When we make a food transition we have to be aware of that it is a kind of regression i.e. when we are cleansing the body cells the cell memory will act as finding archeological finds and sometimes these finds will take you back in the history even with your body.
I used to say that to become a fruitarian is equal to become an esoteric archeologist.
You are digging and polishing your own history and a lot will be found during this expedition of challenge.
Do you feel any need to supplement your diet at all?
Not at all!
Are you happy with the choice and quality of fruit you are getting in Sweden?
Satisfied, Yes! I know from all my travel in the world that the taste in warmer countries, eating directly from the trees is superior. I can find my paradise only inside myself so the geographical place is not the first priority. Once I was very close to settle down in Cooktown in Australia but……Sweden seems to be my land at the moment.
So any plans to travel or relocate to a warmer climate, or are you happy living where you are now?
I never say never but as the world looks like just now I am satisfied to stay in Stockholm or close to this capital (sounds like money because kapital in Swedish means money).
Sometimes I long for a warmer climate where I could grow my own fruit trees and have a fruit garden with at least 50 different sorts of fruits. What a Paradise!
If we could get more sun in Sweden with half a meter humus soil layer we could easily grow any kind of fruit trees in a short time. I hope this climate change will come soon.
Where and how do you see yourself living and eating in 10 years from now?
I will probably still eat fruits in a limited way making many lectures because of the increased interest in energy savings. Especially among young people the change in consciousness will influence a lot of scientists making many works for doctor's degree about food and how it will effect the society and the human beings brain and behaviour. This because the fruit energy will effect every subject in the society. This understanding will get a break through starting 2012. Then it will escalate.
Do you think you could improve on your diet at all??
Me and my girlfriend Lisa have a goal not to eat i.e. not any depending on food. The reaching of this goal could be in this lifetime or the next. We improve every day because we have a plan…
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??
Today, no one asks about that any longer. I just bless every question in that way.
Is there anything you'ld like to add as words of encouragement to those that are aspiring toward fruitarianism?
Fruit is freedom and freedom is love!
Finally, I know you are working with a Hydro - Atomic Institute there, could you tell us briefly what that project is all about?
In fact I am not working in this company, just supporting it with little money, ideas, contacts and to integrate Free Energy into the building industry. I like to be a ”free radical inspirator for new thoughts”. If I am connected I am not free. The New World needs new thoughts. The project of free energy is built upon water and hydrogen, even to get water directly from the air. This is not any new but…… To succeed with an introduction of a ”new technology” in the traditional industry is a hard work and also dangerous because it creates a lot of threatening conditions. We need new leaders without greed and hunting for money and power.
Thanks
hug,
Mango.
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