Fruit, the miracle food.

[Gosia]

Yes, fruit!

A few years ago, I would most likely laugh if someone said this. In fact, I once was discussing with a friend of mine how silly one woman was to feed her kids mostly fruit. I thought that it was disgraceful; where would her kids get all the protein they needed from!! Oh well, since then, luckily my old beliefs turned upside down.

When I started eating raw foods in 2002, fruit became my obvious choice. I was working full time and had no time for complicated recipes. Some time later, a Eureka moment came. Wow, fruit is actually very satisfying food! And, so hydrating as well! I noticed that my always hard-like-gum heals, softened up. I was amazed. Then, I realized that I my body was dehydrated for years, from all the cooked food (even though I was drinking lots of water and ALWAYS carried a bottle of water with me). It was fruit that finally properly hy-drated me. My love for fruit grew stronger. My husband recently pointed out that I might be turning into a fruitarian. "Me?!" I thought, and then smiled. Oh well, I guess I just love fruit so much that I will accept any fruit-related label. Fruit-nut, fruit-maniac, anything you wish. :D

Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that I came across some wonderful testimonials, which show that eating fruit can help heal people from cancer and diabetes, plus other health problems. I thought that I should communicate this to this wonderful raw food community (Alissa's board), especially since some fruit-fear-planting arguments have been posted here recently. Plus, I am so positively affected by these stories, that I feel the need to share.


1) Who would have thought that diabetes can be healed by ingesting lots and lots of fruit sugar??? (Many say that if you are diabetic, then it is best to stay away from fruit, don't they?) Here is a story, by Jinjee:

“I had several people email with questions about whether the sugar in the the OJ isn’t too much. Yes, 32 ounces of any processed sugar (white sugar, brown sugar) would be way too much. But the body turns almost everything we eat into sugar because that’s the main fuel that runs our body and our brain. That’s why fruit is such an excellent primary food for humans. Is it only a good and natural instinct that most of us have what is called a sweet tooth. Properly ripe oranges are a wonderful form of fruit sugar. Juicing breaks the orange down so that when we drink it it goes directly into our system and starts giving us energy. It is an energy high that has no down-side, because it is so perfect! It is the most easily and instantly digested food you can get!

If you are healing from a sugar-related condition such as diabetes or candida and you are not 100% raw then even fruit sugars should be avoided and green juices be substituted instead. But amazingly enough a woman with type 1 diabetes went on the OJ Diet recently and emailed me that she was able to cut her insulin out completely by the end of the two weeks. She went back on a 100% raw food diet and found that because of the foods she had to increase the insulin just slightly (still she’s down to 4 units instead of 30 previous to the OJ Diet). She was also re-diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because of course type 1 is incurable. I had the opportunity to meet this beautiful woman at our premiere in LA earlier this month! I was amazed by her story because I would never have recommended the OJ diet to someone with diabetes! I think the fact that she had been raw-vegan for 8 months before starting the OJ Diet was part of her success. I hope she will write an ebook about her experience and I will definitely help promote it if she does!”


2) Who would have thought that cancer can be healed by ingesting lots of fruit sugar?? (Some claim that they made scientific (lol!) experiments that confirmed that fruit sugar feed cancer. (Ehhh ???)) Well, actually I already met (on-line, cause there is not too many raw foodists in Hobart, where I live) quite some time ago, those who did just that. But I have just found some more (and guess what, (sweet mmm) grapes is the keyword):

“JohannaBrandt: Cure of cancer
Johanna Brandt was born in South Africa in 1876. There was a lot of cancer in her family and her mother died of cancer. Doctors say that the disease is not hereditary. But she believed that the predisposing causes of cancer in her motherÂ’s body might have been present in her own.
She suffered from gastric trouble, bilious attacks and stomach ulcers. She had a gnawing pain at the left side of her stomach. If it were cancer she had decided that no medicines, no injections, no drugs and no operation would be taken.
She read “ The Fasting Cure,” by Upton Sinclair. It made sense to her, has she believed in healing naturally.
She fasted for seven days but nothing happened. She fasted again and persuaded everyone else to fast. She seemed to be able to cure everyone except herself. In her home she had the best American books and magazines based on natural cures. She wrote books and answered thousands of letters, but she knew her internal trouble remained.
She kept on fasting until starvation point but it was useless because she took the wrong foods.
The growth continued toward the heart and left lung. One night Johanna had a terrible attack of vomiting and purging with pain. In the morning she brought up a quantity of half digested blood. After suffering a great deal she finally sent for a doctor. He persuaded her to take examinations and she went to the hospital. An immediate operation was recommended in order to carry on living. This she refused. She fasted three weeks, drinking pure water only and lying in the sun. After six months, examinations revealed no trace of growth, although she carried on feeling pain.
During the three years that followed she kept on fasting and dieting. Then she accidentally discovered a food that had the power of healing her completely in six weeks.
Grapes - were JohannaÂ’s greatest discovery. She made several tests on herself and later on described the method of healing with grapes. The Grape Cure was then spread all over the world and has been responsible for the cure of many people.
Johanna tried to obtain support of the scientific community but it was denied. Several doctors gave her a hand and she managed to take her message to all those who were willing to hear her.”


3) More at http://www.fruitarian.com/ao/FruitOnly.htm

Mmm mmm mmm. FruitÂ…. GoodÂ…

Gosia.

[ljannise]

thank you, thank you Thank you Thank You THANK YOU for this post.

[tvillemom]

Gosia, I'm not "all" fruit, but I do LOVE it! I just wanted to comment that I found your web-site last year, and commented to my husband about your beautiful "after" picture...the close-up with no make-up.... :D You are beautiful! I hope to see those differences after 6 months to a year being raw! Your an inspiration! Thanks
Wendi

[Shivananda]

Dr.Gabriel Cousens is one of the foremost raw food healers in the world today, and when he says that excessive consumption of fruit is an issue for many people for a variety of different reasons, he is not planting fear of fruit at all, he's simply arguing for a balanced diet. And I think people need to hear that alongside the rosy glow of "it's all good!"

And when I post that kind of information here I am arguing for a more balanced presentation of opposing views, not trying to instill fear in anyone.

[ljannise]

It's ok Shivananda, you dont scare me

I wish ppl would be more accepting of fruit.... not only eat fruit 100%.

I HAVE to have greens at some point. My nails turned yellow, I was pale, I got really sick. Fruitarians say that ppl who get ill on this arent doing it properly, but I will always eat greens no matter what. I dont want to EVER feel that way again.

But there's a lot of potential 100% raw foodies out there who are afraid of fruit altogether because of a few things they read. I wish they could just open up to fruit more.

Unless they have a very bad allergy, but I've read many beautiful stories on raw curing that as well.

I have found that VERY sweet fruit cause problems for me. I dont eat grapes or cherries. I guess because I eat so many clementines & blueberries there's no need for the extra sweet fruit...who knows.

[Revvell]

Gosia,

Thank you. I was going to post Jinjee's statement as well and thank you for posting your experience.

Question ~ By "fruit" are you including tomatoes, cukes, etc?

Revvell

[Gosia]

You all are most welcome.

Yes Revvell, cukes and all. On a fruitarian web, even nuts are listed as fruit. (Wham, I got educated, I did not think of nuts as fruit before lol!)

I still like to use greens as wraps for all my fruit. But I do have (quite a few) days when I feel like eating fruit only. Life is easier when I can eat what I love, isn't it?

Sincerely,
Gosia.

[dreamrawalwz]

I don't think she was being disrepectful at all. There ARE many benefits on all fruit. Each body is different and if someone gets scared of all fruit from what they read then how do they know it WON'T work for them?

[Revvell]

You all are most welcome.

Yes Revvell, cukes and all. On a fruitarian web, even nuts are listed as fruit. (Wham, I got educated, I did not think of nuts as fruit before lol!)

I still like to use greens as wraps for all my fruit. But I do have (quite a few) days when I feel like eating fruit only. Life is easier when I can eat what I love, isn't it?

Sincerely,
Gosia.

Most definitely. I'm thinking we're all beyond the age of having to eat food we don't like although, I must admit, I do wish certain things WERE good for me yet, alas, they aren't. *sigh*

I was going to ask about the nuts as well yet, you already answered that. Seems we're on a similar food program yet, I add more greens as in smoothies. I can tell by my cuticles and bm's when I'm not getting enough greens.

Enjoy! :)

Revvell

[ljannise]

When I 1st became a raw vegan, I didnt want to LOOK at a piece of fruit. For an entire month, I ate sooo many veggies & all different kinds. Then I got in a period where I started introducing fruit.... later, I was ALL fruit... then I'm balanced now with a 50-50 thing going on. WHo knows, that later I may be all fruit again. I'm listening to my body. And I notice different phases.

I think you are feeling wonderful & I'm so happy for you.

[Crystl-jade]

Thank you for this post :D

I couldn't agree more.

When do watermelons become available? Those are my favorite fruit, and I miss them sooooooooooo!



Crystl-jade
Living off fresh fruit sounds good to me, :)

[ljannise]

Crys, where are you located? I'm in the south USA & they are in season NOW, which is nice because that means the price is down.

[Crystl-jade]

Hi!

I live in the West ~ U.S.A ;)


Crystl-jade

[Gosia]

ljannise, I was a bit similar. That is, before raw, I wasn't eating many fruits at all. Also, when my husband undercook stir-fry, I hated to have to chew the raw bits. I was so resentful about it lol! Luckily, I was not too stubborn to remain where I was forever. What a change. I have come a long way from thinking that fruit was only good for fasting. I look forward to the future journey.

And yes, in case anyone wonders, I do believe that eating lots of sweet fruit is good. I do not believe in the need of "balancing", or any other intelectual arguments. I listen to my body, and if I feel like greens, I will have them, and if I don't, I won't. (I explained my attitude towards intelectualism and science on another thread, started by Rawkinlocs.) As it happens, I feel like having sweet fruit every day. And I have them.

Also, I do believe that there is one diet that is ideal for humans. Like eucalyptus is ideal for koalas, for example. (You don't see some koalas eating eucalyptus, others meat, and others cooked grains. They all eat the same diet.) Nevertheless, we all come from a different experience, and each of us might need to go through their own learning, at a rate and level they can bear. So, in this sense, there are many pathways.

I found this great article today, to which I can relate to so much, here is just a small bit of it:

"Here is another simple experiment, - Take an apple and slice it cleanly in half. Leave the 2 halves for 30 minutes or longer, and then look at them again.. What do you notice? The opened parts of the fruit have become brown and discoloured... Not so appealing any more.. Further, take an apple and grate it finely. How long does it take for the discolourization to begin? You will find that the smaller the segment of fruit, the quicker the sample will turn brown.. Put very simplistically, what is happening here is that the fruit is dieing. Through contact with air, the life force is being drained out of it. In "true" nutritional terms, it is loosing it's value as a food, and will, if left exposed long enough to the air eventually, sooner rather than later, be valueless as a food..

Now in those cold sterile scientific environments where food is dissected for further analyzations, the morsels are of such magnitude, that by the time they reach the microscope they are more than likely well past their use by date.. Such that what is being analyzed bears little resemblance or comparison to the true nutritional content of the food from which it was extracted..

I believe my body to be the best judge of what it may or may not need in terms of nutrition, and it is a ridiculous idea to me that we should follow a pattern in a book, or go to some one else and ask them what the body needs.

The only knowledge that is really needed is that food should be eaten in it's natural unadulterated state. Ripe and ready..

Eat Fruit, Live Long, and Prosper.
Hugs, Mango Wodzak. "


Sincerely,
Gosia.

[Revvell]

I believe my body to be the best judge of what it may or may not need in terms of nutrition, and it is a ridiculous idea to me that we should follow a pattern in a book, or go to some one else and ask them what the body needs.


Hear! Hear! ... or is that Here! Here! Heh!

Revvell

[Crystl-jade]

GOSH! :D

I couldn't have said it better meself.... This is exactly how I feel.

Eating mostly raw fruit is the ideal diet and I was thinking this when I noticed all I crave most is raw fruit...even dates.


Great thread :)


Crystl-jade

[Shivananda]

I believe my body to be the best judge of what it may or may not need in terms of nutrition, and it is a ridiculous idea to me that we should follow a pattern in a book, or go to some one else and ask them what the body needs. Exactly, and the same applies to your adamant theory that an all fruit diet is good for people. For you, perhaps, and for some others, fine. But for everyone?

No, my body says not. In any case, not for me. That much sugar would put me in the hospital.

[Revvell]

The latest from Jinjee:

Wow! I had so many emails back in response to the last emails about orange juice and sugar! A lot of people are shocked about doing that much sugar. And on the other hand several people who had diabetes wrote that they too have improved their condition with a raw diet including fruit. Many of them were amazed. I would like to compile these stories into an article. If anyone has any such experiences of healing in general that they would like to share, please email them to me at info@thegardendiet.com in any length! One type 1 diabetic drastically lowered the amount of insulin she had to take by going completely raw and drinking carrot juice daily. One Mother cut her type 1 diabetic daughter’s insulin doses in half with an 80% raw food diet. A woman who was born into a medical research family reduced her insulin dramatically – down to a pediatric dose - after going raw three weeks ago and is just amazed. A chiropractor wrote that h is wife had bad experiences on a fruity raw diet. One person pointed out that we are all different, which I think is a hugely important point. Some of us seem to need a primarily fruity diet while others gravitate to primarily vegetables.

My belief is that on a 100% raw vegan diet you can eat as much fruit as you want. But if you have any cooked food at all in your system, even 1%, then your internal environment is compromised so that even the fruit sugars cause negative reactions. This is what I found from experimenting on myself. And by a 100% raw vegan diet I mean “The Garden Diet”, which is a diet without dehydrated or fermented raw vegan foods. The nuts should be soaked if the person is not in perfect digestive health. “The Garden Diet” is 90% fresh organic fruits and vegetables. We also include Celtic Sea Salt, Raw unfiltered honey, and cold pressed organic extra virgin olive oil. These condiments are not recommended while in the healing state. If a person is in poor health or is not in terrific digestive health then it is best to eat just whole fruits and vegetables and a milk made of soaked almonds blended with just water and strained through a cheese cloth. If the person has a sugar-related condition it may be better to leave out the fruits for the first one to six months depending on how long it takes their internal environment to become healthy. That’s just my opinion based on the case histories I’ve seen and heard and read about over the last 13 years as well as my own personal experience in overcoming candida.

Revvell

[Shivananda]

One person pointed out that we are all different, which I think is a hugely important point. Some of us seem to need a primarily fruity diet while others gravitate to primarily vegetables. Precisely. There is no single answer which fits everyone.

[Rawkinlocs]

I believe (without being the scientific studies type of gal) that as Gosia pointed out, fruit was/is mankind's original, ideal food with a few tender leafy greens and nuts in moderation.

But over time, we began eating other things, exploring other foods (meat, dairy, grains, cooking foods, etc.) and eventually, our bodies got so screwed up that many of us cannot tolerate eating fruit or raw food (thinking back to my friend who can't eat anything fresh and raw save apples and lettuce, without getting drastically sick to the stomach and throwing up). She even said with her own mouth that her body is SO toxic that she can't eat raw, living foods.

I realize that no, not everyone is going to feel their best eating a lot of fruit and others thrive from eating all or mostly fruit. But aside from the fact that we're all "different" in our respective backgrounds and past/present eating habits, physiologically we are all made up the same way...long intestinal tract, for example...but where we differ is the degree in which we abused or took care of our bodies prior to attempting to go back to eating natural, raw-living foods...our TRUE diet and thus, how our bodies react to those foods will differ and vary.

I've always noted Gosia saying that she doesn't advise anyone who is wanting to eat raw try to start out eating simply...eating high fruit, etc. but that the "transitional" approach is best and then you allow your body to naturally gravitate to that less-is-more approach when it comes to recipes and heavy foods.

No, not everyone WILL eat an all/mostly fruit diet and that's fine...I don't think that was ever the point of this thread...but it was to show that fruit is not an enemy to fear and that some might be scared off from eating fruit based on posts and threads of others' experiences rather than their own experiences.

[Revvell]

The latest from Jinjee:
My belief is that on a 100% raw vegan diet you can eat as much fruit as you want. But if you have any cooked food at all in your system, even 1%, then your internal environment is compromised so that even the fruit sugars cause negative reactions. This is what I found from experimenting on myself.

Coupled the above with what Cherie said, I agree. Most people, depending on their previous food programs, the amount of drugs, alcohol, nicotene, and other abuse, NEED to transition through the use of heavier foods. Most of us who've been raw for awhile have found that, after a time, we don't want or need the "gourmet" foods. They just don't sit well anymore.

Notice, Jinjee (and Alissa) have stated that one's assimilation of fruit is different on 100% raw than 99%. I know, for me, that before raw, I could not drink orange juice 3 days straight w/out a negative reaction. Now I drink it as often as 3-4 times a day ~ once a day at the very least.

Revvell

[Gosia]

Thanks Revvell for the update. There is so much to learn, or un-learn lol! Even after many years of raw. Lucky monkeys, they do not think to much, and just eat what they love.

Gosia.

[Gosia]

Rawkinlocs! Nice to see you again!

Gosia.

[divaitalia]

Thank you for this post Gosia. I love fruit and I am diabetic type 2 but eating fruit hasn't affected me as much as just eating other bad things with it.

For people that follow a Natural Hygiene diet they advocate mostly fruit and they seem to be doing fine. Look at Dr. Graham for one.

Also, I know that everyone has an opinion about this and the fruit thing does not scare me in the least because I know deep down the raw food lifestyle with mostly fruit is the way to go. What does rub me the wrong way though is taking a simple little thread like this and someone coming on and speaking of theories and analyzing it and making it, once again, an argument that will not or can not be won. I wish for once that when we have lovely threads like this one some people would just keep their analytical opinions to themselves.

Enough of the small rant there, sorry!!!!!!! :(

Thanks again,
Divaitalia

[kyrie]

I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone on this board would think it necessary to suspend judgement of the opinions and advice that is being doled out on this board.

Everyone has the right to express their opinion folks, and that is just what it is, an opinion.It cannot break your bones or kill you. There are real problems out there in the world people, beyond what your other fellow posters think, if you don't agree with them, as I am sure you all very well know.

This is why we have free will, people so that you can use your intelligence to decide what is right for you and what is not.

No to blindly follow one another like sheep.

I have great admiration for Alissa and the work she does, and I have been following her website for over 4 years, longer than most people posting here.

Unfortunately, because of the attitude expressed by some that we are to leave our thinking abilities at the door when we post, I find it impossible to post very often.

I am an analytical person, that is how my brain works. I studied Pure Maths, Physics and Chemistry in high school, and I don't think science and the raw food diet are in any way incompatible.

Indeed if raw foodists hope to move from a fringe movement to being accepted by mainstream society, raw food theory will have to be able to stand up to scientific critique and analysis.

Anything less does the raw food lifestyle a disservice.

Why should we accept a lesser standard of evidence for raw food than what would be accepted by the medical community?

I just cannot meekly believe the things I see on this board at times, and I don't do blind faith, so yes I want proof.

I believe raw works, because I've actually invested the time and raw cash to try it out for myself, but I will never leave my brains behind me just to go raw.

Carla.

[faith4u]

Thanks Gosia, I am so glad that you shared that.

I feel so much better after switching to a high fruit diet that is low in fat compared to a higher fat raw diet.

It is amazing how all of your cravings disappear.

[divaitalia]

Kyrie,

Thank you for your reply on being too analytical. I too am a person that will sometimes over analyze everything. I was just stating that sometimes it would be nice to just read a post as is with out all the scientific analyzing being done. No offense to anyone, just hoping that on some of these posts we could just be a little less opinionated when someone is happy to discover that fruit has done them wonders.

Have a great day,
Toni (Divaitalia) ;)

[Gosia]

kyrie, if you are adressing me, I am not suggesting leaving the brains behind at all. On the contrary, I am emphasizing the need for highly analytical judgment and thorough analysis. And, instead on relying on the claims by Cousens (MD) who has openly said in a message once posted on his website that eating lots of sweet fruit is "dangerous" (to everyone), I rely on research by Dr O'Reilly (PhD,MSc,BEd), who after about 40 years of highly analytical research came to a conclusion that raw food is the only suitable food for humans and that sweet fruit is the ideal food.

Also, I am a high supporter of any research that highlights the positive effect of eating raw foods on one's health, and have quoted many references in the past. Nevertheless, I would not rely on the existing literature in my decisions as far as what to eat. My body, not the mind, is my guide. Naturally.

Cheers,
Gosia.

PS I have nothing against anyone expressing their personal opinions either. I support expression of opinions which is free of personal attacks, or labelling others. Surely, it is not too hard to say what one wants to say in a polite manner?

[PhoeniX]

I had never realised there was a debate on fruit or not to fruit! I have only been raw a few weeks, but I have naturally moved to eating a lot of fruit. I have a green drink in the day, but at this point that is pretty much the entirety of my veggie intake. I am really enjoying it so far. I presume my tastes may change, but for me to start with all veggies would have been impossible. Actually, even now, if I had to move to all veggies i would probably walk down and get a burger and fries instead, but I am more than happy with my fruity meals!