This is an updated combination of one old post, with parts of other old
posts. It is not the long critique of ethical veganism that I have mentioned
in other posts on the raw-food list (that effort is deferred until sufficient
time is available to synthesize the lengthy notes already done on that subject.)
The original material (now heavily modified) dates from June 1995. Some new
material has been added, as well.

This post took some effort to re-work the material and make it accessible to
those who have not seen the original question post, and/or other related
posts. I hope it reads OK...

Tom Billings
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*****BEGIN UPDATE POST*****


ON RAW FOODS/FRUITARIANISM AND ETHICAL VEGANISM

This article deals first with common ethical vegan misconceptions of raw foods,
particularly fruitarianism, after which certain aspects of ethical veganism are
analyzed from the viewpoint of a raw-fooder. The catalyst for this is a set
of questions/comments made by a conventional, cooked-food ethical vegan, who
was considering becoming a fruitarian as the "next step" in diet. The material
here is an update and synthesis of material from three separate posts to
veg-raw, an e-mail list for raw-fooders. I hope you find this interesting,
perhaps even challenging.

Prelude. Conventional ethical vegan, code name HX, notes that eating vegetables
seems to be 'violent' as it requires killing innocent vegetables. HX thinks
that eating fruit does not involve killing, hence is preferable. Thus HX thinks
that fruitarianism is the ultimate diet.

Definitions. Before discussing HX's questions, it is appropriate to briefly
discuss what we mean by fruitarian.  Fruitarianism is a diet that consists
predominantly of raw fruit; for a standard, will use a minimum of 75% fruit to
qualify. The remainder of the diet will be assumed to be raw vegetarian foods.
The term fruit may be interpreted in its broad, botanical definition, so it
includes all seeds including grains, as well as a number of "vegetables" that
are really fruits - cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. However, most fruitarians use
the term fruit in its more narrow, common sense, i.e.  produced on a tree, vine,
or bush. Most, but not all, fruitarians include the "vegetable" fruits (e.g.,
cucumbers, green/hot peppers, etc.) in their diet. For purposes of this article,
we will limit discussion to the latter usage, which means (such) fruitarians do
not consume (sprouted) grain.

Further, by questioning consumption of vegetables, HX appears to be considering
fruitarianism in its most extreme form - 100% fruit, no veggies, and presumably
no seeds either, as they are life forms as well. HX is also ruling out Natural
Hygiene, which allows seeds, nuts, and veggies.

Now we come to HX's first question: was avoiding killing vegetables part of
your motivation to become a fruitarian?

A: No. I was a fruitarian for several years in the 1970's. Although some of my
motives for becoming a fruitarian were spritual - to become "purer", "eat
spiritually higher food", I was not motivated by any desire to save the lives of
vegetables, the consumption of which I regard as moral in every respect. I was
looking for personal physical and spiritual enhancement, not to save the lives
of celery plants, lettuce, turnips, carrots, or other vegetables. A major, but
negative motive at the time was the fear of mucus - a concept foolishly promoted
by some in the raw foods movement.

Since those days of dietary innocence, I have learned that modern fruit is not
a "higher food" - it is hybridized, grafted, sprayed, fumigated, picked unripe
and shipped long distances under refrigeration, and other processing. If one
uses an intellectually honest definition of natural, then the most natural
fruit is wild fruit - which is often small, fibrous, sour - dramatically unlike
the large, sweet, grafted hybridized fruit one finds in the supermarket. (See
my article, "Wild/Natural vs. Modern, Cultivated Fruit - A Summary Comparison"
for details.) Returning to modern fruit production, it is obvious that the
processing and manipulation of modern fruit devitalizes it, and the result
is a weak, not-so-natural food that has un-naturally high levels of sugar.
That is why humble, organic sprouts are preferable to fruit in many ways (but
of course they don't taste as good).

There are two major points here. The first is that modern fruit is neither
"cruelty-free" nor "karma free", due to the substantial processing and
environmental damage that accrues from its cultivation. The second is that
fruitarianism is not as natural a diet as some claim it is, due to the big
differences in wild/natural vs cultivated fruit.

Returning more pointedly to HX's question, what one wants is a diet that is
practical and minimizes cruelty. For most, this is a mixed raw diet: fruits +
veggies + grains/seeds. For most people, fruitarianism is not practical, and
100% fruit is very difficult, even risky: many try 100% fruit, but very few
succeed in the long-term. If one does not consider practicality, only minimizing
cruelty, then fruitarianism is not the ultimate diet; breatharianism (the "air
diet") is. But breatharianism is nearly impossible, although one can do yoga
breathing exercises - pranayama - daily and reduce total food consumption.

Q: HX asks for a nutritional justification of fruitarianism.

A: As for nutritional justification, you won't find it - pure fruitarianism
does not conform to the concepts of Western nutrition. Fruitarian diets, like
other vegan diets, are deficient in vitamin B-12, and low in the other B
vitamins, also vitamin D. Fruitarian diets are very low in zinc; the "light" or
"euphoric" mental feelings some fruitarians experience may actually be a symptom
of zinc deficiency! Also, it is difficult to get enough calcium on a 100% fruit
diet. This is why it is very important for fruitarians to include a mineral
source - vegetables of some kind - in their diet. However, HX thinks killing
vegetables is cruel, and is considering excluding them from his diet.

The ultimate test of any diet is utility: does it really work for you? That is
the final test one can apply here. Although a (very) few people report that
fruitarianism works for them, many others find that it does not work for them,
long-term. Raw foods diets in general are difficult, and the more limited the
diet, the greater the degree of difficulty.

Q: HX asks why should one eat a raw foods diet?

A: There are many answers to that question. The best answer is to actually try
a raw foods diet and experience the benefits firsthand. A short list of reasons:
improved health (physical, mental, emotional); many foods are easier to digest
when raw - full of enzymes and higher in vitamins; meals are easy and simple
when you just wash and serve; raw foods are alive and contain the lifeforce,
while cooked foods are dead; as part of a program for healing from serious
illness; and many other reasons.

Q: HX asks for ethical reasons that support following a raw diet.

A: The entire argument for ethical veganism can be summarized as - vegan diets
are best because they are more efficient, where efficient here specifically
means less resources used, less cruelty. However, most raw foods diets are more
efficient than cooked foods diets! This you can prove directly - compare the
amount of wheat you might eat when baked into chocolate chip cookies, versus
plain, sprouted wheat. Compare broccoli cooked with salt and sauces with raw
broccoli. You will generally eat a lower quantity of foods on a raw food diet.
(Exceptions: if one is a glutton on raw foods, if one falls prey to sugar
addiction, or if one consumes a lot of juices which are inefficient.)

Hence it follows that raw foods diets use less resources and are less cruel
(less food used => less wildlife habitat lost to farming) than a cooked vegan
diet. So the "most ethical" vegan diet is a raw food diet! It's unfortunate that
ethical vegans are generally unaware of this, as it leaves them open to the
charge of hypocrisy (as they aren't fully practicing what they preach), and they
also miss out on the potential benefits of raw foods diets.

It should be noted that raw foods diets are not for everyone; in particular
fruitarianism is problematic, difficult, and not recommended (by me). However,
given the ethic of efficiency, ethical vegans should at least try a raw foods
diet and see if it works for them. If 100% raw is too difficult, perhaps 50-80%
raw will work. To have the "most ethical" vegan diet, one wants to maximize the
% of raw foods in the diet. Finally, in finding the "most ethical" diet for
yourself, don't let dogma override your common sense. Find the mixture of raw/
cooked that works best for you, that supports your good health.

Tom Billings