Hi Alan

> On which basis do you hold this view? There are quite a number of
> pure fruitarians in Germany (often the "patients" of Helmut
> Wandmaker in our group, for one) who not only live but also thrive on this
> diet. Readers letters in our journal undermine this. Leaving aside
> vitamin B12 (a deficiency of which none of the fruitarians reports
> having) what do you feel is missing or low in this diet from the
> point of view of nutrients? I am not a pure fruitarian BTW as I
> can't afford to eat quality fruit each and every day from Orkos
> etc.. I eat fruit only for breakfast and then nothing until around
> 18:00 hrs (when eat eat raw veggies...and wild plants when in
> season..dressed with a quality cold-pressed oil).

I am not willing to discuss fruitarianism in depth, but here is my
opinion:

 -Fruitarianism can work fine, and even very well, for a few months
or, if fruit is of very high quality, a few years.

 -You said you have been eating raw for three years, so I guess you
have been fruitarian for less than two years. Perhaps if you had stuck
to the diet a little longer, deficiencies would have eventually
appeared.

 -The quality of fruit from Orkos is very high: that might have
delayed deficiencies or dental problems.

 -Many fruitarians are emaciated because fruitarianism is
calorie-restricted (unless you eat large amounts of avocados and
dates). You were not, but you said you used to be slightly overweight:
people having a severe weight problem can eat very few calories and
still be obese, but those who are naturally thin become even thinner
when they restrict calories.

 -People having written books on fruitarianism won't tell the truth if
they "cheat" (i.e. don't stick to their diet) because if they say that
their diet doesn't work, no one will buy their books, attend their
lectures or seminars, etc.

 -Even those who don't have any financial interest often don't even
admit to _themselves_ that their diet doesn't work. One possible
reason is their indoctrination (when one has read or heard many times
that fruit is the only natural food for humans and anything else is
toxic, it is hard to start thinking differently). Another possible
reason is that it is hard to admit, after several years believing to
have found the Truth and trying to propagate it, that all these ideas
are worthless for the most part.

 -This list is one of the very few places where people talk freely
about their successes and failures. I have heard of many failures and
very few successes on fruitarianism. Even Forest, who lives under
ideal conditions (climate and fruit quality), eats no more than 70%
fruit and feels the need to supplement with yeast, spirulina, liquid
aminos, and add a "filler".


--Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>