Q: Is there a legitimate place for any animal foods at all in the human
dietary--eggs, milk, honey, bee pollen?

A: Well, here's the test. What foods are we naturally attracted to? Out in
Nature foraging, what do we desire to eat? Bugs? People are averse to
eating bugs intuitively and have to actually force themselves to do it.
Eggs? Raw eggs taste horrible and why eat them anyway?! Bee pollen? Try and
get the bee pollen naturally and see what happens! My answer to the animal
food issue is that when you try to eat them naturally, you realize how
ridiculous the whole thing is.

Q: Are sea vegetables important in the human diet?

A: Some long-time raw-foodists include sea vegetables in their diet for
their supposedly high-mineral content. And that is great if they feel
comfortable doing that. I've eaten sea lettuce naturally in the ocean and
it doesn't taste like anything except salt. I personally don't think sea
vegetables are important and I rarely eat them.

Q: How much importance do you place on organically grown vs commercially
grown foods? Hybrids vs open pollinated?

A: The best foods for you are wild foods. Next best would be homegrown.
Organic is great if it has good taste (minerals). Commercially grown raw
fruits and vegetables are better than the most organic cooked foods.
Hybridized sweet fruits may pose a problem for some people and if they
do--don't eat them! I would like to add that the hybridization of natural
foods and the fundamental tampering with humanity's food supply does not in
any way make humanity not a biological frugivore! Our biological design is
still the same.

Q: I'm sure you're aware of the instinctive nutrition philosophy of
Guy-Claude Burger and his followers. Do you use this approach--one food at
a time selected instinctively by taste and smell until a taste change
occurs--in collecting and eating your wild foods?

A: The "taste-change" phenomena definitely occurs when one consumes only
one type of food at a time. However, I disagree with the philosophy that
the foods which give the strongest taste-change are the most natural or
wild foods--which I've read in one book. For example, I've found that
pineapple gives the strongest taste change of any fruit and it is a hybrid.

Q: And how many hours a day do you spend eating and looking for food? Do
you always "eat out," as it were, or do you bring everything home with you
and eat it there?

A: I've toyed with the idea of foraging for wild food and then bringing it
home and making a salad with it, but I hardly ever do it. I just eat when
I'm out hiking!

Q: How important is diet to health?

A: Very, very important--the most important element of health is diet. Food
isn't everything, but it is the foundation upon which everything else is
built. Everything that you are right now was once the food that went into
your mouth. Other important factors in health are positive thoughts &
associations, sunshine on the skin, empowering relationships, exercise in
Nature, clean air, unpolluted water, etc.

Q: This sounds a lot like the natural hygiene philosophy. Do you consider
yourself a natural hygienist? Do you have any significant philosophical
differences with natural hygiene?

A: I did not come to raw-foods through natural hygiene. I agree with
natural hygiene's holistic approach to health. On the food issue, I don't
agree with natural hygiene's shaky stance for cooked food and their stance
against hot peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs. I believe we need to send
hot food through our digestive system to clean it out of parasites every so
often. And anyone who has a severe parasite problem (and most people
do)--as my partner R.C. Dini had initially--will find onions and garlic
invaluable in clearing up that problem.

Those who try to eat wild foods will realize how essential herbs are to our
health, especially local indigenous herbs.

Natural hygiene is often a bit less than natural for my taste. but I do
totally support what natural hygiene stands for!

Q: When you say you eat occasional nuts and seeds, what quantities roughly
are we talking about? Can you categorize your typical consumption in terms
of percentages of fruits, veggies, and nuts/seeds by caloric intake? Do you
eat sprouts? How do you determine how much of each category to eat, or do
you feel it doesn't matter that much?

A: Over a year's average, my diet consists roughly of 80% fruit, 5%
nuts/seeds, 15% vegetables. Occasionally I'll eat alfalfa clover, or
dandelion sprouts, but very rarely.

I don't really think about what category to eat; I don't think it really
matters, just trust your common sense and instinct.

Q: Have these percentages evolved over time?

A: I eat more wild vegetables (green-leafy foods) now. The first year I
went raw I rarely if ever ate nuts/seeds, but I have eaten more since then.

Q: Are you satisfied with your current raw food diet or are there changes
you would like to make? (If not satisfied, why?)

A: I am moving in the direction of eating less food. I want to reach a
point of fasting two days a week and then to eating only every other day
and then to eating almost nothing at all.

In our catalog we now distribute a great book entitled Prana & Immortality
by the stunningly beautiful Jasmuheen of Australia, the world's premier
breatharian! I've been in regular contact with her and she is quite a
phenomenon. She has inspired me to eat less and less!

Q: What kind of exercise do you do and how much? What do you feel is
appropriate?

A: My exercise consists mostly of hiking in canyons with my dogs for one to
two hours a day. I have a saying: "Walking heals all wounds." I surf in the
spring and summer time. I lift weights and rocks occasionally, as well.

Q: A skeptic might say, "Walking wounds all heels." What do you feel is an
appropriate amount of sun exposure?

A: The more you can get out into the sun nude everyday, the better! Our
thinly-haired, naked bodies, with a mass of capillaries close to the skin
indicates we are designed for a life of "Fun in the Sun!" You never feel
better than when you have a deep, dark tan (and no tan line!)!

Q: A common problem for people switching to a raw food diet is periodic
strong cravings for cooked foods. Did you have any problems transitioning
to a raw food diet? If so, how did you deal with them? What advice do you
offer to others?

A: Anything cooked is a dead, lifeless substance. No cooked food is benign.
Transitioning to The Raw-Food Diet is easy once you are committed. When you
go raw, you stop polluting--zero pollution! When people really begin to
focus and understand the effects of cooked foods on the Earth and their
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life, they will begin to
naturally avoid them--that is what happened to me. I think it is great to
narrow down the types of cooked foods you will eat as a first step. Get
down to three, then one, then none. Find raw plants foods which replace
your cravings for cooked foods. The real keys are FAITH and COMMITMENT. I
have an entire audio tape entitled: "100% Raw Diet--How To Do It"
containing over 30 strategies which I believe everyone on the "cusp" should
listen to!

As Captain Wheatgrass wrote into our book: 'You crave what is in your
bloodstream." As long as those cooked food residues are in your blood,
you'll crave that food. Once they are gone, the desire for cooked food
completely disappears.

Q: Some people develop problems over time on raw vegan diets that cause
them either to switch back to some cooked food or add raw animal foods to
their diets--problems like loss of strength, slower recovery from wounds or
heavy exercise, loss of libido, digestive problems, even hypoglycemia and
pernicious anemia. When they switch eating some cooked foods, dairy and/or
meat, these problems vanish. What do you think is going on here?

A: 1. Loss of strength is typically a symptom of detoxification. Once one
starts eating all raw, the blood pools in the internal organs to heal
damage caused by years of unnatural nutrition. This may cause muscular
strength to decrease. Time, a consistent raw diet, and consistent exercise
will eradicate the problem.

You can build incredible strength on a raw-diet as my partner Stephen Arlin
has demonstrated.

2. Slow recovery from wounds or heavy exercise-May be caused by periods of
detoxification or by too much sweet, hybridized fruit in the diet and/or a
lack of minerals. I have never actually worked with anyone with this type
of problem. My own and my partners' experiences have shown us that getting
sore muscles and healing slowly are the direct products of eating cooked
foods.

3. Loss of libido--This may be a good thing!! It is part of the healing
process. Sexual fluids are highly charged--too many secretions of sexual
fluids can enervated the body. Time, a consistent raw-diet, and the beauty
that both of these bring about in your body will eventually arouse the
opposite sex and ignite your own libido once again.

4. Digestive problems--May be caused by too much mixing of raw foods or by
a corruption in the digestive tract due to fecal impactions. For this
problem I recommend a series of colonics (5 to 10) to clear out the colon
of putrefied waste matter and a mono-diet (one type of food per meal).

5. Hypoglycemia--Typically experienced by those who still eat bread, other
cooked starches, and even refined sugars. This causes a fluctuation in
blood sugar which can never level out properly unless one goes all-raw. I
would recommend a diet heavy in green vegetables and low-sugar fruits, at
least initially, for anyone who has experienced hypoglycemia. I've worked
with several people with severe hypoglycemia causing uncontrollable eating
binges who've been able to normalize on the diet I have described.

6. Pernicious anemia--Caused by too much sweet, hybridized fruit in the
diet over a long period of time. Consistently add bulk and fiber in the
form of green-leafy vegetables to the diet to alleviate this problem. Also,
drinking freshly-made green juices will help.

Once any cooked foods or raw or cooked animal products are eaten
detoxification immediately stops, so one may suddenly feel "better!" In
exactly the same fashion, a cigarette smoker might go without cigarettes
and feel terrible (detoxification) and then suddenly feel "better" after
lighting up!

Q: Have you experienced any of these problems on the 100% raw vegan diet?

A: No, but I have worked with many people who have. If they would have
faith and simply stay the course and follow the Sun, the shadows would fall
behind.

Q: Your organization appears to have grown from nothing to something of
significance in just a brief period of time. Has your book had a
significant impact among SAD eaters? Approximately how many copies have you
sold? Are you pleased with your progress so far? Does the raw food movement
appear to be growing? What trends do see in progress, and what is your
outlook for the next 5-10 years? Are you generally optimistic or
pessimistic?

A: We've been out there promoting The Raw-Food Diet for three years, so it
hasn't been an overnight success! We used to go to fairs and expos and give
out books and information for free. It wasn't until last year, with the
release of our book that we began to reach a mass audience with this
message. Thousands of our books are out there in the world. We sold out of
our first edition in less than six months.

Our book has had significant impact on SAD eaters and we find that SAD
eaters are often more amenable to The Raw-Food Diet than vegans and
vegetarians who may already be confused and overburdened with "health"
information.

The Raw-Food Movement is growing MASSIVELY. In the past 3 years, we have
networked together more world-wide raw-food activists than anyone in
history. The trend we see is that younger, more dedicated people are
getting involved in The Raw-Food Diet. People are tired of confusion and
lies and have discovered (as we did several years ago) that The Raw-Food
Diet is the key which opens the door to get this world back on track!

Q: Do you see yourself as something of a missionary or evangelist for raw
foods?

A: It is my Destiny to bring The Raw-Food Diet to the world. I am an
evangelist for the Earth. I am true to the Earth and my own instincts and
intuition, which have never led me astray. I inspire people to trust their
own inner guidance and believe in their own potential, which is MASSIVE.

Q: Besides your book, what other publicity efforts have you been involved in?

A: We have done national radio, television, public appearances, and special
events. We have the most dynamic raw-foods community in the world here in
San Diego! I invite all to come be a part of the fun! Please call us at
1-800-205-2350 and request a schedule of raw events.

The Internet has also been a big hit for us. Our Internet web-site is:
http://www.io-online.com/~nature.

Q: Tell us a little about your partners. How old are they, and how did you
hook up with them? Have they been 100% raw for a similar amount of time?
Are their eating and exercise habits about the same as yours?

A: My partner R.C. Dini (a.k.a. The Raw Courage Vegetable Man) has been
around the Sun 30 times. He is my cousin and we've known each other all our
lives. He was 290 pounds when I showed him a book on raw foods and he
immediately realized the gravity of the situation. In two years he lost 130
pounds; he is now 160 pounds! He tells people, "I went from 290 pounds to
Playgirl magazine in two years!" He has many recommendations as a weight
loss expert and for more about his personal philosophy and methods, I
recommend people should read his book Raw Courage World.

My other partner, Stephen Arlin (a.k.a. Captain Wheatgrass), has been
around the Sun 28 times. He and I have been friends since age ten and he's
known R.C. since that time too. He's been raw for almost three years. He is
our weight gain expert. He's the world's foremost authority on raw-food
bodybuilding and on building muscle and strength on The Raw-Food Diet. He
has many recommendations as a weight gain expert and for more about his
personal philosophy and methods, I recommend people should read his essay
"Gaining Weight And Strength On The Raw-Food Diet" or watch his workout
video!

Q: Do you and your partners have distinct roles to play in your
organization? How is the partnership and interplay among you working out?
Do you all pretty much see eye-to-eye on all important matters regarding
both health philosophy and business philosophy, or are there some
significant differences? How do you decide what types of publicity avenues
to pursue or merchandize to carry?

A: We all do everything! I do most of the public speaking. The partnership
among us is rawesome. We see eye-to-eye on everything from philosophy to
business and always have.

We generally let the publicity develop itself! Raw Courage does most of our
television bookings. Captain does much of our Internet work & accounting. I
do other forms of publicity. I put together a strategy to get Raw Courage
into Playgirl magazine which worked! He is in the September 1997 issue in
the Real Men Section!!

Q: Earlier you mentioned controversy. Your co-authored book, Nature's First
Law, seems to have created a storm of controversy both in society at large
and in the raw food community as well. Some long-time members of the raw
foods communities have been quite vocal in denouncing your book as being
both over-sensationalized and poorly researched, containing numerous
factual errors. Were you surprised by this reaction? How do you respond to
these critics?

A: In the first paragraph of our book Nature's First Law The Raw-Food Diet
we state. "The truth always has enemies." There are very negative,
self-destructive people out there who see our success as their failure--too
bad for them. Negative, self-destructive people weave a web of failure
which does eventually entrap them.

The vast majority of people in the raw-foods community love our book and
are inspired by our dedication to get this information out to a mass
audience. I leave it to the readers to judge our book's merits. The laws of
Nature are unchanging and thus the insights found in our book are timeless
(and much needed for a troubled world). Most long-time raw-foodists and
raw-food advocates see our book as doing for The Raw-Foods Movement what
John Robbins' book Diet For A New America did for the vegetarian movement.

We advertise our book as creating an unstoppable momentum in every reader.
A woman called me the other day just to tell me that it did create an
unstoppable momentum for her and her family and that she was impressed that
our claim was true!

Q: Some say that the advice in your book is too simplistic, on the order
of, "Just eat raw foods and all your health problems will vanish." Yet it
has been the experience of many people who have tried raw food diet that
health problems have occurred that have caused them to abandon the raw food
path. Why do you think this happens, and how does one avoid falling into
this trap?

A: None of the important truths of life are complex. Everything is simple.
Nutrition is no science and is so basic it is embarrassing. I read a quote
once which said, "Life is simple, death is complex." You don't need any
special degree or secret knowledge to understand how to eat. Eat for the
life-force in food; it's that simple.

Some people try the raw path and come to believe it is too difficult,
socially unworkable, impossible, etc. Often they are confused by negative
people and information. They don't stay the path through a full-body
detoxification. Thus, they go back to cooked foods, they give up!

Included as a fundamental tenet of every religion on the planet and every
major success book ever written is the concept of Faith! No great
accomplishment is possible without Faith! Only Faith (in yourself, Nature,
God, the Creator, etc.) can push you through the lows of detoxification,
the peer pressure, and the addictive cravings. What pushed a Walt Disney to
continue seeking his dream after two bankruptcies? What pushed Evander
Holyfield to knock out Mike Tyson even though every major expert thought he
didn't stand a chance? Faith, only Faith!

My goal is to inspire people to commit to returning to a natural diet, to
begin the process of revitalizing planet Earth. and to face and conquer
their fears. Fear always has been and always will be the great enemy of
human potential. We have a saying: Success leaves clues, so does failure.
Good results speak loudly. I invite anyone to look at my life and see the
success and happiness I enjoy each day. Then they can determine that The
Raw-Food Diet is indeed the correct path.

Just because someone tried raw-foods and couldn't maintain it last week or
ten weeks ago or ten years ago, does not mean they will fail now! We are
here to support and inspire you to reach the next level. As we say in our
book Nature's First Law: The Raw-Food Diet, "A raw-foodist is not something
you become, it is something you already are!"

Q: Many people are attracted to The Raw-Food Diet for spiritual reasons.
What are your thoughts on spiritual ascension and The Raw-Food Diet. Do you
think we can ascend and transform into a higher being?

A: I agree we can ascend and be changed to a higher being by: 1. 100% raw
plant food diet (which I feel automatically causes you to ascend to some
level and definitely changes you into another being). 2. Positive
thinking--rooting out all negative thoughts and emotions by changing
associations, changing informational input, and by taking full
responsibility for our lives instead of attributing events in our lives to
luck (good or bad) or other outside influences. 3. Deep breathing. 4. Being
absolutely true to our own nature. 5. Reconnecting with Nature and wild
animals.

I've noticed in my own life that I have seen things (animals, places,
plants, etc.) that I never could or would have seen before. Like attracts
like is the eternal law and by ascending you attract ascended things
(animals, places, plants, etc.) in harmony with your being at that stage.

Q: What advantages do you feel you have you acquired from the all-raw vegan
diet?

A: Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins' mentor says, "For every disciplined effort in
life, there is a multiple reward." A 100% raw-diet gives me a superior
capacity to perform in everything I do. It has liberated my natural self
and got me on track to achieving all my goals and desires. And it will do
this for everyone who commits to The Raw-Food Diet. Because The Raw-Food
Diet is the natural way of living, it brings everything to pass: health,
happiness, wealth, freedom, love, and success.

Q: Thank you for taking your time to do this interview, David, and here's
wishing you all of the above!

A: Thank you Bob! It's been a pleasure. Best wishes to you, M2M, and to all
the M2M subscribers!

To book a speaking engagement with David Wolfed and/or to receive a free
copy of our Nature's First Law catalog please call 1-800-205-2350.

Best wishes,

--David "Fats Avocado" Wolfe
Nature's First Law
The World's Premier Catalog of Raw-Foods Books, Essays, Videos, and Audio
Tapes

http://www.io-online.com/~nature