The purpose of this post is to contrast two different kinds of fruitarianism:
one that is positive and based on love - spiritual fruitarianism, and one that
is negative, based on fear/hate - fruitarianism that is effectively an eating
disorder.  In the following, will use abbreviations:
SF = Spiritual Fruitarian(ism), and
TF = fruitarian(ism) as eating disorder, or Toxic Fruitarian(ism).
This post is based on my experience, and that of others, as a (former)
fruitarian. Everything here should be taken as in my opinion.

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa: an eating disorder, a serious mental illness. Characterized
by self-starvation caused by an intense fear of fat. As fear and hate are
usually found together (people often hate what they fear, and fear what they
hate), anorexia can also be characterized by hatred of fat, including self-
hatred because the anorexic sees the self as being "fat".

Certain types of fruitarianism can be considered an eating disorder, depending
on the motives of the fruitarian. If the fruitarian eats an inadequate diet
(thereby achieving anorexic weight levels = self-starvation), because of extreme
fear of mucus or toxemia, or intense hatred of protein, that suggests it is
a version (or variation on) anorexia nervosa. The motivation of the fruitarian,
and the attitude with which it is practiced, are of great importance, as the
discussion below indicates.

Spiritual Fruitarianism: SF

* can be integrated into an individual's spiritual path
* SF is a physically purifying diet, and can assist spiritual advancement
* SF has spirituality and love as the motivation. This must include love for
  self as well as others.
* SF is a tool, not an end, and is subordinate to spiritual practice and
  physical health needs
* As diet is subordinate, SF will change diet if health problems occur - body
  weight too low, severe fatigue, sugar addiction, diabetes-like symptoms, etc.
* Through practice of mindful eating, the act of eating becomes a meditation on
  love.  (This applies to any veg diet when mindful eating is practiced.)
* Because the SF has love of self, backsliding will not cause guilt complexes,
  and the SF will not engage in the constant lying about eating, that are
  found in eating disorders.
* With love as motivation, social isolation is less of a problem.
* The spiritual practices of the SF impart a peaceful, loving mental attitude -
  a contrast to the airy, apathetic mental feelings experienced by many other
  fruitarians.
* The SF is free of the fear of mucus/toxemia, and the hatred of protein, that
  characterize TF.

An ethical path can be a substitute for a spiritual path. However, any ethical
basis must explicitly include genuine love for self and others. If love is
missing, problems will occur. Also, ethical veganism, because it is an
inconsistent and incomplete philosophy, is not an adequate basis for
fruitarianism. However, ethical veganism can be part of a (larger)  ethical
basis for fruitarianism.

SF can be corrupted or perverted into TF by:
1) ignoring health problems (weight too low), reflecting lack of love for self
2) love is perverted into the hatred of fanaticism
3) the SF gets infected with the fear of mucus/toxemia, and/or the hate of
   protein, that characterize TF

Toxic Fruitarianism: TF

* major motivations are fear of mucus/toxemia, and/or hate of protein
* Fear and hate are toxic emotions, causing "mental toxemia". Fear and hate
  are not a proper basis for a diet!
* Fear and hate override the reasoning of the TF, and can cloud the mind
* Fear and hate encourage the TF to accept anorexic weight levels. Just as the
  conventional anorexic is pleased to lose weight because it represents lost
  fat, the TF accepts severe weight loss as it represents cleansing of mucus,
  toxemia, and/or excess protein.
* With fear and/or hate as motivation, the act of eating carries with it much
  negative energy. Figuratively speaking, if fear/hate motivate your diet, then
  eating becomes an expression of fear/hate; you "eat" fear and hate.
* Symptoms of eating disorders (anorexia and/or bulimia), that are found in TF:
  extremely low body weight, binge eating, backsliding, eating in secret,
  lying about eating, guilt complexes, self-hatred, social isolation, constant
  obsession with food due to constant hunger, severe tooth erosion, give up diet
  due to burnout from hunger and obsession, airy, apathetic mental feelings,
  and so on.

SF vs TF: Different Reactions to Protein

The difference between SF and TF can be well illustrated by considering a
hypothetical situation. Consider an SF and TF, both of whom are on 100% fruit
diets for several months. Both then try to eat protein foods, and experience
digestive difficulty.

The SF will likely react one of two ways:
* Indifference. "That upset my stomach; I think I will stop eating that food".
That is the end of this story - no hate present.
* Self-analysis. "I had no problems eating this food just some months ago.
Other raw fooders have no trouble digesting this food. That suggests my
digestion may be weakened or impaired. I better look into this, and try to
find ways to correct my digestion as soon as possible." Here the SF applies
simple common sense, and does *not* engage in ego/blame/hate.

The (possibly novice) TF reacts with ego and delusion: (reminder: this is all
in my opinion)
"I'm so pure (ego), these digestive problems simply *must* be the fault of the
protein! (incorrect logic) Therefore, protein is toxic! (also incorrect).
Because of this, I despise protein foods!" (hate). So the chain is:
  ego + bad logic => hate
Since a 100% fruit diet is very physically cleansing, the TF may experience
further cleansing at a later time, which will be taken as further proof that
protein is toxic. However, the extra cleansing may be refuse from many years
earlier - not caused by the recent consumption of raw protein foods.

By hating protein, the TF plants the seed of hate in the mind (in figurative
terms).  If the TF then dwells on this hate, say by creating and promoting
elaborate theories or arguments that "prove" that protein is toxic, that
is tantamount, in figurative terms, to watering and fertilizing the seed of
hate in the mind. With such care, the seed of hate grows into a large tree. The
TF may even self-identify with the hate, by claiming that they are "purer" than
those who eat the terrible toxin, protein (as protein is toxic, protein eaters
obviously have not completed detoxification). Such an act of self-identification
suggests that the tree of hate has grown and its roots are at the very core of
the mind and self.

A TF who cultivates a tree of hate is miserable, and their hate will be apparent
in their responses to those who dare challenge their delusions. They are
immune to common sense and logic, for they are blinded by ego and hate. This
obsessive hate can be considered a mental illness, a variation of anorexia
nervosa, with its obsessive fear and hate. To promote the hatred of protein
based on the delusion that it is toxic, is very ironic, for the truth is that
protein is non-toxic, while hatred is highly toxic! In other words, it is the
hatred in the anti-protein argument that is toxic, not protein itself.

The above example uses hatred of protein for comparison; similar examples
could be described using fear of mucus/toxemia instead.

Additional Remarks:

* There is another type of fruitarian - CF or conventional fruitarian. The CF
category consists of those fruitarians who do not fall into the SF or TF
categories; i.e., the majority of fruitarians. This posting compared SF and TF
because the SF is the model fruitarian, with the fewest physical and mental
problems, while the TF has the most problems, particularly mental problems.
The CFs are between the two categories - more eating disorder behaviors than
the SF, but not as mentally unbalanced as the TF.
* The greatest danger in fruitarianism is with a 100% fruit diet. Diets that
include enough veggies/protein, pose far less risk of mental problems, than
the 100% fruit diet. Also, if one backslides enough, one will probably not
develop serious mental problems (other than being dishonest about your diet).
A coventional fruitarian (CF) who goes on a 100% fruit diet without the support
of strong spiritual/ethical guidance, is at high risk of becoming a TF.
* I would encourage all fruitarians to investigate their behavior for symptoms
of eating disorders, and to confront those "demons". It is reasonable to call
eating disorder behavior demons, it is *not* reasonable to call protein a
demon.
* Established spiritual traditions do not recognize fruit as the ultimate diet.
Thus the idea that fruit is ultimate, is new, untested, in spiritual circles.
That suggests that one should sincerely feel a spiritual calling, or divine
guidance, before an SF adopts a 100% fruit diet.
* Convincing the TF to give up their fear/hate is just as hard as convincing
the conventional anorexic to give up their fear of fat - nearly impossible.
The TF self-identifies with their hate/fear, just as the anorexic identifies
with the fear of fat. To challenge their hate/fear is to challenge the very
core of their identity. (We should feel sorry for TFs; however that can be very
difficult if one is subject to frequent attacks by an irrational, hateful TF.)

* The most important point in this post is: never be a TF! You can be an SF, or
you can practice CF (80% fruit/20% other) diet, but avoid the mental poison
of TF like the mental illness it quickly becomes. It is better to have an
"inferior" diet but live a life of love, than to have a "pure" (in the deluded
ego of the TF) diet, and be filled with hate/fear!

This writer has personally experienced, SF, CF, and TF. This writer knows
other fruitarians who were/are SFs, CFs, TFs. I am fortunate in that I have
fully recovered from the mental problems that characterize TF. I encourage
any current TFs who might read this, to face the hate/fear that rule their
lives, and to work to regain their mental health. A life based on love is
better than a life controlled by hate/fear!

Toxic followups (those that contain ego, hate, other negative emotions) to this
post may be ignored. Alternately, they may be reposted with detailed analysis,
particularly if the toxicity they contain serves as an example of TF. Non-toxic
followups are OK. With best wishes to all the positive veg-raw readers...

Tom Billings
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