Why I Chose a High Fruit vs. a High Fat Raw Food Diet

The biggest debate in the raw food world is whether or not we should be getting the majority of our calories from sweet fruit or from fats like avocados, coconuts, nuts and seeds. When it comes to raw veganism, there simply isn’t enough calories in greens and vegetables.

There is research on both sides in support of high fruit (low fat) and high fat that make sense and are promoted by long term raw foodists with impressive credentials. There is also a lot of information that contradicts claims made by both sides. In fact, those who promote a fruit-based diet make claims that the raw fat diet is a health disaster and vice versa. It’s a confusing issue for anyone who is a veteran raw foodist, let alone a newcomer.

This debate gave me a little anxiety when I began eating a raw diet. I felt that my health was at stake and so I wanted to make sure that I was picking the “right” side. I was faced with having to sift through the conflicting research and make up my own mind and then have the peace of mind that I wasn’t doing something detrimental to my health?

Now I do not have a medical background so I will not assume a position of authority to tell you which side of the debate is correct. I will, however, share how I came to the conclusion of what the right version of the raw food diet was for me. I recommend that you use the same methods to figure it out for yourself.

My Personal Diet Experiments

When I began exploring the raw food diet, I embraced the high-fat diet. (By the way, it’s never called that by raw foodists who eat that way.) I indulged in raw nut butters, oil-based dressings on my salads, flax crackers, cacao (raw chocolate), avocados, coconuts and I snacked on nuts whenever I was hungry. I enjoyed the many nut and seed-based raw gourmet meals from raw restaurants or recipes from the many “un”cookbooks out there. It was filling and satisfying.

This way of eating helped me to transition from a cooked, standard diet to a high raw diet so I can’t knock it completely. It’s a great transition diet! During my initial 100% raw diet trials, I ate high-fat raw vegan and felt great. That feeling didn’t last long, however. I quickly arrived at a point where my digestion felt sluggish, my energy was low and I’d even get indigestion. I wasn’t experiencing the benefits of the raw food diet. I felt like what I was eating was actually not healthy anymore.

So I made the switch to a fruit based diet. After just three days, I had a dramatic increase of energy. My mood was more positive. My digestion was humming along efficiently and my energy levels soared. I slept better and woke up in the morning feeling more rested than I usually do. I also felt that what I was eating was right for my body. I felt healthy.

Right now, I am eating mostly sweet fruit throughout the day along with two bunches of leafy greens (usually in a smoothie). I have a little fat from avocado or nuts and seeds at the end of the day. I try to avoid overt fats until my dinner meal. I feel so much better than I did on high fat raw gourmet.

To support my finding that a fruit-based diet was optimal, I looked to nature for examples.

Observing Nature

I like to use nature as a model. In Victoria Boutenko’s excellent book, Green For Life, she describes in detail the diet of wild chimpanzees as a fruit-based diet rich in greens. I did some of my own research into into primate diets and found that of the four great ape species of which we are very closely related to, all of them eat a fruit-based diet.

Bonobos: Primarily frugivorous (fruit eaters). Supplements with leaves and small amounts of meat from small vertebrates.

Chimpanzees: Mainly vegetarian – raw fruits, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, insects and occasionally hunts for meat.

Gorillas: Herbivore – raw fruit, leaves and shoots. Small amounts of insects.

Orangutans: Raw fruit, shoots, bark, mineral-rich soil, bird eggs, insects, small invertebrates.

In contrast, humans have moved away from the natural great ape diet. Instead, we consume foods that no other primate relative would consume in the wild. Below is a break down of what the typical American eats. I also compare this to what people eat on the two versions of the raw food diet.

Standard American Diet: Grain-based, processed and cooked carbohydrates, significant animal protein and dairy with minimal amounts of fruit and cooked vegetables.

High Fat Raw Diet: Nuts, seeds, avocados, coconuts with some greens and small amounts of fruit and sprouts. Lots of dried foods.

High Fruit Raw Diet: Primarily fruit, leafy greens, vegetables. Small amounts of nuts, seeds and avocados.

It is obvious to me that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is about as far from a natural, primate diet that you can get. Beyond the obvious problems with the amount of processed, cooked and fatty foods in the SAD diet, the fact that cereal grains provide a significant foundation to the diet runs contrary to what we should be eating when compared to primate diets.

When I contrast the ape diets and the SAD diet with the high fat raw food diet, I saw additional inconsistencies. No great ape species are primarily nut and seed eaters. We aren’t designed that way. Besides, the whole raw gourmet lifestyle centers around processed, dried and fatty foods (but they’re the “good kinds” of fat) with sweeteners (like agave nectar) that simply isn’t healthy, let alone consistent with a natural, primate diet.

So that left me with the high fruit, low fat raw diet. When I looked at the menu of the low fat raw vegan and compare it with all four of the great ape diets above, it is familiar and consistent to what I observe in nature.

Thinking And Experimenting For Yourself

I used a bit of logic, observation and experimentation to find the right raw food diet for me. You should use the same methods to choose what’s best for you. Some people seem to do well on the raw gourmet diet and some people (myself included) do not. Some thrive on a low-fat, raw vegan diet while those who under-consume on calories do poorly.

Some people may do better with some cooked food or with different macro-nutrient ratios (ie: 70/15/15 instead of 80/10/10). You just have to do your own research, try out different macro-nutrient ratios for yourself for yourself and see which one makes you feel at your best. You should also followup with blood testing occasionally to ensure that your diet is giving your body what it needs.

What’s your take? Post a comment below and share how you sifted through all of the conflicting information to find the right diet for you. Do you eat a fruit-based raw diet or are you on the raw gourmet plan? Did you try both versions? What worked and what didn’t?

Tags: 80/10/10, 811, 811rv, diet, fat, fruit, Raw Food Diet, Vegan