Only eat fruits, nuts, vegetables, and water?

[kf9211]

Is it possible/healthy to have a diet which exists of only fruits, nuts, vegetables, and water? Would you be missing any nutrients?

I asked this same question on Yahoo Answers, and 3 people responded with "no", but there answers were so illogical, and didn't at all explain why it was a bad idea. So I was wondering if someone here would be willing to explain any problems with it, or if there aren't any major problems, confirm that it is a good diet.

BTW I should also define what I mean by diet, since some of the people on Yahoo Answers also didn't get what I meant by the word.

By diet I mean what I eat on a regular bases, as apposed to a method of loosing weight.

I do hope to lose some weight, but that's not my primary reason for doing this.

Also I'm aware of the diarrhea problems that could occur, but I mainly want to know if there's any problems with it as far as nutrients go. In other words would I be missing any nutrients in my diet if I did this? What would they be?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Boreas]

You would be missing Vitamin B12. If you don't get enough B12 you will become weak and anemic, and eventually might have some neurological damage.

That said, some whole grains wouldn't hurt either. Lentils, wheat, and rice, though I wouldn't call them absolutely necessary.

[Calculusaurus]

Humans went 2.5 million years on vegetables, fruits, nuts and water (and fish and meat).

For 99.5%+ of human history, we ate no

*grains
*dairy
*legumes
*refined sugar

Despite what social conditioning and "Big Agriculture" wants us to believe, humans can survive just fine (thrive, actually) without bread, rice, beans, milk, and cheese. Even foods like brown rice are nutritionally pointless when compared to nonstarchy vegetables. And you'll be better off without the gluten, phytates, and lectins found in grains.

In terms of going without fish or meat? I dunno. From an evolutionary standpoint I don't think it would be advisable, but it's your call, I guess.

[kf9211]

Ok so supposing that I wanted to do this vegetarian style, and I ate no meat or fish, what foods could I replace to make it healthier, and vegetarianish?

Would soybeans work?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Boreas]

Vegan or vegetarian? Natural B12 only comes from animal products, however, there are many good supplements, and many are added into products like soy milk.

As long as you get b12 somehow, I wouldn't worry about substituting anything for meat...but if it came down to it, then you could eat something like yogurt, cheese, or eggs. Some vegetarians also eat shellfish like muscles, and scallops...depends on where you stand...

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by kf9211

Is it possible/healthy to have a diet which exists of only fruits, nuts, vegetables, and water? Would you be missing any nutrients?

I asked this same question on Yahoo Answers, and 3 people responded with "no", but there answers were so illogical, and didn't at all explain why it was a bad idea. So I was wondering if someone here would be willing to explain any problems with it, or if there aren't any major problems, confirm that it is a good diet.

BTW I should also define what I mean by diet, since some of the people on Yahoo Answers also didn't get what I meant by the word.

By diet I mean what I eat on a regular bases, as apposed to a method of loosing weight.

I do hope to lose some weight, but that's not my primary reason for doing this.

Also I'm aware of the diarrhea problems that could occur, but I mainly want to know if there's any problems with it as far as nutrients go. In other words would I be missing any nutrients in my diet if I did this? What would they be?

Thanks,
Kyle

Billions of humans (and I mean billions) have lived quite healthy lives without becoming weak and anemic Jains and strict Buddhists for much of history as we know it have refrained from eating any animal products.

Free your mind and your ass will follow.

Don't listen to the media sh1te that is funded by agribusinesses.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Some vegetarians also eat shellfish like muscles, and scallops...depends on where you stand...

Er....no!

Vegetarians don't eat seafood. they might call themselves vegetarians, but there not.

That's like saying some pacifists go round looking for fights on friday nights

Vegetarians do not consume animals or their by-products.

Any 'label' that says otherwise, is purely a label without substance.

[liverpool footballer]

I read a few articles that said that vitamin b12 is made by your body and that most vitamin b12 deficiencies are caused because the body isn't able to assimilate or make it due to toxemia.

To prove that point, they point out that the majority of people who suffer from b12 deficiency are meat-eaters rather than vegans/vegetarians

[BalancedExistence]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Billions of humans (and I mean billions) have lived quite healthy lives without becoming weak and anemic Jains and strict Buddhists for much of history as we know it have refrained from eating any animal products.

Free your mind and your ass will follow.

Don't listen to the media sh1te that is funded by agribusinesses.

There is a problem with what you say. It is true that Hindu and Buddhist vegans living in certain parts of India do not suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. However it is erroneous to conclude that plant foods provide them with this vitamin. This is because small insects, their feces, eggs, larvae and/or residue, are left on the plant foods these people consume, due to non-use of pesticides and inefficient cleaning methods.

This is how these people obtain their vitamin B12. This contention is borne out by the fact that when such people migrated to England, they came down with megaloblastic anaemia within a few years. In England, the food supply is cleaner, and insect residues are completely removed from plant foods.

There is no real B12 in plant sources but B12 analogues. These analogues are similar to true B12, but not exactly the same and because of this they are not bioavailable. It should be noted here that these B12 analogues can impair absorption of true vitamin B12 in the body due to competitive absorption, placing vegans and vegetarians who consume lots of soy, algae, and yeast at a greater risk for a deficiency.

Some vegetarian authorities claim that B12 is produced by certain fermenting bacteria in the lower intestines. This may be true, but it is in a form unusable by the body. B12 requires intrinsic factor from the stomach for proper absorption in the ileum. Since the bacterial product does not have intrinsic factor bound to it, it cannot be absorbed

You see, I'm too busy looking deeper into things to worry about where my ass is.


Stephen

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by kf9211

Ok so supposing that I wanted to do this vegetarian style, and I ate no meat or fish, what foods could I replace to make it healthier, and vegetarianish?

Would soybeans work?

Thanks,
Kyle

If you're willing to eat eggs I think they might be the best meat replacement. If I were you I'd also avoid fake meat substitutes like veggie burgers or other non-foods being sold as food. But I dunno, I'm not an "expert" (but who is these days? )... I would just drop the arbitrary decision to remove meat from the diet.

[danas]

like other people in this forum (raw foodists), Ive been eating only fruit and nuts for 3 weeks, and I feel great, more energy, more alert and not at all weak. I take B12 supplement when I remember to...

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by kf9211

Is it possible/healthy to have a diet which exists of only fruits, nuts, vegetables, and water? Would you be missing any nutrients?

Of course it's possible and healthy. Such a diet is called a raw vegan diet and that's exactly what I (and many others) eat. We're feeling wonderful
Some add sprouts too. Or seeds (such as sunflower seeds).
I recommend to eat a lot of greens (these are leafy green vegetables).

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Er....no!

Vegetarians don't eat seafood. they might call themselves vegetarians, but there not.

That's like saying some pacifists go round looking for fights on friday nights

Vegetarians do not consume animals or their by-products.

Any 'label' that says otherwise, is purely a label without substance.

Sorry, sorry, you're right. The gist of what I was saying is that some people who are opposed to animal suffering and brutality make exceptions for shell-fish because in their view shell-fish are not sentient creatures. Thus, they become: pescetarians.

[kf9211]

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

If you're willing to eat eggs I think they might be the best meat replacement. If I were you I'd also avoid fake meat substitutes like veggie burgers or other non-foods being sold as food. But I dunno, I'm not an "expert" (but who is these days? )... I would just drop the arbitrary decision to remove meat from the diet.

Actually my goal isn't so much to be vegetarian, but its more that I want to try to create a raw diet, that follows even stricter guidelines, than the traditional raw diet. What I would eat is nuts, fruit, and vegetables.

Thanks so much everyone for all of your help.
Kyle

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by kf9211

Actually my goal isn't so much to be vegetarian, but its more that I want to try to create a raw diet, that follows even stricter guidelines, than the traditional raw diet. What I would eat is nuts, fruit, and vegetables.

What is your motive for this diet? (just curious)

And isn't nuts, fuit, and vegetables just a raw vegan diet anyway? Or am I missing something?

[kf9211]

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

What is your motive for this diet? (just curious)

And isn't nuts, fuit, and vegetables just a raw vegan diet anyway? Or am I missing something?

Actually I'm not completely sure what my motive is either. However there are some reasons I know of for doing this. Partly I want to do this "just because". Theres something about conquering this as a goal, that I'm very interested in doing. Another reason is I want to grow my self discipline, and when I analyze the weakest area of my life discipline wise it is my diet, so I want to do this to grow my self discipline in other aspects of my life, as well as my diet. Also I want to be healthier. I am overweight, and just not that healthy in general, so I want to improve my overall health. And finally I want to gain mental clarity.

Nuts, fruits, and vegetables are all raw foods. The primary food that I am going to not include that is considered a raw food is seeds. I don't plan to eat any seeds.

Kyle

[kf9211]

Now that I think about it, I think I'm just going to become a raw veganist rather than try to be more specific.

I think this makes much more sense.

Kyle

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by kf9211

Nuts, fruits, and vegetables are all raw foods. The primary food that I am going to not include that is considered a raw food is seeds. I don't plan to eat any seeds.

Hey Kyle,

take care with nuts. They're often not raw, even when you ask and get told they are.

Peanuts are usually not raw. You can find them raw, but you'll have to order them online or ask a wholefood shop to order them for you. Those you can buy in the city are not raw. Peanut butter is never raw.

Cashews are never raw, as they need to be heated to eliminate the shell.

Almonds are very often pasteurized, even when they're labeled raw!

And so on. Nuts is a tricky thing. You'll have no problem finding raw seeds, though. There are raw funflower seeds everywhere. Haha, I mean sunflower

[StellaBlue]

I met a woman who did a studied on vitamin b-12 deficiencies in raw vegans (not a super-scientific one, just a study among the many raw vegans that she knows) and she found the only ones who were suffering were the same ones who meticulously washed their produce before eating it. The ones who ate fresh, organic produce and did not concentrate on scrubbing them clean were okay. This agrees with what BalancedExistence says.

I make a point of eating food directly out of my garden and just wiping it off or gently rinsing it. If I have organic food, I just do a good rinse, and I only wash the non-organic (which probably doesn't matter anyways because the chemicals are absorbed in the food).

My diet is basically what you want to do, and I am quite healthy

[sbdiane]

Why the need for such straight lines in the sand? Why say I'll only eat this or that? I think it's a great idea to eat nuts, fruits and vegetables as a primary diet. I also think it's good to be flexible and eat a little something else once in a while.

On the less-than-clean food thing in India. I was there not long ago and a vendor was selling some kind of little confections and the whole table of them was covered in wasps. I could not imagine anyone wanting to eat something that had so many wasps crawling all over it. It must have been something that people enjoy over there, though.

[Fullcrum]

India and Pakistan are notorious for their love of heavy-milk based desserts.

I would know, half my family is Pakistani. And I've been to Pakistan, twice, and have seen many such vendors. You saw some sweet muttai (sweet dish). Wasps love sugar.

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

Peanuts are usually not raw. You can find them raw, but you'll have to order them online or ask a wholefood shop to order them for you. Those you can buy in the city are not raw. Peanut butter is never raw.

Peanuts are legumes.

Do raw foodists eat legumes? If they're sprouted, or something?

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

Peanuts are legumes.

ok, it makes no difference. My point still is: if you want to eat them, be careful, they're often not raw.

Do raw foodists eat legumes? If they're sprouted, or something?

There are many ways to eat raw, not just one raw diet. Just like there are many ways to eat cooked food. Not all people who eat cooked food eat the same. And not all people who eat raw food eat the same. Some eat sprouted legumes, other don't, some eat animal products, others don't, and so on.

[kf9211]

What about diarrhea? How bad is it? Will it ever stop, where I'm going to the bathroom normally?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Rose of Cairo]

Diarrhea? Do you have diarrhea? Or have you read you get it when you go raw?

I don't know, I never got diarrhea on a raw diet.

What do you call going to the bathroom normally?

[kf9211]

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

Diarrhea? Do you have diarrhea? Or have you read you get it when you go raw?

I don't know, I never got diarrhea on a raw diet.

What do you call going to the bathroom normally?

I have heard that you get diarrhea easier when you start going raw.

By going to the bathroom normally I mean not having any diarrhea problems, and going the same amount as you would normally.

Thanks,
Kyle

[StellaBlue]

Originally Posted by kf9211

I have heard that you get diarrhea easier when you start going raw.

By going to the bathroom normally I mean not having any diarrhea problems, and going the same amount as you would normally.

Thanks,
Kyle

Are talking about detoxing? When you first start eating raw your body will adjust and start cleaning out all the old gunk. Your body is always trying to detox, but providing it with an optimal diet makes it easier to do so. It is a good thing. The initial detox will pass after awhile. It depends on what all your body is needing to clean out...

[Fullcrum]

Keep in mind when you read this post that I'm 16, a growing teenage male. Make of that what you will.

If I go several days eating mostly cooked food, I'll likely have one very nasty bowel movement. Sometimes if I eat heavily (not lots of food but mostly heavy food), I might not have one at all that day until the following morning.

If I go several days eating mostly raw food, I'll have two bowel movements a day, without fail. They come out much easier, what I would consider comfortable and "normal", and do not smell much. Very weird. I always thought poop was this like noxiously bad smelling thing, but it's not as repulsive to scent when you eat mostly raw plant foods. And, it's green.

Well, you wanted to know.

Result - Do not worry about diarrhea on the raw food diet. The high amounts of fiber will likely put to rest any fears you have over diarrhea.

[Brazilian83]

I don't think this would be healthy.

This is the old vegetarian x omnivore dilemma.

Personally I believe we got big teeth for a reason.

Sure we are evolving and maybe in the future we will all have big heads and small bodies and no teeth, but that is far away. Until then, eat you meat dude.

[Joeschmoe]

Originally Posted by Brazilian83

I don't think this would be healthy.

This is the old vegetarian x omnivore dilemma.

Personally I believe we got big teeth for a reason.

Sure we are evolving and maybe in the future we will all have big heads and small bodies and no teeth, but that is far away. Until then, eat you meat dude.

You don't have to think it would be healthy. Its healthy whether or not you believe it. That's why we have science, so we don't have to rely on belief.

Ps- Our teeth aren't as big are you think they are. If you want to post a video of you using your big teeth to break bones, tear raw flesh, and break a live animal's neck, then we'll talk.