Chewing Guide to Raw Food Success

How do some manage to stick with the raw lifestyle for the long-term? And why do others revert, even after initial considerable success? Just eating raw, I believe, is not quite enough to achieve optimal health. How you eat is equally important.

The Chewing Idea Comes to America

Horace Fletcher (1849—1919), known by the nickname—“the Great Masticator” taught and religiously practiced chewing food until it “became liquid and swallowed itself.” According to Fletcher, following this practice would not only increase “the amount of strength a person could have,” but also considerably “decrease the amount of food that he consumed.” Read the rest of this entry »

These days in the raw food community the theory has been touted that staying on the “whole food diet”—for example, 80% raw—will let them achieve the same results as a 100% raw food diet, though over a much longer period of time.

Here’s the idea in a nutshell: Read the rest of this entry »

What is dry fasting?

It’s as simple as the wet-dry distinction. Wet fasting: Drink water, but take no food. Dry fasting: a total abstinence from both food and water for a defined time.

There is one more level of dry fasting called Absolute Dry Fasting. Some suggest to reach the deepest level and realize the full benefits of dry fasting, it’s better not to let any water come in contact with the body through the skin or mucous membranes. You heard that right: no showers, no swimming, no brushing teeth while dry fasting. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been vegetarian since 1995 and 100 percent raw since 1997. I have tried many practices in my health journey, enjoyed many successes along the way, tripped over a few failures, and achieved some remarkable results. But if you ask me what has been the single most beneficial constant throughout my health journey, there’d be exactly one answer: juicing. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s widely believed that raw food doesn’t give enough energy. So how much energy do raw foods provide? Food energy is usually expressed in food calories. So, how many calories are in “unprocessed raw foods” such as bananas, carrots, soaked almonds, pistachios, and the like? Read the rest of this entry »

Insulin-Like Growth Factor and Aging

Many bodybuilding websites advise you to combine two hormones—IGF-1 and HGH—in supplement formulas. It’s the kind of advice a fair number of bodybuilders seem to go for—anything to give them the extra edge.

But is that a good idea? Let’s look at what these hormones are. Throughout life, HGH (human growth hormone) comes from the pituitary gland, whence it’s whisked throughout the entire body. The amount of HGH released declines with age. IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor) is produced in the liver and works with HGH in an important way. In effect, HGH stimulates the need for growth, stimulating anabolic activity throughout the body, and IGF-1 carries out the growth—especially muscle growth. Indeed, both HGH and IGF-1 prove essential to muscle growth—the bodybuilder’s goal.

But there’s a catch. Lots of scientific data indicate that high levels of HGH and IGF-1 will decidedly age you.

Lower levels of IGF-1 protect against aging and certain types of cancer. When IGF-1 levels are low, new cell production slows allowing the body to concentrate on repairing existing cells. When IGF-1 levels are high, this signals the body to enter a ‘go, go, go’ mode, causing cells to grow and age too fast to be repaired. The result: accelerated aging. Read the rest of this entry »

One reader unsubscribed from my newsletter and provided the following comment:

Raw food is very bad for people with a ‘damp’ condition in Chinese medicine and I don’t think it should be promoted across the board as if it is good for everyone. My stomach likes warm food, I have learned, so I have been eating the worst food possible—that is, raw!—for my condition.   Read the rest of this entry »

We’re all addicted to culture and its prescriptions. Media bombards us with messages saying not only is it okay to indulge in nighttime eating, but it’s a good thing. In my book, Quantum Eating, using scientific research and personal experience I’m building a case that stopping eating in the late afternoon is the best thing you can do to improve your health and appearance. Many people have asked me “how” to stop eating at night. Let me suggest a way that’s worked well for me.

Recovery By Increment

There are two great things about incremental change. One is that you don’t have to fix everything at once. The second is that incremental recovery from nighttime eating is a tool you can apply wherever you are in your health journey. Perhaps you’re already raw vegan and this is a late step for you. Maybe you’re going vegetarian, or even just seeking weight loss. Wherever you are, Recovery by Increment can help. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently attended the 2011 Calorie Restriction Society Conference in Las Vegas and had occasion to discuss with Dr. Luigi Fontana (MD, Ph.D, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, Center of Human Nutrition, at Washington University) some exciting studies he has been involved in. Read the rest of this entry »