Organic vs. Conventional

Many people ask me what the big deal is about organic. There are various issues with conventional produce (non-organic). The first issue people think of is the pesticides on the fruit, and insist you can just wash your fruit/veggies. Unfortunately, washing does not remove the pesticides. The chemicals absorb into the produce and get into your body when you eat them. However, washing does remove some residue from the surface.

Think about it this way. If you took a can of RAID and sprayed your fruit, would you eat it? That is exactly what happens on commercial farms. The only difference is that it is sprayed more than once. Think about what these chemicals are doing to the environment, and our drinking water.

Probably the bigger issue with conventional farming is that these chemicals kill the soil. This is a major problem for us humans who then eat the fruit. Plants absorb their nutrients via their roots, which in turn is used for nutrients for humans. When all the nutrients (good bacteria) do not exist in the soil, the plants are malnourished. Thus, we are malnourished as a result of eating food that is lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, and beneficial bacteria.

As a result of these toxic cocktails being sprayed on the soil, there are some known vitamins and minerals that are missing from conventional produce, such as, B12. There are probably millions of others we feeble minded humans are not even aware of. So what else is destroyed when the soil is destroyed???????

B12 is a very well discussed topic and I leave it to you to do your own research on this. Doug Graham does a great job covering this topic in, "The 80/10/10 Diet".

My advice is to grow some of your own food in your own garden, and buy organic when you can.

I buy as much organic as I can every week.

Where do you get your protein?

Since this is the number one question people ask me about my diet, I figured I would address it here.

Dr. Douglas Graham, the author of, "The 80/10/10 Diet", recommends asking the following questions to individuals who ask, "where do you get your protein?".

1) How much protein do you think you need?
2) How much protein do you think you currently eat?
3) What exactly is the function of protein?
4) Have you ever met anyone with a protein deficiency?

I found it quite interesting to learn that the uses of protein, for the human body, are as follows:
Growth (adults are done growing so their bodies use less protein than children's bodies)
Replacement of damaged, or dead cells
Injury recovery

If you do a little homework you will soon learn that you only need 6% protein (dv) in your diet.

It isn't even necessary to increase this amount when you are an athlete; according to the Institute of Medicine/Food and Nutrition Board.

If bodybuilders supplement more simple carbs (fruits and veggies), their protein needs decrease and their muscle growth/energy increases, as stated by Dr. Doug Graham in, "The 80/10/10 Diet".

You can get all the protein you need by eating plenty of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Also, it is best to keep your daily protein intake at 10% (dv), or less.

High Energy Diet

I have finally found a recipe book worth buying. It is not full of high fat recipes, and spicy, salty unhealthy junk. It is titled, "The High Energy Diet Recipe Guide" by Doug Graham.

I have not tried a single recipe I did not like. The soups in this book are great. There is a great one, which combines mango, and cucumber. It is simply wonderful. There are dozens more wonderful recipes. I highly recommend this book for any serious low fat raw foodist.

I also started reading my copy of the 80/10/10 diet. So far it is the best nutrition book I have ever read.