From: Frederic (mtl-hse-ppp182371.qc.sympatico.ca)
Subject: Mass confusion in the raw food movement
Date: November 16, 2004 at 9:40 am PST
I was reading some interviews that Paul Nison published in his books "Raw Knowledge" where
he interviews raw-foodists. It seems to me that the differences of opinion in the various
schools of thought are so great, we can hardly say they promote the same diet.
The big thing right now is: "Raw-foodists are eating too much fruit." That's why they are
failing. Raw-foodists are addicted to sweet fruit.
Last time I was in Germany I noticed how the situation was very similar there. The big trend
there is to follow what the Americans are doing. So "eat less fruit," and eat "superfoods," etc.
Many Germans followed the radical advice of book author Helmut Wandmaker who
recommended a 100% fruit diet. I've met a few who told me they ate only fruit for 2-3 years.
Now they've doing the opposite: a high-fat, low-fruit diet.
The diet promoted by Doug Graham and the diet promoted by Brian Clement are so radically
different, I don't even think we can consider these two schools of thought to be compatible.
In the Fresh magazine, you've got articles by authors who subscribe to totally different ideas.
But yet, the beginner is supposed to read all of the articles and "make up his mind"?
In the vegan movement, things are totally different. You can invite all of the major vegan
authors to a conference, and they'll be basically promoting the same thing. The person who
attends those events gets a clear picture of the issues involved in the vegan diet and how to
bring it back home.
At a raw-food event, I think people get confused even more. One says, "Don't eat fruit", the
other one says the opposite, and the great majority just simply say, "simply find out what
works for you."
I'm not sure if I'm really making a point here. I guess I wanted to know what 811ers think of
this state of mass confusion in the raw movement, and if you actually consider that Hygiene
and "the raw diet" are two separate concepts.
