good luck with that...you loon

Twenty two years ago I decided that I wanted to be a vegetarian.  I was eighteen and didn't know any vegetarians but I just knew that I wanted to be one because eating animals just didn't make sense to me.  I realised that I was only eating meat because that's what I had been taught, what I was used to, what was socially acceptable, convenient even.  My decision was met with mockery, judgement, pity, bewilderment and questions and that lasted exactly twenty two years.  Whatever.

So embarking on a new eating adventure, I was ready for the same things and while social eating habits have become a lot more diverse in the last twenty two years, it seems fruitarians haven't yet received their invite to the culinary party. 

Just to clarify, I am not a fruitarian or raw fruit vegan, I am only eating two thirds of my diet as raw fruit, the rest is very simple fare and usually cooked/blanched.  You can't be almost raw vegan, you either are or you are not.  I am eating vegan meals but I am not a vegan.  I am a vegetarian.  Feel free to ask me the difference, I'll be happy to answer.

Ok, so the idea of eating up to ten bananas in one meal sounds insane, right?  Until you try it.  People have said to me, "I could maybe eat three or four but I'd feel sick if I had more".  Yeah, I kind of felt the same but I can assure you, I feel fantastic after my meals.  I go to bed with a happy stomach, I wake up with a happy stomach, I'm hydrated, my skin looks amazing and I have lost 3kg/7lbs in only a week.
Not convinced?  How about, I can eat as many calories as I like, in fact, to succeed with this way of eating, you must eat no less than about 3000 calories a day.  This lifestyle, although it appears restrictive, is actually about abundance. 

I was struggling with getting my head around this lifestyle but then I realised that it was the same as when I became a vegetarian.  I was eating the way I was conditioned to.  I was living to eat, not eating to live.
Do I sound brainwashed?  I'm not, I've just had that little lightbulb go off and now I see things a bit differently.  Don't get me wrong, there will be chocolate cake and Mexican food in my future but those indulgences will be exceptions rather than the norm.  I love food, I love cooking but I have to move away from letting food rule every day of my life.  I have to adjust my entire way of thinking and just view food as fuel.  I need to remove my emotional attachment to it.  Easier said than done but I feel like I'm finally on the path that will get me there.  The idea of living the rest of my life with no guilt or restriction with what I'm eating sounds too good to be true but I'm living that reality right now and I love it.  Before you judge it, why not try it for a week or a month, what have you got to lose?

My average daily diet consists of around 10-15 bananas, loads of kiwi fruit, mangoes, dates, berries, broccoli, tahini, mashed sweet potato (with some avocado instead of butter or milk).  For a treat, I've had a banana or two with organic tahini or peanut butter (organic, made with only peanuts).  I've had a piece of toast with Vegemite and I've had steamed rice with a little sesame oil and tamari.  One night I felt like ice cream, so I put some frozen bananas in the food processor with a little water.  Bingo!  Banana ice cream.  Am I sick of bananas?  Nope.  When I blend them up with 750ml of water (3 cups), they turn into a delicious thick shake.  Add some dates and it's hard to believe that it's good for you.

To learn more about the 80 10 10 Diet, you can find a wealth of information online or you can buy the book or check out 30 Bananas A Day or Megan's website. If you have any questions, feel free to email me, the link is in the Contact section above.