4,000 Fruity Calories & 40,000 Footsteps

I grew up believing that cancer was a part of life, that I would always have intestinal problems, and that running a marathon was reserved for Kenyans who grew up being chased by lions.

However, what I have experienced firsthand over the last two years has blown all of that out of the water.

Photo Credit: Kris Krug

I have embraced a holistic natural health lifestyle. More specifically, I eat a plant-based diet, sleep 7-8 hours a night, exercise 3-4 times a week, and reject the Standard American Diet (SAD) and associated sedentary lifestyle.

It’s All About the Fruity Calories

Two years ago I set a simple goal: to look fantastic, feel fantastic, and actually be fantastically healthy, inside and out.

What I’m talking about is a radical view on health – not radical in that I drink the Koolaid – radical in that a natural health lifestyle flies completely in the face of what most of us think of in terms of health.

I remember just a few years ago when I couldn’t define the word vegan, had never heard of kale, or could even name one person who had completed a marathon.

After reading a dozen books and seeing as many documentaries in a few short months, I discovered that ignorance is the norm. Our educational system (television) is filled with the marketing and promotion of sodas instead of vegetables and pharmaceuticals instead of pure water.

Commercials on TV advocate a pill for every ill, but health is not the absence of disease as much as it is the presence of abundant clarity, energy, and vitality.

Yesterday

I have experienced a radical shift in my own health in the last few years. I went from a guy weighing 215 pounds, eating whatever I wanted, exercising occasionally or not at all, and suffering from the common ailments most Americans have come to view as normal.

I had bad allergies, frequent intestinal problems, low energy that had to be supplemented with caffeine, and I was sick multiple times per year with everything from the cold and flu to bronchitis and strep throat.

I knew much of what I saw on television was marketing hype, but my dinner plate closely resembled much of what the large corporations wanted me to eat.

I grew up thinking that a balanced meal consisted of a large protein source (bloody red meat), a starch (fried potatoes), a dairy product (cow’s milk), and a vegetable (overly-salted, canned greens beans).

Today

Where I am today is a very different story. My weight is stable around 180 pounds with substantial muscle. I eat a low-fat raw vegan diet (aka – fruitarian), which means I get 80-90% of my calories from raw fruits and vegetables and I never eat animal products of any kind.

I run marathons and ultramarathons several times a year. I love hiking, trail running, kombucha, organic produce, coffee enemas, homeopathic remedies, natural supplements (within reason), and everything that fits under the natural health and wellness umbrella.

I do not require caffeine for energy (though I do drink espresso for a good kick). The best part? Those common ailments that I used to experience (and accept as normal) have virtually disappeared.

Besides losing 40 pounds, I have minimal allergy issues, few intestinal problems, significantly more energy, and I only get sick about once per year (and if things continue as they have in the last few years ñ I will likely never get sick again).

My story is not unique. I am not a freak. I do not live a crazy lifestyle that you too cannot duplicate. I do simple things every day that add up to huge results over the long run.

Send Me Your Questions

I do understand that I have chosen a diet and lifestyle that many will never choose. However, I do honestly believe that a holistic lifestyle is the best way to live.

If you have any questions and want to shoot them my way, feel free. I’d love to help in any way I can.

Also, check out the resources I have listed below. These are the exact books and documentaries I read to make my transition from a Standard American Diet to a raw vegan.

Oh, and before I forget: 4,000 calories is the approximate amount I consume in fruits and vegetables every day. Also, a typical runner will take 40,000 steps to complete one marathon (26.2 miles).

Fruitarian Resources

1. The 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas N. Graham
2. TheFruitarian.com with Michael Arnstein
3. 30BananasADay.com ::: The High Carb Raw Vegan Lifestyle
4. Raw Vegan Radio with Steve Prussack
5. Earthlings (documentary) Directed by Shaun Monson
6. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD
7. Watch the documentary, Food, Inc.

Running Recommendations

1. Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
2. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
3. Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich
4. Marathon: You Can Do it! by Jeff Galloway
5. TheFruitarian.com with Michael Arnstein