So I've got my copy of this wonderful book and pretty much read it over a day. There are some things I think I haven't got answered that would convince me start doing this thing soon;

1. When I eat a monomeal of five bananas, I don't feel full and have the feeling that I haven't eaten enough an hour later. Why?

3. How do I calculate the GI for let's say ten medium bananas?

4. How can simple sugars create lasting energy? When I'm tired, how will I know if I haven't eaten enough calories or if I'm detoxing?

5. Is it ok to eat non-organically grown vegetables and fruits and still be ok on this diet?

6. Does commercial fruit with more sugar and toxins create nutritional imbalances or need for more nutrients that can't be satisfied with the diet?

7. I've read that the body uses more nutrients when we're stressed. Can I eat 811 diet if I'm stressed and not able to stabilize right now?

8. I can't afford eating so much fruit and vegetables every day of the week. Instead of just replacing, say, my breakfast with a bowl of fruit, what appeals to me is to begin eating 811 for a whole day a week and then maybe increase the number of days a week gradually. Is that ok? Is there a risk of diabetes, candida, or sugarhighs if I have eaten a 20-25% fat diet the day before? (Since fat often stays in the blood for more than a day).

9. How much Sodium is enough? How is it possible to get it from 811?

10. How much Iodine is enough? -"-

11. Zinc? -"-

12. After I've eaten maybe five fruits, I get wrinkles on my fingertips. What has happened? It's possible that I get that from other foods too.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2007 02:47PM by rrraw.

It appears to me you are driving yourself crazy with what ifs and needing to know every little detail about stuff. That's how we mess up the flow of life. Just relax, drink some celery juice each day, trust in life and let your questions disappear.

Hi There,

I really suggest that you post these questions on Dr Graham's message board. Go to vegsource dot com, then look for the list of message boards on the left hand side, you will see his listed under "Raw and Sports/Graham".

All the best,

Audrey

Thanks for the response.

i guess mine souns really new agey. oh well. i am eating graperuit tartare and a sliced banana with chopsticks, out of an oversized martini glass, and it could be a peak moment, but I'm not great with chopsticks.

I agree with posing these questions on doug graham's board.
As for the whole organic thing...of course it's best if you get all organics. However, I think that if you want to eat any conventional fruits and veggies it's best to eat those shown to have the lowest pesticide rates (some are even undetectable)

The 12 with the lowest rates are:
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn (sweet)
Kiwis
Onions
Mangoes
Papaya
Pineapples
Peas (sweet)


And I would always get organic of the "dirty dozen" which are the 12 with the highest:
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

____________________________________

~Christi~
Natural Living Info
AP/NL mama to Jacob 10/25/2006

I appriciate all you comments. I've posted the questions I couldn't answer by myself on Dr. Graham's board and I think I got the information I want.

>1. When I eat a monomeal of five bananas, I don't feel full and have the feeling that I haven't eaten enough an hour later. Why?

They aren't very energy dense. If you want a feeling of fullness without even more bananas, add some fat--just a little bit.

3. How do I calculate the GI for let's say ten medium bananas?
Probably very limited or no meaning on a whole foods diet. If you are worried about GI and GL then don't juice or puree and get at least 50 g of fiber per day from your foods. The fiber will slow down your sugar uptake and help to prevent spikes.

>4. How can simple sugars create lasting energy? When I'm tired, how will I know if I haven't eaten enough calories or if I'm detoxing?
See #1. Detox is an abused term, it is probably almost always not enough kcals.

>5. Is it ok to eat non-organically grown vegetables and fruits and still be ok on this diet?

Yes, of course, there is no on/off switch that makes conventional produce unbeneficial. Organics may be higher in some but lower in other nutrients. IMO the most clear cut case for organics is the environmental one, not the health one. But not all of us have sufficient income to purchase organic exclusively. I strongly dislike the implications of a higher pricetag. What, only rich people are allowed to buy it?

>6. Does commercial fruit with more sugar and toxins create nutritional imbalances or need for more nutrients that can't be satisfied with the diet?

It's higher in sugar, lower in vitamins, minerals, EFAs, and protein than wild fruits. So you would do well to address these lacks with your nonfruit foods (greens, judicious use of certain nuts/seeds, etc.).

>7. I've read that the body uses more nutrients when we're stressed. Can I eat 811 diet if I'm stressed and not able to stabilize right now?

Yes, and yes, if you choose wisely. Using a nutrient calculator with search tools (which foods have the most of a particular nutrient, etc.) will help.

>8. I can't afford eating so much fruit and vegetables every day of the week. Instead of just replacing, say, my breakfast with a bowl of fruit, what appeals to me is to begin eating 811 for a whole day a week and then maybe increase the number of days a week gradually. Is that ok?

I think it would be better to gradually increase fruit every day rather than a few days a week.

>Is there a risk of diabetes, candida, or sugarhighs if I have eaten a 20-25% fat diet the day before? (Since fat often stays in the blood for more than a day).

No, a modest intake of good fat will not damage you provided that the rest of your diet is appropriate to your needs. I have no reservations about 20-25%, but some at over 40%.

>9. How much Sodium is enough? How is it possible to get it from 811?

Probably about 500 mg, give or take 100 mg. You'll have to check the best sources of sodium in the fruit category to see if you can meet it.

10. How much Iodine is enough? -"-
RDA is 150 mcg

11. Zinc? -"-
RDA is 8 mg for females but 5-7 may be good enough if they are not accompanied by phytates and other binders.

>12. After I've eaten maybe five fruits, I get wrinkles on my fingertips. What has happened? It's possible that I get that from other foods too.

There is some mild topical acid effect from certain fruits where you touched them. It's temporary and it isn't a big deal. See a pH table for the pH of foods if you are curious, probably anything below 5.0 (and more for below 4.0, much more for below 3.0) will have this effect. Remeber each unit change in pH corresponds to an order of magnitude in acidity, so pH 3.0 will mean 100x more acidity than pH 5.0. But the pH of the food itself is not as important as the overall effect as measured by what comes out of your body, and the mineral and amino content of your foods are more important for this.

Also pKa is much more relevant than pH regarding acidity/alkalinity. pH exists for solutions of substances in water only, but pKa does not require water for a measure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2007 04:48PM by arugula.

I just cannot tell you how helpful that reply was. Thanks.