Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Is there such a thing as a "perfect" diet for human consumption? vegan? SAD? how about the Raw food movement?

Did you know that wild chimpanzees share an estimated 99.4% of genes with humans (hence the theory of evolution), but their diet is dramatically different from ours. The most glaring difference is that chimpanzees consume significantly more green leaves than humans.

Wild chimpanzees eat approximately: 50% fruits (both sweet and non sweet), 44% leafy greens 5% pith, bark, and seeds and 1% insects.

After being raw for several years, I'm not afraid to say that I feel like I've reached a plateau, and in fact I may be taking a step back. Some days I've felt like something wasn't quite right, and I've gone through bouts of dizziness, mood swings. I know most raw food "experts" would tell me that it's just my "detox". Well, I'm tired of the never ending "detox".

As a raw foodist my diet has been approximately 50 - 75% fruits (sweet and non sweet) 10% leafy greens/veggies and a good 10 - 35% seeds, nuts, avocados, and oils.

Somewhat different than the species I share 99.4% of genes with.

So what I propose to do, is over the next 3 months I will adopt a similar diet as that of the wild chimpanzee, take pics as I progress and blog it.

I will consume approximately 50% fruits, 45% leafy greens and veggies and the remaining 5% nuts, seeds, and oils.

Who knows?

Good idea! I am glad you're not just abandoning the raw food lifestyle all together..

That seems to be how my diet is already... I can't handle more than 40-50% fruits.. I just start to feel bad.
But, I think I could probably LIVE on sea veggies/dark greens... hah : )
I rarely crave fruits, only dark greens generally.
I also don't feel too good when I consume nuts.


Well, good luck, and definitely keep us updates!

Hi, RawAmbition,

I've been eating raw for almost two years but I don't call myself a raw foodist because I don't believe it as a lifestyle, really. I intend to eat whatever feels right to me, just so happens, that's raw right now. I think, instead, it's best to strive for "nutritional excellence" as Dr.Fuhrman calls it, rather than some sort of ideal which may or not be nutritionally sound. Is there anything more annoying when you have a headache or something and a raw foodists jumps in with, "It's DETOX!!"

I did the high-fruit, low fruit, high-protein, high carb -- everything you can think . But what works for me at the mo, is high-greens, then fruit, then fats, no grains -- basically, Fuhrman diet, but raw. This is why I constantly promote green smoothies! Greens were the key for me. The only way I can eat that much (for reasons such as time!) is to make the smoothies.

If I felt as you -- that it was raw that was no longer working -- I'd not hesitate to eat something nutritious, cooked. In fact, I intend to do so when or if that day comes. I never believed "cooked food is poison!" At least not all is.

Your ratios look pretty good to me, actually...are you sure it is the diet? It could be. Everyone is so different with different histories, different constitutions that there is no one-size-fits-all diet! But striving for alkalinity is also important. I wrote about it a few posts ago in my journal, though it is mostly ramblings about my own experiments

Good luck!

Yes, I too am big on the green smoothies. It's the only way I can get all those leafy greens in. 1-2 lbs. per day.

Today was day 6 of my chimpanzee diet. And there has already been noticeable change.

1. I've lost 4 lbs - I'm pretty sure that this was fat as my strength has continued to increase.

2. My wife commented to me today that there is a glow around me, I have a really healthy appearance.

3. I passed some dark stool today. Not dark green, but DARK. My body is purging something.

I'm not worried that I'm not getting enough "protein" to sustain my muscles, just look at those chimps, they sure can throw their poop at each other! my throwing arm should be fine.

My results after 1 week:

I feel fantastic. I am feeling a real sense of balance, and a real calm effect. I cannot reflect on the long term effects so far, as I felt as such during the first while that I switched to RAW.

I feel like I am recovering from my workouts quicker and better. And I swear my muscles are getting bigger/more defined....

So far so good. Not changing anything yet.

I don't really pay too much attention to what I eat when I'm raw/mostly. I know I eat as much greens as I can stand...always get my 8 bananas or so, 3-5 apples, a pound of carrots, maybe one tomato(the only acidic vegetation I eat...haven't had citrus for 6 months other than some orange juice in Portland), some pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds. Then I have my 500 calories of cooked food which is probably a bit of brown rice, couscous, millet, or granola.
Along with this diet and my one/two weeks of real lifting in nearly a year my arms are considerably larger and so are my legs...and this is my trying to avoid protein other than my little bits of seeds and nuts. Oddly I feel best when I eat a bunch of bananas, berries and greens with no seeds, nuts, or other fat sources at all...its just my stupid brain that tells me to keep eating those things in moderation. Thats good your not changing anything since your still improving...when I was full raw I felt terrible when I ran out of money and had to start cooking again(went to 50/50 on lucky days for a while)

Raw Ambition, how often are you eating? I'm just curious as to whether or not you're eating at planned times though, or if even like a chimp you're grazing most of the day as well? This experiment sounds really awesome though.