Questions and Answers On The Raw (Vegetarian) Food Diet -- Stephen Arlin

Q: What exactly is The Raw-Food Diet, how do you define raw-foodism, and what does someone have to do, in practice, to be a raw-foodist?

A: Some people consider The Raw-Food Diet the next step past a vegetarian or vegan diet, but it really transcends all diets. It is simply the natural way to nourish your body. A raw-foodist is not something one becomes; a raw-foodist is something that all living creatures on earth already are. We are designed to eat raw foods. Food in its raw, natural state cannot be nutritionally improved upon, especially not by cooking it. Raw-foodists take all their nourishment from raw, fresh, natural foods -- unadulterated by cooking.

Q: Why raw foods only? What's wrong with cooked foods?

A: Because cooked food is part and parcel to civilization, we have been trained never to question it. What constitutes the basis of human nourishment? Is it canned and boxed food coming out of the roaring jaws of factories? Is it the flesh of animals being churned out by factory farms? Is it the milk of cows, which is intended for baby calves? Is it cooked and processed food? The basis of human nourishment is obvious: it is RAW PLANT FOOD, which is presented to us in abundance in nature. Cooked food is adulterated and fractured, depleted of enzymes, vitamins and minerals, and starchy and clogging to the body.

Q: How did you come to this idea? Was it more a philosophical insight or something you learned from the scientific knowledge about health and the human body?

A: Along with David Wolfe and R.C. Dini, I came to this conclusion by pure logic. Would fire and intense heat improve one's house if applied? No, it would destroy it. And that's exactly what happens when your food is cooked, it becomes something less than it was before.

Q: How long have you been eating only raw foods?

A: I've been doing raw foods since 1994. With the passage of time, the distinctions become clearer and clearer and life gets better and better.

Q: Is there a philosophy, spirituality, or ethics behind raw-foodism, or is it just about health benefits?

A: Raw-foodism impacts every aspect of your life: mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. So while health benefits may be what prompts a person to raw-foodism, once they adhere to it, they begin seeing the ecological and ethical impact and realizing and appreciating the spiritual benefits.

Q: Have you changed other areas of your life as radically?

A: The change to raw foods was not that radical. Raw foods are our natural foods. Captain Crunch is radical; cotton candy is radical; hot dogs are radical. Raw plant foods are common sense.

Q: What is the main reason to adopt a raw-food diet?

A: Because you want to, because you enjoy it. I can't stress this enough. I have seen so many people adopt a raw-foods lifestyle for the wrong reasons, and these people invariably fail and actually hinder their personal advancement and potential. I've seen people do it because "it's healthy," and they agonize over eating their salad while they really want to be eating a bowl of beans and rice. Yet they keep choking down the raw foods because "it's healthy." They are ingesting a lot of bad energy and cannot be truly happy or liberated, or healthy for that matter, even though that's their outward or surface reason for doing it. I've seen people do it because it seems elitist. These are the type that look down on anyone who is "not enlightened" and make others feel bad and uncomfortable, rather than sharing wanted information. These people usually lose a lot of friends and alienate their families. They also cannot be truly happy or liberated. There is nothing elitist about The Raw-Food Diet, it is just a diet and lifestyle choice. Again, the main reason, the ONLY reason, to adopt The Raw-Food Diet is because you want to, because you enjoy it.

Q: What have been the most positive health benefits raw-foodism has brought to you? What do other raw-foodists say?

A: Feeling vibrant and alive is the benefit that first comes to mind for most raw-foodists, myself included. A feeling of well-being and healthfulness. Living with more clarity and consciousness. Improved senses are another important benefit: improved eyesight, sense of smell, hearing, a clean taste palate, increased touch sensation. An improved sixth sense, intuition, is also part of that. The list could go on and on.

Q: At what point did you attain what you refer to as "Paradise Health?" After years of raw-foodism? Months? Days?

A: It's definitely not an overnight transformation, although you can start to see results immediately. You wouldn't expect to be in perfect physical shape by working out once. And the same is true with anything for that matter. Fundamentals practiced daily and consistently produce the desired results. It keeps getting better and better for me, so it's a journey that I'm still experiencing and enjoying every day.

Q: What sort of detoxification effects does the average person experience when they start adopting a raw-food diet?

A: It really depends on how you lived your life before. Someone who abused his or her body with deleterious substances is obviously going to have a heavier detoxification than someone who lived more healthfully. When the body buried in unprocessed residues of cooked food and/or other substances finally has the energy to release them, it will. There is no magic pill, only a magic process. As we untangle ourselves from cooked food, we'll release suppressed toxins and emotions. You are a work of art in progress. Each meal is a cloud or a tree or a flower, a piece of the painting that you are becoming. Every bite of food you put in your body should be adding to your perfection, to your beauty. "You are what you eat" is a cosmic law. It is known in every culture and every civilization throughout history. Every person knows that saying. Give your body the highest quality food possible.

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge a raw foodist must deal with in everyday life?

A: Dealing with the rules, regulations, traditions, customs, and red tape of a dead society. It drives me crazy! People think they are free but they are not. Try walking down the street the way you came into the world (nude) and see what happens, see if you're really free. Eating raw foods at least liberates you and allows you to step outside of the current global consciousness and see what is really going on.

Q: What other lifestyle changes do you espouse besides adopting a raw food diet?

A: Eating only organic and wild foods. The commercial food of civilization is unfit for consumption and transforms people into mutants. Yes, that's harsh, but reality is harsh. When's the last time you saw a serial killer shopping at an organic produce market? Pesticides and genetically-modified food are not acceptable for the true health seeker. Humanity cannot improve upon natural foods with poisons and laboratory experiments.

I also advocate abstinence from schools and universities. Modern education is an indoctrination program for the development of mediocrity and set up for the lowest common denominator. I didn't become an intelligent, successful person until I quit going to college.

Q: What are some more factors in overall health besides diet?

A: Along with nutrition, people must make certain the other requirements of the body are met. These include: cleanliness, exercise, rest, clean air, deep breathing, sunshine on the skin, air bathing, stretching, massage (being touched by others), intelligent thinking, loving relationships, interactions with animals, and abstinence from artificial heating and cooling. I mention cleanliness first because I feel that a lot of people that get into The Raw-Food Diet start to move away from civilized living -- and that's great, to a point. It's important to untangle oneself from the mess of contemporary culture, but when one scoffs at personal hygiene and cleanliness because it's "not natural" or "cooked" to bathe, it's not healthy for them or the raw-food movement in general. It really boils my blood when I see someone that is supposed to be setting an example, trying to be a "picture of health," but they stink of body odor and have nasty, dirty hair, or an unkempt, grubby beard. The skin is the largest eliminative organ of the body. Toxins and impurities are pushed to the surface of the skin and need to be washed off. I can tell you right now that if you are living or working anywhere near automobiles, factories, cities, roads, highways, or neighborhoods, you need to be bathing every day. Your outside appearance is a reflection of your internal health. One cannot be truly healthy if one is filthy. In addition, always use a shower filter. You either filter out what is coming onto and into your body, or you become a filter.

Q; Have you ever encountered hostility from others when you discuss raw foods?

A: Sure, but mostly I've encountered positivity and open ears. Some people have a hard time when their belief system is challenged. Because talking about raw foods is part of my business, my work, I seldom talk about it in my personal life. I see people get into trouble when that's all they ever talk about, or they cram it down people's throats, or they make others feel uncomfortable around them because they are so judgmental. Anyone like that is a boor and a bore. As with anything, what you have to say about raw foods will fall on deaf ears unless the recipient is truly interested, unless they have initiated the conversation. I don't try to convince anyone of anything, but share information when it's wanted.

Q: What do you eat when you go to a restaurant or go to someone's house for dinner?

A: Almost every restaurant serves a salad, and some are even pretty good. When you go to someone's house for dinner and you do not think there will be much or anything for you to eat there, offer to bring a fruit or vegetable salad, or fruit or vegetable plate.

Q: Do you carry your own food everywhere?

A: When I travel, yes, I take food with me. Airplane food is definitely not an option! I have traveled all over the world and have never had any trouble finding good food. Sometimes I hear people complain about not having raw, organic food in their area; chances are they're simply not looking hard enough.

Q: Do you ever eat beans or grains?

A: Beans and grains are not part of the diet I promote. They are difficult to eat raw and they are not so pleasing to the palate. They are also hard on the digestive system. There are many other better choices. For protein, green-leafy vegetables are by far the best choice. Filling and grounding foods include avocados, olives, coconuts, durians, seeds, and nuts.

Q: Is wheatgrass really a natural thing for humans to eat? Don't you have to grind it up in a machine to make its nutritional value accessible?

A: True, wheatgrass is not the most natural food for us, but I believe in its healing and cleansing properties and I think it is a vital part of the transition and detoxification process.

Q: Where is the practice of raw-foodism strongest in your opinion?

A: California.

Q: Do you think it's relevant to have a scientific basis to promote your idea?

A: "Science" is a tricky thing because you can prove almost anything with scientific studies, yet there will always be contradictory information from other scientific studies. That is why I am more inclined to use common sense and instinct. There have been a lot of recent studies showing the benefits of raw-foods, and I think as time goes by, raw-foodism will be normalized the way vegetarianism and veganism are now.

Q: What do you think of medicine, or better, of doctors as professionals in health. How often do you see one?

A: Medical doctors are coming around and some are even beginning to support The Raw-Food Diet. There is obviously a place in our modern society for doctors and western medicine. (I went to a doctor/hospital when I was in a serious car accident and would go for any kind of life-threatening emergency like that.) But the way the medical community is set up right now is disappointing: doctors having very little education on nutrition and holistic practices, patients not taking responsibility for their own health, an over-subscribing of pharmaceutical drugs, etc.

Q: What do you think of drugs and medicines? Why do so many people use them?

A: Drugs and medicines are toxic substances, and I can think of few cases where their benefits outweigh their ill effects. People use them because they are looking for a "magic pill" instead of taking their health into their own hands, and because drugs and medicines are over-prescribed by doctors. Most people don't know any better, and just blindly follow their doctor's orders, and most doctors are trained to treat illnesses and pathologies with drugs.

Q: Aren't humans omnivorous, meaning that we can eat from both the animal and plant kingdoms? Haven't our bodies evolved to digest almost everything; our teeth and mouth, muscles and enzymes being adapted to this kind of nutrition? Aren't we ignoring, and maybe contradicting all this when we refuse to eat meat, even raw meat?

Q: What do you think is one of the biggest problems ailing modern society?

A: Addiction. Addiction to being in a toxic physiological condition actually. People are constantly trying to reach a level of euphoria artificially, which is theirs naturally.

Q: You say that, "food-combining principles were formulated by and for cooked-food eaters, they don't pertain to you." This sounds very much like some statements in T.C. Fry's Healthful Living Newsletter, saying that food-combining was for the biologically compromised (sick) and not always necessary for persons of robust health. Since many of the recipes in your book combine fruits, nuts, and vegetables in a blender and so forth, might you elaborate upon this for the readers?

A: Food combining rules are for people with poor absorption and poor digestion and are not always necessary for healthy people. My cycles change and my diet changes, and I eat in "strange" combinations now, but that's what makes me feel great. The combinations that work for me may not necessarily work for others, and vice versa.

Q: I notice that you advocate colon irrigations. To many natural hygienists it was a blessing to be free of such dogma to simply allow their bodies to heal through "intelligently doing nothing." Why direct your readers to this non-hygienic Dr. Ehret-esque "mucusless" mentality?

A: In some cases, there are residues in the body (gall stones, impacted fecal matter, etc.) that are "stuck." As with the amalgam fillings people want removed from their mouths, intestinal residue removal may have to be assisted mechanically. Decades of eating fragmented, clogging foods can't always be eliminated by the body through proper eating.

Q: Can a raw foodist overdose on a particular food? For example, could someone eat too much of one food?

A: Yes, definitely. In my partner David Wolfe's book, "The Sunfood Diet Success System," he explains how to keep oneself balanced on raw foods. In my opinion, David's "Sunfood Triangle" is really a landmark dietary distinction. The Triangle consists of the three essentials to The Raw-Food Diet: Greens, Sugars, and Fats. These foods balance against each other and keep you centered. He also describes the symptoms of food overdoses (the symptoms of eating too much fruit sugar, too many greens, etc.)

It's different for everyone. Someone may be able to eat only cherries for a week when they first come in season, and they may feel great. While another person couldn't eat just cherries for one day without feeling unbalanced. Each person needs to find their own balance.

Q: How should parents feed a child raw foods when he/she is old enough to eat solid food?

A: It depends on the child and the parent. Some parents like to make their own baby food by pureeing foods in a blender, food processor, or baby mill. Other parents prefer the fork-mash method, whereby they won't process anything more than by mashing it with a fork. That means if you can't mash it with a fork (carrots, greens, etc.), baby is not ready for it. One thing to keep in mind if you do puree foods for your baby is that you may be making foods palatable, but baby's digestive and enzymatic system may not be ready for them. The best advice is to go slow and let your baby take the lead. There is really no rush to get your baby onto solid foods if she or he is breastfeeding.

When your baby is older, she or he will be able to nibble on most fruits and vegetables and may begin to enjoy diluted fruit and green juices and nut and seed pates. For more information on raw foods and children, read "Introducing Living Foods to your Child: A Guidebook for Babies through Two Years," by Beth Montgomery, and "Raw Kids," by Cheryl Stoycoff (this book is about older kids). Both of these were written by mothers with real experience feeding their children raw foods.

Q: Is The Raw-Food Diet for everyone?

Q: Your Raw Power! Program is said to be the only program about building strength and muscles naturally (raw). What is the general idea behind it?

A: My program is about how to have the exact body that you've always desired -- a beautifully fit, strong, healthy, and vibrant body. Now, many people already know that a raw-food diet is the natural way to eat, but some people have difficulty building strength and gaining healthy muscular weight. The Raw Power! Program is about attaining a high level of health, eating a 100% natural diet, true natural body-building, and total fitness. The only way to build your body naturally is through eating naturally.

Q: What is your concept of bodybuilding, and how does it differ from similar activities, such as weight training for conditioning, powerlifting, and Olympic-style weightlifting?

A: My concept of bodybuilding is building and maintaining a super-strong and super-healthy body, free from illness and disease. My program combines natural body-building, weight-lifting, total fitness, conditioning, and diet information that is specifically designed for building and maintaining muscle and strength.

Q: Does your program appeal to body-builders only?

A: My program appeals to anyone with a desire to better themselves mentally and physically. All the other books on diet and fitness, or diet and body-building, are erroneous. Cooked food does not build a body; cooked food destroys a body in the long run. Raw Power! appeals to everybody, whether you want to look like a raw version of Arnold Schwarzenegger, or you just want a slim, muscular body capable of endless energy and stamina.

Q: How many people have you trained in conventional bodybuilding, and how many people have you trained all raw?

A: Many of both. I receive hundreds of calls and emails every day, so a lot of what I do now is consulting. I used to train more people in the gym, but I currently concentrate mostly on seminars and consulting.

Q: For all-raw training, what is the difference between training someone who is already experienced at conventional bodybuilding versus training someone who has no prior bodybuilding experience? Who is easier or better to train as far as success?

A: It's really an individual thing. The people that make building strength and muscle naturally their number one priority are always the most fun to train. I love seeing and meeting people that are my equal as far as dedication and motivation; it pushes me closer to my full potential. A person can either have "champion mentality" or "spectator mentality," the choice is theirs. It's the people that want something for nothing that are difficult to train and deal with.

Q: Why do most raw-foodists seem to have problems keeping up their strength and weight?

A: Well, first and foremost, a lot of people that get into the raw-food diet seem to come from a life of sickness and hypochondriacal behavior. So, with that type of mentality, it's only natural that they fail at achieving their goal health and physique. People must conclusively decide that they want to gain strength and weight and make it their number one priority. People want a quick fix, they want to gain weight and muscle now, today, yesterday! Harnessing the power of mind is key. If you truly know in your mind that you can accomplish a goal, you can do it. I believe in The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, if you think you can't build strength and muscle, then you can't.

Q: How does exercise play into your life, and how are your strength and physical capabilities affected by raw-foodism? Can one expect the same results from weight training and cardiovascular exercise on the raw-food diet as one can from such exercise while eating cooked food?

A: I am very big into weight-training. I hit the weights about 5 days a week and walk, hike, or run every day. You have to detoxify all the toxic waste and poisons out of your body (experience the weight loss and occasional weakness) before you can build up on raw foods. You have to be willing to detoxify all the way. From my experience on a raw-food diet, it is easily possible to gain muscle and unleash strength that you never knew you had.

Q: How do recovery rates and the need for sleep and rest differ between conventional bodybuilders and all-raw bodybuilders?

A: Conventional bodybuilders eat all day (5 or 6 big meals plus shakes and snacks) and run their metabolism at an accelerated rate; thus they recover slower and need more sleep because the body is constantly expending energy digesting, assimilating, and eliminating foods. All-raw bodybuilders recover faster if they include significant amounts of green-leafy vegetable juice (16-24 ounces) into their daily diet regime.

Q: How do raw foods affect athletic performance?

A: The raw-foodist athlete has an immeasurable advantage. Building a body with cooked-food nutrition is similar to blowing up a balloon; sooner or later the balloon will deflate. Muscles "blown up" with cooked food and other unnatural substances will eventually atrophy and "deflate." Most fitness experts and bodybuilders atrophy and wear down prematurely. Muscles built on raw-food nutrition last much longer because they are built naturally. I compare building your body with cooked food to building a house without any foundation. Sooner or later, that house is going to crumble.

Q: Do you think a raw food bodybuilder could ever compete against steroid takers in the strength and girth departments?

A: Definitely so. If you think about it logically, all the largest and strongest mammals on Earth are 100% raw plant eaters. The gorilla, the elephant, the hippopotamus, the giraffe, the rhinoceros, the horse, the bull, the buffalo, and so on, are all 100% raw plant eaters! A gorilla has the strength equivalent to bench-pressing 4,000 pounds. What rule of science says that a gorilla is able to synthesize proteins from raw plant foods but we are not? There are no raw food bodybuilders competing against steroid takers in the strength and girth departments because people simply are not aware of the potential of building strength and muscle naturally on The Raw-Food Diet.

Q: You seem to naturally be a pretty big guy, but have you ever successfully trained a skinny person into being a big guy with your all raw methods? Going from skinny to big and muscular happens routinely and dramatically with conventional bodybuilding, so how about with all raw?

A: Yes, I was blessed with good genetics. I could probably eat at McDonalds every day and still live into my nineties like my grandparents. But that's not what this is all about. Implementing the Raw Power! Bodybuilding Method is about adding life to your years, as well as years to your life. Yes, I train and consult skinny people every day. Those that are dedicated always have tremendous results. Presently, I have been training David Wolfe. In the past year and a half he has gained 15 pounds of lean muscle. He discusses his experiences in his book "The Sunfood Diet Success System."

Q: What are the dimensions of the largest male raw bodybuilders you know?

A: I'm 6'2", 225 lbs., Bernarr Zovluck is 5'10", 220 lbs., and Scott Brodie is 5'11", 205 lbs. Scott has squatted 835 lbs., deadlifted 760 lbs., and benchpressed 457 lbs.

Q: What do you think your potential would be if you did conventional bodybuilding?

A: The potential of anyone eating unnaturally is a short term gain at the expense of a long term tragedy. Sure, you can build huge muscles eating meat and injecting steroids and guzzling pills and protein powders, but there is a tremendous price to pay in the end.

Q: Are you personally stronger now than when you were a cooked-food eater?

A: I can say that I'm at least twice as strong now as I was when I was eating a Standard American Diet. I used to benchpress 300 pounds three times, now I can bench that weight twenty times. That's a huge improvement in brute strength. On a burnout set, I used to benchpress 135 pounds forty times, now I can bench that weight over one hundred times. That's a huge improvement in muscular endurance. I also find that I need little or no rest between sets of exercises now.

Q: What are your current "vital statistics." Besides your height and weight, which you've already divulged, would you also reveal your body fat percentage, blood pressure, and heart rate, as well as the girth measurements of your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, forearms, wrist, waist, hips, thighs, calves, and ankles?

A: I'm not into all that; the only measurement for me is how vibrant I feel. I used to measure my arms when I was younger, but I realize now that measurements prove very little. Though its arms aren't very big, a chimpanzee can rip a car door off of its hinges. I've seen "bodybuilders" with 22-inch arms that can't benchpress 300 pounds. I'm going for chimpanzee strength, not big measurements.

Q: Do you recommend maximum lifts? Why or why not?

A: I don't do maximum lifts anymore. This is because I prefer to train alone. It's obviously not wise to do maximum lifts without a training partner or spot. Training alone has its downfalls for some people, but, at this point in my life, I cannot tolerate a gym atmosphere (cooked/meat-eater sweat and smells, air conditioning, terrible music, crowded, etc.). Another interesting thing to note is that when I used to go to the gym, as soon as someone found out that I don't eat cooked food, meat, pills, or steroids, I would become an attraction. People would watch me work out, which I hate. I would end up talking about The Raw-Food Diet and my workouts would suffer. If you have a quality training partner and are in great shape, I see no reason why you couldn't perform maximum lifts.

Q: What are your reasons for bodybuilding? Is it because you are vain and ego-centric, as some critics accuse bodybuilders of being? I mean, why do it? Why not just relax and stay skinny? Since lot of people think that bodybuilding is a waste of time and energy, what would you say to convince someone that they should body build?

A: I like feeling strong, and I like the feeling of being pumped up. I don't try to convince anyone of anything. I'm just presenting information showing that one can gain weight and muscle on a raw-food diet and without undermining one's health with unnatural nutrition.

Q: Don't you have a reason beyond feeling strong and pumped as motivation to lift weights?

A: Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that being pumped up feels better than an orgasm! I don't know if I would go that far, but he has a good point! Being pumped up feels great, and I have yet to be in a bad mood after a good workout. That's my motivation for lifting weights, to feel great.

Q: Why do some raw-food eaters seem to be lacking the "definition" and "vascularity" that most raw food eaters or even cooked food bodybuilders have?

A: I have long thought that definition is not always healthy (concentration camp prisoners all had definition!). In my opinion, the massive, defined, ripped, professional bodybuilders of today have accepted the ultimate Faustian bargain. They fill their bodies with absurd nutritional pollution just to look "defined." Then they wonder why they have completely broken down (or died) by the time they are "middle-aged." Muscle definition has a lot to do with genetics and body type. My brother and I have worked out with weights just about every day for the last 15 years (I'm talking hard-core workouts), and we are very strong, but with very little definition. So, it's a mystery to me as well, but I don't worry about it. Nature determines your natural body type. Think of your health first and foremost, the definition will either be there or not. The race for the lowest body-fat percentage is a kamikaze crash-course.

Q: Many animals do show vascularity and muscle striations in their natural state. Mightn't we also? I used to think definition was genetic, too, until I was all raw and finally saw all of my abdominal muscles in clear awesome cuts. Might not diet be the deciding factor on definition and vascularity?

A: Well, I have found that my definition was "best" about 7 years ago, when I was eating a high protein diet (meat, eggs, milk, etc.). But now that I'm raw, I'm much stronger and I feel much better. That's all I really care about. If I can't see all my abdominal muscles in clear awesome cuts, I don't care as long as I feel great. And you're correct, many animals do show vascularity and muscle striations in their natural state, and many animals do not, yet they are very strong and powerful.

Q: Which famous bodybuilder, past or present, do you most closely identify? Who influenced you the most?

A: Arnold Schwarzenegger is my all-time favorite mainstream body-builder. He is a winner and a champion and has a success consciousness. I enjoyed how he used to psyche out his opponents and he is a model of a powerful mind.

Q: Where do you get enough protein for real muscle growth?

A: Where does a cow, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, or gorilla get enough protein for real muscle development and growth? Raw plant foods. Protein synthesis is protein synthesis.

Q: I have heard it takes about a year to build ten pounds of muscle tissue. Do you feel that the ten to fifteen pound range is about the maximum growth curve that a raw body builder has?

A: I don't ever put limitations on anything. If someone wanted to gain, say, 20 pounds of muscle in a year, it could be done. It fully depends on the conviction, persistence, and determination of the individual.

Q: Would you explain why coconut and avocado are necessary for you and whether there may be another way to gain weight if one doesn't want to, or can't go, the coconut and avocado route?

A: Fat is the delivery device to the muscles and bones of minerals drawn from green-leafed vegetables. One could use coconuts, avocados, olives, or nuts. I personally enjoy all four. Olives are one of the best foods for bodybuilding.

Q: How can one gain more weight on one or two large meals, as you recommend, rather than on many small meals throughout the day?

A: This slows down the metabolism, allowing one to more easily gain weight. It is very simple and demonstrable to anyone who tries it.

Q: You mention fasting once a week, yet some would say that it is unnecessary or even harmful to fast this often if one is already eating a biologically correct diet. Would you explain the reasoning behind your fasts?

A: Again, this slows the metabolism. The digestive organs need an occasional rest. The whole body does.

Q: How often do you work out?

A: Five times a week on average. I'd like to work out more, but I have many obligations right now -- a family, a homestead, and a fast-growing business.

Q: How long does your average workout last?

A: 1-3 hours.

Q: Do you find that the raw food diet tends to make high-rep training more the way to go rather than high-poundage training?

A: Combining the two would be optimal. High-reps with high-poundage!

Q: You stated that one should train in the sun whenever possible. This is a refreshing change from the solar phobia of skin cancer warnings that we hear these days. What are the benefits of training in the sun?

A: Increased blood flow in the muscles, increase testosterone levels, fresher air, and the opening up of stagnated, contracted areas of the body.

Q: You mention that sexual abstinence is desirable to help conserve body nutrients before exercise or competition. Isn't this just an old wives tale perpetuated by trainers to keep their athletes away form the distraction of a new romance?

A: No, it definitely is a reality. If one is constantly draining one's sexual energy, it makes strength gains very difficult. Two closely matched training partners that have the difference of one being sexually active and one not will notice the strength difference. This is not to imply complete sexual abstinence, but abstinence before work-outs.

Q: Do you ever take layoffs?

A: Yes, when I go on trips. It is good to give your body a rest once in a while so when you come back, you are fresh and motivated.

Q: I know you travel a lot, so do you work out in motel rooms with cables, springs, and free hand exercises, or do you use their occasional (and usually somewhat pathetic) gyms? Or do you have a national gym membership that you use from city to city?

A: I do isometrics. Sometimes I use towel resistance. I also do heavy stretching (power yoga is great too).

Q: You use free weights, right? Why do you prefer them?

A: Free weights allow for a free range of motion, and they require the individual to use her/his own balance. I have found that when I concentrate on mechanics (form), I get a much better workout.

Q: When not traveling, do you use a home gym, or do you prefer commercial gyms?

A: My gym is at my home.

Q: Do you use any aerobics in your training?

A: Yes, running, hiking, and swimming.

Q: What should a very young all raw bodybuilder know regarding his special considerations?

A: Start where you are. Build up slowly.

Q: Is your program useful to the advanced bodybuilder?

A: Definitely. Before now, I doubt the advanced bodybuilder has ever come across information that says that one can be super-strong without wearing one's body down prematurely with pills and cooked foods.

Q: Do you plan to write a book strictly for the hard core advanced and/or competition bodybuilders?

A: Raw Power! is all anyone needs. The Men's Advanced Workout is tough! I challenge any hard-core bodybuilder to follow it for 3 months. Most hard-core bodybuilders are too cooked and don't have the stamina; they can't complete the whole workout.

Q: How much time do you think should someone devote to taking care of his/her body?

A: I take good care of myself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anything less than that is harmful to one's well-being.

Q: What is Nature's First Law?

A: Nature's First Law is the business my partner David Wolfe and I started in 1995. We are an internet and mail order business and this year we also opened up a retail store in front of our warehouse. We sell "resources for massive health abundance": books, audio and video tapes, juicers, dehydrators, water filters, dried organic fruits, organic nuts and seeds, organic olives and olive oil, and many, many more raw lifestyle products. We sell the items we use in our own lives, items we know other people want to buy and use too. Our catalog and inventory grow larger all the time as we add more select products. We also host raw-food events, health retreats and seminars all over the world.

"Nature's First Law: The Raw Food Diet" is a book I wrote with David Wolfe and R.C. Dini. It is already on its fourth edition and is becoming increasingly popular.

Q: Your organization, Nature's First Law, has been called the "militant wing" of the raw-food movement.

A: Yes, I guess we come across as uncompromising, and we do so purposefully. When we wrote "Nature's First Law: The Raw Food Diet," we knew we wanted to shake things up, shake people up. We wanted to provoke action. I like absolutist writing and we wanted the book to be a manifesto of sorts. Our critics say the book and our style are alienating, that they turn people off. All I have to do is think about all of the people our book and our style have turned ON! Our rhetoric is very powerful... sometimes we overdo it. No, our book is not for everyone. Nothing is for everyone. But you'd be surprised by the diverse people we do appeal to, by the many, many lives we've touched and changed. And that's what I care about, not being likeable or popular.

Q: Do you think we have any "duty" to live as Nature intended, or is it just something we can do if we personally value Nature?

A: We at Nature's First Law feel it is our moral and ethical obligation to live consciously and conscientiously. What we eat deeply and radically affects how we think, feel, and behave, it directly affects how we interact with the planet. In that sense, it is a duty. Switching to a raw-food diet has a massive positive impact on the environment as well as ourselves. Life change comes from the inside out. Once you change on the inside, everything changes on the outside.

Q: What are the current changes and trends in the raw-foods movement?

A: Information sharing. The Internet has really done a great service for the world by making basically any information on any subject available to anyone with computer access. The Raw-Food Movement has benefited greatly from this technology as well. Anyone interested in starting or maintaining a raw-food diet can access my Internet website at, you guessed it, www.rawfood.com -- this website is the largest resource of information, products, and organic food for this diet and lifestyle.

The internet is the vehicle for so many of the things our company is doing. We use our website to connect people. We have a Premier Raw-Foodists page, which gives bios and contact information on those "who have gone before." We have a board for discussions and information sharing. We have a singles page for people to connect with others with similar values. One of our most popular features is our email bulletin, which keeps people up-to-date on new products, happenings in the raw-food world, and events worldwide. (If you would like to sign up for this email bulletin, email nature@rawfood.com.)