Thriving on Fruits

It is relatively easy to get lost navigating through endless list of nutrition suggestions that the world has to offer in the 21st century. Humans have familiarized themselves with countless ways of eating – consuming a lot of animal protein on Atkins diet, or following Ketogenic diet and absorbing fats, or intermittently fasting and restricting calories, or excluding animal products altogether and pursuing a plant-based lifestyle. People tested eating an extensive variety of edible products that nature supplies them with and took it a step further by regularly cooking their food and altering its raw state. They even invented chemical products, various E-lettered preservatives, and synthetic solutions – something that not a single other animal on this planet is exposed to. The extent humanity went to in exploring possible nutritional resources is amazing and mind-blowing, but how do we actually achieve our optimal health? How do we start thriving instead of merely surviving? Avoiding obesity, heart-related disease, diabetes, and other dangerous health conditions prevalent in our current society should be one of the top priorities. Our current lifestyle leads to premature aging and steady decrease in quality of life. How do we turn the tables and stay active, slim, flexible and energetic until our very last day on this planet? The key is to evaluate human beings from anatomical perspective, trust nature, and embark on a raw vegan fruitarian journey – and your body and mind will forever be thankful for this crucial decision. Raw veganism with high fruit intake is an optimal diet for our species.

CURRENT STATE OF HEALTH - SOS

The state of health for human species has been declining for decades – the obesity rate is skyrocketing with two thirds of adults either overweight or obese, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide with 17.9 million global victims in 2016, another 350 million people on Earth have been diagnosed with diabetes, and in the United States one out of four deaths occurs due to cancer (World Health Organization). Human population is getting sicker and sicker with every year, and it is important to detect correlation between current condition and standard human diet. The lifestyle that the majority of people adopted includes outrageous amounts of processed foods, mostly sedentary behavior, increasingly high levels of stress, lack of sleep, and disturbingly high amount of time indoors. These are some of the factors hindering us from reaching our full potential, and although all of them are definitely significant, incorrect nutrition might cause the biggest strain on our health. In contrast with our current state of well-being, humans could live longer, be active and flexible even in senior years, have better immune system and catch viruses and flues less often. We could stay young for longer, have glowing skin (which would be indicative of balance in our inner organs), and experience the world from a perspective of healthy, fulfilled people. We truly have nothing without our health.

HUMAN SPECIES

What if humanity stopped necessarily treating human beings as individuals and instead evaluated them as biological species? Apes, for example, do not categorically consume different products based on their blood type, koalas abstain from impatiently plugging their food intake into an Iphone app to calculate their protein intake, and zebras have never cooked their meals. Why do people behave so differently from other mammals? It would be understandable to pursue all-inclusive diet if humans shared zero commonalities with animals but anatomically we do. From a biological and evolutionary perspective, humans can be best described as frugivores (species that eat primarily fruit). Human digestive track varies lengthwise from those of omnivores (species that eat meat and plants), herbivores (species that eat grass and greens), and carnivores (species that eat meat) – a portion of food completely passes through it in approximately 12-18 hours (Dubs). For herbivores, same process takes 18-24 hours, for omnivores –10-18 hours, and for carnivores – 2-4 hours. Human body pH levels are similar to those of frugivorous creatures like apes: our blood lingers on the alkaline side of the pH chart with its healthy values ranging from 7.35 to 7.45 (University of Sydney). Our saliva in its healthy state also has pH of 7.4. While the value of 7 is considered neutral (water, for example, is at pH 7), anything below will be acidic. Carnivores like lions, on the contrary, have an acidic saliva and lack ability to break down starch because their saliva misses ptyalin – an enzyme that aids in deconstructing starches (Dubs). Human teeth are far from resembling sharp canines of a true carnivore, and our jaws fail to open nearly wide enough to successfully combat our victim. The list of differences continues, but all of them clearly indicate that humans anatomically greatly vary from carnivores or even omnivores.

INTUITIVE FOOD FOR HUMANS

For every single animal species out there, nature initially developed products appetizing to them – in its raw, unaltered state. Animals behave instinctively and allow their appetite to guide them in their nutritional choices. However, humans, the smartest of all, still struggle to figure out what to eat, how often to eat, and how to achieve their optimal well-being. We clearly know how to survive on our current worldwide nutrition, but do we thrive? To unveil what actually makes people thrive on their nutritional choices, one should think back to our roots. Humanity emerged from wild nature, and long before human brain developed our ancestors fed themselves just like animals did. Back in the past, homo erectus, an ancestor of homo sapiens, were still relying on their gut instinct instead of altering food state to achieve desirable results and make it appetizing, but surprisingly, up until this day, most of us preserved that intuitive feeling guiding us to pick correct products out of broad natural assortment (Graham). If a person happened to be in wilderness without the possibility of cooking and masking tastes with different spices and condiments, what would he pick? Possibly he would strive to chase a deer, attempt to kill it with his bare hands, and then deal with its raw bleeding flesh, thick hairy skin, and inner organs. This option could be a nauseating experience for most people though. Maybe he would imitate behavior of a bear, try to catch a fish in a stream and bite through its shining fish scale not minding branched out bone structure. Does that sound like an ideal option? He could, potentially, opt for digging for raw potatoes and beets instead and pulling these root vegetables out of the muddy ground. Or maybe he would pick grass and plant leaves alternative? Or, lastly, he could reach for a perfectly ripe and sweet mango hanging from a branch.

WHY FRUIT

Dr. Douglas Graham, famous natural hygiene practitioner and raw foods enthusiast of thirty years, in his book The 80/10/10 Diet thoroughly explains why other raw products suggested by nature seem unappealing to us, and given a choice humans would go for fruit with its beautiful colors, smells, and satisfying water content. Dr. Graham, Don Bennett, and other influencers in raw vegan movement under the definition of ‘fruit’ imply its botanical classification: it is a ripened ovary of a plant containing seeds (Bernarr, Graham). Fruit is created to be consumed. The entire idea behind growing fruits is reproduction of plants because as humans and other frugivores consume fruit and travel further, the seeds, indigestible by our bodies, travel as well, get lost in the soil, and guarantee the survival of their species. In botany, fruits include the following so-called culinary vegetables: cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, avocado, bell peppers. All of these are varieties of fruit perfect for human beings, absorption of nutrients, and digestion.

HUMANS FROM TROPICS

Our dependence on warm climate also implies that humans originated in the area near the equator, where the weather conditions accommodate our specific feeding needs. As history unveiled further, human population started increasing, and for the lack of territories some of our ancestors ventured out to explore the northern regions. Fresh fruit was clearly and unfortunately lacking there, and humans desperately turned into hunters for the sake of survival. However, thousands and thousands years later we still, sometimes artificially, maintain or create that tropical environment everywhere we go. Citizens of northern countries failed to adapt to local weather conditions which is indicated in how they dress in winter time and try to maintain 70°F indoors. Tropical environment remained crucial for human survival, comfort and well-being all throughout history, and this information is yet another hint at our ideal natural foods – fruit.

PROTEIN

Some of the primary concerns associated with fruitarian diet would be lack of proper nutrients, insufficient supply of protein, and sugar overdose. Debunking these concerns should provide a solid foundation to stop fearing fruits – our biological foods. To start with, fruits have plenty of vitamins and high water content, fatty fruits (avocado or durian) and nuts have necessary fats, greens have minerals like calcium. All of the mentioned in the previous sentence foods have protein: even watermelon has 7% of protein in its flesh (Nutrition Data). Humans currently have a misunderstanding that in order to properly function, we need to be loading up on protein, but this belief is no more than a myth which originated from meat and dairy industries in attempt to increase demand and, as a consequence, sales. In order to demystify this ubiquitous misconception, it is essential to look at the carbohydrates-proteins-fats ratio in breast milk. A misinformed person would assume that human milk is loaded with protein because human beings tend to experience the most rapid growth in the first year of their lives and protein is widely recognized as cell-building material (World Health Organization). Research conducted by World Health Organization demonstrates that girls, on average, grow from 49 centimeters in length to 86 centimeters over the first 2 years of their lives. However, breast milk barely has any protein! National Center for Biotechnology Information published comprehensive research report in which the authors claim that “the mean macronutrient composition of mature, term milk is estimated to be approximately 0.9 to 1.2 g/dL for protein” (NCBI). This comes down to approximately 1 gram of protein per 100 grams of breast milk, or 1%. If toddlers happen to grow rapidly on a substance that has only 1% of protein, why would mature adults at stable height and weight need more?

FEAR OF SUGAR

Besides protein concern, human society was conditioned into fearing sugar. Sugar has become our enemy, and while refined sugar is correctly recognized as an unhealthy product, fructose in fruits is a nature’s gift to humans. Unfortunately, though, humans in their majority are yet to distinguish between the two and draw a line. Refined sugar that comes from cane is an artificially extracted and processed food sweetener which actually poses a threat to our health, especially if eaten in large quantities. Sugar in a form of fructose, however, is perfect fuel for our cells, brain, and other organs (Graham). The process of absorption of fructose happens very easily and at a slower rate due to high water content in fruits. Bananas have 74% of water, apples – 84%, cantaloupe – 90% (Engineering Toolbox). Not only do we nourish our cells when we eat fruits, but we also hydrate ourselves.

SHOULD EVERYONE EAT FRUITS?

While human anatomy is best adapted to frugivorous diet, transitioning to this natural way of eating should be a personally customized path for everyone based on their previous lifestyle habits. It is essential to understand that traditional whole-foods diet consisting of meat, fish, grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, starches, fruits, and vegetables definitely provides a sufficient platform for surviving, reproducing, and living up to 70-100 years old. If it was simply untrue, the humanity would have gone extinct many centuries ago. However, in order to unveil full health potential, an individual is recommended to give fruitarian diet a chance. Transitioning over to raw vegan fruitarian lifestyle typically takes years, because every single organism over the course of its existence got adapted to processing different foods and breaking them down. Transitioning overnight would imply causing stress to human body and cutting off essential nutrients. The process of starvation then begins. Going from standard american diet to raw vegan fruitarian lifestyle is a process requiring patience and time, and it should originate from a broader inner understanding of the current health situation rather than from blindly following guru’s suggestions without truly grasping the topic and listening to one’s body.

YUM

Fruits are perfect food for humans. No wonder most people have sweet tooth – they just lack an understanding on how to properly satisfy it. This sugar craving is understandable because every cell in our body is in need of fructose for high performance. While this fruitarian branch of nutrition field is in obvious need for additional research, those rare individuals who transition report not getting sick anymore, avoiding flus and colds, experiencing a lot of energy, requiring less sleep, and overall feeling better (Graham). In century of global health crisis, resolving these troubling wellness issues should be prioritized, and fruits could definitely be one of the promising and awaited answers.

Bibliography

Ballard, Olivia. “Human Milk Composition: Nutrients and Bioactive Factors.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586783/.

Bernarr. “The Benefits of Eating Uncooked Food.” Health101, health101.org/art_raw_foods.htm.

“Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs).” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds).

“Control of the Hydrogen Ion Activity (PH) in the Body.” University of Sydney, www.anaesthesia.med.usyd.edu.au/resources/lectures/acidbase_mjb/control.html.

Dubs, Joe. “Humans Are Frugivores – We're Designed To Eat Mostly Fruit.” Creation Is Love, creationislove.com/humans-are-frugivores-were-designed-to-eat-mostly-fruit/.

Fuhrman, Joel. “Dangers of Atkins Diet.” Health101, health101.org/art_Atkins_diet.htm.

Graham, Douglas. The 80/10/10 Diet. 2006.

Klaper, Michael. “The Blood Type Diet: Fact or Fiction?” Health101, health101.org/art_blood_type_diet.htm.

“Length-for-Age Girls (WHO Child Growth Standards).” World Health Organization, www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/cht_lfa_girls_p_0_2.pdf.

"Overweight and Obesity Statistics". National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases

“Water Content in Food and Other Products.” Engineering Toolbox, www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-content-d_131.html.

World Health Organization. "GLOBAL REPORT ON DIABETES". 2016

“Watermelon, Raw Nutrition Facts & Calories.” Nutrition Data, nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2072/2.

CHALLENGE YOUR MIND OR 7 DAYS OF ONLY JUICE

So I did seven days consuming only juice and not eating even a single bite of food. I did not eat for a whole week! Might seem crazy to a lot of people, and that is why I called this article 'challenge your mind'. Your body can easily survive on juice, but can your mind agree to it? Here is why I recommend juice cleanse to everyone and how it went for me.

WHY DO A JUICE CLEANSE

1. Raw fruits and vegetables are optimal foods for human beings and their digestion. This is the conclusion I made after reading a lot of books on this topic (’80/10/10 diet’ by Douglas Graham, ‘Raw Veganism’ by Don Bennett, ‘The China Study’ by Colin Campbell, ‘The Miracle of Fasting’ by Paul Bragg, etc). Typical human being consumes a lot of different foods beyond raw fruits and vegetables, including cooked starches, meats, milk, eggs, fish, refined sugars, oils and others. All of the toxins from these foods accumulate over time in human tissues and intestines and possibly other organs as well. 
2. I also came to another conclusion that human beings eat too often, and our bodies are always occupied with digesting that food and dealing with toxins from it and trying to understand what to do with it. We never get a break. This digestion thing is a vicious cycle that never stops. It might stop briefly overnight, but then we stuff ourselves again in the morning. What happens when we fast? Woohoo! We can redirect our energy to flush out the toxins or revitalize our cells or have a more clear mind without constantly thinking about what to eat for the next meal. It gives you space and it gives your body space. (If you want to read more on fasting, go to Arnold Ehret or Paul Bragg)
3. Why do I say flush out toxins? I will go into some details here: if you think you will not be going to the bathroom after you stop consuming food, you are WRONG. Surprisingly, your intestines can continue processing and releasing during all days of the juice cleanse. You might be surprised to see that you still have bowel movement on day 5 or day 7. And that happens on juice?! How long has all that 'stuff' been inside of you then?
4. Juices are a perfect balance between a complete fast and normal eating routine. By making juices, you detach the fiber but you keep the vitamins, minerals, and calories. It is a super boost – you simultaneously replenish your vitamin needs and give your digestive track a break. Its a combo, two-in-one. On a complete water fast, your intake is zero and you might experience weakness, but on a juice cleanse I felt great 95% of the time.
5. Another great reason to do a juice cleanse: psychological. We are all slaves of the food industry. We are like drug addicts. I am pretty sure you can’t imagine yourself not eating for a week. Break this psychological addiction. Try your mind. It very much might be that psychological challenge will be way tougher for you than physical. Juice cleanse removes the fog from your brain. You will realize that this challenge is very much doable and diminishes your food addiction.
6. This psychological addiction can very much keep us stressed. Thoughts like 'what am I gonna have for lunch? what am I gonna have for dinner? what if I eat too much carbs?', they all fall off, because you prepare all your meals in the morning. And then, the entire  day, you are worry-free. When food is not in the picture, there is a lot of room for other thoughts.
7. I listed it as a last reason because it wasn’t important to me, but might be important to others: weight loss. I personally lost 3 kg (7 lbs) on this juice cleanse. For some people it might be more, for some it might be less.

TIPS

1. You do not have to be anti-social and stop going anywhere. Over this week, I have been to different restaurants around 5-6 times, and I just ordered fresh juice for me everywhere.

2. My favorite juice recipe forever: watermelon + mint + lime. It is just incredible. 

3. It is also you and only you who is in charge. Nobody else will help you and give you enough stamina to push through this. If you need motivation to keep going, watch 'Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead' (really great documentary about a 60-day juice fast). Read about juice cleanses. Inspire yourself. Likewise, avoid being around food too much if you are afraid you might fall into that trap.

4. Total cost for me: around 300$. Can definitely be cheaper if you purchase boxes from local markets.

PREPARATION

Since it was my first time doing a cleanse, I purchased program and recipes from Fully Raw Kristina, raw vegan with 13 years of experience. You can easily google her.

For three days before my juice cleanse, I ate only raw fruits, nuts and vegetables completely eliminating cooked foods. I also was not too hungry and did not eat as much as I usually do. The evening before I only had a romaine salad with lemon juice dressing and then I fasted for 18 hours before drinking my first juice. I was both anticipating it and scared at the same time – I felt like my knowledge and level of confidence were enough to push through 7 days of not-eating, but I had no clue how my body was going to react.. Then it began.

DAY 1

I woke up early but started juicing around noon. I felt hungry as if my body was craving breakfast, but it was a very mild feeling that vanished in the process. This morning was messy – ingredients all around the kitchen, me making three different types of juice (two from fruits, one from veggies), utensils piled up in the sink. I then strained my juices one by one (strainer is used to eliminate all the remaining fiber and make the juice smooth) and poured them into mason jars. 

After I was done with making all my ‘meals’ for today, I drank my first juice – pineapple with mint. I made 750 ml of it, and it made me quite full.  Later in the afternoon, I drove to the city center and met up with a friend. Two jars of juices (orange juice) came with me so I could drink it at lunch. I also purchased fresh pomegranate juice because it would be too tedious to juice it myself.

Here comes the first detox symptom: I started sneezing a lot. I am not allergic to pineapples or oranges, but I just couldn’t stop sneezing. There also came a brief point while drinking pomegranate juice that I just couldn’t drink anymore, so I stopped. It came down to 1 liter of orange juice and around 300 ml or pomegranate for lunch. 

We went for a walk in the alley after. For 5 minutes, I felt really nauseous and was afraid I might throw up, but as we started quickly moving and talking about all different sorts of things, I felt so much better. This one moment of nausea was probably the only downside of my day.

In the evening, I decided to take it easy and relax and spent my evening with family at home. I had my green juice ready for me for dinner. It contained all good things: celery, kale, romaine, lemons, and cucumbers. I miscalculated with lemons, and my juice was quite sour, but I still had 1.5 liters of it. 

I felt really good in the evening, and then fell asleep at night almost immediately.

DAY 2

I happened to wake up at 5 am with an enhanced feeling of an empty stomach. I could feel how empty it was. It was an interesting feeling, because it was different from hunger. Do you know that feeling of hunger when you are starting to feel weak and angry and turning into hangry? It wasn't even nearly that. I was just empty. I also sneezed couple of times, and then it took me sometime to fall asleep again.

Today I started juicing around 10 am, and my breakfast was 1 liter of sweet and incredible watermelon juice. Its color was fantastic, and I again felt full. Me and my mom went for an intense yoga session afterwards, and I felt full of energy while doing a lot of balance/strength-requiring asanas. Lunchtime: I made such a tasty juice (apples, one beet, touch of ginger) for myself in the morning, and now it was waiting for me in jars that I brought along. Juice was of an incredible red color, and I drank 1 liter of it. My mom suggested we have lunch, and I ordered one fresh-squeezed pineapple juice (300 ml) and orange/grapefruit mix (300 ml). Lunch total: 1.6 liters. Everyone around me (including mom) was eating salads, pizzas, grilled veggies, pastas, and I could smell all of the food, but surprisingly, even while being exposed to it, I had a very mild desire to eat. It was a feeling I could very easily suppress. I am afraid I might have a stronger craving tomorrow, on day 3. I have heard day 3 is the hardest to push through.

Then we got home, and I lied down on the couch to read and watch a movie. My intestines decided to start growling, quite loud, as if it’s full of liquid (which it is). I guess detoxification is in progress. 

For dinner, I drank 1.5 liters of green juice. In the morning I added apples to it for subtle sweetness, and it was very delicious. I do not know what happened but all the juices today were just tasting incredible. 

At night, I took a bath and read a book. I am feeling very light, very calm, and still not craving food. 

DAY 3

I slept really well without waking up at all for 10 hours. In the morning, per usual, I made all my juices, it took a little bit over an hour. I was mentally preparing myself for today: I have heard that 3rd day is the hardest in terms of detox process, and I might feel very down. 

After having 1 liter of watermelon + mint juice for breakfast, I took the rest of the juices with me and went for Japanese lesson. So far, I was feeling fine. After Japanese, I had my lunch: pineapple + orange + apple juice (1.3 liters). Tightly closed mason jars with juice traveled with me everywhere these days – I did not want to be caught off guard by hunger. 

Afterwards, we went with my family to pizzeria – I ordered fresh squeezed tomato juice (which tasted absolutely different that packaged one, had 1 liter of it). Looking at my younger brother eating penne arrabiatta, I imagined myself eating it. Despite a mild desire to do so, I remained calm. So far throughout this cleanse, I always had this steady concrete confidence that I can do it. I guess I just saw a long-term goal in this – transitioning to raw veganism.

Then we went to see a movie, and that was my LOW POINT. The juice I brought with me to the movies was a mix of greenery: celery, kale, romaine, cucumbers etc. And it DID NOT taste good. I had 1 liter with me, but could barely drink half of it. Driving home, I felt nauseous, hungry and wanting to lie down. It felt like my body was punishing me for drinking something that tasted bad. At home I had camomile tea, and then went to sleep still not feeling well.

DAY 4

Woohoo! I woke up and felt so energetic, mind so clear, body so calm, mood so good. I decide to avoid green juice for today after my experience last night, so all my juices turned out to be orange, red, and pink color. So beautiful! Today the feeling of emptiness in my stomach is very mild, I am noticing it way less. I felt like moving and after visiting my friend, I planned on doing yoga. 

Orange juice for breakfast (1 liter), then I brought my jars along with me to my friend’s house and had 1.5 liters of watermelon-melon-mint-lemon juice for lunch. We were sitting outside, and I was sneezing a lot. Then I went home and did yoga feeling quite satiated. A thought crossed my mind: if I had to do more than 7 days of it, I could. It wouldn’t be too much trouble.

For dinner, I had a sweet apple juice with some greens and some beets (for color). It looked very pretty, and I felt good drinking it. At night, I felt somewhat tired and a little bit nauseous, so I fell asleep pretty fast.

DAY 5

Today, I again felt a lot of energy! I was listening to the music and dancing and jumping and feeling so clean and happy. I honestly was that energized bunny from those ads. The day itself went by pretty fast – I made all the juices in the morning, went for Japanese, and tried making it to yoga class but got stuck in traffic (Moscow during Fifa Work Cup is insane). 

The only down point of the day – my green juice that I was planning on drinking in the evening turned some weird grayish color, and even looking at it made me nauseous. I still somehow drank 1/3 of it and then could drink no more. 

Later, I was feeling hungry (because I only had 1/3 of prepared juice) and drank a lot of herbal tea to try filling up my stomach with liquid. I again fell asleep very quickly that night and learned my lesson: green juices aren’t really working for me at this point.

DAY 6

It is becoming a routine. Of course, I am excited to start eating food in 2 days, but even if I was doing it for another week, I think I would manage. I am surprised that all throughout this cleanse I am remaining very calm and confident. There are no explosive emotions that could lead me astray. I see my goal very clearly and I am moving towards it. 

Today was a very good day again. I was high on energy and went for 90-min yoga class. Afterwards, I ran some errands and then met up with my best friend in the park. I brought 1.5 liters of pineapple/orange juice with me and had it for lunch. We also sat down at a restaurant, and I ordered grapefruit/orange mix there as well. Moscow was very beautiful today, and just walking aimlessly around Gorky Park was giving me this endless energy.

It was kind of sad tomorrow was going to be my last day. I drank carrot/ginger/apple/celery/lemon juice for dinner, took a long bath, and fell asleep.

DAY 7

It is almost over, and it honestly seems like it just started. I am so surprised. I think many people would be surprised seeing how easy juice cleanse actually is. I would understand if somebody said water fast is hard – no doubt. But juices give you calories and energy. The initial feeling of emptiness turns into a normal state, and a constant flat stomach into a bonus. 

BREAKING THE CLEANSE

So one of the best ways to break the cleanse is with some soft food that can also act like a laxative (to help clean out the rest of toxins). I chose soaked prunes. I just soaked them overnight and also drank the water in which they were soaking. For some people, bowel movements stop completely during juice cleanses, so their bodies might need a little help right when they get back to consuming food.

For a couple of days, you might want to keep consuming only raw fruits/vegetables before going back to your normal diet completely.

I absolutely loved it. I feel like my mind is clearer, I feel happier, and I think I am going to miss this ‘emptiness’ feeling. It is very much likely I will repeat this cleanse or go for a longer one in half a year. Definitely recommending it to anyone to cope with psychological addiction, clean out your body, and replenish your cells with vitamins, minerals, and energy <3

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UTAH / AMANGIRI

Here they come. Unedited. For those seeking Martian landscapes – visit Amangiri. Utah strikes with its endless beauty. I felt so small out there.

This February weekend the temperature was below freezing. Aman would make sure all the fireplaces were running in the evening along with dimmed warm lanterns, and those nights with my family were the coziest recollection I have of that place. The best getaway. 

Random fact: the canyons are covered with sea shells because apparently there was an OCEAN in the middle of North America 90 mln years ago.

CELESTIAL

Here come my work in Maya this summer and my submission to the Rome Contemporary Chapel competition hosted by ARCH Medium. Envisioning architectural opportunities in the city of Rome was one of the highlights of summer 2017 as well as exploring the endless horizons of Autodesk Maya workspace.

180 DEGREES

I've been wanting to write this post for a while and share what I discovered with those interested. Personally, it feels there should frankly be no person indifferent to the issues connected to their own health, future of our planet, or even animals undergoing unbelievable sufferings. A year ago, I had no idea of what information I was about to come across. It was a complete 180 degree shift, and a reason for me to finally become completely plant-based and perceive it as the most logical way to nourish oneself. I will address three most common reasons why and how I believe in what I believe today, hoping that I might change somebody's perception on animal-based foods.

HEALTH
In December, my dad told me about 'The China Study' by Dr. Campbell. He was on a phone with me and mentioned this massive research collected by one scientist who suggested that the consumption of animal-based foods is very detrimental to our health. I was skeptical: how can some book change my beliefs and turn me into vegetarian, or even vegan? It did not make sense. But, as a person curious about nutrition, I read it. The more I read, the more flabbergasted I became. Animal-based products are correlated with cancer development? With diabetes? Parkinson's? Alzheimer's? Blindness? Heart diseases? Dr. Campbell introduces research from different scientists from all around the world and all of those suggest one thing people never thought of: animal-based foods are... really bad for us. The author named it 'The China Study' after his investigation of Chinese rural communities where plant-based food is prevalent. Chinese rural population rarely suffers from any of the western diseases, and the question is how much is it due to their diet? Rice and vegetables make up their daily ration, and they simply can not afford consuming meat which surprisingly leads to their incredible health results. While on average rural Chinese consume more calories than Americans do, their cases of obesity are fewer by a great number. 

I studied more, and I realized another thing that struck me. Our bodies anatomically were never designed to consume meat in a first place. It doesn't come down to only our teeth which are resembling of frugivores' anatomy and not omnivores' or carnivores'. Our digestion system processes food for a much longer period of time than what it takes for an omnivore or carnivore. Our saliva is chemically not designed to boost the process of a meat digestion. In nature, species closest to ours consume fruits. So why do we neglect this critical information and why do we not get educated on what our bodies actually need?

The consumption of dairy is even a weirder concept. It is a liquid meant for baby cows to grow and develop as fast as they can. Why don't people drink giraffe's milk? Once I thought about it and realized what a non-sense it is, dairy became waaaay less appealing and appetizing to me.

One question that is typically asked of vegans/vegetarians is 'Where would you get your protein from?'. I recently watched a documentary called 'What the health?' on Netflix, and it addresses this question in a really nicely put manner. A typical American, highly concerned with the 21-st century hype about sufficient protein intake, consumes more protein than he really needs but he actually lacks fiber. So the real question here is 'Where do you get your fiber from?'. Regarding protein intake, I, a 20-year-old female of an average weight, need around 40 grams of protein per day. When I went vegan, I looked up nutritional information on acai bowls consisting of granola, acai, and fruits. So one bowl from Nekter juice bar has 10 grams of protein already, which satisfies one quarter of my daily intake. Incredible! Who could have thought! One of the doctors being interviewed in "What the health' reveals that he had never had a patient who had an insufficient protein intake. Wonders!

The only supplement I would definitely recommend taking is B12 which is synthesized by bacteria in nature. Animals receive it through consuming unwashed plants, and humans get it through eating animals' tissues. On a vegan diet, because we wash all the fruits and veggies and eliminate the bacteria, taking a supplement makes total sense.

I tried summarizing what I learned about the impact of veganism on health in this portion of my post. In general, I came to strongly believe that people can be perfectly fine off without necessarily eating animal-based products.  

If you are interested in health aspect of veganism, watch or read:
1. 'The China Study' by Dr. Campbell
2. 'Forks over Knives' 
3. 'What the Health'

ANIMALS
If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarians. This was another aspect I never truly considered, because I thought it is a cycle of nature for a predator to hunt and a victim to be hunted. However, it is not. What perverted form humans turned this 'cycle of nature' into does not even nearly relate to the concept itself.  Yes, animals do get killed, but have you ever thought what life they have before the slaughter stage? An endless suffering from the very beginning until the very end? Cows who get consistently impregnated over the span of their lives in order to be a milk producing machine and die at 4 from the exhaustion instead of 20? Chickens who are placed into tiny cages and made produce 300 eggs a year instead of regular 12? Chickens who eat their own eggs in despair because of a terrible lack of calcium? What??? How did that happen!
There are two short videos I became familiar with over this summer which maintained and furthered my perceptional 180 degrees shift. 

This one is about dairy (it is 5 minutes long and absolutely worth watching):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI

This one is about the egg industry (a little longer but still very very very worth giving a try):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utPkDP3T7R4

Later on, the evening I decided to go vegan, I watched Earthlings (http://www.nationearth.com). It was truly one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen. I would not be able to describe it (because Joaquin Phoenix narrates it way better) but for anyone with a heart, it is an absolute must-watch. We are born freely just like other species, and it does not give us any rights to turn other earthlings into our property. And if reincarnation is true, being reborn into cattle is one of the most miserable scenarios out there. 
I went vegan because I do not want to economically contribute a penny to these heartlessness, deaths, and cruelty. Again, just a year ago, who could have thought.. I couldn't.


ENVIRONMENT
One of the biggest contributors to global warming (which is very real and very terrifying) is agricultural segment. Yes, not transport. Yes, not fossil fuels. Agriculture and livestock. The amount of CO2 being emitted by raising all these animals is way more than we can imagine. Sadly, however, people are rarely educated on this matter as well as the water consumption by this industry.  It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef and only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Terrible hurricanes, ice caps melting, droughts and famine can be prevented or at least highly reduced just if we stop or decrease the consumption of animal-based products. 
Environment is one aspect I haven't studied in detail yet, but 'Cowspiracy' on Netflix explains the subject pretty well. Again, it seems very important to me to at least be educated on all these topics, and then make a conscious decision whether you still want to stay an omnivore.


I tried summarizing why and how I got to the place I am at right now. There is so much more to it than what I described, but I might post more information later on. I was a pescatarian for a half a year before I became vegan around a month ago. All of the research I did implies that this is the most proper way to nourish yourself and not harm anyone, including our planet and other species. While I do not want to force my perspective upon anyone, I feel it is important to individuals who care about their health to realize what is truly happening behind the scenes. Some people might be concerned with how doable is veganism, and I can answer that I haven't regretted my decision even once ever since I went plant-based. I could not feel happier about my new diet and about myself at this point. We will see how it goes, but at this point I see it as the most sensible and the most kind solution.

THE UNUSUAL

My final project this semester was Skatepark + Library. Yes, it is quite an unusual combination on a site. This semester overall was all about the unusual – unusual materials, unusual programs, unusual environments. It makes you think outside the box and utilize materials seemingly unsuitable for the job. For example, I attempted building models out of Cheerios, rubber bands, electric wires, sequin fabrics, soap, shower sponges, plaster, and other crazy things. In the end, however, my final choice narrowed down to wood and acrylic to imitate three materials: marble, copper, and wood.

Skatepark and library had to coexist. Reaching beyond the requirements, I made them interweave to allow every visitor to experience both worlds. Here is what came as a result of my hard work (I will start with photos and include drawings at the end):