 Health and Fitness Magazine (UK)
Dec '98 Photographer Tim O'Sullivan The Fruitarian
Karen Knowler, 26 Co-ordinator for The FRESH Network Eats: Raw fruit
(70 per cent), raw vegetables, seeds, nuts, sprouted beans and pulses, fresh fruit and
vegetable juices.
'I used to eat everything: burgers, sausages, chips twice a day. I
even worked in my family's butcher shop. I didn't link health with food.
'Then I moved from living with my mother to my father's. He's a
healthy eater and I became aware of different ways to eat. I decided to try to cut out
meat because of the cruelty aspect, but ironically, I didn't like vegetables until I was
18. My body was so polluted with junk, I didn't like the taste of healthy food.
'I read a lot about healthy eating and it all made sense. I gave up
meat, then fish and experimented with being a vegetarian, a vegan and a fruitarian over
the next five years.
'This time, I've been a fruitarian since June and intend to stay
with it. My energy levels have lifted incredibly, my moods are consistent and my weight
continues to drop as my body clears itself out. I recognise my true appetite and have
eradicated food cravings. I wake up in the morning completely bright and feel good inside
my own skin. It's given me a real joie de vivre.
'Some people think I'm denying myself, but for me, it's freedom for
the first time. I just eat when I'm hungry and have whatever I like. My taste buds are so
acute I get all the flavour of everything I taste. It's limited in terms of food groups,
but within each group there's so much variety.
'Last Christmas I didn't eat 100 per cent raw food because I didn't
want to be a problem for other people. The idea of being socially difficult or
"different" put me off for years - having to conform was the only problem with
being fruitarian. This year I'll make sure I have a truly fruitarian Christmas. Most
people are fine about it, they usually think my meal looks tastier than theirs.' |
