WHAT ABOUT THE GLYCEMIC INDEX?

“And last but not least, when discussing the optimal diet, one of the criteria listed was
"low glycemic." Again, this gets back to the fruit issue, as many fruits are high glycemic
- so again, even though I love fruit I'm beginning to wonder just how wise it is to
consume it on a regular basis.”

ANSWER: Most fruits are not “high” on the glycemic index. Banana is 51 (low), Kiwi is 47 (low),
Grapefruit is 25 (low), Mango is 41 (low), Oranges is 31 (low), Papaya is 56 (low). Only
Watermelon is listed as “high” in most charts (72).

According to Dr. Fuhrman, author of the excellent book “Eat to Live,” “Scientific evidence indicates
that the glycemic index of a food is not a reliable predictor of the effect food has on blood glucose
levels, cholesterol, and insulin levels.”

How to Beat Candida
Understanding the Real Issue

 “I'm a 100% raw vegan, currently on Gabriel Cousens’ Phase I candida
cure program, religiously. I've had no relief at all from my candida in
over a year of trying: 30 days of this raw program, then that raw
program, then another raw program...”

ANSWER: The way to beat candida is simple: you have to understand that candida is an issue that comes from eating too much fat, not too much sugar. When we eat too much fat, that excess fat in
the bloodstream diminishes insulin sensitivity, so that sugar isn’t carried out to the cells as fast as it
should be. It accumulates in the bloodstream, feeding the candida yeast that is naturally present
there. The candida then proliferates to “eat up” the excess sugar. The answer isn’t to consume less
sugar, or to try to kill the candida — but to go at the root of the problem, that is, to consume less fat.

“I have candida or a yeast infection, and I’ve been told to avoid too much sugar. How can I eat so
much sweet fruit when it’s full of sugar?”

“Excess fat is the culprit in candida, not sugar per se. When fat levels in the blood rise, so does blood sugar,
because excess fat inhibits insulin from performing its function of escorting sugar out of the bloodstream. The
excess fat lines the blood vessel walls, the cells’ insulin receptor sites, the sugar molecules themselves, and the
insulin with a thin coating of fat, thus blocking and inhibiting normal metabolic activity. Too much sugar in the
blood is as life-threatening as too little and can result in serious illness or death. Yeast, or candida, is a constant
presence in the blood; it serves as a life preservation mechanism, blooming when there is an excess of sugar in
the bloodstream to bring blood sugar down to a non-threatening level. When the sugar is distributed and used by
the cells of the body, the yeast quickly dies off as it is supposed to. If fat levels stay chronically high due to a
poor diet, sugar will remain in the bloodstream and feed the large candida colonies instead of feeding the 18
trillion cells of your body. Starved for fuel, these cells can no longer metabolize energy, and you become tired,
and feel run down. Because all the carbohydrate, fat, and protein that we eat is converted to simple sugar
(glucose) if it is to be used by the cells for fuel, the way out of this cycle is not to eat less sugar, but to consume
less fat. When fat levels drop, the sugar starts to get processed and distributed again, and the yeast levels drop
because there is no longer excess sugar available.”

QUESTION ABOUT FAT

“I'm wondering more and more about the promotion of raw fats in raw-food
diets. I'd like to know your opinion.

Aren't there physiological problems with eating that much fat even if it
is from a "good" source? What would the effect be? What kinds of problems
can one expect with a diet high in fat? What is too high and too low? I
would like to read your perspective about this.

ANSWER: Most vegetarian experts agree with each other that the optimal fat intake is between 10
and 15% of calories consumed. That’s about one small avocado per day, without oils or anything
else. The primates eat less than 10%. Rural Chinese people eat less than 15%.

The effects of eating too many fats are numerous: the blood becomes fattier and utilization of
carbohydrates is impaired. As sugar gets trapped in the bloodstream, candida will proliferate. Less
oxygen is available to the cells.

When eating a fruit-based diet with lots of vegetables, with some nuts and seeds (1-2 ounces a day),
you cannot eat too little fat. 10-15% is plenty for our needs.

Too high is anything above that, especially when you start to get above 20%.

Most raw diets, including Hippocrates, are about 50-70% fat.

If you eliminate fruit from a raw diet, or limit it to 15% (Hippocrates), your diet will be above 50-
60% fat.

I got seriously sick in California from eating too many nuts, too much fat, etc.

I would get blood sugar swings from eating fruit. I was spaced out. I couldn't concentrate. I was tired
most of the time. I started having dental problems.

Now that my diet is low in fat, I can eat a whole large honeydew melon and not get spaced out at all.
I can eat 6 large mangoes and be perfectly okay. No problems with concentration.

How Much Fat is Best?

The various health organizations of the world — the ones that have been around for a long time, not
just those that promote the latest fad — recommend a fat intake that is below 25%. They recommend
that level because most people eat over 45% of their total calories from fat. Cutting fat intake by half
is already a big deal for most people, so that’s why they come up with the number of 25%.

However, most progressive health experts, those who have been around for a long time and are still
promoting the same program year after year, recommend a fat intake of less than 15% of total
calories.

This is congruent with the latest research that has been done on a large number of people, such as the
China Study. The China Study is the largest nutritional study ever done (see book by the same
name). It came to the conclusion that a plant-based, low fat diet is best. The total calories coming
from fat in such a diet is less than 15%.

The primates all eat a diet that contains less than 10% of total calories from fat. Recent research also
shows that our ancestors also ate a low-fat diet.