![Diet Plans and Nutrition [Home]](/images/everydiet4.gif "every Diet [Home]"){kind=small}
80 10 10 Diet
Background
The 80 10 10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham is a raw food version of a low fat plant based diet, similar to that popularized by Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Doug McDougall.
Graham, who is a lifetime athlete, has been eating a raw food diet for almost thirty years. He has acted as dietary adviser to world-class athletes and celebrities including Martina Navratilova and Demi Moore.
Diet Basics
Graham proposes that the ideal ratio of nutrients to support health is 80% carbohydrates, 10% protein and 10% fat.
Other low fat vegan diets rely on cooked starches such as rice, bread, and potatoes as the main source of calories. Starches and grains are low in nutrients and because they taste bland we usually add sugar, salt, and fats which compromises their potential health value.
Graham overcomes this problem by basing his program entirely on raw foods with fruit forming the foundation of the diet. He states that fruit is the ideal food for humans and supports his claims with convincing arguments and scientific research.
Dieters are encouraged to eat mono meals of fruit where a single fruit is eaten in large quantities. For example breakfast might consist of 4 pounds of watermelon. Graham explains that it is necessary to eat fruit in such amounts in order to obtain adequate calories, which is necessary to thrive on this diet.
Graham also advises dieters to consume approximately a pound of leafy greens each day such as lettuce, spinach, and celery. Foods high in fat such as avocado and nuts are generally limited to a small serving every second day or so.
Although the diet is the foundation of the program Graham emphasizes the importance of addressing other lifestyle factors, which include exercise, sunlight, adequate sleep, and emotional balance.
Recommended Foods
Fruit, vegetables, avocado, raw nuts and seeds, young coconut.
Sample Diet Plan
| Breakfast
3 lbs cantaloupe |
| Lunch
1 lb bananas |
| Dinner |
| Course 1
1 lb apricots |
| Course 2
Orange Pepper Tomato Soup |
| Course 3
Heirloom Avocado Salad |
Try other vegetarian recipes here.
Exercise Recommendations
An important aspect of the program is regular daily exercise. Graham advises dieters to aim to do some aerobic exercise every day and to engage in strength training three times a week. Graham states that if you are not exercising on a regular basis then you are not following the program.
Costs and Expenses
The 80 10 10 Diet retails at $29.95.
There will be an increase in the cost of groceries due to the need for a large amount of fresh produce.
Pros
- Many athletes have reported improved performance on this diet.
- Good for dieters who like eating fruit.
- Low fat diets are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.
- Higher in nutrients than low fat vegan diets that include cooked foods.
- Encourages the intake of fruit and vegetables.
- Encourages a physically active lifestyle.
- Provides suggestions to gradually transition into the full diet plan.
- Beneficial as a short term cleansing diet.
- Food preparation is easy.
Cons
- Highly restrictive. Difficult to eat out and in social situations.
- Requires a complete overhaul of eating habits.
- Many dieters will not enjoy eating this way.
- Some dieters may have difficulty maintaining the recommended exercise guidelines.
- Dieters will undergo withdrawal and detoxification symptoms in the initial stages especially if they are regular users of caffeine and alcohol.
- Risk of nutritional deficiency especially if intake of leafy green vegetables is not adequate.
- May be too low in protein, essential fatty acids and minerals including zinc and selenium.
- May require the use of vitamin B12 supplements.
Conclusions
The 80 10 10 diet is an extreme approach to dieting that will not appeal to everyone. It is probably most suitable for individuals who are highly committed, such as professional athletes, or dieters who have a specific goal that they hope to achieve by following this plan.
Graham improves on many of the nutritional inadequacies of other low fat vegan diets and the intake of vitamins and minerals is much higher due to the inclusion of an abundant amount of fruit and leafy green vegetables.
However many people have reported problems following a raw vegan diet and it may be difficult to support optimal health without guidance or supervision from a qualified health professional who has experience with this approach to dieting.
I used to have an Oral Allergy Syndrome to various fruits (apples, kiwi, etc), seasonal allergies, as well as severe allergies to pine nuts. They all went away within 2 months of eating raw food. My immune system has skyrocketed. My athletic ability has skyrocketed. My mental clarity has skyrocketed. My energy level has skyrocketed. The human body was not designed to eat cooked food, plain and simple. If you want to eat cooked food because you enjoy it, that’s perfectly fine. It’s your choice. But there is no health benefit that makes eating cooked food a better alternative to raw food.
I do agree that kids should be allowed to eat whatever they want. A child’s growing body is very demanding, so the idea is inclusion more than exclusion. Give em cooked food, raw food, and everything in between. A simple green smoothie every morning is a great way to enhance even the worst diet.
80/10/10 is a great lifestyle. I follow it myself 95% of the time. However, once or twice a month when I go out with friends, etc., I have no problems eating something cooked, or maybe having a sushi dinner, or maybe drinking a couple of cocktails at a bar or club. This isn’t a religion, it’s just food. As long as you go into this lifestyle with the right mindset, it will not fail you.
I was a vegan in college but raw foods weren’t for me. There is a certain protein content to each raw food that changes with cooking. So if you have a lot of allergies to pollen, grass and certain foods, you can “cross react” to certain proteins. If you have this problem, you know it because you will have an itchy mouth, throat, some swelling in the lips, etc. The condition is known as Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) that your body “mistakes” for other foods. So, for example, if you are allergic to rag weed, you may not be able to drink chamomile tea. Even if you don’t have this problem with certain foods, you should understand before embarking on a raw food diet that those proteins may not be in a bio-accessible form to the body. This isn’t true in all cases, but it is true in some cases that cooking makes it easier for the body to digest the nutrients (as long as you don’t overcook them). Also, you should consult a doctor before putting a child on a raw food diet. The calorie needs of a growing body are huge, but raw foods are notoriously low in calories and may not meet calcium requirements, among others, simply by virtue that the child is unable to consume the amount necessary to attain them. Children whose parents put them on a strict vegan diet have been known to have poorer bone and oral health because they may lack the nutrients most in demand by the body during growth spurts. Moreover, both adults and children may become B-12 deficient because few vegan food sources offer this nutrient. This can lead to permanent neurological and spinal health problems. Thirdly, a strict vegan diet may be low in Omega 3 fatty acids. Not everyone can absorb these crucial fats from flax seed and other sources according to a recent study, and fatty fish is still the best bio-available source. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce the likelihood of depression, soften dry skin, minimize acne, inhibit the formation of wrinkles, lessen inflammatory pain conditions, improve vascular and cardiac health, and sharpen cognitive function (learning/memory). So the key here is moderation: Don’t take ANY diet, even the ultra healthy vegan or raw food type, to an extreme. There is no “magic bullet” and the best all-around diet is one that you can sustain mentally as well as physically.
Difficult to eat out and in social situations.
Where do you eat that can’t make a simple salad, and – if that’s the case – should you be eating there?
Requires a complete overhaul of eating habits.
Simplicity.
Many dieters will not enjoy eating this way.
Which is why they’re overweight.
Some dieters may have difficulty maintaining the recommended exercise guidelines.
Paraplegics?
Dieters will undergo withdrawal and detoxification symptoms in the initial stages especially if they are regular users of caffeine and alcohol.
Why would you want to hold on to toxins?
Risk of nutritional deficiency especially if intake of leafy green vegetables is not adequate.
Which is true no matter how you eat.
May be too low in protein, essential fatty acids and minerals including zinc and selenium.
Untrue, and unfair to suggest.
May require the use of vitamin B12 supplements.
BS
many people have reported problems following a raw vegan diet
Mainly because they eat high fat instead of getting calories from fruit.
WOW can somebody say, “VEGAN!!!”