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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 1 lb mangoes |
| Dinner |
| Course 1
1 lb apricots |
| Course 2
Orange Pepper Tomato Soup (8 oz romaine lettuce 8 oz tomatoes 8 oz orange or yellow pepper Parsley sprig) |
| Course 3
Heirloom Avocado Salad (8 oz romaine lettuce 8 oz cucumber 12 oz tomatoes 6 oz avocado ΒΌ cup cilantro) |
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.
hi everyone.i have candida and hormonal imbalance.i have been doing the vegetable and protein candida diet,but it does not help much.my question is can i do the 80-10-10 diet even if i have candida.most candida diets say no fruits are allowed and some say in moderations.i want to detox my body and get healthy.is it true that fruits feed the candida or is it ok to eat fruits.i have read some stories about people on the internet that the vegetable and protein diet does not help and some say eating fruits and vegetable help get rid of candida.please does anyone know how to effectably get rid of candida.what is the best candida diet.thanks
Without a doubt, this “diet” is the best that has been put on print EVER.
I choke on the word “diet” because it is really a lifestyle.
If you treat it like a diet, you will fail, more than likely.
For those who begin it for weight loss (and I assure you, you will have more reasons to stay on it other than weight loss) if you have been on a higly calorie restricted diet in the past you will, in some cases (dont know why) gain a few pounds in a first few weeks,as your body adjusts to getting adequete calories and glucose. It will go back down, and you will achieve your lowest weight in your adult life within a few months.
For those who need to put on weight at this time, the addition of weight bearing exercise will accomplish this goal, slowly but surely.
I read the book. Not thoroughly enough so I’m reading it again. His points about more species appropriate diet (my words I think) seem so obvious that I can’t believe it hasn’t caught on more. I believe the book title might lead people to believe that this is a fad diet but this has been Grahams dietary lifestyle for a long time. I am 80/10/10 raw vegan until I lose 35 lbs and start triathlon training then I will reassess my dietary needs. I’m eating 1200 calories because I am sedentary after a hysterectomy. The weight is dropping pretty steadily and I’m doing almost no excercise. I understand that I would be dropping weight on any 1200 calorie diet. This diet allows me to eat a ton of high quality food instead of empty calories. I have to pay attention to make sure I get enough calories even at 1200. I have to make some adjustments to make sure I get up to 10% protein. It may be challenging to eat 2000 or so calories of raw vegan food once I begin training so I’ll see how it goes. I recommend the book to everyone and I have been lending it to people at work.
Sara, I know someone’s already addressed your comments, but i’d like to add that physical fitness and nutrition is not everything. It’s a lot, but not everything.
As humans we need to be continually exercising and developing mental, social, spiritual abilities as well.
I’m afraid that, even though some of your comments may be correct in many situations, they exhibit a deficiency in empathy. I hope it was just a momentary thing (as i know we all fall short ever-so-often). No one’s perfect
Love is the best all-natural supplement of all.
Hei ya!
First of all I am a vegam and I really dont wan to judge anybody if they eat meat or milk or dieries or whatever. Please Sara do not judge like this! I am a student and I usually find time to excersise but you know durind exam sessions is very difficult to exersise more than 4 or 5 times a week or sleep very well. So please do not judge or blame anybody! If you are concern about your body you will do effort if your not you stay unhealty and fat(just like i was before 250 pounds now 140) 5 feet 9!
I am wondering if this diet will help someone, like myself, who cannot exercise due to injuries, no cycling, walking, jogging, swimming, or exercise equipment of any kind. Will I still lose weight or will I gain weight? I am afraid of having the surgeries I need to resume physical activity and now I’m afraid of dying of obesity. I want to lose the weight and detox, then maybe I will feel safer having the surgeries.
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!!!”