Frugivore Equals Frugal

I forget if I mentioned it before, but I'm eating the natural diet of a frugivore, one of the primate variety, not the bird variety. I think that being a frugivore also entails being an insectivore, but since the FDA has approved a certain amount of bug parts per ton I guess it's okay if I swallow an occasional mosquito or gnat, or find half a worm in my apple.

My typical frugivorian diet consists of, in no particular order, and without regard for "traditional" mealtimes: 1/2 sweet and juicy cantelope, 1 apple, 1 banana, several nectarines or peaches, a cup of any cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries in season, all the mulberries I can find in the woods, tomato salad with shredded carrot and 1/2 ripe avocado, a handful of fresh raw nuts in season, and the occasional mango, kiwi, and other exotic fruits. It is so delicious and satisfying that I'm not craving anything else. Though the one day I was stuck at my son's house and ran out of fruit I confess to having attacked and slain some brocolli and a cauliflour. I'm ashamed to say that I steamed them with a little grapeseed oil and garlic powder. It was not a pretty sight. Apparently fruit is luscious and appetizing alone, while most vegetables seem to benefit from a little creative gastronomic experimentation to make them more palatable. I still like vegies, and will continue to eat any that are palatable in their raw state, but so far eating fruit alone is satisfying to me.

Even being a longtime vegan I was a sceptic when I first heard of Natural Hygiene. After a week on the diet I understand it. My nimble fingers and tiny teeth and jaws seem to be the perfect tools for gathering and eating fruit in its natural state. I can theoretically eat most fruit without cleaning or preparing it. If I was in a wild state of nature without a sharp knife I would simply use a rock to smash open a watermelon, cantelope, or pineapple. I can eat bananas, apples, pears, berries, peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers straight off the trea, bush, or vine. I believe that is the natural diet.

But with that said, I do believe we would not have civilization as we know it without agriculture and food storage techniques. Plus the accompanying food preparation techniques that have evolved in the past 10,000 years. I admire those techniques and am familiar with most of the foods. I believe a human can live and reproduce on a strictly agrarian diet. But, I'm trying to eat in an "optimal" way. I'm trying to allow my body to easily digest its food and avoid introducing the toxins that come from less optimal foods and preparation methods. I'm not sure though if I'm going to enjoy a hike that involves carrying about 2 lbs of fruits per day. I think I will go for 1/2 lb of fresh fruit with dense nutrition, 1/8 lb of a dehydrated fruit, 1/8 lb of nuts, and 1/4 lb of fresh sprouts as a daily hiking ration. That is 1 lb per day. The fresh fruit will be 1/2 each lemon & avocado daily, plus 1 tomatoe and 1 apple. I think these will transport the easiest and keep the longest if cut in half if I use the lemon as a "preservative". The best part is that I can just toss the leftovers and not worry about packing it in and then packing it out.

I'll try it soon and let you know how it works.