Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Raw......why do we need a label?

So often I am asked the question(s). Are you a vegan? What are living foods? Paleo....isn't that raw meat? Seriously, why must we have labels? How can I possibly stick a "one-word" description on my nutrition philosophy. It has been cultivated through many years of personal research, experience, education and my own personal health journey. I have declared myself a raw vegan in the past when I followed a 100% living, plant based food program (I will describe my RAW experience at length in my book) I have also been gluten free, sugar free, casein free, high carb, low carb---I have basically tried ALL the bowls of porridge-just like Goldilocks and feel as though I have FINALLY perfected my understanding of our naturally intended diet. It was there all along!

So, in the interest of an answer to the questions of labeling and grouping of dietary interests. Here we go;

Q: Are you a vegan? Vegetarian? Raw foodist?

A: By labeling standards..... NO.

First let me define what these "labels" mean, generally speaking. Vegetarian= eats animal products, such as milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt and grains. There are variables like Ovo (eggs),Lacto (dairy) and Pesca (fish) Vegetarians. A true vegetarian will abstain from all meat. They eat all fruits/veggies, legumes and nuts. Vegan= eats grains,soy, veggies, fruit and a lot of nuts. Abstains from all animal meat and all animal products even honey (which has actually been called been called bee spit among a few other selective terms, haha). Raw foodist= eats foods that are never heated above 105 and 115 degrees (conflicting enzyme breakdown theories)uncooked, plant foods that are prepared by sprouting, dehydrating, blending and soaking (very labor intensive!!!). They abstain from ALL animal products, animal meat and all cooked foods. There are even "fruitarians" in this group---do not get me started on that health disaster, yikes!

These are some of the most common and slightly trendy (if i might add) "health" diet fads going around. Please understand, I am not criticizing anyone who has strong convictions in any of these directions. Some of these decisions are based on ethical treatment of animals, environmental issues, religous beliefs and the like. I would suggest, for ANY one interested in a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle- to read Lierre Keiths "The Vegetarian Myth". It has helped me in a very profound way with my own understanding and beliefs about my food. You can find it here at my Primitive Diva Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/healliviwithm-20 ~ I do understand that a lot of available information can be confusing to discern and sift through when there are so many books and people telling us so much conflicting information about what is healthy and what is not. (trust me, i know--I have read them ALL) I hope I can empower each of you to take a step back and just think about the simple and very basic premise behind our bodies design and our naturally available sustenance.

So bearing in mind that people love to catagorize and label other people, I came up with a label for myself and any like-minded-individuals. Despite the fact that it's really not my thing to label, and I have spent years resisting the urge to do this...I can only call myself a REAL FOODIST... if you want a TRUE description of how I eat and what I support passionately. I look at my nutrition from a very primitive perspective.

REAL FOODIST= (i.e. Melissa Humphries) Eats TONS of fresh (raw) fruits, vegetables, smoothies, sprouted/soaked nuts and seeds.LOVES fermented foods, drinks and veggies! Eats only LOCAL grass-fed (and grass finished), pastured animal meat, pastured poultry and eggs, wild caught fish (locally available IF possible) raw or fermented milk products, raw cheese (mostly goat and some cow), a very minimal amount of sprouted whole grain (homemade) products. I am mostly grain-free for my optimal health. I also do not consume ANY processed sugars. This is not a TREND for a NEW way of eating. It is the most PRIMITIVE, it is how people ate for thousands of years....BEFORE the grocery store, BEFORE money-hungry food manufacturers, BEFORE trendy "health" food diets, BEFORE cancer and heart disease were THE leading cause of death to humans!

Take a moment to think about your own label. A label that would define your way of eating. Do you have a firm belief that what you put in your body is the best for creating and supporting great health and vitality? Do you think that your current diet is the way nature intended? If not, then simply get back to the primitive basics......and remember, be mindful of WHERE you food comes from- be it the ground OR its mother. So, follow me in a movement to reclaim our food and our health. A movement whose roots lie in sensible, nutritious eating with an emphasis on eating the way nature intended.


Be well and be Primitive!

Much love,
Melissa~ The Primitive Diva