Who/what is a fruitarian ?

Well the easy, quick answer is "someone who eats fruit, nuts & seeds". What ? No eggs, cheese ? No - only fruit, nuts & seeds. Biltong ? No. Really ? Wine ? No, only- Bread ? No, only fruit, nuts- Are you sure ? Just fruit, nuts & seeds ? Yes.

OK, finally got that straight.

And then the next batch of FAQ's: You mean you eat like this EVERY day ? Isn't that boring ? Don't you get hungry ? Are you crazy ? (Yes, No, No, and No Comment.)

So what kind of person decides to become a fruitarian ? What does it take for someone to make such a commitment ?

Before I give you my take on that, just imagine this (if you're already a seasoned fruitarian you won't need to imagine it, you'll know): the best health & vitality you have ever known; abundant energy; a body which is supple, flexible, robust & years younger than your chronological age would indicate; sharpened senses; a clear, agile & peaceful mind...

Now who wouldn't want that ? You mean - all of this comes just from eating a fruit diet ? No. What do you mean, "No"? Well, it's true that the fruitarian diet brings enormous benefits, but it can do way, way more. It is but the beginning, the key to the real treasures. So here is my honest answer to that first question: A fruitarian is someone who – through making a conscious commitment to live on a fruitarian diet – opens the door to his/her own healing and conscious evolution, and contributes to the restoration of the integrity of the natural world.

Oh. OK. So what about the second question: Who in his/her right mind would sign on for this?

I can be flippant here & relate a couple of anecdotes. But you know, in touching on these matters, we're looking into the most personal & painful corners of people's lives. That deserves - at the very least - that one should tread delicately & with respect. So, wearing my grown-up hat...

The truth is that in the greatest number of instances (by far) we don’t have an elegant progression towards fruitarianism. Many of us arrive there through a brutal confrontation with the reality of our lives – and the witnesses to that moment are not gentle & pretty. Desperation, disease, pain, debility – a body & spirit exhausted beyond bearing. In that moment, we are ready to sign on for whatever change we need to make.

Of course we can choose the fruitarian way without having to go through such depths – and some people do. It is not necessarily a better or a worse way to arrive at fruitarianism – in each individual case the metamorphosis required will bring with it a treasure trove of teachings. Omnivores who take the scenic route – via vegetarianism, and veganism, to fruitarianism – will learn a great deal about themselves and the world they live in; so will the impatient traveller who takes the courageous shortcut and relishes the adventure of leaping into the unknown; and so too will the fragile & bruised ones who no longer see any other hope than to surrender to this journey of last-resort. All of them will meet with challenges to their progress, as well as the most tender guidance – and all of them will gain immeasurably.

You might ask: Why are there so few fruitarians ? The short answer to this - alas, as I know from personal experience - is the following: The human being is essentially & fundamentally lazy. We can dress this up in all kinds of psychologeze, but the fact remains that it takes something of a psychic earthquake to get most of moving. Oh we can be very busy & active & achieve wonderful things. Especially when we’re busy with distractions & indulgences, or can be paid (bribed) to Achieve. But watch the inertia when the task at hand involves personal change. We can become astonishingly inventive at finding reasons (excuses) for not budging. “My family/spouse/religion won’t let me”; “I first need to do this, finish that, begin something else”; “I won’t have any friends left”; “I am not ready”; “I could never do that – I do not have the willpower”.

Classic ruses, especially the lack-of-willpower excuse. That is a particularly useful scapegoat – never mind the fact that the willpower-issue is something of a myth; it will serve to sabotage any self-improvement intention whenever we feel It’s just too much trouble, too much hassle – we’re just too (sorry !) Lazy.

Oh and the suffocating comfort of Habit ! The way we’ve always done things – the way we are used to living & thinking - the familiar social rituals of our culture. Somewhere along the line we somehow got the idea that Habits are sacrosanct, and to change them would be to violate a taboo. Habits, customs and taboos are tribal issues, and they will have a paralyzing magnetic hold on us until we are awake enough (or desperate enough) to embark on the journey to our own empowerment. The way we commune with our food is an Identity issue, and until we are ready to examine it as such, it is far easier & safer to remain (unhealthily and unhappily if need be) within tribal confines.

So we suffer a little longer, we complain a little more; we look for more sympathy and find it; we ask for more advice, receive it, and follow it – or we don’t. Our precious days slip away as we bury our discomforts and our unease under loads of unfinished, unexamined baggage; we silence the small insistent inner voice which urges us to action through mindless & mind-numbing indulgence in our drugs-of-choice; we blame, we rationalize, we play the victim, and we adjust stoically to the steadily increasing suffering of our body, mind & spirit.

Until one day, we wake up, and realize that there has to be another way. We are drawn to the vision of a life which is more than just the unremarked diminishing of who we are, and even more tragically, who we might have been. We wake up to the fact that we have the capacity for something much greater.

So we take the leap. And then we discover the most marvellous thing - we find a freedom we've not known before, a gift for unbounded joy we never thought we'd rediscover; we realize that we're courageous & strong & fascinating in a way we've simply just not seen before.

Here's the bottom line: There are certain choices one can make only when one is ready to wake up, and grow up. For some of us, Fruitarianism is such a choice.

Next time: how about something testosteronic ? The Man with - if I can persuade him - the sheepskin boots...