Fruitarians

Yes. People who eat only (or, I should say, mostly: 80%) fruit. They exist. And at least from the pictures, they look pretty healthy.

They recently got together for their annual festival in upstate New York and numbers would suggest the concept is gaining in popularity - the festival enjoyed 50% higher attendance this year than last. I'm not terribly surprised - folks are always looking for the next silver bullet in wellness. And the likelihood is that Fruitarianism will hit its peak at some point and then interest will wane, replaced by the next thing.

While it's hard to imagine that eating 80% fruit is sustainable, consider the unfortunate percentage of the American population who gets by on 80% artificial, highly-processed foods. In comparison, fruit sounds pretty damn good!

Okay, so I'm rolling my eyes a little bit too. Are these people truly motivated by "wellness" or are they just out to make some silly statement and to attract a bunch of press? In truth, it's probably a little bit of both when you average them all out. But let's put aside our judgements for the moment, and pull two important nuggets from Fruitarianism:

1. FRUIT IS GOOD. Fruit has gotten a mixed rap over the past couple of decades. Dreaded carbs! Loads of sugar! But the reality is, fruit is a super-food. The carbs are good carbs (and carb profiles vary from fruit to fruit so choose from a wide variety and there's little to worry about.) The sugar is natural sugar. And that sugar is appropriately balanced with loads of fiber to ensure healthy digestion. Just how nature intended.

2. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. I doubt all 600 people who attended this year's festival are truly healthy living on 80% fruit. But I'm certain some are. We are all different. A concept I keep coming back to is bio-individuality. What works for me may be detrimental for you, and vice versa. If you're trying to get healthier, don't just copy everything that woman in your spin class is doing and assume it's going to work just as well for you. It may, but it may not. We all have to experiment and be open - stick with it and you'll ultimately find what works, and what's sustainable. (And remember I'm available to help!) If that's 80% fruit, well, so be it!