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Expert: RawPalaeoGuy - 10/8/2008


Question
Hi,
I have recently started looking into the RAF Diet as a means of improving health and well being..
My question is, how is endurance training affected by this type of diet. I am a keen ultra distance runner and triathlete and, although I want to transfer across to the RAF diet, I don't want to sacrifice my training forever. I am hoping that once I go through the transitional stages of the RAF diet that my endurance abilities will remain the same if not get better. Will this happen? Do you have any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

Answer
Well, there have been some concerns re raw zero-carb(or indeed, cooked zero-carb) as regards anaerobic-level exercise(though aerobic exercise is considered fine on zero-carb, raw or otherwise). Other than raw, zero-carb, though, you have nothing to worry about, re endurance-related exercise-activity. I actually find that my endurance has improved remarkably on a RAF diet, albeit not on zero-carb. So, go in for some raw carbs, whatever they may be(ie fruit/veg/honeycomb). Some (low-carb)RAFers go in for small amounts of cooked, complex carbohydrates, such as cooked potatoes just before a race, but I don't recommend really, due to health concerns.

Here's a Randy Roach article on the history of raw food in bodybuilding, which may be of interest:-

http://www.westonaprice.org/men/splendidspecimens.html

HTH,
RPG.

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RawPalaeoGuy

Expertise

I can answer most questions on Raw Animal and Vegetable Food Diets such as the Primal Diet, an organic, raw-meat-based diet and a number of similiar all-raw or partially raw Paleolithic diets, such as the Instincto, Weston-Price, Neanderthin, Paleo and Stefansson Diets. Can also offer advice on how to resist social pressure to eat cooked foods etc. For further info on Raw-Animal-Food diets, it's a good idea to browse through GoodSamaritan's website, http://www.rawpaleodiet.com/ , and also to join the following two forums and read their message-archives :- rawpaleoforum.com and http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawpaleodiet/

Experience

I have been 8 years on a 99%+ raw version of the Palaeolithic Diet and experienced numerous health benefits as a result, being fully recovered from my previous symptoms from my cooked-food days. My own individualised raw, paleolithic diet routine is mostly based on Aajonus Vonderplanitz's Primal Diet(ie 99% raw, usage of "high-meat",no processed supplements, using primarily naturally-reared, organic or wild sources of raw foods) but, for personal reasons, I have also been, to some extent, influenced by ideas from:- Instincto(ie:- taste/instinct,no raw dairy/no raw veggie juice), Weston-Price(eg: preferring grassfed meat to grainfed meat, incorporating a wide variety of raw organ-meats into my diet along with the usual muscle-meats, and Vilhjalmur Stefansson(high-fat diet, pretty high proportion of (raw) animal food), but also eating some raw carbohydrates such as raw organic/wild fruit/veg/honeycomb etc.). I'm also a firm believer in the feast-and-famine idea (ie Intermittent Fasting) as regards boosting one's energy levels, and giving my body a rest from constant digestion.

Organizations
Rawpaleodiet Community(Comprising rawpaleoforum , rawpaleodiet yahoo group and the rawpaleodiet.com website among others).

Publications
Allexperts and Rawpaleodiet.com

Education/Credentials
No nutritional qualification(I don't believe in standard(misguided) nutritionist doctrine, so I don't feel the need). I simply rely on mine and many others' long-term experiences of raw, palaeolithic diets and I've read most of the books that are vaguely relevant to a raw-meat diet.

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