Gulf News: Are there any foods that you used to eat that you miss? What?
Jaye Lentin: During my transition towards a raw foods lifestyle there were numerous occasions where I revisited foods that I thought were my favorite. One of the first was pizza; another was Thai vegetable curry with tofu. I had tasty memories of these items, but when I ate them they were hard to digest, dehydrating and I needed to sleep off the effects. The foods I eat now are full of nutrients, water and life. I no longer miss things that used to compromise my health.
What is the best thing about your diet?
Eating a natural, clean diet has balanced my life beyond my wildest imagination. I have real energy that is no longer consumed by my body trying to process unnatural food. I feel like my mind is awake for the first time. My body is in the best athletic condition of my life and emotionally I feel more balanced than ever before. The simple act of supplying the body with what it truly needs leaves me free to embrace living without any debilitating side effects.
And the worst thing?
There is no down-side to a healthy lifestyle. I look better, feel better, perform better and I’m more open to truly connecting with people, because my emotions are not dulled by processed foods, drugs or stimulants. There is a frustrating element for me, and that is I know how so many people could benefit from a healthy lifestyle. I am always happy to share knowledge with interested people but at the end of the day everyone has to make their own choices.
What – if anything – would make you stop your current raw food diet?
I enjoy taking a logical approach to the things that interest me. If reliable scientific research and supportive case studies could prove that a raw food lifestyle was responsible for poor health then I would reconsider my diet. If I began to feel bad and notice a decline in my health then I would reconsider my diet. The fact is, I have only experienced improvements in my health and there is a mountain of solid science, case studies and living examples of long term raw foodists that show us how living actively and eating fresh fruits and vegetables will reverse disease and promote a healthy, thriving body and mind.
What would you say to someone that thinks your diet is a bit crazy?
I’ve held people’s hands while they die of cancer and I think that’s crazy. I’ve seen an athletic man of 27 have a heart attack and I think that’s crazy. I exercise every day, I only drink water, I get fresh air and sunshine and I eat fruits and vegetables in their natural state. If someone thinks I’m crazy they need to take a long hard look at the definition of the word and get back to me. My lifestyle choices couldn’t be more rooted in logic, science and conservative thinking even if I tried.
How long will you continue with your current diet?
I can’t imagine eating any other way. There is simply no substitute for the wonderful variety of flavours and nutrition that my body receives from fruits and vegetables. They fill my cells with life and I will live on them until I depart.
Do you get bored of fruit and vegetables sometimes?
Never. There is endless variety in my diet. I usually eat simply at each meal. I may have only bananas for lunch. Variety comes through the year as different fruits and vegetables come into season. When travelling I get to enjoy fresh produce that is exclusive to the country I’m visiting. Also, when a food truly meets your body’s needs you see it as fuel, so it’s never boring. No animal in the wild seeks variety in a single meal. They eat one kind of food until they are satisfied without getting bored.
If you have a ‘food hangover’ now – how do you recover?
If I eat food that is processed, cooked, spiced or salted I always experience side effects. If I consume food that is not optimal, I recover by fasting until the ill effects have passed. I will consume only water to rehydrate. This helps to keep digestion of bad food as simple as possible for the body to deal with.
Is eating out at restaurants a problem for you?
The difficulty is to not be tempted to make bad choices. When I first began changing my diet I was still mentally attached to many nutritionally poor foods. Now I can almost always get a fresh squeezed orange juice and a green salad. If there is nothing on a menu, I’ll just socialise without eating. Usually I would have already had a refuelling of juicy fruit and vegetables at home before heading to a restaurant.
How has your diet affected your social life?
I used to hang out with friends in smoky bars and restaurants until all hours of the morning. Now I meet friends for yoga classes, mountain climbing or bike rides. Picnics in a park or on the beach are also fun. My social life revolves around non-destructive activities that support my health and challenge me to constantly improve.
Is your diet easy to follow, or does it take a lot of effort to balance?
The diet is very easy to follow. The struggle is to reprogramme habits that have been embedded in our minds from years of repetition. I have spent the last six years reading and researching nutrition and health and the way I eat now is the logical result of this research. I am also driven by a strong desire to feel fantastic and this motivates change.
If you are equipped with knowledge and motivation then change is easy. If you are mindlessly hopping around trying everything then you will never get rid of bad habits.
What is your favourite raw food recipe?
I love to eat simply. Half a watermelon with a spoon in it is one of my favourite meals. Also, nothing beats a fresh ripe durian that you can split open with your hands. In the evening a delicious meal I love to make is half a fresh ripe pineapple blended with four tomatoes and two red capsicums. I’ll pour this into a bowl and eat it as a raw soup.
Do you feel like you need to go out of your way to explain and justify your diet?
I do explain my diet fairly often, mostly because people are very interested and curious to know more about healthy living. The majority of people are open to the idea of living on fresh raw produce even if they don’t see themselves ever doing it.
Do you think it would have been as easy to follow if you were doing it alone?
It has been a wonderful experience to move towards my current lifestyle with my wife. Together we have supported each other through some life-altering changes and we have both been equally dedicated to health and fitness as individuals and as a couple. I know that our partnership has definitely made my journey very easy. That said, as individuals we both still struggled through bad habits and stubborn emotions when letting go of our old lifestyles. Eating raw foods is not a diet we follow; it is a healthier lifestyle choice that is the result of researching concrete nutritional science. It is the optimal choice to fuel the body and this makes it easy to stick with.
Will this diet be sustainable if/once you decide to start a family?
Absolutely, it’s fruits and vegetables. Collectively they are the number one and two sources of all nutritional requirements for the human body. This does not change for men, women or children. No-one requires disease-causing foods at any point in their lives. My wife and I are friends with a number of families that have raised their children on raw foods and the results are always fit, healthy athletic kids that are full of life. I can’t wait to share tropical vacations with my children picking fresh ripe foods from the trees.
You bring a lot of food to work, and often blend it in the office too. Would that have been tolerated if you didn’t have a room/office of your own?
I think it would be tolerated. Everyone that I work with knows that I am dedicated to healthy living and my company and peers have always been encouraging. If it were different, I would have reconsidered my job. I would also reconsider living anywhere that did not have fresh fruits and vegetables available. Where I work and where I live have to support my lifestyle. I will never compromise on this.
How important is it to have an exercise routine that complements your diet?
Exercise is one essential part of wellness. If you don’t exercise you are compromising your health. The human body is built to move and responds positively to athletic movement. Physical activity gives us strong bones and strong muscles. Daily exercise is an integral part of my life. So are quality sleep, fresh water and regular exposure to sunshine and fresh air. If I compromise on any of these my health will suffer. Raw food is my body’s fuel, quality sleep recharges my battery and allows my body to repair and recover, fresh water keeps me hydrated so all cellular functions can be carried out correctly and exercise is the physical expression of being alive that stimulates my body to become stronger and constantly build and improve.
