This mum only eats and feeds her kids fruit and veg (Picture: Pam Johal/SWNS)
A mum says she’s raising her kids as fruitarians – surviving almost entirely on fruit and veg alone.
Pam Johal, 47, is a raw vegan – meaning she only eats uncooked fruit and vegetables and has done so for the last four years.
Before adopting her diet, she’d eat meat four times a week – until a health scare prompted a lifestyle overhaul.
The mum was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the beginning of 2020 – by August of that year, she claims her new diet had ‘reversed’ her symptoms.
Pam has cut out lots of her favourite foods, like cheesy pasta and bacon sandwiches, opting to live on mangos and avocado instead.
Now her children – Georgie, seven, and Henry, six – have adopted the diet because Pam says ‘a fruit smoothie a day keeps the doctor away’.
Pam loves fruit smoothies (Picture: Pam Johal/SWNS)
The kids never touch milk, eggs or processed meats but are occasionally allowed some vegan chocolate, ice cream and jelly.
Pam from Southampton, said: ‘I’ve lived on 90% fruit for four and a half years – I’ve never felt better.
‘I feel like I’m five years old. Even in my twenties, I didn’t feel as good as this.
‘My kids notice how I eat, I take them to vegan fairs and teach them the truth about food. They love the food I make and they never get sick.
‘My kids are always happy and thriving, they are always singing and dancing, they are much happier now they eat more raw vegan foods.’
What is a fruitarian diet and is it safe?
James Brown, associate professor in biology and biomedical science, Aston University, previously spoke to Metro.co.uk about the ‘fruitarian’ diet.
‘There is no definitive description of what a fruitarian diet should consist of, although one commonly cited ‘rule’ is that between 55% and 75% of the diet should comprise raw fruit. Beyond this, there is some variability; some fruitarians eat grains, some also eat nuts and oils.
Some fruitarians claim that ‘going raw’ has had marked benefits including curing cancer and eliminating bloating and body odour. There is no robust evidence to back up these claims.
The idea of consuming a fruit-only (or fruit-heavy) diet might appear a healthy option at first glance, but there are potentially many problems with this form of restrictive eating.
There are clear and significant physical health issues to consider when the human body is provided with a largely fruit-based diet. Following this eating pattern excludes essential food groups and nutrients that the body needs to maintain normal health.
While most fruit is considered to be healthy and nutritious, a diet that almost solely relies on fruits will be deficient in nutrients, including protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B (including vitamin B12) and D, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.
Deficiency in these nutrients can have significant health implications including rickets and osteomalacia (a softening of the bones), anaemia and issues with bones, muscles and skin. Put simply, fruit does not contain all the nutrients the body needs.
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Source:: Metro
