[updated!]
Thinking maybe you'd like to try out fruitarianism? I highly recommend it. It'll be so good for you - your health, your weight, your self esteem, your karma.... Just everything.
However, it's not super easy when you're starting out. Especially for those who are used to a SAD. So, since success is the goal, I wanna offer some tips and tidbits for any beginners out there - as well as my congratulations and wish that it all goes really well for you and you realize how amazing the diet is!
1) Transition period! Though it's absolutely possible to switch straight from SAD to fruitarian, it is going to be significantly harder. Switching to vegan, raw vegan, or frugan are all transitional options that will make it easier to switch over into 100% fruitarianism. Veganism is, of course, when one eats only food products produced by plants. Raw veganism is the same, only followers of this diet do not cook their food. This would be one step closer to fruitariansim than cooked veganism, but the follower will still eat nuts and heavier veggies and things - which the body is used to from the SAD. Fruganism is another option, where the diet consists of only fruit, but fruit can be eaten cooked or raw, whatever.
Personally, I arrived at fruitarianism over several years (my story is available here if you're curious or interested). At first, I was vegan, a year later I switched to raw veganism, and a year later, here I am - fruitarian. Obviously a year isn't necessary in between everything, it was just a natural progression for me. Though I arrived here by following the veganism path, looking back I must say now I think I actually would recommend fruganism as a transitional diet over vegan or raw veganism, though they are all good options, each healthier than the last.
2) Always have plenty of raw, fresh fruit around! If you get hungry, you will be tempted to indulge in other, less healthy options! Also, always make sure you're eating enough raw, fresh fruit! That means eating until you are full! I know that there are people who start a diet like this with the goal of losing weight. Don't worry, you will lose weight, I promise! Eat as much fruit as you like - check out this young lady who lost significant amounts of weight on about 3,000cals of fruit a day! Think of it this way. If you eat plenty of fruit, you are eating what your body wants, it is naturally able to deal with it, and for whatever reason our bodies naturally return to their optimal shape and weight on pure fruit. However, if we try to interfere with this process by cutting calories, ect, our body starts to think it's starving. Which leads to binging. And the body, trying to protect us, puts on as much extra fat as it can, to protect us for the next time this happens.
So, moral of the story is - learn to appreciate what your body is trying to do for you, and then stop fighting it. Just show your body that it no longer needs to worry about not getting enough nutrients, so instead of trying to store them - it can focus on making you the healthiest, happiest, most attractive person you can be.
3) Detox. This is just something to be aware of. In the years that you have spent on SAD, your body has built up toxins. Probably grossly large amounts of toxins, that it was unable to ever clear out entirely, becasue more and more kept being piled on top of old ones... and it just turned into a huge mess. Now that you are starting out eating just fresh, cleansing, easy-to-digest fruit, your body can finally get rid of all the toxins that have been weighing you down and slowly killing you and making you miserable for years. These toxins will be being pulled from your fat stores and things, and into your bloodstream to be discarded as waste.
Since all these toxins are going to be interracting with your body, you are definately going to feel it. Headaches, sickeness... I dunno, it wasn't that bad for me 'cause I've been working my way here ever so slowly since I was 12. But chances are, you will feel it. And you'll be miserable. I'm really not trying to scare you away; that's the last thing I want to do; I just want you to understand that what is causing the discomfort is not this new diet, but your old one, all the problems that have built up because of it. It's hard work, getting rid of that shiit. Don't be too quick to blame it on the one thing that can make you better.
Depending upon your level of toxicity, this detox could really last from a week to to half a year - with incredibly varied degrees of discomfort. Just know that when you pull through and you're on the other side - no matter how much detox sucks, I swear on anything that it will really, absolutely be worth it.
4) You will probably be hungry. Super, super, insatiably hungry at first. For the first week or two, maybe a month. Your body is used to having heavy foods. A 'lump' in your stomach. Fresh fruit, with it's high water content will not do this. Again, don't hold back. Eat and eat and eat, as much fruit as you want - until you feel like you don't need more food. The feeling will go away eventually, your body gets used to the fruits. Eating this way becomes the only way. That lump becomes an evil, weird, foreign thing. I promise. And that's the way it's s'posed to be.
5) Have as much variety in your fruit as you can get. You don't want to get bored.There is a lot you can do with fruits, by way of mixing them; especially veggie fruits. (I have a link to some of my favorite recipes in the upper right corner), and there are just an abundance of different and exciting options when if comes to fruit out there. But it really sucks, and can be really hard - again, especially at frist - when you don't have a lot of options, or all you have to pick from is an apple and an orange, while there are SO many different cooked food options you could be choosing from.
6) When I first went fruitarian, I was definitely eating too many avocados and olive oil. Having so much fat in my diet made me feel pretty fatigued, sluggish, and foggy. If a high-fat diet is sustained, it can lead to some real, serious problems down the road - even if you're getting the fat from "good" sources. Stay away from oils entirely. It's okay to have an avocado everyone in a while, but don't make a habit of it. Definitely focus on sweet, juicy fruits.
7) Make sure you're staying hydrated. You may or may not still have to drink water on this diet (depending upon what kinds of fruits you are eating and climate). In my opinion, the best way to judge this is to make sure your pee is clear every time you go to the bathroom. If it is at all yellow-tinted, you need to drink some water right away, you are getting dehydrated.
That's all I've got for now, I will add more if I think of anything - but for now, good luck, I really truly wish you the best! You're gonna love it!
