Diet Novelties .com

…„She has not eaten a hot meal in more than three years. Delicious roasts, nutritious pastas and Scotland’s own haggis and neeps are all off the menu for Iona N’Diaye.

Even vegetables have been given the chop. Instead, she lives on a diet of fruit, fruit and more fruit.

You might be forgiven for thinking Iona suffers from some rare food allergy.

Far from it. She sticks to her strict `Garden of Eden’ diet, which shuns all cooked food, by choice.

For the super-fit 40-year-old, of Dreghorn, near Irvine, Ayrshire, is one of a growing army of committed FRUITARIANS.

And she claims her diet gives her all the nutrients she needs.

Iona is one of a growing army of fruitarians, who shun all cooked foods.

For breakfast, she might have a few slices of melon or some grapes.

At lunchtime, something more substantial such as a couple of apples and a banana is just what the doctor ordered.

And in the evening, she might opt for a tangy pick-me-up meal of pineapple and oranges.

But she tends not to stick to specific meal times, preferring instead to eat small portions every two to three hours.

“It’s just about the most extreme diet you could imagine,” admits the mother-of-two. “But I’ve never felt better.

“Years ago, like most people, I loved roast beef and bacon sandwiches.

But I became vegetarian when I got interested in the Rastafarian faith and then, three years ago, I went the whole way and became a fruitarian.

“At first I felt awful, but that was because my body was going through the cleansing process,” she admits.

“It takes about a month to get rid of all the rubbish - then you start feeling the benefit.

“Now I don’t just feel healthier, I am more alert and aware of my body and all my senses seem heightened.”

Iona adds: “My diet does provoke some very odd responses from people.

“Even my friends think I’m mad, but they don’t mind.

“And I can still eat out with them because most restaurants have plenty of fruit to hand, especially if you call them in advance,” she explains.

The number of fruitarians is steadily increasing, says Susie Miller, who runs The Fresh Network, a support group for people who follow `raw food’ diets, which can include vegetables - not cooked, of course.

“Everyone has different reasons for switching to fruitarian or raw food diets,” says Susie.

“But many, like me, believe humans were not designed to eat meat and cooked foods.

“Our digestive systems and teeth are very similar to those of apes and survive on a diet of fruit and vegetation.”

Doctor Annie Anderson, of Glasgow’s Department of Human Nutrition, says people should eat more fruit and raw vegetables.

But she warns against a fruit-only diet. “One of the main problems is getting enough calories - you’d have to eat an aw-ful lot of fruit,” she says.

“If, as a result of eating nothing but fruit, you end up being underweight, that can in itself cause health problems.”

Fruit also lacks calcium - essential for strong bones - and iron, a lack of which can lead to anaemia, although fruitarians argue that these can be obtained from supplements.

“There are plenty of ways to avoid resorting to cooked food,” says Susie Miller.

“And apart from the obvious health benefits, one of the biggest advantages of a fruitarian lifestyle is that you don’t have any washing up to do!”

WHICH FRUITS HAVE THE MOST APPEEL?

Packed with vitamin C, pineapples contain bromeline, which aids digestion, and amino acids regulate the glands. Also rich in body cleansers, magnesium and manganese.

An all-round total wonder fruit, bananas are packed with carbohydrate for energy and stamina but low in fat. Also high in vitamins A,C, E and B6.

An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away. High in vitamins A and C which make them great for the digestive system and perfect for a clear complexion and healthy hair.

Forget about vitamin C supplements … a few juicy oranges are all you need. Brilliant for the immune system and just the job for warding off colds. …”