My stance on The 80 10 10 Diet

It all started a couple months ago when a good friend of mine decided that he needed to give up alcohol for 6 weeks. We both ate well, trained hard but for him, boozing it up to the extent of 20 - 30 standard drinks per week was the norm. That's you I'm talking about Roaddog! Anyway, I decided to set myself a challenge. Booze was not really an issue for me so I decided to try the 80 10 10 diet out. I had been introduced to it about 18 months before by reading a thread on a health forum. The guy was terribly intelligent and put forth many compelling arguments as to why humans were designed to thrive on this way of eating. Since that time I swapped protein shakes for fresh fruit after workouts and was surprised at my increased strength gains and improved energy and recovery. In general, I started eating more fresh fruit and veg, reduced meat consumption and still ate grains and dairy. I remember my first vegetarian day. I was so surprised that I actually got through the day without eating meat! I had been mislead by mainstream body building and fitness advice. I thought that I needed to eat all this protein to grow muscle. My diet was relatively clean, or so I thought. I ate very little junk food, no soft drinks, limited alcohol etc. My weight hovered around 70kgs. I'm 173cm and was about 30 at that time. I could never get the 6 pack abs kind of definition I was after. Back to recent times, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity for me to eat 80 10 10 and see what it could do for me. There was a learning curve, it wasn't always easy, especially the first 2.5 weeks but I was committed and my determination saw me through the month without giving in to the temptation of eating cooked food. I followed 80 10 10 almost exactly, especially the last 2 weeks when I had a much better understanding of what 80 10 10 meant. In any case, for 4 weeks I ate nothing but fresh ripe raw and in many cases organic fruits and vegetables, and a few nuts and seeds. I also drank nothing but water but actually drank very little as with every bite of raw f&v, I was already hydrating myself. I experienced amazing benefits! Increased energy, perfect digestion, clean skin, mental clarity, strength gains, faster recovery, sounder sleep, increased muscular definition (hello abs) and a feeling of lightness and athleticism. I feeling I hadn't felt since I was a teenager after playing lots of sport my whole life and before partying! Loved it! No negatives whatsoever! I recorded a video journal of my progress http://www.youtube.com/user/GetRealHealth. After this, I went back to eating cooked foods again, but with a vengeance! Immediately, I felt a slump in my vitality. The contrast hit me in the face! I then decided to go 80 10 10 with the exception of 1 cooked meal a week. This worked well for about 3 weeks. I slowly started eating more cooked foods and then I had a one week holiday where I lifted all the constrictions I had placed on myself and just had fun! Since then, I now eat predominantly whole fresh ripe raw organic fruits and vegetables because I want to and feel great doing so. If the need or want arises, like a social outing or just because, I will eat something cooked like grass-fed beef or drink a coffee, or eat some take-away or drink Tequila shots etc without feeling like I have 'broken' a rule. I have also decided to 'live a little'. This freedom combined with my optimal results eating 80 10 10 has enhanced my overall quality of life. I have found a great balance and really enjoy eating a shit load of fruits and vegetables.