With all the different diets around it is not uncommon to hear of people going to extremes. The fruitarian diet is one that definitely pushes the limit with only a few brave soles being able to adhere to such a plan. Is it really healthy though?

You've likely known a few vegetarians in your day as this type of diet seems to be catching on among more and more people. Individuals are realizing that there are plenty of ways to meet their requirements from protein aside from consuming animal meat by ensuring their diet is rich in beans, legumes, nuts and soy products.

While there are different types of vegetarians, those who eat eggs, those who eat dairy, those who also eat fish and so on, most are still eating non-animal products such as whole grains bread, pasta, rice and beans. Fruitarians however, take this one step further.

A fruitarian diet is basically a diet that consists solely of fresh fruit and seeds. This would include things like pineapple, mango, banana, avocado, apples, melons, oranges, berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, hazelnuts, cashews, chestnuts and sprouted seeds.

While it may be definitely possible to obtain the necessary calories from a diet such as this, as nuts are quite calorie dense, I would strongly caution that it is not possible to obtain the necessary protein needed by the body, particularly if you are an exercising individual nor some of the major nutrients that are needed by the body (calcium and iron are two big examples). You should be aiming to get about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight if you workout regularly and have a goal of maintaining lean muscle muss. Trying to do this solely off fruit and nuts is going to be an extremely difficult task. Keep in mind also that on a very low calorie diet you will require a higher intake of protein since some of the dietary protein will be used as body energy thus making your requirements even higher. If you are on the fruitarian diet and aren't eating a lot of nuts, just mostly fruits and vegetables, chances are you are eating low calorie and this would apply to you.

Fruitarians also generally avoid cooking food at all costs, believing that nutrients are lost in the cooking process and it is no longer in its purest sense.

As diet is a relatively subjective and highly debatable topic, you will come across certain individuals who feel this is the best way to live. I would ask you however to really think about that. This diet is cutting out three of the major four food groups. How healthy can that really be? Obviously it is healthier than if the only thing you ate was fast food hamburgers day in and day out but if you are like most and eat a somewhat balanced diet, this is unlikely to come out on top.

You would be better advised to adopt SOME of the principles of the fruitarian diet, incorporating that into your current eating program but also including many of the other healthy foods that are available to humans today. You definitely by no means need to eat animal products to be healthy but having a larger variety of foods to choose from is likely your safest and smartest bet.