Hi Bill-

Thanks for the response! I think the keys for many readers are a few things:

First, there’s the idea of bio-individuality — meaning, what works for you might not work for me, and vice-versa. This is of course due to differences in people’s metabolisms, ages, genetics, gender, build-types, etc. If you’ve found that perfect balance for you, then that’s super. I’ve tried living the way you mentioned, and have read basically all of the various diet/lifestyle books/schools/regimens, etc., that exist, and have tried many of them. Raw vegan is what actually works best *for me*. (That’s aside from my own personal commitment to at least stay vegetarian for ethical reasons.)

Next, I would encourage anyone who’s struggled with weight loss to try raw veganism for a bit because it just might work, and won’t hurt anyone — unlike purposely upping your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, as you’re suggesting, which I view as potentially extremely dangerous (especially for those needing to lose weight in the first place). For every Nina Teicholz / Atkins person / etc., there’s someone on the other side of the aisle (the plant-based side — e.g., T. Colin Campbell) with proof of how ingesting those saturated fats leads to cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.

So, like everything else in this screwed up political world, diet can be reduced to a belief system for all practical purposes. In my view (which holds the same sway as yours, with our both being just random internet people), the *illusion* is that eating your way is unhealthy for most people (although perhaps not you). This is why I entitled the article “What *I* Do…”. I wanted to share my personal experience as a possibility for others who’ve maybe had a tough time dropping weight.

And, btw, I have zero issues with EV Olive Oil or cider vinegar. I think they’re both healthy. And yes, we do need some fats. I just tend to feel best and weigh less when those fats come from natural plant-based sources — nuts, seeds, oils, and various fruits that have them (coconuts, etc.).

Anyway, thanks for the response, even if we disagree on some items. I really do think we each have our own journeys. Higher-fat regimens are super well known, in my opinion, whereas raw veganism seems still kind of below the radar — perhaps, as you said, because it can be a big change for most. Even for me, knowing what I know to be true for myself, I find myself falling back to plain old vegetarianism much of the time.