Why the stomach expands on a raw, fruit-based diet
The size of our stomachs is roughly the size of a fist. A normal stomach can contain around 1 liter of liquids before it starts to expand. When we start to eat more raw fruits and vegetables, one of the challenges is being able to eat enough.
Fruitarianism
Fruitarians eat foods which contain between 70 – 99 percent water. Since our stomachs are used to denser foods based on our previous eating habits, it can be hard to eat enough to feel satiated. If you’re getting started on a high-fruit diet this is one the first things you’ll notice. Yet, don’t worry as our stomachs are very capable of expanding, and by continuing eating more of the juicy stuff it will get more flexible in time.
Transitional tips and tricks
In the beginning, it can be wise to focus on calorie-dense fruits like avocados, bananas and dates. Another way to make sure you stay satiated throughout the day is to have frequent meals. When I started to experiment with eating raw, I often eat up to 7-8 times a day. The weeks passed by and I was able to eat more at a time, after a few months I was able to eat two meals a day - while still getting my caloric needs met.
My own little experiment
After eating raw food for 3 months, I wanted to experiment with cooked foods again to observe the differences. I’ve always been that guy that never finishes his plate. I ate small portions, but counterbalanced that by eating 5-6 meals per day. I just could not eat a lot in one go and always left some food on the plate. So what happened when I tried eating cooked food after 3 months only on raw foods?
Well, one of the changes was that I was able to eat around triple the amount as of before. I eat three medium sized dishes in a great restaurant of Thailand and finished off with an amazing "mango sticky rice" dessert. I'd never seen my stomach as big after that meal.
I realized how much our stomach can expand. Our bodies are amazing! If you struggle to feel satiated on a fruit-based diet, you need to give the stomach some time to become more flexible.
When we are aware of the limitations of our own stomachs, we can adapt to this understanding and eat more often and focus on denser foods. And with time you will fit in greater volumes thanks to your flexible stomach!
Read more here!
Have you changed your diet and experienced similar changes?