The article below was written by Lauren Whiteman and I feel it’s such an important article shedding light on why a Raw Vegan diet is not to blame for the passing of Zhanna, please read on…
“RAW VEGAN DIES OF STARVATION?
HOW THE MEDIA SPINS CONTENT TO CREATE FEAR
You may have seen a recent article in the Murdoch-owned NY Post discussing the passing of Zhanna Samsonova, also known as Zhanna D’art on Instagram. Zhanna was known to eat a diet composed of tropical fruits, sprouts, smoothies, and juices. Though no official cause of death has been released, it seems the reporting has been very quick to blame her untimely death on veganism and a raw food diet. Sadly the disease industry has never been shy of using tragic events to mislead the public with their fear-based campaigns and the latest article by the NY Post is no different.
The pharma-funded news media release these fictionalized or manipulated stories as often as they can in an attempt to dissuade the public from researching how health is acquired. They pounce on stories of people who are not eating the natural diet but have some type of overly restrictive diet that is unhealthy in order to poison the well and to act as gatekeepers against the exploration of the links between diet and disease. They use many dishonest rhetorical tactics including the use of misleading headlines, bait and switch, false correlations, and editorial conclusions not supported by the evidence to twist the story to fit the prescribed narrative and create clickbait.
Usually, these articles are about vegans killing their babies by starving them on a “vegan diet,” something which arguably does not even exist as veganism is an ethical philosophy predicated on minimizing the suffering of animals, not a diet. The issue has nothing to do with being vegan or eating a natural diet and everything to do with neglect and poor parenting which can happen with any diet. However, this article provides a slightly different spin. In this article, they take advantage of the tragic death of someone under medical care who clearly has an eating disorder to continue to wage their war on raw foods and veganism. The bait and switch here presents veganism and raw foods as the cause of death rather than what the evidence suggests: Underplayed is anorexia, mental health disorders, and medical interventions, of which they provide no information. The piece admits we have no formal cause of death, and we are also missing information about the medical treatments received in the days or weeks leading up to her death. This leaves us with an inaccurate and incomplete accounting of how the events may have transpired.
To me, there are a number of red flags in the article that jump out right away. While they don’t state the cause of death or go into any detail on the medical treatments this woman was put through, they do clearly admit that she was under medical treatment at the time of her death. Commonly these medical treatments will include rehydration through saline drip, which I have addressed the high risk of death in this common treatment in my article here: https://www.therawkey.com/the-dangers-of-saline-drips/
Additionally, without an autopsy or any official report of the cause of death, it’s impossible to say with any level of confidence what she died of. It’s just as likely she died from iatrogenic medicine or a medical error. However, the news stories won’t discuss that possibility, they have instead elected to pin the death on fruit and veganism.
Another glaring oversight is that there does appear to be other issues that Zhanna was having that led her to pursue treatment. Much of this information is not yet publicly available, but there have been friends and acquaintances that have come forward and discussed the issue of an eating disorder.
She is clearly shockingly and dangerously underweight in most of the photos they include in the article, indicating she may have been suffering from anorexia. If someone is suffering from anorexia and chronic under-eating, it doesn’t matter what type of food they eat. They describe her diet as just “fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies, and juices” and go on to comment that even her fruit intake was restricted to only a handful of different fruits.
It is also somewhat common for people with food issues or eating disorders to want to try diets that may seem more radical or restrictive, but it’s important to remember that an eating disorder is still a problem that can cause serious issues or even be fatal even if it’s the goal of the person to eat totally ideal foods. It should be noted that the underlying cause of such a predicament is the mental anguish or issue that led to the eating disorder, not the food itself.
We have several reports of the types of foods she was eating, so now let’s discuss the issues here and how what she was eating is not optimal. She was not eating leafy greens, nuts, seeds, or vegetables, all of which are integral to our health and provide the variety of nutrients required for long-term health.
Leafy greens are central to the natural diet but here the article clearly admits that she was not including this essential food in her diet. They cannot be omitted from the diet. Even omitting them for short periods can lead to symptoms since the alkaline minerals, fiber, protein, and water they provide are essential to every part of our body. They help build our teeth and bones and help maintain the strength and structure of every organ, muscle, and vein. The most common issues that arise from a lack of sufficient lettuce greens in the diet are failure to gain healthy weight or put on muscle, teeth issues, and drawn-out symptoms often attributed to detoxing.
Juicing and smoothies are also not a part of the natural human diet. Juicing or blending is a process that damages the food we would eat. Juicing and blending create nutritionally depleted fractionated food-like substances. Though they may confer some benefits over some other forms of cooked or processed foods, they are not natural and do not necessarily promote health. They simply fill the body with inferior materials leaving little room for whole foods in their whole natural form. If a person is chronically drinking juice and smoothies they are filling up on damaged materials and leaving very little room to consume health-building materials. Excessive juicing can also result in weight loss and will extend healing times since the body has to dedicate so much of its healing energy to eliminating a heavily processed substance. To learn more about why juicing and smoothies are not a health practice please refer to my article: https://www.therawkey.com/juicing-is-not-a-health-practice/
In another article from the Daily Mail we find more concerning details. “The raw food influencer also had previously touted online that her body does not require water.” “There were also periods when the 39-year-old would practice ‘dry fasting’ – where she would refuse to eat or drink anything for days.” From her Instagram: “I have not drunk water for the last 6 years. This is a common occurrence in those who are on a fruit diet.”
Dry fasting is an all-too-common practice in the natural health community, however, dry fasting and restricting water intake is not a healthy practice and goes against what we know is necessary to heal. The conditions of disease in our body are largely due to chronic dehydration from eating cooked and processed foods. One of the main goals of the natural species-appropriate diet is to rehydrate the body and rehydrate the lymph system so the body can eliminate old waste and toxins. Dry fasting is not a part of natural hygiene, and is not and should not be considered safe for any length of time. Remember the key to healing is getting the body rehydrated, not further dehydrated. To learn more about why dry fasting is not part of natural hygiene and the terrain model please refer to my article: https://www.therawkey.com/dry-fasting/
The natural diet is all about abundance and eating abundantly of the right foods. It is about filling ourselves up with nutrition, not about restriction or going without. When done correctly it will never lead to persistent or excessive thinness. If you are currently struggling and see yourself getting this thin, please reach out for help or advice, because this is definitely not normal or healthy and is a sign you are making some mistakes that can probably be easily corrected. To clarify, it is true that on occasion the body will tear down before it rebuilds, but if you are losing weight excessively and struggling to gain muscle then it can be safely assumed that this is not part of a detox. If this is the case, feel free to reach out and we will help to troubleshoot your diet.
The last issue we see is the consumption of sprouts. In the natural health community sprouts have taken on this reputation as being a “powerhouse of nutrition.” The reality is that sprouts are baby plants. They seek to survive, grow and reproduce. This means nature has put chemicals into the sprout that make it taste bitter or spicy to discourage eating. These bitter and spicy compounds are toxic to the body and as such our natural inclination is to recoil from such foods as our instinctual senses are built to protect us from ingesting toxins. While it’s okay to have the occasional sprouts as a topping on a salad or raw wrap, they should not be a regular part of the diet, they should be an occasional addition. Also, they should not be considered a “superfood” with any magical properties. This superfood idea is based on the false logic of “more equals better.” Since they are seeds sprouting they have more protein than other foods per calorie and this is the logic behind calling them a superfood. But there is no logic in assuming that more protein is a benefit. Particularly if they have more toxins present. Food is ideal based on a balance of nutrients, fuel provided, lack of toxicity, water content, and other considerations. Just being higher in one macronutrient does not make a substance better or healthy. Our senses tell us that sprouts are spicy and bitter and therefore contain irritants and we should limit them or avoid them all together.
The loss of this young vibrant woman’s life is a tragedy. While it seems she likely suffered through multiple social, psychological, and spiritual wounds that we can analyze and learn from, it is this feeding of the disease industry through misinformation and poorly reasoned reporting that seems to ring out loudest after her passing. We currently see epidemic levels of disease and despair relating to multiple health crises, an ever-increasing cost of medical care, and more pharmaceuticals hitting the market every day. May we all pray for peace for her family as they grieve this loss and may the vultures who attempt to profit from her tragic death to mislead others receive justice in due time. Let us hope that her death is not in vain and can teach us all something so we can help reach others who may be traveling down the wrong path.
Have more questions? Want to get answers about your specific health issues or concerns? I offer consultations, learn more about them here: https://www.therawkey.com/consultations/
Ready to make changes but not sure how to begin? Need some motivation or accountability? Why not join our 30-Day Terrain Model Diet Support and Education Group: New Groups start on the 1st of every month! https://www.therawkey.com/terrain-diet-support-group/
Eat fruit and be well my friends.“ – Lauren Whiteman
