One of the first foods that someone on a diet learns to avoid, by well-meaning friends, relative, doctors, and diet books, are potatoes. ... more »
What do I eat after spending most of my life bathing in the waters of natural health, raw foods, and veganism? What conclusions have I come to after ... more »
A few years ago, something happened to me on the island of Roatan. I had a realization about fish. I was on a scuba diving trip to explore the ... more »
A few years ago, I designed several menu planners for alternative dinner meals for the Holiday season: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s ... more »
It’s a rather shocking observation that health gurus that those who write diet books and give advice on how to live healthy longer appear to ... more »
Recently, the American Health Association updated their advice on heart disease to include coconut oil in the “avoid” category. While I don’t ... more »
A reader asked me two months ago to give a response to two articles on the “myth” that cholesterol is the leading cause of heart disease. I ... more »
Your biggest decision in health is what kind of diet you’re going to choose. I call this a decision because it has, at some point, to be a ... more »
Ever since my first book “The Raw Secrets,” I have often revisited the “fat controversy.” The central issue of the debate is whether or ... more »
One of the most common questions that I get is: why don’t you recommend oil? What about coconut oil? Or extra-virgin olive oil? Or flax seed ... more »
Everybody knows that too much alcohol is bad for health. But there’s this myth that “moderate” consumption is good for health, prevents deaths ... more »
Fruit is a symbol of “health food,” yet it’s also the one natural food that’s vilified the most by many trends of the natural health ... more »
Do Beef, Eggs, and Chicken Belong in Your Diet? And Why Cholesterol Still Matters Warning: The Following Information Could Save Your Life! This ... more »
One of my readers, Lindsey, recently shared with me how she used the “Potato Diet” to win her battle with weight gain and several health ... more »
You may have heard the statement “Sitting is the New Smoking.” When I first heard this saying, I thought it was crazy. Sitting is NOT like ... more »
Whenever the topic of salt comes up, especially all of the negatives associated with it, a few people always ask “What about pink salt?” One of ... more »
Last month, I addressed the topic of salt a few times, sharing my experience of finally eliminating salt completely from my diet. Today, I want to ... more »
I’ve always had a particular difficulty eliminating salt from my diet. Along with caffeine, salt is the one thing that always crept back up in my ... more »
For years, I’ve subscribed to a few ezines about retiring and living abroad, such as International Living and Live and Invest Overseas. I’m only ... more »
Local Market in French Polynesia We all have our definition of what is an ideal diet and lifestyle. For me, it’s pretty simple: a plant-based diet ... more »
Let’s have a debate about soy! What?! “You mean, you’re doubting the fact that soy is a horrible so-called “health” ... more »
Coconut milk is amazing. It’s an essential ingredient in curries and so many other delicious dishes from around the world. But look at the ... more »
I’ve traveled to over 35 countries, from modern cities to remote islands in the developing world. My goal is not to add more countries as a badge of ... more »
Eggs come in and out of fashion. Periodically, they are considered the healthiest food you can eat. “Nature’s most perfect food.” At other ... more »
The new year is approaching, so it’s time that I share my top health or self-help books of the year. Last year, my three choices were “Kale and ... more »
Yesterday I fasted for 36 hours on water. It had been a little while since my last one-day fast and I felt like starting the practice again. When I ... more »
Over the years, I’ve talked to hundreds of people who have experienced severe dental problems after changing their diet to a high-raw one. Even ... more »
“Ugly produce” will go mainstream this year Health trends come and go! Think of goji berries, Noni juice, raw chocolate, etc. We don’t ... more »
How I finally learned to love the “gooey tasteless glue” Hawaiian staple known as poi! Each country has its staple food. Those staples were so ... more »
In this episode: Why do people give up exercise shortly after signing up to the gym? Find out more in this podcast. Get more fit and avoid injury by ... more »
I recently received the following question from a reader: “How do I buy fruits and vegetables that are closest to the way our ancestors ate them? I ... more »
Eating 100% Raw or Not? Some people, for various reasons, make the 100% raw diet the most important focus in their lives. So if they went on a ... more »
Whenever I throw celery in a fruit smoothie, or add oranges in a salad, people ask me “But wait… isn’t that against food combining ... more »
Every year, I post my top 10 list of “health” gift ideas. This might be an excuse to give yourself something for all the hard work ... more »
The last time I heard Dr. Oz or some other diet guru utter the word “carb,” I think I blew up a fuse. Whenever I hear this buzzword, you can see ... more »
In this episode: Can decluttering truly “change your life?” We review Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” ... more »
Doesn’t this image make you want to move to a tropical paradise? (Taken with my iPhone without editing!) People often ask me, “How do you ... more »
Interview with Ted Carr, by Frederic Patenaude I met Ted Carr while living in Vancouver. I ... more »
A friend of mine recently went on a juice fast. She felt stressed out, tired, and thought that it might help her. She went on a juice fast, felt ... more »
Whether you are on the raw food diet, the vegan diet or a healthy, whole food, organic diet, you probably spend some decent time in the ... more »
How to Beat the Winter Blues It’s happening, yet again! Winter is coming… Don’t be caught off-guard this time. Have you started the most obvious ... more »
This year I’ve been doing some traveling, mostly in Europe. This brought me to some interesting realizations about some cultural differences in ... more »
In the last survey we sent out to our readers, I noticed a lot of questions about sugar that I want to answer today. In recent years, quitting sugar ... more »
We know that water is of great importance. The surface of the earth and our bodies are made up of approximately 72% water. Although water appears to ... more »
“For tens of thousands of years, before the introduction of artificial lighting, most humans thought that what the pushers of sleep meds promise ... more »
Even though fruit has universally been a symbol of healthy eating, many health theories now vilify it. “Don’t eat too much ... more »
Should you eat grains? The debate rages on in the diet community, and many people are still confused about the role of grains in the human ... more »
Four years ago, I got divorced and moved from the beautiful city of Vancouver, back to my hometown of Montreal. Before that, I had spent many years ... more »
In this episode: Frederic and Shelli Stein talk about Michael Pollan’s book, Food Rules, an Eater’s Manual. Download Episode Click Here more »
Years ago—115 years, to be precise—a medical doctor named Edward Hooker Dewey wrote a book called No Breakfast Plan and the Fasting Cure. I own ... more »
I’ve been an avid traveler for most of my adult life, and in 2009-2010 I took a 9-month trip around the world with my ex-wife. I don’t ... more »
A couple of weeks ago I was out of town on business and needed to grab a bite to eat. I spotted a health food restaurant that offered a giant buffet, ... more »
Is salt good or bad? Is it something we should even worry about? Health authorities tell us to consume less sodium. On the other hand, we ... more »
Making this raw vegan ice cream will blow your mind. First of all, it’s so easy, you can make it in just a few minutes. You only need a minimum ... more »
Over the years, I’ve tried many different kitchen gadgets, but only ended up using a few on a regular basis. Here’s my top list. 1) The ... more »
If you only know the traditional lemonade of lemon and sugar, you’ll love these recipes! Note: you’ll see me adding some maple syrup in ... more »
This is a great article we received from our friends at Review.com. I have included the link to their full article, which includes the links to ... more »
What does it mean to “make health a priority?” I often hear in different situations that health is the most important thing in life. People often ... more »
For years, I’ve been using inferior cutting boards, leading to a lot of frustration and unhygienic cutting surfaces. A few months ago, I decided ... more »
The other day, I received a question regarding the recent series “The Truth About Cancer“. “You’ve always said that ... more »
We all try to live a healthy life, but there comes a time when life catches up with us. I’m talking about the negative effects stress, lack of ... more »
Watch our last webinar on “How to Fast on Your Own.” Discover: What the research shows about fasting How fasting can boost your immune ... more »
A lot of popular advice is wrong. Many half-truths and misconceptions become “facts,” in spite of efforts at debunking them. But yet, doubt ... more »
Learn how to fast on your own, and discover the health benefits you will experience from water fasting or juice fasting for 24 hours, up to 7 ... more »
Discover what is a truly anti-inflammatory diet and what foods contribute to or prevent inflammation. The final word on this misunderstood topic! To ... more »
Fred at 21 in the “Early Days” with David Wolfe and Stephen Arlin Guys, my 40th birthday is approaching (this weekend)! No big deal you ... more »
In early February, I did a 7-day water fast in California. I wrote an article about everything that happened during my fast and how I felt in the days ... more »
In a presentation by Dr. Michael Klaper MD, restaurants were compared to being “ethnic-flavored oil, sugar and salt.” He said ... more »
How to Avoid Dying… Of the many things that can happen in life, dying isn’t anyone’s favorite. You have plenty of manuals of “how to live ... more »
My last article on “Why no Oil” caused quite a stir. I’ve been called names, and I quote: “You are as dumb as they come,” and other names I ... more »
Last weekend, I attended the “Advanced Study Weekend” organized by Dr. McDougall. He organizes this event twice a year and I have attended many ... more »
My menu for 7 days On February 1st, I arrived at the True North Health Center in Santa Rosa, California, and embarked on a 7-day water fast. This is ... more »
I’m a huge music lover, and every day I must get my fix. My tastes are quite varied: from Bach to the most cutting-edge, uncompromising, modern ... more »
When I decided to become a vegetarian at the age of 18, I naively thought that because I “saw the light,” everyone around me also would. “If ... more »
Last week, I got sick with a pretty nasty bug! Thankfully, I managed to recover very quickly using a counterintuitive method I’ll talk about in a ... more »
I remember the first time I came across the word “SAD Diet” while reading a health book. I smiled when I discovered that it meant “Standard ... more »
What would you bring to a desert island? This fun question comes up once in a while, so I might as well share my list of music I could not live ... more »
First meeting of Fred, Kev and Annmarie in 2009 Today, someone deserves a little praise and attention. Because today… my good friend and grand ... more »
Every year, I post a few ideas for Christmas gifts. This may give you great ideas to give a health-minded gift to someone you love, or very likely be ... more »
As I’ve said before I’m not a big fan of the Paleolithic diet (shortened as the Paleo diet). Nowadays, the Paleo diet is a sort of a ... more »
Hiking on the North Shore of Kauai On Monday I wrote about my fantasy of moving to an island paradise. Although I never quite realized it, I ended up ... more »
Everybody I know, it seems, has a relative who lived a fairly unhealthy lifestyle and yet lived a long life. “My grandfather smoked, drank scotch ... more »
You are not likely find a product called a “travel rice cooker” but that’s pretty much what the Panasonic SR-3NA is. This is a ... more »
In the past few years, chicken has acquired a sort of “health food status”. Poultry is no longer a delicacy to be eaten on special occasions, ... more »
Roger Haeske, in 2008, at 41. Hasn’t aged too much since then. Roger Haeske is one of the best examples of a successful long-term raw foodist. ... more »
In my last two articles, I summarized my notes from the most recent health conference I attended, the Advanced Study Weekend organized by John ... more »
This is the second installment in my series on the Advanced Study Weekend by Dr. McDougall. For the first part, click here. Dan Buettner – The ... more »
Last weekend, I attended the “Advanced Study Weekend” organized by Dr. McDougall. He organizes this event twice a year and I have attended ... more »
This is my number one salad recipe! I never get tired of this salad because you can have it as a complete meal rather than a just a side. Try it! I ... more »
After my last article on dairy “Raw or Not, Dairy Isn’t Healthy,” I’ve been accused of not taking into consideration the differences between ... more »
I’ve noticed recently enat dairy products seem to be making a comeback in the Paleo community and in other alternative health circles. Dairy is ... more »
When I was young, I wanted to travel. My parents had subscribed for years to National Geographic, and they kept piles and piles of the magazines in ... more »
My dad rocked the most impressive head of hair and was very proud of it. At 55, you had to look hard to find a single gray hear in his abundant ... more »
Eating at a restaurant can be a disaster, health-wise! However, with some planning, you can “limit the damage” while enjoying ... more »
Restaurants can be tricky on a raw food diet, or any diet, for that matter. When I was eating 100% raw, I avoided restaurants almost entirely. I ... more »
We each have our own weaknesses. For me, it’s coffee. I’ve quit drinking caffeine,on so many occasions that I can’t count them ... more »
The worst jet lag I’ve ever experienced was when I flew to Bali in 2005. It was my very first trip to Asia, and I flew directly from Montreal. It ... more »
I’m currently reading a book with an interesting title (and most interesting content): What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do The ... more »
One reader asks me, “Why is B12 supplementation required to thrive on a vegan diet? Is it a biologically appropriate diet?” What the reader is ... more »
After my last article, my readers asked me if I could review the book Grain Brain. This popular book by Dr. David Perlmutter has been talked about a ... more »
A few weeks ago, I promised to share my thoughts on what constitutes an “ideal diet. So here it is… When I say “ideal,” I’m ... more »
In a previous article I talked about a kitchen gadget that I use on a regular basis: the Instant Pot, which is an automatic pressure cooker that I ... more »
If there is one diet myth I am so tired of hearing, it is the so-called health benefits of a Mediterranean diet. It might sound a bit outrageous at ... more »
It may come as a surprise to hear me say that one of the keys to success on any diet is a certain degree of “boredom,” which ... more »
A few years ago, I was inspired by the concept that “it takes 21 days to form or break a habit.” So, I created my own 21 Day Challenge. The 21 Day ... more »
The second most important kitchen item that I use after my Vita-Mix: the Instant Pot. What appealed to me about instant pot is it’s an ... more »
We’ve been working a new concept of 2-minute videos, showing you quick tips and ideas for healthier living. Watch our first one and if you like ... more »
In the realm of diets, usually the advice is in the form of a “do not eat” list. A raw food diet forbids cooked foods. A Paleo diet may forbid ... more »
It’s easy to say that something’s changed your life. In fact, this catch phrase is becoming a little overused. Attending this seminar ... more »
A reader writes: I don’t think any sort of fixed ratio is “best.” Learning to tune into intuitive guidance and release any guilt, shame or fear ... more »
oI recently spent a few weeks with French people while on a trip to the South Pacific. Even though French is my first language, I am not French. I am ... more »
I recently started fasting one day a week — either a juice fast or a 24-hour water fast. Intermittent fasting is becoming popular, especially ... more »
I often hear: “I’m confused when it comes to the amount of information available in the alternative health space.” So many so-called ... more »
The coconut tree is the tree of life! It has more uses than almost any other plant on the planet. Many islands in the South Pacific would be ... more »
As discussed in my previous article, it’s very common after a “detox diet” (raw foods, paleo, juice fasting, etc.) to experience ... more »
This is a dilemma that every person who has seriously dabbled with raw foodism, fasting, juice cleansing and even other restricted diets — has ... more »
I must admit that I have a love-hate relationship with Costco. I get all excited when it’s time to go on a shopping spree at Costco. But I also ... more »
Last month I was on the island of Maui for a vacation. I took the obligatory snorkeling tour trip, and on the boat met an interesting character: ... more »
Last Friday, I completed a five-day juice fast! I’ve done a bit of fasting and cleansing over the years, but my last juice fast was back in ... more »
This article is not how-to manual on how to eat for the rest of your life on the $56 a month for food. I did it in my 20s for a while, on a raw ... more »
If there’s anyone who’s qualified to write a guide on traveling healthy, it’s us… We were on the road for 2 years in our RV (and by plane) ... more »
I’m not a good sleeper — never have been. When some people proudly exclaim that they fall asleep like a baby every night and wake up the next ... more »
Some people, when they follow a low-fat vegan diet or a RAW diet, come back with interesting blood test results, with cholesterol levels so low that ... more »
Weekly fruit haul. The most recent find: seeded muscat grapes from Spain! It seems that every recent diet book I have looked at lately seems to ... more »
On Christmas Eve, I had a busy day. I committed to two consecutive dinners: one with my family and one at a friend’s place. Because many of my ... more »
After our podcast on people coming out as “ex-vegans,” I’ve been getting some questions from readers who are not sure whether a vegan ... more »
10 Things That Can Kill or Injure Otherwise Super-Healthy People Most people in Western countries die of lifestyle-related diseases. The biggest ... more »
Go the supermarket and you’ll find perfectly round apples, oval or oblong eggplants, flawless oranges, and zucchinis free of the weird ... more »
Hollywood is full of clichés and stereotypes. Watch an old movie with Clint Eastwood, like “Dirty Harry,” and you might notice how all the women ... more »
A raw food diet, an even a high-raw diet, has huge advantages. Otherwise, nobody would do it! (Either as a short-term plan or long-term.) Let’s ... more »
Many years ago, when I was in my teens, my mom gifted me a little book called “The Little Book of Life.” It was written by H. Jackson Brown, Jr., ... more »
A friend of mine swears that the best way to lose body fat is to exercise (primarily “cardio” type of exercises) before breakfast or on an ... more »
For the past few years I’ve been warning vegans (and especially raw vegans) to take care of their teeth, because these diets are known to cause ... more »
This week, I’m eating my favorite fruit ever: white nectarines. I bought an entire case at my favorite fruit market, along with some of my other ... more »
Young coconuts are awesome. They are filled with the most refreshing, sweet-tasting water. The meat inside isn’t hard like the typical old coconut, ... more »
I admit it: I love beans, and black beans in particular have found a soft spot with me. I discovered black beans when I started traveling in Costa ... more »
I like to start the day with a cup or two (or three) of green tea, along with fruit or a smoothie. I enjoy the taste of good green tea, freshly ... more »
When I first met Kevin and Annmarie in the summer of 2008, Kevin told me that I come across very differently in person than in my writing. At ... more »
Ten years ago, I was struggling with a raw food diet. I was trying to make it work in my life, but I would go back and forth. At 5’10” ... more »
In the latest Renegade Health Radio show, Kevin and Frederic talk about a new study that just came out, linking low protein diets to a lower risk of ... more »
I was lucky enough to spend three years of my life in a music college, right after high school, where I dedicated most of my waking hours to the ... more »
In the second Renegade Health Radio show, Kevin and Frederic talk about: what’s a natural death? And paleo fantasies. Listen here now: Click ... more »
Since 1996, I’ve obsessed with the idea of finding the “perfect diet”. I’ve tried various forms of the vegetarian diet, raw food diet, and ... more »
I’m a recovering salt addict. I admit it. Growing up, I never had very strong cravings for sugar. I’d always choose a salty dish over a ... more »
A couple of weeks ago we did a survey that some of you answered. Here’s a question that we received, which I’d like to answer ... more »
Last December I was visiting Kevin and Annmarie in balmy Berkeley, California, for our quarterly “in-person” Renegade Health meeting. It ... more »
Last year has been an amazing year for me. I was so busy that I didn’t have time to read as many books as usual. But I nonetheless came across ... more »
When I was 19 years old, studying music at college, I was told by one of my professors that having an “average” heart rate was not good. ... more »
I’m currently in the middle of a five-day fast at the TrueNorth Health Center in beautiful Santa Rosa, California. This fast is actually a ... more »
Last week I watched on Netflix the documentary “Food Matters,” which makes an honest attempt to convince its viewers to abandon processed foods ... more »
Coffee: Friend or Foe? We hear a lot of conflicting reports on coffee. For years, we were told that coffee was bad for health. But in the recent ... more »
“The Raw Food Diet Craze – R.I.P. 1998-2013” “Cooked Food is Not a Sin” Uncle Jethro Raw The raw food diet, as a ... more »
Diet gurus LOVE to tell you what you should eat, but more importantly, what you should NOT eat. Almost every single diet on the planet revolves around ... more »
Last week, Andrew Perlot posted a video where he showed the results of a personal experience where he tried to see if he could get overweight eating ... more »
Been using Berry Breeze device and it’s wonderful. Produce no longer rots quickly in the fridge. Saves a ton of money and headaches. Photos ... more »
I used to spend every winter in Costa Rica, for about five or six years in a row. It’s there that I developed a taste for traditional corn ... more »
I’ve got a younger brother, and he’s the athletic one in the family. Growing up, he was into sports: basketball, skying, cross-country ... more »
I wouldn’t say I’m a road warrior, but I travel by plane every 4 to 6 weeks on average. And as we all know, flying is not as pleasant as ... more »
In 1996, I was barely 20 years old when I decided to go raw. My initial experiments on the raw food diet were arduous, hazardous, ... more »
Both Kevin and I have noticed that our readers seem to have less interest in fitness than in other topics, like diet. But this puzzles us because ... more »
Are you familiar with the 80-20 Rule? If you’ve read a lot of personal development books, you probably are. This principle is often used over and ... more »
One day, at the age of 18, after reading John Robbin’s book Diet for a New America, I decided to become a vegetarian. Probably the first day I ... more »
I recently read a book called “Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us“, by Michael Moss. This is the first book that really ... more »
Many foods have gotten a bad rap. We generally tend to view foods in one of two categories: “good” or “bad.” But nutrition, ... more »
According to standard health advice, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Also, we should never skip meals and instead regularly eat ... more »
If you had walked into one of the first health food stores that opened decades ago, you would likely have found produce, whole grains, seeds, ... more »
“How can you say that water is not living when Dr. Marasu Emoto proved that it is in his book Messages in the Water by showing pictures of living ... more »
We all know that candy bars and sugary soda is bad for teeth, but what about all those foods that are touted as having great benefits for our ... more »
In 2001, I got extremely bad news from my dentist. I had gone back from a long adventure in California, where I lived exclusively on a raw food diet ... more »
One of the biggest complaints I hear about eating a healthy diet (high raw or something else) is the cost of food. Especially nowadays, now that food ... more »