Dr. Doug Graham — author of The 80/10/10 Diet, elite athlete, and one of the world’s most recognized raw vegan health educators — joins Dave Escamilla for a deep conversation on nutrition, energy, performance, and what it really takes to build lifelong health.

In this episode, Doug shares his personal journey from a sickly childhood to becoming a world-class athlete in his 70s, how he developed the 80/10/10 nutritional framework, and why low-fat, high-carbohydrate plant-based eating remains one of the most studied and consistent approaches for human performance and metabolic health.

The discussion covers everything from insulin sensitivity and blood sugar stability to motivation, discipline, and why consistency — not willpower — determines long-term success. Doug also explains how raw and whole-food diets impact digestion, clarity, recovery, and why so many endurance athletes and high-level performers gravitate toward high-carb, low-fat nutrition.

This conversation is not about quick fixes or gimmicks — it’s about building a system that supports energy, mental clarity, and physical performance for decades.

Whether you’re exploring plant-based nutrition, raw food, or simply trying to understand how food affects your body, this episode offers a grounded, long-term perspective from someone who has lived it for over 45 years.

(00:00) Personal experience & disclaimer
(00:05) Who this episode is for
(00:33) Introducing Dr. Doug Graham
(02:00) Doug’s athletic background and longevity
(03:14) Early life and discovering movement
(06:17) From gymnastics to health education
(08:23) The vision of a vegan world
(10:31) Applied physiology & real-world nutrition
(12:14) Childhood illness and early health struggles
(17:08) The moment Doug committed to health
(18:33) Medical model vs hygiene model
(21:20) Experimenting with different diets
(23:51) Discovering raw foods
(25:35) Energy, recovery, and long-term results
(27:09) Performance, strength, and raw veganism
(30:01) Origins of the 80/10/10 diet
(33:06) Why fruits and vegetables dominate human nutrition
(34:06) Fat, glucose, and insulin sensitivity
(36:01) Raw food culture and supplement marketing
(38:51) How 80/10/10 applies to disease prevention
(40:08) Macronutrient math explained
(42:04) Essential fats, protein, and carbs
(44:19) Insulin resistance and blood sugar
(46:06) Helping skeptics succeed
(47:02) Raw vs cooked food choices
(49:17) Optimal vs “least bad” eating
(53:46) Longevity diets around the world
(55:16) Working with elite athletes
(59:22) Body fat and athletic conditioning
(01:04:02) Weight loss strategies with low-calorie foods
(01:08:06) Building raw food communities
(01:11:09) Motivation: knowledge vs need
(01:14:32) Choosing the right teacher
(01:17:28) Live events and coaching
(01:18:45) Final thoughts & closing

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoodnSport
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdouglasgraham
Website: https://foodnsport.com

Come meet Dr. Doug at Texas Fruit Festival:
https://texasfruitfestival.com

00:00 – Disclaimer + Welcome
00:53 – Who Is Paul Nison
01:31 – From Athlete to Gut Struggle
02:49 – Fitness vs Health
03:15 – Finding Raw Foods in Florida
03:34 – Writing “The Raw Life”
04:35 – Learning From Long-Term Raw Veterans
05:16 – Health, Faith, and Purpose
06:14 – Humility vs Ego
07:31 – Genesis 1:29 and Fruit
09:24 – Meaning of Life
11:23 – 30 Years Raw Living Foods
12:22 – Food Addiction and Processing Spectrum
14:31 – Eating for Pleasure
15:35 – Store Food vs Fresh Picked
16:40 – Sprouts Anywhere
18:58 – Growing Food Costs Less
20:34 – Freezing Mangoes for Meals
22:27 – Staying Motivated Long-Term
24:00 – Not One Diet for All
25:51 – Stop Overeating and Late Eating
27:32 – Supplements and Blood Tests
29:47 – When to Stop Eating
31:43 – 10-Hour Eating Window
33:08 – Family and Community
34:49 – Health, Money, Relationships
36:16 – Dating Red Flags
38:49 – Parenting and Choices
43:29 – Making Peace and Letting Go
46:38 – What He’d Tell His Younger Self
48:16 – Staying Strong in “Interesting Times”
50:36 – Four Closing Principles

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and reflects personal experience and personal opinions. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rapid Regeneration. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your own health decisions.

In this episode of Rapid Regeneration, I sit down with Paul Nison — creator of the Raw Life Health Show — to explore what he’s learned from nearly 30 years of raw living foods, homesteading, and building a life rooted in discipline, purpose, and faith.

Paul shares how his journey began as a young athlete who suddenly faced serious digestive struggles — and how that experience forced him to separate “fitness” from true health. We talk about the early days of modern raw food culture, his book The Raw Life (built from interviews before the internet era), and what he learned by watching long-term practitioners succeed — and sometimes make mistakes.

We also go deeper into practical lifestyle foundations that apply no matter what diet you follow: overeating, eating too late, and how sleep can shape your energy, discipline, and decision-making. Paul explains the idea of a consistent eating window, why he avoids eating after dark, and how simple changes can create momentum over time.

If you’re in an apartment or a cold climate and feel like “living foods” aren’t realistic, Paul offers a grounded angle on sprouts, fermented foods, and doing the best you can with your environment. We also get into growing fruit at home, what tastes different when fruit is picked ripe, and how he freezes certain fruits to create real meals year-round.

Finally, the conversation expands beyond food into relationships, parenting, and navigating modern chaos with inner stability. Whether you agree with every viewpoint or not, Paul’s perspective is a reminder to stay thoughtful, stay honest, and keep learning.

Follow Paul Nison and explore his work
http://rawlife.com
http://instagram.com/paulnison

If you got value from this conversation, subscribe to Rapid Regeneration and share this episode with someone who’s rebuilding their health and lifestyle one step at a time.

Rapid Regeneration topics you’ll hear in this episode include raw vegan lifestyle (and living foods), intermittent fasting and eating windows, sleep habits, digestion and discipline, homesteading and fruit trees, sprouts and fermented foods, mindful eating, plant-based living, and finding purpose in challenging times.

In this powerful companion episode, I break down the deeper physiological realities behind my 10-day water fast and explore what truly happens inside the body when food is removed and the body’s repair systems activate.

Rather than focusing purely on the timeline of the fast, this episode dives into the biological mechanisms that make water fasting such a profound tool for restoration and recalibration. I explain how autophagy — the body’s cellular cleanup and recycling system — becomes elevated during extended fasting, allowing damaged cells, dysfunctional proteins, and metabolic waste to be broken down and repurposed. I explore how the body shifts from glucose dependence into fat-burning mode, entering ketosis and using stored fat as a primary fuel source while producing ketones that also influence brain function and inflammation pathways.

You’ll learn how water fasting may contribute to reduced systemic inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced metabolic flexibility, and a reset in hunger signaling. I also discuss the significant rise in human growth hormone (HGH) that can occur during prolonged fasting, supporting tissue repair, muscle preservation, and fat metabolism. Additional insights include improved mitochondrial efficiency, immune system modulation, hormonal rebalancing, and the role fasting plays in mobilizing deeper healing processes within the body.

Beyond the physical, this episode explores how fasting influences the nervous system, perception, and emotional processing — revealing how stillness, discipline, and restraint can unlock clarity, focus, and self-awareness that often remain buried beneath constant stimulation and productivity.

This episode is ideal for anyone curious about the physiological functions behind fasting, interested in metabolic health optimization, or seeking a grounded understanding of how the body regenerates under conditions of intentional rest and recalibration.

To watch the full 10-day water fasting mini-documentary, visit my Rapid Regeneration YouTube channel:
youtube.com/@rapidregeneration