Born the middle son of two medical doctors, David Wolfe grew up with an unusual perspective on the health care field. Perhaps jaded a bit by his parents, he never ended up attending a mainstream medical school. "That is why I am a raw-foodist today! At some point in my early youth (age 8 or 9) I realized that something was deeply wrong with mainstream medicine. I stopped taking medicine of any kind for any reason. And I absolutely refused any shots."

Wolfe did achieve degrees in Mechanical & Environmental Engineering, and Political Science, before receiving his doctorate in Law from the Univ. of San Diego, as he searched for his purpose in life. "I really do believe in 'fate' or 'destiny.' Some things are just meant to be, some things are meant for some people. It all came about in epiphany that occurred on one night in August of 1994. I sort of had a realization that raw-food nutrition was my path in life."

And from there, Wolfe went on to become one of most sought-after teachers and presenters in the nutritional field, advising--and feeding--Hollywood celebrities, as well as the world's leading business people and entrepreneurs. Wolfe teaches regularly for Gabriel Cousens' Tree of Life masters degree program on live-food nutrition. He founded the non-profit Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (www.ftpf.org) whose goal is to plant 18 billion fruit trees on planet Earth.

He has written several books, including Eating for Beauty and Naked Chocolate, and is a percussionist in the Healing Waters Band. He created and administers the most popular raw food website on the Internet, www.rawfood.com, offering the highest quality organic, raw foods in the world that he has personally sought out and uses. His latest project, a peak performance and nutrition online magazine, www.thebestdayever.com is the only one of its kind.

David Wolfe believes that diet plays a significant, if not vital, role in our quality of life--emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. "One of life's greatest goals is to design a proper diet for ourselves; one that makes us feel amazing in each moment, leads us to limitless beauty, and increases longevity. My desire is to provide you with clues and tools--not rules--on how to do this," says Wolfe.

Wolfe's book, Eating for Beauty, lays out how to adapt to an all-natural, living-plant food regimen and lifestyle. "It is not just about maintaining beauty, or even slowing the aging process," says Wolfe. "It's about rejuvenation at the deepest level. It is about recreating one's internal and external appearance. One who eats for beauty becomes a work of art in progress. Nature's paintbrush immediately sets about applying food-mineral cosmetics to the inner tissues, which become visible externally in the warm, vivid, youthful freshness of the hair, nails, and skin."

Wolfe has made sure that the Beauty Diet is also based on the principle of simplicity. "Simple life shifts work," says Wolfe. "The more complicated a diet is, the more likely it is to fail."

Silicon-rich Foods

Bell pepper (with skin) Burdock root Cucumber (with skin) Hemp leaves Horsetail (an herb) Marjoram New Zealand Spinach Radish Romaine lettuce Tomato (with skin)

Emphasizing minerals in the diet is a keystone to rejuvenation and the super immunity we all need in these days of urban pollution. Wolfe particularly likes Silicon, saying that instead of getting silicon implants, we should be getting silicon in our diets. "Silicon is a conscious mineral, seemingly possessing a form of intelligence," claims Wolfe. "While it's no secret that we attribute our modern economic advances to silicon technology, one of the world's greatest beauty secrets is that silicon possesses many hidden healing properties."

Wolfe emphasizes that mineral-rich, nutrient-dense beauty foods are Nature's true fountain of youth. Raw antioxidant compounds and foods help delay or slow free radical damage to cells and tissues, and help preserve the look and feel of young skin.

Another factor in defying the aging process is detoxification, with the benefits increasing as toxic foods are eliminated from the diet. Doing this helps to create and nurture a healthy digestive system that will properly assimilate nutrients. "The primary cause of problem skin, excess fat, quickened aging, and poor muscle quality is toxemia--an accumulation of toxic substances in the tissue and the intestines," says Wolfe. "Toxemia may have been fostered by stress, a poor diet, a lack of exercise, or other factors.

A big fan of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wolfe promotes some basic strategies of that modality in his programs. "The ancient-old dietary strategy that works is called 'adding,'" says Wolfe. "The idea is to avoid any sudden changes in your diet, but gradually make better choices by 'adding' into your diet extraordinary foods, superfoods and herbs. Let these extraordinary substances work their magic over time."

Above all, besides keeping a diet simple, Wolfe stresses working with the lifestyle you have, and have patience with yourself. "If we try too hard to change our habits, we end up snapping back like a rubber band," observes Wolfe. "Just like any martial art, consistent practices create habits that lead us to our goal over time. Start by visiting your local health food store and selecting from the following list of products. Begin with the recommended dosage and then double or triple that dosage over time."