Help with Fatigue?

[Larue]

Hi All,

I've been reading this board for a long time and know there is so much experience here. So I have a question for you: I have only been able to stay 100% raw for five days max, because the fatigue is just so debilitating. I figure it's detox, as well as caffeine withdrawal. I am not sure what I am asking here, except for confirmation, advice or support?

When I've attempted to go raw, I've started the day with a green smoothie (blueberries, banana, greens of some kind like spinach, romaine or kale, ground flax seeds and coconut oil). I might have a big salad for lunch of greens, avocadoes, nuts/seeds, tomatoes, olives and raw dressing of some kind. For dinner maybe Alissa's pasta and marinara. I snack on walnuts and raisins or cashews during the day, but only a handful or so.

I know each of us has our own way of going through the first few weeks of raw, but can anyone see from what I'm eating that might give me more energy or other non eating things I might do in my life that could help the energy thing? I so want to be raw, but I just don't have the lifestyle where I can spend time sleeping the detox away!

Thanks for any insight.

Larue

[JoJo]

Larue,

I am not sure this will help. I have 2 green smoothies a day. I put in mostly what you put in. Then I started adding hemp protein and I have more energy. Also, my skin looks much better.

JoJo

[Vandy]

I agree with jojo...eat more greens...it will kick in for sure!

[JMD]

For me, if I do not food combine, I get tired b/c my body is digesting versus using energy for other stuff. Do you food combine or are you familiar with the concept??

[greeninlosangeles]

I heard it is usually the fat percentage in your diet and it looks like yours is way to high. See, when we start to eat raw, at the beginning we need to eat a lot untill our bodies clean out and can digest better. So what we do- we eat 50-60 percent of our calories from fat(more than SAD, although our fat is better kind). All that fat makes our digestion harder and robs us of energy.
Solution - instead of fatty things load up on fruit and vegetables in big amounts, don't forget saurkrout and other fermented stuff to help digestion.
I am preaching, but I am eating too much fat myself, although I am more conscious now. 10 percent of fat is so easy to get - let's say my diet is 2000 calories(I am nursing mom), then 200 calories should come from fat. 1.5 tablespoon oil or 1/4 cup of seeds does it. I eat much more than that and still managed to loose over 20 pounds.
Try to limit fat and see. At the beginning the best not to have restrictions, but if that is a big problem, tackle it from the beginning!

[rawpriestess]

It's hard to say, but how big are your servings, I know when I eat the pasta and marinara, I can eat about 3 small bites, I can eat a huge salad, but if I eat nuts it's maybe 6 nuts or so.

I don't do smoothies, because I like to just eat my fruit,

so for breakfast, I might have 1/2 pair and 1/2 orange, and maybe 8 ounces of orange juice.

I couldn't eat all those different things together anymore, way too many different types of food for me.

So, you might try the smoothie without nuts in the morning, and then have salad without nuts at lunch, and then another salad at dinner, I'm not sure if this will help, but when I get tired, I just mono meal, usually on fruit, that works for me.

Also, caffeine takes 48 hours to get out of your system, so you are right about the caffeine withdrawls. And I would think it was detox at 5 days.

If you can just sleep that whole day away, it could be a little easier, or try a sauna if possible. I know it always helps me detox faster, without many symptoms.

good luck, and it's good to have you here.

[Larue]

Thank you all very much for your opinions.

Interestingly, from what I've read elsewhere, I wondered about adding hemp to my smoothies as well as trying a more mono type meal lifestyle or at least experimenting with that. I don't know that much about food combining. On the other hand, I didn't think my fat intake was that high. It was much higher, I think as a veg*n SAD eater. But all these suggestions are certainly worth looking at. I've gone back to drinking coffee :( and those withdrawls are just a killer. Maybe I should try going off coffee first. And then on to going 100% raw, just so I can tell which is caffeine withdrawal and which is the raw?

Again, I really appreciate your taking a look at one of my typical raw days and telling me what you think. And I think tomorrow I will go off coffee, deal with that for a few days (ouch!) and then next weekend commit again to 100% raw.

[solarliving]

Larue,

I highly suggest getting off the caffeine and then see how you feel. I was extremely tired for at least a week after quitting coffee and I was not 100% raw. Other than that it sound like you are on the right track.

[Indi]

I tried kicking caffeine and eating raw at he same time and I suffered terrible withdrawal symptoms.

This time i kicked the caffeine, then began eating raw in a more balanced state. no problems, just a few cravings to begin with.

Although the first option was more time consuming, it was definitely easier on my body.

[Indi]

OOPS! i meant to say although the SECOND option was more time consuming it was easier on my body!
Sorry about that - poor concentration! :)

[Larue]

OOPS! i meant to say although the SECOND option was more time consuming it was easier on my body!
Sorry about that - poor concentration! :)
LOL thanks, indi, I figured you meant the second option!

Well, this is my second day without coffee and the withdrawals have been difficult. I am afraid tomorrow is going to be the worst. Actually, I am hoping I will be able to sleep tonight....

But I am glad I am doing it this way. Then I can start on raw without having to worry about this!

Thanks for the advice, All.

[Indi]

Day 3 or 4 was always the worst for me!
I gave up 3 or 4 times in the past 5 years, kept promising that i would never put my body throgh caffeine detox again! its hell!

The homeopathic remedy nux vomica can help some people cope with withdrawal.

Apparently caffeine can cut the blood supply to the brain by up to 20%!
who needs that?
I cant state a source for that information, i heard it at a food /nutrition lecture years ago, and many times since.

I wish you the very best of luck with this.
Its worth the effort.

[rawfigure]

The way I see it :

Give it more time. I eat a fairly clean diet before going Raw, and I was fatigued for a month !!

Coffee and such will add to the fatigue. That will take a weening off time too.

I found that I had to eliminate some of the sweet fruits...try eliminating the rasins and banana's. Replace with grapefruit, lemon, limes and berries.

Reduce the nuts, replace with some pumpkin seeds. Sometimes nuts can slow you down. Especially in the beginning, and oddly enough we crave them more in the beginning.

Exercise daily. A nice walk is fine.