Raw runner health troubles

[Addams]

After a lot of research, it appears that I've stopped ovulating, causing 23 day cycles, due to an active lifestyle and possibly not enough calories on raw. This is causing low iron levels, low electrolyte levels (potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium) and low blood pressure.

Quickie background:
9 months vegan
6 months long distance running training
4 months 100% raw
All this resulted in 60lb weight loss in 9 months

My question is how do I tweak raw to better support my active lifestyle, whilst keeping weight off and supporting overall health (which appears to be declining)? I'm feeling so discouraged, I thought raw was the healthiest way to be, but paradoxically, after a summer of raw running, I may not be in good enough shape to race this autumn. And it's not like I'm doing 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.... I've only been training for a half marathon, as this is my first year running!

I feel weaker than I have during the whole 9 months... and this summer has been my 4th attempt at veganism - each time, it's broken down at 9 months, which is the point I'm at now....

My diet includes young coconut water, hemp protein powder, hemp seed oil, chlorella, ground flax seeds, probiotics, dulse, and all the other fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, seaweeds etc. I drink green smoothies 2/3 times week. I gave up a daily multivit 2 months ago, feeling that I was getting all I needed in a whole foods form.

Any thoughts anyone? I really need help with this.

[Guppy]

Hi,
I am just curious how much running you do on a weekly basis? Also, are you extremely underweight? How do you know you have stop ovulating? And if so, why are you menstruating so frequently?

I train for and run several half-marathons a year. I run 20 - 25 miles a week during training, I eat Raw, and am STILL a stubborn 10 lbs over my goal weight!

Are you against supplementation? If not, why not just take an iron supplement. I'm sure that will help with anemia, the weakness and fatigue. I have seen an all-natural liquid iron supp at Whole Foods called Fluorodix (?) I think.

Lastly, I am just curious, are you training with a coach or a trainer? Do you do any cross-training? When is your race?

There are plenty of raw marathoners on this site. Hopefully they will see your question too.

regards,
emily

[kmik]

Without knowing what you're actually eating including quantities on a daily basis, it's hard to do anything but guess.

So here's my guess. Either there's some level of detox that you don't get to until you've been eating clean food (assuming eating vegan means you weren't eating processed sugars/starches) for nine months, or else there's some psychological barrier that starts emerging when you reach the magic number.

I've been (mostly) 100% raw (just a few slip ups) since Sept 05, and have been running since then as well. I feel fantastic and my running has been improving tremendously. I'm ready for the Chicago Marathon in less than a month. So I believe whole-heartedly in the raw/running combo (so much so that I even started a non-profit organization based on it! :) )

I'd like to know the answers to the questions Guppy has posed as well. Did you go to a doctor and have tests done? Did you tell your doctor about your diet changes? What are his/her thoughts of a raw diet?

[Addams]

Guppy -

I run 17-22 miles a week. My BMI is 22.5. I read a Dr's letter on a website indicating that a 23/4 day cycle usually means lack of ovulation; I tried a homekit and last month it was true. I'm not against supplementation - in fact, as a child we took Floradix a lot, and I took it following the birth of my 2 kids also - it's great stuff! But I looked at the ingredients and I can replicate most of it in wholefood form for a lot cheaper, so I'm trying that route first. I do belong to a training group, especially designed for beginners. And I was crosstraining earlier in the season but stopped in July to focus on the longer distances we were running. My race is in 3 weeks.

Kmik -

My primary care physician was very critical/concerned about my shift to veganism, even though it really improved my lifelong asthma, so I haven't cared to share the latest raw info! I'm trying to find a more up-to-date physician! I connect with your idea of some kind of deeper level detox occuring at 9 months of veganism, and with that idea on board, I feel more encouraged to keep on keeping on and see what's on "the other side" of it rather than quit, as I've always done at this point before. I understand that for some women, 100% raw causes a total decline in menstruation, maybe that's the way I'm headed. (Or maybe, at 38, it's perimenopause??!!)

Thanks for your responses - any further thoughts would be welcomed! I really truly believe in raw running, and hope that this is just a "bump in the road" so to speak.

[Guppy]

Hi,
It sounds like you are doing everything "right" so to speak. From my experience, 3 weeks out from a race I am NEVER feeling well-trained enough. I don't know if it's self-doubt or over-training or what, but I usually feel like "I am so out-of-shape, who am I to think I can do this?" which is of course just negative monkey talk.

No matter what, at this point, run your race. You will do fine, even if you feel like poo when you start. Adrenaline takes over and you will always do better than you think you can. What a sense of accomplishment you will have when you cross the finish line and they put that medal around your neck! My kids laugh b/c I like to wear the medal for the rest of the day! :D

After the race, if you don't have another one scheduled right away, I think you should back off from the longer distances for a bit. AND I think you should see an OB/GYN pronto to find out what is really going on. There could be something not right in there that is causing these symptoms. (I hope not though).

Good luck, get a lot of rest, follow your instincts about what you should/shouldn't be eating, and have fun on Race Day!

emily

[Conscious Midwife]

My guess

What's your body fat %
Do you consume avacados, bananas, nuts etc...
I can't fathom hemmorhaging without ovulation, what we be the point. though I do appreciate that RAW allows me to ovulate without hemorhaging

My 18yr. old daughter runs intensly and only has her "period" when she deliberately tapers her training. Her body fat is like 4-5%, not intentionally though.

If I was goin to supplement I'd get a B shot which actually increases iorn absorbtion. You may also want to up the collard green intake, great source of iorn.


Several bananas daily are your best friend for potassium. My toddler can consume 3 in one sitting.

By the way are you in a HIGH ALTITUDE state????

[jiujitsugirl]

your daughter is 3-4% bf, thats as low as a male body builder at a competition, people grossly under estimate bf percentages females should be no lower than 12-14 but pref 14

[Goldsplinter]

your daughter is 3-4% bf, thats as low as a male body builder at a competition, people grossly under estimate bf percentages females should be no lower than 12-14 but pref 14
3-4%

That's unhealthy, so i've read.

[rawfigure]

your daughter is 3-4% bf, thats as low as a male body builder at a competition, people grossly under estimate bf percentages females should be no lower than 12-14 but pref 14

you are right, even at stage weight most female bodybuilder check in a around 6-8% bodyfat. And then there is the 3-4 % margin of error.

lifeAgift, may have meant the 4-5 % is over & above the essential bodyfat ?

Everyone has a percentage of so-called essential body fat. This percentage is necessary to stay alive. For women, essential body fat is estimated to be 4% (plus 5% sex-specific fat) total of 9% of body fat which is considered to be the minimal level of fat for healthy adult females.

[rawfigure]

Addams....possibly the fact you lost 60 pds in a short period of time has something to do with the issues you write about. Have you considered that may have thrown you off ? Also at 40 ish it is NOT unusual to have a period w/o ovulation, it is called nicely perimenopause. I am 45 and I am beginning to experience some of this through some women do start younger.

Try to break thru the 9 month barrier. As mentioned it may be a mind/body thing going on there.

I run, train and since going raw, other than those first few months of the "switch over". I have been great.

[PDMagnusen]

Addams, where did you hear that a 23/4 day cycle usually means lack of ovulation? I have a 23/4 day cycle and I have a very light period (I don't have to wear a tampon or pad).

[Addams]

You are all so awesome! I'm really touched by how many well-thought out responses you came up with.

Guppy -
Thanks for the encouragement! If I make it, I'm gonna wear my medal all day too!

lifeAgift -
I do eat avocados, bananas and nuts, although after an entire summer of eating a lot of them, I had kinda backed off/gotten sick of them recently - but I need to try that "3-bananas in one sitting" thing that your toddler does, it sounds really good. And yes - I do live and train in a high altitude state - I'm curious to know what difference you think it might make?

rawfigure -
I also wondered if 60lbs in 9 months would be responsible. I'm definitely going to check with my OBGYN about the perimenopause thing.

PDMagnusen -
I'm sorry, I just can't remember where I found that info about the 23/4 day cycle and ovulation - it was a fairly big site like WebMD or something. I'm hoping that more time raw will result in a lighter blood flow for me too, as I could do with keeping some of that iron!


Thanks to all - I took an entire week off from training this week, slept more, drank more green smoothies, ate more breakfast and more sprouted grains which I had been slacking on, and am actually starting to feel stronger again. Maybe this is just a testament to how important it is to take a breather sometimes, even when you're training for a specific event that feels pretty close. Just to let bodies settle for a bit before the next round. Also gonna go to the OBGYN just to get checked out.

[Conscious Midwife]

your daughter is 3-4% bf, thats as low as a male body builder at a competition, people grossly under estimate bf percentages females should be no lower than 12-14 but pref 14


Yeh she just had an under water caliper test. Yes it's low. She's very lean with muscular calfs and thighs from years of XCountry and Track and Field.
Didn't mention this to brag just to illustrate the effect low body fat has on menses. Her coaches/ trainer are working on a caloric upgrade of some sort.

She looks nothing like a body builder though, just lean and young.

And though not RAW VEGAN she probably consumes a combined 12-15 fruit and veggies servings per day, no carbonated beverages ,at least a gallon of water daily and never ever beef or pork.

I'll attach pics temporarily

[Conscious Midwife]

Ok so my physiology knowledge is a bit dated but:

Blood pressure and blood volume have a correlation and at high altitude training greater amounts of hemoglobin (produced by iorn) is needed .

You were fine at this altitude while at rest but with the running demands are now different.

The there a whole bunch of other hoopla related to lactic acid and training. My husband started his Thesis on this... in ARABIC so he has never been able to explain it to me in laymens terms. In a nut shell there is some sort of acid base shift that goes on which often lowers lactic acid tolerance therby increasing cramping which mimics cramps caused by low potasium.

It maybe possible that in your quest to keep weight off you are actually over trained placing demands hat your body on a cellular level has yet to recuperate from.

Again, just my not so clinical and maybe not so clear 2cents.

YET WELL INTENDED :)

[Conscious Midwife]

your daughter is 3-4% bf, thats as low as a male body builder at a competition, people grossly under estimate bf percentages females should be no lower than 12-14 but pref 14


Actually I originally listed it as 4 or 5%

Hubby just corrected me and says he is sure that when our daughter called she said it was 5 or 6%.

I'll call her and confirm and find out exactly how aggressively she is working on increasing it.

She was over extended this summer with Nstional Competitions, working and college prep stuff. Plus she mat have over done her training out of fear of being able to compete at the collegiate level.

We all realize adequate body fat is necesary for optimum performance and errr huh survival. ;)

[Conscious Midwife]

you are right, even at stage weight most female bodybuilder check in a around 6-8% bodyfat. And then there is the 3-4 % margin of error.

lifeAgift, may have meant the 4-5 % is over & above the essential bodyfat ?

Everyone has a percentage of so-called essential body fat. This percentage is necessary to stay alive. For women, essential body fat is estimated to be 4% (plus 5% sex-specific fat) total of 9% of body fat which is considered to be the minimal level of fat for healthy adult females.


Runner body composition is quite diferent than deliberate body builder composition. My daughter is also 18 and only trrains with light weights ocassionally.

[Guppy]

lifeAgift - What beautiful young women!! Is the one on the right your daughter too? Good job, Mommy! :)

emily

[yeahbethany]

Hi Addams,
I'm sorry to hear about your health troubles. I just wanted to pop in and say that I'd highly recommend talking to Dr. Doug Graham, who specializes in working with athletes on raw food. In my opinion, he is the absolute best person to talk to. He does consultations on specific health issues people are having.

His website is www.foodnsport.com. He also has a message board where he answers some questions. This board is www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/index.html.

I hope this helps. Good luck!
-Bethany

[Conscious Midwife]

lifeAgift - What beautiful young women!! Is the one on the right your daughter too? Good job, Mommy! :)

emily


Just the one who is the same in all three pictures, hair in a bun, is my daughter. She's a 1st year at UCLA. The other is her best friend a 2nd yr at George Town, a pentathalete (sp?) NCAA champion and 4th at PENN. RElays

Hopefully both will be headed for the Olympic trials.
Those were their "mean and tough" poses.

By the way I'll be deleting them now