Oh Lord, my stomach!

[Svadhyaya]

I've posted about this before, but it's happened again, just like clockwork. Every single time I deviate from eating anything raw other than fruit, juice, or salad, I get the most horrendous pain in my stomach and (often) diarrhea. It hurts so bad. I just made a nice tasting plate of Alissa's broccoli with cheeze. 10 minutes later and I'm literally doubled over in pain.

I am dead serious when I say that nothing cooked EVER has affected me like this. I just don't get stomach aches on cooked food, no matter what it is. Eating roasted nuts....meat...greasy fried food...ho-ho's and donuts.....I may get fat, or get cancer, or feel crappy, but I'll experience no stomach ache or bowel problems.

I know I'm being whiny, but it's disappointing. I know I'm being a moron continuing to try recipes (nuts are generally the culprit, I've decided) when I know they'll kill my stomach, but I've been 100% raw for my usual few days and *boom* boredom sets in and makes me want to try a new recipe, thinking it might be different this time.

Just sympathize with me, please, and tell me to "just keep swimming."

[trinity082482]

Is there anything particular that you notice upsets your stomach? Or just anything raw in general? Have you tried eating mostly fruits and just have a little bit of anything else raw in between? Maybe your body isn't used to being raw. You shouldn't get sick all the time, hopefully it will pass as you remain being raw for a longer time. I hope this helps. :o

[Missrawdiva]

Are you having bowel movement 2 times a day? Maybe your backed up and need to eleminate some of that food out of you????

[Svadhyaya]

Pretty sure it's raw nuts that do me in.
And uncooked cruciferous vegetables.

I just get so bored of eating "simply" all the time, so to keep from caving to cooked I'll try a gourmet recipe and it ends up killing my stomach. Like now. Ow.

Thus far, I've been healthiest and happiest on 50-75% raw - mostly fruits and vegetable salads with the odd bite of brown rice and soup thrown in. I don't know why I don't just get it through my head that that's where I am right now and it's an okay place to be, but every few months I have this burning desire to do Alissa's 30 day challenge, and it always ends up twisting my guts.

And, yes, I'm eliminating at least twice a day, sometimes more.
My diet (even before I went raw) was extremely healthy. When I mentioned the fried food and ho-ho's.....I haven't eaten that stuff in many, many years. I was only talking/pouting about them because they never hurt my stomach the way 100% raw seems to.

Thanks for taking the time to read my griping.
I'm whiny and frustrated.

[Ariannah]

Maybe it's the combinations of food. I find certain combinations of food can make me feel embarrassingly gassy, and yeah, it's highly intolerable.

The gourmet stuff is impossible for me to eat very much of or very frequently, and it's one of the reasons I most often go for simple.

[Moonstone]

I would keep swimming Svadhyaya. The only bad experience I have had so far with raw food was with brocolli, when I first started raw. It made me feel really bloated and uncomfortable so I just did not eat it for a while and when I tried it again after a month or so it seemed fine, but I still find I am not really drawn to it.

I have had reactions like you describe when I eat cooked food after being raw a few days though. I found when I continue eating them my body adapts and the symptoms go away, but I know without a doubt that my body had a bad reaction to it when I first ate it and that is what I listen to.

I think you should not eat the food that your body reacts badly to for a while, even if it is raw. Try other things for now and go back to the other raw foods after a bit of time to see how it is. Eat simply and add the heavier things one at a time so you might see what affects you maybe?

[rawpriestess]

When you are eating raw nuts? are you soaking them first to eliminate the enzyme inhibitors? if you don't then that may be the culprit, as unsoaked nuts have enzyme inhibitors in them, and then you won't be able to digest your food well and you will may feel horrible and gassy and UGH!!

just a thought.

[Svadhyaya]

Yes, I'm soaking, but I still think I have a problem with nuts.
Either nuts in general or nuts combined with anything else....even plain vegetables (like the broccoli and red bell pepper in the dish I made today.)

I know nuts and fruit together destroy me, which isn't unusual really.
I've read enough about food combining to know that this is often a problematic combo, and it certainly is for me. I ate a small piece of (expensive to make) cheezecake not long ago and was crying for several hours afterward. The recipe was one from this board that everyone else really loved. I liked it, too, till it put me in the floor.

Oh, well.....continuing on to do the best I can.

[dreamrawalwz]

could be food combining, the fact that your body does'nt do well on those particular foods, some believe that fruits/greens are what is optimal for the human body so maybe your body is trying to tell you this as well? Try the raw broccoli plain and see if that's what it was, then try the "cheese" sauce plain and test it out. Or, with nuts you may not be soaking them (long enough).

[Nimmanu]

I am having this reaction as well. I think for me, it's my body taking the trash out, so to speak. It's a pretty painful process, but I've just continued on, and it has actually stopped today, for the afternoon at least. And I haven't changed what I'm eating any...

Could it be that the different fiber in nuts might be helping "scrape" some compacted colonic material?

[goodbeets]

If you don't want to do strict food combining or say goodbye to nuts, do you think Alissa's enzymes might help? Also, in V. Boutenko's book, Green For Life, she talks about stomach acids and how many of us do not make enough. She recommends lots of green smoothies and taking some apple cider vin. in water a little whaile before you eat. Might be worth looking in to.

[chilove]

Nuts and tougher vegetables are much harder to digest than fruits and greens are. Some people have to avoid them alltogether. It seems like you are one of those people.

Try to experiment with yummy things that you can eat raw. Go for fruit smoothies, salads and raw soups that don't have nuts or tough vegetables. Blend different fruits together for different tastes and sensations. A couple of my favorites are mangoes and bananas blended together and dates and bananas blended together.

Here is a yummy soup:

Blend several large ripe juicy tomatoes, half of a red or yellow or orange bell pepper, the juice of a large lime, a couple of stalks of celery and a handful of dates. I like it plain like this, but I eat very simply. If you are used to more flavoring add some spices or herbs. It's really good.

Another good soup is carrot juice blended with avocado, spinach and lime juice.

Experiment. Get creative. There is still a lot that you can enjoy. :-)

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[SeaRose]

I have severe food allergies and when I eat something I am allergic to, the pain in my stomach is unbearable. This might be what is going on with you. The best thing to do is keep a food diary for awhile. Write down everything you eat, and any reaction you get. You might be able to pinpoint exactly what it is that you need to avoid.

Do you have seasonal allergies? Most people that are allergic to ragweed are also allergic to melons, and bananas.

I feel for you, it is really a challenge to eat this way when some of the food upsets your stomach in such a way. I have a huge list of things to avoid, but still manage to eat enough. :)

[banana shake]

The chili recipe on this board TASTES gourmet (to me!), but is really all veggies except for a bit of oil, which you could probably leave out if it gives you trouble. Really, really good, too!

[raw-siobhan]

Everyone is allowed to whine including you! This is not an easy undertaking at times, that is going raw. It sounds like your body particularly does not like certain combinations of food or perhaps nuts at all. That is a big nasty bummer! Here's what sticks out to me, though...you got bored with your usual raw foods and you tried some exotic raw foods...you did NOT go and eat a cheeseburger and fries...THAT IS SUCCESS!!! That is a person who keeps their priorities straight! You are doing terrific, but basically if you dont want to be in pain you probably know what you shouldnt be eating if you know what I mean...like I said, that part is a bummer, huh?

[Svadhyaya]

Thank you all so much.
Your encouragement is such a great motivator to stay raw, even if I have to do some trial-and-error exploration to find a way of eating that works for me and my stomach!

[SiennaInLondon]

No No No it is nothing other than detox and your body getting used the increased amount of fiber. I wouldn't get perpetual cramps but some serious ones right before going to the loo. And bowel emissions would BURN. That means there is rubbish in you that needs emmitting. I didn't actually link this to raw, I just assumed the fruit I had eaten was off or something. But someone on here told me it was the raw foodism. It'll take a full week or so to get rid of the diarrhea and then even if you eat chocolate or meat or whatever but stay largely raw, your runny tummy shouldn't return.

[aenea]

hope you are feeling better!