Weird stuff going on today-- advice?????

[RawInTheCity]

I am craving sugar like crazy today- I am 2 weeks raw toady and everyday I have felt amazing! Not sure why all of a sudden now I am not feeling satisified and "wanting" soemthing else...I don't want meat or dairy- I want something sweet- and not date/honey sweet either.

Come to think of it, I tried on some clothes yeserday in a store and felt really down about my body and the way I looked. I walked out and didn't buy a thing-- maybe this has something to do with it? not sure--

My food is really simple-- I don't care for any of the receipes in Alissa's books with the nuts in the food prcessor. I don't like the consistency. So, I stick with veggies-fruits-sprouts and dried fruit. Maybe I am getting bored? can anyone relate?

[Sharon in Colorado]

Are you eating enough fruit - like a LOT of fruit - as in fruit meals? If we don't get enough fruit in our diets we crave sweets.

[Veganforlife]

Sharon - I thought the same thing.
Also - are you sure it's sugar - it may just be fruit's natural sugar you are craving.
Put a pecan in a couple dates and eat them. They are pretty sugary. I personally cannot eat them plain anymore. They are too sweet for me.
Don't get discouraged. Don't expect fast miracles. Your body is transforming. It is detoxing. It is getting rid of crap. Crap that you've eaten for a long time. The weight will drop - soon. Just keep drinking lots of water, eat lots of fruits and green smoothies.
Maybe it was too soon to try and buy new clothes. Go to a goodwill/thrift store and purchase some "new to you" clothes. That will satisfy that want until you do drop a size or two or three and need new clothes.
You can do this. ;)

[Apasaraw]

I get the sugar bugs too...For many others greens actually kill the craving...

For me it's fruity smoothies and chocolate fudge...whole coconut butter (Artisana brand rocks), cocoa/cacao/carob powder and agave syrup/honey...mix and fridge for a bit to harden. It reaaallly helps my sweet tooth...

[Ireland]

I believe it's Victoria Boutenko who said that often when we are craving "sugar" it's because our body needs calcium of all things.

Try some tahini or perhaps some sesame milk...if that's what it is, you should notice a difference in no time.

That and extra fruit too. You can't go wrong with fruit!

[juliebove]

I'm not so sure about the fruit and sugar cravings. Might be true for some people but not me. I rarely eat fruit. Don't really like it. Rarely crave sugar either. Don't really like that either!

When I get a craving it's always for something specific. Never just salty, sweet, whatever. Perhaps I am the odd one out here too.

Some years ago I remember having a craving for something I didn't really like. My dad grew raspberries and he was always giving to me because he had tons. I used to make something with them by mixing up biscuit dough then taking two circles of it and putting some raspberries and sugar in the middle then baking them and topping them with vanilla icing. It always sounded like a good idea but in the end I never really liked them and after one bite I'd wonder why I wasted my time making them.

But I still had this craving. It was really strong and would not go away. I had read about the fruit thing and I tried it. Ate an apple. Ate some frozen grapes (supposed to taste like caramel, but yuck!), tried to eat an orange. Gave up. Got to where I felt sick from eating so much fruit so I made the raspberry biscuit thingies. And yes I know raspberries are a fruit but it wasn't raspberries I was craving, it was the total package. I actually don't even like raspberries. Too gritty.

So... I made myself one of the yucky biscuit things and wolfed down about half of it in no time flat. No, I didn't like it. And I felt angry at myself for giving in and eating something I thought I didn't need. But obviously some part of me did need it or I wouldn't have had such strong cravings for it. Not sure what would have been in there that I needed but it must have been something!

[Firicia]

I think everyone made great points!

For me personally when I want sugar it's for "comfort" You said you got down about your body, so maybe subconciously you are trying to sabatoge yourself by wanting to go back to the old "comforting" ways. I don't know if that sentence made sence. All I know is sometimes sugar cravings come up for me due to emotions, most of the time that was what my cravings for it were about. I'd get upset and need sugar(which I guess would drug me out of feeling) Sometimes one negative thing causes a reaction and causes another negative thing. But once there is no more sugar, things are different, and sometimes part of us wants to go back to something they knew.

I mean I honestly don't know, I could be totally wrong. But I just thought I'd say maybe do some writing if the food stuff doesn't work, and take time out and really ask your body what it's missing. Is it a hug, food, to do something fun, to deal with something, etc... Well I hope this isn't too out there or silly sounding.

I hope you figure it out, best of luck!

[Raw Mom]

Best way for me to help you is to tell what happened to me. I have been a sugar addict forever. When I started raw, it went away the first day. Weeks went bywithout the craving, then it came up again. I sat with it awhile and then I ate something(don't remember what). I ate it with intention. I was learning to eat candy or sweets without the guilt, without thinking someone would judge me.(another problem of mine)....Then didn't need it for a while more(I've been raw for five months)...it came up again, the craving....this time I sat with it again first, and when I ate it, I ate it with the intention that I was really going to enjoy it.....Didn't need it again after that.....Then it came up again....I said to myself, OK what else do I need to learn(sometimes you DO have to go back to an old routine/habit, to figure out what it is you need to learn. This same theme has also happended with a guy that I have been struggling with.But the struggle stays in my own body and I don't listen anymore to the judgement of others).
I sat with the next time for awhile, ate sugar, ate cooked for a day.....No biggie, there was some emotion that came out...some great realizations that surfaced, ONE REALLY BIG aha moment.....So don't pass up the opportunity to learn from whatever you decide. Have intention......Grow from the whole process.....Trust your instincts.....Don't judge yourself....(I know easier said than done. I realize when I don't want to hear the voices in my own head, that I'll tell someone about something, so that they will judge me or put voices in my head. That's better than actually hearing what I think of myself sometimes.) But it does get better....IT IS getting better for me. Every day. Here's a quote from Eckhart Tolle " The sonner you realize that your outer purpose cannot give you lasting fulfillment, the better. When you have seen the limitations of your outer purpose, you give up your unrealistic expectation that it should make you happy, and you make it subservient to your inner purpose." Best of luck to you in YOUR process. Every BODY is different. :cool:

[theresaann]

my feeling is that cravings are about uncomfortable emotions bubbling to the surface that we want to supress. We can be more suseptible to feeling the stress of those if our biochemistry is off, ie: mineral deficient, etc, but the UNDERLYING causative factors is beliefs of unworthiness that are supressed, and get triggered.

Let me tell you-about the "dressing room experience??" I'd say that's the trigger my friend. I don't know about you, but when I am not at my ideal weight, in fact, far from it, I think I would prefer chinese water torture to having to try on clothes only to find out they are STILL too small, and that my butt does NOT look particularly attractive in that dressing room mirror....*sigh*

SO! that being recognized-how to handle those feelings? I have many ways that when I use them, REALLY REALLY work:

1. send love to myself, and my body. Tell it I know that it has been doing a heroic job for me, and doing the very best it can with what I"ve been giving it-energetically, nutritionally and psychologically. So I really, really send love to it, and myself.

2. forgive myself for making up the beliefs of unworthiness that some experience is triggering, ie: dressing room torture. THAT is the true source of pain that begs for "self medicating" with a mood altering substance, sugar being one of the most powerful.

3. breathe, meditate and get heart centered-this immediately calms me down, get's me grounded and present. when we are fully in the present moment, there IS no suffering, there is no feelings of unworthiness.

I just remember that whenever I start craving something, there is some subconscious belief about myself as not being "good enough" that is coming to the surface that I want to supress, so I try to get breathe and get heart centered and just love myself! It's magical when I choose to use it!! :) :)

[RawInTheCity]

Thanks to everyone for such insightful and honest suggestions! You are all really right on- I do believe it is more emotional than anything.

Today I went to Whole Foods and bought all my delicious raw foods. Came home, unpacked everything and could only think about going to this stupid Mexican place and getting corn chips and salsa. Yeah, I know totally crazy and stupid! My girlfriend said " why would you drive that far to binge on something so silly?"-- " Don't you want to get a pizza"? (LOL) Of course I don't want to get a pizza or anything else that is SAD food. I will be totally sick! Plus, I'm really not hungry-- I just feel bothered and I gues raw-- I do feel really raw. I guess I am angry that my weight is not coming off fast enough ( it is, but I want everything today)---- anxious about work stuff-- feeling like this low grade annoyed-bothered-uncomfortable in my own skin kinda feelings. Can any of you relate? I'm so grateful for this board and my willingness and ability to remain raw. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

I really appreciate everyone's feedback and thoughts--------- :) thank you all!

[Raw Mom]

I can absolutely relate. The good stuff is coming. Wait it out. Sit with all thoses uncomfortable feelings. Let the tears come. "Tears are the melting of the iceburg that covers your heart."

Set an intention (The Secret) to learn something from this experience today. Not in general. Just today and how you are feeling.......
Start journaling about how you are feeling. Stay away from the words "good or bad". Reach deeper than that. You can,,,,,that's why you started this....

GO FOR IT!!!

[RawInTheCity]

"' RawMom"................. Thank you! Just what I needed to hear today! :)

[SiennaInLondon]

Kelp should help with the calcium

As for sugar cravings, I agree with RawMom. I find that if I have a bit of chocolate once of twice a month, I can limit myself. Whereas before on my normal diet, I would struggle to have anything less than the ENTIRE box, almost every day.

The initial point of raw foodism for me was curbing my sugar cravings, which I have fone. The whole lifestyle I have discovered that goes with it, is a HUGE bonus. But basically, eat some chocolate if you want to.

[christiahall]

It sounds to me that your body may need a few nuts and seeds... perhaps you could just eat a few nuts a day raw? My small conservative town surprisingly has a local company that makes 100% raw organic bars. I buy a couple a week and eat them when I am craving something baked sweet (Like a brownie or a cookie, or even if I just want to havve something condensed.)

You can get Pure Bars at http://thepurebar.com

[SiennaInLondon]

Good tip ^ But I also find that knowing that I can have chocolate should I want it in an emergency, makes me not want it and go for the dates instead.

[christiahall]

Totally true. I am doing it for 30 days, but if I keep that in my head, I start feeling desperate. If I know I can quit anytime, but choose not too, I totally loose desire for whatever I was craving.