1 month...no good effect so far

[Noix_coco]

Hello
I've been raw since 30 days now, probably at 99% (some cashew nuts and almonds were maybe not raw) and so far I don't see any effect. Apart from the fact that I lost 5 kg. But I don't want to, I have no weight problem.

I still feel very tired all the time, I have a bad breath coming from the stomach and that's all.
Should I wait a little bit longer to see the results?

[Ariannah]

First off, congratulations! Losing 5kg is no small feat. Whenever I want to boost my energy, I up the (fresh, juicy) fruit/ tender young greens content. I've been doing this for the past 2 and 1/2 months (at 100%) and I feel like a million bucks. If you think this may be a practical suggestion to you, then give it a try!

[Noix_coco]

Hello Ariannah

Thanks for your post. 5kg is a lot, yes, but when you don't have weight problems, it's not interesting! :D I am no 51kg for 1m67, maybe not enough!

I thought by eating raw food we were supposed to have more energy...Anyway, I will try your recipe as soon as I have a blender.

[Ariannah]

You don't need a blender to eat fruit or greens! :) (unless you only want smoothies :D )

As we speak, I am eating a yummy breakfast of Anjou pears (very juicy), and some delicious dates.

Tonight I expect to eat a giant salad with greens, celery and tomatoes.

Best of luck to you!

[goodbeets]

I agree with you. Ariannah, In Greens for LIfe by Victoria Boutenko, she talks about her family and she feeling great on raw but when they started incorporating lots more greens into their diet theyfelt a real difference. You can also supplement with chlorella, wheat grass or barley grass powders.

[Veganforlife]

Oh that is good! It's better then not losing ANYTHING. Right?
Think about this too. How long have you eaten SAD foods? One month of cleansing is not long enough (in your case) to start feeling well again. Your body is tired because it IS detoxing. And that could take some time, or it could be hastened with plenty, like INSANE amounts of water, green smoothies and fruits.
Please give it time.
If you are severely overweight (I don't know the conversion), please, for your health, give it more time.
This is not an overnight, quick fix, fad diet. But it is healing. It will happen. Give it time!

[Ariannah]

Another thing to consider, as well, is that the body is also cleaning house, and that sometimes can result in the body's owner feeling lethargic for a while.

When I first went raw I felt the same way... and I thought "gee, this is supposed to make me feel better, but his sucks!", but I stuck it out and a few days later, I felt on top of the world.

Best to you,
Ariannah

[DavidZaneMason]

It probably did not take 30 days to arrive at your current health condition. If you are doing the right thing and eating right (for you) than what's the rush? You will most definitely experience benefits....when YOUR period of detox is finished.....and it sounds like there is still some cleansing to go! LOL.

-My experience is that I had to refine and experiment with own diet for about 2 years before I found more simple ways of eating and living that allowed me to cleanse most thoroughly. The tools ARE available....if you are comfortable and want to speed up your detox. Things like light fasting, yoga, mono-eating, and other refinements.

-Thank you for your post!

-David Z. Mason

[theresaann]

there are many factors to consider. How was your health and diet before you went raw? what's your age? were you vaccinated as a child, how was mom and dad's health, have you taken pharmaceutical or recreational drugs?

are your adrenals exhausted? we need adrenal strength to detox.

do you need more in depth detoxification support-ie, fasting, herbal cleansing, colonics? does your liver need detoxing?

all those questions are important to answer-without that info it's impossible to know what's happening....think about it from that angle!

[chilove]

Hello there,

Give it some time. Tiredness is a very common symptom of detoxing. It could also be that you are eating too many nuts or fats, many people find that eating a lot of fat makes them feel sluggish. With a little bit of time and possibly some fine tuning your diet, you will feel better and be healthier on raw! Don't worry.

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[Pierre]

51 kg at 1.67 m is a BMI of 18.3. I'm 63 kg at 1.51 m which is 27.6.

[beanmonkee]

I completely understand your not wanting to lose weight. I didn't start this to lose weight either -- but I did lose about 5 lbs right away. Apparently, I don't need to lose more than that, because then I plateaued. I've read people who didn't need to lose weight say that they lost weight initially, but after a while, they gained weight again, but it was lean, muscle weight as opposed to fat weight. So while you may not want to lose pounds, your body may want to get rid of some stuff that's weighing you down so it can rebuild with better stuff. And how awesome is that, really?

But, feeling like you did, I caved yesterday, and while I'm on business (without time to prepare), I'm being more flexible. I also felt tired and gassy when going raw. We are in the same boat here. I think the important thing is that you understand you are making a commitment to be healthier, and not going on a diet. I agree with what others have said -- eat more greens, experiment with your diet, and stick it out for a while. 30 days is nothing in comparison to what you've been through thus far. There are no food police, so if you want to eat some cooked foods, no one is going to stop you. But if you don't stick it out long enough, how will you know it isn't better for you?

[Crisyn]

Can you give some details on your typical menu for a day?
I ask because you could be either lacking something or sensitive to a certain food that you are including in your diet, and that could be causing the fatigue and bad breath. I am a big believer that not all foods work for all people.
For me personally, I can't eat buckwheat, corn or any gluten-containing foods (oatmeal is one that surprised me), or I have all sorts of negative effects (skin problems, fatigue, OCD, mood swings, etc), regardless of whether or not I am following a raw diet.
This may not be true for you, but posting your typical meals might help us help you narrow down what is going on for you.
Also, are you drinking enough water?

[Noix_coco]

Wow, thanks for your emails. Lots to think about.
In fact I'm in a rush to see the effects because I find my diet monotonous right now (I don't have any appliances because we're moving to NZ in 10 days and I wait to be there to buy them). I'm a little bit tired of salads.

I was concerned by my lost of weight because 51 kg is 100lbs only (if I believe my balance, I know nothing about this system of lbs). I'm quite tall and if I lose more weight I'm going to look skinny!

As soon as I can I'll try to introduce more green in my diet.



there are many factors to consider. How was your health and diet before you went raw? what's your age? were you vaccinated as a child, how was mom and dad's health, have you taken pharmaceutical or recreational drugs?
I'm 31, I was not eating processed food before, cooking myself a lot of veggies and eating a lot of fruits already. No diaries since 10 months, but I had a lot from 0 to 30yo! I was vaccinated yes, of course, what's the point here? Sthg to do with the diet? Never really took drugs, I was never sick. That's why I thought the transition will be faster. My parents were healthy until 60yo, we always ate products from the garden. But they were eating a lot of dairies.


are your adrenals exhausted? we need adrenal strength to detox.
How do I know that? Theresa you're asking me weird things! ;-)


do you need more in depth detoxification support-ie, fasting, herbal cleansing, colonics? does your liver need detoxing?
How do I know if my liver needs a detox?!!!
Do we look yellow when our liver has pb?

Thanks for your support to all, will keep on like this and hopefully integrate more variety when in NZ!
Helene

[Noix_coco]

Can you give some details on your typical menu for a day?

morning: guava, banana, coconut (fresh), orange, pineapple, dried apricots (just one of these or a mix)

morning late and lunch: durian, fruits, nuts (about 150g or more a day), apples or salad with lettuce, mushrooms, tomatos, peanuts, cucumbers, green onion, celery, capsicums...with olive oil, cumin powder, sesame seeds, pepper and red vinegar.

dinner and 4 o'clock: guacamole, salad (same as above) and or fruits.


If I don't eat nuts I feel hungry in the afternoon, when I'm working.

The bad breath may come from the mushrooms. I suspect.

I'm not drinking enough water at home because it tastes awful. So I drink tea. But in the office I drink a lot of water.

It's difficult to know which of these ingredients may cause fatigue or else...

[Noix_coco]

Thanks for your post BeanMonkee (what a pseudo!)

I like it when you say:
while you may not want to lose pounds, your body may want to get rid of some stuff that's weighing you down so it can rebuild with better stuff. And how awesome is that, really?

Seen like this, why not!

Also like when you say:
But if you don't stick it out long enough, how will you know it isn't better for you?

That's probably why I keep on eating raw!

Thanks
Helene

[Noix_coco]

51 kg at 1.67 m is a BMI of 18.3. I'm 63 kg at 1.51 m which is 27.6.

Yes, I think a BMI under 19 is not enough.
But above 22 it's too much, no?
But you're a boy, that's different too!

[Pierre]

150 g of nuts a day sounds like a lot. I could eat that much at once, if I hadn't had nuts for a while. But I like olives better.

As to my BMI, it was 36 when I started.

[Lucy]

there are many factors to consider. How was your health and diet before you went raw? what's your age? were you vaccinated as a child, how was mom and dad's health, have you taken pharmaceutical or recreational drugs?

are your adrenals exhausted? we need adrenal strength to detox.

do you need more in depth detoxification support-ie, fasting, herbal cleansing, colonics? does your liver need detoxing?

all those questions are important to answer-without that info it's impossible to know what's happening....think about it from that angle!

I would like to ask a question about weight.I gain 7 pounds after a month on raw food.My adrenal weren't very well before,and I'm getting better now.I was a vegetarian for 7 years,and vegan for a year before raw food.I had many colonics,and fasting with green juice and water.
Why did I gain weight? Maybe because of too much nuts and sweets (dates,agave)?
I also stopped walking an hour a day for a while because I was a little tired.Very important= I had the biggest clean up of all times.Meaning bowel movement.
Question again=why did I gain weight?
I was suppose to lose 5 pounds,and gain 7 pounds.
If you could help me with this question I appreciate

[Noix_coco]

150 g of nuts a day sounds like a lot. I could eat that much at once, if I hadn't had nuts for a while. But I like olives better.

You gave me the idea to buy olives yesterday! But I still ate at least 100g of cashew today....:D


As to my BMI, it was 36 when I started.
Wow!!! So do you feel lighter now? You had to renew all your clothes I suppose, such a change!