I want to be free...but don't think it works for me....

[RawNnyc]

Well, I've been 100% raw for a month tomorrow. I'll say nothing has really changed yet. I'm not too mad about that because I know it takes time and I don't feel a need to go back to cooked food or anything. I still believe in RAW and its healing powers. But I want to ask something. I know everyone says that I should just be free and eat what I want as long as it's raw and my body will still do the job right. But I've noticed, 3 times already...if I eat fat every day, I feel worse. I thought you were supposed to feel worse eating high fruit because the detox process would be speeding up.....but when I eat fat, I wake up the next morning, hitting the snooze button, many many times, force myself to get out of bed, I look pale, have bags under my eyes, puffy all over, so tired and depressed. Now if I have nothing but fruit and veggies, mostly fruit, the next day I wake up (on my own, no alarm clock) and I have an exciting feeling in my body to start the day......I'm not puffy, I don't have bags under my eyes, I seem to have more color in my face, and I'm extra optomistic. So, if I am supposed to be free, why is this happening to me? On Sat. I decided to just eat fruit and veggies...Sun. I woke up feeling tons better than I did waking up on Sat. morning.....but then yesterday I came to a post about hair loss and not enough fat in the diet and I freaked out! So I went and had an avocado and like two handfuls of nuts. All the rest of the day though I had many many greens and fresh fruits. Well, today, I feel yucky all over............

So, I guess my questions are why is this happening? I know my body is telling me to cut down on the fats...but how much is too little? I don't want to loose my hair, but I want to feel really good physically too! I know everyone is different and you're supposed to listen to your own body, and I know my body is saying, 'give me more fruit and greens, hold off on the fat' but I just don't know how low is low for fat because I know how important it is for your hair and your skin, etc. Any thoughts for me?!

Thank you!

[Sharon in Colorado]

It sounds like you already know what you need to do.

The "eat what you want" mantra is there for people who really need to eat whatever they want in order to STAY RAW. If they don't eat fat, they start craving cooked food and come off raw. So they will eat lots of nuts, douse their salads with oils, avocadoes and such, and use a lot of gourmet and dehydrated recipes to mimic cooked food. This is what works for them to stay raw.

If you really have no problems staying raw, and feel bad on eating a high amount of fat, then you should definately stop eating it.

Just make sure you are eating plenty of fruit so you don't get hungry.

P.S. I would not worry about hair loss or something else that is happening to someone else. Take your journey as it comes. So far you know what works. Don't worry about something that isn't happening to you.

[RawNnyc]

Well good! Hmmm...yeah, I don't have a problem staying RAW at all. That was never my problem. So, I guess I do have my answer. I'm excited about that.....like I figured out the secret to what my body really wants....that's really exciting. And so if I just follow my body, I won't loose my hair right? I hope not.....but I guess I can't worry about those things....now I need to figure out how little/much fat is good for me.....because I know I still need it. Anyone have any ideas? Audrey told me in another post she only eats half an avocado per week! She seems to be happy and healthy with that....but I'm still a little scared.....whenever I'm scared, I eat fat because I've still got it in my head that I need it everyday to be healthy. But I need to remember that my body is telling me something and my body is smarter than any doctor I've ever met! (or nutritionist, and so on...) :rolleyes:

[Dj 247]

Yeah that post kind of freaked me out too! I have had hair loss before and do not want that to happen to me ever again. I was eating cooked food when it happened. I am not going to worry about it now unless it happens again. I only have been eating fruits, nuts, and seeds. Oh yeah and salads with a light oil dressing.

[Ann23]

Well good! Hmmm...yeah, I don't have a problem staying RAW at all. That was never my problem. So, I guess I do have my answer. I'm excited about that.....like I figured out the secret to what my body really wants....that's really exciting. And so if I just follow my body, I won't loose my hair right? I hope not.....but I guess I can't worry about those things....now I need to figure out how little/much fat is good for me.....because I know I still need it. Anyone have any ideas? Audrey told me in another post she only eats half an avocado per week! She seems to be happy and healthy with that....but I'm still a little scared.....whenever I'm scared, I eat fat because I've still got it in my head that I need it everyday to be healthy. But I need to remember that my body is telling me something and my body is smarter than any doctor I've ever met! (or nutritionist, and so on...) :rolleyes:

I'm so glad you posted this. My body is doing exactly the same thing! The other day I had fruits all day with just a little veggies, the next day I felt fantastic! Then I had some avocados and some almond butter. Like you, the next day I was puffy, tired, a little irritable, just not quite myself. I've gone back to the fruits and a little vegetables. With me, I do better on a mostly fruit diet at this point in my journey. Tomorrow I may need vegetables and less fruit, who knows?!

Thank you for your post. I made me feel better about the way my body is responding :)

[RawNnyc]

Ann,

I'm glad you posted too because it lets me know I'm not crazy either! haha... because even when my body tells me something, my mind stays in denial sometimes and I need to stop that. But I'm going to put very little emphasis on fat from now on because when you go from feeling so much better, to the next day feeling like a truck ran over you (again!), then it's obvious...and since we figured out this BIG thing about our bodies, we have no choice but to listen.....unless we want to feel like crap every day, but then there's no excuse because we did it to ourselves......and yeah, maybe one day my body will want extra fats.....who knows! But from now on, I'm just going to listen to my body, not my mind filled with health info. from people who also tell you to take tons of meds., etc.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Would also suggest to you if you get into this kind of mindset about "having" to have some fat, then go for the fresher forms of fat in smaller amounts rather than the concentrated, dried or pure forms of fat.

Fresher forms being something from a whole coconut, avocado or durian.

Dehydrated forms would be nuts and nutbutters, etc.

Pure & concentrated forms would be oils

Things like seeds or olives are sort of in the middle.

[RawNnyc]

Would also suggest to you if you get into this kind of mindset about "having" to have some fat, then go for the fresher forms of fat in smaller amounts rather than the concentrated, dried or pure forms of fat.

Fresher forms being something from a whole coconut, avocado or durian.

Dehydrated forms would be nuts and nutbutters, etc.

Pure & concentrated forms would be oils

Things like seeds or olives are sort of in the middle.

Would I be completely missing nutrients if avocados and maybe cocnuts were my only fats when I DO eat fats? That's another scare that I have in my head. Like, I need to switch up my fats. I NEED nuts one day, or I NEED seeds another, then oil, etc.

[Sharon in Colorado]

IMO nobody "needs" oil. Oil is just pure fat and really doesn't give you anything you essentially need. I know some people tout certain EFA's but there are a lot of people living very healthfully without the use of oil. Plus oil is not a true fresh food, it's an extracted food. I think oil has its place, for instance burning and annointing, and I use it in my hair personally, but it isn't mandatory for human consumption.

It is up to you to eat the type and amount of fat you choose. Those were my suggestions to you personally as you stated that you felt very dragged down after eating fat, but felt guilty about not eating fat, so I thought you might consider the compromise of using a fresher form of fat (when necessary) that would move through you more quickly.

I believe you are getting all your necessary nutrients through fresh plant foods in every form. You will probably never partake of certain fruits unknown to you in other parts of the world, so you shouldn't worry about not getting those nutrients available in them, likewise you shouldn't worry about not getting a nutrient in certain fats if you don't eat them. There are just far too many varieties of edible plant foods that will give you an adequate balance.

[faith4u]

I, too, feel best with very little fats and lots of fruit.

I have eaten low fat for years and feel fantastic. Even before raw, I ate a 10% fat cooked vegan diet.

I have never had hair loss problems. Quite the opposite. I get a lot of comments on how thick and beautiful my hair is.

I tried eating more fats when I first went raw and cannot tolerate them. They make me feel awful.

Now if I start to crave fats once in awhile the only ones I will eat are avocados and then maybe some coconut. I don't do nuts/seeds because of how they make me feel.

So trust in yourself. You can always change things again later. Just tune into what your body needs now. It could change three months down the road, who knows??

[RawNnyc]

Wow!!! Thank so much for replying everyone! These are all of the questions that I've had but haven't really formed in my head until today...haha:p

But these are the reasons why I kept NOT listening to my body. Because of what my mind was telling me.....so this is very exciting for me.....I feel like I'm really on my way now.......thanks!

[tinystrawberry]

Isn't there fat in fruits? A small amount, probably but probably enough for you?

[vwinters]

P.S. I would not worry about hair loss or something else that is happening to someone else. Take your journey as it comes. So far you know what works. Don't worry about something that isn't happening to you.

Sharon,
Your words are really resonating with me this morning. Thanks for sharing your insights.
VW

http://www.ketoforum.de/diet-ticker/pic/weight_loss/11398/.png (http://www.diaet-ticker.de)

[RawNnyc]

Isn't there fat in fruits? A small amount, probably but probably enough for you?

Really? Well then that makes me feel even better! ha...probably in dried fruits right?

You know it's funny....after getting some questions answered on this thread, I actually feel MORE free! Like, my mind won't constantly be nagging me about getting enough fatty foods.......this really makes me feel more comfortable.

[Ireland]

Excellent post. Yes, I believe what Sharon says about do what you feel is best for YOUR body.

We're all different and what works for you may not work for me. Notice the recent discussion on dehydrated foods. Some people hate them, others swear by them.

I think personally that the more you can vary the fats you are consuming (however little an amount) the better off you'll be to cover as many nutrients as possible. Of course if there's something that makes you feel like crap, then don't consume it anymore. Perhaps wait awhile and try it again after awhile and if you get the same result, then completely cut it out of your diet and try something else.

Just listen to your lil' body. You'd be amazed at the wisdom it holds.

[RawNnyc]

Sharon,
Your words are really resonating with me this morning. Thanks for sharing your insights.
VW

http://www.ketoforum.de/diet-ticker/pic/weight_loss/11398/.png (http://www.diaet-ticker.de)


Yeah!!! I totally missed that when she posted it.....totally true. I can be such a worrywart!

[Rawkinlocs]

I just want to remind everyone here to PLEASE remember that this is not a "low-fat" based forum. It's not a "high-fat" based one either, but please do not begin to get into how "a low fat raw vegan diet is (somehow) better overall", etc. This forum is based on Alissa's Living on Live Food approach as it was indicated in the thread entitled "New Rules for Posting" in this very forum.

Now having said that, RNnyc, the whole thing is that what your body may be requiring NOW is not necessarily what it will be requiring at a later time. For NOW, your body may be signalling to cut DOWN on the fats and to up the fruit and greens. But a few days from now...a week from now...a month from now...it may begin to not want so much fruit and may begin to crave fats and then you WON'T feel tired, etc. after eating nuts or avocado.

So, the whole thing is to not get trapped into one mentality just because that is what your body may be requiring at any given time because it very well can change at any given moment. So in essence, you ARE being free because you're not allowing anyone to tell you that you "have" to eat a certain way for the rest of your life - you are following the signals that your body gives off at the given moment.

[rawnora]

"but then yesterday I came to a post about hair loss and not enough fat in the diet and I freaked out"

I think you need to bear in mind that there is no danger in going raw that you didn't face a hundred times over with your previous eating habits, assuming they were anywhere near "normal". Any post or bit of information that you read which plants a doubt or fear in your mind is bogus because even if you make mistakes going raw, nature isn't going to strike you dead. She's going to gently point you in the right direction -- like she's doing now with the fat thing. A good analogy that I've used before is that going raw is like driving through a friendly neighborhood and getting lost. You're not going to drive off a cliff if you get lost, you'll just have to stop and ask directions or figure it out yourself and just turn around and head the other way.

The bottom line on fat is that the human body requires VERY LITTLE of it. I'm talking single digits, percentage-wise. I typically go 6 months out of the year without eating any fats at all. I suspect that if I lived in a warm climate where tree-ripened fruit was available all year round I would never eat them. Whether it's a matter of my habitual response to bodily adjustments that happen when the seasons change or something more 'legitimate' like my body needing more insulation in cold weather, I want more fats when the weather is cold. I strongly suspect my need for fats is more emotional than physiological, although it would be nice to think otherwise. That being the case, I expect that it will continue to diminish (as it has in recent years) and go away completely in time.

Irrational fear is rampant in the raw food world, and it causes so much unnecessary turmoil and failure. Stop being afraid. Any thought that causes you to be afraid should immediately be followed by a thought that creates calmness and rationality. Even if you're making HUGE, gigantic mistakes on raw food, they are nothing compared to the standard, 'healthy', cooked vegan diet. I don't know which post you're referring to about hair loss, but the person who wrote it didn't have any idea that his/her hair loss was related to fat consumption, s/he was only speculating. Any number of unpleasant things can happen when wastes are making their way out of your body, but the only other option is keeping them in. Consumption of fats slows down cleansing and allows wastes to be retained in the body. The body simply can't cleanse stored wastes and digest a food as complicated as fat at the same time. Eating more fats is a good strategy to employ if any symptom that you experience as you simplify your diet causes extreme discomfort (like hair loss). The cessation of unpleasant cleansing symptoms when you eat fat should not be taken as a sign that there was some sort of fat "deficiency". The symptom has just been suppressed, temporarily, just as when drugs or herbs are taken. The only difference is that fats are less toxic than these other substances.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[Sunshine9]

Personally I feel best including avos, hemp seeds, and flax oil

there is something about flax oil that i feel that I absorb better than when I eat the ground seeds

just me
but it's good to remember that fats are GOOD for us
(and frankly I haven't heard anything from team low-fat that convinced me otherwise :)
not enough research, and the "common sense" science only goes so far...

but yeah
just eating what your body wants is good

[RawNnyc]

"but then yesterday I came to a post about hair loss and not enough fat in the diet and I freaked out"

I think you need to bear in mind that there is no danger in going raw that you didn't face a hundred times over with your previous eating habits, assuming they were anywhere near "normal". Any post or bit of information that you read which plants a doubt or fear in your mind is bogus because even if you make mistakes going raw, nature isn't going to strike you dead. She's going to gently point you in the right direction -- like she's doing now with the fat thing. A good analogy that I've used before is that going raw is like driving through a friendly neighborhood and getting lost. You're not going to drive off a cliff if you get lost, you'll just have to stop and ask directions or figure it out yourself and just turn around and head the other way.

The bottom line on fat is that the human body requires VERY LITTLE of it. I'm talking single digits, percentage-wise. I typically go 6 months out of the year without eating any fats at all. I suspect that if I lived in a warm climate where tree-ripened fruit was available all year round I would never eat them. Whether it's a matter of my habitual response to bodily adjustments that happen when the seasons change or something more 'legitimate' like my body needing more insulation in cold weather, I want more fats when the weather is cold. I strongly suspect my need for fats is more emotional than physiological, although it would be nice to think otherwise. That being the case, I expect that it will continue to diminish (as it has in recent years) and go away completely in time.

Irrational fear is rampant in the raw food world, and it causes so much unnecessary turmoil and failure. Stop being afraid. Any thought that causes you to be afraid should immediately be followed by a thought that creates calmness and rationality. Even if you're making HUGE, gigantic mistakes on raw food, they are nothing compared to the standard, 'healthy', cooked vegan diet. I don't know which post you're referring to about hair loss, but the person who wrote it didn't have any idea that his/her hair loss was related to fat consumption, s/he was only speculating. Any number of unpleasant things can happen when wastes are making their way out of your body, but the only other option is keeping them in. Consumption of fats slows down cleansing and allows wastes to be retained in the body. The body simply can't cleanse stored wastes and digest a food as complicated as fat at the same time. Eating more fats is a good strategy to employ if any symptom that you experience as you simplify your diet causes extreme discomfort (like hair loss). The cessation of unpleasant cleansing symptoms when you eat fat should not be taken as a sign that there was some sort of fat "deficiency". The symptom has just been suppressed, temporarily, just as when drugs or herbs are taken. The only difference is that fats are less toxic than these other substances.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

THANK YOU! This is so reassuring!!! I know this bored isn't about low fat or anything, but it's just so good to know that my body is so much smarter than I ever gave it credit for! It's good to know that I can trust what it tells me and I can completely stop worrying about what the SADoctor would tell me.....I've been going against them and healed myself so much already, but it's like these last few worries have just been lingering in my brain.....

[Revvell]

You know what's interesting to me is that people are sooo funny about how they view FOOD!!! I have NEVER broken my FOOD down into carbohydrates, proteins, fats, certain nutrients, etc. What a waste of time IMO. IF I want grapefruit, I eat grapefruit; IF I want an avocado, that's what I eat. IF I crave something crunchy, I eat crunchy veggies or sea veggies.

I'm more likely to break foods down into their tastes than I am into their ~ ummm, whatever proteins, fats and carbohydrates are. I can't even tell someone which is a fat, a carbohydrate or a protein as my understanding is ALL FOODS contain some of each! So, even if one is eating what they are calling a carbohydrate, they are also eating some protein and some fat!

I was out on a hike not so long ago and on the way up one of the hikers just quit (only having had coffee to begin with, she was, of course, dehydrated). On the way home, the gent who was with us as this lady if she felt she needed fruit or protein. (My feeling is, she needed water). Now, when did protein become a FOOD group?

Get a grip here folk! You are all dis-secting and analyzing everything! Free up your minds, and play with your FOOD!! I'll be most of you didn't anaylize this much when you were eating more cooked, meat, chips and cookies!!! Sheesh!

:D

Revvell

[Dj 247]

Oh, but I was! Now I just eat what I want! If I want nuts or seeds I will eat those if I want sweets I will eat dates.

[RawNnyc]

You know what's interesting to me is that people are sooo funny about how they view FOOD!!! I have NEVER broken my FOOD down into carbohydrates, proteins, fats, certain nutrients, etc. What a waste of time IMO. IF I want grapefruit, I eat grapefruit; IF I want an avocado, that's what I eat. IF I crave something crunchy, I eat crunchy veggies or sea veggies.

I'm more likely to break foods down into their tastes than I am into their ~ ummm, whatever proteins, fats and carbohydrates are. I can't even tell someone which is a fat, a carbohydrate or a protein as my understanding is ALL FOODS contain some of each! So, even if one is eating what they are calling a carbohydrate, they are also eating some protein and some fat!

I was out on a hike not so long ago and on the way up one of the hikers just quit (only having had coffee to begin with, she was, of course, dehydrated). On the way home, the gent who was with us as this lady if she felt she needed fruit or protein. (My feeling is, she needed water). Now, when did protein become a FOOD group?

Get a grip here folk! You are all dis-secting and analyzing everything! Free up your minds, and play with your FOOD!! I'll be most of you didn't anaylize this much when you were eating more cooked, meat, chips and cookies!!! Sheesh!

:D

Revvell


You're right about talking about food groups, it gets kinda crazy. But it does help to know what the problem is. I think if I didn't figure this out (through raw and this website), that fats might be the think making my feel like crap, I might trying even harder to figure out which food, out of allllllll of the different types of fruits, veggies, etc. that I ate that day, made me feel so down.......that would be WAY harder....and I've been down that depressing road.....trying an elimination diet, depriving myself of everything, going out of my mind! Plus, I've tried playing with my food...making up my own interesting recipes, but that just doesn't work for me. But again, 'to each his own'....we're all different!!! :D Like I said, now that (after three times of being extremely UP to being extremely DOWN DOWN DOWN, on raw, I've correlated it to something and NOW FINALLY I feel like I can be free......

On Saturday, I had friends in town and I was going to go out. But because I ate gourmet foods from JUBBS on Friday (filled with nuts nuts and oils), I was crying the whole day. It was horrible! I was crying the WHOLE DARN DAY! I was like a 2 year old. My fiance was looking at me like I was insane, and I WAS acting insane......I chalked it up 'emotional detox'..my fiance kept asking what I was crying about, and I didn't have an answer....but I just kept on crying and feeling more and more hopeless....but the whole day on Sat. I had fruits and veggies, of all kinds. Sunday I woke up and felt totally happy and normal and elated again. Sunday night I had an avocado and a couple handfuls of nuts, today I woke up and I look and feel like someone kicked my butt when I was sleeping last night. Okay, not that bad, but close to it. So now it's obvious. I had a hunch before this too, but it's just so good to find the answer for MY OWN body.

[Solace]

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread.I am also 1 month raw and I was feeling the same way. I ate too much dehydrated food/Lara bars and oil/fats over the weekend and I did not want to get out of bed today:confused: I had already decided to do just fruit and veggie juices all week and now I am sure I am! I think are bodies are telling us, at this stage thats what we need to do. I agree this will change and next week i will add some fats back ! I also have not lost much for weight but am only working with 20 lbs to get rid of. I know I dont want to make this about losing weight at all. HEALING ! :D :D

[Ginger]

I noticed the same thing, fats in large amounts give me many unplesent symptoms.

Listen to your body & you can't go wrong. At least not for long anyways! LOL! :D

[Revvell]

Maybe it's NUTS not FATS. Maybe it's the combinations of avos and NUTS. See, we're still talking about food here. Have you tried eating 1/4 of an avocado by itself with nothing else and seeing how you feel? Have you tried a few (less than 10) of one kind of nut ~ maybe soaked for 12+ hours ~ almonds and see how you feel?

Just curious here. :p

Revvell



You're right about talking about food groups, it gets kinda crazy. But it does help to know what the problem is. I think if I didn't figure this out (through raw and this website), that fats might be the think making my feel like crap, I might trying even harder to figure out which food, out of allllllll of the different types of fruits, veggies, etc. that I ate that day, made me feel so down.......that would be WAY harder....and I've been down that depressing road.....trying an elimination diet, depriving myself of everything, going out of my mind! Plus, I've tried playing with my food...making up my own interesting recipes, but that just doesn't work for me. But again, 'to each his own'....we're all different!!! :D Like I said, now that (after three times of being extremely UP to being extremely DOWN DOWN DOWN, on raw, I've correlated it to something and NOW FINALLY I feel like I can be free......

On Saturday, I had friends in town and I was going to go out. But because I ate gourmet foods from JUBBS on Friday (filled with nuts nuts and oils), I was crying the whole day. It was horrible! I was crying the WHOLE DARN DAY! I was like a 2 year old. My fiance was looking at me like I was insane, and I WAS acting insane......I chalked it up 'emotional detox'..my fiance kept asking what I was crying about, and I didn't have an answer....but I just kept on crying and feeling more and more hopeless....but the whole day on Sat. I had fruits and veggies, of all kinds. Sunday I woke up and felt totally happy and normal and elated again. Sunday night I had an avocado and a couple handfuls of nuts, today I woke up and I look and feel like someone kicked my butt when I was sleeping last night. Okay, not that bad, but close to it. So now it's obvious. I had a hunch before this too, but it's just so good to find the answer for MY OWN body.

[RawNnyc]

WOW! I didn't realize how many people were feeling the same way as me...............today I had pineapple, TONS and melons, TONS and I have SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH ENERGY ALL OF A SUDDEN! It's great! Well, I'm still retaining TONS of water but I know it will go away in a couple of days. Does anyone else retain water and get all puffy after eating too much fat? I just realized, everytime I get like this, I feel like I have my monthly friend.....you know, REALLY bloated, REALLY tired, depressed, swollen eyes, pretty much just look like crap. I was started to de-bloat. I don't want to loose weight or anything, except my water weight, the bloating in my stomach....well I got on the scale and was 120 (I'm normally 117lbs at 5'8 I don't care to loose weight), but when I'm so bloated I get to like 122-123! So anyway, on Friday, feeling good, was 120, finally getting back to normal for me.....then had tons of gourmet food at night, and the next morning was 123 again!!! I know it's not fat, but I'm sure you can all understand 6lbs of water weight is def. NOT comfortable. Anyone else experience the same things? It's weird, but I feel like it's totally a hormonal thing............am I right?

[Revvell]

Too much dehydrated FOOD bothers me... I feel as though I've not been nourished ~ much like cooked. Too many nuts or, mixed nuts bothers me. Fruits by themselves make my heart sing! A large mixed salad with lots of greens does wonders for me.

IMO, it's still the food... the density, the tastes, the nourishment... that's what it's about for me. LOVE FOOD! :D

Revvell

[RawNnyc]

Maybe it's NUTS not FATS. Maybe it's the combinations of avos and NUTS. See, we're still talking about food here. Have you tried eating 1/4 of an avocado by itself with nothing else and seeing how you feel? Have you tried a few (less than 10) of one kind of nut ~ maybe soaked for 12+ hours ~ almonds and see how you feel?

Just curious here. :p

Revvell

I'm sure combining them contributes.....but it's got to be too much fat because even avocados will do it to me.....in the beginning I didn't have any nuts because I didn't know which ones were safe or not.......so I was eating avocados alone for the fat......and I haven't really tried any oil yet........but I do believe that nuts made it 10 times worse. I don't know if it's nuts in general, or if it was just that much more added fat! :rolleyes:

[Little Mango]

"Personally" I have cut out nuts totally and I am fine with that. I found they made me feel rather sluggish. I haven't eliminated them completely. If once in a while I feel like making a recipe with nuts then I will do that but for now my body is telling me that I can't tolerate it.

[Sleek98]

Yep, right there with ya! I've been figuring out how rich foods (mostly the desserts that contain nuts) and fats are causing me problems. I'm going to do a liver cleanse, because I suspect that it's because I have gallstones. I've been getting these stomach attacks more and more frequently. So I'm getting the courage to do the cleanse and see what happens.
I'm hopeful that we'll be able to be more "free" when we do more healing and cleansing of our bodies, but in order to get there, right now my body is telling me to majorly watch the fats.

[luckitri]

Spring Cleaning Time! I am mostly not interested in nuts at all. I eat how I feel.

Last week we still had our heaters on. Suddenly it was so hot (AZ) that people are all turning on their air conditioners. My body is reacting to the weather change. It was wanting (feeling) to do spring cleaning anyway so for lunch I just eat a bag of greens.

But today when I got home from work I made me a salad with a small avocado in it. I ate the whole bowl. Just an average size bowl. That was 5 hours ago and I am still sluggish from it. Crazy!

If I had paid attention to how I was feeling I would have stopped after 3 bites. But my (reptile mind?) still thinks of that full SAD feeling as comfort especially eating for emotional distress which I do have today. So I was playing on the 'puter and eating at the same time. . . and as a result ate waaayyy too much.

Anyway the salad was dense also with tomatoes and green pepper. So just too much.

[lowfreq]

I get in trouble when I eat alot of peanuts or any kind of nuts in one seating. I'll start getting tummy aches.

However if I mix the nuts or avocado with veggies and fruit I don't have a problem eating them in combination. In fact I'll help myself to alot of nuts and avocado in my salad concoction.

Maybe you need to mix the nuts/avocado with something else as the chemical synthesis is different when nuts are mixed with something else.

Anyway just a thought.


-lowfreq
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lowfreq

[Solace]

WOW! I didn't realize how many people were feeling the same way as me...............today I had pineapple, TONS and melons, TONS and I have SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH ENERGY ALL OF A SUDDEN! It's great! Well, I'm still retaining TONS of water but I know it will go away in a couple of days. Does anyone else retain water and get all puffy after eating too much fat? I just realized, everytime I get like this, I feel like I have my monthly friend.....you know, REALLY bloated, REALLY tired, depressed, swollen eyes, pretty much just look like crap. I was started to de-bloat. I don't want to loose weight or anything, except my water weight, the bloating in my stomach....well I got on the scale and was 120 (I'm normally 117lbs at 5'8 I don't care to loose weight), but when I'm so bloated I get to like 122-123! So anyway, on Friday, feeling good, was 120, finally getting back to normal for me.....then had tons of gourmet food at night, and the next morning was 123 again!!! I know it's not fat, but I'm sure you can all understand 6lbs of water weight is def. NOT comfortable. Anyone else experience the same things? It's weird, but I feel like it's totally a hormonal thing............am I right?
I get PMS really bad, or at least I did. Up your berrys and try juicing yams before and after your period and go light on the nuts at this time. - so says David Wolfe in Sunfood Diet. I found it worked for me.:D I had horror movie type PMS:eek: and bloating- like dead things left in the water:( :)

[rawnora]

I don't check this board often enough to know if this topic comes up a lot, but the reason it's coming up now may have to do with the seasonal change. I find that my ability to digest fats is practically limitless in the Fall after living on mostly tree ripened fruit for many months. But it doesn't take long to mess that up. All that is necessary is 3 months of eating fats 2-4 times per week and I'm back to having to drop fat completely from my diet.

It's taken me several years of seeing how my body and habits respond to seasonal changes in order to figure out what I should expect and what I need to do. The first time I was able to eat all the fat I wanted in the Fall, I thought I'd turned a corner where my digestion was so strong it could handle anything. With each passing year I get better at knowing how far I can push it, and get better at cooperating with my body.

Oh, and yes, there is fat in fruit.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[RawNnyc]

I don't check this board often enough to know if this topic comes up a lot, but the reason it's coming up now may have to do with the seasonal change. I find that my ability to digest fats is practically limitless in the Fall after living on mostly tree ripened fruit for many months. But it doesn't take long to mess that up. All that is necessary is 3 months of eating fats 2-4 times per week and I'm back to having to drop fat completely from my diet.

It's taken me several years of seeing how my body and habits respond to seasonal changes in order to figure out what I should expect and what I need to do. The first time I was able to eat all the fat I wanted in the Fall, I thought I'd turned a corner where my digestion was so strong it could handle anything. With each passing year I get better at knowing how far I can push it, and get better at cooperating with my body.

Oh, and yes, there is fat in fruit.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com


And you've been raw for over 3 years, right? I like your webstie. I was just reading some of the articles and I totally agree, especially about the colonic one. I got one and afterwards it was horrible!!! All of my insides hurt for 2 whole days after I got it. I was scared of what I did to my poor healing intestines....like I was trying to stop it from doing its job....I'll never do that again. But what I'm getting from your post is that it will take a while before your digestive system is better able to handle fats because you are still healing? That must be it.....it seems like most people can't handle them at all....it's interesting but I find that I don't even need them anymore! I was craving something like peanut butter this morning, but then I remembered how I would feel after it and realized that I wasn't even hungry! I was just remembering the comforting taste of it.......I've also noticed that my stomach growls when I'm not even hungry these days! I mean, it's loud! I was sitting in class taking a midterm and it wouldn't shut up! But it was crazy that I wasn't even hungry! Then when I finally am REALLY hungry, fruit is what I want and it's what cures my real apetitie! Or sometimes veggies, but mostly all of the different kinds of fruits. I really can't even believe some of the things I'm already starting to see..........it's so fascinating to me! I know I'm way off topic, but it's just crazy stuff happening! LOL :D

[Sleek98]

Ahh, Nora that makes so much sense about the seasonal changes going on right now!

[rawnora]

Dani,
I've been 100% raw for 6 years and 5 months. :)

"But what I'm getting from your post is that it will take a while before your digestive system is better able to handle fats because you are still healing? That must be it.....it seems like most people can't handle them at all....it's interesting but I find that I don't even need them anymore!"

The human digestive system just isn't that good at processing foods that are very high in fat like nuts and avocados. It doesn't matter how strong or vital a person's body is, if s/he overeats fats (and this is very easy to do), s/he will eventually get symptoms. High fat foods serve a vital purpose in transition because they mimic cooked food, especially when they are combined with fruits or vegetables. But speaking strictly physiologically, a healthy human body doesn't need high fat foods.

All the best,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[rawpriestess]

When someone wanted to know if I was eating any fats, I put my daily foods into fitday. LOL

I was eating tons of fats, as I was having almond milk daily and lots of pineapple, pineapple has alot of fat in it, I'd never have known, anyway, fruits do have fats in them, and that is how I know this. :o)

[rawpriestess]

I find that I work best on mostly fruits, hardly anything else

I love almond milk, and almonds are fruits

I also can live and have lived for months on fruit alone, I LOVE FRUITS

[Mishka]

Wow...
Very interesting thread. I really enjoyed hearing everyones perspective.
Thoughts to chew on and experiment with.

RP...long time no see. You look gorgeous btw! So do you primarily eat lots of fruit? OR do you rotate a lot with a variety of it all?

Warmly,
Mishka

[RawNnyc]

Hmmm.....well, I'm water fasting today to start fresh. I was doing fine with all fruits because that's all I craved the past two days........but I started getting cravings for sushi and red meat! (that's what I was eating a lot of before I went RAW).....well, just to get rid of that feeling, I had one and a half avocados.....I guess my body isn't as ready to be done with cooked foods yet (not that I ate it, I just craved it)..........

Well this morning I woke up with bad indigestion, but I think the nuts are what ususally kill me because I thank God, still look like myself today and I'm not tired at all. I still have that exciting feeling I get when I eat really light.........I'm really just sick of this indigestion and grossly bloated stomach!

RawNora?! over 6 years! That's so encouraging!!!!!! I love your site by the way............

Well I def. won't be eating nuts anytime soon.....I know that is what just WIPES ME OUT COMPLETELY! The avocado probably isn't helping my bloated stomach, but it's better than eating cooked food and taking a step back I guess..........

Water fast today.....start fresh tomorrow.....

[dreamrawalwz]

I don't do well wtih any fats either. I talked to my mom about this and apparently the doctors told her when I was young I was unable to digest any fat, but I thought that meant animal fat. Apparently it means ALL fats. Yesterday I had some and I fell asleep for an hour! I also wake up puffy, no energy, full, blah, with dark circles under my eyes. I don't think anyone in this thread is advocating low or high fat, just listening to your body :) I feel best on all fruit, but I still have that fear in the back of my mind that I *need* fat, but this thread is putting me at ease. I agree with what someone said about alll foods having carbs/protein/fats because well, they do lol. I just never thought too much about it ya know?

[Damzlfly]

I get days when I CRAVE nuts..then either I a) go gung ho and eat as many as I can stuff into my face...or b) have a handful. When I go crazy and stuff my face, i feel disgusting and bloated and nauseous and just horrible. When I only eat a handful, I'm OK. However for dinner last night I made a 'taco meat' out of soaked walnuts and spices, and those sat very well. So well indeed, that I brought the leftovers for lunch today. :)

Maybe the issue is soaked/unsoaked. The walnuts in my taco meat were soaked and all was good...unsoaked = not so good, at least for my digestion.

[Rawkinlocs]

For NOW, your body may be signalling to cut DOWN on the fats and to up the fruit and greens. But a few days from now...a week from now...a month from now...it may begin to not want so much fruit and may begin to crave fats and then you WON'T feel tired, etc. after eating nuts or avocado.

So, the whole thing is to not get trapped into one mentality just because that is what your body may be requiring at any given time because it very well can change at any given moment. So in essence, you ARE being free because you're not allowing anyone to tell you that you "have" to eat a certain way for the rest of your life - you are following the signals that your body gives off at the given moment.