Well, almost 2 months and no change....

[RawNnyc]

Okay, well, it's been almost two months now and nothing has changed for the better. I still have Candida (no matter what I eat), I'm still extremely bloated all the time (okay, a little better when I combine properly, but not enough difference to always follow the rules), I'm still pretty tired, I get crazy mood swings, not good at all, and I'm starting to break out on my face - this hasn't happened since puberty, like 7th grade, and my bladder problems are the same, maybe a little more often now actually. I'm scared to eat fat because I DO notice my mood swings get waay worse and I get even more puffy....can someone just give me some encouragement? That's all I want. Today I was even having thoughts like 'what is this doing for me anyway?' 'here I am restricting myself and I don't feel any different.' And I'm craving cooked foods more and more every day. I'm sorry to be depressing, but seriously, I really thought I would have seen SOME improvement by now. I'm so jealous of the people who said they felt better right away. I've been 100% since I started too. I just want to stop eating all together but then I get really hungry mad that here I am, miserable, and next to me is my fiance, eating anything he wants and feeling normal. Then I eat. Even Alissa says that she started feeling better right away. Where are the people like me??

[Veganforlife]

Awwwww. It's ONLY been two months. Give it more time. Proper food combine. Keep positive thoughts. DO NOT GIVE UP!

[RawFoodieMom]

There are actually lots of people like you in the sense of noticing no significant changes yet. The facial breakouts are because your body is detoxing. I'm on Day 30 and still tired. You must have missed the other thread but Mike is 30 Days and tired as well. And I think in that thread Rawkinlocs mentioned it took 2 months for her before she got a burst of energy! So it will come...

But I'm different in the sense that I DON'T FEEL DEPRIVED! Why do you feel deprived? You can eat all the raw food you want. Don't restrict yourself and be miserable. Eat whatever raw food you want, feel satisfied, and you'll thrive. Okay? I don't know what you're eating or what you're restricting yourself from eating, but take Alissa's advice in her book and run with it. Eat whatever raw food you want/need until you're satisfied and happy! Your body will even things out later by telling you what it needs/wants but coming off SAD your body doesn't really know. Raw shouldn't be this depressing, really! I'm sure it must be really hard that your fiance is eating SAD meals around you, but when he eats his _____ (insert yucky cooked food here), sit there and eat RAW CHEESECAKE with a big smile on your face!!!

If you want me to find the other thread, let me know... believe me there's others that have detoxed for a couple of months too before seeing results/raw energy/etc...

Debra

[elian]

Everyone's body reacts differently. Your body is healing itself. The breakouts are detox. Love yourself, pamper yourself and go easy on yourself. You are healing yourself from years of cooked food eating.

Please don't give up. You WILL feel better. It IS worth it.

Blessings,
Elian

[Road2Health]

I am sorry to hear that ou are struggling. I have a tough time whn my husband is eating things that I se to eat. I actually get kind of mad that he doesn't want to join me on this journey, I know it would help him too.

Just keep at it. Have you had any ood days that you felt really good while doing this? You could try to keep that in your thoughts.

How do you fee when you eat the cooked food? Better or worse? I think I really want the cooked and then I remmber the bloating, the sleepy,the heaviness, the IBS, I do not ant those things.

I am happy to listen and support if I can. Feel free to email or I will keep checking this thread.

For me it is just fruit in the am, big salad for lunch and right now guacamole and chips in te evening. the avacado is my big thing right now. Two weeks ago I did not even like them. If I get the 4 oclock cravings I eat a Lara bar or a handful of nuts.

Please don't give up.
Have a great day

[RawNnyc]

Thanks for your responses. I've been restricting my fats......I know I shouldn't, I obviously can't and it obviously doens't make that much of a difference now. I mean, I feel like crap regardless. I'm just scared because I HAVE noticed that I get VERY VERY depressed and irritable when I have too much fat, and the candida DOES come back a lot more. Maybe it has something to do with and acid/alkaline balance? The heavy nut recipes are really acidic? Just guessing here......

I haven't caved in and had ANY cooked food. I mean, there is no real reason to because I feel just as bad when I eated cooked AND raw. Like I said, there is no difference. And I'm sticking with raw because I still have my hope and this website.......but other than that...?

I have had a couple, literally like 5 days where I felt TONS of energy. Not in a row or anything. Right now I'm craving a big salad with avocado. I'm going to have one.....I'm craving lots of spicy things too......but why do I read that too many spices hurt your digestive tract? See this is what I do. I eat what I crave, like too many nut filled food recipes because I just want to be free. But then the next day, the candida seems worse and I'm extra puffy and extra depressed. I mean, I feel stuck no matter which way I turn...

[RAWCA]

Hi RAWNYC-

I understand your frustration..this is what I would do (and I have done it:)..it has helped) ...Drink as much lemon water as possible (natural lemon squeezed in wter)...Go on a veggie fast,,,all greeens only!..Grapefruit,,,
and drink KEFIR (non vegan..but still works for candida...i had recurring yeast infections until i started taking this)
hope it helps!

[RawFoodieMom]

Danielle... I'm sorry for what you're going through. I hate to see you so frustrated... I was just thinking, is it possible that when you eat the good fats and the Candida feels worse that it's your body starting to heal it? I've heard that when our bodies detox, ailments will get worse and more pronounced and then get better and go away. Maybe some people that have more experience can chime in on that... I'm trying to help with the "hope" factor. Alissa herself is one that's healed Candida with raw, so we know it will heal it's just a matter of when. But I know it's hard to wait.

HUGS!

Debra

[Conscious Midwife]

NOTHING HAS CHANGED??!!?!?!

You've got to be kidding me!

What if the very fact that:

YOU ARE STILL ALIVE BECAUSE YOU ARE EATING LIVE
this is the only quantiiable measure you real need

Being RAW has prevented you from going into a depressive stupor that manifested with homicidal or SUICIDAL ideations

In the last two months you have probably had a thriving and enriching relationship with your fiance who you obviously cherish.

You've rid yourself of unknown toxins that were awaiting detection


:eek: See it could've been that 2 months ago your number was almost up chic, quality of life 'bout to deteriorate or mental health issues were due to manifest.

BUT INSTEAD, you intuitively reached for RAW and avoided the unknown, defied the odds and are now among the living!!!

Be encouraged and know that your energy boost is just and orange and kiwi cocktail away, add a dash of suoercharged right thinking and you will be in a blissful state.

YOU'VE ALREADY DONE SOMETHING AMAZING... 2 months RAW is more than a 1500+ post leaf like myself has yet to accomplish, but hey you did it!!!

KUDOS:D

[eatyourbroccoli]

people like you? ::raises hand::

i went an entire year with worsening and worsening and worsening candida thinking the entire time "oh, its just detox.."

psh, no..it wasnt. :rolleyes:

now? the past 2 weeks ive been doing no-sugar with coconut kefir as a probiotic (tons of green salads that are hugeeee covered in dressing) and my skin has cleared up about 92%, ive lost about 5 lbs, my digestion has sped up, and my moodiness is gone. i began Threelac yesterday which is one of the top-of-the-line alternative treatments for candida (google it if interested in ordering it) and i could literally feel it in my tum and it resulted in more trips to the bathroom than im used to (which is good, usually my digestion is slow). maybe youd be interested in that for candida?

my candida had gotten so absolutely terrible that it had caused severe hormonal imbalance. eliminating fruit is the only thing that has helped to date..aside from the threelac.

if you do a search for Alba and Sungodess on here, me and them have a few threads regarding which raw diet suits our skin the best..and all three of us have found that low or no sugar/high fat is what works the best for us. im viewing this only as temporary until i get the candida under control. i fully expect to be back to the full raw food spectrum by mid summer.

oh also..

ive been eating such a ridiculous amount of fat it isnt even funny. before when i would do this and combine it with eating fruits throughout the day, i would gain weight. now? im eating MORE fat than i would when i was still eating fruit, and ive lost 4 lbs. not that i need to lose weight..a year of high raw has slimmed me down, but i guess there was more weight my body was holding onto because of its issue fighting the candida. so dont be worried about gaining weight by upping fat..so long as youre limiting your sugar simultaneously. just my experience though

ok also also..

when i first began my raw journey..my skin was crystal clear. within 4 months though, i began breaking out. this did nothing but worsen the longer i was raw. i ate a lot of fruit..mostly fruit, actually. it wasnt until i cut out all sugar that it has cleared up (and my god i tried everything else. ive even gone on bioidentical hormones because my hormones levels were dangerously low, and was told that THAT would clear me up..and it helped, but only about 50%..im guessing this is bc the candida was still there, strangling my poor endocrine system, and it became a battle of bioidenticals vs. candida). im pretty sure that my skin clearing isnt because ive "stopped detox"..considering im still raw, just no-sugar raw..so im convinced my skin breaking out wasnt exactly detox in the first place..except maybe my body trying to detox the toxins the sugar-fed candida produced, kwim? i think Alba and Sungoddess both had this same experience, if im not mistaken..

i dont blame this on raw..raw is healing and i believe to be the best diet one can follow..i blame it on going into raw with the beginnings of candida from my SAD days, and since my raw diet consisted almost completely of fruits (particularly high sugar at the beginning) i fed the candida. i know some people have cleared their candida on here by still eating fruit..but my personal opinion is that if its at an advanced enough stage, sugar needs to be eliminated. im not going back to a SAD no-sugar diet like atkins, im just choosing to focus on salads and green juices for the next 3 or so months to get everything under control.

[nzgirl]

Raises hand. I hear you. I'm on day 32 and not much has changed. (I lost half of the weight in my sig before going raw) But I do enjoy eating healthier and even though I haven't seen much change I can only imagine how much better my insides probably look. That's why I'm sticking with it. Because I can't deny that I'm 100 times healthier than I've ever been in my life. I'm sipping on a smoothie that has spinach in it, for crying out loud. So we should stick with it because eventually we have to notice the difference. All these testemonials can't be wrong.

[RawNnyc]

Thanks again everyone for all of your support. I REALLY REALLY appreciate it.

EYB, (I saw someone shorten your name in another thread), can you tell me what exactly you eat? I've been eating very high sugar and I was thinking to myself, maybe that's why I'm breaking out? Although could be detox I guess. Do you eat tomatos in your salads? How about cucumbers? HOw about avocados? Carrots? I just want to know what you mean when you say fruit.....all fruit or just the really fruity ones.....I also used threelac for a little bit, it didn't do anything for me, but then again, I was eating SAD. What is this Kefir stuff I keep hearing about and where do I get it? It's not dairy is it? Can you give me like a days worth of eating for you.....what you eat? I acutally don't even crave fruit these past few days. I've been forcing it. I crave salads and things like jalepeno pepper in a homemade lettuce wrap......

I'm so willing to try anything. I just don't feel like this candida is going away. It might get a little better, but it's never totally gone. Also, how long did it take for you to get rid of candida? Or do you still have it. I also feel like it's completely taken over my hormones. I always feel like I'm PMSing.....it's horrible. I feel so bad for my friends and family.

[hypnocmt]

Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures...and patience.
You will see commensurate rewards!

If you have been severely off balance, healthwise, it may take you a little longer to see positive results. Also, it sounds like your headspace is somewhat filled with thoughts of deprivation and fear of loss, fear of being denied. These thought patterns make the subconscious prone to (temporary) protective hoarding, or resistance to change (meaing healing, in this case) Understand that anytime we upset the body's long-term state of being, whether healthy on non-healthy, it is WARY is the disruption, because it does not know whether the change will lead to good or bad things. Only once your base instincts have a sense that everything will be fine, even with the new changes, will your body be able to shift out of emergency protection mode and get down to healing.

Changing your belief to one of FAITH in YOUR healing abilities, and repeatedly sending your mind affirmations about your new lifestyle, will put you on the right track..and make your healing mechanism more cooperative.

On a positive, here is what I thought of your post!

1) You are craving cooked food more than ever: This is typical of when our body turns a corner and REALLY starts PURGING the nasty toxins! Your body starts craving more of the toxic thing it is flushing! Meditate on the fact hat you ARE FREE OF FEAR! You fully release your old fear of loss, and welcome the opportunity to let go of old toxicity because you want the room to WELCOME better health!

Congratulations on these final (last gasp-style) cravings! They are you body's way of saying goodbye to toxins!

2) your mood is low:

Congratualtions again. Your body may be reacting to a surge of toxins making their way OUT of your body. Once they've gone, it will be like clouds parting after a rain shower...you will suddenly feel lighter in mood and body.

3) You have suddenly broken out:
As a former acne sufferer, I firmly believe that acne is on the inside. Creams, potions, whatever, just handle the last stage of a breakout...the visible pustule. Acne is your body's way of getting rid of toxins that the liver couldn't quite get to....the liver's toxic overflow, so to speak. Of course it is aggravated by inflammation/immunosupression, hence the sugar connection. And excess fats tax the liver, so there's that connection. Anger and frustration, worry and circular thinking also tax the two organ systems I mentioned...so in addition to diet, you can support your bodies filering processes by cultivating confidence, decisiveness, gentleness (toward yourslef and others) and a way to EXPRESS pent up emotions in a non-violent, uplifting, cleansing way.

At one point, when my acne was near its worst ever, I started taking a qi gong meditation class. I had to drive thru hell traffic (an hour to travel only 5 miles and another 20 minutes to park) I would enter the class loaded for bear. By the time I left, I was so calm and happy, you could have mugged me and I would have wished you a nice day. ;) Although I changed nothing about my diet, or cleansing, medicating routines, my acne disappeared. After the class, I quit doing qi gong meditation and the acne came back..until I got smart and addressed it through diet and exercise..as well as a calmer, more expressive outlook.

So, our state of mind contributes to toxicity or purification, depending on how we choose to direct our attention. Finding some sort of inner therapy for yourself will help you with ALL aspects of your health and happiness. I GUARANTEE IT!

FYI- Upon starting the full-on raw lifestyle ( I had been high-raw, instinctually, not thru conscious effort, for quite awhile) I was disappointed not to experience the awesome weight loss described as an almost universal benefit. I lost about 5 pounds and that's it. I am still 20 pounds over what I would like to weigh, although I have lost about 25 pounds since 2005. Stiil, I have experienced many more side benefits- clearing skin, lowered blood pressure, smoother digestion, reduction in arthritis, near total absence of debilitating psoriasis, improved mood, calmer disposition...Seems like the body-mind is prioritizing changes as it sees fit. I know that my weight will be next, as my mood and the other health factors will support me being able to sustain a reduction in mass. I have some inner work I need to do on issues of famine- and a resultant eating disorder, and some nasty events from childhood which reinforced those things. Once my hbody and mind is in a more peaceful place with this, I know it will be ready to release its last layer of false-protection and faulty programming.

LIkewise I KNOW your body, once i feels reassured that the positive changes are permanent, will SUPERCHARGE it;s healing powers, and you will have SURGE in multi-levelled vitality!!

I hope you will stick it out. I sounds to me like the surge in purging symptoms could be the storm before the calm...and if you just give it a little more time, you will turn a major corner. Did you know that evolution happens in surges...evolution of species, as well as personal evolution...We grow rapidly for a bit...then rest..and maybe grow/change/evolve again. You have started a wonderful cycle for yourself, Please stay long enough to reap the rewards.

You have quite a crowd of supporters here!

[eatyourbroccoli]

i still eat cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, avocadoes...the only veggie i really cut out is carrots, but im not even sure that would be necessary.

kefir can be dairy, but it can also be made from coconut milk. its a cultured drink-like product made with live-bacteria that actually repopulates your good bacteria in your gut. a quick google will bring up directiosn on how to make it, if interested. u have to purchase a kefir starter kit, and then u just buy young coconuts and use the milk from them, mix it with the bacteria cultures, and let it ferment over night.

i loveeee lettuce..all different types..so i really only eat mixing-bowl sized salads (just my preference, though...any sort of recipe including veggies/fat i think would be absolutely fine. that wrap you mentioned sounds perfect)..and about 5 or 6 of these a day. i use a tahini/lemon juice salad dressing, or mushed up avocado (and lots of it), or sometimes in a pinch ill use annies organic green garlic dressing..though not raw, its vegan and sugar free and VINEGAR free which has proved to be important for me. sometimes with chopped up veggies mixed in, sometimes not. i also try to get in about 16 oz of green juice a day...1:1 mixture of cucumber and celery. sometimes ill add parsley, but im usually too lazy. and i try to drink a lot of water. salad has always been my favorite food, even when i was SAD, so im afraid theres a bit of a lack of variety in MY diet on this no-sugar raw thing im doing. maybe alba or SG will chime in here because im pretty sure they dont live on salad like i do :o

i know gabriel cousens has a book called the rainbow diet that talks about eating low/no-sugar raw..i dont have it, but maybe you would be interested in looking into it as an alternative until you get your body full back on track and you can enjoy date nut torte again (im so looking forward to that..lol)

i havent gotten rid of my candida yet, as ive just discovered that its candida ive been battling the past 2 year about 2 weeks ago. i had been getting progressively more and more sick since about 2004, ive been to a gazillion doctors/naturopaths/specialists...etc etc etc. i had tried everything. bioidentical hormones have helped balance things out..but i felt that was just treating a symptom of something underlying..and i wanted to figure out what that underlying thing was. i read and read and read online .. and finally, given my huge array of weird symptoms and their progression, it dawned on me: candida. my symptoms have improved more in the past 2 weeks from no-sugar than they did over the past 2 years with everything else ive tried. its incredible..i feel silly that it was something so "simple" the entire time.

if youre interested in what symptoms i had, lemme know. thereve been most definitely some weird, definitely-related-to-candida ones. just to see if we've been on the same path :)

[Mike]

Which version of the raw foods diet are you following? How much vegetable juice are you drinking? How many green smoothies a day are you eating?

I noticed dramatic health improvements within the first week of going raw. My schedule was something like the following:

Morning: 16 ounce glass of green vegetable juice made of Celery, cucumber, spinach & other leafy greens, carrot, ginger root, and a pinch of cayenne pepper powder.

Green smoothie which I pour in a thermos and drink on the way to work.

Lunch: A little fruit followed by a salad with either soaked nuts / seeds or avocado.

Dinner: 16 ounce green juice followed by dinner. Sometimes a gourmet dinner, sometimes salad with pate, sometimes a green smoothie.

If you drink two green juices and two green smoothies a day you should notice some improvements.

I like to add superfoods to my smoothie such as maca, MSM, goji berries, spirulina or Klamath blue-green, etc...

If you want to notice really quick improvements, do a three day green juice fast.

Mike
www.TheRawDiet.com

[Sharon in Colorado]

It's probably just "slow change", not "no change".

I still think you should keep a blog or journal, because I bet you've had some changes, but since you are still dealing with candida and some new detox things are popping up, you tend to forget about the positives.

Like you said, you did have some days with super energy.

[mershwista]

RawNnyc, I hear you...that's me, too. This spring season marks a year of me trying to be raw...sometimes with more success than others.

The issue I wanted to eliminate was my depression and anxiety-induced bouts of stress eating. Has that happened? Well, no. Should it have? Maybe, maybe not. I can, however, look back at where I was a year ago and say I've made progress. If nothing else, I know what I have to do to keep myself happy....my main concern now is developing the willpower to stick to it.

I tend to take logic over intuition, and so seeing logically how the raw diet could help me, I jumped on, even though I never had any revelation of feeling great or huge surge of energy or anything like that.

I've now developed the willpower to do a fast and am learning that more things are possible than I allowed myself to believe.

One thing that helped me was to take St. John's wort...about 900 mg throughout the day. Maybe it's a crutch, but it at least allows me to get through the day without breaking my raw diet due to anxiety. Someday I hope I will not need it.

And, using the St. John's wort or not, I have been able to experience that a raw diet feels better physically than a cooked one (I took St. John's wort when I ate cooked, too, on and off.)

Progress is a slow thing sometimes. Just like when we learn something the hard way we never forget it, when we heal the slow way it's more likely to be permanent.

[RawNnyc]

I really love this board. I want to say thanks so much for all of the quick replies. I love reading ALL OF your suggestions. I've tried eating a wide range of foods, and I've tried eating mostly fruits, I haven't yet tried eating high fat high green, no sugar yet though and that's what I'm going to do. If that doesn't work, then it's got to be detox and I'll just leave it alone, but at least then I'll know and I'll be able to stop trying new things. I just can't sit here though and think I haven't tried something and that I might be making it worse. I know that all of my problems have to do with candida too. And I also know that my body is crying out for greens because 1. I crave them - a huge indicator and 2. I only go #2 when I up the salads. If I eat a whole day of fruit, I just don't go. So that's what I'm going to try.

EYB, I think that you're onto something in regards to candida. I feel like candida is the hardest thing to get rid of and the people who don't have it have more luck 'just being raw' and those of us who have candida have to come up with a more specific plan. I'm going home to Chicago this weekend, but when I get home I'm going to start making that coconut kefir. Is the coconut as good as the dairy? I hope so because I really cannot have dairy. By the way, is kefir raw?

Also, I wanted to ask.....in the past couple weeks high raw, not only have I broken out (which is unusual for me), but my finger tips burn. It's so weird. And when I look at them, there are like little cracks in them. Not really open, just like weird lines. Also, my skin has been getting more and more dry. If I don't overdose on the lotion, my hands look like a 90 year old woman's hands.....all cracked and dry and they hurt.

[hypnocmt]

The chinese view this kind of symptom as an issue of internal "heat" The fact that you have broken out and have this issue at your fingertips sound to me like "heat" in the body trying to get out. Interstingly, the lungs, large intestine, and small inestine all have entry/exit points in the fingertips. Very interesting for candida issues, eh?

to rebalance, anything you can do to make the body cool and alkaline will be good. Moisturizing from the outside is fine, and I would recommend "cooling" the skin with aloe, or cucumber milk. These two items are quite wonderful to soak in, or to make a mask from.

Smoothies which focus on coo,ing letuces, cukes, dark greens would be ideal.
Sip cool lemon water between meals.

I found that cool compresses, and even ice are helpful in balancing out an acne outbreak. Taking tepid, not hot showers will also be good.

You may find a salt bath wold be helpful in soothing your skin. There are some very nice ones out there. Given your current issues, you may want to look for onee from Masada which contains dead sea salts, milk thistle, and some other purifying essential oils.

[RawNnyc]

The chinese view this kind of symptom as an issue of internal "heat" The fact that you have broken out and have this issue at your fingertips sound to me like "heat" in the body trying to get out. Interstingly, the lungs, large intestine, and small inestine all have entry/exit points in the fingertips. Very interesting for candida issues, eh?

to rebalance, anything you can do to make the body cool and alkaline will be good. Moisturizing from the outside is fine, and I would recommend "cooling" the skin with aloe, or cucumber milk. These two items are quite wonderful to soak in, or to make a mask from.

Smoothies which focus on coo,ing letuces, cukes, dark greens would be ideal.
Sip cool lemon water between meals.

I found that cool compresses, and even ice are helpful in balancing out an acne outbreak. Taking tepid, not hot showers will also be good.

You may find a salt bath wold be helpful in soothing your skin. There are some very nice ones out there. Given your current issues, you may want to look for onee from Masada which contains dead sea salts, milk thistle, and some other purifying essential oils.

That IS very intersting. It's like when you have a sunburn and your skin cracks and peels, except this is coming from the inside. I'm hot inside and dry like what the sun does externally. Hmmmm.....I've always wanted to try the sea salt baths. I think I will........and that really is what I'm craving these days, crispy romaine lettuce and green crunchy foods. But what about my craving for spicy things? Wouldn't that make the body more hot? Yesterday I had salad wraps with sprouts, greens, tomatos, onions, jalepeno peppers, yellow peppers and garlic. Not even any avocado in there and it totally hit the spot. So good.

[Shoney]

I agree about doing a journal. I find it much easier to keep the journal on line here as a blog, and it has helped me SO much with sorting out the myriad of thoughts I go through. I even make hard copies of what I write so that when I start to panic about whatever issue is bugging me, the proof is right there. When I don't journal, I just feel suspended in space, floating, like every day is the same, and it is very easy to get discouraged! But skimming my blog since I started it, a lot has gotten better and it starts with my approach to raw. There are so many different ways to be raw, and since everyone is different in their particular needs (especially when they first get started), it can easily become confusing and frustrating.

Given the eloquence of your posts, I would guess that you are someone who likes to write, or at least are a verbal processor in that words help you sort things out. I'm this way, and find blogging really helpful, so I hope you'll consider it. Above all, don't give up on yourself or your body! Slipping back into cooked food isn't the worst thing in the world. I slipped and actually even gave up on being vegan for a week. It was a very strange time, and yet it helped me to establish that raw is definitely for me, and the experience then gives me patience now when things aren't happening as quickly as I'd like.

Good luck, and keeping going!!

[chilove]

Hang in there!!! There is hope! I sent you a private email.

Sending you lots of support!!!

Audrey

[misslinda]

That IS very intersting. It's like when you have a sunburn and your skin cracks and peels, except this is coming from the inside. I'm hot inside and dry like what the sun does externally. Hmmmm.....I've always wanted to try the sea salt baths. I think I will........and that really is what I'm craving these days, crispy romaine lettuce and green crunchy foods. But what about my craving for spicy things? Wouldn't that make the body more hot? Yesterday I had salad wraps with sprouts, greens, tomatos, onions, jalepeno peppers, yellow peppers and garlic. Not even any avocado in there and it totally hit the spot. So good.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Hypnocmt, I think our heads are going to SWELL thinking yin/yang :D

Rawnyc, what Hypnocmt is saying, is your your toxins are creating excess heat therefore, the bumps are your fingers are an indication of excess heat trying to move outward....as far as source, TCM views it as a whole body sytem involving major organs..........

I am not a TCM practitioner but for the sake of discussion,,,,your terrain may be damp/cool but you LIVER could be excess heat b/c of toxins......and b/c LIVE works enroute with Kidneys/spleen, those are effected as well.

In other words, your YIN YANG is off :D :p Right Hypnocmt ;)


Seriously though, I cosign with Sharonofcolorad greatly on this......when we are dealing with on going health changes and symptoms, our level of EXPECTATIONS increase to great lengths--which is good b/c we are passionate about healing~~

However, let's not forget that these "conditions" "symptoms" are bodily adaptions......not neccessarily a bad thing but indicators..........

Another note, when we take the NATURAL approach, TIME is no something we can use to measure healing per se........

We MUST AND NEED to go by direction of progress,consistency--the kind of checks and balances to say "Ya know, I have this irritating cough but it's not worse..........but wait, my bm's are getting better!"

By doing so, you will realize and see the the body works in very intricate ways and does what it can in light of the many bodily functions needed to fundtion,digest,heal,detoxify,rebuild etc etc.......those are ongoing projects for our body........be fair to yourself and don't put time limitations on yourself and your body........

It really helps to BLOG so others can offer suggestions etc. I find that charting out my sypmotoms in chronological order, gives me a map of where and how I came to what I had struggle with and to NOW...........

Doing too much and chaning what you do often will NEVER give you a consistent "prognosis" of what changes you are making and to what direction......

Sorry I just mumbled out loud........

[rawOrchid]

Danielle!

Wow! You've been given an abundance in advice and support! Its wonderful isn't it? Especially when you are not sure what is going on with your body, symptoms, etc.. Its so awesome to see all the support that this forum offers!

Here's my story in brief. I'm about 4 months raw. I went through everything you are going through right now: frustration, depression, really bad acne / breakouts like never before, candida symptoms, cracked skin and very dry fingertips... I think 2 months into it all, all hell broke loose! That's when I really had to trust my body's healing process.. and accept that this is worth it all and that only your thoughts, and your positive affirmations, along with the foods you choose to eat will determine the speed of your success and healing...

I tried it all,.. just like EYB, and sungoddess and Alba diet wise. I started out eating anything and everything raw... lots of dried fruit, lots of fat, a bit of everything really. I felt groggy, tired and unsatisfied. I knew there was more to this. I decided to incorporate green smoothies into my diet. I made a huge smoothie or soup for lunch and would always make sure to have some greens for supper. I felt better instantly. Yet, I continued eating lots of dried fruit, which, in itself, is NOT good and is actually slowing down the process. I'm still working on that one, but I've definitely cut back.. your body at some point says: HEY! Stop! Enuf which the sugar.. give me the whole works with the greens!

So, now at 4 months, here's the deal:

* I'm feeling much better. Actually, yesterday, my friends actually told me I had a new energy to me, it was great they said! A nice compliement.

* I no longer have acne. Just minor ones at times. And my scars are fading, slowly, but are still healing!

* I have incorported daily exercice. This is probably one of the BEST things you can do for yourself! I now jog again... this cleanses and nourishes and hydrates the organs, not to mention your soul and your emotions!

* I KNOW that I am finally healing of whatever candida, yeast, sugar, or other culprit that lived inside me for so long. Actually, I used to LIVE off of sugary cereals ALL day long every day before I went raw. So, its no wonder it is taking time for my body to eliminate all of it! So, being aware and realizing that this is what you are supposed to be going through to heal is so beneficial!

* You can do anything on the outside, but really, its ALL IN THE INSIDE. The liver is taxed with so much junk... you need to address the source. I only use honey on my face now, and its wonderful!

* I feel confortable, excited, motivated, spiritual... I'm so grateful all the time... and I'm healing not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually!

I could go on ... but I want you to know that with the help of all of these wonderful people, and the advice given, and the knowledge and awareness you have, that you are on your beautiful path to healing!!

I wish you the best of luck!

[Solace]

Ok I didn't read every post but you and i are at the same place for how long we've been raw. I have had dramatic changes in pain and depression but not weight and only about a 20% increase in energy. I am making plans for next week to see a Naturopathic doctor to help with my thyroid and what ever else. I really think thats what you should do to help you full benefit from being raw and fully cleanse. Make sure you get a Naturopath who WANTS to work with you being RAW. I hope this helps.......:)

[hypnocmt]

If indeed our heads begin to swell, we will simply tap on our crown point, then push down along the Du channel, Rub Large Intestine 4 to descend qi, stimulate spleen 9 for the swelling, rub liver 3 to open up the four gates along with the aforementioned LI4, and rub kidney 1 for grounding...

Until then....

You rock!

I love playing with the TCm stuff b/c it's always like putting together a multidimensional puzzle. ;)

[RawNnyc]

WOW WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!!!! Thanks to everyone who posted, I now have a completely different outlook than I did this morning. This is great.

rawOrchid - thank you especially for sharing your story. That makes me VERY VERY motivated! And you even had the dry finger tips too? So, I know you said that you upped your green intake, and eased up on the dried fruits, but would you consider your diet now high fat, high veggies? Or not really, just low dried fruit, high greens?

I would say my worse problems are the mood swings/depression that keep coming and going, and the constant yeast and bladder problems. I can deal with the dry skin and the break out (as long as it doesn't get out of control). I'm also going to start a blog/journal because I know that makes the most sense. I did it a couple years ago and it did help, I think I just got lazy. My health has been on a crazy rollercoaster for the past, uh, 3 years. I just can't wait to go through a day without questioning my health and my diet.....like the old days when I could actually completely live in the moment. But thanks to all of you, I am very inspired to keep trecking....thank you.:)

[eatyourbroccoli]

if you make coconut kefir, its raw..yup!

coconut kefir seems to be a bit more liquidy than milk kefir..which is thicker like a yogurt. both taste yummy to me, though

[tvillemom]

Hi RawNnyc...I sent you an email! EYB...I think I would like to check out making that kefir! How does it taste?? sweet, sour??? just wondering, I've never made anything like that before. I was actually thinking of making some saurkraut....would that be along the same lines, or is kefir better?? RawNnyc...stay in touch. It seems like you have alot of great advice here. I am definitely be adding more greens...and stuff like cucumber!! Loving this thread!
Wendi

[eatyourbroccoli]

its sort of tart, similar to plain yogurt. from my understanding, kefir is ahead of other fermented foods in that it not only cleans your gut and promotes good bacteria, it actually re-colonizes it. been great to me so far..i do a cup in the morning for breakfast, and a cup an hour after dinner, 3 hours before bed. just my preference though :)

[tvillemom]

EYB, where do I get a starter kit? And directions for making this stuff? I want to make sure it's not dairy kefir, did I read that right, that it's mostly dairy? I'm definitely interested. Is it difficult to make and get it right? I'm scared of poisoning myself by making saurkraut, so I've never tried...Yes, I'm a chicken!
Wendi

[rawOrchid]

rawOrchid - thank you especially for sharing your story. That makes me VERY VERY motivated! And you even had the dry finger tips too? So, I know you said that you upped your green intake, and eased up on the dried fruits, but would you consider your diet now high fat, high veggies? Or not really, just low dried fruit, high greens?

Danielle! You are MORE than welcome! So, I'm not really one extreme or the other... meaning I'm not just high fat and low sugar... I think, for me, what is working is to always include dark leafy greens into my daily meals... whether in the form of smoothies, soups, or just in a salad or to as sandwiches. And I eat TONS. My favorites are spinach and dino kale. I still eat dates, and they don't seem to aggravate anything. I have, though, eliminated many nuts and seeds, because I am rebuilding the good bacteria inside. I eat tons of avos, different veggies, and lots of green apples and berries! Coconut butter and agave are also staples for me right now.

I would also suggest probiotics, and I've been taking MSM in capsule form. You can do a search with the banana about it. Its working for me.

Again, these are only suggestions. I really do wish you the very best! We all deserve great health.

Remember, that half the battle is in your mind: your thoughts control your world, ... therefore you have the power to heal yourself with your thoughts! This is all still new to me but living it is SOOO wonderful!

Good luck!