what's wrong?

[NicoleF]

Hi, I'm new to this site. I've been about 90-100% raw for almost two months and vegan for almost a year. (Vegetarian for almost 2 years). Anyway, the problem is that I don't feel any better AT ALL. In fact I've had two colds in the past two months and they can't just be "detox symptoms" because my kids had them too so I know they were actually colds. I wake up every morning with a stiff sore neck and slightly sore muscles. I have minor nausea which I've had for 5 years now and I don't feel any different! I'm not 100% raw, but can that small 5% really make that much of a difference? I drink lots of fresh green juices, lots of salads, lots of avacadoes, sweet fruits, delicious dehydrated crackers, nuts and seeds. The only cooked foods I eat would be lightly cooked organic vegetable foods like potatoes or beans. Occasionally I will have organic cooked rice. But to be eating 95% raw foods that are LOADED with nutrition and I'm still getting sick? I mean my husband eats meat, dairy and junk food and he doesn't get sick! It isn't fair! In Alissa's book it says people start feeling fantastic within a few days, may go through a detox, but have loads of energy and feel wonderful. I feel none of that. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Nicoe

[Sharon in Colorado]

Hey Nicole here's a couple of things to think about. First, what are you eating now? You could be eating a lot of grounding foods which impedes your energy levels.

Since you've been doing such a slow transition, the detox may not be as evident. You might want to try "kicking it up a notch" and doing an all-or-nothing 100% raw diet for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference.

Or, you may want to get some bloodwork done to check for any deficiencies. Just to be on the safe side. Some vegetarians become defiecient in B12 and all it takess a little supplementation. Or it may be another type of nutrient.

[RawTruth]

In Alissa's book it says people start feeling fantastic within a few days, may go through a detox, but have loads of energy and feel wonderful. I feel none of that. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Nicoe

Hi Nicole. Sorry you're not feeling any benefits yet.

It may be unrealistic to think that you're going to be impervious to viruses, bacterias, or other illnesses within two months of going raw.

Also, I think it's important to note that the people in Alissa's book are 100% raw. I personally haven't heard or read any accounts of tremendous healings and wondrous changes except among people who are 100%. Perhaps that can be explained by what I was told last week by a doctor who espouses all raw: if we're consistently eating less than 100%, the energy created by 90% raw is used up by the body having to deal with the 10% that's cooked.

I was a vegetarian for over 23 years before going 100% raw two months ago, and I haven't had a lot of dramatic changes (yet). Several others on this forum have experienced the same thing. We've speculated that people who have had healthy eating habits and aren't having a serious health crisis may not have such immediate or pronounced effects.

That said, for me, eating 100% raw has been like a pebble tossed in a lake. Other areas of my life couldn't remain unchanged. Once the switch was thrown in my brain from almost to 100%, and I listened, truly listened to my body (and thus realized that body couldn't be separated from spirit), unavoidable ripples resulted -- meditation, bodywork, career changes. Or, maybe, going raw was part of a step I'd already taken.

Stick with it, Nicole. If you don't have other raw books or resources, you might gather some. Think about whether you're willing to commit to 100% for a month. You may discover that's the key.

Best of luck.

[catherinethegreat]

I agree with what the others have already said. Just watned to add that I didn't have any weight loss or anything liraculous happening int he beginning of being 100% raw ( or so I thought )

but when I took photos of myself over the first 2 month period I could see how much clearer my eyes were and how I was losing inches not pounds.

I had to stop comparing myself to everyone else - and just decide to do this for the long term for myself because intuitively I knew it was the right thing for my body even if I still had to wait for the miracle to happen.

I do agree with what RawTruth said about the 10% being a barrier to better health.

My boyfriend eats microwaved frozen meals, fast food, steak, coca cola ( like water ) and smokes, and he appears to be in good health on the outside and he never suffers the same concequenses I did when I ate that way - but the damage might be more internal then external right now - it's hard to compare, since we have different bodies and different pre-dispositions from our parents - and our environment etc...

Anyhow - I'm sorry you aren't feeling well!! I hope you recover soon.

It might be worth while to give the 30 day challenge a shot...you have nothing to lose and we support you either way.

*c

[Alissa]

. I'm not 100% raw, but can that small 5% really make that much of a difference?
YES. Ok, you’re eating really well, that’s great. But your still eating cooked foods, so your body is not going to just heal itself while its still getting cooked food especially after only 2 months. You need to go 100%. why not just do it and see if it helps. THIS MAKES A HUGE DIIFERNCE! That’s why i say in the book the difference between 80 and 85 percent raw is 5 percent but the difference between 99 percent raw and 100 percent is like night and day.

[ren]

Your husband's body is different from your body. You should give 100% raw a try for thirty days and see what happens.

[DotfromOz]

I agree with the suggestions that you go 100% raw. I'm doing that myself shortly, as after about a month at 80% with a few days of 100%, I'm feeling worse. I've gotten enough body awareness that I can tell it's the cooked food doing it to me, since within an hour or so after eating it I feel sluggish and depressed. Last night, for instance, I ate Japanese food that while I was eating SAD felt really good, lighter and more energizing than the other stuff I ate. This morning, I still feel that gut lump from the cooked stuff.

I'm wondering if you've logged what you eat to give you an idea of any foods that might bother you. Potatoes could be the culprit as some people are very sensitive to anything in the deadly nightshade family, which they don't notice until their diet is far healthier. Tomatoes might also be a give-up for a while at least, although I'd say that eliminating those cooked potatoes might tell you a whole lot immediately.

Here's hoping that you find that vibrant health we all seek!

[caramba]

That said, for me, eating 100% raw has been like a pebble tossed in a lake. Other areas of my life couldn't remain unchanged. Once the switch was thrown in my brain from almost to 100%, and I listened, truly listened to my body (and thus realized that body couldn't be separated from spirit), unavoidable ripples resulted -- meditation, bodywork, career changes. Or, maybe, going raw was part of a step I'd already taken.



Getting slightly OT here...but I just wanted to say I sooo much agree with RawTruth's comments here. Although I've only just started doing 100%, I did find that "High Raw" coincided with so many changes in my life (which came first, the changes or the Raw...?? Hard to tell...)


I'd agree that you try 100% Raw - do the 30 day challenge and then see how you feel. I guess if the diet makes sense to you then it will be hard (and counterproductive) to go back to eating SAD anyway...

Stick with it and Good Luck. Keep us posted on how you go.

[alpha92]

YES. Ok, you’re eating really well, that’s great. But your still eating cooked foods, so your body is not going to just heal itself while its still getting cooked food especially after only 2 months. You need to go 100%. why not just do it and see if it helps. THIS MAKES A HUGE DIIFERNCE! That’s why i say in the book the difference between 80 and 85 percent raw is 5 percent but the difference between 99 percent raw and 100 percent is like night and day.

Why 1% deviation makes such a wide difference?

[rawpriestess]

Hi, Victoria Boutenko explains this in her class, I will do my best to convey this information as I was taught.

When you are eating a SAD diet you may be eating a tomato slice and some lettuce on a burger, so you are eating maybe 5 to 20 % raw, depending on if you are eating salads or not, so you feel OK. then you think maybe I'll be a vegetarian, so you drop out meat, and you eat only veggies and fruits, breads, etc. your body starts to feel alot better, and you start to detox off meats, then you drop dairy, etc.

Now, you are feeling pretty good, so you think, maybe I'll eat mostly raw, okay, you have fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch, eat nuts and fruit for snacks but still hold onto that cooked dinner, which makes you really sleepy at night, so that isn't so bad.

But you body is like the smoker who gives up cigarettes but won't give up that last one. The body wants to start clearing out all the old gunk, and just as it feels safe to do that, you toss in another piece of gunk.

So, your body is on hold waiting for you to allow it to release it's toxins, I've seen this about 35 times in people who come to me to learn about the raw lifestyle over the last few years. They go about 75 to 90 % raw, and they feel terrible.

So, I always suggest that they may choose to try the 100% raw fruit, veggies, nuts and grains lifestyle for a week, see if they feel better, go through detox, and then make the decision if they would like to feel that great all the time.

IF they do it, they then move on to raw, if they won't try it for a week, I pretty much know what will happen, a little more cooked comes creaping back into their lives and pretty soon they are usually back on the SAD path.

This isn't good or bad, it just simply is.

So, your body, in it's infinite wisdom will not release it's toxins, and start to heal, as long as it knows you will be feeding it something as damaging as cooked foods.

Just like the smoker, whos lungs will never clear, as it is in a holding pattern for that next cigarette.

You see if you body clears out all the mucoid plague and toxins, it has nothing to protect you from that next batch of cooked food.

That is why IF a raw fooder for an extended period of time eats anything cooked they get really sick.

I was 100% raw for 2 months, and had a baked potato and thought I was going to die.

So, just try 100% raw, what do you have to loose? Except the toxins. Go on ahead, make the committment, do it now, we are all here to help you.

And don't expect to be perfect, no one is. But we are all works in process/progress and are all working together to heal ourselves.

[Rawkinlocs]

That was an excellent way of explaining this RawPriestess!!
I was trying to put it into words, but you (and Victoria) did it for me! Thank you :)

[Ariella]

another thought - I agree 100% is the best - BUT you may want to evaluate how much fat you are eating. Even if you stay high raw instead of going cooked. I lived high raw for several years and saw many health benefits and betterments. Ie... my asthma went away, the chronic fatigue syndrome went away, the endometriosis went away, didn't get sick all of the time like I used to, acne cleared up, lost weight - so as you can see you can eat high raw and still derive benefits. I am currently doing a 30 day challenge though to try to go permanently raw. Although I have done the high raw thing for a total of 4 years.....

Anyway, my point, there was a period of this that I was eating a lot of fat in nuts and seeds and avocados and prepared raw dishes. I also did a lot of dehydrated meals and for those couple of months I felt like crap! I mean I just felt horrible all of the time!!! I started trying to follow dr. doug grahams 8/1/1rv 80% carbs 10% fat and 10% protein and voila I started feeling great again - lots of energy and rearing to go. Even with an occasional cooked thing. i also went back to not eating a lot of the prepared meals and dehydrated things again. It really is so much better to just eat fresh and as whole of foods as possible.

Just a thought! :) or another idea anyway! I hope you get to feeling better soon :)

Ariella

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