My Raw Progress

[Joyeuse]

Hi. I first became raw almost 2 weeks ago. Already since going raw my energy levels are great, I feel happy and light, not weighed down. I have energy to be a better mom and get what I want done everyday. My vision improved also. I gained 7 pounds too (from 90 to 97 pounds today). Acne really hit me though, but I feel it was detoxing, it's going away now, there's only a bit left. I feel so good, is all I can say. I know I'm beginning to heal. Going raw felt like magic. I'm looking forward to the future and living more in the now. The kids are happier too. but yesterday, even with all of these wonderful benefits, I couldn't resisit and ate mostly cooked! Lots of whole grains, but cooked. I felt awful and malnourished, I felt "on nerves" all day. At the end of the day I ate a bunch of fresh fruit and veggies and felt better. And am starting to feel good again today. Is there something wrong with me that I binged liek that? I smelled some cooked food and craved it in a not so good craving way, like as if I were addicted to a drug or something. I also ran out of coconut oil the night before and am waiting for my order, could that have contributed?

Other than that I'm so excited. I am a planner and need to plan things and I like to keep it simple. I'm also nursing my 1 year old.

So this is how I've been eating the last couple weeks (except yesterday):

Breakfast: lots of fresh fruit, some soaked almonds, cold-pressed omega oils, bee pollen

Lunch: lots of fresh veggies (I've been loving cucumbers and tomatoes lately), small piece of rye manna bread with virgin coconut oil, raw honey and bee pollen, small amount of raw "cheese", omega oils

Dinner: raw sauerkraut, basic salad, sometimes a bit of something partly cooked, bee pollen, omega oils

And lots of water throughout the day, celtic sea salt and a couple of herbal teas with raw honey. Doesn't sound like much but I've been feeling nourished. I'm waiting for an order of raw foods to come in. We only have 1 store that sells organic foods where I live and the prices are PHENOMENAL (moved from big city and ate all organic there as well, so used to organic prices already but this store was way high) and the produce not as fresh. I've decided to start a living foods co-op in our area so we can get fresher foods at a better price, plus I'm starting to grow wheatgrass and a few sprouts.

When my food comes in it'll be:

Pre-breakfast: fresh wheatgrass juice mixed with fresh fruit juice

Breakfast: plenty of fresh fruits, soaked almonds and pumpkin seeds or raw almond milk, bee pollen, cold-pressed omega oils, raw macca (sometimes may make this into a smoothie)

Lunch: plenty of fresh vegetables, raw dip, raw cheese, raw sprouted manna bread or crackers (am learning to make this) with virgin coconut oil, bee pollen, cold-pressed oils

Dinner: Large salad (lettuce, avocado or raw olives, dulse, fresh pressed garlic, sprouts or other veggies, raw dressing), bee pollen, raw fermented beverage (such as ginger drink, rejuvelac, lemonade, etc.) and/or raw fermented vegetables (such as sauerkraut, carrots, etc.), may have some sprouted grains or nuts if desired, sometimes make a smaller salad and have raw pizza or some other special raw dinner and occasionally have some raw treats like cookies and ice cream (but for now need to keep things simplified).

Does this look alright? It feels right, and even though it's been simple the kids are actaully liking it better. My body has been feeling nourished and I'm getting used to this nice light feeling and although I don't feel full after eating I certainly feel satisfied and I don't feel hungry at all. Before raw, I used to be eating and snacking constantly, always feeling hungry and yet never feeling satisfied.

I'm sorry for such a long post, I'm just so excited about my progress so far.

[Joyeuse]

Oh, I forgot to add another wonderful benefit which my husband is happy about.

I used to have like constant yeast infections and my vagina would be quite dry and itchy. Sex was not always enjoyable for me, actually it was like a chore, something I had to do and we did it often to please dh, I rarely felt orgasm or even nice instead it always hurt and burned. I accepted that was just the way it'd be for me, maybe I was too small and dh was too big or we just weren't sexually compatible or something (whatever that means). I tried so many things to try and get rid of the yeast infection problem (including emotional aspects), but accepted it was just the way it is and even put it out of my mind as something I have no control over. I didn't even put that on my list and I didn't even consider that it would change. Well it has. I'm not dry or itchy anymore and sex has been so nice, I really enjoy it now and look forward to it. I actually want to, dh is happy!

[crystalmoon]

Well done on two weeks raw & the wonderful extra benefits you gained ;)
It is perfectly normal to crave cooked foods when you first go raw, dont be hard on yourself. Also the dying yeast infection will make you crave carbs, its great you ate such helthy cooked carbs...many raw sites Ive seen even recommend eating brown rice or similar whole grain carbs to slow detox to a steady pace.
You are doing great :)

[Marcus]

I'm finding that after 10 weeks of 80% raw, the cooked food binges have been less frequent. This is becoming a lifestyle now, not a diet. And a pleasant lifestyle at that.

[Joyeuse]

Thanks! hmm...if eating whole cooked grains makes the detox go slower would that mean it would also last longer?

[monkapotapus]

Hi,
It sounds like you have candida issues going on. This happens when our "good" bacteria become out numbered by the "bad" bacteria - candida thrives on sugars & processed white foods. It can cause brain fog, yeast infections, dizziness, bladder infections & many other symptoms. If you have taken antibiotics in the past they kill off our good bacteria & if we don't replenish it with either probiotics (supplement), or living foods - an umbalance is created. "Good" bacteria are essential for the immune system, digestive system & elimination systems.

It's great that you're feeling better - if you have any reoccurances - I'd check with your local Health food Store and ask them about probiotics. I work at one & one of the top quality ones we have are from Renew Life. You want to make sure they have a mixture of the Lacti - bicilli strains & the Bifida - biccilli strains - they work synergestically for the stomach/small intestines & large intestine/colon. They have anywhere from a 6 billion formula up to a 50 billion formula. You cannot get too many in the area of probiotics - it will only "flood" your system with the good bacteria & should not have any detremental effects with the milk you're passing to your baby - they need probiotics too - everyone does. Hope this helped a little & good luck on your journey.

[crystalmoon]

Hi im pretty sure that detox is going to be a continuous journey for me cos even once Im eating 100% for a long time Im still living in a toxic town/country/world so will have daily toxins to cleanse from my system.
People seem to have varied experiences of detoxing & I reckon its a little different for everyone;)

[Joyeuse]

Thanks for the candida/probiotic info! I've looked into it before, I've taken Bio-K+, I eat a lot of raw fermented things like sauerkraut (eat that by the cupful) and drinks that I make and ferment. I didn't eat refined sugar or flour, but I did crave and eat alot of whole grains and natural sugar (ie., maple syrup) and I was practically raised on antibiotics as a child (I had alot fo ear infections and such, my parents also fed us furmula, canned baby "food" and served everything cooked, I rarely ate anything raw growing up. Looking into it though, I most likely do/did have a very chronic yeast/candida issue. Going raw has been amazing for this which may be one reason why I'm having such dramatic and quick results. I also just got some more virgin coconut oil and that has really been helping. When I crave cooked food (especially grains) I just eat a spoonful and it goes away. From what I read after doing some research on candida, it seems that it is there so that when our bodies die it will take over and help it decompose. I guess for me, the cooked (dead) food it helped it grow and try to do it's job.

Yes, I think we'll always be cleansing if we give our bodies the right, raw nutrients and materials and don't overload it, just due to living how we do as a "civilised" nation. But I think when going raw it's the beginning that will be so intense and most noticeable. I thought my acne was going away, but it seems that my cooked foods binge (of whole grains) slowed down the detoxifying process. The acne is starting to get worse and now I feel like I'm coming down with something, my kids are also fussy and more emotional. I think the detoxifying process is starting hard now for us, but I think I'll just let it detoxify quickly and get it over with then try to slow it down and make it a long process. I know we're not getting sick because it is different, plus before going raw we had been eating whole organic foods for years and never eating any candy, chips or junk, nothhing refined either not even for special occasions, since then we very rarely if ever got sick when before it was the same as other families. But it did have it's limits, as our healing could only go so far, it was like it was stuck, and now I understnad why.

Here's hoping that we detoxify quickly!!!!

[EZ rider]

The "friendly" gut bacteria thrive on the natural raw garden foods and the more you eat raw and the less you eat processed the better the balance between friendly/ unfriendly will get for a healthy gut bacteria. Supplements help but if you eat raw you'll get there just fine because the good guys thrive on raw foods.

[Elle_Murphy]

*booty shake dances for Joy*