What's wrong with me?

[raweater]

A few days ago I started having nasal congestion. Since I'm raw this has always happened for one of 2 causes:
-Dehydration (a proven cause of allergies and this sort of symptom, I used to always be cured of this after 2 large glasses of water)
-Gallstones (this time I've done 2 flushes and it barely helped with the nasal congestion)

This means my nasal congestion has a different cause this time and I'm not sure what it is. If it helps, I also started coughing on occasion, but I don't feel sick at all other than having nasal congestion and coughing.

I highly, highly doubt it could be infectious because I've been raw for well over a year and have a strong immune system, but I had been eating a bit more cooked food these past few weeks (baked potatoes, whole grain kamut organic pasta, but I'm still well over 80% raw and am going back up 90-100% now that I'm "sick").

And please, I don't want to see anyone recommending I go see a conventional doctor, they don't know how to cure any disease and kill 10,000 to 40,000 people PER DAY (death rates fall up to 50% when doctors go on strike), so please don't tell me to go into the #1 cause of death, I've already almost been killed by doctors who exploited my Crohn's disease for tens of thousands of dollars by fooling me into beleiving that was an incurable disease when the cure has been known for well over 50 years.

So what could be causing my problem and what should I do? I think I'll eat a few cloves of raw garlic per day as that should help regardless of the cause.

Thanks

[halikatak]

Maybe you just have a cold.
Take it easy, get some rest, and wait it out.
That's what I do with mine!

[RowanC]

I know you people probably get weary of hearing this, but it could just be detox?

Some things are so buried in our tissues, bones, and organs, that it takes months, and even YEARS to uncover.

Drink lots of fluids.

Try a neti pot if it bugs you a lot, with a little salt water.
That usually clears up my nasal congestion fast!

[Dr. White]

How about a food allergy? They cause congestion and the cough could be fron nasal drainage.

[raweater]

I don't think I'm eating new foods, how can I tell for sure if it's a food allergy?

As for detox, I have been eating more cooked food these past days so that could be it also. I'll try to go back to 100% raw and drinking lots of raw vegetable juices, I just had one with lots of garlic and onion and it seems to have helped already.

Thanks

[RawHeaven]

did any of the cooked foods you consumed have milk byproducts? i know when i slip up occassionally :cool: i get congested as well. and it's usually because i ate something made with dairy products.

and i will echo you could be detoxing...you'd be surprised how long the body hangs onto some toxins, and now your body may simply be releasing them even after being raw for a year.

i hope you figure it out! being congested sucks.

[raweater]

Anything I eat cooked I make entirely myself, and the only things I ate cooked was whole grain organic kamut pasta and baked organic potatoes.

[walnutty]

Going back to 100% will help...

My SAD son went through 3 weeks of sick. It started with allergies turned into a sinus infection, then strep, then bronchiatis. All the while I was taking care of him and doing the "chores" he normally does. I was fine until the start of the third week when I woke up with a fever, congestion and severe body aches. I decided right there and then to do a two day liquids fast...to strenghthen my immune system with organic nutrients and at the same time give my digestive system a rest. After one day I felt tons better and after the second day I was perfectly fine and the syptoms have not come back. My son is still struggling to get better (even with anti-biotiocs) and it has been a full month. I continue to be fine. So fill your body with raw, organic "nutrients" (my word for food) and you should be fine. And if not, then it is most likely not a bacterial or viral infection, but a detox. Either way, getting back to 100% is going to help. Good luck and feel better!

[raweater]

walnutty, thanks for the great advice. I'm new to this forum, I was on rawfood/sunfood.com's forum before and lots of people there are telling everyone to take drugs when they're sick, it infuriates me to see people recommend deadly quackery to sick people. I'm glad I've found a forum where people understand that drugs are not the solution to our health problems, they are in fact the main cause (drugs are the #1 cause of disease and #3 cause of death).

I'm definately going to go back to 100% raw with lots of veggi juices and perhaps a fast but I find that hard, especially since I started working out again a few weeks ago so I often eat 3000-7000 calories/day so going from that to zero would be quite a shock.

Thanks

[walnutty]

raweater,

I didn't do a juice fast, I did a liquids fast. I drank veggie juice, fruit juice, green smoothies, cacao shakes, raw pina coladas....anything I wanted as long as it was liquids. If you aren't feeling good, why are you working out so hard? Maybe do the liquids and take a long, relaxing walk for a few days. If your body is fighting something it needs help to heal. If you over work your body it will take longer to heal, whether it is fighting an infection or detoxing. Those two days I did liquids only, I read a lot. It was very relaxing and my body was able to fight off my sons' infections. I am still fine even though my seasonal allergies are just as bad as his...I just sneeze a lot!...:D Take care!

[raweater]

I haven't been working out much since I've been congested, I meant normally. How do you make raw pina coladas? Please don't say I need young coconuts because I've never been able to find any.

About allergies, they are normally caused either by dehydration (do you drink 2 liters of water per day and consume no diuretics like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, grains?), dairy products are also a major cause of allergies.

Each time I had allergies, 1-2 glasses of water cures them within 15 minutes, not surprisingly as allergies are normally a sign of dehydration.

[walnutty]

raweater,

...ha, ha, ha...sorry had to laugh.... I drink 2 gallons of water every day! I LOVE water!!! I have seasonal allergies only...no food allergies. The weather is changing in Phoenix (Valley of the Sun) and allergies for everyone is really bad when that happens. It happens twice a year.

Raw pina coladas do require coconuts. I have only been using the coconut water because I just figured out how to open coconuts this week. I am saving the coconut meat for Ani Phyo's "Coconut Kream Pie With Carob Fudge On Brownie Crust" recipe. I sometimes add a couple tablespoons of raw, organic shredded coconut as well...but I don't know how you would make it without the coconut because technically it IS coconut and pineapple. I'm so sorry you can't find coconuts in your area...:( What a drag!

[walnutty]

Where do you live?

[raweater]

I find plenty of coconuts in my area, they have them year around, what I can't find is young coconuts, they are not at all the same thing and recipes require specifically either young or mature coconut, they cannot be replaced one for the other.

About the allergies, I'm pretty sure they are due to a diet/immune problem even though you are allergic to something else. I beleive it's something that only happens when the immune system isn't working properly (due to dehydration, sugar poisoning, etc.).

By the way I just ordered Ani Phio's recipe book too along with "Raw Food/Real World" and "Raw Food Made Easy: For 1 or 2 People". I may have gotten Alissa's book also but they didn't have it at the store I ordered from. Does the coconut kream pie require mature or young coconut?

I'm in Quebec, Canada.

[walnutty]

It requires young...BUT she does give an alternative way to make it, by using raw, organic shredded coconut. It looks AMAZING!!! Look it up when you get your book...WOW!!!

p.s. The pic is on the back of the book, not with the recipe.

[jaurequi]

It is probably the newer foods or the less-nutritious form of the foods you've recently introduced, the grains being the more likely culprit. Grains are notorious offenders, and congestion with mucous and allergy symptoms are part of that.

Hope you feel well again soon :)

Best,