this is WEIRD

[rawstar]

Hi all

I would be so grateful for any suggestions about what's going on with me...

I started getting reactions to green smoothies a while back - rash all over face, round armpits, knees and elbows. I concluded that I must be allergic to spinach as every time I had a smoothie with that in, I reacted, but every other combination was OK.

Then I started reacting to smoothies with kale in as well...

Then also any smoothies with romaine...

Next was mangoes. I ate two 1/2 large honey mangoes before dinner and reacted.

This morning I have just reacted to a banana/strawberry smoothie (3 small bananas, handful strawberries).

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?????!!!!

All of these foods I have eaten for YEARS with no problems! When I juice the greens that give me problems in green smoothies, I don't seem to have any issues - even in the same quantities. Same if I eat them in salads. I don't get it...

My partner reckons I am eating too much of the same thing in one go...maybe he's right?

I'm thinking about getting a food intolerance test done. Thing is, I'm just not convinced that all the sudden I'm allergic to all these things.

Any suggestions would be VERY gratefully received, this is driving me crazy!!!

thanks :)

[MOTH]

How long have you been completely raw? Could be detox.

[rawstar]

I'm not 100% raw consistently yet...I'd say around 90-95% most days. Usually I might have one thing in a day that is not raw, like a small portion of cooked grain, or some nuts that are not raw, or some olives. I do still have "bad" days though about once a week, where I give in to SAD junk :mad:

[Veganforlife]

Same here. Wish I had an answer. There are so many variables that could be playing into this.
Are you eating organic?
Have you changed dish/laundry/soap that you use?
Have you moved into a place that has new carpet.
See? So many things could be causing this and it may not even be the green smoothies.
Does the rash itch?
How long does it last?
Have you tried going 100% raw (for like 30 days) and see if it happens?
What type of water are you using in your GS's?
Like I said. Wish I had an answer...

[shashibala]

I also react to foods that I have eaten for years. Walnuts now cause me terrible sores on my face. Really wonderful! I also get itching in my mouth from eating bananas. I am giving these foods a break and will try them at a later date to see if I can eat them in small quantities. I have been eating lots of bananas and walnuts for a while, so your theory about eating foods too often sounds right to me. It is so weird! I agree with rawlinda sue in that I probably had sensitivities before, but was so gunked up that the reactions were not visible to me. I wonder what other long timers have to say on this subject. I wish I was more helpful, but I'm in the same boat!

[lavendarJ]

Just one other thing to consider..the fruits and veggies you are combining.. I know that many people rave about green smoothies and believe you can throw anything together and gulp it down with no problem but that's not the case for everyone. Just my opinion by the way. I personally believe that even as someone who as embraced this raw vegan journey, I should be mindful of proper food combining (it's not just for SAD folk-it's for anyone who is intersted in properly feeding the body, not just what you eat but how you eat it)...now everyone is different, but me and many others have severe reactions if we combine certain fruits with vegetables (ideally shouldn't be combined)... sure some combos are okay, but certain things like very acidic vegetables with super sweet fruits basic create the reaction of fermentation in the body because of the fruit digesting faster than the vegetable) Then it's gas bombs and bloating for some. Some people can gulp any combo of anything down and report no problems so we are all different.

Be your own "tester" first and try restructuring the combo, taking out the suspected "culprit" in your green smoothies and seeing monitoring the effects...

[Eva]

Hmmmm, you are not 100% raw... and the foods you are reacting to are all very cleansing foods. Could be your body is removing something, even a parasite. Are you really craving the foods you are eating??

I had a rash on my elbows and the back of my head for quite some time and went through a lot to get rid of them. I found that if I had very cleansing foods or went on a juice fast, the rash would get worse. Finally, it got worse then better and is gone.

Stress made a difference too. Ugh.

[jacsam]

My suggestion would be to have a consultation with Alissa....I'm not sure if she still does them but if she doesn't I'm sure she has someone on her staff that does. Good Luck!!! Oh, Alissa does mention in her book and on her DVD that the transition from 99% raw and 100% raw is like night and day.

[rawstar]

Thanks everyone for the useful comments. :D

I just had another thought - I take a multivitamin/mineral tablet every morning (but the day I had the reaction to my dinner I took it later int he day) so maybe it is reacting with my food. Or maybe I'm overdosing on some nutrient when I add the tablet to my food...like vitamin C or something??? I'll try having a smoothie without a tablet. Not tomorrow morning though as I'm seeing the physio and I've already turned up once with a bright red rash all over my face and been asked lots of questions about my diet!!!

Do you think it is causing harm to my body to be eating things which bring it out in a rash? I'm wondering whether to "battle it out" or just to stop the GS for now.

[Veganforlife]

Why stop the GS? Why not stop the supplement (vitamin) you are taking? I'm thinking THAT is the culprit. Folks have a tendency to turn toward the good stuff as being bad for them...I (personally) would stop the supplement, continue on w/the GS's and see what a difference that makes. Could be something in the supplement that is too toxic for your body.

[souldanzer]

Does your multivitamin contain B3?
As far as I know, Vitamin B3 can cause a "flushing" reaction in some people. There is a type of B3 specifically you can buy that will not cause this reaction.

Souldanzer:)

[annavon]

See my response to the corn intollerance question. I think a food sensitivity test might be a good idea if you can afford it. They are expensive $450+. I had one done because I had many digestive issues as well as fatigue. One thing the doctor stressed was to vary my diet and not eat too much of the same thing.

[Pitaya]

just wanted to reiterate Alissa's remark that 99% and 100% raw IS like night and day. i have experienced this myself, and learned deeply about body chemistry. when i was transitioning and eating bits of cooked food here and there I was totally confusing my body and causing explosions and eruptions of all kinds. i think this causes chaos in our bodies. are you willing to try 100% raw for a certain amount of time - say 30 days - just to see what happens? I'm sure it will help.

also the multivitamin is unnecessary if you are eating 100% raw properly. (though some people take small b12 supplement and probiotics)

best of luck either way
and stick with us on the journey,
we want to hear your success!!!
blessings, pitaya

[StarFire]

Aloha... I've been thru the very same thing when it came to green smoothies... I know our very dear Lucy's famous words are 'green smoothies'!! (and I love you Lucy - cuz you are soooo RAWkn AWESOME! http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/flirtyeyess2.gif)

BUT.... here's what I experienced...

I loooved my green smoothies - but I started breaking out in little rashes - then I was getting dizzy spells - vertigo, then odd things like falling asleep if I sat down for a moment -- and my husband couldnt wake me up -- and when he was finally able to wake me up -- I was dazed and confused and would fall right back to sleep -- almost comatose - it was really scary!!
I ended up going to my homeopathic physician and was tested... and the results came back that I was SEVERELY allergic to fruit... Especially Mangoes, papayas, strawberries, grapes, WATERMELON... OMG... unbelievable.... I was so sad -- all my favorite things...

so...
are you putting fruit into your green smoothies it might be the fruit. That's what it turned out to be in my case anyway. I have NEVER had any problems with fruit - until I went raw --- :eek: !! so sad - especially since I live in Hawaii where fruit is abundant and practically free (lots of wild fruit)...
but my theory has always been that as my body heals I will be able to begin reincorporating fruit back into my food intake....
and...

lo and behold - that is beginning to happen! THANKFULLY!! I have been able to eat a few mangos and some grapes and a handful of cherries without having a reaction -- and BELEIVE ME.... that is HUGE!!! I love Mangos - but that and watermelon were the two that I was MOST allergic to....

I'm taking it easy on the fruit - but incorporating it slowly and once in awhile... seems to be working just fine....

I hope you start feeling better soon....
blessings!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/21cid5F01c801c5a44424aff4baf0240a01.gif

[Green_Woman]

Walnuts do cause my mouth to break out in sores.

I also find that I go through phases of being able to eat lots of one thing, and nothing of anything else without inducing nausea.

Right now, for instance, I'm on a tomato/lemon cucumber "soup" that consists of tomatoes and lemon cucumbers diced and salted with Celtic Sea Salt and sometimes garlic powder for flavor.

Then I dip in raw crackers and call it dinner! :D

I find that when I'm really listening to my body, if it rejects a certain food it's rejecting it FOR A REASON and if I do NOT eat that food, I find my inner balance again...

Listen to your body. It doesn't want bananas and walnuts and some greens for a reason right now. :)

[rawstar]

well, it's early days...but it's looking like it WAS the multivitamin that was the problem!!!! I can't believe that, I've been taking that tablet for years.

Had a banana and spinach smoothie yesterday morning and an orange and kale this morning and no problems at all :D

thank you all for your ideas

[Raine]

well, it's early days...but it's looking like it WAS the multivitamin that was the problem!!!! I can't believe that, I've been taking that tablet for years.

Had a banana and spinach smoothie yesterday morning and an orange and kale this morning and no problems at all :D

thank you all for your ideas

Interesting but not surprising. Years ago I read that the body very often cannot assimilate vitamins in pill forms. I can't recall the source for that info but I'm thinking it was either Fit for Life or Back to Eden. The body is designed to assimilate food in it's true state and will gather it's needed vitamins and minerals from those items.

Another source showed on video that if you must take a vitamin, be sure it's the right kind. Those that are added with lots of add on's will turn black when baked and the natural kind will not. They placed both types of vitamins on a baking sheet, put them in the oven for a few minutes at a low temperature and the mass produced vitamin was black and the other one wasn't.

[beckx]

most multivitamins have fillers like corn or rice and added ingredients, contain amounts of vitamins the body simply does not need, and do not deliver vitamins in a form the body knows what to do with (with all the needed cofactors and coenzymes). my guess is your body started realizing it could get what it needs from the good stuff and decided to tell you, "hey, stop that!" if you feel you need to do a multi, pick a whole food one... but i personally don't think they're necessary at all. i'd supplement a raw green powder instead if you feel like you need something else.

glad to know you aren't allergic to every fruit and vegetable. :)