So exhausted

[Patch]

I've been 100% raw for 2 months now but over the last 2 weeks I've become so exhausted all the time. It's a huge effort to lift one foot in front of the other. I'm even having wee sleeps in the afternoon, some days I feel like I'm going to collapse I feel so awful. I've started taking B12 in case it's this although my blood test 2 months ago showed it to be normal. Does anyone take iron tablets I have in the past got quite low in iron and I'm not a huge green food eater, I try and eat something green once a day but would rather eat fruit. Any ideas I so want to feel alive again.

[ShantiLove]

Maby your blodsugar is of ?
I would recomend more greens. If it is hard for you to eat lot of greens in your food, maby a green powder might be it ? you can get som mixed or just wheatgrass or barleygrass. Alfalfa grass is surpose to contain alot of iron. Since I startet to eat spirulina I dont have any problem with low iron anymore. Spirulina will also give you more energy and balance you blodsugar.
Greens are essencial for keeping the blodsugar in balance. Dont mix fruit with fatty foods like nuts, that will offbalance you blodsugar. Eat fruite alone.
Maby it is a foodcombining issue ? comination of starches and protiens at the same meal can make you tired.
Just some surgestions :D

[spicyfull]

EAT more Food. I know you don't feel hungry but you do need to eat more and it will bring your strength. DETOX......

[Revvell]

Two suggestions ~

Make daily smoothies ~ add greens.
Drink more water. When people are exhausted it's often dehydration.

Also, not knowing you and your life, it may be more than just the food although food often gets the blame for anything not perfect in one's life. Getting enough movement in? Fresh air? sleep?

Revvell (http://www.Revvellations.com/shopping)

[EZ rider]

When I first went raw I experienced that tiredness too. I think it was because my body had so many things that weren't right and it started in fixing things. I decided to "go with the flow" and allow my body to have what it wanted. I started listening to my body signals and when I felt tired I went to bed. Eventually I got past the tired and now I feel just fine. Patience and perseverance.

[MelissaO]

I would suggest eating more greens as well. When I first started I did not like greens either but the longer I was raw the more I wanted and liked the greens. Kale gives me so much energy - you can try doing a nice marinaide with it to give it a less bitter taste and easier to eat. Make your kale into small pieces by cutting or tearing apart with your hands and try something like:

Olive oil, a bit of sea salt, lemon juice, and squeeze a garlic clove ...rub the kale with it let sit for a little bit them eat it.

If you like a more asian twist to it - use nama soya, the juice of a tangerine or orange, garlic powder or fresh squeezed garlic a little seasame oil- rub and mix with your hands, let sit for a little bit then eat.



Or something like greensmoothies-

water, banana, baby spinach, frozen grape or pineapple.

I also add some of Alissa's green food powder into my smoothies (start with a just a little green powder then increase. I started with 2 level teaspoons then increased. Her green powder gives me so much energy. For green powder look for something that is organic/wildcrafted.

here is the link to Alissa's powder - if you are not able to order from her site print out the ingredients and look for something comparable locally.

http://www.alissacohen.com/shop/Alissa-Cohens-Green-Food-Powder-10oz-p-20.html


I have been raw since Sept of this year and my sleepyness only last a few weeks. I also make sure to get some kind of excerise several times a week.


I hope some of that info helps you and that you are full of wonderfull energy soon:)

[Eva]

Sometimes this sort of feeling is just a part of the healing process. Your body may be using all of its energy to heal something, rather than on everyday tasks. It's great that you're managing to nap extra. I'm sure this won't last. And when your energy is back, it's going to be splendid!

I have to second the suggestions on greens -- they are so good for healing and rebuilding.

I hope you'll update us!

[freshlight]

everything the others sugguested and lots of sleep. Don't worry, it will pass! Take care, Eva

[Teo]

I had had the same problem, and was one of the reasons why I stopped being raw, during my longest raw time (I am not raw yet, I have not managed yet!). What I could never understand was if it was because I used to eat not enough food, or if it was detoxification, or both of them, I had contacted a coach, a wonderful person, who told me it was for both the reasons, however I really did not know how to eat more!

[HolyGuacamole]

As someone who has suffered from iron deficiency anemia off and on my whole life, it sounds like anemia to me.
I would make an effort to get lots more greens in my diet. :)

[freshlight]

a combination of spinach and beetroot did always help me to improve my iron levels

[Patch]

Thankyou all for the wonderful advice, I'm certainly going to try and get more greens, what's the best type of green I can use. I'm not sure we can get kale here in New Zealand. I can manage lettuce and I think I can put some spinach in a smoothie.
I was exercising 6 days a week but the exhaustion has made that too difficult, I've also been suffering from heart palpitations which in the past has always been a sign of low iron or magnesium.
If I eat more will I put more weight on because I need to lose 30 lbs, I've already lost 18lbs and so want to keep going forward.
thanks again for all the advice.

[MelissaO]

I put a leaf of collard green in my smoothies sometimes , baby organic spinach is too, so is parsley and cilantro. Baby Bok choy is great in salads, so is dandelions, I like a bit of cabbage too (if I marinate I can tolerate it more, if not then add a little bit to your salad)

Asian markerts and International food markets here in the states carry a wonderfull assortment of greens ..do you have those were you are?

[shashibala]

Are you taking in a bit of salt? If you lower your salt intake very quickly and add lots of raw foods your blood pressure can go down. Lower bp is generally good, but you need to get used to it. A little healthy salt like sea salt, a bit of miso,or sea weeds can help. Are you drinking enough water?
I know that it goes against the rules of food combining, but I sometimes eat a few nuts or seeds when I eat sweet fruits. It helps keep my blood sugar stable.
I hope you feel great very soon!!

[RawSar]

I too was having the same problem, always exhausted. I was also a really heavy coffee drinker.
After a few months of 100% raw and caffeine free I went to a naturopathic. My B12 levels and iron levels were both really low. I started getting regular shots of B12 and taking liquid iron supplement as well as eating a lot more greens and juicing more beets. I remember all this helping out a lot. I wasn't use to my energy level being steady all day long, it was never the kind of energy I had after a coffee though but I never had an extremely slow point in my day.
Unfortunately I am back to having ups and downs during the day since I just haven't been able to let go of caffeine... one day... :)

[SheLovesToEat]

B12 and Iron are VERY IMPORTANT ! if you dont get what your body needs
you are going to continue to feel very bad.
do consider getting more iron and B12 however you want to....by vitamans or food but make sure you do get ENOUGH.

i had the same problem and that took care of it for good.

[Raw Angel Mom]

For the iron TAKE ONLY ANGSTROM SIZE MINERAL. Otherwise, you will have deposit in your blood stream and it won't do any good. Taking B12 is a good move, but other deficiency could cause an iron deficiency too. Google angstrom size mineral, sometime you can find info about which mineral does what.

For being tired, it cans be caused by so many thing. Allergies, yeast infection, detoxing, leaky guts (therapeutic enzyme can help), vitamin D deficiency also etc.... I recommend that you do green smoothies. If you do have yeast, careful with food combining especially for the fruits, you want to avoid gas. If you do have gas, it could be sign of yeast or bad bacteria in your guts. Therapeutic enzyme helped me so much.

I started to have severe allergies (dust, rag weed) when i did raw food but i suspect that i was already allergic, i just became more sensitive. But also, i found out that i had mice problem. I got install one way trap in my house, and the mice seem to be gone now. Raw food, made me more aware of my allergies but I WOULD NEVER go back on cook food EVER. I know that my body is healing more and i have seen too many miracles and my chronic fatigue is like not there for i feel so much more energy.

You are probably detoxing and just be gentle with yourself. You may consider to get an hydro colon cleans with a colon therapist (do research first, not everybody can have that, but if you can, it will ease the process of detox so much more)

You may not want to hear this, but moderate exercise do boost your immune system especially exercise that get your lymph fluid circulate. A good balance of exercise leads to have more energy, which i always found improvement in my own health when i take the time to do some.

Please know that i am not a doctor and that i am only sharing my experience, everyone is different and you should do your research.

I wish you all the best!

[Patch]

I am really bad at not drinking enough water so I will try to up it. Some days I'd be lucky to have anymore than 4 small cup fills. It will take some getting use to but I hate feeling like this so it's worth a go. I've noticed since the hot weather has arrived my ankles are swelling so I guess more water will help with that to. I will also do a Google on the angstrom size mineral and see what I can find. I was wondering this morning if I should just go for a walk and see if it picks me up so might try that too.
Thanks again for all the advice

[livin]

[FONT="I started getting regular shots of B12 and taking liquid iron supplement as well as eating a lot more greens and juicing more beets. I remember all this helping out a lot. I wasn't use to my energy level being :)[/FONT]


RawSar: Where do you get the liquid iron supplement? When I tried to find it locally last year, it was only available for children.

[RawSar]

RawSar: Where do you get the liquid iron supplement? When I tried to find it locally last year, it was only available for children.

I get the liquid iron supplement from a local market called Planet Organic. I get the box that has 28 sachets (28 days worth)

This is the company's site:

http://www.spatone.com/

I have 1 sachet a day in the morning mixed with 1 juiced lemon, water, chlorella and spirulina. With chlorella and spirulina you definitely can't taste the iron ;)