Fatigue and Brain Fog

[annavon]

I went off of raw a few months ago, but I am back now. Probably eating about 80% raw. I returned to raw because I started experiencing extreme fatigue, headaches and memory problems. I constantly feel like I am in a fog and can't focus. I have been to both Natuopathic and regular doctors. They have run test after test and so far the only thing they have found is an ovarian cyst....but that doesn't explain the fatigue.

Now, I know the first thing you are going to say, is to get 100% raw. I KNOW that I should be closer to 100% raw, but this constant fatigue makes it so difficult to function that I fall back to old habits. (open a can of beans etc.) So I could use some EASY and quick suggestions.

Nothing helps. When I eat 100% raw I only feel a tiny amount better. I have cut out soy products from the 20% non-raw. I am also trying to avoid anything that contains gluten. My non-raw food mostly consists of rice, steamed veggies (from a Japanese fast food place), corn tortillas and beans.

I am on the verge of loosing my job because I am making so many mistakes. The Naturopath has put me on an herbal supplement called rhodiola for the fatigue and brain fog. She also prescribed an amino acid supplement that they use for ADD. This is only day on of those items, and no improvement yet. She also has tried an iodine/potassium supplement to help my thyriod function better.

Oh yes, I have gained a TON of weight. I am upto 140 pounds from my low of 122 last November. Doctors have run thyroid tests and they came out normal. My natuopath did say that ratios were off a little and my body was not utilizing the iodine effectively (hence the supplement).

Next she is going to have me do a parsite test. I have to wait a few days because I took an antacid after eating some jalapenos on Tuesday.

Help I am at my wits end.:confused:

[Aleesha Sattva]

eating an apple takes absolutely no prep time so eating raw doesn't have to be time consuming at all.

i buy those large bins of organic baby greens... and organic baby spinach. keep dressing ready made on hand and ta-da i have a salad in about 20 seconds. some raw olives, pickles, saurkraut and i have a fancy salad.

cut an avocado open and squeeze it onto my salad... and voila... a fancy salad!

[LilacLavender]

You could have just made your own self-perpetuating cycle...where the fatigue tempts you to emotionally eat things you know you shouldn't, and the eating of those things makes you have more brain fog.

Are you getting enough magnesium and iron? Check one of those websites that lets you input your daily food intake, and see if you're deficient in either of those or anything else, especially other things that could have to do with your energy level. I think members on here use fitday.com? Someone please confirm that.

[Greg House]

are you getting enough calories?

[annavon]

I am pretty sure I am getting enough iron as there was a blood test done to check my iron levels. I think I am getting enough magnesium as well. My naturopath did give me a shot of magnesium when I had a migrane and it didn't help with the fatigue.

I am pretty sure I am getting enough calories too.

I am trying to do green smoothies with things like kale and spinach. I have been adding the Amazing Greens Amazing Meal protein supplement which is a raw hemp and rice protein. I also tried adding some spirulina to a salad. I eat avocados several times a week. I am desperate to get more energy and to stop gaining weight.

I am really frighted about the ovarian cyst too. It has grown quite a bit over the past year and the GYN want to remove the overy. The fatigue makes me fear the worst. :(

[Aleesha Sattva]

are you getting enough calories?

calories are only important in a cooked food diet... they don't matter in a raw food diet.

are you pregnant cause i know i have major issues with brain fog and being tired right now.

[annavon]

are you pregnant cause i know i have major issues with brain fog and being tired right now.

No chance of being pregnant (or the longest pregnancy in history). No contact for about 4-5 years.

I'm going through with the surgery, so they can check the ovary for cancer. I don't want them to be a biopsy prior to removal. The way the GYN plans to remove my ovary will minimize any change to spread any cancer cells if there are any. My naturopathy approved of the method of surgery.

My dr. want me to do a detox after I have recovered from the surgery. She will have me use a vibrating machine to stimulate the lymph systems and than go into an infared sauna and get colonics. She is OK with raw as long as I either juice or blend the veggies. My urine sample showed signs of malaborbsion and high ammonia and low calcium, so she thinks my digestive tract isn't working efficiently so it is green smoothies for me.

[Aleesha Sattva]

hmmmm sounds like it's time to do a juice fast?

[annavon]

hmmmm sounds like it's time to do a juice fast?

I think your're right. Maybe start with a green smoothie feast/fast.

[Aleesha Sattva]

sounds like a great idea (((hugs)))

[katchmoleen]

Sounds to me like it could be candida. Brain fog is a primary symptom. Do some reading up on it. Raw should really help, as will cutting out gluten. Brain fog has been a big problem for me and I do feel better after 26 days.

[Dimond]

There's a lot of great foods/supplements you can try to give you immediate energy that should help you accomplish things such as maca, cacao, bee pollen, green powders, etc. Sometimes a lot of fruit or greens can helps. Juicing is always good. But if you don't have enough energy to accomplish much more diet improvements, maybe one of these can help you function enough to do it.

[LilacLavender]

Good luck with the fast. It solves sooooo many problems just by itself!

[EZ rider]

My non-raw food mostly consists of rice, steamed veggies (from a Japanese fast food place)
Do they use MSG ?

[iwuvmydoggy]

i hope you get to feeling better!!! good luck with the juicing and the green smoothies. i'm about to buy myself a juicer and join you on that! the gerson juice recipe is 2 or 3 medium carrots and 1 green apple, 13 times a day (if i remember correctly).. and they have "green juice" which is just greens, like swiss chard and lettuce and stuff and a green apple... so hope that helps. they recommend you drink your green juice right away and your carrot/apple juice can last a couple of hours in the fridge. try to lower or eliminate your water intake and just drink juice as much as you can. i wish you the best!! and i'm sorry you're having such a problem! must be miserable! here's a link to some juice recipes: http://www.treating-cancer-alternatively.com/Juicing-recipes.html

[annavon]

Do they use MSG ?

No they do not use msg. I would know if they did MSG causes me to get an intense migrane shortly after consuming it (I am super sensitive to MSG). Also, I try to avoid too much of the sauces as they are loaded with sugar. I try to stick to rice and veggies or salad.

[Veganforlife]

Hey if you KNEW what we were are gonna say.... :rolleyes:

how about water intake?

how about exercise?

[annavon]

Hey if you KNEW what we were are gonna say.... :rolleyes:

how about water intake?

how about exercise?


1. Needed added support. I am KNOW what to do but actually doing it is another thing.

2. Water intake very good. Its a must in the Phoenix area.

3. Excercise is very little. I find that even a small amount of excercise leaves me totally wiped out the next day (or late the same day). I know excercise is supposed to energize a person, but I am not getting the results.

Also, in reponse to the person who mentioned candida, my naturopath had that thought and we are going to do a parasite test which includes a test for candida.

[Aleesha Sattva]

fasting gets rid of parasites and candida. ;)

[annavon]

I guess I can say that I am happy because my naturopath found the causes of my fatigue. It turned out to be a couple of things. First of all I was postive for a past exposure ot Epstein Barr :( virus and this is possibly flared up. Secondly, I tested positive to an overgrowth of candida and yeast. Also the normal intestinal bacterial were high as well. Given the fact that I had surgery the day after I did the parasite test, my candida is probably off the charts due to the fact that they gave me antibotics in the hospital. My doctor is having me to a special cleansing diet and is supportive of me doing a juice fast/green smoothie feast.

[katchmoleen]

I'm glad you got some answers. The good thing is that you should start feeling better really soon, as long as you stick with the candida and parasite cleanse. Just be forwarned, you can feel worse before you feel better with candida. It can be a rough detox for a few days, so be sure to rest a lot and drink lots of water.

[annavon]

Can anybody find the link to the tread about the candida diet or something similar. I know there has been discussion on this formun about candida and a diet restrictions to make it go away. I can't seem to find the thread. I'm not getting anything but this thread when I do the search function. I also wanted to search for Epstein Barr and Chronic Fatigue to see if there were any suggestions on that front. According to some websites I checked out is that the Epstein Barr virus is often associated with candida (they sort of feed off each other).

[katchmoleen]

The search function is definitely NOT working right now. :mad:

[GreenMachine]

I am on the verge of loosing my job because I am making so many mistakes. The Naturopath has put me on an herbal supplement called rhodiola for the fatigue and brain fog. She also prescribed an amino acid supplement that they use for ADD. This is only day on of those items, and no improvement yet. She also has tried an iodine/potassium supplement to help my thyriod function better:

Hi, thanks for allowing me to join the discussion. I read the opening post and it sounded OH SO FAMILIAR . . . I had a similar conversation with my doctor, and I eventually had to have my thyroid removed. Believe me, you don't have any idea how "foggy" things can get until you have to deal with replacing the hormones that the thyroid puts out. Find the right mix is a real hoot.

Eventually, I got my thyroid back in order. But I do believe it was the Rhodiola that helped there. Since I've been taking Rhodiola, I am SO MUCH MORE CLEAR, so much more positive about my future and the work in front of me on my desk. It turned things around for me. So, hang in there and keep taking that Rhodiola. It took me seven or eight weeks to start noticing a difference. Much of that was because I initially bought the Rhodiola in a store, and got some really lousy stuff (brand was Thorne or something like that). When I started taking the Arctic Root that the doctor prescribed (a different brand) I saw the potential of the herb. And then the doctor told me about another one, which was supposedly even better for me because it is totally vegan (Mind Body & Spirit by Verde Botanica) and I'm seeing even more improvements now. So, stay away from the low priced store stuff or the GNC etc, and go with the good brands.

Back to the thyroid . . .I found the SAME issue with my thyroid medicines. When I was taking the one made from chemicals (Synthroid) I was foggy. When I changed to the one my naturopath recommended (NatureThroid), I got clear again. I think its similar to the Rhodiola situation. TOo many of them are just chock full of chemical junk. The vegan one made all the difference.

G.

[annavon]

Greenmachine:

Thank you for your post. It is very supportive. I am starting to feel clearer now. I think that controlling the candida is helping. I am still taking the rhodiola too.

[RawKnitster]

The search function is definitely NOT working right now. :mad:

Go to google.com. Click on Advanced Search. Enter the word(s) you are searching for and enter rawfoodtalk.com in the box for website/domain.

[margoss]

Interesting about the EB & Candidia. DD's dance teacher started losing massive wt last yr. Saw so many specialists, mri's / ct's, etc. I'm going to mention the candidia to her. She eats like crazy..loves down home country food.