Why are certain foods tasting horrible to me?

[a1icia]

I was enjoying eating broccoli, kale, cabbage, and other dark leafy greens so much, including sweeter greens like beet and collards but now it all tastes so bad to me. I almost want to gag when I eat it.

Has anyone ever experienced this?

Lately I've just been eating a large variety of lettuce and fruit because nothing else appeals to me right now. Although I can eat asparagus with no problem.

I had blood tests done recently to make sure my nutrient intake is good and I'm in the very beginning stages of iron deficiency. You would think I'd be craving those iron rich foods.

I miss my love of veggies.

[Raw Angel Mom]

You need to alternate your food especially greens.

There is a natural poison in them that mother nature created to make sure that the animals don't eat the same species at once. If you alternate your green, this poison strengthen your body.

So quite eating that for a little and switch to different greens, you are probably saturated and need a brake.

[T-Bird]

Any chance you might be preggers?

I couldn't even look at green food when I was. I used to love fresh peas, boiled only half the time so they still had some crunch, mixed warm with an equal quantity of cottage cheese (pre vegan days, obvly!).

So I had a package of the fresh peas in the fridge, you know - on one of those little styro rectangles covered with saran wrap?

Anyway - when I got pregnant, every time I got hungry, and went to the fridge the minute I saw that green color I got sick to my stomach....

After a week or so - had to tell someone else to go in there and throw them away....

[pixie_333]

You need to alternate your food especially greens.

There is a natural poison in them that mother nature created to make sure that the animals don't eat the same species at once. If you alternate your green, this poison strengthen your body.

So quite eating that for a little and switch to different greens, you are probably saturated and need a brake.

i thought it was just about 100 plants that do this or is it caffine plants like cocoa that puts out a pesticide so it isn't eaten.
tryng to ask if ths is the same thing or something different than what you're talking about. ;)

[a1icia]

You need to alternate your food especially greens.

There is a natural poison in them that mother nature created to make sure that the animals don't eat the same species at once. If you alternate your green, this poison strengthen your body.

So quite eating that for a little and switch to different greens, you are probably saturated and need a brake.

I was actually really good about rotating my greens, which is another reason why I'm so confused about this happening.

Maybe you're right about needing a break. I may be saturated on dark leafy greens for now. But then that doesn't explain my blood tests showing beginning stages of iron deficiency. So confusing.

Anyway, I just can't eat that stuff right now and hopefully taking a break will make all the difference.


Any chance you might be preggers?

I couldn't even look at green food when I was. I used to love fresh peas, boiled only half the time so they still had some crunch, mixed warm with an equal quantity of cottage cheese (pre vegan days, obvly!).

So I had a package of the fresh peas in the fridge, you know - on one of those little styro rectangles covered with saran wrap?

Anyway - when I got pregnant, every time I got hungry, and went to the fridge the minute I saw that green color I got sick to my stomach....

After a week or so - had to tell someone else to go in there and throw them away....

Oh my gosh, this is so funny. I've never been pregnant but I can only imagine how sensitive one becomes. And this image of you needing to have someone throw the peas away just cracks me up.

Hubby had a vasectomy many years ago (Thank you Honey) I thank him all the time. So definitely not preggers. :)

[margoss]

how often should we rotate our greens. I like spinach/cabbage/lettuce but that's about it for green leafy veggies. I'm confused as to how long to without one in the rotation.

[smiley]

It is normal to go through food phases.

It is better to eat what raw food you crave...that is usually what your body needs. Your body needs different food (nutrition) at different times.

If broccoli, kale, cabbage, and other dark leafy greens don't sound good now, don't eat it again until it does sound good. In the meantime, eat what does sound good to you. In the future, it will sound good again. :)

I just did a search. Veggies that are high in iron include: parsley, chives, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, and leeks. Do any of these foods sound good?

[T-Bird]

did they check your b12 levels?

[a1icia]

how often should we rotate our greens. I like spinach/cabbage/lettuce but that's about it for green leafy veggies. I'm confused as to how long to without one in the rotation.

How I do it, is one day I have kale, the next day I have spinach, the next collard greens, then cabbage etc.

You want to make sure your body gets a good variety of different greens 1.) so you get a large variety of nutrients 2.) so your body will continue to crave different greens and 3.) taken from an interview with Victoria Boutenko in her words..... "So now why do we need to rotate is because greens are the most nutritious food on the planet and in order to prevent greens from extinction, nature placed a little bit of poison in each green leaf. But don`t be afraid. This amount of poison, or I should say alkaloid, is so minimal, it is actually minute or homeopathic amount. The homeopathy as a science was based on poison in green leaves. This small amount makes everybody`s immunity stronger, but we have to rotate. Because for example, parsley has arsenic as an alkaloid in it and spinach has oxalic acid. For example clover has alkaloid nicotine in it and romaine has opium and so on, so on, so on. If you just take one and the same you accumulate it, if you drink green smoothie made out of kale for six months you going to accumulate that alkaloid and it will affect your thyroid. You will begin to feel cold. That`s why I say it`s very important that you rotate your greens. If you rotate at least a dozen of greens. One day parsley, one day chard, one day grape leaves, one day pursalane from your garden or dandelions. Rotate. Then you will be fine. But don`t just drink one and the same all the time."

Hope this helps you.

[a1icia]

It is normal to go through food phases.

It is better to eat what raw food you crave...that is usually what your body needs. Your body needs different food (nutrition) at different times.

If broccoli, kale, cabbage, and other dark leafy greens don't sound good now, don't eat it again until it does sound good. In the meantime, eat what does sound good to you. In the future, it will sound good again. :)

I just did a search. Veggies that are high in iron include: parsley, chives, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, and leeks. Do any of these foods sound good?

I love this idea and it's kind of how I've been approaching my diet - eating what sounds good to me. I'm staying away from nightshades, so, no to the tomatoes and peppers but yes to the parsley and leeks. I use parsley in my salad dressings often and I could add chives too. Thank you for finding this info. That's so sweet of you.


did they check your b12 levels?

Yes, they were fine. However my cholesterol was too low at 116 and my T3 was low at 79 and should be between 97-219. Doc wanted me to eat some red meat or an egg and when I told him I was a raw vegan, he said I could try adding a larger variety of saturated fats like coconut oil, more avocado and nuts etc. (cause I wasn't eating very much fat with the exception of a lot of hemp oil on my salads) and then take those specific tests again in 3 or 4 months to see if anything has changed.

[RawKnitster]

I was enjoying eating broccoli, kale, cabbage, and other dark leafy greens so much, including sweeter greens like beet and collards but now it all tastes so bad to me. I almost want to gag when I eat it.

Has anyone ever experienced this?

Yes. Especially with the heavy greens you mentioned. I am pretty good about rotating greens, but once in a while I get hung up on a particular green. I was going through a phase with chard until one day I made my smoothie and could NOT swallow it. I realized my body was telling me loud and clear... Enough with the chard! I stopped using it for a few weeks. Now I pay more attention to mixing and/or rotating and try not to get hooked on a green for longer than a week at a time.


I had blood tests done recently to make sure my nutrient intake is good and I'm in the very beginning stages of iron deficiency. You would think I'd be craving those iron rich foods
I've read here on this forum and elsewhere that adding a little bit of citrus in with your greens is a good practice. Something in the citrus (probably Vit C?) helps your body absorb the iron in the greens. Lately I've been making green smoothies with fresh squeezed orange juice instead of water. It gives the smoothies a whole new dimension. Also I add a Tablespoon of green food powder (Alissa's or Vitamineral Green). It provides a whooping 150%RDA of iron.


I miss my love of veggies.

(((HUGS))) Don't worry. It is likely only temporary. :)

[margoss]

great support!! Thanks for explaining.

[klomasius]

I had an 'everything tastes like crap' phase a little while ago. I'm quite certain it was linked to some kind of detox as it was also in conjunction with a skin breakout, rough patches on my body and a dulling of the whites of my eyes.

I was monitoring this as I was wondering whether it was detox or a syptom of a deficiency/deficiencies, but it has gradually gone away and my skin, body and eyes are getting better too.

I think, for me anyway, a yucky aftertaste with my normally favourite foods is linked with a detox, it goes away and I end up feeling MUCH better than I did before!

[Veganforlife]

Great advice here. I remember going through that everything tastes horrid to me and then it seemed like I became way more in tune with my body's wants. I really believe it is part of the transition and detoxing.

Don't fret over it or spend too much energy worrying about it. Eat what appeals to you. Your body will let you know.

I remember I couldn't get enough avocados. Then I couldn't eat enough citrus. It's phases that your body is going through.

Go with it. Have fun with it!

[a1icia]

Yes. Especially with the heavy greens you mentioned. I am pretty good about rotating greens, but once in a while I get hung up on a particular green. I was going through a phase with chard until one day I made my smoothie and could NOT swallow it. I realized my body was telling me loud and clear... Enough with the chard! I stopped using it for a few weeks. Now I pay more attention to mixing and/or rotating and try not to get hooked on a green for longer than a week at a time.

I've read here on this forum and elsewhere that adding a little bit of citrus in with your greens is a good practice. Something in the citrus (probably Vit C?) helps your body absorb the iron in the greens. Lately I've been making green smoothies with fresh squeezed orange juice instead of water. It gives the smoothies a whole new dimension. Also I add a Tablespoon of green food powder (Alissa's or Vitamineral Green). It provides a whooping 150%RDA of iron.

(((HUGS))) Don't worry. It is likely only temporary. :)

Yes, I've read that too and I LOVE oranges but they tear my stomach up something awful. It runs in the family - my parents have the same problem. However, lemons and limes should work. Thank you so much for sharing and for your support.


great support!! Thanks for explaining.

You're welcome! :)


I had an 'everything tastes like crap' phase a little while ago. I'm quite certain it was linked to some kind of detox as it was also in conjunction with a skin breakout, rough patches on my body and a dulling of the whites of my eyes.

I was monitoring this as I was wondering whether it was detox or a syptom of a deficiency/deficiencies, but it has gradually gone away and my skin, body and eyes are getting better too.

I think, for me anyway, a yucky aftertaste with my normally favourite foods is linked with a detox, it goes away and I end up feeling MUCH better than I did before!

I think I may be experiencing a little detox as well. Last week I had a bunch of canker sore like things on my tongue which I also experienced when I first went raw and went through a heavy detox. I also feel a little out of it and my skin is all broken out. So I'll just be patient and see what happens. Thank you very much for sharing.


Great advice here. I remember going through that everything tastes horrid to me and then it seemed like I became way more in tune with my body's wants. I really believe it is part of the transition and detoxing.

Don't fret over it or spend too much energy worrying about it. Eat what appeals to you. Your body will let you know.

I remember I couldn't get enough avocados. Then I couldn't eat enough citrus. It's phases that your body is going through.

Go with it. Have fun with it!

Thank you Veganforlife. So nice to know I'm not alone. I too feel like I'm way more in tune with my body than ever before. Another great bonus of being raw. It's so fascinating to me how the body works. So I'll just keep following my taste buds and give them what they desire most. :) You're absolutely right about the great advice here. This forum is the best!

[somelikeitraw]

I've read here on this forum and elsewhere that adding a little bit of citrus in with your greens is a good practice. Something in the citrus (probably Vit C?) helps your body absorb the iron in the greens. Lately I've been making green smoothies with fresh squeezed orange juice instead of water. It gives the smoothies a whole new dimension. Also I add a Tablespoon of green food powder (Alissa's or Vitamineral Green). It provides a whooping 150%RDA of iron.

I never read or heard anything about this but was just experimenting and used orange juice or lemon juice for GS. I really liked that it gave it so much more - character. Even in fruit smoothies I use citrus juice.

Haven't tried adding any green powder. I do have Greener Grasses on hand, so maybe I'll try that.

I never heard about the 'loids in greens before. Thanks for posting that.



So I'll just keep following my taste buds and give them what they desire most. :) You're absolutely right about the great advice here. This forum is the best!

Yes, this forum RAWKS!
I completely agree with listening to your body. After the first 5 - 7 days of raw it became clear whether a craving was body driven or taste bud driven. Took a little longer to see cravings that were emotionally driven.

[Veganforlife]

I always add a lemon 2 my smoothies. Helps increase alkalinity which we want an alkaline body.

[klomasius]

Yup, adding orange juice (or other foods containing Vit C) will aid in the absorption of iron in iron containing foods.

Many dark green leafys already contain vit c as well as rion, but I always like to add the extra vit c, mainly cos it tastes good!

[margoss]

Ya'll are right the body not liking things. I love cabbage but haven't had it in a long time. I decided to make a smoothie with it today. It was awful. Glad I made a small one. Going to try it in slaw tomorrow, if it's still yuck, I'll stay away from for a while.