Nutrition and Regeneration for a Growing...18 year old!?

[Lunar*Fey]

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to ask for opinions on how to provide myself with adequate nutrition. You see, although I am 18 1/2 (gasp, tear, yikes...I can't believe I am already that age!), I seem to finally be growing. I never had a growth spurt and my family is comprised of historically very late bloomers. Both parents grew a bit after high school. But from the time I was 14 until I turned 18 I had only grown and inch and a half. This may have been due to three years of poor and inadequate nutrition and inadequate caloric intake to support growth. I certainly ate, but not very well. Regardless, I went through a three year period of inadequate nutrition that may have stunted my growth, definitely adversely affected my skin, hair, and bone health, not to mention my digestion. I now eat a lot and I used to bike or run 5-6 days a week for at least three miles but now I get little to no exercise due to being in college in a city were I feel stuck and out of my element. Oh dear I am diverging off course as I tend to do. My main question is how to regenerate my health. I have been raw for some time now and have seen very little improvement in terms of regeneration. My hair is a little better and my body seems to gain muscle very quickly, which is great. But my skin is yellow-ish and sallow. I want to regenerate my bone health. My face is horrendously blotchy and red to the point where I can't recognize myself any more and have started using mineral makeup to look even halfway decent. Lately I am bloated all the time. I am endlessly eating. And, well I just grew a half inch or so in the past two months and I think I may be growing and I am definitely starting to develop. Never before have I really had breasts or hips and suddenly I have a bit of that beginning. You see I am very small boned, small person to begin with and always have been.

OK so, to the point, what are your suggestions for how to provide myself with optimal nutrition. I understand the whole, just eat raw and listen to your body, but I would like some more specific suggestions and ideas to try out so that maybe I will come to understand what listening to your body truly is! I am specifically looking toward how to obtain enough energy and nutrients without feeling weighted down and bloated. For I feel that way althouh I food combine properly and mostly just eat fresh fruit, greens, and avocados or sprouted seeds/nuts. thank you sooo much, I truly appreciate any help and suggestions.

[Revvell]

Hi Lunar,

Welcome home ~ again.

Not to be harsh but many here don't "know" you as many of us who have traveled this path with you for the last few years do and, you say you've been "raw" for many years yet, those of us who "know" you know that's not quite true. I don't know if you've ever gotten Alissa's book yet, that's my suggestion ~ and her dvd's. There's so much information in it.

Fresh raw juices and smoothies. That's it! Get a variety of fruits, veggies, greens, seeds and nuts into you.

[stellaJewels]

I have to chime in and say that my family are late bloomers as well. My brothers never had to shave until 21 or 22 years old, and I grew 2 inches and 2 cup sizes when I turned 23. I wasn't eating any differently, it's just the way my body wanted to grow.

So relax, nourish your body with raw food and let nature take its course ;)

[Revvell]

Oh, and for bone health, add body weight movements. You can find many on YouTube and do not need to go to a gym.

[oceanluv]

Hi LF, it seems your body is taking care of what needs to be done first...growing in height and maybe your hormones are balancing enough to make you a girlie girl? :) if you are hungry, eat! ditto to what the op have said. lots of greens and exercise for your bones.
you go girl!!

[SmilingRawDancer]

Welcome back :)

I second the body weight exercises, and also alot of Vitamin D. I supplement D (I know, bad rawbie) and also go out in the sun. Osteoporosis runs in the family, and obviously calcium isn't the only factor in bone health, or else all the milk-drinking americans would have no problem with osteoporosis.

Also - You may just be shorter statured. I didn't grow *AT ALL* from the age of 14-present (21). I'm just 5'1(.5 on a good day.)
I was basically done growing by 13 and a half. I hit puberty very early, though.

[Lunar*Fey]

Revvell,
Hi, thank you :)
I didn't mean to suggest I had been raw for years, sorry about that! I only meant to say that I am not like a new comer to raw or something. Like that I am not JUST starting a raw food lifestyle. I have Alyssa's book but find it hard to have the ingredients necessary for the recipes. I know that sounds silly, but then I improvise and things start coming out horrible. Plus I worry about food combining since I have a horrible horrible digestive system. That is another reason I posted here. Even WITH perfect food combining AND probiotics, my digestion is not well at all, its horrible! I went through a period when it was amazing, my stomach was flat and I was bursting with energy but I can't recall what I was doing differently then at all! LIke i just have no idea. The information in Alyssa's book IS fantastic though! I love reading through it. I Lurrvve Alyssa lol
I don't have a juicer but I definitely love my smoothies! I always seem to get bloated from them lately though! idk what is up with me
That's the other thing. I don't FEEL hungry, but I like know I am and eat soo much and feel stuffed and yet it ends up being like 1800-2000 calories. Which may sound like a lot to some people, but I lose weight on any less at all and sometimes on that much. I hate worrying about calories and didn't for a while but just ended up going back to it when I started worrying about losing weight. I get self conscious about how bony my back is and how scrawny my arms are sometimes. :( When I started consuming chlorella its helped a little. but idk where to find it raw and inexpensive as possible.

StellaJewels,
Really??? that is great to know. I am not the only late bloomer out there. lol I feel weird being in college and jsut having gotten my period like 7 months ago and so am jst developing and need more sleep and food than others lol. Sometimes I feel like I look like a little kid and that people view me as that. I got into a fair as a 12 year old last month lol. I think that was a bit of a stretch though haha. And then yesterday a woman thought I was 20 (:eek:AHH!)
anyway, thank you!!

Oceanluv,
lol I hope so! I hope I am not wrong about the growing. I mean I know I grew a half inch but I hope I am still going lol. yeah my hormones balanced I believe because I got my period for the first time about 7 months ago. I was pumped because I was almost 18 and I was worried I must be infertile or something. But now I know I am ok, and if my hormones are balanced enough to have my period then that will help support bone health I hope. Definitely greens and hopefully I can start exercising on a regular basis again!! idk though sometimes it seems like I am hungry but can't tell if it is just that I think I SHOULD eat more or if my body truly wants more. I have very poor digestion and have gone trhough deficiencies which cause the body to have trouble knowing when its hungry, which is why it is very difficult for me! If I were to "listen to my body" I wouldn't eat very much AT ALL and, as I am already small, that would not have a very good outcome at all. lol so anyway lately I am just bloated adn such all the time and yet still want food which I think is my body's confusion due to poor digestion and need for calories/nutrients? idk! I hope it is not something psychological at work. *knocks on wood, crosses fingers*
Anyway thanks so much for the kindness and support!!!!!

SmilingRawDancer,
thanks! I agree with the need to supplement vitamin D at least currently, for me because I am cooped up inside all the time in college...boooo. I HATE not getting outside. anyway, yes vitamin D is important and I agree. what supplement do you take/recommend?

That could be. The weird thing is my mom is 5'9 and the men in my family are mostly really tall. My whole family are late bloomers except one of my gradnmothers. my dad grew two or three inches after high school, my mom two inches and a few shoe sizes lol, my grandfathers too. so idk. it could be either way. I am currently 5'5" and size 8 shoe. and I didn't get my period until 17, almost 18, which I am now. So it could be that maybe my period was just prolonged due to hormones or nutritional stuff, buut as my mom didn't get hers until she was 17 either, who knows!? I guess I never will. I kind of hope I am still growing lol. I kind of feel like I am in that in between stage...half body of a little kid with development jsut starting lol *rolls eyes* as long as my body knwos what its doing, i don't mind lol
thank youu!!!

<3

[stellaJewels]

I didn't get my first period until I was 17 either, and have always been mistaken as younger too. I hated it when I was your age, but now that I'm 38 it's pretty awesome, so enjoy it!

[Lunar*Fey]

lol I guess I don't mind it too annoying! I just feel a little insecure sometimes, mostly around guys since I look younger I feel like they'd never be attracted to me sort of thing lol idk. its dumb. That;s good to know others have gotten their period that late too, besides just my mother and I! :) I do feel better about it

[kiropa]

hi lunar,

congrats on being in college! do you have a meal plan? if so, i think the salad bars are quite good. i second the recommendation to just eat a nice variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc.

having gotten your period means your hormones are doing what they're supposed to. that's good!

i'd focus on eating three good meals and a couple of snacks each day and not obsess over calories or quantities. as you know, nuts, dried fruits, avocado are all nutrient and calorie-dense.

smoothies make me bloat too. but, pureed food are sometimes easier to digest.

just do what feels good.

walk, get outside, eat well and you will be GREAT!!!!!

[Moretta]

Welcome back to the forum and good luck on your RAWNESS journey.