passioneer
04-27-2010, 07:04 PM
Hello, my name is Claire and I'm 26 (soon to be 27 - bring on the raw birthday cake!), from up north here in the UK. I suspect I might be the only raw fooder in the county ; )
I've been raw for nearing on four months now and wow, what a journey so far. Some back story...
I went through an emotional breakdown in 2000 that resulted in me being housebound and emotionally eating myself from a (UK) size 14 to a 26, in about half a year (and I'm 5ft tall). In 2004, when I broke out of being housebound, I started making changes to my diet to start losing the weight again. Since then I've been gradually adjusting my knowledge and edging closer to healthy. As a side effect of all that weight gain I got myself into health trouble, with PCOS-type symptoms: erratic menstrual cycle (disappeared altogether for two years), acne, oily skin, hair-loss, hirsute... I also acquired insulin resistance as I went into the pre-diabetic stages, and had big problems with IBS, and anxiety (though the latter was already well established before the weight gain - hence the breakdown). I always got ill; I was notorious for getting colds and flu, even in summer, and took a long time to recover. I always had some ongoing problem with my sinuses and ears, with frequent infections and tinnitus.
I would like to say that the bulk of the weight loss is down to going raw but it isn't really, I'd dropped down to a size 18 before I went raw but looking back I see a lot of that has been down to gradually increasing the raw foods in my diet without knowing it was "raw". I came upon the raw lifestyle itself randomly through a series of events on YouTube, and it just made sense to me - the final piece in the puzzle. After reading up for a good week or two, I intended to make the move to more raw foods... slowly. My body had other ideas. A switch of some kind had been flipped. The more raw I ate the more I found I just couldn't do cooked food any more. Like my insides were shouting "This is what we've been looking for! None of THAT now, more of THIS!", So I listened. I don't like to really define how raw I am but at a push I'd say 90-95%. I still allow myself the odd thing.
So, now that I've been raw for a few months there's some big changes happening. The IBS has vanished, aside from flaring up when I have heightened detox. The insulin resistance is healing, as I no longer have symptoms like feeling shaky on waking up in the morning - I simply had to eat before I could do anything, now I can wait. My blood sugar is stable throughout the day, but will still peak if I eat certain fruits or simply too much fruit (I feel much better on high veg, and the only fruit I really eat is bananas and some berries. I'm big on greens). It's quite clear in hindsight that I'm gluten intolerant, and having cut that from my diet I feel hugely better. Along with cutting out dairy, it's eradicated the problems with my sinuses - I haven't had so much as a sniffle all winter, which is a miracle in itself. My skin's clearing up, and hair growth has about halved and turned lighter. I've noticed some new growth on my head, but I expect that will take a long time to heal - I have lost a good amount diffusely on my crown, and hair takes a long time to grow back. My periods are more regular than they've ever been and are getting lighter, shorter and less painful. I have released more weight, bringing me closer to my old size of 14. I'm regaining the mental clarity I had when I was a child, emerging from the brain fog that's been "normal" life for so long. I've worn glasses since I was 11 and now find my prescription's getting too strong!
The biggest change really is in my attitude towards food. Going raw is actively stripping away all the food addictions that got me into trouble in the first place. I was a comfort eater and shifting away from that state of consciousness has been tough. Giving up things like bread, milk and cheese was the hardest. Knowing food as I do now I can see that they were keeping me in a sedated state, and now that I'm out of it I'm facing everything that was hidden beneath it. I have a great deal to work through still but I know I'm headed in the right direction. I can't help but feel immense gratitude for being put on its path, and so thankful to find people like Alissa leading the way.
So, here I am, ready to get involved. :D
Claire
I've been raw for nearing on four months now and wow, what a journey so far. Some back story...
I went through an emotional breakdown in 2000 that resulted in me being housebound and emotionally eating myself from a (UK) size 14 to a 26, in about half a year (and I'm 5ft tall). In 2004, when I broke out of being housebound, I started making changes to my diet to start losing the weight again. Since then I've been gradually adjusting my knowledge and edging closer to healthy. As a side effect of all that weight gain I got myself into health trouble, with PCOS-type symptoms: erratic menstrual cycle (disappeared altogether for two years), acne, oily skin, hair-loss, hirsute... I also acquired insulin resistance as I went into the pre-diabetic stages, and had big problems with IBS, and anxiety (though the latter was already well established before the weight gain - hence the breakdown). I always got ill; I was notorious for getting colds and flu, even in summer, and took a long time to recover. I always had some ongoing problem with my sinuses and ears, with frequent infections and tinnitus.
I would like to say that the bulk of the weight loss is down to going raw but it isn't really, I'd dropped down to a size 18 before I went raw but looking back I see a lot of that has been down to gradually increasing the raw foods in my diet without knowing it was "raw". I came upon the raw lifestyle itself randomly through a series of events on YouTube, and it just made sense to me - the final piece in the puzzle. After reading up for a good week or two, I intended to make the move to more raw foods... slowly. My body had other ideas. A switch of some kind had been flipped. The more raw I ate the more I found I just couldn't do cooked food any more. Like my insides were shouting "This is what we've been looking for! None of THAT now, more of THIS!", So I listened. I don't like to really define how raw I am but at a push I'd say 90-95%. I still allow myself the odd thing.
So, now that I've been raw for a few months there's some big changes happening. The IBS has vanished, aside from flaring up when I have heightened detox. The insulin resistance is healing, as I no longer have symptoms like feeling shaky on waking up in the morning - I simply had to eat before I could do anything, now I can wait. My blood sugar is stable throughout the day, but will still peak if I eat certain fruits or simply too much fruit (I feel much better on high veg, and the only fruit I really eat is bananas and some berries. I'm big on greens). It's quite clear in hindsight that I'm gluten intolerant, and having cut that from my diet I feel hugely better. Along with cutting out dairy, it's eradicated the problems with my sinuses - I haven't had so much as a sniffle all winter, which is a miracle in itself. My skin's clearing up, and hair growth has about halved and turned lighter. I've noticed some new growth on my head, but I expect that will take a long time to heal - I have lost a good amount diffusely on my crown, and hair takes a long time to grow back. My periods are more regular than they've ever been and are getting lighter, shorter and less painful. I have released more weight, bringing me closer to my old size of 14. I'm regaining the mental clarity I had when I was a child, emerging from the brain fog that's been "normal" life for so long. I've worn glasses since I was 11 and now find my prescription's getting too strong!
The biggest change really is in my attitude towards food. Going raw is actively stripping away all the food addictions that got me into trouble in the first place. I was a comfort eater and shifting away from that state of consciousness has been tough. Giving up things like bread, milk and cheese was the hardest. Knowing food as I do now I can see that they were keeping me in a sedated state, and now that I'm out of it I'm facing everything that was hidden beneath it. I have a great deal to work through still but I know I'm headed in the right direction. I can't help but feel immense gratitude for being put on its path, and so thankful to find people like Alissa leading the way.
So, here I am, ready to get involved. :D
Claire