Lower body temps on raw foods?

[road2raw]

Hello, again, one and all!

Okay, this is a new one, but I am sure there will be some interesting responses. People are always talking about being cold on raw foods. Myself included. My temperature seems to routinely be around 96.3 or 97.0. "Normal" (whatever the heck that means) is supposed to be about 98.6 F. Does anyone else have low body temperature? What are your experiences with it? What do you find helps? Does anyone notice a difference between raw and cooked body temperatures? As if we ever ran around taking them before, but you never know, some people are in tune with their bodies!
Thanks!

[klomasius]

At first I noticed a drop in body temperature (or a perceived one anyway) after going raw for the first couple of months.

But when I went 100%, after about 6 months I noticed my boyfriend was complaining about the cold much more than I was, this was a COMPLETE TURNAROUND!

He was always the one that laughed at me when I hid under a doona on the couch, teasing me that it wasn't cold at all, and this was before I started raw.

Last night he came into the lounge after walking in from work and and was utterly surpised that I didn't have the heater on as in his opinion it was freezing! I didn't even notice the cold until he said something, and even then it wasn't that bad. Mind you he has lost a fair bit of weight recently.

I think overall that my body temp has increased, which is unexpected as I expected the opposite.

[Katie P]

I'm pretty much cold all the time. I've always been a cold natured person anyway, but after going raw I got colder!

I don't check my body temperature though. When I first went raw it was 100% for 6mths then off & on I'd be like 99.9% to 100%. Now I'm back @ 100% for the past couple months & honestly I'm still cold. I think that seems like the usual from what most people say.

Maybe after years of being raw it will change. Who knows!

[c2b]

My body temp has always been low, even before going raw. It usually runs 96.5-97.4

[CathyA.]

My body temp is better now after it's been a couple of years. The first year raw, I was alway cold. I guess you'll have to wear long undies and wait and see.;)

[kaybee]

loren lockman who runs tanglewood says that loads of us are walking around with a low-grade fever our whole lives...that the 98.6 standard is actually the temperature of someone with a lowgrade fever...but its been taken as the standard because we all dont realize we are all sick. he says that the normal body temperature for a truly healthy person is actually lower than 98.6. you can search gitmr for his posts on this. its an interesting thought anyway :) and seems like it could be a possibility

[klomasius]

Hmmm.. that's an interesting theory about low grade fevers. It fits with some of my theories on the body and common western diseases.

It doesn't explain mine and others' experience after being long term raw, in that there is anecdotal evidence that after a period, maybe 6 or more months of maybe 95-100% raw, some of us have increased body temperatures (or at least the perception of increased body temps in relation to our outside environment and others we have previously compared ourselves to).

Body temeprature has long been linked with metabolic activity. Heat from our myriad number of physiological reactions generates the heat our body radiates. Other physiological mechanisms regulate this temperature, conserving or releasing heat as needed in order to maintain an optimal temperature for the body.

I know the answer lies somewhere in the triangle of food, metabolic activity and optimal body temperature. I see the threads of the issues but cannot piece them together yet.

Interestingly, we observe in nature many animals with lower metabolic rates (and body temperatures) who lead far longer lives (think tortoises etc.) than creatures with faster metabolisms.

My theory, from what info I have gathered, is that the lowered body temperature of a raw fooder in the first phase is part of a transition, a regrouping as such of the body's metabolic activities.

I did not have this increase in body temperature for the years I was high raw (75% onwards), the percieved increased in body temp occured only after I went 100% and only after around the 6 month mark or later.

Perhaps with high raw we extend the body's natural phase of adjustment and the cooler body temp is a part of this.

This is an interesting topic, and reckon I could go on ad nauseum about it! Mentioning increased lifespan due to calorie restriction and questioning the 'optimal temp' for the human body, but it'd be a little boring to most. ;)

[Green_Woman]

I've always run colder anyway, so I can't really say I notice a difference on Raw... but I'm getting into more cultured foods + enzymes/probiotics so I'll let you know if those raise the internal temp at all.

Oh... try taking a cold + hot shower in the morning... it actually warmed me up. :D

[walnutty]

I have an extremely low body temp (upon waking about 95 degrees), but I am always HOT. When I am 100% raw I finally feel comfortable! Raw hasn't lowered my body temp but it has helped with always feeling too warm.

[christinajade]

I used to be hot all the time before going raw..now I'm cold all the time at 90%

[lovenlife]

I have been cold since going raw. More cold than too warm.

I found out this last week that I have a lil circulation meridian imbalance so I am going to recharge it.

I have been cold. I might say that has been among the top challenge with raw I have had. I guess lack of body fat may be causitive in that too. Well I got a lil but not alot. I know metal chairs hurt alot too! haha

[road2raw]

I appreciate all of these very insightful answers. Thank you for taking the time to share! The general concensus seems to be that you feel cold for a while during the initial stages, but after being raw for a fair amount of time your natural thermostat starts working correctly. I'm working on some more info on this so I will post it when it comes. Thanks again, everyone. Have a warm and happy summer!

[lodestar]

i have always been cold... but, i am quite certain that all of the ice i add to my smoothies drives me to a hot tub every time.

[Katie P]

i have always been cold... but, i am quite certain that all of the ice i add to my smoothies drives me to a hot tub every time.

Yeah, I know the feeling! I have usually 2 smoothies a day!!!!