This drugged feeling

[Amii]

Basically I did a week on purely cooked food last week to see how I felt and the difference creeped me out. I want to talk about this feeling of being drugged.

I was talking with a friend on the last day of this trial (yesterday) when suddenly I became aware that I wasn't all there. I'm not really sure how to put this into words. I felt blurry.. not as sharp as usual. Detached. Unaware. Unresponsive. Like a part of me was talking and a part of me was distracted, not listening, not there.

It's not like being sleepy in the sense that you're tired but I did feel out of it. I even shook my head hard a few times to try and "snap out of it" but it just wasn't happening... it seriously felt like there was some kind of barrier between myself and full consciousness or reality or awareness or whatever you want to call it. It creeped me the hell out. I actually thought to myself "it's no wonder I always used to say such stupid things and then wonder later on why I'd said them.. I hadn't even been able to feel the emotions".

What is this about? Is this what cooked food eaters always feel like? Did I used to feel like this and just never noticed? Thoughts?

[YouHadMeAtASL]

Hey. Definitely don't know the science behind it, but I've definitely had a similar experience. I was on the SAD diet for all of my life until the past month. I remember hundreds of times during the day where I'd feel like I was in a fog. I'd be disconnected. Things flew by me. I was stumbling over words. Something just wasn't feeling right. I'd drink cups and cups of coffee causing me to feel sharp for an hour or so, followed by a big crash.

The month or so I've been concentrating on eating raw, I've noticed a huge difference. It may be a combination of getting more vitamins/minerals/fiber along with sleeping better at night. I also have been off coffee for about 3 weeks now. I wake up and am on my game. I'm sharp at work, feel great and am generally a happier person. I've also been working on mindfulness and concentrating on breathing. I've noticed a big reduction in stress.

Anyways, there is hope away from the fog, just keep it up. I'd def. exercise as well. Get a good sweat going and you'll get all the toxins worked up and out of you.

[rawlight]

What is this about? Is this what cooked food eaters always feel like? Did I used to feel like this and just never noticed? Thoughts?

You don't say what you ate. If you ate junk food, lots of animal products, simple carbs, sugar than that might explain it. But not all cooked food drugs you, it depends on what you eat.

[klomasius]

In my experience and anecdotally, MOST cooked food leaves you feeling this way.

The particular culprits are anything highly processed, meats and dairy (especially cheeses), cooked carbs such as pasta, breads, pastries etc. and anything that has a lot of fats and/or animal fats.

I've been out to lunch with my coworkers and witnesses an amazing thing, previously chatty and alert people after a meal becoming tired, lethargic, and 'not all there' as you mentioned. The only way I noticed at first is that I the ONLY one not like this! It's like being the only non drinker in a room full of people whar are now decidedly drunk. The only person who notices just how drunk everyone is the non drunk person.

When I first noticed this I was so blown away! I felt like I could walk a mile after eating whereas everyone else was hardly even talking and slumped into their seats. Then I remembered that this was how I used to feel!

The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in most workplaces, it amazes me as I feel that cooked food brings about a very similar state when eaten in large amounts.

I notice it all the time now when I go out to lunch with mostly coworkers (most people I know socially are either raw or veg/vegan and it doesn't seem to happen as much with vegan food).

The only foods that seem not to bring on this stupor appear to be plain cooked fruit or veg (ie. steamed or boiled).

[BlackKat]

I was stumbling over words. Something just wasn't feeling right.

This is exactly how I was feeling. I've only been raw for almost 4 weeks now and I noticed I am speaking/thinking more clearly. I would usually struggle to find the right words to describe something or finish a sentence correctly... now, I feel like things just come to me. I always wondered if something was seriously wrong with my brain, I was feeling a bit slow when it came to getting my thoughts out. Wow what an amazing discovery!:D

[margoss]

I feel awful if I eat any dairy now. Bread weigh me down so I'm realizing I need to stay completely away from it. Not sure if it's a carb overload. It's similar to how I would feel when eating a lot of something and feeling very full. I rarely have that bloated full feeling now. I will feel full but not I need to rest. My dehydrator should come tomorrow so I can do my own things now including some banana 'bread'.
I was at luncheon today with meatball in grape jelly, breads, cookies w/ice cream & coffee. I had the salad and left feeling great. Good lesson learned today.

[Monalynn]

I ate some cooked food last month at restaurants when a friend was visiting me. Mostly it was steamed veggies in salads but I did have a couple of other things at one restaurant. Not only did it affect my mood, but my hyperthyroid symptoms returned. I became sick and grumpy for a couple of days. It really put me off on even tasting cooked food again. Now that I'm back on the raw food program, I feel better, calmer and my hyperthyroid symptoms have disappeared.

[RawTorahKeeper]

This is exactly how I was feeling. I've only been raw for almost 4 weeks now and I noticed I am speaking/thinking more clearly. I would usually struggle to find the right words to describe something or finish a sentence correctly... now, I feel like things just come to me. I always wondered if something was seriously wrong with my brain, I was feeling a bit slow when it came to getting my thoughts out. Wow what an amazing discovery!:D


BlackKat,
You could have described me a few months ago. I had trouble concentrating, memorizing things (like Scripture for instance), sometimes I couldn't finish a sentence (like you) or trying to find the right words (like you as well), then I began eating raw and wow, I actually feel like fantastic and my brain / clarity seems to be back on track. :)
Before March 2010 I used to consume lots of fast food, fried food, sodas, junk food, cooked food and I honestly believe that played a part in that 'fog / drugged' feeling.
It's amazing what that stuff can do to a body. :( But it's even more amazing what whole, raw, living foods can do for the body! :D

[RawHealthyBeauty]

Well, there's chemicals in processed food. I really wasn't aware of this feeling till I became raw. I thought I was just getting older whenever I felt so rundown/abnormally tired all the time and was a huge coffee junkie!!
I think that feeling has a lot to do with chemicals and due to the fact that processed food has no enzymes that the body has to sacrifice it's own enzymes from the body to digest the enzymes-less food.
So whenever I slip up, I feel like I have a huge hangover the next day!! I don't even care to slip up anymore because I know it'll make my body feel not so good which I don't care for anymore that I've been raw for over two years now!!!! So whenever I see SAD food, I'm so like, "No thanks!" :D

[renerdrat]

This is how I feel all day, all the time. But.. it's not from cooked foods. I would say that the reason you felt like that is because the change in diet seriously disrupts your body, leaving you drained. Our bodies have an amazing ability to adapt. People that have been on cooked foods for a long time just have gotten use to it.

But that doesn't mean they feel that way all the time, lol. I can say I didn't feel like this normally.. until I smoked once. And I got this weird spacey out of it feeling like you describe. Dr. himan (or something like that) he says it's from inflammation. Inflammation allegedly causes one to feel detached and spacey.

It also is low dopamine levels too I think.
I have felt this way for quite some time, I have no emotions. I now truly understand how a serial killer can do so many horrific things and feel no remorse... because they are already dead inside. But I'm hopefully on my way to healing.. have found this site, and have been reading a lot about nutrition. It's gotten better, but I still have a ways to go.

[ArcturusXIV]

This can be caused by Anemia.

[healthywealthy]

I know what you are feeling.
It helped me understand why people are like they are.
alott of people have addictions.

I hope you are back on track and feeling clear again.

[Amii]

Update: Sorry to say this but I was wrong about what was causing this feeling.. it wasn't the cooked food. I've realised I have been suffering from derealisation due to my OCD. Sorry for posting false info :(