my health advisor wants me to transition first...

[Non]

Well.. my health advisor keeps telling me that although the raw food diet is great and the best diet a person can have.. it's just not for everyone at least in their current condition. He says he tried to go raw suddenly once and it ended up hurting his spleen because of all the fibers, and because it is cooling. He says only a person with a strong digestive fire, or a strong digestive system can go all raw. He says I'll just end up hurting my spleen and I'll have less energy from trying to digest the raw materials, bloating and digestive ills because i can't process food in the raw state with the weak digestive system I have.

For now he is advising me to just stop the raw diet or else I'll end up hurting myself like he did, and to stop eating all sugars and go under 100 carbs a day.

Sigh..

[Aleesha Sattva]

fear is such a strong emotion. it can make us do things... and suggest things to others that is often not based on much fact other our own personal experience.

there are thousands upon thousands of people who go raw overnight... and we all have healthy spleens!!! *holds up hand as one of many*

[Aleesha Sattva]

have you read alissa's book? lots of people's personal experiences in there as well.

[terry brown]

I guess it is different for everyone. I have heard of people having strong detox symptoms that made them sick in the beginning..
Myself, I gave up sugar and bread for the year prior to going raw. I know that helped me with the transition.
Trust your intuition on this.

[valkyriesmyst]

I guess everyone is different like others have said, but I have had a weak stomach and digestive issues ever since I went through chemo and raw food is the only food that doesn't make me have acid reflux or just plain sick. Some days when I was on the SAD diet, I would wake up with nothing on my stomach at all and I'd have acid reflux.

So in my case luckily, I did not need a strong digestive system to go raw.

[RawKnitster]

Did he give you specific information on how much raw you can include and how to go about increasing it gradually? Although, since he obviously had problems, perhaps he isn't the best advisor on this subject. With healthcare providers we have to stand our ground and insist they help us based on where we want to go, not what they think would be best.

I'm curious why he said to cut down on the sugar. I recently came to the same conclusion. I've been on a sugarless anti-candida cleanse for 14 days. I feel great. No more bloating or gas. You won't know if it helps you unless you try it. :)

[Dimond]

He says only a person with a strong digestive fire, or a strong digestive system can go all raw. While I agree gradually becoming raw works better for many, this statement is false. I've had extreme, lifelong digestive issues and became raw because of SAD food that made me so sick I couldn't eat. Started eating high raw and things improved and they keep improving. If you have some health issues, there may be certain foods to stay away from at first or even always. But raw food in general can only improve things. At least he knows about raw and recommends it. Otherwise I'd say to find someone else. Also, it depends on what non-raw food he suggests.

[Rastadawta]

Good evening.
As a certified Health Counselor, I am sorry to say that your health advisor is not in tuned to your health. As an health counselor,I create select diets for my clients, yet it is up to them to decide if this diet works for them. It seems as if your counselor is not advising you but instead telling you that the raw diet will not work since it has not worked for him. His case for "hurting" his spleen may be accurate for his experience but has it happened to you?
For example, I have been raw off and on for about 3 years and I tell my clients how hard it was for me to stay raw initially because I didn't make any meals or just that I too tired to make a "raw" meal (such a joke since it take 10 seconds to make a green smoothie!!!). I also let them know that my experience over the years has thought me to take it slow and let my body talk for itself. I don't want to say get another counselor, but your health and mind should be on the same path. Let me ask you a question, how do you feel being raw? Do you have good experiences or bad and why? Do you feel reassured about you taking your health into your own hands? What is your reaction once your counselor tells you to stop raw foods.
The reason I asked those questions is because those are the same ones I ask myself or my clients when they approach something new. Take a deep calming breath, center your emotions and ask yourself, are you in control of your health or is someone else making decisions for you? Good luck and have a open conversation with your advisor about your views on health. He should be there to help you reach your potential, not his:D.

[Seductive Arts]

I guess it is different for everyone. I have heard of people having strong detox symptoms that made them sick in the beginning..
Myself, I gave up sugar and bread for the year prior to going raw. I know that helped me with the transition.
Trust your intuition on this.

Yup, detoxing drove me nuts. I guess if you transition slowly in about 6 months, then you won't feel suicidal with the detox of cutting cold turkey.

[Non]

well he's seen people mess themselves up with the raw diet.

I told him that I still don't want to change, and there's people who have learned with weak spleens. It's not even that I have a weak spleen either.. I think. I just told him I had digestive problems but that all could be solved with the right food combining, not overeating, and timing. And there is research I need to do on the raw food diet and the spleen, yin/coldness and dampness.

[Aleesha Sattva]

ultimately it's your body, your life and your choice. i wish you all the best... regardless of whatever you choose to do! (((hugs)))

[Seductive Arts]

well he's seen people mess themselves up with the raw diet.

I told him that I still don't want to change, and there's people who have learned with weak spleens. It's not even that I have a weak spleen either.. I think. I just told him I had digestive problems but that all could be solved with the right food combining, not overeating, and timing. And there is research I need to do on the raw food diet and the spleen, yin/coldness and dampness.

He needs to define "mess up" with you, because too much fiber intake is relative. I mean when I make a smoothie, I only add 1/4 of a bag of green leafy veggies in their, maybe a half a bag at the most. There are some people here who claim to add 2 to 3 lb bags of green leafy veggies, plus tons of fruit in their smoothies...AND they claim to drink that whole batch of smoothie in one meal. So they are claiming of using several bags a day of green leafy veggies a day. Now to me that can be over-doing it in the fiber department.

For all we know your doctor could have gone overboard in eating a whole lot of fiber. When some people try something new, they get really enthusiastic and go overboard.

Yes, when he eat a high raw diet, you will increase your fiber intake. Or maybe not really, since fiber is broken down when you cook it, so the fiber uncooked will be a little bit harder to digest, and you will get gas but your body will adjust to it. And your poops will be more bulky and fiborous looking, too.

[MelanieBear]

What a confusing mess!

First of all, I'm fairly certain that your health counselor has done a poor job of communicating his ideas to you. The "spleen" he is referring to is not the anatomical spleen but the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of Spleen, which is a functional concept rather than an actual organ. It is true that eating a raw food diet can impair the functonality of the TCM Spleen and promote Coldness and Dampness. However, unless one has a fairly deep understanding of TCM, these terms are completely meaningless! (Good intros are The Web That Has No Weaver and Healing With the Herbs of Life.) It's not helpful to tell someone that they might be "damaging the Spleen" etc when your client (and probably this counselor himself) don't understand what that actually means and what the signs and symptoms are. There are also ways to support the TCM Spleen while doing raw foods. The bottom line is that yes, this issue can be something to consider, but there are ways of working with it when staying raw is overall more beneficial to the client than incorporating cooked whole foods.

It's all about the big picture. The goal should be to find a whole life program (including spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical health----addressed through MORE than just diet) that supports your individual constitution, preferences, budget, and goals.

I'm not your health care provider, so I wouldn't even begin to say what I think is best for you. You're the best person to make that decision! What I will say is that it sounds like this counselor is an ineffective communicator who may not be providing you with the information you're looking for to help you make the best decisions for your own health. If you want to incorporate a TCM perspective, perhaps look for an acupuncturist or herbalist. If not, maybe seek out a counselor with a communication style that's more effective for you----and someone who doesn't try to make diagnoses in medical systems they don't understand.

(sorry! this is a big pet peeve!)

Good luck,
Melanie

[Aleesha Sattva]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x87/recyclinggoddess/thc2ec32891.gif Melanie... http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x87/recyclinggoddess/thpotd1.gif

[MelanieBear]

Aw, shucks. *blushing*

Thanks, Aleesha!

[Aleesha Sattva]

and someone who doesn't try to make diagnoses in medical systems they don't understand.

(sorry! this is a big pet peeve!)

Good luck,
Melanie

This is mine as well. Share and enlighten people on what you know. Leave the information that you don't know for others to share. I soooo dislike it when people intimidate, use fear, use ignorance to convince others to not do something.

So many people come to me saying "You will die if you don't eat meat or soy." or "Your teeth are going to fall out cause you fast."

Oh come on people... if you don't really know what you're talking about... then say "I think that perhaps..." rather than stating things as fact.

So Mel... thank YOU for saying what I feel. (((hugs)))