nearly fainted 2day *HELP*

[maijm]

Heya,

I'm new to raw and like it so far. Haven't had any cravings but quite a few nasty detox symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fever and fatigue. Today is day 7 of my 30 day raw food challenge (before that I had a 1-month transitioning phase) and the symptoms are already ebbing away :woohoo:
BUT I'm exercising a lot and don't seem to get enough cals throughout the day. Today I nearly fainted when I got up from the leg press and my muscles were pretty acidic as well. I don't want to eat more as I feel like I'm eating all day long already --> 1 or 2 hrs after a meal my body's screaming for food again and this not only on a workout day (no cravings, it's real! hunger)
Today I had :eat
- a 28 ozs green smoothie for breakfast (spinach, banana, orange, 1T agave syrup)
- a handful of nuts and 1 banana before my workout
- 1 big salad for lunch: corn salad, sprouted spelt, red bell pepper, a few cashews, parsley, garlic, salt, apple cider vinegar, pepper
- 1 fruit smoothie (28 ozs): berries + mint
- tomato salad (2 tomatoes)
I also sprout quinoa which I mix into my smoothies on a workout day.
WHAT DO I DO WRONG?? Please help me!

Oh and I'm 24 y-old, female, height 5'35, weight 130 lbs

Thanks for your help!

maijm

[Reesh]

It seems like you're probably not getting enough calories. I know if I have a workout day, I'll want to eat at least 1600 calories that day and while vegetables are filling, they are pretty low cal (fruits as well, although less so).

Could you introduce some raw wheat germ on those days? Perhaps craft some dehydrated bread out of nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains? That would certainly boost your calorie count.

Also be sure you're drinking enough plain ol' water too :)

[Revvell]

You could be dehydrated. Also, you might want to add some bananas.

Are you REALLY eating all day long? If you're still hungry, you're not eating enough.

More bananas, more varieties of fruit, more of everything.

[maijm]

Hmm, dehydration is definitely an issue for me. I never seem to be thirsty. I've been like that all my life *shrug* but I guess it's high time for a change!
I'll definitely up my cals with more nuts and sprouted grains and bananas. I looove bananas :).
Oh and thanks a lot for the quick replies and great advice guys :)!!

[nadien alexandra]

often, when you are not drinking enough water, you do not WANT to drink water.

Try: drinking a whole LOT of water upon rising. Get as much as you can in the morning.

Try: drinking a lot BEFORE meals, and BEFORE work outs.

Try: eating more of ONE thing before your workout. Instead of complex smoothies, how about an all fruit smoothie that contains at least 4 bananas, handful of dates, and other good fruity things...

[Hopandskip]

Lou Corona has a raw protein powder he likes to use...he's been doing this raw diet 30 years. You can listen to what protein podwer he uses here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCqlcAFnZTU&feature=relmfu

[Hopandskip]

Hmmm...may be on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KCzQ2KaSyE&feature=relmfu

[Aleesha Sattva]

adding avocados is another way to up your good fats and nutrition! also perhaps some raw live juices made fresh before you work out or right after?

and don't limit yourself. you can have 6 bananas if you want them! EAT EAT EAT

[streetsurfer]

When rising after exercise, rise so your head is the last part of your body to become fully erect. Raise your torso and shoulders, but keep your head down, rolling it up only after you're standing upright. That should help reduce the possibility of becoming faint. Allows a wee bit more time for your blood pressure (or flow to your brain) to properly adjust to your new position.

learned from a C.J. Carracci (veteran SEAL) workout program.

[modernmonkey]

I think your smoothies have to be more dense. Whole mangos, 4+ bananas, 6 nectarines etc... being the base before you add berries or other fruits. Increase your smoothie density or size until it can sustain you for at least 3 hours.

[maijm]

Wow, thank you so much for all the good advice :)!!!
@ Nadien Alexandra: I'm definitely gonna try the "drink as much water as cou can in the morning" thing.
@ Hopandskip: getting some protein powder for my weight training is a very good idea.
@ Aleesha: I can have 6 bananas, really?! I didn't know that you can eat that much on a raw food diet. Good to know!
@ streetsurfer: I like that trick. I'll give it a try next time I'll be working out.
@ modernmonkey: I'll go shopping first thing tomorrow morning and buy heaps of bananas, mangos and other goodies so my smoothie keeps me going for more than just an hour- hopefully ;).

Gosh, so much to learn and remember when you're a newbie but thx again for your help. I'll take your advice on board!

[Draginvry]

If you recently changed your diet, dizziness/fainting can be related to detox. You might actually want to take it slower for a few weeks and exercise less, until your body gets used to the new diet.

If you notice you are having problems with headaches/vertigo/fainting/brainfog, it is advised not to move your head rapidly. Rise slowly, and avoid turning your head around quickly for any reason. This will reduce the chance of fainting or losing consciousness.

[kaleboy]

I know if I stop breathing or hold my breath in bikram yoga I will feel dizzy and want to lie down...