Greens

[Steven]

Ive been 100% raw for 8 days now. But I have a question on listening to my body. The past three days, whenever Ive tried to eat a green smoothie, or eat one of my huge salads, it seems to trigger a cloudy head feeling(sort of like when one is raw for a while then eats cooked), headache, stuffy nose, etc. Should I take this as an obvious sign to cut out the dark leafy greens for a few days? I have really been wanting to up my green intake, but I guess my body seems to be disagreeing. Has anyone had this happen to them before?

[kaleboy]

it is detox, keep going...it can go on for months with symptoms changing over time

[reina80]

Steven,

I'm in my first week too and while I don't have any negative reaction to greens, I can't get myself psyched to eat them. I actually have to force myself to eat greens because otherwise I would eat fruit and nuts all day long which I know is not the best diet. As for the fogginess you are experiencing - are your salads all green or do you add a particular seed, nut or oil with them? Maybe its not the greens themselves but what you are eating on them? Just a thought.

[wannabehealthy]

you might be just detoxing.

[Stina]

No, it really is okay to take a break!

Believe in the strength of your intuition! And you'll be so amazed with your journey. The next thing you'll know you'll be craving them. Then you can start to experiment with a variety of greens, like I'm having a blast growing mini greens.

Some people happily make do with only consuming greens once a day, like a salad. Me, I wallow around in them three times a day. But in the summer time, I eat less greens and more lucious fruit.

[kellybethx3]

I had this problem the other day, except when I would think about pretty much any raw food I've eaten besides salads and nuts I would feel reallly sick to my stomach.

[green goddess]

Maybe the greens are too 'dark' right now, too medicinal for the detoxing body. Perhaps you could lighten your greens, have lettuces, or my favourite, celery. Or cut back on them, but keep them in the diet. Greens are very cleansing, the darker the more cleansing. Maybe try keeping it light and simple - not too dark of greens right now, and not too much, and not too much of a combination with other things! See how that feels for you! :)

[fastfreedom]

Another thing to consider.......

Have you been eating the same type of greens for a while? You need to rotate your greens if so.

When you eat the same greens for a while it begins to become toxic to the body. And your body will tell you, "no more of those greens, time to try a different variety".

[Raw Angel Mom]

In the beginning, it is very challening to listen to our body because you are detoxing and your body also need to adapt to these rich nutrients.

Don't give up and hang in there, you will get better.

Just curious, did you smoke, did coffee or drink before? If so, it would explain this severe detox symtom.

You want that stuff out of your body. There is also a healing crisis, thing seems to get worst before it gets better.

Drink a lot of water, to help to flush out the toxin and fiber of course (contain in food already). The fiber will naturally cleanse your collon like a little sponge.

I hope you feel well soon

[Arky]

Green smoothies are great but they should always be consumed:

In moderation (I made the mistake of enthusiastically gulping down several quarts a day when I started with raw food). This was really punishing for my stomach and pancreas and, indeed, my entire digestive system as a whole.

ONE mouthful at a time, taking the time and making the effort to thoroughly ensalivate each mouthful, in order to begin the digestive process correctly (there are amylases etc. in the saliva). The bitterness of greens will also stimulate the release of bile from the gallbladder etc. etc.


Too much strain on the digestive organs can also lead to symptoms of headache and lethargy.

However, whilst the label of 'detoxing' is overused in raw food circles, it is, nonetheless, quite probable that you are experiencing some release of toxins from the liver if you are quite new to consuming significant quantities of bitter greens.

Listen to your body and here's something to consider - try juicing the same amount of greens (and still taking care to thoroughly ensalivate each mouthful of juice), and see if you experience any difference in your bodys response. This will help you get closer to understanding what is causing your symptoms, because juice is (broadly-speaking) much easier to digest than fibre-rich (and sometimes fat-rich) smoothies or salads.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.