When do I start feeling good?

[Rawvioli]

I have only been raw for a week but am doing a 6 week meal plan program through COUSIN'S INCREDIBLE VITALITY. I have food intolerances and have had a severely bloated stomach for half of my life along with much abdominal discomfort and hoped going raw could help because Dr.'s never have. So far, I have experienced nausea, diarrhea, bloating, lethargy, fatigue, sugar/chocolate cravings and depression. Are these detox symptoms? Do you think some of them will go away? When will the pleasantries arrive and what exactly do they look like? Anyone have any similar experiences?

[speltrong]

I am not familiar with the meal plan you mentioned.. but what kinds of foods are you mostly eating right now? My hubby and I went raw on Apr 1, and our energy levels skyrocketed eating fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Except for yesterday when I had sprouted beans, and that made my energy levels tank and my tummy hurt. So I'm wondering if your sensitivity could be related to one or more of the things you're currently eating?

[mcster]

Yes, that sounds exactly like detox. The length and intensity of your detox is dependent upon how toxic your body is so even you won't be able to figure that one out. Some people give up when confronted with detox. Probably the worst thing you can do for yourself. Stay focused and remember that every day and every step takes you closer to the end. Once you're done with detox you will probably experience a level of vitality and health you haven't felt in a while. Stay the course and best of luck.

[Rawvioli]

Thanks for the replies.

The meal plan program I am doing is through a organic raw vegan restaurant and shop (it has been mentioned in the restaurants forum).I am eating seasonal, fresh, organic, raw-vegan. Fruits, veggies, nuts (cashews and peanuts too) and seeds, organic raw fermented vinegars (apple-cider and coconut) and sea veggies. My plan also comes with 4 deserts a week which are usually fruits and nuts blended in a food processor to make "cheescakes" and "truffles." Raw organic vanilla bean and Cacao/carob/ are often used in the desserts. The occasional starch is included in my meals, such as a raw rice wrapper or raw sweet potato noodles. Maybe it is candida...the starches, fruits and desserts would only exacerbate the condition.

Oh, and I am definitely going to stick with it for the full term, it cost $612 for a month!

[speltrong]

Wow, $612 a month, I'd stick with it too! So, I personally have not experienced any kind of detox symptoms since going raw, but I have been vegan for quite some time. I suppose that you can resolve to stick it out, and maybe you could try little things like not eating the starches or the desserts to see if that makes any difference in how you feel? Good luck!

[changeisgood]

could also be food combining or certain fruits/veggies. Inspite of how foods are supposed to follow a certain combo, places like you spoke of are mostly interested in taste and look of food then proper combining.
Check out all the specifics and also the combining charts.

[BeingK8]

Yea, I'd say there's a good chance you can't tolerate some of the things in your plan, at least not at this time, (in other words, you may heal and be able to digest them later on), or maybe not in the form they are in - are you soaking/sprouting things? That makes a big difference for some people.

And while I wholeheartedly understand the desire to have complex tastes and textures that more closely resemble the cooked foods we ate before going raw, I personally have seen that simple has been best for my body. Raw gourmet doesn't leave me feeling as clean and clear and good as very simple things. A green smoothie with sprouts is about the best thing my body can ever get - it thrives on them! But when I eat the more complex stuff, I feel more sluggish and a little less clear mentally and emotionally.

Also, have you looked into colonic irrigation? That may help tremendously with these initial, severe, detox symptoms.

Just my .02!
Lots of luck!

[Rawvioli]

Perhaps I will cut out the desserts but will certainly miss them. Also, it is quite possible that I cannot tolerate some of the foods. There are many leafy greens incorporated into my diet that I never ate before such as kale, swiss chard, and collard greens. As for sprouting, I am not currently doing any of my own food preparation because I have all of my 3 meals (plus occasional snacks/desserts) delivered to me and have no need to for additional food. The detox symptoms do seem to be subsiding somewhat, and I do not know how open I am to colonic irrigation right now, but I will not rule it out completely if my symptoms persist. Hopefully my meals are actually nutritionally compatible, especially because they advertise that they were designed with the help of a raw foodist dietitian. I think that after I go off the meal plan, I will adopt a more simplistic raw diet.

[Christy]

I started eating raw on March 1st and had a multitude of symptoms. Headached, I got the flu for the first time in over a year. No energy, skin broke out. But after a few weeks I started feeling great. My energy is high, I have a heightened general feeling of wellness. Hip and knee pain is gone. I'm new a this too but not new to detoxing. My advice to you is to push passed it. Keep going and you will find it to be well worth it in the long run. Also, stick with alkalizing foods. Peanuts for example are highly acidic but almonds and walnuts are alkalizing. Ask the place you are buying food from to make a few changes to the menu to accommodate any of your food intolerances. Then after the month is up, try the simple approach.

[nadien alexandra]

I have only experienced digestion problems when eating complicated raw meals all the time.
I would suggest cutting out the cashews and peanuts for sure.

I would suggest doing some reading on the subject of optimal health, of a whole plant-based diet (mostly whole raw fruits and veggies with the addition of some raw nuts and raw seeds). Read about the benefits of a low fat raw diet, and read up on proper food combining.

After you have done this reading, you can approach your new lifestyle with lots of knowledge, and things will make more sense, things will get easier.

Fruits and nuts are always a bad combination that leads to bloating and gas.

nuts and veggies combine just fine for most people, but its important to soak your nuts first.

certain greens can cause gas because they contain indigestible fibre.
I tend to blend my greens, unless they are tender greens like zucchini or cucumber or something.

Sweet potatoes are hard to digest. eating things that are in complicated combination or eating things that are not really juicy/watery, will be harder to digest, and things that are harder to digest will steal energy from you.

If you want the most energy, eat simple things like fruits and soft veggies (spinach is really soft too!).


you will, without a doubt feel symptoms of detox if you have dramatically changed your diet to a healthier one. you will experience withdrawal symptoms, and crave parts of your old diet. this might also mean that you will have sad days.

if you are tired, sleep. your body is healing, it needs the rest.

just remember that you are on a journey and the end result can only be good.

drink lots of water, take it easy on yourself, but get some light exercise too.

[earthyeater]

I had some symptoms too -- headaches, bloating, gassiness. it cleared up at about Week 2 for me. I had read a lot on this board and others about the detox symptoms so I knew that this is what was happening.

I'm feeling great now (moving into Week 4). My mind is coming out of its fog too; I didn't realize there was a haze until the haze disappeared. :)

I saw that cauliflower and broccoli gave me the gassiness and kept away from them.

I also read on RFT that what I really needed was to get my bowels moving. I did stomach massages, drank a ton of water, and increased my fiber.

I'm trying to lose weight so I try to stay away from too many yummy desserts. Everything seems to move through my body better when I'm focused more on the fruits and veggies.

Good luck!

[Rawvioli]

Thanks again for the responses!

There is a lot of good advice here. I definitely want to simplify my diet. I also think I should do more extensive research on raw and food combining so that I can feel my best.