lacking something... energy?

[pnj]

I'll try to explain my situation...

I'm not overweight, I'm 40 years old, I am VERY physically active, I get a decent amount of sleep nightly.

I am not 100% raw, maybe 80%. I do eat meat but VERY little. (enough to say I'm not a vegetarian but not much more).

I ride a bike, build trails and do bikram yoga a few days a week. I find that I don't tire too quickly when riding or building trails (extremely physical labor) but when in the bikram class, I get fatigued quickly.

If you are familiar with bikram, you know the first exercise involves holding your hands over your head. I find that my arms just don't have the strength to do this. It's not lack of muscle but something else. (fatigue?)

I drink a daily morning smoothie that is full of greens, banana, fruit and coconut water as well as drink water all day. My lunch is usually a peanut butter sandwich (Adams on good bread) and dinners are often salads or veggie tacos (cooked black beans, and raw veggies with store bought corn tortillas).

It may be my age but it seems like I had more energy when I was younger/drunk and ate ONLY meat and carbs....

Does anyone have any suggestions to help with what seems like lack of energy/fatigue?

[sport]

Are you getting enough calories. Maybe not.

[kaleboy]

are you male or female ?

[pnj]

I'm male.

Maybe I don't get enough protein?

I do eat a large dinner. I don't feel like I'm starving ever.

[Steven]

Maybe try eating more fruit, especially dates and bananas. I know if I dont eat enough fruit my energy levels are pretty low.

[kaleboy]

hey ill mail you a few links in the next week that may be of help cheers kb

[pnj]

why not post the links here so others can also see them?

[kaleboy]

well this may not apply to you but as a man and for men in general if you deplete your sexual energy too much no amount of raw food or exercise will be able to help you...

[sport]

well this may not apply to you but as a man and for men in general if you deplete your sexual energy too much no amount of raw food or exercise will be able to help you...

Foods high in zinc may help with that.

[Temptastic]

I dont know exactly how much fruit you eat, but you should be having enough to the point where you dont feel tired or weak. For me personally when i eat alot of fruit, i tend to eat a couple of nuts or add some fats like coconut oil with it alone or in a smoothie. Eating just fruit will tend to give me a burst of power and energy but it wont last long. Fats tend to give you slow burning energy that lasts you a while. By eating fats with or after fruit makes me feel fuller.

Looking at the sample of what you eat, you might want to look at the ingredients on the Adams peanut butter. Is it roasted? You may want to avoid oils like soybean, cottonseed, palm oil, or even canola oil. Those oils aren't really good choices. You might want to take a look at the bread your eating as well. I use to eat bread like Ezekial bread, even tho it was organic I stopped eating it and found out my energy and overall vitally has improved so much since i cut out wheat from my diet. Are you eating beans from a can? It could be the ingredients and oils that are used in the packaged foods, even the tortillas chips, that may be causing you to feel clogged up.

To much fats and oils for me personally makes me feel sluggish. Their good to eat on days you dont workout tho like coconut fats/oil, avocados, sprouted nuts/seeds, etc.. I'm like 60% fruit, and 20/20 on vegetables, fats, nuts and seeds. Some people do the 80/10/10 diet and find it works out for them.

[pnj]

adams peanut butter is peanuts and salt. Trader Joes also makes a PB with just those ingrediants.

[mcster]

It may be my age but it seems like I had more energy when I was younger/drunk and ate ONLY meat and carbs....

It's definitely not your age or diet. I'm 39 and I have the most energy, I am the strongest and them most muscular now that I'm 100% raw vegan than at ANY other point in my life. And I've always been active...track, strength training, hiking, windsurfing, mountain biking, even bikram yoga.

It's difficult to help assess without first understanding your history and your diet accurately. Maybe you're going through detox (I'm in month four and still have what I believe to be detox symptoms) or maybe you're low on certain nutrients or types of fuel. Certainly carbs (fruit) works best as a primary source of fuel but if you're physically active, it's a good idea to pay attention to things like protein (amino), fat and mineral intake.

www.thrive30.com might be a good program for you to look at.

[pnj]

well, after doing some research, I am more inclined to think I'm lacking protein in my diet.

[sport]

well, after doing some research, I am more inclined to think I'm lacking protein in my diet.
How much protein do you think that you need and how much do you get.

[pnj]

I think I need around 54 or so grams a day?

I think I get less then 30, based off rough estimates in the last week....

[sport]

I think I need around 54 or so grams a day?
I think I get less then 30, based off rough estimates in the last week....

Below is my food for today and so far I have had 39 grms of protein and that was without any greens. If I had greens it would have been higher.
I only want to get between 30 and 35 grams so I consider this too much for me.

Watermelon, raw 2000 g 600.0
Bananas, raw 480 g 427.2
Blackberries, raw 250 g 107.5
Melons, cantaloupe, raw 1150 g 391.0
Celery, raw 480 g 76.8
Cucumber, with peel, raw 330 g 49.5
Apples, raw, with skin 140 g 72.8
Papayas, raw 470 g 183.3

[pnj]

I thought it was necessary to mix foods to get a complete protein?

The only way I can eat fruit is by blending them into a drink. Too much and it will make me sick (throw up).

This morning I had a giant hand full of spinach, 1/2 cup each of mixed berries/pineapple, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (peanuts/salt) and a teaspoon of some green powdered stuff.
After blending, I end up with just about 12 ounces.

[sport]

I thought it was necessary to mix foods to get a complete protein?

Every wholefood has protein in it. The lady that came up with "the complete protein" later said that she was completely mistaken. I can get up to 15 grms of my protein needs from my morning watermelon.
I rarely mix my foods. Mono meals are the healthiest way to eat because every food varies in the enzymes that are needed to digest them and the less that they clash with each other the better your digestion will be and the more nutrients you absorb.
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/diet-myths-complementary-protein-myth-wont-go-away.html