discomfort 3 days into 100% raw diet

[joelleVD]

Hi everyone!

I am on day 3 of being 100% raw after eating high-raw for several months now (and eating relatively healthy vegetarian meals for over 10 years). Just within the past 3 days I have:

1. noticed some weight gain,
2. developed a very bloated belly,
3. started passing smelly gas (embarrassing!),
4. been feeling extremely exhausted -- which could also just be the summer heat.

I am vaguely familiar with the principles of food combining, although I find them hard to follow at times. Still, I try to do my best to consume fruits alone. There may be some other culprits in my diet, as well. Here is what I'm eating:

For breakfast, I make a smoothie every morning: 1-2 cups spinach, 3-5 leaves romaine, 1/2 apple, 1/2 pear, 1 banana, lemon juice, and 1 cup water. Sometimes I go to the gym before breakfast and I'll have a piece of fruit (peach, nectarine, apple) before my workout. Sometimes I'm still hungry after slurping down my smoothie and I'll have another piece of fruit (most likely a banana) after finishing it.

For workout energy boosts, I eat a tsp. of bee pollen once a day.

I snack on apples, mangoes, and strawberries throughout the day. If I'm craving something heavier, I'll have a small handful of almonds, a tablespoon of almond butter, or a small portion of pecans. If I find myself starving and far from food, I'll have 10-20 chlorella tablets and chew them with lots of water.

So far I've had this super delicious salad every day on my 100% raw diet: 1-2 cups spinach or mesclun, 1 cucumber, 1/2 tomato, 1/4 green bell pepper, 1/4 red bell pepper, 1/2 avocado, a couple sprays of Braggs liquid aminos, 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (I understand there may be some debate about whether this is allowed in a raw food diet), and 1 Tbsp. Made Raw salad booster (with sprouted pumpkin seeds, sprouted sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, spirulina, sea salt, chlorella, dulse, kelp, garlic, onion, chilies, lemon peel). The salad booster is really the only new food I've added to my diet since going 100% raw.

I almost always crave something sweet after eating big salads, so I have been making little portions of raw fudge for myself in the evening. I use 1 Tbsp. cacao, 1 tsp. coconut oil, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. maca, sea salt, and cinnamon. For years I've been making smoothies with raw cacao and I've never experienced the buzz that some people get with it so I would be surprised if this is messing up my digestion. But reading about how toxic cacao can be for you has me a bit worried!

(If I do have to give up chocolate, can anyone hook me up with suggestions for some alternatives?)

I track all of my food on cronometer and average 1350 calories per day with about 25 g of fat, 25 g of protein, and particularly low intakes of choline, calcium, selenium, and sodium. I try to drink lots of water, but I could probably afford to drink more. I sip tea throughout the day, mostly chamomile lavender or rooibos. I also exercise daily: at least 35 minutes of intense cardio, 10-20 minutes of weight lifting twice each week. Ultimately I'd like to lose weight, which probably means cutting back on fat (or cutting back on overall calories) and exercising more, but I am also eager to make this amazing commitment to my health before fine-tuning the process and worrying about pounds. Right now, I think eating much less would leave me hungry and tempted to binge on something not-so-good for my body.

Some old staples that I've cut out of my diet include store-bought almond milk, steel cut oats, millet bread, lentil soup/other veggie soups, cooked veggies, and homemade granolas. I never classified myself as a vegan, but I have been gradually eliminating dairy from my diet over the past year. I could still tolerate it in desserts, though, and I admit I would throw down non-raw cupcakes a couple weeks ago if given the opportunity. This is where mashed up frozen banana comes in today :)

I understand detoxing takes time, works differently for everyone, etc, but I didn't expect to be so uncomfortable given how clean my diet was before. Any ideas about what could be causing the bloat, gas, and/or weight gain? Do I just need to give it a few more days? Drink peppermint tea? Try yoga poses? Stick to mono meals? I would love to try a juice fast but don't have a juicer.

Similar experiences followed by encouraging outcomes appreciated! Let me know if there is any other information I should share in order to further elucidate my problem.

Thank you all so much in advance!

[Non]

Well.. It could be that you're experience the good ol "detox phase". Most people just coming into a raw food diet unless they plan it well I believe will go through a considerable detox/adjustment phase.

This is why I would recommend the Gabriel Cousens 3 phase plan called the "RAINBOW GREENS LIVEFOOD CUISINE" or sometimes just the 3 phase plan. Some would say, it's the carbohydrates.. ie the more carbs in the raw you get the more intense the detox symptoms will be and the slower it will take to achieve some kind of stability. But sometimes it's also more than that, ie from nuts and seeds that are either unsprouted or in very concentrated amounts. At least.. at the beginning people who are not used to a higher fat diet it will take time to readjust to that state, just like it takes time to adjust to a ketogenic diet, low-moderate carb diet, or a diet like the Zone type diet. Ie so the body will start to digest and metabolize fats more efficiently and run on them predominantly. If they're not sprouted it will often cause problems, especially when starting out due to often weak adrenals and acidity ie allergie symptoms and problems digesting. The problems digesting though will go away I promise when ones body will start to adjust to higher fat utilization.

So first one has to build up the adrenals, cleanse the liver, and the lymph (with small amounts of low glycemic acid/subacid fruits) and get one used to having a higher fat diet. I would think this is similar to a "winter phase" where you have lots of germinated nuts and seeds, and low/moderate carb. Like in Winter it's all about storing, rebuilding. But this is more than simple "winter phase" diet. This is winter plus more ..I only say winter because with the low/moderate carb and higher fat and greens you're going to rebuild the body. So on a Gabriel Cousens 3 phase diet there are a number of options according to the 3 Phase Chart.
These charts provide you the basics.
http://files.meetup.com/2419412/Summary%20of%20Rainbow%20Green%20Cuisine%20Phases. pdf
http://www.cultureoflifestore.com/images/gabrec/RainbowGreenPhaseChart.pdf

If you would like more info there's tons more info in his books all scattered about, and frankly though some of the info is outdated in light of his new phase chart. The newest books Reversing Diabetes and Spiritual Nutrition have some up to date phase charts. But still there is some useful informtaion in his past books. Though there are some things I disagree with due to his lack of knowledge in sprouts in the past. Now it seems like in his latest phase chart he puts green sprouts as number 1!

So yes.. at first it may seem complicated but really.. it's basically this: 1-2lbs of greens a day (or more) though I prefer from leafy green sprouts (ie pea shoots, sunflower greens, or other leafy green sprouts) 15-40% fat from calories (I think maybe even up to 50% but not sure about that.. frankly I haven't really followed up on his talks about it because he stopped posting them on youtube), you can have small amts of phase 1.5 fruits or veggies in salads. Mung, lentil and adzuki bean sprouts in moderation. He doesn't say what is moderate but I would say see how your body responds to it to gauge how much that is. Maybe it is mentioned somewhere in his books.

Make sure that the nuts and seeds are germinated at least, or soaked in water. Becoming a hardcore sprouter is recommended. You can do it without sprouts but I think there are some things that aren't so good with store bought greens and mature greens. Plus maybe sprouting is cheaper.


So it's high greens, moderate fat, low-moderate carb. You stay in each phase for at least 3 months, 6 months is max. Then you go to the next phase. On the last phase you can enjoy more fruits and other sources of carbs more liberally.

Also one last thing: make sure you get your omega 3s in adequate amounts to counter-balance the amount of omega 6s. Gabriel Recommends 2-3 tblsp of flaxseeds twice a day. With that I find I can have up to a cup and a quarter of most other nuts and seeds, sometimes more from others (depending on which omega is dominant in these nuts).


This is the one that has helped me out the most.. I acheived regularity with this diet where as the others simply did not. No high fruit or other high carb raw diet. I have not tried a high root raw diet though heh. Not just for the digestive regularity but also healthwise I feel better, more balanced.

Hope all goes well with you.

[walnutty]

What you are experiencing is very normal.

Fiber and detox are the most likely culprits!

[joelleVD]

Wow, Non -- thank you so much for all of the information! I was not at all familiar with the 3-phase plan before but it makes a lot of sense, and these charts will be uber helpful to have hanging in my kitchen. My heart gently weeps at the thought of cutting back on fruits for a while, but I do want to feel better.

And thank you for reassuring me, walnutty! Knowing this is part of my detoxification makes me feel a whole lot better about what I'm experiencing.

[Non]

Wow, Non -- thank you so much for all of the information! I was not at all familiar with the 3-phase plan before but it makes a lot of sense, and these charts will be uber helpful to have hanging in my kitchen. My heart gently weeps at the thought of cutting back on fruits for a while, but I do want to feel better.

And thank you for reassuring me, walnutty! Knowing this is part of my detoxification makes me feel a whole lot better about what I'm experiencing.

The body and tastes actually does get used to it. You'll start to even see things as "too sweet" and you'll find some things you didn't find sweet at all to have subtle hints of sweetness.

For me.. I dont know I really came to enjoy bitter stuff.

[Non]

The body and tastes actually does get used to it. You'll start to even see things as "too sweet" and you'll find some things you didn't find sweet at all to have subtle hints of sweetness.

For me.. I dont know I really came to enjoy bitter stuff.

I think you'll find this diet somewhat grounding.

The reasons for this phase plan are many. Gabriel in his books says it's essential for most to normalize their sugar metabolism, and also candida overgrowth that has become a big problem. Not only that but also, weak adrenals which can also contribute to digestive issues and allergies, and finally acidity.

Of course, in this diet you also have so much abundance of nutrients, it's very nourishing.

[robh]

joelleVD,

The exhaustion is surely the transition phase to 100% raw that raw fooders call "detox". Feeling tired, runny nose and other flu-like symptoms, etc are all parts of the transition. You may be thinking "I have been eating very healthy for 10 years, why would my body 'detox'?" Your body does strange and wonderful things on a 100% raw diet. I have experienced this transition from high raw to 100% raw many times. Hang in there, ride it out, you are gonna feel RAWsome shortly. :)

The bloating and the gas, however, may be poor food combinations. I experience the same issues when I eat fruit after my salad. I have the best luck when I eat fruit on an empty stomach.

Welcome to 100% raw, best of luck.

[Non]

Yea.. as for eating fruit on an empty stomach , or in low fat diets. this is just in my experience though: I felt like if I didn't build myself up to it first, fruit can just make me weaker. You hear people that go on the fruitarian diets, and they might find themselves with bone loss, or they are so hyper followed by crash, or they will sometimes just have other weird symptoms. I would attribute this to a weak constitution brought about by unhealthy diets before making the transition to raw.

So it's just IMO that one would probably be best to limit their fruit intake and take more of the blood and bone building greens, muscle and nervous system building fats and protein. Fruits and carbs I think are good for "moving the lymph" as dr. Morse has emphasized so much, and in general just giving the possibility of movement. Sure that is fine, but you also need your foundation so you can begin moving. you eat too much carbs, or fruit, and it will end up depleting your reserves and eating up your structure. At the very least, simply because the fruit that you buy in stores which are not as nutritious as the freshly picked wild fruit.

So I would do the sprouts because that ensures they are always fresh and there is an abundance of nutrients. It also has the function of easing a person into a raw food diet with higher amount of carbohydrates by first building a person up to it.

it's not that you can't have carbs on a Gabriel Cousens plan, you can have small amounts of most fresh berries and grapefruit in a large salad, small amounts of carrot or beets in a large salad, in moderation legume sprouts.

This is just IMO but I think it answers those people that even have issues starting out on raw, esp. high fruit diets. they begin eating only fruits and they wonder why their bodies are weakening, or why they have digestive issues. Well in the beginning one might have to have more of the greens, and the fat/protein combinations to build yourself up. If you're having so much fruits wit that you will experience digestive issues, experience depletion. Etc. Esp. knowing that store bought fruits are inferior to ripe freshly picked wild fruits.

this is just.. my opinion though, based on my experience.

[Raw Angel Mom]

I snack on apples, mangoes, and strawberries throughout the day. If I'm craving something heavier, I'll have a small handful of almonds, a tablespoon of almond butter, or a small portion of pecans. If I find myself starving and far from food, I'll have 10-20 chlorella tablets and chew them with lots of water.

I know you said that you eat your fruits on an empty stomach but make sure you truly space out the time before doing almond butter or pecan.

I had bloating too, i found out that it was caused by parasites that didn't like my healthy choice. To protect themselves they generate more gas which lead to have a big belly. I am free of those, thanks goodness.


Hang in there, you seem to be doing great.

ps. When you drink your smoothie, use a straw, and sip slowly to make sure it mix with your saliva. If you don't honor this step, you won't digest it well and it will lead also to bloating.

[walnutty]

I had bloating too, i found out that it was caused by parasites that didn't like my healthy choice. To protect themselves they generate more gas which lead to have a big belly. I am free of those, thanks goodness.


How did you get rid of them, Raw Angel Mom?

[joelleVD]

Raw Angel Mom, I cam very conscious of the time gaps I need to maintain between eating certain things -- sometimes it can just be a bear when I feel as though I'm craving one food or another! But I am definitely getting better in terms of eating fruit on an empty stomach, soaking my nuts and seeds before eating them, etc. Luckily I've always opted for drinking anything with a straw, and smoothies are no exception :) Something about the texture of the pear in my morning smoothie makes me want to chew it anyway!

I've experienced a bit of a setback in that I had a dental emergency earlier this week so I've only been able to drink water, juices, and smoothies and eat the softest of foods. Hunger aside, my body does feel much better -- and it also feels more prepared for starting the 3 phase plan. I'm definitely missing my crunchy cucumbers and peppers, my almonds, all of the non-sweet foods I haven't figured out how to puree into something appetizing.

Non, what are the reasons for avoiding nutritional yeast and liquid aminos? I just noticed those as no-no's in the diet you've been referring to.

[Non]

Well, in the book Conscious Eating, Gabriel Cousens allows Nutritional Yeast for people who are transitioning into a vegan diet but that as one continues into being raw vegan Nutritional Yeast does have some downsides, including being acidic and waste material of dead yeast. I think also containing purines as well.

As for liquid aminos.. I think the Braggs aminos has sodium bicarbonate as well as being that it's made with unfermented soy beans I wouldn't say it's all too healthy.

[Non]

As for recipes.. I don't really use recipes I just seperate them in bowls and pick and choose from there. lol.