Why So Faint?

[MaddMelon]

I find that I'm very weak while raw. I've been 75-100% for a month at a time, before relapsing into cooked food, and I feel faint. Why does this happen? I did not eat quite enough food on my other attempts at raw-simply because I couldn't pack enough food for school without taking up all the space in my bag- but today I was eating constantly but I still felt so weak. Is there a specific food that will help me get through the day, or is it that I'm not getting enough variety of fresh foods everyday?
As of now I do not have the time to go through an energy crisis, so should I just wait for my winter break and see if I can ride it out? Maybe this is a typical detox symptom? :confused:

-For those of you who have some helpful tips, thanks!

[jenna rose]

Can you tell us what you're eating during a typical day?

[MaddMelon]

Today I ate:
A banana
A Raweo (basically, dates and nuts)
Quite a few Mexican Flax Crackers
An Apple/Carrot/Nut/Seed medley bar
A whole bag of raw, organic, rasins
tons of water

After that my father took me, unwillingly, to a resturaunt, and I was hungry and ate cooked food. I felt much better after I had consumed some starch. (potatoes in this instance) The food I had brought to work had kept me full for 12 hours, but after I ran out of food, and couldn't supply my body with more, I quickly deteriorated. As I spend long days outside of my home, preparing fresh produce meals is fairly difficult, and as of now I don't have my own dehydrator. I buy readymade organic, raw food from my special health food store.

This is how I ate a few months ago trying raw:
Defrosted frozen raspberries with stevia
Raw trail mix
Green smoothie
Half an apple
More defrosted raspberries
Piazano’s salad (this is a HUGE dark green salad with tomatoes, fresh garlic, with a little olive-oil, lemon, and salt)
Fuax cocoa pudding made with bananas
(all organic)

Both ways I felt very faint. Hopefully an objective eye can spot some essential food that I'm not eating. Thanks.

[Revvell]

Just from what I see, you're not eating enough. Actually, at your age, I'd say you could easily double if not triple the amount you're eating.

One could actually live on smoothies which is what I would suggest you add more of to your food program. Add those frozen raspberries to some orange juice, a banana and half a bunch of kale, put them in a blender and do it to it.

Add some guacamole to the flax crackers.

If you had 5 different smoothies a day plus that salad, you'd be doing well.

Your father thinks you are starving yourself. I think he's correct.

Raw food isn't about starving. It's the most nourishing, balancing way to eat. You just have to eat. Is there some reason you are eating so little?

R.

[swiddweas]

You could probably be deficient in minerals. If your body doesn't have enough salt (from celery and celtic sea salt as just an example) and water, you could feel this way. I know I do. So, I make sure I eat some form of organic salt with lots of water.


Also, when detoxing, I find that somettimes I am sooooo tired and want to sleep all day. Then, just as suddenly, I am then completely rested and have tremendous energy that lasts, with much less sleep. The body needs rest and sleep to detox for awhile, I guess.


Pattye

[Beanie]

More food, more fats, less high glycemic foods, no dried fruits. Try that! Lots more nuts and seeds and FOOD in general!! I would be STARVING on that food!! And I weigh nothing!!!!!!

[MaddMelon]

The thing is, is that I eat until I'm full. I ate ALL day, yesterday. But I will definitely try more smoothies. I love smoothies, and I have been dying to find some organic, raw, gray sea salt. Any suggestions for things that I could do at work though? I'll try beefing up my portions, and see if that helps. But maybe this is just a detox symptom? :confused:

[misslinda]

are you drinking your water sparingly? what do you mean by faint? like light headed or tired feeling,dizzy,room spinning, thirsty when you have this feeling? are you seeing balck spots? how are your BM's?

:)

[Revvell]

Today I ate:
After that my father took me, unwillingly, to a resturaunt, and I was hungry and ate cooked food.

You were hungry. You not eating enough.

As far as work, make enough smoothies to bring to work; make some lasagne or something "gourmet". Bring a huge salad. Bring fruit ~ bananas, grapes, apples and make yourself a fruit salad. Create a nut dressing.

There's a search here *points up to the banana* here where people have discussed what they've done at work and also while traveling.

R.

[MaddMelon]

"are you drinking your water sparingly? what do you mean by faint? like light headed or tired feeling,dizzy,room spinning, thirsty when you have this feeling? are you seeing balck spots? how are your BM's? "

I typically down a lot of water in a short amount of time, about 12-18 ounces. With the dehydrated food that felt like the natural thing to do, my body was ready to take in water that way. But I often do force water in, because if I don't think about it, I don't always get enough during the day, and I won't feel that great the next day.
When I feel faint I start to lose my balance and black out, so dizzyness would be the best example. (has had this problem for a before, but it is much worse raw)
I have IBS so my BM's have a range, but they are always much more frequent when I'm raw.

-As far as not eating enough, I was only hungry two hours after all my food was gone, and it was definitely dinner time. (I had worked a 9 hour day.)
I'll take your word for it and try eating a lot more. Do you guys know of any people who may feel prematurely full as a symptom of detox?

[ksabe98]

Hi there,
You meantioned that you have had a problem with feeling faint in the past before raw. Have you ever had this checked out? It could be low blood suger like hypoglycemia which I have suffered from for years. Maybe you need to eat more often as well. Rather than stuffing yourself so you feel as though you are going to pop why don't you eat way more frequently. Try 6 to 8 times a day. Don't let yourself get so hungry before you reach for food. I would also try adding way more greens to your diet. I find that I have way more energy and am far more centered if I focus on greens and then add things like avocado and fruits and nuts to that rather than the other way around. I also suggest you try getting a super food into your diet as well. I love the ones by Dr. Shultz and Brain Garden but there are tons out there and they really give you concentrated food and minerals. I always get more energy from taking this. I feel a difference when I forget to take it so it is now part of my breakfast routine. Hope this helps.
LIsa

[Beanie]

Seems like you didn't read my post. Sounds like a combo of hypoglycemia and not eating enough CALORIES. I don't care if you belly is busting from eating lettuce, your body needs CALORIES. You become hypoglycemic from having a past of eating too much starch, grains, processed fours and sugars. You stay hypoglycemic from eating things like dried fruits, bananas, dates, fruits, sugars, grains of anykind, starches, sugars, etc. Things to eat, GREENS with some fats like NUTS, SEEDS, AVOCADOS. For fruits try grapefruits, apples, berries of all types, etc. But you need to up the caloric dense foods. Add oils, nuts, seeds, avocados to every meal. Eat every 2-3 hours. You feel better after eating cooked since its more calorically dense and probably from getting a grain/sugar fix.

Have you read Gabriel Cousins book Rainbow Green Live-Cusine? He talks about fungus and other problems related to hypoglycemia or read about adrenal failure. Anyway, push the greens, seaweeds, fats, proteins, keep the sugars low and low glycemic. Take some FRESH veggie/green juice with you to keep your sugars up too. But you still need to EAT. And are you exercising like crazy too? Then you need MORE!! If this doesn't help see a doctor, its not detox, its a medical condition.

[jaurequi]

Hi, MadMelon :),

Where is your fresh fruit?! I think your food intake is low as well as not very nutrient dense -- no wonder you feel unsatisfied.

My suggestions: Eat more *fresh* fruit -- a lot more. And consume green smoothies (lots of leafy greens with enough fruit to sweeten). These are both easy, quick and convenient for busy, on-the-go folks. You can peel, chop up fruit in the morning and put in a plastic container and take it with you; as well, take along no-mess fruits like bananas and apples in your bag.
Green smoothies can be made in the morning also, if you find that convenient; Take it in a cold thermos.

Eat up!

Best,

[MaddMelon]

Thanks to everyone who gave me a reply!

I never thought about going to a doctor about my faintness, as I've been sickly all my life, and a doctors never done anything for me but make me sicker, but I will definitely start eating more greens. The hypoglycemia is something I should look into, it would explain why I'm so dependent on startches for energy, now that I'm vegan.

I'll try a superfood like spirulina, and see if that helps me throughout the day.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to how to have fresh greens throughout the day? I don't have the right type of juicer for them, and I don't know how to prepare them. When I think of greens I think of collard and mustard greens, which I love, but they don't seem palitable uncooked.

I eat avocados at least once a week, and typically twice so I do get that type of fat, as well as nuts. I'm most likely nutrient deficient.

Thank you all so much! :)

[twinee1]

I deal with feeling faint from time to time and I find it is a combo of...lack of sleep, or change in sleep pattern...lack of food and or low blood sugar and stress.

Yesterday I was faint...

Was out late (husband is in a Band) ..ate dinner at 6:30 pm, then ate apple at 2 & 4 AM on drive home in a bad snow storm (I drive DH sleeps)...bed at 5:45...up at 11 am...ate almonds and raisins (raisins are a no no for me to much sugars)...apple...I was having a hard time already by now...feeling faint and crappy....reason was the combo I mentioned above !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beanie]

I eat at least 10 servings a day and I weigh only 75 lbs!! So thats a good start if you ask me.

My favorites are kale and brocolli. All vegetables are good though IMHO.

You can eat avocado everyday if you like it. It wont hurt!!

You might also have candida. Thats why I suggested no/very low fruits, NO sugars and dried fruits, yeast products, etc.

[jaurequi]

MaddMelon, Green smoothies are not juices. They are way better for you and easier too! You just put your greens (kale, collards, spinach, etc.) straight into your blender and *blend* it on "high" with fruit of choice and drink! No need for a juicer. Just blend it well and add enough fruit to your liking.

Best,

[Sharon in Colorado]

Maybe you should work on getting in more fruit, which provides carbs that you need for energy. And are you faint when you stay 100% raw? I knew of someone who felt faint/sick but she was never really 100% raw. She was adding cooked food/meals daily but then blamed her symptoms it on the raw diet.

[Revvell]

Do you guys have any suggestions as to how to have fresh greens throughout the day? I don't have the right type of juicer for them, and I don't know how to prepare them. When I think of greens I think of collard and mustard greens, which I love, but they don't seem palitable uncooked.



Re-read my first post, please. Plus, if you go up to the banana and do a seach ~ type in "green smoothies" you will find all KINDS of recipes that people are currently doing ~ or were at the time of their posting.

R.

[xqqme]

This chemical -so called organic - is being sprayed on many crops as "natural".
Well people who have serious reactions to MSG (basically what Auxigro is) have dizzy spells, stomach problems and worse. See MSG myth.com for mo info. This site and the mom who runs it, saved my family from many years of pain.

patrick

[MaddMelon]

I had no idea that you could put straight greens into a blender! I'm so exicted now. I have the best blender in the world, and now I know that I can just shove some greens in there. THANKS! hehe. I can't believe I didn't know that. :o
I'll look into candida as well, but I don't think I have that, or atleast I would like to believe I don't.

I have a high stress level, which is with me always, and that probably contributes. I'm can't wait till this semester is over; it was dreadful. I'll treat myself to green smoothies and some R&R.