100% raw

[brenda's bug]

Hey everyone,
I wanted to ask all of you, how many of you are 100% raw and for how long?
And how long did it take you all to really feel better. And what differences did you notice?

[Rawmommie]

I'm 100% and have been since November 1st. I felt bad the first week, but after that everything has been consistently impoving. My face is almost clear, although I have had a rash on my forehead for a few weeks. I've lost 23 pounds, my head is clear, I'm calm and my emotions don't control me anymore, and my fibromialgia is gone! :)

Karen

[ksabe98]

I have been raw for 4 months now 100%. I felt really happy and stress free on top of the world within the first 2 weeks. I went off of all of my medications within the first month and I started sleeping throught the night within the first 2 weeks. I found relief from IBS within the first month and I had about 50% less pain within the first month. By the end of the second month I was almost pain free most of the time. I have had at least 5 or 6 major healing crisises and have been migraine free except during the crisises for at least 3 months. My PMS is markedly better already and my TOM (time of month) has been reduced to 3 days. Cramps still remain but a little better. I have not had fevers every day or naucea every morning like normal almost from the beginning. I know I have alot of healing left I feel like at least a year. I will know that I am completely healed when I no longer weeze every time I laugh and when I don't get twinges in my joints at all especially when it rains. And I don't have the fatigue at all. I still have bad fatigue days but not like before. I am starting to be able to clean up my house a little and exercise more and am feeling more like a normal person every day. How about you?
Lisa

[Melissa]

Lisa, do/did you have fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue? I do and I'm just trying to get a sense of how many of us on this board are dealing with it.

Karen, that's so great that your fibro is gone and you're 23 lbs down. I'm happy for you and I also wish I was having the same level of success...I'm going to create a new thread about my fibro questions in a second so I won't put them here.

In answer to this thread's question: I've been 100% raw since October 27th and generally feel 40-50% better overall. I feel that something is holding me back though and I'm not sure what it is. More investigating and experimenting is needed to get an answer!

[brenda's bug]

Lisa, well I went 30 days as of yesterday 100% raw, dropped 10.5 pounds, but other than that it is hard to say. My face seemed to clear alittle. This morning I slipped. I have to say it has been hard to cook for my family and refrain, but I did it for the full 30 days. I was/am not prepared for the mental and emotional state that the cooked food had put me in. I definately felt that my body was doing something but the cravings never went away, I would/do feel full when I eat raw, but I still craved cooked food. So here I am
I didn't get sick this a.m. after the first time eating it, it is 9:40am and I ate it about 6:30am. I normally eat fruit till noon, then a salad or one of Alissa's other meals or a dessert for lunch and then I will swap it in the evening.
Just made her berry bars, (awesome!) but I just didn't expect the process to take so long. It definately helps with all of the support here on this site, and hearing all of the problems that take awhile, it makes me feel that I am not so screwed up after all. I know that sounds aweful, but I am so thankful for you all!

[yeahbethany]

I've been all raw for about 10 months (?). There have been a few slip ups, here and there, and I still have to tweak my diet some. Its a journey.

[rawvegirl]

I've been 100% raw 9 weeks today. I started feeling better within the first couple days. My energy and creativity soared while my laziness nearly vanished. I feel much calmer, more cheerful, more at peace, more confident. My adaptability and ability to handle problems has drastically increased. Instead of struggling to attain my goals, my goals seem to come easily now. The anxiety and depression I once felt seem like distant memories.

On the physical level, the benefits have been a little slower. I've just started losing weight (only about 5 lbs) and my skin is clearing up, but I know these things will take time. My eyes shine brighter with more light, and the joy I feel is written on my face. I actually feel beautiful now, when I'd always had such low self-esteem. The psychological benefits are amazing; I've never felt clearer.

[ksabe98]

Hi, yes my physical challenges include fibromyalgia, Systemic Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Raynaud's, Asthma, Allergies, etc. You have to be patient. I still have cooked food cravings and from what I understand it takes a long time to have that go away. You have to remember you have been eating food that was cooked almost since you were born. I have. That is 35 years. It isn't going to go away in a moment. I suggest you read the book by Victoria Boutenko called "12 Steps to Raw Foods, how to end yhour addiction to cooked food". I found it very helpful addressing this problem.
You have to remember that results will come but your body has been through alot. By the time we are actively showing disease activity in the body we are highly toxic very undernourished and our bodies are so full of toxins and bad stuff that it cannot hide away this filth any longer and the cells in the body start going nuts. It isn't going to take a few days to suddenly get all the way better. It doesn't even make sense to hope that it will. Please be patient. And expect some of your worste symptoms and the weakest parts of your body to perhaps get worse before they get better.
My skin cleared up really nice the first two weeks. Since then I was breaking out so bad at times it was like I was 16 again. My back and chest all the way to my torso were covered in a rash like acne. Just in the last couple of days I have noticed a clearing up but I don't expect any miracles in that department until I have done a significant amount of detoxing that I feel I have left to do. In addition I think that the amalgams I have in two teeth need to be removed and the subsequent mercury that may get into my system from doing so witll need to be gotten rid of as well.
Please again I admonish you to be patient. Your body will follow suite just give it what it needs and you will not be sorry. You may slip up but just get back on the wagon, not the next day the next meal.
My best to all of you who are also going through this as well as those who are not ill outwardly but are taking steps to avoid getting sick in the first place.
Have a great day everyone. Have a mango.
Lisa