WARNING: This is also going to be a LONG post, so prepare yourselves (gather the raw trail mix/sweet potato chips or whatever you snack on and get comfy) :)

I have a confession to make. I was 100% raw for 3 straight months, and I battled cooked cravings until 2 weeks ago when a different feeling hit. It wasn't a familiar craving feeling, and as much as I tried to subside it for a good week or so, it wouldn't relent. My body was hankering after grilled shrimp, steamed rice and steamed veggies. So after fighting it for a while, I gave in and ate it. I felt fine, the craving went away, and I happily returend to raw food. I wasn't pining for more cooked food, nor was I fighting the endless cooked food demons that people say that they face once slipping up.

Then 2 days later, we went over to a friends house, and the idea of "Well, just this once I'll experiment. I felt fine after the shrimp a few days ago". And this time, we weren't talking grilled shrimo with steamed rice and veggies. No sir, THIS time it was (i feel SO bad even listing it out) shrimp, salmon, devilled eggs, macaroni salad, lentil and sweet potato salad (i made it, so it was vegan, but still cooked), french bread grilled with olive oil, and salad. And I ATE and ATE and ATE. 2 hours later I was realizing just how smart my moves HADN'T been.

I wasn't in pain, and I didn't vomit or even feel nauseous, but I definitely felt weighed down and all I could do was apologise silentlyto my body for putting it through such a thing. Until then, I hadn't realised the difference between feeling full on cooked and being full on raw. Now I know.

Fast forward to 3 days later, and once again, I'm back on raw (quite happily) with no cooked food cravings. I've been eating like a horse, but strangely enough, none of it has come out. Not even the cooked food binge food. So I start to get worried. Where is all the food GOING (well, it's obvious it wasn't going anywhere, but where on earth,and HOW, was my body stortng it all)? I drank warm water with lemon and it helped to get things moving.

My problem is that that was 10 days ago and I'm still feeling bloated and weighed down in the abdominal region. Like I saiy, I'm back being 100% raw, but my body is sluggish and not doing what it it meant to. However, I am also due to get my period on Friday, so I'm not sure what the bloatedness can be accounted to? Maybe some of both?

I did notice that since going raw, the week before my period had become less and less noticelable (in that my body wasn't PMS'ing as much at all) but I think I might be in for a bad one this time around.

I guess what I'm wondering is: can cooked food DO this to someone for so long? I mean, I was raw for 3 months complared to 1 or 2 cooked meals - why is my body not bouncing back quickly? Is there anything I can do to help my poor body through this?

Thanks for reading my novel! ;) And for any advice :)