6 month crisis..need help

[Jeanne]

Hello all,

This is mt second visit here and I thought I would post my situation here first.
I am experiencing a pattern that has me perplexed. Hopefully I can gain some insight as to what it is I need to do next.
For the past 6 years I have tried going vegan 4 times. It has been easy in that my body initially takes to it very well.
I am now at the beginning of the seventh month with eating 100% raw and about two weeks ago my hair started falling out. This has happened every time I have gone vegan too. The last time, the worst, was two years ago. I lost 1/2 the volume of my hair. I stopped being vegan and it took 6 more months for me to find a way to stop it. I spent lots of money on shampoos and vitamins specifically designed for hair loss. But it was when I started taking sublingual B12 that withinn 24 hours the fallout stopped.
So last week I started taking the B12 but the hair continues to fall out.
My body is needing something but I don't know what. My typical daily diet this summer has been mostly juicy fruits during the day, a large salad of greens and an avacado or one of Alissa's slald recipes, sometimes some humus, but usually pretty light in the summer. I do like to eat a little heavier at night.
Last night I washed my hair and this morning the fallout has been the most it's been so far this time. So Instead of waiting until I was hungry and eating some melon or a grapefruit I made a juice consisting of carrots, apples cucumber, kale and a couple of tablespoons of green powder called Better Than Greens.
Any suggestions are welcome, I don't want to fail at this raw food lifestyle. I am really happy with it.
One more symptom I am noticing is a lag in energy the past few weeks. I had to go on a hectic business trip two weeks ago and thought I was just recovering from it, but my energy really hasn't gotten back to where it was before.
Thanks for any insights.

Jeanne

[thunderdancer]

Hi Jeanne x

I'm so sorry, this must be really traumatic.
I'm not qualified to give advice, tho I wish I could help. I just wanted to send my support to you really.

Can you get a test done to see if you are deficient in anything?

All I do know is that silica is good for hair loss - and that's in cucumbers so you are doing well listening to your body there.

I really hope you get some answers, sounds like you are doing so well going raw and what you are eating and your will power is amazing through all this.

Lots of love and hope

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Jeanne,

Like Kirk, I am not qualified to give advice. But I would like to throw a couple of theories out there if you don't mind!

1. Chemicals in the hair - if you currently or ever have permed and/or colored your hair, perhaps this could be a contribution.

2. (not to sound cliche') but detox - What came to my mind is how in another thread a new member mentioned losing weight and not desiring to and it was pointed out by Alissa that detox is not something that comes and goes in a month or even a year but it gradually happens throughout the course of our lives (SIDE NOTE: This isn't direct at you Jeanne: But I've ever understood why some people I've read things from insist that detox shouldn't last beyond a certain point when it took nearly a lifetime to GET that way) and dead, toxic cells and waste will fall off and we'll lose weight...the unhealthy weight...and then our bodies balance out and we gain what we SHOULD have.

So, I wonder if it could be the case with hair, especially if chemicals were ever used on the hair/scalp. Not only that, but it could also be a balancing of hormones. There are so many reasons this could be happening and it doesn't necessarily mean deficiency.

OH, and I wanted to mention that Amanda Waldner of http://rawesome.com went through a period of hairloss as well. But I believe I read that her hair had began to grow back in and thicken up. You may want to contact her and ask her to share her story with you.

I've only read of a few people that hairloss occurs with. Funny thing is, my husband, before eating more raw (not 100%) was sick with thyroid disease and he was losing hair ALL OVER! On his head, on his legs and arms... but since cleaning up his diet and eating vegan and some raw, his hair has grown back and he's growing hair in places he didn't even have hair before his illness (namely, his chest)

But getting a test for deficiency couldn't hurt...I'm just throwing some other ideas out to think about and consider!

Peace and I hope it gets better for you and that you don't have to or decide to give up on your raw eating!

[Jeanne]

Thank you Thunderdancer and Rawkinlocs for your thoughful replies.
I was a bit traumatized this morning when I wrote but things have smoothed out a bit since then.
I lean towards having a simpler life so I hadn't really wanted to consider supplements, or a regimented approach to raw foods, but I think, at least for now, I will keep taking the green powder mix with the juice in the AM. I feel more balanced tonight, not needing to forage so much. So perhaps extra things like various supplements are necessary, at least for a while.
It is a good idea to get some tests done. HealthcheckUSA.com makes it easy to do, no Dr. necessary.
If it's all detox I'm ok with that. My hair grew in before, it can do it again..I feel sort of like a tree with the rings showing phases of it's life. My hair is just beginning to touch my waist and there are definite differences from where it starts out on my head and where it ends. You can see a real color change from when I went raw to the ends of the hair. I haven't done anything with chemicals for some time. My research during my last hair crisis lead me to the book Curly Girl. I stopped using shampoo back then and began using a mild hair conditioner instead.
Thanks for the contact rawkinlocs, I am interested in how things resolved with Amanda's hair situation.
I feel optimistic and I'm sure that rawfoods is for me.
Thanks again,

Jeanne

[Rawkinlocs]

My research during my last hair crisis lead me to the book Curly Girl. I stopped using shampoo back then and began using a mild hair conditioner instead.

Ahhh, the good 'ole "No-poo'ing"! LOL! I'm familiar with that...I haven't read "Curly Girl" but I've heard of it and I believe that is where many of the women on the natural hair discussion boards I frequent got the idea of no-poo'ing and "washing" their hair with only conditioner.

But I'm glad you're optimistic about this all...again, I hope it works out in your favor and yes, please do contact Amanda as I'm sure she'd be more than happy to answer your questions (I don't know her personally, but from reading her site, she seems like a pretty nice person! :) )

[thunderdancer]

Hiya Jeanne

I was in the bath last night and thought i'd like to bring this topic up - shampoo and conditioners etc..

Do you use a 'normal' light conditioner? (high street brand)
Coz they have a lot of chemicals in them.

I use an all natural ingredients shampoo and thats all, I used to get itchy all over my body all the time, since switching to this shampoo and natural plant toothpaste and ecover washing powder (i'd like to use those funky balls you can buy that mean no need for any podwer) I don't use soap either anymore or creams or anything, never used hairsprays either.

Just thought i'd suggest a natural shampoo/conditioner in case you aren't already.

I really admire your 'stickability'!!

[Alissa]

Hi Jeanne,
I only have a minute, but read through your post and hereÂ’s what comes to mind. You need more greens!
This is normal though; it happened to me, i was losing a ton of hair. I was fine at first but after months raw clumps started to fall out!
It really is a detox... l also get the feeling you eat really light, is that correct?
Curly girl is my bible!
It changed my life, besides raw food of course ;)
But i dropped the products, hair dryer and everything. The only thing i use is a conditioner of shea butter vanilla and tree bark...
Best,
Alissa

[lil]

Just to be safe, if you can get blood tests done - do! I've been through the hair loss due to disease, specifically thyroid (anemia) and adrenal problems. It wasn't until I started treating my adrenals (and DHEA) that my hair loss stopped.
I have read on some raw food forums about the vegan/raw foods diet and rapid weight loss triggering thyroid/adrenal problems, although I think it's not that common (thyroid and adrenal problems can lay dormant for years and surface under stressful situations).
The other issue, besides detox is malabsorption.

[Jeanne]

Hello Everyone,
Wow, what a difference in the past two days. My energy is much better, hair fallout has decreased quite a bit too (knock on wood).
Alissa, The greens have made such the difference. I am amazed at how fast! Yes, I am eating lighter lately. When I began going raw I was having three or four 16 ounce juices a day, at least two green. I can see that I need to be more conscientious about getting the vital necessities in, perhaps through juices and smoothies and then be more casual the rest of the day.
Another curly girl! Please tell me the name of the hair conditioner with the shea butter in it? I have been using Aussie Moist conditioner. It's the only thing I will venture into the 'other' aisles of the grocery store for. I really like that stuff but am willing to try something else.
All other cleaners have been replaced by 20 Mule Team Borax after reading Hulda Clark's, The Cure to All Cancers. I tried using some old laundry detergent when I ran out of the Borax..the smell was so strong I could taste it!
Four years ago I was diagnosed with the same things lil. Fibrmyalgia and chronic fatigue were also on the list. Lately I have been focusing on the adrenals. DHEA was low back then and I know that has to do with adrenals. I am not sure about supplementing the DHEA , or if by getting the adrenals up to par the DHEA will increase on it's own. I have read that once you start taking it you have to keep taking it. What did you do to help your adrenals?
Thanks everyone, this has been so helpful.


Jeanne

[Alissa]

Hi its by - mode de vie and its called vanilla shea butter hair conditioner. Their web site is http://www.modedeviebodycare.com/modedevie.html
But itÂ’s a really bad web site you canÂ’t find anything... i get this at whole foods, but in case you cant find it im sure you can order it on line.
I used to use Aubrey organics GPB conditioner for years, but i just started using this and i like it.
Glad you feeling better! Oh and i also like lil had really bad fibromyalgia for many years. I thought it was from years of body building, couldnÂ’t sit in a car longer then 20 minutes, always in pain and i am totally free of it now, its amazing!

[lil]

Re: adrenals....
I haven't read anything that you have to keep taking DHEA - only the opposite, that it's for short term use only. I'm taking it under the supervision of a N.D. and I would recommend only taking it with medical supervision.
B5 is the "adrenal vitamin" - I notice huge differences in my energy when I take it. Vit C is also important. I take an adrenal supplement that consists of licorce, ginseng, rhodiola and ashwangha.

[Jeanne]

Thanks for the name of the conditioner Alissa. I looked for it during a couple of breaks at work today but it looks like I will have to go via the internet. There is one more health food store I'll try first.
That fibromyalgia..deserves a thread of it's own!
lil, I'm glad you heard DHEA supplements can be temporary. As synchronicity would have it I began taking crystal vitamin C the other day along with the greens. And thanks for the vitamin B5 tip.
Great big giant bear hugs to you all!

Jeanne

[Kristi]

My mom is not raw. Her hair thinned terribly due to low thyroid and I think maybe her hormones levels being off in menopause. She's done some natural hormone creams and thyroid pill and her hair is doing great!