I'm so confused! Naturopath Chiropractic visit yesterday...

[sherahtaylor]

Guys, I seriously cried on the way home from my visit to my naturopathic chiropractor physician last night. I've known him for 9 years and both my husband & I trust him alot - he's the type who genuinely has the good in mind for you, not $$ in his eyes. I haven't been to him in 5 years or so, but my SAD DH goes to him at least twice a month for an adjustment.

Here's some background. I thought it was a gift straight from heaven when I found out about raw, and I felt good on Raw! I started in August, got pregnant 5 days later, and felt pretty much awesome. But then I miscarried at 12 weeks so I'm not sure if I felt good because of Raw, or because it wasn't a normal healthy pregnancy to begin with (I wasn't very sick and I am always VERY sick for 2 solid months).

He said my organs are not doing well like my kidneys, my thyroid is not functioning properly, or my metabolism. He said basically my body is not doing good at all, and he attributed that to the fact that I had just miscarried, and also had a baby 6 months ago - not to mention having 5 kids in 6 years, no twins.

I asked him about eating raw, and he was familiar with it he said, but it didn't sound like it to me. He said I do NOT get protein from greens, fruit, nuts - and that I need to eat a "complete" protein meaning beans & rice with the protein. Meaning meat.

He asked why I don't eat meat - he's fine with being a vegetarian, but just wanted to know. I said I felt like crap when eating meat and sluggish, heavy, and he said that's because my digestive enzymes aren't working right.

I'm not able to debate or prove my point very well when talking to people - I do much better on paper. I couldn't describe to him with words what I've read about meat and what it does to my body. It makes me sick just to think of it.

He asked why I started raw to begin with, and I said because I didn't want to get sick while pregnant and also not gain 50lbs. And I wanted to lose weight - I was at 160 when I started, with my weight goal being 130 for 5'2". He said of course I'll lose weight eating only raw food, because I become malnourished.

He also said that vegetables, greens, can't be digested very well because of all the fiber - they need to at least be lightly steamed to break down the outer "shell" so that I can digest the food easier. I'm okay with that, if it's true anyway.

So basically he ended by saying my body was very depleted in alot of nutrients and gave me this huge multivitamin to eat - which I'm totally okay with that. He wants me to write down everything I eat for a week, then come back and we'll tweak my diet, he says.

I LOVE eating raw - and am so sad to think that maybe I'm totally messing up my body - wouldn't he know what he's talking about, being a naturopathic physician? I'm so confused!!! I know I can't believe everything I read on the internet, but guys.....this was like my last hope.

[ShelShel]

wow...I'm so sorry. For your baby loss...for this info from your doctor. Especially one that you trust. Wow. I'm not prepared to give you any advice...I'm extremely anxious to hear what others have to say on the topic. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
However, I can tell you this, my iridoligist (looks in your eyes and can see your internal systems and how they are working), said that pregnancy really causes a lot of changes in a woman's body and she should re-establish a level healthy norm again before she gets into another pregnancy. Most women don't know this. So, they get sicker and sicker with each pregnancy and from the sounds of it...I would say it's all your pregnancies so close together that have weakened your system...not the raw foods which are healthy.
However, it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that you need supplements to help bring your body back to proper health! (although this may be something not encouraged by this forum...unsure???? sorry if I am wrong to say that here.) My iridoligist said to take certain herbs for 3 and a half months and then my body would be ready to do it all it's own. But it needed that extra help temporarily. ;) It really worked for me.
Now in the bottom of your thread you had that you were high raw. If you aren't 100% why is your doctor nervous about what you are eating? Just because of the meat issue? There are plenty of vegans who never eat meat and are healthy...it's not strictly a raw foodist thing. hummm.
This thread is really making me think.
Thank you for sharing...I know you must be worried about all this or you wouldn't have shared. Again, I will pray for you and hope that some wiser than I respond.

[Nix]

I don't know what all you are doing right now, what your diet really looks like. But I wonder some things.
If you are not doing this I suggest highly that you try it for a week or two and then go back to him. I suggest you read Green For Life by Victoria Botenko, implement her green smoothies in large quantities into your diet and then, after a week or two, go back and see how you are doing.
If he is like my Chiro/Natur he will test your body using applied kinesiology or nueroemotional technique and your body will then tell you if you are on the right track. I have a lot of experience with these techniques being a former massage therapist/naturapath and find that this is the BEST method of determining if you are truly on the correct path.
As for his comments on your "digestive enzymes" being off, what he is failing to note is that enzymes produced by your body deplete the body further of health. Enzymes taken from food are a perfect source to encourage healing. If you are in a hurry to be pregnant again, your body may be telling you it hasn't healed enough yet to support a growing baby, listen to it and KEEP EATING RAW! Then try later again to concieve.
By the way, I have been very into goji berrys and they are a proven source of all essential amino acids, so incorporate those into your diet to boost your other green protein sources. You DO NOT NEED animal protein. When it comes to rice and beans, they are mostly carbohydrates unless they are sprouted and eaten raw. Sprout them and make salads out of them. Skip most of the beans, limit yourself to lentils (excellent sprouts, peppery! easy to make on your counter) and chick peas. Now these are a great source of protein and nutrients!
Let us know how you are doing!
Nix

[sherahtaylor]

You're so right, I CAN make good choices with the things he wants me to eat, anyway - I guess I'm kind of worried about the protein part of it. What is he going to make me eat? But then, LOL, it IS my body and no-one is going to make me eat anything.

Yes, that is exactly what he did - I think that's what you're referring to anyway, when you say kinesiology or nueroemotional - he had me hold my arm strong and when it was weak he was able to tell I had problems with whatever area that represented. Is that what that means?

To clarify - I was 100% raw for two solid months, then started to get off the wagon when I miscarried. But it was always 100% raw all day, then maybe a little bit of cooked that night, never like 50% or anything. But my goal is to be 100% raw. And I talked to him like I was 100% raw, that I didn't eat anything other than fruit, veggies, nuts, & sprouts/seeds.

A typical 100% raw diet for me is mostly fruit with a 48oz. big green smoothie in the morning. I eat some nuts but just a handful, 2T. UDO's every day, and some of RP's brownies. I don't eat much "gourmet" foods, but I do make "bread" like Alissa's rye bagels to eat maybe 3x a week, stuffed with veggies.

I think I will invest in Green for Life - I have been curious about that for some time now. I have an appointment with him on Monday, and in the meantime are taking these huge horse pills to the tune of 6 per day. I have a big bag of Goji berries that I think I'll dump into my smoothie, because I don't really like the taste. Thanks for the reminder on those!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I think you should get him The China Study and then get a new health professional who knows more about protein.

[Nix]

Yes, that is exactly what he did - I think that's what you're referring to anyway, when you say kinesiology or nueroemotional - he had me hold my arm strong and when it was weak he was able to tell I had problems with whatever area that represented. Is that what that means?

Yes, that is exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes there are local classes to teach you how to do these things. A great book on this is called "Touch for Health" although I do not know if it is widely available, as I said I was a therapist (today I am a lawyer...who knows where the road will lead? ;) )

I eat enormous amounts of greens and I try to mix them up. I will put three large salad's worth into each smoothie or better. That is a lot of greens. Some green smoothie recipes only graze the surface. I also suggest incorporating sea veggies if your thyroid is off. Dulse is my favorite and I eat that plain, but you can put it in salads, smoothies or capsules if you need to. Kelp and Wakame are also great.
I have to say this for health professionals, they only know as much as they put themselves out there to find, it is the nature of human beings. I have an ex who is a chiro and I am trying to educate her on the whole healthy idea that raw represents. Her industry is not promoting it and until they do large scale many may not jump on that bandwagon. Mainly because like all human beings they do not want to have to change everything they know and do for themselves to obtain health also! Like stop eating meat. It's popular, its what they have known all their lives and they have no impetus at this point to see the need to change. Until someone like you and like me show them that this is a valid path and why. Then they will start to study, like we have studied and they will know.
Bright blessings!
Nix

[Goldenrod]

It's really important to know that eating raw is not something most health professionals, even alternative ones, know much about unless they have made a personal choice to learn about it. Eating raw is one of those things in life where you need to seek out your own information and learn for yourself what works for you and what doesn't. It really doesn't sound like he has good solid information and he's just going with what he knows. It's your body and ultimately you are in charge of the choices you make and that includes whether or not to take advice from professionals.

[Free Energy]

Hi Sherataylor,

I feel your frustration and have some news for you that I learned the other day when I visited my BioChemist & Nutritional Physiologist. I had a live cell analysis and urinalysis done all while watching him look at my blood and urine. He put it under a microscope and I also got to see what it looked like. He recommended a list of herbs to take from a company called Biotics Research and after just five days of taking them I am able to move around more than I have in over a year. The best part is I got to take the pictures home to compare them to the previous weeks pictures.

As for getting pregnant, he asked me if I wanted him to get my body "ready" for pregnancy and that it will take 8-9 months to get it ready and that's all you need. He has prescribed a bunch of supplements(herbs) all natural and prepared raw too. The one company I am currently taking whole food concentrates from is Sunrider. They are the best I have found, I need less of everything I use and it makes me feel great!

Too many people try to get pregnant without knowing what is going on inside of their bodies. He also knows that eating raw is the best diet out there and encourages all his clients to do so. If this naturepath is making you feel uncomfortable and your gut is telling you he is wrong then go with your gut. Only you truly know your body and how you feel when you eat.

Also, a lot of the way our body is functioning right now is due to our environment and the way we live our lives. Finding out what your mother's life was like before you were concieved is important too. What was her mental health like? Did she smoke? What were her eating habits before and during pregnancy? I had to learn all of this to understand why my body is the way that it is.

I always thought I was in perfect health but learned from this blood work that my adrenal glands were stressed (much less now that I'm raw), my kidneys and liver are stressed and my lungs need repairing. I also bounce from hyperglycemia to hypoglycemia but my body will stay balanced the more I am raw. If I started to eat meat and processed foods again I would get very sick. I can give you the contact information for this biochemist I went to. He is not a medical doctor (went to med school when he was 12) but chose to study the natural healing of the body through regeneration.
He can even help you over the phone as I have seen him do this when no other doctor could find a solution without prescribing drugs. Hope this helps and feel free to contact me.

[rawnora]

..."wouldn't he know what he's talking about, being a naturopathic physician?"

No. I worked at an internationally recognized university for naturopaths in the early 90s and I can tell you that what is taught there is appallingly inaccurate. Naturopaths give lip service to removing the cause of disease, but they are nearly as clueless about what that entails as their allopathic counterparts. It is unfortunate that they have such a favorable reputation among health-seekers, because many have been led astray by naturopaths who mindlessly perpetuate blatant myths and falsehoods, like that humans need to eat "complete" protein. I totally concur with Sharon who suggested you find a more knowledgeable health professional, or better yet, a qualified raw food coach. So-called health professionals, as a rule, don't know much about the conditions which produce health.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com