Raw question

[twinyoga]

First of all, congratulations to all of you doing the juice fast. I hope you are all successful with it.

Here's what I need to discuss/vent. If you recall, my first week on raw was great. I was 100% every day without even trying. It's true that having enough food in the house is the secret.

But I really dealt with some huge emotional issues and I want to list them. Maybe you can help. I decided to go off of raw on Sunday (after 6.5 days) and I've been cooking a lot of home made vegetarian meals. But I just don't feel as good as I did on raw. So, maybe you help with my raw issues and I can get right back to raw. Thanks!

1. Eating so many raw foods, and not buying all organic, should I be concerned regarding unclean veggies, pesticides, etc?

2. I have been diagnosed with reflux and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) years ago. They come and go with stress. Well, they acted up terribly while being raw. Maybe it was the stress/nerves of going raw? Maybe it was the increase in nuts and seeds?

3. I think I attempted to many weird combinations and new recipes all within one week. I need simple meals. No sprouting or dehydrating at this time. I want to work within the fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

4. Just looking at a raw vegetable started to look disgusting to me. I only wanted fruit and dried fruits. Would there be a reason for this? I'm still trying to eat 1-2 salads a day even now (not being 100% raw) and I can hardly swallow a raw veggie. This is strange.

I actually miss raw and how good I felt. I just need to work on the fear of being raw, simple dishes, and my stomach.

Hope you can help. Either way, it felt good to write all of this out.

Debbie

[flutterfly]

I will try to answer the IBS as I use to have a business that I worked with people with it. When I first put them on the raw eating they would have a small problem with it for the first few day and after that they got better day by day. Just give it time. Are you also cleansing? If not that would be a good idea.

[twinyoga]

I'm about to turn the computer off for the night...but what is cleansing?

[flutterfly]

Taking a Herbal product to clean out your insides.

[GoingRAW]

4. Just looking at a raw vegetable started to look disgusting to me. I only wanted fruit and dried fruits. Would there be a reason for this? I'm still trying to eat 1-2 salads a day even now (not being 100% raw) and I can hardly swallow a raw veggie. This is strange.

My advice for this would be that it takes time to adjust to all raw. It depends on things like how your diet was pre-raw. If your diet wasn't fruit/veggie based than maybe your body is just adjusting. When I first started, I couldn't imagine having to eat one more salad, but I pushed through it. I started being creative. Really working w/ taste and textures of different foods. Maybe get on this board and ask advice if you can't think of good food ideas.
Hope this helps! Take care, GR

[elwaytaffy]

Taking a Herbal product to clean out your insides.

Hi flutterfly, I was reading this thread and am very interested in a herbal colon cleanse. I've been raw since late July. I have been suffering from
severe IBS-Constipation for many years. I have felt literally 'full of crap' for years now. My IBS has really not improved since going raw. I think I want to do a colon cleanse that will really clean out all the built up junk I can only assume I have in me. I've read articles and seen pictures of the black rubberish tar that can line the wall of your colon. I have also thought about doing a parasite cleanse too. YUCK! Sorry all that this is so detailed! Do you have any suggestions on specific brands? I'd really like any suggestions! Thank you!

[rawmom]

Hello Twinyoga:

I just wanted to give you some words of encouragement regarding the raw lifestyle. It took me 1 entire month of no cheating, eating only raw to heal my body of the acid reflux. The reflux would occur with everything I ate, even raw during that month and then one day, I realized I didn't have the symptoms after I ate. I was shocked!! I had read that oranges, grapefruits and tomatoes should be left alone while suffering from reflux. I left them alone, but slowly tried one at a time after I felt well enough-I don't know if you had been including any of them in your raw diet for those 6.5 days. Also, don't beat yourself up about it. You have two little ones to care for and that alone can cause enough stress!! If you haven't read Harvey Diamond's book Fit For Life, I would encourage you to do so. He explains digestion so well and it helped me to see the whole picture. Check your library for it-that's where I found a copy to read. I hope some of this helped you. I know it can be terribly frustrating when you believe you are doing all you can for your health and haven't yet made it to feeling 100% health yet. One more thing-if you can't handle the thought of a raw veggie just now, how about just doing fruit and fruit smoothies for a week or so, to get you back into it? Just a thought.

Rawmom

[lil]

I ditto everything rawmom said!.

My reflux acted up the first few weeks of raw too - but like rawmom, I just realized one day that it wasn't bothering me.

At this time I eat mostly fruit. I eat fruit all day and just have some lettuce and tomatoes and night. It's very satisfying to me. I'm not into prepping food and doing juices - at least at this time. If your body is craving fruit - give it fruit!. Fruit is very cleansing. I would stay away from dried fruits - very high in sugar.

As to organic - I try my best to eat organic. If I can't peel it - I definately eat organic. If it's not orgainc, wash it well.

[Curtis]

Hello Twinyoga :)

I am trying to over time change all my fruit and vegetables over to organic but one doesn't have to do it right away. They have stuff to wash off produce at most health food stores which help. I can see from what I have learned so far doing this and eventually changing all my cleaning products to safe ones will help me a lot. I am gradually doing this so it don't seem like such a task. Sometimes when change seems terribly big we don't want to do it, but doing it a little at a time makes is easier to accomplish. :)
I agree with what the other folks said, give yourself some time and have fun with this new way of living. Have a great day and nice to have you here. :)