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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI really need some help and advice please.
I'm not raw but have researched the raw food lifestyle for a long time, and although I'm not ready to go raw, I have experimented with green smoothies in the past and absolutely loved them (but I haven't had one for a long time).
I'm currently on medication for anxiety and depression, which I want to gradually come off and I really feel that the right diet would help with these problems anyway. I also have other health issues: I've suffered with pains in my belly, itchy scalp along with dandruff, itchy painful ears (right inside), constant tiredness, random bodily pains and on top of that I am overweight and it has just begun rising again.
I honestly feel that, like I said, adjustments on diet could really change things but I'm not ready to go completely raw yet. However, when I had green smoothies before, I felt good and it seemed like I was more alert and had more energy. I'm not sure if this is just psychological but I love them anyway. I have been thinking about incorporating them into my daily diet and perhaps doing something like, having 2 green smoothies a day, a cooked oats with flaxseed and agave nectar and some other kind of food a snacks throughout the day. I was thinking bananas as I love them too :) or should I have a none raw sandwich instead? =/
Ok, the reason I'm waffling on like this is because my worry is detoxing from eating too much raw too quickly. It may sound daft but I have so much going on... I'm a mature (28) student studying at university so I need to be on the ball so to speak and I'm actually repeating the year due to depression and anxiety issues last year, so I really can't afford to screw up.
I'm sorry, I feel like I've made no sense, but the truth is I'm in a real state mentally and physically. :(
Comments
You are on the right path to becoming more raw! It will certainly help you physically/mentally. Its great that you love green smoothies as most people need to get an acquired taste for them. When I first decided to go raw I experienced uncomfortable detox symptoms so read up on what I could do..it was recommended to try raw for most of theday, then have a balanced healthy cooked dinner. This will lessen the severity of the detox. I did this and really helped. Try replacing breakfast with as much fruit as you want, then replace lunch with a large green smoothie. Snack on fruit for the rest of the day until dinner. You are giving your body a huge digestion rest..you will fee the results! Gradual is a good way to go.
Thanks for your reply Kitty :D it's reassuring to know I'm on the right path. I will try out the fruit snacking thing and see how it goes.
Another thought I'm having, I'm yet to do a candida test, but saying I did have it, would the fruit snacking make it worse? Is there a type of fruit that is better than others if someone has candida?
Thanks again :)
You could be like me and be allergic to some kinds of foods. I found out that eating raw worked well with my system. I am allergic to grains, when I am on them I have general anxiety, bone pain and migraines. Not to mention that I swell up. I have found limiting my food to raw means that there is no process foods, therefore no allergens. I have only been on the diet 4 days and feel great. I am so happy to find something that works for me. Also a plus is that I work in the grocery store, so I have anything at my disposal. I don't have to worry about time enough to heat it up and then eat it.
Beadie, that's great that the raw food life is working out for you :) I'll look into the allergy thing too, it could be a possibility and it's worth checking out. Thanks :)
Another thing you mat want to check out are the food chemical additives...MSG (monosodium glutamate and sulfites/sulfates) MSG is famous for causing panic attack-like symptoms in people, in fact, it even has its own "syndrome"...the Chinese Food Syndrome, because of the high concentration found in Chinese Food, but these days its pretty much found in anything and everything packaged or processed. Keep a food journal, and write down everything you eat and your moods, you may start to seem some correlations. And, if you have a juicer...two great things to incorporate in your juicing routine is celery and cantaloupes (seperately though, don't juice em together =)...they have natural anti-anxiety properties!
Oh yeah, and I forgot to add that all the health problems/symptoms you described are almost textbook symptoms of Candidiasis or excess Candida albicans. You may want to google symptoms and cleansing programs you can do to get your intestinal flora back in balance. One at home test that I've heard of and has worked every time I or someone I've known have tried it. The very first thing upon rising in the morning, get a glass of water (in a clear see-thru glass cup)...gather saliva in your mouth, when ya get a decent amount...spit into the water. If you have an overgrowth of candida, it will start to "grow" tentacle-looking things...basically your spit blob will start resembling a jelly fish. If you don't have an overgrowth, your spit will just blend into the waterand dissolve. But, you have to do it first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking anything.
I may be way off but you sound like you have some similar symptoms to someone that I am close to. The disorder is called "depersonalization" or "derealization." Again, I might be way off, but it couldn't hurt to just google depersonalization (otherwise known as DP). Here's a forum. with some basic info.
If I'm wrong, ignore that. Congrats on your raw journey. I wish you all the best on this exciting adventure that is raw foods. :)