Going Raw and the dreaded "D" word
Hi there, I am back, jumping into the blog again. My cat is here with me, poking at me, swatting my hands as I type on the keyboards, and nudging me with his paw letting me know he is not to be ignored. I laugh and pet him and realize that this is quite similar to how my transition with food in my life has been.
Something was always nudging me, letting me know there was more out there, something different, not to be ignored. So overnight I went straight from being a carnivore to a strict vegetarian. I proudly announced I would never eat anything with a face again... but I was still getting that nudge. I did feel significantly better after becoming vegetarian but my body continued to nudge me, giving me little signals. I was still suffering from the eczema which has plagued me most of my life, still got the bloated, too full feeling, not to mention crash and burning from too much coffee and sugar.
Then I was introduced to Raw Foods (check out my previous post - The Beginning), and being the Aires girl that I am, I jumped right in with both feet. I went from being a vegetarian to 100% raw. No dairy, no wheat, no processed foods, no refined sugar and no coffee. Boy that was a tough one. Not that I was a big coffee drinker. maybe 2 cups in the morning and a cup or two if I had a late night at work. But when I cut it out of my diet, I had terrible headaches. Not the first day but they started 2-3 days after my last cup. Then for the next 4 days or so, I was cranky, low energy, headaches, the shakes... I might as well have been trying to get off Crack. I was not a joy to be around, hard to believe :-).
I wasn't sure what was happening to me. There were other symtoms too from going raw. I had blemishes on my face, my skin felt really sensitive to the touch, runny nose, and sugar cravings. I felt too, like I was freaking out a bit, lots of chatter in my head. I started to second guess myself. Was this the right path for me? Is something wrong, is this raw food path really the way I should go? But then I talked to my raw food guru friend and he calmed me and as he put it, " I was just going through the devine throws of detox." Ahh, there it was, the dreaded "D" word. This is what everyone has been talking about. It sure didn't feel devine.
He reassured me that this was to be expected and went on to give me some tips on how to cope. Body work/ massages help move the toxins out of the body as well as anything green. "Green is clean" as he likes to say. Also running or bouncing on a rebounder. These forms of exercise help to stimulate the lymph nodes which helps to carry the toxins out faster. This was a big help to me because I am a runner and it offered a lot of relief, physically as well as mentally. Skin Brushing was another great tip. (stay tuned for a whole blog on just that). All these things helped to alieviate the symptoms. For that I will always be eternally grateful to him.
Now as I look back, I could have incorporated raw foods in a more gradual fashion and I do recommend that now to people who are new to raw foods. I always tell people, don't think about cutting food out of your diet, approach it as adding these beautiful, live, healthy foods, into your life. People always ask me, Can you eat this or can you eat that? It is not about what I can or can't eat, it is what I choose to eat. I don't feel deprived, I feel happy and fulfilled.
Although the detox was tough, and I still experience some symptoms from time to time, especially if I do have cooked foods, I definately know I have made the right choice to go raw. If I compare myself to how I was a year ago, the changes are amazing. I have lost weight, I have so much energy I don't need coffee. I wake up in the morning and have a big glass of water followed by fresh juices or a smoothie later in the morning.
One of the other biggest change I see in myself is no more mindless eating. I use to munch through a meal or a snack without even thinking, still wanting more. I didn't feel nurished but unsatisfied and empty. I realize now that my body was not getting the proper nutrition. Now meals are a joy, I look forward to them, saver them and especially enjoy preparing foods for other people.
The eczema that plagued me since I was a child has disappeared. I use to have to take 1-2 Allegra (perscription) pills a day just to control the itching on my poor, dry skin, but I haven't needed a pill in over 10 months. That alone was worth going through detox. I finally know what it is like to have smooth, soft skin.
I still have a way to go, I am, after all, work in progress. But I just want everyone to experience this and see how much better you can feel. It has completely changed my life.
Well, my cat has given me another nudge, this time he is letting me know he needs attention, so I will be signing off for now.
Just remember, don't ignore those little nudges because they just might change your life.
Be Well,
Nanners
Something was always nudging me, letting me know there was more out there, something different, not to be ignored. So overnight I went straight from being a carnivore to a strict vegetarian. I proudly announced I would never eat anything with a face again... but I was still getting that nudge. I did feel significantly better after becoming vegetarian but my body continued to nudge me, giving me little signals. I was still suffering from the eczema which has plagued me most of my life, still got the bloated, too full feeling, not to mention crash and burning from too much coffee and sugar.
Then I was introduced to Raw Foods (check out my previous post - The Beginning), and being the Aires girl that I am, I jumped right in with both feet. I went from being a vegetarian to 100% raw. No dairy, no wheat, no processed foods, no refined sugar and no coffee. Boy that was a tough one. Not that I was a big coffee drinker. maybe 2 cups in the morning and a cup or two if I had a late night at work. But when I cut it out of my diet, I had terrible headaches. Not the first day but they started 2-3 days after my last cup. Then for the next 4 days or so, I was cranky, low energy, headaches, the shakes... I might as well have been trying to get off Crack. I was not a joy to be around, hard to believe :-).
I wasn't sure what was happening to me. There were other symtoms too from going raw. I had blemishes on my face, my skin felt really sensitive to the touch, runny nose, and sugar cravings. I felt too, like I was freaking out a bit, lots of chatter in my head. I started to second guess myself. Was this the right path for me? Is something wrong, is this raw food path really the way I should go? But then I talked to my raw food guru friend and he calmed me and as he put it, " I was just going through the devine throws of detox." Ahh, there it was, the dreaded "D" word. This is what everyone has been talking about. It sure didn't feel devine.
He reassured me that this was to be expected and went on to give me some tips on how to cope. Body work/ massages help move the toxins out of the body as well as anything green. "Green is clean" as he likes to say. Also running or bouncing on a rebounder. These forms of exercise help to stimulate the lymph nodes which helps to carry the toxins out faster. This was a big help to me because I am a runner and it offered a lot of relief, physically as well as mentally. Skin Brushing was another great tip. (stay tuned for a whole blog on just that). All these things helped to alieviate the symptoms. For that I will always be eternally grateful to him.
Now as I look back, I could have incorporated raw foods in a more gradual fashion and I do recommend that now to people who are new to raw foods. I always tell people, don't think about cutting food out of your diet, approach it as adding these beautiful, live, healthy foods, into your life. People always ask me, Can you eat this or can you eat that? It is not about what I can or can't eat, it is what I choose to eat. I don't feel deprived, I feel happy and fulfilled.
Although the detox was tough, and I still experience some symptoms from time to time, especially if I do have cooked foods, I definately know I have made the right choice to go raw. If I compare myself to how I was a year ago, the changes are amazing. I have lost weight, I have so much energy I don't need coffee. I wake up in the morning and have a big glass of water followed by fresh juices or a smoothie later in the morning.
One of the other biggest change I see in myself is no more mindless eating. I use to munch through a meal or a snack without even thinking, still wanting more. I didn't feel nurished but unsatisfied and empty. I realize now that my body was not getting the proper nutrition. Now meals are a joy, I look forward to them, saver them and especially enjoy preparing foods for other people.
The eczema that plagued me since I was a child has disappeared. I use to have to take 1-2 Allegra (perscription) pills a day just to control the itching on my poor, dry skin, but I haven't needed a pill in over 10 months. That alone was worth going through detox. I finally know what it is like to have smooth, soft skin.
I still have a way to go, I am, after all, work in progress. But I just want everyone to experience this and see how much better you can feel. It has completely changed my life.
Well, my cat has given me another nudge, this time he is letting me know he needs attention, so I will be signing off for now.
Just remember, don't ignore those little nudges because they just might change your life.
Be Well,
Nanners
posted by Nanners @ 9:23 AM
1 Comments:
At 2:22 PM,
Jamus Majorus said…
Excellent article on the process from a personal perspective. You should submit it to Veg Times, or the freebie that they have at WF. Succinct, and moreover, convincing! I'm gonna go juice up some carrot-wheat grass right now!
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