Hi everybody, I am having a bit of a dilemma. I have been eating mainly raw food for a while but I am just having some trouble as to decide what to eat and when and all that stuff. I have quite a slow metabolism and very bad digestion and I can't really eat that much at all without feeling sick.

A couple of years ago I took an acne drug called roaccutane and my health and body and digestion has never been the same. I have learned to live with it and make the most of my life but I still find it difficult. I have also been quite annorexic at times of my life so I don't have the best relationship with food.

I don't really like eating that much as it makes me feel sick so it makes my day to day living quite difficult. However, sometimes I do get very hungry and then I will eat. Usually I fast for 3-5 days a week because the days that I do eat make me feel ill and although I hate to admit it, in an effort to keep my weight down. However I am not emaciated or anything. If anything I find it very difficult to keep weight off.

This would be my usual day:

Fasting-
Breakfast: apple juice
Lunch: cranberry juice/sometimes a Naked green smoothie
Dinner: juice and kombucha tea

Not-Fasting:
Breakfast: apple juice
Lunch: green smoothie
Dinner: sprouts with tahini and walnuts, coconut oil, chilli powder, a bit of salad

My job is very busy and I find it difficult to eat there as it makes me feel sick and then I can't concentrate for the rest of the day. When I do get hungry and decide to eat I usually eat quite a bit of fat but I just feel like my body craves it but then the next day I feel sick-sometimes I feel okay.

When I have a special occasion or a date or something I won't eat for a couple of days before so that I don't feel sick. This is all making me very tired and grumpy but it has been going on for years and I don't know how to stop it. I often think if I didn't need to eat at all my life would be a lot easier.

I feel happier and more positive when I fast and when I eat I feel depressed and anti-social and tired. I have felt like this for a while and it is making my life difficult and makes having relationships very hard as I always feel I have something to hide.

I look at some of my friends and they seem to be able to eat whatever they like and not put on weight and feel healthy and have plenty of energy. I just feel like a mess. Whenever I eat I also flush a lot and blush more easily and get really hot and insecure. Does anybody have any suggestions?? I really don't know what to do. Should I eat an all fruit diet and cut out the fat? I'm a bit confused right now.

Cis-retinoic acid (isotretinoin) can have adverse impact on the GI tract. But, I don't think it is permanent in most cases. I took it when I was a teenager (about 40 mg/day for six weeks) and I never had a problem.

This is a case-report paper for IBD with some speculations as to mechanisms of actions.
[www.njmonline.nl]

It sounds to me like you need to eat a lot more! I'd forget about fasting.

Just my opinion, I am not an MD or anything like that. I think it would be better to discuss it with your derm.

and get a blood test to see if everything is within normal limits.

Tashi,

It sound like you need to heal your digestive system. David Klein has an excellent book called "Self Healing Colitis and Crohn's", and he has a website at [www.colitis-crohns.com].

To heal your digestive issues, you might want to try fasting with a fasting supervisor. Dr Doug Graham still has a slot available in his March Costa Rica Fast (foodnsport.com). Dr Sniadach has a fasting retreat at [www.vidaclara.com].

I agree with Bryan

Boy, Tashi, I wish you all the best. I don't have any advice or anything other than hang in and stay open to people for help. Like folks on this forum. There's so much practical support and encouragement. Hang in there. And let yourself smile. That usually helps.



This way is not compatible with Zen practice. This way IS Zen practice. - Dr. Doug Graham

Nothing whatsoever should be attached to. - Buddha

I have been intrigued by raw foodies for some time. I have increased mine and my familys' intake of raw and living foods over the past year. I finally took the plunge a couple of weeks ago and went 100% raw.
However, my husband is a junk food carnivore and thinks that anyone who is vegan let alone a raw foodie is a hippie nutter! I have not told him that I have gone 100% raw and find myself avoiding meal times with him. I feel that I have a terrible secret that I don't know how to tell. I know this sounds silly but I could do with some advice

Tashi. . .

I am guessing that you have a fairly clean system and, therefore, anything not optimal is bothering you.

And the chili powder and nuts and tahini and oil and greens are harsh and not optimal. That combination would make me feel sick, too.

Instead of something extreme like a fast, I would suggest you try just simple sweet fruits for a while. I find them to be very soothing and healing as well as nourishing and uplifting.

Best wishes for you. . .

Love,
Julie

I get REALLY tired when I don't eat enough calories. It sounds to me like that might be part of the issue you are having. Can you increase your calories a bit and see how you feel?

Tashi:

Surely there are SOME foods...like like fruits....that you LOVE...that do not make you ill. Concentrate on those...at the very least...and try to stay full.

Opinion: Fasting will actually lower your metabolism and shrink your stomach.....making you more sensitive to retaining weight and feeling 'ill'. A more regular eating regime will help with this.

-If you have additional eating issues (like long fasting....heavy eating swings)...these things are not cured through changes in diet but by confronting and therapeutic discussion of the underlying issues involved.

-You will get great support and love from Bryan and the other wonderful folks on this board.

-David Z. Mason

Sounds like this is more of a psychological problem then a digestive one. You obviuosly still struggling with anorexia nervosa.

What is your current weight? You're saying if have been eating and fasting like that for years? And you are not losing weight? That's very odd because fasting 3-5 days/week and then eating what you eat on the days that you do eat, is nothing.
Maybe 400 Calories tops! Do you "cheat"?

You've messed up your metabolism and digestives system, so you will need to slowly introduce food into your diet. I'm talking about actual food, not juices! You need fiber, I bet you don't have regular bowel movements...?

Clearly anorexia isn't a good long term weight loss method, and completly unhealthy, see what it does to your metabolism and digestive system!

Eat raw, you'll be healthy slowly introduce food into your diet. Eat raw everyday and work your way up with the intake. Anyone needs to eat at least about 1200 calories/day to function properly. Yes you can loose weight fast on 500/day deit but not long term! Most people either gain it all back or develop anorexia nervosa.

It's more of a mental issue than you think. You can also blend fruits and veggies at first to make it easier with digestion.

Chrislyon.. I had the same problem, its funny, when it is HIS IDEA he will change, don't worry..

Hi everybody, thank you very much for your help and advice. I will try all your suggestions and see what works for me. Obviously my metabolism has slowed down a lot because I don't "cheat" at all. However when I do eat I eat quite a lot...I mean not an excessive amount but about a plate full of food...of sptouts and tahini, nuts and salad. Maybe I should replace this with just plain fruit and maybe that will even out my digestive system a bit but I really do get hungry for heavy food like that. Thank you for your advice, I will experiment with all your suggestions.

I'm completly confused...you posted that you fast 3-5 days per week! And you posted what you eat when you do eat, which isn't much at all and is mostly juices. Now you're saying when you do eat you eat quite a lot like salad nut tahini etc.

I don't know either, whatever you goal is stick to fruits and vegetables. You don't have to cut out nuts just eat them in moderation.

You will have fix your metabolism and digestives system. Just eat enough for your height/weight.

Good Luck!

Hi narawdia...i meant that i do fast for about 3-5 days and on the days which i eat, essentially 2-4 days a week...i usually eat about a plate of food, including nuts and sprouts etc as well as some juices. Thanks for your advice!