So a few weeks ago I travelled to family and started eating more cooked food again. I was never 100% raw, but had been at a nice balance of mostly fruit, greens and some steamed veggies and cooked lentils and beans. While traveling I started eating rice again, didn't have access to my usual greens, and also ate a lot of potatoes. chestnuts, and Veggies that were cooked in oil (family went out of their way to prepare for me, so couldnt turn it down). I am usually at 10% fat, so the oil was a big factor, adn it was easy to stop that right away, but the rice and potatoes are harder.

I noticed: cravings through the roof. And stomach problems (feels as if its tied in knots!)

I am working on getting my balance back and I will, not a problem, just working backwards (adding greens and fruit!). I wonder about this: could the starches cause these cravings? Could the rice cause the stomach problems? have you found that certain cooked foods such as potatoes, rice and chestnuts, bug you more than, say, steamed veggies? Or is it mainly the lack of greens?

Any input appreciated.

Oh I definately relate to this.
Give me a big bowl of rice,or pasta,and I could eat till I burst.
Cravings galore.
BUT...they never cause me much distress,except emotional distress,at the fact that I am eating something I know isnt really that good for me.
I believe its the immune system that is most affected by cooked starches.And I have read,to my amazement,that this is an allergy response,and that allergies can cause a craving for the allergen.
One thing I do is combine foods properly. If I ever have rice or pasta,I have with it a big salad and no proteins.Certainly no meats anymore.

Brian

sugar is a big cause of cravings over all, i've read, so if you were eating mostly fruit but with some other things, it could be the sugar or the other food; it's all about what proportions you are eating and how things are combined, rather then attacking one specific thing really; i've read people say "oh stay far away from white rice because it's refined"; while others say too much fiber, like in whole grain rice, is bad for the digestive system. And neither is totally crazy; I mean as an example for the white rice, look at Japan, they've got the highest longevity rate in life in the world. Sure it's not just because they eat white rice, but what it's --paaaiireed-- with will make a big difference, I'm sure - as for any diet and how things are paired

you did start adding things you haven't eaten in a while, and this will cause any -problem- as the body is adjusting to whatever you throw at it, so you're stomach will be flippin out, no dOUbt

Raw1228,

I have heard this hypothesis of allergen craving also. It was explained to me as analogous to a junkie craving heroin, which may be considered an "allergen." Those neuroreceptors of your brain that are initially positively affected by the chemical responses to an allergen; though the overall effect may be adverse, beg you for more of the stuff against your biochemical best interests. I have also heard this applied to cancer and fungi(I'm beginning to believe they're the same thing), in that people with systemic candidiasis and with metastatic cancer experience desperate cravings for carbs[sugar], a primary nutrient of the cause of both disorders. Scary! Supposedly, if you ride out the craving for the allergen for 5-10 minutes the first few times you get it, those receptors shut off, permanently, unless the allergen is reintroduced in sufficient an amount to resume the allergic response. I've met people with peanut allergies who yearned for peanut butter; no doubt rice or wheat bread could have the same chemical effect!

I had a similar experience last summer when I ate a veggie MexiWrap that had cooked beans and cooked rice in it along with plenty of seasonings. It was like giving an alcoholic a drink. I was off and running. I got cravings everyday. I finally acknowledged that everytime I yielded to the cravings it was like giving an alcoholic another drink to solve his alcohol addiction. I had to make a choice between raw and cooked and fast because I was loosing the battle more everyday. The whole experience lasted over a month and taught me a valuable lesson. The psychology of the moment when I broke free was when I dug out some old "tent" pants that I wore pre-raw and knew I didn't want to go back to my pre-raw condition.

I have been much better since I have been 100% grain free. I don't miss the bloating, craving, overeating, or constipation that goes along with grains. Steamed veggies do no evil for me. =)