I grew up on a diet of processed junk foods (non-foods). I had been overweight since my teens and I remember always feeling lethargic. My state of health started deteriorating as I was showing many horrible symptoms such as depression, poor concentration, constant feeling of being disoriented, a lump grew out of my jaw that needed to be removed, allergies, and an overall feeling of sickness. I saw a nutritionist in 2006 and got an education about organic foods and healthy eating based on my metabolic type. I turned out to be a protein type. The foundation of the information I learned was amazing. It was based on Paul Chek's teachings. It was the first time that I felt I had the tools to make some changes. After some progress I still struggled with food. On Thanksgiving day of 2009 I decided that I could not deal with putting another spoonful of food in my body, I felt so sick and disgusted. So I took that day and the rest of the weekend to do a 3 day distilled water fast. I took that time to clean my body of the addictions and to really tap into myself. I watched Alissa Cohen's DVDs that I had sitting there unopened for a while. I read Paul Bragg's "Miracle of Fasting" book. After the three days I struggled with whether or not to go on an all raw food diet because I was a "protein type" according to what I was taught. For a week I made organic chicken and vegetable soup and ate only that until I made a decision on where I wanted to go from there. My decision was Go Raw. I loved it so much and in the 3 months that I maintained the raw food lifestyle I effortlessly went from 176lbs to 145 lbs. I started allowing myself more foods and started feeling sick again. I decided to start eating as a protein type consuming organic foods (mainly meats with a portion of carbs and fats with each meal.) I also started seeing my holistic doctor. Within a few months the doc had helped me overcome candida, anemia, liver stress, adrenal issues, and emotional burdens. These things my body had built from a life time of abuse. Feeling much better I maintained my weight at 140 but continued to struggle with whether I should be eating a diet mainly of organic proteins and healthy carbs staying away from sugars or a raw food diet.

I worry that I won't be able to lean out and build the muscle I want with a raw diet (and may activate candida type symptoms by consuming too many fruits) i already get mucus build up in the back of my throat after eating sometimes and I am taking a digestive enzyme and a fungal defense enzyme as well as raw B-12 (garden of life). I'm also sneezing alot. My stomach needs a lot of work to tighten up, I'm not fat, just kind of loose from the weight loss and I'm told that it's 80% nutrition that will give me the results I want (the tight abs.)

I then worry that with a meat diet I will increase my risk of disease. In both cases there is strong argument to the contrary. I'm very confused but at the moment I am consuming a 95% raw diet. There are so many conflicting arguments of the right way to eat. Currently I am doing the "insanity workout" 6 days a week as well. Any suggestions?

Troll attack!! Dive...Dive...

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You might be jumping the gun, WY!

rawandnutty,

I say, do more reading on raw vegetarianism and in any case, consume as many raw plant foods as make you feel healthy; these will help to stave off disease while you figure out what to do. Btw, at present, there is zero scientific evidence that Nutrition Typing--protein "type," carb "type"--has any validity. "How do I feel when I eat high protein?" is a question you must examine critically. Good luck

rawandnutty,

This is a raw vegan website. You are welcome to participate here, but posts must be vegan in nature. So if you are looking to move away from a meat and animal product diet, this is an excellent place to get support. If you want support with your meat diet, there are raw animal foods websites and forums from which you can get support. One of the more popular websites is giveittomeraw.com

no suggestions

just do what makes u feel gradually ( or not so gradually) better

On the issue of muscle mass,I am as big and muscular on a raw veggie diet as I ever was on all the milk, eggs,tuna, and $45 a can protein powders.

Vinny