I don't know about you guys, but I believe in Adam and Eve of the Bible ate fruit in the garden of Eden. From the very beginning man ate fruit off of fruit trees and some leaves off of the trees. Our bodies were meant to process fruit. Sugar from fruit processes differently in the body than refined, sugary, processed unatural foods. That's where people get their misconceptions about fruit because they keep thinking in terms of the SAD diet. My 2 cents.

Ally,

At a certain time I was eating about 70% fruit, 20% veggies and 10% fat. Fruit for breakfast, fruitsalad plus some seeds for lunch and salad plus some oliveoil or avocado for dinner. When I felt hungry I snacked on fruit or raisins and nuts. I felt exhausted.

On the board they advised me to increase the amount of veggies. The easiest way to do that is with green smoothies. (It did wonders for my skin and hair.) Unfortunately I just cannot get it down like it is. I have to put in some fruit.
It took some time to adjust, but finally I went to: breakfast: green smoothie with a little bit of fruit, fruitsalad plus some seeds for lunch and salad plus oliveoil, sesemeseeds or avocado for dinner. I still felt exhausted.

As for listen to your body, I really only feel like eating fruit right now. Would it be a good idea to avoid dried fruit and the combination of fruit and seeds?

A few months ago I tried to fast one day and to be raw next day. Till about four I’m OK. Then I start feeling sick, dizzy, light-headed, headache, etc. Problem is that the busiest part of the day in our family is between four and ten. As it’s vacation right now I’ll try it again. Once a week is easier than every other day.

Rozemarijn

Just try eating fruits no dried fruit, nuts or seeds....as these always cause problems.....

This has been my experience too. Mixing fruit and nuts, or having fats during day leaves me feeling lethargic. When I eat fruit (mono) during day, I feel full of energy. I tend to leave the denser food till the evening.

Gosia


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I think people are eating their fruits at random without actually eating what they need....when I eat fats when I need it I'm fine and full of energy...but if i eat fats when I don't need them it sends me off balance...

I tend to agree that "need" is the key word here. When one is truly connected with their body to the point of eating only what is needed and when it is needed by the body, then one would expect to be in harmony.

Gosia


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Rozemarijn,

Regarding the fasting, I find that when I fast, 4:00 is almost always the time of day that it's most difficult to get past. I don't know why that is. But I know what you're saying. If you just get on past 4:00 a ways, it's a little easier again.

On days when you fast, although you may not feel like doing nearly as much of whatever needs to get done, it may turn out that with the added energy from the fast, you will get more done than ever before over the long haul. And a fast once a week is definitely easier to achieve than every other day.

Try not to break your fast with any meal containing nuts or seeds. For myself, fruit seems best for breaking a fast, but some prefer a salad or something green.

As far as what you're eating, each person most likely goes through somewhat of their own experimental phase, and there may always be new things for each of us to learn. But I agree with what Fruitarianone and Rawgosia say: don't eat anything you don't really feel you need to eat at the time.

It seems we're all somewhat different. For me it's easier to eat stuff like avocado or nuts in the late morning and/or early to mid-afternoon, because if I eat that stuff any later, my food feels undigested when I go to bed, and I can't sleep (especially avocado). I don't have an appetite for it earlier.

You said you work out. I don't know what kind of workout you do, but it seems good to spend some time outdoors getting that good energizing fresh air and sunshine. If you work out indoors, try to still get outside during the day. When you're working out, try to make sure the windows are all open, so you're energizing your body with fresh air.

Hope you don't mind all the advice!

Best wishes, -Ally



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2006 04:30AM by Ally.

In between reaching the point where your living in harmony there's a lot of trial and error so don't just quit....just roll with the punches and make adjustments as you go....

Thanks Ally,

I really appreciate your advises, because I’m more or less stuck. This feeling that whatever I do, it doesn’t work. It’s difficult to stay motivated that way.

The fasting is going OK, as it’s a quiet period now. I used to break it with walnuts or seeds. This time I’ll ate melon, an hour later I had pineapple. No bouncy bouncy, though. Very tired and quarrelsome/irritable. Probably I’m finally detoxing. The last week I tried to eat as little as possible to give that a chance. Being a bit hungry is no problem. What ís a problem is that I’m not only feeling very weak, but I can’t concentrate or remember things. My mind is foggy, and that scares me. No energy to work out, not even to answer you. Today I just hád to be alert, so I took a cup of coffee and that did the trick. I know it’s very bad, but I don’t know any other way to become sharp.

“it seems good to spend some time outdoors getting that good energizing fresh air and sunshine.”

I am not enough outdoors, except during the summer. I hate being cold. All winter long I am cold, in spite of jumpers, a body-warmer and really layers of clothes, so I stay indoors as much as I can. Then you get spring, hayfever season, and I have to stay indoors till the second week of June. During the summer I’m outdoors as much as I can and all the windows of the house are open all day.


Thanks, Fruitarian

This trial and error confuses me so. I keep wondering whether I’m on the right track. But I’ll follow the advises from all you good people and see what happens.

Rozemarijn

Dear Rozemarijn,

Well since you said you didn't mind the advice... ,here's a few things that come to mind from your post:

If you're feeling foggy, you may be going too far too quick on your detox. Fasting once a week should be OK, but if you do the fast, it might be too much right now to also "eat as little as possible" for the rest of the week. If you do the fast, then after you break your fast and you've allowed your fruit or greens to digest a bit, later that same day you should be able to eat avocado, seeds or nuts. Eating SOAKED seeds and nuts on the day you break your fast might be best. If you like, try to stay raw the rest of the week, but eat what you like within reason when you're hungry.

If you want to eat cooked food, maybe try to stay away from starch. Steamed veggies would probably be better. You can get the grain thing from raw sprouted grains or (my favorite) raw wheat germ (prepackaged, not bulk).

If you're worried about the fruit, try eating cucumbers and maybe tomatoes. Cucumbers are actually great for breakfast. I like them peeled and chopped up with avocado and lemon juice, or just peeled and eaten with or without lemon juice.

UNhulled sesame seeds take a long time to chew, but they are great brainfood. I usually eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup. Make sure and get all your seeds ORGANIC, since it's possible that chemicals from conventional farming methods can accumulate in seeds and nuts.

Bodies do a lot of their healing during sleep, so maybe when you feel like sleeping, you should just do that whenever possible. But also, since it is still summer, maybe try to walk a mile outside every day, and then see if you can increase the distance. Then, in the winter time, get a really warm padded coat, some wool socks, and a wool cap, no matter how ridiculous it looks, and still get out there and walk. The walking will get your blood flowing and warm you up. During spring, you might try walking with a surgical mask to help filter out the pollens. Maybe keep a journal to record your progress.

Maybe try to find some really funny books to read, and watch some funny videos with your family. Get serious about spending some time doing something you really like to do. Or join with others in some positive endeavor to help keep your mind active in a positive way. Do what you can to lift your spirits. That can help bring you energy.

Maybe for a while try not to worry that you might be a little overweight. Even if you don't do the fast, as long as there's not something seriously wrong with you, you should gradually become more energetic if you're getting the essential nutrients, staying mostly raw, and getting enough exercise. Once you have more energy, then you'll be able to gradually deal with the weight. Let things develop for you slowly, but try to make a little progress every day.

The only other thing that comes to mind (and I hesitate to bring it up because I know it's controversial on this forum) is you may need to supplement with B12. Some of what you've described could be symptoms of B12 deficiency. For more information on B12, I personally like the B12 article found on The Vegan Society's website (www.vegansociety.com).

Hope you get to feeling better soon.

Best wishes, -Ally



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2006 08:53PM by Ally.

FO.. thanks for posting man.. I was just talking to my wife about this.. I don't really understand why people feel like they have to CONTROL their bodies when it's not really their bodies causing the problem. I'm about 80%, which is wonderful for me now, and my body says it's great. My body also says eat a lot of fruit, but not a lot of fruit at one time. It's summer now. It's the time of fruit.. if i lived in an area that was hot all year I would want a lot of fruit all year.. as it happens I will want more winter squash and greens with some fruit but less than now...

I really believe the key is the mind... the body tells you what it needs. it's very simple if we aren't idiots and don't put our minds in the way...

I agree with the opinions that say that eating fruit can cause those who are sick to feel sicker by way of cleansing and detox. Initailly when I went raw, I had NO energy, very little appetite (both unusual for me), and occational dizziness. I took it easy, ate what I felt like while combining my food well, and now I am energetic, have a good appetite, and I only get dizzy if I am lying down and get up to fast, or if I don't eat.
I feel sympathy for those who feel that they cannot tolerate fruit at this point. Fresh, juicy fruits are my staple. I also eat greens, sea veggies, nuts, seeds, and other things, but fruits are the majority of my diet.

I have a Fantastic 90 min AUDIO CD TITLED RAW AND DENTAL HEALTH, by Dr. Jameth Sheridan from the 2004 Raw foods Festival in portland, OR. Amazing CD that explains everything you ever wanted to know about Vegan Raw Diet and Dental health and the Most Natural and Effective methods of taking great care of your teeth and gums ! write me at DJ7510@AOL.COM

Dave