Hello and greetings from a very hot East Coast of New Zealand
What my subject lines says, goes. I am so so sick and tired of being this way.
I am a self sabotager from way back and it is time to let it go.
I have been toying with raw foods, sometimes getting to 80% but now it is time to immerse completely. I have read heaps and purchased a dehydrator, have a vege garden of sorts and it is coming into watermelon season, what more could a raw vegan gal wish for?
I am 59 female 40 lbs over weight, I have Dercums Disease,(very painful at times) still having hot flushes after 9 years, hay fever (I have no ideas what I am reacting to as it has only developed in recent years) and i smoke.
I am not believing that raw foods are going to be the complete panacea for everything but I must give it a try. The doctors are not interested in Dercums Disease as there is not known cause and no known cure, I must take complete resposibility for my own healing. I have had surgery before but when you present to a surgeon with 100 tumours, he scratches his head as to where to start.
I don't have great stickability so I have bravely joined here, the posts are informative and exceptionally loving and supportive.
Not sure if anyone really needed to know all that but gee, it felt good to get it out, thanks for listening, maybe I will get to listen to someone one day.
Pass the smile on
hugs

I will also be practising EFT which I have been dabbling in for some time.

Welcome to the raw food world pollynz. The raw food diet can indeed help you on your path to healing your disease and pain. Let us know if we can answer any of your questions or if you are having issues with the diet, please post.

Thank you Prana for your kind words and support.
I was thinking of doing a green smoothie week to kick off, is that a good idea? Then adding fruits and veges slowly.
hugz

That could work, assuming you don't feel too deprived eating only green smoothies. I started with a cleanse when I first went raw, but now, after being raw for so long, I don't think that cleanses are necessary to start a raw diet. The raw diet, if continued for long enough, will be plenty cleansing and healthful, assuming you don't overload on the fat.

One thing I found about people who stick to the raw diet - the more pain they are in when they start, the more likely they are able to make a permanent lifestyle change.

Hello

I think adding signifigantly more fruit and veg and trying to cut out meat and dairy and processed foods is an excellent way to begin. What ever you do you need to enjoy it - not make it some kind of sentence that you are imposing on yourself.

Good luck - keep asking the questions, everyone here will help if they can.

WELCOME POLLY!

I hope it's the start of a wonderful phase of healing for you!

My partner is originally from NZ, I'm in Australia.

Hope you get lots of love and support here. <3

Kia Ora, Kiwi!

I've been on the east coast of the North Island for 10 years (although I'm going back to the US soon for a couple of years). Here's wishing you the best as you begin experimenting with raw food. Summer is a great time to start.


My favorite raw vegan

polly,

Welcome! I recommend adding more plain fruits and veggies to your diet, and slowly phasing out the bad stuff. Green smoothies are an excellent way to replace less-than-optimal breakfasts and lunch dishes, provided one includes enough sweet fruit in with the greens to abate hunger. I find green smoothies a marvel, myself, so that's my bias showing Lastly, and offered with utmost gentleness, please spend some time planning your escape from Prison Nicotine. There is zero benefit to cigs, and who knows in what many subtle ways they are exacerbating your Dercum's or otherwise negatively affecting your health. Hope you get what you need here, and good luck!

I've been watching John Kohler's videos on youtube (this is his site btw ) and they are really helpful and full of amazing info. Check them out.

[www.youtube.com]

Welcome to the forums.

Please give up the cigarettes as you know there detrimental to health let alone already having such condition.

Hi I dont know much about green smoothies for 7 days but I have used EFT quite a lot and it has done wonders for me - more than diet changes in fact so it's a great idea to use that!!! I have done most work alone but a little bit with a practitioner too and that was really helpful to me...

Hi
Thank you all for your support, I feel really motivated to continue on my path, I am at 80% raw now and about to kick the cigs.
I think EFT will help as well with cravings etc...after all I have a few years to undo.
Thank you

Almost 2 weeks now 100% raw and feeling a little better. I have taken guidance from here and done green smoothies and added fruits. I have lost 10 lbs. Even tho i practised being raw...hehehehe...i was 70 to 80%, before I went 100%, I still had headaches etc...gone off tea and coffee too. Working on my escape from cigs.
My Question: How do I get rid of the brain fog that has come over me?
I love reading all the posts, I am learning so much.
Thank you to all of you

All of these posts are encouraging I struggle with severe brain fog. Three things have enabled me to be almost "fog free" for a couple of weeks now: The first I would never recommend as it must be done under a doctor's care...I weaned off of an anti depressant that I was on for 3 years. I stopped eating sugar. I began paying closer attention to my combinations and volume of food. I must keep it light without nuts or avocado and eat just a little food at a time, a banana, a handful of grapes, etc...By not exhausting my body with digestion, my brain fog has lifted, and it can be horrible at times. I think this is related to leaky gut or candida, but I have been looking and searching and reading info for so long that I am on overload and am trying to keep it simple. I don't care what the reasons are, only that I have found some relief! Are you drinking a lot of water? It may help. Congratulations! I know what it is like to be ill and have the doctors look at you like you have three eyes!

polly i have been in early menopause for the last year and a half .. and i find the hot flashes are less severe the more simple i eat just strait up fruits and veggies and not so complicated recipies .. also keeping hydrated to counter effect the sweating at night

Februarygirl that is great news way to go hun

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist