...and after four years of being RAW VEGAN... I'm not lacking a single thing! Not even B12! No deficiencies!

Just thought I would share, because there are lots of haters out there and/or people trying to help themselves with raw but experiencing a constant onslaught of doubt from the haters. There are some nasty, arrogant people that convey a whole lot more than idle curiosity when they ask, " (ugh) Where do YOU get your calcium?"

But anyway! :O

No one really knows anything about B12, scientifically, conclusively. I wish I had bloodwork done before I was raw, because I was probably deficient in nearly everything X.X. I've always stuck to anecdotal evidence that fermented food (for the sake of probiotics) works wonders for B12. I go through phases of being a kimchi queen, eat miso, and drink kombucha periodically.

I don't supplement. I am against supplementation to the death. I've always tried to eat my nutrients.

I also think eating a hefty gourmet meal from time to time IS quite healthy because it feels like a mineral-dense source of VARIETY. I've erred plenty on the side of fat.

Also, occasional juice cleanses. Max 4 times a year/max for 10 days each. Sometimes less. Sometimes mono-eating instead.

Anyway, just thought I would share. It has been this long now, and it was kind of exciting to get an extremely clean bill of health. Of course, everyone's body is different, and YOU have to listen to YOUR OWN body, but perhaps sharing my ideas will inspire or perplex others seeking an infinite and abundant path of joy?

Raw and loving it! Dancing with proof that raw WORKS!! We can exist in amazing harmony with nature~!!! <3 <3 <3



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2012 10:07AM by phantom.

What a wonderful post phantom - very inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

I thought for sure I would have gotten some "low circulating B12," iron on the low side of normal or SOMETHING, but not at all! Nowhere close!

It's not easy/practical/convenient/cheap to get an analysis done, which is probably why most people haven't... but I thought it's super-important to share, because there's a good chance that everyone here may be doing better than imagined, despite the ingrained skepticism that can confront us from everywhere!

The secret is... eating as much good food as you can possibly handle. >8)

Before I went raw, I was definitely anemic. I was in bed most of the day and recovering from having my period (sometimes at hemorrhage intensity) for over a month straight... and so sick from so many things.

I've been coming to these boards for the duration of my raw adventure, so it's not like I'm some fancy, tree-dwelling, ant-eating, cell-expanding, guru with bionic limbs... I just foraged the bulk stores for rancid nuts, come online, and occasionally stab myself when cleaning the spiralizer. ^.~

RAWK on. Everybody! >8)

Awesome! Congrats to you and, obviously, keep up the good work! A sketchy outline of your diet would be interesting to read about. There is so much confusion... unnecessary confusion! Often I find less is more and simple is more than enough.
Love to know the sort of testing you had done, that's a great resource to have on file.

Many blessings to you .

Congrats , although blood work is often helpful it can be deceiving, most panels rarely show nothing less than the common electrolytes/minerals and vitamin D, iron, B12(if your lucky).

Hormonal blood testing can and often is inaccurate, same goes for serum blood readings for many vitamin and mineral levels.

None the less its always good to get a clean slate, well done .

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

That's terrific Phantom!

Perhaps after another 4 years you can do another blood test panel and see how you are doing. Thanks for sharing your good news.

I'm curious to know if you had to re-visit your Dr. for the blood work results and if he had anything to say about your diet that you'd like to share.

Love,
Prism

lovely post thanks for sharing ... yeah, i agree would be interesting to hear what you normally eat on a daily basis.

well done

Awesome Phantom, but I can't emphasize enough that blood work is decieving and every time my doctor says you are all clear I have to laugh, they are so freaking clueless? Powerlifter is very right in fact he probably would like to say more on the subject but didn't. These are the very people who think you are a nut if you are a vegetarian!

If you want to get a accurate B-12 level get a Spectrem Cell Analysis, and if you go buy the blood analysis then you should be at the very top of the window to feel good about it. Either way it's good to know you are within the AMA's window. Hope that was viewed as negative but this is the truth and the quicker we learn the quicker we evolve.

Its not even a vegetarian or vegan contained problem, iodine for example is rarely if never tested here which is one of the causes of hypothyroidism. Here if thyroid blood panel tests are abnormal they will either have you on synthetic hormones or whip your thyroid out.

They do no diagnostic work to figure out the root cause of conditions. Allopathic medicine is about treating symptoms, keeping the patient more comfortable but still ill for greater profitibility. We have went off topic sorry.

Here in UK i had some private vitamin and mineral testing done years ago when ill and A, D, E, K were all deficient which likely meant fat malabsorption. My doctor was clueless and said he couldn't re-test any except vitamin D. Useless people sometimes.

Thyroid blood tests can show you are fine and in normal range but you may be clinically hypothyroid. Again symptoms are ignored. Basal body temperature first thing is a good thyroid test along with symptoms.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

rzman10001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Awesome Phantom, but I can't emphasize enough that
> blood work is decieving and every time my doctor
> says you are all clear I have to laugh, they are
> so freaking clueless? Powerlifter is very right
> in fact he probably would like to say more on the
> subject but didn't. These are the very people who
> think you are a nut if you are a vegetarian!
>
> If you want to get a accurate B-12 level get a
> Spectrem Cell Analysis, and if you go buy the
> blood analysis then you should be at the very top
> of the window to feel good about it. Either way
> it's good to know you are within the AMA's window.

Edit: Below the word NOT should have been in this sentence.

> Hope that was NOT viewed as negative but this is the
> truth and the quicker we learn the quicker we
> evolve.


Edit above:

Thats awesome, congrats! Not to be all gloom and doom, but I heard that many folks wont be deficient for at least 10 years....that it takes to work off their b12 reserves...but who knows. In the mean time AWESOME!!!

Great news, phantom! Well done

That's great Phantom, as usually the results are returned as a few deficiencies. Like, the variance in the RDA was initially taken from SAD eaters who appeared to be healthy. I've often wondered what the true variance would be for a raw vegan. Oh, and I've read where it only takes about three years for depletion of B12 and for deficiencies to show up, which is generally pernicious anaemia.

Thx for sharing also,
geo x

phantom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...and after four years of being RAW VEGAN... I'm
> not lacking a single thing! Not even B12! No
> deficiencies!
>
> Just thought I would share, because there are lots
> of haters out there and/or people trying to help
> themselves with raw but experiencing a constant
> onslaught of doubt from the haters. There are
> some nasty, arrogant people that convey a whole
> lot more than idle curiosity when they ask, "
> (ugh) Where do YOU get your calcium?"
>
> But anyway! :O
>
> No one really knows anything about B12,
> scientifically, conclusively. I wish I had
> bloodwork done before I was raw, because I was
> probably deficient in nearly everything X.X. I've
> always stuck to anecdotal evidence that fermented
> food (for the sake of probiotics) works wonders
> for B12. I go through phases of being a kimchi
> queen, eat miso, and drink kombucha periodically.
>
> I don't supplement. I am against supplementation
> to the death. I've always tried to eat my
> nutrients.
>
> I also think eating a hefty gourmet meal from time
> to time IS quite healthy because it feels like a
> mineral-dense source of VARIETY. I've erred plenty
> on the side of fat.
>
> Also, occasional juice cleanses. Max 4 times a
> year/max for 10 days each. Sometimes less.
> Sometimes mono-eating instead.
>
> Anyway, just thought I would share. It has been
> this long now, and it was kind of exciting to get
> an extremely clean bill of health. Of course,
> everyone's body is different, and YOU have to
> listen to YOUR OWN body, but perhaps sharing my
> ideas will inspire or perplex others seeking an
> infinite and abundant path of joy?
>
> Raw and loving it! Dancing with proof that raw
> WORKS!! We can exist in amazing harmony with
> nature~!!! <3 <3 <3

Good news. I had mine checked last week and i found out that all was good except for my vitamin d levels which i want to raise between 65 to 70 min. Also my HDL was a little less than optimal but that's not an issue, i can raise it with eating more coconut and other foods which are a good source of fats.

Note that the B12 deficiency normally comes with age when the body fails to create the intrinsic factor efficiently; so one needs to keep track of his or her blood test results as one ages.

Regarding Calcium, note that the blood test will provide you with the calcium amount present in your blood but it doesnt give you info on your bone and skeletal density. Just another thing to keep in mind because it might be a little tricky.

How were your vitamin d levels? Those will give you a better indication on how good your bones are.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2012 11:09AM by Duke.

My vitamin D levels can be low unless i supplement, i spend the first half of the day mostly indoors and i live in Scotland so yeah not much in the way of sunlight lol. This is the first vegan vitamin D3 spray which is good, that is what i have been using recently.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

You want the D3 form as that is the active form.

It has Vitamin E (Soy derived); i prefer to stay away from Soy products. D3 still has to be changed into a more active form of vitamin d in the body but it's 500 times more efficient than 2.