Hi all. I've been having trouble eating my veggies. This has happened in the past when I went raw.

It's not that I can't digest them or that I don't like them. I can and I love them. But whenever I begin to sit and eat a nice salad or wrap or something I find myself only able to eat a few bites before I'm done. I just can't get myself to eat another bite. Usually I put it away for later and might take a bite or two here and there. Usually whatever I made winds up rotting.

Now, when I juice I love it. I make some really yummy juices made out of all sorts of veggies. Those I can handle just fine. Usually I give the pulp to my dogs (they love it when I mix it in with their food). Once I put it in a portabella mushroom and while it tasted divine I just couldn't eat it.

Yesterday and today I've eaten mostly fruit. I've had some nuts and some mushrooms. When I think of eating fruit I'm all for it. But the meer thought of eating veggies is a total turn off.

Any suggestions? This is my second day 100% raw and was partially raw 3 days ago. I've been raw in the past and this always seems to happen. Usually it leads to me finally running out and eating something really unhealthy for reasons I'm still not sure about. I don't want that to happen this time.

Oh, before I end...I was thinking maybe it's a sign that I need to do a juice fast. Not sure though...never did one for more than a day before.

*hugs and blessings*
Jayelle

Hi.
I does sound like a juice fast would be good idea.
Maybe its all the fiber in the veggies?
Juicing would eliminate that.

>It's not that I can't digest them or that I don't like them.
>I can and I love them.
>But the meer thought of eating veggies is a total turn off.

huh?

IMO it's a sign that you are still addicted to whatever other food you have been eating before raw. Fruits are usually easier in this respect, they are sweet and in this their taste is similar to sweet junk. But usually the same is not true with veggies, and you need time to start liking the taste and texture of them.

And here following your cravings whenever they happen to appear or grazing all day on what you feel "your body wants" is not going to make the road easier. I think the easiest way to begin liking veggies is precisely the opposite, just the way you do it with kids who pronounce that they don't like this and that. Make them hungry, and they will very much like it. Make it so that there is nothing else to eat apart from the thing in question, and they will have no choice and eat it. And this way they will like it very quick.

It's not to say that you should remove all fruit from the house or all other stuff that you prepare and like of course. It just means creating a little of a regime for yourself. Planning your meals in advance which you still have to do when you go shopping etc, but this time planning them to include a plate of veggies *not* as an option, but as essential part of the meal, in the sense of if you dont eat them, there will be nothing to substitute them with. And finally making sure that when time comes to have your meal, you are so properly hungry that you eat this plate of veggies and exclaim 'how tasty!' and want more.

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2012 03:06AM by chat.

Thank you guys. As I said, it's not that I don't like veggies. I was thinking about this last night. I think it's as eagelfly said and has to do with how fiberous they are. I love vegitables. Even when eating cooked I always ate them. I just ate them cooked more.

Chat, you were right too. I'm still very addicted to certain foods. The more nut heavy foods I'm eating right now seem to replace meat and heavy foods. That's why I made them, to help with transition (I know that after a few weeks or months I won't need them as much). The fruits are definitely replacing the more sugary foods I ate.

There are some raw dishes that are mostly if not all veggy that I love. I couldn't find collard greens for my collard wraps. I think I'll do that today. I also wanted to buy some squashes so I'll be at the store anyway.

I just remembered that once when I had this issue I would make my collard wraps and eat them the next day. The juices of the veggies would mix together and it tasted better. Plus, they were easier to digest (I think because they marinate a bit in the water/juice which makes them softer). And incase you're wondering, most of the juice comes from the tomatoes and cucumber. I put a medely of veggies in my wraps and use the same recipe for my tomato bowls.

I'm trying to find solutions. Making myself so hungry that veggies taste yummy would be good if the rest of my family were going raw with me. But they're not. I can totally see myself binging on tuna or baloney sandwiches and soda. Something I don't want! So I'm trying to find a solution other than that.

Thank you guys for your advice!

*hugs and blessings*
Jayelle

jayelle,

I am not an advocate of forcing yourself to eat anything! That is ultimately counterproductive, IMO.

How about just continuing to consume the veggies juiced or in green smoothies, so you'll still get what you need, nutrient-wise, without duress.

Thank you Tamukha. Last night I made a collard wrap (put the recipe in the recipe section). I had made two but only ate one. Still it was enough for me and I'm saving the other one for today.

I'm going to do as you suggest too and have them as a smoothie mostly. My body just needs to get used to eating them raw again.

*hugs and blessings*
Jayelle

Jayelle,

Are you following any kind of eating plan? How do you decide what to eat? When do you eat, what do you eat, how much do you eat?

Maybe your body does not need the veggies right now. The only veggies I eat on a typical day are tender leafy greens, and the fruits that are culinary vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, etc.).

I advise avoiding cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, legumes & grains (including sprouts), green bell peppers (they are unripe), squashes, most herbs, onions, garlic, hot pepper, ginger, corn (except for baby corn), rhubarb, artichoke, okra and eggplant. All of these vegetables are difficult to digest and unpalatable unless cooked.

Leafy greens are your best choice for vegetables: iceberg, romaine, red and green leaf, butterhead, baby spinach, baby bok choi, mixed greens and other tender young leafy green lettuces are easy to digest and mild tasting. I would avoid collards, kale, cabbage and other tough, fibrous greens, which need to be cooked to be palatable and easily digestable.

Thank you Allen.

Yesterday I was exhausted and I was convinced it was because I didn't eat enough veggies. After my wrap I totally woke up.

Usually when I eat I decide by asking myself "What do I need?" The answer that comes to mind is usually what my body needs at that time. I have certain foods that I consider staples for when I'm hungry but don't know what I want. Those include a lot of nut heavy dishes that need to be dehydrated, which is why I have them made ahead of time. Other than that I'm not really following a plan. I'm just trying to make sure I get at least some balance to my diet.

I used to sit there and plan my meals based on food combining and nutrition. It honestly got to be a very difficult way to eat because sometimes my body didn't want what I planned to eat.

It's interesting you say to stay away from squashes and certain other veggies because those are the ones I'm having trouble eating. I can eat an entire lb bag of carrots. But give me a zucchini (which I LOVE) and I have trouble eating it.

I've found that if I mix up my veggies in a food processor or juice them I can then eat them easier (I use the pulp from the juice to fill portabella mushrooms). I also found that having them nearly pureed helps me digest them too. If it wasn't for that I just wouldn't be able to eat them.

*hugs*

Hi Jayelle - I like your name.

I don't understand what you mean by 'trouble eating veggies'.

You said --

"give me a zucchini (which I LOVE) and I have trouble eating it."

"I find myself only able to eat a few bites before I'm done. I just can't get myself to eat another bite."

"while it tasted divine I just couldn't eat it."

****************

Do you mean that you're full? Or that it suddenly turns you off? Or do you suddenly hate the taste of it? Or that it's not 'exciting'?

I would only eat vegetables that you like and if you make a wrap or spread or something, put something in that would spice up the flavor a notch, like tomato, lemon juice, garlic, dulse or dried or fresh herbs, etc. Salads that include raisins, nuts, apples, etc. taste better.

When you've 'had enough' however small that amount is, stop eating. Don't worry about it - you can always get your vegetables in your green smoothies that include fruits so they taste good.

I mean just what I said. It's like I start to eat it and suddenly I just can't bring myself to take another bite. It's as if I'm turned off and not hungry at the same time, even if I'm totally famished. Then I can't seem to bring myself to eat anything for another hour or so. I literally cannot bring myself to eat it, even though I love the taste.

Jayelle,

Have you tried tracking your food intake in Cronometer? My guess is that your diet is very high in fat. You said:

"I have certain foods that I consider staples for when I'm hungry but don't know what I want. Those include a lot of nut heavy dishes that need to be dehydrated, which is why I have them made ahead of time. "

For some reason, nuts and seeds are considered "protein" foods, when they are in reality mostly fat.

I just did an average of 10 nuts and seeds, 1 ounce of each: almonds, brazil nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, macadamias, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts and sunflower seeds. It came out to 12% carbohydrates, 10% protein, and 78% fat. Protein is the smallest component, by calories.

My experience eating a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet was that I was never hungry and had no appetite, and little mental or physical energy. What are your energy levels like? Your glycogen stores are probably very low.

Food combining and nutrition are poor ways to plan meals, although they are good diagnostic tools. For planning meals, the bulk of your food should be water-rich, high-carbohydrate fruits to make sure you are getting enough sugars. If you have no taste for vegetables, go without them for awhile. Just stick to fruit. If you crave something salty, then eat some celery or tender leafy greens such as lettuce.

In the natural human biomes in which we evolved, fruit and greens were abundant. Fruit supplied most of our calories as well as vitamins, greens supplied most of our minerals, and nuts and seeds, which were less abundant, were eaten only in the small amounts that were available, along with very small amounts of insects, grubs and worms, fish and shellfish (which I am not advocating consuming here, just giving you an idea of what we have evolved eating).

Thank you Allen. I don't eat a lot of the nut rich foods. It's more like a nibble here or a nibble there. While eating cooked I loved to eat foods that were high in starch because they gave me a really full feeling. I'm trying to wean myself off of that by eating nuts when I get those cravings. It's not something I plan to do long term. Just something to help me transition.

What you said makes a lot of sense to me. I'm craving a lot of fruits and certain veggies. Almost any fruit I can eat without hesitation. The veggies I'm OK with are mostly celery and carrots. I'm also loving culinary vegetables such as tomatoes. I'm OK with baby spinach but not with kale.

You asked about my energy and to be honest it's fluctuating. I'm feeling best right after eating and a little more tired the rest of the day. Yesterday I needed to take a nap. That's not unusual for me though. Overall my energy is higher than it was last week when I wasn't raw.

OK...all this talk about food is making me hungry. I just noticed it's also noon. So I'm going to go have some of my fruit salad for lunch.

*hugs* and blessings*
Jayelle

Jayelle,

"Thank you Allen. I don't eat a lot of the nut rich foods. It's more like a nibble here or a nibble there. "

Those nibbles can add up fast, but if you are keeping it to less than an 1 ounce a day (on average), it shouldn't be affecting your appetite too much. I prefer to not eat any nuts or seeds day in and day out, and instead make a meal of the fattier raw foods on rare occasions. For example, I will eat only fruits (including tomatoes, etc.) and leafy greens, and the odd vegetable here and there for weeks or months, then have a monomeal of either nuts or avocado, which will be very rich and fatty, but as it is a very rare meal for me, I am still averaging less than 1 ounce of nuts/seeds/avocado/coconut PER DAY.


"While eating cooked I loved to eat foods that were high in starch because they gave me a really full feeling. I'm trying to wean myself off of that by eating nuts when I get those cravings. It's not something I plan to do long term. Just something to help me transition."

High starch foods are satisfying for two reasons. The first is that the complex carbohydrates are eventually broken down and synthesized into glucose and glycogen, which are the best (in terms of efficiency and ease of use) fuels to power your cells. The second reason is that grains and starchy root vegetables have both stimulating and sedating effects. The stimulating effect is caused by exorphins, which behave chemically like opiates. Your brain lowers its production of natural endorphins as a result, and foods such as fruit are less satisfying. The energy required to digest starchy foods has a sedating effect (the full feeling).

The best foods for transitioning are foods that are calorically dense, which is why you like to use nuts to ward off cravings for starchy foods. Bread is extremely dense, at over 1000 kcal per pound. Boiled whole grains are usually over 500 kcal per pound. Bananas are 400 kcal per pound, which is why I recommend bananas for transitioning (or mangoes at 270 kcal per pound). The nuts I analyzed previously are 2500-3200 kcal per pound and mostly fat, which is why I recommend averaging no more than 1 ounce per day (150-200 kcal) per 2000 kcal, and less is better as nuts are not essential or beneficial except as a calorie source.

"What you said makes a lot of sense to me. I'm craving a lot of fruits and certain veggies. Almost any fruit I can eat without hesitation. The veggies I'm OK with are mostly celery and carrots. I'm also loving culinary vegetables such as tomatoes. I'm OK with baby spinach but not with kale."

Your senses are the best guides in selecting whole raw foods to eat. This is why they reject kale, brassica, etc. and prefer tender young leafy greens, tomatoes, etc.

"You asked about my energy and to be honest it's fluctuating. I'm feeling best right after eating and a little more tired the rest of the day. Yesterday I needed to take a nap. That's not unusual for me though. Overall my energy is higher than it was last week when I wasn't raw."

Your energy should stabilize at a high level if you gice your body what it needs. I had fluctuating energy for a week when I started eating 100% raw high fruit, but once my body had detoxified to some extent my energy stabilized at a high level. I'm not saying it will be a week in your case; the time will be determined by your body and the amount of adjustment it needs to do.

RAllen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I advise avoiding cruciferous vegetables, root
> vegetables, legumes & grains (including sprouts),
> green bell peppers (they are unripe), squashes,
> most herbs, onions, garlic, hot pepper, ginger,
> corn (except for baby corn), rhubarb, artichoke,
> okra and eggplant. All of these vegetables are
> difficult to digest and unpalatable unless
> cooked.


I advise not to follow this advice! Broccoli is unpalatable unless cooked? Right Here's the thing which is easy to digest: some quality fresh air. The rest is going to be more difficult.

Seriously though cruciferous veggies, onions and garlic, herbs, are so good for you, you wouldn't believe. Just look them up. But if you decide to not eat them, that's great too - more will be left for us.

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<

i like blending and making raw veggie soups
they are so yummy delicious and easy to digest
and go down easy
and you don't have to spend all day chewing

i love juices too
so easy
just glug glug
and its in your blood

think of it this way.......

I have so much trouble getting to my job and staying there because I just don't like it.

When it means more to you then things will change, but not till then.

thanks for your contribution rallen, well done.

If you are blending vegetables or juicing them in order to make them more palatable, why not just cook them? They are even more palatable cooked.

On the other hand, if you are avoiding using artifice such as cooking, blending, juicing, etc. you will find that certain vegetables (broccoli, onion, garlic, etc.) are simply unpalatable, or eaten as a stimulant or medicine, not in accordance with the aliesthetic system (based on olfactory, gustatory, nervous sensations).

<<If you are blending vegetables or juicing them in order to make them more palatable, why not just cook them? They are even more palatable cooked.>>

palate aside, it is an efficient way to break down your foods and get it into your bloodstream without spending hours chewing especially if you want it in the morning and don't have an hour or two to chew 60 times per mouthful

RAllen, thank you so much for your well thought out advice. I remember one of the times I was raw I was doing low fat raw vegan. I only ate nuts once in a while and most of my calorie intake was from fruit. I also did a lot of mono eating and that was extremely satisfying.

I've been raw only 6 days and the only day I remember being really tired was on day 2 I think. Yesterday I did a festival (I'm a face painter) and found that I wasn't as exhausted after as I usually was. I had brought a lot of fruit with me and a bit of granola. I mostly ate the fruit. I felt great all day, physically speaking. (I did get a veggie dog at one point and felt bloated after...not the best choice I've made)

My point is that I've been debating in my head lately about eating lfrv (low fat raw vegan). I've decided that I'm going to eat the nutty foods I have prepared (not letting the food go to waste, I can't stand doing that) and just not make any more after. Instead I'm going to go back to a high fruit diet. It seems to be what my body is after.

Jayelle,

I think getting your sugars (from fruit) up will definitely help with energy.

I probably don't need to tell you think but of course, get enough sleep, sunshine, exercise, and time to relax! Health is holistic, and being exhausted or low energy can be caused by lack of sleep, overworking, or lack of sunshine as much as poor diet.

I don't know if you have had your B-12 and Vitamin D levels checked, but extremely low levels of either are signs that something may need to be changed in your diet or lifestyle. The ultimate barometer is how you feel, but in my own personal experience I am glad I had those tests done some months ago. My Vitamin D levels were borderline deficient, which I have corrected by getting a lot of full body sun exposure this summer (I have been getting about 6 hours each week). My Vitamin B-12 levels were fine at around 750 pg/mL (and more importantly, I am not suffering any of the symptoms of mild or severe deficiency). I do not supplement but I plan on checking my B-12 once each year just to be safe.

I am actually quite active and am outside a lot. I'm not worried about my vit. D levels. As for B-12, I'll have my dr. check that (and all my vitamin/mineral levels) at my next check-up. Thanks for the tip!

I totally agree that health is holistic. You have to pay attention to your mind and spirit as well as your body. I've been working on all three. I'm making sure that I get enough sleep and at the end of the day I destress by meditating and drawing. I've been working out, though slowly because I have an injured shoulder that is still healing (mostly it's healed, just need to be gentle with it for a few more weeks so I don't re-injure it).

*hugs and blessings*
Jayelle