Hi,
Can someone help me out please? I've been a vegan for about 6 mths and about 4 weeks ago I decided to transition to raw. I ate mostly fruits and some veggies and 1 cooked meal in the evening.Then about 1 week ago I went 100% raw.At the end of the first day of raw I was eating some pineapple and I felt a burning sensation on my lips.The next day I woke up and found the corners of my mouth had deep cuts.I was so scared I went back to cooked food.It has been 5 days now and the cuts are still there though slightly less severe and I'm still on cooked food though I want to return to raw..Is this detox?I am ashamed to face people like this and have not worked for the past 3 days. Thanks very much.

Cut your food into smaller chunks?

Funny enough, I did the same a couple of days ago, I can't remember if it was mango or pineapple I did it on. Slices where too big, open mouth wide, cut the corners of my mouth on the food. I think the problem is increase in colder drier climates. I healed in 2 or 3 days.

So I don't think this has anything to do with raw foods, so I doubt going back to cooked foods will help.

Ian.

Wow, I thought someone died or something.

Yes, I am just getting over that too. Like chapped lips only on either side of your mouth. I got it when I started smoothies with more fruit. Fruit is acidic after all, they even use it in facial peels and such.
Suffice to say I did not go out Saturday. It's much better today but was irritated a bit after a lunchtime mangoe. Aloe gel squished right out of the aloe leaf soothes it.

It sounds like your mouth was irritated by the pineapple. If you're not careful with pineapple, it can make your tongue bleed! Ian's advice of smaller chunks so as to avoid it contacting the corners of your mouth is good. Also, avoid eating the fibrous core of the pineapple (the middle part) as this is the sharpest part.

I'm not sure of the science of it but pineapple contains this enzyme, bromelain, which digests protein. Since our skin cells contain protein, it can have a negative effect on them also! But the main problem with most pineapple that you find is that it's underripe. And since it's an acidic fruit this makes it very hard on the body.

I'm so sorry to hear that you went back to cooked foods because of this. Fruits are so natural for us but we live in such an unnatural environment that we have to relearn all over again how to recognize ripe and unripe fruits, what is good to eat, what isn't... I have to remind myself of this when I see so many people literally afraid of fruit.

But my dear, please take courage and trust your body! If you give it a chance, it will start to remember what it really knows, about good fruit and not so good, Wintertime is not really the best time for pineapple - but it's just getting to be navel orange season!

love
Ela

Eat only ripe fruit.

Gosia


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Sincere thanks to all you guys for the advice.Even Rawrrr for the humor,lol. Thinking back,(after reading the posts)I'm pretty certain it was because the pineapple wasn't fully ripe.I have gone back to raw starting today,Mon Dec 4 and at the time of writing this(about 8pm) I can see my lips definitely getting better.I'm sticking with this way of life come what may cause it feels so right to me. Again,I want to thank each of you for the help and the kind words.You never know ,until you're down and desperate,how a few kind words can make all the difference.

Brian, you're very welcome.

Someone said at one of the first raw potlucks I ever went to that the hardest thing about raw is not the food, it's the human desire to 'belong', whether that's through eating the same way as others or whatever it is. It's definitely the case that it's easier to feel good about doing something when you get validation from other people about it.

Thank goodness for the internet, for those of us not fortunate enough to have raw validation as part of our existing social networks (and whilst I _am_ one of the lucky folks that knows lots of rawfooders, I'm very grateful for the internetbased connections too.)

love
Ela

Ela,
You seem like a very caring peson.May I ask where you're located? I live in Long Island,NY and I don't know of any rawfooders around here.Do you know of any? I would love to connect with them.Thanks.Take care.
Brian

Brian, check out rawdish.com



Love,
Julie

Ok.Thanks Julie.

PINEAPPLE always does that to me..only when I juice it can I eat it..