Hi

I went raw about 7 weeks ago and very rarely eat anything but raw...although I am realizing after reading Dr Graham's 80/10/10 that I am too high in fat...but I did this to overcome a recent Epstein Barr Virus diagnosis as well as a chronic "stuffy" feeling in one side of my nose or the other.

I am trying to eat a large kale, spinach, or other mixed greens salad each evening and often for lunch too. I usually eat fruit and some nuts for breakfast. I have dabbled in some Alissa Cohen gourmet recipes and usually have some pate, dressing, or dessert each day too.

In some ways I am doing great. I ran a 5K the other day and was the women's champion (over 300 runners) and came in the top 10 overall but I still fight this stuffy feeling.

So, any suggestions out there for 1. congestion and 2. overcoming epstein Barr faster then the 2 to 5 year sentence my Doctor gave me?

Thanks!

Runninggal1974 Wrote:
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nuts
pate, dressing, or dessert each day too

the above can cause congestion...

you might want to think of this as a "Fresh" food diet
instead of a raw food diet. it helps change our perspective...

nice running...

wow, congrats on the 5k! what an accomplishment!

i have the same problem with congestion. i dont eat any of the things fresh says cause congestion. does anyone know of any other things that may cause it?

I went through a bout of terrible, terrible sinus/mucus issues. Keeping low fat, raw or even at least vegan light foods, NO grains or similar and nasal irrigation 2-4x a day along with patience and it finally cleared itself to where I could function more regular from day to day.

pihourova Wrote:
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> wow, congrats on the 5k! what an accomplishment!
>
> i have the same problem with congestion. i dont
> eat any of the things fresh says cause congestion.
> does anyone know of any other things that may
> cause it?


essentially anything other than fresh fruits and veggies Can cause congestion.
congestion can be cleansing the body OR the body rejecting something that you've recently eaten...

nuts and avos can cause problems depending on the type/amount/state of your body, etc.

spices and condiments...
many other things...

what do you eat regularly?

I think I am eating too "raw gourmet"...lots of olive oil/basil type dressings, avos, nuts, and seeds. I liked what Fresh wrote - think of this as a fresh diet, versus a raw diet.

I might just not get the dehydrator afterall that I have been saving up for. I think it would lead me to eating the heavier raw options versus just the fresh ones. What do you all think about that?

Runninggal

i eat alot of avo. and a very minimal amount of nuts. will try to cut these things but it will be difficult for me as i have trouble feeling full without them. i know i could at least cut back on them though. i consume alot of flaxseed as well. could that also be a culprit?

pihourova Wrote:
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> i eat alot of avo. and a very minimal amount of
> nuts. will try to cut these things but it will be
> difficult for me as i have trouble feeling full
> without them. i know i could at least cut back on
> them though. i consume alot of flaxseed as well.
> could that also be a culprit?


you would need to experiment, but the nuts and avo could cause it.

flax is mucilaginous so that's possible also.

a few weeks ago i was getting snotty too and couldnt figure out why so i jotted down everything i had eaten inthe week before )(easy cuz i fitday lol)

and just mono ate those things for the next week ... and bingo ! it was the zuchini and olive oil

assuming its the olive oil that was doing it

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I use a neti pot. Before I started with the neti pot, I had all kinds of sinus problems over the years.

A neti pot, or as I mentioned earlier "nasal irrigation", will help anyone. Keep up on it 2-4x daily. Give it about a week to see some changes. Be diligent.

Also, others have mentioned - Lower the fat, Increase the fruit. STOP the oils and such. Keep it to avocado or a few nuts at most. Increasing fruit will help with the hunger. 9 out of 10 times you are needing carbs to fill hunger and are not getting enough. Fats and protein don't cure that. Eat the fruit and give it about a week. This is the biggest thing you can do for yourself.

I'd stay clear of the dehydrator also. Tends to be counter productive, just as fats are, to what your sinus need to do.

Certain foods are mucus forming. If you are eating any of those - lay back on them, even if temporary. Yams, rice are obvious ones to consider. Bananas can be to a degree also. These things you need to decide on a person to person basis.

Finally, if you are willing - Look into some yoga type, pranayama breathing techniques done daily.

I've been through the NE&T specialists and have done all the big dollar tests and was left with the classic "We have done all we can do" line. It took alot of my own reseach to get functional day by day. It may also take a few months to let your sinus issues work themselves out. Patience and consistency are key points.

I also have Epstein Barr virus. I have to eat 10-20 percent of my diet cooked (carrots, potatoes, onions, as well as other warming foods) or else, my spleen gets very irritated from 100 percent raw. I just can't do it. This is what works for me. I also end up being very mucousy on 100 percent raw...I've been high raw for 19 months and really feel this is best for me. It's best to use your own intuition and do some trial and error to see how your own body functions best