I agree wholeheartedly with suncloud, rawdancer. Either your doctor is being negligent, or else he is lacking critical information regarding your condition. However, I assume from your other posts that you've been treated in the past for AN, which should be part of your medical history. Any doctor worth his salt who sees a patient with a history of ED should NEVER be so dismissive of relapse (or continuing) symptoms, regardless of how well you're dressed or articulte you are. That is patently ridiculolus.

Aside from appearing to be of questionable competency, this doctor is clearly ill-equipped to handle the psychological ramifications of your illness. Anorexia manifests itself two ways - the psychiatric, the root of the disease, and the physical, which is the resultant malnutrition, etc.

You should definitely have blood work done, to determine any deficiencies - many of which can perpetuate the disease (the case of zinc and loss of appetite is just one example). Before you know where your body is at, it will be difficult to truly begin to regain your physical health. Plus, suncloud has a point - AN leaves your immune system comprimised, which can open the gate to parasites and the like, all of which can be hard to distinguish from the original problem.

On top of all this, you should make finding a good psychologist or psychiatrist a number one priority. AN is a neurological disorder, and is rarely cured without extensive counselling. Are you currently seeing someone? What is his or her take on your current depression? There are many various options and approaches (i.e. cognitive behavioral therapy, analysis, medication, etc) but the most important thing is that you find the one that works for you. You might also find a dietician who can work with you on finding a raw menu that fits both your comfort levels and your nutritional needs.

Obviously, I don't know much (if anything) about your history and the treatment you have sought or are currently seeking. But please find all the best help you can. We're all pulling for your recovery here.

I just realized I forgot to post Sat's menu...

AM: Water w/ lemon

LATE LUNCH: tabouli (w/ sprouted quinoa, parsley, olive oil, lemon, shallot, garlic, salt)

DINNER: Smoothie w/ banana, cashew butter, carrot juice, vitagreen, water, ice.

SNACK: More tabouli.

Yesterday was a ginormous cooked craving day. All I could think about was mac 'n cheese. Correction: velveeta shells & cheese, which is a) the grossest kind and b) something I didn't even eat before, as I haven't had dairy in 2 years. Nothing raw appealed to me for most of the day, which is why I didn't eat anything until almost 7 pm. The tabouli was nice, as it was chewy & substantial, but I still had to choke down the smoothie, since I only really wanted savory, not sweet.

Today seems back to normal tho...I just had a big 'ol salad w/ fruits & greens. Will post later on the rest of the day...

smoothie consisting of 2 bananas, sesame seeds, cacao, kiwi, and romaine
sandwhich consisting of homemade guacamole, and a salsa type dish with `maters,cukes,onion,garlic,lemon, bell pepper,olive oil
huge salad with romaine,bell pepper,cukes,maters,sesame seeds, and olive oil and vinegar, and 1/2 an avocado
glass red wine
it`s only 6:44 so i`m sure i`ll get prebed munchies later....

patty

rawdancer....suncloud has some excellent posts/advice about your doctor. either he jumps on board or you find someone else who can relate and knows how to deal with people who have an ED. yes you can make him test you...you insist...either he complies or you`re history and you find someone who desrves to have you as a patient
patty

breakfast: smoothie (orange juice, 1/3 pineapple, 2 bananas, hemp seed, goji berries, maca, spirulina) and a plum.

lunch: bowl of vegetable soup, small little salad with cabbage, avacado, tomato &cuke with pine nut dressing, then 1 banana, 1 peach, 1 plum.

dinner: made a curry with 1 tomato, 1/3 cup chopped onion, 1/3 cup chopped coconut, 1 clove pressed garlic, lemon juice, curry powder, nama shoyu. it was really delicous! then 1 peach and 1 banana.

Hello to everybody.

Khale, hope you're doing well today.

Today I had

AM: bananas, a cucumber, a very little pineapple (but it was great), part of 1/3 cup soaked peanuts (measured unsoaked), some dried mango slices

PM: bananas, another cucumber, the rest of 1/3 cup soaked peanuts, 2 brazil nuts, lychees, an ice cream bean fruit, about 1/4 cup soaked sesame seeds (measured unsoaked), more dried mango slices.

It looks like my hard avocados will be going bad before they get ripe. Shucks! Picked too green. But my husband bought a few avos today; and tomorrow, I will buy more.

Exercise: 1 hour yoga. Will right now do weights/aerobics.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2007 06:50AM by suncloud.

Thanks everyone especially suncloud for the responses. The doctor I saw was on the emergency clinic- he was not my doctor, I am seeing my doctor on Wednesday. Although not sure what difference this will make as I have NEVER seen my own doctor. Moved here nearly two years ago and well you can never book to see your own doctor, but in this case he allowed me to book a double appointment with my own doctor. So there we go, as far as records, I dont think they have much to go by- I asked him for some medication I had a year ago before I changed practises..and from the reaction I dont even think hes got the paperwork from the old practise electronically anyway, perhaps archived in paper format.

I dont really know how much to tell my own doctor, as I really dont want to end up sectioned..and jobless.. that really wouldnt help matters right now! Apparently because I scrub up well for work..I cant be neglecting to eat.. wtf?.. baffling!

Anyways.. just woke up... not taking anymore sleeping tablets. I have to stay awake and cope like everyone else.

Thank you all anyway. Will post later, after my cup of tea

Rawdancer, your attitude sounds better. I agree that you need to find out what your physical needs are so you can heal your body properly. If you don't feed your deficiencies you will be running in circles. Depression is more complex than just a mood.

Khale, Hope you are getting better, able to do what you need to do and are able to find out what is causing the pain.

Ashcat, good job staying away from mac n cheese. Aren't cravings crazy?

Sorry about your avocados, Suncloud. What a waste. I love your diet. It sounds so yummy. I really want to try an ice cream bean fruit.


Good morning everyone!! Sorry I have been MIA for a couple days. I had friends visiting for the weekend. They left Sunday morning but I was so tired all day Sunday I didn't want to do anything. I had cooked Sat. It was a mostly raw wrap and it was so good. I also had a martini Saturday night that was good too. I had a REALLY frustrating dream Saturday night. Frustrating dreams after eating cooked is becoming a trend. This one was especially bad. I was back living with my mom and sister (my two biggest nightmares). I didn't keep track of my food this weekend. I mostly ate bananas and trail mix when I didn't eat cooked. I'll post my food for today later.

Thanks pad4fun..glad your back..sorry it was a bit of a rough weekend..good to see you back!


Well I feel unable to deal with my physical needs right now. So.. somewhat caught in a loop. I cant get the minerals I need to get my mental and physical self stable.

Slept again nearly 6 hours today.(plus the 10 during the night).. now dreading work ..kind of looming over me..knowing I have to be at work at 7..again, pulling a brave face.. saying good morning and im fine and bla bla bla..

Had 3 cups of tea, a bite of some raw cacoa thing.. a mouthfull..spat that out.

Lost that concearn for myself now, of wanting to nourish. Guess I need to get back there.

TY

rawdancer-what about a vitamin/mineral supplement? under the circumstances i would consider doing it. get a liquid one and put it in your tea or some water and down it. i know it`s not raw but you need nutrients and if you`re not eating your mental and physical state will get worse and worse and you`ll end up in the place you`re trying to avoid. honey, your body can`t go on too long with you not giving it what it needs :0 i`m concerned...please get well
patty

Getting behind on my updates...

Sunday:

AM: 1 mango

LUNCH: salad w/ kale, spinach, pear tomatoes, grapes, red pepper, honey/lemon/tahini/cumin dressing

DINNER: last of the sprouted quinoa tabouli

SNACK: watermelon

Monday:

AM: Smoothie w/ banana, carrot juice, ginger, honey, cashew butter, coconut oil, vitagreen cinammon, nutmeg, ice

LUNCH: broccoli sprouts & red pepper w/ tahini dressing

DINNER: dolmas w/ collards, guacamole, mango, portabello, red pepper, corn

Went to see Sarah Silverman & co. perform at a comedy club, had 1 vodka w/ seltzer at the show.

Best to all,
AshCat

Good morning everyone...

"Life and experience operate in cycles.

One way to look at the cycles of life is as follows:

First there is inspiration and enthusiasm.

Next there is frustration and disappiontment, laziness, despair, and fear of failure. This is where most people give up, get depressed and regress into fantasy.

Then, re-newed Effort and Enthusiasm

Followed by results and satisfaction (note: satisfaction-results, NOT success-failure as no one, including yourself, can guarantee the outcome of any endeavor)

One must be willing to complete the cycle. If you do, the freedom and joy which is your rightful heritage will find a permanent place in your heart."

All by Christopher Hyatt from his book, "Undoing Yourself"


So, no matter where you find yourself in the cycle, just keep moving. You will see results.

One of the main ways the above helps me is in seeing that expansion/contraction is an inevitable part of any process. I don't have to think of myself as peculiar or flawed somehow when I feel discouragement or when I feel like throwing in the towel on the whole lot _ and I do feel this way from time to time. I get weary of the struggles of life, like anyone else.

I hope that this offers encouragement to all of you.


talk soon,

khale

Hello everyone.
Feeling better today, the pain has gone, just feeling a bit weak.
i do recognise these symptoms.
It happens every time i commit to a totally raw vegan diet.


I have terrible headaches and my body feels very stiff, like every cell in my body has been injected with a little extra fluid which makes my body feel very hot, tight and swollen.

I find it difficult to bend my fingers. i just have to lie still until it goes away , which normally takes about three to seven days.

If i follow previous patterns i will feel fantastic for the next couple of months.
Each time this happens to me, the symptoms are less severe, so I'm already over the worst!
It does not worry me, It just hurts so much!
I have enough experience to know that it does clear.
This only ever happens when i eat totally raw food.
It feels like a very deep cleansing process.
Just something that i have to go through.

I just hope that i can maintain the raw food this time so that i don't have to go through this experience again.

Im looking forward to the following weeks as my energy levels normally soar and i know i will feel so calm connected and peaceful.

I will be returning to work on 10th Sept, so im hoping that most of the early detoxing will be over by then and i will be reasonably comfortable with my improved diet.

Khale and Ashcat thanks for your responses.

Khale hope you are feeling better.

Food
green smoothies (family are getting better at making these for me)
avocado with pesto
cherry tomatoes
steamed cauli and runner beans in the evening with salad.
Lots of water

Hi all!!

Loretta, I hope you get through this before work starts. Good job trudging through such miserable detox.

Khale. Thanks for the inspiring words.

Rawdanceruk, supplements sound like the order of the day. I can't wait till your back on your feet, so to speak.

Suncloud, Too bad about those avocados. What a waste. Will you be working at the little school again?

Yesterday I ate:

-tea*
-mango, banana and pear smoothies (all perfectly ripe and delicious)
-handful of trail mix
-tea*
-salad of spring mix, tomatoes, sunflower seeds and honey mustard dressing
-pear
-two dates
-homemade chips*(my big addiction) guacamole and salsa
-tea*

Thank you for the kind words everyone, sorry to bring gloom to the thread. I will keep it brief.

Back to the doctors in the morning to see my actual doctor, then into work to work back the time taken for doctors plus overtime..

My bf his dad is seriously ill right now..so I am keeping myself busy filling the freezer with raw soups for him ..ciabatta and I made a little cantonese also. He has just moved house so really couldnt of come at a worse time.. but yeah just trying to be there for him.. making sure he can eat/rest/vent when he needs to me.

Had 4 cups of tea today

1 babyfood- fresh organic- blueberries and apple puree


That was really good so thinking perhaps stock up on babyfood tommorow so I have plenty and can sit and eat a pot when I am able.

I dont have a lot of cash right now, but health first, so I will go tommorow and see if I can buy a decent vegan supplement

Hey everyone!

Apologies for being MIA the last few days. My (ex)boyfriend came to move all of his stuff out of our place and my best friend moved all of her stuff IN (a 14 ft truck worth of stuff-yikes!) so I have been insane since last Thursday. I did manage to get my ex to eat 1 day 100% raw with me and by that night he said he felt as if he was "on crack"! He couldn't sleep and had so much energy! Ha ha!

Eating raw has been fairly easy for me with a few exceptions here and there. I just genuinely love raw fruits/veggies etc. so I enjoy this! I had never had a "green smoothie" until Friday and now I am addicted. If I didn't have such a crappy, useless blender I would probably make one for most of my meals.

This is very odd but for the last 2 days, when I drink a smoothie or eat lots of greens I feel DRUNK!!! Or lightheaded followed by being very sleepy. It's the starngest thing! Anyone else???

I can't possibly recall all that I've eaten since my last posting but I'd say it's been 90-95% raw.

Today I've had:
1 banana, 1 plum, spinach/romaine salad with sunflower seeds, tomato, and cucumber with flax oil and balsamic.

So happy to read about everyone's progress and unique experiences. We are all very strong people!

rawdanceruk Wrote:

> I dont have a lot of cash right now, but health
> first, so I will go tommorow and see if I can buy
> a decent vegan supplement


just take care of yourself, the money will be there
i`m glad you`re eating. sorry to hear about your bf`s dad, good thing he has you. you`re not gloom and doom friend..you`re just climbing a personal hill right now. we all have them in one shape or form. what`s important to concentrate on is you getting healthy keep up the good work
patty

raw and going strong for over 1 month!

today i had.
1 smoothie (fresh squeeze OJ, 1/3 pineapple, 2 bananas, maca, spirulina, hemp seeds) 2 kiwis.
some leftover chili, garden salad with creamy pine nut dressing, 1 banana, 1 peach, 1 plum.
1 nectarine, 2 peaches, a little bit of curry i made with chopped tomato, yellow onion and coconut mixed with garlic/lemon juice/curry powder/namashoyu sauce. then a few pine nuts.

lunch always seems to be my biggest meal. i am craving carbs! grr!

Tuesday! (the 28th)

Breakfast: Smoothie: banana, peach, baby spinach, cashew butter, honey, coco oil, vita green, water, ice

LUNCH: big bowl of romaine w/ cucumber, grapes, raw 'caesar' dressing (tahini, olive oil, garlic, mustard powder, olives, parsley, lemon, salt, all blended).

SNACK: 2 peaches. perfect.

DINNER: 3 spoonfulls of fresh, homemade hummus (I sprouted chickpeas!!)

SNACK: handfull raspberries, bit of broccoli sprouts. Also a glass of chardonnay out with friends.

Today I was a grazer...

Best to all,
AshCat

Rawdancer,

Have you tried eating Grapes? I have heard that eating them can be helpful for your condition.

Phil.

--------------------------------------------------

"Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it" (Chinese Proverb)

I have fallen off the proverbial wagon (again) of late.

Yesterday I did well though.

4 Banana's for Breakfast
4 Peaches for Lunch and 2 Oranges a while later.
A Nak'd Raw bar on my way home from work.
I had some pasta dish for dinner (oh well)

Went to the gym:
15 mins on the cross trainer, then some various weights.

2 bananas After Gym.

I had 2 cups of green tea in the morning, it was strange though the first cup didn't taste very nice, I figured maybe there was some soap left in it from the dishwasher so I poured it way, washed out my cup and made another cup of green tea. It still tasted bad.
I think I have lost the taste for it.

I drank lemon water instead after that.

Today has been good too.

2 Bananas first thing
1 Star fruit later

1 Pint of Water with lemon.

Lunch:
5 Fresh Figs (I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw then in the grocery store)
Later a large Mango and 2 peaches a while after.

I seem to be doing better just eating small amounts of things throughout the day rather than focusing on making a meal.

I felt fantastic after eating the figs, energized and strong. I had never eaten them fresh before Sunday when I got them.

I have joined my local gym so I will be going there a lot from now on, I've got the buzz now to keep me going. I think I will go tonight and just do some cardio stuff.

Phil.

--------------------------------------------------

"Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it" (Chinese Proverb)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2007 11:19AM by jadedshade.

Good morning all you fine, brave transcenders of addictions and other encrustations! You are all doing so well!

caseyberaw: I don't know WHAT you are putting into your green smoothie, but I definitely want the recipe!

rawdanceruk: What a marvelous boon from the benevolences that you've been lent someone to comfort and encourage! Could you have been given anything better? And someone to feed as well?! Fantastic!

Jadedshade: I was thumbing through an old raw food journal of mine yesterday where I circled all the cooked and icky food I consumed everyday. Lots of circles, page after page. It's a process honey _ be patient with yourself.

applebaby: congratulations on your 1 month!

Ashcat: sprouting already! I'm impressed.

All of you are doing impressively well. I'm encouraged by all of you.

I'm finding it difficult to focus on food. My "whateveritis" is still bothering me quite a bit and is unfortunately consuming much of my energy and attention. I'm eating on the fly as it were. If I don't work, I don't eat and I've been taking work one day at a time and not working as often as I would like, so I haven't been buying a lot of food.

Yesterday morning I had nothing until some time after 11:00 when I ate an apple with some almonds. After work I had a chopped romaine salad with lemon and evoo and salt. Then later I had a juice of celery and carrot. Then two plums and a peach and went to bed early. At around 1:30 I awoke in pain and got up and made myself two slices of Ezekial toast and went back to bed with an ice pack.

This has all been quite discouraging I must admit. But I am feeling better, spiritually speaking, more able to meet the challenges of the day and to deal with this pain I'm experiencing in appropriate ways. There for a few days I was losing it. So, I'm encouraged again. As someone said, "As soon as a man tires of the struggles of life, the whole world falls on his head" It all goes to show: it ain't the conditions, it's the attitude that counts.

Have a good day everyone,

khale

Khale, pleased to hear that you are lighter in spirit despite the 'whateveritis'!

pakd4fun
its been a bit of a rough ride over the last week or so, but i have arrived at the other side!
I feel great. I have managed a little exercise today.

Am green smoothie spinach, mango orange juice water

lunch green smoothie romanie, pineapple, melon, mango water

pm planning another green smoothie

blessings
lorretta

Hey everyone.

Good to see you jadedshade. You are doing good.

Caseyberaw-trading a boyfriend for a best friend, not bad. Green smoothies are the best!!!

Rawdanceruk-I hope things went ell at the docs. So good of you to help take care of someone in need.

Ashcat, congrats on the one month. Your food choices sound wonderful.

Loretta- glad you're doing better.

Khale- it sounds like you are getting acclimated to the pain. I do hope you solve the problem soon.

Yesterday I ate:

-tea*
-spinach and banana smoothie(yum)
-figs
-handfulls of cashews
-some almonds
-acv, honey and water drink
-tea*
-for dinner I made spring rolls. I marinated alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, mushrooms, julienned broccol, carrots, and purple cabbage in chinese dipping sauce and rolled it up in cabbage leaves. It was really good and we all overate.
-Tea*

I was really hungry yesterday and had a lot of cravings for cooked.

Thanks everyone

Phil, are grapes good for depression or anorexia?? which! I would like to know .. I will try anyway!

Sent my manager produce shopping for me at lunch Got a huge melon for £1!!..about 10 pots of organic babyfood- plain apple. Some lamb lettuce

Doctor again just told me to stop being hard on myself and said I needed to forgive myself and let go and move on. But I have got some counsilling sessions to arrange now so thats a positive step. He wanted to weigh me but I wasnt comfortable with that.

Yeah my poor bf.. feel awful cannot do much but be here, keep some meals in the freezer..n check hes hanging tight really..wish he would go raw as it would really help with his own problems right now, just really hoping test results were a blip and the next lot come up clear for him.

Thanks for the love guys

Raw_dancer xx

Dear all,

It's nice to see everyone doing so well, proceeding with really great spirit and strong attitude. And congratulations to Rawdancer for hanging in there and working so hard on your healing process!

I regret that I'm going to have to say goodbye for now. I find that I have so much to do right now, and unfortunately, my computer is becoming almost like an addiction. If I come on the computer with the intention of just seeing how everyone is doing, I end up staying on for an hour, or 2 or 3. And it's hard NOT to see how everyone is doing, since I like everyone here so much.

Unfortunately I've just never been a multi-tasker. I'm a tunnel vision focus person. If I'm not focusing on what I'm supposed to be doing, I'm afraid I just don't get it done.

I've very much enjoyed these two 7 Weeks Raw threads.

Best wishes to everyone. Onward!

And thanks so much!

Ahh!!! Suncloud. I HATE to see you go. I do understand about what you're going through. You have taught me so much. Take comfort in knowing that the time you spent here was appreciated. I hope you will check back with us sometime. Take care and enjoy, what seems to me to be, a charmed life.

Love,
pakd4fun

suncloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
If I come on the computer with
> the intention of just seeing how everyone is
> doing, I end up staying on for an hour, or 2 or 3.
> And it's hard NOT to see how everyone is doing,
> since I like everyone here so much.

ROTFLMAO !!!!!!! no kidding!!!!! i can`t wait to get on hre and chack the board after work. if allowed/possible i will spend all night and all day on here. i completely understand but i will miss you as my sage
love
patty

Here's my Wednesday (the 29th)

AM: Smoothie: banana, mango, strawberry, spinach, honey, coconut oil, vitagreen

LUNCH: arugula, corn & red onion salad, with a spoonful of that 'raw caesar' dressing I made yesterday

DINNER: jicama 'tacos' w/ cashew cheese & pico de gallo in romaine "shells" - Dried kiwi - 1/2 raw apple torte.

My best friend convinced me to go with her to her new favorite restaurant tonight. It's called Flore, in Silverlake, vegan w/ some raw items - and not Thai, which is a welcome change as far as vegan joints go around here. At any rate, the tacos were the only raw entree on the menu (they also had two raw soups and a couple of all-raw salads), but I enjoyed them. Just enough cashew cheese, not too heavy at all. I need to lay off the restaurants though...my checking account can't take much more of this! Thank god the farmers' markets are so cheap.

Suncloud, I'll miss you!

Khale, your most recent quote meant a lot to me. I've been worried that I just earned the most useless graduate degree known to man, and it really renewed my optimism as far as the ol' career goes. Lame as that sounds...

Rawdancer, I'm so glad you've scheduled some counselling.

Loretta, I hope the detox is winding down...

Pakd4fun, those spring rolls sound great. What's the dipping sauce??

Caseyberaw, how funny are boy(and exboy)friends when they do raw? Mine is trying, mostly out of solidarity (and cause now I only keep raw around the house). Lately he's taken to bragging to his friends about all his new energy.

Sun cloud, I will miss your posts

Its 30 days since i set my goal to be all raw.
Until i hit severe detox i managed to stick to it. I added in a few steamed veggies to my evening meal over four or five days of the severe detox period. Yesterday i had a totally raw day again. I am very pleased with the way things are going.

After having a day on green smoothies yesterday, I have decided to eat smoothies only for seven days, just to see how i feel.
I have never done this before.
I aim is to eat mainly green smoothies but i will see how i go.

Benefits so far

Eyesight sharper
Feeling cleaner
Lots of energy
Skin in better condition
Feeling more content/ relaxed and happy
More grounded and connected
sleeping better and waking feeling refreshed.
Increased flexibility and finding exercise easier.
Sense of smell is much sharper

I just feel so good!
That really ought to be enough motivation to carry on!!!!

Blessings
lorretta