Hi all, i am struggling! Brief history: was a strict low carber for 5 years. lost a lot of weight, but gained it back. Binged on low carb foods -> weight gain.

No tweaking of the low carb routine ever helped, because clearly i was missing enzymes and carbs! Since I tried to be 'strict' I tried to quelch the cravings (which were a healthy way of my body telling me i needed more fiber, enzymes and carbs!) with more of the same until it escalated.

I found that out as I turned vegan, which helped these cravings immediately! At first I was at a high raw percentage. Lost 14# with no effort almost immediately eating lots of fruit and veggies. Started dreaming again and depression lifted a bit. Then started to feel so COLD all the time and craved heavy foods. So ate more and more steamed veggies, squash, yams, potatoes (heated in the oven). Spoonfulls of raw honey, also dried fruit. No fat aside from 3 walnuts a day and an occasional avocado. Did not feel well... weak. As if I needed something grounding. Fruit gave me heartburn. And then there was Weight gain, too.

I have some health challenges: thyroid issues, depression, adrenal depletion.

I did some metabolic typing tests and according to those I am a meat eater
Books on adrenal issues talk about the importance of eggs, fish, healthy fats.

It is very confusing! The raw food (when I did 80-10-10) did help for a while, but why am I having this strong urge for heavier foods, then? I have learned (see above!) that cravings make some biological sense. As soon as I give in to that urge via dried fruit, raw honey or steamed veggies, things get worse, though, so that's obviously the wrong route. Maybe I do need protein? Tried some whey protein and some tuna in water this morning, It immediately hit the cravings on the head, I couldn't even finish what was on the plate, which tells me that it was about quality, not quantity! The cravings are gone- no amount of fruit could do that!

Read a lot about carb cycling. Wondering if that could be helpful? Basically eat vegan for 3 days, then switch to low carb with some fish and eggs and whey protein, plus lots of veggies, for the next few, then back to raw vegan? It's worth a try, as it would satisfy what the adrenal books recommend as well as what the metabolic tests revealed, and not let cravings get out of hand that then make me unconsciously try to quell them by eating unfavorably (cooked, honey etc). Yet, i would get the benefits of raw vegan as well (enzymes, easy digestability etc)

My questions here are:
Have you found any other ways to quelch cravings for heavy and warming foods that enable you to stay 80-10-10?

Have you experienced cravings that were eased by eating protein (veg or meat alike) and how did/do you deal with them?

I read on this forum repeatedly that by staying only half-way raw (with cooked here and there) you make it harder on yourself, in that cravings re-emerge. Do they disappear after 'toughening it out'? Whats been your experience?

Have any of you persisted on a raw vegan life style even though metabolic testing revealed something different?

have any of you here had success healing adrenal or thyroid issues while on raw?


Any other food for thought should I have given any,



So many questions! Feel free to jump in with any and all.
I really value you folks on this forum. its not about dogma, but about finding what works for one's self. One more thing: I feel a strong pull towards raw vegan for ethical and spiritual reasons. But I can't separate my body from that. I am convinced that we ARE body (not just HAVE a body!) It's all a tad confusing, so many mixed messages! My main goal is to help myself listen in. You guys seem like good models in following intuition.

Thanks for reading this whole long thing
Nibs



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2008 08:52PM by cocoa_nibs.

I know a woman who thinks that "there is something in the water" that is making her obese with thyroid issues. She is a very educated and intelligent woman, too. Well, I drink that same water, too.

I think all this metabolic typing stuff is nonsense.

Your body will normalize as you treat it right.

Hi nibs!

I did a metabolic typing test about a year ago and I also came out a heavy protein eater. I think there is something to it. I had noticed that a fruit breakfast made me feel bad and that lots of starchy carbs made me want more. In hindsight, I was hypoglycaemic then, which would explain why that made me feel bad, then that led to diabetes, so clearly carbs threw my blood sugars out of balance.

I had been vegetarian for a long time and reintroduced meats. I tried it for a couple of weeks and felt awful. It was true that I wasn't as hungry, but I felt depressed and I had diarrhoea after every meal. It also didn't feel very healthy in my mind...I have always felt happiest with the idea of eating lots of fruit and veg. Eating bacon and eggs did not feel good!

I now know that I was diabetic when I tried this out, so maybe it wasn't the best test!

I am very new to raw food, but I have found so far that I tend to do better on lots of salads rather than a lot of fruit. If I have lots of fruit I am very hungry and have cravings and generally am not quite right. I have found that I am more stable with veggie juice for breakfast rather than fruit, and also veg meals for lunch and dinner...I have fruit between meals and maybe as a starter or dessert for lunch and dinner and that seems to work OK. I can tolerate more fruit if I have exercised in the morning.


Maybe us "heavier" types do better with less fruit??
Hope this helps

Claire

Thanks for your replies!

Arugula, what your acquaintance refers to is fluoride, which is added to drinking water. It can contribute to a wide range of health issues, including thyroid problems: [www.fluoridealert.org]

[www.google.com]

Shower filters and a drinking water cleaning system help.

Claire, I am hypoglycemic also! Do you have any observations of tolerance of fruit correlating with lower fat intake? SOunds like your body was pretty clear about the bacon and eggs thing!

Thanks again for replying
Nibs



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The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness.
Arthur Shopenhauer



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2008 01:49AM by cocoa_nibs.

seaweed : ) for iodine ---> thyroid balance
iodine droplets ----> " "

yeah, just throwing words out there for all its worth

hey cocoa nibs

don't give up
sounds like you are doing your best
so be proud of yourself and keep exploring and challening yourself

also i recommend ( if you don't already have a regimen already)

to ease yourself into a slow, but steady and continual exercise regimen that you ENJOY!

exercise, like diet
has its own delightful menu

and there are so many courses to chose from

if thyroid problems are doing a number on metabolism
use exercise to jump start it ( the food alone won't be enough to jump start the metabolism with the thyroid issues)

most of all
have fun

and keep a log of your progress ( any little achievement... mark it down)

I know eating spinach and spirulina really helps me with my cravings for heavier food. I'm thinking it is probably the iron in them. If I do not have my salad with spinach and spirulina water daily then I gorge on fruit which does not make me feel good at all and the cravings are still there.

Good luck to you ;-)

Thanks La_V! I like Kelp and Dulse and they do have a grounding effect on me, now that you made me think of it! Great idea.

And yes, exercise is part of my life. Often feeling too lousy, though, unfortunately. I ran a marathon two years ago. That was an amazing experience. These days more focusing on weights, yoga and interval training.


veganathlete, thanks for that tip. I have spirulina at home, also. WIll do. I actually expect that to help, too. I just never really made the connection.

Yall rock!

PS: ecstatic that I got my signature to work!



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The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness.
Arthur Shopenhauer

Every now and again I get cravings to sit down and eat 1-2 pounds of fresh seaweed. I always feel amazing after. It is loaded with protein, iron, calcium, trace minerals, iodine... While it may not be THE answer, I think it can certainly help with many answers. =)

Fresh?! Where do you get that? You live on the coast, Phantom?

hi cocoa nibs

most asian food stores have seaweed

forget the roasted laver that is paper thin

go after the thicker seaweed

just soak in water, then cut into little strips and put whatever you want on it for seasoning ( or not)

that is really RAWESOME that you completed a marathon

that must have been unforgettable

your exercise regimen sounds REALLY exciting

keep up the good work

and keep exploring while having an adventure

you're doing well !

cocoa_nibs Wrote:

> I really value you folks on this forum. its not
> about dogma, but about finding what works for
> one's self.

> One more thing: I feel a strong pull
> towards raw vegan for ethical and spiritual
> reasons. But I can't separate my body from that. I
> am convinced that we ARE body (not just HAVE a
> body!) It's all a tad confusing, so many mixed
> messages!

it can be confusing! i find that i am getting better and better at separating the messages coming from inside myself from the messages that are thrown at me from outside sources, and i attribute that largely to my diet, which gives me such a better headspace from which to operate.

> My main goal is to help myself listen
> in.

That's an excellent goal! Good luck!

(sorry... this part of my above post didn't make it, and i can't figure out how to edit the dang thing...)

under the "metabolic typing" and "eat right for your blood type" systems, i am also categorized as a high protein/"meat eater" type. i am doing very well on a raw diet -- lots of energy, weight loss, positive frame of mind -- but i am not 80-10-10. maybe you are struggling with cravings on 80-10-10 because you are detoxing too fast for your own comfort, and are needing some healthy fats to ground you a bit?

when i first started eating raw i was also drawn to working with an ayurvedic practitioner, and that combination has been great for me. when i began i had a kapha imbalance, and she prescribed healthy fats and also a series of basti -- warm oil and herb enemas -- really helped with my digestive issues (lack of absorbtion) and helped balance me out nicely. i find as i go along that i rely less and less on fats in my diet, although avocados and coconuts are a dietary staple of mine, i have one or the other (or sometimes both) every day.

after eating raw for awhile i tried a (very brief) stint on "high raw". i was shooting for 80-90%, but i ended up at 40-50% each day, i felt crappy, and my food again became a struggle. i quickly ended that experiment.

i find the longer that i eat raw, the less i struggle with cravings. the messages from my body become more and more reliable/trustworthy, and also clearer -- now i can eat something and know pretty much right away whether it was a good idea or not.

La_V - thanks for your advice and encouragement.

maui Butterfly - glad to know that you are thriving on raw even though you are a meat eater according to Adamo and Mercola tests. Also intersting that 100% raw is easier for you than just a percentage. I have not had a 100% raw day yet. but i am keeping on the path (says she as she finishes her smoothie - kale, parsley, romaine and 1 orange).



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The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness.
Arthur Shopenhauer