30 Day Challenge - Raw Food (had to try it)

[emeadow]

I finally took the plunge, its day three. Trying a raw diet (vegan) 100% for at minimum 30 days. I thought a post here would help my accountability a bit.

I already eat a pretty natural unprocessed whole foods diet, low in sugars/carbs, higher in protiens/fats. I make pretty much everything from scratch, and compared to the standard american diet, is pretty good. I have had medical problems, food allergies, systemic yeast overgrowth, chronic pain, ect .......and while it has all improved greatly with my complete lifestyle changes the last 3-4 years, I have been disappointed that I just couldn't get to the next level. So my motivation finally hit a point that I thought I could tackle the raw diet this month.

I am on day three, and its been a 'bit' bumpy, but not bad. I went 100% raw overnight (although prepped for two weeks for the trial), my attempts at partial raw trials in the past faded quickly, I like full immersion.

I have had some detox symptoms, slight headaches here and there, bit tired, and yesterday my entire digestive track was upside down, but overall, the symptoms have been less then the couple fasts I have done prior. I slept really hard the last two nights. Conversly, I have had a couple times of good energy, feeling light, and very relaxed, that will last for an hour or two at a time.

I am also finding that the best laid plans, are those that can be modified . I had originally intended to go low sugar for at least two weeks, avoiding fruits, and focusing on veggies and nuts. My intuition and stomach are both telling me too many nuts are not super great right now, and maybe that it is not ready for a high level of greens yet. Its still very early, I am trying to relax and listen to what my body is saying, but at the same time differentiate between cravings created by candida/yeast. Tough, but this is an important part of this challenge I hope to get a better handle on mentally and physically.

Overall, I am super syked to see how the next 30 days go. While I have been reading and researching, I am more then ready to actually experience the process.

[emeadow]

Completed three days no problem. Cravings have been mild, bit surprised I haven't had to fight more to stay on this challenge.

I am having trouble getting enough calories (only about 900 today, 700 yesterday), my appetite in general is a bit low, and when I eat too much in the way of something heavier (nuts, seeds, avocados), my stomach doesn't necessarily agree.

I figure this week will have a lot of ups and downs, and I probably cannot trust my stomachs reactions 100% until it completely adjusts and I get through the transition period. Will keep trying new things, keep trying to get my volumes up, and need to remember to drink more water today.

On to the next round.

[emeadow]

Day 4 comes to a close, and I am still surviving

Still had some mild stomach bloating, but otherwise, I feel pretty good. Considering how little I have eaten calories wise the last 4 days, I feel dang good.

My appetite is coming back, went shopping again today, and wandered around looking for items that peaked my interest so to speak. I am definitely adding more fruit then I had originally intended, but so far its doing okay. I feel energetic, am sleeping okay, and my normal muscle/back pain has been good. Pain will pop up for no reason for an hour, then disappear like nothing happened. Nothing I am going to analyze in detail now, just curious observation.

So far I am doing good, no serious cravings or problems sticking to this diet, and happy with my progress. I have some heavier exercise planned on Saturday, curious to see how my endurance level will be at that time.

[John Lemire]

I deff suggest eating alot of fruit. This is where most of my calories come from on a good day. Make sure your fruit is ripe. Bananas should be super spotty! Plus melons are in season! Try to eat a big salad every day. Stick with it man, its pretty cool.

[dinc]

I had a lot of trouble getting more than 1000 calories a day on this diet. I just wasn't hungry for that much fruit! I'm not sure how I could have fixed it, but I"m curious to see what you're going to try.

[ginkgo]

The diet for people with candida overgrowth avoids fruits at first. But they do not know about the raw foods diet. Did you use BC pills or lots of anti-biotics? They are the usual causes of candida overgrowth. You may create valuable information for people wanting to cure their candida overgrowth.

It was not long ago that people that had this were considered mental cases by MDs that were imagining a non-existent disease. Raw foods should contain some good bacteria (flora or pro-biotics), unlike cooked food, that fight candida overgrowth.

[emeadow]

Well, I am rolling into the 8th day, and still sticking to my 100% raw.

I am doing better, but still having some gastric problems. Some bloating, and things are just not moving fast enough for a detox period. If it wasn't for the gastric issues, I would be doing great. My energy has been good (even when I have a lower calorie day), I have picked up my exercise levels and my endurance and strength all seem to be very good, and mentally, i am seeing a couple small improvements in my yoga and meditation (nothing signifigant...just curious items now and again).

I am still including fruit, usually berries, grapefruit, lemon, and a bit of pineapple since I hear it is good for digestion. I have been taking most of my greens in the form of smoothies for the last couple days to see if that will help my system ease into this better. I still have no appetite for nuts or seeds really, so most of my fats are from avocado or coconut.

From everything I am reading, I probably should be doing colonics for my condition (especially with the candida). I tried to get in on short notice on friday, but couldn't find an opening nearby. Decided to wait through the weekend, but no improvement, I will schedule something for as soon as possible. I did not have this in my pre-planning for this challenge, did not know I would be heading down this path. If you are going to do colonics with a raw diet challenge, do research and schedule before your diet change!

Cravings were higher this weekend, especially for meat. I had a more intense exercise activity on Saturday, and that defintely drove up the cravings. On Sunday I went to Costco to look at prices and selection of produce to see if I wanted a membership, and I think they had 20 sample peddlers all offering sausage, buffalo pastrami, fajitas, ect. I thought I might lose my mind in there. I finally had to leave because I couldn't think straight to make any decisions .

Overall, I am still plugging away. I keep wanting to increase my variety, but right now, going to stick to my staples. Today I am eating a small amount of fruit and I brought in a ton of veggie juice to sip on through the day. I need to let my system catch up. My brain is a little tired of thinking about food and balancing and watching reactions, it needs a break as well today.

Gingko - Yes, I have a long history of anitbiotics, steriods, and BC pills. Tag on a huge negative mental atmosphere for my first 25 years around, and I was the perfect breeding ground for Candida overgrowth. When I looked at all my medical problems, I can see spikes in my chronic back pain and mental struggles when I went on steroids or antibiotics. I have been prescription free now for almost almost 5 years I think it is.

[lifetimelearner]

congrats on getting this far
I will be awaiting your update

[emeadow]

Phew, I am finally feeling ever so slightly better tonight.

I went with green juices (48 oz) and some digestive positive fruit for most of today (apricots, papaya, pineapple, and grapefruit), and then I finally caved and had some plain raw fish tonight. I had intended to be 100% vegan, but alas, I needed something to quiet these cravings a bit. Today was the worst for them, especially for meat. I haven't felt great the last couple days, the high cravings, I needed something to regroup. So I went to dinner with the hubby, and had lettuce and avocado, and a few pieces of raw tuna and salmon. No soy sauce, nothing extra, still 100% raw. Dinner out with him is always our favorite time, I needed something positive, so this helped on many levels.

I am still amazed, I have tackled food changes so many times, being gluten free for 2.5 years with not a single slip up, soy and egg free for a year, all sorts of other dietary changes, couple of master cleanse or juice type fasts, and THIS is seriously proving to be the hardest change for me so far. I don't know why, maybe the restrictive nature of a fast makes it almost easier because there is no decision making day to day. The other foods I have given up because it was 100% clear health reasons. This raw challenge is more of an experiment to see if I can take my health to another level, less clear on the outcome, and much more analysis and balancing involved. Or maybe it isn't less clear, maybe it is what I am choosing to project. Hrmm, interesting thought......Will have to keep that in mind.

On a more technical note, I have lost 5 lbs in 8 days, down to 106 lbs this morning (I am only 5 foot tall, and still 16-17% body fat, healthy ranges). Need to slow that down a bit, but its not going to improve at tomorrow mornings weigh in based on today's intake. Guess I will be fitting into the back of the closet clothes quicker then I expected to. Gotta find the positive side in the last couple of days

Day 8 comes to a close, deep breath....

[emeadow]

Just a quick note, doing much better today.

Eating pretty much all my veggies and greens in smoothies and juices right now, still munching on some fruits during the day, and am improving overall. Will continue with the smoothies for a couple more days, and then transition more and more whole foods in, and increase the variety a bit more. I think this is helping my digestion at this point. Still no desire whatsoever to eat nuts or seeds again, so just sticking with my current plan.

My gastric symptoms have subsided about 90%, and my hypoglycemic symptoms have improved about the same. Still eating the same fruits and pretty much the same amounts, so I am not attributing the carbs/sugars to my hypoglycemia issues just yet. Will see how it goes long term.

Went over my goals for this raw trial today to refresh my motivation, and get in alignment for the next 3 weeks. Sometimes I lose sight of why I am doing a challenge during struggles, feeling better about my choices and plans again.

[emeadow]

Today was a good day, really good energy both on the physical and mental front. I seem to be working past a lot of my initial problems, although I am still keeping the diet simple and using 1-2 smoothies a day to get extra volume/greens in.

Had a great workout this evening, my endurance level was high, and I was surprised at my energy levels when I had not eaten much through the afternoon.

Candida symptoms wise, my hypoglycemia seems to be back under control, even though I did not adjust my fruit intake. Right now I am averaging about 175-200 grams of carbs a day, with about 50 grams of that being fiber. I use this as a gauge, because in the past I would count carbs and compare to my overall yeast symptoms. Interested to see over time if I can maintain at this high of a level, or if I will need to drop it down further to really push my symptoms out.

I have been doing a lot of reading on acid and alkaline balance, and what foods create an alkaline environment. Hoping that is more of an important factor then my sugar intake at this point. Although I will say the information found on on the internet and the books I grabbed at the library about acid and alkaline foods, is really just all over the board. Some put almost all fruits into an 'acid forming' column, some do just the opposite. When you get to sites that rank a particular item as high/med/low, they go from one spectrum to the next. Example, I might find tomato as medium acidic on one person's chart, and highly alkaline on another. Great concept, but the details are a bit fuzzy at this point for me to make any serious decisions.

[lifetimelearner]

I know what you mean about the info about the acid -alkaline foods
I have been reading up on that recently and it's confusing


good job by the way

[emeadow]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

I know what you mean about the info about the acid -alkaline foods
I have been reading up on that recently and it's confusing

I am figuring a lot of the confusion comes from say the pH of the food just tested straight up, versus the belief of what it does internally when consumed. I have half a dozen raw food books from the library, and I get the same mixed message in there. Most all seem to agree that most green veggies are alkaline, and most animal products, sugars, and alcohol are all acidic....but who knows on the rest.

I also wonder if different people react different ways.....our digestive tracts all contain different bacteria and such, so wonder what role that plays. Similar to the concept of one person eating something and digesting 100% of the calories in that item, while another will eat it and gain only 50% of the calories.....or something along those lines.

Day 11 - 12
Currently in day 12 of 100% raw, still going strong. I am still consuming lots of green smoothies, one green juice a day, and mono meals of some fruits throughout the day on an empty stomach. Energy is good, digestion is 'okay', and I am getting my calories inched up as I get used to volume.

My weight stabalized, and I have held at 105lbs for 3 or 4 days now, so that is good (although some of that might be due to hormonal changes, fun).

Candida wise, some symptoms are peeking around the corner now and again, nothing terrible, but I am watching them carefully. I am not going to change my meal plan yet, but it might be a sign that I am not ready for fruit yet. Part of the reason I am not changing foods yet, is because even though I am eating almost the same general items each day, along with the same ratio of fats/carbs/protien, and within about 10-15% the same amount of carbs each day, my symptoms are varying quite a bit, even hour to hour. So I will let my body adjust, detox, and see where it ends up over a longer period of time.

I have been able to exercise nightly with no problems, my general energy seems to be increasing and becoming more consistent each day. No super mental gains, if anything, i am a bit distracted right now....but part of that is my food cravings getting in the way

[funchy]

Good for you! I think the raw foods thing is a great idea to try!!

Originally Posted by emeadow

I am having trouble getting enough calories (only about 900 today, 700 yesterday), my appetite in general is a bit low, and when I eat too much in the way of something heavier (nuts, seeds, avocados), my stomach doesn't necessarily agree.

700-900 calories is not enough. I hope you're feeling better now and can handle more? Raw should not mean feeling sick.

Ways to get in more calories:
- dried fruit has more calories/ounce than whole fruit
- cut back on the water if you're making smoothies. When I did alot of high-water smoothies, I found that my stomach was at max capacity long before I felt "fed".
- check out the raw food cookbooks. The Tree of Life (makers of "Raw: Reversing diabetes in 30 days" movie) have a few books out with great recipes.
- google for raw food recipes. There are LOTS of options out there.
- check out raw food made by others to get ideas. My local health food place offers a few pre-made raw foods. I had a "meatball sandwich" there last time: bread was from raw sprouted grains, sauce was raw veggie puree, and 'meatball' was a raw mix of probably nuts and veggies.

Eat more often.... graze constantly, if you can. You can find raw granolas and other snack foods at health food stores such as Whole Foods Market.

One more mention about the Tree of Life: if you're having blood sugar issues, definitely watch the RAW Reversing Diabetes movie. It was amazing the results their raw diet achieved. I'm discovering there are little groups of raw people here and there, and some of them do screenings of that movie or do other presentations. I found some great raw / vegan groups through MeetUp.

Good luck to you !!!

[emeadow]

Thanks for the info Funchy. I will try and see if I can get my hands on that movie. I had looked around a bit for it before (library..), but its been mentioned enough I probably should make a full effort to see it.

My calories are doing better, and my weight has stayed exactly the same for about 5 plus days now (which is much better then before). I am probably averaging between 1450 - 1550 calories, but still have to concentrate pretty hard to do that. If I get busy, I am playing catch up in the evenings.

I am craving grapefruit like crazy at the moment. Not sure if that is a 'real' craving, or sugar, <shrug>. Be nice if I would crave something green. Be nice if I could find organic white grapefruit around here rather then red. If I am going to be on a whining rant, be nice if kale tasted like pineapple.

Still 100% raw, but now that I am starting to settle in, and the newness and most of the change/detox side effects have worn off....I need to push more to stay on track long term. I truly want to see what happens after a full 30 days, maybe longer, but I do miss some of my prior foods quite a bit. I am leaning on the fact that I want a proper first hand evaluation of the raw diet, more then I need open food choices for two more weeks.

Off to peel a grapefruit...

[emeadow]

Well, I am heading into day 17.

Food wise, not a ton of change up. Probably eating a bit more fruit, my hunger is really kicking in lately, and I have been having to bring a lot more food to work to make it through the day. Digestion wise, there has been small improvement each day, still not 100%, but not falling backwards at all.

I had an odd occurrence. I now like bananas. After not eating them for as long as I can remember, not even really liking their smell even, suddenly a few days ago I just picked one up and said I am going to eat this, and did. I cannot say I am 100% sold on banana's yet, I don't see me eating them mixed into anything, such as in smoothies, but as a mono meal, I am starting to actually like them (even a very slight craving)

The one major problem I am having at the moment is my mental energy and balance. Prior to this challenge, my motivation and drive was starting to fade a bit. Over the last two weeks on raw, it has just super plummeted. Its almost like the problem I had to a slight degree before this challenge, has just been amplified ten fold. I am not saying it is the raw, but it is frustrating when I have other things I would like to be accomplishing right now. The last 24 hours I have been super irritable, just downright grouchy. I have had moments of great need to be around people, and others where I would just rather hide in a room.

My main issue with this situation, is trying to decipher what is emotional detox, and what is not. The motivation and procrastination is driving me batty, and I don't know if I need to back off and just focus 100% on raw at the moment, or if his is just an obstacle put in front of me for a reason. Part of my biggest concern is work, I really cannot afford to remain stagnant much longer, so likely I need to just push forward. Would love a shot of super focus for a day, where my mind would stop wandering to every other subject then what I need to concentrate on.

Might do some research on yin and yang balance, I remember Steve chatting about feeling very creative but not very productive and moving forward in one of his food challenges, too light or what have you. My food choices may just be enhancing a previous struggle I have always had. Just need to buck it up and get through this me thinks.

[emeadow]

Well, I have been quiet for a few days, been slightly 'emotional', I can only guess that it is being brought up by the detox effect. Sometimes angry, sometimes depressed, and overall not real motivated. Tried to spend some time relaxing, not focusing on the 'details' of the diet, and doing some meditation to work through them.

Feeling better as I roll into the weekend, but still a little frustrated that my gastric symptoms are not resolving. I am doing this fast in hopes of helping my candida problems. I can keep them under reasonable control with a low carb higher protein diet, I wanted to see if a raw diet would have a more 'permanent' effect on the condition. Right now, improvement has stalled.

I am still consuming some fruit, but overall, my sugar intake levels stay pretty low. I eat on average 1-2 grapefruits, a bit of lemon, cup or so of berries, and maybe a banana or one other piece of fruit in the course of a day. Everything else would be low starch veggies, a tomato or two, and avocado. I include a lot of spinach, some kale, and usually mixed spring greens several times a day, mostly in the form of smoothies or juice to aid digestion. Things have improved from where I was the first week, but seemed to have stalled. I am almost tempted to take a couple days and do a veggie juice fast. At minimum, I will continue for the next couple days like I did yesterday, which was very light solid meals, and a large amount of veggie juice.

Weight wise, I have really stabilized no matter what calories I am taking in. I started at 111 lbs, and am holding at 105-106 for over a week. So in 20 days, lost 6lbs. That said, I am toning up really well, and still losing fat percentage. I probably average around 1300 calories the last few days as I have been less gung ho to try to eat more, but I am not dropping drastic weight to make me feel 'scared'. Might have slowed my metabolism down, but frankly, I eat all day, am hungry, and my energy is fine.

I am working out 3-4 days a week, not super intense, but I am extremely surprised at how much muscle/tone I am developing. So even if I am short on calories, my body seems to be super utilizing everything I am consuming. I am probably working out less then I was the two months prior, but improving faster. I would say some of this improvement is just related to the fact I have been exercising consistently now for several months, but there are some things that must be related to the food I am consuming. For example, this month I have done more running then anything else. Almost no strength or upper body workouts at all, yet my upper body tone development continues to make far greater strides then I would have ever expected. Granted, I am taking into account that visibly I am losing body fat percentage, but these seem to be beyond just appearance. I have a general idea of some of my abilities pre trial, I will test them at the end to see if I have made drastic improvement (such as number of pull ups I can do or something along those lines)

Energy wise, still doing well. Even with lack of motivation and the depressed feelings, I have maintained a good deal of physical energy each day. Sleep wise, nothing really changing there.

So trucking along, I am 2/3rds complete with this trial. I see no problems with me completing the 30 days at this point, mentally, I am determined to see this through. I am starting to think I might need longer then 30 days to realize more results since it has taken a long time for my body to transition, but I will approach that subject when I get there.

[emeadow]

So its day 23, I am still 100% raw with zero mistakes, and today I feel like I am at a crossroads.

So far, after 3 weeks, I am definitely getting weary of dealing with the constant digestive unrest. I had hoped the act of just going raw with low fruit would help balance out my candida issues, but alas, it just is not working.

I did a lot of research on alkaline and acid balance, fats and candida, ect, so I went into this trial with as open a mind as I could to try a new angle, maybe shake up my past beliefs. The fact I had only brought my candida to a bearable level in the past, I was hoping this could be more of a permanent correction.

So far, it looks like raw might be a positive direction, but I would need to go low sugar raw for at minimum 2-3 weeks to make this work. I tried all sorts of angles to improve my digestion, eating only low sugar fruits (berries, grapefruit, lemon) or positive digestion ones (papaya, pineapple...). I ate all my fruit as mono meals on an empty stomach, and 80-90% of my veggies are consumed in the form of smoothies or juiced as the extra fiber seemed difficult to digest. I really cut back my variety the last week, testing different items to see if I could find any particular triggers. I exercised, have done lots of yoga and stretches, and have really tried to help everything along as best I could with meditation and positive mantras. I did avoid supplements and anti fungals, as I wanted this trial to be really just about the foods I was eating.

So where am I at?

Physically, my energy is fairly good, sleep needs are about average. I am frustrated with the constant bloating and discomfort, and the fact I work in an office building and a cubicle all day really doesn't help my choices. A round of colonics would likely be best, but financially not possible right now.

Mentally, I am dealing with two ends of the spectrum. Over the last week, I am experiencing some great progress in my clarity on a couple subjects, a real sense of coming to peace and understanding. This has been great, I feel VERY positive about the direction I am heading. On the flip side, my focus and ability to implement plans is at rock bottom. I am all over the place, all day long. This lack of focus/busy mind is not a new problem, but seems to have been super amplified while on raw.

So what do I do now?

Overall, I cannot continue on my current meal plan, that is obvious. So I am finishing up some leftover fruit today, and then no more sugars.

I am juggling three choices.
-Finish my last 7 days with just veggies again and no fruit (initial reaction is a cringe)
-Do a juice fast, veggie juice only, low sugar, for the remainder of the trial
-Do the raw veggies meal plan, but start adding in some cooked protein maybe once a day (essentially ending my 100% raw challenge)

The juice fast actually sounds appealing, but my schedule and work this week makes it improbable. I might be able to take some time off and do a 7+ day fast in mid July.

Adding in a bit of cooked food would mostly be to ground my energy a bit to see if I can get some focus back, and keep calories up. This lack of focus is really taking its toll, especially on my progress with the 'eliminate the day job' project.

So my crossroads has arrived.

I am finding that raw is very intriguing, and I would like to do the 100% version for a longer period later on, experimenting with more variables. Right now though, with my current job situation (which will be fixed soon), mental balance, candida problems, ect, I am not quite ready for an extended period. I will be carrying a high percentage of raw into my meal plans after this, there is no doubt about that. Visually, I see myself increasing this percentage farther down my path, but right now, raw 100% to me is still just a detox.

I have some thinking to do today. I want to make the best decision for my peace of mind and my body. I really want to accomplish the full 30 days I set out to achieve, but I want to make sure I continue 100% raw because it benefits me, and not because I am bull headed about a challenge

[goodsamaritan]

I did raw vegan for 60 days. malnutrition

I did raw fruitarian for 60 days. malnutrition

I did raw paleo diet: raw fruit, raw vegs, raw animal food and have been doing so for 1.5 years. It's the BEST! I found out I was human, a true raw omnivore.

What is raw paleo diet? http://www.curemanual.com/diet-strategies

[emeadow]

Originally Posted by goodsamaritan

I did raw paleo diet: raw fruit, raw vegs, raw animal food and have been doing so for 1.5 years. It's the BEST! I found out I was human, a true raw omnivore.

I have done raw fish (tuna and salmon) in my raw diet about 3 times I think in the last 3 weeks. After a few long workouts, I just couldn't handle the protien cravings. It wasn't in my initial gameplan. This really helped me get through the trial. Outside of raw fish, I have not researched or looked into any other raw meats.

Maybe I should consider a 4th option, which would be to stay raw, still remove the fruits, but add in raw meat protiens to the mix. Hrmmm. Will add that to my considerations today. Thanks!

[Lena Carpenter]

Originally Posted by emeadow

I have done raw fish (tuna and salmon) in my raw diet about 3 times I think in the last 3 weeks. After a few long workouts, I just couldn't handle the protien cravings. It wasn't in my initial gameplan. This really helped me get through the trial. Outside of raw fish, I have not researched or looked into any other raw meats.

Maybe I should consider a 4th option, which would be to stay raw, still remove the fruits, but add in raw meat protiens to the mix. Hrmmm. Will add that to my considerations today. Thanks!

I would be really interested to know the results, if you were to choose this option!

[Wildside]

Originally Posted by goodsamaritan

I did raw vegan for 60 days. malnutrition

I did raw fruitarian for 60 days. malnutrition

I did raw paleo diet: raw fruit, raw vegs, raw animal food and have been doing so for 1.5 years. It's the BEST! I found out I was human, a true raw omnivore.

What is raw paleo diet? http://www.curemanual.com/diet-strategies

So goodsamaritan, you actually have been eating raw meat for 1.5 years? That's freaky...although deep down I kind of instinctively feel it would probably be really good for me, I could never see myself wolfing down raw meat. How did you transition into it? I think I could do raw eggs and maybe fish (sushi) but that is about it. I wonder if a diet of raw fruit and veg with raw eggs would be a good diet? I've never been able to stick to a raw fruit and veg diet alone, I can do raw fruit and veg with cooked meat though. But After reading some of that site I am interested in trying a raw diet with some raw eggs and fish. emeadow definitly write about it if you try adding some raw meat to your diet...very interesting...

[emeadow]

Quick update....still raw, decided to go for the Low carb version of the raw diet with more raw proteins mixed in.

Lots of veggies all day (green smoothie for breakfast, green juice for snacks, salad for lunch), a couple avocados spread throughout the day, a raw egg in the AM, and a few pieces of raw fish this evening.

Need to do some research on the raw meats, variety, and the finer points around that. I really try to be particular about my meat choices now (I buy a lot from small local farms, or research my sources as best I can), but adding raw into the equation makes me want to think about it even more.

Too early to tell any real changes of course, but still a good amount of energy as before, and mentally, my mind is super busy (both in good and the same bad directions). Will take a few days to see if my digestive track gets in order.

I was craving sugars quite a bit today, which tells me that removing the fruit was probably a good idea.

While I only have 6 days left in the 'official' trial, if this goes well, I may continue this a bit longer to get a better evaluation of my changes. This path is feeling better to me in general, I cannot put it all into words, but I don't feel like I am forcing myself this way, and the thought of going longer then 30 days does not feel stressful to me.

(I do find it amusing this is my first trial of raw foods for myself, considering I switched my cats to all raw almost 7 years ago)

[Alexi]

Right on. I'm going to try all raw soon. Keep goin!

[emeadow]

Ugh is the word of the day....super die off reactions. I have dealt with detox symptoms on and off all month, and those just don't compare to yeast die off reactions for me. Intense fatigue, stomach upset, major brain fog, its hard to even keep my eyes open right now. Have not had them this bad in a several years, so I threw myself for a loop this month.

The fruit was not the way to go I see, at least not for me, my current mental and physical state, my current beliefs....all in all, fruit is plain and simple too much sugar (and I did not even add that much in). Maybe a different approach in the future would be to enter the raw trial with a period of 8-12 weeks of super low carb/low sugar cooked diet first, then maintain raw in a veggie/nut version for 2-4 weeks, and then gradually add in fruit later on. I was not at a super carb restricted diet entering this raw challenge, I had a small amount of problems, so my hopes that an alkaline diet alone would balance things out did not work (or does not work in 3-4 weeks of course).

But, at least now I know what is truly best for me right now.

Today is day 27, I am toying with the idea of starting to add in cooked foods. I do not see major changes that will happen in 4 days that will offer me enlightenment, and of course, in my current mental state, going longer then 30 days is hard to imagine. Its hard to make a decision when you feel like this. Tomorrow, I might feel totally different.

As a note, I have not done anything other then a couple raw eggs, and a bit of raw fish in the last three days, so not overly 'primal' so to speak.

I packed my food up for the day to stay raw, so I am going to just clear my mind as much as I can and keep trucking along. Off to work.

(edit: its day 26, not 27. Brain fog in action. Better triple check my work today)

[emeadow]

I feel like I am on a super roller coaster right now. Looking over my last few days of posts, I am all over the board.

Last half of yesterday and this morning I felt utterly terrible. This afternoon, I feel super energized. Two days ago I could see myself going another week plus after my 30 days, today I am going to throttle someone for cooked food.

I cannot figure out which end is up anymore. BAH