So Tired - fighting illnesses?

Hello!

I am noticing that I am having some problems dragging myself out of bed in the morning and I thought I would ask those more experienced in this diet for pointers. I am supplementing with B12 and few other supplements, and have been on a raw vegan diet 70% since August and 100% (oops, minus tea) since around the last week of September. When I first switched to the diet, the improvement in my energy levels were amazing! I'm still better than before the diet, and my lupus has been steadily improving, but I noticed my energy levels are dropping. I've also got a few blemishes - nothing major. Could I still be detoxing? I seem to be craving green smoothies and juices. The flu has been around my office and I've been exposed daily. I'm convinced that if I wasn't on this diet, I would have been sick by now. Could I just be tired from my body doing all this extra work to keep me healthy?

I've also just started sprouting and have included a variety of sprouts daily. Does this lead to detoxing?

I'm fairly knowledgeable about and supplementing, but am obviously new to raw (and veganism for that matter). So I have a LOT to learn still. Have people noticed that the longer they are on raw, the more they react to chemicals (perfumes) and what not in the environment?

Any ideas? Any suggestions for energy boosting foods? I've been taking spirulina, ginger, and cacao from time to time.

My morning shake, which actually was pretty decent considering what I put in it, consisted of (too many ingredients?):

2 bananas

2 cups spinach

1 tsp spirulina

1 tbs maca (hoping for hormone balance - have had problems from lupus)

1/2 cup raspberries

1 cup broccoli sprouts

1 cup coconut water

1/4 cup hemp seeds

My snacks are fruit, lunch is a salad, and I juice in the evening and snack on dulse and "bread" made from pumpkin, sprouted millet, sprouted quinoa, and dates.

Thanks!

Cami

http://healingfromlupus.blogspot.com

Comments

  • camiheartsrawcamiheartsraw Raw Newbie

    I'm feeling better and less discouraged today. I cut back on the ingredient count this morning and decided to simplify things a bit. I think I'm fighting whats going around the office and my lovely immune system is also turning on my body - which is what normally happens when I get exposed to stuff. I haven't gotten what's floating around and have been exposed to the swine flu several times, and I have to give raw food credit! I'm sure I would have caught several things by now without it. Yay.

    I think every once in a while I just need to give myself a pep talk :)

    http://healingfromlupus.blogspot.com

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    pep talks are great. I too was around my boss who had the swine flu. I haven't gotten sick yet and hope not to. There are tons of things that can lead to detox. And from what i've learned there are stages of detox, where your body can go into a deep level of detox which if very tiring, usually discomfortable, etc because your body is healing itself. A healing crisis if you will. I think you're definitely on the right track with everything. I myself have gotten to the 75% raw point, and will stay here for awhile, until I am ready for the next level of detox/healing/health. So congrats on your process! I am lucky because I have full faith in it's abilities and have been around the block enough to know that this lifestyle, is natural, real and the best for my human body. I have no doubt. I know any hardships I come to, are part of the process, and I will trust my body through it, to see me through.

  • Cami,

    I don't know much about Lupus. But, when I am "fighting something off" I get really tired. IMHO, the best things you can do is eat healthy, get PLENTY of rest, and moderate exercise (if your condition allows it of course).

    If I don't get enough sleep, I tend to catch whatever is going around.

    Your "bread" sounds awesome, by the way.

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Is it late-day tiredness too, or just morning? Personally I wonder if you're eating enough in a day to sustain energy. But definitely as your diet becomes cleaner and more natural/organic you will notice things like smells more keenly.

    As for the detox question, I think Matt Monarch has written a lot about this, and how sometimes detox should be measured in years, not months. Not the greatest news ever, but there you go.

  • Hey Cami - I'm trying to get well from Addison's Disease, another autoimmune related disorder, and I definitely have major ups and downs, more so than most raw foodies. I think some of it is related to detox, but I definitely think that people like us are way more sensitive to flu bugs and environmental influences. We either under-react or over-react (or both!) when our bodies are trying to fight something. But the less crap we give it to deal with, the better!

    Good luck on your healing journey and I look forward to reading your blog! I started one too but have been pretty bad at keeping up with it. You've inspired me to give it some attention! So, thanks for that ;)

    Dana

    http://82pounds.wordpress.com/

  • camiheartsrawcamiheartsraw Raw Newbie

    Well, it turned out there was really something really wrong! I had c. difficile and cryptosporidium. I took anti-protozoals for the cryptosporidium but it didn't address the c. difficile and I ended up in the hospital with colitis and a high temp (not something that would likely happen with a normal immune system - and they don't understand why I got c. difficile in the first place with no antibiotics after testing clear). I just did a big round of antibiotics and florastor to treat the c. difficile and am hoping my health holds up. I fell off the raw food wagon when I got sick - I was so nauseated I was just eating whatever sounded good that I could get a lot of calories from in a small amount. I just couldn't imagine eating the textures and volume raw requires. I'm slowly coming around - I'm mostly vegan again and probably 50-70% raw. I'll probably stay some cooked, some raw and do a slow transition this time. I want the benefits of raw, but need to listen to being tired and needing to do what is easy (but still healthy) some times.

    I hope to start blogging again this week but between being really sick and then the holidays, it'll be a stretch :)

     

Sign In or Register to comment.