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rawpretzela
Raw Newbie
Hello, I'm a 17 year old christian girl and I have been a raw vegan for 4 months, the thing is that I haven't been feeling really good, I feel like I will die soon, I don't know why!!! I've been feeling weak, and not really strong, I don't know if I have been doing raw veganism right, but I'm thinking to quit it and I really really REALLY don't want to, I'm very sad and most of all... I'm really scared, I mean I'm still a teen and I feel like I won't have enough energy at school and I'm scared to even faint.. I've been really sad today and don't know what to do, being christian is very important to me and I feel like I have been doing something bad to myself even though I know this is the best for me, but every day is harder and harder because I'm the only one raw vegan even vegan in my family and living here in Mexico don't facilitate at all being this way there are really few healthy stores where I can find all this products and I've tried at the Internet but there isn't shipping to Mexico. Please give me your advice and help me. Thanks...
Comments
one only thing i can think of is that your iron is low. you have to eat a lot of greens to keep your iron up on the raw diet. try to get your blood tested for stored ferritin. in the meantime, either take an iron supplement or add some beans into your diet. and get to a doctor!
what's your diet like. that will help us figure out what's wrong. it sounds like a nutrient deficiency, like iron, as bitt suggested. part of it could also be you are having cleansing reactions.
Can you describe what you do eat? Like an example of your daily intake? You may not be eating enough calories, or as bitt mentioned- not enough iron. I know most raw vegans do not have a problem with getting enough protein- but I disagree that it is not possible to be protein deficient. If you are only doing fruit with some greens and feeling sick- try adding some nuts or seeds. Possibley beans as bitt mentioned. Or possibly you are relying too heavily on fats and nuts? It depends on what kind of raw vegan diet you have been following.
One can be vegan and eat raw and be healthy. But, if it is not working for you, please pick your health over either. I would suggest going back to eating some cooked foods that are healthy until you find out how to safely adjust to all raw vegan so it is healthy for you.
Also to consider- where you high raw before? Where you vegan before? If you where eating your SAD before, and suddenly switched to raw vegan this may be too much of a shock to your system. IF this is the case (four months ago you where mostly eating meat and potatoes) I would suggest going back to eating a little lean meats or dairy in your diet until you figure out what the problem is. Instead of burgers and fries- have some fish or chicken and a salad. If that transition works for you slowly go vegan.
If you where vegan before- than just add some cooked brown rice and beans, some steamed veggies or baked sweet potatoes to your diet and see if that helps. If that works, then slowly transition to all raw.
Also- see your doctor. Please.
Thanks very much, really. Well my diet is mainly fruits, greens and a little nuts and seeds. I do eat a LOT of fruits, like all morning sometimes dates and some nuts like almonds or flaxseed but I don't eat much of them. Then I eat a big salad with greens, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, apples, etc.. After that probably I would eat fruit for the rest of the day unless I eat some almond butter with apples or some dates. I used to be vegan but it was just for about 3 months, then I switched to raw vegan and I know it will sound terrible but I know that if I'm deficient in something when making my blood test my mother won't let me be a vegan anymore and probably even prohibit. I do take some iron pills since I became raw vegan so probably I guess I'm not having enough calories or protein. Thanks a lot for your help, I guess I have to make some changes then...
It's possible you aren't getting enough calories to support your activity level. Do you know what your caloric intake is?
Also it could be that you need to eat your heavier meals in the morning to sustain your energy during the day.
I pretty much agree with Sisterbecky. I'm wondering if adding some cooked brown rice or quinoa would be worthwhile until you can get set with a raw plan that's healthier for you. Sweet potatoes are an awesome suggestion too.
Have you kept a food journal to track what you're eating? Might be helpful to record what you eat, when, and write down how you felt/how your body reacted during the day. Then as you change things up you can find out what keeps you centered and sane.
I can't help you with the religious guilt, sorry! Maybe this will http://www.jesusveg.com
Thanks a lot for everyone's response!! I've been feeling way better now, actually I feel very energetic and most of all happy!!! THANKSS
Pretzela,
Glad to hear you are feeling better. Teen years are tough emotionally and physically. Now that you are feeling better, you may want to take the time to explore your emotional and spiritual side a bit more. Your original post sounded very desperate. You sound much better now, and it might be a good time to look into your religious guilt issues and saddness. Down times are part of normal life. But, sometimes they are also a hint that we need deeper emotional work. Eating healthy is only part of your overall health. Emotional health is very important too, so don't ignore it if it's still an issue.
I was feeling the same way and through the advice of my nutritionist she suggested black strap molasses as a excellent source of iron and should be taken on an ongoing basis, and as you know anemia is such a common condition with vegans. . Maybe you should get some expert advice from someone that has a background in nutrition those people are worth their weight in gold.