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had to go back to cooked - can someone help?

Hi everyone,

I've been raw over 3 years but the past fortnight whenever I've eaten ANYTHING raw, seriously anything, I'm crippled in pain so bad I think I might die. I've also mostly been sick after eating raw which hasn't really helped the pain but dulls it a little. It then lasts for about 1-2 hours until it passes and I'm ok again. I'm just not able to eat a thing raw just now. However, this doesn't happen when I eat cooked. My husband thought it might help so I tried some cooked food and lo and behold no pain at all. I've been having to eat cooked for 2 weeks now and have still experimented with raw here and there to see if whatever it was has gone but so far it hasn't.

Really at a loss as to what this is all about. Worried I've seriously damaged my digestion somehow?

Has anyone experienced this?

I've googled and found quite a lot of people that can't eat raw fruit/veg without discomfort but they're not obviously raw.

Not sure what to do really...

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Comments

  • Ive expirienced almost the same, Once I had such terrible pain in my stomach that I couldnt move, I think it was due to eating to much raw cauliflour. I got really bloated and had gas. Id say eat cooked veggies and cooked grains, and fresh fruit. I feel better on cooked quinoa than raw beans etc. If you dont get pain eating cooked, eat cooked, Whats the point eating raw, when all your getting sick. You need to digest it properly to get nutrients, if you cant there is no point, Eat healthy whole foods. :) Be Happy

  • I finally came to a conclusion, that I wasnt feeling good eating some raw foods, like raw sprouts etc. The only thing I can digest raw are fruits, I felt that just eating raw fruit every day, made me get severe gas and bloating and wasnt much variety and different nutriens, I feel better mixing healthy cooked veggies and quinoa or mung beans etc. I soak the mung beans first though.

  • Thanks that's really helpful. I know it sounds odd wanting to eat something that's obviously not agreeing with my body but I'll just be so upset if I can't eat raw because it makes me feel amazing (ok apart from now obviously).

    The last couple of weeks I've had all the crappy things that go with eating cooked and I'm sad cos I know how good I can feel.

    I guess I'm just hoping that it's something temporary. Until I get better I'm going to have to stick with cooked, it's either that or starve really.

    The fact that I've experimented with a few things is what's freaking me out about it almost to the point of wondering whether it's now a mental thing :) Basic salad greens and tomatoes are probably the most simple thing I've had and it really, really hurt. I've not had gas or bloating, it's as if it doesn't even get to that stage. It goes down, hurts a lot then comes back up and stays sore.

    Perhaps my stomach is inflamed. Whatever it is the cooked food is not affecting so I guess I'll carry on.

    I have ordered Nature's Biotics and think i'll try upping some fermented food because (I forgot to mention this) I had some sauerkraut yesterday and no pain!

    Maybe it's a bacterial imbalance?

  • CeidrenCeidren Raw Superstar

    You were ok for three years, and then suddenly this changed? It could be that you developed an inflammatory bowel condition, but then wouldn't necessarily be limited to reacting to raw foods in most cases. Have you tried fresh juices? Maybe taking out the fiber would help you, and a diet of juices, steamed vegetables, and fermented foods would alleviate some of the bad cooked symptoms you've been having.

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    I'd be curious what type of "raw" diet you were eating prior. Please tell us, in those three years, a typical week of food.

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    i am so sorry! pain is never fun. have you been checked out by a doctor? to rule things out that might be very serious.

    raw cauliflower really hurts my stomach too. ouch. i stay away from it.

    whem my stomach hurts, the best raw foods seem to be smoothies and bananas. any luck with either? a lot of pregnant women get this way with nausea and raw foods. they can't seem to do greens much.

  • "You were ok for three years, and then suddenly this changed? It could be that you developed an inflammatory bowel condition, but then wouldn't necessarily be limited to reacting to raw foods in most cases. Have you tried fresh juices? Maybe taking out the fiber would help you, and a diet of juices, steamed vegetables, and fermented foods would alleviate some of the bad cooked symptoms you've been having"

    Yes it really is odd. It was a weekend after I'd had a lot of young fresh coconuts and I wondered whether I'd had a dodgy one that had given me some kind of tummy bug which has now developed in to something much worse? But yes, odd that it should be limited to raw food only. The cooked foods I've been having are very easy to digest so perhaps that's why? I did try a green juice a couple of days ago (altho i blended it with some avo) and literally five mins later it came back up. I could try it without the avo and see if that helps, to be honest i get a sense of cold when I think of a green juice as if my body doesn't want anything cold in it at all... could be psychological i guess. Yes i think the fact fermented food of sauerkraut had no impact is a good indicator that there's an imbalance going on perhaps.

    "I'd be curious what type of "raw" diet you were eating prior. Please tell us, in those three years, a typical week of food"

    Not sure exactly what you mean by what "type" of raw diet? No week is typical for me it varies a lot. As such I can't attribute it to any one thing other than to say it started after a case of coconuts...

    "i am so sorry! pain is never fun. have you been checked out by a doctor? to rule things out that might be very serious.

    raw cauliflower really hurts my stomach too. ouch. i stay away from it.

    whem my stomach hurts, the best raw foods seem to be smoothies and bananas. any luck with either? a lot of pregnant women get this way with nausea and raw foods. they can't seem to do greens much"

    My husband wants me to go to a doctor but I'm not so sure what they could tell me really? Yes raw cruciferous are more taxing on my system but haven't really had anything that harsh but still experienced the pain. I have done a nut milk which wasn't so bad so perhaps fluids are better in combination with the cooked. Just want to make sure I'm getting nutrition. It's so sad going back the way... I know I'm not pregnant...i think. :)

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    Sounds like you should read 80/10/10 by Douglas Graham.

  • I already have. What's that got to do with anything?

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    Sounds like every time you ate fatty foods, you had a problem.

  • No when I ate plain greens and tomatoes I had the same problem. It's not fatty foods, it's all raw foods - fruits included. I thought that was clear already from what I'd written.

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    When you had those foods individually, you had a problem, but since we have no information on what you ate the day before, the week before, 4 hours before, I don't see how we can shed any light on this whatsoever. :)

  • I agree it's impossible for you to diagnose me based on what I've been eating the last few years, weeks or months and to be honest I don't think that my "type" of raw food diet is the reason why all of a sudden I'm unable to digest raw foods but cooked ones.

    I'm fairly certain now that I have an imbalance in my intestinal flora brought about either by a virus or bug that I have caught or from some strain of food poisoning which has rendered my stomach incapable of digesting anything unless it has been turned to cooked mush.

    I have tried a variety of raw foods both individually and in combination and these all create the intense discomfort and sickness with the exception of sauerkraut and nut milk which are the only raw things I've been able to eat.

    I'm all about taking action and so I've decided I'll continue to eat cooked but will gradually up my raw % of my meal to a level that is comfortable for my body until such a time it is ok to eat a whole raw meal. Tonight I had a cooked thai curry sauce with wild rice but with the veggies only very lightly cooked for a minute or two and then I mixed in 1/2 carton of sprouted china rose. So far so good and this has made me feel better about jamming in extra nutrition where i can.

    I've ordered Nature's Biotics to up the good bacteria and help with digestion.

    I'm drinking 2-3 cups of pau d'arco each day to help eliminate any overgrowth of bad bacteria including candida.

    I'm taking a neem tincture 3 times a day - again this will help with parasites.

    I'm going to try my wild green juice tomorrow but without the avo this time. I really hope it's ok and stays down, I love my green juices!

    I'm positive that with some gentle work my body will regain it's ability to digest and assimilate raw food again.

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    I think fresh green juices are a great idea. Can I ask why you posted the thread asking for ideas why/suggestions if you thought you already had the answer?

    In any case, I'm glad you are able to keep something down, albeit non-ideal foods, but at least you're getting some nutrition!! :)

  • I posted the thread to see if anybody else had experienced the same thing.

    I didn't have the answer, sometimes talking it through with others helps you figure things out...sometimes it doesn't.

    yes nutrition is key, even if it's jammed in to cooked food for now...

  • CeidrenCeidren Raw Superstar

    I agree that it isn't the "type" of diet that was the problem here, and 811 is really not the point or the answer to every complicated medical problem people have in their stomachs. You weren't wrong at all in posting this and not wanting an ideological answer or judgment of your diet.

    I can understand why you wouldn't just go to a doctor, but if it's possible, a naturopath who has knowledge of things like raw food, parasites, candida, and natural ways of dealing with them, might be able to help you. I'm glad you've found some good herbs to take and good things to eat for now.

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    Wow, I didn't realize people were so offended that others would want more information before posting an answer. I would think that's seen as a good thing. LOL

  • CeidrenCeidren Raw Superstar

    Not everyone likes 8/11 preaching.

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    tahiti, I wish you a speedy recovery - it must be really fustrating to have to go back to cooked food after being raw for a while. Sounds like you're doing really well though.

    Best wishes. :-)

  • Thanks Ceidren and sv3 I really appreciate your comments. It's quite frustrating yes but i'm holding on to a vision of health and getting stronger rather than focusing on the temporary problem :)

    I had green juice this morning just cucumber, celery, lemon and ginger and there was a bit of discomfort and nausea but i kept it down. (not sure if neem could've caused nausea symptoms) I then had a soaked buckwheat porridge which i processed with some just boiled water and had with blueberries and that's stayed down too.

    Don't want to rush myself but that's a positive step to have had a raw breakfast!

    I'm going to try and find a naturopath. I know there are medical herbalists in the city so i could try that too.

    One day at a time. It's funny cos I always said I'd never go back to cooked, never dawned on me that i might do so but not out of actual choice :)

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    You mentioned you do fine on bananas so how about visiting Banana Island for a short while? Consume bananas and water only and then gradually start adding in other fruits and veggies one at a time. This will help you find out if it is a particular food(s) that is causing your digestive upset.

    You could also start by fasting for a couple of days first and then starting bananas and water.

    Or you could stick with eating cooked but just have a raw fruit breakfast. Once you're comfortable there, you could start raw-ifying your lunch and dinner meals. :)

    Hope that helps,

    Swayze

     

  • thanks swayze. i think it was someone else that mentioned bananas. i don't do well on bananas even before i was ill. berries with breakfast worked ok this morning plus i had some at lunch and they were ok. in terms of helping find out which foods, that would be good although as i say i ate lots of different ones all raw and had problems.

    i have considered a fast though but will see how i get on first.

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    What part of the stomach is this pain occuring in and is it right after ingestion of raw food?

    And no cooked foods set this off?

     

  • It's about 2 inches up from my belly button, right in the centre of my body I guess. It's literally five mins after ingestion that it starts and yes no cooked foods (i've tried) have set this off.

    So bizarre.

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    It sounds inflammatory but how the cooked food isnt reacting also is odd.

    Id go see what your doctor says although they arent the most helpful for digestive disorders ive found.

    Is this all raw food also? and any other signs of digestive issues other than the pain, i.e bloating, indigestion, food not digesting properly?

     

  • thanks - yes initially i thought it was gastritis (inflammed stomach) as that's what i found on the sites with people talking about not being able to digest raw veggies and fruits - self diagnosis on internet isn't a good idea :)

    i forgot to mention, this all started with burps that smelled really bad like foul eggs, then that went away after a couple of days and i was left with this.

    yeah not sure what a doctor would do, maybe i should give them benefit of doubt but pretty sure i'd walk out with a prescription for antibiotics...

    yes all raw food and no problems with cooked - no other signs, not getting the food in far enough for it to cause bloating. guess the being sick is a form of indigestion, no problems with stools but that's cooked food that's got all the way through...

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    Id keep an eye on how it progresses, i had similar when my digestion was bad on cooked food i.e the burps and fermented foods such as water kefir, cultured veggies which repopulate your good bacteria helped big time, along with digestive bitters on the back of the tongue before meals stimulate the vagus nerve to release stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile secretion whilst cleansing the liver.

     

  • thanks so much, that's really helpful. i've still got some sauerkraut left but will make some more tomorrow. what are digestive bitters?

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    digestive bitters are bitter herbs it doesnt matter if there in a formula or its just a single bitter herb. They must come in contact with the back of the tongue which is where the bitter receptors are located. They do what i said in the post above, you must up your water intake as they do cleanse the liver effectivley.

    Watch store bought sauerkraut and kefir as most of the good bacteria are gone during processing, if you have made it yourself then fire on:).

     

  • thanks. i just learned how to make it and it came out pretty good so i'm quite pleased.

    can you give examples of the bitter herbs?

    thanks again for your help! :)

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