need serious advice

MonsieurReality

so…almond butter has been with me since the beginning of my raw journey. It has been a nourishing and satisfying partner to say the least, however, I find that I have steadily been eating more and more and more of it the past month or two. Like serious overeating of it…half a jar easily in one sitting…I include other raw fats in my diet so I can’t imagine my body needs more fats…it worries me that I feel the compulsion to eat such large quantities at a time…i want to attribute it to the mounting stress from school (my final semester, and a 60 page thesis paper to finish, as well as pressure from family since I would be the first kid in my family to graduate; my older brother wasn’t very successful and my twin sister has always performed poorly in school)

is it just stress though? ideas are more than welcomed, they are needed

thanks gone raw community, you all have been important teachers for me

angie207

Almonds are good sources of calcium and other nutrients besides just fat, and stress can definitely increase the need for nutrients and calories! I have learned not to worry about “overeating” of a certain food. I have gone through several periods like you describe, with different foods, over the last 3 years. Tons of bananas for a couple of months, nothing but green salads and chocolate-avocado pies for a week or more, whatever “weird” thing it is, I have learned that as I listen to my body (eat what I am feeling the need to eat), then my body gets what it needs and I move on. I used to get worried, then I realized as I did research that I had been craving the foods that had nutrients I had been low in. After that, I had other people worry about me, or tell me I wasn’t getting a balanced diet, but I have learned to trust the process, and if it happens now, I just go Wow – I must need something that is in that food! And I am grateful and think it’s cool that my body is able to let me know what to feed it.

Satchy

As a fellow college student I can relate to feeling stressed when it comes to school work. But one thing I’d say is that studying requires the brain to use energy, therefore burning calories, hence causing me to feel hungry (like I need a little nosh). So perhaps you are just burning your brain too hard. :)

But if you feel it’s stress, some stress busters I like are exercise (running/yoga/tennis), blasting my favorite music like there is no tomorrow, or doing something creative to release some pent up energy. Hiking does wonders too for my sanity when exams are up to the wahoo.

I’d highly recommend teas (if you venture that way). I’ve been drinking yerba mate lately. Calming teas are awesome too.

The drink kombucha is great too. I make my own, which is rather inexpensive to do.

I’m sure if you just find a way to release all that undue stress from school life will be swell. Try to get a variety of foods into your diet and maybe take out a portion of almond butter when you eat it ;).

Well perhaps you can find some useful information somewhere in this. I’d best stop trying to stall and head back to studying for my organic chemistry exam myself.

Best of luck to you in school.

angie207

Yeah, about stress – I forgot to mention that B vitamins are quickly depleted during stress, so a good quality B-complex (multiple B vitamins) supplement can help, too.

I am in school, too, and walking is also a lifesaver for me :)

pianissima

i love your post angie. i really hear you. i’ve really had to be “unconcerned” with what i seem to want at any given time. be humbled to it.

monsieurrealityisolate why your are worried. are you putting on weight? are you feeling physically bad? if it’s just an intellectual “i shouldn’t eat this much” kind of thing, that’s externally-created, and something i would generally be wary of. if of course you are waking up with a stomach ache every morning then i’d cut back. but if you are doing ok with it, why is it a problem?

best of luck on your exams… back to work, not more procrastinating on goneraw. =)!