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Did anyone else feel like this?

Hi! I’m Lauri from New Mexico. I was content with the idea of solely being an observer of the goings-on at this site; but a fellow blogger and Gone Raw member, rediscoverrawfood, suggested that I speak up and ask for advice.

I am 26 years old. I decided go 100% raw after realizing that the physical fatigue I experience daily may not be normal. I considered myself to be pretty healthy as I gave up red meat several years ago and only ate white meat 1 or 2 times a week . I did, and still do, exercise daily. I decided to give up all meat and dairy about 2 months ago, and then after no results, I gave up cooked food. It has been almost 3 weeks.

I realize that is not a lot of time being off cooked food, and everybody experiences changes on a different time-line, but I still wake up every morning feeling groggy as if I’ve only slept a few hours. I need an afternoon nap and my 2 days a week of strength training has evolved (de-volved, perhaps) into deep breathing and stretching aka sleeping while standing. At work I am a complete zombie; my legs are tired by walking the one flight of stairs to my apartment; and if I do a little reading before I go to work or during my lunch break I will most definitely fall asleep.

I had some blood work done, but it’ll be 2 or 3 more weeks until I see my doctor to go over the results. I am afraid that she will tell me that I’m just depressed. I find it difficult to believe that depression can have such a physical presence, but if this is what it is, I won’t be in denial about it.

I am just concerned that I’ve made so many changes in my diet, but I don’t feel the least bit better. I drink green smoothies every day and even though I can’t really afford it, almost all the produce I buy is organic. I don’t cheat. I really am 100% raw. But I still feel terrible, and yet no worse than before.

Will it get better? Thank you all for listening.

Comments

  • Japan Love, I am exactly where you are. I’ve been raw for a bit longer than three weeks [since april 1st with an exception for a few weeks while i was on a road trip.. toward the end we ran out of money so we had to eat vegan cooked food..] I wake up every morning EXHAUSTED.. i barely stay awake in class.. and i almost always need a nap. if i try to read, ill fall asleep. i run daily and lift weights for about 25 minutes and i do about an hour of yoga daily.. i don’t know what to do. how could i be feeling so poorly? i’m eating enough protein.. and that’s the only thing i could think of someone telling me i might be missing out.

    i’m hoping some others reply to this post..

  • Morning_theftMorning_theft Raw Newbie

    Do you get enough sleep? I only feel refreshed if I sleep exactly as much as my body wants, even if it means a late morning (which always feels like a wasted day, I know) Also, do you eat a lot of sugar? If you have sugar crashes, it could lower your energy levels quite a bit.

  • I have a friend with similar conditions as yours and she had her vitamin D levels checked and found out she was WAY deficient. After her checkup, the dr. and nurse had theirs tested because its not a routine thing that they do and BOTH of them we also deficient. My friend is vegan (so am I) and was tested for that reason, but the dr. and nurse were NOT, but still deficient. Anyway, since taking her prescription of vitamin D for several weeks, she has had more energy. Not like a TON, but definetly better than she was. Anyway, something to think about…

  • stylistchickstylistchick Raw Newbie

    the first few weeks for me were full of ups and downs. i felt like i needed a nap at about 3 every day. now, its been 2 months and i’m feeling really leveled out. i go to sleep around 12 and i’m up by 8. i don’t know if you are eating sprouted grains, but you might try cutting all wheat out, just do flax seed instead. also i’ve recently started taking noni, its a fruit from hawaii, i take it in a dehydrated powder form with my smoothies, and whoa! this stuff really works, and works fast. you only need about 1/4 of a teaspoon a couple times a day, or you can try more if you like. it is basically a “cure-all”, among many other things, it is a serotonin inhibitor.

    also, eat lots of blueberries :)

    don’t give up on raw just yet, i really think you will feel better soon.

    good luck.

  • Hi J Love! Hve you been eating any beets? They are really good for building the blood. It sounds like you need a couple of key vitamins. Since I do not know exactly what you eat except smoothies, I would guess it’s b vitamins. A b complex supplement should help. B3 is in peanuts and greens: A niacin deficiency causes pellagra, a disease that is characterized by red, rough skin, weakness, loss of appetite, and digestive disturbances. If left untreated, pellagra can be fatal.

    vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin.

    Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.100% of your B6 is in 3 bananas, a cup and a half of garbanzo beans or 10 avocados- to give you an idea.

    B1- from green peas- A thiamin deficiency leads to beriberi, a debilitating and potentially fatal disease. “Dry beriberi” is characterized by numbness, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, and disorders of the nervous system. “Wet beriberi” causes fluid accumulation and can lead to heart failure.

    The other thing that could help would be seaweed for the iodine if you have switched to sea salt from iodized salt. If you are eating a lot of broccoli, and cauliflower you could switch to zucchini, eggplant, carrot, celery, etc because the cruciferous vegies can inhibit thyroid function. Up your intake of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds for the zinc which may be depleted if you have been under a lot of stress. Pumpkin pie or soup would be a good thing for you to try.

    The other thing is to stop eating soy products if you are still eating them. They interfere with your thyroid, female hormones, etc. I got really messed up from eating soy all the time. I hope you feel better!

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Hi, Here are a few questions/ideas that might help…I wish you well :) Good foods should not make us sick, poor foods will :) Hang in there, maybe it’s detox? It comes in waves and is different for everyone, but it’s also good that you are checking out your health…

    1. Are you pregnant? That is how I felt when I was pregnant.

    2. Are you eating too much fat daily, which can cause you to be sluggish? (avocados, olives, oil, nuts, seeds) See book Raw Truth on that topic.

    3. Have you tried young coconuts in your diet? I drink young coconut water when I feel tired, sipping it over ice, using the meat in the next smoothie or freezing the meat until I can use it…it gives me an even level of energy.

    4. How much fruit are you consuming? Could you be taking in too much sugar? Fruits are sugar too :)

    5. Did you consume caffeine drinks before and now you don’t? Wonder if it’s withdrawal?

    6. Have you tried Brewer’s Yeast (sorry, not sure if that’s raw or not, probably not, but please read on)? I know a guy who had similar symptoms and had severe depression! He started taking brewer’s yeast powder before going to bed and immediately felt better, I mean the next morning whamo, he felt better, especially with his depression. If he stops taking it, he eventually starts feeling that way again. I believe that’s the B-12…you want B-12 to be bacterial B-12 so it can be on a cellular level, not just blood level. Lately he’s been into green smoothies everyday and young coconuts, the change is amazing…so keep on trying different things to see what works for you. Don’t give up :)

    By the way, on your blog, you made me laugh out loud! I have to agree with you when it comes to items in raw food restaurants: If it’s called a burger, I expect it to taste like a burger. If it’s called carrot cake, it better taste and have the same texture as real carrot cake. If they called it nutty pate on a tortilla-like soft cracker, maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more. LOL!!! We are the same way, guess our expectations of the tastebuds are set too high when we hear it called something that is directly referred to a food in the SAD diet ;) I’d rather know what I’m going to eat and eat it without comparing it to the old SAD food. Although I must admit, a lot of the recipes on this site are spot on and delicious, so I can trust what I am trying out from goneraw.com and if it says carrot cake, more than likely it will taste like carrot cake :)

    writeeternity…where do you get your sage advice? It is fantastic and I’d love to know what books you use for your symptoms/treatments? Can you please tell me what books you love for those references? It’d be great to have them here so I can read them and pass on such great advice to friends locally :)

  • Hi Rawmama! Thank you for the compliment. I don’t have any references right now just stabbing in the dark. I do want to study more though and find some good references for myself.I do try to fact check random sites on the internet though.

  • I would reccomend getting tjekked for vitamin d defiecency. Because of the oh so crappy summer here in Copenhagen, I didnt get enough sun and is defiecent in vitamin d. I have the same symptoms as you have end theyve improved/dissapeared since i started supplementing.

    I think a generel bloodtest showing vitamin and mineral content in the blood is a very good idea. Mine showed I was lacking in vit. d and b12 as I was suspecting, but the rest was super fine.

    I think its very important to tjeck your levels and supplement, especially for women. I dont know how you feel about supplements or superfoods but imho I think they are important, basically because we live very different from what were supposed to.

    I really hope everything works out for you!

  • Everyone is different. The foods that make me feel great might make you feel terrible and vice versa. I am very convinced that everyone should learn their metabolic type and eat for it – raw or otherwise. Gabriel Cousins talks about this in his book Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine. www.Mercola.com is a great resource, and Mercola advocates a high percentage of raw foods in one’s diet.

    I personally can do green smoothies, but not with sweet fruits in the morning. If I spike my blood sugar in the morning, I’m lethargic, crabby and tired. I can’t think very clearly. I can do fruit smoothies – with greens or not – for a snack in the evening, as long as there is something fatty in it as well. I do much better on a lower glycemic, high fat and protein foods.

    Mercola seemed way overboard to me at first, but my husband has THRIVED on the recommendations. He has transformed himself into the thin, happy, highly functional person that I always knew was inside him. Even after going to a high percentage of raw for 6 months, he was still moody, tired all the time, had lots of ADHD symptoms, and hard belly fat. His food ratios were sabotaging him. Not any more! He eats for a Protein metabolic type, while I’m a mixed (but protein leaning) person.

    Metabolic typing and dietary ratio adjustments would likely be an effective step for you. William Wolcott’s book on the topic is a cheap way to test yourself. You might even find it in a library for free! Its also a lot easier and less costly than trying to chase down a specific deficiency! Even if you find and correct a deficiency, out of balance ratios would likely still have you feeling yucky. Good luck!

  • I agree with you in many ways but I feel that ignoring certain defieciencys is potentially very harmfull. As rawvegans the only way we can get suffecient vitamin d is from the sun. If you spend the majority of your time indoors, or the weather is very bad and the winter long, the chance is that you may be defiecient.

    In Denmark all test/visits to the doctors/hospitals is free and I can see theres a problem if its very expensive, but somehow I think its the wrong place to save(my opinion only) Id rather be safe than sorry because you cant really do anything about ostepeorosis.

    There is also vit b12. Some think that its possible to get without supplementing, but im my case, I wasnt getting enough. Ive seen the results of severe vit b12 def. and it isnt pretty.

  • Hi Lauri.. here’s my advice for what it’s worth.. Before I started raw foods I had extreme fatigue everyday, infact it was me trying to stay awake long enough to do anything!! Imagine if you will falling asleep during a phone conversation or in a public restroom or on the bus (and frequently missing my stop by 10-15 minutes) and when I was awake I truely felt like I was made of lead and a zombie.. It was HORRIBLE. My problem was/is a condition called Sleep Apnea. It causes you to have periods of very shallow breathing, or in more severe cases like mine you will stop breathing for a period of time. I took the test and in the 6 hours of study I had 90+ episodes of my breathing completely stopping and 50+ were for a minute or more, and according to the computers I never had REM sleep and my body would sorta seizure to get me to start breathing again. They had me try a machine that is supposed to help keep me breathing during sleep, well even at full oxygen and full power I still wasn’t any better.. The doctor said I needed a surgery if I ever wanted to sleep normally. After going raw for 2 months I was getting better (I could even stay awake for the whole day AND I had energy to do things!) I still have some sleep apnea and I know it is something that will take alot of time to get over. Ok so sorry that I blabbed on.. Anyways it sounds like you might be having the same thing.. And yes I know a few vegetarians and raw fooders who suffer the same thing so it’s not just cause of the SAD diet.. I’m sure the diet makes it much worse but it also has to do with the way your air passages are formed, it’s something to look into, especially if you know that you snore in your sleep.. or if you’ve ever woken up to feeling like you have a catcus in your throat and desprately need a glass of water. Good luck and I hope that you can feel better! K-Mom

  • Hi Lauri – Have you tried Spiralina? I find this very energizing.

    And what about bee pollen? I know some people won’t have it as they are strict vegans but I’ve tried it from time to time and find it adds a bit of a boost to my life.

    I’ve been seriously B12 in the past and I agree with Lushpapaya – it isn’t pretty. I’ve been told that by going RAW you don’t need supplements but anytime I go off my B12 I feel myself drop – energy levels, mental levels, etc. (Have been told Brewer’s Yeast wouldn’t agree with me as I have candida…)

    Jenoz – I agree about fruits in the morning, I end up feeling all emotional, scattered, and unable to focus. I’ve been experimenting with different things but haven’t been able to find a perfect ‘daytime’ meal that keeps me focused, grounded and energized. Recently I’ve been making green soups (like a green smoothie but without the fruit) and these are agreeing with me so far. I’m curious, what do you eat during the daytime?

    Oh, one more thing for a great energy boost – raw cacao! I personally can’t eat much of it as it feels like a drug to me (it gets me real HIGH and then I feel hungover afterwards) but I know it helps a lot of people with energy levels. It’s supposedly very good, with lots of nutrients and vitamins.

    I hope this helps!

    :-) Jill

  • Wow! Such great advice from all of you…thank you very much! I am happy now that I have a list of things to discuss with my doctor next month. My fiance is excited that I am approaching my 30 days of raw because I may be going back to cooked foods once I reach that goal. But, you all make me feel like I am on the right path and I intend to stick with it for as long as I can. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  • RCBAliveRCBAlive Raw Newbie

    As many responders have already said, I would check to see if perhaps you are eating too much sugar or too much fat. Further I would check to see if you are adhering to appropriate food combining principles. I have been a raw foodist since 1999, and I know that when I eat a lot of nuts, seeds, and oils i do not have the same energy level as I do when i focus primarily on vegetables and some fruit. If I eat nuts, seeds, and oils and combine that with fruit, i feel like crap, both physically and emotionally. On top of that, if I eat a lot of dehydrated food it makes it even worse. It can actually dehydrate you, especially during the warm weather and if you sweat a lot.

    Actually, I was considering starting a new forum topic asking for recipes for dressings, pates, treats, and desserts that are very low fat and low sugar. I truly wish there was a recipe category for low fat/low sugar/non-dehydrated.

    One of the issues I have with the raw food diet, or rather the way the raw food diet is promoted, is that you can eat all the fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and still lose weight and feel great. Perhaps it works that way for some, but if I did that, I would gain tons of weight. I have a very healthy appetite and it is a challenge to only eat a reasonable amount of food on a daily basis. But I know i feel much better when i do.

    So, I agree that you should take a look at your blood work and see if you have any deficiencies, but additionally take a look at your diet and make sure you are primarily focusing on veggies and some fruit, and minimizing nuts, seeds, oils, sugar (even raw), and dehydrated food. On top of that, watch your food combining and see if that doesn’t make a difference in how you feel. .

  • RCBAliveRCBAlive Raw Newbie

    By the way, here is a link I came across that provides a breakdown of proper food combining.

    http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/application-of-...

  • dear beautiful…

    i know this website is all about raw food…food food food….but diet is only one piece of the puzzle. it’s only one form of nourishment that we need…..maybe look @ the rest of your life and look at your energy input/output. are you offering lots of energy to the world and only asking for energy from food? some yoga…lots of deep breathing…water!....fresh air…..great ways to find nourishment/energy outside of food. and remember- raw food isn’t for everybody! or at least, 100% raw isnt for everybody. may you find your balance…. blessings, sister!

  • Writeeternity – you describe Beriberi… this is excactly how I feel :( I have numbness in fingers and head, muscle weakness and incredible loss of apetite…

    How can I find out if I have this?

  • Hey Laura!

    I just found this website a few days ago and I was VERY EXCITED to see someone else from ABQ! I’ve only lived here for about 6 months so I don’t know much about the whole city. I visited the Tiny Treehouse where you mentioned a place called Whole Foods. Is that a restaurant or a health food store? Where is it? I live in the SW (not the scary part:) and I know most things are in the NE. Do you know of good places for buying organic for a reasonable price? I’m just starting my raw-food lifestyle and I think I’m going to ease into it and not go 100% right away. Any info you have would be great and maybe we could provide some local support for each other. Not that you aren’t getting a TON of support from this forum. Everyone is so helpful! :) If you want you can email me: brandewijn@myway.com

  • jillyamber – My fave breakfast is buckwheat sprouts (dried or fresh), soaked almonds, gogi berries, shredded coconut and coconut milk (not water, but water and meat blended). Or, a combo of green juices, chlorella and spirulina and bee pollen. Some days I just eat soaked nuts if I need a quick snack. Another biggie is soaked walnuts, coconut creme, maca, a few raisins and warm water – spin in the food processor. Its like porridge. For lunch, I often have some South River Miso (unpasturized and living, tho not truly raw) and warm water with sprouts, soaked seeds, chopped kale – whatever. I work in an office so I have to have portable food! Besides my metabolism, I think the key to being able to eat a lot of nuts/seeds is soaking/sprouting. Sprouted quinoa can be added to nearly anything (rinse, rinse, rinse first). Hope this provides a few ideas!

    lushpapaya – You’re right. I live in Pittsburgh, so “vitamin” D supplementation is an absolute must – no medical testing or experimentation necessary.

  • Perhaps you may have Anemia? I am Anemic myself and used to suffer from extreme lethargy (constantly tired, could fall asleep standing up) which is similar to the reactions you are experiencing. Make sure you get plenty of Iron when you are eating. Stock up on leafy greens…

    Another indicator of Anemia is if you are cold all the time, even when it is 80 degrees outside – I used to wear sweatsuits even during the summer. People looked at me like I was a freak, but I truly was freezing cold. I just told them that I was from the Mediterranean and that anything below 90 degrees was cold for me, LOL.

    But after I started loading up on Iron, all that changed. No more fatigue, no more chills, smooth sailing.

    Of course everyone is different – this is just your body’s unique way of transitioning to your new healthy regimen.

    Nevertheless, you should go get a checkup with your Doc just to be sure…

    Good Luck!

  • I think I may be anemic. I am definitely tired all the time, but what’s almost worse is how cold i am.. ALWAYS. i too wear sweaters during the summer. does anyone know if this would also be the culprit of very cold finger tips and toes?

    I think i’ll go to the doctor soon and get a full physical.

  • Hi mango woman,

    Have your doctor check your B12 and Vitamin D. Both could lead to the symptoms you have, I know because of experience, and they are often over looked. By B12 was so low, that if I have not gotten a shot when I got it, who knows what would have happened. Depression can definitely give you the symptoms you are experienced too. I know about that. If you red the literature of the following: chronic fatigue, fybromialgia, depression, B12 and vitamine D deficiency, by the way, you need vitamine D in order to absorb your B12, Post Traumatic Stres Dissorder, bourn-out and all of them together… So, I would first try to have my doctor to rule things out as I did. Then you would know. If they find nothing, as they first did years ago with me, it could be a chronic fatigue, which in my case got better to the point of dissapearing with detox, water-fast, and a raw diet. Stress is a debilitating factor if having chronic fatigue. Also, when eating raw and not water-fasting, you could also feel very tired for a while. It could be a combinations of things. I am no doctor, I just share my very similar experience with you. I ended having chronich fatige, fibromialgia, and B12 dificiency, but all in a period of 5 years and all improved with a raw diet with detox and water fasting.

    By the way, I do need that 1-2 nap everyday. That still have not change. If I do not get it, I run into trouble. And, it is not so much about the hours you sleep, is about how efficiently your body is generating nerve energy while you are sleeping. A tip, very helpful, never go to sleep with a full stomach, applies for your nap too. Do not eat at least 3 hours before going to sleep. If your body is busy with digestion, it will not clean out during sleep, it will not renew nerve energy, you will only sleep but not rest and you will always feel tired and exausted. That is why raw eating and fast does help so much with the ability of the body to renew never energy. Less toxic, more energy free for the renewal. If you are interested, you can read about this in the Natural Hygiene course from fitforlife.com. It will change your life, how it changed mine for the best.

  • Some of you mentioned eating less sugar and fats. I admit that fruit and nuts are a big part of my diet right now. But, if this is not the best way to eat (and I know I need to cut back), then does anyone have any suggestions as to what is good to eat? Obviously greens are good for you, but how do you make them tasty without adding sugar or fat? Does anyone have any ideas for quick and easy snacks that aren’t too sugary or fat-laden?

    I feel a lot like you mango woman and actually, what you had written in your first post reminded me of when I was in college. I spent a lot of time trying to stay awake in class. Thought for a while that I was just really bored, but now I am beginning to realize that it may be a health concern. I too get very icy hands, and am embarrassed when I have to shake hands with other people. Sometimes I find that even when I am sweating at work, I still feel too cold to take my jacket off.

    brandewijn: hello! Welcome to Albuquerque! I’ll definitely e-mail you.

  • Hi J Love I just wanted to give you a little more info on supplementation. I read that having fibroids could lead to anemia and b12 deficiency. Nuts are high in oxalic acid which can interfere with iron absorption. You could switch to green peas for protien. Spinach is also high in it.

    If you think anemia may be a problem, nutritional yeast and beet juice added to a smoothie should help. Include citrus fruits to aid in absorption. Certain seaweeds are high in iron too. Refrain from eating sesame seeds because they have calcium which interferes with iron absorption.

    A good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement taken daily can help prevent and/or combat anemia. B complex deficiencies are probably the second leading cause of nutritionally caused anemias. Taking all of the B vitamins is vital since supplementing only one can bring about a deficiency in one or more of the others. Therefore, if anemia results from folate or a B12 deficiency and supplements have to be taken, it is wise to include a vitamin B-complex capsule as well, but generally nothing more than 50 mg per day unless otherwise stated by your health care provider. Since vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron and helps strengthen the blood vessels, the suggested amount of supplement, in addition to the foods high in the nutrient, is 500 mg. twice daily. Copper acts as a catalyst in the formation of hemoglobin and the copper-binding protein, ceruloplasmin, plays a major role in the distribution of iron throughout the body, especially to the brain. Studies of patients with dementia were found to have inadequate levels of ceruloplasmin. Calcium helps to regulate the timing release or intake of iron into the RBC, thus affecting its lifespan. Since calcium also competes for the same absorption sites as iron, zinc, and copper, deficiencies of these minerals can occur if one consumes great amounts of calcium. When taken supplementally, calcium should be taken separately at bedtime. The best form is calcium citrate or gluconate rather than carbonate since carbonate is the same as common chalk. Zinc deficiencies are often seen in alcoholics, diabetics, and those with such bowel disorders as Crohn

  • I have been reading this topic with interest, as I have some of the problems described here. Im not even close to high raw (maybe 50%) but for sure must be lacking something, because I have been veeery depressed this past two weeks and it gets better when I ate concentrated protein, especially cheese. Im not happy with that, because I dont want to take diary, but on the other hand, legumes and nuts dont work as well for me, energetically speaking. I read about spirulina and Im thinking about giving it a try, also noni. My mom is taking it now and speaks wonders of it. Im a protein type, too (I think) and like some of you, still looking for a good breakfast that keeps me full and gives me energy. So far, fruits didnt do that for me, and green juices are not enough. Next week my Vitamix will arrive and will try to make flax and walnuts breads, or something. Now one thing that is working very well for me is green soups (lettuce, greens, cucumber, tomato, sprouts, etc) for lunch, followed by some cooked rice. As soon as I take it, the color of my skin changes! Thats the first and only positive sign since I tried to increase raw food in my diet so and very very happy! I dont want to write a long one, since this is my first message, but I want to thank you for writing about your experiences. You cannot imagine how that help others.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Japan Love, couldn’t this be a detox thing? Going raw is a huge change, even if you gave up meat before. I was vegan all my adult life before I went raw, and still for the first 2 months I was exhausted as my body adjusted to the change. It is common for people to feel like this when they are detoxing. It is a fact that everyone who goes raw experiences detoxing. The symptoms vary from person to person, give it time.

    As your body gets to work healing itself all your energy is directed at the organs it is working on healing, this drains energy from other parts of the body. And makes you feel tired and drained. I was able to do nothing and just rest for my first couple of months, but not everyone can do this. Maybe you need to do a slower transition, and just slowly increase your amounts of raw food so slow the detox down.

    If you want to be sure you are 100% make sure the stuff you eat are really raw like nuts, dried fruit etc. Check out the Dead Food List on our website: www.purelyraw.com

    I would suggest adding sprouts to your diet, they are “greens” and are full of energy. You can add them to salads, wraps etc. This website is full of recipes to make greens edible.For me, greens are the key to feeling great.

  • I had some similar things for more than a few months at the beginning of the year. I had insomnia for a few months & finally went to the doctor.

    I had a vitamin-D deficiency. I’m now taking high doses & it’s starting to come back up (can take a few months). I was about 50% raw earlier in the year, but have recently gone to 100%. I also cut out all caffeine & all herbal teas. In addition, I started taking melatonin about 30 minutes before going to bed (a regular pill for the initial getting to sleep plus a time-release pill for staying asleep). I also scaled back fruit intake to reduce sugar levels. In addition, I shifted my bath from the morning to the night. All of these things in tandem have me sleeping well now & feeling so much better during the day. In fact, I feel as good as ever!

    My doctor initially put me on an antidepressant drug & sent me to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is the one who did the blood test on the first visit to check the vitamin-D and B12 levels. He told me to go off the SSRI antidepressant drug (was only on it for a few weeks), and then sent me to an endrocrinologist for the vitamin-D. My internal medicine doctor (who gave me the antidepressant) also wanted me to take prescription sleeping pills, but I only took 1 out of 30, and threw away the rest. Actually, I was very reluctant to see the psychiatrist for fear of being on pills for life, but those 2 visits were very good. He took me off of the drugs my internist had given me, checked my vitamin levels, and provided the food & sleeping tips. Also, I had discovered melatonin on my own, but asked my doctor about it, who said long term use is okay. As I was going through all of this, I kept a sleep log, so I could monitor how changes in caffeine, melatonin, timing of bath (day/night), etc. affected my sleep. It takes some time, but you can scientifically experiment on yourself.

    These books also helped me:

    Melatonin : Jo Robinson, Russel J. Reiter (Hardcover, 1995) ISBN-10 : 0553100173 ; ISBN-13 : 9780553100174

    The Promise of Sleep : Christopher Vaughan, William C. Dement (Hardcover, 1999) ISBN-10 : 0385320086 ; ISBN-13 : 9780385320085

  • JapanLove I too think this could be a byproduct of your body detoxing from the lack of toxic stuff being put into it. I have had the same symptoms on fasts and juice detoxes I have done. I do have a few suggestions for anyone feeling tired or fatigued. Drink lots of water. Tired? Drink a glass of room temp. water slowly so your body can absorb it all. It might help. Also I have found eating a handful of sprouts and wheatgrass juice both tend to give me a lot of energy, and are cheap. And if you go back to cooked foods, at least getting half your food energy from raw is still pretty good. Hope you feel better. Peace!

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