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Fear of losing certain things...

I posted this on another facet of Gone Raw’s forums, but I think it was in the wrong category, so here I go again.

I’ll cut to the chase: I have a slight (and by slight I mean tremendous) fear of losing my hair. I was a vegetarian (admittedly an unhealthy one), followed by a vegan (still unhealthy), and then a vegetarian again years back. During that time, I lost a staggering amount of hair. My mother blamed it on my lack of protein (she’s pro-meat—I’m attempting to convert her, but she keeps citing her anemia as why she won’t eat healthier), though I’m sure it had to do with multiple deficiencies. I went from my hair being so thick you could lose your arm in it, to having to wrap a hair tie around it twice as much as I had to before. I could literally supply a charity with a few wigs with the amount of it that I lost. Then, my father died of cancer and during his battle, I went a few months without eating more than a piece of toast every few days, so even more fell out (roughly half). Now, about a year later, it’s all coming back in. But I’m afraid of it falling out again due to restrictions in diet. I already have a lot of food allergies and things I can’t eat (ranging from more healthy stuff such as wheat and soy to bad things like MSG and various preservatives that I don’t want to eat anyway), so I’m afraid of putting an even further restriction on myself. That being said, the alternative foods I eat as of now (namely bread) are devoid of any real nutrition, so I know I won’t be delving into a less healthy way of life. Still, I’m a bit apprehensive since I have read of folks losing hair after going raw. I mean, being bald would be cool… if my head wasn’t so darn big :)

Also, I’m very heavy chested (forgive my lack of tact), and I know that going raw is going to make me lose weight and ultimately make that part of my anatomy shrink right along with the rest of me… I’m slightly worried they’re going to deflate and leave me looking like I should be 90 year old woman who thinks over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders are the devil.

Has anyone else had these ‘fears’?

P.S. Forgive me for lacking the ability to stick to short posts :)

Comments

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    that last part made me laugh. you will look so great. fear of losing what you have is real, but let’s investigate what you were eating on this vegetarian diet, before we blame the no meat. i’m guessing it could have been any number of things that were impeding upon your health, soy perhaps? processed sugars? refined flours? all of these are poisons to the body and drastic changes like that can have adverse effects.

    if you are scared about too heavy a detox, i’d go with a transition diet as layed out by natalia rose in the raw food detox diet.

    in my opinion, raw foodists are apt to lose hair and teeth because they aren’t being careful about what they eat. they eat WAY too much fat or WAY too much sugar, and no greens. there is a lot of debate about which is the best path, but there is no doubt that LOTS of greens in the best way to ensure you are getting 1) adequate protein, 2) adequate vitamins and minerals and 3) you are oxygenating those blood cells so they stay healthy.

    if your mom thinks eating meat is keeping her from being anemic, why is she anemic? (i’m not making fun, i used to this logic for years! what was i thinking?) read Diet for a New America by John Robbins is you are curious why NONE of those myths are true. it’s REALLY interesting.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    My post will be long, too! :) Hair thinning/falling out is usually a deficiency of vitamins & minerals & has nothing to do with protein. One of the main vitamins is B5 which is found in beef, so maybe that’s why people think protein? Anyway, I’ll list the vitamins & minerals here with raw food sources of each, and I’ll also give you a list of complete protein foods.

    Vitamins & Minerals whose deficiency symptoms include falling or thinning hair:

    Vit. B5: green vegetables, peas, kale, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, whole grains

    vit. B6: bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, walnuts, green leafy vegetables, green peppers, carrots

    Inositol B-complex: cabbage, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, whole grains

    vit. E: whole wheat, corn, brussels sprouts, leafy dark green vegetables, whole wheat, watercress

    Linolenic & Linolic acids: vegetable oils, almonds, avocados, sunflower seeds, walnuts, parsley

    chlorine (yes, it’s a mineral from food – don’t get it from the pool or tap water): kelp, watercress, avocados, chard, cabbage, kale, celery, asparagus, cucumber, olives, tomatoes, turnips

    silicon (deficiency symptoms also include aging/wrinkling of skin): flaxseed, whole grains, almonds, sunflower seeds, celery, apples, strawberries, grapes, kelp, beets, onions, parsnips

    Complete protein (contain all the amino acids our bodies can’t produce) raw food sources – I will put how much protein they have; one ounce of meat has about 6 or 7 grams of protein, so this will help you compare:

    raw cashews (1 oz. = 5 g. protein)

    hemp seeds (2 Tablespoons = 11 g. protein)

    pumpkin seeds (1 oz. = 7 g. protein)

    cauliflower (1 cup = 2 g. protein)

    spirulina (1 Tablespoon = 4 g. protein)

    The thing about protein is that it’s made up of amino acids, and so even if one food doesn’t have ALL of them, like these foods do, when we eat different combinations of foods, we get them anyway. Flax seeds have a lot of protein (1 Tablespoon = 31 g. protein), and even though they don’t have all the amino acids in the correct ratios, you can eat crimini (aka baby bella, Italian, or brown) mushrooms and get the rest of the amino acids so the combination of the two foods is a complete protein. Those mushrooms have about 1 g. of protein per mushroom. Dark green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, etc.) also have a ton of amino acids.

    Pumpkin seeds, kelp & other foods have iron, too. My grandpa was anemic, even though he ate a lot of meat. He started taking kelp capsules at my recommendation (instead of an iron supplement recommended by the doctor) and his iron levels came up.

  • anngoingrawanngoingraw Raw Newbie

    angie, thanks for that post, very usefull.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    You’re welcome! :)

  • Wow. You guys are super knowledgeable and prompt. Thanks for that. My mom is actually on her way to the health food store with ‘kelp’ on her list (thanks Angie), so I’m keeping my fingers (and sprouts) crossed that she’ll see the light… and the kelp.

    Also, Pianissima, you’re right in looking at my diet as the culprit. I was young and stupid (...the jury is still out on whether or not I’ve changed, haha) and my mantra was ‘save the cheerlead—um, animals, save the world’ but once I cut meat out I had no idea what to eat (it turns out it was a total staple in my diet). I hit up soy big time until I developed an allergy to it, and was eating all of that alternative junk as well as a ton of refined carbs, horrible oils, and things I couldn’t pronounce if I won a national spelling bee. At that point, if someone said ‘veggies’ to me, I automatically thought ‘french fries’... and then shortly after, I would acquire some (such are the hazards of living three blocks away from every major fast food joint going). This was also when I was drinking nothing but soda, so I have indeed come a long way since then (due largely to allergies—hey, something had to make me come to my senses, no?), but I have a long way still to go before I’m happy. One thing I can say for certain is that I am no stranger to greens :D.

    Also, I didn’t mean to make it seem as if my mother isn’t supportive (she is, God bless her). I’ve even talked her into planting a modest garden and herb garden :). Now, keeping the stray cats and bunnies out of it will be a chore.

  • anngoingrawanngoingraw Raw Newbie

    fairytalecorruption, I’m starting to love your “potato affairs”, OMG, :-)))))

    Good luck in your raw journey!

  • TomsMomTomsMom Raw Newbie

    I don’t know what kind of anemia your mother has, but if it’s iron anemia, then you can tell her that meat has less iron calorie for calorie than greens, such as kale. It’s a fact that is easy to check out. Meat is not usually recommended to be eaten in cases of iron anemia, anyhow. Greens are.

    Keep us up to date on your hair; I am a bit worried for my hair loss, although I feel loads healthier and my blood work up is better for the raw diet. I suspect, though, that my hair loss is partly from coming off the devestating medications I was on until last fall.

  • It does seem like I have potatoes on the brain, no? Ah, well, it is my favorite vegetable secondary to carrots (which I think will be the most difficult transition to make, both with them and kidney beans), so it’s really no surprise my subconscious is spitting out potato references for all to see. However, in regards to exhibit A in my profile… all I have to say is there is a nefarious entity living within my oven and that it possessed me to get caught up in reruns of CSI whilst cooking those potato wedges :D

  • anngoingrawanngoingraw Raw Newbie

    :))) I saw your “black potatos” after reading “veg=fries” that’s why i thougth “wow, that seems to be a special relation”. Ah, i love fries too, and i think (now) that even after 10 years raw i would still loving them… They must have a secret!!!!

  • Hey fairytalecorruption, i was sick a few years ago (i found out i have celiac disease) and i lost some of my hair too. I have found that on this raw food diet my hair has been growing back and it is really healthy. Do whatever feels right to you. Hair wont grow back overnight it will take time. But stay positive and make sure you vary your diet so that you avoid vitamin deficiencies. I wish you the best of luck. Oh yeah, also just make sure you eat enough healthy fats and your girls will be fine!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    fairytale – I am sure you might have heard this before but all the worry might make you lose more hair. Its stress. It sounds like you have had a lot of it! I am a worry wart myself but loosing my hair is the least of my worries. Look at it this way if worst comes to worst- you can survive with no hair. Hair is one of the last places on the body to get any nutrition so if your body is hardly getting any itself your hair won’t get any either.

    I have gone through it myself. There are times when my hair looked thin and I cry “I am going bald!” but it never happened. I used to be a hairdresser and I used so many chemicals on my hair I am surprised I have any hair left. My hair also seemed to get thinner when I went veg and thinner yet as vegan but I have to say that I have learned alot on raw that the whole protein thing is a myth. It is lack of MSM. Get some of that into your diet and your hair will make a rebound. But it is a a combination of lots of great raw foods that will help. I can’t say enough about hemp seeds. They have almost ALL of the most important nutritients your hair needs. (these are things that are good for the rest of the body too).

    angies list is good. I put up a similar list in a thread called “beautiful hair”. http://www.goneraw.com/forums/7/topics/4372

    I have a list on that thread of all the nutrients needed for good hair and examples of raw foods that contain them.

    Did you know that too much soy can actually cause hair loss (and lots of other problems too)? I used to be a big time soy eater too until I read about how many problems it can cause.

    I don’t know what your hair regime is but if you are still using shampoo have you ever considered stopping. It is the best thing I have ever done for my hair. Lots of people on goneraw are doing it and loving the results. You will have less hair shed and your hair will be stronger. We have the “Shampoo or not to Shampoo thread” for that. Lots of advice and tips (yeah, I know it is long but it might give you lots of insight that you are looking for).

    Keep in mind you need to reduce your stress level – make a conscious effort for it. My hair motto is “To have good hair, you need to grow it first” but if you are being stressed out all the time with worry, you are going to kill all that great nutrient you are consuming. So, great rid of that worry!

    You might want to check out David Wolfes Eating for Beauty book lots of great beauty food tips in there.

    My checklist for good hair would be:

    1. Keep stress in check

    2. Scalp massages (very good for people who are stressout and tense).

    3. Get right nutrients for hair in raw living foods

    4. MSM

    5. No shampoo (or VERY little shampooing) and stay away from chemical hair products.

    Hang in there. Keep in mind also that recovery from hair loss isn’t an overnight thing so give it time to see new growth to come in (I would say at least six months). Keep focuing on it – I sort of make it a hobby in a way. It will come back.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    It IS from stress, usually – it’s because a stressed person uses/needs a LOT more B vitamins than when not stressed, so being stressed makes a person deficient in the B vitamins very quickly. Load up! I found a good quality B-complex (mixture of several different B vitamins) supplement, & it helps me immensely. When you are stressed, it’s hard to get enough of them from food because you’re going through them so fast.

  • It's been ages since I've been here, but I'm quite grateful for all of you folks' feedback :).

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Where is the page to which Queenfluff is referring ??? (forums/7/topics/4372)

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    A lot of the links from before the upgrade no longer work. I think this is the thread to which Queenfluff is referring.

    http://www.goneraw.com/node/11413

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Thanks Sis!!! smile

    I knew if it could be found, you would find it... Job well done!!!

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    I appreciate the vote of confidence, and you're most welcome! ;-)

    I do enjoy playing detective. Just hope Ray can figure out what to do so the posts before the upgrade pick up the clickable links. I sent him a "Feedback" note from here. Don't know what else to do. Then again, maybe Queenfluff will check in on the thread and edit her post.

    EDIT: By the way . . . I found it by doing an Advanced Search for a Forum with beautiful hair in the "Containing the Phrase" box. Luckily, it worked this time. It's not always that simple . . . sadly it's not always possible to find them, or so it seems. sob

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