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So, I have been transitioning, and I would say I have been aiming towards 100% raw for the past month. I know I am not "100% raw" because I still add certain spices and I am still learning. But I had been aiming towards that daily for about three weeks, and it was working.
Then I went away for Thanksgiving and started eating a big cooked meal every night with family. I would have a green smoothie and a raw lunch, and then this giant, decadent dinner. During vacation, I began to notice the green smoothies that normally kept me full all day long only kept me full a couple of hours. I even felt a bit dizzy from hunger. I thought this would go away once I got back, but I am still hungrier than I was before.
Thing is, I really crave raw foods now - not cooked so much. I'll make myself some dinner (some raw veggies and a raw soup typically), and then I get hungry again a couple hours later. This wasn't happening before really.
Tonight, I found myself hungry again. And instead of preparing something raw, like I wanted I just grabbed a bag of pretzels and scarffed them down! I mean, half a bag! And then I went and made myself something in the blender, only tasted it, and was satisfied. I'm craving carbs, and that was what I mostly lived off of before transitioning.
Does anyone have advice about what to do about my cravings for carbs and what to replace them with? What should I be eating more of that might help? I eat a lot of avocado, green smoothies...tend to eat a lot of fats. And I'm trying to lose some weight as well - don't think all the fattening foods I am craving help, but aren't I supposed to eat "what my body says it needs?" I think it is weird how I keep craving raw foods, but I end up just eating pretzels instead! I suppose I'm just used to grabbing a bag of carbs and I'm following my habits rather than what I want? I don't know...sorry for the ranting post, but I just gorged on pretzels like a madwoman at 3am and am a bit disoriented! Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom!
Comments
Fruit. Lots of it.
Two things help me a lot: Greens and fruit. A nice big fruit salad, with 2-4 pieces of sweet juicy fruit and 3-4 dates is my favorite lunch. I makes me full without any heaviness and keeps me 100% satisfied for hours. If I'm super hungry, I add a few nuts or some avocado to the salad. OMG, I need to have one now!
It's hard, I know. Some of the factors (with me anyway) are that my family members are not raw. They will eat things I prepare, but only as a "side". I cook for them and the temptation does arise. Many times I will cave and eat some of the stuff I make for them (I always loved to cook and last night I made toasted ravioli with red sauce and shaved parmesan) and I ate some of it along with my salad. So, today I woke up and felt the need to re-energize with raw and try to stick with it. I feel SO much better when I stick to raw.
I find that Lara bars are a good fix for a carb craving. They are all natural and have only 2 to 4 ingredients in each bar. (For example, the cashew cookie bar has cashews and dates). They are raw and delicious. When I have one with my green tea, it will hold me over for up to 4 hours some days.
I also find that nuts and dates added to your salad or fruit salad satisfies significantly.
Maybe sugar has been increasing your sugar levels which throw you out of whack later in the day. I have been pondering this lately and switching to more greens.
My trick is not to have any stuff I don't want to eat in the house. If I had pretzels I'm sure I'd eat them too.
Of course, it's easy for me because I live alone. I'm sure I would be hopeless at cooking for others and then eating raw myself. I can withstand anything except temptation, I guess.
Hi, when transitioning you can be hungry alot as old toxins and cravings enter the bloodstream. Increasing your level of greens will help and making soups and smoothies. By blending the food or making filling puddings you will feel less hunger. it will decrease as time goes on but just eat as much raw food as you desire. It's a lot less calorie dense than cooked food so you can eat more in the beginning.
Eat LOTS of fruit. I am constantly snacking on fruit, with plates containing up to 4 different fruits. Before raw, I lived off carbs, and I found that eating mainly fruit in my diet (with at most two large salads packed with greens, and low to no fats) kept me satisfied throughout the day.
You can eat cooked vegetable broth if you get bad cravings with low salt, no oil, and flavor from lots of good spices. They prevent you from falling off the wagon if you crave cooked food and help you get back on raw food after the craving goes away (they are very satisfying and harmless provided there are no additives/artificial things). Also yea definitely FRUIT :)
Two things jumped out at me after reading your comments:
1) How is your protein intake? Your body might need some concentrated protein like spirulina, chlorella or hemp protein powder.
2) Your body might also need some complex carbs (sprouts) or polysaccharides (berries, aloe vera, noni, etc.) for long term energy.
Good luck! :)
THE PRETZELS ARE COMING FROM THE STORE!!! KEEP OUT OF THE CHIP (OR CRISP IF YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, OF THAT PERSUASION) AISLE AT THE MARKET!!!
Just kidding with the caps lock, there, but seriously, it's hard for me to eat right if I have crap in my cupboards.
Eat more fruit. have fruit around all the time.
Don't worry about being 100% ANYTHING. That's just setting yourself up for guilt binges.
Now, this is a secret I learned from my fasting coach. It worked for me, and it might work for you.
I used to give myself one day a week to eat whatever I wanted. All week long I would write down what I was craving and tell myself I could have it on Sunday. It sounds simplistic but it really works. On Sunday, stuff yourself! Eat all the foods you wrote on the list. This way your body will think it's getting all the crap it wants on Sundays and believe me, that list will get small er and smaller and eventually disappear.
What's the hurry anyway? Take your time, you'll get there.
The pretzels are coming from the store...I love it! So true. :P