Well, I'll *try* to stay just with the fruits for as long as possible...today all I've had is a banana, some strawberries, and a couple of pears. I'm just thirsty, not hungry.
Thanks ladies!

When you say to lower the fat do you mean stop eating nuts as well? The only fat I'm getting is from avocados, nuts, and seeds.
I had no idea about the effect grains have on the intestines - so many natural food books (Nourishing Traditions for example) tout grains as the way to go. I have known for years that my body and bread are enemies. Thanks for filling me in on the why.
Yes, I do crave bread like I craved sugar...in fact I'd rather have bread than sugar! I'll focus on fruits for the next week and see how I go.
You've been a wealth of information Free.

Jenergy sent me info about my thyroid that I'm going to check out, just waiting till our internet download cycle comes back on next week so I can get it.

Hi Free,

Thanks for all that info - I hadn't even considered all the raw had more water content, making me full very easily. Wow! That's really great news.

The runs...I see what you mean about the body possibly rejecting cooked foods. The only cooked I've had has been a few tiny slices of my home-made sour dough bread, and some pumpkin I baked to toss into my salad. As I've always done better off breads of any kind I'm thinking it was the sour dough bread.
I take thyroxine for my hypothyroidism but have never had any runs issues with it in the past.

Today I made a few recipes in the dehydrator from Serene Allison's "Rejuvinate Your Life" - Power Bars made from sprouted buckwheat, sprouted barley, coconut, dates, raisins etc; some Apple Cinnamon Bagels from sprouted barley, apples, cinnamon, raw honey, pistachios etc; and the Savoury Nori Snacks from the free book here. Tomorrow I'll pop some flax crackers in the dehydrator - with all that I should at least have enough things to tempt me away from sour dough when I need a bread fix.

Apart from the sour dough and the pumpkin I haven't had anything cooked.

One thing I am reacting to is cucumber - it gives me a horrible ache in my stomach. I had an idea about that a while ago but going mostly raw I really noticed what happened in my body when I ate it.

I haven't eaten any bananas today...that might help.

Can anyone give me some good sources of iron and B12 please? I have always had low iron - my body does not hold it well so I'm concerned about that. When I was pregnant with my eldest son I was hooked up to an iron drip.

I'm finding it easier and easier to stay raw, but I've gone from constipation to having the runs. One extreme to the other so quickly...trying to work out now what I need to eat to bring some balance.
I'm craving de-caff coffee at the moment but I think that's cause it's cold today. Have been sprouting buckwheat, barley and millet and now I've got a few things going in the dehydrator so I can have something different to fruit and veg, which might help the runs.
I'm scared to go for my walk today - need to stay close to the loo. Bother.

I had it for the first time this week and loved it! I grated it with cabbage and apple and tossed it in a maple syrup/olive oil/apple cider vinegar dressing...it was YUM!!

[quote author=CarmieJ
it felt quite surreal eating it - like i had drastically altered something natural, and, while it did taste pretty good, i knew that it couldn't beat eating fresh, raw produce. I felt no attachment to it while eating it.
[/quote]

Hi CarmieJ!
I'm new to raw too, so I've enjoyed reading your journal this afternoon. I'm two weeks into raw now, and on Thursday I made a cooked apple and raspberry crumble for my hubby and teens (they are not raw, though my 14yo daughter is beginning to dabble). I had a spoonful to test and just couldn't stomach it. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head and I just knew that by cooking those fruits I had killed them. For a dessert I've loved for years this was wild news to me! I LOVE raw, crunchy, tasty, ALIVE, foods - and the stuff that I am serving my family makes me sad. But my hubby and 15yo son are really not wanting to try my foods at all. Thank God my daughter is slowly coming round.
There is a great book out about austistic kids and their diet -  Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder : A Mother's Story of Research & Recovery     
Unraveling The Mystery Of Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder : A Mother's Story Of Research & Recovery By Karyn Seroussi. My 15yo is a high functioning Aspergers (on the autistic spectrum) so a naturopath friend with an autistic son lent me the book to read. It deals with the whole gluten/dairy link, as well as the dangers of immunisations.
My naturopath friend followed the author's advice and his then 14yo son started to change dramatically! For the first time in his life he tied his shoelaces, he could make himself something to eat, he could make eye contact. The difference was astounding. Since then my friend has made loads of changes to his son's diet and he keeps improving (he is now 18).
I hope that encourages you CarmieJ!

Question again.... :-)

Even though I've been raw for a couple of weeks, and I walk 4klms with the dog every morning, I hadn't lost any weight. I actually found that the more raw days that passed by the less hungry I was, yet the scales did not show any difference.
As I mentioned earlier I was pretty constipated too.
Then my digestive system finally kicked in and I've hardly been off the loo for the last 3 days!
Yesterday my daughter and a friend both commented on my eyes 'suddenly' looking clear and very blue (I have blue eyes but they went grey years back), and I've discovered my appetite has come back.

So, when I lost my appetite about 10 days into raw could that have been because my body was focussed on ridding itself of toxins and didn't want more food to process? Is this a hint with our bodies to focus just on water and juices for a couple of days or so?
I wondered because today I seem to have gotten over the constant trips to the loo and my stomach isn't hurting anymore, and today I got my appetite back.
Btw, I also lost a kilo in the last 2 days.

Thanks for the encouragement, Karen. :-)
I hate this M thing too...but I think going raw can only help it become more bearable.

I just went grocery shopping with my daughter and had to laugh as we walked along the aisles and found barely anything I wanted to buy! Came home with buckets full of fruit and veg, and am now snacking on an almond milk smoothie with banana, dates, strawberries and a tiny sprinkle of raw cocoa, while I make a salad.
This IS the life is it not?! Sorry it took me so long to get with it, but better late than never.

That would be great! Thank you! yes, go ferret....

Lemons - I'll use them! Thanks!
I take thyroxine for my thyroid (hypothyroidism) -  didn't know adrenalin could stuff that up? Interesting talking to you Jennie, you have been a wealth of info for a newbie!

Hi Jennie,

I haven't had any dehydrated foods yet as I only got the dehydrator yesterday, but have been living on fresh fruits and veg, almond milk, loads of water. I've been taking chaste tree tablets for the last month as it stops the hot flushes (I'm menopausal) and one of the side effects is constipation (just discovered this by googling!) so perhaps that is the problem too?
Have finally gone to the loo in the last 10 minutes - good grief it STUNK! I think I emptied a kilo of waste. Hope this means things are finally leaving my system.
My 14yo daughter just told me she is going to attempt to eat more raw foods, so this will inspire me to stay with it.
Yes - the back ache is already going (yay!!) after the dump. ;-) You were right.
Rest? Ok...I'm a pretty adrenalin driven person so don't tend to rest during the day but I think that's what my body has been screaming for lately. I homeschool my 14yod and 16yos so my life is full, but this also gives me ample opportunity to watch their eating and offer good foods. I just must remember to have a bit of a rest too, eh...

Hi everyone,
After a number of false starts with raw over the last 6 years I have finally decided to stay with it, though I'm easing in slowly - about 70-80 % raw at the moment.
In the past I borrowed a friend's dehydrator and enjoyed making great *live* foods, but we've lived in 9 towns (and 5 states!) over the last 8 years so getting into a rhythm was hard, especially as my husband and teenagers are NOT into healthy living.
This last month I made the decision to finally move forward with our dietary lifestyle, even if with them I can only move pebbles and not rocks for a while(we're not moving anymore YAY!).
I just bought a dehydrator of my own, a decent blender, a food processor, and am now trying to find good sources online for all the things I want to make. We live in Esperance, WA, with not a health food store or organic grocer for 450 klms. This means buying packaged supplies over the internet, and starting my own little garden at home in our tiny backyard.

I have a question - I've been mostly raw for the last 2 weeks, but battled with constipation and last night had the worst stomach pains and back ache. I had so much gas in my stomach I thought I was 6 months pregnant. Is this normal? I am shocking my body?