I missed posting yesterday. Day 50 came and went as I spent the last two days sorting out some computer issues and re-arranging and cleaning my office readying myself for a new year.
I have always been a closet “want a be” health food fanatic. Like an alter ego of sorts, but I could never seem to keep it together for very long. Last year I tried to go 100% raw and I got very sick. Besides having stomach problems from it, I was having trouble putting sentences together. It was really strange. I was eating raw almonds and other nuts, drinking green smoothies and eating fruit and vegetables. After 3 or 4 days, I started to feel euphoric but it didn’t stop there, I couldn’t talk any more. I wrote to one of the “raw food” sites I was following and of course no one had any answers, if they answered me at all. On day 13, my stomach was burning, I couldn’t put a straight sentence together and I had to shoot a wedding. I made a decision to eat an egg and a piece of toast. Within a few hours, I felt back to myself. I can’t explain what happened. When I asked a few people who are “raw vegans” my answer was “you have to start off slow” or “It was to extreme for you”. I have no doubt that “raw” is heathy but I couldn’t try it again without expert supervision. Perhaps it will be one of my evolutions this year.. perhaps not.
Eating whole and natural foods seem to be working for me. I really feel so much better in so many ways just giving up sugar and artificial everything. I am sticking with raw nuts, legumes (beans), eggs, chicken, turkey and fish for protein, fruit and vegetables, and brown rice and potato’s of any variety. While I do eat a lot more raw vegetables, and drink green smoothies, I’m not apposed to cooking my food. When I think about it, 50 days without sugar and anything artificial is quite amazing to me. I was using somewhere between 3 and 8 Splenda packets a day, drinking 3 – 5 diet cokes a week and binging on sugar often. I even had friends from the USA send me boxes of Splenda for my coffee while living in Europe and indulging on Sachertorte (chocolate cake).
After 50 days, I feel so much better. I’ve lost a little over 20 pounds and while loosing weight is one of my objectives, living healthier, longer and feeling great is the key. When I realize food is meant to fuel and nourish my body, I eat healthy.
This is so well written. Thank you for sharing your experiences in such a way that is helpful to many. I’m totally enjoying your blog. Please keep writing.
You can also view “my approach” at http://rosalie-donatelli.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/my-approach – you can also go to the homepage here and download our “FREE” nutrition book ” integrative Nutrition”. It’s a great book!
It’s really great that you made 50 days! I agree with the comment that going from all that sugar and soda and meat to completely raw vegan may have been too much to soon. I’ve been immersing myself in my new program at Integrative Nutrition. We have a philosophy called “bio-individuality”. Simply put, everyone is different. A diet or lifestyle change that makes one person healthy can make another person very sick. It’s important to find what works best for you. You are really on the right track and this blog is great too!
Keep going Josephine!