I started a raw vegan diet on March 11/2013
This way of eating is known as 80/10/10. 80% fruits, 10%veggies, 10% nuts and seeds. It is not a diet it is a lifestyle. It is eating the way God designed us to eat in the garden of Eden before the fall. Clean, natural raw foods.
I am not a professional nutritionist of any kind but I have had so many problems with my health that I have been desperately trying anything that will work. When you get sick and tired of being sick and tired you will try just about anything.
I have fibromyalgia, Interstitial cystitis(a painful bladder decease), bad reflux problems and arthritis because of my car accident. I also have severe problems with candida. I also had to have my gallbladder removed a few years back and now I do not process fat properly and still get pain under my rib and back on the right side.
My mother died of cancer at 51 years young and my father died at 61 or 62 of brain cancer. Diabetes is crazy in our family among other problems, like almost all of us have Diabetes! Grandmother,Uncles, aunt’s and cousins,and my brother is on insulin shots. I do not want to die of cancer, I do not want to have diabetes or anything else. I want to live, but I want to live well. I do not want to be sick anymore so I started studying on food and health and what is good for my body. I am just learning as I go along what is good for me and what isn’t good for me personally.
After being on the raw food diet for a couple of weeks, I was feeling amazing after the detoxing stage went by, and wow did I detox, almost made me want to quit BUT I was very determined!!! Anyways, the difference in my skin is the first thing I notice. Wow, I loved the clear glowing skin!! No blemishes!! Not that I’ve had many blemishes but my skin was more even toned and lighter color it seems. My eyes are amazingly clear and bright and it seems the color has changed somehow, very piercing blue compared to a haziness in the color before. Strange but good!! The best thing was that my fibromyalgia symptoms were practically all gone and reflux was way better also, no aches or pains anywhere!!!! I still didn’t have a lot of energy though. Unfortunately for me it was short lived, the next thing you know I was in bed again, feeling very ill with pain in my bladder. Sigh
So instead of giving up like it made me feel like doing, I got even more determined!!! I figure it can’t kill me by not eating foods I’d love to eat and so I continue on my journey to finding the right foods that are good for me.
What happened is that the raw high acid fruits were like pouring alcohol on an open sore. Where interstitial cystitis has bleeding cracks inside the lining of the bladder wall, ingesting any acidy foods like lemons, limes, oranges, tomatoes etc. will be very painful. I didn’t know this until after the fact.
So now that I know all the facts, like following the diet for Fibromyalgia and Interstitial cystitis now I know what foods to avoid.
For those of you with IC Google what foods to avoid for IC
For those of you with FM Google what foods to avoid for FM
I have got my symptoms under control now by not eating any of the foods that would irritate my conditions and I am trying different foods one at a time until I see if my symptoms start to return. I have figured out I can tolerate bananas! Thank God for that!! I love my sweets and bananas are really good for you!!
This is how I first started on the raw food diet.
March 11, Day 1
breakfast
Banana orange smoothie
1/2 cup of distilled water
1 1/2 frozen banana
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract without alcohol
1/2 tablespoon of vanilla powder (optional)
1/2 cup orange juice
Mix all ingredients together in a blender and blend well. You may add ice if you want it thicker but for me it was thick enough. Consistency of a milkshake.
For I.C. is in a flare, omit the orange juice if unable to tolerate
I can get by with this one, once a week or so
Dinner
Salad
Lettuce, onions, carrots, celery, walnuts and a few green grapes (Omit grapes if you cannot tolerate)
Chopped in a bowl with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for the dressing
Snack
1 banana
1 tsp. of almond butter
Supper
Carrot, orange, celery, banana, celery, parsnip smoothie
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh) (Omit oranges if you cannot tolerate)
1/2 cup celery juice (fresh)
1/12 bananas
1/4 cup parsnip
1/2 cup carrot juice (fresh)
1/2 cup distilled water
1 tsp. honey
Blend together in a blender.
Snack
1 cup cantaloupe
Detoxing badly. Headache and ill feeling. This in normal!
………………………………………………………………………………………………...
March 12.2013 Day 2
Breakfast
1/2 glass of smoothie same as yesterday’s but not as good as I ran out of ice cubes and
frozen bananas
Snack no snack
Dinner
A bowl of honeydew melon and apple slices with handful of walnuts and tsp. of honey
1tsp of almond butter
Supper
Hamburger stuffed cucumber Vegan style!!! Delicious!!!
cut length of 1/2 cucumber in half and remove pulp and set aside
cut cucumber in bite size pieces. I did 4 pieces
Grind, blend, pulp your cucumber pulp in a food processor or I used
a onion chopper and it worked fine, just more work, but less clean up!!
Add 1 carrot,
small piece of onion
piece of cauliflower
, fresh parsley if you have some,
fresh garlic
hand full of walnuts
1 large fresh mushrooms
about 4 cherry tomatoes and chop, chop, chop everything together until it is almost pulp like
NO TOMATOES if in a flare!!
Add to chopped mixture 1/4 tsp. oregano,
a dash of sea salt,
1/4 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. basil (fresh if possible)
a pinch of ground ginger
Chop chop chop some more to blend all the ingredients and
then stuff your cucumbers and eat it!
This filling can be used as a dip with any veggie or it can be used as
a ground beef substitute.
Snack
1 banana
March 13, Day 3
Breakfast
Healthy Chocolate shake
2 large frozen bananas
1 cup of almond milk
1/2 tsp. of cocoa
1/2 tsp. of honey (you can omit or substitute if preferred)
1 tsp. of pure vanilla without alcohol
blend well in blender, makes a large glass of yummy chocolate goodness!
Dinner
Stuffed cucumbers.
1 large cucumber`s sliced lengthwise and gutted
In blender
cucumber guts
5 or 6 cherry tomatoes (Omit tomatoes if in a flare)
small piece of onion
piece of cauliflower
Snack
1 celery stick with almond butter.
Supper
Veggie taco’s
I used lettuce leaves as my soft taco’s
I grinded really fine
a few Cherry tomatoes garlic
piece of carrot
piece of cauliflower
blended everything real well
then I added my spices of choice
Chilli powder
Oregano
sea salt
pepper
parsley (fresh if possible) I used dehydrated parsley
4 or 5 walnuts
Snack
feeling too full for a snack
I am not getting enough calories right now but I am not able to eat large amounts of fruits due to bloating from not being used to eating so many fruits and veggies…especially raw. I need to lose weight so that is ok for now but to maintain my weight I’ll have to increase the amount of fruits that I eat as fruit are more calorie dense than veggies. You cannot get enough calories from eating veggies for the biggest part. I believe it will take a bit of time for my stomach to adjust and I am prepared to expect that.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
March 14, Day 4
My skin is getting better!! not so blotchy!! Yeast problems are better!! Losing about a pound a day! More energy, feelings of well being between the bouts of detoxing!! Seeing old symptom`s arising but I know that is just part of the detoxing and it won`t last.
Breakfast
1 small watermelon juiced
2 glasses of juice
snack
1 banana
Dinner
1 glass watermelon juice
1 banana
Snack
Vegan Chocolate ice cream!!!
Supper
Vegan taco
Snack
1 piece celery with almond butter and a sprinkle of honey
In 2 weeks I have lost 9 pounds, not too bad. I probably would have lost more if I hadn’t ate as many nuts and oils. Nuts and good oils are still high fat, be careful!
Week three….not feeling well at all!! All the fruits must have irritated my bladder decease which had been in “remission” for a few years. I have to cut most of the fruits out to see if it will make a difference. My fibromyalgia symptoms are mostly gone but the interstitial cystitis is really bad. I can barely get out of bed. Sigh. Sometimes I feel like I can’t win….but it’s NOT going to stop me this time. I will find a way to feel better, even if it kills me!! lol
Ok I’ve been off of most fruits for a few days and my symptoms are about gone. YAY!!!
BUT not being able to eat the acidy fruits I cannot get enough calories from veggies alone and so I’ve decided to go to a different way of eating than raw but I will still definitely incorporate as much raw food as possible as I’ve seen how great the benefits of them are and I still have hope that maybe someday this Interstitial Cystitis and Fibromyalgia and Candida that cripples me will be gone through my healthy diet. One thing that is great is I AM feeling a lot better than before and besides that I’ve lost weight and am feeling slimmer and that always feel good! lol
The fruits I cannot eat for Interstitial Cystitis are:
This is just a general list of foods that can cause irritation to the bladder. Try to avoid anything that is spicy, acidic, carbonated or caffeinated.
- Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and pizza sauce
- Ketchup, mustard, salsa, soy sauce, worchestshire sauce, dressings with vinegar
- Spices such as oregano and Italian seasoning, barbeque sauce
- Chocolate
- Orange juice, cranberry juice, soda, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages,
- Oranges, grapefruit, peaches, cantaloupe, pineapple, bananas, nectarines, cranberries, grapes
- Onions, tomatoes, and green peppers
- Aged cheeses, sour cream, yogurt
- Processed meats and corned beef
The foods you need to avoid for Fibromyalgia are":
Limit Sugar as Much as Possible, especially refined sugars. So you will want to limit all sugars and this would typically include fresh fruit juices.
Limit grains as much as possible as they are metabolized very similarly to sugars. Wheat and gluten grains are the top ones to avoid.
Eat fresh foods.
It’s also a good idea to buy organic food when possible, as it’s best to avoid pesticides and chemicals. However, fresh is best. So if you have to choose between local, fresh, non-organic and organic but wilting – go with fresh, and clean properly.
Avoid caffeine.
Avoid nightshade vegetables. Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant may trigger arthritis and pain conditions in some people.
Be Careful with Your Fats. eliminate all trans fat and fried foods, as these will promote inflammation.
Use yeast sparingly. Consuming yeast may also contribute to the growth of yeast fungus, which can contribute to pain. Not good for Candida
Avoid pasteurized dairy. Many fibromyalgia sufferers have trouble digesting milk and dairy products. However, many find that raw dairy products, especially from grass fed organic sources, are well tolerated.
Cut down on carbs. About 90 percent of fibromyalgia patients have low adrenal functioning, which affects metabolism of carbohydrates and may lead to hypoglycaemia.
Avoid aspartame. The artificial sweetener found in some diet sodas and many sugar-free sweets is part of a chemical group called excitotoxins, which activate neurons that can increase your sensitivity to pain.
Avoid additives. Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) often cause trouble for pain patients. MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may stimulate pain receptors; glutamate levels in spinal fluid have been shown to correlate with pain levels in fibromyalgia patients.
Stay away from junk food. Eliminate fast food, candy, and vending-machine products. In addition to contributing to weight gain and the development of unhealthy eating habits, these diet-wreckers may also irritate your muscles, disrupt your sleep, and compromise your immune system.
So there you have it…..you may be wondering what the heck would I eat…..there are still plenty of good foods to eat but it is a lot more difficult, you just may have to be more creative in making things you like.
You may think you can’t do this BUT it is what you set your mind to do that will get you through this and a little prayer to God helps big time!! If you are not desperate enough to feel better and be healthy then probably you shouldn’t attempt this. If your heart is just not into it then you won’t find a way and you will stay miserable in your illness. I’m not going to lie to you, it is hard but not impossible.
Remember, craving foods you love won’t kill you, it may feel like it for a few days but in reality eating the foods that are bad for you will make you really ill and eventually kill you at a younger age.
Here are some of the foods I am eating without too much problems right now.
long grain brown rice
rice products, flour, cakes etc.
almonds
cucumber
carrots
peas
broccoli
cauliflower
fish
chicken
tuna
pears
Bananas (I seem to be tolerating them, too soon, not sure)
carob
coconut oil
canola oil
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
spices (the ones I can tolerate)
garlic…easy on the garlic
onions
apples (sweet apples for IC and sour apples for Fibromyalgia lol) I will go with the sweet as Fibromyalgia symptoms are a bit easier to bare than Interstitial Cystitis sometimes….besides that it doesn’t seem to affect my Fibromyalgia symptoms much.
flat bread (made with buckwheat, water, olive oil and sea salt)
Healthy Carrot Pancakes ( recipe will be on another post someday soon I hope) Good stuff!!
Cocoa powder (sparingly) for FM and IC
honeydew melon (not sure yet on this one)
honey
corn
corn chips
Mozza cheese and mild cheddar (rarely) I use nutritional yeast that has amazing health benefits
red, yellow peppers (No green for FM)
almond milk
blueberries
blueberry juice
eggs (I tolerate them)
cornflakes with almond milk (organic)
Oatmeal
cornmeal
coconut flour
nutritional yeast
Chicken (small amounts)
Haddock (small amounts)
Mayo (I make my own or buy at a health food store)
relish (I make my own)
White rice flour
dates and figs…(not sure yet)
nuts and seeds (soaked and sprouted for better digestion)
I have figured out that with my symptoms and food intolerances I need a variety of foods. I cannot eat the same foods everyday, my body just does not tolerate it. Every day I try to eat a different breakfast so that I don’t get problems with these foods. Like for example, I have oatmeal one morning, pancakes the next and eggs the next and then cornflakes the next morning and a smootie the next morning and then start all over again. I try to do that with the rest of my meals also so I don’t get sensitive to any foods. When I was a little girl I can remember getting hives when I would eat too much oatmeal. It was my favorite food and I ate it as often as I could, but even then, although I didn’t realize it until now, I was sensitive to foods.
Today was a beautiful day and I was out all day digging in my gardens and usually I would not be able to walk at night due to pain everywhere and tonight I have little pain and I am feeling great!!!
I hope those of you that are healthy do not take your health for granted and have compassion on people that have more problems with their health than you. You don’t know how good you really have it until it’s not there anymore. Having a day that feels good feels fantastic!!!
Now some people have a really hard time when you stop eating certain foods…somehow it upsets them. They just don’t understand how bad some people feel because of certain foods…it’s seems like they would rather see you sick than not eating the foods they think you should eat. Kind of sad really. I feel bad for their narrow minds. Come to think of it, it would probably make some people jealous I suppose to see you are getting better and looking better and they are not.
Like I said, I am not a doctor or anything like that but I have done my research and know that I am doing the right thing for my body. I’ve listened to a lot of different people and read books on people who are eating really healthy and looking and feeling fabulous so to me the proof is in the pudding!!! (For you translators it just means that when you see something good you will recognize it by seeing it with your own eyes and knowing it is right by the results of it)
This way of eating is not easy and may not be for everyone, but everyone can eat a bit better for their own good. As a Christian, we believe that our body is the temple of God and so we should keep it as well and pure as possible in everyway.
That’s all she wrote…goodnight everyone, hope you have peaceful dreams
P.S. I forgot to tell you all my perks of this way of eating
I am sleeping better
My reflux is almost gone
My pain is almost non-existent
I am more content
My skin is great
My face and body are more toned
My eyes are clear
Fat seems to be changing and going to the right places, bonus
My pain is practically gone (except for my crazy arm for the past 7months but it’s getting better)
My energy is coming back
My hair is getting thicker it seems
My eyebrows and eyelashes seem to have gotten thicker too
I have more feelings of well being
I feel stronger
I’m losing weight
