bloating - Raw Food Chat

Val · 04-06-2006

Does anyone experience bloating after eating? I do and it's pretty noticeable. Some people have mistaken me for being pregnant (and I'm not, thank you very much!!) What causes the bloating? I've read that it could be candida. I've heard some people who mention that they have candida. How does one know for sure if they have it? I am planning on doing an intestianl cleanse starting next week (for four weeks). If I did indeed have candida which is causing this bloating, will an intestinal cleanse get rid of the candida? What else could cause the bloating (it doesn't matter what I eat, even the healthy raw foods do it - could it be the fruit?) Just hoping someone can shed some light.......thanks.

Elsaraw · 04-07-2006

I don't have much light to shed but I'm also interested in peoples responses ... so, come on people....

lucky_rainboq · 04-07-2006

What are you eating when you experience the bloating? Are you eating combinations of foods? Fats and sugar? Starches and proteins? Improper food combining is the usual culprit of bloating and gas. Unfortunately some raw recipes can be a disaster with poor food combining. I would suggest checking out a chart to make sure that you're combining properly. I can't find one online but I'm sure some raw books have them. I know that Ann Wigmore's Hippocrates book has one inside.

Val · 04-07-2006

Thanks lucky_rainboq, I never thought about the food combining causing bloating. It seems like no matter what I eat I feel bloated but maybe I need to be more conscious of the difference between feeling bloated (non-raw foods) and feeling full (which I find I feel much more full on raw foods). You're right about a lot of raw recipes containing improper food combinations. Why is that? Is that why most people who are raw for a long time tend to eat simple raw foods instead of making recipes? Wow! There is so much to learn!

lucky_rainboq · 04-07-2006

Val, I think most of the recipe books are aimed at people who are transitioning rather than aiming for 100%... Which makes sense because you would look to a cookbook to figure things out. It's taken me a long time to get to the point where I'm comfortable eating 100% raw so those transitional recipes were really helpful. I was cooked food vegan for 2 years and vegetarian for many many years before, so I can only imagine how much more difficult a transition from a SAD diet would be.

With the way I eat, I don't use cookbooks anymore personally. I find it much more simple to just eat what I want and listen to my body.

Val · 04-07-2006

Yes, I agree the recipes are for people who are transitioning. I aspire to someday forget about the recipes and just eat more simple whole raw foods. How long have you been 100% raw? Do you ever have cravings for cooked food? If so, how do you deal with those cravings. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that if you have a strong enough craving, it is better to just give in that craving (as long as you don't go hog-wild) than to struggle with the craving. Makes sense, just eat a bit of whatever you're craving and be done with it. However, I might have difficulty just eating a "bit" so giving in to the craving might not work for me. Seems like a constant struggle to me.....hopefully, that struggle diminishes over time.

lucky_rainboq · 04-07-2006

I've only been 100% for 3 weeks now. I have been high raw since October. I find the more conscious you are of eating, the fewer cravings you have. I still will occasionally have things like herbal tea so I'm not fanatical about being 100%. For example, I think it's pretty impossible to truly be 100% since I don't know what condition my dates or nuts were in when they were packaged.

Personally, I don't give into cravings I have for cooked food and tehy've diminished the longer I have been raw. I try to think about why I'm having the craving because usually there are many emotional issues around that. I find if I'm depressed, it's harder to stay raw. Meditating and being mindful helps a lot with this for me.

Val · 04-07-2006

lucky_rainboq, congratulations on 3 weeks 100% raw! It looks like it's been a journey for you, starting off as a vegetarian, then vegan high raw and now 100% raw. I was a vegetarian for 4 years about 10 years ago but I also continued to eat cooked foods. So, coming into this raw lifestyle from the SAD is challenging but I am so excited about it because I am seeing subtle improvements in my well-being already (mixed in with the detox stuff). It's so hard to be patient, I want everything to improve overnight.

Elsaraw · 04-08-2006

I'm still waiting for everything to improve and it's been a year!!!!

It is hard, I feel like I should feel fabulous 24 hours a day...
Maybe soon

lucky_rainboq · 04-08-2006

val, what kinds of improvements have you noticed already? I feel taking note of the subtle changes is very powerful! For me, I have noticed that my face just looks so much better and more attractive in general. My skin is much more clear and I have very few breakouts, whereas I used to have many more. I have more of a glow instead of a pasty, pale complexion. My teeth have gotten whiter (either due to eating raw or brushing more, or a combination of both). I never get headaches any more (used to get migraines, especially when it rained.) My head just feels more clear in general while eating raw, no more fogginess or cloudiness.

Elsaraw, what about you? You surely must have noticed some great changes by now!