In a message dated 1/5/02 11:19:09 AM, R writes:
Dear Rhio,
It was a delight to find your websight this morning. I think I've been on it at least 3 hours (smile). Thank You for all the time youve put into such an informative sight. I've been at about 80% raw for many months now. I seem to be sensitive to mixed dishes, Nuts and grains make me feel yucky, Even though I soak and sprout them As do sauces and dressings so its hard to follow this raw diet with limited choices. I have 1 Tb of Barley Green in water for breakfast. For lunch I usually eat a lot of mixed baby greens with olive oil and celtic salt. It gets boring then I cheat. I am hoping over time my body will get over whatever is bothering it and I will be able to expand what I eat. I also eat Kale, cucumbers and olive oil with the celtic sea salt. Flax seeds and oil seem to be out also. Sometimes when I finish eating a nice raw meal I seem to have this sick feeling. Except when I eat the baby greens. Juicing also leaves me with a sick feeling no matter what kind of juice. Any ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated. Also I have fasted some . I know your not a doctor but you have a lot of experiace. Also Is it more financially beneficial to you for me to purchase your book directly from you vs. Amazon?
Thank You, and Many Blessings to you.
R
Dear R,
Glad you like my site!!!
You say you have fasted some. Could you expand a little on what kind of fasting (on juice or water), for how long, how did you feel, etc.? Prior to getting into raw foods, what was your diet like? I have some ideas but need a little more information.
If you purchase my book directly from my site, it is more financially beneficial. If you feel more comfortable using Amazon though, go ahead, because I'm happy for the order either way.
In friendship,
Rhio
Dear Rhio,
Thank you for your reply. I have been eating natural foods since my early 20s. I did a lot of juice fasting at that time. Natural meaning whole foods, not necessarily raw or vegetarian or vegan. Ive never been really consistent. In my teens I ate terrible and was sick alot. Around 18 I read some health books I think Linda Clark and Gaylord Hauser. I stated taking supplements and eating better, Ive tried to do healthy but my definition of what that is is always changing.
I have tried macrobiotic and realized then that I feel terrible with much grain. I was introduced to "raw" by George Malkmus of Hallelujah Acres through his books maybe 6 yrs ago. Whenever I would try to go even 80% raw I would get very skinny and sick, I thought maybe I was detoxing but It never seemed to get better even after 3 months. So I would go back to pretty much average American diet but with whole grains and only a little meat or fish. lots of vegies cooked and raw.
In my heart though I have always felt that at least 80% raw was the way to go but I have never been sure how to make it work for me, my sensitivities seem to make it especially difficult.
Most of this last year 2001 I have eaten 80% raw with salmon 2 to 3 times a week and felt pretty good but I still wanted to go raw. Maybe the last 6 months except for blowing it around the holidays I have been pretty faithful, So the last 4 months I've eaten salmon perhaps 4 times. I have read such conflicting health writings that I think Im missing something and will add a little raw dairy or whole wheat sprouted bread 1 or 2 times a week. I usually feel worse after a few days of that and will juice fast 1 or 2 days usually with 1 qt water with 2TB lemon and 2 TB maple syrup several of these a day or some cucumber celery juice with a small amount of carrot for taste.
Also, over say the last 5 years, my periods have been awful with 3 days of spotting then 2 days of med. to heavy bleeding often with a terrible headache for 2 to 3 days sometimes vomiting then maybe 5 or 6 light days. I always fast those 2 or 3 bad days on water if I can even get that down, last month I took super evening primrose oil (1or 2 a day) plus 1 dropper of Dong Quai Female Balance, it has dong Quai root, fresh helonias root, fresh black cohosh root, fresh squaw vine, saw palmetto berry, licorice root and ginger root and I took 1 dropper of chaste tree extract one time a day after the 15th day then may be 2 droppers of each for the last week before my period and I didn't even have a bad headache this last month I hope I get a repeat this month. I don't really take supplements except Richard Schultzs intestinal formula 6 a day to keep my bowels working 1 to 2 x a day and 1 tsp. of psysilliam husk in a glass of diluted apple juice before bed. Ive been doing this 3 mo. If I dont do this I go maybe 1 time every 2 days. This has gotten worse through the years.
About 5 yrs ago I did a 7 day juice fast with herbs similar to the arise and shine program with colemas and coffee enemas, but haven't had great sucess. I believe this is an important area to have working right. Most things say on raw food this area will work fine but that hasn't been the case for me. If I dont have a bm for 2 days I always do an enema.
Also I fast walk up and down a few hills 30 to 45 min mostly every day, skin brush and do yoga. I do feel better than I used to, except for the sensitivities and My weight seems pretty stable about 130 lbs for my 5'8''. I have been as low as 104 that was really skinny. I used to go down to 120 when raw so I guess I am adjusting.
I know this is a long letter sorry, I know your busy. Thank you for "listening to my woes." I am feeling like my body is adjusting to this way of life and if I can figure out the detail it will be wonderful. I buried my father of cancer 3 yrs ago at age 73 and my mother is still alive at 86 but she has had every disease in the book including breast cancer, heart disease and a recent colon resectioning. yuck, I do not want to follow in those footsteps. I would love to go to a health center like optimum health down in southern California but I am home schooling 3 children and I cant get away any ideas you have would be really appreciated.
May God richly Bless You with His Love and Peace and Joy.
Love,
R
Dear R,
I am sorry to hear about your father and mother's suffering with health problems. You are wise to be seeking your God given heritage — true health — because once achieved you will be immune from disease.
I am not a practitioner of any kind so cannot offer medical advice. Please view the following only as an exchange of information and ideas.
I seem to gather from the gist of what you say that you haven't gotten through the initial detoxification period yet. You mention three months of detoxing without the improvements you sought, plus a 7 day juice fast. You also mention inconsistency and jumping from one type of diet to another.
Detoxification to the point where you have more good days than bad days may take longer than three months. It is an individual thing. Also, detoxification happens in layers. So sometimes one layer is peeled away and then the body rests until it is ready to peel the next layer. The body has a wondrous innate wisdom but it awaits your cooperation too through beneficial raw diet and other lifestyle choices, like peace of mind, serenity, joyfulness, confidence in the course of action that you're taking, etc. I believe the key word for your situation is consistency. If you believe in the raw lifestyle, and it seems you do, then be steady and consistent in applying it for a period of time. How long it will take to see improvements cannot be known ahead of time. At some point you should be able to enjoy most all raw food dishes and not feel anything other than good energy from them. The sick feeling you get now, especially with any type of juice, indicates that you still have a ways to go detoxing.
You say that when you do the wrong thing like eat raw dairy or bread, you start to feel worse. Then you go on juice fasting and drink water with lemon juice and maple syrup for a few days and then feel better. That suggests to me that you are already able to surmise the right things to eat to get your body to a better place. You just need to consistently do them for the duration.
I know it is difficult to know what to believe. There is a wealth of information available and most of it contradictory. Once you can get your body over the initial detoxification period, it will become your ally. You will be able to trust it completely. When I eat something that my body does not want (usually for me, even a small amount of cooked food) – it immediately sends me a very clear and concise message. "Hey, don't send that stuff down here again!"
I do believe that, perhaps when your children are on school vacation, you should try to get away to the Optimum for a week or preferably two because there you will learn the entire detoxification program which includes not only dietary issues, but also detoxifying the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. Once you go through a program then you'll have a better grip on the "whole" interrelatedness of health.
You will also learn everything you ever wanted to know about the colon and the extra assistance you could get in cleansing with colonics. And reintroducing the acidophilus/bulgaricus and other types of friendly bacteria so that constipation becomes a thing of the past. Ideally if you eat three times a day, you should also eliminate three times a day. That might not seem possible right now but it will be possible in the future — it will happen. A suggestion is to make some sauerkraut and have 1 or 2 tbsp. per day. Also have some nut yogurt made with kefir. (Recipes in my book.) If you panic and have an enema every 2nd day then you are continually depleting the intestinal bacteria (in the colon). I would try going without the enema and increasing the sauerkraut and nut yogurt made with kefir. Also, consistently drinking two quarts of clean water per day is a must. Even if you were on juices or liquid diet, you still need to drink the water as well. First thing in the morning have 16 ounces of water. Then have water evenly spaced throughout the day, 20 to 30 minutes before meals and wait approx 1 1/2 to 2 hours after, unless very thirsty, then have little sips. Read a book called "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by Dr. Batmanghelidj. The 20% of food that you consume that is not raw, do not have coffee or soda because those contribute to constipation and dehydrate the body.
Your period problems can be a marker for you. In other words, when your periods start decreasing in length, quantity and severity of symptoms, you will know that your body is well on its way in detoxifying. The headaches during the menses are a sign that there are impurities in the bloodstream. The period for long term raw fooders can go down to 1/2 day, with no discomfort and sometimes not even knowing it has come upon you until of course, you spot it (no pun intended).
The herbs that you recently took perhaps helped purify the bloodstream and therefore helped eliminate the headaches. I would also take vitamin E.
The exercise, yoga and skin brushing are excellent. I might add to that jumping on a mini trampoline a couple of times a day.
Whether you continue with the salmon or not is a personal choice. If you feel you need some extra protein, you might try bee pollen instead. Some people have an intolerance to it at first – so might have to wait a while before you can take it. If you take bee pollen, take also propolis and royal jelly; they work together.
Have faith, be consistent, be persistent and believe in your ultimate success. I know you'll get there.
Blessings, peace and excellent health be yours.
Rhio
Dear Rhio,
I want to thank You so much for the time and energy you put into answering my letter. I think you are right about the consistency and that has been hard for me. My body does feel better than it has in years and I will really try to follow your suggestions. I would Love to go down to the Optimum Health Center in Lemon Grove if I can. Perhaps my children could come with me although Im sure it would be better without them. We'll see. Anyway many Blessings to you and Thank You again……
Smile, Love and Blessings
R