What catapulted me farther down the "rabbit food"(raw) rabbit trail? My first fast. My hubby was savvy about this practice long before he met me, and had even done it a couple times (without me) when we were first married. I'd never thought about fasting as a health measure, since it seemed like erratic anorexic/bulimic behavior. Why would I deprive myself, lose some weight, only to (probably over)eat a few days later and gain it all back? What I've learned now is that fasting has little to do with weight loss, even though that tends to happen (much to my appreciation). And, it has nothing to do with implementing poor eating habits, unless we mean to say it helps steer us away from them. This is a tremendously helpful website that expounds on fasting's many beneficial aspects.
My first fast occurred last summer for a span of eight days. All I consumed were fruit and vegetable smoothies. I was receiving all the essential nutrients that my body needed while eliminating the complex carbs, fats or animal proteins that I was accustomed to.
The first three days were hard. Among the main symptoms were intense cravings, acne, irritability, and headaches. After day three, those symptoms subsided. I didn't feel desperately hungry and was better able to refocus my time and energy--oh, that's the other thing--energy! I had more of it. Also, I slept more soundly, and less. Toward the middle and end of the fast there were moments of euphoria, and a mental attunement I'd never before experienced. Ever see the movie Limitless? Yeah, that's an exaggeration of what this was like, but similar concept. And, good movie.
So, what did I get out of the first fast? I ...
... dropped 10lbs in 8 days. (And have kept it-and more- off.)
... felt like I accomplished a great physical and mental challenge
... experienced eating well and liked it.
The fast reoriented my palate. I don't crave the sweet, salty and fatty foods like I used to. And, when I do give in to those temptations, my body very immediately tells me I shouldn't have with discomfort, bloating and sometimes general achey-ness. I'm actually glad for these reflexes, because before I would have kept eating, gained weight and felt horrible, arthritic pain after it all.
Also, the fast challenged me in a new way beyond what I was used to (like when I trained for half marathons or other fitness goals). All in all, I really appreciate fasting for both its challenges and benefits. I plan to keep up this practice at least twice a year, if not on a weekly basis. (Setting aside a day to cleanse.) In fact, my second fast had even more wild effects, and was longer, so I might update y'all on that.
What do you you think of fasting (such as what you did with drinking only smoothies) while pregnant or breastfeeding. Would that be safe?
ReplyDeleteHow would a raw food diet need to be adjusted to compensate for pregnancy? It seems like you would have to eat a lot more to get the extra 300 or so calories that is recommended.
Great questions, I'm so glad you asked. I always recommend consulting your doctor first. I didn't, but then again, I had already done a lot of research and felt comfortable knowing that I would probably feel bad before I'd get better... but if I felt really "off" or not well, then I would just eat or drink something. There's a lot more I'd like to say about that, but please know I was pretty confident at that point, what with not being on any medications or having any major health issues, to start a fast where I was eating all good clean food.
DeleteAlso, when I did this first smoothie fast my son was approximately 8 months old and I was still nursing. I told myself that if it looked like I was losing my milk, or that he was being undernourished then I'd stop. But he wasn't. He maintained his weight throughout. The consistency of the milk was different, and I recall that both he and I experienced more regularity. (I tried to stay away from broccoli as it made him gassy at first.) Plus, he'd already started eating solid foods so I didn't feel like I was jeopardizing or causing him any harm.
As far as raw pregnancies, there is so much information out there. I look forward, (God willing, should I get pregnant again), to being able to track that experience. One of the hopes is that the cravings I experienced with my son will be subdued in future pregnancies as I nourish the body properly. I've heard that this is the case. Those 300 extra calories are important but are completely different when they are plant based. There are many other blogs out there of women who have experienced such dramatic differences between SAD and raw diets in their various pregnancies, such as this mom: http://7blessingsfromabove.blogspot.com/. So please avail yourself to those with more experience. I googled "Raw pregnancies" and a huge list came up that might be up your alley. I imagine someone can get their extra calories in quite easily incorporating nuts, nut butters and bananas.
I've read that there should be some caution, however, in starting a raw food diet in the middle of a pregnancy. I'd agree. However, any physician is going to encourage better nutrition. So, as long as one takes it slow, incorporating more raw food into the diet on a weekly maybe even monthly basis, I think they're on a good track for a healthy postpartum recovery, continuation and improvement of their diet overall. That's how it's been for us.
Thanks again for the questions. I hope that helped some. All the best!
Thanks for the in-depth reply!
DeleteI will take a look at that link and see what google comes up with.