Hello from Tunbridge Wells

[sunluvva]

Hi there

I've been learning and reading about raw food since 2005 when I had some clients who were raw foodies. It just seemed so natural to me and I instinctively knew that this is the way we were designed to eat.

Since then I've been between 50 -100% raw at times, sometimes not raw at all, it's been difficult with a big meat eating husband and kids.

Just 2 weeks ago I had an emergency operation on my stomach and they found a lump on my colon. Half of the colon has been removed but I still have to wait for the result of the biopsy. I decided there and then that I would move toward 100% raw, starting with eating only organic foods. Initially I will be eating raw till the evening meal with a cooked vegan meal. I need to transition slowly as I'm already in pain and feeling ill so don't want to exacerbate that.

Any advice you could give me would be gratefully recieved.

Denise

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Wow Denise,
sounds like your having a tough time...take it slow, transition into a high raw state, love your body but don't expect miracles. Try some reading matter from people like David woolfe-sunfood diet sucess (i have a copy i am happy to post & lend) Gabriel Cousens (any especially about high juice diets) Victoria Boutenko, 12 steps to raw (a good one covering cravings and more)
Try (if you have basic equipment or better still more expensive equipment) books, I love Heinermans encylopedia of Healing Juices, it just deals with the problem and a simple juice to suit. very gentle and as he blends and adds water its very nutrient rich but healing, not quite as radical as juicing.
If you are in recovery from bowel surgery (possible cancer from tumor) I really think you are doing the best by what you have said. Living without dairy and meat will help purely from the not taxing the system, but more complicatedly from a perspective that you are no longer causing palque & subsequent mucas and toxic waste for your body to deal with.
Have you had any sucess with cutting down on fruit? especially hybridised things like bananas?
I would strongly suggest adding fresh wheatgrass juice to your daily regime...www.aconburysprouts.co.uk I think is the web address for a very good sprout shop, and getting your hands on a wheat grass juicer is possible for under a £100 the Z star is very good, manual juicer purely for wheat grass....for severe conditions fresh is much better than powder but it it's out of your pocket right now try powders, a good cheap source is Tree Harvest 01531 650764 not on web they also do Chlorella also very good for healing the bowel...
I wish you all the luck in the world on your difficult journey.
If you were closer I would recommend you get involved in Southamptons lively Raw community with the pot lucks, meet ups, markets & vibrant people...most of whom are on here.xxxx
Love & Light
Karen

[Jax]

Hi there

I've been learning and reading about raw food since 2005 when I had some clients who were raw foodies. It just seemed so natural to me and I instinctively knew that this is the way we were designed to eat.

Since then I've been between 50 -100% raw at times, sometimes not raw at all, it's been difficult with a big meat eating husband and kids.

Just 2 weeks ago I had an emergency operation on my stomach and they found a lump on my colon. Half of the colon has been removed but I still have to wait for the result of the biopsy. I decided there and then that I would move toward 100% raw, starting with eating only organic foods. Initially I will be eating raw till the evening meal with a cooked vegan meal. I need to transition slowly as I'm already in pain and feeling ill so don't want to exacerbate that.

Any advice you could give me would be gratefully recieved.

Denise
Hi Denise and :welcome:

Firstly can I wish you big luck for the results and crossing my fingers for you. Secondly I really hope we can all help you out somehow on this site, sometimes it can just be the support of online members that helps, like perhaps in the Diary section (http://www.rawinuk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13), it's in the raw section but it really doesn't have to be linked to that - so if you want to just offload your thoughts and emotions of your own journey you could do it there ;)

I can totally relate to you on the big meat eating family issue, for me not only can I not stand the sight of chunks of flesh and then the smell of searing..........omg just the thought makes me queasy, but also knowing the trouble that meat can cause in the human body and then watching my loved ones shoving it in while I'm sitting there helpless and frustrated - it actually drains me emotionally sometimes.

I'm no expert, but as Karen has said, juices may well help, and alternating with green smoothies for a bit of fibre, these should be quite gentle on your digestive system, not wear you out when it's being digested, yet get essential nutients into your body to help heal itself.

Wishing you well and let us know how it all goes http://www.rawinuk.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[sunluvva]

Thanks Jax

I've just taken delivery of a months supply of frozen wheatgrass juice, I hope this will see me through until I can get the bits to start growing my own. I'm re-reading Ann Wigmore's Hippocrates Diet & Health Programme. She managed to cure her own colon cancer so it makes sense to follow her approach to start with then if all goes well introduce more fruity stuff.

One of the reasons I didn't follow the raw diet properly initially was because the first books I read were all about dehydrating and replicating pizzas and burgers, and it was all too complicated for me. I would normally say that I prefer more of a Dr Doug Graham 80/10/10 approach, that way of eating sits well with me.

For now I'll just keep sprouting my seeds and drinking wheatgrass.
Denise

[Jax]

Hm I've been meaning to raise a thread about 80/10/10 to gather more insight, but maybe you could post about your experiences on it instead, seeing as I've never tried it myself :confused2:

[sunluvva]

I've never followed 80/10/10 to the letter but the simplicity of it is what feels right to me, actually eating fruit and veg as nature intended.

I'm a little tired right now but will be happy to start an 80/10/10 thread soon, when I have more energy!