Why Am I So Tired?

[Devona]

     I seem to hear and read all the time how people have so much energy when they start eating raw, and I did have more energy for awhile after I started eating mostly raw, but it just seems like I am tired almost all of the time again. Some days are good but so many more are not good at all. I have been telling myself that my body is trying to heal itself of all of the harm I have done to it up until now but that does not always help. Has anyone else had this problem?

[LaTricia E. Morris]

Dev, I'm totally with you. Do keep in mind that just as taking in too little water can cause your body to retain as much as it can, so it can be with food/fats. If you don't eat enough, sometimes weight loss will continue but slow. I believe this is more of a survival mechanism at work. If there was famine, your body would likely try to conserve as much energy and fuel as possible to sustain you. You may find this improves as you increase fruits and greens. You really only need to reduce your calorie intake by 100-200 a day beow what you should be consuming for size and activity levels to see gradual but sustainable weight loss. I lost a lot at first but then that slowed and I began to teeter then drop, teeter then drop. I've come to a place where I'd love to be 20 lbs smaller but I take comfort in knowing I've come a long way and am continuing to not only get slimmer but healthier. Yesn it can be discouraging but accepting defeat will only worsen the battle. Just set your sights on the victory and know that it's not a matter of if but rather a matter of time before you reach your health goals. You're beautiful and you're getting there! Obviously, you're smart enough to assess the situation, address the issues and continually improve. If you just focus on giving your body what it needs, you open the door for it to rid itself of what it doesn't. Be healthy! Be happy!

[Devona]

Yes, thank you! I have loved all of the responses that everyone has been so kind to leave. I was laying in bed last night thinking that maybe some of cravings and tiredness are being caused by not getting enough greens. I have not been eating as much fruit lately either. I do eat fruit every day but how much I am eating is really down from a month ago. I think that I have been eating less calories lately without even realizing it. I am wanting to lose weight as I detox and it has become very frustrating that that has not been happening. I know that I have many years of poor eating to detox but sometimes it just gets discouraging not seeing the progress.  

[LaTricia E. Morris]

I had more recently had some fluctuations in my eating which led to me becoming tired and dragging.  I wasn't eating poorly, per se, but I wasn't taking in as many calories and especially not as many greens.  I made it a point to increase my green intake (especially juices and smoothies) once again and I have felt SO MUCH better.  Not enough greens on a raw diet can lead to iron deficiency which can cause fatigue. 

Too few calories can also be a major factor as all these water-rich foods can be quite filling, especially in the beginning.  More sweet fruits!

Detoxing can be another major culprit.  Kristina C-B of Fully Raw did a video where she said she took about 1 1/2 years before she finished phasing in and out of detox and got to a point of being on that full-time raw high.  I believe she was 16 when she went 100% raw vegan.  Though she didn't have as many years of accumulation, it still took time.  So it is with the rest of us.  Each of our bodies have been long laden with different forms and volumes of toxicity.  How long and in what ways it will heal itself too will vary.

Big thing,  (and I'm sure you've heard it several times over in other posts) listen to your body!  Craving junk foods with the fatigue is generally a good indicator of detox or that you are taking in too few calories and that your body may just be yearning for the most calorically-dense foods you can think of without you doing so intentionally.  These may also be tied to deficiencies where amongst all the other gunk found in the food, your body has linked it to some benefit.  (Example: craving chocolate but needing magnesium or manganese)

Cravings for good, wholesome foods is a good indicator of nutritional deficiency.  If that be the case, satisfy the craving in a good, wholesome way and you should see a rebound in your energy levels.

Sorry for the lengthy response.  Hope this helps and you see a return in your energy levels quickly.

[Devona]

I was not sure about soaking all nuts. Thanks for the info!

[Alessandra]

I am not sure if anyone addressed your question about needing to soak walnuts and pecans, but ideally all nuts should be soaked before eating as it gets rid of something in them that inhibits digestion. 

[Devona]

Thanks! I am starting to put ya'll advice to good use!

[Sharon E. Cannon]

Also Devona, in addition to high fruit and greens, low fat works best. You'll notice a difference in energy. Sometimes if our adrenals aren't functioning as well as they should, that can also cause fatigue. Getting tested is easy.

[Sharon E. Cannon]

When I went completely raw nearly two years ago, I spent months feeling tired and draggy. After much trial and error, and listening to folks who have been raw for at least ten years, I learned I needed more carbs, which is fruit on a raw diet. I had the usual fruit phobia, about eating too much fruit sugar, but when I began eating more fruit, my brain worked better, and I had more energy. I now eat fruit all day till dinner, when I have a big green salad, or I have fruit all morning till lunch, and have a green juice or salad, and another green salad at dinner. Fruit is the most cleansing food on the planet, and will cause some cleansing issues at some point, but it gets better.

[Kamala Raab]

I too felt tired a great deal of the time until I added more protein to my diet. Protein is not a myth for me. My body feels better and I have more energy with about 30 to 40 grams of plant protein a day. In addition to nuts and veggies for protein I eat Hemp Hearts, Chia seeds, Veggie Protein Powder and most recently Sunflower Sprouts.      3 1/2 oz. of sprouted sunflower seeds contain 22.78 grams of protein, 116 mg of calcium, 5.06 mg of zinc, 689 mg of potassium, 1.75 mg copper and 3.54 mg of magnesium. I use them in smoothies and on salads. Also make sure that you are getting enough calories per day. I had to track everything for awhile until I could figure out what food and the amount of food made me feel my best. Hope this helps.

[Jason Littlewolf]

Its pobably due to not eating enough..salads have to be BIG !..:)..or its the other way and your eating too much fruit sugar and its making you feel tired...:)