Courtney

My name is Courtney. I have been on this list about two weeks and am enjoying some of the information I have been receiving so far. With this message I both wanted to introduce myself and ask for some feedback on a few health matters. First I should say that I am not on a raw diet. I am 90% vegetarian, use all fresh food, consume almost no dairy products, and generally follow Fit for Life principles, of which I have been aware for about 3 years. I am generally healthy and am interested in obtaining better health through an improved, rawer diet. I have a 6-month-old baby who has been living off of breastmilk and fresh fruit juices (often with almonds) we extract at home. She is extremely healthy and happy!

I would like some comments on the next few things. When I went to live abroad in Venezuela 3 years ago, I changed my "typical" diet for what I described above. I had always had an ideal weight, but within a short period of time, I unintentionally lost 20 pounds. I fainted once and gradually came very close to fainting on a regular basis. I went to several doctors, traditional and alternative, and no one found anything wrong with me (quite the contrary, actually). When I got back to the States 2 years ago, I did discover that my blood pressure was extremely low (at times, 65/45!!!) and that my iron/hemoglobin was often borderline low also. I felt permanently fatigued no matter how much I slept and truly suffered from a lack of energy. With my pregnancy all my symptoms disappeared, which made me think that it had been a low weight problem. A few months after delivery, I began to feel some of the symptoms again. Looking for a high iron source, I finally decided to try molasses (I am aware of the negative aspects of it). I have been taking about 2 tablespoons daily for the last 3 weeks, and I feel remarkably better! So, I am concluding that a lack of iron and a low weight were the origins of my health problems, but I would like to hear any other ideas some of you might have. Also I still have a strong need for 8-10 hours of sleep a night and yet feel very tired upon waking. I would love to hear how eating raw has affected peoples' need for sleep, how they feel upon waking, and difference in energy levels. Anyone out there with low blood pressure, or know how can I raise it some (it tends to be around 90/60 now)? Ideas for gaining weight in a healthy way? (I eat lots of avo's and nuts but cannot gain weight.) DO I JUST HAVE A TYPICAL CASE of the "Cooked Food Blues"? Am I simply suffering from 25 years of dead food?

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