detox - Forum - The Frugivore Diet

Detox symptoms?

2021-01-06T17:22:25.000Z

Hello all!

I have been vegan for many years now. I've never been fully raw but recently I have been eating more raw til 4 with lots of fruit throughout the day.
Often after eating a mono meal of fruit, I feel this weird tightness discomfort in my chest and belly. It's hard to describe the feeling. This feeling only happens when I eat mono meals of fruit but it doesn't happen every time. I can't find anything talking about this on the internet as there are so few places that even discuss eating fruits in large amounts.
Anyways, I keep thinking these sensations might be detox symptoms as I still do eat some processed vegan food here and there. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced these sensations going higher raw?

thanks all, love being here!

One-fruit fast went wrong

2016-02-08T02:55:52.000Z

Hi, my girlfriend decided to do a one-fruit fast (watermelon) every sunday as a first step towards water fasting but it went wrong the first attempt, the second, third, fourth... Strong headaches were experienced along with nauseas and weaknesses. She couldn't handle it so at 6pm we decided to break the one-fruit fast with a little of boiled sweet potato and boiled pinto beans with onion. *We are now in Mexico so we go for local food.

If you ask "Why did she do it more than once?" The answer its because symptoms were significantly similar to those of detoxification, very intense in her case. So we thought it was a good idea to make an intermittent fast of 12 hours everyday plus the sundays one-fruit fast (watermelon) until the amount of toxins decreases and thus she would be able to make a water fast for more than 3-4 days, but still, she can't get through 20 hours one-fruit fast. And we are worried about it. Specially me, because I strongly believe in the power of fasting.

Ive documented myself with various fasting books and guides for my own benefit, completing a 6 day water fast before starting a raw plant based diet 811, 2 years ago, or fruitarian as they call it.

My girlfriends background.

She've been vegetarian for 15 years, 4 as a vegan and raw till 4 since we met (almost a year ago).
She have always had lymphatic issues as her feet and hands are always cold (in semi-cold countries).
She also has some issues on the daily amount of excretion.
Cigarette smoker for over 5 years.
No other disorders have ever appeared in blood or urine tests.

I understand every body is different and reacts differently specially when it comes to fasting, so Im not expecting a final answer but rather an idea of people who have studied the field and would like to share their thoughts or experiences.

I very much appreciate your time and shares.

With love, Zeus & Alexia.

Peace!

cilantro smoothie recipes? Where to buy wild blueberries?

2015-12-01T00:38:28.000Z

What are some good smoothie recipes with cilantro? Please include the amount of eat ingredient used xD

And where do you buy wild blue berries? I heard those are amazing for ridding the body of viruses.

More water I drink, the thirstier I get?

2015-10-29T00:06:38.000Z

I've been following durianrider's advice to drink more water each day. Been drinking at least 4 liters a day. What I've been finding recently, is that I wake up at 3am thirsty. Also I already drank about 3 liters today, and got thirsty around 4pm. I did not have an active day, and it was not hot; sitting in cold A/C in a jacket at the office right now. It feels like no amount of water can quench my thirst. Only been doing mostly raw vegan high-carb for about a week now after doing a juice fast for the previous week. Also my sodium and fat intake have been drastically cut. Some days I don't eat any salt directly since just eating fruit and veggies.

Is my body trying to detoxify now that it's getting enough water?

Is this a normal healthy reaction? Any advice? Any ideas what is going on? Should I just keep drinking? How long will this go on?

(I should add that I've had a blood lab done recently and I am not diabetic.)

thanks!

Banana island

2015-10-19T07:52:39.000Z

Hi everyone! I've come to banana island to fix lots of digestive issues, constipation and skin issues. I've been rt4 for 6 months and was going great. Have no idea what's caused all of these issues but anyway!I'm wondering a few things, I'm 2 days into banana island now..1- still, no bowel movements ... HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! I drink 3-4L a day, excercise, sleep well, what's going on?!2- are we allowed greens? I've been having cos lettuce and baby spinach with my smoothies sometimes3- how important is organic? :/... I haven't found anywhere that even sells organic bananas let alone them not costing an arm and a leg! :( I've been just having regular bananas, I buy them really cheap coz they're almost overripe.4- I noticed today a really bad white coating on my tongue! My mouth feels really dry. Is that detox, or candida getting worse ?Any help is appreciated!Thanks guys

eczema on a high carb vegan diet

2015-06-13T02:11:17.000Z

Hi,

So I have been experiencing some moderate to severe cases of eczema for the past year. For some background, i had eczema growing up. It was pretty bad and i used steroid creams to stop the itching. once I started eating a raw food diet, and shortly after, High carb vegan, my eczema pretty much cleared up. Now it is starting to come back with a vengeance!! I stopped using my steroid creams this year ( I relapsed and used it 2 or 3 times earlier in the spring. I was under a lot of stress with work since I was performing and I needed to focus/ sleep) and it has gotten so bad. At some points, my skin would break and I would bleed.

*in janurary of 2014 I went off hormonal birth control.( been on it for 5 years) few months later I started experiencing acne last year and my eczema started to get worse. I used my steroid cream.

*then last summer (2014) I stopped using antibiotics. I had been getting chronic UTIs and had been taking them off and on for a couple of years.

*So at this point, for the past few months I have not used any prescription medication.

I am thinking it is some sort of detox but want to know what others have to say or if other people have experienced this. Since janurary 2015 I have been eating 100% raw food. high carb low fat. ( high carb raw/cooked vegan for 3 years prior) My guess is this:

1. 20+ years of using steroid creams

2. birth control compromised my hormone levels and immune system

3. chronic UTIs set in

4. start using antibiotics which led to bad gut flora=bad digestion/colon health=poor absorption of nutrition.

5. then I stop birth control. hormones go crazy. acne kicks in.

6. stop antibiotics ( found an all natural cure.... Kombucha!) stop steroid cream

7. DETOX kicks in. after years of prescription meds, toxicity build up.

what do people think? I have noticed that my acne is starting to clear up little and since I chart my cycle, I know that my hormones are starting to regulate a little more. but my eczema is still here. perhaps a little better?

thanks for your time everyone.

-Lahna

How long were Freelee and Harley fully raw before going raw till 4?

2015-06-02T21:21:13.000Z

I would like to know this because I went 100% fruit with no transition seven months ago, and since then I have been detoxing way too much including juice fasting for two months and extreme calorie restriction throughout due to not having access to good fruit.Now the reason I ask is that the cooked carbs are very dense and I'm concerned about how they will affect my digestion after this period of detox and going so long without solid food. I mostly ate blended bananas and blended apples without the skin during these 7 months because I lost the enamel on my teeth.I have a theory that people who are used to eating cooked carbs can handle them and people who have had a raw diet for a long time BUT have detoxed very well can also handle them, but I am somewhere in the middle where my body is not used to them but it is also not in a vibrant state where it can handle everything because it's so clean.Any thoughts on this? I feel I shouldhsve just started with raw til 4 and done that for several years. Can my body go back to rice and potatoes now? The reason that it concerns me is because I have been involved with communities that maintain that cooked starches become glue in the intestines.

HELP - acne since starting HCLFV diet ! :(

2015-04-09T12:44:27.000Z

I used to have annoying acne as a young teen (it started at around age 12), and at age 15 i decided to go on accutane, which cleared my skin up completely. I became vegetarian around 10 months ago, and during this i saw no changes in my skin, BUT basically a week after i cut dairy and eggs and became high carb vegan (4 months ago), my skin erupted with small bumps mostly on my forehead and cheeks. they used to be colourless and plenty, but now it has changed to more severe acne, with painful red bumps all over my cheeks :( has anyone else experienced this?? my skin has been continuously breaking out for 4 months and its getting pretty hard to believe that its only detox....

(i have been eating predominantly raw till 4 with some cooked lunch days)

STILL experiencing acne after 3 months Raw till 4. HELP!

2015-03-26T17:09:56.000Z

Hello fellow fruit bats! :)

I am hoping to receive some tips, advice, personal experience, or encouragement with acne on this lifestyle. I have been doing raw till 4 for about 3 months now. I have always had some mild acne (most problematic around jaw line, outline of my face, and some bumps on forehead here and there). I went vegetarian about 1 1/2 years ago. I went whole food vegan cutting out processed foods about 6 months ago but with a high fat intake (alot of nut butters and such). My skin actually went on quite a detox switching off dairy but it didn't completely clear up like I was hoping. I went on raw till 4 about 3 months ago and my acne started getting pretty intense right away. I noticed some cystic looking acne as well as whiteheads coming up around my jawline with a lot of little bumps on my forehead. My forehead has mostly cleared up now (not entirely clear) but I am still experiencing quite a bit of acne along my jawline (it is way worse than it normally has been in my life) so I attribute it to detox. While I feel great physically and emotionally on this lifestyle, the acne is starting to take a toll on my social life (not feeling up to making many social appearances).

My typical day on this lifestyle:

1 liter of water upon waking

BREAKFAST

10 banana smoothie with a couple handfuls of spinach with 2 cups of water (occasionally I will have some dandelion greens and occasionally I will have some frozen berries or acai powder in it as well)

1 liter of water about 15-30 mins before lunch

LUNCH

15-20 dates or about 5 mangos (I make sure I get at least 1,000 calories from fruit for lunch).

1 liter of water about 15-30 mins before dinner

DINNER

typically either a lot of baked potatoes or rice with some cooked veggies.

1 liter of water before going to bed

NOTES: I think my daily caloric intake ranges from 2,500-3,000. I keep my sodium intake low. I might have a half an avocado 1-2 x wk. I have rarely had any oils except for a couple times over the last 3 months I have eaten out (even then the oil intake was very low). I average 7-9 hours of sleep per night throughout my week.

I do yoga/pilates a couple times a week and do cardio (running or cycling) a couple times a week as well.

FACE CLEANSING ROUTINE: 1 part grapeseed oil mixed with 1 part aloe vera gel. I mix the two in my hand until they're emulsified, rub lightly on my skin, and rinse lightly with water and dap lightly with a towel. I find the oil to be beneficial in helping my skin stay moisturized as it can easily dry out.

PAST: I have been on the birth control pill and antibiotics before but have been off of them for about 9 months now.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to help my skin on detox? Anyone with similar experience? If so, how long did it take for your skin to clear up? Is there anything I can be adding to my smoothies which will be beneficial in helping it clear up?

ANY advice, tips, or encouragement will be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you! :)

Super Tired and fast hart rate after 10 banana smoothie.. any-one had the same as detox symptoms?

2015-03-24T13:43:16.000Z

Hello Fruities.

I am a RTL-er for almost 6 weeks now. And this week I FEEL SO TIRED> WOW> never been so tired.

And I have a really fast hart-rate after a 10 banana smoothie in the morning. WHY?

Any-body some tips ?

Or any-one had the same symptoms in the beginning ?

The first 4 weeks I was flying..now I' am a hanging in there but still loving it.

Love to hear from ya all.

Love *fruit fly bee.*

Still detoxing after one year hclf ? and weight gain

2015-03-20T18:10:12.000Z

Hey everybody...

I just signed up. I thought maybe it might be a good idea to get some support from people who are on the same path...

first little history: (i am 23 years old now)

i am coming from an extreme background of drug abuse since i was born (so obviously not by choice) and followed by eating disorders since i was 12... i had to throw up for 3 years i guess... and then last year it stopped....

when it stopped i was interested in healing my body...or putting in the right food so i searched and found freelees videos... i watched a few of them and became interested in this vegan thing...than i watched the videos with the animals being abused and i cried and went vegan over night... on may 27th 2014

Since i had those eating disorders i never ate the right things, i drank tons of coffee, high fat low carb....basically: i did everything wrong :)

my weight went up and down but i always was normal weight (good figure) and one year i was really underweight . ... my lowest was 50 kg with 1,70 m hight.....also did much sport in my teenage years.... always moving and outside basically....

i always had perfect skin! ...never had problems with pimples...

3 years ago i went to thailand for 2 month and there my skin started to break out ...my nose was always the worst... always pimples on my nose... since then i had to fight my skin becoming more and more bad (but even then it was kind of okey)...W

WHEN i went vegan ... i somehow knew...that all those toxins flowing through my body had to go....and when my body realized that the torture ended, everything seemed to come out...

i sometimes drink lepacho tea to help the detoxing...it is very good...tried to eat the most fruit i can, stopped drinking coffee, fatty foods....

and i felt great.... but since then i always had kind of "detox phases" where i had all sorts of detox symtoms ....

I know this is not something that goes away over night so its okey....

but i still get from time to time extreme breakouts, especially on my nose and it is so annoying because it leaves me with those scars in the middle of my face... i try to cure it with natural remedies...

i read that the nose is linked to the liver and that the inflammations on the nose show that the liver is still not "clean"...

the other thing is that since eating enough i gained about 14 kg since going vegan

at the start 2014 may : about 61 kg

January 2015: 75 kg

now 2015: about 73

i know many are talking about initial weight gain... i watched so many videos and the most of them are talking about 5 kg or something similar :D but i gained 14 kg...thats... much ...

my question is : is this still normal ?

i really follow a hclf vegan diet...especially last year i ate almost no fat and salt at all...

the only thing i am struggling with i sleeping because of sleeping disorders...

i started to do fitness and slowly increased the amount of sport so that i don't give up and never do it again...

my second question is, does anyone know having breakouts on the nose?

and this long detox phase ?

i know i will stay vegan...but i need a little bit of ...your experiences ...to stay on track and be patient.....

wouh....long story short: is a very long healing phase normal IF there has been an extreme damage ?

red poooop on watermelon island

2015-03-18T07:31:06.000Z

So it's day 3 of watermelon island for me and I feel great, fairly calm and clear headed! However, I was thrown off for a moment by my bright red poop! Haha I'm guessing this is pretty standard for watermelon island since I'm eating nothing but copious amounts of red fruit..
Also a tip! Squeezing lemon juice on my melons has stopped melon belly pains and also tastes incredible! Yummmm!

Frustrating, my stomach feels empy

2015-02-01T18:21:29.000Z

Hi fruit bats!
Allow me to start with the problem I have. I recently had a tasting / high tea. I did binge (not until I was sick) I had no problem with it, and still do not. It actually was not a binge because I enjoy it and learned my valuable lesson. After this, my stomach felt empty this whole week. It is not full and I crave things like (things salty and fatty processed stuff) urgh. Is this kind of experince normal after a high tea and if you ate a lot? Because I feel stuffed after 2500 kcals for a day normally. But now I dont feel satisfied with3500 ?! (healthy eating) my stomach is like an empty hole. I do not like the feeling of an empty hole. And another problem. Whenever I CTFU ... I have muscle pain. and I know what you say eat more eat more but I already eat minimum 3000 calories with little movement. I normally feel already full with 2500 and no I can guarantee you , I dont have an empthy hole because this always happens after an bad eating meal but this feeling lasts now a week.

Did someone had a similar problem and how do you deal with it?

My english sucks I know

Thanks for reading this.

ps: my bad habits of detoxing is restricting myself for an week to eat non cooked foods if I crave bad things. This helps me a lot but I dont want to restrict myself other food groups. I like potatoes.

this is an high tea

HELP!! Liver spots, protein, detox, retainer

2014-12-15T10:22:17.000Z

I have been following this lifestyle for around 7-8 months and have slightly been undereating on the protein (eating a lot of dates with only 2% protein, I have been getting enough calories though, 3500+ calories) because I recently had my albumin levels turn out low (have sent for the papers so I can see what the levels are). I turned 20 one week ago. Is it possible to mess with your development if you go with low protein levels 4-5 months, do I need to worry about that?I have several liver spots on my body, but I have had a couple of small new liver spots appearing on different parts of my body following this lifestyle, is this normal? Is it a detox reaction, releasing toxins faster than they can be eliminated? Or am I doing something wrong, I'm not weakening my liver am I? Or can it be related to low protein levels? Anyone with similar experience?Also, is it possible to pee out protein/amino acids if you drink too much water?Also :), will having a dental retainer in your mouth (metal wire) hinder detoxification?Thank You, guys and gals on beforehand! :D

Going raw "detox" symptoms

2014-12-14T08:21:57.000Z

So I've been 100% raw for the last week an a half and have a few questions regarding the "detox" or transition phase. Before going raw I was eating a HCLF cooked vegan diet and I tried to include as much fruit as possible.

1. Did you experience any symptoms?

2. If so, what were they?

3. How long did they last?

4. What benefits did you experience afterwards?

Thanks!

Thinking on getting on antidepressants for a short time so I can get my life together...

2014-11-03T08:58:40.000Z

(keeping it short trying not to rant)

"I plan to take these (antidepressant) pills, accomplish my goals, get a steady job for a while, ease myself off and then with the money from my job I can overload my system with top quality plants foods/fruit...."

Read on...

I am a recluse and have no energy to get a job, this has been the case for the past few years... there are so many tasks I need to accomplish it all piles up and I never do them... I made a new friend today(online) and he is telling me I should try antidepressants/ anti anxiety medication. He studied psycology in college and told me I likely have a chemical imbalance. I don't deny that but I think/know it can be remedied with fresh fruit/rawtil4, exercise, sunshine, etc. I always feel amazing after I do those things, BUT I am broke, and exhausted... I just can't get the fruit in... I don't even have the energy to apply for food stamps... (I don't want to rely on them, but don't have shame in using that aid the help with my life) anyways... my life is just an endless list of tasks, I don't want to get a job, until I sell all my clutter/useless possessions, I can't sell those things until I get a better working laptop, I can't get a better laptop cause I'm broke>< I am so tired and confused all the time... but enough of that i don't want pity... I am just wondering if you think I should use the chemical drugs that I may be able to get for free from my dad's health insurence. What damage will this do to my body and can it be detoxed out? I just need the energy to get shit done in my life... I'm tired of being a loser living at home... fruit is ideal... but I have zero dollars... today all I had was two fish tacos someone left in the fridge. Other than minimal plant foods my parents buy, I live on rice. I feel like I am just surviving day to day... and have no energy.... anyways... I may try these pills, my friend was really incouraging me to. Even though I hate pills...

Please tell me why they are unhealthy... I may not sound very smart but I am (once again, just tired..) I can understand the science of the pills and all that. Please link some legit articles.. I plan to take these pills, accomplish my goals, get a steady job for a while, ease myself off and then with the money from my job I can overload my system with top quality plants foods/fruit.... also i can finally buy that road bike I've been dreaming of... and a new laptop to make youtube videos... etc... i can finally start living my life! Traveling, etc..

Losing weight. Normal?

2014-11-03T01:11:19.000Z

Hi all,

So I've been fairly consistently raw for the last several months and I've been losing some weight. I've never been that concerned with my weight but I just want other people's opinions/experiences on the subject. I'm 6 feet tall and I'm down to 136 pounds. I've always been slender but it seems like it's been steadily going lower and lower but I don't weigh myself that often. I don't even own a scale. I thought I heard/read somewhere that when you go raw your body gets rid of all the old toxin-containing fat and then builds back with some healthy fat. Has anyone else heard that? If so, I'll just assume that this is all part of the detoxification process. I've kind of been thinking that anyway. You'll probably want to know what I eat and how much. My main staples are: dates, bananas, grapes, romaine lettuce(usually two to three heads a day, I've been craving it like crazy), and all sorts of other fruits intermittently. I easily get at least 3000 calories a day.

More stats: I've been vegan for fourteen months and then 'cleaner' vegan for over eight months. 99% raw these last few months. I've been through several other 'detox events' so I think that my eliminative organs weren't working so hot up until I made the switch to a healthy, more ethical lifestyle.

Peace.

Detox Rash or... ?

2014-08-24T21:32:18.000Z

I've been vegan for a year, raw 'til 4ish for about 7 months and raw for about a month and a half. So I've been getting these little clusters of what vaguely resemble bug bites for about 8 days. They're extremely itchy and most of them are happening in my thigh/butt region although I have some on my arms, a few on my hands and one in the middle of my stomach. One small one on my hand was even filled with fluid and I purged it with a needle. Are these detox things or what? I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this. My diet (since raw) has been almost exclusively grapes, bananas, dates and romaine lettuce. I thought I had gone through the worst of my detox but it's looking like not.. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated especially if you've had a similar experience. Oh, and I thought most of them being in my thigh/butt region made since because that's where most of my excess fat is stored and I've heard that toxins are stored in fat a lot. Any validity to this? 22 yo, 6ft, slender and at least 3000 cals per day

John

"RT4 & Gaining" Group?

2014-08-16T13:22:47.000Z

Some folks seem to gain weight, while others appear to lose it right away or at least stay steady on this lifestyle. For those of us who gain on the RT4 lifestyle, is there any interest in starting a group within this site to offer each other support? Perhaps one exists already that I can be directed to? It would be nice to hear from those, who maybe gained weight for a year on RT4, but then lost it. I have run across maybe three or four women in that category who have shared here (thank you!). Maybe there are others??

As for a little about me, I have been on this lifestyle for almost 2 months, which I realize is nothing in terms of an adequate healing process. Some days seem fun, smashing in those carbs, while others are more of a struggle.

Busting out of my clothes, digging through my closet for tent dresses in order to give my body a hide-away/cocoon/space for its process -- even in the name of optimal long-term health -- requires stamina that some days can falter.

And, I know I can't expect those closest to me to see the light of this lifestyle without seeing results first, so on I plod, downing banana & date smoothie after banana & date smoothie, smiling to myself as I think, "They don't know what they are missing." ; )

My original intent in coming to this lifestyle was to detox from nuts and unsweetened chocolate, which I ate in excessive quantities (sometimes 1 lb of almonds or pumpkin seeds a day, half lb of 100% cacao chocolate a day). I was also otherwise bored with my diet, which comprised mostly of (& often raw) sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, chickpeas, apples, chia seeds, almond milk, other green leafies, squash, unlimited salt and coconut oil or avocados, Vega shakes. Occasionally, I would have eggs, cheese, or fish, maybe a couple times of year, but they mostly gross me out, so I am relieved to have found a lifestyle that says I don't need them. I was bulimic in my teens and 20's, but have managed it (i.e. no purging) in the past decades by my food choices including limited carbs, but lots of plant fat.

I was what I thought was a normal weight = 125 lbs, 5'4", age mid-forties. I hiked a lot and did yoga. I ran several marathons in my mid-thirties, but don't currently run. I haven't weighed in since starting the lifestyle, but I can go and find a scale if that would be helpful. I am just aware of jiggling arms and legs, and stomach rolls, where there were none before, a swollen neck/chin, and clothes that are no longer comfortable to wear. Often I feel like a walking water balloon, especially after a meal.

A typical day for me calorie-wise has steadily been increasing from 2800 to 3200 to 3600. I had a few 3800 hundred days, followed by 7000 calories yesterday!! Maybe it's just that I have never counted calories before, but that felt like a record!

It also made me want to check in and see if this is what I am supposed to be doing for optimal health and weight loss? So, yesterday, I ate 20 bananas, 25 medjool dates, 1.5 boxes of corn fusilli with 2 cups of peas and a can of low sodium chopped tomatoes with three small baked potatoes & a tablespoon of lo-salt, no-fat salsa, black pepper and freshly squeezed lemon.

First and second meals (8 am & 11:30 am) were this tasty banana ice cream float I make --basically, a 10 medjool dateorade with spoonful after spoonful of ice-cream that I make by just putting 6-10 frozen bananas in my Vitamix. At 4 pm, I ate 1/3 of the above pasta-potato combo, and then finished the remaining 2/3 at 6:30 pm.

I drank 5.5 liters of water thru out the day, peed 15 times (day & night, as I have to get up a couple times to pee), walked for 1.5 hours in the afternoon sunshine, and slept from 10 pm to 6 am that night.

This has been a pretty typical day, except that I usually have romaine lettuce or arugula with a choice or combo of rice, pasta or potato with the above seasonings for dinner. Peas are my "fat" when I haven't had an avocado in 1.5 weeks and don't have one on hand. And sometimes I only walk for 40 minutes. I used to do yoga, but I am too full and/or bloated these days to want to move like that, so I'll pick up some hand weights or do some squats instead.

I have been on vacation for the past few weeks (it ends next week), so stress has been low, as well as giving me an opportunity to explore this forum and youtube and learn what I can. I recently ran across two separate RT4 women, who have switched to a Starch Solution-based diet and are now getting results that they did not get after a year on RT4, which has given me some pause. I'm wondering if I should I try that, stay with RT4, go to Banana Island, return to my old eating, as those around me think I should…. Maybe you can see why I thought a gainers' group might be helpful. : )

I love the idea of my cells swelling up, so that they can one day release any accumulated toxins. I love the idea of achieving optimal cellular function and unlimited energy once the debris is gone. I love banana ice-cream in my life, although I think I am allergic to unripe ones (i.e. normal, yellow vs brown, sweet and soft), which I had to learn that the hard way and from all of you. ; )

I picture my cells doing their important house-cleaning right now. My skin feels smooth and soft. I have had some break-outs around my mouth since starting the lifestyle, but I am guessing that is just detox, whereas before starting the lifestyle, my cells were just hanging on to stuff. My nuts and chocolate addiction ended by Day 2 on this lifestyle -- I almost forgot that!

If I feel tears trying to come on at night, because I am uncomfortably hot or my skin is expanding on my neck, the back of my arms, my back, my belly, my butt, my calves, even my fingers and toes sometimes can ache, I remind myself that things often need to feel their worst in order to feel their best. I recite, "Go to bed Buddha & Wake up Ghandi."

I love Freelee's inspiring video presence and look forward to watching them each night, Durian's never-ending conviction that there are no long-term fat HCLF vegans, and all of your brave and honest and helpful posts. I love the animals and this planet, and what can be more motivating than that.

So there you go. This is me -- hiding behind the pic of a smiling banana & a tent dress in real life. Sorry for the length & detail. Any insights or suggestions would be welcome, and let me know if you need any more info in order to evaluate.

And many thanks to all of you for your past posts, extraordinary support you've shown each other & the tons of helpful info you've put out there over the years. You have kept me going this far!

I WANT EVERYBODY'S TWO CENTS ON SKIN STUFF

2014-08-06T21:47:43.000Z

I have a lot of questions about skin health and acne treatment. I would like as many opinions as possible. Please do not feel the need to keep it brief. Please do not feel the need to limit yourself to the questions below. They are just for inspiration.

My situation: I am seventeen and have been following this lifestyle for over a year now. I practice good food combining and drink lots of water, but I still have a lot of acne all over my face. Needless to say, I would like to get rid of said acne.

1. Does raw vs cooked make a difference in skin complexion? even when I was completely raw, my skin did not clear up. Do you believe that 100% raw is the only way to have a better complexion, or will eating cooked food(that is clean, natural, and hclf of course) on a hydrated system be enough to clear my acne?

2. can intolerances, like to night shades, cause acne?

3. Are there any other vegan foods that cause acne that I'm forgetting about?

4. Is going completely overt fat-free good for my skin or healthy at all?

5. Will drinking purified water/ buying a brita filter clear up my skin?

6. what products should I use, if any, to clear my skin up?

7. Can stress cause acne? (During the school year, I have a large amount of stress at certain points)

8. To people who have gotten clear skin on this lifestyle: what has been helpful to you to do this? (ADD AS MANY DETAILS AS YOU WANT)

thanks in advance for your advice

Coconut Island? Coconut detox?

2014-07-23T19:19:44.000Z

I'm "new" to the 80/10/10 and raw till 4 lifestyles, as in I've been researching them for the last year and "trying" to apply it to my life but CAVE every single day on something I'm addicted to...mostly pizza and bread!

I want to jumpstart this when I can afford to take a few days off from work and have been doing a lot of reading on Coconut oil detox to rapidly flush toxins out of the body. My plan would be to do the Coconut oil detox for at least 3 days and then jump into an as-long-as-I-can 'banana island'.

Does anyone here have any thoughts/experiences/stories to share about Coconut Oil detox?

You can eat as much raw fresh coconut meat as you like while on the detox...coconut island?

Thanks!

Random Breakouts...?

2014-07-20T04:32:43.000Z

Hello, fruity internet peeps!

I've been following the Raw till 4/high carb lifestyle for a few months now, and for the first couple months, I was doing great. High energy, glowing skin, etc. But in the past couple months, I've just been getting really strange acne. When I was a teenager, I got the typical hormonal acne around my nose and forehead, but now I've been getting breakouts on my cheeks, near my temples and ears, and on my chest and back, which has never happened before! It's so weird and really uncomfortable. I would have imagined that detox breakouts would have shown up much earlier in the process, but I feel like these just randomly showed up. Has anyone else experienced breaking out like this?

Many thanks in advance!!

Mercury poisoning, chelating, amalgam fillings

2014-07-11T21:09:14.000Z

Hello friends,I was curious if anyone here has had amalgam fillings removed and successfully detoxed with this lifestyle of eating? I'm having mine removed soon and everyone on forums say you have to chelate in order to get the mercury out of the body that has accumulated. However, I smell a rat because all these people who chelate have horrible diets. The chemicals they say to use are really hard on the body. They use DMSA, DMSO to start and they load up on supplements because the DMSA and DMSO depletes their bodies of vitamins and minerals. Frankly the chelating scares me more than the fillings. What are all your thoughts?

Gained 15 pounds in 5 months? Is it detox?

2014-07-05T03:08:53.000Z

I started this lifestyle (raw till 4) in january of 2014. I came from restricting and iver working my body and weighing 118. Every since i changed to this lifestyle i've gain so much weight :( i thought i was going to lose! I know it takes time for detox and healing, but is it normal to gain this much weight? Am i doing something wrong? i eat 2000-2500 cals a day and bike 2-3 times a week.

Detox

2014-06-21T06:18:10.000Z

Ive been HCLF for around 5 months and I feel awful! I am certainly eating enough and drinking but I have no energy, I am breaking out, I have headaches and ugh someone help me

Trouble getting proper amount of fruit in...... Ps I hate bananas

2014-06-15T00:23:27.000Z

Ok. So allow me to begin by sayin I'm really new at all of this. That said, I was doing well and suddenly fell off the wagon during my period and ate animal products... Needless to say I feel GROSS...but I digressI absolutely hate bananas. I blend them in morning smoothies to try and get some down but I really dislike them. In addition to that, I have a hard time eating the volume Im Supposed to..... Is it just training my stomach to learn to take in that much??Lastly, I have been getting very tired eating like this. When I did it previously for the purposes of detox only, I felt great! Is something wrong with me or what I'm doing??

Terrible breakouts, is it DETOX?

2014-06-05T02:19:40.000Z

My skin is breaking out so bad, in places it didn't before (shoulders, chest, etc.), and I don't know if it's from detoxing or not because I don't have many other symptoms. The soap I use doesn't seem to irritate me. My skin just doesn't seem to be improving much (like it seemed to be when I first started Raw till 4) so I thought I'd ask for suggestions, and I appreciate all of them. Is there anything I can do to speed this up, if it is detox, or any things I can do to get clearer skin, even if it's not? Has anyone else experienced this detox symptom, along with some fatigue and headaches? Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

HELP! Marijuana and possible pregnancy!

2014-06-04T22:23:25.000Z

About a week ago and last night I smoked some with my bf because he was stressed (His dad went to jail) and it's his birthday today. I knew I shouldn't have but I did. I ended up munching out like crazy and ate a bunch of fatty/salty foods with vinegar and flour and all that crap. Mostly completely homemade and ALL vegan but still :(

I've been tracking my cycles and so far they've been 31, 31, and 24 days long. Today is day 34. I thought before that my periods were usually a few days late when I used an app that used 28 days as a norm. I've been getting symptoms like crazy!!!

about a week and a half ago tight/stretchy feeling in abdomen, a few days up to now constipation and heighten sense of smell and HEARTBURN! I never get heartburn! I haven't been eating very well. rawtil4 but included onions in the past two weeks or so and once in a while a vegan baked good or higher fat things. I've been having weird craving and OMG!!!

Kay, I'm just FREAKING OUT! Please help me! I need to detox this pot out of my body and I feel like I'm gonna have a breakdown! Is it going to hurt my baby if I'm pregnant? My bf wants to wait 5 days to test because he doesn't want to waste $. I'm sitting here with heartburn and feeling like a bad person. How can I recleanse my body? I'm the type of person that will work myself into a frenzy and become obsessed if I'm not careful. Like I don't use shampoo/conditioner, soap(Except at work cuz I'm a cook), I use free/clear laundry soap even though I think even that makes my skin crawl and itchy!!! I don't use toothpaste etc. I could go on and on. I could even start to become afraid of the artificial floor boards giving off toxic fumes, or the walls, or furniture or my shoes/clothes/phone/laptop leaching crap into my body through my skin by touching it because it isn't organic and non gmo.

OH MY GOD! :'( I really need help…and reassurance. I feel like even though I've been doing well and planned to have the perfect most clean, raw pregnancy ever now I really screwed up myself and my baby's chances of being superb.

:'(

Sorry for all this negativity.

Is it healthy to take Niacin(vitamin B3) supplement for detox?

2014-05-08T21:35:47.000Z

Hi everyone, I've been taking niacin(vitamin B3) supplement with the flush for about a month now. My dosage is 250mg capsule. When I take it first thing in the morning with a glass of water after 10 minutes my whole body turns pink and sometimes gets a burning and/or itching sensation. I heard from many people that it is good to use for detoxifying your body and improving circulation. Is this true, am I getting any benefits from it or is it a myth?