I’m Outting Myself

by lilla on March 9, 2010

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If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you know it’s true. After years of raw veganism, working at the Tree of Life and raw food cafes, I am no longer vegan. I’m still a big believer in a high RAW seasonal diet, but the two things that I could never justify to myself about the vegan philosophy is that (1) there is no long-lived human cultures that is entirely vegan and (2) without supplementation (manufactured powders, pills, superfoods or tinctures) deficiencies can occur. So can this truly be the natural diet of humans? I have seen people thrive on it like Dr. Gabriel Cousens. But in my experience, he has been the exception.

The above and the fact that I was able to cure myself of two dis-eases recently, has convinced me that a vegan diet is not best for ME right now. To give you a brief recap:

Teeth Problems – Ouch!

A few months ago, I had SEVERE tooth pain. It was unbearable! After full mouth x-rays and various tests, the dentists couldn’t see anything wrong. They suggested it might be a hairline fracture and a root canal might be necessary! I was so upset and went home with a prescription for codeine Tylenol to ease the pain. I really didn’t want to take the pain meds, so in my frustration I threw away the prescription and started to research how I could possibly cure my teeth naturally. That’s when I came across Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel.

"Cure Tooth Decay by R. Nagel"

"Cure Tooth Decay by R. Nagel"

This book was a godsend! It proposed that dietary deficiencies cause teeth to be weak and more susceptible to infection and decay from the INSIDE out. So you can have the best dental hygiene ever BUT if you are nutritionally deficient, you may still get decay.

I was desperate, so I did what the book said and ate meat for the first time in a looong time. I also found a source for raw milk which is just amazing for teeth health. In a matter of days, the pain that had me on the verge of tears every day, subsided. And today 3 months later, it’s totally gone. No root canal, no drilling, no nada. Even the tooth sensitivity I had for years is gone as well. I really do believe that my dietary changes are healing my teeth and rebuilding my enamel.

Acne FINALLY Gone

The other thing that convinced me that a vegan diet was not for me, was my persistent acne. Even on the cleanest 100% raw food diet, I consistently had breakouts. I tried adding tons of fermented veggies into my diet and this helped to some degree. But it wasn’t until I added raw dairy and egg yolks that my face finally cleared up. I can’t tell you what a relief this is!

In my experience, I am finding that dairy products are not mucous-forming if they are raw and cultured and from animals raised ethically in their natural environment and diet. Homemade raw dairy kefir, yogurts, cultured butter and cream rich with healthy flora and fats, are teeming with probiotics multiplying by the minute, nurturing and healing. I recently read that Super Goji Girl had a similar experience with acne too. You can read her story on her blog.

"Yikes - No Make-up & Unretouched!"

"Yikes - No Make-up & Unretouched!"

Access to Better Quality

It also helps now that animal products raised by traditional methods on their natural diets are becoming more and more available at supermarkets, farmers’ markets, by delivery and through farm shares. This wasn’t the case just a few years ago, so I’m glad I avoided these products for several years. Now I chose very carefully – opting for local, organic and ethically raised animal foods and voting with my dollars to support these farmers.

Still Believe in High Raw

Like I said, I am still a HUGE proponent of raw foods especially lots of seasonal greens and veggies. I love ‘em and they make up the bulk of my diet. And I actually think the raw food diet came at a time in my life that saved me from serious disease. I can’t explain it but it was soooo healing for me at the time, that not until I had the contrast of what REALLY good health is, did I realize how unhealthy I was prior. I believe it’s a great cleansing diet, but after 100% raw vegan, a transition to including some animal products has proven best for me. My interest now lies in making foods traditionally from scratch with the best natural resources I can find.

I know food can be a very personal and touchy subject for a lot of people and I’m not interested in stirring up controversy and starting a debate. I’ve read strong cases for both sides. But at the end of the day, I can only do what feels right for me. Right now that the weather is warming up, I’m feeling drawn to lighter food. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Just trying to keep it real, follow my intuition and feed my body what it needs.

p.s. Check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and the Food Renegade this week!!

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  • Mae Burke
    SO
    After being vegetarian for the past SEVEN years...I'm taking the plunge. I have done TOO much research to not understand the benefits. If you don't mind, I'll be looking to you for some inspiration ;] Also, how did you start out? I'm REALLY worried about throwing up bc it's been SO LONG since I've had meat. Suggestions?
  • I started with raw cheese, raw milk and raw eggs. Then I started eating
    sashimi. Then small portions of ground bison or chicken liver. This is all
    in small portions as a side to my veggies which is the bulk of my diet. Good
    luck! :)
  • Hello, very interesting story. I have been a vegetarian most of my life and have been vegan for almost a year now. I agree that it's difficult to find balance in our imperfect world, although, for my family and me, I think veganism is the way to go. In my experience with EVERY type of diet, the key is moderation....trying to make sure we have enough of each type of food. I also take a supplement called Juice Plus which has 17 fruits, veggies, and grains that have been dehydrated and put into capsule or chewable form. Sorry, I sound like an infomercial, but seriously, I've been on it for 13 years and no vitamins (through 2 pregnancies) and have been very healthy. I also noticed that when I started JP+, my teenage acne cleared up, so I definitely had been lacking something in my diet.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing and I know how difficult it is to "out yourself" when you've been a firm believer in something and then change. :)

    You're welcome to check out my blog if you're interested: healthnutforlife.blogspot.com
    I have a more detailed blurb about my vegan journey and JP+ on there as well.

    Good to find you!
  • I can totally relate Melodie. I've had bad skin since I was 14 and I'm 31 now! I wish it would go away. I was looking at old photos of me earlier today and my skin looked way better than it does now (those days I was eating everything and anything, junk or whatever).
    I'm toying with some raw dairy but not sure what to have with it. I know I can't combine ANY fat with sugar, like seriously NONE at all or it's nuclear. I'm doing a bit of a fruit feast this week. 1, cos i'm doing super exercise and 2, with no fat i know i can eat it ok.

    I'd really love an answer to my skin but if it was to go back to what i used to eat I'm not sure how I could. It's a toss up between good skin and feeling great...
  • Hey Emma! You hit it right on the head - FAT + SUGAR = NUCLEAR ACNE.
    Fruit is very cleansing though and as long as you're exercising it off, you should be ok. I started to swap my sweet fruits for juicy tomatoes and crisp bell peppers and I think my palate is changing. I don't crave the sweet fruit AS much, although the sight of a ripe mango can make my mouth water! LOL.
  • I was a vegan for about a year a long time ago but found I couldn't do it as well as I wanted to (i.e., I wasn't a pure vegan so I thought I was a failure), but I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years. I like you am a fan of eating healing and nourishing whole and raw foods. While I don't think I could turn around and eat meat I highly respect your choice to do so and I'm really excited by the conditions you were able to turn around in doing so. I have had adult acne since I was 24. At 36 it seems like a cruel joke that I still get it. I'm not sure if my diet has anything to do with it or not. I do eat unpasteurized eggs and organic dairy and it doesn't seem to help, although I don't have as much access to raw dairy as I would like. Anyway, thanks for the terrific post!
  • Thanks for commenting and sharing your story! I eat a lot lightly cooked greens also - kale, dandelion, arugula - which I think helps my skin too.

    Wishing you luck with the adult acne - I know how you feel! It's just not fair.
  • Thank you for posting such an honest blog on this subject. After experiencing health problems for years I briefly went on a raw/vegan diet and got much worse. Then someone introduced me to the research of Weston A. Price and my health totally turned around. There were other factors that contributed to that, but I credit my ability to maintain such a healthy constitution to my Nourishing Traditions-style diet.

    Also, due to some bad advice I got while pregnant with my first child I did not absorb enough calcium to build strong bones/teeth for her. I was TAKING the calcium, just not absorbing it. Anyway, I am using Ramiel Nagel's book to heal her teeth and feel very encouraged by the results I have seen so far.
  • Thanks for sharing your story too! I just read the Vegetarian Myth ans it
    was eye-opening.
    Good luck with your daughter's teeth. There's a lot of great info in
    Ramiel's book.
    :)
  • great post! i'm really interested in the difference in your skin - is that totally make up free? i've been raw vegan for nearly 3 years and tried some raw butter a couple of months back. i loved the taste but my skin started to get worse...
  • Hi Emma! Yes, that is TOTALLY make-up free!
    What I believe cleared up my skin is cutting WAY back on fruit; lighlty
    cooking my greens; adding fermented veggies, cultured dairy and even raw
    meat into my diet. Just plain butter is not the magic pill - I think it had
    a lot to do with less fruit sugars, more astringent greens cooked (since
    humans don't have the enzyme to digest cellulose!) and the cholesterol from
    raw dairy and meats, which is the precursor to all steroid hormones.
    I don't want to come off preachy (I was raw vegan for several years) but if
    you have a chance, I HIGHLY recommend reading "The Vegetarian Myth" written
    by a long time now ex-vegan. An eye-opening read for sure!
  • Thanks for that, I really appreciate it. I'm disappointed cos I eat a lot of fruit these days and I do think that my skin is pretty bad but that's if I have any fat at all while eating so much fruit it goes nuclear. That kinda leaves me with limited choice on what to eat..all fruit or high fat.
    I don't think I could physically eat raw egg or meat without wanting to vomit but i certainly could do butter, cream and milk. That's not going to mix well with fruit either mind you :)
    How quickly did you notice a difference in your skin after you incorporated animal products?
    I'll check out the book!
  • It took about 3 months. Have you tried doing a green juice fast for a week?
    It's very cleansing and the juicing makes the veggies more digestible. This
    always helped clear up my skin, but once I went back to raw vegan, the acne
    would come back.
    You're right - the fruit + fat combo is the worse for skin!
  • Carol Gay
    Lilla,
    Wow isn't that amazing just a couple of days and the teeth pain subsided. . wow it just goes to show you that our bodies are constantly screaming to us to get it right ! I'm so glad for you. . saw your comment on Daniel Vitalis site then went to your blog and saw your pics. . that is great you are so beautiful. . so wow yeah you created all that nummy looking stuff on those pics. . I think I came across those pixs somewhere else recently ! you are amazing. .keep on keeping on sweet heart. . GREAT things ahead for you !
    Carol Gay xoxo
  • Thank you Carol!!!!! You are so sweet and supportive! xo
  • Thanks for being authenic and doing what feels good to you. <3

    Where are you these days? we should connect! MM
  • Thanks Melissa! You words mean a lot to me.
    I'm back in NJ. Are you in Cali? I'm sure our paths will cross again someday. :)
  • Thanks for sharing this! I saw your comment on Daniel Vitalis' post, which led me here. All blessings <3
    ~Rebecca
  • :)
  • samlemay
    great stuff! How timely are these things. I recently read Daniel Vitalis article on his eating evolution, and now reading yours. I am about 60 days into the raw diet (about 90% raw vegan) and have lost over 40 lbs and feeling much better. It did come at a good time for me. I wanted to get to a certain weight and then see what I wanted to do from there, so that is my plan. Sounds like I will be adding raw dairy, eggs, and raw meat to it then...
  • Good for you Sam! The raw food diet is a VERY healing diet no doubt. But
    after the restoration back to health, I think it's best to bring balance to
    one's diet - in my humble opinion. :)
  • TheHealthJunkie
    Bravo. I also developed problems with my teeth and gums on the raw vegan diet, which I corrected with raw dairy. Your story mirrors mine. Thank you for sharing it.
  • Hey HealthJunkie,
    Sounds like there are ALOT of us out there!! Do you have a blog? I would love to read about your story.
  • danielvitalis
    Yay! Great before and afters!

    I have seen this again and again! It is so conclusive.

    Thanks for sharing and helping to build this new community!

    ~D
  • Thanks for reading and commenting, Daniel! :D
    It's so true - I've seen the same pattern in many.

    Have you read "Lights Out - Sleep, Sugar & Survival?"
    Great book! Another piece to the puzzle. Besides modern agriculture, the invention of electric light 150 years ago messed up our natural circadian rhythm and hence our metabolism, immunity and health.
  • danielvitalis
    Yay! Great before and afters!

    I have seen this again and again! It is so conclusive.

    Thanks for sharing and helping to build this new community!

    ~D
  • Karen
    I was a vegan for many years, and after my third son was born, I was found to be severely deficient in carnitine--a substance our bodies need in order to metabolize fats for energy. A carnitine deficiency can lead to heart problems, seizures, coma, and even death. I was advised to immediately add pork, beef, and chicken to my diet--while our bodies can synthesize carnitine, we need lysine (found in eggs and chicken) to do so, and the foods highest in carnitine are beef and pork. My son was also deficient in carnitine, since I didn't have any to give him in utero! We could have avoided six months of worry and genetic testing, i I had been on a healthy omnivorous diet.
  • Interesting. I'm learning more and more about the paleo diet and traditional
    foods and alot of things like you mention are coming to light for me. Thanks
    for sharing! :)
  • JenE
    Hi Lilla!
    I remember you from some workout links - was it body for life, or something like that?? I recognized you right off the bat. Good to "see" you again! You look great : )!
    Cheers,
    Jen
  • Hey Jen!!
    I ave a link on Turbulence Training - maybe that was it? Good to "hear" from you too! :)
  • alexandraclark
    see~ lol i knew i recognized you! I was also into turbulence training! still love craig...I got more into bodyweight stuff...i like Zuzanna at bodyrock.tv....but i knew i had seen you before! Keep up taking care of yourself in so many ways--you totally are worth it!
  • Oh wow - thanks for the bodyrock.tv site - looks great! Ill check out
    Zuzanna.
    I just started Tom Venuto's Holy Grail
    program<http://thelabrawtory.com/2010/03/05/the-holy-grail-of-body-transformation/>yesterday.
    Suffice to say, I've already got some serious DOMS today. Ouch -
    love it though! ;D
  • alexandraclark
    Kali,

    Just wanted to let you know that i was in the same boat as you--i actually switched to Raw Vegan in an effort to detox and heal after lymes disease--and for a very brief period of time i felt pretty good--but then, winter came, and i started having the tooth issue, and intense joint pains, female problems and i simply was falling apart...i was lucky to find a great accupunturist who followed chinese medicine and she told me that for my constitution being both vegan and raw was too "cold" and "damp" for me...so, i switched to a more "real food" approach and Nourishing Traditions really helped me...now i feel great and i noticed that my skin is WAY better than ever due to the increase in saturated fats and fermented veggies--additionally, all my female issues went away and i not longer have cramps during my period...its amazing!

    I am so glad that YOU listened to your body as well and did what felt good for you...

    best of luck in your continued journey~ Alex
  • Thanks for sharing your story, Alex! TCM and Ayurvedic doctors have told me the same thing - that my constitution was not suited to cold foods and my digestion was too weak for raw fibrous cold veggies even when blended into smoothies. But now that I'm cooking/eating them with fat to render the fat-soluable vitamins from them, it's really helped me.
    I'm so glad you have seem such improvement!!! It's great to hear your story. Love it! :D
  • It's awesome that you're sharing this! I made a video about the journey we're all on when it comes to finding what works for each other here: http://rawfoodswitch.com/raw-food-psychology/ra...

    Honestly it's awesome to see your transformation. :)
  • Thanks! Your support and kind words mean alot! :)
  • I think it's wonderful that you're doing what WORKS For you. no judgment from others or need to explain your motives or rationale...it's your life and your path..I love that you came clean and told us all, but that you came clean with yourself!
    I just talked a bit about this in my post at the bottom with a back link to another post about judgments from others regarding dietary choices
    http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2010/03/cheez...
  • Thanks Averie! It is funny how I feel I have to justify myself to others
    (sigh.) But I'm glad it's out there and open.:)
    On my way to check out your post!
  • so glad to see you looking radiant on non vegan!
    I too am a non vegan raw person and will soon be writing more about it on my blog!
    We all need to find what works for us. Looks like you did!
    deb xo
  • So appreciate your supportive comment, Debbie!! :)
    Looking forward to reading about your experience.
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