Re: Anyone have advice for regaining digestion after raw vegan diet?Beyondveg.com!!!!

bugbee wrote... "How lovely to see your kind and thoughtful response...my only question is what do you do about the mysterious B12 issue? I understand that gorillas are known to eat insects, and that other mammals who obtain it from their gut (the large intestine) also eat their feces. I am continuing to work the raw vegan diet, now have a Vitaprep for juicing greens, but don't have all day. And nuts have caused me some issues, not the least is some tongue swelling. (aka angioedema, precursor of anaphylaxis) I have been raw vegan for three months, but have seen many improvements also....it keeps me going. Thanks for being here."

thanks for your kind words, bugbee. :)
and congratulations on your good work, caring for your body.

i was troubled by b12 symptoms in the past, but haven't been for a very long time. in fact, the other day i was looking through the shelves on the inside of the door of my frig and i saw a little jar of b12 tablets. i remember when i bought them -- it was a long, long time ago. i do believe it was during the time that i was a 'vegan' but not yet a 'raw vegan' and not yet a GREEN raw vegan. but now that i am pretty much 100% raw -- and VERY GREEN -- my body is flourishing.

actually, bugbee, somebody quoted me long ago in a book about vegetarianism on the subject of b12. i can't remember exactly what was said, but i'd done some research and discovered that there are actually quite a few sources of b12. fermented foods are a good source. seaweeds are another. i often crave nori... that's a good hunger. grated root vegies with tahini and curry powder, etc, wrapped in nori makes a great meal. a little miso in salad dressing, a bit of sunflower seed cheese, a dash of nutritional yeast, etc... i don't carea for algaes... they are so concentrated. in nature, i suspect it is fine, but it would require drinking a small lake to get a teaspoon of dried algae from the store.

and just between you and me bugbee, i imagine that raw, organic produce has very very small, tiny, microscopic living organisms in it. once in a while i even find a BIG bug -- like a SLUG! eek! i have never EATEN one (to my knowledge), but nature is rich in life and bugs are everywhere... some visible, some invisible to the naked eye. it is 'bugs' that grow in fermented foods: cheeses of all types, alcoholic beverages, vinegars, etc. we humans must like bugs because we seem to enjoy those types of foods.

i suspect that a truly healthy body can and does produce b12 in the intestines. if you are showing signs of b12 deficiency, know that more carnivores often are b12 deficient than vegetarians and that your body just may need to get a little supplement once in a while until your body is really clean and functioning like it would if you'd never been raised in such an unnatural society. take a little nutritional yeast, a bit of miso... it doesn't require a lot... and let your body have what it needs until it is strong enough to produce its own b12.

the real problem, i understand, is absorption. a body that has been fed foods that 'stick to the ribs/intestines' like eggs and, milk (caseins), and animal fats needs spring cleaning. anything that requires soap and detergent and steel wool to get off pots and pans and silverware and dishes is going to also STICK to your intestines and block absorption. i endorse colon cleansing for everyone who is coming out of the all-american diet. and more than once. it's a good thing to do once in a while. it helps to clean the intestines so they can absorb the nutrients we are feeding them.

i am reading something about b12 now. it says it is responsible for the production of red blood cells... interesting, since chlorophyll is nearly identical to hemoglobin. i'd up my intake of greens if i was a vegetarian with b12 symptoms. greens, i believe, are the most important ingredient in the vegan diet.

:) love, patricia Tweet