6 Month Raw Food Vegetarian Tired All The Time

Question for Savvy Vegetarian

I have changed to a vegetarian diet about 6 months ago and I am currently physically tired all the time. I almost require a nap in the afternoons to make it through my day. When I decided to make the change, I knew there would be some physical changes, but I thought I would gain energy from eating raw whole foods, not loose it. Do you have any suggestions to help recover my energy? I am feeling very discouraged. Thank you - L.C.

SV Advice

Dear L.C.,

I'm sorry you feel discouraged - but things are far from hopeless!

There are several reasons why people feel tired after switching to a vegetarian diet. One reason is food allergies - they suddenly start eating a lot of something they've never eaten, and have a reaction. Soy is one example.

Another reason is they start taking a huge amount of all kinds of supplements which actually causes nutritional imbalances rather than preventing them.

The third reason is that they go from eating a typical North American diet to eating a very pure diet without much protein, fat or carbohydrates, don't get enough calories or nutrients, and detoxify rapidly. And they feel awful!

All three things could be happening to you, but I vote for number three. The thing is that your body can no more become a raw food vegetarian in just a few months than it can become an olympic athlete or concert violinist in a few months. You need to build up to such a refined diet gradually. I've seen people who've been vegetarians for many years having difficulty with a raw food diet.

You could have some nutritional deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12, but please don't self-diagnose. You should go to a doctor or nutritionist and get tested for deficiencies and food allergies.

I suggest backtracking to a less challenging diet, maybe even going back to square one and starting over. As a place to begin, I've attached the SV reports, 10 Tips for Beginning Vegetarians, and Vegetarian Nutrition.

Hope you're feeling better soon,

All the best, Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Health Disclaimer:

Savvy Vegetarian provides education and support to individuals who want to become vegetarian, or improve their diet. We don't advocate any particular vegetarian diet. We don't claim to be health care professionals, or nutritionists, nor do we treat any illness. Any changes that you make to your diet, or results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. For your protection, we ask you to be completely open with us about your health, and we may recommend a medical exam before changing your diet. We reserve the right to refuse or to end a client relationship if we believe the client's actions may endanger his or her health.

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