My Personal Health Story: What I Did When Doctors Couldn’t Help
I managed to totally transform my health from being so ill that I couldn’t work, to being fit enough to be able to run for an hour each day in just 6 months.
Minor Health Problems
I could never say my health was brilliant. I ate nothing but beans on toast with cheese for at least 10 years of my life and did very little exercise. It was only when I started putting on weight at university that I learned how to eat more healthily and started doing some exercise. For the next 10 years I continued to be slim, doing exercise and watching what I ate, eating what I thought was a fairly healthy diet. Despite this I still had chronic allergies, hayfever, eczema and asthma, debilitating IBS and many other problems that affected the quality of my life.
Debilitating Health Problems
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My health started to really go downhill after I got married. Maybe it was because I gave up dieting and piled on a lot of weight. I went up 4 dress sizes very quickly and my health was really suffering too. I felt so ill all the time but I didn’t know what was wrong with me. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong with me either and labelled me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome but couldn’t tell me why I was so ill.
It was a horrible time in my life because I was just newly married and I felt so useless. I couldn’t work and could barely do anything round the house. Some days it took all the energy I had just to have a bath, then I had to lie down for an hour afterwards as I was so weak and shaky.
Because the doctors couldn’t find anything concrete that was wrong with me I felt like people weren’t believing I was so ill which was the worst part about it all. I constantly had a cold or flu all winter and had such bad allergies all year round that I couldn’t stop scratching my eyes. I ended up in A&E as I had scratched my eye so badly. I had such bad skin too. I had listed over 50 health symptoms and was determined to get to the root of the problem.
Discovering Diet Solutions
I decided I wasn’t going to live like this and was determined to get well. I started taking the matter into my own hands and started reading every book on health I could get my hands on. I read the following books:
- The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health
- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure
- Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, Revised Edition
- Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life
- Your Life in Your Hands: Understanding, preventing and overcoming breast cancer
- Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples
- Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right
- Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: What’s missing in your body?
- The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
- Raw Living: Detox Your Life and Eat the High Energy Way
- Eat Smart, Eat Raw: Creative Recipes for a Healthier Life
- Food Revolution, The: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World
- The Hippocrates Diet and Health Program
- Living Foods for Optimum Health : Staying Healthy in an Unhealthy World
- Juice Master: Turbo-Charge Your Life in 14 Days
- Mucusless Diet Healing System: “Master Key” to Superior Health
- Creating Healthy Children through attachment parenting and raw foods
and many many more.
UPDATE: These are all vegan books. My health did completely recover after implementing a vegan diet. However, after 4 years on a mostly vegan diet with 2 pregnancies during this time, my health problems returned. You can read my latest story here about why I’m no longer a vegan. However, I do believe we are all let to follow different diets at different times of our lives and I still believe a vegan diet can be healthy especially as a temporary detox. Although my diet is no longer vegan, I would still call it plant based and I STILL adore drinking Green Smoothies and Green Thickies.
What all these books have in common is that they all follow plant based diets. They all seemed to make sense to me but I was still so confused as to which specific path to take.
The Raw Food Diet I Chose for Optimum Health
It wasn’t until I read the 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham that I knew I’d found the right diet for me. It just seemed to make sense and fit with my existing beliefs. I believed that to get healthy the best thing for me to do would be to cut out all food that my body found hard to digest and was causing me harm and to only consume a natural diet which was easy for my body to process. That meant only eating fruit, salad veg and limited amounts of nuts, seeds and avocados. I cut out everything else and for the next 6 months I ate nothing else. Not one bite of cooked food passed through my lips.
It was a very easy diet to follow as I could get all the ingredients at my local shop. I didn’t have to spend any extra money on ‘health’ products. I believe all fruit and vegetables are ‘superfoods’ as they naturally contain everything we need for optimum health.
A reason to stay committed
Never before in my whole life had I ever been so determined to stick to a diet. If I had been sticking to a diet for weight loss, I would have given up within a couple of weeks but I was so determined to be well again and get my life back that I would have done anything to get there. I really wanted a family and didn’t think I’d be able to conceive or would be well enough to look after a baby without good health. That gave me the determination to stick to the green smoothie diet for 6 months.
Detoxing
I did go through a pretty horrible detox which is the only negative thing regaining your health. However, there are 2 things to consider before letting this put you off detoxing for health.
1) I was already so ill every day that it didn’t matter to me if I was ill with a detox on top of that. Besides I did see my health improving every day despite the detox symptoms.
2) I jumped in with the raw food diet and started it 100% overnight without letting my body get used to raw food first. If you are concerned about the detox and having to carry on with your existing responsibilities then I would suggest changing your diet only one meal at a time. Only move on to more raw food when you feel able to. You should be able to avoid such a bad detox that way.
Recovering my health
Overnight a lot of my health problems did actually go away, such as the allergies, the IBS and the extreme tiredness. After my detox symptoms had passed I suddenly felt so many positive benefits:
- My low blood sugar had gone. I could get up and do a workout and not have to eat anything until mid morning as I had so much energy.
- I was the fittest I’ve ever felt in my life. I quickly was able to run for an hour a day plus complete the P90X program. I felt so strong.
- I needed much less sleep. My insomnia had gone at night time. I could get to sleep very quickly but I did wake up early feeling like I’d had enough sleep.
- I had so much energy. I didn’t have any slumps in the day and was very motivated.
- I lost 56 pounds in weight and was slimmer than I was when I was a teenager.
- I felt full all day long and lost cravings for unhealthy foods.
- My skin was clear of the terrible acne I had a few months prior to the diet.
- For the first time in 14 years I didn’t have any problems with my teeth and made it to my check up without tooth ache, and the dentist gave me the all clear for the first time ever.
Why I stopped eating 100% raw food
I hadn’t planned to stay 100% raw forever but when I got pregnant after 6 months of being on the diet I came off the diet and went back to cooked vegan food. I did have a period of illness for the first few months but I’m unsure as to whether that was pregnancy or diet related. After experimenting with juicing, an unhealthy time and then going back to green smoothies I started to feel much better towards the end of my pregnancy.
What diet do I follow today?
I still totally believe in the power of raw foods and greens but I don’t think I could stick to a totally raw food diet for many reasons. So the diet that suits me, my health and my lack of time to prepare food due to my baby is as follows:
- Breakfast: Green Thickies (Smoothie with fruit, greens, fillers, seeds and nuts)
- Lunch: Salad or a soup with houmous and vegetable sticks
- Dinner: Cooked plant based meal with large green salad
- Snacks: I don’t have time for many snacks but in the evening I may have a green smoothie, or some fruit.
I do still feel very well providing I stick to a healthy diet, get enough sleep (hard with a new baby), get fresh air, exercise and maintain a positive mental attitude. There is more to good health than just diet but I believe diet is a big part of the puzzle and can affect the other areas of your life in such a positive way, so it’s always a great place to start if you are suffering from health problems.
I had prayed for years to be healed of my health problems but I didn’t realise the solution was something I had complete control of myself. I needed to put the effort in to change my own life. I feel so blessed now to discover the solution to turning round my health and now make the most of every day and really enjoy spending time with my family without feeling dreadful all the time. I am so passionate about healthy eating and I really want to help you achieve the same amazing health that I am experiencing.
I always thought going to the doctors would provide the answer to my health problems, but doctors are not there to prevent health problems, only to help sufferers with the symptoms, usually with medication. This great post on the Wellness Warrior helps you to understand What Sickness Means. The Wellness Warrior managed to heal herself of cancer through diet and is a great inspiration.
Read my green smoothie diet weight loss journey, and if you’re still not convinced check out the following green smoothie benefits. Find some delicious green thickie recipes and make a start improving your life today.
Please share my story so you can help others achieve wellness. I would be very grateful if you could leave a comment below telling me if you have managed to improve your own health or if you are ready to start on this amazing journey.
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Are you struggling to lose weight and keep it off?
Are you feeling run down and are struggling with ever increasing health problems?
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Hi Katherine,I just wanted to tell you I completed the 7 day detox and I feel so great.
I have lost 6lbs, do not feel like I need more my morning coffee, the flushing of my facial skin from rosacea has dramatically reduced and I am so excited to wake up each morning and make a green thickie for breakfast!!
I am a stay at-home, homeschooling momma of 3 littles and at times so busy I would forget to feed myself!
I would go most of the day without eating and then snack on random things.
I gained 60 pounds the last 6 years during pregnancy.
I have lost 30lbs but recently plateaued and have felt so frustrated.
I’ve tried everything from paleo and keto to the point where I didn’t know what to eat or how much and felt like even eating fruit was bad for me which thankfully it’s not!
What a game changer for me. Thank you for sharing a simple but effective program.
I’m so excited to continue another week with this plan! Thankful Stephanie
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glamazini says
Very inspiring story. Thanks for sharing.
Katherine Natalia says
Thank you. I really hope to inspire others as it’s so horrible when you’re ill and don’t know how to heal yourself. I really want to help other people to recover their health, so thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Ken says
It’s very kind of you to offer encouragement and guidance with your green thickie. I’ve been drinking smoothies for years but not so much green ones. I will try your recipe tomorrow morning. I may try oat bran for the oat part. Anyway thanks again. I’ll refer back to your site for moe ideas.
@upthemtn
Katherine Natalia says
Thank you for your kind comment. That’s excellent you’re going to give a green thickie a go! Let me know how it goes or if you need any help with anything. Yes you can use oat bran for the oat part. I hope it works out well for you. I’ll be posting some more new recipes up soon so watch this space!
~elizabeth gries~ says
Thank you, Katherine, for sharing your very inspiring journey and recipes. Congralations on regaining your health! I have recently added green smoothies to my breakfast and lunch routines… hoping to notice a shift in my energy eventually. cheers, ~elizabeth~
Katherine Natalia says
Thank you so much for your comment Elizabeth. That’s brilliant you’ve started drinking green smoothies. It’s a great start to add in a healthy food. If you gradually decrease the unhealthy parts of your diet (if there are any) then you should definitely notice an increase in energy. I noticed an increase in energy within a week but I did start a detox too. So look out for that. That’s why it’s a good idea to add in healthy foods to replace other foods very slowly. Let me know how it goes or if you need any help with anything.
RecipeNewZ says
This is truly inspirational! Your before and after photos speak for themselves, but when you list all the other benefits of weight loss that you’ve experienced, it makes one think beyond the looks. I tried having row food detoxes several times and have not experienced any side effects, except for weight loss and, unfortunately, hunger :-) And by the end of the week I’d feel better. I should really do another detox week and rethink my recent eating patterns. Thank you for telling your story and have a wonderful weekend!
Katherine Natalia says
Yes I think the fact that I was determined to heal myself gave me much more motivation to stick to the diet than if I had have just started it for weight loss. Weight loss was just a bonus really. Detoxes are a good idea just to give the body a rest. It’s great you didn’t have any side effects. I don’t think my deotx symptoms kicked in straight away either. Yes you have to eat loads of fruit to fill yourself up properly on a raw food diet. I was buying bananas by the crate on a weekly basis and had to eat loads to get up to 2000 calories a day. I hope your next detox goes well. Let me know how you get on. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend too.
Tami says
VERY inspiring! Your site, advice, and stories of experience like this one are awesome help for a serious beginner like me. ~Tami
Katherine Natalia says
Hi Tami, thank you so much for visiting and for your lovely comment. It means a lot to me to know that I have helped someone so thank you so much for letting me know. I hope to hear from you again soon.
Tiffany Miller says
Thank you for sharing your story. I have spent the last four years (I’m 31)sick on on many prescriptions for fibromyalgia, arthritis,IBS, allergies, and migraines.i also put on 50lbsin this time. Recently, I started looking for ways to heal myself, as my life has little quality spent in bed on pills that only cover the symptoms.This evening I’m going to restock my kitchen with healing foods. I plan on having green smoothies and at least 50% raw/vegan with a goal of 100% for 30 days to start. It is always inspiring to find others that have succeeded before me. I really enjoy your posts.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Thank you so much for your comment Tiffany. I’m sorry you’ve been so ill but I’m so glad that you’ve taken such a stand against your health problems. Well done for committing to change your diet. I’ve no doubt that you will succeed and I’m so inspired that you are going to turn your life around. Please let me know how you get on and feel free to email me anytime if you need any help with anything. Here’s to the rest of your life!
Gina says
Katherine,
Thank you so much for your website! I’ve been having green smoothies on-and-off for a few months, but was so excited to modify them to make them into a green thickie. I’m obese and need to lose weight, but was having a tough time getting the smoothie to curb my appetite until lunchtime. I just made my first green thickie and was amazed at how full I felt. It’s those oats! I can’t wait to try more recipes and see if this will help me in my journey. Thanks again for sharing!
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Gina
Thank you! Wow that’s great you’ve already started drinking green smoothies. That’s exactly the problem I was having with them, they weren’t filling enough. That’s great that the green thickie filled you up. Thank you for trying them. Have you seen my latest post https://www.greenthickies.com/green-thickie-challenge-no-1 where I lost more weight by drinking green thickies. I think they can really help weight loss as long as you you substitute a meal for a green thickie. Let me know if you’ve got any questions. Thanks for visiting.
Bee says
I LOVE your blog on vegan living…I’m so happy for your success with your health/life by simply changing your diet! I’ve been struggling with some health issues too, and have done an off-shoot of the 80-10-10 diet since Nov 2011. However, I find the stomach volume required is very difficult for me and am thus having a hard time gaining the weight I lost (I have Ulcerative Colitis and other GI problems, FMS/CFS, autoimmune issues)
Do u take any supplements?
Can u tell me a detailed example daily meals/snacks for u? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks…with amounts of food)? Also, do u know how many cals and carbs/fat/pro u eat (grams/%)? it would help me figure out how to eat this way, if seeing how someone in the real world does this so successfully. I know u outlined it above, but I would love to see more info on it :o)
I’m having a hard time getting ENOUGH calories. Any advice? What is your opinion on raw protein powders?
do u believe in food combining rules (like eat fruit alone, no mixing starches/pro, etc)?
How often do u eat cooked and how “raw” is your diet?
Did u have trouble digesting beans? Any suggestions on this area? Do u eat beans? ANy thoughts on soy/tofu?
Thanks for your help and I wish u continued health success!
Hugs!
-Shelby :o)
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Shelby, thanks so much for your lovely comment. That’s great that you’ve tried the 80/10/10. I also found it difficult to eat so much food as I’m such a slow eater, I’d be eating all day long.
I generally avoid supplements but I do occasionally take a new Mum multivitamin just to make sure I’m getting everything such as vitamin D. There’s not much sunlight here. I wouldn’t want to pay a fortune for supplements though.
If you have a look at my Green Thickie challenge https://www.greenthickies.com/green-thickie-challenge-no-1 this will give you a breakdown of everything I have eaten with a link to a diary. That also gives the nutritional breakdown of the foods I ate. I don’t eat this way every day, but usually for the first 2 meals then I have a large salad with a small amount of cooked vegan food.
If you’re having a hard time getting enough calories I’d recommend adding a green thickie as a snack in between your normal meals and you can also add even more calories by adding more oats to them. What do you eat normally?
I don’t believe in using protein powders and funnily enough I’ve just written a post with the reasons for this which I’ve yet to publish. Some of the reasons will be included in Wednesday’s blog post. Do you use powders?
I do believe in food combining rules to a certain extent. I think it’s helpful when you’re eating solid foods and have poor digestion. If you can tolerate it then there’s no need to practice it.
I eat cooked food once a day in my smoothies and my oats have been pre-cooked that I eat for breakfast and lunch. I’d say that I eat more raw food than non raw food but I haven’t yet worked out what percentage raw my diet is. I make a rule to have raw food with every meal especially greens. How raw is your diet?
Yes I have trouble digesting beans but I still eat them because I like them and have so much trouble digesting foods that I just put up with a small amount of discomfort as it’s a lot better than it used to be. I may not always tolerate it though. Blending beans into a dip or sauce makes them easier to digest or maybe giving them up altogether? Ha ha, I could write a lot about soy/tofu but basically I try to eat mainly whole foods so don’t eat a lot of soy products but I do occasionally have tofu and it doesn’t cause me any problems. It is non GMO in the UK. I know a lot of people avoid soya and I think large amounts of any heavily processed foods should be avoided.
Let me know if you’ve got any more questions and I hope you find something that also works for you too. It can be such a struggle to find a diet that works for you when you’ve got health problems. Have you made any improvements with your health?
Bee says
Hey!
Thanks for the thoughtful reply! As for my diet right now, it’s pretty sad:
meal 1. 4c watermelon (the max amount I can stuff into my belly without getting overly full, blood sugar, swings, or painful neck/jaw cramps from the sugar rush…did that ever happen to u?)
meals 2 and 3: I split this smoothie into 2 meals:
400-450g frozen/thawed bananas
130-160g dates
1/2c green juice (I dont digest whole greens in smoothies..they make me bloated and gassy. Ugh)
splash of coconut water
few drops of chlorophyll
vanilla
cinnamon
I make it thick, like pudding. It’s delish—but high in sugar (the 811ers would high-five that, but i’m beginning to believe that the 811 diet is TOO high in sugar, even if it is from fruit)
meal 4 varies. I digest dates+spinach (whole) the best, but I get so sick of fruit by dinner. I often have a brown rice tortilla filled with steamed veggies/greens and pea “hummus”…i was doing a a sauce of tomatoes + chickpeas, but I think I react to tomatoes, as I get very tired, achy, and insomnia issues if I eat this. I know the brown rice tortilla isn’t the healthiest and that I should probably take that out or use something else like brown rice or potato, but it’s nice to bite into something–i get sick of using a spoon for all my meals, lol.
What is your cooked meal like?
I would eat a thickie, but oats have always tended to bother me.
I dont use pro powders currently—i did heavily in the past, as I was a wt lifter and swimming, as well as a hard-gainer. I’m considering using a raw plant based one, but am not sure yet. There are pros and cons for sure
What food combining rules do u believe in and which do u think are false? (like acid+sweet fruit is a no-no, eat fruit alone, starch+pro is a no-no etc)
IDK how raw my diet is exactly…it’s 100% when I do fruit all day, but if I do a dinner that I described above, then it maybe bumps that raw % down to 75-80% raw? The thing i hated about 811 was everyone’s dogma and criticism.
Whats ur opinion on nutritional yeast and fermented foods like raw (no salt) sauerkraut, kombucha, miso?
How often do u eat beans, what are ur favs? I envy those who can eat them without issue! :o( Any tricks u use to make them more digestible, besides pureeing?
It seems like tofu is easiest to digest, out of the legumes, bc it is coagulated. I wish someone came up with a way to make tofu out of chickpeas or other legumes! WHy hasnt that happened yet?! Do u eat tempeh?
Im considering doing the Dr Fuhrman Eat to Live diet…have u read up on this? It sounds incredibly healthy, but my wt is low and it seems so low cal. (here is a good post on it http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/01/01/eat-to-live-6-week-plan/) I wish 811 worked for me (it has helped my GI compared to what it was 1yr ago), but I feel like Im at a standstill with it. But, whenever I try something different, I get sick. :o(
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Bee, that smoothie sounds gorgeous. Yes it’s hard to know exactly what is right. I think a mainly fruit diet would be fine if your fruit is picked ripe, but a lot of what we get here is picked unripe which isn’t so good for you. I still believe in a mainly fruit diet though (with lots of flossing!).
I eat simple cooked meals such as potatoes or quinoa with some vegetables with a home made sauce. I buy whatever fresh food is on offer and make a meal of that generally. I have a small amount of cooked food on a massive salad though so don’t eat loads of cooked food.
That’s a shame oats bother you. If you can digest quinoa ok then you might like this quinoa smoothie: https://www.greenthickies.com/how-to-make-a-quinoa-smoothie-honeydew-and-peach-quinoa-smoothie-recipe/ I feel very light after having a quinoa smoothie. You can replace oats with quinoa in any of my recipes.
I think it’s good to eat your fruit on it’s own at the start of the day unless you are blending then pretty much anything goes. Apart from that I eat all my cooked food together and seem to be OK with that.
Yes 811 can be hard as it can lead to trying to be too pure. I fell into that trap myself.
I’m still undecided what I think about fermented foods. It’s not part of 811 but so many people believe in it. I eat some vinegar and nutritional yeast but not much other fermented foods. Do you eat them? I need to experiment a bit more with this I think.
I eat beans a couple of times a week, but eat a lot of hummus. I think butter beans are my favourite. No I wish I did have more tips for digesting them better.
Yes I totally agree about making tofu out of other beans. I have tempeh once in a blue moon. I have to buy it from the health food shop and it’s expensive so generally don’t bother with it but I do like it.
I follow a lot of principals from Eat To Live and have the books too. They are great and think this is also a very healthy way to live. Yes it’s based on more low cal eating. I just eat until I’m not hungry and it seems to work for me most of the time.
Yes I sometimes wish I could have stuck to 811 but I’m happier now I feel my eating is a bit more balanced.
Thanks so much for your great comments. They are really getting me thinking!
Lucy says
Hi! I just want to say I am an avid drinker of green smoothies as of three months and can attest to higher energy levels and fewer breakouts. Blogs like yours have encouraged me to explore not just the short-term benefits, but hopefully, the long-term benefits of starting every day with some fresh greens. I also just looked up chronic fatigue syndome and I’m pretty sure I used to have this…no idea that brain fog was a real thing, I used to just blame myself for not getting enough sleep, which only added to the stress. Thanks for the great website and be well!
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Lucy, wow that’s a fantastic testimonial to the power of green smoothies. I’m so glad your health was turned around for the better too. Yes brain fog is horrible isn’t it. I used to walk around in a complete daze all the time! Thanks for your lovely comments. Will you be joining us for the challenge? https://www.greenthickies.com/7-day-green-smoothie-challenge
Ronald says
Very inspirational. I am very happy for you and your family. Whenever I googled CFS, I never found a success story. But when I googled CFS and raw food, I found pages full of success stories along with yours. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful testimony. I was exposed to carbon monoxide gas for the first months of this year and within a few weeks chronic fatigue fell on me like a ton of bricks. I can relate to your story as taking a bath for me would also be breath taking….. In a bad way! But I have come a long way since but still not able to go back to work. I am young 31 and have 2 little kids and a family to support. If I can regain just 10 % of my health with raw food, then I will take the diet with me to the bank and eventually to the grave. Thanks for the wonderful website.
Mural says
I want to use raw diet to heal my Cfs. Could you please give me the list of healing fruits and vegetables you used to heal your Cfs. Some people say that banana, mango, pineapple are not healing fruits as they are starchy fruits. I would like to have the list of fruits and vegetables you mostly used in your healing phase. Thanks in advance.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Mural. I literally ate every single type of fruit I could get my hands on including those fruit and salad veg with a few nuts and seeds and avocados. I guess it might not work for everyone but I think for me it was a combination of getting so many vitamins and minerals that allowed my body to build itself back up and cutting out all processed foods to allow my body to heal.
Mural says
Can avacado, dates, sprouted beans be eaten during the detoxification phase of raw diet for cfs? Thank you in advance.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Murral, yes those are all very healthy and natural foods. I don’t think I could have tolerated sprouted beans as my digestion was so bad but if you can they are very good for you!
Mural says
Hi Katherine, Thank you so much for your reply. I just have two more questions. Were you taking any supplements (B12, fish oil, multivitamin, etc) when you were on raw diet? Did you add sea salt or any other salt to raw food? Thanks again.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Mural, no I didn’t take anything at all when I was on my raw food diet as I wanted a complete detox but when I got pregnant 6 months later I did start to take a multivitamin. I very rarely added salt, and didn’t have any for the first few months then when I tried a couple of recipes with a pinch of salt it tasted overpowering, but I soon got used to it again when I started eating cooked food again.
restorationgirl says
Do you have any tips for someone who has CF for 14 years. Three years ago I decided that wheat was corn were definite culprits along with an assortment of others but I couldn’t know what the other offending foods were without doing an elimination diet. I cut out everything except for steak, peas, green beans, and broccoli. I ate that only for 3 weeks or so and then started eating the foods that I used to eat. Suddenly I had intolerance & brain encephally allergic reaction to foods I could eat all day before the elimination diet: cherries, berries, coffee, almonds, rice, chicken, grapes, tomatoes, etc. Now I CANNOT eat nuts, chicken, vinegar, grapes, cranberries, blueberries, black tea, xylitol, stevia, corn, coffee, strawberries, tomatoes, all grains, raspberries, all poultry, blackberries, beets, dairy, beans, cherries, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, basil, chocolate without having encephalitis (brain swelling) ….. I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten! The things I KNOW I can eat without falling into a narcoleptic comma are: steak, peas, green beans and broccoli with salt and butter. I might be able to tolerate garlic, onion and bananas. I currently order a green drink from wheat grass grown in Canada (Dynamic Greens) and I’ve tried every supplement you can think of. I’m allergic to all herbs, pine, trees, grass, dust, mold, animals, etc. Most supplements contain vit C and all vitamin C is made from corn, or the psycho veg heads have pushed most manufacturers to discontinue making gelatin capsules in favor of cellulose but that’s made from corn so all caps are out. I worked in a health food store for 10 years educating myself to the max…… I never would’ve thought this would happen to me. I spent 2 years working for nutraceutical company & have spent well over $10,000 out of my own pocket trying to fix this. I’ve become debilitated & am fully reliant on my widowed elderly father to care for me. I used to work 70 hrs a wk, swim during the summer on my lunch break, or ride my bike to work 5 miles…. I make sure I feed my born again spirit with the Gospel of Grace from Joseph Prince who has a beautiful way of unveiling Jesus in the Scriptures like I’ve never seen. I’m resting in Jesus love for me, but am frustrated with the dead end in life. Maybe I should drink just the green drink, steak, peas, broccoli, and green beans for 6 months. I’m going to try salmon tomorrow. I am so hungry every day & my muscle mass is horrifying – the bones in my legs hurt if they’re touching & I’m laying on my side – that’s how flabby I am…. CF sucks, but God is good and He is my hope to keep me going! Bless you for sharing your great story with us! I rejoice with you over your recovery! WOO HOO!
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi there. Sorry to hear about your awful story. Somebody very close to me is suffering like you are so I know how hard this can be to not be able to tolerate any foods and become more ill every day. It seems like you’ve tried so much already. I’m not a health professional but I do a lot of reading. I am currently reading this book: https://www.amazon.com/ The-Detox-Book-Detoxify-Improve/dp/0941599329/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362126234&sr=8-1&keywords=detox+book called The Detox book and it has a lot of different types of detox to try and heal the body including water fasting and other easier types of detox. He says water fasting is the most effective and fast type of detox if there are so many toxins in your body that need to be removed. I’m not recommending that though as I’m not qualified to recommend anything and don’t know your situation, but it’s worth exploring other things if you’ve not already thought about them? I prayed for my recovery for 2 years but it wasn’t until I went on my raw food diet that my body recovered, but this may not be the right thing for everyone especially if you can’t tolerate so many types of food already. I will pray you find the answer!
restorationgirl says
(SO SORRY – too brain foggy to do spell check…. just noticed massive grammatical errors. So sorry. That’s not like me. I used to proofread medical texts!……
antoniette says
Hi there you encourageme with your healing experience.can you pls help me with raw diet.i tried it and continue time to.time.however it is a struggle for me and I am the only vegan in my family.i live in tight bugdet since my husband n I lose our of income. I get hungry easily eating raw.can you give me an adbise as to continue with the raw and green smoothie. Thank you Antoniette
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi, the raw food diet can be very expensive which is one of the reasons I don’t stick to it, but I’d just fill up on bananas and the cheapest greens you can and add any other extras that you can afford. I bought my bananas by the crate from a wholesaler to save money on that diet but it was still expensive!
Brenda Hulett says
Hi there ~ I too loved the 80/10/10 diet, read the gr8 book, but found the amount of fruit you had to eat in a day to get your calories was ridiculous! Yes, you would have to munch the whole day! I found it quite a schlepp. Enter green thickies ~ there’s the answer ~ many thanks. I’m now on day 11 of green thickies only ~ still detoxing, which is not the fun part (!), but journaling to get through it ~ but I too went from eating a bad diet straight onto green thickies, so its going to take time. I love your site ~ thanks for sharing and helping others
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Brenda
Yes I agree – it’s very hard just eating fruit. That’s great you are detoxing. How did you get on? It is hard going from a standard diet to a more healthy one.
antoniette says
Thank you for your response. I read your comment with restoration girl and the raw diet. I myself prayed and seek god for my healing. Raw and Vegetarian i was led too.I was led to website of HACRES.COM and here where they teach the life style of raw diet and vegan. 85% raw and 15% cook. Plus juicing and I encounter Vicotria Boutenko book’s too. The challenges i face is the raw cooking,smoothie and juicing. What did you eat during the time you are eating raw for 6 months. Thank you,
antoniette says
Hi Restoration Girl, Please try to look at the website of http://www.hacres.com. They have alot of testimony of different people got healed from different various of disease. The founder (Rev.George Malkmus),Rhonda(his wife),Ann(his daughter in law) where a product of this life style. They have a good support to for any question you might have. Thank you,
antoniette says
What kind of salad did you use? Was it difficult to have no salt at all. What is your salad dressing did you use too. I just want simple raw food. I tried those raw soup however i find them to strong for me. Like the one’s made with celery. Do you know any blog or do you have some recipes i can follow when you are in the process of healing phase. Thanks again,
Someone says
Hi Katherine,
Yet another inspiring story that proves diet is our best medicine.
In theory, I know how it works.
Now for the step from theory to practice, I really need some help.
On one hand, I am very afraid to have to live another 40 years, because mental health has been bad, and now that seems to be managable, my body begins to show signs of bad health. I’ve always been working on my mind, getting better in the head department, but my body still suffered poor treatment by me.
I smoke and eat mostly convenient just open the package and eat foods, for I have no energy to do anything really, besides the stuff that MUST be done, like walking the dog and doing the dishes when there is no clean item left in the cupboard, and washing clothes when I need clean ones.
So I know I am keeping myself sick in a way, it is a self destroying lifestyle.
Somehow “just do it” doesn’t work for me, I feel like I must truly believe first, that I deserve it, that I deserve to take proper care of my body, instead of going through motions of mere slow suicide.
And how do I get to that point, when all my energy goes towards simple daily living, with all the hang ups I have from socializing with people (I’d rather stay at home than go out to do anything)
It’s not that I don’t have any professional help, but it only seems to keep me existing and not really starting to live.
This is where I should take matters into my own hands, but I am at loss how to do that when the thought of all the trouble I already went through (eating vegan, following Fit for life diet, taking supplements, meditating, taking up running)
If I do that it lasts one year maximum, and I decide the effect is so little, it is not worth the trouble, like this idea “I am never going to amount to anything” is something that needs to be lobotomized from my brain first, until then everything is bound to fail.
Sorry for being so negative, but I cannot imagine not more people feeling like this, the fatalistic “what’s the use?” idea that seems very stubborn.
Inner peace, that’s what I long for, but it sure seems hard work for little progress, one step forward, one step back, and so on.
I’ve already read tons of self help books, but I’ve never come across one that really hit home and stuck with me over the long run.
This is one black and white living on the fence thing that runs through my whole life, to choose Life or to stay in Existing mode (which is very comforting in a way because I know exactly what I’ll be getting)
I just cannot seem to make up my mind about what way to go. Continuing the slow suicide leaves me feeling like an old rag, aches and pains everywhere, I think I might have Fibromyalgia, but I also feel happy that the end of my life is getting closer every day.
No anti-depressant or the love of my husband or family or meditation or self help book seems to lift the pitch black from my soul.
I know it is a victim mentality, and the pay off is I get to eat cheap sugary stuff and lie on the couch in a sugar induced daze, but other than just do it or kick yourself in the rear, I cannot think of any way to flip that switch from riding out my life by simply keep breathing, but switch Life on, and get some of my potential, which I somehow still believe I have, to good use.
bodybuilding supplements uk says
Valuable information. Lucky me I found your website by chance, and I am stunned why this twist of fate did not took place earlier! I bookmarked it.
Natasa says
hi Katherine,
your story has opened my eyes. I have been experiencing all these strange symptoms…and finally found out that I have CFS. After reading your story I am encouraged enough to start a new diet and a new lifestyle.
Thank you very much for sharing it with us, you probably cannot imagine how much your words and pervious experience means at this moment! So happy for you! And hope your instructions help us with same problems!
Lyla says
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have had fibromyalgia for ten years now. I started drinking green smoothies last week and cutting out gluten, lactose, sugar, msg, aspartame and soy. I can now start exercising for the first time again because I have more energy. Can you tell me if you had any pain before the diet? I read that chronic fatigue is mostly fatigue with pain secondary while fibromyalgia is mostly pain with fatigue secondary. I am just hoping that it will take away more of the pain (especially the headaches) as time passes. Thanks again for sharing this because this made me think to perhaps go vegan
Lyla says
Oh another thing. How about the brain fog symptom. Did you ever have that and did it clear up completely?
Paul Guditis says
This would have been a great story, however it turned into a piece of advertising for a health and nutritional product at the end.
Whatever. Disappointing.
Joe Dante says
Helpful info. Fortunate me I found your web site by accident,
and I’m shocked why this accident didn’t came about in advance!
I bookmarked it.
Melissa says
Thank you for blogging this amazing story. I came across your site by looking for vegan recipes but was so happy to see your success story overcoming CFS. My husband, once a triathlete, has unexplained extreme fatigue that has lasted almost 6 months. :( After 3 doctor’s opinions, we still don’t have answers. LIke you, he has extreme allergies, environmental and foods. It seems his immune system is very overactive and exhausted. The only diagnosis mentioned was possibly “chronic fatigue syndrome”. We are looking for more opinions but in the meantime have slowly been switching to more gluten free vegan meals, due to my spouse’s intolerances to dairy and wheat, and my choice to avoid meat. Also, I do believe in the power of a high quality high nutrient rich diet, that can aid in healing many and prob most illnesses.
Your inspiring story gives much hope to other sufferers. It is so discouraging that there is a lot of informational sites on the syndrome that state “no cure” and symptoms “can last years.” I will definitely share this site with him as we are desperate to get him back to health! Thank you and congratulations!
Kell says
Hi Katherine, I myself have had chronic fatigue (I would say mild from what I know) for two years now (I am nearly 29). It is so frustrating and being a proactive person I am always looking to improve my health as I also don’t beleive there is no cause/solution etc. I have started using green smoothies every morning since the middle of August, I am really pleased with the results. however, I just wanted some advice – my eczema did flare up quite badly (I am hoping it is slowly improving now) and I wake earlier and more easily but get sleepy in the day – is this still the detox process taking effect do you know? I just wondered if I was doing something wrong if and could improve? Thank you – any advice/knowledge would be appreciated Katherine :)
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Kell
That’s great that you are seeing improvements already. My detox actually lasted for 3 months but everybody is different. It’s up to you how long you give it as some people just don’t tolerate green smoothies. Are you still experiencing the same problems?
TBanks says
Hi Katherine,
I have had CFS for about 6 months now. I am planning on beginning the diet plan you explain. My one concern is that I am already really thin. I have lost about 15 pounds because I am not sleeping well. I’m worried that a diet of veggies and nuts will make me loose more weight.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
My husband struggles to keep the weight on so he didn’t do well on a fruit and veg based diet. Do you eat meat?
Nurse Jon, RN says
Wonderful outcome. One thing you may want to add to your diet is the water cures protocol.
Incidentally, the reason the raw food diets worked for you is that they provide natural salts and naturally provide cysteine which helps our body make glutathione or GSH. This is the master detoxifier, master immunity booster and master antioxidant. Since we can only make it, eating the raw foods provides the natural cofactors that make it possible. The GSH is found to help with the CFS.
In this PubMed study, the supplements are only imitations of what you get if raw food. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11703165
Also, there is the extra hydration and natural sodium properties you get out of the juicing. These work to counteract the potential lack of proper hydration. Drinking water alone will not work. Salt alone will not necessarily help since we need the potassium for inside the cells. You found the perfect balance for your body.
You likewise provided a lot of information that can be passed on for those seeking dietary ways of eliminating the challenge of CFS.
Thanks, best wishes and good health to you and yours.
Nurse Jon, RN says
Oh yea, one more thing, check out the water cures protocol and the hydration connection to CFS.
http://www.watercures.org/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-symptoms-list.html
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Thank you Nurse Jon. That’s very interesting. I’m sure my readers will also be interested as I get a lot of people interested in healing CFS.
Brenda Hulett says
Hi ~ great website! Your story sounds similar to mine, been researching health for years now and ended up a bit “orthorexic” too! Have done green smoothies for a week before, but started 3 days ago doing green thickies only and hoping to do it for at least a month, maybe longer. I’m also tired of feeling awful and determined to do this once and for all and only stop when I’ve achieved proper wellness ~ I think this is the easiest and quickest way to achieve results. So thanks again for taking the time to help others. Take care. Brenda
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Thank you Brenda. It’s so hard isn’t it with all the contradicting information out there. I hope you find something that works for you :)
Jane says
Hi Katherine – I’m glad to have found your blog. I’m desperately awaiting my Nutribullet so I can get into some proper green thickies. I’ve been having fruit and spinach smoothies for breakfast for a while, but then my blender jug sprang a leak! Also, I hadn’t quite got into the habit of adding hemp or chia seeds to my smoothies yet. But having watched some videos by the folks at Food matters, I’ve been convinced I can create balanced, raw meals with the blender.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Excellent – I hope your blender manages OK with the seeds. If you soak them overnight it makes them easier to blend!
Jane says
It’s coping fine thanks. It arrived on Sat and I have so far made: almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, oat milk, thickie smoothies (fruits and seeds so far – am adding spinach today). But probably most impressive of all: flax seed crackers. For those I soaked the flax seeds for an hour or two, then blended half of them with my veg and it made short work of it and even blended up carrots!! When I used to do this in my moulinex it would take hours and really put me off making raw crackers. Also, it has a milling blade if you want to grind nuts or seeds before adding them.
But actually, it turns out that with most nuts and seeds they should be soaked to remove enzyme inhibitors. A trick I discovered is to soak a big batch, use what you need for your recipe, then de-hydrate the rest for use at a later date. That’s for nuts and seeds that need to be rinsed. Chia and flax are easier because you don’t have to rinse them. :-)
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Wow that’s brilliant Jane. I’m so glad it is working out for you. Those crackers sound lovely!
Robyn says
Thank you, thank you!.I developed Epstein Barr in May and it lasted for 3 months. Then I had a flare up a few weeks ago and it seems to have morphed into CFS. I am convinced it is diet based because I feel so much better when I juice and do smoothies. SO happy to find your site and get some hope!
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Kimmy says
You’re story is inspiring! I make green smoothies as my first meal of the day, five out of seven days. I try to eat 40% raw foods, 20% cooked vegetables, 20% beans, and the last 20% is made up of pasta, meat, and chicken. I am still working on improving my diet further however I feel much better already! Eating healthy I don’t require as much food because my body gets so much nutrients from the food I do eat. Thanks for you’re inspiration!
Laura says
Hello, I am so glad I was searching and came across this. I developed a lot of symptoms during this past year, my health really went downhill after a very stressful time of my life starting last April. I developed a ringing in my left ear and lots of pressure in my head etc and was terrified of a brain tumor, I had an MRI in June 2013 and it was normal, but from the high anxiety it through me into a loop. I developed lots of things and now left with cfs. I am under the care of a naturopath, I just started the diet changes so itll take me a little time before I detox. I am looking forward to trying some of your smoothies, I really am hopeful and through Jesus we are healed by His stipes, I know He will help me!! God bless you sister!
nancy davis says
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david says
Hello, I have also been suffering unexplained chronic fatigue for over 10 years. Its left me exhausted and unable to work, I have mental fatigue and gluten and dairy intolerance, as well as joint problems and struggle to lose weight. I reason I found your page was I recently went to a health farm for a week and there I ate nothing but fruit and vegetables plus mackerel for breakfast and lunch and then just soup and cooked fish in the evening. No dairy, No gluten, No oats, nuts etc. After a week my health returned and I felt my energy surge and I managed to walk for 3 hours with no joint pain or fatigue. Then as soon as I came home I felt extremely tired again. I am seriously considering to continue my dietary food list I ate at at the Health farm, I am a 50 year old man, Do you have any further advise please Katherine?
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
This is very interesting. Yes if I were you I would certainly continue to eat the same foods that you ate at the health farm. If you are eating the same foods and still feel sick it might also be something in your home such as mold that is causing a problem.
Vegan Police says
You were never vegan. Vegan and plant based diet are not the same thing. Veganism is when you’re against exploiting animals (eating them, using them for labor, making money off them, etc). Plant based diet is just that.. a diet based on eating plants. One wouldn’t change their morals at the whim of a diet change. Help stop confusing people between the two. Thanks.
Hank Fen says
If mere dietary changes could cure what ails you, you don’t have ME/CFS.
Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies says
I’ve heard this a lot too, but the sad thing is that most people would never be able to stick to a completely natural, unprocessed diet for 6 months to find out. I’ve been amazed in my own life and in my client’s lives the number of conditions that have completely gone away just through mere diet changes. It sounds easy and simply but actually it is almost impossible for most to change their diets to the point where they don’t eat out, say no to friends who offer them food and make everything themselves. That’s also why I drank smoothies for recovery, because it required the least amount of time and energy when I had no energy.
Rachel says
Thanks for the article. I’m really glad to hear you healed yourself- very inspiring. I’m 23, and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as a parasite and viral infection. It’s been a rough go, and can be hard not to use food as a vice and rather as a means of healing. But reading stories like yours gives me hope that health is in my own hands!
Doomed from the start says
Can’t hv anything: no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no nuts, no seeds. Never ate lettuce in my life. (allergic to dressing ingr.) this is week 2 trying green salads (only) and end week 1 eating only them + my safe meats & fats. Tonight found this. I hv leaky gut, fatty liver due bad meds. Lost everything: bed bound, been living in/out of motels most my life, now in 50s, I’ll since 22. Bed bound. No one, no help. I can’t do this anymore. Fridge not big enough here to hold salad containers. Motels make me move every 28 DAYS!!!!!! I can’t live anymore! :-/ stress is too much
Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies says
I am sorry you are struggling so much. I feel sad reading your name and even your email address is called ‘hopeless’. Please don’t give up. There is still hope. You found my website now so you have turned a corner. I also could not and still can’t tolerate any junk or dairy, animal products or gluten in my diet so my diet is restrictive. But there are still a lot of things you can enjoy to eat. If you are struggling to prepare food and even store food right now, I would try a few weeks of just eating raw fruit that keeps well out of the fridge such as bananas, apples, oranges. A lot of people turn a corner and start to detox eating like this for a while and then they are able to get more energy to start preparing more healthy food for themselves. I pray you will find a way to regain your health and happiness again.