Flashback

This week I've finally had to acknowledge that my hair is falling out again. I thought it was my imagination at first but no, it's falling out and I feel horrible. What makes it worse is that I'm not even 100 percent raw- I've just been easing into it gradually. I can't figure out what it is I am missing in my diet that would cause my hair to fall out. I'm not losing weight too quickly. My blood tests were all normal except for the high cholesterol. My protein levels are certainly lower than when I was eating meat, but could I really need that much protein to keep myself from losing hair?

Interestingly, when I told my nutritionist about this, and told her (sadly) that I am thinking of adding dairy and fish back into my diet, she seemed to suddenly "come out" about her lack of belief in raw, like she was relieved. Nothing overt, but I could just tell she was all too happy about it! She didn't even suggest anything to help me figure out what the hair loss might stem from. This didn't totally surprise me, as she never seemed to totally understand the raw diet anyway. I guess she was just tolerating it. Still, I benefit from seeing her right now, mainly because knowing I have a nutritionist keeps me focusing on my health, and I like the one-on-one attention better than group meetings like Weight Watchers (whose program I like, by the way). I am thinking of seeing her until I reach my initial 50-lb weight loss goal.

Anyways... the nutritionist told me that one of my problems may be that I am not absorbing enough amino acids, perhaps due to stress. That was a new one on me- why didn't she tell me that before, I wonder. She gave me these B-Complex chewable tablets to try. You eat EIGHT of the nasty things a day, with or without food. They are made of natural ingredients including, unfortunately, soy. She said that taking these will help my body to absorb protein. I figured I'll give it a try. She says she feels a boost of energy when she takes them, but I've never been one to feel more energetic from any particular food except strong coffee (but I don't think of the shakes as energy). I've taken 6 of the vitamins so far and I don't feel a bit different. I have two more to go. Yum.

So, I must say that I am not happy with the way my raw odyssey is going, but that just means I need to rethink things. I do not have to be 100% raw or any particular percentage. My goal is health, so if eating 100% raw vegan isn't healthy for me, then I have to find what is. Until I see evidence that my hair has stopped falling out, I am going to put nonfat cottage cheese, Greek style non-fat yogurt (from Trader Joe's!), and salmon back into my diet. Those, along with hemp, edamame, quinoa, lentils, nuts and seeds will ensure I get a lot more protein than I was getting. I'll keep my calories between 1300 and 1600 daily. Once in a while I will do a whey protein shake. I'll eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water, and try to think healthy, happy thoughts. :-)