Stopped having my period

[Guest guest]

I am 21, I've been vegan for about two years. I

weigh 115-119, it fluctates during the day, depending

on how much I eat. I'm 5'7. I quit menustrating for

a few months now. I haven't been to a doctor to get

this checked out because I don't like anything

medical. This past year I have walked daily or every other

day for about a half an hour or more. I don't know if

this has anything to do with it. Also, I've been under

some stress over what I'm going to do with my life

since college isn't realistic and I feel like a huge

burden to my parents. As far as nutrition, I have been

having fruit for breakfast- a banana, orange or apple or

two of a combo and also a handful of raisins. Then

for dinner I'll have vegetables (bell pepper,

avocado, carrot, celery and or squash). I don't have lunch

because I'm satisfied until dinner time. My reason for

not eating as much as I should be, is control. I feel

good knowing I didn't eat more than most Americans do,

and believe that what I don't eat will go to someone

who is desperately starving. Since I don't have the

money to donate to nonprofit organizations like Food

for life.

[Guest guest]

From what I have read it is compleatly normal for

a raw vegan to stop menustrating. Victoras

Kulvinskas, Joe Alexander, and Humbart Santillo, all talk

about it in their books. They also talk about eating

very little, once you are detoxified you need less

food. I usualy eat 2 bananas, and 1 Papaya in the

morning, a large salad, (mostly lettuce)in the afternoon,

and I might snack on an Avocado in the evening, and I

usually feel like I'm over eating. Untill just recently I

was running 30 miles a week, now I am experimenting

with running when, and as far, as I feel like running.

So I'm running a little less and enjoying it a lot

more.<br><br>My girl friend is about 90% raw, and at first I

didn't want her to cook in the house because the smell

was too tempting. Now its too GROSS. When I ate

cooked food, there must have been something wrong with

my brain, that I thought that crap smelled good.

<br><br>I wanted to write about all the changes I have gone

through in the last year, but it would take forever.

Every aspect of me has changed, and I've heard it gets

even better.<br><br>Doug

[Guest guest]

Dearest almostrawstrictlyvegan,<br><br>I must

reccomend a book for you.<br><br>It's called " Holy

Anorexia " by Rudolph M. Bell.<br><br>It's on Amazon or your

local library can get it.<br><br>Sincerely<br><br>LL

[Guest guest]

I haven't been raw that long, not even a month. I've been vegan for about two

years.

[Guest guest]

Dear almostrawstrictlyvegan,<br>thanks a lot for

your interesting posts. Also, thanks to the others who

reply to them. That's exactly what I wanted to know. My

former girlfriend stopped menstruating when on strict

vegan diet with about 90% raw. She was quite skinny at

the time but not anorexic (as long as I know). Her

mum urges her to go to her gynaekologist who

prescribed some hormonal pills. I still feel angry today

when I recall it. Anyway, I'm still seeking for the

truth about that topic. The question remains the same:

Is a healthy raw-vegan adult girl supposed to

menstruate? Menstruating is one way of elimination, isn't

it?<br> Thanks, Tom.

[Guest guest]

Hi Czech,<br>I don't mean to intimate that ARSV

is anorexic in my post, but to show that it is

possible, and happens, that people use diet for

questionably " spiritual " purposes.<br><br>As to the point of

Menstruation, It is my understanding that a woman of 27 should

consume about 30 grams of fat per day to maintain good

health.<br><br>Cessation of Menses indicates a lack of body fat neccessary

to maintain good health. Body fat and Menses are

directly tied together and a cessation of menses may be a

warning signal thet there is not enough body

fat.<br><br>A few olives a day or avacodos or other raw foods

can easily supply the necessary fat.<br><br>LL

[Guest guest]

Dear AlmostRaw,<br><br>I think eating as much raw

and vegan as possible is the way to go for good

health. I'm increasing my raw intake and mentally

preparing to go at it 100%. I don't have direct knowledge

about the menses issue, but I wanted to comment on a

couple of points you made in your post.<br> Firstly,

while I think it is a noble symbolic gesture to

restrict your food intake in the belief that it will help

someone starving, I'm afraid the restricting your food

intake will not achieve this result.<br><br>The problem

with hunger in third-world countries is usually do to

the political situation and lack of infrastructure

(poor roads to deliver food and/or political regimes

that interfere with distribution). In the US, the

problem is more often lack of money (or parents who

divert food money to other uses like drugs, etc.). On a

worldwide basis, there really is no shortage of food at

present; just a distribution problem and other issues.

Having said that, if the whole world went vegan, there

would be even more abundance of food. And land, water,

and other resources used for animals livestock could

be put to other uses or set aside for the

preservation of the environment - a very worthy

goal.<br><br>Second point - and I was reluctant to post this because

you don't know me and might take it wrong, but I hope

you accept that this is a good faith comment - is

that you should be very careful not to become to

enthusiatistic about the " control " aspect of eating. I worked

with a friend whose sister was in a very bad marriage

and she developed eating disorder (anorexia nervosa)

because she felt that eating was the only thing she could

control in her life. She became obsessed with controlling

her diet to the point that she developed major health

problems and has been hospitalized several

times..<br><br>I'm sure you are not at that point and are probably

well balanced, but I wanted to pass this story on to

you in the hopes that if your desire to control and

restrict your diet ever becomes obsessive, you realize it

could have unhealthy consequences and recognize it

before it becomes a big problem.<br><br>Best of luck

with the life decisions and college etc. I never had a

career planned when I was your age either, but fate just

rolled me in a direction and I eventually knew what to

do (now I'm in my mid-thirties wondering if I should

make a major change!) It's rarely crystal clear for

most people. Just be sensitive and aware and trust

your instincts.