questions from a beginner?

September 30, 2002

I need varied opinions on this!!! I have been raw for 1 week and 1

day. I just finished reading a couple of things that have me a bit

concerned.

First off, teeth. Has anyone had problems with their teeth? I dont

have any metal fillings, and in fact, only have one porcelin

filling. I was brushing my teeth only in the morning, but now have

started once at night before bed and once in the morning and flossing

every morning too. I hope this may prevent any problems eating raw

may cause. I also saw that a diet high in citrus is the thing that

causes this, but I dont really like citrus fruits and tend to stay

away from them.

My second concern is hair loss. I am in very poor health at this

time, and am already losing my hair, but it is male pattern baldness

(I AM FEMALE). I am afraid of losing all my hair. Has this happened

to any females out there? I read that it will grow back, and even

better than before, but how can I explain it? I have been using

Rogaine, which I have seen some results with, and I am wondering if I

should discontinue Rogaine, and just let it fall out?

Any comments on this will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Susi

October 1, 2002

Susi, I have been raw for 8

months and would like to give

you my personal experience. I

have been battling periodontal

disease for over 10 years and

have had 2 surgeries on my

gums. The only thing that has

helped has been changing to a

raw diet. My gums no longer

bleed or show signs of

swelling and my " pockets " have

disappeared. Tooth decay is

mostly caused by the sugars in

your diet sticking to your

teeth. The raw diet doesn't

contain refined sugars or

sticky carbs such as bread or

pasta so it's great for your

teeth. Plaque forms and

hardens within 12 hours of

eating and you should never

brush less than twice a day if

you want to keep your teeth.

I have heard from some who

believe that it isn't

necessary to brush at all if

you are 100% raw, but I'm VERY

skeptical of that. As for

hair loss, I have very long

thick hair but have noticed

some thinning in the past 10

years (after hitting 40). My

husband frequently french

braids my hair for me and he

started complaining months ago

about my suddenly having

little fly-away hairs all over

my head. It seems that my

hair has begun getting thicker

again since I started eating

85% raw. I don't have a clue

as to what you mean by

" problems raw may cause " .

I've lost 40 lbs., my blood

pressure has dropped from

209/126 to 140/85 and still

dropping, and I look and feel

better than I have in years.

I have no sign of the

arthritis that has plagued me

since before it was diagnosed

when I was in my 20's, I no

longer have the muscle spasms

that regularly put my back out

since I was in my teens. I'm

more active than I have ever

been and my " hay fever " is

gone. I eat a very varied

diet and study nutrition and

raw foods diligently. I

strongly suggest you do the

same. You need a basic

understanding of the body's

needs to create a balanced

diet whether you are eating

raw vegan or a diet of meat

and other cooked foods. Since

raw has optimum nutrients,

it's easier to have a healthy

diet than on any other foods.

Read, read, read, and don't

believe anything you read

without asking yourself what

the motives of the author are.

Good luck!

Lauretta

Susi or Carson

[susiwagnerhall

om]