Drastically changing the diet (such as going from a standard American diet to a raw food diet), will often cause temporary imbalances, weight loss, or even deficiencies if not done gently and correctly. A measure of balance specific to a woman's body is healthy menstruation. Many women and girls lose their periods when going raw, or lose them after being raw for a length of time. This raises a very serious issue. Is menstruation a sign of an unhealthy, toxic body due to a unhealthy, toxic diet and lifestyle? Or is there something more to this than what meets the eye. A loss of menstruation has been long associated with extreme weight loss due to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Due to this, many questions arise. Have all women who go raw and lost their periods also lost weight in the process? If they were to gain weight eating purely 100% raw foods, would their periods come back? Or is their lack of menstruation due to a pure body free of toxins, having nothing to do with low body fat levels? There has been quite a bit of literature written about healthy menstruation addressing these topics. I would like to share my experience as a young woman who eats a 100 percent raw food diet.

I got my period at the age of 13. They were always a drag, and sometimes I would have to stay home from school because the cramps were so painful. When I was 14 I lost weight due to an unhealthy, unbalanced diet, and I became very malnourished. I went vegan, but I never regained any weight, and my periods never came back. I went raw a month after I turned 15, my weight was never stable. I'd lose five pounds, gain three, lose two, gain two, etc. It wasn't until my visit to the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center that I was able to establish a healthy, balanced raw diet for myself with all elements in place: plenty of protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, algaes and various superfoods. My body went from an extremely low weight to a healthier, more stable weight, although I am still thin. I haven't regained my period, even after healing all of my nutritional deficiencies, but I have experienced a few months of slight cramps and a general feeling of sensitivity, common among women who are ovulating, which leads me to believe I may be getting them soon.

During my visits with Dr. Gabriel Cousens, who has been studying live food nutrition for 20+ years, and holds an M.D. and a Naturopathic degree as well, I was told that once my body fully balances, I will start my periods again. While at the Tree of Life, I also met many women who had been raw for a good length of time (two to five years), who were at stable healthy weights for their body types, and who got their period every month. There was a difference though. Their periods were light, mild, and even described to me as pleasant. It was a time to cleanse and begin anew; a true gift. And these women were extremely healthy, probably some of the healthiest women on the planet.

I am looking forward to starting my period again, because I think it is natural and a sign of good health and a strong body. If body fat levels are too low, menstruation will cease. Extremely low body fat levels cause hormone imbalances, since a certain amount of fat is needed for the production of hormones, especially in women. I believe that THIS is the main reason women lose their periods when going raw, or after being raw for a length of time.

Heavy, painful periods are not normal either. The body will not hemorrhage unless it is absolutely necessary, for instance if there are dangerous levels of toxins and foreign hormones in the system due to an unhealthy SAD diet or use of hormone drugs (birth control pills). Menstruation is a blessing for many women in today's society, because it enables the body to release toxins. However, through this process, a vast array of minerals are also lost, leaving the body malnourished, causing cravings and illness.

Ovulation occurs naturally in all females of the great Ape species (including humans), otherwise conception and birth would be impossible. After ovulation, if the egg is not fertilized, comes a light period, or shedding of the uterus, in order to build a fresh, healthy lining for a new egg the following month. Getting proper nutrition through raw foods will only help the body within this process of letting go and rebuilding. It is an amazing phenomenon. If you are a woman, young or middle aged, who has lost her period since transitioning to raw, please seek a naturopathic medical professional who is raw savvy, and who can test your body for any imbalances that may cause problems down the road. It may just be that your body is healing and using energy to "clean house" so to speak. If this is the case, menstruation should return within a fairly short amount of time, once the "detox" period is over. If it doesn't return, it is my belief that there is something else going on besides detox.

Remember to love yourself, ladies! We are the goddesses!

--Anna is a raw food vegan and was the winner of the "How I Went Raw" Essay Contest 2003. Read her essay.