Hey Roy! Always great to hear how it's going for you...

Roy:

>The only thing that really bothers me is that I am finding it really
>difficult to tolerate cold. At 65degrees I'm shivering and unable to
>sleep, while my wife doesn't even need any covers. Therefore I'm worried
>that I may be developing some deficiency.

>(1) what could be the reasons for my lack of tolerance to low
>temperature?

No answers, but some experience to share. While in Thailand and eating
massive amounts of tropical fruits we were thrilled to be very comfortable
in the humid tropical climate (upper 80s during the "winter" and 90s and
100s the rest of the year with very high humidity). We were annoyed at the
prevelance of air conditioning, loved to jog in the heat which many found
oppressive, etc etc. But, when we would come back to the USA during the
summer we were cold all the time. I find that there is a clear correlation
to the amount of fruit vs RAF that I eat and my tolerance of cold. The more
RAF the more tolerant of cold. Give me unlimited shellfish and I'd make
naked snow bunnies ;) Well, OK, that's a bit much but even when eating RAF
if I eat too much fruit I find I notice the cold more (what little there is
in San Diego county). I agree that it is probably not a Good Thing top be
cold intolerant. It seems to be similar to what happens during a fast--a
conservation effort of some kind. But that supposrts the idea that it is a
detox of some sort too, so who knows?

Melisa's a wimp about cold though...;) Less and less so, and nothing
dramatic, but her experience is not mine on the matter.

>(2) what kind of blood profiles should I ask my doctor to recommend?

The life extension guys seem to be up on all the blood stuff. Does anyone
know if Lee Hitchcox's book "Life Long Now" has details of blood stuff.
Elsewhere? I saw browsed through some sort of life extension magazine one
time at Barnes and Noble and the whole thing seemed to be an advertisement
for their blood work services--which where kinda mail order or something
strange...

>(3) is there any known reason for my starting to look older?
>Is it a lack of some nutrition?

Who knows? The way I look changes all the time, with the seasons, with the
climate, with the foods available, eating habits. Your diet seems
sufficient to avoid any great deficiencies. But if a particular detox needs
relatively high amounts of a particular food...? But if that was the case
you might be anxious or lethargic or something, whereas you are feeling
good. Who knows?

>By the way, my diet is a "zone modified" "somewhat instincto" scheme: I
>try to eat several small meals that are seperated by 3-4 hours. At these
>meals I try to stay in the zone. (Typically a raw egg or two, and a
>banana or two. I know that Sears frowns on either of these, but what the
>heck - they're raw!). For dinner I have a large salad with raw nut
>butter, avocados, lots of sprouts and greens, and other veggies.
>Occasionally (maybe once a week or so) I have sashimi. I have also
>dabbled here and there with kefir from raw milk. I also supplement my
>salads with seaweed, occasionally with miso as well. After my salad I
>tend to eat a lot of fruit.

How do you find the bananas and eggs digest together? Must be OK or you
wouldn't be happy with it. Breaks every food combining rule I've ever seen.
I _love_ it!

I would second Peter's idea about more RAF, esp fatty (ceviche? shellfish?
raw butter?) as a possible experiment. Nix the miso? The nut butters? Back
off on cassia? Or eat more?

Basically, you have the classic dilemma of a rawist: when something is
unsatisfying (cold tolerance and "aging") you end up asking yourself: intox
or detox. Do you clean up the diet even further or let it be and hope it is
a "phase"? I don't know, but I say again that your zone-like approach is
very intelligent. You are right to wonder aloud about these things, but you
should hear that you aren't probably aren't going to fall apart from
deficiencies with your varied diet...I hope ;)

>Before I went raw, my staple was rice, with beans and vegetables.
>The first few weeks of raw were euphoric. I still feel great, but I'm
>worried about the way I seem to look, and my intolerance for low
>temperatures.

Hang in there. You can look young again overnight (and probably when you
least expect it), and that's what sweaters are for :^)

By the way, you didn't mention low weight being a problem this time. Does
that mean you've stopped losing weight?

Cheers,
Kirt