Wednesday, October 30, 2013

In the Interest of Honesty . . .

Since dishonesty would not be helpful to anyone (least of all, me), I have tried to be ultra-truthful about what I'm doing. With that in mind, I have a confession to make.

I am tired of drinking vegetable juice (and cleaning up the juicer). I am tired of swallowing pills (and looking at the bottles taking up counter space). I am tired of trying to drink an entire lake of water every day (and running to the bathroom every 47 minutes). I am tired of eating things that are good for me. Even if they do taste good.

So I had a really good cheeseburger at Fuddruckers today -- bread and all. And their awesome fries. (With more than a small dab of fry sauce on both.) Then I had a fantastic hot fudge sundae at Dairy Queen.

Burp.

Know why I'm tired of juice and pills and water and health food? Because I'm not doing it right. 

You see, when I'm diligent about doing everything I know to do -- eating carefully; getting up early to walk or use the rebounder every day; drinking lots of water; doing skin brushing; doing castor oil packs; doing de-tox breathing exercises; disciplining my thoughts constantly; and getting acupuncture and lymph drainage treatments every other week -- I don't crave anything

But then I get weary of taking care of business.

So I slack off. 

And things start to unravel.

It really tasted good and I don't feel any worse for it, but I know it'll take me quite a few days to make up for the crud I swallowed in just a few minutes.  Bummer how that works, isn't it?

So how was your day so far?

P.S. Don't leave me any "feel good" comments on this, okay? Don't tell me how it's okay and that you'd get tired of a regimen like that too, because that is so not the point. I won't beat myself up over it, but I also won't lie to myself and say it's okay, because it isn't. I set myself back a ways today.  Lesson learned.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

How do I know whether or not I'm making progress?


I just know. The same way I knew I had cancer a couple of months before the actual diagnosis. (This is not terribly impressive since the cancer has likely been growing in there for 10-12 years.) I think it's pretty much gone now, but my body is still a long way from being healthy (i.e., the fibroid cysts are shrinking, but still very much present), so my work isn't finished yet.

I had initially planned to have another mammogram in six months (which would be January '14), but since then, my research has made that seem like a bad idea. You see, mammograms pack 100 (or, some articles say 1,000) times the radiation of a chest xray, so voluntarily doing that to myself seems pretty silly just to prove a point. Also, mammograms aren't definitive because they can only detect tumors that are already 1-5 billion cells big.

But then . . .

I accidently heard about something called "Thermography." It uses an infrared camera to take pictures of the heat emanating from the body. Cancer cells divide much faster than normal cells, so they put off more heat -- show up "hotter." And get this -- It picks up cancer ten years (10!) sooner than mammograms or CT scans!  AND there's no radiation involved.  So why are mammograms still so prevalent? No idea. I suppose, like most things, it has do with money.

Anyway, I finally found someone who does thermography here in Bozeman, so I got my pictures taken a few days ago. Have to wait two weeks for the report, but it looked pretty good to my untrained eye.  We'll see what the experts have to say. Have an awesome week, y'all!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

What Do I Eat? - Part 2

There have been some questions about my last post, so here goes:

Yes, I buy organic. Organic everything. It may not seem that a fine residue of pesticide or herbicide spray amounts to much, but consider how it accumulates over a year . . . or a lifetime. I already have a body full of toxins I’m trying to clean out, so adding more to it is counter-productive. So yes, organic as much as possible.

No, I don’t “cheat on my diet.” There is no diet to cheat on. I'm just in the process of changing the way I eat -- figuring out what my body needs and what it really doesn't like. It's a work in progress.  So while I can give you an idea of what I'm eating, it's constantly evolving -- partly because my body is evolving, and partly because I'm experimenting. For instance, I had a focaccia-bread veggie sandwich the other day (focaccia is made with white flour). It's the first white bread I've had in three months, and I was curious to see if it would still put me to sleep. The fact that it didn't make me sleepy means that my body is waaay better off than it used to be, but the fact that I noticed a lag in my energy means I won't do that very often.

Remember, there is no protocol for what I’m doing. From the researching to the planning to the executing . . . I am *it*.  I use other folks' stories for guidelines, but no one is telling me what to do or what not to do. My success . . . or lack thereof . . . is up to me . . . as are the consequences. I like it this way. It's empowering. And it leaves the concept of "cheating" out of the picture . . . I have a completely different mind set.


What about gluten? I’m not cutting out gluten – only wheat.  When I added up all the wheat I had been ingesting (toast, sandwiches, pasta, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, baked goods, cereals, pizza, did I say pasta?), I decided that giving my body a rest from it would be a good idea. I still eat spelt and rye and pretty much everything else.

Juicers:  Most juicers grind up the produce and use centrifugal force (spinning) to "squeeze" the juice out of the pulp. This is fine for those who just like fresh juice occasionally, but for those of us who are needing to get every bit of nutrition out of the produce we buy, we need something better. For one thing, the high rpms spin air into the juice, and oxygen kills the nutrients within 15 or 20 minutes (so juicing in the morning for all day doesn't work). For another thing, the pulp that comes out is still relatively wet -- meaning that some of the juice is wasted. When you're going through five pounds of produce a day, that bit of wasted juice adds up.

My juicer of choice would be a Norwalk because it has a two-step process -- grating the produce into a canvas bag and then squeezing the juice out through the bag. The end-product pulp is completely dry and good for nothing but compost (think sawdust), so it takes less produce to get the same amount of juice. The down side is that Norwalk's cost $2,600 new, and close to $2,000 used on eBay. So #2 on my list is a Champion. They go for about $300 on eBay, but I haven't had time to watch one close enough to win the bidding yet. I bought an Omega Vert from Bed Bath & Beyond, but it left quite a bit of pulp in the juice -- to the point that I couldn't drink it without chewing. Yuck. So I'm back to my $30 Walmart model for now.

Doesn't sound like much variety.
I didn't do a meal-by-meal journal for you because that would be about as interesting to read as a dictionary, so use your imagination a little, I guess. I eat most any kind of vegetable you can call to mind; most fruits (just in small quantities); most grains (including some you may not recognize); and there's a long list of things I eat occasionally.  Here's some of them:
- Snails (in Europe they're prescribed for cancer treatment)
- Fermented veggies (more about this in a later post)
- Meat (probably also a subject for a later post)
- Kombu (Japanese seaweed) mostly in soups and broths
From the beginning, I have been trying to eat intuitively because that's the only way to get precisely what my body needs at the moment. But how to give you that concept in less than 1,000 words . . . It's easier to tell you what I don't eat.

Speaking of 1,000 words or less -- I have exceeded my limit. Chat with you next time.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

What Do I Eat?

Quite a few people are wondering just what I'm eating these days. I guess I got sidetracked in telling you that part, didn't I?!

Here's my main law:
"I Shall Eat the Whole Foods and Nothing But the Whole Foods, So Help Me, God."
Subheadings and sub-subheadings:
- I shall eat nothing processed or refined.
       (This kicks out the contents of the whole center of the store (including bread), plus the
       dairy department. Wasn't that easy? Store time just got cut by 3/4.)
- I shall eat nothing that has been genetically modified (GMO).
       (This kicks out anything with soy and corn -- which is practically everything. Try 
       reading your labels; you'll see what I mean.)
- I shall eat nothing with pesticides or herbicides or growth-hormones or antibiotics.
       (So, only organic. Isn't this fun?)
- All grains shall be eaten whole and shall be soaked prior to cooking.
       (This makes them easier to digest. Makes them taste better, too -- kind of nutty.)
- At least half of all foods shall be eaten raw.
       (Not eggs. I draw the line at raw eggs -- even if they are Salmonella-free. Ewww.)
- Sweetness shall be kept to a minimum.
       (and then only in the form of whole fruits and raw honey. Or homemade jam that a dear 
       friend gave me. I can't offend her, right?)
- Fats shall be eaten in abundance but shall be of the natural, unprocessed variety.
       (This kicks out such "healthy" oils as vegetable, canola, and corn; but allows butter and 
       coconut oil. Isn't this great?)
- There shall no caffeine pass my lips. (grammar; I know) 
       (except green tea which is so beneficial we'll overlook the caffeine)

Are your eyes rolling back in your head yet? It's really not as bad as it sounds. Honest.
I mean, if you look at all the stuff you can't have, then I suppose it would be depressing. But if you think about all the things you can have . . . it's AMAZING! And if you add to that how awesomely *good* you're going to feel . . . well, there's just no contest at all. The hardest part is finding sources for all the foods you've never shopped for before because -- let's face it -- most of this is not found at your friendly neighborhood Walmart.

So here's what's for Breakfast most days:
 - 2 (organic, pastured) eggs fried in (organic, pastured) butter (yes, saturated fats are 
    *good* for you now; did you know?)
 - topped with 1/2 an avocado, sliced
 - splashed with Cholula or Tabasco (optional)
 - perched on half a sprouted-grain English muffin or a slice of Ezekiel bread (toasted and 
    buttered)
or
 - a cup or so of oat groats (fancy name for whole oats -- not rolled or steel-cut) that have 
   been soaked overnight, then cooked gently for 15 minutes (for detailed instructions, read  
   here)
- topped with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, pomegranate, pecans (or walnuts), 
   ground flaxseed, and coconut milk (Yes, all of that. The oats are pretty much buried.) It is 
   so yummy!

Lunch is usually a big salad with everything possible on it. Truthfully? I often end up at Clark's Fork for their salad bar -- waaay better than I could make at home. Start with a lovely mixture of colorful salad greens (no iceberg or packaged lettuce at this place!); add some grated carrot or radish from their own garden; some cilantro; some mushrooms; either cauliflower or broccoli; some green peas; a bunch of garbanzo beans for protein; sometimes some boiled egg (if I haven't already had eggs for breakfast); a smidge of real Parmesan cheese (because some days it sounds heavenly); some sunflower or pumpkin seeds -- and then a drizzle of thin Ranch dressing (which is not actually on my program, but until I find a recipe I like, it'll do). Are you hungry yet?

Other days, I'll have some homemade lentil or split pea soup or some black beans and brown rice (both of which have been soaked overnight before cooking). Or, once in a great while, Wendy's fixes my lunch -- their almond-berry chicken salad.  It isn't organic, but it's fresh and good and fills in, in a pinch.  

This is a marathon, not a sprint.

I don't too often eat supper -- for a few reasons. (This is probably a subject for another post, but I'll tackle it here anyway, because . . . well, you're here now, and I may never get back to it.)
  1) I usually eat breakfast around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. and "lunch" is often around 3:00 or 
      4:00 p.m., so supper would be around 9:00 p.m.  Nah.
  2) I usually have a handful of supplements (that should've been swallowed throughout the 
      day), and taking them with a glass of water takes care of any hunger issues that may 
      have been developing.
  3) System cleaning (another post I'm working on) needs to happen every night, and it 
       takes at least 12 hours to do, so eating late in the evening is a bad idea.
  4) Eating three meals a day is apparently a relatively new development -- within the last 
       200-300 years -- so it isn't strictly necessary. I do fine on two meals a day, so I'll go 
       with it.

Meat:  I was raised on it and always thought I had to have it, so it has come as something of a shock to find out that I really don't need it. Even more shocking, it doesn't even taste good right now! I have no idea if this state of affairs is temporary or permanent or temporarily permanent or permanently temporary or what. I'm just going with it.

Oh! I almost forgot -- I also juice most days. My idea is to flood my body with nutrients so it will have an abundance of Legos (did you read that post yet? it's here) to build and heal with.  Because I'm keeping things simple (oh okay, it's because I'm not very creative in the kitchen), my juice usually consists of:
- 2 large carrots
- 1-2 stalks celery
- a medium-ish beet
- a couple handsful of kale (stripped of the spines) or spinach
- half an apple (preferrably Granny or Pippin)
- a squeeze of lemon
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- and sometimes a small bunch of parsley and/or a thin slice of gingerroot
This makes about three cups of juice. I swig on it all day.

There you have it . . . my "diet". If anyone cares to do the calculations and tell me where you think I'm coming up short, feel free. I'm just listening to what my body's telling me and eating accordingly. It's simpler that way.

I know I've left out a lot of information in attempting to keep this post from becoming a book, so if you have any questions, leave me a comment. Actually, leave me a comment anyway.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

A Couple of Things of Interest

A couple things of interest (to me, anyway) . . . 

For several weeks now I have woken up (awakened? woke up? nevermind) with a sore throat some mornings. You know, the kind that feels like you're coming down with a cold? At first, I was bummed because I haven't had a cold in three years, and here I'm eating all healthy, and NOW I get a cold?? Bah.  But here's the thing -- no cold has developed.  I'm still waiting. 

Item of Interest #2: My mood is usually pretty good, but some days . . . not so much. Yesterday was one such. Grouchy? Oh, my word, I was off the meter! I was very glad to have only one massage booked. Today, though? I feel awesome! Not hyper-awesome; just cheerful and upbeat and able to see the good in humankind (even in spite of all those Facebook postings that focus on the evil stuff).

Well, I've come up with a theory: These are both signs that my body is continuing to detox -- letting go of more of the crud that's been stashed in my adipose tissue (read: "fat"). You see, eating all healthy like I've been doing for the past almost-five months has side effects. Among them are improved digestion, increased energy, improved mental clarity; improved sleep; . . . and, well, . . . weight loss. It was bound to happen.

(Just an aside. Losing weight is not my primary concern -- or even secondary, for that matter. It's just a side effect. I don't want it to become a focus, so if you ask how many pounds I've lost, I'll tell you, "I have no idea.")

Back to the point. Disposing of adipose tissue frees up the toxins that were residing there, allowing them back into circulation where they can be flushed out through the kidneys, colon, skin, and lungs. If a person doesn't take in enough water to do the job though, the flushing system slows down to the point that the toxins start settling out again -- looking for a new home. So when I wake up with a sore throat, I make sure to get in at least 36 ounces of water before I leave for work (not rocket science; it's just three 12-oz. glasses because that's the size that lives in my cupboard dishwasher). Sore throat is gone within an hour or two.

Oh Ah-chie, it's MAGIC! (visualize Edith Bunker's voice)


Prayers Help Immensely

My heart hurts for the ranchers in South Dakota who have lost so many cattle in last weekend's early snowstorm. If you haven't heard about it, here is a blog from folks close to the situation:

The Blizzard That Never Was

Most of the mainstream media seems to have chosen not to cover this catastrophe . . . which is sickening in itself, but I choose not to go down that path today.

When I first announced that I had cancer, there was an out-pouring from friends and family members expressing that their thoughts and prayers would be with me. It felt like nothing I've ever experienced before. I can't describe it exactly, but I *felt* God's presence all around me and in me. I was filled with hope and . . . warmth . . . I guess is the best word I can come up with. And an absolute certainty that I was on the right path.

My reason for writing today is to ask that, as you go about your day over the next weeks, you find a few seconds here and there to pray for the ranchers in South Dakota who have lost so much. Our God appreciates it when we care for each other and He will pass our prayers along in a mode that will be just what those poor people need.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

He's Been There, Done That . . . 10 Years Ago

From time to time I will post links, book titles, videos, and other information I find useful and/or interesting. This is one of those times. 

Here's someone who's been where I'm at and is saying exactly the same thing. How cool is that?!  Check it out (in two parts):


 
And a Q&A session afterward:


I'm glad it's him on national television and not me! Great job, Chris!