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We are a member-based community offering support, inspiration, and guidance to those enjoying a simple approach to eating live fresh foods.

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Fat Free Carrot Tomato Curry Soup

I create my best recipes when I'm having a craving and only have a few items in the house. This soup in fat free, simple and delicious! Not to mention cleansing and filling!

1 pkg Sundried tomatoes (3.5oz)

1/2 cups carrot/parsley/ginger juice - (1 inch ginger, 1 bunch parsley, 12 or more carrots)

1/4 jalepeno (optional)

2c warm or room temp water (distilled is best)

I strained my juice and poured it over the tomatoes in my blender add added 2 cups of water.

I blended it until slighty warmed.

It is spicy from the ginger. I loved the hint of jalepeno. I wasn't sure how to spice this. It was good plain. It needed no salt. I could have added a hint of garlic, but wasn't in the mood for that flavor. I have never been a curry fan, but I wanted something different. I added a slight sprinkle of curry powder over the top and BLISS....!!!

I love when the simple creations totally hit the mark for me. This is a keeper for sure!

Wednesday 11/9/11

I have some kind of weird virus. I'm on medication. I hate medication and only take it when my suffering becomes too much. But as far as dis-ease goes I am a professional ass-kicker!

Today:

God's Herbs

1 QT GREEN JUICE

turnip greens

parsley

celery

2 pears

3 granny smith apples

1 cucumber

1 zucchini

1/4 lemon (unpeeled)

1 inch ginger root

1/4 jalepeno

Carob Shake

3 bananas (1 of which was frozen)

2 heaping tsp organic carob powder

1/4c water and a splash of almond milk

Tomato Soup

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soaked-use soaking water)

4 - 6 roma tomatoes

1 tsp garlic chopped or garlic powder

2 - 4 tbl Nutritional yeast if desired

Water to consistency

Celtic or pink Himalayan sea salt if desired

Put it in a blender and soup is on!

Day 14 of Phase One (Fruits, Veg, Juice, Smoothies)

Hello!

Today I enjoyed:

Shredded carrots, diced apple & raisins splashed with fresh orange juice for a dressing.

I had a quart of LJB (lemon ginger blast green juice)

I also had a Tbl of peanut butter with raisins (which I'm trying to stay away from the fat).

Sometimes I feel I'm not satiated if I don't have some fatty like nut butter or dense like bananas. I actually feel better when I eat high water content fruits and veggies.

I have had the hugest craving to eat celery lately. I put a tiny bit of peanut butter on it and loaded it with raisins. Then I didn't want the nuts and tried making a fat-free dipping sauce. It was blended zucchini with orange bell pepper with some nutritional yeast and a tiny pinch of salt. I was hoping it would have more flavor without having to add the nutritional yeast and sea salt. It was OK....

I'm doing good with the God's Herbs....I want green smoothies. :-)

My 90 Day Healing Adventure Food Journal Days 1 & 2

Distilled water 1 qt

Green juice:
green apple
romaine
turnip greens
zucchini
parsley
celery
lemon
ginger

Fruit:
Bananas
Pears

Green Smoothies:
Spinach
Frozen mix - pinapple, mango, stawberry, peaches

My 90 Day Healing Adventure Begins - 10/7/11

This is what I'm doing:



I am currently using God's Herbs along with the fruits and green veggie juices.

Phase 1: Fruits, green veggie juices, green smoothies. veggies. - No salt, fat or spices.
Phase 2: Mono fruit meals
Phase 3: Fruit and veggies juices only
Phase 4: Water fasting

I will do this while being aware of what my body wants. If I have to change things up to make it work for me I will. I'll be posting what I consume also. I have done a 60 day low glycenic juice feast and now it's on to the fruits...a personal experiment with my blood sugars and healing on this program.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. :-)

Gastroparesis - Healing The Bloat

If you have gastroparesis PLEASE consider adding FRESH strained fruit and vegetetable juices to your diet. Drinking fresh juices exclusively for 60 days reversed all my gastropresis and colonic inertia symptoms after 8 years of suffering with vomiting, bloating and pain.

MARCH 2011

APRIL and JUNE 2011

Look Inside - And Celebrate Yourself

The raw journey evenually takes you down the path of self-empowerment. You cannot stop it. It will come...and you will be SO grateful and filled with self love. As you increase the quanitity of livings foods, the layers of emotion lift and float away leaving you mentally and spititually awakened and closer to the core of who you are. It is at this point that you are able to see, accept and love who you are inside. There will be tears and pain along the way, but there is light at the end of the rainbow...and you will feel it radiating from YOU!

Don't let yourself or anyone else stand in the way of finding your self-love. <3

W:-)

What a Rise In Consciousness Feels Like

I feel a big shifting of consciousness today. I can feel vibrations after eating... like I can feel the energy of the food. Not the food energizing me, but the actual presence of the living food in my body. I feel more aware of my surroundings - more sensitive to sounds, smells, another's energy, etc. Feeling sensitive used to mean I felt easily hurt, oversensitive. This is the opposite, this is a sensitivity toward others and myself in a loving way. For the first time I can actually say that I love myself today. There is peace in my soul and in my home even if there is a perceived irritation, because I can let things pass by like leaves in the wind that used to bother me.

I had 2 panic attacks today and that usually is a big stressor. I was simply aware of them and at peace with them. Simple awareness and no stress. It's my belief that the way I am feeling has been enhanced by a shift in my raw diet and maybe a little to do with the colonic, but I think the trigger was leaving my old caustic job behind. My life literally changed the second I walked out that door for the last time. It was tangible - like I could hold my personal enhancement of inner peace in my arms and hug it.

I wish the best for all of you <3

W:-)

To Those Discouraged With Eating Raw and/or Slow Weight Loss

Namaste' Ya'll

Many of us seem to hit a point of discouragement on our path whether we're new to our raw food journey or have been on it for any length of time, often when we feel limited, or get bored, or see the scale being sluggish.

Let's take a look at the word dis- "couraged". When it's separated out I don't particularly like the way this word looks. What I see is a 'negative' directed at my level of courage. Well that does not describe me in any way, shape or form. And it does not describe you either my friends! We are all beings with great courage in all aspects of life including our nutritional and health quests.



We might feel fear.

Fear that we had high hopes that this way of eating would get us speedily to our goals and it's slower than we would like.

Fear that we might cheat and fall off the "wagon" and revert back to a way of eating that did not serve us well.

Fear that our frustrations will lead us off on another path and we will feel like we failed (again).




Accept yourself and be gentle with yourself. Falling off the "wagon" is only a perception. There is no wagon to fall off of.

There is no failure. If you try another path or revert to a way of eating that you know no longer serves you, it's ok if that happens.

We are all just human and finding our way on our journey. If eating raw and experiencing this lifestyle feels right. You will persevere.

Self-judgement no longers serves you. It never did.

Never stop trying....ever....just get up and walk again.

See how gentle you are with a baby just learning to walk...
and there are falls.. so many falls, and you smile and are filled with love at watching them progress no matter how many times they fall. You gently guide them back up and watch with unconditional love as they fall again, knowing that they will evenutally walk without effort. You don't wish or hope they will walk, you KNOW it....instinctively. That is the type of love you DESERVE from yourself!



Walk your path like the baby. The baby is not afraid to try over and over and over. It is just part of the process, again instictively.

Your courage will always come out on top of your fear. When this happens your fear changes to HOPE which then leads to eventual PEACE which comes full circle to LOVE of yourself and all things you come in contact with. This is the circle of self acceptance and it comes hand-in-hand with eating more raw and living foods.





Please remember that your body has it's own agenda and will do as it will. You cannot command it, so try to be in bliss that you are taking a step to heal and regain your health! You have the ability to be in celebration mode every single moment! You will get there...I promise. It gets easier if your focus is on loving yourself and all that is around you.

Love the journey!
W:-)

Being Prepared to Stay Raw with Minimal Effort

I had a glorius Sunday! My good friend recently became a Preacher (his life long dream at age 27) and got his "own" church and we drove out to the little town he and his family now call home to see his sermon and stay for the holiday festivities. It was great and of course after the sermon they had big spread with food for everyone. I didn't really know what to expect and I didn't have a lot of time to get ready this morning so I grabbed a bowl with a lid and threw in a trusty avocado, a paring knife, my pink sea salt and cayenne pepper, then flew out the door for the hour and half drive ahead.

It's 9am and as we are heading down the road my hubby and kiddo wanted to stop at a drive-in fast food joint. They got their food and as we got on the road they started eating I started getting a little hungry. I got out my bowl and cut my avocado in half salted and peppered it. No spoon, no fork. No problem. It's natural food. I ate it naturally, biting into the fleah and leaving the rind. It was really good and I stopped when my half was done, totally satisfied.

I put my things back into my bowl and put my bowl in my canvas tote and carried it into the church. It was 104 degrees outside. That half of an avocado was staying with me! :-) I was so excited to see "FIXINS" as they call them here in Oklahoma in the dining area layed out. Thinly sliced ripe tomatoes, onions, and iceberg lettuce. I told my friend, "Hey you got raw food for me!" He laughed. Everybody loaded up their plates to sit down, eat and chat and I felt really grateful. I got many thin tomato slices and some lettuce and a dab of spicy mustard. I like raw onions but they don't like me back, so I left those alone.

I got out my other avocado half and mashed it with the dab of spicy mustard and spread it on the tomato slices making little sandwiches with a piece of lettuce on each. I had a full plate and with knife and fork in hand I shared and laughed and immensely enjoyed my meal and am still satisfied 5 hours later.


One avocado, two meals, a simple solution and a fantastic day! I'm off to make a green juice! :-)

Namaste' Ya'll

W:-)

Before and After - My 60 Day Juicefeast

I orginally set out to do a 92 day juicefeast but at 60 days my body wanted green smoothies and raw soups. My body is the boss and one thing I have learned is to listen to what it wants and obey. :-)
Yay! I released 23 lbs officially as of Day 60. But it's now 6 days later and a total of 25 lbs have been released! My bloating is gone and I feel fantastic! I'm incorporating soups and green smoothies into my diet now and as is well. My A.M. blood sugar is under 100 more YAY!!

Namaste' Ya'll
W:-)

Day 61 - What Green Juice Does For Your Skin

And the eyes have it...

My eyes have become clearer and the irises have lightened.

You Often hear about the "Raw Glow" when researching raw and living fresh vegan foods. This is what juicing does for your skin. I took a photo without make-up so you can see I'm not covering anything up. I got the glow for sure!

Day 60 - Dave The Raw Food Trucker

Hi there! This is my friend Dave. He's been coaching me on my juice feast! He's an amazing guy. Check him out on http://www.rawfoodtrucker.com/
I've made it 60 days now! I feel great and have lost 23 pounds so far and my body has done tons of healing! I can't say enough about the power of green juice to heal the body! Thank you Dave!

Yay!

Day 46 - Half Way

I started adding exercise on day 46. I walk 2 miles yesterday. Today I walked 3 and in the 6 laps I jogged a 1/4 mile in each of 4 laps for a total of 1 mile. Yay!

Day 40 of My Juice Feast............................

I love doors. They are a gateway to a greater path. I feel I should say something very wise and awe-inspiring. It's day 40 after all! I think I'll talk about success, growth, being human, and emotions as they apply to me.



Do I feel I have been successful thus far? Yep. How did I come to be successful? I didn't have a choice. I don't have a choice. I have intended to JF before and made it a day, or 3, or 7. That was great and I was good with doing that. I didn't feel like a failure at all. It was a celebration of an experience. This time is different. My life is in danger so I decided to juice. And juice I will...and I'm grateful for it. There is no self-pity of missing out on food which has been the case with my illness over the years. There is gratitude for comsumption, for healing, and for wellness.



Have I been perfect? Nope. There have been things I have dipped my fingers in. Like having to attend a luncheon at BBQ joint and ordering tea or water and drooling from the smell. So I put a dab of bbq sauce on my hubby's plate and dipped and licked my finger....several times.. and I love it. What did it teach me? It taught me to emulate. I want bbq sauce. I'm juicing. So I made bbq sauce juice and it's become my staple. The raw food I miss the most is my Red Pepper Bisque soup. So I made one out of juice and I warm it very slightly and put it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon when guests are over for dinner. I had an amazing juice at the raw food cafe, so I went home and made it. It's awesome!



I have grown and learned to make better choices and have learned some of the "whys". Why is oil important on a juice feast? Well I can only speak for my stomach, but early on I wasn't including a tablespoon of oil a day. What was my reaction? Gut wrenching burning pain in my stomach. Not the intenstines.. my stomach. Like an ulcer pain. Before I bought some coconut oil (and there are others I have yet to try), I would lie in pain trying to sleep and be drawn to the only source of acceptable fat in the house. Nut butter. Just enough to take the edge off the burn. I instinctively knew the fat would fix it, and it did. Now I take my tablespoon of coconut oil and put it in an evening juice.


I have learned not to miss an enema. Even this far into the feast if I miss a morning I will bloat and feel unwell. Toxic. If time doesn't allow and I have to choose between making a morning juice and taking an enema. The enema wins. I can always have a tea or water or lemon water until noon and hit the Raw Cafe by my work if I have to and juice in the evening at home. Gratitude for the cafe...immense gratitude.



I don't have much to say on detox. I've been pretty lucky there. Recently I have some surface bumps like a rash all over coming out on my face, neck and chest. Not ugly, but annoying.



Emotions...they are all over the place. They are on the surface and buried deep. I have lots of layers. I feel like phylo dough and the layers are starting to peel. I'm just scratching the surface on this one. I've had more years of therapy than I care to count. Yet I have not learned to love myself. Not truly, deeply, and meaningfully. There are things I love ABOUT myself. I'm a great person and fun and compassionate.....to OTHERS. I still yearn for acceptance from others because I have not yet accepted myself unconditionally. I need to know that to ME I am good enough, smart enough, sexy enough, confident enough. True freedom will come when I don't have to look outside myself for these things.



Healing... I have healed a lot already. A juice feast is a wonderful thing.



Living in the present moment... this deserves a post all it's own. I have memory problems from years of uncontrolled hypothyroidism and Cushing's. I have lost dear friends over the inability to remember. It's not that "if she really cared, she'd remember"... it's that I may have no memory of making plans, speaking to someone or remembering what someone said, even when listening intently. There's are entire sections of my life that are very sketchy or that I have no memory of. I wish this to heal and I feel it will. When I make new friends I have to explain my memory "issues" so they know up front what they are dealing with. I'm sure it's hurtful at times.



One last thing........I'm addicted to trying to help others and to learn all I can. That means I'm spending more time on the computer and less time living outside the box. I have to find balance there.



Namaste' Ya'll

W:-)

Dealing With Anger and Spiritual Healing with Dan McDonald

I am so freakin' angry today. It doesn't matter what the reason is. What matters is that it hurts....on a deep dark level there is pain. I needed this video more than I can say today. Maybe you do too....


http://youtu.be/YAcCLyrcoVg

Happy Birthday To Me! - Day 35 Of My Juice Feast

I got what I wanted for my birthday!

There's no cake this year. It makes it a little awkward for the family I think. Rick and I are going to Texas to relax. I'm bringing my juicer and my Adya Clarity and leaving my scale at home because I'm not addicted to it anymore! Yay!

The great thing about juice feasting is there is no thought of trying to lose weight faster or restrict yourself more (as with dieting) because you can't lose at a faster rate that your body will allow when you are not eating. You have no choice but to be in tune with and accepting of what your body is doing. Talk about FREEDOM!

It's been awhile since I've blogged here, but I've been spending far too much time on the computer and not enough time out walking or just living outside this box. There is so much I want to learn. There are videos with Dan McDonald, Dave The Raw Food Trucker, RawFoodRehab.com, and The Raw Food World TV channel on YouTube. I want to see it all, but I got to get away and live a little.

Namaste' Ya'll

W:-)

Changes - Juicefeasting Day 26

I have been wearing this shirt for almost 3 years. These pics are about 2 years apart I think. This shirt is billowy and covers my bloating ( in the bottom pic is my lovely bloat on a good day). I won't buy new clothes unless absolutely neccessary because of my weight, (I'll wait til I get thin mentality), so I wear the same 5 things to work for years on end. The shirt is now too big. Three days ago I threw it in the back of my closet to be packed up in hopes of healing and not having to wear the billowy shirt to cover my swelling, but of wearing a billowy shirt if I choose to in the future because I like it and want it. :-)

I'm very reflective today. I'm noticing changes mentally and physically. Maybe spiritually... hmm... not sure there. There is a definite almost painful desire to be back with the giant redwoods and the rushing rivers I miss in Calif. This Sunday I'll be 1/3 of the way through this juicefeasting stage of my journey...30 days. And it seems like nothing. Not much detox to speak of, not much craving, It's getting easier each day, although I still have the occasional crying spell for no reason that makes my hubby cringe because he doesn't understand even though I try to explain it. I imagine he wishes I would just eat something sometimes! :-)

It's a small price for him to pay. Better to deal with some emotions than deal with them on top of cleaning out feeding tubes and paying huge medical bills. That is the prize I keep my focus on. If I can heal....completely...or mostly from this disease I wil be able to share something helpful that the medical community has no comprehension of. At least for some of the non-surgical patients.

I had a complete physical done a couple weeks ago and a consult with a nutritionist. The nutritionist was freaking out.

"You need a minimum of 60-75 grams of protein a day"

"I'm sorry but I will vomit it up." - I pick up my jar of juice and show it to her.

"You need a pre-albumin test. If it falls below 3.5 you will be mal-nourished from protein deficiency."

"Ok"

"You need at least 1500mg of dairy calcium"

"I'm sorry but I will vomit it up."

"Can you drink Ensure or Boost, or consume a protein powder?"

"I'm sorry but I will vomit it up."

"You need some nut or fish oils for calories and fat soluable vitamins"

"I am taking some oils with my juice" - She seems happy to have "won one"

"You need B-12"

"I am taking B-12" - She is sad and sighs.

"Crackers, grains, potatoes?"

"I'm sorry but I will vomit it up."


She looks genuinely sad. She thinks I'm going to end up in a very very bad place drinking my juice. She hands me her business card and wants to know how I'm doing at the end of my 92 days.


Then the doctor comes in. He knows me fairly well. He over-saw my wrist accident and hand therapy.

I tell him my story. I show him my juice. After all I couldn't leave it out in the car to get hot. He looks sad. He tells me that he has never seen somebody who's body is as sensitive as mine. His concern is genuine. I like him and have asked him to treat me before but he had to decline. My case is too complicated. He suggests I find a less stressful job. I wish he had hired me. He likes moose. I like moose. I might like it there.

He also wants me to contact him at the end of my juicefeast. He's not even my primary physician, but he is very concerned and wants to see what happens with me. I'm very eager to oblige both of them. :-)

66 days to go.......what a ride!

W:-)

Juice Feast Day 7 - 84 More To Go

My horoscope was spot on today:

You've got to get serious about your dreams amd ambitions today. You can bring them closer to life than you realize if you get moving right now. The energy is right for making great progress!





Today is peaceful and and reflective. I am at peace with continuing my journey. I've released 8.2 pounds in 6 days and am happy that has occurred, although weight is no longer my main focus. My health and curing dis-ease is my main focus. Perhaps this is why this journey is flowing without a sense of urgency or impatience.

Last night I got to see my daughter Tasha playing Ephalba in WICKED at her high school. She was amazing. All the kids were amazing. It was a triad of excerpts from WICKED, Phantom of the Opera and Little Shop of Horrors. I'm going again tonight. :-)

Last night time was rushed and I just had a huge craving for coconut water, so that was my dinner. I could feel it enter me, energize me and hydrate me. It felt good to be so aware even in a rushed state. I did not care for the juice I made yesterday so it was a water fast day. Cilantro overkill. :-) Today I treated myself to some organic juice. It was a V-8 type juice with roma tomatoes, red bell pepper and celery.

My detox has been limited to a few headaches and awakening with fairly severe nausea at 3am the first 3 days. That's gone now. Massaging my intestines while holding my enemas was fairly painful until day 4. Part of my journey is to deal with emotions that have been holding me back. If you have ever read "You Can Be Happy No Matter What" and "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (and it's all small stuff)" I highly recommend them. Richard Carlson is the author on both.

I know that my emotions generate with thoughts. Thoughts are just thoughts. They can be meditated on if they are beneficial to me and they can simply be allowed to pass though my mind like noticing a leaf in the wind if they are negative. It's all so simple. That being said, I'm smiling as I know there is some emotional detox that will likely come. I may whine at a later date. :-)

Namaste' Ya'll

I'm WINNING ! Day 1 of 92 Day Juice Feast

Yesterday April 23rd was day one of my juice feast. I was reading one of Dave The Raw Food Trucker's blogs and his words just spoke to me in the most "down to earth" simplistic manner.

"We all have emotional patterns in how we eat. The next time You have a craving for a food you are choosing not to eat. STOP & pay attention to where the actual "feeling" is coming from. Sit still and quietly focus on where and how the emotion feel's as it moves around, stay w/the emotion and U will actually "feel it moving around then settling into a part of your body". then hang w/the emotion until you physically feel the emotion breaking up or dissipating or disintegrating. This is the only way I know how to explain what I have experienced. much luv..."The Raw Food Trucker"

I had an instant realization that this doesn't have to be complicated. I don't have to struggle with the decision of a juice feast. I can do this! And I need to do this! I re-read Raw Food Cleanse and most of Dr. Gabriel Cousens' Reversing Diabetes in 30 days.. that's a long book :-)

My thyroid tanked on the synthetic medication and I lost my digestion, my bloat is back, and I vomited almost all solid food over the last couple weeks. My weight crept back up 10 pounds and my brain has been fighting me on the even the most simple things. My nails are cracking and brittle, my hair has become very brittle and my skin is dry as a bone. My doctor put me back on Armour natural thyroid and I already feel better. I'm also now on bio-idential female hormones from my compounding pharmacy.

What shocked me more than anything is over the last 3 months my HBA1c rose to 7.2. Not good. At all. I really had expected it to be normal. My morning blood sugars had come down from the mid 200's to the mid 100's and my afternoon sugars were running 85-95. I have been trying to be good the last 3 months but have had my share of cooked foods and junk food which had affected my blood sugar much more than I had realized. I need a re-set.



Day 1:

Weight 168.4

Fasting Blood Sugar 166

Evening Blood Sugar 99

Dry skin brushing, hot and cold shower



1 quart water with lemon

2 quarts romaine/celery/cucumber/yellow pepper/zucchini/kelp capsule

White Tea

I need to get those other 2 quarts of juice in.

91 days to go! :-)

95% Raw Road Trip !!

I flew out to LAX to meet with my oldest daughter Jaden and had a very lovely time. I got to see my sister for a bit!! I also enjoyed meeting Jaden's boss and his wife and her landlord who is an amazing lovely woman. She was in very good hands while living in CA, but it's time to come home for a bit. A nice Dodge Charger was Jaden's choice and it was a comfy ride. :-)

My bag was packed with a few Prana and Raw Revolution bars and I bought some clementines. Meals out were salads. It was an easy trip food-wise. Yay!

Sunny California was not. It was 50-60 degrees and cloudy. Then the winds started as we hit the high desert and the temp dropped. Freezing cold and snow until Flagstaff. I found a tree to hug and that's about the extent of Flagstaff in the middle of the night. We spent the night in Gallup, NM in a very nice Ramada. Great beds for weary women!

The winds kept up 30-50 mph from Calif until the Oklahoma border. The dust partially blocked out the sun. Eat New Mexico deserves a post all it's own.....

The Best Day Ever!!! :-)

I'm having the best day EVER! Guess what made it great? I changed one little thing that has been hard for me...eating non-fresh food especially after 7pm.

I had tons of energy from not eating myself into a food coma before bed!

I'm just giddy! Yay! :-)

~**~**~~**~~**~~~**~~~**~~**~~**~**~

Today I loved:

Marinated tomatoes

Baby greens w/ tomatoes and viniagrette

Red pepper bisque

Sunday...Today I Enjoyed...

A banana/blueberry smoothie w/some raw cacao & a tsp of coconut oil

A Prana bar... apricot pumpkin I think.

An organic spring mix salad with baby grape tomatoes and 1/2 an avocado with viniagrette and some of my Red Pepper Bisque. I'm stuffed.

No eating after 7pm though. And no SAD food. Yay!

A Juicy Adventure

I had 16oz juice for dinner:

1/2 head romaine

2 celery stalks

1 large zucchini

2 small pears

It was light and slightly sweet. The pears were more refreshing than my standard addition of carrots. I'm making this again...and again!

I'm still feeling the the effects of my GP flare-up last week and have decided to juice feast for a bit to get the bloating down and rest my digestive system. I'm SO ready to start this that I didn't wait until tomorrow and didn't feel the need to have a "Last Supper". I'm off to make more of this great juice for lunch tomorrow. A nice quart will do. :-)

Raw Raw Raw...

Breakfast: Banana/mango smoothie
Lunch: Banana smoothie
Dinner: Cabbage and kelp noodles w/ tahini dressing


Meals I'm thinking about:
Smoothies
Juice
Portobello romaine wraps
Tomato Soup
Red Pepper Bisque

Raw Reflections

I wonder why when I found something that worked ... I did not stay with it. I remember feeling sorry for myself that I couldn't eat "regular" food and was restricted to primarily raw blended foods and some solids.

But I was better! I guess it's the nature of the beast to want "more" ... to want "normal" but I felt good for a change and my focus slipped away from feeling good to feeling deprived. A lesson learned along the way I guess. Onward soulja girl... and here's to accepting what's "normal" for my current situation and leaving the past in the past. There's a future to live!

Juicing and Smoothies

When I juice I use my trusty Jack LaLanne juicer and strain the juice to get the fiber out. Carrot/apple/strawberry is one of my favorites. I also like carrot/romain lettuce and green juice made with romaine/celery/cucumber/zucchini/carrot.

Yesterday I ate banana and almond milk smoothies. They were tolerated very well except when I tried adding vegan protein powder to one and suffered the rest of the day. 7 grams of fiber did not agree with me. :-(

I still have bloat for now but it's better than last night. I'm off for some carrot/romaine juice for breakfast. :-)

My Enemy - The Bloat

This is what my bloat

looks like. It's horrible.
I wear a 12 and have to
get out the size 20

stretchy pants.

Gastroparesis and CIP

Gastroparesis is a paralyzed stomach. The food one eats digests very slowly and can sit in the stomach for days. I have colonic inertia as well because what goes in doesn't want to come out. It can be very painful with lots of bloating and nausea and vomiting. Carrisa Haston had the best explanation on GP (gastroparesis) here: http://bluelightningjeep.blogspot.com/2010/02/just-imagine.html

Others with GP cannot eat at all and are on tube or needle feedings. Some have pacemakers installed in the stomachs. Some have their stomachs removed. There is no cure...

I'm having a big flareup after eating a mostly solid (cooked) vegan diet. I miss cooked food and do this on occassion and the flare comes with a vengence. I guess it's wishful thinking that when I'm feeling better I can move to the next step and eat a solid diet of rice, potatoes, and cooked veggies. The food gets stuck somewhere inside eventually and ferments. Ick.

I am considering a tube temporarily if I can't manage this on my own. Please join me as I work on this and see if I can manage my symptoms and get better. Currently I'm on a liquid diet. My main symptoms are:

Severe bloating (10" +)

Vomiting solid food

Nausea

**Please not that what work for me may not work for somebody else that has GP. We all have varying degress of gut motility and severity of symptoms. This is just my experience. :-)

I'm hungry.... always hungry. I cave when I can't stand it and eat. Just a bite probably won't hurt....but it tastes good. I eat a little more....and I'm sorry... so very sorry. I'm bloated....so very bloated. My clothes are pinching my gut in half. It's spilling over my pants and pressing on my lungs. My breathing becomes labored from the pressure. It will be with me the rest of the day, maybe longer.