Wow! What a challenge today was. I had probably one of the most difficult craving moments I have had in a long time. I was desperate. But as much as I was craving, I kept repeating to myself that I was 100% raw. I took a nap saying it to myself. I blocked out thoughts of other foods. I impressed the ideal of green leafy veggies, fruits, seaweed, and sprouts in my head. It was a battle. It is the afternoon. I have won so far. It was amazing how all of it just came down to what I allowed to go into my head and what I kept out. The mind is EVERYTHING. I even had what felt like a total hypoglycemic attack, which would normally scare me into eating cooked. But I still kept with it. My head hurt, I was weak, I felt very very very tired. But no matter what was happening, I repeated that I was 100% raw foodist, and this is what I ate. It was amazing to go through such an immense sense for cravings and to top it all off with total withdraw symptoms and come out without having this take over. I am unusually upset too, especially because of the weight gain, but even that bad aspect didn’t drive me to a depression binge. I just kept giving myself affirmations of being a 100% raw foodist. And than on top of it all, today was a high and still is a high stress work day. My boss yelled at me 3 times today, because he is under extreme stress himself. I was able to stay away up until about 8 this evening. Than I just lost focus and I ate. I feel awful right now. This is so discerning. I so want to do this but am not being successful. I will try once more tomorrow. I will focus on the mind over anything else. The new 90 day deadline is now December 29th. I have to take it one day at a time.
My weight today is: 128.8 lbs.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Day Ten – Starting Over
I ate whatever today. I wasn’t on raw. I took a break from it all. I am back tomorrow. I am starting fresh tomorrow. 90 days begins than. That means the ninety days ends Dec. 28th instead of the 18th. I am approaching with the focus on the mind than anything else.
My weight today is: 125.6 lbs.
My weight today is: 125.6 lbs.
Day Eight – Falling off the Wagon
So I fell of the wagon today. I ended up spending most of the day on raw, but towards nightfall, which is usually my toughest part of the day, I ate chips and salsa at a friend’s house and drank wine Oh and also smoked a hookah. Yeah, I was bad. I also had yucca with a tomato salad that had oil, salt, and sugar in it. So I was not being on my best behavior last night. But not all is lost, if you can learn from your mistakes. I realized something so valuable because of this fall. More I think than I ever have learned from all the times I went on raw. The most valuable thing I learned is that it truly is all mental. Its what you do to yourself mentally that will determine if you stay on this for any length of time. I have not been focused mentally. I have had the best intentions, but mentally I have a been focused on my friends death and not on this cleanse. I was not as positive as I could have or should have been. Because of this, I didn’t stick to the cleanse. My time now should be spent on mental exercise, where I concentrate on life as being 100% raw and on all positive thoughts. This I believe is the best gift a cleanse can give. You create acid in your body with negative thoughts. I have proven this to myself time and time again. In the last few days, excluding this one, I have been on raw but I have been under stressful thinking. In return, I have gained weight, retained water, developed acne, and felt tired. Though I was eating well, the mind took over and body was sick. Its 90% mental 10% what you eat. This is the truth. This is the trick to sticking on it. And this is the most valuable lesson I have learned so far.
My weight today is: 125 lbs.
My weight today is: 125 lbs.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Day Seven – Difficult!!!!
Weird. Not only did I not lose weight…I gained. I am frustrated. And to top things off, I am so hungry today. I went to funeral, which was stressful. I think it may be all the stress from my friend dying that has caused water retention and weight gain. I than had to go to a going away party for another friend. The party was filled with raw food, but not the good kind. I ended up eating all kinds of nuts, sodium, and bad food combining. I need to trek forward. I know tomorrow will be an intense food craving day, considering all the highly flavored foods I had tonight. I also was not taking Dr. Morses herbs today, since I ran out. I have gotten some tonight, so I will start again in the morning. My face is bloaty as well. This is a difficult day. I’ve been on raw for a week. I am thinking that its all the dried fruit and avocadoes that I have been eating. I want to experiment and not have so much of this stuff and increase my intake of greens. I will try this on Monday, since tommorrow I feel will be challenging enough.
My weight today is: 125.6 lbs.
My weight today is: 125.6 lbs.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Day Six – Plateau
Today I felt some pretty strong cravings. I didn’t succumb to them. I also felt tired. It may be from the stress of losing my friend. I didn’t lose any weight. It appears I am at a plateau. I have been here before. It usually stays this way for a few days and than the weight starts to drop again. I truly was strong today, but the cravings where not as intense as they were when I first started this. Tomorrow I have a funeral as well as a surprise party to go to. Its going to be a hectic day. I will see how the cleanse fairs through all of this.
My weight today is: 124 lbs.
My weight today is: 124 lbs.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Day Five – Tired but a bit surprised
I woke up feeling amazing today. I had lots of energy and wasn’t hungry at all. I had a great one hour cardio workout and felt very pleased at the fact that I wasn’t feeling my anemia as bad as I usually do. Than, I received some devastating news about a friend of mine that died in a plane crash. I was very distraught today about this and it took my mind completely away from my cleanse. I just didn’t feel like eating at all. I was very sad and depressed. Because of this, I felt immensely tired. I spent the day taking naps and trying to work. It was difficult. What I am truly surprised at is that I didn’t have a sense of drowning my sorrow in food even after I started to feel a bit better. This, I believe would have been a normal response, but I just didn’t feel like it at all. I have almost this sense of peace about being on this cleanse right now that I haven’t felt about raw in a long time. I feel very comfortable and at ease with eating all raw. I have great thoughts that it will last a long long time.
I also noticed that I am at a plateau in terms of my weight. I lost only about half a pound from yesterday. Maybe this comes with the fact that I am not feeling hungry any more. I will have to see how things progress.
I am not in a real mood to write today considering the death of my friend…
My weight today is: 124 lbs.
I also noticed that I am at a plateau in terms of my weight. I lost only about half a pound from yesterday. Maybe this comes with the fact that I am not feeling hungry any more. I will have to see how things progress.
I am not in a real mood to write today considering the death of my friend…
My weight today is: 124 lbs.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Day four – Another Day, Another Pound
Today was a repeat of yesterday in the sense that my hunger was virtually non existent. I would even take it a step above and say it was even less today than yesterday. My meals of the day where fruit in the morning, a small salad in the afternoon, some dates afterwards( which I usually consider a treat and eat a ton but today only had about four dates when I didn’t have the urge to eat anymore, this is unusual) and than for dinner a medium salad. The dinner salad was a shock for me, because in the last three days, I’ve been eating a huge salad, but today I just wasn’t very hungry.
Also, the metal workout I have been giving myself has paid off today. I didn’t have as many temptations or cravings at all. It was quite refreshing. I even spent the day out in the street, where there was a saturation of food ads and restaurants. I quickly was able to redirect my mind away from them. I have found something that is helping me do this. I have decided to get a dog. And with the excitement of this new member of my family, I have been spending quite a bit of time thinking about the dog I am going to get and what I will do with it. So, there has been a lot less time focused on food, which normally would consume my thoughts. It seems since I am not able to get pleasure from eating, I have my mind focused on how to replace food with other things . This is kind of interesting in the fact that I am actually getting into more activities and relationships I would of not truly thought to be in before. It’s a quest to replace the pleasure of eating with other things that is making my life more interesting, colorful, and fulfilling. My food addiction was taking away from my ability to live fully. It took away my energy, it took away my thoughts, and it made me less likely to venture into new activities. You don’t truly become aware of how severe this is until you go through this type of detox.
One thing I would like to bring up is that yesterday I noticed that there are many young teenagers who are overweight. The reason I noticed this was because I went to sign up for some community courses at a high school and looked at the students that where there and was in shock that most where over weight. This was not the case when I went to school about 20 years ago. The overweight students where the exception, now they are the norm. It saddens me. There truly is an epidemic in this country with obesity. I hope that more people become aware of this and seek the truth as to why this is so.
My weight today is: 124.6 lbs.
Also, the metal workout I have been giving myself has paid off today. I didn’t have as many temptations or cravings at all. It was quite refreshing. I even spent the day out in the street, where there was a saturation of food ads and restaurants. I quickly was able to redirect my mind away from them. I have found something that is helping me do this. I have decided to get a dog. And with the excitement of this new member of my family, I have been spending quite a bit of time thinking about the dog I am going to get and what I will do with it. So, there has been a lot less time focused on food, which normally would consume my thoughts. It seems since I am not able to get pleasure from eating, I have my mind focused on how to replace food with other things . This is kind of interesting in the fact that I am actually getting into more activities and relationships I would of not truly thought to be in before. It’s a quest to replace the pleasure of eating with other things that is making my life more interesting, colorful, and fulfilling. My food addiction was taking away from my ability to live fully. It took away my energy, it took away my thoughts, and it made me less likely to venture into new activities. You don’t truly become aware of how severe this is until you go through this type of detox.
One thing I would like to bring up is that yesterday I noticed that there are many young teenagers who are overweight. The reason I noticed this was because I went to sign up for some community courses at a high school and looked at the students that where there and was in shock that most where over weight. This was not the case when I went to school about 20 years ago. The overweight students where the exception, now they are the norm. It saddens me. There truly is an epidemic in this country with obesity. I hope that more people become aware of this and seek the truth as to why this is so.
My weight today is: 124.6 lbs.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Day three – Not that hungry
Today was a little different. I woke up and was truly feeling ill. I felt ill all last night. Mostly, it was something short of a stomach ache. It didn’t feel like hunger pain, nor did it feel like I ate something bad that was giving me an upset stomach. It was more in my lower abdomen, almost like a sharp pain to my side. Not sure what it was, but by morning it had subsided and by the time I went to the restroom and I finished my workout, it was completely gone.
Two things I noticed today, was first I wasn’t that hungry and second my face has changed considerably. I usually am hungry around the afternoon after a morning of fruit. But today this was not the case. I started to make my lunch salad and than noticed that I was making it without really considering if I was actually hungry, which I wasn’t. Therefore, I made a green smoothie (filled with parsley, kale, dandelion greens, and cilantro along with apples and bananas) and went out to run a few errands. About a few hours later, I drank it and haven’t really been hungry since.
I did get cravings though. Its so difficult to go out in the streets and see all the restaurants, hear all the adds for food on the radio, and see all the billboards with close up shots of cheesy this and bready that. I caught myself several times, redirecting my mind away from thoughts of sandwiches and pizza. This I find is so helpful. One thing I can attest to is that being on this is 90% mental and 10% physical. I spend more energy controlling my mind than anything else. If you don’t stop yourself from what seems like an innocent unthreatening thought of a cheese pizza, you find that your thoughts become reality soon enough. I have learned that as soon as I have these thoughts I focus immediately on the opposite. I focus on my uterus being clean, bright, and perfect. I focus on energy and the ability to have clear and positive thoughts, which is difficult to do when you body is acidic. If you don’t believe me, try it. See how you think when you eat the standard foods out there, even what is considered healthy but cooked or processed and when you are on raw. You will notice first hand you think differently. I continue to focus on other things besides food. I focus on being comfortable and at peace with a cleansed and rejuvenated body. I focus on being lean and taut. I focus on using my body to do the things I love, which is to dance, play tennis, and run. I focus on how wonderful it feels to always feel alive and refreshed, which is something you lose out on as soon as you eat heavy, acidic, cooked foods. I focus on my health and the fact that I will be living to an old age with complete vibrant health, and because of that all the wonderful experiences I can have that don’t have to end as soon as I turn 40…These are some of the things I focus on to redirect my mind away from cravings and temptations. Its like being an addict. You have to find other things to preoccupy your mind.
As for the change in my face, this has been considerable. I have experienced this before. All my water retention leaves my face and it looks like I have had a nose job. I have actually been accused of having a nose job. It appears that I hold a great deal of water retention in my nose. So naturally when I lose inflammation and water, my nose shrinks. You actually start to see the bone structure underneath all the inflammation. I usually takes up to a week on raw to see this, but with Dr. Morses herbs it comes quicker. I always feel that this is just a beginning. What would happen after the end of 90 days? Will I even look the same? Will my body be the same? I won’t know until than and I quess you will find out as well.
Well had a great day today…We will see about tomorrow… Oh yeah, I also lost three more pounds. This stuff is amazing…
My weight today is: 126.2 lbs.
Two things I noticed today, was first I wasn’t that hungry and second my face has changed considerably. I usually am hungry around the afternoon after a morning of fruit. But today this was not the case. I started to make my lunch salad and than noticed that I was making it without really considering if I was actually hungry, which I wasn’t. Therefore, I made a green smoothie (filled with parsley, kale, dandelion greens, and cilantro along with apples and bananas) and went out to run a few errands. About a few hours later, I drank it and haven’t really been hungry since.
I did get cravings though. Its so difficult to go out in the streets and see all the restaurants, hear all the adds for food on the radio, and see all the billboards with close up shots of cheesy this and bready that. I caught myself several times, redirecting my mind away from thoughts of sandwiches and pizza. This I find is so helpful. One thing I can attest to is that being on this is 90% mental and 10% physical. I spend more energy controlling my mind than anything else. If you don’t stop yourself from what seems like an innocent unthreatening thought of a cheese pizza, you find that your thoughts become reality soon enough. I have learned that as soon as I have these thoughts I focus immediately on the opposite. I focus on my uterus being clean, bright, and perfect. I focus on energy and the ability to have clear and positive thoughts, which is difficult to do when you body is acidic. If you don’t believe me, try it. See how you think when you eat the standard foods out there, even what is considered healthy but cooked or processed and when you are on raw. You will notice first hand you think differently. I continue to focus on other things besides food. I focus on being comfortable and at peace with a cleansed and rejuvenated body. I focus on being lean and taut. I focus on using my body to do the things I love, which is to dance, play tennis, and run. I focus on how wonderful it feels to always feel alive and refreshed, which is something you lose out on as soon as you eat heavy, acidic, cooked foods. I focus on my health and the fact that I will be living to an old age with complete vibrant health, and because of that all the wonderful experiences I can have that don’t have to end as soon as I turn 40…These are some of the things I focus on to redirect my mind away from cravings and temptations. Its like being an addict. You have to find other things to preoccupy your mind.
As for the change in my face, this has been considerable. I have experienced this before. All my water retention leaves my face and it looks like I have had a nose job. I have actually been accused of having a nose job. It appears that I hold a great deal of water retention in my nose. So naturally when I lose inflammation and water, my nose shrinks. You actually start to see the bone structure underneath all the inflammation. I usually takes up to a week on raw to see this, but with Dr. Morses herbs it comes quicker. I always feel that this is just a beginning. What would happen after the end of 90 days? Will I even look the same? Will my body be the same? I won’t know until than and I quess you will find out as well.
Well had a great day today…We will see about tomorrow… Oh yeah, I also lost three more pounds. This stuff is amazing…
My weight today is: 126.2 lbs.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Day two – Feeling It…
Yes, its day two and somehow I feel like I got through something pretty big, though I have only been on it for one day. I woke up feeling tired, but this could be because it’s that time of the month. This is so awkward telling everyone that, but if you are going to go on this journey with me might as well know why some days seem harder than others. With the fibroids, I lose an immense amount of blood; I know what your thinking “Gross!!” Gross, but its reality. And losing so much literally feels like I go through a major car accident every month, where I lose so much blood that at times I truly think I have maybe a pint left in me. It’s excessive. The one thing I do notice is that when I am not on raw during this time of the month, the blood lose is worst.
I weighed myself this morning. I weigh 129.4 pounds. This is four pounds less than yesterday. Now it could be the blood loss, but I think its more likely less water retention. I am not as bloaty as I was yesterday. This is pretty typical of being on raw, even after one day. I recall a time when I was on raw for a week and lost 13 pounds in seven days. Some say that it is unhealthy, but I felt amazing that week. Another thing I noticed is that my stomach was not as inflamed as it was yesterday. The reduction of swelling all over your body is pretty common, even after one day. Acidic foods keep your body in a constant state of inflammation. It’s how the body deals with it. When you alkalize, it slowly releases you out of this inflamed state.
I have been feeling very tired today. I am constantly going to the bathroom to pee. In the process my water retention has gone done considerably. What is really noticeable is the size of my face and nose. I am starting to see that my nose has actually become smaller and that I have definition to my cheekbones. Its interesting to see how much water I have been retaining. Its interesting to see how losing it reshapes your face. Its like getting plastic surgery without the plastic part…yupee!!!
My weight today is: 129.4 lbs.
I weighed myself this morning. I weigh 129.4 pounds. This is four pounds less than yesterday. Now it could be the blood loss, but I think its more likely less water retention. I am not as bloaty as I was yesterday. This is pretty typical of being on raw, even after one day. I recall a time when I was on raw for a week and lost 13 pounds in seven days. Some say that it is unhealthy, but I felt amazing that week. Another thing I noticed is that my stomach was not as inflamed as it was yesterday. The reduction of swelling all over your body is pretty common, even after one day. Acidic foods keep your body in a constant state of inflammation. It’s how the body deals with it. When you alkalize, it slowly releases you out of this inflamed state.
I have been feeling very tired today. I am constantly going to the bathroom to pee. In the process my water retention has gone done considerably. What is really noticeable is the size of my face and nose. I am starting to see that my nose has actually become smaller and that I have definition to my cheekbones. Its interesting to see how much water I have been retaining. Its interesting to see how losing it reshapes your face. Its like getting plastic surgery without the plastic part…yupee!!!
My weight today is: 129.4 lbs.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Day One - The Right Foot
It’s day one. I woke up and felt pretty confident about completing this cleanse. Of course, it’s the first day and nothing really has challenged me yet, so confidence is blooming. I ate cooked last night. I woke up with all the signs of water retention; bloaty face, belly, and hands. I know from past experience that when on raw this doesn't happen. I am looking forward to this, but it does take a few days to get to that point. I would like to go over exactly what I will be eating during this cleanse:
1) Greens - I will be eating mostly parsley, kale, cilantro, collards, chards, spinach, mixed greens and anything else I find in the store that is Organic and a GREEN LEAFY vegetable ..I will give more information later on why this is so important and why green leafy vegetables are far superior to any root or solid vegetable, such as carrots, squashes, corn, peppers, peas, etc....
2) Fruits - Anything Organic that is highly alkalizing and fresh, such as bananas, pears, apples, grapes, lemons, cantaloupe, melons, etc. I will stay away from some berries, prunes and plums because they are more acidic than alkalizing.
3) Seaweed- Kelp, Dulse, Nori etc... This is because there are so many minerals in these items that are difficult to obtain in any other foods as well as the fact that they are highly alkalizing.
4) Sprouts - Sprouted lentils, mung, and azuki beans. Though not as alkalizing as the others, they are superfoods and very helpful in keeping on the cleanse. I am growing my own organic sunflower sprouts (aka. Sunnies) to put in my salads. If anyone is interested, I can write instructions on how to sprout. It’s easy and fairly inexpensive.
5) Wheatgrass - This is highly alkalizing and helpful with curing my fibroids. I will be juicing it. I am currently in the process of growing this organically myself, but know that it can be bought in stores such as Whole Foods.
Also, I am taking a 12 week cleanse with all this. It is a herb cleanse that I obtained from a naturopathic doctor out of Punta Gorda, Florida by the name of Dr. Robert Morse. Here is a link to his site and where you can get the herbal cleanse. Dr. Morse Herbal Cleanse
His herbs are strong and have been known to cure almost everything. He is the doctor of several celebrities including Shania Twain.
Though this 12 week herbal cleanse is very powerful and effective…I can state with confidence and with experience that it is not as effective as when it isn’t accompanied with a raw food diet. I believe Dr. Morse would advocate the same. The diet is key to complete healing and rejuvenation.
As far as my exercise is concern, I do roughly an hour of cardio a day, whether it is a brisk walk on the treadmill or a jog. I try not to strain myself to much, especially on a cleanse. It helps tremendously. It makes a huge difference in your ability to release toxins. I am also trying to incorporate weight resistance training and yoga. But this depends on my state of anemia. It’s difficult to exercise a lot when you have this condition. But these types of exercise are especially important. Yoga is wonderful in keeping your mind positive during this difficult cleanse.
Besides the obvious, I won’t be eating things that many consider “Raw” acceptable. Here is a list of them and why:
1) Celtic Sea Salt – though slightly alkalizing, its still sodium and my body needs a break from it. Salt is in everything…I will stay completely away from it. The only sodium I will take in is found in the seaweed. There is actually a difference between natural sodium like that found in seaweed and processed sodium found in salts. More on this later…
2) Oils – Whether it is organic, olive, or flax, it too is an item that is in everything we eat and so I want to give my body a break from it.
3) Natural Sweeteners – Agave and the like. They are considered cooked even the ones that say “Raw” according to some sources.
4) Nuts – Most are acidic, almonds are slightly alkalizing but very difficult to find unpasteurized almonds in the United States.
I will allow the following into my diet but sparingly.
1) Avocadoes
2) Dried Fruit – Raisins and Dates (these are very alkalizing but tend to cause me get cravings)
3) Almonds – if I can find them unpasteurized and they are soaked (soaking makes them more alkalized)
4) Honey – Slightly alkalizing and has a lot of good B vitamins in them.
5) Freshly Squeezed unpasteurized juice – Very alkalizing but also tend to cause me to get cravings)
6) High sodium seaweed – I will try not to have to much Dulse, though the sodium in these items are far superior to that found in salts, its still has some effects on water retention that I have noticed in the past.
I will also be supplementing myself with Iron and vitamin C for my anemia, as well as niacin, for circulation issues that come with the anemia. This is not something most have to concern themselves with unless they have my condition. The foods I will be eating are also high in all these nutrients and eventually I will be totally off these supplements. Supplements are not as healthy as many think them to be…more on this later as well.
So there you have it. In a nutshell, I will be eating only highly alkalizing foods. I will stay away from those foods that are either neutral or acidic….
Written in the Evening:
As for today, I was great in the morning. I felt pretty confident. But throughout the day I had my challenges. I had odd cravings all day, mostly consisting of cheese with bread. I find that when I dwell on my cravings they eventually come to fruition in my belly. So I attempted today on mind control. This I know is key to succeeding on this cleanse. Its not the food, its not the physical detox symptons, its not even the social challenges, it’s the mind that is the most difficult to deal with. I have to battle throughout the day, trying not to dwell on endless temptations for cooked food. I know it gets better within a few weeks, but never fully goes away.
Your mind can trick you as well. Just when you think you have it all under control, you catch yourself having thoughts of rationalizing why you should be eating cooked food. Today, my thought was, could I be actually eating too much alkalizing foods. Could this be bad for me…Than I realized that considering I have been on a consistent acid diet practically my whole life, I seriously doubt eating alkalizing foods would cause me much damage. On top of that, I have all the acidic air, materials such as polyester and plastic, water, cosmetics and body care products, and day to day toxins that contribute to my acid consumption. So there really is no need to fear that I won’t be getting enough of it to last me a life time. Also, in case you didn’t know it, when you are under stress, your body actually becomes acidic. Some say stress can kill. I’ve experienced stress first hand, I don’t doubt it. Most people become physically sick when under stress, it is all the acid your body has to tend to that causes it. So I passed my first day. I wanted to keep track of my weight during this cleanse. So I will account for it everyday. I am 5 feet 6.5 inches tall with a medium frame.
My weight today: 133.4 lbs.
1) Greens - I will be eating mostly parsley, kale, cilantro, collards, chards, spinach, mixed greens and anything else I find in the store that is Organic and a GREEN LEAFY vegetable ..I will give more information later on why this is so important and why green leafy vegetables are far superior to any root or solid vegetable, such as carrots, squashes, corn, peppers, peas, etc....
2) Fruits - Anything Organic that is highly alkalizing and fresh, such as bananas, pears, apples, grapes, lemons, cantaloupe, melons, etc. I will stay away from some berries, prunes and plums because they are more acidic than alkalizing.
3) Seaweed- Kelp, Dulse, Nori etc... This is because there are so many minerals in these items that are difficult to obtain in any other foods as well as the fact that they are highly alkalizing.
4) Sprouts - Sprouted lentils, mung, and azuki beans. Though not as alkalizing as the others, they are superfoods and very helpful in keeping on the cleanse. I am growing my own organic sunflower sprouts (aka. Sunnies) to put in my salads. If anyone is interested, I can write instructions on how to sprout. It’s easy and fairly inexpensive.
5) Wheatgrass - This is highly alkalizing and helpful with curing my fibroids. I will be juicing it. I am currently in the process of growing this organically myself, but know that it can be bought in stores such as Whole Foods.
Also, I am taking a 12 week cleanse with all this. It is a herb cleanse that I obtained from a naturopathic doctor out of Punta Gorda, Florida by the name of Dr. Robert Morse. Here is a link to his site and where you can get the herbal cleanse. Dr. Morse Herbal Cleanse
His herbs are strong and have been known to cure almost everything. He is the doctor of several celebrities including Shania Twain.
Though this 12 week herbal cleanse is very powerful and effective…I can state with confidence and with experience that it is not as effective as when it isn’t accompanied with a raw food diet. I believe Dr. Morse would advocate the same. The diet is key to complete healing and rejuvenation.
As far as my exercise is concern, I do roughly an hour of cardio a day, whether it is a brisk walk on the treadmill or a jog. I try not to strain myself to much, especially on a cleanse. It helps tremendously. It makes a huge difference in your ability to release toxins. I am also trying to incorporate weight resistance training and yoga. But this depends on my state of anemia. It’s difficult to exercise a lot when you have this condition. But these types of exercise are especially important. Yoga is wonderful in keeping your mind positive during this difficult cleanse.
Besides the obvious, I won’t be eating things that many consider “Raw” acceptable. Here is a list of them and why:
1) Celtic Sea Salt – though slightly alkalizing, its still sodium and my body needs a break from it. Salt is in everything…I will stay completely away from it. The only sodium I will take in is found in the seaweed. There is actually a difference between natural sodium like that found in seaweed and processed sodium found in salts. More on this later…
2) Oils – Whether it is organic, olive, or flax, it too is an item that is in everything we eat and so I want to give my body a break from it.
3) Natural Sweeteners – Agave and the like. They are considered cooked even the ones that say “Raw” according to some sources.
4) Nuts – Most are acidic, almonds are slightly alkalizing but very difficult to find unpasteurized almonds in the United States.
I will allow the following into my diet but sparingly.
1) Avocadoes
2) Dried Fruit – Raisins and Dates (these are very alkalizing but tend to cause me get cravings)
3) Almonds – if I can find them unpasteurized and they are soaked (soaking makes them more alkalized)
4) Honey – Slightly alkalizing and has a lot of good B vitamins in them.
5) Freshly Squeezed unpasteurized juice – Very alkalizing but also tend to cause me to get cravings)
6) High sodium seaweed – I will try not to have to much Dulse, though the sodium in these items are far superior to that found in salts, its still has some effects on water retention that I have noticed in the past.
I will also be supplementing myself with Iron and vitamin C for my anemia, as well as niacin, for circulation issues that come with the anemia. This is not something most have to concern themselves with unless they have my condition. The foods I will be eating are also high in all these nutrients and eventually I will be totally off these supplements. Supplements are not as healthy as many think them to be…more on this later as well.
So there you have it. In a nutshell, I will be eating only highly alkalizing foods. I will stay away from those foods that are either neutral or acidic….
Written in the Evening:
As for today, I was great in the morning. I felt pretty confident. But throughout the day I had my challenges. I had odd cravings all day, mostly consisting of cheese with bread. I find that when I dwell on my cravings they eventually come to fruition in my belly. So I attempted today on mind control. This I know is key to succeeding on this cleanse. Its not the food, its not the physical detox symptons, its not even the social challenges, it’s the mind that is the most difficult to deal with. I have to battle throughout the day, trying not to dwell on endless temptations for cooked food. I know it gets better within a few weeks, but never fully goes away.
Your mind can trick you as well. Just when you think you have it all under control, you catch yourself having thoughts of rationalizing why you should be eating cooked food. Today, my thought was, could I be actually eating too much alkalizing foods. Could this be bad for me…Than I realized that considering I have been on a consistent acid diet practically my whole life, I seriously doubt eating alkalizing foods would cause me much damage. On top of that, I have all the acidic air, materials such as polyester and plastic, water, cosmetics and body care products, and day to day toxins that contribute to my acid consumption. So there really is no need to fear that I won’t be getting enough of it to last me a life time. Also, in case you didn’t know it, when you are under stress, your body actually becomes acidic. Some say stress can kill. I’ve experienced stress first hand, I don’t doubt it. Most people become physically sick when under stress, it is all the acid your body has to tend to that causes it. So I passed my first day. I wanted to keep track of my weight during this cleanse. So I will account for it everyday. I am 5 feet 6.5 inches tall with a medium frame.
My weight today: 133.4 lbs.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Night Before Day One
Hi,
This is the night before I start my journey into becoming a 100% raw vegan. I want to look at it in baby steps, so I decided on perceiving it as a 90 day cleanse first. The 90 day cleanse is based on a totally alkalized raw vegan diet. I want to start off by saying that I have never done this before. That is, I have attempted but never finished a full 90 days. I am feeling scared and anxious of the whole thing. I know it’s difficult. I have tried countless times to do it. I have reached up to three weeks. It was a life changing experience. I am so curious to know what 90 days would be like. But there are so many challenges along the way to doing this. I hope to document all those in this blog. I hope that if anyone else tries to do this, they can get something out of my own challenging moments.
I thought it would be relevant to give you some background on how I came to this point and why I am doing this. It started about four years ago. My father called me and told me that in his attempt to get life insurance coverage; his doctor discovered he had all the symptoms and test results indicating that he had prostate cancer. The life insurance company rejected him. My father was a paramedic for 15 years. He had seen plenty of what becomes of cancer patients. He was stubborn in the fact that he refused to go through the conventional treatments of radiation, medication, and or amputation. This stubbornness would soon prove to be a blessing. So with no other option that we knew of, we decided to seek alternative treatments for him. In the process, I was led to an institute in Florida that many people I had spoken to had claimed that the program there cured them of cancer. My father, at the time was skeptical, but open to anything. I told him that I would go first to the institute, since anyone could go, and than I would let him know if it was legitimate. After spending three weeks there I was convinced. I called my father and he went. It was true. People were curing themselves of cancer. My father became one of the cured. The main aspect of the program at this institute is the diet they enforce. It is based strictly on raw alkalizing food. I went to this place to seek help for my father, not only did it save him but it opened a door for me that would lead to some amazing insights.
Since than, I have and continue to discover more about raw foods. It’s not just for cancer. It is for anything. It can cure diabetes, heart issues, Lyme disease, chron’s disease....etc... I have heard it directly from those that have been able to accomplish it. And let me say that it is not easy....even when facing life or death conditions such as cancer.
How is it that not everyone who is faced with the possibility of dying or having a serious life debilitating illness, has the ability to succeed with this diet? Well I can attest to why....IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.
It’s difficult because eating the way that we know as eating changes completely. It is difficult because when you body starts to cleanse, it gets rid of some pretty ugly toxins and that process can be painful and excessively challenging. It is difficult because it is not a totally accepted or understood means of dealing with disease. Your loved ones may not want to support you. You may not want to support you. Its difficult because society and all its norms are so far removed from this type of lifestyle. But if you can overcome all this, including and most importantly the obstacles of your own mind, IT WILL REJUVINATE AND HEAL YOU.
I say this, and though I have been fortunate to witness it many times first hand, I have not yet accomplished it myself. That is what this blog is about. I will document all the challenges that come with this and what happens at the end of the road. I have my own healing that needs to be done.
First, I have what is known as fibroids. About 70% to 80% of women have them by the time they are 50. I am 35 years old. There are over 300,000 hysterectomies performed each year. This is the medical industry's one and only "cure all" for fibroids. I refuse to undergo the amputation. I currently have four fibroid tumors and depending on the time of the month, they can reach the size of grapefruits. They cause me to bleed excessively. They have given me a severe case of anemia. This is the first thing I aim to cure.
The other thing I hope to control is my addiction to food. YES I AM A FOOD ADDICT. And I must say I haven't met many who aren't. It is such a socially acceptable thing to be. Not only is it acceptable it is almost demanded. You can't watch TV for more than 15 minutes with out seeing countless attempts to get you to eat something either full of fat, salt, and/or sugar. I can't leave my home without passing a dozen fatty, salty, sugary food offering venues. My friends and family revolve all their social functions around these kinds of foods. And when you refuse to eat it, you are looked at or scolded at with disapproval. Sometimes you are revered as completely insane. We, as a society, are bred to be addicts. Yes, you have your drug, alcohol, nicotine, etc addicts. But at least these addicts can somewhat get the recognition from the public that they are addicts. But as far as food is concern, this is the only one addictive substance that most are totally oblivious to the severity of their addiction, especially if they are not obese. If you were to see a average weighted man (and mind you in this country average is overweight), you would not consider him engaging in addictive behavior, but he is as addicted to a substance as much as a meth head. He as well as the rest of the world just isn’t quite aware of it. I realize this is a pretty bold statement to make. But I challenge anyone to this cleanse, and if they have the ability to stay on it for 90 days without any struggles with withdrawal or cravings of non alkalizing foods, I will be more than happy to take the statement back. I have found the most profound as well as the most difficult aspect of eating like this is the awareness of the addiction to non alkalizing food. Take me for instance. No one would consider me a food addict. I am not fat, at least not in society’s eyes, and I eat what most people would consider very healthy. But I know from trying to stay away from cooked foods that I am a true addict through and through. I have withdrawals, I have cravings that are all mind consuming, and when I am upset my thought of relief is associated with food. These are all signs of any addict, whether its crack cocaine or a slice of pizza, it still spells addiction. Anything, that you struggle to live without, even though you know it is not helpful to your body, is an addiction.
So this blog is not only about a 90 day cleanse but its also about controlling an addiction. This is challenging…It is my intention that my attempt to help others by writing this, gives me the strength to accomplish what I need to in the next 90 days.
Isabelle
This is the night before I start my journey into becoming a 100% raw vegan. I want to look at it in baby steps, so I decided on perceiving it as a 90 day cleanse first. The 90 day cleanse is based on a totally alkalized raw vegan diet. I want to start off by saying that I have never done this before. That is, I have attempted but never finished a full 90 days. I am feeling scared and anxious of the whole thing. I know it’s difficult. I have tried countless times to do it. I have reached up to three weeks. It was a life changing experience. I am so curious to know what 90 days would be like. But there are so many challenges along the way to doing this. I hope to document all those in this blog. I hope that if anyone else tries to do this, they can get something out of my own challenging moments.
I thought it would be relevant to give you some background on how I came to this point and why I am doing this. It started about four years ago. My father called me and told me that in his attempt to get life insurance coverage; his doctor discovered he had all the symptoms and test results indicating that he had prostate cancer. The life insurance company rejected him. My father was a paramedic for 15 years. He had seen plenty of what becomes of cancer patients. He was stubborn in the fact that he refused to go through the conventional treatments of radiation, medication, and or amputation. This stubbornness would soon prove to be a blessing. So with no other option that we knew of, we decided to seek alternative treatments for him. In the process, I was led to an institute in Florida that many people I had spoken to had claimed that the program there cured them of cancer. My father, at the time was skeptical, but open to anything. I told him that I would go first to the institute, since anyone could go, and than I would let him know if it was legitimate. After spending three weeks there I was convinced. I called my father and he went. It was true. People were curing themselves of cancer. My father became one of the cured. The main aspect of the program at this institute is the diet they enforce. It is based strictly on raw alkalizing food. I went to this place to seek help for my father, not only did it save him but it opened a door for me that would lead to some amazing insights.
Since than, I have and continue to discover more about raw foods. It’s not just for cancer. It is for anything. It can cure diabetes, heart issues, Lyme disease, chron’s disease....etc... I have heard it directly from those that have been able to accomplish it. And let me say that it is not easy....even when facing life or death conditions such as cancer.
How is it that not everyone who is faced with the possibility of dying or having a serious life debilitating illness, has the ability to succeed with this diet? Well I can attest to why....IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.
It’s difficult because eating the way that we know as eating changes completely. It is difficult because when you body starts to cleanse, it gets rid of some pretty ugly toxins and that process can be painful and excessively challenging. It is difficult because it is not a totally accepted or understood means of dealing with disease. Your loved ones may not want to support you. You may not want to support you. Its difficult because society and all its norms are so far removed from this type of lifestyle. But if you can overcome all this, including and most importantly the obstacles of your own mind, IT WILL REJUVINATE AND HEAL YOU.
I say this, and though I have been fortunate to witness it many times first hand, I have not yet accomplished it myself. That is what this blog is about. I will document all the challenges that come with this and what happens at the end of the road. I have my own healing that needs to be done.
First, I have what is known as fibroids. About 70% to 80% of women have them by the time they are 50. I am 35 years old. There are over 300,000 hysterectomies performed each year. This is the medical industry's one and only "cure all" for fibroids. I refuse to undergo the amputation. I currently have four fibroid tumors and depending on the time of the month, they can reach the size of grapefruits. They cause me to bleed excessively. They have given me a severe case of anemia. This is the first thing I aim to cure.
The other thing I hope to control is my addiction to food. YES I AM A FOOD ADDICT. And I must say I haven't met many who aren't. It is such a socially acceptable thing to be. Not only is it acceptable it is almost demanded. You can't watch TV for more than 15 minutes with out seeing countless attempts to get you to eat something either full of fat, salt, and/or sugar. I can't leave my home without passing a dozen fatty, salty, sugary food offering venues. My friends and family revolve all their social functions around these kinds of foods. And when you refuse to eat it, you are looked at or scolded at with disapproval. Sometimes you are revered as completely insane. We, as a society, are bred to be addicts. Yes, you have your drug, alcohol, nicotine, etc addicts. But at least these addicts can somewhat get the recognition from the public that they are addicts. But as far as food is concern, this is the only one addictive substance that most are totally oblivious to the severity of their addiction, especially if they are not obese. If you were to see a average weighted man (and mind you in this country average is overweight), you would not consider him engaging in addictive behavior, but he is as addicted to a substance as much as a meth head. He as well as the rest of the world just isn’t quite aware of it. I realize this is a pretty bold statement to make. But I challenge anyone to this cleanse, and if they have the ability to stay on it for 90 days without any struggles with withdrawal or cravings of non alkalizing foods, I will be more than happy to take the statement back. I have found the most profound as well as the most difficult aspect of eating like this is the awareness of the addiction to non alkalizing food. Take me for instance. No one would consider me a food addict. I am not fat, at least not in society’s eyes, and I eat what most people would consider very healthy. But I know from trying to stay away from cooked foods that I am a true addict through and through. I have withdrawals, I have cravings that are all mind consuming, and when I am upset my thought of relief is associated with food. These are all signs of any addict, whether its crack cocaine or a slice of pizza, it still spells addiction. Anything, that you struggle to live without, even though you know it is not helpful to your body, is an addiction.
So this blog is not only about a 90 day cleanse but its also about controlling an addiction. This is challenging…It is my intention that my attempt to help others by writing this, gives me the strength to accomplish what I need to in the next 90 days.
Isabelle
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