After my workout and shower it was time for dinner, but honestly, I was not that hungry. I ate 1/2 of a large avocado chopped up and drizzled with more of Alissa's Dressing Almost.
I feel very relaxed and satisfied. I have no desire to munch on anything. I do feel like I am trying to get something though, I woke up with allergies this morning after sleeping with the windows open and am not feeling a lot better. My throat and ears are bothering me mildly and my neck aches. I thought I was getting sick until my daughter informed me it was 78 degrees in the house due to the warm weather and we haven't turned on our air. She opened some windows instead and it is cooling off and so am I!... just chillin...
Andy is out on call and I think I am going to take advantage of the now silent house and go try to sleep.
Over all, this first official day was not bad. With experience things will be prepared even quicker and I will get into a good routine.
I am invited to play croquet at a friend's house tomorrow night (never played that before) and they are also having a 'weenie roast'... I need to find some 'raw-some' dish to share since they all think I am crazy now. I don't intend to stray from the raw thing tomorrow, it will be an interesting test for me.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Simple Salad Dressing saves the day...
For lunch, I redeemed my yucky drink experience by having one of the BEST salads I have had in a long time. I cut up a fresh head of romaine, and added chopped mini cucumber and cut up grape tomatoes. I topped with raw almond slivers and used this DELICIOUS salad dressing, I renamed it due to the fact I left out the salt...(click on the post title above to view the recipe)... Also, see Alissa's Dressing Almost link under 'Yummy RAW Recipes' on the right.
I tried to choke it down ...
Earlier I made a recipe for Green Lemonade which I got from the Raw Food Detox Diet book. It was my 3rd attempt on that beverage in the last couple weeks. The first time I choked it down, the 2ND time my attempt to make it taste better bombed and this time was no better. I drank about 8 oz before I dumped it in the drain. So I did get something...
I used a head of romaine, about 4 stalks of kale, 1 Fuji apple, and a whole lemon (unpeeled) though my juicer. I left out the ginger.
I appreciate the good enzymes it is supposed to give me, but I am not going to force myself to eat or drink anything yucky. I hear green smoothies are good for you so I plan to give it a chance with a different recipe, but this one was NOT YUMMY to me...
I used a head of romaine, about 4 stalks of kale, 1 Fuji apple, and a whole lemon (unpeeled) though my juicer. I left out the ginger.
I appreciate the good enzymes it is supposed to give me, but I am not going to force myself to eat or drink anything yucky. I hear green smoothies are good for you so I plan to give it a chance with a different recipe, but this one was NOT YUMMY to me...
My first date with a Mango... a juicy experience!
One of the reasons I am excited about this is that I plan to try many things I have not before. It seems easy to get caught in the spin cycle of the same food over and over again. On the DVD I was watching Alissa Cohen said you could eat raw for a whole year and not have the same thing twice. That seems like it would be challenging to prove, but I agree with the concept!
So, yesterday I brought home a box of Mangoes from Costco. I should have paid attention when Andy cut one up for him and the girls to have with their dinner last night. (I didn't have any then because I am going to try to stick with the 'fruit alone' rule).
I planned to go workout early this morning but school and business commitments and interruptions did not allow. Now Curves is closed until 4pm so I will wait and go then. I looked at the clock at 11:30 and realized I haven't eaten anything yet today.
I decided it was time to get intimate with a Mango. I don't recall ever having one before and had no idea how they tasted or how to eat one. Good thing I was in my own kitchen where no one could see me! I had no idea how to start that thing. I tried to cut it in half but it didn't work, I got stopped by the seed. I ended up peeling the skin off and scooping the mango meat into my food processor stopping long enough to steal big juicy strands in the process. By this time I had mango juice dripping down my chin onto the counter and down my arm! Not one of my finer moments.. and I am definitely sticky now..but OH YUM very worth it! I will have to work on my method if I ever plan to attack one of those babies in public!
For some reason the idea of blending it with a banana sounded good. With my blood pressure medication I need to make sure I get enough potassium and I do not enjoy bananas on their own. My opinion of eating raw fruit is there need not be a recipe or a plan, just grab and enjoy so I did! I ended up using 2 banana's to make it thicker, and am now enjoying something somewhere between a smoothie or a pudding (I really doubt this would go through a straw). I think it would be really good to make something like this up and freeze it into Popsicles sometime. I gave some to my girls and they love it!
So, yesterday I brought home a box of Mangoes from Costco. I should have paid attention when Andy cut one up for him and the girls to have with their dinner last night. (I didn't have any then because I am going to try to stick with the 'fruit alone' rule).
I planned to go workout early this morning but school and business commitments and interruptions did not allow. Now Curves is closed until 4pm so I will wait and go then. I looked at the clock at 11:30 and realized I haven't eaten anything yet today.
I decided it was time to get intimate with a Mango. I don't recall ever having one before and had no idea how they tasted or how to eat one. Good thing I was in my own kitchen where no one could see me! I had no idea how to start that thing. I tried to cut it in half but it didn't work, I got stopped by the seed. I ended up peeling the skin off and scooping the mango meat into my food processor stopping long enough to steal big juicy strands in the process. By this time I had mango juice dripping down my chin onto the counter and down my arm! Not one of my finer moments.. and I am definitely sticky now..but OH YUM very worth it! I will have to work on my method if I ever plan to attack one of those babies in public!
For some reason the idea of blending it with a banana sounded good. With my blood pressure medication I need to make sure I get enough potassium and I do not enjoy bananas on their own. My opinion of eating raw fruit is there need not be a recipe or a plan, just grab and enjoy so I did! I ended up using 2 banana's to make it thicker, and am now enjoying something somewhere between a smoothie or a pudding (I really doubt this would go through a straw). I think it would be really good to make something like this up and freeze it into Popsicles sometime. I gave some to my girls and they love it!
It's May somewhere...
Tomorrow is my official launch day for this experiment, but as I sit here surrounded by all these delicious looking fruits and veggies... I cannot fathom eating anything else.
I had horrible insomnia last night and woke up with allergies. The weather outside is getting warmer so we have slept with windows open the last couple of days. That usually has that effect on me.
Another interesting note is that upon returning from my retreat in the mountains, upon coming home and spending time in my house my nose clogged up and I felt sinus congestion. Andy said that it was probably the dust he stirred up by vacuuming while I was gone, but we both have suffered from allergy symptoms since moving here.
So..it's May somewhere right...? and '5:00 and May' somewhere too! ;)... however I will start this adventure with a mango/banana smoothie I just made instead. CHEERS!
I had horrible insomnia last night and woke up with allergies. The weather outside is getting warmer so we have slept with windows open the last couple of days. That usually has that effect on me.
Another interesting note is that upon returning from my retreat in the mountains, upon coming home and spending time in my house my nose clogged up and I felt sinus congestion. Andy said that it was probably the dust he stirred up by vacuuming while I was gone, but we both have suffered from allergy symptoms since moving here.
So..it's May somewhere right...? and '5:00 and May' somewhere too! ;)... however I will start this adventure with a mango/banana smoothie I just made instead. CHEERS!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
BEGINNING Weight, measurements, and current medication:
I am curious to see if there any changes here. Over the months of working out I have actually gained weight but lost inches and even went down from a size 6 to a size 4 in pants. Since I am not overweight, the number on the scale isn't my big concern. How I look and feel and ultimately the health of my body is my biggest priority in this experiment. This info is most often TMI or embarrassing to share, but I feel it is relevant to this experiment, so I am going to risk humiliation and share it...
I work out regularly at Curves. I have my weight and measure stats taken monthly by a trainer. Here is what they were at the end of last week:
Height: 5'4 1/2
Weight: 115
Bust: 32.5
Waist: 27
Abs: 32.5
Hips: 32.5
Thighs x 2: 42
Arms x 2: 19.5
BEGINNING BLOOD PRESSURE
Blood pressure a week ago taken before planning on leaving for my workout in the afternoon (which I skipped because my bp seemed too high)... 150/101 - I will consider this my starting BP since it has frequently been in that range since I got diagnosed - sometimes higher, sometimes lower but it's a pretty good starting point example from where I consistently was.
I am currently taking the following medications:
Diovan: 80 mg. daily (blood pressure)
Hydrochlorothiazide aka HCTZ: 25 mg daily (blood pressure)
Armour Thyroid: 90 mg daily (Hashimotos)
In addition to those, I also take the following bio-identical hormones:
Progesterone 100 mg capsules
Testosterone 5 mg cream
Also, since my panic attacks started suddenly a few months ago:
Xanax - occasionally to prevent or stop a panic attack
(a side note on that, my Dr. told me that panic attacks are common in this with Hashimotos)
By the way... speaking of new beginnings... bio-identical hormone therapy has changed my quality of life FOR THE BETTER in more ways than I (or my husband)can count in the last year since I started taking them. In fact, my hormone doctor was the first to finally diagnose my hypothyroid condition. Looking back I believed I suffered from it unknowingly for many years. My husband and I were just talking about it the other night. What a difference a year makes!
I work out regularly at Curves. I have my weight and measure stats taken monthly by a trainer. Here is what they were at the end of last week:
Height: 5'4 1/2
Weight: 115
Bust: 32.5
Waist: 27
Abs: 32.5
Hips: 32.5
Thighs x 2: 42
Arms x 2: 19.5
BEGINNING BLOOD PRESSURE
Blood pressure a week ago taken before planning on leaving for my workout in the afternoon (which I skipped because my bp seemed too high)... 150/101 - I will consider this my starting BP since it has frequently been in that range since I got diagnosed - sometimes higher, sometimes lower but it's a pretty good starting point example from where I consistently was.
I am currently taking the following medications:
Diovan: 80 mg. daily (blood pressure)
Hydrochlorothiazide aka HCTZ: 25 mg daily (blood pressure)
Armour Thyroid: 90 mg daily (Hashimotos)
In addition to those, I also take the following bio-identical hormones:
Progesterone 100 mg capsules
Testosterone 5 mg cream
Also, since my panic attacks started suddenly a few months ago:
Xanax - occasionally to prevent or stop a panic attack
(a side note on that, my Dr. told me that panic attacks are common in this with Hashimotos)
By the way... speaking of new beginnings... bio-identical hormone therapy has changed my quality of life FOR THE BETTER in more ways than I (or my husband)can count in the last year since I started taking them. In fact, my hormone doctor was the first to finally diagnose my hypothyroid condition. Looking back I believed I suffered from it unknowingly for many years. My husband and I were just talking about it the other night. What a difference a year makes!
Plausible...
This weekend I attended my annual ladies retreat with my church in a beautiful resort town in the mountains. During an icebreaker, we played a game where one of the questions was to state a favorite word and why. When it came to me, I said... "Plausible". It is a fun word, a positive word, a word that implies hope, belief and encouragement. I enjoy saying that instead of 'maybe' to my girls. As a family we also enjoy the "Mythbusters" ... we had an opportunity to hear them speak live a couple months ago. I guess I am about to become my own mythbuster, even if the myth is nothing but a question in my mind. It's a question of great value to me and my quality of life... so ... is changing my diet to improve my health PLAUSIBLE? I am determined to find out.
I am currently 36 years old. I have never been overweight, I have never smoked, I exercise regularly, I eat 'healthy' according to the 'standard American diet'...(also referred to as SAD), yet I currently have 2 autoimmune diseases,high blood pressure and frequent insomnia. I also have recently begun to have panic attacks. I tried to do everything right according to what I knew, yet I am currently dangerously unhealthy. I am too young to be this old!
A friend, upon hearing about my recent diagnosis with Hashimotos sent me several links and testimonials about raw eating. She said it had transformed her life. That started my curiosity. I had heard of it before, but never really paid attention to it. However upon researching and reading some books these past few weeks, it really made sense. The testimonials out there are amazing and inspiring. However, as much as I am a dreamer, I am also a realist to a point.
I brought my book "The Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose to my Dr appointment last Monday. That was not a good day medically for me. AT ALL. My blood pressure was still skyrocketing so my BP meds increased, she also confirmed the diagnosis of Hashimotos and increased my thyroid meds. She also offered me an anti-depressant because she said that I had a panic disorder and that's why I have had panic attacks, insomnia, and anxiety. She suggested I try them short term to break the pattern. She knows I despise the medications I currently take and do not want any more and did not argue with me when I said 'no thank you'. Anyway... we discussed the book and raw eating and nutrition. She enthusiastically endorsed my desire to try this out. She told me there are confirmed studies that show better nutrition changes health. She also told me about the DASH diet... but that is possibly for another time. I told her of my plans to try this 'experiment' and she gave me her full approval and encouragement after asking me several questions.
Just a few days ago I received my book and DVDs, "Living on Live Food". I have only had a chance to watch the first few chapters of the 1st DVD (there are 2) so far, but it is amazing and VERY informative and inspiring. The book is HUGE and FULL of information and delicious looking and EASY recipes. I think I have the informative tools to be off to a good start. I have spent many days eating mostly raw or 100% raw as I try to get my bearings and prepare for this experiment. I can tell you that I am really looking forward to it because the difference even sporadically was night and day. Of course, after this weekend's retreat where I had my 'last hurrah' for at least a month of eating the SAD way...I am pretty much back to square one as I wasn't prepared to eat raw up there, and instead gave myself licence to enjoy (junk)food and fellowship with my friends. Honestly, I don't think I am going to miss much when I am officially on my experiment. Any satisfaction I got from indulging in the yuck was very short lived in comparison to the many days I had been mostly to 100% raw before going! My friends will be my friends whether I have that slice of pizza or pile of Doritos or not... maybe next year I will bring some treats for them to enjoy... the raw way!
I plan to document all the raw details of my food intake, physical and emotional reactions, weight and measurement changes, medications, realizations, blood pressure and anything relevant to this experiment. I hang on with hope, and anticipation to find out, if changing my lifestyle to living and live food will improve my health... if it is indeed...PLAUSIBLE.
I am currently 36 years old. I have never been overweight, I have never smoked, I exercise regularly, I eat 'healthy' according to the 'standard American diet'...(also referred to as SAD), yet I currently have 2 autoimmune diseases,high blood pressure and frequent insomnia. I also have recently begun to have panic attacks. I tried to do everything right according to what I knew, yet I am currently dangerously unhealthy. I am too young to be this old!
A friend, upon hearing about my recent diagnosis with Hashimotos sent me several links and testimonials about raw eating. She said it had transformed her life. That started my curiosity. I had heard of it before, but never really paid attention to it. However upon researching and reading some books these past few weeks, it really made sense. The testimonials out there are amazing and inspiring. However, as much as I am a dreamer, I am also a realist to a point.
I brought my book "The Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose to my Dr appointment last Monday. That was not a good day medically for me. AT ALL. My blood pressure was still skyrocketing so my BP meds increased, she also confirmed the diagnosis of Hashimotos and increased my thyroid meds. She also offered me an anti-depressant because she said that I had a panic disorder and that's why I have had panic attacks, insomnia, and anxiety. She suggested I try them short term to break the pattern. She knows I despise the medications I currently take and do not want any more and did not argue with me when I said 'no thank you'. Anyway... we discussed the book and raw eating and nutrition. She enthusiastically endorsed my desire to try this out. She told me there are confirmed studies that show better nutrition changes health. She also told me about the DASH diet... but that is possibly for another time. I told her of my plans to try this 'experiment' and she gave me her full approval and encouragement after asking me several questions.
Just a few days ago I received my book and DVDs, "Living on Live Food". I have only had a chance to watch the first few chapters of the 1st DVD (there are 2) so far, but it is amazing and VERY informative and inspiring. The book is HUGE and FULL of information and delicious looking and EASY recipes. I think I have the informative tools to be off to a good start. I have spent many days eating mostly raw or 100% raw as I try to get my bearings and prepare for this experiment. I can tell you that I am really looking forward to it because the difference even sporadically was night and day. Of course, after this weekend's retreat where I had my 'last hurrah' for at least a month of eating the SAD way...I am pretty much back to square one as I wasn't prepared to eat raw up there, and instead gave myself licence to enjoy (junk)food and fellowship with my friends. Honestly, I don't think I am going to miss much when I am officially on my experiment. Any satisfaction I got from indulging in the yuck was very short lived in comparison to the many days I had been mostly to 100% raw before going! My friends will be my friends whether I have that slice of pizza or pile of Doritos or not... maybe next year I will bring some treats for them to enjoy... the raw way!
I plan to document all the raw details of my food intake, physical and emotional reactions, weight and measurement changes, medications, realizations, blood pressure and anything relevant to this experiment. I hang on with hope, and anticipation to find out, if changing my lifestyle to living and live food will improve my health... if it is indeed...PLAUSIBLE.
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