Thursday, January 17, 2008

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE












Hello. Welcome to my revealing public private practice. An oxymoron of a blog, it is meant to act as my candid personal raw lifestyle experiment depot, maybe even like a church of sorts; a place to attend a daily ritual that I believe will help me to facilitate healing through the raw vegan lifestyle that I adopted six years ago. I am relating to it as a private practice because I have no expectations for an audience; I’m writing to launch my intentions out into the universe. I would, however, be overjoyed if I could lend bits of info or clarity to others who are also sometimes confused by contradictory information on nutrition. Or even confused and frustrated by lack of positive reaction from your body, as is my experience- in part -thus far. And very welcome certainly are your helpful comments and critiques. I would be honored.

One of these posts will probably reveal the reason for my life transition when I was 32, but right now I need to hang in the present, focusing on my current trials at 37.

I have faith that with more experiments, more effort, I will someday be one of those bloggers that posts beautiful pictures of raw gourmet dishes, I just can’t eat that way. And maybe someday be one of those bloggers who boasts that every result of eating a 100% raw is just as they expected; normal weight with ease, clearing of skin conditions, no more cravings for sweets or cooked food, EVER; everything is fixed. But for me, it has not all made complete sense yet, though I have done a really excellent job of staying on course since the start. I have had six months here, a year here and there, of eating 100% raw straight through, I keep trying it, but it isn’t solving my more serious health issues.(Simpler ones, yes, and I’ll go into those good things later). So after these 100% runs I go back to eating maybe at 98%...why keep going to such ends if it’s not working fully? I don’t cheat myself, much. When I do deviate, it finds form in steamed brussel sprouts with sea salt and unheated E.V. olive oil, Earth Seed sprouted rye bread, a glass of biodynamic red wine, or organic dark chocolate, and for the past 3 months I’m on a (organic of course) coffee kick. Always, always, vegan anyway.

So, why would anyone blog about her shortcomings on the raw vegan diet? Why not just quit experimenting and eat roasted peanut butter or pasta? Well, because I think I need to work out my perspective and dedication to healing here. There is a Chinese saying I may not get verbatim, but goes like this:

Disease is knowing what to do and not doing it.

So now I need to do it, what I don’t want to do.

There are many many raw vegan bloggers reporting that they have healed themselves of various serious near-death health issues and no longer need the prescriptions they had taken for 15 years just from switching to raw. Or, those who state that they knew without doubt that as soon as they started eating this way it was evident immediately and remains after 5 years or whatever the perfect greatest infallible practice fending off all sickness from digestive problems to menstrual cramps… for good. I haven’t had that experience. yet.

I fully champion my 100 % living food strategy but get confused when I am still always 10 lbs over weight, go through periods of having a big bloated tummy that sticks out like I’m 3 months pregnant, still get horrible menstrual cramps, have a big toe that stays swollen and painful from an injury 6 yrs. ago, keep vacillating between normal and abnormal PAP smears, in and am still plagued by moderate psoriasis in a couple places; a possible autoimmune disease and deep systemic/liver toxicity I believe, perhaps in some part genetic.

Sine my transition, I have juice fasted a few times (at most for 15 days), I take veg juice, wheatgrass, E-3, VitalzymX, probiotics, sea vegetables, rotate superfoods, and supplement ionic minerals and B12 and turmeric et al every day (I’ll make a list in some entry of the nutritional support I incorporate), have seasonal colonics, been tested for candida (negative), parasites (negative), and vitamin and mineral deficiencies in summer 2007 (only low was Vit D, even though I was hiking or on the beach for at least 4 hours/day in L.A. using at most all natural sunscreen. I tested low also in white blood cell count signifying a weakened immune system. Tested “highly sensitive” Cardio CRP (C-Reactive Protein), a possible predictor of increased cardiovascular risk and indicator of inflammation. I have suffered hives for a year in 2006 and also that year, several bouts of chronic fatigue I think, or something like it that knocked me out so weak I couldn’t lift an arm for 2 days at a time. I test my pH which is often low (6.0) to medium no matter how alkaline my diet is. I have quit alcohol (a glass of biodynamic wine only if I drink at all) completely for years at a time and currently am not drinking, quit coffee for a full year and now go on/off a few months, quit smoking grass which was a staple for me until I was 32 as an artist in NYC. Exorcise outdoors 4 days a week (which sadly decreases in winter, something I must try harder to maintain). Read TONS and TONS educating myself on as much nutrition, disease, whole supplements, herbs, techniques, etc. as possible to the point where I suffered the stress of too much layman’s knowledge.

BUT I HAVE FAITH, INTUITION, THAT ORGANIC RAW VEGANISM WILL WORK FOR ME.

Soon though, I just have to REALLY do to what I know I have needed to do, but have not at all wanted to do, and still don’t.

A 92 DAY JUICE FEAST WITH NO SUGAR OF ANY KIND, PERIOD:

No apple, orange, carrot, or beet juice, coconut water or goji juice to make it at all pleasant.

Just mixed green juices, wheatgrass, E-3, lemon, garlic, ginger, seaweed soak water, cleansing herbal teas, water …blek.

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