Pampam--
I think you're doing great! Fasting is the thing that almost always gets me back on track and helps me get clear about what I need to be eating, too. More power to you. :-)

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Thanks kwan, I have been fasting for 5 days now and ocasionally have lemon juice so I still have bowel function. I am starting to feel better. I just love how fasting clears all cob webs in the head and other things. I will start juicing today and hope to juice for a long while. I have not gone on a juice fast so lets see how that goes for me. I made chili for the family last night and that sure takes a lot to not eat There are some foods that just stay good. I am contemplating just how to aproach my eating. I am thinking of allowing one day of eating anything cooked or raw after this fast. I am just not sure if I should allow that though. There are times that I want lental or split pea soups Perhaps I will figure out something raw to replace it though. I have been reading a lot of different books with different ideas on eating raw. Some thoughts incorporate goats cheese or eggs but I am not to sure about all that. Eating raw sure is a different path altogether.

>I just love how fasting clears all cob webs in the head and other things<

So true, pampam! I feel radically different when I juice fast-- so clear and strong and calm and... 'normal,' lol.

Today I'm committed to doing raw all day-- no cooked food this evening!-- and I'm going to get industrious and make myself some carrot juice for lunch or mid-afternoon snack. I am so lazy about making juice sometimes. I put it off, and then before I know it, another day has passed.

You know what really works for me? I've got to work with a very specific PLAN for awhile until I'm definitely back on track.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Kwan, My plan is to juice fast for the next 21 days and then see how things go from there. Today I juiced some local graps and local apples with some parsley. The juice was thick and tasty. The grapes are tart so I felt the apples gave it the right ballance. Later I had a 2 oz wheat grass juice and 20 oz carrot, cucumber, ginger juice. The grape juice ran through me real fast. I am feeling somewhat energetic and not to foggy in the head. I do like the feeling of haveing an empty stomach. I think it will take some getting use to though.

The books I am reading are real helpful one book called "raw food life force energy" by Natalia Rose has some step by step guides in transitioning that are helpful. I especially like what she says about breathing and she gives some exersizes on learning to deep breath. I am beginning to see other nourshing things rather than food and will start to practice deep breathing.

I am also reading "the thrive diet" by brendan brazier he was speaking on calories in one chapter and how important it is to value the nourshiment rather than calorie value of the food.

Today we are haveing a wind/rain storm and might have a power outage tonight. I will resume fasting if I cant use the juicer. I really love a good wind storm.

Pam

>Kwan, My plan is to juice fast for the next 21 days and then see how things go from there.<

Sounds wonderful! I want to do a long juice fast soon, too. For awhile, though, I'm going to fortify myself with juice + raw food, while practicing quantum eating, and then when I feel ready I hope to fast for a month. 'All in good time.' ;-)

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Quantum eating is great. I am going to have a quit time of eating and do a night time dry fast. I feel 5:00 in the evening is a good time to stop for now.

Today I juiced more of those grapes and even froze some of the juice in ice cube trays for later when I want to do green smothies.

What I juiced today...

grape,apple,dandilion about 23 oz

parsely,carrot,apple,carrot,spinach,beet about 16 oz

I will have to juice more during the day but still feel o.k. I have been tired today and had a strssful situation with one of my daughters so emotionally feel like handburger. Hope things iron out with me and my life but for now I hope to not let the emotional tidal wave engulf me and for me to start binging.

Yeah, I feel like hamburger too. I'm not hungry though.

I'm doing well with just juicing and feeling a great difference in my body. I did have a hard time yesterday and felt low in energy and unfocused. I had my weigh in on monday and I lost 7 pounds in one weak I feel real happy with that. At this time I feel happy to just be juicing. I wake up not feeling like I have to walk to the coffee pot and slurp down a cup of joe and I don't think of eating many of the cooked foods I usually crave. My skin is starting to become soft again and I have noticed my eyes are starting to look clear. I feel satisfied to continue this for a long time because I don't have that struggle with food so to speak. Perhaps I do need to make more juice though in order to get more energy or maybe the lack of energy in due to detox. I am feeling like I need to start learning some deep breathing technics and pump my body full of oxygen. I am dry brushing but not as regular as I would like. Some days are more hectic than others but I hope to get some sort of pattern going so I can have a time to dry brush and practice some deep breating exersizes in the morning.

Life at hope is going good right now. My oldest daughter is due any day now and she is experianceing some labor pains. She is so pregnant it is painful for even me to see. My youngest seems to be more aware of her diet however she tends to want the sweets and sodas. I have one of my tops pals who asked me to make her a green smoothie and I think I will do that today and take it to her house, I would love to get anybody hooked on the simplicity of green smothies.

The weather has turned rainy and grey outside and a little cold. The fall was the most wonderfull fall this year though with hardly any rain fall the leaves stayed dry and looked fabulous. I never saw such a beautiful fall in this area.


stay green and stay happy all
Pam

I have been juice fasting for about 4 days now and before that I water fasted for 5 days, I am feeling tired but have that in control feeling with my eating. I love the simplicity of juice fasting. Just drink your nutrients and give the digestive parts a great rest without stressing the body all that much. There are times I want to eat but I really enjoy the freedom this brings.

I have been practiceing deep breathing. It seems odd to say I am practicing breathing but in many ways I have to tell myself to breath deeply as I have been a very shallow breather. There is so much information concerning breathing it is overwhelming. I am starting with some breathing in the morning where I simply breath deeply for about a minute and increase it as the days go by.

I have also been dry brushing my skin. I try to brush at least once a day. This is supose to encourage the lymph to work better but really I don't understand it I just think its wonderful on the skin and cleans away all the dead cells. My skin is becomming real soft lately. I never really used lotions but my skin on my arms and legs have always been on the dry side, now my arms are starting to feel real soft. I also take baths in epson salts and sometimes hydregon peroxide.

I have started oil pulling again. I have real bad teeth and find swishing oil for 20 minutes real helpful for the gums and teeth.

Another thing I have been doing is not useing soap or deodarant. I stoped useing deodarant because of all the chemicals. I have times of persperation odor and find if I clean under the armpits with vinegar it deodarizes real well. I rarely have to use vinegar though. I am surprised that I really did'nt need the deodarant like I thought. I am now useing a soap that I can understand the ingreadiants. I use the same soap in my hair. I never thought of useing bar soap in my hair and it seems to be working real well. I have always had some sores on my head and I am hopeing that this change will bring healing to my scalp. My hair is looking just fine without all those fancy hair cleansers.

I have fleating moments of wanting cooked foods but at this time I am going to be juice fasting for at least the rest of this month. I am even thinking of continueing this juice fast through december as well. I have always been stressed out through the winter holidays and perhaps the juice fasting will give me a new feeling for these months. Last year during this time is when I sent off the raw diet and had a terrable time getting myself back on track. I am not going to let that happen again.

Hey Pam--
Do you get a soap film on your hair when you use bar soap? Because I always have. Now I use about 2T. baking soda for my waist length hair, working it through my hair well, then rinse it well, then I put the juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon on my hair and work that through. You can kind of feel the reaction of the lemon juice and baking soda, and the effect is really soft, shiny hair! AND... I only have to wash my hair about once every three days (as opposed to every day)! Pretty cool, huh? I've been doing this for over six months and I love it!

Sundancer, thanks for the tip, I really don't notice a film on my hair but I will give the lemon/bakingsoda a try. I just got some epsonsalts and some hydrogen peroxide and intend to soak in the tub to aid in detoxifying me. The H2O2 is a interesting soak, it bubbles your skin clean.
I have been reading a book called the body toxic by nena baker, I am over whelmed by the facts in that book. I hope to start intergrating the house away from the toxic cleansers and adopt a different aproach to cleaners.

So far so good on the juice fasting but I really need to have more juices throughout the day. I am noticing my posture is getting better and my lower back is not aching as much as usual. I gues with full belly one gets a bad back. Yesterday was difficult for me as I felt tired and lethargic throughout the day. I am thinking to doing some sort of enema or a salt flush like the master cleanse has. I really did not like the salt flush but it helps to keep the colan cleansed.

Boy do I want to sink my teeth in some salad or something solid but that would be to soon. I want to go the distance with this experiment and see what it will do for me.

I did eat some pomigranet seeds yesterday I did not want to squeeze the seeds and lose any of the goodness from them. yum.

I am thinking I will transition to smoothies and juices in a week or so.

Sometimes I wonder why I started this juice fast, it is hard to get the right amount of juice throughout the day and I find myself getting tired and hungry because I am lacking some food. I have been doing this juice fast for about a week now and it feels like forever. I have not seen any big changes except for weight loss. I want to continue to juice fast another week to see what kind of effect it has on me.

Last thanksgiveing was the time I went off the raw eating I was doing and I had a terrable time getting myself back to eating healthy raw foods, I ended up gaining back most of the weight I lost and feeling awful. This Thanksgiveing I hope to still be juiceing and perhaps have a smoothie that day. I will still be cooking for the family like any other day.

I did not mention the weight loss. I lost 7 pounds in a week by juicing.

hey Pam i posted htis in someone elses thread too but thought you might like to check it out if you have time ... i figure if i get ONE tip out of it to get past the holidays relatively unscathed then its worth litsening too LOL

Dear jgunn,

The holiday season is almost
here. This can be a tough time
of year for us healthy eaters!

There are many food temptations,
especially at Thanksgiving dinner.
It can be difficult dealing with
relatives who don't understand why we
eat raw foods.

I am usually the only person at
Thanksgiving dinner who eats raw
vegan. Others at the table are
always trying to get me to eat
turkey and stuffing.

I used to struggle through the holidays.
I would try my hardest to stick with raw
foods, but I would always cave in and
overeat unhealthy foods like cookies,
mashed potatoes, and tofu turkey.

My friend Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo has been
teaching natural health and nutrition for
two decades. She specializes in raw foods
and has created a new program to help us
through the holidays.

It is called Holiday Thrival, and is designed
to help us not only survive, but Thrive! Yes,
it is still possible to create vibrant health
through the holiday season!

I will be hosting a new teleseminar
class with Dr. Ritamarie next Wednesday,
November 19. We will be giving you the
specific raw food strategies and techniques
we are using to thrive during the holidays.

During this teleseminar, we will answer
all your questions related to raw food
nutrition, and we will also share some
of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Dr. Ritamarie has a brand new recipe
eBook filled with delicious raw gourmet
Thanksgiving recipes. She has new recipes
for many traditional dishes including
pumpkin pie, cranberry relish, and Herbed
Mashed "Potatoes" with Mushroom Gravy.

You are invited to join us during this
special event. To register, please visit
the following page for more details:

[www.therawdiet.com]

We are hosting this class because we want
to help you achieve all your nutritional
goals. You will create vibrant health and
experience unlimited energy with these
proven nutritional strategies and techniques.

Thanks and please let me know if you have
any questions. I look forward to speaking
with you on Wednesday!

To your great health,

Mike Snyder

P.S. This is a free event and there is
no charge. Please register even if you
are unable to make the live event, and
I will email you a recording of the class.

Sign up today at

[www.therawdiet.com]

Mike Snyder

5803 SE 83rd Ave.
Portland, OR
97266
US

Thanks Jody,

I have been a little busy lately, My oldest daughter had a baby and I was helping her with the birth and enjoying the new littly bundle of joy. He was 10.2 pounds and 21 inches long. He looks healthy too.

I have still been fasting/juicing There are times I want to stop this and eat but I did make the decision to continue this at least until thanks giveing. I am thinking of haveing a smoothie on thanks giveing day with the family eating all the cooked foods. Over all I really don't see any big results in this fast. I have not juiced enough and end up feeling starved most of the day. I usually wake up in the morning not hungry but at mid morning to noon I want to have something to eat so that is the time I juice. I did a salt water flush today, I feel good to have cleared out the entestines, perhaps I will feel that positive feeling that comes with fasting but overall I just feel starved and question just why I am doing this. I liked the master cleanse because I was feeling cleaned out with the bowel movements and all. I think I should find more information on juice fasting that might be helpful for me.

I have found out the amount of toxic substances in some of our cosmetics and have been working on different ways to clean my body. I have always had open sores on my head and have tried many different shampoos to clean my hair. For a couple of days I used a locally made soap for my hair and body until someone wrote in here about useing baking soda with lemon. I have been useing this on my hair and getting some fantastic looking hair and my sores are starting to heal. I feel like my hair is more manageable and very shiney, my scalp feels clean as well. So far this is a great way to clean ones hair.

I have been drinking a drink called kombucha. I was on the road one day and found this at a healthfood store so I gave it a try. I am a little hooked on the fizzy drink that sometimes reminds me of beer. I don't feel any adverse affects by drinking this, I have tryed two different brands, one called synergy which tasted to vinegery to me and the other is called GT'S Organic Raw kombucha, I enjoy the GT brand the best. It reminds me of Ann wigmores rejuvelac but I have not been so succesful in making that.

Over all I am still fasting and drinking juices. One of my favorite juices right now is grannie smith apple, celery and ginger root. In fact I think I'm getting off of here to make me one of those. yum yum

Hey Pam --
I'm glad the baking soda and lemon trick works for you! I love kombucha! I have a scobe (the mushroom looking mother that produces the kombucha) and make it myself. We also have a local company that is going national soon (we know the people and are excited for them). My three year old drinks it like most kids drink soda, and she is very healthy.

One of the biggest keys to raw food conversion is to believe that by eating only raw foods will bring rejuvination and a youthful life. I have wavering thoughts at times about eating just raw foods, but that wavering is only due to inexperiance and lack of information. Our bodies need the nutrients from the whole foods not cooked. In many ways I am still stradddleing the fence on only eating raw foods. My work is only begun on this lifestyle.

hey Pams where is you im guessing the huge family an the holidays are keeping ya hoppin , hope alls well

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Merry Christmas Pam! Hope all is well with you and family in Washington.

Love,
Prism

Happy Winter Solstice, Pam!

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

happy new year all. May you have a healthy 2009.

here goes my confession....
I have been very naughty and not adhearing to any health plans whatsoever these past weeks. i find the hollidays to be so very stressfull for me but really I have been fighting with old deamons and loseing very badly. Its been only the past two days that I have been eating green smoothies and fruit. I have started feeling very dizzy and have noticed the vertigo commeing back. I have had other symptems of eating the traditional diet such as brain fog, negative feelings, depression, weight gain and overall awfull. I have decided to give it a try once again but this time I am going to work on other aspects of my person such as spiritual and exersize to make a more balanced body. I have been training myself to think more positivly, for example, in my head or sometimes out loud I say or think something positive about my life and I go to sleap at night saying something positive about myself. So far this is a very powerful tool. Personally I don't like to be around overly chearfull people it makes me feel uncomfortable but I am trying to just be grateful and positive. Another thing is what I think about. I tend to dwell on real negative issues mostly because I have experianced some real bad things for the past thirty years but I have realized it is not getting me any where3 to dwell on the negative, Perhaps i can make changes and creat a better world for myself if I just take a different outlook on situations.

As for my diet, I have decided to eat mostly green smoothies and some fruit. I have lost most of my molars and am not able to chew very many foods so the green smoothies is the way to go for me. Right now coffee is very hard for me to walk away from so I am drinking coffee. It seems crazy to drink coffee and try to change my body to alcoline however it is enough of a change right now for me to stop eating all the foods my family eats.

I have begun to have very little faith in myself to make this change. I am happiest when I am not eating food at all but one has to eat sometime right? Unless you are a breatharian. I wish I could eat a little cooked foods now and then but that seems to be a tease to my body. It seems as if I have to be either raw or cooked. I feel best when I eat raw foods. I feel more in control of myself.

hee hee pam yer not alone in the naughty boat i was right there behind you face down in the stuffing bowl, cooked brussel sprouts , carrots , mashed taters lol

although i stayed the vegan path i felt like a bloated balloon for days umm ..weeks even and was sooooooo kicking myself

im feeling better now tho i had a mini water fast for a few days but sadly shot back up to 185lbs over the holidays so i am determined too that this year is my exercise year and time to get off my butt and stop thinking food raw vegan is gonna solve all my problems cuz it aint ! lol

im glad to hear about your molars cuz i think those were really bothering you werent they? well not glad you lost some teeth but its better i think for the bad ones to be gone and then you can concentrate on healing instead of being in pain

i have extra faith kicking around Pam so i will give you some ok ? *puts some faith in a little bubble an blows it down to washington*

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I caught this bubble floating in my yard mixed with snow flakes
how interesting
when I put it in my pocket it melted in my heart
I feel hopeful
Thanks Jody

About the weather at my house, When we have gotten snow in the past it usually rains the next day washing it all away. I think the snow is here to stay and we are getting more this weekend. The snow is still sticking to the tree branches and all over the ground. How strange.

I have been feeling better every minute since I have started eating my green smoothies. Right now I am haveing a dandilion/spinach with strawberries and banana. I am trying out some chia seeds for the first time. Lets see what happenes with that.

In the morning I do a oil pull with three drops of oil of oregino mixed with sesame oil and swoosh for about 20 minutes. It has become a morning practice for me and I can feel the difference in my gums. I take a little of the oil and q-tip and put it in each nosteral and clean out my ears. I have read that oil of oregino is a very powerful medicine especially for the sinuses. When I swoosh I feel an ache in my right ear. I wonder if that is the ear that is giveing me virtego.

I started showing sighns of vertigo when I was pregnant with my now 15 year old daughter. I just got up one morning and fell right down because I did not know what end was up or what end was down. The vertigo would come and go but this time it seemed very different and I felt do disoriented from it. I still don't feel just right but am hopefull for some changes.

Yesterday I drank coffee throughout the day however the coffee really effects me adversely. Addictions are so crazy it is insane that I still drink the stuff but I don't want to force this change I will just see if I will drop the desire on my own after drinking these green smoothies.

I go to the library with my youngest regularly and find all sorts of great books but a few weeks ago I picked up this book and really felt compelled to read it. it was about a man who died three times and relates his after life experiances. the name of the book is called Saved by the light by Dannion Brinkley. I also read Many lives many masters by brian weiss and am reading life after life by Raymond Moody. All these books pertain to our spiritual selves. the life after life book chalenges one to think of rencarnation and our purpose on this earth. I have gotten an eckheart Tollee book as well but have not read it yet. Right now I have been reading bouchenkos books on raw foods. She is so encourageing. I also picked of Oprahs magazine and surpriseingly am fonding a load of great stuff in there. I don't usually read her magazine but this one just seemd to call to me yesterday.

I don't have a written plan yet but I am working on the master plan right now. At this time I am simply keeping track of what I eat every day and not doing all that good of a job of that. I will probably have to stop eating in the evenings though because last night I noticed myself haveing hungry feelings after eating late at night but like drinking coffee I will just take it in stride and not force issues at this time.

Hello Pampam, best wishes to you in this new year. You and I have a lot in common I think, I really resonate with the tones of your writing. I bob up and down too. You can do it, as can I. You've just had a little low spell, as have I, and we can get back to where we want to be. You've done SO WELL and I admire you and am rooting for you. I'm getting myself back together, too. Hugs and cheers.

pampam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I caught this bubble floating in my yard mixed
> with snow flakes
> how interesting
> when I put it in my pocket it melted in my heart
> I feel hopeful
> Thanks Jody



...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Thanks Elakti and Jodi. This is day 5 and I am feeling more alive.

Yesterday I had a large green smoothie with chia seeds mixed fruit, banana and spinach and dandilion greens and later I ate oranges. I felt satisfied with the food I ate. Oh I did not drink any coffee I felt no need for it

I have been reading victorias book "12 steps to raw" She covers a little about staying raw and it is helpful.

I think I sayed this before but I feel that changing to eating only raw foods is like a religious converson in a way. You can't be wishy washy with this, its all or nothing.

My oldest daughter just started back smoking recently and it reminds me of how I was with smoking in the past I would quit but still enjoy smelling the smoke on people and then I would eventually start back up smoking. I get sick when I smell the smoke and it really turns my stomach. I am so gratefull to have quit that awful habit. I say express this gratitude everytime I see someone lighting a cig in public.

Just like smoking it is hard to make changes in other habits I have. To stop eating meat is not all that difficult however I still have to remind myself i am getting enough protien. The coffee habit is a big one for me because coffee is such a big part of my day. I drink it all the time. I am hopeing that by eating right I will just lose the desire to drink coffee.

I still feel dizzy with the virtigo but not as dizzy. I sure hope it clears up it makes me feel loopy at times.

It looks like we are getting some warmer weather and the snow will melt away. I am missing seeing the ground. I am not use to haveing so much snow around.

everyone take care and be grateful in everything
Pam

still raw but yesterday I did drink coffee. I have been makeing green smoothies and munching bananas and oranges lately. I usually start the morning with an oil pull.

I have been reading the 12 steps to raw by victoria boutenko and am finding the book to be so helpful. Victoria writes about many things I have been struggleing with in my quest to be raw. It amazes me how powerfull the food addiction is. I think I can beat it though and make the necessary changes. Just one step at a time. If I can quit smoking cigs I can do this. I just have not been useing the right tools. Victoria's book has many great suggestions in making a change. I recomend reading her book if you are struggleing like I am with transitioning your way of eating.

Being grateful might be one of the most sucessful tools in changing ones eating habits.

happy days are ahead of us
love pam

still raw yea
I have been feeling real tired but my skin is starting to feel soft again and I am starting to feel happy inside. I feel smiley all over but not in a giddy way just in a relaxed way. I tried to prepare some uncooked foods like almond cheese and raw spagetti sauce. I am hopeing to make some sort of meal for my family that is uncooked.

I am eating bananas like they are going out of style. I usually don't like bananas. I like pears lately and pineapple.

I did not drink coffee today. I almost had a half a cup but poured it out in the sink. I still desire it but today I was able to walk away from it.

The snow is gone but we have flooding all over. The kids are two hours late tomorrow for school but I am thinking the school may be canceled because it is still raining and every road is flooded. ten inches of rain in 12 hours is a lot of rain and all the rivers and streams are beyond capacity. I live on a hill and the roof just got fixed so we are dry for nnow.

ugg i know pam this weather is just insanity ... miles of snow up to years then water by the load ..i keep having to check the drain out front lest our basement floods if it gets clogged up

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

aha a break in the weather... things seemed a little normal today except for the raging rivers and creaks.

I have been starting the day with a green smoothie mostly every day this year and it really makes a difference. I read of some people who get tired of the same ole smoothie but in reality I would usually eat some toast and butter or coffee in the morning and never get tired of that so I think I just need to get use to this, right??

I ended up haveing some coffee today, I have been feeling so tired I just want to sleap away the day and I also began to feel a desire to eat cooked foods. I was feeling a bit depressed today and not expressing much gratitude in things. Its hard to be grateful all the time especially when I am feeling depressed. Any how I did not feel so great this day.

I finished 12 steps to raw and It was so helpful everyone needs to read that book. I am going to have to reread it though to get all that she wrote. I checked it out of the library and may have to buy it for a reference book.

all is well
Pam