I’m really scared and frustrated and don’t know where to turn. I am diabetic and I have vagus nerve damage resulting in a paralyed gut which requires a lots of juices and smoothies because liquids digest easier. The things that I enjoy the most are fruit based smoothies w/ greens, but they raise my blood sugar. The thought of living off a blended salads sounds unappetizing.

I tried eating my veggies last week ala Gabriel Cousens and the solids were very difficult to digest and I was horribly distended in the gut. The entire gut is slowed so I also had very bad constipation.

I really need some ideas for blended greens that actually taste good. I need to be able to find a way to eat raw that I can enjoy and sustain. I really try to stay positive. It's so tiring to have to research everything that goes in my mouth even when it's raw. Most people can just pop food in their mouth and eat. I have to worry about every food and if it will make me sick. Sick in the gut, or sick from diabetes.

If I can’t make this work, my next step is a J-tube implanted for tube feeding. I feel like I'm at my wits end. Sorry.
Peace & Light,
W


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

wendy,

How much fat are you eating nowadays? Can you give exact amounts or quantities of these fats (oils, nut butters, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconuts, etc)?

About 2-4 TBL maybe a day (lately). I can give you a rundown of what I've been eating later (at work right now).

Today was a smoothie (1 banana, 1c blueberries, handful of spinach). It spiked my sugar 80 points at 2 hours, and 5 hours later I was still at 165 for a noon reading. Normally I'm about 200 when I wake up and drop about 100 points by noon or 2 pm.

At 12pm I had 6 stawberries, a grapefruit & 20 bluberries. My 2pm reading was 126, so it's coming down, but I'm not eating amything basically.

I'm going to research some green smoothies or blended salads to see if there is something I like.

I made a great Asian type coleslaw last week, but it bloated me someting awful.

If I ever get this diabetes/gut paralysis combo fixed, I'm going to help a lot of people. <3


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

I would like to know how were you diagnosed with "vagus nerve damage" if you would share - Thanks, I have been researching this lately.

Based on what you mention, your calorie intake looks like it could be 1000 calories or so. If you had 2 tbsp of sunflower seeds, your fat intake could be around 20%. But if you are using an oil, say like olive oil, your fat intake could be in excess of 55% fat.

If possible, while you are experiencing sugar imbalances (high blood sugar), try eating no overt fats (oils, butters, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconuts, etc) until your sugar levels come to a normal level for a while. Then only slowly start to add some fats back into the diet.

Also, what about making your smoothies simpler? For example, perhaps a banana and spinach smoothie? Or better yet, a plain banana smoothie.

Another thing you might try is to eat only one kind of fruit all day. For example, try eating only bananas for a whole day, and see how you feel.

Thanks for the informative info on fat. I appreciate all the free info I can get (I'm so tired of researching). I don't use any oils. But have been dehydrating sunflower seeds, and blending them for soaked for a salad dressing. I ate a banana yesterday and it spiked me 30 points. I'm kinda scared of them now. Grapefruit doesn't spike me at all. I'm checking on berries today.

I mono day would be a good thing I think. You've been telling me that for a year now, eh?
Love ya Bryan <3


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

>
> If I ever get this diabetes/gut paralysis combo
> fixed, I'm going to help a lot of people. <3


me too. I will tell alot of people on other web pages about this diet. even if they dont listen I will still tell them.

Wendy,

It is the low fat approach that is going to heal your diabetes - I am assuming you have type II diabetes, not type 1. The fat in the blood stream disables insulin's ability to move sugar from the blood into the cells. By eating no fats, your body is better able to move those sugars into the tissues and you won't get sugar spikes.

Try eating no fats for 2 weeks and show us what happens to your blood sugar.

Bryan I will do that. I don;t want to end up on the tube like so many others. Do you think I have to cut out fruit? Just asking for your opinion, not taking it as medical advice or anything.


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

Gastric Emtpying Scan tells if the body is not emptying food. I actually was dx'd through an endoscopy. If one has a history of diabetes or hypothyroid (I have both) they consider it neuropathy of the vagus nerve. The other way the vagus nerve gets damaged is in surgeries where the nerve inadvertently gets cut. That is the worst.


tanawana Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would like to know how were you diagnosed with
> "vagus nerve damage" if you would share - Thanks,
> I have been researching this lately.


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

NO!!!!!!!!! Don't cut out fruit. Just fat. Including avocados and olives and coconuts but especially no oils, nuts, seeds.

Wendy,

Yes, don't cut the fruit. The idea is to see if your body will heal its insulin resistance by cutting out all fat for a period of time.

Also, is there anything else going on in your life that is taking a lot of your energy or concern? Because for healing to occur, one has to set up the condition for health. And if you are stress or experiencing anxiety or worry, this makes it very difficult to heal. In general, are you experiencing a lot of peace with yourself and the world?

Wendy,

Please don't be disheartened. Bryan's advice[as usual] is very good. It is almost certainly the fats that are causing blood glucose problems. Just simplify things for your body; give it greens and fruits singularily and let it readjust.

Also, have you ever considered having acupuncture for the vagus nerve? This is the master nerve and its dysfunction affects much more than digestion. I slightly injured mine in auto accident at 17, and boy are the after-effects long lasting.

I wish you speedy healing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2009 10:20PM by Tamukha.

Well lemme tell ya. I have issues with Cushing's Syndrome, hypothyroid, hypopiutarism, and low progesterone. Any one of these can cause insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks and muscle pain (tension). I have all three. I am trying over time to get off meds, and I did stop my steroids, but I currently take trazodone to sleep, klonepin during the day (when the shaking gets to bad), and meloxicam for my muscles because even chiroprators can't help because as they put it my muscles are "locked down". Dr's want to inject me with steroids and I won't do it.

Now I don't wallow in this situation and I've been trying to absolve it for years. My thyroid is still not optimized (after 4 Dr's and 6 years), so I'm still trying to be my own advocate and help myself. I've had 2 seizures in the last year due to this hyper anxiety. Being on steroids for for so long didn't help and I'm still healing from having been on them.

Anyway...bottom line. yes I have heavy stress. And yes I exercise (walk and trot)and try to meditate. I'm going to try yoga in August and I'd love accupuncture, but my savings is going to a high-powered blender and then it can be allocated elsewhere.

Sorry that was so long. I need a retreat. Heh.




Bryan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wendy,
>
> > Also, is there anything else going on in your life
> that is taking a lot of your energy or concern?
> Because for healing to occur, one has to set up
> the condition for health. And if you are stress or
> experiencing anxiety or worry, this makes it very
> difficult to heal. In general, are you
> experiencing a lot of peace with yourself and the
> world?


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

Today is a better day. I've only had liquids so my bloating is better. I had blueberry/banana/spinach smoothie for breakfast & dinner. It was "lunch out" at work. The others went to a restaurant after they stopped by Jamba Juice so I could get a fresh fruit smoothie. I asked for a banana with strawberries and an orange with just water to blend. They told me they could juice oranges and put the OJ in the smoothie, but they couldn't put an orange in the blender (rolls eyes)...huh? So I opted for a banana w/ strawberries & water. The girl looked at me in digust with her face all scrunched up like she had just sniffed a @#$%&. It was kinda funny. I had a great time at the restaurant drinking my flavorless smoothie (unripe fruit) and visiting with my friends. My morning numbers were just under 200 and have been around 100 the rest of the day. I'm not eating after 6pm tonight (ala Paul Nison) and we'll see if that lowers my morning number.

I wish the health food store by my work made smoothies. They just do juice. Next time I'm going to get spinach/carrot. I'm sure it'll have more flavor than the Jamba place. :-)

I'm off to look for soup recipes. I'll take them if you got them (wink). You all rawk!


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

You are displaying great courage and determination.
I wish you well.
ffx

Hi Wendy,

There needs to be rehabilitation centers for people who are on prescription drugs to help them wean themselves off the drug and bring themselves back into a healthful lifestyle (ie a Betty Ford Center for prescription drugs rather than alcohol).

There is a path to health for you without further surgeries or drugs. The healing has to come from all aspects of your life - diet, life situation, weaning off medications, spiritual/emotional work.

Looking at the side effects of the drugs you mentioned, each of these is pretty bad, but the trazodone is horrible.

It seems that some of the drugs you are taking are dealing with the side effects of the other drugs.

With regards to the muscular contractions, I've been working on my contractions for 8 years with my yoga practice. My body is quite un-contracted in the shoulders, spine, and hips compared to most men my age, but I still have a ways to go.

See if you can find a yoga teacher that has a healing practice. There are some students of TKV Desikachar who teach throughout the US, but there are others that can share how to release your muscular contractions with breathing and a practice that teaches you how to let go. If you can relocate to Humboldt county in California I can share this kind of yoga with you.

The anxiety can be treated with yoga also, but this is not the typical hatha yoga poses, but the other aspects of yoga that bring a union of an individual with the divine. These yogas are called raja yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga.

Anxiety is fear, and all fear is based on the fear of death. There is a perspective that can be experienced where one sees themselves as the part of themselves that was never born and never dies, versus the mind/body that we are all conditioned to believe is who we are. But this teaching is typically available only through personal transmission; most people can't read about this and get it.

If you become a yogi (not a "Yoga Journal" yogi, but one like the yogi in "Autobiography of a Yogi", you can heal yourself in the process of becoming a yogi.

After all this yoga talk, there are other paths to healing that will work too besides yoga, but yoga is what I am the most familiar with.

Hi Wendy

you probably already do this, but I just wanted to mention green juices - cucumber/celery/kale/spinach etc, you'd only need to add an apple/maybe a couple of carrots to make it taste nice. Would get some good nutrition straight in there maybe add some superfoods, green powders etc.

wish you the best in your recovery x

Bryan,
Wow I wish I still lived in Santa Rosa. I'd be fairly close to you. I'm not currently in a position to relocate, but I'm really in a place to move through my current situation. I sure would like to visit sometime though. I saw the book "Autobiography of a Yogi" there is the 1946 edition and a newer paperback. I'll check the library.

Oh! Before I go futher...my AM blood sugar dropped 60 points after 2 days of green smoothies. It was 143. Wow !!!! :-)

Ok.. onto what I found last night..a local meet-up group. I signed up for this:

"Attention! This meetup is designed as an introduction to meditation, specifically Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation which is a series of lessons that are consecutively given. There are 3 sessions which cover the foundation course which will begin on Monday July 27th and continue on Tuesday July 28th and July 29th at the same times of 7pm-8:30pm."

I feel yoga speaking to me if that makes sense. Thanks again for the info. :-)


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

Hi Wendy


After reading your posts I felt that I really need to get into yoga. I started last sunday doing it on you tube. but I really need more and better teaching. I also have anxiety, and panic attacks. i find it hard to focus my energy in a positive manner. I don't know why. I just felt that I was the only one in the world going through this. Ive never met anyone with IBD before. So Im so glad I found this site.

Im so glad your feeling better keep it up and go for the Yoga

Wendy,
I'm posting this based on having read your initial post only.
Here's a blended salad recipe that's always been a hit even with my non-raw friends. The only fruit ingredients are tomato, red pepper and whole lemon.
The amounts included will make approx 3 cups. I use only organic.

grape (preferable) or cherry tomaotes (I use about 25)
cucumber (half a medium size)
red pepper (half a bell or several Mexican mini peppers, must be sweet)
celery (3 or 4 medium ribs)
spinach (not sure of the measurement, perhaps several cups)
kale (any variety or combo, 3 very large leaves)
lemon (half a medium size; I leave a bit of outer skin intact)

I've tried other ingredient combos & this is my favorite. Spinach, tomatoes & pepper that are very sweet make the salad. I've been consuming blended salads for decades! You can experiment & add more tomatoes and/or pepper to make it more sweet.

Let me know how you like it if you try it.

rawne - do you use a regular blender or a vita-mix/blentec?
Thanks,


WendySmiling in Oklahoma
www.16weeks2health.blogspot.com
12/17/10.......240/155/125

Wendy, I have never used a Vita-mix (or Blendtec) because I would not use a non-glass carafe. At the moment, I have a Cuisinart.