"So you take supplements? I don't believe in supplements. You must get all your nutrition from all food groups."

"A Naturopathic Dr. is involved, is that a real doctor? Do they have a degree?"

"Did that lady (my Dr.) sell you those supplements?"

"You have to get your B12 from meats. There is no other place to get them."

"I've never heard of a raw food diet. Does that mean you eat sushi?"

I could go on and on.

It just didn't go well at all. I might have paid to talk to a wall.

Bleck.

I forgot--why did you go there in the first place? The mainstream medical establishment is going to tout their beliefs, which are (usually) hopeless backwards and geared towards pathology rather than prevention. I was getting a dental exam and had told my hygienist about natural ideas regarding gum recession (osteoporosis in the mouth) and how acidic sugar and other dietary items are. She didn't want to even consider the possibility! So it shouldn't come as any surprise.

Sorry to hear you had a bad time, out of interest if you dont mind me asking what were you hoping to achieve from the nutritionist.

If it was someone helping you transition onto a plant based diet, maybe email around and see if you can find a good nutritionist who will support your directions. Many work with vegans.

I went there because this is you know..my health! Am I going to miss something or do something to myself by this change that is going to impact me negatively? Something basic I overlooked?

I'm a mom, I care for people, I can't afford and don't want to cause a self-inflicted problem because of lack of guidance, knowledge or just plain stupidity.

Also, my weight loss has been sort of eyebrow raising (cmon 35 pounds in a month, what the heck?) So I'm feeling a little insecure on maintenance, the diet was also a surprise for me after an illness, it's a long story about a drug called cipro...but anyway..

My body will not tolerate any foods outside of the fruits and vegetables without negative reaction. And believe me, I've tried...I've tried experimenting with putting foods back in my diet and they are just a disaster.

When I try to re acclimate my diet to something like say a bread...or fish..it'll knock me out and I'm down for anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. I look like a person with a flu..high temp, vomiting, the runs, shaking, exhaustion, it's just awful. And then, after I recover, I go back to pure fruits and vegetables and I'm fine as frogs hair. Couple of more days and I feel like a million bucks, in the gym, socializing, just on top of the world....and then I get a craving and screw up.

That roller coaster is really destructive and I'm tired or resisting and testing this out. I just want to feel great all the time.

She said to me, "Well, it's most likely that you've developed some food problem due to the antibiotic (duh) and after a few months this will go away and you'll be just like you were before....so...how about you try a new food every other day..say Monday, Wednesday, Friday..."

I sat there and wondered, "didn't she just hear what I said?"

She wants me to volunteer to be sick three times a week with no recovery? WTH?

I explained again...

"See, if I were to say...eat a cookie...just one cookie...about an hour later I develop symptoms, could be anything from a hive to vomiting...and I'm tired of experimenting with this and just need to accept this, I'm built for fruits and vegetables now and the reasons why don't matter anymore, it can't be *fixed*"

"Oh, I see, well, how about one time per week."

Man I was getting angry. Do the math sister. Four days a month=8 days of illness.

I asked her point blank, "Would you drink an 8 oz. glass of salmonella laced chicken juice four times a month with the direct knowledge you are going to become ill?"

"That's not what this is about..."

Deep breath. There is no getting this across to her.

"Now honey, you need the meat group for your B12"

"I need a meat product like I need a car accident."

We just really didn't hit it off, she really didn't understand me at all.

Frustrating as heck.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2011 05:27PM by miss jules.

I wasn't meaning that in a snidey way just incase you took it like that, i more than understand about chronic mentally tiring health problems after being ill for 7+ years with very bad digestive problems as one of my ailments so i was wondering if i could chime in if it was a specific issue you were going to her for.

Are these problems occurring instantly after eating suspect foods, if so id suspect either rebound hypoglycemia and/or allergen. There can be a few reasons allergic reactions to food occur and the main is poor functioning adrenal glands and they key to here is trying not to stress as that weakens them further.

Have you tried building up your gut flora with fermented foods/probiotics and prebiotics. Increasing stomach acid can also help as poor digested food can cause alot of problems.

Okay, maybe I will get slammed for this, but you are an adult and are capable of making your own final decisions so I am just telling you the way I think.

You say that you went there to make sure you were not going to create self-inflicted problems regarding your health. So this person who is supposed to be an "expert" was who you thought to get advice from. And yet, did not the person with the bunch of letters after his or her name give you the Cipro? Didn't this person totally blow off your statement regarding symptoms you have been experiencing? I am curious if you are still involved with the napropath. Personally, I am not big on supplements either, but at least a napropath can be more sane about nutrition. Were you afraid that s/he was not a "real" doctor and therefore wanted to check with one?

Ya, I'm on probiotics and fiber supplements also. I've never had such a supersonic system before, I have no idea how to handle all these rapid changes.

And by the way, I had no issue or felt any "tone" to your response, it's okay, I'm mellow...

I think it's very disconcerting how rapid - just the sheer speed of the good effects have been that are freaking me out, really.

I had a really extensive set of labs done (and horribly expensive) at the beginning of all this.

This is the second time I've sat across the table from a health professional with those papers and had them look at them and they say, "Oh, these are perfectly fine.."

I feel this out of body sort of sensation, like I'm in the matrix or something..

"You think it's okay that my vitamin B levels in (whichever) categories...are showing as 'units not detected?'"

"Vitamin B's are water-soluble, they only reflect what you ate that day, this was early in the morning and you were fasting, it's normal."

Wouldn't you guys freak out if you did labs and they showed a clear and recorded deficiency?

I'm going back in about four months for a second set of them just to ease my mind.

I'm serious man, when I had those done, I was not even able to drive a car I was so out of it from lack of nutrients. I spent two weeks in that state, I behaved like someone who literally has advanced Alzheimer's. Even my speech was affected.

My descent into that state was slow and gradual, then rapid and pretty terrifying. I had even gone and requested a living will. No joke.

As I became well again, this diet issue surfaced.

Eat the wrong food and the price is serious stuff.

I have a standing order for a GI test and they really want me to do this, but I won't. I'm not getting knocked out for one, and I'm not going on a regimen of synthetic drugs and chemicals when I can avoid all that by a diet that makes me feel like a champ and a half.

It's absolutely creepy where I am at right now, a general healthcare system wants to make me ill again and pump me full of meat and drugs- that is what the pressure is about. It's crazy stuff when the answer is so simple for me.

Just eat good food that works for me.

Oh hi Banana, just saw your post as I reloaded...naw, no slamming from me, it's a lack of details on my part that has caused your questions, so sorry for that..here..

I had a primary Dr....we will call her Dr. Jones, a basic PH'd degree/hospital style..she's actually a OB/GYN with a practice at a large hospital.

They are the ones that did the Cipro.

And I did not like the office, the staff, the treatment so I went to the naturopath afterwards...

So now I have a Dr. of Naturopathic medicine, we'll call her Dr. Smith- and she is super amazing awesome cool. But...as we plowed along my treatment plan, she was really concerned about my protein intake levels with a raw diet (if this is lack of education on her part or mine-well I can't really answer..) so..with that problem sitting there I wanted to learn more about it...

And I read, and read, and read on my own. And I couldn't get ONE straight answer but do know enough that proteins are essential for all other systems to work.

And in my own Mrs. Brady/Better Housekeeping mind set, I thought, "Well, I'll just make an appointment with a specialist to discuss protein and diet issues, I'll get trustworthy information there for sure.."

BWHAHHAHAHAHA-jokes on me huh?

So again, I apologize for not laying it out clearly for ya, I have had 3 health care appointments, all with different folks.

None of them a specialist or supporting completely what it is I need to do, so I'm still a bit confused and frankly pretty ticked off at all the angles in approach.

I'll have to fill them myself and just keep working at it until I get it very clear on what my everyday maintenance is about.

Thanks for saying hi by the way!

People should be very leery these days with the standard "advice." It's sickening to see the ads urging flu shots using parents' love for their children as a ploy to get them to get shots. And these poor children are overburdened with schedules of vaxxes left and right. The profit motive is so strong that to take things at face value is not wise. You sound like you know what to do. Do you juice? That would be a great way to get bio-available nutrients without further stressing the body. Of course gluten, casein and lactose are all hard on the body, not to mention the meat products!

Ok your posts are quite big so i may need to come back and re post.

Alot of probiotics are garbage, have you tried any fermented foods for repopulating your gut flora such as water kefir, cultured veggies. In the morning and last thing before bed as stomach acid is lowest. If you can tolerate rice bran as it is a non irritating and non bloating fiber then 2 tablespoons a day are a good prebiotic, rich in vitamins b groups and antioxidants. What fiber supplement are you taking?

What test was done to determine your vitamin B levels, blood?

Have you had the basic bloods done and tested your blood sugar levels?

I take it by GI test you mean endoscopy etc, if you have the money there is a different test which is better known as wireless capsule endoscopy. You just swallow a tiny camera and it passes out. This shows the whole intestine and colon.

Im no doctor, naturopath etc but ive been ill myself and have been on different forums for a few years. Did all these symptoms come on straight after cipro?

If Cipro is an antibiotic, then it sounds like it did its job--kill all bacteria, beneficial or not. How many women have had yeast issues over and over because they took some antibiotics for some other condition? Your advice is great and fermented foods sounds like the way to go. Don't you feel that eating cultured veggies might be superior to capsules? For some reason, I would rather eat my bacteria.

LOL @ Mrs. Brady reference! Totally got it! Hi!

I was a little trepidatious regarding the napro...I used to work in a health store and this woman would come in drinking broth from liver in a canning jar...Some of them are really into eggs and meat for getting everything. And perhaps in some cases, that is indicated. But it sounds like you are barking up the right tree by looking at a raw vegan diet. I guess it is trial and error. You are a responsible mother and I understand why you are concerned about being as healthy as possible! Keep reading various sources and see what resonates for you.

Yes, Banana, I have experienced profit medicine a few times in my life- and with issues with my children, I agree completely. I believe it is partially due to a CYA legal happy society at large, and also pure profit, finding a dedicated healthcare for health that works for an individual comfort zone can be a tough one...

A short note on my posting style-

Ever see someone play a piano super fast? [www.youtube.com]

Well, my "piano" is a computer keyboard, I type extremely fast! And I have training as a writer-so, it's a double edged sword.

Anyway, about fiber..I use psyillum husk and flax seeds. I use the flax on a plain salad (I'm learning that mono foods 6-8 times a day work for me)- and that has made a really big difference for me.

The probiotics I take are simple acidopulous and I've tried without success putting yogurts in to try to get it in a natural form. I'm just going to stick with the supplements for probiotics. I'm totally open to any suggestions on the best kind of supplemented probiotics.

They tested all my vitamin levels A-Z, and not just B12 for example, but I think it was something like 9 B groups? The labs were extensive checking for just about everything under the sun, it wasn't just vitamin levels and quite through, I had to do two draws over two days.

The labs came back, and the primary Dr. said, "Oh, everything is in normal range except you have a UTI."

Oh, lovely. I can't think, walk, talk, sleep, eat, function-and am two steps away from death from a UTI? BS. In fact, my kidneys were shutting down, I had no output, my fingertips were blue, I could not feet my hands or feet and my circulation was declining at a rapid pace. What a bunch of ________.

So yes, I took the cipro, had a lot of negative reaction to it, I had hallucinatory effects (one cute one was a massive flock of birds in the sky that wasn't really there)-I was hearing things also-sleepwalking and my tendons were absolutely ready to snap. All common they say, as reactions to this drug can go.

Nice... (not)

It was right after the cipro was done that my fella asked me, "Hey, do you need to refill your prevacid?" I'd had heartburn for the last 18 years and was vomiting daily even with it (sorry if that's TMI, but hey..it was an issue)- and I said, "Oh my gosh, I don't think I need it anymore.."

While I was taking cipro, all I was able to keep down was fruit juice, and was doing just fine with that, no vomiting. We went out and got a very large stainless unit (Jack LaLane which I love) and I just continued with that. I stayed on pure juice for about a week after the script was done and that's when the good changes hit.

Within 2 weeks I went from a woman who looked like a mental patient to being in the gym packed with energy, great sleep, totally solid awesome all the way around. I slept great, felt wonderful, was light-hearted, happy, laughing all the time and just amazed at it all.

Then I tried everyday normal foods, oops. Right back down I went, sick as a dog. Back to juices and started putting in salads. And I'm awesome again...then I goof off and try "normal" food. Back down.

So it's been a wicked seesaw see? And I'm tired of it.

I have never put so much study into any one thing like this for my health ever. I'm learning from experience and just need to surrender myself completely to accepting this change. Eating habits and foods are really hard to change, the other component to this is that I did not choose this...

It chose me.

Many people come to a healthier lifestyle via illness or disease, it's not uncommon that it "chooses you" as you say.
You sound very frustrated but you seem to know what works for you so why not just go with it? If you can eat flax are you able to have chia? An excellent source of nutrients etc. And how about a liquid b12 supplement? Problem solved. What about a green food powder? And some naturally fermented veggies (I have a fermenting set up called The Perfect Pickler) that makes ferments in 4 days, reliable and tasty every time. You can order one online or try to rig one up yourself.
Best of luck finding what works right for you Jules. You've got lots of support here.

powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Alot of probiotics are garbage, have you tried any
> fermented foods for repopulating your gut flora
> such as water kefir, cultured veggies. In the
> morning and last thing before bed as stomach acid
> is lowest.

Great info, very interesting, I knew you were supposed to take the probiotics in the morning but I never knew why! Now I do.

Watch the consumption of flaxseeds, they are goitrogenic thus can effect thyroid function by interfering with the thyroids uptake of iodine. Psyillum husk isnt my favorite and it is a more bloating fiber, depending on intake you might be taking in too much and that can cause nutrient absorption problems. Look into the rice bran if you can and seaweeds too. Good prebiotics, full of nutrition also and have health benefits.

Probiotics often sit on the shelf for months etc and end up useless by the time they reach you. Fermented foods are a better choice try getting your hands on some water kefir grains and fermented your own.

The fact you say heartburn which that sensation 9/10 is actually caused by a lack of stomach acid, which is probably why the foods your eating that give you problems are occurring as they are harder to digest than fruits and vegetables. Antibiotics are a common reason for digestive problems as they kill off the acid producing good bacteria and shift your stomach PH to an alkaline one. This can cause opportunistic pathogens such as candida and bacterial overgrowth to flourish. You can raise your stomach acid by using bitter herbs on the back of the tongue pre meal this helps the secretion of gastric acid, pancreatic enzymes and bile. It also cleanses the liver. You can try a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar mid meal also.

Proton pump inhibitors only make your condition worse by inhibiting stomach acid. I get really angry how overly prescribed these are for any GI issue when most commonly it is actually a lack of stomach acid rather than too much. Both have similar symptoms. Again repopulating your gut flora is a good idea.

So the vitamin tests were from blood, although not always a good indicator for some minerals etc, they are fairly accurate and having no detectable levels of B vitamins is not a good thing and one of them is needed for stomach acid formation. Its a catch 22 situation, the various vitamins and minerals you need for stomach acid formation are acid dependent for absorption so using apple cider vinegar mid meal is a good idea until you build these up.

Natural sources are better for b vitamins as you can imbalance and prevent uptake of various vitamin B's by supplementing high doses of selective ones.

Also it sounds like your adrenal glands are taxed from the stress, although something more sinister can cause the hands/feet going cold etc, it sounds alot due to over-release of adrenaline. Supporting your adrenal glands can never hurt minus severe adrenal gland disease, but thats another post in itself.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2011 06:56PM by powerlifer.

Hi Coco!

I just went and put a sign on my fridge:

"When are you ever going to learn?"

I heard that a lot growing up.

I think part of my sadness is that I'm a scratch cook person, and a really awesome one if I may say so, it's one of my major hobbies. I still cook for my family, and it's all so you know...groovy. And I love the way that food tastes, and I wish I could have it without making myself sick.

I know this is a little metaphysical in nature, (and I'm so not Shirley McClain-ish) but could I possibly be going through a grieving process? For real?

It has a traditional cycle you know, and I heavily identify with the stages as concepts..

denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance

Is that too far out?

Do I need a nap or am I over-thinking this? I do that a lot. It's okay to tell me I'm whacked, really...I take criticism well.

Your food is a basic piece or foundation of your life, and my everyday reality was blown to bits.

I suppose it's okay to be sad over, but only to a point.

Gotta get with the program, I'm off to the gym now.

Love,

She Ra

lol

I also went to see a nutritionist but it was very boring and I knew before I went it wasn't going to help much if at all. But I did learn something that may be of value for some.

I was told that if you have sleep apnea that could be a reason for gaining weight. I haven't researched it yet, but I will. Most overweight people seem to have some degree of sleep disorders.

I'd like to have a nutrition counselor like some of the celebs have. But we do have a lot of websites where it's free to customize your diet and find out calories and nutrient content.

Love,
Prism

LOL, not to laugh at your grief but yes, I do believe it's normal and natural to mourn for old life habits. I know people who quit smoking and felt like they'd lost a friend that had always been there for them (quietly killing them but still...).

One thing I did when I was starting out was to sometimes take a bite of something I was craving, chew it up and spit it out. I got the taste which was all I was really after and an odd thing happened too. Things like chocolate which you think are so yummy would leave a horrible aftertaste in my mouth that put me off craving it again. Perhaps you will have a similar experience. Or at least if you find yourself with a mouthful of something you know is going to hurt you later but you just couldn't resist you will have one last chance to save yourself some pain. Just a thought...

Miss Jules, I just wanted to make sure you know about this aspect of Cipro - that it is a fluoroquinolone and causes fluoride toxicity.

[fficial&client=firefox-a" rel="nofollow" >www.google.com]

[fficial&client=firefox-a" rel="nofollow" >www.google.com]

[fficial&client=firefox-a" rel="nofollow" >www.google.com]

[www.survivingcipro.com]

Flax also is high in phytoestrogens. I don't use it.

Thanks for the conversation again guys.

I need to reread the responses later and follow up but wanted a quick note of appreciation for today's chatter, I really do appreciate it-I don't discuss any of this with my family or friends, I'm sort of reserved in face to face life, a much better listener than a talker *most of the time*- but I really don't talk about me me me me-I like taking care of and helping others really. I get very self-conscious if I'm the topic of conversation.

The net is great that way-one can practice suppressed parts of personality without too much worry...

I was at the gym and thinking about this stuff, and probably did more weight on the lifts than I should have just to get it out of my system, I felt like I wanted or needed a challenge today. And I'm going back in again tonight in a few more hours actually...but anyway..thanks!

I absolutely did have reactions to the Cipro, many of the topics or areas of concern that are mentioned on those pages were direct experiences of mine, totally out of my character as well for me to behave or feel that way. It is a very serious drug.

I haven't detailed all of them, but others that still remain for me are a change in taste and some other heightened sensory issues. It's not a "detox" issue or anything like that, it's a change that came from the drug. Certain foods taste absolutely rancid to me now that didn't before, mostly dairy. I can mentally it seems, remember and recall the taste of fresh cottage cheese. Now if I try it-it tastes very off, very wrong, and I can't even swallow it for example.

I struggle with some of my recipes now and have to ask for someone else to taste it (and it's not because I"m food phobic or anything) it's that I simply can't taste it right. So now preparing family favorite dishes kinda sucks, well..it's going through a change, I still enjoy the process of learning new recipes, having my kid in the kitchen, reading..doing math, some light science, all of that..

but for tasting for flavors and things...that's gone for now-and I don't know if it's coming back ever..

Ruby Red Grapefruit on the other hand used to be tart, bitter and now it's like liquid gold. I covet and worship Ruby Reds now. I get up in the middle of the night and juice one like I'm some sneaky alcoholic. Will I be hiding them in my washer next? Finding places to keep a secret stash? Wrapping them in brown paper bags and hiding under my car seat?

I am in the midst of a dark secret love affair with Ruby. I raise them to my lips, kiss them, then whisper, "I'm going to eat you, we are going to become one.." lol...

I'm just this=close to sleeping with one under my pillow for security reasons.

(I'm just joking, having fun here, but ya, they taste amazing)

So Cipro threw me and my taste buds out the car window at 195 miles an hour, and it's been good and bad both.

If someone wanted me to take it again, I wouldn't do it. I had heavy reactions and probably was allergic but so desperate for healing I didn't care or couldn't care.

I gotta get going and go fetch everyone from work, do the car pool thing, go fix dinner (pizza/breadsticks/salads) and then off to the gym for an hour and soak in the tub or maybe a sauna.

The backs of my legs are amazingly alive right now from this afternoon. Probably need to do my upper body harder tonight.

I'm reading muscle and fitness magazines this week-just for the instructions on how to properly lift and move the weights around.

Three months ago, just thinking about something like this would have been a joke and half.

Incredible to reflect on that.

Love you all, and thanks so much

MJ

Miss Jules,
I went through a period similar to yours during my first few years raw. Very frustrating!

After making a few small changes, I’m easily able to stay raw all the time. Yes, cooked food absolutely kills me. I had a chronic and very serious health issue at one time, and I’ve been extremely food-sensitive ever since.

Here are some suggestions that have helped me stay successfully raw vegan for nearly 25 years, and might possibly help you too:

-I’ve found that for me, nuts and seeds are not only OK – they are essential. I eat them almost every day, but I try not to eat too many. I’m way better off than if I ate some kind of cooked starchy thing. That used to kill me. Also, in my experience, nonorganic nuts and seeds should be avoided like the plague.

-for mega-cravings, I’ve found there’s nothing comparable to some raw wheat germ added to a big salad. A couple of tablespoons of raw wheat germ on a salad (I think that’s about right - I never measured) or maybe one tablespoon sprinkled inside a nori roll is something I really like, and it cuts the cravings completely. And I don’t mind having a little bit of cold-pressed hemp oil and lemon for dressing. For extra protection afterwards, an orange for “dessert” feels perfect.

-if you still crave just something else, you might try steaming up some veggies and add them to a salad. Steamed veggies are a very good food for easing transition into all-raw. You could keep some on hand for emergency situations.

-as a mental strategy for not caving to craving: you can of course remind yourself of how you will feel, but also keep in mind that DELAY is extremely effective. You can binge LATER. And then later, and then later. After a while, you’ll forget about it – if you are getting enough of all your essential nutrients.

-Make sure that you are getting enough essential nutrients, or you may not have enough weapons in your mental/emotional arsenal to effectively combat your appetite signals. And that is as it should be. You can be raw successfully. An online calculator will help. I like www.nutritiondata.com. Your nutritionist should be able to show you how to read the charts. Once you learn how, you can add up the nutrients for all your day’s food and/or go to foods individually to see where you can get nutrients that may be lacking.

-3 items to consume for filling in the more difficult – but essential - raw nutrients: brazil nuts for selenium (get them truly raw online), seaweeds for iodine, and a vegan B12 supplement (unless you prefer to eat insects and/or your doodoo like other primates).



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2011 03:28AM by suncloud.

lol. What is this..I don't even..

I hope no one took my comment about doodoo seriously. It was just my way of saying that a vegan B12 source in the diet is "natural"; and personally, I'd rather take a vegan supplement than eat my doodoo (it does sound kind of funny!).

My first 15 years vegan didn't include a B12 supplement, but when I started having the classic toe-and-finger-tingling symptoms, I changed my mind about it. Symptoms cleared up in a month.

But, hopefully this won't start up a B12 debate. I only wanted to help out Miss Jules if possible.

Good morning.

I'm going to take ten days off topics and commit them to a deeper focus; and this might sound silly, but I am feeling so well...

What I'm going to do is keep my routine of morning/evening gym time. I stopped by a local gym that is designed for serious bodybuilders. The building itself is open twenty four hours a day, to get in one needs to put a security code in on a keypad to open the door. I knocked, but no one answered even though I could hear them inside.

I walked back out to my car, called the number on the sign, left a message to call me back.

As I was sitting there, a group of men walked out. All the men appeared to be competitive weight lifters, all of them carry the structure of very serious lifetime weight lifting. Hmm.

I laughed at myself and wondered if they'd take in an old lady who needs some help. I don't know. My goal in that call is to see if I can find someone who can help me train proper movements on the cable machines I use. I don't think I'm doing them right, the actual form and movement, the breathing, etc. I think I might have done some wrong and have a bit of muscle strain.

I'm a little concerned about it because I've read that after taking cipro, you can suffer after effects for months later, and with the tendon issue I don't want to pop them and injure myself. So we'll see about that. I'd like someone to direct me is all.

So that is part 1. Find a gym instructor.

The other thing about me is I really am a gentle creature, my feelings are easily hurt, I am new, a bit vulnerable; and I am a woman, highly private - and getting up this morning, coming here, and feeling a bit teased has put a bitter taste in my mouth.

Logically I know that I should have a stronger backbone, a better filter, things like this, but the truth is I'm a big baby. I love the support and will work more on making the choices to shut out the dark; but right now I'm not there.

It's healthier for me right now to not stress about it, so ten days off and getting busy will be helpful. Someone mentioned to just shut off the computer and chill. Good thoughts.

So there's that.

Third thing. I'm not hyper religious by any stretch, but I do sort of pay attention to my spiritual and emotional landscape, and I try to take very good care of it.

My family of origin, it was not optimum. Lots of dysfunction, strange thinking patterns, and it took decades to undo. Lots of drugs and drinking (not by myself) but it was all around me each day; the impacts on me were pretty heavy. As I grew into adulthood and moved away from it, I spent time going to support groups, therapy, things like this and it was good for me.

I'd go to programs like ACOA (adult children of alcoholics) and such, just to be extra sure I didn't carry over the behavior patterns into my life as a mom and weave those into my children's experiences. It was around that time I learned to read a lot about self care, mental outlook and motivation.

I still avoid conflict, it makes me very uncomfortable and I really have great distaste for confrontation of any kind.

I happened to be talking to my sister the other day, and mentioned I was seeking some new material to read, something buoyant and positive; and she recommended a book called A Course on Miracles. So now I have that book.

It looks to be a good book to study. It's writing is pretty clear, so for the next ten days I'm going to sit with the book for a half hour or so each day, read and reflect on that, so long story short, a little spiritual housecleaning is in order for me and I'll be doing that also.

I thought I'd mention the supplements I use for what works for me right now; these were recommended to me by my Naturopathic Dr. as well; they are:

Acidophilus (300 mg.)
Vitamin B12 (5000 mcg.)
Biotin (2500 mcg.)
Niacin (500 mg.) *note this is also known as vitamin B3
Calicum/Magnesium/Zinc Blend
Fish Oil (2400 mg)
Vitamin D (5000 IU)
Vitamin B1 (100 mg)
Vitamin B6 (100 mg)
Folic Acid (1600 mcg)

I'm going to take my handwritten notebook and record the advice and journal on that. I thank everyone for your positive comments and time.

That's very kind and caring of you to do. You each reflect very well on this community and make it a great place to be.

So that's pretty much it, I'm going to be very busy, structured and routine this week and see what the outcome is.

I don't think that I mentioned this, but I also made an appointment with a dentist, I saw him on Tuesday morning. This was just before the nutritionist visit, I had two appts. in one day...but anyway, the result was that the initial exam (I'm a new patient) took almost two hours just for x rays and the exam. My mother died of cancer of the head and mouth, so I'm in a particularly strange risk group there from her history.

The exam itself was pretty bizarre; never had one like that before, he did all sorts of tests on my skin from my shoulders up, very odd...but..he explained each one and why he did it...it made sense. Then the basic things like the films, and he has a small camera on a wand and photographed all the teeth as well. After it was all over, he said he'd like to talk about basic health of the mouth, teeth and gums, so we spent a lot of time on that.

He said to bring me back to simply "normal" health going forward, (nothing cosmetic at all) the procedures and treatment plan being as extensive as it is..will be about ten thousand dollars.

Um. I think I went into shock honestly and he knew it. I really couldn't handle any more details, so what we are doing is tomorrow...I'm taking my youngest daughter in for a basic cleaning and my fella is going to come in with me to listen and learn about what needs done. So I have a pretty big day tomorrow and that's going to be a big stress on me.

I just need to pare down my projects, play around with them, find what works well for me then sharpen my knowledge, skills and performance with all these lifestyle changes.

There is a lot going on, and again, I really thank all of you for your support and care. It means more to me than you could ever know.

Jules, since you are on the lookout for books right now I'll offer a suggestion of the one book that had the most impact on my life (and still does each time I read it anew). It's called Loving What Is by Byron Katie and I can not recommend it enough.

Good morning Coco!

Thanks for the recommendation & thoughts.

Come & meet part of my family [4962997.blogspot.com]

awwww, cute picture, and the ocean behind all of you looks gorgeous! I miss the ocean...

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

hi jules

u say u like to cook from scratch and u miss it very much

u might wish to check out some of the recipes on this board

lots of stuff u can make from scratch, yummy, delicious... and can enjoy making by yourself

if u like fancy schmancy.... multi layered ... many stepped stuff, u might wanna check out some recipes for raw vegan lasagna

it can put your expert chef skills to work

i think the main ingredients are tomato and basil some people use very thinly sliced zucchini as the layering device

for cheese, some use grounded up nuts with lemon an garlic etc.

u can use ground up sesame seeds too if u wish if the nut thing is too heavy

or whatever your creative mind desires

u might also hit up youtube to see the how to recipes for all your favorite cooked foods that u missed


there are literally hundreds if not THOUSANDS of raw vegan recipes for just about every thing under the sun

and international recipes too

if u go to a major bookstore, there is also a section on raw foods

and mostly i don't get them because to be honest, i'm the opposite of you

and the most time i will spend is like five minutes

so i just mostly eat salads and some fruit and seed/nuts

but if you like making beautifully prepared foods

and enjoy the entire process and the creativity and presentation

u might enjoy getting a book or two ( or more)

start out simple and then make it as complex and fun as u please

good for you that you are learning and empowering yourself

so that you are gaining your health back in a consistent manner

work outs are an awesome adjunct and core for your nutritional changes

its seems like you are rawckin out and doing a pretty good job

cut that pie and take small bites

it is easy to be overwhelmed if u see all that needs to be done

make a list and just focus on one or two items

and just trust that if u keep proceeding in the successful manner that u have

u will not only reach your destination but enjoy the process as well

every moment
of every day

blessings

la V