Day 3 announced the end of my digestive system’s break and brought the beginning of real detox, along with a mild headache and some fatigue. I went to bed last night around 8pm and woke up at 4:30am, finally getting up around 6am to start the morning off with some yoga and dandelion root tea. I didn’t nap; in fact, other than a 30 min doze on either Day 1 or Day 2, I haven’t napped at all; I have felt surprisingly energized and have been pretty productive.
Detox Symptoms:
White coating on tongue.
Mild headaches (Day 2).
Fatigue (Days 1-2, toward the end of Day 3).
Difficulty sleeping (not falling asleep, but I have been waking up a lot of times to pee).
Mucous starting to be expelled (gross but true).
Pros:
More acute senses of smell, taste, and hearing. Maybe vision (but I wear glasses so I’m not sure… although one day I will recover my sight!).
More restful sleep (until around 5am when I wake up).
Tidier personal space: I detailed my car’s interior, began cleaning my room, handled paperwork, paid bills.
Better attitude, the ability and inclination to be more compassionate, more thoughtful.
Introspection: I have been satisfying my body’s requests for skin brushing, yoga, stretching, meditation, praying, lots of water, and sitting in the morning sunlight. The result has been a quiet sense of satisfaction and peace- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Cons
Having to get up a few of times to pee at night & having to be near a restroom (lots of fluids =lot of peeing).
The occasional cravings (aka: walking through food pr0n at the grocery store this afternoon while trying to buy some cayenne pepper and gtfo). FYI, most of mine are for junk foods.
Juicing lemons. What can I say? I’m lazy.
I’m surprised I’m not exhausted right now. From my experience, the first two – three days are the most difficult. I felt “hungry” the first two days, but not so much yesterday nor today. Instead, yesterday brought the strongest detox symptoms and a reduction in cravings, and today brought almost a complete halt to hunger urges. On the same token, I have been the most productive yesterday and today. I am still feeling really good about this fast; I feel like I have been mentally and physically preparing for it for awhile, and this consideration is paying off in the form of comfort and insight. And confidence of the value in what I’m doing.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll go into some of the specific functions and benefits of periodic fasting. Hopefully my friend will write an excerpt as he closes his first 10 day juice run! I’m sure his story would be interesting, and different from my experience. In the meantime, I recommend a short, short guide called The Detox Diet, which was my first introduction to the process (in the days before rampant internet usage).
As I mentioned, I’ve been taking milk thistle with dandelion root three times a day to assist my body’s detox process. I think it’s working. My skin broke out a little, and I experienced a night sweat two nights ago. I also had a nightmare. I’m feeling a little tired, especially in the afternoon, although I’ve been keeping up with my 60 minute walk twice daily, as well as drinking probably 15 cups of water+ each day. As much as these are rather unpleasant symptoms, I’m actually really grateful to be experiencing them. I can tell my body is changing, healing. Expelling all the icky heavy metals and toxins and pharmaceuticals, even if through my skin isn’t the prettiest conduit.
I have to admit I had been probably overdoing it with my fat intake (I’m looking at YOU, almond butter). Nutridiary was making this rather clear, and I was forced to confront it when I decided to consciously detox. Because years’ and years’ worth of toxins from our SAD eating lifestyle, as well as from our water and environment, are stored in our fat cells, eating excessive amounts of nuts and seeds wasn’t exactly helping me to alkalize and eliminate them quickly. At the beginning of the journey, I was trying to be gentle with myself, kind of like, if it’s raw and you’re hungry, fine. Eat whatever, although I have really mainly stuck with ripe fruit. Looking at all the varieties of raw nuts and seeds at the market was so exciting, though, and I wanted to try them all! And so I did. Realizing I could step it up a bit, though, and eat more consistently in-line with Dr. Doug Graham’s recommendation of 80/10/10 (aka: 811), or 80% of calories coming from carbs (fruit), 10% fat, 10% protein. This 10%, or preferably less, fat recommendation is also embraced by mainstream nutritionists, although Americans are definitely in a 40%-ish range. I feel much better when I eat in this 811 ratio, even though cravings might make me desire to do otherwise. Looking at Nutridiary, I can see a couple of days when my percentage of calories from fat was 22% (damn you, almond butter). Yes, it tastes DELICIOUS. But it doesn’t feel so delicious, really. I end up feeling heavy, sluggish, tired, and usually wake up the next AM with a blemish. HATE.
More TMI has been the bloating. Even though I love what I’m eating, and feel very confident that I’m on my best personal path, the pregnant belly isn’t so exciting (NO MOM IT’S JUST AN EXPRESSION). I’m exaggerating a little. After really, a lifetime of insoluble fiber and cooked food, my digestive system is a little WTF at the serious introduction of healthy soluble fibers (fruit, veggies). As a result, by the evening, my tummy is pretty round. Like I said, I am being gentle on myself, however, and realizing this is all part of my body’s transitional process. I just wear looser, softer clothing (which I’m really beginning to prefer to my more mainstream “stylish” wardrobe) and am dealing with it. No makeup really either. That should really blow some of you away who know me well. I’ve read that it should all reconcile within two months. If not, I’m confident it will all be worth the inconvenience. I haven’t gained or lost any weight, even though I’ve seriously kicked up my caloric intake, and regardless of how the bloating makes me feel. Really, I’ve stopped weighing myself completely, seeing as I begin the day with 64 oz of water. I wouldn’t be able to tell what I was weighing! My water, meals, muscle, or fat. So there’s really no point. My days have been revolving around green smoothies, ripe bananas, ripe mangos, and different savory raw soup recipes from the lovely Victoria Boutenko. Been avoiding nuts, seeds, other overt fats like avocado, and dried fruits.
My yoga teacher told me that not all pain is bad; that we try so hard, go so far out of our way to avoid feeling it at all, when really, we should be embracing healthy pain. I think this detox is a healthy pain. I’ll be glad when it’s over, though.
In other news, I started my day with an early morning walk, followed with a green smoothie:
4 ripe bananas
10 leaves red lettuce
handful baby spinach
1 cup water
It was delicious. Now I’m off to the low cost vaccination clinic to have teh Mitten’s shots updated. Getting him in his carrier is always a nightmare, and we’re bringing his BFF Timber to hold his paw through it all.
I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not rich. In fact, I’m actually poor. I’m not even a member of the middle class when it comes to my income. Thankfully, I have a warm roof over my head, and a plot of the backyard in which to grow my own organic produce.
That said, I do realize that a lot of other people are in the same boat or worse, some with children. Eating healthy meals, in particular, eating healthy vegetarian, vegan, or raw meals doesn’t have to break the bank. I do think, however, it’s important to have your priorities straight when it comes to spending your income and feeding yourself and your family: health is an investment. It’s 100% worth buying the best you can afford when it comes to the food you put into your body. In the end, you will save money on medical bills, and will have a more vibrant quality of life. You will save money in other areas too, depending on how far you take it. You’ll probably save money on cosmetics because you’ll look better. You’ll save money on clothes, because you’ll look good in anything. You’ll lose weight, feel better, and look better.
I personally cannot afford to buy all of my produce organic. I do make sure to buy any greens organic, as well as any fruit or veggie of which I eat the skin. This is because I am trying to minimize and avoid my exposure and intake of pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides. I came across a wonderful organization called the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which offers a plethora of information on consumer products and foods and our health. One of the resources I found especially helpful was a list of the most and least important produce to buy organic. I especially appreciate the free iPhone application, called The Dirty Dozen. If you learn why pesticides are dangerous to you, your family, and the planet, you will feel more inclined to buy organic when you can (do a search on YouTube, or Google). For instance, commercial produce contains maybe 40% the nutrients contained in organic produce. Cook that produce, even lightly steam it, and you lose all the enzymes and at least 70% more of its nutrient value. …on top of which, pesticides have been linked to such disorders as ADD/ADHD, infertility, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. We’ve been duped again.
Drewnowski found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips but only 250 calories of carrots. Looking for something to wash down those chips, he discovered that his dollar bought 875 calories of soda but only 170 calories of orange juice.
Drewnowski concluded that the rules of the food game in America are organized in such a way that if you are eating on a budget, the most rational economic strategy is to eat badly–and get fat.
This is straight up ass-backwards. Why should it be cheaper to buy a Twinkie, which contains a disturbing 39 ingredients, compared with, say, a pound of apples? Which contain, well, one ingredient? Unfortunately folks, the Big Business of Big Agriculture does not have your best interests in mind. In fact, being in bed with Big Pharma means it’s better for all of them if you eat shitty, processed foods and get sick. Better yet, with chronic illness. That translates your dollar into tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of profit to these suckers. Clearly, we’re the suckers. This is why it’s so worth it to spend your dollar on whole foods, versus the processed crap lining the inner aisle of your supermarket. Nutrient for nutrient, it will be a dollar better spent, and in the longer run, you’ll be healthier and happier.
I’ve found my Farmer’s Market to yield some great deals; $1.50 for a large bunch of organic greens, for example. I can get even better deals by shopping later in the day, around closing time. Getting to know vendors can help too. In Ventura County, there is literally a FM every day, somewhere. Locate a local FM here. Being such a banana freak, easily eating three bunches or 10-20 bananas per day, I’ve scoured for discount fruit everywhere. Smart and Final gives me the best deal, where I spend about $0.39/lb for my banged up, “overripe” bananas. YEAH RIGHT. Because I only eat my fruit very ripe (see this link to get a feel for what your fruit should look, feel, and taste like when it’s properly ripened), this is PERFECT. In fact, my discount bananas still need a couple of days to freckle up before I will eat them. Ask the produce manager at your supermarket if he can sell you “baking bananas” or other “overripe” produce at a discount rate. Albertson’s gives me a measly $0.50 off my bag of “baking bananas, but hey, it’s something, in a pinch.
Here are 25lbs of discount bananas I picked up yesterday for $10.00
I bought these USDA Certified Organic grape tomatoes at the 99 Cent Store.
The truth is, we have all heard you are what you eat, and the majority of us really do want to eat healthier. Be happier. One of the most important decisions you make today will be what you choose to eat. Re-framing thoughts like, “I’m depriving myself by not eating that Twinkie” with “I am nourishing my body and mind by drinking this green smoothie” can help a lot. Not to mention, fresh, ripe produce is simply delicious. Having a strong basis in knowing why you want to eat healthier, and feed your family healthier meals, will strengthen and motivate you. I recommend identifying your own reasons, doing your own research. I guarantee you will experience a shift in the way you choose your food, and, really, in your life.
**EDIT:
Just thought of this after it came up in a comment. Because most people can’t afford to buy all organic produce, here’s how to neutralize the pesticides in the inorganic commercial stuff you buy:
Lemon/Baking Soda Wash
1 Tbsp. lemon juice – (natural disinfectant) 2 Tbsp. baking soda (neutralises the PH level of pesticides)
Vinegar/Salt Wash
1/4 cup vinegar (cleans the fruits and vegetables and neutralizes most pesticides)
2 Tbsp. salt (draws out dirt and insects)
Lemon/Vinegar Wash
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice – (natural disinfectant) 2 Tbsp. Vinegar (cleans the fruits and vegetables neutralizes most pesticides)
Fill a sink or a large bowl with water and the above ingredients (depending on the method you choose) and let the vegetables sit for about 20minutes then rinse or else you can fill an empty water bottle and spray onto your produce and then rinse and wipe.
Nobody today can say that one does not know what cancer and its prime cause is. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse that one cannot do more about prevention.
Otto Warburg
WTF. This is clearly new news, right? Because seeing as one of my brothers has survived testicular cancer, and I’ve had one aunt die from brain cancer, another have a double mastectomy due to breast cancer (she now has lung cancer), and an uncle who just last week underwent a risky and complicated surgery for esophageal cancer, this had better be new information. …Right?
Wrong. When a sprightly, elderly man befriended me in a Starbuck’s line late last year, I called tentative bullshit when he told me a cancer cure had been discovered in the early 1930′s, and that its discovery had even led to a Nobel Prize. So I googled it. I began doing some reading. And you know what? We’re the ones who have been fed bullshit and kept in the dark. Yup, we’ve been duped (again).
In 1931, Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize (the above quote is an excerpt from his 1966 speech, delivered to Nobel Laureates) for his discovery that cancer is caused by weakened cell respiration due to a lack of oxygen to the cells. This leads to fermentation, causing acidity (low pH) at the cellular level. So what does this mean? Basically, cancer thrives in an acidic environment. The main cause of cancer, therefore, is an acidic body. What can cause our bodies to become acidic?:
stress
jealousy / grief / anger
overworking/overexercising
processed food
animal products (meat, dairy)
pesticide (over)use,which has contaminated our food, water, and planet.
So, then what alkalizes our body? That which oxygenates our cells:
(organic) raw greens (I am specifically referring to raw leafy greens)
(organic) raw vegetables, some fruits, walnuts, other raw foods
I know that last part sounds like, as my grandfather might say, “liberal bullshit,” but try to keep an open mind here, because obviously, what we’re doing right now isn’t working, as prove the statistics:
Between 1950-1985, urinary bladder cancer increased by 51%, kidney and renal pelvis cancer increased by 82%. (Diet for a Poisoned Planet)
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has increased by 123%.
The incidence of testicular cancer has tripled and prostate cancer has doubled in the past 50 years.
The incidence of childhood cancer has increased 10.8% from 1973-1990 (cancer kills more children under the age of 15 than any other disease).
In 1960, the incidence of breast cancer was one in 20; in 1998 it was one in nine. (Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine)
(click here for the page from which I pulled these charts)
So why is the incidence of cancer, and moralities from cancer, on the rise? With all the millions of research dollars being raised, fundraisers being held, with some of the most brilliant scientists working toward finding a cure? With all the shiny new cancer wings being added to our hospitals, with all the medications and treatments to which we now have access, courtesy of Big Pharma? …Because they won’t make money off of you eating a bunch of raw foods and healing. Think about it. There are treatments for cancer, but no cure. Why? Because “treatments” are long-term and you have to keep coming back for more = more money. Because the cure is healthy living, for which no one wants to take responsibility, or can’t access due to lack of knowledge, and which goes against the mainstream school of thought. My thesis here is to do your own research, start thinking critically and independently. Question the status quo. Cancer is NOT a normal part of healthy living, and it’s not even an old-person’s disease, as I had long suspected. If you go to your doctor with this information, keep in mind that only 30% of medical schools in the U.S. require a separate nutrition course, and on average, students received 23.9 contact hours of nutrition instruction during medical school (range was 2 to 70 hours). Only 40 of the 126 medical schools require the 25 hour minimum recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. This means that you probably know more about nutrition than s/he does. Luckily, apparently you can cut your cancer risk by 12% just by going vegan or vegetarian:
The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that 60 to 70 percent of all cancers can be prevented with lifestyle changes. Their number one dietary recommendation is to: “Choose predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods.”
Incorporating a large amount of raw greens into your diet is fantastic for helping your body to become more alkaline. Yes, wheatgrass shots are fabulous, and those powdered green drink mixes are better than nothing, but the best thing you can do to prevent cancer might just be eliminating meat and animal products from your diet and consuming large amounts of raw foods on a regular basis. Eating raw foods as part of oxygenating the body might cure cancer. I just wish someone had told my family about this sooner.
I encourage you to read some of the books listed in my bio to learn more about the diet and cancer connection, including, but not limited to:
I can clearly remember my first anxiety attack. I was in high school, at a jazz band performance. I was playing saxophone, and was about to play a solo. My heart began racing, I started shaking uncontrollably, and began hyperventilating. I nudged the tenor player next to me, gesturing for him to take over.
That was clearly situational anxiety, and occurred more than a decade ago. At my worst, I have experienced almost 24/7 anxiety, which means that I was having difficulty falling and remaining asleep, being constantly woken up by choking, gasping panic. The adrenaline rush and on-edge sensation, racing heart and thoughts, were with me all day, every day, for more than a week. That was last year. It was so bad that I developed strong feelings of derealization and depersonalization, which basically means I didn’t feel real, nor did my environment or life experience. It was the most disturbing sensation of my life. I actually worried I was psychotic, except that I hated what I was feeling and recognized that it was incorrect. A psychiatrist reassured me that I was simply experiencing severe anxiety, and that the sensations of unreality were my brain shutting off to external stimuli. During this exceptionally stressful time of my life, my brain was trying to protect me from mass overload. Thank you, body, for knowing what I needed better than I knew myself (a fucking break). The symptoms of DR/DP lasted about 6 months, off and on. Some days were better than others, and I mostly just tried to ride out the dream. It became a nearly constant part of my daily existence (I hesitate to use the word “life,” because I was paralyzed, unable to really live).
I took Benadryl, Xanax, Ativan. Klonopin. Propanolol. SSRIs. Anti-convulsants. The anxiety attacks slowed to maybe a few a week if I was fortunate. Daily, and multiple per day were common. I did daily yoga, meditation, journaled, took long walks, did aerobic exercise. I got enough sleep, and practiced deep breathing. Even after I had conquered the worst of a stressful situation, the panic attacks remained.
Well, I can honestly report that I have not experienced even one panic attack in the past several weeks. This is since moving toward and achieving eating 100% raw. I do not take any medication at this time: not OTC, not prescribed. I do not drink alcohol, and I don’t take any street drugs (I was a dabbling-to-moderately serious pothead for a period in my life, more on that in another post). I was thinking about this during my morning walk, completely grounded and peaceful. I can hypothesize that this must be due to a raw food vegan diet, since that’s the only variable I have changed. I was exercising even more before going 100% raw, and was still experiencing breakthrough anxiety. Now I can’t even remember my last sensation of DR/DP (WHEW!).
I eat a lot of bananas (easily >10/day). Bananas contain a natural beta-blocker. That means they block that nasty rush of adrenaline you get right before giving a public speech (Propanolol is also a beta blocker). They also contain tryptophan, which you may have heard of around Thanksgiving time when it makes Yahoo News as being a sort of sedative found in room-temperature turkey. Tryptophan raises serotonin levels, and helps temper anxiety.
Now consuming a 100% raw vegan diet, I am finally getting enough nutrients. Using NutriDiary, I track my intake daily to ensure this. Now that my body is getting a complete and consistent flow of all nine essential amino acids (mostly through a variety of greens- yay green smoothies!), my neurotransmitters are able to function properly. I think this is the key, especially after quitting smoking. Those who rely on animal products to consume amino acids are using a middle man: the animal. The best way to consume these aminos is directly from the plants: the greens that the animals would have eaten before we ate the animal (ew) to access the already-modified aminos. This is why meat eaters are often the ones deficient in aminos. Researcher Julia Ross says that if your body lacks certain amino acids, you may develop strong symptoms of mental and physiological imbalances and severe cravings for unwanted substances. Victoria Boutenko lists the symptoms of deficiency in tyrosine and phenylalaline (two of the necessary aminos):
depression
lack of focus and attention
lack of energy
attention deficit disorder
These deficiency symptoms may lead to cravings for:
sweets
aspartame
caffeine
starch
(Taken from V. Boutenko’s book Green for Life, the chapter titled “The Abundance of Proteins in Greens”)
Because I take NO pharmaceuticals, NO OTCs, and besides discontinuing the use of any of these, have changed nothing else, it would follow to me that my anxiety and its manifestations of derealization and depersonalization were caused, at least partially, by an amino acid and chlorophyll deficiency, as well as a likely imbalance in the ratio of Omega 3′s and Omega 6′s I was ingesting (more on that in another post). I did NOT eat enough greens before drinking daily green smoothies. On a good night, I’d douse a bowl of salad in Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and call it a day, feeling very proud of myself. By drinking a large amount of blended greens daily, my body and mind are finally being able to repair themselves. Relax. Heal. I am beyond grateful to emerge with my energy, health, and passion for living intact. Not to mention the peace of mind to enjoy all of the above.
I recommend that if you or someone you know is suffering from mood swings and/or anxiety, that you scrutinize your diet. Perhaps try a green smoothie every day for the next few weeks. You really have nothing to lose by experimenting, right? Except maybe those debilitating panic attacks.
I started off this morning with Garden of Life’s RAW Meal. When I started increasing the amounts of raw foods in my diet a few weeks ago, I thought this might be a handy way to navigate quick meals on the go, and found the 33 grams of complete, plant-based protein compelling. I actually crave it most days. Especially when blended with a banana (more on my banana addiction later). I will say that my hair and nails have improved noticeably since drinking this daily.
Green smoothies have really become the staple of my current diet, however. I have always had trouble getting enough greens (especially greens not doused in Bragg’s Liquid Aminos); my tooth is decidedly sweeter. Enter: green smoothies. YUM. If you want a book with a lot of different green smoothie recipes, Victoria Boutenko offers quite a variety in her books Green for Life and 12 Steps to Raw Foods. My current favorite blend, however, is:
1.5 cups water
2 cups chopped baby spinach
2-3 bananas
1 whole avocado
Remember, I’m not a bitter greens person. I was a Splenda junky devotee for many years before switching to stevia (which I no longer use). …I drink at least two of these each day. They simply taste like creamy banana goodness…try one, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I will note that I try to stick with no more than one avocado a day, for two reasons: a) they’re stupid expensive, & b) I’m trying to follow the 80/10/10 recommendation of consuming 80% carbohydrates per day (in the form of raw, ripe fruit), 10% protein, and 10% fat. If I am craving the avo, I don’t deny myself, however. My personal reasoning for this is that while I am not attempting to lose weight, I do find myself feeling better when I eat more carbs. The high protein, low carb thing has never worked for me. These green smoothies have proved an excellent way to temper cooked and/or junk food cravings (usually carbs, usually bread). After quitting smoking last November, I found myself craving junky foods more than ever in my life. In retrospect, I think that my body was really craving nutrients, and satisfying that need now with large amounts of healthy vitamins and minerals in the easily-digestible form of green smoothies has almost completely eliminated those cravings. I say almost, because if someone is eating an ABC Companylemon poppyseed cookie in front of me, of course I still “want” one too. Duh. I’m still human, albeit a more in-tune-with-my-body’s-needs one.
So today’s thesis: Green smoothies are transforming my life, and making the transition to a raw food vegan diet a lot easier. They are improving my health, eliminating pesky cravings, and helping me to feel more peaceful and satisfied. Try one today! And never be afraid to add more fruit. ;]
Maybe tomorrow I’ll go into some of the specific functions and benefits of periodic fasting. Hopefully my friend will write an excerpt as he closes his first 10 day juice run! I’m sure his story would be interesting, and different from my experience. In the meantime, I recommend a short, short guide called The Detox Diet, which was my first introduction to the process (in the days before rampant internet usage).
