I'm beginning to think instead of RAW To Feel Better, I need to call it Almost-Raw To feel better because RAW and winter are not going to be advocates of each other. I'm already feeling it, that cooler weather pull to hunker down, dress warmer, nest, bake, drink warm liquids...
Today was in the low fifties (F) and I have no idea how cold it actually got outside but the themometer inside read 60*F and I know that doesn't sound cold ... but brrr... I went straight from bed to wearing a turtleneck and corduroy pants. Then the tea kettle went on. And then a pan for brown rice...
The rice was cooking before I even remembered ... "Oh yeah, I'm raw now."
Some habits are just too hard to break and my macro-biotic upbringing are the hardest...
Not that I want to break all the rules I learned growing up. I still chew every bite 50-75x. I don't drink with meals (or very rarely a sip or two of water). I am prayerful and filled with gratitude as I prepare meals. And I try to eat local whenever possible, but that is getting harder every year with fewer farmer's markets nearby.
And that is one area macrobiotic and raw philosophies clash. There is no place in Ohio that has a single fruit or vegetable crop available from November to June. On the raw diet I would be subsisting on fruits and vegetables coming from thousands of miles away (and yes I do eat bananas, citrus crops and mangoes year round anyway) but it definitely argues a philosophy. And forget lowering my carbon footprint at that point.
Normal falls and winters include lots of cabbage and sauerkraut... which I could still do raw... but it just won't be the same as fresh out from under the broiler surrounded by other root crops (potatoes, carrots, yams, turnips) ...
I'm not sure I can survive a whole winter without Root Soup!!
I haven't given up... I'm just resigned that 80-90% raw may be my max...
On a brighter note. I did find an "Almost Raw" Pumplin Pie recipe that is all raw, except for prebaking the whole pumpkin first... and I philosophically and scientifically agree with doing that. Heating orange fleshed vegetables and roots releases more betacartene. So baking pumpkins, yams, and carrots makes as much sense to me because even more than wanting to fit a profile of someone's definition of 100% raw... I want to be a hundred percent healthy.
Showing posts with label Decisions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Decisions. Show all posts
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Countdown to RAW
Okay, I know, I know...I keep saying (how many years now?) I am going RAW 100%... and a few days ago I made the decision to "go for it" because every day I was getting bombarded with MSG. I honestly believe it is in everything. Hot sauce shot me down...I was on the couch with a blinding headache and excruciating gut pain for an entire evening. Parmesan on my Caesar salad the day after that...same story. And then after every MSG attack I have joint pain for 48-72 hours! How am I supposed to figure out if the Simponi is working if I keep having MSG reactions?
Hubby has promised he is in for 30 days. Do I expect to change his life? No.
Do I expect to change my own life? Definitely.
I've always been the one to do the positive motivating and life coaching...as Sensei and as Guru. I'm entering new territory here. This is scary stuff. I have 47 years of SAD food conditioning to overcome. I talked to hubby about the standard three meals a day I've grown accustomed to. That model won't work for RAW. At least not for me. I've had too many blood sugar crashes. I'll have to learn to graze...
September 1,2011. That's my start day.
The cupboards are almost completely bare and ready to be filled with raw goodness. I have a grocery list.
I was so excited when I came up with this plan a few short days ago. I was on cloud nine. But as the deadline approaches, I'm getting worried. I've failed so many times. Will this be one more? And this after being 70% raw for most of this year. I know, insane right? I should be ready by now.
What's holding me back?
Dairy?
Bread?
Meat? I really don't think this is an issue at all. Seriously. Fifteen years of being ovo-vegan prepared me to go meatless, although that almost raw, rawer than rare steak two weeks ago was amazing. That was my downfall when I fell of the vegan wagon in 2007. Bloody steak. I think I've decided that my anemia was the culprit then. I was severely anemic. I'm still anemic but not nearly as bad. I may need to figure that part out sooner rather than later.
In the meantime I need the motivator to come to me...and what better way than via youtube?
Enjoy the show...
Now listen...same guy, no flash...really. listen.
http://www.markusrothkranz.com/rsf08_21m.mp3
Hubby has promised he is in for 30 days. Do I expect to change his life? No.
Do I expect to change my own life? Definitely.
I've always been the one to do the positive motivating and life coaching...as Sensei and as Guru. I'm entering new territory here. This is scary stuff. I have 47 years of SAD food conditioning to overcome. I talked to hubby about the standard three meals a day I've grown accustomed to. That model won't work for RAW. At least not for me. I've had too many blood sugar crashes. I'll have to learn to graze...
September 1,2011. That's my start day.
The cupboards are almost completely bare and ready to be filled with raw goodness. I have a grocery list.
I was so excited when I came up with this plan a few short days ago. I was on cloud nine. But as the deadline approaches, I'm getting worried. I've failed so many times. Will this be one more? And this after being 70% raw for most of this year. I know, insane right? I should be ready by now.
What's holding me back?
Dairy?
Bread?
Meat? I really don't think this is an issue at all. Seriously. Fifteen years of being ovo-vegan prepared me to go meatless, although that almost raw, rawer than rare steak two weeks ago was amazing. That was my downfall when I fell of the vegan wagon in 2007. Bloody steak. I think I've decided that my anemia was the culprit then. I was severely anemic. I'm still anemic but not nearly as bad. I may need to figure that part out sooner rather than later.
In the meantime I need the motivator to come to me...and what better way than via youtube?
Enjoy the show...
Now listen...same guy, no flash...really. listen.
http://www.markusrothkranz.com/rsf08_21m.mp3
Thursday, August 11, 2011
RA and Choosing A Biologic Drug
I get an injection once a month and while I am not looking forward to week four (because previous injections have meant a miserable week four with a full return of symptoms and pain flairs from hell) I am enjoying enough benefits from my biologic medication to make week four worth it. Meaning: my joints don't hurt ... as much ...
(I do have to clarify because when I say "pain-free" people say "Oh yay, you're better!" ... and I don't say, "No, I'm not better, I will never be better, but I am maintaining my levels of pain to a manageable level" ... because to say something sarcastic like that would just be mean, right?)
... which means instead of pain of 7-8, not being able to maintain my balance, not walking up and down the stairs, not enjoying my life, I am leveling at a range of 1-2. Which is good, very very good. In terms of the average guy understanding it - this medication takes my RA from feeling like the worst flu I've ever had in my life 24/7/ for the last 2 years to feeling like I ran two miles and I ache a little...
So, yes, I'm enjoying being on Simponi...
But choosing to take such a harsh medication was a hard decision...
I've had a lot of people say, "Why would you risk the potential side-effects (they mean cancer) when you can just take a pain pill?" And here's the answer... Pain pills numb more than pain. To mask the amount of pain I was in would require a high enough dose of narcotic to knock me out and if I'm asleep 24/7 I'm not living...
Other people have asked, "Isn't Simponi and Humira and all those other type drugs dangerous?"
They can be. Natural immunity drops making it (in some cases) impossible to fight off an infection, and liver or kidney damage can occur; so, I have to have my blood tested regularly.
When the doctor explained it to me he said basically, (paraphrased because its been months ago) "We don't know the long term effects of staying on this type of medication for long periods, but you have a very harsh disease, one that can disfigure you, permanently disable you, potentially kill you, and it's going to take a harsh drug to combat that."
What Is A Biologic Drug?
From Consumer Health Information Corporation The difference between biological drugs and normal prescription drugs is that biological drugs have almost “pinpoint” accuracy and can search out the diseased organs or cells that need to be treated. These drugs of the future are being developed through advanced technology called “genetic modification” ... "
From WebMD Biologics are genetically engineered proteins derived from human genes. They are designed to inhibit specific components of the immune system that play pivotal roles in fueling inflammation, which is a central feature of rheumatoid arthritis.
Great links if you have or are close to someone with a chronic illness...
The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino
15 Things To Not Say To Someone With RA
I get an injection once a month and while I am not looking forward to week four (because previous injections have meant a miserable week four with a full return of symptoms and pain flairs from hell) I am enjoying enough benefits from my biologic medication to make week four worth it. Meaning: my joints don't hurt ... as much ...
(I do have to clarify because when I say "pain-free" people say "Oh yay, you're better!" ... and I don't say, "No, I'm not better, I will never be better, but I am maintaining my levels of pain to a manageable level" ... because to say something sarcastic like that would just be mean, right?)
... which means instead of pain of 7-8, not being able to maintain my balance, not walking up and down the stairs, not enjoying my life, I am leveling at a range of 1-2. Which is good, very very good. In terms of the average guy understanding it - this medication takes my RA from feeling like the worst flu I've ever had in my life 24/7/ for the last 2 years to feeling like I ran two miles and I ache a little...
So, yes, I'm enjoying being on Simponi...
But choosing to take such a harsh medication was a hard decision...
I've had a lot of people say, "Why would you risk the potential side-effects (they mean cancer) when you can just take a pain pill?" And here's the answer... Pain pills numb more than pain. To mask the amount of pain I was in would require a high enough dose of narcotic to knock me out and if I'm asleep 24/7 I'm not living...
Other people have asked, "Isn't Simponi and Humira and all those other type drugs dangerous?"
They can be. Natural immunity drops making it (in some cases) impossible to fight off an infection, and liver or kidney damage can occur; so, I have to have my blood tested regularly.
When the doctor explained it to me he said basically, (paraphrased because its been months ago) "We don't know the long term effects of staying on this type of medication for long periods, but you have a very harsh disease, one that can disfigure you, permanently disable you, potentially kill you, and it's going to take a harsh drug to combat that."
What Is A Biologic Drug?
From Consumer Health Information Corporation The difference between biological drugs and normal prescription drugs is that biological drugs have almost “pinpoint” accuracy and can search out the diseased organs or cells that need to be treated. These drugs of the future are being developed through advanced technology called “genetic modification” ... "
From WebMD Biologics are genetically engineered proteins derived from human genes. They are designed to inhibit specific components of the immune system that play pivotal roles in fueling inflammation, which is a central feature of rheumatoid arthritis.
Great links if you have or are close to someone with a chronic illness...
The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino
15 Things To Not Say To Someone With RA
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