MORE RAW TO COME!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Breakfast
2 lg Green smoothies (bananas, water, kale, agave) - yum!

Snack
Cut up pineapple, watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe (from the salad bar at the market) - hungry!!

Lunch
2 bunless veggie burgers with 2 slices rice cheese melted on top, mustard and ketchup
1/2 steamed cauliflower w/ 1/2 Tbsp vegan "butter" melted on top
fruit smoothie (frozen banana, strawberries, blueberries, soy milk, agave)

Snack
Handful of cinnamon raisin bagel chips and 2 pears - hungry!

Dinner
1 head of romaine with Sabra hummus on top
thick fruit dessert (frozen banana, frozen strawberry, blueberries, soy milk, agave)

~ ~ ~

Dinner was very hearty due to the hummus, so i was surprised to find i was not at all hungry for a snack. What a welcome discovery!

I spent the morning at the supermarket stocking up on raw fruit and veggies and got a couple of exciting VEGAN products, yay!

While watching TV, I peeled and froze lotsa bananas. It's a good way to do a boring job!

MOM UPDATE
Mom and I went for a very short 10 minute walk today - a monumental triumph for her. This was her FIRST walk in public OUTDOORS since she's been home from a 5 month hospital/rehab stay. She was VERY proud of herself but was discouraged at her present state of weakness. She could only go 5 minutes up the street and then home, holding onto my arm. I played a good cheerleader, cheering her on. We'll do the 10 mins walk again today.

Mom had been stronger and exercising DAILY with the Therapists at the Rehab, but after she was discharged from the Rehab, she ended up soon in another weeklong stay in the hospital where they inserted a new and very painful drain back into her abdomen, and since she's been home from that, she's really SLOWED wayyyy down. She was in a LOT of pain for a week and she's been basically just laying around, and napping very frequently and feeling awful. The visiting Physical Therapist didn't come, but is due this week.

She is extremely fatigued. I am not sure why - either as a result of inactivity, or because she is sick with Mersa in her bloodsteam again (although she shows no signs, no fever), or i surmise, she may have developed a candida infection, or celiac disease from 5 months of constant antibiotics. Both celiac and candida can make one extremely fatigued. She also has quite a bit of brain fog, leading me to believe that something is going on foodwise. And she always wants bread. Either that, or she's just become VERY WEAK again, just laying around since she returned from her last weeklong stay in the hospital. I'm not sure. Or her body's just busy digesting. Since she's not moving much it has much more work to do. After the walk, she was TIRED, but she did seem pretty darned good the rest of the day.

Overall, mom's digestion is VERY poor. And 5 months on antibiotics kill the INTESTINAL FLORA. I'm encouraging her to take Probiotics and yogurt/kefir, which she does when i remind her. Hopefully they will help, too. My friend, Susan, says she may just not be absorbing nutrition because her flora are all dead. Mom drank a small green smoothie yesterday, yay. The dr. is due to call on Monday.

The new drain is because the Mersa flaired up. She still has the Mersa active in her abdominal abcess. The abcess was created by the overwhelming amount of fluids leaking from her bowel after the surgery, thus, they put in the drains, and the new positioning of the new drain is supposed to be handling what is still left leaking, allowing the abcess to drain, out of her. The good new is, there is no Mersa in her bloodstream. She's been tested twice in the last few weeks, and her blood shows no more elevated white cell count, and she has no fever, just astounding fatigue. I keep explaining to her, "Mom, you're not on anti-biotics right now, but you still have Mersa, which the drain bag is collecting, but it's stil in your BODY, and for the first time, YOUR BODY is actually FIGHTING the Mersa, instead of the anti-biotic. THAT's what's making you tired. And you need to respect that and rest. Your body needs to do it's work." She has not been on antibiotics for maybe longer than 2 weeks now, so it makes sense. I don't know if that's the truth, but it's been making sense to me.

Either that, or she is having a reaction to the food she eats. Maybe she IS gluten intolerant. Maybe she does have a candida infection rampant inside of her. Those two disorders are highly likely after one has been on anti-biotics for nearly 5 months. On this coming Tuesday, she sees the gastro doctor. I'd like to go with. Maybe i'll reschedule my singing lesson.

DIET UPDATE
Cliff said my snoring was a "5" last night. It was a 6 or a 7 the night before. And a 10+ before that. So, in just two days of VEGAN eating, it's getting better! Wowy, kazowy!

I got my period last night. I awoke with cramps and went to the bathroom. Hello there, period!

No wonder it's been a struggle with my diet. I was PMSing!

My day with food today was less challenging than the first day, but i still had trouble sticking to the plan, which includes a raw lunch. I really tried, but ended up just doing my best, which turned out pretty good, but not the program, but still pretty good. I asked Megan to give me some time to transition and adjust. That feels right and she was encouraging and amenable. I feel like i need about a week or two of just doing VEGAN, of just getting back on REGULAR meals, instead of constant BINGES, of just getting accustomed to grabbing FRUIT AS A SNACK and making FRUIT DESSERTS and low fat VEGETABLE BASED MEALS with VEGAN foods before I take away the bulky stuff.

When we planned my plan, i was like, "Oh, sure i can have raw lunch and dinner 5x/week, no problem! I used to do it everyday for 3 years!" Well, I honestly didn't realize how hard it would be or how much RESISTANCE I would encounter to do it. As of yet, my only fully raw meals are breakfast. I think i am going to have to wean myself back into raw, one meal at time. It's kinda scary!!! I'm so afraid i'll be hungry! Beans seem like my best friend right now. They're so filling! I just want to be full!

When i look at the overall picture, I am making a LOT of changes in my diet right now just being VEGAN. I went out and got soy based butter and vegan veggie burgers and soy milk, when what i REALLY wanted was REAL butter and the veggie burger with the EGG and CHEESE in it and REAL MILK. And beans and veggie burgers instead of fried fish? MUCH BETTER.

Great news! I weighed in at 329 3/4, so i've already lost over 6 lbs just doing this...in two days. It seems pretty effortless and i'm liking it.

xoxo michelle joy