Durian!

Howdy,

So, my fabulously wonderful boss, Arnold, of Arnolds Way Raw Vegetarian Cafe and Education Center, in Lansdale, PA...said to give my mom DURIAN...to help her gain weight while she's following a raw diet under my guidance (almost 4 weeks), since she's so skinny already and has the family and friends freaking out she's getting emaciated.

So...I trekked to the neighborhood ASSI Market, an Asian supermarket near work, and purchased pre-frozen pitted shelled Durian flesh that comes in a little clear plastic container in the freezer section there. Molto convenient. No, I didn't want to send the family packing with the stink smell of the fresh stuff. When you crack open the prickly brown shell, a stink so sour, like a hair salon permanent wave left on far too long, permeates the house...for DAYS! So, the pre-packaged stuff it was. This is what we occasionally use at work.

So, i added 1/2 of a frozen pitted pod of durian to a nice spinach, fuji apple smoothie, with a 1/4 of an avo (to also help her gain weight), and blended it up with banana and dates and filtered water. A weight gainers delight. And i'm drinking the stuff, too, uy vey!

"BLECH!"

Mommy absolutely HATED it!!!

And said it tasted like onions. It was so foul to her, but she was strong and finished her smoothy. The last sip, she noted, wasn't THAT bad.

I had to laugh. I had a similar reaction the first time i tried durian. While Cliff happily lapped up entire scrambled egg/vanilla pudding-like pods, i retched...just from the smell alone, and could barely get it down.

YET..., over time, something changed! I now L-O-V-E durian, oh, my!, and am the first in line to pluck a pod from the open chambers when Arnold or Megan gift us with a surprise fresh Durian at work. Man, is it GOOD! The last one we had was on the dry side and reminded me of fried chicken!!!! The one before that was simply PERFECTION! Sweet, custardy. AMAZING! It doesn't even SMELL bad to me anymore...

Unfortunately, it didn't appeal to mommy dearest.

Also, the steamed sweetpotato didn't sit well with her. Strangely, the first time she ate it the day before, she was fine. Maybe because it was preceded by a salad? The next day, she felt zapped of energy and sick to her stomach after trying it alone. And she got a nose bleed.

Okay, no more sweet potato.

No more durian.

"You really have your hands full with me. You really have a hard case with me." RUTH SCHULMAN, confessing to her daughter in the hallway.

Today's one of those hard days. I'm feeling stressed. Mom is doubtful again about raw and says, "I don't know what i want to do." Meaning, she doesn't know if she wants to stick with changing her diet...as opposed to just getting surgery to remove her thyroid and her stomach polyp.

No, i must admit, actually taking RESPONSIBILITY for one's health and changing one's diet is the HARDER route to take.

Or is it???

There is a much greater chance of lifelong health THIS way. But most people just want a quick fix. They can't imagine that life to could harder AFTER surgery. They only see sunshine and roses about surgery. Remember the gaping hole story i told you about? The customer whose mom had her breast cut out and now has a giant gaping hole under her arm that needs to be packed with towels? Do you think she thought THAT would happen????

You see, my Mom pops sleeping pills every night. She is obviously of the quick fix variety. She would rather subject her body to torture...than feel uncomfortable downing some durian....

I feel depressed today.

And i'm still sick. After two weeks, i still have considerable congestion in my chest. I got freaked about the D.E. and didn't take it last night. Apparently it is ground up shrimp or something.

Plus, with my constant hacking and hoarse voice, I hear them all whispering here about how i should go to The Doctor. THE DOCTOR!!! Hail, the HOLY DOCTOR!!!!

And i can't help but wonder if THEY wonder, "If raw is so healthy, why is SHE sick?" What do THEY know from Detox? And is what i'm experiencing really DETOX or just a reaction to overload on Brad's Raw Chips????

All i can say is...it's a wonder that since my dad AND cliff and ME have been sick with this cold/flu thing, that my mom hasn't caught it yet.

Sometimes, you have to be thankful for the little things.

xoxo michelle joy