The Many Misadventures of an Aspiring Raw-Foodist

The purpose of this blog is to give you a realistic view of the transition to a raw vegan life and the restoration of health. It isn't always easy. I don't always feel amazing. But in the end it is worth it. My hope is that I can inspire others to make positive changes in their own lives.



5.04.2010

Cleanse Results!




From the before and after photos you can see that I lost 5 lbs. and several inches. Before the cleanse my abdomen looked very swollen and bloated and now looks closer to my true body. I’ve still got a fat pad on the front and some on the sides, but it is improving. If you’re appaled by the condition of my skin you might see www.theshapeofamother.com, that’s just what happens to most of us when our skin streches out to accommodate babies. I was very unsure as to weather or not I should post these because of how awkwardly shaped I am and because of the extra skin, but in the end I’m about being real. I think that’s the only way you can every truly help anyone, by being relatable and honest, and that is the purpose in this blog in the first place. That is the reason I called it “Raw Misadventures” because it isn’t all daisies and rainbows. In fact, we don’t get daisies and rainbows without storms! I have to admit another reason I’m posting these is that people keep telling me I don’t have more to lose or that its all just skin. I can grab handfuls of fat. I DO have weight left to lose!

Aside from the obvious improvement in my appearance I also experienced some improvements in several of the health issues that we’re really bothering me. Here they are:

Eczema: This one was a serious problem, and only got worse toward the middle of my cleanse. There was a point where I was almost in tears, feeling like I was about to lose my mind from the itching and burning all the way around my eyes. It went from my eyebrows all the way down into the underside of my eyelids. It covered my eyelid and went around, affecting the inner and outer corners of my eyes and underneath my eyes. It was a bright red-orange burning, itching mess. I didn’t wear makeup at all, just a little mascara to church the Sunday during my cleanse. Kolby thought I was crying. My eyes were so squinty and red and I could barely see. It did feel like it does after a good cry. In the end I’ve got just a tiny remnant on each eyelid and almost no itching. The patch on my elbow is almost gone, you can feel a little bumpy texture in a tiny spot but cannot see it. My knees are almost completely healed as well. The thick itchy rash is gone and just a little pink coloring with some dry skin is left. I’ve still got a small patch on my ear.

Heel Calluses: I used to have thick calluses on the heels of my feet that would crack and peel and I’d get fissures that would catch on carpet and sheets. My heels are now the softest they’ve been since the calluses started, 13 years ago. There is just a small spot on each heel.

Hypoglycemia: I was scared to cleanse because of my hypoglycemic trap, but I knew my digestive issues were the cause, so I went forward with faith. At no point did I have ANY hypoglycemic, or hyperglycemic, episodes. Nor have I since, even after all the junk I ate over the weekend. This is my miracle. I was in such despair, feeling trapped in this mess in my body. I was ruled by my blood sugar, constantly trying to regulate it and not knowing where to turn for help. I was terrified. But not anymore!

Muscle Tension/Pain: Was improved some. It’s hard to gauge because some days are harder than others and have always been. I had some severe pain in my neck, jaw, and ear in the middle of my cleanse but have been doing well since, just some tension.

Cleanse: Conclusion

So I completed my last 2 post cleanse days, then we had family come into town for Juelie’s baptism so I’m just now getting to my blog. Overall my cleanse went really well. I did finally get down a whole gallbladder flush drink, though I’ve yet to see any stones. With each cleanse comes a new resolve to take my health to another level. Here is what I’m taking (or continuing on) from this cleanse.

1 100% raw day per week
Once I’ve mastered that I will move up to 2 days per week, and so forth until I’m up to a whole week. Its all about making and achieving goals!

1 TBS G.I. Gel twice per day
I still have half a jar left, so I will keep that up until it’s gone.

2 L.B.T. caps at bedtime, until they’re gone

1-2 cups of tea per day
I’ve got a ton of tea left and it really helped me to eat less and get more water in. I also feel that it is very cleansing and soothing to my digestive tract.

2-32 oz green smoothies per day with Sun Is Shining
I loved having a second green smoothie for the afternoon when I’m feeling “snackish” and tend to get tired. I just make a double in the morning and keep half for later so its quick and easy and I’m more likely to grab that than tortilla chips (even though I still REALLY want the tortilla chips!) I also was feeling before my cleanse that my body needed more greens to balance all the fruit I eat and I feel great now, plus this has been my answer for not needing to eat the Ezekiel bread (I was eating 4-6 slices per day). Other than the Ezeikel bun I had with my Boca burger at Juelie’s party I have had no bread since the start of my cleanse (over 2 weeks).

2 oz Isagenix Cleanse for Life drink first thing in the morning
I was doing this before and took a break from it during my cleanse

Chromium Polynicotinate
I’ve read about it curing hypoglycemia and suppressing appetite. It really does seem to be helping.

Enemas (2-3 per week)
I’d really like to continue doing them daily, but it just isn’t possible with Kolby rarely here to watch the kids.

Exercise
I didn’t get much during my cleanse, other than putting in the garden and a few walks. I plan to try and see if Coen will play downstairs while I use the elliptical. Also a friend of mine offered to accompany me to the gym at the Y (I’m TERRIFEID of gyms and can’t go alone) and we’ll see if we can get Coen to stay in the childcare room without me (he’s pretty clingy). I’m really trying to get out for walks more, but it is hard with 3 kids alone and they all want to run. I feel bad not taking the dog but I can’t handle them all. I don’t get much exercise going baby speed, but at least its movement and fresh air. I also need to do ab work, not sure how I’m going to go about that yet.

I ate WAY too much this weekend! Between Friday and Monday I ate 3 boca burgers (1 with a sprouted grain bun), some gluten-free crackers, and I don’t know how many handfuls of chips (pita and potato). I didn’t poo from Friday until Monday afternoon. I felt like my whole center was full of bricks and I was soooo groggy. I gained 2 pounds over the weekend. I’m hoping to get that off with a 100% raw day today, lots of green smoothies, fruit, and fiber. But I’m craving those dang chips and we’ve got a cupboard full of them and I can’t throw them out because Kolby wants them!!!

Will be posting before and after pics and measurements as soon as/if I can find the little scrap piece of paper I wrote my before measurements on…