Water Fasting

Since my last post about wanting to change my eating lifestyle, I've been doing a lot more thinking.  I have been eating healthy 75-80% of the time.  But, I want to really make a major life change.  Well, gosh, I've been trying to make a major life change all my life! LOL  Somehow, my goals are never realized.

Then, I started thinking about it some more.  Why have I not been able to reach my goals and maintain the progress I'd all ready made?  I've come to a couple of conclusions.  First off, I've had an oral fixation problem since I was a young child.  I constantly have to have something in my mouth or be doing something.  My mom used to buy me a box of 25 pieces of Bazooka Bubble Gum every day and I would go through it.  I really do mean every day.  Then of course there was 35+ years of smoking cigarettes.  I am thankful I was able to successfully quit and am proud to say I've been smoke-free for a whole year!  Secondly, I'm depressed.  I've been in a depressive state for nearly 20 or more years.  There are a few small times, when I've broken through and not had to deal with my depression, but it doesn't last long.

So, an excellent solution to these problems and several more that I experience on a day-to-day basis would be to start water fasting.  I have watched numerous videos (over 20 vloggs) from beginning fasts to ending them and what happens in between.  I've also read many, many blogs and websites on the issue and 100% of them say that water fasting will dramatically improve my symptoms.  I need to completely break free of my oral fixation.  I think a fast might just do that.  Fasting also relieves depression and reduces swelling in the joints and muscles.

My next paycheck, in preparation of starting a fast, I'm going to buy this amazing product called Konsyl.  It's a bit pricey but well worth it.  This high-fiber drink that will start the cleansing process of my system.  I've used it before and it's absolutely fabulous.  It has very little flavor but it kind of reminds me of drinking water with paper pulp in it more or less.  It's tolerable to me and I like what it does. (Plus, it's Vegan) Doing this will also help lessen the symptoms of the detox my body will be going through.

I'm going to start small.  At first, a 1-day fasting, 2-days healthy eating (vegetarian and raw) for maybe 2 weeks.  Then I'll try a 3-day fast, then a 5-day fast, gradually working up to longer and longer fasts.  Ultimately, I would love to do a complete 30-day fast because that seems to have the greatest results I've seen and read.

I'm not even going to mention, except in passing, the weight-loss and energy benefits.  I think those are a given.  But, I do want to mention that this will also be economically fiscal for me and will help me to save for the holy grail of blenders, The Vitamix. (big grin)

More to come!

P.S.
Now, if only I could get my diabetic partner to partake of the fast.  I think it would help him so much.  He's 67 years old and dead set in his ways.  I'm going to be 47 in a couple of weeks.

Viable Solution?

So, if ANYONE has been reading this blog, they know by now my dietary dilemma.  I think I might have come up with a solution! I was thinking of making this cabbage soup, but then adding a twist at the end hehe.

    * 6 large green onions (1 bunch)
    * 2 green bell peppers
    * 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (14.5 ounce size, diced or whole)
    * 1 bunch celery, sliced
    * 1 head cabbage, chopped
    * 1 package (Lipton) onion soup mix
    * 2-3 cubes vegetable bouillon
    * 6 cups water 
    * Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.*
    * Don't forget a little cayenne!
    * 1 Bag of spinach leaves or 1 bunch of kale (de-stemmed) or whatever dark leafy green is on sale or in season.

Preparation:
Simmer or slow cook all until soup is done. *If slow cooking, add seasonings about an hour before done. Eat all the soup you want, whenever you want. (here's my twist) Let cool till it's about 110-116 degrees then throw in a bag of fresh spinach/greens and stir till nicely wilted.  Put it all in a blender and drink throughout the day.

What do you think?  Could I use this as a juice feast?  There's be no pulp waste, I'd still be getting a bunch of raw greens and I don't have to worry about cost because most of this stuff is pretty inexpensive. My goal is to try and stay under $5 a day. I figure a batch of soup would last for 2 days possibly 3.

Almost the New Year

Well, 2010 has come and gone and it's time to start a new year.  Last year I was vegetarian for 10 months then slacked and started eating meat again.  Time to buckle down and get serious once more!  This year not only do I want to get back on track eating vegetarian, but I'd also like to go vegan.  I'm working towards eventually going completely raw for a while, too.  I've heard so many good things about it.

Main problem though is I don't have the proper equipment for a raw lifestyle.  My blender/food processor really sucks bad.  It's noisy and it has very little power.  It doesn't do a good job of making smoothies at all.  And, I don't have a dehydrator at all.  You need a job for those things and of course, I'm not working again.  Trying to at least find something part-time but even that is hard since I don't want to have to work more than 4-6 hours on my feet.

My "kick-start" to all this would optimally be a juice feast, but again, no proper equipment.  I have a Jack Lelane juicer, but all the pulp is such a waste.  If I had the dehydrator, I could use the pulp in that to make crackers or something.  Till then, it would be a wasteful ambition to go on a juice feast.  I just can't justify throwing away all that nutritious pulp product.

I wish someone would read this blog and give me some suggestions.  Thanks.  (oh and using the pulp in baked goods is out, too since our oven is crappy. Every time you turn it on, our room fills with gas and gives me a migraine.)

100% Raw New Year!

Ok, I'm hoping for the highly improbable, but I'm going to make an honest effort.  I'm truly wanting to go raw vegan in 2011.  It's going to be an uphill climb living with Dwain and also not having a decent blender or dehydrator.  I'm thinking I'll still be able to make nut cheeses with the grinder attachment on my food processor just not sure how well it'll work.  Gonna have to wait and see. 

I highly recommend and commend Kevin and Annamarie Guilanni who create the Renegade Health Show (http://renegadehealth.com/blog/).  I've been watching them all throughout 2010 and they have been an inspiration to me.

So, here's to the new year, new health and new life!

I... Cry...

I'm not one of those people who get emotional. At least, I pretend to be. I hold my emotions inside most of the time but then, there's just some things I can't help crying over.  For instance, the sound of a church choir, no matter how hard I try, I start crying like I just lost the most important thing to me in my whole life.  Watching a couple, whether straight or gay or in between who are truly completely in love with each other makes me cry.  It feels like I'm so very happy for them and yet, I'm crying for myself because I don't think I'll ever really know a love that deep and if I ever had it, I couldn't see the forest through the trees.  I cry over the smallest of things sometimes and I'm sad all the time.  I have so many great friends and yet, I'm so alone with myself.  I cry out the loneliness, I cry out, I cry out and no one hears me. No one really knows the pain I feel inside. No one knows because I'm walled up in a tiny room with no where to run, no where to go to, no one who cares enough about me to really notice that I don't think I'm well.

It amazes me how I go on from day to day just existing. I just have no motivation to do anything different. If I was miraculously gone tomorrow, I wouldn't even be missed for long. It's so sad thinking how alone I am in this world. I won't even be remembered for even a simple achievement. But, I'll continue to exist for another day, and another day and another day and...

I'll...

cry.