One Diet Isn't For Everyone


Rosacea Foods and Diet Guidelines | Plant diet, Whole food diet ...

     I have been on this journey for 7 years, and have tried this that and the other.  I have dabbled with many recipes, so awesome and some  so gross.  I have had ups and downs along the way.  I have cut sooo many things out of my diet.  Example: meat, dairy, sugar, oil, salt, whole foods that cause kidney stones like chocolate, spinach, etc.  Is there anything else that I have cut?  I don't think so, and yet I still am having a hard time loosing weight.  I'm eating a ton of food.  I believe it has to do with my age.

     When I first started, I lost 30 lbs off the bat, and really only 5 has come back on.   The standard American diet (SAD) just was keeping me sick and overweight, and I will NEVER go back to that way of eating.  I want to live a long healthy life, I want to see my grandchildren get married etc.  With that being said, what whole foods plant based diet is the best for you?!  You have some plant based docs saying that we should eat nuts, and other say no fat not even healthy fats!  I don't agree with this unless of course you have heart disease and you are trying to reverse that disease.  Our bodies need to have those healthy fats to function, healthy fats in meaning nuts, seeds and avocados.  The hydrogenated fats like in peanut butters and processed foods are not healthy and keep us fat.  Girls that have periods, if they cut out all fats, their periods stop.  Not healthy!   There are doctors that say eat only starch, and others say minimize starch and grains.  There are so many people who are sick that do need to follow a specific way of eating.  I for one am still overweight, and trying so hard to get it taken care of, but who do you follow?

     I have been following Dr. Furhman because his way of eating seems to be more healthy than anyone.  Our bodies need high nutrient diets!  We need all those nutrients that whole foods has to offer.  Our systems, or microbiomes need that fiber to eat and be healthy, so they don't eat away at the linings of our guts and give us leaky gut syndrome.  I'm just learning more and more about our gut microbiom.  Truly fascinating!

     Anyway, what way of eating for me, is not always the answer for others.  I believe though that a plant based diet no matter what form you follow, is the best way of eating.  Animal products in any form are bad for your body, bad for the environment.  Do your research, try new things dabble in recipes and if you like something on my blog that is gross, good for you!  In some respects it's a bit frustrating to try and figure out who is right and who is wrong.  There are so many opinions out there, which is why we need to research things out and decide what we really need to do for us. 








Corona Virus and Boosting Your Immunity

     Wow, things have gotten crazy in this world lately haven't they, and I'm sure you are thinking I don't want to read anything that has to do with the corona virus.  I know that I am just so done with hearing about all the destruction it has caused.  I watch the news, and my skin just crawls with what is going on, and I get freaked out.  I want to know what is going on in the world, but I think it is important to step away, regroup and do what you can to help yourself to stay healthy.  You can't control everyone else, but you can help yourself!

     It is so important now days to have a good immune system.  I'm sure you have heard, or maybe not that our health comes from our guts.  The microbiome is what makes us healthy or not.  I was listening to a podcast yesterday while I was out for my walk, and a doctor Angie Sadeghi was speaking with Elisa Lee.  If you want to listen to her podcasts they are amazing.  The podcast is called Eat to Live Daily.  It is a nutritarian lifestyle, and so informative.  Anyway, the doctor is a gastroentrologist and has done extensive study on how the gut microbiome helps us or makes us sick.  She talks about leaky gut.  When we eat foods that contain saturated fats, it causes holes in our gut, and allows us to become diseased.  I have heard this episode probably 3-4 times and each time I get something different out of it.  It is Episode 30 for those that want to hear it.  Truly fasinating. 

      I also watched a video on YouTube from Shine With Plants.  She talks about ways that we can boost our immune systems.  Here are 6 ways to do so. 

     1. Sleep and Relaxation - how many of us get enough sleep?  I have many friends that work graveyard shifts.  I know they don't get enough.  I try hard to get at least 7 hours a night.  You are more likely to get sick if you don't get enough sleep when exposed to viruses. 

     2. Stress - how do you become less stressed out in this craziness right now.  I have one, turn off the news!  Enjoy family time right now.  Focus on things you have control on.  Count your blessings!  Say your prayers if you are a praying person, I know it comforts me.

     3. Exercise DAILY!  This one is hard for me especially while I work at the hospital 12 hours a day, I try to take the stairs on those days and walk around the building when I can.  Exercise helps to maintain our health.  There are free videos on youtube, yoga, cardio, dance videos etc.  Find something you love.  Taking my dog for a walk is what I do, and listening to podcasts.

     4.  Eat a healthy diet.  Do I need to say more?  This should be a long time lifestyle.  I have been eating a ton of salad lately, I can't get enough!  I crave them now, and there are a lot of vitamins and minerals that help our guts microbiome.  I really love raw foods.  Also incorporate more green veggies.  Dark leafy greens are gold and will strengthen your immune system.  Very healing. 

     5. Drink more water.  This is so important as your body is 70% water.  When my kids were little, and they caught a cold I would always tell them to flood their bodies until your pee is clear, and it will flush out that bug..  So important to stay hydrated. 

     6 Vitamin C.  If possible eat the whole foods and not necessarily the vitamin pills.  Oranges, red peppers, kiwi, broccoli etc.  You can take vitamin C if you need an extra boost.  When I had shots in my knees, the doctor had me take an extra dose of vitamin C to help my body heal.  Good stuff!

     7. Vitamins D and zinc - get some sunshine is the best way to get vitamin D.  I take it daily as well.  It's a hormone, not a vitamin.  Don't take too much though, moderation in all things.  Zinc is good for human function.  Cashews, pumpkin seeds and legumes are a great source for zinc.

     8. Probiotics.  This is one thing that I struggle with.  I think I'm going to make some sauerkraut.
The Shine with Plants video is right below.

 https://youtu.be/BycFe1cxF2o

     Another video that is helpful is from some doctors here in Idaho who work in a functional medicine clinic.  Functional medicine docs go about things in a much more natural way.  In this video they talk about what to eat to starve off this virus.  Excellent video below. 

https://youtu.be/3E7Hgfg_HuE

     I wish you all all well.  Try not to stress out about this.  Keep yourself well, take notice of how to live your lives right now.  Stay home, when you are out keep social distancing.  Get healthy because now is the time!


Nutritarian Lifestyle



Happy New Year! 

     With each new year comes new resolutions, and I'm no different.  I'm still eating a plant based diet, I'm still plugging along.  I haven't fallen too far off the mark.  I will admit, over the holidays I did indulge.  It is so hard not to!

     January comes around and we all try new things.  Hopefully we study them out to make sure whatever we want to do isn't too bad.  This is where I come in.  I have been reading the book, Eat To Live by doctor Joel Furhman.  He is one of the plant based doctors that is an youtube, and has books published on Amazon. 

     I remember years ago, my friend gave me his book, but I was in no place at the time to take it seriously.  I was raising children, eating the SAD Standard American Diet. Eating just plants was so far off in left field for me at that time!  I guess you should never say never.

     So here I am years later eating a far better diet than ever before, researching new things and hoping something will help get this weight off.  I had seen some girls on youtube sharing their experiences with the Nutritarian lifestyle, so I got his book, and dived right in.  There is a wealth of information in this book.  Then I found a challenge that was on youtube by a girl names Cheri, and she has the Watering Mouth youtube channel.

     I gave it a shot, and I so far after 2 weeks have lost 6 pounds.  I seem to loose a pound a day!  I have been stuck for well over a year!  My cravings are gone, I'm off sugar, oil and salt.  I eat HUGE meals, and I'm awe struck.  How could this be?  All while eating avocado, nuts and seeds. 

     Let me tell you how.  It is a high nutrient diet.  You eat large amounts of greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds.  He calls these G-BOMBS.  The goal is to eat 1 lb of raw a day, and 1 lb of cooked veggies a day.  He suggests eating a very large salad before your lunch and dinner, however I eat one large salad and cooked veggies usually for dinner.  You can also eat all the fruit you want, but are supposed to eat at least 4 a day.  No snacking in between meals.   You can have starch, and grains but together only equaling 1 cup per day. 

     I'm not going to lie, this is a hard lifestyle.  The prep is a bit crazy!  The first week was extremely hard.  I still went to work half starved because I wasn't eating enough.  I started drinking a green smoothie with a lot of fruit in it, and it helped a lot!  Over time though, your body starts to adjust, it starts responding to this new way of eating.  The energy is awesome, I sleep like a baby, and for the first time in over a year I'm losing weight again.  I miss the potatoes, but I have really noticed something and learned more about myself that I didn't know or admit to before.  I'm a foody, or a food addict.  I craved sugar daily, I no longer have that need!  Will I go back to the other way, the starch diet?  Probably not.  I was not eating enough veggies on that lifestyle.  I was still eating white flour, and not getting enough of the stuff that is high in nutrients.  His books is fascinating.  It's a good read.  It's not for everyone, but it certainly won't hurt you to try it out!  I have gotten to the point of craving salads, and cooked veggies!  You will notice on the pyramid below that he allows some animal products.  I don't indulge on those at all, but you still can! 

     Our bodies are miraculous.  Give them what they need, and they will respond! 


 


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