Last week my friend and I went to a raw foods preparation class. Somewhere between the nut pate and the chocolate nut ice cream pie, we were both dreaming of bonding with our bathroom commode. The other day I went to a raw ice cream social with my meetup group and in the midst of my stomach's revenge it occurred to me that any diet can be unhealthy. Everyone automatically assumes that if you're a vegetarian, a vegan, and especially a raw vegan you must be a health nut. Well, nothing could be further from the truth.
I have known many vegetarians who eat no vegetables, unless you categorize french fries, potato chips, and ketchup as vegetables. (Just to clarify- I don't!)
Then there are the vegans, and some of them take things a step further- they don't eat dip with their chips or drink milk in their coffee, but still no veggies.
So now we move on to the real radicals- the raw vegans. Now they must have a healthy diet, right? Well, the answer may shock and surprise, as it did me. The answer is a resounding "not necessarily".
Raw simply means not cooked, and vegan means no animal products. So eating a diet loaded with heavy nut pate's, rich desserts oozing with agave and maple syrup, and dehyrated grain snacks may be both raw and vegan, but healthy it's decidedly not.
So what do you call a person who actually eats vegetables? I think we should have a name of our own. How about "vegevore"? It sounds like some kind of prehistoric animal.
And what about those of us who take it even further and juice green vegetables, blend green smoothies, and eat sprouts and salads as our primary diet? "Salajuiceatarians"? That sounds like we've graduated with some kind of honor.
All I know is that it seems to me that a vegetarian should eat vegetables. If not, they should give the name back to it's rightful owners.
Maybe they could just call themselves "nomeatarians" or "nutaholics".
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
My appointment with God
I've gone over this in my mind so many times. I thought I'd gone over all the possibilities, thought I was prepared. Then came the case of the clairvoyant oncologist and the disappearing tumor.
I walked into the office with my posse, hereinafter referred to as my cheering section. Dr. Medical walks in and flips through my chart. "Well, this is very good." Cheering section agrees.
"So, what are you doing for treatment?" asks Dr. Med as he frantically flips through my chart. I tell him I'm doing an alternative protocol. "Are you taking Tamoxifen?" he asks after some more flipping. I tell him no, not anymore. "But you were taking it, right?" I say yes, I was up until about a week ago.
"Well that's what killed the tumor." HUH? But you told me that there was no curative treatment. And this is the really unexpected part: "There isn't. It will come back", comes the response. Cheering section is looking considerably less cheery by now.
Ok, I know there's always one party pooper in the crowd, but this is a bit extreme. But Dr. M isn't done yet. He goes on to tell me that the trouble with us alternative nuts (I paraphrase of course- Dr. M is nothing if not polite) is that we attribute our victories to that treatment and then abandon the conventional treatment that's really doing the job.
I guess I should have realized that my body's lack of Tamoxifen was the real reason for my cancer and now that it was being replaced, I'd be all good. At least until it comes back. Or gives me cervical cancer.
So now that I'm off the Tamoxifen I speculate that any future gains will be attributed to the following, in the order listed:
1.Tamoxifen (Dr. M made sure to inform me that it stays in my body for 2 months)
2.Being in the same room with Tamoxifen
3.Sharing a straw with someone taking Tamoxifen
4.Living within 50 miles of a drugstore selling Tamoxifen
Gosh, with such a wonder drug out there, it's surprising that we have so many people dying of cancer, don't you think?
And even more amazing, since Dr. M is apparently God, he can now be sure who's tumors will come back!
What a joyous day in the War against Cancer!
I walked into the office with my posse, hereinafter referred to as my cheering section. Dr. Medical walks in and flips through my chart. "Well, this is very good." Cheering section agrees.
"So, what are you doing for treatment?" asks Dr. Med as he frantically flips through my chart. I tell him I'm doing an alternative protocol. "Are you taking Tamoxifen?" he asks after some more flipping. I tell him no, not anymore. "But you were taking it, right?" I say yes, I was up until about a week ago.
"Well that's what killed the tumor." HUH? But you told me that there was no curative treatment. And this is the really unexpected part: "There isn't. It will come back", comes the response. Cheering section is looking considerably less cheery by now.
Ok, I know there's always one party pooper in the crowd, but this is a bit extreme. But Dr. M isn't done yet. He goes on to tell me that the trouble with us alternative nuts (I paraphrase of course- Dr. M is nothing if not polite) is that we attribute our victories to that treatment and then abandon the conventional treatment that's really doing the job.
I guess I should have realized that my body's lack of Tamoxifen was the real reason for my cancer and now that it was being replaced, I'd be all good. At least until it comes back. Or gives me cervical cancer.
So now that I'm off the Tamoxifen I speculate that any future gains will be attributed to the following, in the order listed:
1.Tamoxifen (Dr. M made sure to inform me that it stays in my body for 2 months)
2.Being in the same room with Tamoxifen
3.Sharing a straw with someone taking Tamoxifen
4.Living within 50 miles of a drugstore selling Tamoxifen
Gosh, with such a wonder drug out there, it's surprising that we have so many people dying of cancer, don't you think?
And even more amazing, since Dr. M is apparently God, he can now be sure who's tumors will come back!
What a joyous day in the War against Cancer!
Monday, May 12, 2008
No skeptics allowed
I was discussing with some friends the other day why some people have such difficulty believing that alternative treatments work. It seems that even though the proof is in the pudding, they want cake instead.
In my case, I had a tumor on my liver. It showed up clear as day on an MRI and lit up like a Christmas tree on PET CT. No, I didn't have a biopsy and the reason I didn't is because my oncologist told me there was only a 5% chance that maybe it wasn't cancer. Factor in the coincidence that it just happened to disappear during the 3 months I've been using this treatment and your 5% goes down somewhere close to 0%. Yet, somehow it's easier for people to align themselves with almost zero odds in favor of believing that it was my treatment that made the thing disappear.
If I told them that chemo made my tumor disappear, they'd surely believe that. Hell, I'd bet that if I told people that the Virgin Mary appeared on my grilled cheese sandwich and the tumor disappeared, many of them would believe that. So no matter how far fetched the theory, (I mean grilled cheese? Please! I'm a raw vegan after all! ) it's still easier for people to accept. The fact that something natural could work is simply unfathomable.
This is just such a sad commentary on the state of medicine in this country. People are so brainwashed into thinking that diseases can only be cured or controlled by toxic substances, drugs, and invasive procedures. My logical mind tells me that if the disease wasn't caused by a deficiency of the drug then it can't be the answer. We must address the cause if we have a hope of preventing it from recurring. People must begin to think outside of this nice, neat box that's been constructed for them. It's up to us all to open up to new possibilities and be the change.
On a lighter note, I had a fabulous weekend exploring an organic farmer's market in Miami, spending some quality time with my older son at the beach, and going to dinner at an awesome new raw, organic, vegan restaurant called LifeFood. It's in Miami, owned and run by a great guy named John, and the food was delish! At least for me- I don't think the family is quite ready for this yet. But at least we didn't stop at McDonalds on the way home.
In my case, I had a tumor on my liver. It showed up clear as day on an MRI and lit up like a Christmas tree on PET CT. No, I didn't have a biopsy and the reason I didn't is because my oncologist told me there was only a 5% chance that maybe it wasn't cancer. Factor in the coincidence that it just happened to disappear during the 3 months I've been using this treatment and your 5% goes down somewhere close to 0%. Yet, somehow it's easier for people to align themselves with almost zero odds in favor of believing that it was my treatment that made the thing disappear.
If I told them that chemo made my tumor disappear, they'd surely believe that. Hell, I'd bet that if I told people that the Virgin Mary appeared on my grilled cheese sandwich and the tumor disappeared, many of them would believe that. So no matter how far fetched the theory, (I mean grilled cheese? Please! I'm a raw vegan after all! ) it's still easier for people to accept. The fact that something natural could work is simply unfathomable.
This is just such a sad commentary on the state of medicine in this country. People are so brainwashed into thinking that diseases can only be cured or controlled by toxic substances, drugs, and invasive procedures. My logical mind tells me that if the disease wasn't caused by a deficiency of the drug then it can't be the answer. We must address the cause if we have a hope of preventing it from recurring. People must begin to think outside of this nice, neat box that's been constructed for them. It's up to us all to open up to new possibilities and be the change.
On a lighter note, I had a fabulous weekend exploring an organic farmer's market in Miami, spending some quality time with my older son at the beach, and going to dinner at an awesome new raw, organic, vegan restaurant called LifeFood. It's in Miami, owned and run by a great guy named John, and the food was delish! At least for me- I don't think the family is quite ready for this yet. But at least we didn't stop at McDonalds on the way home.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Clean Sweep
Well, another enzyme cycle bites the dust. As appreciative as I am for my enzymes, 5 nights of uninterrupted sleep is such a treat! It's positively Zen-like- eating when I want and no pills! Ah, the little things we take for granted!
This month's detox is called "The clean sweep". It's actually the easiest for me of the 3 procedures that I alternate on my off cycles. The clean sweep is achieved by adding Bulking agent to 8 oz. of apple, carrot, or tomato juice followed by a glass of water twice a day for 5 days. That's it! Piece of raw carrot cake!
What happens is that the bulking agent absorbs tons of water like a sponge and enlarges, gradually working it's way through and pushing out all the stored wastes, bacteria, and other organisms in it's path. These wastes can accumulate over many years and can interfere with nutrient absorption. Ok, probably t.m.i. (too much info) already. Time to get started on my z's.
This month's detox is called "The clean sweep". It's actually the easiest for me of the 3 procedures that I alternate on my off cycles. The clean sweep is achieved by adding Bulking agent to 8 oz. of apple, carrot, or tomato juice followed by a glass of water twice a day for 5 days. That's it! Piece of raw carrot cake!
What happens is that the bulking agent absorbs tons of water like a sponge and enlarges, gradually working it's way through and pushing out all the stored wastes, bacteria, and other organisms in it's path. These wastes can accumulate over many years and can interfere with nutrient absorption. Ok, probably t.m.i. (too much info) already. Time to get started on my z's.
Monday, May 5, 2008
It's Raining Miracles
The universe is providing for my family big time these days!
In addition to my health miracle, the other night my amazing, precious 18 year old son was involved in a roll over crash while a passenger in his friend's car. The car rolled over and over 4 times, yet all 5 boys walked away without a scratch! The paramedics told one of the boys that he's lucky to be alive, never mind unharmed.
Then as if that's not enough, my son went back the next day to the scene of the crash looking for his wallet and found it just laying there on the grass with everything still in it.
All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, A MILLION TIMES THANK YOU!!! I hope I'm worthy enough to be able to pay it forward and give something back to the universe.
Of course this is not what I have in mind, but it's a start. I've gotten some requests for the raw cereal I eat every morning, so I promised I'd post the recipe and directions. Here it is:
RAW 14 GRAIN CEREAL
Wheat Berries
Buckwheat
Rye
Oat Groats
Millet
sesame seeds
brown rice
flaxseed
corn
alfalfa seeds
lentils
mung beans
barley
almonds
Mix all together and store in fridge.
To prepare:
The night before take 2-3 tablespoons and grind in a coffee grinder or magic bullet until a fine powder consistency.
Put in bowl and add purified, spring, or coconut water. The cereal soaks up many times it's weight in water, so make sure it's a bit thin.
Cover and put in fridge overnight.
The next morning mix and add more water/coconut water if necessary. Add berries, coconut meat, stevia to taste.
I also found a great interview with Dr. Gonzalez wherein he explains in detail his program and how it works.
In addition to my health miracle, the other night my amazing, precious 18 year old son was involved in a roll over crash while a passenger in his friend's car. The car rolled over and over 4 times, yet all 5 boys walked away without a scratch! The paramedics told one of the boys that he's lucky to be alive, never mind unharmed.
Then as if that's not enough, my son went back the next day to the scene of the crash looking for his wallet and found it just laying there on the grass with everything still in it.
All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, A MILLION TIMES THANK YOU!!! I hope I'm worthy enough to be able to pay it forward and give something back to the universe.
Of course this is not what I have in mind, but it's a start. I've gotten some requests for the raw cereal I eat every morning, so I promised I'd post the recipe and directions. Here it is:
RAW 14 GRAIN CEREAL
Wheat Berries
Buckwheat
Rye
Oat Groats
Millet
sesame seeds
brown rice
flaxseed
corn
alfalfa seeds
lentils
mung beans
barley
almonds
Mix all together and store in fridge.
To prepare:
The night before take 2-3 tablespoons and grind in a coffee grinder or magic bullet until a fine powder consistency.
Put in bowl and add purified, spring, or coconut water. The cereal soaks up many times it's weight in water, so make sure it's a bit thin.
Cover and put in fridge overnight.
The next morning mix and add more water/coconut water if necessary. Add berries, coconut meat, stevia to taste.
I also found a great interview with Dr. Gonzalez wherein he explains in detail his program and how it works.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Enzyme Appreciation
It's so freeing to have the proof that what I'm doing is working. I mean I've read my report so many times it's about to make the bestseller list. The wording on those things is so darn ambiguous that I want to make sure I didn't misunderstand anything. Like, for example it says that the prior liver lesion is "no longer appreciated". To tell you the truth, I never appreciated the damn thing to begin with. If there's someone out there that appreciated my liver lesion at any time, I want to know who you are!
At any rate, after careful analysis my original interpretation still stands. It's now a history book.
So let's move on to something I really do appreciate. Since my great news, there's been much interest in my protocol, so I thought I'd re-post my oh so exciting schedule. It would bring me so much joy to help even one person make a decision that may just save their life.
Here goes:
Wake up at 3:30AM- take 16 pancreatic enzymes. Roll over and pass out.
Wake up again at 7:20AM- Take 16 enzymes and 2 supplements.
9AM- juice carrots and greens
9:30 AM-eat breakfast of raw 14 grain cereal with berries, take 24 supplements and 3 enzymes.
Heat up coffee for morning enema-(made the previous night)
Dry brush skin
11:30AM- take 16 enzymes and 4 supplements
2PM- Green Smoothie in Vita Mix, take 1/2 tspn vital 10, 22 supplements, and 3 enzymes.
3:30PM- take 16 enzymes and 4 supplements. Make coffee for afternoon enema.
4:30 afternoon enema, green juice
6:30- prepare and eat raw veggie dinner. Take 24 supplements and 3 enzymes.
8 PM- Green or carrot juice, take 16 enzymes and 2 supplements. Prepare coffee for morning enema. Prepare raw 14 grain cereal to soak until morning.
9 PM- Salt and soda bath (2X per week), dry brush skin.
11PM- take 16 enzymes and 8 supplements.
3:30AM- lather, rinse, repeat
In between there at some point take a walk, jump on rebounder, live life (believe it or not!)
Oh, and the diet is not exactly as prescribed, but it works for me, since eating animal products just doesn't resonate with me. The prescribed diet is actually much more liberal and each person gets an individualized diet according to their metabolic type.
At any rate, after careful analysis my original interpretation still stands. It's now a history book.
So let's move on to something I really do appreciate. Since my great news, there's been much interest in my protocol, so I thought I'd re-post my oh so exciting schedule. It would bring me so much joy to help even one person make a decision that may just save their life.
Here goes:
Wake up at 3:30AM- take 16 pancreatic enzymes. Roll over and pass out.
Wake up again at 7:20AM- Take 16 enzymes and 2 supplements.
9AM- juice carrots and greens
9:30 AM-eat breakfast of raw 14 grain cereal with berries, take 24 supplements and 3 enzymes.
Heat up coffee for morning enema-(made the previous night)
Dry brush skin
11:30AM- take 16 enzymes and 4 supplements
2PM- Green Smoothie in Vita Mix, take 1/2 tspn vital 10, 22 supplements, and 3 enzymes.
3:30PM- take 16 enzymes and 4 supplements. Make coffee for afternoon enema.
4:30 afternoon enema, green juice
6:30- prepare and eat raw veggie dinner. Take 24 supplements and 3 enzymes.
8 PM- Green or carrot juice, take 16 enzymes and 2 supplements. Prepare coffee for morning enema. Prepare raw 14 grain cereal to soak until morning.
9 PM- Salt and soda bath (2X per week), dry brush skin.
11PM- take 16 enzymes and 8 supplements.
3:30AM- lather, rinse, repeat
In between there at some point take a walk, jump on rebounder, live life (believe it or not!)
Oh, and the diet is not exactly as prescribed, but it works for me, since eating animal products just doesn't resonate with me. The prescribed diet is actually much more liberal and each person gets an individualized diet according to their metabolic type.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
The bright side of the moon
The results of the MRI and PET CT scans are in, and the news is AMAZING! It's better than I could have ever anticipated that after only three months on Dr. Gonzalez' enzyme therapy protocol my liver mets have "resolved". Roughly translated that means gone, see ya, buh-bye! Hello, healthy liver. I could say it a million ways, but to keep the redundancy to a minimum I'll just say that I'm over the moon and I like it here!
My bone mets are stable with no new lesions seen, so that's also a blessing as bone mets can be very aggressive. Dr. Gonzalez also explained to me that bone can look metabolically active on a PET even while it's healing, which makes sense as bone heals via metabolic activity. So in other words, my bones could be healing and remodeling, with cells laying down more bone, which would simply show up as activity on the PET and therefore be misinterpreted as still being cancer. I'm definitely going with that one.
At any rate, I'm so happy and grateful for all the things that make living a beautiful thing. I'm living my life for this moment and all it has to offer. I'm blessed with an amazing array of family and friends who have been and continue to be an integral part of my journey. Thank you for all your love and support.
I've made so many wonderful new friends on my journey, mostly as a result of landing in Kris Carr's CSL community of hope and love. There I've been lucky enough to have been able to learn and share, to give and receive love, prayers, great advice, laughter, pain, and most importantly hope. So thank you Kris for creating this haven for healing and to my friend Eileen for sending me Kris' book. Your thoughtful expression of kindness set off a chain reaction which would become an essential part of my healing journey.
Love and eternal light to all!
My bone mets are stable with no new lesions seen, so that's also a blessing as bone mets can be very aggressive. Dr. Gonzalez also explained to me that bone can look metabolically active on a PET even while it's healing, which makes sense as bone heals via metabolic activity. So in other words, my bones could be healing and remodeling, with cells laying down more bone, which would simply show up as activity on the PET and therefore be misinterpreted as still being cancer. I'm definitely going with that one.
At any rate, I'm so happy and grateful for all the things that make living a beautiful thing. I'm living my life for this moment and all it has to offer. I'm blessed with an amazing array of family and friends who have been and continue to be an integral part of my journey. Thank you for all your love and support.
I've made so many wonderful new friends on my journey, mostly as a result of landing in Kris Carr's CSL community of hope and love. There I've been lucky enough to have been able to learn and share, to give and receive love, prayers, great advice, laughter, pain, and most importantly hope. So thank you Kris for creating this haven for healing and to my friend Eileen for sending me Kris' book. Your thoughtful expression of kindness set off a chain reaction which would become an essential part of my healing journey.
Love and eternal light to all!
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