In many ways I feel like I am this little sprout pushing its way through the earth as it's being nourished by the soil it's rooted in, benefiting from the sunshine and rain it so needs to grow up a healthy plant.
So also, I feel like a little sprout, I am being nourished as my physical body is being rooted into good soil (eating to live), a plant based diet, receiving my vitimin D from the sunshine here in New Mexico and drinking water, growing more healthy as each day passes.
In the last post I shared how I transitioned from SAD (the standard american diet) to E2L (Eat To Live). It was probably easier for me than some, since I have health issues that were a great motivation for me to change the way I ate. I'm not sure I would have been as successful or even if I'd be doing E2L if it weren't for the need to get well.
So about a month after I began E2L, I broke a toe and sprained a couple others. This made the transition a little more difficult. They had me wearing one of those boots that are meant for those who break more than a toe but they had me wearing one to make it easier for me to walk and to protect the toe. What an experience this was, trying to shop, cook, clean, do laundry and etc.
I hear you............just how did I break my toe? I was attempting to get something down from a high cabinet and lost my balance off of the step stool and came down hard at the ball of the foot and the toes ended up going backwards as I fell to the floor. Ouch! Yes I cried it hurt so bad. I am still healing from that experience. I still have a little pain left but it really is mostly healed.
As I was reading some of the forum comments I began to wonder if something was wrong with me. Many were saying how much better they felt. I couldn't say I was feeling better, in fact I was feeling worse. But then I had to remember that they didn't have all the health issues I did either. But I felt like I should be feeling some better, but I was actually feeling much worse. My fibromyalgia was so painful at first. I also was having trouble sleeping at night and I know that always affects how I feel. It has only been around a month now that I really can say that I began to sleep better.
So many nights I would lay in bed and not be able to fall asleep and so I would put on a movie and watch it in bed. I would then turn off the tv and try to fall asleep. After 30 minutes of tossing and turning I decided to put on another movie and quit fighting. Weeks went by with me gettting 2-3 hours of sleep per night. On a good night I might get 4-5 hours. I was dragging through the day and in so much pain. It was such a difficult time and I was beginning to wonder just what benefit I was reaping from this new diet. I can only guess that maybe my body had allot of detoxing to do, I'm not sure. I guess this is a question I won't have an answer to. But I kept on because even though I didn't feel like I was being helped, in my mind I knew that I was eating healthier and that eventually my body would respond.
Around a month ago I began to sleep through the night. Wow, it felt so good to have a good nights sleep. I was so apprehesive the next night just knowing I'd have to have a stack of movies ready for the sleepless night that lay ahead. But no I didn't need them. I slept through the night again a second time in a row. Ahhhh it was so nice to sleep. I wanted to jump for joy that I was sleeping normally again. And after a week or so of sleeping, the pain was beginning to ease a little and felt I could function like a normal person again.
I am beginning to find more recipes that I am enjoying and I really was doing well with avoiding most SAD food. Every once in awhile I would end up eating something that was not E2L food but overall I was doing pretty good at sticking to the plan. Preperation was the key to being successful for me since there were so many days I didn't want to cook or prepare a salad.
My husband mentioned how much more I was eating. I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but after thinking about it I realized that before E2L, I was counting all my calories and the foods I ate were calorie dense so I didn't get to eat very much if I wanted to stay at a healthy weight. I worked at trying to stay within the fda standards according to height, and build. So one of the benefits of eating to live is that you are able to eat so much more food than before without gaining weight. And it is healthy food so I am eating nutritionally where as before I really wasn't even though I thought I was.
So I am working towards doing the extended fast. My friend Jodi who loaned me her book, fasted 3-4 different times for 20 days or more. My goal was to fast for at least 21 days. I read that for some diseases it takes 21 days. Fibromyalgia is a disease caused by diet and I also have severe headaches and was hoping that fasting would help with both of these.
I forgot to mention too that when I found out I had high cholestrol, I mentioned to the doctor that I was having pain in my back so she ordered xrays. It came back that I also had osteoarthritis/porosis and disk degenerative disease. So that is what those sharp, pains were. I thought maybe they were new pains associated with the fibromyalgia.
I also forgot to mention that during the time when I was hyperthyroid (graves disease), I also was having chest pain. The doctor ordered a echocardiogram. The heart is fine except I have mitro valve regurgatation. Which means that as the is being pumped into the heart, the valve doesn't completely close and some of the that came in, goes right back out. I'm not sure if his is a serious problem later on, but it isn't something the doctor was concerned about.
I kept wondering how much more a body could take. But I know there are others who are experiencing much worse aches and pains and heartache than I am. I just wonder how people make it through the day with all the pain and suffering. I guess that is why the pharmacutical companies are a multi billion dollar entity.
I went off the medication I was taking to prepare myself for the fast, and it has been so difficult to make it through each and every day. I have learned to lean on the Lord to make it through the difficult times of life. Those trials we all face during our lifetime. God's word brings peace and comfort and so does prayer. He helps me make it through each day's struggle.
Dr. Fuhrman said I needed to be on this diet and eating healthy for at least 3 months before I could do a fast. The doctor ordered some more work to check on the cholesterol and thyroid and some other various tests. She also checked my pressure 3 times. The nurse checked it and the doctor checked it twice. My pressure after 3 months on this diet came down to normal at 118/70. Also my high cholesterol dropped from 295 to 231 I think it is. All in just three months. Gosh was I excited. All the funny glances I got for eating this way and negative comments that were made. This made it all worth enduring the scoffers who didn't believe in eating for health.
Well I want to continue because I tend to loose my train of thought, but its late and I need some sleep. I'll try and post tomorrow and catch up on the challenge also. Eat To Live Everyone!
In the last post I shared how I transitioned from SAD (the standard american diet) to E2L (Eat To Live). It was probably easier for me than some, since I have health issues that were a great motivation for me to change the way I ate. I'm not sure I would have been as successful or even if I'd be doing E2L if it weren't for the need to get well.
So about a month after I began E2L, I broke a toe and sprained a couple others. This made the transition a little more difficult. They had me wearing one of those boots that are meant for those who break more than a toe but they had me wearing one to make it easier for me to walk and to protect the toe. What an experience this was, trying to shop, cook, clean, do laundry and etc.
I hear you............just how did I break my toe? I was attempting to get something down from a high cabinet and lost my balance off of the step stool and came down hard at the ball of the foot and the toes ended up going backwards as I fell to the floor. Ouch! Yes I cried it hurt so bad. I am still healing from that experience. I still have a little pain left but it really is mostly healed.
As I was reading some of the forum comments I began to wonder if something was wrong with me. Many were saying how much better they felt. I couldn't say I was feeling better, in fact I was feeling worse. But then I had to remember that they didn't have all the health issues I did either. But I felt like I should be feeling some better, but I was actually feeling much worse. My fibromyalgia was so painful at first. I also was having trouble sleeping at night and I know that always affects how I feel. It has only been around a month now that I really can say that I began to sleep better.
So many nights I would lay in bed and not be able to fall asleep and so I would put on a movie and watch it in bed. I would then turn off the tv and try to fall asleep. After 30 minutes of tossing and turning I decided to put on another movie and quit fighting. Weeks went by with me gettting 2-3 hours of sleep per night. On a good night I might get 4-5 hours. I was dragging through the day and in so much pain. It was such a difficult time and I was beginning to wonder just what benefit I was reaping from this new diet. I can only guess that maybe my body had allot of detoxing to do, I'm not sure. I guess this is a question I won't have an answer to. But I kept on because even though I didn't feel like I was being helped, in my mind I knew that I was eating healthier and that eventually my body would respond.
Around a month ago I began to sleep through the night. Wow, it felt so good to have a good nights sleep. I was so apprehesive the next night just knowing I'd have to have a stack of movies ready for the sleepless night that lay ahead. But no I didn't need them. I slept through the night again a second time in a row. Ahhhh it was so nice to sleep. I wanted to jump for joy that I was sleeping normally again. And after a week or so of sleeping, the pain was beginning to ease a little and felt I could function like a normal person again.
I am beginning to find more recipes that I am enjoying and I really was doing well with avoiding most SAD food. Every once in awhile I would end up eating something that was not E2L food but overall I was doing pretty good at sticking to the plan. Preperation was the key to being successful for me since there were so many days I didn't want to cook or prepare a salad.
My husband mentioned how much more I was eating. I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but after thinking about it I realized that before E2L, I was counting all my calories and the foods I ate were calorie dense so I didn't get to eat very much if I wanted to stay at a healthy weight. I worked at trying to stay within the fda standards according to height, and build. So one of the benefits of eating to live is that you are able to eat so much more food than before without gaining weight. And it is healthy food so I am eating nutritionally where as before I really wasn't even though I thought I was.
So I am working towards doing the extended fast. My friend Jodi who loaned me her book, fasted 3-4 different times for 20 days or more. My goal was to fast for at least 21 days. I read that for some diseases it takes 21 days. Fibromyalgia is a disease caused by diet and I also have severe headaches and was hoping that fasting would help with both of these.
I forgot to mention too that when I found out I had high cholestrol, I mentioned to the doctor that I was having pain in my back so she ordered xrays. It came back that I also had osteoarthritis/porosis and disk degenerative disease. So that is what those sharp, pains were. I thought maybe they were new pains associated with the fibromyalgia.
I also forgot to mention that during the time when I was hyperthyroid (graves disease), I also was having chest pain. The doctor ordered a echocardiogram. The heart is fine except I have mitro valve regurgatation. Which means that as the is being pumped into the heart, the valve doesn't completely close and some of the that came in, goes right back out. I'm not sure if his is a serious problem later on, but it isn't something the doctor was concerned about.
I kept wondering how much more a body could take. But I know there are others who are experiencing much worse aches and pains and heartache than I am. I just wonder how people make it through the day with all the pain and suffering. I guess that is why the pharmacutical companies are a multi billion dollar entity.
I went off the medication I was taking to prepare myself for the fast, and it has been so difficult to make it through each and every day. I have learned to lean on the Lord to make it through the difficult times of life. Those trials we all face during our lifetime. God's word brings peace and comfort and so does prayer. He helps me make it through each day's struggle.
Dr. Fuhrman said I needed to be on this diet and eating healthy for at least 3 months before I could do a fast. The doctor ordered some more work to check on the cholesterol and thyroid and some other various tests. She also checked my pressure 3 times. The nurse checked it and the doctor checked it twice. My pressure after 3 months on this diet came down to normal at 118/70. Also my high cholesterol dropped from 295 to 231 I think it is. All in just three months. Gosh was I excited. All the funny glances I got for eating this way and negative comments that were made. This made it all worth enduring the scoffers who didn't believe in eating for health.
Well I want to continue because I tend to loose my train of thought, but its late and I need some sleep. I'll try and post tomorrow and catch up on the challenge also. Eat To Live Everyone!
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