Rawkin' Radiance

Zucchini Pasta (with Hemp Pesto or Tomato Basil)

2011-09-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Simple, light, yummy & raw. Some of my favorite things!

Regular pasta is a heavy dish that is acidic to the body. Using zucchini instead of pasta noodles is a great way to get the same hearty flavor with much added health benefits!

First, peel & grate a zucchini. Then pick a sauce, whip it up & enjoy! The sauce ideas are endless. Here are two of my favs!

Vegan Hemp Pesto

Hemp seed oil is sooo tasty and good for you! It has a high amount of beneficial essential fatty acids, up to 80%, the highest amount of any other plant. The 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids is important in preventing heart disease, promoting heart health, and alleviating acne, psoriasis and ezcema. It is also good for building strong hair, nails, and skin, as well as helping your body to fight and ward off degenerative diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, hemp is the only plant containing Vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption. This is especially helpful to those on a vegan diet.

Hemp seed oil is also a good source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which makes the oil a rival to flax seed oil and Evening Primrose Oil.

Hemp seed oil also contains ingredients that give it unique anti-inflammatory properties that are not often found in other oils. This, added to its antioxidant properties, allows hemp oil to detoxify and clean your skin, as well as evening out your skin tone.

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups basil
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup hemp seed oil
4 medium cloves of garlic
Pink Himalayan sea salt to taste

Put all ingredients in food processor & blend!

I added a few tomatoes on top for flavor. :D

Basic Tomato & Basil Sauce

Ingredients:
4-6 tomatoes
1/2 cup basil
Add onion, garlic, and salt to taste

Put into food processor and blend until desired consistency.

Flackers & Guacamole

2011-09-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you crave something salty & crunchy and it's hard to find a raw treat that meets those requirements. I made this recipe for a potluck and everyone loved them! I love it when I can prove to others that eating raw food doesn't mean that you won't be eating tasty treats.

Flackers

Ingredients:
2 cups of flax seeds
2 cups of water
Pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tbsp of minced herbs (optional)

What to do:
1. Cover the flax seeds with water and soak for at least 1.5 hours. You want the mixture to be gooey, but not runny and not too thick.
2. Stir in herbs/salt if you choose.
3. Spread the mixture about 1/8 inch thick on parchment paper in the dehydrator.
4. Dehydrate at 110 degrees F for about 4-6 hours.

Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 whole avocado
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Pink Himalayan sea salt as desired
1/4 cup onions (optional)
1/4 cup tomatoes (optional)

What to do:

Pop everything into a food processor and whiz it up! If the mix is a little too thick, just add a little bit more olive oil to the processor to loosen the mixture. You can also do it by hand if you don't have a processor.

I put a tomato on top to garnish, but you can use anything you want!

A note for those with IC...
I have always been afraid of tomatoes, thinking they are not IC friendly, but I decided to give them a try. The ICN Diet List has homegrown tomatoes on the "Try it" section. The tomatoes I used I got from the farmers market, so I know they are organic and local, which is considered to be homegrown. I know that store-bought tomatoes are more acidic than homegrown ones, I think it has something to do with the time they are picked, if they are ripe when picked or not. Either way, I tried them, and I'm glad I did, because they were delicious and not painful! It's a good recipe without them, too, so don't push yourself if you don't think you can tolerate them.

Cabbage Veggie Wraps with Coconut Garlic Nut Pate

2011-09-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

There are so many great recipes out there for veggie wraps! Some use collard greens, cabbage, or rainbow chard as the wrap, then just throw in a variety of veggies, and pick a delicious sauce and you have yourself a great, raw wrap. The sauce ideas are endless, but here's one of my favs.

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (meat & water)
2 cups of soaked almonds
4 cloves of garlic
4-5 pitted dates
Small piece of ginger
A couple shakes of dill

What you do: Put all ingredients inside of a food processor and blend until smooth. That's it!

Put some sauce on a piece of cabbage, add your choice of veggies and it's a wrap! Or just use it as a veggie dip or salad dressing.

MMMMMMMMM good.

Banana Nut Rawies

2011-09-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

This can be a granola bar, raw cookie (rawie!), or cereal, depending on how long you dehydrate it and how you shape them! So good, so raw.

Ingredients:
4 bananas
1 1/4 cup pitted dates
1.5 cups soaked (& dried) almonds, roughly chopped
1.5 cups dried, shaved coconut meat
1/8 cup flax meal

What to do:
1. Blend bananas, dates, and flax meal in food processor until smooth.
2. Stir in nuts and coconut.
3. Evenly spread mixture on dehydrator tray lined with teflex sheets, wax or parchment paper. Make it into the size and shape you prefer.
4. Dehydrate at 105 degrees. After 6 hours, they become warm, chewy granola bars! You can leave them in for longer (up to 20 hours) to make them crispier is you prefer.
5. Store in fridge or freezer for up to 4 months.

YUM!

Avocado & Cucumber Soup

2011-09-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Delicious & creamy raw soup.

1 avocado
1 cucumber, sliced & seeded
1 garlic clove
Dash of dill
Pinch of Pink Himalayan sea salt
Lime juice

Put all ingredients into food processor & enjoy! Sweet & simple.
If you're craving a hot soup, you can boil 1/4 cup water than add that to the mix.

Raw Chocolate Truffles

2011-09-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

OMG, you guys. This is my favorite raw food desert I've made (so far)! It's so yummy, all raw, and so totally good for you.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cacao powder
2 cups raw shredded coconut
8 large dates (pitted)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil
1/3 cup filtered water
1 tsp cinnamon
A touch of vanilla extract
A dash of pink Himalayan sea salt

Topping ideas (to roll the truffles in):

raw cacao powder
raw cacao nibs
vegan chocolate chips
pistachio bits
goji berries
shredded coconut

What to do...

1. Mix the dates & water in food processor until it forms a paste.
2. Mix in cacao powder.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the shredded coconut with the coconut oil.
4. Add the two pastes together in the bowl, then add cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix ingredients until it forms a thick batter.
5. Form into small balls and roll in the toppings. Toppings are not necessary, but just add a fun touch and great flavor.
6. Place on wax paper in fridge for 15 min. Enjoy!

If you want more of a sweetener than dates, you could add honey, agave nectar, or stevia.

I couldn't believe how much these tasted like pure dark chocolate treats. Everyone loved them and were very surprised to hear the ingredients & that they were raw and healthy!

Raw cacao is different than it's sad, processed brother, cocoa. Cacao is a superfood because it is extremely high in antioxidants and flavonoids. It turns out that all the bad things commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and others fillers added to the chocolate. Health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, nibs and/or the powder include; weight loss (because of its high chromium and coumarin content), prevention of cavities (theobromine actually kills streptococci mutans one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay) and regulation of blood sugar which is beneficial for diabetes (chromium can naturally regulate blood sugar). Also, raw cacao benefits the heart and the entire cardiovascular system as a whole.

Cacao is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. Magnesium relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system. The dark chocolate antioxidants have been clinically proven to literally dissolve plaque built up in the arteries, which helps in reversing heart disease and causes naturally lower blood pressure. Also, various other vitamins and minerals in raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular system.

And I love that this recipe uses coconut oil! Out of all the oils out there, coconut is one of the healthiest. The health benefits of coconut oil are immense and it adds great flavor to desserts!

Definitely going to make this one again for the holidays. :)

Fruit Salad

2011-09-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is fast & easy. Chop up whatever fruits you have on hand, add some rasins, goji berries, walnuts, honey, cinnamon, etc. and you have a fantastic, healthy RAW desert right there. Get creative and make it your own. Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon GRAWnola

2011-09-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is awesome because it satisfies that crunchy, sweet craving, but is still completely RAW and healthy for you!

Binding ingredients:
1 cored apple, chopped 1 ½ cups date paste (dates soaked in water for 1-2 hours, then pureed with ¼ cup of water until smooth)
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sea salt

Raw seeds/nuts/fruits:
½-1 cup sunflower seeds
2 ½ cups pecans
2 cups walnuts
2 cups almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup chia seeds
½ cup flax meal
1 cup raisins
½-1 cup organic dried unsweetened coconut

These ingredients are just suggestions. You can add or subtract whatever you want, just make sure to have something sticky (ie date paste) in the binding ingredient list you use.

What to do...
1. Grind the binding ingredients and ¼ cup of the sunflower seeds in a food processor until smooth. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Put the nuts and seeds into a food processor (you’ll probably need to do it in 2 batches). Chop coarsely, using a few quick pulses. Place this mixture into the large bowl with the apple/date (binding) mixture, add the dried fruit, and mix the rest by hand.
3. Spread granola on a Teflex sheet (parchment paper will work too).
4. Dehydrate at 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 hours or until the granola is crunchy.

Serve with fresh fruit and almond milk or coconut milk. YUM! Or just eat it on it's own.
Store in an airtight place and keep refrigerated for freshness.

Purple & Green Dream Juice

2011-09-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just threw this together from what I had in the fridge and it turned out great!

Ingredients
3 leaves of kale
4 leaves of purple cabbage
3 stalks of celery
1 cucumber
1 orange
~30 concord grapes

Put through juicer and enjoy!

IC Green Smoothie!

2011-09-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

The green smoothie changed my life. There are tons of different great recipes out there! This is the one I started out with when I first started my IC healing journey. With IC, our bladders and bodies are more sensitive, so our food choices are pretty limited. This was my daily breakfast when I started my raw food plan!

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (use water & meat)
1 pear (or apple if you can tolerate it)
1 banana
3 stalks of celery
1-2 cups of spinach
1 tbsp flax meal
1 tbsp spirulina powder
ice if desired

Instructions:
1. Put all ingredients inside blender and blend! May need to add in some water if there is problems blending.

Suggestions:

If you find you can't tolerate the apple and/or banana, leave them out. You can use stevia as a sweetener if desired.

Coconut: It's hard to always have a fresh coconut, and even harder to open them! Don't be intimidated. These tasty treats have electrolytes and alkalizing properties, as well as many other health benefits. So it's worth it! I've made friends with the produce guy at Whole Foods and he always opens them for me, then wraps it back up. The downside to this is I have to use it soon, but that's usually not a problem, since I have smoothies every day. You can also search Youtube for how to open a coconut. Sometimes when coconuts are too expensive or I am too busy, I use coconut water or make my own almond milk. Be careful when buying things in cartons because they are not raw and have added ingredients that can hurt IC.

Seeds: I use flax for the Omegas and fiber, but feel free to get creative and try other ideas!

Spirulina is a great superfood that helps alkalize your body! It also is a good source of protein and vitamin B12. It's also been proven to help IC. But if you don't want to use it, find another green super food powder that you want to try.

Healthy breakfast: This is a great, healthy way to start your day! Ever since I started drinking 1 green smoothie a day, I've experienced many positive health benefits, including extreme IC pain reduction. :)

Liquid Feasting

2011-08-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

I don't write many diary-like entries, so I thought I'd change it up a bit! I'd like to update you on what's going on in my life.

Today I started a liquid feast! There's tons of terms out there to describe this type of detoxification program...juice fast/feast, liquid fast/feast, etc. They're all pretty similar, but the names vary depending on what exactly you are consuming. Fasting is defined as abstinence from all food and drink except water for a specific period of time, usually for a therapeutic or religious purpose. It is often used as a detoxification method, as it is one of the quickest ways to increase elimination of wastes and enhance the healing processes of the body.* Living on liquids is much easier for your body to digest and assimilate than chewing and swallowing whole foods. Drinking nutrient dense, high alkaline liquids creates an atmosphere in which an advanced level of cleansing and healing can take place, as you are allowing your body to be flooded with immediate usable nutrition, without taxing your digestive system.

I'm calling my chosen program a liquid feast because I am not limiting my diet to just juices. I am drinking juices, as well as other liquids, such as water, smoothies, coconut water, and kombucha. And it's a FEAST because I am not counting calories here. :)

I decided to do this for a few reasons. (1) I have never done any kind of fast before and I wanted to try it out! (2) I am feeling a bit lethargic lately, since I've been cheating on my raw food diet recently with naughty things like alcohol and sugars. I don't feel as healthy and energetic as I did when I first started out on raw foods and I can just tell that my digestive system is not happy. (3) I have a sprained ankle that is taking FOREVER to heal and I am hoping that this will help it. I twisted it over 1 month ago while hiking in Flagstaff and I did not give it enough time to heal, which turned it into a very severe sprain. I was in extreme pain (it still hurts but is manageable now) and could not walk on it. I have been in a walking boot (a big strap on cast) for 3 weeks now and I'm still unable to walk without it! This is getting a bit frustrating, since I'm unable to work with the boot and I'm getting a bit stir crazy from sitting in bed all day every day. But I have hope and my liquid feasting to keep me busy!

So today is DAY 1 of the liquid feast. So far, I've had 1 green smoothie, 1 watermelon/ginger/lime shake (YUM), 1 green juice, 1 coconut water and 1 GT trilogy kombucha. And I feel GREAT! I am so surprised at how much energy I've had today. I'm wide awake right now and it's almost 10pm! Every time I get hungry, I just grab (or prepare!) a liquid and take my time drinking it. I feel pretty satisfied and happy today. No negative feelings...yet. I think I can do this! My goal is to go 5 days. Let's see what happens!

I don't know how I'm going to fall asleep tonight!

The Complexities of Naturally Healing a Chronic Disease

2011-08-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

"Just because "they" say there is no cure;
it does not mean that you can't get better.
It only means that "they" haven't figured it out yet.
That's all it means.
It does not mean that you can't get better."
- Catherine Simone

So I have a lot of things going on in my mind right now and I just want to get them off my chest. So sorry if it sounds a little rocky. I just want to stress a few things that are important to understand about natural healing.

So often we are told that Interstitial Cystitis is an incurable, chronic disease. When I was diagnosed, I believed this. I was in pain, suffering, and hopeless, taking pills and not getting anywhere. I did this for a year without really changing any of my other habits, besides for a slight IC Diet modification. After a while, I decided I had enough of all this devastation. I had let IC take over my life and it had crushed my hopes, dreams, and spirit. I had passed the responsibility of my own health onto these strangers who had no idea what causes IC or how to treat it. So, I decided to take my health back into my own hands. I decided to mindlessly stop paying the big pharmaceutical companies because they weren't doing me any good and start finding my own way to heal my body naturally. I decided to search for the cause and the cure to my problems. I did not want to live or "manage" a life with IC anymore.

(Please note that I am not degrading modern medicine, for it does have great uses in lots of different scenarios. However, I believe that it is not helpful for many chronic conditions.)

There is a growing number of individuals out there who are refusing to accept that IC is incurable and have managed to heal themselves of IC. I am one of them. It is possible. But it's not going to be easy.

You've got to remember that there is no quick-fix with IC. It took your body a lot time to build up all those toxins and get sick, so it's going to take a long time to get the toxins out and regain your health. With Western medicine, we are used to these easy-outs, a quick pill that solves all our problems with little effort. But with a chronic condition like IC, this method is not going to cure anything, it is simply covering up the symptom of a much bigger problem. Natural healing focuses on restoring health by detoxifying and regenerating the whole body, and this takes time and effort. But the results of long-lasting health and definitely worth it.

I just want to stress the fact that everyone's healing path is going to be different. So what worked for me, or someone else, may or may not work for you. That's why it is important to look at all your options. Do loads of research in your spare time! Read articles and books, watch documentaries, etc. about IC, diet, and natural healing methods. See what other people have done, learn about the body, and most importantly, learn to listen to your body. Read the signs your body gives you! If your stomach/bladder hurts after you eat something, then what did you eat that caused that? If you have constipation, what do you think caused it? Try to interpret what your body is telling you and make adjustments in your life to attempt to counteract the issue. I advocate the things that I do because they worked for me and I want to spread the message. But my way is not the only way! It may or may not help you. That's why it is important to know all your options and make decisions based on your own situation. I firmly believe that IC has many different causes, so therefore, there will be many different ways to heal it. That is why it is important for you to research, listen to your body, and try to figure out what causes your specific case of IC (and other related conditions). Then you will get a better idea of how to treat it. Once you know the cause, you can try to remedy it.

The fact that there are many different ways to heal brings me to my next point. Healing your IC is about whole body health! A healthy diet is only one part to the whole. Same goes for things like herbs, supplements, physical therapy, yoga, exercise , meditation, getting sun, etc. When using all these different aspects of healing, you will experience much more results than just using one or two.

So really, it's all about lifestyle change. Somehow, our current lifestyle has caused us to get sick with IC and maybe other related conditions too (I had GERD, allergies, lactose intolerance, and eosinophilic esophagitis, others have IBS, fibromyalgia, etc...) It's time to take charge of our health and change the lifestyle that created our health problems. The time is now.

“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it."
-Albert Einstein

Conventional Meat Contains Antibiotics

2011-07-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

*What the USDA Doesn't Want You to Know About Antibiotics and Factory Farms: This is a great article that explains the dangers of antibiotics that are found inside most of the conventional meat supply today.

"Altogether, the US meat industry uses 29 million pounds of antibiotics every year. To put that number in perspective, consider that we humans in the United States—in all of our prescription fill-ups and hospital stays combined—use just over 7 million pounds per year. Thus the vast bulk of antibiotics consumed in this country, some 80 percent, goes to factory animal farms."*

Therefore, it is safe to say that if you are eating conventional meat, you are indirectly consuming antibiotics. What does this mean? Well, first of all, it is creating antibiotic resistant bacteria inside of you, which is very dangerous. "A single antibiotic-resistant pathogen, MRSA—just one of many now circulating among Americans—now claims more lives each year than AIDS."*

But second of all, eating meat may be making your health worse. Remember when I mentioned IC and the yeast connection? (If you don't know what this means, please go read my last post!) An overgrowth of yeast candida is caused by use of antibiotics, birth control pills and/or improper diet. This can cause a variety of different health problems, including IC. From the Yeast Connection:

"Chronic health conditions are quite a mystery. Every book you read, every physician you visit says something different. You collect clues but rarely find clear-cut answers on one basic cause that experts agree on of what is influencing your body and making you feel bad.

The role candida plays in chronic pain and disease is no exception. Yeast overgrowth disturbs your intestinal tract lining, allowing allergens and toxins into your circulation while your immune system becomes to weak to handle the influx. This combination is one of many variables that play a role in a diverse group of seemingly unrelated health problems – not just vaginal yeast infections. These range from PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis, just to name a few."

Unfortunately, eating conventional meat contributes to the amount of antibiotics you ingest, leading to an imbalance in your body. This is one of the many reasons I choose to be a raw vegan. (Abstaining from meat while doing a healing or detox program is also a good idea.) If you do choose to eat meat, make sure it's organic and free-range to assure you do not eat any antibiotics. I would also suggest taking some good probiotics to help supply you with good bacteria to balance yourself back out!

Cause & Effect: Candida, Alkaline Foods, & the IC Connection

2011-07-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Through my experience, research, and interaction with others, I've come across two possible theories as to what causes Interstitial Cystitis. Both are diet related.

*Please keep in mind that I believe there are multiple different causes for IC and it may be a combination of a lot of different things. What caused IC in one person may be completely different than someone else. I think these are the possible causes for my IC, but there could be more, and these don't necessarily apply to you. I just wanted to share them because I found them interesting and helpful. Also, keep in mind IC is sort of an umbrella term for a lot of different symptoms and could possibly be misdiagnosed.

I like to theorize what causes IC because it gets you thinking of ways to heal it. Once you find the source of the IC, you can stop it from happening, and finally heal.

1. The Yeast Connection

Yeasts are single cell fungi living organisms that live on the surfaces of all living things, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and your body. They're a part of the "microflora" which contribute in various ways to the health of their host. Yeast itself is nutritious and small amounts of yeast give bread its light taste.

One family of yeasts, Candida albicans, normally lives on the warm inner creases of the digestive tract, vagina and skin. Healthy women have a natural community of Candida albicans organisms in all three locations. When your immune system is healthy, "friendly" intestinal bacteria like Bifidobacteria bifidum and Lactobaccillus acidophilus create a symbiotic system with the yeast that keeps everything in balance.

But when this system gets out of balance – through use of antibiotics, birth control pills or improper diet (too much sugar, yeast, acidic foods) – candida cells develop rapidly, overwhelm the friendly bacteria, and create potentially serious results. Imbalance of intestinal flora can cause vaginitis, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, migraines, asthma, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and interstitial cystitis.

Please check out the website for more information to see if an overgrowth of candida could be causing your chronic health problems. There is even a yeast fighting program provided free of charge.

2. The Acid-Alkaline Diet

There are two general types of food - acid and alkaline. If you eat too many acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, your body can become overly acidic. Chronic acidosis in the body leads to chronic health problems. There are many benefits to eating an alkaline diet. Over-acidity in the body can result in chronic health issues, while an alkaline diet can help to prevent these same problems. Some of the symptoms of an over-acid diet include fatigue, gum and teeth problems, a tendency towards getting sick frequently, pain and inflammation, and premature aging. Pain and inflammation sounds a lot like IC symptoms!

So the key to healing IC in this case is to reverse acidosis by eating lots of alkaline foods and avoiding acidic foods. Generally, animal foods – meat, eggs, dairy – processed and refined foods, yeast products, fermented foods, grains, artificial-sweeteners, fruit, and sugars are acidifying, as are alcohol, coffee, chocolate, black tea, and sodas.

Vegetables, on the other hand, are alkalizing. That includes a few that are technically fruits: avocado, tomato, and bell peppers. A few non sweet citrus fruits are also basic in the body, as are sprouted seeds, nuts, and grains. Grains are acidifying, though a few (millet, buckwheat, and spelt) are only very mildly so. Raw foods are more alkalizing, while cooked food is more acidifying.

Food charts like this one are helpful in determining what to eat, but note that there are a lot of different websites with this information and it may vary slightly.

Sources:

Alkaline Diet Benefits

How's your pH? Acid or Alkaline?

Alkaline vs Acidic

After using a combination of the yeast fighting program, exercise (yoga), and an alkaline, plant-based diet, I experienced such extreme symptom relief I feel like I no longer have IC (or any of my other countless health issues, for that matter). Therefore, I think these two things very much contributed to my IC problems. When you know the cause, you can combat the problem. So I urge you to find the cause of your IC. Is it one of these two reasons? Both? What else could be causing it? Get to the root of the issue and then you will find healing.

What Do You Eat?!

2011-07-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

When I tell someone that I am a raw vegan, they usually proclaim, "But...what do you eat?!" And my response? A lot of really delicious foods!

I can understand why an outsider would assume that anyone on a raw vegan diet is absolutely starving. But that is actually quite the opposite! The best part about eating a natural, plant-based diet is that you feel healthy. I feel clean and pure when I eat clean and pure produce. It's as simple as that! I have a healthy weight, I have a ton of energy, my skin looks clear, I feel like I think more clearly, my digestion system feels regulated now (no heartburn, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc.)...basically I look healthy and happy! One interesting thing is that my taste buds have changed...so now instead of craving foods like bread, sugar, and grains, I crave fresh fruits and vegetables. And they taste so good! The best thing about eating natural, plant-based foods is that you generally do not have to count calories. You can eat fruits and veggies until you are full (and it's okay because they are nutritious and great for you!). Plus, fruits & veggies have more fiber than a large burger and fries, so you actually feel full faster.

Here's a great list of natural, raw foods!
(The foods with a * are most likely too acidic for someone with IC to eat. Start out with the other foods, then only add these into your diet when you think you are ready.)

Fruits – cleanse ~ purify ~ energize

Apples
Apricots*
Bananas
Blackberries*
Blueberries
Boysenberries*
Cherries*
Dates
Grapefruit*
Grapes*
Kiwi*
Lemons*
Limes*
Mango*
Nectarines*
Oranges*
Pears
Pineapple*
Plums*
Raspberries*
Strawberries*
Young Thai Coconut
(Any other seasonal fruit in your area)

Leafy Greens – strengthen ~ mineralize ~ alkalize ~ heal

Arugula/Rocket
Baby Lettuce Mixes
Butter or Bibb Lettuce
Collard Greens
Dandelion
Kale
Mixed Greens
Mustard Greens
Romaine
Sorrell
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Watercress
Wild Edible Greens (lambsquarters, purslane, etc.)

Fresh Herbs/Spices - heal ~ balance ~ alkalize

Basil
Cilantro
Cumin
Dill
Garlic
Ginger
Lavender
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric

Vegetables & Non-Sweet Fruits

Avocados
Beets
Bell Peppers
Broccoli/Broccoli Rabe
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chili Peppers*
Cucumber
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Jicama
Onions*
Mushrooms
Peas/Shoots
Radish
Ramps/Wild leeks
Scallions
Shallots
Sprouts
Summer Squash
Tomato*
Turnips
Zucchini (Courgette)

Sea Vegetables

Arame
Dulse
Kelp
Nori
Wakame

Nuts/ Seeds/Bulk Dry Items

Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Chia Seeds
Coconut (Dry/Shredded)
Dates
Dried Cranberries*
Goji Berries*
Flax seeds
Hemp Seeds
Macadamia Nuts
Pecans
Pine Nuts
Pistachio
Pumpkin Seeds
Salba Seeds (White Chia)
Sesame Seeds (white & black)
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts

Grains/Legumes/Seeds – preferably sprouting

Alfalfa
Barley
Broccoli
Buckwheat
Fenugreek
Lentils
Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)
Mung bean
Oat groats (gluten free)
Quinoa
Radish
Sunflower Seeds
Wheat berries
Wild Rice

Condiments

Apple Cider Vinegar*
Coconut Secret Products
Miso* (Unpasteurized)
Mustard* (Stone ground or Dijon)
Nama Shoyu*
Nut Butters (Raw)
Nutritional Yeast
Sea Salt (Himalayan is preferred)
Sesame Tahini
Vanilla Powder or alcohol free extract

Oils

Coconut Butter/Oil
Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flax Oil
Hemp Oil
Cold Pressed Sesame Oil
Walnut Oil

Sweeteners

Agave Nectar (raw)
Coconut Nectar
Honey (raw & local whenever possible)
Lucuma Powder
Maple Syrup
Stevia (powder or liquids)
Yacon Root Powder or Syrup

Superfoods

Bee Pollen
Blue Green Algae/Green Powders
Carob Powder
Cacao Nibs
Cacao Powder
Chia Seeds
Goji Berries*
Maca*
Mesquite Powder
Spirulina

How to Start a Raw Food Diet

2011-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

I've been getting quite a few questions from IC patients wanting to try a raw food diet healing approach but not knowing how to start. So in this post I will cover how I started healing myself with raw foods and tips on how you can start your own healing path. (I don't like the term "raw food diet" because I feel like it has the wrong type of stereotype, so I will be using the term "natural/plant-based diet" from now on.)

The best thing about healing with a plant-based diet is that you can do as much or as little as you want, moving as quickly or slowly as it suites you. There is no one right way to do it. Most people like to gradually ease into it and this is the way I did it. I found it was more practical for my lifestyle, my money limitations, and it was the best for my body at the time. You must be aware that when transitioning to a plant-based diet, you will experience detox systems. The symptoms vary with each individual and the speed of detoxification they are doing. My detox symptoms were like common cold symptoms, ie stuffy nose, tired, mood swings, etc. They are never too severe and it is completely normal! Your body accumulates toxins from unhealthy foods, chemicals, preservatives, artificial ingredients, chemical-filled products and environmental pollution. Your body is flushing out all of the toxins you have built up over the years, so of course it's going to feel bad for a little bit! The part to remember is that you will feel 10 times better once it's all gone. Detox times vary from person to person depending on how toxic their body is.

I started the transition into a plant-based diet with green smoothies and salads. These are simple meals that anyone can make and you don't need any special kitchen equipment (besides a blender, which most people have already, or you can get a standard one for pretty cheap at any store). The main idea of the natural, plant-based diet is to eat primarily fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds, grains, sea vegetables, and other organic/natural foods that have not been processed. Focus on eating natural, living foods and eliminate (or severely limit) processed foods like meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, etc. You can do this all at once, or gradually shift your diet, but eventually, you will want your diet to be as raw and natural as possible. You will only heal as much as you work! For example, if you slowly start adding things like veggies into your diet and you decrease your meat consumption to every other day, you will heal far less quickly than someone who goes on a veggie juice fast for a week. You will still heal, but the results will take much longer and will be less noticeable.

Cutting out meat & dairy
I highly recommend eliminating meat, dairy, and sugar from your diet while you attempt to detox. These food products are acidic and will get in the way of your healing! You can add these things back into your diet once you are feeling better. If you feel like you can't do it, that's ok, just try to limit them.

Why Buy Organic

When buying produce, you should always try to buy organic when possible! Organic produce and conventionally grown produce are different. Organic is superior to conventional because the soil is handled properly. It hasn't been overworked, the crops are rotated which makes for more mineralized soil, which in turn produces a more nutrient rich fruit or vegetable. Also organic produce hasn't been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, larvicides, fungicides, nor have they been treated with other harmful chemicals or inorganic fertilizers. In addition, buying organic guarentees that you are not consuming Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO's. Your body deserves the very best you can afford, so please buy organic and local whenever possible. :)

Here are some recipe ideas to get you started on a plant-based diet. I usually have a smoothie or veggie/fruit juice in the morning. Then a nice big salad for lunch. Then I try to have something fun and different for dinner. This is where I get creative and research recipes to try online!

Breakfast

IC Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (use water & meat)
1 pear (or apple if you can tolerate it)
1 banana
3 stalks of celery
1-2 cups of spinach
1 tbsp spirulina powder

It's hard to always have a fresh coconut, so sometimes I use IC friendly coconut water. If you can't find this, coconut milk or almond milk from a carton will do. Be careful with these though because they are not raw, they are pasteurized, so they will not be as nutritious. Also, make sure you get the unsweetened kind because most other flavors have added sugar, which contributes to candida growth, weight gain, acidosis, and disease! I find that a fresh, natural coconut is always the best to use. Or just use water!

I know our fruit selection is limited with IC, so this is a good starter smoothie. But I encourage you to get creative with this recipe! The focus here is to keep the smoothie alkalizing. That means more greens than fruit (which has sugar and is acidic)! Change up the fruits, add in green powder, protein powder, seeds, probiotics, bee pollen, etc. But only do so when your body is ready to take that step.

Lunch

Alkalizing Salad!

This salad is one of my favorites. Spinach, cucumber, celery, carrots, avocado, and sunflower seeds!

The choices are endless here. Most vegetables are IC friendly, so eat as much of them as you can! The hard part is finding a salad dressing. I usually just went without one (having toppings like avocado & sea salt made it bearable). You could use a little bit of olive oil or make your own fresh, natural dressing with things you can tolerate. You can get more creative with the salad dressings once you are feeling better. :)

Dinner

This meal is hard for people to remain raw. There's tons of great recipe ideas out there! I would recommend trying to stay as raw as you can while you start the initial detox period. But of course, you can have something cooked every now and then! Listen to your body. (Of course, you will be craving things you shouldn't have like sugar or junk food, and you should try to fight those urges, but don't make yourself suffer uncomfortably). Just make sure your meals involves lots of LIVING food - veggies & fruits!

For a raw dinner, I like to make something fun, like veggies and a dip (hummus, pesto, guacamole), veggie wraps, zucchini pasta, raw veggie soup, etc.

There's tons of great recipe ideas out there. Do some research and see what you can find!

Also, don't forget to use youtube for recipe videos. Here's my favorite: Dan the Man's youtube page.

Snacks

In between meals, I snack on veggies, fruit, homemade granola (nuts, seeds, dried fruits), or something fun like an apple slathered in almond butter with raisins and honey on top. Yum. Be creative with your meals! Throw stuff together. Enjoy it.

Beverages

The most important thing to drink is water! Make sure you are drinking at least 64 oz a day. I also drink coconut water (delicious & promotes alkalinity) and teas with no caffeine. IC safe fruit & veggie juices are great and you should always try to get them freshly pressed. Fruits & veggies start to loose nutrients as soon as they are juiced, so you should always try to drink it right away. Also, if you buy processed juices they most likely have IC-unsafe additives and are pasteurized so they are not as nutritious. Try to avoid acidic drinks like soda, alcohol, coffee, etc. during this detox time!!!

I followed this plan for a couple months. I was pretty strict in the beginning because I was desperate to heal (plus my bladder couldn't really tolerate much). Almost immediately, my pain levels dropped from about a daily pain level 7-9 to level 1-3. Eventually, they disappeared completely. Same with all my other IC symptoms, as well as my digestive issues. Once I started feeling better and like my body could handle it, I started adding things back into my diet. I still remain a raw vegan and my diet is about 80-95% raw foods. But now I can have things like acidic fruits, tomatoes, some alcohol, cacao (raw chocolate), painless sex, etc.! It's worth it but you have to do the work.

A year later, I feel like I have learned a lot during this healing journey. I recommend you do a lot of research! Google & Youtube should be your best friends. Knowledge is power. Try to learn how to listen to your body and read symptoms, then think back at what could have caused them. Healing is holistic and you need to do much more than simply change your diet! Add in exercise, meditation, yoga, herbs, supplements, dry brushing, massages, acupuncture, etc. Whatever you feel will help you. Try things and see if they work. Talk to others with IC and see what they are doing and how it is helping. This is the time to transition into a life of health. 70% of diseases are caused by lifestyle choices. So now's the time to change your lifestyle. See what happens. Eat LIVING foods and feel ALIVE. Your body has the natural ability to heal itself. When you treat your body right, it begins to heal itself. There's no "one way" to heal. There is no magic pill. It's a process. It takes a lot of work. But you can get there.

Please check out my post, "Great resources", for good sources of info to help you get started in this journey.

My yoga teacher quoted this from a book, sorry I do not have the original source:

"If you want to analyze the past, look to your present condition. If you want to see the future, look to your present actions."

Aa always, I'm here if you have questions.

Good luck. Get rawkin.

IC Healing with Raw Food Testimonials

2011-07-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

Don't just take my word for it!

Since I had such great success with healing my IC through a raw food diet, I decided to start a Facebook group called "Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally". We're always accepting new members if you'd like to join! It is a private group, so no one will see what we talk about there unless I have approved them as a member. Through this group, I've met quite a few people who have healed their IC with a natural, plant-based diet, and holistic approach as well. Some had already started the healing before joining the group and others had success after trying methods we suggested. I asked them to share their stories.

(This page will be periodically updated...)

My IC Story
The Rev'd. Jan Olandese, M.Div., B.C.C.

I'm sharing my story in response to Melissa's request for experience of people who have found alkaline diet healing in terms of their IC symptoms. I can only speak for myself but changes I made really, really helped in a matter of months. I hope you have good results, too!

Let's back up. I was not diagnosed until 2003. Prior to that I recall having, at times, frequent and really uncomfortable UTI's and bladder infections. I had several in 1999-2000, living in England as a student at Oxford. I used National Health....which uses the less expensive drug first...so I would get an herbal remedy that did nothing, and then go back to the clinic and get Cipro....and recover.

I saw a urologist a lot when I was working in San Francisco in 2001-2 as an Episcopal parish priest. I worked under very stressful circumstances...my boss was hostile to those in her employ....so it ran up my blood pressure and probably set off the UTI's...also, I had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and treated with surgery and radiation in 2001....that could have been a factor, too.....I had UTI's (lots of them) in December of 2002 I began my residency in clinical training to be a Board Certified Chaplain at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a fine medical school and research center....with a urology department that knew IC. I had my usual UTI's and they decided to do the surgical procedure to determine whether I had it. I did. Their ideas for treatment, such as self-catheterisation, didn't make sense to me, seemed barbaric and a danger in terms of infection, and exacerbated my symptoms. I couldn't tolerate Elmiron, Elavil, or other drugs (other than hydroxyzine) prescribed for IC.

For the most part, I got better. I loved my work and the rigourous but wonderful clinical residency program. I proceeded to hospital work as a professional and again, loved it and did well. I had meanwhile become a published academic writer and started teaching continuing education online....both were fulfilling. My UTI's were not so frequent but still happened every few months.

In 2010 I remarried (after a long time being single), stopped work, focused on writing and teaching and also caregiving for my 90 year old mother. Life was good til August.

In August I had what I thought was a UTI. I did all the usual stuff, got the tests, got the Cipro...and no dice. It didn't go away and very uncomfortable, painful symptoms set it. I realised after a couple of months and reading on the internet that I had what must be my first IC flare. Having clinical training was very helpful both in assessing the problem and in observing what worked and what didn't to heal myself.

At the time I was seeing an endocrinologist to regulate my hypothyroid condition ... something new with aging ....so....I want to point out that one thing I observed was, when I switched to a doctor who is extremely expert about thyroid and got on the right dose, other medical issues cleared up......so I see a connection between thyroid irregularities and IC. If you have IC, do have your thyroid levels checked *(by someone who knows a lot about thyroid, the standard test may show you to be normal to an average doc who is not expert in this area....and I had better luck with my internal medicine primary care doc than I did with the endocrinologist....so it depends on the person's experience).

In November, I developed a yeast overgrowth. This was mouth candida, not a vaginal yeast infection. I had never had this before. It was stubborn and I was on diflucan, a yeast medication, for about 6 weeks. My symptoms cleared up! I tried to continue on it but the urologist said while sometimes yeast can affect the bladder, it was not the right treatment for IC. I did get a urologist to prescribe some antibiotics including diflucan to see whether they would help. They helped a little.

I looked at my diet and changed from regular coffee to cold-brewed (look up Toddy coffee makers) which is acid free. I quit drinking sodas. I cut out obviously acid foods such as tomatoes, tomato sauces, orange juice, etc. I think Melissa was the first to steer me towards alkaline diet on one of our Facebook groups. I also liked the raw foods idea. I don't eat a totally raw diet but have added raw foods such as fresh fruits, carrots, etc .. in studying the material on the internet, I read a post by an Australian physician who reported that a patient told her about spirulina, a seaweed, which is very alkalising, as it turns out. I had some on the shelf so I thought, what the heck? I reordered a greens supplement I took which included spirulina as a main ingredient and daily I drank a glass of water with baking soda and spirulina mixed in. This is what I clinically observed to have made the biggest difference for me. I'm not kidding. It worked. That and adding raw foods, avoiding acidy foods....wow. Now, once my thyroid got regulated I think that was a major player, too. At first I had to drink the baking soda and water frequently...now, once or maybe twice a day (on a bad day!) does it.

Benefits:
Almost no IC symptoms, ever! And when I get them, much milder!
My blood pressure is now low, and for the first time in many years I don't take any medication for it....I don't need it!
No stomach issues, no more Prilosec!
Got rid of several other medications I took and now down to very few
I feel better overall.

I clinically observed that regulating my thyroid correctly, and the alkalising effect of baking soda and water and spirulina made a big change for me, so I looked at more raw foods and alkaline foods. As a result, I went from a state of suffering earlier this year to being virtually healed now - in a few months!! I do keep a medication on hand 'in case' I have a stubborn flare which doesn't respond to baking soda/spirulina....(with my doctor's approval). For me, cyclobenzaprine, a mild muscle relaxant, stops my IC symptoms immediately. I read that it can be effective for IC because of the way it works on the nerves. I don't do pyridium any more. And I don't use pain medications at all.

I am able to have a cup of my almost acid-free cold brewed coffee in the morning....I am able to have a glass of wine occasionally. I'm living a normal life and not running to the bathroom all day. (I can tell the difference between a flare and a UTI because of my symptoms). I'm having fewer UTI's.. My toilet paper bill went down! Life is good!!

I know that for each person, different things are helpful, or not...."all IC patients are different" is the mantra we hear all the time. (and is used as an excuse for not really stepping up to bat for us! A doctor friend told me once "Unfortunately, many doctors don't like you IC patients. You frustrate them because they can't heal you and there's no easy fix.") I suspect, based upon my clinical observations, that alkalinity in the system can heal IC symptoms .... many people other than I have benefitted! That's evidence!

I hope by sharing my experience I can save some of you the aggro I went through. I joined a local IC group but they all seemed to have much different/worse cases than me and were doing interventions I'd refused. And frankly it was depressing. I read about and tried many herbal remedies. Most of them were not especially effective for me, but it's an expensive process trying all these things which are touted as cures. If I were to select the ones I think may have been helpful for me, I'd say Quercetin and Serrapeptase....possibly. Aloe made no difference....neither did D-mannose...neither did all those bottles. The expensive calcium didn't help....I just use the regular kind now....Frankly....nothing worked for me as effectively as water + baking soda + spirulina. I also started taking glucosamine chondraitin which my urologist said was helpful for some people, and I think it may be a contributing factor. Again, easy to obtain on your drugstore shelf. I stopped taking multivitamins as I read that they could be a culprit...I do take calcium + vitamin D, magnesium, fish oil, and glucosamine chondraitin. I take a 'greens' supplement with algae, spirulina, and other beneficial alkalising contents.

I'm 62. I was diagnosed late and I read that one 'expert' in IC thinks that people like me ("old!") who don't get on Elmiron just go downhill and can't ever get back. I beg to differ. If Elmiron or other drugs work for you, great. For me....the natural way is less expensive, far more effective and has improved my overall health. After months of pain and discomfort and all the IC stuff....it was surprising to me as well as happy news to see the best results from such simple remedies.

Thanks to Melissa, Sunny and other advocates of raw foods and alkaline diet whose words inspired and guided me. And I hope my experience is helpful and encouraging for those of you who may be feeling hopeless .... I wish someone had shared this stuff with me earlier. I'm fortunate to have found such good guidance via IC groups on Facebook, and a lot of consultations with my favourite specialist, Dr. Google.

Missy Dufourq

The year was 2005. I had just turned 18 and returned from a family trip overseas. I had started to get lower back pain. After a trip to the doctors, I was told it was simply muscular and to start doing some back exercises at home. Nothing really touched the pain though which by this stage, had begun to wax and wane. It would be present for a week and then disappear, only to come back the next. Eventually, I started to notice burning during urination. Heading back to the doctors, they diagnosed me with the typical UTI. I never bothered to question or ask what bacteria was causing the infection. I just accepted that fact that, "Hey, I have a bladder infection."

I was prescribed antibiotics, obviously. And they worked. That was only to start with though. By this stage, I was getting a UTI every other week. It was prescription after prescription of antibiotics. This went on for nearly two years. I had a kidney infection in there too, somewhere. At one stage, I was put on preventative, long-term antibiotics but the problem only persisted. Until something odd happened. My cultures started coming back negative. Sound familiar? All the symptoms of a very severe UTI but no bacteria present! The doctors were confused. And when that happens, the specialists are usually called in. By this stage, I was having some gynaelogical issues as well, which confused the doctors as to where the pain and problems were coming from. So, this happened to side-track my progress to a definitive diagnosis. I went in for a laparoscopy which found nothing. By this time, my pelvic pain was constant. Every single moment of every single day, I was in pain. And I'm talking over 7 on the 10/10 scale. Pain in my pelvis; pain in my back.

After the lap, the doctors had no idea what to do with me. Because I was also getting more severe bladder symptoms by this stage (bleeding, pressure, urgency), they decided it might be time to see a urologist. This was the one of the worst times in my life. I remember that at this stage, I just couldn't sleep. I was up around 8 times or more a night to void. I couldn’t fall asleep as I’d always have a full sensation in my bladder and would make multiple trips to the bathroom before I even dozed off. And the frequency lasted all through the day. I had a constant sensation of burning - not just in my bladder, but through my whole body. I had to quit my job because my symptoms were constantly causing me grief. I would often get this weird increase in symptoms where I would get waves of nausea, heat through my back and searing pain in my bladder. I couldn't walk and felt like I was going to pass out. I learnt later that these were 'flares'.
So there I was, in the uro’s office. So young; so naive. I had no idea what was going on with my body and assumed that this very expensive doctor would. He mumbled a few technical words and explained I'll need a cystoscopy to confirm the diagnosis of what I learned later would be Interstitial Cystitis. Into theatre I went, not too many weeks later. And I tell you, it was a nightmare. I believe I was actually traumatized from the pain that I experienced during this time. Just writing about it now brings me to tears. My heart rate accelerated during the op, when they filled my bladder. Obviously, I bled a lot from the pin-point bleeding on my bladder walls. When I woke and tried to void for the first time, I passed out from the searing, shocking, excruciating pain. I'm sure you know the type of pain I'm talking about here. The traumatic kind that is forever etched in your memory. When I was stable enough to speak, the uro explained I had Interstitial Cystitis. A rare, incurable disease that in his words was, "Horrible to live with, especially for someone so young." And that's what I was left with. He rambled that I should avoid coffee and tomatoes. And that's the extent of the nutritional advice that I got.

I returned to see him in four weeks, nervously armed with a few things I wanted to try for this seemingly strange condition. I had by this stage discovered the large amount of resources for IC on the web. I had taken note of some non-invasive treatments I'd discovered. To my shock and horror though, the only treatment he deemed as worth trying for IC was instillations of general anaesthetic. It sounded barbaric to me but I was desperate. Absolutely desperate to escape the pain. I lived on prescription pain-killers just to pull me through the day. I wasn't sleeping because I lived in the bathroom. It was hell and I wanted out. So I did the instills. And what happened? They made me worse … and I didn't even think that was possible!

Giving up on the instillations (and the uro with the bad bedside manner), I started becoming what you might be right now. An IC researcher, collecting every morsel of information on current and future treatments. I also started following the IC Diet to a tee. And then began the long process of trial and error for different medications. I won't bore you with the details, or all the doctors I saw to help me achieve all this, but here is a breakdown of what I tried, over the course of three, painful, depressing years. Mind you, this is what I can actually remember, because they either had some positive effects or very negative effects. There are more, but memory fails me right now:

> Marcaine instillations (a horrible, traumatic experience)
> Endep, or Elavil as it's known in the states (helped with the pain, but left me with awful retaining issues)
> Tofrainl (helped me sleep a little better at night; did nothing for the pain)
> Elmiron (made me bruise extensively all over my body; did nothing for my symptoms)
> Vesicare (made my frequency worse)
> Anti-histamines (didn't do a thing)
> Prescription pain-killers (helped take the edge off my pain, but left me numb)
> Lyrica (worst medication I've ever tried; I felt like I was out of my head every time I took it)

Lyrica was the last drug I tried and had disastrous effects on my body. I was so discouraged and sick by this point. This was about a year ago now. I had pinned my hope on this drug giving me my life back. I had also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia the year before that and I hoped it would help there too. My body was literally falling apart. I felt sick all over, not just in my bladder anymore. My gut had also started to play up and I was now having gastric reflux/heartburn, something I'd never had in my life! It was absurd. And somehow, something clicked in me. Something was no longer making sense. If my bladder was sick, why was I feeling sick all over? Why was my body falling apart?

At this stage, I had lost almost all my faith in doctors and the medical community with providing me with answers. It was just disappoint after disappoint, every time I left their office. I couldn’t stand the lack of compassion either anymore. Or, having to explain what IC was, for that matter. In my understanding, if I had to tell the doctor how to spell the condition, chances are, he won’t know how to treat it!

I started to do more research myself. And it took me down an interesting path. I started to read a lot on the bacteria theory of IC. I became fascinated with the concept of there being something that causes IC! I just couldn't handle that there was no known cause. And as long as there was no cause, there could be no cure, in my eyes. If you've ever heard of United Medical Laboratories in Virgina, US, you would know that they do a special broth culture, urine test for bacteria in IC patients. They then can recommend what antibiotics will work against the bacteria. This is based on the theory that there is a bacteria present in the bladder that isn't being detected in standard testing.

So, I had the test done. Not a cheap endeavor, taking into consideration I live in Australia! It cost hundreds of dollars to accomplish this. But then again, I was desperate. My results came back inclusive. It was suggested that it could have been heat damaged during transit which skewed the results. I was gutted; I couldn’t afford to do this again. I'd had a plan about this, too. Find the bug and treat it! But it didn't work out that way. By this stage though, I was heavily involved in researching and talking with others about the bacteria theory. It made the most sense to me than anything I'd ever read before. People I spoke to about it, across the globe, recommended following a yeast-free diet when following a long-term antibiotic treatment, such as what I would have done if my results had come back conclusive. But they hadn't. That didn't stop me though, from deciding to give the anti-yeast diet a try!

To explain what happened next, I'll add a little snippet from my current blog:

"I wanted to share my theory of how I believe my IC was caused. I started getting sick in August, 2005 with repeated UTIs. These carried on for some time. I would get one, go on antibiotics and feel great for the two weeks that I was on them. Then as soon as the course stopped, my symptoms would come back and I'd be diagnosed as having another infection. I was on so many antibiotics. At one stage, I was put on long-term antibiotics for three months as a preventative measure. But the same situation would always occur. I'd get better for a few weeks and as soon as I was off the antibiotics, the infection would come back. Eventually, I even developed a kidney infection. This was treated as usual with antibiotics. I was listening to the doctors and taking my cranberry juice all the time (never realizing just how much damage this could be causing).

The symptoms I would have with the infections were: back pain, flank pain, pelvic pain, urgency, frequency and burning. Pretty much IC, right? Sometimes, I would get fevers and nausea -- these are symptoms that reappear in a flare today. Now I might add that during the whole time I was sick with infections -- potentially 1-2 years, on and off, I never changed my eating habits. Expect, of course, to add the good ol' cranberry juice and tablets! And I might add that I had a 'not-so-good' diet of energy drinks, soft drinks, chocolate and take-away. I was only about 18 when I started getting sick and I was working full-time -- my health wasn't exactly a priority, sad huh? It was just something I took for granted. At the time, I'll admit that I was a highly-stressed individual. I had a lot of personal/emotional problems I was working through.

So for me, I believe my IC was caused by a 'chain-reaction' that panned out something like this ... like I mentioned, at the time I got sick, I was very stressed out. Then I started to get the bad UTIs that wouldn't go away. Then I had a kidney infection. Then I was pumped with antibiotics. I believe my body became overwhelmed with a yeast problem (from a high-sugar diet and antibiotics causing an imbalance in the body) and that my acid/alkaline balance was also thrown out. The stress and these other factors left me open to repeated infections. Then add a very bad diet of processed foods that weren't doing anything good for my system and I had a recipe for IC! So I think it is a bunch of things, really. I strongly believe in there still being an overwhelming bacterial presence in my bladder right now (that doesn't show up in conventional urine tests) but I feel the reason bacteria is an issue is because my body is in a perfect state for infection to thrive. Once I get my body into an alkaline, yeast-free state, no disease can survive!"

So there you have it; I'd discovered why my whole body was out of balance, not just my bladder. So I started on the anti-yeast diet. First things first, let me tell you, it wasn't easy. I had to cut out fresh, gorgeous smelling bread. But lo and behold, I started to feel a little better. My pain eased off, even though my frequency was still bad. I did research and discovered a great probiotics, made in the US to help support my gut to rebalance and get the good stuff back, after years of antibiotics. Adding these was a winning move because my health continued to improve. I don't know how but somewhere in all of this, I remembered a book an IC patient wrote that discussed how IC is like a puzzle and is not just one specific problem to solve. She focused on how we can support the body to heal, through food and behaviors. When I first got diagnosed and was searching for material to read, I thought she was crazy to think that food could affect how I was feeling. So instead I skipped past her book on Amazon and bought the "Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide." Now, I look back and wish I’d bought hers instead!
Through recently rediscovering her book, I was introduced to what is known as the acid/alkaline balance. I got my hands on a non-IC book that discussed it also, by Christopher Vasey. Of all the books I have read so far, this one helped me the most to understand what was happening to my body. And it never mentioned IC, although the bladder and the urinary tract systems came up often. I began to understand that food DOES affect how I feel. I now included the acid/alkaline approach to my anti-yeast diet. It seemed to me that my food choices were becoming more and more limited and my goodness, I was scared to try another way of eating. But I kept on reading success stories of so many people who had followed this protocol and had success.
At first, my meals were limited and very boring. But, having already been on the IC Diet, I was used to this. I understood that what I had to do was restore the alkaline balance in my body, by limiting or avoiding acidic foods. And to help my gut, I need to avoid yeast. I also had come to realize, that I was sensitive to dairy products. In fact, I found that more and more, I was eating less and less types of food as my bladder was getting angrier and angrier. Here is another snippet of my blog that will better explain what happened next (you're doing well if you're still reading; I promise you, it's worth it!):

“IC is one tricky nut to crack. One moment you think you've got it figured out and then all of a sudden, it doesn't make any sense again.

Well, lucky for me, today is one of those days where it is making sense so I thought I'd write down my thoughts before they got away from me.

I've been reading The Acid-Alkaline Balance by Christopher Vasey and although it has no direct content on IC, this books has made the most sense to me, more than a lot of IC books have in the past. It's helping me to understand why diet is so crucial with IC -- and I don't just mean for symptom prevention, I mean for HEALING.

There are three main food groups. Your biggest are the ACID food group and the ALKALINE food group. They have affects that are simply either acidifying or alkalizing, respectively. The third group is more complicated and it is known as the WEAK-ACID group. The Acid food group contains such things as meat, grains, pasta, sugar and coffee. The Alkalizing food group contains those things as green vegetables, coloured vegetables, almonds, milk and dried fruits. The Weak-Acid food group contains such foods as whey, yogurt, unripe fruits, citrus fruits, tomatoes and honey. So how do these groups affect IC?

When we have a predominantly acid diet -- let's say for example, a refined cereal for breakfast, refined pasta or white bread with meat for lunch, a pastry for a light snack and white rice for dinner -- the body consumes too much acid and it throws out the acid/alkaline balance in the body. The diet above is often very typical of an ICer as all these foods are considered safe. However, the body can rid itself of only so much strong acids in the one day. The Acid group (or strong acid group) is the hardest of acids to expel and refined cereals and grains are such acid-forming foods. These acids are expelled from the body through the kidneys and the skin. The Weak Acid group of acids are expelled through the respiratory system and there is no limit as to how much can be expelled in the one day. However, problems occur in the body when there are too many strong acidic foods being ingested without counter-balancing alkaline foods added to the mix. Problems can also arise when Weak Acid foods are ingested repeatedly without a break to allow the previous food to be properly digested. Weak Acid foods are actually almost alkaline (they have a low acid content and therefore their alkaline content is high) and in some people, will have such an affect. However, for us ICers, I believe we have a difficulty metabolizing weak-acids, that's why we aren't able to tolerate foods such as tomatoes, yogurt and most fruits. The good news is that these weak-acid foods aren't completely unavoidable. They just must be ingested with a whole bunch of alkalizing foods and eaten every few days, rather than back to back.

When we have a primarily acid diet, the body tries desperately to re-establish the correct pH balance in the body. In doing so, the body will draw alkaline minerals from deep tissues to counter-balance and neutralize the effect of the acid content on the body. If it happens repeatedly, this is when it becomes dangerous. These tissue-stores, if repeatedly raided for the purpose of lowering the acid-levels in the body, can become severely compromised. They become weak and vulnerable and easily susceptible to infection.
To explain further about the acid/alkaline balance, I am going to add some quotes from Vasey's book:

"To maintain good health the body is constantly seeking to get rid of the excess acids that irritate the tissues and deplete them of minerals. One of the principle exits it uses for this purpose is the renal system (kidneys) ... "

"Problems occur, however, when the tissues are forced to relinquish their alkaline elements on a regular basis, every day or even several times a day. In this case the body's alkaline reserves inevitably gradually diminish. However, these minerals are components of the tissues themselves and fulfill a very precise role in that regard."

"Repeated withdrawls, therefore create a shortage of alkaline minerals in these organic tissues. The critical mineral loss becomes even more pronounced when the plundering is intense and prolonged. Modern lifestyle and diet encourage such exploitation of the body's buffer system."

"In people with this metabolic weakness, foods that would normally contribute a high quota of alkaline substances instead have the effect of acidifying the internal environment. The same food can have an entirely different affect depending on the body of the person who ingests it ... People afflicted with this metabolic debility must take additional precaution with their diets. It is essential that they carefully regulate the amount of foods they eat that are rich in weak acids."

-- now these following excerpts sounds very familiar to me and draw the connection between the acid/alkaline balance and how it effects our body's, presenting in symptoms of IC.

" ... the body becomes ill ... due to the harsh, corrosive nature of acids present in excess amounts within the tissues. Before they are neutralised by alkaline substances, the acid irritates the organ with which they come in contact. Inflammation, sometimes quite painful, results, as well as lesions or hardening of the tissues. This primarily affects the organs charged with the elimination of strong acids, such as the skin and kidneys. When the urine is overloaded with acid, urination is painful and the urinary tract 'burns', becoming inflamed and infection."

"The fragile state of the tissues resulting from the invasive presence of acid makes them vulnerable to microbial or viral infection as well. Lesions of the mucous membranes allow easier penetration by and multiplication of microbes in the tissues. This is aggravated by the fact that the immune system's effectiveness can also be impacted by acid activity, which lowers the production and strength of the white blood cells responsible for attacking microbes."

"Urine becomes acidic when the body's internal environment becomes acidic."

Pretty compelling stuff, huh? So now, to summarise and wrap this up.

I've been following this protocol of eating for just over six months. And I can say with complete honesty that NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, has ever brought me this much relief. I am pain-free most days now; there is an odd day here and there where it's a little tricky but I always understand why I have symptoms. I am still improving through adding a more raw-food edge into my eating plans. More on that later though. Another success is that most nights, I either sleep through or wake once at the most. I'm sleeping again! Actually sleeping. It is a miracle! The last time I had a pain-killer was the first month I was doing this. Now, they're gathering dust in my cupboard. The first 3 months were the hardest as my foods were so limited to choice from and I became frustrate and angry quickly. But, the reward is this; now that my body is stronger, I can eat berries, bananas, apples, kiwi-fruit, mango and .... wait for it. I can now tolerate small amounts of tomatoes, curries, oranges and chocolate! Yes, it is truly remarkable. And writing this makes me realise just how far I've come. I'll also make note that I saw a pelvic floor therapist, on a one-off. She taught me exercises to do at home to help retrain my bladder to increase capacity and reduce frequency. I deem this as an equally important step to recovery.

Now 6 months on, I would say I am around 70% healed. I would say that I am fully recovered when I am able to return to full-time work. Right now, I am capable only of casual. I believe the longer we have IC, the longer it takes us to heal. Having IC for 5 years, I can't believe that in only 6 months, I almost have my life back. I thank God that I found the light and each day, I am ever more grateful that I discovered the path for my body to heal. And I have never looked back. For an idea, my diet consists of no processed foods and no take-away. I prepare most of my meals myself, where humanly possible. I drink vegetable and fruit juices for breakfast and I believe this step was crucial in my initial healing. I have lots of alkalizing almond milk smoothies. Salads form a big part of my meals. I eat mostly a plant-based diet. I have now also added in green smoothies as the second stage to my healing process.

You will find much more information on what I have done to heal on my blog: IC What's Going On Here. I wish you well on your healing journey. Remember, we are all different and we must take our own path. Remain open minded and take the information that sits well with you. Most of all, listen to your body. Keep a journal of your symptoms. If you watch how your body reacts and responds, you are already on your way to true health.

Best wishes,
Missy

Barbara from Rawfully Tempting
http://www.rawfullytempting.com/

Barbara is the creative force behind Rawfully Tempting and her Raw Vegan Recipe Blog. In her blog, newsletters, articles, classes, upcoming books and videos, Barbara strives to take the fear out of trying something new and bring simplicity to the surface. Barbara is a self-taught chef that has a knack for creating and writing recipes in an easy to follow format, complimented by mouth-watering photos that give her readers confidence that they can begin to create their own raw delights with ease. Diagnosed with an "incurable" disease (Interstitial Cystitis) over a decade ago, along with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and difficulty losing weight, Barbara is on a journey to restore health and vitality. She openly and honestly writes about the everyday hurdles she encounters, along with her successes, and invites you to join her on this path.

Barbara says...
"I'm still working through healing the IC and FMS and CFS...I DID get into remission for 3 years by eating totally vegan several years ago..but fell off the wagon and lots of stress brought it back..now still under so much stress I'm working against myself..but..eating raw has begun to heal many things for me.

Used to have acid reflux...GONE. Allergies and chronic sinusitis ..GONE...bloating/digestive problems...gone...

I did try juicing and for me that caused more problems..taxed my system..too quickly and ended up with fibro and chronic fatigue..so now working on those too...

I don't often have the burning any more like I used to..but still have pressure most of the time...frequency..not so much, but can happen in a flare up.....but I believe I'm on the road to healing..and I know my body feels better eating raw........my boyfriend started eating what I do and he does not have health problems..but we noticed his skin cleared up BIG TIME and he lost 25 pounds..without trying. I also lost weight..but that has come to a halt..and I need to lose much more."

Rawfully Tempting also has an amazing line of nutrient dense, raw, gluten free cuisine that explodes with flavor. These treats are "decadent, nutritious and delicious." Many of these treats are also IC-Friendly. Barbara still strives to follow a raw, vegan diet to help heal her health issues. She's experienced the benefits once before and is working hard to keep them coming.

Sunny M.

Sunny has healed her IC through a raw food diet and speaks about it in her videos on YouTube.

Sunny's Bio in her blog

Great resources

2011-07-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

This list is being constantly updated...

VIDEOS

Forks Over Knives: FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow "reality patients" who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments – while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed. (GREAT FILM!)

Food Matters: This is a great documentary that features many leading experts in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kinds of foods, supplements, and detoxification can be used to treat chronic illnesses ranging from allergies & heartburn to as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer. This is a great film for those who still remain a bit skeptical as it contains loads of information backed up by scientists. It's definitely worth checking out! (Available to watch instantly on Netflix, too!)

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead: A documentary of an overweight man who is sick with an incurable disease and taking multiple prescription medications. He goes on a 2 month juice fast, looses weight, and cures himself. The movie chronicles what he goes through and how he inspires others along the way. Kinda corny with the cartoons, but overall good message with good information.

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days: Great film that follows a group of people going on a raw food diet to reverse diabetes. If it works for diabetes, why not for IC?

Sunny's YouTube videos: When I first got into the whole raw food thing, I was a bit overwhelmed. But once I simply started eating mainly fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, and started feeling better, I was hooked! This woman, Sunny, guided me through it all. While she does get a bit too spiritual for me at times, she has provided me with a lot of knowledge and inspiration through her videos. She is the only person who has healed herself from IC with a raw food diet that has made YouTube videos (so far!).

Dan the Man's YouTube videos: This guy was another major source of knowledge and inspiration. He does not have IC, yet he strongly promotes living healthy and a raw food diet as a way of healing. Just listening to this guy puts a smile on my face. He is a little crazy at times, but he has such a high energy and love for life, it's hard not to listen to him! :)

BOOKS

The Detox Miracle Sourcebook: This book seems like it is written for me (and everyone who has a chronic "incurable" disease looking to heal!). This book is written by Dr. Robert Morse and contains valuable information on health, nutrition, and everything you need to know about detoxification. Dr. Morse knows his stuff - out of 100 people who come to him with various types of cancer, approximately 70% cure themselves, 20% can't do the program, and 10% are too advanced or do not want to live. His program focuses on raw foods and detoxification. If it works for cancer patients, why wouldn't it work for IC patients?!

Catherine Simon: The author suffered with severe IC for many, many years and cured herself through natural methods. She shares her story, along with great information and inspiration, in her books.

Solving the Interstitial Cystitis Puzzle: A Guide to Natural Healing: I have not read this book yet, but it was highly recommended to me by a good friend who is also healing her IC naturally. The author has cured IC in many others before and writes about her techniques in this book. The main idea is alkalizing the body. Multiple sources say that many diseases are formed in the body when it is in a state of acidosis. To reverse those diseases, one must alkalize (and one of the ways to do this is to eat alkalizing raw foods!) Just read the comments on Amazon and see what others have to say about it!

ARTICLES

The Benefits of Juicing

How to Eat Healthy

Is Sugar Toxic? Great article that discusses how sugar contributes to disease.

A Health Report that speaks about Spirulina and how it can help those with IC.

To Reduce Pain (and alter your brain) Try Meditation.

WEBSITES

The Yeast Connection: "The role candida plays in chronic pain and disease is no exception. Yeast overgrowth disturbs your intestinal tract lining, allowing allergens and toxins into your circulation while your immune system becomes to weak to handle the influx. This combination is one of many variables that play a role in a diverse group of seemingly unrelated health problems – not just vaginal yeast infections. These range from PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis, just to name a few. The Yeast Connection and Women's Health includes a more in-depth discussion of yeast's possible role in these serious and uncomfortable conditions and makes treatment recommendations."

Sunny's blog

IC Success Stories

Natural Healing for IC

If you have other great resource suggestions, please let me know and I will add them!

Alkalize to Heal (The REAL IC Diet)

2011-05-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

I tried following the IC Diet, which seemed to help somewhat, but never provided me with the relief I was looking for. I've heard many others with the same results. This is because the IC Diet still contains many ACIDIC foods that irritate the bladder and the body as a whole.

When looking for a natural healing alternative, I stumbled upon the Acid/Alkaline diet. This makes much more sense to me. Acidosis forms in the body when there is too much acidic foods/beverages, too much stress, toxins, chemicals, etc. for the body to handle. Acidosis causes a weakened immune system which can lead to a wide variety of health issues & chronic illness.

Great article:How's your pH? Acid or Alkaline?

Your body's acid-alkaline balance, also known as pH, can effect your overall well-being. All foods have the ability to change your body's normal pH. In a healthy person, the body balances their pH naturally if they become too acidic or too alkaline. However, imbalance can set in if the body is dealing with too many acid-forming foods and too much stress. Perpetual imbalance leads to disease. If you have IC, then most likely, your body is off balance and very acidic. Good health depends on an internal alkaline environment. A properly alkalized body plays a significant role in restoring and maintaining health. The body's glands and organs function according to the amount of alkaline and acid levels in our system. Therefore, if the body is off balance, it stops working efficiently. Finding the balance between too acidic and too alkaline can be a challenge in today's stressful, fast-food society.

Those of us with IC have a very diseased and acid body. The goal is to alkalize the body and heal that disease! This is done with proper nutrition. The main way to alkalize the body is to eat vegetables! Raw fruits and vegetables help balance the body's pH level and reduce acid-accumulation that deteriorates health. There are many different Acid vs Alkaline Food Charts available online to serve as a general guide on which foods you should eat to promote alkalization. Each food list varies a bit, but the main thing they all have in common is that the majority of fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds are alkalizing, while most meat, dairy, bread, fats & sugars are acidic. This is why eating a raw food diet or a plant-based diet will help heal you!

Sources: Acid vs Alkaline in the body

Alkaline vs Acidity for the Body

Alternative "Medicine"

2011-05-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

I firmly believe that the main way I healed my IC was through diet. However, I also believe a lot of natural supplements and alternative medicine helped me along the way. There is no ONE answer for healing, it is a combination of a lot of different healing & detox techniques that work together.

Here is a nice list of all the things I tried and how they did/did not help me, as well as things I have not tried but have heard of through my experiences.

1. Nutrition

The IC Diet: I believe that this diet list is a good, general list on foods that may hurt the bladder. However, I do not think it is a good diet to follow. If you really want to heal, you need to cut out a lot more things that this list deems as IC safe. I don't think they are IC safe at all, in fact, they may be causing your IC in the first place!
Plant-based diet: This is the answer. If you want to heal, then you must follow this diet. The great thing about it is that you don't have to do it forever! It is only temporary. Once you are feeling better, you can add back in things that you had to cut out before and test how your body reacts to them.
Oprah: Can a Plant-Based Diet Cure Cancer?
Marshmallow Root herb: Catherine Simone discusses this herb in her book. It is amazing! I found it at Whole Foods in loose form and put it into a tea ball and make tea out of it. I could feel it's soothing effects almost instantly.
Peppermint leaf: This became my GERD medicine. If I had any heartburn at all, this would instantly soothe it. Peppermint is good for any stomach/digestive issues, supporting your immune system, and relaxation.
While I was healing, I was too afraid to try much else besides these two types. But now, I can tolerate a large variety of teas! Herbal tea is an extremely beneficial, healing tool, and their are tons of good herbs out there that may help you out! I encourage you to look into other herbs specific for your needs.
Cysta Q: This is a blend of natural supplements including bioflavonoids made specifically for bladder health. It's had good results in many studies. I took it for about 4 months and still take it every now and then. It seemed to help.
Probiotics: These are live microorganisms, or good bacteria, that aide in healthy digestion. They are found naturally in yogurt and some dairy products, but since I can't consume those things, I take it in pill form. Probiotics help with gas, cramping, diarrhea, & lactose intolerance. They help balance out the bad bacteria that may contribute to problems such as IBS, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc. With all my recent tummy problems (acid reflux, eosinophilic esophagitis, lactose intolerance...) I thought it would be a good idea. I order mine online from Dr. Mercola because the pills I found in the stores had ingredients I was unsure of. I believe these are very important to add to your healing program.
Wild Salmon Oil: This is not specific for IC healing, I just take it because it's extremely good for you and since I'm a vegetarian, it's a good source of Omega-3s, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids that I need.
Yoga: I have slowly but surely become obsessed with yoga. Ever since I have started, it has had many positive benefits on my life. Yoga has taught me how to listen to my body and recognize the pain, where it is coming from, and how to deal with it. It has taught me how to control, minimize, or simply look past the pain. It has taught me to breath, relax, and manage stress (which also decreases pain), which has carried on into my everyday life. And it has taught me many different stretches that help relieve pelvic pain. Since I'm a poor, (recently graduated!) college student, I don't pay for classes and just do yoga in my room or out in the backyard. Yoga mats are cheap! The book I would recommend to beginners is Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein. Stein is a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic pain and this book provides a couple different programs along with great information. It was recommended to me by other IC patients and I loved it.
Any exercise in general is good for you. I know it's hard to think about working out when you're in so much pain, but it will make you feel better! Fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity will help heal your body. Get outside, get some sun, run, swim, bike, walk, etc. Everyone needs physical activity, even the thin, the sick, the old, the young.
Baking Soda: Drinking a little bit in water helped calmed some really bad flares!
Heating pad: My best friend. He keeps me warm at night. I use him daily. :)

How I Healed My IC

2011-05-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

I went through a detailed overview of how I developed IC, my diagnosis, and treatments I have used in the previous posts. Here's the short overview: I started having IC symptoms in Nov. 2009. My most major symptom was pelvic pain. I was in extreme pain 24/7. Urgency, frequency, and painful sex were other symptoms. Some things like certain foods & beverages, sex, stress, pms, would make my symptoms worse. I was diagnosed with a potassium sensitivity test, and then a cystoscopy with hydrodistension a couple months later. When I was first diagnosed with IC, I was depressed, miserable, in extreme pain, alone, scared, lost, confused, helpless, hopeless...the list could go on and on. The pain was so overwhelming at times that I couldn't do anything but lie in bed. As a result, I had a very depressed, limited life. The doctors couldn't tell me anything or do anything for me. I went from doctor to urologist to specialist, and tried every drug, procedure and treatment they suggested. And all I got was more pain, more frustration, more disappointment, and more sadness. And I realize now that was because I was treating my problems the wrong way. What was wrong with me? No one knew. The doctors did not know the cause, so how could they possibly know the cure? You need to know the source of the problem to be able to stop it from occurring. I was trying to put a band-aid on my IC. But there was no band-aid big enough to fit this problem. I needed to figure out what was causing my IC so that I could fight it properly, from the inside out.

I was told that I would have IC for the rest of my life. I was told that I would have to live with it forever and just learn how to "manage" a life with IC. And living that kind of life was pure hell. I was constantly suffering in the prison that was my body. It was this point in my life that I decided to start looking at alternative methods to healing IC. I was tired of constantly being hurt, neglected, or let down by doctors. I was putting the responsibility of my health in someone else’s hands. Surprisingly, 70% of diseases are caused by lifestyle choices (Source: Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead documentary). I realized that I needed to look at my lifestyle. I needed to take my health into my own hands. It was time for me to stop, listen to my body, and find out what was really wrong with me so I could figure out what to do about it.

Not only did I have IC, but I was falling apart. On top of the countless IC symptoms, I had developed digestion issues: eosinophilic esophagitis, GERD (Acid Reflux), heartburn, bloating, etc. My immune system was weak, I was loosing weight fast because I couldn't eat anything and my allergies became extreme. I also developed a lactose intolerance. It was like my body was self-destructing. Sound familiar? This is so common with others who have IC. The similar symptoms may differ a bit, but overall, we experience some sort of weaken immune system, with digestion issues and low tolerances for things. IBS, fibromyalgia, etc. There must be some connection, right? It can't all be blamed on the bladder wall breaking down. What is causing it to break down? Plus, I've heard countless stories of IC patients removing their bladders and still experiencing IC symptoms. I believe a person with IC has a sick body, not a sick bladder. My whole body was breaking down. So it was time for me to stop looking at just my bladder and start looking at the bigger picture. Something was wrong inside of my body that was causing all of these problems. And I was determined to figure it out and stop the pain.

So, I started looking into alternative therapies and natural supplements. I started teaching myself about the body and I read countless books and articles. I started making small changes in my life. I wanted to rid myself of all the toxins in my body. I didn't know what was wrong with me, (I still don't know for certain, but I have a much better understanding), but I knew that I felt like I had a toxic body. It almost felt like there was acid boiling inside of me.

The logical first step for me was to remove all the chemicals and toxins from my body. So I switched to all natural products. I wanted everything that touched my body or went inside of me to be natural, organic, and chemical-free. Yeah, it might have been a little more expensive, but I made the sacrifice, because my health and happiness is worth it. I started taking probiotics to help with my digestive issues. I took CystaQ to help with my bladder. I started drinking caffeine-free herbal teas for the medicinal benefits: marshmallow root, peppermint, chamomile. I started doing yoga to calm my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain. (Oh man, yoga is awesome! I love yoga. It helped me so much and still continues to do so to this day. It is a complete mind & body workout and great for detoxing & stress-relief.)

After doing all of these things, there was still a missing link. I felt better, but my pain was still there. It was then that I finally took a look at my diet and the connection of IC, nutrition, and chronic disease. I knew of the IC Diet and followed it pretty strictly. It seemed to help me somewhat, but I wasn't pain-free. I had always thought of myself as a healthy eater. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years now. And I never really used to eat junk food. I did a lot when I was younger, but only a little bit here and there now. I cut out coffee and soda a while back because I developed a low tolerance for caffeine. :( I used to drink coffee all the time (not soda as much, I was just never really into it), but then one day, it just made me sick, nauseous, and too jittery. It sucked, but I got over it. If it wasn't good for me, then good riddance, right? I still ate dairy. My diet mainly consisted of processed foods, quick dinners, dairy, sugars, and grains. Sometimes fruits and vegetables. Looking back, I see now that I wasn't a very healthy vegetarian. But I thought that was healthy! I wasn't educated in nutrition, and my health suffered.

That was the missing link. Once I learned about nutrition, I realized how important it really is. I was never taught these things, so how was I supposed to know? I grew up on the Standard American Diet (SAD) and so did everyone else I know. And they were fine and healthy, right? Besides the climbing obesity rates, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, of course. I learned that you can prevent most of these conditions, including chronic diseases like IC, through a healthy diet. It seems so simple, and yet, it is a very hard thing to do correctly.

I discovered the acid-alkaline diet and learned that my problems were most likely due to acidosis in my body - eating too much sugars, grains, yeast, processed foods, preservatives, chemicals, and unnatural ingredients. There are acid vs alkaline foods and if you eat too much acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, acidosis takes over your body, causing disease. Too much of the "bad" and little to none of the "good". It literally felt like acid was eating away my insides sometimes, so this theory made sense to me.

I also learned about yeast candida and the IC connection. My IC started when I got a UTI, treated it with antibiotics, then got a yeast infection. When that cleared up, my UTI symptoms were still present (but with no bacteria this time), hence I was diagnosed with IC. Your body is susceptible to yeast overgrowth when you take antibiotics, eat lots of sugar, yeast, and acidic foods, and/or take birth control pills. This yeast overgrowth can cause things like PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis. The yeast fighting program is pretty similar to how I approached my IC healing.

I discovered a woman online who made youtube videos of how she had cured herself of IC with natural methods. She taught me a lot. She healed her IC with a raw food diet. A raw food diet is basically a more extreme plant-based diet, in which you mainly eat uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some may think of this as a little extreme, but it makes sense. When you cook foods, they loose a lot of nutrients. And I had such a sick body that needed all the nutrients it could get. So I loaded up on raw fruits and vegetables and nothing else, to nourish my body, detoxify, and regenerate. I was desperate to try anything. I was in so much pain that maybe I needed something extreme to heal me. Anyway, I jumped head-first into a raw food diet. And guess what? It worked.

I was already a vegetarian, so cutting out meat was easy. I cut out all beverages except for water and my caffeine-free herbal tea. I cut out all processed and packaged food - if it came in a box, can, or plastic, I wouldn't eat it. I had already cut out dairy a couple months ago due to my lactose intolerance, so that was easy. It sucked, but I learned how to adapt (you always do). The hard ones to cut out for me were sugar, grains, and bread! Man, how I loved my bread and sweets! So at this point, my diet mainly consisted of IC-safe vegetables and some fruits. I started small by making green smoothies every morning for breakfast. Then I'd have a big salad (no dressing) for lunch and some veggies and homemade dip (ie hummus) for dinner. I began to get more creative as time went on, making more extravagant and filling raw food dishes. My pain went away almost immediately. Within a couple of days, my chronic pain levels went from being a Level 7-9 to a Level 1-3. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I was so accustomed to pain that feeling pain-free was so foreign to me!

So obviously, I continued on this diet, and I slowly began to notice all my other symptoms disappear too. Suddenly, I was happier, pain-free, more energetic than ever. My stomach was working better and my immune system was strengthening. My skin looked healthier, I was sleeping better, my mind felt clearer, and I was gaining weight (I didn't look like a sick skeleton anymore! For those who need to loose weight, this diet will also do that to you. It will balance you out to your healthy weight.) There were still some days when I would fall off the wagon and I would pay for it. But that's how I knew what I was doing was working. I could literally feel the difference in my body when I would eat something alkaline as opposed to when I would eat something acidic. I finally understood how to read my body and diagnose what could have caused a certain symptom. At this point, I still felt like I had IC, but I could feel myself healing and my body getting stronger.

I was feeling strong enough that I started adding new foods to my diet, testing them out to see if I had any reaction to them. There's really no set time you can start doing this, all I can say is that you'll know when you're ready. Take it slow. You need to allow your body time to heal first. I started by adding in fruits and vegetables that were not considered IC-safe. Oh, how delicious an apple tasted after not eating one for over a year! I tried so many new fruits & veggies, all with good luck. I wasn't afraid of food anymore! I had chocolate, spices, and even wine. :)

Now that I am feeling better, I am becoming more creative with my diet. I still try to focus on maintaining a raw food diet because that's when I feel the healthiest. I'm not sure if my problems would come back if I were to go back to my old ways, but I have no desire to find out. I am enjoying this newfound health! And I crave fresh fruits & veggies now. My taste buds have changed. I started off with the goal of healing and I got so much more. Happiness. Energy. Healthy skin. Healthy weight. Pain free. No more health issues.

I don't really like calling it a diet because that makes it sound restrictive. It is more like a lifestyle change. And I don't think simply changing my diet is what helped me. It was definitely a combination of things, shifting to a healthier lifestyle. Changing my diet really helped me detoxify my sick body and regenerate my cells. Your body has a natural ability to heal itself. When you fall and cut yourself, your skin generates a scab and slowly heals itself. If you provide your body with the right nutrients and stop poisoning it with acid things, it will heal itself on the inside, too. This is why eating healthy is so dang good for you. I also believe the herbs, supplements, yoga, and positive attitude really helped. And I made sure I got plenty of sunshine for Vitamin D, I eliminated negative people and stress from my life, drank lots of water, and took care of myself. I'm not a very religious person, but I stumbled upon this the other day, and found some good truth in it. God's 8 Law of Natural Health include: Nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance (self-control), air, rest, and trust (in yourself, a spiritual/higher power, and the nature of healing). You need to incorporate all the different levels to find true health.

A plant-based diet is essential to good health. I just watched a fantastic documentary called Forks Over Knives that taught me a lot about food, nutrition, and how bad nutrition causes so many different chronic illnesses. I strongly urge you to watch it. Many other people have overcome a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer, with a plant-based diet (this is proven in the movie). This just confirms my belief that food is medicine. Hippocrates was right.

“Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food.”

Diet & nutrition is a powerful thing that does not get enough credit at all. I notice that when I eat more foods that are alive, I feel more alive. This is why I choose not to eat dead foods, like meat or dairy. I feel much better and healthier without them.

I just returned from a 3 week trip to Bali, Indonesia and Thailand. I was pretty nervous going into it, thinking that all of the crazy food was for sure going to send me into a terrible flare. But I was pleasantly surprised. I got really brave and sampled a lot of new dishes. I mostly stuck to fried rice or noodles, with veggies, tofu, or tempeh. I tried many different sauces, all kinds of fruit, and even oranges! I had the local beer, rice wine, and even vodka. And I experienced very minimal IC symptoms. So, I feel as if I can say now with certainty that I am IC-free. Because I can do all of the things I used to - eat, drink, have sex, and be merry - all without pain. I finally made it. I couldn't have done this a couple of months or a year ago. It took me a long time, a lot of work, and a lot of healing to get to this point. But I finally made it.

I wouldn't say I'm completely "cured". I feel myself experiencing minimal symptoms from time to time and I can usually figure out why and correct it. But I feel like I finally have control over something that used to rule my life. And I barely even notice it's there anymore.

So I encourage you to GET YOUR GREENS ON! It changed my life and many others. And it won't hurt to try. :) Research, read, watch videos, expand your knowledge, get down to the bottom of what is causing your IC. Is it lifestyle choices?

If you have any questions about anything at all, do not hesitate to contact me. I am here to help you in this healing journey. Also, come join our group on Facebook, Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally.

My IC History

2011-05-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

When I was first diagnosed with IC, I was so scared. I didn't know what I had and I was told that there was no cure and that I would have it for the rest of my life. I felt like a helpless and hopeless victim. I was 21 years old! I had my whole life in front of me. And it shattered to a million little pieces. My life turned into a fiery hell, filled with constant pain and countless doctors visits. When you google Interstitial Cystitis, it tells you that it is a painful condition due to inflammation of the bladder wall. It says that the cause is unknown. The cure? Unknown. The truth is, they don't know. It is such a mysterious disease and the medical world does not fully understand it yet. Google describes the symptoms as pain during intercourse, pelvic pain, urinary discomfort, frequency, urgency. Yes, I had all of those symptoms, but IC is much more than that. Google fails to mention depression, loneliness, isolation, anger, fear, anxiety, insomnia. IC changes your entire life. My main symptom was pelvic pain. I was in constant pain, all day every day, no matter what. The pain felt like a burning sensation in my bladder, like it was on fire, like there was acid boiling away my insides. There was also shooting, stabbing pain that would go up and down my urethra. Not only this, but my pain will radiate to other parts of the body. My whole torso would be in pain. Mostly it would spread to the left side of my body and into my back. It felt like pin-pricks of pain all over. The only time I would not be in pain was when I was asleep. But attempting to fall asleep while in that much pain is a challenge in itself.

My pain level was usually at a 7-9 every day. I would notice that it would get worse if I ate something my bladder did not like, if I was stressed or tired, if I tried to have sex, or sometimes for reasons I couldn't quite pinpoint. I also experienced frequency and urgency. Sometimes I would have to pee every 5 minutes. Other times, I would only have to pee every hour. Sometimes, I would feel like I had to pee, and nothing would come out. I would spend hours crying on the toilet or laying in bed. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening to me. No one did.

I visited many doctors. I researched many ways to "manage" IC. I learned about the IC Diet. I attempted to follow it the best that I could. I realized that I could no longer eat the foods that I loved. Just a few bites of a pizza, hummus with spices and lemon juice, or some chocolate would cause such immense pain that I learned never to touch those things again. I had to read every single ingredient list of every item I bought. I realized that I could no longer shop at the typical grocery store because almost every single product had something in it that would cause me pain. I was lucky that I was never a big coffee or soda drinker, so I didn't have to worry about the difficulty of cutting those things out of my diet. It took me a long time to cut out alcohol. I believe I was partly in denial. I didn't want to change the way that I lived my life. I loved drinking, partying, and going out with my friends. But I learned quickly that a few sips would cause me intense pain. The type of pain where I would lay in bed for a week, crying and cuddling with my heating pad. Just the memories of it makes me nauseous. Eventually, I accepted that I would have to change my diet and cut out the things that I loved. If I wanted to feel better, I had to do it. I tried to view it as a temporary adjustment, rather than permanent, because maybe, one day, if I feel better, I will be able to enjoy it again. But not now. Now was a time for healing. It took me a long time to realize this. But once I did, and once I altered my mindset, things got a bit easier. That was one of the most difficult humps though - understanding and getting past my addiction to food and beverages. Making positive lifestyle changes to achieve better health.

When I was first diagnosed, I tried every drug, procedure and treatment my doctors recommended. I saw three different doctors, including a urologist that specialized in IC treatment. I tried Elmiron for 4 months with no positive results and decided to discontinue use. I didn't like the side effects (hair loss?!), I didn't like that it only worked for some patients, I didn't like that the medical world didn't fully understand why it worked in the first place. I didn't like that it was a new drug, so the long-term side effects are unknown. And I didn't like the idea of taking such a new, misunderstood drug for the rest of my life. I didn't like feeling like a guinea pig in an experiment, testing out new drugs. Plus, I experienced stomach aches and a spacey, out-of-it feeling when taking it, so I decided it was not for me.

I tried Elavil for a couple weeks. I really did not like this drug. It is an anti-depressant and it made my mood swings extremely terrible. I felt like I wanted to cry all the time. And it made me super drowsy. I felt like a dead robot. I discontinued using it.

I also tried Nuerotin and Hydroxyzine for about 2 months. I did not experience any relief, so I stopped taking these as well.

I tried bladder instillations, where a solution of Elmiron and other "good" things are put inside your bladder via catheter to help it heal. I got about 5 until I stopped doing them. Every time afterwards, I would leave the doctors office crying in pain. I hurt so much worse after getting this "treatment"! I felt so stupid for "following the doctor's orders", when the doctor did not really know what they were doing. In my opinion, they were hurting me, not helping me. I don't blame them. They're trying their best. There are few treatment options available and this seemed like the best option. And I was desperate to try anything.

I also got a cystoscopy with hydrodistention so that my urologist could confirm that I did, in fact, have IC. I was very scared to get this procedure done and I am very glad it is over. I will never do it again, but I suppose I am somewhat glad that I got it done. At least there is physical proof that I have IC, and I'm not some crazy woman claiming I have pain to get some Oxycontin. I was put asleep during the procedure, the doctor filled my bladder with fluid, looked around and took pictures. Afterwards, she showed me the little white dots on my bladder that are characteristic of IC. (But we don't know what causes those little white dots.) I went home with pain medication and I was in bed for a week. I peed blood the first day. I could barely walk. My bladder, my torso, and my lower back were in extreme pain. It hurt to move. It felt like razor blades were inside of me. It hurt to exist. This is another memory I try not to think about too often.

After this, I took Oxycontin every day. I couldn't go without it. The funny thing about pain meds is that even though it does make you feel good for a little bit, it does not take away the pain. The pain is still there, it's always there. You just forget about it for a little bit. I also took Xanax to control stress and anxiety to keep my pain levels down. I took Pyridium to help with the burning sensation I would get every time I would pee. There was one point where I was taking all of these drugs. And still, no relief really.

Testing out all these drugs made me very uneasy... I feel like it added to my problems instead of helping them. All the chemicals and toxins were just adding more stress to my already weak and sick body. It's hard to tell what kind of side-effects were caused by which drugs, since I was taking so many at different times. My wake-up call happened when I got intense, sharp pain out of no where and thought that I was having a heart attack. It hurt so bad, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, and I started having a panic attack. My boyfriend at the time called 911 because he was so scared. I was scared. These things shouldn't be happening to a "healthy" and "normal" 21 year old girl.

You can imagine what all of these things did to my social life. Constant pain doesn't really make you the happiest person in the world. I was not a pleasant person to be around. I used to be the most positive, friendliest, upbeat person you would ever meet. She disappeared when I got IC. I was almost always in a bad mood. I lost a lot of "friends". No one could really understand that I did not want to go out anymore. I was in constant pain. All of my friends were young and going out to clubs and bars. It's really hard to get motivated to go out when you're in so much pain that you can't even dance, you can't drink, but you can watch your friends drink! I felt like I couldn't do anything anymore. I couldn't drink, so going to parties and social gathering with alcohol was difficult. I couldn't eat, so going to restaurants and potluck parties was devastating. I was afraid to eat things because it may cause me pain. All my dreams of traveling and seeing the world were gone. Just getting through a day was a struggle. I felt like a young girl trapped inside an old woman's body. I was extremely sick at the age of 21. This should not be happening to me!! Where did my good health go?!

After I got IC, I also developed other issues as well. Lactose intolerance, extreme GERD (acid reflux), extreme allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis, and sensitivity to chemicals, weather, etc., to name a few. My whole body was breaking down. This is so common with IC.

IC stole my life. It robbed me of my happiness, it crushed my dreams, and it ruined my body. It killed my physical, mental, and spirituality body completely. I hit an ultimate low. I was allowing IC to slowly kill every part of me. After constantly getting let down by the doctors, I decided I would attempt to take my health into my own hands. I began a quest to figure out what was causing my IC and what I could do to make it go away. This is when I turned to alternative treatments and stumbled upon the raw food diet.

My Diagnosis

2011-05-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

In November 2009, I had just returned home to Tempe, AZ after studying abroad in Brisbane, Australia. I was so happy to be back, visiting friends and family. However, after a few weeks, I developed symptoms that seemed like a UTI, though it felt a bit different. I went to the doctor and told them I thought I had a UTI and my urine was tested, I was given antibiotics, and sent on my way. After a couple days, I got a yeast infection from the antibiotics and used an OTC treatment. After that cleared up, my UTI symptoms were still present, so back to the doctor I went. This time, they told me they did not see any bacteria in my urine indicating that I had a UTI. (To this day, I don't know if I ever did have a UTI. The doctor never confirmed my diagnosis the first time I went in.) Luckily, the nurse treating me has studied Interstitial Cystitis (IC) extensively, so she had a hunch that is what I had. She gave me an IC Diet food list, told me to follow it and come back in a couple days to do a test. Oh man, that was a very difficult visit to the grocery store! I felt like I couldn't have anything I liked to eat! I was so frustrated. But after following the diet, I noticed that my pain lessened a little bit. So that's what I told her when I went back to the doctor's office. She then told me she was going to put a catheter in me and place a solution in my bladder as a test. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she was the professional, so I agreed. Now I know that she was performing the potassium sensitivity test on me. Basically, she put bladder irritating things inside me and if it hurt, then yes, I have Interstitial Cystitis. Oh my god, did it hurt. It hurt so bad I screamed for them to stop. If I would have known that was the "test" they were doing, I would have maybe said no. I was really upset that the procedure wasn't fully explained to me. Anyway, I'm getting off topic here. So, she gave me a packet with a CD explaining what IC is and how to manage it, along with a prescription for Elmiron and sent me on my way. I was so scared. I don't think it had sunk in yet. It took a long time for it to sink it.

I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic, painful bladder disease. I didn't know how much pain it was going to put me through. I didn't know how difficult my life would be from now on. I didn't know anything. I've come a long way since my diagnosis. I've learned a lot about IC. I've learned a lot about myself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I believe that I have finally healed myself of IC. It's taken me a long time to get to this point, about 2 years of struggle! But I can finally say that I am pain-free now. I'd like to share my story with you, in hopes that you can find relief from your suffering as well.

When we are diagnosed with IC, we are told that there is no cure. There is only ways to live with it. But I am here to tell you that is not true. You are not stuck with IC. You can heal yourself. Never say never. The truth is out there. But you're not going to find it if you're not looking.

<3

DISCLAIMER

2011-05-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

My name is Melissa and I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis in November 2009 when I was 21 years old. My main symptoms were severe, chronic pelvic pain, urgency, frequency, and painful sex. I had a very limited diet because many foods/drinks caused even more pain. Stress & PMS were also triggers. I developed GERD (acid reflux), lactose intolerance, severe allergies, digestive issues, and eosinophilic esophagitis as well. I now believe I had many different issues going on, including IC, leaky gut syndrome, candida overgrowth, and acidosis. My body was falling apart. I exhausted all of my doctor's medicine & treatment options and still found no relief. After suffering in constant, extreme pain for one year, I finally found relief through natural methods.

The purpose of this blog is to share my journey of healing with others. While I hope that you will gain knowledge and be open to try some of the methods I have tried, please keep in mind that every IC patient is different. What works for me may not work for you. Some things might, some things might not. IC is such a misunderstood disease, it may be a lot of different diseases just grouped under one name. I am not a medical professional and you should not treat me as one! But I do speak from experience, which as we know in the IC world, is one of the main things we rely on. I encourage you to do research for yourself, listen to your body, and do what you believe is best for you. Take my advice, but also take advice from others, seek knowledge and information from multiple sources, and whatever you do, never give up. There is an answer out there for you somewhere and you will never find it if you aren't looking.