Raw Odyssey

A New Home for Raw Odyssey!

2008-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

The philosophy behind Raw Odyssey has matured over the past two years. In the beginning it was a simple blog that I hoped would help me and other new raw foodists learn about raw foods as a way to gain health and vitality. As I became part of the wonderful raw food community, though, I discovered that there exist some deep debates. Some of these are: Who has a right to be deemed a guru? Which guru has the "right" answers? "How raw" we should be? Which foods are truly raw? Should the practice of eating raw have a spiritual component? Who should represent the raw community to the public? Some raw foodists are less tolerant of those holding views different from theirs, while others adopt more of a "live and let live" perspective.

I think that the raw "gurus" and others who strictly promote a specific way of eating as best for all humans forget that even though we all are of the same animal species, our minds, environment and lifestyles affect the choices we make and therefore create variations in how we actually live. For example, what works for one group of raw foodists may simply not be acceptable for my own taste buds, spiritual beliefs, fears, budget, time, skills, energy, geographic location, etc. When you take all of these variables into consideration, you can see that there is no single way to accomplish a successful diet of whole and raw foods. There are, indeed, multiple ways, all valid for those who are successful with them.

My commitment to raw and whole foods, and my affection for the raw community (debates and all!) has led me to develop Raw Odyssey into a site more reflective of the views I have discussed. I have registered Raw Odyssey as a domain and am creating a site which I hope speaks to those of us who sometimes feel we must be "doing it wrong." It will be a site that explores different ways of eating raw and addresses the various arguments for eating one way or another. As I am still developing the site I am testing it at godaddy.com. If site development and hosting work out well there I will keep the site there permanently (thanks go to Dhrumil and Philip McCluskey who both advised about domain, hosting and/or site issues- might as well talk to those who have gone before you, right?)

The new home for the Raw Odyssey blog is blog.rawodyssey.com and it is up now.
The rest of the site will be developed over time and will address raw food debates and the many different types of raw food eating we engage in. I plan for it to be fun and informative.

Any suggestions you have for the site as I've described it are welcome- you can leave them in the comments at blog.rawodyssey.com. (To read Raw Odyssey 2009, visit http://www.rawodyssey.com)

I hope to see you all there!

Day 15, 2008- Noticing New Things

2008-01-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

So this is basically day 15 of my 2008 Raw Odyssey. It's easier to just say that then to try to subtract New Year's day and the couple of days I was sick and not eating much of anything at all. I am not feeling the need to be all scientific about this these days!

Since day one I've been doing the salads, the hummus/taboule/ezekiel pita, and the nonfat yogurt with fruit thing, and coconut water in the morning. I'm not totally sick of these foods yet, but I do need variety and I just don't want to relieve boredom by spending a lot of time making complex raw meals. Nor do I want to go to the other extreme and buy easy prepackaged raw stuff like I tried the first time around, like raw "bars" and nori-wrapped treats. Those seem more like snacks to me, and I'm trying to get away from snacks that feel like the candy bars and chips from my SAD days. When I get the VitaMix perhaps the green smoothies and other recipes I'll be trying will give me enough variety. I'm also thinking of making flaxseed crackers using my oven.

I've had more good results from eating high-raw: this week I noticed that the edema (swelling) I had in my lower legs has disappeared, so my ankles are back! I was alerted to that when I was watching the twins edition of the National Body Challenge. They had an episode with these twins who own an Italian restaurant. Their advisor showed one of the twins how his legs were swelling up, and she pressed the skin on his calf to show how the indentation remained. So there the twins were, making me laugh by poking at their legs in wonder (they looked so cute, though!), but that reminded me of how my own doctor had told me I had edema. I started poking at my legs, too! I was so happy to see that my legs aren't swollen anymore and my ankle bones are once again visible. Yay! The area of my arms right where they meet the wrist also have been swollen in the past, but the swelling has disappeared there as well. Even my pants feel a tad looser- I must've lost a lot of water weight these past couple of weeks (I still haven't weighed myself).

One problem I have noticed is that I am feeling hungry between breakfast and lunch, and after dinner. In fact, one day I was in a meeting and I felt a flash of faintness and knew I'd better eat something immediately (which I did). I haven't been counting calories, although I estimate in my head that I'm getting around 1200 a day. Today I drank more water to combat my hunger, and I haven't felt ill or faint since that one incident. I'm not sure if I'm just getting used to eating less food again, or if I really need to eat more. I'll probably start counting calories soon, just to make sure. I'm lucky that my job has started buying us fruit and cutting down on the junky treats. Today I grabbed a pear, a banana and an orange! (So much for that low carb thing I'm supposed to be doing!)

Raw Again-How I've Missed It!

2008-01-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today was my first week back on my nearly 100% raw diet. Unfortunately, I started the week suffering from the effects of what I thought was food poisoning, and my stomach is still bothering me- albeit to a minor extent -after meals. Because this week I've been eating less often, eating smaller meals, and eating healthier meals to boot, I had hoped I would have been well by now. I may need to make a visit to the doctor just to make sure everything's ok in there. In the meantime, I thought I'd try some ginger. I posted a question to both giveittomeraw.com and Twitter and got answers within the hour suggesting I steep ginger to make tea. I grated some ginger and used slightly warm water to make the tea- I'm drinking it now. I'm not saying it's delicious or anything, but it sure smells nice. I'm envisioning my stomach healing as I drink it. Thank you GITMR and Twitter friends!

This week has been pretty good as far as eating raw. I don't have the same hangups I did the first time I returned to raw after quitting in mid-2006; I'm not worrying about how much weight I'm losing or how many calories I'm consuming. I'm not worried that I'm eating or two non-raw foods (nonfat Greek yogurt for breakfast, canned chick peas for next week's salads). I'm continuing to take the vitamins I have left: iron, MSM, and vitamin E. Every day I've been eating fresh fruits and vegetables, a few Whole Foods salad bar items, ezekiel pita bread and "raw-seed crackers" from Whole Foods.

Breakfast has been about 2/3 cup yogurt with fresh fruit, and lunch has been a salad with "Israeli salad," taboule, and edamame (I'm so gauche I throw anything together). I usual add one or more of the following: raw sunflower seeds, 1/2 small avocado, about 1 tbsp olive oil, and Celtic sea salt. For dinner I've been eating the above salad, but a lot less of it because I'm making a sandwich with it using an ezekiel pita and adding hummus. I eat dinner before 7 pm usually, but I am not above snacking late at night on a piece of fruit. Tonight I had a juicy pear.

Throughout the day I try to drink water or tea, but usually I forget. I remembered to do so yesterday and today only when I connected feelings of sluggishness with under-hydration. Drinking tea seemed to help.

I have to say that my job is FULL of unhealthy foods. My first day back at work there was a huge chocolate cake with icing in our kitchen. Today there were mini-bagels and cream cheese. In our snack area there are salted, roasted nuts, chips, holiday chocolates, Skittles, M&M's, ginger snaps, tins of popcorn, hard candies, crackers, and that's not even the full list. We have pop in the fridge and surprise treats that seem to pop up like whack-a-moles. I am proud to say that I did not feel the desire to eat any of these things. We do have tea, filtered water, and fresh fruit every week- I've been taking advantage of these healthier amenities.

I notice that I am craving salt bigtime this week. I've had this happen before when I first start on a raw diet. I guess it's because I'm so used to eating sodium in processed foods that I miss the flavor for a while. I've been putting Celtic sea salt on my salad; I figure that even doing that, I'm consuming waaaay less sodium than I was before. Over time I'll naturally scale back, I'm sure.

The greatest benefit I've experienced this week from going back to raw is alertness and clarity. For the first time in a long time I've been sitting through our "two-hour-plus"- long meetings on the job without yawning constantly, nodding off, or losing focus. That has made me more productive and has helped me to enjoy my work more already, and it's only been a few days!

That's it for the week!!

My Raw Odyssey Continues...

2008-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

I decided, this past weekend, to eat up some of the non-raw food I had so that I didn't have to throw out too many items when I start my segue back to 100% raw. Unfortunately, one of the foods I ate- some bleu cheese- should have been thrown out. I ended up with food poisoning. Talk about agony. Thank goodness it's only lasted a couple of days. I have some lingering dehydration symptoms, but I'm feeling much better than I was yesterday- and pretty "cleaned out," too! And since I'm cleaned out, I'm putting only good stuff back in.

Luckily, before I got sick I had a couple of young Thai coconuts in the fridge, salad greens and some salad bar item from Whole Foods. Once I progressed from drinking bottled water and coconut water, I ate a couple of tiny salads. Today I'm ready for something a little more hearty, so I ventured back out to Whole Foods. I decided that instead of jumping into 100% raw I will ease into it, so I have bought nonfat Greek Yogurt, hummus, and seed crackers, as well as papaya, avocado, edamame, Ezekiel pita bread, 1 bottle of Kombucha tea, and raw sunflower seed kernels. Perhaps I'll time my transition to raw so that it ends the week that I get my new VitaMix! Let's see, when will that be? 30 Days!!

While I was out, I stopped at the local raw cafe and got a green smoothie. YUCK!!! I drank it down knowing it was nothing but healthiness going down my throat. When I start making my own green smoothies next month I will definitely be experimenting with flavors (and accepting any recipes you want to send me!) I know that the bitterness is something I'll get used to again as I re-accustom myself to an all-raw diet. The SAD way of eating gets you so used to sugar and salt that the naturally less-sweet flavors of so many healthy, natural foods seems "bad" somehow. My first go-around with raw, however, taught me to appreciate nature's flavors without seasonings, so I look forward to experiencing that again.

I don't know exactly how I'll handle eating raw this time around. I might log all my foods like I used to, or I might not. I do know I'm not in a hurry to jump on the scale! Maybe I'll wait until I've gotten back into the raw habit before I get more regimented about it. Right now, the most important thing to me is to start thinking, eating, and generally behaving in a more healthful manner. This means turning my home into a healthier environment, relaxing more, surrounding myself with "healthy" people who don't drag me down. Just doing all of the things that help make daily living less stressful.

I'm So Excited!

2008-01-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

I found out that one of the Costcos around here is selling the Vita-Mix in February! I'm so ready to buy one. I see on their website that they have a new one called the 5200. So many choices! I'm going to buy that one, I think, as I do not intend to grind any grains into flour. I can't wait to watch the demonstration at the store. I love watching them put those recipes together- guess I'm easily entertained.

These past couple of weeks I find myself having less and less desire for junk foods. It's not a conscious effort. In fact, though my fridge is full of holiday food, I'm having a hard time finishing it all without thinking of how unhealthy it is and how this great raw diet is right around the corner. Pepsi, steak, pork chops, bread, pudding- even a little vodka- are in my fridge and freezer. They taste great (my friend Tonia is an awesome and inventive cook), but my mind is, thankfully, pulling away from that stuff and gravitating towards fresh fruits and vegetables, home brewed teas and filtered water. It's so nice to feel this way naturally, as it makes returning to 100% raw that much easier.

Right now what I need most is to be rid of this lingering cold or allergy I've had for a month already, and to regain my energy and focus as the new academic year begins. If any of you are also embarking upon a new or renewed effort in eating raw, you have my support. It might be fun to make a list of all of your ailments and see if any of them diminish or go away as you follow your personalized raw journey. That's what I'm doing- I'm making a list of my most irksome problems and putting a line next to each entry so I can record the date that I first notice a positive change. If I have negative experiences, I'll note those as well so that I can make adjustments as needed. Here's my list! What's yours look like?

Complexion
Dark patches _____________
Acne___________________

Skin
Dry, scaly _______________
Bumps/"tags"_____________ (did you know skin tags are related to hypothyroidism?)

Nails (brittle) ____________

Hair
Dry, Brittle_______________
Thinning_________________

Energy level_______________
Depression________________
Focus____________________
Concentration______________
Appetite changes____________
Cravings__________________
Weight changes_____________
Cold/allergy symptoms_______

(Wow- based on this list you'd think I was a total wreck. How do I manage to get up in the morning?? ) I can't wait to start documenting the physical changes I will experience over the weeks that I eat raw.

Preparing for Raw in 2008

2007-12-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been hanging out at Give It To Me Raw, a new social network that all of you who are interested in raw health should check out. It's chock full of positive energy and wisdom, and it has been an uplifting experience for me to post there. I've had a lot of fun there sharing my experiences, getting to know people, and reading responses to my posts and questions. I recently posted about my plans for 2008:

It's been so wonderful reading all of the stories and comments people have been posting at GITMR. This community is very open-minded and welcoming, which is a blessing. My raw odyssey has been an interesting one, but thanks to the internet, it doesn't feel so strange anymore, as I see that many people have jumped on and off the raw wagon, tried different percentages of raw vs. cooked foods, and tested various permutations of a raw diet. I think most of us have concluded that there is no one raw diet for an entire population of people, and that finding the right version is a personal journey.

My own journey began as 100% raw in January of 2006, and progressed to partially raw,then totally SAD, vegetarian, SAD again... and now I'm ready to get back to eating 100% raw. I've pretty much proved to myself that, for me, an unhealthy diet leads to the following things, either directly or indirectly:

1) Poor complexion (rough, dark patches on my cheeks, acne)
2) Digestion problems (noisy stomach, diarrhea, constipation)
3) Low energy, tiredness
4) Depression
5) Poorer quality of sleep
6) Difficulty focusing and concentrating
7) Back pain
8) Dry, scaly skin
9) Severe cravings for sugary/salty foods, binge eating
10) Increased appetite
11) Rapid weight gain
12) Edema (water retention)
I'm very excited about taking what I've learned in 2006 and 2007 from both my raw diet and my doctor visits, and applying it to my 2008 version of raw. This time I plan to do 5 simple things to rid myself of the above problems:

1) Eat a low carb version of raw
2) Drink green smoothies (daily, when possible)
3) Approach 100% raw, 100% whole foods
4) Don't be hard on myself if I occasionally wander off the path- just find my way back!
5) Monitor my health with my doctor throughout the year

I wish everyone success with your own versions of eating raw, and hope to learn from you throughout the year. Maybe I'll even meet some of you in person!

For those who haven't been to GiveItToMeRaw.com, drop by!! I think you'll like it.

Oh This BLAH Feeling. It Sucks!

2007-12-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling very blah over the past month. I think it has much to do with my crappy diet and not so much to do with stopping the thyroid medication, even though I did feel a little mood uplift when I was taking it for that short amount of time. When I feel this way, I just want to stay in bed all day. I find it hard to concentrate on anything, and cannot motivate myself to start projects. The longer I feel this way, the more anxious I get because I can see myself wasting all sorts of time and not living my life. Through some kind of force of will I will get myself back to a mostly raw diet, knowing that this feeling will lift and my energy will come back.

I'm very good at not "acting depressed," as I hate to attract attention to myself in that way. In truth, I'd rather be invisible during times like this. But I was proud of myself for attending two holiday events this month rather than hiding out at home: I attended a holiday party thrown by my academic department at the university, and I attended a fancier event sponsored by my firm. I dressed up for the second event and did not wear a scarf or hair band to cover the thinner part of my hair- instead, I carefully styled it. I was nervous, but with my stress over my hair loss I've probably developed body dysmorphic disorder and am no longer any judge of my own appearance!

When I'm hit with this blah feeling, I often start reading self-help articles and looking for books about motivation, life purpose, ending procrastination and all that stuff. Deep down, though, I know that all that reading just gives me something to do while I'm waiting out the blue period. I truly believe that my diet plays the biggest role in my mood and energy changes, so the big issue is how to keep myself from falling off the raw wagon in the first place so I don't keep going through this "depression." After all, it's not like someone points a gun at me and makes me eat junk.

The silver lining in this cloud is that I have such a positive feeling about raw and whole foods and have a history of feeling great while I eat raw. A "diet" always seems like punishment, but even though eating raw has the same healthy benefits of a "diet," raw living is a treat for me. It's a different treat from the comfort foods I grew up eating, though, and those old, unhealthy comfort foods have not lost their draw for me. Maybe they never will. Ugh, what a thought!

Thank you for the informative comments you've been sending- I do make a note of them as well as publish them for others' benefit. The raw community is full of positive, informative people who share encouragement and advice. For those of you who are not aware, a new one has cropped up. Maybe I'll see you there? www.giveittomeraw.com.

Already Making Changes with the Medicine

2007-11-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic week vacationing with a friend in Sacramento. I got to visit San Francisco for the first time as well. I love that place! I can't wait to go back and truly explore. It seems like a great place to be a raw foodist and a fit person, what with the fresh produce, mild weather, and multitude of hills to climb for exercise.

Before leaving for my vacation I talked to my doctor about my hair loss, which seems to be accelerating. I find myself staring at my hairline with both fascination and trepidation. The doctor said that the thyroid medicine, despite being a low dose, could be accelerating the hair loss, and that stopping it would not be harmful at this point. He therefore advised me to stop taking the Armour and to see him in December for my already-planned appointment. What confusion!

So the only other weapon in my hair-loss arsenal is the low-carb/low saturated fat diet that is recommended for people suffering from PCOS/Insulin resistance. I am feeling rather noncommittal to a rigid "diet" right now, though. I am frustrated with this whole health experience, to be honest. I don't like taking medicine, and losing my hair is a nightmare, as is not knowing what is causing it yet. Furthermore, I'm sick of the topic already- I bore myself! A friend tells me to stop being vain about my hair and just keep trying the pills. I guess I could just wear a friggin' wig and get over it, but that's not an attitude I can adopt with just a snap of my fingers.

One thing I can do is adopt the new "diet" to combat my PCOS/Insulin resistance-like symptoms. Naturally, I didn't bother doing it while on vacation because ! wanted to eat all my Thanksgiving favorites. (I know- do the same thing you've always done and get the same results you've always gotten!) The holiday season is always difficult for me when it comes to eating healthfully because I've always used it as an excuse to eat "holiday food." I have not given up on the new strategy though. In fact, I've been carrying around my low carb grocery list, making it a part of daily life in a way. Sometimes I look through it and think about how limited it seems, but I know I can whip up some tasty meals using herbs and spices, so I don't have feel that I'm eating the same thing over and over.

I foresee the remainder of the year as being a gradual adoption of my new high-raw diet. I will get blood tests for the doctor and see him again in a couple of weeks to re-consult about my hypothyroid strategy. I think I will try to get a referral to an endocrinologist to look more closely at the PCOS/insulin resistance as well. I sure hope 2008 is smoother sailing!

A Week Since Starting Armour Thyroid

2007-11-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit over a week since I started taking my thyroid medication. It's too soon to notice any real effects, although I do feel that my mood has lifted a bit. That might just be a coincidence, but it's fine with me. What I'm really paying attention to is whether I continue to lose more hair. Because it is dry and brittle it still breaks, but I don't know for sure whether it is still falling out at the same rate. I'm going to wait a couple of more weeks before saying for sure whether the situation has changed.

Since starting the medication I must admit I have not stuck to a healthy diet whatsoever. Each time I jump off the raw wagon I notice the effect eating SAD has on me- my skin breaks out worse than usual, for one thing, and I feel sluggish and tired. I know I've gained back some of those pounds I've been losing but I refuse to weigh myself since I can tell from my clothes. I find myself looking forward to a post-Thanksgiving "cleansing" by returning to raw foods. I still believe there has been nothing better for me than raw, despite my hair loss (the jury is still out as to the cause of that, but we'll see if it might be due to hypothyroid issues).

Thank you to everyone who has been sending me information about PCOS, hypothyroidism and related matters. I truly appreciate the input and the personal stories. I have a lot to learn about these matters. From my readings, I still feel very positive about the ability of a low-carb/low saturated-fat raw diet to deal with insulin-resistance. Since learning that my dad has full-blown diabetes, I know it is even more important for me to keep an eye on any insulin-related trouble. So far I've been very lucky. My main concern with adjusting to low-carb/low saturated fat is the greater limit imposed on my grocery list. Eating a limited diet doesn't bother me so much when I'm too busy to care, but when I get bored- watch out!

Got the Blood Test Results

2007-11-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I saw the doctor today for the results of the blood tests for PCOS and hypothyroidism. The PCOS tests came back in the normal range, but the thyroid test wasn't so great. He prescribed Armour thyroid medication for me - 30 mg daily. I got the prescription filled this morning and have taken my first teeny tiny pill (so tiny I can't be sure it isn't stuck in a tooth somewhere). I'm not sure how I feel about the diagnosis. I'm thrilled that my thyroid might be responsible for the hair loss rather than my raw diet being responsible for it, but I'm not thrilled to have a "condition."

From what I've been learning, there is some connection between the symptoms of PCOS and the symptoms of hypothyroidism. I'm seeing that many women (not all!) are diagnosed with both. If you do a search on "hypothyroidism PCOS" you'll see websites that proclaim the two to be related. PCOS is polycystic ovary syndrome, and is associated with the growth of ovarian cysts (which I've had for over 10 years now), and can lead to insulin resistance, acne, hair loss and other unpleasant things. Hypothyroidism causes some of the same symptoms as PCOS, plus a slew of its own problems. I have symptoms associated with both of these conditions. It is like a giant maze trying to figure out what condition might be the cause of what symptom. My doctor believes that some of my symptoms point to PCOS, but he cannot diagnose that based on the test results. My dad was just diagnosed with diabetes this year, so my chances of having insulin resistance (or developing diabetes) is higher than I thought it was.

So, I'm thinking there is an indirect connection between MY eating raw and MY hair loss (this is a personal experience; I cannot speak for others.) Considering how ridiculously easy it is for me to gain weight, the family connection to diabetes, the dark patches of skin on my cheeks, my years of ovarian cysts, my doctor's beliefs, and other symptoms, I have reason to believe I have insulin resistance (IR) even if I don't have PCOS. A diet high in carbs is a problem for people with IR, and my raw diet is high in carbs. (What is considered "high carb?" I don't really know, but when I look at low-carb diets, most -if not all- are under 100 gms a day). Looking back over my 2006 diet, my carb intake was often between 125 and 200, and quite often over 200 gms per day. They were that high again this year, especially when I decided to add grains for protein after removing animal-based dairy from my diet. I've read from more than one source that grains are a relatively recent part of the human diet. They are associated with blood glucose problems, among other health issues. Yikes! So if I have insulin resistance and I'm eating a diet high in carbs -raw or not - I could be triggering the symptoms of insulin resistance that I've been seeing, such as the hair loss. Again, I'm not certain that this is my problem, but I may as well "act as if" by changing my diet to one that won't lead to the development of diabetes or any of its cousins.

My doctor told me that although he hates recommending Atkins to his patients, he has seen people with insulin resistance benefit from the low-carb/high protein diet by losing weight and lowering their cholesterol. The problem with Atkins is I have too much weight to lose. I'd be on the plan for too long, causing the high amounts of fat to do more harm than good. And I really don't want to eat all that meat and saturated fat anyway. So I'm putting together my own high-raw, low-carb/low-saturated-fat plan, which I will adjust as I learn more. Maybe I can get back to all-raw some day.

In my next blog post I will list the foods I plan to eat, and I'll track how the medicine and dietary changes affect my health and weight loss. The major improvements I'm hoping for include:

A return to my previous level of energy and ability to focus
Relief from dry skin
Improved ability to lose weight
Hair regrowth/cessation of hair loss
No more hair dryness or brittleness
Lifting of mild depression
Cessation of acne (I never had it when I was a kid!!)
Disappearance of dark patches on my face (cheeks)
Stronger fingernails

I've gotten some very helpful information from people trying to do raw while dealing with PCOS or hypothyroidism, and I'd love to know more about what you are doing. Also, if any of you out there take Armour, I'd appreciate knowing what I might expect over the next month or so.

So, this is yet another bend in the road of this Raw Odyssey. I never would have guessed a year ago that I'd be pursuing "low-carb raw," but I maintain that a raw diet must fit the needs of the individual. What works for one person can wreak havoc with someone else's body. We have to be open minded and willing to adjust our diet- and not feel like a failure if we have problems eating the way some "raw expert" tells us to eat. We have to educate ourselves and pay attention to our bodies.

By the way, if you have not come across the website "We Like It Raw" I highly recommend you check it out- no guru-speaking there! They support the individualized approach to constructing a healthy diet, provide lots of practical, helpful information, and introduce readers to others who follow a raw diet.

Another Round of Bloodwork

2007-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

I met with a doctor that I found on the hypothyroidism website. A very nice and patient doctor who told me that based on my medical history, symptoms, and family history, I may have PCOS or hypothyroidism. Here's what I was told (in my own words, ok?) While my TSH score is in the low-normal range, my bloodwork did not show my T3, which could be outside the normal range and cause my symptoms. As for the PCOS, insulin resistance is often related to that condition, and carbohydrates would aggravate it. Of course I eat a lot of carbs on a vegetarian or vegan diet (raw or not). The doctor hates Atkins but says a low carb diet might be worth a try just to get the weight off.

I've been trying to get information on eating a raw diet when suffering from PCOS and as usual, nothing is conclusive. Raw foodists who don't have PCOS seem- for the most part- adamant about raw food being fine for PCOS sufferers. As is my norm, of course, I'm more interested in what raw foodists who actually have PCOS are doing. Now, I have no idea if I have hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, PCOS or whatever, but I do like to educate myself on an issue as well as collect firsthand stories from people going through a similar challenge. The power of the internet is most evident for me when people with similar experiences use it to share information and help each other out- especially when the medical establishment and gurus don't have the knowledge.

I get my results next Friday. I'm not sure what I want the results to be. I want to eat 100% raw, so I don't want the raw diet to be the cause of my problems. Yet I don't want to have to take thyroid pills or glucophage or that other PCOS medication I read about. I want to be all natural, darn it!

What about Hypothyroidism?

2007-10-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

I've gotten some comments from readers of this blog and from other people about my hair loss symptoms, and I have found them all very interesting and helpful in one way or another. One thing that I've started to look at more seriously is hypothyroidism. A close friend who has it told me that my symptoms sound similar to hers. I figured that since my TSH level of .692 was within the .3 to 3.0 range, I have nothing to worry about. However, I've since learned that there is such a thing as "subclinical hypothyroidism" which involves symptoms of hypothyroidism when the TSH level is within the normal range.

I have suffered from some of the many symptoms listed for hypothyroidism: depression, difficulty focusing (a serious and stressful problem when you're a doctoral student), extremely dry skin to the point where it cracks, dry and brittle (and thinning) hair, and fatigue. My dietary changes this year definitely mitigated some of these symptoms: I've made an effort to drink more water, eat fresh vegetables daily, avoid processed foods and red meats; these improved my BP, sleep pattern, skin condition and other things.

The thing that still throws me is that I noticed the hair loss only after I turned to the raw diet last year, and it stopped after I went back to SAD. Then it started again this year with the high-raw. Mere coincidence? Who knows. It would be great if a raw diet could help with TSH levels but from what I've read, you have to take medicine to correct thyroid problems. I hate taking medicine. Even vitamins are a pain - I have to set an alarm to remember to take the B-complex 4 times a day. But if my thyroid is the problem, then the upside is that I can eat 100% raw again, knowing it isn't causing hair loss. Time to make a doctor's appointment!

Good Things

2007-10-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

At work on Friday one of my coworkers looked me up and down and said, "you're losing weight, aren't you?" That was great- my first unsolicited weight loss comment! I had gotten a comment from another coworker a week or so earlier, but she is seeing the same nutritionist I am and was expecting to see me lose weight, so I didn't count her comment as purely unsolicited (hey, I have strict standards about what counts as unsolicited.) I am starting to fit into previously-tight clothing. I don't feel totally comfortable in them yet because I tend to wear loose clothing, but I have worn a few items to work these past couple of weeks that haven't fit me since last summer.

Another thing that made me feel good was my walk around the neighborhood. If I want to start walking to work again some day, it would benefit me to get a feel for walking around outdoors. Work is a 5-mile trek, but since I recently did 3.1 mph for 3 miles on the treadmill with variable inclines, I'm not thinking I can't do it. I just need to replace my worn out sneakers so my feet stop hurting! A faster speed won't make my journey to health any better than a slower speed, so I have no reason to hurry on this walk. 2.5 mph will be just fine, and my iPod will make the trip enjoyable. During my walk in the neighborhood this week, however, I didn't even bother turning on the iPod- it was just nice listening to the traffic and noticing the breeze and sunset. Part of the fun of walking is the greater connection I feel to the environment. When I used to walk 5 miles to work in Ohio, I noticed construction sites, chunks missing in the sidewalk, favorite haunts of squirrels, different types of trees- things I never pay attention to while driving. By walking, not only am I using my body to accomplish something necessary (rather than walking to nowhere on a treadmill), I'm becoming more familiar with the community surrounding me AND putting one less car out on the road.

So, three encouraging things have happened this week: I've made it past the 30 lb mark, my weight loss was noticed without my saying a word, and I'm one step closer to walking to work.

Getting those B's for Hair, Skin and Mental Health

2007-10-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

This past week I’ve had a harder time keeping to my chosen food list than usual. Stress from adjusting to my academic and work schedule still has me turning to food more than I’d like. Still, I am being careful and although I gained a pound one week, I’m now down 32 lbs total since early June. In 18 more pounds I’ll have lost my goal of 50 for the year. I believe it is doable, and I’m looking forward to reaching that first milestone.

I asked my nutritionist about the B-Complex vitamins she is giving me. She is so confident that they will help me regrow my hair and process proteins that I decided to look up B-Complex vitamins online. I found that they are really 8 unrelated nutrients: Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Riboflavin, and Thiamin. Individually, they perform different tasks, such as breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and helping with the health of your skin, hair, eyes, mouth and liver -and even with the muscles of your intestinal tract and stomach. Biotin is the one associated with hair health. Niacin is related to healthy skin and lifting depression. Pyridoxine is related to the proteins.

Now, I know I can get these B vitamins pretty easily from foods. According to the list I found at http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamin-B-Complex---What-Are-Those-B-Vitamins-And-Why-Is-Your-Body-Desperate-For-Them?&id=769824, I should include the following foods (I’ve subtracted the non-vegan ones) in my diet:

Vitamin B1 or Thiamine: beans, wheat bran, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.

Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin: whole grains, legumes vegetables (green leafy), nuts.

Vitamin B3 or Niacin: green leafy vegetables, seeds, asparagus, legumes, cereals, peanut yeast, nuts, and coffee.

Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic Acid: whole wheat, whole rye, torula yeast, nuts, mushrooms, legumes, vegetables, brewer’s yeast.

Vitamin B6 or Piridoxine: walnuts, wheat germ, peas, carrots, and brewer’s yeast.

Vitamin B7 or Biotin: nuts, brewers yeast, spinach, mushroom, and cauliflower.

Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid: whole grains, beans, starchy vegetables, fruit, broccoli, and spinach.

Vitamin B12 or Coalmine: (only found in animals)

I already eat all of these foods except peanuts, asparagus, cereals, mushrooms, and yeast (yuck!). But I can honestly say I wasn’t eating them in large amounts. In fact, I didn’t start purposely eating more grains and nuts until recently. My VitaMix (on my wish list!) will help with the leafy greens, and I’ll continue with the nuts, seeds and grains. I’ve been trying to get used to snacking on carrots during the day- I guess that’s a good thing since it is in the Piridoxine list (protein assistance). But the main thing is to eat a variety of foods rather than focusing on just the “hair” or “protein breakdown” nutrients. And getting our vitamins from foods is always better than getting them from a pill. Still, I’m going to continue taking the vitamins for a while because I’m curious to see whether my hair, my complexion, and even the slight ridges in my fingernails improve over the next couple of months. Over time, though, I’ll replace the pills with food sources.

Gym Therapy

2007-10-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

This wasn't the best weekend for me- I felt pretty blue and found it almost impossible to concentrate on my studies. Finally I decided to take myself to the gym- supposedly that helps with depression, especially when you go regularly. I decided to just do what I felt capable of doing. I ended up doing 3 miles on the treadmill in about an hour. I will be very sore tomorrow but it was worth it. If I can get myself to do 30 minutes a day, I'll be happy. I've already been lifting a 10 lb weight every other day for a few weeks now, so I know I've built up a little muscle by now in my arms and torso.

Both yesterday and today I got about 80 grams of protein by eating fat-free yogurt, my high-protein soup, quinoa, lentils and pepitas in addition to my other foods like fruit and salad. I had a Trader Joe's protein shake yesterday and have one more left. I've been taking MSM and the B-Complex vitamins (which I swear give me gas!!!)- I hope all of that is good hair therapy. By December maybe I'll have filled in the thinning areas.

Flashback

2007-10-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

This week I've finally had to acknowledge that my hair is falling out again. I thought it was my imagination at first but no, it's falling out and I feel horrible. What makes it worse is that I'm not even 100 percent raw- I've just been easing into it gradually. I can't figure out what it is I am missing in my diet that would cause my hair to fall out. I'm not losing weight too quickly. My blood tests were all normal except for the high cholesterol. My protein levels are certainly lower than when I was eating meat, but could I really need that much protein to keep myself from losing hair?

Interestingly, when I told my nutritionist about this, and told her (sadly) that I am thinking of adding dairy and fish back into my diet, she seemed to suddenly "come out" about her lack of belief in raw, like she was relieved. Nothing overt, but I could just tell she was all too happy about it! She didn't even suggest anything to help me figure out what the hair loss might stem from. This didn't totally surprise me, as she never seemed to totally understand the raw diet anyway. I guess she was just tolerating it. Still, I benefit from seeing her right now, mainly because knowing I have a nutritionist keeps me focusing on my health, and I like the one-on-one attention better than group meetings like Weight Watchers (whose program I like, by the way). I am thinking of seeing her until I reach my initial 50-lb weight loss goal.

Anyways... the nutritionist told me that one of my problems may be that I am not absorbing enough amino acids, perhaps due to stress. That was a new one on me- why didn't she tell me that before, I wonder. She gave me these B-Complex chewable tablets to try. You eat EIGHT of the nasty things a day, with or without food. They are made of natural ingredients including, unfortunately, soy. She said that taking these will help my body to absorb protein. I figured I'll give it a try. She says she feels a boost of energy when she takes them, but I've never been one to feel more energetic from any particular food except strong coffee (but I don't think of the shakes as energy). I've taken 6 of the vitamins so far and I don't feel a bit different. I have two more to go. Yum.

So, I must say that I am not happy with the way my raw odyssey is going, but that just means I need to rethink things. I do not have to be 100% raw or any particular percentage. My goal is health, so if eating 100% raw vegan isn't healthy for me, then I have to find what is. Until I see evidence that my hair has stopped falling out, I am going to put nonfat cottage cheese, Greek style non-fat yogurt (from Trader Joe's!), and salmon back into my diet. Those, along with hemp, edamame, quinoa, lentils, nuts and seeds will ensure I get a lot more protein than I was getting. I'll keep my calories between 1300 and 1600 daily. Once in a while I will do a whey protein shake. I'll eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water, and try to think healthy, happy thoughts. :-)

Still Going Strong!

2007-09-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

Despite not being 100% raw yet, I'm continuing to lose weight and so far I am feeling quite healthy. I have become more accustomed to grains and beans and now I combine quinoa with lentils and vegetables for one meal daily. Breakfast is usually fruit. I often have an ounce of almonds as a snack or even with my breakfast, but I'm reconsidering continuing that since they add a lot of calories but only a few grams of protein. I can honestly say I don't miss dairy as much as I thought I would.

Speaking of protein, I've been getting between only 40 and 60 grams daily with this new McDougall-influenced way of eating. Since I have been aiming for 60 - 80, I'm not entirely happy. However, I'll keep plugging away and trying new foods over the next few weeks. The bulk of my protein comes from lentils. Combined with a grain and vegetables I can get a complete protein- this is where nutritiondata.com comes in handy; I use the recipe analyzer to see if my food combinations give me the nutrition I'm looking for.

Today my nutritionist weighed and measured me. I have lost about 29 lbs, and 54 inches total since early June. Although it's nice to see my clothes get looser, I don't get excited about the weight loss too much. When I lose 50 lbs I might get excited again. However, I was happy with my blood pressure of 110/80.

My goal is still to lose 50 lbs before the end of the year. To that end I started some light weight training about a month ago using a 10-lb free weight. I need to start the cardio again but haven't been motivated enough. Now that the weather is nice I want to start walking outdoors. I've also still got that VitaMix in my sights, and I'm even more motivated to use it since hearing Victoria Boutenko talk about green smoothies. I've tried green smoothies and can't say I like them, but I know they are good for me and will help me on my road to an all-raw or high-raw diet.

Beautiful Lentils

2007-09-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty good about all the grains I've been preparing, but I have seen my carbohydrate intake rise sharply. Is this a bad thing? According to Dr. Mercola, a low grain diet may be more healthy than the high-grain one I've been working on. Darn you, Dr. Mercola! Actually, other nutrition resources also warn against high carb meals because carbohydrates can increase blood sugar levels. I'm still going to increase my grains and legumes because I wasn't eating any before, but I tell you, it is so frustrating trying to put together a well-balanced diet. You'd think since I'm paying a nutritionist to help me, I'd let her do her job, wouldn't you? I will ask her this week to craft a mostly-raw, vegan menu plan for seven days.

The meal I enjoyed the most today was steamed lentils combined with quinoa. Not only was it delicious, but these two ingredients were very pretty together in the bowl. I loved the textures and the varying shades of brown. There's something to be said for attractive-looking meals! The lentils came from Trader Joe's and are precooked. I prepared the quinoa in my rice cooker. I think I might have used too much water because it came out very clumpy, but I actually liked the two textures together. The picture above doesn't quite do it justice.

So here's what I ate today, for a total of 1589 calories, 56 grams of fat (6 saturated), 235 gms carbs, 59 gms protein, and 64 grms fiber

Breakfast: fruit salad
Honeydew Melon
Blueberries
Kiwi Fruit
Mangoes
Almonds, 1 oz

Lunch
Trader Joe's Couscous Salad, (1/2 the package)
1/2 Avocado
Hemp seed
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Red Ripe Tomatoes
Spinach, fresh
My salad from yesterday

Dinner
lentils
1/2 Avocado
Quinoa

By the way, Dr. Mercola's article on low grain diets can be found via the following link: http://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/scientific_evidence_low_grains2.htm

New Recipes

2007-09-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today I tried to get 60 gms of protein, minimum, without resorting to protein powder. I started with a smoothie with 4 tablespoons of the shelled hemp seed for breakfast. It was better this time because I knew to blend it more thoroughly with my immersion blender, but there was still some texture.

For lunch I had half of a Trader Joe's couscous salad into which I added 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds for additional protein. As a snack I had an ounce of almonds.

Dinner was a raw salad I made based on Israeli Salad (photo above): diced cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, and green onions, with cilantro, garlic, and the juice of half a lime. I also added fresh corn. I loved this salad so much that I am experimenting adding it to different grains and legumes to give me the protein I'm always after. I've got it mixed with quinoa, with lentils, and with millet. I'll try these three over the next couple of days.

At the end of today I was in the 50 gram range for protein, so I ate a handful of sunflower seeds, pepitos, and 1/2 ounce of almonds. That gave me a little over 60 grams, but I got a lot of fat for my trouble. It's the good fat, but too much of anything is a problem, and I'm not sure how a lot of plant fat will affect my rate of weight loss. Although weight loss is not my primary focus, I do want to get 50 lbs off this year.

Thanks, ren, for the Rice Protein information. I hope to avoid using protein powders altogether, but if I decided to use some on days I don't get enough, rice protein powder would help me without giving me soy or animal products. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it is also low carb).

That's it for today. Tomorrow is the grains challenge.

First Day of Veganhood

2007-09-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

My first day of veganhood was not meant to be raw, but I can see that eating a raw vegan diet will be very difficult in the beginning as I figure out how to handle grains and legumes. I'm not sure I'll achieve 100% raw veganhood, but that's ok with me as long as most of my diet consists of fresh, whole, unprocessed foods. I still look forward to a VitaMix and dehydrator to make a raw vegan diet more interesting and easier to achieve.

Yesterday morning I made my hempseed and fruit smoothie. I used the immersion blender (the only blender I own right now) to blend hemp with some orange juice. When it looked creamy enough I added the banana and mango. The taste was... all right, really. But the texture was not pleasant. I guess an immersion blender is not the right tool for emulsifying hemp seed, but I can see the potential for using hemp as a smoothie protein so I'm not totally giving up. I used 4 tbsp of hemp, but I might use more next time, or I might end my day with a second hemp smoothie. Lots of fat in hemp seed, but it's the good kind.

My plan for the day was to have almonds and beans but my day did not proceed as planned. First, I have a friend visiting so we were out until early Saturday morning. I was so sleepy that after my smoothie and some studying for my class, I ended up sleeping again, and missing lunch. I had a dinner planned with a group of friends, but with business to take care of my friend and I decided to eat at Chipotle so that I would get a healthy meal before dinner (in case the restaurant didn't have anything I could eat). At Chipotle I had the vegetarian burrito bowl with only the black beans, grilled bell peppers & onion, corn and tomato salsas, lettuce, and gauacamole. It sounds like a huge meal but it wasn't that large due to the absence of rice. I liked this meal so much that I will definitely work harder at creating a tasty black bean dish. Coincidentally, "Around Harlem" left me a comment with a recipe for black beans (we must be on the same wavelength):

"I don't have a name for this, it's something that I just threw together and it tastes good. The quick easy version is to take a can of black beans, corn and salsa and mix together. You have a really tasty side dish.The healthiest version would be to make your own beans, use fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapano, corn and cilantro. The ingredient that makes the dish extra special is to add chili powder."

Thank you for the recipe, and for the two others added to the comments to yesterday's post. I would love to collect more ideas from anyone who eats legumes and whole grains- those are the most challenging aspect of eating a vegan diet, not to mention a raw vegan diet.

My dinner was at an Italian restaurant that had a surprisingly tiny salad section: Caesar Salad or a "dinner salad" (nothing but lettuce and a couple of cherry tomatoes). I decided to have the penne and greens, which was escarole cooked in olive oil and garlic, and penne pasta. I drank Pellegrino and ate half the dinner, stopping when I was satisfied. Later in the evening my friend and I went dancing, so that helped me satisfy my exercise requirements. I tried not to think of it as burning calories but it's hard not to wonder if I worked off anything. I do know that as of Sunday morning I am down another pound and feeling healthy.

No More Dairy!

2007-09-15T02:34:00.000-07:00

This is the weekend that I try eating an all vegan, mostly-raw diet- no animal products at all! No protein powder, since the ones I've found come from animals or soy (I rarely eat soy). No more yogurt or cottage cheese. No beloved sushi. I bought my foods using McDougall's list as my guide. He is not a raw foodist; he advocates a plant & carbohydrate-based diet. Some of the foods on his list I'll have no problem eating raw, but others I will very gladly cook. My experience last year with soaked grains left much to be desired.

At Whole Foods I found cooked millet at the salad bar. On the shelves of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's I found seeds: pepitos, shelled hemp and ground flax. The flax is probably not raw, but the other two are. Also, a box of quinoa. Being 100% raw with these foods will be a challenge if I can't find a pleasant way to prepare whole grains, but I'm not terribly worried about this; I'm more concerned with getting all my nutritional needs met through whole foods that are as unprocessed as possible before I get to them.

Other foods I bought include: lentils, pinto beans, mango, bananas, kiwifruit, tomatoes, garlic, scallions, cilantro, avocados, Ezekiel sprouted bread, spinach leaves, yams and limes. These will join the couscous, sunflower seeds, almonds, kidney beans, and black beans already in the house. Another trip to the store and I'll have additional vegetables and fruits to round out my menu.

My challenge will be to see how creative I can be with foods I normally don't eat. I have no real experience with millet or quinoa, and my experience with beans often included smoked ham or, at the very least, sazon seasoning (which I cannot find down here!). I should be cutting back on the salt and spices anyway, because it's good to enjoy nature's foods plain. I'm a little worried about the beans because I know they will be bland. I will definitely need to look up recipes to make this stuff interesting and varied.

I made a test menu for tomorrow to see what the nutritional profile would be. In the morning I have a smoothie with the main ingredients being banana, mango and hemp seeds- simple, and apparently the hemp seeds will make it very creamy. For lunch I have a salad with all sorts of seeds and grains. I have 1.5 ounces of almonds as a snack. For dinner I've got lentils and broccoli, and will probably make a little salsa or salad. The profile looks like this: 48 grams of fiber (I'll probably get sick from that!), about 65 grams of protein, 188 carbs, 76 grams of healthy fat (7 gms saturated), all for 1,595 calories. I think this is decent for a first pass.

If anyone has ideas for dealing with the grains and legumes, I'd appreciate both vegan and raw recipes!!

Communing with Nature

2007-09-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful weekend exploring the natural wonders of the Southwest. The unspoiled desert is truly beautiful. I’ve known since I was a child that I would end up somewhere down here. These are my colors, my weather, and my creatures! I took many photographs as I wandered through Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas. I don’t ask for much out of life; being around nature reminds me that I really don’t need much. Yes, I must work in order to have a roof over my head, and getting an education gives me more choices in the kinds of jobs I can have, so I must study. I must sleep and eat as well. But on a daily basis, life is pretty simple for me- much more simple than I can make it sometimes, worrying about whether I’m doing something “correctly.” When I’m around nature I don’t think about what I eat, how much I eat, what the scale says, who’s going to criticize my food choices, etc. All of that seems so abnormal and silly when I’m communing with nature. And so I return home after these jaunts feeling more whole and at ease with myself. As long as I am doing what is right for me, I am happy!

__________________
Note to Raw Vegan Mama: You are right, McDougall doesn't advocate dairy, but he does list an egg substitute I'd never heard of. It's probably not dairy. I know Egg Beaters are, but I'm just not giving them up quite yet!

Transitioning to All Raw

2007-09-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Boy, was I sick today! I couldn't even make it through a whole day at the office. I'm hoping the problem is just the added fiber in my diet; I started adding fiber over the past few days. I was not well yesterday either, but today I had stabbing cramps in my side, which felt so much like my ovarian cyst attack from a couple of years ago that I was worried. If fiber is the problem, I will feel better soon enough. Adding fiber to my diet is part of my transition to an all-raw life as I look at all the areas in which my diet is lacking and take care of those before going all-raw.

I've been looking at the McDougall Plan to see how I can use that in my transition. I like much of what is listed on his food list, except the pasta. Now, I know that raw foodists and vegetarians don't worry about a lack of protein, but my nutritional history has made me very leery of assuming that simply eating raw will provide me with ample protein. I did a little comparison of dairy products with foods on the McDougall list to see how much of those foods I'd have to eat to get the same amount of protein I get from whey, Egg Beaters, nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese. So far, it looks like I'd have to eat a whole lot more carbs and fat to get the same protein. Seeds would be lower carb/higher fat choices, and beans would be higher carb/lower fat choices. For one cup of nonfat Greek yogurt(100 cal, no fat, 5 carbs, no fiber, 3 sugar, 20 protein) I could substitute:

1 cup sunflower seeds: 262 cal, 23 gm fat, 9 carbs, 10 protein
½ c walnuts, black: 381 cal, 37 gm fat, 6 carbs, 15 protein
1 cup fava beans: 110.0 cal, .9 gm fat, 22.2 carbs, 10 protein

I have more homework to do, of course, but I can see why one meal at the local raw cafe fills me up all day- all the seeds and nuts they use are so filling (as well as very nutritious).

WEIGHT/HEALTH UPDATE
I have now lost 23.5 lbs since June 10th. My BP remains around 120/80.

FOOD UPDATE
I have cut fish out as a regular part of my diet (no more weekly sushi- just occasionally) and have added more nuts and seeds. I doubt I will buy any more tofu. The next move in my transition to all-raw will likely be to remove yogurt and cottage cheese, but hang on to the Egg Beaters and whey for a little while. At that point I may move to the McDougall plan. I noticed he suggests an egg substitute on his list- that means I can hang on to the Egg Beaters a bit longer.

Ever Heard of the McDougall Program?

2007-09-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

I continue to look for ways to transition to a raw diet, slowly eliminating the dairy foods I'm eating and adding more plant-based foods. Today I was reading about the McDougall Program. It is not meant as a raw diet, but it does tout whole, unprocessed foods, for the most part (and you can eat many of the foods raw, of course). The differences between what he promotes and what I eat now is that he doesn't allow dairy or any type of vegetable oil (I love my olive oil). He also promotes the use of tofu as a replacement for some common Standard American Diet foods, while I eat tofu only in moderation due to the controversy over whether soy is good or bad for you. His diet is centered around starchy vegetables, with fruits and vegetables (green and yellow) making up much of the rest of the diet. He promotes the use of whole grains, egg free pasta and a tiny amount of noodles made from highly-refined flours (he prefers unrefined flours). He provides a 12-day diet plan and grocery list.

What I really like is that he encourages people to get lab tests from their doctors and to chart their progress so they can see the difference the diet makes. Those of you who have read my blog over the past year know that I'm a little jaded about following anecdotal advice from raw food enthusiasts regarding what I should eat. I'm all about trying something new if I feel the rationale is based on established facts and not just spiritual or political beliefs. (I have nothing against spirituality or politics, but when it comes to my health I prefer to eat what my own body responds well to and my lab results show me works well).

So I'm thinking that the next time I go shopping, I may take his shopping list with me and give this McDougall plan a try as a stepping stone to all-raw. I'm concerned about protein, still, but he- like many raw foodists, in fact- is not concerned about protein deficiencies from plant-based foods. He does recommend a B-12 vitamin for long term McDougall plan followers.

What do you think of the McDougall Program? Here's the link so you can read about it yourself: http://www.drmcdougall.com/free.html.

Being Active Naturally

2007-08-31T20:20:00.001-07:00

Today I went swimming for the first time in years. Hating the way I look, I'm not the type of person to willingly don a bathing suit and be seen in public. But a friend who has no such image consciousness has been a good role model for me this week and so today I found myself in the pool, wearing the bathing suit that I got many weeks ago but had never worn.

I love water and felt great in the pool- it's outdoors, so in the 100+ degrees heat it was comfortably warm- a bit cooler than body temperature. I didn't swim too long, just enough to remember what it feels like, and to try swimming underwater, floating, and doing a lap or two. I'm out of shape so I got out of breath pretty quickly, and staying underwater was a challenge- I guess the more fat you carry, the easier it is to float rather than remain underwater. I used to swim along the bottom of the pool and hold my breath for a long time. The treat after swimming is laying in the warm air for an hour or so with a cooler of water and my iPod. Mmmmm - this is sounding better already!

I wanted so much to calculate how much swimming it takes to burn a certain number of calories, but my nutritionist rightly discouraged me from using exercise to burn off a meal, because it actually takes a long time to burn calories through exercise. When you think about it, we've been trained to see value in physical movement in terms of calories we burn. Seems like all the women's magazines have charts telling us how many calories we can burn from mowing the lawn, walking the dog, carrying groceries up the stairs, playing tennis, etc. I wish I hadn't learned to associate exercise with calorie-burning because now I do a kind of cost-benefit analysis when I embark on a physical activity.

When I weighed 170 lbs or so and was a size 8/10 I used to LOVE moving my body- sports, walking - even taking the bus- were all enjoyable because I was able to do them without the hindrance of being unfit or being "too big." Being active was not second nature, but FIRST nature. I would put on a nice summer dress on a sunny day and walk a mile or three to a shop I liked, or to a cafe that I might sit in for a couple of hours. I didn't think about how many calories I was burning because I was beyond that- I was living life. This is where I am headed again. I got sidetracked for a few years, but I'm back on track.