I started a
vegan, non-gluten, non-GMO (where possible, as food producers are not required
to label foods, it’s a choice), and no refined sugar diet in March 2013. By June, I had lost 25 pounds. I am starting to look like “myself” again.
It’s been a
long road since last April 2012. If you
have read this blog from beginning to end, you will see that while my posts are
not as frequent as I would like, I have tried to post relevant information and
moments within this journey of my health.
While I’ve
been a “vegetarian” on and off my entire adult life, I would continue to eat
animal products such as cheese, milk in baking and coffee/tea, mayonnaise in
salads, eggs, etc., I am now a vegan.
I do not eat any animal products, even casein, in any foods. I also only eat organize fruits and
vegetables, where possible and within my control, and make a conscious effort
to NOT eat any food manufactured by GMO (Genetically Modified).
Some of the
books that have helped me are:
Eat to Live
by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Clean by Dr.
Alejandro Jungman
Clean Gut by
Dr. Alejandro Jungman
The Food Revolution, 10th Anniversary Edition, by John Robbins
Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and
Wear Cows, by Melanie Joy PhD and John Robbins
As I continue my reading journey,
I’m about to start Animal Liberation by Peter Singer which has been on my
reading list for quite some time, I am also nurturing and understand “health”
from a holistic, common sense, scientific standpoint. Something modern medical doctors didn’t learn
in medical school, and my experience in NYC has been sub-standard in terms of
the attention, care, and thought around medicine and health.
Peter Singer is an ethicist and researcher, as well as a animal advocate. I had read years ago his book called Our Food Choices and Why they matter, co-authored with Jim mason.
When I moved
to NYC in 2009, I was practicing a vegetarian diet, and tried eliminating most
animal products and would occasionally use milk for baking or coffee/tea, and
eggs occasionally as well. I would eat
tuna and fish, as well as breads, rice, and pasta. I didn’t understand the nature of “gluten”
and it’s factor in contributing to autoimmune disease.
As I have
done my research and met with some spiritual practitioners, all of them had
been warning me of my intestines, gut, and organs. My stomach and gut were swollen and inflamed,
and was painful to the touch, e.g., you couldn’t press on any part of my
intestines without pain, and to the touch, I was told they were inflamed. In March, I finally started probiotics and
some other raw vitamins and probiotic like supplements. At that time, I also started my vegan,
non-gluten diet. Each month, I lost
weight without exercise, except occasion yoga and healing sessions with my yoga
master. By mid-June, I had lost 25
pounds. I still have about 10-15 pounds
to lose, and I am confident once I start regular exercise and strength training
that I will easily shave off the final “unwanted fat” my body and mid section
is holding onto.
More
important is how I feel. Emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and
physically, I feel about 75-85% better.
I am still working on some things in all components, but my mass
improvement is directly related to my diet changes. I feel more “pure” and “clean” than
ever. I have no desire to eat animal
products, and as I engage more and more into the treatment of animals and how
they are treated in this world and particularly this country, I have NO DESIRE
to eat animal products ever again.
I am certain
I suffered from what is called “Leaky Gut” or “GALT.”
When I got
the IUD, I had already gained weight, had been living a very unhealthy
lifestyle, had not been exercising, had gained a lot of weight, was not feeling
well in any of the above-listed components, and my body I think got “tipped
off.” The Mirena iUD is made of
silicone, and, as the blood test showed, I had silicone in my body. When I retook the silicone test in March
2013, it came back as “zero” silicone detected.
This was after many months of eating vegetarian and doing several
cleanses (standard process, juice cleanses).
And, the Mirena had been removed for many months.
A big factor
to our health is the food we ingest. A
lot of “food” we eat is not really “food” at all. It offers no nutritional value. I stopped drinking alcohol last summer
(2012), as I don’t remember the “last drink” I had, but my health was so much
more important, and I thought to myself – Why would I continue to put poison
into my body that offered it zero nutritional value?
I also
started reading a lot and learning about the effects of animal products
overall. Checkout Nutritionfacts.org,
and in particular this video http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/. It’s one of the most informative websites I
have found to date, and have learned invaluable information from the site.
Today, as I
continue on my health journey, I am 100% certain that food was a major factor
in my health demise. The triggers, e.g.,
Mirena iUD, the silicone, the leaky gut, etc., were all major pieces of my
health issues. The spiritual factor is
also very significant. IF I can’t be at
peace and living my soul’s purpose, how can I be “well” “holistically.” Thus, I continue to work on my spiritual
practice, e.g., yoga, meditation, exercising.
I have also
learned to ALWAYS TRUST YOUR INSTINCT.
My Rheumatologist was narrow minded, uneducated, and clueless about
health. She wanted to give me biologic
drugs, and continue feeding my poison and I didn’t need it. I sit here today with no “flare up” after
stopping methotrexate, and I am confident I will continue to get better. She never tested for the Hashimotos, and I
had to fly across the country to the Mayo Clinic to get a blood test to find
out what was really going on from a “blood” perspective. The doctor out there was open minded, a true
scientist and doctor.
I do not
have any prescription drugs in my system today and I feel pretty good, except
some issues I still need to sort out. I
am seeing a referral doctor today, and I’m hoping to start treating with
someone who can kick me off in the right direction, and I also am seeking a
functional medicine MD who practices holistically considering diet as a major
factor.
My main
“physical complaints” today are heel pain, and lower back pain. I think they are related, but as I stretch
out my heels, it has significantly improved over the last few weeks. I am also confident that as I see a
chiropractor and do stretches, yoga, and exercise regularly, my back pain will
also disappear soon.
I only have
one “physical” thing I still have no idea about – why my period stopped and am
I in fact in full blown menopause after the Mirena iUD insertion and
removal? I am 42 years old and did not
expect this to happen at this age, as I had regular periods until the Mirena
IUD.
The journey
continues. IF I had to recommend
anything to anyone reading this blog, I would recommend that you read 2 books
immediately:
The Food
Revolution, by John Robbins (10th anniversary edition)
Eat to Live
by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.
My friend is
treating with Dr. Fuhrman’s office (as he no longer takes new patients due to
his schedule and traveling etc.). They are in NJ and I don’t want the hassle of
driving 30 miles. LOL. Yes, it’s NYC and
it’s sort of a pain going over certain bridges, like the GWB (George Washington
Bridge), hence why I’m looking in the city for a functional medicine
doctor.
I will try to regularly post more often, and It's great to receive the responses i've gotten to date from other people who suffer from similar or different ailments. Please share, as It's very helpful.
