Journey to a healthy lifestyle

As you know I have been trying to add a little more lean protein back into my diet since I stated a pretty grueling workout routine. I have tried some raw protein powder that tastes pretty good and I have had some fish. It will be interesting to see if this works for me or not. There are a couple of things I have noticed right off the bat: 1.) my face has broken out and 2.) sorry for being so blunt, but I am constipated. So far, I am not liking the protein thing --- for me.

I am going to stick with it for at least a couple of days and see if my system kinda levels out, but my body is going to have to do better than this or it is not worth it. One thing that I have learned over the last 3 years since my health troubles began is to listen to my body. There are experts on everything and people line up to tell me what I should and should not eat, from my doctors to my trainer, to nutritionists. Sometimes they do give conflicting information and that is when I have to rely on myself and everything that I have learned, and the way that I feel. So when I say I am not sure about this protein thing, don't forget that I also say "for me." I am no expert on diet and nutrition either. I am excited about some of the things that have helped me on my personal journey towards a healthy lifestyle, and I want to share the things I have found that work for me. Green smoothies and a high raw diet have literally changed my life -- given it back to me, in fact. I hope that you try them and they change your life, too. As for me, I am taking new steps on my journey (largely because my previous raw diet has helped me get to the point where I can) and we will see where this path leads. I am excited about the future, whatever it may bring.

Busy, busy, busy

Wow! It has been a whirlwind of a weekend! We had so much going on -- Christmas parties, finishing our shopping, dress rehearsals for Emma's choir performance, Phillip's Christmas play, Jake's lock-in, and a soccer game! We did not slow down at all. I was glad Monday was here so we could slow down a bit! We will really have to wait until tomorrow to slow down because tonight was Emma's choir performance; she sings in the Collin County Children's Choir. It was awesome (I am not just saying that because I am a mom, either) - check out the clip!

The kids and I are starting to plan menus for Christmas. Emma told me tonight I need to make the raw chocolate cherry brownies for Santa because they are her favorite, and she wondered whether Santa would even be able to tell that they were raw. She also asked me when there was going to be another raw food meet up because she wants to go. Of course we are going to make raw almond cookies and date-nut balls. That is a s far as we got, you can see we have our priorities straight -- dessert first! Good thing we have a week and a half to decide what else we are going to eat.

My friend Liz emailed this weekend and told me her good news -- normal blood pressure for the first time in a long time. She credits her raw diet with helping get her health on track. I am so very proud of her, and glad that I have been a part of helping her be the very best person she can be!

Yesterday the big 3-Ohh, and Today THIS!

I was so excited yesterday to learn that I had lost 30 pounds since starting a raw food diet, but today's news is even MORE EXCITING than yesterday. Most of you know I went to the doctor about 3 weeks ago and had all my labs run again. Today I went back for the results of those labs, and I am HAPPY to report that for the first time in 2 1/2 years my labs were completely normal!

My last labs were taken on Jun 30th. It was at that time we discovered that my kidney values had not righted themselves, and although my lab values had improved slightly, the amount of protein, calcium, and sodium in my urine were dangerously high. For instance, calcium in my urine was at 380 (normal is below 200 for women, and below 250 for men) in Mid May. My endocrinologist and urologist put me on a vegetarian diet at this point. At the end of June it was at 336. I was prescribed a medication that would help me absorb more calcium so that it would stay out of my kidneys on this visit, but I was also warned that other lab values would probably also be affected and it would most likely become necessary to add another medication to control those values. That is when I began a raw food diet. I knew I had to do something! Today my calcium value was 202!!!! Not only that but the lab values that they told me would most likely be affected by the medication were not, and had also improved from the previous labs! They were unable to find any traces of protein in my urine at all! And my sodium levels were within the normal range. Ever since my surgery 2 and half years ago I required calcium supplements to maintain my blood calcium levels. When my previous labs came bag with so much calcium in my urine they took me off of all calcium supplements, but were unsure of how this would affect my blood calcium levels. Last time I had a significant drop in blood calcium I suffered severe and uncontrollable muscle spasms. However, today we were so pleased to learn that my blood calcium levels were perfectly normal! I had a feeling they were normal because I have had no signs or symptoms that it was low, but it was nice to have the confirmation!

The doctor told me that he felt like my labs were so good in part to my excellent nutrition. He expressed that ordinarily he would be concerned for someone with a history of low calcium and hypoparathyroidism to be a vegan because they "do not consume the foods richest in calcium like milk, yogurt, and cheese." But, he said, "Your levels are perfect so you need to keep doing exactly what you are doing." He asked me if I ate a lot of greens and I told him that I ate a lot of greens and that I loved green smoothies! He had no idea that I meant I ate several POUNDS of green stuff everyday.

Since I have no thyroid I have taken Synthroid ever since my surgery. The last thing he did before I left was lower my dose of Synthroid. Because I have lost so much weight, I no longer need as much Sythroid.

I am so EXCITED! I am so proud of myself! I feel so good! I feel as though I have my life back and am no longer going from one medical complication to another. I have a clean slate and boy, am I ready to color it beautiful! Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on this raw journey! Hold on...who knows where we will go from here!