End of Week #2

Today marks the two-weeks sans animal-source proteins and more than 60% raw foods program for me. (The idea is to consume no more than 20% cooked foods but I am still transitioning.) Today I have no measurements or weight to report but will have that documented before the week is out. I will say that getting the recommended water requirement has remained a constant struggle for me so I'm not very eager to get on the scales or pull out the tape measure. Permanent progress is slow. Healthy progress is slow. I will be telling myself this in the morning, at least, when I do brave that bathroom scale. I do know that my clothes are already fitting differently and I am starting to see an upward trend in my daily documented energy levels. By the end of the month I am hoping to have some charts for display, as I've been documenting carefully my mood levels, my physical pain levels, as well as my energy levels every single day. Also whatever crosses my lips goes into this journal so I can see clearly my transgressions. This allows me to  formulate more goals and gives me more optimism as I can so clearly see the problems AND the progress. Thank you again, Hallelujah Acres for your education and support. You guys are awesome and I love you all. God bless!

The First Week

That first week is a toughie. Change is never easy, even when that change is the most positive one you could ever make. There are no exceptions here. Emotionally I have been a roller-coaster, mostly coming down from those terrific hills and lingering in the valleys a bit. As well I have had to deal with a pretty nasty fibromayalgia flare that had me in the bed with fever and chills a good bit of the time. Reacting to change is something that my body doesn't deal with well at all, but once that change has taken over and my body adjusts, it seems to know what to do then. I did find much comfort in Proverbs 23:7- "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he". So, in my heart I am thinking that I am on my way to health and the body worthy of a temple. And so it is!

I have only weighed once this week and am down by four pounds. I believe the results would have been much better if I could discipline myself to drink enough water. This seems to be one of my biggest hurdles, since I am not a water drinker. As well I have been on a little bad behavior, indulging in a cup of coffee once or twice on those really bad mornings. And I did have a diet soda, but my justification for that is delirium from the fever! That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

I am doing a good job otherwise, and when I do falter, I do NOT beat myself up for it, as I am only human. And the good news is that my jeans are having difficulty staying up and I am already back into one of my favorite tops. So though I've declined to take any measurements this week, I can feel the difference in the way my clothes fit.

It will take some time before my physical symptoms start showing improvement but I am being patient with the process. I have done this before and I KNOW that it works. God gave us everything we need. And He didn't put it in the pharmacy!

A Book and a Documentary

"Recipes for Life from God's Garden" By Rhonda Malkmus comes highly recommended. It is as much of a text book as it is a recipe book. Her very own testimony is included as well as the rationale behind the plan. It is also loaded with some of the most wonderful recipes for vegan soups, stews, breads, salads, dressings, desserts, and even burgers!

The movie recommendation is "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead".  Or if you have Netflix, you can find it here: Netflix's streaming version. This documentary follows one gentleman who eventually makes believers out of two others. Mind you, his meal plan is not the same as the hacres plan. His is a 60-day juice only fast. But what is interesting is not only his physical changes in such a quick period of time, but also his mental changes are astounding. He ends up making it a lifestyle and becomes quite a missionary for juicing. The men in this video are amazing but only because they decided that they were tired of being sick and tired and decided to do something about it. There is power in living, raw food and juice and I love how this film shows that.

The "Before" Picture

It's funny how you always hate that one. You don't want to stand there in your ill-fitting bathing suit or sweat pants while someone snaps a photograph! (Which is why I chose to get my own!) And then viewing the picture can turn out to be rather traumatic. "WOW, I look THAT bad!"

But you need that picture. And once the "After" shot comes in, a funny thing happens: you end up liking the old picture and you show it off to people. That awful "Before" shot becomes a testimony to the person you used to be versus the person you are now. It tells the world that there is a way to lose weight, feel good, and cure your body of its ailments. Yes, it seems ugly now, but it is truly a thing of beauty!

The Road To Healing and Healthy Weight Loss

I have done the Hallelujah Acres lifestyle before, www.hacres.com . This is basically a vegan diet whereby 80% of the food consumed is raw and therefore living. 20% can be cooked but NO animal source proteins! There are several major "no's", including all animal source protein, which includes dairy. No white / bleached flour and grains, no sugar or artificial sweeteners, although honey (not considered vegan by most) is encouraged. And of course caffeine and diet sodas are prohibited. The program was started by Reverend Dr. George Malkmus and his wife and is based on the Biblical principle given in Genesis 1:29, which says, "And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." I would rather encourage the reader to check out the Web Site for the best, most comprehensive, and accurate information on the program.

But I do know that it works. I know because I lived this lifestyle for two years before. I was riddled with fibromayalgia  and rheumatoid arthritis. Not to mention obesity and high blood pressure. As I followed the plan I watched my body melt away from a size 18 to a size 10. My vision improved, my RA went into complete remission, and my fibromayalgia was on its way out the door too. I was feeling like a twenty-year-old again and even started back attending college. I was off every one of my medications. The main picture on my blog you will see me in a tree, fully energized and looking fantastic!

 Unfortunately, I lost my beloved Green Star juicer in a divorce and became lazy, eventually getting back to my old ways, in a size 16, and getting sick again.

So now that I know the power of living foods and juices to heal, I am re-embarking on this journey. This time, however, I will not make the mistake I did before and quit. As I said, it is truly a lifestyle, not a diet.

I began this past Wednesday, October 19, 2011, weighing in at 190 pounds. Bust: 40"; Waist: 43"; Hips: 40".  Not quite the curvy hourglass I had before. I am not only documenting my physical measurements, but also my fibro symptoms and energy levels on a daily basis. I only weigh and measure myself once per week, though. I may even cut the bust/waist/hip measurements back to twice a month. I will be certain to document every change, though, because it is my hope that this will serve as a testimony and proof that it works. We truly are what we eat, and when we eat living food, we'll keep replenishing our cells with new healthy ones and enable our immune systems to do what God intended!