I ordered a bottle of Oxy-Powder, after hearing Linda rave about it so much on her blog. I went to the website and read all about it, and it seems very good. I've decided to try the 7-day cleanse protocol that they tell about on their website. I'm a bit nervous, because in the past, I haven't been able to tolerate many natural "laxatives" or whatever you'd like to call them. I used to have bad reactions from everything I tried. The only things I stick with now are Triphala, Aloe Vera(this stuff is awesome!), and Magnesium Citrate. All of those things are wonderful but I feel like I really need to CLEANSE and so I'm going to give Oxy-Powder a try. Probably not until next week, seeing as I am leaving for NYC on Friday and do not want to be on the cleanse while I'm out and about! Probably not the smartest thing to do.
I have also gotten in touch with a local Colon Hydrotherapist who specializes in the gravitational method. She actually worked at the Ann Wigmore Foundation as well, which is really awesome. I have yet to meet her, so I decided to set up an appointment where we can talk first and I can give her a brief overview of my health and history and decide where to go from there. I don't want to just go right in and have a colonic before talking to her about my medical issues before hand. I've given colonics ALOT of thought, especially of course because as everyone probably knows already, The Raw Food Detox Diet is pretty much by daily bible and I swear by most everything that Natalia Rose says and she is a big fan of colonics. She talks a lot about it in her books and gives great detail. When I met with her for my consult she mentioned colonics to me and told me about Gil Jacobs who is pretty much the best colon hydrotherapist out there and from what I hear, an amazing and insightful person as well. He is in NYC and books up pretty fast, I'd still love love to get in to see him as well, however I know that it would be much more convenient to have a colon therapist in my area, one that I feel comfortable with and do not have to travel far to get to. I definitely plan on setting up an appointment with Gil at some point though and see how that goes.
As far as being nervous goes with getting a colonic, it's not so much nerves as it is... fear. I'm fearful of the pain that could possibly come from the colonic. I know that majority of people who have had colonics, say that there is minimal discomfort, however, I am known for having an incredibly sensitive colon and the littlest things can cause pain and discomfort for me. For instance, if I miscombine ONE meal, I bloat almost immediately. I have tried one enema in my life, and literally put it in for not even a minute without it causing horrible spasms in my intestines. I was on the toilet all night in horrible pain... now to this day I do not know if that was caused by the chemicals in the enema or not, I did use a fleet enema and didn't empty the contents out, so it is possible that my reaction was due to the chemicals and not the actual enema. I also had a BAD experience after having a colonoscopy, I ended up having to stay the whole night in the hospital, on pain medications because I was in so much pain. I have very low tolerance when it comes to my stomach, colon, intestines, the whole shebang. So, naturally I'd be a bit fearful of a COLONIC. I just pray that I have good results and honestly, it may sound strange but I feel in a way that the universe it pointing me in the direction of colonics. Almost as if it is the next step for me, to reaching the maximum results.
I also am wondering if it isn't possible that I could have some Autointoxication going on. I was reading the brochure for my colon hydrotherapist and some of the main symptoms for chronic autointoxication are what I am struggling with everyday. Things like Insomnia/Fatigue, Low-energy, Candida, Depression/Anxiety, Irritability, Food Allergies, Weight gain, Constipation, Headaches, Cellulite, Menstrual problems, Bloating and Indigestion. Honestly, I am like the candidate for an overly toxic person. Not to mention that I am suppose to be going through a Chelation protocol to rid myself of some heavy metals but have had to put a hold on that right now because my body is just not able to detox anything. I don't know what is going on with my body but all of my tests are showing that my body is having a hard time assimilating and digesting anything. I have low low stomach acid and it seems that no matter what I do, unless I completely stop eating food, I am fighting with indigestion constantly. I'm lacking amino acids and most of the vital vitamins and nutrients that we all need in order to function. My thyroid is completely out of wack, I'm yet again Anemic and I have to get tested for Insulin resistance next week. I'm still on Prozac and although it's helping me immensely, I still hope to switch over to something natural later on when things calm down in my body and my life.
I am 23 years old and have been fighting with my health issues since I turned 16. I feel sometimes like I am living in a 60 year olds body. Sometimes I feel incredibly overwhelmed with frustration and anger. I drive myself crazy with wondering "why" all of the time. But the truth is that no matter what has happened in my life, THIS is my life and no matter how depressed or distressed or depleted (wow enough with the d words) I feel -- I know in my heart that it is all for a reason. I know that I am going to be able to help many other people in my life and truly heal myself from many of the ailments that have held me back and hurt me for so long.
The trick is to turn your pain into knowledge and help and continue to educate yourself and others..... oh, and to never give up, of course :)
"Sometimes things will fall apart in order for other things to fall into place."
I promised I would answer some of the questions that you have asked me! so here we go....
from Charissa
Question: What spiral slicer or "noodle" maker do you use? I'm trying to find a good one that will last me years and years. I hear a lot of good stuff about some and a lot of bad stuff about others. Thanx. XOXO
Heeeey hun, this is the one that I use and I LOVE it!
from RawVibrance
Question: Where where do you get white Japanese yams? Whole Foods?
Usually Whole Foods or my local co-op market, I can't seem to find them at many places though! If you do find them, GET THEM! they are by far the best. It's hard for me to go back to regular yams because these are the yummiest of all!
From veg_n
Question: How exactly do you make your green juice? Do you juice all of your greens, or blend them, or both? And, how much kale and romaine would you say you use for each smoothie? They sound so delicious, I would love to know how to make them!
Well for the Green “juice” I use my Juicer. When I make green “smoothies” I use the vitamix. As far as the amount goes of greens, it depends on which you are going to make. You will need much less produce for smoothies, so it can be a lot easier in that sense… it really depends on what you want for your body. When you blend your greens, you are keeping the fiber intact, which is great but if you want to give your digestion a break, that’s where juicing comes in. But to give you a rough estimate, for green smoothies I usually do 1-2 handfuls of kale and a bunch of romaine. For juice, I use usually triple the amount of kale and same with the romaine. Try it out and see what you like, everyones taste for greens is varied!
From anonymous
Question: how many green apples, grapefruit, and berries are you allowed to consume? when can you incorporate these into your diet? i am also on an anti-candida diet and gained weight because i eat jars of nut butter. i am a loser.
also are you doing the anti-fungals again?
As far as green apples, grapefruit and berries are concerned, they are definitely the best to go for if you are struggling with candida, in the beginning though, it’s really best to avoid all of them if you can. I personally haven’t had any since starting the plan but I plan to add in a cup of berries and an apple at some point and see how I tolerate it. You are not a loser for eating jars of nut butter! You should see how I used to eat dates! I could literally consume an entire container and still want more. We all have our weaknesses, but they do not make us weak…. We just have to learn how to control ourselves and get to the point where we can have these things, just not entire jars and containers!! Lol Antifungals… I take Candex every morning and night. I also have taken Fungal Defense by Garden of Life and highly recommend both! Oregano Oil is great, too...
I have also been recieving many emails and questions regarding the plan I am following from Natalia Rose and how my "no-fruit" has been going. I have been off of fruit now (with the exception of lemons, limes and frozen acai for my smoothies) for 27 days and the first two weeks were horrible for me. I never went a day without an apple! It was brutal to give up my most favorite food in the world but honestly, I find myself not even craving fruit anymore. I'm really loving my lemons, stevia, young coconuts, and avocado in my smoothie and I don't even need the other fruits to balance it out. Also frozen unsweetened Acai berry is amazing! you can find it in the freezer at most health food stores. It's very low in sugar and doesn't seem to spike me at all or cause any bloating or problems. One big thing I have noticed since eating this way is that my stomach is not able to hold as much food anymore. I get full waaaay faster than usual and some nights I am done eating after 3pm. Although Natalia advises to eat later in the day, I find that sometimes my digestion works better when I have a Green Juice or Smoothie for breakfast and a big lunch and then stop for the rest of the night. It helps my bloating and indigestion alot as well. A big part has to do with what time I go to bed as well. For instance if I know that I am going to be getting into bed earlier than usual, then I will make it a point to stop eating earlier in the day... and the same goes for the opposite. Going to sleep later, then I can eat alittle bit later. It all depends. I happen to have a very slow digestion and I like to give myself atleast 4 hours to stop eating before I go to sleep. It all depends on YOUR body though, so you have to make your own adjustments. As far as cravings go, I'm doing really well, haven't been craving much other than what I am able to eat. I've been going hogwild on sea veggies lately though, I can't seem to get enough of them! It's probably my thyroid speaking to me. I know that sea veggies can be amazing for stoking a sluggish thyroid, so that's good news!!
All in all, I am determined to stick to this plan because to me it makes the most sense and I believe it in completely. The scale hasn't budged yet and I'm trying not to get discouraged because I know there are alot of other things going on in my body right now, which is why I need to focus more on getting my Thyroid and other issues figured out so that I can start to release some weight and feel better. I think the colonic will come in helpful with the weight loss as well. I'm trying not to focus on "losing weight" anymore as much as I am trying to focus on HEALTH. Feeling good comes first and the rest will follow.....
