Do Your Homework: Former Vegans Update Diet

Books

Check out this post over at Kristen’s Raw. I think it takes a lot of guts to be open about her health issues, especially since she has cookbooks, a youTube channel, and a blog focused around vegan and raw food. I think it’s important to continually research your diet and keep updated on the latest news and books, even if they are about foods you no longer eat. Raw SOS, which was mentioned in the bestseller Wheat Belly, also has a page for vegans that describes the difficulties she had with her own diet, and what precautions to take if you wish to continue being vegan.

Since I’ve personally done raw vegan for about two months, then vegan, and have recently been experimenting with some animal-based foods, I can understand how difficult it is to change up your diet. When you start to make exceptions, it’s harder to maintain willpower. It’s also difficult to explain to your family and friends what diet you follow, and can bring on cravings that can be difficult to control. With all the conflicting recommendations it can be confusing. My advice is to take everything with a grain of salt and a little bit of faith, and remember to keep doing your homework.

New Video Added to Lectures Playlist

I’ve added another video to the lectures playlist I have on our youTube channel. I saw Tyrone Hayes speak when I attended Carnegie Mellon, and his lecture called Silent Springs to Silent Night was extremely memorable. You can watch that lecture as well on youTube, although this video touches on his main points from that lecture, and has some additional information from Penelope Jagessar. Although this video focuses on the toxins that get passed to the baby from the mother, it is still relevant to anyone interested in being more aware of their environment and their health.

Detox Symptoms from Kefir

detox drama

So, I’ve noticed my throat has been a little scratchy and my acne has been a little worse. Which begs the question, am I sick … or is it detox symptoms. This is not the first time I ‘ve experienced detox symptoms. When I first changed my diet, I went from eating whatever I wanted to pounding the green smoothies. Although my pain level felt better (for about a week), I experienced a migraine, which is rare for me, and fever-like symptoms. Thanks to google, I was quickly reassured that this was normal. Plus, I only felt awful for a day, so it was no big deal.

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather, and thought I might be getting sick. My throat felt sore, and I’ve been feeling feverish and acne prone, despite my low sugar diet. Since I’ve experienced detox before, I thought I would refresh my memory on what the symptoms could be. Turns out just adding kefir into your diet can bring on detox symptoms, and these symptoms can even mimic the flu: sore throat, swollen throat glands, and/or feeling feverish.With this new knowledge, I’ve decide to proceed carefully with the kefir, drink plenty of water with lemon juice (some extra Vitamin C couldn’t hurt right now), and take some relaxing, hot baths. Flu or detox, eventually this will all pass when you take care of yourself.

12/9/13 Update

I went to a cheese making class with plenty of samples and the same week I bought some grass fed local ghee when I was on a trip to San Diego. I noticed when I ate these foods I got the same sore throat I had when drinking kefir. So I’ve decided that these symptoms are from an allergy to dairy. I still consume fermented sauerkraut, kombucha, and apple cider vinegar regularly and will continue on a gluten and dairy free diet.

Vegan: Roasted Broccolini with Lemon

roasted broccolini

Shameer and I love roasted broccoli. When I was growing up, my mom made roasted broccoli pretty often with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. When I moved to California, I made it pretty often as a side dish for Shameer and I. A couple days ago, I impulsively bought some broccolini when I was shopping at our local Trader Joes. They were restocking them on the shelves, and it looked really fresh and delicious. I’m really glad I did, because they turned out great. I tried to keep the recipe as close to my mom’s as possible, but changed a few things up in the name of health .

As my mom would say, Manja!

Vegan: Roasted Broccolini with Lemon
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 spoon of coconut oil
  • 1 bunch of broccolini
  • 1 pinch of himalayan sea salt
  • 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Spread foil over a baking pan for no mess (optional)
  2. Spread coconut oil over foil or pan.
  3. Add broccolini to pan, then squeeze lemon over broccolini.
  4. Add a pinch of himalyan sea salt.
  5. Then, bake 450°F for 15 minutes. I like them vegetables really firm, but if you like them mushier cook longer.

Back on Track

I’ve really been enjoying this relatively new found attitude of self-forgiving and low stress healing.  It feels as though my overall  health has improved greatly within the past month or so because of my shift to a desire of and effort towards more self acceptance rather than a forceful control of all the little details.  Although I believe my new attitude has helped me tremendously, I’ve become rather lax about my routine — even experimenting with adding in local, but pasteurized goat dairy and gluten containing products like deliciously addicting sourdough  from the Wednesday farmers market in Santa Monica, and late night snacking on rich honey and date sweetened raw desserts made with high quality organic ingredients– but which none the less promote the growth of Candida and contribute to gut disbiosis.
While my symptomatic health has improved greatly, and I am more than convinced of the integral role our attitude plays in our well-being, I’m still feeling brain fog, breakouts, occasional indigestion, bloating, and other Crohn’s disease related symptoms — which are all signs of Candidiasis according to Donna Gates and other health professionals. I attribute these symptoms to my increased consumption of improperly combined ingredients, pasteurized and gluten rich foods, and over eating natural sugar.  Luckily I picked up some kefir grains from Lauren yesterday, so I can re-introduce live, home-made probiotic rich kefir into my daily diet.
Here is the healing protocol I’m planning on implementing to take my health to the next level:
-Drink at least 8 cups of water daily (including herbal teas and vegetable juices)
-Take a tablespoon of L-glutamine between meals to heal stomach lining and decrease intestinal permeability
-Continue taking Bio-k probiotic supplement at least every three days
-Drink raw kefir, coconut water kefir, or kombucha daily
-Eliminate pasteurized dairy and gluten containing foods
-Eat primarily vegetables, green juices and green smoothies, probiotic rich foods, sprout-fed eggs from the farmers market,soaked nuts and seeds, squash/red potato/beets/root vegetables,wild-caught salmon, lentils, and grains in their whole form.  Limit grains and starches to no more than 20 percent of a meal. Limit sugar sources to low sugar fruits like grapefruit, berries, pomegranate, and try not to combine fruit with other ingredients.
-Continue taking enzymes and acidifiers like Betain or HCL with substantial meals.
-Continue taking New Chapters multi vitamin and iron supplement.
-Don’t worry, be happy/appreciate — if something makes me feel sick, I think of it as an experiment and learning journey rather than attaching guilt to my actions.
-Move everyday! Walk, run, hike, dance, yoga, sweat!

A Health and Wellness Blog