June Update

Thank you all for your patience.

Once I got back home to Edmonton from Victoria in mid-April, it quickly became apparent that mom was not going to be able to stay on her own any longer. She lost a lot of weight, and tires easily. I've been busy shopping, cooking, cleaning and taking her to doctor's appointments.

The days are flying by, and I haven't had a chance to get back to my blog. C'est la vie. I'm happy to be in a position to help mom out, and that is the priority at the moment.

A quick update: 

The pain in my groin turns out to be a double hernia. I have an appointment with the specialist for the end of July.

Since getting back home, I did a live-blood analysis, and the results were mostly positive. My inflammation level, however, which were already high at the start of my raw food diet in November, are even higher now. As a result, I decided to go for allergy test. The results should be in by mid-July.

The tumor in my neck which seemed to growing only marginally over the past six months, grew noticeably in the past week or so. Not sure what that means, so I've made arrangements to see the endocrinologist and surgeon to get their take on what's happening.

The calcitonin count, a rough indicator of the amount of cancer, is not yet back. It usually takes about a month, but it's been more than six weeks and nothing yet. I'm looking forward to seeing what the results are.

That's about it for now.

All the best,

Roch

Your patience is appreciated

Hi there.

It's my intention to post a couple of entries a week. Unfortunately, life has been particularly busy, and I haven't posted anything since April 1st. I still have a few things on my plate, but hope to be back in the saddle before the end of May.

Thanks for your patience.

Roch

The Trials of a Four-Cup-a-Day Coffee Habit

There was a time when after the supper dishes were done,  I would head over to Starbucks to meet a friend and chat over a cup of coffee. I still have my coffee, but these days I brew a 4-cup batch and head over to the washroom for a coffee enema.  Same coffee; different experience!

If ever you'd like to try it out, here's the scoop:

1. Bring to a boil 4 cups of filtered water.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of caffeinated  coffee, preferably organic.
3. Let boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Leave it on the burner, turn off the heat, and let it cool to body temperature (~15-20 minutes.)
5. Filter (not paper) the coffee into an enema bag.

Some lay (on their right side) on a plastic sheet placed on the bed. I find it simpler to just use the tub where, if there's an accident, it's easier to clean up. 

The goal is to introduce to the sigmoid colon (the curved part of the large intestines just before the anus) a couple of cups of coffee and to hold it for 12 to 15 minutes. This is not as easy as it sounds. The body, quite rightly, perceives this intrusion as toxic and does its best to eliminate it.  

It's all relative of course, but 15 minutes of clenching one's cheeks feels like a long time. It requires a certain, je ne sais quoi, to hold on. Having done it once, you are invited to do it a second time.

It's right about here that I expect you to be asking yourself, "why would I want to do such a thing?" Well, it's a long story, but you're in luck as I'm going to give you the Coles Notes version. 

Apparently, there's a pathway that goes directly between the sigmoid colon and the liver. The presence of the coffee stimulates the liver to produce more glutathione-S-transferase, an enzyme that is critical to the production of glutathione. Gluathione, in turn, enables toxins to be eliminated via bile into the small intestines.

A Royal Pain in the #%+&* #21

This week was pretty much the same as last week. Just the basic routine of food preparation and getting as much paperwork, research, etc done as possible.

What is different, is the growing pain in my groin. A few weeks ago, I thought the discomfort might have been due to a small intestinal blockage as a result of the addition of cooked food. From the amount of swelling on my left side, however, I'd say it's probably an inguinal hernia. I haven't gone to see a doctor here, as I'm reluctant to start the medical process while in BC.

While it's possible to get my treatment done here and have it covered by Alberta Health Care (AHC), the logistics and paperwork involved as a result are not appealing. Since my flight back to Edmonton is already booked for the 14th, I've decided to try and tough it out.

I almost forgot. Today, March 28th, is my birthday. (I actually don't mind birthdays as I find the alternative unappealing.) Besides, I got to spend it with a good friend at the lovely Fireside Grill in Saanich. It is a lovely location with great ambiance and fabulous food. They were also more than willing to modify the menu to meet our dietary restrictions. Highly recommended, (but not for raw food).

Here are the stats for this past week:

                             03/21/10              03/28/10        Change

Weight              125.2 lbs.               123.9                   -1.3 lbs.

My weight seems to have stabilized in the 122-127 range, which is OK for now.

Body Fat           15.1 lbs.                 14.4                     -0.7 lbs.

Only half the loss is fat, which suggests that the other half is muscle mass which I can't afford to lose.

BMI                     19.7                       19.4                    -0.3

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           12.1%                     11.6                    -0.5      

Same as above but as a percentage.

Water                64.1%                     64.3                   +0.2

Above 64% is a good place to be.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.3                     No Change.

Holding steady.

Super Size Me

Over the years it seems food portions served at restaurants, etc. have grown in size. Today's Small serving of Coke is as big, sometimes bigger, than the Large serving of a decade or so ago. Apparently, this is an ongoing trend.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail [03/23/10 (B7)] quotes a new study in the International Journal of Obesity that looks at how artists over the centuries have depicted the Last Supper, particularly the food served.  

The researchers, both professors who happen to be brothers, "analyzed 52 of the best known paintings of the Biblical banquet created between 1000 and 2000 AD." They discovered that "artists' depictions of the Last Supper have seen the: 

• main courses balloon by 69%,
• plate sizes by 66%, and
• bread size by 23% over the past 1000 years".

However old, this trend to bigger portions is not a healthy one.

The next time you're at a restaurant or a movie and the eager waiter/waitress offers you a larger portion for only fifty cents more, and you say, "Yes," it's going to costs you in more ways than one.

1. there's the extra money you hand over.
2. it's going to cost you extra energy to digest the additional food.
3. then there's the monthly gym fees, time and sweat to burn off the fat that accumulated from eating too much.

Just say, "No (thanks)". Your body will love you for it.

Tip: In the good old days before I decided to eat raw, I made a point of ordering the "Kids Pack" when I went to the movies. It had the usual Coke, and a popcorn, with a small treat thrown in for good measure, but at a fraction of the size (and cost).

Sauerkraut -it's good for you. #20

In Elyse's raw food class (mentioned in the previous post) she recommended a bit of sauerkraut morning and evening to promote healthy levels of intestinal flora. Why didn't I think of that? 

I bought a jar of hers after the class and have been eating a small portion as an appetizer before lunch and supper ever since. I also bought her flax crackers and serendipitously discovered that they compliment each other nicely -the texture and the neutral taste of the cracker soaks up the tartness of the sauerkraut.

Healthy and delicious!

The pain in my groin continues, coming and going for no apparent reason. It does, however, seem to get worse after walking. I decided to cancel my colema appointments until it clears up.

The watery stool situation is improving, so I've started bringing in more raw food into my diet this week.

It's official. My flight back to Edmonton is booked for April 14th. I'm going to miss the charm of Victoria, the scenic views, the amazing weather, the people I've met.

I'll be back!

Here are the stats for this past week:

                             03/14/10              03/21/10           Change

Weight              124.4 lbs.               125.2                   +0.8 lbs.

It looks like last week's loss is this week's gain.

Body Fat           15.0 lbs.                 15.1                      +0.1

Looks like I put a little meat on (instead of fat).

BMI                     19.5                       19.7                     +0.2

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           12.0%                     12.1                    +0.1       

Same as above but as a percentage.

Water                64.3%                     64.1                    -0.2

Above 64% is a good place to be.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.3                     No Change.
Holding steady.

Raw Food "Cooking" Class

A good friend here in Victoria called me earlier this week to tell me about a raw food cooking demonstration that was being held at the new Thrifty's store at Tuscany Village.

Elyse, Nuff, a healthy, lively, cook whose energy belies her age was -quite literally- the host, chief, cook and bottle washer. She's been involved with raw food for more than 20 years, and has a line of raw food products that can be purchased at places like Thrifty's Foods and Planet Organic.

She's also published a book, Alive 'n Raw... as Nature Intended, which along with the basics of about proper nutrition, includes some yummy, simple, recipes that are quick to put together.

She travels BC in a motor home that doubles as an office where she sees clients one-on-one for nutritional counseling or coaching on raw food preparation. She the real thing. Her website is LiveRawKitchen.com. Just give her a call if you're interested. (I've also added her link to the Blog Section on the right.)

After a brief introduction on the benefits of raw food, she showed us five super simple recipes to help us replace dairy and gluten products with raw ingredients that are much healthier for the body. I have to emphasize they really are simple. Even I came away from the evening thinking, "Hey. I can do this." 

Eating raw is not the easiest thing I've ever done. Just buying raw vegetables and wondering how to prepare them is not enough. Reading books on the subject, surfing the web for ideas, and taking raw food classes (like this one) are all ways of becoming educated and staying motivated.
"You have to do it yourself, but you don't have to do it alone." -Unknown

The Battle of the Good and Bad Flora #19

 Having eaten out more often these past three weeks (in search of accommodations and getting settled in) has made it difficult to get back into the groove of preparing raw food. It's amazing how easily I can slip into old habits. Eating raw is definitely not a habit just yet.

It has also been a busy week and I haven't been paying my diet as much attention. I did, however, go to a colon hydrotherapist for a colema. (A colema uses gravity feed for the water as opposed to a colonic where the water is under slight pressure).

After my conversation with the therapist, I agree with her that the watery stool, which has been an issue since mid-January, is contributing to an imbalance in my intestinal flora. I've purchased some Acidophilus  which I've now started taking. I hope that this will improve the situation sooner rather than later.

From the numbers below it seems I've definitely hit a plateau. Here are

the stats for this past week:

                             03/07/10              03/14/10           Change

Weight              125.2 lbs.               124.4                   -0.8 lbs.

A very slight drop. 

Body Fat           15.0 lbs.                 15.0                    No Change.

BMI                     19.7                       19.5                     -0.2

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           12.0%                     12.0                   No Change.       

Same as above but as a percentage.

Water                64.3%                     64.3                   No Change.

Still a good number.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.3                      No Change.
Holding steady.

What is a Magnetic Pulser?

That's a good question.

While I was at the Psych-K workshop I mentioned in a previous post, the facilitator was kind enough to share with me a small machine that he uses to purify his blood. (More about that in a future post.)

It turns out the same company makes another device called a Magnetic Pulser. It's a small, made in Canada, electronic device that emits a strong magnetic pulse every five seconds or so. You place it on various parts of your body, particularly near the accumulation of lymph nodes like the neck, armpit and groin, where, apparently cancer cells like to "hide."

Using muscle testing (MT) he was able to determine that this device would be very beneficial for my situation. I bit the bullet and ordered the machine shortly after the course finished. I've been using it for just over a week -twice a day for about 10 minutes each session. There's no pain or discomfort. If it weren't for the little beep, you wouldn't even know it was working.

I've been MT as I've been going along. I'm just a newbie at this sort of thing and muscle testing oneself is even trickier than doing it on someone else. With that said, it seems my cancer count is dropping significantly faster than it was before I began using the machine.

I'll be doing blood work in the spring and we'll know better what my cancer count is then. We won't be able to distinguish between the effect of raw food, supplementation and the Magnetic Pulser of course, but if my count is down that's the main thing.

Pain is a great motivator. #18

This is my the first week at my new address in (Saanich) Victoria. It's small, but everything I need, with decent bus service to downtown. Getting set up, however means that I've been out and about again this week. Finding a new place and getting settled in is why my postings for the past few weeks have been so late. Thank you for your patience.  

It seems that over the weekend, the back pain I spoke about in a previous posting, has migtated to my groin area. I suspect that with the change in diet, there's been a slight blockage of the intestines creating a definite level of discomfort, particularly when I'm walking. At times, the pain can be quite sharp, and when it hits I can barely walk. As a result, I've gone from walking an hour or two a day to taking the bus whenever I can.  

Pain is a great motivator. The colon hydrotherapy appointment I've been postponing is the first item on Monday's Things To Do list. Hopefully, that will be all that is necessary to clear things up.

Last week I ordered a couple of electronic devices. They just arrived on the weekend. More about those in next week's posting. Until then here are
the stats for this past week #18:

                             02/28/10              03/07/10           Change

Weight              126.5 lbs.               125.2                   -1.3 lbs.

A slight drop. Not sure why exactly. Been on the road a lot and maybe not eating as well or as often as I would at home.

Body Fat           15.7 lbs.                 15.0                    -0.7 lbs.

Virtually half of the loss is fat.

BMI                     19.9                       19.7                     -0.2

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           11.4%                     12.0                     +0.6%       

Given the loss is body fat above, this increase doesn't make sense. Let's see what happens next week.

Water                64.0%                     64.3                    +0.3%

Back in the upward groove.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.3                     No Change.
Last week's slight increase disappeared this week, which seems to suggest that I'm right on the cusp between the two. The slightest variation in the reading of the scale could have me going one way or the other. It suggests that my bone mass is holding steady.

February Monthly Overview #4

A few observations, in no particular order,  for the month of February.

• I continue to be amazed at how much (relatively) easier it is to do this raw diet in a warmer climate.
•  
• Diarrhea-like symptoms have been the main challenge mid-January to the present time.  At first I thought it would just take time to clear, as it did when I first started. So far that doesn't seem to be the case.
• 
  
• Reaching a low of ~122 lbs has me concerned about how much more weight I can safely lose.
•  
• Raw food is not yet a habit or easy. Every day cooked food, baked food, goodies of kinds and flavours "speak" to me in loving terms.  Every day I have to remind myself why I'm doing this.
•  
• There are days where I can feel my impatience with the process. I feel like I should be making more progress faster. (Admittedly, patience was never my strong suit.)
•  
• Overall, I've been feeling well and my energy levels most days are pretty good. From an average of ~11.50 hours sleep per night when I first started, I'm now down to ~10 hours.

Cooked Food..... Once Again #17

Being so beautifully spring-like here on the Island, I've decided to not go back to Montreal (and the cold and snow). Consequently, I've been busy looking for new accommodations. Being able to eat cooked food certainly simplifies things while I'm out on the road.

Last week, I ran out of the bowel cleanser and chlorophyl products the naturopath prescribed. There's been a delay in their arrival, so I've been doing without this past week.

For the past couple of months I've been having this pain, a dull aching, in the middle of my back between my shoulder blades. It usually makes an appearance up in the evening, although some days it starts in the afternoon. Not sure what it's about. Whatever the reason, I just realized that for the most part this past week it hasn't shown up -and I'm definitely OK with that. I'm hoping it stays that way.

It's amazing to watch how quickly the weight goes back on every time I go start eating cooked food. In my situation, and there's lots of other anecdotal information, to suggest raw food is a great way to lose excess weight. I highly recommend it.

The stats for this past week #17:

                             02/21/10             02/28/10           Change

Weight              122.9 lbs.               126.5                   +3.6 lbs.
Definitely going in the other direction now! Almost a 4 pound gain this week. The weight gain feels good, but mostly I'm happy that the weight loss has stopped.

Body Fat           13.3 lbs.                 15.7                    +2.4 lbs.

The majority of this week's weight gain is fat.

BMI                     19.3                       19.9                     -0.1

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           10.8%                     11.4                     -%       

Same as above but as a percentage.

Water                65.1%                     64.0                     -1.1%

The first big drop since we began. Not unexpected as I've been "on the road" a lot more, which makes it more difficult for me to notice my thirst in the first place, and then more difficult to address it.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.4                       +0.1

The first time it has gone up since we started. Well see if it holds at this level again next week.

My Favourite Recipe (so far)

I've never been much of a cook. Truth be told, until recently my attitude toward cooking has been one of disinterest, a kind of necessary evil -best avoided if possible; tolerated when not. 

My raw food experience over the past few months has changed that. There are times when I actually get into the groove and find myself enjoying the process, the planning, the experimentation, the presentation, etc. 

It's when I get caught up in the other aspects of life, when I start feeling like there's too many things on my plate, that I fall back into my old attitude. That's when preparing a favourite recipe is called for. It's a motivator, beckoning me to get out of my rut and into a better frame of mind.  

Here's my favourite recipe (so far):

Cauliflower Salad Recipe
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes.
Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:
4 cups of raw sliced cauliflower.
1 cup of coarsely chopped black olives.
1/2 cup of chopped green pepper.
1/4 cup of chopped red pepper.
1/2 cup of chopped or sliced red onion.

Dressing:
1/4 cup of vegetable oil.
3 tablespoons lemon juice.
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
1 teaspoon of sea salt (or dulse).
1/4 cup of raw honey.

Instructions: 

• Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. 
• In another bowl, whip together the dressing ingredients.  
• Pout the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to coat.  
• Refrigerate until serving time.  
• Correct seasoning before serving.

 In keeping with an earlier posting about serving half one day and half the next, I add a cup of peas to the second day's serving to add a bit of variety, color and texture.

Note: I've made a few changes to the ingredients of the original recipe to make it healthier. If you'd like to work from the original, and to give credit where credit is due, here's the original recipe.
Bon appetit.