Revisit, Refocus, Renew, and Recovery

Here I am, revisiting the blog after another year of blog-silence. This is due to the fact that I am refocusing on my eating habits because I need to renew my health recovery. (See how I came up with the title of this post? :-) )

If you aren't familiar with my story, let me recap my last 9 years for you. You are certainly invited to go back and read any/all of my previous posts, but let me save you some time for now...

In 2007, I began to experience some numbness in my right foot. Over the course of the next several months, that numbness expanded up my leg, into my waist, and then down my left leg. Additionally, the numbness grew in intensity to where I couldn't even walk without support from a cane and no more than 15 minutes at a time. Due to my lack of mobility and prednisone, I gained about 150 pounds to where I weighed 350+. Fun? I think not! I was prescribed Rebif for - what I was diagnosed with - Multiple Sclerosis.

Fast forward to October, 2008...

Using Rebif wasn't helping me at all. The side effects were making my life worse. It was killing me! (Sure, I may be exaggerating, but...)
At this point, I was introduced to a product called VIDACELL. After reading about it, I decided to give it a decent trial of three months. It only took two weeks to make a difference! I was more able to walk, climb stairs, and more...
In addition to VIDACELL, I changed my diet. I started to follow the plan as described in The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. Also, I went through several cycles of The Master Cleanse. (All of my experiences with these phases are detailed in previous posts on this blog. If you want more details, contact me or check out the other posts - I'm more than happy to answer any questions.)

Long story, short: While I didn't experience complete recovery, I was able to improve my life.

Fast forward to January, 2011...

Certainly not an immediate improvement, but it was at this point in my life that I decided to try to go back to work. From childhood, I had a desire to be on the radio. I figured that pursuing this dream just made sense. My mobility wasn't perfect, so a job that required me to be on my feet didn't make a lot of sense. Also, my endurance wasn't all that strong... I figured that sitting at a microphone for 4-5 hours at a time just made sense for a job! So, I attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting to pursue that dream. Things turned out pretty well!

Until May, 2012, when I experienced a stroke... Recovery from that was a lot of FUN! (sarcasm, maybe?)

Fast forward to today (well, maybe 3-4 months ago...)

Now, I'm experiencing the flare-up of the numbness. It has expanded into both arms and hands. My left hand is less numb than my right hand. In addition to the numbness, I will sometimes experience what I refer to as a 'buzz.' Basically, I blackout for a couple of seconds - up to a minute. Both the duration and the intensity of the buzz varies. Sometimes, I simply just lose the ability to focus my thoughts. Other times, I really do blackout - hence, the lack of ability to drive.

Are you still with me?

So today, I have decided to be more focused on my diet and activity. I am going back to a modified Maker's Diet. Basically, a low-carb Maker's Diet. I am also looking more deeply into the benefits of various spices and foods - like turmeric, ginger, bone broth, and all things coconut.

I'm hoping that my Journey to Wellness sees as much - or more! - success as I previously had and that you'll join me on this journey, too.

Isn't It Ironic...

I could go on forever quoting songs in this post, but I won't - well, maybe not too much.
Ironic, why? (Song 1, Ironic - Alanis Morissette) Well...a little over a week ago - on May 18th, to be exact - I suffered a stroke (song 2, The Stroke - Billy Squire). After so much effort to achieve wellness, I can still suffer from a setback such as a stroke. You know what, though? 'Suffer' isn't exactly the right word. 'Experienced' is more appropriate, I think.

For the last few months - well, since January - I have been working for a radio station (actually working, not just interning). I started with one shift per week but had added a second and, recently, a third shift. I am a board operator for WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio. While the station is largely automated - playing classical music 24/7 via Beethoven.com - it hosts the satellite broadcast of Imus in the Morning, M-F from 6-10 am, over the air. It is my job to receive the satellite signal and make sure that it goes out over the 1290 AM broadcast channel. As well, I have to report the news, weather, and traffic for the Greater Hartford area throughout the 4 hour broadcast.

On the 18th, I did my normal radio shift and then went to help a friend with an A/V (audio/visual) job. I got home around 2 pm and immediately set myself to a video editing project that I had been working on. It wasn't long before I started feeling odd sensations. Well, largely because I don't fully recall all of the details and because the details don't really matter, I'll just say that what I was experiencing was a stroke. My wife enlisted our neighbor's help in getting me to the hospital and the last thing I remember from that day is my wife getting out of the car and rushing into the hospital. After that, while I didn't lose consciousness, I lost all coherence. The next thing I know, I was waking up in a hospital room on Saturday morning - though I didn't even know that it was Saturday at the time - with my parents, wife, and daughters smiling at me.

As mentioned, what I experienced was a stroke. The cause is yet unknown. One thing that I do know is that my recovery has been remarkable! The fact that I am even able to write this post should give some indication to my healing.

I was released from the hospital on the Tuesday following the stroke with almost all function and faculties with me. I still have some therapy scheduled over the next few weeks but, after only my second session, the therapist doesn't think that I will have to go for the full 12 sessions that were scheduled.

I largely contribute my fast recovery to my continued use of VIDACELL.

Time Flies When...

OK, I am aware of the irony. I am writing a post entitled "Time Flies When..." on the first day after we set the clocks ahead one hour (well, at least in most of America) thanks to daylight savings time. However, as it has been several months since I last updated this blog (7 months to the day) the concept of time flying just seems to be a fitting title. (Song: "Time" - Pink Floyd)

As of the last post, I was producing two internet radio shows. Well, due to several factors, I am no longer.

As well, I was working as an intern for one of Hartford's radio stations, The Rock 106.9 WCCC. Well, I am still with WCCC, but in a different capacity. I am now officially employed! I am only part time (about 10-15 hours per week), but part of my duties include being the board operator on Friday mornings from 6-10 am during the 'Imus in the Morning' show. I have to coordinate the satellite feed with the local commercial spots as well as read the news, weather, and traffic on WCCC's AM station, WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio.

Also in the last post, I mentioned that we were in pre-production of ConnecTV, the first television show produced entirely by graduates of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. We now have four shows completed and airing on a regular basis over several cable access outlets across Connecticut. The show can also be seen on the internet at our Vimeo channel.

Time definitely flies...

Today, I renewed my commitment to The Maker's Diet. While I have been mostly following the guidelines of the diet, I haven't always been terribly strict. Well, I went back to phase one. I was really happy with the results of my first attempt to follow the Maker's Diet and I am hoping to to further improve  my health by returning to the basics.

My day started with a push ups workout. I have been following the program detailed on hundredpushups.com for the last couple of weeks. I have been pretty happy with the results so far.
I followed the workout with my daily dose of VIDACELL. This would be the only food that, while truly natural, might not truly qualify for the Maker's Diet guidelines. The benefits far outweigh what might be consequences for breaking the 'rules.'
Breakfast consisted of a 3 egg omelet made with free range eggs, raw cheese, and organic salsa. I also supplemented with Vitamin D.
After suitable time for digestion, I used a free pass to go to the YMCA and get another workout. This time, I spent 35 minutes on the elliptical machine. According to the calorie counter, I burned almost 400 calories. I also spent some time doing some resistance exercise - mostly to complement the push ups, I concentrated on back exercises.
Upon returning home, my wife and daughters were just leaving for a walk in the amazing weather, so I put the leash on Ginger and joined them!
The rest of my daily food consumption consisted of plain yogurt and a homemade lentil soup with lots of veggies.

A-Z Challenge - 'W'

Today's topic for the A-Z challenge is 'walking.' Since the onset of my symptoms, something as simple as walking has often been a struggle for me - though considerably less of an issue now than even one year ago.

I was admitted to the hospital in September of 2006 when I attempted to walk a short distance from the courthouse in Middletown to Russell Library - a grand total of 0.2 miles, though with a slight incline. I experienced an extreme shortness of breath and barely made it. Prior to that, walking in a straight line without some sort of support was an issue.
In the hospital, I was immediately put on a corticosteroid similar to prednisone and issued a pair of red socks - the steroid was used to reduce swelling and the socks indicated that I was not allowed to walk without assistance (they were afraid that I would fall and hurt myself).
The prednisone-like steroid caused me to gain a lot of weight over the almost 5 months that I was taking it. While steroid helped me in one aspect, it hurt me in other aspects. After coming off of it, I had odd issues - super-sensitive teeth, no appetite at all (just the smell of food made me sick) - in addition to the problems that go along with obesity.

Prior to October 2008 (you may recall from previous posts that this is when I started taking VIDACELL), my walking was limited to flat surfaces with hand rails for support and then only for short periods. Grocery shopping with a shopping cart to lean on was a decent option. After October 2008, walking became a regular part of my journey to wellness.

Walking for fitness and walking for mobility are two different entities yet very similar. The first is something that we all should do more often yet it seems like a chore for many of us. The second is something that we easily take for granted.

A-Z Challenge - 'V'

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you likely know what my topic is for today - VIDACELL! I credit VIDACELL for kicking off my journey to wellness. October 2008 is when I began using it and it definitely turned me in the right direction.

Rather than repeat everything that I have said about VIDACELL in this blog, I encourage you to go back and read about it. The first post that mentions VIDACELL was posted on January 5th, 2010 (over a year after I began using it!) called "New Year..."

I am amazed at my own progress when I go back and read the previous posts. In this regard, simply blogging about my journey to wellness has been a considerable benefit for me. On days when I don't feel particularly  good about my progress, I can go back and read about my life from a month or year ago to see how far I have come.

A-Z Challenge - 'K'

The hardest choice for 'K' was whether to use kombucha or kefir as my topic. I have great reasons to talk about both of them - so I will! These have really become a major part of my journey to wellness.
Kombucha:
Now that the weather is getting warmer, I really want to start brewing my own kombucha. Getting the SCOBY isn't really my concern. I have found several, reasonably priced sources. I would rather find someone local that is already brewing it to get a baby SCOBY from, but so far no luck on that. The bigger part of the problem is having a suitable place to brew it - we just don't have that much room in our kitchen - and buying suitable equipment to brew it in. One website sells a 'continuous brewing system' that starts at about $170. While this isn't too expensive, it is a big chunk of cash up front. Somehow, an average of $4 per bottle seems a lot more affordable when spread over time rather than a big, one-time purchase. Of course, the brewing costs are minimal - a couple of tea bags and some sugar every once in a while will cost me considerably less per serving than the bottled kombucha.

Kefir:
Raw milk kefir has been an almost daily mainstay for me since I started making it in November of last year. While I intend to continue making and drinking milk kefir, I am now also making water kefir. I intend to replace some of my milk kefir consumption (average 20 oz. per day) with water kefir. Though it isn't always daily, I usually drink some milk kefir first thing in the morning - after I drink my VIDACELL -  to start the day with the probiotics and occasionally drink some more prior to eating the larger meal(s) of the day. My plan for water kefir is to use it in place of the pre-meal probiotic in addition to using it for regular hydration throughout the day. I may also alternate it with milk kefir for my morning probiotic drink.
For the last couple of days, I have added some additional whey that I got directly from Deerfield Farm - a by-product of their cheese-making - to my milk kefir. I only added about 2 oz.whey to the 20 oz. bottle of kefir. So as not to interfere with the culturing process, I waited until the kefir was done and strained (to recover the grains for the next batch) prior to adding the whey. The whey provides a nice boost to the protein content of the kefir.

A-Z Challenge - 'J'

So far, this has been the most difficult topic for me to come up with. It needed to begin with the letter J and, for my purposes, fit in with my blog topic - My Journey to Wellness. It was then that it hit me...'journey' would be my topic. This truly has been a journey for me over the last couple of years. After my initial hospitalization in September of 2006, I really wasn't expecting to ever approach any normalcy in my life. Prior to the onset of symptoms, I had been in the best shape of my then-38 year life.
A little history here...I was 6'2" and 220 pounds in 8th grade and even though I participated in sports and other activities I would never weigh less than that 220 mark until 2001 when I began following the Atkins Diet. With the restricted sugars and a regular exercise program, I finally got myself down to 205 pounds and stayed there for several years. I truly believe that things began to turn sour when Coca-Cola released Coke Zero. Up until that point, I really didn't bother using artificial sweeteners but I really began drinking a lot of Coke Zero - sweetened, of course, with aspartame. It wasn't too long after that that the symptoms started. After six months of gradually worsening symptoms, I was hospitalized. This was when the corticosteroids started along with ridiculous weight gain. I ballooned up to 300 pounds due to the steroids and the inability to maintain any form of extended activity - 15 minutes of any type of movement would completely drain me.
The good news is that September of 2006 - when I was hospitalized - was as bad as it got. From that point on, things didn't necessarily get better, but they didn't get any worse. Eventually, I was stepped down off of the steroids. With the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis came the prescription of Rebif. While this was supposedly helping me but the side effects were completely unbearable. Injection site reaction (redness and pain) and flu-like symptoms hit me really hard. I took myself off of it largely due to this but also when I learned that it was costing me (and insurance) $24,000 per year. This was probably the true starting point of my journey to wellness. It was when I really started to explore alternate therapies.
My journey to wellness really began to make some progress when I started taking VIDACELL - a little over two years after I was hospitalized. A month later, we adopted Ginger from the Humane Society because I felt that I was able to walk and care for a dog.
The next major advancement on my journey to wellness came when I began to really take tighter controls over the food that I was eating. I began following The Maker's Diet in January of 2010. Since this time, I gradually began to make better food choices - free range chicken and eggs instead of caged, corn-fed chicken, grass fed beef instead of feedlot beef, raw milk instead of pasteurized (or worse, ultra-pasteurized) milk, sprouted grains instead of whole grains, etc. It has been a slow but steady process - and not always perfect - but the results are undeniable.
I haven't quite gotten back down to 205 and I still have some nagging symptoms but I am not the same person that I was 4 years ago. My interest in better food sources has led me to composting and gardening in addition to better meal planning and preparation (the microwave has not been used in well over a year and Teflon has been eradicated from our house).
My journey to wellness is far from over, but I can't complain about my progress thus far!

A-Z Challenge - 'G'

For the letter G, I am highlighting a company. This may seem a bit odd but it is because of this company that my journey to wellness really got started. Prior to my association with them I was in pretty rough shape. GreatLife International is the company behind VIDACELL. Established in 2006, GreatLife International is based in Kennesaw, Georgia but truly is international having a presence in Mexico, Canada, Ecuador, Guatemala, Columbia, and Panama.
GreatLife International's mission statement reads:

"To be a company recognized worldwide for its integrity, purpose, and ongoing commitment to improving the lives of others, through a revolutionary product, and an unprecedented financial opportunity. To be a company whose leadership reflects a sincere desire and dedication to making a difference in the world today, and for future generations to come."

In addition to this, they have established a charitable organization - GreatLife 4 All.

UPDATE: GREATLIFE INTERNATIONAL NO LONGER EXISTS. VIDACELL IS NOW DISTRIBUTED THROUGH JEUNESSE.

Master Cleanse Reprise - 'Not' Wasted Time

Today marks the second day of this round of the Master Cleanse. It is going to be a bit of a struggle - not because I am having a hard time sticking to the fast, but because we have a busy day scheduled. Though it is better to consume the lemonade within ten minutes of squeezing the lemons, I have prepared four servings worth of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper - no water added yet - to take with me to our various appointments. I will add the mix to a bottle of water when I am ready to drink it. I am not worried about hunger. When I am keeping myself busy, I don't usually feel hunger pangs. As planned, I skipped my daily serving of VIDACELL and will continue to do so for the duration of the cleanse.
I checked my tongue this morning - already turning white. This indicates that there are toxins present that need to be purged. Even though I am careful with what I eat and have already done the cleanse twice before, I am still exposed to toxins. Really, this just provides rationalization that doing the cleanse periodically is the right thing to do and I am not wasting my time - hence today's song tie-in, Eagles' Wasted Time.

Yesterday, as a quasi-birthday present to myself, I bought myself a new pair of sneakers. The last pair I had (well, still have until the new ones are fully broken in) was not a very nice pair of sneakers. I had gotten them for about $15 and they were worth every penny...you definitely get what you pay for. Part of my problem is that my feet are what are affected most by my disorder (I still don't believe MS is the answer, but...). Buying cheap shoes is not really a great idea. Honestly, cheap shoes tend to be a bad idea for everyone considering how much we ask of our feet on a daily basis.
Up until recently, I was really interested in getting a pair of Vibram's FiveFingers shoes. The FiveFingers shoes mimic being barefoot but protect your feet from rocks, broken glass, and other foreign objects. As you might expect, the FiveFingers shoes have separate pockets for each toe - just like a glove for the feet. I was a bit concerned that this would be more aggravating to the pins and needles sensation that my feet are constantly feeling. I found a local store that sells them so I was able to try them on. There are several styles of the FiveFingers to choose from. The pair that I wanted - one that would have been suitable for daily, normal wear - just gave me issues in trying to put them on. Getting all of my toes into the right pockets was just not possible. My toes - and probably yours - are just so used to being crammed into ill-fitting shoes (any shoe is ill-fitting when you realize that our feet are not designed to wear them). I spent about 15 minutes just trying to make them fit. Not one to give up on a good idea too easily, I tried on a different pair of the FiveFingers and had no problem getting them on. The second pair, however, was not at all suited for cold weather as the one thing that made them easy to get on was that they didn't fully enclose my feet. They were more like a sandal or slipper. Sure, they would protect the soles of my feet, but not the tops. As well, due to their unique design, wearing socks with the FiveFingers is out of the question. Mind you, I don't mind not wearing socks - I actually prefer it - but sometimes you just need that extra warmth.
Though I decided to pass on the FiveFingers, I am still considering them for warmer weather.
The other style of shoes that I wanted to check out is made by Skechers. These are the Shape-Ups. Shape-Ups have a different style sole that provide a workout for your legs just by walking in them. Yeah, I know...walking is already a great exercise and I try to do it as often as possible. My rational behind getting the Shape-Ups is that I can maximize the benefit that I get when I am able to walk - even if it is around the grocery store. Well, I haven't been able to find any local store that stocks the Shape-Ups. As with the FiveFingers, I could order them online. My problem with doing so is that I really want to try them on to get the feel of them before buying. It would be one thing if I were looking for a pair to replace the ones that I already had, but buying a new style of shoe over the internet just doesn't suit me.
What I came home with yesterday is made by (or for) Dr. Scholl's. They are from their Personal Trainer line. Similar to Shape-Ups, the soles are different than the average shoe and are designed to more fully engage the leg muscles while walking. I found a pair that I actually liked (I am not too picky about the appearance of my shoes, but some are just plain ugly) and tried them on. While the box was simply labeled as size 12, the shoes in the box turned out to be 12W. My feet aren't particularly wide, but these fit really well. Had I seen 12W on the box, I wouldn't even have tried them on. Hopefully these shoes will continue to be comfortable as I wear them for longer periods of time. My last pair would actually start to hurt if I wore them even for reasonable periods of time.

I Am Singing The Lemon(ade) Song Again

It is time once again for me to do the Master Cleanse AKA The Lemonade Diet. Starting tomorrow morning, I will be singing that song again. (Song reference: The Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin) Technically, though, I have already started by taking a dose of senna tonight. Because I have class and a generally busy day tomorrow, I won't be starting my day with the salt water flush - I'll save that for Saturday morning when I have nothing to do until later in the day.
I won't be using VIDACELL during this cleanse. I don't think VIDACELL would interfere with the it, but I'd rather be sure that I get the biggest benefit from the cleanse - besides, it can't hurt to save the money. I bought enough lemons for at least a couple of days, today. I already had the maple syrup and cayenne pepper, so I am all set to go!

My hope this time is to continue the cleanse for at least 14 days but possibly even longer. Because we are now in maple sugaring season, I fully intend to buy some locally harvested grade B maple syrup when I am close to finishing my current supply. It may not save any money, but it is certainly a better option to buy local products over those shipped in from far away.

Gimme Some Water (Kefir)

Yesterday was a pretty encouraging day. Each Thursday for the last several weeks we have been going to the local YMCA for an hour of pool time. We ended up getting there a little early for our scheduled hour, but they are not strict about our arrival time and let us in. Rather than heading straight to the pool, I took a side trip to fitness room and ripped off three 'supersets' of seated row and bench press. A superset is basically just chaining two (or more) different motions together with no rest in between. Commonly, the motions will work opposing muscle groups - back and chest, bicep and triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings, etc.. It is a good method to use when you are looking for a workout but are pressed for time. By chaining opposing movements together, you can reduce downtime. One muscle group rests while the other works.
I didn't want to take too much time in the fitness room, so doing a superset of exercises that I cannot easily do at home just made sense. I didn't pay much attention to the weight I was pushing (or pulling). I started with the seated row machine and did about 20 reps before switching to the bench press machine to do about 15 reps. In both cases, I would have been hard pressed to do another repetition without a rest. I could have physically done more, but I felt that I had already taken too much time.
In previous visits to the pool, I hadn't really done too much actual swimming. Mostly I just spent the time playing in the pool with the kids. This time (as I had done during the previous visit) I spent some timing swimming laps. While I had always been a decent swimmer, I am currently closer to a manatee than I am to Michael Phelps in speed. I am also more of a sinker than a floater.
Already tired from the supersets and the lap swimming, I wanted to see how long I could maintain treading water. I went to the break from the shallow end to the deep end - deep enough so that I could effectively tread water but shallow enough that I would be able to stand if I got too tired. I held on for about three minutes for my first bout - not spectacular, but I am not complaining.
After swimming and grocery shopping, we came home and I went online to do some writing. Recently I started writing on a site called List My Five. This site asks contributors to create a Top 5 list of anything they want. The goal for the contributor is to create lists about popular topics that will bring in readers and generate ad revenue. More readers = more revenue which gets shared with the contributors. As a result of my new venture, I have increased my presence on Twitter trying to draw in some traffic to my lists. This has also had the effect of drawing in new twitter followers.
One of those new followers asked me if I had ever tried water kefir and directed me to his website. While I have not yet tried water kefir, I am more encouraged to do so. My experience with milk kefir has been excellent and my experience with kvass has not. I just don't like it and I am not going to continue making it. I have decided to add what remains of my attempt(s) at kvass directly to my compost heap - I am just not impressed. I am giving serious consideration to brewing my own kombucha and now will likely add water kefir. I encourage you to check it out at Tom's site: usuryfreeliving.net.
As usual, I started my day with a packet of VIDACELL blended with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Because of my last cycle with the Master Cleanse, I have quite a bit of VIDACELL on hand, so not only did I start my day with it, I also ended my day with another serving. As I intend to do another cleanse in the next week or so, I will build up an even larger stock of VIDACELL (I decided to refrain from using VIDACELL during the cleanse). My plan is to use an extra serving or two per day until I start the cleanse.

Given yesterday's encounters with water, I am using Eddie Money's song, Gimme Some Water as the title of today's post.

A VIDACELL Success Story.

I am taking a departure from the regular format, today.  I won't be linking a song to this post, for one thing.  Also, this post is not my story.  It is, however, a great illustration of why I use VIDACELL and have been since October, 2008.  I know that it has done wonders for me and my father. 
If you have any health concerns - or know anyone that does - I highly recommend taking a closer look at VIDACELL.  I am a distributor primarily to save myself money, but I would be remiss in my 'duty' if I didn't try to spread the word about this amazing product.

NOTE: GREATLIFE INTERNATIONAL IS NOW PART OR JEUNESSE GLOBAL

February 15, 2011
Thank you for helping our Mother!

I was first introduced to VIDACELL in November of 2010. When I personally saw the phenomenal benefits of the product, I thought of my mother Concepción Ordoñez Rey. She is 87 years old and her health had really deteriorated over the past few years. Her health problems included mild senile dementia, dizziness, congestive heart failure and COPD. In March, she had a head injury which affected her memory and motor skills to do her daily activities.
At the time, her physician had her taking 12 different prescription medicines and using inhalers. She was very frail and would easily get frustrated because of increased fatigue, an ongoing cough, poor appetite and her failing memory.
The first week of December we initially gave her one pack of VIDACELL per day and increased to two packs after her nurse began to notice some impressive improvements in her health. Each day she continued to improve to the point where she was enjoying life again.
My mother has now been consuming 2 packs of VIDACELL per day for two months. Her physician, after seeing her significant health improvement, took her off of half of the daily prescriptions she had been on for years.
For the family, it has been simply great joy as our mother is now the happy and jovial person that we remember from the past. She sleeps well, eats well and is able to go walking every day with her nurse. It's also encouraging to see her memory return to the point that she now handles her own finances again.
I personally want to encourage anyone who has a family member struggling with their health or simply wishes to maintain their health to try VIDACELL. It's a one-of-a-kind product.
I thank God and VIDACELL for helping our mother! I will continue giving her VIDACELL to keep the joy and vitality in her life - which is the best gift for all of us.
Mario Luis Rangel Ordoñez
Attorney

Talkin' Bout A Revolution

Today marks day four of my new year's revolution (song link this time: Tracy Chapman - Talkin' Bout A Revolution.  I have been preparing for my next session with the Master Cleanse.  I still need to get to the store to buy some lemons, but that should happen in the next day or two.  I already have a good supply of maple syrup - though I will need more by the time the cleanse has run its course - and I should have enough cayenne pepper, so it is really just the lemons that I am waiting on.

As of today, I am out of kefir.  In keeping with my revolution, I have been drinking about 6-8 oz. of kefir each morning.  I purposefully didn't make any more kefir, though, so as not to let it go to waste when I start on the cleanse.  I am also running low on milk to make it from!  I haven't been able to get to Deerfield Farm to get more.  As with the kefir, though, this has not been a priority.  I want to get enough for the family, but without me consuming any milk during the cleanse, our needs are considerably smaller.

As planned, I have begun each day with some exercise.  Prior to eating anything, I have been spending about 30 minutes following Dr. Mercola's Peak 8 principles - though with my own twist on it.  Essentially, Peak 8 is interval training - after a warm up, alternate 90 seconds of lower intensity exercise with 30 seconds of high intensity exercise for 8 cycles followed by a cool-down.  The principles are based on heart rate zone training.  During the high intensity periods, you push your heart rate into (or close to) the anaerobic zone.  As the session progresses, your heart rate will peak 8 times - hence the name - and recover somewhat between the peaks.  Though he uses a recumbent cycle for his program, Dr. Mercola doesn't specify any particular type of exercise for the Peak 8 program, just so that your heart rate is elevated effectively.  For my purposes, I am using the Wii Fit Plus as my activity.  One of the fitness 'games' is the 'free step' which can be set for 10-, 20-, or 30-minute durations.  This activity simply counts your steps on and off the balance board and keeps the pace for you.  You can select 80, 90, or 100 steps per minute as a pace.  Note that each footfall on or off the board counts as one step.  I have been using an eight pound medicine ball in addition to the 'stepper' program.  My routine has been to simply step for 90 seconds at the highest pace while carrying the medicine ball (after a warm up, of course) followed by a 30 second bout of faster stepping - out-pacing the Wii pace - while raising (above my head) and lowering (to my waist) the medicine ball.  I go for a full 30 minutes and complete anywhere from 8 to 15 cycles.
Tomorrow's session will be fun!  I found my heart rate monitor today!  I have actually acquired several monitors over the years.  When I worked for NordicTrack - before they filed for bankruptcy and were purchased by ICON Health and Fitness - I purchased one of the Polar heart rate monitors that we sold.  That was my first experience with heart rate training.  I used it religiously!  A good heart rate monitor is an amazing tool to use when exercising.  Though you can find companies that make/sell monitors that don't require a chest strap, I don't recommend them.  Using a chest strap frees up your hands to do other things.  As well, the chest strap will usually communicate directly with the equipment that you might be using for exercise.  Many treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary cycles have the heart rate technology built in.  Lacking a chest strap, you will need to grasp a handle on the machine to read your heart rate.  In the case of the watch that doesn't require a chest strap, you will need to touch the watch with your fingers to activate the reading.  Either way, your hands will need to otherwise be empty to get a reading.  This seems counter-intuitive on a machine like the elliptical trainers which are designed to incorporate your whole body in the motion - something you don't get when you are holding the stationary handle to get a heart rate reading.  Mind you, using any heart rate zone training is still better than not using it so if all you have access to is the hand-held monitors go ahead and use it!  You'll be amazed at how hard you are working when you don't really need to!
I am really looking forward to tomorrow morning!

So, my mornings for the last 4 days have looked like this:

• Walk Ginger - due to the temperature, this just consists of letting her take care of 'business'
• Exercise
• VIDACELL
• Kefir
• Breakfast

What is different now when compared to 2010 is that I have added in the exercise step where I would previously have gone back to sleep.  After walking Ginger, I would usually do some deep breathing which, more often than not, would lead me to fall asleep.  While I realize that I generally fall asleep because I NEED sleep, this kind of sleep is not terribly beneficial.  Now, I am making better use of that time and improving my sleep cycle.  I have known for a long time that it is more beneficial for me to exercise in the morning than at any other time of day.  I have always been interested in fitness though I was never truly fit except for a relatively brief period in my life.  It was during this time when I was getting out of bed at 5:30 AM and jumping on my NordicTrack skier with my heart rate monitor.  I used my skier so much that I actually wore it out - twice!  It actually would have cost me more to repair it the second time than it would have to replace it.  It was due to 'right-eating' (or, at least what I believed to be right eating at the time consisting mostly of highly processed 'health' foods) and proper exercise at the right time of day for me.
It is never too late to learn and grow.  As such, I am always open to learning new things.  This time around (revolution), I have learned more about what 'right-eating' really means and I now have the stamina for the first time since the onset of my symptoms (March, 2006) to go back to what works for me - early morning, heart rate zone training before breakfast.  Sure, things are not quite the same as the first time around - I have limitations that I didn't have and no longer have my NordicTrack - but I have no doubt that I will see some amazing results.  Weight loss is still not my primary goal.  There are many other benefits to be had that I am focusing on.  Better health and being symptom-free are at the forefront of my mind.

New Year's 'Revolution'

Yup, that's right.  I said Revolution instead of resolution.  Of course, the song I am referring to is Revolution from The Beatles, but that isn't currently available through amazon.com, so I linked to the cover version by Stone Temple Pilots.

Personally, I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions.  They don't tend to be kept for very long periods of time.  Resolutions are too often made and forgotten before even a week into the new year.  Instead, I would rather start a revolution.  Revolutions keep coming back.

In this case, I am going back to the basics for several things that I began this year.  I began 2010 with a whole new eating plan.  The Maker's Diet became my diet.  Throughout the year, I read more and more information regarding the principles of The Maker's Diet and I am more convinced than ever that it was the right choice for me.  In addition to the research, I am definitely feeling better because of the diet.  Removing processed, packaged food from my diet has been great.  Food just tastes better!  I am spending more time in the kitchen, but the rewards are worth the effort.  Sure, I haven't been perfect in following the diet and it took the better part of the year to improve my food choices, but progress has been made.  My New Year's revolution regarding The Maker's Diet involves starting with phase 1 all over again.  This time, having better food sources than I had the first time around, I am hoping for even better results!

During the year, I also embarked on The Master Cleanse.  This was an absolutely amazing experience.  The master cleanse essentially 'resets' the body.  It helps purge the body of all toxins and waste.  Thanks to the purge, the body is able to focus on healing.  I am going to start off the new year with another session with the master cleanse.  Because I was unable to get to the grocery store to buy some lemons, I won't be able to start drinking the lemonade on the first day of the year, but I will be able to start the ease-in phase in preparation for the actual cleanse.  Phase 1 of the Maker's Diet will begin after I finish the master cleanse.  Additionally, I plan to revisit the master cleanse at least two more times throughout the year.

Like 2010, I intend to strive towards a symptom free life.  I will continue to use my daily serving of VIDACELL except during my master cleanse sessions.  Since beginning (almost) daily VIDACELL use in October of 2008, I have experienced some major improvements in health and mobility.  To my daily regimen, I intend to add daily consumption of kefir that I make myself from raw whole milk.  Kefir is a relatively new addition to my foods.  It is similar to yogurt, but considerably easier to make.  It is one of the foods that is recommended on all phases of The Maker's Diet.  While I had the raw milk for my first foray into phase 1, I did not have kefir.  Sure, I could have purchased some from the grocery store, but the only varieties I could find were pasteurized and low-fat - some even had additives like fructose and other artificial ingredients.  Now that I have the ability to make my own, I am hoping for even better results.

Physically, I intend to be more regular with fitness activities.  I plan to start my day with some sort of physical activity.  During the warmer months, this might consist of taking Ginger for a walk.  One thing that I am planning on incorporating at least a couple of times per week is Dr. Mercola's PEAK 8 program.

So, with that - my plan for a revolution - I say good bye to 2010 - a relatively good year - and hello to 2011.  I can only hope that my progress is as good this coming year as it was over this past year.

Wouldn't It Be Nice...

OK, I will shamelessly admit that I lifted the title of this post from a fictional blog mentioned on a TV show last night.  I was watching Chase and one of the characters posted to her blog named for her mother's love of The Beach Boys.  Given my own desire to name my posts with titles or lyrics from songs, I couldn't resist.  So, I thank both The Beach Boys and Chase on NBC for the inspiration.

The song, 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' seems to be the perfect choice for this blog.

Wouldn't it be nice if:

• We could all be disease-free!
• We could all be out of debt.
• We could all have access to truly healthy food.
• We could all have the ideal home life.
• We could all live in a world without hatred and war.
• ...  fill in the blank with your own hopes and desires ...

Certainly, I am working towards at least a few of the ideals in the above list.  My most recent step on my journey to wellness is to attempt to make my own kefir. Kefir is a fermented milk product - though I have learned that it can be made from other things as well - that is similar to yogurt.  One of the primary differences is that the milk does not have to be heated at all in order to become kefir.  Yogurt, though the milk only needs to be heated briefly and incubated at 110 deg. F for a period, does require the milk to be 'cooked.'  Cooking anything can have the downside of killing off the beneficial bacteria and enzymes present in the food.

The Maker's Diet recommends kefir as one of the food choices.  Unfortunately, all of the kefir that is available from nearby stores is made from low-fat, pasteurized milk and has several undesirable additives - namely sugar - so I have yet to add it to my diet.  A couple of weeks ago, I went to It's Only Natural with the intent to purchase some kefir starter so that I could make my own from the raw milk that I get from Deerfield Farm.  Unfortunately, they only had one variety of starter 'grains' and the instructions required that the milk be heated.  Not being sure if this brand of kefir starter would work without heating the milk, I opted to pass.

Fortunately, I was able to find a brand of kefir starter online that does work without heating the milk.  My order arrived yesterday!  The Milk Kefir Grains from Cultures for Health LLC come in dehydrated form and need to be revitalized over the course of 5-7 days before they will start producing kefir.  I started the process this morning, so I will hopefully be able to enjoy some kefir next week.

During my failed quest for kefir starter at It's Only Natural, I did pick up a jar of coconut oil.  While I have been strictly using olive oil or butter for cooking, I have been reading more and more about the benefits of coconut oil.  While olive oil is great, it is not truly suited for high heat cooking.  I am not opposed to butter, but the benefits of coconut oil are too great to be ignored.  I have had a couple of opportunities to cook with coconut oil, but it is far too early to notice any results.  I will keep you posted.

Life In The Fast Lane

In my second entry yesterday, Less Is More, I mentioned that my modification to the salt water flush made it ineffective.  This morning, I followed the recommendations and used 2 tsp. sea salt in 1 quart of water.  Let me tell you, it really was life in the fast lane!  I really don't want to be too graphic, but within 90 minutes I was in the bathroom.  In and of itself it was not a terribly enjoyable experience, but the end result (no pun intended - OK, maybe it is intended) is that I already feel considerably better!  I am sure that this is partially the psychological effect from knowing that something is working correctly.  By the way, the song choice should be obvious, Life In The Fast Lane, Eagles - from the Hotel California album.

Over the course of the day yesterday, I was able to get 6 full servings of the lemonade in.  Today, I am off to a much better start.  It is only 11:00 AM at the time that I write this and I have already consumed 4 servings.  I plan to taper off a bit as the day progresses so that I end up with 8-10 glasses of lemonade by the time that I go to sleep.

This morning, I added one more resource to my research on the Master Cleanse.  The Complete Master Cleanse: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of The Lemonade Diet by Tom Woloshyn is a much more comprehensive description of the cleanse than anything I have read thus far.  Mind you, I have not actually read the original book by Stanley Burroughs.  All of my research has been from websites and magazine articles up until today.  The good news is that all of the articles I have read agree on the fundamental points of the cleanse.  In the case of Tom Woloshyn's book, he delves a lot deeper into the hows and whys of the process.  I don't agree with him on all of his points - for instance, he is a proponent of the vegetarian diet - I am grateful for this additional insight on the cleanse.

At this point in Day 2 - yes, early in the day and having only just begun the overall process - I am truly considering extending beyond the 10 days.  As I said when I began using VIDACELL a couple of years ago, there is enough damage done to my body that it will not be corrected 'overnight.'  Woloshyn's book provides a marker to look for that will tell you that your body is ready to revert to a 'normal' diet.  I will likely continue the cleanse until I see that marker.  After that, I will slowly ease back into The Maker's Diet - grass-fed meats, raw milk, raw honey, sprouted grains, etc..  Technically, the cleanse does not truly break The Maker's Diet, it just really limits the 'foods' being consumed.

The Heat Is On!

Thus it begins - day one of the Master Cleanse.  After squeezing my lemon and mixing my first glass of 'lemonade,' I couldn't resist using The Heat Is On (Glenn Frey) for the title of this entry.  While I would never have tried it otherwise, the number one staple of the Master Cleanse is spicy lemonade - lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.  Feel the burn!

This morning began similarly to every other day.  I woke up to Ginger wanting to be taken outside.  Fortunately, It had not yet started to rain.  After our brief walk, I mixed the morning salt water 'flush' as recommended by the Master Cleanse.  Well, almost as recommended.  I am not a big fan of drinking salt water - certainly not a whole quart of it.  So, I mixed sea salt with about 4 oz. of filtered water and drank that followed by a large glass of plain, filtered water.  The idea behind the salt water is to help the body to flush out the toxins and waste that have been freed up by the previous day's cleanse.  So, while I drank the amounts recommended, I just did it in two phases.  Next, I mixed up my VIDACELL, raw honey (1 tsp.), and cinnamon and let it sit while I fed Ginger and started making my first glass of lemonade.

The recipe for the lemonade is:

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/10 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 8 oz. filtered water

This mix should be consumed 6-12 times per day.

Cayenne pepper is added for several reasons.  Primarily, it adds a thermogenic effect.  This simply means that it turns up the metabolism in the body by increasing the heat.  Increased metabolism means increased fat burn.  This is actually a mixed blessing, however.  Toxins are stored by the body in the fat.  When you increase fat metabolism, you are also increasing the body's exposure to the toxins stored there.  Ultimately, it is the goal of the Master Cleanse to purge these toxins from the body without further introducing more toxins.  By restricting your food intake to only lemon juice (preferably organic), pure maple syrup (again, organic preferred), and cayenne pepper (you guessed it, organic is best), you are not only ridding your body of the toxins already stored within but you are limiting the intake of new toxins.  As well, because you are burning more fat than you are storing, your body's ability to store toxins is reduced.  For most people, the exposure to the newly released toxins shouldn't cause severe side effects.  Some things to expect are increased body odor and bad breath for the first couple of days while these toxins are purged.
Secondly, cayenne pepper is known to improve blood flow.  This effect in and of itself is amazingly beneficial.  Improved circulation carries with it a whole host of benefits.

Obviously too soon for any results, but I am really exited about the potential!

As of this post, my consumption so far is:

•  2 tsp. sea salt
• One serving of VIDACELL
• 1 tsp. raw honey
• about 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 servings of lemonade - 4 Tbsp. lemon juice, 4 Tbsp. maple syrup, about 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper total
• about 2 quarts of  filtered water total

I Won't Back Down

Sorry for the seemingly combative title, but it works.  The song, of course is by Tom Petty - I Won't Back Down.  The reason that it works for this entry?  Well, I have decided to begin following the master cleanse for the next 10 - 14 days and I am setting my mind to the task.  I have been reading up on the process and the benefits for quite some time, and the timing just seems right to start the fast tomorrow.

Essentially, the master cleanse calls for you to drink a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.  In addition, it is recommended to drink a cup of senna tea each night for the laxative properties and as much purified water as desired.  I have never been a big fan of tea, so I will be skipping that part.  I will also be modifying the fast by adding my daily dose of VIDACELL, raw honey, and cinnamon in the morning.  I don't really know what sort of impact this will have on the overall benefits of the cleanse, but I am willing to find out.

My plan is to keep a daily log during the next 10 days of the fast and the following four days while I slowly resume my regular diet.  Depending on how things go, I will likely be posting at least one entry per day on this blog.  So, if you are interested in my progress, be sure to check back!

To start off right, I had a simple dinner of plain, whole milk yogurt mixed with some berries and cherries with a glass of water.  As well, I weighed myself to see if there is any weight loss benefit.  As of a few moments ago, I weighed in at 237 pounds.  This is considerably less than the almost 300 pounds that I weighed at the beginning of the year, but still has quite a bit of room for improvement.  Tonight, while I will not be drinking any tea, I will be using a psyllium seed husk drink mix in place of it.  Hopefully it will have a similar effect to the tea.

This past week has been another eventful and exhausting one...  In my last post, Take It To the Limit, I talked about our adventure to the NY Renaissance Faire and about my work on preparing the garden for next year.  Well, this week was almost a carbon copy!  Instead of the NY Ren Faire, we went to the CT Ren Faire on Saturday - much closer to home.  The girls didn't feel like going in costume, but I did.  We got another chance to see one of our favorite performers, Jayna Lee.  She does an amazing aerial acrobatics (how's that for alliteration?) performance.

Yesterday found me in the garden once again.  My intent was to sift some more of the soil back into what will eventually be a raised bed.  While I was out there, my neighbor came out and suggested that I claim the compost bin that was left behind by another neighbor several years ago.  She and I went down the hill into the woods where Jim had installed the bin.  He had it wedged in pretty well and it was about half full of wonderfully composted soil, so it took a bit of effort for us to move it.  We scooped out and distributed the soil to some of the plants we have growing out back as well as into my raised bed.  After that, it was simple to move the bin out of its spot and up into the area that I had already established as my compost pile.
In addition to recovering the compost bin, we also discovered some really nice flagstones that were essentially discarded down the hill.  It took some effort, but we also moved those from their resting place to the spot just outside my door.  I didn't spend too much time nestling them into a nice, level spot, but I plan to revisit that project.  I will probably have to get some gravel to really do the job right, though.