DAY FOUR of the Raw Cleanse

DAY FOUR

Okay guys. Today started out great, no actually it was terrible. Breakfast was awful, I ate a whole one spoonful of that crap and put the rest down the toilet. You know that sour taste after you throw up? That's what it tasted like. Just nasty.

The juices were good though! Okay, the first juice. The second one tasted like garden dirt.

I broke the menu for lunch and just had a large salad (was supposed to be Green Guac and Veggies)

30-minutes before Breakfast: Mellow Morning Juice

Breakfast: Mango Tango Smoothie Bowl

30-minutes before Lunch: Can't Beet Berries and Basil Juice

Lunch: Large Romaine and Spinach Salad

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The "Mellow Morning Juice" for pre-breakfast included: oranges, English cucumber, water, and spinach

The "Mango Tango Smoothie Bowl" for breakfast included: almond milk, lime zest, lime, frozen mango with blueberry topping

The "Can't Beet Berries and Basil Juice" for pre-lunch included: strawberries, basil, red beet, English cucumber, green apple, lemon, and water

The "Romaine and Spinach Salad" that I created for my lunch included: romaine, spinach, green cabbage, carrots, almonds, and sunflower seeds. I put a raspberry vinegar on top for a dressing. 

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Now you're probably thinking, what happened to dinner? Well. Let me say it this way. We all were sad about not having cooked food and gave in... Yes, we ordered a Hungry Howie's pizza with cheesy Howie bread! I'm sorry. Actually, not really. It was horribly greasy and my body was like "hell no!" when I tried to eat it. I mean, it tasted good, but probably not worth the side effects I'm going to be feeling soon. So 3 1/2 days of eating healthy has completely changed EVERYTHING. I can't see myself having a pizza craving anytime soon. I actually feel like I need to eat an apple or some fruit to try to counteract it. Nasty! 

In all fairness... I think the menu for tonight really scared us away. The menu called for a Cauliflower Rice Salad that has cauliflower, English cucumber, celery, green cabbage, dill pickles, olives, parsley, cilantro, mint, red onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic, sea salt, allspice, and black pepper.... Now I would like to remind you again that this is all RAW. No thanks. Just nope. 

So, we try again tomorrow! 

DAY THREE of the Raw Cleanse Diet

DAY THREE:

30-Minutes Before Breakfast: Zesty Green-Ade Juice
Breakfast: Nutty-Seedy Cereal
30-Minutes Before Lunch: Cake Crush Juice
Lunch: Beet Cabbage Salad
Dinner: Super Spinach Salad
Snack: Jivin' Juice Popsicle

The "Zesty Green-Ade Juice" for pre-breakfast included: green apples, English cucumber, celery, spinach, lemon, ginger root, sea salt, and water

The "Nutty-Seedy Cereal" for breakfast included: raw almond, raw walnuts (we substituted raw cashews since I have an inflammatory reaction to walnuts), raw sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, sea salt, and a green apple. The original recipe called for almond milk; however, just eating the nuts and seeds with the apple was good enough for me!

The "Cake Crush Juice" for pre-lunch included: carrots, English cucumber, an orange, a lime, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, sea salt, and water (we left out the black pepper and turmeric since I have a reaction to those).

The "Beet Cabbage Salad" for lunch included: (dressing) lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper (again, left the black pepper out). (salad) shredded red cabbage, beet, parsley, and green onion

The "Super Spinach Salad" for dinner included: (dressing) extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt. (salad) spinach, red or green cabbage, avocado, English cucumber, celery, red onion (I left this out), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds

The "Jivin' Juice Popsicle" for the snack included: green apples, red beet, lemon, ginger, sea salt

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What I liked the most: I actually really enjoyed the juices as well as the dinner salad. The morning breakfast cereal was also completely fine. The juice popsicles were good too - a little bitter at first, because of the beet, but my taste buds quickly adjusted and it was quite good.

What I hated: The beet cabbage salad. DISGUSTING. I took one bite and threw the rest away. I know, I know -- that's not how cleanses work!! But I figure it this way.... at least I'm figuring out what foods absolutely disgust me so I know, once the cleanse is over, what foods to steer away from and substitute for something else.

I think today went really well, since I only gagged and refused to eat one dish!
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POSSIBLE DETOX SYMPTOMS: 

• Headaches
• Sinus Congestion/Drip
• Achy, Flu-like Symptoms, without Fever
• Gas and Bloating
• Fluctuations in Energy Levels
• Foggy Brain
• Sticky Mouth
• Fluctuating Sleep Patterns
• Deep Emotions
• Worsening of Skin Conditions such as Eczema, Acne, Hives

Out of those possible symptoms, my two greatest right now are the achy, flu-like symptoms and fluctuating energy levels. For someone who is already in pain, adding aches and flu-like problems on top of it is a bit of a ball buster. 

I took an Epsom Salt bath today and almost passed out afterwards. I'm guessing that's part of the "fluctuating energy levels" deal. However, I also think I'm having some serious troubles with anemia (dizziness upon standing, increased heart rate, extremely low energy, etc.), so I've added one ferrous gluconate tablet to my regimen to see if that helps. 

3 days down... 4 more to go!

DAY TWO of the Raw Cleanse Diet

DAY TWO

Breakfast: Almond Chia Pudding with Strawberries
Lunch: Leftover Lettuce Cup
Dinner: Lemon Zuke Soup + Apple & Avo Salad

The "Almond Chia Pudding with Strawberries" for breakfast included: unsweetened almond milk, pitted dates, natural vanilla extract, sea salt, chia seeds (we had to substitute flax seed for this, since I have an inflammatory reaction to chia), raw almonds, and sliced strawberries

See the last post for what was in the "Lettuce Cup"

The "Lemon Zuke Soup" for dinner included: vegetable broth, chopped zucchini, celery, avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and olive oil, with spinach and hemp seeds as a topping. 

The "Apple & Avo Salad" included: 1/2 avocado with 1/2 green apple. The apple was seasoned with lemon juice, minced fresh ginger, sea salt, onion powder, and garlic powder

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What I liked most: Lunch... actually the only meal where I ate the entire thing. I also liked the "apple & avo salad" for dinner. Surprisingly, apple and avocado go great together! Who knew?

What I hated: DINNER. Specifically the "Lemon Zuke Soup". No. It wasn't just the "oh that wasn't the greatest. Let's not have that again" type of dinner. It was "I only had 6 bites and now I'm about to vomit" type. I literally only had 6 bites. I couldn't stomach it. My eyes started to water; my gag reflex was in full force! Just bad. So, so bad.

Breakfast was the "I could do without ever tasting that again" meal. Probably because ours was more of a soup than a pudding. I really hated the strawberries in it too... I don't think those flavors mixed well (for me at least).

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Symptom Tracker: 

My energy level has been extremely low. But, to say it's the diet I think is a bit of a stretch. I've been more sore and tired lately anyways, so it could just be a fluctuation in my overall symptoms -- which probably signifies that this is a great time to be on a cleanse! I also just went off of my methotrexate, leucorvorin calcium, and folic acid, so that could also be a contributing factor.

My lower back is sore tonight. More sore than usual, I'd say. But that had more to do with the fact that I stood up for so long helping my mom to prepare all of the juices for tomorrow, plus I washed dishes, which is always a bad idea.

I learned from the "Autoimmune Secrets" documentary that the brain needs to drain at night, and those of us who don't sleep well tend to keep a lot of the toxins in our brains that we are supposed to be releasing. So, tonight, for healthy brain drainage (??) I placed a drop of Frankincense on my left temple and dragged it across my forehead to the right temple. We'll see what it does!

Also: I can't believe we've only been on the cleanse for two days. Feels like a million years 😂

Day ONE of the Raw Cleanse

We are finally starting the 7-Day Raw Cleanse by Tessa Masters and Karen Kipp (found on Daily OM).

DAY ONE:

Breakfast: Green Dreamsicle Smoothie
Lunch: Broccoli Bonanza Salad
Dinner: Spicy Lettuce Cups

The "Green Dreamsicle Smoothie" for breakfast included: unsweetened almond milk, orange zest, one orange, kale, vanilla extract, and bananas. 

The "Broccoli Bonanza Salad" for lunch included: (salad) broccoli florets, green cabbage, diced celery, red onion, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds... (dressing) water, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, raw pine nuts (soaked), raw unsalted sunflower seeds, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and sea salt  

The "Spicy Lettuce Cups" included: romaine hearts (separated)... a filling of raw almonds, raw walnuts, chopped carrot, green onion, fresh ginger, diced zucchini, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, and cilantro... the toppings included carrot, celery, green onion, diced avocado, and fresh lemon juice

** I had an apple as my evening snack.

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What I enjoyed most: The lettuce cups! I wasn't sure about it at first, but I actually really enjoyed it! This is definitely a recipe that I wouldn't mind keeping around. I found the avocado to be a necessity though -- otherwise it was a bit dry!

What I hated: The broccoli salad. No surprise there for me, since I really hate broccoli! It was do-able if you smothered it in dressing, but even then, I spit out a couple bites, haha. Not my proudest moment.

The breakfast wasn't terrible. Although it was compared to drinking vomit because of the texture, it mainly tasted like bananas.

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Honestly, for a first day, this went amazingly well. I'm terrified for the beet salad on Wednesday... but I guess I'll have to tackle that one when the day arrives! Stay tuned for Day TWO... I have a feeling it's only going to get weirder from here!

The Raw Cleanse Menu

We officially start the 7-Day Raw Cleanse tomorrow! Here is our menu for the week: 

I think we have actually prepared quite nicely: 

I also bought an alkaline water pitcher, which I'm really excited about! According to the doctors on the documentary "Autoimmune Secrets", as well as other research I've read, alkaline water is the best to drink -- especially while trying to heal the body. Stay tuned to see how the first day goes! 

The 7-Day Raw Cleanse

I briefly spoke about a detox cleanse I am going to be taking part in this next week. The one I am participating in is by Tess Masters and Karen Kipp and can be found on Daily OM: 7-Day Raw Cleanse. I'm not going to give you everything that they provide, since that would be a disservice to their program, but you can access the cleanse for as little as a $10 donation. The cleanse is:

• vegan (dairy-free, egg-free)
• gluten-free
• grain-free
• refined sugar-free and low in natural sugar
• low-carb (non-starchy vegetables)
• soy-free
• legume-free
• corn-free
• paleo-friendly
• nightshade-free (no tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, or potatoes)

I am starting with the "Gentle Cleanse." Maybe eventually I will try the "Deep Dive Detox" which involves 4 days of clean eating and 3 days of juice fasting, but for this first time, I think just 7 days of clean eating with juicing will be a great start. During the cleanse, we can eat a series of Raw Snacks: 

• raw dehydrated kale chips
• raw dehydrated flax crackers
• raw sprouted nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans
• raw sprouted seeds - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
• raw low-sugar fruit - berries, grapefruit, green apple, kiwi
• raw veggies - cucumber, carrot, celery, cauliflower, jicama, avocado
• raw chia puddings - stir 2 tablespoons of chia seeds into 1 cup freshly made juice or almond milk, chill for an hour
• freeze-dried veggies or fruits (preferably no sulphites)
• fermented sauerkraut or dill pickles
• homemade juice popsicles
• raw frozen-fruit "ice cream" 

Beverage and Liquids include:

• almond milk
• fruit-sweetened lemonade
• fresh raw coconut water 
• organic herbal teas (peppermint, chamomile, rose hip, lemon - NO CAFFEINE)
• coconut water kefir
• kombucha (2-6 oz per day)

I think this will be a great start to completely vegan, clean, whole-food eating! 

We Are Curable!

Here are the next two episodes of the documentary Autoimmune Secrets by Jonathan Otto. I really honestly believe that this documentary is absolutely life changing to anybody suffering from any type of disease. WE ARE CURABLE! This documentary, along with the books I have been reading have completely changed my mindset. No longer do I think I will need to be on any medication of ANY KIND. No longer do I think that this disease is going to be with me forever. No longer am I planning on what type of hip replacements I am going to need! This is groundbreaking... and I hope some of my spoonie/autoimmune friends will join me on this journey.

I really do think this is going to be a long and winding road; definitely not an easy one either! But I am determined and prepared to make the changes I need to make to give my body the right resources to heal itself. I'll bring everybody up to speed on the detox, what the grocery list consists of, as well as the recipes we'll be following for that 7-day period. If wanted, I'll keep up after that with a bit of a food journal to document how the vegan whole-foods diet is working and what I'm eating (I will most likely be following Dr. Fuhrman's cookbook Eat to Live after the detox).

Episode 2: When Your Body Attacks: How to Win the War Against Lupus, Arthritis, Thyroid Dysfunction, Infertility, and many other Autoimmune Diseases. 

Episode 3: Missing Puzzle Pieces: Can Your Mind be Restored? Exposing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Dementia. 

Rheumatology Day

I saw my rheumatologist today, and I was actually prepared for a bit of a fight and general disappointment. My goal was to speak with him about methotrexate and if I could possibly substitute an immune modulator in its place as well as talk about this new diet I'm about to embark on. The task was daunting, since I find medical professionals a bit intimidating... it's like you have to break the barrier of this idea that you're just the patient and don't know as much as them. I am confident in the research I have done, but still feel like I'm not in the position to be recommending my own treatment plan to someone who has been in the field for 30+ years.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by his reaction. He was 100% on board with my ideas! I am no longer going to be taking the methotrexate (as well as the folic acid and leucovorin calcium, since those were to counteract the negative effects of mtx), and he is also willing to hold off on giving me a biologic until we see how I'm feeling with the diet detox and then keeping up with the new food plan afterwards. I see him again in 2 1/2 months to regroup, see how things are going, and move forward from there. To say I'm happy with the way everything went today is probably an understatement, and I feel like I've opened this dialogue with him that will allow me to continually bring in new research I have found, discuss the books I'm reading, and actually be an active participant in how my treatment proceeds! Very, very exciting! I also gave him the information to Dr Fuhrman's book Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease. He was extremely receptive to this suggestion and actually seemed like he was going to read it! A big thumbs up for me! 😁

Also! I hope everyone is watching this new documentary by Jonathan Otto. I am lucky enough to be on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's email list, so I was given the head's up and links to subscribe, but if you have not yet watched Episode 1 (of the 7-part documentary) please watch it here!

Episode 1: Autoimmune Disease Exposed: Preventing & Beating All of the 100+ Autoimmune Conditions

I know there is resistance to changing your mindset on the prognosis of autoimmune diseases. It has actually taken me a few years to completely wrap my brain around the fact that this actually is a curable disease - regardless of what doctors (whom I trusted!) have been telling me for the last decade. 

And for those keeping track: I went from 9 medications down to 5 in just one day!

*immune modulators: (Vitamin D3, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase...) bring the ratio of the different immune cells back into balance to enable the immune system to function correctly.

A Fresh Start

I'm starting this blog back up to record my new journey through healing myself from Ankylosing Spondylitis and now also Lupus.

Let's start off with my current medication list:

1.  Hydroxychloroquine (for Lupus)... 200mg... 1x daily
2.  Methotrexate (for AS)... 2.5mg... Fridays: 2 in am/ 2 in pm
3.  Omeprazole (for GERD)... 20mg... 2x daily
4.  Leucovorin Calcium (to counteract mtx)... 5mg... 1 Saturday am
5.  Diclofenac Sodium (anti-inflammatory for AS)... 75mg... 1x daily
6.  Folic Acid (to counteract mtx)... 1mg... 2x daily
7.  Vitamin D3... 1000iu... 1x daily
8.  Tramadol (for pain)... 50mg... 2 in am/ 2 in pm daily
9.  Cosentyx (now maybe switching to Simponi for AS)... 150mg... every 4 weeks

Even on this many medications, I am NEVER symptom free. Yes, 100% of my day has some degree of pain, usually what I put at 5 or 6 on the pain scale. It is a "white noise" in my life. From my head to my toes.
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I will be following Dr. Fuhrman's methods of healing the body through diet, as well as adding in mental health/meditation healing through various books I am reading (thanks to the help of a wonderful Australian friend by the name of Lauren!). As of this moment, I am combining four books and will be adding to my repertoire, so be sure to stay tuned!

1. Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. 
2. You are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Dr. Joe Dispenza
3. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
4. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

I will most likely be adding more of Dr. Fuhrman's books to this list, as well as his new 7-part documentary on autoimmune diseases and how to cure them. I am also currently using a meditation practice titled: Kundalini Meditation: Guided Chakra Practices to Activate the Energy of Awakening by Harijiwan Khalsa (this can be found on Audible). 

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My tipping point: Not just being diagnosed with Lupus, but with every single doctor looking at my x-ray and telling me it's normal to have degeneration in my SI joints. NO. It's NOT normal. I'm 27 years old. At 27, my body should not already be damaged and falling apart. Also. Hydroxychloroquine is a terrible medication, as is methotrexate.... and basically every other medication I am on. I'm at this point of I either take my health into my own hands, or I gamble on whether the disease or the medications will kill me first. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be alive in 10 - 20 years, so I'm going to go with taking my health into my own hands. 

I am VERY excited about this new journey! So don't come at me with "AS is incurable, you'll never do it", because number one - it's been done, and number two - nobody needs that kind of negativity in their life. 

My end goal? To be medication FREE and happily living life.