Optimal Health Journey

[StarchBeet]

Thanks nomikins, we'll be doing this together and I'll see you on the way.

[sksamboots]

You go !! Keep on keepin on

[StarchBeet]

I've made some more mango/greens salad with mango/cilantro/lemon dressing along with three bean salad with miso/lemon/rice vinegar (I could not find the mustard but I know its in that refrigerator!) dressing.

I'm planning on doing a stir fry with chinese greens, mushrooms and what ever other things I can throw into the pot for dinner.

I was enjoying the wonderful salad when I realized that right now in Costa Rica they are enjoying that and about a hundred other things in the day as health producing wonderful nourishment. That's what got me going and I've been so happy that it was what I needed. I can't say why I waited too many years to focus, with all my might, but I sure intend on making it last. This last year has been fantastic as I pleasurably eat for health.

Cheers!

[StarchBeet]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/28585497@N02/5929897221/]Mixed greens (arugula, watercress, etc), grated fennel, cucumbers, etc with mango's and

[sksamboots]

Your orchid is beautiful!!! Oh and that salad too

[StarchBeet]

Thank you!

[StarchBeet]

Ratattouile (not in France though) by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/28585497@N02

[StarchBeet]

what to make?????

I'm hungry. Oh shoot, I forgot weigh in.

I have left over asian greens and rice.

[StarchBeet]

A lifetime of rich, high fat eating did in my gallbladder. Saturday I had a salad with house dressing from the Dutch Market. I ate half a container -container was like 5 tablespoons. That was my lunch. An hour later I was writhing in pain enough to not care about what it was going to cost to go to ER.

This time the stomach pain included the pancreas. It was a burning sensation. It is no fun. I was in the hospital for four days. I so wish I had been able to try to get information from Dr. McDougall and Jeff. I had one day of "clear diet" and since I had no food for two days I drank juice, ate two bites of the jello. I felt my pancreas disaprove. The next meal I made a warm drink of honey and lemon and didn't drink juice or eat anything. Then I had the operation the next day.

I also had a hernia, so that was repaired. Right now I'm in pain because of the effects of CO2 that goes to your shoulders after the operation. My stomach didn't have food for four days and its not sure what to do. My friend made me what I asked. I have a potato stew with kale in the fridge. She blended half the potatoes and I forget what else is in there. She also made a salad with my beans form the garden. I just had a few bites of oatmeal and half a banana. I will look forward to when my intestines are happy with what I'm eating and can handle digesting them.

Much more to follow on this..including sharing McDougall lifestyle with at least three people (written down resources) and many others who could benefit form the knowledge and practice.

My heart bled when I met a fellow patient in the hall. She was in her 20's and had just had GASTRIC BIPASS SURGERY. She was three hundred pounds. She had that look of "how can I do this while being told I can't eat" look. I wanted to cry and to take her home with me. I can't believe what is going on in this country. She was one who got resources of how to eat well listed on a sheet of paper. Another was a woman who was over-weight and was scheduled for gall baldder surgery. She worked there and I plan to bring in some healthy food treats for them in the future so they can see how it can be done. Who knows if they will even be the least bit open.

In the middle of the night I had a great RN. She listened to me talk of my weight loss. Then she chimed in about "protein". So later that night I smiled and said (jokingly) I want to lecture her. I began about the myths we're told about protein. I went on for probably an hour weaving in all the people who have shown that this lifestyle makes you healthy and who makes out by letting us believe milk and meat are the optimum fuels.

[nomikins]

Oh my! Hope you are feeling much better and easing back into things. This must have been terrible to deal with. Hang in there and get well, stat!

[StarchBeet]

I appreciate your best wishes nomikins

I am getting close to the 140's in weight and that is monumental. I guess I'll focus on that when I'm healed better. Still it keeps me going. Rest is what I need since I slept about 3 hours a night for the last 5 days. I think I got more last night. I will continue to get more and heal up in no time.

This potato stew is fabulous.

[Chile]

Holy Moley, StarchBeet! What a bummer to end up in the hospital in such pain. I hope you heal quickly and can get back to your normal healthy eating!

[StarchBeet]

Thank you for your kindness Chile.

The good I'm seeing coming from the gall bladder going bad has been that not eating for four days has reset my ability to eat close to capacity, if you don't mind that I call it that, since I've lost about 5 pounds a month in the past year vs easily losing 15 pounds when starting the lifestyle change in the 80's. Maybe the inability to move like I used to, due to the back being herniated twice, has changed my metabolism. Hey I've even heard people claiming that they hit the age of 50 and suddenly it was too easy to gain weight.

I dunno why I want to knock or be dissatisfied with the slow weight loss. I guess I know that when I first did McDougalling I lost thirty pounds in two months (and that was the extent of my need to lose weight then). So I am trying to understand why its just taking its own sweet time on this new lifestyle now. I'm getting close to 140's in weight and now that this hospital stay has made how much I can eat far less, at least for now, I would imagine I may get a boost to lose the rest of my weight as I get close to the ideal weight.

I dunno what these changes will bring to me and I will record them as I experience them.

I still have a container of potato soup and I'm eating mostly oatmeal and potato soup. I need to look at more options for the weekend. My energy is slowly coming back. The pain from being pumped with CO2 (that then settles in your shoulders and is VERY uncomfortable)is subsiding a lot today-or the meds are making it go away.

Maybe too much information but I had my first bowel movement today since last monday. Thank goodness things are slowly working again. Its very painful to get up or roll around on the bed. Last night I managed to sleep until 2 am when I got up, had more meds and was asleep until 6 am. That was the first night of mostly sleep since last Saturday. Not sleeping and being in pain really makes you mad. Add not eating food when you LOVE it... it was a hellish experience in the hospital.

Now at home I eat such small portions. I'm amazed. But my intestines just aren't able to do what they do well, yet. I am going to get some probiotics this weekend. I'm going to make some South of the Border salad this weekend.

Time for a nap.

[Ege Bamyasi]

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[StarchBeet]

Swainsons Lori, the Rainbow Tweety by jewelsadk1, on Flickr[/img]

RIP Dear Tweety B: 1992 , D: 7/22/2011


My dear old yellow lab is almost 14. Everything gets old and goes back from whence we came.