Because my Raw Vegan diet does not include dairy, gluten, or any animal products - and consists of dark leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and sea vegetables - 'common' thinking dictates that my body is not getting enough of what it needs to survive!
Once a year I visit the doctor to have my bloodwork done and renew my Thyroid prescription - my only medication - and there have been no supplements for many years, with the exception of my personal experiment with B-12 (results below).
After being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism (low thyroid) more than 25 years ago, taking daily medication is part of my routine - the doctor told me I would be taking thyroid pills for life.
But my body's amazing ability to regenerate and heal itself is now showing me something new - this is the third time my thyroid medication has been lowered! Here are the results of my thyroid lab work:
2008 = 125 mcg / 2009 = 100 mcg / 2010 = 75 mcg / 2011 - 75 mcg / 2012 - 50 mcg
At my yearly physical, mammograms, pap smears, and colonoscopy tests are declined by me - my doctor laughingly calls me the one who doesn't want any tests! But this time I requested to have my B-12 tested also, although they only test from bloodwork. Here is the result of my B-12 lab work:
B-12 = 241 pmol/L (150 - 220 pmol/L = low probability of symptomatic deficiency)
Now for MY PERSONAL B-12 experiment!
I decided to do my own trial, and up to this point I had only ever taken one bottle of B-12 a year or more ago. But to discover what my body would tell me, I decided to test it out for myself. I bought a bottle of 1000 mcg B-12 Methylcobalamin (instead of the cheaper synthetic form, Cyanocobalamin) that dissolves under the tongue and started taking one per day.
Then after watching a video on B-12 on the Internet, I purchased a package of B-12 strips (1,000 mcg Methylcobalamin) that are dissolved on the tongue and swallowed once a day. I stopped taking the bottled pills while doing my trial with B-12 strips.
DAY 1 B-12 strips - A canker on the end of my tongue!
DAY 2 B-12 strips - The strip burned my tongue! (Felt like drinking something so hot it burned my tongue, with my tongue remaining tender into the next day.)
This ENDED my test of B-12 under the tongue strips! To be fair, these B-12 strips had ingredients not in my B-12 pills which could have caused my reaction - but what I did discover was that they were not for me. I went back onto the B-12 pills for another week and then stopped taking B-12.
Time passed, and since I needed to renew my thyroid pills, it was off to the doctor for my yearly tests. My testing was done on March 16, 2012 with the results in bold above.
Now keeping in mind that I have been eating mostly raw foods and drinking Green Smoothies since 2005 - I have to wonder about the connection! For me the result is in the pudding - and I guess that means me. So how do I feel without B-12 supplements? Well I am not exhibiting any symptoms like poor blood sugar control, nervous system disfunction, depression, poor memory, shakiness; I have had lab tests done; and I am feeling good!
Remember this was my own personal experiment - I am not a licensed medical professional - and am not making any recommendations, either for or against, taking B-12 supplementation! Each individual's body and diet are unique to that individual, and they should follow what feels right for them. What works for me, may not work for another!
So once again, it comes down to MY same old question: Is optimum health really about external influences like food, medication, environment - or does our attitude truly have a direct effect upon our health? All I know for sure is that life is a delicately woven web with many possibilities - and I remain open!
Putting together raw dishes can be fun! Even though this one looks and smells amazing, it isn't all that complicated. These are the steps I took to make my lunch today - a Sweet n' Sour Platter over Veggie Rice (and the recipe will definitely be included in the My Daily Eats e-book).
VEGGIE RICE
Veggie rice is made in a food processor by simply placing chopped root vegetables in the food processor, adding seasonings, and processing lightly just until it resembles rice (overprocessing will make it wet and mushy).
Experiment with as many different kinds of root vegetables that you can find. Butternut squash, cauliflower, daikon radish, parsnips and carrots are but a few of what is available.
MARINATING VEGGIES
Luckily I had a partial casserole of marinated veggies all ready in the fridge. But normally I make up a casserole of mixed veggies once a week, add a simple marinade, and dehydrate for a few hours. Using an 8" square glass casserole provides me with a few meals - or 1-2 meals for a family!
A marinade can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be - some people just use olive oil and salt, others use more ingredients - here's your chance to let those creative juices flow!
ADDING THE SAUCE
There was leftover Sweet n' Sour Sauce from yesterday's meal, so all I had to do was mix spoonfuls of the sauce into the marinated veggies. If you have a favourite sauce, this is the place to use it.
Ensuring all the veggies have a good coating makes for a really tasty dish.
COMPLETING THE DISH
Finally the veggie rice was spooned in the centre of a lovely plate (beautiful presentation seems to amplify taste). The sauce coated veggies were ladled over top of the rice, and I made sure to leave some rice showing around the sides of the plate.
For the final touch, I drizzled spoonfuls of the sauce over the platter of rice and veggies and served the dish with chopsticks. Taking a moment to appreciate this feast for the senses somehow made it all the sweeter!
They're legal and they ate raw! My Grandsons just turned 21 and this is their Birthday Dinner.
As you can see Kevin on left, and John on right, just can't wait to dive in!
Raw Menu:
Bruschetta on Pizza Crusts, Sea Salad with Figs,
Sweet n' Sour Platter over Veggie Rice
Dessert: Chocolate Orange Cheesecake!
Happy Faces!
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| Pesto Pasta |
My daughter Shanna is eating more raw daily and this is one dish I happened to catch her creating today. Her boys are loving this exploration into raw foods.
Today she made the Pesto Pasta from my Saucy Raw Pasta e-book. To this she added sauteed chicken pieces, and a green veggie salad for this wonderful part raw, part cooked meal!
Her boys are always ready for dessert, so they were happy when she served up a Raw Mixed Berry Crumble!
1-1/2 cups coconut flakes
1/2 cup Agave or 1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup (1/2 cacao & 1/2 carob) powders
1/8 tsp Vanilla Powder
pinch of Himalayan salt
1/4 cup melted Coconut Oil
- Start by melting the coconut oil which can either be heated in a dehydrator, or melted in a jar sitting in a bowl of warm water
- Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl
- Add melted coconut oil to the bowl and combine well
- Drop by spoonfuls onto non stick sheet or into mini baking cups
- Put in fridge or freezer to set, and store covered in the fridge
An easy way to gradually introduce your family to living food is to add just one raw dish per meal. Serve the dish alongside the rest of the food and let your family taste and decide for themselves.
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| Kelp Noodle Bowl |
My daughter Shanna has been doing just that - slowly including more raw dishes into what she serves her family for dinner. And even though her boys will eat just about anything - they definitely know what they like!
Drumroll please - Shanna is Uncooking! Today my daughter made the Kelp Noodle Bowl from my "Saucy Raw Pasta" e-book and her family had an amazing meal - part raw, part cooked! So for my proud Mom moment - I just had to take a picture of her creation to share with you!
Congratulations to each of you for your participation in this GSC!
Changing one's habits is not an easy thing and takes some determination, so give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back! But even if you didn't join us this time, you now have some new GS recipes to try out for yourself!
So how did you do? If you joined me during these few days of exploring the benefits of this simple living food green drink, I would love to hear your experiences. Contact me by leaving comments below or sending an Email To Me
Personally, this was a very illuminating time for me - and YES I did consume 2 full Vitamix blenders of GS for each of the 4 days as well as drinking water. On days 3 and 4 I did enjoy a snack of 1 piece of fruit each day and that was all.
I loved waking up each day refreshed and ready to take on the world! By doing something as simple as completing this GSC, I feel empowered - my life is under my control - and I know the choice is mine! Here are some of my experiences during this GSC to share with you!
Physically:
- After day 1 my tongue was covered with a thick white coating - thought you might find this chart interesting (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
- On day 3 woke up with a metallic taste in my mouth which only lasted a few minutes, and as I am not on any drugs, I remembered that Cilantro can bind with heavy metals and remove them from the body.
- Since I have been drinking GS for many years now, there was no problem getting used to drinking the entire blender, but I was still full at dinnertime and found the 2nd blender more challenging to finish.
- During day 1 there was a slight fullness in my head, but it gradually disappeared.
- What I noticed was that my energy was stronger during the day and into early evening, and less so later in the evening, especially on day 3. So I went to bed at 10 pm and woke up at 5 am, which showed me that I need less sleep than I thought. Guess there's a reason I'm usually up till midnight and wake at 7.
- Absolutely no cravings of any kind - not even an inclination for solid food that I found surprising. Even days after the challenge my appetite for food is much less.
- Digestion, bowel movements, and urination have been regular and frequent.
- A small mole has dried and is coming off. This happened once before since I became a raw foodie, with another mole that came off and has never reappeared.
Mentally:
- Cleaning up my environment always cleans up my mind. When scattered viewpoints are not coming at me from cable TV, radio, outside opinions, etc, I think clearly...period! And when this happens, there is now space for creative ideas and solutions to enter my thoughts.
- Brain fog is not something I experience - but have to say that amplified clarity is a wonderful place to be!
Intuitively:
- Just today I realized that I was picking up impressions from people, things, and animals. And when I paid attention, more became clear.
- My consciousness seems to have opened more than usual to new concepts that weren't there before.
- I know that my creativity has definitely opened. This afternoon when I came home ready to eat for the first time, I simply could not eat until a new meal had been created. Have a look on My Daily Eats page!
Overall, this has been another wonderful experience for me, reminding me once again that this amazing tapestry of life is woven together by many threads. The food we eat, the thoughts we think, the environment we live in, the people we surround ourselves with, and the work we engage in, all become the lifestyle we experience - who WE CHOOSE to be!
During March I am presenting a 1-hour Green Smoothie Workshop at Busye Bodye Naturals in Abbotsford - see listing on my Events Page
Because my Raw Vegan diet does not include dairy, gluten, or any animal products - and consists of dark leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and sea vegetables - 'common' thinking dictates that my body is not getting enough of what it needs to survive!
