Creating health one day at a time

My 11 Year Overnight Success with an Organic, Holistic Diet. Part 1.

Mar10
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

In the last couple of months, I have been receiving a lot of feedback about my Facebook posts either via private message or emails. Many believe that my transition to eating healthy, organic, whole foods has been an overnight success. This is far from the truth.

Like most overnight successes, it was years in the making.

In 1995, I was diagnosed with cancer. Chemotherapy, radiation and no diet changes. I did however I take supplements to support myself during treatmeant.

In 2001,  I was diagnosed the second time with cancer. I chose naturopathic medicine. My naturopathic doctor changed my diet drastically. No sugar, no beef, no dairy. Limited meat. I couldn’t remember when I felt so good. A year and a half later and I was back to eating the standard American diet (S.A.D. – telling right?!).

Two and a half years after I began eating my SAD diet again (2005), cancer recurrence. Rituxin – immunotherapy. I didn’t change my diet. I believed I couldn’t afford it.

Three years later. (April 2008) Cancer again. I began to change my diet. I was about 95 pounds heavier than I am now. Gerson therapy in September 2009 taught me about juicing and making healthier food choices. I lost 60 pounds from feeding my body correctly, detoxing my liver, which helped my lymph flow better.

By March 2010, I was back to eating the SAD. September 2010, the cancer became aggressive and spread to my bone marrow – stage 4. October 2010, I could barely walk. November 2010, I was thrown into chemotherapy. My friends were cooking for me and provided me with much healthier food options. Chemotherapy made me lose another 30 pounds.

By March 2011, chemotherapy was over. The move-to-Delaware stress began. My diet was better as it always is when I go through a kick in the can from cancer. If I went out, I chose healthier options. I didn’t go all fast food on my body. For the most part, I craved the good stuff. (Except the bag of PB cups I ate every week).  Then I went on a cruise and ate so much junk. One slice of pizza every single day. Dessert at dinner most days. Soda. Why don’t I just shut down my immune system right now and put a welcome mat out for Mr. Cancer to come back in?! I felt so yucky and low energy for weeks after the cruise, but I attributed it to jet lag. Jet lag does not last a month. My hip hurt as well, which was similar to the feeling I had when the cancer became aggressive.

This drove me to booking a PET scan to make sure the cancer hadn’t resurfaced. It came back clear.  Whew! I narrowly escaped that one. I had to ask myself some hard questions. Do I want to live? Do I want to give myself the best chances at remaining healthy? Do I want to play Russian roulette any longer? Yes, Yes, and No.

I can look back at my history and clearly see the connection to food as my activator. (I say “my” because this is about me. Not everyone has the same activators.) My NDs have been lecturing me for YEARS – 11 to be exact – on what I needed to take out of my diet so that cancer wouldn’t get the upperhand on me again. I listened for a while, but without understanding the reasons why I needed to eat this way, it never became a long-term lifestyle change.

After four times with cancer and the last one almost taking me down, I decided it was time. Time to become fully immersed in this thing called “holistic nutrition.” Time to take the next step into empowerment while living with cancer.

Picking up a book was like giving me a list of things I “SHOULD” do. I probably wouldn’t finish the first book without some sort of accountability. Instead, I enrolled in a Holistic Nutrition Specialist program at the Southwest Institute of the Healing Arts in late August 2011.

For the first time in 17 years with cancer, I took full control of my diet and lifestyle changes with a complete understanding of why I am making the choices I am making and how they will benefit my health. Tune in for my next post as I list out what exactly has been done to ensure a successful long-term lifestyle change.

Posted in Uncategorized

What a Difference a Year Makes!

Mar09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

Has it been a month since I have posted? I have started several, but homework keeps me busy these days. Thank you Karen for the reminder to get busy. I decided to postpone homework to blog and maybe, just maybe I will be re-energized on the books. One can hope.

Heilee and I toasting my last chemo with sparkling apple juice.

Yesterday was a SUPER HUGE day in my little world. SUPER HUGE! Did I mention SUPER HUGE! It was the anniversary of my last chemotherapy. March 8, 2011 I was unplugged from chemotherapy. The cool thing about the date is that it was 2 chemotherapy sessions sooner than was originally planned. The oncologist recommended 8 treatments, but I responded so fast, he felt no need to do the additional 2. Woo Hoo!

What a difference a year makes. When chemotherapy started in November 2010 I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. It took an attitude adjustment and lots of love and prayers from friends, family and perfect strangers to keep me going. By January, my spirit had returned and I was going to beat this cancer thing…again. And now it is a year later and so much has changed. I am living for the first time in a really long time. In 12 months I have:

  • Survived cancer again.
  • Witnessed a baby born. (The single best moment of my life.)
  • Got my gallbladder removed.
  • Connected with my sisters and brother more than we have been since our parents passed away.
  • Driven across country with Kristine and my two dogs.
  • Saw some beautiful places coming across country and met interesting people.
  • Moved to Delaware with my husband.
  • Went on a once-in-a-lifetime Mediterranean cruise to Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia with my husband to witness a beautiful wedding between two friends.
  • Swam in crystal clear blue waters.
  • Felt the sand between my toes in cool new countries.
  • Visited NYC twice and DC once.
  • Volunteered with a great organization.
  • Did two speaking engagements.
  • Booked a speaking engagement for June 2012.
  • Spent time with my family.
  • Played in the snow with our snow-virgin dogs.
  • Enrolled (and almost completed) in a holistic nutrition program to help myself heal and found my purpose in life.
  • Learned how to cook healthy.
  • Started working out.
  • Learned to like brussel sprouts, kale and chia seeds.
  • Started a blog.

Whew! It has been quite a fulfilling year!

In December 2010, my  friend Beverly gave me the best advice. She said that sometimes we have to just be in the present moment, get through that moment, then the next and so on. Instead of setting goals for 2011, be present in each day. At the end of the year, look back at all you accomplished because if the only thing on that list is “beating cancer” it was bigger than most accomplishments in life. She was right and that is what I did. I stayed present and tried not to get ahead of myself. It helped me maintain my sanity in the midst of the most stress I have ever had. Thank you Bev for being the compass I needed at that given moment. And thank you God for giving me opportunity to do and be more than just beating cancer. :-)

I encourage each of you to sit down and write what you have accomplished in the last 12 months. Give yourself credit even for the little things like learning to like brussel sprouts.

 

 

 

Posted in Mind Set, Spirit - Tagged , ,

Day 111-113: For the Love of Kale

Feb09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

Kale, Kale, Kale.
Raw, steamed, or baked all make my spirit sail!

Yeah, whatever. I know it’s corny. Apparently, you don’t know how much I LOVE kale.

Before November, I didn’t like kale. Then along comes Meghan O’Hara, Registered Dietician,  holistic nutrition extraordinaire and health coach. She taught me how to make kale chips and I never looked back. (Click on her name to check out her Web site. She’s awesome and I highly recommend her.)

Meghan and I with the first kale chips I ever ate!

Now I am going to teach you Meghan’s awesome recipe. But first, you need to understand why kale rocks!

Kale is green, leafy and exploding with nutrients and flavor!

  • It is considered an anti-cancer vegetable because it is so high in flavonoids and carotenoids.
  • It is also an anti-inflammatory and an immune system builder thanks to the high level of vitamin K.
  • It is uber high in chlorophyll, which helps alkalize your body’s pH. What?! pH – I will be teaching you soon about pH. Alkaline is where it is at.
  • It helps your liver detox!
  • It is low in calories: only 36 per cup.
Kale FYI: Buy organic! It is on the EWG Dirty Dozen List. If you aren’t starting with crisp kale, pour a bowl of cold water, fill it with ice and drop the kale in it for a few minutes. It should crisp back up. Then move forward with the recipes. 

How to prepare the YUMMIEST EVER KALE CHIPS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash kale and rip into 1 – 1/2 pieces.

3. Drizzle with approximately 1 TBSP avocado oil (or olive oil), the juice of 1 lemon and then sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. (If you use olive oil, drop the temp down to 320 and bake longer. Otherwise olive oil will convert to a trans fatty acid).

4. Lay out the pieces flat on a baking sheet (put down parchment paper first, so clean up is easy.)

5. Bake. (The baking time varies. My oven is 7 minutes, but the recipe calls for longer.) Keep an eye on them. They go from crisp to burnt quickly.If your chips aren’t crisping up, that probably means your kale is old.

     Bowl O’ Kale Chips – crispy, yummy, nutritious kale chips.

How to prepare kale  salad:

1. Wash the kale well and cut the stem out (the stem is edible, but I find it too crunchy for me.)

2. Rip it or cut it up into bite size pieces and dry in a salad spinner then place in bowl.

3. Chop up a clove of garlic, let it sit for 5 minutes. This allows the powerful allicin to activate in the garlic.

4. Squeeze the juice of a lemon (or use balsamic vinegar) over the bowl and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

5. Add whatever other veggies, nuts, and seeds you would like, toss in the garlic and eat up!

How to steam kale:

1. Wash kale and cut into 1/2 inch slices and the stems a little smaller. Let them sit for 5 minutes

2. Bring water to a boil with a steamer basket on top. (I use my stock pot with the top steamer basket.)

3. Steam for 5 minutes and then top with a mixture of garlic, olive oil and lemon.

I have made both the chips and salad for many people. All of which, were surprised they liked it. I was too and now I can’t go more than a couple of days without kale.

Source: www.whfoods.org and www.truenourishment.me 

Posted in Whole foods nutrition

Days 100-110: It’s All Good Even When It Rains

Feb07
2012 2 Comments Written by Diane Paradise

It has been a wonderful whirlwind since Day 100! Every bit of it wonderful. I am in my fifth intensive nutrition course and it is amazing to see all of this learning come together with the effects it is having on my body, mind and spirit. Yes, nutrition impacts all of it. My energy level is increasing. My mind is able to focus more. And my spirit is becoming stronger.

During my “funk” last month, I did a lot of thinking and processing. It has been a long adulthood and I have experienced my share of adversity: Losing both my parents by the time I was 30, learning about some family secrets that rattled me to my core for a while, and having cancer four times. And none of which, I would trade because I have learned from these experiences.

However, from 2008-2011 the cancer was active and living with it really began to tear down my spirit. Those of you who know me, know I have LOTS of spunk and spirit, but I had NO energy behind it. And when I did have energy it faded fast; it was fleeting.

I quit my full-time job because I couldn’t keep up anymore. My husband and I made the decision for me to quit work and build my coaching business, but I found that I didn’t have the energy for that either. It faded. And the same thing happened when I started a non-profit. With each failure, it whittled away at my spirit without me even knowing it. It wasn’t until recently that I realized my spirit was secretly being stolen.

Things are changing thanks to this awareness!

I have spent many years gathering life experiences. And more years than I can count just surviving and enduring what life was throwing at me, Yes, I did it with an optimistic attitude, but I found it hard to actively plan and participate in life in between doctors appointments and therapies. It is time! With energy from holistic nutrition and even more knowledge from school, I am seriously excited about 2012. I have deemed this year the year of the harvest!

Yes, that sums it nicely. I looked up the definition of harvest before I chose that word. One definition of harvest is “to receive the benefits from.” Another is “the result or consequence of an activity.” 2012 and beyond is the time to reap the harvest. It is time to put all the knowledge about living with cancer, cancer survivorship and healthy lifestyle choices into good use by helping others.

Soil has been prepped, seeds have been planted, the crops have weathered all sorts of storms, the sun is shining and now it is ready for harvesting! As I go through these classes I am beginning to make tools and tip sheets for my clients and for seminars. I am seeing things in my head that can be developed to help people make healthier choices. Sure, I might experience more rain and maybe even a storm or two, but just like rain helps crops grow, it will continue to make me grow as well. This year I am stepping into whatever God’s plans are for my life and I commit to seeing them through with a renewed sense of self, spirit and health.

Posted in Body, Emotional, Mind Set, Spirit

Day 66-100: Hibernating and Healing

Jan27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

365 Days Ago: In January 2011, I was undergoing chemotherapy number 3 and 4 and my follow up PET scan to see how I was doing. My PET scan was on January 21. I remember this because it was two days after my birthday and we were supposed to have the results before chemotherapy #4.

We didn’t. I worried. The results were never delayed.

With intrepidation, I sat at my doctor’s office waiting to talk to him without an appointment. He came out with a smile on his face, handed me my scan results and said that after only three treatments the cancer was almost gone even in my bone marrow! He said they were exceptional and unexpected results. I remember him telling me to continue doing integrative therapies because they were making a major difference in the success of the protocol. [Insert happy dance here.]

The last 34 days:
First, thank you for being patient with me as I figure out how to fit blogging into my schedule.

It has been over a month since I have blogged, but I have wanted to blog. HONEST. Even thought about what a great blog topic something would be. Yet, I didn’t. Why? I was tied up. My fingers were… My…

I was in a funk. A miserable, cranky, saddy pants funk.

Part regular every year funk (except last year because I had bigger things on my plate) and part detoxing funk.

What is every year funk? It revolves around a few things…1. Unaccomplished hopes and dreams in the previous year. 2. The death of my mom (Jan. 7, 2000) 3. Trying to figure out where I want to go. Sometimes I am not finished with the last year yet. This was especially the case with 2011. You would think I would be over it and ready to move on considering it was a huge year of transition – surviving cancer AGAIN, moving to DE from AZ, enrolling in school and putting my brain to work.

Yet, I wasn’t done with it. I missed out on a few months and still had things to check off my to do list. I don’t like to carry anything into the next year.

Then the second funk started taking place – The Detox Funk. In December, I found out that I am experiencing delayed food allergies to cane sugar and all things cow and goat dairy. Now, I know what you are all thinking. She shouldn’t be eating sugar, dairy or beef anyway. Yes, you are right. But any change that starts with what I should or shouldn’t be doing isn’t going to last long if it even starts. I did give up sugar and dairy several times and went back to it. I know it impacts cancer and the immune system effectiveness. Then add the fact that I am allergic to it and WHAMO – it impairs my immune system and creates inflammation.

New Year’s Day I went cold turkey. All dairy and sugar products were removed from the house. Do you know how many names sugar has and where it is hidden?

It was awesome easy hard as hell. Death by chocolate is real, my friends, but it is death for chocolate. I even went as far as ordering 5 sugar free chocolate bars for $22! What?! I found myself trying to find something, anything buried deep in my cupboards that had sugar in it. When I did, I would stare it down. Jeff would come home to find some random thing on the counter and just shake his head. Oddly enough, two cookie containers were sitting in the garage full of peanut butter balls and cranberry, white chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t eat them. I still have eaten them. They sit there. I look at them every day on my way to the car. It’s like giving someone the silent treatment and waiting to see who cracks first. Senseless, right?! I know. Welcome to the world of detox.

A world that rears its ugly head in a lot of ways. Headaches, extreme fatigue, crabbiness, negative thoughts, low energy, inability to focus, judgement, severe ezcema patches and some not so pretty bowel movements. Oh yes, I did just say it. As Heilee says, “poop, there it is!”

This is why I haven’t been blogging as of late. Nothing I had to say was nice and it probably wouldn’t make much sense. My wires were crossing with all the sugar and dairy coming out. I barely had enough synapses firing to get my school work completed. Ironically though, a lot of profound thinking went on during this down time, which will be shared over the coming weeks.

Good news! I am on the other side of it now. My energy has increased, my headaches are gone, sugar and dairy are no longer missed, my synapses are firing, and I am back in the game.  By eating more nutrient-rich foods, my body began to feel better;  positive thinking is natural again; I am more connected spiritually with this level of extreme faith that it is all happening as it should; my pH is becoming more alkaline; and I feel more grounded and centered. My “light” feels like it is turned back on after four years of being extremely dimmed. WOW! What I eat really does influence how I feel and how I “see” the world and myself in the world.

Sometimes I wish I knew this nutrition information sooner and then I remember it comes when the subject is ready for it and can hear it. My NDs have been telling me this stuff in different ways for years. It just took me until now to hear it. I am incredibly grateful to still be “here” to hear it. I am ready to welcome 2012 with open arms and let go of what didn’t get done in 2011. Most likely, it didn’t serve my best and highest good anyway.

Happy New Year, my friends!

Posted in Emotional, Mind Set, Spirit, Whole foods nutrition

Day 55-65: Staying on track

Dec24
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

It has been the greatest 10 days for my health and some of the toughest days as well.

The last time I wrote I was on a train to NYC to see Heilee, Andrea, and Heilee’s cousin Elisa. We walked all around the city, (sprinted some times), road the subway, ate healthy
food, and  laughed – a lot. We saw the tree at Rockefeller Center, Central Park and so much more. I LOVE THE CITY! I just wish there was snow on the ground.

Heilee came back with me and we continued to get our walking in. We visited Longwood Gardens in PA on Monday afternoon once I was done with the radio show interview. Tuesday we walked all over Philly sightseeing, and Wednesday we did the same in Media. We probably logged 10-12 miles in 4 days.

Since then I haven’t been as active, but I have been doing my yoga stretching every day.

Spending several days hanging with Heilee was just what my spirit needed. This time last year she, Frannie, Delos, Dulce, my brother and my husband were taking care of me. Actually, at this exact time I was back in the hospital sick from chemotherapy.  I have come a long way and am grateful and blessed by my family and friends. Thank you for taking such good care of me! I love you with everything I am.

Now onto the tough part of the last 10 days: delayed and immediate food allergies are making life super tough right now. Digestive issues not only interfere with the day, but they physically exhaust me because I am not maintaining the food nutrients. I had about 4 good days then wham I ate something that made me sick. I have been sick up until last night. I made an organic free range turkey dinner with all the fixings and it seemed to agree with me.

My next challenge will be the next few days – Christmas Eve and Christmas. I am excited about being with my family in NY, but nervous about having food available that I can eat. We brought leftovers from the turkey dinner and are going shopping tomorrow for food options I can eat.

A future post will be more extensive about my food allergies. I am taking my time writing it to ensure accuracy.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. Be safe and well. May you have peace, love and joy this holiday season.

Posted in Uncategorized

Day 52-54: Up and Running

Dec11
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

Friday and Saturday proved to be successful days in the 365 Days of Health. Friday I spent most of the day prepping for our neighborhood holiday gathering. We are new to the area, so hosting it gave us the opportunity to meet everyone. Plus it was an appetizer and dessert party only, so the stress wasn’t there.

During the day I ran out to the local park and went for a quick walk. It was refreshing to be out and breathe in the brisk air. It was what I needed to get myself going again. Well, what really started my back on the right track was yoga on Thursday night. I am blessed with the best teacher and new friend in Liz. She is the kindest person with such a gentle spirit. Love her!

Saturday, our party started at 1. I planned a menu with some healthy and not healthy options. I made chips out of brown rice tortillas like Chef Rachel taught me and they were a huge hit! We had hummus, taboule, salsa,olives, crab dip (Ruth made it and YUM!), pesto feta naan  bread and tons more.  Plus after some nutrition conversation I was led to break out the kale!  Yup, Meghan O’Hara, I am your biggest fan and passing your kale chip recipe forward. The men and women at the party loved them and asked for the recipe. We had so much fun. The party went on well past 5 and I never ate a cookie or dessert! I did eat a meatball sub though and I loved it. ;-) It was great to talk nutrition and teach people some easy recipes. Everyone had a great time including us. Second beer run included. HaHa.

The only problem happened at the end of the night when I realized our candle melted down our wall and created a disaster. I am just glad it didn’t catch fire. Yikes!

Today I am on a train to NYC to spend the day with Heilee and Andrea from Arizona. Being with great friends and having a girls day is fantastic for health. We plan on doing a lot of walking in the city (with Elias, Heilee’s cousin too) and then Heilee is coming back to spend 3 days with us. WOO HOO!

One last note: Tomorrow at 2 PM I am going to be a guest on Dr. Cindy Anderson’s radio show, Your Health is Your Wealth for an hour. You can like her page on FB or go to www.ftnsradio.Co not com. Please listen on if you can.

I am signing off now. Please excuse typos. I am blogging from my phone on the train. How cool is that?! Have a healthy day!

Posted in Uncategorized

Day 37-51: Bruised from falling off the bandwagon

Dec08
2011 2 Comments Written by Diane Paradise

It’s been way too long since I posted. I would love to say I have been doing tremendous things for my health since we last met, but that isn’t the case. It’s Christmas time and for the first time since my mom  passed I went all in baking cookies for everyone. You see it is a tradition. My mom and I with my sister Connie and niece Lise used to bake weekend after weekend in November and December just to make cookies for just about everyone in the town. Okay, maybe not that many, but A LOT! Peanut butter balls, orange drop cookies, marmalade cookies, honey cookies and on and on. I think we did about 8 dozen of 10 types of cookies. Then we made up trays to hand out. It was so much fun delivering them. I remember the last time I delivered cookies to my mom’s neighbor (mom passed away suddenly a couple weeks after Christmas that year). I rang the doorbell and heard feet flying down the stairs and from the back of the house and two young girls yelling, “the cookies are here, the cookies are here.” I will never forget it. It was those moments that made giving up every weekend to bake with Mom worthwhile.

I digress. My intention was to change all these cookie recipes into healthy ones by substituting flours for gluten free, refined sugar for coconut sugar, etc. I didn’t. I couldn’t. It didn’t feel like my time with Mom. Now normally, I am not much of a cookie eater, BUT I had just began removing sugar out of my diet when I started making these cookies. What happens when you give something up? At some point in the process of elimination you will KILL someone for what you can’t have. But I could have it. Refined sugar was in every cookie I made and every pecan and almond I spiced. And the day when I could no longer stay away, I ate 2 cookies, then 2 more cookies and then washed them down with a coke! OMG! I didn’t. Oh yes I did. Talk about feeling like crap mentally, physically and emotionally. (Insert toilet flushing sound). I was sad because I was baking cookies alone and missing my mom and my sisters. Then sprinkle in the fact that I just failed at eliminating sugar and I was one HOT mess.

Now I did do some GOOD things over the last 15 days and I must give myself some credit.

  1. I introduced family to kale chips over the Thanksgiving holiday. Some liked them, others did not. It was fun teaching people about food and talking nutrition. What I realized is how much the holistic nutrition concepts resonate with me. It’s pretty cool.
  2. I didn’t indulge in a lot of sugar over the Thanksgiving holiday. I showed restraint.
  3. We hosted a party for Jeff’s work team. I didn’t eat a single piece of lasagna because I am pretty certain I have dairy allergies. That was hard, but I did it. However, I had already busted the “no sugar” rule, so what the hell, right.  And I chose to eat the good food first: salad, bruschetta, green beans amandine and vegetable crudite.
  4. I used stevia in my homemade sauce instead of sugar and it didn’t change the taste a bit.
  5. I continued to experiment with new vegetables, fruits and grains while making whole foods for lunch and dinner.
  6. Although I didn’t make it to any yoga or gym classes last week, I did do yoga stretching at home almost every day.
  7. The day after Jeff’s party I rested all day. I staying in my pajamas until 2 in the afternoon. If we didn’t need to run an errand I don’t think I would have changed out of them.
  8. I took my supplements and consumed 8-10 cups of water a day.
  9. I completed my reading and homework assignments with little stress.Tonight I am off to yoga and officially back on the bandwagon! GO ME!
Have you fallen off the band wagon due to the holiday hustle and bustle? It’s okay. Just get back on and join me in moving forward on the 365 Days of Health.  
Posted in Body, Emotional, Mind Set, Spirit, Whole foods nutrition

Day 29-36: A food experiment

Nov24
2011 3 Comments Written by Diane Paradise

The past week I have been experimenting with food to learn what works with my body and for my body and what doesn’t by doing an extensive food log. The log shows how I feel within a half hour of eating as well as looking at the next day or two, my pH levels, my mood and more.

This is what I have learned so far: Dairy does not agree with me. (I already knew this, but decided to give it another whirl.) Gluten…I am not sure about. When I food logged I realized that the day I chose to eat a lot of gluten seemed to have choices with sugar as well. Other than that, I seem to relate to food well.

I have this excema patch on my thumb that lights up when I eat something that my body doesn’t like. It gets red, itchy and since it is a wet excema, it can get blistery and ooze clear fluid. Gross, I know. The days I was experimenting with food, my patch was terribly raw, red and well, you know.

Once I got through my experimenting stages, I decided to abstain from sugar and dairy for a few days. It is amazing to see how fast my thumb is healing up. I feel better and BONUS – my thoughts are clearer. I just did a delayed food allergy test IgG on Sunday. The results will be back in a couple of weeks to confirm or deny my suspicions. I look forward to finding out what is causing the trouble.

I have been experimenting with preparing food as well. Parsnips, brussel sprouts, turnips. I have liked them all! What I am realizing is how much easier it is to eat holistically than I realized. In future posts I will begin to share recipes.

I made yoga class twice last week, Thursday and Sunday. I am more centered and relaxed because of this practice, plus I am building muscle tone. Another day at the gym consisted of the treadmill and the sit up machine. I am rejoicing in my triumphs this last week. I am grateful for being on a solid road to making long-term lifestyle changes.

I have so much more to write, but I am extremely tired. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we have a long drive ahead of us -12.5 hours to be exact. We had this brilliant idea to sleep and get up at midnight and drive. Considering it is 10:30 pm now and I am still awake, I am sure it is going to be rough. I just hope I don’t fall asleep in my plate tomorrow. ;-) Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I will write more from the road.

Posted in Body, Spirit, Whole foods nutrition

Day 18-28: Keeping busy

Nov15
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Diane Paradise

Delaware Running Company finish line photo

Wow! It has been an eventful 10 days. Eventful in the truest sense of the word. The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward was in town (Newark and Wilmington, DE and Media and Philly, PA) from November 6 – 8 and then in NYC starting November 11. In my area, we held several small events. Liz and I have been working non-stop for weeks to make them happen. Some were better attended than others, but all who were present were glad they came. (See photos at bottom of post.)

Meghan, the Registered Dietician at Dr. Dennis Godby’s office in Sacramento taught 3rd and 4th graders about nutrition. “If it grows on a tree or comes out of the ground, then it is healthy for you to eat.” She asked the kids if oreos grew on a tree or came out of the ground. They all laughed and said that was silly. The kids really enjoyed learning about good nutrition and about what the guys have seen on their cross country trek. I, too learned a lot from Meghan and often think of her saying about the ground and trees when I figure out my meal choices. She also taught her sister and I how to make Kale chips! I can’t get enough of them. The last two days I have made and devoured them. Thanks for teaching me a new way to get my greens in.

Meghan and The Run team teaching 3rd and 4th graders about nutrition in Wilmington, DE

As busy as this time was, I remained true to my mission of doing one thing for my health every day. First and foremost, giving back to support a medicine that has supported me for 10 years was FANTASTIC for my health. Secondly, setting boundaries each day was great for my health. Difficult, but great. I postponed items on my to-do list for a week. One, my homework for one of my classes and two, this blog. Something had to give and if I didn’t set something down, it would be me. Staying healthy for me demands that I am balanced and eat right (even on the fly). Both of which, I was able to successfully accomplish by postponing these tasks.

Although I am playing a major game of catch up in my nutrition class, it was worth it. I stayed healthy with all the activity going on. Did I sleep well and get to bed on-time? No. Not once. Not even tonight. (It is 2 am.) I have been catching up on homework all day. I am almost done with last week’s homework. Another two hours tomorrow and I will be caught up. Then onto this week’s homework, which is due Thursday. Being behind does cause me some stress since I will probably land a big ZERO for my grades last week, but I can only do what I can do. I am taking time to do the reading and fully understand the concepts even though I won’t get a good grade. The knowledge will still be attained and a wise woman once told me it is the learning process, not the grade that counts. (Right Michelle?)

Balance is a necessity in my life to stay healthy. What do you need to do to stay healthy as we approach one of the busiest times of the year? 

 

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This blog is for informational purposes only and is my personal story. Please contact your physician for assistance with your healthcare.