Pulling Daisies: New Life!

First post-partum run

2012-01-21T18:13:00.001-08:00

I have been walking and gradually adding jog segments this week, and then today took it up a notch and did a 5k at a reasonable pace--not enough to hurt, but definitely a workout. (ok that is called long-run pace...fine, so 3 miles is my long run right now.) That makes sense, a month ago at the end of pregnancy I was doing walking workouts of 3 miles in an hour, so I can't expect to have any more endurance than that. Actually that fact kind of surprised me. I expected to get the baby out and suddenly be able to run like I used to, but really I just picked up where I left off. Except now I will be getting quicker as time goes on, not slower and slower! So this run today was a 5k in 40 minutes--13 minute mile, which was my reliable pace about 5th and 6th months of pregnancy. It will be nice to see that number drop now. I wonder how quickly I can expect that. Before pregnancy my 5k runs were about 29 mins.

Well I haven't done any other workouts, I thought Bob and Jillian (my new DVDs!) would be too intense. But maybe I will do yoga or upper body this week and get into an ever-other day run schedule.

I am just happy to be running again! It feels so good. Woo!

--
www.mindoverbodymarathon.com

Getting Back into the Groove

2012-01-17T19:32:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I started exercising. I just did 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill to test the waters and felt fine. Today I continued, adding a few minute intervals of easy jogs. I am following a "back to running" post-partum plan in one of my pregnancy fitness books, Running While Pregnant, which I totally recommend. A great read, good resource I went back to several times during pregnancy at different phases. Anyway this back-to-running plan is mostly walking, with about 3 brief runs (i.e. 1 minute long the first day and working up from there). It's a two week plan so I should be back to running by then.

I am playing it by ear, not knowing how workouts will go. Probably just take advantage of nap time. That means our family schedule has to be a bit flexible, as I have been wanting to really get on a schedule with school at a certain time and office hours for business; and we probably will find our general groove, but for now it just has to be more like "Baby is sleeping - I am on the treadmill!" or "I am nursing, come read some books!" etc.

2012-01-15T14:52:00.001-08:00

Something rather odd and interesting happened two days ago, two full weeks after the birth. I had been healing well in all ways, except my pelvic floor and surrounding muscles just felt very sore all the time, unless I was in bed resting. So then on this day, suddenly I passed some large blood clots and something else very large! After examining it and consulting with my midwife we decided it was part of the amniotic sac membranes that had been left in my uterus for two weeks!! After that, the soreness was magically gone. It was virtually as though I was still in labor, contracting that whole time, to get the last bit released!

So now suddenly I feel terrific, like 100% healed! I will start walking for exercise tomorrow and do what feels good, as long asi don't get fresh blood.

10 Days Post-Partum

2012-01-09T15:43:00.000-08:00

My recovery has been up and down. After 2 days I got sick of being in bed so I started coming out for meals and visits. Monday (the 4th day) I wasn't bleeding anymore and had some energy. The family was going to visit Great Grandma, and I felt pretty good so I didn't see why not. I felt okay on the visit and the rest of the day. Tuesday I took my son to piano lesson and my daughter to a friend's house (resting the rest of the day other than those two errands), and felt fine. Wednesday I still felt pretty good so we went out on a few more errands, grocery shopping. My mom then came into town so I was up most of the afternoon welcoming, etc.

Well I guess that sapped everything I had left, because Thursday I was sore, tired, and emotional and stayed in bed all day! We had family stop by but I didn't go out to visit.

So Friday I was very conservative. Saturday I was up about the house quite a bit, and Sunday went to 1 hour of church. Church made me really sore and bleeding started up again; I think it was the walking at a good pace through the halls, as opposed to the cautious way I pad throughout my house. And the rest of the day I felt very sore!

So that really made me re-think my plan to start walking for exercise this week. I am going to delay it a week and make sure I can handle basic stuff like errands and church first.

Anyhow, here's how my pregnancy weight stacked up.

Pre-Pregnancy 128
Maxed out at 155
After delivery 144
Today 139

...that is about the same as my other two pregnancies; 10-15 pounds to lose once its all said and done. My plan is to increase my raw foods and cooked vegetables, limiting my cooked starch. So, close to the Eat to Live diet, but more raw foods instead of all the beans.

Dieting for me is SO MUCH EASIER to do when I am not doing hard workouts. It's interesting how I put on weight when I got into running. Working out just gives me such an appetite that its hard not to eat everything in sight! And I really feel the difference when I am carbed up for a workout vs. insufficient fuel - and working out on insufficient fuel is NOT FUN AT ALL! I like to exercise to feel awesome, not to feel drained. So when I am focusing on cleansing it works out well to just walk and do yoga, keeping my appetite down. (Funny that the breastfeeding hasn't given me a huge appetite but then again I have been resting a lot too)

Anyhow, **Taylor** is doing great. Nights are going really well - for two nights I had to keep waking up and turning on a light (ok, my cell phone) to help him latch on but after that smooth sailing. I don't even wake up now! That is what I LOVE about co-sleeping. It's the bed news ever for new babies!!

Taylor is awake a few hours per day, and is getting more and more alert each day. He is a funny kid, very mellow. Just lookin around the room but not much eye contact yet - unlike my other kids. We are doing some EC which I don't plan to take seriously, but its fun and it saves diapers when I think to do it. So mostly at home he is naked and swaddled, peeing every 20 mins or so; and when we get him dressed I forget about EC. Whether or not he is diapered though, it is pretty obvious when he is pooping. He gets very uncomfortable and starts grunting and fussing!

My mom is here entertaining the other kids and it's working out well. I am very thankful for her help! I am also so thankful for my husband's Christmas gift to me, an iPad - so I can do my business in bed while I rest! I haven't had to take maternity leave and that will be quite a blessing for us.

UC Birth Story

2012-01-03T09:39:00.001-08:00

This was our second UC. We had a negotiated deal with a friend of mine who is a midwife - I had 2 prenatal visits, on-call for birth, and then whatever Q&A/support I needed. I planned to have her come after the birth to weigh the baby and help clean up or offer support as I recovered. A few days before the birth I asked if she could do the birth certificate and she said husband-assisted births were complicated, etc... at which point I thought we might as well have her in the house for the birth so she could just sign off on that to make it easier for us. (But as it turned out, she still missed the birth!)

Wednesday night, the 28th, prodromal labor began. I had been having cramps during the day but in the evening I could tell there was a distinct "contraction" feeling, with peaking, etc. although I didn't feel anything in my back. When I went to bed, I noticed contractions about ten minutes apart so I couldn't sleep much - I was too nervous. Something was holding me back, not sure what. But I rested in between contractions and stayed up until 3 am, at which point I decided it wasn't going anywhere so I willed myself to give up the contractions and get some sleep. I slept 3 hours, til 6 am.

The next day was the same (Thursday the 29th). Contractions roughly 10 mins apart throughout the day while I went about my usual activities - I have a business at home and had a lot of work that day. The house was a mess with boxes, shipments, and merchandise! But I kept working, intent on getting everything done. I think contractions were picking up but I wasn't paying attention to them. Around 2:15 pm, I noticed they were stronger and started taking them seriously. We made arrangements for the kids to go to Grandma's at 3. While we waited, I had my 6 year old son time contractions. Suddenly we noticed they were coming at 3 minute intervals! I was getting nervous/shaky and once the kids were gone, I called my back-up midwife to let her know I was in labor. She was on her way to a prenatal visit out of town and asked if I wanted her to turn around. I said I would be more comfortable if she were in town. As we talked, my labor grew stronger and I asked her to go ahead and stop by.

As soon as we had that conversation (3pm ish?), I hit a lull! She came as were were walking up and down our street to see if we could get it going again - contractions had slowed down and I didn't feel the same anymore. I felt stupid, and we were trying to decide what to do. She was going to hang around the area to see if labor started more. So we went inside and rested, and I was pretty sure labor stopped. I was going to call my mother-in-law to bring the kids back. Midwife called at 4:20 and I said labor stopped, it was just false labor. Go home.

My sister then called to chat and I told her I was having "weird labor symptoms" and didn't know if I was in labor. She was not expecting that conversation (I was 10 days before my due date) and started getting excited. But then a contraction came on and I gave the phone to my husband (he ended up hanging up). That was my first contraction of serious labor - all of a sudden hard contractions were coming, 3 minutes apart!

What is interesting is how labor stopped when I asked my midwife to come, and as soon as I told her to go home, they picked back up! How is that for inhibitions?

So from 4:30-5:45 was intense labor and pushing. That is insane, considering at 4:15 I didn't even know whether or not I was really in labor at all!

I had some contractions in the bathtub, then got up and labored standing up with my husband for a while. It was just the two of us, no inhibitions, no distractions. Perfect! These contractions were more intense than my labor with my daughter (which was blissful, all positive and happy, etc). I was fighting the urge to cry out and complain about the pain. Labor is such a mental workout - you are putting forth all your effort to stay afloat (keep it together) while sinking. I was having pains but couldn't acknowledge them - I was saying all sorts of affirmations to keep it positive and productive. I wanted to be sure to welcome the birth instead of flighting it. So I prayed, talked to the baby, said I was ready and welcomed birth, etc.

While I was standing up, I lost my mucous plug. There was slimy wet mucous all over me. I could feel the baby's head high up. I had no way how to estimate how dilated my cervix was. Could feel about 2 inches of head so I didn't think I was very far along. But with each contraction I had lots of pressure, almost a pushing urge.

That last half hour was insane. I was back in the warm bath - It was very intense. I held my husband with every contraction and in between, caught my breath and prepared for the next. I drank many glasses of water - both cinnamon water and chlorophyll water. I felt pushy but was uncomfortable pushing during the hard contractions so I ignored it. After a while the hard contractions went away (the intense cramping sensation) and I just needed to push. I was in the bathtub pushing and it was just insane! There was pain in my hips - I really needed some hot water on my hips but the bathtub was too shallow (I was in a kneeling positions). Besides, I couldn't communicate that I needed that either. I was completely occupied, both during and after contractions. Growling away, and then in between I was just panting and panting. I did not have much left in me at all. I was praying, asking God where he was. I thought I was far from delivering because the head wasn't coming down the way it did in my previous UC. But my husband could tell from the sounds I was making that we were very close. He was telling me "Just a few more pushes and you will have your baby" which was very weird to me because I was still working on coming to terms with the fact that I was even in labor! This was all happening so fast.

I felt the big bulge like it was coming through my butt and the ring of fire. But I wasn't opening wide for the head, so I was confused. Just a couple contractions like that and then all of a sudden the entire baby popped right out! (5:45) Sunny side up! I grabbed the baby and instinctively turned it over to drain, although he was crying and pink so he was just fine. It took me a moment to remember to check the gender. I coudn't believe it - we were expecting a girl but got a boy! I wasn't disappointed at all. Once I knew, it just felt right. Also he was completely covered in vernix! He was crying (which was new to me, both my older children were silent) and didn't want to nurse.

At that point, the midwife walked in (my husband had been texting her and asked her to come, which I didn't know about). I was still shaking and just felt like I needed to take a minute to gather myself. So we did nothing for about 30 minutes.. Just sat in the bloody, poopy water recovering. (look how bloody the was got! but I never felt light-headed at all, just shaky from the intense labor) I was just so relieved to have it over with. I was holding my baby in the yucky water so he wouldn't get cold. Midwife didn't do much, she just went into the other room to knit. We called my mother-in-law to bring the kids over. So they came in and saw me sitting in the yucky bath water just hangingout with baby. I can only imagine what my mother-in-law thought about this! It was very unfamiliar and strange to her, since hospital births are managed so much. But here I was just holding my baby waiting for placenta, nobody cleaning him up or cutting the cord. We chatted for a few minutes and then she took the kids back for dinner. Then I called the midwife in and I got on the toilet to deliver the placenta (I didn't feel any contractions or pushing urge, but just felt it was time to get up now). My husband fed me some mashed potatoes while I sat there (it suddenly occured to me why I was so shaky - I had hardly eaten that day!)

We went to the bedroom and got comfortable in bed to nurse. Midwife cleaned up the bathroom! We just visited for a while until we were ready to cut the cord, probably an hour after the birth. She cut it long so she wouldn't have to disturb him much. Then we weighed him (7 lb 6 oz) and her work was done so she left. Having her there was so great, I am glad we arranged that. I wouldn't birth any other way (alone with my husband) but it sure it nice to have womanly support and someone to chatter to, and help out in various ways. In my first UC we never had a midwife come but my mom was there to do these things.

In both my UC births, I had a midwife on call. But once active labor started I went inward and never even considered calling a midwife, or doubting myself at all. You get so totally tuned in to your experience, there are no more worries. Remember I was nervous during the prodromal labor, but once your body switches modes all of that goes out the window. It is very cool to surrender to your instinct and just let it unfold. My two UC births were very quick, which I feel is due to being unhindered but also in control of my thoughts so no fear is holding me back. My two UC babies are calm and secure (wish I could say that for the first one - I really regret not being able to offer him more but I wasn't at that point in personal development at that time in my life). Recovery was a breeze. We stayed in bed for 2 days, bled very little, milk came in quickly, easy breastfeeding and bonding, and no emotional recovery. Just at peace and very thankful! :)

His name is Taylor and he is priceless!

Birth!

2011-12-30T19:41:00.001-08:00

Baby came a week early! Will write birth story and post photos soon. His name is Taylor Davis, weighed 7 lbs 6 oz, successful UC after apps 90 mins intense labor. Sunny side up in the bath tub and no tearing! He is gorgeous and calm, an avid nurser already.

Pregnancy Update: 37.5 weeks

2011-12-20T16:15:00.001-08:00

Well we are almost there. 2 or 3 more weeks. Everything is ready... I have felt "FULL TERM" these past few days. Suddenly my belly is full blown. It was big and out front before, but now I feel a difference like its filled out to the sides and top and bottom more. Baby is putting pressure on the underside AND kicking feet way up high nearly to my bra line! That is a lot of baby.

I am self-employed with an online business, which I did not have before. So it's interesting for me to try to time and orchestrate a maternity leave. I put a lot of thought into it, but now I am surrendering much the same as I did for other plans. I am not planning much of a maternity leave at all, just minimizing and having husband help. Taking a few days off and letting work pile up and then just dealing with it when I can. Customers can wait. I think my personality has just really changed because I am less stressed now, more faithful and just the mindset of "Well, it will all work out."

The same with my birth plans.. Last time I had a baby, I wrote out Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. What to do with the kids if labor comes before my mom arrives; What do to if labor comes during the night; etc. etc... getting several different people on board for various scenarios. But now I just have the approach "I can have a baby in the other room while the kids go about their normal activities" or "It will just be like any other afternoon I escape to the bath, I will just have a baby at the end"... It's kind of humorous how low-key I have become.

I have been going to the gym still, about 3 days a week. Yesterday I walked incline on the treadmill for an hour and covered 3.3 miles - and really sweated!! How funny what a "challenging" workout walking at 3mph can be when you are full term. I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio, plus a little bit of weights or boxing and ending with 10 minutes of yoga. The yoga is important because it stretches my spine back out after the cardio compresses things. It feels great and I no longer deal with back troubles due to working out.

I have gained my 25 lbs and maybe a few extra. Ahhh what holiday season will do to you! I have struggled with the lack of fruit available and was relying wholly on pineapples until this week when the satsuma tangerines FINALLY went on sale. They are delicious and what a relief, since the navels still aren't any good. I have been pretty good about eating leafy greens AND cooked green veggies every day. Brassicas bother me, so that pretty much means 1 lb. of green beans with my dinner most days. That's about a plateful - yes an entree size serving - eaten with my fingers! Yum yum. Besides fruits and veggies I have been allowing bread (unfortunately some white flour) and a few chocolates per week - plus whole wheat pasta and tortillas, beans, etc.

Well, I am ready to have this babymoon and then get on with life. My kids haven't had a structured day in over a month, with me resting, getting Christmas ready, and tying up all sorts of loose ends, mostly with my business. Things have been busy!

UC Radio Show

2011-12-20T10:25:00.001-08:00

Laura Shanley and Lynne Greiesmer on Unassisted Birth:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jenny-hatch/2011/11/03/laura-shanley-and-lynn-griesemer-on-the-jenny-hatch-show

Must be a runner or something

2011-12-14T11:57:00.001-08:00

In the grocery store today, I overheard a couple commenting on my pregnant shape as they were approaching me. "She must be a runner or something... I mean, you can tell who works out and who doesn't."

Made my day :)

So excited!

2011-12-12T15:05:00.001-08:00

I have had a pile of birthing books in my bedroom for a few months, and I just wasn't interested in reading them. Finally I picked one up and instantly, I was HOME! I just feel so joyous when I read about real unhindered birth. I opened this blog and read my last birth story, and I AM SO EXCITED TO DO THAT AGAIN! Natural birth is such an amazing event, we are so honored to partake of it. To think that most women pass this up!! Honestly, the day I birthed my daughter was the most marvelous day in my life, I felt so powerful and close to God, so confident and so joyous. It's the best high ever.

Now 3 years later, life is just normal. I have a normal daughter. So sometimes I still stop myself and say "We delivered her alone! With no medical authority or guidance!" and it just seems like such an incredible miracle that we were blessed to experience. That is the emotional/spiritual reaction I still have. But mentally I say, "Why am I so amazed? Of course we did. Birth is so simply and natural. Babies come out." But I am not going to hush my marvel! Birth is just amazing and that's that!

I get a lot of comments about not finding out the gender. I ask myself why I enjoy the mystery so much. I think I have realized that birth is so much more special and marvelous when you keep it as a personal, internal thing. Something happens when you take external information (such as a sonogram) from somebody outside the pregnancy about what's going on in your body, and the mom loses consciousness to her intuition. She is no longer in touch to the internal information.

Honestly I have just as much, and MORE information about my baby than a sonogram or doctor's testing could ever give me. And its just not statistics, it is a knowledge and familiarity with my baby as a unique person, whom I adore and cherish and will strive to protect. I really don't think this bond is possible in the medical world filled with external data.

Unfortunately, I do not have the above emotions associated with my son's birth. It was a "natural" homebirth, sure. But I was not in touch with my pregnancy or birth at all. I handed my soverignty over to a midwife, put my trust in HER, and let her give me a baby. I pushed the baby out but still, it's almost like the caregiver has given you a child. Because your trust was in them, your focus very external. There is a huge difference when a mom claims her intuition and OWNS her birth and her baby. (I really don't think most moms "own" their babies. That is a different discussion...) and its really sad that I never had that bond with my son; I am brave enough to admit that I don't have the special connection with; and I feel very sad for him. He has missed out. And when he is old enough to understand, I will beg his forgiveness.

Belly Shot: 36 weeks

2011-12-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

My babies go straight out in front of me, nothing on the sides. Nothing up high and nothing down low. Here is how I looked in my last pregnancy (obviously thinner, although there is only an 8 lb difference in starting and ending weight--both pregnancies gained about 25 lbs)... A friend called this photo "Torpedo Belly"! (and yes, she shot out like a torpedo!) I do think I have a bigger belly this time, so that probably means a bigger baby. I'm predicting 8 pounds. I have eaten a lot more this pregnancy, and a higher percentage protein (simply by virtue of eating more grains/beans versus last pregnancy which was mostly fruits and veggies exclusively) so maybe that grows a bigger belly/baby.

Just a quick blurb about calories

2011-12-02T14:32:00.001-08:00

I was talking with a friend recently who is a college student. She told me how her nutrition textbook says that for her height and activity level she needs 2500 calories per day, and she was saying quite dramatically, "Is that a typo?! I could never eat that much!!" ... apparently she thinks she eats just 1200 calories a day right now.

That conversation was amusing to me because I am eating at least 3,000 calories every day and it all fits, quite easily. I have never considered myself to have a "fast metabolism" since I do have to be conscious of my weight; but I guess I was pretty naive, not even knowing how little some people have to eat. (Granted I am 8 months pregnant, but the 500 additional calories required for that only compensate for the 500 I usually would burn working out, if I wasn't pregnant - in other words, I eat 3000 calories all the time)

That is one reason the whole calorie theory seems flawed. Obviously there are other factors. I know I put on weight when the types of foods I eat changes, but it seems to me that I could eat unlimited calories of fruit, and to some degree starches from whole foods, and as long as I am eating clean or REAL FOOD, the calories never matter.

Here is what I have eaten today, for breakfast and lunch. (I will have a small dinner today)

half a huge pineapple
6 persimmons
4 medjool dates
5 bananas
2 big handfuls spinach
2 bowls of vegetarian chili
2 bean burritos on whole wheat tortillas
1 goat cheese/spinach quesadilla

That is a LOT of food for 2400 calories. Think of how much more nutrition the above menu gives versus 2400 calories of refined carbs, oils, and animal products. (You could get 1900 calories in just 1 restaurant-size meat/cheese burrito!!!) I have already far surpassed my RDA of most nutrients.

So no, I do not believe in dieting. I believe food is Good. Calories are good! Calories are fuel! I prefer to be fueled and have plenty of gas in my tank for everything I do each day. And calories are NUTRIENTS. How can you expect your body to function and the billions of cells in your body to get what they need every day if you are limiting your food consumption?? (One of these bodily functions would be metabolism and weight loss - Yes you need nutrients for that!) Your cells cannot function without nutrients. And sorry, most peoples' diets just don't contain enough.

Modern-Day Concentration Camps

2011-11-24T07:03:00.001-08:00

In the book Breaking Free, Beth Moore shows how the ongoing themes of politics and warfare in scripture are actually symbols to represent captivity and freedom in our own lives, in various ways. She writes--and I absolutely agree--that we are all in spiritual bondage in one way or another, and usually we don't even realize it.

Well last night I saw the movie Sarah's Key, based on a novel I really enjoyed. This story takes place during the holocaust, and seeing it on film brings it to life so much more. Every time I think of the holocaust the one big question that comes to my mind is this: Of course we believe in evil and there could be a leader or two doing horrible things. But what amazes me is how thousands of soldiers area also doing those horrible things without even thinking about it; they essentially must become unconscious to their own actions. How else could a human being inflict such pain on another?

So having Breaking Free fresh on my mind, I saw this holocaust in a whole new perspective. If warfare is an ongoing symbol of spiritual matters in our own everyday lives, what else could this concept apply to?

Is our society free of genocide? Do we ever harm entire groups of human beings without real cause, without even being conscious of the atroticity we are committing- just because our leaders or our forebearers did it? How are we in bondage without even realizing it??

I would like to hear your thoughts, but a few things come to my mind within seconds. In this country we inflict harm on millions of innocent baby boys, for no other reason than blind tradition and unquestioned ignorance. Not only boys; we continue to inject poisons and make our babies and children cry out in pain multiple times a year - but why?? Another group of people harmed is those diagnosed with cancer, who are given false information and kept from the truth, while also being fed poison and draining bank accounts.

Just like the concentratio camps, we have millions of doctors standing in as "soliders" enforcing these evil orders which really don't make any sense at all, and if they only stopped to think about it and open their very eyes, they would realize the atrocities their own hands are committing.

Pregnancy Update: 33 weeks

2011-11-19T17:39:00.001-08:00

I have still been real busy with my business and homeschooling. The past month or so I have been very productive and active without needing naps or more than normal rest time (sleeping appx 9 pm - 7 am). So I feel good about that. Probably the most productive I have been all pregnancy, oddly enough. Every week I have a couple very busy days with work, so I don't exercise those days, and then probably 3 good workouts a week.

Back to Running

I have been running again, the past couple weeks. Last week I did a 5K (just under 40 minutes) at about 80% capacity, which I felt was fine but it did make me tired for a couple days. Now today I wanted to do more of an endurance run, so I took down my speed just a bit and did 5 miles in less than 70 minutes. I felt fine the rest of the day, although I will say that running bothers a certain nerve in my back. It's like it squishes and compresses my back, basically the opposite of yoga. So I am sure yoga would actually be better exercise, all things considered... but I am just that stubborn!

Getting Ready for Birth

I have been thinking of making arrangements for a birthing tub, but everytime I look into it, my gut just kind of says "Nehhh..." so I don't really feel drawn toward it. I realized one reason is because I like birth to be spontaneous. Of course I agree with education and preparing for unexpected circumstances, but generally the whole appeal to me is to be natural and instinctual. And it doesn't "seem" natural to make big plans and arrangements. Even stressing over planning childcare like I did last time I delivered seems futile (I worried so much, and made several different plans depending on if labor came at different times of the day or before my mom came into town, etc... and of course, my body just waited until the perfect time and it all worked perfectly anyway).

I am just approaching it with a relaxed attitude, knowing things will work together for good. Maybe it's a birth story I read recently that affected me - the mom was just doing he daily household tasks, didn't even call her husband, and ended up laying out a towel and just having her baby on the floor while her toddler watched cartoons! Just seems so much more natural when you turn your brain off and stick to your normal routine unless there's a good reason not to.

Eating

Since this is supposed to be a raw food blog, I will have to give a few words about eating. I've been eating about 50% fresh fruit, trying to include a green smoothie every day. Then I am eating a low-fat, whole foods vegan meal which is usually pasta, beans, or potatoes. I have been taking a daily probiotic supplement my entire pregnancy which has really helped me digest and assimilate these cooked meals. I keep thinking about when I will do 100% raw again but I would want more variety of fruit; also I am just not enjoying the foods that got me through 811 last year like sprout salads and carob. :( but I think next summer I should be ready for a cleanse. Right now I am just eating pineapple, pears, raisins, and green smoothies, sometimes applesauce; there are no oranges, mangoes or papayas right now :( and bananas don't appeal to me. Darn it!

Weight Gain, etc.

I started at 128 which I felt was a bit heavy (I am "normally" under 120), and now I am at 150. A good normal weight gain for the whole foods eater, I say. I feel fine about it but I admit I am not thrilled with the chunky thighs and everything. I am looking forward to the post-baby year when I usually get real skinny. Only this time I will be muscular too since I have become athletic in the past year or 2.

Kids Adjustment

Well my 3-year-old daughter Elisabeth is showing some signs of regression (does that normally happen before the baby comes? I thought after). We have given up on full potty training and let her wear diapers to bed and a daily poo diaper (stubborn thing won't even try to go on the toilet). Also she used to sleep in her own bed but now she is taking full advantage of squeezing every bit of babyhood left in her, and sleeping not only with me but ALL OVER me as well. Lately she has also taken to throwing fits, specifically fighting naps and bothering people to get a rise out of them, and other grouchy behavior. Usually I take her to bed for some cuddles and books, but I admit to yelling on occasion also. But I still say I am handling her much better than when my first-born was in that stage; that was just a complete nightmare! Mostly my own anxiety whenever I see a tantrum begin, so I wasn't able to handle it rationally and calmly myself. But that anxiety went away with my five months on 80/10/10 last year and hasn't returned.

All in all, things are still going very well. I am so blessed to have a fully supportive husband and somewhat cooperative children! I love family life and am very excited to add to my bounty.

Pregnancy Update: 30 weeks

2011-10-27T16:16:00.001-07:00

For the past month, my back has been super sore and I've had to spend about 50% of my day lying down. I suddenly couldn't jog anymore so I switched to easy workouts, mostly walking...BUT Baby recently changed position and my back doesn't hurt terribly anymore!! This means I can go back to being busy all day without so much down time, getting more work done, etc. and strangely enough I was able to jog comfortably again today. So my theory is that baby was in a posterior position against my spine, or some other awkward position; and hopefully this change was a flipping to head-down anterior as it should be. The kicks are higher also, to support my theory, but I will verify it next time I see my midwife (whenever that might be... next month... hmm??)

Anyway, I have also been sparked alive emotionally, and I am super duper excited to have this baby! I have 2 months to go but I am ready now! hee hee... I have no reservations or hesitancies about childbirth. For me, it's just awesome awesome stuff; UC is the most amazing, spiritual thing to make a human feel alive and awakened. I am excited for the changes ahead in taking care of a baby and devoting more of my waking (and sleeping) hours to motherhood. Thirdly, I think I have a pretty good idea of who this baby is, so I am thrilled and excited to find out!

Well so I have still been super busy. This is the busy holiday season of my business, plus about 2 hours a day of homeschooling, 2 hours of domestic work, and 1 hour of working out. I get up at 7 am and hit the sack usually at 8 pm. But my brother is living with us until the birth and helping a lot with the kids and housework. How lucky did I get?! It's a wonderful arrangement. I just love having another adult in the house, and some of my family local if nothing else!

Pregnancy Update: 26 weeks

2011-09-29T15:17:00.001-07:00

Well here I am in my third trimester. On one hand this has been a very slow pregnancy (I thought it was supposed to go by fast once you have kids!) but on the other hand, I'm thinking "Aaack!! I am going to be the mom of a baby in 3 months!"

Well folks, I think my body jumped the gun. Exactly 1 week ago is when I suddenly seemed to enter third trimester. Up til then I was feeling pretty good, did not feel like I was carrying around a belly, etc. and then all that changed. I went from running my fastest pregnancy pace last week to not being able to run at all !! Like my uterus just dropped forward or something and now I am definitely carrying SOMETHING and it is very awkward... plus, I stopped most of my weight training because it was using my abs too much and I have been informed this will make my diastasis worse and worse (basically my abs have been parted and if I ever want them to go back again, I better not use them at all while they're in this positon).

Besides, exercise in general just suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks and I am not feeling so capable. I have been doing 1-hour cardio sessions at about 150 bpm, 4 times a week... and now that kind of workout would be a freaking marathon for me. So I have been doing some dumb baby workouts like 40 min cardio at 130 bpm.... It's a whole different mind game not to push myself and "feel it" during a workout. Like taking a walk... well I MISS MY WORKOUTS! That is my thing, *My* thing that is huge for me and my sanity and now instead of enjoying my exercise it feels like I'm just there to pass the time and say I was active that day. (Oh but on the plus side, I go home feeling rejuvenated instead of exhausted!)

Anyhow I am measuring right on track although I swear my belly is much larger now than it was last pregnancy. I am sure I am more tired, more sore, and more cranky than my last "magical" pregnancy, but my life was a breeze back then and now I have an at-home business, two wild children, housework, and homeschooling!! So yeah I am feeling it now. This is real life. (But I can't help wonder... would that be different if I were eating 100% low-fat raw vegan? instead of 50%?)

My chidren are excited to have another sibling. My 6 year old son is just thrilled to think of being at the birth and getting to "watch the baby come out" and my 3 year old daughter says the funniest stuff, like "When the baby comes out, can I hold it?" (a daily question around here), "I'm going to have a baby in my tummy when I grow up!" and today's new question during shopping was, "Mom, is this to get the baby out?... then what is going to get the baby out of your tummy?" (and no the answer is NOT "the doctor." The answer is my muscles that were made to do that!)

We've had some fun playing with baby. This baby responds really well to the push-kick game, and a couple times a foot has poked out enough to idenfity it, push it back and play with it.

On the more practical side, I have been feeling a sense of responsibility and need to gather baby stuff... because I saved NOTHING except for my Ergo carrier. I don't remember what I need, and I think clothes might matter more this time having a baby in winter! Time to go shopping.

More thoughts on that

2011-09-13T15:10:00.001-07:00

I was thinking a bit more on that mother's instinct telling her not to send the children off to school to be raised by somebody else... and pondering on why it was bothering me so much. When something makes you passionate, there is usually a deeper reason. I have only minimally considered up to now the implications of my lifestyle and what I believe about parenting on my own personal psyche... but now thinking about it in this context, it only makes sense that there is going to be some confusion, pain, remorse, etc. from the child within each of us that was not raised according to the standards we have personally been converted to with our own families, and currently practice (or wish we could practice).

When I was growing up I felt very detached from my family. I felt neglected and unnurtured. Of course this was once I was old enough to identify those feelings, so I am not not sure when it started or how it was caused. So what does that have to do with public education? I, for one, loved school. I thrived in school academically and did reasonably well socially. I enjoyed school activities so much that I did not enjoy my family at all, and became withdrawn at home. I had no family relationships to speak of - with 7 siblings! The fact that I enjoyed school may have offset this dichotomy even further, as my social success caused some jealousy and/or resentment in my two older siblings.

One reason I wanted to homeschool was for my siblings to be peers, not just roommates. They ought to grow up together, learn together, be nurtured together, experience life together (Does that not make common sense? I feel silly even saying that).

I have more exploring to do with myself, but I am wondering how it affected me - how it affects all children - to be sent away from home and given the implicit/subtle message that they are unwelcome, unwanted at home; that they must leave, they must bond to outsiders; they must become somebody ELSE. I have never considered this with myself and have never spoken about this with my mother. I am now totally intrigued and would love to know what feelings or perhaps hesitations she had in sending us to school. But I am afraid to bring it up... knowing the answer is probably a shrugged "I don't know, it's what everyone else was doing... I had housework to do...toddlers to take care of.... "

We *think* we have more important things to do but it leaves me wondering why do we have children in the first place, if we don't have intent to raise them? If we are too busy to care for and nurture them, all we can do is feed and clothe them physically but entirely forget about their emotional needs-- security, belonging, to be wanted, to be involved full-time with a close-knit family.

Am I a total heretic here? I have no doubt I am ruffling some feathers (although there is a reason I am posting this with my less mainstream audience and not with my normal social circle) although I don't mean to make any blatant statements, just want to explore some ideas here.

Why We Homeschool

2011-09-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just read this on a friend's blog and feeling a bit stirred up....

Dear [teacher],

I have spent 5 years preparing my child for this moment: the day he leaves my care, and walks into yours. Today I watched my oldest son walk into your classroom with a backpack much too large for his small body. I felt conflicted. While I can't wait to see him blossom in this new environment and grow in so many ways, letting go of my child pulls at my heartstrings like I didn't think it would.

Please take care of J. If he's looking sad, I would hope you notice. I know in classroom full of other parent's children, please remember that this one is mine, and that he is special. Rejoice in his achieivements, laugh at his made-up jokes, and be impressed by his tongue curling and one-foot hop. Because I cannot be there to do these things.

I have had this child in my care most of his life. Nearly all he has learned comes from me. Five years of love, patience and hard work are now in your hands. Please do not treat it lightly.

And please, if at some point he just wants to talk your ear off, just let him.

Thanks
A concerned parent.

I'm sorry but this concerns me!! Parents obviously feel the same way as I do (I feel that going to school 30 hours a week is essentially handing over your child for somebody else to raise) but why do they ignore these instincts??

Are we really just such victims of society, such SHEEP that it never occurs to us that we have a CHOICE? We just say "That's what people do," or "That's the way it goes." Just the same as we "have to" give our kids shots and do other medical things that make them cry, that we don't understand, but we are just supposed to be a good member of society and not cause any trouble.

Or we do say "The world says I am not qualified to raise my own children, and who am I to argue?" as if we don't actually own our children, they are still on loan from the government/hospital who gave us permission to take them home in the first place? (that is another big topic in itself...how does bonding at birth relate to the suppression of mother's instinct or the simple sense of "owning" our children?)

Well guess what!? The government's purpose is to serve the people. Society serves us, not the other way around. And when it comes to MY CHILDREN, I will call the shots, thank you very much!

This country needs more b*$%# moms like myself.

Pregnancy Update: 23 weeks

2011-09-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures to show my pregnant self :)

This last one was the starting line of a 10K race I did just last Saturday. Notice I started at the back with all the overweight walkers. Ha ha!!! I didn't even notice. I thought I would be last but I passed lots of people. Anyway It went really great!! It's such a high to accomplish something I am so unsure about. I don't know why pregnancy has hit my confidence but one reason I never feel prepared is because of this: when you're NOT pregnant, your fitness level goes higher and higher; if you have done the work in training, you know with a sureity you'll be ready. But when you are pregnant, your fitness level is going down, and you never know when the next big drop-off will be... so I guess I always feel nervous if I haven't done a certain distance within the previous week. I was really nervous about the triathlon and this, but both were just spectacular.

I was nervous about this 10K because it was later in the day, so I didn't know how the heat would affect me; and because it was an outdoor race with limited water and potty stops!! I am spoiled running at the gym, drinking and snacking to my heart's content, and stopping for a pee every half hour! But it went really great. No discomfort at all! I jogged the vast majority of it and finished much faster than I anticipated :) (my time was 1 hr 12 mins... my fastest non-pregnant 10K time is about 58 minutes)

Anyway, I got myself some toys today. A fetoscope for my personal use, since I am not having any prenatals done; and a maternity support belt to keep me running when things start to get heavy :) I like using the fetoscope, I consider myself pretty skilled with it. Today I located the placenta which gives me peace of mind that I won't be having placenta previa.

I have been feeling most of the kicks very low, so baby hasn't turned yet. I think it could happen anytime, but isn't fixed in a position til the eighth month anyway, so that is fine. I have put on about 13 pounds so far, would like to limit that to 25 lbs. It's funny how it comes in spurts - I put on 4 pounds in my second month with my cracker snacking, and then when I was out of town last month, I put on the rest all within a few weeks! I think you can see from that last picture how chunky I am getting but *oh well* I am limiting it, and feeling great, doing well, confident that it is not permanent.

I am eating fruit-til-dinner and focusing on green leafy veggies; Low-fat dinner to prevent yeast outbreaks; supplementing with alfalfa and kelp pills and well as sprouts and carrot juices now. I eat well 95% of the time but if I feel like cheating, I cheat. Funny how I used to be such a Natzi about sugar, etc. but now it's a nice indulgence when I am at a social function or something, and I handle it well. I am glad I've reached that point in my health where its about maintanence, not necessarily being on such a strict regimen for fear of all my goals collapsing! Nice, flexible...

Anyway sorry I am not a huge blogger lately.. I am not really feeling it but I feel obliged to keep you updated. You aren't really getting all my introspections the way I shared last time. If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to look through the archives. There is much more juicy stuff during my last pregnancy, when the blog began!

Sprint Triathlon, 5 months pregnant!

2011-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Success!
I had nothing to be nervous about, it was just like the others I have done... except my son joined me for the second half of the 5K so I got to take it easy :)

Sorry, no swim pictures. My swim time was 11.5 minutes, bike appx 1 hr

Getting there...

2011-08-23T10:19:00.001-07:00

My heart is coming around to this pregnancy... Feeling the baby kick starting at 17 weeks was special and helped me connect a bit more. Also, the more I read pregnancy books or watch birth videos I am getting excited. I talked about childbirth for a while with my sister and a friend, during which I remembered certain exciting and wonderful parts of childbirth - I went home telling my husband I am ready to have this baby! I want to go through childbirth right now! ha, ha. I had such a great experience last time, I just want that magic again. But of course anything could happen and every childbirth is different.. so the feeling didn't last too long.

But then yesterday I watched a homebirth on Baby Story with my kids and answered all their questions (trying not to cry...I get so emotional sometimes I can't even talk). It was just the most amazing, beautiful thing to watch the show but also to share it with my children. My 6-year-old son is taking quite the interest in this stuff. I'm pretty sure I'd like him to be at the birth (but I am not sure about the 3-year-old, she will at least need supervision). So it's good to explain exactly what happens, show him how the mom may be acting, how the baby acts and looks when first born, etc.

We also watched a couple hospital episodes - a medicated vaginal birth and ceaserean delivery. We talked about the differences at the hospital and how they do a lot of unnecessary things that frequently end up problematic; and how they do other things simply for convenience or profit, at the baby's expense. I don't think 6 is too young of an age to discuss this; I am glad my son is asking and wants to understand. But after making hospitals out to be the bad guy, I also had to discuss with him how sometimes their help is necessary and if I need the baby cut out of me, Heavenly Father will be with us and we will pray to be safe and comforted. It's interesting to me to see his concerns and be cognizant of the fact that if I end up getting transferred, I really have to be in a good place and have faith, even for his sake. Since we never go to hospitals or doctors, and I paint this picture of them, he would be so nervous in the unfamiliar environment. But at least, with good reason!

Pregnancy: week 20 update

2011-08-20T15:41:00.001-07:00

20 weeks along (4-1/2 months), but I feel like I am in my third trimester now! I am pretty certain that I am showing a LOT more than I was at this point before, but I still have to track down my belly shots to verify that. I know we have pictures of us at the beach at 6 months pregnant and I was about this big; and pictures from my son's birthday party (8-1/2 months pregnant) I just had a cute basketball belly, nothing cumbersome.

So WOW is this another big baby like my first? Or maybe my organs are bigger now. ha, ha. My first baby was 9 lbs, 10 oz and my second was 7 lbs 4 oz... I had assumed the difference was my huge dietary shift and subsequent maternal weight gain - big difference! By society's standards I eat a pretty low-protein (and low-fat) diet, so I thought I had some sort of guarantee against huge babies from now on...Cuz it would be really nice if this baby would not grow out of control... I don't know if being athletic has anything to do with it but I sure do eat a LOT more calories than I did last time.

Speaking of which, I have gained about ten pounds now. That is right on what my website I'm following says where I should be at (www.babygaga.com - a fantastic "natural mama" pregnancy calendar site) .. even though I feel like its too much! I started this pregnancy 10 lbs heavier than my last pregnancy so I was hoping that might count for some of the weight gain.. but I think my thighs missed the memo. I definitely noticed a difference in the mirror today when I went for my swim. But I will complain until I am sore because I really don't understand why thighs need to get fatter to make a baby. That is my official stance. :)

My "Exercising in Pregnancy" book has this chart on how much weight you are "supposed" to gain during pregnancy (I just hate that word "supposed to" if you didn't guess that about my personality already). And it would make most American mommies feel like committing suicide!! It says 0 lbs until you are 17 weeks, and then 1 lb per week. Well that is pretty much thrown out the window...for all of us... LOL

I was trying to minimize my weight gain for this triathlon I am doing next week - to stay in shape and now be carrying extra weight, which would make the race more difficult. But what can you do?? When you go on vacation? And when crackers and chips are just the best pregnancy foods ever? heehee... Anyway I think I will still fit in the clothes I have been planning to wear for it. My 2 triathlons last year were about 1 hr, 40 minutes, so I am thinking this one will take me 1 hr, 50-55 minutes. Last year it was no big deal at all but this year It will be a huge success to finish... So in order to finish, I am planning on doing a strong swim, a leisurely bike ride, and hopefully jog the 5K.

My 5K yesterday was about 35 minutes. But I feel like I am hanging on for dear life... I really don't have much running left in me. This triathlon is coming just in the nick of time. I am toying with the idea of running a 10K next month but honestly that will probably be too late (And no, I don't want to walk it). I think next month I will be making the switch to more weight-bearing workouts instead of long cardio sessions, and eliptical instead of running, and step aerobics instead of kickboxing. Sadly enough. *tear* I figure I can't bounce, but I can do eliptical and stair climbing until I deliver, so I am going to get some awesome quads. Oh and upper body, of course. See the silver lining? :)

Pregnancy Update

2011-07-28T11:31:00.001-07:00

I'm just about 4 months along now and showing plenty. I think it's almost to the point of making running uncomfortable, so I ordered a belly band for extra workout support.

Great news! I have been feeling lots of movement these past 3 days - not even 17 weeks yet. That was kind of surprising to me, but its unmistakeable. Maybe it's an act of God because it has really made me feel a connection to this baby, which I was lacking before. So it's been fun and exciting for me to feel the baby move, and even responding to me when I put my hand there and feel direct "kicks"!

I have something on my mind about that, I was wanting to research. Whenever you read about the fetus responding negatively to certain tests, ultrasounds, etc., it says the baby will get more active and kick out. (This happened to me personally, getting an electro-dermal testing done at the naturopath's office last pregnancy at about 7 months. Elisabeth went CRAZY in my belly, I got nauseated and headache, and we had to stop. How's that for an electric current throughout your body??) So anyway my question is, how do you know if a baby's kicking is good, or if they are in stress or discomfort? Maybe a baby is in discomfort more often than we realize. but I'm not sure what would inflict that other than maybe certain foods, noise?? but in all my pregnancies I usually feel the kicking when I am resting so that wouldn't make much sense. What do you readers think?

Anyhow I am reading the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing, with a lot of mixed feelings. I have a big decision to make; or maybe it's not my decision at all and I will have to surrender to E's needs.... It seems very sweet, but also so much work and perhaps exhausting to my physical energy level (as well as emotionally...and I don't need to be irritable and resenting my toddler when I have a baby to care for). I work from home 2-3 hours a day which we need for income, plus going to the gym, and I just don't think I could keep up with all that (but then again, maybe a change of seasons is in order and I need to stay home and focus on mothering more?) My other fear is that if E is still nursing when my milk comes in, she will certainly not wean anytime soon! Should I just do it while I have a chance? She was getting close to weaning at first (with my supply dwindling) but then she came back with a vengeance, very determined to get some milk. She loves that milk!!

Vacation Update

2011-07-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

Well I ate 100% raw for 4 days, I think, and had a lot of detox symptoms those 4 days. I wanted to slow it down a bit so I had some cooked vegetables, then another raw day, etc. for a few days. Monday I had a long, exhausting trip and I was thinking I had to get rid of those detox symptoms so I could have strength to handle the stress of it. That was a very smart idea, as that trip took such a toll on me. The flight was already after my kid's bedtime but it was delayed 90 minutes, plus we had to wait on the tarmac for 30 minutes once we got there (at midnight). Wow, it was just a crazy crazy day.

Now I am with my family in Las Vegas and I have been eating one small cooked meal per day such as quinoa salad, beans or hummus, etc. and the rest fruit and raw veggies. My energy has not been great, but it's been tolerable. I am not sure if I am still detoxing or if it's just dehyration/heat from being here and adjusting to a new climate, plus 2 bad nights sleep in a row! I probably just need an adjustment.

I went to workout yesterday even though I felt a bit lethargic and it did feel good once I started, and I felt energetic for a couple hours afterward but then I totally crashed! It is rough not having my husband with me... the hardest part of being tired when I'm pregnant is not being able to sleep when I am tired, if I have a child to take care of. My daughter is still a nightowl and doesn't care that I am ready for bed at 8.

So my goals have changed a bit - I am still just eating as much raw as possible, lots of veggies, as healthy as possible so I don't put on crazy weight while on vacation. My main concern was not falling for the snack foods, bagels, etc. and am doing great so far. I am in luck--lots of fruit on sale, my mom is stocking the kitchen like crazy and very accomodating to our fruit diet. She even gave me the compliment of all compliments yesterday "I can't believe how much fruit you can eat!" :-) but she joined me in a smoothie dinner last night. I cooked an awesome low-fat vegan fajita soup for my brothers and children and I didn't have a single bite! But it sure made me feel good to see that whole huge pot disappear and my brothers (and picky son) saying how delicious it was (my food is usually far from popular)!

100% Raw Challenge

2011-07-21T11:25:00.001-07:00

My friend Sherah from http://fitrawpregnancy.blogspot.com/ challenged me to a 100% Raw phase (although I am not sure how long... maybe that's because I didn't commit... heehee). She is pregnant also, 6 weeks further along than me.

I had been thinking about taking the cooked foods out of my diet for a while because pregnancy is just so much easier when you don't have a heavy belly from eating cooked meals. Granted I was only eating 1-2 cooked meals (of 5-6 meals) per day, but it also affects how you feel the rest of the time, primarily because the fruit won't digest as smoothly if there is cooked food still in the gut from the day before. So I'm left "showing" much more than is accurate.

All through first trimester, I felt much better when not eating oils and heavy meals. But after these last 2 pregnancies, I just don't know if I could eat raw in first trimester. It's like you feel so emotional and tired, you just need something to give. You just want to eat foods you're craving. It's your time to party and you don't care! (At least I don't hold that attitude into 2nd and 3rd trimesters but a lot of women do! I guess it's a matter of motivation and luckily for me, I get motivated again after first trimester passes. Also luckily for me I workout, so I only gained 4 lbs in my first trimester this time as opposed to 10 lbs last time! uhh yeah a 1st trimseter uterus does NOT weigh 10 pounds.)

Anyway the other reason I was interested in eating all raw is because I'm headed out of town, back home to my family, for a few weeks; and every time I go home I put on at least 5 pounds!! Thank you, processed food. Not that I'm against gaining weight but obviously it should be done gradually and realistically (reflecting the weight of the pregnancy, not the indulgences of pregnancy). So the best way not to care about it is to remove myself far from it, mentally. I wanted to clear out that crap before going home, so that I wouldn't have withdrawals and cravings while I am there.

Anyway if anybody is concerned about me, I want you to know I eat 3,000 calories a day and that is plenty to cover my workouts, my pregnancy, my household chores, and my minimal milk supply :) I have gained 4 lbs so far and so I would say I am doing well, on target for a 20-25 lb. pregnancy gain.

I was happy with my energy levels and health eating high-fruit, low-fat (with those cooked meals) but it will be interesting to see what difference this makes. When I go off eating raw, the changes come so gradually that sometimes I think I still feel great when actually I don't, and I don't notice the difference until I go raw again and then feel so dramatically more energetic. But other than energy I will say, I just feel a lot cleaner. I wake up feeling much more refreshed, if I went to bed on an empty stomach (and without cooked food in my gut).

So today is day 3 of this 100% Raw Challenge. I definitely felt some detox the past two days but nothing dramatic, I still did my work-outs and household chores. I will say, the detox for me is largely emotional. So I have definitely been feeling it.

Fitness Goals

2011-07-19T11:34:00.001-07:00

Whenever I go to a race I can't help but notice the definition in other runners' legs! My legs do not look like that. Sure, running has developed my calves a bit but that's all. How do you get these runners thighs? Ahh they are gorgeous! My thighs are still so flabby! But even when I was down to 14% body fat 18 months ago, I didn't have any muscles showing, just sticks (now I am back to jiggly and rubbing against each other).

Today at the gym I tried the Stair Stepper for the first time. I was looking in the mirror and realized I could see my quads in action! Big selling point. I need to do more of that quad work, and I am also doing some leg presses for glutes/quads. I have been doing the same workouts all year now, and could use some new muscle group work.

Part of me just wants this triathlon over with because I am not a fan of biking and I would really just do the workouts I want rather than feeling the pressure to be/stay fit on all 3 of these sports. I love kickboxing but I only go once a week, if that, because of these 3 other workouts I do. And yes I need to get around to doing more weights! Funny, there is just too much to do. And you have to keep up with it or you lose it. I have to do a long run every other week, for fear I will lose my running conditioning (although I have to go a few months without running anyhow, pre-baby and post-partum...but just wanting to make that time off window nothing more than it has to be).

So I'm going on vacation for a few weeks and will only have my Y membership (120-degree outdoor runs? no thanks) and no kickboxing class so I can focus on triathlon sports and weights. After the triathlon I will probably be down to light jogging and walking so we'll transition into weights, hill walking, and something goofy like step aerobics. I've seen 3rd trimester ladies lifting weights but I think I would need a private lesson... well, fun times ahead! Learning some new stuff. The main goal is just go to get active for an hour about 4x/week and keep my muscles and cardiovascular system active.

If it Acts Like a Stimulant...

2011-07-18T19:48:00.001-07:00

Ok I am going to get on my soapbox here and tell you all what I think about certain controversial substances some may call "superfoods" but are actually stimulants and are very harmful to the body.

There are a lot of health nuts out there of various breeds. A lot of them, unfortunately, are horribly misinformed.

I don't know when nature began picking apart foods as God made them and isolating molecular substances, but this certainly is not natural. The word "natural" does not belong on any food package, period. And hence, these substances are not meant as fuel for our bodies.

If a person begins a certain regime and feels amazing the first day, that isn't nutrition you are feeling, that is a hormonal effect of what you're doing. It takes time for your body to get nourished from years of abuse. Healing does not happen overnight. If you suddenly feel a huge wave of energy, that is a red flag. Go ahead and enjoy it, but you will crash later on. Real health does not come in manic phases.

When you are healing you will know, because you will feel well consistently day after day, hour after hour. You will not feel drained, exhausted, or achey. You may not experience super duper highs anymore, but that is for the better. Now you can trust your body's signals and know for a fact what you're feeling is real.

When I first got into raw foods and did juicing, supplementing and superfoods, I would have manic depression almost. I was very unstable. I thought it was detoxing and healing, but guess what? A year passed, two years passed... and I wasn't actually any healthier than when I began. As a matter of fact I got systemic yeast (candida) throughout my body which killed my gut and introduced digestive problems for the first time ever (thanks to the "raw food diet").

But when I began the 80/10/10 program I really learned about health and about myself as well. The first month I was pooped; slept a lot and hardly exercised. This was healing; this was the time it took for a good turnaround. The second month I began to feel better than ever; I was off my probioic and my digestive issues were gone. My energy leveled out and I was very active, working hard without breaks from 7am to 10 pm and would then get a good nights sleep. The other huge benefit was how easily I got into shape - I had been trying to exercise for years and was just so tired and my body wasn't progressing at all; I wasn't enjoying it. But on the low-fat, high-fruit diet, my body quickly recovers from a difficult workout and moves onward in the training schedule much quicker than expected for most new athletes. The energy in workouts is amazing - and I'm not talking manic highs. I just mean that a workout will not burn you out when you're feeding yourself the correct diet. Your endurance is incredible, you can practically go forever without much soreness, and being ready again the next day.

Super foods and magic potions might make you feel like superman the first day but actually they are destroying your adrenals. For more information on stimulants and nerve energy, go to this article and read the book "Nutrition and Athletic Performance." I also recommend the FoodnSport website to read all the wonderful interviews with real people and athletes who eat and thrive on 80/10/10!

Running Pregnant

2011-07-16T13:08:00.001-07:00

Well I am 15 weeks pregnant and back to feeling fairly normal, although still if I do a hard workout I will need the next day off. I can't feel any belly when I am working out but I think I only have a month or so before it starts hindering me.

I ran 10 miles Wednesday, it felt awesome. I just can't explain the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a long endurance run. It gets addicting and you just want that number to go higher each time. The longest I've run was about 17 miles once, and several 13+ mile runs. But being pregnant I am happy with 10 as my upper limit, unless I do a slow half-marathon (it would be cool, but there are no options right now unless some friends organize our own). Besides, I have a 2-hour childcare limit at my gym and I was 5 minutes late! (my actual run was 1 hr 48 mins, but I take a lot of bathroom/stretching breaks!)

Then today was a 10K race. Here are some photos from that. My time was 69 minutes, about 10 minutes slower than I ran it pre-pregnancy. After the race, they did a 1-mile fun run which my son joined me for. The winners are based on accuracy of predictions, and the runners can't wear watches. So it was actually pretty fun to predict your pace and adjust it for certain paranoias... I ended up 20 seconds off my prediction and got 2nd place.

Durian Rider

2011-07-06T20:24:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful for Harley, the "Durian Rider." He just cracks me up so much. I am 100% behind him all the way. This post is just so true. You might have to subscribe to his blog to get it, he's really loud and "in your face" but hey, he's got the correct information and he shouts it loud and clear!

My cute kiddos

2011-07-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

I don't put photos up on this blog very often, so I thought I'd give you a treat. I got a good SLR camera last year and have only recently been taking a lot of pictures. Here are my cutie kiddos.

R just turned 6 years old! He has lost 4 teeth. He loves to play basketball. He eats a gluten-free diet and also avoids oats, dairy, corn, and peanuts. His favorite raw foods are cantaloupe, trail mix, and strawberry smoothies. We're homeschooling, and he is in 2nd grade. His favorite books are the Junie
B. Jones series.
E will soon be 3 and wants to do everything for herself, of course. Her favorite activity is dancing, and her favorite raw foods are bananas, bananas, and bananas. She doesn't have any health or behavioral issues like my son did when he was younger, so I am a bit more lenient on her diet (she loves crackers!) She loves talking about mammals. Her favorite books are anything with animals, Goodnight Moon, and Sandra Boynton.

Update: 13 weeks

2011-07-02T18:37:00.001-07:00

This week was pretty good. I have broken free from the bonds of first trimester! I survived! And I am feeling pretty normal again...except now I am starting to feel something in my tummy, almost getting uncomfortable.

I went to the new Trader Joe's store this past week and fell for some of my old favorites. I have been craving egg rolls but could never find vegan ones, so of course I had to buy those. I didn't read the label though, and it turned out they have lots of soy, which I am allergic to. So I had severe indigestion that night and was very lethargic the next day (hence no workout on Thursday). But other than that I was feeling good and stable all week, no longer needing to rest during the daytime.

My workouts:
Mon - jog 3 miles + 25 mins uphill walking and boxing (60 minutes)
Tues - swam laps (50 minutes)
Wed - bike ride (60 minutes)
Thurs - off
Fri - jog 9 miles (105 minutes)
Sat - swam laps (40 mins)

The other noteworthy thing is that my daughter is suddenly nursing again, with a vengeance. I have mixed feelings. I am ready to be done any time, but I don't really mind. It seems that she is not ready to be done, so I am trying to accomodate and have a good attitude. I don't have much milk, which makes me wonder why she still loves it so much. She tells me she needs to drink the milk and I guess she just waits and waits for it to come. We had been doing so good with night weaning but she is back to nursing in bed, almost like she gave it a shot but ran back to her security blanket. It took a few tries with my son too, so it's okay with me. I think learning something new and getting comfortable with a new emotional routine takes 2 steps forward and 1 step back. We just need to be patient and loving as we seek to meet their needs.

Update: 12 weeks

2011-06-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well we're almost done with first trimester. Went by quick! I am not accepting the fact that I am showing and there's nothing wrong with that :) (At this point, my chubby belly is my only pregnancy symptom! but we are almost to the point of feeling a fundus).

My nausea/lethargy lasted only a few weeks and it wasn't too bad at all. I never actually threw up, which is a first for me! I still worked out at least 3x/week and the difference was I would be on the couch with a lump in my stomach for a few hours each afternoon, and then would go to bed by 9 pm.

My energy this past week was back to normal... I work a few hours per day from home (and some days that is demanding phsyical/emotional work!) and then I'm able to exercise and do my housework, etc. Am I working out differently, now that I am pregnant? I certainly listen to my body - prevent heavy breathing - and stop as soon as I feel fatigued. I don't force a workout, ever. But that was never my style, even before pregnancy. I don't follow a schedule or program, there are no rules. I just do what I feel like. When I have a lot of energy, I push hard! And then I may need the next day off. That's what I did this past week, 3 tough workouts separated by rest days.

I'm planning on a triathlon Aug. 27 and that keeps me swimming and biking at least once a week, but not any more than that. I am still focused mainly on running. I want to keep my level of conditioning as much as possible, and I know I won't be able to run in my 3rd trimester so that motivates me all the more to get a good 60-90 minute run every week, if possible. It's funny how that is my "long run" now, whereas if I wasn't pregnant I would be running for 2-1/2 hours, at least, for my weekly long run.

Speaking of which, today my family did the Seattle marathon & half without me! I could have done it slowly with lots of walking, but I had no idea what I might be able to do, back when registration was open. So instead I stayed home and watched my computer for all the updates from everybody's split times! My BIL and SIL both ran their first half-marathon today, that is really awesome. It's so cool that my husband's family does this together and can share in the accomplishment. It meant the world to me to be there last year, and feel a part of his family. Now I am thinking on to next year, how much I'd like to be there with them again. Chances are I'll have a happy baby and be able to leave, it would l just be a matter of getting someone close to us to travel with us to Seattle to babysit.

This is how I stay motivated, thinking on to next year and thinking of all the things I can still achieve. The first few weeks of pregnancy were rough and I felt a bit down, missing my workouts. But I know this is just temporary. I am so blessed to have good health and be able to be somewhat athletic during pregnancy. Funny how I just started working out 18 months ago, but now I can't live without it. It just bring a lot of joy and fulfillment to my life, what can I say?

Not such a great week

2011-06-21T14:10:00.001-07:00

A week ago I took my kids to the zoo and felt great, on my feet for several hours. But the next day I was exhausted...and the next day....and the next day...

I went to the gym twice last week and could only jog/walk for 30 minutes. To me, that's pathetic!

Yesterday I felt pretty good so I did kickboxing class (a pretty good workout for anybody let alone a pregnant woman), but today I am back to feeling crappy. Seriously this past week has felt like I'm back at 5-6 weeks pregnant, the couple weeks I spent on the couch, lucky to get any exercise at all. So then weeks 7-10 were great, working out 5 days a week and feeling fairly normal. Then this.

I am experiencing seasonal allergies at this same time, so maybe I am just tired because of that? I don't have enough experience with allergies to know. But I had this same exact thing last year - last half of June, itchy eyes and runny nose. Seasonal allergies is one health thing I don't understand, and Natural Hygiene has no explanation for, which I've heard (The other thing is infertility - have yet to find a cure story having to do with diet. Anybody know? Just for my own education...used to think diet cured everything, but bit by bit I'm finding the holes). My mom has been eating a whole foods vegan diet for 15 years and is in excellent health except she has awful allergies. Her one achilles heel! If only we had more than moderately helpful natural remedies.

Anyway, I think I'm pretty lucky to be in good health. So when I do have a minor complaint, it's the end of the world for me. I have no pain tolerance whatsoever, and it makes me incredibly grouchy!! I just hate it. But mostly I just wish I could get back to working out. It brings such joy and fulfillment to me, and is a great way to get out of the house and get a break from kids. I think that's what is bothering me the most about this past week, is that we've been stuck inside because I've had no energy to get out. And my kids are driving. me. crazy.

homeschool update

2011-06-02T11:22:00.001-07:00

My daughter will be 3 this summer, and I am very excited that she is asking questions and wants to learn things. My dream is coming true -- I can teach both children the same things, but on different levels simultaneously. It's a very cool concept. So right now we are doing animal classification. My daughter is just completely adorable with the sudden intense interest she has taken in mammals. It came up some time ago that a giraffe is a mammal and has "nursies." Well nursies are her favorite thing in the world, so she immediately took to mammals. I appreciate that Usborne animal books usually have photographs of the mammals nursing their young, so this is something we've pointed out at every opportunity. We also like the Charlotte's Web animated movie that shows the pigs all clamoring to get a teat! So Elisabeth is just very excited about mammals. When we cuddle before bed, she's been asking me each night "Can you ask me some questions about mammals?" So I ask her, "Is a duck a mammal?... Why not? ... Do birds have fur? What do they have instead? What do fish and reptiles have instead?" etc.

My son is almost 6 years old (would be finishing kindergarten in public school) and has completed all his first grade coursework; but it's not always so simple to classify learning. One thing I love about homeschooling is the flexibility. In math, for instance, he has completed 2nd grade and is working on skills from 3rd and 4th grade and above (multiplication, area and perimeter, measuring angles with a protractor). We do whatever he is interested in, or whatever comes up (i.e. finding a protractor at the store) without worrying about what level it fits into. Ahhh the FREEDOM!

We are following the "What Your __ Grader Needs to Know" books as a loose guide and a benchmark of when he's completed a grade. I think these books are great, but the social sciences are way advanced in these books so I hold him to everything except that. A six year old can move along at his own pace with math or reading, but it takes more maturity to get into certain historical topics. So that is something we're not pushing right now. What we are doing for history is using Abeka's 1st and 2nd grade readers on the United States, which I totally recommend, as well as the Living Scriptures "Animated Heros" video collection which has different movies for different historical figures, such as presidents, scientists, philosophers, etc. We watch 3 of them right now but I think that's enough to handle without confusing him. He isn't picking up on these facts as quickly as he does with math; there is a lot of rote memorization as far as who people are and what they did. I just think he needs more maturity in that field. So he can tell you about the Wright brothers, George Washington, and Columbus. It was even a mistake to watch those two last videos the same week; he would get them mixed up and it has taken a lot of review and discussion to get it straight!

Another reason I love homeschool is that we put our own spin on it, coming from our own culture and lifestyle. This is something you cannot escape; anybody who teaches anything is going to teach from their paradigm or worldview. School is not objective; teachers are still subjective people. Even textbooks are not objective; it is not a thing, it is merely a medium of communication from the group of people who wrote and compiled it. People are subjective, and your child is always learning from people, including their beliefs and prior influence (This could be as serious as the hominid or as casual as Pocahontas; none of it is 100% fact). So who do you want them to learn from? Do you send them to a different religion to teach them scripture? Or do you make sure it's coming from your family's worldview? I'm not even saying that other teachers would teach something wrong. But it wouldn't be complete or wholly accurate, compared to somebody from his own family and culture teaching the same thing.

For example, we are LDS (Mormon) and in our ancient scriptures we have prophesies of Columbus and the formation of America as the "Promised Land." We have revelation about why America was kept secret; why it was discovered; who the Lord wanted to lead; etc. This is all very pertinent to us in terms of U.S. History. The Book of Mormon, for other reasons as well, is a crucial reference for History as well as politics.

Another example is animal classification which we are now learning. We teach the commonly accepted classification because that's what it means to be educated; however we can also teach the caveats such as these classifications are not objective; some people made them up the best they could with their understanding. The divisions are based on evolutionary theory which we don't agree with. We remain open minded that some revisions will most likely happen in the future, and when God reveals the objective truth to us we may be in for a few surprises.

Anyhow, I had recently posted an update about my son not being excited about piano anymore. He is still playing and taking lessons, and does enjoy it, just not with reckless abandon. He writes his own music which usually actually is harmonious, and he is advancing very well through his Suzuki piano course. It's a great opportunity for him to have some structure and formality with that; I am very pleased.

To sum it up, I would say homeschooling has been an adventure, complete with difficulties, and is definitely a growth experience for all of us. I have been very humbled as not all my ideas work, and usually it just comes down to doing things their way. That's what parenting is all about! (What, you thought God sent you kids for you to teach them???) Very humbling indeed, and puts us in our place as the Lord's servants.

Of course it would be easier to send my children to school and let somebody else raise them. But frankly, I am their mom, and raising them is my job, thank you very much. They are going to be spending time with me, not with a stranger 6 hours a day. Their memories are going to be about each other, not with random folks they won't keep in touch with. Their influence and world view will come from home, family, church. That's what it means to me to raise my children.

Update: 8 weeks

2011-05-31T10:51:00.001-07:00

Well how am I doing? It depends on the day. I have my days when I lay on the couch for hours, and I have my days when I get an awesome workout and I don't feel pregnant at all (wholly depending on what I eat, how my night of sleep was, etc.) But generally I feel best in the mornings, when I do my business and housework, hit some cravings around lunch and eat some cooked food and then start feeling lethargic. By late afternoon I am usually on the couch!

Today I got another great workout (this is not all the time. I took Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off; felt horrible over the weekend). I woke up and just knew it was going to be a good day, so I knew a double workout it is! To practice for my upcoming triathlon, I swam 500 yards in 10 minutes (my usual time); then I did biking for 30 minutes, then some pilates and jogging for 15 minutes. I am doing pilates as long as I can, although I do know some great upright ab exercises for second/third trimester.

Here's my update I posted on the rawpregnancy group:

I am 8 weeks pregnant and finding the exact same things. It's hard to eat just raw, one reason because I know I am looking for a stimulant (salt) and also because my morale is down so I am just more general susceptible to temptation. I am eating about 50% fruit and 50% carb foods. I feel best with fruit - it digests best. But then I get my cravings or whatever, and I eat my cooked meal and just feel exhausted afterward :(

Plain carbs sit best in my stomach - anything oily is yucky to me. And seasonings make me feel nauseas. But *mentally* I get so sick of plain carbs and that's why I start thinking about restaurant food or meat.... it's just been rough, *wanting* foods that will actually make me feel sick. I have tried eating meat a couple times and I am just sick and exhausted the next day. I use my energy level as a measurement. If I eat well, I feel great (I don't feel pregnant at all!!) and I can do a good workout. But if I overeat, or eat too late, or eat junk food, I lay around all the next day and don't get any exercise. So since I love to workout that is motivation for me.

I am trying hard to eat more raw. The temptation is definitely stronger because my morale is down but I feel infinitely better with fruit in my tummy. (and I SHOW LESS!!!!!! no bloating from all the starch!!!!)

My workouts are keeping me motivated. I am very tempted to eat a lot of junk food. Last week I had the most delicious roasted turkey sandwich, I won't lie. But it cost me my workout the next day (I just get so tired... um, I feel pregnant when I don't eat well. Yep trying to avoid that feeling!)

My goal is to do an hour run (10K) every 1-2 weeks so I don't lose conditioning. I don't think I would run longer than that, unless there was a lot of walking breaks. I went out for a run yesterday but didn't feel terrific, and so on days like that I don't force it. I ended up jogging 3 miles at a moderate pace and then walking 1.5 miles of hills. Also, the triathlon is August 27th which I am not really taking too seriously until I get past my first trimester and have more/constant energy. But I was happy to see I could do the swim and bike today, still feeling good.

I also do a kickboxing class 1-2 times a week, which is incredible. It's a great core and upperbody workout without using weights or lying down. Also good for legs, obviously, depending on form. But if I am having trouble keeping up, I do fewer kicks because I am mainly there to work my upper body.

Well time to do laundry and homeschool! And it's not yet 11 a.m.

p.s. Weaning! My milk is pretty much gone. At first this made Elisabeth want to nurse more because she wasn't satisfied. But I think she is coming to acceptance. My husband and I can really tell she isn't getting much because suddenly she is EATING three meals a day!! Holy cow. This girl has never eaten like this. I guess I didn't realize how much milk I was producing.

P.S. Weaning

2011-05-20T11:28:00.001-07:00

Elisabeth is 33 months and still nursing strong (In all fairness, breastfeeding hormones may be leveling out my pregnancy hormones, who knows). I have been much more laid-back with her than I was with my son, and I don't have a plan to wean her right now, except that she needs to be out of my bed in the next 6 months. I am expecting my milk to dry up during the pregnancy so that would be the easiest way to wean :)

I wonder how much I am actually producing now, anyway. A lot of times when she nurses, she isn't really getting anything. But I'd say 2-3 times a day she does get a snack, if not a small meal.

Fruit Predominant Diet is a huge success story

2011-05-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well I am 7 weeks pregnant with #3 and I hardly feel pregnant... Yesterday I ran 6 miles at my normal pace and just felt awesome. I workout a bit less, and less intense, because I don't have as much energy but overall still great. So yesterday was a better day for me; on low days I do a lighter workout.

A couple weeks ago I was pretty tired, but that passed quickly. I am back to my normal sleeping hours, and I am very active during the day with little down time!

I've hardly had any nausea at all, which I call a huge success story for my health lifestyle. In my second pregnancy (where this blog begins) I was eating a higher percentage raw, but more fats and some processed foods; and in that pregnancy I struggled with nausea day after day and spent most of my time resting on the couch (although it was markedly better than my first pregnancy on SAD). In the 80/10/10 world you hear this question a lot:

"Is it better to eat a low-fat cooked diet, or a high-fat raw diet?"

...and the raw gurus never answer. Well here is your answer folks, it is more important to eat low-fat and then you work on the percentage of cooked foods in your diet. That's what the Fruit Predominant Diet is all about, why to a raw foodist it is a more lenient diet, and yet it is more effective!

I consider this pregnancy a testiment to the Fruit Predominant Diet, as well as to being fit (since that is another difference between this pregnancy and previous ones).

Anyhow, I am due Jan. 7th and hoping for another UC. But I will say I had something magical about me in my last pregnancy that I don't feel this time--at least, yet. As time passes I will get more into visualizing and communicating with the baby, but so far I haven't done much to connect with this pregnancy. Actually to be honest I have been having a harder time accepting it and being excited about it. I think last time I wanted to be pregnant so bad, and I wanted that princess so bad, as well as the magic of my first UC, living so much by faith and everything. Now with baby #3 it's more ho-hum, more "business." I would love some comments on this, can you relate? Is that just what it's like to have kids past the first couple?

I need to find that magic again...

April 9 Half-Marathon Re-cap

2011-05-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I am late with this. I completed my fourth half-marathon last month, and I was so pleased with my results. In general with my runs, I aim for a sub-10-minute pace, but hadn't achieved that on a long race. So finally things worked out with this being an easy course, and with me having enough fitness after a year of running now to run 13 miles without getting tired. I have had to learn a few tricks such as eating as much as I possibly can the few days prior to make sure I am fueled up, and even eating some condiments to make sure I am not detoxing (which causes fatigue).

So I ran the 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 6 minutes. That's a 9:62 average pace, Woohoo!! I was so happy and feeling a sense of closure with that phase of my athletic ambitions, that I felt that was my last race for a while so I could turn my attention toward, ahem, family planning (Stay posted!)

So "Phase 1" of my athletic career, my first year of running, etc. included:

June 2010 Seattle half marathon in 2:35 (some small hills; minimal training)

August 2010 Sprint Triathlon 1:50 ish

September 2010 Sprint Triathlon 1:45 ish

November 2010 Trail half marathon 2:28 (hills, mud, you name it)

November 2010 Eugene half marathon 2:16

April 2011 Eugene half marathon 2:06 (after adding daily x-training)

Michael Arnstein Documentary

2011-05-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

Remember Michael Arnstein? Otherwise known as "The Fruitarian" from http://www.thefruitarian.com/. I have shared his videos and interviews a few times as I am just such a huge fan.

I did not stick with the 100% raw fruitarian diet (80/10/10) but I will not deny that it is the most ideal diet for day-to-day, lasting physical health and energy without stimulants.

(the diet I coined the "Fruit Predominat Diet" is a similar diet, although not 100% raw; and that is how my family and I have been eating for 5-1/2 years now)

Still here but come full circle

2011-03-10T07:30:00.001-08:00

Sorry I don't have time to post much lately, but I had to share this blog article, it's just simply amazing. How many people still do not realize that there is a connection between food and health?! I can't believe we miss this. After all, why do we call healthy food "HEALTHY food?" What does that mean? Most people don't even know what that means. It's such a profound, novel idea that healthy food can actually make you healthy. Meaning, your body can actually work the way it was created to work. Wow!

Anyhow, quick update on me. I am looking forward to my fourth half-marathon in 4 weeks. Triathalon season starts soon, and the first one I am looking at is in May. My husband wants to get swimming too, and try it, but we need a better road bike. We'll see what this summer has in store for us.

My kids are doing great. Homeschooling is going well, except I can tell my son's curiosity and passion for learning are decreasing. Even playing piano which he used to love so much and do voluntarily, has now turned into the standard daily task that must be endured. Is it age, or is it because he eats so much dead, processed food now? (If you are new to my blog, I realize how silly that may sound. But last year when he was eating nearly all raw food, he was literally much more ALIVE, excited, passionate, and content.) He is growing up and not as easily fed fruits and veggies. It makes me sad... It's been on my mind and I am thinking about what degree I could force his diet. If it is clear to me that it makes a big difference in his mentality, then it would be worth it -- it would not be a breach of freedom, it would simply be necessary "medical" procedure, like treating any other dis-ease.

I am now very athletic, working out an average of 1 hour every day. I have been doing various things at the gym, including a 2x/week swim class, kick-boxing, cycling, zumba, and eliptical machine. I took a break from running but the past couple weeks getting back in, for this race season upon us! I am considering training for a full marathon this summer, but depends on if I can arrange childcare to do the long runs, and I don't want to commit until I do a few 18+ milers and see how much body responds.

My daughter is now 2-1/2 and still my little princess. She's about 25 lbs (rough estimate) and still nursing strong, but we're about to change that. Next week we'll begin night-weaning with her sleeping with Dad and cuddling to wean off nursing next to me throughout the night. Then transition her into her own bed. I love co-sleeping and I'm all about attachment parenting, but I must confess, it will be so nice to "have my bed back" and just be able to sleep soundly through the night. Night-nursing a toddler can be challenging simply because of their size, so the height of her head requires a tricky position for my lower arm (can anybody relate?).

I have had a couple cycles now since I started menstrating again. The periods are very, very light (no products required) but I realized that might just be how the body starts back up (would love to hear your experience with resuming post-partum menses, if that's not TMI for you!) Anyhow I cannot tell if I am ovulating - haven't taken temperature, but the mucous is just very scattered. But that's how it was when we conceived last time--not matching the textbook mucous pattern--so it could be fine. What I'm saying is, I don't know if I am fertile, and I don't really care... We aren't trying to conceive just yet. Probably this summer.

My own diet has been very... "flexitarian" lately, which is a good guilt-free way to say you can't handle a strict vegan diet and you are flexible with cheats! (Really. That is a new diet out there.) I have put on a bit of weight, my body fat is up to 20% which isn't bad, but I need to be cautious not to get any heavier. Besides, I am not stick thin anymore, even a year ago since I started working out because of the athletic build I now have. Anyway, I am going to go for these long runs, so my diet needs to be better. I feel pretty good overall still, but I see how it affects my performance.

I ate 80/10/10 raw for almost 5 months last summer and then gradually worked in some low-fat cooked foods. I started eating some processed food (or, foods I don't tolerate well, like rice and cane sugar) around the holidays and then settled into a nice pattern of whole-foods at home, and some cheat foods on the side (still eating 50% fruit). To be honest, I don't feel at all guilty about my eating habits. It's somewhat of an exploration. I have been really happy to find that my time on 80/10/10 has appeared to heal my body, as afterward I could eat reasonable cooked meals without the HCl/enzymes I used to require. I maintained a flat stomach until I started eating my allergen foods. I am getting more and more convinced that the best thing you can do for your diet, or the most profound impact, will come from identifying food sensitivities and avoiding those foods. Raw/vegan will help further, but not as dramatically and the single step of avoiding sensitivities and allergens. Even in the article I posted above, it sounds like the main difference was her gluten-intolerance--she is obviously a celiac with her diarrhea and psychological problems, which are two huge symptoms in kids with neurological problems who can't tolerate gluten/dairy.

Like I said before, I haven't been posting much on this blog because I started working full-time from home. My focus shifted and I am no longer all about food, the way I used to be. Now I feel much more balanced. I am conscious of the way I eat, but not to an extreme degree (not anal about it, not black-and-white and obsessive the way I was for a few years). I read lots of various entertaining and enlightening things, not just crunchy health-nut stuff, the way I used to. I am focused on raising my kids (homeschooling requires a lot of attention) and focused on my fitness (you need to make fitness a priority if you are going to get to working out on a daily basis). I am a lot happier now. I enjoy being integrated into society rather than fighting society, which I was doing. So I am happy to say this experience has been a success, as I have learned so much through my experiences being a health-nut and have come full circle. So my posts may be infrequent, but I am still here -- finding "NEW LIFE" each day and living after truth balanced in all regards. I will keep posting any exciting news I have to share. Hope all is well with my readers as you pursue your own goals!

100 calories a day... it adds up!

2011-02-11T19:06:00.001-08:00

I have been cringing at the scale lately... Today I realized I have gained 20 pounds in the past year. Wowzers!! How the heck did that happen? Logically I gained about 10 lbs of muscle from working out, and 10 lbs. fat. That works out since I barely even went up one size.

So I did a bit of math...

There is some saying about how vegetarians don't gain weight back. Dr. MacDougall wrote in one of his diet books a figure about carbohydrates getting stored as fat -- he says that the body can only convert 100 calories of surplus carbohydrates into fat storage every day. So you can eat unlimited carbohydrates (we're talking a nearly fat-free diet here) and your body can flush them out, and only store 100 calories worth each day.

Sounds like a dream come true.

Until a year passes... and you realize you were storing 1 lb. each month... Suddenly 100 calories a day adds up! That makes for 10 lbs. in a year. I don't think I want to gain 10 lbs. every year. Ha! Time to eat more vegetables... or watch my portion sizes, eww.

To wean or not to wean

2011-01-27T11:01:00.001-08:00

I now find myself almost 2-1/2 years post-partum, even beyond the point I weaned my last baby. And yet, this time I feel so different. I am not ready to wean my daughter. What is the difference?

My son was much larger, and she still seems like a baby
I was getting anxious to have a second pregnancy and felt I needed to wean him to conceive
My son had Asperger Syndrome and was irritating me quite a bit with how he nursed

All of these things makes me feel sorry that I "gave up" on my son and did not nurse him longer. It's not his fault he was big for his age--and he got less of a babyhood due to the fact. And his Aspergers put him in a position to require more nurturing, not less! We had a rough few years with him, and I have many regrets. But it has worked out, and now we are doing very well together.

Back to my daughter ... She is almost 2-1/2 and still going strong. She nurses several times a day. Some days she eats very little solid food. She nurses several times a night, and nurses to sleep still. Don't get me wrong, sometimes she can really annoy me, and sometimes I feel I have just had it with night-nursing....but not strongly enough that I would actually night-wean yet (that takes a large degree of patience and dilligence!). But she is just my little baby. She is sweet and innocent, not even 24 pounds yet.

I used to be more concerned about my weight and body image but now I don't care so much. I have gained 10 lbs in the past year just by working out, and I don't fit in my small clothes anyway. So now, I think I will try to keep my milk supply up, and if I conceive soon, I would be sure to eat plenty of calories to support breastfeeding. Hopefully I won't lose my supply like I did last time. I would like to nurse my daughter until she is 3, at least.

Banana Island

2011-01-08T11:38:00.001-08:00

We got a few boxes of ripe bananas from Gleaner's, and with food budget as a concern with eating raw, my husband and I saw this as an opportunity to go smoothie crazy and cleanse for a few days. Not quite Banana Island, but pretty close! Let's cleanse out all that holiday indiscretion :)

Mary

2010-12-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

At church I volunteer as the children's pianist. They are learning a song "When Joseph went to Bethlehem," which the chorister has chosen because she likes the perspective on how Joseph participated. It made me think That is great, but where is the song about Mary? Of course there is the Lullaby-Baby type of songs, but what about her perspective and what she personally went through?
Mary, a teenage mother, birthing unassisted with no midwife. So, here is what I wrote for her.

"Mary"

She put her trust not in man,
but in sacred Heavenly Father's hand
No worries did she hold, no fear
for she was sure her Lord was near.
In wisdom she knew she'd have no control,
so she humbly surrendered, to feel it in full.
Relying not on the instruments of learned man,
Rather with faith she did submit to His plan.
It was so fitting to be outdoors,
a room in the inn was not for her.
And in that solitude of nature unfurled,
She brought forth in glory,
the Savior of the World!

Merry Christmas!

3rd half-marathon

2010-11-26T19:16:00.001-08:00

I ran my third half-marathon last weekend, in Eugene Oregon. The weather was perfect, and it was a beautiful riverside course, all through park paths! My time was 2 hours, 16 minutes.

Yesterday some friends of ours hosted a Turkey Trot 4 mile race. I finished mine in record timing for myself, just under 36 minutes. I am finally running less than 9-minute pace!

My husband and I are now planning to run the Red Rock Canyon marathon in Las Vegas, NV March 5th, 2011 (half marathon for me). Lots of great hills, and weather will be beautiful.

Silver Falls Trail Half Marathon

2010-11-06T16:26:00.001-07:00

I did my seond half-marathon today, got the same time. Which is actually a great thing, since this one was much more difficult! Lots of hills, puddles, mud, even stairs! It was a beautiful trail race through a forest, creek, and several huge waterfalls.

Now I have done 2 half-marathons, and 2 sprint triathalons. I'm ready to do a full marathon next but not sure which one. Considering one in Southern NV in January, Salt Lake City in April, Newport OR in June. Or there is always Mesquite NV in 2 weeks, if I wanted to pack up my family and drive down there! I think I'll take a bit more time to train though.

Sorry I haven't been blogging much. I have been super busy! I work full-time from home now as an entrepeneur and I've been really focused on that, that raw foods and other natural stuff has kind of fallen by the wayside :(

Dr. Dolittle

2010-10-13T06:48:00.001-07:00

I'm watching the Rex Harrison version of Doctor Dolittle, a movie I watched many times growing up. But somehow I completely missed this song about him being a vegetarian. So now, I am surprised and delighted! He says it upsets the animals when he eats flesh, so he eats vegetables (and the animals steal food off his plate!) although he does miss eating meat and craves it, he does it wholeheartedly for his animals because he loves them so much. Is that not true for most of us?

First Grade!

2010-09-16T14:11:00.001-07:00

I made a big "homeschool" purchase and bought a ton of Easy Readers from Usborne (now I'm a consultant, but mostly just for my own discount). I love these books! There are also non-fiction readers, so you can learn about animals, social studies, space, etc. while the child is learning to read. I also bought several advanced easy readers--Rychen won't be ready to read them for a while, but they are great stories for parents to read to the children, simplified stories of classic literature, and more non-fiction books.

Elisabeth is finally sitting still for reading time, so now we can all cuddle up in bed and read for 30 minutes every day. This is the foundation of Rychen's "first grade" education, meeting both his emotional and academic needs.

So we are keeping it pretty simple. Besides the 30 minutes reading time, he needs to read a book to me every day, and practice piano, then he gets 30 minutes of Wii or computer games. The point store idea didn't last long, he didn't care that much, and I had too many check marks on the list. So now we are just making a point to do these three things every day, and then whatever else comes up through questions and discussion, and looking at other non-fiction books.

Rychen is suddenly very interested in geography and space. He has a little globe ball and every day he says "Let's learn about this for school!" Another book I got from Usborne is a colorful children's world atlas, where we can study maps, flags, learn trivia, and learn about most countries. For example, Rychen is amazed that the Arctic Ocean is FOUR MILLION square feet big! (haha, it's so funny to hear him say it). We've read a few different books on space, including a story version of the Apollo 11 first landing on the moon. I just have to say, it is so incredible to read these books to my child and be a part of the learning process. Most adults don't know this stuff! Rychen P. lost interest half-way through this book, but I just kept reading it. I was so AMAZED! I never realized before how many things could have gone wrong, how risky it was to send astronauts to the moon. It really is such a miracle, and God helped us achieve that.

I am so happy to have Rychen home with us, being a good, involved big brother too. The kids play together so well now! Of course, it's usually all on his terms, but Elisabeth is easy-going and happy to oblige! They are best friends, and I am so excited to raise a family of closely connected children. It is A LOT OF WORK and sometimes headache, but I know we will have such invaluable blessings from homeschooling.

That's not me hanging over the watermelon pallet...

2010-09-13T17:18:00.001-07:00

...but it very well could be!

Today I met my "twin" at Costco. Another woman, leaning well into the watermelon pallet, removing all the ones that didn't fit her standards, leaning way down to the bottom of the crate to get that...one...huge...one!!

She had 6 melons already in her cart.

I couldn't believe I was witnessing what I must look like... I asked her, "Are these for a social event or something?" and she replied, "No, I just eat a lot of watermelon." Now this was sounding exactly like me!

So I asked if she was into raw foods (which she is) and we talked a bit. I told her about my website and how we eat fruit all day. She said she eats watermelon every day until she gets sick of it, but when I asked if she was doing a watermelon mono-diet, she said "Oh no, no way!" ha, ha.

It's fun to meet other crazy fruitcakes and see that you're not the only one. What made it even better was that she was a very attractive, trendy, made-up, 30-something woman. I am so glad that "raw foods" is now a household term, and it can apply to ANYBODY and everybody! It is not just for crunchy hippie-chicks!

Consciousness & Addiction

2010-09-11T07:39:00.001-07:00

Today the Daily Raw Inspiration says "When you go raw and your body gets clear, suddenly you can hear your thoughts really well."

Isn't it so interesting how true this is? I think the steps we take to be truer, more real, honest withourselves, etc. actually build our consciouness. Another viewpoint is that the MSG, preservatives, refined foods and other non-foodstuffs we consume literally, on a chemical level, numb our minds. I am sure they do.

It feels so good to wake up and see life for what it is! See habits, addictions, numbness for what it is. Let's be honest with ourselves, let's be true. Let's take care of our bodies and minds, and avoid taking harmful substances into our body. Any substance that isn't food is a harmful, habit-forming drug. So next time you read the list of ingredients, ask yourself if these items are actually food. It is something real that came from the earth, designed as food for our species? If not, you are probably addicted to it. Pay attention next time you crave something. Are you craving the food, or are you craving the substances that come packages with the food? Usually it is a condiment you crave. Try eating the food plain, without condiments. If this doesn't appeal to you, that's because you are craving (and hence addicted) to the substances in the condiments. If you don't consume it on a regular basis, you begin to feel withdrawal symptoms like weakness, nausea, light-headedness, headache.

Marathon Fantasy

2010-09-06T14:21:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, my husband ran his third marathon in Pocatello, Idaho. Click that link and read his recap, it is so inspiring! I gotta do a marathon... This is my "window," my only chance - then it's another pregnancy and infanthood, won't be able to do long workouts for another couple years!! So I am not really ready to run a marathon, but dog-gonnit, I am going to do one. I will jog and walk, take it easy. I just need that experience, that accomplishment.

I looked over my choices for the next six months. They are all challenging courses (and we're getting into winter weather - yikes!) except for one. The one I have been looking at for a while now, Mesquite NV, but it's just real soon. Oh well, like I said - jog/walk. 5 or 6 hours. Let's just get it done!

November 20th, 2010. I hope to be there. (Gotta find flights and not get injured between now and then)

Food, Glorious Food!

2010-08-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

This eveninig, realizing we were running out of countertop space, we stopped to take inventory of how much fresh produce we have lying around.

This stuff is just the regular day-to-day stuff....

oh yeah this too... (40 lbs each: bananas, pears, oranges)
And now this stuff I loaded up on at bargain prices to freeze for future smoothies (80 lbs. peaches) as well as some tomatoes to freeze for stews.
We currently have 300 lbs. of FRESH PRODUCE !!!

Smartest purchase in the past 3 months: a freezer where we keep all this crazy frozen fruit, purchased at amazing steals... we have put in our freezer 120 lbs. strawberries, 40 lbs. apricots, 5 gallon bags of blueberries, and 40-80 lbs. bananas rotating consistently.
(in addition to our regular freezer indoors, where we keep smaller quantities of these items)
Anyhow, I am LOVIN' peach season!! I have been combining peaches with bananas for a quick and easy "peach smoothie." Peaches have such a strong flavor, why not combine them with bananas to make it more economical? But my son's favorite smoothie is still the "yellow smoothie" made solely of bananas!! When your bananas get too soft/bruised to eat, just put the good parts in the blender and whip it up into a delightfully sweet treat. Overripe, mushy bananas are superb for smoothies!

For more tips on eating fruit economically, as well as shopping and storing bulk buys, please read my eBook The Fruit Predominant Diet found at www.fruitpredominantdiet.com

Animal Families

2010-08-24T07:42:00.001-07:00

Animal mamas love their babies. When you drink milk from another species, you are taking something that belongs to someone's baby.

Animal babies love their mamas. When you eat meat and other animal products, you are supporting animal babies being split up from their mothers.

Please remember the animal families and only eat these foods when it is really necessary. But as long as we have supermarkets filled with plant foods and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, even stored grains, please keep animal food to a minimum.

Sprint Triathalon #1

2010-08-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

I did my first triathalon yesterday. It's so fun to be a part of the experience. I was looking over the pictures my husband took, when it suddenly hit me: "Look, that's me! I am a thin woman doing athletics!" If you told me 10 or 15 years ago that I would be a thin, athletic mom, I woudn't have believed it. Ten years ago I was struggling just to get through tennis practice. The four laps around the 4 tennis courts each day just about killed me, and I always came in last. I tried going out for track but I gave up after the first day...it was just so difficult. Little did I know, I was dealing with candida, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, ruled by my obsessive overeating of everything junk.

Anyhow, back to the present. I am just so amazed and grateful, to see how far I have come. What I've been able to achieve as I have been dedicated to becoming and staying healthy in both mind and body. It's been a long journey and still continuing!

My times for the sprint triathalon were approximately:

500 meter swim - 12.5 minutes

12 mile bike - 55 minutes

5K run - 32 minutes

It's my habit to bring a bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice on my long workouts, especially races.

Not a secret anymore

2010-08-17T11:12:00.001-07:00

I am so thrilled to see I am having an influence with my eBook. I am pretty public about it and sharing my blog posts on my Facebook page, and I've had so many friends start asking me about it and telling me they are eating fruit as a meal now. It's eye-opening to see how many people really do want to eat healthy, and really do know that eating well will help with their symptoms. It's not a secret anymore! Health advocates have been waiting decades for this day, and I am just so honored to be a part of it, sharing this message and inspiring people for better health! The world is changing for the better.

Michael Arnstein in Vibrance Magazine

2010-08-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

click here for a better (though equally teeny) picture (that is how I read it)

Bees & Honey

2010-08-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

I am 26 years old and just now I am learning about what honey is. This is a tragedy. Americans just go eating stuff, never understanding where it came from or to whom is belongs.

So thanks to Magic School Bus, I am now honey-educated. Let me share the news. Bees eat nectar from flowers (it's what lures them in; then the pollen sticks to them incidentally and falls off while they fly away--onto the female flower, hopefully). Then they take the extra home, and preserve it, much the same way we take extra fruit from the orchard during the summer, to preserve for the off-season. Preserved nectar is called honey.

This is bees' only food. Nectar is only available during the spring/summer, so honey is their "food storage" so that they can survive the winter. Unfortunately, when we take it from them, they rarely do.

I am going to think twice before buying honey again.

Blackberries: Exclusively Ours!

2010-08-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

The blackberries are in season! It really is great to live in Oregon. Today I was mid-bike-workout when I went past a wonderful bush with huge, plump berries! How could I help but to stop and munch? (and the munching turned into feasting....) After the bike ride, I told my family about it so we went out for a walk to bag and freeze some of these precious jewels! We bagged 6 sandwich bags in less than 30 minutes, while the kids helped themselves to their lunch.

Blackberries are human food. Our natural food! It intrigues me that birds cannot hover over a blackberry bush to eat. Deer cannot eat them. Rabbits and other wild animals don't either. When humans neglect to pick the berries, they shrivel up and fall off, feeding nobody. The blackberry is a special treasure for those of us with long arms, fingers (and protective clothing!) - truly exclusively ours.

This Tarahumara is ready to roll!

2010-08-11T12:36:00.001-07:00

Check out my Luna huarache sandals I got from Barefoot Ted. The Tarahumara are a tribe of world-class champion runners who run in sandals--read the book Born To Run, it's awesome!

Orange-Avocado Noodles

2010-08-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Got a little crafty tonight and invited something new for dinner :-) I call it Orange Avocado Noodles.

Mash 1 medium avocado with the juice of 3-4 valencia oranges. Stir into cucumber noodles and top with mini sweet peppers.

If you are new here, cucumber noodles are my favorite "base" for various dinner recipes. To make cucumber noodles, peel a cucumber and just continue peeling strands of flesh until you get to the seeds. They curl around a fork so beautifully! Just like eating fettucini.

I am lovin' these mini sweet peppers! Yesterday I found them for 99 cents per Lb. - which is about 1/10th of what they usually cost in the little 8 oz. carton. Wow!! So I bought 4 lbs.

Another 80/10/10 Story

2010-08-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this blog post, of a barefoot runner sharing his story of diet transition to 80/10/10 and why he chooses to follow this diet. I can say I agree with most everything he says.

The 80/10/10 Diet is such a lifesaver. Literally. I am so grateful to have the energy and stamina each day to workout to my heart's content -- yes, my heart's content, because I find exercise so enjoyable! Of course it is - we were designed to be active.

Thanks to the 80/10/10 Diet, my stress fracture healed almost twice as fast as a typical one. It hasn't yet been 4 weeks, and I am running again. I have been grateful for this experience for three reasons: To kindly alert me that I need to be more careful and not overtrain (I am not superhuman!) Secondly, to give me the opportunity to stay home a lot more, rest, and spend time with my kids. Thirdly, to focus my workouts on swimming and biking, learning correct techniques and building skills in these sports. I am now much more confident in these, and eager for my triathalons!

Two weeks to go!!

Personal Growth

2010-08-05T21:06:00.001-07:00

I've been in a rut lately, waiting for this phase of difficulty to pass. I've been through various phases before, and with some thoughtful examination of myself, each layer is removed to reveal more and more my true self.

In the past couple years I really have overcome a lot and grown so much as a person. The two main things I think of right away are how I used to have some interpersonal difficulties and a lot of insecurities. A couple years ago I had a hard time with charity and getting along with people who weren't like me. I had to be better than those around me, and I am sure they felt it. So my relationships suffered. Somehow, this passed. I was humbled and began to love and appreciate others for who they are, regardless of what we had in common. It happened while I was juice feasting but I don't want to be too quick to attribute spiritual growth to something as trivial as diet. Maybe it was just the fact that I was exercising faith, ready and willing to change and be somebody new (in both regards).

Then during my pregnancy and afterward, I had a time of intense insecurities. I became very defensive and unsure about presenting myself. I was convicted to my new lifestyle but not confident enough to be myself in public. It took a while for me to be myself and love myself, and not feel pressured to compare myself to others or defend my lifestyle. But now I have learned that it is just fine for two people to live differently, see things differently, and have different agendas. They can both be equally good, respectable, caring people. They can love and care for each other just the same.

Now I am in this impatient rut. I am in a hurry to live my life faster, and when things don't go as quickly as I want, I whine. I have a hard time consigning myself to the fact that even though I have the desire, stamina, and energy to workout 2 hours every day, it takes time to develop physical conditioning. So I have pushed too hard and caused these injuries.

Since eating 80/10/10 and getting into athletics, a whole new world has opened up to me. I have set so many personal goals that my attention has seemed to shift away from my family and more onto my own achievements. That mistake has left me vulnerable to disappointment when the two priorities compete for attention and become difficult to balance.

Additionally, since my world has changed, my expectations of life are changing. Before, my life was pretty much planned out. I suppose this is similar to many of us - we simply tend to expect our lives to go similarly to the lives our parents led (provided that we admire them or at least have a good relationship with them). I had always looked forward to my life as a mother and planned to have a big family. But when we grow up, we realize our expectations don't come as easily as we had hoped...or, in other words, life is just as uneasy as it has always been. Just being "grown up" doesn't mean we are suddenly free of worries.

In the past week or so I have found myself suddenly having thoughts I never expected to be considering. It's almost as if a huge lightbulb turned on in my head and I realized I am free to pursue anything I want. I don't have to live in a box - I don't have to live my adult life exactly as I had planned as a child. There are so many possibilities and it is so unfamiliar to me. In a sense, it scares me. All my life, I knew where I was headed next. Of course I had a choice, but I just did what I had planned to do -- I always knew I would go to college. I planned on majoring in psychology and that is exactly what I did, no time wasted at all in college. Did my program quickly and easily. As "luck" would have it, I found my husband easily and got married just like I had wanted to. We easily got pregnant - just like I had planned to. I had the homebirth I had wanted ever since I was a kid. No difficulties. Raised the child just as I had expected (albeit, didn't realize how much work it would be raising a child with my same personality!)

Now I am at that awkward point between kids. I am saying "between kids" as if I know my life is planned out for me, and naturally there will be another one. But that is the very thing I am questioning. See, I find myself at the point where we'd be getting ready to have another child. And yet, the desire isn't there. I am just not wanting one right now. Two kids - under attachment parenting model and homeschooling, specifically - are quite a handful! And now for the first time ever, I am suddenly realizing "Hey... I have other options... I could do somethig else with my body here... " I even so much as began to brainstorm all the various possibilities I could choose to do, asking myself "Do I want to go to graduate school? Do I want a career?" (didn't take long for me to answer a solid "No" to both of those questions) ...But I am really enjoying athletics. Somehow it seems I have to choose between being athletic and having another baby.

And this deviation from "the plan" is scary to me - am I allowed to have this feeling? Isn't this totally, absolutely selfish? My being athletic doesn't serve anybody but myself. It isn't Christian. At least with my current motives - showing off, being competitive, and being self-absorbed. My mind is so black and white - I have always taken religion very seriously, and lived the counsel to the utmost degree. So it seems like if I do something for myself, it's just selfish. Now, I know there are plenty of good Christian moms who will say "No, you need to fill your bucket," etc. That is probably the right answer, but it's just difficult for me to wrap my brain around since I think in black and white.

Even writing this, it's merely a vent. Working through feelings. I think I already know the answer, and I bet I can predict the next year as well as the next 5 years. Yes, we are going to have another baby next year. I just can't conceive of why we wouldn't. I am not baby hungry right now (maybe my anxiety with change is standing in the way) but I am sure it will come and hit me like a ton of bricks soon enough. And with my rational mind, I know I can very sensibly continue with my sports during and after a pregnancy (just not to the extreme--which will no doubt be a nice little reign on this wild horse I've got going here). As usual, the answer is to find balance with all life's various demands and opportunities.

And I'm going to have to accept the fact that much of life is not a dramatic tale to tell. I realize that there is no way a future pregnancy can top the excitement and thrill I experienced while pregnant with Elisabeth. Why? Because that was my honeymoon with raw pregnancy and unassisted birth. Who knows, maybe there is some magic left or something unexpected will happen. Silly me, always looking for bigger and better. Why can't I just relax and enjoy my life, and love what is? That is exactly the lesson God is trying to teach me here. So I have more soul searching to do. More praying. More submitting my will and just allowing myself to surrender and experience what God has in store for me!

News on the fitness front

2010-08-03T17:36:00.001-07:00

Well it's been a while, I figure I need to give you all an update. Three weeks ago I hurt my foot running, some sort of a sprain or stress fracture. As usual, I don't care for diagnoses because the treatment remains the same regardless: rest, eat lightly, follow cues for starting back up again.

So the first week I only exercised once or twice. Then, because I had extreme cabin fever, I began biking and swimming in earnest. What a wonderful opportunity it has been to put running on the backburner for a month and concentrate on learning these new disciplines. I am now fairly confident in both sports, as confident as I can be with my cheap equipment.

This week I've made huge progress swimming and I felt so great today when I finished my 500 meter swim and looked at the clock - 11 minutes, 30 seconds. A month ago it was at 13 minutes, alternating foward crawl and backstroke. Today I did a cycle of 3 lengths crawl, 1 length back, which I was able to maintain for the 500 meters without resting. Hooray! After that, and a few easy laps, I wanted to see how far I could go doing foward crawl only before I had to stop to rest. I did 5 laps (250 meters) and then decided I was too tired from the total workout, that I better stop. Next time I'd to do a slower, continuous forward crawl for the entire 500 meters.

In Bike Land, we have some progress but more difficult to measure. I need to bike 12 miles for my triathalons, and so far have only done 7. I am taking it up gradually. Biking works my thighs a great deal so I need to be wise and ease into it. So for now, I bike only 45 minutes at a time, at moderate intensity. This week I would like to do an hour long bike ride at an easier pace to increase my endurance.

I am registered for a sprint triathalon in less than 3 weeks, pretty close to home. I don't have high expectations since I am still pretty new on the bike, and don't know how well I will be running. But I am still excited just to have the experience and get a taste for what actually goes on at one of these events! The second triathalon is September 25, which I plan to do fairly competitively! After that, I'm shooting for the Mesquite Marathon, November 20th. My brother-in-law, who runs in sandals, is planning to do it also (first marathon for both of us) as well as my husband (will be his fourth).

Both yesterday and today I did a mono-diet until dinner--yesterday only watermelon and today only bananas. The other meal (both days) was avocado and tomatoes. This is the first time I have really done mono eating for longer than one meal. and WOW - there really is quite a difference! I had so much energy, like I was "going raw" all over again!! Today I did three workouts - bike 45 minutes, walk 1 hour, and swim 30 minutes. I just wanted to go and go! I love this exercise affair. So I must say, I am a fan. After I eat through these watermelons, I'd like to do several days on "Banana Island" as Dr Graham calls it (eating only bananas). He has his clients do this temporarily as a way to get in touch with their true hunger signals. At any time when training matters most, athletes cannot afford to waste energy digesting food they were not hungry for.

Anyhow, like I said, I walked an hour today. I felt it was time to get out and use my foot, work the muscles a bit. As I walked, I became more and more comfortable, confirming to me that the activity was indeed wise. What a relief! As I get back into running in the next couple weeks, I am now transitioning to minimalist footwear. I own a pair of both huaraches (Luna Shoes?) and Vibram Five Fingers. We'll see which I prefer. I like the fact that I can swim in the 5 Fingers--maybe they'd work great for a triathalon with no wardrobe changes.

Okra

2010-07-30T15:47:00.001-07:00

My favorite market now carries fresh okra. Apparently there has been quite the demand from various customers. I have had okra before only as part of frozen stir-fry mixes, and then the time in 2nd grade my teacher brought in pickled okra for us all to try (delicious!). A couple raw foodists I know rave about okra. I remember Sarah ("going bananas" blog) eating raw okra and tomatoes for weeks at a time (not exclusively, just a favorite daily snack food). So I decided to pick some up and give 'em a whirl, with a 99-cent bag of on-the-vine cherry tomatoes.

Not bad! Similar to any raw veggie you would munch on (snap peas come to mind) but there is a thin layer of slime inside. Yummers, I know. Not my favorite but I'll keep buying them occasionally.

Why Eat Raw? by M. Arnstein

2010-07-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

LFRV on Facebook!

2010-07-23T07:45:00.001-07:00

Some great links and networking on Facebook for people eating a low-fat, high-fruit diet! Search for the following Fan/Group Pages: "80 10 10 Diet by Dr Doug Graham," "Vibrance Magazine," "Fit on Raw" and "Low-fat Raw Vegan Diet."

Also, click here to read the amazing account of Michael Arnstein's 100-mile race in 17 hours, and next day adventure climbing Mt Washington, NH in 2 hours!!

lying low

2010-07-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

I got another running injury this week and I've been feeling pretty low. I took a few days resting as much as possible and eating a lot less than I usually do. That was nice to get rest, but now after 4 days of that I got a bit stir crazy. I decided to try biking, and to my sincere appreciation, I am able to bike pretty well with my foot injury. I also swam today which I can do fine except for when I have to stand or walk.

I don't know if it has anything to do with the injury but I've also been feeling exhausted and a bit nauseated lately. Actually took a pregnancy test but it was negative. Sometimes I fantasize about finding myself pregnant, unexpectedly. Feeling down today, I felt this would actually be nice timing. Since I am laying around, not doing anything anyway. Would be a good time to be tired, right?

If this injury doesn't take too long to heal, I'd really like to delay pregnancy long enough to run a marathon this fall. But right now things are just so up-in-the-air... When will I run again? How do I prevent this from happening a third time? How feasible is it for our family to travel to another state for me to accomplish a marathon? Is that what I really what to do, and why? Lots to think about.

Appletarian

2010-07-16T12:19:00.001-07:00

This woman has been living almost exclusively on apples for the past 20 years! She is in wonderful physical health, as a full time ballet teacher and yogi. Amazing!

Good for the tummy

2010-07-10T20:51:00.001-07:00

On Globe Trekker tonight, Megan visits Australia and spends some time with the Aborigines. They eat green tree ants for their health benefits--the man says "they are good for the tummy." Interesting statement - what could that mean? My first thought was that as a source of B-12, it probably helps their digestion and gut health.

Curious, I did an internet search about these ants. Turns out they are also purported to encourage estrogen levels in women and give them "firmer breasts and tighter thighs." These are ants with green abdomens that apparently taste like lemonade!!

Dr. Graham on B-12

2010-07-10T19:23:00.001-07:00

Click here to watch Dr. Graham speak on B-12 and diseases of excess. Very unique, profound approach. This is exactly what I like about Dr. Graham. If he is right, his teachings--so simple and profound--are going to revolutionize the health food world.

Fruit Predominant blog

2010-07-07T15:58:00.001-07:00

My health articles and raw food recipes are being posted to a different blog, Fruit Predominant Family. Please keep up with that blog the same as you do this one, if you'd like to receive those updates. Pulling Dasies is my personal blog about my own progress and insights.

cantaloupe party

2010-06-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Interesting day (see sidebar). I didn't do it on purpose. And I guess I was so busy with various things today that I didn't even realize I had only eaten cantaloupe until this evening when I asked myself "Did I eat anything besides cantaloupe today?" bananas aren't ripe.... didn't make any OJ... there was just that salad and raisins... Hmm, cool!

I am now officially addicted to exercise. Unfortunately I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do!! (I have to be a mom at some point of the day) An hour after my half-marathon, I was ready to do some more. But I waited til Monday and ran a hard 5K, felt awesome! Today I did more running, swam 1000 meters, and practiced tennis for a half-hour. I got interrupted on all of those and had to stop before I was satisfied. Darn responsibilities! :)

This weekend I'm competing in a local tennis tournament. Since I haven't played competitively since 2001, I don't know what to expect. But I am super excited!! I actually think I'm as strong as ever, now that I am in shape and have the energy to run after the ball for a couple hours, and the upper body strength I've developed recently should help with my power. How fun!! I am really excited to play rough!

Seattle Half Marathon 2010

2010-06-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

The event was so awesome! The race was difficult but still enjoyable and very much worth all the effort and sacrifices we've made to prepare. I ran it in about 2 1/2 hours. Here I am with my husband, who ran his 2nd marathon in 3 weeks!

Allergies and Juicing

2010-06-24T11:30:00.001-07:00

Okay I was wrong. Still have allergies--Funny come-and-go symptoms as if something is causing them. I am wondering about food allergies, since I am supposedly sensitive to strawberries and possibly melons (according to electro-dermal testing) both of which I have been enjoying lately.

And then as luck would have it, I have just discovered Valencia oranges as the most wonderful, refreshing thing ever! And I got a few 40# boxes for $12 each!! It's time for an OJ cleanse, baby. I am feeling this. Yesterday I had OJ for half my meals and today will do the same. I'll do what I can as we travel to Seattle this weekend, and then on Sunday get serious about it. I'll follow my appetite but thinking of doing a few days on OJ alone. I did juice feasting a few years ago and had so much energy (and surprisingly not much appetite)! Hopefully it will cleanse these allergies away.

So my runs these past couple weeks have been more difficult--not as much energy--but it's been a great experience because I've pushed through the lows and actually improved my pace quite a bit! I used to run only when I felt terrific, and now I am learning that exercise helps to feel better when I don't feel terrific. I find some nice relief from my allergies when I run. As a matter of fact, I am most bothered indoors and find the fresh air very enjoyable. I love my runs even though they are difficult... I am beginning to get that "running addiction" I've heard of! Can't quite explain it, still exploring the concept. I think it's a psychological addiction. It's a funny thing to enjoy pain so much, but it sure does give a thrill! And a such a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I am such a believer of hard exercise now. I can't believe it took me so many years to get my butt moving!!

Night and Day

2010-06-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, I feel SO MUCH BETTER since I stopped eating avocados every day. These past few days my allergies have gone away and I have woken up refreshed and ready to workout. My running has gotten much faster this past week as I've worked on my speed. Before, my pace was always at least 10-minute mile, and now my past 3 runs have all been below 9 1/2 minute-mile pace. Today I ran a 10K in 57 minutes - 2 1/2 months ago my 10K race time was 64 minutes. It's so exciting to see great improvements!! Eating a low-fat, raw diet is nothing short of a dramatic, night-and-day difference in your body's abilities. I truly feel that nobody can reach their full potential in any physical endeavor--whether that be childbearing, marathon running, or just every day tasks--on any sort of compromised diet.

I haven't decided what's next for me after Seattle this weekend. If I enjoy it, I will probably work toward a full marathon (considering Top of Utah in August or Mesquite NV in November). I have also been looking at various triathalons, including Silverman Triathalons (half ironmand distance - swim 1.2 miles, bike 50 miles, run 13.1 miles) but right now I am waiting to get adjusted to bike riding. So far it has bothered my knee, since my legs are so conditioned to running and only running right now.

Well one thing is for sure. After Seattle I am going to do a lot of cross training to strengthen my knee. I am also wanting to get more flexible and work on my gymnastics. There is a gym here that is open to the public, to go and use the gymnastics equipment. I would so love to get some of my tricks back! (I used to do some gymnastics, 15 years ago) So I will be doing that, swimming, and yoga, and gradually get on my bike. Once I'm on my bike I will have an idea of my triathalon potential.

Great things

2010-06-17T11:58:00.001-07:00

I've been praying and pondering during these past few days of weakness, and today I feel renewed in my zeal, and ready to go onward with 80/10/10! I did not cheat on my diet except one day I had 3 avocados...heh heh... Been eating fats for dinner every night for over a week now (those dang avocados are 30 cents each! can't pass them up!) My running has been laborious and overall less enjoyable. I am off overt fats for this coming week to see how great I can feel on my half marathon day June 26th!

Well there is a new side-of-the-road Mexican market here and I spoke with the owner about getting discounts and getting the overripe produce--"overripe" meaning a perfectly edible (just not sell-able) banana, plantain, or mango. So I left my phone number. He said that would be great, they had just hauled off an entire truckload of overripe fruit to be thrown out!! So It was great to make a connection. I am much more confident now, telling store owners about our diet. I want to work with each other and embrace it all.

Speaking of which, at the grocery store today the mangoes were marked down to 25 cents each! So I bought 40 of them. The lady in line behind me asked what I will do with them all. (Paint with them? I don't know, what do you do with mangoes?) So I SAID IT! I Actually said "I'm fruitarian." The cashier got in on the conversation and both of them asked several questions--not any meat? what do I feed the kids? is that OK? So I got to tell them about it. I told them how I used to have some health problems and now I am running a half-marathon next week. I feel great everyday and this has been the best choice I have made for my daily lifestyle. They seemed genuinely impressed and interested. Although the lady behind me felt the need to affirm that she eats fruit too (as if she needed to validate the fact that she's not totally irresponsible about her diet). So I suggested she try eating a lot of fruit to fill up as a meal.

Wonderful day!

Diet, Athletic Capacity, and the Future

2010-06-14T11:08:00.001-07:00

This morning I ran 13.1 miles. I am ready for my half-marathon in less than two weeks. So exciting! It's so wonderful that I have prepared myself and gotten to this point.

6 or 7 weeks ago I hurt my knee and wasn't able to run. I took two weeks off, no running at all. Then I began to walk 5 miles at a time, gradually increasing my jogging ratio and speed. After two weeks of zero running, here is what I ran on my long run days:

week 1: 7 miles (50% walking)
week 2: 9 1/2 miles (25% walking)
week 3: 11 1/2 miles (in 2 hours)
week 4: 13.1 miles (in 2 hours, 10 mins)

Let me remind you, I only began running in APRIL.

This rate of improvement is INSANE. Typical runners would call me out for being absolutely foolish. But I feel I am wise, I don't over-run myself, and I don't run when I am still recovering.

But with 80/10/10 recovoery is SO MUCH QUICKER, so you can do another hard workout a lot sooner than you would have been able to before. You also have less risk of injury because you're not using stimulants (such as salt and refined foods) and you work with your body's real abilities instead of tricking yourself to believe you have more energy than you really do.

80/10/10 is a miracle. It's absolutely wonderful. Before 80/10/10 I struggled with exercise and could never follow a regular routine at all. I was always too tired, too moody, didn't have the motivation or the belief that I was even capable of it. I didn't have the mental energy to arrange my schedule and find time to fit running in with motherhood. I just didn't have the drive to do much of ANYTHING. 80/10/10 has completely healed my soul and re-vamped my life. I am a much better mom now, and I much stronger person.

Now, I don't want to end this post without saying it's not easy. I have had a lot of cravings and desires for cooked food these past few weeks. My emotions have been close to the surface. I am still not sure how long I can last on 80/10/10. I don't appreciate my body detoxing when I am not ready for it (because you don't have the liberty of choosing when it comes) and I really miss eating food with people. So I am holding on for this race. And then... I don't know. I might experiment. I ate a dehydrated flax cracker last week and it made me bloated. It took 24 hours to clear it from my system and I did NOT appreciate feeling less than 100%.... so I don't know, a part of me says HOLD ON! It's not worth it!! These feelings will pass!! Enjoy your flat stomach! Enjoy your awesome workouts! so will I listen to this voice? we'll see... (I guess all I need is an attempt at cooked food and that will probably motivate me to get right back on!)

Thyroid healed

2010-06-14T10:55:00.001-07:00

I have always been the cold person, wanting the heat on when everybody else is fine, wearing extra layers, etc. Mornings were difficult for me and I would wear my robe around the house for the first couple hours. These past couple years of eating fruit for breakfast and lunch have brought some challenges - I would always be cold after eating fruit. Watermelon in particular would send me shivering--I generally had the habit of taking a hot bath after eating watermelon. I just couldn't handle it...

I don't have this problem anymore, and I don't know how long its been. I just realized it... So I guess doing 80/10/10 has healed my thyroid and all my symptoms of gone. Being cold all the time is one symptom of hypothyroid, as well as hormone imbalances, fatigue, etc. For these past few months, my food never makes me cold anymore. I have also been in situations where people in the same room say they are cold and I am not! For the first time in my life! I have been very comfortable.

This past winter I had no problem eating fruit instead of warm food, as I have had in years past. Not once the entire winter did I crave hot food! As my husband has begun 80/10/10 high-raw, he asks me "Don't you ever just want a hot meal?" hmm well yes, I used to.... But no, not anymore. I healed. I overcame that. My body adjusted and now I am stronger. How wonderful!

update on various things

2010-06-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in a while! Just feel like you guys deserve an update. We've been a busy family, lots of workouts, homeschooling, teaching tennis 3 hours a week, and my eBay business. But we've found a nice routine.

I felt like we needed a nice reliable schedule as a family. So I canceled our morning appointments, and now we are home all morning, every day. We do school, exercise, and take a quiet time. Then in the afternoon we have Rychen's piano lessons, my tennis classes, working out, park time, or playdates.

The only day this is different is my once weekly long-run day, because that needs to be in the early morning. But I am done by 9 am, and then we do school and play time.

This was a great change for me because I'm such a spontaneous person, but my children need something more reliable...and I need some discipline in my life!

My son Rychen is doing great. It is so fulfilling for me as a mother to teach him. I wouldn't have anybody else do this job. As much as he drives me crazy, it's the school thing that we really love and brings us close. He is also doing great on the piano, and is actually composing his own songs(which sound pretty good)!

I am still eating 80/10/10 raw vegan, going on 4 months! I have been more tempted these past couple weeks, but as I am setting more athletic goals and appreciating my beautiful, simple life, I remember the benefits of my diet and want to stick to it long-term. I love seeing the athletic improvements come, and not being sore!

I am considering doing a marathon in Utah, this September. It is the week before my triathalon! This triathalon won't be too difficult at all, it's just a 10 minute swim, 30 minute run, and 12 flat miles on the bike. But it's really exciting, now that I am doing all three sports! Great complimentary sports by the way. In the future I hope to do more difficult triathalons. I think I will enjoy those more than the marathons.

Another quick announcement, my eBook now has a promotional price for the month of June. The checkout button is on the left (We are still building the actual website...sorry!!)

Seattle, Here I come!

2010-06-07T11:17:00.001-07:00

Today I ran 11.5 miles right at 2 hours. Feels great! Gives me a lot of confidence for my half-marathon (13 miles) coming up in less than 3 weeks.

My awesome husband completed his first marathon this past weekend. Although it didn't go as we expected, it was a great experience. We sure learned a lot (yes, both of us...my end was pretty stressful as well) both physically and spiritually.

Makes me consider doing a marathon.... but first I've got a triathalon in September. I want to be competitive with this, so running might have to go to the backburner while I up my game for swimming and biking. The running portion is an easy 3 miles, but I have never biked athletically before. I did take a swim class in college so I know proper form, and have reasonable skill. I'm excited to start swimming twice a week and get some upper body strength!! So exciting.

And all this just wouldn't have been possible on the diet I was eating 4 months ago. I'm so thankful I found a way to LIVE!

Physical Changes on 80/10/10

2010-06-07T06:12:00.001-07:00

Currently its been 3 1/2 months on 80/10/10rv. When I decided to eat this way, I wrote down a page in my journal to motivate me. It says "What If.........?" with a list of my health concerns (basically the idea was, what if all these things could be in the distant pass? What if? And I'll never know unless I try this diet out). One of them was "What if I could have a flat stomach all the time?" and by that I was referring to the issue that I would get bloated every day eating fruit-til dinner, and I was self-conscious having skinny legs and arms and a round belly. What if I could have a flat stomach? Even after eating a big meal, even at the end of the day?

Anyhow I forgot about this goal until this week. It took about 2 months on 80/10/10 to obtain but I did. My bloating is history. It's so awesome!! What's funny about it, is that a few people have commented that I look thinner. They don't realize it was just a bloating problem--they ask if I have lost weight. The irony there is that I have actually gained 5 lbs since starting 80/10/10. My body fat percentage went from 16% to 14% (with running 2-3 days a week) and my weight went from 113 to 118. Since I am carrying less body fat, the weight gain can only be an increase of muscle. My stomach is much flatter and hence my waist is much slimmer. But my jeans are getting a bit tight for comfort.

Before 80/10/10 I could only control my bloating with probiotics. But a while back I read on the Vegsource board somebody thought using probiotics interferes with the body's natural abilityto regulate microflora levels. I decided to take a "leap of faith" and get off my probiotics. And it worked!! No more ups and downs with my flora level, its my own system regulating that now, building flora from the natural bacteria in my environment and on my food.

100 Days on 811rv!!

2010-05-27T18:17:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is my 100th Day eating 100% raw vegan 80/10/10. What an accomplishment for me!

My health improvements are not much more than I reported a month or 2 ago..... even moods, much better mental health in general, easy digestion with no more bloating, no more candida, no more unexplained fatigue or moodiness.

To be absolutely honest, my health improvements aren't absolutely fantastic compared to a high-raw, low-fat diet (known as The Fruit Predominant Diet) , which state of health I've been enjoying for several years now. I think so much is possible just by increasing the fruit in your diet and cutting out certain toxic "foods." You really don't ever have to be sick again.

Like I've said before, the reason I am personally eating 100% raw is because I am a food addict, and eating this way is far easier than struggling with "self-discipline" as far as cooked/junk food limits go. For me, it is easier to eat 100% raw. And so these health benefits I've experienced--more energy, better digestion, even moods--I believe are simply a product of good eating habits. In other words, the problems I had on a high-fruit diet where only due to the fact that I overate.

I highly recommend The Fruit Predominant Diet to anybody wanting to eat more fresh foods and experience fantastic health benefits without going "extreme" and keeping familiar dinner foods in their diet. My eBook explains why fruit is such a great food for us, the research behind a low-fat diet, what to expect, how exactly to make the transition, tips for fruit purchasing and ripening, budget tips, and psychological tools for success. The book is for sale by going through the check-out process on the left-hand sidebar, and the cost of the book includes a month of personal mentoring with me to cover any questions or challenges you face individually.

Cherries, Lettuce & Exercise

2010-05-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day.

1. We had our first cherries of the season!
2. We are officially done buying lettuce for the next several months (our garden is flourishing!)
3. I am back into my groove of daily workouts.

My knee isn't fully healed but now I realize it never was the actual problem. Something is up with my ligaments above the knee, connecting to my thigh muscles. But as long as I wear a knee brace I can still run and swim (haven't tried biking yet...suspicious that it may have been the cause).

More big news, my son has finally decided to ride his bike. Weird kid, with several milestones in his life, after months of prodding from us, spontaneously decides on his own to be brave and do it.

The past 3 days I have gone out with my son riding his bike and me pushing Elisabeth in the stroller, 5 miles. Today I ran a good part of it and was ready for more but decided instead of go swim. Great day! I can't wait to do a "real" run on Monday.

Raw Mushroom Stroganaff

2010-05-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today I treated myself to a gourmet raw dinner. Not that I don't enjoy my salads, but once in a while you just want something new and exciting! I bought some mushrooms today, and was thinking of using them with my leftover alfredo sauce when a lightbulb turned on--**Mushroom Stroganaff!**

I do admit I looked at a few recipes so I'd know how to make the flavor. Turns out the trick is soy sauce and paprika. So here is what I whipped up, as my low-fat raw vegan version.

1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tb. sesame seeds
1 carrot
few squirts of Bragg's Aminos
1 garlic clove
1 bunch scallion stumps
1 Tb. dried paprika
1 cucumber inside (the "core" leftover after peeling fettucine noodles)
...as well as the cucumber peels

Blend it all up! Serves 2-3. I poured it over my cucumber fettucine noodles and chopped mushrooms.

Today was a good day for this, since this past week I have been thinking about cooked food. I've been eating fats with my dinner practically every night, on the verge of a candida breakout, and realizing it really would be healthier to eat a low-fat cooked dinner like I tell my readers.... *sigh* but I just don't trust myself with cooked food. One day I'm sure I will have a dish. I'll be invited to a dinner and I'll do the occasional low-fat cooked meal thing. But not in my own home. Not today.

And as it turned out, this Stroganaff was delicious. Great variety for my cucumber noodles, which I LOVE!! These English cucumbers are 50 cents each, and I bought 14 of them this week! It's my dinner every night.

Real Life Influence

2010-05-18T20:52:00.001-07:00

I made a Facebook fan page for The Fruit Predominant Diet, my first big step at making this side of me public to the people I know in real life. And great things pan out--

Somebody I go to church with, who I never would have thought to be interested, commented and said she wanted to know more about this fruit diet. So we talked a lot about it, and she is reading my book. Today she and her children came over for a raw dinner. I made various dishes so there would be plenty for the kids to choose from. She and I had Fettucine Alfredo (pictured) and we also had tomato/cucumber/basil salad, banana/peach smoothie, watermelon, and oranges, with medjool dates for dessert. It was such an awesome raw feast! I didn't anticipate the basil salad being so popular. Her children gobbled up the watermelon. What can I say? Kids love fruit! Kids will eat fruit for dinner!

I'm so excited that she likes my ideas and is following my diet now. I hope she has success and sees improvements in her health!

Food Knowledge & Lack Thereof

2010-05-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today I took my almost-5-year-old son to a kids museum where he got to do pretend "grocery shopping" including the conveyor belt, scale, and scanner. I felt so proud as he pushed his little cart right over to the "produce aisle" and filled his cart with fruit (after weighing them, which he enjoys doing in real life) and went directly to the check-out line. Didn't even stop to look at all the cardboard boxes (what? cardboard boxes have food inside?) This is what we do in real life, so why would he think otherwise?

Then something really funny happened, a lady who obviously doesn't have children came up and made a big deal out of the fact he had lots of fruit in his cart. She says to him "Wow! A lot of fruit! Do you know the names of any of them?" Yeah, my son says matter-of-factly. "Really? Let's see. Which one of these is......the banana?..... Wow!! Great job! Which one is the apple?" Really, lady, are you kidding me? This is the game we play with Elisabeth and alphabet letters. She turns to me and tell me how impressed she is that my son knows his fruits. She says "I just read that most children don't know the names of fruits and vegetables!" Well I don't think you have to be a raw foodist to know what an apple and banana are, but I just smiled at her.

When we went home, we told Dad and had a good laugh. But then we realized that although he knows all his fruits and vegetables, he probably doesn't know most "normal" food items that are every-day staples in most American homes! So we played a little game with him, naming off certain things and him telling us if he knows what it is or not.

"Pepperoni?" No. "Those circles that are on pizza." Oh.
"String Cheese?" Yeah, cheese that is a string. "Do you know what it looks like?" yeah.
"Cheeseburger?" No.
"Steak?" Like the Stake center? ha ha, not quite.
"Doritos?" no
"Licorice?" no
"Ritz crackers?" no (Did I ever spell that right? LOL)
"Gummy Bears?" no, but I heard that in a song [his friend] sings.
"Roast beef?" no
"Potato chips?" yeah, those things we dipped in tomato paste. "No, that's potato wedges."

This was such a hilarious conversation. I guess I haven't been doing a good job of educating my son!

Kids and Food Rules

2010-05-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

Many parents are uncertain about how far they want to take their kids' diets, wondering how to balance health with personal choice, and uncertain about what rebellious bingeing they might be setting them up for. In this video we see Michael Arnstein (fruitarian athlete) and his wife disagree over how far to push it with their own children.

As far as children straying from the diet at friends' houses, let's remember that "rebellion" is relative. If a child is fed a 100% raw diet at home, then they will get a huge thrill out of eating steamed broccoli away from home. Such harmless yet relative "cheats" will meet their need for rebellion without harming them physically.

I don't want to force my children to eat the way I do. I have enough sense to know it needs to be a personal choice. What I do is the same thing I do with anything else I wish them to do in life: Teach them, Model an example, and Provide the right atmosphere at home, and Let Natural consequences follow.

1. Teach Them
As part of my general philosophy about education, I teach my children through conversations all throughout the day. I tell them my thoughts, I take advantage of situations to explain principles, and I give a full, honest answer to every question I receive. My four-year-old understands why we eat raw food. Now it will be his choice if he lives accordingly or not (and likewise with religious teachings or any other thing we are trying to impress upon him).

2. Model an Example
Be the example. Let your children see how happy you are on raw food. And let them know when you stray so that they will understand the consequences! You are a team. Experiment, appreciate, and discuss the results of eating either way. I am honest with my son and tell him I am grouchy because I ate too much. I am also honest with him in sharing with him how excited and proud I am of myself for sticking to my diet.

3. Provide the Right Atmosphere at Home

I don't make my kids eat the way I do, but when I prepare a meal I serve it to them unless they specifically request otherwise.

4. Let Natural Consequences Follow

...and use them as teaching moments! Nothing is better than when your child gets congested after eating cooked food. You ask them if that food was really yummy. Are they still glad they ate it? Would they rather eat a different food that is also yummy but won't make them ill? On the other hand, when they've been eating raw, point out to them how they haven't thrown any tantrums that week and how proud you are. Tell them it seems they have more energy and they can stay up late without getting grouchy. Tell them how soft their skin is and how pretty their eyes are when they eat raw!

So far these four rules are working for us. We don't use babysitters, daycares or schools, so there really won't be much opportunity to stray until they are older. Relatives house used to be a temptation but now we bring our own snacks or ask for fruit. I will say, it's been much smoother since we've established a Raw Home, and I've been dilligent myself, so there is no confusion. We have certain expectations and we live by certain principles, and that's that.

The Fruit Predominant Diet

2010-05-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

My eBook The Fruit Predominant Diet is now available for purchase (see sidebar) and we are currently building a website (domain of the same name) to promote a widespread Fruit Predominant Diet support system, including instructional videos, testimonies, recipes, tips, Q&A and updates on upcoming sequels, Pregnancy and Childbirth on the Fruit Predominant Diet, and Marathon Running on the Fruit Predominant Diet.

Summary:

The “Fruit Predominant Diet” is a realistic diet that anybody can do, regardless of what their current diet is. Standard American foodists and raw foodists alike will find improvements in their health as they move their current diet toward The Fruit Predominant Diet. It is not a diet with rules; it is not a specific food outline of what to eat. Rather, it is a set of principles.

You Follow the “Fruit Predominant Diet” if you:
- strive to keep fats to a minimum (ideally less than 10% of calories)
- strive to make most of your meals fruit-only or fruit-based
- strive to eat whole, natural foods

Annalise Jones summarizes hundreds of books and articles on the subject of nutrition and natural health in one straightforward book you can understand and apply practically. This eBook will teach you basic nutrition on an intellectual level as well as open your eyes to the basic truths of nature of which society has been blinded. Read her story of how she turned her health around and discovered the amazing benefits of a natural diet, and get practical advice for how you can too, whether you want to be a raw foodist or just increase the fruit in your current omnivore diet.

The price of the eBook includes mentoring. You will be given an e-mail address to ask questions and any other concerns I can help you with on your personal journey.

Note to my blog readers:
If you currently follow The Fruit Predominant Diet, I would love it if you could give me a brief testimony of how this diet has given you an improved level of well-being and a better outlook on life. This will be published on the website. Please e-mail your testimony to fruitpredominantdiet@gmail.com

Thanks!

p.s. If you're on Facebook, please become a fan of the Fruit Predominant Diet page!

Healing both emotionally and physically

2010-05-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

More than a week ago, I hurt my knee running and haven’t been able to exercise since then (although I’ve tried—but it didn’t take long for me to see that any sort of lower-body exercise would only re-injure it and prolong the healing process). It hasn’t been painful, there’s just been swelling and mysterious numbness in my leg muscles. It’s been very humbling for me to admit that I was careless and did not care for my body properly. As somebody who loves to brag about never being sick, and enjoying the delusion that I am somehow “superhuman” because of my diet, it has been very disappointing and frustrating to be limping around the house, still waiting for my leg to heal after a full week has passed with no running!

I decided to do a bit of fasting, and after eating very lightly the second half of the day yesterday and eating a watermelon mono-diet today, I came to a breakthrough that I believe has been the climax of my injury and now my leg will be free to heal.

When I was a young teenager, I was a budding gymnast, in a community gymnastics class that taught only floor tumbling and trampoline (there was no bars, beam, or vault). I can’t describe how much I enjoyed gymnastics—I really did dream of and long for the day I could possibly be a “real” gymnast, flying around the uneven bars! I progressed to the point that I could do a long sequence without spotting (front handspring-roundoff-two backhandsprings)… and then one day I injured my right thumb. My thumb!! My little 2-inch thumb. It was numb and swollen (just as my right knee is now) and while it healed, my back-handsprings were crooked and awkward, as I was unable to put my weight onto my right hand. Then after it healed, it had just been too long that I was throwing crooked back-handsprings, and I seemingly could not straighten them out again. I was heart-broken, discouraged, and ultimately came to the decision to quit gymnastics altogether—thus shattering my dream, and I never even got a chance to try the uneven bars.

I was also very frustrated and angry during this time of my life because my parents could not afford for me to attend a real gymnasium where the students trained on real equipment. Another reason I never got the chance to do uneven bars.

Anyway, today as I was remembering this, I knew that these buried feelings were the cause of my injury. I subconsciously allowed my knee to be injured because these memories were coming up and I needed to process these emotions. So naturally I re-created the same injury—on my right side, with numbness and swelling, only this time with the sport I am currently practicing.

Fasting has a wonderful way of cleansing the psyche and bringing emotions to the surface that need to be released and recycled into light. So as I lay there with my sweet daughter breastfeeding, I let the tears flow. Crying all the sorrow, anger, and disappointment that my teenage self had numbed and stuffed down with food, I told my 20-month-old about my gymnastics days, and about how stupid I was for quitting, how sad I am to see my dream vanish, how I wish I could still, to this day, fly around those uneven bars.

I don't believe in coincidences or accidents. I fully believe that mental and emotional energies are reflected in physical symptoms. I knew there was a reason I hurt my knee, and today I understand. I am quite sure this was the turning point of my injury, and with these feelings finally consciously experienced and released, I now allow my knee to heal.

Appetite and Games

2010-05-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

Mangoes are super cheap lately! And watermelons too--it's actually inching into summertime, it's really exciting.....except for the fact that I don't want mangoes, and I don't want watermelon. I will eat them but I'd rather not. I still want my oranges and bananas. Isn't that so dorky! I have been eating oranges, bananas, and papayas mostly for a few months now. I bet I could do a papaya mono diet but it's not practical at all so the most I've had in one day is 2 (and only because I have 2 ripe on the same day).

Regardless, I bought 7 watermelons and 40 mangoes. The children are loving the mangoes. They eat them whole, like an apple! Skin and all, just nibbling around the core. Today I also bought 2 cases of bananas. We don't usually buy 2 cases on the same day, but I need to practice managing the ripening process so that we can stagger the ripe bananas and make them last all week. Even still, it usually works great because my husband eats them less-ripe than I do. But since mine have to be super-ripe, it's a bit tricky trying to control the window when I get ripe bananas but not so many that I have to freeze them. Because of this tricky window, I usually get 3-4 days very heavy with bananas, and then 3-4 days focusing on other fruits. Oh well, spontaneity is the name of the game!

We are also learning that if you get a delicious fruit, eat as much as you can while you have it. No two bananas taste the same, but the ones on the same bunch should be very similar. So if I taste a delicious banana, I claim the whole bunch as mine! It is very disappointing when you get an amazing fruit and buy more expecting more of the same, but then they're not. This is just one of the *games* you get to play when you eat a Fruit-predominant diet.

One of the chapters in my eBook is about such adventures and games.... I cannot finish this chapter until I learn to stagger the ripening of my banana case! So hopefully it will happen soon...

No desire

2010-05-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

I have only stuck to a raw diet when things were easy. I thought it was too much for me to stay motivated while going through emotionally challenges. Well, I've had a rough few days now. Lots of challenges. You'd think I would be saying "Screw this diet, I need some comfort food!" just like I have in the past. Especially since one of my challenges is that I haven't been able to get groceries and there is probably 2 meals left in this house of ripe fruit (yes, for 4 people). I was thinking to myself "Well don't you want to eat cooked food? There is lots of food storage, just cook something." and the response was "Nah... I'd rather fast... " !! Seriously there is just no desire left in me for cooked food... Yes I am going through some hard times and I could really use some comfort. But food just doesn't do it for me anymore. I think that is a good thing. Now I can think about things more clearly and seek true, lasting comfort. So for the next few meals I will be eating lightly and reflecting on life.

Hopefully I will get a chance to buy groceries tomorrow....

Lead in Garden Hoses

2010-05-02T08:37:00.001-07:00

Be careful in your yard this summer! Did you know it's normal for garden hoses to be made with lead? There are warning labels in the packaging of hoses saying don't drink from the hose. But also, don't fill your pool up with a lead hose either! We just found this out yesterday and it makes us frustrated with all the contamination going around. No wonder autism and ADHD rates are so high, with heavy metals so readily available to be absorbed, in so many ways! Yes, heavy metals are directly related to neurological problems, did you know that? This irritates me personally because we have taken food allergens out and eat a high-raw diet and have greatly reduced Rychen's Aspergers symptoms - his anxiety is gone, but he is still very hyperactive. If only we lived in a clean world, but alas, there is just too much corruption.

Running vs. Biking

2010-04-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

In addition to my half-marathon June 26th, I am now scheduled for a sprint triathalon in September.

I rode my bike for the first time yesterday and had a friend teach me a few things (like how gears work, ha!) - it was really great. I am pleased to see that biking is a wonderful compliment workout to running. Uses different muscles, gives the knees a break, and mentally it's an entirely different thing. With running you kind of go on autopilot and you can zone out - precisely why I enjoy it. But biking you are using machinery in the midst of traffic and must be very alert. I do like biking still, but for different reasons. Going fast, the coasting breaks when you are still moving but not exercising, etc. For that reason, biking doesn't feel the same as running when it comes to judging the degree of your workout; I wasn't breathing hard at all (at the end) but my thighs became very stiff and sore. It was challenging but very fun. I am eager to work biking into my regular schedule.

So for now I will be still focusing on my running, but work in biking and swimming when I can. The swimming is less convenient so I will only do it twice a month for now. Here's a rough plan for my work-outs, with daily stretching.

Mon-run intervals & upper body workout
Tues- walk/yoga
Wed-5K race (increase distance next month)
& upper body workout
Thurs-bike 1 hour
Fri- walking/light yoga
Sat-long run or swim (alternating weeks)
Sun-rest

Cravings Figured Out

2010-04-30T16:23:00.001-07:00

I figured out cravings! This is the greatest discovery I think I've made... why doesn't Dr. Graham teach this?

I noticed I get cravings on days I am tired. Well that makes perfect sense! I haven't had enough sleep, my body is low on energy, and is looking for a stimulant.

Now think about it. What do you crave? What does craving mean? It's the body looking for "something" to excite it. We may desire certain fruits but that is different from a craving. A craving is like "gotta have it," it's a carnal desire for a substance. Usually we crave salty, oily, or sugary foods, most often times processed foods - foods with MSG, dyes, and other additives.

If you are tired and you eat something, then feel perky - what happened? Why aren't you tired anymore? You did not sleep, so you didn't gain any nerve energy. You still need sleep. But if you don't feel tired anymore, it's probably because of the stimulant you just consumed.

Sun-dried Tomato Sunflower Burgers

2010-04-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

I made awesome veggie burger patties today. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture. I made up the recipe, trying to see if I could concoct something 80/10/10-worthy. In the past I've made excellent nutburgers the Boutenko way...

(a.k.a. full of stimulants--no, really. Their recipe says put something salty, something sour, something spicy, etc. and lots of oil, which is apparently how you make sure anything will taste gourmet. Dr. Graham will tell you exactly why your tastebuds get so excited with this type of recipe!)

...but I wanted to see if it was possible to make a good tasting burger without those things.

My recipe:
40% soaked sunflower seeds
10% soaked sun-dried tomatoes
50% carrots (also try celery, zucchini)
fresh basil and parsley
and/or dried italian seasoning mix

Dehydrate 6-8 hours (optional). Serve over a bed of lettuce and top generously with tomato slices.

It turned out great!! ...Or maybe my taste buds are just different now :)

I made a different variation for my son, who doesn't like sun-dried tomatoes. In his I left them out, and also added some tahini. I like that kind as well.

If you prefer not to dehydrate, you can still form the wet mixture into a "patty" shape on your plate, top with cut lettuce and tomatoes, and eat it with a fork. Or you can make lettuce wraps with the mixture inside.

The 80/10/10 Diet & Lifestyle

2010-04-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Received the following queston:

So what exactly are the guidelines for an 80/10/10 diet? I know it's 80% carbohydrates, 10% protein, and 10% fat. But that's really all I know. What do I need to know in order to put this kind of diet in place in my life?

The 80/10/10 Diet is a book and concept by Dr. Douglas Graham, although he says it's not his idea; he is merely pulicizing a timeless principle of nature. I agree.

Dr. Graham claims that the nature diet for our species is a fruit-predominant diet. He explains why we are not carnivores, why we are not herbivores, why we are not grain eaters. Fruit is the natural food for man. He recommends we eat a diet of approximately 95% fruit, with moderate amounts of vegetables and minimal amounts of fatty foods. Specifically, the guidelines say about 1 lb. of green leaves daily and no more than 1 oz. of nuts/seeds. Also, the 80/10/10 ratio is actually not the ideal, but the minimum. Many of his followers have found superb health benefits by not eating any fatty foods at all (an exclusively fruit/vegetable diet will provide about 5% of your calories from fat, or 10 grams of fat per 2,000 calories).

Dr. Graham presents his diet plan as a continuum, a journey, a goal. He knows it's not practical for most people to eat 100% raw, low-fat. So he says "Start from where you are now. Increase the fruit and decrease the fats." It's as simpe as that. He gives ample evidence for many health problems arising when the fat ratio in your diet exceeds 10%. One way you can do this is to eat fruit meals for breakfast and lunch, and then a regular cooked dinner but minimize the fat. He does encourage a vegan diet though, since animal foods are always fatty foods, with only a few exceptions.

Other than the 80/10/10 ratio, the diet ideally would not contain any stimulants or refined foods. Salt, garlic, onion, and other spices are all stimulants in our bodies. Oil, agave syrup, hemp protein, etc. are all refined foods. These are not natural foods that we would be consuming in our natural habitat. Salt itself is a refined food because the ocean water has been removed, so you are consuming a "natural" substance in a concentrated form. Dr. Graham's book Nutrition and Athletic Performance explains in detail what a stimulant is and why they are so dangerous.

Here is a video explaining refined foods.

Now, aside from all diet-related principles, The 80/10/10 Lifestyle also encourages physical activity, outdoors, proper sleep, nurturing relationships, and some other key ingredients to a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Graham teaches that "Your health is only as good as your weakest link," meaning you could be eating the ideal food and exercising but if you don't sleep sufficiently, your body is stressed ongoingly and is unable to heal from its daily activities.

I agree that the 80/10/10 diet is the proper way - and the only healthful way - to eat a raw foods diet. The only alternative is a high-fat diet, which cannot supply enough calories, and which is loaded with refined foods and stimulants, not to mention the unnatural supplements that are sold by these "teachers." A high-fat diet means a diet lacking in carbohydrates. High-fat raw diets lead to candida issues, which is why you probably never heard the word until you became a raw foodist! Also, the high amounts of salt and stimulants in the diet keep cooked food cravings active, which is why a true 100% raw fooder is so rare in the mainstream movement. On the other hand, removing stimulants from your diet will remove cravings for cooked food; and consuming sufficient calories from carbohydrate will guarantee your fuel needs are met so that you are not looking for concentrated forms of food (cooked food, or nuts).

I've been eating this diet for more than 2 months and I LOVE it. I have no desire for cooked food. I have the chance to eat it every day, and it never tempts me. A gourmet raw (high-fat) diet used to give me extreme energy shifts, from hyperactive to grouchy and listless. I see now this was from the stimulants; a gourmet raw food diet does not provide high energy as is commonly believed; rather, it's the stimulants giving you inappropriate highs and insomnia (this is my own conclusion, not something I've heard Dr. Graham teach). I also find with the fruit-predominant raw diet, versus the gourmet raw, the foods you eat are more socially acceptable because everybody is familiar with and likes fruit. Flax crackers and sprout salad are a different story, and you're likely to attract unwanted attention in public gatherings.

There are definitely some things to get used to, though; The main adjustment being learning to eat a inordinately huge volume of food each day. In our society we are accustomed to eating concentrated foods, so a satisfying meal can be relatively small serving size. On the other hand, with natural foods like fruit which are water-dense, you need to eat many peices in one meal in order to find satiation and adequate calories. This is natural for all primates, but since civilization is so unnatural, there is some getting used to. This also means your shopping cart will be a bit more conscipcuous as you buy your fruit by the case! Be prepared for questions, but take them as a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness and open the minds of those around you.

The lifestyle is a wonderful bridge for personal improvement. It is a means, not the end. For me personally, it is the means of having sufficient energy and balance to get my daily work done. It means the ability to run and recover, and see exciting athletic improvements. It means a better quality of mental health, resulting in more peace of mind and joy in my daily life. And really, what else could you ask for? What is more important than that? No substance I could get a temporary thrill from eating is more important than my well-being and personal growth. This lifestyle is a sacrifice but it's an important journey, and a blessing for all who embark upon it.

For more information:
Dr. Graham's articles
Dr. Graham's lectures on YouTube

Aspergers memories

2010-04-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was looking through old videos of my son. This was almost 3 years ago. He was a mere 2-year-old boy with extreme intelligence. At the time I thought he was just a genious and didn't realize until after his third birthday that he has Asperger Syndrome. But now looking back, it's so obvious. Watch this video and tell me this isn't a kid with Aspergers.

Now that he is off his food allergens and eating raw, he has no symptoms other than some funny personality quirks. In fact, and this is 100% honesty: He now CAN NOT do this same puzzle. It is too hard for a preschooler. SO HOW DID A 2-YEAR OLD DO IT?

I was sitting here in awe over this question and a part of me felt sad, wondering if we gave up a gift. What would he be like today if we had not reversed his condition? He would be reading encyclopedias.

...and he would be throwing HUGE tantrums multiple times a day, over meaningless, insignificant, even silly things.

Because that is what Aspergers kids do. That is what he did, until last summer when we took him to the naturopath. Aspergers is a gift of intelligence at the expense of their emotional health and social skills.

So when I struggle with him during homeschooling and wish he could pick up on letter-combination sounds a bit quicker, or wonder why he has trouble memorizing, I can now be grateful that he is not Einstein. I can be grateful that he is a happy, well-adjusted, balanced boy.

But all is not lost. He is a WHIZ on the piano! He is still very smart and learns easily. He memorizes easily when the words are set to music. He has multiple athletic gifts. He really is a whiz kid still, a wonderful, bright, very engaging boy. And yes, those personality quirks! He is an absolute chatterbox, hyperactive, bossy, center-of-attention child who does not understand many social nuances. He loves to copy grown-ups and carry around anything "official" that grown-ups get to possess. He still has some anxiety and is comforted by routine. These are all symptoms of Aspergers, but now they are simply aspects of his unique personality rather than being huge hinderments to his functioning and well-being.

10K Race

2010-04-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

I ran a 10K today (my first race) - it went great! I finished at 1:04 exactly. The course was amazing... in a small town, so there were lots of trails through a "forrest"and a bridge over the BEAUTIFUL Santiam River. It had such a natural, mountain-esque feel to it. I would run this course again in a heartbeat.

I ran a "practice" 10K last week and finished in 66 minutes. I cried. It was a grueling run and kind of shot my confidence. I struggled the entire way, never finding my groove. I am a new runner, but I have to admit I felt like a double-digit pace (10:40 abouts) was embarassing and unacceptable.

Today went a lot better. I took sufficient rest days to ensure that I'd have energy. I ate a large breakfast a couple hours before the race and then several dates just before it started. I took time to do some yoga and prayer before taking off. I was in the right mindset and felt great physically. So it really worked out for my good. I am so grateful!

Still, I would really feel better about myself if I could get a sub-10 min. pace. So that is my goal for my weekly 5K runs. I will have a satisfactory 5K on May 5th, you'll see!

When I feel down about my pace being slower than I'd like, or my recovery taking longer than I'd like, and I am asking "What about my diet? I thought miracles were supposed to happen!" I remind myself that it is quite miraculous that I ran the race at all. I consider it amazing that I am out there--sticking to an athletic endeavor and being acceptably successful--when just 2 months ago, I had zero energy to work out at all! I have never done a workout longer than 20-30 minutes, I always quit the moment it got hard. I always made excuses. I was always too tired. Even on a higher-fat/stimulant 100% raw diet, I would have times of great energy and then days of depression and fatigue--very dramatic ups and downs. And on a "healthy" whole foods vegan diet, I always got indigestion which would leave my bloated and practically paralyzed, laying on the couch, depressed.

Now my digestion is simple and easy (provided I am active enough). I don't even take my HCl anymore. I eat probably 20 lbs of food every day and I am rarely ever bloated now. I do have to follow food combining rules though.

The complete turn-around in health I have experienced these past 2 months eating 80/10/10 raw vegan is indescribeable. And it is completely making it worth my while!! I love this diet and I have no plans to change it any time soon.

I am a runner!

2010-04-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful race today! Now that I've participated in a real event, I feel like I can call myself a runner. And yes, I am a runner, because I plan on continuing this for many years! I really do enjoy it. I am really looking forward to more events. Right now I am more interested in running another 10K than running a longer distance, just because I am finding it so much fun to run better each time and try to improve my time!

So I am a runner.

I guess I have been "trying it out," more or less, this past month. I registered for this upcoming half-marathon thinking it would be a cool achievement, and not knowing if I'd really get into running or want to continue. But now I know.

I started runnning because I committed myself to the 80/10/10 lifestyle, and in so doing, it was necessary that I engage in an athletic activity in addition to the diet. I chose running because my husband does it, along with all his family, so I saw it as a great opportunity to join them and have a common interest (in a family situation where I'm the odd-ball and we lack common ground). Also because I felt that running on the 811rv diet would give me a chance to "prove" my health to them... (yes, I've got an ego, I admit)

And now it's only been 1 month and I feel I have come so far. It's been a lot of "fun" for me. I have not been following a schedule, and to be honest, I have not been running regularly other than the fact that I do 1 serious run per week. Four weeks ago I ran a 5K in 33 minutes. Last week I ran the 10k distance in 66 minutes, and today I ran it in 64 minutes. Today is the first day I feel like I gave an honest effort and pushed myself. And it feels good! I seriously can't wait to do it again!

Congrats Mike!

2010-04-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

My 811 Idol, Michael Arnstein achieved a sub-2:30 marathon today at the Boston Marathon. What a wonderful day! This is such an inspiring video.