June Update

Thank you all for your patience.

Once I got back home to Edmonton from Victoria in mid-April, it quickly became apparent that mom was not going to be able to stay on her own any longer. She lost a lot of weight, and tires easily. I've been busy shopping, cooking, cleaning and taking her to doctor's appointments.

The days are flying by, and I haven't had a chance to get back to my blog. C'est la vie. I'm happy to be in a position to help mom out, and that is the priority at the moment.

A quick update: 

The pain in my groin turns out to be a double hernia. I have an appointment with the specialist for the end of July.

Since getting back home, I did a live-blood analysis, and the results were mostly positive. My inflammation level, however, which were already high at the start of my raw food diet in November, are even higher now. As a result, I decided to go for allergy test. The results should be in by mid-July.

The tumor in my neck which seemed to growing only marginally over the past six months, grew noticeably in the past week or so. Not sure what that means, so I've made arrangements to see the endocrinologist and surgeon to get their take on what's happening.

The calcitonin count, a rough indicator of the amount of cancer, is not yet back. It usually takes about a month, but it's been more than six weeks and nothing yet. I'm looking forward to seeing what the results are.

That's about it for now.

All the best,

Roch

Your patience is appreciated

Hi there.

It's my intention to post a couple of entries a week. Unfortunately, life has been particularly busy, and I haven't posted anything since April 1st. I still have a few things on my plate, but hope to be back in the saddle before the end of May.

Thanks for your patience.

Roch

The Trials of a Four-Cup-a-Day Coffee Habit

There was a time when after the supper dishes were done,  I would head over to Starbucks to meet a friend and chat over a cup of coffee. I still have my coffee, but these days I brew a 4-cup batch and head over to the washroom for a coffee enema.  Same coffee; different experience!

If ever you'd like to try it out, here's the scoop:

1. Bring to a boil 4 cups of filtered water.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of caffeinated  coffee, preferably organic.
3. Let boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Leave it on the burner, turn off the heat, and let it cool to body temperature (~15-20 minutes.)
5. Filter (not paper) the coffee into an enema bag.

Some lay (on their right side) on a plastic sheet placed on the bed. I find it simpler to just use the tub where, if there's an accident, it's easier to clean up. 

The goal is to introduce to the sigmoid colon (the curved part of the large intestines just before the anus) a couple of cups of coffee and to hold it for 12 to 15 minutes. This is not as easy as it sounds. The body, quite rightly, perceives this intrusion as toxic and does its best to eliminate it.  

It's all relative of course, but 15 minutes of clenching one's cheeks feels like a long time. It requires a certain, je ne sais quoi, to hold on. Having done it once, you are invited to do it a second time.

It's right about here that I expect you to be asking yourself, "why would I want to do such a thing?" Well, it's a long story, but you're in luck as I'm going to give you the Coles Notes version. 

Apparently, there's a pathway that goes directly between the sigmoid colon and the liver. The presence of the coffee stimulates the liver to produce more glutathione-S-transferase, an enzyme that is critical to the production of glutathione. Gluathione, in turn, enables toxins to be eliminated via bile into the small intestines.

A Royal Pain in the #%+&* #21

This week was pretty much the same as last week. Just the basic routine of food preparation and getting as much paperwork, research, etc done as possible.

What is different, is the growing pain in my groin. A few weeks ago, I thought the discomfort might have been due to a small intestinal blockage as a result of the addition of cooked food. From the amount of swelling on my left side, however, I'd say it's probably an inguinal hernia. I haven't gone to see a doctor here, as I'm reluctant to start the medical process while in BC.

While it's possible to get my treatment done here and have it covered by Alberta Health Care (AHC), the logistics and paperwork involved as a result are not appealing. Since my flight back to Edmonton is already booked for the 14th, I've decided to try and tough it out.

I almost forgot. Today, March 28th, is my birthday. (I actually don't mind birthdays as I find the alternative unappealing.) Besides, I got to spend it with a good friend at the lovely Fireside Grill in Saanich. It is a lovely location with great ambiance and fabulous food. They were also more than willing to modify the menu to meet our dietary restrictions. Highly recommended, (but not for raw food).

Here are the stats for this past week:

                             03/21/10              03/28/10        Change

Weight              125.2 lbs.               123.9                   -1.3 lbs.

My weight seems to have stabilized in the 122-127 range, which is OK for now.

Body Fat           15.1 lbs.                 14.4                     -0.7 lbs.

Only half the loss is fat, which suggests that the other half is muscle mass which I can't afford to lose.

BMI                     19.7                       19.4                    -0.3

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           12.1%                     11.6                    -0.5      

Same as above but as a percentage.

Water                64.1%                     64.3                   +0.2

Above 64% is a good place to be.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.3                     No Change.

Holding steady.

Super Size Me

Over the years it seems food portions served at restaurants, etc. have grown in size. Today's Small serving of Coke is as big, sometimes bigger, than the Large serving of a decade or so ago. Apparently, this is an ongoing trend.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail [03/23/10 (B7)] quotes a new study in the International Journal of Obesity that looks at how artists over the centuries have depicted the Last Supper, particularly the food served.  

The researchers, both professors who happen to be brothers, "analyzed 52 of the best known paintings of the Biblical banquet created between 1000 and 2000 AD." They discovered that "artists' depictions of the Last Supper have seen the: 

• main courses balloon by 69%,
• plate sizes by 66%, and
• bread size by 23% over the past 1000 years".

However old, this trend to bigger portions is not a healthy one.

The next time you're at a restaurant or a movie and the eager waiter/waitress offers you a larger portion for only fifty cents more, and you say, "Yes," it's going to costs you in more ways than one.

1. there's the extra money you hand over.
2. it's going to cost you extra energy to digest the additional food.
3. then there's the monthly gym fees, time and sweat to burn off the fat that accumulated from eating too much.

Just say, "No (thanks)". Your body will love you for it.

Tip: In the good old days before I decided to eat raw, I made a point of ordering the "Kids Pack" when I went to the movies. It had the usual Coke, and a popcorn, with a small treat thrown in for good measure, but at a fraction of the size (and cost).

Sauerkraut -it's good for you. #20

In Elyse's raw food class (mentioned in the previous post) she recommended a bit of sauerkraut morning and evening to promote healthy levels of intestinal flora. Why didn't I think of that? 

I bought a jar of hers after the class and have been eating a small portion as an appetizer before lunch and supper ever since. I also bought her flax crackers and serendipitously discovered that they compliment each other nicely -the texture and the neutral taste of the cracker soaks up the tartness of the sauerkraut.

Healthy and delicious!

The pain in my groin continues, coming and going for no apparent reason. It does, however, seem to get worse after walking. I decided to cancel my colema appointments until it clears up.

The watery stool situation is improving, so I've started bringing in more raw food into my diet this week.

It's official. My flight back to Edmonton is booked for April 14th. I'm going to miss the charm of Victoria, the scenic views, the amazing weather, the people I've met.

I'll be back!

Here are the stats for this past week:

                             03/14/10              03/21/10           Change

Weight              124.4 lbs.               125.2                   +0.8 lbs.

It looks like last week's loss is this week's gain.

Body Fat           15.0 lbs.                 15.1                      +0.1

Looks like I put a little meat on (instead of fat).

BMI                     19.5                       19.7                     +0.2

A reflection of the weight.

Body Fat           12.0%                     12.1                    +0.1       

Same as above but as a percentage.

Water                64.3%                     64.1                    -0.2

Above 64% is a good place to be.

Bone Mass        6.3%                       6.3                     No Change.
Holding steady.

Raw Food "Cooking" Class

A good friend here in Victoria called me earlier this week to tell me about a raw food cooking demonstration that was being held at the new Thrifty's store at Tuscany Village.

Elyse, Nuff, a healthy, lively, cook whose energy belies her age was -quite literally- the host, chief, cook and bottle washer. She's been involved with raw food for more than 20 years, and has a line of raw food products that can be purchased at places like Thrifty's Foods and Planet Organic.

She's also published a book, Alive 'n Raw... as Nature Intended, which along with the basics of about proper nutrition, includes some yummy, simple, recipes that are quick to put together.

She travels BC in a motor home that doubles as an office where she sees clients one-on-one for nutritional counseling or coaching on raw food preparation. She the real thing. Her website is LiveRawKitchen.com. Just give her a call if you're interested. (I've also added her link to the Blog Section on the right.)

After a brief introduction on the benefits of raw food, she showed us five super simple recipes to help us replace dairy and gluten products with raw ingredients that are much healthier for the body. I have to emphasize they really are simple. Even I came away from the evening thinking, "Hey. I can do this." 

Eating raw is not the easiest thing I've ever done. Just buying raw vegetables and wondering how to prepare them is not enough. Reading books on the subject, surfing the web for ideas, and taking raw food classes (like this one) are all ways of becoming educated and staying motivated.
"You have to do it yourself, but you don't have to do it alone." -Unknown