tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59593760819411724272024-02-08T07:08:43.638-05:00The Journey to a Natural LifeI'm on a journey to live life naturally, and discover what that truly means. Join me!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-35871093952853049182011-05-24T13:24:00.003-04:002011-05-24T13:31:23.199-04:00We have reached normalcyVeganism has become a normal part of my life now. I don't find myself inconvenienced by it, and I am happy I'm doing it. Due to my schedule and constant trips across MI as well as longs days at work on the weekends, my eating schedule is completely messed up. I know I have not been getting enough sleep, or eating enough vegetables and I have not been taking my B complex supplement regularly. This combination has led to me being very tired at night and almost incapable of ripping myself out of bed in the morning. Other than that, I'm still happy with this because I don't get sick! This is really the big thing to me. I did have a stomachache the other day, which I'm not sure as to why, but it was bound to happen at some point. Maybe a spec of dairy snuck into my food. :]<br /><br />I'm going camping next month and would normally just eat whatever is brought, but because of this vegan eating adventure I have been living, I have to bring all of my own food for those 5 days. It won't be difficult, its just an extra bit of hassle for me to do all the shopping, get a cooler and buy ice everyday. The last thing I wanted to do was be of any inconvenience to my group. I'm sure it will be just fine!<br /><br />That's about all I have to report on veganism right now. Since this topic has become normal and rather boring to discuss, I guess its time to start talking about other things......Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-55506571045364487322011-05-03T20:24:00.003-04:002011-05-03T20:38:41.495-04:00SatisfactionFor the past 4 days straight, eating vegan has been top notch. I have had full, REAL meals at least once a day and they have all been different and extremely satisfying.<br /><br />Sat - After graduation, my family and I went to <a href="http://www.brickroadpizza.com/">Brick Road Pizza Co</a> on Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids. As a vegan, it was fantastic; my two vegetarian parents, two meat eating grandparents and one very open friend equally loved it! I heard about their tasty vegan breadsticks, so I ordered those right away. AMAZING! I could tell my Papa was leery to try them because they were vegan, but I he liked them. My friend and I shared vegan bruschetta which was pretty good, I really didn't dig the vegan cheese though. At least, it just didn't work in that dish. I got a Buffalo Tofu Pizza - YUM, and a vegan cookie with a small scoop of vegan ice cream for dessert. My mom snagged their vegan black bean burger and my dad their vegan philly steak and both were very pleased with their meals. No matter what food you like to eat, GO TO BRICK ROAD!<br /><br />Sun - Classic Lebanese meal with my family in Sterling Heights where we used to live. Homemade bread and garlic dip, is there anything else necessary in the world? Oh yes - a homemade vegan chocolate cake! AHHHHHHH! I used <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/vegan-chocolate-cake/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a> and it was the best, by far, cake I have ever had in my life. It only made a tiny 8x8 size pan, which was more than enough for our family of 5. Everyone was oogling over the tastiness of this cake. I have said from the beginning I didn't feel like I was giving anything up being a vegan, and its true!<br /><br />Mon - My mom and I went to Qdoba for lunch and honestly, I would die if I could never eat there again. I got a naked vegetarian burrito - rice, black beans, pico de gallo, salsa verde, guac and tortilla chips to dip in it. The spices and flavors of all the components melded perfectly to be initially satisfying, and for the duration of the day. That place is the BOMB. I also made a stirfry for dinner; it didn't compare to Qdoba, but it was still really great. I love stirfrys because I can feel the nutrients flooding my body. Yes!<br /><br />Today - I experimented today and made a <a href="http://startcooking.com/blog/107/Pasta-with-Lemon-and-Garlic">Lemon Garlic Pasta</a> for my dad and I for dinner. We also had corn on the cob and fresh bread with olive oil for dipping. The pasta had a tad too much lemon and could have been complimented better with some crisp veggies, but all in all it was a good meal.<br /><br />Let the amazing meals continue......Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-38502834433734717372011-04-25T00:26:00.003-04:002011-04-25T00:37:17.200-04:00Pancakes!Day 24 - 4/24/11<br />I hope everyone had a Happy Easter celebrating Jesus conquering the grave!<br /><br />Being that I love pancakes [oh I've missed them so] and eating brunch on Easter, I made these <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-vegan-pancakes-132263">Vegan Pancakes</a> today. One of the comments on the website suggested using chocolate soy milk instead of regular. I prefer almond milk, so I bought <a href="http://www.silkpurealmond.com/#">Silk's Dark Chocolate Almond Milk</a> and added that to the batter in place of the regular soy milk. WOW! They were a little bit gritty because I used whole wheat flour, but that doesn't bother me at all. The chocolate was not at all overbearing, it added just a nice touch to the overall flavor. Honestly, I did not miss the eggs in these things for one second! I made these for two of my non-vegan friends both really enjoyed them.<br /><br />I took my chances later today at that sandwich place I had a bad experience at on <a href="http://thenaturopathicdocta.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-not-always-happy-being-vegan.html">Day 8</a>. Today's tasty sandwich made up for the previous debacle, that's for sure. They did in fact have the grilled veggies this time, and I added pickles, lettuce, green pepper, banana peppers and italian dressing. This made for a very fine, very satisfying sandwich. They turned Day 8's wrong into Day 24's right!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-62226924942508054022011-04-23T01:58:00.002-04:002011-04-23T02:01:28.758-04:00Happy day!Day 22 - 4/22/11<br />Vegetable Lo Mein + Teavana <a href="http://www.teavana.com/The-Teas/Mate-Teas/Samurai-Chai-Mate-Tea.axd">Chai Tea</a> = Vegan Successes of the day!<br /><br />Although it has nothing to do with being a vegan, I'm grateful for the people God has placed in my life. And the fact that He sent His son to die for ME and YOU. That's God's success for eternity :]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-88955721102359099222011-04-19T00:01:00.002-04:002011-04-19T00:07:45.884-04:00I'm so PowerfulDay 19 - 4/19/11<br />It has been 11 days since my last entry, and that's because there has not been much to report. Things have been going the same as they were 11 days ago. I'm eating the same, feeling the same and pooping the same, woot! I've gotten in the groove of being a vegan and its working for me. I'm still desiring more variety though, but I'll get there.<br /><br />There is one thing I noticed this weekend. My mom made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies which are my FAVORITE thing in the world. But, I couldn't eat them because they were made with eggs and butter. I noticed that due to this new label "vegan", my willpower has greatly increased. In the past whenever I would limit sweets in my diet, I would make excuses, telling myself that I could nibble on a little cookie or something because I ate a lot of vegetables. But because I'm a vegan, I had no option of nibbling on those cookies, no matter how tasty I knew they were. Its like my own personal wall to put up so I can't make rationalizations and convince myself to eat something. I do, however, need to learn to apply this willpower to oreos. They're just so dang good and so dang vegan.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-71535077767427096542011-04-08T21:35:00.003-04:002011-04-08T21:53:05.822-04:00It's not always happy being a veganDay 8 - 4/8/11<br />I'm in this "super frustrated with veganism" mood right now. Like whoa. Allow me to share my experience with you:<br />My roommate and I went to a place on campus called The Connection to get salads. Unfortunately we were unaware that the salad part closed 15 minutes before we got there. We walked over to Subway only to find it was closed too. Really, close at 8pm on a Friday? So we went back to The Connection and found out we could still get sandwiches. After having a conversation with a guy that worked at the sandwich place, he told me I could have a grilled veggie and hummus sandwich on the wheat bread, perfect! So I ordered the sandwich at the kiosk and waited about 10 minutes for it. Another guy brought me my sandwich and said, "Oh, by the way we ran out of grilled veggies, so I loaded you up with lettuce and tomato." I looked at him completely dumfounded and said, "So there's lettuce, tomato and hummus on this sandwich?" "Yeah." OOOOOOOKAY - wow. I went to pay for my sandwich and the girl asked me if I was able to find something vegan and I explained to her what happened and she kindly didn't charge me for my sandwich. I was grateful for that. I got a pickle with it so I cut it up and opened my sandwich to add some pickle and what did I find? Southwest sauce, which is a mayonnaise; I was officially irate. I took the sandwich back up to him and politely informed him that there was southwest sauce on it when I was certain I asked for mustard. His reply? "The ticket said southwest sauce." So I firmly said, "I can't have dairy, so I wouldn't have ordered it. I asked for mustard." I think he was irritated too, so that room was one big ball of tension. After about 30 minutes of going back and forth and trying to get something to eat, I finally sat down with a wheat sub roll lightly schmeared with hummus, one tomato and about a 1/2 handful of shredded lettuce. Loaded me up, huh?<br />I am completely dissatisfied and frustrated. I ate hummus twice today and as much as I love it, I need MORE. More variety. I'm just really getting perturbed by this whole thing and need to figure some things out, make my diet more diverse. But all I want to do right now is SCREAM. On the upside, my mom sent me a package of vegan peanut butter cups; I might eat them all tonight.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-86879877649049269102011-04-06T23:06:00.002-04:002011-04-06T23:15:37.889-04:00Vegan UpdateDay 6 - 4/6/11<br />Thus far, my energy has been very high. Even though I'm tired, because let's face it - I'm a college student, I haven't been yawning and wishing to be in bed the whole day. This is an amazing feeling I thought I would never have, and I hope it continues. I feel like I accomplish a lot more and I don't enjoy sitting down for long periods of time anymore. Times are a changing people!<br /><br />As far as food goes, things have been going great. I went on a big vegan shopping trip with my vegan-mentor Jenna and now have a lot of options of things to eat. But, you know those days though, that no matter how much food you have, none of it sounds good? Well that was today. Usually when that happens, I'll pop by jimmy john's or get a $5 pizza. What was I supposed to eat at jimmy john's, a lettuce wrap with sprouts and cucumbers in it? And don't even get my started about the pizza issue! Sheesh. Needless to say, it was a rough evening navigating this problem. I talked to Jenna to get some better ideas of things to eat. As much as I love, I mean LOVE hummus, I can't eat it two times a day for the rest of my life; I need variety. So - I need to get more creative. Unfortunately the duration of my time in college will probably be spent eating the same things everyday, but I think I can handle that because it's not much longer.....we'll see.<br /><br />Anyways, I'm still very pleased with this journey, I just need to equip myself better to deal with these problems. I also need to get over my chocolate addiction, it's not healthy to eat 3 oreos everyday....sometimes more. :]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-3642015076146137812011-04-03T23:20:00.001-04:002011-04-03T23:21:53.382-04:00The Brown StuffDay 3 - 4/3/11<br />My poop has been normal looking! And coming out regularly!! I love this!!!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-28898891181315785062011-04-02T23:48:00.003-04:002011-04-02T23:59:51.763-04:00That GirlDay 2 - 4/2/11<br />I don't plan on posting everyday, but I want to talk about the big things. There are two important things that happened today. First of all, I got to call myself a vegan for the first time in public. I was actually quite excited about it! I even turned to one of my friends and did a little "eeeeee!". It was really embarrassing to have to be "that girl" that has to ask about ingredients in EVERYTHING, but it's the nature of this process. As a result of my battery of questions, I got to call myself a vegan and it made it all better; I enjoyed that.<br /><br />Secondly, I noticed something very interesting as I was running around downtown grand rapids. It was 7pm and I was not nearly wishing I was in my bed as I usually am at this time of day. This is a big deal, ya'll! I was literally running around the streets of grand rapids. Later in the evening I was in a large, open field dancing beneath the stars. I NEVER have energy at nighttime to do these things, yet today I did. I truly believe that even though its been only 48 hours, the lack of dairy and meat intake in those 48 hours has made a difference in my energy level. That made me proud to be giving my body what it needs. Here's to another successful day!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-3768326348172103152011-04-01T20:37:00.003-04:002011-04-01T20:58:52.177-04:00Caught in a dairy hangoverAbout 10 days ago I finally made the decision - I'm going vegan! The reality of it did not hit me until today approached so quickly.<br />April 1, 2011 - Day 1 as a vegan!<br />So I gorged myself on hungry howie's pizza and DQ last night, in preparation for this commitment of mine. That was a TERRIBLE idea, although it reminded me of why it is I'm doing this. I pooped so much after that and battled stomach pains all night and through today. I've pooped a lot today. It tastes so good, but dairy is NOT my friend. So today I woke up and really, it was not unlike any other day for me. I have not used regular milk since, well, probably 5 years ago or more. I have been using either soy or currently, almond milk. Tastes much better anyway. So I had Kashi cereal with almond milk, snacked on almonds, red pepper dipped in hummus, a PB&J and dinner brought a homemade stir fry! Broccoli, red pepper [I ate a whole red pepper in half a day!], bamboo shoots and lots of spices over brown rice! Gosh I love stir fry. So this day did not bring about any challenges in having to turn something down. My roommate and I will be watching a movie later but I have some oreos to snack on because, get this, oreos are vegan! Thanks Jenna for that tip :]<br /><br />I'm not going to sit here and say that I feel so amazing from being a vegan because, well, 1) its been 21 hours and 2) I'm still feeling the effects of last night. It's like a dairy hangover. BUT, I am optimistic. Especially because of what I'm feeling from last night, I know that eventually my overall feeling can only be better. I'm excited to see where this healthier eating [minus the oreos] will take me. I feel like my journey to a natural life is continuing to expand and change, these are changes I welcome and enjoy.<br /><br />If you have any vegan recipes, hints or thoughts, please share!<br />If all you have are negative comments, please do NOT share.<br />Thanks for joining me on my journey. What does yours look like?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-90586172683391215882011-03-19T23:47:00.001-04:002011-03-20T00:23:11.658-04:00To Eat, Or Not To Eat?I used to be a vegetarian. For about 2 years I ate no meat. My reasoning behind this was completely health related. Whenever I ate meat I dealt with severe indigestion which was just not worth it. During this time, I had to deal with my anemia and I craved beef to give me the iron I was lacking. At first I found iron in other sources, but I eventually got lazy. I'll be honest, living the vegetarian lifestyle is not easy - especially in college. All I wanted to do was give my body what it needed, but making a choice like that comes with certain setbacks. Obviously, it costs more to buy organic and healthy vegetarian options, and being away from my family at a university makes money not as readily available. All of these things combined made me slowly deter from my vegetarian lifestyle. I just realized not too long ago that I'm not a vegetarian anymore, while all along I thought I still was. I ate meat from time to time, but those times have become more frequent and I ignored the indigestion. It finally registered that I'm a meat eater. But I told myself, once I graduate from college it will be easier to cook and be creative with my meals. So although I'm failing now, I really want to be a vegetarian but I know that it will be easier when I have more time. I decided to wait until June. I was smacked in the face with reality when I met Jenna.<br /><br />Jenna goes to the same college as I do and she is a vegan. Here I am excusing my failure at vegetarianism because of being a college student, and a 20 year-old shows me up by being a vegan. WOW was I challenged. I think too many times in life I make excuses for why I cannot do something, like eating as a healthy vegetarian. Jenna completely inspired me to seek out the real reasons for why I'm avoiding delving in and making such a commitment. I have not instantly become a vegan, but it is something I have always looked forward to for the future, but why does it have to be later?<br /><br />So I leave you with this question, what are you avoiding doing because it seems "inconceivable"?<br /><br />Check out <a href="http://www.vegan.org/">www.vegan.org</a> if you want more information on being a vegan.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-69774427244810646462011-02-03T18:09:00.003-05:002011-02-04T11:50:04.114-05:00Expanding My HorizonsHello again. In my blog entry on April 22, 2009 I informed the masses [which at this point probably consist of about zero people] how I had entered a 2-year-long-detour in my path towards Naturopathic Medicine. Nearly 2 years later, I sit here on the horizon of the end of this detour. It's actually quite difficult to believe and take in, but here I am. It's finally time to focus my attention on natural health - an area of my life I have been depriving for quite some time. As a student at a major university trying to fit in to the status-quo, it has been nearly impossible to equally divide my time between classes/natural health/work/friends/sleep/taking care of myself. After much rearranging to fit everything in, natural health fell out the window and has been buried in the snow right next to my car.<br /><br />Starting in July, when graduation and all my classes are over, the GV chapter of my life closes and the new yet-to-be-named one begins. I'm excited and nervous, not knowing what is to come. Thankfully there are a few landmarks along the way to give me some direction and hope. My first niece is due to be welcomed to the world sometime in late April. In August, my FAVORITE college roommate [Lord knows I've had waaay too many!] Kelsey is getting married, and I have the honor of standing up in her wedding. [thanks for stealing my roommate Kris......] Then in May 2012 I get to stand up in a wedding for the greatest friend I could ever have, Leah. I feel so blessed to have her in my life and am grateful to be apart of such an important day in hers. These and many other events will be landmarks and special things that will help shape my life and continually direct me along the path God has for me.<br /><br />With all of that said, I am leaving college with an optimistic viewpoint. Beyond moving back in with my parents [sorry guys!], working at my job I've had for 2 years and everything else I just mentioned, I don't have solid plans. I'm still trying to find a school that will be a perfect fit for my needs and desires. Through my research of degree programs and schools, I have narrowed down the fact that I don't want to be a Naturopathic Doctor anymore. All N.D. programs are set-up like med school and therefore cannot be differentiated from an M.D. program by any large means. Not only do I not have the money or patience for med school, I don't have the desire. I want to help and educate people in living and healing naturally; I don't need a doctor title in order to do that. I've found a potential school that looks good and will give me a Holistic Health Practitioner certification. They have a thorough program with internship and job placement opportunities. From this point forward I plan on seeking God, weighing the pros and cons and doing my best to make the right decision.<br /><br />This journey has had many twists and turns, none of which I was expecting. But since when was anything easy? Through the fog and frustration, God has given me new friends, new experiences and a fresh perspective on the life I've been given. I want this blog to be a way to remember this journey and see how far I've come.<br /><br />Anything you want to discuss regarding natural health? Post as a comment and we'll get the ball rolling!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-48897575407436468122009-05-04T23:21:00.002-04:002009-05-04T23:37:18.226-04:00"Swine Flu"I am not nearly an expert of any sort in anything [maybe in the pooping department, but that is still under review], but I felt like giving my thoughts on the swine flu. I was passed along this link on further details regarding it, and I recommend you check it out to get some facts on it. http://theresurgence.com/Catanzaro_Swine_Flu But here is what I think:<br />This swine flu "epidemic" madness that has been coming about is absolutely ridiculous in my mind. I saw a thing on the news today that in the U.S. only 1 person has died from it and 20 others worldwide. I am in no way diminishing the value of the lives of those that were lost, because I know and believe that all people are important, but c'mon, seriously? They are closing schools because of this thing? I feel like this is an absolute overreaction [and potentially an opportunity for the American government to get a break from all of their mistakes being broadcast throughout the world via the news]. I am just astounded at the fact that so many other viruses, bacteria and the like are killing more people than this strain of the flu. Take for instance any hunger-related diseases that plague the third world countries; 30,000 people die DAILY from those! [you can never get me off my soapbox about the hunger problem, that's for sure!] If you look at the aforementioned website, it shows just one example of how people are going crazy. The symptoms are basically the same, the precautions are the same [except those crazy masks people have taken to wearing] and it is infecting/killing many less people then the "normal" flu. Are people desiring another epidemic? Do we thrive on chaos and disease and want the resurrection of the black death? Okay, that last part was a little harsh and most likely not true I will admit. But people, seriously, stop freaking out. Be careful to avoid it like you would any disease, but stop stressing because when you stress, you invite the diseases right in to wreck havoc on your body. Stay stress free and keep those buggers AWAY!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-83580235895128793332009-04-22T00:22:00.001-04:002009-04-22T00:38:11.039-04:00Getting back to itSadly, it has been over 10 months since I have updated this blog. A lot of things have gotten in the way between then and now that has kept me from writing in here. But I started this blog to chronicle my journey to a natural life and since that journey has not ended, I feel the need to pick back up. So, starting now, I will update this more regularly; the plan is once a week. I don't necessarily think that I have anything that stupendous to say, but maybe I'll find something. This summer I am going to start reading a lot of books on various topics regarding living a natural lifestyle/naturopathic medicine in general. I look forward to sharing what I discover. For now, allow me to bring you up to speed with my current schooling status:<br /><br />As of September 2008, I am no longer attending the Naturopathic Institute I started out at. There were several reasons I made this decision, the overriding one being the lack of scientific basis for the information provided in the classes. I have a logical mind and therefore need to understand the science and background before I can fully understand something. The school was lacking in this area, so I took an unexpected detour in this journey. In January of 2009, I started attending a fairly large university in my state [for safety purposes I am leaving out the name, I know my parents would be so proud!] in order to obtain a Biomedical Sciences degree. This degree is equpping me with the tools to understand the body and its interactions scientifically - using chemistry, biology and the like. Even after one semester I have found it very beneficial. I have been able to take the things I already knew about naturopathy and apply the science of the body to it and have therefore been able to better grasp certain concepts. I feel enlightened, really. I will be here for 2 or so more years which puts a slight damper on the timeframe I was hoping to complete my education in, but I find it well worth it. I am not stressing about it, but am trying to weed through naturopathic schools and decide where I want to go once I am done with my B.S. I can go to a naturopathic medical school, or a smaller yet still credible school. I'm not really sure at this point and have some time to figure it out. For now, I am going through some necessary evils to better equip me for the future. Let's hope I can survive this interesting and much needed detour.<br /><br />I look forward to the rebirth of this blog. Let's just hope some of you are still there! :]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-80917691265159140772008-06-09T23:10:00.003-04:002008-06-09T23:13:31.452-04:00SaturdayI apologize for my negligence in posting.....once more. I'll make no promises and just get to posting, stat!<br /><br />As for Saturday, official details are as follows -<br />1pm-3pm<br />My house<br />$2 per person<br />Potluck!<br />Iridology<br /><br />I was having severe problems trying to find a camera that would get a good picture of an eye, good enough to see things in it. So, it won't be happening me getting a picture of each person's eye in order to see then on screen on Saturday. I will continue to try, but it is really difficult with digital cameras. For something like this you really need the old cameras and let's face it, I don't have one anymore. But, we will look at pictures of eyeballs from people in my class that I took last month. That will suffice.<br /><br />Please come if you can! Looking forward to it =]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-32722086960913903112008-05-22T22:16:00.002-04:002008-05-22T22:18:15.210-04:00Potential Class.....?THIS IS A TEMPORARY CLASS MEETING. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP SO I CAN SEE IF THIS WILL BE THE BEST DATE. THANKS!<br />Saturday, June 14th 1pm-3pm, location currently TBA<br />This time we will talk about Iridology. Iridology is the study of the iris of the eye to see weaknesses in the body. The plan is to have everyone get a picture of their eye taken by me PRIOR to this class so that we can show them at the class and look at each one [anonymously of course]. If you don't want your eye to be shown to everyone else, I would still like to get a picture of it in order to discuss with you what we can see in your iris.<br /><br />The cost is $2 per person.<br />This will also be a potluck so please bring something to share.<br />LET ME KNOW IF THIS DATE WORKS!<br />Thanks!<br /><br /><br />P.S. Tomorrow - I will post something that has NOTHING to do with classes or useless information. It is time to get back to regular posting. Let's do this =]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-30740372565808775372008-05-17T13:10:00.002-04:002008-05-17T13:27:37.040-04:00Muscle TestingNow, those of you that were not at my class may ask, what IS muscle testing? It is a way to get a good picture of how the body is doing internally. It is a method of isolating a muscle (typically the arm muscle, but you can use practically any muscle) and testing its strength/weakness when energy is presented to an organ. It is difficult to get a good idea of what it is without showing you. But let me try....<br /><br />Basically, all organs have energy because every molecule in our body has energy. If an organ is not being properly nourished and is not getting its waste eliminated properly, it will be weak. The weakness of an organ causes improper function. Improper function gives you pains, symptoms, abnormalities, etc. So, what we do is the tester [that would be me] presents their energy to an organ [just by touching the area, also known as a meridian]. Simultaneously, the person being tested [that would be you] locks up their arm muscle while the tester applies a slight pressure. If the organ is strong and properly nourished, the testee [read that one out loud, :) ] will be able to hold their arm up against the pressure because the circuits in the body are all go and that organ is healthy! But if the organ is malnourished and not functioning optimally, the system will be temporarily short circuited and the person will have more of a difficulty holding their arm up against the pressure from the tester. Either that or they will not be able to hold it up at all [that is for a more serious weakness]. That is because the malnourished organ is not used to the "good" energy because it has been neglected. So the "good" energy will throw it off which causes the muscle weakness in the arm.<br /><br />I hope that description helped you understand it, but if not feel free to question away. It also helps to see it done or have it done to you. So if you would like to set up a time let me know and we can set something up. I am here to help YOU and it just so happens that for this instance, helping you helps me get some homework done! =]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SO</span><br />Feel free to contact me about doing some muscle testing. I am currently doing full evaluations for<span style="font-style: italic;"> $10</span>. We will look at each organ's strengths and weaknesses, as well as what supplementation could be beneficial and how much of it. [I also sell supplements but you do not have to buy them from me. It is only an option.]<br /><br />I really do wish to help you find out why you are having certain things happen in your body and muscle testing is a good way to get a picture of your internal environment. Therefore, it is one of the first steps toward wellness.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-33365473116706125372008-05-09T20:23:00.003-04:002008-05-09T20:24:58.391-04:00REMINDERREMINDER:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CLASS IS TOMORROW</span> [Saturday, May 10th]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MY HOUSE</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2PM-4PM</span> [don't worry, there will be breaks]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BRING SOME FOOD</span> [potluck style, wooo!]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">$2 PER PERSON</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SEE YOU THEN!</span> [bring new people! this is going to be an interactive one and needs people]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALL IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS</span> [586-718-6191]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-85927939497307043222008-05-07T21:42:00.003-04:002008-05-07T21:52:31.630-04:00Days 8 and 9Yesterday was day 8. Not a bad day at all. It went well, especially in the pooping department. I took about 6 herbal pooper helpers throughout the course of the day. I wasn't going like every hour or anything, but I definitely had it coming out. And let's just say it was obvious that I was getting stuff that had been stuck for awhile. So that was nice. Cramping wasn't too bad thankfully. Other then that nothing really remarkable in the day. Although......<br /><br />I did decide last night that I would start breaking the fast today. Sometimes, when I think about it, I feel like a loser for stopping. And I received some comments that make me feel like that even more from people. But I am trying to look at the good rather then the bad. My pupils used to constantly be huge [which is a sign of stressed adrenal glands] and over that period they became normal size and I intend to keep them that way. I was able to overcome and see that I had willpower greater then I imagined. I also gave my body a chance to clean house and that was obvious to me. So, you know what, to all those who think I am lame for not going 3 weeks, you try not eating for 8 days and let me know how you feel!<br /><br />I started out good today and ate slowly and cautiously. Still pooped some nice black stuff that was diarrhea-ish as it has been this whole time. So I am still cleaning - which is good. I did tonight, though, give in and get some frozen yogurt. Possibly not the best choice, but it was one of those things I really wanted. How was it? Not as good as I remembered. I think my body is finally doing what I want it to, craving the RIGHT stuff. I cannot wait for tomorrow when I can eat my strawberries and kiwi and asparagus and celery and ezekiel bread [did massive shopping today]. So, I will be giving my body those things and keeping things like frozen yogurt and brownies - though they may be organic, natural and not so horrid - to a minimum. I really crave for my body to be healthy. And I intend to feed it as such from now on. I won't be going to any of those places I mentioned in an earlier post that I really craved [except Inn Season because that goes along with what I am trying to do here] because they will not be of use to my body. I have found that eating is no longer about taste. Taste is important, but that is not why I eat. I eat to nourish and support this vessel God gave me.<br /><br />P.S. I ate a carrot today - and enjoyed it. WHOA!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-56608568258209357142008-05-05T22:55:00.002-04:002008-05-05T23:04:43.935-04:00Day 7It has been a week since I last ingested food. The closest thing I have come to in this week is this piece of gum I am currently chomping on. Tastes nice.<br /><br />My tongue is looking SO much better. After I drink the concoction it gets more white and fuzzy, but when I'm not drinking it, it is barely white and barely very fuzzy. This means it is working. That makes me happy.<br /><br />As for the bowel movements, it has gotten better today. The only unfortunate thing was that I had to work for 6 hours, 3 of which I was by myself so I couldn't just leave our little Starbucks fort. There were a few times when I felt it and knew it was going to come out, but I had to stop it because I was helping a customer. Then when they left I went to the bathroom and nothing came out. That was really frustrating. So, today, I started taking my herbal lower bowel stimulators to get things going. I think that is why it has gotten better. It's funny though just sitting here and hearing things going on in my intestines. Sounds like a typical stomach growl. And I swear I can hear chunks of compacted poop being broken apart. It's goofy. Well, I'm hoping I will get some good stuff out tomorrow so that I can work my way towards normal food on Thursday-ish. I just want to be normal [no hope for that in the future]. =]<br /><br />This morning though was very rough. I woke up having a quickly beating heart, finding it difficult to catch my breath and had wobbly extremities. It was hard to walk and my arms shook. I don't know what that was all about! [Maybe my iced tea from last night] I mean yes, I should have drank more of the concoction yesterday, maybe that was it. But after drinking that stuff, it went away and I have felt fine since then.<br /><br />When I was at work I was telling myself "I give up, I'm eating tomorrow". But I don't think that will happen. I really want to get more toxins out before I go back to eating, as badly as I want to. The thing that is nice to know is that I CAN control myself. I have enough willpower to withstand this difficult thing. I like that.<br /><br />Hope this stuff isn't in any way discouraging to anyone that has ever considered this or something like it. I definitely recommend doing this cleanse, it is good stuff. You just have to stick it out and make it work. It is very beneficial.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-27138274764801833122008-05-04T23:16:00.003-04:002008-05-04T23:40:06.933-04:00Days Four, Five and Six4 words: I WANT TO EAT! This is currently how I feel at this point in the cleanse. I really am not hungry at all, sometimes more nauseous then anything else. I just want to taste food, to chew it and enjoy it. I think it is more so the fact that I can't have it as to why I want it so bad. I have decided that I will not be going the full 21 days. At first, I felt like a copout for that decision. But then, after seriously thinking about it, it is unrealistic to expect that much from myself on the first time doing something like this. At this point I do not know exactly how long I will go, that is to be determined based on....poop.<br /><br />I finally started pooping at least a little yesterday. After work I did a salt water flush [one quart of lukewarm water and 2 tsps of sea salt] and drank it all. Talk about nasty! I felt so gross afterwards and definitely felt bloated and, again, nauseous. It got me going a little bit, not much more then a little liquid coming out my butt. Then last night I drank some smooth move tea which is nothing to brag about. This morning I did another salt water flush. By this point, if you know much about bowel movements, 6 days of lots of cayenne pepper then this massive influx of smooth move and salt water should mean a fantastically moving bowel. Or not! Well, today I got some movement, not as much as I think I should have. Had a bit of diarrhea and some dark brown and dark yellow liquids coming out right along with it. That happened probably 3 times and since then, nothing.<br /><br />I was doing some light touching on my intestines to help move things along. When I got to the transverse colon [part of the large intestine that goes from below liver to below stomach horizontally, respectively] I felt a little hard part that hurt. Compacted poop! So I rubbed it along and moved it probably half an inch or so. Let's hope it gets broken up by the things I am ingesting.<br /><br />I also broke down today and drank some cold tea. [aka, iced tea] Had no caffeine and was nice and good for me. I just needed a different taste. It was a very little bit and i probably won't do it again, but today I just had to!<br /><br />I also have been having mood swings of sorts. What I mean is internal mood swings. It's not like I am happy one minute and a meanie the next, I am stable in that respect. But one second I think to myself "this is okay, I can handle this not eating thing. I can do this." The next second, or maybe a few seconds later, I think, "I can't do this! I need to break this and eat something! I can no longer do this!" It is crazy how it changes. And it is not based on hunger at all. It is based on taste and jealousy I think. [Everyone else gets to eat.....]<br /><br />I did some researching today for some good recipes. Not just good tasting, but healthy recipes. I got things like Penne with Grilled Balsamic Vegetables, Whole Grain Morning Glory Muffins, All-Natural Taco Seasoning Mix, Spelt Bagels and the one I to share with you guys [I thought this was nifty]:<br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chocolate Chip Granola Bars<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 95%;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="95%"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Yield 16 Bars<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">4 cups of quick cooking organic oats<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1/3 cup organic canola oil [make sure it is organic, if not use another oil]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2/3 cup honey<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1/2 cup organic chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1 cup chopped organic nuts (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Preheat oven to 350°F.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Spread oats into an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Allow oats to cool to room temperature. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled oats. Spread mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed or oiled, pressing down hard to compact it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> I'm excited to make those sometime. Plus my bajillion other recipes I found. I got all of them from www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes Check that out for other awesome recipes.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-66192754989370667112008-05-01T22:51:00.002-04:002008-05-01T23:09:58.053-04:00Day ThreeAgain, my mouth feels horrendously disgusting. I have brushed my mouth 3 times today which is more then I have ever done in my life in one day. Sad, I know. My mouth is just gross and in pain, oddly. Oh well.<br /><br />I still have yet to have a real bowel movement. Must be real backed up in there. But tomorrow I will be doing the warm sea salt water drink to flush me out. Hopefully that will be successful. My kidneys are sure working though, peeing a lot.<br /><br />I am pleased to report that I have yet to feel weak, or dizzy, or woozy, or anything! I was very afraid of my anemia getting the best of me during this time and kind of expected a sufficient amount of weakness or even possibly passing out. Thankfully, that has not happened and I don't think it will. I think my body is strong and can take it, because it will get stronger in this process. I am a bit tired, but that happens to me most days. I don't feel different then I normally do is all.<br /><br />Tonight after the Stellar Kart concert we took the youth to Holiday Pizza to get some food and of course, I smell it all [because my sense of smell is currently supernatural]. It smelled and looked so good! I guess I am in more appreciation of food, but unfortunately at this time all I want to eat is unhealthy food. I could really go for some Ike's, Ruby Tuesday's, Red Robin, Fuddruckers, Arby's, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, Pizza.....etc. I just want to gorge myself as soon as I can. But that is how I feel now; hope that goes away tomorrow!<br /><br />Lastly, it is obvious that when you don't eat and are only bringing in about 800 calories a day, you will lose some fat reserves. I have not weighed myself in any fashion but I do feel a bit lighter. This is not my main goal in this venture of mine, but it is a nice bonus, right?!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-37061882257982544782008-04-30T22:58:00.002-04:002008-04-30T23:11:24.339-04:00Day TwoSo day two is just about over for me here. The hunger pains were there, but very, very light today. This morning I had some cramping that was not too bad, but it was evident and irritating. I had a fear that I was coming upon that time of the month and wouldn't be able to do this during that. As far as I can tell, that is currently not the case. It was probably just my bowels trying to move.<br /><br />Speaking of which, they haven't moved much today. I've had a few "rabbit turds" if you will, but no big movements. Kind of frustrating, I want it out!<br /><br />The big thing today though is my mouth. It was feeling kind of mucusy and sticky earlier today. Then at one point I stuck out my tongue to look at it and noticed it was white. Now, from time to time tongues get white, but my whole tongue was a very bright white. I even just scrubbed my tongue (which I have never gotten in the habit of doing before bed, sadly) and it is still gross looking white. And even still, a white tongue is not healthy. They should be a pinkish color. It is like a residue on my tongue or something, really gross feeling. Then when I was driving back to school tonight, I noticed my teeth felt weird. The best way I can find to describe it is my mouth feels how it does after I eat a banana. I don't know if any of you experience this, but eating a banana makes my teeth feel kind of gritty and just gross. Guess my body is using any avenue to get rid of toxins. That is very true though, because my armpits smell funny at the end of this night. And my occasional farts have just been putrid and rotten-esque. Which normally they aren't THAT bad. Too much information? I hope not.<br /><br />Then at youth group tonight I had a kid waving a pizza in my face. AND - we took the kids to Baskin Robbins for 31 cent scoop night. Honestly though, it didn't bother me to have about 20 people standing around me eating ice cream. And I really like ice cream!<br /><br />One last thing, my sense of smell is very acute now. I was walking into the Target on Schoenherr and Hall Road and could smell food from Outback Steakhouse at least a football field away (and across the road). That was weird. But I find it nice smelling the foods. And it isn't hunger that makes me want foods, it's that I want to taste them!!<br /><br />But, it's all in the name of cleaning out my body, and hopefully wiping away some fat reserves :]Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-7527519906360057442008-04-29T23:05:00.002-04:002008-04-29T23:18:14.545-04:00CLASS/New AdventureFirst of all, new class details:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, May 10th from 2pm-4pm</span><br />Same as before with the food thing, so I am copying and pasting those details....<br />Since this will be a long class during dinner time [kinda], how about we do a potluck? <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Everyone please bring something to eat to share with everyone.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> [I can't guarantee I will be making any food, and you will see why in a few paragraphs.] Cost is still $2/person.<br /><br />We will be talking about Herbs and Muscle Response Testing. Please bring along with you any vitamins or supplements that you are taking or would like to start taking.<br /><br />I look forward to this and hope you can make it out. Let me know. Thanks!<br /><br />So for my "new adventure" - today my father and I embarked on the Master Cleanse. 21 days of drinking our special concoction [fresh squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in water]. This is the first time i have ever done it and my dad has made it 14 days when he did it before. Needless to say, this shall be interesting. I will definitely keep you guys posted on it. I will be posting more in general anyways because school is over on Friday. =] As for now though, I am really hoping the hunger pains will go away. And I can't stop thinking about food. One day down.....20 to go<br /></span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959376081941172427.post-18139774229097774392008-04-27T21:20:00.000-04:002008-04-27T21:21:08.039-04:00READ ME!I will be changing the date of my class within the next few days, it just is not working out well. What days are good for you guys?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621793079434491583noreply@blogger.com3