Bigbwii

Thanks Bigbwii.

 

I just did some editing, making it easier to read and highlighting the key passage about enzymes and the reality of what people are doing to their insides by eating cooked, processed food.

 

The woman is still not going to get the level of health she could have, because her diet is still not 100% raw.

 

As you've said, Bigbwii, too many people are not transitioning correctly and convincing themslves that they still need cooked/processed food.

 

To anyone in that situation: you don't!

Yes sir, having said that though it's no surprise because of all the addiction and what we interpret as sickness, is pretty much the same thing we will go through in the first stages of going raw, so it's no wonder people freak out.

The most common thing I hear is, " I'm hungry, so I must be wanting protien"....

Well if you were really wanting protien...you'd be craving raw foods where you get it from the source, I've read that the protien in cooked food isn't even useable and that goes with what I've experienced myself.

I barely have one meal a day and I'm feeling better than ever!!!

Enzymes: The Difference Between Raw and Cooked Foods

by: Emily Kane ND

ENZYMES: The tiny and enormous difference between raw and cooked foods

Virtually all chronic degenerative diseases are caused or aggravated by digestive problems. After the most extensive study on nutrition ever undertaken by the government, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs concluded in its 1978 report entitled "Diet and Killer Diseases," that the average American diet is responsible for the development of chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, stroke, etc. Many of the most common health complaints revolve around a 20-foot, mucus-lined tube that directly interfaces us with our environment. This is no mystery: This is the gastro-intestinal tract, affectionately abbreviated "GI." The job of the GI is to alchemically transmute the food we eat into our flesh, blood, actions, thoughts and feelings... with a little help from our friends the salivary glands, the pancreas, the liver, and most importantly RAW FOOD -- all of which provide (now we're getting to the point) ENZYMES.

Enzymes are delicate dynamos. Delicate because they are destroyed by temperatures over 118 degrees (some by as little as 105 degrees), which means that they may not survive even light steaming. Dynamos because they are powerful biochemical catalysts; they speed burning or building reactions in the body according to need. They are specialized proteins, often with long complicated names ending in -ase.

The three primary digestive enzymes are protease, lipase and amylase which digest, respectively, protein, fat (lipids), and carbohydrates (which includes sugars). Amylase comes from the salivary glands: carbohydrates start digesting right in our mouth. Have you ever chewed a piece of bread or potato for an extra moment before swallowing, and tasted how sweet it is? (It is a good idea to chew our foods thoroughly; literally making juice in our mouths before swallowing.) Lipase is synthesized principally in the liver and protease comes from the pancreas.

Although the enzyme-producing organs continue to function over the entire course of a healthy life, they eventually wear down, especially with the "standard American diet" (which, in the naturopathic community, we call SAD.) Dr. Francis M. Pottenger's nutritional studies have shown that a regular diet of cooked or canned foods causes the development of chronic degenerative diseases and premature mortality. Professor Jackson of the Dept. of Anatomy,

University of Minnesota, has shown that rats fed for 135 days on an 80 percent cooked food diet resulted in an increase pancreatic weight of 20 to 30 percent. What this means is that the pancreas is forced to work harder with a cooked food diet. "Although the body can manufacture enzymes, the more you use your enzyme potential, the faster it is going to run out..." wrote Dr. Edward Howell, who pioneered research in the benefits of food enzymes. A youth of 18 may produce amylase levels 30 times greater than those of an 85 year old person.

Enzymes are what make seeds sprout. Sprouts are, in fact, one of the richest sources of enzymes. Other excellent sources are papaya, pineapple and the aspergillus plant. Science cannot duplicate enzymes, because they are the stuff of life itself. Only raw food has functional "live" enzymes. Therefore the liver, pancreas, stomach and intestines must come to the rescue and furnish the requisite digestive enzymes to the individual nourished solely on a cooked food diet.

This extra activity can be detrimental to health and longevity because it continually taxes the reserve energy of our organs. Furthermore, cooked food passes through the digestive tract more slowly than raw food, tends to ferment, and throws poisons back into the body. Colon cancer is second only to lung cancer as a killer in America and is related, in various ways, to eating enzyme-deficient cooked food. Prolonged intestinal toxemia may manifest the following symptoms: Fatigue, nervousness, gasto-intestinal discomfort, recurrent infections, skin eruptions, hormonal disturbances, headaches, arthritis, sciatica, low back pain, allergies, asthma, eye, ear, nose and throat disorders, cardiac irregularities, pathological changes in the breasts, and so forth. All of these conditions have been shown to respond to therapy directed to correcting the bowel toxemia. Of course, it is important to have fiber in the diet to scrub the colon walls clean, but even more important are the enzymes which will allow proper digestion and assimilation of vital nutrients. Cooked food often passes into the bloodstream as unsplit molecules that are deposited, as waste, in various parts of the body. If it is a fat molecule we know it as cholesterol plaque; if calcium, arthritis; if sugar, diabetes. White blood cell count rises dramatically after ingesting a meal of canned or cooked foods ("digestive leukocytosis"). Elevated WBCs are correlated to bacterial infection, inflammation and depressed immunity. Raw foods do not produce this reaction. All raw foods contain exactly the right enzymes required to split every last molecule into the basic building blocks of metabolism: Amino acids (from protein), glucose (from complex carbohydrates) and essential fatty acids (from unsaturated vegetable fats).

You are what you ate: Eat living foods (at least once daily!).

Enzymes and Longevity

In an exclusive interview, food enzyme researcher Dr. Edward Howell tells why he believes:

"Enzymes may be the key factor in preventing chronic disease and extending the human lifespan."

Dr. Edward Howell was born in Chicago in 1898. He is the holder of a limited medical license from the State of Illinois.

The holder of a limited practice license is required to pass the same medical examination as a medical doctor. Only surgery, obstetrics and materia medica are excluded.

After obtaining his license, Dr. Howell joined the professional staff of the Lindlahr Sanitorium, where he remained for six years. In 1930, he established a private facility for the treatment of chronic ailments by nutritional and physical methods.

Until he retired in 1970, Dr. Howell was busy in private practice three days each week. The balance of his time he devoted to various kinds of research.

Dr. Howell is the first researcher to recognize the importance of the enzymes in food to human nutrition. In 1946, he wrote the book, "The Status of Food Enzymes in Digestion and Metabolism." Dr. Howell's forthcoming book is entitled, "Enzyme Diet."

This book contains the reference and source materials for the enzyme theories which Dr. Howell has collectively called, "The Food Enzyme Concept." The manuscript for "Enzyme Diet" reviews the scientific literature through 1973. 1t is approximately 160,000 words long and contains 47 tables and 695 references to the world's scientific literature.

In this interview, Dr. Howell tells: What enzymes are, what they do in our bodies, why he believes a state of enzyme deficiency stress exists in most people, and finally, what he believes you can do about it.

"Neither vitamins, minerals or hormones can do any work -- without enzymes."

HDN: What are enzymes?

HOWELL: Enzymes are substances which make life possible. They are needed for every chemical reaction in that occurs in our body. Without enzymes, no activity at all would take place. Neither vitamins, minerals, or hormones can do any work -- without enzymes.

Think of it this way: Enzymes are the "labor force" that builds your body just like construction workers are the labor force that builds your house. You may have all the necessary building materials and lumber, but to build a house you need workers, which represent the vital life element.

Similarly, you may have all the nutrients -- vitamins, proteins, minerals, etc., for your body, but you still need the enzymes -- the life element -- to keep the body alive and well.

HDN: Are enzymes then just like chemical catalysts which speed up various reactions?

HOWELL: No. Enzymes are much more than catalysts.

Catalysts are only inert substances. They possess none of the life energy we find in enzymes. For instance, enzymes give off a kind of radiation when they work. This is not true of catalysts.

In addition, although enzymes contain proteins -- and some contain vitamins -- the activity factor in enzymes has never been synthesized.

Moreover, there is no combination of proteins or any combination of amino acids or any other substance which will give enzyme activity. There are proteins present in enzymes. However, they serve only as carriers of the enzyme activity factors.

Therefore, we can say that enzymes consist of protein carriers charged with energy factors just as a battery consists of metallic plates charged with electrical energy.

HDN: Where do the enzymes in our bodies come from?

HOWELL: It seems that we inherit a certain enzyme potential at birth.

This limited supply of activity factors or life force must last us a lifetime. It's just as if you inhented a certain amount of money. If the movement is all one way -- all spending and no income -- you will run out of money.

Likewise, the faster you use up your supply of enzyme activity, the quicker you will run out. Experiments at various universities have shown that, regardless of the species, the faster the metabolic rate, the shorter the lifespan.

Other things being equal, you live as long as your body has enzyme activity factors to make enzymes from. When it gets to the point that you can't make certain enzymes, then your life ends.

HDN: Do people do anything which causes them to waste their limited enzyme supply?

HOWELL: Yes. Just about every single person eats a diet of mainly cooked foods. Keep in mind that whenever a food is boiled at 212 degrees, the enzymes in it are 100% destroyed.

If enzymes were in the food we eat, they would do some or even a considerable part of the work of digestion by themselves. However, when you eat cooked, enzyme-free food, this forces the body itself to make the enzymes needed for digestion. This depletes the body's limited enzyme capacity.

HDN: How serious is this strain on our enzyme "bank" caused by diets of mostly cooked food?

HOWELL: I believe it's one of the paramount causes of premature aging and early death. I also believe it's the underlying cause of almost all degenerative disease.

To begin with, if the body is overburdened to supply many enzymes to the saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice and intestinal juice, then it must curtail the production of enzymes for other purposes.

If this occurs, then how can the body also make enough enzymes to run the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, muscles and other organs and tissues?

This "stealing" of enzymes from other parts of the body to service the digestive tract sets up a competition for enzymes among the various organ systems and tissues of the body.

The resulting metabolic dislocations may be the direct cause of cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic incurable diseases.

This state of enzyme deficiency stress exists in the majority of persons on the civilized, enzyme-free diet.

HDN: Did human disease begin when man started cooking his food?

HOWELL: This is what the evidence indicates.

For example, the Neanderthal Man of 50,000 years ago used fire extensively in his cooking. He lived in caves and ate mostly roasted meat from the continuous fires which warmed the caves. These statements are documented by scientific evidence in my published and unpublished works.

>From fossil evidences we know that the Neanderthal Man suffered from fully-developed cnppling arthritis.

It's possible that the Neanderthal Man also had diabetes or cancer or kidney disease and so forth. However, we'll never know since all soft tissues have disappeared without a trace.

Incidentally, another inhabitant of the caves was the cave bear. This creature protected the Neanderthal Man from the cave tiger, who also wanted the protection of the cave to avoid the frigid weather. The cave bear, according to paleontologists, was a partially domesticated animal and most likely lived on the same roasted meat that the cave man ate.

Like the cave man, the cave bear also suffered from chronic, deforming arthritis.

HDN: Isn't it possible that cold weather, not cooked food, was responsible for the arthritis of the Neanderthal Man?

HOWELL: No, I don't think weather had much to do with it.

For example, consider the primitive Eskimo. He lived in an environment just as frigid as that of the Neanderthal Man. And yet, the Eskimo never suffered from arthntis and other chronic diseases.

However, the Eskimo ate large amounts of raw food. The meat he ate was only slightly heated and was raw in the center. Therefore, the Eskimo received a large quantity of food enzymes with every meal.

In fact, the word Eskimo itself comes from an Indian expression which means, "He who eats it raw."

Incidentally, there is no tradition of medicine men among the Eskimo people. But among groups like the North American Indian, who ate cooked food extensively, the medicine man had a prominent position in the tribe.

HDN: What evidence is there that human beings suffer from food enzyme deficiency?

HOWELL: There's so much evidence that I can only briefly summanze a small

fraction of it. Over the last 40 years, I have collected thousands of scientific documents to document my theories.

To begin with, human beings have the lowest levels of starch digesting enzymes in their blood of any creature. We also have the highest level of these enzymes in the urine, meaning that they are being used up faster.

There's other evidence showing that these low enzyme levels are not due to a pecularity of our species. Instead, they are due to the large amounts of cooked starch we eat.

Also, we know that decreased enzyme levels are found in a number of chronic ailments, such as allergies, skin disease, and even serious diseases like diabetes and cancer.

In addition, incriminating evidence indicates that cooked, enzyme-free diets contribute to a pathological over-enlargement of the pituitary gland, which regulates the other glands. Furthermore, there is research showing that almost 100% of the people over 50 dying from accidental causes were found to have defective pituitary glands.

Next, I believe that food enzyme deficiency is the cause of the exaggerated maturation of today's children and teenagers. It is also an important cause of overweight in many children and adults.

Many animal experiments have shown that enzyme-deficient diets produce a much more rapid maturation than usual. Animals on cooked diets are also much heavier than their counterparts on raw diets .

Another piece of related evidence is that farmers use cooked potatoes to fatten pigs for market. The've found that pigs on cooked potatoes fatten faster and more economically than pigs on raw potatoes.

This evidence shows the great difference between cooked calories and raw calories. Indeed, from my work in a sanitarium many years ago, I've found that it was impossible to get people fat on raw foods, regardless of the calorie intake.

Incidentally, another effect associated with food enzyme deficiency is that the size of the brain decreases. In addition, the thyroid overenlarges, even in the presence of adequate iodine. This has been shown in a number of species. Of course, you can't prove it on human beings. The evidence, however, is very suggestive.

HDN: What else is there?

HOWELL: Next, consider that the human pancreas is burdened with enzyme production far in excess of any creature living on a raw food diet. In fact, in proportion to body weight, the human pancreas is more than twice as heavy as that of a cow.

Human beings eat mainly cooked food, while cows eat raw grass.

Then, there is evidence that rats on a cooked diet have a pancreas about twice as heavy as rats on a raw diet.

Moreover, evidence shows that the human pancreas is one of the heaviest in the animal kingdom, when you adjust for total body weight.

This overenlargement of the human pancreas is just as dangerous -- probably even more so -- than an overlargement of the heart, the thyroid and so on. The

overproduction of enzymes in humans is a pathological adaption to a diet of enzyme-free foods.

The pancreas is not the only part of the body that oversecretes enzymes when the diet is cooked. In addition, there are the human salivary glands, which produce enzymes to a degree never found in wild animals on their natural foods.

In fact, some animals on a raw diet do not have any enzymes at all in their saliva. The cow and sheep produce torrents of saliva with no enzymes in it.

Dogs, for instance, also secrete no enzymes in their saliva when they're eating a raw diet. However, if you start giving them cooked starchy food, their salivary glands will start producing starch-digesting enzymes within 10 days.

In addition, there's more evidence that the enzymes in saliva represent a

pathological and not a normal situation. To begin with, salivary enzymes cannot digest raw starch. This is something I demonstrated in the laboratory.

The enzymes in saliva will only attack a piece of starch once it's cooked. Therefore, we see that the body will channel some of its limited enzyme producing capacity into saliva only if it has to.

Incidentally, there is some provocative animal research which I have done in my own laboratory some years ago. If you'd like, I can explain it now for your readers.

HDN: Yes, please do.

HOWELL: I fed one group of rats a cooked diet and one group a raw diet and let them live out their lifespan to see which group would live longer.

The first group got a combination of raw meat and various raw vegetables and grains. The second group got the same foods boiled and therefore enzyme-free. I kept these rats until they died, which took about three years.

As the experiment came to a close, the results surprised me. It turned out that there was no great difference between the lifespans of the two groups. Later on, I discovered the reason.

It turned out that the rats on the cooked diet were still getting enzymes, but from an unexpected source. They had been eating their own feces, which contained the enzymes excreted from their own bodies.

All feces, including those of human beings, contain the enzymes that the body has used. My rats had been recycling their own enzymes to use them over again. And that's why they lived as long as the rats on the raw diet.

Incidentally, the practice of eating feces is almost universal among today's laboratory animals. Although these animals receive scientific diets containing all known vitamins and minerals, the animals instinctively know they need enzymes. Because of this, they eat their own feces.

In fact, the animals on these scientific diets develop most of the chronic human degenerative diseases if they are allowed to live out their lifespans. This shows that vitamins and minerals alone are not sufficient for health.

HDN: How do you know that people would benefit from additional enzyme intake?

HOWELL: To me, the most impressive evidence that people need enzymes is what occurs as a result of therapeutic fasting. As you know, I spent some years in a sanitarium working with patients on various fasting programs.

When a person fasts, there is an immediate halt to the production of digestive enzymes. The enzymes in saliva, gastric juice and pancreatic juice dwindle and become scarce. During fasting, the body's enzymes are free to work on repairing and removing diseased tissues.

Civilized people eat such large quantities of cooked foods that their enzyme systems are kept busy digesting food. As a result, the body lacks the enzymes needed to maintain the tissues in good health.

Most people who fast go through what is called a healing crisis. The patients may feel nausea, vomiting and dizziness. What's happening is that the enzymes are working to change the unhealthy structure of the body. The enzymes attack pathological tissues and break down undigested and unprocessed substances; and these then get thrown off through the bowels, through vomiting, or via the skin.

HDN: When people get enzymes from food, aren't they destroyed by stomach acid and therefore of little or no value?

HOWELL: This is not true. Although most nutntionists claim that enzymes in food are destroyed in the stomach, they overlook two important facts.

First of all, when you eat food, acid secretion is minimal for at least thirty minutes. As the food goes down the esophagus, it drops into the top portion of the stomach. This is called the cardiac section, since it's closer to the heart.

The rest of the stomach remains flat and closed while the cardiac section opens up to accommodate the food. During the iime the food sits in the upper section, little acid or enzymes are secreted by the body. The enzymes in the food itself go about digesting the food. The more of this self-digestion that occurs, the less work the body has to do later.

When this 30 to 45 minute period is over, the bottom section of the stomach opens up and the body starts secreting acid and enzymes. Even at this point, the food enzymes are not inactivated until the acid level becomes prohibitive. You see, food enzymes can tolerate chemical environments many times more acid than neutral.

HDN: Do animals also have a special section of the stomach where food digests itself?

HOWELL: Absolutely. In fact, some creatures have what I call a food enzyme stomach.

There are the cheek pouches of monkeys and rodents, the crop of many species of birds, and the first stomachs of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

When birds, for instance, swallow seeds or grains, these grains lie in the crop for 8 to 12 hours. As they sit, they absorb moisture, swell up and begin to germinate. During germination, enzymes are formed which do the work of digesting the seeds and grains.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises have a first stomach which secretes no enzymes. Whales, for examples swallow large quantities of food without chewing it. The food simply decomposes and digests itself. In the flesh of the fish and other marine life the whale eats is an enzyme, called cathepsin, which breaks down the fish once it has died. In fact, this enzyme is present in almost all creatures.

After the whale's catch has liquefied itself, it passes through a small hole into the whale's second stomach.

It mystifies scientists how the whale's catch can get through that small hole into the second stomach. They have no idea that self-digestion was at work.

HDN: Most -- if not all of us, eat lots of cooked foods every day. Can we make up for this enzyme loss by eating raw foods in addition?

HOWELL: No. Cooked foods cause such a large drain on our enzyme supply that you can't make it up by eating raw foods.

In addition, vegetables and fruits are not concentrated sources of enzymes. When produce ripens, enzymes are present to do the ripening. However, once the

ripening is finished, some of the enzymes leave and go back into the stem and seeds.

For example, when companies want to get enzymes from papaya, a tropical fruit, they use the juice of unripe papaya. The ripe papaya itself has no great concentration of enzymes.

HDN: Are there any foods particularly high in enzymes?

HOWELL: Bananas, avocadoes and mangoes are good sources. In general, foods having a higher calorie content are richer in enzymes.

HDN: Do you recommend all raw foods as sources of enzymes?

HOWELL: No. There are some foods, seeds and nuts, that contain what are called enzyme inhibitors.

These enzyme inhibitors are present for the protection of the seed. Nature doesn't want the seed to germinate prematurely and lose its life. It wants to make sure that the seed is present in soil with sufficient moisture to grow and continue the species.

Therefore, when you eat raw seeds or raw nuts, you are swallowing enzyme inhibitors which will neutralize some of the enzymes your body produces. In fact, eating foods with enzyme inhibitors causes a swelling of the pancreas.

All nuts and seeds contain these inhibitors. Raw peanuts, for example, contain an especially large amount. Raw wheat germ is also one of the worst offenders. In addition, all peas, beans and lentils contain some.

Potatoes, which are seeds, have enzyme inhibitors.

In eggs, which are also seeds, the inhibitor is contained mainly in the eggwhite.

As a general rule, enzyme inhibitors are confined to the seed portions of food. For instance, the eyes of potatoes. The inhibitors are not present in the fleshy portions of fruits or in the leaves and stems of vegetables.

There are two ways to destroy enzyme inhibitors. The first is cooking; however, this also destroys the enzymes. The second way, which is preferable, is sprouting. This destroys the enzyme inhibitors and also increases the enzyme content from a factor of 3 to 6.

Some foods, like soybeans, must be especially well heated to destroy the inhibitors. For example, many of the soy flours and powders on the market were not heated enough to destroy the inhibitors.

There is one other way to neutralize enzyme inhibitors, but we'll get to it in just a minute.

HDN: You said that it's not possible to overcome the enzyme drain of cooked foods just by eating other raw foods. What then can people do?

HOWELL: The only solution is to take capsules of concentrated plant enzymes.

In the absence of contraindications, you should take from l to 3 capsules per meal. Of course, if you are eating all raw foods, then no enzymes will be necessary at that meal.

The capsules should be opened and sprinkled on the food or chewed with the meal. This way, the enzymes can go to work immediately. Incidentally, taking extra enzymes is the third way to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors in unsprouted seeds and nuts.

Concentrates of plant enzymes or fungus enzymes are better for predigestion of food than tablets of pancreatic enzymes. This is because plant enzymes can work in the acidity of the stomach, whereas pancreatic enzymes only work best in the alkalinity of the small intestine.

If the enzyme tablet has an enteric coating, then it's not suitable, since it will only release after it has passed the stomach. By this time, it's too late for food predigestion. The body itself has already used its own enzymes to digest the food.

HDN: Would people benefit from taking enzymes, even if they have no problem with digestion or if they eat mainly raw foods?

HOWELL: They probably would benefit. Our bodies use up enzymes in so many

ways that it pays to maintain your enzyme bank, regardless of what you eat.

For example, enzymes are used up faster during certain illnesses, during extremely hot or cold weather, and during strenuous exercise.

Also, keep in mind that any enzymes that are taken are not wasted since they add to the enzyme pool of your body.

Furthermore, as we pass our prime, the amount of enzymes in our bodies and excreted in our sweat and urine continues to decline until we die. In fact, low enzyme levels are associated with old age and chronic disease.

So far, there's not much hard evidence on whether taking additional enzymes will extend the lifespan. However, we do know that laboratory rats that eat raw foods will live about 3 years. Rats that eat enzymeless chow diets will live only 2 years. Thus, we see that diets deficient in enzymes cause a 30% reduction in lifespan.

If this held true for human beings, it may mean that people could extend their lifespans by 20 or more years -- just by maintaining proper enzyme levels.

Editor's Note: While not much in the way of evidence, Dr. Howell and his wife Evangeline can be offered as examples of the benefits of taking enzymes. She looks about twenty years younger than her age. And Dr. Howell, though well over 70, feels as alert and vital as 30 years ago. He still goes jogging frequently.

You have to be firm in a society where cooked food, carbonated drinks, and alcohol seem to be the "norm", but you owe it to yourself to eat right - you deserve to feel great every single day of your life.

 

I came across this article, as I was interested in whether opera singers followed a particular diet, as many of them seem to be kind of "large".

 

Well this singer found out the hard way about the danger of abusing your body with cooked, processed food (that includes soy products):

 

The Truth About Acid Reflux

by Soprano, Rachel Cobb

 

I was diagnosed with acid reflux (also called GERD for Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) five years ago. My doctors put me on medication, and then stronger medication, then the strongest medication, then increased my dosage to twice a day. Still it got progressively worse over the course of four years. Finally my doctor told me the only option was surgery or I would ruin my voice, and ultimately, my career as an opera singer. Also, I was afraid of Esophageal Cancer, which can happen with the constant acid wash in the esophagus. My reflux was so bad; I could get it from just drinking water! Believe me, my case was not mild. So, I talked to a few singers who had had the surgery, and did some research. Turns out, the surgery is quite severe. Essentially, the doctor twists the upper stomach around the esophagus and stitches it into place. This keeps your stomach sphincter from opening and washing acid into your esophagus. The effect is like having your stomach stapled. Side effects include diarrhea for a year or more, and surgery failure occurs in 85% of patients within 15 years. You should know that when your stomach is made smaller by surgical means, your body could easily suffer from malnutrition. (Unless you eat a diet of primarily raw foods. But, if you were, then you wouldn't have acid-reflux, or obesity, and therefore wouldn't be considering stomach surgery. That is a whole other article!) So, I set out to read everything I could and to find out how I could cure myself naturally. And, the results were really surprising! I found the cause, and I cured myself, and now I have no problems! Iíll tell you what I found through reading and my own experience.

 

What causes Acid Reflux?

I found that there are several things that can contribute to acid reflux. Please realize that I will give you the straight truth, which may be hard to bear, but if you keep reading, I will give you practical solutions to living healthy in this day and age.

 

Smoking

If you smoke, you have acid reflux. Until you quit, you will continue to have it. So, there is no reason to go further than this until you quit. If you are a singer, there are more reasons than this to quit. Try seeing an acupuncturist if you have troubles quitting on your own.

 

Food Combining and Undigested Food

Proteins and starches eaten at the same meal cause a lot of indigestion and undigested food in your system. The enzymes in your saliva break down starches, while proteins are digested by hydrochloric acid produced by your stomach. The hydrochloric acid inactivates the starch digestion. Then what happens? Food sits in your stomach and rots. The when it is finally moved to your intestines and colon, it gets held up there, indefinitely. Then undigested food clogs up the sides of your colon much like a sink pipe can get clogged. It plasters along the sides, making the opening smaller and smaller. This causes constipation. Most people are constipated and don't even know it. You may be surprised to hear that normal elimination is once for every meal you eat about one to three hours after you eat. (For more reading on Food Combining principles, read Kathryn Marsden's book Food Combining, A Step-By-Step Guide.)

 

What else causes food to be undigested? Food that is lacking in enzymes. Our body needs enzymes to break down food. When food is altered from its natural state, enzymes are lost. Cooking food above 118 degrees kills all enzymes. Microwaving kills enzymes. When we eat these foods, our body cannot break them down easily. And the same thing happens: the food rots, and clogs your colon. We are born with a lot of extra enzymes (In case you were wondering why as you get older, you have more digestion problems, and gain weight more easily), but we use them up eating too much cooked food. Humans were born for a diet that includes raw foods and vegetables. When we eat all the other foods we have included into our diet over the past hundred years (meat, pasteurized dairy, soy products, refined sugars and flours), our body does the best it can to break it down, but there are complications. Of course, the best solution is to eat a raw food diet. I realize that this can seem overwhelming, and not everyone feels this is something they can do. Do the best you can. Eat as many raw foods as you can with your meals. If you eat cooked foods, don't mix proteins (meat, dairy, soy) with starches (anything involving flour, corn, potatoes, rice). If you do eat these foods, I would recommend you take an enzyme supplement to help them digest (I have tried them all and like the enzymes at http://primaldefenseandbeyond.com/ and I believe they have the best prices on the net.). And, most importantly, clean out what is stuck in your colon now. This step is what cured me 90% of my acid reflux. Please do yourself a favor and do a high quality colon cleanse. I only recommend Dr. Schultze's products (1.800.Herb Doc). His colon cleanse is a two part series (Intestinal Formula #1 and #2). This insures that when your body releases its toxins, it doesn't get held up in a constipated colon and cause nausea and very little success. His products are amazing, and inexpensive. You can call for a free brochure and tape. For a wonderful explanation of why you should switch to a raw food diet, go to http://www.roxraw.com/rox/index.html and read the few paragraphs under the philosophy link.

 

How Prescription Medications Make GERD Worse

Here is something very interesting that I learned. Remember how I told you my story and how it got worse each year, so I had to take stronger and stronger medications? Well, it turns out that the prescriptions were making it worse. The prescription works by stopping the hydrochloric acid from being released in your stomach. Maybe this sounds like a good idea if you are trying to stop the acid from splashing in your esophagus, but itís not. The hydrochloric acid is being released in your stomach for a reason. Your body needs it to break down proteins in your stomach. Without it, you will have even more undigested food rotting in your stomach, and eventually your colon. So, it starts all over again. After I did Dr. Schultze's colon cleanse, I was able to get off my prescription for the first time in four years. Believe me, I was scared. But I was able to gradually get off, and I improved more and more as time went on.

 

Solutions For The Interim

Of course, I did do a few other things to help me, especially at first. Dr. Schultze also has a great product called Digestive Formula. It will stop acid reflux IMMMEDIATELY! It is amazing and completely natural. I took this at first. There is also a product on the primaldefenseandbeyond website that is specifically for stopping acid. I haven't tried it, because I just discovered it (I don't need it now) but all of their other products are amazing so I say, give it a try.

 

Coffee

Yes, I gave up coffee. OK, don't scream or freak out. It is possible to live without coffee. Initially, I was just going to give it up at first, but the more I read about it, the more I realized just how bad coffee is for you (even decaf!), and I don't drink it anymore. Of course, coffee is highly acidic. Let me just give you this tidbit. Did you know the reason that coffee speeds up your metabolism? Because the coffee bean contains such a terrible poison that your body is hastily trying to get it out of your body. Your body's metabolism raises to keep you from suffering the effects of the poison. If you need a pick-me-up in the morning, there are better alternatives. I suggest Virgin Coconut Oil. It can give you that energy kick you need in the morning. Contrary to what the soy monopolies would have you believe, virgin (NOT hydrogenated or even refined) coconut oil can actually help you lose weight, improve energy, cure thyroid problems, and lower T-cells in HIV positive patients. (Please go to http://www.coconut-info.com/ for more information. Or read Dr. Bruce Fife's books Eat Fat, Look Thin, and The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil. You will be shocked at the amazing information in these books!) People report that using coconut oil has improved their acid reflux as well. I suspect it helps because it will help keep you more regular. I have been using it to cure my thyroid problem, and it has worked. People report that it stops their cravings for coffee, as well.

For a replacement morning drink, I recommend drinking the water from a young coconut. These are the white coconuts with a peak on the top. You can find them at Asian Grocery stores. They cost about 70 cents to $1.25. (Coconut water is the juice inside the coconut, and coconut milk is that water blended with the coconut meat.) It is very refreshing, is so good for you, will give you energy, and make you feel great. If you really need something warm, you can try Roobios Tea. This is a tannin and caffeine free tea from Africa that is a natural antioxidant, and very tasty. You can find it in health food stores. It is sometimes called Red Bush Tea.

 

Alcohol and Sodas

Yes. I'm sure you know this. Alcohol is acidic. And the bubbles in any kind of soda can contribute to acid reflux. Of course, it also contains the evils of refined sugar, caffeine, and artificial ingredients. If you are consuming aspartame, please quit. It has been shown to kill brain cells, cause tumors, and Multiple Sclerosis. Also, aspartame makes you fat. It is so deadly in the bloodstream that your body tries to protect you by isolating it in fat molecules and storing it away from your organs and bloodstream. It is not better for you than sugar.

 

Acid Foods

I gave up cooked tomato products for a while. Believe me, not easy especially with my Italian background. Now, I can eat them once in a while. Please know that tomatoes, oranges, and other acid fruits are actually alkaline (non acid forming) while they are raw. Once cooked, or pasteurized, they are acidic. But, if your stomach is in severe condition, I would suggest laying off these foods (even raw) for a month or two, until your stomach is healed, then you can resume them. But contrary to what my doctors told me, natural raw foods are always alkaline. Cooked foods are acid forming. Remember that. So, fresh squeezed orange juice will be alkaline. Pasteurized orange juice (pasteurization is a heating process, WAY over 118 degrees) is acid forming. Pasteurized dairy products are too.

(See www.realmilk.com for more info.)

 

Alternative Healing

You can also visit a qualified Acupuncturist or Energy Worker. This will help ease the symptoms of acid reflux.

 

Acid Reflux and TMJ

Have you ever wondered why so many opera singers suffer from Acid Reflux Disease? Well, I believe it is because most singers also have TMJ. There is a link between them. There is an acupressure point in between the jaw joint (way in there), which causes stomach problems, and specifically acid reflux. So please see an alternative healer, massage therapist, or even massage the joint yourself if you have TMJ. When your TMJ acts up, then your stomach will correspond, so please have your TMJ treated. See a Rolfer, an Acupuncturist, a Chiropractor, an Energy Worker, or Massage Therapist to help you with your TMJ problems.

 

Eating Late

Please don't eat late. Please. Your body has natural body cycles. According to Harvey and Marilyn Diamond's famous book Fit For Life

 

These cycles are based on rather obvious functions of the body. To put it in its simplest terms, on a daily basis we take in food (appropriation), we absorb and use some of that food (assimilation), and we get rid of what we don't use (elimination). Although each of these three functions is always going on to some extent, each is more intense during certain hours of the day.

 

Noon to 8 P.M. - Appropriation (eating and digestion)

8 P.M. to 4 A.M. - Assimilation (absorption and use)

4 A.M. to noon - Elimination (of body wastes and food debris)

 

So, accordingly, don't eat past 8 p.m. Before noon, I also don't eat anything but fruit and fresh fruit juice (buy a juicer!), and I drink plenty of purified water. Which brings me to...

 

Water

Drinking water is a tricky thing sometimes. You shouldn't drink any water with meals, as well as 15 minutes before or 1 hour after meals. It does interfere with digestion. But you must drink plenty of water in between meals. For this, I recommend you carry a water jug and keep track of how much water it holds, so that you can keep track of how much water you need to drink.

Please drink 2 liters of water a day. Or, if you wish, you can drink one liter of water, and one liter of fresh pressed vegetable juice a day (again, with your juicer). Dehydration can be a huge factor with acid reflux (and many many other health issues). This is very necessary for optimum health. If you drink any other beverage than water, then I recommend that you replace each drink with an equal amount of water (on top of your 2 liters a day). If you drink any alcoholic beverages, you must replace each drink with 8 times as much water. (Yikes!).

Also, be sure that the water you are drinking is pure. Unfortunately, water supply on this planet is extremely polluted. Therefore, I recommend highly filtered water such as reverse osmosis or distilled water. I found a water store nearby and bought some polycarbonate containers (non plastic or dioxin leaking), which I refill for 25 cents a gallon, not bad.

 

Fasting

If you have had Acid Reflux for a while, your stomach may need a little healing on its own. I recommend fasting. A short or sometimes long fast can be so beneficial. Fasting is a topic all on its own. I recommend reading The Complete Idiotís Guide to Fasting. I found this book to be such a comprehensive book on the subject. Check it out, even if you are skeptical about fasting. Humans have been fasting since the dawn of time to cure themselves of all types of diseases. Please give it some thought, keep an open mind about the subject, and do some of your own research.

 

Exercise

This goes without saying. Try to exercise 30 minutes a day. This helps your body keep strong, so that it can heal itself and fight off infections of all kinds. You can do a simple walk around the block, or in cold weather conditions, I recommend buying a rebounder (a small jogging trampoline) for excellent results.

 

Maintenance

Curing yourself of anything is an amazing thing. But remember that if you go back to your old habits, it could come back. I recommend that you keep on the lookout for classic symptoms. The most classic symptoms are:

*A gag reflex in the back of your throat (this is the biggest one. You will find it disappears when your reflux is truly gone).

* Finding yourself clearing your throat often. Acid reflux can make you feel like there is phlegm on your vocal chords that you just canít clear off. Believe me, Iíve had allergies in the past. If you canít clear it off, itís acid reflux. If you find yourself doing it constantly, itís acid reflux.

*Any burping is related to acid. Any.

*Heartburn

*Taste of vomit in the back of the throat

*Hoarseness not related to any virus or illness.

To keep maintenance, you should do a colon cleanse twice a year. You will need to do it more often if you eat meat, pasteurized dairy, tofu, refined sugars, and refined flours. If you have the symptoms above, then itís time to do it again. I became a vegetarian (except fish) just because Iíd rather not have to do extra cleanses. Also, it makes food combining so much easier! A quick note on soy: tofu is a highly processed food, and soy in general is not a natural food source for humans. For more information, I beg you to visit any of the following: http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.html?content=/articles/index.html

http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soy_alert.html

http://www.coconut-info.com/shadow_of_soy.htm, http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soysdownsides/

 

Conclusion

I have written this based on my own experience and research. I am not a doctor. Although I found my doctors to be misinformed on the subject of GERD, I am not claiming to have any medical background. I have written this because I hope to help anyone avoid what I went through. There was a time when I was afraid that my career would be over if I did not get my acid reflux under control. I am glad to report that I have no problems at all now, and my doctor has told me there is no evidence at all of reflux when he looks at my vocal chords.

 

References

The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil by Bruce Fife

Eat Fat look Thin by Bruce Fife

In a Nutshell Food Combining A Step-By-Step Guide by Kathryn Marsden

Fit For Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond

The Complete Idiotís Guide to Fasting by Eve Adamson and Linda Horning, R.D.

12 Steps to Raw Foods by Victoria Boutenko

Dr. Richard Schultze (1.800.HerbDoc)

 

 

Soprano Rachel Cobb is one of opera's most promising young lyric sopranos. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ms. Cobb has been honored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Loren Zachary Society, the Chicago Musician's Club for Women, the Chicago Italian Cultural Center, Opera Pacific, and the Baton Rouge Opera Guild. She is most well known for her roles of Donna Anna and Mimi.

That's a great post....

I'm one of the biggest believers of enzymes and she hits the nail on the head with that, fruits already have what you need to digest it!

Cooked food is cooked food and no matter how yummy it looks it's pretty much dead wood, you might as well be eating flavoured paper!

She's right about the eating times, food combining and fasting too....

Coz, guess who's coming ta dinner!!!!

Have you posted this article over at Raw Food Talk yet? I know that alot of people over there use raw choc. nibs.

They banned me over there because I'm a Fruitarian and post my pics, everybody wants to know how I do everything without the need of de-hydraters, supplements, greens, raw placebos, etc...

It's almost as if I'm a threat or something because I go against what they preach....

Wow. I've had a raw cacao nib once. I wasn't that impressed with it so I haven't ever ponied up the $20+ for a small bag of the stuff. If half of the article is true, this is some bad $h*^!

Yeah there's harsher articles than that but it gets the point across.

Raw "gourmet" period is pretty crappy, with all the olive oils, nuts/fats, etc.

Raw Toxic Chocolate

by Paul Nison

This month my article is about chocolate. I chose to write abut this topic because many raw food eaters today are being misled and told that it is healthy. It is dangerous and people need to know the truth.

More True Information on the Negative Effects of Cacao…

Since my last article on the negative effects of cacao, many people have agreed with me how toxic it really is. On the other hand, there were some people who would not change their mind about it no matter what the cost. In fact, those people became angry with me. The truth can hurt, but I’m just the messenger. As I said in my last article about cacao, I wish it were healthy, but the fact is it is not! Whether you are willing to admit it or not is your decision, but there are so many foods that are proven to be healthy, why continue to take some that are up for debate? Many people are being misled to believe cacao and other raw foods are healthy. Many of the people who promote it, have a good heart and really feel it is a good food, but I know there are many who sell this product knowing it is toxic and addictive, just to make money.

I recently spoke to a good friend of mine Jeremy Saffaron. Jeremy has been involved in the raw food community for a very long time. He has the author of a raw food recipe book and also an excellent resource guide. Jeremy told me he was the first person to do any raw research with cacao involving the raw food movement. He spent 4 years (1999 -2003) studying the effects of cacao and has dedicated countless hours surfing the net, talking with specialists, and even got involved with the University of Hawaii, who’s agriculture branch is looking into raw cacao toxicity.

When Jeremy first found out about cacao he was so excited about it. He sold it for a short while (2001-2002) and was the first person to let others in the raw food world know about it. Again I repeat, JEREMY WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN THE RAW WORLD to let others know about cacao.

He turned on many raw food promoters to it because he believed at the time that is was an amazing discovery as a great tasting, nutritionally loaded food and it was also a way to connect with his friends who were still addicted to cooked chocolate even though they were raw otherwise. Another big turn on was the fact that many of the daily coffee drinkers he knew in the yoga scene were glad to switch to raw cacao from their roasted coffee. Jeremy told me he never drank coffee in his life, but as a kid did eat chocolate from the store. But 13 years ago, he stopped eating chocolate because he found out about the bugs that were in all chocolate. (I mentioned that in my last article about cacao.)

With all the excitement about raw chocolate and all the benefits, Jeremy was thrilled to get the product to the public. However, when Jeremy was selling it, he did warn people that all the studies on it were not in yet so to be careful not to over due it until further research is conducted. It was also very cost prohibitive at the time at twenty five cents a bean, plus each bean had to be personally peeled to eat them. (By the way, this should be a hint about how much can and should be eaten in one sitting.)

After eating cacao for six months, Jeremy didn’t really experience negative side effects, but he noticed those around him whose health and digestion weren’t as efficient as his started to experience issues with the cacao. That was the first sign that lead him to begin to study the negative effects of cacao.

I myself have a similar experience. I consumed cacao in small amounts as well, but unlike Jeremy, I felt the difference every time I tried it. It didn’t make me feel good. A good friend of mine, doctor Fred Bisci ,a raw foodist for about 40 years, also confirmed what Jeremy and I suspected, cacao is toxic!

Jeremy’s findings were as follows:

No animal in nature will eat it unless tricked into it with milk or sugar.

If you can convince an animal to eat it then it greatly shortens their life span if it doesn’t kill them immediately.

The native people who ate it only ate the fruit of the theobroma (which contains all the benefits and none of the detriments) and only used the cacao seed as an addition to their psychedelic brew ahyuwasca and as a medicine in emergencies.

Native people did not eat it as a food nor as a supplement, only for sacred use.

Cacao is one of the most addictive substances known

Cacao is super toxic to the liver

It acts as a stimulant and agitates the kidneys and adrenal glands. This can cause: insomnia, nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night, shakes, and extreme energy shifts

It is extremely clogging due to the toxins carried in the oils contained within. Plus the fat chains are highly complex and require tons of work to break down.

The result of long term use is a high level of liver and blood toxicity which can cause extreme mood swings, angry outbursts, violence, depression, paranoia, & dizziness.

In some cases of long term use, there are also psychological effects that range from addictive tendencies, sexual dysfunction, violent outbursts, lack of reasoning, and decreased will.

At mega does of 40 plus beans, it acts as a hallucinogen and can cause many effects attributed to LSD or Hashish

Jeremy concludes that his personal study (it took 1.5 years of him eating it to see extreme negative effects) and his friends showed him clearly the negative effects of cacao.

From my study it seems that the people using cooked cacao powder had less toxic effects than those using roasted cacao beans whole and far, far less than those using whole, raw cacao beans.

There are a good amount of people who have experienced the same negative affect of cacao and have changed their opinion about it being such a super food. I personally can’t see anyone taking it for a long time not feeling the negative effects on some level. A big problem is, at that point so many people are already addicted to it and can’t stop even if they wanted to. Very similar to the addiction people have to cooked food. They just can’t except that it’s not healthy for them so they make excuses to keep consuming it.

Jeremy and I both feel the sadness that raw food promoters command so much public attention and use it to sell anything they can. It should be information, not products that people seek out.

The bottom line is no matter what someone feels, or believes, cacao is toxic! Science will confirm it. You may be able to consume the drug cacao and not have felt any negative affects, but in time you will. Please do not wait to experience the negative affects and get off this drug as soon as you can.

For those of you who say, I am always knocking someone else’s glory or product, I can just reply by saying I am concerned about each individual’s health. That is the most important thing to me. I know what it is like to live with disease and I want to help as many people as possible avoid it. I am so blessed to know people like Jeremy who have an open mind and continue to share the same mission with me of bringing the truth to the surface and helping others.

Jeremy and I acknowledge there are many toxic things that people do everyday from using a computer, to driving a car, from drinking coffee to smoking to all sorts of wild practices and toxic substances and experiences. Each one must make a choice and it’s our hope that people with power use it responsibly.

Jeremy wanted me to share with my readers a warning to always study and research before promoting or selling anything. He learned the hard way. Years ago he promoted the use of coconuts because he lived in the tropics and knew the benefits well. The down side was people wanting coconuts and not realizing that the answer was to go where they grow. Instead they found a way to engage in exploitation and buy toxic formaldehyde dipped bleached nuts wrapped in plastic irradiated from Thailand. He went back and tried to dissuade people from eating the toxic nuts but they didn’t seem to care. Cacao seems the same, those who want to engage with it will, toxic or not. (Once again after recently getting tons of coconuts right off the trees in Florida, I feel such a difference after eating Thai coconuts.)

Jeremy’s final stand on cacao is it is for medicinal, sacred and entertainment usage only, it is not a health food! My personal, final opinion is that we should only consume foods for nutritional needs, anything else will lead to disease, especially the way we overuse it!

Like I said before, there's too many people doing the raw lifestyle the wrong way, getting caught up in overeating addictive "raw" superfoods/concoctions for entertainment and and not getting the results they should all in the name of transitioning.

Food isn't supposed to be so yummy that you act like a crack addict at the anticipation of getting some....the food we are supposed to eat replaces what we just lost, namely water and causes as little disruption to our senses as possible to the point where it's almost meaningless.

Bigz a.k.a F1

You got me eating more raw fruits and veggies.

 

And I feel good doing it

Wow...and there's me thinking everyone thought I was a killjoy!!!

Nice one Aaron!!!

..... which means less packaging, less toxins, less refined foods....

 

That's the most attractive part of adding lots of fresh fruits & veggies to my diet.

 

Yeah... I lost too much doing body weight stuff, now I got much pumping iron to do!!!!

 

Having said that, bodyweight stuff is awesome but if you want to take it to a different level you need the weights.

 

I don't know, I think both are good in a routine together. In my experience, bodyweight exercises build strength really well, just not the mass. I do both for that reason, and because I enjoy both. Normally I'll do some dips after I'm done doing my bench presses and can't do anymore.

You don't know because your not me....I know what works for me and I'm doing it now...

looking ripped dude.

Hey thanks Darth.

You really shouldn't be so modest bigbwii...

When I started posting here everybody was talking about protein powders and other processed stuff. Together most of us have taken steps towards raw and/or whole foods. You are a big part of that process, no doubt.

Even though I'm more of an EatToLive Joel Fuhrman type of eater I still have high respect for you. I've seen few people with your passion and dedication and I believe the world needs more of that. You're always an inspiration.

Hey I'll take that and run with it....

That means a heck of a lot to me,

Thanks Rob/Offense....

Looking in great shape!!!

Hey Big, just incase you don't know, I built this Raw food section around you and a few others on the forum and now it is one of the most popular sections period!

 

Thanks for leading the way. More and more people are cutting out processed foods all the time, which means less packaging, less toxins, less refined foods, and more nutrition. Well done sir, and thanks again for all your work in magazines, websites, etc. Maybe we'll get a little fruitarian muscle in our next Vegan Fitness DVD

Hey man your too kind but I think you need to take the credit for being so open to raw foods, my focus is on getting people doing the raw thing right and that doesn't always go down well.....but yeah I've been here a while and I'll continue to help out all I can.....I'm glad you said that because I was kinda backing off out of respect to you so I'll probably post more often now.

Hey...you'll have to get a bigger lens to shoot the DVD with by the time I'm finished with myself.....

Much love and peace to you, your a pioneer and an inspiration!!!!

..... which means less packaging, less toxins, less refined foods....

 

That's the most attractive part of adding lots of fresh fruits & veggies to my diet.

Yeah... I lost too much doing body weight stuff, now I got much pumping iron to do!!!!

Having said that, bodyweight stuff is awesome but if you want to take it to a different level you need the weights.

Great stuff man! Excellent shredded condition! Well done and thanks for sharing. I know my friend just did a raw foods presentation in Eugene, OR and she used You as an example of a fit and muscular raw food eater (specifically fruitarian).

 

Thanks for posting the pics Big.

Hey thanks man....wow that's great....I know another lady did a raw foods presentation and used my pics at one of the famous colleges too.....

Hey..... much love guys!!!!!

Preciate it.

Looking really good Bigbwii. (The first and second pictures are my favorites.) Keep up the good work.

Hey thanks Crash, I lost a lot of what I had when I went to bodyweight exercises, so now I'm starting from sracth again with the weights.

I'll get there.

I would really like to try this but I know that I won't make it. I am really struggling right now. I eat raw for a day or two and then back to my addiction. I can't make any promises because I have disappointed myself so many times. The spirit is willing but the flesh is oh so weak.

 

I eat when I am not hungry and I eat the wrong stuff. HELP!![/b]

You can't suceed at this by being regular, you gotta be exceptional!!!!

And that's what these challenges are for, if we were already exceptional we wouldn't need them...get pro-active about doing what YOU want, regardless of what anyone else is doing/eating, if doing this will go towards making you happy then go for it and just do your best until it becomes habit, like I said before, 30 days is just a drop in the ocean but it's a good start!!!

Some results from my second photoshoot....

here's some from the workout theme.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/5056/dsc3696qa2.th.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6535/dsc3713ln9.th.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4747/dsc3726eg4.th.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/900/dsc3795db6.th.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/229/dsc3796xc4.th.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/6410/dsc3804wh0.th.jpg

I don't obsess on protein because we gets lots from fruits and veggies but when I do want some, I use raw hemp protein powder. Right now I am using Manitoba Harvest. You can get it online or at Whole Foods.

Right now your trying to live the raw lifestyle by cooked food standards...

you don't need to focus on protien, calories, etc...

As Flanders says this subject has been answered many times in this section, checkout old posts.

Greatstuff!!!

Yeah I've got a mango shoot, 2 avo shoots and about 60 orange shoots coming up now not to mention my Honeydew melon patch.

I would really like to try this but I know that I won't make it. I am really struggling right now. I eat raw for a day or two and then back to my addiction. I can't make any promises because I have disappointed myself so many times. The spirit is willing but the flesh is oh so weak.

 

I eat when I am not hungry and I eat the wrong stuff. HELP!![/b]

So what, then try and try again....

Don't give up....use this as a tool to push yourself to a new level, so you can finally start describing your efforts as a success instead of a dissappointment.....that's what makes it a challenge....it's your call

Wow it's getting intese mentally because everything in my being tells me that I can't possibly gett anymore reps/PB's on the chins but...you know I gotta do it anyway.

Chins 106lbs

Workout:

5 rep cycle:

Dips 111lbs

Chins 106lbs (PB)

leg Raise 10lbs

Gotta do legs!

Got that PB for chin ups!!!

I pushed the attempt a bit early because I was so pumped up for getting it done but I feel as though I have a bit more gas so I'm expecting to increase further tomorrow.

Workout:

5 rep cycle:

Dips 106lbs

Chins 101lbs

leg Raise 10lbs

Gotta do legs!

20 min walk

Meal: None