I'm home again and the weather is fine! (scratch that last part--it's sub-zero temperatures down here!) These arctic temperatures are pretty rough on us folks with neurological/auto-immune conditions. Within just a few short minutes, my legs become like boards and do not relax again until hours after they have been back inside the house.
My plasma exchange treatments (five) went quite well and the port was removed the same day as my last treatment so I could go home on day 11. YAY! I must admit, however, that although the waist numbness has dissipated, I still have significant numbness and pain in my left leg from my toes to above the knee. Sometimes improvement continues for a couple of weeks after the treatment. I'm praying this is the case again.
Now I have to self-reflect and think, "Am I doing enough? What other lifestyle changes can I make? Can I head off the next flare somehow?" And some possibilities include further review of what I eat. Here's the thing: I LOVE FOOD! I love to cook it, I love to experiment with it, and I've not met an Amish-made roll that I didn't like!
I have decided to make a conscious effort to continue to improve my diet. I figure if I put it "out there," then I have to sort-of-kinda be accountable. I began Monday with the "Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet." It's really a fast that will give my digestive system a rest, plus "prepare ye the way of a lifestyle change." I already don't drink soda, rarely have pizza (*sigh*), eat lots of salads and veggies, etc. Now I have to really work on cutting out the (gulp!) sugars and flours.
I am at the end of day 2 of the Master Cleanse, and, although I've made lunch and cooked dinner, I am not hungry at all, amazingly. If anything, I wanna grab a "Family size" potato chip bag and share it with just me, family of one for the evening. I think it's just habitual for me to eat crunchy stuff; it's not about hunger for me.
I am planning on staying on the master cleanse for four days. I would go longer, but for my church choir I planned a dinner and sleigh ride (yes, just like jingle bells!) Friday evening. No one, I mean NO ONE can pass up Mary Yoder's ham and chicken and green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy and noodles and bread and rolls and jams and pecan and blueberry pie...oh, sweet Jesus, help me control my drooling self on Friday!
I will post about that dinner too. I hope to take a few pictures, but the Amish do not want photos taken of them, so I'll have to be sensitive to their beliefs.
Here is the recipe for the Master Cleanse in case you would like to try a very healthy fast that will actually shorten the life of a cold or congestion that's bugging you.
My plasma exchange treatments (five) went quite well and the port was removed the same day as my last treatment so I could go home on day 11. YAY! I must admit, however, that although the waist numbness has dissipated, I still have significant numbness and pain in my left leg from my toes to above the knee. Sometimes improvement continues for a couple of weeks after the treatment. I'm praying this is the case again.
Now I have to self-reflect and think, "Am I doing enough? What other lifestyle changes can I make? Can I head off the next flare somehow?" And some possibilities include further review of what I eat. Here's the thing: I LOVE FOOD! I love to cook it, I love to experiment with it, and I've not met an Amish-made roll that I didn't like!
I have decided to make a conscious effort to continue to improve my diet. I figure if I put it "out there," then I have to sort-of-kinda be accountable. I began Monday with the "Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet." It's really a fast that will give my digestive system a rest, plus "prepare ye the way of a lifestyle change." I already don't drink soda, rarely have pizza (*sigh*), eat lots of salads and veggies, etc. Now I have to really work on cutting out the (gulp!) sugars and flours.
I am at the end of day 2 of the Master Cleanse, and, although I've made lunch and cooked dinner, I am not hungry at all, amazingly. If anything, I wanna grab a "Family size" potato chip bag and share it with just me, family of one for the evening. I think it's just habitual for me to eat crunchy stuff; it's not about hunger for me.
I am planning on staying on the master cleanse for four days. I would go longer, but for my church choir I planned a dinner and sleigh ride (yes, just like jingle bells!) Friday evening. No one, I mean NO ONE can pass up Mary Yoder's ham and chicken and green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy and noodles and bread and rolls and jams and pecan and blueberry pie...oh, sweet Jesus, help me control my drooling self on Friday!
I will post about that dinner too. I hope to take a few pictures, but the Amish do not want photos taken of them, so I'll have to be sensitive to their beliefs.
Here is the recipe for the Master Cleanse in case you would like to try a very healthy fast that will actually shorten the life of a cold or congestion that's bugging you.
Master Cleanse Lemonade Recipe
www.mastercleansesecrets.com
This fast is intended for 7-10 days. This is all you eat or drink.
To make a half day supply, mix:
30 ounces filtered water
6 Tbl. REAL maple syrup, grade B (Health food store--no Aunt Jemima corn syrup junk!
6 Tbl. organic lemon juice or juice 1 1/2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 cup raw parsley
1 sprig raw oregano
Blend until smooth.
This fast is intended for 7-10 days. This is all you eat or drink.
To make a half day supply, mix:
30 ounces filtered water
6 Tbl. REAL maple syrup, grade B (Health food store--no Aunt Jemima corn syrup junk!
6 Tbl. organic lemon juice or juice 1 1/2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 cup raw parsley
1 sprig raw oregano
Blend until smooth.
Why don't you give it a shot for a day or two? It does taste really good and fasting is Biblical, and gives your body a well needed rest. I'll let you know how my four days go.
Blessings,
James
Blessings,
James