Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Boring

I wrote: Bringing awareness to that is like waking up out of a dream. There are so many things we do that are just sleepwalking! or worse, being in some kind of nightmare-loop. Here I am doing it again.

When I re-read it something came to me.

I had the insight before that the most boring thing I do is to fall short of my measurable goal. (Probably the most boring thing I do is be more interested in myself than I am in other people, but I digress.) So- instead of being totally inspired- as I am by the lives of some of my friends- and many strangers- I get this flat experience. Wouldn't it be exciting to live the fact that we can cure diabetes? So, what stops me?

If I can really see how- getting into that loop- (for the purpose of a reader who stumbles across this blog understanding what I'm saying- a loop might be birthday parties must be celebrated with coffee, cake and ice-cream) doing this thing that is so conditioned- blows me off track because diabetics are really set-up to then crave more carbohydrates after eating some (even a very small portion.) Then I don't do the thing (cure my diabetes, help others do the same) that had me all excited. Boring.

I want to talk about someone who is not boring- who is exciting and inspiring to me. Her name is Kandace and she posts recipes at www.goneraw.com. And I am a receiver for this light that she is putting out there. Anyway- it is a sacred moment seeing how we are all connected and how one person's choices can be a gift to many.

Berenstein Principal

PostScript to Original Post:

Simply put, I am convinced that the Bernestein Diet saves lives. If I'd have found out about it within a year of learning I had Type 2 diabetes, I believe I could have reversed my diabetes (since I am still only borderline.) You CAN reverse diabetes (if you catch it in time.) I am really hoping (trying to believe) you can cure it at anytime. Curing it is defined by a year of perfect blood sugars (as was defined by Dr Mehmet Oz on an Oprah show.) People (the medical establishment that has a stake in you being unhealthy) say you can't cure diabetes because you will always have this faulty pancreas. But the point is that it isn't the faulty pancreas that causes problems- it is out of control blood sugars. If you maintain perfect blood sugars then you can live as healthy a life as anyone.

The Berenstein Diet is about seriously curtailing your carbs and filling out your menus with protein. But, I am allergic to milk and I seriously want to throw up at the smell of eggs. O.K. so I love crisp bacon, but I don't really want to eat a pig that never harmed anyone and is at least as smart and loving as a guide dog (or my worthy dog, who has never worked a day in his life.)

Anyway- I am trying to find a way to do Berenstein without it being an eggs-meat-cheese-fest. I don't know that I actually believe there's any benefit to eating your vegetables raw. What I do know is that when I am doing a lot of green vegetable juicing- I get compliments- so you know, it works with my vanity! And, when I eat like this I have no cravings for food that raises my blood sugar. Perfect blood sugar just feels so good.

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Original Post Begins Below:

Again, it is important to note that diabetics cannot go wild eating fruit or starchy vegetables even if they are eating a completely raw diet. (And this is in contrast to the teachings of most raw food practitioners.)

Berenstein says

Fruit:
Avoid sweet fruit entirely, although many people doing his plan eat small amounts of berries, a slice of tomato in a salad.
Remember that lemons and grapefruit are sweet fruit by sugar content, it is a bitter flavor that makes them seem as if they are not.
Eat the non-sweet fruits (plants with pits and seeds that people don't usually consider fruits.) Eat eggplant, summer squash, cucumber, green and red bell pepper, avocado.

Vegetables:
Restrict your amounts of starchy vegetables to 1/4 a cup per serving.
Corn is not a vegetable, it is a grain.
Restrict your overall amount of vegetables to no more than two cups of salad, or 1.5 cups of cooked vegetable per meal.

Nuts- eat small quantities. Learn which nuts are lower in carb

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How can I combine what I know of Berenstein, with Raw? It is completely within the bounds of a berenstein-raw diet to start the day with a green juice made of two cups of spinach, a squeeze of lemon, a slice of ginger. A few hours later have two thirds of a cup of nuts in the shell for a snack. Then a few hours later have up to two cups of raw green salad (for example spinach, celery, red bell pepper, cucumber, raw mushroom) with a quarter of an avocado and a raw oil and raw vinegar, for lunch. Then have a dinner which incorporates a small amount of vegetables and nuts (such as Ani Phyo's 'That Chicks' Pate with Spanish Vegetables'.)

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Making the Connection

Yesterday I had coffee and wine, ruining the eleven days of keeping my commitment to not do either.

I have also been eating a lot of cheese. But no meat. Cheese on whole wheat bread is a food that seems good to me, and so it's easy to miss that it is not.

My blood sugars have been perfect. So it was easy to rationalize that, in fact, I broke my word to myself not to do these things for one month.

Anyway- beginning again...

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Continuing with this a couple of days later-

I can definitely see how I turn to eating crap whenever I have a high degree of conflict with a particular close friend. It is like (to paraphrase Ekhardt Tolle) I have a pain body that wants to maintain itself. Whenever I go into victim mode, eating is a way to nourish the pain body and to return to the familiar place of poor blood sugar- to build up my ego through a negative identity as a diabetic and also through the drama of not keeping my word to myself.

Of course- I am also paying very close attention to the things that are triggers for my pain body. MY trigger is feeling that I am being judged. I am not being loved unconditionally. And I have to be even more right about what I am saying- I have to criticize and judge and be rigid about being right. That is my ego protecting itself- defining itself- making itself superior. Then seeing myself as something less than radiant and wise, I go straight into feeding the pain body.

Making some slow progress perhaps- if awareness really is progress...

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Doing It Differently

What I could have had off the Dahlia Lounge menu instead:

Glass of French Pinot Noir
Curried vegetable samosas

Garlic Butter Button mushrooms
Sauted Pea Vines
Water- Water- Water

Coffee

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It's not vegan or raw. Still it would be a step in the right direction, and it would be a kind of moderation that could allow "80% vegan and raw" to deepen into more over a lifetime.

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It's a chance to look at the power of the meat and dessert habit.

Recommended February 2008

www.goneraw.com
www.rawreform.com
www.rawsoul.com

Raw After Thirty

I succeeded in following the guidelines I set for myself on December 26, 2007. I was raw for thirty. I ate an exclusively vegan diet, and an eighty percent raw diet. It felt great. I didn't lose any weight. I also didn't gain weight- on a diet heavy with avocados and raw almonds etc. My blood sugars are very good, without medication.

Tomorrow will be February 10, 2007. I would like to set another thirty day goal. Going forward I would like to maintain my earlier guidelines (raw, vegan at home) (cooked vegetarian at restaurants) (free pass for anything served at a monthly dinner event I attend) and to cut out coffee. I don't mind my raw breakfast juice and salad for lunch, but I need better dinners.


Also, I need to plan a bunch of munchies (that aren't fruit, or more nuts.) I need something to eat for times when absolutely everything is challenging at work/home. Comforting and fast food is a good thing. I really love a bowl of hot soup (especially during the winter.) But, what can I do that supports me being raw? There are some good recipes at www.goneraw.com, I'll try some of the ones marked "easy."

(*) For the last six years I have planned and cooked a set weekly menu. It simplifies shopping, planning, cooking. Some of the following recipes can be found on www.goneraw.com

Mon- Kale wraps with avocado and dates
Tue- Taco Salad, Cirtus Ginger-ade (Citrus is mis-spelled at goneraw)
Wed- Asian Marinated Mushrooms in cabbage and Tomatoes layered with macadamia cheese
Thur- Falafel Balls or Hummus, Veggie Sticks
Fri- Red Root Wraps, Blue-ants on a Log
Sat- Red Cabbage and Apple Soup, Sunny Salad, Apple Cookies
Sun- Zoodles in Asian Dressing with Cashews

Dahlia Lounge

Yesterday I had one of the best meals of my life at Dahilia Lounge.

We shared a dry, oaky French style Pinot Noir with the appetizers of scallops. For my entree I had crab cake with pastrami hash and a very light sauerkraut. With this I drank a big, juicy, fruity Pinot Noir. For dessert I had coffee and coconut cream pie.

Great company. Perfect atmosphere. Good conversation. Delicious pairing of the wine and food. Lovely evening. NOT perfect blood sugar.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Game of Life

If I count "wins" such as January 23 post- does that mean that set-backs are "losses?"

Do I want to live my life seeing everything that happens as either a win or a loss?