Raw Plant Based Diet - Year one - COMPLETE

February 10, 2013 I started a journey.  I didn't know how long that journey was going to be.  That journey started with a commitment to cleanse my body with a Juice Fast that was going to start on February 10, which was the day after I returned from a business trip, and end on Easter, which was 49 days later.  So a 49 day Juice Fast.

End... what would the end of it look like? 

WHY... WHY would I do this? 

Well to start I was enrolled at the time at IIN, Institute for Integrative Health, and have since graduated and am now a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach.  And so was learning much deeper than I already knew about nutrition and the body, and felt guided by that learning to be able to do this successfully.

In July 2012 I was climbing up the ladder in my barn to get a notebook for a client out of the loft.  As I was almost to the top, the ladder came out from under me.  I caught myself on the edge of the platform with my elbows and hit my rib cage at the stomach level hard.  My son was in there with me and quickly came to put the ladder back under me.  I thank God he was there.  Quite shaken, I went into the house, into the bedroom and sobbed.  I didn't want to fall apart in front of my son.  My elbows were killing me and my gut hurt.  But as par for my course, I didn't go to a Dr.  That was until I had an appointment with a breast Dr. 5 weeks later.  She asked what I had done because there was bruising at the rib cage.  I hadn't noticed.  But what I had noticed was that where my liver lays, felt like there was a sock stuffed in there.  Very uncomfortable.  But again, par for my course, didn't get it checked out.  (my elbows were another story, oyie!)

In November 2012, I did get blood work done and found that my liver panels were at 170, when normal is 20-35.  My Dr assumed that it was because I had been in pain and had taken lots of Tylenol....  HUMMMMmmmm  NOT... I don't take Tylenol because I know it is not good for you.  So then she assumed that it was because I was under a great deal of stress...  HUMMMMmmmm I said "I was unaware that stress effected the liver".  She then said it didn't but that adults who are under stress tend to drink more...  HUMMMMmmmm that may be for an adult who drinks.... I DON'T DRINK...   To that she said...  HUMMMmmmmm  "We will check it again in 4 months".

WOW really???

So I dug deep into why my liver panel was so off.  I found that you can damage your liver in a car accident with impact.  I had had impact on my liver and it had not felt good since hitting it and the bruise that my other Dr. had witnessed 5 weeks after the incident indicated that there may have been laceration to the liver.  In any case, I had damaged my liver and needed to figure out a way to heal it.

I knew I had 4 months before she wanted my blood work again so I had some time to do my research.

Through my school, and research, and also watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, I came to the conclusion that I needed to do a juice cleanse.  So off I went.

At the end of the 7 weeks, I did get my blood work done, as that was also the end of the 4 months.  My numbers went from 170 to 20!

At about week 5, I decided, as a result of my schooling and research, that I was going to go Raw Plant based eating through to July 1 and at that time I would re-evaluate again.  I got to July 1 and decided to go to December 31, 2013.  Then I decided to continue to the year mark, February 9, 2014.

And now today, February 10, 2014, is the first day of year 2.  I am going to continue this journey.  I have found many resources to help me and have several prep books for different meals.  ALL wonderful.  I have learned new ways of eating things and making them taste wonderful.  But most of all, my body continues to heal.  My body is stronger and has more energy than it did previously just to name a couple things.  In addition the frequency and intensity of my migraines have become so infrequent that that alone has been a blessing.

Now as a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach, I am able to help you on your journey.  We are all bio-individual and need to learn to listen to our bodies.  As your coach, I will help you and walk beside you in your journey.  For me right now that is Raw Plant Based eating, but that may not be your journey.  My goal is to help you REGENERATE your INNER HEALTH.  It is a Walk, not a run or sprint.

WalkToHealth(with)me.  Schedule your Holistic Health consultation and let's get you on your journey to health.  You can be healthy as you age.  Don't let age or ill health conquer you.  We can turn your body back around to health.  Don't wait until your health is in a critical state.  Given the right and healthy tools, your body can heal.