8/9/14
Since I was nine years old, I have been suffering from severe stomach pain that includes bouts of diarrhea and instances of throwing up. This would go on every single day and all day for years, twelve years to be exact. I went to numerous doctors, and several tests were done. I was scoped, had an x-ray, a blood test, an ultrasound, and a test for allergies. Each test came up negative, and the doctors started to think I was making everything up, which was extremely frustrating. How can someone, who didn't know me at all, insist that it was all in my head and that I needed counseling? I sure showed her though when I had to run out of the room and destroy the toilet next-door. I even showed it to her and was like 'do you believe me now?' The pain was so agonizing most days where I wanted to die, and this lazy lame excuse for a doctor accused me of faking it to get out of school. Obviously, I ditched her after that.
One day, the relatives on my mother's side got in touch and suggested that I take out dairy and gluten from my diet since Lactose Intolerance and Celiacs Disease ran in the family. I was tested for Celiacs, but apparently, the tests aren't very reliable. So, I cut dairy and gluten from my diet, and for a month or two, the pain and diarrhea decreased but only by 40%. After that, the pain came back like nothing happened. I missed over 50 days of high school, and during my first two years of college I missed even more classes. My grades suffered greatly, and none of my teachers would give me a break. They all thought it was an excuse to ditch class. In addition, I was over weight, and I have been for most of my life. During my freshman year of college, I gained 30 more pounds. I was 176lbs and very unhappy. My third year of college is when I started dieting. I had cut out gluten, dairy, salt, fried and greasy foods, junk food, soda, and any drink that wasn't water or tea. My calories were limited to only 1200 kcal. I also exercised four times a week. It worked for a few month where I lost 25lbs, but eventually I hit a plateau and couldn't lose anymore weight. I still wasn't happy. I was hungry all the time, and my stomach pain was still there.
I eventually got sick of it and started looking for other ways to lose weight. One day, I stumbled upon one of Doctor Oz's videos about Green Coffee Bean extract pills where you could eat as much as you want and still lose weight, so I tried it out. It was one of the worst decisions that I have ever made. A week on the pills I began having chest pains and the shakes real bad. Then, one mourning, I couldn't breathe and was rushed to the hospital. It was apparent that the pills caused this, so I stopped taking them, and almost a year I still get the shakes when I try to sleep. It was the most horrifying experience that I have ever been through. I learned my lesson. There is no magic weight-loss pill. Don't do it. It will mess you up. Also, Dr. Oz is a liar who is just looking for ways to get money.
Just recently, while searching for a good weight-loss diet on YouTube, I stumbled upon Freelee The Banana Girl's channel. In her videos she explains how you can get a slim and healthy body from a high carb low fat raw vegan diet. Of course I thought it was crazy at first because in her diet, there is no consumption of any animal products. Eggs and chicken was something I ate pretty much every day, and I thought there was no way that I could live without it. But, the one thing that really made me change my ways was her IBS (irritable bowl syndrome) video. After watching it, everything clicked. Now, everything started to make sense. Animal products were never meant to be consumed by humans that's why people face so many problems such as diabetes, cancer, IBS, etc. It finally made sense, and I felt like I found the way. I can finally eat as much as I want without any pain.
Immediately, I jumped into this lifestyle. The first day I felt a little sick, but that is because I had eaten four eggs for breakfast, a tuna wrap for lunch, and a half a chicken with hot sauce for dinner the previous day. Freelee had explained in one of her videos that this was a common side affect that could last a week or so. Since I had IBS, my body was able to clean itself out and prepare for the next day, so I felt better on the second day. Every day after that I continued with the diet without any slip-ups. I started this diet/new lifestyle on July 12, 2014,and it is now August 8. It has been four weeks now, and I have noticed many things positive and negative:
1.) I haven't had any stomach pain or diarrhea since the first day,
2.) I have a ton of energy, where I actually feel like exercising,
3.) I am not hungry,
4.) My mood has improved,
5.) I am losing weight,
6.) My hair is growing wicked fast,
7.) My seasonal allergies have diminished,
8.) I have to pee every 10-20 minutes during the day,
9.) My face broke out pretty bad during the first week
In this lifestyle, exercise is very important, and I exercise 3-4 times a week, usually Monday-Wednesday and Saturday since those are the only days that I am not working as a cashier standing for 4-5 hours. Since I still live at home, my dad buys all the food. At first, he thought I was crazy for wanting all of this fruit, but when I ate it all he stopped complaining (about money anyway). And, in the grocery store, people make rude comments. Their comments can't deter me though because I finally found a way to be healthy and feel great.
The majority of my family does not agree with what I am doing. They keep insisting that I don't get enough protein, which is bull because believe it or not fruit has protein. Plus, I eat a lot of home cooked pinto beans. I have explained this to them many times, but they refuse to listen. Another thing they keep annoying me with is the amount of bananas I eat because of potassium levels. I eat no more than 10 bananas a day, and in order to overdose on potassium I would have to consume 400 bananas in 30 seconds. For me, that would be impossible.
Meanwhile, on one side of my family (who are diabetic and overweight), thinks that they are perfect and what I am doing is unnatural. They also think I am going against God and will go to hell. I just laugh when I hear that because I know God's creatures are sacred and aren't meant to be slaughtered for personal gain. They are ridiculous people indeed. These people find any reason they can so they can judge you. I am kind of glad that I don't follow "their version" of the catholic religion. I live by my own philosophy, mostly influenced by Buddhism.
All I can say is if you found this lifestyle like me and so many other people, don't listen to all of the haters. It may be difficult at times, but just remember, you are doing this for you to live healthier lives.
More About The Lifestyle I Follow
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| My banana smoothie. Contains 10 bananas, 3 cups of water, 2.5 tbsp. of vanilla drops, and 1 teaspoon of grounded cinnamon. |
* I am specifically following the "Raw Till 4" vegan diet, where you eat completely raw until 4pm. For me, I eat fruit all day until 4pm, where I eat cooked whole foods such as potatoes, rice, and beans.
-> I never eat more cooked foods than raw foods.
-> Once I eat the cooked meals, I don't have any fruit afterwards because it doesn't combined well in your stomach.
* Sodium and oil are kept low. I don't exceed 800mg of sodium per day. I usually keep in around 500-600mg.
* I chug water throughout the day. I drink 2-4 cups of water before and after all meals. More water is consumed during cooked meals.
* I exercise between 15-30 minutes three days a week.
* For breakfast, I either have some type of melon or a 6-10 banana smoothie.
* Lunch consists of either salad, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, or apples.
* Dinner consists of either rice, potatoes, or pinto beans.
* I try to leave in a day or two of completely raw meals to keep the bowels clean.
My Typical Grocery List
* 1 box of mangoes (15-20)
* 50-70 Bananas (depending on how ripe they are and if the mangoes are good)
* 1 pound of strawberries
* 2 pounds of blueberries
* 1 watermelon
* 1-2 cantaloupes
* 1 pound of kiwis
* 1 pound of dates
* 1 bag of pinto beans
* 8-10 yams
* 6 large bell sweat peppers
* 1 bag of spinach
* 1 bag of gluten free tortilla wraps
* 2 cans of low sodium pizza sauce
* 1 box of brown rice
* 1 bottle of vanilla drops/extract
(Things will change since different fruits grow during certain seasons)
Thank you Freelee for showing me this lifestyle. I really owe you my life. Keep posting your amazing videos and educating the public!!!! Also, please subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Great videos to watch:
October 11, 2014
So, it has been about two months since my last post. Diet-wise, nothing has really changed. I still have my banana smoothie for breakfast. For lunch, I usually eat huge salads now because mangoes are out of season. My apple tree finally produced ripe apples, and I did get a ton off of it. The rest are given to the wild animals or added to my compost heap behind the fence.
I did learn a few new recipes. I learned how to make vegetable rolls, guacamole, and banana bread.
For vegetable rolls, you need to make sticky rice, nori paper, and finely chopped vegetables.
Recipe for sticky rice: http://www.tablespoon.com/posts/how-to-make-sticky-rice-at-home/8109b0e4-ac06-4a0a-aa7f-50d5bcfe3cb9 (I used the steaming method because it was easy).
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| Sweet Potato Rolls |
If you follow the directions on this site, it's easy to make the rolls: http://makemysushi.com/How-to-make-sushi/maki-roll.html. Also, with these instructions, you can put whatever you want inside them.
Recipe for guacamole: http://m.californiaavocado.com/m/recipe/31469/?platform=mobile
Recipe for banana bread:
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| Vegan/Gluten-Free Banana Bread |
For this one, I use rice flower because I am allergic to gluten, and vanilla almond milk. It just tastes amazing that way.
During this time, I did a lot of reflecting. I have been trying my hardest to stay in tune with nature and other people. My goal is to become more selfless, think of ways in which I can help others, and act on it. I have also been able to change my way of thinking. I used to feel like "the victim" all of the time, but now I feel like it isn't about me. That old mentality kept me in a bad mood 99% of the time, and I realized that's not how to live. Now, I am even happier, and I am able to thrive. The most important thing is to be grateful and appreciate all the things you have in life because most people don't have the basic necessities. Be happy for what you have.
October 13, 2014
While searching for new people to follow on YouTube, I found three people that I really like: izzy .davis, Simply Vegan, and Rice And Raw. I really love their attitudes about life, and I think they are really worth following. These guys are also vegans, and I love seeing them spread the vegan message with their own methods. They also share some really awesome recipes.
One recipe that I really like is Izzy's guacamole recipe. It's so delicious. In addition, I find her combination of collard greens/veggies/guacamole salad combination amazing. It is my favorite thing to eat now. I literally ate a whole bag of spinach in one sitting today by just combining that with veggies and guacamole. I can finally say goodbye to the massive sodium dressings now because I don't need them anymore. I have guacamole! Whoo hoo!
10/31/14 - 11/2/14
10/31/14: Halloween is the time where most people gorge on candy, and they will continue to do so until their left over candy is gone. For some people it will take a few months. For others that might take only a week. Halloween is my favorite time of the year because you can dress up and be whom ever you want. The candy part isn't so bad either. Well, it used to not be so bad. July is when I started my vegan diet, and I wanted to continue strong. I wasn't going to let candy control me.
I was going strong for the entire day until my parents brought out the candy around 7pm. I failed within five minutes of seeing that candy. It was impossible for me to resist the skittles. They are my favorite candy. I ripped open three miniature bags and shoved them in my mouth without a care. After they were completely eaten, that's when I felt the guilt. I had failed. Reluctantly, I straightened out one of the wrappers and checked the ingredients. Everything on there seemed to be okay. It was just sugar, and it was gluten free. But then, I saw that they contained all these different types of dye and remembered that red dyes are made from beetles. So, yeah, I really did fail.
I realized that there is no reason to hang on my mistakes. I am human, so I'm bound to screw up once in a while. A few bags of skittles isn't going to kill me. All I need to do next time is resist harder, and get back on track. And, one method is to separate myself from the candy--put it some place where I cannot get to it like in high places since I am short, and because I am a lazy person, I won't attempt to get it. So, I gave it to my mother and brother. My brother constantly locks his door, and the key is always placed somewhere high. Problem solved. As for my mom, she just puts it on my dad's dresser which is so tall that I would need a chair to stand on top of to get it. No thank you.
This probably sounds childish to some people, but when it comes to skittles, I can't help myself. It's horrible. I know.
11/1/14: Saturday, I was able to get up and eat a 6 banana smoothie. My stomach felt yucky, and it was probably due to those stupid skittles. I still craved them too. I really hated that. It was hard to eat anything during the rest of the day because of how much my stomach hurt. Well, I guess it is good that I learned my lesson now instead of on Monday when I have school. Somehow, I managed to get four papers done for school in 9 hours and 50 minutes. Not bad if I say so myself.
11/2/14: Today started out great. I woke up, and ate a 10 banana smoothie, and didn't crave any skittles. This was probably because I received enough carbs for the time being. On Friday, I don't think I had enough carbs, which is why I reached for the skittles. I wasn't able to eat the 10 banana smoothie for breakfast like I usually do because I was in a rush to get to school. I accidentally spent too much time preparing my Halloween outfit for the day, and I wanted to get there early to study for my cultural geography test.
But, anyway, that was the cause now that I look back. If I don't eat enough carbs, I will look for other shortcuts to get the sugar I need like vegan breakfast bars, which are not the best thing because they are very fatty and are not made out of simple foods. Also, they are not very good for you. And, obviously, skittles are not an adequate source for energy because it will quickly burn out. Bananas keep me going strong all day.
Around 3pm I went grocery shopping with my dad, and let me tell you how frustrating it was. I know what I want, and I tell him. Usually, it is not a problem, but today it was for some reason. All I wanted was a thick vegan soup, but no, I wasn't allowed to get it because he just assumed that I wouldn't like it. I haven't even tried it yet, and I only picked one. Or the freaking sweet potatoes, I just wanted three of them to hold me over for the week; but, no. they were 30 cents more that what we usually get, and I offered to pay. Then, he just yelled at me and acted like I was stupid.
As we get to the car to load up our stuff, he starts yelling at me, saying how I can't live on this lifestyle for the rest of my life. Yeah...Um... I'm 21 years old and can do whatever the hell I want. It has been about five months and except for the skittles thing on Halloween, I haven't completely failed, and I am not going to because I know if I do I will go back to severe stomach issues, bad mental health, and just overall bad health. No thank you. I plan to be healthy and live a strong life for a very long time.
November - January 15, 2015
During the entire month of November, everything was great. I learned how to cook several different new recipes from my new cook book. This book is amazing and has every thing in it. If you think of it, it's in the book. My favorite recipes are the different soups. If you are vegan and just starting out, I definitely recommend this book. Even if you are not new, I still recommend it.
Going to my relative's party was very frustrating. There was over 50 people there, and the only food I could eat was the vegetable appetizer platter and the small salad. Because there were so many people there, I wasn't allowed to eat as much as I want. I couldn't eat half. Same goes for the salad. I even brought a bunch of bananas just in case there wasn't enough food, but I pretty much ate them in 10 minutes while all of my relatives questioned me, asking me what was wrong with me. My one aunt tried convincing me that I was poisoning myself because "I was eating too much potassium." My favorite thing she said was "If you keep eating all of that sugar, you are going to get diabetes." They made me feel like shit for eating the way I do, making it seem like I have a choice. But, I know as soon as I eat an animal product, I get very sick with severe stomach pains and have diarrhea, and vomit. Why would I want to suffer through that? I don't which is why I suffer through the criticism instead. Because I was so hungry, I became a raging bitch. It's what happens when I'm hungry. I know I'm not the only one who has a behavior change in that type of situation. And, it is not like I could go home to eat and come back. I live in Reading, PA; this party was somewhere in, NJ, a 2.5 hour drive. If I did have the option to leave, I definitely would not have come back because my relatives were so rude.
Thanks Giving was very interesting because this year it was at my house. My aunt and uncle were giving my parents "the look," basically the look of "what is wrong with her?" and "this isn't normal." I pretended not to notice. But, it was all because all I ate was "my" mashed potatoes and pretty much most of the green beans. Before they came over, I had made a Thai stir fry because I was not going to eat the Turkey or the stuffing. By this time, my parents had become more understanding and less critical, thankfully.
Christmas was pretty smooth. I ate what I wanted while my family ate their Christmas ham. I was feeling a little sick, but that was because I had gotten my Depo shot on December 22, 2014. From that day to January 8, 2015, I felt so sick. Everything I ate made me feel sick to my stomach, and even when I didn't eat I felt the same way. I had no energy and slept most of the day. I was completely miserable. I never had that reaction before, so I thought it was weird. After I did some research, I read some of the side effects. What was happening to me one of them. I also learned that this type of birth control makes it extremely difficult to lose weight and messes up your thyroid. I came to the conclusion that I did not need this medication anymore. I originally took it to stop my stomach aches and bad cramping, and before this diet, the stomach aches never went away. The severe cramps went away completely, so I know if I stop getting the shots, they will probably come back. I'm just hoping that with this diet, they won't be as bad.
Lately, I haven't been following RawTill4 most days because good fruit during this time of year is extremely hard to find. My only options are oranges, dates, and bananas. A lot of the time, the bananas aren't as good. I found that eating a lot of raw food has been making my stomach acidic and is very painful, so I am going easy on the raw food. I still have a banana or fruit smoothie for breakfast, and everything after that is cooked. I have been sticking to more simple foods like rice and potatoes to keep the acid low. So far, it has been working.
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