Blood Free

I am finally free of the blood after my stretching accident.  I am back to juicing.  I also have been drinking smoothies that I create for myself in my blender.  Before summer, I went to Value Village on senior day and found a brand new blender for 7 bucks and then I got 40 percent off.  It is the best blender I have ever used.  I especially like the blender container which is glass.

In juicing and making smoothies, there are several things those two ways of drinking one's meals have in common.  First, they  encourage raw fruits and vegetables and second, they encourage organic.  If one does not have the money for a juicer (I got mine off the Amazon for 44 bucks), then a blender does well.  I use both.  I like blenders because it is so much easier to clean and second, I get the entire fruit or vegetables and that contains fiber.  The juicer takes out the stuff one does not digest anyhow.  Still, I like both.  I have books that I have bought that have great recipes and hints.  I also get a lot of information and recipes off the Internet.  There is a lot of those sites for both juicing and blending(green smoothies).  I do recommend that one use the recipes because I have heard from others that when they try to make their own, they taste awful.  I have found that the tastes of both the juices and smoothies taste great. 

I have an exercise plan that I got from a physical therapist from the hospital where I go.  I am not doing it right now because of my recent injury.  I still find walking to be the best exercise and not boring.  I still don't incorporate exercises that well into my life activities.  

I get a lot of exercise from the trips I take with other seniors from the center.  It is all walking.  There is the Riders' Club that I take every month, but it is only once or twice a month.  The trips incorporate the public transportation system and Trimet gives us free tickets to participate in these trips.  After the activity that was planned, we often try different restaurants in the area.  All are low cost and for me, have a gluten free menu. The last trip I went on was this last Thursday.  It was a trip to the Portland Art Museum for a lecture and a tour of some exhibit.  Again, because of my age, there is no cost for any of it. Then we went to a terrific Asian restaurant that had daily specials for $6.95 and it could be ordered gluten free.  I had a meal with a side of rice.  It was a sauces with pineapple, tomatoes and other vegetables and some chicken.  It was very delicious.  

I journal every morning as part of my meditations.  I am reading THE ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron and it is useful in unlocking the creative energies which is in everyone.  She wrote that the morning pages are essential for getting a focus on where life is leading us.I have been doing it for years but it is helping me with the issues that have come up with my new eating plan. 

Writing is an adventure or it helps to put excitement in my explorations.  It is not for everyone, but it works for me.  I have been discouraged over the years in this but I have learned to disregard these "crazymakers" attempts to dissuade me from writing and examining my environment both the inner and outer worlds.  To be honest, age has given me the courage to ignore everyone unless it is something that I think will help me enjoy life more.  Lots of good things happen in my senior age and some not so good such as not having the ability to absorb minor incidents such as what happened to be a few days ago.  I like my age although I would not have had any choice anyhow since the alternative is something I would rather not do as yet.

Taking a Sick Day

The other day, I did some stretching and reaching that resulted in severe pain.  I had blood in my urine and stool which scared me.  So I took a day off today and already the kidney seems to be fine and the other source has less blood.  By this Monday, if it is not totally gone, I will make an appointment at the Women's Clinic. This has never happened and I feel fine otherwise.

I know what the problem is.  I forgot how old I am.  I was thinking, at least unconsciously, that I was still a young person who could do something a bit outrageous physically and then recover quickly.  I am in my late 60's and I should have had more sense.

I enjoyed the day sitting in bed and even drinking tea on a tray. I made some soup on the stove and ate it in bed on a bed tray.  I like to pretend there is someone who is doing all of this for me.  

I was told yesterday at the senior center that there is a study that shows there is arsenic in the rice supply.  I looked it up and it is true.  I also looked up the diseases arsenic causes. I found out that my Britta table top filtering system is rated 'D' in comparison to other filtering systems. I won't be buying those filters again.

The World Health Organization of the United Nations stated: 'Drinking water rich in arsenic over a long period leads to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis. Many waters contain some arsenic and excessive concentrations are known to naturally occur in some areas. The health effects are generally delayed and the most effective preventive measure is supply of drinking water low in arsenic concentration." Otherwise, stop drinking arsenic flavored water.  That is not always possible. 

I am including the quality of water because rice is grown in heavy amounts of water.  I began to see that it wasn't so much of a crisis of the safety of rice but of water in itself.

Diseases suspected to be caused or aggravated by Arsenic in drinking water by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Arsenic Rule Benefit Analysis, August 9, 2001

Lung cancer
Bladder cancer
Skin cancer
Prostate cancer
Kidney cancer
Nasal cancer
Liver cancer
Stillbirths
Postneonatal mortality
Ischemic heart disease (heart attack)
Diabetes mellitus
Nephritis (chronic inflammation of the kidneys)
Nephrosis (degenerative kidney diseases)
Hypertension
Hypertensive heart disease
Emphysema
Bronchitis
Chronic airway obstruction
Lymphoma (tumors in the lymph)
Black-foot disease
Developmental deficits

Arsenic is also suspected to contribute to various other cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological, peripheral vascular and endocrine diseases but as with the above symptoms, the epidemiological study of diseases caused by Arsenic poisoning is only in its infancy.
According to a news report April 19, 2001, a team of EPA scientists at EPA's Office of Research and Development laboratory in North Carolina have discovered a possible, direct link to DNA damage caused by arsenic compounds. The research demonstrates a human cell's own metabolic responses to arsenic exposure produce compounds that cause genetic damage.
A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report says the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has greatly underestimated the cancer risks of arsenic in drinking water, according to EPA officials, WaterTech online, 12 September 2001
Dr Azad of Hokkaido University in Japan has made the following classification of diseases caused by Arsenic in Bangladesh:
Initial Stage

Melanosis
Keratosis
Conjunctivitis
Bronchitis
Gastroenteritis

Second Stage Depigmentation

Hyperkeratosis
Non-pitting edema of legs
Peripheral nephropathy
Hepatopathy

Final stage Nephropathy

Hepatopathy
Gangrene
Cancer of skin, bladder and lung

(In Bangladesh, the majority of patients are still at initial and second stages according to Dr Azad.)
Dr Azad also mentions the following additional conditions caused by Arsenic in drinking water, as reported from other countries.

Bowen's disease
Basal cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Enlargement of liver
Jaundice
Cirrhosis
Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension
Hearing loss
Acrocyanosis
Raynaud's Phenomenon
Megablastosis
Goiter

All of the above data is from the website "The Arsenic Challenge" http://www.sustainablefuture.se/arsenic/diseases.html

I also found out that the area that I was raised in Southern California is one of the worst arsenic areas in the world.  I thought all of the really strong arsenic poisoning areas were in Third World Countries.   No wonder I have trouble with cancers over the years. Many of the governmental bodies as well as the United Nations all say that arsenic poison in the drinking water is a serious problem in many countries including the United States.

I did not have to watch any horror movies off Netflix while I was spending the day in  bed which is ironic since today is Stephen King's birthday.  The news was enough to cause straight horror and it was all true.  I spent some time sending copies of what I was finding out about water to Facebook and Twitter.

Well, I did find out that the water supply in Portland, Oregon is fine.  They will be adding fluoride soon which is another issue again.   Not all counties put the results of their water analysis on line.  Grants Pass, Oregon does not so who knows what is happening there. 

I am hoping I can get out of bed tomorrow and take out the trash.  I did not want to lift anything and carry it up the stairs today.  I also spent some time reading some murder mysteries.  I threw one in my give away book pile because it was so unbelievable, but if I had seen the issue of arsenic in rice and water in a murder mystery would I have discarded the book as too unbelievable?  Perhaps. 
    

More Surprises

Every since I started the juicing program, I have had surprises.  Currently, I now have softer skin.  Again, I was not expecting this and it is a nice especially for this senior citizen.  My energy level continues to grow.  I read the articles about the study that showed organic food is not healthier than regular food.  Well, Stanford is crazy.  Not having the pesticides and other chemicals in my body has done me wonders.

Sometimes, I get hungry and one juice that always turns off the hunger wars in my system is a few oranges and carrots, usually two or more.  I just go it by ear or taste buds.  If the orange is large then I use one.  If they are on the smallest side, I use two.  If I am a raging dragon of hunger, I use more too.  I use the same measurements for carrots.  It does the trick every time. 

Maybe, I am discovering the real reason for eating in the first place and that is to nurture my physical body.  I drank coffee because I felt a part of the human race.  I have been consuming the advertizing that goes with different foods.  I drank tea because it felt as if I was part of a British tea party.  I am a bit of a Anglophile so I felt comfortable with the mystique of a pot of tea.  I drank carbonated drinks such as Pepsi and Coke because I felt part of the younger crowd.  I was a member of the band, so to speak, of others around the nation and world.  I don't even watch television much and yet I had all of those advertisements in my mind.  To be honest, that sucks.

Organic produce is expensive, however when I went to the doctor yesterday, the nurse took my blood pressure only once.  Generally, when your blood pressure is a bit high, they take it again.  I usually have it taken more than once.  My blood sugar measured 99 in my last blood work.  I started having a level of 145 which classified me as a diabetic.  The last time it was measured, the level has been 110.  I tried to tell people at the hospital that I don't think I am a diabetic but to no avail. (Have you noticed that when you say anything to a medical provider, they automatically discount what you say.  The program, House, doesn't help when House says everyone lies.  I think no one believes you because it makes their job easier if everyone is put into little boxes of expectations-theirs not yours.)

I was not weighed and I am glad as I am no longer weighing myself in the morning or any other time.  I have been losing, but I get a little antsy if I don't show some loss everyday.

I have been making an effort to dress better than I have been doing in the past.  I used to wear sweat pants and a tee-shirt when I went out to places.  Now, I still wear them around the house, but I make an effort to be more attentive to my appearance when I go out.   I have doctors' appointments a few times a month and I go out on trips with the seniors.  I don't get to take all of the trips that are offered because they fill up quickly.  I missed going to see a lighthouse on the coast this month because it filled up before I could sign up.  I always get a lot of exercise when I go out with the seniors.  This month I am going to the Portland Art Museum and some sort of Spaghetti Factory. They always go by public transportation so I also learn how to use it.  There is no cost to the seniors on these trips except what we buy for lunch. 

My doctor does not approve of my juicing.  I think she did not know what juicing is all about.  She is a resident doctor who will be around for a short time.  I am hoping I get someone who is more knowledgeable next time.  I remember a time when none of my doctors knew anything about celiac disease.  Now, they do. In the meantime, I am continuing on my juicing adventure and fine tuning it as I go along.   

New Taste Buds

I am eating one meal a day although smaller than past meals.  I juice the rest of the time.  What I have been discovering is that I am able to create my own juices instead of depending on the recipes that are in several books on juicing.  They turned out surprisingly well.  I also discovered my taste buds and to depend on them to find new and novel ways of juicing.

The other day I went to Grocery Outlet and found coconut milk as well as almond milk for one third the price.  Both were gluten free as well as organic.  I have never drank neither one of these juices before.  I bought one each and took them home.  My first glass of coconut milk was surprisingly thick and creamy and this is a drink with only 45 calories a glass.  I thought it was a bit bland, so I added an envelope of stevia (made from the stevia leaf).  I had run out of sugar and bought stevia after looking at descriptions of it on line.  It seems pretty safe and is not created in a laboratory.  I tried another glass and it tasted like a vanilla shake.  Well, I went out today and bought some Naked Juice on sale.  I added a small portion of the Naked Juice, Berry Blast, and it was a raspberry shake.  I now know if I get too hungry, I can have a shake without breaking my juicing program.

For dinner, I bought an organic onion and coated with corn flour that I had left over and fried it in olive oil, again left over from my supplies.  It was wonderful, like onion rings and I have not eaten onion rings for many years because I cannot eat gluten.  I used the onion rings for a meal and cut up the entire onion.

I still have some gluten free pasta left in the pantry and will be cooking them up for my one meal starting tomorrow.  I had some tomato sauce in the larder and will be using that as well.What is amazing is that I am satisfied with the meals so far.  I am eating what I want to eat and not what seems to be a great meal.  I was driving around Portland today and drank a bottle of Naked Juice instead of eating and it tasted good. Naked Juice is an acceptable alternative to juicing when you can't juice.  There is no sugar added and it is relatively organic. 

I am loaded down with watermelon and oranges and they are terrific to juice.  It is a gourmet meal in a glass. They are all organic except one of the watermelons (I bought two of them).  If the skin is thick, it is possible to eat regular produce.  I am staying away from the cantelopes right now because of the salmonella scare. There is another threat with mangoes from Mexico.  I haven't figured out exactly where my mangoes are with the possible exception of some I bought in an organic market.  They issued a bulletin stating their mangoes are not from the farms listed on the governmental alert.

When I was overeating, I don't think I paid as much attention to the tastes as I do now.  All of the produce that I juice are mostly organic and raw.  There is plenty of taste.  I don't add any sweetener to the juice although some recipes recommend stivia.  I find that I don't need to.  The juice is better than anything I ever bought from the supermarket and a lot more healthier.  When I eat my one meal of the day, I savor it greatly.  What is ironic is I am not having any trouble with being hungry.  Whenever I am hungry, I juice or drink my coconut "shake".  I would never have predicted this.  Life really is an adventure.

Gradual Wind Down to Juice Fast

I did not think of the option to gradually get into the Juice Fast. I did it at first because I had a pantry full of food and did not want to waste it.  I am not going back to my prior way of eating, so the food that I had would not be used again.  What was at first a economical decision turned out to be the best for me.  I have written before of the panic I felt when I finally got rid of all of my meat.  Now, as other things are winding down, I don't feel the anxiety. 

When I am out and about the community, there is so much to eat here in Portland, Oregon that is gluten free in comparison to other places. I am surprised that I spend my time looking for something to eat that would fall within my juicing guidelines.  Yesterday, I was at the Grocery Outlet and looked for some juice to drink in small containers and found a V-8 juice blend that was also fizzy.  It was a combination of fruit and vegetables without added sugar and it was surprisingly good.  It also satisfied my hunger.  I also bought a large carton of coconut milk and almond milk.  I have never tried them before.  Later at home I had a glass of coconut milk.  It seemed rich but bland.  I put a packet of stevia in and it tasted like a Dairy Queen vanilla shake.  I bought the two milks because the price was about one third of the normal price.  Last night as I was going to bed, I discovered I was very hungry.  I can't sleep when I am hungry and had a glass of coconut milk and that did it.

I slept well last night and I am glad I also took my vitamin pills. I also attributed to being able to buy some organic produce at Grocery Outlet for a much smaller price than the other stores I go to.  Organic is expensive but worth it for me.  I think it means that I will live longer if I eat organic than if I don't.  I got some very good prices on watermelon which is very nice to juice and oranges.  When the skin is thick such as citrus fruit, it does not matter if the fruit is organic since the pesticides can not get through the skin.  It is different for other fruits as apples.  That is why it is a very good idea to buy organic apples and they are handy for juicing.  In juicing it is important to drink vegetables but they taste better if some fruit is added.  I drank a juice of some watermelon and carrots yesterday that was very tasty.  I liked one also that was just watermelon and one lime (peeled).

I had a dream that I recorded a few years ago that I would be staying at my aunt's house in Grants Pass, OR in order to get my health on line.  I stayed for a year.  I remember I asked my aunt if it would be alright if I stay at her house for this reason.  She said yes.  Now, I feel as if I am living that dream. When I look out of my home here in Portland, I think often of my time spent as a child in Grants Pass with my aunt and uncle.  I had a dream about going to Korea that turned out to be correct as well.  There have been plenty of dreams that I have that turned out to be correct.  My oldest son, calls this magical thinking.  I call it enjoying one's life and not questioning the spiritual gifts one gets from time to time.

I have lost seven pounds since the start of this which is not changing all that much.  I did not expect to lose anything until I do the fast itself.  What I did get in return is the ability to walk up and down stairs without pain.  I feel so much better and when I am down which happens, it is not bad as it used to be.  I am continuing to read and write which are joys to me,  I take trips to explore my surroundings with the seniors from a center not far from me.  I visited a Trappist Monastery the other day which was very interesting as I am a fan of the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton.  I have read several books and poems of his.  I read "The Seven Story Mountain" as a teenager.

To me, this has proved to be an exciting part of my life.  Portland is a lot of fun from riding the sky tram from the VA Hospital to listening to music concerts in the many farmers' markets around the city.  It is very beautiful here too.  I am getting up in years, so I was astonished that the adventure continues.