Reboot
Lately, I've been thinking about rebooting my life. I'd love to reboot my house-- I thought I was doing that when I moved, but it turned out that I merely moved the mess and clutter from one house to the next-- there was no real clean slate.
If I could get it down to a clean, organized home-- no clutter lurking in some out of sight room, or stuffed unceremoniously in the attic, then I think I could progress in that vein. As it stands, I am drowning in my own home, and have virtually no safe places to set down the baby and let her roam and explore. I am trying to overcome it one step at a time, but at these levels it is impossible on my own. I hate it. I need a reboot.
I've decided to try PartyLite again, since I made money last time, but not as much as I think I could and this time I am coming at it with greater determination, and the the knowledge that we need my paycheck. So, Business Reboot.
Similarly, I need a health reboot. Since I had the baby, I have gained 20 lbs. Apparently, the sweet tooth I developed in my last trimester decided to move in and set up housekeeping. It's my biggest area of weakness, and so difficult to overcome. I am dealing with hypothyroidism to begin with so weight is going to be a struggle, but daily sabotaging myself with pecan sticky buns is hardly helpful.
I met with my chiropractor yesterday, because my desire to become healthy has reached desperation levels, and he's running a Biggest Loser Challenge right now. Unfortunately, the system he's working with is all powdered pre-mixed shakes and foods-- completely antithetical to my food philosophy. He sent me home with samples, and I tried the shake and couldn't even finish it-- I got an instant headache from the artificial sweeteners. Matt can't use the system period because we know that those things trigger his seizures.
Last night I started looking for a whole foods/traditional approach to health and weight loss. It's very difficult to find, since the prevailing winds of conventional food wisdom today is all "lowfat, high carb" and just WRONG, but I finally stumbled on something through one of my traditional foods forums.
It's called the Milk Diet, not to be confused with the milk diet which the Dairy Council promotes, advising to add 3 glasses of milk to one's daily intake. That's not a milk diet, by the way, that's just a marketing ploy to sell more pasteurized, homogenized, skim crap.
But I digress.
The Milk Cure, as it is also known, is a pretty old treatment. One could say it goes back to Hippocrates, who used wholesome whole real milk to treat all manner of disease. A little over a hundred years ago, milk became the basis of a detox treatment which essentially seems to reboot one's health.
The process is simple enough; drink 4-6 quarts of raw milk daily for 3 to 4 weeks. Just milk. It's more like a milk fast than a milk diet, but the idea is that when one is sick or in poor health, one should treat one's body like an infant to rebuild strength. And what do babies drink? Yep, milk.
This radical treatment was used on some very sick people to astounding results. One case I found particularly interesting was a woman who went from 325 lbs to 284 after just 2 weeks on the treatment. Granted, this is not a weightloss program, per se. But it does address underlying issues that are at the root of the weight issue, such as hormonal imbalances, and ... sticky bun consumption. ahem
Anyway, I'm starting on the regimen today. I am working my way through a gallon and half of sweet milk and kefir. Apparently, clabbered or fermented milk is best over the long haul for the digestion-- otherwise, enemas are recommended and let's just say, Homey don't play that.
But here's the plan:
4-6 quarts of milk/kefir per day for the next 4 weeks. The recommendation is to drink it at room temperature or warmer, and since it's raw, I don't have to worry about it going bad (only pasteurized milk spoils, raw milk merely sours, which actually makes it more nutritious, believe it or not.) I should drink 6-8 oz every half hour for twelve hours (or during my waking hours.) I'm not good at the regimented thing, so I think I'm just going to have a glass constantly at hand to sip on.
Gulping down big tall glasses of ice cold milk is not recommended, unless you want some massive stomach crampage. Been there, done that. Nor is having three "meals" of milk-- the idea is to slowly let a constant supply of milk be working in your system throughout the day.
Take it easy for the next 4 weeks. This treatment was actually used on invalids, and therefore bedrest was not only recommended, it was assumed. From other folks who have made a go of it, I've learned that it is best not to attempt a lot of physical activity. Since I'm primarily sedentary anyway, I really shouldn't have any problem there.
What I expect to change:
Skin. One of the reports I read over and over again is a general clearing of the skin and restoration of elasticity, color and glow. That should be nice.
Allergies Since switching to raw milk 2 years ago, I have noticed a profound change in my propensity towards illness. I used to always be sick, now rarely. I had sinus surgery twice, and used to suffer from chronic bronchitis, strep throat, pneumonia, etc. Now, the most I get is a mild cold. But my allergies still flare up more than I like.
Thyroid In all my readings, hypothyroidism is listed as one of the ailments for which this treatment is applied. If my thyroid can be healed, this will have a profound affect on my metabolism, and thereby my weight, not to mention my energy levels, depression, hair loss, and all the other things that get screwed up when that little organ is out of whack. I anticipate a cascade effect once that is put to rights.
Anemia I've been anemic for almost my entire adult life. This is another thing that the milk cure is supposed to address, due the fact that, though low, the iron content of milk is completely bioavailable, and therefore, will be thoroughly assimilated to my system.
What I hope to change:
Breast milk quality/supply I have no anecdotal reasons to expect this, I'm just hoping that by improving my nutrition, cutting out the junk, and correcting potential underlying issues, my milk will be of greater benefit to Ella. I don't see why it shouldn't.
Improved health in Ella She's very healthy as it is, but she does have a spot of eczema in her diaper area, stays pretty constipated, and tends to get allergies/colds. I'd like to see all of that clear up
Weight loss While I'm hoping that correcting my thyroid issues will result in such, I am keen to see if the treatment will have this side effect in general.
Alleviate ADD, bipolar etc symptoms The milk cure is primarily a detox in which you are essentially giving yourself a blood transfusion-- milk being almost the same in it's properties as blood. This total reboot that I am going for will, I hope, have a profound effect on my brain chemistry as much as anything else. I have been dealing with the spiritual/psychological aspects of these disorders, but I also need to address the physical roots to my problems as well. I would love to see myself more focused, balanced and stable.
So, for the next four weeks, I intend to keep track of my progress and any and all changes that take place. In the interest of total transparency, I'll go ahead and track my weight here. Last week, my weight stood at 284 lbs. I'll weigh myself today at the chiropractor's so I have a solid baseline to work from. I'll post on changes/improvements/side effects/oddities as I notice them.
Here we go!
If I could get it down to a clean, organized home-- no clutter lurking in some out of sight room, or stuffed unceremoniously in the attic, then I think I could progress in that vein. As it stands, I am drowning in my own home, and have virtually no safe places to set down the baby and let her roam and explore. I am trying to overcome it one step at a time, but at these levels it is impossible on my own. I hate it. I need a reboot.
I've decided to try PartyLite again, since I made money last time, but not as much as I think I could and this time I am coming at it with greater determination, and the the knowledge that we need my paycheck. So, Business Reboot.
Similarly, I need a health reboot. Since I had the baby, I have gained 20 lbs. Apparently, the sweet tooth I developed in my last trimester decided to move in and set up housekeeping. It's my biggest area of weakness, and so difficult to overcome. I am dealing with hypothyroidism to begin with so weight is going to be a struggle, but daily sabotaging myself with pecan sticky buns is hardly helpful.
I met with my chiropractor yesterday, because my desire to become healthy has reached desperation levels, and he's running a Biggest Loser Challenge right now. Unfortunately, the system he's working with is all powdered pre-mixed shakes and foods-- completely antithetical to my food philosophy. He sent me home with samples, and I tried the shake and couldn't even finish it-- I got an instant headache from the artificial sweeteners. Matt can't use the system period because we know that those things trigger his seizures.
Last night I started looking for a whole foods/traditional approach to health and weight loss. It's very difficult to find, since the prevailing winds of conventional food wisdom today is all "lowfat, high carb" and just WRONG, but I finally stumbled on something through one of my traditional foods forums.
It's called the Milk Diet, not to be confused with the milk diet which the Dairy Council promotes, advising to add 3 glasses of milk to one's daily intake. That's not a milk diet, by the way, that's just a marketing ploy to sell more pasteurized, homogenized, skim crap.
But I digress.
The Milk Cure, as it is also known, is a pretty old treatment. One could say it goes back to Hippocrates, who used wholesome whole real milk to treat all manner of disease. A little over a hundred years ago, milk became the basis of a detox treatment which essentially seems to reboot one's health.
The process is simple enough; drink 4-6 quarts of raw milk daily for 3 to 4 weeks. Just milk. It's more like a milk fast than a milk diet, but the idea is that when one is sick or in poor health, one should treat one's body like an infant to rebuild strength. And what do babies drink? Yep, milk.
This radical treatment was used on some very sick people to astounding results. One case I found particularly interesting was a woman who went from 325 lbs to 284 after just 2 weeks on the treatment. Granted, this is not a weightloss program, per se. But it does address underlying issues that are at the root of the weight issue, such as hormonal imbalances, and ... sticky bun consumption. ahem
Anyway, I'm starting on the regimen today. I am working my way through a gallon and half of sweet milk and kefir. Apparently, clabbered or fermented milk is best over the long haul for the digestion-- otherwise, enemas are recommended and let's just say, Homey don't play that.
But here's the plan:
4-6 quarts of milk/kefir per day for the next 4 weeks. The recommendation is to drink it at room temperature or warmer, and since it's raw, I don't have to worry about it going bad (only pasteurized milk spoils, raw milk merely sours, which actually makes it more nutritious, believe it or not.) I should drink 6-8 oz every half hour for twelve hours (or during my waking hours.) I'm not good at the regimented thing, so I think I'm just going to have a glass constantly at hand to sip on.
Gulping down big tall glasses of ice cold milk is not recommended, unless you want some massive stomach crampage. Been there, done that. Nor is having three "meals" of milk-- the idea is to slowly let a constant supply of milk be working in your system throughout the day.
Take it easy for the next 4 weeks. This treatment was actually used on invalids, and therefore bedrest was not only recommended, it was assumed. From other folks who have made a go of it, I've learned that it is best not to attempt a lot of physical activity. Since I'm primarily sedentary anyway, I really shouldn't have any problem there.
What I expect to change:
Skin. One of the reports I read over and over again is a general clearing of the skin and restoration of elasticity, color and glow. That should be nice.
Allergies Since switching to raw milk 2 years ago, I have noticed a profound change in my propensity towards illness. I used to always be sick, now rarely. I had sinus surgery twice, and used to suffer from chronic bronchitis, strep throat, pneumonia, etc. Now, the most I get is a mild cold. But my allergies still flare up more than I like.
Thyroid In all my readings, hypothyroidism is listed as one of the ailments for which this treatment is applied. If my thyroid can be healed, this will have a profound affect on my metabolism, and thereby my weight, not to mention my energy levels, depression, hair loss, and all the other things that get screwed up when that little organ is out of whack. I anticipate a cascade effect once that is put to rights.
Anemia I've been anemic for almost my entire adult life. This is another thing that the milk cure is supposed to address, due the fact that, though low, the iron content of milk is completely bioavailable, and therefore, will be thoroughly assimilated to my system.
What I hope to change:
Breast milk quality/supply I have no anecdotal reasons to expect this, I'm just hoping that by improving my nutrition, cutting out the junk, and correcting potential underlying issues, my milk will be of greater benefit to Ella. I don't see why it shouldn't.
Improved health in Ella She's very healthy as it is, but she does have a spot of eczema in her diaper area, stays pretty constipated, and tends to get allergies/colds. I'd like to see all of that clear up
Weight loss While I'm hoping that correcting my thyroid issues will result in such, I am keen to see if the treatment will have this side effect in general.
Alleviate ADD, bipolar etc symptoms The milk cure is primarily a detox in which you are essentially giving yourself a blood transfusion-- milk being almost the same in it's properties as blood. This total reboot that I am going for will, I hope, have a profound effect on my brain chemistry as much as anything else. I have been dealing with the spiritual/psychological aspects of these disorders, but I also need to address the physical roots to my problems as well. I would love to see myself more focused, balanced and stable.
So, for the next four weeks, I intend to keep track of my progress and any and all changes that take place. In the interest of total transparency, I'll go ahead and track my weight here. Last week, my weight stood at 284 lbs. I'll weigh myself today at the chiropractor's so I have a solid baseline to work from. I'll post on changes/improvements/side effects/oddities as I notice them.
Here we go!