GAPS, Paleo, Vegan, Raw... (merging blogs) Original post 3/27/13

In my life time, I've been vegan (10 years from late teens to late twenties), I've been "100% Raw" for 17 days, 98% GAPS for 10 months and "paleo"..

Here's what I've discovered, being 100% vegan using tofu and gluten as fillers for the meat replacement, lots of legumes and grains is not good for me. I can't say if it's true for anyone and everyone, but for me it was sheer disaster and was a key source of many ailments and illness in my life. I will not and would not recommend being 100% vegan to anyone for any reason. Morally or otherwise.

When I was 100% raw for 17 days I included raw eggs and raw milk (from trusted, reliable sources) in that diet but only about 5% the rest of my diet was green smoothies (kale,spinach, other greens mixed with either raw fruit or raw veggies), raw soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds (mostly walnuts, some almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, chia seeds) and lots of big green salads with lemon juice and lots of avocado. I had more energy, more clarity, more vision, more peace, more calm, less need to sleep, less need to "be right", less need to do do do to get it all done. But I also became very "ungrounded" and started to "pick up" a lot of outside energy, I don't necessarily mean negative energy. I have always been naturally intuitive - well, intuition, empathy, ok I'll just say it - psychic phenomenon was on strong. I don't think it is fully sustainable to live that way and also function in the world of parenting, planet earth, healing others, dramatic arts, marriage, work and the like. In those 17 days however, I believe I felt the best I've ever felt in this body.

Over the last couple of years I've been going through what I now term as a "Healing Crisis". I had been violently sick since moving to Austin, TX in October 2006. I would have excessive and severe coughing attacks (later would lead to double hernia that caused great pain) that would lead to convulsive/spasmatic vomiting. I went from a size 6 to a size 0 in weeks. This would last for months. I found out later it was "allergies". Cedar, mold, ragweed...I sure never had allergies before moving to Austin. Meanwhile, for 6 more years I would go through this horrific process of debilitating illness. Each time getting worse. Temperatures at 104.2 - I am NOT kidding (I saw the thermometer myself) and yes I can attest the result of that high temperature is very dangerous in an adult and causes hallucination and convulsions and well, probably some brain damage in my case as well. Good thing I believe in healing powers of the body.

By the time I gained enough courage to take some drastic measures to change my life, I had experienced deep depression, severe insomnia, excessive hair loss, abfractions and extreme tooth deterioration, confusion, arthritic pain in my joints, blurred vision, near 100% bed rest for close to a month - there were days I couldn't crawl to the bathroom, umbilical and hiatal hernia, lumbar pneumonia, severe weight loss 5'10" woman at 140 down to 114 pounds in a very short period of time. (Sadly my friends and family actually believed I was anorexic - a disappointment as I really can't imagine anyone deliberately suffering in this manner - and why in the world would they think that about me when I adore food and good health is my leading value - oh well - note to clear this with EFT). I somehow maintained functioning on I'd say a level 2 of 10 across the board and remain alive because I refused to give up for my beloved sons. I will always be grateful to those beautiful beings...

Ok, the point of this... last March after I had broken my right forearm (ouch!), had two root canal-ed front teeth completely removed, (a tragedy from the time I was 8 years old) that were holding significant infection and metal toxins (GROSS! and double OUCH)  I left Austin - for good!  I (we) spent some time in AZ. I confronted icky, puky, scary, creepy "ghosts" from childhood and moved along. By May we were in the great NW and we started the GAPS diet. I started with the introduction - bone broth and LOTS of it!  Oh boy I thought it was hard at first but I did it. I made bone broth in Motel 6's up the Western US right out of my crock pot. Trusty thing it is! So for the next 10 months I proceeded to go from a bag of bones size 0-2 all the way to a svelte curvy size 10 and I  haven't been sick a single day! Depression is down to about a 2 out of a 10+ and that's only occasionally now as I've been gaining so many skills to handle this. Skills I can't wait to share here!

This paleo thing seems to be all the rage and my 30 day meal plan I created from my GAPS lifestyle could look pretty much "paleo". Although in paleo they forego the fermented anything as well as butter and kefir. Although I've chucked the dairy for now to check for intolerance in my boys, I miss it.

So here's the point of all this really - I believe each of us is unique and different. I believe there is a season for each of us. I definitely know there isn't 1 right answer for everyone everywhere. I wonder if we don't just want that one for all answer so we can just not think about it or "let someone else deal with it" as my husband says. The fact is, we must all be responsible for our own health. You know, every time I went to a doctor whether allopathic, naturpathic, holistic or otherwise I had completely different answers - on the same set of symptoms. I believe we have lost touch with our own sense and our connection to our own bodies, our own rhythms and that may be part of the reason we have so many illnesses. I know so much more now after going through these last few years. I'm eternally grateful for the experience and hope I may share what I can with others seeking.

One thing I will say as a blanket statement for everyone and anyone: foregoing any and all processed, manufactured, altered "food" is the best way to go.

Peace and Blessings,
XOXO