I’ve been dealing with an unsettled stomach and very little comin’ out
for a couple of days now. This worries me – I’m eating a ton of fiber.
What’s going on? Sigh.

Yesterday I exercised for the first time since starting this. I went to
water aerobics and my knees hated me, but I felt great otherwise. I went
again this morning and it was wonderful. Guess I’m back to exercising.
I weighed myself on the 2 different scales and both say I’ve lost 3
more pounds. This is incredible.

I’m frustrated. I often feel like I have a ton of stomach acid, and
bread would help calm it down. Buckwheat bread does nothing for that.
Right now I don’t want to eat breakfast due to nausea. Sigh.

Today is exactly one month ago that I had my gallstone attack. That was
the point where I realized I simply could not go on the way I had been
eating and living. Today is also exactly two weeks ago when I began
Phase I of this Ultrametabolism program (www.ultrametabolism.com). It’s
been an amazing journey thus far.

At first, I was in bed, miserable. I was in a lot of pain, missing food.
I missed my chocolate fudge PopTarts, my egg rolls, my cheese, my M&Ms,
and a whole bunch of other food. I forced myself to eat a little bit
every day because I knew if I didn’t eat, I’d die. But food scared me. I
felt like it was slowly killing me and making me miserable in the
process. I didn’t know just what to do. Bread was a big help. Mom
started to make soup with no meat or any added fat, and I had a couple
of small bowls a day. I eventually added a PopTart or two a day because
the sugar helped settle my stomach. I was also able to enjoy some fresh
Parmesan cheese on my soup without pain, but I was still afraid of
food.

When Mom announced her plan to go on this detox, I reviewed the list and
realized I was eating so little and mostly the soup, I wasn’t enjoying
food. This plan would be much more painless as a result. And it had so
many of the “ingredients” needed to optimize my health, which was what I
desperately needed. Why not???

We decided to cut the weaning phase to 2 days, because I had already
been eating mostly what was allowed. I had to cut out the bread and
sugar, but I could have cheese for those two days.

Two weeks ago today we approached Phase I with trepidation. We were
growing cranky with the limited options by the end of my 3-day weekend,
so on Monday we headed to this food store that is supposed to be
amazing. It delivered, with tamales that fit our requirements,
gluten-free corn tortillas, and cool fruits and vegetables. We were also
delighted to find many healthy things we would like and be able to have
in a few weeks. We then went a mile away to this organic vegan raw food
restaurant. We inquired about a few ingredients, and we can basically
have ANYTHING on the menu!!! Whee! We ordered the pizza and were
instantly smitten. We took half as leftovers and finished it the next
day (mom, that night, actually). We went back to both places last
weekend and ordered an entree each, takeout each, and 2 desserts, even
though they are exorbitantly priced. W-ow. Their desserts would take
care of any sugar craving! Since then, I’ve been researching raw food
recipes, but they mostly require expensive equipment, usually a juicer,
a food processor, or a dehydrator. But, gosh, that food is absolutely
delicious. I could live like that most of the time. I’d want bread, a
bit of cheese, and a bit of meat, as well as the freedom to be able to
go out with friends and order whatever I want. I’d also want to be able
to indulge if I really want something, but I can see eating like that
almost all of the time. I’m getting in touch with this friend who eats
raw food and asking about recipes and equipment.

Since that first trip, we’ve gotten more creative. The red/black bean
and yam tamales are amazing with avocado and pomegranate seeds (a major
staple in my pantry now). I’ve made two different tasting vegetable and
cashew stir-fries this week and they are sooooo good. They basically
consisted of vegetables, raw cashews, Italian seasoning or 21-Seasoning
Salute, a bit of sea salt, a bit of pepper, olive oil, and water. Simple
but delicious with avocado and some fruit, eh? I’m loving the nut and
veggie or fruit combo.

I’ve been fascinated by what my body is feeling like and how my eating
habits have changed. I’m eating so little compared to what I was eating
before. I’m really loving the taste of fruits and vegetables, and I
really don’t crave sugar, cheese, and other foods. I never really did,
but I sure wanted the taste! Now I don’t so much. I’m finding that I’m
really missing bread, salad dressings, balsamic vinegar, and that kind
of thing. But not chocolate pudding. Not cheddar cheese. Amazing. I’m
finding, however, that my stomach is unsettled at times and it just
seems to cry out for bread or sugar to calm it down. Right now, for
example. I can’t wait until I can add bread back. A slice or two a day
would do, and I can continue to eat the way I’m eating with that one
addition.

I do seem to have some more energy, my mouth feels cleaner, and I feel
cleaner inside too. I don’t have achy knees and one finger doesn’t hurt
anymore. Hippocrates may have had something there when he said food is
medicine. I’ve believed that eating well is so important for a long time
now, but now I’m seeing proof of that. I wish I had more pep, though.

The most amazing thing is, however, how much weight I’ve lost. The last
time I went to the doctor, I weighed 272, and the number was exactly the
same when I got on a scale. Both were a few months ago, and my clothes
fit the same recently as they did at the time I weighed myself. I got on
a scale at the gym last Sunday and it read 235. WHAT? Almost 40
pounds??? I made my mom get on the scale to weigh herself to check its
accuracy. She said it was about right for her. We went to another gym
and on one scale, I weighed 250. On the other, I weighed 235. Mom said
the scales were accurate for her. What? Either 25 or 40 pounds??? I’m
not as small as I was at 235, though that could be not exercising, so
the 250 figure is probably the accurate one. Still, that’s incredible. I
didn’t do this to lose weight, but wotta perk! I tried on some clothes,
and my work wardrobe has expanded by several pieces now! *beam* The
clothes that were fitting before are noticeably looser. I’m not small
enough for most people to notice, I don’t think, but gosh, I’m amazed.

I just can’t get over how much I’m loving the food I’m eating. That’s
the most incredible part for me. This is really a fascinating experience
for me, which is one reason I started this blog. I’m going to use this
to record what Dr. Hyman recommends I record when I start adding back
some food, and I’ll probably post short posts frequently via e-mail from
here on out. I’m looking forward to the rest of this trip and what it
will bring me.

As the intro blurb shows, December 25, 2006 was the turning point for me. I was in so much pain from the gallstones, I’d cut out almost all food. I was having a few slices of bread and a few vegetables a day. My mom got so worried, she made me vegan, organic soup. Gallstones are a result of fat in food, and fat and sugar can aggravate gallstones. Hence, the no-fat deal.

I’d given her Ultrametabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman, because she saw him on PBS and loved what she heard. She devoured it and announced that she was going to go on it. I read it and it’s grounded in good science, taking the latest research and applying it to healthy eating. It fits what I know to be true – fruits, vegetables, grains, and water are what we should be eating most of/almost all of the time. He talks about how so many diseases are the result of inflammation, and what we eat can contribute to inflammation. What he discusses in the context of inflammation runs the gamut from diabetes to environmental allergies and a whole lot in between. It has three phases – one is a one-week, sort of “weaning” phase where a lot of foods are contraindicted. The second (what he inexplicably calls Phase I) has quite a limited variety of food. It basically cuts out sugar, dairy, wheat, any gluten, red meat, and all white meat except for lean, unskinned turkey and chicken. Very few condiments are allowed, and those that are allowed are mostly herbal. Olive oil is okay, thank goodness. Phase I lasts for 3 weeks. The third, known as Phase II, lasts for 4 weeks to a lifetime. You choose one food that has been forbidden for 3 weeks, have it, and monitor your body for any allergic reactions. Don’t add anything else for at least 48 hours. The rationale behind this is to discover if you have any food allergies, because allergies can cause inflammation and are a real culprit. There is a list of food that should be avoided for the rest of your life, including transfats and high fructose corn syrup. It generally recommends what I think we should all eat anyway – grass-fed beef, animals without hormones, organic food, as much unprocessed food as possible, and so forth.

When Mom announced she was doing it, I read some of the book. I surprised her (and myself) when I sighed, shrugged, and said, “I’m in.” I was unhappy, unable to eat much, and I just *had* to do something to get my health back. This seemed good. It’s healthy, based on current nutritional research, and I really couldn’t go wrong. It’s almost one month since Christmas, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve just completed Day 14 of Phase I, and I’m liking it.