First follow up

Hi friends & readers!
      Just checking in after a few weeks getting back to normal! This experience/experiment has been great & if nothing, super motivating to stay focused on the things I put in my body! The "after" check up went well & these are the changed numbers:
     My blood pressure has dropped 30(yes 30!) points
     My fasting blood sugar has gone from 110 to 81
     My weight has DECREASED by 14 pounds
     My waist size has gone down by 4.5 inches
                            other positives
My skin is softer than ever & seems to be clearing(finally!)
The dark circles under my eyes have substantialy decreased
My sugar & salt cravings are no longer what they used to be & I have a much more sensitive palate.
The bloated feeling I had constantly is gone, though I really do have to pay attention to my salt intake now.
An interesting thing, the weight I have lost has stayed off & I am continuing to lose weight even back on whole foods. I think the constant intake of calories every hour or two while just on Raw Milk has helped get my damaged metabolism back on track.
 I am also happy to report that I have cut my insulin dosage in half!!! I am believe that I am on the right track here with diet & excercise & the benefits of Raw Milk to eventually be med free, which was remains my over all health goal:)
    I am VERY pleased with the health results I have achieved over the last 6 weeks! I will be keeping Raw milk a part of my healthy lifestyle indefinately. For now I intend to supplement raw milk at 30/40% of my daily caloric intake.
    I will check in in another four weeks!
Thanks for all of the support & thank you Organic Pastures for being a part of this!!

Week four

Week four:
     So, I have made my initial goal of 21 days on the Raw Milk program and  will spend this week SLOWLY intergrating whole foods back into my diet.
    I have to say, that I have for sure seen some positive health benefits to this treatment. I went into to this with the hope that it would be benefitial to a number of health problems that were plaguing me. I don't feel so much like it was a one time "cure", but more like a major jump start & an ongoing aid.
These are the affects I have experienced:
    A definate reset/cleanse to my palate.  I no longer suffer major salt and sugar cravings!!!
    I have successfully reduced my medication in half and my blood sugar is more stable now than I can ever remember.
    My hair, skin and nails are no longer dry and brittle. Actually quite soft & supple.
    My digestion seems to be getting back on track. I used to be a twice a week(if I was lucky!) gal, now it's more like every other day.
    The constant bloated feeling is gone & I have lost four inches in my waist. The number on the scale hasn't gone down remarkably, but this was never intended to be a weight loss diet. However, I can feel (and it shows) that I have replaced some body fat with muscle.
    My energy levels are quite where I would like them to be, but are definately an improvement from my "before".
    Time will tell what affects this has had on my low immune system...I am hoping for the best!!

I am welcoming these changes and embracing Raw Milk as part of my new, healtheir life style. It will continue to be a part of my daily health regime indefinately.  
I have a formal dr.'s follow up next week and will be posting some actual statistics then. I'll keep checking in this week as I am winding down from this process.
     As always, I am happy to answer any questions and open to feed back!
A special THANK YOU to Organic Pastures and the Mcafee family for being so supportive and taking part in this process/transformation. We are lucky to have such an amazing, organic, commited family dairy farm in our area...thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!
Cheers!
-Opie

Days 18 &19

Days 18 & 19:
     I have been going non stop for the last two days & am just now finding a semi spare moment to catch up on my blog.
     First off, I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who have been following along & a BIG thanks to those who decided to share with me your educated thoughts, opinions, advise & personal experiences. They have definatey helped motivate me along!!
     I am nearing my initial end to this "treatment" of 21 days& feeling pretty good considering this time is probably about as stressfull as my life has ever been. I keep thinking that I picked an ironicly terrible time to do this, but maybe it really was the perfect time:) I will be continuing on for another week longer than I had planned. I will try to update each day, but life is insanely busy at the moment. I have my "after" consult/check up at the doctor on July 18th now & I will definatedly be keeping everything updated about that;)
Cheers for now!

Day 17

Day 17
      Guh.....I need some MAJOR motivation! I'm totally over tired & over stressed. Two things that I'm certain would benefit from me getting my ass to the gym....sadly, I did not make it today:( I was just entirely too exausted this morning to go. That's not completely true, I'm sure I would have been just fine once I got there...geez.
     Feeling in a slump energy wise, could just have to do with all of the above. Not finding myself particularly hungery, though I am happy to report that my blood sugar is holding steady so far on just the two doses of insulin :-)
     See you all tomorrow!

Day 16..... facing the elephant

Day 16:
    ....I return to the gym tomorrow morning & hope the fitness class doesn't completely kick my ass! I haven't had a proper workout since before I got sick:(  Life took some sudden, VERY stressful, turns today...things that would have normaly sent me spiraling into a "fuck it" attitude and running for the ice cream & cheese fries.....However, I have remained loyal to my Organic Pastures raw milk:)
So this is another really honest part about me...I am a super emotional eater. Always have been & to some extent, probably always will be.
    There are so many expected & unexpected personal aspects of this process for me. One of them is finally confronting my emotional eating and learning some better tools to cope with. I am confident that this process will jump start my body's natural ability, and want, to heal itself. But I also know that I need to do the rest of the work too.
 that's it for today.

Day 15 & Week Two

Day 15 & Week Two
    Feeling good!
I am taking a break from it all today to enjoy the holiday with my friends, family & neighbors...I hope you all are doing the same too! Today marks the halfway point in this journey for me & I am very excited about the next two weeks!
    I definately feel like the first two weeks I struggled to get my body to accept this process & it held out like a stubborn kid! However, now I feel I've landed in a "ready, set go" place & geared up for the next two weeks.
    With the cold behind me(for the most part), the 10lbs of salt bloat gone, and my energy levels up, I am feeling optimistic& I have devised a plan!
    Here it is:
14 more days of raw milk exclusively
Back to my normal Excercise class 3x per week
Drop my insulin dosage in 1/2 to 2x daily & moniter my blood suger frequently

I am hoping that this will all be sucessful, that I will be able to maintain my energy, keep my blood sugar stable & see long term results;)
I am remaining very commited & hope my dilligence will pay off and I can finally achieve a better QUALITY of life!
Wish me luck!!

DAY 14 Lactose intolerance info!

Day 14:
     I have decided it's a definate that I am going to continue this process for a otal of 28 days, as opposed to the original 21 that I set out to do. I am just now feeling like I'm getting into the groove of things & to end it in one week seems premature.
     I was passing along some info to a family member who mentioned that she was lactose intolerant. I sent her a few links to read about pasturization and lactose intolerance...many people who suffer from lactose issues are able to consume raw dairy without tummy upset. Check ou these links for more info!
Cheers!
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html
http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/rawmilk.html
Benefits others have experienced with raw milk, lactose intolerance & IBS:
http://hartkeisonline.com/local-food/raw-milk-solves-lactose-intolerance-ibs-and-tummy-aches-for-one-family/

Day 13

Day 13:
    Closing in on two weeks and starting to feel really good;) I sound terrible, still with major chest congestion, but this cold is still breaking up & moving on way faster than I'm used to. I am contemplating extending my "fast" by a week, making it 28 days instead of 21. Just because I spent about a week down with this cold & couldn't really be to in tune with anything else. i am hoping that my energy will be back up enough to resume my normal excercise routine next week. Blood sugar is staying stable with no spukes or lows.  Starting monday I am going to lower my daily insulin by 1/4 and moniter how I do...wish me luck!
    Toodle do for today;)

Day 12

Day 12:
     Hmmm...about today....
This is by far the MOST convienent dietary restriction I have ever tried to follow!
     My(normal) daily life generally consists of running in and out of work all day(My husband & I own a tattoo shop) usually starting around 8 am. Sometimes grabbing a sandwich/wrap/salad on the go & starving by dinnertime...never quite remembering(or having time) to eat enough during the day, checking my blood sugar once or twice, usually having at least one bout of hypoglycemia, eating dinner & then going to bed with a full tummy followed by raging heartburn two hours later.
   Geez, even writing about it is exausting!!
However, just on the milk program, I'm actually finding it easier to keep up with my daily caloric need & not having to deal with the "what's for dinner" every nite definately takes a little stress out of the day. And since I'm constantly drinking fluids(milk&water) I have kept the hypoglycemia at bay.
I could get used to this!!
Cheers!
-Opie

DAY 11

DAY 11:
    WOW...I can't believe it's half over!
Today is great...each day I am feeling better & better. I am surprised that I haven't had any major salt cravings.  It was the only thing(other than pineapple;) that I really craved durring my pregnancy last year & I think I majorly blew out my palate, loading up everything with salt for 9 months! That is yet another thing I am trying to achieve with this process..I am hope that by not consuming much sodium these three weeks, that my palate will be much more sensitive to I when I do resume my daily solid meals. Thus I won't be apt to dumping an entire saltshaker on everything I eat!
Cheers;)
-opie

Day 9

day 9:
    Today has been by far the best. Things are getting easier & I am most definately feeling better;) I am no longer  mourning the loss of my daily meals....though still miss the social aspect of preparing food and dining out with friends.
     The horrific cold that hit me like a ton of bricks this past weekend, seems to be moving along it's course more rapidly than I am used to. Definately a pleasant surprise and I think I may even be up for yoga class in the morning!
That's all for today folks!
-opie

DAY EIGHT

DAY EIGHT:
     The begining of week two! I am happy to report that I did not die over the weekend, although I did cave & had a little hot tea & soup broth to treat my horrendous cold after my asthma triggered a hospital visit on saturday.
     Back on the horse...errr cow!
Beautiful day at the Farmers Market in Cambell yesterday! Picked up my weeks milk supply from Ron w/ Organic Pastures...Thank you guys again for being a part of this!!!!!!
     So far, things have been more pleasant than I expected:) My skin has cleared & is nearly as soft as my baby daughter's. I have had no bouts of hypoglycemia. I have a condition which requires me to take insulin  four times a day...one of the many medications that I am hoping to eventually not need. However, until I hear otherwise from my doctor, it will continue. No acid tummy whatsoever(I usually rarely make it through a day without my rolaids!)My energy has been pretty wiped out from this illness, but seems to be returning.
     I am actually really looking forward to this week and curious to see what changes it will bring! Seems like my life is all about change right now!!
See ya tomorrow;)

Day 7

Day 7
     This one is going to be short & sweet, as I am beyond tired & just want to get in bed & snug up with my family;)
     I will take a moment tomorrow to reflect on week one. Glad to have made it & looking forward to the next two!!!
Cheers!- Opie

DAY SIX

DAY SIX:
     Well folks, this is a prime example of why I am trying to treat my fragile immune system. Every little cold virus that goes around, I undoubtably contract. Each time takes me easily 2-6 weeks to recover, complete with a full upper respitory infection, asthma problems, antibiotics and the occasonial hospital visit. As it looks like that is most likely where I will be headed tonite:( I have undergone (for various illness') EIGHT seperate courses of antibiotics in the last 12 months.
I did have an adnoid/tonsilectomy earlier this year & had a lot of cronicly infected scar tissue removed during the surgery. That was intended to prevent me from getting as sick as I do & help my immune system by ridding the constant infection in my tonsils.
     So, we'll see how it goes & what the doctor says....I am by no means abandoning my 21 day plan & would appreaciate any immune boosting advise!!!
See y'all tomorrow!

Day 5

I can't really tell how I feel right now because this wicked cold is wrecking me! Seems to be a bad virus that's being passed around Santa Cruz at the moment:( I just hope that I can keep it to myself and not get the rest of my family germy!
     I haven't experienced any extreme sense of hunger, which is what I was worried about in the begining. But I have to admit, missing the actual act of preparing meals and eating with my family is making me a bit sad:( 
     I have a very passionate love affair with food, quite different from the average american. I was a professional Chef for nearly a decade. I started eary on in life, at the bottom and climbed my way up. I learned to have a great deal of respect for whole, natural ingredients created by earth and also the animals that provide them. I do eat meat & eggs, however only from select local sources. Food to me is love, emotion, passion & respect and I am missing the ritual more than anything.  I do feel however, that one could sustain on Raw  Milk probably indefinately(with appropriate vitamin supplement).
That's it for today...see ya tomorrow;)

Day 4

DAY FOUR:
Yes, it is in deed a wicked bad cold:( Hopefully it will blow over in a few days though & I am still perservering through with the milk fast. It's a bit of a bummer however, because I was wanting to really focus on how my body was responding to this & the cold may or may not mask some of those responses.
        I don't seem to be having as much of a detox response as others have had during this process. That may partly due to the fact that  my normal day to day diet consists of  mainly whole, organic foods & I don't drink, smoke or eat fast food. Or it may also be that I just haven't reached that point yet.
We'll know soon enough!!
See ya tomorrow;)

DAY THREE

Felt pretty good when I woke up this morning, which is a bit of a suprise since my tiny person had such a terrible nite(evil teething) last nite:( My energy is humming along at a meduim pace & I've actually gotten quite a bit of gardening done in the early hours of today.

I prepared myself(as much as I could) for the mental and physical challenges of this process. I plan on continuing raw milk as an active part of my daily healt regime. This is not for everyone. I am simply sharing my personal journey & attempt to treat my body naturaly and be rid of the pharmaceutical intervention I have been using for years.

My Intent & Purpose once again:
  THIS IS IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM a weight loss "DIET" nor do I recomend it as.
  I have spent countless hours researching HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT options to help aid in several    ongoing  health issues I have and am now trying a "Raw Milk Cure" in hope that it might offer positive health results. My daily caloric intake remains the same @ 1800 calories.

BREASTFEEDING: My daughter in nearly 13 MONTHS  old and very far from an exclusively Breast Feed baby. In fact, she eats everything we do & nurses mostly at nite and for comfort at this point. She & I both(always have) take a daily multi vitamin.

I encourage anyone who is interested in educating themselves more about the raw milk cure to please check out these links:
 http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Raw-Milk-Cure&id=986854
 http://www.realmilk.com/milkcure.html
http://www.pdazzler.net/2010/05/19/raw-milk-cure/
http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/milk-milk-glorious-milk-the-real-raw-milk-cure-wk-1
I am open & happy to answer all questions to the best of my ability. I thank you all for you positive support!!!!
See ya tomorrow

DAY 2

Not feeling awesome today. But I am not starving either, which is what I was worried about. I pretty much always feel run down, but a bit more so today than usual, with a bad headache to boot. This may be the early on set of a cold or it may be just my body adjusting to the fast....we'll know for sure in the next few days.  I have a feeling that this may be one of those situtations where you feel worse before you feel better. So, I am still feeling very optimistic:)
See ya tomorrow!!!

DAY ONE

So here I am at day one. Not much to report so far. A bit apprehensive about what I'm getting myself into, worried that I'm going to be starving all the time. Woke up this morning  as my usual exausted, groggy self...crippled with back pain from sleeping with a 12 month old on me.
Yes my(not so) baby still sleeps on my chest! This is another part of my life senario right now, I am a nursing mother. And before anyone has a heart attack about my raw milk consumption or fast while nursing, I assure you that it is perfecty safe for me & baby;) I trust myself, my doctors & Organic Pastures(my raw milk supply)
ORGANIC PASTURES ( http://www.organicpastures.com/ )is an all raw organic dairy farm located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The family owned farm is commited to american's right to access fresh healthy food as well as the kind, ethical manner in which animals that provide our life blood should be respectfully treated.  I thank the McAfee family for being so commited and generously supporting my efforts in returning my body back to natural health.

     Thursday I had a doctor check up and consult to get a "before" health analysis. Not the best one, but pretty much what I expected. I'm going to wait until DAY 22 and I will post a side by side "before & after" so we can all see how this fast has affected my health.
I am overall feeling quite optimistic:)))
See ya'll tomorrow!

Did you know that raw milk was once used to treat a varity of health ailments?

So folks, I been reading up a bit morein effort to ready myself for this fast & I've come across some fantastic info! Check out these links!
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html
http://rawmilktruth.com/Health-Benefits-of-Raw-Milk.html


Day one starts on monday...see y'all in a couple days!

The Raw Milk Experiment....aka....Let's Get Healthy

Hello friends! Some of you know me, but for those of you who don't, I want to give you some info:
I am a 29 year old mother of one(and 3 dog kids) I have spent the last few years trying to get a handle on some minor health issues that are majorly cramping my style.
*Cronic fatigue
*Insomnia
*IBS
*Skin allergies
*Weak Immune system

I have seen a number of specialists in these areas and have, for the most part followed their instructions, including medication. However, have not seen sufficient improvements.
This had lead me to look outside the box & research on my own, which is where I found some amazing information on the health bennefits of consuming RAW milk.

THIS IS MY PLAN:
     I will be embarking upon a 21day RAW milk "fast" and blogging to you all daily about my experiences with it. I will also include some of the vital info I came across during my research. I DO NOT claim to be any sort of medical professional and am NOT suggesting that anyone follow in my foot steps without consulting their own physician, as I have.
    I will cronicle daily, as well as publish my before and after health report.
Wish me luck & I will see you all one day ONE!!!!
   ***NEWS*** I am VERY happy & truely appreciative to announce that Organic Pastures Raw Dairy Farm will be sponsering my 21 day fast. Please check them out http://www.organicpastures.com/ and 'like' them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=Organic+Pastures+Dairy-RAW+DAIRY+PRODUCTS&init=quick#!/pages/Organic-Pastures-Dairy-RAW-DAIRY-PRODUCTS/171911861180