If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE meat! I adore(d) our farm raised chicken, beef, goat and lamb....it just doesn't return the sentiments!

Over the last 6ish years my body started to shift. I was healing from Chronic Lyme & company through my 40's and never even knew I was in the early stages of menopause...trust me if most women had something worse to complain about they'd be better off....that is until things paused! Meno-Pause!

It was at that point that the shift for me went from being a meat eater to being nearly killed by meat!

I am approaching my first & second anniversary of calling 911 for anaphylactic shock. Both occurred in January, 3 years and 3 days apart which is just a coincidence. There is nothing significant about it...we eliminated a "dead" Christmas Tree, so mold isn't the problem. We've had the mold sniffing dog go through our house and around our property...no mold. One very important common factor was NUTS! They also want me DEAD!

Plain and simple...it was food(s)! Lots of foods! It took 3 years and the second 911 call to get a diagnosis. Since my diagnosis in early Spring of 2014, I have made leaps and bounds with my health....more specifically Mast Cell Activation Disorder or Histamine Intolerance. And yes, we believe that the shift during menopause threw me into it head first.

Wow, that was a pretty quick and an easy week of going raw! I've done juice fasts that nearly killed me! Raw with chewing is SO much easier. Keeping the variety going hasn't been that hard and yes, there have been several days that I just wanted to roast or cook something!

So, in my need for more....I decided to ferment a jar of fresh pineapple, butternut squash, fresh cranberries and cilantro!  ( I've done the pineapple before with cilantro but not the other foods added...and it's SO good....you know how your brain is expecting sweet from the fruit...well the fermentation makes it sour...the brain gets a surprise!)

It's going to sit for a couple weeks but should be SO good!!! 

I am SO in love with all the color! Adding foods of ALL colors is one of the healthiest things you can do!

Of course from an artist....THINK COLOR!!!

Pound out the juices, then add the brine. My ratio is 2 Tbsp salt to 1 Quart of water. Mix the brine and pour what you need over the veggies and fruit.

You know I've been doing this for so long, I don't need the fancy fermenting gadgets. A quart ziplock is good enough for me. Weight it down with a bag of water, then cover with a dish towel. Let it do it's thing. 

The idea is to keep all the food under the water line. The weight of the bag does just that.

Now let it sit and do what fermented foods have been doing for centuries....create it's own pro-biotics. It's a predigested food!

I started a 21 day raw diet to jump-start my immune system. My blood work came back far from perfect as it was 2 years ago. My immune system is under attack. Narrowing that down will come this week when I can chat with my doc. My CD 57 (which is a NK (natural killer cells/“cluster designation”) Lyme marker) was also VERY low (20) showing a chronic infection...normal is 60-350+. It looks as if Lyme is back for another fight!!! I beat it's butt once I can beat it again! I really don't feel as bad as a 20, but my bone pain has been extremely intense. My memory is lapsing. My ability to find words is difficult. (If you look at it in the most simplest terms, my cells are only housing 20 NK on each cell to fight for me...as opposed to hundreds if not thousands! 20 is not very good....I need an army of NK to fight for me as God intended!) 

The CD 57 test is a pretty sure thing. It's not nearly as costly (although don't get me wrong...it is quite pricey, but insurance covers it in your plan) as some other Lyme test. But it's a dead on test. No question about whether it's a negative, positive or indeterminate as with the other Lyme tests. They've developed some wonderful CD tests. CD 4 is for HIV. Over 200 CD markers have been name so far! Wow!!! What an incredible body our Creator made!!!

I know when it started. It was June that I questioned if Lyme or it's cohorts were back including Bartonella which is Cat Scratch Fever....I get the claw marks on my thighs. And frankly (cause as you know that's the only way I roll) I think it was Spring Lambing that caused me to come out of remission if indeed that is what happened. Lambing was extremely stressful, emotional, draining for a 56 year old woman....who God never intended to have babies at this age! The every 2 hour routine all night was enough to kill me and I know that's when I started to tank. I'm glad I'm not lambing again....of course I am! I don't even have enough energy to accomplish all I have right now. BUT I am grateful that Winter is settling in and the pace of life is much much much slower! So, I will spend this Winter kicking the crap out of Lyme once again using food, herbs, supplements and Rife. I've done it once. I know it can be done. 

I purchased the ebook from Young and Raw, for the 21 day raw cleanse. I'm finding it much easier then the juicing fasts I've done in the past under doctor supervision. By day 3 of nothing but juice, the hunger pains are so intense I can't even sleep. And for those battling Cancer, it is a required regime to jump-start the immune system. I get it. 

This was my breakfast the other morning! It would of taken a lot of energy to digest all of this, but sending it through the juicer removes all the bulk and left me with a 16oz glass of nutritious & delish juice!

I wondered if it would be boring to eat nothing but raw....but it's not! There are boundless combinations that include protein and fats to balance the diet. Yesterday's lunch was a big salad with dressing made of Chickpea Miso, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, Salt, Pepper, Nutritional Yeast Flakes and a dash ofChili powder. I didn't think I could stomach a salad without olive oil...but I can! Olive oil isn't in the 21 day cleanse....but it's one of my favorite oils on salad. (I'm not following their menu plan....but using it for guidance.)

Trying to keep it simple but also exciting......I made my guacamole dip for dinner and ate it with veggie sticks! YUM!!! A great way to end my 1st day of the 21 day challenge.

I'm still trying to focus on Anti foods; anti-inflammatory, anti-anaphylactic, anti-histamine. After work ing with those foods for the past 12 months, I'm doing exceptionally well, tolerating many histamine foods (avocado) that were off limits for me last year. Following the principles that The Low Histamine Chef teaches works....but it hasn't been enough to boost my immune system...of course I haven't been strict enough. 

Here's more info on eating a Raw Foods Diet.

CHEERS!!!! Here's to renewed health in 2015!
Diane

Guac my style is SUCH a small and delectable blessing!

2 years ago I'd never eaten an avocado let alone guacamole!  I truly think it was a texture thing. I wonder where The Farmer's Daughter gets it from!

If you've never been struck down with sickness and food issues, you truly are doing something right! However, I am of the opinion that we all are living in fallen and broken bodies waiting for resurrection day to become whole and re-born in HIS image!!! Oh what a day that will be!!!

Avocado is a high histamine food, but I have not been avoiding histamine foods completely unless it really wants me dead. Guac doesn't want me dead! Yippee! It's one of those GOOD fats that my aging brain needs desperately! 

I smash 1 or 2 or 3 avocado, mixing it with lots of finely chopped red onion (high in ANTI), red pepper (high in ANTI), a big handful of Cilantro chopped (high in ANTI), and 1/2-1 lime squeezed, salt & pepper. (I'm still avoiding the nightshade family...tomato makes joint pains worse....and this version is not lacking in flavor at all!)

Since I don't do any form of chip except an occasional bean chip, I spread it on sourdough bread.....and oh YUM!!!  I ate 2 whole avocados yesterday! Couldn't help myself! It was SO good with my big dinner salad.

I'm grateful for FERMENTS!!

I've been a big fermenter for over 8 years. My first ferments were Kraut and To Die For Dill Pickles!!! 

I decided to grow Daikon Radishes this Fall.....however, I've never even eaten a Daikon! They grew like gang busters and every seed germinated! I had NO idea that they would be SO huge! My mission was to figure out what to do with these babies and the best way to preserve all of the nutrients and more from a food is to ferment it!!!

The most popular ferment I found was Banh Mi. It's an Vietnamese relish. The Farmer's Daughter's beau is Vietnamese...SO I figured I'd give it a try because if nothing else I'd have some guinea pigs to clean it up!

To my surprise I LOVE Banh Mi!!! The heat from the radishes diminishes a little, but the heat from the chile pepper more then made up for it!!!

I'm embarrassed to confess that this is the first time I used this little gadget! It really is all they hoot about. Pretty nifty for a hand cranked machine.

I got mine last Christmas for around $25! Not bad and it comes with 3 blades. I still don't know all that it's capable, but will play with it a little more...promise!

Banh Mi is basically just Daikon Radishes, Carrots and Chile Pepper. To ferment I use 2Tbsp of salt to 1 Qt of water. I packed my 1/2 gallon jar and then poured the salt water over top. You always need to make sure that everything is weighed down and water covers it well. I used a smaller lid to keep everything under water and from air reaching it. My first fermented kraut I used a clean rock!! You can also fill a ziplock with salty water (in case it leaks) and pop it in the opening....anything that will weigh down and keep it from oxidation. Then you can either put a lid back on slightly or cover with a dish cloth and rubber band. There are new fermenting gadgets on the market that didn't exist 8 years ago (well they did at the wine making store!!)....and frankly you don't need them. But they are pretty nifty and you might feel better using them. And really if a nifty gadget will get you to make ferments then all the more buy them!!! Ferments are a life giving food and everyone needs them!

Sour is a food that we have forgotten to love! Sour is our friend!!! Ferments are filled with probiotics that love your gut!  Vietnamese use Banh Mi to make a "deli" sandwich. It's a condiment....I use mine on my salad every evening for dinner and oh YUM!!! It adds just the right amount of sour to my salad with EVOO. 

I put a lid on my jar a little too tight. It didn't hurt anything, just built up a chlorine smell. Which isn't harmful and dissipated once I loosened the lid. I left my Banh Mi for 2 weeks. If you like it more sour, then leave longer. Once you put your ferments in the fridge it ceases the fermentation process. 

My favorite source for fermentation was always Wild Fermentations by Sandor Katz.

FYI: Ferments are high in Histamine. If you are still very sensitive to Histamine due to Histamine Intolerance and/or Mast Cell Activation Disorder, then wait until your system is stronger. I couldn't do ferments for a good year until I started really focusing on the MCAD. They don't seem to be a problem now...which I am every so GRATEFUL for!!!

I read an article over at The Low Histamine Chef and spent another day furthering my own research and understanding.....mostly understanding! She's WAY over my head sometimes!

What is COX?

COX stands for Cyclooxygenase. Cyclooxygenase is responsible for the formation of important biological mediators called Prostaglandins (PG). COX 1 is the primary enzyme responsible for converting arochridonic acid  (from Omega 6 fatty acids)  into prostaglandins. COX 2 produces Prostaglandin H2 (PG) a hormone like compound through stimulation and converts them from arochridonic acid. PG levels are increased by COX 2 causing inflammation & growth.

PG are mediators & have a variety of strong physiological effects such as regulating the contraction & relaxation of smooth muscle tissue.

I'm sure you've seen the commercials for:
Vioxx
Celebrex
Naproxen
Motrin 
Advil 
Some of these are COX 2 inhibitors some NSAIDs.
I'm sure you're as confused as I was. The big question is how does it affect Mast Cell Activation Disorder (MCAD). 

INFLAMMATION! 

Inflammation is NOT our friend! I'm happy to report that nearly 100% of the symptoms I was having for the last few months are gone since I ratcheted up my diet. Having been on the Rx Gastrocrom for 4-5 months "allowed" me to eat a wider variety of foods that I wasn't accustomed to eating. Let's face it, my choices weren't always in the best interest of my health since from where I was sitting, all I really wanted to do was eliminate the chances of going into anaphylactic shock for the 4th time. It caught up with me, especially since I stopped taking the Gastrocrom 2 months ago.

Here's a newsflash....Chocolate is NOT naturally sweet!!! In fact it's not even a little sweet! And as we all know, sugar causes inflammation.

I was left in a puddle of pain after my freedom this Summer. Not only did the Gastrocrom cause incredible bone pain & bloating but I was left with my smooth muscles contracting, not being able to relax. I was stricken with an incredible fatigue that used me to wipe the floor. The brain fog was particularly troubling, with migraines and the fear of another bout of Lyme was terrifying, not to mention thoughts of MS. Something was making my limbs go numb.

I knew from past experience that diet can and has cured me. I jumped on that band wagon AGAIN (yes, I fall off at least once every 3 years) with just 1 little suite case packed with a VitaMix and LOTS of veggies. Within 2 weeks, almost all of the troubling symptoms are gone, even the numb limbs. 

SO, how does COX play into MCAD? 

INFLAMMATION!!!!!!! Inflammation is what kills us, literally. Inflammation leads to disease, disease leads to death. 

There are many culprits that cause inflammation. Here is what Dr Roizen the author of The Real Age Makeover has to say about smoking, "The inflammation of the arteries caused by smoking has three effects. (1) It causes swelling like the redness and swelling) in your skin when you get an infection. The swelling of that artery in turn decreases the area inside the blood vessel for blood to flow. (2) Inflammation thickens the artery with that swelling, increasing the swirling of blood. (3) Inflammation also causes potholes in the walls. These potholes are places where cholesterol and other stuff can accumulate into plaques or where they can get beneath the lining and accumulate into plaques. Inflammation of the arteries thus inhibits the ability of arteries to expand properly, prohibiting the proper delivery of nutrients to all cells, and sapping energy." (this is why you see SO many if not ALL smokers are also heart victims.)


Those with Mast Cell Activation Disorder know the importance of eliminating inflammation. And by inhibiting COX 2, you can begin to reduce and eliminate more inflammation and pain throughout the body which includes the bronchia. Which affects breathing!

One area that I feel The Low Histamine Chef has overlooked is the Adrenals! They are SO important in recovering our bodies to greater health. I personally feel that the adrenals are what keeps the boat afloat! They run every endocrine system in the body. We dump on our adrenals daily. We stress them out. We drain them dry. (Adrenals=Adrenaline!!!) Adaptogen herbs help the body adjust and deal with the stressors of life. They build the Qi! 

I am SO impassioned to understand Chinese medicine greater! Qi (pronouce Chi) is considered the body's life force/energy force. If it's blocked by whatever circumstance, the body will find itself in dire need of help. Opening the Qi allows the body to heal. In addition to the Western choices, I'm STILL using Chinese Medicine....I used it to heal from Lyme & Co-infections along with Rife Therapy. I have been receiving acupuncture for 3 years! It's made such a huge difference is how quickly I can recover my body. It helps tremendously with pain! It has helped me to find peace and serenity, to find my grounded power and to stay centered with God, who is the true source of Qi! Life Force!!! Qigong is another modality of healing that I'm using and studying to awaken the body's life force in the morning....it
involves fluid movement, usually carefully choreographed, coordinated with breath and awareness. To quiet the mind, and meditate on the goodness of The Lord.

Instead of coffee which taxes the adrenals even more. Let  me testify to the massive headache you will most assuredly have when you come off of coffee! Here is an herbal infusion I drink daily (some are Chinese Herbs)  (steeped for 20-30+ minutes) using Ashwagandha Root, Gogi Berries (if you can tolerate the nightshade family....which I'm not sure about so I've eliminated it from my tea), Chaste Tree Berries (for post menopause), Fo-Ti Root and Rehmanniae Root....OH YUM! Tongue in cheek...but I know how good they are for me and have grown quite use to their earthy woodsy taste! I also am drinking Holy Basil tea with Eleuthero Root. I get most of my herbs from Starwest Botanicals, but you can use any place that sells Organic herbs. 

Here is a list of nutrients that are considered COX 2 inhibitors:
Omega 3 (fish oil if you can tolerate, FLAX is my choice!)
Turmeric (add a Curcumin supp if you don't cook with it)
Quercitin (red onions in particular and apples or take a supp)
Flavonoids (more on this another time...but that means skin, seeds, etc)
Chives, Thyme & Rosemary
Thunder God Vine~T. wilfordii (Chinese herb especially good for RA)
Resveratrol
Magnesium (powerful anti-inflammatory)
B3 (Niacin)
Zinc (can help the cramping especially in the feet)
Grape Seed (bioflavanoid)
Glutamine (very important)
Miatake Mushrooms 
St. John's Wort (has been shown to reduce pain 3-18X as much as aspirin)

Each morning I have a Life Shake.  They are either filled with raw fruits or raw veggies. But all are filled with foods that are ANTI-inflammatory, ANTI-histamine, and ANTI-anaphylactic and COX 2 inhibitors!  I throw in a few tablespoons of flax seed and chia seed, some Ginkgo powder, Bilberry Powder and whatever else hits me. Remember there are no rules except to focus on the ANTI & Inhibitor Foods. If it taste good write it down, if not then don't make it again the same way twice! Some things though you just have to get use to!
 

Life Shakes

Faux Chocolate Shake
1 ripe avocado or half
1/2 ripe frozen banana
2 heaping tsp carob powder
1 large cauliflower floret (seriously...you won't taste it!)
1 apple (the entire apple)
1 Tbsp flax seed
1 tsp chia seed
dash ginko powder
1-2 cups rice milk or milk of choice or half and half of milk/water
Whiz in VitaMix or Blender
This one is very good!!!

Flower Goddess
1 large cauliflower floret
1 C cooked pumpkin/winter squash (I prefer using my homegrown)
1 apple (the entire apple..seeds, core and all)
1 C water
1 Tbsp Flax Seed
1 tsp Chia Seed
Dash Gingko Powder

Really the imagination is the only thing holding you back! Throw in everything but the kitchen sink!

Cheers to good health!
Diane