Tag Archives: bmi

Day 22 to 6 Months – Week 7

Posted on by

Uniqueness of Week 7

  • Removing Parasites with Papaya:  The seeds of a Papaya removes intestinal tapeworms in your body.  People have varied the intake of these seeds for 7, 23, and 30 days.  Learn more about Papaya & Seeds >> | Science Abstract
    20mL (.6 oz.) is what the scientific abstract used for dried papaya seeds.  I’ve tried this for a few days by popping the seeds, drying them, and then adding to soups and salad (similar to peppercorns).
  • Combining Food for Smoother Digestion:  Did you know that some foods like melons don’t play well with other foods?  If not, I suggest you sign up (it’s free) and get this food combining chart.  Click on the photo below to get the overall idea.  Sign up for the full explanation.

My Health in Week 7

  • Sleeping with Inflammation & Pain:  Continuing 1-2 Advil / ibuprofen to reduce the pain to manageable levels during sleep.  I pulled my neck out again & purchased the water pillow on 2/27 to help relieve the pain while sleeping.  Although it went ok for 1-2 nights, the pain still was constant, painful, and draining.  On 2/29 I had my father massage my back and found a lactic acid pocket (about the size of a golf ball), applied ice & then heat to relive some of the pain.  The next day I got a neck brace + a stand for my laptop so I can look more evenly at the computer while I’m working.  Lastly, I am sleeping with my shoulders on the hard side of my bed (with a flat 1″ high pillow) while the soft side (lying diagonally) for my sacro joints (near the hips). I’ve seen a 50% increase in mobility and pain management.  In other words, it’s working!
    I’m still getting used to the bed in Naples and have been fighting more with stiffness than anything else.  Sleeping is still the hardest thing to do (and I wake up a few times throughout the night), but the pain isn’t unbearable and it doesn’t take me 20 minutes to get out of bed.
  • The Gut Repair I and/or the Pyloricin recommended by Joseph Family Chiropractic have seemed to help my condition.  I believe these natural antibodies and immunity boosters are helping out my condition specifically because I don’t remember feeling this well after two weeks being off Enbrel.
  • Travel & Endurance:  On Saturday I traveled back to Naples for a week which meant a very busy Saturday (3 grocery stores, total driving 2 1/2 – 3 hours, and reorganizing / fixing the house).  Although I was very tired, I was able to do this all on my own which I could not do a week ago.  The next following days were less load, so pain management has been easier and I’m mainly battling against stiffness.  During week 5, I’ve got two appointments for the chiropractor to help out with stiffness, my neck, and getting me back on my routine.
  • Enbrel:  It has been 2 weeks & 3 days since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 142lbs. and a BMI of 19.88.

Notable Meals this Week

Dill & Lemon Tuna Salad (Food & Thought)

  • Ingredients included are a dill & lemon tuna, oranges, cranberry-raisins, orange, and walnuts on a bed of spinach.
  • In the future, have them add olive oil & some Himalayan salt & pepper to the spinach base.

Synopsis of Meal:  Good size portion that will hold you off for a few hours.  But the tuna is sold separately; thus the cost is $17.  The taste of the tuna was great, but the salad was dry.  I’m not sure I’d get this again.

Vegetarian No-Bean Chili

Ingredients used from the “Engine 2 Diet” by Rip Esselstyn.  They include:

  • sunflower oil
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
  • 2 bay laves
  • 2 red/yellow bell peppers (chopped)
  • 2 stalks cellery (chopped)
  • 3 carrots (chopped)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper (chopped)
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 28 oz. cans of chopped tomatoes (I suggest Muir Glen Organic)
  • 1 6 oz. can of tomato paste (hunts is fine)
  • 1 pound of firm, sprouted tofu (non-GMO & USDA organic & is crumbled when added)
  • 1 apple (chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons of chili powder, coriander, and Dijon Whole Grain mustard
  • 3 dates soaked at least a few hours
  • parsley, basil, salt & pepper

Directions:  Saute onion on medium high heat in a large 7 quart dutch oven (or similar in size) with sunflower oil for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, bay leaves, bell pepper, celery, carrots, jalepeno and cook addition 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add water, tomatoes, tomato paste, tofu, apple, remaining seasonings, mustard, dates (without the water), parsley and basil and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

Synopsis of meal:  Yes, this recipe can feed an army but soup can be frozen/refrigerated & then reheated on the stove.  The taste was quite good and I would make it again.

 

Day 22 to 6 Months – Week 6

Posted on by

Food for Week 4 (7 Weeks Since Start)

Fruits & Veggies Detail - Week 6

Uniqueness of Week 6

  • Making “Bread”:  Looks like I can use almond flour and/or coconut flour to make breads, crackers, etc.  The catch is to use this in small doses as too many almonds can lead to omega 3/6 imbalance and too much coconut flour can lead to flare-ups.  For me, I’ll probably visit these flours after the 6 months.  MORE INFO >>

Kale Chip & Dehydrating Fruit

  • Dehydrated fruit & kale chips.  Kale chips had garlic, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese (didn’t have nutritional yeast on-hand).  Tastes good but too salty.  For the fruit, here are the preparation instructions & length of dehydration.  I tried oranges, mangoes, bananas, apples, and kiwi fruit.  Although all taste good, most people gravitated towards the mangoes and apples (add cinnamon for an extra kick in the apples).
  • Zyflamend – After attending an inflammation class on 2/25, I found out that the turmeric and ginger root were not nearly as effective as a supplement.  Plus they overpower the taste of my smoothies.  According to the doctor, she said “how much curcumin is in an actual turmeric root (or culinary turmeric powder).  Although the numbers vary, it’s primarily between 3-5% (some sources say as little as 0.6%, some as high as 6%).  That pales in comparison to the 95% found in supplements!”  I will update my daily routine to reflect these changes.
  • Concentrate vs. Pasteurized – Which is Better?  Consumers often favor not-from-concentrate over concentrated juice because they think it’s fresher.This is not the case. During the pasteurization process, the juice is heated, deprived of its flavor and stored in vats for as long as a year. When it’s time for packaging, orange flavor must be added so it seems fresh. Not-from-concentrate costs more, but it’s neither fresher nor more nutritious than juice from concentrate, as reported by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune.To make juices concentrated, they are put through all kinds of processes and then frozen in a slushy vat just like you see at your local 7-11 (only much bigger).  The process is more about removal of the juice than adding preservatives.  A great explanation of all these procedures can be found here.

My Health in Week 6

  • Red Meat:  On Tuesday 2/21 I tried red meat (sirloin – 3″ X 3″) along with grilled asparagus and two raw carrots with salsa.  Whenever you don’t eat red meat for over a month you realize how hard it is to chew and digest.  Plus the taste is nowhere near as good as it used to be and I felt a type of reflux (almost a burp, but not quite) after eating it.  After this experience, I don’t really see my self eating red meat anymore.  It just doesn’t make sense.
  • I had a pulled neck since the beginning of the week and had to take some Advil / ibuprofen to reduce the pain to manageable levels.  On 2/23, the pulled neck was greatly reduced and I’ve felt better on 2/23 than any day while I’ve been here in Venice.  I also purchased a water pillow on 2/27 to help relieve the pain while sleeping.  In one night I have seen some reduction in my neck, but it will take at least a few days to see if it all goes away.
  • Sleeping with Inflammation & Pain:  After the pulled neck, my daily routine works out quite well.  However, my issue is still sleeping.  The best times seem to be a day or two after I take Enbrel up to 7 days after that.  After that, the pain & inflammation greatly increases.  For example, I’m writing this paragraph on 2/25 at 3:30am (went to bed around 8:30pm exhausted) with heavy inflammation & pain around my entire mid-chest & back area.  Also the pain & inflammation has moved from my right hip to my left.  It seems I cannot sleep well without an NSAID each night (I took Advil when I wake up from the pain).  I went to bed at 8:30pm, got up at 3:30, went back to bed at 4:30am & woke up at 8am – my longest sleep since the start of the diet.  Each day afterwards, I’ve taken 1 Advil with food 1-2 hours before bed.  It’s allowed me to sleep 8-10 hours per night after 2/25.
  • My lowest weight was 142lbs. and a BMI of 19.85.

Notable Meals this Week


Shrimp Avocado Salad (Mi Pueblo)

  • I admit it, I messed up on this meal.  I forgot to tell them to remove the cheese & put the avocado dressing on the side.  Other than that, the meal will full of good ingredients – avocado, shrimp, mixed greens, tomatoes, sunflower spouts (I was surprised to see that), and some other ingredients that I can’t remember.  The great news – no flare-ups…whew!
  • Mi Puelbo also has an organic menu & juices / smoothies that I will try next time.  Make sure to ask for it as I never saw this menu coming in.
Synopsis of Meal:  Large enough portion for a lunch.  If you’re still hungry (I was, but not too much), add in a juice / smoothie.  I can’t comment on the taste because I had those extra ingredients.  I would assume that it would taste good without the cheese & avocado dressing.

 

Day 22 to 6 Months – Week 5

Posted on by

Uniqueness of Week

  • When making a smoothie, do not add in orange peels with the oranges or too much ginger / turmeric root.  The oranges make the smoothie bitter + the ginger root is too strong.  The ginger root / turmeric slice should be no bigger than a 1/2″ and I usually cut my slice around a 1/4″.
  • I am switching my probiotic from the Good Belly Big Shot to the Garden of Life Probiotic for Men.  It has more probiotics, more strains of probiotics, and does not contain the rolled oats (which have starch) that the Good Belly does.  I will start off with taking one a day and increase the dosage as my gut accepts it.
  • Scientifically-Speaking:  The root of Ankylosing Spondylitis’s problem is the bacterium called the Klebsiella.  I just found out there is an antibiotic called Moxifloxacin that can kill most / all of it.  The downfall?  Although there are lots of side effects and issues, I’ll keep this as a “Plan J” kind of scenario.
  • I am getting more into Iodine testing for starches which is confirming all my reading.
  • Fish & mercury poisoning – The younger the fish and caught by trolling or by line usually contain much less mercury.  Think about it.  With all the bad “stuff” we have put in the water over the years, which fish would be most likely to keep it ingested – 100 year old grouper or a fish caught within the 1st years of it being born?
  • Lowest weight of the week was 141.5lbs. and a BMI of 19.88 (2/20/12).  A BMI of 18.5 is considered underweight.

My Health in Week 5

  • During the day I am seeing improvements in mobility due to Yoga, walking and Chiropractic exercises, especially throughout the day.  I am not following the chiropractic regiment as it tends to pull my neck out.  Sleeping (especially getting in/out of bed) tends to magnify the pulled-neck issue.
  • Sleeping continues to degrade by body & gets worse each day, but I’m adjusting my Sleep Number bed to low levels (25) on each side, then I tried one side harder (so I can sleep on my stomach part of the night), and rotate on all sides of my body.  The result does net me a few more hours of sleep between waking up, but my sides tend to hurt & getting out of bed is the hardest thing I do in my day.  On Saturday (2/18), I took 1/2 of a Naproxen along with Enbrel as I see the situation getting to the point of unbearable.  I almost made it to two weeks (Tuesday would be two weeks from the last shot).
  • 2/20 experienced less pain & inflammation due to the Enbrel, but developed a pulled neck.  Needed to take 1 Ibuprofen and heating pads to keep the pain manageable.

Notable Meals this Week


Steamed Asparagus with Salmon-Filled Yellow Pepper

  • Steamed Asparagus topped with Himalayan Sea Salt
  • Yellow Bell Pepper opened at the top / stem
  • Filling is a variation of my other salmon fillings.  This one consists of Wild Alaskan Salmon, 1 tomato chopped, 1 carrot, cut-up spinach, whole grain mustard, mayo, 1/2 of an avocado, lemon, ground pepper, basil & rosemary.
Synopsis of Meal:  Meal is quite delicious, mostly vegetables, and the filling can be used for another 2-3 days.

 

Godzilla Burrito at Chef Brooke’s Natural Cafe in Fort Myers

  • Collard Wrap loaded with sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, and a plethora of other ingredients
  • The sauce really makes the meal.  It’s a sesame & tamari mix that was so good I bought some to take home.  I highly recommend.

Italian Salad & Chicken Bryan at Carrabas

  • This is my big treat (and my favorite chicken meal) for being on the diet for over a month.  Although it was very delicious, the chicken was not as good as what I remember it to be.  Will I buy it again?  Oh yea…
  • Because I didn’t have any bread, there wasn’t enough food for me to eat.  I went over next door to Earth Origins market and ended up buying a 20-25 oz. smoothie  (mango, apple juice, blueberries, kale, spinach & frozen bananas)

Salad at Subway

  • Like most restaurants, Subway isn’t going to be organic, but it’s a great way to pick up something quick and healthy.  Just put the base of the salad with lots of spinach & add the ingredients you want.  At Subway, you can add as much as you want (that fits in the bowl).  I also suggest getting oil, vinegar, pepper & a little salt as the dressing.