Made it through the first week, 51 to go, ha ha ha! I woke up the morning of Day 8 feeling like I wanted to hit the snooze button. We’re back to waking earlier for lessons (school resumed) and for ice time (to the rinks we go). We’ve stayed up really late, and slept in during the break. This morning I got to “pay the piper” when the alarm sounded. Ugh. I will say that despite not getting enough sleep, I wasn’t as groggy as normal. Hooray!

Something I’ve noticed over this past week is that my stomach is significantly flatter. No, I don’t have “abs of steel” shining through just yet, but it’s sticking out far less. Not only do I have “less tumbly”, but, to quote Winnie the Pooh, I have less “rumbly in my tumbly”. Pooh may be referring to hunger, but I’m talking about digestion issues. A terrible thing happens when our digestive system bogs down. Actually, many terrible things occur, like irritable bowl, constipation, and mucus buildup (which hampers nutrient absorption)… just to name a few.

Plants (fruits and veggies) digest much faster than overt fats (nuts, seeds, avocado) and animal products (flesh and secretions). These latter two categories actually slow down digestion, with the last category slowing it down the most. Notice I didn’t even touch on processed foods like chips, french fries…etc. Those don’t just slow down digestion, they offer little (if any) nutritional value.

I found an interesting post, 5 Tips for Perfect Raw Digestion, that may be helpful to some. Even if you eat animal products, this might help you plan your meals to aid in digestion. Since most ailments stem from “the gut”, it’s wise to do the best you can to ensure things function properly. I can personally attest to these tips working wonders. This information is largely the reason I’ve changed my tactics since the last time I attempted to eat LFRV. I hope this information helps. May we all be less “rumbly” and “tumbly”!

Are you looking to make some changes in 2013? Check out The Journey for more information.

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What I read: Job 17-20

What I ate:

• Breakfast – Ten oranges juiced with electric citrus juicer
• AM Snack – 7 Medjool dates
• Lunch – 10 Bananas blended with 8oz of water – YUM!
  
• Dinner – 1/2 large watermelon, 1 pound of romaine, 2 cups of golden tomatoes with fruity dressing (2 cuties, 1 cup of grapes, parsley, & cilantro blended together) – also, I tasted a teeny tiny bit of the creamy mushroom sauce I made up from things I had in the house, because some of the cooked vegans weren’t giving great reviews. My eight year old helped me make it and she tasted it so that I wouldn’t have to (she liked it). Well, the reaction from a couple of them (eh hem, the Husband, who is not a picky eater) meant I needed to see if it tasted bad enough to fix something else for dinner. It didn’t (was pretty good actually and I don’t care for mushrooms). I guess they are still a bit traumatized by the “vegan Alfredo” we had for Christmas dinner, and the “creamy” part reminded them of that. Yes, the Alfredo was “yuck” and we all had tummy aches after eating it.
  
• Note to self – did not buy enough bananas, or grape tomatoes, or cuties to last a week 😦

Here are the notes I made regarding my symptoms throughout Day 8:

• slowed digestion (gas, abdominal pain, bloating) – significantly better
  
• headaches – slight headache before bed
  
• puffy hands, feet, and face (thank you, salt)
  
• sinus congestion – very little
  
• dry/itchy eyes, skin, and scalp – Very itchy
  
• acne – clearing
• aching muscles and muscle spasms – a little spasm in my eye lid, but not as much as usual
  
• foggy brain – clearing
• irritability – better
  
• mood swings – better
  
• blood sugar fluctuations
  
• fatigue, but unable to sleep well – slept ok, but didn’t get enough
  
• unquenchable thirst (again, thank you, salt) – better
  
• cravings – None.