This is officially week two of eating a primarily macrobiotic diet, so I'm wanting to share a few notes about what kind of an effect it's having on the family and our health.
First, I really can't believe how clean my body feels. I've done box cleanses and liquid fasts in the past and I haven't felt this sort of clean before. I've lost about 5 pounds unintentionally, which seems very quick. If I were at my pre-pregnancy weight, I think I might be freaking out a little bit. If I do hit that mark, then I may try to take in some more fats. What I actually think is happening is that my body and it's chemistry are falling into balance.
This is the 24th day since the bronchitis (stage 2) hit, and I'm finally feeling like the cough is drying up and losing it's power. My energy is coming back, and with the exception of the coughing jags in the morning and at night, I feel almost normal during the day.
I've decided to send back the other book and use only the Self-Healing Cookbook, by Kristina Turner. I LOVE this cookbook!! It has been a sacred tool in my hands since I decided to heal myself with food instead of going the western medical route. I'm also full of gratitude for friends who've made themselves available to answer my questions. Support is half of the healing equation, don't you think?
I began testing my ph about 10 days ago and it took two days of adding in alkalinizing foods to my diet before it corrected itself back to 7.0, I was acid at 6.0, so this is a very good step toward healing. Each day I put a little traditionally-fermented tamari soy sauce (or shoyu) on my steamed dark, leafy greens. I also eat a pinch or two of a pickled umeboshi plum (like a wet, japanese saladito) after one of my daily meals, and I also drink the Kukicha twig tea (made from the stems of green tea leaves, so a teensy bit caffeinated), which serves to alkalinize, as well.
Speaking of caffeine, I'd been off of coffee and even green tea at home since this thing began. Yet I'd been stopping in for chai lattes several times a week (black tea, milk AND sugar). I have a love affair with chai latte. It's my comfort drink and whatever is going on, I always feel soothed by it. I don't think I even realized the effect it was having on me, sadly. (Dear Chai Latte, I will find a healthier way back to you, I promise...)
I digress. Here is the most amazing thing of all. I haven't been experiencing any irritability or stress since I've been eating and drinking macro. I feel tired from the sickness and worn through from staying up with Ivy, who now has the cough the worst. But I'm not feeling that yin urgency, the frequent rush of frustration that comes with running hither and yon for two small ones and just chasing life in general.
I have to say that it's easier for me to palate warm vegetables than endless bowls of grains. So what I have been doing at times is adding my rice to the soup or eating millet at my breakfast cereal with a bit of rice milk in it and a tiny spoonful of maple syrup mixed in. I haven't yet been able to put tamari in my breakfast millet! I prefer cooked brown rice over millet at this point, but I'm trying to love millet as much. It's so cute, it really does deserve to be on my plate more.
Brandon is totally into it, so that makes it all so much nicer and easier. Here is some tamari and asparagus brown rice, somen noodles, and purple cabbage and carrot slaw that he made for us one night last week when I didn't feel up to cooking:
Next check-in, I'll be a bit more specific about what I'm eating and maybe include a bit of info from Kristina Turner's book. Tonite I'm trying a recipe for a carrot cookie, which I think might go well with the root soup and boy choy/bean dish we're having for dinner.
Healing is happening on many levels within myself and my family, and I love that I'm now eating in a way that feels supportive of that.
This concludes my macro update!
