Sarah and the Pain Monster

Every month, women across the globe get a visit from a hideous beast. Without care for plans, activities, or intentions, this denizen from Hell holds tight, draws blood, and causes excruciating pain.

I don't know why there is so much secret surrounding the Pain Monster. We hide our oversized bandages and body plugs from view, and hope we get a female cash register. We don't talk about it in company, as it is far from polite. All forms of media politely explain its presence as a monthly 'friend' and never, never get into vibrant detail of its 'friendship.' And you never..

Never.

Never.

Never.

NEVER DISCUSS IT WITH A MAN! That, above all, is the most cardinal of sins and disgusting of offenses. Men, after all, do not get such visits and therefore need naught be bothered by it. They put up with any unfortunate incidents such as tantrums and complaining that might occur during this time, for they are our ever stalwart heroes in this desperate time of need.

As I write this, I am currently enjoying my visit with Aunt Flo. The past few days have been horrid. However, as I lay in my bed bemoaning life, I realized something - whenever I have my period, I have really, really bad days. Why is this? Why does it seem that my world falls apart? Why does it seem that I crave the most horrid foods? Furthermore, why do I eat them?

Then, it hit me.

I am sure other people have had this realization, but it is a new one to me. It seems that during these times of physical pain, I unconsciously seek to compliment the tangible with the intangible by creating emotional pain. Recently, I have gone through a very difficult time emerging from an abusive relationship. As much as I intelligently realize that this relationship was the spawn of pure evil, I find myself craving contact with that person during this time. That, of course, makes me feel small and worthless, which creates emotional pain that goes perfectly with my physical pain. I seek 'comfort' foods, which then provides me more physical discomfort to partner with my pain. I insert myself into this spiral of frustration and hate, all because I am seeking to justify the physical pain of menstruation.

Now that I have embraced this realization, the next time my period begins, I will take this knowledge and recognize these destructive thoughts for what they are - an unconscious effort to wrap my body in pain.

I will observe these thoughts the next time they come, but push them away from my mind and into colorless space. I will honor my physical pain, as it is this pain that signifies the beauty of my body's ability to create life. Thank you for these realizations, and those to come!

Growing Speenach

So, I've officially decided to change my dining room into a green growing jungle of spinach. I am in the process of researching the how-to, and will post pictures of the upcoming transformation. I've also decided to do my own 30 Day Challenges - for fun! My first is to dance every day for 30 minutes a day..by myself or with my kids and husband! Maybe I will post those pictures or, heaven forbid, a video?

I'm still raw, I still love it, I'm still vibrantly giddy!

See you guys soon!

<3!

Smoocing!

Recently, I've felt extremely drawn to juicing. Hours upon hours have been dedicated to researching juicers; which is the best, and which is most cost appropriate. I thought I had decided on a Breville, but several close friends told me they have difficulty yielding a high amount of juice from their greens. If I was going on a fruit juice diet, that would be great - but it is my intention to do a high green juice feast! Back to the drawing board!

After talking with quite a few people that have done juice feasts and own a juicer, I've decided that I want an Angel Juicer 3500. The only drawback is it costs approximately 900 dollars and, well, I don't have 900 dollars quite yet. I have decided to tuck away $300 bucks a month for my juicer, but I still really, really wanted to juice.

I can't juice quite yet but I can smooce! Smooce? Smoocing is feasting upon smoothies! I have been taking in a pound to two pounds of greens a day while smoocing. This is my second smooce feast - the first lasted 24 hours and it was a breeze! I am going for 48 hours this time around. I have been alternating between kale and spinach smoothies. Mmmm.

I love kale, but it's definitely a bit gloppier than spinach. My baby spinach gives me a nice, smooth drink with little fiber grains. Kale is good because it reminds me to chew!

I may purchase nut milk bags and strain them, but right now - I'm really digging the smooce! If you're looking for a good way to get more organic greens in your diet, try it out!

Pimpin' Lavender

So, last night, Jeremy made me a piping hot cup of peppermint tea. While this was very kind of him, somehow I didn't quite hold the tea right as he gave it to me and..splash.

Ouch! It hurt like nothing I've ever experienced. (Obviously, I've not had my own children!) In the midst of my crying, I managed to tell my husband to get my lavender. Since then, I have applied the oil liberally every twenty minutes or so.

I wish, wish, wish I had taken pictures of my stomach and legs before and at 3-4 hour intervals. Last night, my skin was so red and angry as the blisters formed. Today, about 15 hours later, my skin is calm and the blisters are growing smaller. They do not even hurt. It is AMAZING.

I heart lavender.

Winner!

Things have been busy! Today was the last day José was with us, which although sad, was an ending to a fantastic month. We really enjoyed having him with us, most of all Ester - it's been quite a long time since she's been able to live with her biological brother. Keep your toes and fingers crossed for us to buy a home with at least four bedrooms in it so he can live with us!

I've spent a lot of time with the kids these past few days, which is always rewarding. Two things happened, independent of each other, which made me feel so vindicated. On Friday, my oldest foster daughter Aileen, made two beautiful fruit salads for me. We were going on a picnic with my parents and she wanted to make certain we all had something beautiful to eat. I was humbled at her thoughtfulness.







They were delicious^nth.

Then, today, Ester felt hungry and asked to make her very own smoothie. She put an apple, grapes, a banana, blueberries, strawberries, and spinach in it. It was yum! Best of all, it was HER idea, HER creativity - you can see the pride beaming on her face.





I feel like the universe has won. Healthy living is starting to become normal in our family. It nearly brings tears to my eyes. They want living, vibrant food. Ester, Aileen, and Jeremy go into our garden and pick a tomato off the vine and eat it like an apple. We serve all vegan meals at our home now. Supper is cooked, but that's fine - I am more than pleased to serve them.

It's finally started.

This post is to all of you who feel frustrated at the ridicule you feel from your friends and family. Be the change you want to see in the world, let the light of truth shine from your soul, and the warmth of acceptance be found in your embrace. Eventually, their fear of change will melt away. Keep your chin up and your pockets filled with sunshine.

<3

Sarah's Shorts - The China Study, Chapter Two

Thank you, sweet little monkey, for the inspiration to the title Sarah's Shorts. While it could be mistaken as pervertish, I think it adequately explains my version of Cliff's Notes.

Chapter Two touches the importance of protein in our society and the beginning of T. Colin Campbell's journey into his studies concerning how animal protein affects our bodies. He also explains the meanings of some common scientific terms, for which I, the science n00b, am eternally grateful.

Chapter Two

Protein, at its root, literally means 'of prime importance.' Since discovered in 1839, protein has taken nutritional science's center stage. The families that had the most money at the most meat, effectively eating the most protein. According to the public perception, protein equaled meat which equaled wealth. As I was writing this, I pondered to myself, "Self. I wonder where the phrase 'bringing home the bacon' started? Could it have something to do with this bias, Self?"

Well..

European peasants c. 1500's could only sometimes obtain or afford pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man 'could bring home the bacon.' They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat.”

Ha!

Voit, one of the first scientists to study protein, found that man only needed approximately 45g a day to live healthily, but recommended 118 grams a day. After all, isn't bigger better? You can't have too much of a good thing, right? (Wrong.) Rubner, on of Voit's students, stated, "a large protein allowance is the right of civilized man." This assertion continues, evidenced as I was asked if my husband still felt like a man after taking me to an all raw meal for our anniversary.

Another of Voit's students, Atwater, became the first director of the USDA and made an official recommendation of 125g of protein per day for a healthy American individual. And, of course, that protein simply had to come from meat. Yikes!

The Nitty Gritties of Protein

Fats, carbohydrates, and protein are macronutrients, meaning the make up most of the weight of the food we ate. Vitamins and nutrients are micronutrients, though are no less important despite their humble offering to the final heft of our food. Protein is extremely vital to the body; it functions as enzymes, hormones, structural tissues, and transport molecules. Proteins are made up of 15-20 amino acids, but eight of them are considered essential to make tissue proteins. If one of the essential amino acids is missing, protein synthesis is slowed or stopped until it becomes available to the body through digestion.

Protein quality is thought to mean that, upon digestion, the substance has the right kinds and amounts of amino acids needed to efficiently synthesize tissue proteins. Guess what is considered the highest 'quality' of protein replacement? Human flesh.

Uh, pass.

Animal proteins, therefore, are considered next highest in quality. Plant foods are considered 'low' quality because they may be lacking in one or more essential amino acids. However, as a group, they do contain everything our bodies need for protein synthesis.

In a perfect world, the highest quality of replacement protein would promote the best quality of health, but it does not. This misleading language confuses Americans. It is a common misconception that plants do not contain protein or one most create carefully matched meals to take in the appropriate amino acids. Not so, my loves. Not so. Plant food does indeed contain protein and the body allows for a slow and steady synthesis for our protein needs.

The Protein Gap

Studies upon studies, meetings upon meetings, and councils upon councils have discussed what-oh-what we should do about the protein gap. These well-meaning individuals have set out to combat hunger and malnutrition. A great majority of these individuals have focused on animal protein, however. The UN declared, "..by and large, the lack of protein is without question the most serious qualitative deficiency in the nutrition of developing countries. The great mass of the population of these countries subsists mainly on food derived from plants deficient in protein, which results in poor health and low productivity per man."

Yes, plants do not contain all the replacement amino acids needed to be strong and healthy. However, it is important to point out that in these countries, variety of plant food suffers. Instead of looking at ways to increase plant variety, many of our top scientists and schools worked diligently to provide the suffering masses with animal protein.

After obtain his graduate degree, this is where T. Colin Campbell began his work. Employed by Virginia Tech and with the help of many colleagues, he set out to the Phillipines to empower the mothers of malnourished children by forming 'mothercrafts,' self-help nutritional educational centers. It was agreed that the most appropriate form of protein would be found in peanuts, but that presented a bigger problem: peanuts are often contaminated with a fungus-produced toxin called aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is shown to promote liver cancer, and it known as the most potent chemical carcinogen ever discovered.

They set out on a two fold mission:

• To find out who was consuming aflatoxin
• How does aflatoxin affect the liver

In their studies, it was found that children were the most affected. However, the children that were affected were from the best-fed families, which ate a mostly western diet including large amounts of animal protein.

This whole time, it was assumed that the high cancer rate was due to the low intake of animal protein, but the children that consumed the most animal protein had the highest cancer rates!

Around the same time as Campbell made this startling discovery, an Indian research team published equally startling results. Two groups of rats were given equal levels of aflatoxin; one group was given a diet consisting of 5% animal protein, the other a diet consisting of 20% animal protein. In 30 days, the group eating the highest level of animal protein had liver cancer or its precursor lesions. The group eating the smallest amount of animal protein had no liver cancer and no precursor lesions.

The wheels in T. Colin Campbell's head began to turn.

The China Study, Chapter One

One of the most important books of all time is T. Colin Campbell's The China Study. If you have read the book, you already know why I make this bold statement. If you have yet to read the book, I cannot begin to beg and plead enough with you to immediately rush to your library, online or f'real bookstore, or enlightened friend and obtain this book.

I read this book approximately a month ago, and my life has never been the same. When I would have urges to 'cheat' on raw, I would always go to cheese with the misinformed thought that 'it can't be that bad.' Uh, false. This book explains clearly and specifically the dangers of animal protein and, best of all, the author backs it with his decades and decades of his own scientific research. T. Colin Campbell has little to gain, aside from the revenue from his book. The China Study is not filled with product placement or nudges to attend some expensive retreat. It is just information; pure, simple, stark, and frighteningly beautiful information.

For those who are still hesitant and clinging to their blocks of Romano, I have decided to write a Cliff's Notes version of each chapter. If what you read and in the posts to come naggle at some far corner of your brain, please do not deny your urge and purchase the book. Also, as the book was published in 1998, I have done a bit of research on my own to update the statistics to our current day. My notes will very much be in Sarah-speak, which pales against Campbell's succinct manner of presentation. Forgive me! (Or don't. I promise I won't cry.)((Too much.))

Chapter One

Heart Disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer's Disease, impotence (do I need to go on) can be largely PREVENTED and even REVERSED!! HOLY COW!



How? Lean close to your computer screen and I will tell you.

Psst.

Eat right and live a healthy lifestyle.

What?

No, seriously, that's it. The foods we eat largely determine our health. And, the sad fact is, we're not healthy. Despite spending twice more on health care than any other country, we are ranked 37th in the world for our health. It has been predicted that our health care costs will kick our face at the cost of 16 trillion dollars, and that 84% percent of our population will be overweight or obese.

In 1998, 12 million people had diabetes. Today, 24 million people have diabetes and 57 million people are prediabetic. 1 in 4 deaths in 2008 will be attributed to cancer. If you go to the American Cancer Society's web page, they make a small reference to cancer being linked to high amounts of ingested red meat, low intake of fruits and vegetables, and obesity. They never address animal protein as a whole and certainly do not tell you that animal protein is a promoter of cancer. Last year alone, 7000 Americans died from physician error, medication error, and adverse events. This touched my own family - my cousin's healthy father-in-law died after taking his PRESCRIBED medications. This is madness, truly. We do not have to suffer insulin injections, chemotherapy, and the crushing cost of medical care. Our families do not have to watch us deteriorate into bloated husks. What can we do to reverse this devastating prognosis?



Eat a diet of fruits and vegetables, devoid of all animal protein. The end.

How can Campbell make this assertion? 74 grant-years of research. With his colleagues, Campbell lead studies such as an investigation of liver cancer in Phillipine children and their consumption of a mold toxin, aflatoxin, a nationwide program of self-help nutrition centers for malnourished preschool children in the Phillippines, a study of dietary factors affecting bone density and osteoporosis in 800 women in China, a study of biomarkers that characterize the emergence of breast cancer, and a nationwide, comprehensive study of dietary and lifestyle factors associated with disease mortality in mainland China and Taiwan, known as the China Study. In fact, the China Study is still active over 20 years later! Campbell has nothing to sell - he markets no superfoods, leads no special and expensive retreats. In fact, he has the opposite beginning as the son of a dairy farmer. He spent most of his graduate work improving the 'quality' of dairy. It was this research, combined with the above studies, that unfolded the stark and frightening information surrounding our beloved animal protein.

Why do we not know this? Why isn't this information being shouted from the rooftops? To be honest, I am not too interested in the whole black helicopter government-is-out-to-get you approach. Neither is Campbell, but he does make a few damning points from his experiences on government and private councils. It's enough for even a dismissive cynic like me to raise an eyebrow.

Another reason is that science is obsessed with oversimplifying our health - they try to pinpoint it to a single vitamin or nutrient and miss the point - plant-based foods in their whole forms give us an intricate symphony of vitamins and nutrients. One instrument is not enough to complete the whole song.

A final reason is that we are drowned with twits out to profit from our sheepish desperation for health. We can eat limitless bacon and cheese and be healthy? REALLY!? (No.) Some of the most influential weight loss programs are based on NO scientific fact and are developed by salesmen with NO nutrition training. Ticket for one on the failbus, plz.

The solution to our health is simple. It does not require pills, supplements, or surgeries. It only requires that we take responsibility for our own health and make informed decisions. Hippocrates once stated, "There are, in effect, two things: to know and to believe one knows. To know is science. To believe one knows is ignorance."