Just Keep Swimming

I swam 30 laps again last night. It didn't feel quite as good as before but it was still light-years ahead of what is now "the olden days." I attribute this new-found stamina to my diet change. There has been a drastic change in stiffness, or rather the lack of. It used to take me about a minute to adjust once I stood up from sitting a long time. Not so anymore. Hallelujah!! My co-workers were beginning to make old-folks type of comments.

Some of the recipes I have experimented with lately have been egg-less egg salad (with lots of tumeric to give it the deviled egg appearance), cauliflower couscous salad (bear in mind, there was no coucous in the salad; you process the cauliflower to look like couscous), tomato basil soup (yum-mo), and raw almond milk ( 1 cup of almonds made a little more than four cups of milk).

I will be learning how to post pictures along with recipes thanks to my daughter sending me her hand-me-down digital camera and to my patient friend, Danielle.

I will also be posting better pictures of me as I progress in my weight loss and improved health. Stay tuned.

Swimming Like a Champ

I swim 25 laps at least three times a week normally. During the past few weeks, I've usually only made it to the pool once. On Sunday, I swam 21 laps (that's continuous, no breaks). I discovered I had a cheering section once I had showered and changed. A sixty-five-year-old woman and her husband were walking the indoor track which is on the floor above the pool. The walkers can see the pool from one part of the track. Anyway, she and her husband were impressed, assuring themselves that I must be in excellent shape. (I'm not, in my own opinion.) She has had both knees replaced and needed encouragement to switch from walking to swimming.

Okay, back to my point ... I swam 21 laps on Sunday. Last night I swam 30!! I could have gone on and on, if it weren't for a slight discomfort in my right shoulder ( I had done strength training the night before.) I am attributing the increase in stamina to the switch to raw foods. When I got home, I still had lots of energy; I never felt sleepy. I just finally turned out the light around 11:45 pm., just because. This is really great!!

Raw Food - Progress Report

Are you wondering how I'm doing? Well, just great. I've lost 2.2 pounds since Friday morning and I don't have any cravings, yet, oddly enough.

What do I eat? Well, so far, I usually have a green smoothie for breakfast (more later on that), then for the rest of the day I eat salads, fruit, mock tuna or live burgers (more later on that, too) as a sandwich with raw soup or packed in a tomato. I've only drank tea and water so far except for a wine cooler Saturday night.

I don't miss coffee or meat. This is really too good to be true.

Oh, as far as the stiffness I was experiencing...I haven't had a bit of problems. No stiffness at all!!! I haven't taken an anti-inflammatory since last Friday.

I'm spending a lot of time reading recipe books right now and I am excited about trying new recipes. As soon as my daughter sends me her hand-me-down digital camera, I be able to take some pics of my creations. Stay tuned.

Going Raw

I've been experiencing stiffness in my knees and then all over for the last three months. In September, my knees felt like they did when I tore my meniscus a few years ago. Something was whacked.

At the time, I had been taking some herbal supplements (prescribed by a naturopathic doctor about one month before onset of the symptoms), so I stopped and concentrated on supplements for joints. The condition improved, so I started the herbal supplements again. It really is a long story so I'll just cut to the chase.

My naturopathic doctor interpreted one of my blood test as indicating kidney damage; my GP repeated the test and said I'm fine. He ordered me to stop taking the herbal supplements to which at this point I was in total agreement. I suspect the supplements contributed to what's going on in my body.

Anyway, I'm still experiencing stiffness so after some thought, I've decided to switch to raw foods. I've read a lot about it and believe I can relieve this stiffness by changing my blood pH through this diet change. I will be experimenting with different recipes and will share those that I think are delish. Here's one, so far.

Mock Tuna Salad

For the salad:
3 cups of soaked raw sunflower seeds, ground in a food processor
3 to 4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bunch scallions, diced
2 tablespoons dulse flakes
1/4 cup dried dill

For the dressing:
1 1/2 cups Thai coconut water
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts, cashews, pine nuts, or a combination
1/2 cup stone-ground mustard

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the salad ingredients and toss to mix.
In a high-speed blender, combine all of the dressing ingredients and blend thoroughly. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to mix well and serve.

Serves 4.

Notes: Soak the sunflower seeds in water for 2 to 4 hours. Drain and dry.
Dulse is a sea vegetable and can be found at Good Foods Co-op.
I didn't have any scallions and used a little diced onion instead.
I think scallions will be better.
I made half of this recipe using half of the garlic; I would use less garlic
next time. I used cashews for the dressing. It is absolutely delish.
I used coconut milk since I didn't find any coconut water.
And finally, even though I like dill I did not and would not use as much as
the recipe recommends.

I had this on a bed of salad greens and sliced tomato for lunch. Excellent.
At another time, I made a sandwich. It was as good as tuna salad for me.

Giving Thanks

I try to remember during this time of year to give thanks and reflect on the reasons for our celebrations. It is easy to get lost in preparation decisions, such as to brine or not to brine the turkey, what sides should I prepare, do I dare to plan to exercise on Thursday, etc. But today, sitting in front of my computer and prompted by a friend's blog, I am pausing to give thanks:

For a loving family and loyal friends

For a good-paying job and friendly workplace

For a good church and pastors who preach the uncompromising word of God

For being born and living in this country, where I can and do vote, where I can walk the streets without threat of armed troops and bombs, where I sleep soundly in peace

For my daughter (whom I was sure I had failed to raise to be a decent, responsible human being) who has proved me wrong a hundred times over in the last year

For Jesus Christ, my savior. Yeah, corny, isn't it?

Take time to give thanks. It's the pathway to the gates of heaven.(Ps. 100:4)

They Called Him a Drunk!

I have a friend who chastises me for not posting more frequently. Sometimes, I just don't have anything to share; other times I just want to keep my thoughts to myself. So why have a blog?, you ask. I have no good response. I think I'll just have to get over myself. My biggest fear is being labelled a heretic because of my musings on scriptures. Today is one of those days.

Many times, I have heard preached from the pulpit that Jesus did not drink wine. Each time I heard that, certain scriptures would come to mind that seemed to contradict that judgement. Last night I read yet one more - Matthew 11:19 - where Jesus, himself, said, "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners..." What was he drinking that would have others call him a drunkard? It wasn't Kool-Aid. Another scripture is John 2:9-10, describing Jesus turning water into wine, "When the host of the wedding tasted the water that had become wine (he didn't know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew) he called out to the bridegroom, 'Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now'" Again, I say, he is not describing Kool-Aid.

So what's my point? I think we need to read scripture with the understanding Jesus came to earth as a man. He was tempted in every way we that we are, BUT without sin.(Hebrew 4:15)He came to earth to show us how we may live. (John 10:10) But I think we'll miss all He was trying (and is still trying) to teach us if we look at the scriptures through eyes of a Pharisee. We make rules about drinking wine and then make Jesus conform to that rule. I've always thought it rather humorous that drinking is not permitted but gluttony is. Ever noticed how many overweight Christians there are? One "sin" is not worse than another. There is no hierarchy. Besides if you are going to live your life by The Law, as soon as you break one law you are guilty of breaking them all.(James 2:10)

Did Mary Really Know?

As I read Luke, chapters 1 through 3 today, I paused to reflect about Mary. In the second chapter of Luke, I read that Mary and Joseph were fulfilling purification laws dating back to the days of Moses. They presented Jesus to the priests, offering him back to God as required of firstborn sons. There was this guy (named Simeon) in the temple who had been praying and awaiting something spectacular. When Mary and Joseph appeared with their baby, Simeon "knew" his waiting was over. He prophesied over Jesus; Mary and Joseph were amazed. Why were they amazed?

Gabriel himself had visited Mary to tell her what was going to happen to her. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to marry Mary in spite of her pre-marital prenancy. Mary's cousin, Elizabeth (while pregnant with John) calls her the "mother of my Lord." Shepherds visited Mary and Jesus while he was still a baby, led there by heralding angels. Scholars, led by a star and confirmed by Herod's inquiry of high priests and scholars, brought gifts when he was a child, presumably close to two years of age. And then, Mary and Joseph were "surprised" once again when Jesus himself (at the age of 12) told them he was tending to his "Father's" business.

How can all this happen and yet have a mother not really know who her son was?

I'm trying to put myself in her place. Okay, so an angel comes to me telling me I am going to get pregnant without intercourse. Okay, so I don't argue with the angel. If my old cousin Elizabeth can get pregnant, so can I, if God says so. Besides, the angel said in so many words, this son of mine is going to be a ruler (think worldly, not spritually). So what do I do now? I know! Run! So I go to visit my old pregnant cousin for 3 months. When I return to Bethlehem, I've got to realize by then I'm pregnant; I've missed three periods. I tell Joseph. He seeks to put me away privately until God tells him in a dream it's okay to marry me because my pregnancy is His idea.

So from this point on, I have to imagine being pregnant but not by the man I've married. I imagine a kind of loneliness. Think about it! Who can I discuss this with? Joseph married me, but does he share my joy and uncertainty? When the baby kicks in my womb, do I run to him and place his hand on my belly? Surely, the neighbors are talking and counting the months on their fingers. We just got married; how can I be so big with child?

So comes the time to give birth. I am still in wonder. Is this really going to happen? What is this baby going to look like? Will Joseph love him, too? The baby is born. He looks normal. Shepherds pay a visit. Angels told them about my son? Why? Have I forgotten the angel's exact words by now? Maybe. Because a few days later when we go to the temple and Simeon prophesied over him, I am amazed. My son is really going to be great?

So now, fast-forward through a fearful move to Egypt; dealing with sleepless nights with a crying, pooping baby; endless "diaper" changes; teaching him to walk and talk; weaning him; and dealing with a pre-teen runaway. I think just like us, Mary got lost in the day-to-day cares of living. I think, because she was mothering a human being, not a "God with us", she could only partly "know" who Jesus was. I think day-to-day concerns overpowered what little she understood of the words delivered by the angel.

It's easy for us in our day and time, sitting comfortably in our easy chairs reading the gospels to clearly "get it." But Mary didn't have scripture from the New Testament laid before her to read and examine. And I believe her revelation was limited. So, I've decided to cut her some slack.

I wonder what revelations would unfold if I had the opportunity to read the gospel of my life.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. Luke 2:19, 51