Had a moment to paste this link to an Iron test you can order yourself

Iron test you order yourself

What are the symptoms of anemia?


Anemia can make you feel tired, fatigued, weak, dizzy, irritable, short of breath or depressed. With anemia, you may also have pale skin, brittle nails, chest pain, a coldness in your hands or feet, or an irregular heartbeat. Some people with anemia also have a desire to eat ice or other peculiar things, experience sexual dysfunction, or have trouble concentrating or performing mental tasks.

Read on...

I can't keep up this blog

My life changed drastically on the 12th of February. That morning I got a call from my brother in Florida that my mother was in the hospital. He was vague, but mentioned a brain tumor. I packed for me and my daughter and left San Francisco that evening. I didn't sleep except a few hours on the plane, and here and there in the chair in the hospital, until she got out on Thursday, the 17th of February. She has a Glioblastoma and the bulk was removed on the 14th. Most people die of this within a couple years and it ain't pretty for the person or the care givers. We are going to do the radiation and chemo as this will give her a better quality of life and the down hill journey will be short, otherwise it's a long, drawn out decline. Then again, some people go into remission and some have lived 3-10 years. However, life for the sake of breathing is stupid and painful, so we will not be doing extraordinary means to extend a shitty life. It's been difficult to say the least. My husband has shipped nearly all my stuff and my car is being shipped tomorrow on a truck. He's coming over by mid April after he unloads the rest of our stuff and his.

She's on a modified diet that consists of my vegan cooking but she eats her fish and dairy (not much though) and she likes her sugar. I can't force a strict diet, she's just humoring me. This cancer diet "http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/budwig_protocol.html" has some promise, but I can't make Mom follow it strictly. So I do what I can hoping that quality will be more enhanced. On the days she's on the flax organic cottage cheese she seams sharper. I gave her flax in the hospital and within a half hour she said she was thinking better. Also probiotics, after a week of using a walker and not thinking well, I gave her a huge salad, 1/2 cup of prune juice, a super green smoothie, and 4 times the dose of probiotics and she had a big bowel movement, right after she was not needing the walker and wanted to go back to work. One of the main problems is not so much the tumor, it's the pharmaceuticals. The side effects are fucking horrible, especially the steroid to keep the edema down. This stuff increases cortisol and her muscles have really deteriorated. Plus the Kepra and the Dexamethasone combo has made her weak and she can only sleep 4 hours a day with the aid of Atavin. Honestly if this is the life, then fuck this. She is fairing better because she had a lot of muscle to start and I'm giving her lots of Plant Fusion, super green food, and soon I'm starting her on L-Glutamine, probably 10g a day or more to counter the effects of the cortisol and muscle break down.

We all have an unknown quality and quantity of life left in us.

The red tape is another story, it's fucking evil the Cobra plan and all the paperwork. Plus there will be legal battles because the company she worked for didn't put her on a medical leave of absence, they "quit her". They didn't fire her and she didn't tender a resignation, so she lost her group plan. Really fishy. The Chemo alone is 6,000 per month, every month. This is supposed to be picked up by her Cobra, but we are having authorization issues. It should be approved on Monday. I have never been more stressed in my life, except when my baby was in the hospital for 5 weeks, but that was 5 weeks, this may go on for years.

Hair Loss on the Vegan Diet

This is all conjecture as there is no proof of any of the stuff I'm going to write here. Definitive nutritional studies of a subculture are not forthcoming in the near future, so we have to wing it to some extent, don't we?

Here's couple basic theories taken from other theories. One of the main reasons I think there's hair loss is low iodine levels due to the fact that the vegan diet can be high in soy which depletes iodine levels. So does raw broccoli, raw brussels sprouts, raw cauliflower, and raw cabbage. You don't need much iodine, but lack of it can lead to hair loss among other health issues. The other thing is that breads and pastas play heavily in some vegan diets, and other diets as well. Pasta and bread are low in l-lysine. Having low levels of that amino can also contribute to hair loss. I didn't know that until yesterday. In addition to that, there's Bromine in a lot of baked goods, Bromine appears to reduce the levels of iodine too. And on top of that, iron levels can be low on the vegan diet, and that too affects hair loss.

Certain nutrients in kelp, such as iron and the essential amino acid l-lycine, directly affect hair growth. Deficiencies in iron and l-lysine can impact hair loss in otherwise healthy individuals, according to Dr. David Rushton at the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, in a 2002 literature review published in the journal Clinical Experimental Dermatology. In studies conducted in women, Rushton reported a significant proportion of subjects with hair shedding responded to l-lysine and iron therapy. Kelp's high iodine content may also contribute to claims it can help hair grow. Conditions related to iodine deficiency, such as hypothyroidism and goiter, can cause hair loss and thinning, according to thyroid.org.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/158317-kelp-for-hair-growth-does-it-work/#ixzz1DV8QKe5N

Now before you go eating kelp, and popping iron supplements, please read the rest of the article so you can avoid having too much iodine. You don't need much. Also, do your very best to get complete proteins so that you are not low on l-lysine.

Here's a link to foods high in iron, scroll down for the veg foods:
http://libraries.umdnj.edu/camlbweb/hrc/documents/IRON_RICH_DIET.pdf

Take vitamin C with your iron rich food to increase absorption. Kale has both vitamin C and iron in it.

http://www.vegfamily.com/whole-family/kale.htm

This is how I personally get iron, l-lysine, and iodine:

Iron: Kale. A lot of it because I love it.

L-Lysine: I look for complete proteins in vegan foods here: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein/

Iodine: I use ancient mineral salt with naturally occurring iodine and I eat nori about once a month (I wrap hummus in it and it is so good).

Both Kals Brand and Red Star Nutritional Yeast have excellent protein profiles, in particular Lysine

Kals: http://www.vitacost.com/Kal-Nutritional-Yeast-Flakes

In this brand, there's 918 mg of Lysine in three rounded tablespoons. There's also a lot of B vitamins. Since I became vegan, I use Red Star or Kals every day. I would have to estimate that I eat about 1/4 cup of it mixed into soups, sprinkled on salads, added to scramble, and also sprinkled on all vegetables. I love the stuff.

Red Star: http://truefoodsmarket.com/nutritional-yeast-large-flake-1-lb.html

You can make soup bases, dips, and sauces with nutritional yeast.

Here's a dip that I make frequently:

1/2 cup of Nutritional Yeast
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon more or less of iodized salt. I use the ancient mineral stuff.
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon dijon
1/2 cup raw cashews (bits and pieces are dry, but you can work with them if you soak them for a little while in water)
1/8 cup water

Process till smooth.

Spice it up more and add roasted red peppers and/or avocado. I water this down for a salad dressing or soup base. I make a sauce for veggies and thicken it with blended Northern white beans or arrow root. Sometimes I use beans in replacement of the cashews and omit the dijon. I also water down homemade hummus to use as dressings and sauces. Whatever I have around. You can add some (a couple drops) of liquid smoke to this dip, it is wonderful.

Notes from low carbing it and another low carb vegan snack

So far I made a mistake (which would happen on any diet) and didn't keep up on my electrolytes, so these days I drink an EmergenC packet with water. I was getting charley horses three nights in a row. Thankfully, my husband mentioned potassium and that got me thinking and googling. I immediately felt better after drinking the EmergenC and haven't had the cramps again. Usually I don't get them, but we ran out of bananas and I went a few days without a banana in my protein/green smoothie. We got a bunch at Trader Joe's yesterday, but they are still green. Once they are ripe, I'll freeze them.

As you might know, I'm a plant eater for the health of the animals. Fortunately my body digs this diet filled with greens and beans. I'm eating lots of vegetables, mushrooms, tempeh, and various sauces that I make myself. Once you know how to make sauces, and they are easy to make (especially Asian sauces), then you can eat the same stuff over and over again and not get bored.

However, I like tasty snacks. My new favorite low carb snack is:

1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
1/4 cup walnuts or cashews
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Some roasted red peppers
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
1/4 cup water (use less if the mixture is spreadable)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon mineral salt

Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Spread on a low carb tortilla and cook it in a pan until golden on both sides. I use coconut oil on the pan and lightly salt the pan too.

Then I serve it with fresh avocado and/or salsa. Really good!

I got the dehydrator (as a birthday gift from my Mother) a few days ago and have been, and am still, booked up with design work so I haven't set it up yet. This weekend I'm going to start! I'm excited. You wouldn't know it from this blog, but I'm a web designer/developer at dropSoul.com (just me).

Since I started this new low carb diet about 3-4 weeks ago, I'm down about 11 pounds from where I started. In the last 2.5 years, I lost 60 lbs. gained back 20 lbs., but I was still lifting heavy and eating a lot (too much pasta, but still a lot of protein), so some of that has to be muscle. I would like to get down smaller, but I have more muscle, so even if I lose less, I'll fit my size 4 clothing again without bulge. I dislike clothes shopping. I get all my clothing at consignment boutiques and second hand shops, so I can't re-buy my favorites ever again. I take good care of them and even got natural dyes at Dharma Trading company to re-dye them when they fade. I did this with some blacks in a 5 gallon pot, it works great!

Low carb Vegan Snack Idea

This is my favorite snack:

Tofu Life brand smoked tofu (http://tofu-life.com/) tastes like gouda cheese almost. It is good even without comparing it to gouda. Since I haven't had gouda in about 6 years now, I can't give you an accurate evaluation either way.


18 g of protein in 1/2 the block (which is all you need, it's really rich)
3 carbs


Flax crackers by Foods Alive (http://www.foodsalive.com/original.php):

6 g of protein
Carb 11 - Fiber 11 = 0 net carbs

Water. You have to drink extra water because the more fiber you have the more packed your intestines will be if you don't.

Once I get the dehydrator, I'm making my own flax crackers and kale/nutritional yeast chips!

What to do with Kale?

Here's a quick copy and paste job from a Facebook post I made regarding what to do with kale if you don't have a dehydrator (which I'm getting as soon as I return from Florida).


I just clean it, chop it (stems and all) and steam in the following broth:

1 teaspoon ancient mineral salt with naturally occurring iodine
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 to 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup of water
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil

Then the broth is used as a soup starter, to make a dressing, or drink it.

Another idea is:

Pulse washed, rinsed raw kale (stems and all) in the food processor to release the natural sugars and reduce bitterness. Then add some red and orange veggies too. Carrots and red peppers.

Serve with chick pea dressing I slap together:

1 can rinsed chickpeas soaked in water for 10 min. then rinsed again
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon. ancient mineral salt with naturally occurring iodine
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice

Process until smooth.

It should be dressing consistency if not, add more water in smallish amounts.

8 lbs! lost in a few weeks: Cinnamon, Lowish Carb, Highish Protein, High Intensity Interval Training...

I'm heading out to Florida in a couple days so I don't have the time right now to list out all the recipes and the different products I'm using for low-ish carb, high-ish protein, medium fat (or low, it just depends on what works for you and you alone), vegan food. This is not gluten or soy free, but it's mostly tempeh, lots of greens (kale), and my Plant Fusion (a very excellent protein profile without limiting amino acids and has BCAAs to help protect my muscles) protein smoothies.

Here's the recipe for the Plant Fusion smoothie:

1 1/2 scoops of Plant Fusion*
8 oz. Plain Almond Milk
2-4 oz. Cold Water
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon 3/6/9 Oil
1/2 tablespoon Vitamineral Green super food
1/2 to 1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon (yes, it's a lot) of Ceylon Cinnamon (this is a sweet, not bitter, real cinnamon)

*30 g of protein. I like to get 20 - 30 g per meal x 5 low cal (200-250) meals to make it about 1000 - 1100 calories a day but without hunger due to the protein levels. This is what works for me.

Blend until smooth, scrape the sides. Add small amounts of water to get it to thin out as you like it.

Why Cinnamon?

It provides an excellent metabolism boost among other major benefits. My mother is an RN and has recommended it to people with type 2 Diabetes, they don't have to take insulin anymore. Women suffering from PCOS (like I used to before I lost the weight) have taken it and have conceived afterwards. I feel that cinnamon combined with resistance, high intensity interval training and high plant protein with low-ish refined carbs (I eat all the greens I want) has had amazing results for me.

Cinnamon and Glucose
In a study conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, scientists isolated the insulin-enhancing elements in cinnamon in order to determine if they could work effectively with glucose intolerance. The research showed that the phytochemical extracts of epicatechin, phenol and tannin contained in cinnamon helped increase the metabolism of glucose "20 fold." According to Dr. Richard A. Anderson, who conducted the study, consuming approximately ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day can help balance blood sugar levels, along with cholesterol and triglycerides with no side effects.

In an article published in the American Diabetes Association's "Diabetes Care," a study created by Alam Khan, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Anderson's lab, corroborated that cinnamon is able to improve conditions in blood glucose type 2 diabetes. He divided 60 people with the disease into groups, with some taking daily doses of cinnamon and others taking a placebo. After 40 days, those consuming cinnamon showed a marked positive change in glucose levels. Once the diabetics stopped taking cinnamon, their blood sugar levels rose again.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/110751-cinnamon-glucose-levels/#ixzz1AH8ot0nq

Stress: Vitamin C abolished secretion of cortisol in animals that had been subjected to repeated stress.

This is not necessarily related to the vegan diet, but since I have been fat for so long and then lost 60 lbs. and then gained back 20 lbs (some of it is muscle, so I think I think 17 lbs. of fat loss would be great for me) I'm keen on sharing what I find that will help lower cortisol levels.

I'm doing similar things to what I did before to lose the fat, but it's not working nearly as well as it did before, in my opinion. Among other things, such as the body's homeostasis, I think the big difference is stress. Think about being in love, deeply infatuated love. I was high for nearly two years and felt zero stress. Nothing. This was when the worst economic problems hit the fan and I lost $8,000 a year from a client who went in the dumper business wise. Yet, it didn't phase me and I was always up and happy. I also got more business to replace it, not as great, but pretty good. It made me realize that if your mind is happy, your body responds, and your life manifests as if God Himself is handing over a silver platter of your needs just as you need it. Trust in the Universe is a huge stress relief, I think.

I'm having difficulty being in a climate (I long for the tropics in my bones) and I'm experiencing personal, work, and faith issues that are stressful to say the least.

Copy and paste job:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200210/vitamin-c-0

People who have high levels of vitamin C do not show the expected mental and physical signs of stress when subjected to acute psychological challenges. What's more, they bounce back from stressful situations faster than people with low levels of vitamin C in their blood.

In one study German researchers subjected 120 people to a sure-fire stressor -- a public speaking task combined with mental math problems. Half of those studied were given 1,000 mg of vitamin C.

Such signs of stress as elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol and high blood pressure were significantly greater in those who did not get the vitamin supplement. Those who got vitamin C reported that they felt less stressed when they got the vitamin.

The researchers believe that vitamin C should be considered an essential part of stress management.

Earlier studies showed that vitamin C abolished secretion of cortisol in animals that had been subjected to repeated stress. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Once it gets into the bloodstream, it is responsible for relaying the news of stress to all parts of the body and mind.

Cortisol is the hormone, for example, that triggers the fight or flight response to stress that allows us to spring into action when we sense danger. But like many emergency-alert systems, the stress response comes at a considerable cost.

Among other effects, frequent exposure to high levels of stress hormones exhausts the body's physical resources, impairs learning and memory, and makes people susceptible to depression.

In the animal studies, vitamin C fed to rats undergoing stress prevented the expected increase in cortisol levels. In addition, it prevented the animals from exhibiting the known signs of physical and emotional stress, including loss of body weight.