I am new to this group and look forward to getting to know you all better. I currently have FMS and will be getting tested for MS as soon as I get the guts to use my referral and set my appointment.
We are all on this journey to better health and less pain. It's great and also sad that we are not alone. I believe in the medications I am on, but I also know there is more I can do to help myself. The first thing is my attitude. I work hard to stay positive. You all know how hard that can be! I am also cleaning up what I put into my body for nutrients. Food is power and healing. I have found inspiration in a few documentaries. Hungry for Change, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, and May I Be Frank are a few who have inspired me.
I have been vegetarian since early January. I still have my bad days (weeks) where the pain tries to take over my psyche, but I know I am helping my body from the inside out. My ultimate food goal is to become vegan and to only put into my body what it needs.....not what I want to taste.
Juicing has also been a part of my life for almost two years now. I use the juice as a meal replacement and see it is a way to mainline nutrients into my body. It's quite delicious and worth a try if you haven't done so.
As I learn more and try new recipes, I would be happy to share the one's I love. I try to make dishes that are easier to make. When I share recipes with you, I will let you know if they are more labor intensive. I feel this is important because many of us can only spend so much time on our feet cooking before we are in too much pain to continue.
Sending love, understanding and gentle hugs to you all!
This recipe is delicious and has a little bit of a spicy flavor. You can make them a bit less spicy by reducing the crushed pepper. I increased this recipe x6 and froze the patties. They thaw out easily and stay intact. This recipe can be a bit labor intensive because of all the steps involved. Please make sure you have a food processor. Using a blender for this recipe is not advised. Trust me on this one.
These burgers are high in calories, but the source of the calories is pure goodness! Enjoy and please let me know what you think after you have tried them.
I am new to this forum too. I think it is awesome that you are working so hard on nutrition! This is one area that I want to improve, and I would really love to get some of your recipes, especially the easiest ones. I have 2 children and am so fatigued most of the time, that cooking healthy all the time is difficult.
What type of juicer do you use? A doctor recently told me that I really need to get a slow masticating juicer. I have an old school one that does mostly apples and veggies. Right now I have an ice pack strapped to my head, drinking strong coffee due to a terrible headache today. I feel too tired to juice or get out and walk. I have aquatherapy later today so we'll see if that'll do anything.
Oh, my husband went to Costco and got all kinds of fruit (not organic though!), but the problem is that I have to peel it all, or slice it; whatever-it sounds daunting right now.
With your juicer-can you just throw a whole mango in there or something?
But i eat real food and what I want. A burger, sure. even with bacon and avocado.
Eating real food is very important. I am quite fit and healthy from my natural food diet, I am 5'7" and 130lbs.
I eat high protein and high fat, but healthy fats.
I cook with a lot of coconut oil from trader joes. It makes the most amazing stir fry with just a few spices. No sauces needed at all with the natural food flavors.
Yes, I do love a cupcake. I only eat those occasionally and get them from a fancy bakery and often get vegan
Hi Nikki ~ I think sometimes we over think things and make them more difficult for ourselves. Case and point, juicing. You will have so many people give you so much information about what you should and should not be doing when it comes to juicing. If you just do it without making it complicated, you are already on track.
I use a Jack La Lane juicer (centrifugal). It's quite wonderful because I don't have to do too much prep. I cut apples in fourths which gives you an idea of how large they are. Certain fruits have to be peeled, like oranges and mangoes. I don't peel lemons because their peel is a wonderful addition to your juice. I am in the market for a masticating juicer, but they do require so much more labor. They will save money in the long run due to yielding more juice, but if it's too much work some people just aren't going to use it. Everything has to be cut smaller so I will keep my centrifugal for the times when I just don't see myself doing the extra work.
Here are my juicing tips:
Try to mainly use vegetables with apples (I prefer Granny Smith) and lemons as your fruit addition (flavor)
Try to always use kale and/or collard greens in your juice
Don't worry about organic....if you can buy it great. If you can't don't worry.
Keep the fruits to a minimum in your juices - because of the way the body processes these kind of nutrients you could cause quite a spike in your blood sugar if you use too much fruit in your juice.
Make sure to wash everything
When cutting my apples, for example, I don't take out the seeds. All I do is remove the sticker, cut and wash. Easy peasy! I also don't use juice recipes. I just juice what I have available. I make sure I always have my staples which are kale, collard greens, cucumbers, celery, green apples, lemons, ginger root. I will add other things for variety, but those are the foundation to every juice I make.
I hope your headache decides to be kind to you. I have abundant empathy for what you're going through. I did a juice fast in August 2011 and gave up coffee then. Talk about torture!! I love the taste of coffee and I will at times have some decaf. I don't ever want my body to be addicted to it again.
I have been working out regularly which is also rough. What I tell myself everyday is "It's going to hurt if you don't go to the gym and it's going to hurt if you do go to the gym, but at least if you go you are doing something positive for your body, your mind and your spirit". I drag myself there 5-6 days a week. I feel stronger and I have less pain some days. What is amazing and wonderful is how I feel in my mind. I am happier and have a positive outlook. I attribute the gym and clean food to how my spirit has taken over for the shortcoming of my body.
It makes me smile to know I have inspired at least one person. Thank you for letting me know.
Lyra ~ That sounds like a perfect diet. We all have to do what works for us. You have eliminated the poison (chemicals in the form of food additives) from your diet which is HUGE!
Hi Lillysnow, this Lentil burger sounds good, but I don’t have a food processor, maybe something I should invest in. I got a nutri- bullet and was wondering if you think this is similar to juicing ? I was doing well with it but can’t find a good recipe, it just seemed like it was to much fruit, I did add spinach but the taste was not great with more veggies ?? I try to stay away from sugar, Iv done gluten free, not yet dairy free, but did start using almond milk. I give you a lot of credit for being a vegetarian, I don’t eat much meat & when I do it’s grass fed beef, organic chicken or turkey, raised without hormones.
Any suggestions ?
I just looked at your attachment-looks like a great juicer!
So, I got out my old juicer again. It's a basic extractor. Is an extractor the same as a centrifugal?
I used bell peppers, celery, and apples and it was yummy. But I don't know if I can put collard greens in there. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. And I'm drinking green tea right now. I need to go to the store to buy more fruit and veggies to get my juice on. I'm just not feeling well.
Hi Dee ~ It's sounds like you are doing a great job with sticking to the better meats. The changes we make for our health are within what we feel we can do. I applaud you for the changes you have made!! The Nutri Bullet is a device which blends your fruits and veggies. This is also a great way to get the nutrients your body needs (and actually craves). Many of us are walking around malnourished and we don't even realize it. I read an excellent article recently about juicing vs. blending. They are both wonderful ways to do pretty much the same thing. The main difference being how our body processes the nutrients slow vs. fast. I will post the link for you, in case you are interested in reading it.
One of the main reasons I cut out animal fats from my diet is inflammation. My CRP (C-Reactive Protein) levels are very high and have been for some time. This is a pointer to inflammation in the body, but doesn't tell where this inflammation is coming from, Since inflammation is bad, bad and bad I am willing to do whatever it takes to get my body in a healthier state of being. I have also done quite a bit of research on FMS and vegetarian/veganism benefits. I am my own guinea pig and testing out what will work for my body. I am noticing some improvements on pain level. I still have HORRIBLE days, but they are not as often.
I also wanted to let you know that following the recipes for juicing/blending are a bit hard. I find that I throw in what I have available and I make sure to always have my staples on hand (green apples, lemons, ginger root, kale, collard greens, celery, cucumbers). Lemons and ginger are amazing for covering up the flavors of veggies. Don't be shy when you add them. I put in the whole lemon (peel and all) and will add as much as needed to give it a great flavor. I also add a good amount of green apples. I don't buy the bagged kale or collard greens as they tend to just fly out the back of my juicer. This isn't a problem if you are blending. I also love adding spinach to my juice but again prefer large leaf spinach over the baby sold in bags and tubs.
Since you have reduced your sugar, are you watching to make sure your not getting artificial sweeteners? It's pretty hard these days since they are putting sucralose in so much food now. Sticking to non processed where possible helps greatly.
Your juicer is most likely a centrifugal juicer. My juicer was $150 on Amazon, but there is also one which is $99 by the same maker.
I'm glad you liked your juice. The apples have a way of making most things taste yummy, huh!
It sure is hard to do much when having those bad days. I have to force myself to do things (which most people say you shouldn't do). If I didn't I would get nothing done (especially going to the gym) and I would find myself feeling worse. I just know how it all works with me. I feel better mentally when I get things done and if I hold onto that it helps. My body may be incredibly mad, but I have a healthier sense of wellness. That is my personal battle though....everyone is different.
This can be an easy or labor intensive recipe. This recipe is adapted from the book Veganicom (which I highly suggest for anyone looking to change their eating). I make changes to the recipe based on my energy/pain levels so please take liberty to do the same. I used canned enchilada sauce (read the label carefully and look out for high fructose corn syrup or other baddies). I never used canned beans since the bagged stuff is so easy to work with. Follow the quick soaking method on the bag (easy stuff). Some people are intimidated by bagged beans.....give them a try as they are quite easy and yield a huge amount for a tiny price.
Corn Tortillas (read the label)
Red Enchilada Sauce (sometimes I make my own, sometimes I use canned)
Red Potatoes (unpeeled)
Kale or Collard Greens
Black Beans
Onion
Green Onions (topping)
Cilantro
Vegan Cheese (optional and I usually omit)
Vegan Sour Cream (optional)
Prepare your beans ahead of time. Chop cilantro and green onions (set aside). Dice potatoes to bite sized pieces and boil until slightly soft. Saute diced onion in a small amount of olive oil until translucent. Add chopped kale or collard greens and stir until wilted. Add potatoes and season to taste with pepper, coriander, garlic and sea salt (watch the salt). Lightly spray 13x9 dish with olive oil. Put thin layer of enchilada sauce on bottom of dish. Warm your tortillas so they are easier to work with. Put a small amount of black beans, potato mixture and cilantro in tortilla. Gently fold and place fold down on dish. Repeat until you have filled your dish. Spoon sauce over enchiladas making sure to get sauce on each part of the tortilla. Lightly top with green onions and cilantro. Bake on 375 for 20-30 minutes. You can garnish with a vegan sour cream if you so desire. I tend to stay with the most natural products as I can.
There aren't portions on this recipe because it all depends on your tastes and the size of each. You will most likely make too much filling for the enchiladas, so have a second pan ready so you can freeze it (dinner is done already for another day...yay!!!).
I love to bake, but I have stopped since changing my diet. I'm pretty sure my kids will be protesting soon. If you make it to that bakery, please ask them what they use for sweetener. I have found that sometimes vegan doesn't necessarily mean healthy. Hopefully they are using good, high quality ingredients. Enjoy that baked good and please have a bite or two for me!!
I have started the Vi-protein shakes to help build and repair muscles. I feel much better, but I’m just three weeks in. Sounds like you all have the diet down.
Okay-I will have to remind myself to write a reminder to ask about that, ha ha! Good idea. I can't stand the taste of anything with artificial sweetener. I'm sure they wouldn't use that, but hopefully agave nectar or something.
