Almost a year since my last post in the journal section.  I am happy to report that I am 95% pain free.  What cured my was a book called Healing Back Pain:  The Mindbody Connection by Dr. John Sarno.  I can't explain the book's method as well as the author can but if you have chronic back pain or pain from an injury that hasn't gone away READ THIS BOOK.  It changed my life.  I was in pain for 4 years and tried everything in western medicine and just about every alternative therapy you can think of as well.  Thanks Wodgina for suggesting the book.

Side note... I am experimenting with raw paleo again.  Raw eggs, Raw grassfed beef with spices and raw onion, and also with organic, non-homoginized, grassfed dairy that has been pasturized to 145 degrees as I cannot get it raw where I live.  I plan on trying to gain a lot of muscle now that I am healed and I think mostly raw paleo will help me do that.

  

Funny.

1.  Don't count out plastic surgery and hair dye.

2.  I think women tend to do better overall on a vegan diet than men because their traditional role was the gatherer and it makes sense that they would be more adapted to plant foods.

3.  Black don't crack.

I know a lot of people here are worried about the insulin spike that comes with sugary fruit consumption.  (myself included)

Do you think it would be beneficial to eat a spoonful of coconut oil whenever you consume a serving of fruit?

Thoughts?  Experiences?

Try the book "The Egoscue Method of Health through Motion" by Pete Egoscue.  It is all about restoring proper structure and posture to the body.

I drink coffee about 3 times a week now.  I am cutting back.  I want to drink coffee zero times a week.  The strange thing is, the flavor of coffee objectively isn't that good.  It tastes burnt and unnatural.  But it is one of the last things I haven't been able to give up completely.  Probably because of the caffeine and the effect it has on the brain.

I feel good right now.  I was just talking to my dentist, who is expanding my upper and lower arches with a light wire system, and we were talking about changes in the body and mind and how they are gradual.  Also life is what you make it and your outlook will manifest itself anyway it can.  I am thinking positively about who I am becoming even though my neck hurts bad right now.  I am in the process of getting better.  I am in the process of becoming who I was meant to be.

Side note:  Right now I am eating 1/2 pound of raw grassfed hamburger.

It has been a while since I gave an update.  I am spending less time on my computer.

Right now I am zero carb.  I am eating some grassfed ground beef and suet right now.  I plan on sticking with zc for a while.  I have been zc for about 8 days, and was all raw for about a week before that.  Before Oct 1st I had been on a mix of raw and cooked paleo with occasional SAD binges.  Not the healthiest.

Along with zc I am started doing yoga 3 times a week.  I do about an hour of joint mobility exercises and another hour and a half of postural exercises every day.

My goal is to eventually heal the injury in my back, neck, and shoulder.  I want to live pain free again.

What I want to get out of zc:
1.  Tighten up tendons as mine are lax and over-flexible ( I also think this would improve my body's structure and posture)
2.  Get rid of all acne forever.   
3.  Get rid of body fat, gain muscle.
4.  Get rid of constipation.
5.  Improve circulation (no more cold hands and feet)
6.  Have strength and energy to accomplish things during the day.

Feel free to post some goals that you want to share that you have either set for yourself or already achieved.

Hey guys,

It's been a while since I posted.  About 3 weeks ago I went off raw for about 2 weeks.  I felt like shit.  I fasted last Monday and I've been RZC again for the last 6 days.  I wan't to incorperate organs into my diet but, I can't stand whole organs, also I tried some slankers pet food today hoping I would be able to tolerate that.  I ate maybe 2oz of pet food with some muscle meat and bone marrow, then I had too big a bite I think.  I started gaging and I nearly threw up   I will try again tomorrow and hopefully will be able to eat a little more and be a little more used to the flavor and consistency.  I think maybe it will take time to adjust to organs the same way it took time to adjust and be able to eat raw meat.

Any advice?

Just finished Day 5 RZC.

Some of my old injuries and pains started hurting yesterday.  I think maybe my muscles are not supporting my structure as well.  I sleep a lot and I feel tired during the day.  But I have more energy than the day before, so maybe I am adapting.  I am definitely going to stick it out, and see how I feel compared to with carbs.

Tomorrow I am going to go on a long (2hr) bike ride with my mom.  I will see how my body reacts to the increased exercise level.

Thank you Lex,

Thank you for your well thought out, comprehensive answers to my questions.  And thank you PaleoPhil as well, for your interesting observations about what it means to be paleo.

It is a difficult WOE to stick to for me socially and taste wise, but I feel I want to give this diet a chance, and myself a chance to heal.  I have come very far already and feel that I need to take this WOE all the way.  For me that means trying 100% Raw ZC, with organs, for a time and seeing how my body feels.  I read a good quote, "No discipline solves no problems.  Some discipline solves some problems.  Total discipline solves all problems."  I have lived, for most of my life, in a quite undisciplined manner.  That way of living has gotten me nowhere.  I dropped out of school, was in great debt and also managed to injure myself and end up in chronic pain.  Step by painstaking step, I am getting better.  Raw Paleo is key for my health and key for developing the discipline that I need to not only get my life back on track, but to also thrive and succeed.

It is a difficult daily struggle for me.  Eating raw foods.  Doing rehab exercises for my injury.  Some days getting out of bed is a struggle.  I don't know any secret to make any of this easier, all I can do is try my hardest.

-Max