It is True.. It is... really!! Only took like 10 years to get him to fully switch to a Vegetarian diet... And now..A couple more years later. He is 90% Vegan and I'd say about 40% Raw
BUT this time, it is not my doing... You see he got caught up in a non-healthy Vegetarian diet, eating mostly cooked, processed foods, a lot of Junk and believe it or not, very little Fruit or Raw veggies. Outside of my Smoothies, he only ate my other good stuff once in a while, and would usually whip himself up something else.. found himself staying up till 3am snacking on cereal, etc.
Yes.. Vegetarian is still better then the Standard America Diet, but, the junk, was catching up with him. As was his stagnant lifestyle.. no exercise and too much Gaming...When the weather turned cold, Hubby's Gout came back.
It came back Worse then ever and every time the temp dropped below 30 Degrees, he would be so swollen that he was unable to move. He even got himself to the doctor 3 times this winter. (which he normally would NOT do) First time, they gave him Anti-Inflam and Steroids... saying he HAD to get the swelling down or he would hurt his joints permanently... Doc said, the gout was from the cold and nothing he could do food wise to fix that.
Hubs believed him, and changed NOTHING... he sat around, until the meds kicked in and then sat around some more. Eventually the meds were gone and he was still in chronic pain...He went for more blood work, and found some not so good stuff.
Doc said... "YOU MUST take this other stuff or kidneys will fail, and you'll do permanent damage to your bones and joint in your feet". Hubby couldn't walk at this point, and was willing to believe what the doctor told him. Even thought the Xrays were clear, the blood work was not so good.
He filled the Prescriptions. 3 of them... 3 Prescriptions that he was supposed to take every day for the rest of his life.... I asked him to try ONE more thing before taking those pills... and He actually Obliged!
Off to the Reflexology Lady... YES.... I GOT HIM TO GO to a Reflexology Lady... And that was a visit that would change our lives!!!
She did something to his feet with her hands and some oils... and a detox foot bath thing.... the swelling went down, and he could even get his shoe on.
He walked to the car, and by the next day, the swelling was completely gone.. And I'm talkin, he was so swollen in his foot when we arrived the day prior, that you couldn't tell where his ankle ended and foot started. But now his foot was totally back to normal.
But the BEST part was, while she was working on his foot, she fussed at him about his diet, about his video games, about his recent lack of exercise. She told him what he needs to be doing, and if he doesn't, this won't go away... He was willing to try anything at this point.
By the 3rd day post visit, he was walking THREE miles without pain...He could still feel twinges and not feeling 100% where his kidneys (back pain) were concerned... He knew that what she had done was only temporary and he needed something more permanent.
The following week he agreed to go back and see the Herbalist Doctor Lady.... She ran some tests on him, Looked at his blood work, and told him the foods he was allergic to, vitamins and nutrients he was deficient in, told him he didn't exercise enough. Also that he needed more sun light, and that his body didn't digest food properly..
Then he mentioned that I was eating mostly Raw Vegan and she said.... "Well why aren't you doing that"... She goes on to yell at him and says "If you did what she did you wouldn't have any of these problems, you go home and listen to your wife"
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT!!! It was worth EVERY Bit of money to hear that!!! hahaha...
She said that all people at his age, if they want to feel good, MUST eat this way... otherwise, they feel bad! She said "Its your choice"
She gave him a Nutrient Rich, Anti-inflamatory Kidney Cleansing diet, and told him he had to drink Distilled water for a little while. Because he had too many metals and minerals (which we knew from his kidney stone tests back when... ). In summary, his kidneys weren't doing what they should and hence the chronic discomfort.
She put him on herbs, Digestive Enzymes, and some other stuff. He is too "JUICE" every day, eat two salads every day, eat Parsley, Cilantro, Oranges, Avocados in his recipes every day... Green smoothie, lots and lots and lots of water. And a handful of raw nuts... Also has to eat an orange every day and a whole bunch of other stuff that I can't think of right now...
And I can tell you, he hasn't felt this good in YEARS!!!! He naps less, games less (most days), Has been outside almost every day, even took Veg golfing. He comes out to play basketball with us, goes for walks with us. He even walked 5 miles with me...
3 weeks ago, he couldn't walk at ALL, and now he is doing 5 miles.
His appetite is great, his skin color is back to normal, he is pain free.... he is Fun and loving, and a Joy to be around. He is laughing again ... Those two visits have seriously changed things around this house in Quadruple proportions. When someone (especially my Hubby) spends months in pain, they are not so fun to live with.
The pain/swelling in his foot would spawn fevers and migraines... Migraines would spawn upset stomach...The tweaks in his back, had him cranky and fussy...and he was so miserable before or after a meal, that we all started eating separately.
He is following all her directions now, still hasn't TOUCHED the Doctor's new Meds and doesn't plan to...And even with the outside Temp dropping, he hasn't had any more problems.
Tonight when I caught him eating a raw avocado with a spoon, he looked at me and said:
"I don't know what you have done to me, but I think I'm liking this Vegan stuff"
Long term, he has to keep the food and exercise stuff for ever!!! Which is awesome!
I'm using some of her Anti-Inflam recipes for myself during this training, so it is easy for him to have some too. Hopefully, we will both keep it up after my training is over.
Some of the herbals, he only has to take for 1 month, another for 3 months, and last one for 6 months...Hopefully when we get his blood work checked again, everything will be back to normal.
They told him, he'll probably want to come back a couple more times in the next year, but after that, he could be done with this FOREVER!!! Meaning, his body will re-learn to do what it needs to do naturally, and his kidneys will function properly with no more problems.
Of course the other option is what the Doctor said... "This will never go away, but you'll have to take these medications for the rest of your life if you don't want your kidneys to shut down and your foot to become deformed"
Ha... Phooey on him!!! Personally I've never been to a Reflexologist or Herbalist, but I can tell you... from this experience... I will be going back and will do so gladly!!!
He's about to hit the Month mark, and is still feeling GREAT! I can't even explain the difference, it is like the guy I knew many years ago is back inside the same body. We'll have to see, after he drops the first herbals, if everything still functions properly.
I just want to go give these amazing Ladies a hug!!!! And to hear the Hubs say, that he is Loving the Vegan foods, is just Icing on the Cake!!