In 2001 I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and had an ejection fraction of 35. That means each time my heart pumped a beat, 35% of the blood in my heart would be squeezed into my circulatory system. Normal is between 55% and 70%. My heart was also severely enlarged. During hospitalization and extensive testing, I was told by the doctor that I would not survive beyond fifteen years, provided I stopped lifting weights. In his estimation, that was the source of my issues. He said if I did not stop, I would be dead within ten years. He said I would not be placed on a transplant list because, in his words, “you have done this to yourself.”
In 2015 I walked out of the cardiologist’s office on June 26. it was my birthday. He had just presented me with the results of a very in-depth two weeks of testing. He told me my ejection fraction was now 65. He said I had no detectible plaque in my circulatory system. He said my heart was a normal size and was functioning well with no abnormalities or concerns. He told me he didn’t need to see me again unless any problems arose.
God gets all the credit for this one, but like all things God does in our lives, he requires faith and action on that faith from us first. He led Ana to take an approach that saved my life.
I am just telling my own story here. If you have health issues you should always consult a medical professional, and educate yourself so you understand the issues as best you can so you can make an informed decision. I am not recommending anyone else do what I did or didn’t do.
This is a story about faith in God and proof that he still performs miracles today.
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We make reference in this podcast to the smoothies I drank and continue to drink each day, and other nutritional steps I took. Ana has provided information about that below:
The idea is to incorporate all the elements that will help heal and restore the digestive system, and remove all of the elements that cause inflammation. As inflammation is the root of ALL auto immune disease.
Lets start with the things we will ADD to your daily routine, this is not in order of importance, everything is important and plays a roll.
DETOX DRINK first thing in the morning on an empty stomach:
hot/warm water with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegas and juice of 1/2 lemon, one tablespoon of honey. If possible another one of these before bed.
BONE BROTH from organic bone marrow 8oz servings per day. You can drink it however is conveninent. You can also make soup with it, add to a sauce, stir fry etc. You can also heat it up and add some green onions and it is pretty good. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR GUT HEALING
FERMENTED FOODS: This is always the hardest for me. How much sauerkraut can you eat? LOL The idea is 4oz of sauerkraut or kimchi twice a day. Or you can drink kombucha. I prefer drinking kombucha. This is a crucial food group we dont have in our american diet, and might explain the longevity of asian cultures (one of the reasons anyway). So, at least one kombucha everyday. Costco has the Gingerade flavor and it is pretty good but lots of carbonation for me… I will send you a picture of the one I like.
COCONUT OIL AND CLARIFIED BUTTER (ghee) – Cook all of your veggies in it. Another good way is adding a teasp to black coffee instead of creamer, not only it is healing but it also keeps your blood sugar leveled. Coffee is one of the worst causes of blood sugar drop. You can also cook with it
SPROUTED SEEDS – Specially Pumpkin and Almonds for its nutrient content.
COCONUT WATER – 8oz per day
Distilled or Alkalike water – minimum 2 L per day
GREEN JUICE 4 X 8oz servings (recipe in diet part) more if you need it for snacks. You can make a big batch and keep it up to 48hs in a mason jar.
Oregano Oil – 4 drops in 1oz water before bed (tastes awful, but the benefits are outstanding). Never tke it at the same time you take your probiotics.
Probiotic I like “Garden of Life” or Udo’s Choice” brands. you want at least 25 billion from at least 10 different strains. twice a day right before a meal.
Curcumin caps 4 per day, Quercetin Caps 4 per day (I order all my supplements fromvitacost.com)
B complex, Zinc (60 mg), Vitamin D (10000 iu), Vitamin C (3000 mg)
Chia Seeds, MACA powder (this powder can interact with some medications like blood pressure, so dont add to it if your hubby will share the drink) ACAI powder, CAMU powder, Spirulina
Homemade Juice Recipe:
4 cups of kale or spinach (or a supergreens blend)
2 stalks of celery (organic)
1/4 cup tumeric root
1 dice size piece of ginger root
1 Black pepper
1 pinch of Himalayan Salt
1 tbsp High Lignan Flax Oil
1/2 cucumber peeled (organic)
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup cilantro
1 cup dandelion greens
Organic Cold-pressed Carrot juice (1 cup)
1/2 cup Aloe Vera Juice
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 teaspoon each: MACA, ACAI powder
1/2 teaspoon each: CAMU, Spirulina
Fill up with Organic Not From Concentrate Apple juice until you find the consistency you like (thicker and more fibrous or thin)
Makes 4-5 servings. First 30 days should drink at least 32oz per day.
When buying ready-to-drink juices, you want it to be COLD PRESSED, and you can always look for the closest to the homemade recipe as far as ingredients. YOu always want the fruit to be listed last (ingredients are always listed in order of quantity added).
Protein sources: All protein sources must be Organic hormone-free (as much as possible anyway).
Eggs – Hormone-free.
Chicken, Turkey – Organic, hormone-free if possible.
Red Meat – Organic, hormone-free
FISH- Salmon, Sea Bass, Mackarel, Halibut
Sweet Potatoes and Yams (Japanese Sweet Potatoes are THE BEST and HIGH in nutrients) Bake them, Boil and mash them with some ghee, slice them, and make oven fries.
Spaghetti Squash, Butternut (I buy it diced and add olive oil and Himalayan salt then bake at 400 degrees for 40 min or until soft), Winter, Acorn, etc. GREAT source of nutrients and unique recipes out there. Most of the time, Paleo recipes go well with this diet. Baking and adding ghee and Himalayan salt for taste is ALWAYS a great option.
Avocado – I try eating 1/2 avocado every day. Make salsa with tomatoes and onions and pour over your fish, add to salads. etc
All other veggies are good, too; all of them are allowed.
Fruit: as much whole fruit as you want to add to your diet. I favor berries a lot for the antioxidants and fiber. I love bananas for the potassium. But literally, ALL fruit is excellent and should be enjoyed.
It’s not a calorie restriction diet. When you get all the nutrients your body needs, it will self regulate
Never going too long without food is a MAJOR priority. You can ALWAYS find fruit coconut water anywhere you should have sprouted nuts with you always. 🙂
