Hi - I am the new Amanda - with an inspiring story to share.

[thenewamanda]

Thank you for sharing your experience, I enjoyed reading it.

For the Ear ache...
"using raw garlic mixed in olive oil is a traditional treatment for earaches in India; you can find prepared garlic drops in natural health stores. Although applying garlic oil into the ear canal may be the most direct method, if you've never tried this before, it's best to first consult a naturopath or a practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine. Duke also warns that you should not try this treatment if you have a perforated eardrum" - http://www.livestrong.com/article/52...ear-infection/

hydrogen peroxide may help!

RawDad - thanks for the suggestion; I went to my local natural herb & tincture shop and got some ear oil that contains garlic and st. john's wort, and it worked marvelously!

On a side note, down 63 pounds today and feeling really good about that.

[jetaimetoujours]

Wow your story is AWESOME Amanda!! Congratulations on doing such a wonderful thing for yourself!

I know how crippling depression can be so the fact that you're feeling so much better is AWESOME

[breathless]

Amanda - Thank you so much for sharing your inspirational story! I know what you mean about having no raw food friends. This is the best site. Everyone is so helpful and supportive. I am so pleased you stumbled upon raw. Good luck with your job interview. Your story is truly magical!

Traceyraw - That Miso Soup sounds delicious. I'm going to have to give it a try.

[thenewamanda]

Thought I'd throw some photos in here for those of you who are curious...



I didn't lose any weight over the holidays, but I didn't gain any either! I didn't eat well but I am back on track now! I also just had a PFT (pulmonary function test) the other day and since my last test, in July 2011 - just before I went raw - I have improved my lung function from 74% to 92% !!!! That might not sound so significant but take into consideration that it was a full eleven months AFTER my surgery (prior to which my lung function was at 95%) that my lung function was at 74% ... and then 6 months later it's three percent away from my original strength!!! I felt like a real success and my respirologist was very impressed. She also didn't recognize me thanks to the weight loss, LOL.

I'm feeling very positive lately... hope you all are well.

[thenewamanda]

Well I dropped down almost 3 pounds today - out of the 230s forever so I had to say something about it. It's been a month that I've been stuck at 232 and mentally gave up for a little while, was eating cooked foods - nothing terrible but nothing good either - and felt so annoyed by the lack of weight loss that I wasn't inspired to eat better. Then I snapped out of it the other day and have been juicing for breakfast again and using my dehydrator. This morning I am at 229! It's so exciting. Only 30 pounds away from being at 199! I'd be happy just to be under 200.

The other thing that keeps me focused is clothing - I have always been really into fashion and thrift store shopping but have never really had the opportunity to wear the clothes I want to wear - I've always had to settle for "whatever fits". Now I am building up a wardrobe of dresses and skirts and pants and tops, some of which will fit me soon (I'm close to a size 14!) and some of which will fit me eventually. Either way, it's not a big expense as it's all thrift store clothing, but still very exciting. I will be sure to post photos when I get to that 199.

In other news, my hair is falling out. I mean, it's thinning. I had really thick hair - fine, but thick - and now it seems to be thinning out. I am not worried about it for some reason, so should I trust my intuition? I figure this is my body adjusting to major changes.

[Traceyraw]

Well totally have a party for 199. Woo Hoo you are my inspiration. Don't worry about the hair, after a while youll see it stronger than ever . I am so proud of you... :)

[thenewamanda]

Well totally have a party for 199. Woo Hoo you are my inspiration. Don't worry about the hair, after a while youll see it stronger than ever . I am so proud of you... :)

Awww, thanks Tracey! You have no idea what it means to me to be an inspiration to others. I haven't felt like much of anything for most of my life and now I know I am coming out of my own shadow and becoming a vibrant being. SO EXCITING! (I'm a little hyper from the orange and spinach juice I just had.) I won't worry about the hair, I will trust my intuition. I know I'm doing the right thing.

There will definitely have to be a big 199 party! I wonder what I will do... I already know what I will wear, of course. What would you do to celebrate a big number?

[thenewamanda]

Oh wait! I know what I will do. I will get another tattoo.

[Traceyraw]

I really want a massage. That is how Im going to treat myself. But I feel like we should party like a rock star dance sing be silly and just let loose. Enjoy Im so excited fo you.

[Mary Kay]

Thanks for the inspiration...

Re the thinning hair: Are you still getting your periods? If not and you have thinning hair, I'd look to getting a hormone blood panel done, and maybe increasing your fat a little bit....Just some random thoughts....

Mary Kay

[Traceyraw]

Hi Amanda, Ive been doing some reading on hair. Alfalfa sprouts and alfalfa sprouts juice. A combo with carrot,lettuce, and alfalfa juice is the recommended juice. This is from Norman Walkers book. I hope this helps.

[Juicing Juli]

Hi Amanda;
You are an inspiration to others which is why people need to post their successes and failures or challenges. This site is a huge support system!
You know, I sometimes let the scale dictate my mood for the day...which is wrong!! I hate seeing it stay the same or even go up when I didn't do anything bad. I have to be my own cheer leader, stay positive and continue to tell myself that the raw life style is a journey not a diet.
Concerning your hair loss or thinning. 1)you need to figure out if there is a medical reason this is happening 2)MSM is a supplement that stimulates new hair growth. But it's something you might want to nip in the bud and not ignore!! It's a signal that something is happening.
Just curious what you eat. Do you restrict yourself?
I don't and my weight is not falling off. Sometimes I think I should.
Have an awesome day!!!

Well I dropped down almost 3 pounds today - out of the 230s forever so I had to say something about it. It's been a month that I've been stuck at 232 and mentally gave up for a little while, was eating cooked foods - nothing terrible but nothing good either - and felt so annoyed by the lack of weight loss that I wasn't inspired to eat better. Then I snapped out of it the other day and have been juicing for breakfast again and using my dehydrator. This morning I am at 229! It's so exciting. Only 30 pounds away from being at 199! I'd be happy just to be under 200.

The other thing that keeps me focused is clothing - I have always been really into fashion and thrift store shopping but have never really had the opportunity to wear the clothes I want to wear - I've always had to settle for "whatever fits". Now I am building up a wardrobe of dresses and skirts and pants and tops, some of which will fit me soon (I'm close to a size 14!) and some of which will fit me eventually. Either way, it's not a big expense as it's all thrift store clothing, but still very exciting. I will be sure to post photos when I get to that 199.

In other news, my hair is falling out. I mean, it's thinning. I had really thick hair - fine, but thick - and now it seems to be thinning out. I am not worried about it for some reason, so should I trust my intuition? I figure this is my body adjusting to major changes.

[tiggerbounce]

Wow! What an amazing spirit and awesome results!

I have never experienced any hair loss while being raw. I have read posts from others who have though and they all seem to have it balance out and come back as thick and healthy as ever. Hopefully that will be your experience, too.

[thenewamanda]

Hi Amanda;
You are an inspiration to others which is why people need to post their successes and failures or challenges. This site is a huge support system!
You know, I sometimes let the scale dictate my mood for the day...which is wrong!! I hate seeing it stay the same or even go up when I didn't do anything bad. I have to be my own cheer leader, stay positive and continue to tell myself that the raw life style is a journey not a diet.
Concerning your hair loss or thinning. 1)you need to figure out if there is a medical reason this is happening 2)MSM is a supplement that stimulates new hair growth. But it's something you might want to nip in the bud and not ignore!! It's a signal that something is happening.
Just curious what you eat. Do you restrict yourself?
I don't and my weight is not falling off. Sometimes I think I should.
Have an awesome day!!!

Juli -

There are many things that could cause my hair loss that I am dealing with right now - severe stress, radiation from ct scans every few months post-cancer, a major change in diet... I have started taking a multi-vitamin geared toward hair health and will see how that goes for a little while.
I don't restrict my eating - I mean, I eat raw but I eat as much as I want. Which is not a lot as I don't have a healthy appetite, I have an appetite that has evolved around emotional eating. So if I focus on eating well then I don't eat much. But I don't focus on calories, I just eat intuitively.

I agree with you about the scale! I have to stop myself from weighing in every day. It's so bad for me if I don't see the number I want. But then if I do, I am so happy. It becomes addictive. I have a page in my journal with dates and record my weight not more than once a week and that number never goes up, only down, however slowly. So I try to focus on that.

Thanks for your support!

[thenewamanda]

Wow! What an amazing spirit and awesome results!

I have never experienced any hair loss while being raw. I have read posts from others who have though and they all seem to have it balance out and come back as thick and healthy as ever. Hopefully that will be your experience, too.

Tiggerbounce - Thanks for being my cheerleader! I have a couple of friends who said that they went through periods of having their hair become thin and then grew back thick again. So I am not so worried right now. :)