Living without cancer

In October of last year, someone I love and admirely greatly was diagnosed with a rare type of bladder cancer. She acted with grace and with speed, researching her options and choosing a course of action within hours of hearing the news.

I won't go into the details, but the short version goes a little like this: The cancer was caught by a fluke, really. Most of the time this particular cancer isn't caught until it is virtually too late to treat. Her doctors were not sure what they would find during surgery. It was a scary time. She underwent two operations, and was very lucky. Her doctors were able to remove all of the cancer and did not think she would need chemotherapy or radiation. She has since had two follow-up scopes and both have shown that she is still cancer-free. With routine checks, she should remain that way!

 So, sometimes its not what you have, but what you don't have that gives you happiness. I am so grateful that her cancer, while serious and scary at the time, was totally defeated! The last 12 months would have been drastically different otherwise, and I don't even want to think about it. Call it luck, call it God, call it modern medicine, or a combination of all the above... I just call it reason to celebrate!

Happy dance gif lifted from here

Earthy in Edinburgh

While flat hunting, Matt and I stumbled across Earthy, a market and cafe on the southeast side of Edinburgh. It's a wonderful place! Loads of healthful local produce, organic grains and eco-friendly products for the home and body! Our kind of place. And, the prices didn't seem much different than the mainstream market.

I managed to get out of there with only one bag full of groceries- knowing that I'll return once we are settled into our permanent home to stock up on all kinds of hippy-dippy goodness!

The entrance is pretty darn cute. With messages about today's local produce and cafe specials...

...and a little nursery with locally grown plants!

But the inside is even cuter- with lots of natural light, and bags and tissue hanging from the ceiling. 

We browsed, taking note of what to get next time:

We left with a bag of dry beans, tomatoes, potatoes and other local veggies.

And I am currently making our dinner! Our flat is filled with the smell of bubbling vegetable soup...

...to which I am about to add this lovely organic cabbage!

Yum!

February = clean living

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions... or rather, I am not big on sticking to them, so I have given up on making them. January 1st always comes too quickly for me to implement any positive changes. The house is still full of sweets and booze from parties or gifts and I am still stationed smack dab in the middle of the hedonistic penumbra of Christmas.

But February is a different story... At the beginning of this month, I was ready for a change, so I decided to dedicate the whole month to detoxing. I had a whole number of reasons why- I'd been feeling sluggish* and puffy and slow, I had nasal congestions almost every day, my skin was looking especially terrible... I was in need of an overall tune-up.

* No offense to my lovely slug friend, who I blogged about yesterday!

I was inspired at first by my dad, who is trying to change his life for the better. He signed himself up for his local health club's Biggest Loser competition, and has won the coveted title once in the first 3 weigh-ins (go dad!). I also picked up some ideas from Lar of AsianCajuns who blogged about her venture into raw foods. But I ended up I customized my own detox plan after a little online reading and consideration of my personal dietary needs/constraints and health goals.

Here are my "rules"

No alcohol
No dairy
No gluten
No processed foods of any kind
No sugar
No soy
Drink full pitcher of water daily (with fresh lemon :)
Take a daily supplement (live vitamin)
Eat plenty of superfoods (see below)
Exercise 4-6 times per week
Do something nice for my skin daily (I have so many great masks, etc. Time to start using them!)
Sleep at least 8 hours a night (my favorite)


Might sound like it would be difficult, but the first two weeks went by without me feeling deprived of anything at all. Then the chocolate cravings hit. I have not yet succumbed, but they are still there... My mom got me a wonderful sprouted trail mix that's got raw cocoa nibs and it does the trick. Also, I have been pretty good about having toxic foods in the house (is that what I should call foods that are 'no-no's while detoxing?) but I had to ask Matt not to get a fresh mozzarella and basil pizza, cuz that would have gone right in my mouth. No doubt about it.

source

Instead of pizza, I've been trying to load up on Superfoods. Like:

goji berries
blueberries
blackberries
mangos
lemons
quinoa
radish seed
chia seed
flax seed
steel cut oats
walnuts
adzuki beans
spirulina
and my favorite...
chard, kale & spinach

This isn't an exhaustive list of what I eat, just the things that I try to incorporate into most meals.

And I am seeing some changes in the way I feel and look...

I feel a lot less thick and tried. 

I have more energy and a bit more pep (although, waking up in the mornings to go to the gym is still a challenge, but it is getting easier). 

I am getting stronger, I can do a few things at the gym that I could not do when I started out almost a month ago. 

My skin has improved, I have a lot fewer breakouts, but my face in nearly always red, so I might have to ease up on it a little (I tend to go overboard sometimes :).  

I pee all the time (TMI?) but I figure that's what you are supposed to do when you're drinking a lot of water. 

I'm still kinda stuffed-up, sometimes before bed or when I first wake up in the morning, but maybe it's the 3 cats that sleep on me all night that's causing that!

I've lost about 10 lbs and dropped a dress size. Not my primary reason for detoxing, but a very welcome side effect of clean living!

source

So, while my month of detox is coming to a close, I think I'll extend it for one more month. Initially, I thought about doing a 3 month detox, since I read that's how long it takes to really run something out of your system, so who knows, maybe I'll extend it at the end of March as well. (I am going to a wedding though at the end of the month and it will be hard to keep it up around flowing drinks and passed hor dourves!)

I might even 'up it' a bit... This morning, I cut out my last real vice, coffee, and sipped a cup of organic green tea and I have yet to fall into a narcoleptic slump. And, I've got my eye on some kelp powder that I can enjoy internally and externally- it's that awesome. On top of it all, I'm trying yoga again. Tonight will be my first attempt to incorporate yoga into my life since... my last attempt (there have been at least a dozen attempts- a few times I even got a *little* good at it before refusing to go to any more classes). But now I'm in my 30s. You know, older, wiser, stronger. I think I can finally stop comparing all the peaceful bendy people's poses with my twitchy, strained, frustrated self. Tonight, I'll just go with the flow.

namaste.

Ahhh... Stewart Mineral Springs

As one of many rewards for finishing law school, my mother took me on the most restorative trip through Northern California. We spent a few special days at a place called Stewart Mineral Springs- not far from Weed. Our days were divided between hiking and soaking in the naturally hot & bubbly waters.  It was so easy to connect with nature-- in fact, it would have been impossible not to-- and that was what I needed!

Here are some of my favorite photos of this special place. If you ever get a chance to go, don't pass it up! (oh, and if you view the photos and want to share the names of any of the wild flowers, I would appreciate it! I only know a few, and I would love to know the rest ;)

On the road heading to the springs

Our no-frills but very cozy cabin

Bright flowers on a tree/bush. Look like Lilacs, but pinker.  Deer brush?

Mom getting peaceful at the springs

Yellow cluster blooms

The river

Offerings left for the hot springs

...more offerings

rocks star

beautiful gnarled drift wood on the river bank

mighty and mossy

make a wish!

different yellow cluster blooms

lovely lupins

my favorite delicate pink flowers,

that grew in bunches at the base of trees.

Tee-pee me.

simple. yellow. sweet. I feel I should know what these are...

The long view from our morning hike

We watched the transformation as morning misty mountains-

-turned gold with the warmth of the sun!

We loved Mr. Bechum, the Springs cat

Walking Eagle gives pretty simple rules

St. Francis, patron saint of animals, watches over his special spot on the grounds. 

While an angles watches over her own.

Late spring blooms dotted the grounds.

We crossed over the rushing creek-

We thought about going in- That face says, "you do it, it's too cold for me!"

Proof it was too cold!

So we stayed on shore, with the butterflies (who show off their beautiful purple wings while they fly)

And made friends with a handsome Jay

Who decided we were alright, and came closer...

And nearly flew into my mom's head!

And when we left, Shasta was there to welcome us out of the hills,

and Shastina waved goodbye as we headed to our next special spot on our journey.