Today I'm reviewing Changing the World by One Meal a Day by Suzy Amis Cameron.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - OMD

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Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch.  I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 412,000 views.


As usual, I'm going to start my review with my opinion on the physical book. I received a hard cover dust jacketed book as a gift for contributing to the OMD Blog project.  You can find my interview here.  The forward of the book is written by Dr. Dean Ornish, MD.  A well renowned advocate for living a healthy lifestyle.  While not completely plant based I respect Dr. Ornish for his work related to helping create a holistic approach to lifestyle management. I have read many of his books and recommend them often.  My particular way of living is more in line with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. I am a firm believer that oil is at the root of the majority of the diseases of affluence that impact our society today. This book boasts a nice since index and notes section.  It even includes a list of packaged foods that are acceptable to those living a vegan lifestyle.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - OMD

The premise of this book and the mission statement of OMD is to save the planet by switching one meal a day to a plant based meal. The book lists vegan options for reaching this goal.  To me, I believe in a whole food plant based approach to eating.  While it does fit the "vegan" moniker, it isn't your traditional vegan menu.  There are so many foods that are vegan but are not good for you.  Oreo cookies are vegan but are completely unhealthy. The book is a great resource for information on how much of our resources are used each day by continuing to eat meat and meat products. The author explains that having only one plant based meal a day for a year will save 675,250 gallons of water.  To put that in perspective, it is the same amount of water to fill an Olympic size pool.

I enjoyed the section of the book that included the lists of plant based sources for common vitamins and minerals. Page 113 for example, gives a pretty good list of Omega-3S sources.  A common source of Omega 3 is attributed to consuming fish.  The list contains 23 options for plant based sources of Omega 3 fatty acid.  Personally, I try to include chia seeds, sesame seeds and walnuts in my diet daily.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - OMD

Chapter five kicks off your journey to OMD living. The author provides a list of tips and tricks for making your experience a success.  The table of grab and go options are a life saver for those just starting on this journey. The idea here is you're only switching one meal a day. As you begin to see how much better you feel, you'll want to change more and slowly remove meat and animal products completely from your diet.  I started out my journey by ordering HungryRoot food delivery service.  This is a vegan home meal delivery kit that provides a great way to slowly wean yourself off of highly processed animal fat and chemical laden foods. The same holds true for the new craze of the Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger which are making their way around fast food establishments across the united states.  While not on my menu, this is a great way to begin the path to removing animals from your diet.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - OMD

Chapter seven is where the fun begins. The author takes us on a culinary journey to delight the vegan taste buds of every newly transitioning foodie.  From Jasper's Red Shake to Food Forest Organics Coco-Mint Slice you'll find a tasty plant based recipe to fit any taste level.  You'll learn how to use tofu and coconut cream to make a delicious meal that will convert even the most strict meat eater. There are recipes for chili sauce, pesto and even spring rolls! Eating a plant based meal doesn't have to be bland and boring. After all, most of the meat prepared today has herbs and spices added to it to make it flavorful.  Herbs and spices are plants!  This book includes a 14 day All-In Meal plan and shopping list to get you ready for the big move to a healthier plant based life style.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - OMD

Over all this is a great book and I applaud the author for providing, to me, one of the most important parts of the book.  The Great Eater Meter on page 293 offers the reader a chance to see the impact of animal based foods on our environment. One stick of butter for example, takes 173 gallons of water to produce.  One cup of milk takes 43 gallons of water. When you begin to look at the impact of the individual choices we make everyday on our planet, you really can see how you can be the change you want to see in this world.

If you're on the fence about this, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book and taking the time to really learn about a plant based lifestyle.  You can look up several documentaries on the subject such as Devour the Earth, Eating You Alive, Forks Over Knives and The Game Changers just to name a few.

At some point in everyone's life there comes a moment when you look back at a relationship, a job, an event where your friends around you offered suggestions, encouragement or support.  After that moment has passed retrospection usually follows.  As an analytical person, I spend a great deal of time looking back over tasks, jobs, positions and the like trying to determine the best course of action.  Did I follow the rules?  Did I meet my goal?  Was the outcome, the best outcome?

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

One of my recent blog posts was a book review about a great book that helped me really sit back and look at what brought me bliss. This retrospection is all about understanding what brings you happiness and contentment.  Today I have a great job, a wonderful family and am working on getting my health to the best it can be for a 50 year old.  I may not ever be a kick-boxer, but I know that I will be able to take care of myself in my golden years, instead of relying on someone else to bathe me.

Over the last few years I have read everything I can get my hands on related to health and wellness. I have poured my soul into understanding the best course of action to fully take charge of my health, my well being and my surroundings.  I took a year to live in an RV in the desert just to come to terms with what is really important for me.



What I needed to do was read that my weight, while maybe normal for someone on a SAD eating plan, it wasn't normal for my body. In those articles I learned that all the oil I was putting in my body, all the sugar was killing me. And I needed to change that.



I commented this morning on a article about kicking wellness to the curb on a page called "Fat Fe..... Wi...."  Name blurred to protect the innocent.  I was met with the reply of, your comment is off topic and will be deleted shortly.  I removed my comment and un-liked the page.  You see, sometimes people, especially fat people who are unhealthy (and I can speak to this because I was one), don't like to be told they are accountable for their own actions.  This article was speaking to how people fall into stereotypes and go into one fad diet after another to try to "fix" what isn't broken. Because you know, if you just love fat people (who are unhealthy) they'll be fine.  To that I say bullshit.



Fat (who are unhealthy) people don't need to be told their beautiful. We need to be told we're in danger. And I say that with a loud fucking yell because I heard from all my friends how beautiful I was at 300 pounds.  I heard them tell me what I was loved and I was find just the way I was.  But you know what?  I wasn't fine. I was close to death. I couldn't breathe when I walked up a slight incline. I couldn't sleep well because the fat around my throat was choking me while I slept. What I need was someone to come to me and say:

Photo Credit Elijah Olson Pic 1  July 2016 - Pic 2 July 2019 128 lbs lost

1. Hey, Renee, you should really get rid of all the processed food in your cabinets.  
2. Hey Renee, you should toss out that milk because, you know you're not a fucking baby cow and you shouldn't drink it.
3. Hey Renee, you can't breathe because the fat around your neck is getting so think that its choking you to death while you sleep.
4. Hey Renee, your knee and hip arthritis is so bad because your knees weren't intended to carry around three hundred fucking pounds.
5. Hey Renee, stop eating pizza or you're going to die, way early and way painfully.

I completely understand being a support system for those who are unhealthy.  You see my weight, my size was directly related to my health. Today I'm a much healthier person and a side effect of my new eating habits are having lost 128 lbs. My blood work is amazing now.  I no longer have issues with sleep, my knees, my hip or my fibro. I have completely reversed my type 2 diabetes and have seem to have no continued issues with my congestive heart failure.

Photo Credit - Screen Cap UNC Health

Photo Credit - Screen Cap UNC Health

Just so I'm clear, I'm not saying we need to be ugly to people who are overweight. I'm not saying you need to call names or shun anyone.  What I am saying is look out for your tribe. If you see someone struggling, lend a hand.  A real hand.  Don't tell someone a dress looks great on them when it doesn't.  A real friend will tell you that you have a booger showing. A real friend will tell you that you need to address certain things.  Be someone who helps straighten a crown when NO ONE is watching.

I'm also not saying that everyone over a certain size is unhealthy.  We are all different. We all have different body make ups and there is no perfect size.  Your body will tell you what is right for you when you give it the nutrients it needs.  I figured this out the hard way.

I am putting this offer out there.  Anyone at all who is interested in learning about WFPB lifestyle and healing your body holistically feel free to reach out to me via this blog or on my support page at Real Rations.  I share science based resources to learning to live and heal your body using food. I share recipes in my group Real Rations Recipes as well as welcome stories and before and afters here.  Everything I share there is free.  My goal is to help those out there who were like me.  Those who were morbidly obese and utterly hopeless.  Those who felt as though they wanted to die.

I'm not trying to change your mind on plant based eating. That's not my business and frankly, I don't have the energy for that fight.  I'm here for those who want to change.  Who want to try something new. Those who need to try something new.  For those, this message is for you.  I see you.  I hear you. You are important. You are worth it.  <3

For the majority of my life I have had a connection with the energy of both humans and animals alike. I have been able to "feel" the pain of those around me and even been able to sense what is going to happen before it happens.  As a child as I would eat meat I would feel pain in my body and soul.  I couldn't touch raw meat and had to wear gloves to work with it in the kitchen.  When I would cut a piece of meat my brain would flash images of me cutting my own hands and fingers while the blade sliced through the meat.



I always thought there was something wrong with me.  As I matured in witchcraft I watched those around me who practiced.  I watched their magic and their lives. I took note of what their skin looked like, what their hands looked like and what their aura looked like.  I slowly began to think that perhaps there was much more happening here that meets the eye.

For the majority of my life I have been obese. Recently I changed over to a Whole Food Plant Based Lifestyle (WFPB). You can read about my journey here.  As I switched over to a plant based diet I found that my senses were changing. I am now able to focus on things I could not before.

Photo Credit - Elijah Olson

I completed my Holistic Wellness Coach Certification and completed an International Yogi Certification.  I'm currently working on a Mediation Coach Certification.  All things that were always just outside my ability to focus on in order to complete.  I am amazed at the way the fog has lifted off my brain and now I no longer require a stack of sticky notes to remind me of things.  I no longer write down every single thing in order to remember it.  My mind is now here in the present with my body and working to achieve my goals as I lay them out as opposed to the broken, struggled life I was experiencing before.

I quickly began researching what empathetic people tend to eat and I found some pretty interesting information around it.  I'm sure there are just as many on the other side, so please understand I am not knocking the abilities of those who do not follow a WFPB lifestyle. I am simply showing what I and others like me have found by switching.   I'll be adding a few links at the end for you to review.

As my body began to change, my mind began to clear. The further away I was from the clutter of TV news and media the better I felt.  The more I removed animal products from my diet the happier I felt. I know longer had the hurt of the cows crying for their calves or the images of the slaughterhouses in my mind.  They drifted away like a bad dream.  My mind raced back to a class I took years ago that referenced the fact that all things are related. The table came from the earth, because it came from a tree, just as I came from the earth.  All things are related.

I made a mad dash to my science literature to find out what early man ate. If we think about this logically, do we really believe that early man ate a pound of bacon every morning? Anyone who has ever hunted understands that if they get one large deer they make that one animal last for their family for the season. They never loaded their plates with  more than they could use.  They all joined together and ate as one.  Looking at life today we can see how much we have changed. We can see just how far we have removed ourselves from the natural world.

I think the word Vegan has become a dirty word. I think that people associate PETA (who I detest) with veganism.  They also don't understand how much the meat and dairy industry pay in lobby money to our government to endorse their products. We forget that if we look at our bodies and the bodies of those animals that we eat today, we can see harm we're doing.  I'm not huge on showing images of baby cows being pulled from their mothers or the screams these mother cows make in the days and weeks that follow calling out for their missing young.  I can't share those.  All I can do is use my words to try to show the emotion that is involved in that milk.

If I walk across a cemetery, I can feel the energy there. If I walk into a room, or shake someone's hand, I can feel the energy they present. Why is it that big of a leap to feel the energy of the suffering of that mother in each glass of cow's milk? People think, Oh, milk and butter, they don't hurt anyone.  You just milk the cow, the cow lives. Yeah, that cow lives.  But the baby she had to feed that milk to is taken away from her immediately.  Males are tossed into small boxes to become veal and females are put back into the factory to continue to produce milk.  If a person wants milk we should be drinking human milk.  Cow's milk is made to nourish baby cows. They need more fat and calories because they're bigger. There is really no reason for a weaned person to consume milk. We are convinced that we need this through all the money coming in from the dairy industry.

As part of my Yogi certification, part of my assignments were to study the differing types of Yoga.  The first yama of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is Ahimsa.  The word ahimsa literally means not to injure or show cruelty to any creature or any person in any way whatsoever. Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as adapted in yoga. Ahimsa can be practiced as vegetarianism or veganism. In my case, while not feeling completely comfortable with the the baggage that appears to follow the word Vegan, I opt for the WFPB label instead.  To me, this cross connection with my Yogi certification, the Holistic Wellness Coach Certification led me directly to this place I am today.

I know that not everyone is going to agree here.  I mean we have been convinced by the powers that be, that Milk, Does a Body Good, after all.  We have be asked, Where are you getting your protein? There are burger joints on every corner, certainly our government wouldn't allow money to influence their opinions on what is and is not healthy.

All I can say is I sit here before you, weighing less than I have ever weighed while eating normally. I have removed all medications from my diet.  I have little to no manias associated with my BiPolar 2 diagnosis. I can walk and breathe at the same time. I can feel my energy increasing both physically and spiritually. For me, this works. Elijah has stopped all his medications as well, he's lost 100 pounds just as I have.  We're spending more time on yoga and mediation. We're cooking our meals together and not rushing around trying to check things off a list.  So while naysayers may contend that "we must eat meat" "we are meat eaters" I say, just try it.  Take a month and remove the meat and see what happens?  I mean if you're right, nothing will happen.

I think something will happen though. I think you will find that you are indeed what you eat. And if you eat fear, you are fear.  If you eat terror or sorrow, you will be those. I encourage you to go through the list of info below.  Look up the Doctors I follow and judge for yourself.

While I continue this journey just like anything else I do, I'll continue to research and share my progress. I know for me this is the right way to move forward.  In harmony with the natural world and the spiritual world. I know that my choice to remove these products from my life have had a huge impact on my abilities.

Resources:

Doctors:

Joel Fuhrman M.D
John A. McDougall M.D.
Neal D. Barnard M.D.
Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. M.D.
Michael Greger M.D
Michael Klaper M.D.
Dean Ornish M.D.
Joel Kahn M.D.
Anthony Lim M.D., J.D.


Articles
Should the Empath Become a Vegetarian
Compassionate Eating for Highly Sensitive People
Intuitive Medicine for Empaths
Laura Bruno - What to Eat if You're an Empath


Books

https://nutritionstudies.org/plant-based-books/
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/wfpb
https://www.wholefoodsplantbasedhealth.com.au/resources/books/

Caldwell Esselstyn
Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

Rip Esselstyn
The Engine 2 Diet
My Beef with Meat

Colin Campbell
The China Study

Doug Lisle
The Pleasure Trap

Neal Barnard MD
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes
Breaking the Food Seduction
21 Day Weight-loss Kick start

John McDougall MD
The Starch Solution
Dr. McDougall’s Digestive Tune-Up
The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook
Dr. McDougall’s Total Health Solution for the 21st Century
The McDougall Program: Twelve Days to Dynamic Health
The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
The New McDougall Cookbook

DVDs

Caldwell Esselstyn
Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

Rip Esselstyn
Forks Over Knives Presents The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn

John McDougall MD
Dr. McDougall’s Total Health Solution for the 21st Century DVD

The Jeff Novick Series
Lighten Up
Calorie Density
Should I Eat That
From Oil To Nuts
Nuts & Health
Fast Food Vol 1 The Basics
Fast Food Vol 2 Burgers & Fries
Fast Food Vol 3 Shopping School

Neal Barnard MD
Tackling Diabetes DVD
Kick Start Your Health DVD

Douglas Lisle
The Continuum of Evil
Losing weight without losing your mind
The Pleasure Trap

Michael Klaper
Digestion Made Easy

More Movies/Documentaries

Forks Over Knives
Processed People
Immersions and Programs

Dr Esselstyn - 5-hour intensive counseling seminar at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute
Farms To Forks Immersions
The McDougall Program

MORE BOOKS

John Abramson MD
Overdosed America

Gilbert H. Welch MD
Should I be tested for Cancer?
Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health
Know Your Chances: Understanding Health Statistics

Nortin Hadler MD
Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America

Lists of Documentaries
https://nutriciously.com/best-vegan-documentaries/
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/10-best-food-and-health-documentaries/

YouTube:

Why do empaths over eat?





Your Vegan Brain on Empathy

Happy Thursday!  This is an update on my work with Hungryroot.  Eli and I have been using the service for about two full months now.  We are continuing losing weight and it is really something. We have coined a new phrase that we use when we're asked, "What's for dinner?"   We say - REAL RATIONS!

One of the things I dread most is traveling for work.  Each time I went on a plane, I would have to ask for the seat belt extension. The flights were crowded and the seats small. No one really wants to sit next to the "fat girl".

At the time of this writing I'm prepping for a trip to my companies home office.  I have worked for the same company for nearly 15 years and work remotely.  Over the years I have traveled to the office for special occasions, training sessions and product launches with the occasional visit for symposium.

Here are a few photos from those past visits.



This was one of my first trips with my company.  I went to Vegas.  Got an award.  :P This photo was taken in 2005.





This trip I needed to go out and buy all new clothes for the trip. Needless to say I'm still completely terrified about getting lost, showing up for work naked (ok not really) and/or spilling coffee on the boss.  But at least that seat belt extension will be a fear that I can tuck away and never worry about again.


Here's the photo - Trip to Connecticut 2017.

Photo Credit - Elijah Olson

This year after getting myself healthy I've been struggling with the whole Eff your Body Standards campaigns. While I get that we want to be happy and healthy in the skin we're in, we also don't want to be promoting unhealthy behaviors or celebrating a disease that is killing us. A few years ago I had my DNA tested and it revealed that I was prone to obesity. My DNA makes it harder for me to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight and with that opened up the door for a lot of weight related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. I started at 250. Now this isn't the largest I have been. Before I had a gastric bypass surgery I was up to 305lbs.   Today I'm at 175lbs with a total weight loss (this round of weight struggle) of 75lbs.



Hubby found Dr. Furhman. We have changed the way we work with food and it is really helping me this time.


So what should I weight?  Dr. Furhman says the following:

Women: 95 lbs for the first five feet of height and four pounds for every inch there after.
Men: 105 lbs for the first first five feet of height and five pounds for every inch there after.

These are only rough guides since we all have different body types and bone structures - source

Currently I'm still obese according to the BMI at 33.1.  I will be here for a bit.  But then I didn't get fat overnight so why would I lose the weight overnight?

Screenshot-  https://bmicalculator.mes.fm

According to Dr. Furhman's calculations I need to weigh around 99lbs.  Should be interesting to see if I keep the negative foods out of my diet how close I get to that number.

Ultimately, you'll be able to tell where you should be based on how your body feels when you do day to day basis. Such as traveling for business.  Is it hard to get in the airline seat? (Yes, I know they are really small but just give me a second.)  Is it easier to board?  How about putting your luggage in the overhead?  How about buckling that belt?

Let me state clearly, you can be a full figured person and be healthy.  You can be a skinny person and be unhealthy. Only you and your doctor can make that decision. The only thing I can share with you is my experience and what I have seen in my weight loss journey.  And if I were given a degree for the years of study (or struggle) I have on this subject I would be walking around with a doctorate.

This post is not intended to body shame anyone. Take a moment and do a self assessment. Take what helps you from this post and leave the rest behind.

Today I'm reviewing the Buddha's Diet - The ancient art of losing weight without losing your mind.

Photo Credit - Google Images - Book Cover

 This book is a great look at how we interact with food.  At first I thought it might be heavily influenced by Buddhism.  But I was wrong.  While there are some references to meditation and what the Buddha did, the real message here is mindfulness.  I found the book easy to read, extremely easy to read.  Not only did I learn a few things about food and eating but also about the Buddha.  For example I thought that Buddhist were vegetarian. That's not the case at all.

Tucked neatly in the back of the book are a list of end notes.  I was really impressed with the amount of noted references that are in this book.  I have seen text books with less sources cited. I found the book extremely enjoyable to read and informative.  So much so that I have changed my eating habits to the 9 hour window.  Which my hubby and I had already discussed after he saw a five hour window of eating related to Penn Gillette's book, "Presto: How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales" and referencing Dr.Bert Herring's work on the subject.

I'll be posting some updates as we move forward with this path.  So far I'm down 24 pounds; Pants size 22 down to 14 and bra size from 42DD to 38C since going vegan.  Feeling pretty good.

Again, I think this is a really great book and highly recommend reading it for anyone interested in checking out the eating window methodology.

Hubby and I just got back from Pagan Pride Raleigh. We had a wonderful time. This is our biggest festival of the year.  We took the Vardo down and stayed the weekend.  We went to Whole Foods in Raleigh and found some fantastic things.  Because we're eating vegan now we have to find new foods to eat.  We tried a couple of new things the first of course was pizza. Pizza is one of my favorite things.  Needless to say it was only a matter of time before we had to try some.  We picked a mushroom, tomato and spinach as our first try.  First I have to say that I have always hated mushrooms.  But I'm finding they are not so bad now.  It was a pretty good slice.  Sunday night we were going to hit up Chipolte for some Soffritas but the parking was horrid so we went back to Whole Foods and this time they had a Mock BBQ Chicken Pizza (also vegan) --  it was freaking amazing.  It did have red onions on it which I pulled off but yeah, hell yeah.  :)

Me and Hubby at Pagan Pride Raleigh

We got up at about 5 am and walked around the fair grounds to make sure we got our steps in for the day and made sure to drink lots of water and eat fresh fruit.  I'm excited for my weigh in tomorrow. I'm really hoping I made my goal loss finally.

So I guess I'll get on with the update.

I started out at the following measurements

August 27

Bust - 44 3/4
Waist - 42.5
Hips - 51
Pants - 20

September 16
Bust - 43
Waist - 38.5
Hips - 47
Pants - 16

A before and after photo -  the kitty in the photo was rolling around in the grass. He's fine.

I'm really excited about how quickly my body is changing.  I'm looking forward to getting down and staying down this time!  Go Vegan!

Over the last few months I've been starting to work out again. I started with the treadmill, which abruptly died in June.  I then tried to do the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Micheals and that was a disaster. The last two weeks I have been getting up every morning and doing 20 minutes on the elliptical and an hour in the middle of the day on my under the desk peddle bike to try to get the weight off.  We also switched our lunches to only salad for the last month.  I haven't dropped a lot of weight but my size 20 pants are now able to be pulled down w/o unbuttoning them.  So I am at least heading slowly but surely in the right direction.