Fear the Blue Balls

                                                             

What do you think of when you think of racquetball?  I simple little sport where you hit a small ball against a wall and your opponent reciprocates, right?  Well not so true...at least not for us.  We have discovered that it is a fun way to get our cardio in and it also should help burn more calories since my heart is racing even more from sure panic! That cute little ball is a weapon of destruction!  It always starts out nice and leisurely, and then my husband losses all rational thought and decides that he needs to make the ball travel as fast a possible.  All I can do is duck and pray. 

Don't get me wrong, my husband is a nice, sweet and gentle guy.  But when he gets on the court, its like he becomes a gladiator!  And no one is safe...fear the blue balls!  He is not out to hurt anyone, he is just having fun...but I think his goal is to see if he can blast that ball through the damn court wall! 

We are still new to the game and neither of us are sure of the exact rules.  I don't think it would matter if we did know them.  We wouldn't be able to follow them anyway once the spirit of Spartacus takes over in my husband.  As of now we are using the equipment provided by the gym.  We might have to look into getting our own soon, as their's is not going to last long, lol.

I would love to learn how to actually play, but I might be seriously disappointed.  It might take from the fun we have!  I wouldn't need to duck, dodge or dive nearly as much...and then I wouldn't be smiling as much either.  Because no matter how outrageously crazy my husband gets with the game, it is still a fun time we have together and that is what counts.  I give him a hard time about being so rough, but honestly its as much a part of the game as his silly antics, lol.

BTW, this is what a racquetball looks like when it is hits the wall during normal play.  It's kind of neat, give you some idea into the design and show you something you do not normally see.  They have different versions of balls, some have less bounce and hurt much less when hit by them! lol  Now I found another picture that shows what is might looking like when my husband hits the ball...please note the difference.

All in all, we have a great time with most of our exercising. And just today one of my coworkers told me she can notice a difference in my size.  Maybe it is the racquetball?  maybe it is that she is on crack?  I am not sure, but either way it was compliment and I am going to take it!  And I am going to continue having fun playing racquetball with my husband as he pushes the limits of the blue balls...until next time!

I'm A Shape Shifter!

It has been 2 months at the gym and guess what?!  There is no miracle happening here, I didn't drastically lose a bunch of weight and change my looks over night.  And this is fine with me, now...I may not have lost as much weight as I wanted to at this point,  but I have changed my shape!  And little by little the weight is starting to budge.  Thank God!  I will admit that I had my moments of "WTF" and pity party times, and I am sure I will have more! But for now, this is working.  Key reminder here is to NOT give up!

                                                                

I started this journey with a goal and a half ass plan of changing the way I live.  That included the food I ate.   Like I said before, I will not be a slave to a (dreaded word) diet.  I will not give up everything I deem good and yummy.  I just have to really make sure I am not indulging too much.   If you think you don't eat too much or that you don't indulge too much, keep track for a week, it will shock you!  I don't think I pig out, but I did realize I was eating more than I needed to.  Its been tough, I am changing things slowly...and slowly changing it with my family, too.  Some things they have gone along with, others...well, I tried! :)  

                                                        

                                                     

This will be my struggle for life, I am aware of this.  But at some point in time, I expect this to become easier.  By that I mean it won't be as hard to resist certain foods and it will be second nature to eat out of necessity and not for pleasure.  Cravings will be a faint memory and so will the size of my body now.   According to my husband, I am not a "large" kind of gal, but I sure do feel it and see it when I look into the mirror.  Maybe it is an image misconception, but when people tell me I am not big I honestly think they are lying.  I KNOW I am not a small lady by any means.  And I really have no desire to me tiny.  I just want to look good, in my own vision and not what the media says is good.

                                                                 

So that is my rant on getting in shape for now.  I am still working at it, and ready to kick it all up a notch.  I am still learning what exercise works best for what and so on.  I am slowly getting the diet healthier and wishing for a body to be proud of soon.  So, if you are doing the same as I, KEEP AT IT!  Do not give up.  This can be done and it is going to one of the hardest things ever, but sooooooooooooooooo worth it!  Until next time...stay active!

Say NO To Diets!!!!

So I have decided to quit calling what I am trying to do weight loss...I am just going to call it getting healthy.  The weight has not changed much.  It is very small steps here people.  However, on a good note my size and/or shape is changing! :)  It is also slow, but I see results and I am very happy with that.  I still have to work on the healthier eating.  I am slowing getting the whole family on board with it.  It's tough to change the way things are done, especially when it can be so different.  I am proud of my gang though!  They are doing great! 


A lot of the girls here at work are also "getting healthy" but I don't agree with the way most of them are doing things.  One "diet" several of them are trying is so strange.  They are allowed no sugar, dairy, many other restrictions.  They have to drink the diluted cranberry juice.  It is suppose to cleanse their system and help them lose weight.  Some are trying these shakes additives.  They replace 2 meals a day with them, (reminds me of the horrid Slim Fast).  Don't even get me started on the HCG and their 500 calorie a day plan.  Of course you lose weight with that, you are not eating enough to sustain your daily bodily functions!  Jenny Craig, Medi-fast, NutriSystem...WHATEVER!

                                                             


OK, so you see a plan that interests you and you think you can stick with it.  You start this program and BAM!  You lose weight, week after week, after a few months you are looking good!  You start to ween off of the "diet" and oops!  They weight comes back.  WTF?!  If you do not plan to eat Jenny Craig food for the rest of your life then it probably isn't going to give you the long term/life long results you are looking for.  Do you really want to drink shakes and frozen meals for the rest of your time on Earth?  I sure wouldn't want to!


The point I am making is simple, if you want to look good, feel great and stay that way...you have to find something you can live with.  And that might mean a complete life style change.  There is no such thing as a miracle diet, and diet is a word flung around way too much our of context.  The word diet, according to Merriam Webster is this:food and drink regularly provided or consumed habitual nourishment.  Diet is simply what you eat and should not be thought of as anything other than that.  No one needs to go on a diet, we are on one already.  You can modify your diet and make it healthier to achieve your nutritional goals.  Now do you get the point?

So, all of these girls out there trying the latest "diet" pill, HCg, new fad weight loss program...STOP IT WILL YA?! All you are doing is making someone rich while they ruin and dash your chances at health.  If you want to change the way your body looks, then DO IT!  You have to do it.  You have to make the choices.  You have to get off of your ass and exercise.  No one is going to do it for you.  You cannot get fit in 10 minutes a day/3 times a week, either on some of those stupid machines they advertise on TV.  I better not start on that rant right now.  Start slow, walk.  Walk a little, then a little more and then even more.  Then pick up the pace, faster with each passing week.  Before you know it, you might be ready to start running!  But don't let that scare you, you can do it!  Even if you never run and just continue to walk, you are still moving faster than the person still sitting on the couch!


I am not happy with my body, but I AM doing something about it.  There are people of all shapes and sizes at our gym.  I have mentally listed them in categories for my own sick and twisted needs.  I will share a few with you: 

-The average Joes...people like me and my family.  Not in the best of shape, but not totally out of shape.  We are there to make a positive change for ourselves.

-The peppy/naturally slender ones who are spend more time trying to look like they are working out than actually working out.  They can be spotted very easily. They are the ones who walk slow on the treadmill or pedal slow on the recumbent bikes, and read or talk/text on the phone.  They move so slow that they are actually wasting their time at the gym, and they very rarely sweat.  Its more of a social outlet for them. Oh, and they usually have the cutest outfits with coordinating shoes.




-The over achievers: these people NEVER smile, ever!  They are the most unapproachable  acting people in the whole gym.  They think their superior body condition gives them the right to be an a$$hole to most everyone else in the gym.  They can be men/or women. Sometimes it is hard to decided which of the two they are, but...in their defense, they work very hard on their body and they should be proud.  But they should also get a life and a personality.  They're not the only kids on the playground and bullying is overrated. Your big muscles do not entitle you to anymore respect than the rest of us.

-The-Wanna-Be-#@%$..they are a mix of the preppy/naturally slender and the over achievers.  They have worked hard on their bodies, but never alone!  They must travel in packs or as they call them "groups".  They are the first to try out the new trends and usually look rather silly afterwards.  Especially all of them with tramp stamps and upper arm tattoos.  They tend to think they look like Angelina Jolie, but in reality they could never be a bad ass, (neither could Angelina, truth be told). They too wear some cute clothes and have store bought tans and boobs.  When your body fat is as low as their's, no way in hell those things are real! 


-The Real Deal- These are the people that are or were once VERY over weight.  They have worked their A$$ off (literally) and without surgery.  They had the will to succeed and that is just what they have done.  They may not be very approachable at first, feeling a bit intimidated at, but usually become chatty and more friendly as time go one.  They love to share their story in hopes of inspiring others.  


So, that is my sad, sick judgmental side...take me or leave me, I will still be here to tell my story if you want to hear it.  I am doing the best I can, and I hope to improve upon that.  I know I will never have that dream body, but I am OK with that.  Most of what you see on TV is enhanced anyways, lol...but I will make the best of the body I have.  I will try to keep the junk out of it, and put in more of the good stuff.  I will pump my muscles and run my a$$ until it falls off, all in the name of health without taking the way out.  Peace out...

To Zumba or Not to Zumba...

...that is the question!  Zumba seems to be a huge hit right now and I have to say I am interested.  But I want to know the pros and cons of Zumba vs. a regular workout.  And not to mention, I cannot dance...so how big of an idiot will I look like during one of these classes.  Everyone boasts the benefits of Zumba, but taking this hour long class will burn about 200 calories less than running on a treadmill for an hour.  I know what you are thinking, most of us wouldn't "run" for an hour anyway...me included.  It's just a comparison. Someday I will be up to that one hour, I hope.  

If they could promise I would look like the women in the above picture, hell yeah I would be at Zumba...twice a day, 7 days a week.  But back to reality, I doubt any of those people were ever over weight.  And I doubt they have to put as much effort in to look the way they do.  I would like to think they huge and obese and this picture was ran through a great photo shop program!  There, now I feel better about myself. :)  

Gyms can be intimidating.  They are filled with buff, lean, fit and toned pretty people.  For me it is a HUGE ego downer at this time.  I am still new (5 weeks strong!), and I feel a bit inadequate at times when I see the others working out.  I know I cannot compare myself to them, but I can't help but to be jealous at times.  The Zumba classes are held in a room just down from the cardio machines in my gym.  I have walked passed there and have seen the classes in action.  There are people from every make and model!  The pro now seems to be that I would fit right in!  

So, pros again: Zumba is a form of interval training and is a good core workout.  It might seem redundant to "dance" every time, but it looks like fun! If you love to dance, (I didn't say can, I said love! lol), this seems like a good choice.  Be warned however, it does not provide fast weight loss and it does not give you strength training.  I think it would be a good option to change up your normal workout.  Add a little spice to you workout life!  I will keep it open as an option for a later date, but for now I will stick with the cardio and weight training.  Let's get this exercise figured out and the body under control and then...

:o)

                                                 

                                  

                                                      

I SEE the Change

                                                      






Well folks, at the end of my 4th week, I SEE a change!  It is not huge and nothing to really brag about in the world of health and fitness, but it is a change!  The weight has not moved much, which still bothers me.  Everyone keeps reminding me that muscle weights more than fat.  Well, I don't think I have done enough just yet to build up any major muscle.  I just think I am s-l-o-o-o-w-l-y losing weight, the way you are suppose to.  They recommend 1 pound a week, and that would be about right for me, (sometimes a pound or 2 more, depends on when I weigh).  

I do have a fear that I am not doing something right, and today my suspicions were confirmed.  I heard from 2 people that I look like I have lost weight in my face!  Damn, I was working out the wrong cheeks!  I knew something was not going right! LOL  OK, it sounded funnier in my head.  I was hoping the weight would just start to fall off, but that is not the case.  I am no longer a 20 something year old, and my metabolism is shot to craps.  But I guess slow and steady is the preferred method.  It looks like I have no choice but to accept it. 

We started weights and it is going OK.  I know it will get easier, and for the most part it is not bad.  There are just a few of them that really kill me right now.  We are only doing one set of 20 on each of the machines for now.  As it becomes easier we can start a second round.  I am anxious to get into the weight a little more.  It is suppose to be a big metabolism booster!  And I need some boosting!!!!

                                                    

The cardio is getting easier, but at the same time, I keep upping it slightly.  Very slightly, lol.  I am in no hurry to break records and I am slowly getting the thoughts out of my head that I need to keep up with others.  I have obviously changed a lot in a few years and it is not a race to get back that point.  I know I CAN do this and WILL do this, just in my own time.  The only thing I grow impatient with is the weight.  I just want to see a BIG change!  But speaking of change, there is some slight changed in my body.  It is in the abdominal area and it is noticeable! :)  

Nothing much else new to report here, just plugging away at this whole health and fitness and looking for the changes.  I have to add that I am so very proud of my family for sticking with this.  My oldest son is doing awesome!  17 and not once has he griped about going.  He just does what needs to be done and makes me so very proud!  My 19 year old daughter is doing good, she usually does well, but if it interferes with her social life, she sometimes slacks at the gym.  Its a process and we are all learning it.  Keep wishing us luck!  

Losing Is FUN!

Well, it finally happened!  I lost about 5lbs...it's a start and I hope it continues at a steady pace.  This is the start of our 3rd week at the gym and to be honest I was getting slightly discouraged until this late last week.  I have been working so hard, trying to make a change in my body...but it seemed it didn't like what I was doing, lol.  

I found a machine that I really like, it's an elliptical.  I tried several of them along with other machines, and this one is great.  I was able to go 5-10 minutes at a time on other machines, then I would have to stop and rest for a minute.  I am up to 25 minutes nonstop and doing well!  The below picture is the elliptical I am using.

After working out on this, we do as many sets of crunches, wall push-ups, stretches, wall sit and so forth as we can take.  I did 4 sets of crunches, (80!) I am really feeling it!  But I was further inspired this morning when getting dressed for work.  I grabbed a pair of scrub pant from the closet and while pulling them up realized I grabbed a pair that didn't fit well.  Then I realized they are actually going up easier and not fitting nearly as tight as before!  It was a small step, but it made a HUGE difference!  It was the start of proof that this is working!

We started to play around in the pool last Friday.  That lasted the whole weekend.  It was a great way to get a workout and play with our kids at the same time.  Our youngest really enjoyed it a lot.  He gets to play in what he calls the "Kids Zone", lol.  In reality it is just a gym daycare (on steroids! lol).  He loves it, but swimming is his favorite as of now.  

I like the pool for multiple reasons.  First, it just feels good to be in the water.  Second, the resistance is awesome!  It makes me feel like I am doing something for my body while having fun.  I could go on and on, but I let's just say I love it!  

That is about all for now.  I will be brave in the following weeks and post pics of myself so you can see my progress.  I hope at least a few people actually follow this and can see a true story in progress.  I was once told I could never do this...I almost proved that person correct by gaining some of that weight back.  Well no longer will that be the story.  I dare that person to tell me I cannot succeed again...I dare you to.  I can, I will, I AM doing this!

                                                      

                                              

WTF? Really?!?!

                                                 


Here we go again...I will stop at this point apologizing for lack of posting, just expect it, lol.  So to catch you up, we joined a gym...the whole family.  It is nice to not be the only one exercising this time.  But this time for some reason it is much harder for me.  I know that the weight does not fall off over night, and I know I will not see huge results in one week, but I have to say I was very discouraged to see my weight go up after the first week and continue to do so this week, (week number 2).  I don't know what is different this time, what I am doing wrong or what the hell is going on.

I remember back in 2008, I was kicking ass and taking names at this whole weight loss and exercise deal.  In 6 months, I lost 50 lbs!  I was running and walking and loving it!  I ate what a wanted, (in smaller portions) and was feeling good and looking great.  Then when I stopped running, I just didn't get back into it.  And the diet, well that went to hell in a hand basket, too.  So I know why I gained a lot of weight back.  But what I don't get it why I am having such a hard time losing it this time.  

We were walking a while back, and a lot of it...I would lose a pound, gain 2.  Over and over...what the heck?  Really?  OK, so walking by itself wasn't doing it for me this time.  Maybe it has something to do with quitting smoking and being a medication that I was not on last time.  I don't know.  But I do know this:  If one more person tells me that it will just eventually "fall" off when I least expect it, I will drop kick them...true story.  Have you ever seen someone's weight just fall off?  I didn't think so.

I see myself in the mirror and I don't like what is there.  I see myself just pounds away from my old self in 2008 and that alone is enough to scare me.  I cannot go back there, but yet I can't seem to stop it.  I know, I know, I am in control of my own body...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!  I am serious here folks...there has to be a trick to this.  Something that will signal the body and tell it that I am trying and it needs to cooperate!  Gezzz!  

I have been trying to eat better, honest and true!  But what makes it hard is that the others in my house are continuing to eat the same way they always have.  It makes it harder for me to be compliant when they have made no changes them selves.  The kids are not over weight and probably fine, for now...but I don't want it to catch up to them later.  My husband is not really over weight at all.  He has started to get that typical middle aged man belly, but that is all, and that will go away with the exercise we are doing.  He has gained some weight, but he is not over weight.  But they all need try and eat a little healthier for their own good.  Bonus, it would make it a little easier for me, lol.

                                              

I spoke with a trainer that we know from the gym, he recommend I do the 5-6 small meals a day thing, woohoo!  I am so excited, can you tell! Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life.  Eat small frequent meals, (which is not as easy as it sounds) and exercise like crazy to stay healthy?  God forbid if I want a piece of cheesecake someday, or gout and enjoy a nice meal on a date with husband.  I may have to run a marathon that day to keep from gaining a new ass from it.  I know food is not a reward, it should just simply be something our bodies need to keep going.  But why in the hell do they have to make such yummy things?!?!?!  

To me, this is the beginning to an end...an end to enjoy the same meal with my family.  The end to enjoying any type of dessert or the occasional greasy spoon dive.  Not that those are necessarily things I need, but once in a while would be fabulous.  I wish I knew how to get out of the mind frame that food is good. I wish I could make it seem more like a chore, then I might succeed better.  Maybe hypnosis telling me food tastes bad...something!

I know I sound like a chronic complainer, but I think I deserve it to be honest.  Besides these changes, I still have to make the food my family eats, but I have to pass on most of it.  I have to listen to them at the gym talk about how they have gone further than me.  And I by no means think they are trying to be mean, they are just competitive by nature and I don't think they realize how sometimes it hurts my feelings to have them says things like I went a mile longer than you, or at my pace I am a lap ahead.  It really gets to me at times because like I said before, I was doing that well a few years ago.  Oh well, that is life.  You roll with or just let it take you down.  I am sure this will all start to work for me, but until then, it will be a very tough road.  I just hope I don't get lost along the way.  Wish me luck.

                                              

Sorry for the lack of posting, life has been busy, but I am making progress and hanging in there!  I have been drinking smoothies for breakfast and then topping it off with a boiled egg a couple of hours later.  I was thinking this was pointless and not getting me anywhere.  Until this morning when I weighed myself!  Let me back track a little...


OK, so every Thursday is date night for my husband and I.  On Fridays we usually take the kids out to eat.  So, last week we ate at PF Chang's on Thursday and Cinzetti's Italian Market on Friday.  And to top it off, we went to a birthday party Saturday afternoon at a buffet!  Holy smokes, I should be bursting out of my pants.  But I am not!  And the scale is still in my favor!  I ate about 3/4 of my food at PF Chang's.  Thursdays are my night for not watching too close to what I eat.  Friday, although it was all you can eat, I did not over do it.  I was so proud of myself.  I did indulge in my favorite dessert from there though...Saturday at the buffet I was pretty good.  I did not over do it and watched what I ate.  I passed on the birthday cake even.


After all of that, I was worried the scale was going to kick me off.  So far so good!  I have been good this week.  I drank a smoothie every morning so far.  I was about to pass it up this morning, but when I checked my weight this morning, I was so pleasantly surprised that I did drink it.  I discovered that it is not my favorite and I kind of killed my appetite for a while.  That was a good side effect! lol  


So, here we are back at Thursday date night and I am not going to pay much attention to what I eat.  Since I am down more weight than I thought, I feel like I am in a good spot.  I still have not exercised and I not sure when I will be starting the gym.  I will shoot for a month and pray for the best, lol.  Its all been portion control and trying to eat healthier.  So, so far so good.  No change in the way my clothes are fitting just yet, but I feel better knowing that my weight is starting to decrease.  I have these dreams of what I can do with my body.  What it is going to look like, how clothes are going to look on me.  That put an image in my mind of something I have not had in a long time.  I was 17 when I last had a "little black dress" and I want one!  I am trying to decide if I should weight until I lose the weight or go pick on out now and make it my goal to fit into it.  What do you think?  Please leave comments below, I would love to know what you think.


That is about it for now...kind of a boring blog today, lol.  Stay tuned as I make this happen!

                                              

I Heart Bacon

                                           

                                               

This has been a slight struggle for me, trying to be as good as I can, but dang it...I LOVE BACON and I miss it!  And it is a no no right now.  I have come up with some funky combinations for bacon, but the above picture is NOT one of them.  I mean, I do love my bacon, but not that much! lol  Of course there is turkey bacon, but it is not the same at all!  I have been getting by with imitation bacon bits on my salads, lol.  I have seen some positive results!  Yeah me!  Its not a huge difference, but the number on the scale is going down...I have yet to exercise, one step at a time, lol.  Speaking of exercise, I think I might be making a huge leap forward with that soon.  We were out this last weekend for a friend's birthday party and ran into an acquaintance we had not seen in a couple of years.  He is a personal trainer and was telling about the gym he was working at now.  I explained to him what I want to do and he explained how it would be done, lol. And I am having mixed feelings about it.  

A lot of women want to be thin and healthy, this I know.  And I am one of them.  I know I can do this my way.   His way would work even better and probably give me more detailed and faster results.  But his way is so damn harsh! LOL  He explained that I would have to give him complete control for lack of a better way of putting it.  Which means, I eat what he says, I exercise what and when he says.  My issue with this, is that I do not want to become a slave to my own body.  Does that make sense?  

As I have stated before, I do not deny myself all things good to eat.  I don't think that is a good idea.  My way is portion control and trying to eat right.  His way will be balls to the wall, get her done kind of diet.  And there is that word I hate, DIET!  It will be an automatic exclusions of most carbs I am sure, all sugar and starches, etc...Wow, I sound like a whiny baby, huh?   I think I am just afraid, afraid of the failure.  At least with my way, I am not set up for immediate failure.  As long as I stick to what I am doing, eventually I will get to where I want to be.  No frowny faces if I take a big bite of my husband's brownie.  No feeling guilty if I skipped a salad or something.  Working with a personal trainer however, this is going to be tough!  

Maybe it is a blessing in disguise.  Maybe it is just what I need to get the weight off and keep it off.  Maybe, just maybe...I can really to this!  I think it will make me more likely to stick to the plan if I have to answer to someone.  I don't know, we'll see how it goes.  Along with the benefits of using a personal trainer, comes the expense.  That is why I cannot just jump in.  I have to figure out how long I will have to use his services before I can be left on my own to do this and get the final costs.  I am getting a lump sum raise next month, and I think this is going to be a good thing to invest that money in.  Until then, I think I am going to start weighing myself like this:  

                                                

So much to look into to, so much to plan for and so much to accomplish!  I can't wait to meet my new body someday.  I am sure she is fabulous!  Until I can start with the trainer, I am going to stick to my current regimen and hopefully see some size reduction soon.  I found this on the web and thought it would useful to share with all of you: (Via naturopathyworks.com)

If you crave this…	What you really need is…	And here are healthy foods that have it:
Chocolate	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Sweets	Chromium	Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
	Carbon	Fresh fruits
	Phosphorus	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains
	Sulfur	Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
Bread, toast	Nitrogen	High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans
Oily snacks, fatty foods	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Coffee or tea	Phosphorous	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
	Sulfur	Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables
	NaCl (salt)	Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
	Iron	Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Alcohol, recreational drugs	Protein	Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
	Avenin	Granola, oatmeal
	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
	Glutamine	Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice
	Potassium	Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens
Chewing ice	Iron	Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Burned food	Carbon	Fresh fruits
Soda and other carbonated drinks	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Salty foods	Chloride	Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt
Acid foods	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Preference for liquids rather than solids	Water	Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Preference for solids rather than liquids	Water	You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Cool drinks	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
Pre-menstrual cravings	Zinc	Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables
General overeating	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables
Lack of appetite	Vitamin B1	Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
	Vitamin B3	Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
	Chloride	Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt
Tobacco	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
		I hope this helps some of you, I am going to study it well and see what benefits I can reap from it!  OK, that is it for now...until next time, stay healthy!