End of Week 5: Coming off Supplements and Meds?

I have given up taking our BP measurements on our home kit. It’s so frustrating because we have to keep taking readings until we get a consistent result. Instead, we’re going to get it checked by our doctor and look at changes over a longer period of time. As for our weight, we each lost about half a pound. My husband still hasn’t noticed any physical changes in himself as a result of the weight loss, although he’s noticing changes in me.

This week I only managed to go for a walk three out of the seven days. Every time I planned on going, it was pouring with rain. I usually walk with my dog Jasper, but he developed a limp after walking with us last Sunday. The vet thinks my dog could be developing arthritis. Jasper is finally better, although the weather isn’t. Well, I don’t want to keep making excuses for why I’m not exercising, so I’m going to start using the gym on really rainy days (which will be most days for the next several months!)

Other than returning to the gym, I have another goal I want to work on. I want to come off my prescription medications. I was inspired by that guy on the Forks Over Knives movie who was able to stop all his medications after starting this diet. I want to start with my thyroid medication.  I just had my thyroid  re-checked and when I get the result, I want to ask my doctor how to come off it. This diet has done more for my energy than any medication or supplement has ever done. But I don’t know if it is even possible to come off thyroid hormone. I've heard that our bodies stop producing our own thyroid after we start supplementing it. I would love to hear from anyone who has tried to come off their thyroid hormone.

I have already cut back on the supplements I was previously taking. After reading Dr. Campbell’s advice in The China Study, I am confident that I can get the nutrients my body needs from a whole foods, plant-based diet. As I mentioned before, the only nutrients that Dr. Campbell says we may have to supplement are B12 and vitamin D. These should be taken in the daily recommended doses and not in the mega doses that we tend to take.

According to the findings of a new study released on the news this week, supplements like iron, copper, folic acid and zinc can cause early death in some women. Here is a link to that news report. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44851929#44851929.

This week, I finally returned to teaching, at least as a tutor! It was great to be doing again what I do best, which is teaching students how to read and write. Right now, I’m working with adults with literacy problems, which is really rewarding. I love it! It's thanks to this diet that I have all this extra energy to be able to do this.

This diet is definitely improving my energy, mood, helping me lose weight and enabling me to be more productive!!!

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