This diet works! If you can stand it...

TechLady77 · 05-31-2007, 01:02 PM

Last fall I went to an Amish herbalist because I could not get a diagnosis and I was at my breaking point. He looked into my eyes and told me everything that was wrong with me (including my female issues). I don't know how he did it, but he did.

He put me on a diet and gave me herbs. I lost 15 Ibs (from 130 to 115) and I had my AF. I thought I would share in case anyone else is at the point of wanting to drive 5 hours through Amish country! I stayed on the diet for several months. Almost 2 weeks into stopping my diet, all my symptoms came back. I'm going to try to start back with it.

The rules:

- No meat (with the exception of eggs)
- No sugar (except splenda)
- Drink a glass of water before each meal
- Eat eggs 5 times a week
- Eat a whole piece of fruit every day
- Eat raw and cooked veggies (30/70)
- Eat veggie soup 5 times a week
- Include as many beans in your diet as possible (I found minestrone soup to be the best for this)
- Only eat whole grains (no "enriched")
- Limit salt and fat
- If it comes prepackaged you probably shouldn't eat it (except for frozen meals)

There are some wonderful vegetarian cook books for inspiration. Also, check out "Eat to Live" which also claims amazing weight-loss from this exact diet.

Now for the herbs. He put me on about 8 of them, and I can't remember them all. If anyone is interesting in trying them, let me know and I will post the list tonight. I'm sure you guys already know what vitamins you should be taking so I won't go into that.

He had me on this diet for 6 weeks, then I had to do my liver cleanse. I will post the instructions tonight. When I did this cleanse, I expelled 4 Gallstones. That's 4 that would have caused me some serious pain later on! I actually couldn't believe it...such a simple thing. It was not fun, trust me, but I plan on doing the cleanse every year as he directed.

marsalilass · 05-31-2007, 02:24 PM

That's very interesting- were you allowed to have cheese?

That diet sounds fairly sensible to me actually. It's not all that extreme and highlights lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains which is the best way to eat anyway. I'm glad you were sucessful with it!

KatCarney · 05-31-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechLady77

- No sugar (except splenda)

I'm surprised Splenda made the list, instead of Stevia or Agave...

Other than that, it sounds really healthy.

marsalilass · 05-31-2007, 02:51 PM

Yeah, I'd have to agree with Kat on the Splenda thing. Not a big fan of the sweeteners myself, but I don't use sugar either . . . . food tastes better without it anyway IMHO.

TechLady77 · 05-31-2007, 03:06 PM

Kat - He actually had no idea about Splenda. I had to ask him and he thought that should be ok in small portions. These people don't get any contact with the outside except what people tell them. They had horse parking and absolutely no electricity/running water. I'm sure the others are fine, just not asparatame for sure. He did mention honey and black molasses were good and even recommended. I could never figure out what to do with my molasses though...

American cheese is usually a no-no. It is very processed and fatty. Euro cheese should be fine and actually that plus olive oil in small portions is good for you.

I'm sure if we incorporate a bunch of healthy diets into one we will find something that works. But this definately works if you are looking for a quick jump start or a quick AF. Good luck!

marsalilass · 05-31-2007, 04:11 PM

Well, I've decided to go Vegan for a week to get over a current plateau as well as to force myself into eating more veggies! lol- I might just have to keep the eggs though . . . I haven't been doing dairy anyway, but I was curious if this was more a Vegan type thing or just Vegetarian.

KatCarney · 05-31-2007, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechLady77

Kat - He actually had no idea about Splenda. I had to ask him and he thought that should be ok in small portions. These people don't get any contact with the outside except what people tell them. They had horse parking and absolutely no electricity/running water. I'm sure the others are fine, just not asparatame for sure.

As cleanly as you're eating, I'd ditch the Splenda, and use stevia or agave.

SnowFlower · 05-31-2007, 10:12 PM

Sounds like a great plan. Could you just have one piece of fruit or more? Were you hungry on it? So you were able to eat whole wheat pasta/toast etc?

Want2BTrey'sMom · 05-31-2007, 11:29 PM

Be careful with the splenda. I have had allergic reactions with Splenda. I had an odd rash on my legs and a lack of energy.

askcassyfirst · 06-01-2007, 01:31 AM

Sounds like a good high fiber plan, actually. I think that there are a lot of folks who could benefit from returning to a diet of clean, unprocessed fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and eggs..

One of the intestesting things about what you said was the inclusion of lots of beans. Beans are a fantastic source of fiber, which can help PCOS gals because it supports healthy cholesterol and blood chemistry. A half cup of some bean varieties have 9 grams of fiber. Thats over 25 percent of the recommended 35 grams encouraged by the American Dietetic association. Personally, I love to have beans in my salads....

I'd be curious which herbs he recommended.

Cassy

beads · 06-01-2007, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechLady77

He had me on this diet for 6 weeks, then I had to do my liver cleanse. I will post the instructions tonight. When I did this cleanse, I expelled 4 Gallstones. That's 4 that would have caused me some serious pain later on! I actually couldn't believe it...such a simple thing. It was not fun, trust me, but I plan on doing the cleanse every year as he directed.

i would love to know about this cleanse, and if you have to be on that diet plan to do it.

Beylia · 06-01-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marsalilass

Well, I've decided to go Vegan for a week to get over a current plateau as well as to force myself into eating more veggies! lol- I might just have to keep the eggs though . . . I haven't been doing dairy anyway, but I was curious if this was more a Vegan type thing or just Vegetarian.

Vegan= no animal products or by products
Vegetarian= no meat products and depending on the type of vegetarian (yes there are different types) some may eat eggs, cheese, and drink milk.

irisa · 06-01-2007, 01:19 PM

sounds very interesting. Would you still count calories or just portion control?

marsalilass · 06-01-2007, 02:31 PM

Belyia-- I know the difference between Vegan and Vegetarian, thanks. I already don't eat dairy and my decision is for health purposes not moral purposes . . . my diet is more akin to a Vegan diet (even including the eggs) than it is to an ovo-lacto vegetarian.

TechLady77 · 06-01-2007, 06:02 PM

Sorry I could not post the info last night as my MIL showed up as soon as I got home going crazy about how I didn't answer my phone. She needed more money... *sigh*

Anyways, I never felt hungry but I did have cravings for MEAT. I actually cried and begged my husband to take me out for fajitas!! LOL - Eventually that passed and after the cleanse I included Salmon and other healthy fish into the diet which helped a lot.

There is no portion control. Veggies and fruits do not make you fat, yay! Make sure it's all whole foods and not canned (sugary) fruits. Also, you can't count cream of ... soups - too much salt.

beads - I would say you do need to be following the diet for at least two weeks before the cleanse. It would not be very effective if you continued to put toxins into your body right up to the point of the cleanse.

I did include some sugars, like peanut butter - I have it for breakfast every morning and I could never give it up! Whole wheat bagel w/peanut butter and a banana - it's like a pure shot of energy that you don't crash from. It completely replaced my caffeine (now my only source is occassional chocolate).