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4.5
Watched the DVD back in mid-March. Decided we'd make the leap, and give it a try. Purchased the E2 cookbook because I figured if a bunch of fire fighters were eating this stuff, it was probably pretty good. Excellent book, great recipies, and really helped us start learning a new way of life. Also purchased 2 other Vegan cookbooks to give ourselves other points of view, and more recipies.We're still not convinced that 100% meat free is good, or what we really want, so we still eat some type of meat once, or maybe twice a week. We're not having red meat, not that we'd say "no" to it, we just haven't. Trying to eat only hormone/antibiotic/corn fed free poultry, and occasionally some type of wild caught fish. Once in a while, local free range eggs.There's a discussion about B-12 that I think is important to look into. I certainly don't pretend to understand all the complexities of the issue, but it seems important enough, that for now, we'll continue to eat meat once in a while.We did completely stop all dairy. No milk, cheese, or butter. Tried a bunch of the different non-milk, milks, like Almond Milk, Rice Milk, etc. Found we like the Flax Milk the best, and it's only 25 calories for the unsweetened version. Has as much calcium as a glass of milk.We're seeing a very slight and slow drop in weight. We already ate very healthy (by "normal" standards) so the "Forks...." plan isn't really a huge dramatic step.We're also paying attention to the Paleo Diet, and the idea that grains, including wheat, are similarly bad, just like corn. Since cutting back on the amount of wheat and brown rice we eat on the "Forks......" plan, we've noticed more progression in losing weight. The term "Wheat Belly" is real.One huge benefit I've seen is that my severe seasonal allergies to pollens are completely gone. I've suffered with allergies for something like 38 years, and even took the shots when I was a kid. When I lived in northern coastal CA, the allergies were year round. After moving to coastal SoCal, they were only present in the last week of April, and through the entire month of May, and sometimes the first week of June. We have some crazy tree and grass pollens here during that 6 week period, and there are times when our skies look like there's heavy air pollution, and our cars look like we live on dirt roads. This equates to 6 weeks of pure hell for me. No sleep, living on bendryl because nothing else will touch it, and having a HEPA filter running full throttle in the living room the entire time. Heck, sometimes I'll put on a paint spraying resperator, just to get some relief for a few hours at home. Well, allergie season hit this year and was one of the worst on record......or so they tell me! I had a total of 4 sudafed allergy pills back in the last week of April and first week of May, and that was it. While everyone was just dying around me, I barely had an itchy nose, if that. The HEPA filter never came down from the Attic, I didn't miss a night of sleep, and as May became June, I lost all symptoms. I can even jump on a lawn tractor and go mow deep weeds, driving around in a cloud of dust and pollen, and nothing, not one symptom. Not even itchy eyes!!It had to be the dairy, because other than taking spirulina pills, it's the only thing that I've changed 100% since watching "Forks....." back in March.If I get no other benefit from the plan, other than getting 6 weeks of my life back each year, that'll be satisfaction enough.Oh, one other benefit that I've forgotten about. For about the last 3 years I've had a dry, peeling area on my nose, and on my forehead just between my eyebrows. The area on my forehead was slowly spreading, and was usually pink/red enough that people would ask what I'd done to myself. The peeling skin was to the point that if I didn't look in the mirror before going out, and scrub my face with a wash cloth, I'd look like a week old case of sun burn. Literally, it was getting to the point that I was going to make an appt. with a dermatologist. Well, that is 100% gone now. Was it the Dairy? The corn fed beef? No way to know, since I've not had either since mid-March.
