My Testimony.... a long time coming!

Feeling like Pinocchia for years because I wanted so badly to be a regular girl with a regular sized body, regular menstrual cycle and the oppty to be a mother... just like any woman. Those desires seemed to be out of reach to me for many years.

Me before Sunrider at my heaviest!

Having been diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome or disease) was a real eye opener because it not only left me infertile but was leading me down a path toward Diabetes, Heart Attack, Stroke and High Blood Pressure. Besides all of that, I hadn’t had a consistent menstrual cycle for at least 8 to almost 9 years. If I were ovulating, I never knew it!

I didn’t know that the food I was eating the very culprit in my situation. All the doctors said and all that I would read would tell me to lose weight lose weight lose weight.... but how??! I really thought I was eating a healthy diet.... the basic food groups and as the movies and commercials suggest, had dessert after my meals... because I was worth it. Heck I worked that day... why not??!

Hah!

One late late night maybe even early morning I was working on my website and a commercial came on with Father Nature talking about alkaline and acidic foods, dense whole food nutrition and ph balance. Honestly it got my attention because it was something I had never really heard of before that night.

I called the number and a very bubbly, energetic woman called me back. I was almost put off by her sunny disposition but listened to what she said anyways.... she really got my attention when she asked me WHEN I WAS GOING TO WATCH THE DVD.... she must have a date so that she could follow up with me... huh...I agreed to watch it no later than Thursday night and if I were interested I’d let her know... like I was controlling something.

Anyways the DVD came as promised, my husband who I had mentioned some of what I learned to the night before was very excited to see that it came so quickly. He dropped his work bag, got a glass of water and told me to join him on the couch so we could watch it together. I laughed but obeyed. We both we astounded by what the Plain truth DVD had to offer... we actually learned something and just like that... we both had to know more. I was sold.

I started my health journey Feb 9, 2010... sick, without a menstrual cycle, seriously overweight and desperate! I got promising results in the 1st 10 days as I dropped 10 lbs! I was shocked, happy and encouraged. I started with a very meager budget and worked to get that up to be able to eat more and more foods.  I think it took maybe 8 months for my period to rev up … by 11/10 I was on a consistent cycle, my skinned began to clear, waistline began to show, I was told I was glowing by friends and family. Best part was that I knew I was on my way to becoming a real girl...woman. I so wanted to be a mother.

Hubby and I began to practice more often the recipe to making a baby and I began to show signs of having a healthy female system. I think I should mention that I stopped catching colds or even the flu when I started taking SR and eating healthy (cutting meat to practically zero). I lost 55lbs +by eating the SR foods consistently, choosing a better eating structure and by participating in the Biggest Winner (now called the Smart Food Club) most of 2011. (Not always easy but definitely worth it).

In March 2012 I suddenly came down with what felt like the Flu from hell.... I slept for 2 days straight and nothing would help it. I was baffled. I thought that it must have been something terrible going around to have caught me... I hadn’t been sick since the end of 2008. Nausea followed and hubby encouraged me to take a preggie test... the 1st was a dud (or so I thought) but the second one... lit up like a Christmas tree...! We were Pregnant! After 10 years of marriage, prayers, tears, disappointments, pleadings with the Lord and just silence.. we were chosen. I still can hardly believe it. On January 19, 2013... I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, bouncy baby boy named Mikael Lee. He has brought joy, love, and laughter but most of all ....hope.

Just a few minutes old

I’ve learned that God answers prayers differently than the way we pray them. That timing is everything and that I needed to clean my house (this temple in which I dwell) before someone could live in it and survive.

I’d like to thank the Lord God for sending me to SR, Dr. Chen for sharing his knowledge and expertise on dense whole food nutrition, for Dr. Patti for sticking with me on this journey, for Elaine for seeing a problem and creating the Biggest Winner Program to help me and so many others become winners at weight loss. 

2 weeks 

3 months

 I am just so grateful.

If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at missmarionrenee@gmail.com.

Garlic Mushroom Potato Cakes over Black Beans

 Easy enough recipe! Very tasty and a wonderful change from the everyday lunch or dinner! You'll need:

4 mid size red potatoes or what you've got
3 cloves of garlic (chopped coarsely)
6 oz mushroom...variety (chopped coarsely)
olive oil
1 small egg beaten
2 tbsp of flour
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper

Boil potatoes, peel , mash and put aside.
In a pan, saute mushrooms and garlic in olive oil.
Mix saute into potatoes and add egg. Combine thoroughly. Add seasonings.
Make potato balls (about the size of a large golf ball) and flatten. Roll in flour.

Heat olive oil in skillet to hot and place cakes in. Cook until golden on both sides and serve immediately.

Really good over a nice spinach leaf salad, tomatoes, green onions and ginger honey balsamic vinegar or atop of a  tasty bowl of black beans garnished with cilantro.

Bon Apetit!



If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at imasunrider@gmail.com.

Found another picture!

 So I found another picture of the old me today... randomly on facebook. I honestly can not believe that was me. I really don't recognize myself... it's like it's a picture of an older sister or maybe an aunt but not me. Crazy! Ken even said that he just didn't realize that I was that big... it never seemed like it. But now that a lot of the girth is gone, it's a trip to look back and see what once was.

It's been a little while since I last wrote. I have had a few struggles since the last post but mostly been maintaining my new weight (no weight gain... Thank GOD!) and working on my exercise routine. 

We bought an elliptical machine and I love it but it does take a little effort to be consistent. I have to admit... this picture will be my new motivation! I have come so far since this picture... almost 50lbs lost! OMGosh! I can not ever let this happen again... I look so very sad too.... I don't  I look this sad anymore.

(In the background of what was suppose to be a Thanksgiving celebration, is melted butter in a small dish for the cornbread cake I probably made and me holding a cup of liquid sugar poison.)

M~

If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at imasunrider@gmail.com.

My Nut Allergy...

Well being new to the area of Encinitas, we have ventured out a few times to the 101 for some great atmosphere and food. Sadly this wasn't the case at St Germaines.

I eat a mostly veg/vegan menu and was pleased that they had some vegan friendly items. I asked for the server to check for soy in the veggie burger... I expected him to come back with the verdict for my choices but he emerged with both orders assuring me that there was no soy in the sandwich. Two bites in, I was in trouble.. nausea settled in quickly. The server, nowhere to be found, I asked another server to check if there where nuts in the veggie burger. She returns shortly with our server right on her heels comfirming that yes, there were walnuts in the sandwich. What?! No where on the menu did it state that there were nuts in the veggie burger. I was really disappointed. It really could've been a bad scene for me and the restaurant. My allergy to nuts is no joke. BUT.... thanks to Sunrider, the build up of toxins are leaving my body and I survived the incident... I SURVIVED! (This was huge!)

A very nice woman at the restaurant went and got me some benadryl (though I didn't need to take it surprisingly), she really cared for me. 

 I wrote this on Yelp and got a response back from a former food server who didn't agree with my # of stars (I gave them 2 because it was polite to do so) for the restaurant. Whatever! She did make a good point though, since I can not trust for people to be careful for me I have to be careful for myself and ask if there are nuts in  things like a veggie burger... Who puts NUTS into a VEGGIE burger anyways??!?!!! I will take her advice but the rest... well she knows what she can do with it... :) (Hehehe It's all good y'all.... LOL! It's all good)!

If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at imasunrider@gmail.com.

Got a joke for ya!

A woman, eating a very dense whole food diet, was using the bathroom. The smell offended her terribly. As she was washing her hands and quickly trying to leave the little toilet closet, she wondered aloud, "Whoa!What in high heaven did I eat?!" Just then, she got her answer as she heard the voice of an angel state,"You didn't eat that up here!"

Hahaha... it's good to laugh at yourself from time to time. All jokes aside though, I had to ask why that was. For the past week, I had been experiencing a fluctuation in my movements. They have been more often and more fragrant (not in a good way). The answer I received was eye opening... The Sunrider NBC basics had discovered a plot of land (my imagination at work here) in my digestive tract or colon that had not been turned over for sometime. The words my source used were... "Marion, that is something very old that is being cleansed from your body". WHAT?!! I almost can't imagine that anything could have been that old in me when I am an on time kinda girl (regular).

In doing some research, I found that even though we may be regular in our waste elimination, that the walls of the colon can still have old waste sticking to it. I found this information on it during a web search:

Over time old waste/toxins may build up within the folds of your intestinal wall. Observational evidence suggests this is the result of excessive mucus secretions, stuck food particles, environmental toxins, constipation, etc.

I have to admit, though I have been seriously stinking in that department lately, I am sure glad that it is leaving out of my body and not in. Thank you Sunrider Calli! (Calli is the dense whole food nutrition that feeds the lymphatic system in the body to help us eliminate they way we should).

Knowing that this is a touchy subject for many, I had to start off with a joke (I wrote it myself BTW) but seriously, eliminating waste from our bodies is no joking matter. Think of it this way, if we are constantly putting groceries into our refrigerators but are never taking out the trash... the whole place would stink to high heaven! The same premise applies here. As much as we put into our bodies, what the body can not use has to be emptied out. If not, it just becomes a playground for disease, infections and sicknesses even cancer.

Think about it, comment me on it but do something about it!

If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at imasunrider@gmail.com.

I usually....

....only post recipes and food on my recipe page but I just had to share with you our delicious din din tonight.

It's was a really good veggie sandwich that I constructed out of soft ciabatta bread (whole wheat flour and with no soy.. yay!), fresh spinach, sauteed (in a lil EVOO) garlic, onions, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, zucchini, sliced heirloom tomatoe from our garden, a few jarred artichoke hearts with the juice and some organic mustard.

The apple slices represent the fries. Apples are a great filler and source of fiber. We love apples!

I'm sharing this on my front page with hopes of sharing how simple food can be when it's left to it's simplicity. Though this isn't raw Vegan but it's very tasty and only cooked to a slight tenderness not a mush. The crunch was still very present. The artichoke hearts had a consistency of swiss cheese. When I asked Ken what he thought of that, he replied, "It just tasted really complete." Yep! He was satisfied!!!

Just eat simply people! It doesn't take a lot of flash, whistles or even bells to make a wonderfully delicious and satisfying meal.

Thanks for stopping by!


If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at imasunrider@gmail.com.

So I was playing a game on Facebook...

... called Baking Life. I think I need to confess right now, I am not a baker. I don't particularly like to bake but I have been known in the past to definitely enjoy some baked goods!

Ok, getting back to the story... I began playing this game on FB called Baking Life where you have to build this cute little bakery and then stock it full of baked goods, sell them to make a profit to be able to buy more things to make your bakery cuter, hipper.. etc and get these little crazy hype and style points. Really, thinking about it know, this played on my gluttony and vanity traits so well. I love to eat, serve and be as fashionable as possible. UGH,  way too clever! Well anyways, I noticed that I have been craving something sweet everyday for the past 7 days.. I've been playing for 8. I wanted a little chocolate this day, then I wanted a little ice cream that day and so on. I didn't really put 2 and 2 together until I found myself nibbling on a plain buttermilk donut at a meeting yesterday (OMG... I was in back to back to back meetings yesterday!!) everyone at the meeting was remarking on how they never see me eat donuts anymore.... What was I doing??! Had I been subliminally brainwashed to want sweets or had I did this to myself??? I think a little of both. Now anyone on the outside, looking in could see the writing on the wall... what was I doing playing a game called 'Baking Life'... didn't I realize that it would lead me down a road of regret? (Ken laughed when I finally figured it out and confessed... he too thought it was strange)

Well, needless to say, I have since quit my little online 'Baking Life' addiction and am seeking entertainment elsewhere... reading The China Study, watching a movie or just going for a walk. Funny how the brain works.. all you have to do is play in an area of taboo and you can find yourself right in the middle of the murky waters of it. 

   

If you want to find out more about becoming Nutritionally balanced, contact me at imasunrider@gmail.com.