I yam what I yam.
Sweet Potato
- They’re sweet and delicious, but not too sweet like too much fruit can be
- When baked in foil they become a soft creamy texture
- Something to put coconut oil on top of and watch it melt
- Something to put cinnamon on, and cinnamon even has antifungal properties, so how good for you is that?!
- The peel can be eaten, slightly crisp, or used as a bowl then discarded
- They come in small, for my toaster oven, medium for my convection oven, and large for my oven oven
- They ranked highest on the list of healthy vegetables according to the Center For Science in the Public Interest in 1992
- They are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6. (per Wikipedia.)
- They remind me of Thanksgiving yams
- They are bright orange
BUT did you know a yam is NOT a yam?
What we call yams are actually sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are native to the tropical parts of South America, whereas yams are an African vegetable that is not even related to the sweet potato. Why the confusion? When African slaves came to the Americas, they saw sweet potatoes and because they looked so similar to the vegetable they knew from home, they called them something that sounded like “yam“, perhaps the Wolof word nyam, meaning “to taste” or the Hausa word yamyam and nyama, meaning “to eat”. The word yam has become a popular nickname for sweet potatoes in the United States, especially when referring to the dark orange varieties.
I yam what I yam, except when I’m not.
tuber
1. Botany. a fleshy, usually oblong or rounded thickening or outgrowth, as the potato, of a subterranean stem or shoot, bearing minute scalelike leaves with buds or eyes in their axils from which new plants may arise.
Feeling Good (and migraine-free)
Two week and three days into The McCombs Plan and I am feeling fantastic. Something has shifted for me both physically and psychologically. Eating on the plan has become less of a conscious act and more of a habit. I ate out at two restaurants this weekend and it was easy to ask for the food I wanted (a chicken salad with olive oil for dinner, and an egg and vegetable omelette with fruit on the side of breakfast). Sweating, both in the steam room at my gym, and now also occasionally in the comfort of my own bath tub, has also become easier, though still not my favorite thing. I notice that I have much less nasal congestion when I wake up in the mornings.
One key that is helping me now is keeping the bowels moving. I had no idea until I read Dr. McCombs’ forum that regular bowel movements are 3-4 times per day, or basically once per meal. That was shocking to me! I thought once a day was plenty before I read that. So I tried Trace Minerals, because not only do they move the bowels when you take an excess dose, but they also stop my calves from cramping after a run or workout. The minerals certainly do their job, and now I notice that I feel much lighter and healthier when I keep myself regular. (Side note: the trace mineral drops taste absolutely horrible, so I down them with a tall glass of cold water afterwards. Next time I will think about buying the tablet form instead.)
Migraine Free!
The big news: This month I had my menstrual period with NO MIGRAINE. I cannot recall a single menstrual period in the last 6 years that was migraine free. My period was unusually heavy this month. In Dr. Jeff’s book he says this is common for women doing the plan and that the body is using that avenue to release toxins. What great news that my body is cooperating with this process. So despite the heavier period, my head felt really good. My head feels the clearest directly after I sweat, which is why I am sweating every day even though the plan only calls for 6 times per week. It’s also easier for me to keep to it by making it part of my daily routine.
As promised, I’ll follow this up with some yummy recipes soon, and my shocking discovery of the truth about the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.
Day 2 – Weight Loss Report
Last week I gradually regained my health after that nasty infection. Feeling renewed, yesterday I started taking the full dosage of Candida Force (5 3x/day) and am continuing with my Detox Essentials (4 2x/day). That makes today officially Day #2 on The McCombs Plan.
To celebrate my official start, I went through the calendar on my wall and marked Weeks 1-16 so it will be easy to see how far along I am. When I hit week #9 I can start experimenting with adding foods back to my diet. Normally that would not excite me… however in the last few weeks I have had so much fun cooking and preparing creative snacks, that actually having a few more ingredients to work with will be pretty cool. I’m looking forward to trying homemade popcorn with olive oil, raw almonds on salads, and possibly some black beans with brown rice, all after week #9.
In the meantime I want to report the first positive change I’ve noticed. By eating only from the “Yes Foods” in the last 19 days, I’ve lost 3.0 lbs. It’s come off very gradually, but every day after I come out of the steam room at my gym I check the scale and it keeps telling me I’m loosing weight. I’m eating a lot, and much better than usual (much more protein and veggies) so this is great news! I’m doing light workouts 3-4 times per week, which usually consists of jogging on the treadmill and/or elliptical and using the machines for my triceps, abs, thighs, and occasionally when I want to feel extra fit, the rowing machine. [I love the rowing machine, I could write whole articles extolling the virtues of the rowing machine, which I only ever tried about 6 months ago courtesy of my husband who used to coach a university rowing team. It is such a whole body workout and I find the rhythm of it extremely relaxing. It's like swimming and yoga combined, but without the water and the postures. I digress.]
In other news, I can feel the Candida Force in my body. This stuff is strong! Taking it actually makes me want to sweat because I feel so much clearer and healthier when I do. My skin has broken out slightly on my chest and face so that tells me I may need to do more sweating and keep drinking lots of water to aid the detox process. Yesterday I spent about 30 minutes in the steam room and kept turning up the heat. I tend to drive the other women out because they can’t take the heat I use. Sorry, fellow gym members.:( I’m not in there to moisten my delicate skin, I’m there to do serious sweating.
As I said in my first post, my goal isn’t weight loss. I’d much prefer to be toned and lose inches. But 3 lbs, I’ll take it!
Next time: Favorite recipes as I transform into a regular gourmet to my husband’s delight. 
Ahh… a breath of fresh air!
15 days into the month of January and I am finally feeling much better. I know the Cysteplus and Miatake-D supplements worked their magic, not to mention a lot of sleep, sweating in the hot bath and steam room, and continuing to take enough Vitamin-C for an elephant.
Feeling healthy is like a breath of fresh air. It feels like this:
So now I’m ready to start my New Year’s Resolution to do The McCombs Plan. Given that I’ve now had the discipline to eat only the Yes Foods for 15 days, I think I’m ready to rock and roll for another 112 days (and some of those days I will be able to add foods back in, once I get past week 8). I’ve also gotten pretty used to sweating every day, so continuing to do it will be a little easier.
I started reading “God Is A Salesman” today. It’s a lovely book with a lot of heart and faith in it. One thing I picked up is the tendency for salespeople to push the transaction and forget that what they are really selling is the idea, the essence, the experience of a thing. I’m no salesperson (leave that to my husband), but it reminded me to go for the heart of matters.
The heart of doing this plan for me is Transformation. That’s the word that continually pops up when I think about 2009 as a whole year ahead. For me it’s about taking one area of my life, my physical health, and moving courageously through something to the other end. It’s a process and a journey, and the endpoint is continually moving and changing. I know this has something to do with affirming life and having more energy so that I can savor and enjoy life more.
Speaking of savoring things, I feel like my taste buds come alive when I eat well. A baked yam with cinnamon and coconut oil on top (totally acceptable on the plan I’m on) is like the sweetest juiciest candy to me now. I like that feeling because it tells me that I’m more present with that I’m doing (or eating). So I’m adding to my list another goal: to experience greater sensitivity to my sensory experiences, to enjoy and savor life and foods more fully, and feel satisfied by myself and my choices.
When I hear the word satisfied I always think of a video I saw about cultural differences in relating to food. They showed a French family circa 1960 breaking bread together. Even without understanding the language, I could see the incredible reverence they had for their food and for the whole process of dining. It was dining, not eating or scarfing or munching, but dining together. They treated the brie and the bread and the wine the way they treated each other, with care and consideration. I hold that video as a reference point in my mind for how I can relate to food: Am I enjoying this and experiencing gratitude for it? Am I eating in moderation? Am I observing whether this food energizes me or depletes me? I may not be someone who can thrive on brie and wine and bread, but a friend told me long ago that the key to being a connoisseurs of culture is to “Take the good, and leave the rest.” So, lesson in hand, I’m off to bake myself a yam for dessert.
savor [sey-ver] Origin: 1175 – 1225
-verb (used with object)
8. to give a savor to; season; flavor
9.to perceive by taste or smell, esp. with relish: to savor the garden’s odors.
10.to give oneself to the enjoyment of: to savor the best in life.
Doctor’s Orders
Health is on its way! I saw Dr. Jeff yesterday and he was able to give me two different supplements to assist my body in getting well. I slept 10 hours last night and feel much better for it. He was also able to confirm that I am doing the right thing by reducing my dosage of Candida Force down to 5 pills once per day (instead of the usual 15 per day) until I get well. My body seems to have enough going on with fighting off this cold, so once it is all well I can resume The McCombs Plan in full force.
What is really keeping me going through this cold is using a nasal rinse with warm water, Alcholol and sea salt. Alcholol is amazing! It’s an all natural herbal formula that completely clears my nasal passages and allows me to breathe deeply. If you’ve never used a Netti Pot for nasal rinsing, the sensation of pouring water in one nostril and out the other takes some getting used to. But once you do get used to it, it’s an amazing source of relief to the sinuses. It works wonders just to keep all the pollutants and junk out of there on a regular basis, too. I know I sound like an ad for the stuff. So does my mother.
Next up: More sleep, sweating and recovery.
The Cold
Well I have not yet started my daily postings because I have been sick. Starting on New Year’s day I woke up with terrible nasal congestion and it has not gone away. I thought it was a reaction to the cheese I nibbled on the night before, but alas this congestion has progressed into full on head cold symptoms, on several occasions a fever up to 101 F, and now also a wet cough. I told a friend of mine that I thought I may have picked up an infection from someone who coughed on me and he smirked and said, “Germ Theory.”
Well, right now I’m favoring Germ Theory over the idea of Die-Off symptoms. Dr. Jeff McCombs doesn’t subscribe to the idea that when you detoxify the body you necessarily should feel sick, and I don’t either. While it makes so much sense to think you will feel yucky as toxins die off in your body, it’s also really limiting to think that every time you want to heal you have to suffer. I also know from my experiences sweating in the steam room and hot bath that the body is miraculous in its ability to eliminate toxins quickly, given the right help. While I have been sick I have been sweating every day, and directly after I sweat is when I feel the best – almost completely well, until my nose starts dripping again. Dr. McCombs says the sweating routine is the component that helps the body avoid “die-off symptoms” which is what other candida cleansers call it when they feel terrible while detoxifying.
So based on my experience, I am opting to believe that my symptoms have less to do with my detoxification process, and more to do with just plain old having a weakened immune system (cheese anyone?) that caught a bug/virus/whatever that it wasn’t ready to fight off. Regardless of why I am sick, one thing is certain: it is time to get well.
I just made a decision that this weekend I will do absolutely everything in my power to get well, even if that means spending the whole two days sleeping and taking hot sweating baths.
So, sorry about the delay. But at least this cold gave me an opportunity to think about how I can strengthen my immune system (by doing the plan, by exercising more regularly, by sleeping more consistently), and about the great legend of candida die-off.
I’ll be back.
Immunity [i-myoo-ni-tee]
is a medical term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. -Wikipedia
Healing [hee-ling]
2. growing sound; getting well; mending. -Dictionary.com
My New Year’s Resolution
This is the first year I have set only reasonable New Year’s resolutions. In other years, I thought I was going to transform myself in every way overnight and stick to my newfound discipline forever. Seeing the error of my ways, and knowing that change is gradual, I have instead committed to only one thing that I think can really help me in 2009: The McCombs Plan.
I heard about this plan from a family member roughly 4 years ago, when it was called the Lifeforce Plan. I have several friends who have had great results doing the plan, and I read the Lifeforce book cover to cover one year ago. I knew right away that the plan was for me. Growing up I was given antibiotics countless times. In particular I remember taking antibiotics for over a month when I had pneumonia. In my adult life I’ve taken various birth control pills for 4 years, and later for another year. I’ve always had recurring yeast infections with the pill, and I finally made the choice to go off of it last month (victory!) I feel much clearer already. It’s difficult to describe, but I feel more myself, and ready to detoxify. I think this plan can clear “the bad candida” out of my system, and that will ultimately make me feel healthier.
Here are my goals for completing The McCombs Plan. I will review these regularly to keep myself motivated:
- Eliminate fungal candida from my body. Last night I counted ahead 16 weeks on the calendar and saw that by early May, “I will have no fungal candida in my body.”
- Train myself to eat better by practicing for at least 16 weeks. I especially love how “no foods” are added back to the diet gradually. I think this process will give me time to observe how my body feels with different foods, so I can identify an ideal diet for my unique body.
- Feel healthy eating dairy. Right now, when I eat any dairy I get congested in my throat and sinuses within 1-24 hours. I don’t know whether my body will ever be happy with cheese or ice cream, but I know some people have cleared their dairy sensitivity with this plan, so I’m throwing it in here for me, too (ask for what you want!) I’d like to be able to consume dairy, especially raw and organic milk products and feel great.)
- Loose inches off my waist, hips, thighs, arms – wherever excess weight is stored that no longer serves me. To gain muscle while I loose fat. I care more about toning my muscles than I do about weighing less. (Making a note here to take my measurements this week so I can compare my results.)
- Improve my circulation. I think eating well and sweating can help me do this. I’ve also started tracking my blood pressure in the last month, out of curiosity, and I see that it is on the low side (100/60 in mid-November, where 89/59 would be considered low or hypotension.) I’ll continue watching my blood pressure, just to see.
- Prevent migraines. A very brief history here: I’ve had classic migraines since I was 18, usually right before or during my menstrual period. With the birth control pill, they got significantly worse (3-5 severe headaches per month). In the last few years I’ve seen an MD specialist who has helped me to improve my lifestyle and drastically reduce the number/severity of the headaches. The last headache I had was one week ago, likely a reaction to going off the birth control pill (any change in hormones can produce migraines for me). I should also mention Dr. McCombs has recommended some supplements that are helping my body regulate my estrogen levels while I get used to being off the pill. So far so good. If I only had one headache (last week) from stopping the pill that would be a huge improvement since the last time I tried going off the pill. Here is what helps me in this area: consistently eating well, sleeping 8 hours each night, going to bed earlier, avoiding strong smells like perfumes and chemicals, drinking a consistently low amount of caffeine, doing yoga, working out in moderation, keeping my blood sugar stable, and staying hydrated, especially around my period. I will continue watching my progress on the migraine front while I do the plan.
So by now you can see what I mean about how I usually set huge unachievable goals! But in all sincerity, these are the things I want for my body, and I’m open to receive any and all benefits from this plan whether they are on the list above or not. I just know I am going to feel amazing and grateful when I have done such a big thing entirely for myself. For me, 16 weeks of eating consciously, sweating regularly, taking supplements, and drinking plenty of water is a big thing, in a good way. This is about having faith in myself and putting my resolution into action.
Resolution: [rez-uh-loo-shuhn]
- a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
- the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
- the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.
- the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.
- the resulting state.
