10 Day Health Getaway
Some new thoughts after spending 10 days at
True North Health Center in Santa Rosa California
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I went to True North to see if they could help me with several health
problems and mainly check out their facility and see for myself what
it was all about. I read and watched all the vidios that Dr Goldhammer
sent me before going. so I had a real good idea what I was in for
before I got there. I got off caffine, tried my best to not eat any salt,
oil, or sugar. Getting off caffine was easy, I just quit. Getting off
salt, oil, & sugar was much harder because it is in everything. You
literally can't eat out at all, and you have to make all your food from
scratch - nothing canned & mostly no packaged foods. I
had to mostly eat rice, beans, corn, potatoes, lentils, peas, fruits,
& vegetables as they are, cooked or raw with nothing on them. I
got used to that real fast and soon even liked the tast of the plain
food .
The first doctor I saw at
True North was Dr. Saltana. He seemed very bright, talked fast and
seemed to know
what he was talking about. I told him about my medical issues - vision,
heart, and a few other small isues. He wanted to know my cardiologist's
name so he could have a talk with him (I assume). The next day he put
me on a juice fast for 6 days. He wouldn't let me do the water fast
because
of the heart bypass that I had 5 years ago.
We weren't supposed to leave the building
while fasting but I felt like I was too confined so on the 2nd day I
went out the front door and walked around the block. It was a big
mistake as I felt really weak, and had trouble making it back. So that was
it for leaving the building. I did walk around the court yard
frequently and that was OK. I would get tired even doing that so I would go into my room and rest
afterward. A doctor and a nurse would visit me twice a day, sometimes together, sometimes, not.
There was a schedule put up on a black board every day in the dining room. There was a
speaker, which sometimes was a doctor, or a cooking class, and other lectures twice a day. I
hated it if one of the events was canceled for whatever reason. I
read my book I had brought along and watched TV a little. I liked sitting
around in the patio talking with the other people there and had some
great conversations.
I didn't think I would like it but my room mate convenced me to
give gentle yoga a try. I went it and it was really fun I enjoyed it
very much for the chance to stretch, as well sas a break from doing
nothing. While there on the juice fast I
lost 10 lbs. which I really didn't need to lose already being at my
middle BMI. (body mass index) weight. I gained 5 lbs. back as soon as I
returned home just eating the HFPB SOS free diet.
My stay was pleasnt but a little hard to take
for me because I am a real active person. Laying around for 6 days with
the classes in between was almost not enough for me. The time
went fast and before I knew it, it was time to go. I met some nice
people while there and will remember them for a long time.
I didn't have any heart pauses while there and my eyes and my
vision was better. I promised Dr. Saltana that I wouldn't eat out for
the rest of the month and really stick to the SOS Whole Food Plant
Based Diet. I did. I find that as long I stick to the strict diet all
my medical problems stay away. but when I start drifting off it things
start coming back. So when my vision starts to get fuzzy and the skin
on my forehead feels greasy, I know why, and back to the strict diet I
go.
Don McMullen
The
four major components of healthy living
Diet
what and how we eat
Environment
how we
select and modify our surrondings
Activity
how we exercise, rest, and sleep; and
Psychology
how we view ourselves and
interact with others
Dr Goldhammer's links to better
understanding of the Whole
Food Pland Based SOS Free Diet & Water fasting
Fasting
& limphoma case report in British Medical Jurnal
Fasting
& high blood pressure
fasting
and moderate high blood pressure
Health
Promoting articles
asting
mechanisms
Interview
with Dr. Goldhammer
tedx
talk on the pleasure trap by Dr. Lisle
TV
show on fasting with Goldhamer and McDougall
GQ
Article on fasting at TNHC
Fasting
Lecture by Dr Goldhammer
TV
news reports on fasting and TNHC
Health
promoting
Dr. Goldhamer
I-thrive interview
