When the rubber meets the road

True North Day 23 As Kiyomi wearily went to bed tonight, she announced, "I won't miss this place." It does seem like a long time to be here for 30 days. They tell us it takes 30 days to rewire the brain from addiction to salt. 90 days to break the addiction to fat and to feel satiated after meals without it. This is a long time, however. I will be so ready to drive away from this place.  I met a woman today who had a whole in her retina. When she went to her eye doctor after a 12 day fast and some time, it was healed. Said he'd never seen that before. They documented it for True North.  Today was like day and night from yesterday for me. No pain, no discomfort, bowels and all functions working. Wow! What a relief.  As always, I thank you for your prayers and encouragements and wish you so much love! C

True North Day 22 A very tough day of nausea but some ginger tea helped a lot (thanks for the recommendation, sis) and my very first food - a big bowl of watermelon chunks!! I'm doing pretty good. It's a very strange nausea and I still feel it lurking but, boy - was I in the hurt box. I am also battling a bladder infection and a doctor we've only seen twice came in this morning and told me to get cranberry capsules from the little store they have here to help with the symptoms. It made me mad no one else told me about them but...whatever. I'm also using the D-Mannose that will hopefully help me kick it for good. We are booked to come back here again in about 6 months and, at one point, I told Kiyomi I didn't think I could face it.  I need to speak up more and make specific requests. I have watermelon specially ordered for the next two days as well as fresh blueberries. I can start eating "watery veggies" tomorrow with fruits except citrus an...

True North Day 21 After a very uncomfortable night, I talked with the doctor about how badly I was feeling. She convinced me to start on juice and refeeding. Next time I will know that when I feel that badly, it helps to do a day or two of juice and then start back up. I've had 3 juices today. They are very sweet and I wish they would temper it, but I can't complain. I don't think I will be able to get the 4th one of the day down, though. I'm just feeling fragile, like I might vomit if I push myself.  For the bladder infection, they use a natural product called D-Mannose Powder by Pure Encapsulations. It's super easy to take - a powder that completely disappears in water and doesn't taste like anything. I'm so grateful it's so easy to take!  I can't recommend the videos we are watching enough. The Truth About Cancer, Journey Through Asia. It makes me so sad that people don't even know what they could be doing to support thems...

True North Day 20 Sorry about the downer video. I had such plans of doing fun, entertaining things. ugh.  This experience makes me think about people who really suffer. I've had my share of accidents and painful ailments but I was always able to do something to mitigate it. To just have to sit in it is really an interesting experience. It makes me think too about people like Paul in prison and Jesus on his fast. Then I feel humbled, to be sure. But, this is really tough.  I'm not in a good way today but I can share something immensely exciting. I believe I can heal this thing. I've "thrown spaghetti at the wall" for nearly 3 years. I now have a plan and I know I am on the offensive and I'm winning the game. I can finally say, God is healing me with complete confidence. He has led me step by step, bringing the pieces together, just at the right time. If I had the energy, I'd put some great scriptures in here but, for now...thank you, Lo...

True North Day 19 Can I make it? Another 3 days until 2 days of juices only? I sometimes wonder. The hunger pangs are very strong and, what feels worse is the generalized crummy feeling I have. I haven't been able to read at all today. Watched one video, dragged myself out to the sunshine, slept, facebook. That's about it. No sugar coating here.  Going to bed. Sleep well. Be well. Love to all! 

True North Day 18 Very quiet day, loving the calls and FaceTime opportunities to participate in Christmas morning. I hope your Christmas was lovely!  If you're interested in learning about Lomatium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZNlGs-giJA Thanking God for it all. Night night. 

True North Day 17 Merry Christmas Eve! We forgot to mention that the video today, The Truth About Cancer, Journey Through Asia, also mentioned the power of Wholetones. I mentioned this healing music in an earlier video. The history of the discovery of this music is fascinating.  We're keeping the Christmas thing low this year but we are so happy to know our families are healthy, happy, and celebrating the birth of our savior.  With so much love and hope. Merry Christmas. Good night! 

Day 16  True North Don't have much more to share other than the video. I did make a great discovery. I will be eating lots of beans (which I love). I may buy stock in Bean-o for a certain roommate of mine, though. (-; I was shopping and looking for low salt organic canned beans. I think I am going to transition to soaking my own but, for when I'm in a hurry... Anyhow, Eden is a popular brand, is organic, and no salt added at all. I've learned guidelines on how to make sure we don't get too much salt, which is SOOOO easy, is to make sure the salt milligrams in a food is less than the number of calories per serving. Check out the stuff you buy - it's crazy how much salt is in our food!  Anyhow, I found a brand, 365 from Whole Foods that does have added salt but it is still under the guidelines and still organic but 1/5 the price! I couldn't believe my eyes how cheap it was to order on Amazon. I'm stocking up and thankful I have the time here to ...

Day 15 True North It dawns on me...I'm 1/2 way through my stay here and I'm 2/3 through the fast. Some moments that excites me, others it freaks me out. Back to focusing on the present only.  Kiyomi and I have been looking at recipes and stuff. On one hand it makes me excited about all the really yummy stuff I can eat. On the other it makes me dread the refeeding process here: 2 days juice, 2 days raw veggies, 2 days cooked and raw veggies, 4 days of everything they have here, which isn't quite the homemade salsa and other stuff I'm craving right now!!!  I know I need to stay as close to nature as possible, but I am excited to try to make hot, satisfying, truly delicious stuff. In fact, I am trying to shift my focus to discovering and sharing these foods as "exciting," rather than my normal idea of social eating of stuff that is weakening my body as "exciting."  Thank you so much for checking in, for the prayers, for the suppor...

Day 14 True North (sorry-posted wrong video at first) As we said in the video, it's been a good day. Good news: the lymphoma rash on the outside of my thighs has gone away. It was flat and purple and sensitive. Excited about that. On the other hand, my hands are swollen and sore tonight. At least I know for sure now that it is not diet that causes it. It really is the lymphoma.  So on the video, we talk about reading labels. Kiyomi posted the guidelines on the last scroll but it's pretty fast. Some people are concerned about the 'no salt' part of this plan. We've come to see it more as low salt. Among other things, salt constricts the blood vessels and contributes to damage of the fragile cells lining them. When they get damaged, they don't secrete a protective gas and also start forming wounds that collect  plaque. Reading labels with guidelines shows you really how much salt we are eating and it's alarming. The best bet is to add salt just b...

Day 13 True North Not much to add to the video. Feeling kinda strange and, for the first time, a little down as my family is all (except Lara, Paul, Logan, Kellen, Korie, Bo, Nathan, Ethan, Christie, Trent, Megan, Kelly, and Micah) at our annual "Gram's Christmas" in Utah this year for a weekend of fun. I pray they have much joy, that each person feels deeply loved and valued, as I have all my life by this tribe, and that God permeates it all.  Putting on some Wholetones and going to take a bath. Oh Lord, let this all be healing me - mind, body, and soul - so I can move on, serve you, and enjoy all the blessings you've given me! xoxo

True North  Day 12 Hey all,  So sorry for the boring video. At the moment, we are both feeling just awful. I feel like I could throw up if I didn't concentrate on not.  No weight loss this morning, which was cool. I'm down a total of 12.7lbs. Blood pressure not coming down yet but the doctor explained that my body hasn't had the time to eat up all the plaque yet. I am usually around 120/80 but I'd like to see that lower.  I started on some pretty disgusting broth today because I seem to be dehydrating, even though I'm drinking enough water. It doesn't take you out of ketosis but can slow the detox process a bit. I will do that for 2 days and reevaluate.  Today we watched the Square One Module 7. Chris Wark does an absolutely amazing job at presenting the gospel as he shares how his faith has brought him through. So good!  Watching a cooking video now, but it's making my tummy cramp. Ugh. So sorry to be such a whiner.  ...

True North  Day 11 Hi all,  Hope this finds you well!  Well, this yucky feeling if wearing on me. Two doctors have suggested drinking some veggie broth for a day or so to see if it will die down. Because the other doctor suggested it could be a sign that the body is fighting lymphoma, I am hesitant. We will see tomorrow. Praying for direction...and relief!!! Other than that, it's pretty much all on the vlog. A very quiet day reading.  A good movie if you're interested:  Food Choices (Movie Product) Love to all! Night night. Cath

True North  Day 10 Hi All.  I so hope your day was a nice one. I can't say this is as hard as I imagined it could be, but it is hard -especially in the evenings when I tend to feel the most discomfort from my throat to my gut. It's not nausea but I guess I would call it malaise. I find myself wondering what the fast was like for Jesus in the desert-cold and certainly miserable. Today I was a little emotional. As the thought of fat I've had on my body for all my life (I honestly don't think I've been under 125 lbs since middle school), I know that heavy medals and toxins are being released. Today I had the sense that some old memories and, dare I say, traumas might be coming to the surface too. Just a thought and possible journal topics.  Anyhow, love to all! Night night. xoxo

True North  Day 9 Love to all. Doing well. Got sun today which felt amazing. The rain is coming for many days )-: Long video tonight. I'll leave it at that. Night night. xoxo

True North  Day 8 Howdy. I am so much better today. I usually feel like I don't feel anything from detoxes and such. Well, between the rash from Lomatium and this, I'm feeling it - like last night. It's encouraging, really. I've lost 10.3 lbs. Vitals good.  Today was actually nice. Woke after 10 full hours of sleep without even getting up for the bathroom. Awesome! Checked by the doctor and nurse, filled in my fasting journal, hung around with Kiyomi a bit, and they got my butt outside into the sun. Met a nice lady but, to be honest, I so want quiet and solitude. Some people here are looking for companionship, for sure. I went for a walk around the outside of the compound, listening to one of my favorite songs, Another in the Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmNc0L7Ac5c I was overwhelmed with gratitude as I walked around in the sun, listening and being reminded that I am not alone, never have been, and that Jesus himself is in this with me. From t...

True North Day 7 Hi all, I am very aware that prayers are getting me through this (THANK YOU SO MUCH!) so I feel silly admitting that tonight is a tough one. I am doubting I can do this for another 15 days. We are all in the same boat here, albeit at different stages. So I see evidence that people can do a very long term fast. And I have heard references to huge results. I just feel lousy, like the flu, when you are achy all over and grumpy and just want to come out of your skin. I will finish the blog, write in my journal, and just try to go to sleep. I've been waking up at 4:30 am or so, so I hope going to bed early won't mess me up. We will see. When you come here, you stop all supplements and meds as possible. (So I don't have melatonin or anything that could help me sleep). They even cut my thyroid meds in 1/2. They say that when you are fasting you metabolize meds more thoroughly (or something like that) so you don't need nearly as much. I didn...

True North  Day 6 Hi there,  Hope you're great!  Not feeling too well. Kinda feel like I would throw up if I moved too much. It is such a benefit being here with no decisions to make or work to do. We just need to rest. My hips have been killing me. Hopefully the massage and chiro help that tomorrow. They say you can get lower back pain as the kidneys are processing toxins but I don't think that's it.  The video we mention on the vlog is from Dr Mindy Pelz with an hour by hour timeline of what happens to your body when you water fast. Really good.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjNChGkQLRo And... I mentioned the 4 things they found that help people most with willpower and decision making in The Willpower Paradox video by Dr. Lisle (coauthor of The Pleasure Trap) :  1) Organize your room (environment)           And set your workout clothes out before you go to bed.  2) Eat something healthy f...

True North  Day 5 Howdy,  Hope you're well. Today was OK and surprisingly, the days come and go pretty quickly (and blend together). A treat today was the sun came out and I went out and soaked it up. My biggest concern is that, as of this morning, I've already lost 5.9 lbs. I really don't have 20+ lbs to lose here so I hope it slows down quick.  I pray you are well! xoxo Cath

True North  Day 4  To add to the video: My hands aren't swollen since yesterday afternoon, but I still can't make a fist. Other than that change, I still feel pretty spent from this morning and I break out in a sweat once in awhile. So so weird. I have moments of a little panic and look toward the kitchen which has only water in it. Then I pray and the videos they provide help convince me that this is going to reap huge benefits.  As I think about being well long term, I think about wanting to help my loved ones do the same. The problem is, they will still be used to salt (takes 30 days to retrain the taste buds) and oil (which takes 90 days to train the stomach to feel satiated without it.) I've had people question the no added salt (the idea is we need the minerals) and the oil (the idea being that our brain needs the oils). But the research they show us is compelling that these highly concentrated forms are not found in nature and not utilized well in the...

True North Day 3 I'm afraid these posts aren't really going to be all that interesting. My feelings won't be hurt if people don't check em out... Today the doctor finally did come to see me. My weight was actually up but I'd forgotten to weigh myself with my PJs on so my clothes probably added weight. It is very foreign for me to weigh myself every day. I have struggled with my weight so much up until a few years ago when I did an elimination diet, eliminated sugar, dairy, and gluten for a year with fasting every Monday and using Core Restore to heal my liver. I lost 50 lbs that year and an additional 40 or so since. Wow-that's a lot of weight. I also credit beginning to use Cytomel as well as Synthroid for my thyroid about that time. I'm always hoping it's not the lymphoma that has helped me lose the weight and keep it off but it doesn't appear to be as people usually dump weight quickly if it's cancer causing it. I feel pretty go...

Day 2. True North  People asked me several times before coming what I will do to fill my days here. I brought a ton of book and more to do. I am suspecting that the days will actually come and go faster than I thought. So far, I've had no rest. This morning I went to officially check in since I got here after 5pm yesterday. It turns out I was all settled in the wrong room so I needed to move, quickly. I then went to see the MD for my check in appointment which was a little bit of an orientation with homework (they give you 40 DVDs to watch-many of which can be found on youtube.) No surprises. The same doctor told Kiyomi that their best results for lymphoma has been 2 - 20 day fasts (not back to back). Funny, I'm the one with lymphoma (Kiyomi has breast cancer) and he didn't tell me that. The reviews I've read all talk about how great the staff is here. I've had the impression that they've done all this so many times that it is a bit automatic. They ...

Howdy, I drove to True North Health Center today. Kiyomi from Kansas, who I met early 2017 at the Cancer Center for Healing and who lived with us for 4+ months for treatment, was there to meet me with her warm smile and her wonderful way of lightening me up while still being able to "go deep" when we need to. We are booked to be here until Jan. 19, which will include 21-40 days of fasting of no food and drinking clear water only and 1/2 again as long for "refeeding." If you're interested in what this is all about, check out a YouTube video called Water Can Save Your Life by the man who started True North, Dr. Alan Goldhamer. : Water Fasting Can Save Your Life - FULL TALK - Dr. Alan Goldhamer  (click on the hyperlink) Anyhow, we're here and ready to meet with the doctors tomorrow morning and learn the system. We had what we thought would be our last meals tonight but someone told us we may have to ease in tomorrow with juices. We'll see...I really wan...