One of my favorite ways to relax is in the bathtub. The heat is soothing, the water is gentle and fresh, and the additives are very beneficial. There are many recipes out there for detox bath, and some work better than others. I'm just going to share with you my favorites, based on ingredients that are easy to get and use. I'm not going to take a bath that requires a lot of work to prepare.
Keep in mind that tap water can contain toxins such as chlorine, fluoride, prescription drug residue, and heavy metals. Beyond the problem of toxins, tap water can be rough on your skin because chlorine is very drying. I recommend using a water softener to help filter the water. If you're like me and you can't afford one or are unable to install one in your home, I suggest this bath filter. It's been on sale on Amazon for many months now. It isn't perfect, but it does help. Since using it, my bathwater doesn't smell as strongly of chlorine, doesn't leave pink hard water stains in the tub, and doesn't dry out my skin.
Salt and Clay Bath:
This one is easy. I mix a cup of Redmond Bath Salt Plus. in the bathwater and soak for 30+ minutes. It is important to use this in water as warm as you can tolerate it in order to open up your pores and sweat. The site I linked to has sold these on a sale of $10 in the past - very cheap! This container lasts for most of a year.
Benefits:
This is great stuff - the best bath salts I've ever used! It's unrefined salt and clay collected from a dead sea. The heat from the bath opens up your pores and helps you sweat, and the salt collects toxins from your body. The clay and salt are loaded with trace minerals that absorb into your body through your skin. The mineral of note is magnesium, which strengths your bones, calms your muscles, and reduces inflammation. This is my favorite bath for when my muscles are overly tense (to the degree that massage doesn't help enough.)
Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar Bath:
This one is also very easy, but the smell can bother some people. Just pour 2-3 cups of raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in the tub and soak for 20+ minutes. It does not matter what temperature the water is at, but I prefer a nice hot bath. It's very important that it's raw, organic, and unfiltered. The cheap filtered kind was filtered, meaning it has no nutrition left. It is just a flavor. You need the nutrients in the vinegar for this bath to be effective.
I use Bragg's, and buy it in a gallon. I used to be able to buy this for $20, but the price has increased. A cheaper alternative would be to buy the smaller bottles at this discounted price on this discount site.
Benefits:
Apple cider vinegar balances the ph of your skin perfectly. It moisturizes, softens, cleans, kills germs and bad bacteria, heals acne and scars, and feeds your skin necessary nutrients. It is a great hair cleaner and conditioner too! If you don't mind the smell (which will fade soon after the bath,) soak your hair in the water too. Don't rinse! Pat your hair dry with a towel and let it air dry. It strips excess oil from your hair, but doesn't remove the essential oils that keep your hair strong. It makes your hair shine and look much healthier because it provides a lot of nutrients!
Kelp Bath:
Kelp baths are just plain awesome. I add a half cup of organic kelp powder to very hot bathwater and soak for 40+ minutes. This works well, but I've found that I prefer this bath when I add a 1/8th a cup of ginger and cayenne powder. You need to be hot to get the full benefit from the kelp, and the ginger and cayenne create heat. Test the spices on your skin first - they can burn you if they are too strong. You may prefer to just use ginger powder, which is less likely to burn your skin.
If you live along the ocean, the best way to take a kelp bath is to actually go to the beach, find kelp, and bring it home with you. Cut it up and soak with it in the tub. The gels and ooze in the kelp are loaded with essential nutrients, including iodine. The kelp can be reused a couple of times. Though I used to live right along the ocean, I have never tried this method, but it has been recommended to me.
Benefits:
This article explains the benefits in great detail. Kelp is highly concentrated with minerals and nutrients that we need. It's not only soothing and moisturizing, but the salt in the kelp absorbs toxins and our skin drinks in the nutrients, notably potassium and iodine. This is a fantastic bath for sore, aching muscles.
Hydrogen Peroxide Bath:
This is essentially an oxygen bath. Use no more than 3/4ths cup of food grade (35%) hydrogen peroxide or 9 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide (the common kind in the brown bottles) in warm to hot water. Add a 1/4th a cup (or more) bath salts. Soak for 20+ minutes.
Please please please be careful with hydrogen peroxide. Food grade hydrogen peroxide can burn you skin, bleach your clothes, and lighten your hair color. Do get get it in your eyes! When mixed with the bathwater it's diluted enough so that you'll be able to enjoy the benefits without the harm.
Benefits:
Hydrogen peroxide is powerful stuff. It doesn't absorb toxins from your like salts do, it kills toxins (trying using it on mold and mildew!) It will strip the residue of soap and lotions off your skin. It will kill infections and clean cuts and wounds. It will help bring a lot of oxygen into your skin, which will reduce inflammation and increase circulation.
My favorite mixed bath:
Add 1/2 cup of Redmond Bath Salts plus (or 3/4ths cup regular Epsom salt,) 1/2 cup kelp powder, 1/8th cup ginger powder (fresh grated ginger works best,) and 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. Rinse off after this bath, especially if you soak your hair. None of the benefits will be as strong as the individual baths, but I find that this bath is very relaxing. It works the fastest for bringing relief to my tense muscles and for reducing general anxiety. This bath makes me sleepy, in a peaceful relaxed way. Soak for 30+ minutes.
During and After the Bath:Stay hydrated!! I recommend drinking ginger lemon tea. It will aid with the detoxing by keeping you warm and cleaning toxins from you from the inside out. Ginger calms the stomach, aids digestion, and helps to "get things moving" in the gut.
Avoid sugar, alcohol, and dairy. They all cause inflammation and make your body acidic, which will undo some of the benefits from the bath.
Stretch your muscles. During the bath, sit up and stretch your legs and arms in the water every so often. Rub a cloth against your skin in circular motions towards your heart. This will help to calm your muscles and increase circulation. After the bath, do some full body stretches to help keep your circulation strong, because your circulation can slow down as you cool off. This also prevents your muscles from going cold and stiff again.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Acupuncture and Chiropractic Adjustments
Acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy are a perfect trinity. They each play an important role on their own, but each treatment is most effective when all 3 treatments are done. I have come to rely on these treatments because they're just that helpful. I will not discuss massage therapy in this post, but will in a later post.
I've talked with many people who claimed that these treatments didn't do enough good for them, so they have dismissed them. When I asked how long they were getting these treatments, most of the people said only once or only a few times. The trouble is that people tend to have the impression that any type of body care therapy should have instant results. I believe this idea stems from how Western Medicine operates: go to the doctor once or twice, get put on pills or have a procedure, and then you're supposed to be healed. Acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy do not fit into this model. Each of these therapies require many sessions, and are not able to be "instant fixes." It is just like going on an exercise program: going to the gym and working out once won't do much for you. It's an important start to a long-term exercise plan, but it won't make you lean and muscular. If you go the gym 3-4 times a week over the course of year, then you can expect a major change in how your body looks and feels. You should expect to be more muscular and lean after that much work. With acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy, you really must have treatments done consistently and regularly to produce results.
Chiropractic care:
I'm starting with chiropractic care because it is the treatment I have been getting the longest. I've been regularly seeing a chiropractor for 6 years now, and it has been one of the best investments in my health I've ever made. The reason I initially went to a chiropractor was because we were trying to get my husband into one. He was complaining of never-ending back pain during grad school (to get a degree in Piano Performance, which is taxing on the body.) When he went in for the first time, the chiropractor invited me to do a free consultation, including x-rays. What ended up happening is that the chiropractor looked at both of our x-rays and said to me, "I'm surprised that you're not the one complaining of pain! Your husband will benefit from adjustments, but your spine is really out-of-shape." He wasn't exaggerating. My spine looked bad. My neck was curved backwards by 9º and my back was in the shape of an "S," from side-to-side, when it should be perfectly straight. Truthfully, I was in pain pretty often, but I was so used to the pain that I didn't know it wasn't normal. We think the cause for me was being in gymnastics, ballet, swimming, karate, soccer, t-ball, and track as a kid. I was contorting and working my body a lot while it was still developing. So my husband and I both signed up to get adjusted regularly, and we both benefited immensely. After a year of regular adjustments, my neck was close to normal (it was at least bent back in the correct direction again.) I was thinking more clearly, sleeping better, walking with better balance, had better circulation, didn't get headaches as easily, could hear better, had improved vision, my shoulder wasn't in constant pain anymore, and much more. I kept improving over the years, but I also go in regularly to maintain my spine. I don't always hold adjustments well, so I tend to need an adjustment on a regular basis.
Let me back up. What does a chiropractor even do? Should you see one if your back is straight? I originally thought that chiropractic care was only for people with bone problems, and it seems to me that most people who haven't been to one share this assumption. It's true that chiropractors adjust bones, but they are not bone doctors. They are nerve doctors. They move bones back into place in order to free up nerves that could no longer function fully or properly due to surrounding bones that were out-of-place. When nerves are constricted, all sorts of problems occur. Most obviously, it can be painful. Less obviously, but more importantly, organs cannot function as well. When the nerves going to organs get constricted, they can no longer send all the messages from the brain to those organs. This is how adjustments improve vision, hearing, brain function, digestion, menstrual troubles, infertility issues, bladder control problems, hormonal imbalances, and more.
I highly recommend everyone seeing a chiropractor, even if you think you're in good shape. Getting adjusted can free up nerves you never knew needed to be free. It also helps to prevent your spine from getting worse over time. Bones that are out-of-place can degrade over time from being worn in the wrong way. Cartilage can wear out, even to the point of disappearing. Yes, chiropractic care benefits everyone.
Acupuncture:
I love acupuncture. I cannot speak enough good about the effects of acupuncture. I was a bit skeptical of it before trying it. I didn't doubt that it was effective, otherwise acupuncturists wouldn't stay in business. I doubted that it was for me. I thought it was too spiritual, like yoga is, and I didn't want to try a New Age practice that would conflict with my Catholic faith. I also thought the ideas of putting needles into my body sounded unnecessary - I thought there must be other ways to get the same healing effects without putting myself through torture. I was so very wrong, and I'm so thankful I decided to try it. My occupational therapist was the one who suggested acupuncture first, saying it can offer relief in my hands ways she couldn't. I didn't want to try it then, because I didn't want to spend the money. About a year later (last year,) my chiropractor suggested it too, and even gave me a recommendation on who to see. He pushed me pretty hard to go. My health was deteriorating so quickly, and I was so desperate, that I decided to try it. If my OT and Chiropractor, who are both Christian, highly recommended it, then maybe it wasn't what I though it was.
My first acupuncture treatment was interesting. I didn't walk away with great relief, but I was very intrigued and I was looking forward to my next session. I learned a substantial amount. I learned that Chi (or qi - however you prefer to spell it) does actually exist, and it's not some New Age, Hindu, or Martial Arts stuff that I should avoid. While many Eastern religions recognize chi and use it in their religions, it isn't in contradiction to my faith at all. It is something I now openly embrace. Chi is simply our life energy that flows through us. Acupuncture works by releasing blockages that prevents our chi from flowing through us correctly. When that chi starts flowing correctly, it's one of the most amazing feelings ever. Before you blow this concept off, you should know that actual scientific studies have been done on acupuncture, confirming that it does work to heal the body, such as this study, and this study. Science hasn't been able to find this mysterious "chi," but the studies have proven that the effects people claim acupuncture has do happen.
After about 3 sessions, I started to notice a fantastic change in my body. I was much calmer, my pain was in more control, and my fibromyalgia flares were easier to deal with. After a few months of sessions, I noticed that my energy levels were always at their best the day or two following treatment. I noticed that my aching joints moved more freely. I noticed that my brain was working better. I noticed that I didn't bruise as often or as badly. I noticed that I was more in control of my self. I've been going regularly for a full year now. The most obvious benefit as of late? My menstrual cycles have become much less painful and more tolerable. It has been the perfect therapy to accompany my health plan of dieting, supplements, detoxing, and exercise. It has increased the benefit from all of these things.
Do the needles hurt? Not usually. They only hurt when I'm tense, stressed, or my health is poor (and by the end of the session I'm no longer feeling poorly!) I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so when I say the pain is mild-tolerable, it may mean that it's a bit intense for people with low pain tolerance. The pain only lasts a second or two, as the needle goes in. If the pain lasts any longer than that, then something is wrong and your acupuncturist will adjust the needle so it doesn't hurt anymore. The needles are not painful 80% of the time - in fact, I often don't feel them going in at all. The needles are so thin that they don't even leave holes or marks on your skin.
Acupuncture is not something that I think everyone needs to try, unlike chiropractic care. I do think it's something that everyone can benefit from, though! It is great for pain management, destressing, detoxing, or relieving discomfort (mental or physical.) It it not a treatment to fear!
I've talked with many people who claimed that these treatments didn't do enough good for them, so they have dismissed them. When I asked how long they were getting these treatments, most of the people said only once or only a few times. The trouble is that people tend to have the impression that any type of body care therapy should have instant results. I believe this idea stems from how Western Medicine operates: go to the doctor once or twice, get put on pills or have a procedure, and then you're supposed to be healed. Acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy do not fit into this model. Each of these therapies require many sessions, and are not able to be "instant fixes." It is just like going on an exercise program: going to the gym and working out once won't do much for you. It's an important start to a long-term exercise plan, but it won't make you lean and muscular. If you go the gym 3-4 times a week over the course of year, then you can expect a major change in how your body looks and feels. You should expect to be more muscular and lean after that much work. With acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy, you really must have treatments done consistently and regularly to produce results.
Chiropractic care:
I'm starting with chiropractic care because it is the treatment I have been getting the longest. I've been regularly seeing a chiropractor for 6 years now, and it has been one of the best investments in my health I've ever made. The reason I initially went to a chiropractor was because we were trying to get my husband into one. He was complaining of never-ending back pain during grad school (to get a degree in Piano Performance, which is taxing on the body.) When he went in for the first time, the chiropractor invited me to do a free consultation, including x-rays. What ended up happening is that the chiropractor looked at both of our x-rays and said to me, "I'm surprised that you're not the one complaining of pain! Your husband will benefit from adjustments, but your spine is really out-of-shape." He wasn't exaggerating. My spine looked bad. My neck was curved backwards by 9º and my back was in the shape of an "S," from side-to-side, when it should be perfectly straight. Truthfully, I was in pain pretty often, but I was so used to the pain that I didn't know it wasn't normal. We think the cause for me was being in gymnastics, ballet, swimming, karate, soccer, t-ball, and track as a kid. I was contorting and working my body a lot while it was still developing. So my husband and I both signed up to get adjusted regularly, and we both benefited immensely. After a year of regular adjustments, my neck was close to normal (it was at least bent back in the correct direction again.) I was thinking more clearly, sleeping better, walking with better balance, had better circulation, didn't get headaches as easily, could hear better, had improved vision, my shoulder wasn't in constant pain anymore, and much more. I kept improving over the years, but I also go in regularly to maintain my spine. I don't always hold adjustments well, so I tend to need an adjustment on a regular basis.
Let me back up. What does a chiropractor even do? Should you see one if your back is straight? I originally thought that chiropractic care was only for people with bone problems, and it seems to me that most people who haven't been to one share this assumption. It's true that chiropractors adjust bones, but they are not bone doctors. They are nerve doctors. They move bones back into place in order to free up nerves that could no longer function fully or properly due to surrounding bones that were out-of-place. When nerves are constricted, all sorts of problems occur. Most obviously, it can be painful. Less obviously, but more importantly, organs cannot function as well. When the nerves going to organs get constricted, they can no longer send all the messages from the brain to those organs. This is how adjustments improve vision, hearing, brain function, digestion, menstrual troubles, infertility issues, bladder control problems, hormonal imbalances, and more.
I highly recommend everyone seeing a chiropractor, even if you think you're in good shape. Getting adjusted can free up nerves you never knew needed to be free. It also helps to prevent your spine from getting worse over time. Bones that are out-of-place can degrade over time from being worn in the wrong way. Cartilage can wear out, even to the point of disappearing. Yes, chiropractic care benefits everyone.
Acupuncture:
I love acupuncture. I cannot speak enough good about the effects of acupuncture. I was a bit skeptical of it before trying it. I didn't doubt that it was effective, otherwise acupuncturists wouldn't stay in business. I doubted that it was for me. I thought it was too spiritual, like yoga is, and I didn't want to try a New Age practice that would conflict with my Catholic faith. I also thought the ideas of putting needles into my body sounded unnecessary - I thought there must be other ways to get the same healing effects without putting myself through torture. I was so very wrong, and I'm so thankful I decided to try it. My occupational therapist was the one who suggested acupuncture first, saying it can offer relief in my hands ways she couldn't. I didn't want to try it then, because I didn't want to spend the money. About a year later (last year,) my chiropractor suggested it too, and even gave me a recommendation on who to see. He pushed me pretty hard to go. My health was deteriorating so quickly, and I was so desperate, that I decided to try it. If my OT and Chiropractor, who are both Christian, highly recommended it, then maybe it wasn't what I though it was.
My first acupuncture treatment was interesting. I didn't walk away with great relief, but I was very intrigued and I was looking forward to my next session. I learned a substantial amount. I learned that Chi (or qi - however you prefer to spell it) does actually exist, and it's not some New Age, Hindu, or Martial Arts stuff that I should avoid. While many Eastern religions recognize chi and use it in their religions, it isn't in contradiction to my faith at all. It is something I now openly embrace. Chi is simply our life energy that flows through us. Acupuncture works by releasing blockages that prevents our chi from flowing through us correctly. When that chi starts flowing correctly, it's one of the most amazing feelings ever. Before you blow this concept off, you should know that actual scientific studies have been done on acupuncture, confirming that it does work to heal the body, such as this study, and this study. Science hasn't been able to find this mysterious "chi," but the studies have proven that the effects people claim acupuncture has do happen.
After about 3 sessions, I started to notice a fantastic change in my body. I was much calmer, my pain was in more control, and my fibromyalgia flares were easier to deal with. After a few months of sessions, I noticed that my energy levels were always at their best the day or two following treatment. I noticed that my aching joints moved more freely. I noticed that my brain was working better. I noticed that I didn't bruise as often or as badly. I noticed that I was more in control of my self. I've been going regularly for a full year now. The most obvious benefit as of late? My menstrual cycles have become much less painful and more tolerable. It has been the perfect therapy to accompany my health plan of dieting, supplements, detoxing, and exercise. It has increased the benefit from all of these things.
Do the needles hurt? Not usually. They only hurt when I'm tense, stressed, or my health is poor (and by the end of the session I'm no longer feeling poorly!) I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so when I say the pain is mild-tolerable, it may mean that it's a bit intense for people with low pain tolerance. The pain only lasts a second or two, as the needle goes in. If the pain lasts any longer than that, then something is wrong and your acupuncturist will adjust the needle so it doesn't hurt anymore. The needles are not painful 80% of the time - in fact, I often don't feel them going in at all. The needles are so thin that they don't even leave holes or marks on your skin.
Acupuncture is not something that I think everyone needs to try, unlike chiropractic care. I do think it's something that everyone can benefit from, though! It is great for pain management, destressing, detoxing, or relieving discomfort (mental or physical.) It it not a treatment to fear!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Menstural Solutions Part 1
Men, you don't need to read this one. This one is for the ladies. If, for some reason, you actually make it through this post (even though it has nothing to do with you,) I encourage you to please talk to your wife, girlfriend, sister, mother - any women you know about this issue. If you read this post, clearly you care enough about this strictly feminine issue!
Menstrual pain is hell. It shouldn't be hell, but for me and many other women out there, it's worst pain we'll experience in our lives. And it happens every month. It should for a normal woman, anyway.
Background:
I want to get into one particular topic in this post, but let me start with a bit of history. It's important to understand my background on the issue because my suggestions could seem a little extreme otherwise. My monthly cycle wasn't always the worst thing in the world for me, this is a problem that slowly developed over time. During my teenage years I was rarely ever stopped by my period. I didn't have to put life on hold because it - it was just an inconvenience that was mildly painful at times. The older I got, however, the more the pain and the amount of flow increased. I had my first episode of severe menstrual pain when I was 17. The pain woke me up early in the morning, and soon enough I was screaming from the torture. Every time I moved even my toe the pain amplified. I couldn't find a position that was comfortable, but I couldn't tolerate moving around to try new positions. I thought I needed to go to the ER, because the pain was so intense that I couldn't believe it was something was normal. My mom figured it out quickly. She gave me pain killers instead of taking me to the hospital. The pain killers kicked in and I fell back asleep. My periods after that were all moderately painful and heavy, but they weren't at that level of intensity again until my 20th birthday. I had just gotten married the month before, and I was so embarrassed to go through my first cycle after marriage. It may have been my anxiety that caused the pain, but it was worse than I remember that day when I was 17 being. Once again, I was screaming and whimpering in pain. I couldn't move a toe without sharp pain shooting all over my body. This time, I drank quite a bit of NyQuil to knock me out. I was afraid painkillers couldn't do enough, and I wanted to be unconscious until the pain quit. It worked - I slept 8 hours that birthday, blissfully ignoring my body's extreme pain. Ever since then, my periods have usually been bad each time.
For the last 7 years, I've accepted that once a month, on the first day of my cycle, I would need to take 12 or my ibuprofen just to survive the pain. I had to let employers know that it would be a reason I may call in sick - how embarrassing is that? I have had to arrange all my plans, especially travel plans, around the first day or two of my period. It was impossible to function on those days. My whole body would become overly weak and tired to the point of hardly staying awake. My flow would be so heavy that I had to visit the bathroom at least once an hour to replace my ultra tampons (later on, Diva Cup - but I'll get to that switch soon.) The pain was so intense that no amount of pain killers could comfort me, and the pain forced me into bed all day, crying most of the time. This became normal to me.
Did I ever see doctors about the issue? Yes. The results boil down to this: I was told I should get a laparoscopy, because the intensity of my periods, as I described them, was not normal. Because nothing appeared to be obviously wrong on the outside (even my hormone levels were "normal" - but I'll get to that later,) this invasive surgery to cut upon my stomach and send a camera into my reproductive organs was the only way to know for sure what was going on. My very experienced and highly regarded (by others) gynecologist was fairly confident I had endometreosis, a condition in which the menstrual blood grows on the outside of the reproductive organs and has no where to go when it sheds with my monthly cycle. The laparoscopy would confirm this diagnosis, but would not heal me. At best, while they had me cut open, they could cut off the blood on the outside of my organs. The problem is, the blood would just grow back, and in a few years I would need the surgery again. I seriously considered the procedure. At the very least, it would provide answers. The main reason I kept stalling on doing it, though, was the cost. Insurance wasn't likely to cover it (of course,) and it would be $2,000 out-of-pocket. I really couldn't afford $2,000 for just answers and no relief.
I was also told to use birth control pills. This is a topic unto itself, but long story short, I refused. They are not a solution, they're a band-aid that do damage and no actual good (just perceived "good" in those that experience relief.) I wanted a solution, not a highly questionable pill or injection that would only address the symptoms, not the root cause. I was also greatly confused by why my doctors told me my hormone levels were normal, but I should be on a pill that improves my hormone levels... Did my doctors even know what birth control pills did, or did they just know that many women experience relief with them without understanding how or why? This is one area of health care where I'm extremely cynical, mainly because I've had more doctors than I can count try to push birth control pills on me without knowing much of anything about me.
I did get help, though! My last 3 periods have been shockingly easy to deal with. They've been getting more and more bearable over the last year, slowly but surely. The last 3, however, are proof that we've found the solutions, and have given me a lot of hope in never needing to feel extreme menstrual pain again. I'll explain the solutions in a few different posts. There's too much to say.
Solutions, Part 1: Ditch your tampons and pads immediately.Tampons and pads could easily be the #1 cause of your pain and discomfort. Have you ever read all the warnings on a tampon box? The main warning is that tampons cause "toxic shock syndrome." As bad as TSS is, it's not your main concern, because other problems will happen first.
First of all, you should understand that conventional tampons and pads are made from cotton and rayon blends and then soaked in chlorine to be made sanitary. Chlorine alone is a major irritant, which I dug into in a previous post. It makes your skin sensitive, itchy, overly dry, and irritable. The other major problem is that cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. 55 million pounds of pesticides are sprayed on cotton crops each year in the USA. One of those pesticides is diuron, a known carcinogen that the EPA has linked to birth defects. You should know that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it. In other words, every time you insert a tampon or wear a pad, you're exposing some of your most sensitive skin to known toxins and carcinogens. Yes, ladies, this is scary.
I didn't know all of this when I switched to using a Diva Cup about 6 years ago. The reason I switched was because someone told me that tampons absorb more than blood: they absorb the natural necessarily lubricant your vagina makes to stay healthy. They told me this is part of the reason why tampons make the skin in the vagina so sensitive and painful. I was also told that menstrual cups hold more than ultra tampons, which appealed to my needs. The Diva Cup took some getting used to. I had to practice using it outside of my periods before I got it right, but now it's so second-nature to me that I get it right every time I insert it. Don't let the learning curve turn you away - this cup is absolutely amazing.
At first, it was extremely painful to use the Diva Cup. I was so highly sensitive that it was almost intolerable to insert. I held on to the promise that the issue would clear up after avoiding tampons for a while. It was true. After several months, using the Diva Cup regularly was no problem at all. My sensitivity went away! It has been 6 years since I've had any issues with sensitivity, and it's wonderful! It confirmed that tampons were causing my sensitivity issues.
The Diva Cup also allowed me to measure how heavy I really was. I did a bit of research and found that the average women only loses about 1 ounce during her entire cycle, but many women lost up to 2 ounces. The Diva Cup holds exactly one ounce. I found out that I was losing 5-6 ounces on the first day. I usually lost an additional 2-3 ounces on the second day. Days 3-7 (yes, my period usually lasted up to a week, were lighter in that I lost 1-2 ounces during the rest of the days.) I confirmed the fact that I was indeed abnormally heavy. I did take this information to the gynecologist, who said it's yet another symptom of endometreosis. A funny thing happened, however. Over the years of sticking to my Diva Cup, I the amount of flow I experienced did gradually lessen by about an ounce. My periods were also shorter by about 2 days. I also spotted less during the month, when spotting used to be a regular problem for me. The pain was still highly intense and extreme, but at least I was a little lighter and my sensitivity issues had entirely cleared up!
The Diva Cup is supposed to leak-proof. I say "supposed to be," because I'm sure it actually is for people with a normal flow. When you're as heavy as me, however, it does eventually leak if I don't empty it regularly enough. So I've needed back up. This is when I discovered Seventh Generation Pads. They are chlorine free and about as safe as I could find. While they didn't use organic cotton, I wasn't aware of the need to only use organic cotton pads until more recently. The problem is, I have yet to find an organic cotton pad that actually works well. I've tried many brands of organic cotton pads, but I keep coming back to Seventh Generation because it's very reliable, doesn't make noise when I walk around, and doesn't irritate my skin. Seventh Generation and Natracare do, however, make tampons with organic cotton that are great. I use them as a back-up when I won't have access to a good, clean bathroom to empty my Diva Cup in. There is another alternative: reusable cloth pads. Not only are these the safest option, they are the most environmentally friendly. Think of all the pads that go to our land fills every day! It's too much! My real issue with these reusable cloth pads, however, are that they never fit my preferred style of underwear. I also don't feel comfortable carrying a used pad with me if I have to change it in public. If you can make them work for you, though, please do!
This is just part one of many solutions. Switching to organic cotton and/ or menstrual cups and/ or reusable pads is the first step. This will eliminate irritation causing extra pain and discomfort. It will also reduce your intake of toxins - always keep in mind that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it!
I challenge you to make the switch, and please let me know your results!
Menstrual pain is hell. It shouldn't be hell, but for me and many other women out there, it's worst pain we'll experience in our lives. And it happens every month. It should for a normal woman, anyway.
Background:
I want to get into one particular topic in this post, but let me start with a bit of history. It's important to understand my background on the issue because my suggestions could seem a little extreme otherwise. My monthly cycle wasn't always the worst thing in the world for me, this is a problem that slowly developed over time. During my teenage years I was rarely ever stopped by my period. I didn't have to put life on hold because it - it was just an inconvenience that was mildly painful at times. The older I got, however, the more the pain and the amount of flow increased. I had my first episode of severe menstrual pain when I was 17. The pain woke me up early in the morning, and soon enough I was screaming from the torture. Every time I moved even my toe the pain amplified. I couldn't find a position that was comfortable, but I couldn't tolerate moving around to try new positions. I thought I needed to go to the ER, because the pain was so intense that I couldn't believe it was something was normal. My mom figured it out quickly. She gave me pain killers instead of taking me to the hospital. The pain killers kicked in and I fell back asleep. My periods after that were all moderately painful and heavy, but they weren't at that level of intensity again until my 20th birthday. I had just gotten married the month before, and I was so embarrassed to go through my first cycle after marriage. It may have been my anxiety that caused the pain, but it was worse than I remember that day when I was 17 being. Once again, I was screaming and whimpering in pain. I couldn't move a toe without sharp pain shooting all over my body. This time, I drank quite a bit of NyQuil to knock me out. I was afraid painkillers couldn't do enough, and I wanted to be unconscious until the pain quit. It worked - I slept 8 hours that birthday, blissfully ignoring my body's extreme pain. Ever since then, my periods have usually been bad each time.
For the last 7 years, I've accepted that once a month, on the first day of my cycle, I would need to take 12 or my ibuprofen just to survive the pain. I had to let employers know that it would be a reason I may call in sick - how embarrassing is that? I have had to arrange all my plans, especially travel plans, around the first day or two of my period. It was impossible to function on those days. My whole body would become overly weak and tired to the point of hardly staying awake. My flow would be so heavy that I had to visit the bathroom at least once an hour to replace my ultra tampons (later on, Diva Cup - but I'll get to that switch soon.) The pain was so intense that no amount of pain killers could comfort me, and the pain forced me into bed all day, crying most of the time. This became normal to me.
Did I ever see doctors about the issue? Yes. The results boil down to this: I was told I should get a laparoscopy, because the intensity of my periods, as I described them, was not normal. Because nothing appeared to be obviously wrong on the outside (even my hormone levels were "normal" - but I'll get to that later,) this invasive surgery to cut upon my stomach and send a camera into my reproductive organs was the only way to know for sure what was going on. My very experienced and highly regarded (by others) gynecologist was fairly confident I had endometreosis, a condition in which the menstrual blood grows on the outside of the reproductive organs and has no where to go when it sheds with my monthly cycle. The laparoscopy would confirm this diagnosis, but would not heal me. At best, while they had me cut open, they could cut off the blood on the outside of my organs. The problem is, the blood would just grow back, and in a few years I would need the surgery again. I seriously considered the procedure. At the very least, it would provide answers. The main reason I kept stalling on doing it, though, was the cost. Insurance wasn't likely to cover it (of course,) and it would be $2,000 out-of-pocket. I really couldn't afford $2,000 for just answers and no relief.
I was also told to use birth control pills. This is a topic unto itself, but long story short, I refused. They are not a solution, they're a band-aid that do damage and no actual good (just perceived "good" in those that experience relief.) I wanted a solution, not a highly questionable pill or injection that would only address the symptoms, not the root cause. I was also greatly confused by why my doctors told me my hormone levels were normal, but I should be on a pill that improves my hormone levels... Did my doctors even know what birth control pills did, or did they just know that many women experience relief with them without understanding how or why? This is one area of health care where I'm extremely cynical, mainly because I've had more doctors than I can count try to push birth control pills on me without knowing much of anything about me.
I did get help, though! My last 3 periods have been shockingly easy to deal with. They've been getting more and more bearable over the last year, slowly but surely. The last 3, however, are proof that we've found the solutions, and have given me a lot of hope in never needing to feel extreme menstrual pain again. I'll explain the solutions in a few different posts. There's too much to say.
Solutions, Part 1: Ditch your tampons and pads immediately.Tampons and pads could easily be the #1 cause of your pain and discomfort. Have you ever read all the warnings on a tampon box? The main warning is that tampons cause "toxic shock syndrome." As bad as TSS is, it's not your main concern, because other problems will happen first.
First of all, you should understand that conventional tampons and pads are made from cotton and rayon blends and then soaked in chlorine to be made sanitary. Chlorine alone is a major irritant, which I dug into in a previous post. It makes your skin sensitive, itchy, overly dry, and irritable. The other major problem is that cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. 55 million pounds of pesticides are sprayed on cotton crops each year in the USA. One of those pesticides is diuron, a known carcinogen that the EPA has linked to birth defects. You should know that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it. In other words, every time you insert a tampon or wear a pad, you're exposing some of your most sensitive skin to known toxins and carcinogens. Yes, ladies, this is scary.
I didn't know all of this when I switched to using a Diva Cup about 6 years ago. The reason I switched was because someone told me that tampons absorb more than blood: they absorb the natural necessarily lubricant your vagina makes to stay healthy. They told me this is part of the reason why tampons make the skin in the vagina so sensitive and painful. I was also told that menstrual cups hold more than ultra tampons, which appealed to my needs. The Diva Cup took some getting used to. I had to practice using it outside of my periods before I got it right, but now it's so second-nature to me that I get it right every time I insert it. Don't let the learning curve turn you away - this cup is absolutely amazing.
At first, it was extremely painful to use the Diva Cup. I was so highly sensitive that it was almost intolerable to insert. I held on to the promise that the issue would clear up after avoiding tampons for a while. It was true. After several months, using the Diva Cup regularly was no problem at all. My sensitivity went away! It has been 6 years since I've had any issues with sensitivity, and it's wonderful! It confirmed that tampons were causing my sensitivity issues.
The Diva Cup also allowed me to measure how heavy I really was. I did a bit of research and found that the average women only loses about 1 ounce during her entire cycle, but many women lost up to 2 ounces. The Diva Cup holds exactly one ounce. I found out that I was losing 5-6 ounces on the first day. I usually lost an additional 2-3 ounces on the second day. Days 3-7 (yes, my period usually lasted up to a week, were lighter in that I lost 1-2 ounces during the rest of the days.) I confirmed the fact that I was indeed abnormally heavy. I did take this information to the gynecologist, who said it's yet another symptom of endometreosis. A funny thing happened, however. Over the years of sticking to my Diva Cup, I the amount of flow I experienced did gradually lessen by about an ounce. My periods were also shorter by about 2 days. I also spotted less during the month, when spotting used to be a regular problem for me. The pain was still highly intense and extreme, but at least I was a little lighter and my sensitivity issues had entirely cleared up!
The Diva Cup is supposed to leak-proof. I say "supposed to be," because I'm sure it actually is for people with a normal flow. When you're as heavy as me, however, it does eventually leak if I don't empty it regularly enough. So I've needed back up. This is when I discovered Seventh Generation Pads. They are chlorine free and about as safe as I could find. While they didn't use organic cotton, I wasn't aware of the need to only use organic cotton pads until more recently. The problem is, I have yet to find an organic cotton pad that actually works well. I've tried many brands of organic cotton pads, but I keep coming back to Seventh Generation because it's very reliable, doesn't make noise when I walk around, and doesn't irritate my skin. Seventh Generation and Natracare do, however, make tampons with organic cotton that are great. I use them as a back-up when I won't have access to a good, clean bathroom to empty my Diva Cup in. There is another alternative: reusable cloth pads. Not only are these the safest option, they are the most environmentally friendly. Think of all the pads that go to our land fills every day! It's too much! My real issue with these reusable cloth pads, however, are that they never fit my preferred style of underwear. I also don't feel comfortable carrying a used pad with me if I have to change it in public. If you can make them work for you, though, please do!
This is just part one of many solutions. Switching to organic cotton and/ or menstrual cups and/ or reusable pads is the first step. This will eliminate irritation causing extra pain and discomfort. It will also reduce your intake of toxins - always keep in mind that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it!
I challenge you to make the switch, and please let me know your results!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Hypoglycemia
When news stories and doctors talk about blood sugar, they're almost always referring to high blood sugar. High blood sugar is what doctors are trained to look for and treat, because it is one of the most common medical problems today. It's associated with diabetes, but you don't need to have diabetes to have high blood sugar. It's so common to see articles in magazines with tips on how how lower your blood sugar, and there are even commercials on TV for drugs that claim to stabilize blood sugar by lowering it.
But what about those of us who have low blood sugar? I saw many doctors and specialists throughout 2013, and each of them checked to see if I was diabetic right away. They all wanted to know if my blood sugar was too high. When my numbers came back, they all told me my blood sugar was "great!" My blood sugar was always around 80, sometimes even lower. At the time, I didn't know anything about blood sugar levels, though I know that low blood sugar was a bad thing because I had heard that somewhere. No doctor ever said my blood sugar was low, but I was told, "the lower the better."
On a side note, to further my point, my blood pressure was also much too low, but all the doctors said that my blood pressure was, again, "great!" I often had numbers such as 90/50 (I remember the top number being 87 once,) which should have been concerning to them, and apparently that was "the golden image of health." Doctors simply are not trained for low numbers. They are only taught to look out for high numbers when it comes to blood sugar and pressure.
My local chiropractor was the first person to ask if my blood sugar was too low. He planted the seed of doubt in my head, making me want to find out more about blood sugar issues. It wasn't long after then that I saw my out-of-state Naturopathic doctor for the first time, and he explained that my blood sugar was too low and we needed to work on stabilizing it. Of course, he found so many other issues to work on too - I was a little overwhelmed, but willing and able to follow his instructions to improve my health regardless of that. So while I did as he said, I forgot about really digging into what low blood sugar meant for a while. Several months later, my local acupuncturist (I say local because my ND specializes in acupuncture and chiropractic manipulations, but he's out-of-state) said I really appeared to be hypoglycemic. It was the first time I had heard the word associated with me, and I didn't really understand the meaning. He explained it's low blood sugar, any number below 80. I already knew that I had come in below 80 in the past. So I asked my ND if I was hypoglycemic, to which he said "Oh you're definitely hypoglycemic!"
And so I finally decided to learn about hypoglycemia, since it was one of my most outwardly obvious health issues. Hypoglycemia is when a person produces too much insulin. Insulin "eats up" (so-to-speak) sugar in the blood, reducing the person's blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are too low from insulin being too high, this results in all sorts of side-effects: dizziness/ inability to focus, memory loss, more vision problems such as seeing floating colors, extreme fatigue, brain fog, lack of strength, and more. Scary stuff! I experienced all of this. Doctors (who actually recognize low blood sugar issues) recommend eating a candy bar when blood sugar is too low. The sugar in the candy bar is supposed to increase the sugar in the blood. The problem with this, however, is that it only temporarily addresses the symptom, not the cause. By increasing blood sugar with a candy bar, insulin is also increased, because insulin production is in response to blood sugar. It doesn't take long before that candy bar wears off and causes the person to crash hard.
So what was it that my ND is having my do to stabilize my blood sugar? Obviously, it isn't eating candy bars! Quite the opposite. I'm avoiding all sugar, in every form. No fruit, no honey, no unrefined palm sugar - no sugar, period. I even avoid sugary vegetables, such as beets. I can have carrots in small amounts no more than 3 times a week, but I get pretty jittery with carrots now, so I don't have them too often. We're also working to repair my digestive organs through supplements and diet. By avoiding all sugar, I keep my digestive organs calm, allowing them to heal.
Instead of increasing blood sugar by eating sugar, I'm eating a diet based on my blood type and my specific health situation. This is where it gets very complicated to explain, and it's a different topic I'm not comfortable blogging about at this time. It's my ND's specialty, not mine, and I won't speak for him. You should see him yourself if you want to know more. What I don't know, because I'm not a health care professional, is whether the diet I'm on is recommended for anyone with hypoglycemia, or if it's working for me due to my specific needs. If I've learned anything from this experience, it's that each person has very different needs, and that includes dietary needs! I'm willing to explain my diet, but I'm not going to recommend it as the "the answer." I hope that it leads you to finding the right answer for you. I highly recommend my ND (comment or message me for details.)
I'm not on this diet only to address hypoglycemia, but it is working to stabilize me. My diet is very high protein, with a good amount of fats, very low-carb, with no sugar. I eat every two hours. I eat meat at least 3 times a day (always clean grass-fed pasture-raised red meat, free-range pasture-raised poultry, and wild caught low-mercury fish - very clean pure meat.) I snack on nuts and seeds that are not starchy or sugary, mainly just walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas/ pumpkin seeds, and pine nuts. I struggle with vegetables because they're very rough on my gut, but that's another story. The vegetables I do eat are non-sugary and non-starchy and non-moldy (no mushrooms or peanuts,) and I strictly eat organic vegetables. I also drink a protein shake with coconut or almond milk twice a day. That's it. I don't eat anything else. No sugar, no grain, no dairy, no starch, no alcohol. It's not as hard as it sounds - I'm actually feeling very freed by this diet, not constricted! I'm free from cravings, temptation, and too many bad food choices. It's wonderful! Meat tastes delicious, and I honestly have no issue eating it so often. I feel so much better on this diet that I don't miss any other foods! When I'm feeling low, I eat some jerky, and I perk up. It's awesome!
I have a loose understanding of why this diet works for stabilizing blood sugar. Sugar and some types of carbohydrates break down very quickly in the digestive system, causing changes to blood sugar and metabolism soon after eating them. They leave a person hungry soon after eating them. Proteins and fats break down the slowest. This means that they provide energy slowly, over a long period of time. They do not affect blood sugar quickly, but instead provide a slow release of sugar into the blood. This allows blood sugar to stay stable. Since I'm not doing anything to increase insulin, blood sugar can slowly build up over time.
I have not been checking my blood sugar numbers since starting my ND's regimen a year ago. I've wanted to - I've been curious. I've never thought it necessary enough to spend money on a test kit, and I definitely see no point in going to a doctor. So while I can't tell you what my blood sugar number is at, I can tell you that I've been much more stable. It's been more and more rare that I feel hypoglycemic, and more and more common that I'm feeling strong enough to stay in control most of the time. Chronic Fatigue and MCS can cause similar symptoms to hypoglycemia, so while I still do get dizzy, overly spacy, and brain fog, I haven't been feeling that weakness associated with low blood sugar. Even when my energy has been very low, I can still find the strength to move. I can get up and walk if I need to. When I'm hypoglycemic, walking is difficult.
It's been several months - maybe even longer - since the last time I've fought hypoglycemia. It's been long enough that I've forgotten about it, and have been able to focus on other health concerns. Until this week. 3 days ago, I started to feel that weakness settling in, but it was minor, and I figured I just needed to eat more. For some reason I've been less interested in eating lately. I try to eat every 2 hours, but it's been more like every 3-4 hours, and then I eat a little too light. I'm think I've gained too much mental energy and am letting myself get too preoccupied with projects other than my health. I felt much worse yesterday. My blood sugar was definitely too low. I felt very weak all day. I was dizzy, seeing floating colors, having memory lapses, severe brain fog, and fatigue that almost bound me to my chair and bed. I got up and drove myself to my acupuncture appointment anyway - which I shouldn't have done. I was not fit to be driving. My reaction time way way too slow and my vision wasn't clear enough. I did make it without hurting myself or anyone. Acupuncture helped a lot. I felt much more stable and clear-headed, and then a good dinner helped stabilize me more than it would have without acupuncture. I know this from experience.
I'm still feeling rather hypoglycmic today. My skin is pasty white from poor circulation too. It's a lesson learned! I need to eat enough often enough, so I'm eating sunflower seed butter as I write this. Just because I have a system that keeps me stable doesn't mean I'm strong enough to let go of the system, even if just for a few days. I'm actually quite amazed at how quickly I turned hypoglycemic just by eating too lightly for a few days.
But what about those of us who have low blood sugar? I saw many doctors and specialists throughout 2013, and each of them checked to see if I was diabetic right away. They all wanted to know if my blood sugar was too high. When my numbers came back, they all told me my blood sugar was "great!" My blood sugar was always around 80, sometimes even lower. At the time, I didn't know anything about blood sugar levels, though I know that low blood sugar was a bad thing because I had heard that somewhere. No doctor ever said my blood sugar was low, but I was told, "the lower the better."
On a side note, to further my point, my blood pressure was also much too low, but all the doctors said that my blood pressure was, again, "great!" I often had numbers such as 90/50 (I remember the top number being 87 once,) which should have been concerning to them, and apparently that was "the golden image of health." Doctors simply are not trained for low numbers. They are only taught to look out for high numbers when it comes to blood sugar and pressure.
My local chiropractor was the first person to ask if my blood sugar was too low. He planted the seed of doubt in my head, making me want to find out more about blood sugar issues. It wasn't long after then that I saw my out-of-state Naturopathic doctor for the first time, and he explained that my blood sugar was too low and we needed to work on stabilizing it. Of course, he found so many other issues to work on too - I was a little overwhelmed, but willing and able to follow his instructions to improve my health regardless of that. So while I did as he said, I forgot about really digging into what low blood sugar meant for a while. Several months later, my local acupuncturist (I say local because my ND specializes in acupuncture and chiropractic manipulations, but he's out-of-state) said I really appeared to be hypoglycemic. It was the first time I had heard the word associated with me, and I didn't really understand the meaning. He explained it's low blood sugar, any number below 80. I already knew that I had come in below 80 in the past. So I asked my ND if I was hypoglycemic, to which he said "Oh you're definitely hypoglycemic!"
And so I finally decided to learn about hypoglycemia, since it was one of my most outwardly obvious health issues. Hypoglycemia is when a person produces too much insulin. Insulin "eats up" (so-to-speak) sugar in the blood, reducing the person's blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are too low from insulin being too high, this results in all sorts of side-effects: dizziness/ inability to focus, memory loss, more vision problems such as seeing floating colors, extreme fatigue, brain fog, lack of strength, and more. Scary stuff! I experienced all of this. Doctors (who actually recognize low blood sugar issues) recommend eating a candy bar when blood sugar is too low. The sugar in the candy bar is supposed to increase the sugar in the blood. The problem with this, however, is that it only temporarily addresses the symptom, not the cause. By increasing blood sugar with a candy bar, insulin is also increased, because insulin production is in response to blood sugar. It doesn't take long before that candy bar wears off and causes the person to crash hard.
So what was it that my ND is having my do to stabilize my blood sugar? Obviously, it isn't eating candy bars! Quite the opposite. I'm avoiding all sugar, in every form. No fruit, no honey, no unrefined palm sugar - no sugar, period. I even avoid sugary vegetables, such as beets. I can have carrots in small amounts no more than 3 times a week, but I get pretty jittery with carrots now, so I don't have them too often. We're also working to repair my digestive organs through supplements and diet. By avoiding all sugar, I keep my digestive organs calm, allowing them to heal.
Instead of increasing blood sugar by eating sugar, I'm eating a diet based on my blood type and my specific health situation. This is where it gets very complicated to explain, and it's a different topic I'm not comfortable blogging about at this time. It's my ND's specialty, not mine, and I won't speak for him. You should see him yourself if you want to know more. What I don't know, because I'm not a health care professional, is whether the diet I'm on is recommended for anyone with hypoglycemia, or if it's working for me due to my specific needs. If I've learned anything from this experience, it's that each person has very different needs, and that includes dietary needs! I'm willing to explain my diet, but I'm not going to recommend it as the "the answer." I hope that it leads you to finding the right answer for you. I highly recommend my ND (comment or message me for details.)
I'm not on this diet only to address hypoglycemia, but it is working to stabilize me. My diet is very high protein, with a good amount of fats, very low-carb, with no sugar. I eat every two hours. I eat meat at least 3 times a day (always clean grass-fed pasture-raised red meat, free-range pasture-raised poultry, and wild caught low-mercury fish - very clean pure meat.) I snack on nuts and seeds that are not starchy or sugary, mainly just walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas/ pumpkin seeds, and pine nuts. I struggle with vegetables because they're very rough on my gut, but that's another story. The vegetables I do eat are non-sugary and non-starchy and non-moldy (no mushrooms or peanuts,) and I strictly eat organic vegetables. I also drink a protein shake with coconut or almond milk twice a day. That's it. I don't eat anything else. No sugar, no grain, no dairy, no starch, no alcohol. It's not as hard as it sounds - I'm actually feeling very freed by this diet, not constricted! I'm free from cravings, temptation, and too many bad food choices. It's wonderful! Meat tastes delicious, and I honestly have no issue eating it so often. I feel so much better on this diet that I don't miss any other foods! When I'm feeling low, I eat some jerky, and I perk up. It's awesome!
I have a loose understanding of why this diet works for stabilizing blood sugar. Sugar and some types of carbohydrates break down very quickly in the digestive system, causing changes to blood sugar and metabolism soon after eating them. They leave a person hungry soon after eating them. Proteins and fats break down the slowest. This means that they provide energy slowly, over a long period of time. They do not affect blood sugar quickly, but instead provide a slow release of sugar into the blood. This allows blood sugar to stay stable. Since I'm not doing anything to increase insulin, blood sugar can slowly build up over time.
I have not been checking my blood sugar numbers since starting my ND's regimen a year ago. I've wanted to - I've been curious. I've never thought it necessary enough to spend money on a test kit, and I definitely see no point in going to a doctor. So while I can't tell you what my blood sugar number is at, I can tell you that I've been much more stable. It's been more and more rare that I feel hypoglycemic, and more and more common that I'm feeling strong enough to stay in control most of the time. Chronic Fatigue and MCS can cause similar symptoms to hypoglycemia, so while I still do get dizzy, overly spacy, and brain fog, I haven't been feeling that weakness associated with low blood sugar. Even when my energy has been very low, I can still find the strength to move. I can get up and walk if I need to. When I'm hypoglycemic, walking is difficult.
It's been several months - maybe even longer - since the last time I've fought hypoglycemia. It's been long enough that I've forgotten about it, and have been able to focus on other health concerns. Until this week. 3 days ago, I started to feel that weakness settling in, but it was minor, and I figured I just needed to eat more. For some reason I've been less interested in eating lately. I try to eat every 2 hours, but it's been more like every 3-4 hours, and then I eat a little too light. I'm think I've gained too much mental energy and am letting myself get too preoccupied with projects other than my health. I felt much worse yesterday. My blood sugar was definitely too low. I felt very weak all day. I was dizzy, seeing floating colors, having memory lapses, severe brain fog, and fatigue that almost bound me to my chair and bed. I got up and drove myself to my acupuncture appointment anyway - which I shouldn't have done. I was not fit to be driving. My reaction time way way too slow and my vision wasn't clear enough. I did make it without hurting myself or anyone. Acupuncture helped a lot. I felt much more stable and clear-headed, and then a good dinner helped stabilize me more than it would have without acupuncture. I know this from experience.
I'm still feeling rather hypoglycmic today. My skin is pasty white from poor circulation too. It's a lesson learned! I need to eat enough often enough, so I'm eating sunflower seed butter as I write this. Just because I have a system that keeps me stable doesn't mean I'm strong enough to let go of the system, even if just for a few days. I'm actually quite amazed at how quickly I turned hypoglycemic just by eating too lightly for a few days.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
The Importance of Inspiration
Chronically ill people have it rough. First, they're in pain and suffering. Second, their brains don't work as well as they used to. Third, people around them typically don't believe them and may even assume they're hypochondriacs. Fourth, it's hard for them to find the energy to fight to get their life back.
Finding inspiration to fight to get my life back was very important in my healing process. At first, when I finally collapsed from sickness last fall, nothing mattered. I was so deprived of energy that I couldn't think well enough to gain inspiration. The only things on my mind were: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, aching joints, and pain. Lots of pain, and no energy. All I had was raw willpower. It was all that got me out of bed to eat, go to the bathroom, and stay alive.
My first wave of inspiration came from my parents when they invited me out to to their state to see a doctor who came highly recommended by a friend who suffered similar issues to me. Someone else had recovered from fibromyalgia and was able to work a full-time job? This doctor actually understands fibromyalgia and successfully treated someone? The hope this gave me helped me get on a plane and travel - I didn't know I had it in me to travel. After meeting the doctor, I was even more hopeful. Being a naturopathic doctor, he treats differently from conventional western medicine. His regimen for me didn't include drugs, but did include a lot of effort on my part. I was willing to take the challenge. I had hope, and I was very inspired by my parent's friend who got better.
After a few months of the regimen, I was feeling better enough to start enjoying myself, even when I was too lazy to move. I couldn't manage to read books - that took too much brain power. I would read a sentence over and over before I finally was able to form the image in my head - if an image came at all. I decided to try something much more simple: graphic novels. I found many of them were still way too heavy, so I went even more simple: manga. As a kid, I was obsessed with Sailor Moon - the cartoon. I loved it to no end. I never had the chance to read much of the manga it was based on, though. Coincidentally, the manga series was being re-released with a new translation that same month that I was looking for a manga to read. Inspiration! I got a hold of both box sets and dug in.
I found myself absorbing the story in Sailor Moon, easy as drinking a milkshake. It was easy to read, easy to follow, and highly enjoyable. For the first time in a long time (maybe a year?) I was really enjoying reading (and I've always been in love with books - you should see the library in our living room.) It could just be that I really wanted to read it. I was actually excited about something. It could also be that it was actually easy to read. Either way, I found a way to really enjoy myself while laying in bed in pain. Better yet, the story of Sailor Moon was inspiring. I could write a whole dissertation on the brilliance of the story (the children's anime was very loosely based on the original manga, which were not written for little kids as they contain mature subject matter - it's Harry Potter quality in that all ages can really dig into the rich vibrant story with lots of morals and messages.) In particular, I was inspired by one character: Hotaru. Her life was miserable - way worse than mine. Her house burned down and killed her mother. She was also almost killed, but her father made a deal with an evil entity in order to save their lives. Hotaru was turned into a cyborg in order to stay alive, though was in poor health all the time, and her father had to do this evil entity's will. Hotaru, though, had a greater purpose than to barely stay alive with the help of machines. She was a Sailor Soldier - a mythological goddess reborn on earth as a human in order to fulfill her soldier's mission. She had to find a way to fight the illness, break free of the machine, and save the world - essentially. Her spirit led the way to her recovery, and things eventually worked out - though there was a lot of pain and suffering first. I won't spoil. I needed a story like that. Fictional or not - super hero or not - it was inspiring. I too had a more important mission in life that I needed fulfill. I took my supplements, ate my diet, and continued to do my pathetic little work outs with a renewed sense of importance and vigor.
I found myself drawn to more manga stories with inspiring messages of hope and purpose. Within the past year, I've read and really enjoyed Legend of Basara, Vinland Saga, From Far Away, A Bride's Story, and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. Each of these stories were about characters who stepped up to take on a higher purpose, finding the wisdom, strength, and inspiration to succeed.
A few months ago, I attempted to read a novel again. No pictures to do the imagining for me - an actual novel with only words to tell the story. I picked up Donita K Paul's latest book, One Realm Beyond. I loved her other series, Dragon Keeper Chronicles. It was slow going at first, but I managed the first chapter. It was tiring to read - it really wore me out. I read the next chapter the next night. Eventually, after a few months, I did finish the whole book and LOVED it. It was a slow read, but I did read, and it was so worth it! I renewed my hope with this book!
In the mean time, I was also attempting to take on video games again. I've always been a big gamer. I'm a nerd, and I have no shame. There was no way I could handle action, platform, or any type of game that involved getting my adrenaline up. Anything with a timer was off-limits. I didn't have the energy, but I also didn't want to ruin all the work I've been doing to heal my adrenal glands. I pulled out my Nintendo DS and played Pokemon in bed. Great games, for the record. They let me rest while giving my brain something to work on. Recently, I decided to replay an old computer game of mine: The Longest Journey. It's an adventure game, meaning it operates under a "point-and-click" system. You can't die, nothing is timed, and the point is to work your way though a story by solving puzzles in order to move forward. Simple, but a great story line and a system that kept my brain working. This game also gave me a renewed sense of inspiration. The main character, April Ryan, is an 18-year-old girl art student at a college who is living paycheck-to-paycheck and doesn't know what to do with her life. She slowly uncovers that she has a special destiny to give up her life for 1,000 years in order to keep the balance of both worlds. Sounds cheesy when I put it that simply! Anyway, I had to navigate this young girl through a gigantic crisis of the worlds until she could fulfill her purpose in life. This girl, with seemingly no hope to make a good successful life for herself, ended up being a hero that the worlds praised through stories for the rest of history. Totally beyond the realm of my possibilities for my life - but getting to play a girl who struggles greatly in order to achieve a higher purpose is very satisfying. It definitely inspired me to fight for my higher purpose. I can't believe that that my higher purpose is to remain sick forever.
I love stories. They're my favorite form of entertainment. I play video games for the story. I read books and graphic novels for the stories. I watch movies for the story. If it doesn't have a good story, I'm unlikely to care about it. So for me, finding these stories, no matter the medium they came in, was the best way for me to find inspiration and hope.
This inspiration and hope motivated me to stick carefully and diligently to my doctor's difficult regimen. It got me out the door and into the YMCA for work outs. It kept me away from temptations that I know will poison me, like too much chocolate. It got me to go out with friends every so often and pretend I was well. It got me to take on necessary house repair projects. It got me to work harder on being a good wife to my husband instead of a pile of skin and bones he felt obligated to care for. It got me to feel better. It's the reason I worked so hard on getting my life back, and I'm half-way there!
In the past month, the need for money is my newest source of inspiration. I've been trying to refocus my slightly higher levels of energy onto projects that will make money. I've graduated from resting in bed most of the time to actually being up and around the house most of the time, so it seems right that my entertainment graduates to a new level too. One of those projects has been looking for a job in town that won't make me sick. Another project has been starting a Zazzle shop. It's giving me the need to get back into drawing and designing, something I used to love to do. I don't have much up right now (one of my two designs was removed for being too similar to something copyrighted - oops!) I am, however, working on more and will build up my items for sale soon. Please support me by checking out my shop: http://www.zazzle.com/paper_constructions*
I encourage you to never give up. Please remember what you used to love to do, and find a way to involve yourself in those things. Find inspiration. Renew your vision of a good future for yourself. Give yourself purpose again. Don't remain a slave to your chronic illness. You CAN do this. Mental willpower and prayer (lots and lots of prayer!) are more powerful than any drug on the market. If I could work my way out of the hardest health slump of my life, you can too.
Finding inspiration to fight to get my life back was very important in my healing process. At first, when I finally collapsed from sickness last fall, nothing mattered. I was so deprived of energy that I couldn't think well enough to gain inspiration. The only things on my mind were: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, aching joints, and pain. Lots of pain, and no energy. All I had was raw willpower. It was all that got me out of bed to eat, go to the bathroom, and stay alive.
My first wave of inspiration came from my parents when they invited me out to to their state to see a doctor who came highly recommended by a friend who suffered similar issues to me. Someone else had recovered from fibromyalgia and was able to work a full-time job? This doctor actually understands fibromyalgia and successfully treated someone? The hope this gave me helped me get on a plane and travel - I didn't know I had it in me to travel. After meeting the doctor, I was even more hopeful. Being a naturopathic doctor, he treats differently from conventional western medicine. His regimen for me didn't include drugs, but did include a lot of effort on my part. I was willing to take the challenge. I had hope, and I was very inspired by my parent's friend who got better.
After a few months of the regimen, I was feeling better enough to start enjoying myself, even when I was too lazy to move. I couldn't manage to read books - that took too much brain power. I would read a sentence over and over before I finally was able to form the image in my head - if an image came at all. I decided to try something much more simple: graphic novels. I found many of them were still way too heavy, so I went even more simple: manga. As a kid, I was obsessed with Sailor Moon - the cartoon. I loved it to no end. I never had the chance to read much of the manga it was based on, though. Coincidentally, the manga series was being re-released with a new translation that same month that I was looking for a manga to read. Inspiration! I got a hold of both box sets and dug in.
I found myself absorbing the story in Sailor Moon, easy as drinking a milkshake. It was easy to read, easy to follow, and highly enjoyable. For the first time in a long time (maybe a year?) I was really enjoying reading (and I've always been in love with books - you should see the library in our living room.) It could just be that I really wanted to read it. I was actually excited about something. It could also be that it was actually easy to read. Either way, I found a way to really enjoy myself while laying in bed in pain. Better yet, the story of Sailor Moon was inspiring. I could write a whole dissertation on the brilliance of the story (the children's anime was very loosely based on the original manga, which were not written for little kids as they contain mature subject matter - it's Harry Potter quality in that all ages can really dig into the rich vibrant story with lots of morals and messages.) In particular, I was inspired by one character: Hotaru. Her life was miserable - way worse than mine. Her house burned down and killed her mother. She was also almost killed, but her father made a deal with an evil entity in order to save their lives. Hotaru was turned into a cyborg in order to stay alive, though was in poor health all the time, and her father had to do this evil entity's will. Hotaru, though, had a greater purpose than to barely stay alive with the help of machines. She was a Sailor Soldier - a mythological goddess reborn on earth as a human in order to fulfill her soldier's mission. She had to find a way to fight the illness, break free of the machine, and save the world - essentially. Her spirit led the way to her recovery, and things eventually worked out - though there was a lot of pain and suffering first. I won't spoil. I needed a story like that. Fictional or not - super hero or not - it was inspiring. I too had a more important mission in life that I needed fulfill. I took my supplements, ate my diet, and continued to do my pathetic little work outs with a renewed sense of importance and vigor.
I found myself drawn to more manga stories with inspiring messages of hope and purpose. Within the past year, I've read and really enjoyed Legend of Basara, Vinland Saga, From Far Away, A Bride's Story, and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. Each of these stories were about characters who stepped up to take on a higher purpose, finding the wisdom, strength, and inspiration to succeed.
A few months ago, I attempted to read a novel again. No pictures to do the imagining for me - an actual novel with only words to tell the story. I picked up Donita K Paul's latest book, One Realm Beyond. I loved her other series, Dragon Keeper Chronicles. It was slow going at first, but I managed the first chapter. It was tiring to read - it really wore me out. I read the next chapter the next night. Eventually, after a few months, I did finish the whole book and LOVED it. It was a slow read, but I did read, and it was so worth it! I renewed my hope with this book!
In the mean time, I was also attempting to take on video games again. I've always been a big gamer. I'm a nerd, and I have no shame. There was no way I could handle action, platform, or any type of game that involved getting my adrenaline up. Anything with a timer was off-limits. I didn't have the energy, but I also didn't want to ruin all the work I've been doing to heal my adrenal glands. I pulled out my Nintendo DS and played Pokemon in bed. Great games, for the record. They let me rest while giving my brain something to work on. Recently, I decided to replay an old computer game of mine: The Longest Journey. It's an adventure game, meaning it operates under a "point-and-click" system. You can't die, nothing is timed, and the point is to work your way though a story by solving puzzles in order to move forward. Simple, but a great story line and a system that kept my brain working. This game also gave me a renewed sense of inspiration. The main character, April Ryan, is an 18-year-old girl art student at a college who is living paycheck-to-paycheck and doesn't know what to do with her life. She slowly uncovers that she has a special destiny to give up her life for 1,000 years in order to keep the balance of both worlds. Sounds cheesy when I put it that simply! Anyway, I had to navigate this young girl through a gigantic crisis of the worlds until she could fulfill her purpose in life. This girl, with seemingly no hope to make a good successful life for herself, ended up being a hero that the worlds praised through stories for the rest of history. Totally beyond the realm of my possibilities for my life - but getting to play a girl who struggles greatly in order to achieve a higher purpose is very satisfying. It definitely inspired me to fight for my higher purpose. I can't believe that that my higher purpose is to remain sick forever.
I love stories. They're my favorite form of entertainment. I play video games for the story. I read books and graphic novels for the stories. I watch movies for the story. If it doesn't have a good story, I'm unlikely to care about it. So for me, finding these stories, no matter the medium they came in, was the best way for me to find inspiration and hope.
This inspiration and hope motivated me to stick carefully and diligently to my doctor's difficult regimen. It got me out the door and into the YMCA for work outs. It kept me away from temptations that I know will poison me, like too much chocolate. It got me to go out with friends every so often and pretend I was well. It got me to take on necessary house repair projects. It got me to work harder on being a good wife to my husband instead of a pile of skin and bones he felt obligated to care for. It got me to feel better. It's the reason I worked so hard on getting my life back, and I'm half-way there!
In the past month, the need for money is my newest source of inspiration. I've been trying to refocus my slightly higher levels of energy onto projects that will make money. I've graduated from resting in bed most of the time to actually being up and around the house most of the time, so it seems right that my entertainment graduates to a new level too. One of those projects has been looking for a job in town that won't make me sick. Another project has been starting a Zazzle shop. It's giving me the need to get back into drawing and designing, something I used to love to do. I don't have much up right now (one of my two designs was removed for being too similar to something copyrighted - oops!) I am, however, working on more and will build up my items for sale soon. Please support me by checking out my shop: http://www.zazzle.com/paper_constructions*
I encourage you to never give up. Please remember what you used to love to do, and find a way to involve yourself in those things. Find inspiration. Renew your vision of a good future for yourself. Give yourself purpose again. Don't remain a slave to your chronic illness. You CAN do this. Mental willpower and prayer (lots and lots of prayer!) are more powerful than any drug on the market. If I could work my way out of the hardest health slump of my life, you can too.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Allergic to Winter?
Winter.
Winter had never been a major issue for me before last year. At the worst, it was cold, gave me bloody noses, and had a tenancy to bring on a fever or cold. Anyone who lives in a climate that snows goes through these normal winter woes. Winter was also fun for me, though. Once upon a time, I loved to sled, build snow forts, have snow ball fights, and make snow angels (I'm in the Guinness Book of World Records with a group of us that all made a snow angel on the Capitol lawn at the same time - we were photographed making the most snow angels at one time in history.) I even went snow boarding a few times and loved it! Living in Idaho, Oregon, and North Dakota always meant access to snow every winter.
So what happened? Well, 2012 was the first time winter brought physical pain and suffering with it. This was the first winter after moving from Idaho to North Dakota. Keep in mind that North Dakota's winters are horrid, whereas winter in Boise, ID (valley in southern Idaho) were fairly mild because it was in a desert. Most of Idaho's famous snow is in the mountains and up north. Boise got some snow, but rarely got below 20º F. Bismarck, ND gets more snow than is manageable and often gets below 0º. I have experienced -46º F here (actual - not windchill!) The year before last, we got 2 feet of snow in one day in April. It was impossible to drive to work, so they were forced to give a snow day (snow days don't normally exist in ND because everyone here is so used to snow.) My point is that North Dakota is a harsh, rough, dangerous place to live in the winter. There is a reason why North Dakotans that receive special honors are called, "Rough Riders," (other than the involvement of Theodore Roosevelt, of course.) If I were to develop inflammation, arthritis, and firbomyalgia problems anywhere in the country, North Dakota is not the best place.
Having winter pain last year made sense. I was just diagnosed with firbomyalgia, and the arthritis in my wrist was reconfirmed. It made sense that winter caused my bones to ache horribly, muscles to cramp harshly, and joints to swell and throb. I always felt the coming storms in my bones, because I would start to get inflamed and ache as the barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity levels changed. I was 25-26 years old, and I was experiencing what "old people" experience. I'm not stereotyping here - most people think that only "old people" get arthritis, which is their sixth sense - the one that predicts the weather.
But... this winter has been pretty similar. I'm a little surprised! Over the past year I've reduced my inflammation substantially. I rid my body of firbomyalgia pain (it's been 8-9 months since experiencing a firbo flare.) Arthritis hasn't been an issue (though in the past two months my wrist has been acting up, but mainly due to a poorly located ganglion as well as too much repetitive motion- I think.) So really, is there any reason why winter would still hurt my body the way it did last year? Evidently, yes. There is some reason, because I can still predict the weather with my bones this winter. The pain is half as bad as it was last year, at least, and the pain generally only affects me in the morning. Most days for the past week and half, since the cold weather settled in and the first snow fall came, I've been waking up very stiff with throbbing, aching, tender bones and muscles. I'm also starting to wake up fatigued again. Not tired, fatigued. I do feel like I've slept enough, but I also feel too little energy to move my aching body out of bed. Once I do get up, move around, take my morning supplements, cook and eat breakfast, drink a hot cup of tea, and move around some more the pain tends to subside. This process tends to take until noon - sometimes 1 or 2 in the afternoon, though. In the past few days, the worst I've felt in the afternoon has been pressure on my muscles. It's as though someone is poking me with their finger as hard as they can in one spot, usually on my shins. The pain goes away on its own after a while, but I'm not sure what's causing it or how to prevent it.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, about winter is the light. This is possibly a S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or an MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) issue - or both! Thankfully, North Dakota winters are actually pretty sunny. There are no mountains here, so the wind is constantly blowing, which keeps the sky clear when it isn't snowing. The problem, however, is that the days are short. I'm able to light most of my house with only sunlight until about 4-5 pm, and then I need artificial light of some sort. For whatever reason, artificial light really bothers me. A lot! I can put up with it in bathrooms. I can deal with the ceiling light in the bedroom for the short time I need it. I can even put up with the light in the kitchen, as irritating as it is, for the couple hours I usually need it the evenings. What I can't deal with is the light in my home office. All of the lights I'm referring to are incandescent, NOT florescent. They are the "safe" lights that shouldn't affect people with MCS, right? We do have a couple florescent lights in our home, such as in our entry way, but I hardly spend any time there so I don't notice how they affect me. Anyway, the office ceiling light is very grating on me. I hate it. It causes me to feel like I'm in an artificial work place prison, where the fake light is too bright and causes my mood to plummet and my will to work to diminish. It's possible that the problem is that the light bulbs are too high of a wattage. It's also possible that the type of light they emit is poor quality (maybe the kelvins - color temperature - are too low?) It's also possible that I have an aversion to light bulbs and the office lights bother me the most because I spend most of my time in the office with natural sun light, not the ceiling light. Regardless of the problem, I'm about to run an experiment. I ordered full spectrum light bulbs (highest kevlin light) from Amazon, and once they arrive I plan to install them and see if I tolerate the ceiling light in the evening. The thing is... and those of you with MCS may think I'm crazy for this... I ordered a florescent version. Yes, the kind with mercury. The kind that tend to cause MCS reactions. I, personally, have yet to confirm that fluorescent cause problems for me. I believe they're terrible for the planet, and I'm pretty fearful of the mercury content in them, but sometimes I just gotta do what I gotta do, right? The reason I chose these bulbs wasn't because they're fluorescent. It was because they had the highest rating at the most affordable price. ;) If, however, I have an adverse reaction to them, I'll buy the full spectrum incandescent ones, which are way more expensive. (I ordered these ones: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089MIH8I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I have yet to get a work-out in today. I think shoveling the fresh layer of snow is going to count for it today.Tuesday, November 11, 2014
My Back Story on Food and Diet in My Life
I've been struggling with how to delve into the topic of diet. As I've said a few times on this blog, it's a major subject in my life. It needs a good introduction, because it's really just that huge of an issue in my life. The trouble is, I'm not a doctor or nutritionist. I've learned that every person is very unique, and a diet that works well for one person may work poorly for another. There are facts that are true for everyone, but the details are where we all differ.
There are a few angles I could take on introducing diet on this blog, but I think I'll introduce it through the lens of chronic illnesses. Generally speaking, I believe most people that read this blog probably are here searching for answers about health concerns.
5 years ago, if you would have asked me if I believed I would ever develop a chronic illness, I would have said "not likely." If you would have asked me why, I would have said, "because I eat a clean, organic diet. I'm careful about what I put into my body. I'm investing in my health. It's all the food additives that make us sick, right?" I know a lot of people who would have given the same answer. Well, here I am today, fighting chronic illness, even after that clean, organic diet I ate.
I'll back up a bit. I was born allergic to about 10 different foods. My parents have told me all sorts of stories about how difficult it was to care for me as a baby because they didn't know how to feed me. They eventually found a formula without my allergens, and then thankfully I slowly outgrew most of the allergies as I got older. Eventually I was only allergic to wheat and corn, and then by 4th grade I appeared to only be allergic to corn. (In recent years, however, that wheat allergy has made a come-back.) This corn allergy resulted in many painful hives, rashes, heart palpation, fevers, gut aches, severe anger issues, and more. The problem with corn is that it is in almost everything. I grew up learning to read food labels, being very careful and selective in restaurants (avoiding many restaurants too,) saying "no" to any food I wasn't sure of, and saying "no" to food that friends insisted was corn-free (because they often don't know all the different names for corn on food labels.) I grew up being used to bringing my own food with me, knowing I couldn't rely on others to feed me safely. To me, reading food labels is normal - it's second-nature. I never buy a single product without reading the ingredients first, even if I've bought the item before (because companies change their ingredients every so often.)
I was introduced to the world of organic food when I was a young teenager. My mom found it harder and harder to find food that was safe for me (other than meat and vegetables - but I'll get into the problem of corn in meat later,) so she tried searching in local food co-ops. We quickly found that organic and natural brands had less corn overall, mainly because they don't use high fructose corn syrup. As I grew older and more independent, I started buying my own lunches and snacks at the local food co-op, because it was organic and safe. The older I got, the more of a habit only buying organic food became. I knew that I felt better when I ate organic, but I also did a lot of research into why organic was a better option. I learned about toxins in food, how dyes cause brain and reproductive dysfunction, why corn syrup (which wasn't proven safe) was in everything, the danger of GMOs, and more. I was quickly converted to eating strictly organic... except for the treat of getting to eat out. I considered it my "cheat time." My husband knew this about me when he married me, but I think he was in a for a shock when he found out what it actually meant to buy only organic foods all the time - ha!
So, how it is, you ask, that after a lifetime of reading food labels and avoiding all forms of corn and food additives that I managed to get chronically ill? Shouldn't I be really healthy since I haven't been poisoning my body like most people in America? Well, there were signs that my diet wasn't working for me, such as the fact that my weight increased to almost 180 pounds despite plenty of physical exercise, drinking my healthy kobmucha drinks, never drinking soda, and all those good things. (I'm 5'5", so this was very overweight.) Heck, I was even dairy and gluten-free - so should I have been losing weight? The question I'm asking myself now is, "Would I have been way more sick than I was if I wasn't eating carefully all along?"
Last year, I learned many valuable lessons about food, with the help of my naturopath (who is a huge blessing to me.) First of all, I was eating tons of foods that my body isn't capable of tolerating. Organic or not, I can't digest them well. Second of all, I can't handle sugar - sugar is a strong poison to me, and I used to eat more of it than I realized. Third of all, I was eating lots of grains, which I now know cause all sorts of horrible problems for me, such as inflammation, irritable bowel, leaky gut, and more. Fourth of all, I found out that I wasn't eating enough of what my particular body requires to stay strong and healthy. I learned a whole lot more, but these are the highlights.
I did lose about 20 pounds of weight before seeing my naturopath, but struggled to lose any more than that. I was still overweight. After very carefully following my naturopath's tailored-to-me diet, I lost an additional 30 pounds. I'm down to around 130 pounds, which is a healthy, normal weight. Weight loss wasn't my goal, though. My goal was to get my life back - I wanted my health back! Thankfully, I have been reclaiming my health in the past year since starting treatments with him. I no longer suffer arthritis, major inflammation issues, or fibromyalgia. I have a lot less brain fog and more energy.
Again, this is just a general overview - an introduction. I'll write about details in future posts.
In conclusion...
Diet is an exceptionally important part of our health. Just because you eat organic doesn't mean you eat healthy, in fact you could still be eating too much trans fat and sugar. Just because you're a vegan doesn't mean you're eating right for your body and your specific needs, in fact you could be hurting yourself more than you realize. Just because you eat Paleo doesn't mean you're avoiding enough foods, in fact you could still be eating foods that cause health issues for you. You need to learn your body and your needs, and eat only according to what your body needs, not how diet fads tell you to.
Most importantly - stay positive! Dietary changes aren't a "loss." They're an opportunity to feel better so you can experience life more fully and joyfully! Diets aren't "limiting," they're actually opening you up to a world in which you can fully function and feel great. As I talk about food, never assume I'm complaining. I'm actually extremely grateful for my food allergies, because they prepared me for making the lifestyle change I needed to when it came to food. The danger of modern food is a scary topic in most situations these days, but for me the topic of food is a joyful one, because finding the right food for me in this toxic society has changed my life for the better.
P.S.: Want to hear a funny story? One time, when I was a teenager, I was at a sleep-over party with friends. One friend asked if I could eat popcorn. When I said no, she asked, "Why not? Does it have corn in it?" I said, "read the ingredients, you'll see." The first ingredient was corn, and she said, "Ohhhhhhhhh..... duh!" I forgave her and we laughed it off.
This is one of many examples of why I don't trust other people to make food for me. :)
There are a few angles I could take on introducing diet on this blog, but I think I'll introduce it through the lens of chronic illnesses. Generally speaking, I believe most people that read this blog probably are here searching for answers about health concerns.
5 years ago, if you would have asked me if I believed I would ever develop a chronic illness, I would have said "not likely." If you would have asked me why, I would have said, "because I eat a clean, organic diet. I'm careful about what I put into my body. I'm investing in my health. It's all the food additives that make us sick, right?" I know a lot of people who would have given the same answer. Well, here I am today, fighting chronic illness, even after that clean, organic diet I ate.
I'll back up a bit. I was born allergic to about 10 different foods. My parents have told me all sorts of stories about how difficult it was to care for me as a baby because they didn't know how to feed me. They eventually found a formula without my allergens, and then thankfully I slowly outgrew most of the allergies as I got older. Eventually I was only allergic to wheat and corn, and then by 4th grade I appeared to only be allergic to corn. (In recent years, however, that wheat allergy has made a come-back.) This corn allergy resulted in many painful hives, rashes, heart palpation, fevers, gut aches, severe anger issues, and more. The problem with corn is that it is in almost everything. I grew up learning to read food labels, being very careful and selective in restaurants (avoiding many restaurants too,) saying "no" to any food I wasn't sure of, and saying "no" to food that friends insisted was corn-free (because they often don't know all the different names for corn on food labels.) I grew up being used to bringing my own food with me, knowing I couldn't rely on others to feed me safely. To me, reading food labels is normal - it's second-nature. I never buy a single product without reading the ingredients first, even if I've bought the item before (because companies change their ingredients every so often.)
I was introduced to the world of organic food when I was a young teenager. My mom found it harder and harder to find food that was safe for me (other than meat and vegetables - but I'll get into the problem of corn in meat later,) so she tried searching in local food co-ops. We quickly found that organic and natural brands had less corn overall, mainly because they don't use high fructose corn syrup. As I grew older and more independent, I started buying my own lunches and snacks at the local food co-op, because it was organic and safe. The older I got, the more of a habit only buying organic food became. I knew that I felt better when I ate organic, but I also did a lot of research into why organic was a better option. I learned about toxins in food, how dyes cause brain and reproductive dysfunction, why corn syrup (which wasn't proven safe) was in everything, the danger of GMOs, and more. I was quickly converted to eating strictly organic... except for the treat of getting to eat out. I considered it my "cheat time." My husband knew this about me when he married me, but I think he was in a for a shock when he found out what it actually meant to buy only organic foods all the time - ha!
So, how it is, you ask, that after a lifetime of reading food labels and avoiding all forms of corn and food additives that I managed to get chronically ill? Shouldn't I be really healthy since I haven't been poisoning my body like most people in America? Well, there were signs that my diet wasn't working for me, such as the fact that my weight increased to almost 180 pounds despite plenty of physical exercise, drinking my healthy kobmucha drinks, never drinking soda, and all those good things. (I'm 5'5", so this was very overweight.) Heck, I was even dairy and gluten-free - so should I have been losing weight? The question I'm asking myself now is, "Would I have been way more sick than I was if I wasn't eating carefully all along?"
Last year, I learned many valuable lessons about food, with the help of my naturopath (who is a huge blessing to me.) First of all, I was eating tons of foods that my body isn't capable of tolerating. Organic or not, I can't digest them well. Second of all, I can't handle sugar - sugar is a strong poison to me, and I used to eat more of it than I realized. Third of all, I was eating lots of grains, which I now know cause all sorts of horrible problems for me, such as inflammation, irritable bowel, leaky gut, and more. Fourth of all, I found out that I wasn't eating enough of what my particular body requires to stay strong and healthy. I learned a whole lot more, but these are the highlights.
I did lose about 20 pounds of weight before seeing my naturopath, but struggled to lose any more than that. I was still overweight. After very carefully following my naturopath's tailored-to-me diet, I lost an additional 30 pounds. I'm down to around 130 pounds, which is a healthy, normal weight. Weight loss wasn't my goal, though. My goal was to get my life back - I wanted my health back! Thankfully, I have been reclaiming my health in the past year since starting treatments with him. I no longer suffer arthritis, major inflammation issues, or fibromyalgia. I have a lot less brain fog and more energy.
Again, this is just a general overview - an introduction. I'll write about details in future posts.
In conclusion...
Diet is an exceptionally important part of our health. Just because you eat organic doesn't mean you eat healthy, in fact you could still be eating too much trans fat and sugar. Just because you're a vegan doesn't mean you're eating right for your body and your specific needs, in fact you could be hurting yourself more than you realize. Just because you eat Paleo doesn't mean you're avoiding enough foods, in fact you could still be eating foods that cause health issues for you. You need to learn your body and your needs, and eat only according to what your body needs, not how diet fads tell you to.
Most importantly - stay positive! Dietary changes aren't a "loss." They're an opportunity to feel better so you can experience life more fully and joyfully! Diets aren't "limiting," they're actually opening you up to a world in which you can fully function and feel great. As I talk about food, never assume I'm complaining. I'm actually extremely grateful for my food allergies, because they prepared me for making the lifestyle change I needed to when it came to food. The danger of modern food is a scary topic in most situations these days, but for me the topic of food is a joyful one, because finding the right food for me in this toxic society has changed my life for the better.
P.S.: Want to hear a funny story? One time, when I was a teenager, I was at a sleep-over party with friends. One friend asked if I could eat popcorn. When I said no, she asked, "Why not? Does it have corn in it?" I said, "read the ingredients, you'll see." The first ingredient was corn, and she said, "Ohhhhhhhhh..... duh!" I forgave her and we laughed it off.
This is one of many examples of why I don't trust other people to make food for me. :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
How do I make money while suffering medical issues?
The past 2 1/2 years have been a rough, long, and unfortunate journey for me. We moved from Idaho to North Dakota 2 1/2 years ago, because my husband was offered a great job and we had a very affordable place to move in to here. The move was extremely stressful on me - I never had so much anxiety in my life! I needed several months to relax and recover before I found a job and started working. I was exhausted from working 50 hrs a week between two hard jobs in Idaho, and the move took every ounce of energy I had left. When I finally took a job, it was an oddly relaxing job. I worked as a church secretary for 30 hours a week. Back then I knew I didn't have it in me to work full time, so the lighter hours appealed to me. The job was not stressful in the least. I enjoyed creating the weekly bulletins, registering new members into the church, working with all the Faith Formation students, creating posters... it was not a draining job by any means. I liked it, and I loved that I was working for the church. Despite this, my health steadily became worse and worse while working there. At first I was just tired all the time, making all sorts of stupid mistakes and stumbling over my words. Then both of my hands, one after the other, swelled up and became unusable. Then I started to get the general feeling of being "unwell," and shortly after that I started to feel unwell every day, all the time. Eventually, I could hardly stay awake in the mornings at my job. My brain fog was so extreme that I couldn't remember the names of regular visitors. I couldn't look people in the eye when talking to them because I was too tired to keep focus. I kept working, even though I kept growing worse. I had been seeing all sorts of doctors in town, racking up some absurdly expensive medical bills (and received no help from them.) After flying out to see my naturopathic doctor for the first time and finally gaining answers and hope, I came home and quit my job. The regime he put me on needed full-time dedication, and I needed a lot of rest too. It's been a year, almost to the day, since I quit. I've been willingly unemployed every since, allowing my body to heal.
I'm doing a lot better now, but I'm not healthy. I have a ways to go. I'm better enough that I feel I can manage working 10-15 hours a week, for now, to help bring in income to pay our bills. And so, I'm currently in the process of looking for ways to make money. This is a challenging process. I have no lack of jobs to choose from here in ND - there are way more jobs than workers! I could have any job I wanted if I were healthy. My health is the challenge.
At first, I thought I should take my old job back at the natural foods department in the local grocery store. I worked there for 2 years about 7 years ago, so the learning curve would be minimal and the work would be simple enough. I figured it would be a good fit for me. My only concern was MCS reactions, because the store isn't that clean. I thought that a dirty environment would be a lot safer than a clean environment where toxic chemicals are regularly sprayed. Well, that plan got shot down, quickly. I waited a week too long to offer myself to the job. They hired a full time person the week before, which is what they really wanted anyway. Dang!!
So what was next? My husband is a piano teacher, and he told me his student's mom was asking for help at her store. One thing led to another, and I decided to attempt working in her store. It was a bridal store, which intrigued me. I should not have accepted the job at the interview, though. I was feeling a bit sick just being in the store for that hour. She had Air Wick fragrances plugged into many outlets around the store, which caused me to react the moment I walked in, like a brick wall. I didn't understand how sever my sensitivity was, though. I thought that if that was the worst I'd react, maybe I could tolerate the job for 15 hours a week. The job was appealing because of the relaxed, slow atmosphere, and I thought it would be worth minor reactions if it meant the job would otherwise work well for me based on my other medical issues. After 4 hours of my first day of work, I had to quit. I was in serious pain. I had no idea I would react that harshly. At first my heart was palpating, then I had burning eyes and throat, then I felt a bit nauseous, then the fatigue was taking over, and then I lost all focus. Brain fog. After I got home, I started to feel the old fibromyalgia type pain: muscle cramping, electrical-like pain flowing through my muscles, dull aching, and tenderness. This was a week and two days ago. I'm still recovering.
I now know that I have to be very picky about where I work. There is one store in town that I think would work from an MCS point of view, but I have the feeling it may not work for other reasons. The idea of applying there is simmering on the back burner. It may be my back-up plan. So I've been monitoring job postings this week, keeping my eyes open for something that may work well for me.
Yesterday I applied for a job that sounds perfect for me in every way except from an MCS viewpoint. I thought, however, that it would be easy to make reasonable accommodations for me. The job would be administering tests on computers. I'd check test-takers in, answer their questions, and make sure they don't cheat. I would also do the basic cleaning as no janitors are hired. That, to me, sounded perfect. If I can have a say in the types of cleaners used, then I could use non-toxic products that would be safe for me! Perfect fit, right? Besides, the pay and the hours are great. Definitely very interested. I just had a phone interview for the job, and I was very open and honest about my MCS trouble. I thought I sold myself very well, because I have quality experience in administering tests and I can be very quite for hours with ease, but the the interviewer kept saying, "I don't think this will work for you." She explained that the company cannot change out the types of cleaners they use. The company buys cleaners in bulk, then distributes them to all the branches around the country. They will make no change for one employee. I even offered to bring in my own cleaners, but she said they may not be approved. She did, however, promise to ask around and see if it's possible for me to use my own cleaners, and she will call call me back later this week with an answer. I have hope that they're willing to work with me - afterall, Bismarck is lacking workers, right?
This was a great learning experience for me, even if I don't get offered the job. I now have a better idea of how hard it may be for a company to make reasonable accommodations for me. In some situations, yes, employers legally have to make reasonable accommodations for employees. I need to be an employee first.
I should probably try to make money online. I have a few ideas for how, and I'm pretty sure they would do well. The first problem is that making online income requires a ton of work. More work than I have the energy for. The other problem is that it always takes a long time before making any money from any online business. It could take months, or longer! If I could find the right job in town, it would not only be easier, but I could potentially make more money more quickly.
So where do I go from here? Maybe I should go apply at that one place that's simmering on the back burner. It might be worth being in an MCS trigger-free environment, even if the other aspects of the job could be slightly troublesome.
I'm open to suggestions or tips! If I do find a job that works well for me, I'll be sure to report it in hope that I help others with MCS who need to make money.
I'm doing a lot better now, but I'm not healthy. I have a ways to go. I'm better enough that I feel I can manage working 10-15 hours a week, for now, to help bring in income to pay our bills. And so, I'm currently in the process of looking for ways to make money. This is a challenging process. I have no lack of jobs to choose from here in ND - there are way more jobs than workers! I could have any job I wanted if I were healthy. My health is the challenge.
At first, I thought I should take my old job back at the natural foods department in the local grocery store. I worked there for 2 years about 7 years ago, so the learning curve would be minimal and the work would be simple enough. I figured it would be a good fit for me. My only concern was MCS reactions, because the store isn't that clean. I thought that a dirty environment would be a lot safer than a clean environment where toxic chemicals are regularly sprayed. Well, that plan got shot down, quickly. I waited a week too long to offer myself to the job. They hired a full time person the week before, which is what they really wanted anyway. Dang!!
So what was next? My husband is a piano teacher, and he told me his student's mom was asking for help at her store. One thing led to another, and I decided to attempt working in her store. It was a bridal store, which intrigued me. I should not have accepted the job at the interview, though. I was feeling a bit sick just being in the store for that hour. She had Air Wick fragrances plugged into many outlets around the store, which caused me to react the moment I walked in, like a brick wall. I didn't understand how sever my sensitivity was, though. I thought that if that was the worst I'd react, maybe I could tolerate the job for 15 hours a week. The job was appealing because of the relaxed, slow atmosphere, and I thought it would be worth minor reactions if it meant the job would otherwise work well for me based on my other medical issues. After 4 hours of my first day of work, I had to quit. I was in serious pain. I had no idea I would react that harshly. At first my heart was palpating, then I had burning eyes and throat, then I felt a bit nauseous, then the fatigue was taking over, and then I lost all focus. Brain fog. After I got home, I started to feel the old fibromyalgia type pain: muscle cramping, electrical-like pain flowing through my muscles, dull aching, and tenderness. This was a week and two days ago. I'm still recovering.
I now know that I have to be very picky about where I work. There is one store in town that I think would work from an MCS point of view, but I have the feeling it may not work for other reasons. The idea of applying there is simmering on the back burner. It may be my back-up plan. So I've been monitoring job postings this week, keeping my eyes open for something that may work well for me.
Yesterday I applied for a job that sounds perfect for me in every way except from an MCS viewpoint. I thought, however, that it would be easy to make reasonable accommodations for me. The job would be administering tests on computers. I'd check test-takers in, answer their questions, and make sure they don't cheat. I would also do the basic cleaning as no janitors are hired. That, to me, sounded perfect. If I can have a say in the types of cleaners used, then I could use non-toxic products that would be safe for me! Perfect fit, right? Besides, the pay and the hours are great. Definitely very interested. I just had a phone interview for the job, and I was very open and honest about my MCS trouble. I thought I sold myself very well, because I have quality experience in administering tests and I can be very quite for hours with ease, but the the interviewer kept saying, "I don't think this will work for you." She explained that the company cannot change out the types of cleaners they use. The company buys cleaners in bulk, then distributes them to all the branches around the country. They will make no change for one employee. I even offered to bring in my own cleaners, but she said they may not be approved. She did, however, promise to ask around and see if it's possible for me to use my own cleaners, and she will call call me back later this week with an answer. I have hope that they're willing to work with me - afterall, Bismarck is lacking workers, right?
This was a great learning experience for me, even if I don't get offered the job. I now have a better idea of how hard it may be for a company to make reasonable accommodations for me. In some situations, yes, employers legally have to make reasonable accommodations for employees. I need to be an employee first.
I should probably try to make money online. I have a few ideas for how, and I'm pretty sure they would do well. The first problem is that making online income requires a ton of work. More work than I have the energy for. The other problem is that it always takes a long time before making any money from any online business. It could take months, or longer! If I could find the right job in town, it would not only be easier, but I could potentially make more money more quickly.
So where do I go from here? Maybe I should go apply at that one place that's simmering on the back burner. It might be worth being in an MCS trigger-free environment, even if the other aspects of the job could be slightly troublesome.
I'm open to suggestions or tips! If I do find a job that works well for me, I'll be sure to report it in hope that I help others with MCS who need to make money.