I'm not a typically a big fan of making New Years resolutions. They're usually overly positive and optimistic, but not practical or meaningful. They tend to cause us to guilt trip ourselves, and then later we beat ourselves up for failing. Most people fail at keeping New Years resolutions to some degree. I haven't made any in the past few years because I always have a goal of trying to better myself, no matter the time of year. This year, however, the beginning of the year lines up with my body's improving health. It's actually a good time for me to adopt new habits now that I have a bit more energy and mental clarity. So, what are my resolutions?
1. Make exercise a bigger priority. My doctor wants me doing 45 minutes of cardio a day. This past year I did work out regularly, but not consistently and not as hard as I needed to. I normally got at least 10 minutes of cardio in a day, on top of doing chores/ moving around purposefully. I rarely ever worked out for more than 30 minutes at a time - I rarely had the strength. While this was way better than in past years (where I had no exercise routine,) I need to try and do better, especially since I do have more energy and strength now. Small steps. I want to turn that "at least 10 minutes" into "at least 15 minutes," and I want to aim for 30-45 minute work out sessions at least twice a week (I will use my YMCA membership to ensure this.)
2. I want to make money. Somehow, someway. I want to financially contribute to our household again. I have been pursuing job opportunities in the past couple of months, but so far nothing has worked out because I either get sick inside the business (MCS issues,) or the stores that I seem to do well in are not hiring. I will not, however, take a job at a place that will make me sick. It isn't worth making a bit of money at the cost of my heath, which I've been working so very hard on repairing during the past year. (On this note - no, I have not abandoned my Zazzle shop. I will start working on it again in January. This month has been too distracting, and Zazzle isn't profitable enough to make a priority.)
3. Try to reduce our food budget without compromising the quality of the food we eat. This is a major challenge in North Dakota. It's difficult to grow food here because the weather makes for poor growing conditions during the majority of the year (unless you grow grains.) While I won't expect to be able to grow enough of my own food, there is another way to reduce our food budget, and we've already started. We bought half of a grass-fed local cow! My goal is to buy my meat directly from the ranchers from now on, because the price per pound of the beef is half that of grass-fed meat at the grocery store. I want to buy turkey, lamb, and chicken next.
4. As I need new clothes over the next year, I want to only purchase natural clothing. This is part of my goal to create the least toxic environment I can. I want to eventually (this will take years) have a wardrobe of only organic cotton, linen, hemp, wool, and real bamboo (not rayon.) My hope is that all these clothes will be free from additives of flame retardants and stiffeners, but my budget won't allow me to only buy from companies that promise no chemical additives (they're expensive!)
Small, obtainable goals, right? I think I can do these. I don't want 2015 to be a repeat of 2014, in which I spent the entire year (I'm not exaggerating here) focusing on healing. At the end of last year year I was hardly alive at all - I was horribly sick. I would say there were days where I was only 10% alive. Maybe even less. I would say I'm about 60% alive, on average, these days. I'm no longer a zombie. I feel human most days now, though a tired and weak human. I think it's time to start acting like a human again and try to rejoin society, even if just a little. I'm pretty sure I have the strength and energy to do it, as long as I don't push myself.
So, here's to a new year! Welcome, 2015!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Flu
On December 3rd, the CDC issued a warning that the 2014-2015 flu vaccine is less effective due to drifted influenza A viruses (in other words, the CDC isn't promising that this year's flu shot will work.) This may come as a shock to many people who rely on the flu vaccine to prevent the flu. Despite this warning, is it still worth getting the flu shot? Many sources still say yes, claiming that the flu shot will make any flu you get more mild.
Why rely on a shot that probably won't protect you from getting the flu, no matter how mild? Does the flu shot even work? Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. explains why it's innefective. This study also explains that "Vaccination shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalisation."
While I normally try to link to scholarly articles and studies, this article also makes a great case against the CDC for not documenting actual results of the flu shot. This is another case against the flu shot by Dr. Mercola.
But, the flu shot still has a chance of working, so it's better than nothing, right? I disagree. The flu shot is full of toxins. The CDC actually lists the ingredients in a flu shot. They're not hiding the fact that there are known toxins in it.
Formaldehyde is in the flu shot. The EPA does a great job of listing the known toxic effects of formaldehyde.
There's also the danger of the other preservatives and heavy metals in the flu shot. Rather than explaining all of this, read this. It's overly sensationalized, which is normally a turn-off for me, but it contains a lot of research all on the same page.
My intention for this blog wasn't to re-research the flu shot. Plenty of other people have already done that. My intention is to share my experience with the flu.
I can only remember having the flu once in my life. That one case was H1N1, and I got it while working at a movie theater during a particularly busy weekend, where I helped to serve more than a thousand customers in my shift. I should note that I got sick very often in my child hood. I was often told I had the flu, but we called every sickness "the flu." I rarely vomited, had the shakes, or the other symptoms associated with the flu. I normally was sick with high fevers, headaches, sinus infections, and seasonal allergies. I also got sick easily from certain objects, like gray crayons, which I now know is part of MCS. More importantly, since my early teenage years I've never had the flu shot. I don't remember if I got the flu shot when I was younger - I assume my schools required it, but I don't remember getting it.
So how is it that I've only had the flu once and I've never had the flu shot? Part of the explanation is going to be guessing, but I'll get into known facts too.
1. I've been allergic to corn my whole life, meaning I've always avoided High Fructose Corn Syrup. This means that I've eaten less sugar than the average person, because I often couldn't eat the pre-packaged foods that most people regularly ate. I also could eat out very easily, so I had to be careful. I ordered salads with oil and vinegar as a dressing, or meat without the marinade with a size of vegetables. I occasionally would get pizza from a local business that read all the ingredients they used to make sure they didn't use any corn. Don't get me wrong, I did eat sugar, but I did not eat it with most of my meals like the average American does (because HFCS is in almost everything.) Read ingredients if you don't believe me. Sugar is an immune system suppressant. It also feeds infections, promotes the growth of yeast in our bodies, and causes our bodies to become very acidic. This single article says enough for the purpose of this blog on how sugar affects whole body health.
2. I've spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid, getting a lot of sunshine. I grew up in Idaho and Oregon, meaning all year round I had access to amazing outdoorsy things to do. I was in girl scouts, soccer, sailing camp, track, and more sports. I also just spent a ton of time on the ocean and went for plenty of bike rides and walks. I got plenty of sun. In my adult years, I've spent less time outside, but I have started taking vitamin D regularly at the request of my chiropractor. Vitamin D is known to prevent the flu. The sun is the best source of vitamin D, and the sun is known to boost immunity.
3. I've been getting chiropractic adjustments regularly for about 6 six years. The trouble with offering a source for how chiropractic adjustments help fight the flu is that most sources are written by chiropractors, well researched or not. I have personally had so much benefit from chiropractic care, that it doesn't surprise me at all that it helps prevent the flu because of what it does for the body. Remember, chiropractors are nervous system doctors, not bone doctors. They manipulate bones in order to free nerves so they can do their jobs. When the nervous system is working well because nerves aren't blocked or pinched, the body can respond well to invasion or harm. I'm going to link you to a chiropractic article anyway.
In conclusion, I hope that my perspective at least raises awareness of how the flu shot is not a guaranteed to prevent you from getting the flu. I hope that my perspective helps raise awareness of the fact that our bodies have a great natural defense system that needs to be nurtured in order to work effectively. If you're afraid of the flu, I highly recommend working on boosting your own immune system by avoiding sugar, getting enough vitamin D, and even going to a chiropractor regularly.
Why rely on a shot that probably won't protect you from getting the flu, no matter how mild? Does the flu shot even work? Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. explains why it's innefective. This study also explains that "Vaccination shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalisation."
While I normally try to link to scholarly articles and studies, this article also makes a great case against the CDC for not documenting actual results of the flu shot. This is another case against the flu shot by Dr. Mercola.
But, the flu shot still has a chance of working, so it's better than nothing, right? I disagree. The flu shot is full of toxins. The CDC actually lists the ingredients in a flu shot. They're not hiding the fact that there are known toxins in it.
Formaldehyde is in the flu shot. The EPA does a great job of listing the known toxic effects of formaldehyde.
Thimerosal is a type of mercury. The FDA recognizes that it does cause many people to have allergic reactions, but also claims that it's a different type of mercury than the known toxic kind (the kind found in ocean fish.) However, there are still many studies out there about the harmful effects of thimersal.
There's also the danger of the other preservatives and heavy metals in the flu shot. Rather than explaining all of this, read this. It's overly sensationalized, which is normally a turn-off for me, but it contains a lot of research all on the same page.
My intention for this blog wasn't to re-research the flu shot. Plenty of other people have already done that. My intention is to share my experience with the flu.
I can only remember having the flu once in my life. That one case was H1N1, and I got it while working at a movie theater during a particularly busy weekend, where I helped to serve more than a thousand customers in my shift. I should note that I got sick very often in my child hood. I was often told I had the flu, but we called every sickness "the flu." I rarely vomited, had the shakes, or the other symptoms associated with the flu. I normally was sick with high fevers, headaches, sinus infections, and seasonal allergies. I also got sick easily from certain objects, like gray crayons, which I now know is part of MCS. More importantly, since my early teenage years I've never had the flu shot. I don't remember if I got the flu shot when I was younger - I assume my schools required it, but I don't remember getting it.
So how is it that I've only had the flu once and I've never had the flu shot? Part of the explanation is going to be guessing, but I'll get into known facts too.
1. I've been allergic to corn my whole life, meaning I've always avoided High Fructose Corn Syrup. This means that I've eaten less sugar than the average person, because I often couldn't eat the pre-packaged foods that most people regularly ate. I also could eat out very easily, so I had to be careful. I ordered salads with oil and vinegar as a dressing, or meat without the marinade with a size of vegetables. I occasionally would get pizza from a local business that read all the ingredients they used to make sure they didn't use any corn. Don't get me wrong, I did eat sugar, but I did not eat it with most of my meals like the average American does (because HFCS is in almost everything.) Read ingredients if you don't believe me. Sugar is an immune system suppressant. It also feeds infections, promotes the growth of yeast in our bodies, and causes our bodies to become very acidic. This single article says enough for the purpose of this blog on how sugar affects whole body health.
2. I've spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid, getting a lot of sunshine. I grew up in Idaho and Oregon, meaning all year round I had access to amazing outdoorsy things to do. I was in girl scouts, soccer, sailing camp, track, and more sports. I also just spent a ton of time on the ocean and went for plenty of bike rides and walks. I got plenty of sun. In my adult years, I've spent less time outside, but I have started taking vitamin D regularly at the request of my chiropractor. Vitamin D is known to prevent the flu. The sun is the best source of vitamin D, and the sun is known to boost immunity.
3. I've been getting chiropractic adjustments regularly for about 6 six years. The trouble with offering a source for how chiropractic adjustments help fight the flu is that most sources are written by chiropractors, well researched or not. I have personally had so much benefit from chiropractic care, that it doesn't surprise me at all that it helps prevent the flu because of what it does for the body. Remember, chiropractors are nervous system doctors, not bone doctors. They manipulate bones in order to free nerves so they can do their jobs. When the nervous system is working well because nerves aren't blocked or pinched, the body can respond well to invasion or harm. I'm going to link you to a chiropractic article anyway.
In conclusion, I hope that my perspective at least raises awareness of how the flu shot is not a guaranteed to prevent you from getting the flu. I hope that my perspective helps raise awareness of the fact that our bodies have a great natural defense system that needs to be nurtured in order to work effectively. If you're afraid of the flu, I highly recommend working on boosting your own immune system by avoiding sugar, getting enough vitamin D, and even going to a chiropractor regularly.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Make Up
I've been really sensitive to skin care products my whole life. They've caused rashes, hives, and eczema. Despite this, through the years I decided to keep trying products anyway. Since one product gave me eczema, I needed another one to calm my skin. It was a never-ending cycle. One year I decided to try Proactive for my acne. I had a terrible case of acne. There was one point where my whole face was broken out and you couldn't tell the natural color of my skin. Very bad. Proactive not only didn't work, it made me worse by causing a horrible case of eczema on top of the acne. I saw dermatologists and used their creams, which also did not work. This is part of what led me to wearing make up (the other part was that my first job at Ripley's Believe It Or Not required that I wore some. I loved that job.)
Of course, make up ended up being just as bad as the skin care products I tried. The difference was, however, that at least the product that cased a rash also covered up the rash. So I put up with it and kept wearing it.
I eventually "woke up." The more I sought to eat an organic diet, the more research I came across warning about the toxins in make up and skin care. The problem was that I couldn't afford the organic and natural products, and I wasn't willing to go without make up since I became reliant on the way it hid my bad skin. So I allowed myself to get sucked into the marketing campaigns by companies like Almay, which tried to convince us consumers that their products were safer than typical drug store brands. They used terms like "98.7% Natural" or even claimed to be an organic line, despite only using a few organic ingredients in a long ingredient list. I was young and inexperienced, so I thought that meant the products were safe. I had no idea that the term "natural" didn't mean anything at all. I also didn't pick up on the fact that the "organic" products were not certified organic, but just used the word "organic" in their names. The blessing was that those products didn't irritate my skin nearly as much as the other drug store brands I used to use. The problem was that because they weren't irritating my skin, I kept using them without realizing how many toxins were still in them. I wore those products for years and years.
It wasn't until about 3 years ago that I found a truly natural brand of make up's foundation on sale and bought it. The difference was astounding. My skin thanked me! My skin stopped "putting up with" the Almay foundation I was using and started to heal. The redness in my skin started to disappear, my acne lessened, my fine lines (at the age of 24) vanished, my skin grew softer, I wasn't fighting peeling skin every morning, and the make up looked so much better. It didn't look like I was wearing heavy cakey make up anymore. My face looked so much more natural. Major difference. That was my wake-up call, and since then I've never looked back at drug store make up.
The foundation that converted to me to organic and truly natural make up brands was MyChelle's Cream Foundation. MyChelle is awesome. Some of their products are a little too pricy for my budget, though, so I buy them when they're on sale. Thankfully, they do last a while, and I honestly believe that their products are fairly priced. I should note that while they offer safe products, they are not organic. Their foundation does have a mild natural scent to it. It doesn't smell like fragrance, but I think the ingredients themselves have a smell to them. It has not bothered me (I just wore it yesterday with no problem,) but for those of you with MCS, I would be cautious with MyChelle.
This caused me to look around for more brands that would work for me. I soon discovered another foundation on sale: Mineral Fusion's Pressed Powder Foundation. This foundation is actually slightly more expensive than MyChelle's foundation stick, but I've been able to find it on sale much more easily. I believe I only paid full price one time in the past 2 years of using it regularly. Between Amazon.com, Vine.com, LuckyVitamin.com, and Whole Foods it's possible to find a great price. I also use their mascara, 3-in-1 blush/ eyeshadow/ lip goss, and eye pencil. I'm madly in love with their products. They offer, by far, my favorite make up ever. The foundation is perfect: it's a bunch of minerals that I get to paint on with a brush. It's a lot like Bare Minerals, if you've heard of them, only a much more trustworthy brand with higher health standards. It looks totally natural and even. Even when my skin looks good without make up, I still like to wear this foundation because it enhances my natural skin and protects it very well.
This is me wearing Mineral Fusion foundation, a heavier amount than normal since you're supposed to do that for photo shoots. (Ignore how tired my eyes look - I have chronic fatigue, give me a break!)
I have not had any eczema or rashes on my face from my make up since switching to natural make up. It has made a profound difference. I wish I had the confidence to switch to being totally free from make-up, but since my skin has a lot of old damage and I prefer to look professional, I doubt I'll quit any time soon. If wearing make up were not considered a professional thing to do, I probably would go without more often... except for the fact that I love how the Mineral Fusion foundation looks on me. ;)
So what's so bad about drug store make up and non-organic make up anyway? A lot of things.
1. Your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it. This news story claims that women have up to 5 lbs of cosmetics in their bloodstream per year.
2. The ingredients in cosmetics are designed to look good and stay put on your skin, not be good for you. Cosmetics are not a health product. Most companies care about how well the product works and how good it looks, meaning they'll use whatever ingredient they feel works best for the job, no matter how toxic or safe. The FDA essentially lets cosmetic companies to do whatever they want.
3. Many common cosmetic ingredients are known toxins and carcinogens.
4. There is a ton of information out there on the subject. When a health issue is this well documented, it's time to take notice:
http://stason.org/articles/wellbeing/health/Hidden-Dangers-Lurking-in-your-Products.html#.VIjPRHuwHP8
http://safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=33
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-cunningham/dangerous-beauty-products_b_4168587.html
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/environmental-breast-cancer-links/cosmetics/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/04/new-study-finds-major-toxins-in-many-cosmetics.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Beauty-Cosmetics-Personal-Care-Products/dp/1933771623
http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2012/03/12/dangerous-beauty-top-5-contaminated-beauty-products/
Need I post more links to news stories, studies, and information?
Of course, make up ended up being just as bad as the skin care products I tried. The difference was, however, that at least the product that cased a rash also covered up the rash. So I put up with it and kept wearing it.
I eventually "woke up." The more I sought to eat an organic diet, the more research I came across warning about the toxins in make up and skin care. The problem was that I couldn't afford the organic and natural products, and I wasn't willing to go without make up since I became reliant on the way it hid my bad skin. So I allowed myself to get sucked into the marketing campaigns by companies like Almay, which tried to convince us consumers that their products were safer than typical drug store brands. They used terms like "98.7% Natural" or even claimed to be an organic line, despite only using a few organic ingredients in a long ingredient list. I was young and inexperienced, so I thought that meant the products were safe. I had no idea that the term "natural" didn't mean anything at all. I also didn't pick up on the fact that the "organic" products were not certified organic, but just used the word "organic" in their names. The blessing was that those products didn't irritate my skin nearly as much as the other drug store brands I used to use. The problem was that because they weren't irritating my skin, I kept using them without realizing how many toxins were still in them. I wore those products for years and years.
It wasn't until about 3 years ago that I found a truly natural brand of make up's foundation on sale and bought it. The difference was astounding. My skin thanked me! My skin stopped "putting up with" the Almay foundation I was using and started to heal. The redness in my skin started to disappear, my acne lessened, my fine lines (at the age of 24) vanished, my skin grew softer, I wasn't fighting peeling skin every morning, and the make up looked so much better. It didn't look like I was wearing heavy cakey make up anymore. My face looked so much more natural. Major difference. That was my wake-up call, and since then I've never looked back at drug store make up.
The foundation that converted to me to organic and truly natural make up brands was MyChelle's Cream Foundation. MyChelle is awesome. Some of their products are a little too pricy for my budget, though, so I buy them when they're on sale. Thankfully, they do last a while, and I honestly believe that their products are fairly priced. I should note that while they offer safe products, they are not organic. Their foundation does have a mild natural scent to it. It doesn't smell like fragrance, but I think the ingredients themselves have a smell to them. It has not bothered me (I just wore it yesterday with no problem,) but for those of you with MCS, I would be cautious with MyChelle.
This caused me to look around for more brands that would work for me. I soon discovered another foundation on sale: Mineral Fusion's Pressed Powder Foundation. This foundation is actually slightly more expensive than MyChelle's foundation stick, but I've been able to find it on sale much more easily. I believe I only paid full price one time in the past 2 years of using it regularly. Between Amazon.com, Vine.com, LuckyVitamin.com, and Whole Foods it's possible to find a great price. I also use their mascara, 3-in-1 blush/ eyeshadow/ lip goss, and eye pencil. I'm madly in love with their products. They offer, by far, my favorite make up ever. The foundation is perfect: it's a bunch of minerals that I get to paint on with a brush. It's a lot like Bare Minerals, if you've heard of them, only a much more trustworthy brand with higher health standards. It looks totally natural and even. Even when my skin looks good without make up, I still like to wear this foundation because it enhances my natural skin and protects it very well.
This is me wearing Mineral Fusion foundation, a heavier amount than normal since you're supposed to do that for photo shoots. (Ignore how tired my eyes look - I have chronic fatigue, give me a break!)
I have not had any eczema or rashes on my face from my make up since switching to natural make up. It has made a profound difference. I wish I had the confidence to switch to being totally free from make-up, but since my skin has a lot of old damage and I prefer to look professional, I doubt I'll quit any time soon. If wearing make up were not considered a professional thing to do, I probably would go without more often... except for the fact that I love how the Mineral Fusion foundation looks on me. ;)
So what's so bad about drug store make up and non-organic make up anyway? A lot of things.
1. Your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it. This news story claims that women have up to 5 lbs of cosmetics in their bloodstream per year.
2. The ingredients in cosmetics are designed to look good and stay put on your skin, not be good for you. Cosmetics are not a health product. Most companies care about how well the product works and how good it looks, meaning they'll use whatever ingredient they feel works best for the job, no matter how toxic or safe. The FDA essentially lets cosmetic companies to do whatever they want.
3. Many common cosmetic ingredients are known toxins and carcinogens.
4. There is a ton of information out there on the subject. When a health issue is this well documented, it's time to take notice:
http://stason.org/articles/wellbeing/health/Hidden-Dangers-Lurking-in-your-Products.html#.VIjPRHuwHP8
http://safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=33
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-cunningham/dangerous-beauty-products_b_4168587.html
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/environmental-breast-cancer-links/cosmetics/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/04/new-study-finds-major-toxins-in-many-cosmetics.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Beauty-Cosmetics-Personal-Care-Products/dp/1933771623
http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2012/03/12/dangerous-beauty-top-5-contaminated-beauty-products/
Need I post more links to news stories, studies, and information?
Monday, December 8, 2014
Weight
Note: Forgive the formatting issues. Blogger makes positioning photos very difficult. The published result looks a lot different from when I was composing this post. I tried hard to get paragraphs and photos to look even, and I'm giving up.
It's a touchy subject. Most of my life I was a good, healthy weight. I normally wore size small. I'm writing this to show how easy it is to gain weight and how possible it is to lose weight.
About 4 years ago I had gained some weight. I was working at a Chinese Restaurant that served us a free meal each shift. I think you can see where this is going. I did gain about 10 pounds. I was wearing the same clothes, but they fit tightly. It was the first time I had ever shown some weight. I was starting to shop size medium shirt and size 10 pants.
About a year later, I had gained a couple more pounds. It put me over the edge, needing to wear a size large shirt and size 12 pants. I knew I was gaining because out how my clothes were fitting, but I didn't think I looked overweight... yet. This is 2011. I was about 145 lbs.
Another year after that, 2012, I was at my heaviest. I gained weight rapidly. Over about 2-3 months (this is not well documented, because I was in denial and avoided keeping records,) I went from around 150 lbs to 175 lbs. Something happened that was beyond my control. I figured it was a combination of being over stressed (I just suffered the most stressful event of my life,) over eating, and resting too much. I also noticed I went from feeling somewhat tired all the time to extremely tired all the time. I didn't want to do anything. I also avoided photos, and I conveniently can't seem to find the photos I knew I was in at this point in time. I'm worried I actually deleted them, which is unfortunate because I visited some awesome places in New England at that time. I can't find those photos either.
I tried doing something called a Rotary Diversified Diet early that year. I won't explain because I don't recommend doing it. Long story short, it helped me lose about 15 pounds in 2 months, but it was so terribly demanding and tedious that it was nearly impossible to follow accurately at times. It also left me hungry, which isn't right. It helped at the time, but it was not a long-term solution. So this is what I looked like by Christmas of 2012. Around 160 lbs.
I did try doing another round of the diet in 2013. It helped again, a little bit. I managed to get down to 150 lbs on my own. I couldn't keep the diet up, though. I was getting too tired to care, and the diet was a ton of work. Eating was the easy part, managing what I was allowed to eat and when was too much. Despite the weight loss, I was feeling worse and worse. I had a few weeks on the diet where I felt more energy and was feeling pretty good, but that didn't last. I was feeling sick all the time, and this is when I decided to start seeing doctors, thinking I might have an auto-immune disease or
thyroid issue.
By November of 2013, I found myself seeing a my Naturopathic Doctor, who put me on a strict diet, supplements, and an exercise program. This photo was taken about 4 months into the diet. It was my first time fitting into a size small shirt again! I was down to size 8 pants too!
It's been almost exactly a year with my doctor and on the diet he put me on. What's most important is that I'm feeling a lot better and my body is working a lot better, but the weight loss also feels great. I don't, for whatever reason, have a recent photo of me that shows my current weight. All the photos I've been in recently hardly show my body. I'll remedy this soon, and when I do get a good photo taken I'll edit this post and include it. I am, however, at 130 lbs, wearing size XS - Small shirts (depending on the brand,) and size 6 pants. I've been at this weight for a while now and I haven't managed to lose any weight in the past few months. I'm not complaining - I no longer look overweight!
Lately I've been seeing lots of posts about how many people lost weight by cutting all grains from their diet. This makes me so happy. As you know, I've also been totally grain-free all year. I've also been totally sugar-free all year (no fruit, no honey, no agave - no sweeteners or sugars.) I have no desire whatsoever to ever go back to consuming grains, and I honestly have no interest in the taste of sugar either. I'm fairly certain that a big part of my weight loss was going grain-free and sugar-free. :)
It's a touchy subject. Most of my life I was a good, healthy weight. I normally wore size small. I'm writing this to show how easy it is to gain weight and how possible it is to lose weight.
About 4 years ago I had gained some weight. I was working at a Chinese Restaurant that served us a free meal each shift. I think you can see where this is going. I did gain about 10 pounds. I was wearing the same clothes, but they fit tightly. It was the first time I had ever shown some weight. I was starting to shop size medium shirt and size 10 pants.
About a year later, I had gained a couple more pounds. It put me over the edge, needing to wear a size large shirt and size 12 pants. I knew I was gaining because out how my clothes were fitting, but I didn't think I looked overweight... yet. This is 2011. I was about 145 lbs.
Another year after that, 2012, I was at my heaviest. I gained weight rapidly. Over about 2-3 months (this is not well documented, because I was in denial and avoided keeping records,) I went from around 150 lbs to 175 lbs. Something happened that was beyond my control. I figured it was a combination of being over stressed (I just suffered the most stressful event of my life,) over eating, and resting too much. I also noticed I went from feeling somewhat tired all the time to extremely tired all the time. I didn't want to do anything. I also avoided photos, and I conveniently can't seem to find the photos I knew I was in at this point in time. I'm worried I actually deleted them, which is unfortunate because I visited some awesome places in New England at that time. I can't find those photos either. I tried doing something called a Rotary Diversified Diet early that year. I won't explain because I don't recommend doing it. Long story short, it helped me lose about 15 pounds in 2 months, but it was so terribly demanding and tedious that it was nearly impossible to follow accurately at times. It also left me hungry, which isn't right. It helped at the time, but it was not a long-term solution. So this is what I looked like by Christmas of 2012. Around 160 lbs.
I did try doing another round of the diet in 2013. It helped again, a little bit. I managed to get down to 150 lbs on my own. I couldn't keep the diet up, though. I was getting too tired to care, and the diet was a ton of work. Eating was the easy part, managing what I was allowed to eat and when was too much. Despite the weight loss, I was feeling worse and worse. I had a few weeks on the diet where I felt more energy and was feeling pretty good, but that didn't last. I was feeling sick all the time, and this is when I decided to start seeing doctors, thinking I might have an auto-immune disease or
thyroid issue.
By November of 2013, I found myself seeing a my Naturopathic Doctor, who put me on a strict diet, supplements, and an exercise program. This photo was taken about 4 months into the diet. It was my first time fitting into a size small shirt again! I was down to size 8 pants too!
It's been almost exactly a year with my doctor and on the diet he put me on. What's most important is that I'm feeling a lot better and my body is working a lot better, but the weight loss also feels great. I don't, for whatever reason, have a recent photo of me that shows my current weight. All the photos I've been in recently hardly show my body. I'll remedy this soon, and when I do get a good photo taken I'll edit this post and include it. I am, however, at 130 lbs, wearing size XS - Small shirts (depending on the brand,) and size 6 pants. I've been at this weight for a while now and I haven't managed to lose any weight in the past few months. I'm not complaining - I no longer look overweight!
Lately I've been seeing lots of posts about how many people lost weight by cutting all grains from their diet. This makes me so happy. As you know, I've also been totally grain-free all year. I've also been totally sugar-free all year (no fruit, no honey, no agave - no sweeteners or sugars.) I have no desire whatsoever to ever go back to consuming grains, and I honestly have no interest in the taste of sugar either. I'm fairly certain that a big part of my weight loss was going grain-free and sugar-free. :)
Thursday, December 4, 2014
This is a "GUTsy" post.
I'm going to write this post about an area of your body you normally don't want to talk about: your gut. No, I don't mean your belly fat, I mean your actual gut, your intestines and colon. This is an area that has become very important to me. I didn't know my gut was in need of a lot of healing, but now that it's functioning much better I'm very surprised that I ever put up with how poorly it was functioning before. I didn't know I was suffering from irritable bowel syndrome until I reduced its irritation.
The problem is, I'm not an expert on this. I am still healing and still learning. I'm not in a position to write about details, but I am in a position to share research studies with you and tell my story (so far.) I hope this post encourages you to take another look at your gut health, especially as the underlying cause of many of your other (seemingly) unrelated health struggles.
I'll start with my experience...
When I saw my naturopathic doctor for the first time, I was not expecting him to say anything about my gut. I thought I was going to him to get help with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, heart palpitations, and possibly mental heath issues. I quickly found out that I actually went to him to get help with the many root causes of those symptoms, including irritable bowel syndrome. I was surprised, because up until that point I really thought that IBS was caused by eating high fructose corn syrup, which I never eat because I'm allergic to corn, because of several studied I had read. The next day I returned to his clinic for my first treatments, including a colonic irrigation. I didn't know what it was, so believe me when I say I was a little shocked when I saw the machine with the tube for the first time. A nurse (both nurses at the clinic are the nicest, most gentle, most amazing nurses you can imagine,) inserted a tube into my butt that poured sanitized water up my colon and then let it flow back out through the tube. After 45 minutes, I lost several pounds of waste out of my colon through that tube, and it felt wonderful. I felt lighter, more clear-headed, more stable, and more free. Before the colonic, my brain wasn't working well - I didn't have the energy to think. In fact, I had a very difficult time forming sentences because I couldn't remember the words. It was amazing how much better my brain worked out of that colonic. I felt better able to converse with my doctor and the nurses, and I could actually think through decisions better. Within the following week, I also noticed that I wasn't as gassy or bloated. I didn't have sharp pains in my gut when sitting down or moving around (that I honestly thought were normal because I had them so long.) I had a much easier time in the bathroom (I didn't realize I was struggling before.) I also noticed that slowly, over the following weeks, that I was getting bloated and foggy-headed again. Every time I go back to the clinic, I look forward to those colonic. They're one of the fastest forms of relief I've ever experienced. (Note: There is a TON of media out there saying that colonic irrigations are dangerous and they don't work. In fact, you'd think Google was paid to not show you any positive results for a colonic irrigation. The problem is, they don't define "work." In my experience, they have been very relieving, very hydrating, and perfectly safe. I personally would never want to try a DIY system - I've only done a "closed" system in which the nurses controls the machine and the tube the whole time. There's great information about colincs here.)
I've been following my doctor's regimen (diet, supplements, exercise, and more) for a little more than a year now. I've noticed a huge difference in my gut. When I'm eating right and am not suffering any type of MCS reaction, my gut is flat, handles waste very well, doesn't cause me any type of pain, and is very gentle on the rest of my organs. When I'm doing something wrong or am suffering a MCS reaction, it lets me know. It bloats (sometimes by a couple inches,) makes me feel like I have the flu, sends waves of discomfort through my whole body, makes me feel gassy without actually releasing any, and makes it very difficult to go to the bathroom. I also get the most foggy-headed when my gut isn't feeling well.
I've noticed another very important point, which will be the topic of my next "Menstrual Solutions" post: I'm fairly sure a good portion of my menstrual pain was coming from my gut, not my reproductive organs. The better my gut health, the lesser my menstrual pain. I've discovered that the pain of trouble in my colon is the exact same pain that almost crippled me on the first day of my periods for the past several years.
It's been a year, and I haven't quite mastered keeping my gut happy. I'm guessing it isn't done getting repaired anyway. I made my poor gut suffer for many years. I've recently figured out one of the problems. Almonds. As many of you know, I'm on a very limited, very strict diet. No grains, no sugar (not even fruit or honey,) no starches, no alcohol, no dairy, and no nightshades. Even my selection of vegetables is very limited because many are starchy, sugary, and difficult to digest. What this means is that when something causes me to react, it isn't hard to figure out what it was. My gut was improving a lot over the year, but I was still fighting heavy bloating trouble. We started by eliminating the whey protein powder in my protein shakes and switching to organic pea protein. That actually helped, so I thought I had found the culprit. I think because I cleared up the issues from the whey powder that I had an easier time detecting a problem from almonds. I was still bloating after drinking the shakes, but I was using almond milk. I noticed that my heart lightly palpitated after eating almond butter. Regretfully, because I love almond milk and almond butter, I cut almonds from my diet. This was just a few weeks ago. Now, the only time I bloat is when I drink too much water, but that's a different issue with my kidneys that I'll get into in another post. Yesterday I tried an experiment: I ate almonds at bed time (I need a bit of protein to help me sleep and not wake up with overly low blood sugar.) I've been gassy, constipated, bloated, and a big foggy all day. Very unpleasant. Of all things, almonds! So now I have to use coconut milk, which I like, but is much more expensive. I also have switched to sunflower seed butter, which is working well for me and is cheaper, but not as tasty. Oh well.
My own personal conclusions...
I'm guessing that most people who have health issues probably have some degree of an irritated bowel. It has become clear to me that the health of my gut is in direct correlation with my mental health. I always struggle with brain fog or anxiety when my gut isn't well. Always. I can struggle with anxiety when my gut is well, so I won't say that gut health is the only cause of anxiety. It has also become clear to me that my joint pain is worse when my gut isn't happy. I've also noticed that I have more acne when my gut isn't happy. My periods are more painful when my gut isn't happy. I'm more fatigued when my gut isn't happy. I get occasional heart burn and indigestion when my gut isn't happy. When my gut is happy and functioning well, I usually am too.
My conclusion is that caring for our gut is one of the most important steps to caring for our overall health!
I recommend...
Eliminating grains. Here's the deal: Even if you're a person who can tolerate certain grains, it won't hurt you to eliminate them for a couple of weeks just to see what happens. Wheat, specifically, is known to cause inflammation of the gut as well as leaky gut syndrome. In fact, it's arguable that wheat (at least in it's modern form,) isn't meant for human consumption, but I'll get to that in the next section. In some people, like myself, all grains have have this effect in the gut.
Eliminating sugar. You don't need sugar. It's not a necessarily nutrient. In fact, it doesn't offer any benefit to the body, but it does do harm. What you need is glucose, which your body makes by breaking down other forms of nutrients. If you only eat protein, fats, and complex carbohydrates, you will get enough glucose. Trust me - I've increased my blood glucose by avoiding all sugar. Try eliminating sugar in every possible form along with grains. I mean ALL sugar: no fruit, no honey, no packaged food (which almost always has added sugar,) no juice, no glazed nuts, no beets, no jerky (unless you make it yourself to avoid sugar,) no salad dressing... you get the idea. Do not replace it with artificial sweeteners - they can do more damage than the sugar itself! Here's the deal: sugar causes inflammation. It also feeds bad bacteria, yeast, and infections. By eliminating sugar, you eliminate the right environment for bad bacteria, yeast, and infections to build and grow. Your gut can then naturally heal itself.
Eliminate alcohol. Just try it for a couple of weeks along with the sugar and the grains! Alcohol is usually based on sugar and grains, so it should be obvious that alcohol should be avoided. Furthermore, alcohol kills all bacteria, even the good bacteria. You will not notice an improvement in your gut health if you kill off the good bacteria that helps it heal.
I highly recommend also eliminating dairy. Dairy is high in sugar (lactose,) but it also causes inflammation and causes your body to produce mucus. Ask any vocalist: they never consume dairy before a performance because it it produces mucus in their throats. While some people do seem to digest dairy well, the more I talk to people, the more I find that people who have eliminated dairy do feel a lot better. I, personally, never reacted to dairy. I used to eat cheese, yogurt, and milk regularly without any obvious consequence. I did, however, lose quite a bit of weight after eliminating just dairy. I also noticed my joint pain wasn't as bad and I wasn't catching colds as easily as everyone else. And before you say, "But yogurt has probiotics" I'll respond. First, most major yogurt companies don't actually include any probiotics ("Live Active Cultures" doesn't necessarily mean probiotics.) Second, the companies that do include probiotics don't include very many. Third, most major yogurt companies culture the yogurt so quickly that there is no time for the probiotics to grow and cultivate. They need about a day to culture properly to offer you benefits, but many yogurt companies only let their yogurt cultivate for about 4 hours. There are better sources of better probiotics. I love this argument.
For the sake of the experiment, I also recommend avoiding broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts. They are brassica vegetables, which can make you fairly gassy. They'll throw off the experiment.
After a couple of weeks, see how your gut feels. I'm willing to bet you will lose weight - maybe even a lot of weight. I'm willing to bet you'll feel more clear-headed and mentally sharp. I'm willing to bet that you'll find going to the bathroom is a lot easier, and you might even go more often. I'm also willing to bet that you'll be less gassy and in less pain.
After those two weeks, you can try to reintroduce grains, sugar, and dairy one at a time. See how you react. You might quickly find that you bloat, get gassy, or get cramps. It's a sure way of knowing just how poorly your gut has been feeling. It's also a good way of finding out what you're intolerant to!
Don't just take my word for it. Check out all this research...
How the gut affects the brain:
A Healthy Gut Means a Healthy Brain by Dr. Amy Myers
The Gut-Brain Connection, Mental Illness, and Disease on Psychology Today
Connection between gut health and overall health:
You Are What you Digest and Absorb by Dr. Amy Myers
Inflammation Connection by Kelly Brogan MD
Gut Health Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke on Huffington Post
Healing our guts:
4 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut by Dr. Axe (Though I disagree with eating dairy.)
Is Your Digestive System Making You Fat by Dr. Mark Hyman
The problem is, I'm not an expert on this. I am still healing and still learning. I'm not in a position to write about details, but I am in a position to share research studies with you and tell my story (so far.) I hope this post encourages you to take another look at your gut health, especially as the underlying cause of many of your other (seemingly) unrelated health struggles.
I'll start with my experience...
When I saw my naturopathic doctor for the first time, I was not expecting him to say anything about my gut. I thought I was going to him to get help with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, heart palpitations, and possibly mental heath issues. I quickly found out that I actually went to him to get help with the many root causes of those symptoms, including irritable bowel syndrome. I was surprised, because up until that point I really thought that IBS was caused by eating high fructose corn syrup, which I never eat because I'm allergic to corn, because of several studied I had read. The next day I returned to his clinic for my first treatments, including a colonic irrigation. I didn't know what it was, so believe me when I say I was a little shocked when I saw the machine with the tube for the first time. A nurse (both nurses at the clinic are the nicest, most gentle, most amazing nurses you can imagine,) inserted a tube into my butt that poured sanitized water up my colon and then let it flow back out through the tube. After 45 minutes, I lost several pounds of waste out of my colon through that tube, and it felt wonderful. I felt lighter, more clear-headed, more stable, and more free. Before the colonic, my brain wasn't working well - I didn't have the energy to think. In fact, I had a very difficult time forming sentences because I couldn't remember the words. It was amazing how much better my brain worked out of that colonic. I felt better able to converse with my doctor and the nurses, and I could actually think through decisions better. Within the following week, I also noticed that I wasn't as gassy or bloated. I didn't have sharp pains in my gut when sitting down or moving around (that I honestly thought were normal because I had them so long.) I had a much easier time in the bathroom (I didn't realize I was struggling before.) I also noticed that slowly, over the following weeks, that I was getting bloated and foggy-headed again. Every time I go back to the clinic, I look forward to those colonic. They're one of the fastest forms of relief I've ever experienced. (Note: There is a TON of media out there saying that colonic irrigations are dangerous and they don't work. In fact, you'd think Google was paid to not show you any positive results for a colonic irrigation. The problem is, they don't define "work." In my experience, they have been very relieving, very hydrating, and perfectly safe. I personally would never want to try a DIY system - I've only done a "closed" system in which the nurses controls the machine and the tube the whole time. There's great information about colincs here.)
I've been following my doctor's regimen (diet, supplements, exercise, and more) for a little more than a year now. I've noticed a huge difference in my gut. When I'm eating right and am not suffering any type of MCS reaction, my gut is flat, handles waste very well, doesn't cause me any type of pain, and is very gentle on the rest of my organs. When I'm doing something wrong or am suffering a MCS reaction, it lets me know. It bloats (sometimes by a couple inches,) makes me feel like I have the flu, sends waves of discomfort through my whole body, makes me feel gassy without actually releasing any, and makes it very difficult to go to the bathroom. I also get the most foggy-headed when my gut isn't feeling well.
I've noticed another very important point, which will be the topic of my next "Menstrual Solutions" post: I'm fairly sure a good portion of my menstrual pain was coming from my gut, not my reproductive organs. The better my gut health, the lesser my menstrual pain. I've discovered that the pain of trouble in my colon is the exact same pain that almost crippled me on the first day of my periods for the past several years.
It's been a year, and I haven't quite mastered keeping my gut happy. I'm guessing it isn't done getting repaired anyway. I made my poor gut suffer for many years. I've recently figured out one of the problems. Almonds. As many of you know, I'm on a very limited, very strict diet. No grains, no sugar (not even fruit or honey,) no starches, no alcohol, no dairy, and no nightshades. Even my selection of vegetables is very limited because many are starchy, sugary, and difficult to digest. What this means is that when something causes me to react, it isn't hard to figure out what it was. My gut was improving a lot over the year, but I was still fighting heavy bloating trouble. We started by eliminating the whey protein powder in my protein shakes and switching to organic pea protein. That actually helped, so I thought I had found the culprit. I think because I cleared up the issues from the whey powder that I had an easier time detecting a problem from almonds. I was still bloating after drinking the shakes, but I was using almond milk. I noticed that my heart lightly palpitated after eating almond butter. Regretfully, because I love almond milk and almond butter, I cut almonds from my diet. This was just a few weeks ago. Now, the only time I bloat is when I drink too much water, but that's a different issue with my kidneys that I'll get into in another post. Yesterday I tried an experiment: I ate almonds at bed time (I need a bit of protein to help me sleep and not wake up with overly low blood sugar.) I've been gassy, constipated, bloated, and a big foggy all day. Very unpleasant. Of all things, almonds! So now I have to use coconut milk, which I like, but is much more expensive. I also have switched to sunflower seed butter, which is working well for me and is cheaper, but not as tasty. Oh well.
My own personal conclusions...
I'm guessing that most people who have health issues probably have some degree of an irritated bowel. It has become clear to me that the health of my gut is in direct correlation with my mental health. I always struggle with brain fog or anxiety when my gut isn't well. Always. I can struggle with anxiety when my gut is well, so I won't say that gut health is the only cause of anxiety. It has also become clear to me that my joint pain is worse when my gut isn't happy. I've also noticed that I have more acne when my gut isn't happy. My periods are more painful when my gut isn't happy. I'm more fatigued when my gut isn't happy. I get occasional heart burn and indigestion when my gut isn't happy. When my gut is happy and functioning well, I usually am too.
My conclusion is that caring for our gut is one of the most important steps to caring for our overall health!
I recommend...
Eliminating grains. Here's the deal: Even if you're a person who can tolerate certain grains, it won't hurt you to eliminate them for a couple of weeks just to see what happens. Wheat, specifically, is known to cause inflammation of the gut as well as leaky gut syndrome. In fact, it's arguable that wheat (at least in it's modern form,) isn't meant for human consumption, but I'll get to that in the next section. In some people, like myself, all grains have have this effect in the gut.
Eliminating sugar. You don't need sugar. It's not a necessarily nutrient. In fact, it doesn't offer any benefit to the body, but it does do harm. What you need is glucose, which your body makes by breaking down other forms of nutrients. If you only eat protein, fats, and complex carbohydrates, you will get enough glucose. Trust me - I've increased my blood glucose by avoiding all sugar. Try eliminating sugar in every possible form along with grains. I mean ALL sugar: no fruit, no honey, no packaged food (which almost always has added sugar,) no juice, no glazed nuts, no beets, no jerky (unless you make it yourself to avoid sugar,) no salad dressing... you get the idea. Do not replace it with artificial sweeteners - they can do more damage than the sugar itself! Here's the deal: sugar causes inflammation. It also feeds bad bacteria, yeast, and infections. By eliminating sugar, you eliminate the right environment for bad bacteria, yeast, and infections to build and grow. Your gut can then naturally heal itself.
Eliminate alcohol. Just try it for a couple of weeks along with the sugar and the grains! Alcohol is usually based on sugar and grains, so it should be obvious that alcohol should be avoided. Furthermore, alcohol kills all bacteria, even the good bacteria. You will not notice an improvement in your gut health if you kill off the good bacteria that helps it heal.
I highly recommend also eliminating dairy. Dairy is high in sugar (lactose,) but it also causes inflammation and causes your body to produce mucus. Ask any vocalist: they never consume dairy before a performance because it it produces mucus in their throats. While some people do seem to digest dairy well, the more I talk to people, the more I find that people who have eliminated dairy do feel a lot better. I, personally, never reacted to dairy. I used to eat cheese, yogurt, and milk regularly without any obvious consequence. I did, however, lose quite a bit of weight after eliminating just dairy. I also noticed my joint pain wasn't as bad and I wasn't catching colds as easily as everyone else. And before you say, "But yogurt has probiotics" I'll respond. First, most major yogurt companies don't actually include any probiotics ("Live Active Cultures" doesn't necessarily mean probiotics.) Second, the companies that do include probiotics don't include very many. Third, most major yogurt companies culture the yogurt so quickly that there is no time for the probiotics to grow and cultivate. They need about a day to culture properly to offer you benefits, but many yogurt companies only let their yogurt cultivate for about 4 hours. There are better sources of better probiotics. I love this argument.
For the sake of the experiment, I also recommend avoiding broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts. They are brassica vegetables, which can make you fairly gassy. They'll throw off the experiment.
After a couple of weeks, see how your gut feels. I'm willing to bet you will lose weight - maybe even a lot of weight. I'm willing to bet you'll feel more clear-headed and mentally sharp. I'm willing to bet that you'll find going to the bathroom is a lot easier, and you might even go more often. I'm also willing to bet that you'll be less gassy and in less pain.
After those two weeks, you can try to reintroduce grains, sugar, and dairy one at a time. See how you react. You might quickly find that you bloat, get gassy, or get cramps. It's a sure way of knowing just how poorly your gut has been feeling. It's also a good way of finding out what you're intolerant to!
Don't just take my word for it. Check out all this research...
How the gut affects the brain:
A Healthy Gut Means a Healthy Brain by Dr. Amy Myers
The Gut-Brain Connection, Mental Illness, and Disease on Psychology Today
Connection between gut health and overall health:
You Are What you Digest and Absorb by Dr. Amy Myers
Inflammation Connection by Kelly Brogan MD
Gut Health Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke on Huffington Post
Healing our guts:
4 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut by Dr. Axe (Though I disagree with eating dairy.)
Is Your Digestive System Making You Fat by Dr. Mark Hyman
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Detox Baths
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!
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!
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.