Progress is slow but it is still progress. I have lost 3.6 lbs so far this year. I eat vegetarian 70-80% of the week. I am seeing a chiropractor. I am exercising more. I feel better. Less muscle soreness and fewer migraines although sinus headaches were a problem last week. The neti pot helps.
I have decided to be more structured in taking supplements. Right now it is a hit or miss as to when I take them. I am making a plan to remedy that.
I purchased a weekly pill box with labeled days of the week. Dollar Tree has them. I have several books that agree on some supplements that work for FM sufferers. I plan to fill the sections and make an honest effort to empty each section out by day's end.
I can't really say if any supplements have helped me as I am way too inconsistent in taking them. Focusing on consistency will allow me to see if they can really affect how I feel. I will take the following:
B-complex
b12 sublingual
D3
DHEA
Co Q10
magnesium
potassium
fish oil (not vegetarian I know but it is recommended)
ALA
CLA
malic acid (new to me but recently has shown up and been recommended)
juiceplus veg and fruit
That's a lot of pills. I plan to divide them up throughout the day. I have also been drinking kombucha each morning; about 4 ounces. After about 6 weeks, I will evaluate the affects and frequency of headaches. Hope to see some positive results.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
DIY Kombucha
I poured my first glass of my homemade Kombucha today. There is something about DIY anything. That sense of pride, independence, and sustainability is something that drives those who enjoy doing things for themselves.
I thought that brewing kombucha might provide some probiotics, b12, and help with colon health. Turns out there is little b12 in kombucha but the other two seem to hold up in a study of kombucha, kombucha analysis. I like the taste of it but this is not true for everyone. Of course, I have been drinking apple cider vinegar, honey, and water as a morning drink for several months now so I probably have acclimated to it.
My daughter has seen the scoby and has vowed never to taste kombucha. I hope to change her mind eventually. She says we shouldn't eat things we have to feed. Guess I should have used a different term when I added a new batch of oolong tea to feed the scoby.
I grew a scoby from store-bought raw kumbucha. I got the instructions from this site. After a couple weeks to grow a good scoby, it has taken just a week to brew a half-gallon of kombucha. Now I have two scobies. Not sure what to do with the second. I'm thinking about having two batches going at once so I can drink out of one kept in the fridge and actively brew the other at room temp. After that, I guess I will need to find people who want scobies or I guess I could compost them. Until then, cheers.
I thought that brewing kombucha might provide some probiotics, b12, and help with colon health. Turns out there is little b12 in kombucha but the other two seem to hold up in a study of kombucha, kombucha analysis. I like the taste of it but this is not true for everyone. Of course, I have been drinking apple cider vinegar, honey, and water as a morning drink for several months now so I probably have acclimated to it.
My daughter has seen the scoby and has vowed never to taste kombucha. I hope to change her mind eventually. She says we shouldn't eat things we have to feed. Guess I should have used a different term when I added a new batch of oolong tea to feed the scoby.
I grew a scoby from store-bought raw kumbucha. I got the instructions from this site. After a couple weeks to grow a good scoby, it has taken just a week to brew a half-gallon of kombucha. Now I have two scobies. Not sure what to do with the second. I'm thinking about having two batches going at once so I can drink out of one kept in the fridge and actively brew the other at room temp. After that, I guess I will need to find people who want scobies or I guess I could compost them. Until then, cheers.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
The Cold Virus Still Rules
From the title you have probably guessed that the cold virus is in the house. It is an uninvited guest and we would like it to make haste and leave. I was just reveling in the fact that I had not yet had a cold this season, which was like waving a big welcome sign for the little virus. Accepting that it is a virus, I know I cannot do much to hasten its departure. It is a waiting game.
Having a cold means falling off the health wagon. I have not exercised formally, eaten enough fruits and vegetables, or made very many other healthy choices since last Friday. This is one of those times that knowing better does not equate to doing better.
Coughing means I can't sleep, which means I don't sleep, which means I look to easy food (think junk) for energy to make it through the day. The whole thing is a vicious circle. But the circle ends tonight and will morph into a spiral that will put me back on the track to doing better.
I am going to try to sleep. NyQuil will hopefully help. That is the plan although I haven't looked into the cabinet to see if I have any. I have not been replacing things for sometime as they run out. I'm trying to expand my supply of alternative remedies Vick's will be my friend tonight and the heating pad is making my bed warm as you read this.
To all fellow cold sufferers out there, may sleep find you tonight and may you have quality time together.
ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz
Having a cold means falling off the health wagon. I have not exercised formally, eaten enough fruits and vegetables, or made very many other healthy choices since last Friday. This is one of those times that knowing better does not equate to doing better.
Coughing means I can't sleep, which means I don't sleep, which means I look to easy food (think junk) for energy to make it through the day. The whole thing is a vicious circle. But the circle ends tonight and will morph into a spiral that will put me back on the track to doing better.
I am going to try to sleep. NyQuil will hopefully help. That is the plan although I haven't looked into the cabinet to see if I have any. I have not been replacing things for sometime as they run out. I'm trying to expand my supply of alternative remedies Vick's will be my friend tonight and the heating pad is making my bed warm as you read this.
To all fellow cold sufferers out there, may sleep find you tonight and may you have quality time together.
ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Homemade Eggrolls
My mom used to make eggrolls when I was a kid. They were great but they were fried in oil so they wouldn't be considered the healthiest. I recently came across this recipe for homemade eggrolls in the VT magazine. What caught my attention was the fact that they were baked.
Tonight I made them and even got some assistance from my teenager. We used egg roll wrappers so they were full sized eggrolls. I didn't measure my veggies, but we had enough for 12 full-sized eggrolls. They came out great and I would definitely make them again. At half the calories of store-bought frozen ones in addition to having no chemical additives (besides the wrapper ingredients) they are a win-win. I modified the recipe, which I think is very common for cooks to do. My fresh ginger was bad so I used dried and I added mushrooms just because we like them. They came out crispy, tasted delicious, and a bit of sweet chili sauce made them a satisfying meal.
Tonight I made them and even got some assistance from my teenager. We used egg roll wrappers so they were full sized eggrolls. I didn't measure my veggies, but we had enough for 12 full-sized eggrolls. They came out great and I would definitely make them again. At half the calories of store-bought frozen ones in addition to having no chemical additives (besides the wrapper ingredients) they are a win-win. I modified the recipe, which I think is very common for cooks to do. My fresh ginger was bad so I used dried and I added mushrooms just because we like them. They came out crispy, tasted delicious, and a bit of sweet chili sauce made them a satisfying meal.
Chiropractor: Get Ready for Visit Number Two
Last week I went to the chiropractor for the first time in my life. Growing up the word was not in my vocabulary. As I got older, the word was always part of a conversation about questionable medicine. As a real adult, (over thirty), I began to hear more about them through regular conversations with peers and through my deeper look into alternative medicines. The word was they could really help with back problems and such.
Growing up in a very rural part of the country and in a poor family, folk medicine and home care was the daily way that we dealt with illness. Vick's Vapor Rub, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide could take care of most things and Vick's 44 cough syrup was purchased occasionally. I still have and use Vick's Vapor Rub and hydrogen peroxide as needed and believe in their effectiveness. Living in the Southwest and being a member of a Co-op brought me in contact with herbal remedies. These I use frequently and I own herbal teas to cover a wide variety of ailments. We use them and they work. As a family, our rap sheet for the doctors office is very thin in comparison to many Americans.
Being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FM) over 4 years ago was an interesting experience. I still do not own/claim the malady. As it is diagnosed based on a collection of symptoms and not on anything measurable, I hesitate to claim it although I deal with its symptoms many days. When diagnosed, the doctor, a rheumatologist, asked me about medicines. I declined to take any as the side effects for all current offerings are substantial and they only treat symptoms and do not address the cause (which is unknown). She confidently said, "You'll be back." I choose to manage symptoms through lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and adequate rest. All of these areas are challenging for me but the alternative is taking drugs that I know will be harmful to me in the long run.
Now, back to the chiropractor. My research has shown that many FM sufferers find some help through chiropractors and some with acupuncture. I thought I would try acupuncture and didn't really think about the chiropractic aspects as I feel that I am quite flexible and don't have back pain. A local chiropractor also does acupuncture so I made an appointment.
I pictured needles sticking out of me in various places and had mentally prepared myself for this intervention. Surprise. They now have electronic acupuncture that stimulates the nerve pathways with an electronic pulse. Painless and definitely not scary. She also adjusted my spine in two places and then worked on my neck. I was not psychologically prepared for the crackling, crunchy sound my neck made. Perhaps it was best as I did not tense up for the event. She kept things minimal as we did not know how I would react to the manipulations in light of FM.
Afterward I felt just a bit of awareness in the two places she addressed on my spine. My neck however was a bit sore for about 30 hours. My head felt a bit weird. Not bad weird, just weird. I did notice immediate increase in my range of motion without discomfort when turning my head when driving. I also notice a bit less arm, shoulder pain when sleeping and a bit of increase of range of motion in my spine when twisting.
So, I go again tomorrow. I don't know what to expect this second time around but I feel like the first visit was beneficial and I am willing to give this form of treatment a try for a few months to see if it will have positive affects.
Growing up in a very rural part of the country and in a poor family, folk medicine and home care was the daily way that we dealt with illness. Vick's Vapor Rub, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide could take care of most things and Vick's 44 cough syrup was purchased occasionally. I still have and use Vick's Vapor Rub and hydrogen peroxide as needed and believe in their effectiveness. Living in the Southwest and being a member of a Co-op brought me in contact with herbal remedies. These I use frequently and I own herbal teas to cover a wide variety of ailments. We use them and they work. As a family, our rap sheet for the doctors office is very thin in comparison to many Americans.
Being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FM) over 4 years ago was an interesting experience. I still do not own/claim the malady. As it is diagnosed based on a collection of symptoms and not on anything measurable, I hesitate to claim it although I deal with its symptoms many days. When diagnosed, the doctor, a rheumatologist, asked me about medicines. I declined to take any as the side effects for all current offerings are substantial and they only treat symptoms and do not address the cause (which is unknown). She confidently said, "You'll be back." I choose to manage symptoms through lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and adequate rest. All of these areas are challenging for me but the alternative is taking drugs that I know will be harmful to me in the long run.
Now, back to the chiropractor. My research has shown that many FM sufferers find some help through chiropractors and some with acupuncture. I thought I would try acupuncture and didn't really think about the chiropractic aspects as I feel that I am quite flexible and don't have back pain. A local chiropractor also does acupuncture so I made an appointment.
I pictured needles sticking out of me in various places and had mentally prepared myself for this intervention. Surprise. They now have electronic acupuncture that stimulates the nerve pathways with an electronic pulse. Painless and definitely not scary. She also adjusted my spine in two places and then worked on my neck. I was not psychologically prepared for the crackling, crunchy sound my neck made. Perhaps it was best as I did not tense up for the event. She kept things minimal as we did not know how I would react to the manipulations in light of FM.
Afterward I felt just a bit of awareness in the two places she addressed on my spine. My neck however was a bit sore for about 30 hours. My head felt a bit weird. Not bad weird, just weird. I did notice immediate increase in my range of motion without discomfort when turning my head when driving. I also notice a bit less arm, shoulder pain when sleeping and a bit of increase of range of motion in my spine when twisting.
So, I go again tomorrow. I don't know what to expect this second time around but I feel like the first visit was beneficial and I am willing to give this form of treatment a try for a few months to see if it will have positive affects.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Water the Fatigue
I have felt so tired the last few days. I kept trying to make some type of connection to figure out why. You know the drill. You review your schedule, meals, and demands, over and over in your mind. Cold coming on; no. Weird new food; no. Lack of sleep; well, yes but that is my normal. I finally realized I had not been making a conscious effort to drink my 6-8 glasses of water. In addition, I usually have a 1-2 cups of tea each day. Upon review, I was way behind on my fluids.
I think drinking water comes more naturally in the summer, especially in the Midwest when humidity makes you feel hot and drenched in a matter of minutes. Thirst is satisfied as part of the search to find ways to cool down, such as drinking iced water. Not in winter.
In winter, I have to make an effort to drink all that I need. I have tried various ways to keep up with water consumed. I have a water bottle with bands on it. The bands were made to wear on your wrist but I thought I could remove one each time I filled up the bottle and then after all three were removed, I would have consumed adequate water. Problem: the bands were hard to take off and put back on and when my daughter found them on the island, she would often wear them and they would be misplaced.
I am now working on using coasters to help me keep track. Sounds weird, but let me explain. I keep a holder with four coasters on my island as I don't like water rings on my counters. I use them, but no one else uses the ones in the kitchen. So this is now what I do: I pull all coasters out of the holder and put my 8 oz. glass on them each night. When I fill the glass, I move a coaster over to the holder. When all four are over in the holder, I then move them back out and repeat. If I drink a cup of tea or drink out of another container when I am away from home, I simply move the estimated number of coasters over when I get home. You can see from the picture that I have filled the glass 3 times: thus three coasters in the holder. After I drink the other half glass, I will refill the glass and move the 4th coaster over. It has been working for me quite well. Obviously, like so many other things, I have to actually use it for it to work. I'm going to finish that glass right now. Come on, drink a glass of water with me. I would enjoy hearing of other's solutions to tracking water consumption.
I think drinking water comes more naturally in the summer, especially in the Midwest when humidity makes you feel hot and drenched in a matter of minutes. Thirst is satisfied as part of the search to find ways to cool down, such as drinking iced water. Not in winter.
In winter, I have to make an effort to drink all that I need. I have tried various ways to keep up with water consumed. I have a water bottle with bands on it. The bands were made to wear on your wrist but I thought I could remove one each time I filled up the bottle and then after all three were removed, I would have consumed adequate water. Problem: the bands were hard to take off and put back on and when my daughter found them on the island, she would often wear them and they would be misplaced.
I am now working on using coasters to help me keep track. Sounds weird, but let me explain. I keep a holder with four coasters on my island as I don't like water rings on my counters. I use them, but no one else uses the ones in the kitchen. So this is now what I do: I pull all coasters out of the holder and put my 8 oz. glass on them each night. When I fill the glass, I move a coaster over to the holder. When all four are over in the holder, I then move them back out and repeat. If I drink a cup of tea or drink out of another container when I am away from home, I simply move the estimated number of coasters over when I get home. You can see from the picture that I have filled the glass 3 times: thus three coasters in the holder. After I drink the other half glass, I will refill the glass and move the 4th coaster over. It has been working for me quite well. Obviously, like so many other things, I have to actually use it for it to work. I'm going to finish that glass right now. Come on, drink a glass of water with me. I would enjoy hearing of other's solutions to tracking water consumption.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
On a Roll
Hard work pays off in most areas of life. I have exercised everyday this week so 7 out of 7 for me. It's been great to take the time to do something each day. I have been mixing up the workouts: outdoor walking, elliptical machine, indoor walk fit DVD, yoga, more elliptical, and some outdoor work around the house today. When I was younger (and thinner) I worked out several times a week. Those were the days of aerobic classes and women only gyms. Ahhh. Remember those?
Today was catch up on housework day as the week was super busy and over-scheduled. I put a crock pot of VT's Moroccan Lentil Stew with Raisins on while I worked. It can be found in the December 2015 issue or here. I wondered about the raisins in it, but it turned out delicious. The raisins were just enough to slip in a hint of sweetness occasionally and went along well with the cinnamon and cumin in the recipe. Definitely a keeper. Leftovers are in the fridge for a simple lunch after church tomorrow.
I went to a chiropractor this week for the first time. I didn't know my neck could make such cracking, crunchy sounds and still hold my head up afterward. Overall I;m glad I went and will go again soon with less anxiety now that I know what to expect. It is just another tool to assist me on a journey to a longer life.
I just started reading, The China Study (Campbell, 2006), and the information is astounding. It annoys me that the results of such an in depth study involving a huge number of subjects does not get disseminated to the public in a timely and obvious manner. Guess we can once again thank greed and the influence of industry for that one. I'm sure I'll bring this book up again in future posts.
I hope each reader will do at least one thing today to affect their own health in a positive way.
Today was catch up on housework day as the week was super busy and over-scheduled. I put a crock pot of VT's Moroccan Lentil Stew with Raisins on while I worked. It can be found in the December 2015 issue or here. I wondered about the raisins in it, but it turned out delicious. The raisins were just enough to slip in a hint of sweetness occasionally and went along well with the cinnamon and cumin in the recipe. Definitely a keeper. Leftovers are in the fridge for a simple lunch after church tomorrow.
I went to a chiropractor this week for the first time. I didn't know my neck could make such cracking, crunchy sounds and still hold my head up afterward. Overall I;m glad I went and will go again soon with less anxiety now that I know what to expect. It is just another tool to assist me on a journey to a longer life.
I just started reading, The China Study (Campbell, 2006), and the information is astounding. It annoys me that the results of such an in depth study involving a huge number of subjects does not get disseminated to the public in a timely and obvious manner. Guess we can once again thank greed and the influence of industry for that one. I'm sure I'll bring this book up again in future posts.
I hope each reader will do at least one thing today to affect their own health in a positive way.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Small Changes
Reality: Some people strive on big, drastic changes. It is exciting and results may be instantaneous. However, when making health changes, barring surgery, the changes usually are more gradual in nature. These types of changes also require more discipline over a longer period of time. I wish it were different.
I actually like healthy food. I don't think there is any vegetable or fruit I don't like. I find that a key to choosing them over other snacks is making them convenient. I find it amazing how quickly the veggies get eaten when I have them all cut up in a container. I have begun buying organic baby carrots that are already cleaned and washed. There are no short cuts that I know of for other veggies.
I have been moving steadily toward organics and find that many times the price difference is minimal especially since stores, like Aldi's, are moving in the direction of carrying more organic products.
I have been perusing issues of Vegetarian Times (VT) for recipes. Note that just because something is vegetarian it does not mean that it is healthy. I am dismayed at how many recipes try to replicate meat in some way. I don't want to replicate meat in my diet. I don't want tvp, seitan, or soy protein. I just want to eat real healthy food to provide my family's bodies with what they need to perform how God created them to perform.
Served over pasta. Recipe adapted form a recipe from VT.
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