I started this blog almost 3 years ago with the goal to write about living a more natural life style. For me this means cooking my own food, growing my own food, eating local and with the seasons, eating healthy and naturally, being creative and not buying everything at the store, or even buying things that are thrifted and "upcycling"them. Not only am I not really following through with these things on this blog, but I have let go of actually practicing a lot of this in my life (which is maybe why I am finding it so hard to write about it).
I am moving towards a more vegan diet. As I have written, I have the BRCA2 gene mutation, which places me at a much greater risk for breast and ovarian cancer as well as pancreatic cancer and melanoma. I still have to decide if I am going to have surgery to reduce my risk, or if I am just going to try to do things a little more naturally. I have some doctors appointments coming up and have to schedule a couple more. I am hoping that after these appointments, I will be able to make a better decision on which direction to go. If I decide to have surgery, I will also continue with a mostly vegan diet and living a lifestyle that has ways of dealing with stress.
The research that I have done, has shown that eating a plant based diet, is something that can greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer. I figure, even if I have surgery, it can't hurt to take care of my body and eat less meat and more fruits and veggies and whole grains. I am also planning on really going gluten free and dairy free since I have sensitivities to these foods, or at least I think I do. I also need to be better at gluten and dairy free meals and snacks for my older son. He too has sensitivities that seem to manifest as symptoms of Autism. Since we have greatly reduced his gluten and dairy intake he has greatly improved. I really believe that diet plays a huge role in how our body reacts, not just physically but mentally as well.
We will be having a garden this year, and I hope that we do better and that we can get a lot of things from our own garden. I really need to spend some time and research how best to eat locally and seasonally as well as doing it on a budget. I really want to start making my own foods instead of going out to eat or buying more processed foods.
I also keep thinking about crafting for charity. I will be creating things for my local twins group to sell at their annual convention. It will be nice to donate to something that I can directly benefit from and have benefitted from in the past. As much as this is great, I really want to do something more. One of these days I will get the courage to talk to my selectman friend about collecting things at the farmers market. I would love to be more active in my community and maybe this is one way to start. I have grand thoughts, but am not sure if they are too grand and need to be tailored down. I will keep thinking and maybe I'll get the nerve to talk to him about it.
Amy
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Making the Switch
Yes, I have decided to wrote about my diet changes on this blog. At one point, I had started another blog just to talk about my diet changes, but I just don't have enough time to write on too many blogs. I've finally decided that I am going to fully commit to changing my diet, which means that I am going to have to eliminate a lot of foods, and a lot of foods that I really enjoy eating. I am hoping that I see some positive results from changing my diet so that I will be motivated to continue.
The more research I do, and the more critical thinking I do about diet, the more I realize just how much your diet plays in your overall health. There are so many different food/diet philosophies out there, and I'm not really sure that there is one right diet for everyone. The one thing that I do believe is that whole food cooking is the only way to really be healthy. Although I have to admit that I do not eat this way all the time, my newest goal is to always, or at least as often as possible, eat whole foods. By this I mean, I am going to cook my food from whole ingredients, not buy pre-made or processed foods. This has been my goal all along, especially when I started this blog. Some where along the way, this goal got lost and I stopped writing about it and I stopped really even thinking about it.
I've written before that I think I may have issues with Candida. This stems from issues I've had dating back to at least 2000 (whish is when I first saw a doctor for my digestive issues), and probably a number of years prior to that. The Candida issue makes the results of my blood test seem even more likely to be true. One of my sensitivities is to yeast as well as gluten, wheat, and other gluten containing foods. I have definitely had issues with long term anti-biotic use. When I was in high school, and I am having my 20th reunion this year, I had chronic urinary tract infections, for which I was placed on anti-biotics prophylacticly. I was even doing test for infections at home so that I didn't have to actually go to the doctor's office for a test. Then I was also on medication for acne as a teen. What I really should be doing is following an anti-candida diet and see if that clears up some of my issues.
This is going to be a long road. I've written often about my struggles with giving up certain foods. I've also written a little about how I feel that I have an addcition to these foods. There is some thought that once you clear up Candida and you heal your gut, you will be able to tolerate at least some of these foods once in a while. My concern is that if I go back to eating these foods once I heal, will I just be setting myself up to fail, just like a drug addict or an alcoholic who thinks that they can have just one? I probably shouldn't be looking this far ahead, but I am thinking that I also need to plan for the future. I believe that it will take some time to heal my gut and get rid of the issues that I am dealing with, but I think that I am finally at a point where not only do I want to do this, but I am really interested in making it fun and not looking at it as if I am losing something, but as a way to gain new receipes and try new foods!
Amy
The more research I do, and the more critical thinking I do about diet, the more I realize just how much your diet plays in your overall health. There are so many different food/diet philosophies out there, and I'm not really sure that there is one right diet for everyone. The one thing that I do believe is that whole food cooking is the only way to really be healthy. Although I have to admit that I do not eat this way all the time, my newest goal is to always, or at least as often as possible, eat whole foods. By this I mean, I am going to cook my food from whole ingredients, not buy pre-made or processed foods. This has been my goal all along, especially when I started this blog. Some where along the way, this goal got lost and I stopped writing about it and I stopped really even thinking about it.
I've written before that I think I may have issues with Candida. This stems from issues I've had dating back to at least 2000 (whish is when I first saw a doctor for my digestive issues), and probably a number of years prior to that. The Candida issue makes the results of my blood test seem even more likely to be true. One of my sensitivities is to yeast as well as gluten, wheat, and other gluten containing foods. I have definitely had issues with long term anti-biotic use. When I was in high school, and I am having my 20th reunion this year, I had chronic urinary tract infections, for which I was placed on anti-biotics prophylacticly. I was even doing test for infections at home so that I didn't have to actually go to the doctor's office for a test. Then I was also on medication for acne as a teen. What I really should be doing is following an anti-candida diet and see if that clears up some of my issues.
This is going to be a long road. I've written often about my struggles with giving up certain foods. I've also written a little about how I feel that I have an addcition to these foods. There is some thought that once you clear up Candida and you heal your gut, you will be able to tolerate at least some of these foods once in a while. My concern is that if I go back to eating these foods once I heal, will I just be setting myself up to fail, just like a drug addict or an alcoholic who thinks that they can have just one? I probably shouldn't be looking this far ahead, but I am thinking that I also need to plan for the future. I believe that it will take some time to heal my gut and get rid of the issues that I am dealing with, but I think that I am finally at a point where not only do I want to do this, but I am really interested in making it fun and not looking at it as if I am losing something, but as a way to gain new receipes and try new foods!
Amy
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Meeting Goals
Last night, I wrote about a few goals I had for the week. One of those goals was to make my daughter's Easter dress. I went home from work last night and started cutting out pattern pieces and sewing and this is the almost finished product. The only thing I have left to do is hem it. Now I just need to make a barrette for her to wear. I have the stuff, I just need to make it.
My little ham
Holding onto Woody
As for my other goals, I followed through with my dinner plans for tonight for the family, but I didn't make it in time for me. I chose as best I could at work, eggplant parm. I still haven't had any soda, though I have craved it horribly. I did day one of the couch to 5K yesterday and tomorrow is day 2. I still haven't gone shopping for clothing for this time of year, but I really need something to at least cover my arms!
I haven't gotten to the Salvation Army yet. I really want to go and see what kind of goodies I can find and what I can do with them. I am hoping that it will spark my creative ideas and I'll do something truly creative instead of just following someone else's ideas.
As for my kids' diet, I am almost certain that Michael has an issue with dairy. We had pizza Saturday and then he had pizza last night. I guess I was just hoping that he could have it once in a while, so we trialed cheese. Needless to say it was a no go. Last night was the first night in a long time, like 2 months (probably the longest ever), that he woke in the middle of the night. Now to be fair, all I had to do is go in and put the blanket back on him, but that has never happened since we took him off dairy. Then this morning when I went to get him up, I noticed that there was blood on his sheets from him scratching at his arm. He has had a little issue with scratching his back, but I'm not sure if he just kept scratching at it because it was scabbing. I also noticed that he was snoring worse this morning, another thing that had gratly decreased since going dairy free. I am going to be very strict with what I give him. I don't now if I will feel comfortable giving him pre-packaged foods unless I can be sure that it is dairy free. I may need to look into seeing if there are other foods that may be contributing to this.
I am thinking that I really need to continue with watching all of our diets. I am thinking that losing the starchy carbs for all of us would be a positive move. I am hoping that with the right diet, we will all start to feel better. I need to continue to create sine it is what I truly love to do. I really want to make sure that I complete the couch to 5K and I actually want to run a 5K. I am thinking that I may run a 5K with another twin mom this summer. I really will feel good to complete the program and be able to run since this is a goal I have always had.
Amy
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Diet Take 2!
So after writing last nights post, I started to think about what is going on in my life and where I really needed to start listening. I am hoping to get some inspiraton on what to do with my life, but I think right now I need to listen to my body. I am always talking about changing my diet, and I end up making some changes for a short time, but then I go back to my old ways. Part of it is because I don't think I give my body enough time to feel better and then realize that it is worth making those changes.
This winter has been really tough on me cold wise. Right now I have a miserable cold that is totally kicking my ass (for the last week)! Spring is now here in Massachusetts, and I am really wanting to get outside and exercise, play with my kids, and just plain enjoy the nice weather. The problem, I feel to miserable to do any of this!
I just started thinking that maybe, just maybe this is my body's way of saying "HEY, YOU, LISTEN UP! I CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH OF THE JUNK YOU FEED ME. I KNOW THAT YOU TRY TO BE GOOD, BUT YOU NEED TO TRY HARDER. STOP EATING THE STUFF THAT YOU KNOW IS NOT GOOD FOR ME!" If all my organs had the ability to talk, I swear that is what they would yell! I am wondering if not eating right, and probably not taking my allergy meds is just putting to much stress on my body, so anytime a little virus/infection happens, my body has to do more to fight it? Starting tomorrow, I am going to take my own advice and start listening. I am going to start eating the way I know I should be eating and want to eat. I am going to continue to not drink soda (which though hard is not all that bad). I won't list out all the things I know I should be doing, but I will start writing about what I eat and any changes that I feel. I really need to start drinking more water. I have enough water bottles that I can have a ton in the fridge so that I can just refill, grab, and go. This maybe too much to ask, but I am really hoping that this will help so many more aspects of my life, which I will write about later.
Here's to listening to my body!
Amy
This winter has been really tough on me cold wise. Right now I have a miserable cold that is totally kicking my ass (for the last week)! Spring is now here in Massachusetts, and I am really wanting to get outside and exercise, play with my kids, and just plain enjoy the nice weather. The problem, I feel to miserable to do any of this!
I just started thinking that maybe, just maybe this is my body's way of saying "HEY, YOU, LISTEN UP! I CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH OF THE JUNK YOU FEED ME. I KNOW THAT YOU TRY TO BE GOOD, BUT YOU NEED TO TRY HARDER. STOP EATING THE STUFF THAT YOU KNOW IS NOT GOOD FOR ME!" If all my organs had the ability to talk, I swear that is what they would yell! I am wondering if not eating right, and probably not taking my allergy meds is just putting to much stress on my body, so anytime a little virus/infection happens, my body has to do more to fight it? Starting tomorrow, I am going to take my own advice and start listening. I am going to start eating the way I know I should be eating and want to eat. I am going to continue to not drink soda (which though hard is not all that bad). I won't list out all the things I know I should be doing, but I will start writing about what I eat and any changes that I feel. I really need to start drinking more water. I have enough water bottles that I can have a ton in the fridge so that I can just refill, grab, and go. This maybe too much to ask, but I am really hoping that this will help so many more aspects of my life, which I will write about later.
Here's to listening to my body!
Amy
Monday, February 21, 2011
Does This Mean Anything?
Is this a coincidence or is it real? For the last week, that is except for today and yesterday, I have been having raw green smoothies for breakfast. I am used to eating some sort of carb for breakfast, but I had been trying to starrt my day off right so that maybe I would make better choices for the rest of the day. Prior to making this change in my diet, I had been having pretty rough sinus type headaches. Once I started having the raw green smoothies, I noticed I was no longer waking up with a headache. I was getting over a cold, so I was not sure if my diet change had anything to do with not having anymoer headaches or if I was finally over my cold. I haven't had a headache since, that is until today. I have had a slight headache off and on all day. It's not the piercing headache that I was having before, but none the less an anoying headache. The funny thing is, yesterday and today I did not have my raw green smoothie for breakfast. I did have 2 glasses last night before bed and then a 1/2 glass after my pancakes this morning. Yesterday I had french toast. I find it interesting that now that I started my day off with starchy carbs, my headache is back. It's probably just a coincidence, but just in case, I am back to my raw green smoothie for breakfast tomorrow and nothing else. No more carbs in the morning. Ok, no more gluten or wheat or any of the other grains that i shouldn't be eating, in the morning. Actually no more of the grans that I shouldn't be eating ever. I think the headache today made me realize that I really need to do something with my diet, never mind that I have lost about 6 pounds without dieting, just making lifestyle changes!
I am still researching and enjoying reading others blogs. I love how many people out there are dealing with food issues and that they are sharing their struggles and what has helped them. After seeing how much of a role dairy played in my older son's breathing difficulty, I am more aware of how food affects people. I almost pushed for my son to have surgery, tonsillectomy and maybe even an adenoidectomy, and all I had to do was eliminate milk from his diet to notice a very noticable improvement to his breathing. The best part is, others have noticed it too, so I know that it is not just me wanting to believe that there has been a change! I am also wondering if citrus may be another trigger for my kids since they have recently been eating a ton of oranges and are again having diaper rashes. I know we need to have them offically tested for allergies, but my anecdoctal information says that they are having issues with certain foods. Now, I just need to maintain our dairy free diet and add a gluten free, citrus free, probably sugar free diet to what we eat. I am really interested to see what role more diet changes play in our lives! If anyone has good blogs regarding healthy eating, please pass them on.
I have a little more information on my mom's cancer diagnosis. At this time, she has stage 1 grade 2 breast cancer. This means that the tumor was small, only about 0.9cm (about 3/4 in) and that it is semi-aggressive in nature. It is an invasive form of cancer, so she will be having an MRI to see if the cancer has spread any where else in her body. After that, she needs to have a lymph node biopsy, which will help to determine what type of treatment she has. Then after that, she will have the BRCA test to see if she carries the gene for breast cancer. This is actually pretty scary for me since I know that my great grandmother, my grandmother and her twin, and now my mom have all had breast cancer. If she does not have the gene I will be very surprised (no one else in my grandmother's family had breast cancer except for her twin sister), but you never know. This diagnosis has also made me re-evaluate my eating habits. I still don't always make the best choices, but I know that whatever changes I make are going to be lifestyle changes, not just momentary changes. I will be 38 this summer and I have 3 small children. Thankfully, it seems as if breast cancer tends to hit after menopause in my family, but the time is now to make the changes, not wait until something happens. Right now, I'm all about prevention. Any suggestions on cancer preventing diets is always helpful and very much appreciated!
Here's to making lifestyle changes that will help me be a healthier happier person and making them stick!
Amy
I am still researching and enjoying reading others blogs. I love how many people out there are dealing with food issues and that they are sharing their struggles and what has helped them. After seeing how much of a role dairy played in my older son's breathing difficulty, I am more aware of how food affects people. I almost pushed for my son to have surgery, tonsillectomy and maybe even an adenoidectomy, and all I had to do was eliminate milk from his diet to notice a very noticable improvement to his breathing. The best part is, others have noticed it too, so I know that it is not just me wanting to believe that there has been a change! I am also wondering if citrus may be another trigger for my kids since they have recently been eating a ton of oranges and are again having diaper rashes. I know we need to have them offically tested for allergies, but my anecdoctal information says that they are having issues with certain foods. Now, I just need to maintain our dairy free diet and add a gluten free, citrus free, probably sugar free diet to what we eat. I am really interested to see what role more diet changes play in our lives! If anyone has good blogs regarding healthy eating, please pass them on.
I have a little more information on my mom's cancer diagnosis. At this time, she has stage 1 grade 2 breast cancer. This means that the tumor was small, only about 0.9cm (about 3/4 in) and that it is semi-aggressive in nature. It is an invasive form of cancer, so she will be having an MRI to see if the cancer has spread any where else in her body. After that, she needs to have a lymph node biopsy, which will help to determine what type of treatment she has. Then after that, she will have the BRCA test to see if she carries the gene for breast cancer. This is actually pretty scary for me since I know that my great grandmother, my grandmother and her twin, and now my mom have all had breast cancer. If she does not have the gene I will be very surprised (no one else in my grandmother's family had breast cancer except for her twin sister), but you never know. This diagnosis has also made me re-evaluate my eating habits. I still don't always make the best choices, but I know that whatever changes I make are going to be lifestyle changes, not just momentary changes. I will be 38 this summer and I have 3 small children. Thankfully, it seems as if breast cancer tends to hit after menopause in my family, but the time is now to make the changes, not wait until something happens. Right now, I'm all about prevention. Any suggestions on cancer preventing diets is always helpful and very much appreciated!
Here's to making lifestyle changes that will help me be a healthier happier person and making them stick!
Amy
Monday, February 7, 2011
Inspiration
Am I inspired and if so, to do what? I am inspired, but the problem is I tend to lose any energy to put my inspiration to good use. Why do I lose inspiration? That is the obvious question. What is not obvious is the answer. I have all these dreams and goals, but I don't ever seem to put them to good use. Yes, I am a busy mom of 3, but I tend to lose focus. I start off with the best of intentions and then, I totally lose it!
One of the things thatI am inspired to do, is change my eating. I start off doing well, then I lose it. The thing is, I think that my diet, may have something to do with my lasck of energy, my lack of focus. I really want to cut out gluten, dairy and probably yeast from my diet. I really need to eat a anti-candida diet and see if that gives me any more focus and energy. For the life of me, other than thinking that I am struggling with food addictions, I can not figure out why I can't eat the way I want to. It's not like I don't like the food, it's more that I like the other foods more. It's more that I can't stop eating the other foods. I try going slow, but then I just explode and everything goes horrible. I read all these blogs about people who have made changes and feel so much better. Why can't I make the changes too.
I am also inspired to be more creative, I just can't seem to find the time or the energy to pull out my supplies. I should give myself some credit here though. I have been trying to be really good about fitting in some creative time every week and I have been able to do that, just not as often as I would like and more rushed than I would like vs being an enjoyable activity.
I would like to be more green in my life. I do well at times, but then I don't do any where near as well as I would like. I want to be less reliant on commercial stores and use more thrift items. I want to make better choices when it comes to food, energy, and recycling. I am really trying hard not to buy new, trying to cook at home (healthy meals), trying to not use energy sucking appliances, and trying to reduce, re-use and recycle and up-cycle.
Some of these activities are things that I would love to translate into a profession. I know that i could go back to school and get an art therapy degree, a nutrition degree, go to cooking school for alternative cooking (not just the basic cooking that I can already do), sell my creations, and I'm sure there are more, I just have to think outside the box. The thing is I have to get my body and mind to have the energy and the focus to decide what it is that I want to do for a career! After writing this (which is one of the reasons I like this blog), I am thinking that I really need to focus on my diet and see if that helps with my energy and my focus in other areas. I guess the next step is for me to start cutting out dairy, wheat, gluten and all the other potential allergens/intolerances that I may have and start eating a more vegan diet as well as an anti-candida diet and start to see if I feel better. I need to focus on my food addictions (at least the ones that I think I have) and really be good at not eating them so that I don't get into the habit of eating things that are not good for me. I am thinking I may even start eating green smoothies as a way to just start this whole process. I will be sure to write about the different changes to my diet and how these changes are affecting my whole life. The one things that I will always take from my social work education is that people are multi-faceted and that all the different areas of our life affect who we are. When we make changes in one area, it can have either positive or negative effects in other areas. I know what I need to do, now I just need to do it!
Amy
One of the things thatI am inspired to do, is change my eating. I start off doing well, then I lose it. The thing is, I think that my diet, may have something to do with my lasck of energy, my lack of focus. I really want to cut out gluten, dairy and probably yeast from my diet. I really need to eat a anti-candida diet and see if that gives me any more focus and energy. For the life of me, other than thinking that I am struggling with food addictions, I can not figure out why I can't eat the way I want to. It's not like I don't like the food, it's more that I like the other foods more. It's more that I can't stop eating the other foods. I try going slow, but then I just explode and everything goes horrible. I read all these blogs about people who have made changes and feel so much better. Why can't I make the changes too.
I am also inspired to be more creative, I just can't seem to find the time or the energy to pull out my supplies. I should give myself some credit here though. I have been trying to be really good about fitting in some creative time every week and I have been able to do that, just not as often as I would like and more rushed than I would like vs being an enjoyable activity.
I would like to be more green in my life. I do well at times, but then I don't do any where near as well as I would like. I want to be less reliant on commercial stores and use more thrift items. I want to make better choices when it comes to food, energy, and recycling. I am really trying hard not to buy new, trying to cook at home (healthy meals), trying to not use energy sucking appliances, and trying to reduce, re-use and recycle and up-cycle.
Some of these activities are things that I would love to translate into a profession. I know that i could go back to school and get an art therapy degree, a nutrition degree, go to cooking school for alternative cooking (not just the basic cooking that I can already do), sell my creations, and I'm sure there are more, I just have to think outside the box. The thing is I have to get my body and mind to have the energy and the focus to decide what it is that I want to do for a career! After writing this (which is one of the reasons I like this blog), I am thinking that I really need to focus on my diet and see if that helps with my energy and my focus in other areas. I guess the next step is for me to start cutting out dairy, wheat, gluten and all the other potential allergens/intolerances that I may have and start eating a more vegan diet as well as an anti-candida diet and start to see if I feel better. I need to focus on my food addictions (at least the ones that I think I have) and really be good at not eating them so that I don't get into the habit of eating things that are not good for me. I am thinking I may even start eating green smoothies as a way to just start this whole process. I will be sure to write about the different changes to my diet and how these changes are affecting my whole life. The one things that I will always take from my social work education is that people are multi-faceted and that all the different areas of our life affect who we are. When we make changes in one area, it can have either positive or negative effects in other areas. I know what I need to do, now I just need to do it!
Amy
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Food Update
On Monday, I started to eliminate a few types of food from my diet. In case you don't know, I had a blood test a while ago that showed that I have multiple allergies. Unfortunately, they are all foods that I love and crave! Along with that, this blood test is known for it's false postives. One of the areas that I showed an allergy was certain cheeses and cow's milk as well as wheat, gluten, and yeast. There were a few others also, but these are the ones that I am going to have trouble living without, at least initially.
The next step, according to my PCP is to meet with a dietician and do an emination diet. Unfortunately, now that I am working, scheduling appointments is extremely diffcult with 3 little ones. My PCP suggested that I eliminate the foods on the test that scored a 3, so that is what I decided to do. I have been tryin gto do this since I got the results about 1 month ago, but have failed in everyway possible. I finally attempted it this Monday and I have succeeded so far. This is absolutely huge for me. I have never gone this long without wheat, gluten or dairy. Since it's only been 4 days, I'm not sure if I have noticed anything yet or not, but I will continue to remain as strict as I can. I do have a dinner Saturday, which could prove difficult, but not impossible. If, for some reason, I do poorly that night, I will get right back on the horse and eat the way I am supposed to.
I have attempted an elimination diet in the past and I believe you have to be off the eliminated foods for around 3 months before you start re-introducing them back into your diet. With that, I assume that I won't really feel any changes for a little while longer. I really do need to make an appointment with the dietician, I just need to find out when I get get a sitter or I need to take time off from work.
So, for now, I am eliminating foods, researching a gluten free, casein free diet, and will also start researching elimination diets. I will get an appointment with the dietician as soon as possible and figure out the best way to go. There is the fear that the dietician will want to do another test, but I will have had to have been eating the things that I am eliminating. That will be better than having to do the elimination diet, but if I am eliminating things, I'd don't necessarily want to add them back in after I have eliminated them for a good amount of time. I guess that means that I should really get the appointment sooner than later so that I figure out what is necessary. Now that I think about it, I guess I could actually e-mail the dietician and see if she would have me start eliminating foods or if I should wait until I am able to meet with her. I guess I am really glad I decided to write about this. It has helped my thinking process a bit!
Amy
The next step, according to my PCP is to meet with a dietician and do an emination diet. Unfortunately, now that I am working, scheduling appointments is extremely diffcult with 3 little ones. My PCP suggested that I eliminate the foods on the test that scored a 3, so that is what I decided to do. I have been tryin gto do this since I got the results about 1 month ago, but have failed in everyway possible. I finally attempted it this Monday and I have succeeded so far. This is absolutely huge for me. I have never gone this long without wheat, gluten or dairy. Since it's only been 4 days, I'm not sure if I have noticed anything yet or not, but I will continue to remain as strict as I can. I do have a dinner Saturday, which could prove difficult, but not impossible. If, for some reason, I do poorly that night, I will get right back on the horse and eat the way I am supposed to.
I have attempted an elimination diet in the past and I believe you have to be off the eliminated foods for around 3 months before you start re-introducing them back into your diet. With that, I assume that I won't really feel any changes for a little while longer. I really do need to make an appointment with the dietician, I just need to find out when I get get a sitter or I need to take time off from work.
So, for now, I am eliminating foods, researching a gluten free, casein free diet, and will also start researching elimination diets. I will get an appointment with the dietician as soon as possible and figure out the best way to go. There is the fear that the dietician will want to do another test, but I will have had to have been eating the things that I am eliminating. That will be better than having to do the elimination diet, but if I am eliminating things, I'd don't necessarily want to add them back in after I have eliminated them for a good amount of time. I guess that means that I should really get the appointment sooner than later so that I figure out what is necessary. Now that I think about it, I guess I could actually e-mail the dietician and see if she would have me start eliminating foods or if I should wait until I am able to meet with her. I guess I am really glad I decided to write about this. It has helped my thinking process a bit!
Amy
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Failure Follow Up
So far I got one response to my Failure post. This response made me think that maybe I could just cut out dairy (cow) and wheat and gluten. I am wondering if this may make things easier if I can have some things that are not crazy. At least there are a ton of gluten free sites and even some gluten free dairy free blogs that I maybe able to look towards for some help in remaining on the right type of diet. I know that something makes me feel horrible and I would have to say that cow's milk is definitely something that affects me. I can't say for sure now if wheat and gluten make me also feel horrible. I am hoping that getting rid of these foods will not be as limiting as getting rid of all the allergens in theallergy test. As always, this is going to be a work in progress. It will be interesting to see how I do with these changes.
Thanks Momma B for the suggestion fo slowly eliminating things and seeing how I do with that!
Amy
Thanks Momma B for the suggestion fo slowly eliminating things and seeing how I do with that!
Amy
Failure
Why am I such a failure when it comes to eating the way I should be. I know that I often have stomach issues, but really could never relate it to certain foods except dairy products. Now that I have been tested for allergies, there are so many more foods that I need to check to see if are true allergens. Why is it that I can not stop eating these foods long enough to see if I truly have an allergy to them. I feel like a complete and total failure when it comes to food intake. I guess this must be what a drug addict or alcoholic feels like on some level. I know it isn't the same, but I truly crave these foods and I know that they make me feel horrible. I just need to bite the bullet and start doing what I need to so to be healthy. I had to eliminate something (substance that I craved) when I was in grad school for my substance abuse class. At the time I chose caffeine. Not a bad choice at the time, but thinking back I wish I had done something more like wheat. According to my blood test (which there are many false positives supposedly) I need to cut out cantaloupe, cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, cottage cheese, egg yolks, gluten, malt, cow's milk, rye, tuna, watermelon, wheat, brewer's yeast, and baker's yeast, and maybe even yogurt. Because of these potential allergies, it is even more important that I cook my own food and eat healthy. I am on the path to eating correctly from here on out. I know that there will be more failures, but I will always get back on the horse and do what I need to do for my health.
As for creativity, I still need to get better at creating. I am making the cake for my mom's birthday. I can't wait to play with the decorating. It's going to be fun. I can't wait to get better at making time to create. I am working on a knit dishcloth for my husband's aunt and I will be giving her a pattern book for her to make things from. Hopefully she'll like them. I am also thinking that I don't really want to sell things I create, but I actually want to teach others the benefits of living a creative life. Some day I'll figure out what my passion within creativity really is.
I'm off now to get the kids dressed and go to the natural grocery store with them. I need to plan my meals and start thinking about how to be healthy for me and my family!
Amy
As for creativity, I still need to get better at creating. I am making the cake for my mom's birthday. I can't wait to play with the decorating. It's going to be fun. I can't wait to get better at making time to create. I am working on a knit dishcloth for my husband's aunt and I will be giving her a pattern book for her to make things from. Hopefully she'll like them. I am also thinking that I don't really want to sell things I create, but I actually want to teach others the benefits of living a creative life. Some day I'll figure out what my passion within creativity really is.
I'm off now to get the kids dressed and go to the natural grocery store with them. I need to plan my meals and start thinking about how to be healthy for me and my family!
Amy
Friday, September 10, 2010
Routines
With my husband being back in school, I am struggling to get a little routine in. Since I have all 3 kids all day with 2 days of early intervention and 1 day of playgroup, plus be home in time to get ready for work, I figure a routine will be beneficial all around.
First off, I have to admit, I am not a routine/schedule type of person. The only reason that I have somewhat of a schedule is so that I ensure that things will get done the way they need to. Since we have things that are scheduled every week now, I am going to try to be better at organizing my day/week/month. I keep talking about it, and I really do start to try to get organized, but I just never seem to keep up. I'm sure following a routine will help with that as well as many other things that have gone by the wayside.
One of the things that is going pretty horribly right now is my eating. I am trying to do an elimination diet to confirm food allergies. I start off doing well, but then I go off track because my less than organized day is off. My doctor said that I don't have to eliminate foods until I meet with the dietician, unless I want to. My goal is to start eliminating so that I am closer to being done with it than trying to start it after my meeting, especially since I don't think that she'll tell me differently than my doctor has. I guess my best bet is to make the appointment, along with the other appointments I have to make for the kids and be done with it. I was going to start with eliminating foods again tonight, but I have a graduation party tomorrow and I don't know what foods will be there. I know that the food allergy is not serious enough to make it important to start immediately. I do think that I will have less degestive issues and maybe even less congestion issues if I do eliminate the foods that the test says I am allergic to. The thing with eliminating these foods is that I will most likely eat healthier. I have been doing better with that, except for lately, but getting into a routine and getting back on track will be good all around.
Routines and schedules are important, but for me and my family they are not carved in stone. I know that there are a lot of people out there that swear by their routines and never deviate from them, but I am not that type of person, nor do I want to be that type of person. My routines and schedule will be set to make life easier, but will also be flexible enough that if something comes up, say a playdate, we will b eable to attend!
Amy
First off, I have to admit, I am not a routine/schedule type of person. The only reason that I have somewhat of a schedule is so that I ensure that things will get done the way they need to. Since we have things that are scheduled every week now, I am going to try to be better at organizing my day/week/month. I keep talking about it, and I really do start to try to get organized, but I just never seem to keep up. I'm sure following a routine will help with that as well as many other things that have gone by the wayside.
One of the things that is going pretty horribly right now is my eating. I am trying to do an elimination diet to confirm food allergies. I start off doing well, but then I go off track because my less than organized day is off. My doctor said that I don't have to eliminate foods until I meet with the dietician, unless I want to. My goal is to start eliminating so that I am closer to being done with it than trying to start it after my meeting, especially since I don't think that she'll tell me differently than my doctor has. I guess my best bet is to make the appointment, along with the other appointments I have to make for the kids and be done with it. I was going to start with eliminating foods again tonight, but I have a graduation party tomorrow and I don't know what foods will be there. I know that the food allergy is not serious enough to make it important to start immediately. I do think that I will have less degestive issues and maybe even less congestion issues if I do eliminate the foods that the test says I am allergic to. The thing with eliminating these foods is that I will most likely eat healthier. I have been doing better with that, except for lately, but getting into a routine and getting back on track will be good all around.
Routines and schedules are important, but for me and my family they are not carved in stone. I know that there are a lot of people out there that swear by their routines and never deviate from them, but I am not that type of person, nor do I want to be that type of person. My routines and schedule will be set to make life easier, but will also be flexible enough that if something comes up, say a playdate, we will b eable to attend!
Amy
Friday, September 3, 2010
Allergy Testing
About 1 year ago the fall, I started allergy testing. I found out that I have fall allergies, yealy allergies, candida allergy, and spring allergies. Since having my allergiy testing, I am doing 3 shots per week and in the fall sometimes more. Currently, I am do for my shots this week and my eyes are telling me I better do them soon! Recently, I had a blood test for food allergies and like usual,, I figured I wouldn't have anything show up. Well, I got my results today and lo and behold I have food allergies too (my husband knew I would be allergic to something). Some of it I was surprised at and some I kind of figured. The only issue is that there are a lot of false positives with this test. The big food items that I am allergic too are cheese, egg yolk, gluten, wheat, yeast, and milk with a few others that didn't react as bad as these. I was not surprised with the milk and cheese, since every time I eat them, I tend to feel sick. I wondered about wheat, gluten, and yeast, but i really didn't think that there would be an issue. Now I need to schedule an appt with a dietician and talk about where to go next. Personally, I think I want to just cut out these food items and see how I feel. One web site that I looked at suggested to cut out foods that reacted with a +3 or +4 for at least 10 months and then slowly introduce them back into the diet and things that reacted with a +1 or +2 for 3 or 4 months. I will probably make an appt with a dietician, but I am thinking that the best thing to do is to eliminate these foods and see how I feel.
Today, I did really good until I went off to work. As usual, I stopped at the local muffin shop and got something. I had been feeling really good until then now I feel horrible. Most probably because I ate something that I said I wasn't going to. I am done now with eating things that I shouldn't eat. The only problem is that the dinner I made was with flour and dumplings. I can't decide if I should just eat it and start after that, but part of me says start now! I seriusly feel nasty right now and really want to feel better.
I really think that I need to keep a food journal. This is not going to be easy with 3 little ones, but I think that is the only way to figure out if things are getting any better. So to start off today, I had tea with lemon and stevia, salad with lettuce, red pepper, tomato,cucumber, carrot, celery, goat cheese, walnuts, and dried cherries, and then I had a gingerbread muffin and diet pepsi. I kind of feel bloated and will keep an eye on things!
If anyone reading has suggestions for me, please let me know. This is going to be a tough diet change for me! My goal is to cut out the allergenic foods and also soda.
Curly girl update-I go for my first curly gorl haircut tomorrow. I am so excited. It's been almost a week since I washed my haid with shampoo. I think my hair looks fine, but we shall see how it goes!
Amy
Let's hope Hurricane Earl is mild and over quickly here in the Boston area!
Today, I did really good until I went off to work. As usual, I stopped at the local muffin shop and got something. I had been feeling really good until then now I feel horrible. Most probably because I ate something that I said I wasn't going to. I am done now with eating things that I shouldn't eat. The only problem is that the dinner I made was with flour and dumplings. I can't decide if I should just eat it and start after that, but part of me says start now! I seriusly feel nasty right now and really want to feel better.
I really think that I need to keep a food journal. This is not going to be easy with 3 little ones, but I think that is the only way to figure out if things are getting any better. So to start off today, I had tea with lemon and stevia, salad with lettuce, red pepper, tomato,cucumber, carrot, celery, goat cheese, walnuts, and dried cherries, and then I had a gingerbread muffin and diet pepsi. I kind of feel bloated and will keep an eye on things!
If anyone reading has suggestions for me, please let me know. This is going to be a tough diet change for me! My goal is to cut out the allergenic foods and also soda.
Curly girl update-I go for my first curly gorl haircut tomorrow. I am so excited. It's been almost a week since I washed my haid with shampoo. I think my hair looks fine, but we shall see how it goes!
Amy
Let's hope Hurricane Earl is mild and over quickly here in the Boston area!
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