and I'm sorry! Being a mom, a wife, a teacher, an avid reader, well, all the these things have been taking up my time.
But on with the present, shall we? I've made some changes to the way I eat, and I am reaping the benefits! After much thought, and some prodding from a local mom friend, I changed doctors. I've never been a fan of straight Western Medicine. I like the complementary/alternative medicine. I go to a chiropractor, I use some herbal and homeopathic remedies, and I'd do more if my wallet would allow. So this doctor I now see practices what is known as Functional Medicine. She has an M.D., but she is very accepting and even will prescribe these kinds of CAM if she feels they will help. Perfect, if you ask me. So I went to an initial appointment several months ago, where she spent over an hour talking with me as well as administering the full exam. She ordered a battery of tests, and spent a good long time with me explaining my results with me. Amazing! She's kind, not dismissive like my last doctor. And, more importantly, she knows her stuff.
So anyway, while many of my markers were good, if not great, I'm a bit stressed out. I also have this condition called candida. Basically, it's a systemic yeast infection, which, let me tell you, is not fun. So I needed to go on a medication called Diflucan for 6 weeks to kill the yeast and am now on a few supplements that keep any remaining yeast at bay. I also take some adrenal support supplements, as I am so stressed out. My thyroid medication was upped a bit, too. All these issues have made me sluggish and not vibrant like I should be at my age (34, if you're wondering).
But even better, I changed my diet. I had been mostly doing WAPF, although gluten free because I was (and am) sure that gluten does me NO favors. So before that meant I would have meat, grassfed (and raw) dairy, veggies, legumes,tubers, and gluten free grains and goodies. While my last cholesterol readings were awesome (take that, lipid hypothesis!), I needed to rid all sources of sugar so as not to feed my yeast. That includes anything that could ferment in my gut. My doctor gave me a list of restrictions; basically, I needed to eat a Paleo diet, which was fine with me.
I have removed dairy (including butter, which does make me sad), all grains gluten free and otherwise, legumes, most high-sugar fruits, vinegars, and added sugar. The only sweetener I use is stevia. Okay, yes, this may seem restrictive, but my sweet tooth has been tamed, and honestly with the kinds of foods I've been making lately, my decadent side is satisfied. Thanks to cookbooks like Well Fed and Eat Like a Dinosaur, and websites like Mark's Daily Apple, the food is obscenely delicious.
And you know the best part? I feel amazing. I feel like I'm younger than 34. My blood pressure is outstanding (96/75 is a typical reading). And I've lost over 21 pounds. I feel like I've found the answer. Do I miss treats? Sure, sometimes. Sometimes I do indulge because I can't be a saint 100% of the time, but I'm healing my body, so I don't want to derail it completely.
I suppose I could have done GAPS, which many people feel is the answer. I'm sure it works, but it's far too organized and restrictive for me. I know myself too well to know that I can't do that successfully. I'm sure as heck not ever going to do Matt Stone's RRAF/180 Degree Health (which is the current bandwagon that many WAPF bloggers seem to be jumping on). It looks like a recipe for a giant butt more than actually healing anything. The only thing it seems to be good for is to not stress on what we eat so much, but honestly, food doesn't stress me out. I just eat food that I like and likes me. I'm not linking those diets, by the way, because I don't want to endorse them. You all can Google them on your own, if you like.
So yeah, there we go. That's where I am right now. I will try to update soon.
But on with the present, shall we? I've made some changes to the way I eat, and I am reaping the benefits! After much thought, and some prodding from a local mom friend, I changed doctors. I've never been a fan of straight Western Medicine. I like the complementary/alternative medicine. I go to a chiropractor, I use some herbal and homeopathic remedies, and I'd do more if my wallet would allow. So this doctor I now see practices what is known as Functional Medicine. She has an M.D., but she is very accepting and even will prescribe these kinds of CAM if she feels they will help. Perfect, if you ask me. So I went to an initial appointment several months ago, where she spent over an hour talking with me as well as administering the full exam. She ordered a battery of tests, and spent a good long time with me explaining my results with me. Amazing! She's kind, not dismissive like my last doctor. And, more importantly, she knows her stuff.
So anyway, while many of my markers were good, if not great, I'm a bit stressed out. I also have this condition called candida. Basically, it's a systemic yeast infection, which, let me tell you, is not fun. So I needed to go on a medication called Diflucan for 6 weeks to kill the yeast and am now on a few supplements that keep any remaining yeast at bay. I also take some adrenal support supplements, as I am so stressed out. My thyroid medication was upped a bit, too. All these issues have made me sluggish and not vibrant like I should be at my age (34, if you're wondering).
But even better, I changed my diet. I had been mostly doing WAPF, although gluten free because I was (and am) sure that gluten does me NO favors. So before that meant I would have meat, grassfed (and raw) dairy, veggies, legumes,tubers, and gluten free grains and goodies. While my last cholesterol readings were awesome (take that, lipid hypothesis!), I needed to rid all sources of sugar so as not to feed my yeast. That includes anything that could ferment in my gut. My doctor gave me a list of restrictions; basically, I needed to eat a Paleo diet, which was fine with me.
I have removed dairy (including butter, which does make me sad), all grains gluten free and otherwise, legumes, most high-sugar fruits, vinegars, and added sugar. The only sweetener I use is stevia. Okay, yes, this may seem restrictive, but my sweet tooth has been tamed, and honestly with the kinds of foods I've been making lately, my decadent side is satisfied. Thanks to cookbooks like Well Fed and Eat Like a Dinosaur, and websites like Mark's Daily Apple, the food is obscenely delicious.
And you know the best part? I feel amazing. I feel like I'm younger than 34. My blood pressure is outstanding (96/75 is a typical reading). And I've lost over 21 pounds. I feel like I've found the answer. Do I miss treats? Sure, sometimes. Sometimes I do indulge because I can't be a saint 100% of the time, but I'm healing my body, so I don't want to derail it completely.
I suppose I could have done GAPS, which many people feel is the answer. I'm sure it works, but it's far too organized and restrictive for me. I know myself too well to know that I can't do that successfully. I'm sure as heck not ever going to do Matt Stone's RRAF/180 Degree Health (which is the current bandwagon that many WAPF bloggers seem to be jumping on). It looks like a recipe for a giant butt more than actually healing anything. The only thing it seems to be good for is to not stress on what we eat so much, but honestly, food doesn't stress me out. I just eat food that I like and likes me. I'm not linking those diets, by the way, because I don't want to endorse them. You all can Google them on your own, if you like.
So yeah, there we go. That's where I am right now. I will try to update soon.
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