The Blood Sugar Swing

It has been four days since I began my new plan. 

Let me fill you in on my progress. I read that many people feel no real effects of the detox and that it generally is an easy and gradual beginning for them. That was NOT me!  I was pretty sick all weekend! UGH.  I had absolutely no energy, a migraine headache, and I simply had to lay down for both days. I was utterly wiped out.  As weird as it sounds, I took this as a good sign that I was on the right track.

If starting to eat right and detox could have THAT drastic of an effect on me in just two days, I knew that something was pretty off in my system and I really needed to work to get it back on track. My husband was really supportive and concurred.  I got NOTHING done at home and literally spent the weekend in bed.

I was anxious about what that meant for teaching on Monday.  (You cannot just lay around --or even sit around for that matter at school!  Yikes!) But, Monday, I had more energy and felt a whole lot better- until about one pm and then I crashed. I had a headache and started to feel really exhausted. Again, I took it as a good sign that things might be looking up.  At least I felt better until one, right?  

Tuesday, I tried to think about more protein, smaller, more frequent meals in addition to all the healthy veggies.  No carbs affects your blood sugar!  It worked a bit better, I made it until 2:30 and then the same thing happened.  So, because I had my planning period (and because I had a meeting from 3:30 until 5:30 that I had to be able to function for) I ran to the health food store and got a snack to help with the blood sugar issues.

Today, when I got on the scale (which has NOT been my friend for MONTHS), I had lost a FULL pound!  Yippee!  Hooray!  Hallelujah! ** I know, I know, weight should not be/ and is not my real objective, but honestly losing at least fifteen pounds to put me back to my ideal weight would be a very nice bonus.

I am hoping today to keep my blood sugar balanced more correctly.  That means more protein.  It means more frequent meals.  I actually WOKE UP with the headache I have been getting in the afternoon.  ARGH!  That means somehow last night I messed it up at dinner time. So, back to the drawing board...stay tuned.  

Why on Earth would you do this?

I am setting out on a journey towards better health.  Intuitively, I think that making these lifestyle changes will have a positive effect on me.  I have endured migraine headaches since 1978.  Unfortunately, unlike other members of my family who may have them once or twice a year, I have them three or four times a week.  Additionally, I have several autoimmune issues, I battle insomnia, asthma, joint pain, focus issues, depression, and fatigue. Recently, I was diagnosed with Celiac.

The laundry list of symptoms means that most days I feel crummy at best and some days I feel just plain rotten. My mission:  To answer a "How are you?" question with "Great!" and mean it!

This blog entry is meant to be my inspirational post to myself so that when the going gets tough along the way, I remember why I started down this path in the first place.

After reading a lot about candida and leaky gut, I think my symptoms all point to the same problem: my gut.  It is called our second brain and it controls way more than we have thought previously!  When something bad happens, and it makes you feel sick to your stomach, it really IS having an effect on your stomach!  I am learning that my migraines and serotonin levels are connected to my stomach/gut.  I am learning that my stress levels affect my stomach/gut.  So, fixing my gut may fix my other issues as well.

Is that cup of coffee or piece of candy worth a migraine?  No way.  Would I be willing to eat on this limited diet plan for the rest of my life if these symptoms went away?  Yes, I really would. And you, dear reader heard me say it.  

So....Now what?

I am going to attempt to re-set my system.  It isn't as fast or as easy as a computer.  But, I think it is absolutely necessary for me. I think my stomach and intestines are totally out of whack.  I think I have leaky gut issues as well as candida.  I think this may explain so many of my symptoms. 

I am looking forward to beginning a Stage 1 tomorrow.  New eating program and plans to work on my stress level also. 

I am eliminating a lot of modern day convenience food, foods that cause allergies, and foods that seem to feed candida.  The goal for this first phase is to improve immune system and intestine functioning and help improve absorption of nutrients.  

So, what WILL I eat?

Lots of fresh vegetables. Free range eggs or chicken, fresh fish, nuts (except for pistachio and peanut), rice milk, brown rice, gluten free oats, quinoa, unsalted good quality butter, ginger, herbal teas or dandelion root coffee, lemons, organic cider vinegar, sunflower seeds, fresh herbs and good spices, green apple, beetroot, avocado, cherries, berries.  

For me, this means juicing for one meal perhaps, having a grain based meal with a rice milk and fruit for one meal, and then a good quality steamed or raw veggies and protein (fish or chicken or eggs) meal.  It means snacks of veggies and nuts in between. Very simple foods for two to three weeks. (The time depends on how I feel and what my body needs.)

What WON'T I eat?

No sugar, dairy, wheat, grains that aren't on the list, starchy vegetables, processed food, meat other than what is listed, shellfish, junk food, etc. Essentially, if it isn't on the good list above, it isn't going in my mouth.  For about two weeks.  Yep. That includes Thanksgiving. 

Additionally, I will be drinking only water or herbal teas.  Absolutely no caffeine at all. I am also taking a product called Colozone to help clean up the colon. And, I am going to meditate each day. Ideally, this would be done during a time when you could take a break from work and take it easy... but with a small child and a full time job, that won't be happening.  I am just going to do my best to lighten my stress load. Not just for this two week time period, but for life in general.  This is not meant for me to be a short intervention, it really is my hope that this will be a lifestyle shift.  

The goal is to purge toxins from your system and get your body back to rights.  My focus will be on choosing snacks to make sure that I am not hungry during the day (I don't want to be tempted to cheat and eat something stupid) and that my blood sugar stays well-regulated. As long as I have a meal plan and snacks at the ready, I feel pretty confident about this plan.

I am hoping to post some recipes these next few weeks so you can see what wonderful things I come up with to eat with my limited list of ingredients... Perhaps you too will want to try them!

We will see how it goes...

Inside, Outside, Upside Down

My alter-ego is a demon from Hell.  Truly.  I guess I should have read a lot more comic books as a child because I would have related to the Hulk or Spiderman I think. Last week, due to my "demon", I had the most devastating moment of my teaching career.

I went to school, a bit tired, with a bit of a headache, but "functional".  Those lovely readers out there with migraines will know what I mean.  I had a level 4 or 5 migraine but I needed to work and I just power through those icky days. I started teaching my first class of the day and then all heck broke loose.

Instantly, I felt drugged.  My vision started to swim.  I felt dizzy; I thought I was going to faint in front of my class.  My speech started to slur.  I had trouble articulating clear thoughts and sentences. In a panic, I asked my teaching neighbor to find the assistant principal to cover my class.  The kids looked terrified. To make a long story short, I had to leave for the day.

I had to sit in a dark room while our lovely secretary collected my things and assured me that my classes would be covered. She actually carried my stuff for me and drove me home. I couldn't even open the door.  I had to watch my every step to make sure I didn't tumble over. I made it to the sofa and didn't leave it for hours; I slept through my darling daughter putting cold cloths on my head (supervised by her father). I felt weak, and scared and vulnerable and helpless. The pain was searing and totally unmanageable. I was completely at the whim and discretion of the pain for two days.

Hence, my alter-ego. No control over her appearance.  No control. Period. Good-bye Wendy, Hello Migraina.

Completely humiliating.

Thanks to the kindness of my amazing family and faculty, I made it through, but I just wanted to cry in shame.

SO... flash forward a week. 

Albert Einstein says insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. (I am paraphrasing.)

So, now I am trying some new things.

1. I am having the mercury fillings removed from my mouth.  Just in case.
2. I am going to stop trying every wild suggestion all the doctors say because they don't all agree with each other and I feel like a tree in a tornado.
3.  I am going to do what feels right to ME.
4.  I want to use less medication and more whole foods, exercise, stress reduction.
5.  I want a plan to change my lifestyle and look at root causes rather than treat symptoms.
6.  I am planning a full on assault to take back my life and health.  MISSION HEAL.

This is going to chronicle the good, bad, and ugly along the way. Maybe it will help inspire others to make positive life changes as well. :)

Emily Dickinson and Me

Hope is the thing with feathers 

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all

~Emily Dickinson

Today is the beginning of my new journey as a blog writer.  Well, heck, just as a writer.  Writing has been teasing me for years from the sidelines of my life.  It is something I have always wanted to do, but never had the confidence to actually pursue with any stamina.  I have a dozen journals in my house in which I have written the first several pages and then abandoned in embarrassment. But... there is something about writing.  An elusive quality I cannot describe.  At least a dozen times a week I find myself saying, "OOOOh, I should write about that!" And then I laugh at myself.  These statements always sound as if there is a place already in which to do this writing.  

But there isn't.

Up until now, it has all been in my head.

And, each time I have thought about creating a blog, I have turned away from that because the blogs I have seen seem to have such energetic purpose and so. many. pictures. Sigh.  I guess mine will simply turn out to be whatever it is.  

I am married.  To a wonderful man for 16 years.  We have a beautiful daughter.  She is three and a half.  She is our miracle baby and the light of our life.  I am a middle school social studies teacher.  I have taught for 20 years.  I have autoimmune issues and migraines.  They are a plague upon my existence. I love feng shui, cooking, sewing, reading, spending time with my family, and crafts.  I am learning photography.  I am pretty sure all of this will end up in my blog at some time or another and in different amounts.  But I will share it all. 

Welcome Reader. Glad to meet you.

~Wen