Invincible!

Well after a good nights sleep, a successful shopping trip and stepping out & phoning a friend & inviting another out for a picnic I thought I was invincible, I was wrong! Of course!

I woke slowing and got into the housework, washing, mopping, weeding, vaccuming, cleaning showers, wiping tables and on it goes. I didn't even finish the mopping. By 11am I was yelling at my kids, no a good sign.

I was slightly late for their school orientation, adding more tension. When I visited with
my parents in the afternoon I just sat there. I could hardly even talk & my memory didn't function properly either. I would like to have longer lasting energy, but the reality is that I do not.

Yesterday I saw a job advertised & was considering applying, today I am wiped out from some house cleaning by 11am. I need to get a realistic view of myself. I'd rather think I am OK!

So, what does a realistic view mean; I need to spread my work over the week, have a daily rest time, make time to sit and relax, not try to cram too much activity into one day...keep it simple & stressfree.

Hope I learnt something today.

I don't feel good stressed, running late, yelling or tired.

A Social Life

I need a social life, I don't have one. I am well short of friends other than family and have often felt sad about it & now it is time to act...misery seeks company? No, I need to reach outside myself and be a friend to others and keep at it until, well until forever!
Might have to join some stuff too, put myself out there. Not comfortable but neither is feeling alone, I have tried doing nothing & that didn't really work out fruitful so I need to try something else.

What should I join first?

The Giving of Thanks!

I am grateful that we did not end up in a full blown financial crisis before I came to my senses!

I am grateful for my husband & kids, & that they are healthy and bright.

That my husband is a hard worker who has fully supprted me while I have been a stay at home Mum, being unwell & working volunteer.

I am grateful for the financial help of family that has enabled us to purchase a home.

I am grateful for internet access where I can learn about so many things & keep in contact with friends & family all from the comfort of my own home...it is amazing!

I am grateful for the kindness of others, like a lady visiting with me this week even though her troubles are many, she thought of me. Amazing!


I am gratful for podcasts, I love to learn through audio and podcasts keep me stimulated, interested and aware. Amazing!

I am grateful for many Mum who helps me in so many ways, so does my Dad. Amazing! That should be near the top of my list.

I am grateful for my sister. She inspired me through her weight loss and maintenence that I too could have a lifestyle change. She has a positive can do attitude with most things and has raised 4 great kids. Amazing!

Hope that inspires you to think of things/people you are gratful for too!

Tired

I have had a cold for the past wek or more & have been so very tired during the day but have failed getting to bed early. Why is this so? I intened to but usually get distracted by the TV (when I go to say good night to hubby watching it) or the computer (particularly as I have trying to blog daily). But I need to extra sleep!
So I am off for a good nights sleep, now that is Paleo.

Good night!

Joint pain

Awoke this morning with joint pain, a forgotten symptom that I had gone to the dieticain with & that an amine free diet resolved. So was is caused by pork, increase of green vegetables or taking some decaf tea this week? I had it quite bad after my second child and it could be any of those three. I am loathe to eliminate them all & start over, it just takes so much time! I am thinking tea the most likely, though I don't know why perhaps it is related to the tannins? I''ll google it.

Lovely weekend here, hope you made good use of yours.

Paleo Schmaleo

Having been diagnosed with MS in 2006 the Paleo diet for MS by Prof Loren Cordain caught my attention.

Initially I tried the injections but they gave me gut problems (like most things do). Iwas sleep deprived and confused, I had loads of tests that were not explained to me and no answers at all. I didn't really believe that I had MS either. I had no resolution with any of my symptoms, I just kept going to the doctors with constipation, sleep disturbances, upper tummy pain to name just a few of my symptoms. I had leaky gut & had never even heard of it, it was only this year as I begun a crash course in learning about my own health that I heard/saw the term for the first time ever! Why had the nuerologist not mentioned this? I shall ask that question at my next appointment in 2011.

I wached & purchased the Paleo Diet for MS, you eat whole foods excluding; grain, dairy, egg, legumes, nightshades and add to that my diagnoses of Fructose Malabsorption and there is not much left for me to eat. I initially got to day 20 and craved butter & egg so bad I ate them, only to soon discover I am allergic/intolerant to dairy & egg!

Recently I took a doctors referral to a dietician when I mentioned that I was reacting to even more food (anything with histamines in it) who tested me for a SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) for which I tested positive and put me on an low chemical/amine free diet. In the mean time I got allergy tested & cut out egg & dairy and am no longer constipated. I am in the slow process of reintroducing individual foods.

The Menu
I can currently eat, lettuce, cucumber, celery, rocket, swede, carrot, zucchini, beans (green & yellow) pumpkin and sweet potato, lamb, white fish, pork (no bacon), beef, chicken, chilli, chives, parsley, mint, rosemary and some spices (no paprika or cinnamon) and carob powder, tinned pears and bananas (just ripe) and tonight I added in silver beet, because I grow it. Sound yummy? For fat I use olive oil, lard and coconut oil (yum).

I have been attempting to eat mostly paleo since first hearing Prof Cordain, it just made sense. But it is such hard work with such limited food choices.

Non Paleo extras
I also do nibble, roasted salted cashews which are the only nut that is low chemical and does not irritate my tummy. Plain rice crackers, one packet of these bland suckers has lasted a LONG time! The occasional pancake made with gluten free flour, an egg susstitute and water. they are not very tasty and I'll have that with a piece of tinned pear, 2 small pancakes that don't brown and that my teeth can hardly cut through, I am serious! Rice milk in decaf coffee. The decaf is so bland and the texture like filtered sand that I have the occassional one with rice milk. I usually drink black tea but it gives me gas & heartbrurn at the moment.

I eat meat & veg for every meal and nibble cooked leftover meat if I get extra hungry, I like coconut oil and olive oil but eat fatty cuts of meat too,especially pork! But no bacon, it makes my tongue swell.

I subscribe to some paleo recipe sites but have found none that I can use.

So am I a paleo wanna be, psuedo paleo or just a boring eater?

What do you think & do you have any recipes?

A breather!

Got an amount from an expected source but of unexpected size, just in time for Christmas...phew!
I have been so vague for so long my partner may well think I made up any sense of panic in the financial area, I didn't though I did delight in it a little. We can now tidy up few things & end the year nicely.

I am attempting to blog daily as I have always thought I wanted to write & that this a good way to try it out, I do need some better more interesting topics!

There are bugs eating all our strawberries, mongrels, I need to fix that ASAP!

Some financial wellness goals!

We had a wak up call recently. As I have not been well I had lost sight of our current financial status & got into spending mode. By the time I had some mental clarity we had a pile of bills & expenses well past our ability to meet them, alarm bells rang & we had to take action or end up in trouble.

I was going to post on the the dumb things I have done with money but I thought better of it. It's not time to focus on dumb stuff from the past, no matter how recent, it is time to make goals to move ahead like never before.

Here are my goals for the remainder of 2010.

1. Pay off one Credit Card and closeit.

2. Stay within planned budget for Christmas.

3. Stay within grocery budget.

4. Continue with exercise and eating low carb.

5. Enquire about bartering for hair cuts.

I am new to goal setting and planning so achieving these 5 should give me confidence for 2011, when I shall begin setting larger goals and entering the workforce or creating streams of income.

What are your short term goals?

Jane

Feeling much better!

Had some allergy testing done after hearing a podcast & got a positive result on dairy & egg, the proteins in them. It has been 3 weeks now without dairy and 6 days without egg & I feel heaps better. Today I lay on the big pillow on the floor with my son, he is 5. I bought this pillow just over 7 years ago as I liked to lay on the floor but have been pregnant & had a sore belly ever since! What a good day, it is nice to be feeling better, I look forward to continued improvement!

I made a cake today from the Simple Savings website, No Fuss Fudge Cake! I made it with carob powder in stead of cocoa and it worked fabulously. It was egg, dairy and gluten free, I would also like it to be sugar free so I shall investigate some stevia.

Hooray for improved health!

Amines & messy!

Am on an "amine" free diet at the moment in attempt to sort out what is going on with my digestion. It is working well even though it is very bland & limiting. I have been constipated, my main symptom, but no longer! I have cut out dairy, amines and grain products (mostly).

So something is working, yee ha!

I saw a book in the library, on the trolley behind the desk & I wanted to read it. I walked away then went back & asked if I could borrow that book. I have been buying books that sound interesting and they are not gripping reads, but I am half way through this book and I got it yesterday! It is about being a messy Christian and it is full of stories and is a delightful read. Refreshing actually, I really need a lift.

Sugar!

In my attempt to eat more protein I cut sugar, that was not my intention I just didn't want the carbohydrate hangover and sugar cravings. I had 3 days of headaches and at least 5 days of frequent urination. I dropped just over 2 kilograms, probably in water, and have enjoyed this new simple approach to food.

I have been snacking on plain yoghurt, nuts, sunflower seeds, berries, brown crushed linseeds, and dark chocolate. I have a little bit of banana some days which tastes so much better post sugar.

I like the snacks, particularly the yoghurt and peanut butter combination.

Turns out the low-carb life is a fascinating health journey with podcasts and books. I am really enjoying the Lin la vida Low Carb show with Jimmy Moore, it is full of experts, scientific research discussions , and heaps of things I know very little about. I first listened to episodes about sugar and am now learning about fat, and I love it. I like butter but am feeling encouraged to eat a bigger variety of natural (saturated) fats without fear. Feels good.

I have reached another time in my life when it seems the more I learn the less I know, which I hope helps me keep an open mind about life in general. It is not dissimilar to departing organised religion for me, there is a set of accepted food beliefs that I am learning are not quite the truth I was lead to believe. I am a sucker for learning new things.

I am excited about low-carb living as I don't have to go off it just keep living it. I eat so much and enjoy it more, there is so much variety and fresh beautiful produce, it is wonderful.

More Protein!

I was attempting to rise earlier and hit a patch of morning energy failures, I just didn't want to get out of bed. Apart from the occasional night of broken sleep I do pretty well, so I needed some help.

I listened to some health and fitness podcasts and one of the host's says she wakes with a carbohydrate hangover if she has a Hershey's chocolate kiss before bed. I had been nibbling Violet Crumbles so I paid attention.

Last night I had no high carb treats before bed, I had plain yoghurt with a little peanut butter (which was better than expected) and went to bed feeling successful. Even better I had a good day, felt good in the morning and found the thought of having high carb treats not appealing due to ill affects.

I have been feeling good and have lost 18 kilograms, some aches and pains have totally gone and others are less of an issue. I like to feel good and after eating a bit more protein today I am feeling somewhat better, I pay attention as the days go on. I did have rice for lunch, with chicken, and roast lamb for dinner, but no bread or choc chip cookies and certainly no Violet Crumble!

Day 1 of more protein, I feel good and am happy to continue tomorrow!