44 posts tagged “health”
Just documenting another migraine - this one was on Thursday night, last week. I'm reminded of it tonight because I'm fighting one again. Thursday was a doozy, though. I got my period the next day, and I'm not sure if that is related or not. Who knows, I might not find any pattern or reasons for why I get these, but I'll never know until I start keeping a good journal on when they occur.
When I drive to and from work, I usually use that time to reflect on things. Yesterday, I was thinking about my hearing aid and family doctors - and realizing that even though they have degrees in their fields, it doesn't mean they are the best or know the most. It's kind of scary to have those thoughts, because everyone wants to believe that their doctor is "the expert", but I think of it in a more practical way. I interact with people on a daily basis who have college degrees in their fields and I see firsthand how that piece of paper doesn't always mean what it should.
It's good to see that people like Glenn Hagele, founder and Executive Director of the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (USAEyes.org), are taking a stance on this issue, too. Glenn is coming at it from a less broad angle, as he is primarily concerned with patient advocacy in the surgery arena, in particular the Lasik surgery. USAEyes.org strives to ensure that all Lasik surgeons are evaluated and certified based on patient outcomes. Glenn is getting some press, in part because of his powerful stance on the issue. He states in the article that "No amount of technology can make up for an inferior surgeon."
I believe this to be true. My hearing aid doctor has all of the computers with bells and whistles you can think of at his disposal, but if he doesn't know how to utilize that technology, it does me no good. It's nice to see this kind of press that encourages consumers to be realists and not go into an eye surgeons office with blinders on, no pun intended.
I decided in the shower this morning (I'm always inspired in the shower), that I'm going to keep a record of my food intake on this blog. I blogged about getting more variety last week and I've made some progress, but I feel like writing my food down here every day will keep me more accountable. Here's what I ate the last few days:
Friday
B: 1 C plain yogurt, 6 oz Granny Smith apple, 1/4 C steel cut oats, 1/2 C roasted soybeans, cinnamon (all mixed together)
L: I can't remember
D: 4 oz flounder, 8 oz baked potato, 2 C salad, 2 t oil, balsamic vinegar
S: 1/2 C cottage cheese, 6 oz blueberries
Saturday
B: Pineapple Mini Loaf - 1 egg, 4 oz firm tofu, 6 oz. pineapple, 1/2 C oat bran, 1/3 C powdered milk, cinnamon and nutmeg
L: Abstinent Pizza - 1 egg, 1 C brown rice, Italian seasoning (crust), 4 oz soft tofu (crumbled), 1 C Classico spaghetti sauce, 1 C peppers and onions, 1 t oil
D: 4 oz chicken, 8 oz sweet potato fries, 2 C salad, 2 t oil
S: 1 C plain yogurt, 6 oz blueberries
Sunday
B: 1 C plain yogurt, 6 oz apple, 1/4 C steel cut oats, 4 oz silken tofu, 1 egg
L: 4 oz shrimp, 1 C Brussels sprouts, 1 C cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with balsamic vinegar, 8 oz red potato fries, 2 t oil
D: Chili - 1 C Spicy Hot V-8, 1 C peppers & onions, 1 C white kidney beans, 4 oz tempeh, 1 t oil
S: 1/2 C cottage cheese, 6 oz blueberries
Today
B: Peach Shake - 6 oz frozen peaches, 8 oz silken tofu, 1/3 C oat bran, 8 oz milk, nutmeg
L: 4 oz ground chicken, 1 C brown rice, 2 C broccoli, salsa, 1 t oil
D: 4 oz ground chicken, 8 oz sweet potato fries, 2 C salad, 2 t oil, balsamic vinegar
S: 6 oz grapefruit, 1/2 C cottage cheese
I noticed I have blueberries just about every night, so I'm going to switch that up tonight. You'll probably notice that I have about 3-5 different meals that just rotate. I'm okay with that - it's the eating of almost identical meals every single day that troubles me.
So I never did try the Goji Berries I talked about a little while ago. I keep forgetting about them, to tell the truth. Plus, I have this thing about not having the fruits I always have. I need to get out of my rut. And it sounds like the Goji Berry would certainly get me out of a rut - these things are so chock full of nutritional benefits! They've got more protein than whole wheat, more vitamin C than oranges and they contain Vitamins E (the only fruit to do so), B1, and B6. That's amazing. I gotta get me some of this stuff!
Since changing my eating habits, I don't get heartburn or acid reflux too often any more, but it does occasionally happen. I used to get frequent heartburn! Man, did that suck. Heartburn has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. I know when I get it, I just want to stab something with a fork because it's so uncomfortable. My heart rate has to double when I get heartburn, too, because that feeling is so intense and I get all stressed out.
Reading about the causes of heartburn partly confirms that my changed eating habits are responsible for the frequency of my heartburn attacks... but it still leaves a question about why the tomatoes or fruit I eat doesn't trigger it. I have a suspicion that the other triggers like caffeine and fried and fatty foods are bigger triggers for my body.
One of the problems I have with a lot of the medications for heartburn on the market is that they contain ingredients I either can't or would prefer not to ingest. There are a lot of chemicals in those drugs! I was reading an article tonight about herbal heartburn remedy ideas and it piqued my interest. There are three main herbs that help sooth heartburn: chamomile, ginger and peppermint. I knew about peppermint, but not the other two.
See that? Isn't it gross? Any idea what it is?
I won't keep you in suspense - it's what comes out of a non-cleansed colon. It's called mucoid plaque. Even the name is kind of gross. I guess that picture doesn't surprise me too much considering what comes out of my ass on a regular basis. Ha! But it's still nasty to think about that being inside my body.
I've heard a lot about people getting a colon cleanse, but not really anyone I know. I think I hear about celebrities having it done or maybe other random people online that I don't know very well. I haven't done a lot of research about the procedure because I always considered it a bit unnatural and I always thought people had it done to lose weight.
Well, surprise, surprise - I was wrong. People are getting their colons cleansed to improve their health, not to lose weight. The thing that intrigued me the most after learning the actual details of the colon cleaning process was the fact that when we have that plaque buildup on our colons, our bodies don't properly absorb any of the nutrients we eat. And, more importantly, the lack of nutrient absorption then feeds the craving cycle of wanting more food or foods with stronger flavors. Interesting! I know that by eliminating sugar, flour and wheat from my diet that I've greatly eliminated any cravings I get on a regular basis, but I can relate to wanting foods with stronger flavors. I'm always looking for more flavor and I attributed it to just being a food addict. I mean, that could be a good part of it, but maybe it's physiological in additional to psychological?
I'm still not 100% sure I would do a colon cleanse, but I'm definitely not completely against it like I was before I educated myself about it. Learn something new every day.
I've always had a problem with the religious people who are against medicine of any sort and say that "God will heal them if its his will". That just doesn't sit right with me. I believe the fact that we have medicine on this earth is, in large part, due to God giving us the ability to create medicine.
So it's good to see there's a company based on faith that believes in the medicinal route. FaithMeds has a whole line of natural products and remedies. Find out about relieving IBS with Digesthelp on their site. This product is all-natural and time-tested as safe, working by replenishing the cells in your digestive tract.
I do believe that this is a very good example of God and nature working hand in hand... with the help of man.
I read an article yesterday that I'm still trying to decide what my opinion is about it. The article was on orthorexia, which is a disorder of having an obsession with eating healthy. Here are some of the check-list questions to self-diagnose:
- Are you spending more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food?
- Are you planning tomorrow's menu today?
- Is the virtue you feel about what you eat more important than the pleasure you receive from eating it?
- Has the quality of your life decreased as the quality of your diet increased?
- Have you become stricter with yourself?
- Does your self-esteem get a boost from eating healthy? Do you look down on others who don't eat this way?
- Do you skip foods you once enjoyed in order to eat the "right" foods?
- Does your diet make it difficult for you to eat anywhere but at home, distancing you from friends and family.
- Do you feel guilt or self-loathing when you stray from your diet?
- When you eat the way you're supposed to, do you feel in total control?
And my answers: No, sometimes, no, no, yes, sometimes, yes, sometimes, doesn't happen, kind of.
So it doesn't seem as if I have orthorexia, but I do believe the people who are writing about this should look into people who are recovering from food addictions by following a healthy food plan that doesn't allow for flour, sugar, caffeine, etc - because once we put those foods into our bodies, we can not stop eating them and others. I don't think I obsess about eating healthy, but I do put a lot of time and effort into it, because it takes it.
On the other hand, my husband thinks I can be too rigid with my food plan and it does bother him at times when I get freaked out at certain places when I can't get what I need for my meal. I've gotten a lot better about this over the years as I've learned to be more flexible and relaxed, but in the beginning, I was a real head case and pain in the butt!
I see this disease as being an "entry" disease to worse ones like anorexia and bulimia - and therein lies the biggest danger of suffering from this, in my opinion.
I'm sure you've all seen those commercials for cholesterol products on TV. They crack me up with all the side effects they list at the end. "May cause things that are 10 times worse than high cholesterol, but take our product anyway!" There is one good thing about those commercials, though - where they talk about the two types of high cholesterol problems. Some bad cholesterol you can control by diet and exercise, but there really are people who are genetically predisposed to having high cholesterol, no matter how good their diets are. That's got to be scary. And then to have it seem that your only remedy is to take a product with a list of side effects that could fit on an ancient scroll - not very comforting.
You guys know I'll all about the all natural products and solutions, so it's easy to see why I think Cholestelow, a cholesterol remedy to lower cholesterol, is a good idea. This product contains all-natural ingredients
and no harmful steroids, fillers, or chemicals; it is absolutely
safe to take on a regular basis. I like that. Hopefully more people will find out about remedies like this and start using them instead of lining the deep pockets of the pharmaceutical companies even further.
Disclosure
Do you or anyone you know suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? I know quite a few people who are affected by this disorder and I believe that everyone might suffer from it to some extent. I mean, we've been hearing about the winter blues and dull drums for decades - it's not a new concept, just a new name, really. I know I find myself getting more moody and irritable when I haven't seen the sun for days ... and my mood seems to just chirp right up when it's a nice, beautiful sunny day. There is definitely something to be said about the affects of the sun and the weather on the human psyche.
Have you ever tried any SAD Lamps or know anyone who has? I know some people who swear by them, although I've never used one myself. I don't feel that I'm affected enough to use one, but I wonder if it would make a difference on those long, dark days of winter? It probably wouldn't hurt to try it, but I just don't know if I'd have the time or patience to sit with one. Unless I could prop one above me while I'm sitting here on my laptop typing, of course. ;-)
I'm glad that we've figured out that this is a real concern and not just some old wives tale kind of thing to be disregarded as mumbo jumbo ... and that someone figured out, "Hey... people are lacking light in the winter, I bet that's what is causing all the sadness and depression at this time of year." I love "little" common sense discoveries like that. Whoever figured that out must have been just tickled with themselves, too. If I can use a pun... I bet they felt like the lightbulb had just went off. (I'm here all week, folks.)
But, seriously - I know S.A.D. is no laughing matter - it's debilitating for some. At least with a SAD Lamp, there's a way into the light. (No pun intended that time.)
This is a sponsored post.
