45 weeks without wheat, sugar, dairy, soy, and alcohol!

Apparently I either have the attention span of a gnat, or maybe its just that I have been enjoying the amazing changes that have come with this new lifestyle? Either way once again it has nearly been a year since my last post! Since I left off updating my progress at day 19 I will catch you up on what the last 300+ days have been like. So many positive changes have become the pillars of each and every day that I hardly even think of them as changes any more, they are just part of how I choose to live.

Yoga is still an every morning staple as is my big mug of hot water. This for me is a wining combination, the ritual calms me, gets me centered, warms up my muscles and makes me feel ready to face the day no matter what life and MS throw my way. In the old days I could roll out of bed and be meeting a client in 20 minutes, the new me takes nearly 2 hours to get out the door but I have adjusted to this change. Not going to lie it took a while but now I really appreciate how far self care goes toward improving my quality of life.

I am really glad that I went through the elimination diet and all of the rigorous food testing with the support of the incredibly knowledgeable and caring ND's at Waters Edge Natural Medicine rather than on my own with a book as is the popular thing to do. For me it would be really tough to stick to a plan based merely on what I thought I was feeling, having all of the tests to back up what I felt was really helpful and it has made it a lot easier for me to make the necessary long term changes, plus it saved me from the hassle of even needing to test a couple of foods (dairy and wheat) that came out as problematic during lab testing. I was certainly not accustomed to taking vitamins on a regular basis other than my rx vitamin D, but the supplementation that the ND's tailored to my specific needs helped me feel so much healthier and more vibrant that I quickly saw that this was going to be the new routine for me forever not just temporarily through the dietary changes. The foods that proved to be problematic for me are dairy (including sheep and goat) wheat, soy, peanuts, and corn is borderline so it is consumed sporadicly and sparingly. I am also continuing to leave out sugar and alcohol as both are incredibly inflammatory and my MS really doesn't need to be poked, it is plenty rude enough without me adding to its furor!! I have been able to add some decaf coffee to my life but my rule is that I can only have it after my first 16oz mug of hot water has been consumed.

I really started these changes at the perfect time of year, fresh fruit made ditching sugar far easier than it would have been if I had started this in the winter! Not to say that every day was easy but the peaches last summer were fantastic and they were very much appreciated! I know I ate more fruit than peaches but they are what I remember the most vividly, perhaps this is because they were the most delicious peaches I have ever encountered!

It turns out that I am quite good at finding or making up tasty things to eat, check out my instagram sometimes I remember to post the pictures! Having already been in the habit of keeping processed foods to a minimum and loving to cook good fresh whole food has proven to be helpful beyond words. This is not to say that there hasn't been some seriously frustrating moments. The substitutions that I am sometimes making have such different moisture content and textures that I do have some fails and in the kitchen. This is something that I am really not used to have happening to me and at first I took it personally but I have learned to cut myself some slack, this is new territory and I am having fun.

My quality of life is drastically different! We have focused on getting my hormones on track, fixing my thyroid, getting me sleep without pharmaceuticals, calming down the Epstein Barr Virus (which I didn't even know that I had...and it was of course running wild) and cutting out as much dietary inflammation as possible...so how couldn't my life be drastically different? I am lucky to have a much fuller life, before I started this process my life was work, and bed. I literally got almost no sleep even though I was laying there literally unable to move feeling like a block of cement! I still have what I call "cement" days, but not as often unless I over-do it or get stressed out. I feel so much more productive, its amazing to think of where I was just one year ago.

By the end of the summer I was feeling so much more alive and confident and I was using my cane less so I decided to try to stand on a paddle board as sort of a reward for all of my hard work. At first I was really self conscious because my "bad leg" had quite the neuromuscular response and shook noticeably when I stood on it. (awesome physical therapy work) I was freaked about what people on the shore might be thinking. I could only stand for little bits before it felt like that leg was going to give out and I had to kneel but I am stubborn and I kept getting back up, one rental time led to another and another and then I decided to buy boards instead of wasting my money renting. I am really excited for spring to actually happen in Seattle so that I can get out there on what will be the most beautiful board on the lake!

When I was first diagnosed with MS and read all of the crazy things that people with MS try to do to feel better I was appalled. The money that people spent on treatments that hadn't been proven to help and were not covered by insurance seemed crazy to me and I was determined not to be one of those crazy people but at a certain point you have to ask yourself exactly what is being able to live your life not just be alive worth to you. I do not believe that I will ever go off of my MS medication but the more other medications that I tried the more I realized that I didn't want to be sitting around at 70 with a liver that was shot because I hadn't at least tried to add natural medicine into my repertoire and I wanted to see if this group of ND's could help me and if so how much of a difference could they make? So here I sit, nearly a year into this science experiment of mine feeling grateful to have taken the opportunity to see if this path could add to the quality of my life.

Has this path of natural medicine and food as medicine cured anything? No, of course not, there is no cure for MS. It has however, allowed me to have a decidedly better quality of life, and that in my opinion is pretty much everything.

Day 19 thoughts on the anti-inflammation protocol, yoga and the infarred sauna

Okay, so we battled through the weekend and the first part of the week and guess what, things got better! On Tuesday I woke up with a definite change in facial pain which is really exciting. I tried not to get too excited but so far it is still holding a notch lower than it has been in a very long time, so now all bets are off and I am full on excited. I am positive that this is the result of the anti-inflammation diet!

This week I started testing foods back into my diet. Right off the bat I got onions back!!! I got to test garlic on Wednesday which was especially awesome because it all went well! Today (Thursday) I got to test peanuts which was pretty fantastic but is too soon to see if there will be any trouble. If today goes well then on Sunday I will test eggs. I think that (other than onions) all of the foods are tested individually and then not added back into a weekly routine until all of the inflammatory foods have been tested.

My mug of hot water and 30 min of yoga every morning is paying off too. I am noticeably calmer and far more flexible which really seems to help a bit with the muscle spasms!

The infarred sauna is most definitely helping with sleep. A lot of people who know that I am heat affected (thank you MS) have asked why on earth would I got hot on purpose knowing that it messes me up. I know that it seems crazy but infarred seems to have an awful lot of healing value plus it relaxes muscles. I bought a sauna of my own so that I do not have to wait somewhere in public for my vision to return to normal or for my legs to able to walk well enough to take me home. I can sit and close my eyes or read and and wait to return to normal at my own pace and then head to bed and sleep so much better because hey, when you are asleep you don't notice that awful wobbly, gutted feeling the mix of heat and MS causes.

If a little is good...

Here I go again! I got to do a couple of projects that didn't kill me...I felt like I got to put my toes back in the water and it felt so good to be productive! So great to not have to hire someone to do silly things that I used to do quickly and easily. So what did I do? Not a little more but a lot more. STUPID. Now my hands that made it through the last two trials with pain but no swelling are indeed swollen and hurt-y. My entire body feels like it is made of cement that had electrodes embedded in it. How was I raised by my mother who talked so much about the need to find balance in life and consistently reject that notion?

After so many positive excited posts lately I thought it was important to check in and be real about this, because no matter what our issues are we all hit walls of some sort that seem so monumental that finding a way around them is a daunting task. We have all been there. For may of us we look for some sort of comfort and for some of us that is when we turn the wrong direction.

Here is where this takes a positive turn. Not one cell in my body wants cake, or pie, or fudge or anything like that at all. I just want to stay in my yoga clothes with a mug of hot water (again thank you mom). I want to do some gentle movement, do some infarred therapy and put on a face mask. I want to do everything in my power to relax the spasms and keep myself calm.

Life doesn't go away. The only thing that changes is our reaction to it.

Is this at all discouraging as far as my anti-inflammatory eating goes? Does it mean it is a waste of effort? NO WAY!

My reaction to todays wall says everything. My reaction is healthy and solid and that my friends means that the tide is shifting.

I am NEVER that person that is grateful in any way for adversity because it makes us stronger. I am strong enough. But I am also smart enough to see that the face of a major body setback, it clear that this path that I am on is an incredibly positive and healthy one!

It got real!

Here is the list of what has been completely eliminated from my diet now that the the two weeks of getting ready are over and the intense clearing phase has begun:
Dairy, wheat, (all gluten grains) corn, citrus, egg, peanut, soy, chocolate, beef, lamb, pork, (anything with four legs and anything that comes out of anything with four legs milks cheeses etc) sugar, garlic, onions, alcohol, potato, all peppers, tomato, and eggplant.

Thank goodness I was in the process of taking many of these foods out, and thank goodness for the work being done to "top off" the vitamins and minerals etc in my shakes so that I don't go a little crazy.

If you know me, you know that my diet up until now was absolutely full of peppers, garlic, onion tomatoes and cheese too...I mean how do you even cook without these staples? These are much harder to give up than gluten, dairy, alcohol or sugar for my lifestyle! Not to say I don't love some gluteny sugary goodness but hey nobody has that every day, but I LIVE on those nightshade veggies and onions!

By this time I fully expected to be not loving what I am doing but I am delighted to say that in spite of slashing my norm to its core I am DOING GREAT! ABSOLUTELY FANTASTICALLY GREAT!

I am figuring out great things to eat along the way that I would NEVER have even tried a month or two ago. My instagram is full of all of my food ideas (at least the pretty ones). Right off the bat I am already in the habit of eating more than my usual once or twice a day which is a terrible pattern that I have always battled with and as I round week two of this intense phase I am seeing a difference in my daily life!

I have gone off of (on my own) the two rx products that I use on my psoriasis and can see a definite difference! No new plaques have yet to form as the existing ones fade. NONE. This alone is huge.
Last weekend I spent a few hours transplanting my veggies in the greenhouse and usually this would mean that my fingers/hands swell and the joints turn pinkish and hot for a few days, but not this time! Since then I have done one more project that would normally pretty much halt my life to a snails pace and this did not happen. It certainly has slowed me down A LOT, don't get me wrong. I have had to cut a few days a bit shorter than usual. My left eye is whacked out, I have had to be more carful as I walk and use my cane a little more because of my left side being slower and not as responsive as the right and I am being more careful with my hands since I drop a lot of things for a while after I pretend that I am normal BUT since I am used to all of these things I am good. I have been able to push through and handle my daily work and life and most important (for me) maintain my joy.

I am pretty sure that this is not just the result of being excited about a new form of "pain therapy". It's real. I am not crawling, I am not crying I am not feeling desperate to have my old life back. Well, I mean I would love to be completely healthy again but hey, wouldn't we all like to turn the clock back for SOMEthing?

In all seriousness in my heart I feel that this science experiment is already paying off, and I have only begun!

Starting the anti-inflammation protocol

The first two weeks of the diet are spent getting the body ready for what is ahead, so that the adjustment is easier and much more pleasant. By the time any changes start you have already had an individual visit with each Doctor on the team,(there are three of them) and in turn they have all put their heads together with a plan for your specific needs. My team is taking my multiple sclerosis, trigeminal neuralgia, and psoriasis (all exacerbated by inflammation) and hormonal imbalances into consideration.

I was started on several supplements and an rx that corresponded with the needs shown from all of the lab tests taken during and after my first visit to this group of Doctors, no guessing games (which is how a lot of people think it is with supplements)! I began preparing and drinking two medical food shakes a day that are packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and then have a scoop of fiber, a specific fruit complex, flax oil and flax powder added to them. These shakes are again tailored to my specific bodies needs. During these first 14 days I am told not to change my eating habits because adding the shakes (and supplements and the rx) was an important part of letting my body adjust for what was ahead.

I was already in the process of for me what have been pretty significant changes but I agreed to hold where I was and not continue to eliminate things on my own, which was perfect since I had a trip to NYC during this time and would not have to feel "bad" about a few planned indulgences. Plus I was looking forward to seeing if there would be changes in how I might react to the foods I had not been eating, so I was going to get to do my own science experiment and with their blessing :-) total win win!

In the week I was away I never missed a shake and I got to enjoy two amazing cappuccinos, on separate visits to a favorite French cafe, where I learned that the dairy caffeine and gluten combo doesn't have the love for me that I have for it.  The trip was interesting because I could already see my attitudes and ideas changing. The things that I ate "off plan" were planned. They were not just random stuffing your face moments AND I was 100% happy with missing what I missed and having what I had. In my lifetime there are likely to be multiple trips a year to the city that has everything (including my daughter and her husband :-( so it was easy to leave some things untried)

A day doesn't go by that I don't ponder how really lucky I am to be doing this ant -inflammation project with such great support. This is so much different than reading a book and deciding that every food that can cause inflammation is wreaking havoc on you. It is knowing for SURE what foods aren't good for you, and which ones are okay for a bite or two vs which ones are actually having a huge impact on your life. 

Another go around with almond milk...and this time I win!

A couple of years ago when I was trying to consume less dairy I bought already made almond milk and man did my taste buds find it nasty. This time around knowing that I have a moderately unhappy reaction to dairy gives me more motivation and I found my brain in a better place to try almond milk again. I took the challenge in a little different direction this time though, I decided to try making my own and see if I could come up with something that I would be happy splashing in a coffee drink (since that is about all I actually use milk for anyway these days and guess what...I did!
It turns out that almond milk isn't rocket science. It also turns out that it is much better with a little added sweetness which a couple of dates and a little vanilla are well suited to provide! I read every recipe on the web I could find (they were all very close versions of the same) and it only took following one to realize that I like a texture that was more milkier than it is watery so no problem smaller amount of water or a few more nuts and the problem is solved!
It is now easy and quick enough for me to make that I even took my ingredients (and my mesh bag for squeezing the pulp out) on a trip to NYC so that I wasn't tempted to have a splash of dairy where it wasn't an actual splurge! This was great because it allowed me to eat mindfully and to make each and every splurge really count in a city that is FULL of amazing food! 

Continuing the lifestyle changes...and enjoying the process!

Several pretty great things have happened this week. I discovered that I can make lemon curd with honey instead of refined sugar and it is pretty stinking fabulous. I found a way to make quinoa for breakfast that I actually enjoy AND I created a whole new daily routine, to add to the new weekly routine of 3x a week of infrared therapy that I started a couple of weeks ago. See? Great stuff happening around here!

A check in on the inferred therapy shows that contrary to my suspicion it is VERY helpful! When I first get done I will admit that I don't feel great I feel sort of gutted and my vision is awkward, which at first was super disconcerting BUT after a bit of consideration when a marathon runner is done running or a power lifter is done lifting, they also feel extreme fatigue they might not loose their vision but still, knowing that this is temporary and will clear up as I cool down makes it ok and sort of put me back in the no pain no gain game...which I love!!! SEE?!? It really is all in the attitude!
The immediate benefit I am getting from this therapy is that I am able to get up as little as only three times the night that I do it! THREE TIMES as opposed to getting up every 35-45 minutes all night long!!! Also my muscle spasms are reduced for quite a few hours! So better sleep and less pain...that a winner in my book! I am looking forward to keeping up with this therapy!

Onto my quinoa! OMG can I just tell you that if you make it according to the package (Ic water 1/2c quinoa) it is not spectacular at all BUT if you add 2TBL of coconut milk (the real stuff in the can) and two chopped dates to the water when you cook it ooolala it becomes great! This makes enough for two breakfasts so you only have to make it every other day...which is also a plus! I top my bowl with another TBL of coconut milk and I gotta say I will be okay for breakfast in May when eggs are eliminated!

At first I am pretty sure that I won't be having much that is sweet at all with even fruit likely being held to a minimum so I really wanted to try and see if I could make lemon curd with honey instead of refined sugar that was actually good not gross so that once I could have some extra sweetness and hopefully eggs) I had something in mind that I already knew would hit the spot. (Its all about being prepared even though it will be august at the EARLIEST by the time this happens) Other than the honey, I made another change, I decided not to strain it of the egg bits, why take that protein away? Instead I got out my trusty immersion blender and poof, silky smooth unstrained lemon curd that was as amazing warm as it is chilled!

Onto the daily change, or the biggest daily change anyway. Last week I started doing 30 minutes of yoga after I walk the dog and before showering every morning. This had been amazing. How have I never done this before? Well actually I know why, yoga didn't interest me, it isn't an adrenaline rush like lifting something heavy can be, but seriously it is time for me to stop feeling sorry for myself and start rolling with the punches that have come my way, which in part means finding a challenge that I can stick with. Because yoga incorporates flexibility and balance with strength and breathing this seems like an obvious choice to anyone outside the box, but for me it took a long time to wrap my head around. Then in walks yogaglo. Well in walked a friend who has practiced for 30 years, and she told me that she had started using an online subscription for yoga and so of course I had to check it out...(after thinking about it for 6 months hah I told you I suck)
If you have never heard of yogaglo and you have EVER considered doing yoga in the comfort of your own home you really do need to check them out. It is an online subscription (there are a lot of them, this is the Cadillac version just go for it, it's worth the extra money per month) featuring thousands of sessions with top notch instructors. There are literally 44 different focuses to choose from and 32 specific body parts to narrow it down for you!

So rolling out of bed to a sip of chamomile tea while feeding the dog, leaving with the hubby for a walk with the dog and then coming home to have a yoga session before my quinoa breakfast has made this a really great week...and its Wednesday and usually by Wednesday I am feeling like if I can  just live through Wednesday I will make it to Friday...this week for the first time in the memorable past I am feeling positive!

Embracing the challenge of change in our weekly menu

The fact that I love my kitchen is not newsworthy, well not so much the kitchen itself. I don't love the narrow, cramped galley but do appreciate the counter space after being at Liesl's in New York...each time I return it will seem spacious for a week as I readjust!

What I do love is the fun creativity that happens in the kitchen. As a kid my mom made it so much fun that I remember thinking about how great it would be when I had my very own kitchen! Not a house or a family or a job, just my own kitchen. Obviously cooking was a big part of my childhood, my mother is a genius in the kitchen. She is adept at cooking many different kinds of foods. She was smart, as a young woman each time she made a friend who had lived anywhere but here she would somehow manage to get them to teach them whatever the local cuisine had been where they had lived. She learned to cook some Texan, Chinese, Vietnamese (off the top of my head) all from friends of hers that had spent years cooking for their families in those respective places. Some truly great food came out of her kitchen...it wasn't all that turkey soup that I dreaded! 

When my dads health took a dive, mom had to learn a new way of cooking and she attacked that like she does everything else. Salt, sugar and fat are not easy to leave out of a recipe, especially when you are used to the richness and depth that these ingrediants impart. I think that her attitude has once again been such a good useful example for me. 

If we attack changes in the kitchen as a challenge to learn rather then a sad deprivation sentence I am convinced that the finished product will be much better. 

I didn't used to like quinoa, lets face it it is no risotto! It took me a lot of playing around with it trying to figure out how to richen it up and make it seem like more than it is. In fact until I changed my goal I was never happy with it but once I decided to embrace the texture and be happy with imparting depth and richness, only then did I relax into playing with it. Once we are no longer fighting to make one thing into another and start thinking about how to complement whatever it is we are attempting to cook then things begin to come together. I now love quinoa, for me I found that the trick to teasing great flavor out of it is to toast it first, just as I would sesame seeds in a dry cast iron pan and then I choose what to cook it in from a robust mirepoix to plain old water depending on what I am using it as a bed for or serving it with. It cooks faster than rice, it never sticks, it is not finicky at all and it is packed with protein and iron. If you haven't made quinoa recently give it a try! Make sure that if you want to try toasting it that you buy pre-rinsed quinoa, and heat your broth/water while you are doing the toasting so that you get the joy of seeing the sizzling seeds hit the hot water! 

Even one small change makes a difference. I remember when I read Barbara Kingsolver's book on their experiment of gardening and eating local I came away really loving her attitude of any little change that we can embrace making a difference. (This is when I started gardening). Little differences in the kitchen can help us build a healthier foundation, they provide a platform for us to build on! Our eating habits shouldn't be about all or nothing they should be about making changes that we can be happy with and use over a sustained period of time!