Being predictable...

so sorry I was MIA yesterday.. it was NOT a good day.. i know it was because of the weather.. but man I hate those days.. I call them my "flu" days.   Usually anywhere from 6-10 hours before a storm I will start to feel like I have the flu.. body aches, sweats.. etc.  but no fever.. just the achy, week feeling you get when you have the flu. My hands and feet also feel like they are swollen (but they aren't).. and they become SUPER hot. On fire.. hot. It's so weird and seriously SO random! lol.. and depending on the storm or the weather BEFORE the storm.. it is either a mild ache.. or a SEVERE ache. And yesterday.. oh so severe.  I couldn't even stand. I think it was due to the fact that when I woke up at 7.00 am it was sunny and warm and beautiful and by 11:00 it was cold and raining and windy.. so a fast change in the barometric pressure really causes the pain for me. I can seriously PREDICT a storm.  It happened while I was in Texas.. I woke up Sunday morning with a good 10 hours of sleep.. feeling so rested.. but by 10 am started feeling So crappy and by 2:00 I was just not doing good. It wasn't a severe ache.. just a mild ache.. but I was so frustrated because I couldn't understand why I was feeling this way! I had had a great nights rest AND a great breakfast of eggs and fresh fruit.. and  The forecast showed ONLY sun for days on end.. not even a small  chance of perception.  I had to get up from my table several times to just go lay down in my room.  I kept telling margie, I had no idea why i felt so crappy?? Couldn't figure it out.

Well that night after the event ended and al the students left to head home and to the airport,  Shea and her family took us and the  cooks out for dinner... At this seriously DELICIOUS Mexican restaurant! When we left it was SO hot and sunny... and halfway through dinner I looked out side and it was POURING rain.. not just a light rain.. It was like a monsoon! Lol .  I was like.. and YEP! of course it is.. and THAT, folks.. is WHY I was feeling so crappy today!  Now it all made sense and I wasn't so frustrated anymore.. isn't that silly? I was almost more frustrated because I was having a 'flu" day and yet the normal things that cause my flu days weren't present.  I think when you are in pain like this and it's chronic and by nature it's just unexplainable.. it's nice to have some sort of "expectations" or predictions with it.. to make it a little more livable? if that makes sense. So far I have only had flu days WHEN it storms.. never had them when it doesn't. And those days are my low of lows.The days where my body hurts so much that it also clouds my judgement of what it is I want and how I feel.. and why I want to be doing what I want to be doing. Its almost like it creates this fog over  my senses and I forgot that tomorrow won't be like this.. you start panicking that this will be your "normal" for the rest of your life and seriously.. I am telling you that when I feel that way.. I CAN NOT talk myself out of it? I mean I will try and remind myself that it's only temporary.. that when the storm passes I will fill better.. but like yesterday.. I was freaking out that maybe it wouldn't and maybe I would wake up like this again today and the next day and me being a functional mom and friend and artist and wife.. would be over. And then yet today I woke up.. feeling great and rested and happy .. and NOT having flu day.

DUDE, would someone please remind me that on those days it WILL BE OKAY??? lol!  I think I need to put sticky notes around my house that says.. "it's just a flu day.. tomorrow it won't be.. so relax, smile.. this isn't your life". good idea christy.. (though I know on those days' those notes aren't going to help! Lol).

 okay.. SO.. SEROUISLY??  what is the blog turning into?? We need some ART around here!!! TRULY! I promise this week.. ART!

 I was REALLY coming on to tell you about the new diet I am doing.. well not Diet.. way of eating I would call it.  Diets to me are something that tell you you can only eat "this amount of food"  and this diet is NOT like that. You can eat as much as you want. Which is funny because you don't.  
So every morning I have been waking up and making myself a "green" juice.. that I talked about last week in THIS post. Usually I juice Kale, Cucumbers, and apple and a lime. But if I am feeling creative.. I mix it up by swapping out the cucumbers for celery, broccoli tomatoes, beets.. or something else.. but I always include kale and spinach because of the high fiber and protein content. AND HONESTLY i can't even taste either of them! Specially when you add the apple and the lime or lemon. It's great. You can add just about anything you want. I try not to add too many fruits for two reasons.. one because the juice from fruits has such a high sugar content.. and even though it's GOOD natural sugar.. I am a diabetic..  and I think I need to keep that on the down low.  AND  second because there are So many GOOD values that fruit have besides the juices.. like the flesh and the skin. They all have great nutrients to them and are much better when eaten whole.. not juiced. So Ionly add an apple in the morning.. just to have something sweet.. like a a power "protein" fruit drink.. but all natural foods.. no powders.. no shakes. It's all freshly juicedfrom fresh vegetables. love it. I usually have one for lunch or for a snack during the day too, but that time, I don't add the apple.. I use a tomato or something else with a lot of water content. Which is important because kale and spinach don't have a lot of water in them.. they are pretty dry, so you need some form of liquid to help get those juices and nutrients out. And apparently adding "water" do the juicer is a no no.  And I say that.. and I sound like an expert.. but I only know that because I kept thinking.. how the HECK is anything coming out of these leaves? (kale is a lettuce).. and then did research on juicing kale and spinach and the experts say to put your kale in the juicer and then quickly follow it with cucumber or celery or something else that has a high content of water. So I am really not that smart.. but I google and youtube a LOT of things when I have question. :)

NOW you don't HAVE to do green juices.. on this "diet".  but they are so good for you. I do two a day as part of either my snacks of meals..  because mostly I don't have a huge appetite right now and I  really don't like to cook. So while I could just as easily make myself oatmeal with fruit and an omelet for breakfast (and you can have raw butter and olive oil.. so it DOES taste yummy).. OR even make myself a salad or grilled chicken and potatoes for lunch.... I just don't have the desire or the time. I just want to drink something fast and be done with it. Juicing is SO fast. For me it isanyway.  But it does depend on the day.  Saturday morning I was feeling SO good and  in a cooking mood and made Gluten free, sugar free banana bread.. OH so yummy.. and I also made myself an egg omelet with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers and spinach. YUM. Then pureed some plain nonfat yogurt in my blender along with some fresh fruits like pears, strawberries and peaches and poured it into freezer pop cups and put them into the freezer for a frozen snack later.  I apparently was hungry and in the mood to cook and be in the kitchen which is RARE.  lol.   BUT REALLY the point of this diet is to eat 6-7 meals/snacks per day. The rule is though ALWAYS including a protein with each snack. So if I have cherries or applies or pears or whatever for a snack, I also need to have nuts or an egg, or peanut butter or something with it. Now I am only eating fresh.. no processed foods, so my snacks have to be non processed, gluten free, sugar free and dairy free (because believe me.. if i wasn't.. I would be eating pepporoni slices with cheese on them as my protein all day! lol.. yum!). But my goal is to eat NON processed foods. ONLY fresh. It's been pretty easy actually. I think when you are desperate to feel good.. it's not much of a sacrifice to change something if it makes you feel better. 

 BUT I do make a big meal for dinner. Last week I cooked one night..  Sweet Meatloaf with  mashed potatoes and broccoli. (with real butter on the potatoes and the broccoli YUM). The next night I cooked a roasted turkey with oven roasted red poatatoes and green beans.  Tonight I am diong a beef roast rubbed with beef paste and olive oil.. and potatoes. and tomorrow night I have plans for homemade chili. 

SO now you are wondering.. has it helped?  I have to be honest and say.. the first two days.. I was like.. um.. I still feel like crap. But I also realize your body goes through a detox period.. and it takes a few days to feeling better.. but by friday and Saturday and sunday.. I was feeling GREAT! I went the entire day Sunday without taking a single pain pill. I was amazed! and I was in a good mood! For me latley.. that is a strange thing. To have a day when you FEEL GOOD. I mean I always feel.. "okay".. never good. I was happy with the results I was seeing even after a few days.  AND sunday it rained! It wasn't a big rain storm.. and the day didn't start out sunny.. I woke up and it was cold and wet.. but I always have flu days.. even if it's just a mild storm. But I didn't!  I was getting SO excited! Then of course..  came yesterday..  FLU day.. and not just a "mild" flu day.. it was a BAD flu day.  Which put me in this weird funky.. mood.. like really? If this thing is working.. why am I having this day??? WHY????  This Diet is crock! Gluten free? Sugar free? dairy free??  I was SO frustrated.. because I thought I had finally found something to help me feel better and here I was having one of the worst days I had had in weeks. So I just went to bed frustrated and scared that maybe NOTHING would help me get over this. But then today I woke up.. feeling AMAZING.  I NEVER wake up feeling amazing. I always wake up in pain.. infact I DREAD waking up. I have to take a hot bath right as soon as I wake up just to feel like the day is "doable". So here I sit.. again.. resolved to just keep DOING this. To see where this takes me. Maybe this way of eating will help me just live a better day to day life and I may have to just be okay with knowing that those predictable days.. those "flu" days.. will still come when the weather is bad or the storms are ranging.  It's not to start having a little bit of predictably in my life with my health. It FEELS amazing actually. So here's to week two! I see sun in our future for this entire week (until saturday).. so I am going to see what happens this week.  AND my folks.. it the update. :)

Next week I will post the recipes for my Banana Bread and my meatloaf and some other fun recipes I am going to try this week. :) Speaking of which! My sister told me yesterday you can substitute OIL and butter in recipes with NAVY beans! You just puree the beans and add the exact amount as stated for the oil or butter!??  She said she had some and they were amazing!  SO this week I am gonna try making some peanut butter cookies using almond flour, agave nectar AND navy beans instead of oil. Which I can have olive oil and butter. So it's not the big of a deal.. BUT i started thinking.. if you use the navy beans INSTEAD of the oil, think of the protein that little snack would have???  Specially with the peanut butter? and since I am not counting calories.. it doesn't matter on the calorie intake. but the protein intake.. I could eat it as one of my snacks!

AND speaking of calories.. as I said.. on this diet, you don't count calories or watch your intake. It's all about eating healthy foods and eating the right things together.. so I am not on this to loose weight.. but one of the benefits of it, is you do! . Believe me.. loosing weight is the least of my worries right now.. BUT  I got on the scale this morning just to see.. because i could "feel" that I had changed.. and I have lost 4 pounds since last Wednesday!! wow. and I didn't even try to. That is amazing. Eating healthy DOES have it benefits I guess. Now maybe if I walk 3 times a week.. I will feel even better. Gonna start that today!

Okay.. so enough of healthy eating and my boring stories of my way back to health. I promise I will limit these posts to ONCE a week.. :)  Just excited excited to share my progress with you all. It's amazing how happy I feel when I feel amazing. I think you take those things for granted when you don't have the trail of not feeling good. anyhow..

Tomorrow I am going to share with you a fun new "art" project I am working on.. can't wait to share! We need some ART AROUND HERE! right?? :)  I do.. I NEED some art around here :) that always makes me happy too!

Happy Tuesday!

 

Comments

[Erikadavison]

Christy, you are such an inspiration to me. I am so happy you are feeling better. I am also a dibetic and I am 10 weeks pregnant and my good sugar is still not good enough for my little Beanie.

[Jackie]

I hope I didn't jinx you about Mondays! lol. Glad this is helping. I want to go and buy a juicer.

[Kim]

I am so glad you feel better today! I've been in the funk too but not due to fibro, it's just a bit unsettling in my day job. Don't know how much longer it's going to hold out. Anyway, waiting for the art! I started a canvas last night with pan pastels. They didn't work like I wanted and I cant' figure out why. But I made the whole think work, so far.!

[Sarah Lejeune]

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming!! I hope your week is great!

[Kim Boken]

I am glad your feeling better! I am sensitive to the baraometer as well..I hate summer for that reason.
Can't wait for the recipes! I am seriously considering going gluten free and sugar free! I did a low carb diet years ago after my first DD was born..It surely does make a difference!

[Barbara]

Good news on your progress for a healthier lifestyle, Christy. Never give up... as you know, there's always a force lurking around the corner trying to distract you and take your eyes off the goal. Big hugs!

[Renee Sendelbach]

I am not sure if you are using a juicer or not but I switched to a vitamix from a juicer to keep the all the fiber from the skin and such - has changed my life. Also, this one is a BUMMER - our bodies break down agava nectro the same way they break down high fruc corn syrup - so it really isn't that good for you - bummer I know. I went sugar free when I was diagnosed with breast cancer - for the second time in 2 years. There is a video on youtube called Sugar the bitter truth - it is long but you don't have to sit and watch, you can listen - after listening to this, it made giving up sugar super easy for me. I know the changes you are making are hard but they are so worth it - for your health, for yourself, for your family. Take care of yourself.

[diana]

i have been on a gluten free diet for 6 years now and for the most part dairy free. i have given up sugar and replaced it with stevia.
good for you... it isn't easy but like you said it isn't hard really either!! kudo's to you!

[Shelley @ Single Stone Studios]

FLU

Forgetting to
Look
Up

I think that is a great reminder for all of us! And it really will be ok! :)

[Lisa Ciaravino]

Christy, Rome wasn't built in a day so you have to give the new eating style sometime to really kick in. I too can tell when we are going to have rain. My lovely "bunions" will KILL me when we are going to get rain. I've had 3 foot surgeries and still hope someday I can get plastic surgery on my feet rather than anywhere else!!! Hang in there, it's ok to have a "flu" day, you will get thru it. When are you going to share your trip to Texas ??? or did I miss it?

[Angie]

Keep up the good progress .. I am so happy it is all coming together! I am sure it just takes time to heal the areas of your body .. Baby steps! Have another great week! Hoping you don't have any "flu" days!

[Dottee O.]

I sure know what you mean about those "begusting" flu days! I'm curious to know what brand of juicer you are using...it must be quite powerful to break down all those awesome greens. Would you mind letting us know?

[laurie]

Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story. I just bought a bike to get myself outside and exercise. I'm going to be 60 this year, its never to late!
Your classes and videos have really helped me get back into doing art. Thank you.

[laura huffman]

so glad things are looking up. you're feeling better, eating well, losing weight (bonus), would love that one myself. but have to make changes in order to get the benefits. hope, faith, and love. think you're surrounded. all the best sweets. can't wait to see what art you have to share.

[Helen]

Christy, please please please stick with it. You will feel better in the long run (I'm also a fibromyalgia sufferer who eats like this, 5 small meals a day, lots of water, protein in every meal) and it's the only thing that makes the pain more bearable. I eat anything that doesn't agree with me (wheat, too much milk, sweet things) and I start aching all over again. Please just stick with it and I'm sure you'll see the benefits in the long run.

[Ginny]

Christy, I can attest from experience that you are on the right track. These bad days are days of healing crisis. They happen when the body detoxes and the bad stuff dies off. You feel bad because the die-off is also toxic. Healing is slow but each time you go through a healing crisis, you come out stronger in the end. Keep with it because it is so.o.o worth it!! P.S. Renee is right, Vitamix machine is best because it emulsifies everything and keeps the fiber.

[marci]

i love that you are sharing this with us! i am going to start something similar the first of july so i need all the tips i can get! i don't have fibro...my mom does...but i ache a lot and just feel crappy so i saw you doing this and thought i'd give it a try. keep sharing and i would love those recipes!

[Lynda B]

Sweets, remember there is always a rainbow after the rain, it's Gods promise to us, I know its not easy when those storm clouds are right over your head, but it does always get better.
The healthy eating is a good thing, stick with it, even if all it does is make those flu days further apart, it will be worth it.
Hon, remember there are lots of people who love you and are there to support and help you through, you can whinge to us as much as you want!

[Ami]

Christy, Is there a book that you are following? Where are the diet ideas coming from? I would love to give it a try. I have done just about all I know how to do to deal with the barometer boggie and I do walk every day at least one mile and most days more. The weather this week has me doubled over with pain and I would love to try to eat better also. We are vegitarian and buy only organic foods and so it shouldn't be too dificult to give it a try. Please let me know where you found out about this. Thanks, Ami

[Chicago Cubs jerseys]

well done !Thanks for sharing.It's very helpful.

[Marianne VanWingerden]

Thanks and yes we are CURIOUS! What is this program called and where are you getting your info?

[Jen Clark]

Wow, Christy - I am in AWE. I have been living in constant, severe, chronic pain for about a year now due to combination of a neuromuscular disease AND (more recently diagnosed) rheumatoid arthritis. I can SO TOTALLY relate to SO MUCH of what you wrote about here (and write about often). YES, those days...it's SO HARD to keep perspective! I know I made a comment to my mom recently during one of those days about not knowing if living like this was a life worth living...and it totally freaked her out. She didn't understand that I'm totally NOT suicidal...it's just that I simply CANNOT fathom living in this kind of pain - that kind of pain that I was having that particular day - forever. For the rest of my life. That pain...it makes you crazy blind...it makes you not able to focus on anything but the pain. It blurs everything else so that everything is out of focus and your perspective is so off. I WANT WANT WANT so badly to know *exactly* what this eating plan is that you are following. Is it something formal, something written down somewhere? A book? An email you can send me? I am on SO MUCH pain medicine...sometimes the pain medicine is almost just as bad as the pain in terms of focus b/c then I'm just sleepy and can hardly function. I am DESPERATE to try something new, to get my life back, to be a better mom and wife, to be a better ME. I know I will always have to wear my new leg braces, and I know my weakness will continue to get worse...but maybe something can help the pain! We don't have a juicer, but if I can convince my husband that I'm serious about trying this, maybe just maybe I can plead with him to buy me one. Thanks for any info you can share, Christy!! <3