Sticking With It

This past week has been a little worse than previous weeks.  But I've come to expect this type of roller coaster in general, and it has been my life story for the past 4 years.  Just when I think I'm getting better, or getting relief from a specific problem, it comes back or something new forms.  Through this therapy process, I think it would be only normal and expected for the ups and downs to still occur.

Some of my acne trouble spots have returned, and I seemingly have new eczema spots now, which is extremely frustrating.  This could be environment, allergens, or anything else I suppose.  But now my elbows and knees have flared up and I never had problems with them before.  

I still stick with the diet and exercise, drops and vitamins.  On any given day, I am still about 95-99% true to the "legal" diet.  Restaurants are still difficult, because even with Gluten-Free menus, who knows what else is in there that I shouldn't be eating.  But I choose not to fret about that, as that only causes stress, and it's only a little bit of the item once in a great while.

My mileage in my running is starting to increase now, since I'm approaching that point in my training plan where the biggest month of mileage is.  July will be the highest month, and I'm slightly anxious about keeping my nutrition up and not exhausting myself throughout the training.  I am torn about this, because I want to continue training, but I don't want to undo anything I'm working to fix.  Just taking it a day/week at a time here.

The family is full-blown into summer now, and trying to do lots of fun activities and family events without going crazy with it.  We are planning a family vacation in August now, and I am looking forward to that!

I have lost a little bit of weight now because of the diet, but it seems to be leveling out.  I am keeping my eye on this, as I don't want to lose too much.  It is often difficult for me to reach my calorie goal, because most of the foods I eat have little calories.  I'm trying to focus less on the calorie number, and more on the nutrients I'm getting, and keeping that balanced.

Here are my cuties at a playground.  So in love!  

After 6 weeks on the diet:  Still have decent sleep, mood swings were a little more prominent the past week and less leveled, acne and eczema have returned and some in new places, energy is still better than when I started, but not great, stomach still seems better.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 15:5,6

No Gluten = Better Life

This past week has been pretty good, and very similar to the week before.  Energy level has remained relatively decent and I have felt pretty even keel physically and mentally.  I have started back up on my running and am hoping to gradually increase that as time goes on in order to train for my next half-marathon in September.  It seems if I allow adequate rest days, I am tolerating the exercise okay.  

It is quite amazing to me the difference I feel mentally after eliminating gluten, in particular.  This past week, it is quite evident that I feel calmer and more cheerful overall.  This makes perfect sense, when I read the following study on gluten and depression anxiety:

How gluten causes depression anxiety is by producing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, triggering an autoimmune response to the gluten protein which releases cytokines, which then enter the brain and produce inflammation in the brain, leading to depression anxiety.

Gluten causes gut inflammation in at least 80% of the population and another 30% of the population develops antibodies against gluten proteins in the gut. Furthermore, 99% of the population has the genetic potential to develop antibodies against gluten.  Report.

This gluten autoimmune cytokine response can affect other organs besides the brain, including joints, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, heart, and more.  Which is why gluten is associated with a whole host of conditions including, asthma, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and brain related autism, alzheimers and depression anxiety.

Read more at:  Gluten & Depression Anxiety

This past week has also revealed a smoother complexion and less acne in my trouble spots (still there, but less).  As I continue through this process, I am enjoying seeing more improvements in many areas, and looking forward to hopefully many more!

This coming week, we celebrate my beautiful daughter who is turning 4.  While she has a special place in my heart being my only girl, she also is a constant reminder of what my physical sacrifices are for.  She has been worth every bit of my struggles, and I would do it all over again for her. 

After 4 weeks of diet change:  Smoother complexion, decent energy level, improvement in mood and mental fog, calmer overall.

Gimme an E! Gimme an N! Gimme an E!......... R! G! Y!.................ENERGY!

This past week has been relatively "easy" compared to prior weeks.  I seem to have gotten some energy back and I am not as tired all the time.  I really love this and hope it's not a fluke!  My only set-back was that I got strep throat and was down for the count last weekend.  Once that was gone, I was a new person.  
I still crash in the evenings, but it's an easy trade-off since it used to hit me about 4:00 pm.

My kids are now on summer break, and we are ready to tackle various activities!  For the past couple days, I have been going through a ton of kids' clothing to get it ready for a garage sale my friend is having.  To actually have the energy to go through it and want to is an awesome feeling.  I am feeling accomplished!
I have continued on my diet restrictions (about 95%) with an occasional splash of milk in coffee or a small sprinkle of cheese on roasted veggies or salads.  I still feel great as a result of this, even though I don't always enjoy the diet. 

I'm still plugging away at the hormonal therapy drops and vitamins.  It feels like it's been longer than 2 weeks!

After 3 weeks of diet:  Eczema improved at back of neck and ear, no heartburn, less cravings and hunger, energy increased, acne decreased, mental fog improving, sleep is decent.

This is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."  Isaiah 48:17