Um, I forgot...

I've been so busy with work these past few weeks that I haven't had time to blog.  And then, when I thought I had a moment, I began to gather thoughts.  Of course, this happened in the middle of the night (during a hot flash), and since I didn't act on it right away, it left me, just as suddenly as it had come.

I think it was something about making a connection between Alzheimer's, brain issues, and my hot flashes.  Yeah, I know.  Sounds far out.

Somehow, I've been receiving a lot of invites to participate in "summits" of some kind -- which is really a fancy name for web interviews transmitted at a specific time and for a short period of time.  Then, when the time is up, they will sell you the whole package for a "great" deal.  Well, I bit the first time, but who can afford to keep doing this?  I know, all in the name of good health, but what about my financial health?  

See, I'm already off-track.  One of the summits I recently listened to was all about memory loss.  Which is something I really need to listen to, because I can't remember shit.  I've always been that way, though, so this is nothing new and probably not related to my >50 years.  Anyway, it was fascinating learning about the connection between the brain and the food we eat (or don't eat), sleep, stress, and exercise.  Did you know, exercise is crucial for good memory?  I didn't know this.  Or if I did, I forgot.  (ba dump dump)

My catharsis came during a hot flash in them middle of the night.  I decided to track the hot flashes to see when and how often they occurred.  I discovered that I was having them every two hours -- almost to the minute.  That seemed weird to me, because I had previously felt they were connected to stress.  I still believe that, but primarily during the day.  What was I stressed about while I was sleeping?  

So, I've been checking each night and they are consistently happening every two hours -- the first one starting the moment I lay down and get comfortable.  Go figure.  

Backtracking now ... one day of the summit on memory loss focused nutrition.  Basically, the brain craves sugar.  It loves it -- and fat -- and needs it to function properly.  The trouble is, we eat too much sugar and then the brain shuts down production of a brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotropic factor.  This leads to a decrease in insulin production, and then Type II Diabetes.  So, if all that happens with too much sugar, then perhaps there is a connection between the sugar I eat and the number of hot flashes I am getting?  I don't know, but the fact that they are so timely makes me think there is a strong correlation.

(More about that here!)

But what to do?  Well, I've been trying to eat little, if any sugar.  No carbs, except for fresh fruit.  Okay, and a couple of squares of 86% cacao chocolate -- the good stuff.  Yup.  That's the plan... which worked for a few days, but then I didn't have time to get a proper breakfast and lunch together today, and so I had cheerios for breakfast, and the school cafeteria pasta for lunch.  Yeah, I'm ashamed.  But I did turn down cupcakes and cookies from little birthday celebrants.  That's a win, for sure!  

OKAY - just found this.  Guess I was right!  DOH!  I'm such a Homer!

Nutrition and Alzheimer's Disease

From the preview, this documentary seems to be saying that our lifestyle is to blame for the astounding increase in Alzheimer diagnoses.  What we eat, our level of activity and exercise, and our levels of stress all contribute to this disease.  That may sound like bad news, but it's really good news because they are all things we can control and changed.

If you click on this link, you can sign up to view a documentary series about Alzheimer's Disease and the steps we can take to reverse this disease - or prevent it altogether.  After you submit your email, you can also view the trailer.  Powerful stuff!

I suppose developing dementia or Alzheimer's is one of my biggest fears.  I am already frustrated by "brain fog" - not being able to remember someone's name, losing my train of thought, wandering around my house wondering what I was doing ...  or not being able to find the correct vocabulary as I'm talking.  (After the "fog" lifts, these things come back easily.)  It is the occurrence of these events  that makes me fear the BIG ONE.

So, what do we do?  Well, this is one reason I'm on this mission to change my lifestyle - what I eat, what I drink, how much activity I get, etc.  It's also a big reason to find ways to destress ... 

Oh, yeah - stress!  I've been carrying around my essential oil roller bottle with Stress Away and Lime and it seems to be helping.  I'm not totally stress free, but when I feel that hot flash coming on, I pull out the bottle and "destress."  Seems to help the ones I get during the day, but not at night.  I guess my best advice for anyone beginning this journey is to do it naturally.  Don't go on hormones or birth control to control the symptoms.  I was under the impression that I was escaping, but really, I think I just postponed them.

Again, the stress issue is a big one, and I'm loving using my oils to help me relax.  I carry 4-5 different roller bottles in my purse for various symptoms ...  Headache, muscle pain, stress, impending sickness, and brain fog.  And when I'm home, I diffuse different combinations to carry me off to a more blissful state.  Okay, maybe not blissful, but more relaxed and less stressed.

What do you do to relax and reduce stress?  I'm thinking I might start dancing again - just at home - to enjoy music and increase activity.  Gotta keep moving or the moss will smother me!

(added later ...) - Oh dear!  I am listening to some replays of the Food Revolution Summit and just heard a terrible prediction ...  They said that at our current pace, "children today are the first generation in US history to have a lower life expectancy than their parents."  Wow.  Something's gotta change!

Prepare for Hunger!

My brother always uses a motto when we start in on a family weight loss competition.  "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  I take that to heart -- especially since I know that once a craving has shown its nasty little face, I will crash and burn.  So, I do plan out a lot of our meals.  (Click here to see my March 24, 2014 post, where you'll see how I plan weekly meals.  Sometimes.)

In addition to planning dinners, I am also very serious about breakfasts and lunches on school days.  This week was no exception.  In between laundry and grading papers, grocery shopping and Mother's Day festivities, I began to prep some healthy foods to take with me to work.  

I'm not a morning person, but my job requires that I am.  I just can't eat breakfast first thing.  I need a cup of tea and the chance to get used to the new day.  About 9:00 or so, I feel hungry, so I pack my breakfast to have then.

So back to this weekend.  I chopped carrots and celery, as I always do, and boiled a dozen eggs.  I bagged up the carrots and celery, and then bagged up some grapes, too.  Then I prepared a great Tabbouleh salad with cauliflower instead of bulgur wheat.  I made a crock of slow-cooker oatmeal and portioned out fresh blueberries to put on top.  Finally, I whipped up a week's worth of blueberry & kale smoothies.

Now, you're probably already thinking what I should have been thinking.  That's an awful lot of food for one day at work -- and it didn't include dinner!  Well, the picture above shows what I took to work with me and the picture below shows what I brought home.  Yup, a bit too much food.  But at least I had healthy choices to get me through the day.  I may try drinking the smoothie on my way to work so that I get the vitamins from the nutrient-heavy blueberries and kale early on.  Later on I can have my oatmeal -- after tea.

Oh, speaking of tea -- I have given up coffee for the most part.  I still enjoy a cup now and then (especially on the weekends), but I have grown to love my cup of green tea with peppermint, spiked with a few drops of peppermint essential oil.  The peppermint helps with digestion and inhaling it helps my sinuses - big time!  After the tea is gone, I drink water with a few drops of grapefruit and lemon oils.  Delicious!

So, tomorrow I will probably pack the same lunch and breakfast, but I will be at work much later due to play rehearsal.  If I don't eat it for lunch, it can be part of my dinner.  I still think the more prepared I am, the better I will eat and the healthier I will be.  You are what you digest!

It's Hot! Hot! Hot!

Happy Mother's Day!

Whether  you are a new mom or a more "experienced" mom, or the grandest of moms, today brings sweet memories, melancholy remembrances, and inspiring hopes for the future.  Enjoy your day with your loved ones!

I've been struggling with hot flashes lately and have been reading all I can to find a natural remedy.  Do you know what I found out?  Overwhelming so, the answer to "What are hot flashes and what causes them?" is "No one knows."  Really?  No one knows?  Is that acceptable?  This is probably just another instance where women are not treated equally and their problems are just not as important.  But, I'm not going to jump on that bandwagon.  Not my message.

I did find a lot of advice on what to do when you're having a hot flash.  (But I want them to stop permanently, not just alleviate the problem!)  Really - they last somewhere between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, but that's enough to saturate my sheets with sweat.  There's no time to react. They come on that fast! (Sorry.  I know this is not a topic many would like to hear about.  And it's only my second post ...  Again, sorry.)

I started taking something called Shatavari powder - an herb made from a type of asparagus.  You put it in warm water and drink it up.  Not unpleasant, but not a cup of tea.  That didn't seem to work.

I am taking Black Cohosh Root as a supplement I am supposed to take three times a day.  I don't remember to do anything three times a day (except eat), and it seems when I do take them, I'm not feeling any relief.  

I love my essential oils, but the cures I found in my reference materials gives suggestions for soothing with peppermint or clary sage.  I don't have the clary sage yet, but peppermint is hot and I just got hotter with that.  I've taken to keeping a spray bottle of water near my bed and just spritz myself from head to toe when they occur, in attempts to bring my body temperature down quickly.  That brings some relief, but then I'm wet and awake.  And when I'm awake, my brain decides to get in gear and pulls out any and all concerns I have in my life at the moment -- which, you guessed it, brings on more hot flashes.

So, where does that leave me?  Well, I've been thinking about the fact that hot flashes breed and multiply with stress.  I've been working overtime on the school play, and every time I think about what's left to do, here comes a hot flash.  That got me to thinking that perhaps if I can control the stress, I can experience less instances of flashing ...  I seem to have more flashes at work than on the weekend.  (Hmm, maybe I should retire?)

This morning I got up and consulted my Lemon Aid Library - a FB group where people share their experiences with Young Living essential oils, and ask for help about various conditions.  I searched and quickly found a few suggestions for using Stress Away, a blend of oils for combating - what else? Stress.  I made a roller bottle with Stress Away, lime oil, and a carrier oil of fractionated coconut oil.  Smells like a day at the beach!  That's hopeful already.   I'll be sure to let you know how it's working.  

I hope you enjoy a beautiful, sunny, spring day!  Go hug your mamas or your babies or your loves and just breathe!

Hello? Anyone there?

It was kind of ironic ...  I decided I needed to blog again, but the only blog I remember writing was something somewhat political.  I didn't want to do that.  But I am on this journey to get healthy and eat right, so I figured that might be the best way to process my own thoughts and share my journey with others.


So, the ironic part was that I already had a blog like that -- I had totally forgotten about it.  Well, no wonder!  I started it 2 ½ years ago and only wrote 4 posts.  I am hoping that I can hang on this time and create a therapeutic space for me -- and a place to share what I learn.

I have been listening to many vlogs, interviews, and podcasts about nutrition, health, and essential oils.  There is so much information out there -- I am overwhelmed.  One thing that resonates with me over and over again is the call for more healthy eating and eliminating the SAD diet (Standard American Diet.)  Our processed "nonfoods," our pesticide ridden natural foods, and a general lack of authentic, up-to-date nutrition education is killing us.  


I haven't yet processed everything I've been listening to for the past three weeks, but I am trying to make more and more changes in my diet and everyday living.  It's HARD!  With our busy lives and the day to day stress and lack of time, making these changes can be hard.  And while I have been listening intently to the "experts" in nutrition and well-being, grateful for medical doctors who believe that food either keeps us healthy or promotes disease, I can't help wondering how many of them are doing this to promote their own financial well-being.  


Some doctors and websites seem very legit.  Others seem to be selling you "the cure" or "the secret" to good health.  It's not that what they are saying isn't true, but you start to wonder how much of what they say is necessary, and how much is to sell a book, supplement, program, etc.
Here are just some of the sites I have been visiting lately.  Again, there is a ton of information out there -- I think we just have to read or listen to everything, and then put together a plan that helps us individually.  There is never a "one size fits all" plan, but I believe the overall thesis is good health.


Food Matters

FMTV.com 

Dr. Axe (likes to sell stuff!)

Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson



Now, a confession.  I just made chocolate chip cookies.  I have a sweet tooth and I need to get over that, but I'm doing that as healthfully as I can.  These are made according to the Nestles package, but I used my gluten-free flour mix, Earth Balance soy free margarine, and Splenda (both the white and brown versions).  They didn't spread like the traditional tollhouse cookies, but they were still yummy.  I put nuts in only half of them so that my son could enjoy them, too.

Check out the recipe page for my gluten-free flour mix!  I'm going to make a nice cup of green tea to go with my cookie!