Mono?

Blah, Blah, Blah, I had mono.  The mono test came back negative, but my IgG test said that I have had mono before.  On this particular test, if you score over 21.9 then it shows that mono anti-bodies are present and therefore you have had mono.  My score was 600.  What?  The doctor guess that I must have had if very recently.  Of all the tests that they did, this was the best possible situation.  Yay!  The strange thing is my joint pain and that I'm still filling symptoms and that I still have petechiae from time to time.  Well the Doctor said that sometimes you immune system takes some time to heal.

In the mean time, some things that I'm trying to do for my immune system is get enough sleep.
Ideally from 9:30pm-5:30am with a 30 minute nap in the afternoon.

I'm doing push-ups, mountain climbers, yoga bicycles, and planks in the morning before I get going.  I'm starting slow with these and each month I'll add to it.  I'd like to jump right in to exercising again, but I know I have to take it slow.  I love the exercise and the way it makes me feel.

On Mondays I teach my yoga class.  On the other days of the week, I'm going to start walking.  First starting with a mile and progressively adding to that amount.

In the evenings, if my husband is home, we'll go for a 30 minute walk.  (except on Tuesdays, I'll go to a 60 minute yoga class.)  If he's out of town, I'll do some yoga at home for about 20-30 minutes.  I really love exercising in the evening!

In January, I'll start adding a yoga class on Fridays.

Before bed I do a series of slow deep yoga stretches.  The bedtime routine is, standing forward fold, standing wide angle forward fold C, pigeon/king pigeon, child pose, thread the needle, wide angle forward fold and then to the side to each leg, bridge pose, happy baby, supine garudasana twist, legs on the bed then butterfly while on my back, and then savasana.  After this my mind is quiet and ready to commune with the Divine.  It's beautiful!

Now as far as nutrition.  I'm really into intuitive eating so it is difficult to say exactly what I eat, but the things I really try to fit in are
1.  Warm lemon water first thing in the morning
2.  Fresh carrot/apple/grapefruit juice
3.  Green smoothie with two huge handfuls of spinach

The rest I try to have good meals that taste good.  I enjoy eating lots of vegetables and fruits.  I try to add them whenever I can.  I also try to avoid white flour/rice and red meat.

That's the plan.  I hope it works and I stop ending up in bed with a fever and aches.

Soon, I'm going to tell you our story about a dog and how this is going to be THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

Meal plan idea for tomorrow

Breakfast - adapted from unconventionalkitchen.com
1/2 c oatmeal
spoonfull of almondbutter
splash of raw milk
drizzle of agave
fresh fruit
dolop of kefir
cinnamon

Lunch
Green Smoothie
add cabbage wrap, if needed

Snack
Kefir with fruit and agave

Dinner
Junk food at the movie :)  Harry Potter!!!

What I ate today

cracked wheat cereal, pecans, maple syrup, coconut oil
apple larabar
one egg, 1/4 cup quinoa, green smoothie
tortilla chips

Back to Health

I believe food matters.
My current philosophy on food.
Whole foods.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.  (Michael Pollan) No white flour or sugar.

This Friday I will start a yeast cleanse.  I will eat normally except I will cut out gluten, dairy and fruit for 2 weeks.  After that I will keep taking the herbs until they are gone, but I will add in fruit, gluten and raw dairy.
I will look for healthy treat recipes for Sunday treats.  Sugary treats will be on occasion.

Today's Food
Breakfast - cracked wheat cereal, coconut oil, pecans, maple syrup, blueberry
Lunch - green smoothie (3/4 quart), peanut butter and agave sandwich
Snack - nectarine
Dinner - Green Smoothie

Goals and Rewards

It has been said that joy is composed of three key ingredients:
1. Close relationships with God and man, and service to both
2. A worthy, deeply felt mission or cause in life.
3. Personal health and self-discipline.
If these are true measurements, Christ quickly qualifies as the greatest example of joy.

These are things I'm working on.

Number 3 is my nemisis. 
I will not make excuses.  I will only eat 3 meals and one snack a day.
I know what to do.  It is my choice.
Rewards-
August 6th - River Rafting and Zip-line with the girls
August 16th-19th - Education Week 1/2 Day
September - Hike the Narrows or Subway or Shakespeare Play
October - Disney Land!
November 11th - Time Out For Women with Sister-in-law, mom and friend

Food Journal

Breakfast
cream of wheat, 3 dried apricots, t. coconut oil, few walnuts, 1/4 c. milk

Lunch
cabbage salad - EVOO, seasame oil, rice vinegar, almonds
taste of bread and frosting
cucumber

Snack
1/2 larabar
apple with peanut butter

Dinner
Asian Vegetables
Pasta with meat sauce

I've been reading Michael Pollan

What he has said rings true.
Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.

That makes sense.  I can do that!

He also talks about eating things in season and meat sparingly.  I've thought the things he is talking about for a long time.  Yeah!

Day 1 - Get Healthy

For quite sometime I have been trying to lose weight.  I lost around 20 pounds last year and none this year, but at this point it has become more about health than weight.  This is a paradigm shift for me.

So here is my journey.  It didn't start today, but I'm documenting starting today.  I decided to document my triumphs and set backs.

I'm going to feed my family dinner right now (canned chili and boxed macaroni and cheese - I know not the best, but the kids were out of school today and I took them to a science museum downtown and now I'm tired).

First of all.  This is what I eat.
meat
eggs
fruit
vegetables

That is not all I eat, but what I focus on.

This is how the day went
BF - lemon water
eggs and quinoa
Snack to eat on the way to science center - green smoothie - little fruit
Snack - Larabar Peanut Butter and a little nibble of my kid's PB and J sandwich
Lunch (3pm) - white chili with LOTS of corn chips This is where it all went wrong because I was so hungry.  Frito's and salsa and about 6 maple cookies.  Blah.  I love the cookies, but it all gave me a headache.
Dinner - still full from my Large/Late lunch.  Pineapple and cucumbers.  One more cookie - what?!  Why you ask, well because I was listening to a talk about no gluten and I panicked and wanted some unless I decided that I was going to cut it out altogether.  Which is why I'm not prohibiting anything from my diet.  I'm just focusing on what I am going to eat.

Still have a headache.  I think I'll go to bed.
Good news of the day is that my husband got a job back in our home state.  We can move back into the country and be by family again!!!!  AND we're making lots more money!!!  Good job hubby!!!

PS  I have three warts and lichen schlerosis and I suspect adrenal fatigue.  I'll talk about supplements some other time.