Toward the end of last year I got some news that I never dreamed of getting at the VERY young age of 32! ;) I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that will only deteriorate as I age. This has been something that has been in the works for several years. It has come and gone since Iwas a teenager and no one knew what was wrong since as fast as it came on, it was gone.
After I had Cole, I had it happen again but it was out of control, worse than it had ever been. They finally started looking deeper.....
When they finally figured it out, I was told to stop breastfeeding IMMEDIATELY and start taking some really potent drugs. If you are someone who follows me, you know that for me to wean the baby before he was ready would have to come down to a life or death situation. This not being the case I asked the specialist several times to find other options for me. He refused. I switched MD's .... I have Kaiser so the only other Rheumatoligst was about 45 minutes away verses the 15 minutes for this man who obviously had no experience or education on the goodness of boob juice. My new MD is a woman who has children and 'applauded' my efforts to maintain breastfeeding ... which to me sounded like a no-brainer, but whatever. She found me an alternative treatment, but it is just not as effective. The bright side right now is it takes the edge off. I can function, just not to my maximum potential. Scares me to think of what is going to happen, but for now I am taking it one day at a time; living in the moment if you will.
Looking more into my condition I found that loosing the excess weight, people seem to slow down the progression of their symptoms. I am not the best at limiting myself, but I have had several people close to me start a Vegetarian lifestyle. Is this a sign to me? I have a habit of not paying attention to the signs given to me, but this has been something in my face a lot lately.... so here I go, trying something new.
I am going to start out just taste testing some vegan/vegetarian dishes. I know this WILL be much healthier for me! I cant remember a day ever where I did not have some sort of animal product. Scares me to think of what is going to happen with my body and health if I dont make changes, but for now I am taking it one day at a time.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to start, some great resources, recipes to share...?
I'm sorry to hear of your health concerns Christy. Going vegan is a great idea. I lost 15 lbs when I went vegan without even trying. Good luck!
ReplyDeletestart with replacing two meals a week with vegan. To make it easier, you can try buying "fake meat" at the health food store/some grocery stores. This is how I got hubby on board. We went from fake meat, to veggies in their spot. We aren't even close to strictly vegan, but I hardly eat meat when hubby isn't home (20 days a month) and i eat it more often when he is home. Veggie cheese is a super easy transition. In my opinion, several of the veggie cheeses taste better than actual cheese(: & I really like cheese! lol! Powdered egg replacement for baking. Try making Spaghetti with Squashes instead of meat. Make sure you are eating plenty of protein a day(:Make the trip to a health food store. See the options available. We drive an hour to the nearest HFS, and I go once a month for all the goodies. If you want to try tofu, it can take on any flavor you throw at it. Firm is best. The most important piece of advice I have? Don't quit. Some days you will fail at your goal. And some days you will realize that its 10pm, and you haven eaten any animal flesh! Don't give up, because every baby step is still a step in the right direction(:
ReplyDeleteWhat a strong woman you are! I wish I could tell you that their is one solution to getting your body healthy but I might have some ideas that maybe will fit into your style or even open your eyes to other options.
ReplyDelete1. What are you doing to build your immune system? Natural Vitamin C? (I have a link to a good one)
2. I have some great resources to start moving towards healthier eating habits. It is my passion. :) Not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. Just someone who started asking questions 4 years ago.
3. What is in the food you are eating? Do you read labels and know what each ingredient is? Even if you eat a meat or cheese substitute is created from natural ingredients? There are many sites out there that help consumers understand what is in your food. To fight any disease you it is important to get back to the basics and cleanse your body.
6. Do you juice/make smoothies? Have you heard of Dr. Max Gerson and how he created a cure for his own illness of migraines. http://gerson.org/gerpress/dr-max-gerson/ You might find some inspiration from what he did and how.
7. What kind of water do you drink? I ask this because we have been drinking Kangen Water for 3 weeks. Created in Japan and endorsed as a medical device in their hospitals. It creates different alkaline/acidic waters. THIS IS HUGE. An acidic body (cells, blood) creates/breeds disease and illness. Our thoughts, what we eat and drink are very ACIDIC. Drink a good quality alkaline water, which is micro clustered (absorbed into cells immediately) and your body cells start to release toxins naturally and you become truly hyghdrated. Not to mention the 9.5 alkaline water is over 200 points in antioxidants. Yes drinking wild blueberry juice might have a much higher but it is not micro clustered.
I don't know if this is overwhelming or started your brain to go into a new mode of inspiration. I strongly belief that we have the power to cure our illnesses or diseases by what is put into our minds and bodies.
If you have any questions or just want to tell me to take a flying leap feel free to contact me. I also have a Group (3 days old) that has people from all walks of life in it that are all on a path to a more healthy lifestyle. I attached it in the signature. Just from reading a small part of your blog you are one powerful woman. I am so happy I found you.
Namaste,
Linda J
helpfulsister at gmail dot com