Day 2, and Why I Do Paleo

In conversations with friends, there have been lots of questions about the specifics of this fast. What does “paleo” really mean (other than eating a bunch of meat like a caveman) and why subject myself to something so restrictive? And why only liquids on Wednesdays?

So let me try to explain some of that here.

I’m not going to go into how the paleo diet helps to heal/manage autoimmune disease. There’s a lot of resources out there that explain it well. In my opinion, one of the best available is The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne. Here’s a link to the kindle edition where you can “try a sample” and see what I’m talking about. http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune-ebook/dp/B00I44JHTE

From my own experience and working with an integrative doctor on my healing process, I know that my body has a hard time processing toxins. I know that the proteins in wheat and dairy can cross react with the molecular structure (or whatever) of my own cells and confuse my overzealous immune system. I know that my body is sensitive to fluctuations in blood sugar, and this is exacerbated when I consume caffeine. And even though I rarely experience digestive discomfort, I know the root of my most serious health concerns lies in what’s happening in my belly.

Paleo helps alleviate these issues. Consuming only liquids during the day on Wednesdays will give my digestive system even more of a break so healing can take place more quickly. But this part has spiritual implications as well. The idea is that in denying physical desires, and focusing on things of the spirit, one can weaken the flesh (sinful nature) and strengthen the spirit. I believe this concept can easily be taken too far, and I don’t believe that fasting brings anyone closer to God. But I think it’s a helpful tool to use as I work on growing more mature in my faith.

I don’t intend to get too deep into the prayer part on this blog, but I can tell you, on day 2 of this fast, God is already making moves on my heart. He’s digging into my perceptions of my role as a mom, and drawing some pretty interesting correlations between my relationship with my daughter and His relationship with me. Heavy stuff, but so, so good.

I also do not intend to post every morsel of food that I put in my mouth (as I have in the past). It’s time consuming and unnecessary. But I do want to show a realistic view of how to execute a healing diet, and keep myself accountable, so I’ll post as many of those meals as I can. I’m making very little effort on presentation these days, so the food may not be pretty, but it’ll be paleo.

For example, breakfast… 2 eggs fried in uncured bacon grease over raw, fermented sauerkraut, with bananas and a chai latte (with almond milk). Nothing fancy there. But it’s quick, and it works.

This soup, however, is pretty impressive. It doesn’t look like much. But it’s freakin’ delicious. And gets even better over time as it sits in the fridge- kinda like chili. It’s a Thai-ish chicken noodle soup.

Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in coconut oil at the bottom of a soup pot. Pour in some coconut aminos (paleo version of soy sauce) and fish sauce (Red Boat brand is good). Then add chicken stock, carrots, celery, and chicken. After a while, add coconut milk and tons of fresh herbs- whatever you’ve got. I used cilantro, thyme, basil, oregano, and rosemary. When you’ve got about 20 minutes left of cooking time, add a bag of kelp noodles. They’re super nutritious and are a perfect grain free noodle option in any Asian-inspired dish. In the last 5 min, add lime juice, zest, and my secret, unnecessary, but super delicious ingredient- a drop or 2 of lemongrass essential oil (therapeutic grade, like Young Living). While I’m sure any medicinal qualities of the oil were probably cooked out, it really gave the soup a fresh, unique flavor.

I only ate 2 official meals today, but probably consumed about 700 calories in Justin’s Maple Almond Butter. By the spoonful. Right out of the jar. That stuff is ridiculous.

Food Sensitivities and Girlie Problems

The consequences of my week of rebellion extended further than I originally expected. As the yeast infection cleared, it left in its wake a pretty severe autoimmune flare “down there”. I’m assuming the infection triggered my immune system, which went overboard and didn’t know when to quit. This was a new experience for me, as my issues have always been oral flares, which are exponentially more painful and debilitating in comparison. At least with this one, I could still eat.

And recovery was pretty quick, thanks in part to helichrysum essential oil. That stuff is crazy expensive, but works wonders when it comes to general healing and pain relief. And a little goes a very long way. I’ve been using (topically) a 95/5 blend of olive oil/helichrysum oil- and it’s been very effective.

I’m still playing with my nutrition plan. Based on recent and past experiences, there are a few things I’ve learned about my body. One, I have a hard time processing sugar- whether it’s white sugar, agave nectar, or honey- I can feel it almost immediately when I’ve had too much and I know this negatively affects my metabolic processes. Two, caffeine exacerbates this issue with sugar and makes it even more difficult to keep it balanced- leaving me with lots of cravings and panicky moments of low blood sugar. Three, dairy (whether raw or pasteurized, organic or not, cultured (like yogurt and kefir) or not) makes me slightly congested. Ghee (clarified butter) does not have this effect, but I’m not sure about regular butter. This congestion lets me know that my body is having some sort of immune-reaction to dairy, so I really should avoid it. At least until I give my gut more time to heal. I may have to experiment more with goat milk and the products made from it, since I’m not sure if it affects me the same way, but for the time being, I’m going to avoid cow milk and anything made from it.

Then there’s soy, corn, and gluten. None of which I’ve noticed a reaction to, but read enough about that they all make me nervous. So, to avoid that crazy, insect-stomach exploding BT toxin in GMO corn, I will not eat any corn, or anything made from corn, that is not organic. When it comes to soy, I will only eat organic, fermented versions (tempeh, miso) or completely unprocessed organic soybeans (edamame). And, until this disease is in remission, I’ll still be avoiding gluten. Once I’m well, I may incorporate some sprouted/soaked organic wheat or sourdough.

So that’s my basic plan. Plus I’ll be sticking to organic meats and eggs. And avoiding pork, shellfish, and fish that don’t have fins/scales (like catfish) in an attempt to implement (sort of) the Maker’s Diet (book by Jordan Rubin).

This week, I’m down to 14 mg on my prednisone taper. Dealing with a few uncomfortable oral lesions, but not a big deal.

Here’s some of what I’ve been eating.

Breakfast: 2 organic eggs, Applegate farms turkey breast (no nitrites/nitrates, humanely raised), spring mix greens and fermented veggies.

My new favorite treat- dried figs with goat cheese and cinnamon. Sooo good.

Chicken salad for dinner, dressed with homemade mayo watered down with fermented veggie juice.

And a chocolate milkshake: frozen banana, cup of ice, dates, coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla extract, sprinkle of cinnamon, carob powder, maca powder, 2 cups of spinach, and a few drops of stevia. I swear it tastes like a Frosty from Wendy’s.

Saturday

Avocado fruit bowl for breakfast. I love these. Totally customizable. Today I used apples, oranges, pumpkin seeds, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Had another birthday party this weekend (it’s that season). I really hope one day I’ll be well enough to have a piece of birthday cake at a party. I used to loveeee birthday cake. I had trail mix instead.

Came home and made this rich, delicious smoothie. Banana, kale, strawberries, raw cacao, dates, almond milk, vanilla extract, and stevia. Yum!

Had technical difficulties, so no photo of dinner- but it was brown rice pasta with homemade (oil free) marinara and a green salad with yellow cherry tomatoes and orange vinaigrette.

Have a slight headache tonight. May have gotten a bit dehydrated outside in the heat today. Drinking lots of water and rubbed a little PanAway on the back of my neck. Should wake up fine in the morning.

Friday

Lesions/thrush continue to improve. I haven’t typically gotten lesions on my lips until recently. Right now I have 2 on my bottom lip. TMI gross alert: when I wake up in the morning, it’s like my lips are glued together. I have to go to the sink and slowly put water on my lips to ease them apart. If I force it, it’s pretty painful and bleeds. As gross as that sounds and as uncomfortable as it is, I’ll take lip lesions over tongue lesions any day. They’re more visible and unsightly, but don’t affect my ability to eat as much.

Breakfast: an avocado fruit bowl. Strawberries, pear, orange, lime juice, hemp seeds, and unsweetened shredded coconut.

The morning juices: alkalizing greens, spicy ginger lemonade, and a sweet beet concoction.

Had lunch at my parents’, where my dad made an awesome salad and lightly steamed veggies. Totally forgot to take a photo.

Dinner was leftover and frozen shrimp fried rice. There’s a couple of problems with this meal, but it was late and I was starving. So, I’ve incorporated eggs back into my diet now, so that wasn’t a problem. And though I haven’t officially started the Maker’s Diet yet, I intended to ease into it and avoid the “unclean” foods, which includes shellfish. I’m also not sure if I made this dish with tamari or soy sauce or bragg’s liquid aminos. So there’s some potential for gluten and soy there. I made it back in May, so I’m just not sure. Anyway, it tasted good. Hope it doesn’t set me back.

Also had a carrot juice and almond milk with dinner.

Had an odd pain in my shoulder earlier in the day. Put my last drop of PanAway on it and that helped tremendously. I’ve got to get some more of this stuff. Also, fighting off a mild headache tonight. Made an Epsom salt bath of clove and peppermint, and rubbed helichrysum, wintergreen, and peppermint on my shoulders, neck, and temples before bed. Plus drank 32 ounces of water. Advil? No, thanks. 🙂

Thursday

Had a weird feeling in the back of my throat/sinuses for most of the day. Felt kind of swollen, like I might be getting sick. It’s been there for a couple of days, but seemed worse today.

Doing a sort of modified juice cleanse for the next 3 days. The last time I did the cleanse, I lost weight. And that is NOT something I want to do. So I’ll continue to eat healthfully as usual, just incorporate the detox juices.

For breakfast, I had an alkalizing greens drink, ginger lemonade, red beet elixir, and dandelion root tea. Plus homemade granola with strawberries and almond milk.

Did a yoga class today. Relaxing and centering. Didn’t feel like much of a workout, but we’ll see if there’s any muscle soreness in the next couple of days. Sometimes yoga surprises me like that.

Lunch was navy beans with rice, greens, and chow chow. And leftover purple potatoes and Brussels sprouts, plus a pineapple carrot juice.

Dinner was an Amy’s gluten free dairy free frozen burrito. I didn’t even dress it up with fermented veggies. But I did drink another green juice with it. And celery sticks with cashew butter. And an almond milk drink with stevia, vanilla, and pie spices.

In an attempt to combat this weird sinus inflammation, I’ve been taking colloidal silver a few times a day and added extra vitamin C to my supplements. I’ve also been using a neti-pot, even though there’s really no congestion to speak of. Did it 3 times today. I have a jar of salt in the medicine cabinet to use for this purpose, and I added a drop of high quality frankincense oil to the salt. Hoping that will help boost my immune system and clear out that inflammation. I’m still feeling it tonight, but it seems better than this morning.

Tuesday

Breakfast: avocado fruit bowl with hemp seeds.

Lunch: rosemary garlic farmhouse seed bread with daiya cheese dipped in homemade chunky marinara. Pizza craving? Crushed.

Green juice: fennel, cucumber, celery.

Peppermint and lavender from the garden made into tea, with just a smidge of honey.

Dinner: spring greens with grapes, tuna salad, and orange vinaigrette, plus purple potatoes and Brussels sprouts sautéed in garlic infused olive oil. The whole purple/green theme was completely unintentional, but delicious.

I felt alright most of the day. Maybe just a bit better than previous days. But started feeling significantly better this evening. Wonder if its all the leaves I’ve been eating. It’s really hard and time consuming to eat leaves with an injured tongue, but green leafy vegetables are great prebiotics for beneficial gut bacteria, they’re alkalizing for the body… they have to be the foundation of any healthy diet- whether you’re paleo or low carb or vegan or doing a candida cleanse- nobody ever says to cut back on greens. I’m going to focus on getting even more of them into my diet. If I can’t eat them, I’ll juice them. But as long as my tongue is in reasonably good shape, I’ll be having lots of salad in the near future.

Also, in an effort to further alkalize my body, I’m putting a couple of drops of YL peppermint oil and lemon oil under my tongue throughout the day. Gross TMI alert: oral lesions, especially the bigger ones, are basically chunks of dead, rotting flesh in your mouth. They create a prime environment for fungus (like thrush) and give you what my family calls “lesion breath”. It’s disgusting. The oils are really helping with all of that. Regular gum and mints just cover up the problem and either feed the fungus with sugar or expose me to awful artificial sweeteners. I think I’m going to start carrying peppermint oil around in my purse…

Friday

Feeling significantly better today. Not great, but better. No extreme exhaustion today. Just mildly tired. I can deal with that. 🙂

Breakfast was homemade granola with berries and almond milk.

Lunch was leftover baked spaghetti.

And a detoxifying juice- 3 beets, 1 ginormous carrot, 2 apples, and a lemon. So sweet and delicious. Beets are great for detoxing the blood and lemon is very alkalizing.

Dinner was leftover chicken soup. Good and healing.

I also ingested some true therapeutic grade essential oils today. I use Young Living oils for this purpose. I know doTerra is another good brand. Most oils will say they’re therapeutic grade, but that they’re not for internal use. DON’T INGEST THOSE OILS! They have impurities that can cause reactions, so they also need to be diluted with a carrier oil before applying to the skin. Anyway, YL oils are very pure, so many can be taken orally, depending on the properties of the specific oil. I put a few drops of lavender, frankincense, and Thieves (a blend) under my tongue at various times throughout the day. Hoping this will boost my immune system and help combat the thrush on my tongue. Plus help the lesions heal faster.

Tuesday

Tried to make a double batch of waffles this morning, but apparently brain wasn’t completely functioning- I doubled all the ingredients except the almond milk, and didn’t notice until after I’d already scooped the extremely thick batter into the waffle maker. Soooo, it only made one batch. But, amazingly, they were still very tasty. Not sure how that worked out.

Picnic in the park for lunch. Sandwiches (black bean hummus, roasted red peppers, spinach, sauerkraut), grapes, watermelon slices, and sweets/beets chips. And iced mullein tea.

Dinner was leftover chicken soup. Still so delicious.

Early in the afternoon, I was feeling pretty tired. Actually fell asleep in the car on the way to the park (I wasn’t driving!) I’ve got several teensy tiny lesions cropping up, and I was feeling a twinge at the back of my throat and some slight congestion, signaling that I’ve probably caught what’s been plaguing my daughter and husband all weekend.

So I bumped up my fluid intake to try to flush things out, took an Epsom salt bath, put a few drops of therapeutic grade frankincense oil under my tongue, sprayed an air freshener/disinfectant made with thieves oil throughout the house (boosts immunity and kills germs), and put Young Living’s Purification Oil blend on the soles of my feet. As I lay down for the night, I feel really good. The twinge in my throat is gone. I don’t feel exhausted, just ready for sleep. And the lesions seem like they will be minor and heal quickly. I am feeling so grateful for so many things right now. Grateful that I was well enough to enjoy a day out with my family (and that my husband and daughter were well enough, too- and that I was able to nurse them through their recent illnesses with NO toxic medications whatsoever). Grateful that I was well enough this evening to read to my daughter. That doesn’t sound like much, but it can be painful to talk with lesions in your mouth, so nighttime reading had become a rare thing for a while. Instead, we were using “read to me” books on my phone from ABCmouse (LOVE technology!) But it’s so much more engaging to read actual books and she gets to hear MY voice telling the story.

And just grateful that I am here with my family. The sister of an old friend was hospitalized around the same time I was back in January. Her condition was much more serious than mine, but I identified with her experience, having just gone through something similar myself. She got better and was released, but had to go back a couple of weeks ago, and had been on a ventilator and fighting for her life until her heart gave out this morning. She was just a few years older than me, and her youngest child is the same age as my daughter.

I sometimes forget how serious and scary my hospital experience was. It’s not something I can dwell on. I get caught up in day to day life and forget how fleeting it (life) can be. Even with my health issues, I think, “I’m young, I’m doing all the right things (that I know of)… I’m still sort of invincible.” The loss of my friend’s sister is a reminder to actively cherish the life I have right now. It’s not perfect. I have struggles. But it’s wonderful. And it’s mine.

Monday

Still playing nurse today, though much less so. Baby girl is 100% better. Husband is much better, but still feels a bit feverish now and then. Gotta keep working on him. But he’s been up and about today, out working on the pool and poking around in the garage. And he’s playing his video games again. That’s how bad it was- he didn’t even have the energy to fire up the playstation (and he’s a BIG gamer). So he’s definitely getting back to normal, but not there yet. Still giving them both vitamin C supplements, though not as frequently. Using lots of thieves oil. Did a modified raindrop massage for the hubs when he started feeling feverish again, plus peppermint on his scalp and feet to soothe the pain and fever. Seemed to work, because that’s when he got up and started working outside. Maybe he was trying to escape my remedies. Lol. Also continuing thieves oil and honey mixtures periodically and have been giving him frankincense oil in a capsule diluted with grapeseed oil.

I… am feeling fabulous. Little bit of frankincense under the tongue morning and night, plus added vitamin C to my usual supplements, and so far so good. Knock on wood.

Breakfast: reheated delicious buckwheat cinnamon rolls with sweet potato “cream cheese” icing.

Lunch was leftover chicken soup and salad with black beans and sauerkraut.

A couple of hours after lunch, I had a 16 oz glass of grape juice with L-glutamine powder. The juice was way too sweet, but I felt I needed a boost. L-glutamine is helpful in repairing a leaky gut, which I’m pretty sure I have. I’m having trouble taking this supplement on a regular basis because it has to be taken on an empty stomach, as do the samento and banderol that I take for Lyme. And none of them can be taken together. So there’s not many opportunities to get them all in. For now, the Lyme herbs are the priority, but I’ll take the L-glutamine when I get the chance.

Did a little P90X today (Chest and back, plus ab ripper). Averaging 10 push-ups per set (from knees) and pull-ups (with a jump to the bar) where I used to do 15. That’s alright. I’ll get back to where I used to be and then some. Got baby girl some little 2 pound pink dumbbells so she’ll stop trying to pick up my 8 pounders. Didn’t work. She still wants mine. And she adds a whole new level to the ab ripper. Crunchy frog and fifer scissors are not easy while being straddled by a hysterically giggling toddler.

Post-workout smoothie and treat. Ate 6 squares (half a serving) of the chocolate. (Baby girl ate the other 2 squares in the photo.) The smoothie has kale, strawberries, banana, hemp protein powder, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and almond milk.

And dinner was black bean burgers (recipe from the Immune System Recovery Plan- in the Support Your Liver/Detox section). You can’t really see the burgers in this photo. I actually ended up making them slider size, because my batter was too moist and full size patties wouldn’t hold together. Maybe because I used homemade beans that were a bit over cooked. Put three sliders on homemade gf egg free “everyday sandwich bread” with tomatoes, sprouts, and greens tossed in garlicky homemade dressing. Served with sweets and beets chips. Great mix of flavors.

Sunday

Spent most of the day taking care of my “patients”. Baby girl’s ear infection is, as far as I can tell from her behavior, completely resolved. I’m still alternating between apple cider vinegar and garlic oil ear drops, giving her a vitamin c supplement, and slathering her with antimicrobial essential oils. She has a very mild and infrequent cough, and is a little grumpier and needier than usual- which tells me she’s not 100% better, but she has not complained about her ear at all and seems to feel much better than yesterday.

Patient #2 (the husband) had a pretty good day and seemed to be feeling marginally better until the sun started going down and his fever came back. Throughout the day, I gave him 1000 mg of vitamin C every hour until it started to bother his stomach (that didn’t happen until 8pm). He also drank several cups of mullein tea and took thieves oil with honey a few times. After his shower, I rubbed him down with essential oils again. And kept refilling his water glass, trying to keep him as hydrated as possible.

This is the breakfast I made for him. Lots of antioxidants, protein, and carbs.

This was my breakfast. I just really loved the soup from last night and this was easy since it was already made. I also snacked on lots of berries and avocado through the morning.

Awesome salad for lunch. Spring mix, yellow tomatoes, roasted red peppers, black beans, sauerkraut, and homemade dressing. Super delicious.

Smoothie time: macadamia nuts, almond milk, frozen bananas, pie spices, vanilla extract. Very good.

And dinner was mostly bread. That always happens when I bake a fresh loaf. Just can’t stop myself. This is the everyday sandwich bread from nourishing meals.

Saturday

I went to bed last night with a barely noticeable headache. I figured I was just tired and it would be gone by morning. When I woke up this morning, it was throbbing so bad it made me nauseas. This was the worst headache I’ve had since I resolved to not take painkillers, and I really didn’t know if I’d make it through this one without having to take something. With all the work I’ve done toward detox and building my immune system in my gut, knowing medications like Advil/Tylenol are detrimental to that process is a big deterrent, but it HURT! I had to do something.

So I guzzled 16 oz of water. Then 32 oz of coconut water. Then took an Epsom salt bath with baking soda and essential oils (wintergreen, clove, helichrysum). I was feeling mildly better after the bath. No longer nauseas, but still in a lot of pain and very tired. My two-year old snuggled up on the couch with me and watched tv while I napped. Again, felt marginally better when I woke up. But not great. At this point the headache was sort of coming and going. If I was very still or laying down, I couldn’t feel it. But if I stood up or tried to do anything (particularly if it involved bending over) the pain came shooting back.

I ate these.

And drank more water. And slathered helichrysum oil over my neck and shoulders. By 1pm, my headache was completely gone, my energy was back, and I felt fantastic. 100 %. Good thing, too, because I was going to have a lot of nursing to do in the evening…

But first, lunch. Soy-free vegenaise, basil, yellow tomato, and roasted red pepper on homemade gf/egg free farmhouse seed bread. With black bean hummus and carrot sticks

And a smoothie. Kale, strawberries, 3 dates for sweetness, almond milk, sexy chocolate mix (cacao, carob, maca), 5 brazil nuts, and vanilla extract.

So, my husband came home early this evening from a work trip because he wasn’t feeling well and my daughter has had a very mild cough with slight congestion all week. And they both decided to have their sicknesses peak this evening.

As soon as I found out my husband was on his way home with a sore throat and feeling achy (aka fever), I started this soup. A whole organic chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, celery, splashes of white wine and apple cider vinegar, herbs from the garden (rosemary, thyme, sage, and basil), and 8 cups of water.

I’m pretty sure this soup is one of the top 5 most delicious things I’ve ever made. It was amazing.

But on to tonight’s nursing duties. As soon as my husband walked in the door, I made him get in an Epsom salt/baking soda bath with oils geared toward fighting infection and relieving pain (myrrh, eucalyptus, lemongrass, wintergreen, and clove) and made him use eucalyptus castile soap for washing. I gave him a mug of mullein tea and a spoonful of honey with a drop of thieves essential oil to soothe his throat and fight the infection at the source. Then gave him a foot, hand, and back massage attempting to follow the raindrop technique championed by Young Living Oils. The technique calls for the following oils: Valor (a blend), oregano, thyme, basil, wintergreen, marjoram, Aroma Siez (another blend, which I do not own, so I substituted helichrysum), and peppermint. I also put rosemary and helichrysum on his feet, and peppermint on his scalp and forehead to help with the fever.

When I was almost done with his massage, our daughter woke up from her nap. She was generally fussy (which is nothing new this week), but then started complaining about her right ear. She’s almost 3, and has never had an ear infection before. But it was very clear that her sinus funk had morphed into an ear infection. GREAT!

I rubbed her down with myrrh, eucalyptus, and helichrysum oils diluted in a carrier of grapeseed oil. And put thieves directly on the soles of her feet.

They both ate their soup.

And she drank two baby bottles of mullein tea before falling asleep.

I felt my headache coming back as soon as everybody else was asleep, so I forced myself to drink 32 oz of water before going to sleep myself. Problem solved! Oh- I also put 2 drops of therapeutic grade frankincense oil under my tongue to protect myself from whatever nastiness has invaded our family. And sprayed the whole house down with a thieves disinfectant concoction: clove, cinnamon, lemon, and rosemary oils with a bit of witch hazel and lots of filtered water in a spray bottle. It smells like Christmas around here.

Of course, after all those liquids baby girl consumed, her diaper couldn’t handle her overnight output, so we were up changing sheets at 4am, but it was obvious that she was feeling much better at this point. She was happy and not complaining about her ear at all. I put a few drops of apple cider vinegar in her ear anyway, to help fight the infection at the source. Gave her a bottle of almond milk laced with probiotics and put her back to sleep.

The husband woke up, too, and was obviously much improved. Was even talking about going back to work. Considering how sick and out of it he was a few hours ago, that’s just crazy talk. He needs to take at least one full day to rest.

But let me just say that I am utterly impressed with the power of essential oils, natural remedies, and food as medicine. The more I experiment with these things, the more I trust their efficacy. And I’m so happy to be able to do something for my sick family that supports their healing systems rather than being toxic to their bodies like conventional medicine. And I’m so grateful that I was physically well enough to care for them during this time. After 3 years of being the sick one, it’s nice to care for others for a change.

Friday

Woke up feeling great again today. Until I started to pay attention to what’s going on in my mouth. Tongue is swollen, and upper lip is visibly swollen because of a lesion near the gum line. Thrush is still going strong, and there are lots of smaller lesions with the potential to become more problematic.

I’m obviously in the midst of a mild flare. But remember, I said I woke up feeling great today. Typically, when I’m flaring, it’s accompanied by extreme exhaustion and general discomfort/sensitivity that makes regular activities tiring and painful. I don’t have any of that today. I feel fantastic- as long as I’m not trying to eat or talk. So, though I’m flaring, I still see this as progress.

Breakfast was very difficult to eat and took foreverrrrr. GF cinnamon raisin toast with earth balance spread, orange/carrot juice, and dandelion root tea.

I don’t have much in the fridge for juicing, so I’m subbing in some wheatgrass for my usual green alkalizer today.

Walked 3.6 miles with baby girl in the stroller today. I was considering doing a body pump class at the gym, or doing the next P90X workout, but I figured today wasn’t a day to push myself, even though I feel good. It’s clear that something is “off” since my mouth is out of control. But being as consistent as possible with exercise is an important part of my treatment plan, so I felt like I had to do something.

Came home and had this leftover almost vegan Alfredo lasagna for lunch. It wasn’t too hard to eat.

Was still hungry, so supplemented lunch with this pouch of baby food. Along with juicing, this is the easiest way I know to get nutrients in my body when my mouth is all jacked up.

And snacked on these banana chips. Slightly painful to eat, but the sweetness of them motivated me to keep going. Enjoyed them with a cup of herbal orange tea.

Dinner is puréed roasted carrots with organic vegetable stock. Topped with sage from the garden. Dressing it up this way makes it seem less like baby food, and more like a gourmet soup. Though its basically just baby food.

My daughter has had a bit of a cough today. Seems like she picks something up every time I leave her in daycare at the gym or the nursery at church. She’s been to both this week. I gave her Similisan (a homeopathic remedy for kids) and made an essential oils concoction to rub on her chest and back: eucalyptus, myrrh, clove, and lavender oils in a carrier of coconut oil. I would’ve added peppermint and rosemary if she’d had a fever. And rubbed Young Living’s Theives oil blend on her feet. Haven’t heard a single cough all day. Will repeat this process tonight (coughs always rear their ugly heads when the sun goes down) and see how she does. Also, I’ve been sneaking a bit of probiotics in her bottle at night. (Breaking the capsules apart and giving her a little less than half.) That should help with boosting her immune function.

Saturday

I’m on a roll- feeling great 3 days in a row! Have another busy day today. Breakfast is a bowl of brown rice, diced roasted carrots and parsnips, an egg, avocado, and raw sauerkraut.

Had a picnic for lunch. Sorry no photo (forgot). It was pecan crusted chicken strips drizzled with honey (local, raw) mustard and wrapped in romaine leaves. Plus apples, grapes, and gf sweet potato oatmeal cookies. And pirate’s veggie booty.

Drank lots of this today. May not be the best brand, since it does have added citric acid. But it’s the only one my local store had in stock. There’s another brand (coco one? I think) that is just pure coconut water. That’s a better option if it’s available.

Snacked on the last of the healthy brownie bites, 2 pieces of dark chocolate (with chili pepper!), and a glass of unsweetened almond milk with stevia and pie spices.

Side note about almond milk: the Almond Breeze brand contains carrageenan. Silk does not. You do NOT want to be consuming carrageenan. Here’s why.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-18/health/ct-met-carrageenan-0318-20130318_1_carrageenan-fda-scientists-food-additive-safety

Considering that nearly all chronic illnesses are a result of inflammation, and often originate in gut inflammation, whether it causes recognizable digestive issues or not, the available science seems pretty clear that this stuff should be avoided. I’m appalled that they put it in infant formula. So glad my girl was mostly breast fed.

Dinner was leftover Alfredo lasagna (almost vegan) and grilled chicken.

Quick note on the headache I had last night and a miraculous performance by an essential oil blend. I was having a hard time falling asleep and the headache was getting worse. I drank 16 ounces of water with a tincture of milk thistle and rubbed Young Living’s PanAway essential oil blend where it hurt- my neck, shoulders, temples, and forehead. If I could’ve rubbed it behind my eyeballs, I would have. The pain started to subside almost immediately. Within half an hour, it was completely, COMPLETELY gone. I’ve never had serious migraines, but my headaches are no joke. I learned in high school that if I didn’t quickly take something for the pain, I’d end up wanting to cut my head off. So this practice of avoiding pills in favor of natural remedies has been a little nerve-wracking. I’m always scared it won’t work and I’ll regret not taking a pill sooner, before the pain sunk its claws in. But, so far, so good. I love being able to do something to relieve my pain that isn’t toxic to my body. When it comes to essential oils (and possibly some other kooky home remedies) I have to say I am becoming a believer. That was just crazy how fast my headache went away. Crazy!

Saturday

Woke up with a headache this morning. Thinking it’s partially due to dehydration and partially due to blood sugar imbalance because of my sweet, high carb dinner last night. I drank lots of water and had this for breakfast (brown rice with sautéed beet greens and an organic egg)… and the headache immediately started to improve. I rubbed some essential oils (clove, lavender, chamomile) around my shoulders and neck, an inhaled them from my hands for a bit. The headache was gone in a couple of hours. Yay for avoiding Advil!

Carrot/ginger/orange juice. Great immune booster with all the vitamin A from the carrots and vitamin C from the orange juice. And the ginger revs up your digestive system. I’m building up my tolerance to the flavor and heat of ginger in my juices, and am using more and more every day. It has so many medicinal properties. I ended up drinking more than 48 ounces of this juice throughout the day, this was just my first glass.

Lots of snacking going on today. Gluten free toast with natural peanut butter, cinnamon, and xylitol.

Hummus and gf crackers.

Sweet treat: banana chips. (These do have some added sugar. I don’t know WHY they do that. I’m sure they’d be sweet enough on their own.)

Mouth is feeling irritated, so I’m reverting to comfort food. Good thing my new comfort food is super healthy. Mashed roasted cauliflower with garlic and onions. It doesn’t look too pretty, but it’s soooo good. This would make a good dip, too. But I just ate it straight, like mashed potatoes.

Blackberries.

Really dragging and feeling tired tonight. The in-laws took baby girl for the night, and I didn’t even realize the extent of my exhaustion until she was gone. Needing something nourishing and healing. Enter my new favorite cookbook, Nourishing Meals. I made some adjustments. Used nori seaweed. Omitted the carrots (since I’ve already consumed so much carrot juice today). Omitted the chili flakes (since I’m a wuss when it comes to spicy heat). Replaced the cabbage, onions, and cilantro with chunks from my frozen nutritional boost greens (kale, celery, and parsley) leftover from juicing. And I added a container of cubed tofu. Since miso soup at restaurants always have tofu cubes and I figured I could use some protein.

The actual recipe.

My version. Very hearty.