Taking on Full Autoimmune Paleo Protocol and dealing with a possible Herxheimer reaction

Feeling pretty good on this fourth day without prednisone. I have a few lesions, nothing major. But I do have quite a bit of thrush, which is odd. It’s nearly covering my entire tongue. This usually doesn’t happen unless I’m having a bad flare. The thrush on its own isn’t painful, just annoying. And I’m thinking it may be a reaction to detox, since I’ve been really strict on AIP the last few days. The last time I experienced thrush like this (without a bad flare) was when I did a 3 day juice cleanse. “Fuzzy tongue” is a pretty common side effect of detoxing. I think it has something to do with toxins released as bad bacteria and yeasts in the body die off. I’m surprised that this would happen to me, since AIP isn’t a huge jump from what I was already eating. But I guess it’s possible that nuts, seeds, eggs, and nightshades really were wrecking havoc in my system. I hope that’s the case, because it would mean I’ve found another big piece of the puzzle. Nuts, seeds, and eggs were also the mediums through which I ingested quite a bit of sugar (dates/honey) in the form of grain-free baked goods and (my favorite treat ever) date/nut “cookie dough” balls. Those changes may be starving the baddies in my gut of the sugar they thrive on. That would elicit some die-off, and might help explain the thrush.

I’ve gone full-AIP now. So in addition to the typical Paleo restrictions (no grains, legumes, or dairy) I’ve also eliminated nuts, seeds, eggs, and nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers). So what I DO eat is lots of fruit and vegetables, grass-fed beef, organic chicken (I don’t have access to pastured chicken right now), humanely raised pork, all with no nitrates/nitrites or preservatives, and now I CAN’T eat any pre-seasoned sausages, hot dogs, jerky, or deli meats since they almost always use spices derived from nightshades (like paprika). I am also eating lots of fish. I found some great BPA free and wild caught canned tuna and salmon. Plus, to avoid losing weight on this diet, I’m including lots of healthy fats: extra virgin coconut oil, ghee, extra virgin olive oil (not for cooking, though- olive oil deteriorates quickly at high temps and becomes inflammatory and toxic). I’m hoping to work in some healthy animal fats from good sources (like lard) for cooking, but I haven’t tracked down those sources yet. And I’m not about to use conventional lard from the grocery store. Yuk!

PUMPKIN SOUP with COCONUT SOUR CREAM
I blended a can of organic, BPA free pumpkin purée with some homemade bone broth (chicken stock) and a clove of garlic, in the vita-mix for about 7 minutes until it got hot. Super easy. The coconut sour cream is actually homemade coconut yogurt, but the taste works perfectly for this. I mixed the coconut cream from 3 refrigerated cans of organic coconut milk with a powdered kefir starter and left it in my oven with the light on for 24 hours. The oven is off during this process, but the light creates enough heat to facilitate the culturing activity of the probiotics. Once it’s refrigerated again, it’s thick, creamy, and tangy, and LOADED with probiotics. Blended with something sweet, it tastes like yogurt. On something savory, it tastes like sour cream. Either way, it’s delicious.

That same coconut sour cream/yogurt worked beautifully in this tuna salad. I also mixed in some raw sauerkraut, making this dish a probiotic powerhouse. I would’ve loved to add some olives, but my daughter has decided that she doesn’t like them and we were sharing.

These are allergy-free breakfast cookies from the Against All Grain cookbook. Bananas, applesauce, dates, coconut flour, plus dried fruits and spices. Good stuff.

Applegate beef slices wrapped around my homemade fermented carrot sticks. Yum! And more probiotics! Now that I’m thinking about all the probiotics I’ve been eating, that could be another explanation for the Herxheimer (die-off) symptoms. Hopefully the good guys are crowding out the bad guys in my belly.

Smoothie time! A banana, coconut milk (leftover from all that coconut cream), frozen blueberries, and 2 huge handfuls of spinach. Alongside some Applegate turkey slices, it makes for a satisfying AIP breakfast.

The turkey slices do contain carrageenan, which weirds me out. But it’s certainly healthier than most other super-convenient protein options, and it doesn’t contain any nightshade spices, so I’m not going to worry about it for now.

Tapering Success!!! And setting new goals.

Well, yesterday was (potentially) my last day on prednisone. I say potentially because I am leaving the option open to take a mg or a half anytime this week if I feel like I need it. But, honestly, after what I’ve been through the past 3 months with the taper, I can’t imagine it getting bad enough that I can’t push through. Now it’s time to dig into some REAL healing.

My plan is to give myself a couple of weeks to adjust to life without prednisone. My adrenals are screwed up and I know my hormones are out of whack. I’m focusing on getting better quality sleep (and getting to sleep by 10pm). And working in some light exercise. We went kayaking (3 miles) yesterday, and though I passed out in the car on the way home, I didn’t feel particularly fatigued during the trip. And had enough energy later in the day to host a backyard movie night. Well, I didn’t do anything besides make some popcorn (which I didn’t eat), but just having the energy left to socialize after such a busy day is an improvement over the recent past.

We’ll see how the next couple of weeks go, but once I feel like my body is getting itself together again, I want to detox. Probably a modified AIP (autoimmune paleo) solid foods plus juice cleanse, with a 7 day detox supplement from Garden of Life. We’re on a super-tight grocery budget, so it might get tricky, but it should be doable. I’ll re-evaluate and determine new goals after that.

My goals have been so centered around getting off the medication. Now that I’m pretty much there, I already feel like I’m floundering a bit. (The pitfalls of being extremely goal-oriented.) My ultimate goal is complete, medication-free remission. But there will be a few more mini-goals between here and there. I’m just not sure what they should be. I need to make an appointment with my integrative doc. He’d probably be extremely helpful with this process.

At any rate, I’m EXTREMELY grateful and happy to be OFF OF PREDNISONE!!! And I feel like I dodged a bullet by avoiding the methotrexate all my conventional docs were pushing on me. Physically, I feel pretty good. Having a minor flare that’s been going on since last week, but it’s nothing compared to what has been the “norm” over the past 3 months. It’s barely worth mentioning.

Here’s some examples of what I’ve been eating lately.

A quick, one-pan, AIP dinner: tilapia and Brussels sprouts with red onion, lots of garlic and lemon juice.

Organic chicken sausage (non-AIP), yummy kale chips, and sautéed sweet potatoes. (This was breakfast. Yeah- since eliminating eggs, grains, nuts, and seeds, breakfast looks a little different. Takes some getting used to.)

Strawberry smoothie with coconut cream. (Totally fills in for the strawberry frappuccinos with whipped cream that I used to consume in a former life.) The smoothie has frozen strawberries, homemade coconut milk and coconut kefir (awesome probiotics!), and dates. The coconut cream is the cream from the top of a refrigerated can of organic coconut milk mixed with a scant tablespoon of agave nectar. It’s denser than whipped cream, so a lot of it sinks into the smoothie. But I bet if I made the smoothie thicker (with more strawberries or by adding ice) more of the cream would sit on top.

And this has become one of our favorite salty crunchy snacks. My daughter loves these. She’d always get a little package of seaweed snacks when we’d go to the health food store. But they often have questionable added oils and some spices I may need to avoid on AIP. Plus they’re expensive! So I just get regular old nori sheets and fold them into smaller, snackable size squares.

Now I’m off to get myself and my little one ready for bed. We have a strict bedtime! 😉

AIP Breakfast and Dinner, plus a Buttermilk Pie Smoothie (vegan and AIP-friendly!)

I’m on day 2 of 1 mg prednisone. Getting so close to the end! Planning to drop to .5 mg next week by splitting the pills in half. No major issues so far this week, though it may still be too early to tell. I’ve been really tired (despite getting a full 8 hours of sleep, I’ve been taking 2 hour naps in the afternoons, too). My skin has been sensitive-feeling, and my bottom lip seems to be taking its time healing. But the inside of my mouth is in great shape. Only one tender spot. I can’t remember the last time my mouth was this healthy. Certainly before I started the taper, so it’s been months.

I have not been super-strict about following the AIP (autoimmune paleo) protocol, but I still feel like I’m experiencing some benefits. For one, I’m having less cravings for sweets. And when I do have sweets (such as the buttermilk pie smoothie below) I’m quickly satisfied with just a bit of sweet fruit, like bananas or grapes. There have been several occasions where I’ve added a small bit of honey to something out of habit, and then found it to be wayyyy too sweet. I know that prednisone can affect the body’s ability to properly process sugar, so that may be having an impact as well.

Here’s a recent AIP friendly breakfast we had. Beef breakfast patties with baked apple slices (baked in coconut oil with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom) topped with coconut cream (from the top of a refrigerated can of coconut milk, and mixed with a bit of vanilla and raw honey). Served with a mug of chicken bone broth (very healing to the gut with all those minerals and gelatin).

And an AIP friendly dinner: oven roasted lemon tilapia and veggies. I made a bed of red onions and sliced lemons, then layered on frozen tilapia fillets seasoned with Himalayan salt, turmeric, and garlic powder. Covered and baked for 20 minutes at 400, then uncovered it and poured on a layer of frozen Brussels sprouts and baked for another 20 minutes, turning on the broiler for the last 7 minutes. Only dirtied up one dish and got a quick (under an hour) nutrient rich dish, where many of the ingredients were cooked directly from frozen.

I’m reading a book that takes place in the south, and they mentioned buttermilk pie. Being a southern girl, this is one of my all-time absolute favorite desserts. It’s not quite cake, but not quite pie, and I’ve never been able to decide if it’s better warm or cold. But it’s crazy delicious, and the mention of it in my book sparked a vicious craving. I satisfied it with a smoothie.

I made vegan/AIP friendly buttermilk by combining coconut milk and apple cider vinegar (any acidic medium will work, such as lemon juice) and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Use about a tablespoon acidic medium per cup of milk. Then I poured it in my vitamix with a frozen banana, pinch of salt, splash of vanilla extract, and dash of cinnamon. Perfection. Sorry no photo. I was in a crazed state for my buttermilk pie and it didn’t last long enough for a picture. It would be really nice served with a spiced version of my date/nut cookie bites. But AIP doesn’t allow nuts and seeds, so I’ll try that later.

Living Grain Free

I’m on day 6 of 4 mg on the prednisone taper. And this is the best I’ve felt since I began the taper 2 months ago. I’ve been feeling really good for a few days, but was afraid to talk about it too much- didn’t want to jinx it. I’ll be dropping to 2 mg on Sunday. I’m almost there! Almost done! Almost free!

Here’s some examples of what I’ve been eating lately. Grain-free isn’t nearly as tough as I thought it would be. As the Paleo Mom says, it’s only effort until it’s routine.

These are grass fed burgers on a lettuce bun with tomato, avocado, and mushrooms. With rutabaga fries. Seriously delicious.

Breakfast for the family: sautéed sweet potato and beet greens with garlic. Applegate naturals chicken and apple breakfast sausage, and sliced fruit- pluot, banana, and Granny Smith apple. This meal would almost fit within the guidelines of the autoimmune paleo protocol. The sausage is seasoned with spices that include pepper, and nightshades are restricted on the AIP, but it’s pretty close.

Loving my vitamix and it’s ability to turn large amounts of fruits and veggies into delicious smoothies! Here, I puréed a cucumber (not organic, so I peeled it before blending), a plum, a whole head of romaine, and a beet. I drank 2 big glasses, then blended what was leftover with a frozen banana for my 3 year old. Super sweet and she loved it.

Super salty lunch salad: 2 cups of baby spinach topped with Applegate naturals uncured salami, raw sauerkraut, and Sicilian style olives. It was tricky to find jarred olives without nasty additives. These have lactic acid and acetic acid (which I think is basically vinegar), but are otherwise just olives, water, and salt. Most of the jarred olives had preservatives, so this was the best option I could find.

This is now one of my all time favorite recipes. Nut-free, Coconut-free Paleo Muffins from the Paleo Mom. I doubled the batch, made 12 plain muffins, 12 blueberry muffins, and then made blueberry pancakes with what wouldn’t fit in the muffin tins. Everything came out perfect.

Quick lunch for me while my daughter’s at school: 2 grassfed beef uncured hot dogs with organic ketchup and mustard, olives, raw sauerkraut, and jarred organic shredded red beets.

I often send these in my daughter’s lunch. Great substitute for a ham sandwich. A grain free crepe from the Against all Grain cookbook, Applegate naturals uncured ham, and raw sauerkraut for a good dose of probiotics to help with digestion.

And when I eat them myself, I dip it in mustard, and pair it up with a pickle spear, olives, and shredded beets.

And, in case you missed it in previous posts, this bread recipe is part of what has made my transition to grain-free so easy. Crazy delicious.

Sunday

Getting better every day! 🙂

Baby girl and I managed church on our own this morning. Had a quick breakfast of grain-free granola before church. I made a batch before going to bed last night. It’s just a grainless variation on a homemade granola with oats that I’ve been making for a while.

It’s got tons of organic unsweetened coconut, raw sesame seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, chopped brazil nuts, chopped walnuts, and pine nuts sprinkled with cinnamon and ginger and drizzled with agave nectar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Baked at 350 for half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Totally hits the spot that would normally be filled with sweets or cereals. This would work nicely as a crunchy topping for baked fruit, too. This morning, I drenched it in coconut milk and topped it with banana.

My daughter is in the midst of potty training. She usually does a great job going #2, but will pee all over the place without a diaper on. However, she’s fearful about going #2 and will postpone it as long as she can. Because of this, she only goes every 3 days or so. Knowing what I’ve learned about digestion being the foundation for overall health, this concerns me. So I’ve been on a mission to boost her up with probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, and liquids to keep everything moving smoothly, whether she wants it to or not. To that end, we shared this awesome smoothie this afternoon.

Super-digestion Smoothie (tastes like a vanilla milkshake, but it will be very green)

Frozen banana
Vanilla protein powder (we used Garden of Life Raw Meal)
Huge handful of spinach (good prebiotics- food for the probiotics)
A couple tablespoons of flax seed (hello, fiber!)
Non-dairy milk of choice (we used almond)
Splash of kombucha (extra probiotics and fruity flavor)
Handful of prunes (adds sweetness, and everybody knows their digestive benefits)
Vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt (we use the pink stuff)
Cup of ice
Smidge of maple syrup (totally unnecessary, but I wanted to make it an extra special sweet treat for my daughter)
Empty in one capsule of probiotics before blending (we use Garden of Life Raw Probiotics- there’s 85 billion live cultures, 32 different strains- good stuff)

Very delicious and very filling.

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.

The Week of Rebellion

Well, I got frustrated with the fact that I got seriously sick again after 6 months of nearly perfect eating (as far as I understand nutrition) and total focus on consistent supplementation and funneling all of our resources Into my health and recovery. I was pissed. What was I doing wrong? And what’s the point of working so hard and sacrificing so much (especially financially) if nothing has changed.

In an act of rebellion, I relaxed (slightly) on my diet. I drank coffee for the first time since I left the hospital in January. I’m pretty sure I actually got high on that first cup. Had a small cup with raw goat milk or cow cream and raw organic honey for the next 4 days (except the one day I had coffee at a friends house and used flavored creamer (gasp!)). Anyway, after a few days I started noticing how jittery I felt. And there was a moment in the grocery store when I felt like my blood sugar suddenly plummeted and left me shaky and starving and panicky- leading me to scarf down a whole package of goat cheese in the car before driving home. I remember that kind of thing happening regularly in the past, but I’d forgotten about it, because it hasn’t happened in the past 6 months. Conclusion? Coffee is not right for me. At least not caffeinated. Lesson learned.

In my rebellion, I also ate whatever I wanted at play dates and parties that week. Gluten? Yum. Dairy? Yum. Sugar? Yum. GMO? Yum. Why deprive myself at social functions if I keep getting sick anyway? Yeah, well. There was a consequence for that.

For women who take a lot of prednisone, yeast infections are very common because decreased immunity creates a prime environment for the fungus to thrive. Apparently, my healthy, low sugar diet was protecting me from this terribly uncomfortable side effect, because after my week of rebellion, I have a raging one. I’ve had issues with oral thrush along the way, but haven’t had any problems “down there” until now. And lemme tell ya- this discomfort is not worth those sugary (albeit delicious) desserts. It’s just not.

I didn’t deviate much from my usual plan at home (aside from 2 bowls of sugary cereal- only in the house as a treat for my daughter), but I did try incorporating some raw dairy into my diet. Got a little congested (I’ve noticed that before in response to dairy) and got lots of cystic acne in my T-zone. All around my mouth and nose and between my eyebrows. I haven’t had acne like this since college. Not sure if it’s a reaction to the stress of everything, the dairy, or the toxins in all the cheat foods I was eating- or a combination of all of that. I hadn’t realized how good my skin had actually gotten, so that’s additional motivation to keep me on track with my nutrition efforts.

Coming off my week of rebellion kinda feels like coming home from a crazy drunken spring break or Mardi Gras. It was fun, but I’m still suffering the consequences. And I never want to do it again.

Not everything that I ate was horrible. Here’s some pics of some good things. Sorry- no evidence of the bad stuff.

Ingredients for amazing chicken salad. Including my homemade mayo- emulsified in my new vitamix! Yay!

Chicken salad sandwich on a gluten-free bun with fermented veggies on the side.

Ingredients for organic roasted chicken with garlic and rosemary. In the bowl: crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and ghee.

Once they cooled, I tore all the meat from the bones (keeping it in the fridge for more chicken salad) and then put the carcasses in the crock pot with lots of water, herbs, celery, carrots, a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt, and let it go for 24 hours. The bone broth is supposed to be very healing for the gut. I’ve been drinking it most mornings since giving up coffee (again).

This green smoothie tastes like a vanilla milk shake. No joke. Frozen banana, ice, full fat coconut milk, tons of spinach, a few dates, vanilla extract, maca powder, and a few drops of stevia. So, so, so delicious.

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

Scrambled eggs with spinach, goat cheese, and avocado.

Smoothie time! Waited too long to post and now I don’t remember what I put in it. I think bananas, cherries, carob, maca, and dates.

Alkalizing greens: kale, cucumber, yellow pepper, apples.

Leftover moqueca (Brazilian fish stew).

Spinach, cranberries, and goat cheese in orange vinaigrette.

Carrot-beet juice. Nice nutrient boost before bed. TMI side note- I no longer experience beeturia (red/pink urine and/or poo after consuming beets). I’d read somewhere that beeturia was a sign of weak digestion, but figured that might be bogus since pretty much everyone gets it when they eat beets or drink beet juice. Yet, I’ve noticed in the last couple of weeks that beets no longer have that effect. I’d love to think this means I’ve made improvements in my digestive system. I’ll take it as a sign I’m moving in the right direction. Not much matters if I keep flaring and I I can’t get off prednisone, but I’ll take a small win where I can get it. (And I’m not currently flaring, so… Yay- Big Win!)

Tuesday

Feeling good. Busy day.

Breakfast: organic eggs scrambled with grilled veggies from Sunday’s cookout.

Sweet treat smoothie: goat milk (sort of trying this out in preparation for embracing the Maker’s diet), cherries, banana, medjool dates, cocoa powder, and maca powder. Super rich. Almost couldn’t finish it because it was so sweet and filling. The goat milk made it really creamy compared to the almond milk I’m used to.

Also snacked on some roasted beets and 32 oz of coconut water.

Lunch: a smorgasbord from the buffet at Whole Foods- mashed sweet potatoes, spring mix salad with jicama and balsamic dressing, and some kind of exotic coconut soup.

Attended a seminar tonight on gastro-intestinal health. Snacked on hummus, gluten free crackers, pomegranate juice, and a fruit salad that they served as hors d’oeuvres.

Had a late, but delicious dinner of healing chicken soup.

Saturday

Totally struggling to stay positive right now. And it just seems ridiculous because I’m not even that sick. This flare is pretty minor. But I guess I had gotten excited that I was seeing progress, so I wasn’t mentally prepared for this setback.

Physically, I’m about the same today as yesterday. But emotionally, I’m dragging. I’ve been so focused, and working so hard, and my family has made so many sacrifices to help me get well. What if this doesn’t work? Am I doing something wrong? Or am I just being impatient? I’m so glad tomorrow’s Sunday. I need some church!

I had two slices of sandwich bread (gluten, egg, dairy, soy, and corn free) with ghee for breakfast.

And juiced half a fennel bulb with fronds, 5 big cucumbers, celery, 2 green apples, and kale. That’s a half gallon jar. Drank all of it throughout the day.

Lunch was leftover chicken soup and lemongrass tea (from the garden).

Dinner was sautéed sweet potatoes with spinach and garlic, fermented carrots and cauliflower, cabbage and beet salad (jarred), and rosemary garlic seed bread with olive oil.

And a smoothie for dessert. Frozen cherries and mango, banana, 3 dates, almond milk, hemp protein powder, and maca powder. Very rich and sweet.

Sunday

Feeling really good today. Lip is healing well. Energy level is great.

Frozen waffles leftover from a previous meal. Just threw them in the toaster, just like store bought. But way healthier and cheaper! With ghee and maple syrup, plus apples, kiwi, and cherries.

We have a busy day today, so lunch had to be quick. I spiralized a cucumber, soaked it in apple cider vinegar for a few minutes, and layered it on small slices of rosemary garlic farmhouse seed bread with sun dried tomato hummus, a dollop of soy free vegenaise, and paprika. This would also be a great appetizer or hors d’oeuvre.

Went to a Zumba class today. So fun, great workout. Had this smoothie when I got home. Strawberries, maca powder, 5 dates, hempseed oil, almond milk, vanilla extract, and a splash of agave. I made it a bit sweeter than usual, and the maca powder gives it a rich, malty flavor. Totally tasted like a strawberry milkshake.

We went out to eat with family for dinner. Buca di Beppa. I looked at their gluten free menu online, and knew the only thing I’d be able to eat on this elimination diet was the green salad. So I brought my own food to supplement. Roasted beets in citrus vinaigrette, sandwich bread and black bean hummus, and granola for dessert.

I dipped my gluten free/egg free/soy free/corn free/dairy free bread in olive oil and balsamic vinegar while everyone else did the same with the restaurant’s bread. When the appetizers came out (calamari and caprese salad) I broke out the black bean hummus and kept working on my bread. I intended to order the green salad with the restaurant’s signature vinaigrette, but found out from our server that the dressing has both soy and eggs in it. No biggie, just bring me oil and vinegar.

When my salad came, it was a huge bowl of mostly iceberg lettuce, sprinkled with chopped tomatoes, four (FOUR!) olives- 2 black and 2 green, and 2 pepperoncini peppers (that were just too spicy for me, so I couldn’t eat them). If I hadn’t brought my own food, at this point I would have been extremely hungry, disappointed, and irritable. I would’ve been drooling over everyone’s cheesy pastas and ginormous meatballs (which I did a little bit anyway, but more in a “How can I make something similar at home that will fit my diet?” kind of way, rather than a “OMG, that looks so good! Why am I struck with this stupid sickness while everyone else get to eat whatever they want and they don’t even have to think twice about it?” kind of way). But if I had been hungry and irritable, I’m sure my thoughts would’ve led to the more whiny, self-pitying type.

As it was, I was disappointed that I only had four olives (they were the only ingredient I was really looking forward to in the salad) but I was plenty full on bread, hummus, and beets. The salad was really just another side dish, not what I was depending on for nourishment. So I was happy and satisfied with my meal. And munched on granola while we sat around and laughed at my daughter’s antics (I think she was a little high on gluten since she rarely gets it, and she was acting nuts!)

Lesson confirmed that one cannot eat well at a conventional restaurant on a healthy, but restrictive diet. The measly offerings they do have are often not that good anyway (limp lettuce, grainy tomatoes, FOUR olives). It’s certainly not worth the money.

But, time spent with family is priceless, so it’s important to have solutions available that will allow you to stick with your diet, but still participate in a world that does not always make healthy choices easy. Bringing your own food isn’t always an option, but it worked for me in this case, and I’ll do it again anytime I doubt that I can find something suitable on the menu. It may sound melodramatic, but my life depends on it.

Saturday

Homemade granola with apples and almond milk.

Haven’t been juicing lately (stretching our food budget) so supplementing with this. It’s not the same, but it’s alkalizing.

Lunch looked almost identical to a previous meal, so I didn’t bother with a photo. Open faced sandwiches (gf/egg free bread, black bean hummus, big tomato slice, soy free vegenaise, organic Dijon mustard, and clover sprouts) with roasted beets and fermented carrots and cauliflower.

And this delicious smoothie. Kale, banana, blueberries, sambazon acai unsweetened smoothie packet, 5 prunes, almond milk, hempseed oil, and a smidge of coconut nectar.

Made a fresh batch of farmhouse seed bread (from Nourishing Meals). Added chopped garlic and rosemary. Been dipping it in olive oil. Amazing.

Afternoon treat. Had 6 squares (half a serving) with a glass of almond milk with stevia and vanilla extract.

And dinner was stuffed peppers, seed bread, and raw sauerkraut. Trying to incorporate raw fermented veggies as much as possible for their probiotics.

The peppers were super easy. I already had frozen cooked brown rice and grassfed ground beef sautéed with onions and garlic. So I just set those out to defrost around lunchtime. Once they’d thawed a bit, I mixed in a jar of simple marinara (no weird ingredients, no sugar), a can of mushrooms, and the chopped “lids” from the peppers. Filled the peppers, then put them in a casserole dish with water in the bottom (to steam) and baked them at 375 for an hour.

Friday

Waffles and apples for breakfast. Actually made the recipe correctly this time. Topped it with ghee and honey.

Lunch was an open faced black bean burger with tomato and sprouts, roasted beets, and fermented carrots and cauliflower. Second successful ferment. Woo-hoo! Made four jars of this stuff. When I get the dysbiosis in my gut under control, eating these on a regular basis should help maintain all the work I’ve done. They’re loaded with natural probiotics.

Had two spoonfuls of cashew butter and honey before working out. And had a glass of L-glutamine and a teaspoon of coconut sugar in water post-workout. Did P90X Legs and Back, and Ab Ripper. Felt good. Will probably be sore in the next couple of days.

Pumpkin smoothie snack time! Just canned pumpkin, frozen bananas, 5 prunes, vanilla, and pie spice.

And leftover fish soup for dinner. Topped with smashed avocado. Perfect.

Still have some odd lesion-action going on my lower lip, but it’s minor. And I’m doing great otherwise. Still seem to have avoided the plague that hit my daughter and gave my husband pneumonia. Not sure if I’m in the clear yet, but so far so good.

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.

Wednesday

Cinnamon rolls!!! Fantastic recipe from Nourishing Meals. Made with buckwheat flour. No gluten, no eggs, no soy, no dairy, no processed sugar. Topped it with their recipe for “cream cheese” frosting, made with sweet potatoes, applesauce, coconut oil, arrowroot, maple syrup, and vanilla. Crazy delicious. I made a double batch of the frosting to freeze for later.

Smoothie time. Kale, strawberries, tart cherry juice, almond milk, banana, hemp protein, and some probiotics (sneaking them in for my toddler).

Threw the leftover meatballs in the leftover soup and added some frozen greens. Stretched to feed 3 adults and a toddler with more leftovers for tomorrow.

Veggie sushi rolls. Spiralized jicama, shredded carrots, and julienned yellow peppers with the homemade salad dressing I made a few days ago. The dressing was way too garlicky the first day, but it has mellowed out now. Still has a garlicky bite to it, but much better.

Amazing gluten free, egg free bread recipe in Nourishing Meals. Farmhouse Seed Bread. All the gf bread recipes I’ve encountered have included TONS of eggs, so I was really excited to try this one. It’s super hearty, and will work nicely as a sandwich bread.

Drank the whole thing. So thirsty. Haven’t been juicing since I’ve been out of juiceable produce and stalling a grocery trip by trying to eat through what we have on hand. I’ve really missed it and have inadvertently been consuming less liquid. Gotta be careful with that. Hydration (with the right kind of liquids) is important to maintaining an alkaline pH.

Sunday

Had a great day. Intense service at church, then got some one on one time with the hubs. Not much improvement in my mouth, but it’s certainly not any worse, and my energy level was high all day. So I’m extremely happy and grateful for all of that. As soon as the sun went down this evening, I started to feel some exhaustion setting in and the pain in my mouth was amplified a bit. Not a big deal. Hopefully just a sign I need some rest and will be recharged by morning.

Today’s breakfast was an avocado fruit bowl with pear, persimmon, hemp seeds, and macadamia nuts. Delicious, but a little difficult to eat (given my jacked up mouth situation), so I ate half before church and finished the other half after we got back. Eating certain things is just a long process when you can’t manipulate your food with your tongue and you have to try to avoid irritating the tender spots, which is hard to do when they’re all over.

Here’s the recipe from Nourishing Meals. (Please see my resources page for a link to purchase this book.  It’s amazing.)

We didn’t have any fresh mango on hand, but if you’ve never tried a persimmon, they’re really sweet and delicious. Great substitution.

Easy comfort food for lunch.

With a smoothie. That’s frozen strawberries, half a banana, kale, and 3 dates in the blender cup. I added almond milk, vanilla, sexy hot chocolate mix (cacao, carob, maca), and a few drops of stevia.

Dinner was frozen leftover red lentil soup from a couple of months ago. I’ve got to make that stuff again. It was really really good. And I ate half of a mini raw vegan cheesecake I made a few weeks ago and froze.

Thursday

Woke up feeling great, despite not getting much sleep. My body didn’t cooperate with my attempt at getting to sleep early last night. But I think I may have gotten my toddler on an earlier schedule now, so that was the first step anyway. I’ll try again tonight.

Had the breakfast bowl filled with brown rice, roasted carrots, kimchi, avocado, and an egg.

And this immune boosting carrot-orange juice.

Went to a yoga class at the gym today. It was very relaxing, which I needed, since my arms, shoulders, and back are slightly sore from yesterday. Felt great while I was there.

But almost immediately started feeling tired when we got home. My tongue started to feel too big for my mouth and I can see thrush (fungus) all over it. I have one problematic lesion on my tongue. Also have that general all over discomfort/sensitivity that makes everything hurt more than it should (like when my daughter bumped my smoothie glass and it hit my lip- not hard, but it was excruciating for a moment, when it really should NOT have been that painful).

Made these melon ball skewers as a snack before lunch.

Had trouble eating them (because of all the inflammation and pain in my mouth) so settled for this smoothie. It’s a repeat from yesterday. Neapolitan.

Laid down and napped with my daughter for a bit and woke up feeling marginally better. Definitely less tired and less overall pain. Not sure what’s happening in my mouth. It’s crazy how things can change so quickly. I felt fine this morning, if only a bit sore from yesterday’s workout.

Feeling significantly better by dinnertime. Bit of a roller coaster today, I guess.

Here’s dinner. I don’t think I’ve ever had sardines before, but I’ve been reading how healthy they are. Read about them here- http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=147

Topped them with a bit of oregano from the garden, since it has lots of health benefits, too. Read about them here-

Oregano: 10 Natural Health Benefits & Healing Uses