Day 7: I'd Give My Right.. Arm

[too exhausted to proof read. maybe later.]

I don't feel like I can write very well tonight. I usually type from Jimmy's laptop from the comfort of my own bed while my legs scream at me. Tonight I am sitting on a wooden kitchen chair at the desktop that's breaking down.

Meal 1 & 2: Hamburger with lettuce and some peach or orange. (I know, I'm creative.)

Meal 3: Pork loin (I forgot to cook the cauliflower) and I don't remember what else I had. I was kind of snacking on mac nuts and almonds again. Oops!

A sister in the ward took time out of her busy day at work to start up this yummy crockpot pork loin meal. SO, so thoughtful! It was fun to talk with her and get to know her a little better. It's always wonderful to have adult conversation, too, ha ha!

{energy}

I woke up this morning worrying that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed until 10:30 again. My legs were heavy, but Jimmy left early to go to York, so I just had to grin and bear it today. Super lightheaded getting out of bed at first, but I was OK after that. I felt amazing! My legs were still sore and I was a little tired, but my body was so energetic. I wanted to do SO much today, but I focused on the boys today. Last night as I read more about the 29 Gifts, I thought about what my gift for today would be. You can read about it on the 29 Gifts tab, but I chose to teach and play with my kids today. They wore me out by 2:30pm, but it was so worth it! I'd give my right arm for those two! Ok, probably just both my legs. ;)  Enjoy the pictures of the fun we had... it has been MONTHS since I've been able to get the energy to do this. Loved every minute of it!

Joey is eating candy in my bed. That's how much I care when I'm tired. >.< But, the good news is that the Christmas/Halloween candy is gone! Jae at least will still ask for fruit, but Joey won't know much about candy in this house. :) I hope this energy continues because it's exhausting to make meal after meal. Ha, even for someone who has a healthy body! And, the boys will stop asking for candy. :)

Jae is working on his Thomas worksheets:

I love the way he draws his "lines":

 (Sorry for the upside down photo.)

He colored his laminated coloring page of himself. I enthusiastically asked, "Who is that?" He smiled so big and said, "Jae man!" That's right, buddy. :) 

The boys enjoyed watching the snow/rain/sleet pellets fall from the sky:

 Working on the alphabet and sounds with Joey:

Aa>Aquarium>Point to fish>"Ish"

Dino>Point>"ROAR!"

Dog>Point>"Mow"

(gotta work on cat vs. dog)

Ff>Fish>"Ish"

Lion>Point>"Roar!"

Everything else is a "didda" or "dooduh".

Art time:

These two aren't turned right, but I asked him what the name of each picture was. 

For sale, starting bid $1.

 "Pump Air" by Jae

"Froshgunk" by Jae

Jae wanted a birthday cake.. wouldn't stop telling me he wanted that and a birthday. I asked him what he wanted his piñata to look like. "McQueen? Thomas?.." He thought carefully and said, "a pwesent!" Ha, of course.. why not make it look like a big present? :)  Sad part is, he has 5 more months. Either sad for me to keep hearing it or sad for him to keep waiting.

We looked through the gluten-free almond flour cookbook I borrowed from Bonnie. He chose "tawwot take" over "tuptakes"! I was impressed! He loooves carrots! We will make carrot cake cupcakes as soon as we get the rest of the ingredients. I ventured to Walmart tonight; feelin' risky! I couldn't find grapeseed oil, agave nector, and coconut flour (which they probably didn't have). I texted Bonnie and called Jimmy, but forgot to check for the responses because my legs were killing me by then.

I really feel like this diet is helping me get better along with the Young Living Essential Oils. Thanks, Bonnie & Quin! I know, I know.. I never thought I'd be "one of those" people, but I am starting to be. Jimmy's fond of Thieves and Lemon, but soon he will be a believer (not to be mistaken by a Belieber even though he has posted a Beiber meme on my FB wall one time...ew) and we can do without most, if not all OTC drugs. And, I never thought I'd be "one of those" paleo-diet people either. Thanks, Mom! ;) I feel so weird buying that {organic} stuff, but if it's helping me feel better, by all means... I'm going to buy it. I just can't wait to put us all onto healthier eating! There are really some awesome recipes I want to try (without telling Jimmy what it is) and see if he likes them. The {only} thing I miss is sticky rice. I don't get tempted to eat it because I know I can try to add it back in later, but I'm Asian.. it's.. in my blood? Ha ha..

So, overall it was a pretty dang good day. The boys ate all their lunch and I was much more calm today. Well, until Joey body-slammed into me multiple times tonight. I made Jimmy take him. He didn't listen very well because that's where the multiple times comes in.

{amazing}

I'm super {amazed} by the sudden change from yesterday to this morning. It was like night and day (sorry, had to be punny). I feel so blessed as I've struggled through this for so long. (Most of the time not even knowing what was going on.) It was amazing to feel almost normal again. Busted through 4 hours of energy today with my boys and enjoyed every minute! It makes me sad to think about all of those months, days, and moments that I missed out on. I'm thankful to my Heavenly Father who hears my prayers. Jimmy gave me 2 blessings recently and both times he said, "I bless you that your body will heal so that you may be able to take care of your family." I believe in the power of the Priesthood and am grateful to have it in my home. I know this isn't the end of my bad days, but having this day with my handsome, adorable, funny, crazy boys made me SO happy! I thank you for your prayers, too! I know Jimmy and I weren't the only ones praying for my health.

Thank you.

Day 6: 29 Gifts

Meal 1: Almond pancakes with coconut oil (I really need to buy or make some ghee) and... a side of... shredded chicken. /rolls eyes  I know, I know... sounds so gross! I keep telling myself that I need to go to the store so I can mix things up. I need to make some mayo, ranch dip, and avocado dip!
Meal 2: I do not remember and maybe I just snacked. :|  I had a peach with Jae and a handful of mac nuts. Mmm, I love mac nuts! I probably had something else; I just don't remember.
Meal 3: Chicken stew. It was more or less beef stew, just with chicken instead. A wonderful sister in the ward brought it by!  (I am starting to leave names out; perhaps they would want their acts of service anonymous. Don't worry, I have their names for Thank You notes.)

So, this morning I woke up and my legs felt heavier than they've ever been. I didn't get out of bed until 10:30. I went into the bathroom and was so lightheaded and I experienced some (heart) palpitations. Not a big deal, probably just didn't give myself enough time to get out of bed. A sister in the ward was going to get my boys and watch them for a few hours so I could rest. I let her know that my boys were sick and I didn't want to spread the germs, so I was bummed that didn't work out. SO grateful for her willingness to serve, though! She even asked if she could help clean or anything. She is signed up for next week as well to watch the boys, so I hope they don't pick up any sicknesses from church. I may just have to put Thieves on their feet for a week even if they're fine.

My arms are getting weaker, but still a little functional. I lose more and more patience with my boys, which is sad! I'm in bed most of the day and can't get myself to interact with them. However, Jae wanted to make a birthday hat (I forgot to take a picture), so we made a birthday hat. (He wants it to be his "birday" right now and always asks, "Isit my birday yet?") I was so impressed that he constructed it himself; he colored the cutest designs on it, cut the foam, and taped it together himself! And then he was upset because it wasn't "wound" like a birthday hat. So, I un-taped it and fixed it.

Jimmy got home at 12:30 and made the kids lunch, did 7 loads of laundry, and helped me with folding the laundry. I guess I should think how he's feeling as he pointed out to me today that I wasn't the only tired one. Oops. Thankful for him for helping out!

{over-analyzing}

So.. as miserable as I've been feeling, I couldn't help but to ignore my own FB post about not asking "why me," but "why not me?"  I was getting depressed thinking I'm never going to get better, and that I'll never have kids again, I'll never feel well enough to take care of and teach the kids I already have, and not be a better homemaker. (I read a bunch of General Conference talks from November's 2009 Ensign last night and I feel like I'm not doing my job; ha, I know I'm not doing my job, but I'd like a second chance.) I just randomly selected an issue on Jimmy's phone... I chose November 2009 because it was the GC after Jae was born. Anyway, today I kept wondering if this Epstein-Barr Virus is something more like Lyme's or Guillian Barré. I know, just go to another doctor... Well, I'm sticking to this diet for 30 days to see if I'm feeling any better. By 30 days I should be a month away from seeing the Naturopath and we'll take things from there.  Earlier today I remembered a book that I started reading that my mom got me for Christmas. (Yeah, ADD.. haven't finished it yet. On page 64.) It's called 29 Gifts by Cami Walker.

Click here to find out more about this book.

I'm telling you, my mom gives the best books!

{I'm awesome}

I'm excited to finish reading this and continue with my own 29 Gifts challenge. In fact, I totally think this is a legit gift today:

I watched my friend's girl today so my friend could pack for a 3-month trip back to her motherland. I had sent her a text telling her that the kids are fine and she can take more time if she needed to. She was only an hour longer, but she was able to get all her packing finished! My friend knows I'm not well and was double checking with me to make sure it was OK. I admit that I just sat on the couch, but enjoyed watching the kids play together.

I will add my gifts on my newest tab called "29 Gifts" in case you want to follow that.

On that note, I promised my friend that I would start an earlier bedtime. I didn't think about a night's sleep being rest as well. I rest a lot during the day w/ naps and keeping myself from doing too much, but didn't think about a good night's sleep. So, I need to get to bed earlier. 10:30PM, just like it was as a missionary.

Goodnight!

P.S. We all have our trials and this is just one of mine I need to work through.. with help, of course! I hope you don't think I'm seeking for attention or needing sympathy; so.. don't feel all sorry and mushy stuff like that. I'm independent, stubborn, and I will get through this. ;) Love you!

Day 5: Mixed Emotions

Meal 1: I don't remember. Chicken and applesauce maybe? (I really need to go grocery shopping; this is getting repetitious. But, I probably wouldn't prep anything even if I did go shopping.)
Meal 2: I made almond flour pancakes and fried a prosciutto. I may or may not have cheated on this one. I can't remember what's a cheat and what's not. Killed me making those things, though. My legs hurt somethin' fierce today. Maybe it was the rain; no joke. Jae LOVED these! Joey, not so much.

(last bottle of Gatorade. Promise the boys will go Paleo when I have more energy or get my act together. Whichever comes first.)

This is a rare occurrence from Jae: 

Meal 3: Trying to think of what I could eat. It's 9:47pm and probably too late to eat dinner anyway. I've been a bit.. emotional.. as they say.. didn't have an appetite for anything.

{my day}

Today was awesome, though! Happy day, sad evening.  This morning, my friends were able to help me out.. a lot! They came and cleaned my kitchen! Like, deep-cleaning cleaned. I crawled around the living room tidying up as much as I could. Jae went to friend's husband to play and I put Joey down for a nap, so he slept while we were all cleaning. I am so grateful for their service! I know my friend may feel the works of her labor tomorrow morning, so I am very grateful to her! When my friend dropped Jae back home, he had a flower for me! Apparently before I got to the door, Jae told her he wouldn't eat the flower. LOL! She took him to the floral shop and he picked out the flower. So, so sweet! Girl, you sure know how to brighten one's day! Ok, and Jae! :)

i < 3 my gerber daisy!

As I was getting lunch cleaned up, I hear Jae calling for me. "Mom! Come hewe, come hewe! It's an emewgency!" (How does he know how to use that word?!) I went over to the pantry and there was Joey.. throwing jarred baby food (why do I still have those?) on the floor. The carrots broke open, so I put him in his crib so I could clean up the mess. Jae was so cute and wanted to help, but I told him it was dangerous with the broken glass. (Ha ha, how'd you know? Here comes a YouTube vid..)

Yes, the little stinker even smiled and said, "cheese" for the camera.

By the time I got that cleaned up, I was exhausted! I went to go take a nap and let the boys mess up the living room. >.<  Then, a little later, there was a knock on the door. It was another friend! Oh, crumb! Totes forgot she was coming to cut Jae's hair. Ha ha! I'm glad she remembered! How awesome and what a great service! It was fun to visit with her while she cut Jae's hair.

I'm so humbled by all this service! Relief Society is such a wonderful organization! I'm still trying to figure all this food out, but I'll get there! In the meantime, meals, haircuts, cleaning, and babysitting have helped me so much! I'm not the best in receiving service, but I love to give service!

Before Jimmy got home from class, I locked myself in my room and had a little crying fest, ha ha!  Just over-analyzing things. And then, Kristina called me! I had been texting her earlier. It was great talking to her--we were roommates for a little while at BYUH. I guess I just don't think to call people because I never have minutes. >.<  We both have 2 boys about the same age and it was a treat to actually talk to her. And then I texted/chatted with Amy and Amber and all my problems seemed so small. Time will do what will happen with my health. In the meantime, I hope this is my only cry-fest for the next 2 months. ;)

{next}

Jimmy let the boys in the room and we all hung out before bed.

Brothers :)

(I was actually trying to get a pic of Jae because he is so handsome w/ his new haircut and Joey decided he wanted in, too):

(Well, this was as best I could do. He doesn't hold still for very long.)

Tomorrow will be a great day of rest for me! A sister in the ward is going to take the boys for me for a couple of hours. How wonderful!

And... This is the song you were thinking of, too--right?!
{symptoms} leg heaviness tiredness lightheadedness etc. :P

Day 4: Energy for 2 Minutes

Guys, it was awesome! After Jimmy left for York, I actually got out of bed, got the kids fed, got something for myself, and then I got super tired. For 2 minutes I had energy; it felt great! It's like a teaser, though. Ha ha! I actually was able to get the dishes done and cook a meal (instead of resulting to leftovers). Still tired and legs heavy/tingling, though. Here are a few pictures of our day:

Jae admitted to taking my yarn and doing this to Joey's crib. I don't even know WHEN he did this! Could've been last night when they weren't sleeping or this morning.

Jae is getting a haircut tomorrow.

Jae wanted to make a flower. So cute! Instead of telling him, "after I sleep," I made him a flower. I also let him glue some googly eyes on a piece of paper. I was preparing dinner, so didn't see how much he used. Pretty sure all that glue could cover the whole piece of paper. I think you can see it in a picture later on.

 Dinner was some kind of glazed chicken. Ha, too lazy to go check the recipe book. (Yes, that is a picture of out of the book in case mine didn't turn out so well.) ;) They turned out great, BTW!

This is Joey dumping his water on toys and on the carpet.

This is what my living room looks like on a daily basis. Unless we know someone is coming. Because we all know that you clean the fastest and the most is 10 minutes before somebody comes over. Jae likes to "droy duh touwch" and the boys love to climb all over and play on them. Pick your battles, right?

 This is what you DON'T see in pic posted above. It's just what happens when you're so tired.

I feel bad I'm not one of those wifeys that clean up before the husband comes home. It gets too crazy: you can have dinner or you can have a clean apartment. It's too much to keep up. I think I clean up the living room once a week.

What I look like when I hear the front door unlock and the house is a mess:

 This is how I feel inside about not cleaning:

But, at least hubby has dinner!

Yep. You know you love me.

Dinner for the boys was Pillsbury crescent rolls (they were in the fridge and needed to get eaten), Jae is having peaches, and some shredded chickens. (Yeah, Jae doesn't use his fork; he pretends he's a crane. Someday I will teach him table etiquette! I did, but then he got obsessed with cranes.)

Joey wasn't dressed for this occasion so I won't post the picture, but he had rice, applesauce, and shredded chicken.

Here is my Meal 3.. lettuce, shredded chicken, and peaches. I ended up throwing away the lettuce because it was frozen. (And, there is Jae's glue with paper.) 

Meal 1: chicken marrow broth with shredded chicken. I think I had a piece of fruit, too.
Meal 2: Pears in my salad with shredded chicken.
Meal 3: Peaches and chicken. And some mac nuts.

I'm pretty horrible at these meals and I'm not supposed to be eating that much fruit I don't think. I'm going to do a meal plan for a week and do the shopping and prep some stuff if i can. It will be a long process, so until then, I'm just eating chicken. I need more beef!

It was a better day than I've had in a while. Still tired, but doing pretty well considering! I got another call from a ward member and she is taking the boys on Wednesday morning. How awesome will it be to get some decent rest? I love service, I love people who serve, and I love to be the one receiving service even though it's harder to accept than give.

Day 3: Headache All Day

I think I am dehydrated and my head has been hurting all day. Even now. Lame. I slept a lot and the heater was on too high (didn't notice until Jimmy got home from Church), so I didn't drink enough water. I missed church today because me and the boys are sick. I had a sore throat, Jae's throat is scratchy, too.. so I rubbed a drop of Lemon Oil on our throats and I kid you not, in 2-3 minutes my sore throat was GONE. Ha, why didn't I think of that 2 days ago?

Meal 1: Shredded chicken, nectarine, and a couple of mac nuts. Sounds gross, and maybe it was? I was too tired to even care; I just had to eat something.
Meal 2: Hamburger salad (?) and the rest of the nectarine from bfast. It was ground up beef on shredded lettuce with, yet again, sauteed onions and mushrooms. Sad part is, I'm too tired to care what I'm eating. (I need to go shopping I guess. Get some peppers; which I forgot at Costco.)

Exhibit A

Snack: I had a couple of macadamia nuts because I was feeling so sick and needed something until I had dinner.

{sidetrack}

I don't think I had a Meal 3. I was too busy getting the boys fed and making my chicken stock (from the chicken that Bonnie cooked). Come to think of it, I don't think Jae had dinner. He's a grazer and I need to be better at giving him 3 meals a day. :| I'm sure he will be up early in the morning wanting to eat. FAIL. Anyway, I'm so full by the time the next meal rolls around, that I don't want to eat. I guarantee It's not much on my plate (see Exhibit A), but I'm FULL. I'm going to have to eat less than that I guess so I can get all 3 meals in. O___o  You're not supposed to weigh yourself on this program, but I did anyway. I've already lost 3 pounds in just 3 days! Don't worry, I won't wither away.. Probably all just water weight anyway. ;)

Jimmy did the Raindrop Technique on me tonight. LOVE it! This blog can tell you more about what it is and what it can do for my Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). My body is in total detoxing mode... I feel it. I need rest and I need to relax. Jimmy hates being my slave, but lucky for him, tomorrow is Monday.

My next step is to buy a little trampoline so I can "jump on it! jump on it!"

So, Rie called me today to let me know when she was bringing me a meal. So sweet! (I hate missing church because I love my ward family!) It was a treat to talk to her! The Compassionate Service sisters have arranged extra help for me so I will be able to rest a little more and kick this virus. I love the Relief Society organization and am so grateful to be a part of it. My poor boys get so bored. They bring all their toys into my room so they can play and then my room gets so messy. I know, I know.. just have them clean it up... I don't even care. Someday soon things will change! That's all for now--thanks for reading!

P.S. Your bedtime song:

{symptoms}
headache
tiredness
tingling legs/arms
nausea

Day 2: Costco is a Pain in My.. Legs

Today I just wanted Jimmy to go hang out with the boys. I was so tired. I hope the tiredness and hurty legs doesn't last much longer. My legs were tingling and heavy again, but I forced myself to go out anyway. (But, I know that the symptoms will come and go throughout my life. Get excited for flare ups!) We all went to Costco and I probably should have drove a riding cart. >.<  By the time we got home, I was exhausted! My legs were killing me and I still had to clean out the fridge for our new groceries and cook Meal 2.

Meal 1 (at 10am): Chicken vegetable soup

Meal 2 (at 3pm): Hamburger with lettuce, onions, mushrooms and a pear on the side. Jae ended up eating the rest of my pear and I was too tired to cut another one. (I had 2 bites.)

Snack (at 4:30): Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. I only ate 1 because I was feeling so gross.

Meal 1

Don't ask why I post pics. I feel like I need instagram. Bahaha!

Meal 3

Recipe Here

I am still in need for dinner since I started so late! But, these meals have been keeping me full until the next meal. It's amazing because I am not a fan of soup because I never get full off of it. I'm either starting the "carb flu" and not feeling hungry or it really is sustaining me until the next meal! Felt a little nauseated most the day.

The Costco trip was great, though! Even Jimmy didn't go for his Torta bread! I didn't feel like I was missing out on buy some favorite things. The thought of processed food actually makes me sick. That's a good feeling! :)  I bought more organic chicken, organic eggs, lots of veggies, and lots of fruit. (The eggs are mostly for Joey; he eats those like there's not tomorrow. Maybe once my gut gets cleaned up/out I will like eggs again.) Jae does OK with eggs and Jimmy hates the way the organic ones crack. Haha!

After I had Meal 2, I took a nap. I was feeling miserable. Headache, stuffy nostril, sore throat, and coughing. All mild; it's not as bad as it sounds, but I felt pretty awful. My nap was an hour and Jimmy shared with me his asparagus he made. I just want to sleep, but then the kids finished dinner and started jumping off me, onto the bed, Joey sat on me, Joey hit me in the head with Jimmy's phone, Jae about broke my knee cap. Anyway, I'm glad it's the weekend and I can have Jimmy do this and that for me and the boys. I am getting worse before I can get better. (That's what I have to keep telling myself; who knows how long this will last?) I am due for another Raindrop Technique soon--I love those!

{symptoms}
legs tingling, heavy
headache
tired
arms tingling

Day 1: With A Little Help From My Friend[s]

So, I felt miserable this morning with a sore throat and feeling very tired. I didn't eat breakfast, but I will start tomorrow! Bonnie came by this morning and cooked up a storm! I am so grateful for her service to me! I just hope she had energy herself to continue her day.

She brought over a yummy Crockpot Chicken Curry dinner that cooked for a few hours and in the meantime, she cooked a delicious Whole Greek Chicken with Roasted Garlic in the oven (this is seriously the best chicken I've ever had. I will post the recipe below), chicken broth/soup, and a couple burgers (one to save for tomorrow; but Jimmy ended up eating it because I told him how good it was). She had broth going and we added chicken juices; it was so yummy! I bagged up the broth so I can have it for breakfast or whatever meal. (In the book they call it Meal 1, Meal 2, Meal 3; so you don't limit what you eat for mealtimes.) After Bonnie left, I was going to boil the chicken bones, etc. I was too wiped out (probably from watching her cook!), so that will be a project for me tomorrow. I still need to get more chicken off the bones, too.

Meal 1: Skipped.
Meal 2: Bonnie cooked me a hamburger with sauteed mushrooms and onions served on lettuce. It was great! Seriously, I owe her!
Meal 3: Crockpot Chicken Curry. The chicken was so tender, the curry was mild, and the carrots, onions, and celery were amazing! I cooked a pot of rice for the boys, and I just ate mine plain. Jimmy isn't a fan of curry, but he ate it with no complaints.

I bought the boys coconut milk and wasn't sure if they'd drink it or not. (A straw is always an incentive!) Jae loves it and even Joey will drink it. I, myself, have not had more than a taste and Jimmy tasted it, but not enough to "taste" it. (If that makes sense.)

Not only did Bonnie feed me today, but she gave me some food for my spirit as well! Some good reads to strengthen my spirit and some good cookbooks with recipes to cook to strengthen my body.

(picture wouldn't rotate)

Thank you, Bonnie! I'm so grateful to know you and meet you! It's just what I needed today; to talk, start figuring out a system, get meal ideas, and motivation. Of course, there is always the interwebs... my Aunt Sheila told me about http://www.elanaspantry.com.  One of the books in the photo I posted is by Elana Amsterdam.

I'm not supposed to create "desserts" with the food allowed in this diet. I don't have a sweet tooth anyway, so it's easy to pass on desserts. I did, however, sneak 3 almonds in when I was getting the boys to bed.

It was a {great} day... tiring, but great to get things rolling! I pray for strength, health, and energy every day. I hope it comes within this month. Even if it's not 100% by the end, I know there will be SOME improvement during all this.

And, of course I can't post this without thinking of The Beatles (see blog title). :)
Recipe for Whole Greek Chicken with Roasted Garlic

The skin gets so crunchy and so full of flavor. SO good! Make it.. right now!

Whole 30 to Start Whole30

Today was a FAIL. I feel like it's going to take me 30 (days) to start Whole30. I was too tired to make breakfast.  However, I cooked the boys eggs, gave them string cheese, I ate a couple of almonds, and went back to bed. Feel free to call me lazy, but I'm not. Trade me places for a day and you will find it's easier to judge than it is to walk in someone's shoes for a day. (Some ADD could be affecting this, too. You know, putting things off..)  It wears me out doing any errand and then I just want to relax when I get home. Like, today at my sleep study consultation!

Breakfast is supposed to be eaten an hour after waking. Hmm, gonna have to work on that one!  I just need a day to make a bunch of purees, broths, and plan meals, but I am always too tired by the end of the day to do that. You know, gotta try to tidy up this mess a little bit (no, talking about the apartment, not me)! I feel like I'm in limbo... but, tomorrow is going to be the end of that. I have a friend who will be coming to help me get things rolling. She's been where I am before and I am grateful to have someone who can understand this mess I'm in!

So, tomorrow is the start of my 30+ day diet. :)

I went to my sleep study consultation today. I felt it was a waste of time when it was something they could have done over the phone. (Except the vitals.) It took me 2 weeks for this appointment and now I have to keep a sleep diary for 2 weeks and then go in a week later for the sleep study. I feel like I will feel better (at least have enough energy to function throughout the day) before I even do the sleep study! I wouldn't mind canceling, but we'll play it by ear and see what happens.

I'm writing this early so I can go relax. After I got home from the sleep study consultation I cleaned in the kitchen until I couldn't do anymore. Still needs work, but I did what I could. Wouldn't it just be easier to do the dishes after every meal? Yeah, you'd think that would be the way to do things. :P

Pantry and Groceries

{before}

{during}

{after}

I did not get an after shot because we had to go grocery shopping and still had laundry to do. Jimmy was being more than difficult with this whole thing. He had a hard time parting with his food. Mostly his... vegetable oil?!  Seriously? I kept telling him we are switching to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Oil. Permanently. I haven't even been through the cupboards yet and plan on doing that when he is gone so he doesn't see anything I throw/give away!

Ridonk.

{shopping}

Wow, kids totally junked up the camera lens on Jimmy's phone! Anyway, who knew Wegman's sold truffles?! That is definitely not in our budget. Fun to take a picture of it, though! :)  We got some organic and grass fed meats, veggies (some organic), fruits, coconut milk, almond flour, and some other good stuff.

When we got home, I was completely wiped out.  This is very difficult when you can't function very well. Ha! Wish me luck tomorrow that I actually can get out of bed for breakfast and make some food stuff.

{symptoms}
sore throat due to detoxing/virus
fatigue (surprise, surprise)

It Starts with Food

Just a background of why we (against Jimmy's will, but for his greater good) are doing the Whole30:

{an email i sent to my mom

1 February 2013}

Hi,

Not sure if you check my facebook or hear from dad--

Apparently I had mono or am still struggling through it. (But, I found that out from my RN friend and a friend's Dr. who I sent my results to.) I have a list of symptoms and my doctor can't figure out what's wrong with me. I've done 3 blood tests and they can't find anything wrong. She is ordering a sleep test to check for sleep apnea. If nothing is wrong there, then I will see a rheumatologist. After that, I think she will just write it off as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In the meantime, I will be on a waiting list to see a Naturopathic doctor that Bonnie recommended. He has been able to help her and her son. Unfortunately, I won't be seen until April unless there is a cancellation.

I have been fatigued for a year or longer. I know w/ a newborn moms get tired, so I was waiting for the newness to wear off. It never did. After Joey was weaned [in December], the fatigue stayed the same, if not worsened. I have had headaches daily for 19 days now along with tingling/numb legs. It's not bad, the numbness, but my legs are weak if I'm up for long periods of time. I first thought it was Celiac Disease because certain foods, like wheat, would give me diarrhea. I tested negative for CD. I have extreme fatigue with lots of brain fog, bloating, vision worsening, hair loss, dental enamel weakening.. I have lost interest in things I like/enjoy... which could be depression from all this... so your scrapbook pages are coming when I can get them done. Sorry. I have one page done. :) When I do have energy, it is used for dishes, cleaning, or the boys. Nothing else gets done. I just want to sit and not think about anything.

Anyway, that's where I'm at. I struggle every day to get by. I'm just tired...

Hope you guys are keeping warm [...]!

Love,

Mikensi

{meanwhile}

We exchanged emails (she sent me helpful information on nutrition and even ordered me a book, which you will see posted below) and I was getting help with my health issues from my natural healing friends. I believe that I have the EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus: which is like having mono on steroids), high blood sugar levels (not outrageously high, but something I need to control now so I don't get diabetes later), some possible pancreas problems, and a weak thyroid. I'm working on getting my thyroid strengthened and I'm pretty sure the virus has done its damage and has done its worst. Currently, I am getting the Raindrop Technique done, thank you Quin and Jimmy, and it is helping kill the dormant virus and flush out bad toxins along my spine. I can feel that my body is detoxing as I have become extremely tired again. Last year was horrible just falling asleep day after day, month after month, thinking that one day I'd get some energy. The lamest thing about being sick is missing out on being a {good} mom and wife. I just sleep and rest and sleep some more. I missed a lot of Joey's first year (no wonder he grew up so fast). And we had a lot of crappy meals. I admit that most of it was fast food, but now it's time change the way we eat and change the way we feel. I don't cook separate meals, so everyone in this place is going on this new diet. In addition to going on this diet, I hope to cure myself from the ADHD/ADD that I have. (You can read about that in the ADHD tab.)

{the book}

Front cover:
"Since 2009, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss, enhanced quality life, and a healthier relationship with food--accompanied by stunning improvements in sleep, energy levels, mood, and self-esteem. More significant, many people have reported the 'magical' elimination of a variety of symptoms, diseases, and conditions in just 30 days.

diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, acne, eczema, psoriasis, chronic fatigue, asthma, sinus infections, allergies, migraines, acid reflux, Crohn's, celiac disease, IBS, bipolar disorder, depression, Lyme disease, endometriosis, PCOS, autism, fibromyalgia, ADHD, hypothyroidism, arthritis, multiple sclerosis

Back cover:

Imagine yourself healthier than you ever thought possible.  It starts with food.
What if you could increase your energy, sleep better, improve your mood  and lose weight - permanently?
What if you could break the unhealthy cycle of food cravings, indulgence and guilt - forever?
What if you could naturally change your tastes, so the foods you love to eat are the same foods that make you healthier?
And what if you could eliminate the symptoms of your medical condition - just by changing the food you put on your plate? 
It Starts With Food will prove all of these things are possible - starting with just 30 days.

whole9life.com

{in addition...}

I told my mom about my picky eater, Joey, and I am going to add some tips and purees from this book (which she also got me. She gifts the best books!):

http://www.doitdelicious.com/

The puree part will mostly be for Jimmy and Joey since they are the picky eaters when it comes to fruits and vegetables. If Joey sees anything green, he turns his nose up at it. A couple of times I tried to hide peas or green beans in his rice or potatoes and he would open his mouth, fish it out with his whole hand in his mouth, grab a handful and throw it on the floor. Then, he would push the rest out with his tongue. I'm just glad Jimmy doesn't do that, too.

This is going to be quite challenging as I am still very tired, but tomorrow I clean out the pantry/deep freeze/fridge/cupboards and go grocery shopping! That will be a fun blog post! ;) And a very tiring day.

Feel free to give us encouragement and motivation along the way and feel free to take the challenge and join us! The first week will be the toughest as we will be going through the "carb flu" stage. I won't be as strict with the boys, but I told Jimmy I just want 30 days of commitment from him. After that, if he wants to eat other foods, he is not allowed to bring it home! As for me, I will continue to cook a paleo diet for the family. After 30 days we can slowly introduce grains, dairy, etc.

Stay tuned...