My word for 2017 is REVIVE...and I feel like my body is being revived! I took a photo of myself for Wes and James while at work recently. For the first time in a long time, I saw a THRIVING woman in the photo.Now back to the subject line...
Before I embarked on this anti-inflammatory lifestyle, inflammation wrecked havoc on my body. After eliminating gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, and limiting corn, much of that inflammation disapated. This allowed me to see what other foods caused an inflammatory response in my body. After eliminating so many things, eggs became a huge part of my diet: scrambled eggs for breakfast, hard boiled eggs on my salads, hard boiled eggs for a snack...you get the idea. I started to notice that my eczema flared each time I had eggs, which is actually pretty common. I have just been in denial!
Eliminating gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar (and limiting corn) did not phase me as much as I expected due Wildtree's menu planning resources (see bottom of post). But I CRIED and CRIED when I eliminated eggs. It was the egg (straw) that broke the camel's back.
I have come up with some solutions/ideas, but at the time I kept thinking, "What the heck am I going to eat for breakfast?!" I have many friends on a similar journey and their support has helped me immensely.
All of these inflammatory issues began after my pregnancy with James. I experienced MAJOR respiratory issues during my pregnancy and was on oral steroids for 31 weeks. I have always know I would experience long term effects from this, but I am finally digging in to learn more. About 3 years ago I reached out to our family practice doctor and requested a thyroid panel. Everything came back normal. At the time, she worked in a large family practice clinic and did not have the capacity to apply her passion and knowledge for Integrative Medicine to connect the dots with my symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, GI upset, weight gain, headaches). However, she just started her own Integrative Medicine practice. We will be locking arms to tackle my symptoms. I will be asking her to further explore thyroid and adrenal issues, as well as Cushing's Syndrome (all can be linked to long term steroid use). I am hopeful to learn from her on this journey.
Thanks for being a part of my journey. Let me know how I can help and encourage you on your journey to health!
(We follow a Paleo-ish eating plan. For more information about the benefits, click here.)
