I know it's been a LONG while since I've updated the blog...
In the 2 months since I last posted, I moved, started a new job and started attending school full time.
Well, considering I've moved to an area with entirely different allergens than I had been living in (plus some nice sea air as well) I'd like to be able to say my allergies are better times 1,000. I can't. At all.
I already suspected my allergies were not entirely environmental (still can't deal with fragrances) after a trip to North Carolina in 2011 and I've been back and forth between the Sierra Foothills and the Bay Area for about 5 years all with similar allergy symptoms.
I had gone about a month here in the Bay without getting my sinuses adjusted (can't really find a chiro here that 1. does the adjustment and 2. would be willing to work with my latex allergy) and I was MISERABLE (I'm pretty sure poor Justin was just as miserable if not more so considering I was waking up through the night sneezing and blowing my nose).
I've started making the trip back home every other week or so to go to Gold Country Chiropractic for sinus adjustments and while it's sort of a hassle with school and all (I've not taken a full time class load in forever and AAU's full time class load is intense) it is totally worth it. But even with the sinus adjustments, I still am having allergy issues.
Then I got the brilliant idea to do the GAPS diet. The GAPS diet is a super restrictive elimination diet that people usually use to heal the gut, but there are a lot of resources out there for it, so it seemed like a logical starting point for my elimination diet.
Well, I got lazy. And overwhelmed. I share a kitchen with 4 other people, so the amount of prep that would make this diet easiest wasn't really going to happen without a lot of freezer space and fridge space. And the food seemed pretty boring (I really like food, especially good food).
I decided "hey, maybe it would be easier to just eliminate one type of food" instead of eliminating everything except boiled meats, bone broth and winter veggies (also boiled).
I decided upon dairy as my first food group to eliminate.
That doesn't sound like much until you realize how much I love cheese. Especially since giving up gluten. Cheese has always been a go to snack for me. I'll grab a couple of slices of cheese, a handful of nuts and an apple and I'm good to go. The fruit and cheese plate at Starbucks is my go to snack when I am out and about because the crackers are packaged separately and aren't touching the other foods. There is nothing more wonderful than a delicious cup of Gold Coast Coffee Company coffee with heavy cream. I will eat whipped cream by itself. You get the picture, I LOVE dairy.
I'd gone about 2 weeks of no dairy (no yogurt, no cheese, no cream) and Justin and I went to dinner the other night at Triptych, where they have one of the few gluten free deserts I would call DELICIOUS (White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake). So I ordered it without even thinking about the dairy. While it was super tasty and I savored every bite of it, I was a little apprehensive about what the next morning would be like.
Well, it sucked. A lot. I woke up sneezing, nose running and so congested I was back to mouth breathing. I wanted to cry. The only thing I had done differently was that damn piece of cheesecake.
It got me thinking though, is it all dairy? Is it just pasteurized dairy? Perhaps I can handle raw dairy? Fingers currently crossed that it's just pasteurized dairy.
28 October 2012
09 July 2012
Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Days 13 - 21
I am pretty sure people were getting a little bored with all of my snot talk, so I gave it a rest for a bit. :)
Well, today was treatment 4 (and day 21) of the sinus adjustments. I will say the adjustment itself has become so much easier. We were done in about 15 minutes today and it would have been even faster if it weren't for me having to sit up and blow my nose.
The adjustment only took a couple of pumps per sinus cavity (it seemed about 3 pumps per cavity, but really it is hard to count while you've got something expanding in your sinuses). It is far less painful than it was the first time.
I still have some sneezing and runny nose issues (mostly at work - mostly), BUT I can say it is amazing NOT going through a box of tissues or more in a week. I'm not alone with the sneezing and runny nose in the office though. Almost everyone has had some sort of allergy issues and/or headaches since moving into the office.
I have not had a single sinus headache in 21 days. 21 days! I had experienced some degree of sinus pressure and pain almost daily for quite some time. No sinus pain in 21 days!
I have also only had 1 migraine in the last 21 days. While I've been able to reduce the amount of migraines I have had tremendously through diet, I would still have them from time to time. Fat, magnesium and potassium have made a world of difference in my life.
I can't say the same things work for the everyone, but the sinus adjustments seem to be working wonders for me.
Well, today was treatment 4 (and day 21) of the sinus adjustments. I will say the adjustment itself has become so much easier. We were done in about 15 minutes today and it would have been even faster if it weren't for me having to sit up and blow my nose.
The adjustment only took a couple of pumps per sinus cavity (it seemed about 3 pumps per cavity, but really it is hard to count while you've got something expanding in your sinuses). It is far less painful than it was the first time.
I still have some sneezing and runny nose issues (mostly at work - mostly), BUT I can say it is amazing NOT going through a box of tissues or more in a week. I'm not alone with the sneezing and runny nose in the office though. Almost everyone has had some sort of allergy issues and/or headaches since moving into the office.
I have not had a single sinus headache in 21 days. 21 days! I had experienced some degree of sinus pressure and pain almost daily for quite some time. No sinus pain in 21 days!
I have also only had 1 migraine in the last 21 days. While I've been able to reduce the amount of migraines I have had tremendously through diet, I would still have them from time to time. Fat, magnesium and potassium have made a world of difference in my life.
I can't say the same things work for the everyone, but the sinus adjustments seem to be working wonders for me.
30 June 2012
Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Day 12
NASAL ALLERGIES
Okay, today has been the worst day since before I started the treatments. I have been sneezing on and off and had to blow my nose quite a few times today. I am not alternating between running like a faucet and being so congested I can't breathe though. Also, no sinus pressure and no sinus pain even though I've been sneezing and my nose has been running.
I have another treatment scheduled for Monday, so hopefully I get back on track. I still maintain that even with the sneezing and nose running today, my symptoms are entirely better than they were. I swore I was allergic to myself because it didn't matter where I was or what I was doing, I had extreme allergy symptoms. I thought when I went to North Carolina last year, that I would get away from whatever I was allergic to. Not so much, which lead me to think I was allergic to my self.
GLUTEN SENSITIVITY
As far as the whole bee thing goes, I think part of the issue with my arm is hypersensitivity to inflammation. After getting stung by that darn bee yesterday, my entire arm hurts and I've had some of the burning and tingling in my pinky and up the back side of my arm to my scapula.
While I've been tested for Celiac before and the test was negative, it seems as though I have a sensitivity issue more than an actual allergy. I have had joint pain as long as I could remember, been lethargic, always cold and had some intense digestive issues over the years.
The pain in my left arm had been so intense that I could not use my arm. Multiple specialists couldn't figure out anything that could have been wrong, and I had tried so many homeopathic remedies it was ridiculous. I had even tried cobra venom. COBRA VENOM!!!!!!!!
After being told "just don't use it" about by arm (not that easy when you are a lefty, but I did it. I managed 3 semesters of art school teaching myself to be right handed), I didn't really know what else to try and had resigned myself to becoming a righty and learning to do everything over again. Until a friend told me how awesome she felt after going gluten free.
I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. I don't think there is really any one "right" way to live, you have to listen to your body to find the right balance for you. I had maintained a low fat, high fiber diet for most of my life. I added fat back into my diet in September 2010 after reading "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Just that addition made a world of difference in how I felt. But I was still eating a lot of grain based foods (though I was at least eating my grains properly soaked/sprouted/fermented).
In January 2012, I made the leap to gluten free. For a bread addict like myself, it was not super easy, but it was easier this time around than the time I had a trainer put me on a low carb diet (I thought I was going to kill someone for a muffin) because I was also eating low fat as well as low carb.
I can say that after 6 months of gluten free, I have become really good at listening to my body. I usually tell within 3 hours if something has gluten in it or has been cross contaminated. I also kept a pretty boring diet for the first few months so I was really able to pinpoint any issues. For the most part, I'm eating a modified paleo diet (I like my raw dairy) because there aren't a ton of really good gluten free alternatives to bread and baked goods.
Again, I don't think there is any one right way to live, but if what you are doing obviously isn't working (you shouldn't feel like crap all the time - that is NOT normal), it may benefit you to try an alternative to what you are doing.
Okay, today has been the worst day since before I started the treatments. I have been sneezing on and off and had to blow my nose quite a few times today. I am not alternating between running like a faucet and being so congested I can't breathe though. Also, no sinus pressure and no sinus pain even though I've been sneezing and my nose has been running.
I have another treatment scheduled for Monday, so hopefully I get back on track. I still maintain that even with the sneezing and nose running today, my symptoms are entirely better than they were. I swore I was allergic to myself because it didn't matter where I was or what I was doing, I had extreme allergy symptoms. I thought when I went to North Carolina last year, that I would get away from whatever I was allergic to. Not so much, which lead me to think I was allergic to my self.
GLUTEN SENSITIVITY
As far as the whole bee thing goes, I think part of the issue with my arm is hypersensitivity to inflammation. After getting stung by that darn bee yesterday, my entire arm hurts and I've had some of the burning and tingling in my pinky and up the back side of my arm to my scapula.
While I've been tested for Celiac before and the test was negative, it seems as though I have a sensitivity issue more than an actual allergy. I have had joint pain as long as I could remember, been lethargic, always cold and had some intense digestive issues over the years.
The pain in my left arm had been so intense that I could not use my arm. Multiple specialists couldn't figure out anything that could have been wrong, and I had tried so many homeopathic remedies it was ridiculous. I had even tried cobra venom. COBRA VENOM!!!!!!!!
After being told "just don't use it" about by arm (not that easy when you are a lefty, but I did it. I managed 3 semesters of art school teaching myself to be right handed), I didn't really know what else to try and had resigned myself to becoming a righty and learning to do everything over again. Until a friend told me how awesome she felt after going gluten free.
I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. I don't think there is really any one "right" way to live, you have to listen to your body to find the right balance for you. I had maintained a low fat, high fiber diet for most of my life. I added fat back into my diet in September 2010 after reading "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Just that addition made a world of difference in how I felt. But I was still eating a lot of grain based foods (though I was at least eating my grains properly soaked/sprouted/fermented).
In January 2012, I made the leap to gluten free. For a bread addict like myself, it was not super easy, but it was easier this time around than the time I had a trainer put me on a low carb diet (I thought I was going to kill someone for a muffin) because I was also eating low fat as well as low carb.
I can say that after 6 months of gluten free, I have become really good at listening to my body. I usually tell within 3 hours if something has gluten in it or has been cross contaminated. I also kept a pretty boring diet for the first few months so I was really able to pinpoint any issues. For the most part, I'm eating a modified paleo diet (I like my raw dairy) because there aren't a ton of really good gluten free alternatives to bread and baked goods.
Again, I don't think there is any one right way to live, but if what you are doing obviously isn't working (you shouldn't feel like crap all the time - that is NOT normal), it may benefit you to try an alternative to what you are doing.
29 June 2012
Gluten Free Goodness
I admit I still have cravings for foods I can't eat. Typically attempts to recreate or purchase something pre-made are a great disappointment.
Well, not tonight.
I really wanted breaded chicken strips. Every once in a while, I really love breaded chicken strips - in a salad, with honey mustard, you know stuff like that.
I've made a few attempts at breaded chicken over the last few months and the Nan didn't approve. I've tried almond meal, coconut flour, etc. They were okay, but not great.
Well, tonight I tried something a little different. And it was AWESOME!!!!!!! (even the Nan approved)
Here's the recipe:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayanne pepper
Freshly ground pepper (I didn't measure it out, it's a pain to measure while grinding)
2 eggs
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Slice chicken breast thinly, about a 1/4 inch thick.
Heat oil of your choice over medium heat (about 1/8-1/4 inch deep) in a skillet/frying pan.
Mix all dry ingredients well in a shallow bowl.
Beat the 2 eggs.
Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and dredge through in the almond/tapioca mixture. Place in heated oil and cook until golden on both sides.
Serve with your choice of dipping sauce (I'm partial to honey mustard or jalapeno yogurt dip) or slice for use in a salad.
It hit the spot, which I haven't really been able to say about a lot of the foods I've tried over the last six months (especially pre-made foods).
Since I can't enjoy a nice cold one, I tried J.K.'s Solstice Hard Cider. I had tried a gluten free beer (corn based) a couple of months ago and was sorely disappointed. It tasted sort of like super watered down raspberry soda (it was a "raspberry ale"). Well, I was definitely not disappointed in the Hard Cider. It was crisp and delicious, refreshing and definitely observed the law of one-itudes.
Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Day 11
Okay, it's day 11. I woke up slightly congested on the right side, but I was able to get the congestion moving within a few minutes and it is still a thousand times better than it was 12 days ago.
No headache today, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I can't tell if the slight increase in congestion is related to the move into the new office or not. It was only a week at the old office and I felt great and then we moved to the dungeon Monday and have had a slight increase in symptoms.
A few sneezes here and there, definitely better than before.
Even with the slight increase this week, it is still a massive improvement over a box of Kleenex a week and uncontrollable sneezing.
I have another treatment scheduled for Monday. Perhaps an adjustment and time to get used to the dungeon and I'll be back on track.
An allergy note, I am NOT allergic to bees. I had never been stung by a bee until today and my mom is deathly allergic. I was sitting on the library lawn enjoying my book and lunch. When it was time to go back to work, I went to get up and smashed a bee. In his anger, he stung the crap out of my finger. I cursed him and then apologized to him for smashing him.
No headache today, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I can't tell if the slight increase in congestion is related to the move into the new office or not. It was only a week at the old office and I felt great and then we moved to the dungeon Monday and have had a slight increase in symptoms.
A few sneezes here and there, definitely better than before.
Even with the slight increase this week, it is still a massive improvement over a box of Kleenex a week and uncontrollable sneezing.
I have another treatment scheduled for Monday. Perhaps an adjustment and time to get used to the dungeon and I'll be back on track.
An allergy note, I am NOT allergic to bees. I had never been stung by a bee until today and my mom is deathly allergic. I was sitting on the library lawn enjoying my book and lunch. When it was time to go back to work, I went to get up and smashed a bee. In his anger, he stung the crap out of my finger. I cursed him and then apologized to him for smashing him.
28 June 2012
Adventures in Allergy Treatments - 10
Okay, it's been 10 days. 10 glorious days of breathing. Through my nose. Unlike creepy mouth breathers.
I can say with certainty the headache yesterday was work related. I couldn't pinpoint a smell yesterday because it was faint but it was enough to get to me. I was able to identify it today (someone's lotion). That coupled with a lack of adequate water equaled a killer headache for the last two days in the afternoon.
I stopped by the store and picked up a couple of gallons of water to last the next few days until we get water delivered at the office on Monday. (The only sinks are in the bathrooms or in the print shop - the print shop water smells like sewage)
Proper hydration definitely makes a difference. I made sure to take potassium at lunch and between that and the water, the smell didn't get to me QUITE as much. I still don't know how to broach the subject of overwhelming fragrances in the office, especially in the basement without a lot of ventilation.
I still had a bit of congestion when I woke up this morning, but it resolves itself within minutes instead of one or more hours. A few nose blows, and I'm good to go these days. If I sneeze, it's 3 sneezes and I'm done. Usually I will sneeze uncontrollably.
I still haven't used a neti pot, taken any benedryl or used any sort of sinus/nasal remedy in 10 days.
I still think that the air feels rather "cold" coming through my nose. I love not being a mouth breather any more though!
I can say with certainty the headache yesterday was work related. I couldn't pinpoint a smell yesterday because it was faint but it was enough to get to me. I was able to identify it today (someone's lotion). That coupled with a lack of adequate water equaled a killer headache for the last two days in the afternoon.
I stopped by the store and picked up a couple of gallons of water to last the next few days until we get water delivered at the office on Monday. (The only sinks are in the bathrooms or in the print shop - the print shop water smells like sewage)
Proper hydration definitely makes a difference. I made sure to take potassium at lunch and between that and the water, the smell didn't get to me QUITE as much. I still don't know how to broach the subject of overwhelming fragrances in the office, especially in the basement without a lot of ventilation.
I still had a bit of congestion when I woke up this morning, but it resolves itself within minutes instead of one or more hours. A few nose blows, and I'm good to go these days. If I sneeze, it's 3 sneezes and I'm done. Usually I will sneeze uncontrollably.
I still haven't used a neti pot, taken any benedryl or used any sort of sinus/nasal remedy in 10 days.
I still think that the air feels rather "cold" coming through my nose. I love not being a mouth breather any more though!
27 June 2012
Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Day 9
Okay, it's been 9 days of being able to breathe.
Unfortunately, I am not sure if it is the air in the new building or if someone is using scented lotion or something in the afternoon, but yesterday and today, after full days in the new office, I have had a wicked headache by 2 p.m.. I haven't missed taking my potassium at lunch, so I don't think that is the issue. I've avoided everything else that may or may not influence the results of the adjustments, but I didn't really figure in the air in the dungeon.
There is a slight smell that I can't place in the afternoon. I am not the only one who has had this problem (the person who sits next to me is having similar issues with afternoon headaches and not being able to place the smell either). I'm actually glad I'm tracking all of this so I can try to determine what triggers my allergy symptoms.
Even though I have been getting headaches the last two days, I can still breathe through my nose. I was a bit on the stuffy side waking up this morning, but still much better than it was.
After leaving the office, my headache started to subside in about an hour. Coincidence? Maybe.
Unfortunately, I am not sure if it is the air in the new building or if someone is using scented lotion or something in the afternoon, but yesterday and today, after full days in the new office, I have had a wicked headache by 2 p.m.. I haven't missed taking my potassium at lunch, so I don't think that is the issue. I've avoided everything else that may or may not influence the results of the adjustments, but I didn't really figure in the air in the dungeon.
There is a slight smell that I can't place in the afternoon. I am not the only one who has had this problem (the person who sits next to me is having similar issues with afternoon headaches and not being able to place the smell either). I'm actually glad I'm tracking all of this so I can try to determine what triggers my allergy symptoms.
Even though I have been getting headaches the last two days, I can still breathe through my nose. I was a bit on the stuffy side waking up this morning, but still much better than it was.
After leaving the office, my headache started to subside in about an hour. Coincidence? Maybe.
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