I know I had been frustrated with the whole elimination diet thing. I wanted to give up more than a few times.
Well, I just have to say I'm glad I didn't.
I made it through today without sneezing more than a couple of times. I made it through today only blowing my nose once or twice (not including my netti pot time, as my nasal passages feel so dry now that they are not running like a faucet).
In fact, after I started thinking about it, I've made it through the last few days without sneezing or a runny/stuffy nose. After the effects of the miso soup faded (which took about 3 days), I've been pretty allergy symptom free for an entire weekend.
I know that sounds like a weird thing to be excited about, but considering the last 10 years of my life have been filled with nasal misery (at times going through 2-3 boxes of tissues a week and sneezing so uncontrollably that I would have to pull my car off the road), 3 days of minimal sneezing (maybe 3-5 times in a day) and a scant handful of nose blows (maybe 2-3) is a miracle.
I am going to wait a couple of weeks to see how long this lasts (or if it was just a fluke) before I attempt to start adding foods back into my diet. There are somethings I find I don't really miss as much as I thought I would (nightshades) and others I can't wait to add back (eggs and nuts).
It will be a SLOW process trying to add things back in. I plan to try a food and wait 72 hours to evaluate how I feel. If all seems to be good, I will try that food item in small quantities for a week to see if that changes any sort of reaction. If no reaction is present, I will wait an additional week to add the next food.
Let's use an egg as our example.
I try a single yolk (the least allergenic part of the egg) on 2/25. I will observe how my body reacts until 2/27. If all seems good, I will then eat a yolk a day until 3/6. If that seems to be working for me, I will wait until 3/13 to add a new food while continuing to keep to 1 yolk a day.
It really seems like more work than I really want to do, but I have to say that not sneezing and not having a constantly runny/stuffy nose feels AWESOME!
I still have the feeling of some sinus pressure though and I would love to have my sinuses adjusted sometime in the near future. I've taken some time away from the adjustment process to know if my diet is really helping my allergies or if the adjustments were a part of the reduction as well.
20 February 2013
15 February 2013
Where are you hiding now?
Okay, it's been a few days now since the soy and I am STILL all nasally and gross. The day after having the miso soup, I swear I felt like I had been hit by a truck.
It's good to know though.
I was aware that unfermented soy was a bad deal, though I bought into the health benefits of soy in all states when I was younger. I've learned the importance of fermenting for any number of foods we eat, be it soy, wheat, veggies, etc.
Fermenting helps neutralize anti-nutrients that make foods difficult for us to digest. If you eat grains, make sure you soak or ferment those grains. If you're going to eat soy, make sure it is fermented soy such as tempeh, miso, natto or traditionally made soy sauce.
One of the biggest downfalls of soy (at least here in the US) is that most of our soybeans are GMO. I personally don't know the long term effects of eating GMO foods, and don't care to be a part of some grand experiment.
Unfortunately soy is hidden in a great number of processed foods even when they are considered natural or health food using names that may or may not indicate they have soy in them. Especially when switching to gluten free, soy seems to be an additive that is in EVERYTHING. Here are a few that may contain soy but are entirely ambiguous (I pretty much avoid these due to the possibility of containing wheat as well):
Artificial flavoring
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Natural flavoring
Vegetable broth
Vegetable gum
Vegetable starch
I never really gave much though to the idea that soy was part of my allergy issue. I had started cutting it out for other reasons but wasn't really diligent about the ambiguous soy sneaking in until I went on an elimination diet.
After about 7 weeks of no soy at all, I figured trying miso, which is properly fermented wouldn't hurt. It did and now I know to avoid soy. It eliminates a lot of things such as chocolates (most commercial chocolates are made with soy lecithin), but hey, not having my face feel like it will explode or my sinuses make a weird popping noise is not a bad trade off.
Kids with Food Allergies is a pretty comprehensive resource for food allergens and possibly ambiguous allergen additives.
I honestly think if you don't feel as well as you think you could, AIP (autoimmune paleo) or GAPS (gut and psychology syndrome) or SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) can really help you see how what you eat effects you over all.
Even though I haven't fully been able to ditch my nasal allergies, I have to say that I feel better than I can really ever remember.
It's good to know though.
I was aware that unfermented soy was a bad deal, though I bought into the health benefits of soy in all states when I was younger. I've learned the importance of fermenting for any number of foods we eat, be it soy, wheat, veggies, etc.
Fermenting helps neutralize anti-nutrients that make foods difficult for us to digest. If you eat grains, make sure you soak or ferment those grains. If you're going to eat soy, make sure it is fermented soy such as tempeh, miso, natto or traditionally made soy sauce.
One of the biggest downfalls of soy (at least here in the US) is that most of our soybeans are GMO. I personally don't know the long term effects of eating GMO foods, and don't care to be a part of some grand experiment.
Unfortunately soy is hidden in a great number of processed foods even when they are considered natural or health food using names that may or may not indicate they have soy in them. Especially when switching to gluten free, soy seems to be an additive that is in EVERYTHING. Here are a few that may contain soy but are entirely ambiguous (I pretty much avoid these due to the possibility of containing wheat as well):
Artificial flavoring
Asian foods (e.g. Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc.)
Hydrolyzed plant protein Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Natural flavoring
Vegetable broth
Vegetable gum
Vegetable starch
I never really gave much though to the idea that soy was part of my allergy issue. I had started cutting it out for other reasons but wasn't really diligent about the ambiguous soy sneaking in until I went on an elimination diet.
After about 7 weeks of no soy at all, I figured trying miso, which is properly fermented wouldn't hurt. It did and now I know to avoid soy. It eliminates a lot of things such as chocolates (most commercial chocolates are made with soy lecithin), but hey, not having my face feel like it will explode or my sinuses make a weird popping noise is not a bad trade off.
Kids with Food Allergies is a pretty comprehensive resource for food allergens and possibly ambiguous allergen additives.
I honestly think if you don't feel as well as you think you could, AIP (autoimmune paleo) or GAPS (gut and psychology syndrome) or SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) can really help you see how what you eat effects you over all.
Even though I haven't fully been able to ditch my nasal allergies, I have to say that I feel better than I can really ever remember.
13 February 2013
You don't soy
I think I may have pinpointed one of my allergens tonight. I went to dinner tonight and tried a bowl of Miso Soup.
By the time the meal was over my nose was running, my sinuses swelling and I had started sneezing.
The only other thing I had was a sashimi plate and if I'm allergic to raw fish, I'm screwed.
At first I thought it was the obnoxious VS fragrance of a patron at the table next to us. Earlier in the day, the drunk girls on the train started spraying that garbage and the nose running and sneezing started but went away within an hour of getting away from the stink.
It's been more than 5 hours now and my symptoms have NOT gone away at all. My poor nose is raw from tissues (and yes, mom, I have the ones with "potion").
I had to take a box of tissues upstairs with me when I was working on my homework. I haven't had to take a box of tissues up to the common area since prior to the start of my AIP diet. For me, more than a month of not having to have tissues available in every room of the house (or in my car, in my purse, in my messenger bag, etc.) is a miracle.
With the obvious triggers, like that VS garbage (how does anyone think that stuff smells good and why do people feel it necessary to carry fragrances and reapply throughout the day? If you shower on a regular basis, you should be good to go.), I have found that smelling something else can ease the reaction. So far the "other smell" that is working for me is peppermint essential oil. It seems to "reset" my sense of smell so I can no longer smell/taste the offending odor, but it doesn't linger and cause me to smell peppermint for a period afterward.
The peppermint oil does NOT alleviate the symptoms I am currently experiencing. I am miserable. I sound like crap. I feel like crap. My nose is running so badly that it's actually dripping. The right side of my sinuses are totally swollen (I can still move some air through the left side of my nose).
The good thing is though, I can live without soy. That is one of the many things that I have eliminated that I can care less about consuming again. It DOES eliminate any number of "convenience foods" that I may have consumed before because almost anything that has an ingredient list has soy or some soy derivative in it. But, if that's the case, so be it. I've grown accustomed to making almost all of my own meals. It's not that hard to do (although if you ask the people in my CA Art in Cultural Context Class, people have no choice but to eat convenience foods because, like, cooking is haaaaaaaaaaaaard.)
What I can't wait to reintroduce are nuts and eggs. I tried an egg yolk a couple of days ago (apparently the whites have proteins that can be more allergenic than the yolk as a defense mechanism). My sinuses felt slightly swollen, but I can't tell if that was coincidence or a reaction to the egg. After my sinuses calm back down from this incident, I will try another yolk to see what happens.
This whole process has been annoying and time consuming but not needing to carry tissues with me everywhere I go or having intense sneezing fits has been pretty awesome. I can say I still feel as though NST adjustments may help with any alignment issues of my sinus cavities but until I get the food sorted out, I'm not going to get my sinuses adjusted.
By the time the meal was over my nose was running, my sinuses swelling and I had started sneezing.
The only other thing I had was a sashimi plate and if I'm allergic to raw fish, I'm screwed.
At first I thought it was the obnoxious VS fragrance of a patron at the table next to us. Earlier in the day, the drunk girls on the train started spraying that garbage and the nose running and sneezing started but went away within an hour of getting away from the stink.
It's been more than 5 hours now and my symptoms have NOT gone away at all. My poor nose is raw from tissues (and yes, mom, I have the ones with "potion").
I had to take a box of tissues upstairs with me when I was working on my homework. I haven't had to take a box of tissues up to the common area since prior to the start of my AIP diet. For me, more than a month of not having to have tissues available in every room of the house (or in my car, in my purse, in my messenger bag, etc.) is a miracle.
With the obvious triggers, like that VS garbage (how does anyone think that stuff smells good and why do people feel it necessary to carry fragrances and reapply throughout the day? If you shower on a regular basis, you should be good to go.), I have found that smelling something else can ease the reaction. So far the "other smell" that is working for me is peppermint essential oil. It seems to "reset" my sense of smell so I can no longer smell/taste the offending odor, but it doesn't linger and cause me to smell peppermint for a period afterward.
The peppermint oil does NOT alleviate the symptoms I am currently experiencing. I am miserable. I sound like crap. I feel like crap. My nose is running so badly that it's actually dripping. The right side of my sinuses are totally swollen (I can still move some air through the left side of my nose).
The good thing is though, I can live without soy. That is one of the many things that I have eliminated that I can care less about consuming again. It DOES eliminate any number of "convenience foods" that I may have consumed before because almost anything that has an ingredient list has soy or some soy derivative in it. But, if that's the case, so be it. I've grown accustomed to making almost all of my own meals. It's not that hard to do (although if you ask the people in my CA Art in Cultural Context Class, people have no choice but to eat convenience foods because, like, cooking is haaaaaaaaaaaaard.)
What I can't wait to reintroduce are nuts and eggs. I tried an egg yolk a couple of days ago (apparently the whites have proteins that can be more allergenic than the yolk as a defense mechanism). My sinuses felt slightly swollen, but I can't tell if that was coincidence or a reaction to the egg. After my sinuses calm back down from this incident, I will try another yolk to see what happens.
This whole process has been annoying and time consuming but not needing to carry tissues with me everywhere I go or having intense sneezing fits has been pretty awesome. I can say I still feel as though NST adjustments may help with any alignment issues of my sinus cavities but until I get the food sorted out, I'm not going to get my sinuses adjusted.
06 February 2013
For the love of sauerkraut
I ran out of sauerkraut last week. I didn't plan ahead. I haven't even started a new batch yet.
And do I miss it already.
I never thought I would love sauerkraut. I remember trying it when I was a kid on hot dogs or with sausage. I thought it was gross and mushy. You couldn't have paid me to eat it.
In 2010 I discovered a book (well, there were two actually) that changed the way I thought about food and my body.
And do I miss it already.
I never thought I would love sauerkraut. I remember trying it when I was a kid on hot dogs or with sausage. I thought it was gross and mushy. You couldn't have paid me to eat it.
In 2010 I discovered a book (well, there were two actually) that changed the way I thought about food and my body.
Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions
One of the most important things I got from this book was the importance of fermented foods.
I had already been making my own Kombucha tea for years. But that was really the only source of "good" bacteria I was getting at that time. (There was yogurt too, but I was eating low fat, pasteurized stuff that really isn't that beneficial)
There are ads everywhere for Probiotic supplements, beverages, even chocolates. That's all good and fine, but what is the point of adding good bacteria to "dead" foods?
Enter SAUERKRAUT. I spent a lot of time that fall fermenting. It's addicting. Seriously addicting. I was making my own sourdough starter. I made sourdough pancakes, bread, crackers.
I got up the nerve to buy a head of cabbage and make my first batch of kraut. All I remember about it was that it seemed too salty to me. I probably let it age about a week before trying it. I can't say I loved it right off the bat. But it definitely wasn't the commercial kraut I remembered trying before.
What makes sauerkraut (and other fermented real foods) so great? Lactic Acid Bacteria. This bacteria helps aid digestion and create good gut health (the health of your gut can make or break your whole body health). Lactofermentation (the use of lactic acid bacteria) has been used for thousands of years to preserve food. Long before we had sterile factories producing our foods, our ancestors used bacteria to help preserve the fall harvest into winter.
Among the benefits are:
Adding Vitamin C to your diet (sauerkraut was once used to prevent scurvy)
Reduction in inflammatory bowel disorders
Increase healthy gut flora (which can help aleviate systemic symptoms)
Reduction in constipation
Reduction in allergies
And it tastes good!
According to most people, sauerkraut is good to go after 2 weeks of fermentation. I have to say the best I've made had been sitting for about 4 months. I say check it at 28 days. It's usually pretty good to go. Don't worry about eating it quickly. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.
I didn't get my step by step photos done tonight (I'll post those tomorrow), but I've got some lovely purple cabbage upstairs calling my name.
Also, another thing to note about the wonders of sauerkraut is that it is recommended as a part of many healing diets, such as GAPS and AIP. I'm currently doing AIP and I have to say one of my favorite meals is homemade pork sausage (no sugar, nitrates or nitrites and EASY TO MAKE) with sauerkraut. In fact, I think that is where the entire half gallon of kraut went this month between Justin and I.
There are ads everywhere for Probiotic supplements, beverages, even chocolates. That's all good and fine, but what is the point of adding good bacteria to "dead" foods?
Enter SAUERKRAUT. I spent a lot of time that fall fermenting. It's addicting. Seriously addicting. I was making my own sourdough starter. I made sourdough pancakes, bread, crackers.
I got up the nerve to buy a head of cabbage and make my first batch of kraut. All I remember about it was that it seemed too salty to me. I probably let it age about a week before trying it. I can't say I loved it right off the bat. But it definitely wasn't the commercial kraut I remembered trying before.
What makes sauerkraut (and other fermented real foods) so great? Lactic Acid Bacteria. This bacteria helps aid digestion and create good gut health (the health of your gut can make or break your whole body health). Lactofermentation (the use of lactic acid bacteria) has been used for thousands of years to preserve food. Long before we had sterile factories producing our foods, our ancestors used bacteria to help preserve the fall harvest into winter.
Among the benefits are:
Adding Vitamin C to your diet (sauerkraut was once used to prevent scurvy)
Reduction in inflammatory bowel disorders
Increase healthy gut flora (which can help aleviate systemic symptoms)
Reduction in constipation
Reduction in allergies
And it tastes good!
According to most people, sauerkraut is good to go after 2 weeks of fermentation. I have to say the best I've made had been sitting for about 4 months. I say check it at 28 days. It's usually pretty good to go. Don't worry about eating it quickly. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.
I didn't get my step by step photos done tonight (I'll post those tomorrow), but I've got some lovely purple cabbage upstairs calling my name.
Also, another thing to note about the wonders of sauerkraut is that it is recommended as a part of many healing diets, such as GAPS and AIP. I'm currently doing AIP and I have to say one of my favorite meals is homemade pork sausage (no sugar, nitrates or nitrites and EASY TO MAKE) with sauerkraut. In fact, I think that is where the entire half gallon of kraut went this month between Justin and I.
31 January 2013
What the SMELL?
I have to say that doing AIP doesn't seem to be eliminating whatever is causing my sneezing and nasal congestion. Which is really disappointing. I miss a LOT of foods. But I'm sticking it out. I started on January 6. It is now January 31. For the most part I've made it 25 days (I did have a couple slip ups Sushi and Manhattan Chowder).
My sneezing is less than it was when I started (this is a REALLY HARD thing to quantify), but with the deprivation I feel (it's all psychological - I don't like being told I can't have/do something) I had really hoped for better results.
On the up side, I was down close to 10 pounds the last time I weighed myself (almost 2 weeks ago, which was 2 weeks into it). I pretty much only weigh myself when I go visit my mom, so I have no idea what my current weight is. I can tell you my jeans are considerably looser than when I started this.
The other night all I could smell was the Dial hand soap from our bathroom after Justin had washed his hands. There are a lot of smells that once they hit my nose, they don't go away. I can taste them. Every breath I take is tainted by these smells. They linger no matter how long it has been since I was exposed to them. Dial soap happens to be one of them. (I think the list could go on for days, but one of the worst offenders are the garbage sold by Victoria's Secret as fragrance)
An idea struck me as we were sitting on the couch. Maybe I could replace that smell with another!? I ran downstairs to my drawers of essential oils (for my witchery as Justin calls it), grabbed the peppermint oil and started sniffing it. Never mind that I felt like a junior high kid sniffing markers or glue. My nose had just started the sneeze tickle as I was in the process of doing this. After a few strong inhalations, I felt the spasms that I was on the verge of subside. While I didn't have a lingering scent of peppermint stuck in my nose, I no longer had the Dial stuck there.
Is it possible to "reset" my sense of smell? Really, scents have caused me to feel overloaded and overstimulated for years. I despise most things scented (natural occurring scents tend to be okay in moderation) because the overwhelming smell and resulting taste are unbearable).
I've been testing this "reset" idea for the last few days. When I can feel the "tickle" or spasms creeping up on me, I inhale a few times with the bottle of peppermint essential oil right below my nose. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but it seems to cut down on the frequency and severity of my sneezing attacks. Again, it's super hard to quantify unless I start counting the number of times I sneeze each day.
My next question to resolve in this "reset" idea is the scent itself. Is there a specific scent that is going to work? Is it just any scent that is more pure and not artificial? I started Sunday night with peppermint (it was the first bottle in my drawer). Would Tangerine work? Thyme? Cypress? Clove?
I plan to switch it up to and test other oils.
Another question is will I become dependent upon a scent in order to control my sneezing? Will I have to "wean" myself off of this method?
Does this all mean that my sneezing is purely psychological in nature? Perhaps it is a neurological dysfunction?
I don't know. All I know is that I can't wait to add foods back into my diet. I really miss eggs, nuts and chocolate.
My sneezing is less than it was when I started (this is a REALLY HARD thing to quantify), but with the deprivation I feel (it's all psychological - I don't like being told I can't have/do something) I had really hoped for better results.
On the up side, I was down close to 10 pounds the last time I weighed myself (almost 2 weeks ago, which was 2 weeks into it). I pretty much only weigh myself when I go visit my mom, so I have no idea what my current weight is. I can tell you my jeans are considerably looser than when I started this.
The other night all I could smell was the Dial hand soap from our bathroom after Justin had washed his hands. There are a lot of smells that once they hit my nose, they don't go away. I can taste them. Every breath I take is tainted by these smells. They linger no matter how long it has been since I was exposed to them. Dial soap happens to be one of them. (I think the list could go on for days, but one of the worst offenders are the garbage sold by Victoria's Secret as fragrance)
An idea struck me as we were sitting on the couch. Maybe I could replace that smell with another!? I ran downstairs to my drawers of essential oils (for my witchery as Justin calls it), grabbed the peppermint oil and started sniffing it. Never mind that I felt like a junior high kid sniffing markers or glue. My nose had just started the sneeze tickle as I was in the process of doing this. After a few strong inhalations, I felt the spasms that I was on the verge of subside. While I didn't have a lingering scent of peppermint stuck in my nose, I no longer had the Dial stuck there.
I've been testing this "reset" idea for the last few days. When I can feel the "tickle" or spasms creeping up on me, I inhale a few times with the bottle of peppermint essential oil right below my nose. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but it seems to cut down on the frequency and severity of my sneezing attacks. Again, it's super hard to quantify unless I start counting the number of times I sneeze each day.
My next question to resolve in this "reset" idea is the scent itself. Is there a specific scent that is going to work? Is it just any scent that is more pure and not artificial? I started Sunday night with peppermint (it was the first bottle in my drawer). Would Tangerine work? Thyme? Cypress? Clove?
I plan to switch it up to and test other oils.
Another question is will I become dependent upon a scent in order to control my sneezing? Will I have to "wean" myself off of this method?
Does this all mean that my sneezing is purely psychological in nature? Perhaps it is a neurological dysfunction?
I don't know. All I know is that I can't wait to add foods back into my diet. I really miss eggs, nuts and chocolate.
27 January 2013
Apples and Alpine Mail
I woke up this morning stuffed up, sneezing and my nose running (I know it sounds weird to be stuffed up and running like a faucet at the same time, but that's how my nose chooses to behave some days).
I've been doing AIP for 21 days now with 2 set backs (the sushi and Manhattan style GF chowder last weekend and I had a single cocktail on Friday night when Justin and I went to dinner). For the most part, I've been doing pretty good. Blowing my nose only once or twice in the mornings or actually even waking up clear headed.
Well this morning was the suck! I had a mound of tissues next to me and my nose didn't stop running until I had been out of bed for 2 hours. I tried really hard to enjoy a Sunday morning in bed with Pi and Justin (Pi was trying to "help" me read 1984 by turning the page on my Kindle. Not very helpful.)
I can't think of anything out of the ordinary I had yesterday, other than apples. I haven't had an apple in a while. I really wanted something dessert-y. I had some AMAZING toasted coconut sorbet at LuLu on Friday, which really made me want dessert. (By the way, the food there is amazing. I had Flat Iron Steak with mashed sweet potatoes and chard with bacon). I had a couple of granny smith apples in the kitchen and made some tasty baked apples last night.
I totally didn't think to photograph the apples, but the recipe was simple.
3 Granny Smith Apples, sliced
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Cup shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Cloves
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Melted Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil Extra-Virgin 29 oz. 218566 (Google Affiliate Ad)
Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 400 until apples are soft and coconut is toasted.
Well, I wasn't really thinking about the fact that Nutmeg isn't AIP (This angers me - I love nutmeg). If it was nutmeg that made me all sneezy, I might cry. It could have been dust as well. We're cleaning and reorganizing the Gnomery and the HEPA filter has apparently been doing it's job. The back intake was covered with dust bunnies. Which then got on the bed. We did our best to brush them off.
One of the more exciting (well, exciting for me anyway) was getting my Brown Bag Company Alpine Mail Bag.
I saw this bag at Cole Fox Hardware and immediately wanted it. I've been waiting for weeks to see if I still wanted it. Well, I did. I have been looking for the perfect messenger style bag for ages. I had a laptop bag that was cute, but my laptop barely fit in it. I started looking at canvas/nylon messenger bags (think Timbuk2). Well, they are $100 + and I've never had anything canvas/nylon last longer than a few years. Plus, I was sort of disheartened at their "designed in SF, made with pride world wide" spin for "Made In China".
Well, the Alpine Mail Bag is made in Incline Village (Tahoe) from American leather (Milwaukee). Apparently this company makes made to last tool bags. This bag appears to be made to last as well! It's heavy duty leather with quality stitching and brass fittings. It has two compartments (one zippered and a main compartment divided into 2) with two pen holders and a business card holder. It does not have a billion places to lose something in (I've had purses with so many pockets I could lose things for years in them. Wallets too for that matter.). I have a 17" laptop which barely fit into laptop bags designed for a 17" laptop. Well, it fits wonderfully in this bag with room to spare. It's more than enough for my commute to work on train days AND it fits my rain boots in it!
I've been doing AIP for 21 days now with 2 set backs (the sushi and Manhattan style GF chowder last weekend and I had a single cocktail on Friday night when Justin and I went to dinner). For the most part, I've been doing pretty good. Blowing my nose only once or twice in the mornings or actually even waking up clear headed.
Well this morning was the suck! I had a mound of tissues next to me and my nose didn't stop running until I had been out of bed for 2 hours. I tried really hard to enjoy a Sunday morning in bed with Pi and Justin (Pi was trying to "help" me read 1984 by turning the page on my Kindle. Not very helpful.)
I can't think of anything out of the ordinary I had yesterday, other than apples. I haven't had an apple in a while. I really wanted something dessert-y. I had some AMAZING toasted coconut sorbet at LuLu on Friday, which really made me want dessert. (By the way, the food there is amazing. I had Flat Iron Steak with mashed sweet potatoes and chard with bacon). I had a couple of granny smith apples in the kitchen and made some tasty baked apples last night.
I totally didn't think to photograph the apples, but the recipe was simple.
3 Granny Smith Apples, sliced
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Cup shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Cloves
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Melted Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil Extra-Virgin 29 oz. 218566 (Google Affiliate Ad)
Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 400 until apples are soft and coconut is toasted.
Well, I wasn't really thinking about the fact that Nutmeg isn't AIP (This angers me - I love nutmeg). If it was nutmeg that made me all sneezy, I might cry. It could have been dust as well. We're cleaning and reorganizing the Gnomery and the HEPA filter has apparently been doing it's job. The back intake was covered with dust bunnies. Which then got on the bed. We did our best to brush them off.
One of the more exciting (well, exciting for me anyway) was getting my Brown Bag Company Alpine Mail Bag.
I saw this bag at Cole Fox Hardware and immediately wanted it. I've been waiting for weeks to see if I still wanted it. Well, I did. I have been looking for the perfect messenger style bag for ages. I had a laptop bag that was cute, but my laptop barely fit in it. I started looking at canvas/nylon messenger bags (think Timbuk2). Well, they are $100 + and I've never had anything canvas/nylon last longer than a few years. Plus, I was sort of disheartened at their "designed in SF, made with pride world wide" spin for "Made In China".
Well, the Alpine Mail Bag is made in Incline Village (Tahoe) from American leather (Milwaukee). Apparently this company makes made to last tool bags. This bag appears to be made to last as well! It's heavy duty leather with quality stitching and brass fittings. It has two compartments (one zippered and a main compartment divided into 2) with two pen holders and a business card holder. It does not have a billion places to lose something in (I've had purses with so many pockets I could lose things for years in them. Wallets too for that matter.). I have a 17" laptop which barely fit into laptop bags designed for a 17" laptop. Well, it fits wonderfully in this bag with room to spare. It's more than enough for my commute to work on train days AND it fits my rain boots in it!
I'm excited to finally have a well made bag!
25 January 2013
Armpits aren't supposed to feel that much pain!
I've been looking for a massage therapist that does orthopedic massage for over a year now.
Getting a regular "relaxation" massage only exacerbates my shoulder issues. I've had a Massage Envy membership for a while now and once the therapist I had been seeing in Folsom was unable to keep working, I hadn't used many of my prepaid massages. In fact, I gifted most of them over the holidays and had planned to cancel.
I had called the Massage Envy near my place (at the Metreon) several times asking if they had anyone who did Orthopedic massage and was told no every time.
Well, Massage Envy didn't process my cancellation and charged me for another prepaid in December. I really didn't want to get a massage that was going to increase my pain. I scheduled a facial instead. While I was waiting I took a look at their therapist bios. Wouldn't you know, they had TWO therapists that do orthopedic massage.
I booked an appointment with Kim for the next evening when I saw that! I figured I would give her a shot and cancel the next day if she didn't work out.
A thing to know about orthopedic massage: it is NOT pleasant. It is not a relaxing massage that relieves stress. It is painful. VERY painful.
Kim poked and prodded and pushed and pulled. In fact, most of my one hour session was spent on my left shoulder's inflamed connective tissues and scar tissue. But I didn't mind. I knew I was there for specific body work and Kim seemed very knowledgeable. It hurt like hell though. After 13 years of physical therapy, surgery and discomfort, I knew it would be. If you've never had anyone "poke" you in the armpit, the armpit is capable of feeling intense pain. I don't recommend testing it out though.
She had a few recommendations for me diet-wise (most of which I have already adopted, she was impressed with my natural health knowledge). One of which was to make a super strong ginger tea using about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches of fresh ginger and 6 cups of water. Let it boil to reduce it to about 2 cups of "tea" and drink that throughout the day. I'm going to give that one a shot since I'm not taking any supplements during this phase of AIP, including turmeric.
I know that the amount of inflammation in my shoulder is less than usual, but I had hoped that AIP would possibly eliminate it. On the plus side of AIP, I think my nasal allergy symptoms are improving. They are not gone yet, but they are improving. I was able to have a massage laying face down and not sneeze or have my nose run. I was even able to mostly breathe through my nose during the entire session (the right side of my nose still gets "stuffed up" when I lay down. It is really bothersome, but it seems to drain faster when I change positions than it used to).
I did find a resource that would have helped immensely when I started on my AIP journey almost 3 weeks ago. Paleo Plan is a fantastic website that helps make the paleo lifestyle easier and more convenient. I've gone there for recipes and info over the last year. What I didn't realize was how comprehensive their 21 Day Paleo Cleanse eBook was. I purchased the Toadally Primal Wellness Bundle and the 21 Day Paleo Cleanse was included.
I highly recommend checking it out. The $25 price is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the ease with which you will be able to make the transition. It has 3 weeks of menus, shopping lists and even tells you what days you need to do prep work for another meal.
Even if you don't think you have allergy or autoimmune issues, give it a shot. I have to say I'm down 8 pounds since the 6th of January and almost down to my goal weight.
Getting a regular "relaxation" massage only exacerbates my shoulder issues. I've had a Massage Envy membership for a while now and once the therapist I had been seeing in Folsom was unable to keep working, I hadn't used many of my prepaid massages. In fact, I gifted most of them over the holidays and had planned to cancel.
I had called the Massage Envy near my place (at the Metreon) several times asking if they had anyone who did Orthopedic massage and was told no every time.
Well, Massage Envy didn't process my cancellation and charged me for another prepaid in December. I really didn't want to get a massage that was going to increase my pain. I scheduled a facial instead. While I was waiting I took a look at their therapist bios. Wouldn't you know, they had TWO therapists that do orthopedic massage.
I booked an appointment with Kim for the next evening when I saw that! I figured I would give her a shot and cancel the next day if she didn't work out.
A thing to know about orthopedic massage: it is NOT pleasant. It is not a relaxing massage that relieves stress. It is painful. VERY painful.
Kim poked and prodded and pushed and pulled. In fact, most of my one hour session was spent on my left shoulder's inflamed connective tissues and scar tissue. But I didn't mind. I knew I was there for specific body work and Kim seemed very knowledgeable. It hurt like hell though. After 13 years of physical therapy, surgery and discomfort, I knew it would be. If you've never had anyone "poke" you in the armpit, the armpit is capable of feeling intense pain. I don't recommend testing it out though.
She had a few recommendations for me diet-wise (most of which I have already adopted, she was impressed with my natural health knowledge). One of which was to make a super strong ginger tea using about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches of fresh ginger and 6 cups of water. Let it boil to reduce it to about 2 cups of "tea" and drink that throughout the day. I'm going to give that one a shot since I'm not taking any supplements during this phase of AIP, including turmeric.
I know that the amount of inflammation in my shoulder is less than usual, but I had hoped that AIP would possibly eliminate it. On the plus side of AIP, I think my nasal allergy symptoms are improving. They are not gone yet, but they are improving. I was able to have a massage laying face down and not sneeze or have my nose run. I was even able to mostly breathe through my nose during the entire session (the right side of my nose still gets "stuffed up" when I lay down. It is really bothersome, but it seems to drain faster when I change positions than it used to).
I did find a resource that would have helped immensely when I started on my AIP journey almost 3 weeks ago. Paleo Plan is a fantastic website that helps make the paleo lifestyle easier and more convenient. I've gone there for recipes and info over the last year. What I didn't realize was how comprehensive their 21 Day Paleo Cleanse eBook was. I purchased the Toadally Primal Wellness Bundle and the 21 Day Paleo Cleanse was included.
I highly recommend checking it out. The $25 price is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the ease with which you will be able to make the transition. It has 3 weeks of menus, shopping lists and even tells you what days you need to do prep work for another meal.
Even if you don't think you have allergy or autoimmune issues, give it a shot. I have to say I'm down 8 pounds since the 6th of January and almost down to my goal weight.
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