W30 saved my feet

[Semolina]

I started my first Whole 30 in June 2013. It was great. I didn’t struggle with it, I lost some weight (8lbs) and I felt great about food. You know, you’ve read it all before.

 

Post W30#1 I’ve done a mix of things: two more W30s, mostly clean eating with an increasing amount of indulgences thrown in at the weekend. (Wine, peanuts (!), a slice of cake here and there, CHEESE sometimes etc.)

 

Here’s the thing that gets me: I have, since my 20s, had slightly swollen feet every summer. Five years ago I was pregnant with twins, had bad pre-eclampsia (had swelling up to my ribs and liquid coming out of my legs … not good). Since the pregnancy, the problem with swollen feet has got worse, and not just in the summer.

 

Last year, I thought it had magically sorted itself out, as (just after my W30#1) we had a really hot summer and my feet were fine! Clearly my body had recovered and I didn’t need to worry about it anymore.

 

Since then, whilst my meals are mostly W30, I have done a lot of off-roading in between times (mostly weekend stuff). My feet started swelling again (even in winter).

 

By the time the weather changed here this year (May?) I was in trouble. One foot was nearly double its normal size. I went to the doctor, who told me my pregnancy had permanently damaged the vascular system in my leg, and it was irreversible. I would have to manage it with support socks, raising my legs when I could, and looking after my skin as best I could so it could cope with the stress of being stretched. I ignored this advice because I am only 42 and not an old lady. The swelling continued. I could not get any shoes on. My legs HURT really badly. I decided maybe I should listen to the doctor. I started wearing the support socks, which helped enormously, but I hated wearing them. (Did I mention I’m only 42?!) It was hot, and I couldn’t wear summer dresses or sandals. My toenails started thickening. I got a particularly nasty type of eczema on my feet because of the stockings. My feet were still huge. I was at the point of thinking I would need to have specialist shoes, and throw out all my summer dresses. (By the way, in case you were wondering, I am not overweight. I am not skinny either, but I am just within my BMI.)

 

For some reason I decided to go completely clean again with my eating, just to see if last summer had been a fluke, where I didn’t have any problems with my feet at all.

 

I have eaten clean for FIVE DAYS. My feet are back to normal. My decisions about what I eat forever are made. I can’t be bothered to work out if it’s the wheat, or the peanuts, or the alcohol or a combination of them. I would rather eat beautifully for 30 years and get to the age of 70 without having spent those 30 years in support stockings with hideously uncomfortable feet with bleeding skin infections etc etc.

 

This W30 stuff – it’s powerful!

 

[clabbergirl]

This is fascinating. It would be interesting to know what you're allergic to though. Is that something you may try after a period of time?

[Semolina]

I might: but it's not an instant reaction (I was fine for the rest of the summer last year, after one W30, despite eating all kinds of things for a while in there.)

 

So it would have to be a long-term test: introduce one thing and eat it over a number of weeks to see if it made a difference.

 

It seems like a lot of trouble, especially as there is no inherent benefit to eating / drinking this stuff in the first place. One single exposure of whatever it is clearly doesn't make a difference.

 

I suspect peanuts, to be honest, possibly combined  with repeated exposure to flour / sugar (though I've not gone overboard with those really). And actually, if I can see a good reason for it, I can quite happily live without those. I just hadn't been persuaded of the peanut argument until just recently; I like peanuts; they fill me up and stabilize blood sugars; they have lots of antioxidants, and yeah, some people have reactions to them but surely that doesn't apply to me???!

 

Now that potatoes are in W30, family eating becomes much easier for us (no-one else does W30 but I'm the cook) so why wouldn't I just carry on like this? And wine ... I suspect that isn't the cause of my foot, but it might be contributing and really ... I have no problem with having a very small amount in theory (one or two glasses a week) but I appear not to be able to do that so I'm probably better off without.

 

So yes, at some point I may decide that I really want to test it to find out if it is one item that is causing the problem (but what if it's a combination?) but ... to what end?

[Kmlynne]

Oh wow.....

 

I too have issues with swelling - pitting edema to my knees on a good day, above my knees on a bad.  It was always worse in the heat of summer and after working night shift.  (No problems with weeping tho)  Since stating w30 it is soooo much better.  

 

I am so glad to hear how much better things are for you!  It is definitely worth a life long change!!!!