Did you find yourself sweeter and kinder after Whole30 reintro?

[MeadowLily]

I haven't said much but there's been ambulances, emergency room and ICU stays in the hospital. Paw fell down and hit his head on a coffee table yesterday. He has a big gash on his head, bruised arms and sides. It's really, really tough.

You know how difficult it is to see your kids get hurt. It's just as gut-wrenching to see your folkaronies get hurt, too. It just tears your guts out to see your family members in pain.

My favorite aunt in the whole wide world told me that I would never ever regret this time with them. She's sooo right. She said that every day is precious and make it worthwhile.  

For anyone out there facing this with your folks or loved ones, I concur. Taking care of your parents is one of the greatest blessings in your life.  Having kids is no guarantee that they'll be there for you when it's your time.  

I've witnessed over these years, the number of seniors with kids that never come to visit or help them out. It makes them very, very sad. We've tried to pick up the slack in our neck of the woods.  Checking in on those you are way up there in years.  Taking over bags of groceries during the worst winter in recorded history.  

If the opportunity should it present itself to you...when you reach that fork in the road...take it. There will be times when everyone is getting on everyone's last nerve but that's just because fighting for your life takes true grit. It's honorable. We are all bent on survival.

There's wheelchairs, oxygen, falling down, getting hurt, pain and tears.

So many tears. I do my crying on my own time because fear is contagious. You can really get someone hurt by letting fear rub off on older folks. They need to see your strength.  So I muster it from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. 

When I started on this journey, 3 years ago, I didn't know what I know now. There are sleepless nights, sitting through the night in a hospital chair. 

I can't stand goodbyes. I could've easily left 3 years ago but I needed a place to hang my cowboy hat. Something just for me, big enough to hold the buckets of tears I've cried while I've tooled along.  

I keep my WHY closeby.

I gave up my career for this new one. It doesn't come with a paycheck but the rewards are so worth it. The more time goes by, I relate to Peter in Office Space. The Bobs tell him, It looks like you've been missing alot of work lately and Peter says, I wouldn't say I've been missing it.  I feel that way now.  

I'll go back one day. You know what they say about prognostications for the future. I hope everyone is still filled with optimism that comes with the new year.  It's warm enough for me to take it back outside. Spring thaw is underway. 

Big Kahuna trigger foods don't mean that much to me anymore. I did see a really cute gummy bear commercial where the adults are talking like children. I thought about what they're really made of - corn syrup. They made my life a living hail and who needs that.

I do wonder what's happened to everyone. I hope they're going forward with their positive health journey. I miss them.   After all, tomorrow is another day.

[MeadowLily]

 

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/article/why-eating-your-veggies-isn’t-enough

Joy comes in the morning.

I always eat fruit with a protein. Always.

I eat nuts with a protein, too.

 

 

Strokes. A 2014 review of 20 studies, in Stroke, found that fruits were more protective against strokes than vegetables, with a 32 percent drop in stroke risk. 

Diabetes. In a 2013 study in BMJ, people who ate at least three servings a week of blueberries, grapes, apples, and certain other fruits had up to a 26 percent reduced risk of diabetes, compared to those who rarely ate these fruits.

Fruit juice, however, was linked to increased diabetes risk (higher sugar concentration). What if you already have diabetes? A 2013 study in the Nutrition Journal found that eating whole fruit (at least two servings a day) did not affect blood sugar control in overweight people newly diagnosed with the disease.

[MeadowLily]

When you enter a hospital, you hope you'll return home on the road to recovery.

You can take an antibiotic for 30 days but you don't take it for 365 days.

 

I think of Whole 30 like a Rx for 30 days. The Reintro Phase is where you gain some traction.

 

You're no longer spinning your wheels. Your diagnostic testing informs - what's going to work going forward.

 

If you stay on an antibiotic for 365 days, it loses steam. You become immune to the healing power. The antidote is your new norm.   

 

[MeadowLily]

I read ISWF before I ever started. I still go directly to the well for my source of information.

Everything that's on that shopping list, I gave myself permission to have it, too.

I did not dial it down into further food group subsets. I stayed within the parameters of the grocery store and the boundary of the shopping list.

To thine own self be true.

Authenticity means knowing who you are and listening to your inner voice. Being free to choose your own path in life. 

As the night follows the day, be true to yourself. 

Everything within my being allows me to celebrate whole foods in whole forms. That means I don't really believe it when someone tells me that you can get everything out of vegetables and fruit is worthless.

I don't believe it. That's my truth and I must follow it.

I could not make this so rigid for 30 days that on Day 31, I was going to blow a gasket. I've watched that happen so many times over these last 3 years.

I watched others relapse back into full blown food addiction and I have set my will, by an act of my will...not to let that happen to me.

This can all come undone in the blink of an eye. If you think not - remember, only 5% of dieters can keep the weight off and it's 7% for WLS patients.  The odds and stats are stacked against full recovery for the food addict.

I knew that the positive food management plan I was creating had to be sustainable for the rest of my life. Eliminating fruit and nuts was not going to be part of that plan.  

Right out of the chute, being so brutally strict and rigid can backfire. The backlash happens in the body and mind. They will rebel.

Think gentle changes for the permanent WIN. There are some things that I cannot change.

A man or woman convinced against their will is of the same opinion still.  

What makes a house a home.

A house is not a home without food and fire for the mind as well as the body.

  

 

[MeadowLily]

My body and mind have been a couple of nitwits that haven't helped me out all that much along the way or long before the Whole 30.

My spirit is the best part of me. When I blow this popstand for the last time, it's all I'm taking with me. When I get where I'm going....there's the river of life. Along that river are fruit trees. I know they will be bearing 12 crops of fruit. 

The leaves are for the healing of nations. The healing of nations is linked to the tree of life.

To reject fruit on earth makes my body, mind and spirit...shake, rattle and roll. It's just a function of the unction of the spirit within me.   

When I get where I'm going..there will be fruit, healing of the nations and true peace. 

Eating it here on earth reminds of the promises to come. It's my small corner and taste of heaven on earth. 

 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

I've had to sit up during a few long nights and keep my eyes wide open. I've listened to a nationwide radio program to keep me awake.

One particular story of a man on a ship who was taken away and shown the planets...he went through a time warp, saw forwards and backwards through time.

I've been wondering, why do they always take the 'good guys'.  Why don't they take the mean spirited away and drop them off on some other planet.  Noooo, it's always the good guys.  

So do they really have our best interests at heart. I don't think so. I think they're miners. They're coming here looking for our silver and gold. Making tiddlywinks out of it, flying around in tin cans.

It's similar to bigfoot. Supposedly he eats deer but must paleo poop on the other side because we've never found any on this side.

Humans love a good story. It's a distraction from our daily lives and takes our mind off of can't fool myself realism.

Truth be told, I don't ever want to see any of the above. I don't. If they really cared about us, why don't they just take a load of the mean spirited away. They don't. So that tells me they don't really give two hoots about us.  

They want what we have. The ability to eat fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and proteins. Drive around in our 4WD pick-up trucks and play country music. Maybe they'd like to have a good cowdog who watches out for the livestock. 

We've got it all down here in the Garden of Good Eatin'. 

I'm in no hurry to get where I'm really going. As for all of those hairy and buglike creatures, I don't think they'll be there. They're a distraction. Let's just play the Indian Love Call for them.

 

Much Love. Felicias.  Much Love. 

 

[MeadowLily]

Continue eating real foods in real amounts. Don't eat diet foods or drink diet drinks.

Willpower will only get you so far. With bare knuckling it and willpower comes relapse for the food addict. Along with the wild swings UP and down, continual cycles of dieting to compensate for binge or thrill eating. 

Then comes eating in the unconscious mode. Muddling around and simply going through the motions, not really knowing what or how much you've eaten. It's all a blur. 

Dieting = An illusion of control 

Relapsing = Some give up and never make it back.

The thrill eater doesn't eat because of any particular emotion. Food addiction is a chronic disease of food rewards.

Dis-eating

Dis-connectedness

Self-willing it with willpower

Willpower will only get you so far and eventually luck runs out.

Connection with others and connecting with your spirit brings tremendous freedom and relief.  Reach out to others.

Nurturing the spirit sets the table for food addiction recovery.

Spiritual help is not the same as self-help.  Looking after your spirtual health is connection and letting go at the same time.   Spiritual health is turning loose of the body's hold over you....in the form of food addiction, body and weight obsessions.  All of it. 

The spiritual connection is good medicine. It takes fear out and allows recovery to come in. 

Spiritual health and well-being is turning loose of the body's addiction for food rewards that get the food addict nowhere good.

[MeadowLily]

The Whole 30 was created to be a springboard for finding your own arrow. The sooner you can create your own positive food management plan, the easier it will be. The greater success you will have, too.

Those that keep repeating back to back Whole 30's without ever contemplating how they're going to navigate the sharky waters for the rest of their entire lifetime keep repeating Whole 30's, usually without a Reintro Phase, trying to make a compliant Whole 365 a way of life. It was not designed to be used like that.

Follow through with your Reintro. Choose what you're going to leave in or out. 

I simply don't bring the offenders home.  My trigger foods. That takes care of it. 

 

[MeadowLily]

Blame the whiskey on the beer
Blame the beer on the whiskey
Blame the mornin’ on the night
For whose lyin’ here with me
Blame the bar for the band
Blame the band for the song
Blame the song for the party that went all night long

But it ain’t my fault
No it ain’t my fault
Mighta had a little fun
Lotta wrong I’d done
But it ain’t my fault

Blame the heart for the hurtin’
Blame the hurtin’ on the heart
Blame the dark on the devil
Blame the devil on the dark
Blame the ex for the drinkin’
Blame the drinkin’ for the ex
Blame the two for one tequila’s for whatever happens next

But it ain’t my fault
No it ain’t my fault
Mighta had a little fun
Lotta wrong I’d done
But it ain’t my fault

I got my hands up
I need an alibi
Find me a witness who can testify
You made a mistake
You got the wrong guy
I’m only guilty of a damn good time
No it ain’t my fault

Blame my reason on my name
Blame my name on my reason
Blame my lack of knowing better on public education
Blame smoke on the fire
Blame fire on the smoke
Blame the fight on the bouncer that couldn’t take a joke
But it ain’t my fault

I got my hands up
I need an alibi
Find me a witness who can testify
You made a mistake
You got the wrong guy
I’m only guilty of a damn good time

No it ain’t my fault
No it ain’t my fault
No it ain’t my fault

[MeadowLily]

The Original Blame Game song.

 

Open. Mind. Insert. Possibilities. 

 

Check out of autopilot. Going through the motions of life by rote.

The brain overestimates who really cares about what you're doing by 20-30%. People don't care what you're wearing or eating or buying at the grocery store. They're not paying attention to what you're eating at the restaurant. 

The goldfish has a longer attention span than a human's.

You can control how you think and edit yourself. Sabotage yourself. Get back in the game. 

You have to interrupt the mind garbage and promptly ACT. 

Tune into your wisdom. The instinctual direct line to the inner voice.  

That means you will have to get out of your head. Overresearching, overthinking, overanalyzing and overeating and obsessing about what others think of you. Most of them aren't thinking about you, they're waaay too busy living.

Your inner wisdom is always there. Listen to it.

It's a tool to use.  Not something to overthink with and head back down that rabbit hole. 

Get out of your head and out of your way. Continual rationalization and blowing things off is a habit. So is constant self-monitoring yourself to the point of anxiety and fear about everything.

Stop editing yourself and explaining everything. 

I practice Urge Surfing and If Then Planning. 

It primes the pump and primes the mind to CHANGE. 

  

 

[MeadowLily]

What is this.

This is a narrow focus. Day to day and moment to moment.

Tiny steps for tiny feet.

If you try to get from Point A to Point B by focusing on the giant month hunks of time it will take to get there, you'll become stressed, overwhelmed, busted and disgusted.

If Then Planning.

It's going to take longer than 30 days for major changes in your brain and thinking.

If you're too focused on what others think about you and you give too many hoots, you won't get there. You'll sabotage yourself.

Constantly editing yourself is the mind's way of interrupting your inner voice. Your spirit. Your chances for making big changes that will actually stick with you for the rest of your life.

Stop editing. Stop giving too much credence to what you think others are looking at or thinking about you. That's actually being waaaay too self-centered. Me. Me. Me.

Inspire yourself.  Take full responsibility for yourself without rationalization.

They used to say that your brain stopped growing at the age of 25.  Well, guess what.  It never stops growing and learning. You are never ever too old to learn new tricks and neither is your dog. That's a bunch of hooey and more limitation.

There's no such thing as the Finish Line. Not for you or your brain or your desire to really make lasting changes for the big WIN.

 

Me. Me. Me. Me......

 

 

[MeadowLily]

Me. Me. Me. Me.......

The forum has a 15 minute rule. Whether you're finished typing or not, it knocks your right out of the ring. Stick a fork in your post, you are done.

Many moons ago, I edited everything I was posting. On the first part of the journey you will see all of these potholes in my road. 

I can't edit myself now. I have to cook it UP, set the table and throw it on the table, voila.

I can look back. There are cringeworthy things but you have to stop self-doubting, stop worrying and just keep tooling along the highway. Don't edit yourself or your life.

Pull all of the dross out of your head.  Listen to your inner wisdom and start trusting it.  It's the right thing for you. It takes practice, practice, practice.

No one is really looking at your clothes or shoes or hair or face or body or hiney. If they do, it's only a passing glance.

They're too busy taking their own belly selfies to notice yours.

A common reflection exposing a body section. Head shots like mug shots. We photograph ourselves to remind others of who we are.

Who are you when no one else is looking? That's the real you. Don't be afraid to let it hang out. Pretty paleo ain't so pretty all of the time.  It never was.

[MeadowLily]

The forum 15 minute rule. It's a good tool.

It requires you to think fast on your feet before old negative thought patterns activate and kick in. Editing yourself and your life, putting your best foot forward. Making yourself sooo pleasing for others which doesn't work. 

Are you looking for a mate, Felicias? 

When you go into a room notice who you are drawn to, immediately.  If it's someone's else's mate, you're not listening to your inner wisdom. You're thinking with the lesser brain. 

Your true wisdom, inner self, voice, spirit...is going to lead you to the right person. They won't be perfectly perfect. No such thing.

But pay attention to that bird dog laser focus. Everything within your being is running on all cylinders and you know exactly what you want.  

That person is going to lock eyes with you and you've got your big marlin on the hook. Reel that baby in, Felicias. 

It's chemical, it's physical, it's mental and it's spiritual. Everything clicks into place. You can rarely find this kind of thing through the innertubes. Oooo, sure. There's farmers dot com and you don't ever have to be lonely again.

I wouldn't pick a hitchhiker up along the roadside and I wouldn't invite internet strangers into my home or vehicle or anywhere.  We're just not that trusting out here in the Old West. There are too many drifters and escaped convicts on the loose that run here to hide out with the Hole in the Wall Gang.  For real.

There's no cotton pickin' way I would want my relatives picking up hitchhikers or jumping into a car with just anyone off the street. That's not good common horse sense.

But if you're in a rather safe place of your peers, your climbing or skiing club, rec center....you're not actually going to have to look for this person. They'll just be there. At the right place at the right time. Lightning strikes. Maybe once. Maybe twice.  Boom.

Reel that marlin in. Big Mouth Billy Bass.     

Momentum is a gift. I don't take it for granted.

When you're on a roll, riding your wave, full tilt boogie board...keep going. When you're going through hail keep on going.

Your first impression is almost always right. It makes a strong imprint in the sand. Follow those footprints with a natural curiousity. Dreams realized. 

Don't edit yourself. Don't edit your primal instincts. Your inner wisdom is a gift.

Take courage and act on it.  

 

 

 

[Stegner]

Just have to say one more time - I love reading your stuff, Meadowlily.  There's always something that I need to hear - today it's the paragraph that begins... "stop editing."  I know you follow your own advice because your spirit shines through your writing.  

[MeadowLily]

Just now, Stegner said:

 

Ooooo, you give me these gifts of encouragement and I'm back off to the races. You just blew my toasty socks off my feet. 

[MeadowLily]

All substances are poisons. There is none which is not a poison.

The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.

Paracelsus

 

[MeadowLily]

Food Freedom Forever = bringing balance back into your eating habits and keeping them there.

[MeadowLily]

Choices and Consequences

ISWF. Read pages 91-95.

Read the potential risks of sugar, artificial sweetners and alcohol. They do not make you healthier.

Alcohol interferes with glucose in the body, insulin and glucagon....even the much ballyhooed paleo friendly blue agave tequila.

[MeadowLily]

 In diabetic communities, not sure of the roots, they're visualizing the skull and crossbones over sugars and alcohol.

Choices and Consequences

It's bold. It's direct. When faced with substances that are poison for the diabetic or the alcoholic - it's working for them.  It's been making the rounds for several years now.

We have a saying in my family. Tell-a-graph.  Tell-a-phone. Tell-a-_____. 

Everything spreads like a wildfire through the wires.

The Skull and Crossbones.

If it saves the diabetic or alcoholic from falling back into substances that will take their life or someone else's life, seeing the end, the last consequence.....so be it.

The triggers.  The offenders that lead to full blown diabetes and alcoholism.

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include the following:

Confusion (e.g., inability to read the time or to find things)

Headache

Hand tremors

Tingling sensation in fingers or tongue

Buzzing in ears

Elevated pulse rate

Great hunger

Tight feeling in throat or near rear of tongue

Clumsiness

Impaired ability to detect sweet tastes

Stubbornness

Inappropriate laughter or joking

Irritability

Nastiness

Anxiety or panic

Pounding hands on tables and walls or kicking the floor or other objects

Miscellaneous visual impairments, such as blurred or double vision, seeing spots, visual hallucinations (e.g., letters or numbers seem to be printed in Chinese)

Uncontrolled extension, stretching, or movement of the arms or legs

Poor physical coordination (e.g., bumping into walls and dropping things)

Tiredness

Convulsions

Weakness

Sudden awakening from sleep

Shouting while asleep (or awake)

Rapid shallow breathing

Nervousness

Light-headedness

Faintness

Hot feeling

Cold or clammy skin, especially on the neck

Restlessness

Insomnia

Nightmares

Pale complexion

Nausea

Slurred speech

Nystagmus  (This symptom may be demonstrated by slowly moving your eyes from side to side while keeping your head immobile.  If another person is asked to watch your eyes, she will notice-when your blood sugar is low-that they may jerk briefly in the reverse direction, or “ratchet,” instead of moving smoothly.

You can observe the effect of this by looking at the sweep second hand of your watch.  If it seems occasionally to jump ahead, your are experiencing nystagmus (actually, as your eyes jumped to the side for brief instants, you missed seeing bits of motion of the the second hand).

Several of these symptoms may occur at the same time. One symptom alone may be the only indicator.  In some cases, there may be no clearly apparent early signs or symptoms at all.

“Diabetes Solution” by Dr. Richard Bernstein