Starting Anew

[Emma]

I just completed a Whole30 during the month of October.  I also spent the month of October fighting off colds and dealing with asthma.  It was a month that has little positive memories, but it was a good month because I finally got off my arse and began eating well again.

 

On Day 31 I went out to eat and ended the Whole30, but I still hope to maintain the spirit of it as much as I can.

 

My goals:

Eating clean at home until the relatives arrive on the 20th.  

Meditating every day for at least five minutes.

 

I would say eating Whole30 till the relatives arrive, but I want to start taking my calcium pills again and they're not Whole30 approved and I want to try out some possible paleo baking in preparation for Thanksgiving.  The paleo baked goods work for me and don't take me down the path of addictive eating and food seeking behaviors.  Thank goodness!

 

Today is my Day 2 of being on track and things went well enough.  I have two sick kids and a fighting-a-cold self.  The three of us are going to sleep on the sofas tonight with the humidifier running full blast.  The kids sounded horrible earlier, but are both sleeping well and neither are coughing at the moment.  The humidifier is such a good thing!

 

I meditated this evening for 7 minutes.  It's not long, but it's longer than my minimum requirement and it gets me back doing it.  I found I really liked meditating last January and February and I learned a lot from it, but like so many things, it's easy to let things go by the way.  My mind was all over the place tonight, but that's part of the process too.  

 

Breakfast: Eggs and broccoli and Tessamae's Wing Sauce.  Yum.

Lunch: Chicken and spinach and some kind of clear kelp noodles in a ginger coconut amino sauce. (eh)

Dinner: Bird Nest from Paleo Effects which is seasoned sweet potatoes, seasoned bison, and eggs.  The kids chose it.  It's really good - very comfort food kind of food.

 

I think I over salted things however because I'm feeling crazy thirsty at the moment.  Dang.  I don't want to drink water before bed!!!

 

Oh gee - did I say my kids were sleeping well?  Now it sounds like one is gagging on her coughs.  Ugh.

 

Oh - but get this....my girl's skin seems to get eczema patches more quickly when she eats breads.  She's been having a sandwich a day  and things have been okay-ish.  Well this morning my husband made French Toast for both of them and she told him only one piece because her skin has been irritated recently and then she told me that for lunch, she'd have her sandwich on a tortilla instead of bread because that would be less bread too.  I don't really know if the tortilla is any cleaner, but I love that she's trying to do some of her own problem solving around health and foods.  For the record, she doesn't put any type of limits on her requests for candy.

[pjena]

Welcome back to the post world!  I so hope you all get and stay healthy! 

 

That is great that your daughter is recognizing how bread affects her!  It's a start.

[kirkor]

Was this your first W30? Did you do a reintro and notice any sensitivities?

[Emma]

Kirkor, I did my first Whole30 in April 2013 with my entire family.  After that, we pretty much tried to stick to Whole30 eating when we were at home for almost a complete year (with some serious forays into Egg Nog and cookies during the holidays).  When I did do reintroductions, I didn't have any right-in-your-face reactions when I ate moderate amounts that were spaced out, but I think that many of the foods (the pastas and dairy and sugars) trigger some low grade inflammation and that inflammation builds up really quickly.  As well, the sugars seemed to trigger non stop questing for food behaviors in me.

 

The inflammation in my system and my lousy gut health are the things that need some serious healing.  I injure really easily when I exercise and have always been prone to tendonitis.  My digestive system has always been distracting and bothersome.  On Whole30, things got better and continued to get better - so better that for the first time in my life, when I caught a cold, I didn't trigger asthma attacks.  It was such a huge gift, but I went the way of bad moods, depressed thoughts, sugary foods, and wayward ways this past summer and my health has quickly responded with some unpleasant hollers.

 

At the start of October I think I was pushing 170 on the scale.  My clothes were not fitting and I was feeling very bloated and fat and out of control.  I had been 140 at my lowest last year and probably 150 much of the year.  I'm now hovering around 150 again and this feels much more balanced.  I'm a short person and I think my health and my body would probably be at their best if I got into the 120's or 130's but so far I'm just working on trying to be a healthy eater and hoping my weight will gradually take care of itself. 

[Emma]

Day 3

I just ran to the store after work and passed by the donuts and cheese rolls without a thought.  I picked up my produce and sparkling water and eggs and went to the checkout and enjoyed looking at the contents going into my bags.  I know the stores track everything I purchase and I feel like they have all the data on my summer decline into chocolate bars, oreos, cheese rolls, and more cheese rolls.  They also have the data from last year when our eating quickly shifted from whatever it was to Whole30 and now the current stuff which looks pretty darn good.  It felt good leaving the store.  I felt in control.  But it does take energy and resolve to be in control and so I'm super thankful for these forums and the chance to reflect daily.

 

I'm still sporting the same pair of jeans I picked up this summer at the thrift store when everything else became too small.  They have some stretch to them so they were pretty forgiving as I ballooned out.  They're feeling looser and my shirts are feeling looser, but I have yet to try on my old jeans, old shorts, or old shirts which marked a contented weight for me.  It was so good to put on clothes and have them fit.  I don't think I'm up for any discouragement or feelings of issues around weight (even though that's what I'm talking about here ) so I'm going to hold off before trying them on.  But I AM feeling more normal and that's nice.

 

Last night I had two sick coughing kids.  The humidifier, inhalers, and Vicks seemed to work well.  The kids slept well and both woke up looking really good.  We took it easy today, but we're doing okay.  I had some middle of the night coughing and stayed up for two hours reading as a result which wasn't so hot, but it wasn't the out of control coughing.  I had some coughing and asthma after dinner tonight so tomorrow I might eat my dinner in the afternoon so I don't trigger nighttime coughing, but overall, we're weathering through whatever we have fairly well.  Perhaps it's the flu and our flu shots are doing their thing!  Wouldn't that be great.

 

I haven't meditated today, but I will before I go to bed.  Nope, I'd better go do it right this second so it's over and done with....brb....Okay - that's completed!  It counts.  My mind was everywhere and I was doing it to get it done, but it still counts.  Seven minutes of slowed down mind and body is a lot more than zero.

 

Breakfast: Egg tea with turmeric (and no veggies)

Lunch: Tuna fish and broccoli frittata - boy that sounds gross, but it was really good and really filling and I needed something filling after my pathetic breakfast

Dinner: Grass fed ground beef, candied carrots, acorn squash

 

And I guess that's it.  I'm yawning.  It's time to fall asleep and hopefully sleep well.  Tomorrow is a new day and I'm hopeful I'll wake up refreshed with a desire and energy to get things done.

[pjena]

  I felt in control.  But it does take energy and resolve to be in control and so I'm super thankful for these forums and the chance to reflect daily.

 

 

That's how I feel.  I love feeling in control and not thinking about it all as much as I used to, but that takes some effort.  Posting here helps.

 

Probably a good call not trying on the smaller clothes.  Just keep doing what you know works.  You certainly don't need the shorts anytime soon, anyway!

 

I hope you all feel better!

[Emma]

Haha - Did I wish to "Get Things Done" today??!  So didn't happen!

 

But the day was fine and I ate fine and the kids are fine so all is fine enough.  Tomorrow, though - BIG plans!

 

Breakfast: Eggs and kale with hot sauce (SO frickin' good)

Lunch: Ground beef, carrots, squash

Dinner: Green curry chicken with vegetables (yellow peppers, celery, and I don't know what else)

 

Tonight - I expect to cough.  I did last night.  I meant to eat an early dinner today, but the food wasn't done early and I didn't want to pass it up.  The curry chicken smelled really good so I ate - even though I wasn't hungry - and I ate more and more because it was tasty.  I seriously am lousy at the portion control thing.  And now I expect falling asleep will be tricky because of coughing.  Tomorrow I'll eat early.

 

I thought I was going to get my period at the start of the week, but so far, no show.  I get the weird cramping sensations like it's getting ready to happen, but so far nothing else.  I wonder if that's part of my lack of energy today or just the irregular sleep and cold-fighting.  (Why do people call it AF?  What does that stand for?)

 

And that's it.  Crap.  I haven't meditated.  See, this is exactly why this forum is good for me.  Okay - there - I did it.  Not super big quality, but it did feel really good to BREATHE!  I'm going to aim for earlier in the day tomorrow (maybe) .

[pjena]

AF= Aunt Flow.

 

I hope she visits soon so you can feel more normal. Mine is usually a few days later on W30 for some reason.  But, a few days late for me is approaching normal (my cycle is 21 days - on W30 it's been more like 25 or 26 - I'm weird)

[Emma]

Aunt Flow! Good to know!

 

My cycle has also become a 21 dayer, until this month.  When I stopped coffee last year, I went down to a 17 day schedule for a few months which made me realize this coffee stuff has a serious impact on the hormones.  I'm back on coffee, but thinking one day I might make the switch back to tea and some caffeine, but just not as much.

 

Today I am awake and drinking my first cup of coffee and getting nothing done...yet.  Sleep was a bust last night.  I stayed up till 11:30 or 12:00 reading and coughing with a light asthma cough.  I slept till 4:30 and then coughed till 5:30 and then was up at 6:50.  Wow - that's just not a lot of sleep!!!  So today I will have an early dinner shooting for three o'clock so that my body doesn't have food as a trigger for asthma coughing.  On a good note, the coughing last night was pretty minor in comparison to last month.  My body is certainly handling things more smoothly.  I just need to keep sticking with it.

[Emma]

Ate an early dinner at 3:00 and it was SO good.  I put chicken legs in the crock pot with some Tessamae's Wing Sauce.  The chicken was moist and tender and spicy, but not too spicy.  I loved it.  I would have eaten more, but I had to save some for the family - guess that helps with my portion controls.

 

I read that you should only have one serving or should put away your leftovers before eating.  Maybe I need to do that.  I'm absolutely fine eating dinner at 3:00 in the afternoon so there is no reason that I need to have seconds or thirds when I have dinner at the normal time of six.

 

I made some Paleo Lemon Bread today with a Lemon Glaze.  It was good.  The kids liked it and I liked it.  There was honey in it as the sweetener and it's amazing to me that I can eat a slice and be done.  Of course, the Paleo baked goods just aren't quite the same as the real deal, but nor are they addictive and that addiction is what I have to keep in mind.

 

I also did laundry today.  I do laundry every day, but today I finally washed my jeans which meant that I had to put on my old Levi's.  I was hopeful that they would slide right on, but they didn't.  I felt tightness over my upper thighs as I pulled them up.  The good news I suppose is that I was able to button them, but of course, most of my body hung over that waist line.  I have not lost as much as I'd hoped.  It wasn't really any big news.  Heck, I've only been eating decently since the beginning of October, but I was SO bloated and upward gaining that it feels like I should have lost more.  And yet, I've lost a lot because I'm feeling okay-ish again.  However, I do wish that I hadn't gained so much over the summer and done it so rapidly.  Lots of backtracking is going on now and that's just not really as fun.  BUT, it's better than the opposite.  It will be nice for my clothes to fit me again.

 

Influenza A is going around town and lots of kids at school are sick.  My boy was sent home today for being sick, but once he got home, he was just fine.  I think it was the darn asthma cough and everybody just assumed it was the stomach bug or the flu.  Argh.  Next time, I'm going to go and use the inhaler and check him out myself.  I'm guessing that his new asthma cough and mine and my daughter's loose cough are our bodies fighting off the flu successfully and quickly (thanks to the vaccine).  It would be too much to ask to think our systems would fight it off with us unaware.  My body sure likes to point things out - a bit of a drama queen is my immune system.  Even though I ate at 3:00 and it's now six hours later, I can feel the asthma in my lungs reacting to the foods.  I've got the humidifier on and the essential oils and I drank some apple cider vinegar.  I'm optimistic that I'll fall asleep by 10:30 and sleep till 6:30

 

Breakfast:  pumpkin, banana, coconut milk, chia seed custard

Lunch: green curry chicken, carrots, acorn squash

Snack: slice of paleo lemon bread

Dinner: chicken legs and carrots

[Emma]

Woke up this morning all on my own and knew it was time to get up.  I looked at my phone and it was 6:50.  Perfect!  I fell asleep at 10:15, woke up at 11:30 for a bit, and was back asleep till morning.  Nice!  I'm still coughing and dealing with the asthma, but it's responding really well to the inhaler so it's not so bad, mainly just a sign that I'm not nice and healthy solid.

 

Work was fun today and I began taking an online class that I'm really enjoying.  I love doing new things and being focused.  I also love the way ideas and thoughts of possibilities bubble up once I start learning something new.  My son had a lot of anger today and tonight fell apart out in public and hit at me when I picked him up.  This is so not his normal behavior and I wonder if his little system is just tired out as well with fighting stuff off.  He seems relatively fine, but I'm using the inhaler with him because his little coughs turn bad super fast.

 

I was just over at Mark's Daily Apple and Chris Kresser's site reading about preventing (and shortening) colds and he had some good thoughts.  I have been neglecting my daily Vit D and I know I usually have low levels.  I'm also sure I'm not taking in any selenium (nor really enough calcium) and I don't take any vitamins.  He talks about honey and I know honey has helped chill out my spasmodic coughing, yet I haven't been doing that either.  Ahhhhh - so many things.  But a good reminder and I know my body would like a little boost up in its endeavor to get better.

 

Breakfast: pumpkin, banana, coconut milk, chia seed custard and a piece of paleo lemon bread

Lunch: eggs and kale

Dinner: grass fed ground beef in a coconut milk red curry with thai seasonings, mushrooms, and kale - YUM!

 

I meditated today for 14 minutes and had some nice sensations of rooting down into the ground and feeling stillness, but after seven minutes or so, my mind started wandering more.  My goal is only five minutes a day, but I'd like to be doing a minimum of 12 because I read a study saying that was the amount that made a positive difference in the test subjects.  And really, I'd like to be doing 20 minutes because that seems like a good daily practice and one day, maybe I'll be ready for 40 or 50 minutes, but for now, I'm just trying to do something every day.  Eventually I will start relaxing into it again instead of anticipating the timer dinging.

 

Here's to a good night's rest for all of us!

[Emma]

I stayed up till 11:00 or so last night and was up at 7:15.  I got up at 1:30 to let out the dog.  It wasn't a terrible night of sleep, but I just know it could be so much better.  I'll be glad when this cough does its final good-bye.  I also know that I need to go to bed earlier to give myself the extra time for taking out the dog and using the inhaler and all that stuff that interrupts the night.

 

I did absolutely nothing all morning today.  It was pathetic.  I didn't even read - just kinda sat on the computer and cuddled with kids.  I read and chatted with the kids, but I didn't do projects, or prepare for the in-laws arrival later this week, or study or anything.  In the afternoon we bundled up and went outside for a bit and then I picked up some foods from the store.  Of course the ingredients I wanted for recipes I wanted to try out weren't in stock.

 

The late afternoon went better.  I worked on an art project with the kids, made some paleo sweet potato and egg custard for morning, and was at least a bit more in motion

 

I have been noticing that I haven't been finishing all of my typical three cups of coffee.  This morning, I had my first one and then made my second one, but didn't finish it till three or so.  That's normally when I'm already half way through my third cup.  I have an awesome mug that keep the coffee hot for hours.  I'm glad I'm not drinking as much and am appreciating that it's happening a bit on its own.  I certainly must be feeling better if I'm not seeking out that stimulant to get through the day.

 

Still no AF.  Still.  So weird, but eventually it will happen again.

 

Breakfast: paleo pumpkin crepes

Lunch: ground beef with veggies from last night

Snack: sweet potato custard

Dinner: ground beef with curry sauce, sweet potato, and onions

 

I'm upping my Vitamin D intake, but I neglected to take a multivitamin.  I did peel and grate a bunch of fresh ginger for tea which I drank with honey.  Last night I read Chris Kresser's suggestions on colds and realized I should implement some and that's about all I managed.  I did meditate tonight, but it wasn't my best.  Coughing makes it difficult to enjoy your breathing and open yourself up to the universe and all that junk.  ARgh - one of these days it will be gone, and certainly, it's not anything as horrible as it was.

 

Tomorrow, I really really want to have an ultra productive day.  I want Whole30 sleep to encompass me and the asthma junk to disappear so I wake up with fresh clear lungs!  I want to enjoy my kids and some of my coffee and then Get Moving!  Wish me well.

[pjena]

Nothing wrong with a lazy morning cuddling the kids! 

 

I'm sure delayed AF is part of the jeans not fitting better as you'd hoped.  Just keep doing what you know is good for you and it will come.  And add honey to the ACV tea.  That helps my cough/asthma/etc so much!  I consider that medicine, not sugar. 
 

Good reminder to start up the VitD again!  Thanks.

[Emma]

Body weight is such a funny thing.  I know I'm losing weight, but when I think about it, I start getting impatient and then I worry that I won't be able to maintain what I'm doing.  But it's goofy, because I'm not really maintaining anything.  I'm just eating cleaner foods.  I'm never hungry and when I do find myself craving something sweet, I make sure to eat a good sized portion of something good.  It's nice to be losing weight and not feel restricted.

 

Of course, this nice little streak of mine will probably come to an end with the arrival of relatives and eating out, the beginning of the Christmas season and baking, and with the departure of my cough which I'm pretty certain is the biggest appetite suppressant.  It will also come to an end when the unnaturally extra amount of weight comes off and I'm left with the naturally overweight part

 

I'm wearing my jeans under my belly.  As long as I have on sufficiently long shirts, it's no problem!  I have moments of blech at the weight and then moments of recognizing that at least my jeans went over my legs and butt!  That's a big deal.  And a jacket I like to wear now goes down over my hips.  It's tight, but it can get pulled down instead of just chilling by my waist.  Those are big deals. 

 

A friend asked if I'd like to go walking this morning at six and I really really wanted to, but I said only if I woke up naturally.  I didn't.  I slept till 6:40, but that hour is an important one.  I'm sleeping well when I'm sleeping but I was still up twice last night to cough and let out the dog.  Maybe Wednesday night I can go to bed early and get up early.

 

I meditated.  Nothing to write home about.  I was either impatiently trying to relax and be relaxed or actually relaxed and off in some good thought.  Still counts.

 

Breakfast: Sweet potato and egg custard - YUM!

Lunch: Ground pork, kale, egg, tomatoes, apple

Dinner: Roasted carrots and Candied Brussel Sprouts and no meat

 

I was testing out some possible Thanksgiving dishes.  The roasted carrots were a hit, surprisingly, with the kids because they were covered in obviously green and black Herbs de Provence.  I think it's because I served them on a fork like a lollipop.  The brussel sprouts were good, but nobody else liked them so I guess those are my leftovers to deal with.  I also have more that are uncooked that I can try a different recipe with.  Nobody here loves the brussels.  I'd like to find a way to love them, but it might not happen.

 

I've still got the cough.  Inhaler helps during the day.  I've got a honey stick that I'm going to use tonight - worked like a charm last night.  Amazing how the inhaler kinda helps, but then I have a honey stick and am able to fall right to sleep without coughing.  And it doesn't trigger the sugar dragon.  Maybe there's some awareness of underlying "interests" but not at any addiction kind of level.

[pjena]

Good call on the sleep over walk.  Too bad you're not closer.  My 10yo and I would come over and help you eat the brussels.  We love them!  Sauteed with a bit of maple syrup and salt and pepper until they are crispy.  Yum!!!!  I'm glad the honey helped!

[Emma]

I woke up today on my own with seven hours under my belt.  Pretty good.  I realized, after I sat up and did a bunch of coughing, that I felt good.  My head felt clean.  Later on in the day I was aware that I just felt better.  I couldn't describe why, but just an overall sense of feeling cleaner.  It's really nice.  Tonight though, there is congestion again in my chest trying to settle in, and I'm annoyed with my partner, I feel like I didn't accomplish much today (which is true ) and I'm pretty certain AF is about to visit!  Yay!  The weather outside has also taken a turn and it's super windy out - no walking for me in the morning out in this dusty cold gusty weather.

 

I also tried on a couple button up shirts today and they buttoned!  It's nice to have them almost back in my life.  I wore one today, but don't like how it was still a bit tight on my hips....in time!

 

Breakfast: Eggs, kale, broccoli and Tessamae's wing sauce

Lunch: Leftover fritatta with pork, onions, and kale (wtih Tessamae's wing sauce)

Dinner: An apple, chicken drumsticks cooked in the crock pot with green salsa (easy and tasty), roasted carrots with fresh ginger and honey glaze, roasted beets and sweet potatoes.

 

The kids liked tonight's carrots as well, but my daughter preferred last night's because they had "sprinkles" which were really the herbs de provence.  I don't get my kids sometimes.  They usually pick out all herby looking things.  Tonights carrots had soy sauce and brown sugar in the glaze - so easy it is for those things to sneak in!  I would have done without, but I'm trying out possible Thanksgiving ideas for the relatives.

 

So, ups and downs, but really everything is moving along in its typical steady up and down way.  I'll be glad to have AF visit (if she does) and glad to get this cough into the history books and glad to be eating well.

[Emma]

My Auntie came to visit!  Woo hoo.  But, it wasn't the usual relief.  Instead I was bloated and crabby and had a light headache and had no energy.  It didn't help that I didn't sleep much last night (coughing - lots of ridiculous coughing and an elderly dog) and had lots to do today.  I ended up taking an ibuprofen because I had to get lots done and I was feeling so grumpy.  The day ended up being fine and I did get lots done, but not as much as I'd hoped.  I didn't cough most of the day, but this evening it all picked up again.  My body is still fighting off junk I guess.  It's getting old.  I'd like my chest to feel open and free.  I should probably build that into some meditation.

 

I have meditated every day.  I certainly don't want to when it comes time to do so and I've been impatient and not really relaxing into the moment as good as I could, but I'll get there.  If I can get a good internet connection, I'd like to try downloading some podcasts.  The guided meditations can be really nice and helpful for providing me some direction and structure.

 

Breakfast: Apple, Eggs, kale, Tessamae's wing sauce

Lunch: Leftover ground pork and candied brussel sprouts with tessamae's wing sauce

Dinner:  Didn't have it!

 

I had a semi late lunch and planned to have an early dinner and then I guess I just forgot.  I did sample some cooked sausage, but stopped when I realized I just wanted more and more and realized it had sugars added to it. 

 

Tomorrow the relatives arrive and I know we'll head out to dinner.  I think I'll have the Korean dish I had last time that is rice based.  It sits well with my system.  I also made a paleo quiche for breakfast.  The filling is safe, but the pie crust is not.  Oh, the filling isn't truly safe either because I used store sausage with sugar in it.  Dang.  I wanted some for breakfast too, but perhaps I'm best off with my eggs and kale (except I'm now officially out of the Tessamae's wing sauce )

[Emma]

Slept for seven solid hours last night.  Woo hoo.  I'm not yet clear of the cough, but I'm hopeful that I'm moving in the right direction.  Well, heck, I KNOW I'm moving in the right direction when I'm eating well - it just might take a long time for it to show up in my health.  Certainly I must be healthier than I would be otherwise.

 

I baked two cakes today for a family birthday.  The first was a paleo lemon cake with a lemon glaze.  It uses coconut flour and honey and has a nice sweet tang to it.  The other was a traditional cake and was a pumpkin cake with a cinnamon maple cream cheese frosting.  It was really really goody.  I ate some of the frosting while I was baking and some of the extra cake and at dinner, I had a small slice.  It was really good.  I'd make it and serve it again.

 

The weird thing about these normal sugary foods is that I've made them out to be so bad and when I eat them, nothing bad happens.  And then I have another bite and another bite and nothing feels wrong.    It is precisely because they trigger that other bite and other bite, but I can't feel the addiction so it all is very non-tangible.

 

I certainly sampled more than was probably smart because I know I'm tempting the dragon if I do so, but hopefully I still kept things enough in check.  I had a rice based dinner and saved half to take home.  I drank water instead of beer and I never felt like I was restricting myself.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.  Again, this cough probably helps, because I just don't want foods like I normally do, including beer.

 

Breakfast: No quiche for me  because it wasn't really paleo between the crust and the sugared sausage, but then I got caught up cleaning and forgot to eat

Lunch: Kale with chicken cooked in green salsa - yum.  And an apple.

Dinner: Rice based Korean dish, slice of really tasty SAD cake and slice of paleo cake 

 

I meditated and that felt good, but it was only five minutes.  I think I'm going to need to find a time earlier in the day since I feel rushed in the evening to meditate, reflect on the day and get to bed.

 

And now, I'm hopefully off to bed to maybe fall asleep before ten????  Is it possible.  I sure hope so!!

[pjena]

 

The weird thing about these normal sugary foods is that I've made them out to be so bad and when I eat them, nothing bad happens.  And then I have another bite and another bite and nothing feels wrong.    It is precisely because they trigger that other bite and other bite, but I can't feel the addiction so it all is very non-tangible.

 

 

 

That's exactly why I continue to avoid sugary things.  I know one bite will lead to 10 and while there's nothing wrong with 1 bite, for me, there is something wrong with 10. 

 

I hope you got another good night!  I woke up at 4.  Sigh.  I'm mostly back to 6, though.

[Emma]

Oh Jen, Our sleep is ridiculous!  We should live together so we could just sit and commiserate and laugh at the ridiculousness over a cup of ultra early morning coffee!  I tell myself that at least I'm waking up between sleep cycles which is a thousand times better than waking up to crying babies who need to nurse.

 

Cough cough cough cough last night, but the coughing also helps things from settling.  It's my friend and serves an important function I will tell myself!

 

I've been taking more Vit D and just got some Elderberry Syrup in the mail yesterday.  I'm going to try taking that too and help boost up my tired out system.  Kids are still dropping like flies from the flu and now the relatives are here so I really truly don't want to get sick and pass anything along to them.

 

Leftovers for lunch today and pumpkin chili in the crockpot for dinner - a good eating day following yesterday's off roading. 

[Emma]

Well, I ate well, but dangit, I got hit with big bronchitis sounding coughing last night before bed and was up at 11:30 and 1:30 retching away.  Argh.  But then I used the inhaler, rubbed on some vicks, and had a honey stick and slept till 8 am so I got a decent amount of sleep.  There is still some dang little infection going on somewhere in my system, but on a good note, this morning I didn't have to do too much coughing to clear things up.  Today, I think I will try to eat earlier if I can.  It's tricky with the relatives here since I don't want to draw any attention, but I can hopefully pull it off.

 

No cravings or desires for sweets and I do feel solidly back on the mental path of wanting to eat clean(ish) again.  Boy, this summer, I really was in the pit!

 

Yesterday's meals:  Eggs and broccoli for breakfast, chicken and green salsa for lunch, pumpkin chilli with spinach and spaghetti squash for dinner.  Somewhere in there I had an apple and a bit of the paleo lemon cake.

 

I did not meditate yesterday.  Dang.  I fell asleep instead.

 

Today is a new day.  Husband and I have big plans to get stuff done before noon, but so far we're both nursing our coffees and reading the computer.  I just announced that we need to get started soon.  It will be good to get things done and then who cares what happens with the rest of the day (a good attitude when relatives are here). 

 

I also don't know what to make for dinner!  So far, I've been using the crock pot which makes things easy, but I've really only got two crockpot recipes  And I've got basil and bok choy in the fridge that need to be used - maybe a red curry dish I suppose.  Life is much better with a dinner plan!!

[Emma]

I made some green curry and lamb for the kids and grandparents.  The grandparents liked it which was good.  My husband and I went out on a date night which was not as fun when you don't want to indulge in great tasty things like Reuben sandwiches and beer.  Instead I had a salmon sushi roll.  I did my fair share of dipping in soy sauce, but other than that, I think it was a good choice. I was tired at nine so we went to bed around ten or so and I slept till 8:30!!!  Well, not a complete sleep.  I was up twice at night to cough, but went back to sleep and this morning I have very little clearing out and coughing going on.  I should be careful to be too optimistic.  On Facebook, I'm seeing loads of posts of people who have kids with high fevers and coughs.  Ugh.  I hope our flu shots really did keep us safe and we're already through those issues.

 

I did meditate last night, but stopped nine minutes through when I was hit with a coughing attack.

I did go out walking yesterday for an hour or so in the freezing temps with the dog and loved that.  I love being outside and get so little time out.  I also love that I was outside and I didn't come back in with a huge out of control fit of coughing finally.

 

This morning, we've got to do a bit of clean up for more relatives arriving and then I need to do some work on the computer.  I'd like to meditate today, get outside a touch, go to a yoga class maybe, and either sew, read, or draw.  Ha - this is a big list.  Once the kids are back from visiting with the grandparents, all that will fall apart.  Instead, I will help my kid with homework and help my kid build a lego car and hang out and visit.  Anything that happens I suppose will be good (except for the work which I really truly HAVE to do).

[pjena]

I'd rather have a salmon sushi roll than a reuben sandwich and beer! LOL  I am so sorry you are sick still/again.  This has to break sometime! 

[Emma]

Haha - I like salmon rolls, but I do love Reubens!

 

Well, the relatives have been here and things have been good.  The before stress getting ready has relaxed into "everything is done" or "this is just how it is" so stuff has been easy.  The bummer news is that my son has been totally fighting off the flu.  Again, I'm so thankful for the flu shot because he's not near as sick as he'd normally be, but he's still been looking like crap.  I quarantined him to his room with my computer and a bunch of DVD's.  It's a rare treat to watch videos so he's been pretty content to lie in bed with no energy and watch the computer.  However, he's got my lungs and asthma crap so, even though he hasn't had a fever, I'm semi-concerned that things will quickly deteriorate.  I've been upping the use of the inhaler and running the humidifier and giving him honey tea - all of which helps, but....we'll see.  He slept last night quietly, but sometimes that means that all the infection has just settled deeper into his chest.  I sure hope not.  And then, my daughter started coughing a lot last night and woke up this morning saying she had to throw up - grand!  But her cough is loose and her sniffles are loose and her behavior is normal - she's just got such a more efficient immune system.

 

I just can't believe this all happens when the grandparents are here.  Dang! I don't want others to get sick.

 

On a good note, things seems in place for Thanksgiving.  Haha - maybe not, but there is minimal stress.  My husband is on board and this morning we will quickly clean up, make the potatoes, get other things ready and quickly realize we don't really have enough time however, it's okay if things don't go smoothly.  I made a paleo sweet potato pie yesterday that smells really good.  I also made pumpkin, apple, and berry pies and I used sugar.  ):  I got a bit stressed in the moment not knowing how things would taste to others so I went the SAD route.  Dang.  It's okay though.  I feel pretty decent about how we've been eating at home in general and I'm planning on enjoying the foods today and letting the rest of the week straighten things back out.  Everything we have is made at home and not processed - butter, extra sugar - these are not the worst of things on occasion.

 

Others are starting to wake up so I'm going to go begin the day.  I was up at 4:30, but it did give me a chance to start some early morning coffee.

[Emma]

Well, the big Thanksgiving day is over as well as the post Thanksgiving community bazaar.  Our days were good and we had a great time with friends and family and we had plenty of food and plenty of leftovers.  There was minimal stress and so overall, I'd say we did a great job.  The downsides were that the kids were sick and hacking away.  I've now got congestion and stuffiness and cold-feelings in my head which I'm sure is from being wedged between two sick kids much of the time.  The other downside is my digestive system!  Perhaps this is a good thing because it clearly points out how much nicer my body feels when I eat clean.  I'm bloated and can't poop when I want to and am just so aware of this entire gut area of my body feeling unhappy.  I have no idea what it's from and don't really care - it's a little bit of too much butter, bread from the stuffing, sugars in one of the pies....just a little too much of everything.  I'm hopeful that in a week I'll be back to normal.

 

The super downside and thing to be aware of is that my behavior around food has changed.  Yesterday I started popping peanut butter m&m's as I made some brownies for a bake sale.  I was aware they didn't even taste good, but I ate them anyway.  I sampled the brownies which also didn't taste good, but I continued.  I was aware that almonds and raisins are so much sweeter and tastier and I was reminded of how many times the last month I said, over my clean foods, "hmmmm THIS is great".  That's not happening currently.  And, probably the worst, is that I see myself roaming around in the kitchen and thinking about when the family will be healthy enough to go out and order things like Reuben sandwiches with fries.

 

So....today....I shall have a nice clean breakfast and a nice clean lunch and see if I can get back next to my horse again.  I might not get completely on the horse, but next to the horse is better than my current state.

 

And, I am fighting a head cold.  Both my kids were pretty ill around Thanksgiving fighting off the flu I think (light fevers, low energy, and ugly coughs) and both of them spent copious amounts of time snuggled up to me coughing in my face.  This congestion and fog in my head isn't too surprising.

 

But we have snow and mild temperatures and today I will take down our Thanksgiving stuff (after I finish my coffee that is!!).