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Anyone starting soon? January 20th or after.


Tina Beshears

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Today I actually got out and participated in a two hour Zumbathon! I ate well today too. Who is this woman I'm becoming? I don't even recognize her!

 

That sounds awesome! I bet it was an intense workout. It sounds to me like you are becoming your best self! I am so happy for you and inspired!! That is the ultimate goal! 

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Good morning, everyone.  It's day 29 for me and the food stuff is still going fine.  DD is still very congested, so slept badly.  We have found that Vicks VopoRub on her feet, plus a pair of socks to keep everything in place, is a good way to stop the coughing long enough for her to go to sleep.  Unfortunately, it only lasts for about four hours.  So she climbed in bed with me and DH last night and then sniffled for a long time.  We did all sleep, but again not well.  She is up, cheerful, and without fever since Saturday night, though still congested, so will go to school when it opens.  There is a two hour delay because of all the re-freezing that happened overnight.

 

In the meantime, my infant nephew is in the pediatric ICU with RSV.  He is only four months old, and it has affected his breathing significantly.  So he's on oxygen and fluids to help him breathe.  Apparently he was better during the day yesterday, but then worse at night (as often happens).  My brother and his wife are doing their very best not to fall apart with worry, but this is their first child and his first illness -- and it turns out to be something serious.  Sigh. 

 

ThyPeace, glad that there is a good children's hospital near them -- they went from the urgent care clinic to the ER to the children's hospital ICU pretty quickly.

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Today is Day 30 for me, and I'm at the end of my day -- teeth are flossed and I don't plan to eat anything else.  Food went fine.  I am at the point where most things are autopilot and I don't have to think much about what I'm eating  I'm glad to have made it through.

 

DD was much less stuffy today, so hopefully will sleep better tonight. 

 

My nephew is still in the ICU, still receiving oxygen and fluids.  He did nurse several times today, which I guess they consider a good thing.  The doctor keeps telling them that things aren't going to get worse, but they are not yet seeing things get better.  So there is a lot of worry there.  Four months old is just way too young.  My brother says there are a lot of sick kids at the children's hospital, which is hard on them as well.

 

ThyPeace, not really focused on reintroduction right now, so it may be a few days before I get there.

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ThyPeace, RSV can be rough on the little ones. For us it is just a nasty head cold.Oxygen, fluids and keeping the little nose suctioned of secretions is the best treatment. Yes it is a good thing if he is eating. a good sign indeed. Babies won't eat if they can't breath well. This is the season for sick babies. Our Peds unit is pretty full right now, between flu and RSV. Every year, Nov. thru May with late Dec. thru mid March being the busiest. We have had as young as 1- 2 weeks of age. Kids are amazing, they can get pretty sick with this stuff and bounce back in no time. Glad to hear DD is on the mend.

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Thank you, cottagequeen.  It's good to have feedback from someone who has some knowledge of this stuff.  Although my family has its share of medical issues, none of the babies have ever been sick like this before.  The whole family is quiet and worried.  Funny to know that even about my brother who lives on the other coast from me, but I do.  DD continues to improve, though she was very congested this morning and couldn't taste her food.  She leaves for Disney World with my ex today, so DH and I will get a few good nights of sleep.

 

Now, I'm going to try to focus on the good stuff.  Today is day 31 for me!  So I made it through the 30 days.  I'm pretty happy.  Unfortunately, I have done very few measurements and won't have blood work again until September, but I do have a scale.  I've lost 5 pounds since the beginning of January (yes I know that's more than 30 days), which brings me back to one of my most common set points, and one pound below it

 

I've learned to ease off on total quantity of fat, which has really minimized my remaining stomach issues.  I have also learned, through trying it twice, that broccoli still makes my tummy unhappy (finally figured out, after doing it again, that that's what made my stomach hurt last week).  All good information.  Even better is that I made it through much of the last half of the Whole30 without having to really concentrate hard on what I was eating.  So the underlying habits are starting to change as well.

 

Various other things that changed last time -- the energy levels, skin improvements, and sleep changes -- seem to have been somewhat less pronounced this time.  I would generally say that's because I didn't have so far to go from where I was to where I am now.  One thing that may or may not be related to the Whole30 is that I have become much more willing to just go to bed when DD does.  DH and I used to be the sorts of people who worked after the kids were in bed, but at this point we are both working so hard at other times that we are too tired to do that.  Last night I was in bed before 11pm, and the night before it was 10pm.  That's a lot earlier than the midnight bedtime I used to have.  

 

ThyPeace, yawning even with the early bedtimes.  

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So, how many hours of sleep are you getting each night? Of the Whole9 factors, nutrition and sleep are at the top of importance. Good to hear you are improving on the sleep by getting to bed earlier. I think you'll find energy etc., improving. I too have a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour. Not as big a problem when I am off work the next day, but an issue when I have to get up at 0445 in the morning. It is getting better and I sleep way better since my first whole30 experience last spring. Are you at least sticking to the minimum fat servings in each meal, and what are your fat sources, check the AIP http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list-AIP.pdf , FODMAPS http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list-FODMAP.pdf , and low-histamine http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list-histamine.pdf shopping guides, you made just need to change your healthy fat sources, not decrease the amount. Fat is a very important part of health. My guess would be low FODMAP since you've noticed broccoli giving you a problem. the fat issue could be why you haven't seen as good of an improvement over last or, just part of the bodies healing process. Any progress is good progress! Good job!

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Let's see here.  As I think about it, I think sleep problem is more interruptions than total quantity.  I get 7-8 hours of in-bed time most weeknights, and usually 9-10 or more hours on the weekend if I need it.  So the total amount is usually pretty good.  But -- I am the person who has to get up at 4:30 in the morning to notify the rest of our organization that there is a weather-related change in work practices, which we've had at least once or twice a week since the beginning of January.  That plus DD's night-time restlessness has made for many sleep interruptions in the last two months.  I was thinking the other day that I felt just like I did when DD was a baby and I was up two or three times a night.  Going back to that experience, I know that getting a nap in the afternoons and getting to bed earlier helps me deal with the interruptions.  That way I get as much sleep as possible before the interruption.  For the rest of this week, I'm hoping for good weather.  DD is away, so I will be able to sleep the night through.  And yes -- I sincerely hope that DD will one day learn to sleep through the night on her own.  But she's 12.  So it may be that she never will.  There are a few disabilities there, combined with academically gifted performance, so we work with where she is rather than where she should be.  If you think of her as a very precocious 7-8 year old who also has some severe anxieties, you get about what she's like most days.

 

Now, back to food.  I think I'm eating enough fat.  I'm following the thumb-sized portion rules, and usually have 1-1/2 portions per meal.  I use butter, coconut oil, and avocado (not all at once, but depending on the meal) with breakfast, nuts with lunch, and mostly butter, coconut oil, and olive oil at supper.  If I need a snack, it's usually nuts.  The most prominent nuts are almonds, pecans, and pistachios.

 

When I look at the AIP, FODMAP, and low-histamine shopping guides, I would say that the foods I have the most aversion to are on the low histamine list.  The FODMAPs don't seem right.  In fact, although broccoli gives me a stomach ache, I love (LOVE) brussels sprouts, kale,and cabbage.  Apples are an every single day food, as are many of the other items on the FODMAP list, and none of them give me a stomach ache like dairy does -- except the broccoli.  

 

For the fat, I've known since I was a child that a particularly rich meal would cause diarrhea (and for my mom and grandmother).  Among the culprits were fettucine alfredo, broasted chicken, lasagna made with undrained ground beef, and cashew chicken.  Chicken fat is by far the thing that will make me sick the fastest -- I just won't touch it, no matter who says it's healthy.  I learned as an adult that large amounts of almost all fats over the course of several meals could do the same kind of thing, though not quite as painfully.  That said, when I say large amounts of fat, be aware that about 50% of my calories come from fat these days.  So I'm still eating plenty of fat.  But a very large amount of the wrong kind of fat?  Oh lordy, what a painful, awful day that will be.

 

More recently, I think I'm seeing similar stuff when I have a meal that -really- has a lot of fat.  A particularly rich curry that had lamb (high in fat), a lot of coconut oil and coconut milk in it, for example.  If I had gone with a more moderate amount of fat, I think I would have been fine.

 

ThyPeace, should make a list of all the weird food stuff, but then would feel like her mom.  Mom is a redhead, and has all the food sensitivities you hear about with redheads.  And the temper.  And a few other stereotypically redheaded things.

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ThyPeace, should make a list of all the weird food stuff, but then would feel like her mom.  Mom is a redhead, and has all the food sensitivities you hear about with redheads.  And the temper.  And a few other stereotypically redheaded things.

I'm a redhead.  And I am absurdly sensitive to my surroundings, crazily perceptive to those around me and extremely tuned in with my body...almost to a fault.  Are you telling me that this is normal for a redhead?! 36 years old and this is the first time I've ever heard this!  Fill me in!

 

I don't think I have a temper although depending on the way the wind blows I can be highly irritable.  What are the other stereotypical redhead things??

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Heck, yeah, this is both stereotypical and, apparently, genetically supported.  Here are a few of the things I've seen about the differences between redheads and everyone else:

 

http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/10/why-surgeons-dread-red-heads/

 

http://sciencenordic.com/redheads-feel-different-kind-pain

 

One quote:  "This was shown in tests where capsaicin, the active substance in chilli, was injected into the skin to produce pain."  There are many differences, all based on how the redhead's body varies from others' because of the differences in the stuff that makes up skin tones.  Since I grew up with a redheaded mom, I have been aware of her intense sensitivities since I was born.  I learned much later that they were all true.  My dad, who is a typical dark-haired and brown-eyed man, thought she was crazy for a long time, but has now also learned that she really is able to pick out things the rest of us cannot.  All four of us kids are more able to pick things out than he is, but less than mom.  I remind my younger brothers that we are "half redheads," so food sensitivities and drug reactions that are different than other people's are just going to be part of life.

 

My mom says that the temper goes with the bright red hair and green eyes, but that a milder temperament goes with lighter red hair and different color eyes.  I don't know whether that's true or not, but that's her opinion on the matter.  I will say that the women I've known with the lighter shade of red hair tend to be quietly sensitive, rather than loudly and reactively sensitive like my mom is.

 

ThyPeace, thinks there ought to be a manual to go with redheadedness.  

 

p.s.  I will also say that I apparently inherited the different sensitivity to pain that goes with being a redhead.  I've been told by several doctors who ought to know that I have a higher deep internal pain threshold than most women.  (So things like back pain and putting up with un-anesthetized biopsies of internal organs.)  This can generally be a good thing, but also means that I have to pay more attention to some things than other people do.

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One more link.  I like this article too:

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/love-sex-and-babies/201104/why-are-redheads-more-sensitive

 

 

"So what does this "redhead gene" have to do with sensitivity? The same gene is involved in the body's perception of pain. Edwin Liem, an anesthesiologist at the University of Louisville, suspects that when both copies of the MC1R.3 gene are variants, as they are in redheads, receptors in the nervous system modulate pain more intensely.  It's also possible, according to Liem, that the redhead version the MC1R gene also directly affects hormones that stimulate pain receptors in the brain."

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interesting, I am a red head strawberry blonde as a child, that went to dark auburn and is somewhat greying now. I have a very high tolerance to pain. A friend of mine's daughter is a light red head and also has a very high tolerance to pain. Used to get dental work done with out anesthetic, because she was more terrified of needles. silly girl.

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Yeah, lots of variations are possible!  I remember another article saying something about redheads loving spicy foods more than the rest of us (another sensitivity issue but the other direction) and one about how surface pain was more intense, but internal pain (as for childbirth) was less intense.  I have taken it all to mean that redheads are different from the rest of us in some real ways, which helps when mom is the only person who can taste the mildew on the green beans, or whatever the issue is.

 

I bet she would love the pepper sauce that a colleague of DH's made.  Me, well, it IS good.  It's just hotter than almost anything else I've ever eaten.

 

ThyPeace, like, take sriracha and amp it up about five or ten times.  Yowza.

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Oh, I'm going to go and read all these articles, so interesting! My hubby always tells me "it's not possible" to be as aware of my reactions to foods and medicines as I am and that "there's no way" that I can notice a change/difference in my body as quickly or subtly as I do.

I'm not really sure about the pain thing as I've never really experienced deep internal pain (allthough small cuts or nicks hurt me rather severly for DAYS). I do know that I can easily carry on well past the point that I should be completely incapacitated whether it's cold, flu, migraine, what have you. By the time I'm ready to wave the white flag, I'd be so sick that things were starting to go really, really wrong.

SO interesting, thanks so much for sharing!

(I'm a red head with blue eyes)

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Good morning!  DD is off to Disney World, my nephew is improving though still receiving some supplemental oxygen, and I got an uninterrupted almost-8 hours of sleep.  Life looks much better.  

 

Glad to help, LadyShanny!  It's really interesting the things that genetics are helping us learn about ourselves.

 

So I think I am ready to start thinking about re-introduction.  I'm going to start a thread over in that part of the forum -- I hope others will join me.  I will post a link as soon as I create the topic.

 

ThyPeace, sleep is a wonderful thing.  We should all try it out more often.  :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've just finished Day 47 and things are going pretty well. I bought a stove top pressure cooker, figuring I will go whole hog with the electric Instant Pot if I find that it's something I will actually use. And wow, after I (mostly) got over my fear of an exploding pressure cooker — thanks to my mom, back in the days when those things sometimes did explode — I came to a real appreciation of it. My small chuck roast was tender and flavorful after 20 minutes cooking time (not counting the few minutes it takes to come to pressure). Peeled and cut-up sweet potatoes: 10 minutes. I did learn one important thing: sweet potato peelings should not go in the garbage disposal. My sink was blocked up for about 24 hours until I finally went out and bought a new plunger (couldn't find the old one and anyway, that one had been in my toilet) and managed to fix the problem when the plumber didn't get back to me.

 

My plantar fasciitis seems better but my back, neck, and joints are still bad. I think after I finish my Whole60 I will reintroduce a few things but will eliminate nightshades as much as possible and continue to stay away from grains and legumes. 

 

Meals have gotten easier as I've started to find a few pre-cut vegetables. My 10" Calphalon "Everyday Pan" has been supplemented by a 12" Everyday Pan (and the pressure cooker). I don't feel as though I've been making a big sacrifice by going to a Paleo lifestyle. I've never enjoyed cooking and always did as little as I could get away with, but my kitchen adventures have included fewer disasters (with the exception of the sweet potato peels) and more successes. Oh, and I've lost about 18 pounds without exercising. I really need to drag myself to the pool at the local rec center since most exercise leaves me hurting more. 

 

All in all, things are good and this is now a way of life for me.

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Wow, Anne, that sounds like really good progress.  Thanks for the description of cooking with a pressure cooker.  We never had one when I was a kid, and I've never even seen one.  I do hope, one day, to try out a pressure canner.  Then I'll be able to can things that aren't acidic.  I'd like to be able to can a wider variety of fruits and veggies.  Right now we mainly do salsa, tomato sauce, applesauce, and apple butter (the last is one we did a couple of years ago before I stopped eating sugar).  All of them taste so much better than what I can buy in the store.

 

CottageQueen, good for you for continuing on!  I hope you're still seeing good benefits, and maybe even more than at day 30.

 

ThyPeace, would do green beans and beets next, probably.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Coming to the end of Day 57 and thinking more and more about what I'm going to eat. ThyPeace, I'll have to catch up with your reintroduction thread. How is it going? My plan was to first add a little honey to my coffee, but I've gotten to the point where drinking it with a pinch of salt (helps take away the bitterness) and a bunch of cinnamon has become kind of tasty. I'm almost afraid to have anything sweet. Coconut milk seemed to be making my morning sinus headaches worse so I tried a carrageenan-free almond milk in my coffee and that just tastes like rope. Not that I actually know what rope tastes like, but it tastes like how I imagine rope to taste. So maybe I'll try a dairy day first. A friend who is lactose intolerant is visiting me, so maybe I'll put a little Lactaid in my coffee and see how that goes. Or not. I really would like to have some parmesan cheese on something, so maybe that will be my first thing. I'm like a kid in a toy store.

 

cottagequeen, what is your plan? Your day 60 is on Friday! Does everyone already know about Yummly.com? I just discovered it, put in my dietary preferences, and it suggests recipes from all over the web. I bought silicone baking cups (like cupcake papers) and plan to try an omelet thing with vegetables and pancetta mixed into the eggs. They freeze well, apparently, and would be good to have as an emergency food.

 

Oh, and my friend who is visiting was here just before Christmas and came back Saturday and couldn't believe how different I look! I'm hanging at around 19 pound lost now. I still have a ways to go before I'm happy with my weight and my clothes fit again, but I'm feeling a lot better about myself!

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Anne, I'm continuing on with a Whole100. I did a Whole 60 back in the spring of "14. got derailed by legumes on my reintro and spiraled out of control over the summer and fall. I really feel my body needs this for a while as I have a lot of years of not good eating to overcome. I am also part of the Whole9 challenge going on for the next 9 months.  Still have a lot to work on and improve... Thank God for Whole9 and Whole30!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I like the Whole9 challenge too, and am participating.  Anne, I missed your post when you made it.  Did you try the dairy day?  Wait, I think you posted about that somewhere else.  Now I need to go figure it out.  I've been so busy at work and home the last week or so that I haven't been online much. 

 

ThyPeace, sleepy.

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