Dukunbayi's Log

[dukunbayi]

Life is good again. Just found this posted by Pea today. Whipped my calculator, and, wouldn't you know, my ratios are ideal. So cool.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread4723.html

[helen]

I just listened to a podcast (Robb Wolf's) where he talks to Chris Kresser and they talk about cholesterol. It kind of freaked me out but it might be worth a listen. It was really interesting to me and he talks about how current cholesterol testing isn't telling us the whole picture.

http://robbwolf.com/2012/09/25/chris-kresser-episode-151/

You can read a transcript if you don't want to listen to the podcast.

[dukunbayi]

Awesome! Thanks Helen.

[dukunbayi]

Reintro Day 2

Still no ill effects from the dairy yesterday. No nuts today, and intestines are indeed happier. Maybe try some dairy again tomorrow, in the absence of nut nuttiness, and see what happens. I'm just fine dragging reintro out a bit.

Sleep: 6 hours. Ugh.

Meal 1 7:3am:HB egg, 1 chicken apple sausage, packet coconut butter, black coffee

Meal 2 12:30pm: Bowl of chocolate chili, carrot sticks

Meal 3 8pm: browned ground bison, beech mushrooms, broccoli, beets with pesto (mac nuts and cilantro, from Practical Paleo). Bowl cherries with coconut milk, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and apple sauce.

Need more green.

[dukunbayi]

Reintro Day 3

Let the record show..... I just went back and edited my last few posts to add in foods I had forgotten, and take out those I hadn't actually eaten.

Last night I read some truly affirming stuff in the paleo/primal blogosphere on shift work. I even found quite a bit on flip flopping between nights and days. The biggest message was focus on sleep, don't worry too much about not exercising very much (prioritize sleep above exercise), and eat squeaky clean. So I'm going to work on being a bit more gentle with myself, and lay off the auto-guilt trips about sleeping so late when I can, taking long naps when I can, not exercising a lot (though I am going to really work on adding in 3-4 x/week bell swinging and C25K).

I need help. I am struggling with chronic exhaustion, aging, and wondering how to change things up to better support my health. I am a midwife in a busy practice in a large hospital. We work very hard to maintain a midwifery model of care which, within a tertiary care teaching hospital, is not easy. It's not only physically challenging, but also emotionally consuming. Not typical of most shift workers, I can't leave my work behind once I walk out the door. I have my clinic patients. I am constantly on-line at home checking labs, charting, placing orders, consulting, making plans, doing research, calling patients. Hooray electronic medical records. And while the administration who sets the schedule template operates as though the work can be crammed into a 15 minute time slot, of course it cannot. It seeps out of those templates, floods my own life, takes from my ability to regenerate, takes from my family.

It needs to change, but I don't know how.

Do I only do clinic and stop catching babies (my favorite part)? Do I start my own practice? (Talk about stress, albeit a different version.) Homebirth? Open a birth center? Or, do I go further into the international work I've been doing (mostly in Indonesia), get my PhD instead of just talking about it, and move more into the sphere of international programs, policies and trainings.

I have been mulling over this for years. It's exhausting, I'm exhausted, and I cannot make a decision. So I just keep showing up to work, see my patients, work overnight, and then work a day, and then be on back up call for the next disaster or sick call or family emergency among my colleagues. So downtime is never a sure thing, and then there's the charting that never, ever ends. Oh, and my kids, oh and my partner, oh and basic life needs... like going to the dentist, and the DMV, and the grocery store, and shopping and cleaning. Oh and physical exercise. I just want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my eyes. Or escape into my dietary obsessions and this site.

At the moment I'm doing both, I am in bed with my laptop and coffee, and here.

Whew, I opened that door and out it came. What to do with the big, messy pile of my life?

[helen]

Sleep is glorious. After not sleeping for about four years (I made an F in parenting in sleep) and now starting to actually sleep again I can see how the sleep deprivation was destroying my health (40+ pounds) and sanity.

I have been binging on sugar all week. I have got to get back to the squeaky clean.

Yoga + exercise +dance help me with stress and to sleep but I've come to the same conclusions as you about eating clean and sleep being the key.

As for the job crap, good luck with it. I'm in a career mid life crisis (although I'm considerably lower on the professional food chain) and I decided to just stay part-time for next year because when I do yoga and sleep I'm happy. But this decision is not sustainable for too much longer. Maybe I'll win the lottery.

I rarely take the day off (with a 4 and 6 year old that is almost impossible) but after yoga and walking around downtown to see all the art (festival) I spent almost all afternoon laying on the futon on the porch reading magazines while the family planted the garden. My kitchen is a mess but I can't see that from the porch.

Good luck to you and all of us in this crazy modern world though! Hiding in bed is okay. You deserve it.

[dukunbayi]

Thanks for the supportive comments, Helen.

I lazed around and slept most of the day because 1. I felt like crap and 2. I learned this morning there was a good chance I would get called in tonight for a sick call. Thank goodness because I have been. I am hoping hoping hoping for calm, or at least steadiness so I can finish up my charting from yesterday's clinic!

I think if I can continue to get a handle on my physiology, I'll be moving in the right direction. And I need to stay put until I am further down that path. It does start with food, I am convinced, and now that I have made a big dent in reeling that in, I think I may have a fighting chance.

I need to find a good health care provider to work with me. I have looked on Paleo Physicians Network and Primal Docs, but it's a lot to wade through. I need verbal recommendations, so out go the feelers. I have several patients who are working with such folks (of course I can't remember who), so in all honesty, I should probably start asking them as they present for visits.

Too bad Chris Kresser isn't accepting new patients. He seems like the bomb. Maybe he has a twin in San Diego?

Food today:

Meal 1 11am: coffee with cm, chocolate chili, kimchi.

Snack 5:30pm carrots and coffee/cm. Wanted to eat nuts (bad), but I resisted and carrots were the next best option.

Meal 2: 6:40pm, 3 egs scrambled with 4 sl beef bacon in avocado oil, roasted parsnips.

Overnight: I brought choco chili over shaghetti squash, roasted parsnips, and arugula

[dukunbayi]

Reintro Day 4

Last night was a frikkin gift from the universe. I actually got to sleep for about 6 hours at work. Unheard of.

Today would be the day to reintroduce a new food, but because my reaction to nuts may have obfuscated any reaction to dairy, I'm repeating dairy reintro tomorrow, after no nuts for a couple days.

Food today:

Meal 1: 9am when I got home. black coffee; egg scramble in ghee- 3 eggs, beef bacon, heirloom tomato, Japanese yam, arugula. Bowl of cherries, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, applesauce. No nuts! I was hungry.

Did some chicken care and clean-up.

Napped noon-3pm.

Meal 2 8pm (11 hours between meals probably isn't the best. I'm glad I had a big breakfast)

bbqd chicken (grilled 2 whole roasters to have leftovers), Japanese yams, a couple pieces of grilled white potato (I figure hey, s'ok, I'm in reintro!), broccoli, apple, big spoonful coconut butter.

[helen]

I am so jealous you live in San Diego.

[dukunbayi]

I am so jealous you live in San Diego.

The mountains of Tennessee sound pretty cool to me. Paleo-ready vacation house swap ?

[helen]

Ha, I live kind of in the polluted valley but I'm starting to really appreciate my home land more and more. I lived on the west coast for 9 years and kind of idealize it, a little too much. Redneck east TN has its pros (low cost of living) as well as cons...

[dukunbayi]

A quick reflection after the 30 day part while in reintroduction... (gut still getting rid of all the nuts, so I'll re-reintroduce dairy either tomorrow or, more likely, Wednesday. Need a cleaner slate).

I'll write a more contemplative "success story" when I have some more time.

Below from my day -1 starting post, today's reflections in red:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I am confident that I got the food part down pat in January." ---> Continue to discover and tweak

"This time around I will focus on the beyond-food aspects of the Whole30, specifically eating mindfully, not in front of the computer, really tasting my food and setting the right conditions for proper digestion." ---> Epic fail. I just didn't do the work to achieve this. I'll keep on swimming.

"And the other biggie, working on my sleep." ---> have made some decent headway on this front.

"Oh, and exercise! I'll log that too." ---> ha! would have, could have, should have.

Stats 3/4/13 --> 4/9/13

Age 48

Height 5'1.5"

Weight 146 ---> 144 lbs (-2lbs)

Chest/Bust 39" ---> 38.25" (-0.75")

Waist 31 ---> 30.25" (-0.75")

Hips 41 ---> 39.5" (-1.5")

Thighs 25" ea. ---> no change

Calves 14" ea. ---> no change

Arms 13" ea. ---> 12.25" (-0.75")

Yea, I'll take it.

[dukunbayi]

Meal 1 9:30am, mish mash of chicken, japanese yam, artichoke heart, basil, beef bacon; coffee with cm

Snack 1pm,dried coconut in the car on the way home from the grocery store. I wasn't hungry.

Napped 4-5pm

Meal 2 830pm, leftover chicken, roasted baby bok choy and carrots (red, orange, and yellow), kale with sunchokes. Fats: artichoke oil and ghee.

I think I am taking this whole "no grazing" thing to an extreme. I never, ever thought I would be one to skip meals.

Maybe I ned to eat smaller meals? Is it really even a problem to eat just 2 meals? (would love some input from a moderator if one happens to read this. Thanks!)

Bought some yogurt for dairy reintro attempt tomorrow or Weds.

[dukunbayi]

Dairy Reintro:

Meal 1, 8:15am: 2 eggs scrambled in ghee with beef bacon and J. yam, 1/2 avocado, plain, full fat yogurt with frozen cherries.

Meal 2, 12:30pm: leftover veggies from last night, braunschweiger with 2 babybel cheese. Mid-afternoon, coffee with a generous splash half and half.

Meal 3, 6:30pm: leftover grilled chicken with a piece of J. yam, coconut flakes, apple. No dairy.

This was supposed to be a snack to tide me over till dinner, but it filled me up, and I crashed early at about 9. I woke up at 11. Wide awake now. Just had some carrots (step away from the nuts).

So, I think I'm doing okay with the dairy. This afternoon I was bloated and gassy, but I am always bloated and gassy, even with digestive enzymes , and I don't think it was significantly worse after the cheese. OK, good to know. It would be lovely to add occasional yogurt back into my diet, and to not worry about dairy in restaurant food.

In a few days I'll try gluten-free grains.

[helen]

I want to do the same with dairy. Not worry about dairy in meals out, etc. Dairy seems to be a food without limits food for me more than a digestive issue though.

[dukunbayi]

Reintro day dairy +1

Meal 1 10am: leftover grilled chicken, kale, japanese yam, coffee with cm, coconut flakes, apple.

Meal 2 12:30pm (hungry, yes, steamed fish and broccoli sounded good): 2 eggs scrambled in coconut oil with braunschweiger, beef bacon, beets, with kimchi. Packet of cacao bliss (yea... that could be a food without breaks for me. Careful!) Now I am very full!

Tax prep appt this afternoon . Plan dinner around 7.

Meal 3 8pm: mahi mahi, rainbow chard and grape tomatoes, spaghetti squash cauliflower rice pilaf from Well Fed, made with dried figs. Leftovers packed for lunch tomorrow.

[dukunbayi]

Meal 1 7:30am: coffee w cm. 2 eggs scrambled in ghee with beef bacon and cauliflower rice pilaf.

Meal 2 12:40pm: mahi mahi, rainbow chard and grape tomatoes, cauliflower rice pilaf.

Meal 3 7pm: turkey marinara over spaghetti squash and kale. coconut flakes. More than I should have of dried figs and raw brazil nuts and salted dry roasted almonds. Really craving the salty sweet crunchy thing.

[dukunbayi]

^{Hospital day.}

^{Woke up and realizied why I was having cravings last night; yes indeedy, it's that time of the month folks.}

^{Really felt on the verge of binging today. Hungry, hungry, hungry. It's 3:30pm and I have had 3 meals so far.}

^{Meal 1 8am: coffee with cm: leftovers from dinner, avocado}

^{Meal 2 11am:more leftovers from dinner}

^{Meal 3 3:00pm: grilled turkey burger (oil unknown) and green salad, cashews (had seed and peanut oil. I loked at the label after purchasing. of course. good thing I'm in reintro), 1 dark chocolate truffle thing. Want. more.chocolate. must. restrain.}

Addendum:

^{Meal 4 930pm: 2 eggs scrambled in ghee with japanese yam and cauliflower pilaf with coconut aminos, almonds. 85% cacao dark chocolate, probably 3-4oz. Aaaaah, the sleeping dragon stirs.}

^{Bed by 10:30pm}

[dukunbayi]

Woke up 12:30pm. Hell, yea! The sleep of the righteous, and the crampy.

Actually woke up at 9 first, had a handful of almonds and ibuprofen. Went back to sleep.

Coffee with cm and a packet of cacao bliss. The sleeping dragon stretches. I am teasing it. Cruisin' for a bruisin.

Meal 1 and only: browned turkey, japanese yam (these are lasting a while), cauliflower pilaf, beets, avocado.

Bowl of cherries and coconut milk. More almonds. The last bit turned into a semi-graze, but then I napped 2-4.

Really feeling lousy today. Have to work tomorrow, long day, so I am just gonna go with being a sloth today.

Had a few dried figs and almonds before turning in.

[dukunbayi]

My sloth-like day yesterday has paid off; I feel much better today

Meal 1 7:45: coffee with cm, leftover ground turkey and cauliflower rice pilaf.

Meal 2 11:30am: same as breakfast plus the last slice of japanese yam, 1/2 avocado, kimchi, and beets, with some evo and balsamic vinegar, and an orange.

Meal 3 Aaaaaaaaaagh..... I caved. My sugar dragon had a party.

[helen]

How did the beef bacon turn out?

Sorry about the sugar party. Hopefully it doesn't stretch out for over a week like mine did (although mine is back in the cage for now!).

[dukunbayi]

Here's the good thing.... it's done. I had my little binge (and it wasn't even that bad, for me!) and I have no desire to continue. This is progress. Let's just say I reintroduced gluten and sugar, admittedly not in the most mindful and scientific of manners. It was my day to do that anyway.

Back on plan (mostly) and then I'll reintroduce formally in a few days.

[dukunbayi]

How did the beef bacon turn out?

I baked it and kept it in the fridge and added it to other stuff. It worked.

[helen]

I got my bloodwork back and my cholesterol was up (still under 200) but it was the HDL that increased. Did you ever talk to your doctor about your numbers?? What did s/he say? How do you feel about it?

[dukunbayi]

I got my bloodwork back and my cholesterol was up (still under 200) but it was the HDL that increased. Did you ever talk to your doctor about your numbers?? What did s/he say? How do you feel about it?

I got an email from my doc suggesting I start Lipitor, but I haven't written back yet. I'll send her some links and decline. I'm not worried.

What was your LDL and trigs?