Either tomorrow or Monday, most likely tomorrow, I am going back on GAPS Intro. How is that different from what I am doing now? I will go back to eating boiled meats although I might allow myself something grilled this weekend. I will cut out most of my supplements - true GAPS intro says to cut out all of them, but there are some that really help so I am keeping them in. The ones I am going to continue taking/using are HCl, digestive enzymes with ox bile, Liver Life by Bioray, magnesium oil spray at night, and homemade liposomal Vitamin C (to help with detox). I plan on adding cod liver oil and Vitamin D3 drops one at a time after a few days. I will try to add ferments or probiotics slowly. Those are really the only differences since I am only on stage 2 and Dr. Natasha recommended I stay at that stage until the abdominal distention is gone.
In the GAPS book it says that the diet will reduce symptoms quickly and initiate the healing process in the digestive system. So far that hasn't happened for me and I don't know why. I am not going to give up but admit that this is getting harder and harder to deal with. Most days now I am fighting depression not due to a chemical imbalance or gut issues, but because I feel like I can't deal with this much longer. Hopefully I will see "some" healing this time around.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Espresso Dry Rub
what you need:
2 tablespoons ground espresso or extra dark roast coffee
1 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoons rosemary
1 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoons celtic sea salt
1 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoons garlic powder
Mix all ingredients and rub on meat.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Chicken Bone Broth
A lot of people have questions about how to make bone broth. Thought I would show and write about how I make mine. This is just an example and no broth is ever the same. Sometimes I use a chicken carcass from a previously baked chicken, or bones from chicken thighs that I previously baked, or I use a fresh whole chicken. I always try to add some chicken feet since it helps to add gelatin which is nourishing for the gut and good for the body in general.
For this particular batch I am using raw chicken thighs, raw chicken gizzards, and chicken feet. The reason for the chicken thighs and gizzards is that I ran out of whole chickens and won't get anymore until next July 4th weekend and I just received my order of chicken thighs and gizzards from Good Earth Farms. The items arrived frozen so I can't add the gizzards quite yet but that's fine. The meat does not need to simmer as long as the bones anyhow.
I love the taste and texture of gizzards after they have simmered for several hours. However, the real reason I buy them is that each gizzard has a nice chunk of yellow chicken fat on it. I cut the fat off and fry it on low heat in a cast iron skillet to render the liquid fat. The remaining chicken cracklings are yummy as well.
Place the bones, and meat if you have some, in a large pot.
Add water to cover bones and meat by about 1 to 2 inches.
Cover pot with a lid and bring to boil.
When the water starts boiling you will most likely see some foam building. There are two types of foam. I mention this because there was some confusion about skimming foam on one of the Yahoo groups I belong to. There's the sort of white kind of foam that looks more bubbly and typically goes away when the water stops boiling. Then there's the more "foamy" and sometimes even dirty, sort of thick foam that you see towards the top in the picture below. That's the kind of foam you want to skim off.
Here's a closer shot of that foam.
After you have skimmed off the foam, lower the heat to bring the water to a low simmer, and add some fresh cracked black pepper corns.
I try to keep my broth simmering like in the video above but with the lid on. So once you put the lid back on your pot you will have to turn the temperature down a bit more. Just check back periodically to make sure it's still simmering. I let my broth simmer like this for about 24 hours.
Part of the GAPS intro diet is sipping ginger tea made from fresh ginger in between meals. I do not like this ginger tea for some reason and can't get myself to drink it so I add copious amounts of ginger to my broth instead. I usually wait until it has anywhere from 2 to 4 hours left before adding it.
Because my chicken gizzards were frozen when I started my broth, I did not add them until the next morning - after cutting the fat off to render it.
After adding the gizzards, or other raw meat, bring the broth back to a boil and skim off any new foam. Then place the lid back on the pot and turn down the heat to return the broth to a slow simmer.
Once the broth has simmered for about 24 hours I turn off the heat, let it cool down a bit, then strain it into a large bowl through a stainless steel colander.
I let the broth cool down to room temperature, then put it in the fridge and let it cool down completely. As much as I love fat, I do not like it in my broth, so once the broth has cooled and the fat is solid on top, I skim it off and save it in a jar. The broth should now have a jello-o like consistency. I fill it into 32 oz mason jars and place them in the freezer.
That's it!
For this particular batch I am using raw chicken thighs, raw chicken gizzards, and chicken feet. The reason for the chicken thighs and gizzards is that I ran out of whole chickens and won't get anymore until next July 4th weekend and I just received my order of chicken thighs and gizzards from Good Earth Farms. The items arrived frozen so I can't add the gizzards quite yet but that's fine. The meat does not need to simmer as long as the bones anyhow.
I love the taste and texture of gizzards after they have simmered for several hours. However, the real reason I buy them is that each gizzard has a nice chunk of yellow chicken fat on it. I cut the fat off and fry it on low heat in a cast iron skillet to render the liquid fat. The remaining chicken cracklings are yummy as well.
Place the bones, and meat if you have some, in a large pot.
Add water to cover bones and meat by about 1 to 2 inches.
Cover pot with a lid and bring to boil.
When the water starts boiling you will most likely see some foam building. There are two types of foam. I mention this because there was some confusion about skimming foam on one of the Yahoo groups I belong to. There's the sort of white kind of foam that looks more bubbly and typically goes away when the water stops boiling. Then there's the more "foamy" and sometimes even dirty, sort of thick foam that you see towards the top in the picture below. That's the kind of foam you want to skim off.
Here's a closer shot of that foam.
After you have skimmed off the foam, lower the heat to bring the water to a low simmer, and add some fresh cracked black pepper corns.
I try to keep my broth simmering like in the video above but with the lid on. So once you put the lid back on your pot you will have to turn the temperature down a bit more. Just check back periodically to make sure it's still simmering. I let my broth simmer like this for about 24 hours.
Part of the GAPS intro diet is sipping ginger tea made from fresh ginger in between meals. I do not like this ginger tea for some reason and can't get myself to drink it so I add copious amounts of ginger to my broth instead. I usually wait until it has anywhere from 2 to 4 hours left before adding it.
Because my chicken gizzards were frozen when I started my broth, I did not add them until the next morning - after cutting the fat off to render it.
Once the broth has simmered for about 24 hours I turn off the heat, let it cool down a bit, then strain it into a large bowl through a stainless steel colander.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Rendering Chicken Fat from Gizzards
I have been buying chicken gizzards from Good Earth Farms - they ship them frozen in 5 lb bags.
Each gizzard has a nice chunk of yellow fat on it which I cut off and place into a cast iron skillet.
I turn the burner to low to let the fat render slowly. After a while the chunks of fat will begin to shrink and turn brown and you will start getting a bunch of liquid fat.
When the chunks of fat start getting crispy and there are no raw pieces left, I start pouring the fat off into a jar. I find that the remaining chunks render better if there is less liquid fat in the skillet. Keep repeating this process until the chunks of fat are nothing but crispy little pieces - which taste amazing.
Since I had a batch of Chicken Bone Broth going while I was doing this, I took the gizzards without the fat and added them to my broth.
An easier way to do this would have been to just add the gizzards with the fat to the Chicken Bone Broth, and then to skim the fat off the broth once it is done. However, I like the taste of the rendered fat better when I make it in a cast iron skillet and I love cracklings.
I pour the chicken fat into a glass measuring cup then pour it from the measuring cup through a strainer into the jar I am going to store the fat in. From a 5 lb bag of gizzards I usually get anywhere from 10 to 16 oz of liquid chicken fat.
And now you can eat the cracklings.
Each gizzard has a nice chunk of yellow fat on it which I cut off and place into a cast iron skillet.
I turn the burner to low to let the fat render slowly. After a while the chunks of fat will begin to shrink and turn brown and you will start getting a bunch of liquid fat.
When the chunks of fat start getting crispy and there are no raw pieces left, I start pouring the fat off into a jar. I find that the remaining chunks render better if there is less liquid fat in the skillet. Keep repeating this process until the chunks of fat are nothing but crispy little pieces - which taste amazing.
Since I had a batch of Chicken Bone Broth going while I was doing this, I took the gizzards without the fat and added them to my broth.
An easier way to do this would have been to just add the gizzards with the fat to the Chicken Bone Broth, and then to skim the fat off the broth once it is done. However, I like the taste of the rendered fat better when I make it in a cast iron skillet and I love cracklings.
I pour the chicken fat into a glass measuring cup then pour it from the measuring cup through a strainer into the jar I am going to store the fat in. From a 5 lb bag of gizzards I usually get anywhere from 10 to 16 oz of liquid chicken fat.
And now you can eat the cracklings.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
GAPS Intro #6: Day 2 - AM
Symptoms this morning: Fatigue, very tired/worn out, right eye lid very swollen, left eye lid slightly swollen, upper backache, lower backache, fluid retention (whole body feels puffy), breast tenderness (started yesterday), puffy face, heart rate went up to the 130s, distended abdomen, headache, not cognitive.
Goals today: Eat two GAPS stage 1 meals, rest when necessary, study some Spanish, take a detox bath or sit in the FIR sauna.
I feel very puffy, big, and flabby right now. It's probably fluid retention from hormonal imbalance but I am afraid it's true weight gain. Eating enough today will be a challenge. I don't know if the progesterone cream I started using again is causing more problems or if this is just my body adjusting. I so wish I had not gotten the hysterectomy back in 2003. It just made things more difficult to figure out.
Yesterday I was not going to have any probiotic food at all but ended up eating some coconut milk kefir that I had made with milk kefir grains and some Custom Probiotics 11-strain powder. I am trying to decided if I should skip everything today to see if I feel a bit better tomorrow. There's definitely a huge difference in how I felt yesterday morning and how I feel today. I also need to start adding garlic but am concerned it will cause too much die off. Maybe it would be best to just have healing foods today but nothing anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, etc. and give my body a break. I just don't understand why there is no end to the die off. This is not normal....and I am starting a new job soon. How I am going to handle writing code with all this brain fog is a mystery to me.
Update 10:30 AM: The headache has actually gotten worse. I ate some breakfast rather than waiting for lunch because I did not feel good...it didn't help. If I turn my head to fast I feel nauseated. I am more swollen as well. I had pork belly for breakfast but not boiled. I fried it in a cast iron skillet. Dinner will be boiled salmon.
Update 6:45 PM: I took a detox bath during which my hands and knuckles started to hurt and felt very stiff. After the bath the back of my hands started hurting and they still do. I also took some bentonite clay and sometime later the headache improved, but it's not gone. I have been insanely hungry all day and have felt very swollen all day. The breast tenderness has gotten worse. I did pretty good re food all day then around 5 PM or so I went overboard and ate way too much. Cravings for sweets got the better of me and I had some of DH's diet Coke. Of course I regretted it as soon as I drank some but man was it good. I am still craving sweets and diet soda - two of my typical PMS symptoms.
Since I blew it again with diet Coke and we are having friends over for a BBQ this weekend, I am thinking about just postponing intro until July 1st. I am only on stage 1/2 anyhow so what's the big difference. I am trying not to be discouraged and scared but I really am. I need to get these cravings under control because drinking diet Coke sure isn't going to help me heal! I feel like a failure right now.
Goals today: Eat two GAPS stage 1 meals, rest when necessary, study some Spanish, take a detox bath or sit in the FIR sauna.
I feel very puffy, big, and flabby right now. It's probably fluid retention from hormonal imbalance but I am afraid it's true weight gain. Eating enough today will be a challenge. I don't know if the progesterone cream I started using again is causing more problems or if this is just my body adjusting. I so wish I had not gotten the hysterectomy back in 2003. It just made things more difficult to figure out.
Yesterday I was not going to have any probiotic food at all but ended up eating some coconut milk kefir that I had made with milk kefir grains and some Custom Probiotics 11-strain powder. I am trying to decided if I should skip everything today to see if I feel a bit better tomorrow. There's definitely a huge difference in how I felt yesterday morning and how I feel today. I also need to start adding garlic but am concerned it will cause too much die off. Maybe it would be best to just have healing foods today but nothing anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, etc. and give my body a break. I just don't understand why there is no end to the die off. This is not normal....and I am starting a new job soon. How I am going to handle writing code with all this brain fog is a mystery to me.
Update 10:30 AM: The headache has actually gotten worse. I ate some breakfast rather than waiting for lunch because I did not feel good...it didn't help. If I turn my head to fast I feel nauseated. I am more swollen as well. I had pork belly for breakfast but not boiled. I fried it in a cast iron skillet. Dinner will be boiled salmon.
Update 6:45 PM: I took a detox bath during which my hands and knuckles started to hurt and felt very stiff. After the bath the back of my hands started hurting and they still do. I also took some bentonite clay and sometime later the headache improved, but it's not gone. I have been insanely hungry all day and have felt very swollen all day. The breast tenderness has gotten worse. I did pretty good re food all day then around 5 PM or so I went overboard and ate way too much. Cravings for sweets got the better of me and I had some of DH's diet Coke. Of course I regretted it as soon as I drank some but man was it good. I am still craving sweets and diet soda - two of my typical PMS symptoms.
Since I blew it again with diet Coke and we are having friends over for a BBQ this weekend, I am thinking about just postponing intro until July 1st. I am only on stage 1/2 anyhow so what's the big difference. I am trying not to be discouraged and scared but I really am. I need to get these cravings under control because drinking diet Coke sure isn't going to help me heal! I feel like a failure right now.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Another New Day
I feel better emotionally today. Maybe the anxiety, negativity, and everything I was feeling yesterday was from die off. It's so hard to tell but I feel more positive and inspired today. So far I plan on doing some clear water enemas followed by a coffee enema and then to fast the rest of the day, but that may change later. Fasting has become harder but I do believe it is very beneficial.
Update: Fasting was too hard. The headache I woke up with went away and then later in the afternoon came back even worse. So I had boiled salmon, salmon broth, some of the gelatinous meat from making pork bone broth, and pork fat. The pain in my right wrist and hand came back as well. I am beginning to wonder if it's from knitting versus arthritic pain or something else.
Update: Fasting was too hard. The headache I woke up with went away and then later in the afternoon came back even worse. So I had boiled salmon, salmon broth, some of the gelatinous meat from making pork bone broth, and pork fat. The pain in my right wrist and hand came back as well. I am beginning to wonder if it's from knitting versus arthritic pain or something else.
Monday, June 20, 2011
GAPS Intro #6: Day 1 - PM
This day did not go well at all or like I had hoped. I felt very tired and sort of numb emotionally so instead of taking 7.5 mg of HC around lunch time I took 10 mg. I sat in the sun around 10:30 and when I came in my heart rate shot up to 140 when I checked it and I was starting to feel dizzy. I had a hard time standing in the shower and had to sit down as soon as I got out. My body still feels swollen and soft and I hate it which put me in a bad mood. I have also been very distended all day to the point of being in pain. After running some errands in the afternoon I made dinner and then I messed up. I had some pork rinds and some homemade almond/walnut butter. I topped it all off with some of Bob's diet Coke and two pieces of gum. Next I ate about 1/2 cup of coconut milk kefir. The latter isn't a bad thing except that I have to collect stool for a stool test tomorrow and ideally you should not be taking probees before a stool test. I feel like I messed everything up.
Because I am so distended (and I messed up today anyhow) I decided to fast tomorrow. I need a break from feeling this miserable. My abdomen is so big it's making my back hurt. I am hating life right now.
Because I am so distended (and I messed up today anyhow) I decided to fast tomorrow. I need a break from feeling this miserable. My abdomen is so big it's making my back hurt. I am hating life right now.
GAPS Intro #6: Day 1 - AM
Symptoms this Morning: Headache, upper backache, fatigue, anger, whole body feels swollen/puffy, right eye lid swollen, puffy face, very distended abdomen, very itchy skin, no motivation, not cognitive, slight depression, stiff body, heart rate went up to 129.
Goals for Today: Eat two GAPS Stage 1 meals (lunch and dinner), rest when tired, read some in the GAPS book and in "Maximum Achievement", take a detox bath.
I have not weaned off coffee so I started my day with water, 1/2 cup of black coffee, and medication (10 mg hydrocortisone, 10 meq potassium chloride). My heart rate came down a bit after a few minutes but was too high for just walking around the kitchen. It was normal while sitting.
I plan on eating salmon today probably with pork fat and drinking the water I cook it in as broth. I also have a pot of pork bone broth going so I may have some of that as well. The reason I want to eat only two meals is that I think I may have SIBO and have read that it's best to wait 3 to 5 hours in between meals. Also, I stopped eating breakfast a while back because I get so distended after eating and waiting until mid-day to have a meal allows me to have part of the day without so much discomfort - well, without THAT discomfort. I can't say that waking up with all the symptoms I mentioned above is comfortable!
Goals for Today: Eat two GAPS Stage 1 meals (lunch and dinner), rest when tired, read some in the GAPS book and in "Maximum Achievement", take a detox bath.
I have not weaned off coffee so I started my day with water, 1/2 cup of black coffee, and medication (10 mg hydrocortisone, 10 meq potassium chloride). My heart rate came down a bit after a few minutes but was too high for just walking around the kitchen. It was normal while sitting.
I plan on eating salmon today probably with pork fat and drinking the water I cook it in as broth. I also have a pot of pork bone broth going so I may have some of that as well. The reason I want to eat only two meals is that I think I may have SIBO and have read that it's best to wait 3 to 5 hours in between meals. Also, I stopped eating breakfast a while back because I get so distended after eating and waiting until mid-day to have a meal allows me to have part of the day without so much discomfort - well, without THAT discomfort. I can't say that waking up with all the symptoms I mentioned above is comfortable!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Father's Day, blogging, GAPS, and more!
My dad would have celebrated his 69th birthday this year if he were still alive. He passed away 14 years ago after a long battle with lung cancer that spread to his brain and then his back. Sometimes I don't even think about him, other times I do but it's just fond memories, and then there are days like today when I wish I could pick up the phone, call him, and tell him "Happy Father's Day" and that I love him. Realizing that I can't and never will be able to again is devastating and there is an actual physical pain in my heart when I think about it. I know it will pass but those days are hard. He was so full of life, fun to be around, adventurous, intelligent, motivated, and more. I like to think that I am a lot like him but maybe that's just wishful thinking.
As for blogging, like so many times I thought I would keep up with it pretty much daily but that hasn't happened. It seems something always comes up that keeps me from writing. A lot of times it's brain fog, feeling like I can't capture my thoughts let alone write in coherent sentences, other times I question why I should blog. But here I am and I am about to start GAPS intro again - tomorrow. I will start with a zero carb version and without probees or ferments the first few days since I haven't done the stool test yet. I will be finishing it on Tuesday so Wednesday I will most likely add a drop of fermented veggie brine to my broth. I hope I will be able to tolerate it.
Thursday I tried adding some kefir made from raw cream. Friday wasn't so bad and I had a tiny bit more. By evening I was pretty hungry - more so than usual. Yesterday was awful...I was horribly, horribly swollen from the time I got up and it got worse as soon as I had coffee. I spent the whole day hungry, fighting cravings, and eating like horse. I could not get enough food in my body and by evening I gave in and had a tiny bite of walnut/hazelnut butter with honey in it. Although it wasn't much I am totally kicking myself and I really, really regret it. So unfortunately dairy is still out. I plan on staying off dairy, including ghee, for 6 weeks and then re-introducing it slowly starting with ghee. I am also not going past stage 2 of the intro diet until the abdominal distention goes away like Dr. McBride recommended.
I am so disappointed that I still feel so crummy after all this time. We are going on another cruise the week after Thanksgiving this year and I so wanted to be able to eat without looking like I am pregnant. I was hoping to have my flat stomach back by then, to have energy, to feel good, and to have a semi-normal vacation. Maybe that's still possible?!
As for blogging, like so many times I thought I would keep up with it pretty much daily but that hasn't happened. It seems something always comes up that keeps me from writing. A lot of times it's brain fog, feeling like I can't capture my thoughts let alone write in coherent sentences, other times I question why I should blog. But here I am and I am about to start GAPS intro again - tomorrow. I will start with a zero carb version and without probees or ferments the first few days since I haven't done the stool test yet. I will be finishing it on Tuesday so Wednesday I will most likely add a drop of fermented veggie brine to my broth. I hope I will be able to tolerate it.
Thursday I tried adding some kefir made from raw cream. Friday wasn't so bad and I had a tiny bit more. By evening I was pretty hungry - more so than usual. Yesterday was awful...I was horribly, horribly swollen from the time I got up and it got worse as soon as I had coffee. I spent the whole day hungry, fighting cravings, and eating like horse. I could not get enough food in my body and by evening I gave in and had a tiny bite of walnut/hazelnut butter with honey in it. Although it wasn't much I am totally kicking myself and I really, really regret it. So unfortunately dairy is still out. I plan on staying off dairy, including ghee, for 6 weeks and then re-introducing it slowly starting with ghee. I am also not going past stage 2 of the intro diet until the abdominal distention goes away like Dr. McBride recommended.
I am so disappointed that I still feel so crummy after all this time. We are going on another cruise the week after Thanksgiving this year and I so wanted to be able to eat without looking like I am pregnant. I was hoping to have my flat stomach back by then, to have energy, to feel good, and to have a semi-normal vacation. Maybe that's still possible?!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Homemade Mayonnaise
I use the stick-blender method in this video versus the slow drizzle method, but my ingredients are different.
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
- sprinkle black pepper (about 2 grinds with a pepper mill)
- 1 cup macadamia nut oil (1 ½ cups if you want thinner mayo)
Latin Kisses
We love these and make them frequently.
- 16 large shrimp , peeled and deveined
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated (or 1/4 tsp ginger powder)
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup cilantro leaves (loose)
- 1/4 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 lime (1/2 medium or 1 large)
- 1 – 2 jalapenos
- 8 slices bacon, thick cut (slightly cooked)
Mix olive oil with spices and lime juice, puree in a food processor, and marinate shrimp in mixture for 3 to 4 hours, longer if desired.
About 30 minutes prior to when you want to eat, slightly cook the bacon. I normally don't use the microwave, but for this recipe I arrange the bacon on a plate and put it in the microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Next slice the back of each shrimp, cut jalapenos in slices length-wise about 1/8th inch thick and place in back of shrimp, wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around shrimp and put on a skewer.
When all the shrimp has been skewered, grill until done basting with leftover marinade.
DH likes to dip them in creamy jalapeno dressing. I sometimes dip them in homemade mayonnaise, bacon fat, other animal fat, coconut oil, or nothing at all. Either way they are delicious.
Next slice the back of each shrimp, cut jalapenos in slices length-wise about 1/8th inch thick and place in back of shrimp, wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around shrimp and put on a skewer.
DH likes to dip them in creamy jalapeno dressing. I sometimes dip them in homemade mayonnaise, bacon fat, other animal fat, coconut oil, or nothing at all. Either way they are delicious.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
D-Ribose
Today was a rough day. I was hoping I could tolerate all the supplements, including d-ribose, since it is one of the important ones in people with mitochondrial failure. Unfortunately it totally kicked in my sugar cravings. All day long I wanted something sweet and I was really hungry - more so than I normally am.
Sometime after dinner I decided to take a spoon full of coconut milk kefir and proceeded to eat the entire 30 oz jar. I just couldn't stop it was so friggin' good. Then I made "chocolate" from coconut oil, cocoa powder, and d-ribose. Why the hell did I do that?? Last time I tried 1/4 tsp of coconut oil I had a wicked headache and backache the next day. Between the 2 to 3 Tbsp of coconut oil I ate and the 30 oz of coconut milk kefir, I could be feeling vewwy, vewwy sick tomorrow. I kind of regret trying it but on the other hand, if I hadn't I would have wondered if it would have helped. I guess now I know!
Hopefully the l-carnatine, niacin, and CoQ10 will help even without the d-ribose. I need something because I have been feeling utterly fatigued.
As I was consuming the "chocolate" I was thinking that it was stupid to go back on intro 8 days before I am going out of town for 4 days. I guess I will re-start for the 800th time when I get back from Austin or I may just not worry about it since I am stuck on stage 2 anyhow. Boiled meat has certainly never made a difference in how I feel.
The stool test kit didn't come today which was disappointing. I really wanted to get it over with and sent back to the lab to see if parasites are still an issue. A friend from the GAPS group also suggested having a rectal swab done so I will be looking into that as well. I am so fed up I am ready to go on another fast just so I can get some relief. Today I got so tired of being hungry that I just ate. That alone made my stomach distend even more. Eating coconut milk kefir and coconut oil sure didn't help and now I am literally in pain. I hate this!
Sometime after dinner I decided to take a spoon full of coconut milk kefir and proceeded to eat the entire 30 oz jar. I just couldn't stop it was so friggin' good. Then I made "chocolate" from coconut oil, cocoa powder, and d-ribose. Why the hell did I do that?? Last time I tried 1/4 tsp of coconut oil I had a wicked headache and backache the next day. Between the 2 to 3 Tbsp of coconut oil I ate and the 30 oz of coconut milk kefir, I could be feeling vewwy, vewwy sick tomorrow. I kind of regret trying it but on the other hand, if I hadn't I would have wondered if it would have helped. I guess now I know!
Hopefully the l-carnatine, niacin, and CoQ10 will help even without the d-ribose. I need something because I have been feeling utterly fatigued.
As I was consuming the "chocolate" I was thinking that it was stupid to go back on intro 8 days before I am going out of town for 4 days. I guess I will re-start for the 800th time when I get back from Austin or I may just not worry about it since I am stuck on stage 2 anyhow. Boiled meat has certainly never made a difference in how I feel.
The stool test kit didn't come today which was disappointing. I really wanted to get it over with and sent back to the lab to see if parasites are still an issue. A friend from the GAPS group also suggested having a rectal swab done so I will be looking into that as well. I am so fed up I am ready to go on another fast just so I can get some relief. Today I got so tired of being hungry that I just ate. That alone made my stomach distend even more. Eating coconut milk kefir and coconut oil sure didn't help and now I am literally in pain. I hate this!
I wish...
...the pain would stop.
...I had energy to exercise, go out and do stuff, and be adventurous like I used to be.
...I could focus and concentrate like I used to.
...the abdominal distention would stop.
...I could eat vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dairy again without a negative reaction.
...I could eat anything without feeling discomfort.
...I could stop doing enemas.
...I could stop tracking symptoms, food, supplements, etc.
...I could sleep without magnesium or other sleep aids.
...my heart rate would go back to normal.
...my adrenals would heal and I could stop taking hydrocortisone.
...I knew the exact underlying causes of all these symptoms.
I wish I had my life back!
...I had energy to exercise, go out and do stuff, and be adventurous like I used to be.
...I could focus and concentrate like I used to.
...the abdominal distention would stop.
...I could eat vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dairy again without a negative reaction.
...I could eat anything without feeling discomfort.
...I could stop doing enemas.
...I could stop tracking symptoms, food, supplements, etc.
...I could sleep without magnesium or other sleep aids.
...my heart rate would go back to normal.
...my adrenals would heal and I could stop taking hydrocortisone.
...I knew the exact underlying causes of all these symptoms.
I wish I had my life back!
GAPS Re-Intro: Day 4
Symptoms this morning: Headache, upper backache, lower backache, pain in calves, top of arms from elbows down, back of hands, back of fingers, and wrists, abdominal distention, red/burning/watery eyes, runny nose, constipation, tired, fatigued, not fully cognitive, elevated heart rate (not as bad as yesterday), right eye lid swollen, puffy face, crazy hungry, overall stiff body.
I am thrilled about my heart rate being lower and it came down even more after I took my morning dose of HC (10 mg). I just walked down to the kitchen and my heart rate was hovering between 85 and 97 which is about 20 beats lower than it has been the last 4 or 5 days. I lowered my dose of Cytomel yesterday by 3.125 mcg but I also increased the SR potassium to 15 meq from 10 meq. Either one of those could be responsible for the drop in heart rate.
I slept pretty good but only until 3:30 AM. Got up to use the bathroom and was hoping to go back to sleep, but it just wasn't happening. So at 4 AM I got up, fixed my coffee, let Pepper out, and came back to bed to check emails, approve and answer GAPS messages, read my devotionals, etc.
I did take another dose of d-ribose this morning in my coffee and also took 1 gram of l-carnatine and 500 mg niacin. No reaction so far that I can tell. I am hoping the supplements will help with energy, concentration, and overall healing. Of course after sleeping only 6 hours I doubt I will notice any improvement in energy today although from what I understand d-ribose gives people a fairly instant boost in energy. I wish I could nap during the day but have always had a hard time with it even when I feel dead tired. In addition, our upstairs AC unit is not working properly and it gets very hot and humid upstairs where our bedroom is during the day.
Yesterday I ate boiled salmon, hamburger patties (not boiled), extra lard on top of the hamburger patties, egg yolks, and beef bone broth. Today I am having boiled pork tenderloin, ground pork patties, pork bone broth, and egg yolks. I went to bed hungry last night and woke up still feeling hungry this morning. It's this never-ending hunger that also makes me think parasites may be an issue. Hopefully the stool test kit will get here today so I can do the test over the weekend and send it back on Monday.
I am thrilled about my heart rate being lower and it came down even more after I took my morning dose of HC (10 mg). I just walked down to the kitchen and my heart rate was hovering between 85 and 97 which is about 20 beats lower than it has been the last 4 or 5 days. I lowered my dose of Cytomel yesterday by 3.125 mcg but I also increased the SR potassium to 15 meq from 10 meq. Either one of those could be responsible for the drop in heart rate.
I slept pretty good but only until 3:30 AM. Got up to use the bathroom and was hoping to go back to sleep, but it just wasn't happening. So at 4 AM I got up, fixed my coffee, let Pepper out, and came back to bed to check emails, approve and answer GAPS messages, read my devotionals, etc.
I did take another dose of d-ribose this morning in my coffee and also took 1 gram of l-carnatine and 500 mg niacin. No reaction so far that I can tell. I am hoping the supplements will help with energy, concentration, and overall healing. Of course after sleeping only 6 hours I doubt I will notice any improvement in energy today although from what I understand d-ribose gives people a fairly instant boost in energy. I wish I could nap during the day but have always had a hard time with it even when I feel dead tired. In addition, our upstairs AC unit is not working properly and it gets very hot and humid upstairs where our bedroom is during the day.
Yesterday I ate boiled salmon, hamburger patties (not boiled), extra lard on top of the hamburger patties, egg yolks, and beef bone broth. Today I am having boiled pork tenderloin, ground pork patties, pork bone broth, and egg yolks. I went to bed hungry last night and woke up still feeling hungry this morning. It's this never-ending hunger that also makes me think parasites may be an issue. Hopefully the stool test kit will get here today so I can do the test over the weekend and send it back on Monday.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Mitochondria
I am continuing reading Dr. Myhill's book on CFS with great interest and today I got my supplements. I couldn't order everything because some of the ones she recommends, like the mineral mix, are made by here and she is not licensed to sell her supplements outside of the UK. So I got l-carnatine, d-ribose, niacin, and coq1. They came around 3 PM and I immediately took some d-ribose. Thankfully no sweet cravings from it. Tomorrow I will add the niacin and maybe the l-carnatine. I wanted to add one at a time every 2 days or so, but I am way too impatient for that. Of course it would be easier to figure out that way if I am reacting to any of them.
I am so hungry I can barely stand it.
I am so hungry I can barely stand it.
GAPS Re-Intro: Day 3
Woke up with the usual symptoms (headache, right eye lid swollen, tired, not really cognitive, heart racing, etc.) but overall not too bad. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?!
Anyway, sometime after lunch I started to get a headache and felt really tired and out of it. I thought the Nystatin increase yesterday (from 1/16 tsp to 1/8 tsp) must have done it but around 2:30 PM I realized I hadn't taken my mid-day dose of 7.5 mg hydrocortisone. Since it was a bit late already I took 5 mg then and within half an hour the headache was almost gone. That's good but the pain in my right wrist and knuckles continues and it flared up in my left wrist as well until I took the HC around 2:30 PM.
I went to the lab this morning to get blood drawn. Can't wait to see what the RA factor and ANA indicate. If the pain in my wrist is RA then the RA factor should be elevated - at least you would think it would be. What is odd though is that the pain started sometime after the blood donation and low blood volume. I don't understand it and Dr. Cowan didn't have a possible explanation either.
I also had a free 15-minute consultation with Chris Kresser yesterday. I had read some of the articles on his blog and like them. In addition, at least one couple from the GAPS Yahoo group is consulting with him. After listening to my chief complaints he feels I have parasites. Since I have done several herbal parasite cleanses and my diet is extremely strict and limited, he suggested I take medication for them and then rebuild gut flora once the parasites are gone. He said since he can't prescribe medication he can't really help me right now but would be happy to consult with me after I am done with the meds (should I decide to take them). Incidentally I had just ordered another stool test kit from Parasitology Center Inc. the day before. Chris likes Metametrix for parasite testing and that's who I did the last stool test with. However, I was told that this place is even better. Chris also felt that the difficulty I am having taking probees and ferments could be an indication of parasitic infection since parasite can feed off of them.
I really didn't want to do more tests (or spend more money on tests), but I am desperate to feel better. Right now I am not living. I am merely making it through the day as best as possible and there is no joy in that. I am praying that Dr. Amin from the Parasitology Center Inc. will find something IF there is something to be found which needs to be addressed. As much as I hate taking medication, I probably will give it a try considering that everything else I have tried has not worked.
Anyway, sometime after lunch I started to get a headache and felt really tired and out of it. I thought the Nystatin increase yesterday (from 1/16 tsp to 1/8 tsp) must have done it but around 2:30 PM I realized I hadn't taken my mid-day dose of 7.5 mg hydrocortisone. Since it was a bit late already I took 5 mg then and within half an hour the headache was almost gone. That's good but the pain in my right wrist and knuckles continues and it flared up in my left wrist as well until I took the HC around 2:30 PM.
I went to the lab this morning to get blood drawn. Can't wait to see what the RA factor and ANA indicate. If the pain in my wrist is RA then the RA factor should be elevated - at least you would think it would be. What is odd though is that the pain started sometime after the blood donation and low blood volume. I don't understand it and Dr. Cowan didn't have a possible explanation either.
I also had a free 15-minute consultation with Chris Kresser yesterday. I had read some of the articles on his blog and like them. In addition, at least one couple from the GAPS Yahoo group is consulting with him. After listening to my chief complaints he feels I have parasites. Since I have done several herbal parasite cleanses and my diet is extremely strict and limited, he suggested I take medication for them and then rebuild gut flora once the parasites are gone. He said since he can't prescribe medication he can't really help me right now but would be happy to consult with me after I am done with the meds (should I decide to take them). Incidentally I had just ordered another stool test kit from Parasitology Center Inc. the day before. Chris likes Metametrix for parasite testing and that's who I did the last stool test with. However, I was told that this place is even better. Chris also felt that the difficulty I am having taking probees and ferments could be an indication of parasitic infection since parasite can feed off of them.
I really didn't want to do more tests (or spend more money on tests), but I am desperate to feel better. Right now I am not living. I am merely making it through the day as best as possible and there is no joy in that. I am praying that Dr. Amin from the Parasitology Center Inc. will find something IF there is something to be found which needs to be addressed. As much as I hate taking medication, I probably will give it a try considering that everything else I have tried has not worked.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
GAPS Re-Intro: Day 2
I took a tiny amount of Nystatin yesterday as well as 1 drop of fermented carrot brine. I can't say I feel great today but no increased headache or other die off symptoms either. That's good...I am more hopeful.
It's only been one day and I am already tired of boiled meat. It just does not taste good to me. Yesterday I had boiled salmon and boiled chicken thighs. I admit though that I sauteed the skin of both in a cast iron skillet and some tallow. There is no way I can eat boiled fish or chicken skin and I didn't feel like pureeing it into my broth. Today I am having boiled chicken breast (it's skinless) and a ton of tallow. I will try a little bit more Nystatin but will keep the fermented carrot brine at 1 drop. It seems crazy that such a small amount could potentially cause die off.
The pain in my right wrist, knuckles, and fingers continues. I am not sure if I hurt my wrist somehow without noticing and the pain is radiating to my hand or if this is arthritic type pain. I hope it's not the latter. Dr. Cowan ordered some blood tests and among them he is checking for rheumatoid arthritis and also for mycoplasma pneumoniae. I have had the latter in the past and he wants to see if there's a lingering infection.
It's only been one day and I am already tired of boiled meat. It just does not taste good to me. Yesterday I had boiled salmon and boiled chicken thighs. I admit though that I sauteed the skin of both in a cast iron skillet and some tallow. There is no way I can eat boiled fish or chicken skin and I didn't feel like pureeing it into my broth. Today I am having boiled chicken breast (it's skinless) and a ton of tallow. I will try a little bit more Nystatin but will keep the fermented carrot brine at 1 drop. It seems crazy that such a small amount could potentially cause die off.
The pain in my right wrist, knuckles, and fingers continues. I am not sure if I hurt my wrist somehow without noticing and the pain is radiating to my hand or if this is arthritic type pain. I hope it's not the latter. Dr. Cowan ordered some blood tests and among them he is checking for rheumatoid arthritis and also for mycoplasma pneumoniae. I have had the latter in the past and he wants to see if there's a lingering infection.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
GAPS Re-Intro: Day 1
I was going to start over once again with GAPS Intro today. Unfortunately my day started crappy like so many days. I woke up with a headache and backache, tired, tachycardia (up to 137), fluid retention, and I had abdominal distention from the start before eating or drinking anything. Drinking coffee made it worse - this could be "PMS" or rather hormonal. It's too hard to tell these days but I hate it.
In my last email to Dr. Cowan I asked him to address the abdominal distention. His reply was that it's probably just "bad gut ecology but we can try a course of Nystatin". So this is about the 4th or 5th person who is indicating that I have fungal overgrowth. Maybe God is trying to tell me something!!!
I told Dr. C that Nystatin gives me the same symptoms as I get from probees and ferments - headache, backache, fatigue, anger, constipation, etc. I assumed those were die off but during our last phone consult he indicated that I probably just don't tolerate those strains of bacteria. That doesn't really make sense to me especially since I am getting the same symptoms from coconut oil, palm oil, GSE, oil of oregano, Nystatin, and other anti-fungals and anti-bacterials. I still think it's wicked die off what I didn't understand is why it just won't stop, then I started reading Dr. Myhill's free E-book on CFS. According to her research CFS is caused by mitochondrial failure. Mitochondria supply energy to all the cells in our body and if mitochondria fail all organs are affected and everything slows down. It can even lead to POTS which is something I have been dealing with as well. Reading her book was like reading about myself. I finally had an explanation for all the weird symptoms I seem to be having, including the fact that I am SO toxic despite a clean diet and clean lifestyle. Since all organs are affected in mitochondrial failure that means your skin is affected. In the book it states if micro-circulation to the skin is shut down, the body cannot detox. It also explains heat intolerance, something else I have been dealing with, because the skin is responsible for controlling the temperature of the body. When the blood supply to the skin is shut off, the body cannot loose heat through the skin and the core body temperature rises.
Dr. Myhill recommends a Stone Age Diet, 9 hours of sleep every night, plenty of rest and pacing oneself, and a supplement regimen for people with CFS/mitochondrial failure. Some of the supplements I already take, some I can't get here (she is in the UK), and some key supplements (d-ribose, l-carnatine, CoQ10, and niacin) I ordered and they should get here Friday. I am hopeful yet I am afraid to be hopeful.
Back to GAPS Intro - so I was going to start over today but I am wondering what the point is. I mean, I am still on Stage 2 minus egg whites/gee/butter. Of course as usual, the perfectionist in me wants to do it right, go through the stages, add one thing at a time, etc. I am not sure what to do and I am also torn about adding ferments back in - maybe one drop at a time - and now also adding Nystatin. Dr. C said to start with a pinch and work my way up. I was thinking about using the baby scoop from my Custom Probiotics. That's about 1/16 of a teaspoon or less which is a small dose.
I am trying to find joy, be happy, and enjoy life but it's not easy right now. I feel overwhelmed with all these symptoms and the fact that it seems impossible to find a good doctor - one that will truly listen, take his/her time, not just blow me off because I take Cytomel for hypothyroidism, or look at me like I am insane when I mention some of my symptoms.
In my last email to Dr. Cowan I asked him to address the abdominal distention. His reply was that it's probably just "bad gut ecology but we can try a course of Nystatin". So this is about the 4th or 5th person who is indicating that I have fungal overgrowth. Maybe God is trying to tell me something!!!
I told Dr. C that Nystatin gives me the same symptoms as I get from probees and ferments - headache, backache, fatigue, anger, constipation, etc. I assumed those were die off but during our last phone consult he indicated that I probably just don't tolerate those strains of bacteria. That doesn't really make sense to me especially since I am getting the same symptoms from coconut oil, palm oil, GSE, oil of oregano, Nystatin, and other anti-fungals and anti-bacterials. I still think it's wicked die off what I didn't understand is why it just won't stop, then I started reading Dr. Myhill's free E-book on CFS. According to her research CFS is caused by mitochondrial failure. Mitochondria supply energy to all the cells in our body and if mitochondria fail all organs are affected and everything slows down. It can even lead to POTS which is something I have been dealing with as well. Reading her book was like reading about myself. I finally had an explanation for all the weird symptoms I seem to be having, including the fact that I am SO toxic despite a clean diet and clean lifestyle. Since all organs are affected in mitochondrial failure that means your skin is affected. In the book it states if micro-circulation to the skin is shut down, the body cannot detox. It also explains heat intolerance, something else I have been dealing with, because the skin is responsible for controlling the temperature of the body. When the blood supply to the skin is shut off, the body cannot loose heat through the skin and the core body temperature rises.
Dr. Myhill recommends a Stone Age Diet, 9 hours of sleep every night, plenty of rest and pacing oneself, and a supplement regimen for people with CFS/mitochondrial failure. Some of the supplements I already take, some I can't get here (she is in the UK), and some key supplements (d-ribose, l-carnatine, CoQ10, and niacin) I ordered and they should get here Friday. I am hopeful yet I am afraid to be hopeful.
Back to GAPS Intro - so I was going to start over today but I am wondering what the point is. I mean, I am still on Stage 2 minus egg whites/gee/butter. Of course as usual, the perfectionist in me wants to do it right, go through the stages, add one thing at a time, etc. I am not sure what to do and I am also torn about adding ferments back in - maybe one drop at a time - and now also adding Nystatin. Dr. C said to start with a pinch and work my way up. I was thinking about using the baby scoop from my Custom Probiotics. That's about 1/16 of a teaspoon or less which is a small dose.
I am trying to find joy, be happy, and enjoy life but it's not easy right now. I feel overwhelmed with all these symptoms and the fact that it seems impossible to find a good doctor - one that will truly listen, take his/her time, not just blow me off because I take Cytomel for hypothyroidism, or look at me like I am insane when I mention some of my symptoms.
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