ramblin time!

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!! =)



yes, yes im still here!! i know its been a couple weeks. but im sure you can guess what i’ve been doing after reading my last post…yup, hangin out at the fast food joints! ACK!!! okay well not quite that bad, but not very good, either. i definitely didnt get under 200 during the month of may. and im DEFINITELY never going to make another promise in this blog, because i think im hard-wired to break them!! LOL!! esp when it comes to food.



welllp lets start with the good stuff :) im still hovering around 206-208. so i havent gained! even better is that i’ve been consistently active. YAY!



i’ve been going to yoga 2-3 times a week, and absosmurfly LOVELOVELOVE it. it makes me feel so strong! (and sore all the time…haha…but that will eventually go away!) and now that i’ve finally got most of the poses down, i have been more able to concentrate on the breathing. that has worked miracles on my anxiety!! and it just gives me energy and focus. i love it.



im not trying to be all new-agey-nerdy, but im serious, i wish i’d have started yoga years ago. its just an all-around good-for-you thing to do. and dont EVEN think i dont sweat my butt off doing it!! LOL! its not like little wimpy stretches for an hour. the poses take tons of balance and strength, and surprisingly ive noticed a difference in especially my upper body strength even in the last few weeks.



my teacher is awesome, and really encourages everyone in the class to modify the poses to their own comfort level and ability. she is in her 50s, and she looks GOOD. i want to look good when im in my 50s, too! heck i wanna look good NOW! haha!!



i also ended up getting a summer membership to the athletic club where the yoga class is. im doing weight training once a week, and will work up to twice a week soon. it also gives me access to any of the other classes they have—one i want to try is called Zumba. its some sort of latin dance aerobics or something. all i know is i peeked in the door and it looked fun!



im getting an okay amount of cardio just doing yoga (all that breathing is good for your heart and lungs, believe me!), and i also ride my bike occasionally, but an aerobics class once in a while might be fun!



OH and this weekend, me and the hubby got a portable basketball hoop for the driveway!! he loves shootin hoops, and even tho i totally suck at it, i have fun doing it with him *hehe* and its awesome aerobic exercise—and all i have to do is walk outside to do it. this summer i have NO EXCUSES to be sitting on my butt!! that’s for sure!!!



another thing i’ve started doing is volunteering at a local agricultural institute. its an awesome organization that promotes organic/sustainable farming and students pretty much run the gardens as part of internships or practicums. they also get volunteers to help keep things running smoothly.



that’s what i love about the little town i live in! there are tons of local farms that are organic and free-range. the ag institute also has a little market where they sell a lot of the produce and local dairy/meat. i love shopping there!



anyhoo, last week was my first week of helping out, and they had me working with a 15-year-old kid from Germany! he’s here for the summer on a practicum. he was really interesting! and somehow, i kept up with him while we hacked down plants, hauled compost and did some harvesting. i was so glad it was fairly cool out or im sure i would have wimped out! LOL! we worked from 8-noon. i’ll be doing that every week now—and i also get a huge bag of fresh produce every time for doing it! WOOHOO!



in other news, my 15-year high school class reunion is next month. LOL…yes, now you know how YOUNG i am ;) i guess i’ve never really planned on going, mostly just because i really dont feel like i’ve done much with my life.



now now, im not being a sad-sack! its just that all my old buddies have kids, which to me, really gives you so much to talk about. who wants to hear about me, one of the honor students who got a college degree and doesnt use it, and now gets to work from home a few hours a week and pretty much do whatever else i want to do with my time?? LOL!!!



and all i have to brag about is my 4 cats and dog…i do NOT want to be labeled as the freaky pet person! HAHA!! ;) even tho i love my life, im somewhat embarassed!! i know, its that old high school mentality taking over, comparing myself to others. DUMB. im sure they dont care. i just dont want it to be a bad experience, ya know? ive had enough of that lately! hehe!!



i suppose another reason i dont feel like going is that it might be super awkward for me if certain other people are there and i dont want to make them feel weerd, either. its just not been long enough i guess for me to be desperate to see a lot of my classmates. several of them have actually emailed me lately, and i love it!!! they all sound so happy and i am sooo happy for them. hopefully i’ll keep in contact with them even after the reunion time is over.



and of course i dont want people to come up to me and say, “i dont remember you…?” since i weigh about 80lb more than i did 15 years ago! LOL! im sure im not the only one, but sometimes i just dont feel like “the old me.” is that just what happens when you get older? the “old you” just fades away and you get slapped with a new, funky body and image? ROTFL!



ahhh anyhoo, enough rambling about that. i’m pretty sure i wont be going, but i guess there’s always a chance i may change my mind. i’ll let you know!



whew! welp, i guess i’ll go for now! oh and FYI, my goal for this month is once again, to attempt to find ONE-derland! (that’s under 200.) im not going to force myself into totally giving up ANYTHING, either. its all about moderation this month and continuing to be active. AND most of all, being kind to myself, inside AND out. i deserve it, dangit!!!



have an awesome day!!!!! im off to make a cup of green tea…



~jos~

weigh-in

good morning!




well i just thought i'd pop in and say hello *waves* i weighed in this morning and lost almost 2lb last week! YAY! so im down to about 206. im purty durned skippydippy happy about it *LOL* i worked my butt off last week in the garden and with yoga, plus i ate very very well all week. it always feels good when your body cooperates and drops a little weight when you've given it every opportunity to do so! hehe!!



i have to confess, tho, that i had fast food yesterday! :-O *hides* i know, i know!! im sucha dumbutt!! hehe!



and geez, after i was bragging all over the place friday about not having any. i am finding that the weekends are definitely the toughest that way, especially when the weather is nice and im all happy-peppy-almost hyper those emotional eating spurts pop up and i dont deal with them well!



yes, im one of those people that has emotional eating issues when im HAPPY. sad, isnt it?? hehe! that's when my good sense flies out the window, cause i'm all smiley and care-free and i dont sit and deliberate with myself about the consequences of snarfing down a cheeboogie and fries. ah well!



yesterday i think my problem was "i deserve it." we ate at the inlaws for lunch and i did SO WELL! i had bbq ribs, salad, summer veggie mix, and a very small baked potato...and skipped the bread, milk, and cheese. then dessert was strawberries on pound cake with whipped cream! EEP! but i was such a good girl and had just strawberries =D



so...i think deep in my mind i was feeling all sorry for myself and i started to almost get a little grumpy cause i wanted what i shouldnt have! so, when we left i told hubby i wanted a Culver's burger and fries. he was such a good example and said, let's just drive on by and give ourselves time to think it over. well...we did. *LOL*



we got home and ended up having a coupon for buy one meal get one free, so off we went. it was really my fault, tho. we could have had our weekly mcd's salad but i was being a brat.



ah well, fortunately i still lost a good amount of weight last week and i WILL NOT have any more fast food this week! PROMISE!



welllll, i really want to chat more but i am going to exercise! i'm going to try to start incorporating two short sessions of weight training a week into my schedule. i have a pretty good kathy smith weight training vid that has 20 min of upper body and 20 min of lower body, so i'll split that up every week for now.



i really do love doing weights and now that i am doing yoga twice a week as well, they should complement each other!



oh btw, my food has been great so far today...strawberry soygurt *hehe* with a cup of strawbs and a sprinkle of granola. a bit carby i guess, but i also took my fish oil so that evened it out a bit. plus, im off to burn some of it off RIGHT NOW!!!



happy monday!!



~jos~

jes peachy :-D

happy friday morning :):)



well this mornin i am JES PEACHY! hehe! literally. well kinda! ha! our local farmer's market had the first, freshest peaches of the season and i grabbed a couple this week.



i just sliced one up and stirred it into my Stonyfield Farm O'Soy Cultured Soy, peach flavor, and a small sprinkle of a triple berry granola. YUM-O!! *LOL* i just have to say i am in heaven, cause man, that peach was just SO FRESH...and the soygurt (is that a real word? hehe!) was sooo creamy...and and and the granola, it was sooooo was crunchy and chewy...*rambles on and on about how good it was...*



and hey, i love yogurt, and i really wanted to get some probiotics into my diet since i cant have my cow's milk yogurt or kefir anymore. the O'Soy is AWESOME and i was really excited when i found it. i have to say i am pretty impressed!!



and if you're one of those peeps who's a little "eh" because yogurt is too tangy or "spoiled" tasting for you, you should try the O'Soy. its a bit milder and pretty durned creamy as i already mentioned! :D



i usually dont eat yogurts or kefirs that are flavored because of the added sugar, but these arent too bad. they arent overly sweet, which i really think ruins most yogurts. i like Stonyfield brand stuff, so i was super happy when i saw the O'Soy--especially, too, because the ingredients are almost all organic AND with no preservatives. YAY. it will be a nice breakfast option this summer with all the fresh berries and fruits!!!



anyhoo, enough obsessive food talk ;) hehe!



welllllllp, i cant believe we're almost half way thru may! and guess what? i havent had any fast food!! i think its starting to get easier for me because my brain is starting to understand that my good health is dependent on my good food choices.



strangely enough, i am actually starting to enjoy eating a lot more veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains other than wheat, and i dont really miss milk at all (tho i would still down a nice cold glass if i could!!).



and another thing ive been trying to do since last fall is to eat seasonally. instead of eating salads all winter, we had more soups with hearty fall veggies and beans, and most of what we ate except fruit, was cooked. this spring, im enjoying the tender salad greens and delicate spring fruits and not cooking as much! and this summer i'll munch down on berries, cukes and spinach greens!! hehe!!



but anyhoo (hrm, more food talk...oops *grin*), i even did awesome at my parentals' last weekend. i didnt have any cookies, ice cream, or other junk food while i was there! SHOCKER! :-O



but, i did have a bit of a mini-whine-tantrum saturday evening when i was hungry and a bit munchy. i was walking back and forth between the fridge and cabinets, looking at all the stuff i couldnt eat. and what i COULD eat, i didnt want. i was whining like a brat!!



and i felt like crying, starting to feel sorry for myself and all that junk. its just hard when i go "home;" that's where i grew up and i want to eat what i grew up on. it brings back those comforting feelings!! not that i really needed comfort, except from the bashing i was doing to myself in my head!!



ANYHOO...i finally ended up having some green tea and later a small bowl of popcorn, so i did fine. the only exception for the weekend was one piece of bday cake at my niece's party. it was a cookout, and i even ate my hamburger without a bun since it's wheat. i felt like some sort of Atkin's nerd ;P but oh well, it just tasted like grilled meatloaf. *hehe*



this week has been super busy for me--i spent most of every day outside preparing and planting our veggie and herb gardens. i learned a lot doing last year's garden, so this year i vow to keep down the weeds! HEHE!



we've got cukes & pole beans on trellises, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach and a mix of salad greens planted. and in the herb garden, i have basil, cilantro, dill, tarragon, rosemary, parsley, chamomile and some annual flowers i planted from seed.



im really hoping to make this summer a great jump start to eating less--but foods that are nutritionally packed! i am starting to see how much i have missed most of my life by not eating fresh, seasonal produce. it really is super nummy!!! and its fun to grow! (AND cheaper. LOL)



hubby and i have both bumped up our activity levels this month, and im sure it will continue thru the summer. he's been riding his bike to work several times a week, for about an hour total each day. im really proud of him, cause its obviously not as convenient as driving--he has to take a change of clothes and his lunch, too. YAY HONEY!! XOXOX!



as for me, i'm still loving my hour of yoga on tuesdays and thursdays, and this week i've been sweatin my butt off outside in the gardens.



i rented a roto-tiller monday and spent a few hours tilling up our 15x20 plot. GUH! talk about SORE RIBCAGE MUSCLES for the next few days. that is one muscle that SUCKS when its sore *LOL*



i'll also ride my bike occasionally to the farmer's market so that will be a great way to get some fresh air, burn cals, AND run errands *hehe*



i have always wanted to be one of those "active" kindsa peeps--you know, ones that never really have to formally exercise, because they incorporate activity into the way they live! to me, that's the best way to enjoy it! not only do you reap the benefits of the physical activity, but at the same time you are healthy enough to enjoy the movement and surroundings or other purpose of whatever you're doing!! does that make sense?? hehe!



anyhoo, its a win-win thing, and i hope a year from now i will have accomplished what i am now envisioning :D



welp, hopefully whomever regularly reads this crazy blog is somehow inspired to make some changes for the betterment of your health! obviously im far from perfect--never will be--but i know im inspired by hearing the struggles, successes and ideas of others! so i figgered, heck, i'll share, too! plus, its just an outlet for me and my need to blab to someone about all my goofy ideas *cheesey grin*



have a superdooper weekend!! find some flowers in your yard and enjoy them today! i cut some fresh white lilacs this morning and am enjoying them here on my desk. they smell wonderful!



ttfn!!! :)



~josey~

makin' plans for may :)

hidey-ho, folks! :o)



*lol* how ya been?? busy here!! last week we went onna mini vacation and this week has basically been recovering from it (food-wise and work-wise). i think i'm finally caught up now tho! the weather this week has been SUPERDOOPER, and it feels good that...*whispers*...it's finally spring =D



welp MAY is THE MONTH! yah, you heard me!! (: may's the month where i finally get my butt on track. i have so many health issues riding on how consistent i can be with my food and exercise. hubby and i have made a checklist spreadsheet for the month for all things we need to be doing each day.



so wanna know what the first BIG one is? NO FAST FOOD! yep, ive done it before and im doing it again.



except this time, there's a few exceptions so once june 1st gets here i dont have a fast-food-snarf-down. we can have one mcd's salad each week (haha yep, the ones i just tore apart in my last post...like i said, you gotta pick the best of the worst!) and also each friday we can eat out at a sit-down restaurant. there's pretty much no limitations for that, except of course no wheat or dairy for me.



i think going fast-food-free is going to help me feel pretty empowered that im not hampering my good efforts (like taking my mountain of supplements every day!) by filling my body with junky food!!



next is being more active! i've already begun going to a yoga class twice a week. i absosmurfly LOVE it. im the youngest one in the class, but actually i like that better. no sexy young chicks to make me feel like crap! HAHA!! i know, i shouldnt compare myself, but dont we all do it from time to time?



anyhoo, on most other days i'll be either walking or biking for 30+ minutes. just today i rode my bike to the local farmer's market and brought back groceries in my backpack. it was about 45 minutes of riding, and an excellent workout!



im positive that the activities i'll be doing will help my anxiety so much, and obviously will help the weight come off. not too mention all the other health benefits so GO ME!!!



some of the other things on our checklist include not eating after 7 (just to help us sleep better, plus i like to take a probiotic just before bed and you need to have an empty stomach), eating only when hungry (no mindless munching!!), and hydrating my beeaauuuteeful young skin and body with 8+ glasses of water a day *hehe*



i really do notice a difference when i dont drink enough water. i feel kinda lightheaded and my lips get dry, and sometimes i even get light headaches. ive also been trying to drink a glass of lemon water most days (.5 fresh lemon squeezed into about 16oz water). its good for your body's pH, and if you dont know much about that--most of us are too acidy, which isnt good! surprisingly, lemon water is an excellent alkaline drink!! so anytime you're at a restaurant, always say yes to the lemon in your water =D



so there ya have it. my plan for may! it might sound like a long list, but as i've told some other people, they are all things i've been doing anyway...just not consistently! so this month im gonna make it all stick. im really excited about the prospect of being in less pain from my endometriosis, and i KNOW i will be if i treat my poor abused body with some respect and lots of nutrition!! i want to be a success story!!



oh, and if you're wondering how the no wheat-no dairy has been going, well, its not too bad. of course on vacation last week i ate whatever i wanted...but hey, even my naturopath said dont deprive yourself at special occasions (within reason of course!), and when you get home, just get right back on track. i think over time i'll begin to be more consistent at choosing healthier options on special occasions,



anyhoo. since GENERALLY i eat well, ive already started to really feel like crap after i eat a few bad meals, so one day i'll learn my lesson. and remember it. *LOL*



ya know, i've always admired those people who can eat a plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers instead of a second helping of cake or the graham cracker & pudding dessert. ya know??? *LOL* its true tho!! and it always seems like its the people who look healthy and fit. so they must be doing something right!!



moving on, i made a gluten & dairy free loaf of bread from a Bob's Red Mill mix. its pretty durned good. i like it much better than some premade almond-rice flour bread id tried, as the Bob's didnt contain rice flour. seems like brown rice flour is the big substitute for wheat, but guh, ya just get kinda tired of all the ricey taste! LOL! plus it really doesnt have a lot of fiber. the Bob's had garbanzo bean flour and some other ones so i think its a better choice all around!



okee, well i gotta split! for dinner, since its nice out we're grilling out some cilantro-lime chicken and asparagus, and also making some nummy wild rice with onions! hope youre able to enjoy the weather wherever you are =)



latah gatah!



~jos~

choosing the best of the worst

im back! =D



*hehe* i just had to blab about something for a bit. sunday i had a bit of a dilemma! hubby and i have been going to subway for lunch almost every sunday afternoon this year. its just our thing. i almost always got the oven-roasted chix breast on honey wheat, baked lays, and a cookie (no meal w/pop). okay, obviously a super-carby/sodium-packed meal, but DEFINITELY better than cheeseburger and fries!!



well obviously my dilemma was, what in the heck do i get at subway now that doesnt contain wheat? they have salads, but they're a bit pricey and pretty much the same as what i'd make at home. so we thought, how about mcd's salads? with grilled chicken, they're pretty darned healthy really. and with newman's own as the dressings they use, they're much better than most. and their website claims no trans fats in the salads with grilled chicken! well...soooo...for fun i did a little mcd's salad research! *nerdy look*



part of my goal is to also avoid high fructose corn syrup, or corn syrup of any kind, preservatives (MSG and the like) as much as possible, and obviously trans fats. and the trans fat thing is tricky since the FDA only requires labeling to show over .5g of trans fat per serving. otherwise, companies can claim zero. sucks, cause if its something you eat more than one serving of, you could still be getting a decent amount of trans fats thinking you're getting NONE! that's why its a good idea to become label-savvy and look for the word "hydrogenated." if you see that, there's trans fats in it no matter what the nutrition info says!!



anyhoo, i wanted to have mcd's new southwest (grilled) chicken salad. i had it a few weeks ago and loved it, so let's take that one for our example! here's the main ingredients found on this page:



Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken:
Salad Mix, Grilled Chicken Breast Filet, Southwest Vegetable Blend, Cilantro Lime Glaze, Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese, Limes, Chili Lime Tortilla Strips, Liquid Margarine



okay, so the things that alerted me to possible bad stuff are "glaze" (possibly sweet--corn syrup?), the tortilla strips (seasoned with what and fried in what?) and obviously the margarine. so here's the ingredients for those ingredients *hehe*: (i hilited in red the stuff that i knew was either in my no-no list or looked shady/didnt know what the heck it was. my motto is if ya cant pronounce it or dont know what it is, its probably not health-promoting. *lol*)



Cilantro Lime Glaze:
Water, corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, distilled vinegar, olive oil, soybean oil, freeze-dried orange juice concentrate*, cilantro, salt, freeze-dried lime juice concentrate*, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), garlic*, propylene glycol alginate, spice, onion*, citric acid. *Dehydrated



Chili Lime Tortilla Strips:
Corn, vegetable oil (corn oil and/or soybean oil and/or sunflower oil), salt, maltodextrin, sugar, dried tomato, dextrose, spices, onion powder, green bell pepper powder, citric acid, autolyzed yeast extract, malic acid, paprika extract (color), disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, natural flavor (vegetable source), lemon extract, spice extractive.



Liquid Margarine:
Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). CONTAINS: SOY LECITHIN



i also happened to look at the grilled chicken ingredients, which obviously people choose to stay away from trans fats...note what it is "prepared with"...



Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT. Prepared with liquid margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). CONTAINS: SOY LECITHIN


then the dressing:



Newman's Own® Creamy Southwest Dressing:
Water, corn syrup solids, soybean oil, distilled vinegar, egg yolks, corn vinegar, corn starch, whey, salt, cilantro, sugar, spices, paprika, onion*, garlic*, apple cider vinegar, sour cream* (cultured sour cream, skim milk solids, whey, sugar, citric acid, lactic acid), natural flavors (animal and vegetable sources), xanthan gum, lactic acid, parsley*. *Dehydrated. CONTAINS: EGG AND MILK



soooo...whew! what a lotta work!! so i guess on studying the ingredients of the ingredients in the southwest salad, i was a bit disappointed! i naiively figured since it was a salad, and the chix was grilled, that it was nearly perfectly healthy for you! WRONG!



HOWEVER!!! the salads are definitely the BEST of the WORST choices. that should be pretty obvious. you're getting greens and there's no refined carbs (aka buns!) at least...and the dairy is at a minimum (shredded cheeses).



the chicken isnt fried and breaded at least, which is certainly muchmuch worse for you than the grilled.



the calories are lower and even the salad dressing for the southwest salad has a "readable" label--i knew what every single ingredient was at least!!



so, to end my little dilemma-filled story, i ended up having the salad! haha! ;)



my reasoning is, obviously we cant avoid every single bad thing for us unless we grow our own food organically and never cook anything! the foods i eat at home are trans fat-, HFCS-, and preservative-free...so i dont feel too badly eating one or two meals a week that contain that junk.



my point in sharing this experience is to be smart when you make what you're thinking is the better choice in eating out!! there's always the potential of a lot of hidden crap in even the healthiest foods offered at restaurants. the more educated and aware we are of what companies and restaurants put in our foods, the healthier we will be in the years to come!!



here's a few links you may find interesting regarding some of the stuff i mentioned in this post. they are all from mercola.com, and to view some or all of them, you may need to sign up for the newsletter.

• MSG info (the part that is most useful i believe is the listing at the bottom of the article)

• BK takin a step in the right direction

• good info about corn and HFCS

• see and hear "The Merc"--that's what i call him *hehe*--in action about trans fats

i hope you found this post intriguing, and i hope it makes you think about what you order next time you eat out!! good health is something we all deserve, and for goodness sake, its tough to be healthy in today's world once you learn what you "grew up eating" wasn't very good for ya!!



take care and eat your veggies today! heheh!



~josey~

movin' on up! (mooooovin' on up!)...

heyyyyyyyyyy! (how do ya like the old-school chiropractics? hehe!!)



yep, i'm movin' on up (mooooovin' on up!)...to the eaaast side *lol* hehehe okay, well i'm not moving to a deluxe apartment in the sky ...but, i feel like i'm finally making some headway in the health department, and that's somethin i am sure celebratin!!! the last 6 months, and especially the last few, have been some of the roughest emotionally and physically i've ever had. fortunately, i've had the support & prayers of my husband, family and a few close friends to drag me thru it all!! cause believe me, i've been kicking and screaming!



...yep, kicking and screaming, like a little baby! *LOL* well i digress, i wasnt THAT bad, but if i was, it would be my hormones to blame. really. im just all messed up inside!!



before my laparoscopy, i happened upon a wonderful website which helped me understand i had other options than drugs for the treatment of my endo. then someone recommended this AWESOME book to me by Dian Shepperson Mills & Michael Vernon called Endometriosis: A Key to Healing Through Nutrition.



talk about a revelation!! if you or someone you know has endometriosis, this is a MUST READ. not only will you learn SO MUCH, but it is written so compassionately and many times i've just sat there and cried while reading it, saying to myself, "that is me...that is what i've been feeling and experiencing..." and it has felt SO GOOD to know that someone understands!! and most of all, to know i'm not going crazy. or being a hypochondriac. or clinically depressed! because some days have been horrible!



that book, coupled with the website, has given me oodles of hope and inspiration, and more knowledge than i ever imagined to take control of my own health.



in fact, a few weeks ago i went back to my family doctor and had blood tests done to check everything, including my cholesterol and thyroid. she said my thyroid was fine, but i had my doubts because of the way i've been feeling and some symptoms i've had (thinning hair, dry hands/legs, foggy memory, fatigue, moodiness...), and in addition, thyroid issues run on my mom's side (mom, grandma, and great grandma all have/had problems--great grandma even died of goiter!!).



so...where am i now? well, after coming to the conclusion i wanted to try a drug-free approach to treating my endo, i decided to see a naturopath.



so last week, i had an appointment with the naturopathic practitioner. interestingly enough, one of the first questions she asked me was if i've recently had my thyroid checked. according to her observations, (which i most definitely agree with!) my thyroid IS on the decline (but to a general doctor, if its within the levels, even if its low, they wont offer treatment or suggestions...), and guess what? the thyroid gland is one of the reproductive hormone glands! GO FIGURE!



so that directly works into my hormonal imbalances and the endometriosis. its hard telling which problem came first--but either way, im working on balancing it all out again. it will take several months--not as quick as a drug--but it will be something that makes me healthier all around and that i can live with with NO SIDE EFFECTS.



im on a couple herbal tincture supplements (one to jump-start my thyroid and one to "clean up" the endo), and i also am taking magnesium and a special B-vitamin complex. those two will help my body recover from all the stress ive been under--lots of stress whacks out hormone levels, too! so sheesh, it's all related.



and one more thing--i have some major diet changes. no dairy, no wheat. fortunately i've been cutting wayyyy back on them anyway (esp dairy), so hopefully it wont be too bad.



and losing weight is the #1 priority to normalize the hormones--especially because i found out from my blood tests that i am pre-diabetic!!



so God is really piling it all on right now, telling me to take care of myself!! SO I AM!! hehe! i have already been taking fish oil, evening primrose oil, a black cohosh supplement and a good multivitamin, so as long as i really really stick to the good diet, i am DEFINITELY gonna see some results.



i know, it seems like a lot of pills and junk, but i dont care because i know they are healthy for me--not a drug with side effects, just treating symptoms! and the pills and supplements are only part of the equation for holistic treatment!



OH and also, she told me i MUST MUST MUST get out of the house more and be around other people. my stress levels from just sitting around, worrying about myself, etc... are a major factor in my hormone imbalances. when you are stressed, your adrenal glands produce a lot more cortisol, which lowers progesterone, which means estrogen is dominant.



the B-vits im taking will help my adrenals recover since they are sucking up the little bit i get in my diet, but i have to put some effort into lowering my stress levels too, or i wont get any better. so, im looking into taking a yoga class once or twice a week. im pretty excited!



soooo anyhooooo...sorry for all the babbling! i actually SPARED you a lot of details, if you can believe it. (im sure you can--you know how talkative i am LOL)



for me, it is a wonderful feeling to understand how are bodies are created to heal themselves if we provide the right nutrients and support. now that i know a lot more, i realize my poor immune system has been sooo abused, probably for the last decade especially. i know im young, but people are getting chronic and even terminal illnesses much younger these days.



our world bombards us with toxins and chemicals that we arent made to deal with long term--and its not just in our air, its in our water, food and all the junk we put on our bodies. it takes a lot of open-mindedness to understand and even believe that the things we have come to know as commonplace arent always the healthiest or created with our longevity in mind. most companies are out to make money--not make us healthy!



(i wont even go there! LOL *hides the soap box from myself* heheeh )



if you get a chance, visit my the blog of my friend melissa. she recently posted some AWESOME info about convenience foods that may open your eyes!



seeing her posts made me happy that there are parents who are not only trying to improve their own health, but taking responsibility for what their child eats as well. its a super tough job raising children these days, let alone making sure they eat for wellness! that's another soapbox of mine! hehe!



i truly believe what our children eat affects their behavior, grades, and a host of other things. along those lines, last summer i watched jamie oliver's school lunch project series on TLC, and it intrigued me!! check his site out. its a very VERY important subject!



okay, im realllly gonna go now! we're having soft tacos for supper, and im starving. it'll be my first time trying brown rice tortillas!! LOL!!! (no wheat, remember!?)



take care and be well!!!



~josey~

when it rains, it pours

hey!!



yes, im still here! and YES I KNOW, i didnt post my food log friday! im sure you can guess why. it sucked. just like saturday. BUT...BUTBUTBUT! :) sunday was pretty good. and yesterday was better...and today was, too!! YAYBERS!



*HUGEMONGOUS SIGH* <---that's what i feel like today! just beat up. LOL! well, that's what i felt like EARLIER today. im better now. a lot of health issues have been piling up on me in the last year. geez-o-pete im only 32!!!



i wont pile my woe-is-me story on you (yes, this is the shortened version! haha)...but on top of my endometriosis, i have a tooth that needs pulled/replaced and anxiety to get under control--and just today i found out that i have to see a podiatrist about some foot/ankle issues i've had for several years AND that i am considered pre-diabetic!



SHYEAH!!! talk about frustration. :| i mean, anyone who knows me well knows i've been trying to get healthy for a while now. why is this all piling up on me NOW??? *LOL!*



ANNNNDDDD on top of ALL that, i found out my cholesterol is up 16 points from this time last year. its still in a healthy range, but DANG! i guess i havent done anything right in the last year :(



i am STILL set on 2007 being my year to get my health on track. i suppose i am just going to have to take things one day at a time. *sigh again* more on all that junk another day.



SO. enough depressing stuff for today!!



well shoot, actually i need to go. im gonna go fire up the mini-charcoal grill so we can have some chicken and veggies on it for supper! its gloomy out, but i dont care. i NEED to smell GRILL! *LOL!* you know what i mean. that's always a sign of spring and i could use a good feeling about right now. i'll write more soon!



ttfn.



~josey~