Anyone can grow a garden!

I live in a neighborhood outside city limits and on a street that dead ends.  So I kind of feel like I am out in the country a little, yet am close enough to town for all those trips I make in a day!  My neighbor usually grows a pretty big garden, so the 5 years I have lived here, I have just taken what he gives me.  This year I decided that we eat such a variety of vegetables that he does not grow, so maybe I should try and grow those.  Thank goodness for pinterest and all of the great ideas that are out there!
This pin was what I started with: planting my seed in egg shell halves and sprouting them inside first.   http://www.17apart.com/2012/01/how-to-plant-seeds-using-eggshells.html

Then today, I decided to move those seedling that have sprouted on out into my "palette" garden.  This idea came from here:http://www.hometalk.com/146502/our-palette-garden
even though they suggest standing it upright, I am going to keep mine flat on the ground! 

So what have I planted this spring?  Butternut squash, sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, kale, lettuce, and spinach.  Those are all in the palette garden.  Then in pots going up my front porch steps are my herbs for cooking.  Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary,& parsley.  I also have mint that grows around my flag pole and dill that is in the flower bed.  In another flower bed I planted chamomile and in the bed with my blueberry bushes, I planted asparagus.  My strawberries are doing well!  They have so many white buds on them already. 

So how does your garden grow?  I think even if you live in an apartment you could do the palette garden and plants in containers!    Leave me a comment with what all you're growing this year!  For more ideas, follow me on pinterest!  http://pinterest.com/liciajoy/

Last day of GI testing

Although not the most glamorous thing to do, today is the last day of my GI testing.  As I am writing this post I am spitting in my last vial and then off to UPS to send it off for analysis.  Last time it took over a week to get my results, so I am not expecting this time to be any faster.  Have I mentioned I DO NOT like to wait! 
On Sunday we had some friends over for a cookout and one of my good friends Birthday celebrations.  There was of course an ice cream cake and then another friend brought chess squares. I was really good and avoided the cake, however chess squares...oh how I love the!  It has been SOOOO long since I have had a chess square!  So I thought to myself, I can surely have one tiny bite and it will be fine.  WRONG!!! I did have two tiny bites, but the next day I was BLOATED and crampy, and felt tired and just gross.  All in all, it was so good at the time I was chewing the dessert, but so NOT worth it the WHOLE next day!  Lesson learned!
I sure hope this GI panel will give me some answers!  Feeling like this for a whole day over  2 little bites of wheat/gluten is just crazy!  If the answers are not found in this test, I will have to do another test for food sensitivities.  That one will require blood work, which I am NOT a fan of! Anyone else feel like this after you eat wheat/gluten?  If so, leave me a comment of how you deal with the bloat the next day!  Peppermint tea used to help, but not anymore!

Healthy birthday cake

My oldest daughter turned 8 last week. She is the one who seems to be super sensitive to gluten and processed sugar. So for her "cake" this year she chose a fruit cake. Basically we just used a seedless watermelon as the cake part and then using tooth picks we attached other fruits like other melons, strawberries, grapes and pineapple. I used wooden skewer sticks and made fruit kabobs sticking out the top. It turned out cute and was delicious. Just goes to show that even kids will grow to desire to be good to their bodies if you help them understand and teach them.

Time for more labs!

Today I received another test kit in the mail.  This one is for GI testing.  (Gastrointestinal)  This will be to screen the GI tract and its function.  Since I have frequent bloating, gas and cramping, along with the occasional constipation, travel outside the US once a year, prepare food at home, and have pets...this puts me at possible risk of contracting a parasite.  The risk of being infected or infested by a pathogenic organism through food and water is on the rise.  The reason being because of immigration and importation of fruits and vegetables.  Anyone, regardless of economic status can become infected.  The WHO (World Health Organization) currently states that about half a billion individuals are infected annually by different forms of parasites.  This really freaks me out and seems disgusting!  However, if this is whats wrong with my GUT, I definitely  want to know!  The CDC (center for disease control) also states that you don't have to travel to another country to get a parasite.  They are all around us, both in big cities and small towns.
The test kit will also test for bacteria, fungi, and yeast as well.  Digestion-related screens for enzyme levels and immunochemical markers for intolerance to offending foods.  And also, intestinal function markers to evaluate irritation and inflammation.  The overall status of gut immunity and integrity. 
So...let the fun begin.  3-4 days before I begin the test, I have to avoid vitamins and all kinds of other things.  Then I test one day, skip and day, test again on day 3 and ship the samples off.  In case you are wondering, the tests will be of both stool and saliva. 
My previous blood work from back in the fall indicated that I may be suffering from malabsorption of some kind since my calcium, magnesium, amylase and a few other levels were low.  This seemed odd because I eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and shouldn't be low in these labs.  I am really hoping to get some answers from this test!  And at the same time praying it's NOT a parasite.  YUCK!  I mean if that was the case, shouldn't I be SUPER SKINNY?  haha, you know how we have all heard that.  If these tests do not reveal anything in the way of answers, then we will do the food sensitivities blood test!  I'll keep you posted.

A recap from my phone consultation today

As those of you who have been following know, today at 12:30 was my phone consultation with my Nutritional Therapist.  It lasted an hour and a half and was enlightening.  Although we still don't know enough info to get to the root of the problem, here is a recap of what I did find out today...
My main issue is digestion.  Even though I eat the rights kinds of foods and take good care of my self, there is still some indication in the blood work that I had drawn in September 2012 that my G.I. track has some issues.  My 4 hour GTT (glucose tolerance test) went something like this, fasting:94, 1 hour:158, 2 hour:76, 3 hour: 111, 4 hour: 105.  This indicated something is not quite right considering the way I eat, protein, fiber, fat, LOW starches.  So this could mean that I have some hidden food sensitivities. 
Other labs indicated that the gallbladder isn't functioning correctly.  Although I had an ultrasound of this to check for disease and stones, the blood work shows the opposite.  Could be fine sand like sludge causing problems that wouldn't show on U.S. 
My potassium was low, hyper adrenal function; my carbon dioxide was low, B1 & thiamine; magnesium and calcium were low,  malabsorption and my amylase was low, I need enzymes.  All of these indicate LOTS of digestion markers.  She even mentioned I could possibly have a parasite. 
So the results from the spit test looked something like this:
My cortisol level in the morning was 29.  This was taken between 6-8 am and normal is 18-19, so I was definitely off the chart.  This could indicate an immune response or be a result of low blood sugar.  The second sample was normal, taken between 11-1pm.  The sample taken between 4-5 pm was 3 and normal is 5-6, so although a little low, this would be why I am so tired around 3 pm daily.  Then the 11-12 midnight sample was again normal.  My total score was 41 and norrmal is between 32-33.  So I have hyper adrenal function.  She also had the lab check my DHEA which is the anti-aging hormone, muscle building hormone, and other things, but mine was a 7 and that is GREAT!  So yay me on that one!
Since the gut is my biggest issue, we are now going to go forward with digestive testing.  My test kit is in the mail and I will have to test for 3 days and then mail it in and wait again for results.  The culprit of all this mess could be physical stress, sleep issues, mental/emotional/spiritual, infection, or food sensitivities.  Once we have the results from this next test, we will be able to determine if I will need to have the food sensitivities test done as well.
So for now... more waiting and testing.  You know how much I love that!  It could be much worse!  She said that many of her patients end up with G.I. issues and never had the first symptom.  I think about my good friend who has stage 4 colon cancer and she never really had but one symptom before she was diagnosed.  It took a horse kicking her in the head for her to be air lifted to a trauma center and once scanned full body, that's when it was discovered.  So the point here is, we don't always have symptoms, but staying on top of our health is so important!  Know your body, pay attention and listen!  Then follow through and do something!
All diseases begin in the GUT.

Spring...what we do around here!

These are pictures of our baby chicks, and butterflies.  Spring is new life, and is always a great time to teach this to children.  For Christmas my girls received a butterfly garden kit.  We sent off for our caterpillars in the mail and received a container with 5 and all the food they needed.  It was a great experiment to watch how fast those little suckers grew.  The miracle of forming the cocoon and how quickly the transformation of change takes place.  We fed them and observed for several days.  Then this week the weather was finally warm enough, so we released them!
The baby chicks are Buff orpingtons.  They are the friendliest breed of chickens, meaning they will come right to you.   I am totally stoked to raise these sweet little girls and enjoy some fresh farm eggs from our own backyard chickens.  Since we eat gluten free around here, recipes call for 3 or more eggs and that means we go through a LOT of eggs!  Hoping this will help me out in cost savings!
Yesterday we also started our seedling garden.  I saw a cool idea on pinterest of starting seeds in half egg shells and then you just plant the whole thing in the ground when ready.  We planted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, bell peppers, butternut squash, sugar snap peas, lettuce, kale and spinach.  We also planted herbs, dill, oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme and chamomile.  We also planted asparagus in our flower bed, although we won't have a harvest the first year, maybe next.  I have a strawberry patch so I got in there and pulled all the weeds and noticed I have several blooms already!  The girls will be excited for fresh strawberries soon.
All that being said, how does your garden grow?  I am going to try growing some things in a pallet garden, also seen on pinterest.
I am also looking for plans to build a chicken tractor.  Any ideas are welcomed!  I need to get to building soon.  The weather here is getting warm and the chicks are growing fast!

Fat burning is hard to do when your adrenals are fatigued!

I have always been on the smaller side of average for my height.  Never really had trouble with weight gain, until these stinking little adrenal glands became so fatigued.  For the past year I have been eating a Paleo diet for about 85-90% of the time and working out moderately as well as practicing yoga.  Nothing too extreme on the exercise end for sure.  I'm not one to just sit around, so I am pretty active even if I'm not in the gym working out. 
All that aside, when I have been reading and studying about adrenal fatigue, I have found that the HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout types are the best.  What does this mean exactly?  Well for those of you out there who hate cardio like I do, this means that you can get in a good burn and sculpt all in about 12-15 min.  One that will turn on your body's fat burning ability and it will even keep burning through out the day!  Now that's the kind of workout I am interested in!  The question for me was, where do I find such a plan?  I am not an exercise science person who knows all about muscles and whats best for the body in terms of exercise, so I need a preplanned program to follow.  Here is a link to the one I have found that I will be following.  http://www.bodyrock.tv/category/daily-workouts/all-workouts/ 
I have decided to follow the May conditioning & fat loss 30 day program from 2012.  The reason I chose to follow this one was because it also incorporated "flow" which is their version of yoga.  I am not doing their version of yoga, I will go to my yoga studio and continue to practice there, but for those of of you who don't know a thing about  yoga but want to try, this is perfect!  Please note that this website does have a girl who is coaching you through the workouts, and she is dressed really skimpy.  This is not appropriate for young viewers in my opinion.  I basically only recommend this site mainly for the exercise program and the way that she demonstrates and gives modifications.  Not sure why the titles of the workouts and her attire are so sexual and not modest at all, but if you can overlook that... this is a great tool!
Post comments if you like the workouts, or if you know of  another tool or program out there that is free and gives the same great information!  Only 2 more days till I have my phone consultation and get my plan!  Can't wait!

The results are in...

I received an email yesterday from my holistic health care professional.  She said that my spit test results are back and as soon as she received a copy of my most recent labs and my paperwork she needed me to fill out that she could determine a plan for me.  I faxed everything over yesterday and I am scheduled to call her next Thursday at 12:30 to discuss my health.  Although I am very excited to have the results, as I posted before, I am NOT good at waiting! 
I do have to say that the blood sugar drops, staying bottomed out, have improved greatly!  I attribute this mainly to the fact that I have cut out the coffee in my morning routine. I actually don't even drink coffee at all anymore except one small cup on Sunday's during my Sunday school class.  I am so thankful that I am not having so many spells of feeling like I am going to pass out!  I actually feel pretty normal most days!  One thing I am trying to do better about is sleeping.  I find that by 9pm I am exhausted and ready for bed.  It is easy for me to fall asleep, just not easy for me to stay asleep.  I think this is why I still have the total fatigue that hits me daily around 3pm. 
I read the other day that when you have adrenal fatigue that weight training and short interval bursts of cardio are way to go when working out.  So I am trying to come up with the right exercise program for me.  I love yoga and will definitely keep that as part of the plan.  I just need to add in some HIIT.  (High Intensity Interval Training)  Now to find that program and incorporate it into  my weekly schedule.  Any one reading this post have any suggestions on that one for me?  I'm open to suggestions!

Is it possible to De-stress?

Adrenal Fatigue is in fact considered a stress syndrome.  I never thought I was stressed.  I did feel stressed some times, but not really all that much.  How is it that one can become so sick from stress when they don't really feel stressed?  Well it's actually simple.  The body responds to all things we put it through in different ways.  From the food we eat, the drinks we drink, the lack of sleep we get, the strenuous exercise we make the body endure, to situations we put ourselves in, the list goes on and on.  So the fact that we may enjoy the food, drink, exercise, and situations, doesn't always mean that our bodies can handle it well. 
Ways that I am trying to learn to De-stress my life, remember that I didn't feel stressed, are by changing some of my habits one at a time and seeing which change gives me the best results.  My symptoms had become so great that they were disrupting my life in such a way that I could not function day to day.  It took me getting to this point of desperation to decide I needed a change. The first change I decided to make was one in which I have to say "NO" to all of the extra things I was doing.  I now have to evaluate each thing and see if it had to be done right away, does it have to be done by me, and is it going to put a strain on me and push me for time in other aspects of life.  That has been a huge weight lifted of  my shoulders that I didn't even know I was carrying.  So many times when you are a stay at home mom, people assume you do nothing and that you are always available to help them out. This couldn't be further from the truth actually. 
The next thing I am trying to do is really make sure I keep my blood sugar stable through out the day.  Most people with A.F. are hypoglycemic, so eating well balanced meals often is key.  I am a snacker, so I always thought I was eating the right foods, but the problem was I was not pairing the right things together and eating them at the right times.  This is a process and one I am still learning.  Mainly, eat within 30 min. of waking and consume a balance of protein, whole grain carbs, and a healthy fat! 
On the exercise topic, I felt like I was doing great.  I was doing a version of Crossfit with a partner in our gym, and really pushing myself to the limits.  For some reason though, I felt awful, and still I kept gaining this excess fat around my middle and upper thighs.  That's so frustrating!  Well, I have now learned that with A.F. you cannot do a lot of long periods of cardio.  Strength training is good because it encourages your hormones to fire and start working.  The long periods of cardio actually fatigue the adrenals more and make your body think that it needs to hold on to all fat for reserve.  So eating some carbs for fuel around exercise time is key also.  This helps the body start burning for fuel and then it will go into the fat reserves for more fuel.  So eating just a little bit of carbs to jump start that process helps.  Too many carbs would not help.
I know I have mentioned several times that Yoga is something I practice regularly.  Truth is that I fell in love with it in the Spring/Summer 2012, and practiced very regularly.  Then school started and I felt guilty for doing something for myself when I should be homeschooling my daughter.  After I began feeling so bad, I quit doing anything that involved exercise at all.  Then after the first of the year, I decided to give myself permission to get back into my practice full time again.  My plan now is to do yoga 4-5 times a week and strength training with weights 2 times a week.   If you are in or around the Dickson area like me, I recommend Yoga of Dickson.  This is a fabulous studio to practice with some wonderful people.  If you are not in the area, look for a studio near you and try a class.  If you cannot afford to spend the money on classes, www.yogaofdickson.com has a free podcast you can download and experience the relaxation yoga can offer.  If you are not familiar with the poses, you may want to familiarize yourself with those first before trying the pod cast.
I welcome any comments on other ways that you may have found to De-stress your life.  Somethings cannot be avoided or changed, such as kids and the demands of family.  Those things we will just have to learn to deal with, breathe deep and "don't sweat the small stuff".