Momma's got a new Biz

Actually it's two businesses in one!  First of all I am happy to announce that the reason I have been MIA lately is because I have been studying, learning and getting certified in Health and Wellness coaching.  I got this certificate from Dr. Josh Axe, after taking his 8 week course, Institute for Nutritional Leadership.  Then I had to build a website and find a product that I would use for my clients.   So without further ado... I present to you my new businesses... (drum roll please)

Feel free to visit my website and check out the new business!  aliciatrottercoaching.my.canva.site

 Now on to the second business that is also part of the Health Coaching biz as well...(another drum roll please) the product I chose to use with my clients is Plexus Worldwide.  Why did I choose this company?  Well if you know me, then you will know that I do not do anything without researching and really looking into every possible aspect of it.  This company is top notch first off, and secondly they have a product that is all natural, non GMO and gluten free.  Their prices are reasonable and even cheaper than some brands that I have used in the past.  The thing that makes me the most happy is that the products combine several things I was already taking which made me really happy because I'm all about simple.  And since my business name includes the word "simple" in it, I needed a product that was simple as well. For example the probiotic they have also has digestive enzymes in there too!  A great product in one that supports digestive health!  Want to find out what other products they offer, visit my product website where you can shop and order today.  There are 3 ways to buy, retail, preferred and wholesale.  Retail is full price, preferred is like setting up your Amazon auto monthly ship where you get a bit of a discount for doing so, and wholesale is like being a member of Costco.  Pay a cheap yearly fee and buy products at wholesale.  So visit the website and cruise around to see what products you think might work for you!  I'll also be writing more articles on the products and what I have seen them do in my life and those family members and friends who also use the products!

aliciatrotter.myplexusproducts.com

I'd love your feed back too so let me know what you think! 

Are you "weight loss resistant"?

What is "weight loss resistance" you may be wondering?!?  It is basically where you can NOT loose weight no matter how hard you try.  You are eating right, working out, and nothing is happening, in fact you may even be gaining weight instead!  This is a problem that affects about 70% of the population and it is under the umbrella of Auto Immune. 

I wrote a post a little bit ago about Auto Immune and what it even is.  http://trottingthrulife.blogspot.com/2014/09/autoimmune-problems-what-does-it-even.html
I talked about my ups and downs with health and eventually becoming weight loss resistant.  At the time of the post, I was doing a SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) detox.  What this did was KILL off all the bacteria in my gut, both good and bad.  It was pretty intense as I was very limited to what I could eat because carbs and fiber feed all kinds of bacteria and make it multiply and grow.  How did I know I had bad bacteria in my gut?  I had previously worked with a Nutritional Therapist and she did a stool sample on me to see what was going on in there.  This is how we initially found out.  I took an all natural anti-microbial for 3 months to kill the bad guys off, but they just came back.  So after learning more about bad bacteria and how it grows, it was necessary to eliminate the carbs and fiber and take the supplements all together in order to truly get the bad guys gone!  Some people can rid their bodies of this in 15 days, however my body was stubborn and it took 30 days.  After those 30 days were over, I was able to reintroduce carbs in the form of veggies.  I did this in very small amounts and did not take the extra supplement of fiber this time!
Also while doing this 30 days of detox, I made sure to consume plenty of healthy fats. I did this in the form of "bulletproof" coffee and "fat bombs".  http://trottingthrulife.blogspot.com/2014/09/eating-fat-to-burn-fat.html  Which believe it or not, my body actually started burning fat again and I lost 11 pounds! 
Now I am on the phase of healing the individual cells through a "CORE cellular healing" program.  You can look this up by doing a Google search of Dr. Pompa.  He's the guy who developed this program.  There are plenty of you tube videos also where he explains everything in great detail.  It really does make sense! 
So as of today...I am on my second round of the CORE supplements, feeling great, and working towards healing my individual cells.  My heavy metals test revealed that I still had some in my system that were in the yellow, Aluminum & Mercury to name the top 2.  There were some other ones too but not commonly known.  I have 2 silver fillings and I am meeting with a holistic dentist on Nov 17 to have a consultation about having those properly removed and replaced.  This will help because those fillings are constantly leaching out into our system making our cells inflamed and when the body is inflamed that's when diseases thrive!  This doesn't happen over night, but over a LONG period of time.  Also there is Mercury in our mascara, and aluminum in our deodorant, so considering our skin is like a big sponge, we are absorbing toxins by simply using beauty products.  I don't mean throw out everything you have and go buy new, but you can check out  what you have by using www.cosmeticdatabase.com.  They rate products on a scale of 0-9 with 9 being highly toxic! 

I know this is a LOT of information and you may be feeling overwhelmed, trust me I know!  I did not begin to feel sick over night, nor did I begin my healing journey in one step.  Feeling sick came on over the course of 4-5 years and I baby stepped into this healing journey which I am still on that started about 2 1/2 years ago.  I don't have all the answers nor do I claim to, however, writing this blog I am hopeful that through my transparencies I can encourage others to take control of their health and begin their own journey to healing! 
*Please consult you health care practitioner before going off any meds or taking any supplements.  I am not a Doctor nor do I claim to be one.  (I just play one on TV!  LOL)

Jello Jigglers

 This is the brand of gelatin that I use.  I order it on Amazon.  This is the only brand that I am aware of that is from grass fed cows.  Gelatin has protein in it and also has many beneficial properties that we should be consuming daily!  www.hollywoodhomestead.com  has lots of interesting info on gelatin and the benefits for you.

 Using juice such as this, is low in sugar and tart cherry has beneficial properties as well for reducing inflammation.  Juice that is not from concentrate is the best choice. 

I heat 1 cup of water to boiling and then remove from heat.  I then add 5 TBSP of gelatin sprinkled over the top and let dissolve.  Once it is dissolved, I add 2 cups of the juice and 1/2 cup of raw honey and whisk until combined.  Then I pour into a glass 8X8 casserole dish and put in the fridge until it is set up.  Cut into squares and eat!  Store in a container in the fridge!

Winter Soup & the challenge is coming to and end!

I promised those following my IG account this recipe last week.  So sorry I am a week late getting it up.  Better late than never I guess, so here it is...
WINTER SOUP:
1 pkg of butternut squash or 1 squash peeled and diced
1/2 a bag of prechopped kale, or 1/2 a bunch, torn into bite sized pieces
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained (could also use great northern or chick peas)
qt of broth, homemade or organic free range chicken stock
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 package of sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp Spanish paprika
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a stock pot, melt some ghee or grass fed butter, or coconut oil and sautee onion and garlic until translucent.  Add spices and stir to combine.  Add broth and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to med cooking until the squash is fork tender. 
I served this with pork tenderloin sliced and baked.  You could cube up some pork and cook with the soup if you wish. 

This is the soup and also pictured is "Paleo Dinner Rolls" from paleospirit.com.  They are divine and so simple to make!

Today is day 19 of my 21 day jump start challenge.  I haven't lost any more weight on the scales, a few inches were regained, and I haven't check Body Fat % yet.  I plan to do that on day 22.  My ultimate goal from this was for BF loss.  Since I pretty much eat this way 80-90% of the time anyways, I did not expect weight loss.  Since I haven't been able to hit the workouts super hard, I may be disappointed with my end results.  However I do have to say that I do feel through all of this, I have finally stabilized by blood sugar which always ran low.  I have learned how to fuel my body with the right amount of calories, I always ate too few.  I feel like overall, I have much better health than I did this time last year.  I feel like the Adrenal Fatigue is a thing of the past!  I feel like ME again and that feels GREAT!  I want to give a shout out to Kim, Julie, and Janna.  They have reached out to me for help in getting their lives back on track.  I am here for ya for moral support and also for any other support you may need along this journey!  This blog was started to hopefully bring better health to those who are interested through my transparent journey in obtaining my own health.

GI testing results are in...

So this is a diagram of what the human anatomy of our digestive track looks like.  Just in case anyone is curious about that!
My test results were as follows:
NO fungus or yeast
NO parasites (Yippie!!!)
3 strains of bacteria that all people have normally in the gut:
1. e.coli
2. strep
3. lactococcus
All of these were in serious overgrowth in my gut!  Not a good thing, especially since all the other markers were negative and I did NOT have a bacterial infection in the gut.  Luckily Anti-microbials can cure this!
(SIgA) which is a marker that tests for intestinal immunity was LOW!  Normal is 400-880, and mine was 44.
This is the immunity of the mucosal tissue, not what determines if you catch a cold or not!
This could be low due to food sensitivities which I have not tested for yet, but will be doing next!
I had no inflammation in the gut!  Thats good!
Chymotrypsin (pancreas enzymes) were low.  Normal is around 15, mine was 4.  What does this mean?  My food is not being properly broken down because my pancreatic enzymes are low.
I did have a little blood in the stool, once I begin gut healing treatment, I will retest for this to see if it is still there, worse or the same.
The recommendation was to start gut healing treatment to see if symptoms of bloating and discomfort after eating go away, or test for Food Sensitivities.  When I say bloating, let me be clear here that this is extreme bloating!  I have a flat stomach, eat anything at all and then I look 5 months pregnant.  No matter how much I work out my ABS, I cannot hold in my ABS to where I don't look preggers.  FRUSTRATION, and PAIN!  So,  I chose to go ahead and test for the food issues first because I felt it would be a lost cause to heal the gut if the food is the problem!  This test is being mailed to me now and once I have my blood drawn, I will have results in 2 days!  Much faster on this test!
So, when people ask me why I am doing this testing through a Nutritional Therapist and not my doctor, the answer is this...
Sadly enough in our Western Medical community, testing is not super thorough.  As long as they can find one thing out of the norm that there is a pill for, then they stop there and prescribe the pill.  The problem I have with this is that more times than not, this doesn't really get to the bottom of what is really going on.  Then the pill masks the symptoms so the real problem still exists.  I am taking my health into my own hands and seeking out help from a more holistic approach.  I want all the tests run and then collaboratively with my N.T. we will come up with as natural of a plan as we can to get my body back in balance the way GOD designed it to be.  We live in such a toxic world that no matter how hard we try to eliminate the toxins from our environment, we are still exposed to some degree.
I hope this hasn't totally overwhelmed or confused you all!  It's a lot to take in and understand!  Thanks for reading and following along!  I welcome any comments and questions if you are struggling to get some answers about your own health!  I will try my best to guide you in the right direction!       

Yoga for stress!

 Flamingo in "Tree Pose" at the Nashville Zoo, April 30, 2013

Yellow Lab in "Downward Facing Dog" at my house, April 19, 2013

I read a blog post on one of the many blogs I follow yesterday describing how even in our young children, they can get stressed and depressed.  Many times these conditions either go undiagnosed or the children end up medicated for them.  The blog was talking about how "YOGA" can help with stress and depression simply from the fact that it starts with our breath.  Deep breathing and relaxation.  This is what we are told to do to help with child birth, so it does make since when we thing about the science behind "Yoga".  The pictures I posted above are of animals in their own environment doing "yoga" poses all the time, everyday!  The point of the post I read was that before we let our children become stressed or depressed we should start at a very early age teaching them techniques of relaxation and deep breathing.  The blogger had given some suggestions on reading a story and having the children act out the story through flowing from one yoga pose to another.  I thought it was a very clever and cute idea.  Also keeps the body flexible and thus preventing injury in our day to day activities.  
I also was at the chiropractor yesterday and they has a documentary playing on how much our young children are prescribed anti-depressants.  That these types of medications along with ADD and ADHD meds have such horrific side affects that children as young as 7 are hanging themselves.  I know this subject may hit a chord with some people and I do not mean that I judge you if you have your child on any of these meds.  Each person is entitled to their own choice of how to handle situations in their childs life.  My main point here is to educated anyone who is looking for an alternative to the medications.  If your doctor has suggested your child be medicated and you want to try something else first, then I encourage you to look into some yoga for kids.  There are many DVDs, Youtube videos, books, etc out there.  Also removing red-40 dye from their foods and supplementing with extra magnesium (either in powder form mixed with water or topical form that is absorbed through the skin, ie epsom salt baths).  Personally being someone who suffers the stress syndrome "Adrenal Fatigue" and how it wreaks havoc on the body, I would love to see my children learn techniques as a child that could help them through out life learn not to get stressed!
Just my thoughts to share with you today, and remember, each person's opinion is their own, and it's "not wrong, just different"!  Thanks for reading!  Leave me a comment on your opinion!

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.

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".

I'm not good at waiting

Today has been a week since I mailed off my spit test to the lab.  I emailed the holistic healthcare professional I am going to be working with and she said as soon as she has the results she will be in touch.  How long does it take to analyze a person's spit?  As you can tell, I am NOT good at waiting!  I am a type A, lets get it done, move over your doing this too slow, kinda person.  Since I am at the mercy of something I cannot control, I guess I need to practice my deep breaths and learn some patience!
Not sure if I mentioned this before or not, but I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11.  Now that I am in my mid 30s, I have started to really develop some health related problems as a result of my spine being shaped like an S.  The chiropractor said that the adrenal fatigue was also a result of my lumbar spine being curved 37 degrees.
The chiropractor I see specializes in scoliosis correction, thank goodness, but I am in the beginning phases of some intense correction therapy.  Can we say...I feel like I have the lower back of an 80 year old.  Although I practice yoga 3-5 times a week, I now think I should be doing it 3 times a day!  That seems to be the major release of the tightness and inflammation I feel in my lower back.  I guess the saying "No pain, No gain", rings true to my life right now.  But the fact that I have also gained almost 5 pounds doesn't make me very happy.  According to the book I read on Adrenal Fatigue, this is a common problem, holding extra weight in your torso and upper thighs.  Yep!  That's me to a tee.  It will not budge.  This makes me even more anxious and ready to have a plan that I can put into action TODAY!!!
Yet, I am waiting and being taught to "be still".  Very hard lesson for me to learn.  If you are reading this and you are willing, please pray that I will be more patient and learn to relax, accept what I cannot control and be able to be still, so I can hear any instructions on how to heal myself from this syndrome!  Thanks!

End of spit test day

I have one more vial to fill so I am waiting till 10 to do my last spitting of the day. It has been taking me on average 20-30 minutes to fill one. The biggest problem is I seem to get a lot of foam. The trick to that is put vial in the freezer for 2 min, then bang on hard surface and the foam disappears. So in the morning I will take my spit filled vials and take them to the UPS store and ship them off to the lab. Join me in anxiously awaiting the results and my plan of action for healing my adrenal glands.
I wish that today was one of those days when I feel real bad. Unfortunately it wasn't. I have actually felt really good this past week. Maybe going to yoga 3-5 times a week and laughing more is helping. Who knows why I feel better, I just hope it lasts!

Today is test day!

Friday we went out to our River House and stayed until this morning, so I am just now getting to do the spit test.  We have no internet signal out there so I cannot post what is going on, and that is why I waited until today to test.  I wanted to let those of you interested, the chance to read along and see what exactly it is I am doing for the spit test.  I posted a picture of the kit the day it came in the mail.  So today when I woke up I had from 6-8am to fill this one vial with spit before I could eat or drink anything.  It took me about 30 minutes to actually collect enough spit in the vial.  My mouth was pretty dry, most likely because I was fasting since 8:30pm the night before.  I finished filling the first vial by 7:45, so I did at least make my time frame.  The next time I have to donate a sample is between 11am-1pm.  The rules say that I cannot eat or drink anything except water up to 1 hour before giving my sample.  The noon sample is also supposed to be one that I eat 50g of carbs 90 minutes before I spit.  That should be interesting since I don't eat starchy bread or pasta type foods.  I'm thinking some gluten free oatmeal and an orange might do the trick!
So until then...
I will post more on this later in the day.  Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!  Don't forget to wear your green! 

Spit test is here

This is what I got in the mail today!  Exciting, I know!  So the directions are this...
I have 4 spit vials and I have to collect saliva samples all in the same day.  This means I will have to start tomorrow or Saturday since I just got the test today and have already missed the morning one.
On day of collection I cannot eat chocolate, onions, garlic, or cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower.  Also I cannot drink coffee, tea or anything caffeinated. 
For 60 minutes before each collection I cannot eat or drink anything except water.  Cannot brush my teeth during this 60 minutes either.  3-5 minutes before collection I am to rinse my mouth with water for 30 seconds.  I follow the schedule and spit in the vial up to the line 5.  (which seems like a LOT by the way)
Schedule:
Morning/Fasting 6-8am having fasted for 6-8 hours
Noon 11am-1pm and I list my last snack or meal time
Afternoon 4-5pm again listing the time of last meal or snack
Midnight 10-12pm listing last meal or snack time


Then I pull all the vials in the box and send it back and wait for results. 
Should be fun huh?  Since we are having a cookout Friday, I think I will start this on Saturday!  Ill be sure to post about it and let you know how dry my mouth is getting!  LOL

Sunday Food Prep

With Adrenal Fatigue, one thing the good ole Doctor recommended in his book was how and what to eat.  This helps with the hypoglycemia that is almost always present along with the fatigued adrenal glands.  All this time I thought I was eating correct.  I have eaten clean for almost the entire time I have had symptoms and started mixing in Paleo a year ago that I do about 85% of the time.  So why did I still suffer such lows in my blood sugar?
Culprit #1 for me was COFFEE!  YIKES, this was a HUGE thing in my life!  Every morning I hit the coffee pot first thing before anything else.  I always had at least 2-3 cups before I eventually ended up eating breakfast about 3 1/2 hours after I had been awake.  This was the biggest mistake I could be making!  First, I should drink a glass of water.  Then I should avoid all coffee period, and third I should eat within 30 min of being awake!
In order to cut coffee, I replaced it with the Ruby Red Chai that I mentioned in my post on Trader Joe's.  I add a dropper of liquid stevia ( I make my own, I'll post that recipe later) and some coconut milk.  This reminds me of my coffee.  The key to eating within the first 30 min is not only to eat, but what combination of foods you eat.  Carb, fat and protein!  That's the key.  This was another challenge for me, because the book kept mentioning carbs as whole grains, and I don't eat wheat or gluten.  So this again posed a challenge for me.
I have a few favorite blogs I follow that I get my recipes from, so I went there and pinterest to find some help.  What I found was a gluten free recipe for sausage balls that I absolutely love.  Also a pancake and waffle recipe using the almond meal I buy at Trader Joe's.  Follow me on http://pinterest.com/liciajoy/
Waffles: http://paleomg.com/chocolate-waffles/

These are our waffles made using the recipe in the link above.
pancakes:http://www.elanaspantry.com/silver-dollar-pancakes/

These are ones the Little Trotter made all buy herself using Elana's recipe.  Pretty good for a 7 year old, don't you think?
Since I can't find the source of the G.F. sausage ball recipe, I'll post it in a separate post.  Please note that I do not claim it as an original recipe of my own. 
There is also a pumpkin granola recipe that I found which is delicious topped with coconut milk and eaten as cereal.  http://paleomg.com/pumpkin-granola/
So in order for me to eat right and keep my blood sugar steady all day, prep ahead of time is a MUST!  Sundays seem to be the best day for me.  So Sunday night for dinner, we have Breakfast for dinner. I enlist the help of the Little Trotter people and together we all make enough breakfast to last us all week.  (or at least that's the hope, as long as daddy doesn't get hungry for a midnight snack and eat it)  Tonight we made, sausage balls, bacon, boiled eggs, waffles,& pancakes.  I buy sausage from the farmers market and make sure that it is pasture raised pork.  That is a protein and a good fat mixed in with the G.F. all purpose flour and almond flour makes for a good combination along with a boiled egg. Last week I had no issues with blood sugars when I ate this combo.
I tried the coffee Saturday just to see, and it definitely does make my blood sugar drop too low too quick, so I guess while I heal, its no coffee for me.

General Rules for Adrenal Fatigue

This list comes from Dr. James Wilson's book, "Adrenal Fatigue 21st Century Stress Syndrome":

Things to do:
Be in bed before 10pm
Sleep in until 9am whenever possible
Look for things that make you laugh
Eliminate the energy vampires (things in your life that drain your energy)
Make your lifestyle a healing one
Do something pleasurable every day
Whenever you are not enjoying your life, take action to change something or yourself in the situation
Notice at least one small, everyday thing that you are grateful for each day
Take your dietary supplements, regularly.
Move your body and breathe deep
Believe in your ability to recover
Use your mind as a powerful healing tool
Keep a journal- jot down daily experiences
Eat foods your body needs
Learn which foods make you feel bad (keep a list)
Read and re-read his book
Try having a glass of water in the morning with 1/2 tsp salt dissolved into it
Salt your food
If you have fruit, have something with salt before and after and chew well
Combine starchy carbs, proteins, and healthy fats at each meal
Eat an abundance of whole foods, the way nature intended
Eat lots of colored veggies
Chew your food well
Take the power and responsibility of your health into your own hands
Make whatever lifestyle changes you need to regain your health
Laugh several times a day
Enjoy recovery
Take 1000mg Vit C with 200 mg magnesium and pantothenic acid at around 2pm everyday with a small snack to avoid the 3:00 slump

Avoid these things:
Getting overtired
Caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and white flour products
Coffee, even decaf
Staying up past 11pm
Pushing yourself
Energy vampires
Being harsh on yourself
Feeling sorry for yourself
Foods you are addicted to
Foods you suspect you are allergic or sensitive to
Foods that make you feel worse, foggy headed or pull you down
Never skip breakfast
Avoid fruit in the morning
Never eat starchy carbs by themselves
Do not eat foods that adversely affect you in any way, no matter how good they taste!

I know this sounds really hard to do.  If you have read my post on Adrenal Fatigue, and it sounds like you, I encourage you to get the book and take the questionnaire.  I am in severe A.F. and after feeling so bad for so long, I am ready to do anything.  Hard or not, I am willing!  I just want to feel like me again.

The first steps of the plan

I know I mentioned last night that I was going to check my blood sugar and see if maybe this MODY thing was also a problem for me.  I have had a 4 hour glucose tolerance test back in the fall and it showed that I was severely hypoglycemic, however that diagnosis can play into either MODY or Adrenal Fatigue.  So I checked my glucose around 7pm, it was 84.  Then I ate a huge carb loaded meal.  Brown rice pasta with marinara sauce and chicken, in the amount of about 2 cups of cooked pasta alone not to mention the other stuff.  Then I topped it off with 3 squares of dark chocolate.  I waited 2 hours from the beginning of my meal time and retested.  My glucose was 104, and I was so happy because that is within normal limits.
So I feel that maybe this puts me back at looking more into Adrenal Fatigue.  I received an email this evening from the Holistic Health Care Specialist I had contacted.  She is sending me a test kit in the mail with directions on how to test.  It is a saliva spit test and will give a more accurate picture of what exactly the adrenals are or aren't doing.  This is STEP 1, along with me sending her copies of all of my most recent labs and tests.
So, I went to Yoga this morning, had a relaxing early lunch with 2 friends, went to the chiropractor and got adjusted, plus made sure to eat small meals every 3-4 hours all day.  Today was a good day, meaning I did not have one dizzy, faint feeling all day!  Yippie, thats a first in a LONG time!
I did also go to Trader Joe's today for groceries and Sam's, so the fact that I was in public places with fluorescent lights and didn't have a "spell", is really wonderful!  I love Trader Joe's because they have such a great business moto, or mission that the company stands behind.  If you have never shopped there, I encourage you to visit their website and read about them.  Then check it out for yourself!  I shop there about every 2 weeks and have never found a product I didn't like.  I'll write another post on what I buy there for anyone who might be interested.  Surprisingly enough, they are significantly cheaper on so many things than other chain grocery stores.  And those  stores don't have such the wonderful mission behind them!  (no, I'm not getting paid or even a discount to endorse them, I just really like the place that much!)

What have I decided to do?

Last night I finished reading the book "Adrenal Fatigue, 21st Century Stress Syndrome" and although enlightening,  I need a plan.  I am such a typical type A personality and I desire planning and structure when it comes to health issues.  Other aspects of my life...not so much.
So, I found a Holistic Healthcare Professional and have sent her an email to see how she can help me.  I plan to do the saliva spit test and check my cortisol levels throughout the day and especially when I feel the worst.    I met her at a Women's Health Conference in Columbia, TN back in June 2012.  She also has helped another mother I know, who has also suffered from Adrenal Fatigue. 
On another note, my cousin after reading yesterdays blog contacted me today and shared with me that she suffers similar symptoms and has been diagnosed with something called MODY.  This is a Type 1.5 diabetes, read more about it here.   http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14047009.php, So, giving me something else to consider, I went and bought a blood sugar monitor and will be also looking at where those levels are, especially when I feel BAD!
So...what I am doing for now is consulting a professional for a plan and some direction, monitoring my blood sugar, practicing YOGA 4-6 times a week, trying to rest as much as possible, continuing care 2 times a week with my chiropractor, and hopefully starting next week, also seeing a counselor to learn how to handle some of the major stress issues in my life.   
Not sure if I mentioned this in yesterdays post or not, but also one of my labs that were drawn back in the fall that came back positive was an ANA.  This is usually positive in people that have Lupus.  So imagine my horror when I was referred to a specialist.    The specialist did rule out Lupus, thank heavens, but he said that people who have celiac disease also have a positive ANA lab.  I have an aunt who has this and I also had a form of psoriasis back Jan-March 2012 called granuloma anulare (GA).  This is why last March I cut out all grains from my diet for 3 months.  I introduced corn first, then rice and did fine.  To date, I still have not reintroduced wheat or gluten.  Reason being because when I accidentally have some cross contamination, it seriously causes me to be doubled over in epi-gastric pain.  SO...I just AVOID it majorly!  Not worth it AT ALL!

Adrenal Fatigue

Ever heard of it?  The first time I heard of this was when I had every test, scan and lab done for my symptoms and at my whits end went to a chiropractor to get help with a messed up neck.  He simply listened to my symptoms (which I will list in a min) and said, "you have adrenal fatigue".  I replied by saying, "well, I had a CT scan and my adrenals were fine".  Well come to find out, this adrenal fatigue is a syndrome, unrecognized my the medical community.  Adrenals can look fine and yet still be in severe fatigue.
What are adrenals you may be thinking?  They are hormone secreting glands that sit on top of your kidneys.  Check out adrenalfatigue.org for more information on the anatomy and function of this gland in which we can not live without.  
So what are my symptoms?  I shall go back about 5 and a half years.  I was pregnant with my tiny Trotter at the time and remember I was walking into Target to do some Christmas shopping, when all of a sudden I felt as if I was about to pass out.  I quickly left and ran to my car and laid down.  After I felt like I could drive I just went home.  These type symptoms seemed to be the first ones I remember.  That and I would see stars periodically and feel dizzy or light headed.  After the baby was born I don't remember them happening too much, but then when she was about 4 months old I had all of a sudden lost about 19 pounds on tops of my baby weight.  Everyone close to us thought I was sick.  Then about 2 years later, it started again. I went to my doctor and told him and said that it seemed worse in fluorescent lights.  He wanted me to see a neurologist and then performed an EKG.  That was normal, and sadly enough, I never scheduled a neuro consult.  I joined a gym instead and began to feel better.
That lasted for almost a year and then the symptoms came back with a vengeance.  I felt like I could pass out almost anytime I was in a public place with fluorescent lights and then I would panic.  I was always foggy headed and would wake up feeling like I hadn't slept a wink.  I hit a "slump" every day around 3:00 where I literally had to take a nap.    Then around 9:00 I had too much energy and couldn't go to sleep, and if I did, could stay asleep.
Now I also felt weak and shaky if I hadn't eaten in a few hours, even if I had eaten tons of protein.  I was working out and eating right and yet kept hanging on to weight around my middle.
Then it go so bad, I woke one morning and my arms were numb from the shoulders down and tingling.  I could grip them but couldn't hold the grip.  So I couldn't hold anything in my hands.  I thought I was having a stroke or heart attack.  I was having major anxiety and panic.  "I just wanta feel normal again!"  I went to another doctor and told him to spare no expense, I wanted to find out what was wrong.  MRIs, CTscan, ultrasound, every blood panel you can run, and a 4 hour glucose tolerance test, and all it revealed was my C spine 4-7 was out of wack, and I had cyst on my right ovary, and I was severely hypoglycemic.  So the diagnosis for me was that I need to take anti-anxiety meds.  desperate to feel normal again, I agreed to take Lexapro 10mg.  After 6 weeks of taking this, I felt NO better and against my doctors advice, I weaned off of the meds.  I then went to a Maximized Living Chiropractor and began to understand what was really going on.
I am now reading "Adrenal Fatigue, 21st century stress syndrome" by Dr. James Wilson.  This has opened some major doors for me to understanding this better.  At this point I am planning to finish the book and then order myself a saliva test to get started on healing my self of this.
Certain things that trigger this are Energy Vampires in your life, certain places, and even sometimes lighting.  I did a history timeline and figured out that my original stressor was when I witnessed my grandfather die of a massive heart attack in front of me and I could do nothing to save him.   (Being a nurse, that was pretty hard)
Then most recently it was walking through a horrible colon cancer diagnosis with a good friend.
Its crazy how stress can get us and truly make us SICK!
If any of the symptoms sound like you...I encourage you to buy the book and read it!  Also refer to the website for more details.
Follow me on this journey as I DO plan to heal completely and feel like ME again!