6 months later on TMW

For me this month marks one year of being sick and 6 month on the Myers way. When this picture came up on my Facebook as a memory from last September I could not believe that was me. The picture on the right is 1 year and 20 lbs ago... it was taken right before I became sick at a Barbie themed birthday party for my friend. The picture on the left was taken of me this weekend trying on dresses (I did end up buying that one- it even has pockets!).  I cannot believe I fit into a size 4! Last year I was somewhere around a size 8. It' was never about weight-loss- it was about healing. A lot of my other symptoms went away too that I am excited to share...

Before I started The Meyers Way Symptoms:

• Ringing and Grinding noises in ears
• Poor Sleep
• Heart Palpitations
• Uncontrollable Panic Attacks and Anxiety 
• Headaches
• Short of breath and Acid Reflux 
• Bed-ridden Fatigue 
• Hot face
• Faint and dizziness especially after eating 
• Numbness and Tingling on legs and arms
• Very Blurry Vision 

Symptoms I've had my whole life which improved:

• Seasonal Allergies (I had them so bad I was always stuffy)
• Very Oily hair and skin (I no longer wear any makeup on my face when I used to use a powder every day to absorb oils)
• Less acne or breakouts
• Skin that has always been rashy has improved.
• Better Moods
• Weightloss

Symptoms still present (hopefully will improve):

• Light sensitivity (has improved)
• Brain fog, ADHD, trouble concentrating (has improved)
• Blurry vision (only occasional now)
• Tiredness/fatigue (has improved)

New issues since The Myers Way:

• Bad PMS
• Bloating after eating 

I am hoping the rest of my symptoms will clear up. I know it can take a year to heal your gut.  I'm driving a lot more and doing a lot more now. Fall is my favorite time of year and last year I didn't get to enjoy it from being stuck in bed. I'm even thinking of adding new foods back into my diet.

Things have been going pretty well. While cleaning out my cabinets because we are finally moving. I'm getting rid of a ton gluten free processed crap. I can't believe I ate that!

It feels great to wake up this morning and not be apartment-hunting. I would spend hours making phone calls and searching online. We have been looking since July as I am suspicious my current apartment has a mold problem. It's probably not a coincidence I came very sick 2 weeks after we moved here. It was so hard to find something in our price range! One place we walked into there was even mold on the ceiling. Or another we walked into smelled like cigarettes and cat pee. Or my personal favorite red flag moment: "there's a sex offender living on the second floor, thats ok right?"

Aside from apartment hunting, healing hasn't been easy; I had a regression a slight in August. I gained back a little weight, my thyroid levels increased and I started loosing a lot of hair. When my least favorite time of the month rolled around, my PMS was so bad for about 2 weeks; I was tired, headachy, extremely depressed, brain-foggy, bloated and crabby.

August was tough, I started working at the bar probably more than I should, as it was there busy season. I went from only working 2 slow nights a week to working 3-4, sometimes on very busy shifts. I loved the money and getting out of the house more but it definitely took away from the time I had to prepare meals. I started to eat a lot of the same things- salads with avocado to fill me and quick pieces of chicken. I was also eating a sweet potato a day. I wasn't cheating or anything outside of The Myers Way meal plan just not eating enough of a variety of foods.

I started reading about developing food sensitivities; how we develop them when we eat the same things all the time. So I started eating a wider variety of foods. I also cut out sweet potatoes after reading in the GAPS diet some of the downfalls of it and what a difference it makes. I stopped eating a lot of salad- only occasionally now as I know raw vegetables are harder to digest. I'm working at the bar less now that it won't be so busy there; I will have more time to move (possibly buying an organic mattress and clean everything incase of mold contamination!) and keep up with cooking (thank god the new apartment has a dishwasher!!!). Ive also been trying to keep my stress levels down. We got an adorable cat a few weeks ago and it helps a lot with anxiety. I would have never thought that I could have a cat because I used to have very bad allergies but they're gone since TMW. The hair loss stopped and Ive lost weight again. I'm not sure what exactly helped these problems but something did! Hoping the healing continues...

Garlic Cream Paleo "Pasta"

I am happy to share I started working a job for the first time since last September (hence why I've been busy and slacking with the blog!). It felt amazing to be out in the world talking to random people, even though I had to fight brain fog and tiredness. Hopefully I will be able to handle this job, but if I can't I will just have to wait until my body is ready.

So as you can imagine I was starving after my shift. Searching my fridge for a warm, quick, satisfying comfort food, I ended up creating a delicious dinner that took less than 10 minutes to make.... and it reminds me of a pasta Alfredo!

I find that I don't really miss the taste of pasta- if you think about it pasta on its own is very bland! I miss the quickness of making it and the noodley texture. This dinner was a huge comfort food for me.

I love that the carrots gave this meal a crunchiness. You can add whatever vegetables (broccoli, kale, ect.) you like! I also used a yellow summer squash instead of the zucchini when making this dish a second time.

Garlic Cream Paleo "Pasta" (for two)
1 medium diced onion
2 tbsps coconut oil
2 zucchinis julienned to look like noodles (I used a Veggetti)

1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk
4 handfuls of spinach
1 cup frozen carrots
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tsp basil
salt and pepper
garlic powder (optional)

Saute the onion in coconut oil in a sauce pan. Add in the minced garlic, onion powder, basil, salt and pepper when the onions are translucent. Crack open the can of coconut milk and let it melt in the pan. Once melted, stir in the vegetables- I added spinach and frozen carrots. Once all is cooked together, I usually taste the sauce and add any additional spices needed. I topped this with a little extra garlic powder (because I LOVE the taste of garlic). Serve over your bed of zucchini.  I hope you find this as comforting as I do!

Healing Autoimmunity // My story part 2

When my mom had bought me The Autoimmune Solution by Amy Myers I was not ready to change my eating habits. I had felt too sick get off the couch, never mind change my diet. When I was finally ready to follow The Myers Way about two months ago, I started improving drastically. This is how I'm healing through whole foods and all about The Wyers Way (read part 1 here: how my health declined & the medical chaos that came with it).

I remember my boyfriend Kyle and I corralled into a corner at the busy grocery store thinking, "Isn't this crazy," with my ridiculous cart filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables, many of which I had never had before, mixed in with grass-fed meats we couldn't afford. I wanted to put it all back, grab my usual boxes of gluten-free mac & cheese and call it a day. "Financially we can't do this every week," Kyle said. I agreed with him, however I knew I needed to try. At the time I could barely handle the grocery store. The fluorescent lights made my head pound in pain. I had no energy and just using my brain scan the isles made me feel mentally fatigued.

At home laying the food out on the counter felt even more ridiculous- will I really eat all of these vegetables in one week? On TMW you eliminate all refined foods (dairy and grains) along with anything processed because they are toxic to your body. I had already been gluten-free for months but this woul be more of a challenge. Myers explains to get rid of foods that cause inflammation (your immune system’s response to invaders which causes symptoms) like eggs, corn, tomatoes, nuts, caffeine and more. I could only eat seafood, grass-fed meat, a tiny amount of fruit and most organic vegetables. It felt weird not having any colorful boxes of processed food.

The first two weeks were a challenge; I remember crying because I didn’t have enough energy to cook all the organic meals and keep up with the dishes, but the changes in my body were noticeable. My headaches went from constant to occasional. I had more energy, my brain seemed more focused and my mood increased dramatically. 

About 2-3 weeks in I could cook all my meals easily and even started going for small walks. A month in, I was going to stores with my friends. A lot of my other symptoms were wtill there (tiredness, weakness, mentally foggy, blurry vision, sensitive to light) but it felt amazing to be more active. Before TMW I spent most of my time in bed. By now I hardly forgot what what my constant symptoms felt like (aside from the occasional flair up): dizziness, feeling faint and lightheaded, scary heart palpitations, constant anxiety, strange noises in my ears and constant headaches.  

Thankfully TMW had a meal plan to follow, with step-by-step recipes. If this wasn't part of it, I would have struggled. I had no idea how to cook brussels sprouts. In fact, I didn't even know they looked like! The program trains you for eating in a healthier way.

I actually loved the food; eating organically felt great. Looking at the menu in advance I thought I wasn't going to (maybe 20% of me still craves a bowl of ice cream but most of the time I am content). The food makes me feel full for what seems like the first time in my life. I've always felt I was a bottomless pit that could just keep eating; on TMW I was no longer hungry after eating. 

The weight loss was not expected but a bonus, dropping 13 pounds in the first month and it leveled out for the second month. For the previous few years I have struggled with my weight. I would explain that none of my pants fit, despite exercising but because I am a fairly thin tall person no one saw a problem. I have never lost a significant amount of weight in my life, only gaining slowly. My rings, shoes and clothes fit again, some that haven't fit in years.

I also started talking to a doctor training in natural medicine who advised me about healing your body through supplements and diet. My aunt who has Celiac Disease like me shared advise with her experience. I have tons of support. I started to simplify my beauty routine to organic, safe products (even using coconut oil as conditioner!). We even had to detox our house with air and water purifiers, as recommended by TMW. 

There were definitely detox symptoms. I would get dizzy while eating, even if I knew it was an approved food. I would be very emotional. Sometimes my skin would get blotchy and one time my whole chin broke out in a rash. The probiotic makes me tired and moody still to this day....

Two months in, I am finally comfortable mentally (in small amounts) to use my computer again practicing what I had gone to school for, design. I thought I would never able to again; that I had worked hard for a degree I'd never use. The brain fog is much better but still there, making me feel unsafe to drive at times. My body is still too weak to participate in activities like jogging. And occasionally my symptoms knock me off my feet. I am hoping it will continue to improve with time!

Social Struggles from a Chronically Ill Perspective

Cleaning out my closet today felt amazing. I had no idea how many sundresses I had in there. I’m beginning to think I have a problem…

So lets take a break from food- I want to talk about something that’s been bothering me.

After eight months spending much of my time either bedridden or staring at the walls, getting used to the real world is challenging. I have always felt a little socially awkward but this feeling is different- like every time I’m in public I try to figure my way through a social labyrinth. I forgot what it was like to talk to people who weren’t close friends and family. Dealing with passive aggression or just a person with a different personality than I’m used to can be hard, especially when I’m not feeling 100% healthy yet. Sometimes I want to play the sick person card and tell them what I’ve been going through and maybe then they would ease up.

But truth is people are going to say upsetting things to you no matter what. They’re going to be judgmental, competitive, passive or even jealous by human nature (even if you know they don’t have anything to be jealous of- I’ve literally been suffering!). Just because I have a ridiculously large collection of brightly colored dresses, doesn’t mean I’m unintelligent. Just because I like crafting doesn't mean I'm not tough. Just because I graduated from a state college doesn't mean you can talk down to me. And just because I like generic television and music doesn’t give you the right to assume I was a sorority girl in college (that actually happened). Sometimes, as I stew over it hours later (I’m Irish it’s what we do) they probably didn’t even mean to be offensive or maybe they completely forgot it happened.

Maybe you can relate? There is nothing worse than mustering up the courage to leave the house even if you don’t feel well, then someone tries to make you feel bad about yourself or put you down, whether its on purpose or not.

That’s when I take a deep breath and remind myself how lucky I am just being out of the house in this moment talking to this stranger, even if I’m not enjoying it.

Although I've become more compassionate for people who are also fighting, struggling and dealing with poor health, I am more annoyed by the complainers. I’m so sick of hearing girls complain about how their appearance. I want to tell them “so what if you don’t like your hair or your teeth- your body works.” I would do anything for my body to work. (endrant) I know I can’t exactly come out and say something like this. Before my sickness the biggest complaint about my body was my thigh fat and scar from an operation. Maybe they don’t know how it feels to suffer (or maybe they do). Maybe they don’t know they’re taking their body for granted.

Again, more deep breaths.

The moral of this story is to treat everyone with decency; you honestly don’t know what they’re going though. They could look completely fine, better than ever, but more may be going on under the surface. Its graduation season so we have a lot of parties and social events to attend- I'm dreading the small talk. But it's a good time for me to practice my people skills... and testing my willpower to resist cookout treats!

Lazy bagged cole-slaw (TMW + dairy-free)

I will admit, I had a tough night tonight. I went for a walk and could feel my body dragging worse than usual. When I got home, it was hard to lift my arms and legs. My mind went fuzzy and I could feel my body shutting down. Isn't autoimmunity so strange? Symptoms just come out of nowhere, unexpectedly. I hadn't had an attack like this in a while, but I have a few inklings as to why it happened. After a very heavy unexpected nap I felt better when I woke up, but not well enough to make a fancy meal!

Then I remembered, I did buy a pre-cut up bag of cole slaw. I remember being at the store thinking, "why haven't I thought of this earlier?!" The bag I bought contained broccoli, carrots and red & green cabbage (which I could have easily chopped up from fresh veggies but a lazy night called for lazy cooking). All I did was add some fresh diced onions to the mix and toss it in a sauce. 

For the sauce I used the watery part of a can of coconut milk. I used a mixer to add in some of the coconut cream to give it a little bit of thickness, but not too much. When I got the consistency just right I added onion powder, garlic, salt & pepper. Finally I squeezed in some lemon juice! It worked really well paired with a salmon I threw into a frying pan to cook and a ripe avocado. I have so much left over for the week, which is helpful on this diet. Any break from cooking, chopping, juicing, or blending is a beautiful thing!

Dad's Clam Chowder "Paleo-ized"

Hands down my dad makes the best clam chowder, and we New Englanders take our chowder very seriously. Unfortunately his recipe is packed with gluten and dairy, making it hard to recreate. The first attempt of this project went horribly wrong and we needed to start over, but after some determination we created something that even my picky-eater boyfriend Kyle would eat (this is rare). It is prefect to cook for a large group or leftovers to meal prep for the week.

My partner-in-crime for this was my foodie friend Alex, who somehow managed to find the most amazing addition to our kitchen - salt and pepper shakers that look like my guinea pig! Alex and I lived together for a year and during that time we cooked together a lot so naturally its something we still enjoy doing together. On a car ride somehow we got on the topic of chowder and we started brainstorming how to paleo-ify it. Then we were off to the store for ingredients. We were on a mission.

We used 1 lbs of scallops for our recipe (as they were on sale and I am not a big fan of clams) but you can use whatever seafood you like or maybe even pre-cooked chicken. You could also experiment with other vegetables. This recipe requires some patience to get the texture right, starting by making a roux. I strongly suggest having everything pre-chopped, cans opened and all hands on deck when you begin. Good luck!

Dad's Clam Chowder "Paleo-ized"
1 medium onion, diced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces

1 zucchini grated or julienned

2 cups spinach and kale mix

1 lb of seafood (your choice clams, scallops, fish ect.)

1 8 oz bottle of clam juice OR 1 cup of water

2/3 cup of coconut oil (or a grass-fed butter)

2 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk separating the watery and thick parts. 

3/4 cup of coconut flower

1/2 tsp of arrowroot flour (optional) 

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp minced garlic 

Over low heat melt your coconut oil or butter in at least a 4 quart sauce pan. Remove from heat and stir in coconut flour. 

Over medium - high heat slowly stir in the liquid-y parts of the coconut milk with an electric mixer. Mixture should smooth, thicken and bubble. If it is not as thick as you would like, add the arrowroot flour (optional). Immediately add in the clam juice or water. Then melt in the thicker creamy part of the coconut milk while bringing to a boil, then reduce heat. Add in the seafood, vegetables and spices. Once it returns to a boil, reduce the heat again and cover, simmering for about 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally & Enjoy!