Last Sunday I gave up grains, dairy, sweetners, and beans and legumes. I'd already given up alcohol over 3 years ago, or that would have been on the list, too. So, no bread, no pancakes, no bagels; no peanut butter and honey in my oatmeal; no oatmeal, either; no cheese and crackers; no sugar and half-and-half in my coffee; no soy anything. The list is long and initially it sounded like a lot, but you know what? It hasn't been bad at all! In fact, it's been amazing.
So what do I get to eat after you subtract all the 'fun' stuff? A LOT of vegetables. I've re-discovered sweet potatoes and roasted veggies and salads. I eat an avocado almost every day because I also eat healthy fats; nuts and seeds and olive and coconut oil; fruit - all kinds of fruit; eggs and meat and seafood. The list is amazingly delicious.
I can see where the prep and cooking time might be turn off for someone who doesn't like to cook and/or just doesn't have the knowledge and experience. If you live in a fast food world or think heating something in the microwave is cooking, this is going to take some getting used to. Those people would probably do well to learn to cook before they start the Whole30. For me, it was no problem as I find cooking a creative outlet and have been doing it for many years. In fact, I've already been introduced to so many new and delicious recipes (try this one! http://www.paleorunningmomma.com/caramelized-sweet-potato-apple-hash-browns/) it would have been worth it just for that.
OK, that's what goes in on the Whole30. Now I'd like to say a little about what comes out, because that's been a bit of a surprise. More urine, because I've been drinking a lot more water. I've actually experienced thirst for the first time in I can't remember when. Some gas, which I wasn't expecting, but that's now at a minimum. Less mucous - the morning ritual of honking like a flock of Canada geese has almost ended! And the great purge on day three. Now I know how an elephant must feel about 12 hours after eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
How do I feel? Great! Amazingly great. I'm moving around more, less aches and pains, better attitude. And I'm going to go ahead and admit this right now: I cheated. There's no weighing yourself on the Whole30 but I got on the scale on day six and found I had lost five pounds. Five pounds in six days for an almost 60 year old woman is nothing to sneeze at and I am one happy camper :-)
I started the Whole30 with the intention of fine tuning my body. Finding out if there were foods my body didn't tolerate well, maybe losing a few pounds. I may have discovered a new diet lifestyle. Stay tuned.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Whole30 for the Over60
First of all, I have to admit that I'm not quite sixty .... yet. I will be, in less than a month and that's close enough for the purposes of this blog. Sixty is a big punch in the gut for a lot of people; I'm not quite that dramatic so it's more like a stern talking-to for me. I'm not crying over my lost youth, or looks, or opportunities; I didn't even come close to human status until I was in my 50's, so things actually keep getting better in my world. It's more of a realization that I'm not going to live forever and if I want to be healthy, happy and productive in the time I have left I need to make some adjustments. Right now seemed like a dandy time to do that.
The Whole30, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a 30 day elimination diet. Eliminate alcohol (no problem), beans, peas, lentils (meh), grains and dairy (I will miss you guys), and sugar (NO! NOT SUGAR! HOW WILL I LIVE WITHOUT SUUUUUUUUGARRRR?). You may not be aware of this, but I have a sugar demon. Yes, it's true. I gave up alcohol after years and years of daily drinking. I succesfully quit smoking even though I still thoroughly enjoyed it, even with a cough. I severed my ties with a number of relatives intent on making me miserable. But sugar? Letting go is so hard. Oh, sugar, you've been my constant companion since childhood when I hoarded candy in my dresser drawer. You were always there when I felt down. Or up. Or anything in between. Wreaking havoc with my blood sugar, putting me on the brink of diabetes. Helping me to become 40 pounds overweight and not being able to do a number of things I've always enjoyed. Wait a minute.......Alright, it's pretty obvious why eliminating sugar is a good thing for me.
So what about the other foods? I've eaten them all my life and never had a problem, right? Well, maybe not. I wake up congested every morning. I have some skin and digestion issues that are annoying. Sometimes I am so. damned. tired. For no reason that I can fathom. What if those are food related? What if my body is retaliating after my decision to eat that blue cheese? What if I knew what those foods were, totally eliminated them from my diet and felt FABULOUS?
I start today. Stay tuned.
The Whole30, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a 30 day elimination diet. Eliminate alcohol (no problem), beans, peas, lentils (meh), grains and dairy (I will miss you guys), and sugar (NO! NOT SUGAR! HOW WILL I LIVE WITHOUT SUUUUUUUUGARRRR?). You may not be aware of this, but I have a sugar demon. Yes, it's true. I gave up alcohol after years and years of daily drinking. I succesfully quit smoking even though I still thoroughly enjoyed it, even with a cough. I severed my ties with a number of relatives intent on making me miserable. But sugar? Letting go is so hard. Oh, sugar, you've been my constant companion since childhood when I hoarded candy in my dresser drawer. You were always there when I felt down. Or up. Or anything in between. Wreaking havoc with my blood sugar, putting me on the brink of diabetes. Helping me to become 40 pounds overweight and not being able to do a number of things I've always enjoyed. Wait a minute.......Alright, it's pretty obvious why eliminating sugar is a good thing for me.
So what about the other foods? I've eaten them all my life and never had a problem, right? Well, maybe not. I wake up congested every morning. I have some skin and digestion issues that are annoying. Sometimes I am so. damned. tired. For no reason that I can fathom. What if those are food related? What if my body is retaliating after my decision to eat that blue cheese? What if I knew what those foods were, totally eliminated them from my diet and felt FABULOUS?
I start today. Stay tuned.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
I'm Fine. Really.
My mother died yesterday and I'm not sure how I should feel. I know how I feel, it's the should part that's causing difficulties. My husband thinks I might be in shock and is prepared for some kind of breakdown. He invited me to come with him on his regular Sunday outing as a Special Olympics coach (I think so he could keep an eye on me), bless his heart. I declined, reassuring him I wanted to actually do the hike I had planned on doing. He took me out to lunch yesterday and bought me two chocolate desserts even after I told him, laughing, "I'm fine! Really".
The truth is, I am fine. Really. My mother was 84, sufferred from COPD, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and dementia. She could no longer care for herself and had been moved to a long-term care facility two weeks previous. Hospice had been ordered the day before when she was diagnosed with pulmonary edema. Her quality of life was very poor and she was ready to go, so when I got the call from my son I wasn't surprised. I got a little choked up and cried a little, recalling the last conversation we'd had and the nice visit we both enjoyed the month before. And that was pretty much the extent of my grief.
The truth is, my mother was a train wreck. Beautiful, mentally ill, intelligent, alcohol/pill dependent (depending on availability), the life of the party, undependable and frequently negligent. She left my sisters and I in the care of the uncle who had sexually molested her and yes, he did the same to us. She may have, as well; I don't have solid proof, only a few suspicious things she's said and my feelings. She could be unbelievably crude (normalization - a way of dealing with childhood molestation) so introducing friends to her was always dicey. I waited a year to introduce her to my live-in boyfriend, afraid he would run for the hills after listening to her for a few minutes. She delivered, he smiled and said nothing. We've been married now for almost 20 years and I really need to give him credit where credit is due. Thank you.
The truth is, I had a big, ugly bag stuffed full of negative emotions regarding my mother and I carried it with me wherever I went. My sisters felt the same and we fed off each other's emotional turmoil for many years. It colored our relationships with each other and with everyone around us. But, throughout all that, we continued to maintain our relationship with our mother, each in her own way, none of them healthy.
The truth is, things probably would have continued that way indefinitely had I not had a serious auto accident when I was 29 years old. In the aftermath of the accident I became depressed and was introduced to the world of counseling <insert birdsong, shining sun, blue sky, scent of roses, and that music you imagine when a solution has been found for a difficult problem, here> It took years to trade in that big, ugly bag for a lovely little model with easily accessible emotional tools (I'm still adding them as I go along) but I eventually arrived at a place where I could honestly forgive my mother, feel neutral in our relationship and be accepting of that. I was able to visit her a month ago (we live in different states), take her out to lunch and to get her hair done. We had several nice phone conversations afterwards, and in our very last one she ended the call by saying, "I love you. Kiss, kiss".
The truth is, things ended on a much higher note than I could have hoped for and for that, I am truly grateful. I didn't love my mother, I didn't like her, but I was able to show her empathy and compassion at the end of her life. I won't grieve for a relationship that's over; I did that a long time ago. I'm fine. Really.
The truth is, I am fine. Really. My mother was 84, sufferred from COPD, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and dementia. She could no longer care for herself and had been moved to a long-term care facility two weeks previous. Hospice had been ordered the day before when she was diagnosed with pulmonary edema. Her quality of life was very poor and she was ready to go, so when I got the call from my son I wasn't surprised. I got a little choked up and cried a little, recalling the last conversation we'd had and the nice visit we both enjoyed the month before. And that was pretty much the extent of my grief.
The truth is, my mother was a train wreck. Beautiful, mentally ill, intelligent, alcohol/pill dependent (depending on availability), the life of the party, undependable and frequently negligent. She left my sisters and I in the care of the uncle who had sexually molested her and yes, he did the same to us. She may have, as well; I don't have solid proof, only a few suspicious things she's said and my feelings. She could be unbelievably crude (normalization - a way of dealing with childhood molestation) so introducing friends to her was always dicey. I waited a year to introduce her to my live-in boyfriend, afraid he would run for the hills after listening to her for a few minutes. She delivered, he smiled and said nothing. We've been married now for almost 20 years and I really need to give him credit where credit is due. Thank you.
The truth is, I had a big, ugly bag stuffed full of negative emotions regarding my mother and I carried it with me wherever I went. My sisters felt the same and we fed off each other's emotional turmoil for many years. It colored our relationships with each other and with everyone around us. But, throughout all that, we continued to maintain our relationship with our mother, each in her own way, none of them healthy.
The truth is, things probably would have continued that way indefinitely had I not had a serious auto accident when I was 29 years old. In the aftermath of the accident I became depressed and was introduced to the world of counseling <insert birdsong, shining sun, blue sky, scent of roses, and that music you imagine when a solution has been found for a difficult problem, here> It took years to trade in that big, ugly bag for a lovely little model with easily accessible emotional tools (I'm still adding them as I go along) but I eventually arrived at a place where I could honestly forgive my mother, feel neutral in our relationship and be accepting of that. I was able to visit her a month ago (we live in different states), take her out to lunch and to get her hair done. We had several nice phone conversations afterwards, and in our very last one she ended the call by saying, "I love you. Kiss, kiss".
The truth is, things ended on a much higher note than I could have hoped for and for that, I am truly grateful. I didn't love my mother, I didn't like her, but I was able to show her empathy and compassion at the end of her life. I won't grieve for a relationship that's over; I did that a long time ago. I'm fine. Really.
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