I hired a Dietician!

So, if you follow my facebook page, you already know that I'm going to be doing the LEAP protocol and MRT test. Just had the blood test a few days ago, so I'll be getting my results in about two weeks. My lovely dietician is Courtney Rinehold of Rinehold Nutrition. Yes, I'm a nutritionist and I just hired a dietician.  Crazytown, right?  She's so amazing though, and the only one doing the LEAP testing around my area. We discovered this on our way to a buddhist temple to meditate a few weeks ago. I'll save that story for another blog. ;)

Anywho, you might be wondering what the LEAP protocol and MRT testing is. I'd tell you, but it's a little too sciency for me this early in the morning and I wanted to just bust this blog out super quick like, so I'll give you the official version at a later time.  But for now, the gist is: certain foods cause inflammation in the body.  Each person has different foods that do this.  Sometimes those foods can be tricky tricky healthy ones, like spinach, salmon, basil, lettuce, almonds etc.....which is just mean!  This inflammation leads to ALL THE THINGS that could be wrong with you.  IBS, Crohn's, aches and pains, depression, fatigue, migraines, weight fluctuations...the list goes on for days.  The goal is to remove those inflammatory foods for a certain amount of time until your body heals, inflammation goes away, and then you can gradually add these foods back in to a degree that won't trigger the inflammation again. Easy peasy, right?  Probably not.  I am going into this assuming all my favorite foods are what's causing the inflammation, but with Courtney's help, and my own foodie creativity, I should be fine.  Plus, I'm kinda desperate and this is fascinating, so here we go.

My main reasons for doing this testing are as follows:

1.) I can't seem to lose weight.  Scratch that. I can lose the weight, but I am really struggling with staying on a healthy diet that will actually help me lose the weight.  This could possibly have to do with how inflammation is affecting the communication between my brain and the hormone leptin.  Food addictions and cravings are all part of this equation.  See this article HERE. So, let's say my go-to healthy/clean eating foods are THE PROBLEM. Well then that would explain the vicious cycle of starting a clean diet, and falling right off within a few days.

2.) SOFA. KING. Tired.  Like woah.  So tired.

3.) Hashimotos.  Yes, I have had hashimotos for about 20 years, but this whole inflammation thing is connected and can only improve this condition, which will only improve everything else, like metabolism, immune system, fatigue, etc.

4.)  Bursitis in my leg and plantar fasciitis in my foot. Did I mention I'm 90?

So those are MY top reasons for doing this testing.  It's not cheap and may not be covered by your insurance, so I don't recommend you get this unless you're serious about it.

I'll be following up in two weeks after the results are in, and will keep you informed of what I'm eating and how it's all going. If you have any questions, let me know!  If you've done this before, I'd love to hear your story too!

In the meantime, let's all say a prayer that sour cream isn't one of my NO foods, mmmkay??  Thanks!  xoxo

Food is heroine. And other fun stuff.

This was written about 3 1/2 years ago.  I no longer struggle like this, but it was very real at the time.  It's sad that food has this effect. I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

Recently I’ve had some time to reflect.  I’ve always liked looking at both sides of an issue, but rarely ever get to actually feel both sides of an issue.

For example, I’ve been on antidepressants before, and knew that at that time I didn’t have a choice.  I felt like it was the only logical next step in a roller coaster situation that I knew nothing about.  Fast forward thirteen years later, and I know more about hashimotos thyroiditis and depression than I ever wanted to know.  I haven’t taken antidepressants in twelve years, and am doing everything in my power to avoid it.  However, since I had been on them, and also felt like I needed to be on them at the time, I can truly feel both sides of that issue.  While I believe you can stay off of antidepressants, and can certainly get off of them if you’re already on them, I do value that they are absolutely life saving in certain specific circumstances.  Had I never been on them, I may not have ever been able to have the sympathy that I do have for those people truly in need of some medically assisted mood lifting. 

Similarly, now that I have sore ankles, and aching knees, and tight muscles – all from not eating right and not exercising – I am seeing a new side to a different issue. I’ve made judgments. I’m not proud of them. I’ve seen overweight people in a motorized shopping cart and thought, “How lazy.”  I never once gave a thought that it may be beyond their own control.

I also have a friend with a sister who has MS. I’ve tried to help in any way that I can by researching for her. We’ve stumbled across a few articles that indicate eliminating artificial sweeteners, and potentially even gluten, can have enormous positive effects on MS symptoms.  She tried giving up her beloved Diet Coke for a weekend, only to surrender to its grip before 24 hours was up.  Her words were essentially, “I’d rather die than give up my diet coke.”

Who wouldn’t cringe a little when hearing those words?  Who in their right mind would ever even say those words?  How could you possibly ever put food above your health?  Or putting diet coke above a life without a mother for your kids?

But, here I am.  Weighing in at a life altering 193, with pains, and critical health issues that could easily lead to my death, or at the very least a less than full life. I have chosen cheetos over my very own life.

I am no different than those people I have judged. I can feel both sides.

If you’re 20 pounds overweight, or 200 pounds overweight, what really is the difference?  Where does that line stop? If I can’t stop eating these foods that are slowly killing me, then who’s to say I won’t be the one riding that motorized cart? I’ll be the one holding up the line at the zoo, because I had to lean on the railing and catch my breath after 3 stairs. 

Where does that change occur, and how the hell do we stop it?  I’m serious. I’ve been working out with a trainer. I have all the skills and recipes it takes to be a healthy eater. I am a great cook. I’ve eaten healthy and organically and maintained a fairly decent weight for most of my life, and yet here I am again. And, there I was today.  Like a crack addict.  I may as well be a heroin addict with a needle dangling from my arm, the way I ransacked my house looking for a hit.  Ooh! A stash of skittles….a mini crackle bar from Halloween…laffy taffy will even do the trick in a pinch. I glanced around corners, making sure my husband wasn’t looking.  I shoved that candy bar entirely into my mouth and instantly felt the drug coursing through my body. 

First, it’s the frantic search for the drug your body is screaming at you to find. Your brain has convinced you somehow, any way possible, to go looking for it.  

Next, it’s the sneaking. Making noises to drown out the sound of wrappers being opened.  Or, you hide in a room far from everyone else and down the goods before they know you’re missing.  Hiding the wrappers is an art all its own. I’m really good at hiding my traces. It scares me.

Then finally, it’s the glazed over look in the eyes, after the drug has entered the body. You relax. You smile. You feel good. For a moment.

The most hysterical thing?  Right after you’ve eaten something…while the drug is still in your blood stream…you say to yourself “That’s it. I’m never. doing. this. again!!”  

Cut to two hours later when the drug is leaving your system, and you’re digging in the bottom of the fucking garbage can again, for that little bit of chocolate you thought you were done with.