Updates

It has been a long time since I've posted anything. Time sure can get away from you, and quickly. The last I left off, I was experimenting with different treatments for my cluster headaches and, keeping my UCTD under control. Earlier this year, I was granted a Cefaly device for my clusters through the VA. This device has been a life-saver. I have gone from headaches lasting 6-8 days to lasting 1 difficult day and another day of just being irritated. It is still there, but I am able to function. They symptoms have also changed. If the cluster was going to get me on the right side of my head, my vision would be extremely blurry for 24 hours and then my joints would ache. Now, occasionally I will have achy joints. If the headache is coming on the left side of my head, I would have horrible toothaches, stiff neck, runny nose and a droopy eye. Now, a bit of a toothache. I use the Cefaly every day for 20 minutes. At first it was not a pleasant feeling, but now, I look forward to using my device in the afternoons. I am so happy to have been able to cut back on my meds. I think, some of them gave me slap-back headaches. I haven't thrown up and I haven't missed any work. If you are one that suffers from clusters, check into this device. It has saved my life. No more bed ridden days.
I've even been able to go for 3 mile walks or runs. Not every day, but several days a week. This is where my UCTD comes into play.
Now as far as my UCTD goes, it's going. I had my bi-yearly blood count done in April, and it wasn't the best. I knew before I had that done that my platelets were low. I have been more tired than usual for several months. What I didn't know, was that my white blood cell count had dropped too. So, all you sickies....stay away from me. LOL...
Running with UCTD is a challenge. I start off great. Sometimes I can run and do 3 miles, other times, I run and can only do 1 or 2. I don't quit, but I do walk then. UCTD is an energy zapper, no matter what is going on.

Diet and UCTD

It has been well over a month now since I've started juicing in addition to cutting back on sugar. I'm trying to eliminate it altogether, however, figuring out how to bake without sugar is taking me some time.

I really enjoy a lot of the juice and smoothie recipes that I am finding. I always make sure to add either spinach or kale to my drinks. Plus, ground flax and coconut oil. I feel amazing. I have a ton of energy and I'm sleeping better.

I have noticed that I have very little pain. My joint pain has lessened, my migraines are not as debilitating and I am still only taking Plaquenil. Yeah me!

By November, I hope to be rid of the Plaquenil, if not, at least cut back to only a couple days a week.

Juicing is now part of who I am. I'd much rather eat raw and natural food so I can kick the medicine out of my life.

 

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Chocolate-Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothies

This is my go-to smoothie when I'm having a chocolate fix. I make it a bit thicker so it is more like a shake. I use my Magic Bullet and the large cup.

 

Fill cup half full with frozen banana

1 Tbsp baking chocolate

1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

1 Tbsp flax seed

Enough Almond Milk or soy milk (usually around 1/2 full in the cup)

Process. Sometimes I need to add more milk

Serve. 

Clean Smoothies

I am so in love with smoothies. I could drink/eat these 3 meals a day. There are so many varieties to chose from. Two of my favorite recipes are below. I use frozen fruit so I don't have to add ice cubes. Once a week, I buy a lot of bananas, slice them, and freeze them. All the rest of the berries (if I'm out of them in my garden) are in the freezer section of your local grocery store. I also use my Magic Bullet for this.

Banana-blackberry-blueberry-coconut milk (or water)
1/3 cup each of the fruit
1/2 cup of liquid (coconut milk, soy or water)
1 Tbsp. flax seed
Ice to fill the cup ( if wanted)
Process and enjoy.

Juicing and UCTD

I don't know where the time goes, but I sure haven't kept up on my UCTD part of my blog. So here goes.....juicing! I love juicing. I aim for only once a day. I need to focus on the vegetable side of juicing. Most of us (UCTD folks) are lacking in the vegetable department, especially eating enough greens. The simplest way to add them in for me is to put spinach or kale in my juice. If I'm not eating the kale fast enough, I add water to it and run it through my food processor. I then pour that into ice cube trays and can add as much or as little as I need to my juice. I've also added that to my split pea soup and spaghetti sauce. You can't taste it, but you're getting it in your body. I do the same with spinach. Instead of iceberg lettuce in my wraps, I use baby spinach. Also, throw in some ground flaxseed. You can never have enough of the good stuff.

Give this recipe a try.
Kale (3 leaves or 6-8 ice cubes)
1 apple, cored
2 stalks of celery
ginger (just a little)

Run through your juicer. Add water if you'd like. This should make 2 glasses. You can of course cut back on the kale and celery if you just want 1 glass. I'd keep the entire apple.

Creamy Avocado Dip..Pinterest 2 Thumbs up

I had the most amazing dip. It tastes like a lighter version of guacamole. Thank goodness this is a light version, because I ate a lot. All of it, to be exact. I should have put some on a plate and put the rest in the refrigerator, but I didn't. I let it sit out in plain sight, along with my pita chips. I only made half of what the recipe calls for. Give it a try. There was no reason to change anything in this recipe. Thanks to Two Peas and their Pod.
Follow the link  http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/creamy-avocado-yogurt-dip/ .
Enjoy~!!

Processed and hidden dangers of food

I don't know if you've seen all the news about processed foods and "hidden" chemicals that are going in to our foods, but let me tell you, I am sick to my stomach that our FDA allows this to happen. Several countries have outlawed these foods or chemicals in their food. Why are we not outlawing it? Money? With diet foods, health foods and exercise equipment, along with commercials about getting healthy and losing weight, we are an obese society. Cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases running rampant. But here we are..sick. The more I look at food and read labels, the worse it becomes. I just recently became aware of a product called BVO. This is Brominated Vegetable Oil and is used in citrus drinks. Mt. Dew, Orange Crush and Gatorade are just a few examples that have BVO. BVO has been banned in over 100 countries. BVO is a chemical used for a number of products, from one of the chemicals that treat surfaces for light-sensitive photographic printing papers, as an additive for gasoline, to agricultural fumigants. At one time, bromine was even used to make sedatives, but then the FDA banned its usage around 1975, as it was found to trigger a whole host of psychiatric disorders.

See article regarding BVO.

SInce information on BVO's aired on Dr. Oz, Pepsico has since decided to remove BVO from its products. However, there are several companies out there that are not. It is not only in our drinks, it is in our baked goods and pasta.

Time to take a more proactive approach to the other "hidden' dangers in our food. The FDA is not doing their job in keeping us safe.

 

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Eating clean with UCTD and Migraines~

I blew it last week! I overindulged in vanilla cookies and set off a migraine to beat all migraines. I have been fairly careful with what I eat and I limit the amount of sugar I eat. However, I just HAD to have those cookies. Then to top it off, I had some salty crackers. So bad!!! Darn cravings anyhow~


Saturday night was the worst of the migraine. It woke me around 3 AM. I tried to sleep a bit longer, but at 4 AM I had to get up to take my meds. While I was waiting for my meds to kick in, I watched a recorded Dr. Oz show. Just my luck, a woman was on Dr. Oz that suffered from worse migraines than I get. I just can't imagine anything worse. She explained a "clean eating" diet that helped get rid of her migraines. She had visited Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He suggested a diet that is for a "Super Immunity." He has several books and a great website.

I decided that this way of eating needs to be investigated. With having UCTD and migraines, I figured I have nothing to lose. Dr Fuhram has several clients that has been able to get rid of their migraines or at the very least decrease them in frequentcy.

So with that being said, I bought 2 of his ebooks. Today is my first day trying a new way to eat. I did my grocery shopping this morning. I purchased cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms (which I hate), oranges and lettuce. I have plenty of fruits, tomatoes and squash in my freezer to use in his recipes. I figure I will use the mushrooms in soups. That way I can use my hand blender and blend them up so I don't taste them. At all.

So far today, I've had an omelet. I'm not sure if I'll eat lunch. My stomach is upset from my migraine medicine. I do have my iced tea with a stevia leaf. (See older posts for Stevia) Tonight, I plan on having a huge salad with cucumber, tomato and broccoli. I may have just a smidge of the lasagna I'm making the kids. As for dessert, I need to make the banana oatmeal bars for myself. It is time to cleanse this body of toxins.

Check back with me tomorrow for more results.

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Stevia processed with vodka

I just finished processing some Stevia with vodka. First thing you do is place Stevia leaves, dried or right off the plant in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Pour enough vodka over the leaves to just cover them. Allow to sit for 18-24 hours. Any longer and it will have a bitter taste. Once the time is up, I strained the liquid (using coffee filter) into a pan and allowed this liquid to simmer for 20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. It breaks it down too much. Cool and transfer to a jar that is tight fitting. I didn't have any dark jars, so I'm hoping this isn't a factor. 1 dropper full is as much as a teaspoon of sugar. Adjust as needed. Store jar in refrigerator up to 3 months. The finished product is very dark.

 

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Stevia processing, pt 2

I mentioned earlier this week that I am processing my Stevia plants. I have tried 2 methods and was pleasantly surprised. The first method, I used 2 Stevia leaves in my iced tea. Not crushed, whole. The longer my tea sat, the sweeter my tea was. I didn't detect any aftertaste either. However, next time I will only use 1 leaf.

Another method I tried yesterday, was from my powdered Stevia. This one was an epic fail. I put 1/2 tsp. of powder in my iced tea and stirred until it settled. Now, you can drink the powder, it won't hurt you, however to me I didn't like the powder residue in my mouth. From now on, I will strain it through cheesecloth.

This afternoon, my Stevia that is being processed using vodka, will be ready to use. I will get back to you later on this method.

So far, I'm happy I can use my Stevia.

 

 

 

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Running with Big & Rich~~

I absolutely love this weather we are having in Winston-Salem right now! Sadly, fall and winter is right around the corner. Since becoming sick, I've just started running again. A few days a week is about all I can handle. Today the humidity is very low, making my 2 mile run much easier. I had the iPod on my Big & Rich music. Any music with a fast beat was for me today. I could live with these temperatures all the time :) Now off to do my chores. The next few days I will be outside doing what needs attended to before "cold" weather sets in. 

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Growing and processing Stevia

Two summers ago I found a Stevia plant at our local general store. I had been hearing that Stevia is a lot better for us and a lot sweeter than sugar. I'm not a fan of the man-made sugars, they seem to give me headaches. After doing a lot of research on Stevia, I bought one plant, separated it into 4 plants and planted it. At the end of summer, just when the plant started going to seed, I picked it. Last year I just dried the leaves of the Stevia plant, and gave some away. This year, I'm processing it for my use. So far I've cut the plants back to about 6", washed the leaves and hung it up out in the sun to dry. Next I picked the leaves off of the plant and placed them on my dehydrator to make sure they were completely dry. This took about 4 hours. Then, I ran my dried Stevia leaves through my Bella Cucina to grind them down into a fine powder. You can use a coffee grinder too.  I can keep the powder for a couple of years if I keep it in a glass jar. My next quest with the Stevia will be to see if I can make a syrup with the powdered leaves. I would like to use this in my baking and in my tea. Today, I made tea and put 2 Stevia leaves in my unsweetened tea. I will use 1 next time. It is almost too sweet for me.

Running with UCTD

I've hit a milestone! Two years ago, I had several doctor's tell me that I would probably not be able to run again. I was in such bad shape from the UCTD. It hit me hard and fast. At that time, I was sleeping most of the day to forget about the pain. Well, guess what? I am nearly able to run 2 miles without stopping. I can't do the big hills in our neighborhood yet, but I will. A few months before I was diagnosed, I was up to 3 miles, several days a week. 7 years ago, I would run 5-7 miles several days a week. Then slowly, things started going downhill from there. 
I am happy I can do 2 miles. I'm making a point of looking forward to what I can do, instead of looking back at what I "was" doing. Celebrating my accomplishment with a healthy smoothie! 
One of my doc's told me that I am making incredible progress. He never thought I'd make it this far and in a short amount of time. If 2 years is a short amount of time, then go figure~!!! I was also told that I shouldn't expect too much, too fast. Give myself 3-5 years to get things under control for the most part. After I finish this, I am sending a "thank you" note to my oncologist. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. He took that "one step further" approach with me and was able to find a way to get around the bs to get further testing. I just love that guy! I see him once a year now, but I do keep him updated. I wish more doc's were more understanding and willing to stick their necks out for people like me. 

Back to running

After nearly a year, I am finally able to get back outside and run. It isn't a fast run, but it's a run. It isn't a long run, but it was long enough for me, to start. I enjoyed seeing all the neighborhood people. Startled a few that were driving somewhere. They're not used to seeing me out and about either and had to "share" the road with me again. All the trees were in bloom and flowers up everywhere. Made me so happy to see the wonder of God's world~ cleared the cobwebs out of the brain and was able to "forget" the unrest that is happening all over the world. If only for a minute. I think we get so bogged down with all that is going on, that we need to get out and just breathe! Take that look around and notice all the good we have around us too. Turn off the news. Sadly, it will be there when we turn it back on. I thank God for what I have. My husband, kids, family, awesome friends, jobs, a nice home, and my health. Well, working on the health thing, but after what I've seen this past year, I do have my health compared to some.
Around lunch, Kevin got the Harley out and we were off for about 4 hours. Have you ever noticed, on very nice days, peoples driving skills are worse than just a normal day? We did. Had a few times yesterday that people texting or on their cell phones, tried to run us off the road. Even with that, it was gorgeous out and some of the back country roads were just beautiful. I don't think I'll ever buy a bike for myself. I enjoy looking around at everything. I'd get easily distracted.
I ended up getting quite a nice burn on my face from riding. We had burgers and dogs on the grill and I know I was out cold by 730. Kevin had a hard time waking me to get me to go to bed. That was a long day for me. Even though I'm feeling better for the most part, a day like this will do me in. I can say 10 hours of sleep has me up and ready to face this day, head on!

Hitting the treadmill

I have really struggled with exercise since being diagnosed with UCTD. I was getting into a nice routine on the treadmill, and then I caught a cold. I even gave running a shot. Although my doctor said I wouldn't be able to run, I'm adding a little at a time. I'm listening carefully to my body so I do not have a relapse into pain. So far, I'm at a mile. I walk more than I run, but that is okay for now. Next week, I plan on adding another half mile to my program. I generally do not gain weight in the winter, but I'm not taking a chance, so I've started to watch what I eat. I'm carving out the sugar as much as I can stand it. Some of these sugar free products have such a horrible after-taste. A small price to pay, I guess~

Balance Ball issues

I saw a very interesting exercise program the other day that works out your arms. David Hirsch is a trainer to the stars. The video is probably still on line. Well anyhow, he was showing different methods of torture exercises for your arms and back. Most of these looked very easy, and a few I already incorporate into my exercise routines quite often. Who doesn't want nice looking arms? The two routines using the balance ball I had not tried before. Quite honestly, I wouldn't have thought of those. Push-ups with your feet on the balance ball. Sounds easy right? Well, it is NOT.
First, find enough room to be able to roll off the balance ball without getting injured.
Second, put both feet on the ball and assume the plank position. Using your abs (you won't have a choice about that) steady yourself on the ball. Now, do a push up. After rolling off the ball several times, hitting some furniture in the process, I did one. Thinking I had the hang of it, I tried it again. Same problems. The ball has a mind of its own and takes off. Thus, falling on more furniture. I did manage to do 3 within 10 minutes. I did however, work up a sweat just trying to stay on the ball.
The next exercise I did not attempt. It was all I could do to do 3 push ups in plank position. The next exercise was harder. Balance feet on the ball, put your butt up into the air and do an upside down push up. I'm not a slow learner. I know for a fact that this is not going to happen.
If you think I didn't get anything out of this exercise, you're wrong. My abs are killing me (just from trying to balance). The back of my shoulder blades are sore and I have a nice bruise on my leg from hitting the furniture. I think I'll stay with working out with weights to improve my arms. My husband thinks I shouldn't give up so easy. I think he needs to give it a try.                   

Exercise

One thing that I love to hate is exercise. I was very overweight many years ago and I will not be that girl again. Believe me, I hear that fat girl inside screaming for me to let her out.


I try and exercise in some fashion, every day. I am an avid runner when it is not too cold outside. Once the chill sets in, I use my workout dvd's. At this time of year (cooler), I turn on the fireplace to get my sweat on.

I have also incorporated lengthy walks. Several times a week I walk the route that I usually run. This is about 3.5 miles. Yesterday it was almost too chilly for me to walk, but I made myself get out there and get it done. I always feel like I'm on top of the world once I do. So, before the fat girl starts screaming, I'm off to workout.

Labels: Exercise and Diet 11/22

Just not feeling it ....yet

haven't had the energy to pick up exercising since I had the swine flu. It has been over a month and I really don't feel bad about it. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body. Right now I need to catch up on my sleep. I've started my supplements again too. I had a hard time taking my iron, and I felt my energy levels deteriorate.


No matter what, exercise will begin this week. Even if it is just a walk.

As far as weight, I didn't put on a single pound over the holidays. I am thankful for that. I ate moderately and it wasn't that difficult to watch what I was eating. Water, water and more water. I had no problem keeping hydrated. I just wasn't interested in anything to drink besides water and occasionally a cup of hot green tea.

I'm feeling very good today. I put in a lot of sleep hours since Christmas Eve and it was worth it.

Labels: Exercise and Diet