I've been happily in a food rut for weeks. I don't like to think about what to eat. I just want to pull out my leftovers from the refrigerator, heat them and not think about it. My favorite breakfast is still an offal muffin, mashed squash and hot chocolate (instead of a fat bomb). I LOVE hot chocolate. I figured since my fat bombs are coconut with a bit of flavor and sweetener it's really not much different than hot chocolate (coconut milk, water, raw cacao powder, cinnamon, vanilla, a pinch of stevia and less than a tsp of honey). Lunch is sauteed veggies, protein and a fat bomb. Dinner, veggie soup, protein and a fat bomb.
Recently a favorite blogger of mine released a cookbook. I went back through her site this morning and found that many of the recipes can be adapted to be SIBO safe. So I'm walking up to the store today to buy some celeriac (for beef stroganoff) and parsnip (for a tuna dish). My husband will surely appreciate it if I cook more and using vegetable noodles it keeps the dish light and low carb (great for an evening meal).
Friday, February 27, 2015
Thursday, February 26, 2015
MTHFR?
Skyped with Dr. Keller today. Very funny, she popped up and said, "I feel totally unprepared, I don't have any lab results". We are waiting for results on my ASI which should be in any day. I knew they probably weren't going to be ready but wanted to talk anyway because I always have so many questions about what I should or shouldn't be doing. The herbal protocols are somewhat easier to figure out and I feel like I can experiment with that on my own (to some extent) but there are other pieces I just can't wrap my head around.
Concerns I have: dysbiosis in my large intestine and my inability to support that given the fact that I cannot eat starch without getting C. My last stool test showed my Butyrate was borderline low and my SCFA's were low. Both of these things are necessary for a healthy large intestine. She had concerns about this as well and said she thinks of me often because we have tried so many things without much result. I find this oddly reassuring and disturbing. I don't want to be the kind of case that a doctor has to ruminate about. I want to be the easy fix, the success story, the happily ever after. She's wondering about MTHFR and thinks we should test (you can do this specifically with a saliva test or through a more comprehensive 23andme.com and then have the results translated for you through a service such as Genetic Genie). 23andme is actually less expensive and you can a wealth of information (that I probably don't need! Who needs more to worry about?).
She also wants me to consider a barium study to look for any anatomical abnormalities and/or adhesions from my c-section. That sounds expensive! My insurance will probably just apply it toward my astronomical deductible. Which makes me wonder why I'm paying through the nose every month for coverage!
White rice and white potatoes are recommended to help introduce some starch but keep the fermentation potential low. She thought I may need to add back in the LDE in addition to the LDN while my body gets used to the starch. My digestion is feeling so good right now that I am a bit reluctant.
She asked about my Vit D levels because Dr. Weinstock has been researching LDN and found that it doesn't work optimally as a prokinetic unless you have enough Vitamin D on board. Thankfully I just had mine tested and it's in the 50's so were were able to rule that out without more labs.
Another way to support my large intestine bacterial health would be probiotic enemas. She recommended once every 3 days to see how it goes. I have both PrescriptAssist and Lactoprime Plus on hand and she thought the PrescriptAssist would be best. Sounds like fun! I still think I should add a little resistant starch or some other prebiotic to feed them as well :)
I also had thyroid specific questions. Why do I need to be on T3 when the issue I am having is not with lack of hormone but with my body's inability to convert from T4 to T3? She says we need to get my temperatures regulated (they are all over the place) and then we can work to support conversion. Okay, but ugh, I hate taking these little white pills. She didn't have any concerns with occasional seaweed or iodine in my multi's which is a relief. She also doesn't think I need to worry about TH1 and TH@ dominance. If I react to one of the triggers then we'll figure it out.
I asked about Glutamine powder and Liposomal Glutathione but she wants me to wait before adding anything else in. She is also researching Glutathione to figure out which one she trusts the most.
Oh, and she said I could experiment with fermented foods again. I've eaten them in past and didn't notice any issue so I'll try again.
30 minutes goes so quick but I always find it so helpful.
Concerns I have: dysbiosis in my large intestine and my inability to support that given the fact that I cannot eat starch without getting C. My last stool test showed my Butyrate was borderline low and my SCFA's were low. Both of these things are necessary for a healthy large intestine. She had concerns about this as well and said she thinks of me often because we have tried so many things without much result. I find this oddly reassuring and disturbing. I don't want to be the kind of case that a doctor has to ruminate about. I want to be the easy fix, the success story, the happily ever after. She's wondering about MTHFR and thinks we should test (you can do this specifically with a saliva test or through a more comprehensive 23andme.com and then have the results translated for you through a service such as Genetic Genie). 23andme is actually less expensive and you can a wealth of information (that I probably don't need! Who needs more to worry about?).
She also wants me to consider a barium study to look for any anatomical abnormalities and/or adhesions from my c-section. That sounds expensive! My insurance will probably just apply it toward my astronomical deductible. Which makes me wonder why I'm paying through the nose every month for coverage!
White rice and white potatoes are recommended to help introduce some starch but keep the fermentation potential low. She thought I may need to add back in the LDE in addition to the LDN while my body gets used to the starch. My digestion is feeling so good right now that I am a bit reluctant.
She asked about my Vit D levels because Dr. Weinstock has been researching LDN and found that it doesn't work optimally as a prokinetic unless you have enough Vitamin D on board. Thankfully I just had mine tested and it's in the 50's so were were able to rule that out without more labs.
Another way to support my large intestine bacterial health would be probiotic enemas. She recommended once every 3 days to see how it goes. I have both PrescriptAssist and Lactoprime Plus on hand and she thought the PrescriptAssist would be best. Sounds like fun! I still think I should add a little resistant starch or some other prebiotic to feed them as well :)
I also had thyroid specific questions. Why do I need to be on T3 when the issue I am having is not with lack of hormone but with my body's inability to convert from T4 to T3? She says we need to get my temperatures regulated (they are all over the place) and then we can work to support conversion. Okay, but ugh, I hate taking these little white pills. She didn't have any concerns with occasional seaweed or iodine in my multi's which is a relief. She also doesn't think I need to worry about TH1 and TH@ dominance. If I react to one of the triggers then we'll figure it out.
I asked about Glutamine powder and Liposomal Glutathione but she wants me to wait before adding anything else in. She is also researching Glutathione to figure out which one she trusts the most.
Oh, and she said I could experiment with fermented foods again. I've eaten them in past and didn't notice any issue so I'll try again.
30 minutes goes so quick but I always find it so helpful.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Sometimes you just have to fake it 'til you make it....
I am reminded of this whenever I listen to a podcast with Chris Kresser and he tells the story of his own recovery from parasites and intestinal woes. He immersed himself in getting physically better, was uber strict diet and followed his protocol to the letter but still wasn't getting better. Eventually he got tired of the isolation and decided this wasn't a life. He started hanging out with friends again, loosened up on his diet a bit and he got better, stronger. Social isolation isn't healthy. Focusing on your illness doesn't help your stress level. Sometimes you have to take a step back, breathe and just live.
It reminds me of my grandmother. She was a hypochondriac, at least that's what you called it back in the day. We couldn't wear ANY fragrance around her whatsoever. No scented lotions on days we were going to see her, nothing. Her big thing was asthma and the slightest thing would send her into a spell which would result in her being rushed to the hospital by ambulance and an overnight stay. Funny thing is, she got Alzheimers/Dementia and the worse her mind got the better her health was. No issues with asthma, not a complaint in the world. She looked healthy, her hair shiny and her skin just glowed. Not saying that losing your mind will cure all your woes, but finding ways to reduce your stress and forget your problems just might.
Yoga does this for me. No one at any of the studios know that I have digestive woes, or autoimmune issues. I walk in the door and I am just another yogi. I pretend to be strong and healthy. Even on days when I struggle both physically and mentally, I still feel better than when I am at home wallowing in misery. Not that I'm miserable, that would be a total exaggeration, but it can be a real drag, you know. And it's easy to get caught up in researching this protocol and that, talking to people on various online support groups, second guessing your every move. I'm not saying you should all run out and join a yoga studio but maybe you should find an escape of some sort. Something that you can enjoy without thinking "can I eat this" or "should I be taking that". Start living a little. Get some fresh air. Be happy. Or just be.
It reminds me of my grandmother. She was a hypochondriac, at least that's what you called it back in the day. We couldn't wear ANY fragrance around her whatsoever. No scented lotions on days we were going to see her, nothing. Her big thing was asthma and the slightest thing would send her into a spell which would result in her being rushed to the hospital by ambulance and an overnight stay. Funny thing is, she got Alzheimers/Dementia and the worse her mind got the better her health was. No issues with asthma, not a complaint in the world. She looked healthy, her hair shiny and her skin just glowed. Not saying that losing your mind will cure all your woes, but finding ways to reduce your stress and forget your problems just might.
Yoga does this for me. No one at any of the studios know that I have digestive woes, or autoimmune issues. I walk in the door and I am just another yogi. I pretend to be strong and healthy. Even on days when I struggle both physically and mentally, I still feel better than when I am at home wallowing in misery. Not that I'm miserable, that would be a total exaggeration, but it can be a real drag, you know. And it's easy to get caught up in researching this protocol and that, talking to people on various online support groups, second guessing your every move. I'm not saying you should all run out and join a yoga studio but maybe you should find an escape of some sort. Something that you can enjoy without thinking "can I eat this" or "should I be taking that". Start living a little. Get some fresh air. Be happy. Or just be.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Ugh, I love you too honey!
Husband came down with a weird GI thing on Saturday morning - bloating (stomach), nausea, belching - feeling generally gross. I thought it was weird, he hadn't really eaten anything yet. It cleared by Sunday and he was back to his old self. Monday afternoon I came down with the same thing. If he hadn't have gotten it first I would have assumed it was a SIBO thing and I had eaten too much of something I wasn't supposed to. Ugh! By Tuesday evening it had cleared and I was back to eating again. I NEVER lose my appetite so that was really weird for me. Usually when I feel ill I think "what can I eat that will make me feel better". Not this time. I am still dealing with residual abdominal pains that come and go, not very frequently but man they hurt! I made sure to take my Allimed, Berberine and Neem to help prevent any more overgrowth of bacteria in my small intestine and I took good ole Endozin which contains Zinc Carnosine which, as you may remember from The Healthy Gut Summit wrap up post, helps keep the junctions between your intestinals cells working together and hopefully prevented any leaky gut from forming.
That said, at a time when I should be staying strictly AIP I just wanted scrambled eggs this morning so I had them (and felt fine). And I wanted tunafish and crackers for lunch so I substituted canned salmon, organic mayonnaisse (with inflammatory soybean and canola oil) and seaweed (iodine may not be great for Hashi's, I haven't tested so I don't know my levels). But I wanted it and even though I shouldn't have, I ate it anyway. I have duck egg mayonnaise that I made but it's almost a month old so I really should toss it. I don't have any fresh duck eggs, so I couldn't make more mayo and the organic store jar was just staring at me in the refrigerator. I've tried to make mayo out of chicken eggs and it's just not as good (even though the eggs are so fresh they are sometimes still warm).
My random fever, technically not a fever, has gone away. I mentioned that I was running in the high 99's, low 100's didn't I? No idea what that was about because it started before I started the thyroid medication. Again if I kept more meticulous notes I might have a better clue.
That said, at a time when I should be staying strictly AIP I just wanted scrambled eggs this morning so I had them (and felt fine). And I wanted tunafish and crackers for lunch so I substituted canned salmon, organic mayonnaisse (with inflammatory soybean and canola oil) and seaweed (iodine may not be great for Hashi's, I haven't tested so I don't know my levels). But I wanted it and even though I shouldn't have, I ate it anyway. I have duck egg mayonnaise that I made but it's almost a month old so I really should toss it. I don't have any fresh duck eggs, so I couldn't make more mayo and the organic store jar was just staring at me in the refrigerator. I've tried to make mayo out of chicken eggs and it's just not as good (even though the eggs are so fresh they are sometimes still warm).
My random fever, technically not a fever, has gone away. I mentioned that I was running in the high 99's, low 100's didn't I? No idea what that was about because it started before I started the thyroid medication. Again if I kept more meticulous notes I might have a better clue.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
New Protocol - Month 1
I listened to a podcast with Dr. Michael Ruscio on Underground Wellness and was impressed. I had skipped his interview on the Digestion Sessions because his talk was about diarrhea and I have no issues there. I went back and listened to it after the podcast and thought why not give his protocol a try. It seems to cover all bases - bacteria, parasites and yeast. I have tested negative for parasites and yeast but decided to do it anyway. If you don't know what is in your gut I would definitely start slow with this protocol to avoid killing off too much too quickly.
Because I tolerate both fermented foods and probiotics I will be working them into my meals. I am a little skeptical about probiotics only because I question how active the bacteria is in them. I have a bottle in the refrigerator. I used a capsule in coconut milk to make yogurt and nothing happened after keeping it warm for 24 hours. I then squirted a bit of liquid from my fermented carrots into the coconut milk and again kept it warm for 24 hours. Now it tastes like yogurt. My son has a very typical limited kid diet and I squirt some fermented liquid into an empty capsule for him. More beneficial bacteria and more natural if you ask me.
For the next 2 Weeks:
AM (before breakfast)
GI Microbex (2 capsules)
Iberogast (20 drops in water)
Bitters (1/2 tsp)
Breakfast
Oil of Oregano and Melaleuca Essential oil (1-2 drops each in capsule)
Digestzyme (1-4 depending on how heavy the protein is)
Allimed
Before Lunch
Iberogast (20 drops in water)
Bitters (1/2 tsp)
Lunch
Oil of Oregano and Melaleuca Essential oil (1-2 drops each in capsule)
Digestzyme (1-4 capsules)
Allimed
Before Dinner
Iberogast (20 drops in water)
Bitters (1/2 tsp)
Dinner
Oil of Oregano and Melaleuca (1-2 drops each in capsule)
Digestzymes (1-4 capsules)
Bedtime
LDN 4.5mg
GI Microb-x (2 capsules)
I'm not entirely sure if I will extend this to a month or change things up. Dr. Ruscio recommends a month and his plan actually calls for Oil of Oregano in pills but I figure why spend the money when I already have the essential oil. I may change my biofilm buster to Serratase (talked about by Dr. Olmstead in Healthy Gut). I'll post when I get closer to starting.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Thoughts on The Healthy Gut Summit
This is going to sound really mean, but I am so tired of hearing Donna Gates. She constantly tried to steer the conversation to fermented foods, yeast overgrowth, autism, how she brought coconut water/oil/ferments to America, blah, blah, blah. Sorry, that was mean but I got really tired of her talking about how paleo diet is terrible for you (too much protein, too much saturated fat she says) and how high fat diets leads to a decrease in Bifido bacteria (she doesn't say what fats were included in the study nor that eating fiber mitigates the decrease in beneficial bacteria). She clearly has an agenda different than mine.
Things I have learned:
Dr. Olmstead - stress kills Bifido bacteria :( Those are the good bugs you really want in your colon. Serratia Peptidase sold as Serralase is a good biofilm buster. You take up to 4 tablets twice a day and it goes where it needs to go in the body. Might have to give that a try!
Liz Lipski - You get a quicker bowel response from Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Oxide because your body doesn't absorb it as well as other forms of Magnesium such as Malate, Glycinate and Taurate.
Dr. Siebecker - hypothyroidism causes slow motility. 5 HTP stimulates the MMC (I have used this in the past and it worked for a while and then my body figured out I was tricking it). If you (or someone you love) gets food poisoning or gastrointestinal distress, take supplements to help your body prevent SIBO. Supplements mentioned - Berberine, Goldenseal, Oregon Grape, Allimed, Cinnamon, Oil of Oregano. I know for myself I am going to keep Cinnamon and Oil of Oregano essential oils on hand for this use.
Dr. Wentz - if you have hypothyroid you should measure your iodine to see if you are low or high. Both can trigger hypothyroidism. Test through ZRT labs is $80 and you can order it yourself.
Dr. Hyman - Self care, not Healthcare. Love this, why, because stress kills Bifido bacteria. It's really important for us to find things we enjoy, that help us reduce stress. For me it's walking the dogs, doing yoga, stretching in the evening, even sipping on hot peppermint water. AND this, altruism excites the same pathways in the brain that sugar does. Go out and help someone else, it makes you feel so good, better than a donut.
Dr. Kharrazian - pretty much the same as the Digestion Sessions in terms of how to improve gut motility by stimulating vagal nerve. But he also said, educate yourselves!!! Which is so very important.
Mike Mutzel - I love him. I have no issues with weight loss but wanted to hear him speak anyway. Practice mindful eating - take some deep breathes before you begin and try to chew your food at least 40 times. If you want to have a glass of wine, take Zinc Carnosine (75mg) to help mitigate the effects on your gut (my ND had me take it when I needed ibuprofen). Zinc carnosine works by improving the communication between adjacent intestinal cells and makes them more cohesive (ie - prevents/heals intestinal permeability). Eat the majority of your calories before 5pm. Your gut is at it's lowest functioning in the evening so you don't want to be taking a huge meal in. The body need consistency - go to bed and get up around the same time every day. This one kills me. I would love to be a night owl and sleep a bit later but life just doesn't allow :)
Dr. LePine - I almost didn't listen to this one because I'm really tired of Donna Gates but I'm glad I did. He talked in the beginning about how your oral bacteria can be linked to your gut bacteria. Oral dysbiosis is linked to gut dysbiosis. You can get your oral bacteria checked out through OralDNA.com. Sounds like your dentist has to order it for you. Fusobacteria in the gut is related to periodontal disease. Both my mom and sister have periodontal issues and I have had gum issues and guess what's elevated on my stool test? Fusobacteria! Will have to figure out what I need to do to change that. To deal with your oral bacteria dysbiosis one of the things you can use is an Hydrofloss (this is what I use - good to know I'm on the right track!).
I started to listen to Dr. Hanaway but to be honest, I'm fried! I think I'll go read or sit quietly with no auditory stimulation.
Things I have learned:
Dr. Olmstead - stress kills Bifido bacteria :( Those are the good bugs you really want in your colon. Serratia Peptidase sold as Serralase is a good biofilm buster. You take up to 4 tablets twice a day and it goes where it needs to go in the body. Might have to give that a try!
Liz Lipski - You get a quicker bowel response from Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Oxide because your body doesn't absorb it as well as other forms of Magnesium such as Malate, Glycinate and Taurate.
Dr. Siebecker - hypothyroidism causes slow motility. 5 HTP stimulates the MMC (I have used this in the past and it worked for a while and then my body figured out I was tricking it). If you (or someone you love) gets food poisoning or gastrointestinal distress, take supplements to help your body prevent SIBO. Supplements mentioned - Berberine, Goldenseal, Oregon Grape, Allimed, Cinnamon, Oil of Oregano. I know for myself I am going to keep Cinnamon and Oil of Oregano essential oils on hand for this use.
Dr. Wentz - if you have hypothyroid you should measure your iodine to see if you are low or high. Both can trigger hypothyroidism. Test through ZRT labs is $80 and you can order it yourself.
Dr. Hyman - Self care, not Healthcare. Love this, why, because stress kills Bifido bacteria. It's really important for us to find things we enjoy, that help us reduce stress. For me it's walking the dogs, doing yoga, stretching in the evening, even sipping on hot peppermint water. AND this, altruism excites the same pathways in the brain that sugar does. Go out and help someone else, it makes you feel so good, better than a donut.
Dr. Kharrazian - pretty much the same as the Digestion Sessions in terms of how to improve gut motility by stimulating vagal nerve. But he also said, educate yourselves!!! Which is so very important.
Mike Mutzel - I love him. I have no issues with weight loss but wanted to hear him speak anyway. Practice mindful eating - take some deep breathes before you begin and try to chew your food at least 40 times. If you want to have a glass of wine, take Zinc Carnosine (75mg) to help mitigate the effects on your gut (my ND had me take it when I needed ibuprofen). Zinc carnosine works by improving the communication between adjacent intestinal cells and makes them more cohesive (ie - prevents/heals intestinal permeability). Eat the majority of your calories before 5pm. Your gut is at it's lowest functioning in the evening so you don't want to be taking a huge meal in. The body need consistency - go to bed and get up around the same time every day. This one kills me. I would love to be a night owl and sleep a bit later but life just doesn't allow :)
Dr. LePine - I almost didn't listen to this one because I'm really tired of Donna Gates but I'm glad I did. He talked in the beginning about how your oral bacteria can be linked to your gut bacteria. Oral dysbiosis is linked to gut dysbiosis. You can get your oral bacteria checked out through OralDNA.com. Sounds like your dentist has to order it for you. Fusobacteria in the gut is related to periodontal disease. Both my mom and sister have periodontal issues and I have had gum issues and guess what's elevated on my stool test? Fusobacteria! Will have to figure out what I need to do to change that. To deal with your oral bacteria dysbiosis one of the things you can use is an Hydrofloss (this is what I use - good to know I'm on the right track!).
I started to listen to Dr. Hanaway but to be honest, I'm fried! I think I'll go read or sit quietly with no auditory stimulation.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
LDN
I've been on low dose Naltrexone (LDN) for several days now. I started out at 1.5mg and have been tapering up, currently at 3mg at bedtime. I was expecting difficulty sleeping and vivid dreams but have not experienced anything different than normal. That's probably a good thing! I've taken the low dose erythromycin (LDE) out of my nighttime routine. My motility remains top notch. I think (for me) the high fat, low carb diet definitely helps. My gut seems really happy as of late.
Now if only I could figure out why I am running so darned hot. My ND requested I start taking my temperature before I started my thyroid medicine and it's been in the high 99's to low 100's for probably 2 weeks. Normally I run in the mid 97 range. Not sure what the heck is going on unless it's my diet. I started the thyroid meds a week ago and it hasn't really changed my body temp so not sure what to think. I swear you could spend all day every day just trying to figure out what's going on with your body. That's not really living however.
At least my gut is happy!
Now if only I could figure out why I am running so darned hot. My ND requested I start taking my temperature before I started my thyroid medicine and it's been in the high 99's to low 100's for probably 2 weeks. Normally I run in the mid 97 range. Not sure what the heck is going on unless it's my diet. I started the thyroid meds a week ago and it hasn't really changed my body temp so not sure what to think. I swear you could spend all day every day just trying to figure out what's going on with your body. That's not really living however.
At least my gut is happy!
Friday, February 13, 2015
2 interviews with Dr. Siebecker - limited time
The Healthy Gut Summit and Primal 90 both have interviews with Dr. Siebecker available today. Grab some paper and a pen because you are bound to learn something new!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Healthy Gut Summit - Day 3
If you have time today, watch Dr. Olmstead! I strongly believe that biofilms protect the nasty SIBO bugs and that's part of the reason test results go up and down with treatments and it's really hard to completely kill them all off. I've used both Lipophos EDTA and Interfase Plus off and on for months and didn't notice much benefit at all so gave them up in the fall. I'm currently using 2 drops of Melaleuca* in a capsule with MCT oil about 30 minutes before meals. I'm about to change up my protocol and will post when I start it to let you all know what I am doing. After listening to this interview I'm considering trying Serralase and will definitely be working on getting more probiotics in my diet. I think I'll make coconut yogurt today and throw some carrots in a jar to ferment. I'm avoiding nightshades so a yummy, spicy kim chee is out for now :(
*Note - if you decide to ingest essential oils please use a reputable brand like DoTerra or Young Living and for goodness sake do your research first! I don't sell either and use both brands.
Monday, February 9, 2015
No Regrets!
Oh man am I suffering. I could barely move today after stressing my body all weekend in that 10hr yoga workshop. I just started on my thyroid medication so my T3 is still really low. I knew it would tax me but man today was rough. Unbelievable fatigue! And I did the EXACT thing you shouldn't do in this circumstance, I drank green tea.
Tonight I went through my old journals and my medical file to clean out the things I no longer need. Holy mackeral I ate like crap when I started this journey!! In the beginning I made a lot of breads out of nuts and then spread more nut butter on top of them and made and consumed shortbread cookies of some kind daily. I was such a sugar addict (although I cut out cane sugar back in 2011, not that it mattered because there are so many substitutes!). No wonder it's taken me so long to get to this point! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to travel back and kick yourself in the butt :)
So Dr. Keller wants to test my adrenals through a saliva test but I heard on this podcast that the saliva test only tests for free cortisol which only accounts for 1% of the total cortisol in your body AND hypothyroidism causes poor clearance of free cortisol so the results will likely show more than is actually there. Chris Kresser recommends DUTCH (dry urine testing comprehensive hormone) testing through Precision Analytical which is of course more than twice as expensive. Do I get the less expensive test even though it could be inaccurate or do I go for the accurate test or the 3rd option do I just scrap it and take supplements to support my adrenals? I'm seriously just considering the latter. All this lab work reallys adds up!
Day One of The Healthy Gut Summit was kind of a bust. Looking forward to Dr. Knight tomorrow and his American Gut Project talk and also interested to see what Dr. Axe has to say. I always find it interesting when chiropractors get into functional medicine. I imagine for most it's a personal journal struggling with their own issues that leads them on a different path after chiropractic school.
Tonight I went through my old journals and my medical file to clean out the things I no longer need. Holy mackeral I ate like crap when I started this journey!! In the beginning I made a lot of breads out of nuts and then spread more nut butter on top of them and made and consumed shortbread cookies of some kind daily. I was such a sugar addict (although I cut out cane sugar back in 2011, not that it mattered because there are so many substitutes!). No wonder it's taken me so long to get to this point! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to travel back and kick yourself in the butt :)
So Dr. Keller wants to test my adrenals through a saliva test but I heard on this podcast that the saliva test only tests for free cortisol which only accounts for 1% of the total cortisol in your body AND hypothyroidism causes poor clearance of free cortisol so the results will likely show more than is actually there. Chris Kresser recommends DUTCH (dry urine testing comprehensive hormone) testing through Precision Analytical which is of course more than twice as expensive. Do I get the less expensive test even though it could be inaccurate or do I go for the accurate test or the 3rd option do I just scrap it and take supplements to support my adrenals? I'm seriously just considering the latter. All this lab work reallys adds up!
Day One of The Healthy Gut Summit was kind of a bust. Looking forward to Dr. Knight tomorrow and his American Gut Project talk and also interested to see what Dr. Axe has to say. I always find it interesting when chiropractors get into functional medicine. I imagine for most it's a personal journal struggling with their own issues that leads them on a different path after chiropractic school.
Accountability vs. Victimhood
I did a 10 hour yoga workshop this weekend. Not the brightest idea but these teachers only come to town once a year. As we all know exercise is stress and given the recent diagnosis of Hashi's and the ongoing battle with SIBO, I should be keeping stress to a minimum. What can I say, I couldn't help myself!
My teachers talked a lot about alignment (of course) but also what that alignment does to your mental health and overall wellbeing. Slouch and you feel physically, emotionally, mentally like crap, not to mention what it does to your digestion, rounding in and compressing everything. When you raise your head, expand and raise your chest you are more likely to feel strong and empowered, you give your stomach, intestines, gall bladder, liver, etc. more room to do their thing. Think about the animals you see, the only time they slouch or tuck their tail is when they are scared, unsure. Most of the time their tail is up their head held high, ready for anything.
It got me to thinking about all of us. For many of us we didn't do anything wrong to create our SIBO so we have the "woe is me" feeling (someone can't remember who called this the Eeyore). We can't find a good doctor, we can't (or won't) stick with the diet, we don't know what supplements to take to make ourselves feel better. We can live in this victim mentality or we can take accountability for our actions, do our own research, get support via groups on FB or whatever social media outlet we choose, carve out time (even just 5 minutes a day) for mindfulness/belly breathing/whatever and make a plan for getting well. Great places for finding information?
http://www.siboinfo.com/
http://chriskresser.com/sibo-what-causes-it-and-why-its-so-hard-to-treat
https://www.facebook.com/DrRuscio (He's in the process of updating his website, I had not heard of him but his herbal protocol from the Digestive Sessions covers all bases - more about this later)
http://www.amazon.com/IBS-Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome-Antibiotics-ebook/dp/B00CBP2S1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1423452835&sr=1-2&keywords=fast+track+digestion
http://www.amazon.com/New-IBS-Solution-Bacteria--Irritable-ebook/dp/B007Z5SVRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1423452939&sr=1-1&keywords=new+ibs+solution
There are numerous podcasts that deal with SIBO. Not to mention it seems like every few months there is some sort of weeklong free online Summit related to health (this week it's Healthy Gut Summit). Check out Underground Wellness, Revolution Health Radio. There are also several podcasts, articles and videos on SIBOinfo.com under learning more.
The bottom line is no cares about your health as much as you do and sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands. I have walked into the doctor's office several times and said, "what about this?", and given him information about labs or probiotics or herbal protocols or conventional treatments. I'm lucky that I have a provider who is open to this and willing to try anything. I also skype with Dr. Keller at the SIBO Center at NCNM to help clarify things I am unsure about.
And more important than anything (and trust me hindsight really sucks on this one for me) keep a food journal, better yet a food journal and an everyday journal so you can track what is working for you and what isn't. I've started measuring my belly just below my belly button too because I can't always tell by looking if I'm bloated at all. My high fat, low carb, low-mod protein diet is doing wonders for me (that doesn't mean it will work for you). But it took me a full year to figure it out because I wasn't willing to change my diet that much and hey, it was low FODMAP so I didn't think I had to. If you feel like things aren't working, change it.
If you don't have the money to do labs and supplements and don't have a good doctor, start with the SIBO specific diet or better yet, a low FODMAP AIP diet to help reduce some of the inflammation in your digestive tract. Tip - you can do this by printing out the SIBO specific diet and then crossing off anything not allowed on the AIP (great resources for this are Practical Paleo, The Paleo Approach or The Paleo Mom blog. Don't have money for books, check them out at the library (if they don't have them, you can request they order them or loan them from another library). Just give it 30 days to see if it makes a difference. And seriously if a food on the list makes you feel bad, stop consuming it! Start a practice of some kind to help you reduce stress. Research which of the supplements recommended to treat SIBO are the least expensive. There are several places to order them online and most do not charge tax or shipping. If you can scrape together $$ for one test, consider a good 3 day stool test which can show how well your body is digesting food, if there are parasites present and whether candida is a problem. The stool test will also show which botanicals and meds the nasty organisms are resistant to and which will kill them.
For a quick, inexpensive (no fun) fix you can also spend your food budget on amino acids, multivitamins, coconut oil and honey and do the elemental diet. Siboinfo.com says it has an 80-84% rate of erradicating SIBO.
I'll say it again, no one cares about your health as much as you, so keep your head up, do your research and take charge because in the end wouldn't you rather be a Tigger than an Eeyore???
My teachers talked a lot about alignment (of course) but also what that alignment does to your mental health and overall wellbeing. Slouch and you feel physically, emotionally, mentally like crap, not to mention what it does to your digestion, rounding in and compressing everything. When you raise your head, expand and raise your chest you are more likely to feel strong and empowered, you give your stomach, intestines, gall bladder, liver, etc. more room to do their thing. Think about the animals you see, the only time they slouch or tuck their tail is when they are scared, unsure. Most of the time their tail is up their head held high, ready for anything.
It got me to thinking about all of us. For many of us we didn't do anything wrong to create our SIBO so we have the "woe is me" feeling (someone can't remember who called this the Eeyore). We can't find a good doctor, we can't (or won't) stick with the diet, we don't know what supplements to take to make ourselves feel better. We can live in this victim mentality or we can take accountability for our actions, do our own research, get support via groups on FB or whatever social media outlet we choose, carve out time (even just 5 minutes a day) for mindfulness/belly breathing/whatever and make a plan for getting well. Great places for finding information?
http://www.siboinfo.com/
http://chriskresser.com/sibo-what-causes-it-and-why-its-so-hard-to-treat
https://www.facebook.com/DrRuscio (He's in the process of updating his website, I had not heard of him but his herbal protocol from the Digestive Sessions covers all bases - more about this later)
http://www.amazon.com/IBS-Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome-Antibiotics-ebook/dp/B00CBP2S1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1423452835&sr=1-2&keywords=fast+track+digestion
http://www.amazon.com/New-IBS-Solution-Bacteria--Irritable-ebook/dp/B007Z5SVRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1423452939&sr=1-1&keywords=new+ibs+solution
There are numerous podcasts that deal with SIBO. Not to mention it seems like every few months there is some sort of weeklong free online Summit related to health (this week it's Healthy Gut Summit). Check out Underground Wellness, Revolution Health Radio. There are also several podcasts, articles and videos on SIBOinfo.com under learning more.
The bottom line is no cares about your health as much as you do and sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands. I have walked into the doctor's office several times and said, "what about this?", and given him information about labs or probiotics or herbal protocols or conventional treatments. I'm lucky that I have a provider who is open to this and willing to try anything. I also skype with Dr. Keller at the SIBO Center at NCNM to help clarify things I am unsure about.
And more important than anything (and trust me hindsight really sucks on this one for me) keep a food journal, better yet a food journal and an everyday journal so you can track what is working for you and what isn't. I've started measuring my belly just below my belly button too because I can't always tell by looking if I'm bloated at all. My high fat, low carb, low-mod protein diet is doing wonders for me (that doesn't mean it will work for you). But it took me a full year to figure it out because I wasn't willing to change my diet that much and hey, it was low FODMAP so I didn't think I had to. If you feel like things aren't working, change it.
If you don't have the money to do labs and supplements and don't have a good doctor, start with the SIBO specific diet or better yet, a low FODMAP AIP diet to help reduce some of the inflammation in your digestive tract. Tip - you can do this by printing out the SIBO specific diet and then crossing off anything not allowed on the AIP (great resources for this are Practical Paleo, The Paleo Approach or The Paleo Mom blog. Don't have money for books, check them out at the library (if they don't have them, you can request they order them or loan them from another library). Just give it 30 days to see if it makes a difference. And seriously if a food on the list makes you feel bad, stop consuming it! Start a practice of some kind to help you reduce stress. Research which of the supplements recommended to treat SIBO are the least expensive. There are several places to order them online and most do not charge tax or shipping. If you can scrape together $$ for one test, consider a good 3 day stool test which can show how well your body is digesting food, if there are parasites present and whether candida is a problem. The stool test will also show which botanicals and meds the nasty organisms are resistant to and which will kill them.
For a quick, inexpensive (no fun) fix you can also spend your food budget on amino acids, multivitamins, coconut oil and honey and do the elemental diet. Siboinfo.com says it has an 80-84% rate of erradicating SIBO.
I'll say it again, no one cares about your health as much as you, so keep your head up, do your research and take charge because in the end wouldn't you rather be a Tigger than an Eeyore???
Sunday, February 8, 2015
What I Eat
I tried to take pictures over the last week to give you all an idea of what I have been eating. I am feeling good, no bloating (I started measuring) and pretty good motility. I usually have a veggie soup with one meal, mashed squash with one meal and sautéed veggies with one meal. I don't like eating vegetables singularly so I find sautés and soups work better for me. I try to vary my protein but always get a bit of offal in my diet. I'm so in love with sardines and offal muffins right now.
Blended vegetable soup (broth, carrot, zucchini, green beans, green onions, garlic infused coconut or olive oil, spices, coconut milk and either kale or spinach). Vanilla fudge fat bomb
Veggies sauteed in garlic infused oil, coconut aminos, fish sauce and rice vinegar. Berry Fat Bomb http://petra8paleo.com/2014/07/18/pbj-ice-cream-cupcake-fudge-aip-walhspaelo/
Turkey Meatballs http://www.marthastewart.com/875683/turkey-meatballs modified to be low FODMAP (substitute a bit of coconut flour for bread crumbs, green onion for onion, single spices for italian seasoning), mashed squash and a berry fat bomb.
When I am really short on time (usually at breakfast), I eat a nut butter patty (1 cup mac nuts, 1 cup walnuts, 2-3 T almond butter, 1 cup coconut oil, 4 tablespoons Bulletproof Collagen, cinnamon, vanilla, a touch of stevia, and a touch of honey (less than 1 tablespoon) ground into a nut butter in the food processor and frozen in a silicone muffin tin). This weekend I am in the midst of a 10 hour yoga workshop so for lunch I added the extra protein in the form of summer sausage (homemade with just salt, pepper, liquid smoke and the preserving salts) and a bit of Liverwurst. I had a nice mug of hot water on the side with 2 drops of peppermint essential oil.
http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/white-chocolate-healthy-paleo-fudge/ I decreased the sweetener to just a touch of honey and some stevia.
Squash mashed with coconut oil and coconut milk, Liverwurst from US Wellness Meats, Offal Muffin http://petra8paleo.com/2014/05/05/victorious-offal-muffins/ , white fudge (recipe link above.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Vagus Nerve Stimulation is all the rage right now on the SIBO group I follow on Facebook. Everyone has been watching the Digestion Sessions with Dr. Kharrazian so they are all gagging, gargling and singing. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. It's free, fairly easy (if you remember to do it) and worth a shot to help improve your motility. For me, I don't think the vagus nerve is the cause of my slow motility. I've been doing yoga for years and the breathing that we do in class stimulates the vagus nerve. I've also been trying to do belly breathing daily which apparently also stimulates the vagus nerve.
These are all pretty interesting if you are interested in learning more about the vagus nerve or you can always pick up Dr. Kharrazian's book!
http://www.newhealthguide.org/Vagus-Nerve.html
http://eiriu-eolas.org/2013/06/29/its-very-easy-to-deal-with-your-anxiety-using-your-vagus-nerve/
http://life.gaiam.com/article/depressed-just-stimulate-your-vagus-nerve
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/anxiety-vegus-nerve-stimulation-brainstem/2014/09/15/id/594746/
These are all pretty interesting if you are interested in learning more about the vagus nerve or you can always pick up Dr. Kharrazian's book!
http://www.newhealthguide.org/Vagus-Nerve.html
http://eiriu-eolas.org/2013/06/29/its-very-easy-to-deal-with-your-anxiety-using-your-vagus-nerve/
http://life.gaiam.com/article/depressed-just-stimulate-your-vagus-nerve
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/anxiety-vegus-nerve-stimulation-brainstem/2014/09/15/id/594746/
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Oops I did it again!
So I finished my Herbal Biotic and added in the essential oil Melaleuca pretty much at the same time. My motility has been waaaaaay too good, if you know what I mean. My ND in Seattle loves the Herbal Biotic which is an Heron Botanical kitchen sink formula that is full of garlic.
When I broke down and added it back in my belly itched for days. I associate the itchiness with leaky gut (I got the same way when I drank beer and ate out at a restaurant), although I have no way of knowing for sure. But I stuck with it for 3 months anyway. I didn't keep a food journal or diary of any kind so don't know if I felt crappier during those 3 months but it seems that way now. I picked up a couple of notebooks on the way home today and I think I'm going to start journaling for a few minutes each night to keep better track of how I am feeling. I use the mySymptoms app to track my food, supplements and general reactions to food.
So I can't decide if I want to test before I change course. I hate the thought of feeding those bugs in my gut, even though it's just once. I know I still have SIBO, so do I really need to have the number before changing gears? I think yes, then I think no. *sigh*
Talked to the pharmacist today who was filling my thyroid medication and LDN prescriptions. He was fascinated by them for some reason but restrained himself from asking me about them. He just kept calling them "interesting" and asking if she went over all the specifics about how/when to take them.
This posted today. It's also in iTunes. I have it downloaded and ready to go! I love Sean Croxton, his interviews are always so good.
When I broke down and added it back in my belly itched for days. I associate the itchiness with leaky gut (I got the same way when I drank beer and ate out at a restaurant), although I have no way of knowing for sure. But I stuck with it for 3 months anyway. I didn't keep a food journal or diary of any kind so don't know if I felt crappier during those 3 months but it seems that way now. I picked up a couple of notebooks on the way home today and I think I'm going to start journaling for a few minutes each night to keep better track of how I am feeling. I use the mySymptoms app to track my food, supplements and general reactions to food.
So I can't decide if I want to test before I change course. I hate the thought of feeding those bugs in my gut, even though it's just once. I know I still have SIBO, so do I really need to have the number before changing gears? I think yes, then I think no. *sigh*
Talked to the pharmacist today who was filling my thyroid medication and LDN prescriptions. He was fascinated by them for some reason but restrained himself from asking me about them. He just kept calling them "interesting" and asking if she went over all the specifics about how/when to take them.
This posted today. It's also in iTunes. I have it downloaded and ready to go! I love Sean Croxton, his interviews are always so good.
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