Time to Begin Anew!

Today, Alex and I went grocery shopping, list and meal plan for the week in hand. We started off on journey to recover health and discover true nutrition. I've talked about a low GI diet here before and we plan on doing something similar again. This time, however, our focus is on eating "whole foods".

We are adopting our diet from the rules outlined on 100 Days of Real Food. Taken from their webpage, these are the rules:

What you CAN eat:

1. Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry
2. Lots of fruits and vegetables (we recommend that you shop for these at your local farmers’ market)
3. Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese
4. 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains (find a local bakery for approved sandwich bread and check the Understanding Grains post for more info)
5. Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)
6. Only locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken (preferably in moderation)
7. Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!
8. Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn
9. All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation
10. Also check out the Recipes & Resources page for a more detailed list of meal options including links to recipes

What you CANNOT eat:

1. No refined grains such as white flour or white rice (items containing wheat must say WHOLE wheat…not just “wheat”)
2. No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda
3. Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label
4. No deep fried foods
5. No “fast foods”

 Right now, we're in somewhat of a transition phase. We've pledged to no longer buy anything processed, sweetened, made with white flour and non-organic dairy and meats but we also are using up what we have left in our fridge in pantry. We're already good about not buying junk food, using mixes, etc., so the transition should go fairly smoothly.

I'm hoping that combining this with a lower glycemic index food plan I can begin to see serious changes in mine and Alex's health. This goes beyond even PCOS and our fertility issues. Proper nutrition can truly revitalize the body, help it to heal itself (no more being sick yeah!) and prevent many common modern-day diseases. Reproductive issues are only the tip of the iceberg, but as anyone with PCOS knows, it is all body disease.

So for right now, I am not temperature charting or doing anything specific to assist ovulation, etc. I want to see if truly redefining the way we eat brings my hormones back to normal. I've not had a period in three months and I'd like to see if they will start back on their own. I will be continuing to take supplements (adding magnesium and fish oil). I'd like to see better stress handling, improved mood, less fatigue and more energy. Can proper nutrition be the answer? That's what we'll find out!

I've taken a rather extended break from this blog and I am so sorry. I haven't been keeping up with any food plan or supplements. For no real reason other than laziness and lack of motivation. Took my last refill of Clomid in September and I did ovulate (yay) but did not conceive (boooooooooo).

I've been focusing on healing PCOS for fertility reasons. But, there are so many other reasons I need to get on the right meal plan for my body and my health. Focusing on achieving pregnancy and failing every single month only makes me depressed and causes me to lose motivation to keep any routine up because what's the point?

But, my health is more than just fertility and PCOS effects much more than just the reproductive system. Alex and I have been talking about going on a whole-food diet after the holidays (which end on his birthday, January 8th, according to him). And we're going to do it whole-heartedly. So look forward to more posts after the first of the year.

I'm back!

I'm counting tomorrow as my brand new day one.

I've done some thinking and I'm still not 100% sure I have full-blown PCOS, but my symptoms line up enough that I am still considering it a possibility.

However, I've been researching a lot about estrogen dominance, or it can also be viewed as progesterone deficiency. Progesterone is the hormone that causes ovulation and estrogen is like the opposite of progesterone and causes menstruation. If your body makes too much estrogen and/or not enough progesterone it wrecks havoc on the reproductive cycle. 

So estrogen is stored in fat cells. And, well, I have a lot of fat cells. And apparently reducing one's body fat by only 10% if one is overweight can bring the estrogen and progesterone back in balance. 

So anyway, I'm re-evaluating my plan and tweaking it slightly. It will include: daily exercise, limited sugar/flour/dairy, lots of water and healthy food. Not counting calories but I will weigh about every other day. The goal is 20 pounds lost, in however long it takes. 

Basically, the same plan as before with a larger focus on weight control. 

I'll keep you all updated daily!

taking a break.

hey. well, as some of you know, I am quitting my job in august. after some time in prayer i feel like it's best for me to put this experiment on a hiatus until then. i'm too stressed out right now to give it the time and attention it requires. don't get me wrong, i'm still trying to eat right and take my supplements, but as far as trying to heal pcos, etc., i need a break. i've been at this for a year and a half and am getting weary of taking my temperature every morning, charting it, getting disappointed by the chart, freaking out over every bit off spotting wondering what my body is doing. so, for about two months, i am not going to worry about it. once i leave my job, i feel like i can approach it with a renewed sense of strength and optimism. until then!

Day Seven - Who Needs Provera?

Woo-hoo, one week in! I woke up this morning half asleep thinking about how good donuts would be. Once I actually woke up I quickly made a big breakfast to curb those thoughts right away.

Anyway, on to the topic of today's post. Also if you don't like reading about periods, this probably isn't the blog for you (go look at cats instead).

PCOS causes irregular periods. Our bodies need to menstruate to shed the uterus lining and prepare for ovulation and implantation. So every now and then our bodies need a jumpstart to induce menstruation.

Doctors oftentimes prescribe Provera to start a woman's period. It is a hormone that makes you bleed when you stop, from the withdrawal of the progestin. It's generally considered safe, but I've had terrible side effects from it. Took it for five days with non stop nausea. I started thinking there has to be a better way.

A little research revealed the Chinese herb Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis). It is used for many female troubles, especially for increased circulation to the reproductive organs. It strengthens and tones the uterus and can induce menstruation. I was overjoyed to find it at the Vitamin Shoppe. I took it for two days and started bleeding right away. Not just bleeding, Niagara freaking Falls, horrible cramps for six long days. I had not had a period that heavy in years.

After that I had a couple anovulatory cycles with typical anovulatory spotting around the time my period is due. This month the spotting had been weird and light and I decided that it was time for another round of Dong Quai.

I do not have it listed in the supplements I use because I don't use it daily. Also, it can be dangerous. If you have heavy bleeding, you shouldn't take it as you could actually lose too much blood. Also, if you're late for your period and think you need to take it, make 100% sure without a doubt you are not pregnant. The increased blood flow to the uterus can induce a miscarriage. I waited until day 35 of my cycle and took a couple pregnancy tests just to confidently rule it out. Also, once you start bleeding you should stop taking it so that you don't end up with too much bleeding. I relied heavily on Natural Fertility Info for most of my information, check it out to learn more.

Anyway, all that to say I've been taking it the past couple of days and the random spotting is starting to finally become more of a flow. I used to dread periods, now it's nice to finally have one and soon I'll be able to see if I will actually ovulate this cycle.

Today's Foods
10:00am - sausage, eggs, whole wheat bagel with butter and cream cheese. coffee with cinnamon

Day Six

Off work today, woot! But that also means no sweet drinks, which hasn't been a problem so far. Actually I've not eaten very much today at all. I'm not horribly hungry, either, so I'm not fighting it.

Today's Food
11:30am - chicken salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread
1:45pm - banana
drinking water and an unsweetened iced tea.

I am getting hungry now, so I'm off to find something. I'm planning a mexican salad type supper, complete with homemade hummus which I am about to make!

wow just realized I originally posted this as day five again. i can't believe i'm already at day six! it doesn't seem like i've been doing this that long but am so pleased so far!

 4:45pm yummy mexican salad, a lot like a taco minus the tortilla. it included lettuce, tomato, onion, green peppers, salsa, ground beef, hummus, salsa and sour cream

7:00pm dried cranberries and almonds

drinking more water, iced passion tea, coffee beefed up with cinnamon and coconut oil

9:20pm some turkey and cheddar cheese. we are now very low on veggies thanks to all this weeks veggie-filled meals (yay!) so this is my snack. we're fixing the veggie problem by going to Knoxville's Farmer Market on Market Square this Saturday and I'm super excited. We're also getting a new mattress - no more air mattress! But I digress.

Day Five

So five days in and I'm feeling great. Not much has changed except a couple pounds lost and the sugar cravings have all but subsided. I'm hoping to start a new cycle soon (I've been sporadically spotting the past couple of days and if I don't start a real period I'm going to take some Dong Quai to induce one. More on that in a later post... as in "who needs provera!") to see if I actually will ovulate!

Today's Food
9:00am - bowl of plain bran flakes.
11:00am - about four cups of coffee, almonds and dried cranberries

      I was super surprised how full I felt as this time. Granted I was off work at this time and not burning
       as many calories as I would have been if I was at work, but I was not hungry until I left the coffee shop          I was at.

1:30pm - tuna salad wrap, veggies
3:00pm - almonds and dried cranberries

      I eat a lot of almonds and dried cranberries. I keep a big bag of them with me at all times. It is my easiest       and simplest "go-to" snack and I'm not growing tired of them.

6:00pm - more almonds and cranberries! and an iced white mocha.
8:30pm - pita with turkey and cheese. small dish of cottage cheese

been drinking lots of water and iced passion tea throughout the day as well.