Post Kidney Detox... The Saga Continues

The Kidney Detox was great. I felt better after that 5 day Detox than I have in a long time. However, the pain in my gut didn't go away. In fact, over the past 5 weeks it has gotten worse. It's not life threatening pain, mind you. But pain is...well....A PAIN!

So I finally got a referral to a urologist for my kidney stone and ureter issue, which is obviously not an emergency issue, since they booked me in SEP-FREAKING-TEMBER.

I went to my medical office and saw the "new" Nurse Practitioner. She's nice. She's young. She seems really smart and genuinely concerned. Tested me for celiac, which was negative. Aren't they all? Also did a complete thyroid and chem panel. No thyroid problems, elevated white cells, or anything else to trigger alarm. She suggested that I start swimming, daily if possible. Yeah, I'll just dig that pool in my backyard, chick. I told her I wasn't sure if I would have the time. She then said, rather smugly I might add, "If you make time for Crossfit you can make time to swim." Touché, thin, young, smart Nurse Practitioner. Touché.

She also said she suspects IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) to be my issue. She referred me to a Gastroenterologist at the end of next month (another non-emergency). You know what that means....ENDOSCOPY! Dear God, I am too young for this crap! (NP said THAT too! Really, Captain Obvious!?) And bye bye perky little smart a...... Ok, ok.

So I started researching IBS, and I could say my symptoms line up almost 90% with it. I have been trying to be Paleo. No excuses, just eating some crackers here, a slice of bread there, a little potato. But I eat tons (which is part of the issue...the TONS I eat) of other Paleo stuff. All the time. But one look at the IBS FODMAP list of foods to avoid is more than slightly depressing. A lot of the foods I completely love are on that list, Paleo foods that were probably making it difficult for me all along to lose weight, plus causing this stupid gut pain. I mean check this out. No more onions? No garlic? I eat garlic with just about everything! Ugh. I can do this. 

Wait, does that say cocoa powder? Pray for me. 

Kidney Detox Day 1 Rant

Say hello to my new friend, Dr. Schulze's 5 Day Kidney Detox!

After my emergency room visit and my strong desire NEVER to experience the several kidney stones I have in my right kidney (I have passed stones 3 times before...NOT my most favorite thing to do!) my hubby and I decided I should give this a shot. 

Frankly, I have also been very frustrated with my weight. While my husband went through his life threatening cardiac arrhythmia, I went through gaining back almost 50 lbs. Comfort food is a misnomer, because I...AM...NOT...COMFORTABLE!

And so, I had been working out sporadically at the Core Fitness gym throughout his illness. But once I reached my peak, I decided I needed to get more serious about my eating. Then...my trainer closed his gym! Ugh!

Thankfully, my old box, Level 10 Crossfit had started "Soft Start" classes for people who have injuries, are just starting out, are inactive, etc. So I jumped right in almost a month ago. And lost 5 lbs during the first 2 weeks.

Then a GI virus and the kidney stones. A week of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and extreme fatigue. I could hardly eat, and was drinking mostly fresh-made (at home) fruit & veggie smoothies with things like carrots, kale, superfood greens, beets, apples, pineapple, berries, bananas, etc. Can you believe I gained 5 lbs!? WTH?

We use Dr. Schulze's Superfood for our fruit smoothies every day. And we knew he had other products. So we shopped his website and found this box. It came yesterday, and I started this morning. It isn't easy, folks. In fact, it's kind of complicated, as well as DIFFICULT to accomplish!

The day starts with 16-32 oz. of his Kidney/Bladder Flush Drink:

Listen, that Cayenne Tincture is no flippin joke. I used 20. And it was some kinda spicy! E flavor was NOT BAD AT ALL. I can do this every morning for 5 days. 

This is followed immediately by his K-B Tea, which must be prepared the night before. I put 6 Tablespoons of this K-B Tea Mixture

into 60 ounces of purified water every night (because distiller is just nasty!). Mind you I must drink this three times today. As I write this, I am only on my second cup before lunch. It doesn't taste bad, but there is this funky little vial of Kidney/Bladder formula, which doesn't taste terrible,

and which I must add to every cup of tea. 2 cups of tea, 3 times a day. 

After the tea comes the Devil. I mean it. This part is awful. This cute little unassuming vial

isfull of some gnarly, strong, funky crap! 3 droppers full in a little shot of grape juice or other strong fruit juice (it tastes like jet fuel, really) right after the tea. And the real Devil is I have to do this 5 times today. Three of those are right after a giant cup of tea. Ugh!

Today and the last day I can eat raw fruits and vegetables at selected times of the day, but days 2 through 4 are all fruit and/or veggie juice, broth, and herbal tea at selected times of the day, all day. I must also drink at least 1 gallon of water or other liquid (Does wine count? No? Fine.) every day. 

If you are not thoroughly confused yet, then you aren't doing it right. 

So it's about 1:00 p.m. I am trudging through my large hot cup of tea, mostly because I am not looking forward to that darn devil Detox shot. And I have to eat too. Which I really don't have room for. But I will. Because I am OCD, and the direction say to eat. 

I have peed more in the last 5 hours than I think I normally do in a week. At least every 10-15 minutes. I am getting very tired (I did workout at Crossfit this morning before all this started) and my kidneys are a little throbby. But they have been like that for over a week. Blah blah blah....

Anyway, I feel the need to post this now because 5 days from now, when this little joyride is over, I want to see the difference between how I feel now and how I feel at the end. And let's...just...be...honest..... I do not ever again want to experience the pain of passing a kidney stone. Knowing they are in there is not comforting. Hopefully this will get 'em! 

And at is all I have to say about that.

The return of Crossfit part 2 and more illness

My return to Crossfit was a success! I went for 2 sessions per week for 2 weeks, plus homework workouts for the weekend. Completed it all with flying colors. Then, on the Monday night before my Tuesday a.m. workout, I threw up at dinner, out of the blue. I had been having a pain in my lower right quadrant for a couple of days, but I passed it off as gas (no pun intended!). I began to feel really horrible. 

I don't know what the deal is. I am starting to think I am either a hypochondriac or an actually sickly person. Hubby and I thought I had appendicitis. I ended up in the ER where I got a CT scan. No appendicitis but they did find several kidney stones and a defect on my other kidney, and I was diagnosed with a GI virus. 

Since this little illness started, I have gained back the 5 pounds I lost during the first two weeks at Crossfit, which seems really impossible considering the number of fresh fruit and veggie & superfood juices and smoothies I have consumed due to my lack of appetite and nausea. I am starting to feel better, but the nausea is lingering. Still, I am eating as well as I can and although I missed all of last week in the gym, I am back on track with my workouts too. I feel like I am just on a treadmill (actually, it's an elliptical...but I digress) and going nowhere, putting on and taking off the same few pounds. My whole goal is to lose weight and feel better. I feel BETTER....but I want to LOSE WEIGHT AND FEEL BETTER!

This little illness has really reinforced the fact that I need to get my crap together once and for all with my eating. I can workout 4+ days a week and never lose a pound. But I want to do everything I can on my own end, eat the right foods and exercise as much as I can, within healthy limits. So I am done. Really and finally. I've been juicing for the past week and my body is resisting every moment of it. But I know a breakthrough is on the way. How are YOU doing and where do you struggle?

The Return of Crossfit

Tomorrow morning I will once more darken the gym floor of Level 10 Crossfit. It's been 2 years. My back was so damaged I didn't think I could ever return. But since being with Dino Correa at Core Fitness for the past year, I have experienced a healing that I bought was impossible. Now that Dino is closing his doors, it seemed the perfect time to return to the gym home I have always loved. I am sad for Dino, but so grateful for the relief of pain. So tomorrow! I can't wait!

When a Food Addict Gets Sick

So a lot of people get sick and they just retreat into a cocoon of not eating, blankets, and tepid water. Sometimes I am one of those people. Today is not that day. 

Today I got up as usual and went about my business. Around 9 a.m. I started feeling really cruddy, with symptoms of nausea, diarrhea and headache. So I returned home, put on my stretchy pants and crawled into bed.

Now I know all about BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast)... I have eaten my fair share of saltine crackers, graham crackers, chicken soup, and the like. However, I also have this little gluten sensitivity issue. So, if I eat bread, pasta, or other grain products, I get a runny nose, stomach irritation, and a bloated gut. But coincidentally, my American Diet based on the traditional food pyramid tells me that those are the things I need. So I usually end up eating those things, which consequently ends up making me sicker. 

I have 5 levels of sick:

1) whining in bed & not eating anything at all

2) whining in bed & eating everything

3) whining in general, up and about & not eating anything at all

4) whining in general, up and about & eating everything, hoping it'll make me feel better

5) Mom Mode: feeling like crap but sucking it up and going about life as though I feel fine

Today is level 2. But without the carbs/grain. Phew. 

Food Addict

So I am admitting it. I am a food addict. I think about food all the time. I will search old purses for change just so I can get some food I am out of. I wake up wondering what to have for breakfast, what to make myself for lunch, how much groceries I will need to buy next payday, will the groceries I have MAKE IT til next payday? Food for me, food for the kids, food for hubby, food for potential dinner guests, food on vacation, food when I don't want to cook, etc......

It would be so much easier if we didn't HAVE TO eat. But we do. Often. And it is so much easier, and often tastier to eat the bad thing, or too much of a good thing. 

It would also be easier if I was a terrible cook. But I am not. In fact I am borderline gourmet, and the only thing keeping me here is my food budget.

I am not a huge sweets fan. I know, when fluffy people say this, skinny people roll their eyes. But seriously, aside from the occasional Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut bar, or some once in a while sweet treat, I am not a huge sweets fan. But if it's there and I am hungry, well...you know.

I crave salty and crunchy. Not ANY salty and crunchy. Usually chips. Or nuts. Or something nut like or chip like. I always have to end on salty, not sweet. 

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I am starting over. I have put most of my lost weight back on...AGAIN! I am not all miserable about it...not beating myself up...well, maybe a little. But I know my first step in the right direction always has to be accountability. So here ya go. Hold me accountable.

Also, we are going to do the unthinkable. We are going to start over as a family. 

Because look, I love bread. And chips. And pasta. But they all make me fat and make me feel like crabapples. And I can't imagine what it's doing to my children. And I KNOW what it's doing to my husband. Between us all there are too many health scares, too many mood issues, pain issues, weight issues and more to just sit here and act like I haven't learned what I have learned about food. It can heal us, or it can kill us. 

I want it to heal us. And I don't want to go backwards again. So pray for us, that we can see this lifestyle change through.

Crispy Almonds

A good friend is the President of our local chapter of the Weston Price Foundation. Here is a quote from their website to help you understand a little about the foundation:

The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants. (More about Weston Price is available at https:/www.westonaprice.org)

My friend had been sharing her crispy almonds with me for some time. I thought they were just some expensive tasty item she bought through specialty online stores. Then she gave me a copy of the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, I found the crispy almond recipe for myself, and I have been using it ever since. I can hardly tolerate almonds any other way now!

You can find their recipe here: http://www.nourishedbynature.com/recipes/crispy-almonds/ ... As well as an explanation of WHY crispy or "activated" almonds are better for you. I DO consider those things. But really, I am all about taste...and these just TASTE fantastic! Here is how I make them.

I start with Kirkland plain almonds, or a bag of local almonds (which are ALWAYS a better choice). I place the almonds in a large heat-safe bowl or pan. Then I add about 2 Tablespoons of sea salt. Finally I pour boiling hot water on the almonds until they are completely covered with at least an inch of water above them. 

After they sit in the water for about an hour, I drain them completely in a colander, rinse them with cold water, then pour them onto a very absorbent towel and dry them off. You can remove the skins at this point if you prefer, but it is a long and tedious task, and frankly, I like the skins on. After drying, you can sprinkle them with a little more sea salt, or some other spice (cocoa powder & Stevia, or garlic salt, or my favorite, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning). 

You have two options with the next step. 1) Use a dehydrator, or 2) Use your oven. I have used both with success. Just be careful that your oven heats evenly because the almonds will be in for a long time and you DON'Twant to burn them. 

If you are using your dehydrator, spread the almonds on single layers on the trays and stack them in the dehydrator on high. Leave them in for at least 24 hours and test them for desired crispness every couple of hours.

If you are using your oven, preheat it to about 175. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or simply leave the pan dry. Distribute the almonds evenly in a single layer over the pans. Place in the center racks of the oven. Just like with the dehydrator, leave them in for at least 24 hours and test them for desired crispness every couple of hours.

Remove the almonds from the dehydrator/oven and allow to cool for at least an hour.

The way I like to store these is by 1/4 cup scoops in snack size bags. (Down, Environmentalists! I'm a cheapskate!) this is perfect for people who are trying to control portion sizes. Only ONE BAG A DAY! 

These almonds are perfect for snacking solo, or using for making almond butter, granola (gluten free of course), chopped for nut topping on a salad, or for a homemade trail mix.

 I like mine with coconut chunks...tastes just like an Almond Joy bar....add a few dark chocolate chips too, if you want to complete that fantasy!