A little update on how I'm doing lately:
Since starting the new supplements and diet, I have been feeling a lot better for the most part.
stress is so much more manageable. Things that normally would just break me down have been not as big a deal and not leaving such and impression emotionally or physically. It's hard to describe exactly, but there is a certain feeling I get that tells me when the stress is really going to take a toll on me, and I've only had that once or twice in the last month, which is a huge improvement.
(Thank you, God!) I feel like I can actually just deal with stressful situations and they can be done...like a normal person. I think the supplements are very helpful but I've also been committed to deep breathing exercises to activate my parasympathetic nervous system and I feel like that has also been very good and calming and healing. When you body is subject to chronic stress, it can get "locked" into your sympathetic response system, which is also known as the "fight or flight" response, and your body is basically in emergency mode all the time, and you cannot heal or digest or sleep properly when your body thinks there's an emergency. Makes sense. So deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing yoga; all these things help to quiet that sympathetic response and boost the para-sympathetic system. I use a few different videos on Youtube for these practices.
Sleep has been quite a bit better overall, though this last week I ran out of one sleep aid and waited to see how it would go without it, but unfortunately I was getting progressively worse, and less, sleep, so I picked up more of that supplement yesterday. Adequate sleep really makes such a difference.
Something that has been really annoying lately is my tinnitus, a.k.a. ringing in the ears. Still trying to get to bottom of that. Some sources point to tinnitus being part of the sympathetic system dominance, or stress related. Some say it has to do with your vagus nerve, which controls your autonomic system. Or it could be from either an ear deformity or food allergy related, or it could be scar tissue from my previous chronic tonsillitis, or a pinched nerve or something.... Like I said, still working on the root cause. It varies in volume and pitch somewhat and is mostly noticeable when I lay down to go to sleep, which doesn't help with the insomnia issues. But thankfully, we have been able to quite it in the past so hopefully we can do it again.
As far as my diet goes, I first started doing a low lectin diet after the clinical nutritionist I'm working with suggested I give it a try. He encouraged me to read Dr. Gundry's books on the subject, but I haven't been able to get them from the library yet. I did get his brand new cookbook, The Plant Paradox Cookbook, last week. But before that I just researched online and did low lectin foods as best as I could. It's been good so far for the most part. Always have a little "mourning period" when I'm told to restrict my diet more, but there really is a lot of good food you can eat. I never want o go back to the Standard American Diet, but there are times, mostly social outings, where I feel really isolated and limited...but you just recognize that, and then move on. I know I feel better eating healthy, clean, nourishing food. And it really gives you empathy for people with true allergies, so it makes me a better person in that way too.
In the next few weeks, I will be doing another hormone test, having a craniosacral appointment, seeing my Naturopathic doctor, and chiropractor. I have also been considering another acupuncture appointment and maybe a massage; I have a lot of neck/occipital area tension some mornings that I think contributes to the tinnitus.
Every morning I try to pick a few verses for the day, just to meditate on and help me focus on the right things. Today's passage was 2 Corinthians 4:7-18:
"For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory..." (v.15-17)
Keep it in perspective. God is for you, not against you. He is working out a wonderful, complete Plan, and there is nothing to fear. This is all temporary, "light affliction", even though sometimes it is very overwhelming and very scary, it will not last forever. The most important thing we can do is "not lose heart". Trust and believe and find peace in Him.
There is always something to be thankful, always something to look forward to, and always Someone who cares.
Since starting the new supplements and diet, I have been feeling a lot better for the most part.
stress is so much more manageable. Things that normally would just break me down have been not as big a deal and not leaving such and impression emotionally or physically. It's hard to describe exactly, but there is a certain feeling I get that tells me when the stress is really going to take a toll on me, and I've only had that once or twice in the last month, which is a huge improvement.
(Thank you, God!) I feel like I can actually just deal with stressful situations and they can be done...like a normal person. I think the supplements are very helpful but I've also been committed to deep breathing exercises to activate my parasympathetic nervous system and I feel like that has also been very good and calming and healing. When you body is subject to chronic stress, it can get "locked" into your sympathetic response system, which is also known as the "fight or flight" response, and your body is basically in emergency mode all the time, and you cannot heal or digest or sleep properly when your body thinks there's an emergency. Makes sense. So deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing yoga; all these things help to quiet that sympathetic response and boost the para-sympathetic system. I use a few different videos on Youtube for these practices.
Sleep has been quite a bit better overall, though this last week I ran out of one sleep aid and waited to see how it would go without it, but unfortunately I was getting progressively worse, and less, sleep, so I picked up more of that supplement yesterday. Adequate sleep really makes such a difference.
Something that has been really annoying lately is my tinnitus, a.k.a. ringing in the ears. Still trying to get to bottom of that. Some sources point to tinnitus being part of the sympathetic system dominance, or stress related. Some say it has to do with your vagus nerve, which controls your autonomic system. Or it could be from either an ear deformity or food allergy related, or it could be scar tissue from my previous chronic tonsillitis, or a pinched nerve or something.... Like I said, still working on the root cause. It varies in volume and pitch somewhat and is mostly noticeable when I lay down to go to sleep, which doesn't help with the insomnia issues. But thankfully, we have been able to quite it in the past so hopefully we can do it again.
As far as my diet goes, I first started doing a low lectin diet after the clinical nutritionist I'm working with suggested I give it a try. He encouraged me to read Dr. Gundry's books on the subject, but I haven't been able to get them from the library yet. I did get his brand new cookbook, The Plant Paradox Cookbook, last week. But before that I just researched online and did low lectin foods as best as I could. It's been good so far for the most part. Always have a little "mourning period" when I'm told to restrict my diet more, but there really is a lot of good food you can eat. I never want o go back to the Standard American Diet, but there are times, mostly social outings, where I feel really isolated and limited...but you just recognize that, and then move on. I know I feel better eating healthy, clean, nourishing food. And it really gives you empathy for people with true allergies, so it makes me a better person in that way too.
In the next few weeks, I will be doing another hormone test, having a craniosacral appointment, seeing my Naturopathic doctor, and chiropractor. I have also been considering another acupuncture appointment and maybe a massage; I have a lot of neck/occipital area tension some mornings that I think contributes to the tinnitus.
Every morning I try to pick a few verses for the day, just to meditate on and help me focus on the right things. Today's passage was 2 Corinthians 4:7-18:
"For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory..." (v.15-17)
Keep it in perspective. God is for you, not against you. He is working out a wonderful, complete Plan, and there is nothing to fear. This is all temporary, "light affliction", even though sometimes it is very overwhelming and very scary, it will not last forever. The most important thing we can do is "not lose heart". Trust and believe and find peace in Him.
There is always something to be thankful, always something to look forward to, and always Someone who cares.
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