I am feeling pretty good over all.
With supplements, sleep is better.
The low lectin diet (Plant Paradox diet) has helped cut down on the digestive discomfort and episodes of stabbing pain in my abdomen.
That being said, I think this diet is probably the biggest source of self care stress for me right now. I was encouraged to try to give a a 30 day, 100% compliant trial, which I plan to do as soon as possible. The hardest part really is that I have other people to cook for and this diet, if you are 100% compliant is costly, so it requires me making twice as many meals since we can't all eat the same thing all the time. Which then makes me conflicted/guilty....but I digress.
It does help and I will continue to try to stick to it.
My skin is much clearer, consistently, which is believe is due to all the sunshine and outdoor activities of summertime, healing in my gut due to dietary changes,which also aids in better nutrient absorption, and hopefully, more balanced hormones.
Mood is much more consistent and calm. Sleep helps, breathing exercises (which I've been slacking on lately) definitely help, prayer and Bible reading, and all that good calming stuff, as well as specific supplements to target brain and nerve support.
Tinnitus (ringing in ear) improved alot after cranio sacral appointments, which is great.
The hormone test I had done a few months ago showed that my adrenals were really struggling(which we suspected), my estrogen levels are low and imbalanced, and my thyroid levels looked low as well. So we added specific supplements to support adrenals, estrogen and I'm still using an organic progesterone cream, since my progesterone was in the lower normal range while using it.
It was also recommended that I start taking my waking basal body temperature every morning to monitor thyroid function. I was already planning to do this and I had the thermometer and a book to help me understand how to do it, so I started that this week.
The only downside to taking my waking temp is ideally you want to be consistent with the time of day you take it and also have slept for at least three hours before to get and accurate reading, and because Brian wakes up early for work (which usually wakes me) this is kind of tricky for me and causes a tiny bit of stress. Which was why I hadn't started it yet, I hadn't figured out how to best get an accurate reading. But now I will just do my best and learn as I go.
My temp appears to be consistently on the lower side so far, which points to low thyroid function. Interesting becase I was mostly diagnosed hyper not hypo thyroid in the past, but it can go one way and the swing the other. My clinical nutritionist also mentioned something called Wilson's syndrome where postpartum women sometimes end up having trouble converting thyroid hormones, which could potentially be what's going on with me, but we have to do more testing to find out.
I have also noticed that I feel really good after being out in the sunshine or taking a shower, both of which would aid in boosting my body temperature...
We'll see...I'm not gonna jump to conclusions.😊 And I don't feel stressed about figuring it out either. I am so thankful for my amazing health care team- my Naturopathic Dr., my clinical nutritionist, my chiropractor, my acupuncturist, my cranio sacral therapist- that all play an important part in keeping my body balanced and figuring out how to get me feeling the best I can feel.
Besides that, I have been trying to focus on the fact that I am safe and loved. I am always safe in God's hands and I am always loved by Him.
I think if we can operate from a place of safety and love, we can really be the most helpful and loving to others. If I can rest in God's promises to keep me and hold me, then I don't have to feel threatened by others or situations around me. And if I can rest in His everlasting, unfailing, boundless love for me, I don't need to feel a desperate need for the approval or admiration of others.
"Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you." (Psalm 116)
This is all part of the journey. Yes, I get overwhelmed and discouraged and frustrated at times, but I am learning to let God be in control. I am learning that while there are definitely things we have to do to care for our bodies, there are things that, on a deep level, matter even more, and those deep things also set the tone for how the rest of what you do will play out.
I used to be very scared...very anxious..very easily unsettled. And in some ways I still am easily unsettled...I think I am a HSP (highly sensitive person), or at least more than average. That's just the way I was wired. But I have truly seen such a decrease in my anxiety and fear in the last few years, which I somewhat surprising considering that there have been alot of scary things that happened. But you start to realize the only relief from the fear is to trust. It feels like the opposite thing you should do; how could giving up more control make you feel better? But it does, if you know you can give it to Someone who always knows and knew what was going to happen, and you also believe that His promises are true.
"Spirit, lead me where my trust
is without borders,
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me.
And take me deeper than my feet
would ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour."
💙(Oceans-Hillsong)
Comments
Post a Comment