Skip to main content

It seems that I am a melting pot of Autoimmune Diseases

As it's been about 10 weeks since I started my Autoimmune Paleo Diet I thought I'd reflect a little on how I'm doing and what I've learnt so far:
  • It's very hard to have any sort of social life on this diet. I have been to several parties where I have just drunk water which I can just about cope with although I do miss a nice glass of red. I also had a funeral to go to this week which involved 5 hours of driving and a lot of food/drink planning which proved quite complicated but I got there in the end
  • I actually really like the food and have never eaten so well. This book by Mickey Trescott is really well written and also useful with some great recipes

  • Having two teenagers, a husband and a dog adds more complexity to mealtimes although I'm not really sure that the dog makes a difference.
  • I do still need to have something sweet occasionally - fortunately not eating sugar makes honey taste ridiculously sweet.
  • I seem to have been able to put peanuts and cacao powder back into my diet without a problem but I am monitoring the situation closely to be sure

     If I mix all these ingredients together it makes my version of Nutella and tastes yum!


  • It is more expensive eating like this 
  • My local butcher is a Legend for cutting me bone joints that fit in my slow cooker (I hope you're reading this Rob! http://www.mayobrothers.co.uk/)
  • I am actually feeding myself properly and eating regularly for the first time in ages. I definitely put priority on eating my food as I have to be careful not to lose any more weight
  • The running really helps to keep me sane. I have finished the NHS Couch to 5km run App but still run 30mins 3 times a week, usually with my hound 
  • I have felt considerably better both pain and energy wise since starting the diet.
  • Unfortunately my Rheumatologist told me today that the bad circulation in my right hand is not my Rheumatoid Arthritis but Raynauds Disease (new one on me) and my fizzy right thumb is still the MS so I do have symptoms but they are minimal compared to previous episodes.
  • How can I have RA, MS and now secondary Raynaud's syndrome too, what is going on?!
  • I am discovering lots of new facts about my body and digestion - Science was never my strong subject at school but needs must and all that. I am currently trying to fix my leaky gut which may well be the cause of all my poor health.
  • I am making some water kefir (new to me too) which is a natural probiotic apparently and it is currently fermenting in my kitchen - I will keep you posted as to how I get on although it doesn't look too inviting at the moment! 
                                                     

  • I have discovered that I actually like tinned salmon which is fortunate because it is very good for you (and more importantly, very convenient).
  • Who knew that beetroot and fennel make such a brilliant combination for a soup?
  • I get through about 3 coconuts a week and don't know where I'd be without them - I make my own coconut milk and freeze it in ice cube trays and use it in everything.

  • I prioritise my sleep and try and make sure that I get at least 8 hours a night - not always easy, I am the first to bed as my teenagers stay up SO late these days.
  • I've often read that the key to this recovery business is a combination of diet, sleep, exercise and stress management so not just diet alone.
  • Art Therapy has saved me! Getting lost in creativity has really helped me to keep some balance and perspective in my life,  I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
I think that about sums things up for now. I'll let you know how I get on with the water kefir!




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wendy Dolan talk on Art, Architecture and Stitch

I had a lovely evening at Chiltern Embroidery and Textile Group in Tylers Green earlier in the week, it was good to be back there after giving my own talk back in March. I took my Mum and a friend to see a talk given by Wendy Dolan on 'Art, Architecture and Stitch' which was right up my street! Wendy is a textile artist who uses fabrics and threads to create textured designs with some wonderful results. I have met Wendy several times before as she is from Sussex (where I grew up) and we also have some mutual friends.   Wendy's talk covered how she develops her work from sketchbooks through to her final designs and she showed us photographs that had inspired her from a variety of places such as Barcelona and Venice. My work is also very sketchbook led so I could easily identify with her thought process. I am also drawn to textures but Wendy's work differs from mine in that she starts with plain coloured fabrics, stitch and thread - ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to start a sketchbook project - Part 1

Since I've started a new sketchbook recently I thought I could do a diary of sorts to explain how I have put the various sections together. I chose the theme of 'Layering' as I was looking through some old A-Level Art & Design question papers and this topic appealed to me. If you want to create your own sketchbook obviously you could choose any theme you like, just make sure that it's something that interests you and you will find plenty of inspiration. I favour an A3 size sketchbook but there are no hard and fast rules on this, and it's best to go for a scale that you feel comfortable with. I started out with a title page and a 'mind map' of written ideas of anything that I felt could relate to the theme of 'layering', a brainstorm of sorts. This is a good way to get over the dreaded 'first page fear' when you just can't bring yourself to start your pristine book and any mark you make is overly scrutinis...
1 comment
Read more

'Marine Life' Sketchbook,

Having taken part in several Open Studio events, I have come to realise how much people do like to look at a sketchbook. I find creating the books a hugely enjoyable process and I'm still referring back to and using some of the imagery from the ones I did some 25 years ago! In this post I thought I would give you a quick flick through my 'Marine Life' book which is a more recent creation and helped to inspire my 'Shoal' and 'Sea Garden' ranges. Once I've chosen a theme I generally do a mind map and look at all the different areas I could explore within that theme. Over the next 5-10 pages I play around with different images, textures, media and scale to explore the possibilities. I also like to focus on a few artists or designers that inspire me too and may relate to my theme. I might do a few pages combining their style with mine and my theme and see what happens. I recently wrote an article for 'Workshop on the Web'...
Post a Comment
Read more