Sunday, October 27, 2013

Another great article about Gluten intolerance

Those with auto-immune issues should really check this out and take it seriously.  I think I'm pretty close to being gluten free - am going to really make sure not to consume any for the next couple weeks to see if my symptoms continue to improve.  Overall I feel pretty good as long as I continue to get adjustments weekly and eat a raw healthy diet.

Check it out, and I would love to hear from anyone who IS gluten free and finds that it makes a difference in their symptoms.

10 signs you are Gluten intolerant from Healthy Holistic Living

As always, to your health!!  Take care of the body you live in - if you don't, who will?

Gerri

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Interesting article about Gluten....

This is a quick post to share this article with everyone - more and more people are going "gluten free" - this article share some interesting information about gluten sensitivities including several autoimmune diseases:

Gluten connected to 55 diseases

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

I'm still here!! So much going on, so much happening and the best part of it all..........

I'm feeling GREAT!!

I have a new position at the school I work at that has me very busy - I'm in the literacy department and just love it!

Outside of that, I'm still maintaining my weekly chiropractic appointments to maintain myself and to keep my body in optimal health.  I firmly believe that with the weekly adjustments my body has put my FMS down and has helped me stay feeling good.  I still get minor aches and pains in the same areas (hips and shoulders) but nothing even close to what I use to experience.  When I feel overly tired, I go to bed.  I've learned through all of this that listening to my body is the most important thing I can do.  And when I feel tired, I make sure to handle it instead of ignoring it.

Over the past 3 months I did a weight loss challenge with 3 of my friends using a program called Body By Vi (Vi is short for Visalus).  It's a 90 day challenge and it's simply, amazing.  Since getting sick back in 2010 I have gained 55+lbs - I finally got sick of the weight, sick of putting on my clothes that were too tight and finally just had it when I had to purchase a size that I swore I would never be in again (after losing weight in the past)  Depression was setting in again and I knew I had to take a stand before things got worse.

The 90 day challenge consists of replacing 2 meals a day with a healthy protein shake meal replacement.  It's packed with vitamins, has less than a gram sugar and tastes like cake mix - NO JOKE!  A lot of people say "once you start eating again you are going to gain the weight back" to which I have to laugh.  Don't think I'm not eating - in fact, I'm eating quite well.  I have a shake for breakfast, and every two hours another small meal consisting of a protein and vegetable - I eat all day to the point that I'm stuffed when it's time to eat again!  It's not a "fad diet" - it's a way of life - re-training yourself to keep your body fueled so it burns fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.  It takes a little getting use to but now, it's just the way I do things - I eat small meals every 2 hours.  Think portions too - portion control is where it's at.   Once you get use to measuring out your portions you get pretty good at knowing how much you can have at any given time.  I think a huge part of America's problem with Obesity is the fact that our portions are double and triple what they should be all the time - that means we are taking in double and triple the calories we should be on a daily basis - which in turn is going to be weight gain.  It's pretty simple really.

Exercise is suggested but not something you have to do too strenuously or even at all if you don't want to.  As we all know, exercise is another thing that those of us with FMS need to do so it should be incorporated anyway.

So after 3 months I am down 26 lbs and over 27 inches!!  I feel great, am wearing my clothes much better and am actually going to be entering to win the team challenge on a national level!!  Between myself and my team mates we have lost over 200lbs combined!  It's inspiring really.

Currently I'm doing another challenge to drop the rest of the weight I gained.  It's really just a way of life, eating clean and making smart choices.  Through all the struggles over the past few years, my weight shouldn't be a reason I'm feeling sick. I've slowly come around full circle and can honestly say that I'm feeling like myself again - feeling healthy, happy and full of life again!  I never thought I would be able to say that!  I really thought my life would be full of pain and suffering and never again be the same.  It's been 3 yrs and while the road has been a tough one, it's taught me so much about myself and others.

I hope my journey so far has made an impact on others and I hope my continued journey will as well - I am living proof that you can go from literally wanting to die to enjoying life again!  Please, if you have anyone in your life who is like me, share my blog with them, encourage them to follow me,  encourage them to NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN and do what it takes to find the right mixture that will help them get back into the game of life!  Remember back when I first started this journey to find my health?  I was a research freak - researching and researching until I was blue in the face - but it was all worth it - I have found what works for me, what makes me feel good and what keeps me going - you too can find it if you haven't yet - just keep on looking!  I promise it's out there!

To your health and until next time!