I have now been off of white flour, sugar and dairy for more than 24 hours.  I am starting on a quest for (almost) perfect health.  I am going to journal (hopefully) daily here my progress, feelings and symptoms for the world to see.  I want someone somewhere to see how it works, how hard it is and how it can be done.

I am 36-years-old, I have 7 children ages 13, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5 and 5 months.  I have been married for almost 14 years (really?!!!) to a wonderful man that supports my efforts even if he doesn't fully understand them.  I am an aspiring artist who can't seem to find the time to finish a piece of work but can always start one.  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I am a home baker and a food and sugar addict.

I'm listing my symptoms so that I can see where I'm starting from and also so that others can see where we have similarities.  They are in no order, just as they pop into my head.

fatigue
weight gain
blister-like acne on my scalp
gas
constipation (chronic)
anxiety
memory loss
thinning hair
blister-like sores on the bottom of my right foot that eventually dry up and flake off (5 years or more)
enlarged glands in right armpit (used to be my left)
sore and stiff joints when I first start to move after being stationary for minutes or hours
cravings (sugar and carbs)
depression (not as bad as it used to be but still lurking like a silent monster waiting for me to cave)
headaches
backaches (mid and lower)
ringing in my ears (happening more and more often)
mood swings
inability to think at times/cannot process my environment/confusion
constant sinus/nasal ...snot (there's probably a better word but I can't remember it :)
chronic phlegm
slight swelling/maybe water retention in my lower legs and feet

I think that's everything.  If I remember or discover another ailment later I'll come back and add it onto the list.  I think it's enough for now.

 I was seeing a naturopathic doctor about 4 or 5 years ago and he put me on a restricted diet immediately.  I went from eating about 4000 calories a day to maybe 500-800.  I just didn't know what to eat and therefore didn't eat anything.  I was starving and when my husband and I went in for the second visit and told him that I was struggling to eat he mentioned Luna Bars as a quick source of food for times when I couldn't get anything else that was better for me.  I went out and bought two boxes of the bars and ate them in a matter of a few days.  I am better prepared this time to feed myself the kinds of whole foods that will heal me.

One issue I have is that I am breastfeeding my 5 mo old.  She is a big girls weighing in at 19 pounds and I worry about a) having enough milk for her and b) releasing too many toxins into my milk.  I don't know how it's going to work but I have faith that if I want to get healthy God will help - He'll help with the motivation and He'll help with the knowledge when it's needed.  If I didn't think I had His help I wouldn't be able to go for more than a few days.  This is long-term for me - a lifestyle change.  Do I think that I'll never eat another piece of cake or another hamburger?  No - I'm not that naive.  I just need to plan that kind of thing carefully into my diet instead of caving into cravings with wild abandon.

                                                                   

So that was my preface, if you will.  Here is my first log:
(I decided that it would be easiest if I log entries the morning after so I'm writing now on the morning of my 3rd day)

Yesterday was hard.  I was draggy all day, like working through a thick fog.  I took a bunch of cat-naps while laying on the floor next to my baby girl.  My ankles kept getting tight, my fingers froze during my naps on the floor and were very painful to move at first.  I did no chores unless you count running my 12 and 13 yr old girls to different stores so that they could spend birthday money.  I did manage to get up and exercise for about 45 minutes early in the morning.  As far as food went I did manage to stick to my "diet" but I don't think that I ate enough calories.  It's funny how when I don't have any restrictions anything is fair game for sticking in my trap but with a few restrictions now I am struggling to find enough calories.  I know that once I get a bit more of a routine then it will be easier.

I ate a small handful of raw almonds, a serving of quick oats with olive oil, avocado, tomato and raw garlic (I seasoned it with s + p, cayenne and onion powder), two Larabars (is that how you spell it?) because I was desperate and needed energy to make dinner for the fam, brown rice covered with bell peppers, tomato, onion and mixed greens, and finally - for dessert - a green drink made up of organic unfiltered apple juice, chia seed, flax meal, wild frozen blueberries and more mixed greens.  I usually make a yummier green drink but I didn't put in enough apple juice and did put in too much of the seeds.  It was like drinking sludge (not the taste but the consistency, the taste wasn't great either but I could get it down). If I had to calculate the calories I would say that I didn't go over 1500 all day.  Good for loosing weight, bad for nursing a baby.  I'm also taking Rainbow Light brand prenatal vitamins.  I slept well/soundly.

I'm hoping after my good night that I will be much more productive today... maybe?