I've been awfully quiet about my recent challenge.
A little over a month ago, I decided I needed to recharge my adrenal glands.
After one aborted attempt, I restarted a month ago, and with the exception of one dinner party, a couple french fries, and a half-inch sliver of banana cream pie on Labor Day, I've been pretty consistent with my efforts.
I have to say... I really FEEL a difference! I tested my saliva pH before starting and periodically throughout the last month and it has also consistently been more basic. But the biggest differences I've noticed has been my energy, my sleep quality, sinuses clearer than I ever thought possible, and the fact that despite the scale barely budging, my clothes are fitting better. And every time I cheated, I FELT the difference as well... I'd feel tired, slow, and hit an afternoon lag that just wasn't there when I was avoiding sugar, wheat, caffeine, alcohol, and fried foods. I'm curious to see how my body changes now that I have added dairy back in, but I can say without a doubt that I notice negative shifts in my energy level and mood when I consume wheat and sugar. And it is immediate! I've also noticed how heavy and congested my digestive tract feels when I eat too much red meat (an observation I've never made before...). Oatmeal also seems to slow me down a bit...
Why do I tell you all this?
I can't promise that you will have the same experience I had, but I'd love for you to try this experiment for yourself and report back to me what you noticed. Be an alien in your own body and see how your food affects your moods, body functions, and energy level. Awareness leads to knowledge and knowledge is power! Let me know what you discover...
Miserable with Migraines: I'm hot, I'm tired, and I have the worst migraine EVER! Is there anything I can do?
Dr. Redmond: Dear Miserable, Being a chiro, I help people with migraines quite a bit. And actually, it's not uncommon for people to get migraines when it's really hot out. Or when it rains. Or when they eat certain foods or are under stress. Usually it's actually of combination of these factors and others but a most useful thing I have learned is that often, dehydration plays the biggest role. Dehydration + other aggravators = misery. My best advice (other than getting to the Chiropractor of your choice as soon as possible to evaluate your nervous system and find what is causing these miserable migraines in the first place ;) is to roll a hand towel like one of those swiss roll snack cakes and lie on it with it tucked under your neck with a cold compress on your eyes and a hot compress on your shoulders. It typically works just as well or better than Imitrex. And hydrate!
Feel better soon!
Your local doc,
Jenn