transfer students, and the Fibromyalgia Diet.

hello beauties! and gentlemen... can't forget my boys!

so yesterday, i had my transfer student orientation!

i am thrilled to be back in school after my frustrating last year or so, but it was a really challenging day, actually. if all had gone "according to plan," i would technically be graduating this december...

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i know obviously my life was not meant to follow the "plan" of the typical american teenager, and i would never trade the experience and lessons i've gotten from not following the plan. i know this for sure, don't get me wrong... but it was still a challenge to not be a little disappointed, or maybe frustrated is a better word?

instead of starting as a second semester senior, i was transferred in as a second semester freshman. gotta love transferring from private, christian schools, yeah?

but you know what? that's ok. i'm excited to be back at it. i really am. and in hind sight - i am not the same person i was the first time i was a freshman. everything is going to be totally new and different, and that's exciting!

you know how sometimes, you have one of those situations where you smack your forehead and lament, "oh, i wish i knew then what i knew now!" well, i basically get the chance to "go back in time" and redo that now.

...venting session now over :)

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more important things now, yes? in the past week or so, i've actually gotten quite a few emails on how and what to eat if you are dealing with a chronic disease/Fibromyalgia/nerve pain/cancer recovery. i thought i would elaborate, because unfortunately, i think everyone knows someone who struggles with one of these.

part of why chronic pain is so tricky is: 1.) the doctors aren't sure how and why it happens, medically speaking, 2.) they aren't sure of how to cure or treat it, and 3.) everyone is different, and responds to treatment differently!

grr.

ok, well, you know i find it frustrating, obviously, but if the doctors don't have any answers, what can we do about it?

diet always matters.

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it's true. i don't care who you are - young, healthy, sick, old, overweight, underweight, an untra-marathoner - we all are humans, so food effects all of us.

unfortunately, if you are effected by chronic pain, be it from a car accident, Fibromyalgia, or rheumatoid arthritis, you don't have that "freedom" to pretend you are invincible. you can't pretend your diet doesn't effect you until you're 40 - you see the effects today.

this is good and bad. it's good because food does effects everyone, so you are more likely to take it seriously TODAY because you see how it effects you. being healthy is crucial. you cannot deny how important it is, and you don't believe in the saying, "ignorance is bliss." for you, there is no bliss in stupidity.

it's bad, though, because you can't be as carefree as your friends - when they just want to be young and eat like crap because they can, you can't, or you pay for it physically. it doesn't matter how much i want that ice cream cone, i CANNOT let myself eat it, or i won't be able to get out of bed the next day. period.

and trust me, i've tested it many, many times. you just can't cheat reality.

if the doctors don't have any solid, medical answers, though, how should we eat?

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here's where i wish i had an easy, clear answer for you. the truth is, i don't, and neither does anyone else.

but through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, i do have some recommendations for you to try.

it's really the same advice i'd give for everybody, but unfortunately, most people don't want to take diet seriously until something life-changing happens.

tips for managing chronic pain through food.

1. for lack of a better term, just man up.
there's just no easy way to attack this... i'm gonna sound a little mean here, ok? honestly, you just have to bite the bullet, and start being accountable for your habits. you're dealing with big kid problems now, so time to act like a big kid.

if you eat junk, you will feel like junk. if you already feel like junk because of your disease, you will feel even junk-ier if you eat junk. yeah, it's a word... haha.

this is your responsibility, not your doctors. if you don't do ANYTHING else to help yourself, please realize what you eat can make a HUGE difference in how you feel. whatever your excuse to not eat better is - too busy, too expensive, doesn't taste good, don't like to cook, crappy grocery stores, etc. - it just isn't good enough anymore. you are fighting new challenges, so you have to adapt accordingly.

unless you want to live every second of every day with the reminder that you are sick, you MUST eat as healthfully as possible. i don't mean freak yourself out about it, and i don't mean you can't ever have a cookie... but the FOCUS of your diet should be clean, natural foods.

the good news? it's what you do eat that's more important than what you don't eat. aim for foods that are simple: fruit, veggies, nuts, whole grains, lots of water, organic dairy, eggs, and meat when possible. make it easy for yourself, ok?

eating like this won't cure you, but it will give your body the basics it needs to fight for itself. there are so many things about chronic diseases you can't control, but this is one area you can help yourself immensely!

2. check your foundation.
if you haven't already, have you doctor do a blood test to check for vitamin/nutrient deficiencies. if you have a chronic illness, chances are, even with a flawless diet, your body will be lacking in some areas because it can't properly absorb all your nutrients. if you do find you have a deficiency, you will be amazed how much better you feel just from correcting that one, simple problem.

i hate to push supplements, but a very good idea is to look for a natural, balanced, plant-based multi-vitamin. you need more help covering your bases than the average chick does - it's not overkill. an omega-3 supplement wouldn't hurt, either. and your skin and hair will look fabulous :) 

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do some research on the internet, or check your local health food store. look for vitamins made from whole foods, not chemicals, if you can help it. if you need a supplement, you can get a bottle of that particular nutrient from whole foods for cheaper than a pair of pants! pretty good deal if it gives you your life back, right?

3. get checked for food allergies, if you are suspicious.
food allergies don't necessarily cause your issues, but they can make you feel much, much worse. you don't need one more thing to deal with!

if your allergist does find something, be kind to your body and respect it. i know it's not easy (i have many!), but in the long run, you will feel so much better.

everyone's body behaves differently. for example, i have a few foods that i just need to be careful with - i can eat them, but not very often. i also have some things i NEVER eat, because the reaction is so unpleasant. honor your body. test it. play around with your foods and see what makes you feel good, and what gives you trouble. this is a learning process, so give yourself some time to figure it out.

also consider: yeast/gluten, dairy, and nightshade plants: tomatoes, chili and bell peppers, potatoes, and eggplant. gluten and dairy are pretty common allergens (for those with a disease or not), and nightshades have been known to cause migraines/inflammation, so definitely worth looking at.

4. check your vices.
the little things we do and don't think about can make such a huge impact on us! one of those areas is our "guilty pleasure foods," which we allow ourselves thinking they aren't that big of a deal. unfortunately, they do effect us even if we don't notice, and if you have chronic pain, the reaction is exponentally amplified.... not cool.

foods to free yourself of today: artificial sweeteners (splenda, sweet n' low, sugar-free products/gum), chemical food additives (nitrites, preservatives, MSG), and too much caffeine (more than 1-2 8 oz. cups coffee per day). if you eat a natural diet, though, you won't have to worry! score.

also, don't forget about pesticides on produce and animal products. when you can, buy organic (when it counts!).

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really sucky, but really important: please watch your added sugars. yes, even "healthy sugars," like brown rice syrup, agave, honey, etc. i know it's a crazy-hard habit to break, but sugar makes everything hurt worse.

while chronic pain patients especially should avoid chemicals, caffeine, and sugar, everyone would benefit from staying away. they aren't natural, are questionably safe at best, and are proven to increase pain sensitivity... if you can help it, avoid them like the plague.

and caffeine isn't bad in itself, but it can cause cycles of fatigue if you rely on it too much. i believe in the powers of coffee (amen?), but try as i may, it cannot replace sleep (a common practice if you're hurting and can't rest). try to keep your coffee/tea in small amounts, and before lunch so you can catch those much needed ZZZs.

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most important? chill.
i know what you're thinking... "don't stress?!? i have a chronic illness and you just gave me a checklist 50 miles long!"

i'm really sorry about both. truly, i am. although eating healthy is important to feeling your best, freaking out about every little bite you put in your mouth will undo all the potential benefits! as much as possible, please don't worry... i promise you will become excellent at managing your disease, and eating for it will begin to feel natural. you should put a good effort into it, yes, but the whole point is to help you, not create more stress!

i know it feels overwhelming right now, but you can do this! you will learn so much on how to cope, and about yourself. you will meet amazing people who will support you, and you'll learn HUGE life lessons.

just don't give up when it gets hard. please, don't.

tips to share?
advice on how to manage healthy eating?
-rebekah

EDIT - check out melissa's amazing cookbook giveaway!

open at your own risk.

Hey guys – happy little friday!


Although this is not a weight loss blog, sometimes i get passionate about satan, the scale. Bear with me.

Today I had lunch with the most amazing girl! She wanted some advice on managing insulin resistance (something near and dear to my heart). she’s into nutrition, so naturally we got carried away and ended up down a health “bunny trail,” if you will.

We spent our time talking about… weight. Not really weight, but how weight loss and what we eat really isn’t about calories.

Say what? Hear me out.

I don’t really talk about it much here, but I’ve struggled with my weight since, well… birth! As a teenager, daily life consisted of obsessing over what I ate and how I felt about my body. And being on swim team my entire life certainly didn’t help that – hello, speedos? I wasted years ashamed of my body, thinking, “ok, Monday starts my diet. I’ll just eat salad on Monday.”

when I left for college, I was terrified. The curse of the freshman fifteen seemed loomed ominously, and I couldn’t afford to buy new clothes again! so logically, I started dieting. after visiting the end of google and back, I felt even more hopeless – not only is there 1,092,309,420,394 different diet plans, but none of them seem... to actually work.

I counted calories, I ran, but I was still soft in the middle. Awesome… is this all a trick? I felt i must have been missing something. I could never just let go and enjoy my food, but I could never succeed at being “good,” either. I hated eating, I hated being hungry, and I definitely hated my lack of willpower. I felt worthless, hopeless, and like a total failure. Don’t get me wrong – I was never obese or anything, but body image isn’t all about weight, is it?

… I’m not sure why, but as girls, we kinda tip-toe around the real issue. When we complain about our weight, it seems the only thing that is “safe” to talk about is numbers – calories, pounds, servings, measurements, hours running, miles, etc. we moan and commiserate in groups, all bonding together over gelato and trash-talking heidi klum. the laws of physics must not apply to supermodels!

What is our real problem, then, if it’s not calories? We know the calorie count in a slice of toast, the fat grams in a scoop of ice cream, and the carbs in pop tarts. So why do we feel so hopeless? Why does nothing ever seem to work? I’m sure a doctor would disagree with me, but I would be bold enough to politely say that he doesn’t know crap.
I think the real struggle behind what size pants we wear is not what goes into our MOUTHS, but what goes into our MINDS.

Thanks to cosmo magazine, we have been conditioned to think that skinny means success. That deprivation equals drive. That your jean size must be equal to how lazy you are. That your choice at lunch is representative of your worth. That how your abs look is how happy you are. That if you eat salad, you will land your dream man. That vacation is more fun when you’re thin. If you could just lose X amount of pounds, life would be perfect.

Girls…….. seriously? Enough!

Promise me you will do this – raise your right hand, and solemnly swear to SCREAM IN THE FACE of anyone who ever makes you feel that way again. Promise you will get ANGRY when you find yourself looking at lauren conrad and wishing you could trade thighs. Promise you will immediately dump/scratch the face off of any guy who treats you like trash because of your jean size/bra size/waist size.

YOU are a treasure because you have a brain, a heart, and a purpose. PEOPLE change lives, not diet books. PEOPLE fall in love, not numbers on scales. PEOPLE make a different, not bikini sizes.

You are not a number. Your size is simply a reflection on what you eat. Period. It is not a measure of your self-worth, your importance, or your popularity. It has nothing to do with how special you are, or the caliber of man you can snag. Do you see a calorie count on the things that actually matter?

Think about it. In history class, you probably never saw a picture of the people who changed the world. You don’t know what size pants they wore, or how much they weighed, because NONE OF THAT MATTERED. They knew they had something special, and they lived and died for it.

The point? I’m pretty sure Gandhi didn’t waste his time or money on Atkins. Life is about people, not pants. Your value on this planet is not equal to how little you can eat in a day and not pass out. Your impact on earth is determined by what you pour into others.

Don’t waste one more second hating yourself. Your body is your most precious gift. You can’t do anything without it, so why do we beat it into submission, starving it, and contorting it on workout machines until we collapse? Food and exercise aren’t punishments! Nourishing and energizing our bodies are life’s greatest pleasures – so please, ladies, put down your gallon of ben and jerry’s and look at yourself hard in the mirror. Don’t leave until you make peace with what you see. Examine the PERSON, not the image, because you are NOT an object.

until you can honestly tell yourself that you’re ok with WHO you are and not WHAT you are, you will continue to treat your body like a naughty pet who deserves to be scolded. You will never be able to escape the cycle of defeat and self-loathing, and that breaks my heart, because i was you.

You deserve freedom and respect, and life is passing you by while you waste it counting fat grams.

anything i missed?
- rebekah

good times.

hey buddies - happy sunday to ya.
everyone have some good weekend time?

i finally got the baking bug again! someone's been inspiring me to get back into the kitchen and create... the point of my blog, yes?

i made heaven on a baking sheet.
no, seriously.
i made baking illustrated's thick and chewy triple-chocolate cookies for the men in my life, because i'm awesome like that.
and i have a 16 yr-old brother who would start gnawing my legs off if i didn't keep a steady flow of pizza and chocolate headed his way. add the boy's sweet tooth on top of that, and i'm in danger!

i snagged the recipe while drooling over browneyedbaker's food porn. if you've never perused her sinfully decadent recipe index, shame on you.
check out her top 10 cookies, and make your guys REALLY happy with you.
and keep your legs safe.

hubba hubba.

if i were a blogger with a brain, i would have taken a picture before they made it into the tupperware.

sigh.

these were the best of both worlds - chewy texture like a cookie, but an intense chocolate hit like a brownie. and i wonder why... they had over a POUND of chocolate in the recipe!!!!! holy crap.


after the chocolate orgy was resolved,
i was off to a dinner date to one of my favorite restaurants ever - ipanema cafe... the boy, he scored some points here. on top of asking me out to ipanema, he also greeted me with these:

i will repeat... MAJOR points.

why flowers? just because. i'm a BIT lucky.
(sidenote: the boy has put up with my shenanigans for about 8 months now... where does time go???)

as i said the other day, ipanema is an adorable little restaurant downtown near some other lovely ladies. located underground, nestled beside a tattoo shop, and across the street from a north african boutique, it carries it's own atmosphere, to say the least! the servers are all super friendly, the owner's usually hanging out, and the menu is awesome!

total foodie paradise.

when i was first trying to cut out some animal products, i had no idea what i was doing, and my server really helped me pick something to try. he basically let me create my own salad, and on top of that, it was HEAVENLY!

once again, if this blogger had a brain, i would have pictures of the inside and my dinner...
except as soon as they bring out the food, all thoughts of the blog leave me, and all thoughts turn to the belly! oops...
i got the hummus sandwich with oven-roasted tomatoes, sprouts, cukes, and garlic hummus on sourdough bread... food 'gasms, no?

hello stand-in. lookin' good!

it came with a side salad with the MOST DELICIOUS carrot-ginger dressing i've ever tasted... must recreate this! it also came with sweet potato fries.... i was in ecstasy. i'd marry those darn fries if i could.
the boy got the Miso and Mirin Glazed Salmon with wasabi potato cakes, chinese broccoli and apple slaw. also 'gasmic, i'll add.

i would definitely get both again!
miss katharina recommended the pies from here, too. i haven't had room for dessert yet, but next time you'd better believe i'm gonna try!


... annnnnndddd i was going to post the rest of my weekend, but my computer froze and now my pictures won't load.
anyone else ever have this problem?
i'll try again later today, but i just have to rant a little about something that happened this week.

thursday, i had a follow-up endocrinologist appointment. i've been in and out of their office for the last four years or so trying to figure out my freak-of-nature hormones. i'm gonna be open and honest with you guys, ok?
if you're a bit leary of tmi, i'll see you later at my next post :)

basically, i've never had a normal period. i didn't start until i was almost 17, i've never had a regular cycle, and they've put me on and off the pill for years to try to get my body to "figure it out." so here i am at almost 21, and STILL have no normal cycle. i actually haven't had a period in months... years if you don't count my issues on the pill.
cool, you say?
sorta.
i got diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) when i was 17, which isn't life-threatening or anything, but is pretty weird for someone like me (young, active, no family history, etc.). it also means i am predisposed for troubles getting pregnant, and am in danger of developing insulin resistance (remember my post earlier this week? it's from my heart. please treasure your bodies!).
i'm not nervous about it, but i would like to figure it out now while i'm young and don't have to deal with those problems yet... thus, the doc appointment.

i'm pretty upset, though,
not because of the PCOS, but because of how the doctor responded. i've been to a few different doctors about it, but this was my first time seeing this specific doc. he basically wanted to know everything about me (amazingly, he didn't fall asleep!!!), which was all well and good, until he asked me about my weight loss.
it's a pretty normal question for the doctor to ask, but he was totally shocked to hear that i've lost 50lbs since high school. i know it's dramatic, but i wasn't healthy before, and the weight certainly wasn't helping me, mentally or physically. it was lost over the course of 3 or 4 years, and i NEVER dieted. it was lost through exercise, learning nutrition, and overcoming emotional eating.

instead of seeing this as positive, or at least considering that it might have been for a good reason, the doctor immediately starting asking me if i was purging.
i know that it was a plausible question considering my health right now, but i couldn't help but get offended... i've worked SO hard all these years sweating my rear off on the treadmill, resisting all-you-can-eat dessert bars, and preaching nutrition, and now my doctor is doubting my credibility because i've lost the weight. he thinks i'm just depressed.
 i'm finally not overweight, exercising right, and eating a diet full of delicious food, and now i have to defend myself???

y'all, i'm not trying to criticize those with ED.
PLEASEEEEE don't get me wrong - i've definitely had disordered thoughts in high school (who hasn't??), so i know it's not like only crazies experience it. with the way people are now, i'm surprised some of you guys have come out unscathed! mad props.
i am totally heartbroken, however,
that my doctor doesn't believe anyone can lose weight healthfully and naturally anymore. and that he started to dismiss me because i'm not heavy, so i must self-induce vomitting. i've actually been really focusing on eating enough recently. i'm lifting weights again, so i want to feed these new muscles!!

so forgive me, but i just wanna shout:

my name is rebekah, and i believe in what real food can do for your body.

i will NEVER binge and purge because i believe god designed a perfect plan for our bodies to be healed and sustained through whole foods he made.

also, my body is sacred!

i will treat it like it deserves.

fibro might challenge it, but i will fight back with a gentle, healing hand.

I WILL NOT despair and short-change my health because of body-image.

I WILL stand strong, proud, and healthy as an example to those around me.

i love my body because it is my most precious gift.

have you guys ever experienced something like this?
am i just being dumb?
as someone who's struggled with her weight most of her life, this is a new experience for me.
i don't want to be offended because he was just trying to do his job, but what does this say about the body image and health of young girls now?!?
-r

suga suga.

while i think you guys are pretty sweet, the title of today's post isn't meant to flatter you...

it's our topic of discussion :)

let me see a show of hands: who loves sweets?

yeah, i thought so. me too.

but do you know why you love sweets, and what exactly they do for you? 

fact: we average 24-34 teaspoons per person per day = 510 calories in sugar = 136 GRAMS OF SUGAR!
fact: experts predict a double in diabetes diagnosis by 2034.
fact: even really healthy bloggers can be struggling with sugar. and just because you're normal weight (or even underweight) doesn't mean it's ok.

are you SURE you're free from sugar addiction?

i definitely wasn't.

allow me to explain: i was certainly no stranger to the sweet stuff.

          in high school, i had to have a diet mountain dew every day at lunch. when i got home, i had a candy bar. after dinner, i wanted ice cream. every stinkin' day! i craved sugar all day long, and felt really guilty when i gave in to my cravings (just one more m&m... i'll be good tomorrow). i knew that all those sweets weren't helping me feel better, or live a healthy life. i was always tired, hungry, grouchy, got sick a lot, and had constant headaches. i couldn't function without my morning coffee, felt like taking a nap every afternoon, and craved cheesecake like a preggo. i would fight my addiction until i broke, then would eat so much sugar i'd be sick to my stomach for hours. eventually, i got tired of the endless cycle. i HAD to cut wayyyy down on my sugar... i was addicted.

unfortunately, that lifestyle was bad not only for my emotions (and waistline!), but for my health.

the science behind it?

          - when you eat sugary foods, your stomach mows through them SUPER quick. it then quickly delivers it to your bloodstream.

          - your blood sugar spikes, and tells your body to make insulin... a LOT of insulin.

          - in efforts to balance things out, all that insulin helps take some of the sugar away from your blood to your muscles... but the HUGE quantity released ends up over-doing it., and your sugar drops again.  

not only is this frustrating, this is absolutely exhausting to your body.

insulin is your fat-STORING hormone. when you spike your blood sugar from, say, a cookie, your body responds with insulin to balance it back out, but in the process, tells your body to stop burning fat. it then takes the leftover calories from your treat and stores them as fat instead of burning them for muscle fuel. not pretty.

also, your body eventually gets tired/less efficient at managing your blood sugar levels. that's called insulin resistance. when your blood sugar is left unchecked, you can become pre-diabetic. yikes.

ever heard of candida? it's a yeast overgrowth that can happen in your body that feeds on too much sugar and refined carbs... gross.

and if that wasn't enough, you'll still aren't free from headaches, grumpiness, cravings, binges, fatigue, hunger pains, and feeling weak.

so how did i free myself from the bondage of sugar addiction!??

hang in there!

FIRST, 

i had to realize i am responsible for my body. only me. my headaches and cravings were in my control to fix, so why wasn't i doing it already?! i had the power.

SECONDLY,

i had to look at what i was putting in my mouth.

- i started eating foods that take a long time to digest and didn't make me crash. CARBS ARE GOOD, but not all carbs are the same! some will give you energy - whole wheat bread, oats, nuts, salads... things with protein and fiber, and some (seemingly healthy things) will leave you feeling like crap - boxed granola bars, bottled fruit drinks, breakfast cereal, white tortilla wraps... they set you up for a crash!

- i learned to balance my carbs/sugar with protein. if i wanted an apple, i would make sure i ate it with something that helped keep my sugar stable. the foods that will help you feel your best are foods that are naturally sugar-free, or are naturally sweet (apples? dates? they'e A-OK!).

- i also started reading labels. i wanted to get my energy from real food, not empty sugar calories. if it had sugar in the ingredients, most of the time, i'd pass. if it was processed, i knew it would just cause me to overeat later.

THIRDLY,

you have to be patient.

- this one isn't fun... at all. when you first start cutting out sugar, you go through withdrawl - seriously! like a crack addict, i had MORE headaches and felt super tired for a while. this showed me just how dependent my body was on the junk i fed it. it made me so angry!

- i started to realize how messed up my taste buds were - i could taste the natural sweetness in things like carrots, raisins, and tea. when i had something fake/processed that used to be a favorite, it just tasted chemical and WAY too sweet. i really didn't need all that extra sugar anymore... real food tasted good.

- after a few weeks of eating simple, real, wholesome food, i felt free. i was no longer a slave to candy. i didn't spend all of math class dreaming about frappucinos. i actually had energy in the afternoons. pms basically disappeared...

... and most importantly, i knew i wasn't hurting my body. my blood sugar stabilized, and i would not eat myself into diabetes. i was, and am in control.

so what now?

i'm not going to say i never want a little taste of cake or a cookie anymore, but it's pretty rare. i usually would rather have real food.

i wrote all this to say to you guys - you are not hopeless and helpless. some things in life we can't control, but we can prevent unnecessary misery from sugar addiction.

think you're ok?

check yourself - are you grumpy without your sweet tea, your latte, or your nightly cookie? these things aren't bad, but if we crave them to the point of physical dependence, is that healthy? you deserve to be in control of your food, not food controlling you. and your body deserves a break. life is hard enough, right?

questions about my story?

thoughts about sugar?

let me know!

-r

i'm full of crap.

hey guys, hope everyone's weekend went well!
          mine was a frustrating mix - the fibro pain is REALLY getting to me the last couple weeks, and it seems so much more inconvenient when the weather's nice! during the wintertime, i don't feel as antsy to get out and move because it's gross out. but when it gets nice and i'm stuck in the bed, it kinda frustrates me... a lot. although i did spend most of the weekend resting, stubbornness won out yesterday, and i forced myself to get up and go to the river with my guy like we had planned. and it was GORGEOUS. the weather here in richmond was in the high 70s, breezy, and not a cloud in the sky! and i got to wear my new bikini! good day after all :)

          the reason why i'm full of crap, though, is that i've been doing so much research on going gluten-free to help my stomach issues, and i finally decided to do a test-run yesterday... but when yesteray got here, i started thinking about some things i had forgotten. my mom brought up the fact that when my fibro pain's really bad, it always coincides with my really bad stomach pains. TMI warning - it also seems to hover around the week when my period should be (because of my thyroid/endocrine issues, i actually don't have a period when i'm off the pill). and, to add another element into the mix, i tested moderately allergic to most nuts, and i had been eating nut butter every once in a while, so i'm wondering if that could have complicated things...? gahh, you see my dilemma.

         basically, i think the gluten-free trail is a really good idea, and i can't thank you guys for your input enough! i plan on doing it for sure, but i feel like it's a little too complicated right now to separate out what causes what. i really want to give it a fail test, and i think there are too many variables for a clear answer now. i haven't eaten nuts in a while, and i think i'm going to continue eating nut-free for another week or so before i test that again. if the stomachache comes back, i guess we have a winner! i'm also gonna track my really bad days, and see where that coincides with my hormones. a girl's job is never done, no?


thanks guys!!!
three things-
1. have any of you guys been to healthy living summit? my dad works in illinois so i'm thinking about getting a ticket this year! the bloggers look awesome!!!
2. up next is a post on insulin resistance/hypoglycemia. anyone have thoughts? i'd love your opinions.
3. have you guys read this??? interesting. thoughts?