It actually started last year during the summer when I met a friend (now a good friend). She is Miss Healthy. I'm envious of her knowledge of food, how it affects your body and what good things to put in your body. We started chatting and I was going through a time when I was NOT sleeping. And by not sleeping, I mean wide awake every night and thinking to myself, "I'm so freaking tired, why am I not sleeping!!!" She asked me what I eat... I rattled off my list and she said, "wow that's a lot of aspartame, I think that's your problem". I never realized how much aspartame I was eating. It was A LOT. I didn't down Diet Cokes all day. But it was in my coffee creamer, Crystal Light, yogurt, Diet Coke & in my iced tea that I love to drink from afternoon until bedtime. Yikes! Once I cut out almost all of it, I was sleeping much better.
Since then I've been thinking of how I need to do a health check. Simply said, I'm going to a functional medicine doctor (I'll call him Dr. G ("G" for great because he's awesome!) to check me out. The main reasons I'm going to Dr G.?
- I still don't sleep well. I NEVER sleep the whole night through and NEVER wake up feeling refreshed. Bummer & well, exhausting.
- Because of not sleeping and I suspect some other things, I have a tremendous lack of energy. Especially when 1 o'clock rolls around. I literally feel like I've taken a sleeping pill.
- Checking my thyroid. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when trying to have my kids. Having this can interfere with getting pregnant. Since then I've been on the same dose of synthroid, but have felt that something is "off".
- Other crazy things that are small, but combined, interfere with me having a well balanced life.
So, these are the primary things being addressed. This is a very in depth process taking 4 tests (some not so fun); an Adrenal gland test, bloodwork, vitamin, & food intolerance tests. So far, I've done the Adrenal test & bloodwork. No results back yet, but I will share them when I do.
In the meantime, I'm still working on eating healthier. Replacing all the aspartame with Stevia, eating a better breakfast (protein shake vs. a yogurt), and less sugar. Not sugar, sugar, but foods that have "sugars"; ei. dressings, craisins (love them on salads), fruity yogurts, and after dinner sweets. I'm taking baby steps and still trying to learn about the food I'm actually putting into my body. It's eye-opening!
My goal is to be healthier, not a health nut. Because, occassionally, I want to have some cake and icecream too! Stay tuned for my results!
Don't forget about the VISA gift card giveaway!
I love this post because I love all things about health/heathy eating. You'll have to let us know what Dr. G says!!
ReplyDeleteI have started doing this also. I realized I was having too much aspartame (just like you...found in random foods). This month I have dedicated myself to fresh fruits and veggies, meats, and a limited intake of those items. I hope it works well for you too!
ReplyDeleteHubby and I are working on clean eating. Easier for us, now transitioning the kids. I don't want to force them, I want them to want to eat with, us like us and I know it's only a matter of time before it's {normal}. We are following most of the primal eating diet. Meat and Veggies with fruit and I like a little, a little pasta and grains occasionally. Though cutting those out for hubby has drastically reduced his inflamation and he has lost 2-3 lbs a weeks just by eating better.
ReplyDeleteHailey | Love, Laughter and Lipstick
Good for you for working to better your health! I am a health coach, so that also makes me happy. :) Stevia is so much better for you than aspartame! My favorite brand is by NuNaturals because it doesn't have an after taste.
ReplyDeleteThe Grass Skirt
I can totally relate about having low energy. I hope they can figure things out for you. I denitely think that eating healthier not being a health nut is the way to go. Good luck Lulu.
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Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.com
Good for you! I am a little bit of a nutrition nut, but don't always practice what my brain knows!! I love (LOVE) Nutrasweet (aspartame) and finally gave up those little blue packets of poison. Now I use NuNaturals liquid stevia drops and really like the flavor of the liquid stevia better than powder.
ReplyDeleteAlso through blogging, youtube etc I hear a lot of women are hypothyroid and I'm amazed. I was hyperthyroid (Graves disease) and then became hypothyroid and have been on thyroid meds since my mid 20's .. I'm just surprised that thyroid disease is more common than I thought.
Good luck!
Monica
www.pear-shaped-gal.com
I hope that Dr. G can give you some answers! Baby steps are a good way to go, at least you are moving in the right direction! :)
ReplyDeletexo, Yi-chia
Always Maylee
I hope you get some answers! I'm in the eating healthier game, too... but I had six oreos last night before bed. Ha. Not working out too well for me.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! Can't wait to hear about the results and some tips for a healthy life. I've been doing some tests too :D
ReplyDeleteLove,
Dany
bluebellsandowls.blogspot.com
Hi! I've been reading your blog since my daughter-in-law Meghan S. (who works with you) told me about it. I enjoy your posts. I'm hypothyroid too and until a year or so ago, when my Dr. put me on a T3 drug (Cytomel), along with my Synthroid, I was feeling like you do that something wasn't right. Adding the Cytomel has really a a difference for me. Most of the mainstream endocrinologists don't do this, but if you do some online research, you will see that progressive Drs see the benefit that it has for many people. Your Dr. may disagree, but I have felt so much better since I started it. Not as tired, sleeping better and not so many mood swings. There is also a great web site http://thyroid.about.com/ that has a lot of info on this. I am interested to hear how you make out with Dr. G. I have thought about having a workup like that. Maybe you could email Meghan his contact info and she could give it to me if you get a chance. Nice to meet you via the blog!
ReplyDelete