Health and Fitness, October 2024

[Lady Maverick]

Things I have learned how my body works.....
If my first meal is high in protein, then i don't experience hunger the rest of the day.
If my first meal is high in carbs then the hours of the day are filled with me wanting to eat everything I can put my hands on.

My typical high in protein first meal is leftover meat, Greek yogurt or eggs. I keep protein shakes on hand but only choose them if I am in a rush and can't sit down to eat.

My favorite first meal is creating a dish with eggs. I have been learning from a native Mexican lady on utube how she prepares breakfast. OH MY! Sooo tasty. I find myself looking forward to making these egg based meals because every bite brings pleasure to my taste buds.

Bonus is the daily requirement for choline is met by eating 2 eggs. Of the 40 or so vitamins & minerals that our body requires, choline is the one that I consistently struggle to reach bare requirement. I have tried choline supplements, but they mess with my emotions too much.

Choline is a nutrient that plays a vital role in regulating mood and brain health. A deficiency in choline can lead to mood swings, anxiety, or depression.

TAKE CARE OF MYSELF focus and learning continues.

[Twins' Mom]

LadyM, I love my two egg omelet with shredded spinach in it. Protein and a veggie, first meal of the day. I agree with getting protein early in the day, although I do balance it with some carbs and fat.

Body work was great. He worked on my foot that has been sore, and also the right hip/leg that feels tight.

[Lady Maverick]

with shredded spinach

I'm glad you mentioned spinach with eggs. Using greens with eggs is something that I enjoy but have forgotten about it as I have been focusing and learning Mexican ways of preparing eggs. She uses catus strips and a sauce from green tomatillo but no green leaves. I find that somewhat interesting.
ANYway, I am thankful for the spinach reminder. I love having green leaves added while cooking and will start doing it again. If I have time I will go to the garden and harvest collard, cauliflower, broccoli or sweet potato leaves to add. If I am short on time (or lazy) I will grab some spinach leaves from the freezer and use them.

TAKE CARE OF MYSELF focus happened yesterday and is a priority for today.

[Lady Maverick]

I am on hour #22 of the 100 hours of pain meds and devoting myself to rest & surgery recovery.
I have hit the pause button on many of my habits I am developing to promote health.
Yesterday I had under 4k steps and probably won't reach that many steps today.
I am mostly igoring macro and micronutritents. For these few days of recovery, my focus is on soft food. I am counting calories to ensure I get minimum amount at least. Weight loss isn't something I am seeking while focusing on healing. Last night at bedtime I had only eaten/drank about 600 calories and was hungry for something salty. I crushed & softened some club crackers in bone broth and my taste buds thought is was the best thing ever.

[Twins' Mom]

Hang in there LadyM!

[Nancy]

Hugs & prayers LM thought of you on my prayer walk.

[Harriet]

Decided to remove this from daily thread to here since it's health related and a bit deep (boring?).
Hopefully helping me to remember trains of thought.

Self-medicating Saturday afternoon and evening with small, single-item plain meals to coax my gut into prebiotic mode again. Last one was cooked mixed greens with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, and a while before that, a small baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of brown sugar. One of my general practitioner's theories for why I feel so lousy has started making more sense to me. He was asking about acid reflux, which I simply don't have. But now that I think (for a few days), actually, I could have esophageal gerd affecting upper respiratory ("airway" or "laryngeal" reflux) because of the onslaught of meds:
1) steroid course, 2) an anti-viral known to upset the digestive system, 3) antibiotic course that stays in system for 10 days and 4) another antibiotic course that stays 10 more, combining to deplete my good gut bacteria. It would cause a nagging cough (check) and a terrible taste for no reason (check),

I'll try to reduce fat in what I'm eating. Although Saturday's Asian take-out helped us deal with a rushed and away-from-home morning, it was way too oily/fatty, which will aggravate acid.

I had a book that included this research, borrowed by dd, who will bring it back to me next time I see her. I can also look up the author/doctor on the net, but may do that tomorrow and get some rest pretty soon. Perhaps elevating my head, although that is wildly uncomfortable for a side sleeper.

Lots of negative thoughts regarding some of these prescriptions from different doctors being, we now know, possibly unnecessary and due to a questionable diagnosis at UC. Then the idea that I had shingles made other doctors say, "don't come in here until you finish meds", so that no one else could consider a more complete diagnosis or question the meds. But it happened, it is what it is, and it's time to recuperate and move on.

I am back to exercising 4 times per week.

[Lady Maverick]

Thanks for the encouraging words.

(((Harriet))) Sending hopes, wishes and healing thoughts your way.

I am in hour #44 of surgery recovery. I have stopped taking one of the powerful pain meds (hydrocodone) because the other pain med (Ibuprofen) is knocking the edge off of the pain enough. I don't like the loopy feeling the other pain med gives me.

My food is boring because everything is mashed or blended so I don't need to chew. I am including two protein drinks a day because I feel better when my protein % stays up and research shows protein is vital when healing. One of the protein drinks is an purchased open the bottle and drink type. The other protein drink is a homemade mixture of Greek yogurt, water & protein powder. My food is nutritious but plain. Two kinds of mashed potatoes, mashed pinto beans, loose ground beef mixed with an abundance of broth. I was growing weary of the brown drink and brown food so I made salsa! It is well blended but keeps it bright red color.
I must be feeling better because I am starting to complain about the monotony of brown food and drinks.

I am doing the best I know how to TAKE CARE OF MYSELF during this 100-hour surgery recovery.

[Harriet]

LadyM, I think you are wise to move away from the heavy-duty pain killer when you can. You're smart enough to figure it out well and balance the pain needs.

I'm joining you in accepting different ways to take care of myself with some different health concerns right now.

More than anyone wants to read, so skippable:

The report after sleeping on a bit of an incline is pretty good. I think it was better for me, although awkward enough to awaken me a couple times.

I've sworn off any chocolate, red sauce, anything carbonated, coffee. Already was taking probiotic capsules. (Dd completely quit coffee after reading about coffee and reflux, btw.) Kinda sad about some Mexican meals I won't fix now for a whlle.

I read a little online and was interested to see that a reviewer of that book mentioned the recommendation of alkaline water. To tell you the truth I didn't remember that, but we did happen to have a gallon of alkaline water here, so I started on that for hydration today. HRH says it's simply a matter of dilution, in that you're including some not-at-all-acid intake so that generally even your same diet would end up less acid. I guess so.

Continuing the same exercise as usual, it does dawn on me that I'm hanging from the waist a lot, but I don't seem to feel a bit worse for it, so keeping it so far.

Apple first this a.m. Then lots of berries in steel-cut oatmeal. (btw, that meal is 16 grams of protein.) For lunch, I'm thinking of making my chickpea salad that mimics tuna salad. It includes plenty of chopped celery, which is super good for countering acid. Seems cooling, too. I'd consider it a stand-alone salad rather than sandwich fixin'. Feeling suspicious of breads right now. Whether I'll put my usual chopped red onion into it I don't know. This evening maybe a tofu meal with veggies.

I hate this horrible taste in my mouth, BUT if it is related to reflux then I can relax a little bit about taking the child's cough med I have here and quit blaming that. It does help to get a half-dose of that before bedtime.

HRH was sweet to buy me tasty licorice but I imagine I will order the serious stuff, DGL licorice in tablets to chew, I think. It isn't so pleasant, but very good for an acidy tummy. I remember not hating it, lol.

[Ramblinrose]

I had a hernia flare up which affects my gut with pain. Crackers, herbal tea and probiotics help. I take IBgard three times a day for a flare up. I need to be careful of what I eat because along with the flare up, I get a mouthful of sore. This time they on the inside my lower lip.

I too eat eggs for breakfast and eat protein with every meal. I have protein drinks and powder but find if I eat chicken, boiled eggs or tuna for lunch I am less hungry.

I have to be easy with the water because it sets the acid in my stomach off. I am adding Oil of Oregano to my daily vitamins. Suppose to help your immune system as well as healing my toe nail fungus … we shall see

Since starting my morning vitamin regiment and night sleeping aides I haven hand a headache or even a shadow. Still early in my season but I am encouraged with the results so far.