I really don't feel like writing tonight. I don't know why, but driving 30 miles to and from my appointment, only to get home and realize that due to a series of events that interfered with our weekend routine we don't have all the ingredients for dinner. So then the debate... run to the store in what is now horrible traffic, go out to eat, scrounge for something else, improvise with other ingredients. Ugh, I just didn't have it in me to think about any of the above. But of course, thanks to hubby for keeping us accountable. He needed to mow the grass before it rained again this week turning our back yard into an urban jungle that our dogs would promptly get lost in. So he nudged and I went to our not so usual store that is closer to the house to see if I could finish off our grocery list this week. Back home in no time and immediately started to work on prepping dinner. Tonight: Lemon Artichoke Chicken from the Practical Paleo Cookbook. Of course we like to add zucchini to this recipe to add some more vegetable content. I usually slice up 2 zucchini and add a few to the pan with the chicken then toss the rest in the smaller cast iron with butter or ghee (even though I am allergic to dairy, I seem to be able to consume small amounts of butter and ghee gives me no trouble at all) and salt and throw them both in the oven. Its a very tart dish, so if you want to tone it down you can always serve with fresh avocado or salad or other veggies to cut the tart from the capers, lemon and artichokes. Me, I am a sensory seeking eater so strong sour or tart tastes I enjoy.
So for my checkup today with Katie (functional medicine nutritionist), I learned a lot again. First thing out of my mouth was "I really gotta pee!" and when I promptly returned from the restroom I got up on that scary scale to see what the results were of the last 2.5 weeks starting Keto. I told Katie it was darn near impossible to consume a gallon of water a day, to which she responds who on earth told me to do that? I responded that she was the one who told me in the first appointment she wanted me drinking a gallon of water a day and I immediately thought that was impossible, but by golly, I have been desperately trying! We both had a good chuckle, as she insisted she didn't remember telling me to drink a gallon of water. Whew! Now that that is settled I can focus on the rest of the important stuff.
The scary scale reports that I am down 5# since my last visit with Katie 2.5 weeks ago and my BMI is down a point, too! This means that I lost all fat! Woohoo. Apparently my body likes keto!
Next, I learned a little more about ketones and measuring them. I use Perfect Keto test strips. While most people focus on the numbers and what that means, I tend to do better just focusing on the picture. So on the side of the bottle there are 5 levels of ketosis colors ranging from light pink to dark purple. The last two dark purple colored dots are considered large ketones, the first three light and dark pink dots are considered small to moderate ketones.
What I need to know is what color my test strip should be? I have had a few that are almost dark purple and a few that are lighter pink, but so far ever time I have peed on the tiny little test strip they have changed some color, which means I am in ketosis and that is a good thing. So for me, it is recommended that I stay in the first three pink colors or the light to moderate range of ketones. The dark purple colors indicates large ketones and high levels of ketones in the urine. This means that your essentially creating an acidic environment in your body. So without getting into too much mumbo jumbo about acidic versus basic ph levels, the important thing to note is that the body is much happier when the body is more balanced and not acidic. Acidic ph encourages inflammation and with inflammation comes pain, and poor health. Lastly, when should I measure my ketones? Morning, afternoon, evening, once a day or multiple times? The answer was for me to measure only in the morning. So that was my take away from the ketones discussion. Here are some links for more information on measuring and interpreting ketones, but I highly recommend you consult your medical professional or nutritionist who is experienced with guiding people through keto diet so that you can achieve your goals. https://ketosummit.com/optimal-ketone-levels-for-ketogenic-diet
https://www.perfectketo.com/a-guide-to-testing-ketone-levels/
So I was asked to keep a food diary, which as discussed in my previous blog post, I am terrible about keeping a journal or diary about anything! BUT, today I was prepared. I have been using the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone to track my daily foods. I would say its about 80% accurate for my actual food intake. 20% error rate is due to app limitations and some user error as well. Otherwise, I love this app. Its been super easy to use. I could do without the main page that has articles and blog posts. I really only use the food diary and the progress tab to log my weight. According to Katie, I really only need to log my weight weekly. The last week I have been measuring and logging daily just to see what my weight was doing over the course of the week. But I totally understand. Day to day your weight can fluctuate anywhere from 1# to 3#. If your a woman, your cycle can throw that off even more. So I will try to be good from now on and pick a day to log my weight and stick to it.
As Katie went through my meals for last 2 weeks she noted that I have been consuming a lot of pork. Of course! Bacon is my favorite! It appeals to my sensory seeking nature! Its salty, and crunchy and chewy! It's super yummy! Well, for me and for now Katie has recommended no pork. OMG! What the heck will I do now for a quick protein snack!? Why no pork? Well again, this meal plan and diet is what Katy has prescribed to me. What you do for you, may be different. So for me, because of the thyroid issues, the PCOS and I a not even sure what all else, my body still has a lot of inflammation. In my mind I am like, Holy Cow! I am gluten free, and dairy free and 80% sugar free for over last 5-10 years! So why the heck am I still struggling with inflammation? Well I don't have all the answers, and Katy tries to explain a lot and my learning disabled brain tries to absorb as much as I can to better understand. What I took away from the conversation is that pork, for many reasons is one of the top 8 most inflammatory foods, I think. It is also a common food allergen. You might think that is strange. How can you be allergic to pork? Have you ever heard of anyone having an anaphylactic reaction to pork? Well, I get it. I don't have anaphylactic reactions to milk or gluten. I totally understand the allergic reactions to some foods can be way more subtle then that. So per Katie's advice, I will phase out the pork for now. But not before I eat that 2# of freshly cooked bacon in the fridge this week! Next week we will phase out the bacon! Its only for 60 days. 60 days of no bacon, no sausage, no pork chops. Eeek! 60 days can be a long time. My favorite pig rancher Hartvickson Family Ranch will be sad, but I know Meghan will understand. I will still go see them at the Dallas Farmers Market when we go to buy our beef, lamb and eggs from JuHa Ranch and Bois d' Arc Meat Co. Its just 60 days. I can do this... just 60 days.
Last take away from today's appointment: Mindful Breathing.
Katy: So how did you do with the Mindful Breathing Exercises?
Me: (dumb look on my face) Uhhhhhh, I was supposed to be doing what?
Katy: Why does everyone always forget the Mindful Breathing from the first session?
Me: uhhhh, I'm not sure, but it was a lot of information to take in that first visit.
So Katy recommends Mindful breathing exercises. Not the first time I have done things like this. But its definitely not easy for me. My idea of meditation and quiet time is sitting on the couch zoning out to old episodes of Call the Midwife or maybe Orange is the New Black on Netflix, or crocheting. Better yet, crochet and Netflix binge!
But again, I am going to try. I need to ease into this. I am not sure that I can make this happen daily, but I will try. In a perfect world, I would be able to wake up at 5 am, quietly escape to a perfect little meditation room and do my stretching and breathing exercises in peace and quiet before my husband and dogs wake up. But lets be honest, I am lucky if I roll out of bed before 7am. Most days I am flying out the door at 7:55 and driving to the closest location I can to clock in for work. I don't even care that much that I am late all the time. I just don't have enough energy to care. have just enough energy to get up, make a smoothie, gather up my purse, bag, keys, lunch and stumble out the door to my car. Oh wait, I forgot something inside. I always forget something. My coffee mug aka "sippy cup" as my hubby calls it, scarf, sweater, today it was a utensil for my lunch. Do you think mindful breathing will help my with my energy level? Could it help me sleep better? I think I sleep ok, but then I wake up and feel like I need toothpicks to hold my eyes open until about 10 am, so maybe I am not sleeping well. I dont really know. At this point, between the thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, PCOS and hormone issues and Candida issues, I have no clue what symptoms are caused by what? If I knew, I probably would not have let myself get to this point of feeling like a slug again. So back on the meditation thing. I need to start doing deep breathing daily and or meditation exercises. I feel like when I try to do this myself, I am too easily distracted, so I feel better with guided meditation videos or recordings. I had a really great one, but it was sadly lost in my vehicle when it was wrecked a year ago. So maybe I will reorder that CD or maybe I can find it on iTunes. Katy provided me some handouts with suggestions. I will have to read though those and see if I can find a quiet space in my junk room to sit and practice. I guess this is more motivation for my hubby to finish the attic insulation and get our upstairs room reconstructed so we have somewhere to stretch and meditate. In the mean time, I found this hilarious meditation on Facebook the other day...
Maybe I will start with this one...
http://mysticalraven.com/inspirational/1652/the-hilarious-guided-meditation-for-realists-that-actually-works
Last thing: apparently, I need assistance with relaxing. He he he, no secret there. So Katy also recommended this Relax supplement that helps with balancing hormones for PCOS and also helps with relaxing. I mixed that up with a little water this evening and it was not too bad. Cherry flavored. I am not sure how relaxed I felt afterwards, but we will keep it up daily in the evenings and see how it goes.
That is about it for this update. It was still a lot of information to take in, but not nearly as bad as last time. I only got scolded for eating too much pork, processed meats and not consuming enough carbs during the day. I know, I am supposed to be eating berries and dark leafy green veggies. But its so confusing with all the Keto information out there on the web. There is a ton of conflicting information. So all I can say, is I will try to do better and follow Katie's instructions for me. If your doing Keto too, I hope you find a great nutritionist who can help guide you based on your body and needs. Its not easy to find people like Katy who are really good at nutrition from a more functional medicine approach. I feel so lucky to have found her. I don't know if I would be as successful on my own. So God Bless Katie and all the angels that put her into my life.
If your still reading, thanks for following me on this journey.
Take care,
Cece
P.S. If you want to follow Katie, she has started a blog too. She also has an Instagram page and Facebook. You can find links here on her blog...
http://katiegarrott.com/why-we-need-functional-medicine/
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