Plans, Perserverance, Acceptance

 Over the holidays I slacked off quite a bit on my overall eating and health plan. It definitely affected both my weight (as evidenced with the five pound gain over the past three months) and with how I felt.

• My blood sugar went back up, to unacceptable levels. I'm still playing around with the insulin I take, trying to take as little as possible while still keeping my sugars at a healthy level. It's really hard. My sugars right now vary between the low 100s (110's at the low end) to the high 200s (270s at the high end) throughout the day. I'm playing with diet, exercise, AND insulin... it's crazy. I was dealing with highs upon waking up until this week; now I am dealing with normal fasting sugars but random peaks throughout the day. I also don't feel great when this is going on... I vary between fatigue / sluggishness and dizziness. 
• A lot of my gastrointestinal issues were cropping back up. I am pretty sure this is gluten-related. It was overwhelming to be gluten free during the holidays and I gave up on it a lot of the time, leading me to cycle between constipation and diarrhea. I would also have periodic bouts with stomach pain. My acid reflux came back last month. I have been gluten free again for a few weeks and I'm feeling much better.
• My hair started falling out again. This was something that has been happening for a few years now, and while it was alarming at times - the sheer amount of hair I would pull out every time I showered - I have been blessed with a LOT of hair to spare and I wasn't BALD, my hair was just a lot thinner. I wrote it off as a post-having kids thing and/or a diabetes thing. When it stopped happening last summer I didn't really notice... but when it started happening AGAIN it became pretty clear to me that it, too, was probably gluten related! My hair loss over the past week, now that I'm gluten free again, has been pretty minimal.
• I had more frequent headaches and bouts of fatigue over the holidays. The fatigue was nowhere near as bad as it had been at the start of 2012 but I could feel it creeping back in at times.
• And of course, my weight started creeping back up.

I'm not really doing The Blood Sugar Solution plan, per se, anymore. There are definite positive things I have taken away from it - the elimination diet and discovering how much better I feel without gluten, for one. There are others I'm not so sure about - the vast amount of supplements, for one. I've cut a lot of them out - I didn't really notice a huge difference in how I felt, and as I do more research over time, there's just so much conflicting data on what each one actually DOES and whether or not they are really effective that it's a tough call to make. I've stuck with a multivitamin, omega-3's, probiotics, and fiber supplements... and until I run out I'm going to continue taking the "Healthy Blood Sugar" supplement I picked up from Vitacost. I don't plan on buying more of it though, unless my blood sugar changes drastically when I stop taking them!

Diet wise I am, obviously, eating gluten free right now. I'm still working to find a good balance between healthy, easy, not time-consuming, appealing to me, and cost effective. It's really hard, much harder than I think food SHOULD be. I'm sure I'll expand more on this topic as time goes on. I'm trying to streamline meals as much as possible, while trying the occasional new thing to hopefully expand our repertoire a little bit.

Exercise - I'm picking that back up. Slacked a good amount over the holidays. Contemplating working my way up to my own "Biggest Loser" type exercise plan to kickstart my weight loss. I will see how that pans out for me and, of course, report in on it too.

That's pretty much it. In the grand scheme of things, we know there's no magic pills... with RARE exceptions, it's calories in, calories out. I've also come to terms a LOT more over the past year that the TYPE of calories you put in matter. I've been staunchly denying that for years, but the more I learn, and the more I experiment with my own health, the more I realize I simply have to accept it as true. I've not just accepted it, I've even made a lot of peace with that over the past year - it was really hard for me, for a long time, to say "No one should eat this food" or "I shouldn't eat this type of food". Even after it was becoming readily apparent, I still wanted to rage against the injustice of it. I'm pretty much through with, for lack of a better term, the stages of grief over food. I don't always love the restrictions but I'm not angry or in denial anymore. I focus on what I CAN eat, not what I can't.

I slip up, I pick myself up, I start over again.

My Supplementation Plan

A few days ago I laid out the supplementation plan for week two from The Blood Sugar Solution. If you recall, I am on the advanced plan. I also have high cholesterol. For those playing along at home, that means he wants me to take:

1. Multivitamin
2. Vitamin D3
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
4. Magnesium Glycinate
5. Alpha Lipoic Acid
6. Chromium Polynicotinate
7. Biotin
8. Cinnamon
9. Green Tea Catechins
10. PGX (polyglycoplex; a super fiber)
11. Protein Powder (to add to a morning protein shake)
12. Probiotics
13. Acacia (heartwood extract) and hops extract
14. Fenugreek seed
15. Bitter melon gourd fruit extract
16. Gymnema leaf extract
17.  Red Rice Yeast
18. Plant Sterols

Hellooooo Nurse! That's a whole lot of stuff every day. Supplements aren't cheap either, and as we discussed previously, you have to do your due diligence to make sure you trust the source of your supplements or you might not be getting what you think you are getting. After checking into Dr. Hyman's available supplements, I learned it would cost me a good $350 a month to get all of it. It's going to be hard enough to work these into our monthly budget... $300+ is NOT going to work for us. Money's tight and while I am willing to put money into my health, there's only so much we can do. What did I do? I did what Virgos do best.

I made a list!

I wrote out a list of all the supplements I am supposed to take. Then I went shopping. I looked around at local stores. I looked into the brands available and tried my best to determine which sources would be most reliable. I checked prices locally and online. I asked my Facebook friends where they get their supplements and what sources they trust. I checked ingredients and did my best to find products that had as few unwanted additives as possible, and checked to make sure they were all gluten and dairy free. I looked for products that combined supplements on my list in the correct quantities, in an effort to purchase less items and take less pills per day.

In the end I decided to use Vitacost for my supplementation needs. Several of my health-conscious friends use them and have been very happy with the service. The prices are good. A friend works for them, has for several years, and she vouched for them as a company overall and as to the quality of their products.  So then I had to make ANOTHER list. They had several combo products with some overlap in products; I wanted to see which selections would net me the least amount of pills daily for the least amount of cash overall monthly, and still get me what I needed.

So I made a comparison chart.

In the end, they both worked out to the same number of pills daily... 26. Cost-wise it wasn't much different either, but one will save me about $10 a month overall. It'll add up so I went with that one. Currently we are budgeting $150 a month for supplements... less than half of what it would have cost me if I was buying directly through The Blood Sugar Solution. In the end I decided not to take cinnamon (I've read conflicting studies about its efficacy in diabetes, and I cook with it frequently anyway), the protein powder (because I'm not, as yet, drinking any shakes so it would be a moot point), and the acacia and hops - I don't even remember my reasoning on that one. I think I had some trouble tracking it down and at that point I was so damn tired of investigating all these supplements I just said 'these will do for now' and had at it.

Then I made yet ANOTHER list.

So then I placed my first order, set up automated shipping for future orders, and went out and bought a GIANT old-lady style weekly pill container. It's fun to be me. Above is my list of how many pills per day I'm supposed to take and when I'm supposed to take them. I only have to refer to this once a week, when I'm filling my old-lady pill container.

I got my shipment of supplements a couple days ago and am slowly working my way up to taking all of the pills. I'll let you know if anything weird happens. (Like last night, when I woke up in the middle of the night with CRAZY painful diarrhea. Possibly from increasing the fiber amount all the way to max? We'll see how today goes. Not making any supplement changes today to see how my body behaves!)

Week Two: The Blood Sugar Solution

"Nutritional supplements are an essential and effective part of diabesity treatment." - Dr. Mark Hyman

 Week Two of the plan is Optimize Metabolism with Nutritional Supplements. Dr. Hyman says "nutritional supplements are an ESSENTIAL and effective part of diabesity treatment" because "emerging scientific evidence has proven the importance of nutrients as essential helpers in our biochemistry and metabolism". He goes on to discuss how large-scale deficiencies of various nutrients have been well documents in our population. Obesity and malnutrition often go hand in hand, especially with our modern diets, because they sheer amounts of processed, sugary, high calorie, white foods are generally deficient when it comes to supplying nutrients... and they require vitamins and minerals to metabolize, further depleting our body's stores. He lists several additional reasons we are nutrient-deprived in this day and age.

His reasoning for recommending such a variety of supplements, and also his reason why studies into specific supplements often vary in results? "Nutrients work as a team. Broccoli is great for you and can help prevent and cure many diseases, but if all you are was broccoli, you would get sick and die. Nutrients work together to maintain the proper balance in your body."

He goes on to point out that while drugs are regulated, supplements are not. You might get cheap / poorly absorbed forms of the nutrient, or the dosage in the pill may not match the label, or it may have additives or allergens, and so on. He, OF COURSE, sells his own TRUSTED brands of supplements. It's all on his website. Go ahead and check it out; it'll cost hundreds of dollars each month to follow the plan. Bully for him. My advice is to do your own research and find supplements you can trust AND afford. Here's an article that discusses ways to make sure your supplements are safe, including looking for various certifications from some of the regulating agencies out there.

What supplements should you take?
If you are on the Basic Plan (and really, he recommends these for everyone, and to stay on these for life):

1. Multivitamin - will contain all the basic vitamins and minerals you need
2. Vitamin D3 - deficiency is epidemic; it influences more than 200 different genes that can prevent and treat diabetes and metabolic syndrome
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - improve insulin sensitivity, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, prevent blood clots, and lower the risk of heart attacks
4. Magnesium Glycinate - helps glucose enter the cells and turn those calories into energy for your body
5. Alpha Lipoic Acid - powerful antioxidant and mitochondrial booster that has been shown to reduce blood sugar and heal a toxic liver; may also prevent diabetic nerve damage and neuropathy; can improve clearance of glucose from the blood by 50 percent
6. Chromium Polynicotinate - important for proper sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity; can help you make more insulin receptors
7. Biotin - enhance insulin sensitivity, lower triglycerides, reduce expression of cholesterol-producing genes, and improve glucose metabolism
8. Cinnamon - helpful in controlling blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity
9. Green Tea Catechins - helpful in controlling blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity; can increase fat burning and metabolism
10. PGX (polyglycoplex; a super fiber) - profound effects on insulin, glucose, and hemoglobim A1C; reduces the absorption of sugars and fats in your bloodstream and helps control appetite, weight loss, blood sugar, and cholesterol; can lower your insulin response after a meal by 50 percent
11. Protein Powder (to add to a morning protein shake) - rice, soy, hemp, pea, or chia - some are anti-inflammatory and support detoxification, can lower blood sugar and cholesterol.
12. Probiotics - to counter the damage modern life does to our gut ecosystem

He does note that it's perfectly acceptable, and even recommended, to find products that combine these items as long as they are high-quality and you are taking the recommended doses of each.

If you are on the Advanced Plan, you should take all the supplements listed above and also add these:

1. Acacia (heartwood extract) and hops extract - regulates critical signaling factors that control your genes, which have been clinically shown to improve insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism
2. Fenugreek seed - assists in insulin function and helps lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol
3. Bitter melon gourd fruit extract - helps reduce blood sugar in diabetes
4. Gymnema leaf extract - lowers blood sugar levels and may help repair the pancreas

He recommends taking the Advanced Plan supplements for one year, then getting your blood tests redone, repeating the self-assessment quizzes, and evaluating your progress.

Finally, he has a section discussing even MORE supplements you can take if you have conditions frequently associated with diabesity, such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.

This chapter of the book also discusses the intelligent use of prescribed medications. He cites a study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, which found that medication did not work nearly as well as lifestyle changes, and this effect lasted for even 10 years after the study ended. His goal is to use The Blood Sugar Solution to help patients (with their physician's guidance) reduce or even eliminate many of their prescribed medications, since many of them have limited benefits and significant risks.

The cheat sheet section for week two in the book.

So that's week two... supplements! In addition to following the food rules from week one, of course. As I mentioned yesterday, starting all of them at once gave me quite the stomach ache. I recommend adding them in slowly. I'm going to start adding in one a day... and if I feel any ill effects, hold steady until my body has time to get used to what I'm on, or possibly eliminate the ones I don't seem to be tolerating well.

OW MY PANCREAS

I was going to blog about week two's chapter in the book and the new requirements; largely, the vast amount of supplements he wants us to take.

Instead I will leave you with this advice:
When someone tells you to start taking a buttload of supplements... DON'T start taking them all at once. I don't care what he says. It's a major shock to the system. My entire digestive system is trying to crawl out of both ends of my body simultaneously. Stagger their start dates or something. Your body will thank me.

http://youtu.be/0vFVnTMwt3w

 ... For all the other 'go slow, reintroduce things slowly' type advice in this book, I'm really surprised he is totally gung-ho about having people shove all kinds of (likely) new substances down their throats all at once! How are you supposed to know which one you're having a reaction to, if indeed a reaction occurs? And even if NO reaction occurs... it's a pretty major systemic change.

I'm cutting them all out again until my stomach feels better and then I'll add them in one at a time, see what happens.

Team Beachbody

I mentioned a couple months back that I decided to become a Team Beachbody coach. Here's where I'm at thus far:

I've completed the TurboJam first month challenge. The second month was harder, not because of the work but because I had a lot of health issues crop up again. I've managed to keep my blood sugar largely under control though and I exercise when I can. I've had multiple sinus infections, and now I'm battling a nasty stomach virus. I exercise every day I can. I really enjoy the TurboJam program. Chalene, the trainer, is fun and bouncy while remaining encouraging instead of annoying. Each exercise program is a challenge, not so much that I can't keep up BUT I'm positively dripping with sweat each time I finish. I wholeheartedly recommend it and am looking forward to trying other exercise programs as well.

I have fallen a bit off the Shakeology bandwagon. I was really excited to try all three flavors. I have. My personal, brief opinions are... the chocolate is great, I really like it. Very palatable. The green berry is FUNKY and I want nothing to do with it (others seem to love it though). The strawberry has great flavor but I can't get rid of the powdery / grittiness to it, and that makes it really hard for me to drink. I'm going to continue experimenting and will test out different methods and recipes. I'll probably largely stick to the chocolate for myself though.

Teambeachbody.com is a great resource. I don't use it as often as I should (daily!) but it's great for tracking your exercise and for meeting folks doing the same programs and encouraging each other. What I really like about it is the meal plans - I followed their plan for a good month and almost never had a bad meal. It makes the calorie counting part of my lifestyle very easy. If you'd like to join (the basic membership is FREE), head over to my page, sign up, and friend me! http://www.teambeachbody.com/milliondreammom

Overall I'm enjoying the company so far and am looking forward to running future challenge groups and fit clubs. I created a Facebook page for my business, please go over and 'like' it. I'll share information on products, specials, challenges, and also post encouraging pictures, quotes, and articles.

If you are interested in trying Shakeology, here's my web link:

http://myshakeology.com/MillionDreamMom

If you are interested in purchasing any of our programs, here's my web link:
beachbodycoach.com/MILLIONDREAMMOM

Let me know if you have any questions or requests for future posts about the company!

Turbo Jam 60 Day Challenge!

Most of you know Ive been struggling with a lot of health problems lately. I seriously need to shape up, lose weight, and get healthier. One of the steps Im taking to do so is by using Shakeology, a delicious super-healthy meal replacement (or supplement) shake that also replaces my multivitamin and my probiotics. Its sold by Team Beachbody, the folks who also sell p90x, Insanity, and lots of other best-selling workouts. 

I decided to get the stuff at a discount (and add to my own motivation) by becoming a Team Beachbody coach myself. I further decided to up the ante by getting one of their (beginning; p90x scares me!) workouts. To that end, Im inviting all of you to join me in a 60-day challenge!

TurboJam 60 Day Challenge!

Where:  Your living room, bedroom, garage, wherever you work hardest!

When: May 1 - June 30

Kickboxing and body sculpting set to the hottest dance music.

Turbo Jam^® also includes Turbo Sculpting Gloves to help you increase muscle activity for faster results. In a university study, some participants burned up to 1,000 calories an hour. Turbocharge your weight loss and have a blast kickboxing, dancing, and body sculpting with trainer Chalene Johnson. You’ll burn calories and fat to reshape your body fast.

The Challenge is a 60 Day Accountability group designed to help you along your journey. You are not in this alone. There are many others who are pressing play and digging deeper every day just like you, and we are all here to help keep you motivated to get in the best shape of your life.




For the Best Results in 60 Days:
   - Shakeology (Suggested)
   - TurboJam Program (Required)
   - 100% commitment (Required)
   - Daily accountability in a private group of other participants to help keep you motivated.  (Required)
   - Log your workouts daily on your FREE Wowy Super Gym (Required)

To Get Started and to Join The Group:

-         Step 1:

TO ENSURE YOU ARE ON MY TEAM:  Go to www.teambeachbody.com/milliondreammom tocreate your FREE account (Click Join Team Beachbody) or click on Become A Coach (for discounts & to earn referral fees)

 

-         Step 2: 

Order the TurboJam workout program. Follow the link below, select shop Team Beachbody, and go to fitness programs.

http://beachbodycoach.com/MILLIONDREAMMOM 

(To save 25% Buy it as a CHALLENGE PACK instead; this includes your Shakeology and your Team Beachbody membership!)

The challenge kicks off on May 1, 2012. You will have access to all of us via phone, text, and the FB group: 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/254236181342338/

And I will be giving you 100% of my attention. If you slack off, Im calling you! If you're ready for that kind of accountability and you want to be in this group, you meet the above requirements, and you're ready to get in the best shape of your life, then let's get started!

GET SERIOUS, no more pussyfooting around!!!


Once Again....

--Challenge Begins May 1^st 
Order ASAP to give yourself ample time to receive the workout 

You can order the TurboJam program by itself, BUT it is my recommendation to purchase the TurboJam CHALLENGE PACK http://beachbodycoach.com/MILLIONDREAMMOM for theBEST VALUE & BEST RESULTS!  

GET FIT OR DIE TRYING!

Keep On Keepin' On

My husband told me this morning that I look thinner. I weighed myself this afternoon and there's no weight change, but I haven't done any measurements in a while so I don't know if my body has actually changed. It was nice to hear, especially since I AM making efforts to build health. Whether it's an illusion or reality, it was a nice reinforcement.

I'm only a couple days into my plan to put my health first instead of second, and already I feel better. Not great, mind you, but I have noticed a subtle difference, mostly in the afternoons / early evenings. I'm a little more energetic, a little more productive, and my stomach hasn't been hurting quite as much. Unfortunately the fatigue is still there in the mornings and it comes back in the evenings, and the stomach issues are still around, just not as prevalent during the day. This also gives me hope.

I'm not doing anything mind-blowing. I'm just focusing on the real basics. Automate the foods I am eating - limit to a basic plan for each meal at a set calorie amount, and avoid all other foods almost all the time. Eat meals on time. Exercise. Take my meds and supplements, and take them on time. Track my blood sugar and all health issues. Keep up with all doctor visits and tests and stay on top of my health care providers until we get me back to normal. And GO TO SLEEP ON TIME and get ENOUGH sleep (something I have ALWAYS struggled with).

I'll talk a bit more in future posts about automating my meal plans and exercise, which has been a challenge because of my health issues and fatigue. It's kind of a Catch-22; I know exercising generally helps you have more energy, but I've been too tired to exercise! I'm working on it.

Supplements

Hey, so yeah. Do NOT Google Image search the word 'cleanse'.
There's some really gross stuff inside people's colons. MY GOD.

One of my Facebook friends (a distant cousin that I'm not close to at all) has been posting recently about doing a cleanse and how great she feels; she's posted several links to the company she's using - Advocare. I'd never heard of them before, so I went to check it out. I'm admittedly very wary of the word "cleanse" - to me, it brings to mind  starvation, lots of pooping, crazy sugar and carb withdrawals, feeling even sicker than I do on a regular basis already, scary frothy green smoothies, etc. One big frightening mess, in other words. I'm not even sure I buy the concept of "our bodies are full of toxins and we need to get them out in order to HEAAAL!"

Still, the idea of cleaning out toxins, if it IS true, intrigues me. The idea of filling my body with healthy, beneficial fuel and cleaning out the junk appeals to me. So every time I hear of someone going on any kind of cleanse, I check it out to see what the deal is. Usually it's the crazy scary mess kind of cleanse. This Advocare thing doesn't sound like that though. It sounds like it's mostly a variety of supplements, taken in conjunction to maximize their benefit, along with a healthy eating and exercise plan. Basically Advocare seems to be a high-end (so they claim, anyway) nutritional supplement company, and of course they want to sell you their products and packages and whatnot. They sell through individual distributors; I don't know if my distant relative is a distributor or just an end user and frankly, I'm not keen on asking because I don't want a sales pitch. I'm open to supplements. I've even taken a variety of them in the past. I'm even open to Advocare... their products sound pretty decent from the little research I did. What I need in my supplements though is good quality at a fair price, and I haven't done any pricing research yet.

What I'd like to figure out now is what sorts of supplements I'd like to take and then price them out and get the best deals. Walgreens and CVS almost always have supplements on sale, Buy One Get One Free. I still don't know if those are the best values because I don't buy them often... quite frankly, supplements are expensive, and when you start taking multiple pills several times a day it can get REALLY pricey. We're quite poor these days so we don't have a lot of options.

After doing a bit more research, and building on what I used to do and what I already know, these are supplements I'm interested in adding to my regimen:

probiotics - I hear lots and lots of good things about them. I do eat yogurt but not every day. I'm going to try to eat more yogurt as well. I have a lot of GI problems of late though, and I'd like to do anything that might help with those.

fiber - I'm supposed to be taking Benefiber daily because of my GI problems. I haven't been lately because we ran out and, well, money. But I'm really miserable most days and again, I need to do whatever I can to help myself feel better.

multivitamin - I think we should all take one daily.

milk thistle - supposed to be great for liver problems. I have a fatty liver and would like to help my liver repair itself.

omega 3 fatty acids - I just keep hearing more and more good things about them and how we should all be getting greater amounts of them, and we don't eat a lot of fish, so I'd like to supplement.

amino acids - I'm not sure about this. I read a little about how they are good for building muscle, which in turn will help your metabolism increase, but I need to do more research.

echinacea and garlic - I don't know if they come together, or if there's some kind of combo immune boosting supplement, but I'd like to do some more research and possibly take something with these during the winter. I tend to get sick a lot, and I hate it.

vitamin B - specifically B6 and B12, as I hear they're good for energy boosts. I've been suffering extreme fatigue for months now. I NEED more energy. I can't live like this, it's awful. I just don't know if this is a vitamin you can overdose on, so I need to check... I don't want to take too much if I'm going to take this and a multivitamin.

So that's my wish list. Now I just need to figure out the most cost-effective way to get these items in my house. It's hard to be healthy when you're poor. :/

What supplements, if any, do you take?