Wellness Wednesday - Clean Eating

My health has become my priority with all of the doctor's visits and results I have recently received.  I am taking it one day at a time and focusing on getting me better.  Thanks to one headache caused by TMJ.

After I found out I was no longer allergic to the long list of foods, I was still in shock.  See I was still getting hives after eating.  Stumped by the reaction, I decided to eliminate the things I was previously allergic to.  I wanted to try and pin point the problem.  That same week I was challenged by a blogger friend to make one change.  This was the start of me clean eating.

But what does CLEAN EATING mean?  I have been trying to lose weight for awhile now.  Nothing I tried was working.  I was already under doctor's care for my liver issues.

I decided, enough was enough.  This summer we traveled and of course, enjoyed lots of good food.  I had just came back from our last vacation.  I replayed all the sodas, sweet desserts, and don't get me started on all the fast food we ate.  My one thing to change was that I was not going to drink any more sodas or sweet teas.  I am from the South and sweet tea runs in my blood.  Also because in the past I had been allergic to yeast, I decided to give up bread.

That same day I told my husband we were going grocery shopping to start meal prepping.  While at the store I thought about what I wanted to eat.  I made a dinner schedule that worked for all of the family, not just me.  I know that this is a life style change.  I have been here before in the past and know whats to do.  I have done it several times.  Sunday night, meal prepping was done.  I was ready to start my week.

Then the week started and my 6 small meals was not cutting it.  Day one was super hard.  I felt as all I did all day was eat.  I was too hard to keep up with my eating schedule.  Day two came and it was still hard.  I decided that in order to be accountable I was going to be sharing my story online.  Soon enough I had friends and followers giving support and offering their success stories.  They shared what worked for them.  I felt very supported and listened to each suggestion.

Clean eating for me meant that I eliminate the food that was causing my body to react.  I eliminated sodas and sugars.  I eliminated yeast as it always made my stomach swell.  I started keeping a food diary and watching how my body reacted.  The changes I made actually worked.  I no longer suffer from hives after dinner and the scale has actually started moving.

In a little over a month, I had lost 20 pounds and after 3 months a total of 30.  I made changes to our eating.  We cleaned out our refrigerator and pantry of items that we were not eating.  We stopped eating food that comes in a box.  We started eating all fresh food.  I even have started purchasing organic and grass fed.  We plan a dinner schedule that everyone can enjoy.  We eat foods that we all like.  We cook together.  The life style change has began because we all are in this together.  I am really enjoying my husband cooking for us as well.  He is learning that he enjoys cooking.

And lastly, we eat something different everyday.  Previously meal prepping meant eating the same thing at least two to three times a week.  This time, we are enjoying a variety of choices.

Find what works for you and your family.  Start with one change and see how much this will change.

Wellness Wednesday - TMJ

The body gives you signals, are you listening?  Do not wait until it is too late to respond.  We are moving too fast through this life.  But what happens when life slows us done?

The one appointment that was pushed back would be the answer to all my suffering.  The visits had all been long, the results all disappointing, and in the end I was just so exhausted.  I drove across town almost everyday to try and find answers.  The Allergist had mentioned that she thought the dentist may be able to confirm what she only could assume.

I walked into the dentist office like a regular visit.  They took my symptoms and did the regular testing to include X-rays.  I sat in the chair just waiting.  And then the dentist comes over and says it's TMJ.  I felt like she had the mic, said TMJ, and then dropped mic.  As I picked up my jaw off the floor, I had a lot of questions....

Ladies and gentlemen, ever heard of TMJ.  (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction)  What does that even mean? 

In simple terms, my jaw bone was jammed into my cheek bone.  My medical history does not show this being genetic and I had not had a jaw injury.  The next most obvious was STRESS.  But let's rewind, what were my symptoms:

-I felt a pain like an ear ache but different, in my left ear
-Chewing caused my headaches flare up
-Shooting pain in my face on my left side

The prime suspect was stress.  Stress was causing me to grind my teeth which I had never done before.  And when the dentist ask, "do you grind your teeth?"  You answer, "Um, I am asleep.  How am I suppose to know?"  Dumb question...next.

Due to the overload that I had allowed in my life, my body had started to fall apart.  I finally had answers.  But how do you fix this?  Yeah NO, to those of you who want to just smack me a good one to pop it right out.  Not happening.  A mouth guard was ordered and I will be wearing this for the rest of my life.  

So what was the lesson here, slow it down.  Let others help.  You may think you can handle all things, super person, but your body may know differently.  And now TMJ rules my world:

Timeouts R

My

Jam

This really was a really scary situation from start to finish.  It caused me to slow down but for reals.  The timeouts were great and allowed my body to heal.  The healing process was very therapeutic and very much needed.  

Do you visit the dentist every year?  Did you know you are suppose to go every six months for check ups?    Wellness dentist check ups may be covered with your insurance, so what is your excuse?

***CLOSED***Giveaway - The Lion King

Where are my Lion King fans at?  Did you go catch this movie in theaters?  We love all the songs.

Disclosure-This giveaway is sponsored thanks to Disney Home Entertainment.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

In “The Lion King,” the all-star cast brings our loved characters to life; Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

“The Lion King” can be watched in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital Code, and DVD.

Bonus features include*:

PRE-SELL BONUS:
Perfecting the Pride – The filmmakers share their experience and the attention to detail that brought the film to life.

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE:
Pride Lands Pedia --Dung beetle shares the importance of his “roll” in the African Savanna in a fun, bug’s eye view of the land its inhabitants.

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL BONUS:

The Journey to “The Lion King” -
The Music - Go inside the studio with the cast and crew as they work to honor and elevate The Lion King’s beloved music.
The Magic - Discover how the filmmakers blended the traditional filmmaking techniques with virtual reality technology to create amazing movie magic.
The Timeless Tale - Filmmakers and cast reflect on the story that has moved generations and share how this Lion King carries a proud legacy forward.
More to Be Scene - Recording studio and layer-by-layer progressions of some of most iconic moments in “The Lion King.”
“Circle of Life” – Peel back the layers of effects and go behind the scenes of this iconic musical moment from the film
“I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” – See all the effects, talent and fun that went into creating this vibrant version of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” for the movie
“Hakuna Matata” – Join Donald Glover (Simba), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa) and Billy Eichner (Timon) in the studio for the making of this memorable scene.

Music Videos
“Never Too Late” (lyric video) by Elton John
“Spirit” performed by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Filmmaker Introduction
Audio Commentary – By Director Jon Favreau.
Song Selection
“Circle of Life”
“I Just Can’t Wait to be King”
“Be Prepared”
“Hakuna Matata”
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
“Spirit”
“Never Too Late”

Protect the Pride –Director Jon Favreau, the Lion Recovery Fund and conservationists highlight efforts to protect the majestic lions and their home.

Thanks to our sponsor, two (2) lucky readers will win a digital copy for themselves.  Enter below:

1)  Leave a comment with your favorite song or scene.  (1 entry)

2)  Share on any social media platform and come back to leave comment with link.  (1 entry/per share)

Good luck.  Giveaway ends on 10/18 at midnight.  Fulfillment of prize will be done by sponsor.

Wellness Wednesday - Eye Spy Answers

I have not always had 20/15 vision.  Maybe when I was little but through the years, I had to start using glasses.  And after several years of wearing glasses I decided to get lasik.  Best decision ever.

That is an oldie.  Circa 2007, car selfie.

If you are keeping up with my story, up to now, I have no answers.  My next appointment is with my eye doctor.  (Blurred vision often means there is a need for corrective lenses.) 

Did you know there are different types of eye doctors?

Optometrists prescribe and fit eye glasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems. 

Ophthalmologists are the next level.  They diagnose and treat eye diseases and perform surgeries.

I was referred to an Ophthalmologists. 

My eye doctor is an Optometrists.  He has had my chart for over 10 years now.  The testing he does goes beyond what regular eye doctor's have done previously.  I made the executive decision to go to him first.  (Again, do what make sense to you.  You know your body.)  I figured he has my eye's history.  I shared with him my symptoms and the results from previous doctors.  He ran scans of my eyes and compared them to my scans from previous visits.  The results... there was nothing wrong with my vision.  There were no changes that he could see from previous scans.  He showed me each eye and what he looks for.  He explained the different things that the eye can show.  The eyes can show:

- Diabetes
- Diseases
- Deficiencies

Not sure I have mentioned this but I am under doctor's care for my liver.  It really interested me to see how much my eyes showed. 

And yet, we hit another dead-end.  On to the next.

Stay Tuned... Wellness Wednesday - TMJ

Wellness Wednesday - I Am Allergic To What?

Have you ever had an allergic reaction?  Maybe you ate something and your lip started swelling.  Or out of nowhere, you start itching.  Your body gives off signs when it does not like something.  Are you listening to your body?  Are you looking out for the signs that may be there?

Last week, I told you that my doctor referred me to several doctors including the Allergist.  I had previously been to the Allergists when I started suffering from allergic reactions all of sudden a couple of years ago.  I went in then thinking OK I am allergic to something.  When I received my results, I was shocked.  After the birth of my daughter, I started suffering from several body ailments that I had not before.  I questions my doctor and she said our body changes as we get older.  And now my allergy tests, said I was allergic some of my favorite things.  It was like they took all of my favorite things and said you are allergic to all of them.  It was so hard to eliminate those foods that I have always eaten.  I even started the shots to help me.  I did them for close to two years and then, I just gave up.  It was hard keeping up with my shots and all those visits.  So what did I do to help my allergies?  I tried to avoid those foods.  I ate them in moderation.  I dealt with the reactions.

It is never a good idea to cause your body allergic reactions or live on Benadryl for the rest of your life.

Fast forward to this year and my current symptoms, swollen and rash on face.  The Neurologists had no explanation.  The Allergists ordered full allergy testing.  What does that mean?  I get to get poked with very small amounts of several items to try and trigger an allergic reaction.  The tests started.  I had been through this before so it was not a surprise.  But for those of you that have not, what actually happens?  There are two types of tests; blood tests and skin tests.  The skin tests is exactly that.  You get poked on your skin to test if you get a reaction for the items being tested.  They will ask you what caused the reaction, if you remember.  It is good to keep a food diary or write down what happens when you get a reaction.  When I went in for my visit, my face was still a bit swollen.  I explained all the symptoms I had been suffering from and the previous doctors I had seen and would be seeing.  The Allergists read all my results and then sat down with me.  And the results showed that I was allergic to....

NOTHING!!!

The Allergists explained that that is exactly why the shots are good for you.  She said the treatment I did previously had helped me overcome my reactions.  She did warn not to try and test my body.  She advise to take it easy on my body.  The allergies good come back.  Too much of something can become bad for you. 

And this point, she had no answers for the swelling in my face or the rash that I got.  Nothing had reacted.

I was still suffering from my headaches.  The Neurologists and Allergist both were dead-ends.  Next..

Stay Tuned... Wellness Wednesday - Eye Spy Answers

Wellness Wednesday - It All Started With A Headache

Where do I start?  It all started with a headache.  The signs were all there stress, not sleeping, and feeling super tired.  I ignored all those signs until my body decided to give me new signs.  Enough was enough, it said.  It would not take any more abuse from me.

One day, I woke up with blurred vision, my face was swollen, rash, and a piercing headache.  I was suffering and I did not know how to help myself.  Nothing I tried worked.  I was falling apart.

I went to the doctor and she did not have an exact answer for my pain.  She ordered a slew of tests and referred me to see a Neurologists, Allergist, Ophthalmologists, and a Dentist.  

I wanted answers and I wasn't sure how I get through those tough days.  I could not even focus.  The slight sign of any light bothered me.  I had to reevaluate, slow down, and care for me.  By me looking for answers, I would discover so much more.  

Neurologists.  Have you ever been referred to one?  Do you know what to ask?  What tests they will run on you?  Anything that has to do with my head or brain always scares me.  Was I having an aneurysm?  This was the first time I was going to a Neurologists.  I was not prepared.  I followed my doctor's orders and just went to the doctor she referred me to.  I just wanted answers and fast relief.  My experience ended up being horrible.  I did not do my research on the doctor or office I was being sent to.  I also trusted them to know what they were doing as professionals.  Regardless of their unprofessional care, I went through all the tests and visits.  When you are sick, all you want is to feel better.  

What I learned?  

-Research your doctor or referral.  Check online profiles, reviews, and web pages.

-Ask the doctor more questions.  You are paying for care.  There is no time limit for your appointment, so don't feel rushed.

-Review your request for testing prior to you leaving the doctor's office.  Ask why the test is being requested?  Are there different tests that can give the same results?

-Check your insurance coverage.  Does your copay cover the price of all testings?

-Listen to your gut.  If something seems wrong, do something about it.

After a handful of tests which even included an MRI, over $2000, and several visits later, I still had no answers.  

On to the next doctor, hopeful they can give me answers....

Stay tuned for next week, Wellness Wednesday - I am Allergic to What?