Friday, January 23, 2015

Vitamin Deficiencies

I have posted a million times about wanting to lose weight. In the moment I was all ambitious and sure that I was going to climb a mountain and accomplish what I hadn't done before. I was going to eat perfectly and get to the gym every day for an hour. Then nothing happened. I didn't go Paleo. I didn't become a Gym Rat. I became depressed. Days became more and more difficult. I was taking so many pain meds that it was getting unhealthy. All because I was in so much pain.

I have spoken before about my vitamin deficiencies. I have an extreme deficiency in vitamin D. There is so much research on what it does to the body, that I will have a different blog about that. The truth is, that I had stopped taking my supplements. I was so tired and weak from the deficiencies, that just getting out of bed was a feat. One morning I woke up and it hit me, duh Jenn, you need to get back on your supplements. Within a week I was doing so much better.

Vitamin D wasn't the only thing I started taking. I went back on Biotin for my hair. When you have PCOS, you have hair loss. I went back on B12 to help with energy and immune support. I take an iron pill (my levels are always borderline low). These supplements have made my skin smoother. My mood is more stabilized. I wish I could get all of these from the foods I eat. It is my goal to get as close as possible, For now, I am taking them so that I feel well enough to try.

Reflecting on what has worked in the past for me (in terms of losing weight), I discovered something. I discovered that it isn't about losing weight. It is truly about becoming healthy. Finding out what your body needs and fulfilling that need. If you are having issues, go and get a physical. Find out what your numbers are. See if there is something you are deficient in, that is causing you pain. We spend so much of our time covering up symptoms with drugs, that we don't try to find out the reason for them.

So for those of you who have been keeping up with this blog, it is in a transitional stage. I will be focusing more on the whole body wellness. Not covering up problems. Not ignoring them. But trying to find natural ways to be well and healthy. I might throw in a financial tid-bit or two...but for now, lets find a way to be well, together.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Menu plan from January 11-17, 2015

We were on an extra tight budget this week, so we utilized a lot of things we already had on hand. Our ultimate goal is to eat as healthily as possible, one day becoming 100% Paleo. This is a work in progress for sure. When you are working your way out of debt, one of the best ways to "find" money is to reduce your food budget. I feed my family a well rounded meal, watch our portions and try to make our traditional meals as good for us as possible.
Here is this week's menu:
Salisbury Steak, Egg Noodles, (potatoes for me), Green Beans
Chicken Parmesan, Angel Hair Noodles, Peas
Sweet n Sour Chicken, Rice, Mixed Veggies
Pork chops, Potatoes, Green Beans
Ham Steak, Scalloped Potatoes and Mixed Veggies

Sunday, January 11, 2015

In search of a good night sleep - Part 2

I have always been a poor sleeper. I have had insomnia on and off for years, even resorting to taking prescription medications to fall asleep. I tell you, some of those side effects are both wonderful and disturbing.

As you read in my previous blog post, I have started to make my bed every morning. This is leading me to WANT to crawl into bed at night. One reason is because it is a nice and welcoming place to go, not a place covered in clothes, or disheveled.

In this installment of my better sleep series, I am going to discuss the effect of routine. Since my husband and I both have sleep issues, we didn't instill good sleep habits in our children. They would go to sleep when we went to sleep. My oldest never was able to sleep in her own room. My youngest slept in her own room until Hubby lost his job. It was his job to put her to sleep at night and most nights they ended up sleeping on our sectional, in the living room.

When I became a stay at home mom, I decided that I would tackle this problem. In the beginning of the summer (when I became a SAHM), I ended up having both of my girls sleeping with me. Hubby took advantage of the girls bedroom and started sleeping in there.

This worked well, until I ended up getting very little sleep due to having no room in my bed. I needed to find a way to reclaim my bed. My oldest daughter has slept with me most of her life. She had several very scary events in her crib, that made it difficult for her to sleep alone. We both needed to sleep, so I ended up letting her sleep with me. Once we stopped fighting her to sleep in her own room, we all got a lot better sleep. That is all that really mattered at the time. Once you added in my youngest, the "good sleep", faded.

This summer I had a goal. I wanted my oldest to be in her own room by the end of the year. We talked about it and eventually she would bring it up on her own. I guess getting kicked in the kidneys all night by her sister, was a good motivator. So one day while she was at school I made up her bed. Put all the stuff she normally slept with all nice and cute in her room. After school I took her to the store and we picked up a toy that had multiple pieces. I told her that for every night she slept in her room, she got one of the pieces.

I was expecting a total breakdown and fight. The first night she went to bed no problem. The second night, she fell asleep in bed before I even went to say good night. A few nights she has come out complaining of a bad dream, but always gone back in for a full night sleep. She will occasionally come into my room and want to cuddle and say she wishes she could stay. But  I always take her back without a fight and she stays in her room. It has been a wonderful transition for all of us.

So now, our youngest sleeps with me. My hubby sleeps in her room and our oldest is in her own room. We have a long way to go to achieve my dream of everyone in there own room, including hubby with me. But that is what this series is about. It is about my journey of getting to a place of successful sleep for us all.

Check back soon....topics will include: essential oils for better sleep, nightly routine, finding the right mattress, how old is too old for bed sharing, etc.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Do you make your bed? - Search for a good night sleep series.

Do you make your bed every morning? Growing up this was a requirement. Pretty much the minute you got up, you were to make your bed. Once I moved into my own place, it was rare for me to make my bed. Sure, once a week sheet changing, but the daily bed straightening didn't happen.

This year I decided that I was going to make it a priority to make my bed. Why something so simple? Because it really does lead to a sense of accomplishment. By doing one simple thing in the morning, to make your room neat, sends you on your path for a more productive day.

I know, it sounds weird. Typing this makes me feel like some whack job. Honestly though, I feel different.

By making my bed first thing (and going to the respective rooms in the house to make the other beds), has gotten me more motivated in the morning. I walk into a room and smile. It has lead me to picking up a couple items here and there, helping me to maintain a cleaner house.

By making my bed first thing, I am also less likely to crawl back into it, when I should be getting up and about.

A bonus is that I find that I am sleeping a little better at night. Crawling into a bed that is made, makes it feel special. Your not searching for the sheet that slipped down to the end of the bed, the night before. You can snuggle in, feeling comforted.

So yeah, this is a weird blog post. But I dare you. For the next week, make your bed the minute you get up in the morning. See what it does for your day and night.