The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 20

Hey! There's a chicken in my CrockPot!

Wow! Only one day left of The 21-Day Sugar Detox!  I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I'm sure everything will be fine.  But, I know the task of adding foods back into my diet could possibly bring  back some of my symptoms.  That makes me nervous.

Luckily, I didn't have much time to fret over that today.  It's housecleaning day.  Knowing I would be busy all day, I put my chicken in the Crock-Pot and let it do it's thing.  I scrubbed, wiped, and laundered my day away. At around 3 PM, I ate my lunch, standing at the kitchen counter.  Since I didn't have time to make a proper lunch, I threw some beef from last night's dinner on some lettuce leaves, added some chunked avocado and a splash of red wine vinegar. Voila!

I really have noticed a huge increase in my energy level.  Before this detox, I would wake up tired. I barely had the energy to get dressed in the morning.  Now, I can clean all day with energy to spare.  The second best improvement is the lack of bloating and stomach upset.  My tummy is now completely flat.  I don't worry about eating anymore, because I know my stomach will not hurt afterward.  It's wonderful!

Now, for the downside, my skin is a complete disaster.  My body is detoxing everything; and, it showing in my skin.  I have breakouts on my face, legs, and chest.  In one way, I'm happy. I know these breakouts mean my body is releasing the toxins.  However, I hate looking like a pimply, rashy mess.  I hope this doesn't last too long.

At 6 PM, my chicken was done. I wanted a light dinner. So, I made a simple side salad of arugula, cucumber, avocado, and Greek olives.  Simple and delicious!  The chicken was so tender, it melted in my mouth.  

So, tomorrow is my last day of The 21-Day Sugar Detox.  I will be planning my meals for the week.  What will I do with so much freedom?  I have a few ideas, that's for sure!

I bid you a goodnight.  I can't wait for tomorrow to come! I hope I can get some sleep tonight.  As always, if you need my help, email me or comment below. I'll be back tomorrow with an update.

Goodnight and God Bless!

The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 12

Ugh! What a terrible night's sleep I had! Insomnia, bad dreams, sweating, nausea, and a headache were just some of the suffering I dealt with last night. Needless to say, today I'm totally fatigued. I guess since our bodies typically heal while at rest, mine is just doing what it's supposed to do. Stinks though!

Well, I had to change my housecleaning day to today instead of tomorrow because I have a catechist's retreat to attend. So, exhausted, I move about, doing my chores. I did three loads of laundry and cleaned the entire house, including the oven. By 2 PM, I was done. I fixed myself a little lunch of leftover chicken legs, asparagus, and olives. Quite random, I know. But, today was not the day to argue with myself.

After lunch, I had some work to do for my shop, Boho and Mo. Some of my pieces may be featured on bookcovers.  I'm trying to work out the deal. And, I'm in the process of writing an ebook, which requires a ton of research. Both of these require brain function I may not have today. But, I've got deadlines; so, I have to push through it. Just as I started to make progress, the buzzer for the dryer went off. This is exactly the reason I clean on Saturdays, not workdays. Argh!

Finally, it's time to cook dinner. I really needed some comfort food; so, I decided to try to replicate one of my favorite Cajun dishes, Dirty Rice, paleo style. For the rice, I would use cauliflower rice. I set about cooking it as I normally would.  When it was time to add the rice, I instead added the cauliflower rice. I sauted it as I normally would. The only difference was the lack of rice and cayenne pepper.

I served my Paleo Dirty Rice with a side salad of arugula, peeled cucumber, and half an avocado.  The faux Dirty Rice wasn't bad. It certainly wasn't as good as the real thing. Next time, I think I'll add a little more bacon fat. I think it would taste better with some organic chicken gizzards. But, boy, are those hard to come by. I've been searching online and everywhere, trying to find them. Cayenne pepper would have helped,too.  I'll keep trying until I perfect it. Then, I'll share the recipe with all my Cajun food lovers.

After dinner, I settled into the sofa to write this blog. When done, I think I'll head to bed early. I have to be up early tomorrow morning. Ugh!

Today was not so good. Losing sleep last night did not help. It's not that I felt sick. I just didn't feel as good as I have been. I give it a big thumbs down! Boo hiss!

Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day. I have to prepare food to bring with me to the retreat. There is always a ton of food at these functions. I know I can have none of it! I can't even eat the dish that I'm slated to bring to pass. Now, that stinks! Whatever, I'll just have my lettuce wraps, I guess.

Once again, this blog is to share the real ups and downs of the detox process. I keep it real for y'all. If I'm having a bad day, your going to know about it. Likewise, if I'm having a good, "lollipops and unicorns" day. When you're trying to heal, you have to take the good with the bad. If someone tells you they were healed in a day, they are FULL OF IT! It doesn't work that way. You have to make an effort.

If you are ready to start healing, do it! The sooner you start,the sooner you can get this detox phase over with. And, if you need someone to encourage you when things get rough, email me or comment below. I'll be right there with you! Tmoperillo@gmail.com

Paleo-A-Go-Go!

My veggie and fruit bin is full!

My, things sure do change quickly around here! After getting completely abandoned by my GP, I have immersed myself in research, looking for a cure for all that ails me.  I have also consulted with a Naturapathic Doctor to further my studies. We have come to the agreement that my lupus requires a very thoughtful plan which combines herbal, vitamin, homeopathic, diet, and stress reducing therapies.

My current diet of gluten free foods is not restrictive enough.  I am to now follow a paleo food plan which totally restricts grains of any sort. You can find tons of information online; so, I will spare you the long description. I also have to eliminate citrus ( Boo!) and vegetables in the nightshade category 

( potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, etc.). Don't worry about the lemons and oranges in the photo. I use them for cleaning only now. The citrus is bad for my stomach ulcer and hernia because they're much too acidic.  The nightshade veggies can affect my joints by causing further inflammation.

Great, and right before the holidays!

Luckily for me, there are tons of Thanksgiving Paleo recipes online and for sale as ebooks and PDFs. I will be doing a review of a few of them this weekend. I'm going to blog about them next week, probably Monday.

Since I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my home, I will have control over what I cook. I've decided to make paleo versions of my favorite foods, Sweet Potato Crunch, Pecan Pie and Green Bean Cassarole. For my family, I will make the traditional versions of their favorites. My Mother-in-law is bringing the pies, thankfully.  I'm glad I'll be the only one eating the paleo versions, in case they don't turn out so well!

As for the changes to my herbal and vitamin plan, I have upgraded my vitamins to the Melaleuca Vitality Total.  These are, by far, the best vitamins I have ever taken. The Total pack adds supplements for eyesight, joint care, and hormone support.  I have already noticed a difference in my hip and knee pain.  The pain had gotten so bad, it was difficult for me to walk.  These vitamins are not cheap; but, the relief they give is worth every penny.  If you'd like to know how to purchase your own, email me at tmoperillo@gmail.com. I'll hook you up. I'm also taking Cat's Claw, to reduce inflammation, and Paul d'Arco, to cleanse my blood.  I drink 1/2 cup of aloe vera juice everyday, mixed into my fresh fruit and vegetable juice.  Oh, and let's not forget about my fish oil supplements.

We will continue to add various remedies as I need them. Cleaning out my beauty and personal care items was a vital part of my wellness. I am only using the purest, organic products. Successfully, I've been using Organic Coconut Oil as a body moisturizer for my skin rashes.  I will be blogging recipes for my favorite concoctions soon, along with a resource list of where to find the best ingredients.

So, there is much more to come as I maneuver my way around lupus world. I won't go down without a fight! It's ON!

Have you checked out my Pinterest boards yet? I pin lots of fabulous recipes ( gluten free, paleo, and regular), herbal info, alternative health articles, diy ideas, and just some funny stuff.  Www.pinterest.com/bohoandmo 

Be sure to "Like" us on Facebook for daily updates on all that is Boho and Mo.  Www.facebook.com/bohoandmo 

And, I've just updated our website for fall! Www.BohoandMo.com

Grass Fed Beef for my new Paleo plan.

Fridge is fully stocked with organic veggies!

Time To Heal!

Well, I just came home after my trip to New Orleans, visiting my newborn nephew, Grayson. He's absolutely perfect! It's always so refreshing to spend time with a precious new life. It definitely did my spirit good.

Now that I'm home, it's time for me to deal with the realities of my health. A few days before I left for New Orleans, I received the diagnosis of lupus. As if that weren't enough, I'm also dealing with gluten sensitivity and IBD. Oh, and I forgot to mention the fibroids. Basically, every test my doctors ordered found damage to the organ tested.

The next step, for them, was to put me on a drug cocktail consisting of NSAIDS, Corticosteroids, fiber laxatives, Tagamet, and synthetic hormones. Now, I do enjoy a good cocktail here and there, don't get me wrong. But, reading the side effects for these drugs convinced me that they were more dangerous than the diseases they were to treat.

This research led me to my decision to refuse my doctors' treatments. None of them welcomed my decision to go with alternative treatment. I was immediately left on my own, to cure myself. In fact, when I called my GP to report my hair was falling out by the handful, she had her nurse call me back referring me to another doctor. Okay!

I am now researching which alternative treatments I will utilize. I have already placed myself on a gluten free regimen. I have begun a vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplementation program as well.

I will continue to blog,with detailed information, on the alternative treatments I employ in my quest for a cure. I'll let you know which work to relieve symptoms, as well as, those that don't. I'm going to use myself as a guinea pig.

It is time to heal!

My nephew, Grayson. Isn't he adorable!

If you've healed yourself using alternative treatments, I would love to get your comments!

Why I Fight Against Toxins

By now, if you've been reading this blog, you know the story of how Boho influenced my starting this blog and going public with information on removing toxins from your lives.  After much soul-searching, I have come to the decision to share my story.  I hesitated for awhile because I really didn't want to make this blog all about ME, ME, ME.  However, after my fourth doctor's visit in two weeks time, I came to the realization that maybe there were others out there who are going through the same troubles I am.  Perhaps, if I share my experiences, I can help more people than if I just keep silent.  So, here goes it.
Two weeks ago, my doctor determined the symptoms I am experiencing is likely due to an autoimmune disorder.  She is now in the process of determining which disorder or combination of disorders it is.  Each new symptom is a key or marker to which specific disorder I have.  Currently, I have markers for five of them.  So far, I have had attacks to my skin, reproductive system, and gastrointestinal system.  The next month of my life will be spent being poked and prodded to find an answer.  At one point, I will basically be set up like a rotisserie chicken.  I apologize for the mental image of that one.
Now, I'm not looking for sympathy.  The reason I'm writing this is to help anyone who may be dealing with this right now or has in the past.  Like most women, I ignored my own symptoms early on because I was busy caring for everyone else.  Then, when I would go to a doctor with a complaint, they would fail to take me seriously.  I can't tell you how many times I received a simple diagnosis of reflux and was sent away with the latest prescription.  Or, they would do a simple blood test and as long as everything was in the usual parameters, or only slightly high or low, dismiss me without another look. I'm not trying to bash doctors here.  I'm merely saying to keep searching until you find a doctor willing to listen to you and take you seriously.  I've been suffering with these symptoms for years.  Only now, when everything is going haywire at once, did I find a doctor with the answers. I understand this may be hard for some people.  I am very lucky to have health insurance.  I pray for those of you who do not.
Now, I've already started to hear the comments and questions, "How can someone who lives so healthy and green be so unhealthy?  Why bother if I'm just going to end up sick anyway?  See, that natural stuff doesn't work!". And, to that, I say "Shuttie!" To answer the question #1, I didn't come out of the womb being green,   autoimmune disorders are thought by many to be caused by environmental pollutants and there are over 100,000 synthetic chemicals in commerce today, surrounding us in a toxic haze. To question #2, I say that if everyone stopped using all the toxic chemicals, maybe none of us would have to be sick again.  If we send a message to companies that we are not going to use their products or eat their food unless they remove carcinogens, we could create a world that's safer and healthier for future generations. They may not have to suffer the skyrocketing numbers of autoimmune disease, cancer, ADHD, autism, etc. that we've had to endure. And, lastly to comment #3, I answer, just because something is natural, that doesn't mean it's guaranteed to make you healthy.  Just like, if you take a certain medication prescribed by your doctor, it's not guaranteed to cure what ails you.  But, since it's the toxic crap that made me sick to begin with, I think I'm going to give the natural stuff a chance.
Before I start to bore you, I'll wrap this up.  I will continue to provide you with updates on my condition and the latest information on alternative health and wellness.  I promise to keep up the fight against chemicals and toxins.  I will continue to research alternative therapies and report on my findings.
In the meanwhile, don't worry about me.  I have my faith in God to see me through.  I know everything happens for a reason.  I think God just wants me to work harder so I can help more people.  Because, after all, that's why I do what I do.  That is why I fight against toxins.