WHAT??? I needed whole grains for fiber, right?
When my trainer in Brevard said, "Amy, my husband knows nutrition and believes in it like you do. In our 50s, women don't need all that stuff in our bodies. He told ME to just try for one week not eating rice, whole grains, and trying only plant-based fiber. It wasn't stopping carbs at all - not EXACTLY gluten-free... so I tried it and I feel so much better! I wake up in the morning and JUMP out of the bed like 'YEAH!'"
Lydia already is a savior to the entire town of Brevard, N.C. when it comes to mental health, future planning for HS youth and of course, physical fitness of youth and seniors. So I tried her advice in July 2023. (Well, my calendar had to adapt because I promptly went to my friend Dilshad's house for Indian food. That was fine - starting slowly was the goal.)
I thought, "No more kibble for the dogs so why was I easting it? Inflammatory foods like oatmeal, wheat, quinoa (yes...) rice and barley were my kibble. Why did I think I needed more?"
I couldn't fit into my clothes. And the biggest thing was that mysterious auto-immune stuff was coming up in my bloodwork. Sjogren's Syndrome was drying up my flute playing mouth through dryness of the tongue. Even RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) markers showed up! I'm like... "OK what is happening?"
If I work out, do yoga, self-care in the best way possible including spiritually, why is all this happening? The eye doctor was warning of increased Drusin production and was watching my eyes as if they were going to fade due to dry eye.
So I substituted with Cassava everything (chips, flour). I used more fruits in my diet and OWYN shakes with pea protein to supplement my sweet tooth. Gluten-free pasta works twice a month and so does the random white bun for my burger. A WHITE BUN? Yup. Can't even feel it. Some people can't tolerate any bread after quitting grains but this is flour and if you don't overdo it you can treat yourself. We know that about everything, right? Potatoes are fine with me - even the organic fries baked in the oven. Yogurt? Yep!
I brought the foods to Dr. Amanda Childress. She has been my nutritionist for 13 years at NHCAA - Nutritional Healing Center of Ann Arbor. She tested them because I swear by muscle testing foods. I found the wonderful bounty of foods as substitutes for my grain obsession/need.
That was July 2023. In October 2023 - 2.5 months later - I went to the eye doctor. I had the exact same test. I felt better, I had lost a few lbs, I could fit in my clothes, and that's the biggest test. Let's face it, our favorite shorts are no longer our favorite shorts when we're out of sorts. I did the eye tests and he swiped my eyeball with a swab of some copper looking chemical. He inserted the swab into a machine and it uploaded into his computer.
Dr. Weston: "OK - WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?!"
AP: "FUCK YES!" with a fist pump...
Dr. Weston: "The drusin has decreased and the dry eye from your Sjogren's Syndrom has gone from a 4 to an 8. So - At 10 you no longer have dry eye.":
AP " I quit all grains in July and I've lost 6 lbs already. On me that's a lot. I feel so much better."
Dr. Weston: "Keep doing what you're doing."
Yes, I did a fist pump thanking God and Lydia under my breath. Thank you Art (Lydia's husband) for asking her just to try something for a week. That way she could tell me to try NOT eating something in order to feel better.
I am Blood type AB+ with an American 13 generations father married to a British woman. Here I see the genetic wonders. My immune system is unparalleled - until it turns on itself.
What am I doing? I will treat mold, parasites that cause cancer and am enjoying the detoxifying process while still enjoying my life to my fullest culinary expression. Everything is organic and it's expensive. It tastes better, cooks better and the distributors are delivering fresh foods. Not expired. Not rotten. Not toxic. I don't even do Inositol as a sweetener. Syrup used to make me face plant into a plate of pancakes. No longer. I just read labels and see what I can tolerate. I've tried it all and surf the waves of what my body can handle in COMBINATION with what I've just eaten. I consider this too.
Have I laid a good foundation for my tummy this morning? Is it full of fats and protein? Or sugar and carbs?
PRO-tein. PRO is good.
So is this a diet? Is it gluten-free? Sugar free? Carb-free or even carb-rotation? No - it's me learning and listening to my body. I love my brain too but my brain and body are two very different structures.
POOOOOR Body. It' can't heal without the brain learning to listen to it. Muscle testing is the fastest way because, when the arm falls it's because all the energy in your body has left the arm to deal with the thing (Sugar, yucky oils, disease) it needs to fight. So, if you're holding the sugar and your arm falls, it's all hands on deck! The army has been summoned, and it's trying to save it your immune system from the sugar.
But our mind keeps killing the intentions behind what the body REALLY needs survive. Nutrition, exercise, love and sleep. Don't listen to your mind. Listen to your body. "Believe half of what your mind tells you" is NOT a new concept in self-awareness.
I thought I'd write out my story so it might trigger your own issues to address. If it gets your butt to the gym or to the kitchen pantry to throw away boxed things or to read labels, then I'm happy for you. I was 24 when I hit 151 lbs on my 5'4" frame and I had to learn right then and there to get my act together. After losing my mother to liver cancer and my father to Alzheimer's disease at my age of 26, I decided to fight everything in advance. Including menopause and beyond.
So - go fight die-ease. And maybe try quitting the major bulky grains for a week and see if things change for the better.
Namaste.
AP
