Documentation: Ladies Only!

It's Friday which means I updated my weekly weigh-in.  I'm up 3 pounds from last week, but I also want to be scientific and document my circumstances, so I have to take into account that I started my period this morning so have been eating large volumes for the last 3 days!  I'm thinking that's likely why I am up a little. (Ya think?!)  I want to learn how to listen to my body and not be ruled or driven by a number on a scale, so, on the weigh-in page next to my entry it says, "menses" for my own record.

Over the last several years I have experimented with eating and avoiding certain foods around my period or during the two weeks prior to its arrival.  First of all, let me say my brother-in-law is a Naturopathic doctor and Acupuncturist.  He studied at Bastyr University and knows a lot about women's health.  It was from him that I first learned this information...putting it into practice, though, was another story!

I'm not sure about you, but way back when in Junior and Senior High, and in college, there were days I'd skip class or school altogether because I had such horrible cramps and bloating surrounding that time of month.  Now, when you are in Junior High and this happens, there's an element of "cool" because, well, you have your period.  But let's be honest, as a grown up, there's nothing cool about wasting a day away, or even two, laying on the couch because you are in so much pain.  It just plain old sucks and isn't practical as a parent, in my case!


So, I decided to experiment and put Dr. Graves' wisdom into practice.  How "wise" could it possibly be to avoid chocolate EH-VER, let alone prior to when I wanted it most?!  I guess we would see...
For the two weeks leading up to my period, this would be from the time you ovulate, I took out all caffeine.  This helped a little with breast lumpiness and tenderness, but it didn't eliminate my bloating, pain or cramps.  I was still eating whatever I wanted, thinking coffee and chocolate (the only 2 things I really wanted) were the only culprits.  They weren't.

The next month for those two weeks leading up to my period I eliminated caffeine and refined and processed foods like: sugar, flour, crackers, cookies, muffins, etc. and really focused on eating whole foods, including meat, veggies, and fruit.  (*Don't ask, "Is there anything I can eat, then?!"  Yes, there is!  I ate salads with grilled chicken, steak, sweet potatoes and asparagus, huge spinach salads with salmon, grapes, pecans, balsamic dressing, stir-fry with tons of veggies and meat minus the rice, etc.  You can eat a ton!)  Anyway, at this point I was still eating yogurt and eggs, not knowing I had sensitivities to them at the time (I just figured I was "farty" for life...yes, I just wrote "farty"...).  Regardless of the sensitivities, I was blown away by the results!  My period, which historically for me was always heavy and lasted one full week, was a piece of cake!  At least according to my standards!  Three days and no cramps!  Cha-ching!

When I finally found out my allergies and sensitivities and combined that knowledge with eliminating bloating/inflammatory foods the two weeks prior to my period, I hardly even knew I had a period, it was just that non-monumental!  (Would that be nonumental?)  And I wasn't farty, to boot!


So do I eat this way all the time, given I KNOW it works and my body loves me when I treat it nicely?  Nope.  Like I said yesterday, in the last month I've recently had some tough food weeks (damn Halloween).  And by "tough" I mean I've knowingly hosted my own carb-fests, knowing it'd pack on a pound or two or more the next day, but also knowing how to lose it rather easily by cutting them out...unfortunately, it's gradually stayed on going from 132ish to 138ish..


What the heck is my point?!  Not totally sure here but I will say this, if you are of the opinion that food and disease or autoimmunity or fatigue and cramps, aches and pains are not related, if you have not actually experimented by eliminating culprits out of your life (and replaced them with whole foods) and spent time documenting the results and how you feel, then your opinion isn't scientifically-based but rather craving-based...and that just doesn't hold weight in this discussion.  This is why America is so hooked on medication!  We don't want to do the work to eliminate the culprits...we want drugs to cover up the symptoms!

Don't get me started...that's another post, altogether!


In the meantime, have a great weekend!  See you Monday!


Ade xoxox

p.s.  I'm having some problems with the "Labels" so will hopefully be able to add them later for your navigating convenience :)