Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Chelation Therapy: Day 5

  Most of my friends and family know that I've gone through quite the little journey for a while now. Starting with discovering food allergies and vitamin and mineral deficits. Come to find out very recently that it's lead and mercury poisoning- the reason why I have the vitamin and mineral deficits. It's been a big deal to wake up every day with upset stomach, low energy, headaches, migraines, body aches, you name it. That general heavy feeling of "I really don't feel well, I don't know why, and this is just never going to end, is it?" has been exhausting to say the least. I could function even if only doing the bare minimum on a daily basis. I did still have a sense of humor most days. A few weeks ago I was in bed a lot. I could get up and get lunches, get the kids off to school. But everything took so much effort and energy. Even just THINKING about leaving the house would be enough to make me feel like I needed a nap. By lunch time I actually did need a nap. No fun at all.

  So here we are, 5 days after starting chelation. Basically chelation is the process by which you ingest a supplement- either DMSA (there are others I can't even name) or in my case a blend of herbs, vitamins, and minerals that help to flush out the heavy metals. When I say flush out, I mean it. There's lots of fiber consumption, lots of water consumption- 64 ounces MINIMUM. Lots of making sure I've got the right combinations of things to facilitate this whole process. Make sure I take my vitamin D with my fish oil and my iron supplement with citrus- make sure I get in that 4-6 tablespoons of chia seeds every day. Sounds easy? It's not. Those little things swell in your stomach and you get very full very quickly. Your orange juice will turn to pudding, your smoothies to porridge. You can also do saunas and colonics to speed up the process. I'm all for the sauna. Someone else can have the colonics. 

  I'm happy to report that so far so good- mornings are no longer the awful dreaded event that they were a week ago. It's no longer instantly too bright, too loud, and feeling like I'd just been beaten with a bat upon waking. In a few days I up my dose of supplements. I'm hoping to take a sauna or two very soon. I'm fortunate to have two friends that have them at their homes and I've been invited to enjoy. Maybe I'll bring a jar of jam or two as trade. Drawbacks? Well, there's all the stuff I have to take- around 13 capsules a day. There's the chia and finding new things to do with it. I get bored very quickly you see. And there's the smell. I don't know if other people can smell it, but I can. It's like dirty gym socks have been shoved up my nose- sweaty locker room smell- especially first thing in the morning. Better than smelling like rotten eggs like with the DMSA. But nothing terrible as far as side effects (yet).  We shall soldier on and hopefully continue to see positive results!

 

 

   

  

Super Quick Lunch: Indian Dal

Today was one of those days- school was delayed 2 hours due to snow that I certainly didn't expect! So after getting our son on the school bus I turn around to assess the damage from the massive toy bomb that went off in our living room. Oh good grief. Baby's a little fussy, big sister is finally over the tummy bug that went around and is about back to normal- hungry every 5 minutes. So after making the girls their early lunch, I whipped up one of my own!

Left over rice- maybe 1/2-1 cup
Left over veggies (I had peas) 1/2 cup or more
1 can Amy's Indian Dal: Golden Lentil Soup

Layer rice, 1/2 can soup, veggies. Warm in the microwave and lunch is served.

I was really surprised at how good this soup is. I'll probably have it again tomorrow!

Monday, March 5, 2012

My Favorite Asparagus

I have this pet peeve (I'm so very sorry to say) when people overcook their veg. Veggies are wonderful, alive, bright and vibrant sources of nutrition! Not meant to be reduced to some grey state of flavorless mush...

Anyhow. I have loved asparagus for as long as I can remember. It was always a treat- something we never grew ourselves. I really don't remember how my mom prepared it, it may have been this very way:

1-2 bunches thin asparagus
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

On a tin foil lined tray or cookie sheet, toss your rinsed and snapped asparagus (the veg will naturally 'snap' when bent at the cut stem. So rinse and then bend the stem towards the cut end and the harder woodier end will break off. Discard this and save the rest of the spear for ultimate nommage.) in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place your tray o' deliciousness in a 400 degree oven for 7-10 minutes depending on desired done ness.