Today marks the ninth day I've gone without a drop of alcohol in my system.
You may have noticed my absence for day eight yesterday. That migraine that started on the week anniversary just plowed right through into the following day, and it turned out to be one of those 48 hour migraines. I'm feeling all better today, though! Sometimes you just have to wait it out. I've tried all kinds of remedies. Some help more than others, but nothing truly takes it away aside from some good ol' patience and passage of time.
I wanted to write yesterday, but I was too sensitive to light, sound, smell- I couldn't stand to look at a screen.
Every time I suffer from a migraine, I tend to have nightmares while I sleep. It makes sense. The body will still recognize pain while one is sleeping. I dreamt that I was back at work for Starbucks, despite having quit a few weeks ago. It slowly dawned on me in the dream that I had already quit, and I began to wonder what I was doing there. Slowly the answer came to me: they couldn't find anyone to cover that shift, and I was called in for some emergency help. That kind of thing used to happen all the time while I worked there, and I'd be the one to sweep in and resolve the crises. Talk about high stress.
In the second dream, I had decided that just one drink wouldn't hurt. It was like I was watching myself from a third person view, and no matter how hard I tried to scream "No, don't!" I ended up drinking anyway. One drink led to a second. By this point, the me that was watching me was having an all-out fit that finally jolted me awake.
But that was yesterday!
After two days off, I had to get back to the gym today.
I managed to shave nearly 40 seconds off of my mile run since the last time, finishing up at 10.07. I still had to slow to a walk three quarters of the way through, but it felt easier this time. Omar showed me some weight lifting moves that I don't know the name of, but I already feel my lats getting sore. Good stuff!
I'm pleased to say that I did enough weight to upset my soft lady skins. These are my battle scars, and I am proud to have them!
I woke up feeling terrible.
I mean, you can clearly see the gastrointestinal distress I'm in today via this photo, but that was even more of a motivator for me to get on the treadmill. I know that running will help move things along and hopefully speed up the healing process.
For those of you who didn't know, I suffer from coeliac disease.
What this does is trigger an autoimmune response. My body flips out when it finds gluten, and it begins an all-out attack against my intestines. Specifically, it targets the villi, which are normally responsible for pulling the nutrients from what you've consumed for use in the body. What you see in the photo above is major swelling, caused by this attack and the subsequent attempts made by the intestines to heal. Unfortunately, the villi that have come under attack to the point of death do not regrow- they are dead and gone. With enough of that, coeliac disease can often lead to intestinal cancer. This is what makes it so dangerous for one with coeliac to consume gluten. In addition to all that, it can take anywhere from three to six months for gluten to completely exit the body. That crap sticks with you. Literally.
So how does one deal?
First: I further restrict my diet. Absolutely no processed foods. No cheating, either. It's not worth it. I'll enjoy my gluten free mac and cheese and gluten free pizza once I'm healed. Until then, I follow a heavily restricted diet, run a lot, drink a lot of water, and choose anti-inflammatory foods.
Hats off to your disciplined lifestyle. I really commend you for all your efforts. We live in a culture that is so "alcohol drinking" driven, that we often forget what we are even doing to our bodies. Slowly poisoning ourselves just to lower our inhibitions to make us "think" and "feel" as if we are fitting in.
It's nonsense I tell you!
Have you tried experimenting with different forms of cannabis? It has great anti-inflammatory properties. I know your options on the edible end might be hampered, but I would recommend trying out a vaporizer! None of that extract shit, because it has been processed with chemicals.
Ah! Thank you, that is very informative!
I do partake in cannabis to treat the migraines, but I hadn't realized that it is also anti-inflammatory. It makes so much sense, though, because I find that it usually relieves some of my extreme intestinal discomfort.
Drink, is a poor friend if you can't cut it down, cut it out. It's a real killer for the body and the mind and that's why it's legal as is Tobacco. Anything that opens the mind up like cannabis and Mushrooms are banned because they do not want people waking up.
Keep getting those gainzzzz :)
Nah, those are previous gains! Haha these are my BEFORE photos!
OPPS! hahaha... My mistake lol
;) lol Reasonable assumption.
I used to rock climb a lot. It's been about two years since I worked out, but I managed to retain a lot of mass.
I did not know any of this about you obv.
I think it is great you are working thru all phases of this stuff in your life.
No wonder you will feel better with no alcohol, it is basically grain, that would trigger a mess in your body for sure.
At least you were not run down by a car like me, please everyone --- be very careful on the streets or driving, pay attention and pls. put your phones down, it can kill someone and a good conversation too.
Have a nice week!!
JEEZ LOUISE! A CAR???
Oh you can ask Omar, I'm always nervous about crossing the street, and that is EXACTLY why!
It is good to see that you are okay, though. I mean, you're okay, right? When was that? I'm so sorry to hear that happened.
Not Ok.... 18 mths ago and the state is burying my file most likely because of my public activism calling out corruption in politics. I was forced out of the hospital against my will, half my injuries not looked at, I could go on and on but I will not.
Omar knows a bit about this too. I am not doing that welllbut I am doing my best.
The state is trying to ruin me. Pretty obvious.
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to hear that. I will send a prayer for you.
God bless.
That's awesome! Thanks Elle - have a nice week and keep at it.
Hello Ellemarie,
we are watching cryptos news daily, but i am here to write you some infos that might help you.
You have many signs for having a lot of acid stones in your liver and gallbladder. It´s one of the 3 major cause of illnesses. This may caused by excessive use of alcohol and your diet.
What i suggest:
Try to avoid alcohol, processed food, chemicals, gluten, diary.
Also avoid or at least greatly reduce meat, a major causes for accumulating stones, which slow down your digestive system. This causes sickness. Sickness may turn into chronic disorders / diseases if you don´t treat the cause. Its like putting the wrong fuel in your car, it will break over time. It´s not necessarily important what you eat, its about WHAT YOUR BODY CAN TAKE. And if your liver is congested because of the many stones, you may have though time to digest any food.
Recommendations?
Try to avoid all that make matters worse and 2nd cleanse your body, by doing colon cleanse and multiple liver cleanses. Its not a rare coincidence that diseases "disappear" afterwards. I stop giving information and just give you a source where you can read it all up, if you feel like it: "Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation" by Andreas Moritz, should be on Amazon.
Best of luck!
Thank you I love all the advice and suggestions you and everyone else has been leaving here for me. While I do agree that it is possible, I'm not so sure that it is highly likely that I have stones.
Both of my parents are vegan and they stress the importance of natural foods and avoidance of processed foods. I was raised eating this way and have only ever strayed for the occasional slice of cake or cookie. And by occasional, I literally mean once every couple of months. It's just what I am accustomed to.
As far as the excess of alcohol, I have only been struggling with my excessive intake for no more than a year. I didn't waste much time in taking action once I realized I was becoming addicted.
Thanks! You've just inspired my blog post for today!
Now you are my inspiration.
Aww! Thank you.
Great job! Keep up the good work and your update posts. Upvoted, and followed :)
Thank you, that's greatly appreciated!
That's amazing! So, are you just giving up alcohol and processed food and exercising or is there something more to this? I have some personal journeys that I need to undertake and you seem like someone who would be good motivation for me. You just gained yourself a follower. :)
Thanks so much!
I gave up alcohol because I came to the realization that I was not in control of how much or how often I was consuming. I'm working on beating the addiction.
Omar, my boyfriend, is trying to beat his addiction to sugar, so we're both on similar journeys.
Congrats on the steps you are making! May your improving health continue!
Thank you!
what do you eat as your last meal of the day typically ?
That always depends on what I feel like cooking. Last night, the last thing I ate was watermelon and a protein shake.
Nice. Vegan or whey protein? I've been into nutrition/diet/healing the gut/mind/body for almost 3 years intensively now, and initially got into the whole thing because i was deathly ill (colon/digestion/adrenal issues). Do you incorporate any natural probiotics like yogurt or kefir in your diet? Those seem to help me a lot
It's a whey protein. For me, the most important thing is finding a protein that is gluten-free.
And yes, I do incorporate kimchee into my diet. There's too much sugar in yogurt, and let's be honest here: yogurt without sugar tastes like rotten butt cheese. Haha!
Whey always gave me digestive issues. I am also gluten free and use MRM Elite veggie protein off amazon and love it. Kimchee's cool but the fish oil/anchovies typically in it give me quite the rajasic reaction, as does any kind of flesh i eat so thus i let the animals live.
The natural sugar in yogurt is good for us. I buy full fat local no sugar added fresh yogurt, usually eat it as my last meal of the day with honey/fresh fruit.
Figuring out one's diet in connection to their lifestyle takes eons, be thankful you're aware and beginning to fix things now God bless.
Great job! I put Don't Do It! Sign in my car so whenever I drive by a shop I see past me telling me no! Also it makes me bloated too and gives me munchies, I drop weight fast!
Please, read the primal blueprint.
I'm gonna look into it, but what is it specifically that you think I should read it to gain?
Let's keep in mind that I am not new to fitness, health, or various theories in the subject. ;) I looked through the website for this book, and all of the information contained there is basic health and fitness. "Learn to squat, learn to plank, learn to pull-up" etc. "Eat primally, get plenty of sunlight"... All things I already employ. So I do wonder, why do you recommend this book to me, specifically? Is there something more to it?
Thank you for the suggestion. I'm gonna download the book into my kindle right now and delve a little deeper.
You're doing the right thing by exposing yourself to that information.
It's just a very concise and interesting approach. Gives a bigger picture about genetics and diet. It has a fairly specific diet - which has worked wonders for me
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