Day 2

Day 1 food:
B:  special protein shake w/ berries and almond milk
snack: corn chips, fresh peppers and garlic hummus, handful of cashews/ almonds/ seed mix
Lunch: one microwaved hot dog...eeek!  the chicken I brought was baaad and I didn't notice the turkey meat until after the hotdog was cooked.  So,  also had one big piece of thick deli sliced turkey meat, more hummus and 3 bites of an old sweet potato.  :/  BUT....I was satisfied.
Snack:  more hummus and some nuts  (everyone else ate oreos)
Dinner:  big helping of rotisseri chicken and some corn chips and yummy salsa

** Due to not knowing yet if I have specific food allergies (blood and skin tests results will be in at next visit) I am avoiding the most common allergens: dairy, wheat..gluten, peanuts.  If I have an allergy to these, it's so minor that even I can't discern the effects or source.  BUT...may still cause inflammation inside.

Water intake:  60 oz.  almost the 8 cups...and I drank and drank...so, will have to up that.

Supplements:
Whew!  What AM I taking you ask?
Protein shake...made from rice and bean proteins with probiotic packet
biocidin: to kill all the gut flora, fungus, yeast, etc.  which is why I'm also taking the probiotic packet
We want to make sure I've got the right amount of good guys in the gut flora as they help with everything else...
Thyrestore: to support / help my thyroid
Proadrenals: to address my addrenals..help them out a bit
iodine: I'm pitifully low on that
iron:  tend to be anemic, and while there's various types of anemia, not all "iron shortage" we figure we'll address the iron for 30 days etc and see if there's something else going on
B-complex:  gotta have your B's!!  (that can mimic iron deficient anemia, so, we're covering our bases)
Vitamin D3 @ 10,000 IUs a day and then recheck
Vitamin C @ 3 grams a day to help combat oxidative levels
Prenatal Vitamin from Garden of Life
Magnesium:  by Natural Calm ...to increase magnesium levels

Why???  Well, I learned from Gabriela Rosa at http://naturalfertilitybreakthrough.com/  whom I've followed for about 2 years now that often times our diet and even supplements are depleted in nutrients for various reasons and our bodies really really need a boost, especially when trying to conceive.  So, when the naturopath at Progressive Medical said the same things, I was not surprised or feeling dubious.  Also, while not cheap, the supplements ranged in price to about what I would pay in Athens at my favorite supplement store, Alps Nutrition Center, http://www.alpsnutrition.com/.

I was given a copy of my labs that had come in by then (there are a few outstanding that should be in by July 1st when I see them again.)  I was CLEARLY deficient in Vit. D3, a bit anemic and my thryoid was needing help.  If you want to see and talk specific values, email me, darren.brenn@gmail.com or call if you've got my number.  Interestingly, I was told that my body is chronically fighting something.  I tested positive for the Epstien Barr Virus ...a very common virus in the US, and we don't know for certain if my body is still engaged in that scuffle or if I have some allergies that I am not aware of ...the allegern test will be back by July 1st as well as we will do a skin test then, so, we should know more at that time.

So, I'm excited about the results and hoping to see a great change in myself:  attitude, internal thoughts/ perceptions, weight loss and increased energy and focus.  An overall stronger and healthier "me", so that 1) that'd be just great anyway and 2) when we do conceive again, I will genuinely feel I've given baby and me everything I can give.  It's one thing to not realize the severity of risk your diet / lifestyle while, not causing, may enable.  It's ENTIRELY different to know and not change.  I can't go through what I went through before and not have done the pre-planning hardwork so I can then truly say, as I did before, No Regrets.

So, y'all pray as you think of me!

YAY!!

Day One

Today begins my Health and Hope Journey.  I do not feel particularly unhealthy or unhopeful, but I desire to be at my best and don't feel that I am.

My intention for accountability is to let a few trusted friends know of this blog, but not to make it truly public.  

My goal is to be at a healthy weight and BMI for overall health and for any future pregnancies.

I've long wondered if my perceptions for accurate.  I just don't like where I'm at inside, the way I think of myself.  After much reading and observation, I realize it is both what I put in my body for food and nutrition and what I put in my mind.

For Physical Health:  I've become a patient of Progressive Medical.  My chief complaint is just that I want to be in the best health possible...to know that I've fully recovered from the severe pre-eclamsia and HELLP from Fall 2012 as well as that I've truly done all I can do to be healthy for next baby(ies).

So, I got my recent lab work back from them and apparently I've been fighting a chronic infection for a while and still ongoing.  We'll know in a few weeks if there are any food allergens that may cause this continual immune response, but even now there is evidence my thyroid and adrenals are working very hard and overtime.  My gut health is also poor.  So, we began a 30 day detox where I am taking several supplements and probiotics and such to really hit my systems hard this month, we will reevaluate w/ my food journal and test results that should be back by then to see where to go from there.

I want to post my daily food diary here and my general thoughts / feelings for the day here.

It is my goal to be truly healthy and to be able to embrace all that God has for my life.

Thanks for reading!
~B