How to Heal: Re-building My Health & Wellness Pt. 3
Here are Part 1 and Part 2 of my latest healing process.
Y’all. It has only been a little over a month since I started the elimination diet and reintroduced fasting for health and longevity. Here is what has changed:
Sleep. Within the first 2-3 days of starting the elimination diet (carnivore) I was sleeping through the night. Whoa.
Fatigue. No longer experiencing any; it faded within the first week of carnivore.
Anxiety. Pretty much all dissipated. In the past two months, I woke up with that burning feeling on top of my chest once, and it was super light.
Brain fog. I still forget names; likely still need to decrease brain inflammation.
Heart. My resting heart rate has dropped to 80s-90s. More work to be done on this front, but good improvement.
*Digestion. So good. Little to no bloat after eating and no discomfort. I expect more progress here as well.
Vitamins and Minerals. Won’t know these levels until next round of labs.
Supplements. I’m only taking Vitamin D and some magnesium every now and then. Oh yeah, and I started taking liver pills b/c I need organ meats, but I’m not about to eat liver and heart, so a supplement was the way to go for me.
Blood work. I won’t know until the next round of labs. But feeling pretty good so far.
Mood. Pretty stable. I’m no longer teetering on that fine line of crossing over into depression. Serotonin and dopamine receptors have returned as my gut microbiome has been healing, so I have even started experiencing joy again!
Weight. Lost a bunch. I never wanted to weigh myself, especially since muscle weighs more than fat, and I’m actively working on building muscle. I’m down a dress size, puffiness has substantially decreased, and body composition is starting to shift.
Cycle. Regular and not painful. Is this what it feels like normally? WOW.
*Digestion. Remember when I was trying to find out what “healthy” foods were not helpful? The elimination diet helped me find a few:
Raw greens, essentially salads, are a no-go for me. This sucks b/c I love salads, so I hope that once my microbiome fully heals, I can re-introduce greens.
Onions are also a no-go.
Lemons, at least at night via a homemade lemonade, keep me up all night! WTF? I was drinking lemonade almost every single day before. Sheesh. I will try limes to see if the same thing happens.
Food & Exercise/Movement. I adjusted what I eat, how I move, and how I work according to my monthly cycle. First 10 days, I go lower carb, ramp up the fasting, I’m consistent with strength training, and take on work that requires higher cognitive, emotional, and physical loads. Next five days, I have a few more healthy carbs, don’t go as hard at the gym and do moderate work. Five days after that, I ramp it up again (similar to the 1st ten days). Last 10 days, I gradually transition to some carbs that I consider more like treats. If I want a little ice cream (with clean ingredients) or some pie (my fave!), it happens during these days. I also go lighter on the workouts and work responsibilities as is in my control.
I won’t know for sure until I do my next round of labs, but if how I am feeling is any indication, I am fully expecting to see improvement with those numbers.
This program is helping me feel good without feeling deprived or restricted, which is important to me as I explore options that are sustainable for the long term. The first couple of weeks where I was stricter with carnivore were not fun, but the intel I got was worth it.
More updates coming soon.