My Journey from Bleh to Blissful
I started on the Whole30 craze 25 days ago. My reasons are many, complex, and have zero to do with dropping a few pounds.
I've been health conscious since I was a little girl. I used to walk or run six to nine miles a day. Back then it was my stress release, and honestly my quest for perfection. I needed to have the perfect body, and be perfect in my pursuit of health. What's wrong with that? Nothing. Except it became an escape for me. Instead of focusing on all the feelings and emotions I was having inside, I escaped through my runner's high and just kept going. This lasted many, many years. The running eventually turned into more creative outlets like tribal fusion belly dance, camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors of majestic Colorado.
Now, in my mid-40s, I have been on a much different path. I am on a path to healing. The perfection I once sought, is now replaced with contentedness in simple pleasures. I've started truly embracing the incredible gift we have been given just by being alive.
I've been eating healthy for as long as I can remember. I know that my body, mind, and spirit are at their optimum when eating a diet full of whole vegetables, some fruits, some nuts, clean protein, healthy fats, and no sugar, no dairy, no grains (or even like grains such as quinoa), no alcohol, no processed foods, no soy, or legumes. Yet, just like everyone, I do crave some of these foods and consume them (with repercussions) sometimes.
In late 2015, while on my honeymoon with the love of my life, I resorted to taking the antibiotic Cirpo (a drug in the class called Fluoroquinolones). We were visiting Myanmar (formerly Burma) which at the time, was the 2nd most oppressed country in the world. They had no advanced healthcare infrastructure and I had just come down with traveler's sickness (aka diarrhea).
I feared we would miss seeing the thousands of pagodas and miss our hot air balloon tour. I worried that if I had become dehydrated, I may need IV fluids. I didn't want to chance having to be hooked up to an IV bag in a potentially dirty facility, or not have access to any facilities.
It wasn't until later that year that I realized that I had become disconnected, detached, and virtually apathetic. I had little interest in anything. My emotions were dark and it happened so slowly, that I didn't even recognize it. My performance as a mid-level IT manager was suffering. While normally I was engaged and interested, I started to detach in my office and wasn't taking care of business like I had previously. I normally had stellar performance and even my Director didn't see this coming. I resigned my job in August 2016. I had no idea that I was depressed, but didn't understand why I felt so disconnected and disengaged.
In fact, it wasn't until I saw an alternative healthcare practitioner about an unrelated issue, that it became clear. I filled out about 10 pages of her intake documentation and cried as I answered question after question about the state of my emotions and mental wellness, that I realized I was depressed. It was a difficult day. I could barely hold it together in the doctor's office. Admitting depression is something I wasn't sure I was ready for. But, here it was staring me in the face on line after line of my responses.
Fast forward to recently, when I became aware of the dangers of Fluoroquinolones. I read a few articles about the "side-effects" of these drugs which are often given for dental surgeries, traveler's sickness, and other surgical procedures and knew I was *floxed. These are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the world. Even though I truly believe my mental health has suffered because of this drug, I am one of the lucky ones. Many others are suffering life altering effects like muscular and tendon damage, anxiety, depression, irrational fears, neuropathy, skin disorders, ringing in the ears, kidney damage, hormone disruption, tingling/ numbing sensations, inability to walk, and even death. Some of these symptoms can be a fast and furious onset, while others can take years to develop. I did suddenly get strange raised and itchy bumps around my eyes and sides of my mouth in the last 4 months. I suspected some ingredients in the cosmetics I've been using. But, then read that these red bumps are another side-effect of the drug after all. Go figure. I feel truly fortunate that I haven't experienced most of these other very scary life altering symptoms.
Here I am just under 2 years since marrying the man of my dreams and I have felt some of the lowest I've ever felt. I knew I needed to take my health into my own hands and take action. I owe it to him, but mostly, myself. I deserve to feel as vibrant and healthy as I possibly can and have.
We all deserve to feel joy and bliss.
I chose the Whole30 plan because I've done something similar before (for different reasons). And, from what I read, I liked the program. And, I can have coffee! That's a plus. :-)
I'm now at day 25 of the Whole30 program and although I do feel a bit better, I know it will take a while to heal from ingesting those nasty meds. I do feel quite a bit better, but I still don't feel as vibrant as I have.
Fortunately, I am on a mission!
In addition to participating in this new way of eating, I also chose to use essential oils to support my path of detoxification and healing. I trust doTERRA and have become obsessed with potency and pureness of these oils. I've used the Zendocrine detox blend, DDR Prime oil in a capsule for the first 10 days, followed by PB Assist for the remaining 20 days.
I run my essential oil diffuser 24/7 and have experienced positive results from oils such as Bergamot, Cilantro, Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Geranium, Ginger, Lavender, Oregano, Patchouli, and Rosemary. All of these oils have have been shown to positively impact feelings of sadness, moodiness, irritability, anger, low energy, and loss of interest. Some of these oils can also be ingested orally, applied topically (careful to pay attention to photo-sensitivity with citrus oils).
I'm also taking hydrochloric acid, Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), Astaxanthin, high doses of Vitamin D3, and Magnesium Glycinate. I made sure that all of these supplements are Whole30 compliant.
My goal with this whole approach is to eventually rebuild a healthier balance of gut flora. There is a link between the gut and our mental wellness. Have you ever heard the phrase, "listen to your gut?" Well, I know now that the two go hand in hand. Most recent health research has just now begun to unravel this mysterious connection between our gut and our emotions even while traditional Chinese medicine believes the gut is our first brain. It's been shown that just even one dose of antibiotics (not just Fluoroquinolones) can lead to depression. If you're a child of the 80s, you likely took antibiotics for every sinus infection, throat infection, or ear infection. I did, and now I've got a lot of healing to do.
All of these healing modalities are paired with creativity, actively engaging in
spiritual rituals, and enjoying simple things like our new Australian Shepherd pup, Sunny.
I know I can go from feeling bleh to blissful. It may be a long road, but I am dedicated, deserve it, and know that I am responsible for my wellness.
*I am not a medical practitioner and hold no professional healthcare license. If you think you've been floxed, I urge you to do your own research, find a healing path, and know that your body is a magical healing vessel.
