Verdict on Month 1

“A man may esteem himself happy when that which is his food is also his medicine.” --Henry David Thoreau

Last week, I started my allergy supplements. I made the mistake of going cold turkey, meaning that I stopped taking my Zyrtec on day one. Rookie mistake. Several hours into the day, I got the mother of all headaches and could not breathe. The devils inside my sinuses forced me to break down and pop my Zyrtec. I felt like an addict. I lasted a mere 5 hours without the comfort of my decongestant and then fell off the wagon. So since then, I have been taking half of my Zyrtec plus the supplements. My body can handle this much better.

My NP noted that it may take a little while for my body to adjust to life without a decongestant because I have been taking one since about age 10. Few things in my life have been as consistent as my morning allergy pill. I can truly say that I have only forgotten to take that pill once in 12 years… and it was easily in the top 10 most miserable days of my life.

So I’m still working on weaning off of the medication. BUT it’s almost time to move on to Experi-month #2. Before I introduce the new topic, I have some closing thoughts on my holistic month.

Will I stick with it?

I can say with 100% certainty that I will continue taking Slippery Elm and Fish oil. This combination seems to do wondrous things for my insides. I have noticed the largest improvement in this arena. These little miracle workers changed my life! I went from feeling pain every single day to feeling nothing. It still surprises me… and I love it.

I’m still not certain about the supplements for my thyroid and allergies. Those conditions seem pretty much the same with or without the supplements. So my decision may come down to comparing hassle and cost. Is it worth it to take something 3 times a day versus once a day? Is it worth it to pay slightly more, thanks to my insurance company’s lack of support for holistic healing? We shall see. It may take a few more months for the verdict to come out on this one.

Am I glad that I tried this?

I hope no one seriously asks me this question after reading the previous paragraphs. But, heck yes! Insert previous comment about my life being changed in marvelous ways. My body is happy. If I listen closely, I can actually hear my body saying, “Thank you,” as it digests. I can actually enjoy eating food instead of waiting for the eminent repercussions. It’s a great way to live. Food = nourishment… not food = enemy.

Would I recommend trying it?

Abso-freakin-lutely! I realize that not everyone has the same health problems that I do. But there might be something that you wish was a little better. Or you might want to prevent future illnesses. It sure as heck won’t make you feel any worse. I also think that I was lucky to find a good Naturopathic Physician so quickly. Maybe that was the universe’s way of making it up to me for staying with Cruella Condescension for so long. If you decide to try it, definitely do research to find a good one and to make sure that they are legitimate doctors. That’s my general advice.

Top 5 things I learned from this month:

1.      Listen to your body’s cries (or screams) for help and change.

2.      You are responsible for your own health. If you don’t put your whole effort into helping your body feel better, why would anyone else?

3.      It actually is possible to digest without feeling intense pain.

4.      If health insurance companies had a Facebook page, it would say “In a Relationship with drug companies.” And it doesn’t appear that will change any time soon.

5.      When you feel healthy, so many more things seem possible. Hope is a lovely thing.

I officially declare this month a success.

why i sleep like it's my job

“The next major advance in the health of the American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself.” -John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation

So I have this fun condition called hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed with it over this past summer (in the midst of my freakish reaction to antibiotics). The symptoms for this are quite lovely, and include things like excessive fatigue (check!), increased sensitivity to cold (check!), pale skin (obviously check!), IBS (big honkin’ check!), depression, hair loss, and brittle nails. Four out of seven… great.

My medical doctor did a blood test twice because she didn’t believe the result the first time. That’s how bad it was! She’s not usually the type to second guess things. For example, her thoughts on my IBS, “Eat healthy and maybe it will go away.”

But I digress. Just in case you’re wondering, hypothyroidism is a condition that you develop when your thyroid does not produce enough of certain hormones in your body. If untreated, it often leads to heart disease and mental health problems. I would very much like to avoid those like the plague. But have no fear… my doctor had a pill to fix it. So I added yet another pill to my regimen. As if my medicine cabinet doesn’t look enough like a small pharmacy. But after a few weeks, the pill brought my hormone levels back to normal… so I didn’t complain too much.

But none of my symptoms went away. I was still constantly tired (even if I slept for over 10 hours). And if the pill wasn’t really working completely AND probably doesn’t have stellar long-term effects for my liver (no pills do), then why was I taking it? This was my thought process. My medical doctor said it was the only option to treat hypothyroidism and if I didn’t keep taking the pill, it is likely that I would develop depression. My naturopathic physician extraordinaire to the rescue! Here are her suggestions for me:

Selenium

All I knew about Selenium prior to this was that it is on the Periodic Table of Elements. It turns out that it’s also super helpful in bodily functions. It’s a nutrient that everyone should intake daily… and is surprisingly in a lot of foods. One of selenium’s jobs is to regulate the production of hormones in the thyroid. Who knew?

The Selenium that I take is a liquid. It tastes like water (i.e. no taste). The bummer is that I have to take it twice a day. This isn’t a huge deal, but just makes it more likely that I will forget the mid-day dosage. I’m used to waking up and immediately popping pills. It’s basically as easy to remember as breathing. But now, I have to recall in the middle of my often busy day to sip on my Selenium.

I considered bringing it to work with me and taking my ¾ teaspoon at about 3pm. But the bottle looks strikingly similar to cough syrup. It might not be too kosher to take a sip from that every day. My co-workers already think I have bladder problems (because of my rapid intake of water) and am obsessed with yogurt (which I eat twice a day). So I will just have to remember to take it when I get home after work.

Thyroid Support

I feel that the name of this supplement should be self-explanatory. But for those of you that aren’t the sharpest needles in the haystack, it supports my thyroid. It’s a black pill that smells wretched, but luckily has no taste. It is supposed to help me produce more T3 hormones and regulates their release into my body. That’s pretty much it.

Osteoprime

I have also been taking a supplement called Osteoprime. Though it may sound like it could be a villain in one of the Transformers movies, it’s actually a calcium supplement. There is a history of osteoporosis and bone loss in my family… so I’m trying to prevent that. Everyone knows I don’t need to get any shorter. Hence I’m trying to dense those suckers up.

It’s difficult to really see the effects of this one without my x-ray vision glasses. But I hope it works… it can’t hurt. That’s the fabulous thing about natural supplements. Unlike pills, they very rarely have negative side-effects or long term negative effects. I’m not against pills, but if you take oodles of them (like me), it’s probably not going to do great things for your liver.

I honestly can’t tell if the new supplements are working yet. I am slightly more tired today, but that may be related to other things. Related side note: I don’t want to brag or anything, but I went to see Dave Barnes in concert last night. I wasn’t out terribly late, but was just so jazzed and pumped and enthused that I couldn’t fall asleep last night. It was that overwhelmingly magnificent. If this whole temporary job thing doesn’t turn into something permanent, I’m thinking I’ll become his groupie. Unrelated side note: does the term ‘groupie’ still apply if you follow a singular person/musician and not a band? Seems like it shouldn’t.

But anyway, I do not know what the sleepiness is related to and will have to wait a few days to report on that. Or maybe, I already know and just want to keep you coming back for more. I’ll never tell. Don’t judge me for using Gossip Girl’s tagline. It was accidental, I swear.

the friendly kind of bacteria

“Bacteria keeps us from heaven and puts us there.” –Martin H. Fischer

I have begun the next part of my holistic regimen: Probiotics. My NP explained that probiotics are basically “good bacteria.” She specifically gave me HMF Intensive, which is a variety of probiotics. This is a one time prescription for me. After 15 days, I’m done with them.

My NP said that she recommended HMF because it will restore the good bacteria in my stomach that the antibiotic I took over the summer wiped out. As I mentioned in another post, I had a severe reaction to this antibiotic, complete with dry, cracking skin from head to toe. It was so terrible that it often hurt to move. Even the strongest of moisturizers could not cure my dehydrated epidermis and I eventually had to break down and go to the dermatologist to fix it. Even with their help, I still have not fully recovered from this… 6 months later.

I’ve heard that probiotics are also great for the immune system in general. So if you’ve got a cold or flu-like ailment, they are a good and gentle substitute for the everything-must-die-a-quick-death approach of antibiotics.

I’m unsure of whether your body can become immune to the benefits of probiotics in the same ways that it can with antibiotics. If anyone knows, holla at me. I’m curious, but could not find a reliable source confirming or denying this.

So the probiotics are to help my body recover in a myriad of ways. They have also been shown to reduce inflammation, much like the Slippery Elm, which will help my IBS too! It’s like a five for one deal. No negative side effects as of yet either. And I feel generally healthier. I can’t really explain into words specifically how I feel “healthier,” but I do.

My body is on the express train to recovery. I can feel it. And I like it.

my stomach doesn't hate me anymore!

“When health is absent wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless and reason is powerless.” -Herophilies, 300 B.C.


It has been 4 days since I started taking Slippery Elm and Fish oil (EFA). I am hesitant to say that these have fixed my problems, but so far so good. They definitely haven’t hurt anything. But let me explain a little about what these magic substances are for:

Slippery Elm

Slippery Elm is the (totally awesome) name of a tree most often found in North America. When the bark of this tree is dried and ground into powder, it can be used for medicinal purposes. According to my NP, Slippery Elm coats the digestive tract when ingested. This soothes the inflammation of my insides and makes things feel generally happier in the tummy area.

Since it comes in a powder and isn’t the best tasting thing ever (it’s tree bark for crying out loud), my NP recommended that I put a teaspoon of it in yogurt or applesauce. I have been doing this twice a day to get my body on the road to recovery. Once my body is more stable, I will only have to take it once a day. This will maintain the feelings of rainbows and love in my tummy. Hopefully.

Fish Oil (EFA)

Fish Oil is (shockingly enough) what it sounds like… oil from fish. Fish oil has a plethora of health benefits, including heart health, a reduction in inflammation, better brain function, reduction in depression, and reduction in incidence of breast, colon and prostate cancer. So hopefully this will help my body in many ways, but I am mainly taking it to reduce my inflamed innards.

Fun fact: certain groups of people are predisposed to have essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiencies. In other words, some people need more EFAs than others. These people are most often of Irish, Scottish, Welch, Scandinavian, Danish, British Columbian or Eskimo descent (essentially all the super pale people). Aaaaand there we have the description of my heritage in a nutshell.

So once a day, I take one teaspoon of liquid EFA. It actually doesn’t taste half bad. There is kind of an orange-y or citrus taste to it. Downside alert—it does have to be refrigerated. So if you’re traveling or have a complicated life, you may want to stick with the tablet form. My NP didn’t want me to take the tablet form because it takes longer to work… and adding extra jobs (like dissolving the capsule) for my stomach to do, would probably not be the smartest life choice. It has enough going on already.


I have been taking these two supplements for 4 days now. In addition, I have been drinking 10 glasses of water a day… or trying to, at least. Without being graphic, here are some changes that I have noticed:

1. NO stomach pain
This was my main reason for trying this whole Experi-month! I have not been free of this stabbing pain for 5 years. All I can say is: it’s about freakin’ time something worked! I can eat food without feeling like I swallowed a small rabid animal, which is then trying to claw out of my body. Now if feels like I swallowed nothing… or maybe just tiny bites of bliss and wonderment.

2. Regularity (if you know what I mean)
This also has been absent from my life for 5 rough years. I forgot how lovely and strangely satisfying it is.

3. I have to pee constantly
I’m sure my co-workers think I have (a) a bladder disorder or (b) bulimia. But I care not of their incredulous assumptions so long as my stomach is behaving itself.

If the other supplements on my plan work as well as these, you all will be introduced to a new Stephanie. She will be happy, able-bodied, and not preoccupied with the searing pain in her abdomen. But above all, she will always have a water bottle in hand and (hopefully) always be in close proximity to a bathroom.

i'm feeling au naturel... if you know what i mean.

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” -Thomas Edison

Yesterday, I went to see a Naturopathic Physician (NP). NPs are the general practitioners (GP) of the holistic world. They assess your complete self and guide you through the steps toward healing. If you’re like me, you didn’t know that these people existed. I thought I would have to see a nutritionist or something. But I discovered this particular doctor just like I discover most things: Google. It’s a wonderful thing. I found a website for a practice that has an NP, Acupuncturist, Massage Therapist, and Counselor. Essentially, they have one expert to help you with each facet of your health. For now, I am focusing on working with the NP… mostly due to the fact that I’m not independently wealthy. I got really excited when I was reading their website and their philosophy. It was like they had been created just for me.

Then I read that they don’t accept insurance. I semi-expected that this would be the case. But seeing it in print outraged me. Why is modern medicine the only thing covered? I’m sure there are other people out there like me. Modern medicine doesn’t work for everyone. It’s really a shame. As soon as I got over the fact that this visit would cost me more than I earn in a day of work, I called to make an appointment. I got their voicemail so I left a message. Ten minutes later, the NP called me back! Now… tell me a time when your GP has personally called you? Probably the 4^th of never. This is part of the Naturopathic philosophy: to really take time for your patients and get to know them. We had about a 10 minute phone conversation. This is the same amount of time that I spend in the same room with my GP during an office visit! I already really like where this is going.

I brought my mom with me to my appointment. She asked if she could come and I said yes. Sometimes she worries more about my health issues than I do… and she has been really supportive in me trying anything and everything if it will help me feel better. We walked in to a normal looking office and couldn’t even sit down in the waiting room before the doctor called me back. She looked like I expected: healthy… and natural. I know that’s a weird way to describe someone, but that’s how she looked. She was very friendly and seemed determined to get my body straightened out. I immediately decided that I liked her. We talked for over an hour and a half! At my usual doctor, I spend this amount of time in the waiting room and less than 5 minutes with my doctor. Talk about a reversal!

I will go into the details of her recommendations as I implement them, but for now I just wanted to say a few things about the overall experience. First, it wasn’t scary at all. This doctor genuinely wanted me to get better and made sure she spent as much time as was needed to fully explain everything to me. She explained my disorders to me better than my GP did and then explained what she would recommend and why. It was almost like a tutorial in health. Now I feel educated about what’s going on with my physical self… and it’s a great feeling, let me tell you. Second, she has a suggestion for just about every problem. She literally can help you with everything from acne to depression to headaches to fibromyalgia. I was impressed.

I’m trying not to get too preachy about how great the experience was until I see if the stuff actually works. But I am ever so hopeful that it will.

I walked out of the office with a bag overflowing of supplements and herbs… and luckily herbs don’t weigh much. As I suspected, I will have to start taking them one at a time, so if something works (or doesn’t work), I will know which one it is. My NP told me not to expect all of them to work marvelously, because everyone’s body reacts to them differently. But if one doesn’t work for me, she has back-up plans. With that said, I’ll tell you what she recommended for me BUT that does not mean she would recommend it for you. She picked this plan because of how all of my conditions relate to one another. So you should really see a NP before you start this process. Naturopathic health is very much based on the individual. I venture to guess that very few people are my exact age, height and weight, and have the same conditions and family history as me.

So tomorrow I will begin this slightly complex journey with the suggestions for my IBS: Slippery Elm and Fishoil (EFA). Sidenote: one of my favorite parts about naturopathic health is the names of the supplements because (a) they are funny sounding and (b) I can actually pronounce them. I will go into more detail about what these supplements do and why she picked them for me later. Stay tuned.

I will leave you with two pieces of information that I learned from my baller NP:

1.      Everyone should drink 5 glasses of water per day. But you are supposed to add an extra glass for every medication you are on and for every 30 minutes that you exercise. According to this, my magic number is 10. Yeah, I definitely never drink that much water. Guess I’m starting now.

2.      If you get a little sleepy mid-day, don’t drink coffee or soda. You can buy packets of Vitamin C powder to put in your aforementioned water. I had one today (compliments of my NP) that was lemonade flavored. It was quite refreshing and delightful. It also didn’t result in a crash several hours later like caffeine often does.