That last couple of months have had some highs and some lows, and now I’m writing to share it with everyone.

Valleys First

Back during the beginning of October, I found myself exhausted. Thankfully, I had enough gas in the tank to make it through work okay, but as soon as I came home, that was it, my day was done. I could never remember feeling that tired before and wondered if I was coming down with a cold, but I didn’t feel sick. Just very tired. After about a week, I finally made a connection. I had just started a parasite cleanse kit, and it was a day or two later that I felt so worn down. I hoped that this meant the exhaustion was due to the cleanse working and killing a bunch of bad things in my body.

The way the cleanse works is you take it for fifteen days, stop for five, and take it for another fifteen. I had to wait and see if I recovered during those five days, and was thankful I was only taking the evening dose rather than both the morning and evening doses (which you can do if you are small enough). Happily, I did perk up during those five days, and figured the second fifteen would not be as bad.

Then I caught a cold. I was seriously hoping I might skip that experience this year. Alas, that dream was dashed at the beginning of the cold season. There were a couple bad days, but I persevered through it. I bought some tea for fighting colds. It tastes fabulous. I would drink it just because. I think it’s the cinnamon bark and liquorice root that makes it so yummy.

Also, regarding my Candida, I’m still suffering from it more than I like. (To read my original post, click here). I recently purchased a cleanse kit for Candida since my diet alone is not enough, and I’ve been slipping and eating things I shouldn’t, but honestly, I doubt I can do much better than I have for an extended period of time, so I hope the cleanse can give me a boost. I wanted to wait a couple weeks before starting it since I had just finished the parasite cleanse. Maybe this weekend.

I need to jump back on the exercise bandwagon. Once I fell off, I kind of stayed off. It was easier during the summer. I got up about and hour and a half earlier than normal, which gave me plenty of time to exercise and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. It’s hard to crawl out of bed at 6:15 AM when it’s pitch black outside, and I find myself getting up at the last minute to get ready for work. Something to work on.

Okay, now the Peaks

Compliments. Everyone loves compliments, and it makes my hard work worth it when I receive them. For a while, every time my Dad saw me, he asked if I’d lost more weight. I hadn’t, but it made me feel good to hear him ask. I think he was just so unused to seeing me look like this it took a while for him to adjust. At one point I did take my measurements and had lost a couple inches even though no pounds had dropped, so remember, the scale alone is not the end all. It’s also nice when people at work notice and comment. Nothing like someone asking if you have lost weight and saying you look good to bring a smile to your face.

I am also more regular than I have ever been, and for those who have read Eating for Energy, you know exactly what I mean. For those who haven’t, it means I poop more than once a day. (I know, thanks for sharing, right? You’re welcome). But seriously, it is a good indicator of how well things are working internally. I’ll leave this particular subject alone now.

Some more tidbits. My hair is shiny and healthy looking. I’m not totally sure how much is attributed to the fact I switched shampoo brands, but I know my diet is a major factor. I supplement with krill oil everyday and try to add as many healthy fats to my diet as I can, like coconut, extra virgin olive oil and flax oil.

My teeth are also doing better. I suffered from sensitive teeth over the past couple of years, and was using toothpaste formulated for sensitive teeth. It worked at first, and then my teeth began hurting again. A couple months ago, I switched to a more natural fluoride-free toothpaste and have had only one moment of pain (when I went from something hot directly to something cold) so I’m extremely pleased. It makes me wonder what my old toothpaste was doing to my teeth.

I also switched to an aluminium free deodorant as I try to eliminate heavy metals from any products I use. I purchased some body lotions that are coconut or olive oil based since I suffer from dry skin over the winter, and they work great.

A positive on the food side of things, I have been experimenting with fruit smoothies. One of my favourite ingredients is grapefruit. It gives the smoothie a nice tang. Grapefruit and berries, give it a try. Just blend it well since the grapefruit is pulpy.

Okay, I think that’s enough for today. Until next time.

Nichole