4-Week Health Challenge: Day One

Taken on top of Mt.Tzouhalem on a hike that changed me.

Let's talk about health.

I am a relatively healthy 35 year old woman.
I say relatively because I don't have any major health issues, however, I am overweight, I have an under active thyroid gland and I don't eat very healthy or exercise as regularly as I should.

I'd love to be able to go on long hikes, trek through the forests, up and down hills with ease.
Heck, I'd love to be able to climb a few flights of stairs without being out of breath!

I am realizing that unless I change something now, my health is going to continue to creep into decline, my weight is going to continue to slowly climb and I am not going to be able to enjoy my life as I should or want to.

Enjoying life...well, okay, I think that may be part of my problem, in a cheeky, silly way.

I enjoy everything a little too much.

When it comes to eating and choosing foods, I'm not what you would call a typical emotional eater.
I don't eat because I am sad or angry or to fill a void, I mostly eat unhealthily because I just love everything! I enjoy food and I enjoy the social aspect of eating together, with friends and family or anyone, really.

(sigh)

Yes, apparently I need to tame my enjoyment a little or at least focus that joy towards some healthier alternatives and kick-start a total lifestyle change.

After this walk with my nephews I felt like scratching my face OFF!

Another of my smaller issues in allergies.

Since moving to Victoria at age 7, I have developed major seasonal allergies that affect me from Spring to Autumn. I sneeze again and again, my eyes get watery and itchy, my throat gets scratchy and my sinuses are constantly on fire.
Yes, I have taken antihistamines, every kind, every colour, every type. Nasal sprays give me nosebleeds and the pills wear off every few weeks causing me to keep switching meds. Not fun!

These past two winters I was also struck with cold after cold after bug, with my head constantly congested and my sinuses and throat never seeming to clear.
This feeling continued long after all the other cold symptoms vacated and then allergy season hit with a wham!


Enough was enough and I was ready to seek any new treatment I could find to rid myself of this awful congestion.

So, after being tossed around by several Doctors over the past years, I am trying the advice of a Naturopath.

She administered a Scratch Allergy Test which confirmed my suspicions that I am madly allergic to grasses. (Luckily not to my dog! Heh, heh.) If I ever walk through a field of any kind I come out looking like my face is melting off! Not fun for any summer outings or attempted hikes.

She also is suggesting a treatment plan to rule out any food sensitivities witch may be causing this nasty sinus issue. Her plan, which will boost my immune system, solve a few blood-related issues and kick-start some weight-loss, includes eating a lot of brown rice, veggies, fruits, supplements, oils and avoiding all dairy, gluten, egg, sugar, peanuts, anything pre-packaged and a few other items.

Oiy, this is going to be a challenge!

Yet, if I could make it through a totally liquid fast for one week, perhaps, with a little help from above and around me, I can last for 4 weeks with LOTS of healthy, delicious meal and snack options!

Yes, yes, I CAN make it!!!

A hefty trip to the grocery store later and a few hours cleaning out my fridge and freezer (thanks to a pal!) of anything out of date, old or unhealthy, and I am all set!

Here's how it's going...
(I am this writing journal both for myself to keep track and for you, for entertainment and to encourage you on your health journey, whatever it may be.)

Day One, Week One:
I started out my day with a large glass of warm water and a quarter of a lemon's juice squeezed into it. (Aids in digestion, so I am told.)
Took my Thyroid & Iron pills with the last gulp and proceeded to get ready for work.

Gobind Farms berries from the James Bay Market...super yummy local fruit!

I made a quick smoothie to take with me for breakfast - frozen blueberries & strawberries, 1/2 cup mango V8 juice I need to use up (it's 100% juice so allowed in moderation) and 1/2 cup or Almond Breeze Original milk. (Note: I should have bought the Almond Breeze Vanilla, probably would've tasted a bit sweeter.) However, the smoothie was quick, tasty, thick and lasted a while. I took my Multi Glyco & Orti B supplements with the smoothie. (Gah, Note, need to go buy the correct amount of Probiotics! I didn't bring my info sheet to the store last night and too low of a dose where I'd have to take SIX pills instead of 2 or 3.)

Before leaving home I grabbed my plethora of lunch and snack items from the fridge and the other bottles of supplements I'll taking with breakfast (Note to self: I need a smallish pill container instead of taking these whopping big bottles to work with me! Those weekly ones won't do since some of these capsules are HUGE!!)
Also grabbed my bottle liquid Vitamin D...I have still to take it. (Another Note: I forgot to bring a nasty fish oil capsule with me, too!)

My breakfast smoothie cup and snack pack.

I have a snack pack of raisins (the tiny kids school ones) nearby, should I feel the need for a snack mid-morning.

I also brought along some yummy green seedless grapes, a baggie of my own home-grown radishes, and an excellent salad for lunch. More on that in a moment.

It's 10:42 am and my smoothie is done (it became a little jelly-like at the bottom but I refused to think too much about it and slurped it down). Ate the raisin snack box soon after.

12:23 pm and it's Lunch time! Yummy salad here I come...oh no, I forgot my container of brown rice...sheesh! I'm super forgetful today! Ah well, the salad with tuna will keep me full until later.

Lunch - Salad made up of green leaf lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, orange pepper, broccoli slaw, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries, ground flax seed, and some drained flaked white tuna.
For a dressing I added some dried herb mixture into about 2 tbsp of olive oil and cracked pepper. This, however, was not a satisfying dressing mixture. It tasted too...oily and barely added any flavour to my salad. I ate almost all the salad and right away started looking up some alternatives that I can make for next time.

I also ate my two brown rice cakes with a bit of almond butter. A satisfying crunch and the almond butter will take some getting used to since I love peanut butter, but it was a good addition to my lunch.

Supper consisted of a rushed cup of heated brown rice with a drizzle of olive oil and 2 tbsp of tuna mixed in. Hurried, because I was going out to an evening market with some friends and I didn't want to be starving and not find anything to eat there.

Sure enough, there didn't seem to be a single stall, booth or food cart that I could indulge in (besides all the yummy fresh produce) BUT I did find a roasted spiral sliced yam on a stick at once place. Bingo! And Delish!!

I forgot to snap a photo but this was what it looked like - A Yam Tornado Potato.

I bought some huge, fresh raspberries to snack on later and some local blackberry honey (the sample tasted super good!) and a few other non-food items.

I came home a little hungry but I had some water, raspberries and some kale & chia chips my mom found for me at Costco. (Checked the label and looks okay.) Really, I could LIVE off of these chips! Very tortilla-like, crispy, a tiny bit of sea salt and great on their own or with hummus.

I went to bed, not hungry and not too dis-satisfied with my first day.

Oh, I also found a health food store open near the market where we were so I bought some flax seed oil and the proper probiotics. Yay!

So far, so good for Day One on my cleansing/health/cutting-out-everything food journey.

Stay tuned as I update you on my progress. 

(*I am currently a week ahead of filling you in so today was my actual Day 7, yay! I'll blog about my first week soon.)


Questions: Have you every tried cutting out any specific foods because of interesting allergies or health concerns? What's your favourite healthy snack or meal??