It’s not something I’ve really blogged about because it’s been something I haven’t wanted to focus on myself. But it’s one of those constantly infiltrating facts in all I do.
I don’t feel good. Increasingly so over the past few months. And the excitement of moving has really drained me empty. I wake up exhausted, I spend my day with little energy, then I can’t fall asleep. No appetite, moody, body aches and pains. Not. Good. At. All.
Long story short: I do not want to spend a year or more traveling the country, meeting interesting people and experiencing new things or investigating possible new homes with no energy or not feeling well. So I went to my homeopath a couple weeks ago who did some tests and told me the following:
- I have Adrenal Fatigue. I was actually told this a long time ago when I first stopped working and thought time would be enough to heal it. It wasn’t and it’s much worse than before.
- My liver is not functioning as well as it should be. Wasn’t expecting this one.
- I’m wheat, corn and gluten sensitive. This still makes me want to cry. I never knew I had a favorite food until I was told I should give up pasta.
These are the things I’m doing right now to help:
- Iodine supplementation: Iodine deficiency is linked to adrenal fatigue. I’m using liquid iodine as a dermatological supplement. I rub it on my belly each night and it’s fully absorbed by morning.
- Green smoothies: Half spinach and half citrus fruits, the blended greens are absorbed much better into my body. (The FIRST day I did a huge green smoothie and within hours I had the WORST detox migraine ever.)
- Homeopathics: One for fatigue, one for adrenal support and one for a liver detoxification.
- Other supplements: a daily vitamin and mineral complex, a B complex and fish oil.
- A gluten- and corn-free diet.
- More water. Um, I’m pretty certain the one or two glasses I manage to drink now aren’t enough.
Changing my diet has been the hardest, of course. I never realized just how many of our meals rely on gluten. Gluten-free grains don’t really excite me. And Justin and Zeb don’t want to be subjected to the same diet (Well, we’re already corn-free because of Zeb’s sensitivities. He self-moderates and chooses his own level of comfort in eating corn or corn products but in family meals we choose corn-free options.).
My first gluten-free meal left a lot to be desired. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. The GF bread was so dense the cheese wouldn’t melt and the soup was tasteless. However, I have found Tinkyada’s Brown Rice Pasta, which Justin now prefers over regular pasta and I’m compromising with corn tortilla’s because brown rice tortillas…leave something to be desired. But overall I think my success is going to rely on very few gluten-substitutes.
Once I’ve been gluten-free for awhile I’m going to give a slow-rise sourdough a try, as explained on Weston A Price’s website.
It hasn’t been easy. In fact, there have been at least a few moments of such complete frustration and anger over the matter. BUT after only three days, I woke up with energy and felt energetic all day! I can’t honestly recall the last day I felt so good. It didn’t last long but it’s been a huge motivation to keep going, even if rather slowly.
I just keep telling myself that it’s a choice and I’m choosing one day at a time. I can choose whatever I want and change my mind whenever I want.. And right now, I just want to feel good.
My name is Tara. I am a mama and a lover, a full-time nomad, a passionate devourer of Life and an Organic Life Coach.
My daughter is also very sensitive to corn and this is one of few pieces I’ve seen written about others with this issue. If you look at the commercially prepared foods, many are corn-based which can be an issue! Thank you for sharing about this subject.
I SO get this. I spent years sick constantly (in fact we quit having babies because each time I got sicker and sicker and they didn’t think I would live through another–now we realize it was probably related to everything else and cleaning out my system prob would have done the trick. Sigh.) In my case it was severe candida overgrowth which took 2 years of a sugar free diet (including ALL starches–could only tolerate a max of 9 grams of carbs a day) plus a 2x daily detox shake. It changed my world, and my kids (hubby wasn’t involved in it and makes his own meals)–the constant sickness and exhaustion went away, the new food sensitivities stopped popping up every which way, and now if I start getting sick or having environmental allergies I just cut the sugar for a day or two and do the detox shake and I am fine again. It was a really hard decision and I mourned the loss of my favorite foods (I was addicted to all things sugar) and even wheat bread and corn were hard to leave behind. Rice pasta was a good alternative, as was rye and buckwheat (spelt is very good but we couldn’t tolerate it). I found that millet is excellent for making a corn bread and for cakey items, and chickpea (garbonzo bean) flour is about the easiest to make sweet breads, cookies, and pancakes from–it tastes sweet naturally though it is very low carb. Teff works well for crackers. And a great recipe book that saved my life at that point was “Allergy Cooking with Ease” http://www.food-allergy.org/acebook.html . The recipes are easily adaptable once you learn the basics of the different types of flour. Of course there are tons of gluten free cookbooks out there but they like to use a TON of corn–which all of us could NOT tolerate so this book was a lifesaver. The nice thing is that once you start feeling better you do stop craving the stuff that causes the trouble.
@Anne, corn is in nearly EVERYTHING because it’s cheap and stores well. It’s very hard to cut it out completely. Thankfully neither of us is overly sensitive to it, so avoiding it with an occasional slip is okay.
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@Heather, I’d love to know more about your detox shake!
Dietary changes are so tough. Food is fuel and habit and comfort and nurturing all at once! Have you seen the Gluten-free Girl’s website?
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/
She is a few years in to her gluten-free journey and has such a passion about food and cooking – it’s really inspiring! I’m sure you will be able to find some yummy recipes to help you find your new favorite foods.
I will talk to some of our gluten free customers and check, but I know there are some tasty gluten free breads out there… and pastas too… hang in there!! Have you checked MaryJane’s Farm? I think she has some, and I’ve only ever heard good things about her stuff. http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/categories/food-pantry.asp I don’t think she has gluten FREE, but she has some yummy mixes that might be gluten absent. I hope Mary Heather’s link is what you need! It sounds AWESOME!!
You should look into Veganism. I went from Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian to Vegan almost a year ago and I have never felt better!
I can relate to your frustrations with changing your diet so drastically, checking every label, spending more time than you’d like to in the grocery store, etc… But it’s all worth it and things get easier over time as far as meal planning.
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sorry to hear.
I have some good gluten free recipes on my blog. My daughter cannot tolerate wheat. It definitely takes some getting used to but trust me…. she feels a million times better and I hope you will too.
I have a lot of sensitivities and it is hard! I have come to love basmati rice as well as many Bob’s Red Mill products, especially brown rice farina since I can’t eat oats anymore and brown rice flour for baking. It’s not the same and I do eat moderate amounts of whole grain flour otherwise I’d go insane. Of course, the pain it later causes really sucks. I suffer from anemia and chronic fatigue, body aches, memory loss…all the good stuff. I changed my diet two years ago to include more fruits and veg and more whole grains mostly brown rice. I was feeling really good but went downhill again and am working my way back up…so GOOD luck to you on feeling better and enjoying some foods you can tolerate.
Welcome to the adrenal fatigue food sensitivity club! Me too!!
I’ll spare you the details of the long and esoteric list of thing I can’t eat and say that like you, feeling good and resilient means more to me than not eating pizza.
I am glad you’re gaining awareness and experience and have a supportive healer!
Take care and good luck with this new adventure!
Okay, my first thought to say was “thank you for sharing, I have similar problems…” blah blah blah. But after reading the comments, now what I want to say is “what the he– is going on?!” There are WAY too many of us feeling this. I know our standard American diet sucks, but many of us are not eating all the crap. Is it the genetic modification? Is it cell phones and all the wireless signals? How in the world are so many of us young women experiencing this crap?!
p.s. How do you make your green smoothie? I don’t really want to go buy a juicer, don’t even have a blender but can see getting one of those finally. I’d love to know what you do!
@Lisa Z, have you read much of the Weston A Price website? I talks a lot about food preperation and makes tons of sense. The Nourished Kitchen also has some good info.
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As for my green smoothies, I do half spinach and half frozen citrus’s like mango, pineapple etc with a bit of water in a blender.
Hey Tara, I’m sending you love and light for strength and healing….
The candida detox shake comes from http://wholeapproach.com basically it is just olive of grapeseed oil (for the capryllic acid which kills candida overgrowth), bentonite powder (absorbs the toxins in your system, including the now dead candida), and psyllium powder (to flush the system) in water. Less water=a pudding consistency, more water=a milk shake consistency — add some stevia or agave and flavor (vanilla, chocolate, carob, or coffee all work well). Now I just add those ingredients to my green smoothy and it clears things up quickly.
Tara- I went through this a few years ago. I was just so sick of feeling so tired all the time. I had adrenal fatigue and gluten-sensitivity.
I’ll tell you, as much as it’s tough to make the changes at first, you’ll start feeling so good in a few weeks and then it will be easier to eat differently.
What has happened to me is that once I was detoxed I am able to eat bits of gluten here and there. When I start to feel over loaded I just step back and go gluten-free for a while. But for the most part I can handle it in small amounts and usually later in the day.
Also, I found that gluten-free substitutes just sucked. I quickly just realized I am more of a protein/greens/veggies type of person. I eat smaller amounts of fruits and rice and such.
We do the Tinkajoy pasta once a week for that carb craving.
You’ll feel better and you’ll be so happy you’re taking these steps!
oh Tara, i hope you feel better soon. thanks for posting about this. i’ve been having the same health problems as you and haven’t been able to figure out what is going on with me. i started visiting doctors in japan but with no results. they told me it was all in my head. this has been going on for years and thanks to you i may have found a solution.
feel better!
Tara, yes I’ve been “into” Weston Price for a few years now. For a while I saw a holistic nutritionist who mostly guided me in the Nourishing Traditions style (though not religiously, cuz she shys away from any one “diet”). But it’s so hard to fall off the bandwagon and get into eating too much sweets again.
Thinking about my earlier comment, I bet it’s largely that Americans eat SO MUCH SUGAR that is causing so many of these problems.
Oh, and if you get the companion book to Nourishing Traditions, Dr. Cowan’s “Fourfold Healing”, he has some great advice in there for adrenal insufficiency, too. Some of it is hard to “get” because he’s anthroposophical, but take out of it what you can.
SUCKS!! but…. How absolutely marvelous to have such a brillaint homeopath to hand. I’m so envious. You have answers, and that to me is a great gift. I know you’ll tackle this head on and navigate your way to a peaceful balance. I’m so pleased for you that you rediscovered energy so quickly. It has to make the ridiculous bits worth it? I know that if I had to go gluten-free I would freak out initially, but I also know that these days there are tons of great books/sites and support groups.
I’ll be sending some healing vibes your way. The hardest thing about change especially in eating habits is that the new thing is just so foreign. I’ve seen some great food sensitivity cookbooks recently – I’ll have to dig those titles out for you, maybe something will tickle your fancy.
ugh, i can’t even imagine. i’m in the process of going dairy-free as my newborn seems to be really sensitive to it, and it’s driving me nuts. however, i am glad that you are feeling better! i’m sure it’ll be a tough, but rewarding road.
Wow, sounds pretty tough. Dietary changes are hard enough for one, but throw a family in the mix…
…I’ve found this website interesting for gluten-free eating http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
It’s also a great time saving site.
Good luck with your journey to feeling better.
Oh, Tara, I feel for you! I have some sensitivities that I am aware of by figuring it out myself, and I may have more…but I am weak and continually fall into eating foods I shouldn’t. It’s such a process. But over time I am discovering new foods that appeal to me that also work well for my body. It’s tough to be on a regimen of supplements, too. And to do it all when you are tired and not feeling well?? I really feel for you!
Tara –
I feel you and I’ve been there – am there again as far as I can tell. The changes you are making now WILL help you. I need to get back on my own wagon as well. This is a much more common thing than gets properly diagnosed. Hang in there!!!
Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well, Tara. Interestingly, I could have written you post. I’m been so exhausted lately…spend my whole day trying to wake up and then at bedtime I can’t sleep. OMG…drives me nuts.
I did a cleanse back in the spring and it really helped. We eat really well as a family anyway…but cutting out all the extra stuff
made a big difference.
Have you tried/heard of Ezekiel Bread? It’s made with sprouted grains…and while it has wheat in it…it’s sprouted and doesn’t affect your system the same. I know people who are extremely intolerant to wheat and gluten and they can tolerate Ezekiel just fine. Good luck to you. You’ve inspired me to cleanse again. I need energy…to be able to play with my three year old. We deserve it.
Oh, that sucks. I know how you feel though. I have SO many allergies and sensitivities, that if I don’t regulate my diet and environment very carefully, I feel like crap all the time (hives, swelling, redness, pain, aches, fatigue and so on). BUT once you get in the swing of things and know what to buy/what you like/what you can tolerate, it does get better. I don’t feel like I’m a freak of nature anymore ;P … everything is just … normal for me now. But anyway, hope you feel better. Nice to see that you had results after a short time!
Oh, elimination diets suck. But glad to hear you are feeling better.
Is it tacky to link to my own blog to share a favorite gf recipe? I hope not–here it is:
http://threegirlpileup.wordpress.com/2008/12/04/yes-quinoa-can-be-really-tasty/
Another favorite is chicken and/or chickpea curry in the crock pot:
2 lbs. boneless chicken, cut up (I use half breasts, half thighs) OR 3-4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces OR 2-3 cans chickpeas
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 T. curry powder or more to taste
3 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes, peeled (if you want) and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp. hot sauce, more or less to taste
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with the juice (I use Muir Glen fire roasted)
1 package (10-14 oz) frozen veggies of your choice
Saute the chicken and onions together in a skillet with a little oil until the onions are soft and the chicken is browned. If using chickpeas, just saute the onions. Add the curry powder and toast for a minute or two. Scrape into the crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes, hot sauce, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. About 1/2 an hour before serving, stir in frozen veggies. Serve over cooked rice.
I have made this a number of different ways–chicken with white potatoes and mixed veggies; chickpeas with sweet potatoes and green beans; chickpeas with sweet potatoes and spinach. Enjoy!
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 T. curry powder or more to taste
3 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes, peeled (if you want) and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp. hot sauce, more or less to taste
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with the juice (I use Muir Glen fire roasted)
1 package (10-14 oz) frozen veggies of your choice
Saute the chicken and onions together in a skillet with a little oil until the onions are soft and the chicken is browned. If using chickpeas, just saute the onions. Add the curry powder and toast for a minute or two. Scrape into the crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes, hot sauce, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. About 1/2 an hour before serving, stir in frozen veggies. Serve over cooked rice.
I have made this a number of different ways–chicken with white potatoes and mixed veggies; chickpeas with sweet potatoes and green beans; chickpeas with sweet potatoes and spinach. Enjoy!
yikes, sorry for my spazzy pasting!!
Serendipity… I recently received a health newsletter from Women to Women on the topic adrenal fatigue (Adrenal extremes — could you be on your way to Cushing’s or Addison’s disease? and then stumbled across your blog. Okay, time to take action!! I am really interested in how you approached the homeopath to learn all this (I have similar issues/symptoms of extreme fatigue). Was this someone you had previously seen? Were tests run? I have never seen a homeopath but would really like to. Just no idea what to expect.
Thanks for the follow up, organic sister! I’m thinking of seeing a homeopath and am glad to have a bit more info.
Dear Organic Sister,
Just wanted to let you know that I have developed gluten free sourdough recipes in accordance with Weston Price principles. I wrote about it and was published in WAP, Wise Traditions, summer issue. If you must continue to be gluten free then my techniques may be for you. For gf starter and loaf bread recipes please check out my blog, glutenfreesourdough.blogspot.com. To buy the complete E-book, The Art of Gluten Free Sourdough baking, go to http://www.food-medicine.com and Good Luck! sharon
I had adrenal fatigue after moving. I got a great book on it called, of all things, Adrenal Fatigue, at Vitamin Cottage. I followed it fairly religiously (or as religiously as I could) and felt much better after a few months.
Wow, and ere I thought those were symptoms of depression!
I’d better go get checked out!
Thanks!