This week contained a massive victory as well as continued struggle to balance electrolytes or blood sugar issues. First the frustrating. This week my meal times were all over the place. I don’t know what happened, I didn’t have a properly stocked fridge; I was postponing eating my first meal which then skewed lunch and dinner times. My brain was not clear. I felt awful. By the time I finally ate breakfast, lunch should have been not far behind. By around 1pm I should have consumed already almost two pounds in order to fill the fuel tank.
Instead of learning my lesson I kept doing this day after day. I was so engrossed in my projects that I did not prioritize my eating schedule and it resulted in BAD. That being said I’m not sure that the blame lies on my eating schedule only. I also was working non stop on the computer which I think highly contributed to foggy brain, for that has often happened. It’s hard to tell the real culprit.
I was a bit bummed about all of this because I had found previously that my blood sugar was very stable and I could be flexible with my eating schedule. This sudden dinner bell task master seemed to be a recent unpleasant intrusion. But like I said I’m not sure how much the computer O.D. contributed. This week, however, you can be sure I am going to get my meals on time. We’ll see what happens. I still have one last big computer job.
Another thing is the continued puzzle of the electrolytes/minerals. I stopped supplementing as I mentioned last week and began following the approach of simply eating more to aid my body in regulating on its own. However, to be honest I didn’t feel great. Again how much is related to not eating meals on time with relentless computer use I don’t know. I took a yoga class at the Y and it was a real struggle: weakness, urge to pee, creaky joints, weakness, brain that had vacated… I ate when I got home and felt better, but could have used to have eaten more. Note to self: don’t let the fridge get empty! Another fail!
Following the yoga day I did a hike; nothing too severe, 2.4 miles with pretty decent incline/decline. On the way down my legs were shaky, my brain fuzzy and on the return incline I had to stop and rest far too often for what I thought would be appropriate for my fitness level. Good thing I was alone with my dog, so the only impatient one waiting for me was a four-legged creature with wagging tail. Midway I did supplement with some LMNT electrolytes (1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium) which I think saved me. I also ate a bunch of burger, but I don’t weirdly get too hungry when I hike and didn’t want to force feed.
When I returned from the hike I was wasted. I took an epsom salt soak bath, baked a ribeye and then landed on the couch and watched a movie. Afterwards I went to bed and my entire body ached with pain. It kinda reminded me of being a kid with “growing pains.” I could hardly move. I was dreading the next morning, hoping that the DOMS wouldn’t turn my legs into burning logs of cement. This morning I divided the LMNT packet of electrolytes into 4 servings and continued to supplement. This afternoon while definitely still feeling the slow recovery of the hike I am not as bad as I could have been, sore but still mobile and functional. I’m thinking adding the electrolytes is still key on big work out days!
Also, as to the electrolytes I had an appointment with my trusted holistic health practitioner. He was the one who diagnosed me with having Lyme before I even had the blood work confirmation with my MD. He has been spot on again and again and over the last four years and I have seen incredible improvement in my health by working with him. I asked him about the electrolyte situation and he muscle tested that my mineral point was off and that by supplementing with the ph mins which I already love corrects it. So it seems my body is still lacking.
The whole mineral deficiency problem is not a result only from adopting the beef diet. I have had two hair analysis tests in the past six-ish years which showed deficiency in pretty much every mineral tested and most ratios between complimentary minerals were also skewed. That I’m struggling with it now is no surprise, although I am waiting for the beef diet to improve the deficiency, but if it is making it worse then I need to be on top of it.
So how am I going to address this? I am still going to experiment with eating more to help my body regulate, but go back to supplementing. The electrolyte thing is most noticeable when I do exercise, practice violin (but not baroque interestingly–easier physical demands) or do the sauna routine. So on days where I do any of that I am going to give myself a boost with supplementation. Last week it definitely seemed that eating more was working, but perhaps I still am in need of some aid till more healing takes place.
Now for the major news!! All the problems of electrolytes and possible blood sugar issues seriously don’t even compare to this victorious break through, an apparent healing of a truly awful co-infection. I will write thoroughly about this shocking situation in another blog post but here it is: I have had a parasite infection for at least three years, an unfortunate side effect of having a seriously compromised immune system. Now anyone who was interested in dating me will no longer be interested if they’re reading this post, but whatever. Maybe my honesty will help some other unfortunate soul dealing with the same thing to have strength and hope for the future. There’s not a lot of information out there about people suffering from parasites. Most doctors think that only 3rd world countries suffer. Interestingly I’ve read many places about Lymers with parasites, just another side-effect.
Over the past three years I’ve tried numerous natural supplements, drugs and herbs and nothing was able to wipe out the sinister nasties. It was really a nightmare. Fortunately I am blessed with a personality that doesn’t freak out that much at gross things so I could proceed with as good an outlook as anyone could hope, however, enough is enough. I was ready to wage war on these primitive scourges. Finally I had collected from 3rd world countries (via Canada) an entire cabinet filled with MD prescribed pharmaceuticals for a protocol that would last an entire year, rotating four to five drugs. I was ready to annihilate.
But then after going on the all beef diet I stopped seeing signs. For two months there have been no signs of an infection that has been plaguing me for years. Since I have found and read about these mini-monsters to be quite stealthy, I was not naive to think that they were gone, but perhaps holed up in their horrifying cysts somewhere awaiting the day the beef stops (they subsist primarily on carbohydrates.) And that may be the case; however a very, very positive sign is that my holistic practitioner did a thorough muscle test of each parasite vial and found that no longer were ANY active except the smallest, almost microscopic kind.
And for those of you who are rolling your eyes at my talk of a natural doctor, all I can say is people who don’t have nightmares in their gut can roll their eyes all they want. The healthy can afford to be cynical and judgmental of the methods used by the suffering. The reality of sickness is that you follow what works and believe me it is not straightforward!
The tiny serpents may emerge again, but for the time being they have at the very least signified a break in the onslaught. They clearly do not like my beef diet for I have eradicated their food supply. This is the first major sign that my overall health is massively moving in a positive direction. Maybe my immune system will now have a chance to heal itself while the evil tiny terrors are hibernating (if not dead.) And when they wake up, if they do, my now future strong immune system will burn them up with a vigor so mightily powerful those slimeballs won’t stand a chance.
Gonna Get Well 