Primal journal : Coll page 31

[Candy in Wonderland]

Mead, might have to look into how to make this by next year

[Coll]

Candy, if you do it the old fashioned way it is very easy! You can, of course, make it as complicated as you like I will also be able to report on how good the mead is that we are making once it is ready for drinking. We are planning on drinking the pear mead 'green' and then aging the others.

My massage today was pretty intense but nowhere near as bad as the first one, I am definitely over the worst of it!! HALLELUJAH! Whew! It was pretty bad at times but she was encouraging in that one of my legs has improved a lot and the other has improved somewhat. Whatever - I am glad for a positive report. Lots of adhesions on their way out ... and I am starting to see my achilles again instead of this thick band of tissue - didn't even realise how much scar tissue there was. I have been doing an experiment on myself after reading an article and watching an interview on not using ice. These last 3 massages I have not iced as recommended, and have instead just focused on mobility exercises and using the arnica and the Wobenzyme. I was a bit concerned that I might end up with really painful consequences especially as the massages have been so intense. However, I have healed up faster than I or anyone else expected, and I am seeing positive results from the massages. The only thing is that the pain is not soothed by the ice, but I figure a bit of pain is not a big deal if the long term results are there and better quality of mobility.

191.5 lbs this morning. Being more focused on what I eat and when is paying off. I was hungry this morning but decided to IF anyway to lunch time. Then I only got home from the chiropractor after 2 pm so was really hungry by then. Had two fried eggs, a glass of gazpacho, a nectarine, and a few almonds. 2 pieces of raspberry dark chocolate made it in there too. Very thirsty this afternoon, certainly flushing lots of toxins out again. Got a headache and I am not a headache person usually. Had two cups of tea with heavy cream and stevia this morning too. Dinner I expect is sausage and golden brown fried brusselsprouts with parmesan cheese grated over them!! Dessert may be strawberries and cream... Got to go and get dinner going and stir the meads (stirring all day long at the moment!)

[Sabine]

Brussel sprouts! Mmmm, you make me want some. My family is not a big fan of brussel sprouts, which is fine by me, as it means I get ALL the leftovers. My favorite way to have them is boiled until tender, then cut in half and fried in bacon grease until the cut side is golden brown and the slightest bit crispy.

Oh my. Must get some brussel sprouts NOW!

[Coll]

Lol Sabine! 'Unfortunately' only my DS doesn't like the brusselsprouts so I have to share them - but too many really upset my stomach so I am blessed that I do have to share ....

Slept well last night but feel drugged today. Don't know if it is leftovers from the massage. I find that after the massage my chest / throat hurts like I have a chest infection on the way. And I usually get a pretty good headache. Maybe I just need to drink lots this morning to see if I can flush the weird head away. REALLY don't feel like doing school today, but I also don't want the effort of getting the kids going after 3 days off at this stage. THe last two days of school have been pretty miserable, dragged out, all day affairs. I have so many things to do that can't really wait and DD has been dragging her heels all the way through school. That is when I would happily trade off and let someone else teach her! Grrr! HOpefully today is an improvement.

Hungry but going to IF until lunch. I find that if I start eating early in the day I want to eat all day whether I am hungry or not...

[Sabine]

How about them teaching each other for a day? Might be an interesting experience for them, being the 'teacher' to the other.

[Coll]

DD would do fine teaching DS (the trick is stopping her from being mommy and teacher to him!) And DS is too young to teach her anything much at all yet. Today went better though, phew! Good thing. I told them I was going to be a very grumpy mommy if school took all day again. We were done before lunch so that is a good thing! I actually got another dehydrator full of zucchini chips going - still have about the same amount still waiting to be done. We pretty much polished off the other zucchini chips I had made so I am glad the zucchini plant is still churning out the fruit. We are enjoying guacamole again and I am going to make some fresh salsa in the next couple of days (I hope!) to have with the new zucchini chips.

Tomorrow we are going to a little festival up in the canyon that is partly to help fundraise for the fire department that lost a station to the fire recently. It is run by volunteers and these guys put in a heroic effort to save other folks and their houses. Some of their own houses burned down in the process too. ALmost every day I see at least a couple of trucks and trailers carting burned cars and appliances and metal roofing down the mountain. So sobering, and makes me so grateful that we are not having to deal with this! DH is working with people who are now buying new homes after losing everything in the High Park Fire.

Today, I was hungry so ate about 10:30am. Left over piece of sausage, a few nuts, about 5 raisins, I can't remember what I ate... I have had a bit of an odd day. Just feeling like my head is stuffed with cotton and that nothing is very well co-ordinated. Tired and lethargic and very thirsty. Feel a little better this evening after drinking (and peeing!) lots. Kind of makes me wonder what on earth has been released into my body...

I had no energy for making dinner this evening, so I made a quick trip to the grocery store and got organic lunch meats, olives, tiny pickled cucumbers (gerkhins), kombucha and fancy cheese. I let the kids and DH have nut thins (crackers made from rice and almonds) with the cheese. The kids were thrilled and it was really easy. We had thought about going to a restaurant, but the thought of braving the crowds only to get something that leaves you feeling yuk, didn't inspire us. THe kids said it was better than going to a restaurant They don't generally enjoy the restaurant food anyway.

I am feeling somewhat frustrated as my parents are having a number of health issues and they just don't seem to be able to hear me when I tell them how they can get better! My mom is type II diabetic, high blood pressure etc and my dad has prediabetic signs and an auto-immune disease that leaves his arms and legs weak and painful. However, I have to just hope that someone else will tell them some of the stuff that I have been very carefully trying to share with them. If they hear it from certain other people then it is the gospel truth. If I tell them it goes in one ear and out the other; if they should decide to try whatever it is they will then try to get me to try it too! even though it is something I have talked to them about for ages! Sigh, the hard thing is that they are dependant on us and so we end up forking out money (which I am glad we are able to) to help their issues that could be solved by eating better. Once they are living here with us I am planning on telling them that we would like them to try primal (and even the whole30) for about 6 weeks and see how they feel and how their health is at that time. I would be willing to help them get decent food if they would just give it a try. I figure if we have to try and help pay their medical bills then they jolly well need to buckle down and try to help by eating right. Course I know it isn't that simple - just venting I guess.

Our mead has started bubbling which is such fun! Starting to smell alcoholic now. The peach one is not yet bubbling - I feel like an old witch hovering over my brews stirring and muttering Have had some offers for more fruit now.... we're kind of running out of space to do all this fermenting though. May just have to make more fruit leather etc. I must say I think I need another dehydrator! The tomatoes are all starting to ripen now - I can see a lot of gazpacho in my future! Must make tomato powder too for stews and soups.... Busy time of the year. (FUN too )

[Coll]

Well, we went to a festival yesterday which was a lot of fun. The kids had a blast. I was thrilled as DS got on a horse for the first time ever! He has been too afraid to try - even with lots of opportunity over the years. (DD used to go for riding lessons for a couple of years) THere was a miniature horse there, called Tiny Express, that he got to ride. Absolutely the perfect first ride for him - the size has always been overwhelming to him. This one was a zero on the intimidation scale. He had a couple of rides on Tiny and then tried out a big buckskin!! He has decided he wants a pony now - yeah!

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The downside to the day was as we were walking to the car DD stabbed a dry piece of plant under her big toenail and broke it off in there! Blood everywhere and much drama and I haven't been able to get it out - buried too deep. So am soaking it in epsom salts and essential oils and keeping it covered with an herbal ointment. Hoping it will work it's way out on its own - she does not do well with pain and having slivers etc removed. Also using stuff called Silverbiotics in case of infection - I swear by the stuff! Excellent for a myriad of things. Contemplating putting a slice of garlic on the end of her toe ....

Played on the trampoline this morning - being silly and having fun. Not often I do that - felt really good. Picked a bunch of tomatoes and was thrilled to see that my spaghetti squash is starting some new fruits after I picked all the others. Went for a short walk with the dog - my foot is still painful, numb, burns and now tingles too. Hopefully the tingling is feeling trying to come back in areas where it has been numb. Been doing lots of sitting the last couple of weeks with school starting again - my foot is less painful and of course I think the massages are paying off too.

Nice to have DH home today and to just be home and relax - nothing on the agenda at all for a change.

[Siobhan]

Great pics! Looks like fun! Sorry about DD's toe. Ouch. You're doing the right thing though.

I can relate to the parent's health problems - it is so frustrating. When my friend was visiting recently with her masses of health problems and mountains of prescription meds AND she was trying to tell me how to eat...really hard. I tried one time to gently suggest that health problems can often be treated with diet and she blew up at me so I kept quiet after that. Won't do any good. But it is really hard with parents. My own mom is on Weight Watchers after being berated by my sister, who is a WW counsellor. She HATES it and hasn't lost an ounce in 3 weeks despite weighing and measuring everything and eating stuff she hates. Hmmm.

[lopisheep]

Love those horsey pictures. Some of the best kind. Just love reading about your garden and the food you get from it. Mead sounds like fun too.

I so sympathize with you guys and the parent, relative, friend thing about just not hearing. Not much one can do except just keep trying. That's the part we need to do. Some days it's just so hard though. On those days, one just has to look at the horsey pictures and the happy kids.

[Coll]

Siobhan, you might be able to get a word in there to your mom about eating food you love and still losing weight ... Yeah, I think that must be one of the hardest things about being so different (primal) - I just love feeling better and want everyone else to feel better too but most of the time they just are not interested. Oh well, it is not like I am the picture of health yet either. I am better than I was but still have quite a way to go. Hopefully, if I persist and actually get back to a healthy weight I might have more people interested in what I am doing. We'll see.

Thanks Pam I get all warm and fuzzy thinking about DS on the horses at last. I am horse crazy (but horseless!) and so is my daughter. I have been very careful to never push him to ride but just to present the opportunity whenever it came up. When I saw this tiny horse I knew it was going to work. DS is a different child in so many ways since we moved out here and it was pretty cool seeing his confidence go up a few more notches after his rides!!

I wrestling the chocolate demon at the moment and losing every battle! The only good thing is that it is the good chocolate and low in carbs - still makes me feel like crap though when I have too much! I had a late night and am tired and craving today. It never ceases to amaze me how hard it is to get to bed at a good time! Sometimes it is my own fault for getting sidetracked on the internet or a book. But when I actually get myself lined up for bed at a good time it seems guaranteed that something else will come up that delays me. Last night was DS feeling afraid to go to sleep on his own, then DD was tossing and turning and putting too many blankets on (recipe for nightmares!) and so on until I got to bed close to midnight. Needless to say, school was a bit of a pain today.