Primal Journal - Siobhan page 5

[Judg]

Siobhan, so sorry about your eHarmony experience. Sounds downright creepy.

In one of those strange coincidences, my son and I were just discussing the differences between a California and a northern spring just a few minutes ago on the way home from shopping. He spent a couple of years in LA. I just got back from PA where the spring-flowering trees were in all their glory, and up here the trees are just getting geared for it. So I get it twice this year, lucky me! I absolutely adore spring, especially for the trees, with the new leaves still multicoloured, and thin enough to catch the sun like Chinese lanterns. Side by side with a crabapple in full bloom, or a magnolia tree strutting its stuff (not too many of those around here, but there are a few hardy varieties and a few people have them), they can be breath-taking. I happily go through winter just to get to spring...

[Siobhan]

Isn't that funny? I love the seasons, even winter, or especially winter. As long as I am healthy and active enough I intend to get outside every day and enjoy myself. Last fall I bought some snowshoes, thinking they might actually be useful to get to the store if my driveway was blocked as well as provide me with some really fun exercise (several of my friends are avid snowshoers). We had exactly three snowshoe days. But I am sure there will be many more chances coming up...and spring is really, really stunning. When the trees start to leaf out, they glow almost a fluorescent green - really spectacular. We have a few magnolias around here, believe it or not, and I predict there will be more in the future. Apparently if they get some mild winters early in their lives and become established, they can withstand the harsher conditions of the hard years. (I will stand corrected if there is a tree expert out there who knows better.)

Had a hot dog and an apple. I know hot dogs aren't primal, but I found some that are grass-fed, humane, local, non-nitrite/nitrate, etc. And they are really good and I love hot dogs. I don't mind eating them plain.

Rode my bike into town to do errands and now am winding down to sleep a bit if I can - work for the next three nights. Why is bike riding so fun? I even rode up the big hill, which I didn't think was possible for me. Maybe more things are possible for me than I have imagined.

Well, off to sleep -

[Judg]

Why are hot dogs not primal? I mean, chicken tikka masala doesn't sound like authentic caveman to me, but that was the last recipe posted.

[Siobhan]

I think they're kind of frowned on because they're processed. Not totally sure though, will have to research because these dogs are really good and very convenient. I have to try that chicken tikka masala, it sounds delicious. Maybe my next Saturday jazz night (not this week have to work).

One thing that has started happening to me again - cold flashes. Like hot flashes except I'm freezing cold. This happens after I fall asleep. I wake up a short time later absolutely shaking with cold, even though I can tell there is no reason for it, i.e. I can actually feel the warm blankets. I get up and wrap myself in an old fleece bathrobe, turn the electric blanket on high and shiver for awhile until I feel warm again. Really weird. It's like my body temp dropped dramatically. Now, I know body temp lowers when you sleep, but only slightly and is completely normal and doesn't make you feel like you're freezing. I wish I knew what that is about. It had stopped a few months ago and I had forgotten about it until it started happening again this week.

Well, off to work tonight. I only slept about an hour. Hope all goes well. (I always hope all goes well.)

[Siobhan]

Oh, I solved the rash problem. When I got out of the shower, I reached for the moisturizer and realized I had bought a different brand - I put a bit on the inside of my arm and the answer was obvious in a few minutes as that patch turned red and itchy. Back to the old brand!

[Judg]

I had sausages for supper, and when reading the ingredients noticed corn syrup solids. Brother. I think that might be why they're frowned on: all the extras. I'm going to have to see if I can find better ones.

Glad you solved your rash mystery. It's nice when problems are so easily solved.

Cold flashes? I get thoroughly chilled if I stay up too late in the winter and can shiver under a big stack of blankets for hours if I am that foolish. Not a problem when hubby is home, but when I'm on my own it can be very bad. Not exactly flashes by any stretch of the imagination. If I'm in bed under the covers in time, the drop in body temperatures is not enough to cause problems. Never heard of it happening the way you describe, but hormones are funny things. Have you researched it at all?

[Siobhan]

You know I haven't, and I don't think I have ever traded stories with anyone else who wakes up freezing for no good reason. Hormones are indeed funny things, and since they help regulate body temp, that is a pretty good guess.

Here at work, busy busy busy and it is great to not be hungry all of the time. Yep, it is truly amazing how much of our food contains stuff you would never imagine, especially corn and soy or both! And sugar in some form sneaks into just about everything too!

[Siobhan]

Just had a BAS with avocado, cauliflower, carrots, red bell pepper, ham, and the usual BV+OO. Then an apple. Working out my eating schedule when I am working nights is going to be a bit of a challenge but I am sure I will figure it out. What I need to avoid is being starving in the morning, going home and trying to sleep when I'm hungry - but not really wanting to eat in the middle of the night either. In the past I tried to finish my eating by midnight and have a snack around 5 AM, often being very busy for a couple of hours until I finish my shift, and then going home and hitting the sack around 8 AM. Tonight I just wasn't hungry but I finally ate because I didn't want to eat any later and I don't think I'm ready for a 24 hour fast yet. Anyway I have lost 2 whole lbs, but I am wearing a smaller size. That lying scale! Actually pretty happy with a 2 lb. weight loss considering what I have gorged on this past week and a half. I need to cut out the wine, though, or cut back severely until I get a few pounds down the road. All in all I think I am doing pretty well, and I feel fantastic.

[Sabine]

Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, and I also use a olive oil/sugar scrub when I bathe that leaves my skin nicely lubricated. You might like to try them sometime.

[Judg]

The scales aren't necessarily lying. If you're converting fat into muscle, the inches will come off faster than the pounds. I think I've been going in the other direction. The scales are going down, but my waist seems just as poofy as 10 pounds ago. Not good.