Primal Journal - Siobhan page 99

[Coll]

Sorry you are fighting a sinus infection - nasty things those! Have you tried doing the 'inhaling' warm salt water thing? I find it is so helpful to release the congestion and definitely shortens the duration. I use a product called 'clenzology' that has drops for mixing in too that we really like for clearing that kind of thing up. Hope you can kick this soon! I also swear by taking a raw garlic clove, crushed in a spoon to activate and then swallow with water like a pill. Take 3 times a day and I have yet to see an infection it doesn't show to the door in short order. Just some ideas if you are interested...

[Siobhan]

I will try that, I have boatloads of garlic. And yes, I have been washing my sinuses, I do that about once a week anyway. I have a neti pot, but I usually don't bother, I just inhale it from a little bowl. I use sterile saline bullets that I either heat up or put in my bra for a little while. (The bra method works best - perfect temp every time.) I highly recommend this. Maybe the reason I got this is because I have been lax ever since I moved. Moving wreaks havoc with your habits, good and bad!

[Siobhan]

I've been a whirlwind of energy today, despite the sinus thing. Cleaned out the refrigerator(s), a bigger job than you would imagine, and rearranged the kitchen. Very big job! Ate a lot of stuff that needed eating - all primal of course. Decided that natural ham is about the best food on the planet.

Also went through my toiletries/medicine stuff. You would not believe what a lot of junk I have. I had two large boxes of stuff! The trouble is, when you have too much, you can't find anything and you forget what you do have. That is why I have two bottle of Advil despite the fact that I rarely take it, three kinds of allergy pills, ditto, several tubes of whatever cream...you get the idea. I pared things down mercilessly and now it is all organized and in a form where I can see what I have.

As I look around my compact but very nice, very efficient space, I marvel at how everything fits and how nice it is to live here. It is so much simpler and easier and I am really glad to be in a more modern space where everything works.

Now it is time for some rest and relaxation. I have eaten a lot, don't even know what all - blueberries, ham, kefir, soup. Really full! I had planned to have a glass of wine but I don't feel like it, so I'll postpone that for now.

[Siobhan]

Feeling kind of weird and discombobulated. Had an in-service first thing at work, but in his infinite wisdom the Guv decided it wasn't necessary to get anyone to cover for me, so I tried to learn about a new ventilator while running back and forth from the ER 7 times. Really annoying and the more I think about it the more upset I get so I'm going to stop thinking about it. The thing is, I am the only respiratory therapist on duty at night - I am the only one who knows how to operate these machines and set up and monitor patients on them - and they are life support machines - I really need to know all about every piece of equipment, including thorough trouble-shooting. Okay enough, I will do the best I can, which is all I can do. (My mantra here at work)

Today I had to deal with a great deal of noise outside while I was trying to sleep. Brush clearing and firewood gathering going on all over. Thought the country was going to be quieter than town! I finally gave up at 11:30 and went into town for errands - the post office has made a mistake which I will need to sort out tomorrow. How stupid to stress about this stuff, but I can't help it. It's not like worrying tonight is going to make them find my package tomorrow. Okay, enough about that too.

Came home, ate a large and satisfying meal consisting of a huge amount of salad greens, poached egg, tomato, avocado, bacon. Discovered that crisp bacon makes an excellent dipping tool for guacamole (probably for other things too.) And what is it about eggs - a poached egg on salad is so delicious. Then I was able to get some decent sleep (the power tools ceased around 1 PM) and got up just in time to get to work.

And finally, I realized I have a mild case of PTSD from my friend's visit last week. It is really, really hard to not only be around someone who is judgmental and disapproving of one's diet, it is harmful to go several days without a decent meal. I was pretty upset by the fact that the scale when up even though I ate only one inadequate meal per day for almost four days. Funny how the body reacts to stress. I finally have got my eating back on track and the scale read 141 this morning. I know, I know, the scale is a poor indicator of what is really going on, but in this case it mirrored how I felt. When I don't get enough fat, my body snaps into starvation mode...like all my cells are saying, "Hang on, hang on, for dear life hang on to fat!" And I feel crappy. I know I am always going on about fat and how important it is, but really...fat is key in my n=1 experiment.

[Siobhan]

On a more positive note, I am doing well with almond milk in my coffee and tea. I know it is processed but really I don't think it is bad. In my future elimination of dairy I will do fine with it and I can clarify a lot of butter into ghee - I can live without cheese for awhile without feeling deprived. I am pretty motivated to get dairy out of my diet and observe the effect on my skin. It is 20 times better than it was, but I am still getting annoying little bumps now and then. For awhile it was very, very clear, but the last couple of months - since I have moved - it has become a little irritated. Also my hair is kind of like straw. Possibly the water at my new home? It is well water. I don't notice lots of minerals when I boil it, but something is going on. I am washing my hair every other day now, down from every single day without fail.

Sinuses are much better, although I still have a nasty cough.

And also want to mention I have Robb Wolff's book, got it from the library. Really, really enjoying it so far. I didn't know he studied with Cordain. No wonder I like it.

[DCarr10760]

I'm glad the sinuses are better! My malaise was largely undefined, I just felt under the weather, maybe it was carb flu?? I am better now and hope you stop with the coughing soon!

I downloaded and started reading "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" based on several recommendations throughout peoples' journals, but abandoned it at the sentence that read, "Abnormal postprandial lipemia is the driving force behind the dyslipidemia of the atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype (ALP)"

I'm sure it's important but my brain stopped working and then my iPad battery pooped out.

My guess is it means to eat more fat...

I also don't know what n=1 means?

[Judg]

n=1 means an experiment of one, i.e. self-experimentation.

Yeah, that sentence would get me to stop reading too. If that was in a book intended for the general public, it is unforgivable.

Siobhan, mine isn't doing quite as well either. I am assuming that I removed a major stressor by removing grains, and that my body thanked me in many ways, and that it has now moved on to complaining about other stressors. Stupid body...

[Siobhan]

Hey David, I'll trade you for the Whole30 book, It Starts With Food. Lots of people here really liked it and were very inspired by it, but I am put off by the breezy, ungrammatical style. I'm liking Robb Wolff's Paleo book much better, which is a little less breezy and a lot more grammatical. And yes, I think you probably had a touch of the low-carb flu. If I go below 50g for more than a day or so I started feeling flu-ish, everyone's threshold is different.

I scored some truly magical mushrooms at the farmers market this morning. Not that kind. Regular old wild mushrooms. Sauteed up a big handful of lobster mushrooms and then dropped an egg over the top and cooked it sunny side up. Put new life in me!

[pikerk8tie]

Siobhan, just a note to tell you i have enjoyed reading your journal. I have only been primal for about 5 weeks and have spent a lot of time on this site. I don't know how i found your journal but i was drawn in when you started talking about your job. You work night shift (me too, for 20 years) in a small hospital (me too, not for the entire 20 years though). I'm a nurse, not an RT but we only have one RT at night at our place too and they walk a million miles some nights! Anyway, just wanted to tell you that i enjoyed your entries and will be following along. The time i spend on this website could be put to much more productive use, but it is what it is-i'm lazy-sue me!!

[Siobhan]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed my musings and wanderings. Hospitals are entities unto themselves, aren't they? I often feel I am in a parallel universe. Speaking of which, there is work to be done in this particular universe, so I had better get to it -