Monday, January 6, 2014

Food's role in healing

Back when I was obese, heck, even when I lost the weight but still was eating the Standard American Diet, I would get sick a lot during the year. And the sicknesses would last a long time.

It's been almost two years since I've changed over to a mostly paleo, clean, unprocessed diet with a focus on organic foods.

I don't think I got sick even once last year.

I got sick last Friday (combo of missing a night of sleep and being completely surrounded with sick people!!) and I'm already over it (mostly)!

My head is clear, my throat is not sore, my glands are not swollen, and I just feel better all around. However, my nose is running like it is scared for life. But a runny nose is a sign that your body is expelling all the germs and bad things. The mucus is clear, it's just something my body has to do.

So, Friday I was a little under the weather, Friday night SUCKED, Saturday was the real day of sickness where I just laid in bed, Saturday night was better and Sunday I was almost 100% (but needed extra sleep and rest).

So about two days lost because of the cold. I'm not exaggerating when I say that a cold could lay me up for two weeks in the past!

I really attribute my clean, whole diet to my ability to heal faster. (I also take vitamins to fill in the gaps!) Eliminating grains and other things that inflame my body also helps immensely. When my body isn't inflamed and bloated, it can devote all its energies towards my immune system.

I still follow the idea of GOMBS, which I've written about before = Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds. Foods that should be eaten every day for optimal health... And I do eat them every day! Usually in the form of spinach, whatever organic onion is on sale, crimini mushrooms, frozen blue or black berries, and flax seeds or sunflower seed butter.

Nutritious foods packed with all sorts of antioxidants and minerals perfect for our bodies. I also eat a lot of sweet potatoes, coconut oil, and pasture raised chicken eggs or other lean meat (with no antibiotics.)

Our bodies are precious machines. The fuel we put into them matters.

And I won't say I'm perfect, and that I don't eat some cookies or other junk once in a while- I'm not! I drink alcohol couple times a month, for example.

But most of the food, most of the time, that goes into my mouth and my body is healthy, clean fuel. So much of it is the good stuff, that when I do put something like alcohol into it, it has the ability to clean the bad stuff out efficiently.

So back to normal today - though it is raining hard here, so the dog walk will have to wait (Koda doesn't mind, he's sleeping off a hard hike he had with Chris yesterday!!! See pictures below.)

Koda on one of the tallest and most beautiful peaks in NY, Gothics:




I'm sad I missed the hike, but giving my body the chance to heal completely is important!

Here is Koda, exhausted this morning, not wanting to move:


Also, down a half pound from yesterday. Now at 123, the high end of my acceptable range, but still in the range, so - yay! :) Good, clean eating continues today!

Namaste, friends!!



5 comments:

  1. Look at Koda, he's kind of the world!!!

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  2. Glad you are feeling better. Ditto on your experiences with very few and very short colds on Paleo. Having an immune system that fights virues and not wheat and high inflammatory oils is key for me also.

    Love that Koda photo. Sleep and taking care of yourself is good self care.

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  3. Happy to hear you're feeling better. Undoubtedly, the less crap we put into our bodies, the better it can work to make us well when those inevitable bugs hit. :)

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  4. I can't remember my last cold, either. Other than the equilibrium problems right now (99% sure it's related to lowering bp)...nothing much gets me sick anymore (knock on wood.)

    I wish I could eat mushrooms. I adore them. They HATE me. (well, my body hates them.) They make me sick. Sad. :(

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  5. "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." Hippocrates

    Couldn't agree with Hippocrates more.

    Here's to good clean eating.

    All the best Jan

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