To be honest it has been quite a journey with my health over the past 2 years and I am excited to be working on making it the best it can be.
I have learned that things do not “just” happen. What we do to ourselves and our bodies in our 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, we will eventually pay for. Working multiple jobs, always being on the go, drinking energy drinks when I needed a pick me up, being a single mom for 9 years, owning my own businesses, teaching fitness classes when I was exhausted, keeping my home tidy when I should have been in bed, overtraining, etc., are all reasons I am experiencing all these symptoms.
My Symptoms:
• extreme exhaustion even after 9-10 hours of sleep
• do not recover quickly after any type of a work out
• get sick easily and it takes a long time to get well
• fatigue
• not very excited about things
• gas, bloating
• atopic dermatitis
• dry skin
• affected easily by temperature changes
• foggy brain
• more forgetful
• run down, sluggish, lethargic
• hair falling out
My thyroid is a bit slow so I have been on a low dose of Armour, a bioidentical hormone for over two years. To be honest my blood tests have come back a bit better but I don’t feel any different.
I have done tons of blood work, a saliva test and a stool test. Since the gut is the second brain it was very important for me to do the stool test. It showed that I had yeast, parasites, fungus and opportunistic bacteria. I also found out I wasn’t digesting my fat or my proteins like I should be, which none of us want that!
I have learned that when you have imbalances in the gut, you are more likely to have imbalances in other places, hence the reason for some of the symptoms above.
I have also been taking my temperature every morning and it has been low 95.9-97.9 (should be 97.6 or higher). Your temps are huge! You have more energy when your temps are higher, you feel so much better, you tend to have better health and weight loss success. You will notice your temperature is higher during ovulation. Tip for women who want to get prego. If you have low temps and low progesterone your body cannot hold a baby, so you might want to check into that, just a thought. I know coconut oil is a huge help with raising body temps, so I am getting my 2TBS in a day.
I am currently taking botanical remedies from the results of my stool test. It has only been 2-1/2 weeks and to be honest, not a fun two weeks. As warned, I felt worse before I felt better as my body seemed to be detoxing itself. I finally feel better now and will continue to heal this gut as much as I can! If the botanicals do not work, I will try the pharmaceutical route.
Sources I used (in order of help):
1. Tracie Hittman Nutrition
2. Ann Stanger, MD
3. Dr. Sheryl Spitzer-Resnick
4. Anunson Chiropractic
Not only was it important for me to get certain tests done and to work with certain people, but changing my workout routine was huge! Due to not having any energy, hard core intense workouts were not going to help me, they would only make things worse (HINT: if you are working out hard and not losing weight and even gaining weight, your body is telling you something).
No one ever talks about how exercise can be bad for you. I was so blessed to be able to work with Andy Anderson from CORE Athletic. At CORE they have adopted the Seasonal Training philosophy as have I, which totally makes sense to me and my body! Why, I thought I could go hard all the time, year after year, season after season, and my body would be fine? I don’t feel the same way in the summer as I do in the winter. I have more energy in the summer, I am warmer, I am more active, crave lighter foods, lose weight, etc. It makes total sense to train differently based on the temperature outside and based on your own health. Now I teach, train and workout differently during each season, especially since I live in Wisconsin.
The Seasonal Training Philosophy:
Spring (April, May): anabolic strength training at a tempo of 2-1-2, 3x a week and 30-60 minutes of moderate impact aerobics on off days (yoga fusion, piyo, jogging, stair climber)
Summer (June, July, August): catabolic strength training 3x+ a week and 30-60 minutes of higher impact anaerobic activity on off days (turbokick, zumba, boot camps, running, plyometrics)
Fall (September, October): anabolic strength training at a tempo of 2-1-2, 3x a week and 30-60 minutes of moderate impact aerobics on off days (yoga fusion, piyo, jogging, stair climbers, elliptical)
Winter (November, December, January, February, March): anabolic strength training at a tempo of 3-2-3, 3x a week and 30-60 minutes of low impact aerobic activity on off days (energy yoga, flow yoga, walking, elliptical)
My wish is that you are living a healthy, joy filled and peaceful life! If any of the info above helps you in your journey, then it has all been worth it!
Health and Happiness Always!
Ali
