Hypoglycemia, cont.

Hypoglycemia doesn't seem to be bugging me as much anymore. I can go longer without food and not notice. I can eat a little bit of sugar and still feel okay. My brain feels normal most of the time. I am thankful! Just working on building up some strength and energy, mostly.

I think consuming essential oils helped a lot (omega 3s and 6s). Also just eating well over a long period of time. The third thing that has contributed has been a lack of big stressors lately. Or maybe I'm more 'immune' to stress? Ha!

I have developed a taste for vegetables. Raw spinach? mmmm! (I get some weird looks when I pull out my bag of spinach sometimes.) Carrots--I used to like these more, they're still good, but they're suspect in favour of celery and romaine lettuce. I like bell peppers a lot more than I used to, as well.

Kitchen table finished

I finally finished the solid surface project I've been blogging about...it turned out quite nicely. I mounted it on a full piece of 5/8th plywood and screwed it to the oak post from the old table I found at MCC. It wobbles just a little...either the solid base has twist in it, or it might just be I need to level the legs better.

I'm happy to be done that portion of the project. To finish off the nook all I need to do is cover the bench sides with wainscot.
I'm tempted to re-do our countertops with solid surface but that is a project for another time.

Date with Kate

I took a younger girl out tonight...she's a beauty. I picked her up after dinner...and carried her down some of the stairs of our apartment; she climbed down some herself too. Then we drove by Ellwood Park to see if the ball game I was planning to take her to was indeed rained out (it was). Then to the Library for a hot date reading board books on the floor. She kept bringing me new books to read and (for the most part) put the old ones back. Around 19:30 we drove back home to her mother, who was in the middle of a Norwex party. So Kate and I just hung out in her room mostly, doing a new peg puzzle and playing with toys; later we got her in her jammies and brought her out to the living room to have her milk and some grapes. Then we brushed her teeth (she really does not like relinquishing that toothbrush!) and prayed with her and put her in her crib. It was great to have some quality time with my one-and-a-half year-old!

Dietary Regimen

Happy April Fool's Day. I confess I forgot to prank my wife (I had been planning to put a surprise in her lunchbox).

In my continuing quest to conquer food, I have found some interesting things. Carob powder: like cocoa but sweeter and isn't quite as loaded with fat and caffeine. For people who are addicted to chocolate, it supplies the same minerals that their bodies crave, without the side effects...it still takes a bit of getting used to but I somewhat enjoy mixing it in drinks and yogurt. Flax seed oil and sunflower oil: doesn't taste that great but loaded with omega 3 and 6 fats. I'm ingesting a tablespoon of each a day. I store it in the freezer. Salt water: I mix a teaspoon of sea salt into a glass of water once or twice a day; it's not as gross as it sounds and it is supposed to help my adrenals because salt is involved in cortisol. Sport drinks like Gatorade have salt (but also tons of sugar).

I had a really good day yesterday, at work. Usually by Wednesday I'm starting to peter (sp?) out a bit, but I had good energy all day. I think the Spring weather helps too. Everyone feels better when winter ends!

Table Progress

The breakfast nook I am working on is progressing slowly. Above is a picture of the first seam of many for the solid surface table. I used 6 sink cutouts from a big apartment job we did last year at work; I had to cut the edges straight and mirror-seam them together in the workshop at home. I bought a triple-chip saw blade for my skil saw, then used a router to trim them perfectly. The seams worked out wonderfully despite my limited equipment--a ziploc bag to mix the epoxy; masking tape and pencils to hold the seam tight while it dried. After I had put enough pieces together for size, I cut it to shape--it looks like a spaceship or a flat football. I brought it upstairs to check the size/shape; it's a bit big but should work. Now I have to glue the edges on--including using our oven to heat up some of them so I can bend them around the curved edge!

Kate is up to some new tricks including feeding herself with a fork and spoon, and going down little plastic slides. She is such a sweetheart--not a baby anymore.

Potts Potty Potpourri

Grandma and Grandpa From brought a Pooh Potty for Kate when they visited us two weeks ago. Kate likes to sit on it sometimes. This was further entrenched in her mind when we went to Silverstar last weekend. Ollie was being potty trained (and doing quite well I might add). Kate watched him curiously at times but I wouldn't let her touch Ollie's potty. That's just gross! ...It certainly added an interesting dynamic to the weekend. I would be reading my book in the living room, relaxing and having a great time, to the background sounds of potty vocabulary. Just shows how you get comfortable with uncomfortable things once you have kids I guess. Also we forgot one suitcase in the hallway when we left on Friday. It had all of Kate's diapers and wipes in it! Luckily our friends from Kelowna were able to pick some up for us on their way! The suitcase was still sitting in the hall upon our return. Guess our neighbours weren't too hard up for size 4's.

Adrenal Fatigue

So, I think I have a mild to moderate case of Adrenal Fatigue.

This fits with hypoglycemia since cortisol (or lack of) affects blood sugar, and vice versa. I am reading a book recommended to me by a friend with a more severe case of this (and also my mom has this book); it is called 'Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome' by James Wilson. Basically it happens as a result of prolongued stress and a few other factors. Like hypoglycemia, healing is possible and is lifestyle and diet-related in most cases; certain supplements are recommended. Right now I am continuing everything I have been doing and feeling a lot better; I've started mixing 1/2 tsp of sea salt in a cup of water in the morning, and am intentionally consuming more vitamin C (from fruits and vegetables) throughout the day. I'm also cutting out some of the protein I've been eating so much of because I think I've overdone it and it's affecting me adversely--but I'm still eating more than I used to back in the day. I'm also eating more good fats like butter, olive oil and homo milk as much as I can because those last awhile in my bloodstream (plus I was losing too much weight). The key is to find a good balance of carbs/protein/fats and to do so throughout the day in small meals. Also a big key is lots of vegetables!!! And, as always, cut out as much stress as possible...