Tag: alternative

Posted in Mental health matters, self-care, Work/life balance

Meditation – Wellness Wednesdays

Posted on by nlchronicles
Meditation moments

I will admit – I used to think meditating was all about chanting and making some weird noises over and over again. And that it was only for hippies, not this African American city chick. And I was so wrong!

Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health.

Growing up, I wasn’t into yoga or meditation. I stretched after working out because that’s what the exercise classes did and I stretched for running track. I started trying yoga-esque workouts in my early 30s when I moved to North Carolina the first time. I started because my walking seemed to be uneven and yoga like workouts seemed to really help; this was well before I knew the issue with osteoarthritis. But I still hadn’t really delved into meditation.

I didn’t really begin meditating until some time after the age of 40. I was still going up on sugar so I looked at meditation as a way to bring me back down. I tried a couple of apps on my phone for free trials and thought little of it. It wasn’t until I learned more benefits of meditation and the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems did I begin to make more of an effort.

See, for me, meditation touches on everything that blows up with PCOS – inflammation, irritability, irregular sleep habits, high cortisol, constant fight or flight nervous system, food cravings and anxiety. (I had to take a breath just writing that) These all correlate with the sympathetic nervous system – go, go, go, go. Think of the fight or flight response of a tiger chasing a hunter.

Meditation helps bring all of that down for me, especially being relaxed enough to actually sleep and stay asleep. In that way, I’m able to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system – rest and digest, relaxation and decreased heart rate. (Via Science Direct). And when I am more relaxed, the body can function as it ought to more easily.

I still use a meditation app on my phone, Headspace. I’m still not that person who can meditate for hours on end, or even 30 minutes for that matter! But I do appreciate the time that I take to let the day slip away, relax and prepare the body for sleep. If I feel anxious during the day, I may do a short meditation on breathing to bring the heart rate down. It’s all about balance – high stress response leads to high cortisol which leads to more inflammation which leads to a host of issues for me. So I use meditation as a preventative measure.

If you have tried meditation and seen great results, please share your experience below ⬇️. And if you haven’t tried it, I would recommend giving it a whirl. Until next week …

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A Pizza Find

Posted on by nlchronicles

I have been wanting really good pizza for awhile! But with so many dietary restrictions, it’s a challenge to find something to purchase that won’t cause pain or bother my allergies; in other words, cause more inflammation. So I decided to start paying attention to ingredients that I might be able to try and give it a whirl.

And I made on today! AND IT WAS TASTY! When experimenting, I don’t really use measurements lol; it’s more of a play it by ear method. The crust is cauliflower based by Caulipower. I then minced 4 cloves of garlic and poured extra virgin olive oil in a bowl with the garlic so that the oil covered the garlic. I whisked for a bit and then whisked in dried oregano.

With the garlic oil base

Next I poured these onto the crust. Tomatoes are nightshades and tend to cause joint pain so I’m trying different bases. I cut up pre-cooked chicken sausage and added to the crust. Lastly I used a mix of goat cheese and vegan cheese (that’s not cashew based because cashews are a no for me) to top. I baked for about 15 minutes on 400 degrees.

What would I do different? Probably just use goat cheese. I liked that more than the vegan cheese but that’s matter of preference. I would also have added onions, olives and more oregano. Next time, I’ll also try a pesto base instead. To keep from getting bored, I have to keep trying different options. This will definitely go into the rotation!

Finished pizza

Any suggested toppings? List them below and I’ll try them too. 🥂 to your good health. Until next time!

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Ergonomically Working from Home

Posted on by nlchronicles

Today’s blog post will be the last installment of working remotely as multiple states seek to re-open soon. I believe that many employees who did not have the opportunity to work remotely prior to coronavirus may be able to moving forward as companies see that employees can be productive and save on overhead while working from home.

One of the aspects of working from home that I did not consider when I began is ensuring that I used ergonomic products. Now, I’m the beginning, my health was not 100% so I worked from the comfort of being in bed …or so I thought. Not using the appropriate office furniture and equipment definitely took a physical toll on me – even to the point of now doing physical therapy for spine and neck. Yikes!

What would I have done differently if I could go back on time? I would have actually used the desk that I had but rarely used. Then maybe I would’ve noticed other products that could help along the way. I’ll share the two that I purchased since beginning physical therapy.

This is my stand to hold my laptop. It ensures that my eyes are actually at the appropriate level so my neck, shoulders and spine can attempt to be in alignment. The stand is adjustable in height as well and can work for either laptops or computer monitors. While this is not an endorsement, I purchased it at Staples before the outbreak of coronavirus.

My desk has a keyboard holder that slides out as well. Purchasing a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse was a game changer. Before I held my shoulders up as I placed my forearms on the desk to type. Wrong, wrong, wrong said my physical therapist. Using the keyboard has decreased neck and shoulder tightness and tension. Again, game changer. This is not a super fancy keyboard. I picked them up at Target immediately after a physical therapy appointment. The combination of both purchases was well under $100 so I consider them great investment tools.

Health is a priceless wealth. Invest while you can.

Bryant McGill

What suggestions might you have regarding ergonomic products? Has anything helped you? We would love to hear your feedback! As always 🥂 to your good health. Until next time …

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Conferencing

Posted on by nlchronicles

As I mentioned previously, I work with a nutritionist to manage PCOS. And it’s worked wonders. I’ve even been asked to speak on a panel for an upcoming conference about pcos in January that’s being held in California. (I hope I can get off work then!) Hopefully, my statement can inspire you or someone you know who manages hormone related challenges; positive change IS possible. It takes real commitment and a different level of effort (lots of tweaking to find out what is best for me), but I’m so glad to know that it’s even possible.

See, for so long, I thought I was just doomed to be on birth control pills forever as prescribed by physicians; I even had a pcos “specialist” tell me that my best course of action was to just remain on the pill forever! WTH!!! I knew that I had to find a better solution that reduced the need for medication- that takes a toll on your body because we aren’t meant to ingest such things for a long time. Western medicine has perfected the art of acute care but this doesn’t translate over to managing long term health challenges or improving their condition. Keep searching, doing the research and challenging the system so that alternative solutions might be covered by insurance.

The excerpt below is my statement for the conference:

🥂 to your good health! Until next time …

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The present

Posted on by nlchronicles

Where things stand now- so after all of the drama of just trying to get a diagnosis, it seemed like I got worse and worse, especially due to stress. Not only was I diagnosed with PCOS, I was later informed that I have osteoarthritis in BOTH knees so I did physical therapy for it twice. Herein lies the issue- I was successful with physical therapy both times but since PCOS is associated with low grade inflammation, the physical therapy is pointless until the initial inflammation is dealt with. So, I started looking for other solutions and came across the Insulite system. Now, I’m not here to sell anyone anything. But the results these women were getting was amazing so I signed up for the newsletter and joined one of the Facebook groups.

But, not having the money to try the supplements and not making the sacrifice to at least try them for 3 months, all I did was follow the newsletter and FB group. I could, however, afford the book 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS and pored over it. And I started trying smaller quantity supplements mentioned multiple times in the book. And I started having some results along with beginning keto in August of 2018. Keto is a bit too harsh for me as I respond well to veggies and most fruit so after getting sick from it, I started paleo in November and have done well since. I switched jobs and was then able to afford the Insulite supplements. I even started the one-on-one coaching with the nutritionist of the program so that I could get supplements that are best for me.

During that time, the weather turned really cold very quickly and that just threw my knees off so much that I started using a cane. I also started having super limited range of motion in my neck. Using the supplements and really honing on my eating habits to remove foods that cause pain really started helping. In all of this, I found that only I can take charge of my health. Waiting for a doctor to point me in the right direction was no longer an option. I started acupuncture to help with knee pain so that I could wean off NSAIDs. I then started seeing a chiropractor to work on the neck stiffness. My doc would like me to see a physical therapist about the neck but I’m moving really soon so I’ll wait until after the move. My goal is to work out 3 times per week, minimum- 1 day at the gym; 1 day doing yoga, especially for neck and shoulders; and 1 day walking, though I tend to walk more than the other two types. I have released about 54 pounds since August and hope to lose about another 15 to reach goal. Walking is better and while I carry the cane as I walk, I no longer have to use it every time I move. I even rode a bike outdoors while on vacation!

This experience has shown me how to push for self-care and to look past traditional remedies that are not working, keeping in mind that “alternative” therapies may be what work best for me. If you are in a similar situation in which you took charge of your health and found the best path for you, share your story. I’d love to hear from you! Until next time 🥂

*Note: left picture is from one of my “higher” weights in 2016; the right picture is from June 2019- a difference of 50 pounds