Remember to Feed Your Soul...

"Food for the Body is not Enough. There must be Food for the Soul." 

~ Dorothy Day

How cool is that quote? It recently came up on one of those 'positive daily thought' type websites. I read it, and it was if it had been posted just for me. There have been things stuck in my head that have been so hard to get out...seeing this quote was just what I needed. I'm finally ready to let this out...

Well over a year ago when I was in the midst of all of my health issues, I started to feel like I was losing all of the things in my life that had always given me joy. When you've been diagnosed with a ton of food sensitivities, and a plethora of autoimmune problems, it's easy to lose focus of what's good in your life.

One of those 'good' things that has always been a part of me, is music. To the core of my soul, there are days when nothing touches me more than that perfect blend of lyrics and melody. I am a singer. Always have been, and I'd like to say that I always will be. It wasn't until last year when I was slapped in the face with these medical issues, that I was confronted with the fact that I might not always be able to say that.

I might not always be able to be a singer...unless I really started to take care of myself. My voice...my beautiful Soprano voice (and for those who know me...yes...I did just use beautiful and myself in the same sentence!) and my confidence were starting to be affected by my health.

I can handle anything... Any Diagnosis. Any Treatment. Any Strange Food Restriction. Anything. But when I started to realize that my singing voice was also being affected... my heart broke. When did I realize this? When, for the first time in my life; I didn't make it back into a singing group that I had come to love. When that news was delivered to me; I accepted the decision graciously. It has taken me until now to realize and express how totally and completely that decision has affected me.

My health was taking my voice. This was not acceptable.

I finally had to take a break from singing. 

I really was Broken.

I have worked SO hard in the past year. I struggle on a daily basis with food choices. I'm learning healthy exercise habits. I'm losing weight slowly but surely, and I'm learning how to make my body strong. A Year. A whole freaking year.

Well my friends...it's time. Time to feed my soul again. I've worked on correcting how to feed my body. It's time to bring back what feeds my soul. I will volunteer. I will audition. I will fail. I will dust off, and I will audition again. Because music is my food...

"If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On"

 ~ William Shakespeare

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Let's Get Juiced!

So...You've probably heard about it. I'm sure you've seen it.

If you're adventurous; you may have even tried it yourself.  

What am I talking about?  Well...JUICING of course! 

I'm not one to make dietary changes on a whim. My body has already been through a lot, so new things make me nervous...but after seeing the 'Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead' documentary; juicing was one of those things that had always been in the back of my mind. Well...I finally did my research, and consulted with my doctor. We decided together that it wouldn't hurt to try, and if anything; a cleanse could give my autoimmune and digestive systems an extra boost.


The best plan I found was the 'Reboot with Joe' program. He's actually the guy that made the documentary. The program was completely FREE, and layed things out in detail. They couldn't have made it any easier. Here's the link if you wanted to check it out:

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/

Next step was finding a Juicer. This is the one thing that turned me off when I initially started looking into all of this. The 'good' ones can be upwards of $100 or more, and I knew that I didn't want to spend that much money on something I was worried I may not enjoy. After tons of online stalking, and reading through about a gazillions reviews, I settled on a bottom of the line, basic, starter juicer. Here's the one I bought. It was $30...I'm here to tell you, it got the job done.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-JE2200B-Vegetable-Extractor/dp/B003ZDNKSS

Here's what it looked like in action: 

From there; it was on to shopping! You really need to prepare for this. It requires time and dedication. A lot of people will tell you how expensive this is...but it doesn't have to be. I started by visiting my local Farmer's Market. Buy Local and Buy in Season! This will save you TONS of money! My cost for the week was around $100. Please keep in mind that cost covered enough fruits and veggies for 5-6 juices per day for a whole week, as well as tea and coconut water in between.

I brought everything home, cleaned, chopped, and prepped about as much as I could (not including apples, cucumbers or lemons...I left those whole. Didn't t want to spoil anything over the course of my week.) One of the best tips I read online was to place most of the ingredients for each juice in a gallon size Ziploc bag. This really made it easy to grab my days ingredients. Here's what our fridge looked like when I was done. My poor husband only had two shelves to himself this week...the rest was mine. LOL.

 

Now it was time to play. I quickly discovered that I LOVED the taste of carrot juice. 

It's sweet, and slightly earthy. It's also really pretty!

(This particular concoction was Carrot, Apple, Lemon)

 

The 'Green' Juices are an acquired taste.

You really have to play around with them to find what you like. 

My favorite was this version of Green Lemonade:

(Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Celery, Green Apple, and Lemon)

By the end of the week; I had a few ingredients leftover, so I threw them together and made what I jokingly called 'UGLY' Juice for breakfast on the eighth day. It was a random concoction of fruits and veggies, but actually tasted good!

Here are a few things I learned from all of this:

PROS: 

I definitely felt more energetic.

My hair started to feel thicker.

My skin started to shine and felt softer. 

I lost 12 lbs! 

CONS: 

You WILL have GAS.

You will pee. A LOT. 

Constipation can happen.

 

You will also have a day when you hit 'THE WALL.' This is the day when you feel exhausted, grumpy, and gross, and can happen anywhere from days two through four. JUST KEEP GOING! I read online that you should take an epsom salt bath, scrub down with a loofah, and use a good shampoo when this happens. This was good advice on behalf of the interwebs. I crashed that night and slept through til morning. The next day, I woke up feeling like a million bucks.

All in all, it was a great experience. 

I would definitely do it again. 

If you have any questions...let me know! 

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That's what friends are for!

Whether it's food allergies, a restrictive diet because of health conditions, or anything in between...it's no secret that having 'food issues' can have a negative impact on your social life. If someone you know fits into these categories; here's what you can do to continue being an awesome friend:

• Genuinely ask questions about their issue. You may have some pre-conceived ideas about what's going on, but talking about the situation may help you learn more.

• Having a night out? Don't 'not' include your friend with food issues because you think they won't be able to go. Tell them where you're going, and let them decide. If it's not a place they can eat, they may opt for eating ahead of time, but still coming out just to enjoy your company.

• Continue to Invite them over for dinner. You can always discuss what's on the menu ahead of time. If it's not something they can eat, invite them to bring something in addition to what you're making to share in the experience.

• Spend some time in their kitchen with them. See how they cook. You may be surprised and have the most delicious meal of your life. If it's a disaster, then you may end up with a hilarious memory.

• Most importantly, just keep in touch. Call. Text. Send an email. Be aware that your friend has had to completely change their lifestyle, and it can be overwhelming. If it's a new diagnosis; they may even feel scared, or suddenly feel alone. It's good for them to know that you're still around.

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Wanna know more about my Nutshell?

A Long Long Time ago...in a Galaxy Far Far Away...

No Wait. That's not me...

Way Way Back Many Centuries Ago…

Wait. That’s not me either.

People have been asking about 'My Story', so I thought I'd try to give a little insight…

For about as long as I can remember; I've had bizarre medical conditions. I spent a good deal of my childhood at the ER for random episodes of gushing nosebleeds. No one could ever figure them out, so they just cauterized my poor little nose and sent me on my way. This was my venture into the world of unknown origin...

Fast forward through the years, and my list of conditions just seemed to grow...

Menstrual Problems
Migraines
GI Issues
Forgetfulness
Weight Fluctuation
Mood Swings
Heart Palpitations
Swelling of the Hands and Feet
Achy Joints
Facial Hair
Dry Itchy Skin
Unexplainable Rashes
Thyroid Problems
Anemia

Vitamin Deficiencies

Severe Fatigue

Seriously...I could go on.

No one could ever really tell me why these things were happening. The only thing anyone ever seemed to tell me was to LOSE WEIGHT. Well duh…don’t you think I’ve tried that? I tried eating better, and went to see a nutritionist. I started attempting to run, and even did a few 5K’s. I eventually got up enough courage to join a local triathlon training club, and over the past couple years have done three of those and attempted a half marathon too.

The weight was coming off slowly and I was looking better, but to be honest; I was not FEELING better. I was still tired and moody ALL THE TIME. My training took a nose dive when these unexplained rashes happened, and we could not figure out a trigger.

I went to my Primary Care Physician, a Dermatologist, an Allergist, an Endocrinologist, and a Rheumatologist. No one could provide answers. I was at wits end, and really starting to think I was the crazy one…until someone suggested that I try just one last doctor.

Couldn’t hurt right?

He was a chiropractic physician who focuses his practice to the treatment of chronic neurological and metabolic conditions. He took one look at my medical history, smiled, and told me he was confident that he could help me. After a series of extensive tests, we met again and found that I had several food sensitivities, a virus, AND autoimmune disorders.  

Here’s a rundown of what we found:

I have something called Epstein-Barr (which is leftover from having Mono as a child, and not knowing…) I showed trace amounts of Lyme Disease (that has obviously been there a while) and I also have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I have tested ANA positive with several positive Lupus Markers, but because I don’t show ‘ALL’ of the markers, most ‘traditional’ physicians would consider that negative.

As for the Food Issues, here are the sensitivities we found:

Dairy

(including milk Chocolate)

Egg

Gluten

 (Including: Rye, Barley, Spelt and Polish Wheat)
Hemp

Rice
Sesame
Tapioca
Teff
Yeast

We can pretty much just say that I’m a HOT MESS!

I have had to teach myself how to cook and eat again, and am definitely feeling better. My symptoms have begun to subside, the rash has definitely gone away, and my blood tests are showing improvement with each check-up.

It has been quite the journey, and one that I will continue to navigate the rest of my life. Others may see this as hard, or question if it is truly even worth the effort? I can’t blame them for feeling this way, but this is mine for the taking. I want to be well. I want to feel normal.

I will be Healthy.

I will be Fit.

I will find my Happy again…

That’s me in a NUT-shell. 

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Ten Things I learned This Weekend

I had such a FANTASTIC weekend! I met wonderful people, tried some delicious food, and discovered a heck of a lot of new things. It was a great time all around! Here are TEN things I learned about at the Charlotte Gluten & Allergen Wellness Event:

1) You can get through anything with the right 'mix' of Faith, Hope, and Love.

 

Had the chance to sample delicious spice mixtures from the folks at Virtuous Living. Prided on 'wholesome values' this company understands that even with a special diet, food should still taste good. You can find their website HERE.

2) 'Bumba-Bees' are not scary...in fact, they're kind of adorable.

 

The folks at Bumbalooza make delicious gluten free bake mixes that are so easy to make; young ones can help you in the kitchen! You can find their website HERE.

3) Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to meeting some REALLY cool people. 

 

This was the first event I went to where I didn't know ANYONE. Enter Pam. I met her at the Blogger Dinner. She is probably one of the most positive people I've met. She's a wonderful source of knowledge. Click HERE to check out her 'I'm a Celiac' website. 

4) Living with food sensitivities doesn't mean you can't 'Enjoy Life...' 

 

Discovering there was a chocolate bar that I could actually eat, made me jump with glee. No really...I totally bounced. THEN I found out they had a whole LINE of products! SO GOOD! Their website is HERE.

5) Maybe I am a role model...

A little girl recognized my flower from my facebook page. She knew who I was and asked for my autograph. I was blown away by her enthusiasm and the fact that she looks up to ME! Hands down one of the coolest moments ever!

6) Books are STILL important!

We sometimes forget that not everyone has the Internet. That's where THIS BOOK comes in handy! Actually; regardless of technology; The Gluten Free Buyers Guide is a fantastic thing to keep around! Y'all need this book! It takes the guessing out of shopping, and let's you know all about the good stuff...and for the ladies; It fits in your purse! Check out their website HERE.

7) It's OK to indulge, you just gotta know how. 

When you learn you have food issues, things can get overwhelming, and eating out can become quite scary. If you remember to do your homework ahead of time, things will get better...especially when you learn that the restaurant HAS A GLUTEN FREE MENU! 

8) Speaking of Indulging...

Tito's Handmade Vodka is gluten free. Enough said. Their website is HERE.

9) Chips and Dip are still a GREAT combo!

I snack on fruits and veggies...but I'll be honest and say that I still occasionally have that craving for crunchy munchy goodness. Discovering snacks like PLENTILS and ROOTS HUMMUS can definitely help a gal get through those days. 

10) My inner-athlete needed a boost.

After learning about my health issues and food sensitivities, I let training fall by the wayside. All of the things I used as 'fuel' for my training were now off limits. It's been a bit daunting, and even scary at times. Enter Veronica. She developed a snack for her training regimen, and decided to share it with the world. Meeting and talking with her has made me feel a little better about getting back out there! Check out her website HERE.

If you read all of this; thank you for your time! I hope you learned a thing or two! This weekend has reminded me that no matter what you're going through; there are ALWAYS others out there who understand. You just have to keep trying until you find them. 

Please keep an eye out for a Gluten & Allergen Wellness Event in your area! 

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Never a dull moment...Things you may not know about living with a Thyroid Disorder.

Living with a thyroid disorder can be quite the adventure. One thing I can tell you, is that you learn a heck of a lot about your body. Here are some things we deal with that you may or may not already know about:

1) Mood Swings

Some days we're up, some days we're down. Some days there's even a weird combination of the two. I feel bad for the world on those days...

2) Hair Issues

It gets brittle, turns gray, falls out, and sometimes resembles a place where small animals should live. Honestly...some days it's not even worth trying. This is why the Salon Gods invented the Bun.

3) Body Aches

 You remember when Dorothy had to get the oil can to help the Tin Man move? Yep...that's pretty much us on a daily basis.

4) Fatigue

Sleeping Beauty's got nothing on us. Whether it's a cat nap, or TWELVE hours; no amount of sleep is ever enough. If we can fall asleep in the first place. Don't even get me started...

5) Brain Fog

Thank heavens for sticky notes and reminders on our phones...we are the most forgetful people you will ever meet.

6) Crazy Cravings & Dietary Restrictions

There are days where we could literally eat everything in sight. But then we remember we have to watch our diet because sometimes what we eat can make things worse.

7) Temperature Sensitivity

Whether the forecast is hot or cold; the way our bodies respond is ridiculous. There is no happy medium. (If you need me; I'll be the one outside without a jacket in the snow...)

8) One word: GOITER.

It's a fancy medical term for a weird lump that can grow in our throats. They can't always be seen, but the bigger ones can make it difficult to swallow. No matter the size, they're majorly annoying.

9) Weight Issues

Whether overactive or underactive, we can't seem to get it right. We either lose it too fast, or can't lose it at all. There's no happy medium.

10) Unexplained Illness

We sometimes develop other medical issues that can be attributed to our thyroid...Spikes in Fever. Heart Palpitations. Nasty Rashes. All of them Random and without warning. How fun is that?

What else can I say? When it comes to your thyroid, even if everything seems PERFECT; you're just waiting to see what's next. There's never a dull moment.

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Find ways to make food FUN!

Hi. My name is Kristina, and I have Food Sensitivities. Why is that important to know?

Because the  Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event is coming to Charlotte!

When: Saturday, March 29th
Where: The Harris Conference Center
Time: 10am - 4pm
Cost: $10.00 per adult
(Children 13 and under are free!)



Let me tell you a little bit more about myself, and WHY this event should mean something to you...

About a year ago, some very strange things started happening to me. Through a series of trials, errors, finding a doctor who would finally listen to me, and going through a ton of testing...I was diagnosed with several food sensitivities, autoimmune issues, and told that I would need to completely change my diet if I wanted to get better.

Imagine, if you would, having to be taught how to eat again. That's exactly what people with food sensitivities and allergies have to do. We're taught how to read labels, and learn the good stuff from the bad. We have to pick and plan everything...from each meal, to a simple outing with friends. We ask our servers crazy questions, and should be given a special certification as food detectives...and if we're not careful; it can all become quite overwhelming.

That's where events like The Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event come into play.


If yourself, your spouse, your child, a relative, friend, or anyone you know has an issue like this that you'd like to understand more about, then this is your chance! It's a great place to check out what products are available. There will also be food samples, educational presenters, cooking demonstrations, and tons of fun stuff.

Please visit their WEBSITE if you'd like to know more! 

As a special treat to my followers; I'm giving away 4 tickets to the Charlotte Event!  I will draw 2 winners who will get 2 tickets each.  The winners can pick up their tickets at the Will Call table on March 29th! For more information, visit my facebook page at: 

 https://www.facebook.com/TheContraryAthlete