Fluoride-free toothpaste review

On the advice of my holistic doc I am off fluoride. I'm buying and drinking/cooking with spring water instead of city fluoride water. I switched to fluoride-free toothpaste. More about fluoride later but this is a toothpaste review.

First, I stupidly tried to find some at Walmart. An entire wall of toothpaste and the only fluoride-free kind I could find was for infants.

Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol, Water, Poloxamer 407, Cellulose Gum, Sucralose, Citric Acid, Flavor
Cons:
I don't recognize the names of many of the ingredients so I am not sure what I am putting in my mouth.
I don't like the taste.

This was a fail.

Nature's Gate natural toothpaste, on the other hand, I LOVE!!!

 

 

 

Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Glycerin, Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Flavor*, Carrageenan, Mentha Viridi (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Quillaja Saponaria (Soap Bark) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate,
Hydrated Silica, Calcium Glycerophosphate, Bisabolol,
Sodium Chloride.

 

The box says:

paraben free

sulfate free

no sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate (I'm not sure what this is but I am on board.)

no artificial flavors or sweeteners

no animal by-products or testing


Pros:
I love the taste
My teeth feel cleaner than they used to.
I still don't recognize all the ingredient names but I feel more comfortable, maybe because the box says natural and a lot of the ingredients have natural things in parenthesis. Hopefully, it's not a false sense of comfort.

Cons:
It's more than $5 a box, which I'm fine with paying. It should last a long time.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. The natural foods store I shop at has 14 fluoride-free toothpastes. I'm torn. Should I try a new kind next time or should I just stick with what I like?

My Ninja food processor

I bought a Ninja food processor right before Christmas using my Kohl's cash from Black Friday shopping. (This was my first year doing that and I did get some good deals--but I'll never be the shop all night or wake up at 3 a.m. type. I wandered in in the afternoon and got what I got.)

I've used it a few times and I liked it but for some reason it took me forever to finally make hummus, the number one reason I wanted a blender/food processor. Last night I made THE BEST HUMMUS I HAVE EVER MADE. Yes, it really was worth all capital letters.
I googled a random recipe and tweaked it to:

Classic cumin garlic hummus
Ingredients:
2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
1/3 cup tahini
1 fresh lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
several cloves garlic (I used four because they were smallish)
couple tablespoons olive oil
2 or more tsp cumin

Blend until smooth. Add water during blending if it's too thick. You can drizzle with the olive oil (or just put it in the mix, like I did) on top and sprinkle with paprika if you want.

Here's the Ninja I bought. It really does a good job with the blending. In fact, the first time I tried to chop onions in it, it turned them into juice. (You can rough chop with it but you have to be careful to do just a few pulses at a time.) I also like the fact that you can take out the blades and use the container like a pitcher--even put the cover back on and put it in the fridge. (Although it wouldn't be perfectly sealed.)

The coolest part is that it was on sale and I used my Kohl's cash so it was cheap. (You get vouchers you can spend in the store when you spend money--you have to come back later and spend it within a specific time.) I can't remember how much I spent but I think it was somewhere around $20.

Homemade crackers to try

I keep thinking about making my own homemade crackers but I haven’t done it yet. Here’s one I’d like to try.

Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers

From Smitten Kitchen.   (I’m adapting these to take out the processed sugar and dairy.) Yield: About 3 dozen.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar  (I wonder if honey will work or if it will burn?)

1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus additional for topping

1/4 teaspoon paprika

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (olive oil)

1/4 cup cold water, add this last

Recipe notes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, knead once or twice, lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Roll dough out to very, very thin rectangle shape on well-floured counter and don't allow them to stick. Stick with a toothpick. You don’t need to space the crackers much because they don’t spread much. Bake until crisp and bronzed about 5 to 7 minutes. Thin crackers will cook faster than thick crackers. They will keep for a week or two. They can also be frozen in airtight containers between sheets of waxed paper for a couple of months.

I'll update later after I try these.

Healthyish store bought products

I found a new brand of crackers I like. Back to Nature. They don't have any yeast and the ingredients are fairly healthy. They do include some processed sugar so I do need to be careful about that.

I love these and it seems like the sugar content is slightly better than the other product.

Ingredients: ORGANIC UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), ORGANIC SAFFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC GROUND WHEAT FLOUR, ORGANIC WHEAT FLAKES, ORGANIC WHOLE BROWN FLAX SEED, ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, ORGANIC BROWN RICE SYRUP, SEA SALT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), ORGANIC BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, SOY LECITHIN. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.

These are pretty good too.

Ingredients: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), SAFFLOWER OIL, RAW SUGAR, DEFATTED WHEAT GERM, CORNSTARCH, BROWN RICE SYRUP, SEA SALT, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT, LEAVENING (MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA), NATURAL TURMERIC FLAVOR. CONTAINS: WHEAT.

Pros:
great taste 
no yeast (something I'm working really hard to avoid)
it's nice to have a treat occasionally without going too far

Cons:
They are pricey. More than $5 a box.
They contain sugar, which I am also trying to avoid.
Although they are somewhat healthier than some products, it's still processed food.
It's hard to eat just a few.

Although they aren't my favorite, Triscuits are probably better for me.

 

Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN SOFT WHITE WHEAT, SOYBEAN OIL, SEA SALT.

Pros:
No sugar
short, simple ingredient list
they aren't my favorite so I don't go crazy eating them

Cons:
Still processed food.

Processed foods

I used to eat a lot of processed foods. Pizza, tator tots, pasta and pasta sauce, ramen noodles, packaged noodle and rice mixes, canned soups, store bought bread, pop, juice, canned tomatoes, salad dressing and condiments like mayonnaise and mustard. I've pretty much cut all those things out now.

Occasionally I still go out to eat and I might have some pasta or bread. Yesterday I had a burger and fries. Most of the time I still try to eat fairly healthy even when I do eat out: Thai food or chicken or fish and steamed veggies.

I feel pretty good about the fact that I'm eating better. I feel physically better and I have the mental satisfaction of meeting a goal. In my last post I made this comment: "Since I'm eating very little processed food lately I don't even feel guilty about the salt (that I added to my food.)" Then I started to wonder, is that true? Yes, I eat a lot less processed foods, but can I say I rarely eat processed food? No, actually, I can't.

Here are some of the processed foods that I still eat: (*foods I eat frequently bolded foods I would consider to be higher in sodium.)
*canned beans, whole and refried
canned beets
*black olives
*yeast free crackers
pretzels
*corn chips
*canned tuna
*olive oil
tahini
*sun butter (sunflower seeds)
the processed foods I eat when I do eat out
rice milk
cereal
Daiya cheese
falafel mix
dried fruit
pumpkin seeds
"veggie meat"

less processed but still processed
frozen veggies
chicken breasts
fish fillets

It's not a bad list, especially considering how much processed food I used to eat and how much the general population, at least in the U.S., eats. But I can improve.

First off, I can eat more raw, fresh veggies. And I can buy low sodium canned beans and/or rinse my whole beans. I can good them from scratch too but I don't think it's realistic that I'd never eat canned beans or beets--it's too easy and quick for meals at work or after work. I can also cut back on the amount of corn chips, pretzels and crackers I eat. They are yummy but aren't doing a whole lot for me nutritionally. I can try making homemade falafel from scratch instead of making the mix--although that's not one I eat often. I already eat Daiya cheese or veggie meat very infrequently.

Simple flavors

Before I went dairy free and started eating healthier I often drowned my food in cheese and sour cream. Rice and beans, salad, potatoes, casseroles--it was all a vehicle for dairy.

Lately, I've discovered the beauty of simple flavors that enhance not cover up the taste of my food. My new favorite toppings? Fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil and salt. (Since I'm eating very little processed food lately I don't even feel guilty about the salt.) Sometimes I also add red pepper flakes.

Tonight I had a modified rice and beans with quinoa, refried beans, fresh chopped onions and black olives eaten on corn chips. (I should have added fresh cilantro and greens but I was out.) Lemon juice, olive oil and salt was the perfect addition to this meal.

It started out as my version of salad dressing. I tried all kinds of things, chopping fresh garlic into the oil and adding other seasonings but I find I like the simple version best. It's really easy too. I even use it at work. I have a bottle of olive oil there and I keep fresh lemons in the fridge--when I'm ready to eat I just squeeze, drizzle and enjoy.

Then I tried it on top of my new favorite meal: blackened chicken (cumin), sprouts, onions and black olives wrapped in a homemade whole wheat tortilla. Loved it! A variation is falafel instead of chicken with tahini sauce. Both are great with the lemon, olive oil and salt combination.

I can't wait to find out what else it tastes good on!

Falafel with homemade whole wheat tortillas

I love falafel and I've always wanted to try making it at home. It's intimidating though, getting the spice mix right, grinding the garbanzos up--it seems iffy and messy. This week I stopped by an international grocery store and found a mix with a fairly healthy ingredient list so I decided to try it.

Ziad brand falafil mix:

Ingredients: Ground chick peas, ground fava beans, spice blend, minced onion, garlic, baking soda, salt and sesame seeds.

I realize this would be healthier if I made it homemade. But this is much faster and it's still not too bad. I look for a short ingredient list with clearly recognizable words--not chemicals.

It is a bit spicy--I liked it but I think Chad would say it was too spicy. One option to make it healthier and less spicy is that I could make a half and half mixture, half mix and half ground garbanzo beans. I think I'd still get the flavor of the mix. Another good point is that it makes a healthy amount. I mixed plenty of patties for two (even though it was just me tonight) and I only did about half the mix. The entire box only cost $2.99--I was surprised but the prices were pretty good at the international store.

The box said to fry them in oil until they float but I just did them on the grill with a small amount of olive oil. They stay pretty soft that way but I liked it. Sometimes it almost gets too hard when deep fried.

Here's how I ate it:

Homemade whole wheat flour tortillas topped with falafel burger, organic tahini with no added salt, sprouts, red onion, black olives and a squeeze of lemon. That's a second burger sitting next to my meal. Magnificent. I really, really loved it.

The basic sickness to wellness timeline

In the winter of 2011/2012 I was diagnosed with two sinus infections and one upper respiratory infection in a little less than six weeks. I took four rounds of four types of antibiotics. In most cases, I got better while taking the antibiotics but the infection came back as soon as or not long after I stopped taking the pills.   

Here’s a basic timeline, taken from my facebook posts. (You can read a full timeline of facebook status updates here.)

Oct. 4, 2011, I recorded being sick.

Nov. 24, 2011, talked about being sick again.

Nov. 28, 2011, first round of antibiotics

Dec. 5, second type of antibiotics because the first ones were not working.

Dec. 13, 2011, despite previous comments that I was hopeful that the second type was better, I start a third round of antibiotics.

Jan. 7, 2012, I start a fourth type of antibiotics. (This time I also get pinkeye.)

Jan. 11, 2012, I mention going back to work for an almost full day and say I feel better. I believe this was the time I was out of work for five days.

Jan. 13, 2012, I mention that I skipped rinsing my sinuses with the Neti pot for a couple days and wake up with a runny nose and sore throat, even while on antibiotics. (I think I started using the Neti pot around round three antibiotics, but I didn’t record that specifically.)

Jan. 26, 2012,I finish my last round of antibiotics but note that something is already “brewing” again.

Jan. 29, 2012, Out of total desperation, I decide to go dairy free.

May 29, first appointment with a homeopathic chiropractor in the Twin Cities.

Aug. 2, 2012, first appointment at the Center for Healing and Wholeness in Grand Forks.

October 2012, My “air diet” month while I take the herbal supplements in the Candida Kit.

Homemade vegan pizza

I used to LOVE pizza. After going dairy free the end of January 2012 I went pretty much cold turkey. My theory was, and possibly still is, that I'd rather eat foods that don't rely on dairy as a main ingredient rather than eat something that isn't as good as I remember it from my dairypaloozza days.

I looked back in facebook and on March 4, 2012, I did try a frozen dairy free pizza that I was not impressed enough with to buy again. (That and I've been also avoiding tomatoes and yeast.)

Here's what I said at the time:

Not too bad! The "cheeze" is a bit soggy and not chewy, but you definitely get the pizza flavor with the crust, tomato sauce, ect.

Almost exactly one year later (on March 2, 2013) I decided to try making my own homemade pizza and stick as closely to my food restrictions as possible. (Avoiding yeast, nightshade veggies and sugar.)

I wish I had taken a picture of it, but I forgot. Next time. Because, the good news is, there will be a next time. Yay! Also, thanks to my handsome husband who told me to just make it for myself and he'd eat what I was eating. (He did add some real cheese on top after it was done cooking.) That really helped because I didn't want to cross contaminate and it's a lot of work to make one homemade pizza, much less two and for only two people it's not really necessary.

I started with this no yeast pizza dough from cooks.com. (Not my favorite site, but it was the recipe that I found that fit what I wanted.)

2 1/2 cups flour (I did about half whole wheat)
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. oil
3/4 to 1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients. Add water and oil slowly. Stir until it forms a ball. If dough is stiff, add more water.

Knead on floured surface 3-4 minutes until it is soft, not sticky.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes.

Sauce:

Maybe half a cup tomato sauce
stretch it with olive oil
oregano
red pepper flakes
raw honey for sweetness

toppings:

asparagus
black olives
red onion
fresh chopped garlic
Dayia "cheddar cheese"

I added chopped fresh cilantro on top after it came out of the oven.

Review: I loved it and Chad liked it too. He liked the crust, especially. I thought it was a bit hard--possibly because I over kneaded it and probably because of the whole wheat flour. I think next time I will do our own individual mini pizzas so I can put only Dayia on mine and real cheese on his. The only problem is, we only have one pizza stone. I can probably do one in a glass dish.

Also, I think I should try taco pizza. Spread the crust with refried beans instead of tomato sauce, top with "cheese." Bake and then top with chopped lettuce, olives, onion, ect. The refried beans mixture could be done many ways, including with ground beef or ground turkey or adding other ingredients into the refried beans, such as black beans, corn or brown rice.

As far as eating healthy goes, this is a treat. It's much healthier than ordering pizza or buying frozen pizza, but Dayia cheese does contain yeast and there was some tomato in the sauce. Maybe next time I will make mine with no sauce and just drizzle it with olive oil post baking? It's worth a try.

Facebook dairy free poll

A year and two months ago, I was considering trying dairy free after some facebook friends and I talked about the benefits of it and a church member (and physician’s assistant) mentions I might need to try it. So I poll my facebook friends. Here is the result. Although I'm not willing to say that every single person HAS to go dairy free, it's a pretty strong argument that there are people that gain big benefits from going dairy free.

January 29, 2012

Me: If you are dairy free or limit your intake of dairy, please tell me how long you have been doing it, why and what results you have had. I'm very reluctant to give up my dairy but I am going to try it as a last resort after being sick since Thanksgiving. If it helps, I'll try to make it permanent.

                 

Justin: my advice is this just make sure you're still getting all you're daily calcium and vitamin d ( this vitamin is used by your body to absorb said calcium) and good luck on the no more dairy thing, also try soy milk that is very healthy.

                 

Me: Thanks Jut. That's a good point. I've been planning to start taking vitamin D3, I should add calcium to that.

                 

Courtney: I switched to soymilk 5 years ago when I became a vegetarian. That helped the milk replacement. As for cheese, there are some yummy cheese substitutes on the market. Daiya brand is good for meals. toffuti American vegan slices are good for grilled cheese sandwiches! I still use those to date. I like vegenaise instead of regular mayo, and I use tofutti sour cream as a garnish for things. I like to make my own variations of all of these products as well, but my advice would be to be as open minded as you can. It really helps even when you are trying out new recipes...

                 

Me:  Jut, I just googled and found this. So I'll start from here making sure I get enough calcium. http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dairyfreebasics/tp/CalciumFoods.htm

                 

Good ideas, Courtney. Do you feel a difference, health wise, not eating dairy?

                 

Sandra: The semester I was scheduled to sing my senior recital, I decided to cut way way way back on dairy. I still had some cheese, but not much. For sure I didn't have any ice cream, milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. I was SUPER diligent about drinking boocus of water, and exercising almost daily, too. During the semester, I didn't really notice that much difference. I mean, I didn't get sick for those two or three months, but it's not like I was bounding around with extra energy or anything. Then, the night after my recital, I was like, "YESSS! I'm gonna have me some ICE CREAM!" So I did, and within two days, I had a nose/throat infection that quickly turned to bronchitis. I can't help but think it was the dairy.

                 

Jessica: We are dairy free because two of my kids are allergic. We do use eggs, but I guess that's not technically dairy. I have found it’s much easier to eliminate milk products than eggs. We do occasionally order pizza, I just fix an alternative or order a small one for Owen. Owen doesn't have bowel issues anymore and his rashes and eczema are pretty much gone.

                 

Katy: I have been avoiding dairy for about a year, I can't remember for sure, but I may have started in November or December 2010. I don't say dairy free because I still eat things with "hidden dairy" like bread. I have not been bothered by my seasonal allergies and I have lost about six pounds (pre-pregnancy weight) but the weight loss could also be attributed to the breastfeeding. I have gotten sick twice during this time, once with a stomach bug, and once with a cold. But I also figure my immune system is weaker cause I don't always get as much sleep as I would like. I have also avoided refined sugar.

Tips for getting vitamins and minerals: nutritional yeast, flax seed or meal, sunshine, iron containing foods with or near citrus (helps your body absorb it better), cook with an iron skillet, handful of nuts a day, beans/legumes, and fill your plate with colorful food choices.

                 

Crystal: We haven't gone dairy free because I am like you I love my dairy but because of jack and his allergies we try to watch his dairy intake. I have him drinking and using almond milk in his cereal. It is fantastic, creamy and comes in 3 flavors. I also cook with is but use the plain or vanilla depending on what you are doing. Can't tell the difference. Good luck! You can do it. Remember it is always tough the first week or so but will get easier.

                 

Michael:  Roberta has a number of recipes that are dairy free on her web-site: www.veggie-licious.com (site no longer active) Many of them are very tasty, and can help you reduce the dairy intake. Making small changes in your refrigerator can help a great deal. We only use Soy Milk for cereal etc. at our house. I'm not dairy free, but drinking dairy milk, eating ice-cream etc. is a rarity for me.

                 

Courtney: Yeah! I feel way better and I don't feel bogged down after eating. My digestive tract is very healthy-feeling, too! Dairy is so full of fat. When I replaced those things with healthy nuts and seeds, the fat is a healthy fat and I feel much lighter!

                 

Leanne: I like almond milk better than soy milk and it has a lot of calcium. Also green veggies have calcium in them. I make a lot of my smoothies with spinach in them for the calcium boost.

                 

Katy: I like that link you posted Holly, I especially want to try the creamy broccoli salad!

                 

Me: Thanks everybody! This stuff is really helpful and encouraging. I keep wanting to quit before I start, but I know I need to try SOMETHING.

Even if dairy isn't a problem for me, it won't hurt me to try this. I know cutting back on dairy, especially cheese, will be healthy for me. And if I find I don't have allergies or I don't notice a difference, I can always add some things, like yogurt, back in.

                 

Troy: b4 i converted 2 soy milk, my nose would run a lot while i was eating . . . switching solved that completely. plus, the list of health benefits from soybeans and related soy products is staggering. also, much lower fat intake. here's something 2 remember: soymilk may taste a bit strange at 1st, but it's all about what you're used to . . . after a couple of months of soymilk, almondmilk or other, actual milk will taste strange and, actually, kinda disgusting.

                 

Brenna: About 10 years ago, I dropped my cholesterol 100 points by going egg/dairy free. I felt great, less headaches, asthma and allergies improved during the 5 years I did it. Then life happened and I went back to old habits, headaches and asthma/allergies worsened and now my cholesterol is high again. I've been dairy free for about a month and will be rechecking labs soon...to be continued...

Natalie: Ah! And I'm much less sensitive/cry-ie when I'm off dairy. Dairy affects Drew the same way too, also wheat and soy for him. Dairy can give acne too. And lots of extra goobers.

Me:  Wow. So much antidotal evidence here. You guys are certainly convincing me that it's worth trying!!

DaiyaD

Daiya

The Diary of Dairy

(Note, Sandra gave me the idea for this new and improved title!)

The nice thing about facebook is that everything you post eventually becomes written history. You don’t think so at the time, but it’s very easy to forget events and the way you feel at the time. And dates—it’s so easy to get that mixed up in your head.

I decided I wanted to do a simple timeline of my upper respiratory infections, multiple courses of antibiotics and then decision to go dairy free. (The only thing that stopped the madness and a key moment in my health journey.) As I started perusing facebook to get dates I quickly realized my status updates recorded much more than just the facts. It shows when I was sick, when I took antibiotics and even records symptoms that I didn’t know were symptoms at the time. (Such as exhaustion and random talking/being upset at night.)

Since it’s not that easy to navigate past posts on facebook, I decided to record what I found here, like a dairy, one sentence or paragraph at a time. Maybe later I’ll go back and add to it and/or do the simple timeline, with just the facts ma’am.

Oct. 4, 2011

Well, I'm at work. I can feel myself getting sick in slow motion: it started with a sore throat last night, spread to some coughing in the night and is moving down into my chest today. Hopefully I can get a lot done before it really hits.

Nov. 15, 2011

So tired. I think the snow exhausted me.

Nov. 24, 2011

Now that was an awesome thanksgiving! (even though I was sick) It was so warm out we ate part of our meal on the deck (it got hot in the house) and Roni (would not let me tag you!) french braided Chad's beard! Memorable!!

Nov. 26, 2011

Still sick. Getting sicker.

Later that same day.

Even though I am sick, I am thankful I've been able to spend time with my family!

Nov. 28, 2011

Just came back from nearly 2 hours in urgent care. I got antibiotics for my upper respiratory infection. At least I didn’t sit there all that time to be told, it’s a virus, drink fluids and rest.

Dec. 5, 2011

The first round of antibiotics didn't do it so I went back to the doctor and got a second kind today. I really hope this does it because I am SO sick of being sick!!

Dec. 6, 2011

The good news is, I'm on day 1.5 of my new and improved antibiotics and I already feel better! I got the good drugs this time!!

Dec. 13, 2011

Home from the pharmacy with my third type of antibiotics and a small arsenal of over-the-counter snot chaser outers. This had better work this time! Now, I'm off to swallow pills and shoot (doctor approved) stuff up my nose.

Dec. 12, 2011

I have nothing useful to say except that I wish to indicate I'm still alive and kickin'.

Alicia: Tryin' out for the Rockettes?

Me: That would take WAY too much energy. These are sort of little, understated kicks. 

Jan. 3, 2012

Well, I either caught something new at home over the weekend or my sinus infection is coming back. I could feel it moving in all day.

Jan. 4, 2012

I'm sick. This is stupid.

Jan. 7, 2012

I've had a "fun" day. It's another sinus infection. I am now on my fourth type of antibiotic in about a month and a half.

Jan. 7, 2012

My eye decided to join the party. It's red, irritated and leaking some kind of pus...? Sounds like the antibiotic I am on now will probably take care of that too but if it's worse tomorrow I'll have to go back in. HORRAY!!

Jan. 8, 2012

The antibiotics are kicking in, feeling better than I was yesterday. Course, considering how sick I was, I'm still awful sick!

Jan. 11, 2012

Today was my first (almost) full day back to work. On the way home I stopped and bought groceries so I could cook myself some food. Because I actually had the energy and desire for the first time in six days!! It's great feeling better, finally!

Jan. 13, 2012

I got better so I skipped the Neti pot thing for a couple days. Woke up this morning with a runny nose and a sore throat. By the time I Neti potted it tonight, my one nostril was completely stuffed up. Guess I know what my new routine is...

Jan. 15, 2012 (I don’t realize it until later, but this is a key moment for me. Thanks to Melissa and Sandra.)

I feel like the antibiotics I'm taking and neti pot thing are only beating back my sickness, not killing it. When my pills are gone (Friday) and I stop rising out my sinuses, I fear it will just come back, worse than ever.

Melissa: I'm wondering if there's a bigger issue...

Sandra: Food allergies? If I have too much dairy, I will be full of respiratory-type infections. My mom has asthma symptoms when she eats wheat-based food. Mold, or other airborne allergies? I mean, these things can develop as we age. My mom's asthma thing, for example, didn't start until she was past her 50s.... My dad never experienced hay fever until he was like 45..... It's worth investigating!

Me: That's an idea. My mom recently told me that she realized milk has caused her problems with fatigue over the years. So it could be I have food allergies too...

Melissa: dairy products seem to be a common culprit for respiratory and digestive problems. Do you drink soy milk? I can do other dairy ok, but reg. milk seems to give me problems. I had septoplasty done a few months ago and am able to breathe better now. Also, I had allergy testing done and realized that I was allergic to stuff I didn't even imagine.

Me: I LOVE milk and I hate soy milk. But if that's actually the problem for me, I guess I hate sinus infections more. We'll see.

Jan. 24, 2012

I frequently talk in my sleep. Last night, I woke up sitting up in bed, talking to my kitty’s empty cat bed: apparently I had a bad dream and thought something had happened to her. Chad sat up, grabbed me in a bear hug and pulled me back into bed—something he didn’t remember at all this morning. He’s developing mad coping skills for my nighttime shenanigans!!

Jan. 26, 2012

Finished my antibiotics over the weekend. Something is brewing again. Oh man, I am so tired of being sick!!

Jan. 28, 2012

I feel yucky
Oh so yucky
I feel yucky and icky and today
Nose be drippy
Don’t sit too near to my germs, I pray
I feel alarming
Oh so alarming
It's upsetting how alarming I feel

(Sung to the tune of I feel pretty.) I'm not really that bad, I'm just so tired of being sick!!!

Jan. 28, 2012 (Another key moment, this one at church, not on facebook. Thanks to Brenna.)

A fellow church member and physician’s assistant suggests I go off dairy to see if that’s what’s causing the upper respiratory infections. I moan and complain, but put it together with my FB friends’ suggestions and decide to try it.

Jan. 29, 2012 (BIG day in my health journey. It’s a Sunday, so there are multiple facebook posts as I consider going dairy free, decide to go dairy free and realize how hard it is to go dairy free.)

I poll my facebook friends on the dairy issue and receive multiple stories of how going off dairy has helped them or family members. Read the whole thing here. 
 

(Later in the day.)

Going dairy free for seven days starting now. You read it here! I loves me my milk and cheese, but I've got to try something to get better! If this doesn't help, I'll GLADLY go back to my milk baby status.

(At the end of the day.)

Holly's first dairy free day--not dairy free. I need to go shopping and buy some alternatives first. I had some cottage cheese with my salad (no dairy free dressing) and some butter. Trouble is, I feel too yucky to go grocery shopping.

Jan. 30, 2012

OK, so my Dr. x-rayed my sinuses and then cancelled my appointment with a specialist because there was “nothing in there.” Today, I find this online: “Regular x-rays of the sinuses are not very accurate for diagnosing sinusitis. Viewing the sinuses through a fiberoptic scope (called nasal endoscopy or rhinoscopy) may help diagnose sinusitis. This is usually done by doctors who specialize in ear, nose, and throat problems (ENTs).” I’m going back to her tomorrow—I’d better get another appointment with an ENT!

(I never did actually go to the ENT)

Jan. 30, 2012

Dear Mr. Grocery store man. I didn't appreciate your "you are a crazy person" expression when I asked if your store carried dairy-free cheese. Today is my first day going dairy free for allergy reasons (maybe) and I don't need discouragement.

May 19, 2012

I report still feeling symptoms for three days after eating something that I’m sensitive/allergic to. (I fight with this until October.)

May 29, 2012

After realizing there is more going on with me than just problems with dairy, I take the suggestion of my friend Natalie, and have my first appointment with a homeopathic chiropractor in the Twin Cities. She helps me identify additional food sensitivities, including oats, carrots and cauliflower. I have two appointments with her in about a month or so.

June 8, 2012

Granpa Nordvick dies. (this has nothing to do with health, but I just thought I’d record it.)

Aug. 2, 2012
I went to a holistic healing center here in Grand Forks today. (Grand Forks Center for Healing and Wholeness) I wasn't sure what to expect but I wanted a new homeopathic doctor since I'd rather not drive all the way to the cities for appointments anymore. She used healing touch which is just basically 45 minutes of gentle touch from head to toe and, oh man, it really helped me!! It sounds crazy but I feel amazing!

Aug. 3, 2012
Trying to eat some of the foods my holistic doc recommended. Today it was radishes, a veggie I am not overly fond of and don't eat often. When I was a kid I told my gramma I didn't like them because they were hot and she said they are not hot. I'm 36 years old and I still say they are a bit kick-y, although it does vary from radish to radish.

Aug. 6, 2012,Y
Yesterday, after Chad got home from work, we went swimming for about an hour. While in the pool I again noticed that I often paddle only with my arms and hold my toes together or hook my ankles together. Old habits die hard, I guess. Did anyone else play that game as a kid? Swim using only your hands, your legs are paralyzed?

Aug. 25, 2012
Chad, his parents, Simba and I went on a lovely hike this afternoon. Not too many months ago I never would have had the energy for that long of a walk, in fact, I probably would have been back at the house sleeping while everybody else went. It's so awesome to finally be feeling better!!!

October 2012

My “air diet” month. I take the Candida Kit, herbal supplements, while also on a very restrictive diet: NO pasta, yeast bread, NO sugar, including honey and fruit (except a squeeze of lemon on your salad or tea is OK), NO fermented products, including alcohol, vinegar and soy sauce. NO fungus, including mushrooms, corn and leftovers (more than one day old, my rule so I can pack lunches.)

After this, my symptoms are GREATLY reduced in severity and duration. I lose a significant amount of weight. I am sick for about the first 10 days of the diet/supplements, but that is expected as my body is purging dying candida, which releases toxins.

Feb. 27, 2012

For thyroid health, and at the recommendation of my holistic doctor, I start avoiding all fluoride in water and toothpaste and start taking herbal supplements and tea. The tea gives me anxiety.