Food Sensitivies & Aerobic Muscle Function

So, I made two decsions this month. One was to tackle the mental part of my weight loss (thank you Dr. Marc) and the other was the physiological component. The latter has been something I have wanted for some time. I needed to get answers and the allergist simply thought all my symptoms (foggy thinking, poor concentration, swollen glands, occasional infections, occasional joint pain, itchiness, depression, headaches, low body temperature, weight gain and exhaustion) were really something that could be all remedied with anti-depressants because his tests showed no allergies. I knew this too, but I though he might have more advanced tests.

Anti-depressants? Wouldn’t that be the best damn bandaid in the whole damn world!!! A pill. No thank you! To each their own, just at this time, I need something more then a bandaid. I need something more then new symptoms or side effects.  This is for me, my body. So, it was not a good day when I went to see him and I left stunned, pissed off and emotional. Thank god I stopped crying, got pissed off , took some deep breaths and remembered what it is I am most passionate about in this life. Taking my health into my own hands and finding a solution. See my family doctor, what a wonderful soul she is, has done all the tests that she can and she says I am fine.  

My frustrations which I have written about before all lead me to have an ELISA test or Immunoglobulin G reactions test to see what foods are irritating me. It was hard to find one in Canada. Mostly they are more prevalent in the USA. But I found 2 companies and one was cheaper and though it did not offer as big a food check list, I was okay with that. It was 95 foods + candida (yes you can have candida in your blood and that is not a good thing.) I have to eat these foods all in about a week. What I have realised is that I do not vary my diet as much as I should and this is a big reason as to why people develop food sensitivies. We just get into a routine of getting basicly the same things every week to two weeks. Well, NOW I have to think more about a rotational diet and I will have to elliminate certain foods for about 6 months (depending on the severity of the sensitivity) when I find out. One thing is for sure I AM AVOIDING SOMETHINGS after the test. I never felt as ill as I did yesterday! Boy oh boy!  The results will be sent to me by email and then there will be a phone consultation. Part of me is skeptical. In this world there seems to be two sides… naturopathic and allopathic medicine. And I am a middle ground chick studying natural nutrition who believes that the Left may offer some hope. I know it was best though that I tried the medical system first. They did what they could.  What if….. ahh negative thoughts! *shush*

Thank you to my sweetheart for the best V-day present ever, this test! Truly he has been so supportive and understanding through out this all. (Must go love him to bits after this blogl… See I am letting him sleep in on this cold Saturday, Valentine’s Day.)

Thanks to Dr. Marc I am a little more focussed in some ways. Though I am not for everything on his OMG fatloss plan, he sure does have some good strategies and yummy recipes.  LOVE the mental component!!!   This is why I am trying his system.  I did not want to let my mind get in the way of this weight loss AGAIN.  You know me though, to hell with the scale! This journey is about fat loss, not water loss and not muscle loss. I can not obsess and I like it, a lot!  I am aiming for fat reduction with improved aerobic muscle function (fat burning) and not as much anaerobic function (sugar burning). As I have been learning in The Maffetone’s Method - the holistic, low-stress, no-pain way to exceptional fitness, MORE IS NOT BETTER and this is a better way to lose fat, I think. I am trying it out anyways.  I am still doing my weights next week, just mostly walking, dancing, pilates and yoga.  But what ever I do, just doing it within my good heart rate zone.    (If there are any who are knowledgable about this theory, PLEASE, I would love to pick your brain.  I am a little critical of somethings in this book and then other things just seem like common sense.). And in fact, all the stress, and that includes intense exercise stress, has likely also been a contributing factor to my weight gain. Time will tell.  Mostly, this has been the most productive and best month ever for me.  Lots of changes and some are just simple little changes in how I see things.  So cool.

Something too that has been coming up repeatedly in my studies and in my searches is something called Carbohydrate Intolerance?  Fascinating.  Must learn more about this at some point.  It really is about finding balance IN ALL areas.   Study, study, study This IS my job right now.  And this IS my health….. and yes relaxation too.  Thank gawd for the weekend.  

David asked me if I was going to write about this experience with you, my buddies, so it reminded me that you all are also apart of this journey. I think the world of so many of you. Cheers to finding our ways….. Happy Heart Day, love ya!

Be back at the end of the month to catch up, relay test results to those who are curious and change my picture… Boy this felt like a ramble…lol   All the best.

http://www.allergysmarts.com/about-us.html

7 Comments so far

  1. karinchantal @ February 14th, 2009

    happy V day to you too. I just read your blog and I must say I am a little bit lost here because I haven’t read up on your history. It could also be because it is still relatively early in the morning lol.
    I hope you get things figured out because all this must cause a whole lot of stress in its self. Be sure to not overdo it ok. You seem to be very busy analyzing, re-analyzing and doing it again. After a while it wears you out so be careful for that. You know what they say: K.I.S.S.

  2. Jennifer @ February 14th, 2009

    Just relaying some of the points I have studied and yes updating….. Keeping it simply silly is a wonderful motto ;)

  3. khmerbeauty @ February 14th, 2009

    There so much to read hon……I will be back to read it. Have a happy Valentine’s day Jennifer!

  4. kamaperry @ February 14th, 2009

    Have an awesome Valentines Day! Kudos to you for all your research, I have heard Candida can have all sorts of negative effects. I am glad you are not wanting just a quick fix, but a lasting one. I believe when we give our bodies what they need, they will reward us with good health. Keep up the good work!

  5. kyliejo @ February 14th, 2009

    I have not heard of this specific ELISA test but sounds kinda neat. I am allergic to strawberries and get hives and swell so in my mind I think if you had an actual food allergy then you would have a pretty bad reaction when you ate it.
    Also, if you have candida in your blood it’s usually pretty bad and serious. I would highly highly doubt anyone walking around with septic candida. You would be really ill. I have only seen septic candida infections in AIDS patients and immunosupressed patients honestly.
    Also allergies come from IgE’s, that is what I have learned from all my immunology classes. IgG’s are more for actual toxins that enter your body (bacteria, viruses). They know IgE’s work on worm infections so my theory (this has no scientific base whatsoever) but that back in the day my ancestors were exposed to worms and survival of the fittest produced those with had IgE and now (well in US/Canada) we don’t get parasitic infections that often so now it has turned into allergies.
    Anyways those are just my thoughts, I don’t want you to waste your money on anything.

  6. Inna @ February 24th, 2009

    Jennifer, was very interested in your research (would be in test results too if you choose to share them here), as I have a bunch of allergies myself. I do believe that stress is related to developing allergies, although have not read anything about the stress coming from exercise (other than insane amounts of exercise, such as running a marathone, that stress out the immune system). Do you have any references on the subject?

  7. Jennifer @ February 24th, 2009

    http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/fatigue.html
    http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C377714.html
    http://www.rndsystems.com/cb_detail_objectname_SP01_CytokinesandOvertraining.aspx - awesome

    I have also read The Maffetone Method by Phillip Maffetone and he discusses at a very non-scientific level the affects of intense training and exercise on the health and adrenal function. Also in my studies I have read Nutritional Pathology by Stepheny Whillier though I personally do not recommend it as I think it is not well written. The updated text for my course is Pathology & Nutrition by Liliana Mitrea. I am thinking the content is the same but should be written a little better. I do plan on reading this soonish.

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