Well my initial visit with the Naturopath went well! I was so worried that I would be disappointed, and feel that I had wasted money, but I was pleasantly surprised. :)
It was pretty much what I had hoped it would be. The new patient intake form asked the basic
questions about my past and current medical history and health. When I met with the doctor, she asked me for
more detail on some things. She did a
quick physical that included taking my blood pressure, heart rate, listening to
my heart, looking at my tongue, shining a light into my eyes, and palpating
different areas of my abdomen.
From the physical results, she told me that she thinks my liver
is not functioning as well as it should.
She could tell this by looking at the blood vessels under my tongue, and
the coating on my tongue. ?? She also
said that my blood sugar levels appear to be low based on how on the light test
she did on my eyes. Other things she
noted were that my sex hormones are working well, and my adrenal glands seem to
be functioning normal based on the fact that I recover very well from
exercise, and that I do not get stressed/deal with stress easily. Interesting!
Overall she talked about how gut health is so important when
trying to regulate the body and our hormones.
She mentioned a lot of stuff that I already knew, due to my knowledge of the Paleo diet, and what I learn in school. It was so great to hear her approve of my Paleo diet!! She suggested that not only do I need to eat
a Paleo diet, but I also need to add some things into my diet that will help
improve my liver function. So here is
what she recommended:
- Continue
with paleo diet (this also includes removing all dairy products)
- Drink 1 cup
of bone broth daily (I’ve read a lot about bone broth in Paleo forums!) Bone broth has so many benefits- google it if
you want more info
- Remove eggs
from my diet for 4 weeks, then slowly re-introduce them and see if I notice any
negative effects (egg allergies are becoming more common and it’s possibly they
do affect me)
- For
breakfast, I’ll be drinking a “detox smoothie." She gave me a powder of “Vital Clear” that I’ll be combining with
kale/spinach, ground flax seeds, coconut milk/oil, avocado, and if I want to, I
can add honey, some fruit or more vegetables that support liver function.
- I need to
eat foods that support liver function:
carrots, beets, lemons, artichokes, dandelion greens, artichoke,
cilantro, parsley, onions, and brassica family vegetables (broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, bok choy, kale).
- Eat
probiotics at least 3x a week. I could
just take a pill, but she prefers to get nutrients through diet. Probiotics include things like sauerkraut,
kombucha, kimchi and kefir (not a fan of any of these, so I may have to take a
pill instead).
- Stop
drinking coffee. Instead, drink teas that
help detoxify the liver (milk thistle, dandelion, burdock root). I can put honey in my tea, but really should
avoid artificial sweeteners (Stevia is ok, on occasion).
- No
alcohol. Although red wine in moderation
has health benefits, it still is an alcohol that is converted to sugar and can
affect blood sugar levels.
I’m also getting blood work done on Friday morning. She wants to look at more thyroid hormones
(free T3 and T4, reverse T3, TSH, and some thyroid antibodies, and Vitamin
D). I’m really anxious to find out the
results of this, and how she recommends it be treated if there is an imbalance.
As for exercise, she said to continue what I am doing. She thinks that because I recover well from
my workouts, that my body is handling them well. I’m glad to hear that! That means I can continue to do long runs and
rides. She suggested that I do strength training
workouts and interval workouts 2-3x a week, which I’ll do in the form of my
home Crossfit workouts, sprint workouts, and sand dune climbs. Then I will continue to run, bike, and
hike. J
So I think I can handle all of this. I can drink my smoothies in the morning instead of coffee (I wasn’t getting a buzz/energy kick from my coffee anyway). It will suck not being able to eat parmesan cheese on my salads, but I know I can give it up, I’ve done it before. The hardest part will be not being able to drink alcohol, or cheat AT ALL for 8 long weeks, in the summer, in LA!! L But I’m so motivated now. I have good reason to eat this way. Plus, I'll have lots of information to include in my 6-12 page paper for my health behavior change assignment.
So I’m pretty happy about today’s visit. I’m hopeful that it was $250 well
spent!! My follow up visit in 8 weeks
will cost me $100. She said that because
I am so motivated and already doing well on a Paleo diet and knowledgeable in it, that I shouldn’t need
many follow up visits. I hope the detox
works and my body can get itself back on track. It would be a dream come true if I can FINALLY lose this weight that I've been stuck with for 6 years now, that has made my life so frustrating and upsetting. All I want is to get my confidence back, and be able to live the life that I want so badly. To be lean and fit so I can be competitive my sporting events, to look and feel attractive so I can hopefully find a husband, and to not feel embarrassed at the beach or in front of classmates when I have to reveal my body. lol There's so much that I know I'm missing out on, that I feel so out of control and helpless. I want so badly to have my lean body back and feel the confidence and happiness that I felt then. It seems like such an easy task for most people, but it's been a long, frustrating struggle for me. I will always fight the battle, but I hope and pray that it's coming to an end, and that I will WIN.
:) how corny was that? LOL
Please leave me comments! :) Try using Firefox if Safari won't let you...or just leave them on my Facebook post. Thanks for reading! Many more blogs of my progress are to come!
~Tina
