Thoughts on my Health Journey

As I will reflect on my health journey. I think about when I start any new journey or project that is the main focus of my thoughts. Day in and day out that is what I think about. But then I get in a rhythm of new life with my health. Knowing how to fuel myself, taking the supplements that I need, continuing to move my body, trying new skills to soothe my stress and bring down my cortisol.

However, with most things in life once I get comfortable in a situation another challenge comes along. While starting on my health journey I started an new business venture. Also with motherhood your children are always changing and trying new options with life. And one of my children decided to go off their medications that has kept them stabilized and home from the mental hospital. They choose to go off of them and try the natural route. Which has been a very rough challenge and stress in our home.

What has Been Working with my Health Journey

Diet

I feel like that has become something that I don’t have to think about. I have continued to keep sugar, dairy and gluten out of my diet and focus on fruits and veggies! I try to focus on eating my 6-8 veggies everyday. This gives me something to think about when I eat my meals.

I am always trying new recipes to bring in different foods into my day. Yesterday I tried 2 new recipes and one was okay. But I tried a banana protein muffin that was excellent. I have tried many recipes where the muffins are dense but these were puffy and yummy.

Movement

I am very consistent in moving my body. I have been doing some kind of workout 4-5 times a week. Now some days that might mean going on a brisk walk or run. This feels like something that I don’t have to think about.

Supplements

As I have progressed with my functional medicine team. I am at the tail end of the program and with that the hard work with lot of supplements in the morning and throughout the day are finished. I take a 1-2 in the morning and night which feels doable.

What Has Been Hard with my Health Journey

Adding more to my day

As my functional medicine team is trying to figure out what is going on with my skin patches and my dry flaky. Or helping me lower my cortisol. They would give me things to do to help me try to find a solution. I was struggling to start something because I felt that everything that I had going on was enough. I felt like if I added anything else to my full cup I would spill over. As I explained this to my Functional NP she got it.

Cause they wanted me change up my shower routine with cleansing my body and how and what I washed my hair with. That was too much for me. Also trying to increase my progesterone they suggested to buy a cream to apply at night and then urinate onto a stick that would tell me if I was ovulating or not in the morning. That seemed way to much.

Getting back to vagal stimulator

I was religious in doing my vagal stimulator every afternoon for about 15-20 minutes. Then about a month ago. It started to get dropped off and pushed aside and I would do now and then. But I know how important it is to regulate my vagus nerve. So I am putting it here that I would get back to doing it 3 times a week to keep my body in check.

Staying up later then I would like

This one is really hard for me! The demands of my children are high especially one of mine with some mental health challenges. With all the demands of my time and my children I have been going to bed later and later then I know I should or would like to. To try to off set the going to bed later I have changed my 5 am wake up call to 530am. Which doesn’t seem like that big of change but it does seem to help. I also sleep in on Wednesday and my husband gets up early with my boys. Which is a gift that my husband gives to me. This seems to help tremendously.

I know the time I need to get to bed. I will continually try to manage my time I can get done what I need to get done. So that I can try to go to bed at a better time. This is probably one of the hardest things that I am struggling with.

Overall

I am doing so much better then when I started my health journey. Which you can read the entire story here. This health journey that I have started has opened up doors that I never thought would open and I am beyond blessed to have the opportunity.

XO

Shirlene RN BSN