Wellness Journey Part 4


I know, where have I been. Right?

Did I forget about my tribe of readers? No.

I’ve been completing two courses.  For my cognitive support certificate, I needed to research and write a 10-page paper.  It’s now completed and submitted.  Yay!  As well, I completed a basic homeopathic course. These courses took more energy and time than I anticipated.  I enjoy learning, so taking educational courses will always be apart of my lifelong learning life goal.

My wellness journey has been very S…L…O…W…which means I have not had much to write about or share.    My SIBO adventure started almost six months ago.  Have I eradicated the bacteria producing the hydrogen gas, which is feeding the methanogens (officially called archaea methanobrevibactor smithii) producing methane gas?  Maybe not, but I’ve definitely knocked the organisms down so I feel like you have made progress.

In October, I shared that I had to make decisions about protocol and direction of treatment. I decided to do a two-week round of pharmaceutical antibiotics (actually two different ones). These antibiotics were heavy hitters and totally wiped me out. Meaning, it also wiped out my microbiome too. Apart from being lethargic, mentally depleted, and less productive, I made it through.

I also decided to not retest, but to observe my body’s changes instead. Surprisingly, my bloating and distention came down considerably with the meds. Yay!  Obviously, the bacteria and archaea populations have reduced enough to see a physical changes.

After completing the antibiotics, I started with Atrantil (designed to alleviate SIBO-C symptoms) and the Intro GAPS nutritional protocol using low FODMAP carbs. Both of these choices are ongoing. I’ve made it to GAPS Intro Phase 4, with 2 more phases to go before joining the land of Full GAPS or switching to Dr Siebecker’s SIBO Diet for food choices. Hopefully, by Christmas, I’ll be able to enjoy some holiday cheer. These diet alterations continue to bring about improved gut health — translation, there are positive changes like no bloating, less distention, no gas and no heartburn or reflux.  And…my pants aren’t tight at the end of the day, instead my pants fit the same all day.

With a restrictive diet like GAPS, you learn how to “create” foods that fit the plan. I’ve learned how to make coconut milk, kefir and yogurt from young Thai coconut meat and water. Of course, I use gluten- and dairy-free starters, but my creations are edible and a nice change.

What gift are you giving yourself this year? I’m giving myself the gift of health. How? I choosing to exercise, eat right and mediate daily. Christmas gift-giving doesn’t have to be a physical object. It can be a gift of time or energy or something else.

I’ve taken a whole new perspective to the exercise part. After reading Dr. Michael Breus’s book, The Power of When, I learned I was a “bear” chronotype. Which meant, my optimal time to exercise is before breakfast to get my elevate my heart rate. The result has been amazing. I pop out of bed, put on my exercise gear and hop on my spin bike or do Barre Amped. In fact, as Dr Breus puts it, “If you wait to exercise until you’re awake, you’ll have the presence of mind to rationalize your way out of doing it.” [1] That was definitely how I operated. However, this simple change has improved my energy level throughout my day. I’ll share a book review in the New Year.

Do you want to give yourself the gift of health too?

Then take a moment to send me an email to arrange your FREE Discovery Chat.  I leave a couple of openings each week to meet people just like you — wanting a change but not sure where to begin.


Endnotes
[1] Michael Breus, PhD. The Power of When, (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2016) p 67.


About Brenda

Brenda loves learning and sharing what she's learning with you. She is a certified keto/carnivore coach with Keto-Adapted (Maria and Craig Emmerich, a certified holistic nutritional consultant (CHNC), and a natural nutrition clinical practitioner (NNCP).