Back in the game

 

I’m so excited to be writing today’s blog. I’m so excited because I finally feel like me again! I noticed this on Wednesday as I was walking around the office. I was thinking to myself –
‘I feel good’
‘I feel happy’
‘I feel energetic’

I thought about it some more that day and again the next day because I still felt good. I finally felt 100% like me again! I didn’t want to question it but I couldn’t help it because it has taken so long for me to feel like this again.

What was different? Was it just a simple as the virus finally being out of my system? Possibly. But I had also made some changes after my follow-up with my naturopath. I had told him that I was feeling 90% better but still feeling like my energy levels weren’t what they should be. He wanted me to continue with the Metagenics liver detox but after I told him about an unpleasant side effect I had had he told me that was a sign that my body shouldn’t go through that again. Instead he suggested I take Legalon (St Mary’s Thistle) to protect my liver and switch to low carb, high fat diet. He recommended I buy The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance book to get my body to burn fat for fuel instead of glucose. He explained how changing the energy source for my cells would change my energy levels, and help with my weight loss. He also suggested I get the New Atkins diet book and follow the 2 week conversion protocol to get my cells into fat burning mode.

I started the New Atkins diet on Monday. I will post a full blog when I finish the 2 weeks but basically it’s less than 20g net carbs a day and high in healthy fats. This means that for 2 weeks I can’t eat grains, rice, pasta, nuts or fruit. And especially no fast food or my weakness – chocolate! I have written a couple of blog posts about being a chocoholic/sugar fiend and have noticed it getting out of control these past couple of months which no doubt just kept me in the vicious sugar cycle. I recently came across this article from Food Matters about adrenal fatigue which listed craving sweet food as a symptom. A couple of months ago I had never heard of adrenal fatigue and now that I’ve gone through it I keep seeing and hearing it everywhere. Funny how that happens. This blog post from The Holistic Ingredient just came into my inbox today and has a simple definition of adrenal fatigue that resonated with me. It also promotes an e-course that I have never heard about and a couple of weeks ago I may have kept reading. But not today. Today I feel like I am in recovery mode, if not already recovered!

Could it be the diet change? It is very likely but I just can’t imagine such a difference occurring in a matter of days. I started the diet on Monday but had a binge on leftover Krispy Kreme donuts. I told myself I had to eat four (yes four!) that night so they would be gone and I wouldn’t be tempted. I could have just thrown them in the bin but I didn’t even think of that. I had also been telling my brother (who is successfully doing Dry July) that I was finally starting my sugar free Healthy July on Monday. Big fail there! But I am happy to report that I haven’t have any donuts or chocolate or deviated from the plan since then :) This means that on Wednesday when I noticed I felt better I had been on my new diet for 3 days and only sugar free for 2 days. So could it have been a combination of the new diet and ditching sugar? I’m sure it was helping but it didn’t feel like the answer.

I have also re-committed to my fitness regime. But I didn’t start this until Wednesday night which was after I had noticed I was feeling better. So exercise isn’t my big answer. Although,  I have worked out 3 days in a row (2 of my BBG workouts and a boxing cardio class through work) without struggling to find motivation or energy. I was even motivated to start using my Fitbit again after boxing it up on the weekend. But I am part of a step challenge at work and being part of a group is keeping me motivated. Fit Tash is finally back!

So what else has changed? Well I did spend the weekend re-arranging furniture. The whole bedroom layout has changed. Could it be Feng Shui? Another possibility I am open to but don’t feel like it’s the big answer.

Then I remembered I had also started taking Legalon on Monday. I hadn’t even looked into what this was so I hopped onto their website (click the link to their website to download a free recipe ebook) and found that it’s a natural liver detox. I had originally thought the reason I was feeling better could be just as simple as the virus finally being out of my system and detoxing my liver would definitely help with that. This feels more like the ‘aha’ answer for me than a diet change but in all honesty I’m sure it is a combination of all the changes I have recently made to be the healthiest version of myself.

I guess the bigger question is why do I even feel the need to know why I am feeling better. All that matters is I feel like me again and I am back in the game! I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and if any of these changes are the answer then I’m just going to feel better and better.

I can live with that ;)