Soyagera journey into healthier living

So, I’ve been lax in the blogging department. I took a trip to San Francisco to visit a friend who’s receiving some medical treatment there. Once I returned, I was still on California time and had developed a nice case of seasonal allergies. Read: my sleep schedule was off and I had zero energy, especially for blogging. I’m currently resting on my stomach with wet towels over the backs of my legs because I didn’t put sunscreen on them today and, you got it, I’ve got two long pepperoni sticks for legs. Since I’m indisposed, it’s a perfect time to type!

First things first: California. Ah….California. I got off the plane and there were FIVE recycling bins for disposables as soon as I exited the gate. That pretty much sums up CA. I had no problem finding veg options, there is ample recycling, and it’s clean and sunny. However, I was surprised that, as far as cities are concerned, I prefer New York to San Fran. The people in San Fran (and by people I mean the homeless, the cashiers, and the tourists) wanted to talk too much. When I go to a city, I want to disappear, be intent on where I’m going, not be bothered. In SF, everyone wants to converse, chit-chat, beg for change…. Goodness, I’m such an East Coast girl. (That experience will NOT stop me from eventually moving off the East Coast, though!)

Up second: allergies. I was getting the beginnings of some trouble before flying to CA. Apparently, the pollen was in full swing in SF, so I had an awful stuffy nose and post-nasal drip. By the time I arrived home, my throat was dry and scratchy from the plane and I developed the full-blown allergy symptoms a few days later: itchy eyes, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat. I don’t like taking drugs anymore, so I found something at our local organic market that is now my miracle cure: Buried Treasure Aller-Ease. We’ve used some Buried Treasure supplements before and they make quality products. This initially stinky liquid cured me of the sinus pressure I was having, and after the second day taking it, my allergy symptoms have disappeared. Glorious!

And, finally, sunburn. Sigh…. I haven’t tried any “natural” sunscreens yet, so I suppose that will be another post. I’ve read of a brand that makes biodegradable sunscreen that doesn’t destroy ocean vegetation. Hm, I’m thinking that wearing biodegradable sunscreen isn’t going to make a big impact when there’s literally sh*t floating in the ocean… . Anyway, today, I wore regular, traditional Coppertone and neglected to put it on my legs. My dermatologist warned me about my susceptibility to skin cancer, but after reading some research that skin cancer could have more to do with diet and less with the effects of the sun, I’m backing off on my use of the lotions and potions. Unfortunately, I’ve got a great pair of red legwarmers to show for it.  I’m sure I’ll continue to wear sunscreen to prevent burns (especially like the kind I got today), but what if skin cancer is simply the sun bringing to the surface all of the sugars, toxins, and free-radicals that the body can’t process [as per said research]? I like to think that by eating healthy and following a naturopath’s regime, I won’t have to totally slather myself with lab-produced chemicals.

But I’ll let you know how I feel after my next derm appointment.

Yeah, just try getting the song out of your head now.

Ah, Western medicine–it’s a topic I haven’t yet discussed on this blog. It’s bound to be a common one, though.

First, some backstory:
If you read the About section of this blog, you will read about how Hubs and I started a veg lifestyle due to some hereditary health issues Hubs has. To summarize,  his body doesn’t produce HDL (good) cholesterol, so in order to keep his cholesterol at a manageable and safe level, he has to severely limit his intake of ANY cholesterol, HDL or LDL. Years ago, his cardiologist told him to stop eating anything that contains cholesterol (read: animal products) which is why we went veg. In addition to a healthy diet Hubs was taking blood pressure meds, cholesterol-reducing meds (statins), niacin, and aspirin. Along the way, some anti-anxiety meds were prescribed. In an effort at brevity, I’m not going to go into a description of each med and its purpose.

At this point, I should also mention that I was chock-full-o’-drugs, too, taking birth control pills (since college) and anti-depressants.

 In recent months, Hubs and I decided that it was probably in our best interest to get off some meds. We visited a naturopath who helped get Hubs on the right path, and I just weaned myself off of my anti-depressants. (I had stopped taking my bcp earlier in the year.) Our experiences could be a book in themselves, so I think a listing technique might be best here. What we have experienced, thus far:

ME–after coming off of BCP
-Depression: My hormones were trying to get back to normal, and instead of letting it run its course, I went on anti-depressants. The meds weren’t hard to get; I asked my doc for some and he sent me away that day with samples. I no longer visit this doctor.

ME–after coming off anti-depressants
-Depression & Irritability: I was not horrible, but I wasn’t a great person to be around. Hubs commented, “I liked you better when you were on medication.” It took a number of weeks, vitamin supplements, and exercise, but I believe I am back to “normal.”  I feel as though I’m in the moment, I’m “me” again, and life is just jolly.

-Weight loss: Even at my “heaviest,” I was around 130 pounds. Now that I’m off all of the hormone-controlling meds, I’ve dropped back down to my natural weight of 120 pounds. This weight-loss prompted many comments about how “skinny” I looked, but really, I was just losing the bloating and fat that hung on due to meds.

Hubs has not had it so easy. A few examples:

Hubs on Niacin: extreme flushing of the face and upper chest. Hot flashes. Lower cholesterol, but not without physical discomfort.
Hubs on anti-anxiety meds: sent his heart racing so fast that he had a full-blown anxiety attack.
Hubs on Zoloft: chilled him out
Hubs coming off Zoloft: what he described as “zaps” in his brain; bouts of disconnectedness; fatigue; weight gain (all eventually faded after about 3 weeks)

He’s had a lifetime of trying new meds, trying to get the right combo, trying to do what’s best. Again, for sake of brevity, I’ll fast forward to today. Hubs went off of his cholesterol meds a few months ago. He’s been eating right, avoiding (for the most part) foods which raise bad cholesterol and intaking those that raise the good. He recently got bloodwork done and his cholesterol levels are high again!    Hubs was so frustrated, especially since most of his health decisions are based upon his own research. He felt like he had been doing a strict health regime for nothing and had spent time and effort on  research for no reason. We both immediately started researching his condition again but without a geneticist to explain some of the stuff, we’re burnt out.

So, this leaves us at an impasse. Does Hubs go back on cholesterol meds which lower his risk of heart attack but raise his risk of needing a liver transplant (plus all of the unknown variables)? Or does he continue as he has  been doing and hope for the best? His “regular” doctor said he should be taking meds since “all the research shows that’s what you should do.”  When Hubs replied, “but your research is done by the pharmaceutical companies. What about the research I’ve done that negates all that?,” the doc couldn’t respond.

For now, the decision is not to take meds and see another naturopath. We truly believe that healing can occur through food and natural remedies. Hubs has a hereditary (genetic) condition that can’t necessarily be fixed, but his chances of living a full life are much higher, we believe, through healthy diet, exercise, stress-relieving techniques, and love–lots of love

I generally don’t drink alcohol anymore. Everytime I do, it hits me hard and I have either a headache or a total lack of energy the next day. (And I’m not talking about getting blitzed here, people, I’m talking about 3 drinks max.)  So, it was out of the ordinary for me to get some wine tonight. The liquor store close to my parents’ home has an organic section, so I checked it out. I’ve had an organic Syrah from this store, but I honestly don’t remember the vintage. Tonight I found Yellow+Blue organic Malbec in an eco-friendly carton. The wine was smooth, with delicious notes of fruit, and had a quick but tasty finish. I had three glasses and felt buzzed for a brief amount of time, but not flagged like I would have been with any other wine. I’ll definitely buy it again! Hubs mentioned the fact that it can’t be very eco-friendly if it’s imported from Argentina. So true, Hubs, so true. But the packaging takes less energy to produce and ship than glass bottles and, like I said, the wine was great! For something I don’t buy often, I think it’s worthwhile. And I like their tagline: Yellow+Blue=Green!