11 Day Trial...

So, many of you know that I (Mandy) have terrible GI issues and many other health issues that I have seen many doctors, had many blood tests, and been hospitalized for. None of them could get to the bottom of anything even with a biopsy. I've been treated as if I have Celiacs Disease, but never confirmed. That is, however, what it looks like from the biopsy. I've been tested for Chron's and also diverticulitis among many others. You also may know that I have a terrible shoulder for which I have had Rotator Cuff surgery and see Dr. Michael Hatrak for maintenance of that darn thing. Anyways, sitting in his office I saw a pamphlet for one of the doctors in his practice (Synergy Release Sports), Dr. Cohl. I was skeptical of the medicine he practices, Applied Kinesiology, but the pamphlet was pretty informative of the success of weight loss that the fit doctors in the practice have achieved through avoiding the foods that they were allergic to and never knew that they were. (Well, it said other stuff, but being so far from my pre-pregnancy weight and gaining at this point, that was what was most appealing to me.)  I have a friend who had recently started seeing a homeopathic doctor and was spending in the thousands for her care, but I can't blame her, good health doesn't matter about the price. I was jealous honestly. I've struggled for so long not feeling well, I just wanted to be able to see a doctor like that too and get on my way to good health. Knowing the cost for doctors like this and seeing that this doctor was in the hundreds instead of the thousands, I began  talking about it with Coy, my parents, and grandmother. They knew that it was my goal to see this doctor and see if he could even begin to put each symptom together and give me an understanding as to what is going on with my health. So, today was the day.
If you're reading this, you probably already know that I'm not very good with details, much less scientific and medical details, but I'll try to explain it to you in the terms that I understood. Our body is made up of cells. :) Okay, now for some more true facts and more explanation of what Dr. Cohl said. The cells in our body all work together. If the cells in a specific organ are not healthy or working properly, (I think this is right, forgive me if I am wrong), when exposed to healthy cells from that organ, the muscular structure in your body will react by getting weaker... I think thats right. Anyways, none of these testings are invasive, but healthy cells are in this vial type tube, and when Dr. Cohl exposes you to these vials, it's like a radioactive signal in your body. As he is doing a resistance type test with your arm (or any muscle for that matter, but he used my right arm the whole time), if a specific organ has bad cells and good cells from that organ (in the vial) are placed on your tummy, you will fail the resistance test. It's nothing dramatic, but your arm will twitch. It's sooo mind boggling. I can't explain it much better than that, maybe there is a YouTube video of Applied Kinesiology. But, when he does the same test with food, there was a major twitch/failed resistance test with my muscles, and let me tell you, I now have a very limited diet for the next 11 days.
Now, with that being said, the organs that popped up showing that were not functioning properly will hopefully improve with me avoiding these specific foods for the next 11 days. If they improve, that's HUGE! I'm not sure if I will be able to resume eating those foods that are on the X list, but I sure hope so! If certain organs don't improve, then he has some major concentration on those organs and I will continue under his care doing herbal supplements and other type of things until those organs are in better shape. For example, my pancreas is not producing insulin correctly. So, for the time being, no more sugar. If, however, after these 11 days of sugar free my pancreas does improve, then he has a plan in place to help keep it in good shape. If it does not improve, then he has a plan in place as to how to help it improve and I may need to continue to cut sugar out. This may come to no surprise to you, but everything about my GI tract showed up not good. Surprise? No! Encouraging? YES!!! He then did a food test and was able to tell me what to avoid and I will be on my way to better health!!! Again, if certain parts of my intestines/stomach improve, then I will continue to avoid some foods while being allowed to eat others. Not only will this help me internally with my organs, but I will feel better too. I'm constantly nauseous, I haven't consistently slept through the night for the past 10 years. Since this summer I have not had a solid night sleep that I can remember without some sort of sleep aid. He was able to see that there was stress and emotional things going on in my life without me even saying a word about that. This man knows what he is doing and I am more than willing to get my health on track and get rid of the bad foods to my body. So, Thanksgiving Dinner? No, out of the question. Turkey? Yes, but pretty much no spices or sides :( Here's the list I have of good and bad foods, and I will update you once I see him Nov. 26 and let you know how my health has improved! I'll also let you know the weight loss :) I'm starting this food plan tomorrow. Today was my splurge day since I will be skipping Thanksgiving Dinner. I had 5 Cheese filled Pasta with chicken at Olive Garden with Salad and breadsticks :) YUM! And, diet coke with pumpkin cheesecake :) AMEN FOR SWEETS!!!

Foods I Can NOT Have:
All dyes (Food and Chemical Dyes), Acai Berry, Agave Nector, Apple, Eggplant, Avocado, Bakers Yeast, Baking Powder, Banana, Barley Pearl, Beef, BeetRoot, Bell Peppers, Black Current, Brazil Nuts, Brewer's Yeast, Brussels Sprout, Buckwheat, Butter, Squash, Candies, Caraway Seed, Cardamon, Carrot, Cashew Nuts, Cayenne Pepper, Cow Cheese, Goat Cheese, Vegetarian Cheese, Chickpea, Chili Peppers, CHOCOLATE, Cocoa, Cocoa Butter, Cacao, COFFEE, Corn, Corn Flour, Cow Yogurt, Crab, Crayfish, Cucumber, Cumin, Egg, Quail Egg, Fig, Gluten, Goat's Milk, Goji Berry, Grape, Guarana, Ham, Hazelnut, Honey, Manuca Honey, Hops, Kiwi, Kumquat, Okra, LEMON, Lentil, Lobster, Maca Powder, Malt, Malt Vinegar, Mango, Cow's Milk, Molasses, Mushrooms, Mussels, Mustard, Nutmeg, Oat, Organic Oats, Olives, Oregano, Oyster, Paprika, Pecan, Peach, Peanuts, Pear, Pine Nuts, Pistachio Nuts, Pomegranate, Poppy Seed, Pork, Potato, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Rhubarb, White Rice, Arugula, Rosemary, Rye, Saffron, Scallops, Sesame Seed, Soy, Spelt Flower, Star Anise, Strawberry, Beets Sugar, Cane Sugar, WHITE SUGAR!!!!, Sunflower Seed, Thyme, Tofu, Tomato, Tumeric, Venison (No more Bambi dinners...shux), Walnut, Watermelon, Unbleached Organic Wheat, White Bleached Wheat, White Self Rising Wheat, Wholemeal Wheat, Xylitol, Casein, Jalapeno Pepper, Tea, Food Additives, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Cochineal Red, Red 2G, Patent Blue V, Indigo, Brilliant Blue, Green S, Black PN, Brown FK, Brown HT, BHA/BHT, Citric Acid, MSG, Aspartame, Saccharin/Splenda, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Nitrites, Nitrates, Ascorbic Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, and Sorbitol.

Now...What can I actually eat? Well, I can still eat Almond, Anchovy, Apricot, Asparagus, Barley Grass, Basil, Bay Leaf, Bee Pollen, Black Berry, Blueberry, Broad Bean (Whatever that is), Broccoli, Cabbage, Cape Gooseberry, Star Fruit, Carob, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Sheep Cheese, Cherry, Chestnut, Chicken, Chives, Chorella, Cinnamon, Clementine, Cloves, Coconut, Coconut Oil, Cod, Coriander, Zucchini, Cranberry, Date, Dill, Duck, Durian, Endive, Fennel, Melon, Garlic, Ginger, Artichoke, Glucose, Gooseberry, Grapefruit, Greenage, Haddock, Halibut, Hemp Protein, Hemp Seed, Horseradish, Jerusalem, John Dory, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Lamb, Lambs Lettuce, Leek, Lemongrass, Lettuce, Lime, Lineseed, Loganberry, Raw Lucuma, Macadamia Nuts, Mace, Brine Mackerel, Manderin, Maple Syrup, Marjoram, Marrow, Mesquite, Millet, Mint, Monk Fish, Nopal Cactus, Olive Oil, Onion, Orange, Bak Choi, Paw Paw, Parsley, Parsnip, Passion Fruit, Peas, Black Pepper, Pilchard, Pineapple, Plaice, Plum, Pollock, Prawns, Propolis, Quinoa, Raddichio, Radish, Red Cabbage, Red Currant, Red Mullet, Brown Rice, Royal Jelly, Runner Beans, Sage, Salmon, Sardines, Satsuma, Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Sheep Milk, Organic Sheep Milk, Sorrel, Spinach, Spirulina, Squid, Sultana, Sweet Potato, Tangerine, Tarragon, Trout, Tuna, Turkey, White Vinegar, Watercress, Wheatgrass, Yacon Syrup, Yams, Lima Bean, Navy Bean, Tantrazine, Carmosine, Amaranth, Erythrosine, Beta Carotene, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Metabisul, Malic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tantaric Acid, Sodium Carboxy, Sodium Bicarb, Dimethyl, Vanillin, Wood Distillate, Curcumin E100, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Hydrogen, Acetic Acid, Lactic Acid, Lecithin, Alginic Acid, Sodium Alginate, Carrageenan, Locust Bean, Gum Acacia, Pectin, Sorbitan Mono, and Carnuba Wax.

Okay, Notice that all starches and sugars are out of the question. This will be a task in itself trying to plan a meal. So here's to 11 days of this trial run to see what improves in my body. Those foods that I can have barely make a meal, but there are plenty of proteins and vegetables in there that I can have.  The body aches, headaches, sleeplessness, sore throats, mood swings, bloating, digestive issues, nausea, and stomach cramps. If any of those are resolved with this, that would be completely worth it. After these 11 days I will know which foods I can add back into my diet. It's a little overwhelming looking at the good and bad food lists, but I am so thankful that God has allowed doctors like Dr. Cohl to be able to help people like me have better health :)

New to this....again

So, I tried making a blog back in December and I was kind of successful. I'm pretty sure that I had to have my dear friend Kari set it up for me or something like that. I'm interested in blogging now because there is so much that I am learning as a new mom and also as a new wife (I mean, we still haven't even been married a year and a half yet!). Coy and I have learned so much as new parents and how our relationship with each other needs to continually reflect God's grace that has been shown to us. Right now we are living with my parents and that has been an interesting journey. We are so thankful for this opportunity, but we are very ready to move out to where ever the Lord takes us. Currently we are looking for jobs. He is with an amazing company but our goal is to get to FL sooner than later. The cost of living is much cheaper and child care is free when I need to work (thanks Kim!). We came to Alpharetta thinking that we could find better jobs than in Melbourne, but it hasn't proven to be too true as of yet. Coy does have a great job, but the pay isn't hot, and I am having a hard time finding a job that doesn't require a specific degree and isn't retail or in the food business. However, we are finding that as I apply to jobs in FL, that market isn't great either. As a couple we are still learning how to pray for each other and how to study the Bible together, but this task of figuring out finances and adjusting to life with a baby as parents has brought us closer together. Ideally, I would be a stay at home wife and mom forever. But, as Coy goes through school, I am going to need to work also so that bills can be paid unless he lands a great paying job or we are somehow blessed financially. We're really learning patience and how to rely on God's timing and not our own. If it were up to us, we would have packed up weeks ago and headed south. But, it's up to God and we're waiting on his timing. We know that leaving just this second wouldn't be wise, and perhaps he has plans for us in GA. But, one thing is for sure and it is that Coy and I are growing together in this journey. It's very stressful at times, and that's when we sit back and kind of laugh at ourselves because we know that ultimately, it's not up to us or our timing. I was glad to hear that from Coy last night as we were talking about it. He said that he feels less stressed because he can only let God be in control of this situation and it's challenging him to grow spiritually. I'm glad to know that it's not just me being challenged because sometimes it's overwhelming to think that we may be living with my parents for awhile longer. It does have it's perks though! Free rent, free babysitting when my mom isn't working, and learning how to be creative with storage when living in the same room as your baby. There have been ups and downs that we have faced, but I wouldn't change where Coy and I are at in our marriage for anything. We definitely have become stronger as a team and grown closer together in our marriage than I think we would have had we not been faced with so many changes all at once. Having a baby, moving states, both of us being out of work, and not having our own place to live will probably never be forgotten when I think back to this past summer, but I am thankful for each challenge that we have overcome in these past couple of months. Kayleigh has been an amazing baby and hardly ever cries. I can maybe count on two hands, maybe one, how many times that she has had a melt down. God knew what he was doing when he blessed us with such an easy baby. I don't think that so many transitions in our lives this summer would have gone so smoothly had we had a fussier baby. Who knows, we probably would have been fine. Kayleigh started sleeping through the night at 2 months and I couldn't be happier to have such a good sleeper. She even lets me sleep in until 10am most mornings. God's timing has been perfect so far in our marriage, and we are confident that he will direct us to where he will have us go next. We're ready for FL, but if he has us stay in GA, we can handle that too :) Although, I'm pretty sure we were talking about packing up for another country the other day. That'd be a blast. I guess I really just felt like re-starting up our blog because there is so much going on in our lives and it's a great and easy way to keep friends (especially far away ones like Angela, Kari, and Nicci) updated :)
I have no idea how to finish this, or make it public, so I'll do my best to share it. And if it doesn't work, then I guess it's great that I wrote it to myself at least. Haha, goodnight.