Diet, Supplements, and Lumbar Stabilization

Since about two months before my daughter’s passing, I began experiencing pains throughout my body. I was experiencing a stabbing pain in my left bicep and my left shoulder was losing quite a bit of its range of motion. I laughed with Tara’s oncologist and said I was having sympathy pains for Tara because Tara also had very little mobility in the opposite shoulder. Then, I began having heel pain in both feet. I thought this was due to wearing less than decent shoes. I am always sore in my lumbar area but my right knee and right hip became very painful, seemingly out of nowhere. Now I knew this was more than sympathy pains. I’ve always had some pain in my lower back and never thought much about it. I was a little surprised to say the least when the chiropractor informed me of the fracture they found. (The MRI is scheduled. I will let you know when I get the results.) I’m not too worried since I believe it to be something from high school gymnastics, however, I did recently fall on my bike. They want to make sure it’s nothing recent.

Diet, or lifestyle if you prefer, is crucial to our wellbeing. This can literally make you or break you. We all seem to struggle with this in one form or another. My diet had strayed to say the least, and I had gained 30 pounds back over the course of the past two years. (I blame it on the hospital foods as much as I can.) In all actuality, I was/am consuming more carbohydrates than my body can handle. I am an emotional eater and I know this. Carbs and sugars just stick to me. None-the-less, grieving is far greater an emotion that I thought it would be. I’m not usually gluten sensitive but grief (as a strong emotion) is sending an inflammatory response that is bringing my immune system to an uproar! Here’s what I’m doing to bring me back to feeling good again.

Firstly, to get me focused on my health, I perfect what I’m eating. I favor the ketogenic diet – modified version, because for me, I feel good while on it. I pulled out all grains (breads and pastas) as well as some dairy. I say ketogenic but I also mean carb limited. I remove as much of the bad carbs like breads, pastas, cakes and sugars, as well as dairy. (I do eat cheeses though.) I eat mostly salads and  veggies of all kinds, lean, grass-fed, organic meats with lots of healthy fats like avocados, coconut oil, nuts and seeds. (I’ve been told I have the softest hair. I credit all the oils.) I also eat tomato-based foods and fruit, and that’s really not keto. I do what’s called carb-cycling. Every couple of days, I include carb meals that usually contain sprouted grain breads and/or potatoes. I do this because I do not have my gallbladder and it’s harder for me to process so much of the high fats. Now I’ve been called some carnivorous names by some people in the past who think I’m strictly for eating meat. I’m actually not. I was vegetarian with my daughter Tara for a number of months while she was fighting her cancer naturally. When the cancer grew bigger, we tightened up the reigns and went full-on vegan for about another six months. We were very disciplined and were quite good at it, as hard of a diet as it is. We did not feel well at all on this plan and when the cancer grew even bigger still, we went to another doctor to have her blood tested. It showed she couldn’t maintain her red blood cells, (the oxygen carrying cells), nor her protein levels by eating plants alone. She needed meat. We were quickly put onto the ketogenic diet and we instantly improved. (I say we because Tara and I literally did everything together.)  Therefore, my suggestion, especially as a health coach, is to choose a lifestyle of eating that you feel good on. Otherwise, the diet just becomes another fad diet that you probably won’t stick to. Make sense?

Secondly, I take supplements to support my eating. Of course, I take the usual multi vitamin, vitamin D3 and so on. I’ll get into what supplements I take on a daily basis in a separate post. For now, I’ll just mention what I added to my daily routine in order to help me heal. I naturally think of glucosamine when it comes to healing joints and the like. Just FYI, my father-in-law used glucosamine for a year or so and actually grew back cartilage on his knees! It really does work! I use a product from Vimerson Health called Glucosamine Chondroitin Turmeric & MSM Boswellia. It’s an all-natural product that’s GMO-free. (Read the product label for a great description of what it does, but essentially, all the compounds promote and restore greater joint health and mobility.) I take three pills daily. For the first two weeks, I took a double dose according to the instructions on the bottle. I feel it helped quite a bit. Another one of my favorite go-to’s for inflammation and building the immune system is oil of oregano. I use Nature’s Answer Softgels. I take two daily. Finally, I added a stronger probiotic than what I normally take to help me settle down the inflammatory response in my gut. I use Garden of Life formulas that have at least 16 probiotic strains. (A good probiotic will have at least 10.)

Lastly, I began treating with chiropractic’s. Functional medicine has always been one of my favorite ways of addressing health issues naturally because it gets to the root cause. I’m getting chiropractic adjustments, massages, ultrasound therapy, electric stimulation therapy, physical therapy and stretching, to name a few. I’m also receiving education along with these therapies, to help me have better outcomes on my own. I’ve already regained some range of motion in my shoulder, and my knee and heel pain have decreased significantly! My body is able to hold my adjustments well, to which I give credit to doing those at home therapies. The massages help me to relax and bring back good energy while all the knots in my muscles are worked out.

Spinal stabilization muscles are extremely important in the role of stability and overall health of our backs. I feel like for those of us whose jobs require us to sit at a desk all day, need more of these strengthening exercises more than ever. Thankfully, there’s a lot we can do. (Check out the video I posted for many of the stabilization exercises I do.) I also love using my chiropractic "wobble seat". Dr. Angela Baxter of Alternative Health Care here in Herrin, Illinois, has stated how important it is to include physical therapy and muscle training because muscles have muscle memory, and that helps to draw out the body’s own natural healing abilities. If you’re reading this and you say, “Well I play sports a few times a week and I don’t have an injury.” This is just as important to you folks as well, as all this treatment works to prevent injuries too.

Even though these symptoms that I have, could have been caused by other things, it’s my opinion that grieving has exacerbated all of them. My entire body is in pain. I’m on the road to recovery, naturally. Even if you’re not able to get to a chiropractor, you can do many of these things on your own to support your own health. Inspire to live healthier!  

I am not a doctor, a chemist, nor a dermatologist. I am only a mom, sharing my opinion of life experiences and what I was taught in the AFPA certification program, who wants to provide a more natural and healthy lifestyle for my family and others. The information contained on the Honey Hill Naturals or blog websites is provided for informational purposes only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified health care practitioner. The information available on or through the Honey Hill Naturals newsletters, or (including, but not limited to, information that may be provided by writers, editors, healthcare and/or nutrition professionals employed by, or contracting with, Honey Hill Naturals and / or their associates), is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or prescribe medication. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements or ailments on any of the above sites or newsletters, may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America.