A New Direction

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Photo courtesy of USA Today

No, not the boy band. Definitely not the boy band.

What I mean by a new direction is a new direction for me and maybe for you.

Things have been super stressful for me for the last 5 months or so and they continue to be as my dad transitions from hospital to nursing home to home and then back to the hospital again. It has taken most of my time and energy.

I  finally began to see the wisdom of my own words and started taking care of myself, even before my dad’s needs.

It has helped tremendously and I want to share my experiences with you in the hopes that it might help you as well.

As you know, your ADHD symptoms can get much worse with stress or lifestyle changes. I have become more forgetful, to the point where someone asked me my last name, and it took me a few seconds to figure it out.

My brain fog got worse, and once I caught myself about to put a freshly made salad in the dishwasher. This was followed up when I put the extra lettuce away – in the recycling bin.

Obviously changes needed to be made and I was the one to do them.

I dropped anything that I could so that I had the energy to take care of myself and my dad. That included writing this blog.

I made some changes in our meals as well. I love to cook and believe in using only fresh ingredients, nothing packaged or prepared. Now I am relying on precooked chicken, instant potatoes, and instant rice in order to get some sort of meal on the table.

The biggest changes I made, however, were to the way I eat and the supplements I take.

When you are in stress mode, your adrenal glands can become overworked and it can eventually affect your thyroid. I am on medication for my thyroid, but felt that more needed to be done.

I regularly drink a citrus based drink with apple cider vinegar in it for my adrenals. It’s just a combination of lemons and limes, with stevia to sweeten, a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and water. Sometimes I add some turmeric too.

The apple cider vinegar (ACV) I use is unfiltered with the “mother” included. The mother is what starts the process of turning apple cider into vinegar and when it’s left in, it’s supposed to make the vinegar healthier.

ACV is good for cholesterol, weight loss, and controlling insulin levels. It’s also good for digestive issues and boosts energy.

Turmeric is a spice most often used in Indian cooking. It is an anti-inflammatory and powerful antioxidant. Turmeric boosts the neurotropic factor in your brain which boosts your brain function. It has shown to be effective in treating and possibly preventing heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimers, and it’s anti-inflamatory properties can help arthritis. Turmeric can also help with depression.

I knew about the health benefits of ACV before, but had never heard about turmeric.

Then I started reading about this new way of eating called Trim Healthy Mama. I spent a lot of time reading about this eating plan before I purchased the book because it was $31.50. It’s also quite long – almost 700 pages.

In the end, I decided to try it and I am so glad that I did!

I started this new way of eating on March 16 and as of today, little more than a month later, I have lost over 7 lbs and I feel so much better!

The plan can be overwhelming at first, but there are lots of resources to help you. Basically it boils down to 2 simple things: you alternate eating a Satisfying meal – one with good fat in it like real butter and cheese – to eating an Energizing meal – one with little fat. My favorite is some turkey slices in a lettuce leaf spread with some Laughing Cow cheese.

This keeps your metabolism switching from burning the fat that you eat to burning your body’s glucose for energy. It also keeps your blood sugar level.

There are only 2 thing you can’t have – potatoes and grapes. There are no counting calories or weighing your food. You need protein at each meal and you don’t eat a lot of carbs.

You can have low carb pasta, but not with fats. So if I make pasta, I’ll dress it simply with a small amount of butter or olive oil and then add garlic and parsley.

And if I want one of my favorites – Fettuccine Alfredo – I substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta and make the traditional Alfredo using cream and butter. I’m happy and it’s on plan.

I have a lot more to say about this plan, but enough for now.

If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, maybe give one of my drinks a try or make your own using ACV and/or some turmeric. You could even try adding turmeric to your meals if you like spicy food.

Don’t be like me and wait until you’re so tired you forget your last name. Start taking better care of yourself today!

 

Picture of Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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