Digestive issues

So I have been taking Digestimax for 2 whole days now, and today I experienced some sharp pains in my lower intestinal region, meaning a quick dash to the bathroom.  I have also noticed that my urine, while being very pale in colour (drinking plenty of water!) has been a bit strong smelling.  I have also been passing quite a bit of wind today. 

I don't know if any of this is related to the Digestimax though so I won't draw any conclusions just yet, this is just a post to note some observations.

Easily pleased!

I am so excited to say that my supplements arrived today!  See, I'm easily pleased.

I was actually starting to worry that my order had been lost in the system, even though I had ordered online and the payment had already been taken from my bank account.  I sent an email to the company and they responded within a couple of hours to let me know that the order had been despatched a few days ago and it may take another week to arrive as it was going by 2nd class post.

I was offered some free samples of the Digestimax just to start me off until my parcel arrived, only for the postman to knock on my door a few hours later.

So my daily protocol now will be:

Morning

1 x Digestimax
1 x Omega 3 fish oil
2 x I3C/DIM


Daytime

1 x Omega 3
1 x Digestimax


Evening

1 x Omega 3
1 x Digestimax


I may increase the I3C/DIM by taking 2 in the evening as well, but I don't want to overload myself too soon.  I think I will give it another week to two before adding more.

Serratiopeptidase

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/undergroundwellness/2012/06/22/the-diet-cure-2012-with-julia-ross

Sean and his guest speaker Julia Ross (author of The Diet Cure)  had a question from a caller whose wife's menstrual cramps were so severe she could barely move.  Julia suggested investigations for the possibility of Endometriosis.  She also mentioned a product that she highly recommends as being very effective for relieving menstrual pain, the active ingredient is a proteolytic enzyme called Serratiopeptidase.

Serratiopeptidase acts on endometrial tissue, fibroid tumours, scar tissue.  There are several brands available online such as Vitalzym, Exclzyme and more commonly Serrapeptase.

This product has also been mentioned by Melissa on her blog Cure Endometriosis.  Melissa has been trialling the Vitalzym and she talks about it on Youtube as well as on her blog.

If you want to try a Serratiopeptidase product, it is important to find one that has an enteric coating.  Basically, the enteric coating is designed to control the location in the digestive system where the medication inside the tablet is absorbed.  If the tablet breaks down in the stomach it can cause great discomfort for many people.

Inflammation

I have been listening to a BlogTalkRadio discussion about Inflammation and its direct links to PCOS.

You can listen to the recording for free HERE.

PCOS promotes inflammation and causes vicious cycles within the body. Inflammation worsens many of the PCOS symptoms, and should be reversed to help restore balance and optimal health.
What I learned from this discussion: 
Oxidation is a normal process in the human body - any time we burn a calorie, think a thought, regulate our blood sugar, we are oxidising resources in our bodies to carry out those processes.  The easiest way to understand the concept of oxidation is to imagine rust on a car.  If unchecked, the rust gets out of control and creates large holes in the body of the car doesn't it? 

Inflammation is an immunological response to stress, imbalances and infections in the body so it is a natural thing and MOST of the time, it is good for us!

In the human body, oxidation occurs all the time but when oxidation exceeds what the body can keep up with and repair, this causes inflammation.  Our bodies are being asked to be in constant repair mode, instead of being able to rest.

Some conditions that arise out of inflammation might be:

• elevated levels of C Reactive Protein
• bowel disorders such as IBS
• asthma
• heart disease
• depression
• insomnia
• migraine headaches
• arthritis
• fibromyalgia

Omega 3 fatty acid is really important for repairing the oxidative stress.  Research has found that taking fish oil (or marine algae for vegans) also reduces sugar cravings.  Monica Woolsey, the founder of InCYST and the guest on the programme, recommends we take 1000mg of fish oil each day.

Often the symptoms of PCOS are downstream from the real problems upstream, so if we fix the problem upstream then we don't have to waste so much money on supplements and treatments.

Lack of sleep increases inflammation in our bodies.  Sleep is one of the most important parts of our day because that is when our bodies go into repair mode
Practice sleep hygiene to help your body wind down and prepare for a good night's sleep:

• change out of work clothes into loose, comfortable clothing as soon as you get home (I love doing this!  My favourite thing to wear is a light jumper/sweater and a pair of cotton yoga pants)
• a cup of calming tea such as chamomile
• take a bath
• walk the dog
• turn down lights close to bedtime
• avoid using electronic devices after 9pm
• listening to calming music
• an evening snack of at least 8 grams of protein

Vitamin D is a really, really important nutrient to get into our bodies.  Mushrooms are a wonderful source of this, as well as coconut milk, but sunlight is the best source and it is also FREE!
Gluten - if you aren't gluten insensitive and you cut it out of your diet, you could actually CREATE a sensitivity to it, so it is best to get tested for any existing sensitivities first.

I urge you to listen to the broadcast yourself because you may hear something mentioned which I haven't summarized above.

Almond Milk

I have been experimenting with making my own Almond Milk at home. My inspiration was a Youtube video that demonstrates just how easy it is to make:



Karen doesn't soak her almonds before making the milk, basically just to demonstrate how easy it is to do and not put beginners off from trying it out.

I have made 3 batches of almond milk, the first time was without dates and it was a bit too bitter for my liking!

So the 2nd and 3rd batches were made with dates and I have to say they were much more palatable but still with that bitter edge.  Friends of mine on a health forum have recommended soaking the almonds to leach the bitterness out so that is what I plan to do.

Ok, so why almond milk?

I have read many blogs, health articles and Tweets that recommend PCOS & Endo sufferers eliminate dairy foods from their diet due to the inflammatory effects.  I will do another post on inflammation shortly as I have learned a few very interesting things about inflammation recently that are directly related to PCOS (and no doubt they will apply to Endo too!)

A few facts about the nutritional benefits of Almonds that I copied from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almonds (anything underlined has been underlined by me, just to help you):

Almonds contain approximately 49% oils, of which 62% is monounsaturated oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), 24% is linoleic acid (a polyunsaturated omega-6 essential fatty acid), and 6% is palmitic acid (a saturated fatty acid).

The almond contains about 26% carbohydrates (12% dietary fiber, 6.3% sugars, 0.7% starch and the rest miscellaneous carbohydrates.

Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E, containing 26 mg per 100g. About 20 percent of raw almond is high quality protein, a third of which are essential amino acids.

They are also rich in fibre, B vitamins, essential minerals and monounsaturated fat , one of the two fats which potentially may lower LDL cholesterol.

Typical of nuts and seeds, almonds also contain phytosterols, associated with cholesterol-lowering properties.

Preliminary research associates consumption of almonds with elevating blood levels of high density lipoproteins and lowering low density lipoproteins.

A preliminary trial showed that, in spite of the high fat content of almonds, using them in the daily diet might lower several factors associated with heart disease, including cholesterol and blood lipids.

Almonds contain polyphenols in their skins consisting in a combination of flavonols, flavan-3-ols, hydroxybenzoic acids and flavanones analogous to those of certain fruits and vegetables.

Quick update

I haven't got into the full swing of doing the GM just yet.

I am currently re-reading the book and taking lots of notes which is great because there were things in there that I had forgotten about, especially the Non-Physical Causes of Obesity.  I will write about these in another post.

At the moment I am currently waiting on a delivery of Omega 3 fish oil, Digestimax enzymes and 500g of raw almonds to make more almond milk.

Today I ordered some organic sprouting seeds - Alfalfa, Broccoli, Chickpea and Quinoa - and 2 sprouting jars!  I am really looking forward to adding fresh, homegrown sprouts to my salads and green smoothies in a couple of weeks.

Weighing in

So today I weighed myself for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long.

93.8kg

I had a feeling I was tipping the 90kg mark, but didn't think I was that heavy.

Oh well, I'm not going to get myself all tied up in knots over a number!  All it does is give me a reference point so I can track my progress.  The real proof is going to be how many dress sizes I can drop.

Onwards and upwards!  Or should that be downwards?

Cravings

Although I joined the GM website yesterday, I have actually been implementing some of Jon's recommendations for a week or two.  All I have basically been doing is adding protein (whey powder) and two generous spoonfuls of chia seeds (Omega 3) to my cereal each morning.

I have also been experimenting with almond milk, I made a batch last week but really didn't like the taste, so I made a new batch this morning but this time I added a couple of Medjella dates to give it a bit of sweetness.  The dates make the almond milk much more palatable!

Then for a midday snack (I didn't feel like eating a whole meal) I had a piece of toast (wholemeal, home baked and without all those nasty additives like the supermarket stuff!) with peanut butter (protein), a nectarine (live food!) and a couple of handfuls of pistachio nuts.

Dinner was a home made mushroom lasagne which was really tasty (and surprisingly, my husband really enjoyed - I really didn't think he'd like it!).  Should have had a salad with it but we'd just thrown out a heap of out-of-date food so lettuce on its own is pretty bland.

Oh and the other thing I did today was make sure I drank lots of water with a squeeze of lemon juice.

The most remarkable thing about today was that I didn't have any real cravings for chocolate.  Normally, if I opened a bag of Crunchie Rocks, I'd want to scoff the whole lot in one sitting.  Instead, I had just a few then put the bag back in the fridge.  VICTORY!!!

Tomorrow I am back at work for a day, then I have 2 weeks off to dedicate to looking after myself and reading the GM book again, checking out the forums and start whipping up some delicious recipes.

Spiritual practice

I was listening to an audio class today and heard this great quote:

"My spiritual practice is to not abandon my body."

It had a profound impact on me straight away.  I'm sure you've heard that saying before "My body is my temple"?  I always thought it was just a cliche drummed up by some hippy vegans, but it's actually very wise and very true.

So my new spiritual practice is to really take care of my body and start making more of an emphasis on what it NEEDS.  I still have crazy cravings for chocolate and cakes because it is early days yet, I've only just begun the GM program so I'm not going to make drastic changes straight away.  If I have a binge on crisps or chocolate, so be it, I am not going to beat myself up for it, it's just my body's way of telling me that it doesn't feel safe.

The Gabriel Method

I had first heard of The Gabriel Method (GM) in 2009 via a blog post by a naturopath who I used to see in Australia.  So I checked out the website and was just awestruck by the results people had been achieving.  I ordered the book off Amazon, joined the support forums (they used to be free to join but now you need to join as a paying member to be able to access them) and started applying as much as I could straight away.

Over 3-4 months I lost a considerable amount of weight, I am guessing it was at least a dress size but I will never know for sure as I never weighed myself, I only used a measuring tape once a month. 

And then things turned really bad in my marriage, my husband was suffering from depression and it seemed like our marriage was going to fall apart.  I totally lost my momentum with the GM, the weight piled back on and I didn't cope well at all.

I can happily say now that my marriage is getting stronger and stronger by the day, however my health issues seem to be getting worse and worse every cycle, so now is a really crucial time to be doing something about it.

So today I joined the GM Support Group and am really excited to be starting it again.  This has to work for me, I am going to be 40 in a couple of years and I want to have at least one baby before then.

I3C and DIM

I have decided to try taking a DIM/I3C supplement to try to combat my excess oestrogen issues which are responsible for many of my PCOS symptoms.... and probably also responsible for my miscarriages.

So here's a little bit of information I found online about DIM/I3C:

Indol-3-Carbinol (I3C) is produced by the breakdown of an organic compound found to occur naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale. When digested, a compound called Diindolylmethane (or DIM) is derived.

DIM works by stimulating efficient oestrogen metabolism

DIM increases the specific aerobic metabolism for oestrogen, multiplying the chance for oestrogen to be broken down into its beneficial, or "good" oestrogen metabolites. These "good"oestrogen metabolites are known as the 2-hydroxy oestrogens. Many of the benefits that are attributed to oestrogen, which include its ability to protect the heart and brain with its antioxidant activity, are now known to come from these "good" metabolites.

When DIM increases the "good" oestrogen metabolites, there is a simultaneous reduction in the levels of undesirable or "bad" oestrogen metabolites. These include the 16-hydroxy oestrogens, which are not antioxidants and can actually cause cancer. Greater production of these "bad" oestrogen metabolites is promoted by obesity and exposure to a number of manmade environmental chemicals.

These "bad" oestrogen metabolites are responsible for many of oestrogen's undesirable actions in women and men, including further unwanted weight gain, breast cancer, and uterine cancer.

Here is an informative website about cruciferous vegetables and oestrogen metabolism.

Today my supplements arrived so I will start taking them tomorrow, then I'll post the results when a new cycle starts.  Hopefully it will have had a positive effect on reducing the thickness of my uterine lining and I won't get such a heavy bleed.

Medical disclosure

I got called into a meeting at work today with the HR manager because she is concerned about my work attendance (I have been absent 3 days in the last 5 months).  Only one of these absences was due to symptoms related to PCOS (one day was due to a migraine, NOT related to PCOS, and the other was for something else... can't remember why now?). 

When my supervisor (lovely, lovely sympathetic lady who I adore!) explained to the HR manager that I had flooded my clothes on my way to work and had to turn around and go home, and that the flooding was due to having PCOS, the HR manager gave me a stern look and asked me why I hadn't disclosed on my medical forms that I have PCOS???

Since when is a woman REQUIRED to disclose the fact that she has PCOS, or any other gynaecological condition, to her employer?

I didn't deliberately withhold the information, I just didn't consider PCOS to be a "medical condition" worthy of disclosing to anyone other than a medical practitioner because it is something I have had for so long that it is just a part of my life.

I have never had to lose a day off work in my life due to PCOS issues until last week.

Should I say something to my supervisor about how uncomfortable I feel about the meeting with the HR Manager today?

**EDIT**

I spoke to my supervisor about a week or two later and told her how uncomfortable I felt during the meeting, she told me not to worry about it, that is just the HR Manager's way.  My supervisor thinks the HR Manager is making a huge issue out of nothing.  She suggested that I get a letter from my local Dr and give it to the HR dept to add to my employee records so that if I have any more absences from work due to my PCOS issues later down the track I will be covered and I won't be disciplined for taking so much time off work.  Sheesh!  I have never known a company to be so militant about people having a genuine medical condition. 

Anovulation

Anovulation is the term used to describe cycles where you can bleed for weeks or months without relief (or you just may not bleed at all). This means that your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs, the lining of your uterus (endometrium) continues to build and build until it reaches critical mass then it starts to shed on its own.

Please don't do what I did and just let this go on and on, see your GP or ob/gyn as soon as you have been bleeding for longer than 5-7 days. He/she will probably prescribe a drug called Norethisterone which you take for 5 days, this stops the bleeding then you will have a super heavy period (my Dr called it a "chemical curette"). After that you may be sent for blood tests 2-3 weeks later to see if you have been able to ovulate. If you haven't, the Dr or ob/gyn may prescribe Clomid or another fertility treatment to induce ovulation.

In my experience, I can recall two occasions in my life when I was anovulatory.  The first happened when I was about 20-21 years old and my GP prescribed the Pill which he deemed was the cure-all rather than trying to find out what was causing my problems.  I just obediently took the prescription and started using the Pill without question.

If only I had someone tell me what would then happen to my body!  My weight ballooned by about 20kg (45lb?) and that's when all the facial hair began to sprout.

The second occasion when I became anovulatory was in early 2005, at age 30. 

Because I had suffered a stroke in November 2004 the Dr was extremely reluctant to prescribe anything so I put up with the bleeding for about 6 months before saying enough's enough and started demanding answers.  Mr J and I were also wanting to start trying for a baby but how on earth was this going to be possible with all this bleeding going on?

I saw an ob/gyn who sent me for a blood test, prescribed Norethisterone and ordered another blood test for cycle day (CD) 21.  He also sent me off for an ultrasound to check my ovaries, and this showed the classic "string of pearls" - a chain of cysts on my ovaries where the follices had developed but the eggs were never released.

The CD21 blood test proved that I was not ovulating spontaneously, so that was when I began my journey with Clomid.

Flooding

Today has to be one of the worst days I've had in a long time.  It is day 3 of a new cycle and super heavy.

I woke a few times during the night because I had to go to the bathroom, there wasn't a great deal of pain, just discomfort and heavy bleeding with clots.

So I got up this morning for work and actually left a little earlier than usual as I needed to stop at the supermarket on the way to get some cash out and buy something for lunch.  As I stepped out of the car I felt that all too familiar gush as a series of large blood clots moved from my uterus and past my cervix.  I walked as calmly and gingerly as possible into the supermarket and found the ladies' toilets.  My pad was soaked through and my trousers (dark blue, thankfully) were covered in blood.

I had to phone my supervisor at work and tell her what happened and that I couldn't come into work.  She was most sympathetic as this had also happened the previous cycle while I was at work and she had sent me home.  While talking to her today I was crying, partly because I am still fairly new at my job and I don't want to be fired for losing time off work, and partly because each time this happens it is embarrassing and upsetting, it is another reminder of my fertility issues, my miscarriages, my advanced maternal age (37) and how useless and incompetent I feel.

My supervisor kindly reassured me that I am not going to lose my job and she told me to go home and rest.  I am so lucky to have her and not some unsympathetic old man!

So I drove home and as I was walking from the car to the house, I flooded my pad AGAIN.  It has never happened in such quick succession before which has really frightened me.  Why is this happening so often?

Tomorrow I will try to see a Dr and find out what he/she can do to help temporarily.  After that I think it's time to sit down and write out a plan of action to help get my menstrual issues under control.  One of the main antagonists is probably my excess weight so that really needs to be addressed first.  I have an idea in my head, it is a combination of weight loss methods which I am going to tailor for my personal situation.

Stay tuned and thanks for reading this far.

xo B