At the beginning of the year (OK, February, because welcome to my disorganized life) I chose “health” as my word of the year. If you’ve been reading Carrots for awhile, you know that I really struggle with morning sickness/hyperemesis gravidarum and to be honest, I have a generally crummy immune system that leaves me with tonsilitis anytime I get exhausted or fall into poor eating habits (particularly in the sugar department).
So, I really have made an effort now that Baby Gwen is sleeping through the night (angels are singing!) to force myself out of survival mode into focusing on my health. I’ve done OK on some of my efforts, but I’ve got a ways to go. (And the exciting stuff about our book is at the bottom of the post, so if you’re thinking, “blah blah blah about your health resolutions, Haley” then just get scrolling to the end!) 😉
This year so far:
- No tonsilitis requiring antibiotics since January (yay!).
- Working with my chiropracter to take supplements that help boost my immune system (super strength garlic pills have helped knock out an infection when I start to feel my tonsils getting sick)
- Investigating vitamin deficiency and working to replenish vitamins and minerals after two close pregnancies (My MD had me take a blood test and discovered I’m Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is important for processing B vitamins and magnesium, both of which are crucial for combating bad morning sickness.)
- Getting enough sleep. 7ish hours a night now that Gwen is sleeping past 4am (YAY!) ain’t so bad.
- Sugar……Yikes. Ok, so I was so good during Lent because I only had sweets on Sundays. But then I went a little nuts with the sugar and I need to break the habit. Also, sugar can interfere with Vitamin D getting processed in your body. So, I’m looking into doing a Whole30 to really get out of the sugar cycle, but more on that later.
- Meal Planning; We’ve done way better with meal planning, especially now that I can handle the three kids in the grocery store (Trader Joe’s I love you, but my ankles hate your “Jr. customer” carts with a holy passion.)
- Exercise: I’m not teaching ballet this year and I just can’t fit in an exercise class like pilates or spin or something that requires child care while I do it. But, I did start doing a cardio workout DVD TurboFire. I have completely failed at working out daily, but a couple times a week is better than nothing. And I want to commit to one month of working out 6 days a week. I’ve never been one to prioritize exercise. I loved being a ballerina through high school but after that I haven’t found something I love. Running is not an option because…..hate every second of it. But I have noticed that I feel better and have more energy when I consistently do the TurboFire DVDs. I said to Daniel (who does things like run 100 mile races), “I think I actually feel better when I work out….is that a thing?” From the look he gave me, I deduce that it apparently is a thing. Who knew? 😉
So here’s what I’m gonna do to jump into the last part of the year:
Do a Whole30* to kick my sugar addiction to the curb. l would love to be one of those people who can eat sweets in moderation. I am not one of those people. I am a should-I-finish-one-sleeve-of-OREOs-or-two-sleeves-in-a-sitting kind of person. So, I need to go cold turkey before figuring out a middle ground (I think it will be something similar to what I was doing in Lent. No sweets during the week, but make a special dessert on Sundays because Sunday!)
Anybody want to be in a FB Whole30 group with me so I have some accountability when I feel like I’ll die if I don’t have cream in my coffee? I was thinking we could start August 29th and be done by Michaelmas on Sept. 29th! I tried doing one last fall but Gwen was still exclusively breastfed and my milk supply was taking a hit, so I quit halfway through.
*Whole30 is 30 days of non-processed foods, tons of vegetables, protein, and some fruit. No grains, dairy, or sugar (which is important for me because I think I’ve got some intolerances going on with gluten and dairy.)
Coming Soon! (Wanna Get Our Ebook and more for Free?)
And heads up, if you’re also in the mood to focus on health I have something really exciting coming up. Remember when our book, Feast! Real Food, Reflections, and Simple Living for the Christian Year, was part of the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle in the spring? Well we’ve been asked to participate again! But this time all the books are geared toward healthy living and there will be tons of books on real food, food allergies, (lots of books with gluten-free options which is a yay! for my gf kids), green cleaning, gardening, organic food on a budget, e-courses on essential oils, and much more. Basically you get a ton of great books for a very low price.
Some of the bloggers participating are folks that I really look up to and I’m honestly star struck to be part of this bundle sale with them. I’m not allowed to share any of the specifics with you until later and I’m bursting at the seams! Anyhow, the Ultimate Healthy Living Ebook Bundle is doing a special pre-launch campaign with rewards for referrals to family and friends.
Here’s how it works (this is pretty cool):
- You sign up to be notified when the sale goes live (I can’t tell you when it is yet, because it’s still a secret but coming soon!)
- Then you’ll get a special link to refer friends and family and get rewards for doing so! Anyone who refers 1 friend will receive $5 off their bundle! If you refer 5 friends you’ll receive a 12-session audio conference, and referring 10 will get you an Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle for absolutely FREE! (This is pretty big since all of the books, e-courses, and bonuses added up would be a value of over $1,000)
(So basically, by referring 10 friends, you could get Feast! and dozens of other ebooks, e-courses, and great bonuses for FREE. I am already completely thrilled with the titles and have ordered the bonuses already and I’m dying to tell you what’s inside!) So go ahead and check out the pre-launch refer-a-friend link so that you can win the rewards and I’ll share more details as soon as I’m able to. Because the pre-launch campaign will only be available until the sale goes live, so if you want to win a FREE Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle, you’ll want to go ahead and get your referrals soon!
Can’t wait to tell you more! Did you have any health goals this year? How are they coming along?
I’ve been thinking about doing a Whole 30 too! (I also don’t think I’ve ever commented here before) I’d join the Facebook group.
Something else you may want to look into is the 21 Day Sugar Detox. It’s paleo-ish, but it’s a lot less restrictive than the Whole 30. I did one last February and had some good luck with it.
Oh, I’ll have to check that out Rebecca! Thanks!
I am so with you on the sugar. I had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy and couldn’t eat sweets for months. After he was born I went on this sugar binge and had so many problems pop up from it. But it’s so good!
Haha, I know. I so easily become a sugar addict. Sweets are soooo good.
My youngest daughter began a whole 30 and became ill from the immediate withdrawal of those foods. I have read the book, but as a nurse, don’t think this is the wisest way to approach ridding your body of these chemicals.
Please ask a professional before you begin. If your body is already sensitive, and yours sounds like it is, I would encourage you to proceed with caution.
I only say this as I care.:))))
I’ve done one before Wanda and apart from unpleasant sugar withdrawals didn’t have a problem! I only quit after a couple of weeks because of the milk supply drop. From what I understand lots of folks have flu-like symptoms from the sugar withdrawal during the first week. But I actually felt really good once I got sugar out of my system. In general we don’t eat a lot of grains/dairy because the kids have intolerances so maybe it’s not too drastic a leap for me! Thanks for your concern though, friend <3
Haley, I was thinking of doing the Whole30, too, since I am post-baby and cannot exercise due to a broken foot that will not be healed for a year or more. It seems this is all I can do to get out of my maternity clothes! I took a look at my calendar and realized I couldn’t do it while we have lots of guests and while going on vacation, so I am scheduling it when I will be home a lot and totally in control of my kitchen. Will you be putting up lots of posts during the Whole30 process so I can see how it is going for you? And what recipes you use? All the best; it will probably be a difficult 30 days!
Yes, I’ll definitely share about how it’s going! And I started a whole30 board on Pinterest of recipes!
You read my mind re: whole 30. haha! Great minds. The sickness most people I have spoken to is akin to withdrawals which is about right because your body is addicted to the MSG, sugar, alcohol etc. I also like the don’t weigh yourself the whole time thing.
Oooh I really want to do a Whole30, but probably not realistic to join in this time as I am due September 21st! I think it will definitely be on my list for next year though. I’m with you with the sugar problem. I don’t understand how people can do it in moderation! I wish I could. I’m either an eat the whole pan of brownies or have no sugar in any form type of girl. I have similar needs to focus on my health strongly, I’m hoping to avoid postpartum health issues I’ve had in the past. Also because now that we are open to life I know we can get pregnant again at anytime and I will need my body to be nourished! (We converted to the Church this last Easter Vigil!)
Yes! Solving sugar issues is crucial for my morning sickness problems. When I was off sugar before getting pregnant with Lucy, my issues weren’t nearly so bad!
Haley! When my husband was doing the Dukan Diet over a year ago (and I was watching the pounds MELT off of him), he started supplementing with the 30 Day Fitness Challenges. I was postpartum with Blessing #2 and he suggested joining him for fun and I am SO glad I did. My body was challenged for sure and I dropped all the baby weight with those challenges (plus walking with a heavy stroller every day). I was stunned. They are so easy to incorporate into your day, it’s craaaaaazy! I downloaded the app onto my phone so it’s even more convenient now.
Check it out, if you’d like! 🙂
http://30dayfitnesschallenges.com/
By the way, I am so grateful I found your blog. The way you guys live is what I strive for. Maybe someday… 🙂 God bless you all!
Just an encouragement for you, I supplemented heavily with good quality b vitamins and liquid magnesium before conceiving for this 3rd pregnancy after terrible hyperemesis with my first two. I am 6 weeks and am a lot better this time around, while queasy I have not vomited at all! I hope your efforts will help if another baby comes along because I know how hard it is to be so sick with littles.
That is good to hear! I’m getting baby fever but I know I can’t take care of my little ones if I have another HG pregnancy unless I could hire a full-time nanny!
Whole30 is so amazing! I have done a couple now and the experience, while taking a lot of discipline, has been great! I look forward to hearing about your experience! I’d love to be added to your Facebook group to follow along and participate in another. 🙂
I am definitely a eat a whole sleeve of Oreos kind of sugar addict! It’s so comforting to know I’m not the only one! Whole30 is too much for me, right now, as hubby is on and off out of town for long stretches. But, I’m going to look into that 21 Day Detox! Edel hi spired me to take better care of myself. Thanks for the inspiration, Haley, and thanks for the idea, Rebecca!
I’ll do a whole 30 thing! My resolve for cutting sugar wanes super quickly… I really shouldn’t eat it, I get strep/tonsillitis like you do (never fails, a couple weeks post baby sees me on antibiotics, ugh)!
Besides that, I’ve started walking 12,000 steps a day as I, too, very much dislike running.. If you want, a fitbit is a great way to track it plus provide yourself with motivation to move more AND accountability..! I’m on there at eto maria at gmail dot com –minus spaces, plus symbols– and totally wouldn’t mind someone else being on board!
Maria
I’m tempted to do this Whole30 diet too! It sounds difficult but when I cut out eggs, dairy, and gluten a little while back for a few weeks I felt great!
This may coincide nicely with my plan to do the 30 Day Shred 🙂 Unfortunately I am currently on a strict Facebook diet so I can’t join the group. I’ll keep an eye on Pinterest for your recipe ideas, and maybe share some of my own.
I have to say, a Floridian with a vitamin-D deficiency is PRETTY suspicious, especially to a North Dakotan like myself who is buried in her house six months of the year. (;
Hey Haley – try fitnessblender.com! I, like you, hate running and don’t have the time or money to go to a gym to take classes. I’ve been using their videos for about a month, and I am hooked!
It’s run by an adorable down to earth married couple who have posted hundreds hundreds of free workout videos to Youtube. You can search by time, type of workout, and fitness level. Plus they are really focussed on fitness and health rather than putting too much emphasis on weight loss and appearance. Give it a shot!