Mucus

Once again I've dove full force into a wellness related book. My current one is Clean by Dr. Alejandro Junger. The book goes into great detail about mucus. Something I'm all too familiar with. Shoot, I could probably write my own book on this topic. The book details that our bodies make mucus as a protectant from irritants such as chemicals, prescriptions drugs, junk foods, consuming dairy, pesticides and more yucky stuff. The problem is when enough of this mucus gets made it gets stuck in our bodies. Signs are puffiness, dark circles under the eyes and even enlarged pores. Sounds like my portrait.

While I am feeling somewhat better with my new Fluconazole and decongestant regimen, I still have a lot of mucus being formed in my sinuses. I can only imagine what the rest of my body looks like. Probably like an old fashion Nickelodeon slime fest.

I'm going to try a one day juice cleanse next week. I know it's only one day, but I want to see how my body handles this. I just recently stopped experiencing a daily loss of feeling in my fingertips and chills. If all goes well, I plan to try a three-day cleanse another time. The best part is, I talked my husband into doing it with me. We both already drink at least eight ounces of greens daily and often much more. My husband even makes the juice himself. Now I have to decide between Organic Avenue and Blueprint Cleanse. They both offer delivery. Stay tuned for the juicy details.

Wellness Toolbox

Things are leveling out since I restarted the Fluconazole last week, by taking a half a tablet every other day. Last week was a bit hellish between sinus inflammation and drainage, constant itchiness, plus insane thirst from taking decongestants. Today, I'm finally feeling like my body is calming down.

I visited Dr. Firshein today. He spoke about how I now have my toolbox of supplements. He said depending on how I'm feeling, I can open up my wellness toolbox and choose accordingly. For example, if I'm feeling more tired than usual then I should take D-Ribose, L Tyrosine, and Enada. If allergies are aggravating me then take extra Quercetin. This strategy makes me feel empowered rather than helpless, as I've felt so many times over the past few years.

Despite all the set-backs, I feel hopeful that my health is coming under control. Next month I have some work related travel. A couple of months ago, the thought of work-related travel really stressed me out. As my health comes under control, I'm slowly getting my life back and able to enjoy things more.

The moments that I can breathe clearly, I never take for granted. I hope to get to a point where I can take these times for granted.

Raging Green Juice-aholic

Over the past three weeks, I've been experiencing bouts of nausea more than likely caused by taking oral fluconazole. The drug can be toxic and one of its side effects is liver damage. So it seems you don't have to be a raging alcoholic to mess up your liver. You can be just the opposite, a raging green juice drinker. I stopped the fluconazole, went on a green juice bender and had my liver checked.

Today, I spoke with my doctor who said my liver numbers were perfect. I picture my liver beaming with pride and happy to autograph glossies of its self. That's the good news.

The bad news is my congestion has worsened and my sense of smell is gone. I have constant yucky drainage down the back of my throat. My doctor told me to try taking a half a fluconazole tablet every other day and decongestant as needed. I'm off to buy a fancy pill cutter when I finish this post.

Tonight, I plan to make green juice using the goodies I bought from the farmer's market yesterday: cilantro, parsley and giant bag of apples ( for $2!).

Waves of Nausea

Over the past week, I've been getting hit with waves of nausea. This usually happens on the subway, which is somewhat understandable. But still odd. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night unable to  sleep. Now that my body is deprived of caffeine there really isn't an excuse for random awakenings. Unable to sleep, I walked into the kitchen where I was hit with another wave of nausea.

Today I looked up side effects of fluconazole. One is liver disease. Funny that a disease can be a side effect. Symptoms of liver disease are nausea and pain on your right side. I had some odd pain on my ride side a few nights as well. I panicked and called my doctor.

My doctor didn't freak out, which was good. Instead he said to cut back on the fluconazole. He said to take my next dose on Saturday or Sunday. I visit my doctor on Tuesday of next week when I get my liver checked. Hope my liver behaves. The doctor seemed to think I wasn't in any real trouble. I guess if I had a history like Courtney Love then things might not seem so ok.

Last night I smelled my first cucumber in about two years. I had forgotten they have a scent. I also noticed that the garlic crackers I eat have a stronger flavor these days. I imagine the flavor is garlic, something I haven't truly tasted in a long time.

It's obvious I need to cut back on the fluconazole. But I hope my sinuses don't worsen. Fingers crossed for continued taste and smell.

Fork Floosie Flub

Back in 2006 I formed a once-a-month dining club called the Fork Floosies. (Above is a poorly shot pic of the floosies in action) Including myself, it consists of five women who take turns picking a restaurant to dine at each month. I used to look forward to sharing interesting pasta dishes, hand-made sausages, cheese platters, bottles of vino plus sides of brussels sprouts. Other than the sprouts, most of these items have been removed from my diet thanks to the fungus throw-down going on in my body.

These days the dinners are a source of stress for me because food makes me sick. Instead of whole heartedly picking dishes, I have to carefully avoid most. I hate having to say I can't eat this or that. I feel like my friends must think I'm a high maintenance picky eater.

Last night we gathered for dinner at Almond. My friends ordered interesting wines. For me, water. My friends dove into meaty pasta dishes. I ate veggie sides. We kicked things off by sharing a bowl of olives. Around ten olives in, my sinuses began to get clogged. Not as bad as my pre-Fluconazole days, but there was that ugly mucus build up again.

I suddenly remembered something my doctor had said to me. He said if a food has been sitting out, there's a good chance it could have fungus and I need to avoid these foods. Olives always sit out in bins. Darn! Why didn't I think of this before ordering? I ate my butternut squash puree, brussels sprouts and potatoes with a clogged nose. I just didn't feel great and couldn't wait to get home to nasal douche. This was my first set back since I've begun my new regimen of anti-fungal meds and decongestant. It just sucks it had to happen on a night a had social plans.

I imagine over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be discovering more off limit foods, while relishing in the safety of others. Like today I ate a tropical banana Raw Revolution bar. I ate one bite and then waited twenty minutes to see if I had any reactions. I didn't so I ate a few more bites, then finished the bar a bit later. The bar contains hemp and sunflower seeds. It's exciting to think I can eat foods with these used-to-be-known-as-evil seeds.

Don't Touch

I had a follow-up visit with Dr. Firshein this morning. He was so happy to hear that I was feeling better and that my body wasn't reacting to everything I ate. He said he felt like this was his Richard Simmons moment and that we should hug and cry over the good news. I of course almost cried. But somehow held it together. The doctor said it's become evident that my body has a difficult time with fungus. Fungus isn't like an apple a day. He said for me to continue on the Fluconazole for another two weeks. Then I'll take the medication every other day for a month or even just once a week, depending on how I'm feeling.

He said I'll have to be forever vigilant with my diet. I must try my best to avoid yeast and fermented foods  to avoid a recurrence. While abstaining from champagne, bread and beer is no fun, I'm happy to say I was able to eat tahini-free hummus last night without a sinus meltdown. The world of food is opening for me. I think I'll be able to eat almonds and other nuts again.

The doctor also said I have to really watch my sugar intake. Sugar feeds fungus. Sugar is an ingredient I've pretty much eradicated from my diet. I use a little agave when making my gluten free vegan muffins and on my morning oatmeal. Otherwise, it's been kicked to the fungus curb.

The last bit of advice he said is for me not to touch my face, since this is one way sinus infections can easily take hold. If I do, then I should rinse my sinuses as soon as possible. I honestly didn't think I touch my face that much. Seems that I'm a face-touching fiend. I've caught myself doing the deed at least ten times today. I managed to stop myself a few times. I rinsed my sinuses after one incident. It's amazing how itchy my face is. Any advice for decreasing facial itch?

In closing, I came across a recipe for a chickpea tart. I can't wait to give it a try.

The Magical Plastic World of Disney Dining

Last week I spent at Disney World. Instead of blawging, I was busy standing in lines and dodging Goofy. For weeks my upcoming trip to Disney had been a source of stress due to my limited diet. Let me tell you the majority of food available on the Disney compound isn't good for even a healthy person. Walt Disney World is all about making dreams come true. I'm not sure that a diet of french fries, oversized turkey legs and chicken nuggets is dream-making fuel.

Since Disney feeds people from all over our nation, as well as the world, you'd think they'd want to set a better example. My husband, son and I found one fruit stand at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We ran up to a giant bin of oranges. As I grabbed one, I realized it was plastic. We did manage to find a few real naval oranges in a much smaller bin along with a some rotten apples and bananas. As far as fresh produce, this was it. However, if hot dogs were your fancy there were five varieties to choose from.

The first day I arrived at Disney, I visited the local Whole Foods where I stocked up on organic fruits, some veggies, guacamole and a few other essentials. I also ordered and drank a fresh green juice. Two mornings, I attempted to make green smoothies using my Magic Bullet. No matter how much ice or water I added, the concoction came out too lumpy and undrinkable. I so missed my Vitamix. Everyday, I brought with me apple wedges and gluten free crackers into the park. One day I had my Whole Foods guac and crackers for lunch.

One of my favorite meals was lunch at Tokyo Dining in EPCOT. My husband and I were seated at a window seat overlooking the park. I ordered two avocado and cucumber rolls, which I quickly devoured. Then I ordered a third. I also guzzled a glass of mandarin, pineapple and lemon juice. Shaved ice made the juice taste more like a slush.

Even though I was in sunny Florida with temps hovering around 80 most days, I found myself freezing. My finger tips kept turning white and loosing circulation. Usually this only happens to me in extreme cold. Honestly, I felt like I was starving. One night I broke down in tears at Wolfgang Puck Express. I was so hungry, but there was so little I could eat based on my food sensitivity diet. In a fit of desperation, I ordered a side of mashed potatoes. Tears rolling down my face, I ate the entire plate of potatoes, which I know were full of milk and butter. Luckily, my body didn't freak out over the consumption of dairy-doused potatoes. The warm dish made me feel much better. I realize now in some situations, you just have to go with the flow and eat.

Mid-way through the vacation something miraculous happened. My sinuses became less reactive to food. Was it the magic of Disney? Or something else? I think the addition of Fluconazole and decongestant is make a huge difference. I'm back home now and back to my healthy regimen. My husband was even excited to drink his green juice yesterday and green smoothie today.

Something else magical happened. This morning I was able to smell my perfume for the first time! Since I used to not be able to smell, I based my purchase decision on packaging. Luckily, the packaging reflected a scent I like. I'm almost looking forward to smelling my husband's farts