Another month, another few weeks of learning about myself and my health.
As I have progressed in my recovery I have become more and more aware of what my body needs, and my mind and body are far more in tune now than they were even six months ago. I have discovered that one very useful way of getting your mind and body in tune is to pay attention to what you are eating.
I had been toying with the idea of going vegetarian for some months; and I finally decided to give it a go. I initially decided that I would try it for seven days, but I am now on day 20, and plan to go a full 30 days before I consume animal flesh again. Click this think to see a selection of things I have been eating.
For me, eating meat is a 29 year old habit, and whilst I haven't found the abstinence hard, I have struggled on occasion knowing what to make, or thinking of something interesting to do with my vegetables, pulses and legumes. I caught up with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Veg Every Day series on Channel 4, and this helped inspired me to make many meals.
Whilst planning meals, and cooking mindully, I became aware that I really was paying so much more attention to what I was eating than ever before, and this is what has helped me stay in tune with my body's needs. Instead of just mindlessly sticking a couple of chops under the grill, and steaming some veg, I have had to actively THINK about what I am going to eat, how I am going to cook it, and even what I am going to make with the leftovers!
I have kept on juicing too, but if I haven't felt like having one, I haven't! And more importantly I have stopped berating myself for this too. I have become far more relaxed around food, and this has carried through into my everyday life.
So how does this fit into the grand scheme of CFS recovery? Well, I think that if I can apply mindfulness to a simple yet essential task such as nourishing my body, surely I can learn to apply it when I nourish my mind? Instead of thinking about things I "should" be doing, I can take a different approach and apply my mindful tools to think "how is it best for me to approach this challenge?" instead of rushing (both mentally and physically) to get things done as I did in the past, and contributing to what was my eventual illness crisis point.
Another milestone has been reached this month. I have finished my course of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). I know this approach causes a lot of controversy with CFS sufferers, and I agree to a point: in my opinion there is little to be gained from attending CBT unless you are already well on the way to recovery, as I was. If you are very unwell every day, and have severe ME/CFS symptoms, I find it hard to understand how CBT at this stage would be helpful. But that's just my two 'pennorth!
In summary, I have reached some kind of an epiphany as far as long term recovery goes-you definitley ARE what you eat! My mood has improved, so much that I have felt able to cut down my dosage of homeopathic anti depressants, and my sugar/fat/carb cravings have all but disappeared!
I had a few late nights (well, 10pm is late for me!) this week, and I have felt like I've been playing catch up with my sleep and energy levels. It's not all plain sailing all the time, but I am enjoying the journey, which is more than can be said for twelve months ago, even six months ago. My whole attitude has changed. I have so many tools at my disposal now, to enable me to carry this positive attitude through life with me for a very long time.
I hope this blog helps any fellow CFS recoverers out there!
Look out for my special "ME/CFS and Nutrition" post coming soon when I finish my 30 Days of Vegetarianism"!
Take care and look after yourselves :) x
Showing posts with label cfids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cfids. Show all posts
Friday, 31 August 2012
Sunday, 4 March 2012
CFS Progress Review: February 2012
I have been reading back through my diary for February, and as I did for the previous month, here's a list of statements and thoughts about my progress:
-paying attention to my body's natural circadian rhythms really helps me with my pacing
-buying my food shopping online is a much more effective use of time and energy than having to drag myself around a supermarket (this isn't even possible!)
-I have started to look at little things in my life differently; I feel I am coming to a state of acceptance with my current state of health and how it effects my life on a daily basis
-”baby steps” forward are still steps forward
-it still surprises me how my energy levels are so directly connected to the type and amounts of food I eat, and also the frequency I eat. I am planning to look at this in more detail in the coming weeks.
-after trying many many recovery techniques, I have found that pacing is the only technique that truly has any benefit for me, and in which I can see a marked difference in my energy levels, however incremental they may be.
-Taking a St John's Wort complex has had a positive effect on lessening my depressive moodswings. I still get them, but they are not as severe and don't last as long.
-I still get frustrated that I can't live my life the way I did previously, but I do think that in a lot of ways this is a good thing.
-Through mindful meditation and regular rest periods throughout the day, I am learning to live more in my mind and less in my body. I am also able to recognise the signs of exhaustion more easily, and am able to do something about this without my symptoms getting too bad too quickly.
-I am learning to focus on the things I am able to do-however small-rather than the things I can no longer do, or perhaps won't be able to for a while
-At night I have lots of dreams about moving away from my old way of life or my old way of thinking. It is obvious that my subconscious is trying to tell me something.
-Being in unfamiliar places (e.g anywhere that is not my home or my mum's house) makes me extremely severely fatigued, sick, shaky and nauseous extremely quickly. A reminder that I am not recovering as quickly as I sometimes think I am.
-I have made a lot of friends in the creative community who are living with similar conditions. I find this comforting and it's good to know there are other people out there with similar interests who know exactly what I'm going through on a daily basis.
-On a good day I can do 45 minutes activity before I have 15 minutes complete rest (no radio, tv etc). On a bad day the activity level dips to 10 minutes with an hour rest in between. Talk about a fluctuating illness!
-Drinking 4 pints of filtered water a day seems to boost my energy levels, lessen my nerve pains and has meant I have not had painkillers for 5 days in a row now.
I'll say again, these things aren't cures-what's right for me may not be right for you, but I hope that me writing about my own personal journey of recovery will at least help and inspire you and others in recovery.
Jen x :)
-paying attention to my body's natural circadian rhythms really helps me with my pacing
-buying my food shopping online is a much more effective use of time and energy than having to drag myself around a supermarket (this isn't even possible!)
-I have started to look at little things in my life differently; I feel I am coming to a state of acceptance with my current state of health and how it effects my life on a daily basis
-”baby steps” forward are still steps forward
-it still surprises me how my energy levels are so directly connected to the type and amounts of food I eat, and also the frequency I eat. I am planning to look at this in more detail in the coming weeks.
-after trying many many recovery techniques, I have found that pacing is the only technique that truly has any benefit for me, and in which I can see a marked difference in my energy levels, however incremental they may be.
-Taking a St John's Wort complex has had a positive effect on lessening my depressive moodswings. I still get them, but they are not as severe and don't last as long.
-I still get frustrated that I can't live my life the way I did previously, but I do think that in a lot of ways this is a good thing.
-Through mindful meditation and regular rest periods throughout the day, I am learning to live more in my mind and less in my body. I am also able to recognise the signs of exhaustion more easily, and am able to do something about this without my symptoms getting too bad too quickly.
-I am learning to focus on the things I am able to do-however small-rather than the things I can no longer do, or perhaps won't be able to for a while
-At night I have lots of dreams about moving away from my old way of life or my old way of thinking. It is obvious that my subconscious is trying to tell me something.
-Being in unfamiliar places (e.g anywhere that is not my home or my mum's house) makes me extremely severely fatigued, sick, shaky and nauseous extremely quickly. A reminder that I am not recovering as quickly as I sometimes think I am.
-I have made a lot of friends in the creative community who are living with similar conditions. I find this comforting and it's good to know there are other people out there with similar interests who know exactly what I'm going through on a daily basis.
-On a good day I can do 45 minutes activity before I have 15 minutes complete rest (no radio, tv etc). On a bad day the activity level dips to 10 minutes with an hour rest in between. Talk about a fluctuating illness!
-Drinking 4 pints of filtered water a day seems to boost my energy levels, lessen my nerve pains and has meant I have not had painkillers for 5 days in a row now.
I'll say again, these things aren't cures-what's right for me may not be right for you, but I hope that me writing about my own personal journey of recovery will at least help and inspire you and others in recovery.
Jen x :)
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Showing posts with label cfids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cfids. Show all posts
Friday, 31 August 2012
CFS Progress Review: August 2012
Another month, another few weeks of learning about myself and my health.
As I have progressed in my recovery I have become more and more aware of what my body needs, and my mind and body are far more in tune now than they were even six months ago. I have discovered that one very useful way of getting your mind and body in tune is to pay attention to what you are eating.
I had been toying with the idea of going vegetarian for some months; and I finally decided to give it a go. I initially decided that I would try it for seven days, but I am now on day 20, and plan to go a full 30 days before I consume animal flesh again. Click this think to see a selection of things I have been eating.
For me, eating meat is a 29 year old habit, and whilst I haven't found the abstinence hard, I have struggled on occasion knowing what to make, or thinking of something interesting to do with my vegetables, pulses and legumes. I caught up with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Veg Every Day series on Channel 4, and this helped inspired me to make many meals.
Whilst planning meals, and cooking mindully, I became aware that I really was paying so much more attention to what I was eating than ever before, and this is what has helped me stay in tune with my body's needs. Instead of just mindlessly sticking a couple of chops under the grill, and steaming some veg, I have had to actively THINK about what I am going to eat, how I am going to cook it, and even what I am going to make with the leftovers!
I have kept on juicing too, but if I haven't felt like having one, I haven't! And more importantly I have stopped berating myself for this too. I have become far more relaxed around food, and this has carried through into my everyday life.
So how does this fit into the grand scheme of CFS recovery? Well, I think that if I can apply mindfulness to a simple yet essential task such as nourishing my body, surely I can learn to apply it when I nourish my mind? Instead of thinking about things I "should" be doing, I can take a different approach and apply my mindful tools to think "how is it best for me to approach this challenge?" instead of rushing (both mentally and physically) to get things done as I did in the past, and contributing to what was my eventual illness crisis point.
Another milestone has been reached this month. I have finished my course of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). I know this approach causes a lot of controversy with CFS sufferers, and I agree to a point: in my opinion there is little to be gained from attending CBT unless you are already well on the way to recovery, as I was. If you are very unwell every day, and have severe ME/CFS symptoms, I find it hard to understand how CBT at this stage would be helpful. But that's just my two 'pennorth!
In summary, I have reached some kind of an epiphany as far as long term recovery goes-you definitley ARE what you eat! My mood has improved, so much that I have felt able to cut down my dosage of homeopathic anti depressants, and my sugar/fat/carb cravings have all but disappeared!
I had a few late nights (well, 10pm is late for me!) this week, and I have felt like I've been playing catch up with my sleep and energy levels. It's not all plain sailing all the time, but I am enjoying the journey, which is more than can be said for twelve months ago, even six months ago. My whole attitude has changed. I have so many tools at my disposal now, to enable me to carry this positive attitude through life with me for a very long time.
I hope this blog helps any fellow CFS recoverers out there!
Look out for my special "ME/CFS and Nutrition" post coming soon when I finish my 30 Days of Vegetarianism"!
Take care and look after yourselves :) x
As I have progressed in my recovery I have become more and more aware of what my body needs, and my mind and body are far more in tune now than they were even six months ago. I have discovered that one very useful way of getting your mind and body in tune is to pay attention to what you are eating.
I had been toying with the idea of going vegetarian for some months; and I finally decided to give it a go. I initially decided that I would try it for seven days, but I am now on day 20, and plan to go a full 30 days before I consume animal flesh again. Click this think to see a selection of things I have been eating.
For me, eating meat is a 29 year old habit, and whilst I haven't found the abstinence hard, I have struggled on occasion knowing what to make, or thinking of something interesting to do with my vegetables, pulses and legumes. I caught up with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Veg Every Day series on Channel 4, and this helped inspired me to make many meals.
Whilst planning meals, and cooking mindully, I became aware that I really was paying so much more attention to what I was eating than ever before, and this is what has helped me stay in tune with my body's needs. Instead of just mindlessly sticking a couple of chops under the grill, and steaming some veg, I have had to actively THINK about what I am going to eat, how I am going to cook it, and even what I am going to make with the leftovers!
I have kept on juicing too, but if I haven't felt like having one, I haven't! And more importantly I have stopped berating myself for this too. I have become far more relaxed around food, and this has carried through into my everyday life.
So how does this fit into the grand scheme of CFS recovery? Well, I think that if I can apply mindfulness to a simple yet essential task such as nourishing my body, surely I can learn to apply it when I nourish my mind? Instead of thinking about things I "should" be doing, I can take a different approach and apply my mindful tools to think "how is it best for me to approach this challenge?" instead of rushing (both mentally and physically) to get things done as I did in the past, and contributing to what was my eventual illness crisis point.
Another milestone has been reached this month. I have finished my course of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). I know this approach causes a lot of controversy with CFS sufferers, and I agree to a point: in my opinion there is little to be gained from attending CBT unless you are already well on the way to recovery, as I was. If you are very unwell every day, and have severe ME/CFS symptoms, I find it hard to understand how CBT at this stage would be helpful. But that's just my two 'pennorth!
In summary, I have reached some kind of an epiphany as far as long term recovery goes-you definitley ARE what you eat! My mood has improved, so much that I have felt able to cut down my dosage of homeopathic anti depressants, and my sugar/fat/carb cravings have all but disappeared!
I had a few late nights (well, 10pm is late for me!) this week, and I have felt like I've been playing catch up with my sleep and energy levels. It's not all plain sailing all the time, but I am enjoying the journey, which is more than can be said for twelve months ago, even six months ago. My whole attitude has changed. I have so many tools at my disposal now, to enable me to carry this positive attitude through life with me for a very long time.
I hope this blog helps any fellow CFS recoverers out there!
Look out for my special "ME/CFS and Nutrition" post coming soon when I finish my 30 Days of Vegetarianism"!
Take care and look after yourselves :) x
Sunday, 4 March 2012
CFS Progress Review: February 2012
I have been reading back through my diary for February, and as I did for the previous month, here's a list of statements and thoughts about my progress:
-paying attention to my body's natural circadian rhythms really helps me with my pacing
-buying my food shopping online is a much more effective use of time and energy than having to drag myself around a supermarket (this isn't even possible!)
-I have started to look at little things in my life differently; I feel I am coming to a state of acceptance with my current state of health and how it effects my life on a daily basis
-”baby steps” forward are still steps forward
-it still surprises me how my energy levels are so directly connected to the type and amounts of food I eat, and also the frequency I eat. I am planning to look at this in more detail in the coming weeks.
-after trying many many recovery techniques, I have found that pacing is the only technique that truly has any benefit for me, and in which I can see a marked difference in my energy levels, however incremental they may be.
-Taking a St John's Wort complex has had a positive effect on lessening my depressive moodswings. I still get them, but they are not as severe and don't last as long.
-I still get frustrated that I can't live my life the way I did previously, but I do think that in a lot of ways this is a good thing.
-Through mindful meditation and regular rest periods throughout the day, I am learning to live more in my mind and less in my body. I am also able to recognise the signs of exhaustion more easily, and am able to do something about this without my symptoms getting too bad too quickly.
-I am learning to focus on the things I am able to do-however small-rather than the things I can no longer do, or perhaps won't be able to for a while
-At night I have lots of dreams about moving away from my old way of life or my old way of thinking. It is obvious that my subconscious is trying to tell me something.
-Being in unfamiliar places (e.g anywhere that is not my home or my mum's house) makes me extremely severely fatigued, sick, shaky and nauseous extremely quickly. A reminder that I am not recovering as quickly as I sometimes think I am.
-I have made a lot of friends in the creative community who are living with similar conditions. I find this comforting and it's good to know there are other people out there with similar interests who know exactly what I'm going through on a daily basis.
-On a good day I can do 45 minutes activity before I have 15 minutes complete rest (no radio, tv etc). On a bad day the activity level dips to 10 minutes with an hour rest in between. Talk about a fluctuating illness!
-Drinking 4 pints of filtered water a day seems to boost my energy levels, lessen my nerve pains and has meant I have not had painkillers for 5 days in a row now.
I'll say again, these things aren't cures-what's right for me may not be right for you, but I hope that me writing about my own personal journey of recovery will at least help and inspire you and others in recovery.
Jen x :)
-paying attention to my body's natural circadian rhythms really helps me with my pacing
-buying my food shopping online is a much more effective use of time and energy than having to drag myself around a supermarket (this isn't even possible!)
-I have started to look at little things in my life differently; I feel I am coming to a state of acceptance with my current state of health and how it effects my life on a daily basis
-”baby steps” forward are still steps forward
-it still surprises me how my energy levels are so directly connected to the type and amounts of food I eat, and also the frequency I eat. I am planning to look at this in more detail in the coming weeks.
-after trying many many recovery techniques, I have found that pacing is the only technique that truly has any benefit for me, and in which I can see a marked difference in my energy levels, however incremental they may be.
-Taking a St John's Wort complex has had a positive effect on lessening my depressive moodswings. I still get them, but they are not as severe and don't last as long.
-I still get frustrated that I can't live my life the way I did previously, but I do think that in a lot of ways this is a good thing.
-Through mindful meditation and regular rest periods throughout the day, I am learning to live more in my mind and less in my body. I am also able to recognise the signs of exhaustion more easily, and am able to do something about this without my symptoms getting too bad too quickly.
-I am learning to focus on the things I am able to do-however small-rather than the things I can no longer do, or perhaps won't be able to for a while
-At night I have lots of dreams about moving away from my old way of life or my old way of thinking. It is obvious that my subconscious is trying to tell me something.
-Being in unfamiliar places (e.g anywhere that is not my home or my mum's house) makes me extremely severely fatigued, sick, shaky and nauseous extremely quickly. A reminder that I am not recovering as quickly as I sometimes think I am.
-I have made a lot of friends in the creative community who are living with similar conditions. I find this comforting and it's good to know there are other people out there with similar interests who know exactly what I'm going through on a daily basis.
-On a good day I can do 45 minutes activity before I have 15 minutes complete rest (no radio, tv etc). On a bad day the activity level dips to 10 minutes with an hour rest in between. Talk about a fluctuating illness!
-Drinking 4 pints of filtered water a day seems to boost my energy levels, lessen my nerve pains and has meant I have not had painkillers for 5 days in a row now.
I'll say again, these things aren't cures-what's right for me may not be right for you, but I hope that me writing about my own personal journey of recovery will at least help and inspire you and others in recovery.
Jen x :)
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