Tag: One step at a time

Boldly Follow Your Way in Life

Never worry whether you can boldly follow your way in life. Each of us finds our level of boldness.

Boldly Follow Your Way in Life

Does this headline scare you or expand your heart space? These two reactions are right next to each other. One step forward brings you closer to expansion.

Sometimes, the unknown future keeps us rooted in a spot of fear.

How to Overcome Fear

Fear lives in our thoughts about the future. We feed our fear by choosing to question our power.

What if I don’t know the answers to the test? How will I perform in the new job? I don’t know anyone in my unique situation. How will I make new friends?

Instead, use your thoughts to review a personal triumph or known success of others.

I’ve done well on tests before. Every new job has a learning curve, and my new manager knows that. Once I’m in a unique situation, the unknown becomes the known. I’ve made new friends before by following my interests.

One Simple Tool Helps

Since fear lives in our thoughts of the future, we use a tool to live in the present. This tool helps you boldly follow your way in life.

  • Taking one deep breath brings you to the present.
  • Lower your gaze to the floor, and take another deep breath.
  • Continue to breathe normally, noticing how your body reacts.
  • Bring your focus to your breath, whether you can feel the breath at your nostrils, the rise and fall of your belly or your lungs filling with air.

Of course, you must be in a safe place when you use this simple tool. So safety is your first concern.

Practice This Tool Often

How many times have you practiced something before you needed it? For example, did you play with dolls as a child, practicing how to be a parent? Or perhaps you made mud pies and practiced cooking.

By spending time each day practicing mindful deep breathing, you can more easily live in the moment.

Some people call this meditation. You can call it whatever you want. It’s your life and your choice to follow your way in life boldly.

Give yourself credit each time you make forward progress, and forgive yourself when you stumble. We all have ups and downs. Take time to celebrate every improvement. You are worth it.

Each of Us is Unique

A few weeks ago, I posted about a 10-day detox. This post is a follow up of sorts. Certainly, it is an example that each of us is unique.

My hopes were high that I would feel much better following Dr. Hyman’s Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox. At the end of 10 days, I was ecstatic.

  • My joint pain was gone or greatly diminished
  • Sugar no longer held me in an addictive grip
  • My sleep improved
  • I was all in for a life long change

Suddenly I Felt Awful

Nausea started to ruin my days as I added back my first food, legumes. Logic would suggest it was the legumes. Well, logic, you were wrong. Nevertheless, I cut out legumes.

The nausea kept up and my adherence to the Blood Sugar Solution faltered and then crashed. I happily started back my morning coffee with half and half. It was like meeting an old friend. Soon wheat returned to a lesser degree. Via my 23andMe health DNA test, I knew I have one of the two markers for celiac disease. As a result, I dropped the wheat again. It was so disappointing when the joint pain shot up once more.

Hope on the Horizon

My thoughts returned to the knowledge that each of us is unique. Therein lay my hope.

Part of the reason I returned to my previous diet was I expected results from a finger prick IgG 184 Food Panel in a matter of days. I’m fortunate to have found a chiropractor who offers this lab test when her patients need it.

And the Results Are In

Let’s start with what I can’t eat:

  1. Wheat, bran, buckwheat, millet
  2. Pineapple
  3. All cow and goat dairy, all eggs, all cheese except one
  4. Almonds, cashews, pine nuts, and pistachios

What can I eat?

  1. The 164 other foods listed
  2. All meat and poultry
  3. Any fish or shellfish
  4. All vegetables
  5. Any legume, including peanuts and soybeans
  6. Blue cheese and sheep’s milk
  7. All other fruits
  8. All beverages, honey, and yeast
  9. The remaining 15 nuts, seeds and oils
  10. Any herb, spice, or flavoring

What’s the Best Thing?

Now I’m on an elimination diet that is specific for me. The snacks of almonds and cashews on the Blood Sugar Solution diet were making me sick. In contrast, most people have no problem with almonds.

How Does an Elimination Diet Work?

I’ve eliminated the foods I have a reaction to. This will last for twelve weeks until February 1, 2021. Then I will pick the food I most want and eat it 3 times in 1 day, in it’s purest form.

Then comes the fun part. I wait 72 hours and record all the effects:

  • Fatigue
  • Bloating
  • Constipation
  • Foggy brain
  • Diarrhea
  • Any other undesirable symptom

I’m hoping none of these effects show up. Then I can add that food back into my diet. If I do have an undesirable effect, I eliminate it again.

How Do I Feel About This?

Above all, I am relieved to know my food problems. I relish using my creative side to find new ways of enjoying breakfast.

Yes, it is the most challenging meal. However, my saving grace is morning coffee with Silk Soy Creamer.

Final Thoughts

Each of us is unique, our bodies amazing creations. I believe it is our responsibility to move toward understanding ourselves, one step at a time.

Sending you love and caring,
Dawn