What's My Plan?

What's my plan? Well to be perfectly honest, I don't really have one (which is surprising considering my perfectionist tendency that Kris so graciously pointed out in our Q&A Ha!). And I think if I waited until I had this great big plan I probably wouldn't have actually done it anyways. Sometimes starting something without having a clear cut plan is better then putting it off until that magic day when everything seems to fall into place.

There were 4 days from when Kristin and I first talked about making healthy changes during a car ride, till the day we actually published our first blog post. Even in those 4 days we were both quickly trying to get a name picked, and blog set up so that we didn't end up quitting before we even started. Usually in the past when I'm ready to make some changes to how I'm eating or exercise, I get this sudden burst of motivation and excitement and there's no stopping me! This time however is so different. I think one of the main reasons is because of my thyroid levels which have made my brain kinda kooky. Since having my thyroid removed in April I've been kept slightly hyperthyroid (your body is less likely to grow cancer cells when it's hyperthyroid vs. being hypothyroid). The side effects can be brutal at times, irritability, intolerance to heat, itchiness, memory loss, a short attention span, and some crazy anxiety, to name a few… basically being hyperthyroid = bad. My body not being as likely to grown cancer cells = good. According to my doctors (and the second opinion I got) I'll need to stay like this until I'm in the clear, and since they still have concerns, there is no ending in sight.

As soon as I started reading Mood Cure something clicked. It just made sense to me. I'm not doing my part by giving my body enough good, nutritious food, healthy fats, protein, and veggies so it can work as well as it can. I'm still working my way through the book, but as Kristin mentioned yesterday, there is a 4 part survey you take at the beginning that helps to identify the area you need the most improvement with. I scored highest in the area showing a lack in serotonin, which can effect your sleep, memory, appetite, behavior, and mood, along with many other things. After reading the very, very, detailed section about serotonin deficiency I decided the first things that would go are artificial sweeteners and I started cutting way back on caffeine. I know, I know, that is downright absurd to many of you… desperate times call for desperate measures, people!  Right now since I'm already jittery, last thing I need is a lot of caffeine (I'm still having a little), and boy oh boy have I paid for the lack of caffeine over the last 3 days. Ouch! Since caffeine and aspartame are both considered "anti-serotonin substance" it seemed like a good place for me to start. I also started making sure I'm taking my 5-htp supplement, 2 times a day to help with my serotonin levels.

Yay for progress and small changes! And yay for yummy, easy, and healthier lunches!

*mixed greens, apples, cranberries, chicken mixed with a bit of mayo and pepper, plenty of red onion, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar*

-Brianne