Improved health

posted April 2008

Despite a challenging workout routine I'm feeling great....better than ever.

The gluten/dairy free diet is a challenge but the results are outstanding. My sense of smell and taste is amazing. There's a lack of soreness that's I've not experienced. My body on Sunday is completely recovered from a week of exercise. This is unprecedented for me in recent years.

There's no cold plunge in Texas and I haven't needed it!

My sleep patterns are better. I'm getting about 7 1/4 hours of sleep per night. Most nights my data A is between 20 and 31. Sometimes I wake with apnea, but that's rare. I have no numbness or tingling of arms. No excess dry mouth in the morning. Several nights no trips to the toilet at 3 am....

My tail bone itches in the middle of the night....that's my biggest complaint! In May I visit with a holistic Doctor to discuss the results of my dietary changes. Maybe we can get at the itching!

I'm suspicious that my diet may be high in acid foods....tomatoes seem to cause water retention/inflammation. Cutting out tomatoes has reduced bloating.

So put on the big smiley face!

Some knee tightness

posted December 2007

After running the hills of Austin for several weeks with no knee issues I suddenly developed "soreness" in both knees back in Michigan. I believe it's from walking the dog in 2-4 inches of frozen snow over the last week. This on top of my fitness routine (Phase II offseason) was enough to flair up the knees. Quads around the knees are sore.

After spending 5 weeks in Texas I didn't gain a pound...same weight and bodyfat.

Sinuses are decent with the infection finally gone (ie no green stuff with flush). Been sleeping great with DATA A over 20 all nights except 3 and those were all over 18. Sinuses and sleep apnea are related for sure.

Burning about 4000 calories per week but not seeing any strength gains. Feeling great other than the knees.

Update 12/15/07: Knees fine...did 4 miles easy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday reload days. Next week phase 3.

Sunday aches and pain inventory

posted March 2007

A party last night caused some issues...no healthy food and alcohol. I've been eating very clean up to last night...had ham, potatoes, bean salad with beef, and dark roll (no dessert at least). I'm guessing about 700 calories, but can't be sure. My stomach was just exploding from within...bloating.

Add to this the cat in the house of the host and my nose just stuffed up something fierce.

Have used flonase and saline rinse for last 7 days. Still lots of rattles and plugging of ear cannals. Man, I hate this not being able to breath right.

Sunday is rest day. Aches include: besides the nose :-), left hip (8), muscles around tops of knees (5), top of right hand when I woke up (6), back under right shoulder blade (7), tricepts above elbows (5), and GLUTES (7)...ouch, upper back 5, left quad (left side) (6). Soreness scale 10 trouble sleeping, 8 modify sleep position to accomodate, 5 normal workout soreness, 1 just slight touch.

Foot is 100% now.

Hip Issue

posted winter 2007

Even though I rolled and had a massage Wednesday and Thursday plus active recovery the hip bothered me enough not to run Thurs. afternoon. So we spent it looking a flooring.

Thurs. AM lifting is upper body with only the one leg one arm rows. This is the exercise that inflammed the hip. Managed to do 10 reps of pushups with 25 pound weight. A few years back I couldn't do a SINGLE push up.

Started Flonase about 5 days ago and today I could smell the body odor. Nose is still stuffy but clearing up fast. I'll stop the Flonase as soon as it's totally unplugged! It's been almost exactly one year since I've taken the stuff and I hate it! But I can at least breath. When the sense of smell returns then I'm fine.

Inflammation

posted January 2007

Ever since catching a cold pre-xmas my sinuses have been acting strange (one minute open the next plugged with gue). I can smell odors some of the time.

A rash (had it last year too) under my thighs just indicates more inflammation going on. Using steroid cream on the legs. My left Quad (outer) is still tight on the ball.

Tues: weights am. combo running and Men's Health lunge, abs, jump exercise. totaled 997 calories.

Wednesday: Spinning only moderate 540 calories.

Thursday: recovery 560

Tomorrow....intense day.

The Foot...

posted December 2006

A downside of working out is the occasional pain and injury. Yesterday I did a moderate cardio routine for about 35 minutes along with some stretching. I use the hot and cold tanks daily after my routine. While walking barefoot from the hot to cold tank I felt a "pop" in the outer pad near the little toe on my right foot. It feels like a buise when I touch it. Barefoot is painful, so now I'm wearing my running shoes around the house.

Today I managed to walk for 40 minutes without pain. But the pad is still tender. I bought some speedo flip flops for the shower (floors are hard mini tiles). Hopefully, this will be history tommorrow since it's a two trip day and a heavy one with spinning and my most severe lifting routine.

Recovering from illness and Inflammation

posted January 2007

Last weekend developed a sore throat, then runny nose, which disrupted sleep and reduced sense of smell. By Xmas throat and drippy had cleared without meds. Ate more yogurt and took probiotics. Tonight my nose just plugged up like glue (like the bad old days) AND I noticed "other" inflammation after eating chinese and some pecans, cashews, and pistacios roasted in oil. 3 hours after dinner nose is fine again.

Nutrition has changed, but no dramatic differences in food...other than a couple of pieces of pie, some chinese food (steamed chicken and veggies with some exotic sauce).

Wonder if the slightest changes in my diet bring this on. It's a reminder to maintain my eating discipline and to beware of "exotic" sauces....

Gluten and Dairy Sensitivity

posted January 2008

"It's recommended that you completely remove dairy and gluten from your diet." HOLY COW! No pun intended... I took the lab test and that's what was found. I'm way over the limits on dairy and gluten reaction. I have celiac disease. Wow....

That is what has caused my sinus problems among other things. Better late than never to have found out. It all makes sense now.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.....

Sinus Update

posted October 2007

Around September 4th I developed a sore throat followed by severe sinus drainage...clear liquid almost like water. In the following days the throat cleared up with some chloreseptic help, but the nose drainage persisted. On one afternoon at Jamestown Virginia I used one box of Kleenex. Also, my handkerchief was totally soaked, but NO yellow or green ONLY water like! NON-Stop drip. Need to say had trouble sleeping. Hotel in Williamsburg was old and musty...lost sense of smell....basement meetings were in a cold room. We moved after one night in motel to a Hampton Inn. Felt so rotten that I missed the farewell dinner...sneezing and runny nose. Took only lozenge for throat.

Eventually, the drippy nose turned into a full blown sinus infection including the usual swelling and thick sticky discharge. Sense of smell was gone in a few days and taste has diminished.

A couple of nights I woke at 2-3 in the morning and felt like I was suffocating. So I used a temporary relief nasal spray PLUS resumed Flonase. The spray gave IMMEDIATE relief but shouldn't be used past 2 weeks. I thought if I could get sleep plus open the sinuses and use the saline rinse (sinucleanse) that EVENTUALLY the problem would subside. The 12 hour relief (one spray in each nostril) lasted for about 15 hours. Stepped up the sinucleanse rinse to 3 or 4 times a day.

The culprit may be the Candida fungus triggered by the amount of sugar I had been eating. Couple that with an old hotel and problems happen. I was also eating 2-3 odwella bars per day PLUS a couple of cups of sweet cherries on top of my other fruit (shake and breakfast). BBQ was creeping back into my diet. Also, this is ragweed season (nearing an end now).

Notices some other symptoms, clear bubble sore on my lower lip, and muscle soreness.

In any case, I'm back on the NO sugar diet...UGH which means minimal fruit...not after 1 pm. About 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and 3/4 cup of frozen strawberries for lunch (shake) is it. I'm going to cut out sweetened soy milk...going to plain start tomorrow. Trying some non-gluten grains/chips and almond/cashew butter.

It's been 2 days without meds and without most sugar...also using 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract in my 8 oz of saline rinse (8 oz. per side now!). The results are no smell, no taste, but reduced congestions (ie can breath with mouth shut). Can smell only during hard exercise.

Continuing my fitness routine. Burning between 4000-5000 calories per week.

October 18th: Been on this diet for a week with some success, but still no sense of smell and little taste. The diet sucks...but not breathing sucks more! Cut out meds except the saline rinse 1-3x's a day. Rattles in the nose, and light yellow mucus, light green in the AM. Resting better some nights.

November 29, 2007 update: Feeling great...can smell and taste since 10-31. Sinu-cleanse in the morning produces a small amount of mucosa. Last several days have been 8 on a scale of 10. Sleeping with mouth open, but during the day breathing through nose.

Sleeping great with average data A around 23 minutes. Only one day in last 23 below 20 minutes.

sinus update fall 2007

posted over 2 years ago

Incredibly busy with new dog and travel. Cut back workouts to 1-2 lifts per week, 1-2 core sessions, 1-2 spinning, 1-2 running, plus the usual 3-4 rounds of golf per week.

Caught some nasty virus OR had a reaction to sour cream added to peanut soup. In any case lots of drainage, worse since starting new diet last February. Unable to smell MOST odors, but NOT totally blocked. Had a sore throat followed by runny nose (1 box of Kleenex in ONE afternoon.)

One more week of serious golf then back to off season routine.