Ending April - Health Update - Your recipe for success ***REDUCE ALLERGY SYMPTOMS*** VEGAN

So my internal health feels great right now (body feels bloated from sodium intake).  I've had maybe one "bad day" of allergies attacking me and it was probably because went without medicine for a little while.  The pollen count as had some bad days but my body was unaware with maybe the exception of my eyes which would twitch now and then.  I've greatly reduced my Post nasal drip (PND), exercise induced asthma and coughing while I eat.  *** I HAVE NOT CURED MY ALLERGIES *** *** THIS JUST GREATLY REDUCES MY SYMPTOMS ***  So here's exactly what I'm doing and if this works for ANYONE ELSE; Congratulations!  I knoooow your happiness!  And you're welcome!

What you need:

• NeilMed Nasal Irrigation (I use the bottle) & Salt packets
• Small Slim Kettle for Bathroom (Make distilled water and heat it up for your nose)
• Zyrtec (I know it has lactose, get over it)
• Claritin
• Bausch + Lomb Alaway (Eye Itch Relief - if necessary)
• Multi-vitamins
• Eczema cream (if applicable - I use either Cetaphil or Aveeno) 
• Positive Energy (Really important)

Avoid:

• Eggs
• Dairy
• Meats (If it was a living animal then yes avoid it)
• Processed sugar, flour oils
• Huge amounts of soy intake

Morning:

• Warm distilled water (previously boiled the night before) and saline solution in NeilMed device
• Irrigate nasal per instructions
• Take 2 or 3 (I take 3) mulit-vitamins
• Take 1 claritin
• One drop of Bausch + Lomb Alaway in each eye
• I've had eczema growing up but have reduced the amount of lotion I use on my face for this skin disorder
• Look in the mirror, smile and feel great =)

Throughout the day monitor what you eat and drink.  Please by all means drink as much water as you can.  Bring lemon juice to work or a Soda Fountain and carbonate a liter of water up.  Totally worth it!

My coffee!  My coffee!  Mike I can't give up my 1/2 & 1/2....oh I know!  It ain't easy!  I've battled and battled that out, and to save you about $80 and several tastings here is my analysis. THERE IS A WAY! =) (positive thinking!)...and it involves coconut creamer.  I placed 1/2 coconut creamer with 1/2:
Rice Milk
Oat Milk
Almond Milk
Almond Creamer (NASTY!! DONT DO IT!!!)
Almond "Unsweetened" Chocolate Milk
Hemp Milk
Soy Milk (YUCK!)

I'm not crazy about more soy intake so was NOT UPSET that soy failed (Yesssss!).  Almond Creamer (Mimiccreme) was so nasty I didn't even wanna dump it in my sink! Ok Ok...so what's the winner?!?
1/2 coconut creamer & 1/2 rice milk...this is as close to 1/2 & 1/2 as I'll get...so I started dumping all the other contenders in the sink and noticed that unsweetened label on the chocolate milk....hmmm if I add this to the 1/2 & 1/2 with a packet of splenda.....****OMG**** MOCHAS!!!!  Who's dairy free mouth is in heaven right now?!?  Damn right, mine!


Dinner time has been FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC at my house.  Who doesn't eat salad?!?  That was me...I'd buy the mesclun which looked appealing, some dressing, throw it in the fridge and never eat, toss it out 2 week or 2 months later (It was in a drawer people, I never paid attention until it started moving towards the trash bin).  Going vegan guess what my new friend was?!  Ugh....I mean, GREAAAAT!  Well from time to time at lunch I would hit au bon pain or chiptole up for a salad so maybe if I made my fridge look like a variety of toppings I too could be my own server.

Mike...I seriously do NOT wanna cut veggies up all damn day!  And this is also cutting into my vodka hour, cause oh yea, I can still drink my belvedere, club soda, splash of cran with a twist of lime!  I totally get you guys and am at my job at 214pm with my water now fantasizing....*excuse me* =)

Ahhhhh!  There goes 32oz! ok where was I..oh yea! Salad!  FOCUS (>_<)!!!  So if you got the $20 to spare get these life safevers:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HINF3U

I got like 8 of them.  I loves chopping my salads and ingredients!  If you need inspiration here is what I keep loaded in the house:

• Mesclun (Salad)
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Hummus or Roasted Chickpeas (http://www.amazon.com/The-Good-Bean-Cracked-2-5-Ounce/dp/B00474HDX2)
• Frozen edamame (microwave then let'm cool off then store - get them already shelled SOY)
• Whole Foods - General Tso's "Chicken" (SOY)
• Low sodium tortilla chips
• Crispy Wonton Strips
• Annie's Thai Peanut sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar (get an aged one...go on! Treat yourself)
• Frozen corn

I'll give you other ingredients if you go to level two (bringing back seafood - Pescetarian still restricting the dairy and egg intake)

I like chopping everything up individually then adding them into bowls to take to work or just eat for dinner.  Salads don't spoil but they will wilt so if you can keep'm bagged or air tight do that!


Evening:

• Warm distilled water (previously boiled the night before) and saline solution in NeilMed device
• Irrigate nasal per instructions
• Take 1 zyrtec (if you're hardcore - get rid of this lactose pill and find an alternative, ask your doctor or pharmacist)
• One drop of Bausch + Lomb Alaway in each eye (if needed)
• If needed, eczema lotion
• Boil new water for the next day
• Look in the mirror, smile and feel great =)

Pescetarianism

I loved the results of going vegan(lite)!  No dairy = LOW allergy symptoms.  I can't be sure if giving up the meats aided in this adventure but I learned somethings

1.)  I don't like having a huge soy intake
2.)  Chick peas are a good alternate protein
3.)  I miss whey protein (pea protein, ur just different)
4.)  Practically eliminated exercise-induced asthma (except on bad allergy days)
5.)  Threw out a ton of crap that apparently was made of dairy / egg

Now that my trial time is up, I'm gonna add seafood back into my diet.  I hate to sound like a novice who only thinks of animals as protein, but I NEED MY PROTEIN.  So fish has the lower risk of bad cholesterol and can actually prevent cancers

Just got back from lunch...no stomach pains and am quite content!

Day 3 - Dairy Free (Day 1 Vegan)

Ok so day 1 and day 2 there was definitely a learning curve of OMG I just lost milk chocolate & whey!  Only two days into this and I want something more than soy.

So Nina and I went to Whole Foods where they take Whole Paychecks.  $67 for two bags of groceries.  You know how much two bags of food cost at McD's?!?  Anyways I got some things other than soy there...I heard I can replace my cheese with pea protein!  I'm all for that!!!  Let's get something to replace my meats cause I can only swallow so much soy & nuts (haha ahhh im a legend in my own mind).

Allergies - I won't lie...and maybe it's because the pollen count is low...haha yup just google'd it.  Pollen Count low.  And dammit as im writing this I was eating popchips.  I recall seeing a bag that said vegan but oh wait...those weren't bbq flavored ~*le sigh*~ still learning.... Ok only had a couple chips.  Moving on.

Now I'm gonna lookup some snacks hopefully made of other things besides soy.  I like rice cakes.  I could totally buy those.  Damn more money to spend, but I do feel better already allergy wise!

27 more days....Yah!!!!  Coffee with coconut milk didn't burn my lips this morning.  That's good news but I'll keep my eye on that.  It really is nice not to have to use the WoodyKnows device right now but I got three new ones ready to go.  Oh hint for those with pollen allergy:

Put some vaseline in your nostril...it's suppose to catch the pollen before you inhale it.  Let me know what you think.  I'm gonna try and run outside doing that.

April's fool - Here I go - Dairy Free!

So yesterday I gave up dairy.  I'm giving up dairy to see if I can fight my allergies with food.  Popping pills seems to be the answer for Americans and I've never liked pills...even with surgery I popped a percocet like one time after no sleep.  But today I'm going to fight my eczema, dry skin, ALLERGIES and etc (forgot the 4th).

I am currently allergic to dogs, pollen, outdoor molds.  Spring & Summer are my worst seasons.  I have undergone immunization shots and dropped out after having an attack.  I think my allergies developed when I moved to Virginia around 13.  I take Zyrtec at night and Claritin in the morning.  I have a dog who is my world and I won't get rid of until the hourglass ends on her part.

Today I ate the last bit of meat I will have for a while.  I hate cooking but dammit I'll do it!  I've enjoyed for the most part the salads I've made and have steamed vegetables.  If this works out I will continue treating my body well.  I'm excited and have positive energy to see this go through.  My main fear is lack of protein.  I've been raised to know of protein as meat.  I have some soy products but don't want to be dependent on them...lucky for me we have a TINY vegan area in the frozen food land.  I'll attack them tonight =) #stoked

Oh the other fear is...have you seen old vegans?  I'm not trying to be too shallow but they kinda look their age if you catch my drift!  Inner or Outer beauty!  DAMMMMMNNNN!!!!