Frump to Fab 2024

Makingabobor2

As we all seem to be quite clued up on a few conditions and what we should or shouldn't eat etc. Has anyone got any opinions about gluten making your sinuses worse?  I had a gluten test to see if I was celiac and Dr said no, I was fine. But....
A), I know that too much gluten makes my IBS worse and....
I suffer with sinus/post nasal drip/occasional reflux and I did read somewhere that some research had shown that gluten could make sinuses worse. Its like the sinuses get congested, this causes post nasal drip and that in  turn goes down my throat and causes reflux.  All the Dr says, is try Beconase spray...which seems to give me nose bleeds, or they prescribe the reflux meds if that gets too bad. But I don't really want to take the drugs, and also, surely its better to treat the cause of the problem, rather than the problem its self?

helensbiggestfan

MB.  I tend to think gluten can cause issues with sinus and post nasal drip.  And I know that dairy can also cause the same issues. I suffered with it for years until I moved to the seaside. Then it eased off.  

Luckily despite moving back inland and living near a city with its attendant pollution it didn't come back with a vengeance.  However I still had the same old stomach problems.  

After years of suffering from acid reflux, IBS, allergies etc and taking all the various medications I decided I had had enough. I weaned myself off ppis (protein pump inhibitors)  because they were no longer working and excluded gluten from my diet.  It helped enormously but I still suffered from joint and muscle pain, hay fever and dust allergies and allergies to furry critters, horses, dogs, cats.  All the meds were largely ineffective and although cutting out gluten helped I still struggled at times so I decided to see a nutritionist.  

She told me to avoid all grains. (Including rice), soya products, legumes, anything from the nightshade family including potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, dairy and coffee. Basically an exclusion diet.  I thought what the heck or something slightly more colourful. This is unsustainable, what on earth can I eat.  I told her that  if I couldn't drink coffee or eat cheese then life wouldn't be worth living.  But I felt so bad I did cut right back in all her other suggestions. 

For about three months I ate strictly paleo, with some dairy and of course my coffee.  It worked. Then I started reintroducing items in easy stages. I soon found out which foods were the main culprits and had to be avoided at all costs and which foods I could eat in moderation.   I am fine with most nightshades but because of their high sugar/starch content I only eat white potatoes occasionally.  I can eat wheat maybe once or twice a week with no ill effects but I soon know if I've overdone it.  I still avoid pizza if at all possible. I find it very hard to digest. Same with rice.   I am fine with dairy in moderation. And of course I have drastically reduced my coffee intake and now drink only decaf.  For the main part my IBS and GERD have gone but they do flare up again if I eat too much of the wrong foods.  I soon know where I've gone wrong,  

With regard to the post nasal drip,  sinus issues and allergies what finally sorted me out was when my son got a cat.  Seriously. I had always been allergic to cats and for the first couple of weeks of having him I was in a dreadful state but then all of a sudden everything cleared up and I have had no issues since,  I must have just become desensitised.    I did suffer from catarrh and a productive cough last week without having a cold but I think that might have been just part of the caffeine withdrawal, my body cleansing itself,  I'm fine again now.   

Now I take a daily prebiotic to keep my gut flora healthy and as long as I stick to my version of paleo, I call it Paleo Light, I'm ok.  I also need to make sure I get enough sleep and avoid stress.  Stress will trigger an IBS attack for sure.  

It's all trial and error. Im still learning.  

artistlifestyle

Hello. I’ve had a busy week and I’m glad it’s Saturday. 

The paperwork is progressing and the black bag to shred is getting fuller. The studio reorganisation is also progressing with two pieces of furniture gifted to goodwill to be collected later this month and two pieces of storage to be built, starting today. Both items were too big for the room but the habits ingrained into us of making do lasts a lifetime. We’ve had them both for over 20 years. 

Now that I finally have only one job instead of 3 and I am still fit and healthy I’ve actually had the time in the last couple of months to work out what’s important to me and how I want to live. It’s taken a little time to adjust and it’s an ongoing process. Making the studio work efficiently and aesthetically pleasing will have a big impact on my life. This year any breaks I take will be visiting family and friends in various parts of the UK so investing a little in making the house work best for me is now possible. FB Marketplace has been a useful resource for storage solutions both buying and selling. Now I am no longer working so many hours, especially in the evenings and weekends, although I still work one in 3, plus holiday cover, I can now go to classes two nights a week and I’m really enjoying this. I’ve never before been able to attend anything like this regularly because of work. For me it brings connection and joy something we all need especially when we end up on our own for whatever reason. I’ve also got an art workshop coming up soon, a birthday present from my family and I find having things to look forward to is so important. 

Today I’m off to a NT property, last Sunday I went to two EH ones. I do have their memberships and use them as much as possible going to lots of local ones all through the year. It’s amazing how each month they’re different. Next weekend I’ll be working and as the forecast is to be very cold, so it works out well. 

Eating the freezer contents and stores is still going well. Lots of clean and empty jars building up. Of course they’ll be extra costs to refill them but for me
 it’s a good discipline to do this every so often and it’s amazing how it balances the annual food costs. Some of the meal combinations are a little unusual but I’m going to keep going. Each week I buy fresh fruit, veg, yog, salad, milk, eggs etc. The protein comes from the freezer, or a tin eg tuna, or beans and pulses. I refill the freezer with fresh soup portions as I go so I don’t have to eat the same one for 5 days. Today I need to buy jumbo oats and broth mix as they’re two of my staples. I’m off to shop now before it’s too busy. I make my bread and to make my flour last longer I freeze it as this kills anything in there that shouldn’t be there. I don’t often have any older flour but the current batch of wholemeal said BB end of November so I froze it last week. It’ll come out the day before I make the next batch. 

@FreetodoasIlike I’m sorry you’re feeling down. I’m in no way qualified to make suggestions however I do rate Victoria Health as a genuine and trustworthy company who offer many different solutions to all kinds of health and beauty issues and their pharmacist Shabir Dyer. They have lots of articles and advice on all manner of health issues and sell very good products. This article might help you https://editorial.victoriahealth.com/how-to-tackle-low-mood and there’s a vast library of articles in their website and you can even email them for advice. I have not taken magnolia Rhodiola myself but I do know it’s one of their best selling and most highly rated supplements. 

Happy weekend everyone. 

2Scratters

In the last 50 years (check out any public photos, you won't find anyone looking over a size 16) or so we have been brain washed into eating certain food products which are actually unhealthy. I found on FB a fitness guy Edward Abbew. Now I must say quickly if you are easily offended he may not be for you. He has made me think and look more at food (I am under tall and heading towards retirement) there are many products out there that have hidden sugar and other sweet derivatives in them. To the point I am now moving slowly back to making food from scratch. I do suffer digestive issues and have noticed I may have a potential intolerance to gluten which I try to manage. There are many bought items that I like but my body definitely doesn't. I am now learning to give more consideration to some foods, is my discomfort that follows this consumption actually worth the short pleasure? the answer is more frequently no! I am also noticing that less ( i.e additives) is more in the food that has been processed and they are being put back onto the shelf. I'm hoping in the process that a natural weight loss will follow. 

I am coming to the end of a skin moisturiser Johnson's daily SPF15  4.5 which has been discontinued. I have purchased a follow on when that happens and its the Aldi one. 
My hair colour is being topped up with a colour which looks quite good as faded ginger doesn't go grey or silver. I get at least 2 colours from 1 box but I am aiming to do better with that soon. As I have short hair I resorted over 4 years of to going to a local barbers shop. Maximum I pay is £12.
Mum has dementia and is also registered blind. She likes the tactile of her hands so we use hand cream that is fragrant and I paint her nails in a clear varnish just so they shine and it has the advantage of never looking messy 

Have a fabbing weekend all


2 Scratters xx

helensbiggestfan

It's true about weight gain over the decades. There are some lovely videos of London street scenes  through the decades. I love the 60s ones.  It was extremely rare to see fat people, usually they had an underlying condition which made them gain weight. Most normal people just remained slender and active well into retirement.  My father, who died just short of 90, remained as slim as he was at 20.  Alas I take more after my mother and I have gained weight.  My own stupid fault.  

When I was a girl I walked miles to and from school, and of course our generation played outside from morning  till night.  We ate like horses, our mothers cooked from scratch, our plates were piled high and we never gained an ounce.  Nowadays most children lead very sedentary lives by comparison and consume a lot of "beige" food, full of chemicals and additives and god knows what.  I see young women, in their 20s or early 30s, too fat to walk and forced to use a mobility scooter. I doubt that some of them will see 50.  So sad, it's no life for them.  

I am trialling a Clinique moisturiser again.  Used to use it years ago and got on well with it so I'm hopeful.  Just used it this morning and so far so good.  Skin feels nice, no irritation. 

Off to see family in a bit.  It's a nice day, between the showers.  😁

Have a lovely weekend. 💕

FreetodoasIlike

Thank you for the link @artistlifestyle. I have checked it out. I know St John’s wort is mentioned and my Amazon delivery actually arrived this morning, so I will give it a shot and report on my progress. I know it may time to take effect so I will persevere. I will also try the Magnolia Rhodolia if St John’s wort has no effect. Very useful tip - thank you.

Well done with your studio re-organisation. Like you say, it will have a big impact on your life when it’s complete. It will be worth it in the end. When we had our loft conversion when I retired, I thought it was never going to be complete. It was like living in a building site - never again. It was worth it in the end though, as my OH uses this as a study/radio shack, complete with large flat screen TV. It also has an en suite small shower room with loo, so it will market as another bedroom if we ever sell/have to move. Your studio sounds lovely. My OH’s daughter went freelance a while ago when she was made redundant and is doing fairly well selling her cross stitch designs on Etsy. She also paints and has done some lovely artwork, although doesn’t really sell much commercially but she is trying! I am not artistic at all, but did like to knit. Maybe I should take this up again. 

@2Scratters Sorry to hear about your mum. My mum is 102 and is in a care home. Although not blind, she too has dementia and has severe hearing loss, despite hearing aids. She seems obsessed by hand cream and I recently bought her some Clarins (the one I also use) and she loved the feel on her hands.

@helensbiggestfan  It was very interesting to read of your food journey and cutting out certain foods and how it has affected your health. At least you know what foods trigger your IBS and GERD and to avoid them. You are so knowledgeable on nutrition/skin care. You must have had training in this field. 

Going to get off here and actually DO something before the day is gone. I managed to clean my cooker and the next step is to sort out the fridge/freezer and clean behind it. I think that if I do a bit at a time I will get there in the end. Mentally, I feel a lot better if my house is in order.

Makingabobor2

That's really interesting about the food intolerances etc and GERD & IBS, thanks for the detailed replies.  I did think of contacting a Nutritionist myself actually, but having read peoples experiences on here. I might just trial a few ideas first and see how I go.  
I haven't had any gluten since yesterday morning, and already am noticing a small difference TBH with the reflux today, although not so much with the sinus issues yet. . I have also, given up the chocolate....that is very hard...lol.  I only ever had 85% dark stuff, but think maybe it was the quantity I was eating, rather than the actual chocolate itself. The one I buy quite often is only 17% sugar, but even that is a lot.  I have in the past bought that one that was on Dragon's Den years ago, as its dairy free and less than 1% sugar. It is very expensive though, but maybe the way forward so I can still have a treat sometimes and actually enjoy it. 
Its nice to know I am not alone in experiencing these issues though and I'm sure I can overcome it with diet changes and not have to resort to going back to Dr and getting stupid drugs again. 
Yes I agree that stress is the biggest factor in IBS. I've started having regular Reiki treatments again now, which I know are helpful. I know not everyone believes in the power of Reiki, but trust me, it really does work. 

Talking of skin care, I have found that so many brands make my skin itch and allergies worse, due to the smell etc. So the one I have settled on now is from Nivea, for sensitive skin. Only place I can find it though is on Am*z*n. 

So, we'll see how I am in a day or so....fingers crossed

helensbiggestfan

Freetodo......yes I am actually a trained beauty therapist. The course did include some basic nutrition principles and that sparked my interest so I studied the subject myself in a bit more detail.  

All this talk of studios makes me feel quite envious. I definitely want to have enough room in my next house for some sort of studio/study, even if it's just a she shed in the garden.  

MB. A total exclusion diet of a couple of weeks is usually recommended to clear the body of toxins and reset the system.  This normally means eating the way our ancestors ate, meat, fish, eggs, a few berries, and a few greens, nothing that comes from later agricultural methods , ie grains, dairy, cultivated root veg and drinking only water.   That's why it's called the Paleo or Stone Age Diet.  Then, once detox is complete, then gradually introducing foods.  

If you can't manage that and it can be difficult as well as a tad monotonous then maybe just try eating "clean". No processed foods, no white refined sugar, honey would be ok.  That way you could eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds to supplement the basic paleo regime.  

Keeping a food diary is also helpful.  Usually if you can eat something 3 times without adverse effects then it's safe for you.  Although you might need to eat them as occasional treats rather than every day Fayre.  

Must dash......

helensbiggestfan

Sorry had to dash to attend  to the boys,  Granny duty tonight....

no 1 grandson, aged 5 told  me tonight that the skin on my face was soft and squishy,  I'll take that as a compliment. 😁.  The new moisturiser must be doing some good,  lol.  

sukeyboo

I am quite lucky in that, as far as I am aware, I don’t seem to have any allergies/food intolerances 😀.

Fabbing this weekend has consisted of setting up a new (to me) 40 inch Panasonic Smart TV and stand that was gifted via one of our local FB groups. It is only about three years old and looks like it has hardly been used. The old we had was only 32 inch and about 15 years old so I am really pleased with the replacement as I can now watch YouTube videos etc. on a large screen instead of just on my iPad - I am hoping to do some yoga and Pilates ones to help to strengthen my core.

i have just given myself a manicure - a very different colour for me - it’s called ‘Teal we meet again’ so is a blue/green - I normally go for reds and pinks.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend.