Grant me immunity

I'm not sure what to do anymore. I consider myself a person who follows a fairly healthy lifestyle. I don't smoke, I drink only once in a while, I eat well, I get some exercise and sleep (both areas I'm trying to improve), I take my vitamins and I'm in a healthy, loving relationship (with Pete AND my pets). I eat lots of fresh foods, salads, organics, I go easy on dressings and other things (butter, creams, spreads, etc.) and I try to stay away from red meat and other problematic foods.



But as you may have noticed, my immune system seems to have given up, and I'm constantly getting colds or feeling under the weather (like now). My skin is horribly broken out (has been since our honeymoon) and I'm constantly suffering from weird aches and pains. My stomach is always a mess and I am forever having trouble coexisting with certain foods. I'm always dead tired and hurting, and as a result, I'm crabby, moody, and sullen. I don't want to do anything that requires great physical effort because I just can't muster up the energy. So what gives?



Yes, my Hooveritis* has much to do with it, I suppose. I've noticed a general demise in my overall health since it began almost two years ago. It tends to act up during the colder months, too. But I get regular massages and have been working out to help keep flexible and loose. And yes, I've always been plagued by headaches and migraines, especially during the last several years, but I've been careful to avoid triggers like red wine and try to get plenty of sleep (I try). Of course I have a very stressful job, and times are tough, but that's been the case in past years and have never been so sickly like this. I wake up every day feeling like I'm 85, not 35. What am I doing wrong?



Have you been having trouble with your health? What kinds of problems do you have? What do you do to feel better? Do you work out, eat right, sleep well, take vitamins, etc., or do you have another regimen you follow? I'm curious to know, because although I am taking steps to get healthier, not much seems to be changing. It's almost scary. No, it IS scary!

One POSITIVE change though: Claire has so helpfully suggested that I take Lysine for my canker sores. Since I started taking it several weeks ago, I have not had a single recurrence, which is utterly remarkable to me. So thank you, Claire! Every little bit helps.



Anyhow, I hope you are feeling great, healthy, happy, energetic, and well rested wherever you are and whatever you're doing, and I hope you are dodging those winter bugs so far too!


*Undiagnosed nerve disorder/injury that causes pain, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion

Dietary detective

Sigh...

Well, I'm sloooowly figuring out what I can and can't eat. And this is all by trial and error, which is unfortunate, but it's the only way I can see which foods don't like me. I've noticed trends in reactions to certain foods and I've learned to start avoiding them (or adding them if the reactions are good).

Like red meat. Boy, do I love red meat. I would say I'm a borderline vegetarian wannabe (I hate the thought of eating animals), but red meat lures me back all the time. But for the last several years, it hasn't been too kind to my digestive system. That steak I ate this weekend at my inlaws' home? Ugh, I don't even want to go into what happened for the next few days after eating it. And you would think I'd realize this right away, but I haven't. I always chalked up my stomach issues to a bad cut of meat, or that I was just not feeling well in general, etc. More and more often, however, I've noticed this isn't the case, and unless I eat a tiny amount of red meat once in a while, the stuff always messes with me and I feel sick for a day or so as it works its way through my digestive system.



Same thing with stuff like orange juice, salt, coffee, ice cream (sob!), some cheeses, spicy foods... And on the same token, I have found out what my body loves, most recently during a "cleansing" diet during the summer in which I ate nothing but fish, chicken, rice products, fruits and veggies, and herbal tea. Let me tell you, my body was in heaven. It especially seems fond of rice products, which is good, because I find them pretty tasty. And I love stuff like sushi, fresh fruit, chamomile tea and cream, chicken, etc. But a girl does tire of healthy stuff after a while, and of course I succumb to the evils of fried and fatty foods. And what happens? The ill health (headaches, upset stomach, general malaise) comes back with a vengeance. Funny that candy never seems to bother me, unless I eat several pounds of it during the course of the day (not that I've ever done that, ahem). I do adore the stuff and must restrain myself at all times. And I'm sure someday my teeth will just give up and wearily fall out of my head anyhow, rotten to the core and waving little white flags.



I just woke up with yet another killer headache, which is similar to the one I got on Saturday morning after having lots of salty foods on Friday. And what did I have last night? Lots of salty foods (pretzels, baked fries, baked chips). No matter how much water I drink, I seem to wake up with borderline migraines (or full-blown migraines) if I eat too much salt the night before. Which is really, really sad, just like red meat, because I LOVE salty foods. But they don't love me, and I really need to start saying no to the delicious stuff.



Do you have any dietary problems you've been able to identify? Do you find certain foods leave your body happy? I'm curious to hear all about it.

(Photos courtesy of Chewing the Cud, NYMag, Black Tomato, Lifehack)