As many of you know, I have been struggling with headaches for a number of years. It has been about 3 1/2 years since the day they started. I spent a lot of money trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I saw a family doctor, dentist, neurologist, eye doctor, holistic health guy, an ENT & a chiropractor. I made a trip to urgent care, I had an x-ray, I had an MRI, I took terrible Migraine medications. Nothing worked. I cried a lot. I hurt so bad! I had blessings that just told me to be patient. I gave up, at first in despair, and then later with a little bit of hope, because Heavenly Father did tell me that the answer would come...some day. I tried to stop complaining and just have Faith, but at first I was frustrated beyond belief. Sometimes I'm still frustrated even though my headaches are a lot more controlled now than they used to be. But wish as I might that they would just go away, they don't...they just always come back. still.
I have a vitamin regimen that helps a ton (and if I know anybody with headaches I will always recommend it to them). Sometimes I feel great and I don't have headaches. But sometimes (a lot of the time actually) I forget the vitamins and the headaches come back. The vitamins haven't been the cure all that I was hoping for.
My headaches, have unfortunately, been worse since I had Juliette. Just like they were absolutely terrible right after I had Emerson. I think breast feeding and hormonal changes have a lot to do with it. And as much as I don't want to admit it, I think my diet might have something to do with it as well. A lot to do with it...perhaps.
Awhile back I was really worried about my headaches. I couldn't sleep, and kept having dreams that I had cancer and brain tumors and that I was going to die. It really scared me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't understand why I needed vitamins. And why they didn't seem to be helping as much as they used to. I was living in panic mode. And then the thought came to me...vitamins help because I'm not getting the nutrients I need from food.
It just made sense.
Most of you probably know, that I react pretty badly to most medications. If there is a side effect, I will almost always experience it. I don't think I have ever been able to stay on a single medication for more than a few months. It seems the longer I am on something the more side effects I will experience. I often joke that I should be a medicine tester, because I would be the perfect person to determine what side effects there are. It has been kind of frustrating to me at times...but it got me thinking about sugar.
Did you know that the average American eats 3 lbs of sugar a week or 156 lbs of sugar a year? Did you know that there have been studies that compare the addictive nature of sugar to cocaine? Did you know that less than 100 years ago the Average intake of sugar was only 4 lbs in an entire year?
Sugar is a drug...it is addictive...and I don't react well to medications...I wonder what sugar is doing to my body...to my head. How can a brain work when all it is being fed is garbage?
I determined to stop eating sugar. At first I thought I would just stop eating candy, and baked goods etc. for a few weeks maybe...But then I started reading 2 very awesome blogs that were recommended to me by a friend:
Word of Wisdom Living
and
100 Days of Real Food
And my whole idea about food and health has changed. I don't think I will be starting back up with the sugar thing. ever. And I think my diet is going to be changing a lot more than just not eating candy.
And here is why:
After only just 6 days of not eating sugar (in cookies, chocolates, candies, drinks etc) my headaches are almost completely gone. My head feels clean and clear. It it literally like I have been living in a fog, and now the fog is starting to dissipate. The haze is going away. I don't really know how else to describe it...except I am feeling noticeably better. It has been incredibly hard to say no...but I did it! I have the power to choose! I didn't have a single treat at the family Christmas party, I didn't buy chocolate at the movie theater (I snuck in grapes instead) and today when I was listening to the radio commercial about rhoades cinnamon rolls drizzled in frosting it almost made me gag. Is it weird that I could change so much in less than a week?
It made me think of Daniel and the kings meat. If we follow the Word of Wisdom, we will be blessed. And Heavenly Father isn't going to take very long before he starts to bless you abundantly. I feel like I have received an answer to my prayer. True, it has been staring me in the face for a long time...but finally, for some reason, I was ready now to try it.
I don't know if my headaches will be cured forever or not. But I do know this is the direction I need to be going. Food is changing at our house. The sugar is getting kicked out on the street. It has been added to almost everything...so it is going to be a slow long process of changing, and choosing. My goal is a year without sugar...too hard? Maybe...but then again, maybe not?
Last day in Washington
7 years ago
1 comment:
I have found also that sugar has a big impact on my health. It really is in everything and it is so so SO hard to give it up because of the effort involved with cooking other healthier foods, the social implications, and of course because it tastes good. I wish you more than the best of luck--perhaps the blessing of heaven--because this is an endeavor I still have many ups and downs with ever since Andrew was born and my whole body was going haywire. Wish you lived closer so we could have a support group or something! You can do it!!!
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