January4th, Thursday, 2006

Up at 5:15 a.m. this morning after a good nights sleep helped along by an over the counter sleep aid last night...if Ben howled last night, we were too deeply asleep to hear it.

I do know this: I am not as worn out as I have been the past two mornings, and neither is hubby. So sleep was recuperative for us last night.

Its chilly this morning with a strong gusty breeze...I think I will wait for it to warm up a bit before I take a shower this morning.

Breakfast is a couple slices of oat bran bread with cinnamon butter and milk to drink. Yes, I am 42, and I STILL drink milk. I have ALWAYS drank milk. You will notice that I eat a LOT of dairy products: Cheese, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, butter. I do NOT go with the conventional wisdom of depriving yourself of these important nutrients and taste.

You will also note that I do eat things that are viewed as NOT the best food choices in our culture today. I do have my reasons for this.

First of all, most of what we view as science fact when it comes to medicine is actually only a working theory that a field of expertise is trying to work out as they go along. This is the reason there are so many conflicting reports out there. Part of this is also the fact that the medical community is trying to get US put into a 'generic' type of box according to weight, height, and health, so they can prescribe us medications across the board when needed without worrying about differences in physical height and build and weight...and I have to tell you this now: That goal won't ever be achieved, because people are too varied, and some medications should not ever be prescribed to certain individuals. It looks like the medical establishmentis eventually and slowly is realizing this; however, this is something that we will keep an eye on and see just how it pans out.

You will also notice that I give a generalized list of what I am eating on a daily basis. I do not give portion sizes as such because I figure that if you are on a eating plan, you know portion sizes and are able to regulate your own intake.

Second, I am not the food police, and I am not here to take your hand and say you eat and only eat this much, and I will not tell you what you will and will not eat. I think that is silly and stupid and that if you go out and buy a bag of chips, you can read what the portion size is supposed to be and gee, measure out what it is you are supposed to have all on your own!!! WOW!...See the control you have??? See, you CAN control what goes into your mouth and you CAN control how much you eat of it by READING on the label how much you are supposed to have! What a concept! If we can depend upon ourseleves to get up and get everyone to work to school and go to work and then come home, get everyone to their after work or after school activities, I think we can depend upon ourselves to read portion sizes, and to be able to make sensible food choices.

One thing I do recommend: Invest in a GOOD food scale. This is a VERY good idea, as an ounce of meat versus an ounce of cottage cheese verus an ounce of chips or crackers is different in volume. I can eyeball my portions on meat, and I use a measuring cup for my cottage cheese because I LIKE dairy and I would eat three times what I am supposed to have, and I always either over- or under-estimate my portions on chips or crackers, as it varies from either potato chips or tortillia chips or crackers.

Also, a note on fast food: but the dollar menu items, and then eat only half that burger and half the fries...and order the orange drink AND the bottle of water instead of the soda. If you wish, order the kids meal. Unless you haven't eaten for 18 to 24 hours straight, this will get you to dinnertime without any fuss. I would recommend ( if you can tolerate it) ordering the 99 cent salad to go with it....that gives you a sense of eating something crunchy, and helps the digestion.

Note I said if you can tolerate the salad...that's because if you hev IBS, some salad greeens are not tolerated very well...in fact, I have been known to eat a salad I have made here at home from ingredients grown in my own garden and been in the bathroom for the rest of the day and all the next because my body reacts in a negative manner to such non-soluble fiber stimulation. I won't go into depth with what Fobromyalgia involves at thie time, as its way too early and I am thinking of that shower now that I have warmed up.....ta ta for now....