Odds and Ends - A catch up blog

Hi All,
Just got back from camping for a couple days.  For those of you who are local - White Rocks Camp Ground in Giles, VA - NICE.  Not a lot of people, flush toilets (NO SHOWERS), a cool little creek, spacious sites.  Lovely!

Chicken -
What to do with 2 fairly large, VERY frozen chicken breasts?  Dust them with onion and garlic powder.  Put them in a glass casserole dish, bone side down/skin side up, cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 400 for 90 minutes.  Tender, juicy chicken.

No-Poo Shampoo idea:
Someone posted this on Facebook.  LOVE the idea.  Going to try it as soon as I get out to the health food store for some aloe.  http://coderedhat.com/aloe-honey-shampoo-recipe/.

Non-toxic, non-allergenic air freshener:
Planted a swiss mint plant in an indoor plant pot.  Put it in front of the fan.  Now, the room is lightly scented of mint and there is nothing to cause me allergy issues.  .... Here is hoping the mint plant will be my second success - I typically kill plants.  However, I have one plant that has survived a whole year.  So... I am branching out to the mint plant.  Up next - an aloe plant.  Then maybe some Rosemary.

Coursera -
Awesome site that provides FREE classes on a variety of topics.  Can get a certificate of completion.  But, more than that, can learn all sorts of wonderful things.  Right now, I am taking a class on ADHD through the lifespan and on Nutrition.  They have a plethora of other topics.  https://www.coursera.org/courses

Camping hint:
If you go camping in areas with ticks and Lyme disease - after you get home, check blankets/sleeping bags, your own body, and your pet's body for little travelers.  To get the fur baby to stay still for tick check - make it fun.  And all-over body scratch is enjoyable for the darling, and reassuring for the human whose bed the darling likes to claim as his own.  ... As I type this, the refrain from the country song runs through my mind "I wanna check you for ticks" ... ARGH!!

Memorial Day:
A sincere "Thank You" to those who have served.  To those who are serving now.  And to the families of all service members, both past and present.

:)

Laura

Suicide Scale

Form I use each appointment with my clients.  I have several who are on various levels on this scale - some are up to 7.  So, we (clients and I) track where they are at each appointment.

If you find that you need assistance - please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-talk (8255) or 1-800-suicide.  A resource site is www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Scale of suicidal thoughts and actions

1	Random Thoughts of Suicide This is normal – Everyone has thought “Well, if I weren’t here” or “If I were dead”… But at this stage, the thoughts are not often, are passing, and are more a “what if” than an idea of something that should be happening.
2	Frequent Thoughts of Suicide
3	Frequent Thoughts of Suicide AND Intent (sounds like a good idea…)
4	Frequent Thoughts of Suicide AND Intent AND starting to gather information
5	Frequent Thoughts of Suicide and STARTING TO MAKE PLANS
6	Frequent Thoughts of Suicide and PLANS and gathering the things to carry out the plan
7	Frequent Thoughts of Suicide AND Plans AND MEANS TO DO IT
8	Suicide Attempt, but then seeking help
9	Suicide Attempt without telling anyone or seeking help after attempting
10	I will commit suicide within the near future

Where are you on the scale?

What might change to move you closer to 10?

What would have to change before you moved closer to 1?

• 1-3 = we talk about it. 

  4-5 = we work on safety planning and on alternatives to suicide. We remove all potential weapons (ESPECIALLY GUNS) from the house.  We talk about locking up and controlling access to medications.

  6-7 = we connect DAILY and work with crisis management professionals/support persons. And 7 may mean that the person needs to be hospitalized, but regardless of end result, it means SUPER IMPORTANT to get lots of support, mental health help, and have some sort of supervision/safe place.

  8 and up = Time for making sure there is 24 hour supervision, being in a safe place, and possible hospitalization.

This has been a GOOD day!

Today:

I got violated by a spider which ran across my foot, but am VERY proud that I did not scream like a blond in a horror movie.


My happy moment for the day. A client had a baby pig (3 days old) with her. Was out in the truck during her appt, and the weather was cool enough that was fine. But after our appt, she let me hold the little pig. YAY! I was so thrilled. Darling little thing. Started hollering as soon as I had it in my arms - wanted fed.


This has been a GOOD day!

Adapt to your environment or adapt your environment to you... In other words - how to do what you want regardless of physical challenges

Regarding Cooking...

When you have a chronic illness or a physical challenge, sometimes little things ... oh like, say, cooking... become impossible.

Wait - let's look at that sentence again.  

Cooking becomes impossible...         ... the way you used to do it.

However, humans are endlessly inventive.  And, we have created ways around everything - including gravity.  We have transcended the boundaries of our world and walked on the surface of the moon. 

So - what can we do about these basic, essential parts of life?

First - break it down.  

What are the component parts of the task?  What is causing problems? For example - sometimes (often) my hands are too numb to hold a knife.  Why would I need to hold a knife - I peel veggies, I cut veggies/meat into smaller pieces.  

Second evaluate the tasks:

peeling - does the item HAVE to be peeled? - 
    No... ok, scrub it and leave the peel.  Better nutrition anyway.
    Yes - Ok options?
              1.  What about those scratchy gloves that you just rub the peel off?
              2.  What about a peeler - can put a cloth around the handle to make it easier to hold
              3.  Got someone else to ask?  Sounds like a good day for some help!
              4.  Had a good day a couple days ago, took advantage of that day, and peels some of the veggie.  Got it in the fridge/freezer.  So, going to use those. (This would be advance prep).

Chopping/cutting - does the item have to be neatly cut? 
   No - drop it into the food processor and hit pulse.  If it is meat, maybe use kitchen shears.
   Yes - this seems like a job for another day. (Pick your battles).

Third - SATISFICE:

To satisfice is to look at all the requirements and to pick the best solution that fills the majority of the requirements.  While the choice may not be the best for ANY SINGLE requirement, it is the best of ALL the selected requirements.  This is not settling for second best.  It is expanding the idea of WHAT IS BEST.

If you cannot stand while you are cooking:

So don't STAND to cook. Get a stool to perch on.  Sit at a table, in a recliner, lay in bed. A bucket with a little water to drop the veggies in. A trashpail for leavings. And then put it all into a crock pot. The goal is to have a meal - does not matter how it gets done.

A little crock pot with some noodles, some water, frozen diced veggies, and a can of canned chicken makes a nice soup in a couple hours and literally takes 3 minutes to drop into the pot. Better yet, you can take out the little crock, put the lid back on it, and put it in the fridge after you have cooked the meal - so no extra work, no extra dishes.

Also, can use an electric skillet or griddle at the table or even sitting on the floor. Anything with peels can be scrubbed (bucket and the floor) and then dropped through a food processor or into a blender and pulsed if you do not have the energy to chop it. Then into the crock pot. 

Meat - the grocery stores will chunk it if you ask them. does not cost you more and then you don't have to chunk it. Also, I find kitchen shears easier to use than a knife on not-so-good hand days.

Finally, on good days - chop and store extra stuff. Freeze pre-cut onions, chopped carrots with a damp paper towel will last for several weeks in the fridge, you can pre-cut and pre-cook meat and freeze them. Soups can be frozen in ziploc bags. Casseroles can be portioned and frozen in ziploc bags. 

There are lots of ways to make food prep easier on yourself - but eating is essential.

So - when you have challenges

Break it down.  Evaluate.  Satisfice.  

Prep when you have the energy.  Store what you can.  Use gadgets if you can.

And remember - you are smarter than your challenges...  

You may not be able to remove your challenges, but you CAN work around them!

Adapt your actions so that you can live your life in a way that is valuable to you!

Tips on Elimination Diets

Once you find an elimination diet, how do you go about re-introducing foods?  The question was asked on one of the support groups to which I belong.

This is what I did - and what I still do when I suspect there is a problem substance in my life.

For the original elimination diet, I used the book by William G. Crook (http://www.amazon.com/Detecting-Hidden-Allergies-William-Crook/dp/0933478151) Detecting Your Hidden Food Allergies.  I used the more severe plan because I did not want to do it twice.





Knowing that I had foods to which I reacted in the past, I removed all those.  Then I followed Crook's ideas.  How long did I keep the eliminated foods out of my diet?  I eliminated all suspect items until STOPPED FEELING BAD.

Tracking was simple for me - when I added something back and reacted (sometimes VERY spectacularly) the item was removed permanently.  Most reactions were immediate (within just a couple minutes of eating the substance) migraines.

Because my lungs are my most reactive system, I learned that a quick sniff could eliminate things with less pain than eating them.  So, oats were eliminated by sniffing - one whiff and my head felt like my brain had a muscle spasm.  Millet went the same way.

If the substance passed the sniff test, I would touch it to my lips.  If no tingle, swelling, or pain, then I would take a bite.  Then, I trialed a tiny bit.  Waited.  Trialed a bit more.  1 day later, ate a whole serving.  2 days later, ate as much of it as I could stand.  Did that the next day.  Did that the third day.  IF STILL NO REACTION, it was a keeper.  Reaction at any point - and it was on the no-way list.

I started with the least likely to cause problem item that was a SINGLE INGREDIENT FOOD.  Waited at least a week between foods.  If there was a reaction, often waited a month before trialing new foods - basically however long it took to start feeling better again.  Once I had enough single ingredient foods back, I started adding more complex ingredient foods (like cheese).  When a single ingredient failed (and sometimes in several single ingredient forms - several brands of rice or Coconut in flour, in coconut amines, and finally as a fresh coconut) then ALL DERIVATIVES of that ingredient were eliminated.

Went from most essential to least essential (eggs were way before maple syrup).  The most natural (straight off the vine) foods were before processed foods (carrots before maple syrup; almonds before milk).  Finally, if raw veggies failed, I did try them cooked (cooking seems to make a difference for me).

And, I would vary the utensils/containers I used for cooking the item - it is not just food you have to worry about.  For example, I react to things BAKED OR COOKED in silicon.  However, I am ok with foods cooked using a silicon spoon/spatula - if it is a high end silicon.  I am ok with stainless steel.  However, a lot of different Teflon non-stick surfaces cause me problems.

Hopefully, if you are thinking about an elimination diet, these tips will help.

Good luck.  :)

The Moving Target - NOT FAIR

Well, I was having a pretty good day.  Ate 2 pieces of sharp cheddar cheese (same brand I have been eating for months).  AND GOT AN INSTANT allergy-style migraine.  Figure was contaminated with mold?  Maybe?

Anyway, now have taken a boat-load of migraine meds and the world is just a tad shimmery.

Feeling that this is not quite fair - not that fair makes a difference or not... but still....  I can accept reactions when I am eating something I should not, or trying a new thing.  But this is the same darn cheese I ate last week, a couple days ago, etc.  So, yeah - I am feeling that the target got moved on me, the rules changed, and my inner kid is pitching a fit!

Which brings me to the question - what does one do when the rules change mid-game, when the world is inherently unfair, and when the darn target moves?  Do you honor and accept the inner child... The emotional reactions to unfairness?  Do you try to talk yourself out of the emotion - perhaps by saying that no one ever promised that life would play fair?  Do you put on a DVD and ignore it all - distracting yourself with something else?

What do you do?  And when does that work... and when does it not?

Something I suppose I shall think about in the next couple of hours and the next couple of days.

Laura

Flower Photos from Montgomery County Museum Flower Garden in Christiansburg, VA