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Daily Journal with Mitochondrial Myopathy

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder

My Journey with a Mitochondrial Disease - "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 KJV

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Diagnosis in 2006 - Parkinson's Disease and Peripheral Neuropathy, then in 2007 - Essential Myoclonus. Finally in 2011, after a muscle biopsy, I was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy as well as Peripheral Neuropathy.

Share my journey - coping with the testing, the medicines, nutrition, digestion problems, exercise, the emotions, uncertain diagnoses and no telling what else!

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Mitochondrial Disease Treatment in Phase 3 Trial

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on October 21, 2019 by DBDecember 9, 2020  

Elamipretide

No telling how many years away from availability this is, but it seems a mitochondrial disease treatment called Elamipretide may eventually be a treatment for Mitochondrial Myopathy. As old as I am now I can’t imagine this would be much help to me. Natural aging on top of inefficient mitochondria have taken their toll on my body. I am old, and I feel old. But it’s exciting to think that the day may come in my lifetime there will be help those younger folks who struggle with this rare disease.

Read all about Elamipretide research and progress on Mitochondrial Disease News.

Phase 3 Trial is a Big Deal

Scientists test possible drug treatments on animals before getting to human trials. Human drug trials generally go through three stages. Phase 1 trials mainly want to be sure the new treatment being tested won’t harm healthy people. They track side effects compared to dosages. People volunteer and are often paid to be test subjects for Phase 1 trials. Phase 2 involves testing actual patients to see if it works or not. And of course they are on the lookout for bad side effects, even if the drug does what it in intended to do. That means any time a treatment protocol makes it through Phase 3, there is reason for optimism. Elamipretide is currently nearing the end of its Phase 3 Clinical trial.

And it seems to be actually helping the mitochondria work better. Its like “glue” that makes better connections during the chemical reaction chain that creates energy in the mitochondria. The heart muscle is illustrated in this drawing, but my problem mitochondria are in my skeletal muscles.

Clinical Trial Process is Expensive

If you read more about the whole clinical trial process, it’s not hard to see why drug research is so very expensive. Yes, we all want medicines to be cheap and easily affordable for everyone. But pharmaceutical companies will never get rich developing treatments for what are called “Rare Diseases”. It is not cost effective to do the R&D for a drug that only a few thousand people will ever need. So they have to charge more for the every day variety of meds, like for diabetes. That’s just being financially realistic. The pharmaceutical company normally applies for Orphan Drug classification for any rare diseaae research they undertake. The government provides tax incentives and a longer time as a copyrighted drug than normal medicines. And that’s meant to stimulate more research for rare disease treatments.

Ethical Drug Pricing

The problem comes when Big Pharma gets just plain greedy. They charge for the more common drugs at extravagantly elevated prices. These prices are far out of proportion to what they need to make their share holders profits. We’ve seen this happen with Insulin.

So those of us who live with one of the rare mitochondrial diseases hope for the day when a clinical trial results in a mitochondrial disease treatment protocol. We also know that such a treatment will not be cheap. And we have to face the fact that other medicines will cost more to offset the research and development costs over years of efforts to achieve that treatment.

I look forward to reading your comments!

Posted in Medicines and Supplements, MITO | Tagged Big Pharma, Clinical Trial, Elamipretide, MITO, Mitochondrial Myopathy, phase 3 | Leave a reply

God’s Healing Sunlight

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on March 31, 2018 by DBMarch 31, 2018  

Healing Sunlight

When I left off in my last post, I had just been diagnosed with my second MRSA infection. And that was right after getting over a Strep infection. So I had a very sick winter. Thank goodness we’ve had some early Spring days, and I’ve been able to get out and sunbathe several times already. God’s healing sunlight has helped tremendously in making me feel better and stronger. Even on cloudy days when I can’t sunbathe, I’m back to walking around the house several times a day. I can feel the strength slowly come back. And I truly believe the sunlight has a lot to do with it.

I have continued to use my RubyLux sunlamp arrangement I’ve set up in the small bathroom, along with the SAD light and the 860mm infra-red light. They got me through the winter, and I can tell they help. But good ole SUN just makes a huge difference for me.

I had routine blood work done recently, and my vitamin D level is very good. I went back on a supplement in the fall. Hopefully I can stop taking it once we get lots of pretty days, and I’m able to sunbathe almost every day.

Sleep Still an Issue

I started having trouble staying asleep somewhere back this winter while I was sick, and I haven’t found a way to solve it yet. I would fall asleep quite easily, but then I would wake up to go to the bathroom and it took hours to get back to sleep. Eventually I just waited for a while and then got up and worked on the computer until time to get up. I’m now making myself stay still and just lie there until I finally do go back to sleep. But my actual number of hours sleeping are too interrupted to be very restful.

Circadian Rhythm Strategies

I’ve worked really hard to use as many of The Energy Blueprint* strategies as I can to improve my Circadian Rhythm. I wake up to the birds singing outside every morning, and I get bright sunshine in my early morning walk. When it’s cloudy, I use the SAD light in my bathroom sauna setup. I usually walk around the house several times a day, too, so I’m getting plenty of sunlight and fresh air, and as much exercise as I can tolerate.

I use blue blocker glasses and a blue light app on my computer and Kindle at night. We use room darkening curtains and red light flashlights if we get up in the night. And I don’t have anything to eat for about five hours before bed. We cool the house down after 8PM all year round. We have a bedtime routine and a regular bed and wake up time. I turn off the WiFi at bedtime, too, and we don’t have any electronics on during sleep.  I’d hate to think how little sleep I’d be getting if I weren’t doing all that.

Constant Headache

Somewhere along the way, a couple of months or so ago now, I started having a headache every day. Sometimes I wake up with it, but it usually starts between about 10AM and noon. Then it goes on until I fall asleep at night. I can ease it some with a hot pad on my neck, and I can distract myself from it while I’m busy during the day. But it’s still there, getting worse as the day goes on.

So I finally gave in and started taking Goody Powders, even though I know I shouldn’t. After using them several weeks, I stopped the Goody Powders. I figured it had probably turned into a rebound headache by then. I toughed out two weeks, but the headache never stopped. So I’ve gone back to one Goody Powder before lunch for now. And yes, I know that is toxic to my body and doesn’t help with sleep issues. But nothing I have tried in the way of stress relief or sleep strategies has stopped the headaches so far.

Doctors

I’ve made an appointment with my Neurologist. I’m hoping to get a referral to a Sleep Specialist doctor I saw years ago when they thought I had Parkinson’s. I weighed 50+ pounds more back then, and I was diagnosed as having Sleep Apnea at that time. I have dealt with urinary incontinence for quite a few years now, and that might be the problem. The brain is supposed to tell the kidneys to stop making so much urine during sleep. It sure doesn’t seem like THAT is working properly! I don’t know what’s causing all these sleep issues, but I do know I need help fixing them.

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged Circadian Rhyrhm, headache, Quality of Life, sleep, Sleep Apnea, sunbathing, sunlight, sunshine, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Immune System Issues, Slowly Recuperating

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on January 25, 2018 by DBSeptember 30, 2019  

Immune System Takes a Hit

My immune system has certainly taken a hit in the last six weeks or so. Back around Thanksgiving I came down with a bad sinus infection that turned out to be MRSA. The skull base surgeon put me on a powerful antibiotic. Then, the day before I finished the round of that antibiotic, I was diagnosed by my Primary Doctor with a strep throat. So that meant another round of antibiotics. I always take a probiotic, so at least I didn’t have to deal with a yeast infection!

It’s been a long time since I’ve run a fever, but I sure did with these infections. I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. The bad part about it was that dear hubby was also sick with the crud that’s going around in our town. It’s not the flu, but the coughing fits seem to go on forever and the whole mess lasts for several weeks. So he didn’t feel like taking care of me, and I didn’t feel like taking care of him. The poor cats were lucky to be fed LOL. I stayed out of church for several weeks, and we didn’t even go out to eat, either.

The Worst Is Over

Anyway, we’re both pretty much over our infections, and he’s more or less back to normal. I, on the other hand, have been so weak it’s all I’ve been able to do to walk around to do what just had to be done. I had cut way back on my food intake while I was running such a high fever. Food doesn’t taste that good now, anyway, thanks to my sense of smell being so limited for the last couple of years. But the thought of fixing any food was just too much. So, I lost about 5 pounds.

Now it’s time to work to get my immune system working properly again. I’ve gradually returned to the good nutrition I was used to eating. Our diet is based on whole foods, mostly plants, as The Energy Blueprint* program I’m following recommends. I have increased my protein intake, too. I had stayed away from kefir while I had a fever. Dairy products just didn’t sound like a good idea then. Now I’m back to making kefir for the probiotics and growing broccoli sprouts for the phytonutrients every day.

Not Exercising Yet

Up until the last couple of days, I didn’t dare try anything that resembled exercising. Just absolutely necessary walking and standing in the house was quite enough to exhaust me. But now I’ve started being more active. I haven’t vacuumed the house yet, but I did walk once around the yard yesterday and today. I had gradually worked up to 8 laps around the house (about a quarter mile total) prior to getting sick, so it will be awhile before I get back to that point.

And I haven’t been to the gym at all since before Thanksgiving. Maybe next week I’ll try going long enough to at least use the recumbent bike for maybe 10 minutes and then relax on the water massage machine. I have a free membership to a Silver Sneakers gym, thanks to my health insurance. Getting more exercise will improve my immune system and a great way to increase my mitochondrial health.

DIY Sauna

I had stopped using my DIY infra-red sauna setup, too. I was just too weak to dare use the heat lamps for fear I’d faint. But I have now started gradually using it again. And I’m almost back to my full Energy Blueprint* light routine now. The small bathroom now has my 3 infra-red lamps setup that is meant to help with detoxing and increasing cellular energy. I’ve moved the 10,000 lux full spectrum lamp that helps to set my Circadian Rhythm and prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder in there, too. At my skull base surgeon’s insistence, I’ve also started back smelling the essential oils while I’m using the sauna. He still feels like I can get my smell back if I keep working at it.

AND I’ve recently added dry brushing my skin to my sauna routine as a way to improve my circulation. It’s supposed to help with detoxing under the infra-red lamps, too. All the while I’m doing the rotisserie chicken imitation under the red lights and white light, so I can get all the benefits at the same time.

I also recently purchased a special 850 nm wavelength light panel that The Energy Blueprint* recommended. That wavelength increases the photobiomodulation that is supposed to increase my mitochondrial energy. I’m only standing close to it for about 5 minutes or so each day. I want to increase my exposure very slowly, so I get the benefits without causing any issues for my mitochondria.

All the time I’m in my sauna I’m usually listening to a health related podcast or learning a stress relieving breathing program. I pack a lot into that 30 minutes of me time.

Working at Getting Better

So my immune system was hard hit with one infection after another. But I’m gradually improving and feeling more like putting in the work to improve my mitochondrial function. Now to just get myself back to where I was this Summer!!

Oh NO! Revision

Well, I just got a call back from the skull base surgeon’s office. I had a “routine” visit with him last week, and they took another culture. I STILL have MRSA – so now 3 more weeks of antibiotics. UGH!

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged energy, immune system, nutrition, recuperation, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Flu Shot? Yes or No?

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on December 20, 2017 by DBOctober 1, 2019  

Have you had your flu shot yet? Are you planning on getting one? Maybe you avoid them? This is a hard decision to make for some people. Others have very definite opinions about getting vaccinations or not.

Flu Shot + Probiotics

This article on Examine.com* about combining the flu shot with probiotics might help you decide one way or the other, if you are inclined to get one but not sure about it.

MRSA Me

I won’t be getting a flu shot again this year. I’m on high powered antibiotics for a sinus infection once again. That means the flu shot would not work on me. This time it’s MRSA. I’m struggling again with the weakness the antibiotics bring on and the sleeplessness from the steroids I’m taking. I’m using the probiotics now to keep from having candida issues with the antibiotic. So far it’s working well. Fingers crossed it continues to forestall that problem.

I’m using my DIY RubyLux light bulb sauna every day, too. The infrared rays should help my mitochondria work as well as possible. Hopefully the infrared lamps will eliminate some of the toxins these medicines produce in my body. And I’m flushing out my system with lots of filtered water.

But for now I’m not exercising very much. I just don’t feel like it.

I will say I’m not anywhere near as sick with this infection as I was last year when I had one sinus infection after another. The skull base surgery I had on my sinuses this July has improved my overall immune system. And I am sure my improved diet and other strategies I’m using from The Energy Blueprint* have a lot to do with the milder time I’m having this year, too.

I hope you’re getting through this season without the crud that so many people around here are dealing with right here at Christmas time. And if you do plan to get a flu shot, please consider the advice from Examine.com*.

Posted in Medicines and Supplements | Tagged antibiotics, energy, examine.com, flu shot, sinuses, steroids, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Nutrition Information Sources

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on December 14, 2017 by DBDecember 18, 2017  

Energy Blueprint

We have been working on improving our diet and supplement choices for some years now. My Type II Diabetes diagnosis started us on the journey to more healthy eating. And hubby has been more interested in making improvements since his triple bypass heart surgery. We’ve been following The Energy Blueprint* protocol for about six months with considerable success. There are many strategies in the program that help to increase mitochondrial function. The program contains tons of good nutrition information. And it does not limit a person to eating one particular dietary lifestyle. So we were able to take what we were already eating and just improve it a bit.

We have lived in the South all our lives, but we certainly don’t eat “Southern”.  We have upped our serving of raw greens and other healthy raw veggies and fermented foods. Today we grated turmeric root into our huge lunch salad, a new experience for us. I had no idea what it was going to taste like and was pleasantly surprised it was not “weird” – maybe like a cross between a radish and a carrot??

Examine.com

Another source I recently found for reliable information about supplements and nutrition is Examine.com*. They do NOT sell any supplements, but they do sell a reasonably priced pdf encyclopedia of Supplements, plus some other materials. You can search the encyclopedia by supplement and by health concern. Each supplement has a graph showing results of medical research using that supplement to treat various health problems. I’m finding it extremely useful. And they keep the encyclopedia updated with results from current medical journal studies. There are also lots of free articles, such as this one on Super Foods, and if you open an account with them you will get informative emails.

We continue to learn ways to improve my health and my hubby’s. We may be in our 70’s, but we want to be as healthy as we possibly can. We’ve seen first hand the devastation of dementia while we were caregivers for our parents, and we want to do everything we can to enjoy a high quality of life as long as we can.

Nutrition Information

I could only wish that we had been this health conscious many years ago. But I thank God that hubby found The Energy Blueprint* program and we took the leap of faith to buy it. It has certainly been money well spent. And I’m glad I found Examine.com*. We continue to use the internet to learn as much as we can. And I plan to continue sharing sources of nutrition information with you. Hopefully something I write encourages you to improve your own lifestyle.

 

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged energy, examine.com, mitochondria, nutrition, Quality of Life, supplements, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Eating the Rainbow?

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on December 9, 2017 by DBAugust 15, 2019  

We eat this way and have been for some time. How about YOU?

Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Colors

Infographic provided by Reboot with Joe

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged colorful food, eating the rainbow, phytochemicals | Leave a reply

Exercise Intolerance

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on December 2, 2017 by DBJune 6, 2021  

MITO and Exercise Intolerance

Because of my Mitochondrial Myopathy, my muscles have always fatigued very quickly. It’s called exercise intolerance, as my muscle cells produce the ATP energy packets in an inefficient way. When I was teaching, I was walking around the classroom most of the day. But since retiring, and after our caregiver season passed, I mostly sat at the computer. My muscles are weaker than they should be, because of my poor choices. At the time I felt so bad I didn’t imagine that I could exercise.

I had major skull base surgery in July, and afterwards I was in a very weakened condition. Increasing activity level is an important strategy in The Energy Blueprint* program I’m trying to follow. I knew I’d have to make the suggested changes slowly.  But the other strategies I’ve incorporated from the Energy Blueprint have raised my energy level a good bit. So I felt safe in trying to start exercising a little.

Starting Slowly

I started by walking to the mailbox and back, which is maybe 50 feet or so. Very gradually I increased the length of my morning walk until I was walking a circuit around our house on the driveway, sidewalk, and patio. I got up to about a quarter mile and was walking at a fairly quick pace. I looked forward to getting out in the morning sun and exercising.

But, I overdid something and my left foot became extremely painful in the arch. The pain was at its worst first thing in the morning when I put weight on it. Based on my internet searching, I think I developed Plantar Faciitis. I slept in my shoes for about a week to help stretch the arch. And I started putting my shoes on first thing in the morning.

I also quit walking or standing any more than necessary in the house, because of the pain. And you know what THAT did to my painstakingly developed exercise routine. So I temporarily moved backwards in my efforts to overcome the MITO induced exercise intolerance.

SilverSneakers

Now the foot is much better, but still a little tender. I’ve increased the amount of indoor standing and walking activity, AND I’ve joined a gym. My health insurance provides free gym membership through the SilverSneakers program. And I decided to take advantage of it.

They have machinery that raises my heart rate and exercises my legs without standing or walking on the sore foot. I’m alternating using the recumbent bike and the arm equipment, so my muscle groups have time to recover. It will be a while before I’m strong enough to use most of their machines, but it’s great that I can be active again!

Working on it

I can definitely tell that my exercise tolerance level has moved up a notch or two – that I can do more before I feel the muscle cramps, muscle fatigue, and jerking. I still have to be very careful not to over-do. And sometimes I misjudge my tolerance level and pay the price for it, like my foot pain. But the prize of being more active is worth the time spent to overcome my exercise intolerance.

Posted in Exercise | Tagged exercise, exercise intolerance, fatigue, pain, SilverSneakers, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Cold Intolerance

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on November 18, 2017 by DBOctober 10, 2019  

I have had a problem with extreme cold intolerance for years. We bought The Energy Blueprint* program to learn strategies to increase my mitochondrial energy. The doctors told me in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy, that there was no treatment and no cure. My Neurologist suggested several supplements that might help, and I’ve been on them for years. But I’ve continued to have very low energy and poor muscle strength all those years, too.

I’m ecstatic that I am seeing so much improvement in my energy level and cold intolerance now that I’ve implemented just some of the EB strategies!

Sunbathing and Sauna

The most surprising lifestyle change I’ve made is to start sunbathing at midday! So my normal habit has been to wear a long sleeve jacket year round – in the air conditioned house and outside of the house. That was even in the Alabama Summers! I was miserable all Winter.

So this pasty white old lady bought a bathing suit. I started to lay out in the sun super slowly – maybe a minute to a side to start with. It took a while to work up to the 30 minutes I can now enjoy. And, just as the program explained, it has given me a tremendous amount of energy. And, for the first time in my life, I have a tan! Someone at church complimented me on wearing makeup (I do not). I laughed when I told her it was my tan.

When sunbathing is not possible, thanks to the weather, I have a DIY sauna setup in the bathroom. I use three RubyLux 850nm infra-red bulbs and a small ceramic heater. It doesn’t help with my tan, but it is supposed to be energizing. The process is called photobiomodulation. The heat feels great, although I’m building up gradually. I sure don’t want to get burned. I’ve worked up to about 15 minutes a day. I don’t sweat, even though the room gets up in the 80’s, and I exercise some while in there. Ideally the room should be much hotter, but it’s make-shift at best. Sweating is one of the ways to get toxins out of the body. So I’m hoping with time I will start sweating again and get more benefits.

Cold Intolerance

I wasn’t expecting to see a difference in my cold intolerance, but I’m making progress. I don’t have to bundle up with a blanket all the way to my chin to sit through church every time any more. Oh I still wear thermal underwear and double socks for church. But now I usually only drape the blanket across my legs to block the draft under the pews.

It remains to be seen how I do during the cold Winter weather. I am still walking in the mornings, if it’s not raining. Previously I would never have even considered being outside in 60° weather for any longer than absolutely necessary. I was always in a hurry to get to and from the car. Now I can walk about a quarter mile, even in the cold air. That’s a gigantic improvement for me.

I continue to praise God for His healing Hand, for leading us to this program, and for the wonderful joy of feeling better! And I hope to continue learning more ways to improve my quality of life.

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged cold intolerance, energy, MITO, Mitochondrial Myopathy, photobiomodulation, sauna, sunbathing, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Improving My Circadian Rhythm

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on November 7, 2017 by DBJanuary 24, 2018 2

I’ve learned a lot in The Energy Blueprint* about improving my Circadian Rhythm. (There are several introductory videos that are free, if you are interested in learning more about this program.) The program has several lengthy discussions on the benefits and issues with different light frequencies. The author, Ari Whitten, shares lots of scientific studies to back up his strategies. I certainly don’t understand all of what I’ve seen, but I have successfully used several of his suggested strategies.

Sleep Strategies

It didn’t take a program to tell me that improving my Circadian Rhythm was a top priority! I wasn’t sleeping much at all after my last sinus surgery. I was on high steroid doses for a month, so sleeping more than a few hours a night was unusual.

So I started implementing strategies from the Energy Blueprint. I bought the blue blocker glasses to limit the blue light frequencies for several hours before bed. That way the lights in the house, and especially the TV light and computer light, were not signalling my brain that it was still daylight. I stopped using the computer and Kindle after 7PM. I bought room darkening drapes to get the room darker for sleep. And I’ve covered up with black electrical tape all the little blue lights that are all over the house. I bought a red light bulb to use as a night light in the bathroom. And we now use red light flashlights to navigate in the pitch black house to use the bathroom during the night. The red light does not stimulate the brain to think it’s time to get up. It’s more like the firelight our ancestors used at night.

Backsliding

I saw a dramatic improvement in my sleep habits for quite a while after working on improving my Circadian Rhythm. But I’m sorry to say I’ve gone back to the old habit of waking up to go to the bathroom. That’s a problem for me, because I can’t get back to sleep.. At least I have more of an arsenal of weapons to get this terrible habit stopped again. I’m taking a Benadryl at night to help temporarily (NOT part of the EB program!), and I’ve increased my daytime activity level as much as my muscles will allow at this time.

I think part of the return of the problem is that it is getting harder to find a day when I can sunbathe. It’s now either too cloudy or too chilly on more days than not. So I’m using the RubyLux infra-red lamps in my make-shift sauna to try and make up for it. It’s obviously not working as well as the natural sunlight in improving my Circadian Rhythm and increasing my mitochondrial energy, but it’s better than nothing. The best way to accomplish this would be to use an infra-red sauna – but that’s out of our price range.

Seasonal Changes

I’m also using a 10,000 lux full spectrum light therapy box I bought on Amazon in the mornings now, even if I go outside and walk in the morning. Too often lately the sky has been so cloudy that I know I’m not getting enough of the blue light that signals, “It’s Daytime!” to my brain. And then the clock change hasn’t helped things, either. I’m struggling to stay awake at night until a decent bedtime, and that’s causing me to wake up earlier than I should.

Improving My Circadian Rhythm

So I’ve kind of made two steps forward and one step backwards when it comes to improving my Circadian Rhythm. I’ll continue to add more of the EB strategies and hopefully get more of the many benefits of better sleep.

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged blue light, Circadian Rhyrhm, infra-red, sleep, sleepiness | 2 Replies

Eating Habits Changed

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on October 26, 2017 by DBJune 6, 2019 2

I’ve never liked to cook, so over time we’ve changed our eating habits from cooked to raw. We’ve been eating salads for lunch for several years. But thanks to The Energy Blueprint* program, our lunch salad is now gigantic. And we eat largely raw for breakfast and supper as well. We like to eat out several times a week, so that’s the only time we eat a completely cooked meal any more.

We consciously eat fruits and vegetables of different colors every day. That way we get a wide variety of phytonutrients without having to take so many pills. And we intentionally vary the fruits and vegetables we buy each week to add even more variety to our meals.

We do still eat some meat, and we keep hard boiled eggs handy at all times for added protein. Occasionally I’ll fix an omelet with coconut oil and lots of veggies. Hubby still eats bread, but I rarely do. Once in a blue moon I’ll fix organic oatmeal, but I try to avoid gluten grains.

Trying New Foods

I’ve discovered purple potatoes! These little new potato size wonders have purple skin AND purple insides. The color means they are extra rich in anthocyanins, which are very powerful nutrients with many health benefits. Since I’m a Type II diabetic, I boil a pot of them at the beginning of the week and then eat them cold. Sometimes I have them for breakfast and occasionally for supper. I add them to our lunch salad sometimes. Cold potatoes have what is called resistant starch, which does not create an insulin spike the way hot potatoes do. Of course I eat the skin, too.

When I eat the potatoes, I also have fresh fruit, such as raspberries or blueberries, or red grapes. And we’ve discovered a kind of grapes I had never heard of before – Moon Drops! They are long! Sometimes they are almost as long as my little finger! And they are such a dark purple they look almost black.

And I’m eating WAY more blueberries than I ever have before – usually at every meal. Dark blue, purple, and red fruits and vegetables, plus lots of different greens make up a large part of our diet now. We had made salads with spinach for many years, but now our salads also include arugula, butter lettuce, and watercress. We had tried kale in the past and didn’t like it, so that’s not been included.

Eating Fermented Every Meal

I make milk kefir every day now, something I had never tasted before going on the Energy Blueprint program. But one of the suggestions in the Blueprint is to eat fermented foods at each meal. They have way more probiotics in them than any supplement we could be buying. I make a “cereal” with pecan pieces, flaxseed meal, and kefir most mornings. I’ve always liked yogurt and cottage cheese, so it was not surprising that I like kefir. It’s a little like buttermilk, but tastes a little different to me. I bought the starter online, and it only takes a few minutes to make a full glass for each day. I’ve always loved milk, but as I have gotten older, I’ve become lactose intolerant. The kefir grains digest the lactose in the milk as they ferment it, so it’s not been a problem for me to digest it. And it increases my calcium intake – something I need, since I have Osteopenia.

I’m also learning how to make my own sauerkraut. And, again to up the nutrition value, I make it with purple cabbage! I’m still experimenting with how to do this easily, and have had one complete flop that I had to throw away. I don’t like a lot of salt, so it’s a matter of using enough salt in the brine to keep it from spoiling, without getting it so salty I can’t stand it.

Sprouting Seeds

Another new discovery for me is sprouting seeds. Sprouts are a powerhouse of natural energy and nutrition. Hubby bought a big container of alfalfa sprouts from the store to add to our ever growing salads, but it went bad before we could eat it all. After doing some research, I discovered that broccoli sprouts are way higher in nutrition than grown broccoli florets. And I’ve always had digestive troubles with raw broccoli, anyway. But growing my own broccoli sprouts has been easy, and I eat them with every meal now – even breakfast.

Healthy Oils

Since we’re not cooking at home, we’ve had to make an effort to get the good fats in our diet. Improving our fat intake is still a work in progress. I get some fat from my whole milk kefir every day, and a little bit of olive oil from the vinaigrette salad dressing we use. Hubby eats yogurt every day, but he usually eats the low fat kind, so that doesn’t help as much as the higher fat types would. I try to eat an avocado every day, as well. And we eat pecans and walnuts every day. We also take MCT C8 oil several times a day. It is a brain boosting fat made from coconut oil.

Changed Eating Habits = Better Health

All these changes from the typical Southern fried foods diet has not happened overnight. We took the first steps in changing our eating habits when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. We gradually moved away from frying, then stopped cooking everything, and finally stopped buying processed foods almost entirely. The Energy Blueprint program encouraged me to increase my intake of raw fruits and vegetables. And today I can honestly say I am feeling more energetic than I have felt in decades. Diet is not the only thing I’ve changed while following this program, but it’s certainly an important factor in my improved health.

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged energy, fermented foods, nutrition, probiotics, raw foods, sprouting seeds, The Energy Blueprint, whole food plant based diet | 2 Replies

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