I know I've written a lot in the last 24 hours, but something has come to my mind.
On the topic of healthy eating (and for PCOS) I think I can combine ALL of my eating habits (even the curious ones, namely Vegan) by adapting certain recipes and testing out/incorporate certain products.
The only thing I can call it is: "Low Carb High Fat, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan-curious, Vegetarian-curious, Primal/Paleo/Keto-curious, Grain-Free with Dairy-free options" diet.
I'll incorporate some Vegan substitutes to cut down on some of the dairy, with the option to use real cheeses when there isn't a Vegan option (for something like Feta). These dairy-free options will also be soy-free.
There will be days that I use real butter, cream, cheese and eggs. There will be days that I eat meat and fish. There will be veggie days.
What I want out of this experience is to be able to explore new foods, flavors and textures. I want to be able to expand my culinary "skills". If I can incorporate healthier non-processed options, I feel that would be most beneficial for me.
I plan on keeping everyone in the loop and if I have any recipes to share I will post them here and on my PCOS blog.
When it comes to ANY type of recipe, I love simple. If there's minimal cooking, preparation and ingredients then I'm one happy momma. I'm not going to fuss with a bunch of fancy ingredients or anything. If I feature any recipes for Vegan, Soy-Free and Dairy-Free sauces/dishes, I'm gonna keep it pretty easy. Basically, if it sounds complicated, I'm clicking next.
So add that to my challenge. Minimal. Simple. Fresh. Raw. Low Carb High Fat. Soy-Free. Sugar-Free. Vegan-curious. Vegetarian-curious. Primal/Paleo/Keto-curious. Grain-Free with Dairy-Free options and some animal products. Basically a little bit of everything. I may even try some barley or quinoa once a month.
Let's hope I can keep it exciting!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Vegan, Vegetarian, Low Carb, Animal Products - PCOS
I wrote a post on my PCOS story (diagnosis and what it means) on another one of my blogs you can read both posts here. I'm sure I missed some information, but I did my best to gather my thoughts and provide you with, at the very least, the basics.
Basically, PCOS stands for Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. There are many symptoms. It is more common among women starting at puberty age (some cases have been developed later on in life, from 20's and older) but men can also have a version of it called Stein-Leventhal syndrome.
For women (main focus) it is considered an endocrine disorder. It can cause severe hormone imbalance, irregular menstrual cycles, cysts on the ovaries, hirsutism, acne, male pattern baldness, thinning hair, thyroid problems, obesity, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes/diabetes and can lead to ovarian or cervical cancer. In my other posts I do my best to define many of the symptoms because things seem to be better understood when they're spelled out for us.
How do I tie this topic in with this "Natural" blog? Well....the topic of Diet is a conflicting one when it comes to PCOS.
Many recommend some form of Ketogenic/Low Carb High Fat diet (such as Atkins) to be the ideal diet, especially for those that need to or want to lose weight. Why? Mainly because, white carbs/sugars are bad and they make us fat (among other things). What is Keto/Low Carb? These can be a bit all over the place in terms of numbers. Some say Low Carb is aiming under 100-150 grams of carbs per day. Many aim under 50. Some argue that you don't enter Ketosis until you're under 20 grams. It really all depends on your body and what is best for you. You can always add or take away carbs tomorrow. Sometimes it is about trial and error.
There are several reasons why a Ketogenic diet works for those with PCOS, especially if you are insulin resistant. Basically, when you are insulin resistant (you produce too much insulin for your body to use/absorb). When you consume foods/drinks that are high in carbs and sugars your body doesn't respond well to them. The sugar is turned into fat and instead of your body burning the sugars and fat, you produce more sugar resulting into more fat and leading to being overweight because your body holds onto that fat.
By going Low Carb (High Fat)/Keto and limiting your daily Carb intake - for example to 20 grams per day, then your body has LESS carbs to turn into fat (less of a spike in sugar..limiting the amount of sugar that's turned into fat). Going into Ketosis is normal (think metabolism) and when you go into Ketosis (by going very low in Carbs) you basically starve the fat of more carbs and when you don't have carbs to turn into sugar/fat/or to burn - you start to burn fat instead. It's almost like your body gets bored and needs to burn something - so it burns the fat...right? Kinda? It's the best way I can explain it. I apologize if things don't make a ton of sense, I am a tad bit tired.
But how can all of this be tied into a Natural blog? I've read conflicting stories that say because of the hormone imbalance that PCOS can cause (and in my case/other cases it can cause too much testosterone) many Soy based products just aren't good. Then there's caffeine, dairy...I think I've seen red meat thrown in an article or two..I could be wrong though.
I love cheese, which can be consumed pretty regularly on a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) 'diet'. But dairy like Milk and yogurts are just too high in carbs and have too many grams of natural sugars.
I couldn't see myself ever going Vegan, mainly because of cheese (and sometimes yogurt). I also do like eating meat..sometimes. I haven't been entirely turned off of meat. I haven't been completely grossed out or disgusted by it (though I probably should), but there are just some things that have gotten me by on rough days..like lunch meat or pepperoni. Also, eggs. I really enjoy eggs.
So in many ways I can see leaning more Vegetarian because I would already consume a Nut 'milk' and would have the freedom of using cheese..but I do crave a good burger or some chicken. Many of the meat substitutes that are popular use Soy, which they say is a no-no for PCOS, but there are brands that are soy-free...just probably not Low Carb. But I am sure there is a way that someone can be a Low Carb Soy-free Vegan. I'd be interested in finding out how it's possible.
I also..really..really..really enjoy coffee..caffeine. If I have a crampy cycle, it helps me out a lot. I just couldn't see myself going completely cold-turkey..but I could switch to tea..I have hundreds of different types I need to use up.
For the most part, this post is a little bit all over the place. There's a lot to talk about and mention. It also is proof that I'm conflicted in this journey..both journey's..the PCOS one and the Natural one. But I know there are benefits if I can learn to adapt to certain ways. I just have to be patient with myself.
Basically, PCOS stands for Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. There are many symptoms. It is more common among women starting at puberty age (some cases have been developed later on in life, from 20's and older) but men can also have a version of it called Stein-Leventhal syndrome.
For women (main focus) it is considered an endocrine disorder. It can cause severe hormone imbalance, irregular menstrual cycles, cysts on the ovaries, hirsutism, acne, male pattern baldness, thinning hair, thyroid problems, obesity, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes/diabetes and can lead to ovarian or cervical cancer. In my other posts I do my best to define many of the symptoms because things seem to be better understood when they're spelled out for us.
How do I tie this topic in with this "Natural" blog? Well....the topic of Diet is a conflicting one when it comes to PCOS.
Many recommend some form of Ketogenic/Low Carb High Fat diet (such as Atkins) to be the ideal diet, especially for those that need to or want to lose weight. Why? Mainly because, white carbs/sugars are bad and they make us fat (among other things). What is Keto/Low Carb? These can be a bit all over the place in terms of numbers. Some say Low Carb is aiming under 100-150 grams of carbs per day. Many aim under 50. Some argue that you don't enter Ketosis until you're under 20 grams. It really all depends on your body and what is best for you. You can always add or take away carbs tomorrow. Sometimes it is about trial and error.
There are several reasons why a Ketogenic diet works for those with PCOS, especially if you are insulin resistant. Basically, when you are insulin resistant (you produce too much insulin for your body to use/absorb). When you consume foods/drinks that are high in carbs and sugars your body doesn't respond well to them. The sugar is turned into fat and instead of your body burning the sugars and fat, you produce more sugar resulting into more fat and leading to being overweight because your body holds onto that fat.
By going Low Carb (High Fat)/Keto and limiting your daily Carb intake - for example to 20 grams per day, then your body has LESS carbs to turn into fat (less of a spike in sugar..limiting the amount of sugar that's turned into fat). Going into Ketosis is normal (think metabolism) and when you go into Ketosis (by going very low in Carbs) you basically starve the fat of more carbs and when you don't have carbs to turn into sugar/fat/or to burn - you start to burn fat instead. It's almost like your body gets bored and needs to burn something - so it burns the fat...right? Kinda? It's the best way I can explain it. I apologize if things don't make a ton of sense, I am a tad bit tired.
But how can all of this be tied into a Natural blog? I've read conflicting stories that say because of the hormone imbalance that PCOS can cause (and in my case/other cases it can cause too much testosterone) many Soy based products just aren't good. Then there's caffeine, dairy...I think I've seen red meat thrown in an article or two..I could be wrong though.
I love cheese, which can be consumed pretty regularly on a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) 'diet'. But dairy like Milk and yogurts are just too high in carbs and have too many grams of natural sugars.
I couldn't see myself ever going Vegan, mainly because of cheese (and sometimes yogurt). I also do like eating meat..sometimes. I haven't been entirely turned off of meat. I haven't been completely grossed out or disgusted by it (though I probably should), but there are just some things that have gotten me by on rough days..like lunch meat or pepperoni. Also, eggs. I really enjoy eggs.
So in many ways I can see leaning more Vegetarian because I would already consume a Nut 'milk' and would have the freedom of using cheese..but I do crave a good burger or some chicken. Many of the meat substitutes that are popular use Soy, which they say is a no-no for PCOS, but there are brands that are soy-free...just probably not Low Carb. But I am sure there is a way that someone can be a Low Carb Soy-free Vegan. I'd be interested in finding out how it's possible.
I also..really..really..really enjoy coffee..caffeine. If I have a crampy cycle, it helps me out a lot. I just couldn't see myself going completely cold-turkey..but I could switch to tea..I have hundreds of different types I need to use up.
For the most part, this post is a little bit all over the place. There's a lot to talk about and mention. It also is proof that I'm conflicted in this journey..both journey's..the PCOS one and the Natural one. But I know there are benefits if I can learn to adapt to certain ways. I just have to be patient with myself.
The Beauty in it
I guess you can say (or rather, I can admit) I have had a slow start with this whole "Natural" thing. I've recently had some medical issues to attend to and it's been more of a distraction for me through a lot of it, but it is something that I am seriously taking into consideration. I'll have to really sit down and write out every part of my daily routine - create a new routine and include new methods/products and in a way "wing it".
No one is perfect and I will never claim to be anything of that sort. I just have honestly been extremely unhappy with certain products that I've used for months or years. It happens. I believe many of us have been in that boat. But I'm jumping onto a new boat and it can be a bit overwhelming, so I am taking things slow.
Mainly, because financially I can't just dump everything and start fresh ASAP. It just can't happen like that.
I'm a list person. I like to write things out on paper and make a bunch of notes that don't always make sense if you were to just glance at it, but to me it does. And I have to go about it one thing at a time.
I've also been doing a lot of thinking. I made a decent list of products I am interested in coming up with a better alternative to...but the one thing I didn't touch base on is make-up.
Now, at the time I started this blog... I wasn't completely into make-up. I have a few products. Many of which are old and need replaced (more than likely by a different brand because chances are..I'm not happy with what I was using). I'm still not entirely into make-up, but the spark of curiosity is almost always there. I blame YouTube. But I also thank YouTube because I've been introduced (and in some cases my eyes were opened and I was re-introduced) to some make-up brands that are Cruelty-free.
So my goal in life is to have a bunch of go-to Natural remedies/products/methods that will replace the old and also add in Cruelty-free make-up brands/products into the mix. Now many of the make-up brands I have access to and can afford are not "Natural" products. That's kind of a sacrifice I'm making - if the products aren't tested on animals, it is a step in the right direction.
There are some products I have that are from brands that I had no idea tested on animals, some that are not expired and are still usable. I'll use them until they are gone, but I won't repurchase them (or anything else from that brand).
If a product line (brand) claims to be Vegan, that is a step in the more Natural direction. But for now, I'll see what products I can find/afford/enjoy and go from there.
Strange, I would be willing to put these products on my face when they aren't completely Natural?
Hmm, yeah.. The products I'm mainly unhappy with are the ones that are supposed to soak in to your body and have a purpose - topical or somewhat ingested. Like toothpaste, deodorants...those types of things. Things that I'm not going to be washing off, but instead what I'm using to wash it off - if that made any sense.
Now, I have no problem with Vegans or Vegetarians. I think those people are very inspiring. I also think that is another post all together. But, I am growing as a person and still learning about my body (remember, medical issues - some I am comfortable discussing the basics of) and who knows where I will be in my journey a year from now.
I think that is the beauty about life. Many of us have freedoms. Freedom to make these choices. The opportunities to grow and learn and try out different ways to live and survive. We are human and we will make mistakes. But we shouldn't judge so harshly.
No one is perfect and I will never claim to be anything of that sort. I just have honestly been extremely unhappy with certain products that I've used for months or years. It happens. I believe many of us have been in that boat. But I'm jumping onto a new boat and it can be a bit overwhelming, so I am taking things slow.
Mainly, because financially I can't just dump everything and start fresh ASAP. It just can't happen like that.
I'm a list person. I like to write things out on paper and make a bunch of notes that don't always make sense if you were to just glance at it, but to me it does. And I have to go about it one thing at a time.
I've also been doing a lot of thinking. I made a decent list of products I am interested in coming up with a better alternative to...but the one thing I didn't touch base on is make-up.
Now, at the time I started this blog... I wasn't completely into make-up. I have a few products. Many of which are old and need replaced (more than likely by a different brand because chances are..I'm not happy with what I was using). I'm still not entirely into make-up, but the spark of curiosity is almost always there. I blame YouTube. But I also thank YouTube because I've been introduced (and in some cases my eyes were opened and I was re-introduced) to some make-up brands that are Cruelty-free.
So my goal in life is to have a bunch of go-to Natural remedies/products/methods that will replace the old and also add in Cruelty-free make-up brands/products into the mix. Now many of the make-up brands I have access to and can afford are not "Natural" products. That's kind of a sacrifice I'm making - if the products aren't tested on animals, it is a step in the right direction.
There are some products I have that are from brands that I had no idea tested on animals, some that are not expired and are still usable. I'll use them until they are gone, but I won't repurchase them (or anything else from that brand).
If a product line (brand) claims to be Vegan, that is a step in the more Natural direction. But for now, I'll see what products I can find/afford/enjoy and go from there.
Strange, I would be willing to put these products on my face when they aren't completely Natural?
Hmm, yeah.. The products I'm mainly unhappy with are the ones that are supposed to soak in to your body and have a purpose - topical or somewhat ingested. Like toothpaste, deodorants...those types of things. Things that I'm not going to be washing off, but instead what I'm using to wash it off - if that made any sense.
Now, I have no problem with Vegans or Vegetarians. I think those people are very inspiring. I also think that is another post all together. But, I am growing as a person and still learning about my body (remember, medical issues - some I am comfortable discussing the basics of) and who knows where I will be in my journey a year from now.
I think that is the beauty about life. Many of us have freedoms. Freedom to make these choices. The opportunities to grow and learn and try out different ways to live and survive. We are human and we will make mistakes. But we shouldn't judge so harshly.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
What Natural Means (to me)
Like many people, I have turned to Social Media to help me in this Natural journey.
So far, I have been approached by people that are sellers for some companies (MLM companies, mostly).
I looked at a seller's page and the list of ingredients for these so-called "Natural" products. There are way too many "chemicals" for these to be "Natural".
To me, Natural is way more than just a vegan/not tested on animals type product.
To me, Natural has very few ingredients.
Ingredients that are easily accessible and easy to pronounce.
I'm not here to talk down on anyone that supports these companies.
I'm not here to sell you a recipe.
I'm just here to share my thoughts, recipes/blogs and sites that I find with great information.
I want to share with you what has saved me money and my skin.
I want products that I, most importantly, believe in and not what I am paid to believe in.
Something that has come from the Earth and put back into my body to cleanse it..detox it. It just sounds so nice to me.
I'm also not trying to convert anyone to what I believe, but relying on Nature sounds soothing to me.
I'm not being paid to do any of this research or try/test/post any of this. I'm not paid at all. If something were to change, if I were to be contacted for a certain product or post, I would be completely and brutally honest about it. I would not sugar coat it and I would let you know if it was a paid post/opinion.
Naturally..
I have a really hard time committing to certain products. Especially when I am not thrilled with their results. Or I am just not convinced they work. Spending money on useless (bad-for-you) products is just a pain.
I'm not trying to preach. I don't even have any products to plug, so I have nothing to sell. I'm just writing out my thoughts and plans for items I am just tired of using.
I'd like to eventually share products/items that I hope to make with reviews in the future.
Some of the things I'd like to make and try (Natural):
I'm not trying to preach. I don't even have any products to plug, so I have nothing to sell. I'm just writing out my thoughts and plans for items I am just tired of using.
I'd like to eventually share products/items that I hope to make with reviews in the future.
Some of the things I'd like to make and try (Natural):
- Toothpaste
- Face wash
- Face scrub/Body scrub
- Astringent
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Feminine Wash
- Deodorant
- House Cleaners
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