Lessons of Health

Whew. I was so caught up with impatience and angst about running that I almost missed telling you about what I learned from my acupuncturist a few days ago.

The day was awesome. Richard and I both had the day off and spent it in the best of ways: with good food and exploring Asheville. We shared Tempalo Wings and Vegan Pad Thai with Peanut Butter Tofu from Rosetta’s. The Tempalo WIngs were incredible fried strips of local tempeh coated in a hot hot sauce and served with carrots, celery and homemade vegan ranch. Words do not capture how melt-in-your-mouth delicious this meal was.

We finally made it to Tabacco Barn- a huge barn filled with hidden treasures from old glass to furniture to clothing. Richard has been wanting to take me since I moved here and I’m so glad we finally went! It was a blast looking through all the old pieces.

After the barn we finally visited Evan, my acupuncturist. Evan gained my trust when he treated me with herbs, homeopathic treatments and acupuncture soon after my accident. I was on three pain pills every four hours and have only taken one pain pill since he first treated me.

The main reason I met with Evan was to discuss how I can keep my liver and kidneys healthy. My grandmother recently passed away from liver and kidney failure and problems with those organs run in my family.

Liver and Kidney Health

Funny- I think deep down I was hoping for a magical, cure-all answer that would guarantee me bodily health for many years to come. But Evan didn’t have any secrets. Instead, the best tools to be proactive toward healthy organs are the basics of a healthy lifestyle:

- drink lots of water to flush out organs

- limit alcohol and fatty foods

- take in lots of antioxidants (think superfoods or things like Amazing Grass when you’re in a pinch)

- limit sugars and simple carbs; uncontrolled blood sugar is converted to cholesterol which takes a toll on your liver

Those tips should look familiar to you. They’re the basics. There are specific antioxidants, phytochemicals and nutrients to keep the liver and kidneys healthy… but all of those can be obtained in a veggie-rich, balanced lifestyle.

I was scheduled to get blood tests done for my cholesterol and other things the day of the accident (obviously that didn’t happen) so I’m going to have that done soon. If anything looks off there are herbal remedies that will help (such as milk thistle for my liver).

Weight Loss

We also talked about weight loss. My body has been holding on to weight even when it shouldn’t and hasn’t been acting normally in the way of some girly things.

He had basic weight loss tips:

- include cooked vegetables as well as raw; breaking down raw veggies can lower the metabolic rate

- increase digestive fiber

- use spices like cinnamon, cumin, cardamon and fresh ginger to light the metabolic fire

- keep full with complete proteins by combining legumes and whole grains

Through talking we uncovered something else that may be a culprit: my high estrogen levels and conflicting sensitivity to estrogen.

I have medically diagnosed high estrogen and I never put it together- my body is acting the same on a smaller scale as when I was on BC pills. I’m sensitive to estrogen. Which would explain the way my body is holding onto weight and other girly issues. On top of naturally having extra estrogen, I tend to consume a lot of soy in my vegan diet.

I’m now taking a DIM (diindolylmethane, a plant indole) supplement that pulls estrogen from the body. I’m also drinking the herb Xiao Yao San which complements the DIM. I’ll keep you posted on how I feel and if it makes a difference!

After meeting with Evan we stopped by Dobra Tea to use our last Groupon there.

I ordered the Bubble Tea. It was fun to eat the chewy tapioca pearls! I think I was more interested in the pearls than the drink itself!

We also shared the hummus platter. It wasn’t as good as last time but still yummy.

A perfect day to end in a rainy, sunggly night.

Tagged as: health, holistic healing, weight