Six months later... So, back at the beginning of August, Satyros and I decided to do a 100 day challenge around changing our diet, adding exercise, and subtracting Facebook. A couple weeks in, I also changed how I take care of my hair. Heres an update. Diet: What we did was (mostly) take grains out of our diet; wheat, corn, and rice. About 10 days in, I realized that my knees, ankles, and shoulders had mostly stopped hurting. I was breathing more easily, and my acid reflux was almost entirely gone. I realized that, holy hell, I have some sort of inflammatory response to grains! I dont know that its actually gluten intolerance, and I think its probably not, entirely. It does seem that I have *less* of a reaction to corn than I do to wheat, and less still to rice, but my knees still get crackly any time I have anything made from grains. The result? Ive permanently removed wheat from my diet, and have mostly removed corn and rice. Im learning how to cook and bake without wheat, and have discovered that you can make flour out of damned near *anything*. Chocolate cake made from coconut flour is just amazing, lemme tell you! And, having stepped on the scales this morning for the first time in a couple months, Im delighted to find that Ive apparently taken off a good solid 20 pounds. (Im not actually sure how much it is, because I didnt weigh myself at all until I noticed my pants were falling off. Its definite that Ive lost a size, and that my belt is about 3 holes tighter. And my calves are smaller, too!) Exercise: Didnt really work. Were still looking at ways to get more exercise into our life routine, something that will work for both of us. Subtracting Facebook: Ha ha ha ha ha ha! That being said, we both *have* been on FB less, and have been more mindful of what we allow it to do to us and how much of a timesink we let it be. So, progress. Hair: Before all this started, Satyr & I had been using a clarifying shampoo (Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Two, for those who are wondering) for something like 4 years. It has had the interesting effect of causing what was a bald spot on the top of Satyrs head to turn into a spot that was merely thinning, and my hair was shiny and full of life. In the middle of August, I decided to try the no-poo method of using a baking soda solution followed by a vinegar solution instead of shampoo. It not only worked surprisingly well--my hair is, if anything, even shinier and softer and full of more life--but it started growing again. My hair normally grows down to the top of my tailbone and then stops; it had been there for about a year when I started the baking soda and vinegar routine. Since then, its grown about 4 inches, I think--enough that people are commenting on how long my hair is getting, and Im noticing that its heavier and I have to put more effort into getting it out of the way. A friend of mine who has hair almost down to her knees warned me that it may start getting caught in doors. Oh, and we apparently accidentally picked up a bottle of Shampoo Three (more clarifying, specifically for damaged hair) for Satyr instead of Shampoo Two... and his thinning spot is noticeably and significantly less thin. So... beneficial changes. And changes Im going to keep, and keep measuring the impact they have on my life. I like this!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 21:04:57 +0000
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