Time For Distractions

I've had a rough few days here with a migraine that I just haven't been able to get on top of. It made me glad that I hadn't taken many rescue meds earlier in the month so I was able to take 4 over the past 4 days. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to make it through today with just the Ibuprofen as I come out of the worst of my period.

I was up early this morning to get my husband to the airport. He is headed to St Louis for a second interview and to scout out rentals in case he gets an offer. We are very encouraged by this 2nd interview that they have flown him out for. He is being more cautious in his optimism than I am, probably because he is the one being interviewed. But I am so hoping that this will be our ticket back home to the Mid-West. We had sort of begun to lose hope when the first part of their interviewing process took 2 weeks longer than they had predicted, but now with things back on track I'm getting excited again about the possibility of a move in our near future.

All of this is totally out of my control so I'm doing my best here to just go with the flow. I'm bracing myself while we wait for the final verdict about the job, going through all the motions of my household duties. All the while thinking to myself and making plans for how I will attack the job of packing up and cleaning for the move. You could say that I'm going with the flow on the outside, but inside I'm all hopes and nerves.

Time for some distractions, I think. Let's see. I have some great things on Netflix I can watch. I've started a new book that is very engaging. There is some cleaning I can do...maybe some deep breathing. I'll spend lots of time giving our dog extra attention. She gets so sad when her pack isn't all together. It won't sink in for her until he doesn't come home tonight as usual. She'll start waiting for him around 5:30 and will keep a vigil at the door for about 3 or 4 hours before she'll start clinging to me, hoping to convince me not to leave her too.

It Just Doesn't Make Sense

For the past year I've been choosing to purchase food items like flour, pasta, breads, sugars and such that are less processed. For example instead of white bleached flour I'm using whole grain unbleached flour, or brown rice flour (whatever is cheapest on that day). Instead of the potato bread I used to buy, I'm not purchasing the store brand whole grain bread that claims to have 1 whole grain serving per slice. Instead of regular pasta, I've been using whole wheat pasta. What got me started doing this is that I learned our bodies actually process these kinds of starches as if they were sugars. Apparently the process used to make regular noodles or white breads, flours, rices and such takes foods and strips them most of their nutrients, bleaches them to make them white and basically they end up adding to our addiction of sugar.

I've noticed a real difference since making this switch. These foods that don't go through as much processing are healthier and they fill me up quicker because of the higher fiber content. They don't taste exactly the same and it took me a few weeks to really adjust to the taste but now, on the rare occasion when we go out to eat and I eat regular pasta or something I find myself not being satisfied.

What I don't understand is how food companies justify charging more money for the foods that are less processed. It doesn't cost as much to make them because they require fewer steps and less energy. Why are they so much more expensive? I have tried so hard to do this as inexpensively as possible. I always buy the store brand when they offer a healthy product. I always evaluate the cost and content to find the best value. Often this has required shopping in more than one section for the same type of product. For example the whole wheat flour is $3 more for a smaller amount in the health food section than it is in the baking section. Same health content.

This is just one of the numerous ways our culture has made healthy living more difficult than necessary. There is no good reason that eating healthy should cost so much more than eating poorly. There is a reason but it is not a good one.

Grocery Bags

I'm always looking for ways to be kinder to the environment and a few years back I decided to start using reusable grocery bags because I found myself getting groceries from a store that didn't offer paper bags. The store sold these reusable bags for just $1 each and I really never needed more than 4 at any one time. A good amount of time passes and I felt good about the change I made until I saw a news story about these reusable bags.

Apparently the groceries that are carried in there can leave behind all kinds of nasty bacterias that just multiply over time. The bags are not made of cloth, in fact it is hard to tell what it is made of. There is no label explaining the material but if feels like it might be some kind of plastic derivative. The only info on the label is instructions to clean any dirt off with a wet cloth.

I don't know why it never occurred to me that these bags would become safe havens for bacteria. I knew that grocery stores were dirty places and I knew there was no way to disinfect the bags I bought. At first I thought I could solve the problem by purchasing some of the much smaller canvas bags the store sold for $15 but I didn't want to spend that kind of money on something like this. That's when I saw the plastic bag recycle bin just inside the grocery store entrance. I could use the plastic bags and just bring them back to be made into more plastic bags.

So now I'm able to cut down on the spread of bacteria and still feel like I'm being responsible. But I can't help but wonder if I'm overlooking something, the way I was with the cheap reusable bags. What do you think? Should I just ask for canvas bags for my birthday this year?

Doctor Appointment Reflections

I saw my neurologist today. Before heading out for my appointments with her I always check in with my statistics that I keep about my head. I don't like to watch my numbers very closely because I don't want to spend too much time thinking about how many migraines and other symptoms I have. Staying distracted as much as possible from my pain just feels like the right thing to do. So I just go ahead and dedicate a minute each day to writing down my symptoms from the day, giving it a rating and recording whatever rescue meds I may have taken. Then when I need to know them I can simply pull out my tracking sheets and make the tally.

Turns out I had 16 migraines in January but only took 6 triptan rescue meds. In these first 22 days of February I've only had 5 migraines, and have treated each of them with the triptans. The month is not over and I will be getting my period today or tomorrow, which will translate into migraines. But even if I have a migraine every day for the rest of the month that still makes for a lighter than normal migraine count for the short month of February. Now my numbers also reflect that this has happened before. I have had months with fewer migraines than average, months that get evened out with really bad pain months. For now, I'm just going to wait and see what the next couple months bring.

I'm still having 3 types of days: horrible, bad and pretty good. I don't feel like the good days have increased since their onset in late December but I'm very encouraged by the 5 pounds I've put on since the start of the new year. I've been attributing it to my increased appetite but my doc said that it could also be a side effect from the Amitriptyline. Either way I'm thrilled. I've lost so much weight since my migraines got out of control 5 years ago or so. When I gain and lose weight it all happens in my estrogen dependent areas (hips, butt and boobs) so you can see how it is pretty exciting to be getting those back. While my husband knows better than to comment either way, I can see that he likes to my assets growing too.

This is my first weight gain since I've been in my 30s and I can see that it is coming on with less tone than it had in my 20s. So, I think it is now time to step up my level of exercise. I used to be very physically active before all of this and up until now I've been limiting my activity to the basics; walking, light dumbbell work for my arms and my physical therapy exercises and stretches. I think I'll start today by adding more leg work, stepping up my arm reps and doing more core exercises.

Veggie Enchiladas

I love cheese enchiladas. Ever since I was a child I would use every visit to a Mexican restaurant as a chance to enjoy 2 cheese enchiladas. Yum! Since becoming a vegetarian I assumed this yummy indulgence would still be something I could enjoy, but I've been wrong. The trouble around here is that the restaurants have added tiny bits of ground beef to their enchilada sauce and there is just no way to get all that crap scraped off. Sigh

I finally found a fantastic set of recipes for a vegetarian enchiladas. I say set because there is one recipe for the enchilada sauce, one for refried beans and then one for some sauted veggies and the assembly of the actual enchiladas.

I had previously attempted to make enchiladas with sauce and refried beans purchased at the grocery store. The sauce had such a high concentration of sodium it just wasn't something I could stomach and the refried beans were like trying to eat a can of cat food. So so gross! Just when I thought my days of enjoying enchiladas were over I came across these recipes in one of my vegan cookbooks - and they were perfect as written.

Last week I went ahead and made all three recipes in one evening. This proved to be a huge mistake as it took 2 1/2 hours. By the time I was actually enjoying the enchiladas my body was fighting back. My neck was in all kinds of pain and beginning to spasm as a result of standing and looking down at the counter for so long. The nerves in my hands and arms were throbbing from all the chopping and stirring and washing. And, of course, my posture wasn't great during this time so my back hurt as well. Next time I make this I'll have to make the sauce and beans one day and the actual enchiladas the next.

I wanted to share these great recipes with you all.

Enchilada Sauce

1/4 C Chili Powder
1 T Paprika
1 t Garlic powder
1 t Ground Cumin
1/4 t Instant Espresso Powder

1/4 t Chipotle Powder or Chipotle sauce (which is much much cheaper)
3 T Canola or other veg oil
2 T Flour
1 Can tomato Sauce (15 oz)
1 1/2 C Veggie broth

Combine chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, espresso powder and chipotle sauce - and set aside.
Heat oil over med/high heat. Add flour and stir until smooth, bubbly and beginning to brown.
Stir in spices, tomato sauce and broth - stir
Heat until it starts to get bubbly then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 min.


Refried Beans
2 T Butter
2 Shallots
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t dried oregano
2 cans pinto or black beans with liquid

Chop the shallots, mince the garlic and measure out the spices. Melt butter in large frying pan or cast iron and add the shallots and garlic and saute them until brown (3-5 min).

Stir in spices and cook for 1 min. Add beans with their liquid from the cans and heat until bubbly. Reduce heat to med/low and simmer uncovered for 15 min - stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and beat until desire chunkiness. You can mash them by hand if you wish but using a hand mixer makes much lighter work.
Veggie Enchiladas

Cooking Spray

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 Red bell pepper - diced

2 Shallots - chopped

1T garlic - minced

1/4 t ground cumin

1/4 t dried oregano

1/4 t black pepper
12 corn tortillas
refried beans
12 oz Mexican mix shredded cheese
enchiladas sauce
20 slices of jarred nacho style jalapenos (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, coat a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray. Slice the mushrooms, red bell pepper and shallots. Mince the garlic and measure out the spices. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/high heat. Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, shallots and garlic and saute for 10-12 min.
Stir in cumin, oregano & black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. Add desired amount of beans, cheese and veggie mixture of the center of the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seam down in the baking dish. Spread enchilada sauce evenly on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top and jalapenos if you want.
Bake for 30 min.

Some Thoughts On Water

I love to drink water. Occasionally in a restaurant I'll order lemonade, or make hot chocolate or tea for myself at home, but mostly I drink water. More specifically, I drink filtered water at room temperature. This has been the case ever since I weened myself off a very entrenched soda addiction during my high school years. In the 16 years since I kicked my soda addiction I've become a bit of a water connoisseur; mostly motivated by my desire to not taste the water I drink. I can tell the difference between tap, spring, soft, bottled, and a number of other differences.

For example, soft water has many benefits to pipes, soap usage and such but it is made soft by treating the water with salt and that means it doesn't taste good. I really can't handle the taste of salt and unfortunately a glass of room temperature soft water has enough salt to make it hard for me to drink. It's easy to hide this kind of fairly subtle flavors by simply drinking it very cold. Unfortunately, a cold glass of water tempers quickly and as soon as that process has begun the flavor begins to return. I'm the kind of person who has a glass of water by my side so I need water that has no flavor no matter how warm the room gets.


Tap water is alright but it does have a small hint of flavor, which is why I filter the tap water through a Pur water filter. I keep a pitcher full of it in the refrigerator for my husband or anyone else who might visit but I drink the water from the filtered pitcher that sits on the counter. Perfect, tasteless, room-temperature water. Just the way I like it.

Water is so vitally important to all aspects of life. Living in USA during modern times it is easy to take it for granted. There has never been a time when I haven't been able to shower, or flush a toilet, or wash my clothes, or pour a drink of water whenever I wanted. Water is easy to access in the corner of the world that I've grown up in. It is always clean and safe and seemingly infinite in supply. In my adult years I've become aware that water is not as infinite as it appears from where I sit. So many people around the world struggle daily to obtain safe drinking water. Not to mention the lack of water for crops and livestock. It's so hard to wrap my mind around these struggles because it is so very different from what I'm experiencing. I'm trying to do what I can to cut down on my water usage but it feels like it is no use for me to do so. I don't have to go far to see water being wasted on a massive scale. Is what I'm doing to conserve going to amount to anything more than a drop in the bucket when our culture is hell bent on excess in all it's forms?
As important as water is I feel strongly that the bottled water industry is a mostly a giant fraud. These huge corporations are mining water for free and selling it to people at ridiculous prices. The bottle themselves not only bleed toxins into the water they contain but once thrown away most of them end up in landfills or in bodies of water. A plastic bottle will never decompose - never. That's crazy. Think of all the bottles of water, heck even sodas and whatnot that are consumed every day. We will never be able to get rid of them. I'm not comfortable with this kind of price for convenience. Additionally many of these waters that are bottled come from a public water source, which is code for tap water. That right, instead of turning on the faucet and trapping some safe, clean, tested water is a reusable container to take with you when you go someplace we would rather buy a bottle of the same water at an incredibly high mark-up and throw it away when finished.

These industries have done an incredible marketing job. They have managed to convince the masses of people that bottled water is somehow more safe and pure than tap water. Plus it's so very convenient. There is nothing to wash or carry around any longer than you want. Just drink it on the go and toss the bottle after. I hate to admit there was a time when I bought into all this hype. I'll go downtown with my husband and after an hour or so walking around we are both crazy thirsty and end up buying a small 8oz bottle of water for $3. Can you imagine $3 for 8oz of water, that's 1 measured cup of water. But in the moment, we are both so thirsty and we need to drink so we pay. Bottles of water are so available everywhere that I simply stopped planning ahead to have enough water to drink when I'm out and about. But planning ahead and bringing water with is so easy. It doesn't take much time and it isn't difficult. I have a nice BPA free, reusable plastic container that I fill with water when I know I'll be out of the house for a while.

Sure the container costs more than a regular reusable plastic bottle but by making this investment in a safe container, which is paid by not buying just 4 disposable bottles of water, I'm providing myself a light and easy way to stay hydrated that will ultimately save me lots of money. I love to drink water.

Complex Migraines In The News

So you may have heard about the reporter who was slurring her speech during an on-air spot she was doing after the Grammy Awards. Today it is being reported that she was actually suffering from migraine symptoms. If you haven't seen the story here is the link.

I love that this story is getting so much coverage because so many people (doctors included) don't understand that migraines can be so much more than the common pain and nausea. I was excited to share the story on my facebook page, I guess I'm feeling a little validated. My experience with migraines have been complex and somewhat atypical. I remember going to the ER when my migraines were first getting seriously out of control and they were certain my symptoms were a sinus infection so I went home with antibiotics. A week later I was back, same symptoms and was told it is a bad sinus infection and I should do a more rigorous and longer antibiotic treatment. So, I'm taking these drugs and still experiencing all my symptoms and then had the added upset digestive system from the drugs. Turns out my symptoms were not an infection, just migraines. The docs were certain, even when I suggested it could be my migraines.

I understand that many many people suffer from migraines and that serious pain and nausea are typical experiences for many. But I want everybody, especially every doctor, to understand that it can be so much more. When our brains are under attack, all kinds of crazy things can happen. Hopefully the coverage of this woman's complex migraine will be the start of a more common understanding the the spectrum of migraines.

Have any of you had the same feeling of validation after hearing this report?