Year Four, Day 193: Bread, I Will Miss You!

Bread, I will miss you!

Today was a heavy mood swing day. I had my weekly breakfast with my mom. Bright and early at 6:15 a.m. I don't think even the chickens were up that early!

And speaking of chickens, I decided not to eat my breakfast until later. I just sipped black coffee.

I ate my breakfast at 9:00 a.m. with my granddaughter. The above photo is of my lunch yesterday: Tuna salad on pumpernickel, rice with kale and grapes.  I usually eat healthy at home. But when I am on the road teaching, I have been making bad choices.  I think they have caught up to me!

Today was the straw that broke the camel's back. Poor camel!

Even though it felt right to hold off on eating my breakfast until later, my mood did not feel right. My mother noticed. We had a chat.  It occurred to me that the inhaler that has all but zapped my chronic cough and asthma symptoms might be contributing to my anxiety and depression.  It is, after all, inhaled steroids.

I did a bit of internet research and then emailed my pharmacist brother and my pulmonary nurse, who I am scheduled to see next week. I also emailed my counselor for good measure.

Both my nurse and brother emailed back that with the dose I am inhaling, it gets very little of the medicine into my bloodstream. The nurse said she has had 0% of her patients report anxiety and only 1% depression.

My brother suggested I might be inhaling too deeply.  But I nixed that. I am a lifelong shallow breather.

I am perplexed.  I am sticking to my intermittent fasting. Getting pretty decent exercise in. Praying daily and now seeing a counselor.

Why am I so frickin' moody?

And then it dawned on me. At lunch. At KFC. I know! I had said in my blog yesterday that I was going to stay away from fast foods.

I am. Starting tomorrow. Because I have read numerous articles linking anxiety, depression and even psychosis to gluten intolerance. (The psychotic case was one woman who had a severe breakdown, but she was diagnosed as celiac. I am not.) Very interesting article below:

https://www.verywellmind.com/gluten-and-bipolar-disorder-is-there-a-connection-562958

I was thrilled to discover a group online that practiced "dirty intermittent fasting". They eat whatever they frickin' please during their window. When the window closes, lots of water, tea and coffee. But they allow a little bit of sugar free sweetener, like Splenda and heavy cream in their coffee. The idea is to keep that under 50 calories.

I knew it sounded too good to be true.

Eating whatever I frickin' please has messed with my moods big time. Not sure if it is the excess sodium, fried foods or gluten or a combination of the above. But I am an irritable mess.

So, starting tomorrow, I'm going to be a very brave woman and try keto again while maintaining my intermittent fasting.

This fills me with dread. That's a lot of rules! Especially for rebellious me.  But I also feel a glimmer of hope.  I have come this far - the healthiest me I can be is on the horizon!

I will not give up until I am 6 feet under.  And I don't want my tombstone to say, "Here lies Zita. It was the fries that fried her!"

Oy, that was bad.  If you can think of a better one, let me know!

I can do this! Arrrrrr!!!  Speaking pirate comes easily when I am hungry!

O.K. I will TRY to do this. And if I fail, I will try again!


I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

Love,

Zita



P.S. I got a little hooping session in. Lord knows I needed it!

Day 142!