There, I Said It. . .

For many years I have been fairly annoyed by all of the erectile dysfunction commercials. I guess they let all of us ladies know how guys must have felt hearing about feminine products.  Now, we have a new type of commercial to let us in to a "man's world"--the "Low-T" commercials.  You've probably seen them.  Some attractive middle-aged man shruggingly admits that he does, in fact, have low-testosterone.  I believe the phrase is, "I have low-T.  There, I said it." But it's okay because he has spoken to his doctor and it's just a number.  He's taking a new prescription and everything is going to be fine. Honestly, as annoying as these types of commercials can be, I think it's great that people are talking about hormonal imbalance. Unfortunately, what a lot of people don't realize is that women also need a certain level of testosterone in order for our bodies to function correctly.  Women with low testosterone levels can also suffer from low libido, weight gain, poor muscle mass, feeling tired even after a good nights rest, and various other symptoms.  The fact is, all of our body's hormones need to be in balance in order for us to feel our best and do our best.  This isn't just a man's problem--it's a person problem.
And I should know, because I have low-T--there, I said it.
I also have low progesterone and DHEA.  I found this out by visiting Balanced Health and Hormones (or BH2.) They did complete blood work on me, looking at everything you could possibly imagine and some things you have probably never heard of before.  In the end, I was given prescriptions to help balance my hormones and some other supplements, including Vitamin D, Vitamin B, and Magnesium.  It's been about a month since I started this regiment and while I'm not at 100% yet, I am starting to feel better.  I have more energy, I feel like the exercise I've been doing for years is actually getting me somewhere, and my mood has also improved. I'm hopeful that this will be what I have looking for to end the general feeling of malaise--a.k.a. "yuckiness" I've been feeling for several years.
I will go back to BH2 in about another month for them to check my blood work again.  I will continue to see them every three months indefinitely and I'm okay with that.  There are a lot of different things that can make our hormones get out-of-whack but we know that our health will never be optimal until we get these levels back to where they are supposed to be. It's not clear how many women suffer from hormonal imbalance, particularly low-T levels, because most women aren't aware of how important testosterone is to our systems.  Many women may be suffering from symptoms of low-T without even knowing it.  There is also very little information on the internet about low-T in women.  We need to change this.  If you are suffering from  the following symptoms, I suggest you go and talk to your healthcare professional:
trouble falling asleep/staying asleep
tired/exhaustion even after a good night's sleep
night sweats/hot flashes
low-libido
trouble losing weight
irritability
decrease in general mood
There's no reason to suffer from these symptoms when correcting a hormonal imbalance may make you feel a lot better.  If you are also suffering from low-T, I would love to hear from you.
Here's the link for Balanced Hormones and Health. They have in no ways sponsored this post, this is just the facility I decided to visit after doing my own independent research and realizing I had symptoms of low-T.

A Basic Rule: If It Tastes Good, Don't Eat It!

Okay, that may be a little extreme. But it seems like most of the food items that I find appealing are no longer on my restricted anti-candida diet.  Luckily, once the vast majority of the candida has been killed off, I will be able to work some of those foods back in.
I am a creature of habit so I know that if I want to be successful on this plan, I have to eat basically the same things every day while I am on the diet.  So, I have been eating a granny smith apple for breakfast, a lettuce and organic grilled chicken salad for lunch with a salad dressing that fits the bill (no sugar, no dairy, non-processed) and just meat and vegetables for dinner (carrots, green beans, something low carb.) It doesn't sound very appealing, and it really isn't but there are a lot more food items that I could be eating if I was willing to step out of my comfort zone.

Basically, as long as it is organic and non-processed, it's okay. Oh, and it can't have any sugar in it. We've already talked about how hard it is to find food with absolutely no sugar whatsoever in it in a previous post, which you can find here.  But most vegetables are fine.  Meat is fine as long as it is organic.  It's hard to avoid dairy altogether but it can be done.  And there are some grains that are allowable, such as quinoa and buckwheat. So, it is possible to live on this diet.
The biggest problem for me is that my body is programmed to crave sugar, especially in the form of soda and chocolate. I'm still constantly battling the urge to eat something I'm not supposed to.  And, honestly, I haven't been perfect on this diet. It's easy for me to find an excuse to make an unhealthy choice.  But all I can do is learn from my mistakes and try again and I've been more successful at forgiving myself lately, which is something I've also had to work on.
After 4 months of physical therapy, I had my body fat remeasured and I've gained 7 pounds of muscle over the coarse of that time.  That's pretty cool.  I also lost 20 inches.  So, what I'm doing is working, even if the scale doesn't always say what I would like for it to say.  I am headed in the right direction and I feel like this diet has made me feel healthier, which is the ultimate goal for me.
I am looking forward to meeting with a new doctor next month.  I really feel like I may have a hormonal imbalance and hopefully she can help me with that. I will keep you posted.
For more information on what you can eat on the anti-candida diet, check this site out.
What is working for you? What are you craving?