Stress

Spring Equinox was just a few days ago. It also snowed a few inches, so it still looks wintery outside. But the sun is bright and the days are long, and Sena and Aiyana are memorizing poems about Spring. Spring will come.

I hear that the maple syrup season hasn’t been good yet this year, with the prolonged cold. Things are growing in the greenhouse, but we’re definitely delayed relative to previous years, as is everyone else. In 2012 we were planting in the ground by late Feb, but this year everything is still covered in snow.

I’ve been doing a lot of learning on Hashimoto’s. I’m reading my third book on it now, called Root Cause by Izabella Wentz. It’s the best one yet. It’s written by a young woman, with a doctorate in pharmacy, who has Hashimoto herself. Her book is very well researched and documented, and very thorough. It gives a lot of hope, not only for Hashimoto’s, but for other autoimmune conditions as well that yes, autoimmune conditions can be halted or even healed through lifestyle and diet. I am so grateful to her for writing this book and sharing her journey and her research.

Based on everything I’ve read, or otherwise found out, and in consultation with our naturopath, I’ve been making changes to our diet. I am also giving Aiyana quite a few supplements, such as Vitamin D, the lack of which I read is pandemic, and highly associated with Hashimoto; cod liver oil for omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids; probiotics for gut flora; Brazil nuts for Selenium, which our soils here in the Northeast are deficient in, and the lack of which is a factor in Hashi. This is in addition to her thryroid medication prescribed by the endocrinologist. Aiyana’s being really good about taking it all without much complaint.

I’ve eliminated gluten completely from our diet; eliminated iodine (excess iodine is associated with triggering or perpetuating Hashi. in predisposed people). I’m trying to stay away from starches as much as possible, which means limiting all grains, potatoes, and sweets (which we didn’t eat much of to begin with).

We’re eating the veggies that we grow ourselves, nuts which we buy (I’ve been making nut based crackers and pie crusts, which are really good), legumes such as beans and lentils some of which we grow and some we buy, fruits which we grow ourselves, dairy and eggs which usually we produce ourselves, and Aiyana and I also eat meat if we butcher an animal.

I’ve been quite stressed lately with dealing with everything. I feel pulled in too many directions. Aiyana’s health has been my top concern, and I’ve been spending a lot of time reading and doing research. Food preparation with the new restrictions, has been taking more time than usual, and much more planning. The farm needs my attention too, plants need to be started, weeded, etc. The orchard needs attention – pruning must be done at this time of the year. The cows need daily attention.

With all this going on, my old breathing problems, which I’ve had on and off since I lived in Montreal, came back. I had been free of them for a couple of years, but they came back about three weeks ago. I’ve been to doctors and I am told that I don’t have asthma, and my heart and lungs are fine, everything is great. My personal feeling is that it’s all stress based and stress triggered, but the problem is that once it starts happening, I don’t feel that I have much control, and actually the more I focus on the problem, the worse it gets. Eventually, it resolves by itself, but while it’s here it can be very unpleasant and it limits me.

I’ve been spending extra time with the cows at the end of the day, as they always calm me down. I’ve also been listening to relaxing music as I do my work around the kitchen, and enjoying the sun and birdsong when I'm out working. I’ve been giving Sena and Aiyana more responsibility, such as weeding, which they took on surprisingly well. Ed’s trying to be supportive. He suggested that I take a vacation. Maybe...although I really don't want to go anywhere, I love being here on the farm. What I need is to figure out how to do my work and then let go instead of stressing about all there is left to do.

I see this breathing problem as a challenge and as a teacher, something that is here to teach me how live life better.

Peace