tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60184182143051621792024-02-19T04:12:45.620-08:00TRi*TawnTawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-79381215950042538972017-12-04T15:05:00.001-08:002017-12-04T18:09:46.116-08:0032 Week Update and a Lesson In Life's PreciousnessSome will say I'm on the home stretch - over 32 weeks pregnant - but I don't want to think like that because then I'll get too impatient and excited for baby girl's debut. I will say, we've been quite the efficient mom and dad - we're all ready for her arrival (minus the fact that we have no idea what we're doing lol). One Bradley class left, baby shower done, essential items purchased, nursery put together, and birth plan written. Just in the process of hiring a doula. We knew it'd get hectic over the holidays so we got an earlier start on things, also knowing we wouldn't want to wait till the final few weeks either.<br />
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I'm still enjoying my walking routine, still not running - although I have jogged random little bits here and there and it feels, uh, interesting! Strength training is happening still too, but getting more modified and more mellow.<br />
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I did add a few things: I started prenatal chiropractic and massage, and so glad I did - these hips of mine NEED the extra love before a natural birth. Also, I am going to a prenatal yoga class, and I love it because in the 75 minutes not only do we do a great yoga sequence but the teacher, Amanda, who's also a doula and birth expert, dedicates time to talking about pregnancy-related topics, lets us share thoughts and ask questions, and adds mindfulness/meditation. For any preggo mamas in the OC area who may be interested in the yoga, <a href="http://www.doulaorangecounty.com/prenatalyoga">check out the class here</a>. Also, the prenatal chiro is <a href="http://www.drvaleriechiropractic.com/">Dr. Val</a>, who' got a great reputation around here and conveniently works out of my midwifery :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRz-SYhQZrnyhBd7TvGv8sfB2ShtCV0A9ZhBLwmjTsaNTedE21FiMQ2eSrfzx8dVj7S-edGMr3AvLS36_Zynp_UjSrvuRJo77oDcxme-DiOn_pSujcuC7y_vy-PQL9_STHd8dxHgl8kZQ/s1600/IMG_8228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRz-SYhQZrnyhBd7TvGv8sfB2ShtCV0A9ZhBLwmjTsaNTedE21FiMQ2eSrfzx8dVj7S-edGMr3AvLS36_Zynp_UjSrvuRJo77oDcxme-DiOn_pSujcuC7y_vy-PQL9_STHd8dxHgl8kZQ/s400/IMG_8228.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prenatal yoga - my single-leg balance currently sucks,<br />
and my face says it all: "focus, hold it, don't fall." #preggoprobs</td></tr>
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Also, I thought I was going to make it my whole pregnancy without getting sick, and have bragging rights, but, alas, I got a little cold the week of Thanksgiving. Thankfully I'm not <i>as </i>stubborn anymore, so when I saw the signs, I laid low, didn't force anything, dealt with some sniffles, ate all the healthy things, and I was fine within a few days. Whew.<br />
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Most of all I am just really enjoying how in the the third trimester you feel so pregnant. Sorry if that sounds crazy, maybe it'll be a different story at 38ish weeks, ha. But right now thankfully, I'm not having a lot of problems as I get bigger, I'm not in pain, and while I am uncomfortable at times (sleep positions can be a bitch) mostly I'm simply enjoying feeling my baby girl move around in my big ol' belly. The more I feel her, the more relaxed it makes me. Of course it's not "convenient" to be growing so much bigger - nor having her kicks get so much stronger - but it's also one of the coolest experiences ever and I can't help but love it!<br />
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That's pretty much it for updates.... what I want to share in more detail is what went down this past weekend and the takeaway I got from it....<br />
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~~~</div>
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John had his annual 25 hour car race up in Northern California, the same one he's done every single December that we've been together (7x since I've been with him - and he's been racing even longer than that). I didn't go with him this year because quite frankly "camping out" in an old RV at a cold race track with a bunch of dudes, roaring race cars and shitty food for the weekend didn't sound that appealing at this point. So I stayed home.<br />
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But then something happened this year that has never happened in all the years - I was really nervous and worried about John racing. We're about to become parents in 7 1/2 weeks (hopefully not too much longer than that) and the idea of him getting hurt (or worse... dying) in the race car became an overwhelming thought that was seriously f-ing with my head. There were tears, and of course John knew exactly how I felt. He comforted me as much as he could and assured me he wouldn't die. It sounds a bit silly and absurd that I was thinking he might die, because there really was no reason to believe that he was at any real risk, but pregnant brain is not always rational brain, and so these were the conversations we had before he left. It all came down to the fact that I just know how much I need John by my side and I can't imagine it any other way. All that said, of course I still wanted him to go and race and do his thing, so it was on me to chill out about it and trust that he knows what he's doing and that he makes safety the No. 1 priority, always.<br />
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He promised to give me constant updates, and he did. They usually have 3-4 guys who rotate driving the car over the 25 hours, and when John started his first stint I started tracking him on live timing. His position was moving up for a while (typical), but then he was falling back a bit, and falling back a bit more. Hm. Shortly after I unexpectedly got a text from him with a photo about a blown engine... only 6 or 7 hours after the start. He was out.<br />
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Don't tell my Grandpa Dan, but I don't know much about engines so initially this news scared me - I mean, the engine blew up while John was driving?! That's the kind of shit I was afraid of going into this!!!! But I was relieved to learn that this "blow" wasn't like an explosion or anything serious, and everything/everyone were fine - except the car.<br />
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Unfortunately they weren't able to make the repairs necessary so their race ended with the blown engine. Truly, I was really bummed for John and the team because they've worked very hard, weekly, for this one event and to have it end like that does suck (as athletes who train so hard for one event - we can relate, right?!). But selfishly, I got my husband home a day early and in one piece.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTk_q3-0qjzVxx47w1NLFoHMghVSRdHldOkKiTHCoCI00gM1v1rGQtnAv4P5Tmq-wFfBXKv30WxtYILmChCprMROTdZ6k98wkHV-KmXe4a4RjABOo5L5ackDeAM9kfqhCjaZiXZfEV5XE/s1600/IMG_2143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="934" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTk_q3-0qjzVxx47w1NLFoHMghVSRdHldOkKiTHCoCI00gM1v1rGQtnAv4P5Tmq-wFfBXKv30WxtYILmChCprMROTdZ6k98wkHV-KmXe4a4RjABOo5L5ackDeAM9kfqhCjaZiXZfEV5XE/s400/IMG_2143.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have to say, he is damn sexy in his race outfit!</td></tr>
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This, and also my <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/10/rest-in-peace-grandma.html">grandma's death</a> a couple months ago, led me to walk away with a good takeaway message on death at a time in life when I least expected it...<br />
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Death - the idea of it, the inevitability of it - can, and should, teach us important lessons about living: about how precious life is... how precious our loved ones are to each of us... and how precious each day is. Don't take life for granted. Don't let the little silly things piss you off - they probably don't matter.<br />
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I already was face-to-face with death a couple months ago when I lost my grandma, which was so so incredibly hard, but thankfully I have 32-plus years of precious memories of LIFE with her that I'll carry with me forever.<br />
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So when I'm up to my eyeballs in poopy diapers and am sleep-deprived like none other, I'll remind myself that LIFE is pretty freaking cool no matter what - and even better is that John and I have been given the opportunity to create a new life.<br />
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Ironically, in the midst of all this, a good friend texted me a podcast recommendation which literally could not have been more relevant; I encourage you to take a listen: <a href="https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/the-lessons-of-death">The Lessons of Death on Sam Harris' Waking Up Podcast</a>. (I especially love the intro Sam gives.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_pgA0XIy2-7Zl38lbkzMYpTWoxx0rfUUo6TlmLUQ5K37eFGLQBiRp3jlnIleD4ojvMs6LmFiHjxLKClnquQr_F1VNrkkW3OAv2cAg6R1CXrX0-PrY44Cw-KlCnMFWJQl_OdRaYzwFCw/s1600/IMG_7946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_pgA0XIy2-7Zl38lbkzMYpTWoxx0rfUUo6TlmLUQ5K37eFGLQBiRp3jlnIleD4ojvMs6LmFiHjxLKClnquQr_F1VNrkkW3OAv2cAg6R1CXrX0-PrY44Cw-KlCnMFWJQl_OdRaYzwFCw/s400/IMG_7946.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At our co-ed baby shower - 29 weeks preggo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0hGh4bOQPLWF-wSZaGTK-AjQt3OD9pHecTm0JhoThJe3cVK_1ZrndFI28wMipwaN68rIqO54ajzQJSbFK1xbITFONCYPd9cEAgWsNG0vESQZCtcuWaq9-NcGyHu9SMG8E85PkekFIUM/s1600/IMG_8147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0hGh4bOQPLWF-wSZaGTK-AjQt3OD9pHecTm0JhoThJe3cVK_1ZrndFI28wMipwaN68rIqO54ajzQJSbFK1xbITFONCYPd9cEAgWsNG0vESQZCtcuWaq9-NcGyHu9SMG8E85PkekFIUM/s400/IMG_8147.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving on the Beach - about 31 weeks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoIolNFZveEEuzyjblyLCxNNZ1XpwDqW2auIbj4AIJLWt7evRl8B6u9izJnIE7PZQLzHmhvlw5yqogEhFmc2BOKFG2seX2UGghtLCV8HdimMfhvquswiJUctalihL7occ4MqbBFxr-xI/s1600/IMG_8145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoIolNFZveEEuzyjblyLCxNNZ1XpwDqW2auIbj4AIJLWt7evRl8B6u9izJnIE7PZQLzHmhvlw5yqogEhFmc2BOKFG2seX2UGghtLCV8HdimMfhvquswiJUctalihL7occ4MqbBFxr-xI/s400/IMG_8145.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So Cal sunsets in fall - nothing better!</td></tr>
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<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-493818478125698922017-11-16T11:10:00.000-08:002017-11-16T12:52:45.973-08:00Q&A: Allowing for Diet and Exercise Changes During Pregnancy <span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I had an </span></span><a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">endurance planet</a><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> question come in from a fellow preggo mama-to-be that really stuck with me, and I wanted to share the question and my written response. I normally never write replies to our fan's questions (that'd be a full-time job</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">), and we just answer as many as we can on the podcast. But this Q was a bit different than any I've ever had before and I wanted to get back to her because, for one, her's is a situation where every day counts, and secondly, this topic is forefront on my mind and super relevant to my current theme of life too, hence why I'm sharing on the ol' blog...</span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">R:</b> <i style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">"A followup... I didn't end up qualifying for Boston, because I found out a few weeks before the marathon that I was pregnant. Now, I have a question for you about eating/training during pregnancy.<br /><br />I am still in my first trimester (about 10 weeks), and I am having a hard time eating anything other than carbs (fruit, oatmeal, sprouted grain English muffins, Chex Mix and popcorn :0(. The thought of meat or vegetables is absolutely the most disgusting thing to me right now, and I feel pretty nauseous (but strangely starving) most of the time. Over the past few years, I had reduced the amount of carbs I was eating to about 100 - 150 g a day (not super low, but lower than I used to eat), and noticed I felt much better and no longer got "hangry." I know pregnancy increases your insulin resistance, so I am worried about getting carb-addicted again, or worse, getting gestational diabetes. At the same time, though, I am also worried that I am undereating. I think I have been averaging about 1600 calories a day while still running around 40 miles a week and lifting 3 times a week. I'm 5'4 and about 113 pounds.<br /><br />My question is - is it better to eat more (even if it is mostly carbs) or should I cut back on running until I can get back to a more balanced diet? I obviously want my baby to get the nutrients he or she needs, but I have had an eating disorder in the past so feeling out of control of my body and not being able to eat normally is bringing up a lot of mental demons." </i><br />
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<b style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">TPG:</b><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Thanks for reaching out on this, and congrats on your pregnancy!!! It sounds like you took a very sensible approach to the marathon, assuming you still ran, and that's great.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ok.... (warning: a novel is about to ensue....)</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Diet</u></div>
<b><br /></b><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Honestly, don't worry about the increased carb cravings. This exact thing happened to me in the first trimester (and is still happening at 30 weeks) and I just rolled with it, giving my body what it wants even if that's not my typical pre-pregnancy type of meal or snack. Your body is telling you something with these cravings and you have to listen; I say this with the best </span>intentions<span style="font-size: 12pt;">: Don't let your brain get in the way ;) Trust your body -- and I know that can be hard with your background, but you're going to be a mama and I know you can do it!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When I asked my midwives & ND about my increased carb intake, they reassured me that a baby requires A LOT of glycogen to develop and properly grow, so it's up to us moms to supply baby with that, along with healthy fats and proteins -- all the macros are important here!! Protein needs are 80-100 grams a day. Fat is crucial in so many ways, including building a healthy brain. And obviously you're still making mostly all smart quality carb choices (with a some indulgences too, and I think that's ok; did I mention I've had several donuts while pregnant and usually have a GF dessert on hand at any given time?! LOL).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">With my increased carbs (and even sugar), I definitely wondered if I was risking GD, but I just had my test two weeks ago and my results were phenomenal, which impressed me that even with essentially a much higher carb diet, my blood sugar regulation is still awesome, and I'm sure you'll be the same way from what it seems. So I say eat your carbs freely and without worry.... you clearly still know how to make smart food choices overall and aren't on a junk diet.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If it's hard to get in veggies and meats, look to smoothies, <a href="http://www.vitalproteins.com/?acc=7ce3284b743aefde80ffd9aec500e085">protein powders/collagen peptides</a> and green juices to help you out. I drank a ton of green juices in the beginning to get in the greens/veggies I wasn't consuming otherwise. And now big-ass smoothies with greens, veggies, fruits and protein powders, (real) milk and sometimes even peanut butter are a staple for me to get in dense nutrients without wanting to gag when everything else sounds nasty ;) Plus, the aversions usually subside in the 2nd trimester too, and you'll enjoy meat and veggies again (I did). But there are still those days, and I'm sure there will be for you, where all you want are carb-based foods and no meats or veggies. In those cases, I just try to keep an overall smart balance and not worry about one meal -- it's the overall big picture that matters. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I've actually been very liberal with my food intake during pregnancy, eating a huge variety of foods (more so than pre-pregnancy) and not stressing the small stuff (like if we eat out I know I can't control all the ingredients), meanwhile just making sure that overall there's a good foundation of healthy eating. For example, </span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">I also have struggled with eating fish (</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">something</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"> I usually can't get enough of), but I know how healthy those fats are, so thankfully I found out that if I bake wild salmon in </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">teriyaki</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"> sauce then it's </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">delicious</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">, and even though there's sugar and soy in the </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">teriyaki</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">, it's better than no fish or "gross plain fish" in my opinion! And </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">for nearly 30 weeks now, I've pretty much hated salad, something I used to eat daily, so I'm just finding replacements and not worrying about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Get in a good prenatal that has FOLATE not folic acid; I use </span><a href="https://www.thorne.com/?affid=HCP1111809" style="font-size: 12pt;">Thorne's prenatal</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. And fish oil (</span><a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/shop/" style="font-size: 12pt;">Nordic Naturals</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is my choice). Probably a good probiotic (I've been using <a href="http://www.soundprobiotics.com/endurance-planet">Sound</a> and </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2ASOwWC">Prescript</a> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2ASOwWC">Assist</a>), and any other supplement you and your doc/midwife deem necessary. </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Exercise</u></div>
<b><br /></b><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As for the running, it's my personal philosophy that pregnancy is a time to <i>let go</i> of your training and athleticism, and just put all your energy into building a healthy baby. That doesn't mean being inactive, but it means modifying your routine i</span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">f you're an athlete</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">. Right now you're training for something completely different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">I know everyone is different, but personally I think 40 mpw running is too much. That's just my opinion. Gwen Jorgenson was still running 70 mpw at some point in her pregnancy, but we don't all need to strive to be a Gwen. That was ok for her, she seems smart and I'm sure was working with her doctors on that, but just because she ran that much doesn't mean it raises the bar for the rest of us preggo ladies -- or that we're inadequate if we have to cut back and can't run all the miles. There's no shame in doing less.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">I haven't run more than ~10-15 mpw since becoming pregnant, <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/07/another-diagnosis-but-good-news.html">I had a 8-week break sandwiched in while letting the SCH heal</a>, and after my 27th week I quit running because it was getting too uncomfortable and not feeling worth it. I'm walking a lot more instead these days (~10-15 miles a week walking, or about 2 miles a day at least), and usually 2x a week of relatively light strength training. That's it. It's not training mode whatsoever, but it is doing healthy activity that'll be best for my baby's health and mine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">Please don't feel like you need to "do it all," maintain some level fitness and keep a lean physique -- you need to gain healthy weight and let your body grow how it needs to support the baby!!! At 30 weeks, I weigh 165 lbs +/- right now.... that's 30+ more lbs than my wedding last year, and quite frankly I love my body more than ever right now and embrace the changes daily. Allow for the weight gain to start now in the first trimester even if all the articles say otherwise. Many articles/books will say that you shouldn't or don't need to gain weight in the first trimester, but that's general advice for the general population and you're not general, you're you :) I gained 8-10 lbs in my first trimester lol.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pregnancy, from what I'm learning, is also so much about </span>relaxation<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and not just for the 40ish weeks, but for the birth day and after. If you want to have a successful vaginal birth, it seems pretty clear from what I've been reading and learning in my class that being relaxed is the No. 1 way to achieve that. So practicing your </span>relaxation<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> -- <i>mind and body</i> -- starts now. You don't have to be perfect (god knows I haven't thus far) but just recognizing it and practicing is key!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That said, just being honest here, there will probably be a lot of little things that worry you along the way because this is all so new... but work through each of them, find peace and the ability to relax, and let it go, assuming everything is ok. Talk to your doctor/midwife, communicate with your partner/friends/family, and don't bottle it up. By even simply writing me this question, that's a big successful step in what I'm talking about! So I know you can do it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">It sounds like you successfully beat an ED, big congrats on that as well, and this chapter of your life should only serve to make you more confident in your own skin. When the mental demons arise, understand that you have the power to counteract them with positivity, smart logic and the same powers that got you through an ED, and if you still struggle, make sure you have a great team on your side who can help you through those moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">So overall, I think you should both eat more and workout less, and find comfort that this is in your baby's best interest even it if feels weird to you personally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Lastly, guess what: Pregnancy is just the beginning... after this we will have babies that need our full attention and love to thrive (and still eating good, dense calories if you plan to breastfeed). We'll worry, but we can't live in a state of worry. Whether you have a girl or a boy, you want to be a strong confident mom who's giving her baby the best vibes ever so he/she can grow up being strong and confident as well :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">Hope this helps. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">BEST OF LUCK TO YOU XOXOOXOOXOXOXOOOO</span></span>Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-25488786685141430032017-10-13T09:05:00.004-07:002017-10-13T10:55:34.622-07:00Rest In Peace, GrandmaIt was a really shitty week. My grandma passed away. Her health has been declining for most this year and we knew it was coming, but it didn't make it any easier. I was basically a wreck. She and I were very close, and had been my entire life. There was no one like her. The hardest part is that she was beyond excited to meet her first great grand baby early next year, and I know she tried so hard to hold on.<br />
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For the most part, I was really good at staying strong as I watched her go through hell this year in effort to keep a low-stress environment for the baby's sake. But early this week when my mom called to say it was happening and that she was passing, I lost it. I'm lucky that our new house is only 1 1/2 miles from where she was being cared for. I literally dropped everything, my headphones went flying, and John and I jumped into the car to rush to her. She was gone by the time I got there. I had been with her the night before (and every day before that) so I had ample opportunity to talk to her, say goodbye, give her kisses, let her know how much I love her and just be there... even when she wasn't able to respond anymore.<br />
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My mom and John did their best to calm me down, and I was trying my hardest to stay relaxed as well because I didn't want my baby suffering from this, but it wasn't easy. Her death hit me harder than I ever expected, and I'm sure my hormonal state didn't help. The only thing that made it better was knowing that she wasn't suffering anymore.<br />
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For most this week, I've been breaking down in tears multiple times a day and just having a tough time. I've been exhausted. Today was the first day I felt a little better. I even got out for a little run/workout this morning and was smiling (not to mention, laughing at myself for choosing to wear a shirt that is way too small for 25 weeks pregnant).<br />
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The day she passed, words came flooding out of me. Often, writing is the best way for me to let it out, remember the good times, deal with the heartache, and find some peace...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the finish line with grandma in 2012 after 50 miles of mountain bike racing. She went out of her way to support my racing and career. She ALWAYS called me before/after all my races, or in some cases showed up.</td></tr>
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<i>Rest In Peace my darling Grandma Arleo. </i><br />
<i>I hope you knew how much you meant to me. I know you wanted to be here for the birth of your first great grand baby, but don’t feel bad. You’re at peace now after a tough several months. And don’t worry, our baby will know all about you.</i></div>
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<i>You made the biggest impact in my life and taught me so much. When I was a little girl, you made life magical. We’d make up stories, play the piano, take the dogs on adventurous long walks through the lush greenbelt, and so much more. If my mom had to go shopping you’d come along to save me from boredom, bringing colored pens and paper, and we’d sit there and draw houses, flowers and animals. When my parents would go out of town, you were the only human I wanted to stay with and you always made sleepovers so special - each morning you’d surprise me with a different kid’s placemat to make meals more fun, you’d have stashes of those cookies I loved, and your bed was full of the cuddliest pillows and stuffed animals.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></div>
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<i>Summer days at your pool were my favorite growing up, from before I could swim to all the way through high school when I could drive over there myself. The sound of airplanes leaving John Wayne Airport still remind me of those days in Corona Del Mar.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></div>
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<i>When I got into triathlon you made sure to call me before and/or after every single race I did, and if I didn’t catch your call you’d leave the most epically cute messages with your signature phrases, which I’d save on my phone forever. A few times you were able to show up to the finish line (like pictured above). You also called me a million times to tell me how proud you were, and you’d want my advice on nutrition and fitness. You cared so much, and I loved that.</i></div>
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<i>You endured heartbreak in your life, but that didn’t stop you from being an incredibly loving and caring mom and grandma to everyone - even extended family and friends. Your love was contagious, and your hugs unforgettable. You were so happy for me when I found true love with John, and even though you didn’t drink beer you loved his.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></div>
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<i>In your final weeks we wanted nothing more than to be by your side and give you the same comfort and love that you gave to us for a lifetime.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></div>
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<i>You were a fighter, and refused to go easily. Even in years past you kicked cancer to the curb twice. This year it wasn’t cancer, but it was a lot to fight. You beat the odds and hung in for months. You looked so peaceful when it was finally your time.</i></div>
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<i>It’s so weird to have to say goodbye to you while being pregnant with new life. I wish it were different circumstances. I’m having to dig deep to stay strong (doing my best for baby). But at least we know we have a special angel taking care of us now.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></div>
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<i>I’ll love you forever, Grandma.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She adored her granddaughters, we adored her, and she was so excited to become a great grandma in January. Her memory will live on in my baby girl; we have something special planned.</td></tr>
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Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-1046575073235264712017-10-07T11:56:00.004-07:002017-10-09T13:45:44.725-07:005 1/2 Month Update Pregnant life as of 24 weeks is thankfully smooth sailing, and I think my belly button is going to pop soon :) I've gained 16-18 lbs since May depending on which scale you ask, and it's getting harder to put on socks and shoes.<br />
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<h3>
Gender</h3>
In my last blog I said that next time I'd share the gender, so.... drum roll....<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><b>It's a girl!</b></span><br />
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We're so stoked. I thought John really wanted a boy (I assume all guys want a boy), but I think he was just as or more excited than me when we found out we're having a baby girl. Personally, I'm beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to raise a strong, confident, kickass little girl. She's going to be rad, and already she's an active little thang in my belly -- kicking around like crazy! We have a name too, but I'm not sharing that yet ;)<br />
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We didn't do a big gender reveal hoopla... in fact, we were sitting in a brewery in Denver (John was drinking not me!) when we got the call with the news. Typical lol.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Vacation</b></h3>
We went to Kauai for a week and it was, as usual, paradise perfection. We needed that trip after a rather <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/09/best-news-ever-for-two-of-us.html">stressful moving process</a> (stressful because of how fast it all happened). We stayed solely on the south side this time (Poipu), and it was much more relaxed and slow-paced than we're used to, but it was nice to just lounge around and not feel like we needed to pack in a ton of hardcore action in the week. Many of our friends were there since it was for a wedding, and that made it extra fun.<br />
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I definitely felt FOMO about going to Kona for Ironman this year (we're not going), but it's ok. We have a lot going on right now and other priorities this season. We'll be back to the Big Island next year for sure. While we were in Kauai, I was just getting back to running and, ooof, that Hawaiian humidity was extra harsh on me this year but it was good for me to move & sweat. Although, I can live without the massive thigh rub and thigh chaffing I endured ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">21 weeks on a beach in Kauai! More Kauai pics on my IG <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tawneegibson/">@tawneegibson</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding time! Practicing with our friends' cute kid :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MK6JDP8Ki_U1KzVS653Ur0sr_aybCjGqIXi3i6op1lUH34umKEq67AfhMPN761z_gysVLzF7UojGnM7wnZm5tbIc3xBt_DKbnCEngANkXWMFdiIpRF3hju_hcC5N2fTOAyiKHlyKFkg/s1600/2017-09-15+12.16.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MK6JDP8Ki_U1KzVS653Ur0sr_aybCjGqIXi3i6op1lUH34umKEq67AfhMPN761z_gysVLzF7UojGnM7wnZm5tbIc3xBt_DKbnCEngANkXWMFdiIpRF3hju_hcC5N2fTOAyiKHlyKFkg/s640/2017-09-15+12.16.16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I "cheated" and had a poke bowl with ahi and salmon while in Kauai... 100% worth it!</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Prenatal Exercise</b></h3>
Speaking of, I'm exercising consistently again. Nothing crazy. Besides walking, I usually don't exercise for more than 30 minutes at a time yet. Taking an 8-week break in the middle of pregnancy while coincidingly having my uterus take over my insides and gaining weight doesn't necessarily make it easy to get back to running. It was HARD!!! But a <i>good</i> hard, and I'm just taking it slow and easy. At first it was nothing faster than 11:00 miles, and nothing more than 2 miles. Now I'll run 2 to 3 1/2 miles at a comfortable pace (usually 10:00-10:30 avg, with some sub-10), and I'll do that a few times a week. Just this weekend I had my "longest" run since my break, 40 minutes and just shy of 4 miles, and felt great. <i>Get it in now, before I'm giant in my third trimester!!!</i><br />
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I also reintroduced some light strength training. The first session I did was 10 weeks after my last strength training session, and despite it being just a gentle 12-minute workout I literally started having DOMs immediately (not such a delayed onset lol). Thankfully the second session I did a week later fared better and I was way less sore. For any preggo mamas who are curious, a triathlete friend of mine told me about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjtDE5bUohhkuGuWBx4h8peOsiR2w6CqS">Melissa Bender's YouTube channel</a> with prenatal strength workouts, and I like some of her circuits and the pace (i.e. not overly strenuous!).<br />
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So overall, I'm doing:<br />
<ul>
<li>~3 runs a week, 20-40 minute duration, low-intensity</li>
<li>Several walks a week of 20-60 minutes with the dog and John</li>
<li>1-2x strength a week, 10-20 minutes</li>
<li>Prenatal "movement snacks" to prepare my body for birth, more below....</li>
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<h3>
<br /><b>Birthing Classes</b></h3>
We started birthing classes this past week, and we love it so far. We're doing the <a href="http://www.bradleybirth.com/">Bradley Method</a>. I don't know much about this stuff, but this method appealed to me mostly because the husband is the birth coach and, thus, is very involved. John and I are a great team, and I want nothing more than him to be my No. 1 person on the birth day. Plus, Bradley is geared toward more of a natural-style of birthing that encourages movement during labor, relaxation and low intervention.<br />
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I love Bradley's recommended prenatal exercises (aka movement snacks) to work the pelvis and hips in ways that will prepare mama for birth. There are little things I'll do daily; dozens of kegels included ;) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYtWGN0PY4g">Here's a video of some of the exercises</a>.<br />
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At our first Bradley class I couldn't help but laugh a little because many of the concepts she covered are things that I deal with in my line of work and teach my clients, e.g., relaxation methods, deep breathing, the harms of sitting too much (instead, sit on the floor; move around!), mastering deep squats, nutritional needs, and so on.<br />
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I'll also read the book on <a href="http://amzn.to/2y4MBPn">Hypnobirthing</a>, another popular method that, as you might imagine, includes mindfulness techniques to work through the contractions and pain.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Nutrition</b></h3>
Protein is a big topic in pregnancy. It's come up a lot, and everyone's like "make sure you get enough protein!" The low amount being 75 grams a day, with 80-100 grams a day being optimal recommended range. (Although, some say too much protein yields bigger babies, but I don't know if there's actual science on that. On the other hand, too little protein can yield a premature or low-birth-weight baby.)<br />
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I was advised to do a food log to check my intake, and I didn't get around to it for a while because I knew I was doing fine on my macros. But then the Bradley teacher mentioned it again, and I got more curious so I logged on my fitness pal. Sure enough, I'm in the sweet spot of 80-100 grams of protein a day, closer to the 100 gram mark most days. Hopefully the rumors of high protein leading to bigger babies aren't true -- I know in John's family and mine, there's already a history of having big babies. And I plan on doing this totally unmedicated. Mmm hmmm.<br />
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Other than that, I'm loving my carbs and sweets. One of the things they say, and it's probably a myth, is that moms who are pregnant with a girl crave more sweets. It feels like I'm eating so much of that stuff, but logging on MFP showed me it's still in reasonable ranges, which was reassuring. Plus, even though sugar is sugar, I still eat things made with super quality ingredients and have not resorted to crappy junk food.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7PBAgXIU_p8hfO4UkDHq4O_7bnViBdf3r1QpaJvXgL0-AOuHPaSH535zJeUsfBudZqyX5IDkHyfjzpxsQQXfRIOXkmXbndkud77BL8sA7ZYJy2yn9nwaCWOGEDmlOBgNgY-K5CFpE98/s1600/2017-09-23+11.37.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7PBAgXIU_p8hfO4UkDHq4O_7bnViBdf3r1QpaJvXgL0-AOuHPaSH535zJeUsfBudZqyX5IDkHyfjzpxsQQXfRIOXkmXbndkud77BL8sA7ZYJy2yn9nwaCWOGEDmlOBgNgY-K5CFpE98/s640/2017-09-23+11.37.37.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken and apple sandwich on GF bread with Primal Kitchen mayo & arugula. Not a donut ;)</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Baby Gear</b></h3>
Our "baby list" of things to buy is done. That was a daunting yet very fun project. John helped me narrow things down to what we need, what we can omit, and we talked a lot about what will fit our lifestyle and philosophy on kids. I also asked advice from my mama friends.<br />
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Not surprisingly, I did a lot of research and made sure to choose mostly all non-toxic, chemical-free, safer items, especially the "big" stuff where baby will be spending lots of time -- crib, crib sheet, car seat, stroller, etc. You can really go down a rabbit hole in trying to create a non-toxic world for baby, and it can get super expensive and nit-picky, so I just tried to keep a smart balance and realize not everything needs to be absolutely perfect; it never will be.<br />
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A book that really helped me learn more about what I need (and don't need) and "clean" choices is <a href="http://amzn.to/2y1tjZO">The Mama Natural Week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth</a> -- it's a great pregnancy book in general with tons of info! I also did lots of google searches to read what others had to say and investigative reviews on on products with third-party testing results, when available. Lastly, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/13854459">this blog post</a> by Dr. Rhonda Patrick's husband inspired a few new, innovative items that we'll definitely be getting.<br />
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If anyone's curious about the items I chose, just ask and I can send you a link to a google doc I made with everything we plan to get and my references; yup, I saved some of my favorite links on choosing non-toxic, safer options. (NERD!!!) Or, you can see our registries on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/tawnee-gibson-john-gibson-january-2018-costamesa/1NHKJKIQF12EW">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.babylist.com/tawnee-gibson">BabyList</a>; those registries don't have everything we're getting on there, but they're public so check 'em out.<br />
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We already bought some stuff and are in the process of building out baby girl's room. Crib, decor, nursing chair.... Nesting mode in full swing! Love it.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Sleep</b></h3>
I'm learning to sleep on my sides (especially left side), as that's better for the baby than sleeping on your back -- right now she's only ~1.5 lbs, but the more she weighs, the more pressure that puts on the arteries and organs if you're laying on your back, and that isn't really that good to for long durations like sleeping through the night. It can even restrict blood flow to baby. I got a <a href="http://amzn.to/2yu1Cvx">pregnancy pillow</a> a while back, C-shaped, and that helps a ton to get comfy every night! It's all about pillows!<br />
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~~~</div>
<br />
That's it! I can't believe my due date is in less than four months.Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-23602169016154017182017-09-03T09:57:00.001-07:002017-09-06T07:28:51.766-07:00Best News Ever — For Two Of UsTwo parts to this post:<br />
<br />
<b>Part 1</b><br />
<br />
I got the "best news ever" on Sunday morning from a client that I have to share. I had an initial consult with a lovely lady on Tuesday, and it was another case of female athlete hypothalamic amenorrhea. She'd been following me and the things I preach for a while but was still stuck. This gal has achieved a lot athletically -- the Ironman World Championships, Boston Marathon, and tons of other races in a relatively short time frame; you name it, she can do it. But her body suffered. Now here's the thing, ever since Kona last year she's been working on recovering and has done a lot of the right things, like adding much-needed body fat to her frame and beginning to relax on intense SBR training.<br />
<br />
When I got her intake questionnaire, it seemed to me like THE MIND was still a big issue with her because physically her numbers looked generally good and BMI/body fat percentage excellent, but I still saw red flags with food issues, stress and exercise addiction (that her mind wouldn't let go of). So for an hour straight on our consult I laid out everything she needed to hear, and also gave her the confidence that she was on the right track already, just a few more tweaks needed. For example, she was eating vegetarian, and I strongly urged her to add back in animal protein, among many other ideas for her situation.<br />
<br />
So on Sunday, I woke up to an email from her titled "Best News Ever" with a big thank you and that she got some strong takeaways from the call and started applying my recommendations right away (good on her for going outside her comfort zone to do this!). She's almost a day ahead of me (living in Europe) and at the end of the email she said, and I paraphrase:<br />
<br />
<b>"On Sunday I did a hike, strength trained (with lots of rest instead of crossfit), ate a turkey burger AND I GOT MY PERIOD!!!"</b><br />
<br />
Ahhh! Now that's what I'm talking about! She was so close, I knew it, and she just needed that final push. Considering her body was ready, I didn't expect think it'd take long before her period came back if she followed my recommendations. I had something similar happen to me once -- I had a setback in 2015 with 3 months without a period mostly due to heavy run volume (ultra training) and stress. But then I got the flu, rested for a week, ate a ton of white rice, coconut water, and bananas, and got my period back right away. I learned my lesson and it never left after that, until I got pregnant of course.<br />
<br />
I'm so proud for her and so excited, also because I know she and her husband want to start a family (soon) and this is the best step in the right direction to making that happen!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>~ ~ ~</b></div>
<br />
<b>Part 2</b><br />
<br />
So speaking of starting families... a pregnancy/life update.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lConCkCj1AzU8ZvM7VTSUGcLmxBuEIMAPWolB9F48JVc66b3vjKld5SMefYZGgdtzF303NdaG_oHw1kGlzIGtAtOPxN1DlRjV9aiy4P5ym9OR932saudKR-zO7TW4omm5afCoPKeMFA/s1600/IMG_6853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lConCkCj1AzU8ZvM7VTSUGcLmxBuEIMAPWolB9F48JVc66b3vjKld5SMefYZGgdtzF303NdaG_oHw1kGlzIGtAtOPxN1DlRjV9aiy4P5ym9OR932saudKR-zO7TW4omm5afCoPKeMFA/s400/IMG_6853.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18-week bump! As I said on my <a href="http://instagram.com/tawneegibson">Insta</a> post: God bless Lululemon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaT53muTqnTjrywVbVxJmFyCEL3F-CUbYNEk-7fqcWoxZlD8b1REuEauG1NnS0gb0xFAGHRIHFzvoOqZkn5anknwYN8I2Xa5X6tYEA2Bvm-QiI3zOkHJ2HnhuLedhlLv7kw2CxT_KJ24/s1600/IMG_7002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaT53muTqnTjrywVbVxJmFyCEL3F-CUbYNEk-7fqcWoxZlD8b1REuEauG1NnS0gb0xFAGHRIHFzvoOqZkn5anknwYN8I2Xa5X6tYEA2Bvm-QiI3zOkHJ2HnhuLedhlLv7kw2CxT_KJ24/s400/IMG_7002.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19-week bump, sporting my favorite <a href="https://www.insidetracker.com/qr/onboarding/ENDURANCEPLANET/">Inside Tracker</a> <br />
lulu tank, and in a new house (we moved; see below)!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I also got some "best news ever" last week that confirmed what I thought to be true:<br />
<br />
<b>My subchorionic hemorrhage is GONE! Baby continues to look perfectly healthy and safe and everything's ok...</b><br />
<br />
I hadn't had any bleeding for 4 weeks when I got an ultrasound this past Thursday, and I had a strong gut feeling that everything was ok and healed even before it was confirmed in the scan. I had recently been adding in a couple extra (short) walks to my daily routine, at most walking a mile at a time at a snail's pace, as well as taking on a few more physical tasks like holding Finley, aka Mr. Buff Guy, on walks again, as well as using a bit more strength in daily household chores, such as carrying stuff up and down the stairs, carrying heavier grocery bags, picking things up, and just moving around more at home. Still, my routine was as mellow and easy as it's ever had been in my life and I didn't mind it one bit.<br />
<br />
So the u/s was the 20-week anatomy scan (I got it a bit early at 19 weeks) and all was great! Baby is looking good and they indeed confirmed the hemorrhage is gone.<br />
<br />
I'm still waiting to get the green light from my midwife that I can exercise again, so it'll likely end up being 8 weeks of zero exercise and pelvic rest. Maybe TMI, but, I've honestly missed sex more than running during this time (if you've been pregnant you probably understand what I mean lol).<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I've felt great. Second trimester is dreamy. The only very noticeable pregnancy thing lately (besides the growing bump-boobs-body) is that I'm very emotional and cry A LOT. It doesn't matter if it's something funny, sad, happy, crappy, or emotionally neutral, I will burst into tears over anything and often it ends up in some laughing through the tears because of how silly it is. My appetite is also growing, even with low activity level, and I'm not holding back, but I'm eating well (with a few extra treats) and gaining weight at a very normal rate.<br />
<br />
Oh yea, and I am feeling the baby kick! So dang cool.<br />
<br />
<b>Also last week, we moved!</b> It all happened so fast, it's a long story, and I was very stressed for a few days there and didn't like that feeling one bit. The crying episodes certainly ramped up a bit too. I felt so bad that I wasn't able to help much physically and John did the bulk of the move in the biggest heat wave of the year. I contributed by doing massive organizing in the new place :) It's a rather big change for us -- we're no longer in Laguna -- and while it's a exciting and welcomed change, it's still change and it took some adjusting. My old friend insomnia even came back to visit, that's how stressed I was! I haven't missed that level of stress, but it happens, and already I'm back to my zen-mama self again.<br />
<br />
We didn't buy the new house. We choose to still rent cuz we're just not ready to buy something and "settle down." We have other ideas and plans before we pull the trigger on a forever(ish) home. I also have no idea where I'd want to buy something, and John feels the same. Moving is a bitch, but mixing it up by living in new places over the years is fun.<br />
<br />
Plus, overall we absolutely love love love the new place and we're so glad we were able to move well before baby arrives. It's been a ton of work to get settled, and most of all I'm already feeling my nesting instincts setting in BIG TIME. All I want to do is get this new house ready for baby's arrival haha.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6I-_YgLI04V8-JfAO4XpmVeD5lmIHm6RCFYTapb9bAxF6e6Vmx4p1qZ-E34gVYq1MEoDrRvol9U5g8gUCiSLRQjj_9dIIfTxb5XvQaF6zADZ7UpP2ykQvC3IypKy2vbIhwZ171G5ZLo/s1600/IMG_7027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6I-_YgLI04V8-JfAO4XpmVeD5lmIHm6RCFYTapb9bAxF6e6Vmx4p1qZ-E34gVYq1MEoDrRvol9U5g8gUCiSLRQjj_9dIIfTxb5XvQaF6zADZ7UpP2ykQvC3IypKy2vbIhwZ171G5ZLo/s400/IMG_7027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0XN8WsrEo-ne-SShi9MoxXA3y3EDOCfgChak2dFgv8MIUjZqRmpyI0OtaAleqwEvbS6kEJ9pv_tM4YRArCpcWkvxRNUbnaf0GG7_-peY08rzVUyhq0BUFhwko7LqMwkwIO60k6GfMo0/s1600/IMG_7031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0XN8WsrEo-ne-SShi9MoxXA3y3EDOCfgChak2dFgv8MIUjZqRmpyI0OtaAleqwEvbS6kEJ9pv_tM4YRArCpcWkvxRNUbnaf0GG7_-peY08rzVUyhq0BUFhwko7LqMwkwIO60k6GfMo0/s400/IMG_7031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ohhhh, and we also know the baby's sex, in fact I've known for over a month now, but I'll save that news for next time.<br />
<br />
Finishing it off today by sharing a pregnancy craving I gave into. As I said, I'm eating very healthy, as usual, but I'm also being more flexible than ever and listening to my body. This morning it was something I haven't eaten in 15-20+ years, and I had two.... they were so enjoyable and no fretting about what this food usually symbolizes (not to mention they had delicious, fresh, gluten-free ingredients).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD66FWM9reYxfRwFCt9ClIZ8NttQaR5maMJSBYKeSGWiy1tU4YGuEMiRY0i-5vIHXuIkEVXDxDx84bIsyzKQlJNq4TUeBVklZK5mHu6rpgfzYOQDWvYiE-s04xCrmvL4jNft0X9HrdDU/s1600/IMG_6996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD66FWM9reYxfRwFCt9ClIZ8NttQaR5maMJSBYKeSGWiy1tU4YGuEMiRY0i-5vIHXuIkEVXDxDx84bIsyzKQlJNq4TUeBVklZK5mHu6rpgfzYOQDWvYiE-s04xCrmvL4jNft0X9HrdDU/s400/IMG_6996.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're in the Costa Mesa area, I highly recommend<br />
taking a stop by this place. They always have a GF option.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyfmyzBuwvXH1BIa_7xTppPdmptIsrTkzfKcZf_Mn2qMzw2A-oQme7z74lbKBjTNeUi-9KWey3fz0WvTPsqe2I5oLoSGySF6AbMuX9J2GVzgWpVzrwhj0iJvWBeY1aJVIqMDY4bm25Kw/s1600/IMG_6995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyfmyzBuwvXH1BIa_7xTppPdmptIsrTkzfKcZf_Mn2qMzw2A-oQme7z74lbKBjTNeUi-9KWey3fz0WvTPsqe2I5oLoSGySF6AbMuX9J2GVzgWpVzrwhj0iJvWBeY1aJVIqMDY4bm25Kw/s400/IMG_6995.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As usual, John couldn't wait for my picture before taking<br />
a bite.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS2QurCi4ETPnhPg2hucjmEPZ8Ee4dMZWupj1HDdrWdlACDqQCANsy2cUpiI2NL96Tb8v2fohFefyt5ICQfIurGwHzn-NHBW7pcJczKVhmCi7kxE7TF59Nbd6i9VrQFlCHwQaUePi70c/s1600/IMG_6998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS2QurCi4ETPnhPg2hucjmEPZ8Ee4dMZWupj1HDdrWdlACDqQCANsy2cUpiI2NL96Tb8v2fohFefyt5ICQfIurGwHzn-NHBW7pcJczKVhmCi7kxE7TF59Nbd6i9VrQFlCHwQaUePi70c/s400/IMG_6998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donut #1 of 2.... with eggs. An example of balance perhaps?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The older I get the more I realize that the key to life really is about finding the right balance, not extremes.<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-66478541454381337892017-08-14T09:21:00.003-07:002017-08-14T09:39:06.371-07:00Guest Post: How Amélie Got Her Health BackI get "thank you" emails from female athletes all the time on all things health, hormones, nutrition, exercise, self-love and so on. It's usually: "Tawnee, I can't believe how similar our stories are. What you went through is describing me." They've heard me talk on <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/">Endurance Planet</a>, as a guest on others' podcasts, or they read this blog. Some emails are heartfelt thank you's for the voice I give to women's health, and for also being open with my journey and providing inspiration to make positive changes when needed. Others are inquiries from women who want to <a href="http://coachtawnee.com/">work with me</a> to help with their needs, training and/or recovery. Either way, it's always such a pleasure to know that I'm positively affecting lives, even if it's simply getting women to think about how they could treat themselves better and with more love and kindness, or that their missing period isn't a non-issue.<br />
<br />
Recently, I had an email from a lovely lady that I thought was so cool. I didn't know her at all, but she's been devouring my blog and podcasts, and using my resources to guide the changes she needed to make in her own life. With my example, she realized this recovery process is not as scary as some make it out to be. She's had immense success, in a relatively short time, and I thought it was so rad that she's <i>not even a client of mine </i>yet the resources I've put out there were enough for her to reach her goals in health, hormones and happiness. I was so inspired by her email that I asked her to write a guest post about her journey and how my work has helped her...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taking the Balanced Approach To Healing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
By Amelie C.</div>
</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">“Stop running, eat more, and gain weight”. Easier said than
done, right? That’s pretty much the advice that I received from 2 different
doctors at the beginning of 2017, when I finally decided to talk about the fact
that I hadn’t bought a single box of tampons in 3 years. It also summarizes the
advice that I was finding most of the time when I started desperately googling
“how to recover from amenorrhea."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now that I think about it, when I look back at my life of
those past 3 years, I realize that I had put together the best <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cocktail</i> for amenorrhea: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moved to the US at the end of 2014. That was
quite a change for me, moving away from my family and all my lifelong friends
and literally starting a whole new life in another country. That certainly
brought <i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">some</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> stress in my life…</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New job, very stressful and demanding. I was
working 70-80 hours/week in my first year in the US.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While working like crazy, I trained for and
raced in many half marathons, 4 full marathons, and also some triathlons
including 2 half-Ironmans. I had been an avid runner for almost 10 years and
recently discovered triathlon and I was doing pretty well. I love it so much! But
when I moved to the US, I found myself very lonely at first so I trained much
more than ever before. And Southern California weather makes it so enjoyable to
train outdoors all year long!</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On top of all that, yes, I was under-eating. Not
that I was restricting or dieting, but sports and stress seem to suppress my
already small appetite so I wasn’t even feeling like I didn’t eat enough. I was
also (and am still) dealing with gut issues, so I had banished a lot of foods
that did not make my tummy happy.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And then my blood test confirmed it: My estrogen levels were
completely down. I sure was concerned with the consequences of too many years
of amenorrhea on my bone density and on my ability to have a baby when time comes, but the “stop exercise” and “gain weight” part scared the heck out of me
and held me back from taking concrete actions to recover. I was very confused, frustrated,
and lost. Why does it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> to be black
or white, all or nothing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The past few years up until 2017 were amazing triathlon
and running years for me. I was often placing top-3 of my age group. I hit so
many PRs in all running distances and qualified for the 2017 Boston Marathon on
my first attempt at the LA Marathon in February of 2016. I had also dropped quite
a bit of weight in the process and I must admit that I kinda liked it, even if
I had never been overweight. But how can I go from Boston qualifier to couch
potato to fix my hormones? No way. I was very stubborn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">At that point I had already started to realize that maybe <u>excessive</u>
exercise, combined with under-fueling and stress, were the main factors that
lead me to amenorrhea. So after the Boston Marathon, I decided to not sign up
for any other long distance race and I made a commitment to myself that I would
take some concrete actions to recover. But my only condition was that I would
do it my own way. My point is, between the 70 miles/week I was running and…0
miles, there is a wide range. I thought I could certainly find a point
somewhere between that, a point that would still make me feel good with myself
AND allow my body to stop freaking out and resume my menstrual cycles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the meantime, I consulted with a sports nutritionist, to
help me determine what my daily needs are, and see how far I was from there
with my current daily food intake. I was concerned because I had often read advice on some websites that let me perplexed, like, "Eat more and eat all the foods." I
understand the concept of eating enough calories when trying to recover from
amenorrhea, but to me, junk food is still junk food. I have always eaten very
clean (I love my veggies!) and I don’t think that eating cheeseburger, fries
and ice cream is the absolute key to success here. Luckily, I had a great
nutritionist, who helped me navigate through all of this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But all my worries were still not addressed. I was always
afraid to come to a point where I would have to stop all exercise completely if
my plan didn't work. I thought I would lose my identity as an athlete and
become fat. I was still not sure whether I was doing the right thing or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was only at the beginning of June this year that I came
across Tawnee's blog and started reading all the posts since 2013.
One specific post about amenorrhea (“<a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/02/is-amenorrhea-that-big-of-problem.html">Is Amenorrhea That Big of a Problem?Helping Those Silently Suffering</a>”) spoke so much to me! I couldn't have found
better words to express my own frustration with traditional medicine's approach
to my health condition. And I finally had a good example that, yes, it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> is</i> possible to recover from amenorrhea
and be cool with the process, with a gradual approach, without having to quit
completely doing what you love, and while still eating pretty clean. I learned
about REDS, a concept that was totally new to me, no doctor had ever talked to
me about that. I also started listening to <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/">Endurance Planet</a> podcasts and was
learning a ton of other useful information. This is all it took for me to let
go all my fears, continue to do my own thing, trust the process and not stress
about it. It made me realize that it's not about giving up something you love,
but it's about finding good <u>balance</u>, changing your mindset and
training/fueling smarter. Gosh, I wish I had found this blog and these podcasts
earlier!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It’s interesting how sometimes, when you let your fears go,
everything seems so much easier. First week of August, I read Tawnee's post "<a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/08/my-full-inside-tracker-interview-on.html">My Full InsiderTracker Interview on Amenorrhea</a>," where she talks about her
experience with overcoming amenorrhea. <b>And this happened to be the exact same
day that I got my period back!! </b>My first period in 3 years, while still keeping an active and healthy lifestyle
(more on that below). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yes, there were some moments where I was afraid of losing
my fitness because I wasn’t pushing myself that hard anymore. I was missing
those Sunday morning long runs (because that was actually my favorite part of
marathon training!) but hey, it's not like I can't go back to it. I also knew I
had gained a few pounds compared to my weight before the Boston Marathon, even
if that change was nothing that others could notice. If I compared my weight
now with my underfed and constantly dehydrated marathoner's body weight, the
change on the scale was inevitable. I had been obsessing over my weight for so
many years, even dealing with some eating disorder issues back in high school. I knew this weight
gain, even if it was small, would be a very hard pill for me to swallow. But
those pounds are what I needed to start having menstrual cycles again, like a
real woman. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">What helped me cope with that was to break down the weight gain in
different gains: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I had </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">gained</u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> muscle (from lifting more often), and
muscle = strength. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I had </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">gained</u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> wisdom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I had </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">gained</u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> knowledge of
my body and how it needs to be fueled.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">So really, this weight gain was not about me getting fat. These pounds were
not undesired pounds from letting myself go. And as a bonus: My fiancé actually
liked the fact that I did not have a pancake butt anymore, haha.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tips for Recovery</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here are the gradual changes that I made and some tips that
I think helped me recover so fast without quitting running. Turns out I probably did a couple things right
after all!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: -0.25in;">Fuel</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">:
I never eat junk food because it doesn’t make me feel good. But I became much
more conscious of my eating habits and my food intake. I increased a lot my consumption
of healthy fats (avocado, nuts, PB, oils). When I had amenorrhea, I used to always
train/run first thing in the morning, fasting. Even when I went for hard tempo
runs, sometimes up to 8-9 miles, I wouldn’t eat anything before. I was too
scared to have GI issues during my run. I now make sure to get a little
something before ANY workout and I feel like I can get higher quality workouts.
I prefer to deal with an occasional burp ;)</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: -0.25in;">Running/training:</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">
I kept my runs short, and only ran about 3-4 times a week (it may seem like
still a lot, but compared to my old training regimen, it was a huge change for
me!). The other days I would usually swim (I found that when I swim, I never
push as hard as when I run so that was a moderate to low intensity exercise). Or
I would lift weights. I discovered a new passion for weight lifting when I
realized how you can get very creative in the gym and make workouts fun!</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: -0.25in;">Racing</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">:
I still did some races, just much less, and shorter distances, with no goal
time and no pressure to perform. I ditched the Garmin, ran by feel only! I also
chose races that I could run with my fiancé, who is a not an avid runner like
me and therefore runs slower paces. We got to cross the finish line together
which was fun! Something we had never done together before.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: -0.25in;">Stress</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">:
I learned how to chill to f… out. In life in general (got a new job, better work
life balance), but I also stressed less with my training. I used to take it so
seriously; all my time was planned around running/training. I mean, running is
a hobby, it’s not like my paychecks depended on my performances (I once placed 1</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">st</sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">
woman in a small local race and won a Frisbee, that’s the only earning in my
running “career” I can brag about </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">lol</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: -0.25in;">),
so why stress so much about it? I did not have a training plan anymore and no
target paces. I just did whatever I felt like doing. If I woke up and felt like
doing squats and planks in the gym, I went for squats and planks. Or if I
decided I wanted to swim a couple laps in my pool, that’s what I went for. Get
the idea? No plan, no stress, just appreciate keeping my body moving. At least
for now.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bottom line, I am not saying that it’s wrong to stop
exercising. It is not wrong if it’s what the person needs. Some women may be suffering
from injuries or extreme fatigue from overtraining who knows…and they may need
that break. That being said, I have <u>a lot</u> of respect for women who chose
to go <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all in</i>. But in other cases,
like it was for me, to stop all exercise would just bring more anxiety and
negativity; I don't think it was the right solution for me. At the end of the day, it’s
all about finding the right <u>balance</u> for you, and unfortunately that’s
not how it was presented to me when I was diagnosed with amenorrhea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am still learning from this process. I will get back to
long-distance running and racing when I am ready because this is what I love the most
and I am still competitive, but I will do it with a different approach this
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I really want to
thank Tawnee for sharing so much on her own experience and the lessons she has
learned. Without even knowing it, Tawnee, you really made a difference for me! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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-->Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-77490406495099046662017-08-04T07:21:00.000-07:002017-08-04T07:29:12.566-07:00My Full Inside Tracker Interview on Amenorrhea Recently, <a href="https://www.insidetracker.com/qr/onboarding/ENDURANCEPLANET/">Inside Tracker</a> published an article on hypothalamic amenorrhea in female athletes, bringing more awareness to this subject, its prevalence and how to take action to heal. In the article they profiled Tina Muir and myself, sharing our stories from what led to our missing periods to how we recovered. Like any good journalist, writer Julia Reedy did a great job hacking away at my wordy responses and keeping the final article concise, to the point and very effective. But I do realize that many ladies out there often want to hear the full story. So in this blog I share the full interview transcript. Obviously I've shared my full story over and over, but why not share this too. Plus it includes links to relevant studies on the matter... Who knows, maybe someone new will stumble on this blog post and find it helpful. xo<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PS - If you need/want more thorough blood testing, you can (and should!) get an <a href="https://www.insidetracker.com/qr/onboarding/ENDURANCEPLANET/">Inside Tracker</a> package <a href="https://www.insidetracker.com/qr/onboarding/ENDURANCEPLANET/">here</a>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt;"><u>JR: Hi Tawnee – Thanks so much for taking the time to share your piece
on this subject. We hope this blog post will give readers the answers to some
incredibly important questions.</u></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you remember how you felt when you first <i>stopped</i> getting
your period? Did you feel different physically/mentally/emotionally? (This
question is meant for the person who is wondering if they’re truly suffering
from amenorrhea)</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: My
story is a bit more complicated because my amenorrhea started due to an eating
disorder (anorexia) while I was a freshman in college, which was a few years
before I started racing triathlons. I was still exercising a lot during my ED
but for calorie-burning purposes, not training. So that said, during my ED,
yes, I was noticeably stressed, emotional, and my brain always felt like it was
in chaos mode due to being starved for fuel--especially considering that I
greatly feared fat at the time. I went from being a carefree, healthy,
athletic, and intelligent teenager to a disengaged, forlorn, secretive and
incredibly frail shadow of my former self. I played it cool on the outside to
friends--I still partied, got excellent grades and was out and about daily--but
I was not in a good place mentally, emotionally or physically, and I was very
chronically stressed over my issues with food and weight. Truthfully, losing my
period was an afterthought next to all the other problems I was facing at the
time. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">That
said, when I got into triathlon I was in a much better place, but I was still
not getting a period, and that started to weigh on me more heavily. I didn’t
like that my body wasn’t operating as a woman’s body should. My relationship
with food and my body had improved immensely -- triathlon taught me that food
is fuel, and athletes need fuel -- but I still hadn’t learned how to truly
listen to me needs and I was simply still not taking in enough calories for the
demands of half-ironman training. I was still very lean and always hungry,
clearly in need of more. I was eating probably 1,800 to 2,500 calories a day
and I figured that should be enough, it was certainly more than I ate years
prior! A couple years into racing, I started doing longer distances, in
particular half-Ironmans, and I remember feeling like I was fit but borderline
frail and always on the verge of injury, especially injuries related to weak
hips and core. My engine was great but my frame was not sturdy, and my nutrient
intake was sub-par. Years later, I connected the dots that my fueling and too
lean frame held me back from getting closer to my potential. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Endurance
athletes think that being lean is synonymous with better performance, but there
is a fine line where being too lean (and underfueling to maintain this) is not
going to be conducive for performance or health. You may still be performing
well when you’re super lean and experiencing amenorrhea, and you may have no
problem executing your workouts or races, but if you peel some layers you will
see red flags that things aren’t all right and eventually the body will suffer
from this imbalance. For me some other red flags were feeling like I was
chronically “high” on cortisol that manifested in a revved up sympathetic state
24/7 -- even negatively affecting my sleep -- and an inability to relax into a
parasympathetic state. Second, even though I was eating more as a triathlete it
wasn’t enough and I was always hungry because I was constantly in an energy
deficit (at the time I was still relatively low fat, which just made the
“hanger” worse). Third, I still had a mental obsession with my incessant need
to train; I wouldn’t let anything get in my way of training and I despised rest
days and also purposely ate less on rest days (in other words, I let my workout
load determine how much I could eat). Fourth, I was getting injured a lot and
didn’t have the nutrient support to recover properly. Lastly, I was an aspiring
coach and sports podcast host, so I felt embarrassed and ashamed that my body
was not operating as it should and felt inner turmoil over my lack of menstruation.
I only talked to my doctors who suggested that I quit exercising so much and
eat more, and at the time that was not something I wanted to do, mostly it was
the “exercise less” part that freaked me out since I was so in love (and
obsessed) with sport and my training. I let my need to train trump everything
else, and this is something I now see all the time in female athletes who are
going through the same struggles. Thankfully, there are often other options! </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As
for the re-occurring injuries I faced, one study showed that </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“a</span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> lower daily fat intake and lower percentage of
total energy from fat were associated with increased injury risk among
competitive female runners.” (</span><a href="http://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-5-1"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">http://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-5-1</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">) And thankfully I never experienced a stress
fracture, but I know plenty of athletes who have and this injury is associated
with low energy balance and amenorrhea. (</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16089273?dopt=Abstract"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16089273?dopt=Abstract</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">)</span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">JR: What health implications worried you most during your struggle
with amenorrhea?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: Most
of all I was worried about infertility and whether I’d be able to have children
in the future. This became more of a concern when I began dating my now-husband
and said to myself, “This is a guy with whom I could have kids.” Before him, I
had thought about having kids but not seriously. While infertility is certainly
an issue that comes with amenorrhea, it’s one from which we can recover. At the
time, no one was there to tell me that there is nearly a 100% chance you can
recover from hypothalamic amenorrhea and that starting a family would be completely possible given that I take the right steps to recover my hormones. So I was
spooked for a long time about our future, and alternatives like adoption even
crossed my mind, that is, until I sought help from alternative health doctors,
did more research and was able to get better answers from the proper
professionals.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Second
to that were concerns over my bone health, and this became a more prominent
thought after I had a bike crash in 2013 in which I broke my wrist; a distal
radius fracture. I was able to get in for DEXA scans, which showed my bone
density in the spine and hips was normal, a huge relief and the broken wrist
was just one of those freak things. I stacked up my good bone health to all the
strength training and load-bearing exercise I had been doing for years. I
really think the strength training saved my body and bones from getting too
fragile during these formative years. Sadly, I do know athletes, even male
athletes, who have suffered from osteoporosis in their 20s and 30s due to
hormonal imbalances in the body related to being too lean and overtraining. I
got lucky, but bone health is a very real concern and not easy to recover from,
if it all.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Other
long-term health complications honestly didn’t even cross my mind at the time
(I didn’t even know there were additional risks), but after studying the
research and learning more I discovered that there are important potential
long-term health complications to be aware of that I now point out to women
with amenorrhea. They include a higher predisposition to heart disease and
cognitive diseases in later years of life. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">JR: You mention that your PCP, like many doctors, recommended that you
go on birth control, exercise less and eat more in order to regain your period.
Now that you have so much knowledge on the subject, especially in the context
of endurance athletes, what do you think would have been better advice?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: Amenorrhea
recovery is absolutely all about the psychology of what a woman is going
through, and to tell a female athlete to exercise less and eat more is, in most
cases, terrifying to hear and not something they’d be willing to do when it’s
blatantly put like that--unless they're at their wit’s end. Amenorrhea is more
complicated, mentally speaking, and it’s not so black and white. We have to be
able to understand the female athlete’s unique psyche and work with her needs
and use compassion and patience. As for taking birth control, most girls will
realize this is only a band-aid and not a solution, and that’s why I personally
chose to stay off the pill after a while and keep it natural. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s
not that the advice of “eat more exercise less” is wrong, it’s the delivery in
most cases. Female athletes may feel like their doctor does not understand that
they are an ATHLETE and that their training and competitions are everything to
them, as is adhering to a healthy or “strict” diet. So in my experience,
I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had immense success helping female athletes getting
their periods and hormones back by simply relating to them, talking through
their fears, answers questions that are unique to athletes, and providing
emotional support during the process. The rest as far as actual recovery goes
is pretty simple--find the appropriate energy balance and weight that allows
you to menstruate, and this requires managing stress, exercise intensity/volume
and food intake. Once an athlete is ready to tweak these things it’s not hard
to get back on track. Only a couple times have I had more complicated cases
that involved further health issues that required medical attention.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
success I’ve had started with coaching myself through the recovery process. I
got my period back within 10-12 weeks of making the decision to heal. However,
I also took a more gradual approach and didn’t quit training and racing to
retire to the couch; thus, it took my body a while to achieve full hormone
recovery and get back to regular monthly cycles. During my “transition phase” I
got periods again, but they were not normal or monthly until about a year after
my initial decision to recover. Every woman I’ve worked with has been slightly
different in their recovery process, but usually with more food intake alone
all will have signs of ovulation, a spike in hormones and a bleed. Research
shows that women can usually maintain some level of training and get their
period back if they just eat more (</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25090245"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25090245</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">) and are ok with adding
a bit more body fat to their frame. Often tweaking exercise habits (not
necessarily quitting) are needed too, since I work with “extremist” endurance
athletes. For women to make these voluntary changes, it’s all about mindset and
they cannot fear the process or that in itself will hold them back. Likewise, I
can’t force someone to take action, nor can their doctor--these women have to
want to pursue recovery and teaching them that it’s not so scary adds to the
success rate. We have to get them to want to love and respect their bodies and
be comfortable in their own skin regardless of how fast they run or how much
body fat they have. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
are working with sensitive, living, breathing human individuals, not just
numbers or test results. And while doing the health tests are invaluable--all
my clients are required to get bloodwork and often additional testing*--those
data points are only a piece of the puzzle. Don’t get me wrong, a doctor is
important and all my clients are working with a doctor or functional medicine
practitioner, but what female athletes also need is a mentor, a friend, and
someone to whom they can relate. Someone they can ask scary questions like, “What
is it like to cut back on or stop training they way you know it?” “What if I
don’t want to stop training completely, what can I expect?” “How long will it
take” “You want me to eat what? But I eat ‘x, y, z’ for my training!” “Will I
get fat if I eat more?” Also, I assure women that I’m not trying to steal their
training away forever nor ask them to get fat and lazy, which is what it feels
like you’re being told to do sometimes and that’s just wrong for this group of
women. It’s about finding a better balance and exercise can be included in a
recovery plan as well as a healthy diet--we just have to prevent these
variables from continuing at unhealthy extremes.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">*Blood
tests for female should include the following markers: LH, FSH, Estradiol,
progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, prolactin, TSH, T4 and free T3. I aso run a
urine hormone and adrenal panel on my clients in addition to blood work, as
this takes a closer look at the relationship between adrenal function, cortisol
levels and sex hormones. TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, T4 and T3 are
important to test because often we mess up our thyroid in the process of
developing amenorrhea and it should not go ignored.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">JR: It’s common for OBGYNs (including my own!) to claim that
menstruation is not biologically necessary, and that not having your period is
not detrimental to your health. From what you have learned, what’s your
position on this claim?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></u></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: Technically,
it’s not a death sentence to not menstruate. Infertility and low bone density
are some of the biggest side effects, and quite frankly there are probably
women who don’t care about that if they’re more concerned with race
performance. But I argue that menstruation is a normal part of the female
existence, and why mess with Mother Nature by shutting down this process? Also,
I mentioned the potential negative health consequences earlier; why take a risk
on hurting your well being long-term? I understand that in the moment, we may
not care what our life will be like when we're 70, but maybe we should. I didn’t
care at the time, I only cared about performance and my body size, and I
actually don’t regret that because I can at least educate women on why I was
wrong and how to do it better. Now if you’re an athlete and you happen to skip
a period once or twice a year while stress and training loads are high, and you
know you’re not pregnant, I would not freak out over this, but I would take it
as a warning sign and indication as to how much is too much for your body and
proceed with caution (and try to eat more).</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also,
a missing period is a symptom of more intricate problems related to the
hypothalamus, pituitary and gonadal function. I work with a lot of athletes not
just on hypothalamic amenorrhea but also hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)
axis dysfunction, thyroid issues, and other health complications from extreme
training and low energy intake, and these problems often do not lead to
sustainable careers in sport and also make day-to-day living much tougher when
you’re chronically stressed, fatigued, worn down and feeling like junk because
your body is not operating optimally and is in crisis mode. So amenorrhea is a
symptom of potentially worse issues going on inside, and I do not advocate that
any athlete continue on this path long term. Women are actually lucky that they
have a clear indicator they are pushing too hard (i.e. if period is absent);
men do not have this luxury and often it’s gone too far before they realize
they’re in a deep hole that they have to dig themselves out of. The longer your
wait to change, the harder it may be to fully heal if there are other issues at
play like HPA axis dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, varying degrees of
hypothyroidism, gut dysbiosis and other complications that often are present in
women with amenorrhea. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">JR: Your recent pregnancy announcement (congrats!) almost feels like a
flag stuck in the summit of Mt. Amenorrhea. What did your road to recovery look
like and what advice do you have for women who are struggling with
amenorrhea/attempting to heal?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></u></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: Thank
you. Becoming pregnant is not only exciting for my husband and I, it is also a
victory for all women who’ve been through or are going through
amenorrhea--there is hope. I was in a bad place for many years, my progesterone
and estrogen were that of a postmenopausal woman, and I am proof that you can
get your body back to functioning normally and start a family if you so wish. I
hope my message gives hope to those who need it right now (I could have used it
back then).</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As
for my recovery, I took a more gradual approach. When I first started making
changes to regain health and hormones I had zero desire to get pregnant at the
time; rather, I just knew it was time to repair my damaged body and be in a
place where one day I could get pregnant when we were ready. I didn’t want to
wait until we were ready to get pregnant and have to “cram” my recovery
process; that sounded stressful. So, I didn’t go “all in,” and I still trained
and raced for another couple seasons. However, I drastically changed my
approach, mindset and the “environment” in my body. I took a bunch of pressure
off myself, worked on stress management, fed myself better, raced a ton less
(like 2-3 races a year instead of 10-12) and incorporated more parasympathetic
mindful activity like yoga, walking, meditation, HRV measurements, and so on
(those things were not easy at first since I was used to pushing hard all the
time and striving for better performances each time I raced). I also stopped
training so intensely and relentlessly as well, and started focusing more on
recovery as well as an intuitive approach to training (before I would train no
matter how I felt--it had to get done!). I started eating what my body craved
in a healthy sense of cravings, rather than denying urges to eat certain foods
and stick to a strict diet and caloric intake. Over the years, I had gradually
switched from a low-fat diet to more of a low-carb high-fat diet, but when I
began recovery I just focused on clean healthy eating and not so much on macros
or calories, still including tons of healthy fats and moderate carbs. Sometimes
the approach for amenorrhea recovery is to eat “all the food” (including sweets
and junk) but I still wanted to keep it clean with an 80-20 approach. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ultimately
I quit doing any fasted training and really addressed my chronically high
cortisol levels to get in a more balanced state--it was hard not to get at it
early each morning as I was used to doing for years, but it was the best thing
for me.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By
this point I had “ditched” conventional medicine because I felt like I was
going nowhere with them. I sought out functional health practitioners to help
me and guide my health plans. They ran tests and recommended any supplements I
needed (which expanded beyond hormonal issues and included gut repair, thyroid
regulation, detox, HPA axis, and general health support). For hormones, I
briefly used bioidentical progesterone when initially regaining my period. Then
before getting pregnant, I went on vitex for a while to regulate my ovulation
and cycle length. I would not suggest starting any supplements unless directed
by a healthcare professional. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
continually ordered new health tests to monitor progress over the years; this
included blood tests, urine hormone tests, saliva tests and gut tests (stool).
It was actually very fun and exciting to see my hormones get back to normal
levels for a woman of my age, and I’m glad I have that data. I would suggest
quarterly or bi-annual blood tests and/or urine hormone tests for women in the
recovery phase. I also tracked my menstrual cycles and ovulation and kept
detailed notes on my personal recovery. I share this info with my clients.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Believe
it or not, my actual weight didn’t change that much from 2013 when I started my
recovery to 2016 before we started trying to conceive. I’d guess it was less
than 10 pounds gained, which shows that for me it was more about balancing
other issues in my life not that I was still too lean. (For the record, I had
gained back 20+ pounds already by 2013 from my ED days.)</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My
periods were normal for about two years when we finally started trying, and I
felt ready. Although, I was still at a low-normal BMI so I thought it’d help to
gain a few extra pounds and I did, increasing my BMI to 22-23, which is known
as the “fertile zone” according to Nicola Rinaldi, PhD. What I didn’t realize
when we started trying was that I put a ton of pressure on myself to get
pregnant right away since I was so “normal” again. It took a few months to
relax, let go and take off all the pressure, and that’s when I got pregnant.
Putting pressure on myself and creating stress within has never worked out well
;)</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">JR: How do you believe <a href="https://www.insidetracker.com/qr/onboarding/ENDURANCEPLANET/">InsideTracker</a> can help women ward off/recover
from amenorrhea?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: Absolutely,
IT is a critical component to a female’s recovery. As I’ve mentioned numerous
times already, having the data from blood testing is invaluable to set the
baseline for where a woman is starting at and most importantly monitor progress
and see if the changes she is making are working on the inside! As mentioned,
I’d suggest quarterly or bi-annual blood testing during the recovery and even
when the period returns, get blood work to measure hormones and set a new
(healthy!) baseline. The feedback from bloodwork is invaluable.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">JR: Anything else you’d like to say about the subject?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TPG: I
was at a sports nutrition conference recently (and actually speaking on this
very topic) and one of the presenters mentioned her study showing that elite
female swimmers who were not menstruating ended and in an energy deficit had
poorer performances relative to their menstruating teammates. (</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23846160"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23846160</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">) We know through the
research that underfueling doesn’t work out well for female athletes, and I
know athletes want to perform so EAT!</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also,
this issue can not be narrowed down into just the female athlete triad, which
is most traditionally cited in research and textbooks. The issues a female
faces are on a spectrum and wide-ranging. They can vary in severity. For this
reason, I like to look to and reference RED-S when discussing this topic. RED-S
includes a broader range of symptoms and doesn’t narrow it down to just three
issues as the triad does; it also ties in males as well. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Plus
from a social standpoint, i can see why this is continuing to be such a big
problem. It’s tough to be an athlete this day in age. With social media, we’re
constantly inundated with images of the perfect body and perfect performances,
and we feel more pressure than ever before to be perfect and achieve PRs every
time we race. We compare ourselves to others and often go to unhealthy extremes
to achieve the “impossible.” I’m hear to blast the message that moderation is
ok; moderation is SEXY--you don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to be the
fastest, you don’t have to live by the “no pain no gain” mantra, and you can be
your best self with an approach of moderation. What I want for women (and men)
is to just be happy and comfortable in their own skin. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also,
it’s getting better, but amenorrhea has for so long been a taboo issue and not
something that women want to discuss, so they hide it and let it prolong (I get
it, I was there). I want to change that notion--it’s ok for us to talk about
our periods, or lack thereof, and you can hear me doing just that on my podcast
enduranceplanet.com along with female counterparts who share wisdom and
experience on my show.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Lastly, if someone is ready to get started but doesn’t know where to look next:</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have a ton of
resources on this subject for women on my holistic inner-circle website <a href="http://lifepostcollective.com/">lifepostcollective.com</a>
and also on my free podcast <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/">enduranceplanet.com</a>. If there are women out there who
are still a bit afraid to make changes but just want a reliable source to turn to for
information, I’d encourage them to check out <a href="http://lifepostcollective.com/">lifepostcollective.com</a>; you can
get your first month free with code lpc4me. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Or you can take the next step and work one-on-one with me; I offer consultations and
coaching for female athletes on all things health, hormones and nutrition, and I've helped many women recover from HA. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Last but not least, buy the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2v5TzQY">No Period Now What</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. This is another invaluable
resource from my friend Dr. Nicola Rinaldi and this book alone may very well change your life.
I read it long after my recovery but still learned a ton, and I </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">continually</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> use it as a resource. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank
you for the opportunity to contribute!</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-31277902767770527972017-07-26T09:27:00.000-07:002017-08-07T13:31:18.418-07:00Another Diagnosis, But 'Good' News!Last weekend was a whirlwind. Just as I was getting comfortable with my new routine of no exercise and lots of downtime as a result of the <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/07/first-trimester-placenta-previa.html">placenta previa</a> diagnosis, things changed.<br />
<br />
On Friday John left town for a bachelor party that would entail camping and backpacking, so there was a good chance he'd be off the grid at times.<br />
<br />
Saturday I woke up and went to the bathroom as usual, at which point I discovered I was lightly bleeding (TMI - thankfully it was brown blood, not "active" red blood). Regardless, it scared the shit out of me and I paged the on-call midwife from my birthing center (there are about four midwives I see), and she got right back to me and was the sweetest. She told me to relax, not worry and just rest all day -- basically do as little as possible -- and drink a lot of water. I followed orders, and my day was as lazy as they get. I watched nearly two seasons of Schitt's Creek haha. Later in the day I did go to my parents and we went to the hospital to visit my grandma, who had just been admitted. That's a story for another day, but for now the good news is my grandma has since gone home and is doing ok.<br />
<br />
My parents were also so awesome to help out with Finley and doggy-sit him while I was on rest. His 50-pound puppy energy was too much for me to handle when I needed rest. Finley loved it, as he just got a long weekend playdate with their dog, Ashe.<br />
<br />
John was in the loop on all this but there was no need for him to come home early.<br />
<br />
My bleeding cleared up but then came back and was even a bit heavier by Monday morning. This time the midwife said go to the ER to get checked and make sure everything's ok. Hearing her say that certainly scared me at first and there was a surge of uncontrollable tears for a couple minutes, but I did my best to hold it together and not totally lose my shit. This time, John was off the grid with no service and my mom took me to the hospital.<br />
<br />
Long story short, here's what happened:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There is NO placenta previa anymore</b>. If I did have it, it already cleared up and the placenta is no longer covering my cervix. it was very clearly in an anterior position away from the cervix. Seems like that shift happened really fast, but I'm not an expert on this stuff.<br />
<br />
So what was causing the bleeding?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Turns out I definitely DO have a subchorionic hemorrhage</b>, which is basically a blood clot in the wall of the uterus. It's the "most common sonographic abnormality and most common cause of first trimester bleeding (1)," and thankfully I was told it's "less threatening" than previa and should work itself out (i.e. dissolve and disappear) in a matter of days or weeks. The exact cause isn't exactly clear, but they said that it's possible the hemorrhage formed as the placenta was migrating.<br />
<br />
Or, maybe it always the hemorrhage and never even previa? Either way, it was good that I started resting when I did!<br />
<br />
I won't get another ultrasound for another 4-5 weeks, so in the meantime, I still have to be on the same regimen of lots of rest, no exercise, no lifting heavy things, and no sex. We don't want the bleeding to get worse and it needs to heal without me being overly active.<br />
<br />
I was able to get ahold of John while at the hospital, and this time he did end his trip early and came home as soon as he could. I needed (and will need) his help especially if we want to have Finley home, which of course we do!<br />
<br />
Despite the scare, all this gave me a huge sense of relief. I was extra grateful to my on-call midwife (she's everything a gal would hope for in a midwife!) and also the ER staff who was so kind and thorough in their assessment. Yea maybe I sat in the hospital for 5 hours, but what else would I have been doing?! This is my life, this is my baby's life, and he/she means EVERYTHING to me.<br />
<br />
I'm confident this baby is healthy, I'm certain the hemorrhage will clear up, stoked the previa is no longer an issue, and excited to get on with my second trimester!<br />
<br />
<br />
1. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorionic_hematoma">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorionic_hematoma</a>Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-45422858582116526272017-07-15T09:11:00.000-07:002017-07-15T11:51:42.603-07:00First Trimester Placenta PreviaJust hours after my <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/07/first-trimester-thoughts-rolling-with.html" target="_blank">last post</a> I had an ultrasound appointment for prenatal screening. I was starting to second guess getting this voluntary testing done at all (it includes bloodwork + ultrasound) but decided to go through with it and now glad I did.<br />
<br />
Nothing is wrong with the baby, so that's the very good news. We got to see him/her flopping around (it literally did a 180 for us), moving limbs, and heart beating... it made my heart melt.<br />
<br />
However, the ultrasound tech saw a gap by my uterus and said that it shouldn't be there. On the screen it looked like an inch-long black hole. She said she'd run it by the midwives and they'd contact me to talk it over. She was also asking how much I exercise, etc.<br />
<br />
The midwife called me right away, in fact while we were driving home, and said the baby's fineeee but that I have placenta previa, meaning I have a low-lying placenta that's partially covering my cervix (not fully covering). I've had zero signs or symptoms of this; symptoms normally entail bleeding.<br />
<br />
The midwife said it's soooo early on (12 weeks when I found out) so there is an incredibly strong and likely possibility this will self-correct on its own and never pose a real problem. Self-correcting means that as the uterus grows, the placenta will essentially migrate up and away allowing the cervix area to open back up, and everything will be back to normal. The placenta doesn't actually relocate since it's implanted, but when my uterus is bigger it'll have more room to live away from my cervix. From what I've been reading and also what my midwife said, this is actually incredibly common in the first trimester since the uterus is still so small and often the placenta has nowhere else to go. So what usually happens in cases like mine (i.e. when placenta previa is detected in the first trimester), it'll get out of the way long before labor and it's a non-issue. If this issue were found in the third trimester, it'd be a whole other story.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, though, to be safe there are some things I have to adhere to:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>NO EXERCISE</li>
<li>NO SEX</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
If you think I'm freaking out, I'm absolutely not. Not over the placenta previa diagnosis, not over the no exercise, not over the no sex. Ok, so I cried and worried for like 10 minutes but then I got rational about it.<br />
<br />
It is what it is. The condition is 100% out of my control. What I CAN do is whatever it takes to make sure that everything remains safe, this baby is healthy and he/she stays in my womb as long as possible (pre-term births are an associated risk if the previa were to continue). I really didn't even bat an eye when she told me that exercise and sex are out (I won't tell you what John said lol). I mean, it sucks, for sure, and I was especially enjoying my #fitpregnancy routine so far, but hey this is real life and I'm a mature mama-to-be.<br />
<br />
I'll have another ultrasound at 18-20 weeks to monitor progress and reassess the plan as needed. Until then, i.e. 6-8 weeks, I can walk but not much more than that. The instructions to avoid exercise may extend to even longer depending on how things evolve. I've never <i>not </i>exercised for months at a time, so this will be very interesting, but I'm looking at it as an opportunity to do life a bit differently and learn. I'll have more time to meditate, more time to work on that book I've been procrastinating on, more time to just chill out and rest this body, more time to do things for others... the list goes on.<br />
<br />
Hopefully it clears up. If not, and it's still an issue in the third trimester, there's a pretty good chance I'd have to get a C-section, which would royally suck, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Let's put it this way, my midwife was <i>not </i>suggesting that I start researching hospitals and OBs ;) I'm not even thinking that far ahead. So much will change in before then.<br />
<br />
The best I can do is live in the moment, repeat positive affirmations, treat myself with kindness, say loving things to my little one in there, be gentle and stress-free.<br />
<br />
All these lessons pre-conception and since have been amazing for my soul and life outlook.<br />
<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-18653324089981047342017-07-14T10:40:00.000-07:002017-07-15T12:10:06.759-07:00First Trimester Thoughts - Rolling With the Changes!I'm 12 weeks pregnant today, which means my first trimester is winding down (already?!). All in all, preggo life has been a rather easy adjustment for me. You don't have a choice over your body feeling so different, it often acting crazy nor your new set of "rules" by which to live, but you do have a choice in your attitude, response and general mood. You can freak out and worry or just roll with it and enjoy this special time. I had one freak-out episode in the beginning and learned my lesson very quickly. Since then I've been rolling with it... every single little thing. I really have never felt so relaxed for a three-month period in recent memory.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Q_FaSxeIw6bCpbM3D43UVJqTAME-BA5eP-CnK9nVF1euJaWOCXUX_XRlnTvKY_MK0__0o4nFDVLhG7j0N9WQK8YXHGl4rg5oLF0F8JsdlhTcFNL56x320GpqBRhIe9L6c6MZj3R6Kz8/s1600/IMG_6075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Q_FaSxeIw6bCpbM3D43UVJqTAME-BA5eP-CnK9nVF1euJaWOCXUX_XRlnTvKY_MK0__0o4nFDVLhG7j0N9WQK8YXHGl4rg5oLF0F8JsdlhTcFNL56x320GpqBRhIe9L6c6MZj3R6Kz8/s640/IMG_6075.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New norm - double-fisting water while everyone else drinks cocktails.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here are some thoughts and highlights from my first trimester:<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Diet - Pre-Conception & To 6 Weeks</b></h3>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
Turns out leading into my pregnancy, I was actually in a mild state of ketosis (not my first time), thus very likely in ketosis when I conceived (unless all those desserts and drinks I had at the wedding we attended the weekend it happened threw me out of keto lol). I was not trying to be keto whatsoever, but as I said in the <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/06/growing.html" target="_blank">this post</a>, I had rather intuitively transitioned back to lower carb around late April and that combined with the <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/06/growing.html">other things I did</a>, I was quickly feeling awesome, physically and mentally. Pretty certain I was still eating <u>more than</u> 70 grams of carb, if note more than 100 grams on some days, but apparently I was low enough to be pushing out ketones as confirmed on a pee test. The thing is, and why I think it worked out, is that my daily calories were consistency high, I was eating very nutrient-dense foods, and my "training" was moderate -- not too intense and about 7-10 hours a week including walking. So apparently this is one example of when ketosis/low carb can work out without negative ramifications when it comes to hormones, fertility and even stress management.<br />
<br />
In fact, when I told this to Dr. Phil Maffetone, he said low carb/ketosis can work great for fertility and is safe for pregnancy. I'm not so sure that I agree with that across the board nor should we force anything that doesn't feel right, but given my own situation I'm less of a skeptic. I asked a very accomplished pro triathlete friend of mine, who's also currently pregnant, if she was still in ketosis when she conceived and if she's remained low carb. I know this diet approach worked wonders for her (she's one of the few), and it turns out she has stayed low carb all throughout her pregnancy so far (she's almost 3rd trimester), and she was keto when she conceived as well. She says she's had the easiest pregnancy, no cravings, no aversions, no nausea, able to workout but not "train." Wow. Must be nice, right?<br />
<br />
All this doesn't mean I'm advocating ketosis for fertility, pregnancy or otherwise, I still think it's a very individual decision to go low carb and in many cases it can be playing with fire. Plus, on the flip side there are plenty of gals who've gone higher carb/higher calorie and not only fixed their fertility but got pregnant this way, just look at the evidence presented by Nicola Rinaldi in <a href="http://amzn.to/2v0uxTg" target="_blank">No Period Now What</a>. Plus carbs are not the reason one would get more nauseous or sick despite what some may say; plenty of women who are higher carb also have easy pregnancies with little to no morning sickness. So it just depends. Regardless of macro ratios, what does matter, arguably the most, is that you're eating a lot of calories and not being underfed. I know that's Amanda, I know that's me, and I also know that's my friend Tina Muir who overcame amenorrhea and got pregnant right away (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/running-for-real-podcast-celebrating-runner-highs-embracing/id1225735334" target="_blank">we talked about it on her podcast, which you can hear here</a>).<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Btw, a huge shoutout to Tina for her massive lifestyle changes that helped her overcome amenorrhea and achieve her next dream of becoming a mama. She hired me as a consultant in 2016, and we talked a lot about this stuff. I knew she'd pull the trigger when she was ready, and I'd like to think I had a tiny influence on her journey and where's she's at now. I couldn't be happier for her :)</i><br />
<br />
Anyway, once I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks, I didn't try to maintain or force low carb by any means, I just ate what I felt like, but little did I know things were really about to change...<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Diet - From 6 Weeks On...</b></h3>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
As soon as I hit six weeks my diet changed drastically! All of a sudden my carb cravings were literally THROUGH THE ROOF. Unlike anything I'd experienced before and I was dreaming of pizza, ice cream, waffles, granola, bread, you name it. Meanwhile my food aversions hit me like a ton of bricks. I went from loving sunny-side-up eggs, avocado, all the veggies and salad to being grossed out by all of that for the most part. I could eat veggies but only if they were hidden in a dish with other things like sauces and carbs (i.e. curry with rice... with some veggies tucked in), or pureed veggies in a creamy soup. To make sure I was getting daily greens I started drinking a lot of organic green juices.<br />
<br />
I have not had consistent cravings; it seems like each week (sometimes each day) my body is asking for something else. I was digging granola and yogurt in the beginning and now it makes me want to puke. I was ALL about dairy for several weeks, like I NEEDED it, and now I can take it or leave it. I'll enjoy high-fat smoothie bowls for breakfast on some weeks and other weeks they make me wanna gag.<br />
<br />
Overall I'd say I'm still eating really healthy, mostly organic (except if we eat out and I have no choice), and I'm avoiding shitty ingredients from junk foods. Personally, though, I feel like I'm eating crappier simply in the sense that the increase in carby and sugary foods are often replacing my usual greens, veggies and in many cases fats or animal proteins, but it's not like what I'm doing is unhealthy by any means, it's just different than my normal standards. Also on the eating out thing, my motivation to cook hit an all-time low and we've been eating out more than usual, like 2-3 times a week, so I'm sure I've been served vegetable oils and conventional meats and produce, but what can you do. I'm not trying to control everything and I need to just do what's best for me right now so if I don't wanna cook I won't (PS - John is busier lately, and picking up a lot of my slack, so I don't except him to slave over the kitchen too). I do my best to get in quality animal protein in most my meals, but there are times when I simply don't want meat and/or I'm incredibly picky about what meat I'll be able to eat. There's not rhyme or reason and it's always changing. One night I will looooove salmon, one night I just can't do it.<br />
<br />
My favorite random cravings have included lobster bisque (WTF is that about), seaweed salads (iodine), sauerkraut (probiotics), pad thai, curry, waffles but NOT pancakes, pumkin pie (have yet to have any) and an old throwback to a childhood comfort food: egg sandwiches with strawberry jelly, mayo and butter. Yes you read that correctly, jelly and mayo together with egg on toasted bread with butter. You can ask my grandma about how that one came to be. I'm using sugar-free jelly (just the sugars from fruit), Primal Kitchens Mayo, Kerrygold Butter, pastured farm-fresh eggs and a gluten-free paleo bread from the farmer's market, so actually pretty darn healthy!<br />
<br />
The days I feel most nauseous carbs are the name of the game, and often some interesting choices...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI3xSNuKNBd0MxvSAeUN0Zkk0nZ13gZIfeJKQeJOPIYWtnb6Fl57mmuJ8tWHTW4HbLpMeZ70UM3jyqVz9CvBOeTVpZKXG6oE4b6JbEsTypHXb1xRmssVtB-PjQitwA5EVA9V4k5Z_aV4/s1600/IMG_4357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI3xSNuKNBd0MxvSAeUN0Zkk0nZ13gZIfeJKQeJOPIYWtnb6Fl57mmuJ8tWHTW4HbLpMeZ70UM3jyqVz9CvBOeTVpZKXG6oE4b6JbEsTypHXb1xRmssVtB-PjQitwA5EVA9V4k5Z_aV4/s640/IMG_4357.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a real DINNER - three or four GF waffles and Halo Top ice cream, with tea. Word. <br />
John had leftover chicken with his waffles lol!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've also craved a lot of "normal-people food" like pizza (keeping it GF), ice cream, burgers, all the fruit, tortilla chips (not the healthy kind), rice bowls, "healthy" rice crispies cereal. I've had pizza (aiming for healthy organic ingredients) at least 8 times so far, more than I've eaten in the past three years likely!<br />
<br />
By week 10 I felt like was feeling a lot better most days and wanting to eat more of my usual foods -- back to salads, avocados, and lots of veggies -- but usually still piling on more hearty carb choices. It's not that paleo.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65MTKSLiv7C8lD2KqfH7DYk2oZt6KESbccaWC0h9nQ0q2A4vW9nMbqZI2MZJvMbg2IQFJhx_kNjtvx-pYSNyRu1PMF_LcPn5nRhY-LtsWJ8VC4q6pIQYDTBFdJKEw_rR6h8PHovrLMRE/s1600/IMG_5985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65MTKSLiv7C8lD2KqfH7DYk2oZt6KESbccaWC0h9nQ0q2A4vW9nMbqZI2MZJvMbg2IQFJhx_kNjtvx-pYSNyRu1PMF_LcPn5nRhY-LtsWJ8VC4q6pIQYDTBFdJKEw_rR6h8PHovrLMRE/s640/IMG_5985.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One night I got my act together and made homemade green curry!<br />
I ended up eating about 3x more rice than what's shown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZljI3wMsQBiV4iG8Jb8SKE7jxt9c0fcaAqzpAw8wkZw2px6rlwdW3VBNmeSYPiZI5fTegHJ1rB3VJPV80WFXWWNGrTIOozn1Mpt0hdzaKT_eT8P_zBVYvDz_B4SLoJMrl9CIJFphtzQ/s1600/IMG_6145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZljI3wMsQBiV4iG8Jb8SKE7jxt9c0fcaAqzpAw8wkZw2px6rlwdW3VBNmeSYPiZI5fTegHJ1rB3VJPV80WFXWWNGrTIOozn1Mpt0hdzaKT_eT8P_zBVYvDz_B4SLoJMrl9CIJFphtzQ/s640/IMG_6145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a good dinner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Exercise</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
I'm so glad I love to exercise and that I started out my pregnancy out with a decent base -- not necessarily "fit fit" but very adapted to daily exercise. But weeks 5-8 I didn't do a whole lot of exercising at all (minimums like 30min/day, and lots of walking). At first it was likely because deep down I was a bit afraid to "over" exercise and risk anything. I got over that. Then it turned into minimum exercise because I wasn't feeling too hot. At the very least, I'd get out and walk every day with Finley, if not a couple to three times a day.<br />
<br />
My nausea could come any time of day or night, but it would usually set in after breakfast before lunch so if I got moving around that time it helped. However some days exercise was not the answer and I needed a nap instead, so I'd go crawl back into bed and not even think twice about it. I've been incredibly proud of my flexibility and intuitive nature. I'm not letting anything bother me -- food choices, exercise choices, whatever -- and just rolling with it. If I take a nap before lunch, so be it. If I take a two-hour nap at 3 p.m., so be it.<br />
<br />
I started feeling better and better, thankfully. At this point, I'm running about three times a week on average, between 3-5 miles, probably all at a 9:00-12:00 pace depending on heat and terrain. I'm not wearing a HR monitor but I am keeping my effort in check, i.e. aerobic, and not doing anything that feels too aggressive. I'll always walk if HR feels like it's getting a bit too high or there's a steep hill (and I end up walking at least some portion of every run I do). Some days I feel like a rockstar other days I feel like I'm carrying a ton of bricks.<br />
<br />
I'm also strength training at home about 2-3 times a week, easy sessions of 15-30 minutes that include kettlebells, TRX, and bodyweight exercises. I'll usually round out these sessions with some mobility and yoga poses.<br />
<br />
I have eased back on paddleboarding since <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/06/first-taste-of-pregnancy-and-sup-race.html" target="_blank">my race</a>, but started swimming again in July, and, oh man, for the first time in a long time I'm really enjoying the pool. So refreshing and especially a nice way to get moving and not overheat during this HOT summer. Since my form still sucks, I have to be careful to not let my HR soar due to inefficiency; I'm mostly doing sets of 50s and 100s -- and that's currently "endurance" ;)<br />
<br />
Then there's lots and lots of walking, thanks to Finley! A lot of athletes talk shit on walking, and I can understand why, but I think they're wrong. Just sayin. I love it, I find it so beneficial -- mentally and physically -- whether in training or not. <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/walking-the-simple-path-to-feeling-sexier-and-living-longer" target="_blank">Science supports me</a> ;) I've been taking short walks after meals, especially dinner, to aid in digestion, and that helps too.<br />
<br />
Tonight I'm going to my first prenatal yoga class and excited to learn some new moves, and I hope to keep up with that.<br />
<br />
I'm also getting massages, albeit much LESS frequently than when in training mode. But with the swimming and strength, I build tension and massages help. Thankfully my gal who I've been seeing forever is certified in pregnancy massage.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Energy</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
My energy (and fatigue) = a rollercoaster. I never know what to expect next; some days I feel so great that I wouldn't even know I'm pregnant and other days I'm so dead that I barely leave the house and take multiple naps. Thankfully overall I've had way more good days than bad, and on average I feel pretty decent, not normal, but decent.<br />
<br />
I quit coffee the day I found out and that was a tough transition from a fatigue standpoint. I didn't get headaches or anything but I was wasted tired for like three days before coming out of the fog. Then I felt ok not having coffee but was still often slow to get moving and often finding it hard to focus and get shit done. I don't blame the lack of coffee for that, I blame the hormones and all the changes in my body!<br />
<br />
I met with my naturopath during week 8, and she said it'd be totally fine for me to have a tiny bit of coffee each day, just don't exceed 200 mg/day (which is actually quite a bit so it's pretty easy to stay under that). Around week 9 I started drinking a shot of regular homemade cold brew per day, which I further diluted in water -- about 1 part coffee, 3 parts water. I'll sip on that after breakfast only (never on an empty stomach) and usually won't even finish all of it. But even having that tiny amount has been so nice and it does help me.<br />
<br />
My work productivity has really suffered the past two months, and of all things going on as of late this is the one thing that's caused me a bit of stress. I don't like feeling like I'm not being productive or contributing to our family. I mean, I'm still working -- I have all my coaching clients (thus writing workouts, frequent communication with them, guiding health plans, etc.), doing some consults, writing for and managing my inner-circle <a href="http://lifepostcollective.com/">lifepostcollective.com</a>, etc. I took the break from <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/" target="_blank">the podcast</a>, which was probably a great call, but I'm ready to go back to it and will return later this month. WOOT!<br />
<br />
My original plan during this summer, even before pregnancy, was to get busy writing my first book. I've done a fair amount of prep, outlining and even wrote the first chapter, but I am nowhere near where I'd like to be by now, and I feel very guilty about that. Since it's on my shoulders and no deadlines, it's been easy to procrastinate... or go nap or scroll through social media instead when brain cells feel dead. Ugh.<br />
<br />
Everyone says just be kind to myself and don't put too much pressure on myself during this time (especially the first trimester!!!). For the most part I've been living up to that (obviously I'm letting myself relax, take naps, chill, etc., rather than busting my balls) but I'm normally a go-getter and it's just weird to be so low-key and not living up to my usual productivity. I'm sure once baby is here it'll get even more chaotic for a while. Thank god I have a supportive hubby who always says, "don't worry about it" when it comes to work and stuff.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we've been getting out a lot and not being hermits whatsoever. Parties, concerts, dinner dates, whatever... I'm not in the mood to just sit around and I can always find energy for a good social outing or live music. This weekend we're seeing Jack Johnson, hell yea.<br />
<br />
<h3>
My Body</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
I was already at a very healthy weight/normal BMI when I conceived, 142 lbs, which was up from my average weight of 135 in recent years, but apparently my body wanted even more "cushion" because I went through an initial surge of putting on another 5-6 pounds right away in those beginning weeks (averaging about 1 lb gain a week)... my naturopath and midwife said that's totally fine and normal (despite books saying that NO weight gain is often normal in the first trimester). No doubt my diet played a role, but I was just listening to my body's needs. Since then, the weight gain has tapered off to where recently I'm not even gaining a pound a week. Right now (at 12 weeks) I'm holding steady at 148 lbs... but by the end of each day I'm probably more with the bloating I usually get.<br />
<br />
I feel really strong, in fact I feel like all that muscle under my fat has hypertrophied a tad (getting swole for baby!), but I also just feel so big already. I'm certainly NOT one of those petite pregnant ladies who barely gain any fat and who don't show until week 28 or something. Ha, anything but! Whether it's a food baby, bloating or the real baby, I certainly have a tummy bulge already and certainly have more fat everywhere... And I'm proud of it! No bump-only pregnancies over here.<br />
<br />
Most my clothes still fit, although certain clothes I'm not even bothering with, and I have yet to try on my jeans (it's too hot anyway so why bother). While it's most comfortable to wear my baggiest clothes, I also don't shy away from a tighter stuff. I'll still run around in 2-piece swimsuits and wear tight workout tops or booty shorts (booty shorts = my shorts that used to be loose and baggy lol). I live in my lululemon run shorts (stretchy!) and sports bras over real bras all the way. Speaking of, I had to buy some new sports bras (all mine were size small) as I was getting smashed and it was starting to hurt. Some of my swimsuits fit, whereas some make it hard to believe I actually looked good in them at some point (hello muffin top). I will say, it's very nice to have bigger boobs, that I am enjoying ;)<br />
<br />
I'm the type of person who gains weight all over, and that's holding true during this pregnancy so far, so I don't look too fat in any one area, just like a larger bigger-boned version of me. No shame, and I'm not trying to hide a thing. This is pregnancy, you're not supposed to remain rail thin!!!!!!<br />
<br />
I know my mom was ginormous with my sister and I, so I expect that'll be me too. At some point, I'm sure I'll weigh more than John, and I'll proudly flaunt it.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJuX43REjz3RIOOCWwC765weeW15lGSMbXBw_7K5ra_gwYcqDDafa-5wzaIEz4L5mYLuoTtRfQbdwpUHs74QP-pAahVa7ckH6d33F04MvZSnU4PjRDzQos7LMdVqdqCXGP2qiyjSJZ-k/s1600/IMG_6300-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJuX43REjz3RIOOCWwC765weeW15lGSMbXBw_7K5ra_gwYcqDDafa-5wzaIEz4L5mYLuoTtRfQbdwpUHs74QP-pAahVa7ckH6d33F04MvZSnU4PjRDzQos7LMdVqdqCXGP2qiyjSJZ-k/s640/IMG_6300-1.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 week "bump" shot!</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's my story so far. thanks for reading!<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-18048457700632002652017-06-26T17:40:00.002-07:002017-06-26T18:24:35.430-07:00First Taste Of Pregnancy and a SUP RaceFinding out I was pregnant was not going to stop me from doing my standup paddleboard race! In fact, those first couple weeks after finding out I felt perfectly normal. The only "bummer" was that our wine tasting trip was no longer going to include any wine tasting, but, whatever, there are plenty of years ahead for that. Spending a few days in wine country and not drinking was just as lovely and also just what we needed!<br />
<br />
So with the SUP race, knowing that I can be a stubborn competitive athlete with my racing and push really hard, I did choose to ditch the 8-mile long course and "downgrade" to the short course (they said it'd be 4 miles but it was really about 5).<br />
<br />
<b>Pregnancy 'Sets In'</b><br />
We took a long, leisurely two-day drive up the California coast (minus the Big Sur area). Ate fresh fish tacos a couple times and found some great places to walk Finley.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpPLtP8YWASqIIwXf5lQ94mzXYDZACuO8dmLoHNfHnRDLRPj1l_rBf1x6kjH3w_ZZb9fKTuSOsw57XHdB4XBysGFwBVSr1MrqeK7yYUhymnxL7PAX_bfr0Zz2vppSyb-_OV_R0dI43tE/s1600/6178754480_IMG_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpPLtP8YWASqIIwXf5lQ94mzXYDZACuO8dmLoHNfHnRDLRPj1l_rBf1x6kjH3w_ZZb9fKTuSOsw57XHdB4XBysGFwBVSr1MrqeK7yYUhymnxL7PAX_bfr0Zz2vppSyb-_OV_R0dI43tE/s640/6178754480_IMG_0812.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Cruz area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYo1p2-FuwhvsXUQZko3Jdc3D7Vy8H3Wua-gIMoa0ORPPs7r9Wf8twqygVewQEziUOWbJ-BZ4BdbNOBTJL-zrjkJwPAKaFIjYC4ItElfMxI9kvojqTQIvLlX5NH18I1MiXOU_E4SxxVDw/s1600/6178754480_IMG_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYo1p2-FuwhvsXUQZko3Jdc3D7Vy8H3Wua-gIMoa0ORPPs7r9Wf8twqygVewQEziUOWbJ-BZ4BdbNOBTJL-zrjkJwPAKaFIjYC4ItElfMxI9kvojqTQIvLlX5NH18I1MiXOU_E4SxxVDw/s640/6178754480_IMG_0823.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little beach off Highway 1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnyCqLdAjugp7P1lUiSWZJ_otzUgRn_Ri8Ejq2uAhB1qMGmU6ZICUtMKYYx0_FKl2Bms9zlqgzyGC9rcXSEXYKayqju5Aoq3QnZlEm7ik3I_0kmYGSzIJhgrjfo374NGhSDcoiKvmj0Q/s1600/6178754480_IMG_0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnyCqLdAjugp7P1lUiSWZJ_otzUgRn_Ri8Ejq2uAhB1qMGmU6ZICUtMKYYx0_FKl2Bms9zlqgzyGC9rcXSEXYKayqju5Aoq3QnZlEm7ik3I_0kmYGSzIJhgrjfo374NGhSDcoiKvmj0Q/s640/6178754480_IMG_0843.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play time, all the time!</td></tr>
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We spent night one in Paso Robles, went to our favorite restaurant, and had dessert but no wine -- embracing pregnant life ha! When I woke up Friday (6 weeks) my morning sickness and nausea began like clockwork. It was crazy. Just like that I couldn't even eat eggs and avocado for breakfast, and I felt so sick to my stomach. Trying to figure out what sounded good to eat was a chore; it ended up mostly being carbs and dairy, and that's how it's continued to be. I didn't think too much of any of it, I was warned that the morning sickness (aka all-day sickness) often sets in right at 6 weeks and I was ready. Honestly my symptoms were not and have not been worst-case scenario like the horror stories I've heard, and I'd like to think that's because my body was just ready for this.<br />
<br />
We got to our "Stairway To Heaven" house in Guerneville on Friday evening and the house was simply breathtaking. A cozy yet kind of modern wood cabin tucked in the forest. Crisp and outdoorsy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPceG3o2TtkndgcSjZA80sUlc-xJltvbw14f6-MoRUsLXYXaiILaDNANABgbJ60yeq4Gy22ASA8HQeNUuWUPOH0XcB8HgZ3PgHxCB4GORhjpUxDjFGZQ7CkEPyOJxYIcP3zqgoXXleOQ0/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPceG3o2TtkndgcSjZA80sUlc-xJltvbw14f6-MoRUsLXYXaiILaDNANABgbJ60yeq4Gy22ASA8HQeNUuWUPOH0XcB8HgZ3PgHxCB4GORhjpUxDjFGZQ7CkEPyOJxYIcP3zqgoXXleOQ0/s640/IMG_5805.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavenly, right?!</td></tr>
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I was really excited to stay in Guerneville, but after a couple days I realized I wasn't that much of a fan. I mean it was cool, but not necessarily some place I'd want to go every year. There's a fun eclectic crowd around there, which was entertaining.! I had to be careful not to get high in the grocery parking lot while walking Finley around.<br />
<br />
Saturday was race day and it didn't start till 11am. Which was good because I felt like shit in the morning, again. I figured this would be my new norm. I made some paleo pancakes and eggs but the pancake mix wasn't jiving and the eggs were gross. I forced them since I knew I needed food. Already I was thinking about the pizza I'd order post-race (and I ended up eating a WHOLE pizza to myself) along with a post-race smoothie mmmmm.<br />
<br />
<b>Race Recap</b><br />
I was supposed to take a shuttle to the "private" race start (they don't tell you where the race start is) but I was struggling with how I felt and also it was overcast and chilly and I didn't want to be sitting out there in my bikini top, shorts and no shoes for 2 hours waiting for the race to go (it was point to point so I couldn't bring clothes to shed). So we decided we would just drive and find the race start to drop me off -- we knew the race distance so how hard could it be to just drive up the river several miles? Turns out it was really hard to find this damned start line haha!<br />
<br />
We drove around looking for it for over an hour without success. It's kind of a long story but we ended up having to sort of trespass (shhhhh) and finally found it with literally minutes to spare before the race start. At one point I was like, "We're not going to find it. I'm not doing this race today." We should have just asked the folks at race registration and explained the situation but we didn't, whatever. I also had switched that morning from long course to short course so I wasn't in their system anymore since they couldn't update onsite. Living on the edge!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr-UMRjH3aozolg18I283A5MKCmj850F-T2NNgIFDZzThiwCTOcYbJyPuK_Bb5e_MjVC3DnWtP3J6UmtLo_hZaSDgzRGHA0qXn6iCMLT6CdzhU_BKlcmPzHDDrNZ8QCXxHWMRX2zAgCU/s1600/IMG_4252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr-UMRjH3aozolg18I283A5MKCmj850F-T2NNgIFDZzThiwCTOcYbJyPuK_Bb5e_MjVC3DnWtP3J6UmtLo_hZaSDgzRGHA0qXn6iCMLT6CdzhU_BKlcmPzHDDrNZ8QCXxHWMRX2zAgCU/s640/IMG_4252.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally found the start - whew! That was close.</td></tr>
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For a low-key event I was impressed that it started on time. I also felt VERY nostalgic thinking about past Vineman races. I also had no idea how much of a current there is in the Russian River at various points, like the start line, where we had to paddle up stream before the gun went off to avoid drifting too far. It was fun. There were about 10-15 ish women in the open SUP race for short course and I accidentally started near the back, which was a bad call because I ended up being faster than pretty much everyone (this race was not filled with SUP pros for the record so me saying I was faster is all relative).<br />
<br />
I quickly got to the front of the pack, and the first 1/2 mile included some rather tricky maneuvering through the river including mini rapids (hard to call them actual rapids but it also wasn't calm water) and even obstacles like big roots and trees sticking up in the middle of the river, along with some really narrow and shallow areas at the beginning. At one point I heard a splash and turned to see about 100+ yards behind me a woman had fallen. She was fine but it was a bit chaotic in the beginning. They had course markings for "dangerous" zones but it was still sketchy to actually avoid those zones.<br />
<br />
Once I got in front with no one around I relaxed a bit more, started to really soak in the GORGEOUS scenery (seriously breathtaking!), and the river started widening with the current slowing down a bit too. I caught up to some of the dudes in the men's division that went off a few minutes before us. I found my rhythm. It was overcast and not hot at all. I had forgotten my hydration stuff at home so that morning I found the ONLY hydration pack in all of Guerneville and bought it for like $20. It was old school, tasted too plastically, and I realized I probably didn't even need it. I was on track to go sub-1 hour and was not too hot or thirsty at all.<br />
<br />
About halfway I was like, "Dang I might win this." But then I stopped thinking like that because as is with any race, anything can happen. Sure enough a few minutes later a lady was gaining on me and ultimately passed me sometime in mile 3. That was an important moment of maturity for me. I was not giving 100% effort because of my pregnant state, but I was pushing comfortably hard. So, I had to decide: Do I push harder to catch her and make it a race, or stay within my comfort zone and not over-exert? I chose the latter because it wasn't about me anymore and I just didn't feel like playing with fire by pushing harder than what felt right on the day.<br />
<br />
I still kept her within about 10-20 yards the whole rest of the race and we finished less than a minute apart going 1, 2. Near the end of the race (where the Vineman 70.3 swim used to be) the same ol' shallowness proved to be tricky and even after all the rain this year there were spots that felt like they were 2 inches deep it seemed and also some sandbars to avoid. Again, it made for some tricky maneuvering to find the deepest safest spots to pass (while avoid overhanging trees and bushes on the shoreline), and a couple times I even had to get off my board because it was too heavy and scraping the bottom. All that was short-lived though and not enough to make a big difference in pace nor hurt the board/fin.<br />
<br />
I finished in about 55 minutes and it was 4.7 miles, but my watch had accidentally stopped for a couple of minutes at some point so those numbers aren't totally accurate. Still, that was my fastest paddle to date -- thank you downstream current! I felt a little winded and my upper-body muscles were awake, but certainly nowhere near exhausted upon finishing. It was like, "When's round 2?"<br />
<br />
I chatted with the lady who beat me, she was awesome and turns out she was formerly a competitive SUP racer (you could tell with her strong arms!). Then there was a post race festival on Johnson's beach (Vineman start) where they didn't call my name at awards because I wasn't in the system due to the course change. Ha! Off those get my smoothie and soon after my pizza.... (and John his Russian River Brewing beers).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still my #1 sherpa after all these years. And now my baby daddy.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
I was personally proud of myself for this race. I could have easily bailed all together justifying that it'd be "safer" to not race while pregnant; meanwhile, I could have also pushed a lot harder and been careless during the race but I didn't because it simply wasn't worth it to do that. It's cool to feel like my life, especially while building a baby, is about more than me and it's not just about what I want anymore! It's a great feeling. I'm embracing the changes each day and fascinated by this process.<br />
<br />
The rest of the trip was just the R&R we (I!) needed to get in the perfect mindset for building a healthy baby.<br />
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I'll share more of my first trimester life soon.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9pKiydc83xxBQXMS6VwBAadJRGkG1NT9tmCPolemgIJr9QJzzI3EH2I24Mzm0_7w7ij98u6Iw5dett0IKBfx3qf_B1GdQbUCQRl9qF2dSKGYOf4q2qH-YQCbzac9naSN5hrDC0rvzU8/s1600/IMG_5826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9pKiydc83xxBQXMS6VwBAadJRGkG1NT9tmCPolemgIJr9QJzzI3EH2I24Mzm0_7w7ij98u6Iw5dett0IKBfx3qf_B1GdQbUCQRl9qF2dSKGYOf4q2qH-YQCbzac9naSN5hrDC0rvzU8/s640/IMG_5826.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's first race lol!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-6272454139908945832017-06-16T13:19:00.002-07:002017-06-17T11:26:11.743-07:00Growing<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Part 1</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
March and April were pretty jam-packed with fun stuff—maybe too many distractions with my birthday, sailing lessons, another epic Ragnar with
Team Endurance Planet, a wine tasting trip, and plenty of dolphin sightings
from my SUP. Thinking about pregnancy truly became an afterthought. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then it all started to chill out around late April, no more distractions, at which
point I began feeling emotionally discontent, despite really trying to keep a positive mindset. It seemed like I was in a good place, but apparently not quite yet. I had no idea why I felt so shitty and was lacking my usual happiness and spunk. Not every day has to be all unicorn and rainbows, but this was dragging on. Unhappiness is usually a sign that change—in some way, shape or form—is needed and I was ready to see what else that meant for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt certain that trying to conceive (TTC) was not the
source of these woes. I had truly changed my attitude toward baby-making (as discussed
in previous posts <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/03/the-year-of-babies-but-not-for-us-yet.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2017/04/not-waiting-for-life-to-happen.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and I knew I had come so far in <i>letting go</i>.
Perhaps TTC was still related, probably was, but it was not the forefront; this felt like something else, something bigger than just that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
John and I both agreed it’d be a good idea for me to talk to
a therapist. Hire a professional to help get it out of me—instead of continuing to keep
whatever it was pent up inside. Right away I found someone and got started. One of the smartest things I’ve ever done for myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another reason I decided to hit up therapy was after reading
Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard’s memoir, <a href="http://amzn.to/2rzCJeP" target="_blank">In The Water They Can’t See You Cry</a>. She also sought out therapy later in her
career, and it seemed like things really fell into place for her thereafter.
Her whole story really resonated with me, and while I’m not an Olympic-level
athlete, it doesn’t matter, female athletes with intense minds like ours can
cause havoc in our own lives. We just put ourselves through a lot of shit, often unnecessary, and as we get older we realize it doesn’t have to be so
tough—and also how to seek help and not be so damn stubborn!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therapy felt so relieving, just the mental housekeeping I needed—it's basically like having a coach except she's not also telling me how to train and eat, lol. I am and
always have been a very thoughtful, deep person, and when I sat on that couch I just spewed it all out and we made some sense of it. My therapist did a great job of
giving me the feedback I needed to hear. I have great people in my life with
whom I can talk about anything, but having a therapist is just different. I’m a fan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It really doesn’t matter what the nitty gritty of my issues
were, the fact is we all have our shit and sometimes we just need to talk to someone and find peace. I think I’ve done a pretty good job about addressing
most my shit, and even opening up about it on a public platform, but apparently
there was more work to be done, more deep digging. I ended up going to places
I had yet to go. It was hard but so good for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
In addition to adding therapy, I worked on a few more minor changes, things like...<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I realized that in the past couple months I had been
drinking more, probably at first as a way to rebel against not getting
pregnant. I was basically having a nightly glass (or two) of wine and more on weekends,
and for me that’s just too much to feel ideal. So I cut back on wine as soon as I recognized it. Leave it for the odd
night and special occasion. Easy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also tweaked my free-time routine—mostly investing more time into my mental wellbeing. I started meditating
a bit more, stream-of-consciousness writing and reading books on
happiness. One book in particular hit home with so many wonderful messages, <a href="http://amzn.to/2rzCPmH" target="_blank">The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World</a><b> </b>by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu
and Douglas Carlton Abrams.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also went back to the fitness & diet style I
love best; not trying to manipulate things in hopes of getting pregnant. I allowed myself to workout more freely and not put restrictions on it—SUP, a bit more running miles and strength
training. I even got my butt back into bikram yoga after feeling too lazy
and frumpy to go in recent months. Second, I started lowering my carb and
crap-food intake; I had started eating more liberally for fertility reasons
but didn’t like how I was feeling from that. I just do better on a nutritionally and calorically
dense lower carb diet—and I know my limits as to not let it screw with
hormones, wellbeing, etc. There’s certainly always room for indulgences IMO,
but eating mostly a clean nutrient-dense diet along with limited drinking seriously is
what I prefer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next, I decided to move forward with taking a break from hosting <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/" target="_blank">Endurance Planet</a> for a few
months. I had been dabbling with this and kept going back and forth. It was not easy to come to this conclusion and quite frankly felt
(feels) scary, but it's for good reason, it's just a break, and not forever. I actually already miss it a ton, so don’t worry if you’re a loyal EP listener, I’ll be back! Not to mention, I recorded extra shows in advance before the break, and Lucho will still be doing our ATC show, woot!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
In the midst of all this, early May we had a wedding to be at a couple hours away and it’d be with many of my old high school buddies and lifelong friends. It ended up being a wonderful night away; John and I somehow hung with the group till after midnight (that literally never happens anymore). The timing was perfect—it really helped me hit the reset button and put things in perspective. I was relaxed and happy with old friends, and I felt a sense of relief, like I was getting back to a good place with everything I had going on not to mention a new and better understanding of myself.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last but not least, after a few therapy appointments, of course pregnancy and babies had come up, and for whatever reason I decided I wanted to fully <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stop</i> trying to get pregnant for now, and John
was ok with that. I was literally thinking about telling him the next time
we… ya know… that we needed to use protection again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So all that in a relatively short amount of time (we're talking weeks!)
and, man, that was everything I needed! I was feeling a lot better and it all
seemed to happen so fast. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then one morning in mid/late May I woke up feeling odd for that time
of month in my cycle. I should have started my period the day prior, and I shouldn’t
have had the symptoms I did. We had plans with friends that night and wine
would possibly be involved so just to be safe I took a test...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Two lines.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It was positive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Holy f---!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I took another test because I didn’t believe it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Positive again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>I'm pregnant.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I did some quick thinking on when we likely conceived—that wedding!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Getting pregnant was truly the last thing I expected to
happen during all this. We were both in shock. Just like that, our lives changed forever.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Baby Gibson arrives January 2018.</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUVsqWKzRZmwbh96-iMT8C_WZMrk6bgcEK2WjCDqRTWlYpw-6o1arRAEt2hpPJ4Wytq6XdxPRU04lfTyPMn9z6mT-xfIhKAGvFsNCtOJ19QRPJISBsqGXNpmkuNvJSGriBa-MMKrMHf4/s1600/IMG_5809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUVsqWKzRZmwbh96-iMT8C_WZMrk6bgcEK2WjCDqRTWlYpw-6o1arRAEt2hpPJ4Wytq6XdxPRU04lfTyPMn9z6mT-xfIhKAGvFsNCtOJ19QRPJISBsqGXNpmkuNvJSGriBa-MMKrMHf4/s640/IMG_5809.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yea, and I still did that standup paddle board race I mentioned, at 6 weeks pregnant, but switched to the short course (5 miles) and battled nausea all the while. As for the post-race Napa trip? We went of course, but obvi NO wine for me haha.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
* * * * * * *</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Part 2</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be honest, I really debated whether to say something on
my blog and social media at all about getting pregnant. After my first couple
posts about not having success I connected with many amazing women who shared
stories of their own struggles with TTC. Many had gone on to have babies. But many
hadn’t yet—and I could feel and sympathize with their pain. Trust me, I know
what it feels like to see the news that someone else you know got pregnant and
you still aren’t—it’s tough. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be that person
saying, “Hey, look at me, I got pregnant.” So I hope this post doesn’t come
across as a brag or insensitive. I’ve always openly shared my journey—the highs and the lows—and this turn of events it simply another chapter. Plus, if Im being totally honest, finding out I was pregnant didn't quite come with the response you'd except. It was mixed emotions. Of
course I’m thrilled—we're thrilled—but it’s been a mindf*ck to be on this rollercoaster.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided to share the news because I’m hoping that my story
can provide some comfort to women out there who are wondering if they’ll ever
get pregnant. Whether it’s a gal with amenorrhea wondering if she’ll ever get
her hormones back on track and one day start a family, or a gal who’s been
trying for months with no success. Obviously I can’t sit here and guarantee
success for everyone and there are mysteries of infertility in which it seems
no one has the answers. But you just never know. I am reading a book on natural childbirth right now (<a href="http://amzn.to/2syfUaH" target="_blank">Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth</a>) and one of the birth
stories is by a German couple who said it took them 15 years to conceive—they
never used birth control because it just never happened, and then one day it
did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My journey to conceiving was a long one, if you think about
it. It actually started in 2013 when I decided to change my ways, scale back on
training and stress, and get my period back after 10 years of amenorrhea (I got my period back in about 10-12 weeks after making the official commitment). Obviously I was in no rush to have
kids then, but certainly having kids in the future was a huge motivator—and
having a partner like John definitely made me realize I wanted to have a family with him. Years went
by before it was time for us, then from that moment in Hawaii, October 2016, when we decided to start
trying to the moment it happened, May 2017, it was an 8-month journey. Quite frankly, I'm a better person thanks to the many months it took.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To all you gals who have depleted hormones and absent
periods like I did, have faith that you can get your body back to a womanly
state in which having kids is totally possible if you desire that. There’s no reason to believe
you’re doomed. My story is a victory for all of us!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That said, it’s not just about your hormonal state or your man’s
sperm. Those things matter but they aren’t everything. I’m fully convinced that
in our case hormonal or medical issues were not the reason it took so long. <i>It
was my mind</i>—and this goes beyond the advice of, “Just relax,” which, for the
record, is still the most annoying thing ever that you can say to a woman who’s
trying (so don’t it). I had to reconnect with my happiness, find peace with certain things
in my life and work on me. In months prior, I had tried acupuncture and so many pregnancy hacks, none of which
worked. Then when I went to therapy, mostly for reasons other than TTC, right away I
got pregnant. I know that’s not the answer for everyone, I totally get it, but crazily
enough that’s what worked for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting pregnant is such a mystery. Then when you do become
pregnant it seems like there are so many more mysteries that no one has clear
answers to because we’re just all so different. What I’ve learned the most so
far (I'm 8 weeks pregnant at the time of publishing) is that pregnancy and having a kid is all about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">letting go of control</b>. When I let go, it didn't take long to get pregnant. Now that I’m
pregnant I’m continuing to let go of things. For example, once I got pregnant, I
started freaking out about a few things (miscarriage risk, those multiple glasses of
wine I had before I knew, whether my baby will be healthy), and I was a bit of a mess for a few days. Thankfully it didn’t take too long for me to realize I had to let go or I’d go crazy—there’s absolutely
nothing you can do except enjoy the process, minimize stress, and do your best to treat your
mind and body well. Otherwise, this whole process is completely out of our
control. As a control freak, that scared me, but already it’s allowed me to grow and mature at an incredible
rate. For the first time in forever I’m 100% at peace with just letting things
be as they’re going to be and not overthinking or worrying about things at all.
Even right now as my nausea and fatigue are through the roof and my food
cravings and aversions are completely psycho, I’m just living each moment and
listening to my body. I’ll eat gf waffles instead of vegetables, I’ll take 2-hour
naps, and it just is what it is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also plan to have a natural birth, and out of everything thus far I’m actually the least afraid of that despite all the things that could be
freaking me out regarding natural births.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, no matter where you’re at in your journey, I hope my
story can help give you a glimpse of hope and please know I have your back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZTuDpGjDTtNU0l3FZq99_OtlKNcQeOWL5JN1VzTUif-9NBg07mvT2fBuoTk_E1htTshjJec-wEYBQW7DSZoKiOuTC9T4reULbLWHSd7tvk5Tfn3X0BT7-xsWGFu01NfpIZcA5K97v60/s1600/FullSizeRender+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="1600" height="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZTuDpGjDTtNU0l3FZq99_OtlKNcQeOWL5JN1VzTUif-9NBg07mvT2fBuoTk_E1htTshjJec-wEYBQW7DSZoKiOuTC9T4reULbLWHSd7tvk5Tfn3X0BT7-xsWGFu01NfpIZcA5K97v60/s640/FullSizeRender+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decided not to wait the tradition 12 weeks or so to share the news. Here's our nugget at about 8 weeks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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-->Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-65988368361623456202017-04-22T16:21:00.001-07:002017-06-16T11:35:50.864-07:00Not Waiting For Life To HappenStarted my period today. It's that one day of the month that kinda sucks and I don't just mean the cramping. Although, I could have told you five days ago I <i>wasn't</i> pregnant and was going to start my period soon. I just know my body too well.<br />
<br />
Is it crazy to say I'm cool with it? Yea of course I'm confused, I don't like not having answers, I don't like <i>not </i>getting results, blah blah, but I've let go. Literally not overthinking it nor trying to investigate it at this point. That shit was just making me a hot mess.<br />
<br />
I made a shift in my attitude and approach to this baby-making stuff about 6-8 weeks ago (that long already?!) and I know for sure it was the best thing for me—and for John lol. We still tried (or should I say we weren't trying to prevent it) and in all actuality it's ok that I haven't become pregnant in that time, and it's even ok that the changes I made weren't "the trick" to conceiving. I'm happy with where we're at either way.<br />
<br />
We're living life not waiting for life to happen.<br />
<br />
I'm slowly going back to how it was before we started trying. We've decided to plan a couple trips this year, and with what's on tap coming up it's making me think that I'd rather hold off on getting pregnant until after. Seriously! That's allowed, right? Besides, we have Finley and he's enough of a kid right now.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
First, I signed up for a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) race—yes RACE!—on June 3 in one of my favorite places ever: the Russian River in Sonoma County, Northern Calif. If you're wondering, yup, that would be the (old) Vineman swim course! This race will actually ends at Johnson's Beach where the Vineman swim start/finish was, and will start 8 miles up the river from there.<br />
<br />
I've always wanted to stay in Guernville but never did (after all those years racing Vineman), and we finally get to! We found a cute house rental tucked in the forest (there are dozens out there from which to choose). After that we're heading over to Napa for a few days—<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">j</span>ust like we used to after racing Vineman. <i>Ah memories.</i> This is also serving as special getaway for our first anniversary, so we even splurged on a dinner res at French Laundry (OMG!). All in all, I suppose I'd rather be sipping wine for a few days than having to abstain. ;)<br />
<br />
Then we're talking about potentially some more summer travel as well, but nothing official yet. When we plan and talk about these things, it makes me realize that I want to soak up more time with John and do things we haven't done together before we bring a human into the world. So maybe it's a good thing that I haven't gotten pregnant yet.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
Ok, how about me signing up for a freakin race?! Um, yea! I've made it no secret that I've fallen in love with SUP more than ever this year, and am starting to feel pretty fit on the board. But I'm not "fit fit," and certainly nowhere near the old me as, nor would I want to be putting in that kind of effort into training these days, it's just does not appeal to me at all. But for SUP, I'm fit enough to get in some decent miles and feel strong on the board. I have a very reasonable goal of wanting to go sub-2 hours for the 8-mile race. To put that in perspective, right now when I SUP in the open ocean I'm doing 12:00 to 15:00 minute miles—and that can be anything from an aerobic/MAF effort to tempo effort depending on conditions. Anything sub-13 pace is basically a hard effort! I have no idea what girls who are actually good are doing but that's not what this is about. I could be dead last for all I care. My fitness and satisfaction with this is all internal and for me. Plus, this race I signed up for seems super mellow and nothing too serious, so we'll see. It was mostly the location that got me to sign up for it. I have done one SUP race before in 2015 and it KICKED MY ASS, so I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, and I love that.<br />
<br />
Work-wise I've made some peace with things too. I also have plans to finally pursue some backburner projects that I've always wanted to do but haven't "had time" to pull the trigger and excuses follow. The way I see it these days, THE TIME IS NOW. And that goes for everything. Don't sit on something, some idea, some goal, and just hope it can happen someday. Make it happen. Live your life on your terms. Do cool shit.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>We all go through lows in life, we all have shit going on, we all get curveballs thrown our way. Guess what: We have a choice. A choice over our attitude, our mindset, and a choice to make the most of even a shitty situation. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>And that fucking rocks. What a gift.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And hey, that doesn't mean you have to suck it up and always put on a smile or have happy thoughts every second of the day. I don't think that's possible! We will still have shitty days and shitty moments. We are still allowed to feel sorry for ourselves every now and then and let it out in the form of tears or whatever your thing is. But my point is, over the long term we have a choice to choose a good attitude and make it a good life; we don't have to be stuck in a living hell.<br />
<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-39748726340504623142017-03-30T10:17:00.001-07:002017-03-30T14:24:18.694-07:00The Year Of Babies, But Not For Us (At Least, Yet)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Writing is like therapy for me, it helps when I need it, so
here it goes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These past six-plus months have been straight up emotional, challenging
and personally transformative. In many ways, the old adage holds true: “What
doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So let me back up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ready To Try<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we were in Hawaii this past October (2016) John and I
had a lot of good times, enjoyed the big race, went on scuba dives, hikes, and had
our share of date nights and cocktails, but in particular one thing came from
the trip that would potentially change our lives forever. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We decided we wanted to start trying to get pregnant!</b> Even though we’re
still newlyweds, we’ve been together for a long time and we’re at a point in
our lives where we’re just ready. When you know you know. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So me being me, I got all ready for this baby-making process
by becoming an expert on it and following concepts of the Fertility Awareness
Method (FAM). Actually, I had already been measuring BBT and tracking cycles on
Kindara so that was nothing new. But I started doing everything else from OPKs (to watch for
the LH surge) to timing our sex—all new territory for sure. I also did a lot of
other little things that I felt would help make my body baby-ready—got acupuncture,
gained a little weight (<a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/12/journey-to-body-positive-why-i-quit.html" target="_blank">which I’ve discussed here</a>; the changes took some
getting used to but now I really enjoy my body), kept exercise to moderation,
ditched intensity (most the time), ate more carbs*, weaned off coffee, abstained
from alcohol for a month, ramped up the supplements, etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*In fall 2016 I logged
on MyFitnessPal for a week just to see what I was eating intuitively these days,
and I was averaging 90-130 grams of carbs most days, and on exercise days usually
eating anywhere from 150 to over 250 grams of carbs a day. I figured that now
trying to conceive I shouldn’t be going chronically less than 130 grams a day even if that
was working fine for maintaining a regular monthly menstrual cycle and normal bodyweight/BMI, hence the increase. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That first month of trying, October, totally messed with my
head. I was obsessed over it… I was excited… I was nervous… I was tripping out
over the idea of getting pregnant… I wanted it really bad… I was over-thinking
every little thing. Looking back I went totally over board and let that ol' control freak take over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Worst of all, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">expected</i>
it to happen just like that. A lot of my friends shared their stories of
getting pregnant on the first try and said "watch out what you wish for!" Then I look and John and I and think, “I’m
the healthiest I’ve ever been, John’s a very healthy dude, we take care of
ourselves, we’re not too uptight or stressed, I’m an expert on healthy living…
not to mention, I’m no longer too lean, not training too hard, and all my tests
show that my hormones and biomarkers kick ass so I should be 100% ready to
build a baby!” (PS studies show that there’s no reason to believe a woman who
had amenorrhea in the past will face infertility as long as her hormones and
cycles are back to normal, which mine have been for years now, thus this has
never been a concern for me).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The First Negative<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That first month we did not get pregnant—and it’s not
surprising looking back. I was pretty sad the afternoon I started my period, and
there were tears, but also something else happened: I immediately felt myself
relax and loosen up. Right then I learned a couple huge lessons. 1) I had been so
worked up over how to do everything perfectly for trying to conceive (TTC) that
I forgot the most important thing to just relax and let nature take its course.
I knew I’d never get pregnant if I kept up like this. And of all people, I
should have known better than being in a state of stress like that does not
usually lead to desirable outcomes. And 2) the negative result was also
humbling. You can be the healthiest in the world, but that doesn’t guarantee
anything with getting pregnant, apparently. The more I learn the more I realize
pregnancy is a giant mystery in many ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
November and December continued to be active months of
trying, but I was working on changing my attitude and approach. December I
especially let go of trying so hard, and poured myself some wine over the
holidays. All the while I was still tracking and timing “stuff” (because at the
end of the day things like timing sex do matter), but I was truly making an
effort to be more relaxed and less obsessed about it. I wasn’t perfect, but I
was managing it better. Here’s the thing: When I set my mind on a new goal it’s
hard for me to just to be casual about it, and if I’m not reaching the goal, I
tend to get even more intense about the effort I put in. But in this case that
had to change, and that’s been part of my transformation…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Finley The Vizsla<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQanw7fWiymPH2Is6PYTYui0waWOEAQMkLaDv2zCw7rslKCdPrvwFxFbT4ukGUyTBS0srAtYC8TQR9YM0Lh3kDHHYqfOr2yMZQuzebVWpL5hcSO6afrNEMDQuRqvEEFkdLzugKk4vENkw/s1600/IMG_3891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQanw7fWiymPH2Is6PYTYui0waWOEAQMkLaDv2zCw7rslKCdPrvwFxFbT4ukGUyTBS0srAtYC8TQR9YM0Lh3kDHHYqfOr2yMZQuzebVWpL5hcSO6afrNEMDQuRqvEEFkdLzugKk4vENkw/s320/IMG_3891.JPG" width="320" /></a>Thankfully on Dec. 9 a new little member to our family arrived
to our home, the fur baby kind. We had committed to getting a vizsla puppy (my
dream dog for the past decade) way back in summer—even before the decision to
TTC—so I had been eagerly waiting his arrival and the timing was absolutely ideal.
I had no idea how quickly I’d fall in love with our boy, Finley, and also had
no idea I’d need this little guy in my life so badly during this time. Finley’s
filled our hearts with so much love and happiness, and no matter what he is and
always will be our first baby. Lucky for him, since he’s our only child as of
now, he has one hell of a good life with a mom and dad who both work from home
and give him lots of love, attention, walks and treats. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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As far as TTC goes…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More disappointing outcomes for us in the final months of
2016. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Baby Boom<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, a handful of my girlfriends and best friends from
various circles in my personal life were announcing their pregnancies, had recently become pregnant or about to pop. It was crazy. Apparently everyone else was
trying too. I’m sure my age has something to do with it, but still, the
pregnancies seemed way more than normal. In February alone I went to three freakin' baby showers ha!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started seeing the same thing happen in the triathlon/endurance
world and everywhere else I looked—it felt like every damn day for months someone else was
announcing a pregnancy. There are people even claiming it’s the “year of
babies.” It was a bit overwhelming for me to stomach… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I never expected I’d react this way, but the flood of
announcements started breaking me down emotionally and really fucking with my
head. I wasn’t jealous of anyone, but the situation just made me really sad and
confused. I couldn’t help but compare and wonder—why them and why not us? Of
all times for this to happen, why the hell does this pregnancy boom have to
happen now—right when it’s become a very sensitive subject in my life?! These
mom- and dads-to-be are feeling the most happiness ever while I’m over here crying
at the start of my period and feeling like a failure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pity party. I know. I’m not saying I’m proud of it… I’m just
telling the truth. I'm sure many women can relate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully I got over that shit with time; it was making me
bitter, anti-social and even more resentful at social media, which I didn’t like. Meanwhile, the baby boom is still
going strong. No matter where I look it’s “baby this,” “baby that.” Baby bumps
galore. To this day I’m seeing new announcements once a week or more on
average. But now, I react with laughter. Literally. Whenever I see or hear of a new
gal who’s knocked up, I laugh to myself and say, “Of course she’s pregnant!” (And
then I remind myself that I have a pretty good life and the freedom to do lots of
things pregnant women can’t do.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me also say, I am certainly not ignorant to the fact
that there are, no doubt, plenty of women like me out there right now who so
badly want to get pregnant but aren’t, month after month, and these women probably
also have a hard time hearing about all the baby talk from their friends and
social connections… We’re more of a silent group; when you’re going through it
it’s harder to talk about it publically. Personally, I never knew it would be
so hard to talk openly about trying to get pregnant. I consider myself an open
book these days, but this is tough stuff and it even took me months to build
the courage to write this blog post. So to all you women TTC and having a hard
time, my heart is right there with you. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now Into 2017<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
January… February… March… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Half a year of trying. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Not pregnant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gradually, it’s gotten back to life as usual, I
definitely think about it less, and am doing way less. I’m not so emotional about it. When I look at
my friends and acquaintances who are pregnant I don’t get a lump in my throat
anymore. At some point you realize you just have to live your life, be in the
moment each day, be grateful for what you DO have, don’t fret over the things
you DON’T have, and not be obsessed over that which you cannot control. Oh, and
let go of all expectations.<br />
<br />
And, hey, after all it's only been six rounds so far. It certainly feels like forever, but in reality it's not that long to be trying!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, the one time of month that sucks no matter what is
when I start my period. Aunt Flow (AF) now comes with a different type of emotional
response (i.e. not PMS)—and it’s when I get all choked up. I can tell when AF is coming days before, and for those few days, it’s just a hard time of
month for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve also let up on how much I was doing to TTC. I’m not trying
to be perfect during the two-week wait anymore (if I workout a bit harder or
have some wine, so be it). I'm not trying to "hack" this one. Less is more. Keep it real. Until I see a positive pregnancy test with my own
two eyes I have to live life normally, not cautiously thinking “what if.” I
still keep up with a few things I find valuable—mostly things I’d be going even if we
weren’t TTC—such as acupuncture, taking certain supplements, using Kindara,
clean eating, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, I’ve gradually been putting in more effort on
myself in other ways and have searched for underlying stress that could be
plaguing me (more on that below). The transformation has been real!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What About My Guy?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We did get John’s sperm tested because every expert with
whom I speak always says, “Keep in mind it’s 50% the guy when it comes to
getting pregnant, not just the girl.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The results show his “stuff” was about average and/or
potentially borderline low in one or two areas depending on whom you ask (the
standards for what constitutes good, healthy sperm are somewhat vague and
inconsistent in what we researched and resources we were given). So what we
know is that John’s stuff could be better, but it’s certainly not problematic
at a clinical level and nowhere near infertile. (PS - John gave me permission
to disclose this tidbit). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given his results, we built out a plan to aid in his fertility
and he was very willing and open-minded to it despite not being the type of guy who likes
supplements and health plans (go figure). It’s funny because we've each had to take a somewhat opposite approach in this: I relax more; he puts in a bit more effort. I’m very proud of
the man he is, the efforts he’s making and most of all how he’s been incredibly
relaxed about the whole process. He sets a good example around here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So at the end of the day, <b>thankfully there’s zero reason at
this point to believe that he or I are infertile in any way</b>, which means we’ll
just keep on trying and this a practice in patience. If I find the need or desire to do
more testing and investigating down the line, then we’ll discuss it, but again, it still has
only been six months of trying, which is not that long all things considered!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Love & Life <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, all this has brought John and I closer together
(not just talking all the sex we get to have, which of course is another big
bonus lol). We’re taking more time as a couple, having fun date nights and little
adventures (Finley’s always included too) and we’re in a great groove. I’ve
never felt so in love with my man.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A good friend and mentor told me about her efforts on trying
to get pregnant (it’s not been easy for her either), “Truly, I live an amazing
life, and am <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wanting </i>for nothing. So I
give thanks for that daily, and trust that the rest will fall into place for
reasons that I may never understand the details of!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This spoke to me. I couldn’t ask for a better life with
John. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wanting</i> a baby is just that: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Want.</i> It’s not about needing one. We
don’t need a baby. Once you understand that it really puts things in
perspective and I’ve learned to not let myself take for granted the good things
that are happening right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Uncovering and
Eliminating More Underlying Stress</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I knew I was stressed in the beginning, but over time I know in my heart of hearts I’m not like that about it anymore! It really is life as usual for the most part. I really don't feel stressed. HRV is fine (if I get around to measuring). My body feels healthy and robust. I feel like I've learned to handle this pretty well. So I've despised it and still despise it every
time someone says, “Oh you just need to relax and it’ll happen.” I’ll admit to having
stress when it’s clear I have stress—I’m not ashamed—so how could there be
stress and lack of relaxation if I really truly don’t think that’s the case? Even John is amazed at how chill I've become—a lot of it thanks to him and his naturally chill demeanor.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But maybe there was something I was missing? I was willing to dig deep and figure it out. And actually, I discovered
something…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My work. Being self-employed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therein lies the hidden underlying stress.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I had the chance to do something about it, and long story
short: I’ve temporarily and purposefully cut back on work despite that being a
terrifying concept in my world. Turns out this is something I’ve needed for a
while but was too scared to ever do. Thank goodness I have the support of my
amazing husband in this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The longer version:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a while I’ve been having some feeling like work was taking a bigger toll on me and that perhaps I was starting to experience
burnout, but then I’d have a bunch of shit to do so I’d have to ignore it. I
was also confused because I love what I do so damn much—how could I be burnt
out?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What it comes down to is being self-employed and fearing a
plateau or decline. When you’re self-employed it can be intense and stressful
in different ways than a traditional job. I put a ton of pressure on myself that
I always need to be growing, building, expanding, making more money, figuring
out new ways to stay fresh and relevant, and that each month and each year
needs to be better than the last. Granted, it’s not so bad that I’m back to
being frazzled and dealing with work-stress insomnia like I have year’s past.
These days I certainly take better take care of myself, I know when to say NO,
and I don’t get completely overwhelmed at my workload (getting organized has
helped a ton). But even if I’m mindful of my wellbeing and time management, I’m
always of the mindset that as a small business owner I need to do better each
year, make enough money to cover all my costs and still have enough save, invest in my future, pay for health insurance, be on top of my game as an expert in the field (thus find extra time to do research and continuing education), and so on—while god-forbid I stay status
quo, plateau or experience a decrease in business; that would make this Type A
gal an anxious mess. I discovered that this mindset has been a huge
source of underlying stress. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I pondered, “What if I challenged myself to cut back on
work, live a bit more simply, be a bit more of a hermit, and see what happens?”
The timing seemed right given the main subject of this blog post you're reading.
The idea of a sabbatical also floated around for a bit, but the more I thought
about that the more it didn’t seem realistic, desirable or necessary for
several reasons. So instead, we decided (John of course has been very much
involved in this) that I’d cut back on work for a month or so. Of course, I’d
keep all my current full-time coaching clients and the regular work I
do for them, but not take on anyone new, and cut back in other areas, e.g.
podcast once a week instead of twice, scheduling fewer consults per day,
blocking off certain days of the week as “personal development” days and so on.
Last year I decided to do more consulting and less full-time coaching (thus I
scaled back on how many full-timers I accepted) so that actually made this
shift in workload easy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I pulled the trigger I immediately felt the difference.
Holy shit did I need this extra room to unwind a bit, reconnect with my whole
self and feel the work pressure lift away. For once it’s ok that I’m not
striving for more or worrying about how much money is in my accounts. I can’t
emphasize enough that this would not have been possible without my John, he’s
simply incredible and couldn’t be more supportive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By now, you probably know as well as I do that I can be a serious
put-your-head-down-and-do-the-work kind of person and have unwavering
commitment to my schedule, work and goals; I take things like health, wellness,
performance very seriously—my own and that of my clients—all to the point where
sometimes I get so wrapped up in the work and chasing optimal, that I forget to
lighten up and realize I’m just human; we’re all just human. So this transition/break has allowed me the opportunity to be more of the carefree person that lives within me (thankfully she's alive and well); to
spend my days moving at a slower pace and take more of a ultra-chill happy-go-lucky approach; to laugh off shit that happens rather than turn on the “flight or fight” mode. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This little self-discovery project has also taught me to
truly live in the moment and not get worked up over what the future may hold;
to find some space and just be comfortable with “what is;” to be more process
oriented than outcome oriented. I’m good at that mindset when I’m on vacation
or out backpacking, but I’ve had to learn how to be this way at home during
regular day-to-day life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>“When we practice ‘being
here’ during less stressful times, we'll be more equipped to respond mindfully
when dealing with strong obsessions.” – Tara Brach</i><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So That’s Where TTC
Has Led Me…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s funny how this journey has taken me down paths that I
never expected. I’ve realized that in life, no matter what it’s been, nothing
has ever come easy to me; I feel like I’ve always had to work a bit harder, go through some shit and overcome tough times, and go a step further to peel back layers and discover
more. If I had gotten pregnant the first try none of these good things would
have happened, and I wouldn’t have learned these lessons or have taken the time
to explore more on how I want to live my life. So maybe we didn’t “get lucky”
and conceive on the first or second try like so many I know, but in a way I
feel just as lucky if not luckier on this journey because it’s making me a
better person, making my husband a better person, it’s making our relationship
and love for each other better than ever … and it’s making me more
compassionate to all those out there who face tough times—whatever their
definition of “tough times” may be; it doesn’t matter, it’s all relative. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that’s it for now! I wish I could say this post was
ending on a happier note and something like, “Surprise, we’re finally
pregnant,” but I’m not. We’re not pregnant. Who knows what’ll happen. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Someone asked me if I’m worried about that yet, i.e. what
will happen, and the honest truth is no, I’m not worried about it. I’m really
not. Have I worried about different variables as it relates to getting
pregnant? Yes. But I’ve let go of that. Overall I have no worries about the
future. There is only the now to focus on—and enjoy the hell out of my little
family and this life we have built. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>~~~ BONUS ~~~</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Helping My Hormones<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last tidbit because it's relevant and may also be helpful
to other women out there if they’re experiencing something similar; it's when all the tracking and investigating pays off. Just please do me a favor and work with
a practitioner when starting any new supplements or health plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Backing up a bit to those early months of trying (last fall)…
I did discover that my hormones potentially could use some balancing. My cycles
were regular but there were little things that were “off,” all of which I
discovered thanks to the tracking I’ve done on Kindara dating back to 2015. Before
we were TTC and even the first couple months of TTC, I saw that I had been ovulating
relatively late in my cycle and having short-ish luteal phases, as well as
inconsistent cycle lengths during a lot of last year (I’d cycle every month,
but it’d bounce around a lot). I also have suffered from PMDD for over a year, which is not normal! (And yes, I’ve tried managing diet and carbs to alleviate the
symptoms, which is another topic for another day.) I wondered if the short luteal phases were due to not enough progesterone sticking around and if this was causing a luteal phase defect that can have a negative effect on getting pregnant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To fix things, I decided to start on vitex back in early December
(specifically I’m taking Chastetree Berry Extract by Vitanica) and this had an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">immediate</i> beneficial effect. Within a
month, I started ovulating at a normal time (Day 14), luteal phases improved to
13-14 days and cycles stayed consistently 27-29 days. It’s been like that
since. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, I consulted with my amazing functional practitioner/fertility expert, <a href="https://briewieselman.com/" target="_blank">Brie</a>,
about my health, hormones and fertility in general, she eased a lot of worries and gave some great insight and thoughts. In particular, I asked about the idea of taking progesterone just to see if that would help and we decided it
wasn’t absolutely necessary (my progesterone looked fine on my most recent
DUTCH) but she also said it wouldn’t hurt trying it. So I’ve been on sublingual
progesterone the past two cycles—haven’t really noticed a difference nor did it
magically lead to a pregnancy; not that I was expecting that. (Note: do not
start taking progesterone on your own, please only do so under the guidance of
a qualified practitioner.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All this work I’ve done to aid my fertility—from the
acupuncture and herbs to vitex and lifestyle—has greatly relieved my PMDD
symptoms, to the point where I don’t have to hide away that time of month, lol.
So that’s a bonus! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-27860548307021666272017-02-14T07:04:00.003-08:002017-02-14T07:35:24.657-08:00Is Amenorrhea That Big of a Problem? Helping Those Silently Suffering I had an email from a super nice Endurance Planet fan the other day that promoted this post. He was wondering if amenorrhea is really that big of a deal. He's noticed how I've been talking about it more these days, <a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/nicola-rinaldi-phd-no-period-now-what-healing-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-and-managing-fertility/" target="_blank">in particular this new episode on hypothalamic amenorrhea that just dropped</a>, and also more candid discussions over at <a href="http://lifepostcollective.com/">lifepostcollective.com</a>, but from what he sees in the endurance scene, it doesn't seem like that big of a problem, especially, as he mentioned, "More often than not there is an overwhelming number of athletes who are too heavy [over-fat]."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
I'm so glad he brought this up!<br />
<br />
There's no doubt that athletes come in all shapes and sizes, even endurance athletes. And sadly, we're seeing an epidemic of a population that is over-fat, which certainly spills into the athletic community. Over-fat athletes are a real issue, and participating in sport alone isn't the "cure" for a healthier body composition (this is an issue we often discuss with Dr. Phil Maffetone on EP and have covered extensively in past episodes). So I'm totally on board with the need to help this population as well.<br />
<br />
At the same time, though, there's another population of athletes who are silently suffering from hormonal dysfunction and hypothalamic amenorrhea, but you have NO IDEA because outwardly there are no obvious physical signs necessarily -- even body composition isn't enough to tell whether a female is menstruating are not (a woman can be a "normal" bodyweight but still have amenorrhea for other reasons, like too much stress). At the end of the day, hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), the female athlete triad and/or RED-S syndrome are incredibly common issues in female athletes, in particular endurance athletes and any sport that values leanness, but we often let it go under the radar because it's a touchy subject that's often still "taboo" to talk about it.<br />
<br />
<b>"In women who participate in sports that emphasize aesthetics or leanness, such as ballet or running, the prevalence of secondary amenorrhea can be as high as 69%, compared with 2% to 5% in the general population" (1). </b><br />
<br />
Compared with the over-fat epidemic, having amenorrhea can be kept a secret and often women are ashamed, embarrassed and/or are scared to talk about it--as a result, many of us may have no idea that she is suffering inside. I was that woman for years. I was terrified to talk about my missed periods for fear I'd lose all respect and credibility; for fear that I'd be seen as an alien; for fear that I'd be labeled as tarnished and inadequate; for fear that is was unacceptable to even say the word "period" in public. Actually, there was a point where I built enough confidence to try and talk about it on this VERY blog! I wanted to be real. I wanted to talk about it--talking it out always makes me feel better. So I hit publish and the backlash started. I got NASTY hate comments on the post and people telling me things like, "What kind of role model are you is you don't even get a period?!"<br />
<br />
I was too weak and scared at the time to stand up and fight it. So I deleted the post. This was likely 2008-09 ish.<br />
<br />
Back then, I knew enough to know this wasn't healthy or normal (although, fairly unaware of long-term consequences*), so out of concern I talked to my doctor (a conventional PCP). Other than that only a few close family members and friends knew. As far as getting help from my doctor at the time? Honestly, she was a nice woman but she did nothing to truly help me; conventional medicine did absolutely nothing to truly me regain a healthy period--other doing a provera challenge, then telling me to go on birth control, eat more, exercise less and gain weight. Really? We know that eating more and exercising less (i.e. energy balance) and appropriate bodyweight are indeed ways to heal and regain menstruation, but this information was told to me in a very matter-of-fact way that didn't register with me whatsoever. It basically felt like they were saying, "Go eat some fatty burgers and ice cream, stop working out, retire to the couch and get fat." To which I wanted to say, "Fuck you." They had no idea who I was, they had no idea how my brain ticked, they had no idea I was a dedicated athlete who "had" to maintain fitness and my physique to perform in my sport. The Western doctors made me angry, so I gave up on seeking help from them. What I needed was an education and someone who could relate to me and be sympathetic. I didn't have that person. I felt alone.<br />
<br />
Female hormonal imbalance and amenorrhea are about more than just "eat more - exercise less - gain weight." It's a sensitive psychological issue and must be handled with love, care, and sympathy for the female suffering. This is why I like the, "Relative Energy Deficit in Sport" (RED-S) Syndrome, which ties in the psychology of it, and also makes note that males can suffer form this as well!<br />
<br />
<b>"Psychological consequences can either precede RED-S or be the result of RED-S. The clinical phenomenon is not a 'triad' of three entities of energy availability, menstrual function, health and athletic performance" (2).</b><br />
<br />
In other words, it's complex. It doesn't have to fit the tight definition of the female athlete triad to apply--it can be more, it can be less, it can manifest in different ways, but at the end of the day it's a problem when hormonal dysfunction occurs in athletes. Thankfully, there is a way to get the body back in balance and restore function, and to do so you have to address the mental and physical.<br />
<br />
That's the beauty of HA, the recovery rate is undeniably high. After feeling like Western medicine failed me, I made a huge effort to self-educate to learn more for myself about amenorrhea; if I had to go it alone so be it. But then the catalyst for me was finding the right mentors in 2013-14 who talked to ME, listened to ME, and who weren't just reading out of a textbook on what "should" be done. I took the proper steps to heal and recover. Yea, I had to change a lot but the payoff was worth it. Low and behold I got my period back and it STUCK (took some time to normalize), and I was happy and comfortable with the process. I was still happy with food choices, exercise habits, and my body. Mentally I got cozy with everything and accepted my new ways. It required a mindshift and some soul searching, but it wasn't that scary after all!<br />
<br />
<b>I WANT TO HELP</b><br />
<br />
I'm still angry that conventional medicine doesn't offer an education and proper tools to heal, so now that I know better I want to help! I've gained the confidence to speak up over the years, and I want to be a voice for many women who are silently suffering, confused, or perhaps don't even realize the depths of what amenorrhea really implies. I want to be someone they can turn to for help, with zero judgement just love. I want to inspire women how to regain normal functioning or simply treat their bodies better, with more compassion and love.<br />
<br />
I am not medical doctor so there are certainly things I can and can't do to help women with their health, but as Nico and I discussed in <a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/nicola-rinaldi-phd-no-period-now-what-healing-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-and-managing-fertility/" target="_blank">this podcast</a>, oftentimes you just need to find someone who can relate to you and the situation, and that'll be the ticket to success in regaining menstruation. As such, I love spending my days working directly with women on how to regain their menstrual cycle. And guess what, we don't talk too much about eating more and exercising less. They usually know those things so we touch base on them to make sure it's being executed smartly and without a lot of stress involved. From there, honestly the conversations are about so much deeper than food and exercise talk. These are living, breathing, feeling women who just need someone to bet here for them, listen and be the voice of reason so that they can get out of their own head. Sometimes there are harsh truths, like telling a girl, "Yea, maybe you have to give up training and racing for a while just to fully relax, but it doesn't have to be forever!!! You can of course get back to it, I did and kept a period (BQ 2015)!" It's better when that comes from me, a woman who's been there and gets it.<br />
<br />
Anyway, a few closing thoughts:<br />
<br />
1. Don't judge a book by its cover--there's a good chance you have NO IDEA what's going on inside.<br />
2. Amenorrhea is as much psychological as it is a physical issue.<br />
3. We need to be sympathetic to all sensitive health issues, not judge and offer support--whether it's helping someone who's over-fat or someone with amenorrhea.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b>Resources</b><br />
<br />
1. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435916/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435916/</a><br />
2. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24620037">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24620037</a><br />
<br />
*I talk about some potential long-term consequences and much more on HA in athletes in particular over at <a href="http://lifepostcollective.com/">lifepostcollective.com</a>, where I recently launched a new women's health video series. Check it out for free with code "lpc4me" at sign up.Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-2410331395121568442016-12-08T16:08:00.000-08:002017-01-02T06:32:08.452-08:00Journey to Body Positivity & Why I Quit ModelingHey-o! I'm still around, just quietly doing my thing, and enjoying more private time away from the scene. Between the <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/" target="_blank">podcast</a>, my new inner-circle community <a href="http://lifepostcollective.com/" target="_blank">Life Post Collective</a>, and my clients, that's all the public time I need these days. But alas, I still like to share what I have going on because this is something I feel incredibly passionate about and a message I want to make more mainstream in light of all the unhealthy crap I see out there these days. Body positivity and bits and pieces of my journey that I haven't talked about ever before (i.e. the reality of my modeling days) are the name of the game... I tried to keep it short, but that didn't happen.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<br />
<b>Embracing A Changing Body</b><br />
<br />
It's been just over a year since I opened up publicly about my past eating disorder struggles, <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2015/11/anorexia-nervosa.html" target="_blank">you can read that blog post here,</a> and I have to say it's been one of the best years of my life since. Even though I didn't still have an "active" ED it was still having a lingering effect on me. No more though! I never thought I'd be so FREE from those inner demons and relaxed about all things food- and body-related. I'm all about intuitive eating in a way that works for me (not overthinking food choices, not getting wrapped up in diet dogma), and meanwhile embracing changes that are happening with my body, which I talked about more in <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/08/womanly.html" target="_blank">this post</a>. The short version of those changes: I no longer have a crazy skinny 12-year-old-boy-like frame (those were not child-bearing hips lol), and I finally have a butt, hips and some curves. (Hell, I even have some love handles that were never there before, more cellulite on my rear, bigger thighs -- all the things our society wants you to get rid off.) All this is not shocking considering I don't exercise like a maniac anymore and instead my goals have shifted to balancing hormones and health while maintaining a smart amount of exercise. <i>Ladies, we need to have some body fat to function well, and they say the "threshold" is around 14% BF but I think that even 16-18% BF may not even be enough for some of us!</i><br />
<br />
I'm sure most of you would not even notice much of a change in my body if you saw me up close, but I feel it, the scale confirms it (yes, I'm comfortable weighing myself), and I especially noticed it in how some clothes were getting too tight. So since that last post last, I chose to make an investment in me and buy some new clothes (bigger, that is) rather than turn this into a struggle where I risked getting down on myself trying to fit into clothes that were too small and made me look horrible. Some girls save their "skinny jeans" but I donated mine -- and some other clothing items -- gone for good. Truthfully, shopping for bigger sizes was something I resisted doing at first, for financial reasons and from a body-image perspective it was tough to get comfortable with this process. I did feel myself wanting to stress and freak out even though the logical side of me (and John) have long confirmed that this was a healthy, smart transformation and GOOD changes for me. John likes my body even more now -- and I find this to be the case with a lot of men when their women get a bit more curvy ;) At the end of the day I have embraced my changing body and have let the shopping be a fun process. No negativity allowed. <br />
<br />
From a fertility perspective, my body has slowly become an even safer place for <i>eventual </i>baby-making. In fact, reading <a href="http://amzn.to/2gggJv2" target="_blank">No Period Now What</a> helped me understand that increasing my BMI was probably a good idea. The BMI I was at in recent years wasn't bad per se -- it was normal and thankfully allowed for normal menstruation and hormone functioning -- but it was still on the <i>low end </i>of normal. Considering my history of an ED and hypothalamic amenorrhea, plus how sensitive I still am to potential weight loss, hard exercise and/or energy deficits, the smartest thing I can do is have a little extra body fat and a super healthy high-normal BMI. It's not just about me, but also our future family.<br />
<br />
Lastly, let me just say to all you girls out there: "Filling out" and/or gaining some weight is not automatically a bad shameful thing especially if you're doing the right things for your body. Let me tell you, it can be very empowering in fact! Fuck what society says we should be like, and just be true to you. Don't kill yourself (mentally, psychically) trying to fit in size 1, 3 or 5 if you're meant to be a size 8, 10 or 12! Meanwhile, don't buy into these women posting their near-naked selfies on social media of their overly lean and ripped bodies and how "happy" they claim to be or whatever "motivating" lines they spew out. <u>That is not normal and does not equal health and happiness my friends!</u> Sadly, I do understand how it goes, it's very easy for us women to get wrapped up in that world, obsess over body image, and strive for a sick level of fitness and diet that takes it too far. Trust me, run away and run away fast if you see yourself going down this path. I was there (as a model), and I got the fuck out as you'll learn below.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<br />
<b>My Modeling Story & Why I Quit</b><br />
<br />
There were many things back in the day that still caused my subtle/not-so-subtle ED behaviors and body-image issues to stick around for so long. I went to great, exhaustive extents to control my body size and shape even when I didn't consciously realize I was doing so (it had just become a reflex after so many years). A huge reason I was stuck on all this was wanting so badly to appear perfect to the rest of the world out there (of course, an underlying theme of insecurity there!). It didn't help that I became a relatively public person via sport, my work (coaching, podcast host) and FITNESS MODELING.<br />
<br />
Modeling for me started innocently enough. It's not something I pursued; it found me. A friend recommended me to Zoot, I modeled for their Spring clothing line one year, and things just happened from there. Honestly, modeling was really fun for a while, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. I especially loved that I wasn't an authentic athlete who was fitness modeling. It was cool to be a <i>real</i> triathlete who had this opportunity to be in photoshoots that represented our sport, and it even boosted my business, podcast and reputation. In this sense, modeling would be alluring to nearly anyone, right? So, I have good memories, met some cool people, and so on. I also can see why I was great at it and why photographers always liked me -- I was still super skinny, authentically athletic, toned, and most of all a work-a-holic who was willing and eager do anything to get the perfect shot. Oh, and I was ok with getting paid next to nothing (or usually just getting paid in gear instead of dollars, not so great long-term).<br />
<br />
But modeling turned out to be very very bad for someone like me at that time in my life, and not so innocent after all. I still had a lot of personal shit to work out and the timing wasn't ideal. I started obsessing over all the things that I had no business obsessing over anymore -- let's just sum it up as body image stuff -- while allowing ED behaviors to sneak in more regularly. Modeling brought back and reinforced those unhealthy patterns to maintain a certain body type -- since now people were actually looking and probably judging me and wanting me to stay a certain size! Being a model made me work even harder to hold onto a lean muscular frame (and not in a healthy way) to try and prove I was "worthy."<br />
<br />
Sadly, all the while, I didn't feel perfect whatsoever. I was super critical, and nit-picked over how my body could be "better," leaner, more ripped, etc. I questioned if I was pretty and sexy, and if my form in sport-specific shots was good enough. I was quick to point out a million flaws, and quite frankly felt chubby and ugly in many of the pictures I saw of myself. I compared myself to the other girls and that would get me down on myself. Ironically, I actually felt fairly comfortable once I was in front of the camera, but for the remainder of the time my mind was on negative overdrive and lots of self-bashing with very little self-love. <br />
<br />
Let me just say as an aside: The sport of triathlon itself was great for me in many ways -- I built a better relationship with food, more self-confidence, got physically stronger, and felt like I could unleash the inner tomboy that was innate in me and not have to be all girly. Triathlon helped me to not give a fuck on many levels and just be authentically me. And, yes, my relationship with triathlon wasn't perfect, there were flaws and many mistakes I made, but it certainly had more positive themes than modeling did. Modeling was causing me to regress instead of progress.<br />
<br />
Not to mention, modeling was fatiguing work! It'd be full days -- often multiple days -- on location, on my feet, running around (or biking, or swimming, or lifting or all of the above), looking "perfect." All the while, I was under-eating on shoots because I usually wasn't cool with the food that was available to us, or just wanting to eat less for fear of getting all bloated or looking "too big."<br />
<br />
I would come home and crash for a day or two after I did modeling gigs. Oh but wait, I was still training for triathlon, in grad school at a certain point, working my real job(s), and all that other life stuff. Gah. Plus I did not know how to say "NO" in my 20s so I just kept getting more opportunities and more work piling up.<br />
<br />
I knew it was a lot and wearing me down quite a bit, but people were now identifying me as a fitness model, so I dare not give up on it, right? It secretly felt special to have this title of model and that I was the "perfect" package of athlete - model - coach - podcast host. I had to hold on to the lean fit body people saw and dare not let it slip away. And performance-wise, I wanted to get better and better to keep my reputation as a top-age grouper!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<br />
Some years went by, and modeling had become a regular thing in my life. I ended up signing with a sports modeling agency up in LA and almost went "big time," lol. But instead, it reached a boiling point that led to abruptly end of my modeling "career," by choice. At first, it was really exciting to feel like I was an official fitness model and that an agency in LA wanted me. But that excitement was short-lived and then I started realizing the reality of what I was doing, the nature of these people, and how this was not a good environment for me. Sitting in that LA agency off Sunset felt gross. All these girls trying SO hard to be perfect, and I was now one of them. And even though it was sports modeling, it was still all about makeup, unrealistically lean bodies, perfect skin, perfect done-up hair, perfect measurements, and just not feeling authentic. These girls, in my opinion, didn't accurately represent the amazing buff and hardcore bodies of real female athletes who come in all shapes and sizes complete with imperfections. Maybe some of these girls were athletes, I don't really know, but to me they just looked too skinny, too pretty, too cookie-cutter, and too ready for a beauty pageant. This was a wakeup call. I didn't want to be one of them, yet I was. Seeing them made me realize the bad patterns I had allowed in my own life. Most of all, seeing them made me realize it's just not realistic for all bodies to fit these standards, and I started realizing that deep down I was trying too hard to maintain a body type that wasn't realistic! But that's what it takes in this industry. And it does not help when you start having others (agents, etc.) scrutinizing your looks and body, picking out your flaws and whatnot, and/or putting you in a lineup and picking out the "best" girl(s) while discarding the rest. Ugh! It's a mindfuck and will wreck your body confidence if you can't take it (which I'll admit, I couldn't take it at the time -- I wasn't strong enough).<br />
<br />
Plus, the agency people were about as douchey as you could imagine, and they clearly didn't really care about anyone but themselves, though they'd certainly never admit that. I never got a good read from any of them.<br />
<br />
Despite all that, I figured I'd give it a chance (how dare I throw away this opportunity, right?) an it'd hopefully work out for the better. I went to a few casting calls, but wasn't getting gigs, and it was becoming more stressful, especially now commuting to LA regularly with no guarantee of getting the gig and essentially a lot of time and gas being wasted.<br />
<br />
There is one story that sticks out in my head as one of those days that I'll never forget. It was a turning pint, and it highlighted that something had to change because I was becoming someone I didn't even recognize and someone I didn't want to be.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I got a last-minute entry to the San Diego Half-Marathon and since I was so into racing still, it didn't matter if it was planned out in my season or not -- the more I could race, the better (back then). And a half-marathon? To the old me, that was cake walk. I drove down and stayed with friends, planning to park in a "special spot" by the zoo in downtown SD the next morning. Randomly, I got an email Friday night saying I had a casting call up in LA tomorrow -- the same day as the HM. I was a little nervous about getting to the casting call on time but figured I could swing it. I'd just run fast, drive back to OC, then would have my parents drive me to the casting call so I could get ready during the drive up to LA. By the way, SD to LA is a bitch of a drive even on weekends. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>So Saturday morning comes and I drive to the planned parking place but suddenly realize if I parked there I'd be locked in, like all day, due to the marathon route and street closures. FUCK! I started panicking. I didn't know what to do! It was too late to find parking where I could bail right after the HM. So for whatever reason, I made the call to bail on the race and get out of there asap in order to not miss the casting call, and looking back I think that was because 1) I was getting sucked into the idea that I *could* make a lot of money if I got the modeling job, and 2) I was afraid of the agency and what would happen if I was a no-show. Lame.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I was getting ready to drive away and head north, but it was getting too late and street closures were starting to happen. It looked like I was about to get trapped or maybe I was already stuck?! I was now starting to have a full-blown anxiety attack in my car while trying to "escape" downtown San Diego. I was in the worst possible state of mind you can imagine and literally could not relax whatsoever. My blood was boiling, I was crying, screaming, and driving like a maniac trying to get out. Not good, and not safe for that matter! But I just didn't know how to relax and regain control back then, and I had no idea where this level of anxiety even came from so I certainly didn't know how to stop it. Fucking mess.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>While I was in my car that day, I had an out-of-body moment where I was able to step outside myself, and take a look at this girl who was freaking out in her car. I couldn't believe who was I turning into. "Is this really me?" It wasn't pretty. It was scary. And it especially wasn't fun anymore. I thought I had it together -- I had overcome an ED by this point, I was a phenomenal athlete, and I was a model, etc., etc., but was I really doing ok? Hell no. I was just pushing myself too hard. And if I lost some level of control, like I did on this day, I would too easily lose it. That's not healthy! Something had to change.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>So I am sure deep down I was also crying because how pathetic this all was. I was disappointed in myself, how I was reacting to this situation, and, ironically, how I felt trapped (I'm not talking about the street closures if you know what I mean). I knew this wasn't me. I'm not the person who gets crazy uncontrollable anxiety attacks, it's just not who I am! Who was this person?! Where was this coming from?? </i><br />
<br />
<i>Somehow, I got it together, got out, and made it to the casting call that day, with the help of my parents who were sooo patient and helpful in the process. Guess what: I did not get the job and I hated every moment at that casting call. In fact, I hated that day. But I needed it to happen. That was the last casting call I ever attended. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I was done with the stupid agency. And *almost* done with modeling completely -- I had one foot out the door.</i><br />
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<i>***</i></div>
<br />
That day, I hit a low point and it's not fun to share this story (it's embarrassing quite frankly!), but there was a silver lining, there always is. It led me to an epiphany: Fix my shit, quit this modeling business, and start taking care of me! I didn't do it all at once, but I got the ball rolling, and eventually I had it in me to phase out modeling for good and build more body positivity. In the process, I discovered self-love and how to relax, both of which had been non-existent. I had to start from scratch, and it is possible to do this and make changes no matter where you are in life.<br />
<br />
These days, I never experience anxiety or panic attacks like that and am able to manage my stress much better. It made me understand that ANXIETY WILL TAKE OVER WHETHER YOU WANT IT TO OR NOT when you're too skinny, undernourished, overworked, frazzled and constantly in a fight-or-flight state, and it becomes nearly impossible to control that shit. But fix the underlying problems, and you fix your anxiety issues.<br />
<br />
Of course, to this day, I haven't eliminated stress completely, but who has?! All I know is that I can keep my stress from spiraling out of control, I can relax and I am not so hard on myself.<br />
<br />
People praise and reinforce these women who have unrealistically lean and muscular bodies, and I hate to say for a while that feels good to get that praise. But the sacrifices you have to make are just too extreme and not sustainable. We have to stop reinforcing the wrong message. And I even question "strong is the new skinny" because a lot of these "strong" bodies are a product of being undernourished, over-stressed, and too lean. Not to mention, being super skinny with low body fat and well-defined muscles is NOT the ticket to happiness and finding your best self. I've gone through it all, from losing a ton of weight to getting incredibly fit to now gaining a healthy amount of weight and becoming more average. I'll say first hand, the extremes and drive for perfection will take over and rule your life to a point where it's not fun and you're neither happy nor healthy, but you feel stuck because you're put yourself out there as this certain body type so you feel the need to hold onto it, and if you don't people will say you let yourself go. It's unfortunate, but find the courage to break away and do what's right for you. I never would have guessed that moderation and "average" would be the ticket to happiness and real confidence. But it is! These love handles and cellulite? They're not so bad, so I'll keep it this way, thank you.<br />
<br />
Hey, and by the way, no matter what, NO REGRETS.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-74265482427266198652016-08-29T07:41:00.001-07:002016-08-30T05:56:09.970-07:00WomanlySo remember in my <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/08/starting-from-scratch_6.html" target="_blank">last post</a> how I said I was in my follicular phase (first half of the menstrual cycle) when I did the MAF Test? Well, let's just say those were good times and I'm starting to really understand how much the luteal phase (second half of the cycle) can really suck. I've had normal menstruation for two years now (maybe more? gotta check), but I feel like I'm learning more and more every day--learning more about the female body in general and learning about how MY body fits into everything. In the process, I've let go of trying to hold myself at a certain weight and certain standards, and am just finding where my body naturally wants to be, i.e. my set point, regardless of what I think that should be or what the scale says. It's taken some getting used to--mentally and physically--to accept be more womanly but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm dialing it in and taking mental notes on all the signs and symptoms my body gives me--good, bad or in between.<br />
<br />
Turns out having a normal cycle and all the hormones to go along is obviously an amazing beautiful thing, but it really makes Stacy Sim's mantra hold true: WOMEN ARE NOT SMALL MEN.<br />
<br />
After two years of normal menses the issues that come with a regular cycle are nothing new to me, but here's the difference: My <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/04/being-boston-strong.html" target="_blank">autoimmune condition</a> this year led to some further realizations that I still was tending to push myself too hard, and sometimes I'd ignore what my body was saying to some degree in order to instead get in my workout, finish a work project, or whatever demanding and often stressful thing it was. Plus I do believe in those 2 years, it's taken time to get "more normal" meaning that my cycle lengths were a bit all over the place for a while (now they're generally averaging 28 days minus some outliers that were more likely due to travel this year), and I can imagine the initial cycles after years of hypothalamic amenorrhea were probably anovulatory and I still had some hormonal imbalances/low hormones; overall my periods were rather "light." Nowadays, they are about as real as real can get. I feel more womanly than ever, in fact. Ha. So after <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/06/my-exact-autoimmune-healing-plan.html" target="_blank">recovering from the autoimmune ordeal</a>--all symptoms still gone!--I am being kinder than ever to my body these days and doing my best to keep mind and body in sync. No bullshit faking it, my health and wellness come first, and let fitness fall into place from there. As such, I have pretty stable energy and moods and I haven't had a "crash" day in a while aka when I fall apart after pushing myself over the edge (that's another story, but I used to often push myself with work+training+life until I crashed). Patience is really being practiced!<br />
<br />
On that note, I actually have new data that matches how I feel, with my hormones all booming this year, even better than last year. In late July I did another DUTCH hormone/adrenal stress test, plus the <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/03/hormone-testing-and-monitoring-BBT.html" target="_blank">BioHealth full-month salivary hormonal panel with daily BBT monitoring from January</a>. Progesterone and estrogen doing their thing at the high end of normal, ovulation taking place, DHEA and T looking fine and normal. There was one red-flag, high cortisol (ack!), but I'll get to that in a later post because I have a lot to say on the matter. For now, what a feeling coming from someone who had none of this for a decade. Btw, a PSA: don't rely on blood tests for your sex hormones if measuring these are of importance to you. A lot is "wrong" with testing hormones via blood and you're essentially losing out on valuable info--probably a post I should write to delve into more detail. The DUTCH, on the other hand, is where it's at, and you can even get this test through my services now if you want, just <a href="mailto:tprazak@coachtawnee.com" target="_blank">email me</a>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPMvJWsNyryJ2UxhkDeSceA5L2wUIEegYOwk5aFu7k-jmr5MOF4lydddSXpCkJH3haYTqEbz9SVW6A7Ej5BsgLh-hPVf2pCqF57b5fPM0UtPG4j37Uz9qKS9WpRMXcYIICP5qCuECnOQ/s1600/Screenshot+2016-08-29+07.22.41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPMvJWsNyryJ2UxhkDeSceA5L2wUIEegYOwk5aFu7k-jmr5MOF4lydddSXpCkJH3haYTqEbz9SVW6A7Ej5BsgLh-hPVf2pCqF57b5fPM0UtPG4j37Uz9qKS9WpRMXcYIICP5qCuECnOQ/s640/Screenshot+2016-08-29+07.22.41.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>These are my acutal DUTCH results; urine samples taken July 29-30, 2016. I take zero hormonal supplements; </b><br />
<b>my approach to healthy hormones is all-natural. Things are looking much better, </b><br />
<b>now I just have to work on that cortisol issue, dang (!),</b><br />
<b>but I already have my theories as to why it's problem and am planning solutions.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So that said, I got in a couple really great weeks of consistent exercise ("training") starting just after Day 1 of my cycle (when I did the MAF test) and was feeling so on top of the world and proud. But not getting greedy and going above and beyond by adding more than what I feel is healthy volume right now. Meanwhile, still keeping all my recovery things a priority like sauna, walking, ocean soaks, and bikram yoga! I've also stuck to pretty much no alcohol since coming off "<a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/07/on-indulgences-overcoming-food-philosophies-and-sugar.html" target="_blank">the party phase</a>" and that's been going well, helping me really feel things out without alcohol interfering (even 1 glass a night has an impact over time, IMO). On average, I'm drinking no more than 1 night a week (sometimes zero times a week), and those few times I've drank it's been just 1-2 glasses of red wine. Meanwhile, diet is on point including appropriate carbs and certainly not too low carb at all!<br />
<br />
So a couple good weeks.<br />
<br />
Then.... ovulation.... and it was gradually downhill from there. Ha.<br />
<br />
Actually, that third week I, way in advance, planned it to be a "recovery" week to be proactive and make a conscious effort not to get greedy with volume and pushing too much too fast. I could have done more that week, I felt ok still, but held back thinking I'd keep things as 2 weeks on, 1 week off. However I'm getting second thoughts.<br />
<br />
Week 4 hit and instead of being fresh and fired up, I was still blah, in fact worse. Why? It happened to be my (very) high-hormone luteal phase right before my period. PMS is real. And PMS doesn't just stand for bitchy, there's so much more that PMS entails, and for me it's feeling sluggish and gross and over it. I still worked out but had to be kind given the circumstances.<br />
<br />
So, that all said, I think I'll stick to a 3-week on, 1-week off schedule from here on, with my recovery "off" week being that 4th week going into my period i.e. the premenstrual phase in the later half of the luteal phase. I highly advise that women who have normal menstruation consider something similar and/or at the very least be kind to yourself and don't get too frustrated on that 4th week if things are looking and feeling crappy. If you have to race, that's one thing, we can often dig into our toolbox to overcome and still perform, but generally why fight nature during this time?! We're just simply not going to be able to tap into our peak performance levels.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbbTztIkSnOBFvQGSa3MLh_dOvY4bB-vBlmBMXjsJ4qML6hvUmwVuu7YDNJe1GzaLee2Nn-mNbJDupR5I8aRwO0UJQaWPWUda0U10V77cIclkPqPdneVxv4bA6yowBrg80UC1DBEDZZI/s1600/Menstrual+Cycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbbTztIkSnOBFvQGSa3MLh_dOvY4bB-vBlmBMXjsJ4qML6hvUmwVuu7YDNJe1GzaLee2Nn-mNbJDupR5I8aRwO0UJQaWPWUda0U10V77cIclkPqPdneVxv4bA6yowBrg80UC1DBEDZZI/s640/Menstrual+Cycle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Don't let your period shy you away from training, this is when you're likely at your peak performance potential!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But you know when we are at our peak? We women are actually our best on Day 1 when we start our period (menses), and that whole week or two of the follicular phase before ovulation (generally Days 1-14) is the time to get at it. Even though we are bleeding for several days, this is actually when we're most like dudes being that our sex hormones are lower and our performance potential is at its best. So if you are going to have your period when you race, consider it a GOOD thing! And if you have cramps upon and after you start, you're better off getting out there anyway to take advantage of this timeframe, and cramps usually can be mitigated with exercise too (I know this is the case for me--I feel so much better exercising than laying around when I get cramps those first couple days; and I also don't take any drugs/pain-relief meds for cramping so I can say that exercise is a great all-natural pain relief). I alluded to all this in my <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/07/backpacking-honeymoon-high-sierra-trail.html" target="_blank">honeymoon backpacking post</a> and <a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/endurance-tales-backpacking-the-high-sierra-trail-summiting-mt-whitney-and-comparisons-with-competitive-sport/" target="_blank">podcast edition</a>--where I felt shitty before I started and like a new woman who could build an empire after I started.<br />
<br />
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~~~</div>
<br />
All this got me to thinking to old times, i.e. me in 2003-'13 when I was mostly depleted of hormones for those 10 years and hadn't put in the real effort yet to truly regain my health. Back then, in that state, I was A WOMAN WHO WAS LIKE A SMALL MAN. Back then I didn't deal with any sex hormone fluctuations or menstrual cycle issues. My sex hormones--progesterone, estrogens, LH, FSH, DHEA, prolactin, etc--were bottomed out and I didn't deal with any womanly issues outside of being more emotional than most men, ha.<br />
<br />
On one hand, I hate to even say this, that made training and racing easier. I never had to worry about hormones or my cycle getting in the way of performance or what was on tap on the triathlon schedule. I didn't even have curvy hips or boobs to deal with, and I can even recall joking that my body was like a 12-year-old boy's. It's true, though, I was probably much like a dude on the inside. Argue that this was great for endurance sport performance (for a while, it was), but was it a great way to live and good for me? <b>Hell no.</b> Way too many negative side effects and risks, and as the story goes, all that caught up eventually to where I was not well off even in my performances. Women can't live in a state of stress like that and expect to thrive, and even if it doesn't catch up to you now in the moment it can and very likely will in your future--whether that's infertility, osteoporosis or some other condition. So don't try this at home, gals. And if you're in a position where you currently feel "less than womanly" so to speak, it's in your best interest to action to put an end to it. I hate even writing that the state of my body made training/racing "easier" because it was just so unhealthy and I would never recommend this strategy to any woman. We can still operate just fine and achieve our peak performances with a healthy cycle, healthy hormones and a bit o' curve on the body. Go read <a href="http://amzn.to/2bLNAtd" target="_blank">Roar by Stacy Sims</a> for some how-to inspiration.<br />
<br />
Granted, at that top level I know many female athletes are making health sacrifices for the sake of elite performance. They are looking lean and mean and many are without a cycle, but that's choice and hopefully they only let it be temporary. Chrissie Wellington comes to mind as a good example; she turned it around and now has a healthy baby. She still looks pretty dang fit too--it's not like you have to let yourself go lol ;)<br />
<br />
Speaking of weight, hips, curves and boobs. Starting in 2015, I actually started to "fill in" getting a bit more hippy and whatnot. At first it scared me and trigged some old ED thoughts, I could feel part of me wanting to put a stop to it, and for a while in 2015 I reached a lower weight again for a few months and--wouldn't ya know--I had period issues. (So sensitive!) But then I said "F that" and I embraced my body, embraced the changes and embraced healthy womanhood. I think for so long I expected and needed to be at a certain weight (just an arbitrary number I came up with), but in fact that weight was probably not the healthiest for me nor my natural weight, and I was lacking basic energy availability* to thus operate like a healthy woman. So fuck the weight on the scale. How about just letting your body find it's set point, and getting comfortable with whatever that weight ends up being? It took me a while to gain acceptance of my "new weight" but I think I'm there. In fact, I love how I've filled in. The other night I had a rare moment looking in the mirror where I was 100% happy and in love with what I saw--the added curves, extra muscle, and event the extra bit of body fat. All of it.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what my body fat percentage is, but I'm certain it's increased by at least 5% or more (it was still low at 15.7% in 2014, the last time I measured). Body fat below 17% is just red-flag territory, and 14% or below is straight-up dangerous, and while these ranges may (to some) look "hot" in pictures and on social media, and/or portray the message that you're fitter, work harder, and more of a badass than your "softer" counterparts, I think that's just bullshit and a dumb way to assess things. I hate that social media has made it practically a contest on who can be the leanest and have the most muscles and veins popping out. In fact, tangent, but this is one reason I stopped fitness modeling--it was not healthy for me, and I was quite frankly disgusted with things I started seeing the more deep I got into it--that world has issues that I didn't need in my life. I think there can be healthy fitness models, so I am not entirely bashing it, but anyway....<br />
<br />
Back to sport and leanness: I know power-to-weight ratio is a real thing and that the leaner endurance athletes generally perform better, but this reaches a point of diminishing returns (especially for your health and often your performance). Not to mention I think if you're at your natural healthy weight (i.e. find your set point regardless of what you want it to be or what the scale says) you can still do some major damage in racing--you'll have the extra lean body mass to carry you there, and the right amount of body fat--not too much not too little--to be healthy, high-performing and still looking ripped. To be honest I think I look much better than my very skinny self did. And I just feel much better this way too, even mentally I feel stronger and more empowered; meanwhile, the skinnier me was always weaker (mentally speaking) and lacking confidence.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
Anyway, this last month has been very eye-opening and exciting. It's nice to by in better sync with the body. I still have a longs way to go! But at least I'm not getting pissed off or frustrated with myself, nor trying to "punish" myself with harder workouts and restrictive behaviors. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, lately I've been spending so much of my free time immersed in the research again, digging into the science on females, and female athletes in particular. Even though I've figured out a lot for myself, I want to keep learning, and I realize I can't guide others just based on my n=1 life experience. So the more knowledge I can attain, from reliable sources aka science not just random person on internet, the more of an expert I'll become to help this population of ladies who needs guidance! Last year I felt like it was all about researching eating disorders, and this year it's all about female health and hormones, the menstrual cycle, issues with female athletes, nutrition and dietary needs, and especially menstrual dysregulation in female athletes plus <u>scientifically proven ways to recover the menses</u>. I'm finding out the answers for myself instead of trusting anyone else at this point. And I can't get enough of all the good info I'm uncovering.Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-28644033415125915952016-08-06T11:04:00.001-07:002016-08-06T12:57:43.410-07:00Starting From ScratchThis was a good experience. I not only wanted to test a bit of the physical but also the mental today, i.e. the new me.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFtu1yuAm3akhXc6JZp488zM6if1p1adf6-G3XanA55pXE7OIR7nCOEoUh3ANggfGMd7KODFtnfQoCqvA3CEWa0kogF_voMjMzfOkhSxuiSa6nw5DL6jO319xMZGlQxbnSPV04bMNT9Q/s1600/iStock_60153512_LARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFtu1yuAm3akhXc6JZp488zM6if1p1adf6-G3XanA55pXE7OIR7nCOEoUh3ANggfGMd7KODFtnfQoCqvA3CEWa0kogF_voMjMzfOkhSxuiSa6nw5DL6jO319xMZGlQxbnSPV04bMNT9Q/s400/iStock_60153512_LARGE.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
On the agenda was a MAF Test! I'm not starting to train for anything in particular at all, but I've been wanting to get back to a running/workout routine and with my data-oriented n=1 brain, I feel it's only appropriate to measure my current baseline and then see what I can do with it. This is also something I want to keep very public so people can follow along with me. I've had a couple weeks back at some running, and by this I mean ~3 runs a week of ~3-4 miles with walking to control effort. Last weekend was a "big day" of 7 slow miles. Crosstraining too (bikram yoga, SUP, surf, walking).<br />
<br />
I was actually really excited to get the baseline data with where I'm at. When I started true MAF training last time I already had a pretty good fitness base right out of the gates so I had decent MAF results right away (mile pace in the high 7's / low 8's). But now? My endurance conditioning is complete crap, I'm really not exaggerating. I don't remember the last time I felt this out of sport-specific shape. BUT I don't mind whatsoever, in fact that's what makes this so fun.<i> </i>The past is the past.<i> </i>This is now.<i> </i>I'm starting from scratch and get to see how I progress following the MAF Method the way it's supposed to be done. I'm starting from scratch like so many people who take on MAF for the first time and are humbled by what they see. Well, I guess in my case I knew my numbers were going to be a far cry from the old me, and I was fully prepared, excited and ready to face reality....<br />
<br />
John was out of town so that made it really easy to have an incredibly mellow and healthy Friday night with the test planned for Saturday morning. Was in bed and asleep by 9:30 p.m. Whenever I feel this awesome I tend to wake up early and am ready to charge, so I was up by 5 a.m. Hung out for a while, did a little work, had ~4 oz cold brew and a <a href="http://amzn.to/2auCzIQ" target="_blank">Primal Kitchens Dark Chocolate Almond Bar</a>; didn't feel the need/desire to eat any more than that, nor did I want to run fasted. I'm in the first part of my cycle (follicular phase), which is when I tend to feel my best so at least that was working in my favor (if it had been pre-menstruation, no way, I'm junk).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Got the the track and started my warmup at 7:15 a.m. From there, here's what went down:<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="113"></col><col width="116"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Test Date"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Test Date</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"mm\"-\"dd\"-\"yy"]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":42588}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">08-06-16</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":1}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">1</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.006828703703703704}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">9:50</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">2</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.006921296296296296}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">9:58</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":3}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">3</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.0069328703703703705}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">9:59</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":4}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">4</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.006863425925925926}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">9:53</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":5}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">5</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.0069560185185185185}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">10:01</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Average Pace"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Average Pace</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.0069097222222222225}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">9:57</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Avgerage HR"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Average HR</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":150}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">150 (each mile)</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Peak HR"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Peak HR</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":156}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">156</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Test Time"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Test Time</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.03456018518518519}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">49:46</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Test miles"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Test miles</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":5}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">5</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Warmup Laps"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Warmup Laps</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">2</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"WU Time"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">WU Time</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"h:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.015023148148148148}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">21:38</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Average Pace"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Average Pace</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]:mm:ss",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.44930555555555557}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">10:47</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Average HR"}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Average HR</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":137}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">137</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Actually, better than I expected! Remember: This is the present, not the past.<br />
<br />
It was overcast and cooler than it's been lately, but still really humid so I was sweating like a boss by about halfway in. I drank a total of 16 oz water, most of it post-test (wasn't thirsty during and didn't have any during). I weighed pre and post (for test purposes!) and only lost 1 pound, so not even a full 1% loss of body mass. Speaking of weight, I am a teeny bit heavier right now than my past weights and I don't care because I'm very healthy and happy, but I'm sure the little extra weight factors in. I am not looking to lose weight at all for the record.<br />
<br />
Interestingly this is about 20 seconds slower than my Boston pace this year, so I guess my fitness is still about the same from then despite having done nothing lately? <a href="https://philmaffetone.com/original-research-marathon-pace-prediction/" target="_blank">As Maffetone says, your marathon pace ideally is about 10-20 seconds <i>faster </i>than MAF pace</a> (15 seconds faster on average). So this lines up. <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/04/being-boston-strong.html" target="_blank">With the health things I've overcome & beat this year</a>, shutting down training even before Boston took place, then of course recently <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/07/on-indulgences-overcoming-food-philosophies-and-sugar.html" target="_blank">"letting loose" and partying</a>, I guess I'm impressed? Who knows, I'm not reading into it. I was thinking this test was going to be easily 10:30-11:00+ miles AND painful due to lack of miles in my legs, neither of which were the case. So that's a win in my book. That's also why I love MAF, even with low mileage coming into this, running 7 miles didn't feel overly aggressive and was super gentle and comfortable.<br />
<br />
On that 4th mile being faster: I think it was because I was playing around with technique--I adopted more of a forward lean and it was clicking. By mile 5 though, I think the lack of overall fitness especially muscular strength/endurance was starting to set in, and my body was starting to say, "we're wrapping up for the day." Ha.<br />
<br />
The peak HR was high, but anytime it crept to 153-156 I'd catch it right away and appropriately walk/jog until it was 147-150 again--wouldn't take long, just seconds, for it to drop. Overall, it was very easy to control HR at 150 and a higher HR was never sustained; each split was a 150 average. And yes I am 31, but 150 is a nicer number than 149 to follow ;)<br />
<br />
The best was afterwards when the track coach stopped me to ask a million questions on what the heck I was doing. He could tell I was in the zone, but really, who runs 7 "slow" miles on the track at a steady rate? (Meanwhile the weekend crew doing crazy sprints and all the tracky workouts.) So I explained, and I think he was impressed. Hehe.<br />
<br />
The only issue--next time I need to plan a better playlist going into it instead of jacking around with my phone to find good tunes ;)<br />
<br />
Fun times!Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-22867978421399865532016-07-30T12:52:00.001-07:002016-08-22T07:48:59.216-07:00On Indulgences, Overcoming, Food Philosophy and When Sugar May Be Your FriendYou may get the idea that I live like a totally anal health freak, but let me be real: I'm not nor do I want to be a perfect angel all the time. Yes, I love the feeling of hard work and making my body feel as close to optimal as possible--in health and fitness--and it will always be a top priority to keep the body in a good state of well-being, but there comes the time to let your hair down and just let loose. As a Type A perfectionist who formerly battled and eating disorder (ED) and had <a href="http://linkis.com/www.jcrm.org/E6RXR" target="_blank">the female athlete triad</a>, these days I don't obsess over being perfect, eating perfectly nor living perfectly all the time. I'm no stranger to self-discipline, I can suck it up when I want. These days I can channel self-discipline with a healthy mindset that's fully free of underlying ED/body image issues (just look at the strict autoimmune healing/AIP protocol I had myself on earlier this year--it was all about health even in the face of temporary restrictions). There's a time and place to buckle down and a time and a place to relaxxxx. I'm a firm believer we don't need to live by stringent rules 365 days a year unless the condition is so severe that there is no wiggle room--I'm grateful nothing in my life is that bad and I don't take that for granted one bit! If you're year-round living with too much discipline and restriction that's a recipe for disaster... I know because I've been there. I've broken free. And in this blog I'm not afraid to share the indulgences I've had as of late to prove that I'm keeping it real, and coming out ok, including an update I added almost a month after this initial post.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIbYJrqOG3rsfljkEUTsytDehAYtZHJ3PIXIhyphenhyphenukrT4ATRdKzfFBpXoBP6leXGJNz8RJ4O1ThH3W8WCD0XnHsvX9nYu4PE1YU8JFx9YUJsYGRB_Bo2MEjnFUIHzhoEx50uD5rFvfYGaI/s1600/rum+drinks+on+wedding+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIbYJrqOG3rsfljkEUTsytDehAYtZHJ3PIXIhyphenhyphenukrT4ATRdKzfFBpXoBP6leXGJNz8RJ4O1ThH3W8WCD0XnHsvX9nYu4PE1YU8JFx9YUJsYGRB_Bo2MEjnFUIHzhoEx50uD5rFvfYGaI/s640/rum+drinks+on+wedding+day.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rum drink with pineapple juice on our wedding day. Guilt-free. No worries. All smiles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvFrJPlAonBJ8964mflP82q_deqtriJx4ZnhLXfJzTsHDU3_SqYZCycN8haz989PQabdulkzK-9re0Y4gvf3tBqH8sS7yJInigKVY1e4B1dpiwyMeg2k3NY98GabC-QsiIqPCOkLUemw/s1600/IMG_9917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvFrJPlAonBJ8964mflP82q_deqtriJx4ZnhLXfJzTsHDU3_SqYZCycN8haz989PQabdulkzK-9re0Y4gvf3tBqH8sS7yJInigKVY1e4B1dpiwyMeg2k3NY98GabC-QsiIqPCOkLUemw/s320/IMG_9917.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade wedding cake in the making.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let me back up a bit. Recently I had a bit of a debate, if you will, with Dr. Phil Maffetone on Endurance Planet (<a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/dr-phil-maffetone-other-reasons-youre-not-seeing-progress-yay-or-nay-to-antioxidants-and-food-philosophies/" target="_blank">near the end of this episode</a>) that led me to think more deeply about the topic at hand. On that show I disagreed with The Man, The Godfather of heart rate training, and The One who's made it his life mission to foster healthy athletes. Gah! Ballsy. I disagreed with him on how far you can go with the occasional indulgence; he basically says "never" and I say "when the occasion calls, why not? Enjoy." Don't get me wrong, I worship Phil and EVERYTHING he's done, he does, he says and preaches; I take all his wisdom to heart and I use and reference his work all the time and always will. But we haven't very different life experiences; maybe that's what makes us such a good match on the podcast because generally our philosophies align but we have our own unique spin on things. By this I mean, Phil is a man who's never suffered from an ED or eating issue (Ok, maybe he's a bit orthorexic but he doesn't stress over it and is at peace with his ways). Meanwhile I'm a 31-year-old woman who's had a very different past. My late teens and the bulk of my 20s were plagued with some form of an eating disorder and/or disordered eating along with body image issues that began even before I did my first triathlon. Phil may understand, but I'm not sure he can relate. That's ok! Thus, it only seems natural that we don't agree on every single thing right?! I think that's fair enough.<br />
<br />
It makes me want to be the voice for women (or men) who are in my boat too--plenty of us--and who want to strive for healthy, but not let it become an unhealthy obsession.<br />
<br />
So for me, where I'm at, I think <b>there is value to indulging</b> <b>on occasion</b>, even if "on paper" what I'm indulging in is unhealthy. I will risk having a little too much sugar, cocktail or wine, getting "gluten-ized" or even having something <i>really</i> bad like deep-fried food or a ridiculously unhealthy but tasty dessert. I'm not orthorexic about it. I'm discovering the art of moderation. We all know by now that I would never make these things the norm, would never cook at home this way, and I can never see myself going off the deep-end letting a one-time unhealthy indulgence open the door for unhealthy habits take over. No way Jose, <u>it feels WAY too good to eat well and live well</u>... try it sometime, it's nice ;)<br />
<br />
Plus: my definition of "on occasion" does not mean every weekend, nor even a dedicated cheat day per week (that is BS if you ask me, sorry Tim Ferriss)... on occasion means "rarely" in my book. I also believe that you have to earn the ability to indulge--if your health is still lacking, if you're recovering from something, or if you're trying to break bad habits and develop new healthier habits, it may not be the time to give into indulgences just yet.<br />
<br />
That said, I fall in the <a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/dr-grace-liu-how-to-build-a-warrior-gut-common-and-solvable-gut-issues-in-athletes-and-more/" target="_blank">Dr. Grace Liu</a> camp on my philosophy here: I believe we should build good-enough health and a robust gut so we CAN handle any food, gluten or whatever, without a disaster. These foods don't need to become staples, but imagine a life where you have no food sensitivities, and you generally eat healthy but you equally aren't worried about what a food may or may not do to your gut in a given situation. Mmmm, I like that world. I've been ready to see if I'm there. Thankfully the stars aligned to figure it out....<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
So that's why I want to share a "dirty little secret" of what went down in the Caribbean this June, i.e. the week we spent on St. John USVI for our wedding. Actually, technically, the fun started the weekend before our wedding at my bridal shower, but that's between my girls and I..... I went into the St. John trip in such a good place mentally and physically--relaxed, happy with my body doing so well (AI symptoms gone), and feeling an overall sense of peace, contentment and accomplishment. Putting aside the excitement toward marriage for a sec (I'm so mushy-gushy lately, I know!), on a personal level I've been feeling so good about all the progress I've had in recent times--last year finally putting an end to any residual ED demons, this year overcoming <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/04/being-boston-strong.html" target="_blank">autoimmunity</a>, and overall having a better relationship with my body and exercise. Heck, even the hard work to regain thriving hormonal health and fertility. I was ready to celebrate and play!<br />
<br />
Granted, I've worked my booty off to get where I'm at health-wise, so I didn't go into the trip purposely trying to fuck things up and fish for a setback. But I also was willing to see what would happen if I just lived and acted with not one fear or worry about food or whatever. On the same token, I wasn't going to let any of the wedding details stress me out, and oh boy there were opportunities to get stressed out, like when the flowers were late (they literally came the day of the wedding), the hair and makeup girl bailed, traffic jams when we had last-minute prep to do, and such. But those instances didn't bother me a bit. Even when there was no organic food at the St. John grocery store... No sweat. Zero stress. I mean it. Our family liked this Tawnee. I liked her too ;)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaECXLLUM4GLMyeBE9yEnMDaqvCKtCxLdxmOpTod48aTulRJRGs7_MG44r2Jucp0dXZBGv95KLHXvw8vZHGHvr_3CrpJUW_L1xRSraFJVeiTjPo7B2xkRoapc9XGisYmOQjguM7soN48/s1600/trunk+bay+with+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaECXLLUM4GLMyeBE9yEnMDaqvCKtCxLdxmOpTod48aTulRJRGs7_MG44r2Jucp0dXZBGv95KLHXvw8vZHGHvr_3CrpJUW_L1xRSraFJVeiTjPo7B2xkRoapc9XGisYmOQjguM7soN48/s400/trunk+bay+with+trees.jpg" width="260" /></a>And if shit did hit the fan in form of an autoimmune flare up or gut setback or whatever? I'd learn my lesson moving forward. I was willing to chance it.<br />
<br />
The only "rule" I set was to be a bit more conservative before the wedding, not drink too much and whatnot, because I wanted to feel and be 100 percent on my wedding day! Understood. But even that said, at our rehearsal dinner--two nights before the big day--I ended having rum drinks at dinner, and also dug into the key lime pie and bread pudding that was served. So much for being conservative. No problem though, no repercussions. The day before the wedding I laid off the booze and bad food and went zip-lining instead--typical bride behavior right?! ;)<br />
<br />
Then after the wedding, or I should say right after the ceremony (lol), it was like, "Bring it on.... Let's partyyyyyy."<br />
<br />
And we did. Starting with a champagne toast on Trunk Bay where we wed.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIsalM2YKJcAb-z8msvtPkDsj4ZmQNUb1csTA_0fgtKsaITX91DaN0btpdK3VlLrBdcr8dhgISHNcDb3wQ4Iy8j1K61Eg_sgqvk_VidgSay-hTkUm9M7uXC3nRPIj-kYyfGjRZ9u3Y9w/s1600/champagne+toast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIsalM2YKJcAb-z8msvtPkDsj4ZmQNUb1csTA_0fgtKsaITX91DaN0btpdK3VlLrBdcr8dhgISHNcDb3wQ4Iy8j1K61Eg_sgqvk_VidgSay-hTkUm9M7uXC3nRPIj-kYyfGjRZ9u3Y9w/s640/champagne+toast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What ensued was epic. I really haven't let loose like that since college, and even back then at SDSU I was still haunted with my ED, but I'm confident that chapter has ended for good. So the St. John experience was one of a kind in my book.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvN-zt3UdQXksa3SyuB1riThkmg1GyVkXdB50RBWCtaLr-1P1wmCFgvcBxB91sYRAwoJTuTjqo-Doo8mbuqRAMJaKeVtwuDkRSZ6NGczo4IgnPfKlsDaNzqY1Hnt9hyyWiKX4SXmrblI/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvN-zt3UdQXksa3SyuB1riThkmg1GyVkXdB50RBWCtaLr-1P1wmCFgvcBxB91sYRAwoJTuTjqo-Doo8mbuqRAMJaKeVtwuDkRSZ6NGczo4IgnPfKlsDaNzqY1Hnt9hyyWiKX4SXmrblI/s320/IMG_0166.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have your cake and EAT it too.<br />
#feedme</td></tr>
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From Saturday post-wedding to Wednesday when we left, we ate a stupid amount of wedding cake (there was tons--three big tiers and only 13 people). Now, there was some debate on our cake: On one hand, YES, it was homemade with "healthier" clean ingredients and actually we used this <a href="http://amzn.to/2aRRyhh" target="_blank">Paleo cake mix</a> as the base, but did that make it a health food? Not in my opinion! Betty quality, sure, but not healthy. At the end of the day it was a mix of SUGAR, eggs, flour(s), oil, and our own sinfully good butter cream that we made with pure powdered SUGAR, butter and vanilla. Those ingredients, my friends, equate to CAKE no matter how you slice it! I dare you to go make a batch with this mix and tell me it's not delicious. Why? Sugar! (And also all the fatty goodness from eggs and coconut oil that keep it oh-so moist.) In my book, it's not a health food if the sugar content makes a up a vast majority of calories. Sugar is sugar even in "paleo cakes," and that by definition is an indulgence--to be enjoyed on occasion. Plus I enjoyed our DIY wedding vibes, and I truly wanted to make the wedding cake--with decent ingredients--and have it be a hit, not just hire someone else to make a boring cake with crappy "enriched white flour." #success<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51GHaqb1P2umbf-WPjwyGvbQlbu1ljJ6WwjBkzpfyeth_QB3FMgEQTJAYQuwJpKpAyf2v9ZF9wbRWcgofPyIeJdtwXWAf_0pHR7frWqn2_9KZvlO75pc4GzxFfPpvCiUZt7-T-tqg458/s1600/wedding+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51GHaqb1P2umbf-WPjwyGvbQlbu1ljJ6WwjBkzpfyeth_QB3FMgEQTJAYQuwJpKpAyf2v9ZF9wbRWcgofPyIeJdtwXWAf_0pHR7frWqn2_9KZvlO75pc4GzxFfPpvCiUZt7-T-tqg458/s640/wedding+sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding reception view and sunset. </td></tr>
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<br />
Meanwhile, we invested our pennies (or should I say, Benjamins, plenty of them) into hiring an incredible private chef for the reception who served us a meal we'll never forget including an assortment of other decadent desserts to accompany the cake, so there you go. Apps, divine food, cake, desserts, fruity rum drinks.... that was my wedding night, folks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozL34-41o7SPUdvIXHPfnwwE154YQUmrXY-JTGohGePBoaW4ksu6NoS_hELs5MbxfGQEIiPQg-NzjKmTMhNMYdZMW_CqUiupA_n3DuqryDxVQJpAHx8swAba3cMWV3Fbvw5k0rog3DDQ/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozL34-41o7SPUdvIXHPfnwwE154YQUmrXY-JTGohGePBoaW4ksu6NoS_hELs5MbxfGQEIiPQg-NzjKmTMhNMYdZMW_CqUiupA_n3DuqryDxVQJpAHx8swAba3cMWV3Fbvw5k0rog3DDQ/s320/IMG_0190.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home of the best painkiller on St. John.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Among the other indulgences that week, oh gosh. How about the "painkillers," no, not a pill like you're thinking, but rather a sinfully delicious cocktail consisting of coconut cream, pineapple juice, rum, and nutmeg. Hey that's "healthy" with the coconut cream aka good fats, right? Pssshhhh. Again: SUGAR! In this case sugar + booze. Bad news for the body, but man, they were tasty and probably enough calories to make each drink a full meal. Ha. We loved 'em.<br />
<br />
What else? I had a mini love affair with coconut rum and conch fritters not necessarily together (and the fritters, yes, these were the real deep-fried version). I had too much coffee and certainly ate my share of carbs at every opportunity.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, there was enough good healthy food to keep it in somewhat decent balance: Tons of fresh-caught fish and seafood (ceviche!), veggies, salads, yuca mash and so on at restaurants--did I mention, CEVICHE (WITH CHIPS)!!!--and healthy breakfasts that we made at home every morning. I also brought a stash of healthy snacks like my beloved <a href="http://amzn.to/2adtVOD" target="_blank">Primal Kitchen Dark Chocolate Almond bars</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2adtLa2" target="_blank">Epic bars</a>, Dang coconut chips (sugar free), and whatnot.... oh and plenty of activated charcoal capsules and milk thistle to try and offset the damage. Ha. Nice try right?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKtRQiFLpzBNiRvYDw96FqhbJcTO9KhnlI323kTplMIHuntQWILj9jHXzt3Fjz2xntEXpDPxCYV6NiDzNO_D1KPvWD3_fYy3-wnEhvrvIDvQUx5BvjzMFG7quGAB-i6339JCJHVbSVIg/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKtRQiFLpzBNiRvYDw96FqhbJcTO9KhnlI323kTplMIHuntQWILj9jHXzt3Fjz2xntEXpDPxCYV6NiDzNO_D1KPvWD3_fYy3-wnEhvrvIDvQUx5BvjzMFG7quGAB-i6339JCJHVbSVIg/s640/IMG_0174.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of good eats.... but keep scrolling....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3CIN5r5fIxHO68DCwTL7hwq5KTvuuqdBOdDGfgxEazo1PGFuCIl6HygpaZzra2h1eqeIjz_6tR6_ESjYJewaPdin_YP85AQUI35zsVNh3ZUXyLZh_9zbCtzhQqFKZ9C8J4vDKVzT4lg/s1600/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3CIN5r5fIxHO68DCwTL7hwq5KTvuuqdBOdDGfgxEazo1PGFuCIl6HygpaZzra2h1eqeIjz_6tR6_ESjYJewaPdin_YP85AQUI35zsVNh3ZUXyLZh_9zbCtzhQqFKZ9C8J4vDKVzT4lg/s640/IMG_0140.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not yet, although this fresh lobster was bomb...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi526KpEUdU8YFinxqsIzJv_YEPFah7W1Wg2GT0a4cmsl3spxGMT9DCwYIY6enhChrD9QfQe0rZlUG7-Ido86JSpmXw80Ynhs0k3DHlo-AuLcrGShyPhYnIJuBvyUQ9LLnMVXiH0Tl-Ou0/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi526KpEUdU8YFinxqsIzJv_YEPFah7W1Wg2GT0a4cmsl3spxGMT9DCwYIY6enhChrD9QfQe0rZlUG7-Ido86JSpmXw80Ynhs0k3DHlo-AuLcrGShyPhYnIJuBvyUQ9LLnMVXiH0Tl-Ou0/s640/IMG_0050.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There it is... Conch fritters from the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, FTW!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDM9wFceXt9iDZz-FjkpPTRIbAXBozbearerQWZMGJ50d8BwhrTlaxA4hgkqKzsB0tSF4FNCy7XJZUhQ8nzgoHeQcmUL7MgWo-v8EuRXVzCf-Qy-OCgP51oQEEJGtXBGORDEYtuiKr1E/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDM9wFceXt9iDZz-FjkpPTRIbAXBozbearerQWZMGJ50d8BwhrTlaxA4hgkqKzsB0tSF4FNCy7XJZUhQ8nzgoHeQcmUL7MgWo-v8EuRXVzCf-Qy-OCgP51oQEEJGtXBGORDEYtuiKr1E/s640/IMG_0046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As they say, sorry not sorry.</td></tr>
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<br />
I actually don't feel like I was being a total glutton, the way I picture lazy inactive people on cruises who do nothing but eat and drink all day. Au contraire. We were active non-stop the whole trip, not exercising but DOING stuff, so when we sat down to eat (or drink) I was hungry, ready for food, and as such never the whole trip did I feel like I gorged myself to a state of discomfort. That's why vacations are the best: From the moment we woke up to the moment we went to sleep we were doing something, often on our feet exploring, then refueling the machine when it was time. As such, my weight stayed steady and my gut not overly stressed. Weight fluctuations according to the scale? No idea. And no shits given. All that matters was that my tummy felt fine and my dress fit nicely ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiwo4zEP83xRLgwGOwUOLNolTYCapkfEds33rvCdeeyEZaLlzHMTRxZl6DPiCi9M0vu37dMkajOlxdkKAdhEVK5WN9gH6l-ACNsOxTsp9UG1Q0TIqjcwblznzHtrwb3JTQNflRNMzcJM/s1600/IMG_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiwo4zEP83xRLgwGOwUOLNolTYCapkfEds33rvCdeeyEZaLlzHMTRxZl6DPiCi9M0vu37dMkajOlxdkKAdhEVK5WN9gH6l-ACNsOxTsp9UG1Q0TIqjcwblznzHtrwb3JTQNflRNMzcJM/s320/IMG_0028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A week of this, and shockingly my body didn't blow up on me. There was no hint of a setback--gut issue or AI flare. Digestion and "morning business" were fine; in the past usually these would be my red flags if things were bad inside. Yea, I got hungover--although not as bad as if I drink fermented alcohols like wine and beer--and by the end could feel the general effects piling up. A lifestyle rich in sugar and cocktails will make you feel shitty and run down pretty quickly. But oddly in my case I was still feeling refreshed, and not guilty. Like, "Yea, I'm hungover, but it's worth it. My mind (and body) needed a bit of indulgence and island time, especially coming off the tough times and self-imposed discipline of earlier this year."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
When we came home I thought I'd be ready to hang up my party shoes, but apparently I wasn't quite ready yet. There were a couple weekends post-wedding in which we continued the celebration with friends, and I continued to indulge in some bad behaviors.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I'm not ignorant to the fact that this behavior would eventually catch up to me, even if I was feeling OK in the moment still. My AI healing earlier this year cleared up my detox pathways, repaired my gut, boosted my methylation, and recharged areas that were depleted so I've been way more resilient since--hence the successful indulgences--but that can definitely all get depleted and messed up again. I get it. I didn't lose control of my ongoing well-being.</b><br />
<br />
Finally, though, I hit my party threshold, and as soon as we hit the HST for our <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/07/backpacking-honeymoon-high-sierra-trail.html" target="_blank">backpacking honeymoon</a> a few weeks after the wedding I was ready to put the crazy nights behind me and get back to my clean, healthy, good-living ways. Out there on the trail was when we said goodbye to the booze and started going to bed before it was dark. From one extreme to the other. Or maybe it's just a good example of balance. Go play on an island; go "bathe" in the forest; then go home and live that healthy lifestyle. Repeat as necessary for your overall happiness. It goes beyond that for me too: I've discovered a new me, someone who's not terrified to eat a little gluten, let go of regular exercise, or live off non-perishable dehydrated meals for nearly a week. It's all ok on occasion! (And man when I got home I was like, "I want ALL the organic vegetables, greens, avocados and fresh protein I can get!!!!!" Makes you appreciate Whole Foods and healthy cooking.)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFPrs64e-heR0KFE9BF44KyBH4AzwNzkWoIsGnmvwvB3N6Jd40D9vtQbzeGesePDrl95ASVz936Mc4CfNj0NZO2ayIqIsz53VEDJpmjA54RJte6uFecoaLB7aFXcY2tGsMNBGtrY7A6s/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFPrs64e-heR0KFE9BF44KyBH4AzwNzkWoIsGnmvwvB3N6Jd40D9vtQbzeGesePDrl95ASVz936Mc4CfNj0NZO2ayIqIsz53VEDJpmjA54RJte6uFecoaLB7aFXcY2tGsMNBGtrY7A6s/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="240" /></a>Looking back, I'm so damn grateful that I was in a position to indulge, let loose and be a bit rebellious for our wedding week, I'd rather just go for it than feel like I'm living in a box. Who knows, maybe I <i>did</i> do a little damage to my health by "going for it," honestly I don't know, it doesn't feel like I did, but I'll soon find out on upcoming health tests that I'm doing (hormones, gut/stool, blood, etc). And I'll be sure to share. I find that fascinating that to this day all the AI shit that plagued me in January-March is non-existent still. It seems almost too good to be true. <u>I think the main thing to point out is that in all the crazy behavior and happenings, <i>never once did I feel stressed.</i> I was cool and keen.</u> That speaks volumes. Had I been freaking out inside over what I was doing, and worrying like the old me would have, the outcome may very well have been different.<br />
<br />
I've also been wondering lately: Had I been "pushing it" in the form of exercise/training stress instead of partying in the Caribbean, would I have gotten a setback from that? Hmmm.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE (8/22/16):</b><br />
<br />
After about four weeks of normalcy, i.e. seamlessly back to my routine of healthy eating, healthy living and quality exercising, my body was firing on all cylinders again and in such a good rhythm. Not that I feel nor function perfectly 24/7, I have my days even when I'm "doing it right," but I can tell the healthy habits directly allow for a consistently more quality me, inside and out, which is not earth-shattering news.<br />
<br />
We did have one little *casual* post-wedding celebration back at home with friends and family just recently and I did partake in the goodies again, i.e. cakes and desserts. This time all desserts were catered and <i>not</i> homemade gluten-free paleo mixes, haha. All good. While the sugar overload and late night made me feel like crap the next morning, it wasn't that bad being that this is not something I do daily so I could handle the stress of it and "recover" quickly. And quite frankly, to further drill in the theme of this post, I'd rather enjoy an incredibly memorable evening surrounded by loved ones, slice off some cake with my honey for all to witness, and just live a little rather than shy away into a life of isolation allowing fears, worries and what if's to dominate. I've fallen victim to that isolated life back in the day; my incessant worries lead me to obsessively control every little variable and every little morsel that went into my body, and it quite frankly that is a miserable way to live. I lost touch with my friends and avoided social connections, or if I did partake in an outing I was awkward and stressed out internally due to the underlying fears I'd feel about anything that did not align with my idea of "safe" food/drink/situations. I'd even be afraid long before a social outing out began, for like days heading into it fearing what I'd face out there! I thank the universe every day for having successfully broken from that way of living.<br />
<br />
If you head to my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tawneeprazak/" target="_blank">Insta account</a>, you'll see a little video I posted with John and I doing the cake-cutting ceremony at this little party we hosted, you can see with your own eyes that there was pure happiness, gratitude and no worries over ingredients in that moment.<br />
<br />
The point is: HEALTH IS MORE THAN A PERFECT DIET.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Take-Aways</b></span><br />
<br />
Tying this back with the Phil thing. I can totally get why he has no desire to act, behave and indulge like I've just described above. He's found his groove, he sticks to it, he's happy and 100 percent content. His mindstate is something to be admired, folks. He'll enjoy a glass of wine, but he doesn't need to go above and beyond, and that's ok for him. He'll bring an abundance of healthy foods when he travels. It works for him. No baggage (except lugging around the extra food lol). I know some other dudes who are like this too. All good, and I respect it and admire it. I like having my own healthy food back-ups when I travel too...<br />
<br />
Phil and I have a lot of similarities, why we're so close, but I come from a difference place mentally and a different life experience. For me, and with my history: I need the balance, I need to be able to stray from "perfect eating and living" every now and then, and just go with the flow. I don't plan to go to extremes like I did in the Caribbean regularly, but if we go out and I have a little gluten or too many calories and skip my workout the next day it's not the end of the world. I know a lot of other women who need this too but are too afraid to try. I want to change that because I think the fear is doing us more harm than good.<br />
<br />
Sooo, a lot...<br />
<b><br /></b><b>First, if you have a health condition that requires a special diet or special treatment or you're trying to break from sugar addition or repair the body from carb intolerance and metabolic problems, this may not apply to you...</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But for all those who are unhealthfully obsessed with your food intake, body image and exercise/training (and/or those actually suffering from or healing from an ED, female athlete triad, etc), finding a way to let go of some of the incessant need to control and seek better balance and inner peace should be the priority. The stress is doing you no good. If that means indulging to get there, so be it. When you're able to live and eat stress free and worry free it is a beautiful thing. </b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>I'm not condoning a high-sugar diet, but I think lately we've overly vilified sugar and carbs as the root of all evil. They can be in some cases for some bodies, but we can't generalize it like that. I think there is a time and place to have our carbs (and sugar!), whether refueling from exercise or an occasional treat. <a href="http://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2016/06/02/the-daily-lipid-podcast-episode-11_2/" target="_blank">Insulin even has a positive purpose in the body</a>. Just don't let it spiral out of control into an addiction, which we know is very real as it relates to sugar/carbs.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Or if it's FAT you still fear it's time to come to terms with it and make changes. </b><b>I still see women and men--some of whom have disordered eating or EDs--who are sugar/carb addicted and fear dietary fat, opting for low-fat, no-fat or diet foods that are lower in calories and laced with sugar, anti-nutrients or artificial sweeteners. Fat should be the foundation of our diets. Take it from one former fat-phob: it's not scary to embrace healthy fats especially when you reap the benefits. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqj55lo0Zn2oY_Brg_kVD9UVk2Xms1qJZ8qtqJ4Pt6PIb2ayTl9qUPVGgN_QOnIv0aA7StCm51lvTUVfITE8YQUwzy5mbmjzAkQleyMEmJzzeXjY9hg71FNbZDIq89ONuK3JLBt2rZPM/s1600/IMG_0072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqj55lo0Zn2oY_Brg_kVD9UVk2Xms1qJZ8qtqJ4Pt6PIb2ayTl9qUPVGgN_QOnIv0aA7StCm51lvTUVfITE8YQUwzy5mbmjzAkQleyMEmJzzeXjY9hg71FNbZDIq89ONuK3JLBt2rZPM/s400/IMG_0072.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't normally eat Shepherd's Pie, but when I do<br />
I make sure it's dehydrated from a bag (just add<br />
hot water!), has random bacon bites, and ingredients I<br />
normally wouldn't condone. #traillife #secondsplease</td></tr>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>We need to end this fear over one macronutrient or the other; when we literally banish carbs or fat or whatever you think is "poison" it often leads to problems. It's just not necessary for most of us. (Now there are exceptions--I think ketosis can serve as an incredibly effective treatment for cancer or diabetes, etc.) </b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>Or, maybe it's just more calories in general you need. Too many athletes are running around in a chronically depleted and under-fueled state, their poor bodies stressed from the shock tons of exercise and subsequent lack of nourishment. Performance only sticks around for so long, and health is on a downward spiral--thyroid, adrenals, hormones, etc. Fuel the machine, and it will repay you with better performance and health.</b><br />
<br />
<b>For the girl suffering from amenorrhea, those extra calories even in the form of sugar, carbs and/or fat will do you well. Trust me here, I wouldn't lead you down an unhealthy path.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>So if you are in a place where you know it's been too long since you've indulged, you're overly controlling every detail of intake and expenditure, and/or you know in your heart of hearts you need a more relaxed approach, just let it happen. It doesn't mean you'll develop diabetes, metabolic issues or grow love-handles over night. Nor will you lose all your fitness and muscles. In fact, I argue that this relaxed behavior and approach to life can IMPROVE health and fitness if you're currently a chronically stressed out person (like I was) or chronically restricting something.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Find your balance, then come full circle with a healthy routine and intuitive approach. Everyone's formula will be slightly different. But we can all learn our unique lessons from our actions.... if you regained a component of health that was missing by doing these "naughty" things then that speaks volumes--you needed it!</b><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, did I have any other repercussions? Hm, perhaps I impaired my fat-burning with all the carbs and sugar I had, but BUT because my body is so familiar with being a fat burner (in a healthy way, not a too-low-carb way) and because my diet at home is pretty darn clean, it didn't take long before I was feeling back to myself. I don't need to be a fat-burner to a keto level, just enough to feel healthy and in charge of my metabolism--not let it control me i.e. sugar cravings and energy crashes. Also, I still had a lot of dietary fat in the Caribbean so that's good at offsetting the carb-bombs, and meanwhile I was not over-eating--which I think is one of the worst things we can do for our health, that is, chronically overeat.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Lastly, exercise. I've been enjoying some downtime. It's been ~ 5 months since I "let go" of training and almost 4 months since the Boston Marathon. In that time I've done ZERO structured training outside of several weeks of maintenance runs in spring to ensure I would be ok to run 26.2 in Boston and not implode. I've exercised since, I still move frequently, and of course we did the HST trail, but structured training in a way that requires mental engagement and planning? None of that. At all.<br />
<br />
So after 5 months, that included some reallyyyy good times and truly letting go and losing fitness (oh, it's ugly folks) I have the itch again. It just hit me recently, and it isn't something I'm forcing. I feel like doing something "real" again with my body and fitness, having a routine and setting some new goals. I have ideas.... I like my ideas.... I just got a new Garmin. More to come.... and don't worry I won't do anything stupid ;)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFa-2YTsOSLAffP92NiNx0xZFvZWVzEu62hBuiwg3KCX3elCsXS36matLk51roSBeIzmqh_GPzKALGsRUJ76s3oRB0cGESW37Go4u5wEVY-WcS-JE-a4W9YCgHaxOM0wPVXuzPbiFvtw/s1600/trunk+bay+backs+with+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFa-2YTsOSLAffP92NiNx0xZFvZWVzEu62hBuiwg3KCX3elCsXS36matLk51roSBeIzmqh_GPzKALGsRUJ76s3oRB0cGESW37Go4u5wEVY-WcS-JE-a4W9YCgHaxOM0wPVXuzPbiFvtw/s640/trunk+bay+backs+with+island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go ahead, find your balance. Find peace. Find happiness. Let your hair down. Enjoy life.</td></tr>
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Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-41849394233159303832016-07-13T21:17:00.000-07:002017-07-06T13:56:53.492-07:00Backpacking Honeymoon: The High Sierra Trail & Mt. WhitneyLots to catch up on over here! The big news is that John and I got married over on St. John USVI in a very small, low-key wedding. We had a blast celebrating for a week in the Caribbean, and my health and AI healing allowed me to fully enjoy the experience--all the food, drinks and activities--without a worry in the world (I plan to write a post sharing my thoughts on indulgences and whatnot in the near future). We were with family the whole week on St. John, so naturally we would still need some alone time to bond as husband and wife. Enter the honeymoon.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7TBvUr2a_VEHpeVTVTpL-C5u5bqgICF8P1R21xs8vs4M41YskZuyhBmp6XlGdy1sspRgmEG1Np34wpnr8_RqnEqynURLpEXt0HBEaHIqReG2_Tpcqp6m_AJ1r_NZuZwEKaPopOd7QEk/s1600/021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7TBvUr2a_VEHpeVTVTpL-C5u5bqgICF8P1R21xs8vs4M41YskZuyhBmp6XlGdy1sspRgmEG1Np34wpnr8_RqnEqynURLpEXt0HBEaHIqReG2_Tpcqp6m_AJ1r_NZuZwEKaPopOd7QEk/s640/021.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6-11-16 / Trunk Bay, St. John, USVI</td></tr>
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<br />
Backing up a bit, last June, we got the idea for our honeymoon after a short backpacking trip that took us 11-ish miles into the High Sierra Trail (HST), a gorgeous area located in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Calif., near the John Muir Trail, Yosemite, and some of the most beautiful land in the country. The HST is a west-to-east thru-hike crossing the Sierra Nevadas that starts at Crescent Meadow, in Sequoia National Park, and ends at Whitney Portal, 9 miles from Lone Pine (or vice versa; you can do the trail east to west). There's a 4-mile roundtrip offshoot in which you can reach the top of Mt. Whitney at the end. Depending on who you ask and what GPS is being used, it's a 70-80 mile route, all at elevation ranging from 7,000 ft to 14,508 ft--the high point being the peak of Mt. Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous United States. Since John and I love our crazy adventures we thought, "What a awesome idea to do the entire HST together over the course of a week for our honeymoon!"<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Why Go Through The 'Trouble' To Backpack For a Week--For Your Honeymoon!?</span></b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZUsguVzI8rQwrmSNboWWkXmPcKMgDn2q4J2LD12NQPeY8gzndE-h8_5hH9C0oGaiyQorA1PCceSy8X_eW0ugQYGNKzXCmcIOB2nDhk3hNwIdcTR_NiEvrohWzXrzDLzFgEjjuWSXqpw/s1600/IMG_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZUsguVzI8rQwrmSNboWWkXmPcKMgDn2q4J2LD12NQPeY8gzndE-h8_5hH9C0oGaiyQorA1PCceSy8X_eW0ugQYGNKzXCmcIOB2nDhk3hNwIdcTR_NiEvrohWzXrzDLzFgEjjuWSXqpw/s640/IMG_0929.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just one reason why.</td></tr>
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Every ounce of struggle is worth the reward. Doing the HST is the real deal, with so much planning and preparation before you even step a foot on the trail, then once you're out there it requires an insane amount of focus, mental strength and work. Your physical condition matters too, it ain't easy, but it's way more mental to make it through a journey like this. I've been backpacking for over a year now and up until the HST it was as if I'd only done sprint triathlons, and now I just stepped it up to Ironman. Now I get it, I really get it.<br />
<br />
When I was out there I was thinking a lot about the physical vs. mental of backpacking compared with triathlon/endurance sport. I think anyone can become a backpacker even with minimal training and not being in incredible physical shape (not so with Ironman); you just go your own pace, and hike your hike. But from a mental perspective I think a long backpacking trip like we just did requires a different level of mental fortitude. When you're in the backcountry there is no hot shower, fresh meal, beer and soft bed at the end of the day. If you have blisters you have to endure them for 144-plus hours maybe more, not just a dozen or so. If something hurts or you're having a bad day you can't DNF on the trail. There's no med tent--you're your own med tent--and no aid stations. John and I are people who need this kind of an extreme challenge our lives. We love going outside our comfort zones and the thrill of the unknown.<br />
<br />
When you're finally out there off the grid it's like nothing else in this world. This is not visiting Half Dome. You are no longer in a National Park that's inundated with tourists, congestion, visitor centers, and crappy convenience food. Don't get me wrong I love and appreciate the beauty of Yosemite, Giant Sequoias and all these places not to mention how well they're maintained considering the flow of people coming in and out, but they're oversaturated and almost like an extension of Disneyland these days. Even group campsites are overcrowded in my opinion and often overwhelming to me; they make the idea of being "in nature" a little less authentic. I don't mind car camping, but you can't equate it to backpacking off the grid. When backpacking, I want to earn my quiet, remote campsite that is dozens of miles from roads and crowds, I want to earn my views by hiking millions of steps with a simple pack on my back, and I want to be as off the grid as possible--just with my backpacking mate. I don't want it to be easy--if it were easy everyone would do it.<br />
<br />
When we're in backpacking mode, it's just different. That relatively uncomfortable sleeping pad is worth giving up your cozy bed at home. Being dirty and wearing the same clothes every day isn't even a problem. And while a shower would be nice, a dip in a lake or stream isn't such a bad tradeoff. Mirrors aren't even a thing (if you bring a mirror backpacking this is a problem); thus, how you look? No one gives a shit. Backpacking has its own unique set of hurdles and stressors, but you have choices in how you perceive and process such things and it doesn't have to be so bad. I've found that the little obstacles and potentially stressful situations end up being the most fulfilling experiences.<br />
<br />
That said, I can't say I'd do a HST-style trip more than once a year and it may be a long while till we do a big thru-hike again--it was gnarly! But if you're a backpacker you know why you eventually go back for more.<br />
<br />
So anyway, that's just a tidbit of what keeps us coming back and why we wanted to up the distance and duration for our honeymoon. I know it's a crazy idea for a honeymoon, but I honestly can't imagine a better way to bond with another human, work together, build as a team and find your stride. Whether it's a moment of victory (like summiting Whitney), a moment of pain and frustration, or somewhere in between, you're in it together as one. John and I were perfect mates out there, and that's not to say it was all unicorns and rainbows--shit got tough a few times but we know how to turn even the tough moments into moments of growth, which we'll draw on for a lifetime. What we got on our backpacking honeymoon is not something you can get sitting poolside with a cocktail (we did that in St. John). The trail is different and what happens with your partner makes for an even deeper, meaningful partnership.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Itinerary & The HST</span></b><br />
<br />
First, for more resources on the exact gear we use and packed, meal plan, travel, timeline, and more, scroll the "Resources" section at the end of this post. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I_JieTpse5adZHA_Wsdr1uDjmlw8nb5EonnlDWFPtnM/edit#gid=1249699730" target="_blank">Or just click here</a>. And the podcast we did on Endurance Planet with Lucho hosting is <a href="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/endurance-tales-backpacking-the-high-sierra-trail-summiting-mt-whitney-and-comparisons-with-competitive-sport/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
We started basic planning last year, but in the past few months we've dialed in as many details as possible. We mapped out our route with all the campsites we planned to stay at, aiming for 8 days and 7 nights, July 5-12, with a relatively conservative approach in terms of daily mileage--we just weren't sure how we'd feel and didn't want to overdo it. The first couple days would be our time to acclimatize and get ready for the harder days ahead. As you'll read, by Day 3 we felt like we were under-doing it, could easily handle more miles, and quite frankly finishing in 6 days sounded way better than 8 days--roughing to this extent does get old after a while--so we doubled up our mileage for two days, skipping by a couple planned campsites and without too much suffering got ahead of schedule, ultimately finishing two days early. We ended up doing the whole HST in 6 days, 5 nights, logging just over 78 miles when all was said and done. The trail got harder as we moved west to east, yet it became easier for us each day as our bodies adjusted, and if it's possible it became more beautiful and more crazy in an adventurous way. We didn't feel like we were rushing at all by shortening our time out there but rather enjoying the challenge of it even more--for us it gets old sitting around at a camp and resting for 7+ hours every day!<br />
<br />
Doing this in July is perfect timing and while the 5th was not our ideal start date, we made it work. You don't have to get a permit to hike up Whitney if you come from the backside (westside) like we did, but you do need a permit to start the HST so getting that arranged well in advanced is key. I think we locked in our start date back in March and probably should have even done it earlier. Also for us, to be honest, with all the partying we partook in during our wedding week and since, the HST trip came at the perfect time, allowing us to get back to a healthy routine and to detox ;)<br />
<br />
One genius thing we did was buy a <a href="http://amzn.to/29DmVKk" target="_blank">DeLorme InReach Explorer 2-Way Satellite Communicator</a> so in case of emergency we actually could get in touch with the world (phones obviously don't get reception out there). We also gave my parents daily updates to let them know we were all good, and shared a tracking link with friends and family so they could follow our journey. Best purchase ever for this kind of backpacking, and they were quite popular out there--I'd say more than half the people we saw had one.<br />
<br />
Backcountry conditions out there in July are reliable and ideal--stream/creek/river crossings are manageable and not as threatening as in spring when water is really flowing; it's hot but not too hot like it can be in August; it's chilly in the late night and early mornings but not freezing (except at Whitney); storms are possible but not a bit threat; the days are long with an abundance of sunlight; and so on. Some folks will report seeing no snow some years, while others report that there was plenty. Snow for us was not an "issue" but patches of snow were certainly in abundance the deeper/higher we got into the trail making for even more beautiful scenery. Meanwhile, we had not one hint of a storm and nearly every day was bright blue skies without a single cloud--as good as it gets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Rt1WTleClk7eFe0XUYoUQ67hBi7-7vxR9ofzs-LS0rG8ctPyZSQCRuIvzAKPLD1VSYogSE_rzOObKtoZ1EBrk-i8UyOpd79gdCzWbdorHHN02o4AkhXFfuzKeuhTkzl4VLoboqgu4fw/s1600/IMG_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Rt1WTleClk7eFe0XUYoUQ67hBi7-7vxR9ofzs-LS0rG8ctPyZSQCRuIvzAKPLD1VSYogSE_rzOObKtoZ1EBrk-i8UyOpd79gdCzWbdorHHN02o4AkhXFfuzKeuhTkzl4VLoboqgu4fw/s320/IMG_0574.JPG" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ospreys in transit.</td></tr>
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As for our packs? We both love our <a href="http://amzn.to/2afHvCz" target="_blank">Osprey anti-gravity packs</a> (I had to go through a few other brands that weren't working for me before finally finding and falling in love with <a href="http://amzn.to/29DtoVK" target="_blank">this one</a>), and we did our best to keep them lighter than our 3-day trips when we don't care about weight so much and bring whatever. I think we did ok but certainly weren't ultralight like some folks are out there. Upon leaving mine weighed 40 lbs and John's weighed 43-45 lbs. We each were carrying 4 liters of water too, which was nearly 10 lbs each (we would not hike with full water after this). Also, our food weighed 20 lbs (8 days worth). And all the gear we brought was essential minus a few minor mistakes. So there's not much more we could have cut (see more details in resources section on what al we brought).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There's some good info on the HST on the internet and whatnot, but there's a lot of conflicting data so it's hard to really know anything for sure until you do it yourself--that's part of the adventure. We kind of knew what to expect but we equally surprised along the way; it's great to have a plan but also to just let your own adventure unfold and just be prepared for anything. As long as you have a basic plan, a map, and common sense you'll survive. I really learned on this trip to never fully trust any one resource, and even if a map said 4 miles, expect it to be 6 or 7.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uEhsCRCbTHoH1PVu6gn5NBiruxLOCFAzZdPQbOzkELVxtCGAM9SFXjg1c-hEDDbTht_MzyCCzAgGqclb-wfYwgy-c_DH3tZF4UGAL_jSAS3EBL1po-euPtKZfxMXA3vBCzuRSjqLTxE/s1600/Screenshot+2016-07-15+07.44.10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uEhsCRCbTHoH1PVu6gn5NBiruxLOCFAzZdPQbOzkELVxtCGAM9SFXjg1c-hEDDbTht_MzyCCzAgGqclb-wfYwgy-c_DH3tZF4UGAL_jSAS3EBL1po-euPtKZfxMXA3vBCzuRSjqLTxE/s640/Screenshot+2016-07-15+07.44.10.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly what we did, from the <a href="http://amzn.to/29JGfc8" target="_blank">DeLorme</a> we carried. See more interactive details <a href="https://share.delorme.com/TawnJohn" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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<br />
My old triathlon buddy, Ryan Denner, did the HST last year with friends and wrote a good blog on it <a href="http://blog.ryandenner.com/2015/08/high-sierra-trail.html" target="_blank">here</a>. His trip was pretty similar to ours but they finished with 10 fewer miles than us, hm, lol. See what I mean? There is also a decent chance that our trek was less than 78 miles. Looking at data from our <a href="http://amzn.to/29PMzQp" target="_blank">DeLorme</a>, which we think underestimated mileage due to its tracking frequency, we can probably draw some better conclusions somewhere between it and the Garmin. <i>But at the end of the day, does exact mileage really matter?! Nope. It's the journey that counts.</i><br />
<br />
Thankfully the actual trail that comprises the HST is incredibly well-maintained and easy to follow--never once a risk of getting lost for 6 days. It's mind-boggling to me that at some point a group of people took such care to construct this trail (no easy feat), and over the years badass people maintain it to near-perfection. That doesn't mean it's an easy trail to hike, just that its quality is impeccable for being so out there off the grid. Of course you have your occasional obstacle on the trail, which keeps it interesting ;)<br />
<br />
One thing I didn't realize about the HST was how diverse the landscape would be. I'm still in shock how each day, or often each couple miles, the environment and scenery would change so drastically--we'd go from dense forest to granite mountains, from green valleys to snowy mountain passes, from lakes with icebergs to lakes with sandy bottoms and warm waters.<br />
<br />
Speaking of water, I will say, lack of water is clearly not an issue in the High Sierras! I've never seen so many waterfalls in my life--even more than in Hawaii--and I can't even tell you how many rivers/creeks/streams we crossed. Water is even flowing from cracks in the giant granite mountains making for some of the most beautiful sights I've ever laid my eyes on. Thus every campsite I'll mention below had a reliable, safe water source that we could filter using our <a href="http://amzn.to/29IWNSQ" target="_blank">Platypus</a>, and also a bear box or two (except for night 4, which you'll find out why later).<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiAlGbWb4YHvvofocXX4MOQm_q9lnMwQAiNepRXfn2-fQm5MlD14pjd15L6s8gp86PhmWFQPBKpzscQ-PeZWAUsqbhuZjR7IcxFqKusvfFJuHff3ehn8JFCEFqyCyw_TaTLwiejUAf-4/s1600/IMG_0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiAlGbWb4YHvvofocXX4MOQm_q9lnMwQAiNepRXfn2-fQm5MlD14pjd15L6s8gp86PhmWFQPBKpzscQ-PeZWAUsqbhuZjR7IcxFqKusvfFJuHff3ehn8JFCEFqyCyw_TaTLwiejUAf-4/s640/IMG_0016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We always try to filter water from streams, creeks, or rivers; but on night 4 all we had was this gem, Moraine Lake, and the water was fine after going through the Platypus.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
So now the story of each day... It's a novel, I know, but it's a blast for me to relive these memories through writing. If you skip days, at least read Days 4 & 6 :)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>*On each day's sub-headline below, click the Day + Miles (reddish font) to open our full Garmin file with that day's stats.* </b>Note on garmin files: we did not stop our watch when taking rest breaks or a lunch break; the watch started when we left a camp and it stopped upon arrival at the next camp.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029638" target="_blank">Day 1 - 6.2 miles</a> </span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Crescent Meadow (trailhead) to Mehrten Creek </span></b><br />
<br />
One of the trickiest parts of planning a thru-hike is transportation to and from the trail--it'd be a hassle to park your car at the trailhead then end up 80 miles away on the other side of a huge mountain range. Some thru-hikers do key swaps, but finding someone who was doing the trail in the opposite direction whose itinerary synced up with ours seemed like a pain in the ass. So we devised our own plan: A car rental plus public transportation to get there, and to get home my parents, who love to camp, graciously offered to come up to Whitney Portal to pick us up (a win-win because they got in a little camping themselves as they waited). Done.<br />
<br />
We left July 5 at 5 a.m. from Laguna Beach in the rental car we picked up the day prior. We drove to Visalia, dropped off the rental, and then took the Sequoia Shuttle departing from the Wyndham Hotel into the National Park (you need to reserve spots and pre-pay for this shuttle). From there we took the free in-park shuttle to Lodgepole to pick up our permits and then shuttled over to Crescent Meadow, the trailhead where we'd begin. All in all the travel to get from our home to the trailhead was over 8 hours, a bit long and drawn out, but the plan went flawlessly. We knew we would have to shake the fatigue from sitting in vehicles all day, and get going on our hike.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucHdVhx-NUL9Mbi0Iauy8CaCWhdJfnJ1W5L3Rme2HMQAGYIunmggHeZsg43kIgOIYmR9ZT0Cxg2EoXHXTP_wq1AO8ogiKeHJtBySAXBH3tC45vtLBBQq0tSpvkSakbuTKGD3hG3xil1g/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucHdVhx-NUL9Mbi0Iauy8CaCWhdJfnJ1W5L3Rme2HMQAGYIunmggHeZsg43kIgOIYmR9ZT0Cxg2EoXHXTP_wq1AO8ogiKeHJtBySAXBH3tC45vtLBBQq0tSpvkSakbuTKGD3hG3xil1g/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" width="239" /></a><br />
There was no send-off ceremony, sadly. We just slipped out under the radar <span style="text-align: center;">and with just our packs sometime around 1:30 p.m. The trail starts at ~6,700 ft and right away gains elevation, continuing with rolling terrain but no major climbing yet. I was huffing and puffing. I really didn't train much for this trip outside of some 5- to 6-mile trail hikes at sea level with my <a href="http://amzn.to/29OhY55" target="_blank">weighted vest</a> one or two times a week. During our wedding week I didn't exercise once (but was very active) and I just haven't been in the mood to grind out proper training since. Backpacking dozens of miles at elevation is no joke, and I was a bit nervous about my fitness going into this mostly because I didn't want to feel like shit and wanted to be able to enjoy it all, but I also know I have experience in being mentally tough as nails and enough of an endurance base to get me through. And as they say, you actually get fitter and more acclimatized each day on a trip like this, which I found to be true.</span><br />
<br />
We probably pushed too and were hiking too fast to begin before our bodies had acclimatized, getting there in just over 2 hours. It hadn't clicked for us yet that a major backpacking trip like this requires even smarter pacing and adequate rest breaks. You can't feel guilty if you stop to rest or if mile paces seem "slow." We had to figure this out on our own, though. Yet on Day 1 and even into Day 2 we were stupidly still looking at it like a race to that day's finish line.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1Bw9GKJGnkN4lg_M408m2j6fLdIrviG-vlGj5osYrHg60X5gaD4jcug3q6I8D9EXh7QeoS-8djAZ6fc75Gn4KcK_RrFDq3HzUEUfbDmB2oQNKVyg7_OSu4h-KRadAONcErHha-Ar-bA/s1600/IMG_0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1Bw9GKJGnkN4lg_M408m2j6fLdIrviG-vlGj5osYrHg60X5gaD4jcug3q6I8D9EXh7QeoS-8djAZ6fc75Gn4KcK_RrFDq3HzUEUfbDmB2oQNKVyg7_OSu4h-KRadAONcErHha-Ar-bA/s320/IMG_0595.JPG" width="240" /></a>We arrived at camp before 4 p.m., had to climb up the slippery granite mountain a bit further off the trail where the campsites were, and we got set up. Setting up camp, the stove, and all of it is pretty much like a reflex for us now and we could do it with eyes closed. We were so stoked to finally be out there, but exhausted and starving so I made us dinner at 5 p.m. On the menu: Organic Shepherd's Pie by <a href="http://amzn.to/2abgYGz" target="_blank">MaryJaneFarm</a> and Savory Summit Chicken by <a href="http://amzn.to/2abhynq" target="_blank">Paleo Meals To Go</a> with a dessert of 85% dark chocolate. We ate, enjoyed the view in our remote private campsite, cleaned up, tucked into the tent and were asleep before it was even dark out, by about 7:15 pm. What a romantic first night of a honeymoon, eh?! Hehe. But it felt great just to relax and fall asleep in the wild.<br />
<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
It's worth mentioning that we did not bring an ounce of booze. We've had our share of celebratory drinks lately with the wedding and whatnot, and this trip was not about that. We needed to recover well each day and feel awesome, and a even a swig of whiskey from a flask did not appeal to us.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb1D3kfA2SoSHd57nofS-ZI1sTrjAedd_IKR6eBU6_p0OVapWsw2ufgNq-B00ZNhBrRG3ZR3TTfrjqJE5HXB2AksHvhxuUIo3OUkVAmZF3Bcgbbxowjn77pTjqaT9nnJUO47sWtsiAco/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb1D3kfA2SoSHd57nofS-ZI1sTrjAedd_IKR6eBU6_p0OVapWsw2ufgNq-B00ZNhBrRG3ZR3TTfrjqJE5HXB2AksHvhxuUIo3OUkVAmZF3Bcgbbxowjn77pTjqaT9nnJUO47sWtsiAco/s640/IMG_0004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our camp at Mehrten Creek. This was just the beginning of scenery to die for on the HST!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029658" target="_blank">Day 2 - 10.16 miles </a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mehrten Creek to Hamilton Lakes</span></b><br />
<br />
The great part about going to sleep early in the wilderness is waking up as soon as it starts getting light out, about 5:20 a.m., and feeling like a rockstar. I love how my circadian rhythm adjusts so well out there and it's a testament that all the artificial light, electronics and noises of modern living really do mess with us, especially our sleep quality, no matter how hard you try to hack it. We woke up ready to get some action, and we were also excited because Day 2 would now take us into new territory where we'd never been before.<br />
<br />
The morning routine, which we'd continue for the full trip, was John on tent cleanup and packing duty, and me on breakfast duty. We'd then eat together followed by getting everything else efficiently packed after breakfast for an early start on the trail. Our breakfasts were bomb. Quinoa flakes (for me) and oats (for John), and to each bowl I added protein powder, chia seeds, dried blueberries, cinnamon, pink salt and boiling water. To my porridge I also added <a href="http://amzn.to/29RtcYG" target="_blank">PaleoKrunch</a> nut-based granola and psyllium husk; John opted for a bigger portion of oats instead. The <a href="http://amzn.to/2abhiF6" target="_blank">Artisana coconut butter</a> packets I brought were impossibly rock solid in this environment, but eventually I figured out a trick to make them work: Saw open the package with a knife, drop the rock-hard brick of coconut into the porridge <i>before </i>adding water, then add the boiling water, which immediately softened the coconut butter and it perfectly integrated it into the porridge making for an even higher-fat satiating power breakfast.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6iOSSO-ZVdGXChoLU8IwlU4fsO50JQ1fuhosJEwC8DJNyIRti_ldj4dcf1lprKh1qfCcbhFmA-GEhI0iPOEKS_UfFObQQZ-QYK5dPt5853_sSWPxNXno5Y6rDBL0fw0kvCh5mNgujRI/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6iOSSO-ZVdGXChoLU8IwlU4fsO50JQ1fuhosJEwC8DJNyIRti_ldj4dcf1lprKh1qfCcbhFmA-GEhI0iPOEKS_UfFObQQZ-QYK5dPt5853_sSWPxNXno5Y6rDBL0fw0kvCh5mNgujRI/s640/IMG_0949.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67TYiJmGGDLAnNQXWDju3GCMBVGAIrc6nliQ-n_TysUDpLN1puWFTV0fzE1gD2OBKcgHwe19GDl1lnouJc62CCSm0M-dLBv-3_lsG6CdDuVfRxYtGgY_6vovRUKFmNTJz7Htm2bkpiEk/s1600/IMG_0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67TYiJmGGDLAnNQXWDju3GCMBVGAIrc6nliQ-n_TysUDpLN1puWFTV0fzE1gD2OBKcgHwe19GDl1lnouJc62CCSm0M-dLBv-3_lsG6CdDuVfRxYtGgY_6vovRUKFmNTJz7Htm2bkpiEk/s640/IMG_0022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">After. Mine left, John's right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 2 we were off by 7:45 a.m., which was one of our later starts but also one of the "shorter" days--or so we thoughts. We expected it to be just 8 miles to the next camp at Hamilton Lakes. We thus decided to wait to have lunch until at camp, knowing we had bars and/or trail mix as snacks along the way if needed. I was thinking I'd be fine with minimal snacks and could wait until lunch. Mistake. The hike ended up being 2 more miles than expected and 4:48 total time, and the terrain was much more tough and taxing than expected too. I starting bonking by mile 8. After this day I realized that I couldn't let this happen anymore--I had to fuel appropriately because as we all know a bonk really drains you of energy and makes it harder to recover for what's up next. There's no room for error; you have to be on top of your shit. From this day forward I did not mess up my nutrition--solid meals and snacks were the name of the game, and the more we ate the lighter our packs got ;)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPdYLp9JrTp6JkeEu8P4Vm8H-VZrfCdmwoJkPEek4oMN7otJAIIynIhBkV2qfwUp-KFXne7E0-JsxF_pqfBoFZegASqdggqT_bqktZIzx-JaSDhrnV0ix_WWPsRWJ7dxDm8VRwo5NlQs/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPdYLp9JrTp6JkeEu8P4Vm8H-VZrfCdmwoJkPEek4oMN7otJAIIynIhBkV2qfwUp-KFXne7E0-JsxF_pqfBoFZegASqdggqT_bqktZIzx-JaSDhrnV0ix_WWPsRWJ7dxDm8VRwo5NlQs/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" width="239" /></a>Day 2 we got a tad more more dialed in. The 10 miles in this section gave us a better taste of the elevation and crazy climbs on the HST--i.e. giant stone "stairs" that just kept going up and up and up. We also had to let go of having the attitude that each day was a race--this would wreck us; slowly we were starting to practice more patience and respect, soak in the views and rest when we had to. We still went too fast Day 2 but we were learning. It wasn't hard to pause for a minute to gaze at the Western Great Divide (pictured at left), waterfalls, the carefully constructed bridge, and so on.<br />
<br />
<br />
I then fell in love with big Hamilton Lake as soon as I laid eyes on it (there are several little lakes that make up Hamilton Lakes as well overflow campsites before you hit the main lake; don't stop too soon.)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFroGVIwBk5l1ms9-MgVYa5gVylyRp_srB-S6gvk0DjD9G-jMqaUepW8tsacBHDQoahpyZsjRSytKsXw1TuptSOZFKwG8vCvMwp8_408kMix9y2-lx2He6sDFPF0uPPWElVR0e0JT7Qs/s1600/IMG_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFroGVIwBk5l1ms9-MgVYa5gVylyRp_srB-S6gvk0DjD9G-jMqaUepW8tsacBHDQoahpyZsjRSytKsXw1TuptSOZFKwG8vCvMwp8_408kMix9y2-lx2He6sDFPF0uPPWElVR0e0JT7Qs/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
We got to the campsite before 2 p.m., giving us the rest of the day to eat, rest, soak in the lake, take in the sights and move slowly, no rushing. While I'm glad we had many hours to chill at this location, I think all this downtime planted the seed that we could probably take on more mileage each day than we'd planned. It was good we had this day to acclimatize more (sleeping at 7,850 ft), but I think we were ready to up the ante. Meanwhile, this lake was a slice of heaven. We laid on the smooth stone shore for hours drying off, staying warm and watching the rainbow trout swim right up to the shoreline teasing us. We stared off into the distance trying to spot the trail that would lead us to 10,700 ft elevation the next morning. I took a semi-nap, we read, we talked, we studied the map and talked about what laid ahead. Marmots were all around, which we got accustomed to last year, but something that was new to me were the deer here. They were quite brave and curious, literally hanging out and foraging in the campgrounds--sending us the message to not be careless about where we left our food and belongings. If we were not using food and toiletries, they were always in the provided bear box, and this rule stood true at every campsite (just safer this way). We had our own portable bear canister, but we also had more food and toiletries than would fit in that alone for the first few days.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aQiS1NEoZpWYsQIPE5VUk0DLzHqWkemsMll7JsSROtsPbK4inMc4qnRPiM8QKIe_qMojAOh596t8tKqLYlY2YOm8RHd5CwiNjU0jjzqev7yB2ntTahSthODJM1Tda_9QFaB19HXQRFw/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aQiS1NEoZpWYsQIPE5VUk0DLzHqWkemsMll7JsSROtsPbK4inMc4qnRPiM8QKIe_qMojAOh596t8tKqLYlY2YOm8RHd5CwiNjU0jjzqev7yB2ntTahSthODJM1Tda_9QFaB19HXQRFw/s640/IMG_0008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Hamilton Lake. Only 16 miles into the HST, a gem.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY8ph8CnrC23BFc7ykGsZN2K3TKrZgAzGWqUH8DPXwSPujoAxY4foF4LFfApq1bq0ZyHlRTlTFwT67tnyrl3o4ETheW9f8Tr3PZzyTgr1jRcQstj9ptpVIGcs0yE0_rQ-CGqaxhrhbRw/s1600/IMG_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY8ph8CnrC23BFc7ykGsZN2K3TKrZgAzGWqUH8DPXwSPujoAxY4foF4LFfApq1bq0ZyHlRTlTFwT67tnyrl3o4ETheW9f8Tr3PZzyTgr1jRcQstj9ptpVIGcs0yE0_rQ-CGqaxhrhbRw/s640/IMG_0010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to spot the trail on the mountainside that would lead us to 10,700 ft and over the Kaweah Gap.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQH5t4lHBdXjY7QkSd6cj85OGgzGRdBMy3tO89a5VlKd7ErEuIP_8ryKsR1jtkgpmkxkbN-zssJIvoFa8OtuirbJkQcKSrP2rpa3-qvbuIP1BnyXGwpnrxET370zoltnLwlY_87L6ZVc/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQH5t4lHBdXjY7QkSd6cj85OGgzGRdBMy3tO89a5VlKd7ErEuIP_8ryKsR1jtkgpmkxkbN-zssJIvoFa8OtuirbJkQcKSrP2rpa3-qvbuIP1BnyXGwpnrxET370zoltnLwlY_87L6ZVc/s640/IMG_0013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brave deer. Drying clothes. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Believe it or not, there was a pit toilet at this campsite! But the funny part is that I didn't use it. haha. I actually enjoy digging a hole and squatting.... and I'll leave it at that. There were two other couples camping here, and later in the evening a family who hiked in and set up camp, also some hikers who passed by. To me, this seemed pretty crowded considering we were getting pretty far out there. But Hamilton Lakes is still close enough to reality and gorgeous enough to make it worth the 16-mile trek. Even with neighbors, there was an abundance of space to make your home, and our campsite was right near the lake complete with a stone "table and bench."<br />
<br />
Dinner was the same thing except rotated the Paleo Meal to Mountain Beef Stew instead of the chicken. We both love the Shepherd's Pie--it's a good carb to refuel with so that was on the menu most nights. The Paleo meals are very protein heavy and it's ideal to pair them with a more carb-heavy meal like the Shepherd's Pie.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7DwGocL-Q1lkzxX4LKfU1KkfNDn0ZDdegeC_j2AdxSiaPPk9TjkXMawyK7sqhMh-V9pIQsdPriHumCsA22-e7mVv9ASoMFo3eWQZNjReHEU7xFOoWdPKwhKJTu6IFM5NgsmuJUcADOY/s1600/IMG_0064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7DwGocL-Q1lkzxX4LKfU1KkfNDn0ZDdegeC_j2AdxSiaPPk9TjkXMawyK7sqhMh-V9pIQsdPriHumCsA22-e7mVv9ASoMFo3eWQZNjReHEU7xFOoWdPKwhKJTu6IFM5NgsmuJUcADOY/s640/IMG_0064.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner bowl - Shepherd's Pie and Mountain Beef Stew. Hearty fuel FTW.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
That night we went to bed watching a buck rummage by a tree about 10 ft from us--and yes, it was still light out when we went to sleep on Day 2. But we were so excited for the next day and knew it was going to be a doozy.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029683" target="_blank">Day 3 - 16.25 miles </a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hamilton Lakes to Moraine Lake</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">I woke up feeling good and refreshed like I usually start to feel a couple days into a backpacking trip, but yet I felt a bit off--and it wasn't just soreness/fatigue from the two days so far. Hmm. I tried not to overthink it can certainly wasn't going to let a little "off-ness" tarnish the adventure that awaited us. I knew Day 3 included the one thing that I was looking forward to seeing probably even more than the summit of Mt. Whitney, and that was Precipice Lake. I fell in love with this lake last year when I started researching the HST. It's unlike any lake or landmark I've ever seen. Getting to Precipice from Hamilton is only ~3 miles, BUT it requires ascending over 2,000 ft to about the 10k elevation point, with dozens of slippery stream and "waterfall" crossings as you zig-zag up the granite mountainside. Waterfall in quotes because they were not gushing but rather just a sleek layer of water flowing steadily and mellowly from the steep granite mountainside, intersecting with the trail and often flooding our path and requiring careful footing.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">But before all that, within the first quarter mile there was a relatively sketchy stream crossing in which there were very few exposed rocks to hop over so it wasn't going to be easy. The risk of slipping off a semi-exposed rock and into the water was high. I did not want wet, sloshing boots especially before 7 a.m. I was nervous about what to do. John needed some patience to deal with me. We had time, so I took off my boots and socks, tied them to my pack, strapped on my sandals and walked through the calf-deep river with the aid of my beloved <a href="http://amzn.to/29Es32K" target="_blank">trekking poles</a>. Swapping shoes takes a bit longer but it was so much easier to cross--and guaranteed dry boots! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu8D0l-bRuRmzwdBCwsdS2XulDrwUx7vHV0-Ds_DS0juPrxT_-Bl-tDy-5ToumF5LXsNrQZ2qf0NlPqgON99bCHPe_aJvDSxdkWCGFrD2eVr2FpZb-ODVoHgBr7MmJZcGywSRFG6N18Y/s1600/IMG_0069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu8D0l-bRuRmzwdBCwsdS2XulDrwUx7vHV0-Ds_DS0juPrxT_-Bl-tDy-5ToumF5LXsNrQZ2qf0NlPqgON99bCHPe_aJvDSxdkWCGFrD2eVr2FpZb-ODVoHgBr7MmJZcGywSRFG6N18Y/s320/IMG_0069.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: center;">We then got immediately into climbing the first mountain pass of the day. (And depending on the decisions we made later that day at the 8-mile mark we'd have another pass to get over as well.) The first beauty of a mountain that we climbed wasn't even a pain because every direction you looked the scenery was beyond breathtaking and unique to anything I'd ever seen up close. It was one of my favorite experiences. Smooth granite, water flowing peacefully from everywhere, little wildflowers adding splashes of color, and patches of grass and lush green plants that seemed to defy laws of nature by growing through the granite. Unfortunately my phone, i.e. my camera, died after one photo (seen left) during the climb and in the cold morning temps despite a near-full battery before we took off, and I couldn't get it to work to take pics nor did I want to stop to take the time--it's ok to preserve some of these moments for just memories that I can revisit in my head. As long as I had it working for Precipice I'd be ok... The trick was using my small portable battery pack with the USB phone cord that I brought to give it a boost of power to turn it back on. Unless I wanted some photos, the phone was off because even on airplane mode the battery was dropping and I needed it to last for the days to come.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I've never spent much time at over 10k elevation other than getting to the top of a ski lift at a place like Mammoth. I certainly haven't exercised at over 10k, so hitting 10k for the first time on Day 3 was a new ball game--it's the threshold where I start to actually feel the effects of being at altitude. Yea, I "feel" 6,000-9,000 ft, but I really felt a difference at over 10k. Little did I know, by the end of the trip 10k would feel like heaven compared with being 13k to 14k!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslIhoqEnGA1O0v1yQry9Tg-2NpUD5dKBQh0_yg2gtdJXadlGTp2v6hZ0ooGtrIwLltjYeNG9-GFO5KHgC1CFIaekIUKZzKLln0YZLMFwIKgsO90VKi4qgZ2X60C3f9MoFxnWlIlU-dVo/s1600/IMG_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslIhoqEnGA1O0v1yQry9Tg-2NpUD5dKBQh0_yg2gtdJXadlGTp2v6hZ0ooGtrIwLltjYeNG9-GFO5KHgC1CFIaekIUKZzKLln0YZLMFwIKgsO90VKi4qgZ2X60C3f9MoFxnWlIlU-dVo/s640/IMG_0930.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Precipice Lake. No words.</td></tr>
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Reaching Precipice Lake is easily top 3 best moments of the trip. There's no way to describe this place in words that actually does the unique beauty justice. Ansel Adams has a famous picture of this lake, and it lived up to everything I imagined it would be. I think it's the most peaceful serene place I've ever visited in my life to this point. I honestly just wanted to stay here for days, staring into the lake and the sheer granite cliff that serves as the backdrop, while watching chunks of snow and ice break into the frigid lake. The air outside wasn't cold--we were in T-shirts and hot--but this season it obviously has stayed cold enough for deep patches of snow to stick around.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3r6t1lJuNEBYSOjLRZbiqFCSYm0z2rT4myXP7GZ_kxo0Z9bhLLpiB_8OQqJXCo7C_8S7tWJzb0arw4dvgdKdbnLUk8xnIqYLuir-ht9c6qACsNiRLS-eY5XTDJ2NE5Zou9uFfjAaFpw/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3r6t1lJuNEBYSOjLRZbiqFCSYm0z2rT4myXP7GZ_kxo0Z9bhLLpiB_8OQqJXCo7C_8S7tWJzb0arw4dvgdKdbnLUk8xnIqYLuir-ht9c6qACsNiRLS-eY5XTDJ2NE5Zou9uFfjAaFpw/s640/IMG_1017.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think it's possible to get enough of this place.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">John had to practically drag me away from Precipice, but at least I got all the pictures I wanted, and we kept trekking. I'll be back just to spend more time at this lake.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSxSw-gUXuOyYgfY2zS4NrDft9ZuWeHEhH1XHEgIJ1GjYjUFFzAgo8vvDJIXUp6u3Bzjkjze4n3gBH_3jU8WT26HkJAgpL9m7hbNdoOSw1rkdm0qIgHz04Ddx50PVPx4-2VPilGM8zGc/s1600/IMG_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSxSw-gUXuOyYgfY2zS4NrDft9ZuWeHEhH1XHEgIJ1GjYjUFFzAgo8vvDJIXUp6u3Bzjkjze4n3gBH_3jU8WT26HkJAgpL9m7hbNdoOSw1rkdm0qIgHz04Ddx50PVPx4-2VPilGM8zGc/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" width="239" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">So after Precipice you keep climbing and hit the Kaweah Gap, and oh my god talk about a change of scenery. It's like was entered into dream! The green meadows, trickling streams, colorful flowers and 100-mile views were to die for. What also made us want to die, though, were all the mosquitoes. What the hell?! We deemed it "Mosquito Meadow" (pictured left) and it got SO bad that I dropped my pack and rushed to pull out my longsleeve shirt and my <a href="http://amzn.to/29CMnQ3" target="_blank">bug bucket hat </a>to survive the attacks. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">After cresting the </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kaweah Gap</span><span style="text-align: center;">--10,700 ft--you then descend down down down into a heavenly valley where it just keeps getting prettier and prettier. It was so perfect, beautiful and desolate that it honestly didn't seem real to us. Still too many mosquitoes which kept our pace swift--otherwise, we could have spent all day here. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMwpGSQNYvBYRoKn2RrNSWHJZv0HsFUrKr0dwjfMWP8-DS39O0Wf79iEqvNmQAddGFbRBQGTKq-nS8qrXotTSnu9uHYG2d93NAA7KuQrsVsa5_egZGo4vmN85Ia7FvoJhMfnzaLrUVOo/s1600/IMG_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMwpGSQNYvBYRoKn2RrNSWHJZv0HsFUrKr0dwjfMWP8-DS39O0Wf79iEqvNmQAddGFbRBQGTKq-nS8qrXotTSnu9uHYG2d93NAA7KuQrsVsa5_egZGo4vmN85Ia7FvoJhMfnzaLrUVOo/s640/IMG_0012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending into the Kaweah Gap. Heavenly.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">More river crossings followed, and I was getting better at them. There was a sketchy stream and I decided to go for it--taking the time to switch to sandals would mean getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. But the rocks I navigated were more slippery than I thought and I slipped into the river, both feet. Soaked to the bone. Fuck. We were about 6-7 miles into the day, with a planned stop at Big Arroyo for lunch and possibly to set up camp for the night. We were already talking about skipping Big Arroyo and heading to the next day's destination, an offshoot to Moraine Lake, which would mean another 8 miles and more climbing but totally doable and plenty of time--yet now with wet feet and wet boots? Never a good thing and a recipe for blister hell. Errr.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObwFALEhYWZAGnwd0CNlwPf-GCoDEIsHwd6R0FSCgM8JVbPVe0g0IXLt1ezRn8NuyYZLq8Ta2UVTJickiBUiGo0Oq7f7EfyDg4haVIjctVbkZXPq2dnMk1GlemN8ne-W7nCXw9NUX5vI/s1600/IMG_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObwFALEhYWZAGnwd0CNlwPf-GCoDEIsHwd6R0FSCgM8JVbPVe0g0IXLt1ezRn8NuyYZLq8Ta2UVTJickiBUiGo0Oq7f7EfyDg4haVIjctVbkZXPq2dnMk1GlemN8ne-W7nCXw9NUX5vI/s640/IMG_0014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this place real?!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I tied my boots to my backpack to dry and started hiking in my sandals. I had already been experiencing a bit of lateral hip pain on Day 2, but it was hit or miss so I didn't think much of it and it was not a known issue of mine so I figured it was just the adjustment phase. But then as soon as I started hiking in the sandals--some sweet <a href="http://amzn.to/2aahhRE" target="_blank">minimalist barefoot sandals that is</a>--my hip pain went from zero to excruciating and I could feel every pebble digging into my feet. Guess I'm not cutout for that yet. Meanwhile, John was already dealing with a handful of severe blisters and in probably more pain than me, and his boots also got a bit wet in that same stream (not quite as bad as mine) yet he was trucking along like a champ. He seriously is such an incredible guy to watch when he's on a mission--relentless and tough as nails. Inspires me every day. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We were quite the duo at this point, the HST starting to test our fortitude, but in reality we were fine and if can you believe that we were as happy as could be. These little issues wouldn't get us down, and like I said before there's no option to DNF--no matter what you figure out how to solve the problem and keep going. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">At the 8-mile point we found a shady spot for lunch at Big Arroyo, where the mosquitoes weren't terrible, and enjoyed "salmon wraps" (i.e. <a href="http://amzn.to/29KEV9r" target="_blank">Paleo coconut wraps</a> with packaged--not canned--wild salmon) and nibbled on our assorted snacks that included homemade trail mix with goji berries, Dang coconut chips, aged parmesan cheese, go raw flax crackers, lemon macaroons and whatnot. We discussed the second half of the day. If we wanted to get in these additional 8 miles, we'd have to take our time at lunch--rest the legs, dry the boots, do some blister maintenance, etc. At this point we weren't rushing or "racing" anymore and welcomed the time to chill.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We talked to a backpacker going the opposite direction and he said the next mountain pass would be "a nice gradual climb." We decided to go for it, as we were not in love with Big Arroyo campground and it was also exciting to think that we could now finish a day ahead of schedule! My boots were drying but still damp by the end of lunch and I had fresh socks; this seemed like a better option than the sandals. Strapped up and had no hip pain. Whew.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We hit the next climb and it was technically not as hard as the climb to Kaweah Gap, but also not as gorgeous (kind of reminded me of trails at home--making it a bit boring to be honest). Yet it was a beast of a climb and while it was "gradual," it was still hard as shit and seemed to never freaking end. I kept thinking I saw the top, only to turn a corner and seeing so much more climbing ahead. I was ready to get off the damn mountain and settle into camp. </span><br />
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Then my hip started hurting again. Frack. Thankfully we finally crested the mountain--up at 10,700 ft again. I could manage. From there mostly downhill or flat to the lake. I hobbled into camp, and it wasn't just the hip pain at this point--hiking in the still-damp boots for 8 miles caused me to develop two nasty blisters from the moisture right on the pads of my feet between my big toe and second toe, same exact situation both sides. Painful. Oh well.</div>
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Getting to Moraine Lake requires briefly splitting off from the HST onto another trail, adding to the overall mileage but it's worth it. Moraine Lake was so rad that I forgot my pains. It was 4 p.m. (almost a 9-hour day on the trail) and still hot and sunny when we arrived. I immediately stripped down to my undies and jumped in the lake to freshen up--I heard it was a warmer lake, and the rumors were true. It felt incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating. There were a few other people who'd set up camp before us--one couple who we'd seen at Hamilton and a single dude--but they were busy doing their thing in their campsites tucked into the trees 100 ft or so from the water, so lake the the sandy beach that surrounded it was completely vacant when we jumped in--all ours. We did some "laundry" and then got to work evening chores. After the soak, I felt like a new human and my hip and feet were sore but I felt totally content, really was loving this place and most of all super proud of our huge accomplishment! All things considered, we both were feeling really awesome at 32-ish miles into the HST after only 3 days.</div>
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Side note: I didn't bring extra shoes for the downtime at camp, just the <a href="http://amzn.to/29DuPDt" target="_blank">zero-drop sandals</a>, which were great because I could wear them with warm socks (they have nothing between the toes) and I didn't mind that my feet/socks would still get dirty walking around. In retrospect though i'd bring a pair of lightweight minimalist close-toed shoes like <a href="http://enduranceplanet.com/shop" target="_blank">Skoras</a> in addition to sandals. But no matter what sandals are a must IMO. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkaVNhgVh7bjM5Dy12R32Flwsl_Z2Qt3Dx0A5FBmGlzyJV0bz6Ii1rwrGLUCWZmjyqeJ0TG91tdQwbAWy3BLOj8HlKqR0jedstuC36d9GknrjHfJlOqkXSVoh8b0lCPAcCgJhywP0-AM/s1600/IMG_0037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkaVNhgVh7bjM5Dy12R32Flwsl_Z2Qt3Dx0A5FBmGlzyJV0bz6Ii1rwrGLUCWZmjyqeJ0TG91tdQwbAWy3BLOj8HlKqR0jedstuC36d9GknrjHfJlOqkXSVoh8b0lCPAcCgJhywP0-AM/s320/IMG_0037.jpg" width="239" /></a>By now our little team of two had our system down with the to-do list among arrival at camp and all the little chores we had to do before eating and relaxing. Number one was obviously getting the campsite set up--tent and whatnot--but equally important was filtering fresh water for dinner, rehydrating and for the next day's breakfast and hike. <span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
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Since Day 3 included two days worth of hiking in one, we made three of our dehydrated meals instead of just two that night--earned it!--and ate like kings, or so it seemed, sitting on a giant rock overlooking the lake with the warmth of the sun drying our clothes, airing out our feet, and keeping mosquitoes at bay. Meanwhile sharing thoughts on the 16 miles we just did and some ideas of the next day. "How about tackle another double day?" We'd play it by ear...</div>
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For the third night, we brushed our teeth and were in bed asleep before dark yet again. Winning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dqjwfTcjj0BmXFrSx71n6LTr_hYeoD7RMo82k7zJu2bKIPe_3dxBlVFcPzaOMwVvjEFWuaDOLw2aYhWZBMBaTVwN4MAmmWWGJH_rnzujOvWwIEGumxemUX6bfDnbLWAEP4NUx3nxh_s/s1600/IMG_0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dqjwfTcjj0BmXFrSx71n6LTr_hYeoD7RMo82k7zJu2bKIPe_3dxBlVFcPzaOMwVvjEFWuaDOLw2aYhWZBMBaTVwN4MAmmWWGJH_rnzujOvWwIEGumxemUX6bfDnbLWAEP4NUx3nxh_s/s640/IMG_0015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner view on the pristine Moraine lake - an oasis and we had it all to us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyns-jnlN6rDy4Kq_2rI2TmQGupDNUXZTn9kyYlWThvc4n-vxCbgPVydK5AVqXTcCo2aXWOBtNy2Zm1ENalulrSpFCaDjI__rj-CkQcjT4Y2UDlnEYDSJiBn1uTyRx9PEUqS_MRDDXUaA/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyns-jnlN6rDy4Kq_2rI2TmQGupDNUXZTn9kyYlWThvc4n-vxCbgPVydK5AVqXTcCo2aXWOBtNy2Zm1ENalulrSpFCaDjI__rj-CkQcjT4Y2UDlnEYDSJiBn1uTyRx9PEUqS_MRDDXUaA/s640/IMG_0764.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And turn around from the lake and campsites are just beyond the tree line. </td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 4 - 18 miles (<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029725" target="_blank">Part 1</a> & <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029742" target="_blank">Part 2</a>)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Moraine Like to "Mosquito Camp"</span></b><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">This day was a turning point for sure for many reasons and possibly the most fun day of the whole trip. In particular I think the team aspect between John and I reached new heights, and we were perfectly in sync. We knew by now the grueling unrelenting nature of the trail, its river crossings and climbs, and that every place we needed to go seemed to be further away than expected--even a half mile further is significant in backpacking land.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I woke up still feeling off but my body was surprisingly not that bad. Just a hint of lacking that spunk I normally have when backpacking. Whatevs. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">The goal was to make it to the famous Kern Hot Springs, which promised a little cement "hot tub" with naturally heated 100+ degree water and a sweet campsite. This was rumored to be an "easy" 6-7 miles all downhill into the Kern Valley, and after the 16 miles on Day 3, I was cool with an easy day! But once again, don't trust what you hear. Even the downhill was tough, complete with occasional climbs, and much longer than we expected (8.14 miles total). The stream crossings were tricky--some I got over by navigating the rocks and using my <a href="http://amzn.to/29Es32K" target="_blank">trekking poles</a> as added support, others I took the time to switch into sandals and walk through. My blisters hurt. I had another on my inner left heel that was growing fast. John encouraged me to stop and pop them, so I did, and oh man this was the best decision ever. Immediate relief. Still some discomfort but nowhere as bad as it had been. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Lots of fallen trees to navigate over on this day, whether that meant going under, over, or around, and a couple times the maneuvering was sketchy. Thank god yet again for my <a href="http://amzn.to/29Es32K" target="_blank">trekking poles</a>. Speaking of trekking poles, I didn't care about having them until this trip--I was so glad I got them; they were priceless to me and helped in so many ways!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQNDM-9P9BQVOrwLSK7FMQEHd-y6NJPUJbyQxSEeokvGHpHBMmJL3DbkoXGg7hmbsvhKLvVV-NZiF_3E2po1akACO54SZw15TqGIwlLrFvxO-2lfhquYXPJlTeaHaGljwuSLremNv5S4/s1600/IMG_0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQNDM-9P9BQVOrwLSK7FMQEHd-y6NJPUJbyQxSEeokvGHpHBMmJL3DbkoXGg7hmbsvhKLvVV-NZiF_3E2po1akACO54SZw15TqGIwlLrFvxO-2lfhquYXPJlTeaHaGljwuSLremNv5S4/s640/IMG_0028.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River crossing for the millionth time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7-uIfsk0xqRjdXcc9GWzQpJzTzC3s847I6brblhzgzKIeOs4eIhaNBZ2nn7IHJfrFE8edw6XWdImwg_QWL3OmXo4XpPuPndm3gqp38ReVVoY4aMGsU9z-ASvYxig6rZdIMxc_-fTkfU/s1600/IMG_0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7-uIfsk0xqRjdXcc9GWzQpJzTzC3s847I6brblhzgzKIeOs4eIhaNBZ2nn7IHJfrFE8edw6XWdImwg_QWL3OmXo4XpPuPndm3gqp38ReVVoY4aMGsU9z-ASvYxig6rZdIMxc_-fTkfU/s640/IMG_0075.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending into the Kern Valley.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Finally made into Kern Valley after seeing those tiny trees down below in the distance turn into a the forest surrounding us--this valley took us back down to a lower elevation of only 6,900 ft, which meant lots of climbing lay ahead. A couple going the opposite direction warned of a rattlesnake chilling on a foot bridge. Sure enough he was still there when we reached the bridge--I spotted him tucked to the side. He wasn't coiled but we made a ruckus to scare him off. He still lingered so we just passed as quickly as possible, laughing yet terrified.</div>
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The valley floor was hot as shit but the Kern River was so dang gorgeous--at times it was raging rapids, other times a tranquil shallow stream where you just wanted to lay in it and cool off--so inviting. More river crossings, and eventually at Kern Hot Springs. I was ready to call it a day. I was freaking tired and didn't feel like walking one more mile. But....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5a3LX2IoCN6lU0KpaRiiQC-WcS4MiaKUJOAUWaIgV9ck0iMUNqeiZ3wOUgk1whzI_i8zwoZPBseutw09PyQuedixiS7u4zvFRyOdhAd6z4Fh2iX0LlTBdDd-TVBpB8K78Mu5jMGIJHA/s1600/IMG_0076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5a3LX2IoCN6lU0KpaRiiQC-WcS4MiaKUJOAUWaIgV9ck0iMUNqeiZ3wOUgk1whzI_i8zwoZPBseutw09PyQuedixiS7u4zvFRyOdhAd6z4Fh2iX0LlTBdDd-TVBpB8K78Mu5jMGIJHA/s640/IMG_0076.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing Kern River--absolutely a wonderful river and so diverse.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We laid out our shit all over a nice big campsite we found--only one other couple around, the same couple we'd seen the previous two nights. We had decisions to make--stay or trek on?! We decided to take a leisurely lunch, go hang in the hot springs and river for a while, then decide.</div>
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We wolfed down some food, put on bathing suits, and took the little side trail to the hot springs. Yet again, another slice of heaven awaited us. The water is naturally heated from an underground--you guessed it--hot spring. At this point we were so far from civilization--probably 30 or 40 miles from the nearest trailhead depending where you start--so we had had it all to ourselves. I guarantee if it were easier to access this place it'd be a zoo and no fun. The actual hot tub as you can see has room for just two people--it's a romantic fit perfect for honeymooners ;) I had the genius idea to do a little contrast bathing with the cold river flowing just a couple feet away from the hot tub. Hot-cold-hot-cold. After this I was starting to feel really recovered and recharged.</div>
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We got back to camp after 30-45 minutes playing in the water, and upon changing I got my answer as to why I had that faint feeling of being off my game: I started my period. It had been PMS that was making me feel off. I knew going into this trip that I was due to start, so I was prepared, but I was a bit late and for once in ages I was hoping the "stress" of all this hiking was going to keep it from coming until after our trip. No such luck. The good news is that I felt so much better once I started (typical for me--those 2 days before I start are usually my worst so in retrospect I'm surprised I was getting along as well as I was!). It was like I was a brand-new human being, for the better, once I started. Immediate relief, and the off feeling was gone just like that; furthermore, the hip pain disappeared almost entirely---hot damn, hell yea! The bad news: now I had my period in the wilderness (this isn't the first time this has happened to me while backpacking either, geez). I have been using the Diva Cup since last year--getting off tampons was the best decision ever--which makes it a tad easier to manage a period while backpacking, but it still requires some swift maneuvering and attention to cleanliness to keep things neat and tidy... and it is not fun... I'll leave it at that. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoJjF-vmA8KiERlnPh7D-BzU0jbW0UZ6B8Nt9HI4NUU5loSGMymZV5XIr4cR2-pIEcq2YDu3wB63WkRricNLjTPleIvNgBVjPzvaPA9HIwht1mUwjTbSc-1Pc8SM4FqSV3NQzFTMCkx8/s1600/IMG_0054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoJjF-vmA8KiERlnPh7D-BzU0jbW0UZ6B8Nt9HI4NUU5loSGMymZV5XIr4cR2-pIEcq2YDu3wB63WkRricNLjTPleIvNgBVjPzvaPA9HIwht1mUwjTbSc-1Pc8SM4FqSV3NQzFTMCkx8/s640/IMG_0054.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kern Hot Springs! That water in the little tub was 100+ degrees.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj8zxnBAV3bjID4AagX4bB3T5WmPDsdcdy05ABwXO6LVCq9XXQIr6yXabA5ZEWw7enM_XxDaJnsm2If8XODdQgl8BfqY5swQye3_kcx4YXWhoQdwYR0hjHgqYCep7k_MMKhn2oxIVF8o/s1600/IMG_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj8zxnBAV3bjID4AagX4bB3T5WmPDsdcdy05ABwXO6LVCq9XXQIr6yXabA5ZEWw7enM_XxDaJnsm2If8XODdQgl8BfqY5swQye3_kcx4YXWhoQdwYR0hjHgqYCep7k_MMKhn2oxIVF8o/s640/IMG_0055.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Contrast bathing--from the hot springs to the cold river water pictured here. The ultimate recovery!</td></tr>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Meanwhile, with fresh legs from the contrast bath, pre-menstrual symptoms behind me, and a motivated husband who was like an eager puppy just wanting to go go go, we decided to ditch Kern Hot Springs and get to the next night's campsite, which was planned to be Junction Meadow, 8 more miles up the river. Kern was a really cool location but why not go for more?! </div>
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This was a turning point for me. I was feeling on fire, excited, and stronger than ever. I was nailing all the river crossings like a champ, even balancing over wobbly fallen tree stumps Dirty Dancing style never eating shit. I didn't want to stop.</div>
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As we approached Junction Meadow I told John I wanted a more "private" campsite so maybe we could stop off before JM at any spot that looked cool even if not a designated campsite. I found one I liked but John thought we could do better. We found another spot that looked sick and stopped to assess. Within 1 minute we were getting attacked by millions of mosquitoes and made the easy decision to get the hell away and keep going. We were cracking up. At this point it was 5 or 6 p.m., still plenty of daylight, but we were nearing another 16+ mile day and just feeling a bit like we were ready to rest our legs. We got to JM and it was just a cleared out space overlooking the water, camp where you want, some areas with fire pits others not, and it wasn't really private nor secluded. Another couple and the same single dude were already well-settled in. I looked at John with a fire in my eye, he got the message and said there was another lesser known camp about 1-1.5 miles further up according to the map, seemingly by water but no bear box. </div>
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I said, let's go for it! We were now cutting into the Day 5's mileage, which would make things easier because we were going to start getting into some gnarly climbing and elevation as we got closer to Whitney.</div>
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Little did we know this "short" 1-1.5 miles further up would be a MEGA non-stop climb. But oddly enough we both found an extra gear that powered us up that mountain at near-record pace like two crazy people on a mission, hating the pain but loving it simultaneously. I thought we were going to be fucked with a non-existent campsite and no more river water since we were climbing so dang much, but I was willing to take a little risk as was John--we weren't doing anything stupid and we knew where we could get water if needed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlQzW7JGZCFBWmAXN7J8YRXcJhyphenhyphenQQKkiIE3TcF4zCNt9_r5jZstHASvSBpeCaR3bGmO0ykHV-0aFfUBZ8OyKJs_TJa5PAZCfffacoPCjCE19uEWEeraZZ-w9-rvEIbaHFvVVpk_MGkcU/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlQzW7JGZCFBWmAXN7J8YRXcJhyphenhyphenQQKkiIE3TcF4zCNt9_r5jZstHASvSBpeCaR3bGmO0ykHV-0aFfUBZ8OyKJs_TJa5PAZCfffacoPCjCE19uEWEeraZZ-w9-rvEIbaHFvVVpk_MGkcU/s640/IMG_0039.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But wait, we're supposed to be BY the water!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspenFEOBq0_fRDEF2FtCtJd4H_Sj6a3QBHfpyLcziwt3k79-pj1BaSdaE18DqIc4bxlIkrGDOeJyvKfXPqzYd3shKsgFEabEl_zmdRqZMSb3aBuk-BAPd-qOBu-5qwbZqESazgYqXcWM/s1600/IMG_0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspenFEOBq0_fRDEF2FtCtJd4H_Sj6a3QBHfpyLcziwt3k79-pj1BaSdaE18DqIc4bxlIkrGDOeJyvKfXPqzYd3shKsgFEabEl_zmdRqZMSb3aBuk-BAPd-qOBu-5qwbZqESazgYqXcWM/s640/IMG_0040.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why are we climbing so much?! Why is the water going away!? Argh!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoO2eFO4HKHOMxDwdsgIktgRhAtowTeUX9kF-SwQIzhYUO8TVgbqI87Et9kKn1m4iugqP1h1bh3ujiXZAvVanIepOuUN_64FbiKBF1ab846G2ke_FQLhcRZZvA7mDxXhqHeViwHZ3Z5A/s1600/IMG_0050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoO2eFO4HKHOMxDwdsgIktgRhAtowTeUX9kF-SwQIzhYUO8TVgbqI87Et9kKn1m4iugqP1h1bh3ujiXZAvVanIepOuUN_64FbiKBF1ab846G2ke_FQLhcRZZvA7mDxXhqHeViwHZ3Z5A/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" width="240" /></a>Finally we found the off-the-radar no-name campsite and the river was just down the hillside, a steep walk but easy enough access. We were starting to lose light as it approached 7 p.m., and being surrounded by giant mountains our daylight was going away even faster. So whether we loved the campsite or not we were staying. We immediately got to work setting up our gear when it happened. The worst mosquitoes ever--worse than Mosquito Meadow. They wanted me the most, and normally mosquitoes don't care for my blood so much but this day was different. It was so bad that even fully covered with with long stretchy pants, socks, and longsleeve shirt, they were landing on me and biting me through my clothes! John too, but worse for me. The <a href="http://bug%20bucket%20hat/" target="_blank">bug bucket</a> was my savior (pictured left), and even with that covering my face and head, for the first time in my life I got two or three bites on my face! We tried to make a little fire to deter them, but they wouldn't let up. John got water while I started dinner, and I said straight up, "I cannot eat out here or I'll never survive their attacks--I have to eat in the tent." We also had no bear box so John was gathering extra food and toiletries that still wouldn't fit int he bear canister and hoisted it safely high up into a tree. We were rushing as it was getting late, but also half laughing and sort of loving the thrill of the night's challenge. We were certainly cracked out from an 18-mile day yet continuing to take care of business like pros. </div>
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Getting in and out of the tent was a challenge in itself--doing so fast and swiftly enough to not let in any mosquitoes. This was no easy feat! We finally made it in with our dinner and ate while the mosquitoes attacked the tent but unable to reach us--hundreds of them were landing on the tent. We really didn't care that this was a ridiculous situation if you think about it, and in fact it was probably my favorite night of the trip... We had the ultimate team mojo going. We certainly got our privacy at what we deemed "Mosquito Camp," banked some extra miles and were on track to now finish two days ahead of schedule!</div>
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In fact, we ever went to bed after dark.</div>
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And no bears.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFhjubrz6eAYIOlj02Ok2Vdp9FizP9XDWFo8_PsEWCGRyqMcWxEub_lZVxeMBXsO6kAt1c40aMXqGTUQevmYAUGswb1pjqUVKYkaCV7QKlJTyxtQ9rcaiqU9DVzE0gfFbE5sjM6gt1bs/s1600/IMG_0078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFhjubrz6eAYIOlj02Ok2Vdp9FizP9XDWFo8_PsEWCGRyqMcWxEub_lZVxeMBXsO6kAt1c40aMXqGTUQevmYAUGswb1pjqUVKYkaCV7QKlJTyxtQ9rcaiqU9DVzE0gfFbE5sjM6gt1bs/s640/IMG_0078.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosquito Camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6D_wTfXznB1_k8lJ2t1KmtG9QmwiTSDoBe_5ulLYI-kQVbwJGtPhT2J5CFBEMN4qnnYi5hc20DuDHvmyazDotq6hyGhnF8hOBGKPO4sUjpwFHw5gdRuIxDgs_NIYYOZYH7HSsbD0Ynk/s1600/IMG_0051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6D_wTfXznB1_k8lJ2t1KmtG9QmwiTSDoBe_5ulLYI-kQVbwJGtPhT2J5CFBEMN4qnnYi5hc20DuDHvmyazDotq6hyGhnF8hOBGKPO4sUjpwFHw5gdRuIxDgs_NIYYOZYH7HSsbD0Ynk/s640/IMG_0051.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining in the tent to avoid death by mosquito.</td></tr>
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~~~</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029764" target="_blank">Day 5 - 11 miles</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Mosquito Camp" to Guitar Lake</span></b><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
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We knew today we'd be getting into some serious elevation and starting the slow trek up to Mt. Whitney. Right out of the gates the climbing started. The day began at just over 9,000 ft and ended at nearly 11,600 ft--and undulating terrain as usual so the total elevation gain was more like 3,200 ft. As mentioned, 10k is when I really start to notice the effects of elevation and it's not like I get sick or lose it, just a bit slower and can feel less oxygen flow to my brain and muscles. Yet I was clearly acclimatizing well by now. I was still feeling awesome. On the other hand, John wasn't feeling so hot this day--up until now hands down he'd been stronger and faster than me. Maybe because his pack was still heavy, yikes. He had taken on a bigger load to let mine be lighter. Keep in mind we at this point we were traveling with two extra days worth of food than expected, and that was a burden to say the least. His pack was probably still 40 lbs or so, while mine was 30 at most. He's my hero and I love how tough this man is!</div>
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Our game plan for the day was to take mini breaks every couple miles or so as we had been doing the past couple days (the secret to success for the long mileage days) and then a longer break for lunch at Crabtree Meadow. After Crabtree it would be only 2.7 miles until camp at Guitar Lake. We were on track to get there before 2 p.m. pretty easily, then have the whole rest of the day to chill before making the trek to Whitney Summit the following day. We were so stoked to be doing this two days earlier than we expected! A shower and cozy bed was sounding more and more appealing, as was freshly cooked food ;)</div>
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But business first. I was hungry to eat away at this trail. Bring it! We knew that at 2 miles into the day we'd have the most potentially sketchy river crossing of them all--the only one that the rangers actually warned us about when picking up our permits--at Wallace Creek. Apparently there is a half-mile detour up the creek to a safer crossing area just in case. We got to the creek and it didn't look that bad. We were wondering if this was <i>the</i> Wallace Creek? The biggest difference was that current was much stronger than other crossings. We decided to go for it. I played it safe by walking through in sandals (we had scheduled a break anyway so the extra time to switch footwear was no big deal) and John glided over the rocks like a pro--although just to be safe this one time he used my trekking poles as aids. We were pretty stoked to get past this with no problem despite the rumors about Wallace Creek's danger that we'd been hearing not just from rangers but fellow hikers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrETeyG-XIs9jeMlm_USOBSah1PltkyXqveoTLZI8iyobNSu3Ic1ETfhD9D0QI-WR8J-aPrn5VIMNAtNhmTACA1UR6DrPALDnsmhh_hvSF3-uSf0rTdDYZA4nfceDEB6Evrx5wHzJq2o/s1600/IMG_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrETeyG-XIs9jeMlm_USOBSah1PltkyXqveoTLZI8iyobNSu3Ic1ETfhD9D0QI-WR8J-aPrn5VIMNAtNhmTACA1UR6DrPALDnsmhh_hvSF3-uSf0rTdDYZA4nfceDEB6Evrx5wHzJq2o/s640/IMG_0017.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owning the Wallace Creek crossing.</td></tr>
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From there it was a sheer grind to Crabtree and not the most interesting landscapes. But my mental game was on point, nutrition dialed in and body in full go-time mode. There were a few short but excruciatingly steep little climbs to get over, and I cursed my way through them like a sailor. We snacked on schedule--my sixth consecutive day of fueling with a <a href="http://amzn.to/29DGTEC" target="_blank">Primal Dark Chocolate Almond Bar </a>as first snack of choice; I love those and so does John! We rested at over 11k and were starting to feel woozy so high up! But the bright side of being higher up: fewer mosquitoes to torture us, and closer to Whitney.</div>
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"Word on the street" was that Guitar Lake would be crowded--made sense; with our revised itinerary it was now Saturday aka the weekend, when everyone wanted a piece of Whitney! John was a bit deflated at lunch but I was still on fire. We had lunch, I mowed down my portion, packed up, and left John to rest while trekking on with the mindset to get there as soon as possible to score a good campsite (I'm kind of picky and obsessive about my campsites).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqADKZ6unmw-hb2jLfmYZ95wwD7ZSTjEpfeX8_uwxFspTzVqQmyOceDhUGrc3PGP9gN9YXhQwXenxbUpZW6Kpn-IrIcDDATGJXocueMNsXaz6E1YuylKEvIAegoufc38HOCsxtGt0mIk/s1600/IMG_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqADKZ6unmw-hb2jLfmYZ95wwD7ZSTjEpfeX8_uwxFspTzVqQmyOceDhUGrc3PGP9gN9YXhQwXenxbUpZW6Kpn-IrIcDDATGJXocueMNsXaz6E1YuylKEvIAegoufc38HOCsxtGt0mIk/s640/IMG_0953.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last meadowy area at 10-11k elevation before entering the rocky Whitney zone.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
But elevation had other plans for me and I couldn't help but start slowing down. From the lunch site at Crabtree, Guitar Lake was less than 3 miles miles but now the elevation and climbing was no joke. It was like doing sprints but at a 40-minute mile pace. John actually caught me and I must say I prefer hiking right next to him vs being alone--it doesn't matter if we're talking or silent, his company is everything to me. Yet, then I found a second wind that he didn't have so I just hammered to Guitar Lake--I could see in the distance that just beyond a granite "wall" that there had to be a lake, no more than a mile to go. Move move move. I was so excited to finally lay eyes on this site. It's a unique spot where the HST, JMT and PCT all intersect for Whitney-goers to make that last trek up. And quite honestly Guitar Lake, to me, feels like being on the moon minus the lake part. It's so desolate, quiet, dusty, rocky, windy and surreal. Everyone moves slower, and it reminds me of astronauts in space (ok, kind of a stretch but I can dream).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAv5STOcXTXVf4O8vwlAGtrjhZJbtb_3i-Bsqwee0suFSS93r_FMHn4RCq7nZ8GEXHGbdYrRn7ezD0a8wuLS55KC9vTDDo8-3U3EQhaKV7oKj7F8-Xs8X8bBtBI8JDMiZ0QWwKCqy03M/s1600/IMG_0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAv5STOcXTXVf4O8vwlAGtrjhZJbtb_3i-Bsqwee0suFSS93r_FMHn4RCq7nZ8GEXHGbdYrRn7ezD0a8wuLS55KC9vTDDo8-3U3EQhaKV7oKj7F8-Xs8X8bBtBI8JDMiZ0QWwKCqy03M/s640/IMG_0109.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our campsite at Guitar Lake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was somewhat crowded upon arrival--relatively speaking--and kept getting more crowded into the 6 o'clock hour, but we scored a sick campsite tucked away in some rocks that made us feel like we were all alone up there. There was a good stream flowing into the lake that made for a legit water source. We filtered all our water that afternoon for the next day's adventure up whitney. I acted as the tree for our filter system, as you can see below. There are no trees, and nothing that provides natural shade at Guitar Lake. It was rather warm with the bright blue cloudless sky and glaring sun, but the frigid gusts of wind coming through kept it from being miserably hot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ugCZzn2KTAXICgxSAO2HG5yT1c1R2oLQY-F-QUhxoGKIOC9BjmdXXo68Tek96KAz3CIscTkRDMeO1-sjFPepIC-yoBsn9cfktsxwb-7G7Bdo6nNoJq0Xa2irMi-CNsVs9Rk5gENstHM/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ugCZzn2KTAXICgxSAO2HG5yT1c1R2oLQY-F-QUhxoGKIOC9BjmdXXo68Tek96KAz3CIscTkRDMeO1-sjFPepIC-yoBsn9cfktsxwb-7G7Bdo6nNoJq0Xa2irMi-CNsVs9Rk5gENstHM/s320/IMG_0082.jpg" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0Ma5BVfDcz4mUfZTv2DoUL3rwsWDp9-OC3JM2JjpuxVxYSeDKiabVlJPUzmI0S65-8zquJilVwVc9SZKr_whYK6NyzXaJXHVQuuVduRawLd_phduIEb_wX9Xu0wCWOk9IWPmQD1jscg/s1600/IMG_0083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0Ma5BVfDcz4mUfZTv2DoUL3rwsWDp9-OC3JM2JjpuxVxYSeDKiabVlJPUzmI0S65-8zquJilVwVc9SZKr_whYK6NyzXaJXHVQuuVduRawLd_phduIEb_wX9Xu0wCWOk9IWPmQD1jscg/s320/IMG_0083.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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When you arrive at camp before 2 p.m., plan to wake up at 3 a.m. the next day and have to 3,000+ ft at elevation to climb, you don't really want to expend much energy whatsoever for those next 5-6 hours before bedtime. We did as little as possible. A lot of time just sitting around and taking in the views. We laid in the tent practically in our underwear because it was hawt in there!</div>
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Along with the Paleo chicken meal, we had a Mushroom Risotto instead of Shepherd's Pie that night--great for John, but not for me as I'd find out.</div>
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After dinner the temps dropped quickly. We got to bed early, before dark of course. But then at 11 p.m. we randomly both woke up. John went out to pee and I felt so awake so I crawled halfway out of the tent to gaze at the stars--the one thing I hadn't done much of on this trip so far. John joined me and we laid there for about an hour looking at the sky. We forced ourselves back to sleep after a while, knowing we had to wake up in a mere few hours to get our butts up to Whitney Summit. I remember hearing people walking by our camp at probably 1:30 a.m., they were starting their journey up to Whitney. It's not uncommon for people to start in the middle of the night--in fact it seems really common from what I gather.</div>
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~~~</div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029801" target="_blank">Day 6 - 16.7 miles</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Guitar Lake to Mt. Whitney Summit to Whitney Portal</span></b><br />
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I woke up to the alarm playing The Beach Boy's "Surfer Girl." Thankfully, I went to bed wearing my base layer of hiking clothes so I didn't have to undress and change clothes in the dark cold morning. I added more layers upon waking. I put on practically everything I brought equating to: 2 pairs of pants, 4 tops, 1 puffy jacket, scarf, bandana, beanie, gloves. We knew it was going to be freezing and very windy the higher we got.</div>
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At 3 a.m. you could already see a handful of headlamps making their way up the trail far in the distance--the headlamps looked like stars to me in the pitch-black night; they were so high up! We were next.</div>
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Unfortunately for the first time the whole trip my stomach was messed up. I needed to go number 2 and it didn't feel like it was going to be a fun one. I took care of business and sure enough something was wrong. I'm pretty sure it was the Mushroom Risotto which contained nutritional yeast, something that never really settles well with me. Either that, or I got something in the water (despite it being filtered) or it was altitude sickness. Who knows. What I did know was that I had to be tough and move even if I wanted to crawl back into my sleeping bag with this miserable feeling in my guts. (I have since recovered just fine, and I think it was a combo of altitude and that dinner--not a water issue.)</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMHH8mlXMTVvtxlco1Z8KeiPHbjeNGoVlYTTiB-6zQyp_OjkImomseP2n_oISk88Ff7abS5eeyvPoEOeX3q34pDNdPSxBcI-_IMkr0sqAy-YbTgkNk-EaIhl6Vwj05EgnEspXW1G0STg/s1600/IMG_0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMHH8mlXMTVvtxlco1Z8KeiPHbjeNGoVlYTTiB-6zQyp_OjkImomseP2n_oISk88Ff7abS5eeyvPoEOeX3q34pDNdPSxBcI-_IMkr0sqAy-YbTgkNk-EaIhl6Vwj05EgnEspXW1G0STg/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too early, too cold for smiles.</td></tr>
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We were hiking by 4:05 a.m. with headlamps to guide us through the dark. My hands were still freezing with the cheap-ass gloves I brought, but I knew the climbing would get me warm. Like on Day 3, the granite mountain that we trekked up was laden with mini streams and waterfalls making for some tricky footing in the dark. The trail was tough to follow at times, and we had to be very focused on making sure we stayed on the right track. A couple people passed by us. Headlamps twinkled brightly in the distance; they seemed so far yet they were really only 1-2 miles from us. It was so weird that it was "crowded" at this time of morning at this remote spot on the Earth.</div>
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By 5 a.m. we were getting some natural light. From there we were treated to the most beautiful colors upon sunrise. Yet since we were on the westside of the mountain range (i.e. the backside going up Whitney) we were still completely shaded with no direct sunlight and it was getting windier and colder the higher up we got. Even though we were hiking some steep-ass climbs I was getting cold. The gear I brought was totally fine for all the other days, but for this day it was weak against the harsh winds and elevation. Btw, the westside (i.e. backside) hike up Whitney is said to be more difficult than the front side--steeper and tougher terrain.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pDv1pzHAq_CrfKf1BfpPcM-V4pQKuRTz8UQMW02q6h-kS0T96EkflaCJEbmqvSxOFLfktwbQu-KcB66u3fiOFR2Ffp1VAKaky78sAh96H_WiVLjQ2hsEbawobYUzkkTbLGlUop43lIk/s1600/IMG_0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pDv1pzHAq_CrfKf1BfpPcM-V4pQKuRTz8UQMW02q6h-kS0T96EkflaCJEbmqvSxOFLfktwbQu-KcB66u3fiOFR2Ffp1VAKaky78sAh96H_WiVLjQ2hsEbawobYUzkkTbLGlUop43lIk/s640/IMG_0034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sunrise worth getting up for.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi_0N4GF7C7ARHe75Es57xWl16ehfr-SyZpppCKW7xcK_4SCELJ5ALYrj4tmqb1-wCS70jns9MJZzQAp9-QwkrYfm4rV4Yb2_mkV3ZQ-HxgRSzkyISKaIvJuJ0zZhY7zUMST5U8eg8os/s1600/IMG_0033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi_0N4GF7C7ARHe75Es57xWl16ehfr-SyZpppCKW7xcK_4SCELJ5ALYrj4tmqb1-wCS70jns9MJZzQAp9-QwkrYfm4rV4Yb2_mkV3ZQ-HxgRSzkyISKaIvJuJ0zZhY7zUMST5U8eg8os/s640/IMG_0033.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earning our view!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Within 50 minutes we went from 11,600 ft to over 12,000 ft elevation at what felt like a snail's pace. I thought 10k elevation was gnarly until now being at 12k. We moved slow but in reality we weren't going too incredibly slow all things considered (sub-40 min mile pace), including the fact that neither of us had even spent any time this high before in our lives, let alone exercising with packs this high.</div>
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By the 2-hour mark we hit 13,000 ft elevation. This is when shit starting hitting the fan for me. I was already having stomach issues as mentioned but crossing the threshold into 13k+ territory was when I started feeling like a piece of junk. Literal junk. Dizzy, foggy, weak, and tired like I just wanted to crawl up and sleep. It's like my body did not want to function yet I told it to keep moving forward. My brain could only focus on the task at hand--move the left foot forward, now move the right foot forward, repeat, and don't fall--nothing else more complex than that. I had to give every ounce of focus I had on making sure I hiked safely. Rest breaks became more frequent and I looked forward to each one as a chance to catch my breath--but even when we stopped I was out of breath.</div>
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We skipped making a hot breakfast on this morning and opted to eat bars while hiking. I also skipped coffee not sure if that was going to make my tummy issues worse. Without coffee I was even more of a zombie, no doubt. But it was better than having my guts in a knot and/or pooping my brains out.</div>
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Our first targeted destination was Trail Crest, at ~13,500ft, where you hit the turnoff to Mt. Whitney Summit. The best part about this spot is that it's well-established for backpackers to drop their packs and leave them there while making the final 1.9-mile hike to the summit without that extra weight. We couldn't wait to lose the weight for those final couple miles! We also knew we'd need more fuel at Trail Crest before the final ascent. In our planning the day before we toyed with making a real breakfast there thinking it was a campsite. Ha! That was not happening--Trail Crest is just a section of the trail with junction to Whitney and some rocks on which you can rest you backpack. Busting out gear to cook food was not an option whatsoever--plus at this point it was freaking freezing and windy up there and we were getting colder the longer we stood still at this junction. We just had to grab the most convenient dense calories we had. I snagged my PaleoKrunch granola, which over the trip had melted and re-hardened into a giant ball like a granola cookie and I just sat there biting off giant chunks, probably more than 500 calories worth, needing every single calorie. I was not thinking straight, and I left the bag on a rock with some granola still in it when we left to the summit--while we were gone the marmots got it. He's the healthiest marmot around now! Ha.</div>
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At Trail Crest you also intersect with folks climbing Whitney from the front side, i.e. the more popular side to get to Whitney in which you do need a permit, and they're not so easy to get. For those of us coming up the backside, it's such a hard destination to get to that they don't require a permit for Whitney--not to mention it would be a bitch for them to check for permits via the backside. </div>
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It was fucking cold at Trail Crest. I was miserable and freezing and feeling dead this high up. The couple positives were that 1) we were SO close finally, and 2) my stomach felt a million times better, and no emergency bathroom stops needed, whew. (Btw--wag bags are needed at Guitar Lake and in the Whitney area, aka a bag you poop in then carry out). John was colder than me for once, as he had no really warm clothes at all and <i>no</i> gloves. He had the genius idea to put his dirty wool socks over his hands for warmth (aka "sock mittens!"), and I followed suite adding a pair of stinky socks over my shitty gloves, which actually was magical, warmed me up right away, and made the cold and wind less miserable to endure. </div>
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In the moment, I really wasn't excited to hike another 2 miles up to Whitney, but there's no way I wasn't going to do it. Everyone coming down said it was windier and probably 20 degrees colder than Trail Crest even, where it was freezing enough to me. We couldn't waste any more time, we had to go and keep the blood flowing in our bodies. I didn't bring my trekking poles. The trail to the summit is a relatively safe route, well-maintained and well-traveled, despite it consisting of harsh loose rocks and boulders to climb over--Mt. Whitney is completely made of stone and rocks. Quite a beauty in its own way.</div>
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We had to cross through some snow in a steep area at over the 14k mark. I was so nervous to do this and did not want to slip, fall and die. But yet again there is no turning back, you keep going. We were so close. And once we hit the top it would be ALL downhill from there to the ultimate finish line.</div>
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These final miles to the top of Whitney were literally like a dream to me, and they did not feel like reality. I was SO out of it. It still doesn't even feel like it was a real thing that we did. I do remember John being incredibly excited to reach the summit, more excited than I expected. Getting to the top was actually very peaceful and we finally were getting some direct sunlight that warmed our shivering bodies. We made it to the top in just under 4 hours from our 4 a.m. departure; it had only been about 5 miles but was almost 4,000 ft feet higher up than where we started at Guitar Lake--all at elevations that aren't normal for humans.</div>
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Despite it being a Sunday with hundreds of people climbing to the summit, when we got to the top we were the only ones there. It was surreal. At that moment we were the highest two people in the contiguous United States, not something you can claim every day! We got a few photos, took in the sights, and then agreed, "Let's get the heck out of here and make our way down!"<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifcNGBuZkl6gfVwMGoeHQ4-nsPdcI12YDCtDytvUDSNi4QMWCgjtPt1bD8ICtu3b9sxD9o6W2_SoCWNX7Nwg8MFNjihfahuMQBPhvKmCC62skLdWNF-nnaeDYsXLIYEVaPTUkDT6q4mM/s1600/IMG_0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifcNGBuZkl6gfVwMGoeHQ4-nsPdcI12YDCtDytvUDSNi4QMWCgjtPt1bD8ICtu3b9sxD9o6W2_SoCWNX7Nwg8MFNjihfahuMQBPhvKmCC62skLdWNF-nnaeDYsXLIYEVaPTUkDT6q4mM/s640/IMG_0025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mt. Whitney--just us so selfie it is!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6y2Y3LmLpgogwCeaTG3FXjyrqFeG7800RaE29pPPbrYraq9oi6jiRs9c85HQ0y1yPNAg2MjdOFm9sqyhRaEjE9GpoQiyRXYQb9f21eACeW9_4TU2eJMBUVyy5LR-OrOKBO1fMeCeA-S4/s1600/IMG_0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6y2Y3LmLpgogwCeaTG3FXjyrqFeG7800RaE29pPPbrYraq9oi6jiRs9c85HQ0y1yPNAg2MjdOFm9sqyhRaEjE9GpoQiyRXYQb9f21eACeW9_4TU2eJMBUVyy5LR-OrOKBO1fMeCeA-S4/s640/IMG_0026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually, they say it's officially 14, 508 ft now (it grew?!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNq1SBcTNSVm3Cq-7FHBU1ESs0WjoA3VXkL9SD6DG_nAWC4PndQPZ5lx1ZqHSOJOP8euLE9sFPLX1HxiIcbCX0rwGSYKNbvdWQqtUnb4frEspKxPhG3gq_P4PcTI80L09J_OwGGFVvnY/s1600/IMG_0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNq1SBcTNSVm3Cq-7FHBU1ESs0WjoA3VXkL9SD6DG_nAWC4PndQPZ5lx1ZqHSOJOP8euLE9sFPLX1HxiIcbCX0rwGSYKNbvdWQqtUnb4frEspKxPhG3gq_P4PcTI80L09J_OwGGFVvnY/s640/IMG_0027.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jagged mountain top and glimpse of the trail to Whitney Summit. (That's me bottom right!)</td></tr>
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Finally, we did it! And from here it was <i>just</i> 11-12 more miles or so to the finish line at Whitney Portal, and 99% downhill. We got our packs at Trail Crest and the water in my Camelbak nozzle and tube actually FROZE in the short time we were gone. I knew I needed water but it was hard to drink ice water at that point as you can imagine.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My body was so grateful to be done climbing--I gave it every ounce of effort I had within me and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life to summit Whitney on Day 6 into a 70+ mile thru-hike. But we did it.</div>
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Even though we were going downhill, the elevation still had me feeling like a zombie made of rubber--we were still very high up (over 13k) for the next couple hours as we carefully made our way down the 99 rocky switchbacks. Even on the downhills I was needing breaks. Thankfully the descent was on the eastside, and we had all the sun we needed to warm us up. The lower we got the warmer we got, shedding layers as we went. We stopped to snack and I was eating macaroons and trail mix like it was my job. My head was still foggy and body weak, and I was afraid it wouldn't get any better--I wanted to celebrate at the finish and was praying this horrible feeling would go away.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then just like that, once we got below the 13k elevation mark the fog lifted, I had a little more pep in my step, and it just kept getting better from there. I could actually form sentences and hold a conversation again, and was feeling like my brain and muscles were working like normal! My stomach was ok again too, not great, but nowhere near as bad as it had been.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
By 10k I felt like I could run a marathon in sub 3:30--I felt that much better! It was incredible to feel the difference in elevations, and now 10k was easy where as on Day 3, 10k was a bitch.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ok, now this is where I say that coming down from Whitney overall was not the funnest. Quite frankly it sucked and I was so over those 99 annoying switchbacks. The trail was nearly all rocks and steep stone steps, making for a slow descent for the first ~8 miles. I was DONE. So ready to be at Whitney portal. It made met think: HOW the heck to Badwater participants finish their 135 miles and THEN summit Whitney?!??!?!!? What?! I have a whole new respect for anyone who does that.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We stopped for another break to shed final layers, and I yanked out our week-old cold-brew coffee concentrate that we had left--maybe 4-6 oz remained at best--and we chugged it getting a welcomed jolt of energy to carry us the rest of the way down like two machines. The rocky terrain turned into dirt with less "stairs" and we found our stride, so excited to wrap this thing up. We hit some of our fastest miles of the whole trip at the end, going a sub-20 pace.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then 9.5 hours after starting in the dark that morning we made it to Whitney Portal. My parents were waiting at the trail. I cried with joy, so full of emotion from what we had just accomplished over these 6 days. It was the biggest sense of accomplishment ever next to finishing an Ironman. But I think part of me also got emotional because it was all-of-a-sudden done just like that, and we had to go back to the real world. As tough as the trip was, I truly loved every moment and will cherish it forever. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We rested, I chugged a huge can of my favorite coconut water that my mom graciously brought for me, and then the greatest thing ever happened: I showered at the Whitney Portal General Store! The shower was as nasty as nasty gets from hikers cleaning off after days on the trail, but I didn't give a shit, it was like heaven.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We ended up camping at Whitney Portal that night, my parents had a nice spot and we were in no rush. We had fresh burgers, beers, sweet potato chips and salsa, and we shared stories into the night. John and I didn't even mind that our final night of the honeymoon was spent with my parents--they were too kind to do this favor for us, and it saved us a ton of time!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
We got home Monday, cleaned up everything, then when out to wine and dine like normal people.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What a trip.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRQxRP_PwJOjugzWQtSNZdQKOBPrYeOY2vHzTIs2BdCOGkSYqPAgh5jHONDDUs26G2DlBu7PRdWYy9dOtsiAufFTIEbgPcrCAAJYkAa6T7qValaeW8meeRCG4wgojEuhNs0Mp8AoB1c8/s1600/IMG_0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRQxRP_PwJOjugzWQtSNZdQKOBPrYeOY2vHzTIs2BdCOGkSYqPAgh5jHONDDUs26G2DlBu7PRdWYy9dOtsiAufFTIEbgPcrCAAJYkAa6T7qValaeW8meeRCG4wgojEuhNs0Mp8AoB1c8/s640/IMG_0044.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tears, beers & smiles at the finish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Resources</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq9DAmX6EhlSCw7TJnnLUOlEdKxwv41L88Q3JOC1nlEf6hUUk0jl9KxVvFT5chedX5ITpXfD26Abpq517KzOche15CGqYfpj8f4kPuuar6apUAGpk7R0hxIvy2275rqYR4Rkx7Vs1fl4/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq9DAmX6EhlSCw7TJnnLUOlEdKxwv41L88Q3JOC1nlEf6hUUk0jl9KxVvFT5chedX5ITpXfD26Abpq517KzOche15CGqYfpj8f4kPuuar6apUAGpk7R0hxIvy2275rqYR4Rkx7Vs1fl4/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" width="239" /></a><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I_JieTpse5adZHA_Wsdr1uDjmlw8nb5EonnlDWFPtnM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Click here for an open-access spreadsheet that includes our full gear list including everything we brought (with links), meal plan, travel plan, and HST specifics: timeline and camp distances.</a><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Our Daily Stats via DeLorme:</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<u><a href="https://share.delorme.com/TawnJohn" target="_blank">Click here!</a></u><br />
<br />
Note on the DeLorme: We think these stats will be less accurate because it only picked up a tracking point every 10 minutes (so it missed some of the intricate trail details to some degree), compared with the Garmin, which picks up a tracking point every minute or more. This was our choice to have the DeLorme tracking be less frequent in order on conserve battery.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Our Daily Stats via Garmin:</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029638" target="_blank">Day 1</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf178WxEHsk4vufj9H794a4MyBT86izfmmzl2Knh8HDAmF93QBPYm40fD4H3HJEz8k3IKDjWYp-gA_WYz0ZpalLOsOBDfDmQhNhDTvz0JP146Kda7XHWR9E0qT8lqRO49MCDRghTHg0A/s1600/IMG_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf178WxEHsk4vufj9H794a4MyBT86izfmmzl2Knh8HDAmF93QBPYm40fD4H3HJEz8k3IKDjWYp-gA_WYz0ZpalLOsOBDfDmQhNhDTvz0JP146Kda7XHWR9E0qT8lqRO49MCDRghTHg0A/s320/IMG_0058.jpg" width="320" /></a>1:20 PM start time<br />
2:16:01 total time<br />
19:56 avg moving pace<br />
6.18 miles<br />
1,306 ft gain<br />
358 ft loss<br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029658" target="_blank">Day 2 </a><br />
7:43 AM start time<br />
4:48:00 total time<br />
21:28 avg moving pace<br />
10.16 miles<br />
gain/loss TBD (garmin glitch)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029683" target="_blank">Day 3</a><br />
6:48 AM start time<br />
8:49:17 total time<br />
23:09 avg moving pace<br />
16.25 miles<br />
3,448 ft gain<br />
2,438 ft loss<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029725" target="_blank">Day 4 pt 1</a><br />
8:10 AM start time<br />
4:10 total time<br />
22:10 avg moving pace<br />
8.14 miles<br />
335 ft gain<br />
2,513 ft loss<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029742" target="_blank">Day 4 pt 2</a><br />
<i>new file after we decided to do the next day's mileage after all</i><br />
2:17 PM start time<br />
4:19:53 total time<br />
20:02 avg moving pace<br />
9.87 miles<br />
1,916 ft gain<br />
200 ft loss<br />
<br />
(Day 4 totals: 8.5 hours, 18 miles)</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029764" target="_blank">Day 5</a><br />
7:15 AM start time<br />
6:17:01 total time<br />
25:13 avg moving pace<br />
11.0 miles<br />
3,192 ft gain<br />
712 ft loss<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1252029801" target="_blank">Day 6</a> (Whitney)<br />
4:05 AM start time<br />
9:37:46 total time<br />
24:59 avg moving pace<br />
16.66 miles<br />
3,835 ft gain<br />
6,739 ft loss (ouch)</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
That's enough for this post. In my next post I'll cover the mistakes we made, what we'd do differently, what we did that was really smart, the best things we brought, and more tips & nuggets of advice for your backpacking adventures!<br />
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<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-88589266485827125472016-06-01T09:41:00.000-07:002016-07-19T18:45:38.247-07:00My Exact Autoimmune Healing Plan & Putting Results To The Test<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezt8o8sV35kPU7RTkMBiYseuH0wRzhXLBzpF6tlNUsoJ2Gf4pCBUBUeF4HoqCbrRiky-NI-9kVv1pF2OBb1PTbfM9EfK4Q6dcn5XGUpT4qxTWiiOol_pxc0O3zKjMROGjiBfDqCzwZUs/s1600/IMG_8292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezt8o8sV35kPU7RTkMBiYseuH0wRzhXLBzpF6tlNUsoJ2Gf4pCBUBUeF4HoqCbrRiky-NI-9kVv1pF2OBb1PTbfM9EfK4Q6dcn5XGUpT4qxTWiiOol_pxc0O3zKjMROGjiBfDqCzwZUs/s400/IMG_8292.JPG" width="300" /></a>A lot of kind folks have reached out with very sympathetic notes of well-wishes and encouragement, <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/04/being-boston-strong.html" target="_blank">how things have gone</a>.<br />
often telling me "it must be so hard" to go through this. You know what? I'm OK. I'm better than OK! I love life right now and am not resentful or angry about <br />
<br />
In a weird way the autoimmunity (AI) has been an unexpected blessing in disguise. The progress I've made in my life this year has made me happier than ever, more at peace than ever, and on track to being healthier than ever. I feel like I understand my body on another level, I have patience with myself, and I'm not using my body as a means to an end. I have made headway with managing my exercise addictions, and I am getting back to the root of what sport/activity really means to me--no secret agenda. I feel like my mind and body are working in synergy rather than being in conflict.<br />
<br />
It's like January thru March were just a bad dream as it relates to the havoc that was unfolding in me. I hit some lows during those months and couldn't help but just cry and feel depressed. I was still holding onto a lot of past baggage too--still trying to find myself and break from stressful habits. By April things started getting better quickly, in May it really started coming together... and it just keeps getting better. The bad dream seems like it's over. Although, I don't want to speak too soon and get cocky about it.<br />
<br />
For now, let's just talk about this mega healing plan I've undertaken. If you want to jump around this post includes:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
1) Healing through lifestyle and mindset</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
2) Doing the AIP diet with success</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
3) My exact supplement protocol (3-phase plan)</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
4) 'Testing' the results and finding balance<br />
<br />
It might help to go back and skim over my post covering <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/05/10-causes-of-autoimmunity.html" target="_blank">10 Causes of My Autoimmunity</a>, which will help the rest of this make more sense.</div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Major Lifestyle & Mindset Adjustments</span></b><br />
<br />
It's hard to label the most important variable in healing. There's not just one thing; there's no magic pill. We could argue that healing via diet and supplementing to fix the gut is most important, but if lifestyle and stress are still out of whack even the best of diets and supplements won't heal you or your gut. This I've learned--old supplements I used to take that didn't work back then are working now. The right lifestyle and mindset is everything. These are 6 things I made priorities...<br />
<br />
<b>1. Set Goals: </b>#1: Heal all-naturally, no drugs, reverse the condition. // #2: Be back to a good state of health by my wedding on June 11. Back in March I said by June I want to be off the autoimmune paleo diet (AIP), not swollen and puffy, able to eat anything and not fear the consequences, and drink wine on my wedding night (or maybe a rum drink is more appropriate being that it's in the Caribbean). // #3: Figure out a sustainable lifestyle approach and get off this rollercoaster of "feeling great" followed by epic setbacks and lows.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Environment: </b>#1: Make it positive and not stressful. // #2: Don't be a "closet" work-a-holic. I made some minor but important adjustments to my businesses to make my job(s) healthier for me. I quit working at my gym as a trainer (it was taking a toll for years; I now use my basic at-home weights/equipment for local clients). Better utilize my hired help and delegate tasks as much as I could. Let go of needing a "perfect" email inbox," etc. // #3: Moving into a place that overall is a better environment for us, especially for a couple who work from home. No mold or toxins anymore either! // #4: Support. I surround myself with a lot of loving people (friends, family) and my team of experts to help me heal more than ever. I couldn't do this alone; I certainly don't want to be isolated. // #4: I try to avoid anything that could be "toxic" in my life that could bring me down.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Acceptance: </b>I took this AI diagnosis as the mother of all red flags. It's as if it were saying to me, "Beware." So, I listened. It was hard, but the more I accepted it the less shitty I felt and the more it became a matter-of-fact thing not a death sentence. I probably could have ignored the signs and let it just get worse with time, continuing with my stubborn ways. And I could have saved $3000+ by keeping those root canals in. I do believe a lot of AI conditions go undiagnosed even when one has symptoms because it's just hard to accept and act. It requires change and....<br />
<br />
<b>4. Vulnerability: </b>At first I was terrified of what having autoimmune disease would say about me. I felt like a failure especially given my profession. But then I realized I had it all wrong. It was ok to be vulnerable and imperfect. I think being vulnerable is the ultimate sign of strength.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Self-Love:</b> It's something I haven't been great at in my life. It's much easier to be self-critical, strive for perfection, and use and abuse my body. For years I lived to a standard that was not sustainable and would get annoyed with myself or anyone who got in my way (I got good results for a while but it of course didn't last). I've let that shit go as best I can at this point. I'm learning what It's like to fall in love with myself and all the good that comes from it. More self-love has certainly allowed my love for others to grow, as well as my love and appreciation for this world.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Routine:</b> "Rush, rush, rush!" "Get in the workout, get the work done, don't stop!" "No pain no gain!" Then: "Just have a glass of wine to chill." Who can relate?! That was me forever, even before the triathlon days. I was born that way. So you can imagine what it's like to undo that way of living. Patience. Baby steps. It started with little things like chillin' on the couch for a day and not worrying about what I <i>wasn't</i> doing. Then it grew into things like going for a mellow sauna session instead of a hard workout or long run. I have learned to not feel guilty about slowing down, doing less and going easier--these are not signs of weakness. It's ok not to be training. It's ok to exercise solely based on listening to my body and respecting its needs and limits.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsbmudoSP57oAUK0JvIyV0Gr6d2OPQLgwPJYhmsl4KpaN1Py0UL0ZloygudyLFRvKYYVIvLxeH6KtS5zUr1GD3t2bVkHniDKU3Q1prcBsYapuct7oG6WlPUl1OF14VQINPmJW-KhCkt0/s1600/IMG_7956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsbmudoSP57oAUK0JvIyV0Gr6d2OPQLgwPJYhmsl4KpaN1Py0UL0ZloygudyLFRvKYYVIvLxeH6KtS5zUr1GD3t2bVkHniDKU3Q1prcBsYapuct7oG6WlPUl1OF14VQINPmJW-KhCkt0/s640/IMG_7956.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing Ragnar, and in tears over a lot of shit but in this moment mostly it was tears because of the pain in my body (literal pain) and the pain of the reality I was facing. It's ok to have these dark moments and be vulnerable. It's part of the healing process. "It's during our darkest moments we must focus to see the light."</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Healing My Gut: AIP Diet and My Supplement Protocol</span></b><br />
<br />
<u>AIP Diet:</u><br />
<br />
It was a no-brainer to start right away on a strict AIP diet (i.e. the autoimmune paleo diet). I contemplated doing a lower carb version of AIP due to my SIBO and candida issues (I can be so sensitive to carbs) but opted against it because we agreed it would have been worse for me to be too low carb as it relates to HPA axis, thyroid, adrenal and hormonal side of things. And of all things in my life, my hormones have still been rocking (which I talked about <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/03/hormone-testing-and-monitoring-BBT.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and I did not want to mess that up again. My carbs of course do not contain gluten, wheat, sugar bombs, etc. I just resorted my fair share of butternut squash, kabocha, spaghetti squash, sweet potato (very small doses to begin; eventually tolerated them normally), and any gluten-free homemade goods. I got real creative with preparing these things; I never got sick of my "squash porridge" mmmm. Who needs oatmeal?!<br />
<br />
<i>Tangent: I believe in low-carb high-fat (LCHF) nutrition will recommend LCHF when it's clearly needed and healthy for a person, but I'm not pushing "LCHF dogma" as the one way. Hell no! Carbs have their place, and for most of us, healthy carbs have a vital role! Most the ladies with whom I work can tell you how I am about this. I will still eat LCHF meals or have LCHF days, but I equally don't shy away from carbs, and the right ones are a staple in my diet. I take more of an intuitive approach nowadays as to how much I need, and overall I would call myself a moderate-carb, higher-fat person. Even with less exercise/training I maintain healthy carb intake never below 100g/day I'm guessing. (Have you seen me with a bag of Jackson's sweet potato chips?!) </i><br />
<br />
For four weeks in March I ate AIP at home for every single meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner. I didn't eat out once--not even on my birthday. I didn't do much at all that month, except a lot of grocery shopping, kitchen time, planning, researching, and ME time. I also got the two root canals removed amidst all this! Thank goodness we didn't have any big commitments; I had the opportunity to just fully invest in this. I was not forced to travel or dine out and risk compromising the goals at hand. It's a bit extreme, but I knew it was temporary and would also be enlightening, so that made it ok.<br />
<br />
Within two weeks I noticed positive changes on AIP: a decrease in inflammation, less swelling, gut improvements and better energy/cognitive function. After four weeks most if not all my initial symptoms were gone. By early April (before Boston) I was able to wean off strict AIP. It was a good time to reintroduce with the travel I had coming up, and I started reintroductions spacing them three days apart.<br />
<br />
<i>How do you know when to reintroduce? </i><br />
<br />
... 1) When many/most/all of your symptoms have dissipated/disappeared; for me my big symptoms were the chronic hand swelling, joint soreness, and brain fog. 2) When gut issues start to feel better and digestion improves; for me this meant no more bloating, gas, pain, constipation or loose stools/diarrhea.<br />
<br />
Eggs, fine. Tomatoes/tomato-based things, fine. Chocolate, fine. Nuts, not a definitive trigger but iffy, and now I keep them to a minimum anyway. Nightshades, fine. Alcohol, fine in low doses. Gluten and dairy, not exactly sure. I've tried gluten and dairy a few times and survived, but knowing my history with these and knowing the nature of most gluten in general I'm not ready to bring them back completely. It's nice to know I can survive a little gluten, but I still feel gluten is evil. And coffee? Well I'll admit I never totally quit it, but I got down to having off days from it or merely 4oz a day. Now I have no more than 8oz a day at home, and when we travel I may sneak in a bit more.<br />
<br />
I'm now back to more regular Paleo (if I had to categorize). Have not noticed any setbacks. I don't eat perfect every day (more like 90-10 at the moment), and I'm mentally and physically totally ok with that, which is nice. Meanwhile, the AIP changed my palate in a way that has me more flexible with meals, interestingly. I used to only rotate through a few breakfasts, almost all with eggs, but now I will have things like leftover "big ass" salads with meat, zoodles with sausage, or pretty much any leftover even if it's completely non-traditional breakfast food. Yesterday I had broccoli-mushroom soup with collagen powder stirred in and bacon.<br />
<br />
You have no idea how happy I am to be able to eat and tolerate broccoli, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, more FODMAPs again, AND even more "adventurous" foods too like those gluten- and dairy- filled cannolis and Italian pastries in Boston! Never in my dreams in recent years. There was a desperate point when I'd use charcoal just to ease the bloating (not daily, but also more than what was probably good). I haven't brought back fermented foods yet because quite frankly I'm scared due to what was going on with them and me in January, but that's next.<br />
<br />
<u>Natural Gut-Healing Supplements:</u><br />
<br />
Aggressive supplementing was just as integral to the diet. I firmly believe that even the best of diets aren't enough in cases of severe gut dysbiosis or other health issues, and supplements come in to do what food nutrients alone can't achieve. In fact I tried NO supplements just to clear my system over most of January and February (logic was if something I had been taking was a trigger to the swelling etc so why not go cold turkey for a bit). Things just got worse....<br />
<br />
So first of course there was the testing to avoid guessing. This allowed us to hone in a very specific protocol. My supplement plan was divided into three phases to tackle one main issue at a time along with several subsequent issues; 95% of it was built out by my practitioner and I added a few other things on my own. My plan was built uniquely to what I was presenting with and while we can take some of this and apply to others, it is not a one-size-fits-all supplement protocol so please don't copy and paste and start it yourself without consulting with a health professional who can adjust to your needs.<br />
<br />
<b>Phase 1: </b>1) Kill the bad bacteria/pathogens that had made themselves a comfy home in my gut. This included excess/unhealthy levels of salmonella, enterococcus, pseudomonas, staph, etc., found on the GI MAP test. 2) Get rid of the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) found in breath test. 3) Support general gut health (i.e. fix leaky gut), detoxification, methylation, anti-inflammation, and begin to kill the systemic fungal overgrowth; a lot of markers on my blood pointed to these issues.<br />
<br />
<b>Phase 2: </b>1) Focus on killing the systemic fungal infection--candida! This stupid candida has been around for ages especially now that I understand its symptoms. And it's a bitch to get rid of it. Meanwhile, continue detox and methylation support, gut health, lowering inflammation and general health support. Start to add more re-seeding of the gut with good guys.<br />
<br />
<b>Phase 3: </b>1) Re-seed and rebuild a robust gut. While this was addressed in 1 & 2, it will be the main focus on Phase 3, as well as anything else that wasn't achieved in Phase 1 or 2 I suppose.<br />
<br />
I'm through Phase 1, mostly through Phase 2.... Weeding and seeding, as Dr. Grace Liu says.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Phase 1 Supplements:</u></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /><b>
Gut/Detox/Health Support:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
upon <br />
arising<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
with breakfast<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
mid<br />
morning<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
with <br />
lunch<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
mid<br />
afternoon<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
with dinner<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
before sleep</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Notes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Homocysteine Supreme<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.85pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Inflammatone<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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1-2<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Take
away from food by at least 30 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Vitamin D3/K2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
5,000-<br />
10,000 IU/day of D<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Thorne brand, Vitamin D appeared low on last blood chem<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Readisorb Liposomal Glutathione<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.05pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Start
at ¼ tsp and work up</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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GI-Revive and/or Restore Liquid<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Gut lining, gut health<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr style="height: 26.6pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
IG 26 DF<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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1 scoop<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Same idea as hyperimmune egg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr style="height: 26.6pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
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L-Glutamine<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
5g scoop<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Gut support</span></div>
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GTA Forte II (thyroid)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Started in February<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
Salmonella/Enterococcus/SIBO—6 weeks<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
upon <br />
arising<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
with breakfast<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
mid<br />
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
with <br />
lunch<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
mid<br />
afternoon<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
with dinner<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
<br />
before sleep<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></b>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hyperimmune Egg <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 30.65pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1 scoop<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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1 scoop<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Started after IG 26 DF finished</span></div>
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Lactobaccilus <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 27.95pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Andrographis<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.6pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Oil of oregano<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.15pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Grape Seed Extract (GSE)<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 25.7pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Allimax Pro (garlic)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 27.5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
NAC (have tab and pill version)<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Glutathione/ antioxidant precursor</span></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Additional<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
arising<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
with breakfast<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
mid<br />
morning<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
with <br />
lunch<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
mid<br />
afternoon<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
with dinner<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br />
before sleep<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Prescript Assist Probiotic<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 27.5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Boswellia<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">used briefly after root canal extraction to fight inflammation further</span></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Allergy Research Group CoQ10<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 27.5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 12; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Natural Calm Mg<o:p></o:p></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">1 scoop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 27.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 0.9pt; width: 572px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><br />Digestion Aids<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />upon<br />arising<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />with breakfast<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />mid<br />morning<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />with<br />lunch<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />mid<br />afternoon<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />with dinner<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />before sleep<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /></b></span><b><br /></b><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 24.8pt;"><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Dipan 9<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Digestive enzyme by Thorne</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<tr style="height: 31.1pt;"><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Thorne's Betaine HCL W/pepsin<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 31.1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<o:p> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Help stomach acid production</span></o:p></div>
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<tr style="height: 27.95pt;"><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; height: 27.95pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Iberogast<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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20-30 drops<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 27.95pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<o:p> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Quit by April--didn't need!</span></o:p></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I know what you are thinking: That's a shit-ton of stuff!!! I know, right?! And it didn't end there.... I started getting B12/folate injections and a Meyer's Cocktail IV for even more support (I started these more late April ish and still have a few more). I was also taking fish oil too, but not really daily since I eat a lot of fish like salmon, sardines, etc. Brie had me doing some heavier fish oil dosing around my period to decrease all the PMS symptoms I was getting. I think it helped? But too many variables to be sure it was the fish oil; bottom line is that my periods are "easier" the past couple times.<br />
<br />
Graduated from that successfully, and moved on to Phase 2 by later April.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Phase 2 Supplements:</u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: .9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; width: 572px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /><b>
6-Week Candida Protocol: </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
upon <br />
arising<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
with breakfast<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
mid<br />
morning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
with <br />
lunch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
mid<br />
afternoon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
with dinner<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
before sleep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 32.9pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Candicid Forte<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 39.2pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Interfase Plus<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
3<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
3<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 39.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Take 20 minutes prior
to meals/herbs</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Candibactin-AR<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 month only</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
S. Boulardii<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Lactobacillus <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="tab-stops: 365.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="tab-stops: 365.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="tab-stops: 365.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: .9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; width: 572px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
Continued Health Plan:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
upon <br />
arising<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
with breakfast<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
mid<br />
morning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
with <br />
lunch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
mid<br />
afternoon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
with dinner<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
before sleep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">updates to program:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 32.9pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Homocysteine Supreme<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 32.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Active
B12/folate/methylation support<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 112.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Inflammatone<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 112.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Take
away from food by at least 30 minutes. This has turmeric, boswellia, and
other things that lower inflammation and help balance the immune system in AI
conditions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Vitamin D3/K2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
15000 daily<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Aim for
D3 levels of 60-80. Retest in 6-8 weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 86.45pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Readisorb Liposomal Glutathione<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 86.45pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Start
with ¼ tsp and work up gradually. Addresses AI, metals, detox, and
inflammation/oxidative stress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 97.7pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Restore Liquid/GI Revive<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 97.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">As
directed. These are potent leaky gut support. Good used before, during, and
after GI infection clearing protocols. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
GTA Forte II<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Same
dose as previous<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
EXOS AM/PM Multivitamin<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2-3<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
2-3<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Selenium<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 31.1pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 9; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Prescript Assist Probiotic<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="tab-stops: 365.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 0.9pt; width: 572px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><br />Digestion Aids<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />upon<br />arising<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />with breakfast<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />mid<br />morning<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />with<br />lunch<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />mid<br />afternoon<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="36"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />with dinner<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /><br />before sleep<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 8pt;"><b><br /></b></span><b><br /></b><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 24.8pt;"><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.5pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoBodyText">
Dipan 9<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 24.8pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="41"><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
1<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Digestive enzyme by Thorne</span></o:p></div>
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Thorne's Betaine HCL W/pepsin<o:p></o:p></div>
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1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Help stomach acid production</span></o:p></div>
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...and/or ACV drink before meals</div>
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Still finishing this up, and it feels like I'm barely taking anything compared with Phase 1, haha! <b><i>The goal is to get to needing next to nothing supplement-wise; minimal is best. </i></b>Brie also wanted a brief anti-candida diet but I haven't done it entirely yet due to a lot going on--events, travel, etc., and she agreed now's not the time to restrict more especially with the progress I've made already. So, we're going to see how things are after my wedding when life calms down a bit more and see if we need to extend Phase 2 to work on the fungal/candida if it's still there.<br />
<br />
Of course, that means sometime this month it's time to RE-TEST!<br />
<br />
Test don't guess.<br />
<br />
After our wedding, I'll do a full blood chemistry, stool test (another GI MAP, also going to do a GDA GI Effects Stool Panel just for good measure), and a Great Plains Organic Acids because it looks awesome. If all is clear then we can move onto Phase 3, which will really work on rebuilding the gut microbiome, as well as more detox support/heavy metals (if it is an issue), and further immune/AI support.<br />
<br />
I was also advised to test for Lyme's Disease throughout all this as Lyme's can mimic AI conditions, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I have ordered the test forms and kit and will do this month as well just to rule it out.<br />
<br />
And so with all this mega supplementing, the results?<br />
<br />
PHENOMENAL!!! My gut and digestion haven't felt this great in years. TMI, but for the first time in ages I have normal, daily and complete bowel movements. This is huge for me to not be plagued with all that horrible stuff. I feel less like I have less inflammation and better vibes in my body too--things don't feel out of whack. Most of all, I feel like I have freedom with food and I can handle eating nearly anything (nearly). As such, I don't find myself getting stressed/worried about how a food may react in me with my gut feeling robust again--and thus those dark ages seem to be over, lol.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Testing the Waters</span></b><br />
<br />
You still with me? ;)<br />
<br />
Before my wedding, I've had other big trips/benchmarks to hit that would be test runs because I'll be damed if I live in a cave because of all this. Trips to Boston (for the marathon), Big Sur (for my backpacking bachelorette party) and Belize (for a friend's wedding) all within weeks in April and May. Just the travel alone is a lot on the body, right? But I was up for all of it. Feeling good again and excited to adventure and step away from "strict living" mode.<br />
<br />
All trips were a success. My body responded well, and each trip showed me how I'm improving on so many levels. I was able to run a marathon (at a "safe" pace not getting all ego'd out), backpack coastal mountains accumulating 20 miles in 2.5 days, and SCUBA dive multiple times in the Belize Barrier Reef.... these are probably not the typical things you hear of with someone who just got diagnosed with autoimmune disease. But you know me ;) I believe I could do these thing because a) I wanted to so badly and b) I do not neglect the recovery and respect for my body in the process. In between all the adventures I don't continue to push and push like I used to. After Big Sur I rested for days, and in Belize when my triathlete friends got up early to workout, I chose to hang out in my hotel room sipping coffee, enjoying breakfast and catching up on work (not caring about calorie burn and miles).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSSgxglfhyphenhyphenmloPElwQSxJz0GJhpCEe3MhVwxmFtEP3V5I3FCYNGK-NmspJcMFmYq-ex-teXUXsDindNkEtR9AAQxvflk-4AKWDe5-NInXNbuQ5vg4QS4Ixt1nK6sm7mqn9JXtLy3J13c/s1600/IMG_8613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSSgxglfhyphenhyphenmloPElwQSxJz0GJhpCEe3MhVwxmFtEP3V5I3FCYNGK-NmspJcMFmYq-ex-teXUXsDindNkEtR9AAQxvflk-4AKWDe5-NInXNbuQ5vg4QS4Ixt1nK6sm7mqn9JXtLy3J13c/s640/IMG_8613.JPG" width="640" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKS5T_BVak6IXe2AB-QEdUvfrW2wZBKXsiOSlrruBl2WFJ5nP7sOv3a6Rk96F3ZBH342J_L-tu7C9CbF2B3nOLqvQ4y-QAzEc4QNo-D9lsg2trm3aTOMmVRiC7zhQRurN7-ziawblp0E/s1600/IMG_8310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKS5T_BVak6IXe2AB-QEdUvfrW2wZBKXsiOSlrruBl2WFJ5nP7sOv3a6Rk96F3ZBH342J_L-tu7C9CbF2B3nOLqvQ4y-QAzEc4QNo-D9lsg2trm3aTOMmVRiC7zhQRurN7-ziawblp0E/s640/IMG_8310.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oiywp0IrXZdKLn-vW-2X0WSkLCuB31_lMLfKy2P3PaSs4waIQBjxjwRO8v5jba7uZJPNMxy4fMxfpVr5QSFU-1kWkvIwY6_AHmjDVVaiX_1bF0dJeCVWceZZVO2cC5-i7BOPaiwbdiA/s1600/IMG_9481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oiywp0IrXZdKLn-vW-2X0WSkLCuB31_lMLfKy2P3PaSs4waIQBjxjwRO8v5jba7uZJPNMxy4fMxfpVr5QSFU-1kWkvIwY6_AHmjDVVaiX_1bF0dJeCVWceZZVO2cC5-i7BOPaiwbdiA/s320/IMG_9481.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It was also so nice to pass these tests in the food-gut department! I let loose, a little more on each successive trip, and never felt restricted like I had to be in March. These trips were a chance to test all kinds of food in different environments, and I did not get screwed over for once. Even in a place like Belize where it was a lot of Caribbean/Mexican food and a fair amount of rum drinks I was thriving and feeling awesome. Of course, i'm not going to take this as a sign to go off the deep-end with my diet. But, having flexibility and 80-20 living--or 90-10; whatever I'm not counting--is so important to me; I do not want to live an overly strict life. I'll be strict when I have to, but I don't think that needs to be 365 for the rest of my life at all. Granted, it's no secret I have a sensitive body which makes this harder, but I think if I can find the right balance--which it seems like I'm getting there--I'll be ok in any situation. It's all about building that badass gut health.<br />
<br />
Next up? OUR wedding, and it looks like I achieved that aggressive goal I set back in March :)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENYlW9i41q8rHa8Gsk19j1UpHObR11qtlNeqyAxLIuuI7rPZHMqf5FzxK8hUyXx-R4UexErzVr4EjLb8LsdszCGtj0GXykejJRLb_ZOJlUUz7IIhDIB_c9zRxM7IUuhmx6eyfwCsT8Mc/s1600/IMG_9484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENYlW9i41q8rHa8Gsk19j1UpHObR11qtlNeqyAxLIuuI7rPZHMqf5FzxK8hUyXx-R4UexErzVr4EjLb8LsdszCGtj0GXykejJRLb_ZOJlUUz7IIhDIB_c9zRxM7IUuhmx6eyfwCsT8Mc/s640/IMG_9484.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
Where I haven't yet tested the waters is training and/or exercise like I once knew it. Which I don't mind. At all. The routine I have going on now is awesome (next blog post will cover this). I can feel deep down that if I were to try and push it, that'd be bad. That would probably be the thing that would lead to a setback. After all, it has only been 6 months or so since I first noticed my symptoms. Patience! Training/racing isn't out of my life forever, but right now I don't miss it and don't need it. That stuff doesn't define me, but I am starting to understand why it was so important to me. For now, I'll stick to the wide variety of other things I'm doing that fill my craving for a good challenge and stepping outside my comfort zone--SCUBA, backpacking, practicing yoga, and whatnot.<br />
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<br />
Oh and btw, without all that hardcore training my body composition is better than ever. You don't need extreme exercise to look and feel your best.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
If I hadn't been told I have lupus/RA this year, I'm not sure I would have been so fast and diligent to do a lot of these things. It's been a heavy heavy undertaking, and I can seriously understand why many people go the drug route vs. healing with intent to put in remission. Not that I support the prescription drug approach, but it looks "easier" in ways (but also a different outcome). I'm stoked to have some traits I've channeled for the good of my well-being this time--like my relentless nature. Nothing or no one can stand in my way of my goals and this challenge to heal naturally.<br />
<br />
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-80519014320773630932016-05-24T07:36:00.000-07:002016-05-26T20:49:55.802-07:0010 Causes of Autoimmunity<div>
If you need to get caught up on the latest, <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/04/being-boston-strong.html" target="_blank">start here</a> :)<br />
<br />
Once I was officially diagnosed with autoimmune disease I dove into how to heal like it was my job. I refused to accept that my condition would gradually worsen and that prescription drugs were the only option. Healing from the inside out is no easy feat, though, and it started with getting down and real with myself on what really led to this condition. I knew genetics played a role, but only a third or so, which meant two-thirds were things that have happened in my life--whether in my direct control, in my environment, or something that happened to me by chance.<br />
<br />
If you really start digging into it, you will find that there seem to be a million and a half reasons why one gets an autoimmune disease and it can be overwhelming. Autoimmune conditions are fairly common. I've read stats such as autoimmune conditions affecting 80 million Americans and 5% of the population in Western countries--and those are the diagnosed cases. Many conditions go undiagnosed. So how do you figure out your unique situation? How do you figure out how to get your body to stop attacking itself? Hack away at it one variable at a time. I sought help from experts, played investigator, did some heavy self-introspection. I feel like I have boiled down my main reasons, which I'll list below.<br />
<br />
But first, I also have a theory on what ultimately caused the autoimmunity (AI) to trigger when it did despite living relatively healthy as can be these days. I heard some stories from others on there being one "traumatic" event in which their body was never really the same and AI set in. For me, I am fairly convinced the final trigger that caused everything to blow up happened in December '15. <b><i>I got a really bad case of the flu where I was sick for 14 days </i></b>at a level that was worse than I had ever experienced in my life. It simply wrecked me, and ever since that I never really felt the same to be honest. For example, I was weak working out into January--I figured I'd just have to patient yet tough to build back--and I also had a gut setback in which I was sensitive to everything yet again (ugh) among other noticeable symptoms. Now I'm thinking that flu and its bugs threw things off just enough in an already-vulnerable environment. Combine that with go-getter me who was trying to workout thinking about marathons and ultras, and it was a perfect storm that blew up on me.<br />
<br />
I did a stool test in January (the GI MAP) to assess the current state of my gut and it came back showing elevated levels of salmonella, staph, enterococcus, and pseudomonas. Say what?! I was shocked. I also tested positive for moderate candida and some small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), both of which were nothing new and had been taking a toll for a long time. Interestingly fungal infections (eg candida) are present in most autoimmune cases.<br />
<br />
So there's that, but I would never blame just the flu. I know it's more.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Top-10 Reasons For Developing Autoimmunity</span></b></div>
<ol>
<li>Gut dysbiosis -- chronic infections, overgrowths and an imbalance between beneficial and harmful gut bacteria.</li>
<li>Leaky gut -- little particles of food getting into the bloodstream and triggering an immune response, this one is all too common and dangerous. <a href="http://draxe.com/4-steps-to-heal-leaky-gut-and-autoimmune-disease/" target="_blank">Read more here</a>. </li>
<li>Other hidden infections -- in my case, those two <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/03/root-canals-are-silently-ruining-your.html" target="_blank">root canals</a> one of which I got when I was 16 years old.</li>
<li>Nutritional deficiencies -- not because of a poor diet, but rather malabsorption due to gut issues.</li>
<li>Stress(!) -- This is where I get real and admit I have a deep history of chronic stress, high-stress living, and spending too much of my life in a sympathetic state. </li>
<li>Impaired detox and poor methylation -- all my resources were tapped and body not able to do its job to be resilient and full-functioning. The deficiencies can be detected in blood testing and even some hormone tests. <i>Methylation what? For more on what it is and its role especially with inflammation and immunity <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18245/methylation-why-it-matters-for-your-immunity-inflammation-more.html" target="_blank">read here</a>.</i></li>
<li>History of adrenal insufficiency and mild hypothyroidism -- mostly in my 20s. Thyroid interestingly tanked even more right before AI triggered.</li>
<li>History of HPA Axis dysfunction and other hormonal imbalances -- I've made this no secret.</li>
<li>Environmental toxins, mold exposure -- living in small beach apartments for the past 5 years.</li>
<li>Genetic susceptibility -- up to one-third of one's risk factors for developing an AI disease.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Other factors branch off from these 10, like why the gnarly gut dysbiosis? It's not because I've had a diet rich in refined carbs and sugars, that's for sure. So this is where you have to play investigator and often it's not that hard to nail down the reasons. 1) I was a C-section baby which put me at a gut deficit on Day 1 due to not being exposed to all the beneficial bacteria in the vaginal canal. I am not crazy here; there is plenty of evidence to support this link. 2) Having an eating disorder (ED) and the stress/diet issues related to that were a huge factor in worsening my poor gut, there's literature supporting this connection as well. 3) Replace ED stress with endurance training/ triathlon stress and this is when my gut issues got really bad. Oh I could tell stories but I don't want to lose my readers ;) 4) And then other things like being a wine drinker.... and heck, let's be honest: I've enjoyed drinking alcohol for many years of my life... a little in high school, a lot in college, and on and off in my adult life since. I think alcohol can be fine (in moderation), until it's not. I reached the point of even moderation being too much for my body and I'm sure it ties into the aforementioned reasons.<br />
<br />
All those 10 things, and some, and at the end of the day it was a big body burden... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And What Else in the Present?</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also pondered deeply and honestly, what else besides the flu was I doing in the present time and mostly in my control that could have also triggered this thing? I wanted to uncover anything that I could change....</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Stress -- while I love my life, love the present, and the direction it's going, I was still addicted to that stressed out way of living--letting little dumb things set me off or becoming overwhelmed when it's easily preventable. It was time to change once and for all. Adopt new habits and no bullshitting it. Even though I've eased up on training/racing in recent years, I think I was still stressed about my role as an athlete and races like Boston, so on.</li>
<li>Diet -- yes, of course I eat healthy and avoid junk, but there are certain healthy foods that can still be gut irritants to the sensitive person such as nuts, eggs, chocolate, nightshades, dairy, gluten and alcohol, as well as foods implicated in SIBO and candida such as FODMAPs. I was having all these except gluten. None of these things had to be eliminated forever; rather, just long enough to heal the gut, make progress, then reintroduce slowly.</li>
<li>Alcohol -- I already described a bit of my history with alcohol. Last year I really cut back. But then over the holidays it crept back in and I was back to regular wine consumption. Not a ton, but it was too much for my current state. In March I went cold turkey and it helped a ton. In a future post I'll discuss my reintroduction and how I've found what I believe to be my ideal balance.</li>
<li>Mold/toxin exposure -- I didn't pay thousands of dollars to test this so it is more speculation on my part, but I trust my senses. I'm fairly convinced the beach apartment we lived in from early 2012 until February 2016 had mold/mildew in the bathrooms--I could smell that smell, you know what it is. Plus I often woke up felt groggy, congested and shitty no matter what I ate, drank or did the day(s) before. I think our old bed/sheets/comforter played into that as well--it was like 10 years old--and the more of a deficit I got into, the more sensitive to everything I became. We moved in February and most of my morning issues of feeling crappy disappeared instantly!</li>
<li>Exercise -- Without a doubt my exercise habits have changed in the recent few years trying to promote health above all, but I still had an exercise addiction, and with a race on the calendar (Boston) plus toying around with more race ideas (ultra) I am just used to doing a lot and pushing my body--but that doesn't mean it's right in this context. It's so funny talking to my functional doctors who think the amount of running/training I do is absurd, yet to me it's just normal lol! Looking back at 2015 into this year I have to admit i was still going relatively full-speed (marathoning, backpacking trips, hours-long trail hike/runs, a 30k race in November, this year back to weekly running in the 20-40mpw range for Boston, strength training, etc). And that's just exercise; doesn't even touch on my workload and all the other stuff we do.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">'But You're So Healthy!'</span></b></div>
<div>
<br />
Everyone always tells me, "You're so healthy, you are the healthiest person I know! How could YOU be dealing with this?!" I agree, I do pride myself on a healthy lifestyle and I feel like I have all the tools to do it right. So this was a wakeup call for sure, and quite humbling, but at the end of the day it does make sense and I've totally made peace with it. I'm actually finding an immense amount of personal growth and deeper happiness because of it! Go figure.<br />
<br />
Hopefully this post explains that even "healthy people" may be at risk. A lot of the normal things we do and are exposed to can build up over time and create an unhealthy body burden. You can see in my case that there were just many variables in and out of my control that added up over time and were too much on a sensitive body. Sometimes our healthy habits aren't even enough to offset the negatives, and things happen. Not to mention those of us who are Type A'ers and who don't easily slow down. I'm a go-getter by nature and not one to take a back seat and observe, but this wake-up call has forced me reevaluate a lot. I realized I can still be a go-getter but take a different approach, slow down a bit, find better balance and foster a better environment for my body.<br />
<br />
As I have opened up more about my AI condition, I've received an outpouring from others who tell me about their condition--varying levels of some kind of autoimmunity--and the tools they use to work through it. I'm coming to find it's really common, and I know i'm not the only one. Folks like Dr. Mark Hyman and others mentioned on my last post are doing a great job to create awareness on appropriate healing methods.<br />
<br />
In my next post I'll go more into my healing protocol that allowed me to achieve a ton of progress in a relatively short amount of time. </div>
<br />Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-57524950978860518682016-04-25T09:28:00.003-07:002016-05-25T10:46:42.016-07:00Being Boston StrongI had some folks reaching out to ask me if I'm ok after seeing my Boston Marathon result, and I so much appreciate the thoughtful messages. I can imagine how my time looked odd to those who know me. After all, I was an hour slower than my BQ time 11 months ago. I'm usually a pretty consistent athlete, so this was certainly an atypical performance for me.<br />
<br />
I am ok—kind of! No injuries, no race-day disasters, no bonks, no nutrition woes. And in fact, this race went way better than I expected it would! I am very pleased with my 4:28 finishing time, and pleased that I was able to run most of it, probably 90 percent, not walk. I had been mentally preparing for a 5-7 hour day with mostly all walking...<br />
<br />
That said, there is certainly a reason why I was slower and couldn't run to my potential this year. I wanted to wait until after Boston to talk about what's been going on. I'm ready now. "Project Open-ness" continues :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0bvHOQQYTfwmBiiE-EfcTwepk9Dc30IJdbxD_fy2RRnkGXVuAqvW0_DvNaQ8kxoQt2v-o7o6JBMez940nZtQng8Mp3aiwBKV9CTKQgmshxCVibd-_Qfr4fjoN892PqJby_9hwhwqaOw/s1600/IMG_8126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0bvHOQQYTfwmBiiE-EfcTwepk9Dc30IJdbxD_fy2RRnkGXVuAqvW0_DvNaQ8kxoQt2v-o7o6JBMez940nZtQng8Mp3aiwBKV9CTKQgmshxCVibd-_Qfr4fjoN892PqJby_9hwhwqaOw/s640/IMG_8126.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Symptoms & Diagnosis</b></span><br />
It's been a tough year so far and I've had to put health and healing at the forefront again. Late February/early March I started investigating and testing because something was off and it had been off since the new year. I had some unusual symptoms, unlike anything I'd every experienced. The most disturbing were my hands—they'd become chronically swollen/puffy (I couldn't even wear my rings), and had weird red spots surfacing on them (but not a rash). There were other things too like unexplainable fatigue, brain fog, weight fluctuations, odd aches and pains plus sore joints especially in my hands, increased sensitivity to foods that were once no biggie, and a greater intolerance to any toxin like wine. I was congested daily, and my gut and digestion were all over the place again, definitely some kind of setback. I just seemed so sensitive to every little thing! All these new symptoms; yet, nothing I did had changed, at least that I know of. Diet, training, work, life—all the usual. I'm not a complainer so I tried not to make a big thing out of it. But I was getting concerned. My gut feeling told me something was up and I was compelled to find out more.<br />
<br />
After consulting with a couple doctors and practitioners, researching, zeroing in on possible issues and doing mega blood testing, I got my answer on March 2:<br />
<br />
<i><b>I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. </b></i><br />
<br />
Autoimmune (AI) disease is when the immune system attacks healthy tissues by mistake. Symptoms and severity manifest in many different ways. There are more than 100 kinds of AI diseases, with more than 700 million affected around the world. AI diseases are connected by one central biochemical process: An
rogue immune response caused by systemic inflammation.<br />
<br />
<i>To put it another way: “Autoimmune diseases are born when your body is working hard to defend
itself against something potentially dangerous, such as an allergen, a
toxin, an infection, or even a food, and it fails to differentiate
between the intruder and parts of your own body. Mistaking certain types
of tissues for harmful substances, your body turns these antibodies
against itself, wreaking havoc on your organs.” - <a href="http://paleogrubs.com/autoimmune-disease-101" target="_blank">PaleoGrubs.com</a></i><br />
<br />
My official diagnosis was early-stage lupus and rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), which the rheumatologist called "rupus" being that it was a blend of the two but not extreme in one or the other; more leaning toward lupus. For example, I am certain I was not in as much pain as you would expect with a typical RA case, and I also tested negative for rheumatoid factor. I got second and third opinions just to be sure—all in all I reached out to functional health practitioners, my MD friends in addition to the local rheumatologist (who also gave a physical exam to further validate her diagnosis). No one doubted the diagnosis.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why Me: Seeking Answers & Solutions</b></span><br />
The news came as a total shock as you can imagine. <i>But wait, I'm healthy! Being healthy is my thing! What is happening in my body and why? Was this my fault? Was it genetic? Was it both? Why now? Why me?</i> These are things to which I did not yet have answers. I didn't even fully know what lupus was until I was told I had it! Once I wiped away the tears and accepted the reality I got straight to work trying to answer the biggest question of them all: WHY ME?? If I could find out why, then there's a good chance I could fix that and fix the condition.<br />
<br />
I knew enough of conventional medicine's approach to AI disease that this was not the route I wanted to go for treatment. Conventional medicine says that basically we don't know why people get autoimmune diseases, and that there is no cure; at best you can manage symptoms usually by using drugs to fight inflammation and suppress the immune system. Often hardcore drugs are prescribed like prednisone and pain killers, and even regular use of NSAIDs, all of which have negative side effects.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, functional medicine will answer the question of "why me?" and provides hope for healing. With this medical model we can hunt down root causes and thus find solutions, rather than just manage symptoms. Functional medicine evaluates a person's whole history to determine why an autoimmune disease occurs. What is the source of inflammation in the body? Why did the immune system get overworked to the point of getting confused and waging war? There is a plethora of information out there—case studies, research, books, articles, etc—that outlines common underlying causes to autoimmunity and healing success stories. There's hope! I am not saying these things are a cure. There still is no cure, but with the right tweaks you can put your autoimmunity into remission and live a normal life. Just don't slip back to old ways that led to the AI to come about in the first place. I can do that! Functional medicine FTW again!<br />
<br />
I read books like <a href="http://amzn.to/1VHGLKx" target="_blank">The Thyroid Cure</a> by Michelle Corey (great resource for all AI issues not just thyroid) and Dr. Amy Meyers' <a href="http://amzn.to/248JWw1" target="_blank">Autoimmune Solution</a>—I felt so connected to each woman's story, nodding and agreeing with how their stories paralleled mine. For example:<br />
<br />
<i>"I
was shocked... Because I was doing what I thought were all the right
things already, being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease was shocking
and frightening /// [It] was a real wake-up call for me. I discovered you
can be doing all the right things—or what you believe to be the right
things—and still get terribly ill." - Dr. Meyers</i><br />
<i> </i> <br />
... That's what I'm sayin! Reading those words by Amy made me feel so much better. Furthermore, Amy is an amazingly brilliant doctor, which helped me come to terms with the fact that even the "best" and "smartest" who seem to have it all figured out may be at risk, and it's nothing to be ashamed about. This helped me because, to be honest, at first I was feeling guilty,
responsible and most of all like a failure—I had invested so much into
gaining good health, and this is what happens? Was this some cruel punishment for my past sh*t? But that was
not the right way to approach it, and thankfully I was able to step outside that silly mindset. At the end of the day, I realized this is just one of life's many challenges and it will make me smarter, wiser, more compassionate to myself and to others, and an even better coach to my clients.<br />
<br />
I read other books, conducted endless research online, listened to very specific podcasts on the matter and reached out to my amazing network of health professionals, including my main practitioner Brie Wieselman who thankfully is an expert on these conditions.<br />
<br />
Brie especially drilled in the point that I simply couldn't be so hard on myself and couldn't look at this as if it were all my fault. This didn't happen overnight and it didn't even happen over a few months; this disease was a lifetime in the making, and a very intricate combination of variables—many of which were out of my control!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>On Track To Healing</b></span><br />
I started to truly see and understand the patterns that lead to autoimmunity, and the light bulb went on. My whole life—a combination of variables in and out of my control—combined with the genetic susceptibility played into triggering my AI disease. (Many experts cite that genetics are one- to two-thirds responsible for one's risk to developing an AI disease.) The say leaky gut and gut dysbiosis are a huge factors and I know those have plagued me for years, not to mention chronic stress. It was starting to make sense. As such, I gained hope and got excited. Hope that I could and would heal. It would take a mountain of work—I've been calling it my new full-time job—but it'd be worth it!<br />
<br />
This post is intended just to share the news of what's been going on and in <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/05/10-causes-of-autoimmunity.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a> I dive more heavily into specific causes of autoimmune disease. I will discuss the main causes of why I developed an autoimmune diseases, specific details of my healing protocol (it's been eight awesome weeks so far), and everything else I'm learning along the way including preventative information. What an education it's been! It's actually increasing my passion for functional medicine; if I could only figure out how to go back to school to become a practitioner—without too much stress ;) <i>I digress. </i><br />
<br />
Anyway, I started keeping a daily log on me—everything that could be significant. It took a few weeks on my healing protocol to start seeing and feeling the results, but it was undeniable that what I was doing was already working! I know I'm on the right track; the real results I'm getting are mind-boggling. I also think I caught this very early so that helps too. For example, my hands are no longer swollen and affected, I can literally feel that my detox & methylation have been rebooted, and my gut is very much back in order.<br />
<br />
A huge help was doing four weeks of a strict Autoimmune Paleo Diet (AIP) protocol to eliminate any trigger foods and/or gut irritants, which wasn't "fun" at first due to some pretty gnarly restrictions. No eggs, chocolate, nuts, seeds, nightshades, caffeine!? The horror! Meanwhile, I was totally fine eliminating alcohol, gluten, dairy and non-nutritive sweeteners. It was an adjustment, but in the end it was so empowering and eye-opening, not that hard to follow, and it even allowed me to get out of the rut of eating the same old things day in, day out. I can't say enough good things about the benefits of a (temporary) elimination diet, disease or not.<br />
<br />
During my reintroduction phase I was very lucky to have success with most the foods and even a bit of red wine. I will say, though, I think I've lost most desire to drink at this point—it's just too risky to justify going back to my glass-a-night kind of habit. I'll also keep nuts and seeds to a minimum because even though I've been
ok with little bits, I still believe they are a gut irritant. I haven't and won't return to gluten anytime soon, nor dairy—minus one exception: After the Boston marathon, there were Italian pastries and cannolis that showed up at our place, and I decided to enjoy. It was a first, and I have no regrets. <br />
<br />
All the reintroduction was complete before our Boston trip, and my plan was to use Boston as a test. It would entail a lot of eating out, and I was excited for that, excited to see how my body held up and if I would get a setback or be fine. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>On Running with Autoimmunity</b></span><br />
With all the improvements I've seen so far, the one area that was and is still suffering is my running. There's no doubt that by April I felt in a much better spot health-wise and like I was
getting the AI condition under control, but running was still a bust. I know why: My body was/is
putting all energy into healing and there's not one ounce of energy
leftover for athletic performance at this point. I had to respect that.<br />
<br />
I mostly shut down marathon training as of March. My body simply was not responding to the running I
wanted to do so badly for Boston training, and even short easy runs took a monster effort and left me more fatigued than usual. As such, my long runs got shorter instead
of longer, and became less frequent. I gritted out a couple more long sessions in the final six weeks before Boston, but they were more akin to a death march rather than quality
running. I cried. It hurt physically and mentally to feel this reality. Meanwhile, any intensity I had been doing was out; a bummer as it had been so fun! My aerobic/MAF runs also
slowed incredibly, and I was walking a ton more on every run. I quit all strength
training because it hurt and made me too sore. It was not your normal
marathon training; it was not normal Tawnee training ;) It
was sad to see my fitness slip away, but I got used to the new norm
eventually and gave myself a little more self-love and respect, which had been lacking. Instead of fighting the inability to train I gave myself a pat on the back for any exercise
outing. Likewise, I gave myself a pat on the back for knowing when not
to exercise or push it, and to rest instead.<br />
<br />
I had everyone telling me to just shut it
down and don't run Boston. But I couldn't quit. I wasn't ready to give up. I couldn't
let it go that easily. I needed to do it for me, just this last one. And
then <i>after</i> Boston I would shut it down and not train/race until it was time again.<br />
<br />
Before Boston, I "participated" in
the Ragnar Relay with my amazing Endurance Planet team and that was a
very emotional reality check that even if I wanted to race hard my body
was saying no. I missed my old athlete self.
Thankfully my EP team consisted of kind, understanding people who were my rocks, and not to mention they all
happened to be great runners so we still were
5th or 6th overall out of nearly 700 teams! <br />
<br />
Ragnar verified that I could not do anything stupid in the marathon (i.e. I could not try
to race like my old self but rather run appropriate to my current
condition). I honestly thought this could mean a 5-7 hour day in Boston. I really
didn't know. I was willing to do whatever it took to cross the finish line and I
was ok with a really long walk.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And Then There Was Boston </b></span><br />
Sadly, to add to the hard
times, the night before the marathon our amazing dog of 12 years had to be
put down. She was diagnosed with cancer, and her condition
declined so incredibly fast. I said my goodbyes to Sydney Arrow before we left for
Boston, bawling over this dog who meant so much to me. I was hoping she'd hang in until after I got
back, but she was suffering so badly, it was obvious, and my parents
couldn't bear to let her continue in that state. So on Sunday marathon eve I sat on Face Time with my family as they laid our Sydney Arrow to rest. It was beyond difficult to go through this; I'm just thankful for modern technology that allowed me to be in the room with my family even though I was 3,000 miles away. Thankfully I had John by my side the whole time.<br />
<br />
Monday morning came. I surprisingly woke up with a really strong mindset and attitude. It would have been easy to stay tucked in
my bed and avoid reality (who would blame me at this point?), but no way. I decided to rise to the occasion and use
this marathon as a test of strength. Do it for Sydney, do it to show
that this AI disease won't ruin my life. Persevere. <br />
<br />
Still, I wasn't sure if I could do it. I was nervous in a
different way than usual. I used to get nervous about how I'd perform
and what others would think of my times; but at Boston those were the least of my
worries and not even thoughts in my head.<br />
<br />
Eventually at 11 am (so late lol!) the gun went off and the rest was magical. I'm certain I was in a state of flow. I was able to just <i>be</i>. It was
hard, there was pain, but it was not impossible and I felt at peace. I was respecting my limitations and in return
my body allowed me to run. I was running, and actually faster than I expected!! I was 100 percent grateful for each step I took that led me to Boylston Street. I've never been so proud of a "slow" race before and my 4:28 finishing time felt like a gift. The whole day I knew I had my Sydney Arrow running next to me in spirit, along with all my friends and family who knew of my condition and were rooting for me. So much emotion went into crossing that finish
line. It was a moment I'll cherish forever. <br />
<br />
A lot of
people make excuses why they don't perform well in their races. Heck, I've made tons of those excuses in my time (I'm sure some you can find on old blog posts right here lol). I'm sick of that shit. Own it. Own the situation. Whether you had a good, bad or mediocre day, it is what it is. You'll be so much happier and better off if you just let it go, take it from me. In doing so, you'll find the silver lining in all your performances.<br />
<br />
I'm reminded of pro triathlete Amy Marsh who recently kicked cancer's ass (GO Amy!). She posted a tweet not too long ago that said,<i> "Ran 20 minutes today. No walk breaks :) #10monthstoday." </i>Now that is what I'm talking about! Twenty minutes of running is nothing to most of us, but in her situation it probably felt as gratifying and special as winning the world championships—and rightly so! What an incredible woman she is to fight such a battle, win, and now be making her way back. I just can't say enough awesome things...... I'm not trying to compare my AI disease with cancer, but I think I can now better relate to what it feels like to receive some really shitty news, fight to overcome and deeply appreciate the baby steps made on the path to healing. Being diagnosed with a disease affects everything; it changes you. It changed me as an athlete and a person, and I have to believe these changes are for the better. No matter how fast or slow, I won on Marathon Monday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFZKWR_29U9MP2ak8izyUdnzHLcr5LeELD-mVY3eq-mpBkdNGAN1SDpPPLGWqXfieMnRV7cTCflKCrVb6bHGH-BkxRr47J4wR9zexz-Axkea9peCAruGO0oxKew90txY_SkcGRKSsHBQ/s1600/IMG_8131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFZKWR_29U9MP2ak8izyUdnzHLcr5LeELD-mVY3eq-mpBkdNGAN1SDpPPLGWqXfieMnRV7cTCflKCrVb6bHGH-BkxRr47J4wR9zexz-Axkea9peCAruGO0oxKew90txY_SkcGRKSsHBQ/s640/IMG_8131.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">At the end it was all smiles! Thanks to <a href="http://www.vespapower.com/" target="_blank">Vespa</a> for fueling my run. I was slow thus in total fat-burning mode,<br />and Vespa got me through the day. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: left;"><span data-reactid=".1.1.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.5" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Get a 20% discount on </span></span><a href="http://www.vespapower.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" target="_blank">Vespa</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: left;"><span data-reactid=".1.1.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.7" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> when you use the code </span><a data-reactid=".1.1.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.$text4/=1$entity1/=010" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/epragnar2016/" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #125688; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#EPRagnar2016</a>. <span data-reactid=".1.1.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.9" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Expires 4/30/16.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Thanks for reading.<br />
<br />
<b>Select resources:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://paleogrubs.com/autoimmune-disease-101" target="_blank">http://paleogrubs.com/autoimmune-disease-101 </a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://chriskresser.com/pills-or-paleo-preventing-and-reversing-autoimmune-disease/">https://chriskresser.com/pills-or-paleo-preventing-and-reversing-autoimmune-disease/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/07/30/how-to-stop-attacking-yourself-9-steps-to-heal-autoimmune-disease/">http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/07/30/how-to-stop-attacking-yourself-9-steps-to-heal-autoimmune-disease/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_535358284"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol">http://www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://draxe.com/4-steps-to-heal-leaky-gut-and-autoimmune-disease/">http://draxe.com/4-steps-to-heal-leaky-gut-and-autoimmune-disease/</a>Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-43442209849859744132016-03-27T11:09:00.004-07:002016-07-17T08:17:02.314-07:00Root Canals Are Silently Ruining Your Health—Get Them Out!<i>Editor's Note: I want to clarify that each person should consider his or her unique situation and health to decide if removing or keeping root canals</i><i><i><i>—</i></i>or avoiding them all together</i><i><i><i>—</i></i>is the right decision for YOU. </i><i><i>Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and you may believe root canals are perfectly safe with data to back up your opinion</i></i><i><i>—I respect that. </i>The blog below presents a case for avoiding and/or removing root canals. I'll admit when I wrote this post I was angry and even the title of this post is very definitive without leaving room for multiple points of views. I was angry because no one ever informed me of the risks associated with root canals, and my doctors believe my root canals played a role in my <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2016/04/being-boston-strong.html" target="_blank">autoimmune disease.</a> (Of course I could have taken better care of my teeth back in high school to avoid them in the first place but hindsight is 20/20.) Below is my case and the research I did that led me to the decisions and action I took. </i><i><i>I have explored multiple POV's on the root canal debate as well. </i>Research, learn from my situation or ignore it, and at the end of the day make an informed decision and do what you think is best for you</i><i>. </i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>~~~ </i></div>
<br />
I Last Monday, March 21, I had two root canal extractions and cavitations cleaned up. This was a long time coming, and I only wish I had done it sooner. I'm on the verge of anger that these root canals were not only allowed in the first place, but have lasted this long now understanding how harmful they are:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"Research has demonstrated that 100 percent of all root canals result in residual infection due to the imperfect seal that allows bacteria to penetrate. The toxins given off by these bacteria are <u>more toxic than mercury</u>. These toxins can cause systemic diseases of the heart, kidney, uterus, and nervous and endocrine systems." ~<a href="http://biologicdentists.com/custom2.html" target="_blank">Dr. Edward Arana, D.D.S.</a> </b><br />
<br />
I had one root canal when I was 18, and the other I got in my mid-20s I believe. Additionally, I've had wisdom teeth removed and this procedure wasn't done properly so there were unhealed holes in the jawbone, known as cavitations, and these can become (and did become) rampant with infection.<br />
<br />
<b>"Dentists are taught in dental school that once they pull a tooth, the patient's body heals the resulting hole in the jawbone. However, approximately 95 percent of all tooth extractions result in a pathologic defect called a cavitation... </b><b>Cavitations occur when bone is deprived of its blood supply and dies.
When the bone dies a hole in the bone develops, literally a cavity and
into this hole migrate anaerobic bacteria"~<a href="http://biologicdentists.com/custom2.html" target="_blank">Photos and more here</a>. </b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.biodentistrydrvizcarra.com/?s=8&sub=8" target="_blank">This is a descriptive definition and explanation of cavitations</a>; the concept of cavitations was confusing to me at first but now I get it.<b> </b><br />
<br />
In fact, all of this was confusing—<i>you mean conventional dentists remove wisdom teeth and don't clean up properly,<b> AND</b> they allow dead organs in the form of a root canal to remain in the mouth knowing full well that over time these could harm our health and cause disease!? WTF! </i>This seems ludicrous and unethical.<br />
<br />
Put it this way—if you get an organ transplant you generally wouldn't leave the old, dead organ that failed in the body, would you? (Although, I guess a failed kidney is usually left behind after a transplant due to complications of removing it.) Teeth seem to be an exception—we kill them off, and leave the debris. Teeth are organs with "pulp" in their center made of <i>living</i> connective tissue and cells, with blood supply, nerves, and all. During a root canal all this living pulp is removed and what's left is a dead organ in the form of bone. Then a crown is put on the tooth, but the seal between tooth and gum is imperfect so junk seeps in over time, meanwhile the dead tooth becomes chronically infected no matter what. You can see how over time this can be a problem!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
In addition to the localized infection in the mouth, our teeth also have strong connections with other parts of the body. Each tooth is associated with which one of more organs, body parts, joints, endocrine glands, sinuses and more. Look at the <a href="http://pridedentaloffice.com/meridian-tooth-chart/" target="_blank">Meridian Tooth Chart</a>, and you can see the relationships: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX72fxLH7JS3am3MUG5TDpY4v3fblZiF7cE99yAFOpGfHnMqtQVzila4YrXBi_gXcC6reDch_bP7yBGlb4Ibv8WJQkIkIh6cZFufNZS1KT4iirRRzIHutcsQJjj0u1YQT7_VhxFnAEQ8/s1600/tooth_organ_relationship.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX72fxLH7JS3am3MUG5TDpY4v3fblZiF7cE99yAFOpGfHnMqtQVzila4YrXBi_gXcC6reDch_bP7yBGlb4Ibv8WJQkIkIh6cZFufNZS1KT4iirRRzIHutcsQJjj0u1YQT7_VhxFnAEQ8/s640/tooth_organ_relationship.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
If you can't figure out which number is which tooth in your mouth,<a href="http://pridedentaloffice.com/meridian-tooth-chart/" target="_blank"> this is a cool interactive chart</a> with even more depth on the tooth-organ relationships.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<br />
Little did I know my root canals and cavitations have been putting me in a deficit of health for 10+ years—and no matter how hard I work to live healthfully, eat clean, mitigate stress, avoid overtraining, avoid environmental toxins, perform better, recover faster, or whatever it is, these infections have not only been holding me back from full health, they've also cause my health to deteriorate. The lurking infections don't hurt and you can't feel them—they're a silent attacker—but years and years of this compromises the immune system and affects certain organs, functions and systems a la the Meridian Tooth Chart. <br />
<br />
My root canals were teeth numbers 2 and 31—associated with pancreas, stomach, breast, bladder (2); and lung, large intestine, illeocecal (31). If you count the wisdom teeth cavitations, numbers 1 and 32, these are associated with small intestine, duodenum and heart.<br />
<br />
You can buy into the Meridian Chart or not, but here's the thing: Gut issues have plagued me for years and no matter how disciplined I am with diet, supplementing and healing protocols, things just won't totally heal. I make incredible progress followed by an incredible setback, and/or we make discovery of "new" bugs or old ones that never fully healed (bacteria and fungal infections). Multiple practitioners have told me, "You're just a really tough, stubborn case." Then I look at the organs associated with my infected teeth, and I'm no expert on this matter, but and there's an undeniable connection.<br />
<br />
Back in 2013, Dr. David Minkoff was the first to tell me that old dental work and the state of my mouth could be at the root of my problems. He even helped me find a holistic biological dentist in my area. I did an initial appointment and $300+ later was told it was probably a good idea to get the teeth removed, but that it was going to cost more than $3,000—money I couldn't really cough up at that point. I also wasn't fully convinced then that the dental issues could be so incredibly destructive, so I let it go.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to now. Recently, I had some health stuff going on that was odd and made zero sense based on how I am living my life these days, so I reopened the case on the old dental work, going back to the same dentist. This time I worked directly with Dr. Marvin at the Center For Natural Dentistry (before it was one of his assistant dentists), and he highly advised that I clean up this "mess," and that yes indeed it could be at the root of most if not all my issues, and/or only get worse with time.<br />
<br />
Time to dig into the savings. I didn't want to go another day with this crap in my mouth.<br />
<br />
I scheduled the procedure a couple weeks after my initial appointment, trying to fit it in best I could knowing we have a lot scheduled, i.e. we had plans to get SCUBA certified—so it had to be after that—and coming up is Ragnar SoCal and Boston Marathon, followed by some travel and our wedding—so I decided it would be best not to wait and do it before the races and travel. Granted, doing this procedure prior to Ragnar/Boston puts a huge damper on my training, but I don't give a shit. My health is a million gagillion times more important. There will be more years ahead to train and race, but knowing this issue was going on was something I couldn't live with ignoring any longer. <br />
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~~~</div>
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The procedure wasn't enjoyable, but Dr. Marvin is brilliant. He spent a long time with me describing the process and the meticulous attention to careful cleaning of the infected areas and making sure nothing infected was left behind. This entails a combo of tooth removal, drilling/scraping (or whatever they do, it sounds horrible), sanitizing with Ozone, and the coolest thing: injecting my own platelet-rich fibrin into the holes for accelerated healing and tissue regeneration. This meant I had a blood draw prior to the procedure, in which they took seven vials, spun those, handed the batch of tubes over to me, and I transported them to Dr. Marvin's office to be used during the procedure.<br />
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During the procedure, Dr. Marvin was practically cursing as he extracted the infected teeth, bone and tissue, discovering how bad it really way—he's pretty passionate about what he does.<b> Then he said, "<u>Your body is going to love not having these in your mouth!</u>" </b>I have pictures of the teeth and infected tissue/bone that was removed, and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see the deterioration and infection. It's pretty gross though so I won't post it on this blog (if you want to see LMK in comments, and I'll email you).<br />
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~~~ </div>
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The procedure was on a Monday, so for a couple days I was on the mush/liquid diet, and even had to cancel a podcast and client calls because I honestly couldn't talk well at all, the gauze didn't help... The first 12 hours or so, or until the bleeding stops, you have to keep a wad of gauze over the holes to help a clot form. Besides being uncomfortable, I wasn't in a lot of pain from this and I've always been impressed at how fast I heal. I only woke up in pain the first night, after that slept like a baby and never had an issue. I also do NOT take pain killers, but I did use arnica and ice.<br />
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Eating was fun at first ;) The first night for dinner (the day of the procedure) I cooked up a bunch of broccoli, mushrooms and veggies in bone broth, then put that in the vitamix for a broccoli-mushroom soup, adding <a href="http://amzn.to/1RxOtCC" target="_blank">collagen powder</a>. It was delicious, and something I'd cook anyway. I also made some mean breakfast bowls of kabocha squash-avocado-coconut milk-collagen-cinnamon-nutmeg-vanilla, which came out tasting like pumpkin pie filling. Plus green juices, more bone broth, soups, etc.... I was just fine with the diet. That said, within a day I was able to upgrade to more soft-solid foods like chicken, fish, roasted carrots, avocado mash and sweet potatoes. By mid-week I was feeling like I could eat nearly anything.<br />
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Meanwhile, NO running for a week or two. Shoot. Over the weekend I did make it out walking and tested a slow jog--no go, I could tell it was not a wise idea and made the healing areas feel too throbby. I've had to accept that this is just my situation right now and not get too down that I haven't had better training. And in all actuality, I'm totally ok with it. Health first!<br />
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Did I feel better right away? Hard to tell. Dr. Marvin said healing time varies. Some people feel better instantly,
some people it takes several weeks. I can't say I feel like a new
person, but my gut has been incredibly strong and normal feeling since, and I've had a few other positive signs. I had a couple instants of testing some foods that normally upset my system and they were fine. <br />
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Maybe this was the final piece of the puzzle that was missing?<br />
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~~~</div>
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Your turn.<br />
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If you have one or more root canals, metal/amalgam fillings, or have had wisdom teeth removed by a "conventional" dentist, I'd highly suggest finding a holistic biological dentist who can do an exam to see if you're at risk, or a functional practitioner to take a look at your health from a holistic standpoint, i.e. test for immune function, infections, mercury toxicity, etc. <u>If you have root canals I'd say without a doubt find a way to get them out asap!</u> But only by a qualified holistic biological dentist who will do this procedure safely (some conventional dentists may remove the old tooth but not sanitize and clean up the infected area, then they seal it back up and the infection remains. Ugh.)<br />
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If you're in SoCal, check out <a href="http://naturaldentistry.us/" target="_blank">Dr. Marvin at the Center For Natural Dentistry</a> in Encinitas. I can get referrals for the LA area too if anyone inquires. <br />
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Bottom line is if you want to get closer to optimal living you have to look at all aspects, especially the condition of your mouth and past dental work you've had done.<br />
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~~~ </div>
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<b>More resources:</b><br />
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<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/16/why-you-should-avoid-root-canals-like-the-plague.aspx" target="_blank">Why You Should Avoid Root Canals Like the Plague </a><br />
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<a href="http://biologicdentists.com/custom2.html" target="_blank">Root Canals and Jawbone Cavitations</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/holistic-healthcare/dental-cavitation-surgery/" target="_blank">Dr. Westin Price: Holistic Healthcare & Dental Cavitation Surgery </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/holistic-healthcare/dental-cavitation-surgery/" target="_blank">Dr. Westin Price: Root Canal Dangers</a><br />
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If you want more info on the evils of root canals read this: Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018418214305162179.post-58778218858512780902016-03-21T09:37:00.004-07:002016-08-29T18:26:40.101-07:00In-Depth Hormone Testing and The Value of Monitoring BBT Every Day<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Health updates and why I want you to start monitoring your BBT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honing in on Hormones! </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's one thing to get back to a normal period, it's another to get a deeper look inside to see assess hormone levels and the progression of a menstrual cycle. In January I decided it was time to some deeper hormonal investigation to see where I’m at, especially with pregnancy goals in the horizon (but don't hold your breath on that). I’ve had my period again for a while now—it came back January 2014 and was spotty for a while until August 2014 when it returned for good on a monthly basis, minus that <a href="http://www.tritawn.com/2015/12/does-being-too-healthy-cause-health.html" target="_blank">few-month hiccup</a> last fall from which I quickly recovered and learned my lesson that I’m still very sensitive to my type of “extreme” living and stress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So anyways, the month-long hormonal panel is called the <a href="http://biohealthlab.com/test-menu/hormones/womens-hormones/" target="_blank">BioHealth 208</a>, that gives 17 readings of progesterone and estradiol levels throughout an entire menstrual cycle (basically a month-long test), as well as two measures of testosterone levels. I highly recommend getting this test from your practitioner if you’re on a similar path as me in regaining and/or balancing out hormones. If you haven't regained a period yet, however, wait off on this test and there are others that are more helpful (inquire in comments).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It starts on Day 2 of a new cycle every other day </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">first thing in the morning before food or drink </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you spit saliva into a tube. This process continues until the start of the next period. I’m so used to the saliva tests by now, having done my first back in 2013. They’re awkward, but saliva is a much better way to monitor hormones than blood, and obviously the saliva is very DIY efficient. Some new tests like the <a href="http://bit.ly/1O7OLjS" target="_blank">DUTCH Test</a> to measure hormones might even be a better way to gauge production and metabolism of hormones</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and more bang for your buck</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but that’s another topic for another day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Basal Body Temperature (BBT) </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As part of the test’s requirements and also for my own data collection, in conjunction to the saliva collections I measured basal body temperature (BBT) daily. BBT is your core temperature at complete rest, and it can tell you a lot about your fertility, hormones, health status, or any underlying issues like thyroid problems. Like HRV, our BBT is a direct window into our body, and it is a super easy and low-cost mechanism to assess your current state, health and overall well-being</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—and also figure when to make changes if needed. Also like HRV, measuring BBT in itself will do nothing to affect health, it's on you to go the next step to support what you need if indeed additional support is needed</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. It’s important to take BBT immediately upon rising before going pee, before hanging out in bed having a chat, before anything, for accuracy. Eyes open = thermometer in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can use apps to record BBT instead of old-fashioned pen and paper. I use <a href="https://kindara.com/r/aDlooKEc4" target="_blank">Kindara</a> and love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s surprising to me how many women aren’t really familiar with BBT, what the numbers mean, why it’s important to measure it, or even ovulation and the menstrual cycle for that matter. So I’ll explain a bit and why I think it’s so valuable to understand these things if you want to own your health—as you should. And even if you think nothing is wrong right now, it's also good to measure BBT anyway so in case you have an issue in the future you have data from when things were "normal" with you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>BBT: Normal vs. Abnormal Readings</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Waking temperature should be pretty static, ideally not below 97 degrees nor too high, i.e. not over over 98.9 degrees. A temp of roughly 97.2 to 98.5 degrees upon waking—depending where you’re at in a cycle, which we’ll get to—is considered normal. I don't like to see girls below 97.2. A low BBT in the 96s, 95s is not normal and associated with some problematic issues like hypothyroidism, a state of chronic caloric deficit, eating disorders, increased risk of fungal infection, etc. If your BBT is chronically low, i.e. below 97 degrees for 5-10 days or more then it’s definitely worth looking into to find out why. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>BBT and the Menstrual Cycle </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Basal body temp and the menstrual cycle are directly related so you can learn a lot about your female situation simply by taking your temperature upon waking. In the follicular phase, the first half of the cycle, BBT ranges from 97.0 to 97.7 degrees. Upon ovulation and into the luteal phase, the second half of the cycle, BBT increases to roughly 97.8 to 98.3 degrees or more. At the end of a cycle your BBT on a chart should look something like this: </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ1K7QtjOm9Dn9nNDcPtzJaLNznkIJ3SiQQ9YTKl0cz5rh0GP3YXlm-MZYQWqbL5wUzUbPZOgyBcqi7hdCZhIV240_Y2puwVmyjB7xcJV0Qi6CGHx_kdfZePi9OdaoT-EmJWZA6FQI88/s1600/Screenshot+2016-03-21+08.59.56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ1K7QtjOm9Dn9nNDcPtzJaLNznkIJ3SiQQ9YTKl0cz5rh0GP3YXlm-MZYQWqbL5wUzUbPZOgyBcqi7hdCZhIV240_Y2puwVmyjB7xcJV0Qi6CGHx_kdfZePi9OdaoT-EmJWZA6FQI88/s640/Screenshot+2016-03-21+08.59.56.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my BBT chart from the Kindara app. You see the overall trend in BBT readings, which pretty much line up with what you want to see in normal functioning. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">You may take note that my cycle is a tad long still, we're hoping it will normalize over time as cycles of 32 days or less are ideal for conception.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Notice lower temps in the first half, a very clear spike in temp (ovulation) and higher temps in the second half before the start of another period in which temperature drops back down and the cycle continues. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a woman, there’s really no excuse to not get in the habit of monitoring BBT as much as possible, ideally every day. I know it’s hard to form new habits, but set yourself up for success by having your thermometer and phone app to record BBT right next to your bed, and just get into the routine—as mentioned, you must measure BBT before you sit up or get up and especially measure before your first morning pee, even laying in bed and chatting or rolling around will increase temperature and it’s crucial to get that core resting temp for accurate information. It took me a few days to remember to measure BBT, but once I got in the habit it was an automatic response as soon as my eyes opened. Even since the month-long hormone test, I’m still measuring BBT daily. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>BioHealth Test Results</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So my BioHealth 208 panel showed amazingly rad results that seriously had me fist-pumping and feeling very proud like hard work is paying off. I have normal and near-perfect levels of progesterone and estradiol—and the progression of each throughout my cycle look spot-on for a healthy female who has a healthy normal menstrual cycle. In fact my functional doc said my hormone levels and the curves they form when charted out (i.e. the spikes and drops over the course of a month) look better than 90 percent of patients she sees! No longer is low/no progesterone a problem of mine, oh ya!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In terms of the progression of my cycle, my chart showed a clear spike in estrogen, a very clear and strong ovulation midway, and a clear spike in progesterone—</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">each hormone forming a "beautiful curve" as my doc put it. See the graphic below for a visual of this. Of course, ovulation is also key to getting pregnant. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWxaQ1QChG6oi1F94eniotfPAblGqBHG6AE60IHzHK_upObgBpAKhgHQ-ny8IVe9WO4V2N6co2R2g7b3b9NYDZ_XBPNIsGb5_oly6F1shSu_rf78nElnhIHxOzN4lhIBen0QN8LSeS3M/s1600/BBT+and+MenstrualCycle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWxaQ1QChG6oi1F94eniotfPAblGqBHG6AE60IHzHK_upObgBpAKhgHQ-ny8IVe9WO4V2N6co2R2g7b3b9NYDZ_XBPNIsGb5_oly6F1shSu_rf78nElnhIHxOzN4lhIBen0QN8LSeS3M/s640/BBT+and+MenstrualCycle.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The menstrual cycle. Note how the BBT readings line up.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Comparing Present and Past</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These results are a far stretch from where I was at in 2013. A saliva test I did in June 2013 showed no signs of a menstrual cycle (no surprise) and pretty much no signs of sex hormones either. My progesterone levels were literally measured at 1 (the range on this test was 80-270 pg/ml)—and that might as well have been none. Estradiol, DHEA, testosterone were also scarily low for female norms, as was my PG/E2 ratio (i.e. progesterone to estradiol ratio), which was reflective of what you’d see in perimenopause and postmenopausal women</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at age 28. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everything was bottomed out, except for cortisol—not surprising at all actually. My cortisol wasn’t off the charts, but it was on the high end in the morning and afternoon, and I’m sure I was in some phase of adrenal fatigue. As this relates to sex hormones, it’s very likely that I was deep into the pregnenalone steal—more cortisol production was taking priority over production of all other hormones to support my high-stress go-go-go lifestyle, and my body saw no need to push for sex hormone production given the environment I created… and as the story goes this can only go on for so long before you tank, which I did later that fall in ’13. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since then, as I’ve shared openly, I’ve worked incredibly hard to adopt a lifestyle that supports a healthy period and healthy hormones—and doing so while not having to totally give up my love for endurance sports and an active lifestyle. It hasn’t been easy, and there have been slip-ups, but I think I’m getting used to what I need for steady rockin' hormones. Supplements have certainly been involved along the way, but really it's more about lifestyle and your mental state that fosters the best results.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Finding A Normal BBT Over Time, and Tie-In With Thyroid</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Going back to the BBT, interestingly, in 2013 I tracked BBT for a while in July and August of that year (after the hormone test showing I was bottomed out), and my numbers were consistently 96.5 to 97.1 degrees, never over that. A red flag for sure, and this lined up with the other health issues I was exhibiting and lifestyle choices I was making</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—training for 70.3 worlds and a tough-ass Ironman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BBT got back to being more normal in 2014 and 2015, but I’ll be honest I rarely measured it—just hadn’t adopted the habit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, when I was going through a bit of a hiccup lat fall I started measuring my BBT again and saw it dropping into the 96’s several times. Uh oh. At that point, we also saw that my thyroid was acting up—or should I say down—I was definitely exhibiting some hypothyroid issues. (I now have a clue as to why thyroid function decreased; more on that to come.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got back on track quickly in December '15 by taking a few simple steps to re-balance out my life, rest, etc, and put a halt to being in that chronic high-stress state</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> My BBT, hormones and period followed suite. As of this year my BBT is solidly in the 97’s to 98’s every day and never once below 97 degrees. Most days in the first phase of my cycle it’s high 97’s, and into the second phase it stays in the 98 range. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, in January/February my thyroid was still wonky, including symptoms of fatigue and quick weight gain, which I didn't freak out about but I was still a bit shocked since I hadn't changed anything in my diet or exercising habits. We tested with a full thyroid panel and got answers, at which point I started thyroid support including lifestyle and nutrition “hacks” and taking an all-natural non-synthetic supplement for thyroid—just one!—called GTA Forte II. By late February a third blood test showed my thyroid numbers—TSH, T3, T4—were all back to normal. And my weight also returned to normal, in the 133-135lb range.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty cool what you can do to by taking charge of your health and understanding what’s really going, then implementing the right lifestyle and nutrition/supplemental support for healthy living. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Take Action</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go </span><a href="http://amzn.to/1UJiscZ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">buy a thermometer now</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> if you don't have one. And get </span><a href="https://kindara.com/r/aDlooKEc4" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Kindara</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> too. And if you really are curious to know more or figure out that reason why you're not functioning optimally right now (i.e. can't lose weight, tired, amenorrhea, etc) it might be time for not only new blood labs but some more detailed hormone testing too. Don't put it off, invest in YOU!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tawnee Prazak, M.S., CSCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574536270084586370noreply@blogger.com4