Cleanse Day 5 - Half Way There!

Yay for Day 5!  Didn't start out so good.  Days 5-7  I'm supposed to have cantaloupe for breakfast and I picked out a bad one.  So sad.  I ate a few bites but couldn't even think of anything else to have, so I just waited until my first snack of peaches.  Thankfully those were good!  It was nice to change up the fruit today.

I had about the same energy level as yesterday.  I'm having some low back pain that has been bugging me, but I don't think it's related.

I was super excited to add nuts and seeds to my dinner salad!  I choose pecans and sunflower seeds and I added a lot!  Probably a little too much.  The meal was very filling and I think I ate too much!

For those that are interested in the directions for this cleanse, you can find it in the book Perfect Weight America. 

Art – De-Stress

I’m an artist.  I grew up drawing, painting and taking every single art class I could.  We even had a bus pull up to my elementary school that taught wood crafts and other fun things.

This is my very first oil painting from when I was in the 3^rd grade.  California Poppies.

I just love to create.  In fact, I feel it is a big part of my gifting from God.  After working as a graphic artist, I decided to go back to school for art.  My biggest problem was that I loved ALL types of art and it was really hard to pick what to study!  God has given me different types of art to do at different times in my life.  Currently, because I have a toddler and it’s really difficult to get paint out, or spend time in a ceramic’s studio, I am focusing on photography.

My husband gave me my first DSLR camera for Christmas when our 3^rd son was just a few months old.  It is one of the best gifts he has ever given me.  I LOVE it.  (Rings & a Kindle Fire are also up pretty high on the list)  I didn’t know then how much it would help me to have photography in my life, especially having fibromyalgia.  I had taken a few film photography classes in school, and I had a background in digital art, so I was comfortable making the switch to digital photography.  The first year I had the camera I spent lots of time learning, reading and practicing, but THEN I found an awesome web site.

www.365project.org

It is a place where photographers take and post a photo a day for a year.  I was in awe of the great photography on the site and it was something I wanted to learn how to do better, so I signed up!  It’s free.  January 1, 2011 I posted my first photo.  And I’m still posting!  I have had such a blast doing this project.  I take pictures of my kids, God’s creation around me and experiment with things I’ve never tried (like water drops and fizzy fruit!)  I am so grateful for the inspiration and encouragement the other photographers have given me.  The best part is, anyone can do this!  There are lots of people on the site that use regular ‘point and shoot’ cameras or smart phones.  It’s a great way to document your life, your pain, your joy, be creative every day, and help reduce stress from your life.

Not only do I post photos daily, but I have started selling my work.  I joined a local art group where I was able to put some of my photographs in local businesses for sale, I also set up a booth in my towns Art Walk once a month.  And I started an Etsy shop to sell online.

Creative Wave Studios

If you are a creative person, you NEED to find a way to use your creativity.  Find a hobby that you just love and make time for it!  If you love to write, journal, if you love to draw, doodle!  If you love to garden, or bake, do it!  I know what you are thinking, “this is just a waste of precious energy,” well no!  When you do something that you enjoy, something that stimulates your ‘right brain’, you will feel more energized and even be able to relax and think clearer.

Is there something that you used to do that brought you joy?  Or is there something that you have always wanted to try?  Why not start this week!  I pray it will make a difference in your stress and overall joy like it has for me.

Rest – Required

Last night I took a nice hot bath, soothed my aching muscles with the heat after a busy weekend getting ready for the first day of school.  It’s something I don’t do very often.
(I forget why?)  I threw in some lovely aroma therapy oils, kept the room dark and just relaxed.  That is until a happy little 2 year old skipped into my room and decided to hop in with me (oh yeah, that’s why).  Not so relaxing when you end up with grapes floating around in the water and get splashed in the face.  I wouldn’t have changed a thing though, I know these moments will soon be memories.

 

I must admit, I have always had to take extra rest, even before I developed fibro.  I’m an introvert and it always has made me very tired to go out and do anything, including being with other people (yes even people I love).  I need to have some peace and quiet and alone time to feel restored.  Having this syndrome has made me much more aware of this and from what I hear from others, it is necessary for us to recuperate after even simple everyday activities like grocery shopping or going to a lunch meeting.  Problems arise when we don’t take this time to rest.  Pain, more fatigue and brain fog are quick to creep up on us when we push too far.  The longer the activity, or more energy exerted, the more rest we need.

There are different types of rest described for us in the Scriptures.

Sabbath rest

Future rest in God

Rest/peace for the soul

We as humans need them all!  But I’d like to focus on a few verses that speak about rest/peace for our souls.  These are the verses we can cling to when we know we need rest and can be encouraged that God will provide it for us!

Jesus speaks right to us in Matthew, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matthew 11:28-29.

He promises rest and peace from anxiety, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

Sometimes we don’t even know we need rest and God provides opportunities for us.  (Oh how He loves us!)  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” 

Psalm 23:1-3.

I love love love Psalm 23 and encourage you to read and study the entire Psalm and find your rest in God today!

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.”

Psalm 62:5

Running – It’s What I Love

I quit running back in September 2011 because of the horrible pain I was experiencing at the time.  This was before I went to see my Dr. and learned I have fibromyalgia.  I was never a great runner, but I loved it.  I had only started a few years before and worked my way up to running a few 5K races with an ultimate goal of doing a ½ marathon someday.  The Tinkerbell ½ Marathon at Disneyland to be exact.  A lot of my pain in the beginning was joint pain, in my feet, knees and hips.  I was stiff in the mornings and so very sore in the evenings I could barely walk.  When I did see my Dr. in November, he confirmed that I should not be running.  Walking instead would be best.  But when I went to see a Rheumatologist for a 2^nd opinion she suggested that I continue to do what I loved, just start slow, build up very slow, pace myself, and listen to my body so I don’t overdo it.  It turned out a lot of my foot/leg pain was Plantar Fasciitis, and I was able to get that under control by learning some stretches and wearing good supportive shoes all the time (very hard for this flip-flop or barefoot girl!  Thanks to my sister-in-law who also deals with this, I was able to find some pretty cute supportive flip-flops by Orthaheel) It took me a few months to try running again.  I wanted to focus on healing my body a bit.

When I first began running I followed the Couch 2 5K Running Plan from coolrunning.  It is a very mild approach of walking/running and building up slowly to avoid injury over 9 weeks.  I loved the program, so I figured I would try it again.  It turned out that trying to run 3 days a week was too much, so I dropped it down to 2.  I have learned a lot about energy management, and for me, this is what I can handle.  I also believe the supplements I have been taking have helped with my energy and opened up more of my day to be able to exercise.  I have to run on days when I don’t have anything else going on, to give myself plenty of time to rest and recover.  Sometimes I have overdone it and suffered for a couple of days after with pain and fatigue.

This was one thing that was worth it to me to try and get back from my life before fibro.  I missed the quiet prayer time with just me and God (and usually my little one ridding in the stroller).  Getting out in nature (well, suburban nature) and feeling the sun on my skin.  It’s always been a great stress reliever for me, and given me a goal to work towards.  So once again I have set that goal of running the Tinkerbell ½ marathon someday.  Currently I am on week 7 of the C25K program although I have been running for 10 weeks now.  I feel great over all.  It has helped with energy, motivation, stress relief and more!

I want to point out that I am NOT telling you to go out and run.  This may not be right for you.  I also understand that I may not be able to do this forever.  You should seek advice from your Dr. about what type of exercise is best for you.  Start slow and build up slowly.  The normal recommendations for people with fibro are
low impact; walking, yoga and aqua therapy.  Even with those
you must build up slowly.

It takes time! 

What do you do for exercise?