I have been doing beautifully at several New Year's Resolutions that I never even made.
- I have been exceeding my daily water requirement without a problem!
- Alcohol is not consumed!
- Coffee consumption at a minimum!
- I barely look at desserts!
- Husband and I have lost over 10 lbs between the two of us in a week!
Ready for my secret? Might want to get a pen. Here it is:
Nasty cold followed by pukey stomach bug followed by another sinus/cold thing.
GENIUS!
Yeah.
Not really so much virtuous and more just vomitous.
Anyway, that's a lot of what's been going on around here. We were all hit really hard except for Oliver, who seems to have escaped with just a mild version. Taking turns puking (thank you sweet baby Jesus that Husband and I weren't sick on overlapping days) and now just pushing through these lingering colds. And because I cannot keep getting sick - CANNOT CANNOT WILL NOT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - I have taken things up a notch.
II. Well. You Really Are Crazy, Aren't You?
Okay, so we eat generally decent-ish, we don't spend our evenings off gallivanting at bars until 2 AM and we take supplements like a champ (vitamin D! omega-3! prenatal/multi-vitamin!) and yet we get sick ALL THE FREAKING TIME. We have humidifiers in bedrooms, I rinse my nose with my weirdo Neil-Med bottle, we wash our hands thoroughly and regularly and not with antibacterial soap and yet sick-sick-sick all the time.
The first thing I am trying to change is our thinking. If I think I'm going to get sick, then perhaps I really will get sick. Mind over matter! You are what you think! Etc, etc! Yup, it's affirmation time. Allllll over the house. Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me! (Stuart Smalley, anyone?)
So positive affirmations are the first step. We will no longer be sick people. We are HEALTHY and full of ENERGY. Repeat with me! Again! And again!
Also: resuming juicing veggies & a little fruit on a daily basis,
Oh, and there is one last piece to this magical get healthy puzzle...
III. My Other Resolution/Goal for 2013
While I want to keep the word "NOW" as my word and my focus for 2013, I couldn't resist the urge to list some more tangible goals for the year. I started writing down projects and exercise goals and blog post ideas and a bunch of other stuff and then felt overwhelmed, per usual, and I wondered how I could possibly fit it in. And then I thought some more about it and also about my year-end review of 2012, and really, the problem isn't time. It's about time management, but more than that, it's about energy (or lack thereof) and the fact that I'm never functioning at 100%. And why am I not at my best? Because I do not get enough sleep. So that is my big goal of 2013: sleep. I think a lot of my struggles come down to not sleeping enough. I need to put all of my focus into trying to get 8 hours a night, even if that means cutting out some "me" time in the evening. But surely that is worth it to have day time feel much more pleasant and to not be sick for weeks on end. Also, I won't be dragging so much during nap/rest time so perhaps I can accomplish more in that chunk of time. So to achieve this goal I am going to be in bed by 9 pm at night with no computer and no phone as I know they are detrimental to sleep. I can read 30 minutes or so and then bed. I'm very exciting, aren't I? Very exciting and with fresh raw garlic & vinegar breath. Let's kiss.
IV. Back To Two and Through
Having the stomach flu for one day reminded me of exactly how I felt for the first half of both of my pregnancies so I am now back to being quite happy with just two kids, thankyouverymuch. (Eh...for now, for now. Cannot make up mind and/or stop mind from thinking it needs to be made up.)
I have no advice, but you made me laugh. Good luck with getting healthy and staying healthy!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Rachael. I laughed so many times during this post. Even if you're sick, by golly, you're still FUNNY! :)
ReplyDelete100% on board with sleep being the root of alllll evil. I read something the other day (a resolution post, now doubt) and the author was saying that basically healthy food, sleep, and exercise were the three things that she would not compromise in the coming year. That those three things are what fuels her and keeps her healthy and without them she cannot begin to meet other people's needs. I liked the idea of making sleep every night a nonnegotiable. In reality, if I don't get enough sleep at night I HAVE to nap during the day (which I basically do every day and still feel bleh and tired when I wake up from it). I would much rather sleep at night and feel energetic and productive throughout the daylight hours.
ReplyDeleteI also love your reverse psychology affirmations. I imagine that humor improves mood and immunity!? I hope that you guys can kick these bugs. It sounds exhausting. I'm so impressed with your persistent positivity.
If it makes you feel better, EVERYONE seems to be sick! Even my friend who lives in Japan says it seems like everyone is getting sick and usually people don't get sick a lot there. We've been sick forever too. I brought Adrian to the doctor the other day because he's had a cough for over 3 weeks. I asked about humdifiers and the doctor told me that she went to a conference that discussed humidifiers. She said they don't really help! If anything, they can spread mold if they don't get cleaned a lot, but if they are cleaned, the bleach (or whatever is used to clean them) does something that isn't helpful. I don't know, I kind of stopped listening when she said they don't really work.
ReplyDeleteGet better! I hope everything helps!
I'm pretty vigilant about vinegaring the humidifiers weekly and also changing water nearly every day (and filtered or distilled water only). Hopefully that would prevent any potential mold problems! I have found that anytime I'm sick in MN and travel to FL (where in-laws live) in the winter my sickness is gone just like that. I do feel humidity levels play a difference.
DeleteSorry you guys are sick! Feel better soon :)
I hope you didn't think I was telling you not to use your humidifier! I am not judging your humidifier use :) I was just happy to use what the doctor said as an excuse to stop using ours. I don't have the patience these days to clean them and refill them.
DeleteI just want to say that I really believe in raw garlic for fighting colds: I was starting to get sick just before Christmas with a sore throat from drainage and I minced a clove of garlic put it one a spoon, poured some olive oil (prevents garlic breath)and swallowed it all. Actually I get the garlic off the spoon and in my mouth while keeping my tongue out of the way or the stuff to the back of your throat so you can't taste it and take a big drink of water. I did this at the first inclination of a sore throat and every night for till I no longer had symptoms (I would probably do it in the morning too if I had time) and it never got worse than the mild sore throat from drainage. So there is more fuel for your positive thinking that the terrible tonic will work!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the olive oil tip - I hadn't heard that!
DeleteI actually don't mind the terrible tonic so much - I pretend it's salad dressing :)
Mind over matter, girl! You beat those sickies!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a juicer that you use or just a blender? I've been toying with the idea of getting a juicer, but I don't want to if I can just get the job done with another machine I already have.
It's a Breville Juicer and I do think that purchasing an actual juicer is the way to go if you plan to juice regularly. Otherwise it's a tricky process as you don't want all the pulp/extra bulk in your juice.
DeleteGooo you all! We did the vomiting flu first, then supernasty cold, and now I think I'm getting a sinus thing. So, different order, same fun. And yes, sleep is the key to recovery/strength. DH and I both re-learned that when we got that flu.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in fermented/pickly things, the "mother" is is the wierd jellylike fermentation colony that produces vinegar out of the apple cider (or grape juice, or whatever). You can use this to make your own vinegar if you want.
Hope you guys get better soon and/or are officially over all this junk!
DeleteI love/hate that the mother is jellylike. NOOOOOOO!
Feel better, guys!!
ReplyDeleteAssvice: I've had a couple days of ooo-almost-maybe-getting-sick mornings the past couple months and I've taken to drinking a shot of juice mixed with 4-6 drops of oregano oil. I think it might work?? Or maybe I just smell like a pizza and wasn't gonna get sick anyways.
I love your signs and that your man doesn't even react anymore. Same situation over here with all the weird things I do.
Adding that to my co-op shopping list. I would love to smell like pizza.
DeleteI totally believe in Lindsay's tonic!! Also my mom has had us doing the olive leaf/oregano for years and I completely believe in it. I even give some to Jude before we go somewhere with a lot of kids. I put a few drops in his juice and he doesn't know it's there even though I think it smells horrible. I also give him Grapefruit seed extract and sambucus like her website prescribes.
ReplyDeleteFor us we do ginger, vitamin d, and a multi and up all those other things during sick time of year or before we go to big family things or kid functions. knock on wood lil one hasn't been sick in a long time and we haven't either. Even when he had his last one it didn't last long or get bad at all.
I try to make sure we all get sleep too, but it's definitely hard when that's us momma's me time but I will do it to make sure we stay healthy.
Probiotics are a huge deal so try that for sure!
I hope you are healthier for this year and that was just it getting out of the way for 2013!! Good luck I know how horrible that is!
I have GSE from thrush battling, but when I tried to take it again, my lips went crazy dry/chapped/peeling just like they did the last time I took it (I get the same reaction from diflucan). So I don't think GSE is for me but I will look into sambucus. I haven't heard of that!
DeleteThanks again for tweeting that link in the first place!
Oh I've never heard of that terrible tonic but by order of my husband to get rid of my sinus infection I started mixing up the concoction/recipe on the back of the Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar 3 times a day (really it's the same as the tonic, minus the garlic) for only two days and seriously... I am amazed. The sinus infection is gone and I could feel the stuff working literally within minutes. I may gag a little, and have to chase it with something, but admittedly it's a hell of a lot easier than taking a shot of tequila. ;) (Which I haven't done in many many many years.)
ReplyDeleteI also saw my homeopath hippy Chiropractor and felt a lot better after he zapped my sinuses with this weird little zippy tool thingy. (I clearly know the real words for all the things.) P.S. If you are looking for a chiro, I know of a good one in New Hope. He's a little weird, but sort of comes with the territory. My mother in law has been bringing her kids there when they seem unable to shake some excessive crabbiness, I don't know if it's a placebo affect or what, but after an adjustment from him, they're different. I've been skeptical for a long time, but lately... well I'll do anything.
I hear you on the sleep thing, it sucks when it's out of your control though right? Louie has been battling teeth and an ear infection and has been up in the middle of the night for hours on end every night, I know my lack of sleep is what has made this virus linger for as long as it has.
Hmmm...might email you on that chiro. B could use an attitude adjustment like WHOA.
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ReplyDeleteI had two absolutely vile stomach viruses between Pacey and Brighton and that was my first thought with each one: "I CANNOT be pregnant again, this is too awful." Funny how we automatically go there.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how different it is to be facing the prospect of a newborn with what will be a 4- and a 6.5-year old. I always thought I wanted 2 - 2.5 year gaps but biology dictated otherwise and at this point I am SO happy. Luckily you're young enough to (hopefully) not feel pressure to decide now about a third kid. When my kids were your kids' ages I'd have given you a .0005% chance that I'd ever consider another ;)
I will also echo what another commenter said about this being a particularly bad winter so far. Everyone has been sick and multiple times. Perhaps it's a sign like the groundhogs shadow that we'll have a ridiculously early spring?? There's my positive thinking for you!
Hey! Found your blog through a link on mine for my tonic - glad you "ack ack" like it :) Anyhow, thanks for the link - your writing is hilarious and your info is great!
ReplyDeleteJaida - Thanks for sharing these thoughts. I do have the luxury of some time (although A feels a little pressure as he'll be 40 this year).
ReplyDeleteAnd yes - SOOOOOO many people all over are sick.
You are healthy and full of energy!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, sucks you've been sick so much - hope you all get better soon!
MY RESOLUTION IS ALSO SLEEPING! I'm trying to go to bed by 11 pm three times a week.
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