But First, Coffee

Good morning! I trust you have your coffee or tea and are all ready to go. I have mine, but I have to make a confession. Instead of a quad shot latte, today I have a triple. And it’s the only caffeine I will have all day. I’ll tell you why in a moment!

Health first!Today, I’m tackling the topic of personal renovation! Woohoo! Making life better! Over the past week I’ve had several major reactions — due to a number of factors — and I’m just tired of it. I’ve decided it’s time to do whatever I need to in order to rebuild my immune system. Now, chances are the histamine intolerance is here to stay. My doctor has told me don’t count on it going away. But…I can lessen the effects to a degree. It all depends on what I’m willing to do.

Issue: Coffee/Caffeine. Coffee and caffeine are major inflammation triggers, and my inflammation marker is terribly high, thanks to the histamine intolerance and other issues. I’ve been trying to curb it in a number of ways, but I’ve been resisting cutting down my caffeine until now.Latte

Solution: I’m cutting down on my caffeine. Last year, I cut down from eight shots of espresso per day to four-six. Now, I plan on keeping to two or three shots a day, and none after noon. I am allowing myself to stay at two to three shots a day, preferably two, for now because I love my morning latte and when I’ve cut out coffee altogether before, I’ve been a very sad Yasmine. I figure I can make the decision to go all the way later, after I’m used to the lower amount.

Added Solution: I’ve decided to start drinking herbal tisanes (the proper name for ‘herbal tea’) again. I can still drink raspberry, rose hip, hibiscus, and peppermint tisanes as long as they don’t have any fillers in them. (Note: a number of brands use orange peel as a filler. I’m allergic to oranges. And before anybody asks, I cannot drink black or green or white tea of any sort. Not only does it release histamine into the body which triggers reactions, but it also makes me terribly sick).Portmeirion Pomona teapot

As an added incentive, I am buying a new teapot. (For those who don’t know, I collect teapots and china, as well as daggers, fairy figurines, and crystals). This is a picture of the one I’m buying–a Portmeirion Pomona brand.

Issue: Not Enough Sleep. Lack of sleep causes inflammation, too. Now, I used to have horrible insomnia just…because. Now, my sleep is interrupted by the reactions and histamine dumps that happen during the night, which are in turn exacerbated by…you got it, a lack of sleep. Last night I actually slept 9 ½ hours, which I desperately needed. But it’s rare for me to get more than six hours a night if I’m lucky.

Sleeping kitty dreaming of cat foodSolution: I’m going to start turning off the computer at 8 PM, and meditating right before I go to bed. I’m also going to ease my bedtime back to ten thirty. For a while I was going to bed by that time and it started to work really well, but then I let it creep up again. I find that my best sleep comes before midnight, especially when I have to get up at 7 AM.

Juicing vegetablesIssue: Need more vegetables. There are a number of vegetables that tear up my stomach, yet I’m not allergic to them. Mostly cruciferous vegetables.

Solution: I bought a juicer and I’m going to start drinking an ounce or two of vegetable juice at a time throughout the day. I figure this will also allow me to add flavor into soups when I make them, since I cannot have long simmering broths.

Other changes:

I’m cooking more balanced meals. My husband and I can’t eat a lot of carbohydrates—simple or complex, however, we’ve raised our limits enough for me to sneak in a sweet potato here or a little bit of rice there so that our meals feel more like an actual meal instead of just being a piece of meat (which we love, and which is good for us, but gets old). I also bought three lovely enamel colanders in which to keep vegetables. I really do love my kitchen, and the more inviting it is, the more likely I am to really cook a full meal instead of just foraging. Because with histamine intolerance, I need to be creative.

So, yes, I’m on a personal renovation kick. I’ve made a lot of changes over the past few years that have helped me immensely. Now I’m just taking it a little bit further.

Are there any health habits that you want to employ into your life? I urge you to start now. Don’t wait until your back is against the wall. You don’t have to start big. Baby steps are quite often the best way to go. So tell me, what are you going to do for you?

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But First, Coffee: Personal Renovation Time!
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8 thoughts on “But First, Coffee: Personal Renovation Time!

  • 06/11/2018 at 6:06 pm
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    I have to be gluten free for my health otherwise I get very sick..dairy is another thing that doesn’t do well with me. The thing I am focusing on is cutting out alcohol completely – even just the occasional drink my body does not agree with. I love that you posted this because our health is so important, physical and mental! I need to work on eating more veggies, I fell off the wagon with this. I like your idea with the juicing I need to try this!! Sorry to ramble on but last thing I understand the need to cut back on caffeine and have struggled with that because we all love our caffiene! Again, thanks for posting this I always look forward to these 🙂

    Reply
  • 06/11/2018 at 5:58 pm
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    Just this past week I ended up with my first ever kidney stone… At the age of 32, I thought this was horrible, that and the pain was the worst thing in my life. Not what I wanted to happen at work. Well, several of the things they tell you to reduce or cut out, I already either can’t eat or don’t because I’m a vegetarian. About the main thing we figured probably spawned it is that my source of caffeine is Dr. Pepper, I can’t drink tea (either regular or herbal) without ending up sick, and coffee and I so don’t agree on a level that’s not even funny. Plus, for me, I have to have caffeine, I’m on the ADHD spectrum and caffeine and sugar actually are a way to help focus without resorting to medication. So, thanks to all that, I’ve definitely had to switch a few things. Now I’m a) cutting down on how much of the Dr. Pepper I drink, b) drinking diet to still get that caffeine, and c) drinking a lot more water. While I can’t do certain things due to health issues, I’m doing what I can to definitely try and not get another kidney stone.

    Reply
  • 06/11/2018 at 10:15 am
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    Honestly, I loathe cooking. And my stomach is happy with crackers and bread. I have a horrible time with vegetables, they ofen upset my stomach. I have cut back on coffee and I do love my tea at night (English Breakfast Blend). Why is it the stuff that is not good for you is what I can eat. I really should go gluten free but it is expensive. I have many health issues myself so when you post your meals, I love it. And I find them very inspiring.

    Reply
    • 06/11/2018 at 11:16 am
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      I am lucky that I love to cook, but it gets challenging, the more limited I’ve gotten. Gluten free doesn’t have to be quite as expensive if you mostly focus on rice and quinoa rather than breads and pastas. Problems with vegetables are often linked to fructose malabsorption–an issue I deal with. Cruciferous vegetables are the hardest, along with high-sugar fruits.

      Reply
  • 06/11/2018 at 9:50 am
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    For me, it has been baby steps all the way. I told you once before that I figured out it was milk, not coffee that I’m allergic . Last week, I slipped and had ice cream. Almost immediately, I had stomach issues and the next day my hand had broke out with the eczema again. I told my husband that’s it. I will stick to flavored ice or sherbet, I can’t deal with the stomach issues or worse the eczema on my hand. I also had to do away with almond milk since it started unsettling my stomach. So coconut or rice milk. Everything I’ve been doing is a conscious effort and some of it hurts. I’ve been doing as you said and mourning it then moving on. Except for oats and potatoes, grains and I are not getting along either but I’m not particularly fond of them anyway. The biggest change I love that I made was more veggies and berries. Not fond of much fruit but I like berries. I sometimes think I’ve gone off the deep end thinking up casseroles with veggies instead of pasta or potatoes. My brother told me the other day I nailed Grandma’s squash casserole without having the recipe. Helps that her spirit likes to hang out when I cook. That is something that I’ve noticed has come back and I didn’t realize had dimmed, the spirits hang out more now that I’m taking better care and I can actually hear my familiars Loki and Stub when they impart something. Strange how the physical affects the rest sometimes. I guess change is affecting us all right now, at least those of us that are paying attention.
    Be Blessed, Lady and thank you for listening.

    Reply
    • 06/11/2018 at 11:17 am
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      Better health does open up the psychic ‘highways’ better, I have found. Brain fog comes with a number of dietary issues and can cloud the senses. Good for taking care of yourself!!!

      Reply
  • 06/11/2018 at 9:13 am
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    I am hoping this summer to start better eating habits.
    I am diabetic, it is under control
    I have severe digestive health issues
    I HATE vegetables
    My goal is to stop drinking sodas (I drink diet) totally
    To eat more veggies
    To eat less carbohydrates

    Reply
    • 06/11/2018 at 11:18 am
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      You’re making a good start by getting the diabetes under control!

      Reply

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