mightyminerva Member

I'm from Minnesota, and I've found that all the layering, hat, glove advice is great! I would add that one of the best things for me is a gaiter for my neck/mouth. I have very mild asthma which usually doesn't bother me, but in the cold it flares up badly. A gaiter to put over my mouth and nose has been one of my best…

I think it depends on what you need. For example, I have joint pain and fatigue, so I take gingko (memory/brain fog), glucosamine (joints), turmeric (joints), and a probiotic in addition to some essential oils (Endoflex by Young Living for internal consumption, peppermint for bloating). I also take biotin and B12 after the…

Ditto the Epic bars and various fruits/veggies. I also love Rx Bars (Chocolate Sea Salt is AMAZING) and Primal bars. I can't have anything with soy/dairy/gluten, and these brands fit the bill. The Kind chia bars (there's a mango apple one, for example) are yummy for a sweet kick, too. They only have fruit and chia seeds in…

I really like Raw Protein and Greens by Garden of Life. It's a vegan protein powder with a nice vanilla flavor. I tried it as part of my elimination diet, and it has no funny stuff in it. My current go-to in the morning is Collagen Peptides. It's going to sound disgusting, but it's made from either cow hide or fish scales.…

Also, to all the Europeans: I lived in England for four years, and I will say that the Brits tended to nosh on my pumpkin pie more than anyone else! You may not really have pumpkin spice or chocolate peanut butter combos, but you have it right with the chocolate orange!

Not necessarily pumpkin spice, but the new Trader Joe's fall harvest salsa is DELICIOUS. I'm also really digging the Teavana pumpkin spice chai.

Thank you! I already use coconut aminos, but I think I'll have to try using more fish sauce. Do you have a recipe for the shrimp with coconut milk and lemongrass? I have this book, and I've tried a handful of things that have been delicious:…

I think my biggest issue would be eliminating nightshades. My husband is Pakistani (and brought me a love of hot and spicy foods!), and so tomatoes and peppers/chilis are a huge part of flavoring our food. Thank you for sharing!

Oh my gosh, thank you! I can't believe that salt and cross-contamination of oils were making you feel ill. I think I'll give it a go! I really appreciate all your insight.

The only oils that have helped me have been for energy or joint pain, not necessarily for weight loss. I find that sniffing certain ones during the day or before exercise helps elevate my mood, perk me up, or open my lungs, and there's one in particular I take internally which helps me with pain levels. I suppose they help…

That looks delicious! I love London fogs and haven't yet tried them at home. Thanks! Have you tried it at all with non-dairy milk like coconut or almond? (I can't do soy or dairy.) I'm interested if it foams at all (which isn't a deal breaker because I'm sure it'll be fantastic no matter what).

I agree about sugar! I've always had a sweet tooth, and it took a lot of patience and forethought to get off sugar. I actually eliminated sugar not for weight management, but because I have a lot of joint pain which so far the doctors have been unable to diagnose. I started an elimination diet (no gluten, beef, sugar [save…

Congrats to those who have lost weight and are doing all these things to improve your lives! My goals: 1) To run again. I stopped when I hurt my back, and in April I somehow got the strength to run a 5k. I want to be able to do that consistently several times a week. 2) To organize my house for a garage sale on June 10th!…

I am currently on an elimination diet, and part of that is going off added sugar. Only agave syrup, brown rice syrup, and stevia are allowed. I don't eat any of those most days, and so try to curb cravings with fruit. My skin is better, and my energy is definitely higher off sugar. I had a small piece of chocolate birthday…

Today is my 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY on MFP. I'm down 74 pounds (about 30 to go) after some injury and health setbacks, but I'm ready to whip everything back into shape! Please do add me.

After some health setbacks (back injury, auto-immune/arthritis diagnosis), I'm recommitting to MFP and my fitness. I'd love some new friends who are active on the site, especially since today is my 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY on MFP! 74 pounds down (95 at one point before my injury), and about 30 to go! Please feel free to add me.

Ooo, thanks for the recipe @Hamsibian! It looks delicious! I actually just bought that Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook of hers! I did the baked pears yesterday for Easter dessert.

I've found pillows to be a godsend. I currently sleep with a special curved one between my knees and sometimes one under the curve in my side. It doesn't always work--I've found that when I'm in a lot of pain I flip onto my stomach to relieve the pain and pressure in my hips and back. Of course, that has its own issues,…

@mccord62803 That makes complete sense, and I struggle with that, as well. When I first hurt my back, the doctor gave me a slightly elevated form of Tylenol. I was able to see the physical therapist once fortnightly for about 15 minutes, and she never could really help because no one was able to give me a diagnosis.…

@Hamsibian That's so wonderful to hear! I'm sorry you have health issues, but that gives me hope that there is a trigger food (or more than one) that will help to decrease my symptoms. Do you have any recipes that have been especially helpful? Smoothies, oatmeal, and baked chicken or fish are getting rather boring...

@mccord62803 My x-rays and MRIs have shown nothing, and the MRIs I've had aren't scary themselves. They're noisy and boring, but that was the extent of my experience. I hope that you discover something helpful with yours! I'm sorry you're in the same boat. Being so young with so much pain is just horrific, and not many…

Bump. :smile:

You both can add me, too! I don't have exams at the moment, but I have had various physical and emotional stressors which derailed my weight loss. I've recently begun an elimination diet at the urging of my doctor, and I want to make my body functional again. It's difficult, and I could also use the support of community.

Berries, good quality supplements for managing chronic pain, and boatloads of organic produce at Trader Joe's.

Bump. Any advice is much appreciated!

I'm recommitting to MFP and to caring for myself after some personal trials and tribulations. I'm from Minnesota (hiya, fellow Midwesterners!), and would love to be supportive and to get support from some active friends! Please add me. =)

I should also mention that Jillian recommends taking rest day(s) each week, as someone already pointed out. I didn't because of how exercising was making me feel, and at the time it was helping me cope with some other health problems. I've recently restarted 30DS, and I'm taking strength/30DS rest days by integrating some…

I only did 30DS last year, and during that period was when I was dropping most of my weight at the fastest rate. I don't think you need to do more if you're doing 30DS consistently. I did 10 days of each level almost without a break. I suppose it depends on what your goals are. Mine were (and are) to drop fat and tone up.…

Thanks, guys. I confess that I got incredibly angry and was insulted at these questions. There's so much more to life than a pants size, as someone rightfully said! The people in my life (and in everyone's lives) should be there and love me for who I am on the inside. That's what is truly important. I basically said the…

Thanks for your replies, guys! I agree, it's none of this person's business, and certain comments were made purely out of anger or spite. I'd be interested in others' opinions, as well. Thanks!