Toni, count this as a short week. Didn't really start until Wednesday. I checked in a couple of times the first of the week and no one was here. Everyone was out shooting off firecrackers!!! Also, maybe it's the summer doldrums.

Eating has been good for me for the past 2 days. I am going out to a restaurant tonight and plan to eat properly. I did not walk today. Too busy and the workmen started early. I had to go over a bunch of stuff with the contractor. So didn't leave until I got everything covered with him. We are leaving for vacation one week from today. Will be gone 2 weeks. They still will be here when we get back. We are having a party Aug. 19th and I have told the contractor about it. So he has his finish date!!! LOL. He still says he hopes to be finished but doesn't know . . . .

Have a great evening everyone.

Okay...time for a little too much information...but I need your guys' help. I was diagnosed with fibrocystic breast problems about three years ago. It doesn't increase or decrease your chances of breast cancer, they are just lumpy and painful just before my period. So, lately they have been painful for weeks and I'm making an appointment with my doctor this morning hopefully for next week. My thing is, I looked up my condition on the internet and they said that those that are at risk are people that consume a lot of caffeine. Well, that would be me, as I drink about a pot to myself every single morning. So, I looked further and they recommend these dietary changes:

Reduce all fats to less than 20% of the diet, especially saturated fats (animal products)
Eat more high fiber foods (reduces estrogen level by decreasing bowel transit time)
Avoid eggs, chicken, and dairy products.
Eat more soy protein products, such as tofu and tempeh
Avoid chocolate, coffee, colas, and black tea (all forms of caffeine/methyl xanthine)
Eliminate sugar, white flour, and all refined foods

So, what does this leave me with? Protien smoothies for breakfast lunch and maybe with a salad for dinner? Wow...that a lot of changes.

On another note...go ahead...ask me how my 6am walk was this morning. I didn't take one!! Why? Because at about 2:15, my cat decided to cough up a hairball at the foot of my bed. Fine, I dozed right back off, then at 2:20 the fire siren went off for about 10 full minutes! This set my dog of to OWWWROWWWROWWWRing the whole time in the kitchen. Then, at about 2:35, my neighbors to the west, whose driveway is about ten feet from my house, had guests from out of town arrive, they greeted them and they were all laughing and talking very loudly and they had a yippie dog that Junior decided he needed to see and commenced barking his head off in the kitchen until they went inside. Then, at about 2:45, on the east side of my house, it looked as thought a UFO was hovering outside my bedroom window as the neighbors on that side of the house had someone pull in their driveway at an angle and shine their lights right on our bedroom window and then the husband came out and started talking "YEAH...SO WE'LL SEE YOU LATER ON...THANKS FOR STOPPING BY....IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU!!" As loud as is humanly possible. So, then I hear, "mommy..." from Kyle's room...which the only surprise there was that it took him so long. So, I had to lay there with him for a while till he went back to sleep and came back in my room a few minutes later, mad as heck and resisting the urge to go out to the end of my sidewalk and start shouting, "WHAT THE HECK!? DOESN'T ANYONE ELSE WANT TO COME OUTSIDE AND TALK REALLY LOUD AT 3AM?" So, then around 5am, Kyle starts crying because he dropped his stuffed animal kitty on the floor, and then he made me lay in bed with him till he fell asleep again....so at 6am, I was BEAT and stayed in bed. I was so pumped, too. What a bummer.

So, anyhow...I'm going up for a shower. Talk to you guys later.

TECH: That does not make sense to me. They tell you to eat more fiber to help REDUCE estrogen, then tell you to eat more soy? I would look furthur. Soy is loaded in phytoestrogens, and has been proven to speed puberty in young girls fed soy formulas as infants. ( I have a friend whose daughter developed breasts in THIRD grade because she was on soy products from infancy...) I have heard about the caffeine connection, so maybe cut back on that, but don't be in a hurry to change the rest of it until you see if the cut in coffee helps significantly. Keep researching. On the soy products, tempeh is fermented, as is miso and soy sauce, but the tofu is not, and would not be a good choice in my opinion.

Well, I just made my appointment for Wednesday to see a nurse practitioner and to hopefully get a mammogram (it's been a few years) and to also see about another issue. I really hate the words they use to labels these things...but every summer, once it starts to get hot and humid out, I get ringworm spots on my upper inner thighs. I feel so diseased. I also have toenail fungus and the doctor won't do anything about it, saying the Lamisil pills are 'too much medicine for too little a problem." You see...I think the toenail fungus and the ringworm are all hand in hand with one another. I also have a tendency towards yeast and staff infections 'down there' and I also could not loose a pound on Atkins for a month. THere is an entire chapter on candida in the Atkins book where it says if you have this problem, you may have a hard time losing on Atkins. So, to me, it seems like they are all intertwined with one another, and I've often wondered if the Lamisil would knock out, not only the fungus producing the ugly toenails, but the ringworm, crotch problems AND the inablility to lose weight on Atkins? Problem is that not all these things happen at the same time...like in the middle of winter, I may have a 'down under' problem that goes away with my cycle, then a few months later, I end up with a big red ring on my leg, and there's always the toenails. My doctor suggested Lamisil cream for the ringworm, OTC products for the yeast/staff problems, and a dromel tool for the toenails. Oh, and to avoid 'fermented' food, like mushrooms, vinegar, cheese, etc. He says that Lamisil is bad for your liver, but I'm thinking, in our family, there is literally NO history of liver problems and I hardly ever drink and I'm just sick of feeling like a big fungus amongus diseased creature. Any thoughts? I'm seeing the doctor about it on Wednesday. So, that should go well. Good news is that I get to change doctors once the new Noritsu insurance kicks in and will be able to see a doctor in my own county!! The old insurance, the closest doctor is an hour and a half away...so I have to really dedicate a whole day to seeing anyone. With the new insurance, there are dozens to choose from right here in Watertown!! And maybe better ones!!

Tech- Sorry you had such a terrible night. Don't know what to say about the breast thing because I think I have the same thing except mine only hurts before my period for a few days. I'd probably live with it before I gave all of that up,lol.

Ya'll- I am soo embarrassed. Let me tell you what I just did at work. I have a customer named Timothy Cager. For some reason I thought his name was Tiger..so when he came up to my window, I said "So, do they call you tiger?" Yes, I did...OMG! You should have seen his face. He was thinking what the heck, is the teller getting fresh with me? LOL! I apologized but I was red. Too funny.

Well, it's our busy day so let me cut this short and post my menu:

Bf- was heart healthy NSA oatmeal with strawberries and walnuts
Snack- yogurt
Lunch- will be a Smart Ones frozen dinner(legal)
Snack- 12 almonds
Supper- legal spaghetti without noodles, and salad

Gotta go!!!

Good morning ladies....

Sorry again for not posting the last few days. I just don't seem to have enough hours in a day any more. I went up to the bluff and picked more strawberries and have been taking care of them. Finished painting my back porch, and got the front deck all painted. Spent one full day on the weed wacker. With all the rain that we had earlier, the grass and weeds are waist high. I am planning on getting back in the flower beds this afternoon. We have had a few days of thunderstorms, and now it is supposed to only be 80 degrees today, which will be nice compared to the high nineties we have had. I was supposed to have my weigh and measure at Curves this morning, but it was so busy, I told Colleen that we would just wait until Tuesday, when she had more time. That will keep my eating in check for the week-end. There is another free concert in the park tomorrow night. Dh and my Mom are going with me this time. It was such a nice experience last week-end that I am really looking forward to it. This band is Country, and Country Rock. Maybe my Grandma will want to go with us......I think she would enjoy it too.

Well ladies, I better get busy. I have a lot to get done before Vicky and Ken get here next Saturday. They will be staying with us for a week. We have one 4 mile fun run called the "Cherry Picker's Trot" scheduled for the 20th, Vicky and I are both signed up for it. The guys will go with us, and enjoy the burgers and the "pit spit". And there is a "Tot's Trot" for the kids too. See you all tomorrow.

I just read this from a Women to Women website about the connection between hormones and meat:

Hmmm... makes sense to me...

I also found this...could this mean I'm already approaching menopause? It still seems like last week I got my period for the first time!! And my brother mocked me furiously by running around singing Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" Older brothers are such a joy...

TECH: There are cleanses you can get for candida. The simple solution to the hormonal issues with meat and dairy is to try the hormone free stuff and see if it makes a difference. I use as much organic meat and dairy as I can find. I also use organic eggs. I have read that frequent yeast infections, either um, internal, or external, is a sign of sugar imbalance. I had a terrible time with yeast infections for a while...it is much better now that I got my glucose levels under control. I remember we used to fix dinner for a girl with extreme candida problems. Her diet was VERY restricted, but she was so bad she almost died. She had to stay away from wheat, gluten, spices, canned goods...it was quite a challenge to fix interesting meals for her. I wonder where she is now...I will have to ask someone. Anyway, that is an interesting theory. Lamisil doesn't seem like the thing for candida....but perhaps with new insurance, you can find a good doctor who can help you.

Hi Ladies, I have been so busy I forgot to geton here. duh!

We have a wedding tomorrow afternoon. I know it won't be legal food, but I plan on watching what I eat and drink especially portion sizes. Other than getting my hair colored and cut, that is my plans for the weekend.

Toni, have a great trip and a Happy Birthday. Hope you get that to fit. Can you get my head ready too?

Monet, hope you are feeling better. My tummy has been upset for 2 days.

Tech, get off the caffine. Caffine always made my boobs ache. Are they red or swollen? Read about IBS (Inflamatory Breast Cancer), it happens to younger women. Try soaking your tonails in Listerine. I heard it really kills the fungus. Sorry your sleep was so interrupted last night. Rude People.

Heart, Oops! At least you got a good laugh.

Gator, are you going back to France? I sure hope the workers get done in time for your party. I would be a nervous wreck.

Teensy, you sound so busy. Will you be running or walking in the fun run?

Have a great weekend everyone. :hugs:

Monet and Solly: YOu know, now that I think of it, I really haven't had too many problems with the yeast infections since I've been a sugar buster. Some slight feelings of being a bit off, but nothing like a full-blown yeast infection. The hormone free thing sounds like a great idea. And the knocking off the caffiene. I have a whole package of CF green tea I'll try for a while.

Wlel, DH just got home...have a great weekend and thanks for listening to me belly ache!! You guys are great!!

Kris

Tech--Listen to your doctor! The pharm. companies advertise very heavily and it sounds really good when you watch the ad on TV. Sounds like it is duck soup. Just take some Lamisil for a little while and voilà, toenails are fab. and every good looking guy wants to rub your feet! Plus you have high self esteem and look like a sexy babe!!! LOL
Well, my DH took Lamisil for 9 months and it did not do anything to make his toenails better. And he doesn't have any liver probs in his family either. But the dr. had to check constantly to make sure the med. was not affecting his liver. I'm sure that with all the disclaimers on the Lamisil pkg. you are just playing Russian Roulette with that med. vs. your liver. Who really cares what your toe nails look like--in the grand scheme of things. My DH ended up rubbing Vicks Vaporub on his toenails every morning and that did better than the Lamisil.
Re. the candida--I had to deal with that a few years ago, bf. SB. I was seeing a holistic dr. who prescribed a holistic med. for it. It was called yeast mix. What you do to get rid of it is to be very careful for a month about the sugar and fermented stuff you eat. Don't eat ANYTHING with sugar or white flour. My dr. even had me off wheat entirely. So I went to the HFS and bought bread made with rice flour. Not quite the same, but better than nothing. Also, eat nothing levened, like regular bread with yeast. No grapes, watermelon, banana , pineapple, orange, or sweet fruits. Stick with berries and maybe an occasional apple. No vinegar or soy sauce. Stick it out for a month and you should get over it.

Now, regarding what to eat, I second what Monet said. I can buy hormone free meats in the groceries down here. I buy beef, pork and chicken all hormone and antibiotic free. I pay more for them, but the taste itself is worth it. I'd probably stick with the eggs, eat very lean chicken, turkey, fish or pork. There is a big article in the USA Today in todays paper about pork tenderloin being leaner than skinned chicken breast now. Eat plenty of veggies, PLENTY of them along with the meat or fish. Aged cheeses won't do because of the candida program. But cottage cheese--fat free, would work. A non-yeast bread in the morning, with an egg or two, with some cottage cheese and berries would make a nice breakfast. Or just eat some leftover chicken and veggies. Be unconventional. Good luck.

Eating today for me has been good.
BF was 48 gms. shredded wheat with berries and 1% milk
Lunch was ratatouille, salmon cake, and a salad.
Snack was iced tea and 1 sl. SGWW bread with 1 T p-nut butter
Dinner will be roasted pork tenderloin with some kind of sauce and some veggies and maybe brown rice.
I am concentrating on the amount I eat. I want to make sure I don't overeat.

The house is coming slowly. The painter is gonna spray paint my wicker furniture on Monday--if it doesn't rain, and then I think I can put my new porch together. All that remains is the family room and the foyer, and little "stuff" things like baseboards etc. in the LR and DR. I'm gonna mail an invitation to the party to our contractor, so he will have reinforcement in the fact that there will be an event at my house on Aug. 19!!!
His workers moved the big roll down screen that my DH got to install for the new set-up for watching TV. And when they moved it, they were sloppy and there is now a little crease in the screen. I emailed the guy who bought it and is gonna install it, and it may end up that the contractor buys a new screen for us if the crease doesn't go away by itself. Expensive for him!!!! Anyway, that's not something I can do anything about so I will not worry about it!

It's raining here right now and I am "at loose ends"--a bit tired at the end of the day and between fixing dinner and doing chores. So I am tempted to eat just to fill in the gap. Bad idea!! I think I will resist. Maybe if I get up from here and go fix dinner I will not succumb.
So with that, I will say "bye."