Hi Don,
thanks for the email...very motivating. I hope I am improving.
I certainly am making a HUGE effort to put my health first...at the same time....getting into the doctoral program was the hardest thing in my life...so im certainly not going to let that slip through my fingers.
I think the biggest thing I have learnt from TSP is 1) listen to my body - the symptoms I have are indicative of my body health and 2) MODERATION...
I have always been some one who does everything in excess...all or nothing kind of personality...if you cant do it perfectly and 100% dont bother doing it at all.
TSP has taught me to just do little bits, and to never feel like a failure. Ages ago, If I had a piece of chocolate, I thought I was a failure and would punish myself my hours at the gym....now if I have a square, I only have it if I truley feel like it and get over it and end up not really wanting any at all.
I think personally, TSP saved my life. Not only physically, but psychologically, I dont know where I would be now (and hate to think about it) and how much mental pain I would be in because I would be constantly pushing myself and always saying that my efforts were never good enough.
I have allowed myself to sleep when im tired, to eat what I feel my body needs, not because of what I think I should be eating based on the amount of carbs it has in it or the number of calories. I dont even count calories any more, I eat when Im full, eat just eat for health and for my body, not for my psychological satisfaction of having a 'good day'.
So, yup i am learning and i want to keep on learning. I came home from a massive day at uni yesterday, had a yummy dinner of roast vegies and fish and was in bed by 8pm and asleep by 9pm and never woke up till 7am. Thats 10hours straight....I cant remember the last time that happened. I saw the naturopath today, did some work and was feeling really tired, so I went and had a sleep from 5-6pm and felt so much better. So, yup im sleeping whenever my body says sleep and eating when it says eat and just going for a few light walks and doing some yoga. I know ill get there eventually, it will just take some time.
The naturopath I saw was great. I told her EVERYTHING...entire history and she said ok...you have put your body through some tough times...but its not totally exhausted (as she checked my eyes with a special light and said that my pupils reacted fine - she also said that my liver, kidneys and other organs looked fine).
She said that it seems that at the cellular level, you body is tired and exhausted. She said no matter how may vitamins you put in there, you body wont absorb it, because your cells are not functioning properly. She said it was most likely I still have a virus hanging around and gave me some natural stuff to get detox my body of any parasites or viruses so that she can then work on building up my immune system etc with a 'healthy base'.
She said it seems my liver is not working too well either, with the headaches, poor bowel movements and skin problems etc, but that my diet was best she had seen and I said that it was thanks to Dianne Schwarzbein and she said it was probably one of the best books she had ever read too.
So, i have to get off all vitamins etc and keep up my great diet
and sleep heaps relax and drink plenty of water and go back in 2 weeks hopefully with a nice healthy system and ready for immune building.
I just wanted to say thankyou sooooo much don for being so supportive. I dont even know you, but truly think you helped me save myself from killing myself with stress, over exercise and a poor diet in 10years or so..
You have no idea how much it means....your the best...And im sure you wife knows it too...
stace