I drink protein smoothies several times a week. I use a vegan one from Lifetime gym, which can be purchased online without a membership. I wouldn’t have an issue with my teenager using once a day as long as they were eating healthy. I do think a protein smoothies is good for post-workout recovery.

I lived in a large suburban area where everyone not only wears makeup daily, but also have fake eyelashes and fake nails. Even very young teenage years, that is the norm. I always feel out of place because I am a gardener so my nails look awful. I do love having my eyebrows professionally waxed and tinted because my hair, especially my eyelashes and eyebrows, bleach out in any bit of sun. I have tried to have my eyelashes tinted and love the look, but I can’t stand having it done! And I detest fake eyelashes. There is a lady at the gym, probably my age so mid-50s, that looks like she has two tarantulas on her eyes because her fake lashes are so huge and dark. It is very disturbing. I went a number of years where I didn’t wear any makeup, but recently bought new makeup and I love it. I have chronic health issues and am post-menopausal and am trying to… reclaim my feminine side? I am not really quite sure the best way to describe what I am feeling. My health issues have taken so much away from me. I am not able to drive much anymore and I feel like so much is slipping away from me. Wearing makeup - and jewelry - again feels like I am reclaiming an inner feminine self. Hm. Mostly I think I am trying to figure out who I am in the second half of my life?

I am now somehow known as the salad queen in one group of friends. I make a platter style salad, like a charcuterie but salad, in a large, shallow bowl. I group the toppings around the bowl, then sprinkle all with a lemon/olive oil/vinegar mix and lots of fresh herbs. I generally use garbanzo beans for protein (many vegans or vegetarians in this group, but even the meat eaters love), diced roasted red peppers, olives, and lots of veggies and greens. This last one I also added roasted golden beets and pickled red onions, along with some hummus. I love making them. Sort of my creative outlet. LOL

That rainforest cake sounds amazing! Those would be good flavors to incorporate into oatmeal. I decided I needed to do something somewhat drastic to get back on track, so have been weighing my food for portion control and logging what I eat. Four days in and I already feel so much better. DH and I were out this afternoon and evening, but went to a place that I knew I could order steamed veggies from the sides selections. When we got home, I knew I needed to eat a bit more since we had eaten supper out super early. (5 pm!) I sautéed some garlic, shallots, shiitake mushrooms and asparagus in water, then added hemp hearts on top for protein. It was really good and only took a few minutes to make.

Oh! Thank you for that info. I try to buy as much of my food as possible from a farmer’s market that requires items to be grown or produced locally. (So no imported bananas, etc.) There are several farmers that follow regenerative ag, which I am huge into. (I am trying to grow more of my own food, but that is a long term learning experience. LOL I am having great success right now with winter greens, which has been wonderful. But this summer was historically hot and dry, so things like beans and tomatoes shut down then didn’t even much of a chance to rebound before we had an early first freeze. I hope to do more to extend the growing seasons in the future.) I saw Dr David Montgomery speak on soil health earlier this year, how the health of the soil impacts the health of the plants grown then impacts our health. It was a great talk. I have a few of his books, but haven’t finished reading any of them yet… (He is a geologist, not medical doctor.) I think I was the only person in the audience not a local farmer, just wanting to implement those ideas on my own property. re: Dr Fuhrman. I knew he was now in California, but I didn’t know if he kept the former home/garden. In the video I watched, he was talking about growing figs in a greenhouse and lamenting the short growing seasons. I do think there are pros and cons to any zone. I am in zone 8a, so we have a very long growing season. But we can’t grow things like cherries, currants, gooseberries, etc. This is the video I mentioned: (I want a water plant cloner after seeing this!)

Yes! I read one of Dr Fuhrman’s books several years ago, but I rediscovered him earlier this year when I watched a YouTube gardening video where they toured Dr Fuhrman’s garden and greenhouse. it was so amazing and inspirational.

I bought this dvd set as a Christmas present to myself and received it today. Can’t wait to start watching it. I also bought his nutrition planner/journal to - hopefully- keep me on track. https://shop.drfuhrman.com/immersion-excursion-dvd-box-set/

I have been buying vintage gnome, elf and mushroom Christmas decorations as I find ones that I like. I found two older felt and sequin mushrooms last week. I will likely keep them up year round because I love mushrooms. I have also bought several small vintage santa boots lately that I intend to use as flower vases closer to Christmas. I will likely go shopping tomorrow at a different antique market than I normally shop at, just to see what they have for the holidays. My cousin collects nativities and last year I bought her a small vintage one. I thought I would look for another one for her this year. I really should look for a new tablecloth. And I would love a new tree. Our older one is way too big. A few years ago, when I was really sick, my DH and DS went out and bought a small tree. It is a nice tree, but I would prefer something mid-size.

Oh, no. I am sorry. Praying for him, his family and his medical team. I had that happen to me twice in early 2020. Mumps was ruled out both times. It was before Covid tests were available. First event was when Covid was just getting on our radar. Second time, all the medical people suited up in hazmat, as Covid was gaining attention in the US. I didn’t have any Covid symptoms, just massive swelling of glands in neck and face. The second time, they ran a ton of autoimmune tests, all of which also came back negative. They never did decide what it was. Thankfully I did not have a recurrence. I didn’t even really know mumps was a thing in this day and age until this happened. I looked like a textbook picture of a mumps patient.

I always enjoy reading everyone’s meals, so inspirational. I almost never actually post, though. I did want to share this… We decided to go out to eat, to a regional semi-upscale place that serves Southwestern food. (Black beans, blue corn meal, etc.) Their holiday buffet had their normal items, plus traditional Thanksgiving items and an omelette station. I didn’t know how easy it would be to eat plant-based vegetarian/gluten-free but I had joked before going that I would be happy to just eat their wonderful guacamole and sweet potato chips and call it a meal. I was very pleasantly surprised. They had mushrooms - separate from their meat fillings - to make street tacos, plus black beans and - the best - fresh guacamole. The rest of the family ate a mix of Southwestern meat dishes, turkey and ham. I didn’t feel left out and really enjoyed all of the vegetarian offerings. I did cook a blueberry pie with just one gluten free bottom crust. It was really good. (And I make a large fresh green smoothie for breakfast, to make sure I did get my greens in before out mid-afternoon reservation time.)

My son ended up in our bed until he was probably ten years old, then he just suddenly stopped. He is a young adult now. DH and I don’t regret letting him sleep in our bed. They grow up fast enough anyway and won’t need us the way they did when they were little.

Enjoy your new Vitamix! I just got one last Christmas and love it! I don’t know how I ever lived without one.

Many gentle virtual hugs and positive vibes sending your way. I screenshot a quote earlier today. The one who falls and gets back up is so much stronger than the one who never fell, attributed to LaLa Anthony. I have to be honest. I feel that some days, other days not so much. Some days I am tired of fighting for my health every single day. I do try to practice gratitude. Yesterday I attended a class and we had to write down something we were grateful for. I wrote that I am grateful to have had the strength and courage to start over again. I really am. But I do think processing chronic health issues is ongoing and we do need to sit with all of our emotions, even the sad ones. Not to be beat down, but it should be acceptable to say, This sucks, I hate this. Tomorrow is a fresh new day. Give yourself some nurturing self care.

I use SunWarrior. They are one of my go-to brands for plant based items. edited to add: I hear you on the stomach. I spent one full year (as I was being bounced between specialists and then getting Parkinson’s diagnosis) living on gluten free toast and plain rice. That was all my stomach could tolerate. I had to slowly work up to even tolerating simple fruits and vegetables. I worked with a dietician during that time period. It was somewhat money wasted because I felt like she was giving me advice I already knew, but it was probably good to have that encouragement. After Covid lockdown, I happened to meet a nutritionist that is certified in plant-based eating and he was amazing. I still work with him. I still tweak, as there are some things that will bother my stomach, but overall most of my digestive issues have calmed down. I started shopping at a local farmers market that only allows locally grown/produced items and trying one new food a week. I think that probably helped me the most, as I was willing and able to try a wider range of items.

They were onboard with diet changes and exercise routine. I wanted to be able to reduce the amount of meds I was taking. After a few months, I dropped the prescription pain med and within a year was able to reduce the amount of two meds rheumatologist prescribed. The ultimate goal is to stall the progression of the Parkinson’s. My neurology appointment last month was very positive in that regard. It was the first appointment that showed improvement of symptoms. I am currently due for new rheumatology labs, but six months ago my labs showed that my inflammation levels were down to normal range, for the first time ever. My rheumatologist told me at that appointment that she wished all of her patients would do what I am doing but too many just want a pill. I started the infrared heated hot yoga in late February of 2021 and abruptly went vegetarian in March of that year, right after a spring break vacation where I ate entirely too much steak and pork bbq. The other changes have been gradual, as I research more and have the ability to add or subtract from my routine. I have some photos of myself from May of that year, compared to recent photos, and the difference is visually shocking, but I also feel that difference. Physically and mentally, I can feel the difference. I would say all of 2021 was hard. I was feeling some little shifts, small improvements. In October of 2021 I had a big setback when I had a bad stomach bug, then another setback in December when I had Covid. In February/March of this year, I started seeing some bigger changes, less pain, could move easier. I would say it was a year of small improvements with some setbacks along the way before I could really feel like I owned the improvements. Our vacation was just last week, which also coincided with a major weather shift. I am not doing well with the wet, chilly weather. We had some cold weather a month ago that set of my pain, but I pulled out of it well. Then last week - vacation, out of routine, some poor food choices, wet cold weather. It took me down hard, but I am picking back up. Yesterday was a bit better and I woke up this morning with less pain. I wanted to echo was some others upthread have said about it being important to move, even with pain. Human nature is to not do something if it hurts, but there is a difference between injury pain and tightness/stiffness sort of pain. For muscle/tendon tightness/stiffness sort of pain, it is so important to move and keep those joints lubricated. The spine can move in so many directions, but as we age we tend to only move our spine in one or two directions. It is so important to slowly work on moving our spine in all directions. I do gentle yoga stretches every morning. Even just walking from bedroom to kitchen, can stretch as I walk and work out that stiffness. It doesn’t need to be a formal, on the mat, full yoga routine.

Thank you for sharing. I was not familiar with him, but will watch more of his vids. Loved the Bob Ross one. Needed that in my life.

I have had joint and muscle pain all of my life. As a kid, my parents always told it was growing pains, though I later found out they refused doctor’s recommendation to take me to specialist. At 15, I was hospitalized for malnutrition and severe dehydration. I was (most likely incorrectly) diagnosed with lactose intolerance. At 40, I was diagnosed with celiac, along with Hashimoto’s thyroid and several other autoimmune disorders. My vitamin d level at that time was 18, despite having the darkest tan of my life. (That was first vit d lab ordered.) At 50, I was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia. (As an aside, since young adult, doctors have ordered inflammation labs and always been shocked that it was 3x acceptable range, despite being very fit/active and vegetarian, though - in hindsight - I ate a lot of dairy.) About 18 months ago, I decided to take what may seem like extreme measures to try to control my pain. My family doctor, neurologist and rheumatologist were all on board, though they all told me to accept needing prescription pain meds. I do also seek advice from a nutritionist. All that background to say - I think getting to root cause of pain is essential, even if it means seeing multiple specialists and ruling out a number of possible causes. For years, I felt like I was healthy because I could run half marathons and I ate a fairly clean diet. But underneath, I had tons of uncontrolled inflammation, coupled with stress of homeschooling a special needs kiddo. I don’t know what has helped me the most or if it is a combination of many things, but I just got back from a week vacation where my diet and routine were shot and my pain level has been bad again. What I have been doing: hot yoga in infrared studio 2-4x a week, yin/restorative yoga with meditation, about half of my diet is raw vegan with lots of leafy greens, vegetarian, no dairy, no processed foods, almost no sugar, lots of cherries and berries, vegan collagen and omega-3. I make a mix of raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts, with hemp seed and flax seed and sprinkle it on my salads. I follow a mix of Dr Gregor and Dr Fuhrman. (Sorry, I think I might have misspelled both of their names.) I try to get at least one serving of cruciferous vegetable in a day. edited to add: daily probiotic and kombucha. I see a psychiatrist due to the mental aspects of Parkinson’s and she was recently telling me how kombucha is great for digestive health which helps with mental health and how it can help reduce inflammation, so sort of stacks the benefits.

Thanks for that link. I had forgotten that I bought that book a year ago. Pulling it out to read now

I loved the fresh food options in France, Canada, upstate New York and San Diego. The majority of the food in US restaurants is so lacking in fresh vegetables or the vegetables are cooked to mush or coated in way too much dressing. (I try to order salads with dressing on the side, but forgot on Friday night and my salad was swimming in oil.) We ended up eating at one restaurant a second time because of its amazing fresh fruit plate. And we, thankfully, made it to a cafe at an herb farm that we have gone to for over twenty years. I had a lovely fresh salad, full of microgreens and herbs. Otherwise, most of the my meals over the past week have been pretty dismal, nutrition wise. We got home this afternoon and ended up going out for supper, thankfully to a place that has vegan tacos. After that, we went to the grocery store so I could stock up on fresh produce. Back to healthy eating!

Oh! I pre-ordered that cookbook and looked through it when it arrived, but was busy and put it on my bookshelf for later. I am on a small vacation now and - best intentions to eat healthy… we were in very small touristy towns and vegetarian/gluten free options have been slim. Cannot wait to get home and back to my normal food! Thankfully, we did find a restaurant yesterday that had a fruit plate on their breakfast menu. I was leery of ordering it, but it ended up being amazingly fresh and a great assortment of fruit. We went back today and I ordered it again. I think that has been about the only healthy food I have found on this trip! Anyway. I am making a mental note to pull that cookbook out as soon as we get home. I am so inspired by their vitality.

It took me about 15 years to get another dog after my first one passed away. In hindsight, that was way too long but it also wasn’t the right time for us before that. (Had a special needs child and homeschooled them, which left me really tapped out.) That said, when my DS, my special needs kiddo, lost his first cat, we found ourselves adopting another one almost immediately. It was 100% the right thing to do and we have never regretted it. We didn’t intend to adopt another cat so soon, but we went to the mall and a local shelter had a large adopt-a-thon set up. We just stopped to pet a few dogs, which let to petting a few kitties, which led to looking at each other and knowing it was the right thing to do. I say go with your heart. I don’t think I will ever be without a dog at this point in my life and I would likely get another one rather quickly. It isnt replacing one with another, but honoring the love you gave one while rescuing and proving a great home to a dog that needs one.

Asking for help was the topic of my therapy session last week. I detest asking for help. When I have tried to ask for help in the past, I was made to feel guilty for needing help. (Family of origin, not DH.) I have a small business and I need to downsize it greatly because I just physically can’t keep up. I am overwhelmed thinking about how to downsize. My garden is my priority. I am convinced gardening is the fountain of youth.

Yes, very very much this. I already feel so guilty at how my diagnosis has changed our lives, our retirement plans, even stupid things like what type of shoes I can wear. I have found that “guard your mind carefully” is so important. I now follow some uplifting people on Instagram and am good with that.

I don’t recall reading about your symptoms, but I have memory issues. It is good to know what you have, as it will get you treatment options, even though it can be distressing at first. I was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia three years ago. I am still being testing twice a year for lupus and Sjogren’s and see my rheumatologist twice a year, plus as needed. Re: consulting a neurologist. I would absolutely see a neurologist, one that specializes in movement disorders if possible. Re: high ferritin. Mine has been running really high as well. Re: fatigue. I have had bone crushing fatigue for about five years now, which the drs say is related to my diagnosis. (I did have a sleep study.) I am on sleeping pills now, as that is the only way I can sleep. I was acting out dreams really bad prior to taking them. How is your vitamin d level? I have to take super high doses daily and even then it is a struggle to get it up to 50. (Drs want mine around 80 due to my health issues.) Some things I have found helpful - taking a rest throughout the day. Not napping, but up and working for 1-2 hours, sitting and relaxing fo 10-15 minutes. - working out harder, which sounds counter, but it does help with my energy levels. I also split up my workouts, like weights in morning and infrared heated hot yoga in late afternoon. (I find the heat helps my body aches.) I work out with a trainer once a week. I needed the motivation a trainer provided to workout with the fatigue. My trainer is also certified nutritionist and keeps me accountable. - diet. I stopped almost all caffeine and sugar, I ditched everything inflammatory, like dairy. I went vegetarian almost two years ago. At first, I went plant based entirely so that I could focus my diet on ensuring I got the max amount of my food/nutrition from plants. I gradually went even more plant based, incorporating green smoothies daily, eating more microgreens, etc. I do spend an insane amount of time on my diet, but it has been worth it because - in an odd way - I feel healthier now than ever before. I know that sounds funny for someone with Parkinson’s to say that, but I am now able to deadlift my body weight and I am able to run again. (It ain’t a pretty run and I am not setting any records, but I feel amazing when I run. Then I come home and crash. LOL) My daily is still a struggle, but the neurologist told me at my last appointment that the Parkinson’s progression has slowed down, which was my goal. Slow down the getting worse part, buy time that there might be new treatment options available, keep me out of a wheelchair as long as possible. Stay positive. That helps so much, though I know it can be hard at times. (Had myself a pity party earlier today.) i researched cellular healing and incorporated yin yoga, meditation, massage, infrared sauna, acupuncture, probably more that I am forgetting. Keep an open mind to alternative treatments. best wishes!

Thank you so much for the reply! We need to remodel our bathroom and I hope to get a small hot tub or something of that nature then. We currently have a jacuzzi tub in the master bath, but it is just not quite deep enough to be comfortable. I should use the hot tub at the gym more often. I am not currently, but have been reading more on supplementing it and plan to start soon. Do you have a particular one that you like? I know there are different types that are suppose to help with different issues.