Goodbye Dairy... Again! And other things (like, listen to your body!)

Sorry for the lack of posts... I've been spending alot of time lately packing other things into my schedule: studying (I'm behind in my Nutritional Therapies class), setting up my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pick-up in Tustin, setting up my online community for the OC Weston A. Price foundation at http://ocwapf.ning.com, rehearsing several times a week for my upcoming bellydance performances (this past weekend was a bridal shower performance!), doumbek drum lessons and practice.

So, you ask, what has happened in the past few weeks? ALOT!

I gave up on my experiment with raw grassfed dairy. After a month of eating raw milk and raw kefir and raw cheeses, I noticed scabs in the interior of my nose that would not heal and yucky, green nasal mucus. Sorry, I know, TMI. But, if you're healthy, your nasal mucous membranes should produce clear mucus. It's the only major change I have made in my diet, so I figured my body did not really like dairy after all. I have eliminated most of the dairy now (with some leftover grassfed butter to finish), and my nose is finally healing. I am sad to lose dairy, again, but happy that my body is grateful for the absence of bad dairy reactions.

This leads me to the point about listening to our bodies. Maybe I'm paranoid and using my body as a science experiment, but I think it is crucial to have a strong awareness of what is going on internally. I think Western lifestyles have left us being very disconnected to our bodies, and being in a rush or on the go all the time isn't helping! This is where taking up meditation, or yoga, or walking in nature, or even bellydancing or other activities that connect you to the physical, is very helpful for keeping you aware of the body and its needs.

And, if you are in need of healing (physical or emotional), keep a daily food log. It is amazing what writing all your food intake can show you, even if it is only for a week. I have been keeping a food log for months now, and it has helped me notice certain trends, such as eating good quality fats (coconut oil, cod liver oil) during the evening means that I have improved blood circulation in my hands and feet at night AND the skin on my fingers is no longer cracked. As well as the eat-dairy-bad-things-happen-to-me observation.

YMMV: Your milage may vary! You need to determine your own trends, so listen to your body!

Erica