Tuesday 9 April 2013

April 9

Might have to do this update in two sections, have to run out to pick up Luc from school pretty soon.  Since my check-in last week, I think things have gone pretty well.  I didn't end up going to my out-patient groups, I'm kinda thinking I'm done with Alberta Health Services, and might as well use the time I have right now to work on more future planning.  I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how being a professional student, while having it's advantages, maybe isn't the ideal path to follow for a 30-year-old broke-ass single mom (yes, I know, many of you have probably been thinking this for years, but apparently I needed a bit more life experience before I realized it too).  I know that I keep changing my mind every few years about what I really want to do with my life, and that every spring for the last four years I've gone through a should-be life transforming series of investments and ideas and education that seem to be derailed every August or September.  Honestly, I think it could be cyclothymic disorder (sort of like bi-polar 'lite'), but when I mentioned it to a psychiatrist, he suggested that since I didn't have the characteristic lack of sleep associated with manic phases, then it is probably just 'regular' depression.  Or maybe a serious case of seasonal affective disorder.  I mean, seriously - every year for the last three years I've 'discovered' what it is that I'm passionate about (they are all kind of similar, with some variation every year - working from home, choosing my own schedule, counselling, nutrition, health, wellness, etc.) but every fall seem to slip back into the depression and concurrent bulimia.  So I need to keep this in mind when I am looking into programs, career options, funding, etc.  But so far, I have looked into getting into the M.Sc. in Counselling Psychology (yes, the program I was waitlisted for and then accepted into but declined because I impulsively decided to take Kinesiology), and might also see about attending evening courses with the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, where I could get a diploma for the Registered Holistic Nutritionist program.  Definitely something I'm interested in doing, as then it would be a good lead for getting a job while doing the Masters.  Not quite sure how to pay for it, and I'm not sure if it would be similar to the Health Coach program I will be graduating from right away here (through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition).  Funny that I can graduate from a program without really doing the work for it though - I know for sure that online courses are not a good idea for me.  I just have to pass the last test, and then I will be a certified health coach.  If the programs are the same, then I won't worry about the CSNN program, and instead just actually do the modules from IIN.  They provide a lot of info on running a home-based business based on health and wellness counselling/coaching, so it's basically what I want to do.  I won't be able to call myself a nutritionist or dietician though, but will have access to a large array of dietary theories and modules on holistic health, so pretty close, but just without the fancier designations of RHT and MSc, but those could come later.  At least this would be a start to getting some money in the bank.  I'm not quite sure what to do about KNES though.  Should I finish the degree before applying to grad school, or just take the few courses I'm interested in (Anatomy and Physiology, and Nutrition) and apply for counselling psych admission for Fall 2014?  Decisions, decisions....still no job yet, but I did send out a couple of resumes.

Anyway, career and life goals aren't really the purpose of this blog, so I'll get into the food stuff over the last week.  I had decided a couple weeks ago that I was going to do a liver detox, to clear out all the toxic build-up that I'm quite sure has resulted from all the bingeing, medication, and diet pills over the last few years.  I looked up some stuff online, and found a one-day detox with a seven-day lead up, and three-day follow up.  The 'prequel' consisted of loading up on leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower), liver-lovers like celery and asparagus, and other things like spirulina, olive and flaxseed oils, and so on.  So I added lots of these things to everything I ate over the last week, with the exception of Saturday.  I did well in the morning, but then we went to my godmother's 25th anniversary party, and then ate some cake, had a couple drinks, then went out for dinner with friends where I ate mostly according to the cleanse, except I think the dough on my pizza was not multigrain (like I ordered!), and so would be heavy on gluten.  But, I didn't freak out about it, and actually didn't even realize it until the next day.  We went to a movie, and I just had diet Coke (no popcorn or M&Ms), but had some microwave popcorn, cheese and chocolates at home.  On Sunday, though, I was quite nauseous, probably from putting all the 'detox detractors' into my body - sugar, alcohol, caffeine, gluten, so ate fairly minimally on Sunday.  Monday was detox day.  I boiled up the Miracle Juice (Cranberry, orange and lemon juice, spiced with nutmeg, ginger, and cinammon) while drinking the flaxseed-water colon-cleansing pre-drink.  Alternated between the Miracle Juice and water throughout the day, as per the cleansing protocol. 

I should know better that anytime I try to go for an extended period without eating (like 5 hours usually) then all I can think about is food.  Going the whole day without eating made me want to eat so badly, that I started nibbling on things throughout the evening.  I don't know if it wrecked my detox, but probably was better to graze on things, rather than eating nothing at all.  Or to binge like crazy, which was becoming very tempting as the night went on.  I even woke up in the middle of the night to start planning my binge for today, but woke up this morning and decided not to.  I can't afford it, and I would be really disappointed in myself for slipping.  And so would anyone reading this.  So instead, I finished up the last of my juice with flaxseed (I was supposed to drink that last night, but oh well), and ate some probiotic yogurt with blueberries and chia seeds.  I went home after that to take a nice detox bath with lavender-scented epsom salts and a "toxic cleanse" bath bomb I picked up at the Body, Spirit and Soul Expo on Friday night.  Decided to make it a 'me' day, which I figure I should take advantage of while I can.  Called a friend for support on my way home this morning; by the time I was in the car I wasn't so interested in bingeing, but figured it would be a good idea.  So far the day has gone well, gonna go make dinner for Luc and me, then it's off to swimming lessons for Luc and jogging for me!

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