Ice Cream Anyone?

My favorite ice cream is Butter Pecan, but until recently I hadn't even tasted real ice cream in many years.  While I thoroughly enjoyed my dairy-free, sugar-free, coconut milk frozen dessert, aptly named Purely Decadent, it just wasn't the real thing.  My new diet allowed many good things, but for general health reasons, I was still avoiding processed sugar, white flour, anything artificial, and preservatives.

During my move last summer I ate a number of convenient foods that were not so healthy, including pizza, potato chips, and French fries.  Still lactose intolerant, I was really hesitant to give in to my number one weakness - ice cream.  My determination was wearing thin each time I passed Bruster’s Ice Cream Parlor, which was conveniently located at a traffic light en route to my new home.  One warm September afternoon, stopped by that traffic light, I decided to give in and turn in to Bruster’s.  “One scoop butter pecan on a cake cone, please.”  It was down hill from there!

It was delicious - cold and creamy, and loaded with pecans!  Interestingly, it was rather sweet for my palate, but I worked thru it, enjoying the freedom to eat my favorite warm-weather treat!  Mindful of the calories piling into my body, I vowed to treat myself only once a month; a vow I failed to keep!  Two months, and many calories later, my waistline and my doctor’s scale screamed out to me, “forget once a month, try once a year!”

Winter rescued me!  It has been unusually cold and snowy this winter, so it’s been a lot easier to bypass my favorite indulgence without a second thought.  Watch out summer!

Grapes and Wine

I’m back, again! My life has improved so much since I started i26 that I actually have the energy I need to really enjoy life. In fact, I’ve been enjoying it so much that I’ve lost track of time and neglected this blog! Well, I’m back on track and will start, once again, to post all the amazing changes that have taken place in my health and diet, thanks to i26!

In May, 2010 I mentioned that I could finally eat red grapes, but the green ones still caused itching. Well, that is no longer the case! In October I decided to give green grapes another try and to my delight, no itching! Yes! I can eat any grapes I want now and no itching! Interestingly, even though wine grapes are different from table grapes, I couldn’t tolerate white wines either. Now I can drink red wines, white wines and even rosé wines, and I’m enjoying every glass, in moderation, of course!  :-D

Energy Plus

It seems like a lifetime ago that I was struggling to walk with a cane, unable to drive, and completely dependent on the help of others to accomplish even the most mundane chores. Pain was a constant feature of my life. I was fatigued by the slightest exertion and spent more hours lying down than moving around. This was extremely stressful for me, a normally active, outgoing person. I later learned that some of my friends secretly thought I was dying. The reality that it was only four years ago still baffles me.

As I mentioned previously, I was unable to keep up with the demands of my gift basket business, and was forced to stop working all together. I wished I had found i26 back then; it would have saved my business and my wallet! My initial efforts to improve my health naturally were certainly successful, but I was still easily fatigued and required a 2-3 hour middle-of-the-day nap to keep functioning. Missing that nap for two days would result in a full-day crash, putting me in bed for the day. Pacing was essential to enjoying my new measure of health.

In 2006 I started working part-time from home, which allowed me to rest when necessary. If I got my required 12 -14 hours of sleep every day, I could handle a twenty-hour work week. Three months after starting i26 my work load increased and within weeks I was working full time. Actually, I have two part-time jobs (one working outside the home) and my i26 distributorship. Of course, I still have my other interests, and this blog, that keep me busy as well. When I think back to even a year ago, I’m just absolutely amazed that I have the energy to do all of this. I no longer need my daily naps, though I will still try to include a 20 minute power nap whenever possible.

I'm back!

It's been quite a while since my last post and if you've been following me, I appologize for the delay.  It's been a hectic summer and I've had far more commitments and surprises than time, including preparing for a move to a new home in September.  So likely, my posting won't be back on schedule until October.  However, I will try to do better than I have the last couple of months.

My journey with i26 Hyperimmune Egg continues to be an amazing one.  With each passing month I'm seeing improvements and positive changes in my health, weight, and diet.  I'm making mental notes so that I can share them when time allows.  But for now, suffice it to say, that despite a number of stressful challenges, I am doing really well and working even harder than I ever thought would be possible for me at this point in life!