Serene's routine

[serene]

Started BE about a week ago. Already feeling something happening, I've got my fingers crossed because I'm not doing individual herbs, (had to test the gum out for myself-if anything happens I may stay on, but I'm looking into Pammy's routine if the gum is a no-go).

So here is my routine
3 pieces of Zoft gum
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Borage Oil 500mg
2 Calcium 500mg ea. (Eventually I will up this).
1 multi. vitamin
1 B complex
1 GABA 500mg

I have flax seed oil, I knew when I bought it why I wanted to add it, but right now I just can't remember why, and I can't find my notes on it. So I'll wait on adding it until I can remember or find out why it's good for BE. Also I am not having any luck finding fennel tea at any of the stores around me. I did find fennel seeds though. Maybe if I get some extra time I can look into making my own tea, or perhaps I can grind them and make some fennel-flax seed bread.

Measurements/Stats:
Age- 33
Height -5' 4&1/2"
Weight 129
bust-36" over fullest part
under-31"
cup size- 34B loose (if it's a demi, or not shaped bra...) or 36A, (which is usually to loose around ribs).
I have 2 kids, I did breastfeed both (13 & 14 months).
don't smoke
don't drink
don't drink coffee
I drink maybe 8oz.-12oz. reg. coke or coke zero a month, (the caffeine helps as a booster to my migraine meds).
And I'm hypoglycemic (not severe)

I measured last night, posted it in Stats, will re-measure again soon.

Serene

[serene]

Wahaika,
My Flax seed oil does not say if it has or does not have Lignans,
this is how the Supplement facts read:

Organic Flaxseed Oil 1,000 mg (1g)
which typically contains:
Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3) 500mg

Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) 123 mg
Oleic Acid (Omega-9) 140 mg
Other fatty Acids and Phytonutrients 72 mg

Forgive my ignorance but how can I tell what to check for on the bottle, except of course the obvious of it stating if it is without Lignans? And is this (what I've bought),something I can add to my routine? I really appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Serene

[serene]

OK, I am going to either stop or slowly stop my routine, I'll post more in the stats section...
serene

[Wahaika]

Serene,

Sorry, I did not see this until today. The lignands are aromatase inhibitors, but I think that the amount you get in flax seed oil is insignificant. I don't consider it an issue anymore. Any flax seed oil will do.

If you are looking for a good brand, get Barleans.
www.barleans.com/flaxoil.asp

I think it's good that you are ramping down. Late March/Early April is definitely a better time to start than now.

Good luck!

Wahaika

[serene]

Wahaika,
Thanks! I am going to be keeping some notes on what I'll be starting out with. I have plenty of time till March/April to do more research. I may be back periodically with questions
Thanks again for all your help and knowledge.

Serene

[serene]

My routine now is still in early stages, but because I'm seeing a difference with the tea, I'm ready to post it as a routine.

So here goes:

A.M./Breakfast
2-teabags (Bustea from Greenbush)
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Calcium with D 500mg
1 B complex
1 SP 160mg

I drink the tea before I eat breakfast.

Afternoon/Lunch
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Fenugreek 610mg
1 Calcium with D 500mg
1 multi. vitamin
1 SP 160mg

P.M./Dinner
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Calcium with D
1 SP 160mg
1 Fenugreek 610mg (this I will be adding tonight, if I show signs of sweats I will look for a lesser dosage).

Late night/Bed
1 tea bag Bustea (about an hour before bed).
1 Borage Oil 500mg
1 GABA 500mg


I have been occaisionally taking Papaya Enzyme GNC Natural Brand, to help with digestion. I noticed before taking this for 1 day, (1 right before each meal) I was retaining a lot of water in my thighs, butt, and stomache, however the next day when I woke up the water in those places seemed to be gone. I haven't decided how I want to take this. It is supposed to help with your body's absorption of proteins and such. Which I think if I do take this it may help with the hypoglycemia. Which I would like.

Massage
I massage this in right after I get out of the shower. I use hot water just before I get out.
Cocoa Butter and Vit. E, I also mix some Fenugreek extract in this. I leave it on all night. I do not add heat heat after because I can't find my heating pad, and my rice bags are also gone. (We are doing some remodeling so nothing is where it should be). I cannot find the Palmers Breast Firming Cream at the stores near me, so I will check on line for this.

NOTE: I somethimes can't do massage every night as above, so sometimes I do a quick dry massage, or sometimes I use lotion or some Grobust cream that is left over from a few years ago-it says it expires in 2010, I don't plan on using the Grobust for long, it is convienient though. Although next time I use it I think I'll add Vit E

Last week I tried fenugreek (20 min. before eating, before breakfast and lunch), in place of the tea and I had the sweats all day, this told me my sugars were off. I switched back to the tea, and I waited a week, and yesterday I took the 1 Fen. with my lunch to see how my sugars would do... I am happy to say I didn't have any problems. So I will my Fen. with meals. I haven't had time to really plan out my routine. I'm just using what I have. It's been very busy here, so I will try tweaking (hopefully)next month sometime.

And hopefully we will get some sun, we actually had snow last week. I'm ready for a break from the rains too, I want to finish painting my house, and that's hard to do with no sun, and everything wet.

I am welcome to any and all advice, my brain is a little frazzled this month with birthdays, and planning events at the school.

Best wishes to all!
Serene

[Wahaika]

Looks good as a start. Your Fenugreek will need to be ramped up, and Saw Palmetto as well.

Coke is OK but not Coke Zero.

The more sunlight the better.

Looks good.

[serene]

Wahaika,
What is in Coke Zero that makes it not good? Do you have any thoughts on the Papaya enzymes? Thank you for the reccomendations!!!

serene

Note to self:
* Replace morning tea with F. 610mg
* up SP

[mango84]

"I'll have a glass of carbonated water with Sulphite Ammonia Caramel, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Citrates, Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium, Sodium Benzoate, flavour and caffeine please. I'm on a health kick."

I'd say all of those ingredients are "not good"...not sure which ones particularly are not good for BE.

[Wahaika]

My thought was several things, it is not what is in Coke zero, per se, but what is missing - sugar. The same with all diet drinks.

If one is hypoglycemic and has migranes as a result, the last thing that you want to avoid is sugar, especially when taking fenugreek. The aspartame may even make migranes worse.

[susana]

Apr 26, 2008 11:15:00 GMT -5 Wahaika said:

My thought was several things, it is not what is in Coke zero, per se, but what is missing - sugar. The same with all diet drinks.

If one is hypoglycemic and has migranes as a result, the last thing that you want to avoid is sugar, especially when taking fenugreek. The aspartame may even make migranes worse.

I don't agree with that, unless hypoglycemia's caused by medication, not avoiding sugar and other high IG food only makes it worse. I have hypoglycemia and it's only under control since 2 years ago when i cut all that I could with simple sugar and wheat flour, some people can't even stand milk (with lactose) and some fruits - I can only eat those with some really low IG food. Since then, no more mood swings, tiredeness, and other efects from hypoglycemia. Fenugreek did brought back my hunger, but it's manageable.

[Farmer's wife]

Not sure about sugar, my dad is hypoglycimic but he doesn't follow a very good diet. I do know, however, that aspartame can cause migranes. My brother-in-law gets them from aspartame, and we thought my dad was having a stroke one day and it turned out to be aspartame poisining (he really liked his diet cokes).

Hope this helped!

[serene]

Thanks everyone for the input!!!

Mango84, You painted a great picture! thank you for that!

Wahaika, The migraines are generally hormonal, a once a month kind of thing. Part of the PMS fun stuff is my sugar dropping, I try to increase carbs then, but it doesn't always help. I try to catch them now right when I get my 'aura', this usually helps with most of the pain, but not always because I can't take my prescription meds unless my husband is home to watch the kiddos. Right now I take Excederin Migraine with about a quarter cup of coke. Any more coke than that and my sugars go way off. My endocrinologist says I'm just extra sensitive to any change in sugars. I'll try to remember to see if I get a migraine after having aspartame, I usually try to avoid sweetners though. Foods and drinks with them in just don't taste right. But yes, I was guilty of taking drinks from my husbands coke zero before this round of BE.

Susana, It sounds like I'm similar to you, I try to eat my fruit with some protein and fiber, if I don't I get so tired. Sometimes I really miss sugar... Baking was my hobby, after I found out I was hypoglycemic I put away all my cookbooks. I bake a little now, but not like before. I'm doing ok with the fenugreek as long as I take it with food. I saw your routine, is it safe to mix the PM and the fenugreek? I had read you shouldn't.

Farmer's wife, Wow! I hope your dad was able to cut back on his diet coke! I tried to jump into a diet change all at once. It wasn't fun. If your dad does try to change anything have him do it slowly. Of course he'll want to do it slowly or he'll spend all his time in the grocery store reading labels. Ugh! That can be frustrating because sugar is in pretty much everything.
My dad is also hypoglycemic. He doesn't really watch his diet either unless he's going climbing, or getting ready for a marathon. I wish he lived closer because he'd get me into shape, and I'd make him eat better. (and because he lives too far away).

Ok, I upped my SP today
2X 160mg 3 times a day. I will up more later. I want to let my body, well my stomache really, get used to it. After I take it I can taste it every now and again. It's not that great a taste to have floating around. I'll try taking it with milk.

Thanks again to everybody's input. I'm glad we are all working together to try to give 'boosts' in the right direction.
serene

[susana]

I didn't read that about PM and fenugreek interaction, i'll look it up but i didn't notice any problem so far.

I've read your stats, i'm also diagnosed as hypoglycemic (reactive and nocturnal - used to wake up like if i was with an hangover). Do you really miss sugar? it tastes really funny to me now so i can't say i miss it. About asparmate I don't use it, but i remember some sources with a theory that aspartame triggered insulin production cause it tricks the brain thinking its getting something sweetened for real, something like that. About baking i steel do it, just use fructose and whole flour (the fiber in it balances the fructose, at least for me), just replace your old cookbooks with cookbooks for diabetics, or trial error old recipes.

Anyway, I only take fenugreek with food too, I never even try it without food cause spending 20/30 min between waking up and eating would be a torture for me, but i'm not sure if the increased appetite from it is from fenugreek raising hypoglycemia, i've no other symptom, and my hunger is for steaks for some reason

Good Luck

[serene]

updated routine
A.M./Breakfast
1 Fenugreek 610mg
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Calcium with D 500mg
1 B complex
2 SP 160mg
1 Papaya enzyme
Afternoon/Lunch
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Fenugreek 610mg
1 Calcium with D 500mg
1 multi. vitamin
2 SP 160mg
1 Papaya enzyme
P.M./Dinner
1 Gelatin 600mg
1 Calcium with D
2 SP 160mg
1 Fenugreek 610mg
1 Papaya enzyme
Late night/Bed
1 tea bag Bustea (about an hour before bed).
1 Borage Oil 500mg
1 GABA 500mg
So far no problems with sugar, I also changed protein powder today, it tastes a little better, and mixes in better-no clumps. Also, I noticed no problems with the SP taste in my throat after taking the papaya enzyme, so I will add it to my routine as well. It is the GNC Natural Brand, Papaya Fruit 45mg, Papain 6mg
(60,000 USP units).

Susana, Thank you for the info. on the aspartame, I will try to avoid it, and I will read up a bit more on it. I have started to collect diabetic cookbooks, and I have a few hypoglycemia cookbooks. But yes, I do miss sugar. I miss baking the sweets mostly, I still make sweets, cookies, cakes, pies, and what nots, but not as often. They are mostly for my family, or to hand out at Christmas to the neighbors. I might taste one, but I try to avoid them. I will have to try the fructose.
Maybe what I read about not mixing PM with other estrogenic herbs was for internal. I think the best people to ask would be either Wenona or Wahaika. I think I have seen some routines on Eve's forum mixing the 2 though. It's been a while since I've read about it. I was going to read more into it a couple of months ago, but never did. Good luck to ya!