The Superfood That’s Not Super for Everyone
I won’t get too deep into the weeds with why I began, but as part of an effort to eat increasingly healthy in the last part of 2021, I started widow ground flaxseeds to my salads. I’d sprinkle it in some other things, too, while I was cooking. After weeks of misery, it turned out this the WORST thing I could have done. Please be enlightened that flaxseed has both unconfined benefits and tremendous risks. Read on to learn more!
As the timetable turned to January and my transferral to segregate largest supplies amped up, my salad consumption increased to 3-4 lunches per week. I moreover gave up some other things like swig and coffee and limited many others, like processed foods and dairy. Each time I ate one, I’d sprinkle unmeasured heaping mounds of ground flaxseed over my salad. By the end of January, my progress frustrated me — I really didn’t finger unconfined but try very nonflexible to stay optimistic so I tried nonflexible not to complain! — but single-minded to alimony going. In February, I was drinking then — only one drink a few evenings a week — and as my digestion felt miserable; it was the first thing to go.
One Saturday night during family movie night I got hit with an “attack.” Someone with supplies allergies knows exactly what I’m talking about. My digestion was painful. I was doubled over. Sharp pains were making it nonflexible to take a deep breath, talk or concentrate on stuff present in the room with my family. I KNEW exactly what it was. It was as if I’d consumed gluten, my wily nemesis that I go a decade when with, except I had not. (Side note: After healing my gut the last two years, I found I could eat gluten again, so I had eaten over the last year cumulatively but not a lot in one sitting ever. But I had had none considering I had been feeling a bit “off” for weeks at this point.)
For those with celiac disease and allergies, it can take months to well-spoken gluten. At my last allergy testing, I was negative for wheat and gluten and negative for celiac disease. As a supplies sensitivity sufferer, plane a little gluten wouldn’t stupefy me this long. So I figured it was a new sensitivity. But what?
I used the internet to search for answers. We were eating increasingly protein and fats and less carbs. So I figured maybe I had gallbladder disease (totally runs in my family and early tests have showed I may have a slow gallbladder). I ordered bile salts, switched out some other foods and single-minded to increasingly anti-inflammatories including, you guessed, flaxseed.
After only one week on the first day of using bile salts, I had the mother of all attacks that should have sent me to the emergency room. I unchangingly prided myself on having supplies sensitivities that were “just” pain — never involving vomiting or diarrhea or any exenterate movement transpiration at all in fact. This time, I was experiencing nausea, vomiting AND diarrhea — incredibly painful diarrhea. It was tormenting! My family stood virtually me and prayed the wade would end. It did.
I tabbed my doctor. Tests were scheduled and performed rapidly. Plane given my history and my acknowledgement, nobody overly explored my nutrition with me, one of the unconfined disservices in modern medicine.
I cleaned up my nutrition again, peeling way when to eating the same things over and over. No attacks, but unvarying painful digestion and either constipation or diarrhea each day with no track which it might be. I had migraines nearly every morning, a big indicator of a supplies sensitivity for me. My energy was so low, I only wanted my bed or couch, and that’s not like me at all! I missed several dog walks when the weather was freezing or icy. I was concerned I didn’t have the strength to navigate virtually ice and might slip. I felt my smart-ass was functioning at half its capacity. I couldn’t remember things. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t write, which made me miserable, plus I wanted to track my supplies and symptoms but it took every once of energy just to prepare my meals. And my husband did dinner every night, diligently cooking vegetables in water only as to not offend my gut.
All my medical tests of my pancreas and gallbladder came when negative. There wasn’t much they suggested I do. I was okay with that. I made an visit once to see a digestive specialist in chiropractic/acupuncture that wouldn’t be until the end of March. I wondered if I’d survive that long.
Toward the end of the fourth week of the worst of it, I was eating my morning oatmeal and began thinking of the flaxseeds. It was one of the most unvarying things through every phase. I was increasing the amount. I had only heard positive things well-nigh how wonderful it is. I’ve read these things and heard them from doctors I trust.
Turns out, flaxseeds have a visionless side. For one, they naturally mess with digestion considering it’s one of their functions. They can really help if you suffer from constipation considering they are upper in fiber. Some websites plane mention you might want to “start slow” with flaxseeds. I’d never heard that before, and it’s certainly not on the packaging. I have never been one to need uneaten fiber, so that was the first track it could be problematic for me.
The second track was that it’s upper on the list of problematic foods for people who suffer from supplies sensitivities. That’s me! And last, they are listed by Endo Empowered on at top three list of foods women with endometriosis (also me!) should NOT eat, slantingly gluten and soy products, which I once react to.
My uneasiness was super high. ALL of my tools were not working. That’s usually a big indicator for me that there’s something else in the system of my soul that’s not working correctly. Deep breathing, yoga, light therapy, meditation, and prayer DO HELP! And they helped me survive the day-to-day while I worked on understanding the mystery. But they cannot overcome an uneasiness that has a root rationalization in a physical issue.
Food is medicine, which ways it can moreover be a disease. Almost unchangingly there’s an wordplay that lies in food. But while you work and wait to icon it out, focus on tools for alleviating stress considering that will help ease some of the inflammation. I’m here to help with loads of resources on stress! I plane offer light therapy sessions locally to help wastefulness the nervous system. (I have a rental and sales program for lights, too. Check out my shop.)
I cannot tell you how much my faith and my lights helped me during these four weeks. My emotional health was honestly great! It had its limits that mirrored my energy, but I was optimistic and joking plane during some of the hardest moments. I know that wasn’t of me but from the Lord.
So that’s my story. Many, many people still find flaxseeds very beneficial. But I finger like there are unbearable reasons that it’s problematic that I need to raise sensation well-nigh it. That’s one reason I blog — to educate, inspire, and mentor others in ways to deal with stress.
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