Healthy Living and Treatment

As many of you know, I have been attempting to follow a Paleo diet (grain-free, only meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts) to help treat my bipolar disorder. Some of you have asked how it is going since you are looking at various gluten and grain-free diets for your treatment as well. First of all, I have to say that the diet works great. I am much more stable and feel a lot better when I can stick to my healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. However, I do have the added issue of a binge eating disorder which I think is what throws me off from being able to maintain my diet.

I really realized this past week that I have no control over my food. My husband has been home all week from work so I have not gone anywhere without him. As long as he is with me I don't stop at fast food restaurants or get gluten-free desserts from the grocery store. Today was the first day I went out by myself and I stopped at the grocery store. I was hungry, and even though I told myself I didn't need anything sugary and I could eat as soon as I got home, I bought a gluten-free dessert! It's like I need a 24 hour babysitter just to stick to my diet. I ate a few bites and then threw the rest out, which is better than what I would have done before, but still, I can't believe I am so addicted to sugar that I eat it when I know I should not.

I try to remember that this is all a learning process though. Each time I have a setback it teaches me something about who I am and what I need to do to be well. We have been eating Paleo all week and this morning was the first morning I woke up not exhausted and miserable, which means the diet and exercise works if I can just stick with it. I realized at the store today that I can't leave the house hungry and maybe I should just not be grocery shopping for a while, at least not by myself.

The last thing that became abundantly clear to me this week is that an essential part of being able to stick with a healthy lifestyle is having a good support system around you. This is why my husband and I have decided to do a Whole30 (a really strict Paleo plan for 30 days) with our CrossFit gym starting Jan. 1. The coaches at our gym are great and give us a lot of advice, motivation, and support so we will not be alone during the process. We are also starting a Healthy Living Group with the Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation for Brain Health where we will support each other in whatever healthy living choices each of us needs through meetings, online support, and motivational materials. (If you live in the Cleveland, Ohio area and want to join us, let me know and I will get the information to you when we get the time worked out.)

Graphic from Whole9

So, whatever your healthy living choices are, at the start of this new year, get your support system in place. If you are looking at a Paleo diet, I recommend Whole9 as everything is easy to understand, they have researched how food affects our mind, they have the Whole30 program, a great online forum, and their book: It Starts With Food.

Blessings,

Rev. Katie

CrossFit: A Lesson in Support

At my CrossFit gym this Monday, I had just finished my workout and sat catching my breath and trying not to die, when I looked up and saw in the other room all of the Crossfitters who had competed their workout doing the last set of 34 burpees with another member to help him finish. Now, if you know Crossfit, (and burpees) you know that the workouts are hard and everyone tries their best so you are exhausted by the time you finish. All you want to do is lay on the ground and not move. Ever. Again.

For these people to do more of the workout in order to support someone is amazing. Being one of the slowest people in the gym, I am always grateful when people start doing the workout with me to help me finish it. They don't care that I am slow, they still think I am doing a great job because I am trying as hard as I can.

CrossFit Cleveland Member Board

I am often asked by people wanting to help their loved one with mental illness: "What can I do to support them?" It is hard to describe that often times the best way to support someone is just by being there with them, going through the hard times with them.

There are some illnesses we just can't fix or cure, bipolar disorder being one of them. This is extremely frustrating to people in our American society which believes if we have enough science and money we can fix anything. During such an illness, sometimes the thing someone needs the most is just your presence. You can't fix us, you can't do the work for us, but you can accompany us on our journey.

That is why CrossFit is such a good example. No one can do my workout for me. And no one at CrossFit would ever suggest that I give up. They do not judge me for my abilities. They support you by going through it with you and helping you find the strength in yourself that you never thought you had.

Blessings,

Rev. Katie

P.S. I do not suggest that you accompany someone all the way into dysfunction, like follow them into a bad situation or let them be mean to you.