Monday, February 10, 2014

Greetings (and Apologies) from Canada...from the slightly-less-Angry Asthma Mama

Hi, everyone --

Just wanted to offer sincere apologies to everyone - with Gmail's new tab format, I missed a lot of comments over the last few months!! So sorry!! I'll be better about looking out for these from now on.

Quick update - we're all fine up here in the Great White North, our new(ish) home. Everyone's asthma has been relatively calm, including mine. In fact, since starting CrossFit last year, I've hardly had a single flare. That's pretty amazing, considering how intense a CrossFit workout can be!

I've also had to start a low FODMAPs diet (whole other blog there...) which may have helped, since it eliminates dairy and gluten from my diet, among many, many other foods. I do, as time goes on, believe that diet has a lot to do with health. Yes, I realize that's obvious, but more specifically, I'm starting to believe that processed foods and factory farmed meats may have more to do with our health issues than we imagine. For me, removing the wheat and milk has made a huge difference. I've lost weight, and I *swear* I've gained about 50 IQ points! I don't feel like napping mid-afternoon either. And there's the thing where I don't have asthma flares, too.

Getting the kids to follow suit is next to impossible, but I've cut their processed food intake substantially. I bake snacks for them, rather than buy them. (It's relaxing, too - baking on Sundays. Love it.) I use good ingredients. I cook dinner more, and I buy organic when I can. (Admittedly, that's not NEARLY as often as I'd like, but you do what you can!) We eat less pasta, and more rice and quinoa. More fruit and veggies. Less milk, more water.

I don't know that this change has had  a huge impact on anyone's health - and it would be hard to quantify, even if it did. There's been so much change, it's hard to attribute anyone's good health to any one thing. Life in Canada has been less stressful over all. I see my kids more. They have less homework and, when it's not below freezing as it's been for the last six weeks, they spend more time outdoors. They have nice friends who enjoy simpler things - there's less pressure to wear "the right" sneakers or have an iPhone. But it has been a big change, and 18 months later, I think we're all getting used to the fact that this is our home now.

For me, life is much less complicated. I walk my kids to school often, and I take my dog for walks in the woods every (non-subzero) day. I have a nice job and I'm slowly making friends and making a life for myself. I still have a lot to figure out, but overall, it's good. It's more peaceful, less stressful. In Canada, I just feel like there's so much less noise and so much more calm. Can't ask for much more than that.