Apple Cider Vinegar: Pros and Cons

Warning: This post shall start out possibly with TMI. You have been warned.

All my life, well, at least since I was in intermediate school, when it was my time of the month, I would be miserable. Thankfully, I didn't get too bad of cramps. But my mood would be super irritable and it would be super heavy.

And it would last forever. Like the average is, what, 3-7 days? Mine sometimes would last a week and a half.

But I could always count on when it would arrive. Every month. Never changing up even the slightest. If I couldn't count on anything else, I could count on that.

Then early March two years ago, there was nothing.

For someone who has always had super predictable periods, when I didn't have one it freaked me out. My first reaction was "what if I'm pregnant?" Then I laughed because if I were, it would be the next baby Jesus.

So I did some research and read that sometimes stress causes that to happen. And it was my last semester of college and life overall was pretty stressful, so I figured I'd found the culprit.

Then it happened again (or didn't happen again) the next month. And in May it was super late, but at least it wasn't a skip. I was graduating, so I figured when I got home and life returned to a constant state of little to no stress then everything would fall back into place.

Only, it didn't.

Over the next three months, I had my period for two days. As nice as it was to not have to deal with it, the whole situation was beginning to freak me out. So I went to the doctor.

Mid-July I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Although I didn't (and don't) have any of the characteristic cysts, I did have a major hormone imbalance. It was discovered early enough that hopefully I'll be able to avoid any of the bigger issues that are often problems with it.

Because of the hormone imbalances, PCOS can invariably cause insulin resistance and weight gain. Which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Now, I wasn't quite to the point that my doctor was worried about Diabetes, although there is a family history of it on both side, but my weight was in the process of seriously spiraling out of control. I was nearing 200 lbs.

So, my doctor prescribed me to start taking Metformin. That is normally a medication taken for Diabetes, but it has been increasingly common to be given to people with PCOS.

It did what it was supposed to but I HATE having to take medication, especially on a daily basis even when it doesn't have side effects. This one did. Not as badly as some people, like after the second month, it didn't upset my stomach (especially since I learned to eat things with high protein prior to taking it).

This medication made my mood constantly shift. Like it was bad. Anything could upset me enough to start crying. I get rejected for a job? Sob. I get a job? Sob. I get told I was doing something wrong? Sob. Hathor do something adorable? Sob. It was ridiculous.

I couldn't do it anymore. Crying over every little thing that happened was just too much for me. Some people do that naturally, but they've had that their whole lives so they are used to it. I wasn't.

So I began the search for alternate things. Within minutes practically, I ran across an article that dealt with Apple Cider Vinegar.

With all of the positive things I read about this stuff, I just HAD to test it out especially since it is praised as a sort of "miracle cure-all" natural thing.

Just for reference, I used Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother. It is easily found at Walmart and HEB with the vinegars. Some Krogers and Targets have it, but I've realized that is either hit or miss.

The Pros and Cons are ones that I personally noted. Although the first month I was still taking Metformin, most of the Pros didn't start until about halfway through month three.

Pros:
-Helped maintain insulin levels
-Helped with digestion
-No more Period problems
-Healthier glow according to some people
-Curbed my appetite, so I wasn't constantly hungry
-Boost in Energy

Cons:
-Taste. It tastes disgusting. I know there are "recipes" on how to make it taste better, but of all the ones I tried, none ever worked.
-Acidic. It is NOT good for teeth enamel. If you decide to give it a try, then be sure to brush your teeth around 20 minutes after. Note: don't brush them immediately, because that can do more damage than letting it sit.

According to research, there are quite a few other pros and cons, but I didn't noticeably experience them. Here are a few links to some of the articles I found informative.

DivaPCOS
Superhumancoach
TheAlternativeDaily
Yahoo! Answers (I know not necessarily the most reliable, but the first post has multiple outside links)

Despite the taste, I am going to start drinking it again to see if the Pros were truly occurring or if it was actually just remnants of the Metformin.

Have you ever tried Apple Cider Vinegar? Are there any other "miracle cures" that you've heard of and tried?

Until next time,
Shelby Hild

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5 Ways to Relax When Stressed

Happy International Poetry Day!

I am super sorry that I missed posting last week. In my defense, I wasn't much use for anything from Friday afternoon two weekends ago until about Wednesday of last week. If I wasn't at work, I was at home asleep (or lounging watching Criminal Minds) but mostly sleeping.

But this week is going to be much better. I've already written a couple thousand words. I did mean to wake up about two hours prior than I actually ended up waking up. The time change has messed up my natural clock, so I can't just turn my alarm off and assume I'll get up around 9 o'clock.

Already, I know this is going to be a good week. Last week was our big Spring Mailer Sales week at work and it was Spring Break. Just add that I wasn't feeling 100% and it was a very stressful week.

Thankfully, this week won't be near as bad.

Here is a list of things I like to do when I am overly stressed (because being stressed is not healthy and is probably the worst thing for productivity).

1.) I chase Hathor around and try to get pictures of her. It might not seem relaxing, but it is quite helpful. I mean seriously, look at that face.

2.) I take a bubble bath and read. Sometimes I even take a glass of wine with me. Okay, who am I kidding, most times I take a glass of wine with me. But the wine isn't necessarily what makes it relaxing. Bubble baths make it seem like I'm soaking all of my troubles away. Recently, I've been pretty fond of Bath and Body Works' Aromatherapy soaps, so I'm going to recommend the Stress Relief with Eucalyptus mint found here. 

3.) If it is still early enough in the day, sometimes I'll go for a walk. I can't wait for the areas nearby to make the trails that are in the works. They just have to finish the building first, but I'm patient. Most of the time. 

4.) Another thing I do is overdramatically collapse on my bed and refuse to move until after either I wake up from a nap or I feel better. 

5.) I work out in the backyard garden. It's so nice to be outside working with my hands in the dirt, pruning and watching as things grow. Just a few days ago I planted a strawberry plant and it makes me so happy.

And for a bonus:

6.) If a person is why I am stressed out, I will make the person in my Sims game and make life miserable for him or her. Overall I am not a violent person and I don't actually want anything negative to happen to the person but sometimes getting a person abducted by aliens and then pregnant with quadruplets while living in a one-room building that doesn't have a working toilet is just what I need to make me feel better.

So until next time,

I hope you have a very stress-free week,

Shelby Hild

Tips on Productivity and Time Management

Today is a delightfully rainy day. I know we are expecting more rain and more wind, but for now it is just an off and on again drizzle. It is relaxing. Hopefully it stays relaxing and doesn't venture into the stressful arena.

Anyway....

This week's post topic is one that I have found difficult, mainly because prioritizing is somewhat difficult for me.

I have tried to plan out each second of my day.

And failed to even stick with it an hour.

I have tried just winging it.

And failed, although I did distract myself by learning a great deal of random things on Wikipedia.

Then I tried post-it notes.

And lost them. All.

So my current method is giving myself a time limit to finish a specific amount of things. It isn't quite as strict as having every second of every day planned, nor as easily ignorable as not having anything planned.

It seems to be working so far.

So here are a few tips I've learned within my journey to discovering how to become more productive thanks to prioritizing and becoming more efficient at time management.

1. What works for one person may not work for another.
2. Using the snowball effect (like most people use for money and paying off loans) can work when you've got a lot of little things. Figure out which one is easiest and can take the least amount of time, then complete it. You'll get the encouragement of crossing something off your list (even if it is a mental list) and be able to move on to the next item.
3. Do you have anything that is time sensitive? Do those things first.
4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. It'll take longer to do if you are having to learn how to do it on your own and then you might run out of time.
5. Don't forget to relax some. If you don't relax, generally quality of what you're doing takes a hit.
6. Along the lines of that, don't forget to  breathe. Oxygen is good for you.
7. If you need to socialize and have a project you're working on that can be a group project, ask someone to come over and help out. I'd recommend not asking them over to, say, clean your house, but whatever floats your boat.
8. If it is something you aren't excited to do, figure out a way to make it a game.

Most of those seem very similar to each other, but it works. There are some things that would be hard to prioritize with, many that I don't currently have much experience with (like kids and a spouse and whatnot).

How do you make sure you get everything done? Are there specific ways that help you prioritize everything? If so, feel free to leave a comment!

Until next time,

Shelby

Progress Report #2

Yesterday marked the end of another month of 2016.

Today marks the beginning of a new one. 

March. 

Last year this month consistently made me feel nostalgic about marching band for no reason except for the fact that March is in marching. 

Last year this month marked my sixth month at my job. This year, it'll mark my eighteenth month. 

Since today is the first day of this merry month, it also means today is progress report day!

Progress Reports aren't terribly long or complicated, and if you're new here, it is just a post recording the physical components to becoming a better (and healthier and more productive) Shelby. 

So without further ado:

My current weight is 149.3 lbs, which in case you were curious is 10.66 Stone according to Google. It isn't as much of a lose as last month's progress report saw, but it is still progress. And that's really all I can ask for. 

My diet has somewhat been slipping, and I feel like I say that every week, but it hasn't been slipping as much the past week and a half, only slightly. I've managed to give myself two cheat days a week where basically I eat whatevs I want. This month I will limit that to one and see where I go from there.

Another aspect that has been slipping (again) is the exercise part. I've had quite a few mid-shift days this month and I find exercising either before or after so difficult. The most difficult thing I've tried to do is get up early and workout, but then if I try to do it when I get home I wake myself and then I struggle to fall asleep and then I'm tired when I go to work. Anyway, I'm going to figure out a way to work on that this month. It is at the top of my priority list. (Speaking of priority lists, next week's post will involve them.)

The apart of this process that I am very proud of is currently my word count on my WIP. 

Are you ready to hear what it is? 

I am at 63,118 words. And that is just so far today. I plan to do quite a bit of writing before heading into work and hopefully hit 64K, maybe even 65K depending on how productive I can be with Hathor trying to walk all over my computer. 

Last month I was a little under 31K, having written about 28K including the week I took off that was supposed to be specifically dedicated to writing. I have written 32,224 words this short month of February. I'm pumped. And I plan to continue making this much progress.

So this month's verdict is of measurable things, I am indeed working on improvement. So far, my New Year's Resolution is still around.

What was your New Year's Resolution? Are you still working towards it? Feel free to comment below. 

Until Next Time,

Shelby Hild