Apple Cider Vinegar is not a Miracle Cure (An honest review on ACV)

Recently I have been reading a lot of articles about how horrible apple cider vinegar actually is for you and how there's no proof that it actually does anything.

If you know me, then you are probably aware that I swear by apple cider vinegar. Reading these articles really made me think about it.

And the truth is, as much as I disagree with the idea that it doesn't help anything whatsoever, I will be the first to say it isn't a miracle cure. Nothing is. Except for, you know, actual miracles.

I started consuming ACV for either two or three years now, I'm not sure which exactly. It wasn't too long after I got diagnosed with PCOS and could not keep taking the medication I was put on. 

It started out, I would put a few tablespoons of ACV in a cup and dilute it with water. That didn't help the taste at all. Then I tried adding lemon juice, which helped a little bit, but honestly, it was a struggle to drink it every morning. 

Now, I drink it with honey instead of lemon juice and it is actually remarkably refreshing.

I will continue to share what I feel are the benefits of ACV for whoever might listen and for however long it takes for more people to become aware of it.

With that said, ACV is NOT a miracle cure for anything. It is NOT the one-stop shop to fix everything.

You can't just add it to your diet and expect to lose lots of weight, have insulin issues completely cured, and fix all digestion problems. You can't add it to your morning routine and within moments have it fix everything from sunburn and acne to the cancerous cells.

What ACV can help with:
-It does help with weight loss: According to different studies, it DOES help with weight loss in a few different ways. It helps suppress your appetite for a little while, it will help regulate insulin resistance (note: that does not mean it will fix it completely and definitely not immediately.)
         Warnings: Don't drink straight ACV, nor more than 6 tbs of it a day. This is an acid. Even by diluting it, it can cause enamel issues on your teeth and erode your esophagus. It also can cause an imbalance of bacteria in your gut and it can either help heart burn or cause heartburn. If you have an easily irritated stomach, try it out in little spurts to begin with rather than a full regimen.

-It can help with acne/ seborrheic dermatitis/ psoriasis/ eczema : I have been known to use it (diluted) as a toner. When I'm nearing my period, I tend to get really bad cystic acne (or at least I used to), but since I've cleaned up my diet and started using this, I've had three cystic zits total. In the winter, my skin suffers from both eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. Although I've learned it is helpful for the SD, it made my eczema worse.
        Warning: Be sure to dilute ACV before putting it on your skin especially if you've never used it before. It is an acid and CAN burn your skin.

-It helps with sunburn and bug bite relief: This is true. I recommend putting it in a tub and dilute it with warm (not hot) water and some baking soda. Not only does it fizz like bath bombs, but it also relieves sunburn pain temporarily. I've only used it a couple times on bug bites and although it works, if you have access to a lavender essential oil, that works better (and smells better).

What it is said to help with:

There are a few things it allegedly helps with but I've not tried it yet.

-Making hair look shinier and healthier
-Cleaning and disinfecting things
-Stopping jellyfish poison from spreading
-Heartburn relief
-Removing fleas, lice, and bedbugs
-It may or may not be a blood thinner. There are different studies saying it is or isn't, so be careful.

Those are just a few of the things that I think it possibly will help with, but I haven't tested it before or I don't suffer from the afflictions mentioned.

Things it does not do:
-Whiten teeth: I've seen this on a few different places and I have to express extrme annoyance at this. ACV is an acid. It wears away enamel on your teeth. DO NOT TRY TO USE IT AS A TEETH WHITENER.

-Replace medication, especially for diabetes and thyroid issues: Don't stop taking a prescribed medication from your doctor unless told you can. And if you're considering starting taking ACV and have some major health issue TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.

-Cause weight to magically melt off: I've mentioned before on this blog that ACV has helped me on my weight loss journey. NVER have I given it credit for all of it. Losing weight takes hard work. Getting in shape takes hard work. It is all worth it, but for both weight loss and getting fit, there is no magical solution.

A Few Extra Warnings: Consuming too much ACV can cause severe medical issues, including death. Although not a lot of people are warned about this it IS a possibility. There is only one recorded death linked to it that I've found online, but she was consuming about 8oz of the stuff a day. So be careful.

Always dilute it if you will be putting it on your skin (including your scalp) or if it will touch your teeth.

After drinking (or eating) ACV, be sure to brush your teeth. Just don't do it immediately after you drink it because that's apparently not good for your teeth either.

More and more scientific studies are being done around ACV so hopefully sooner rather than later we will have definitive answers on what exactly ACV can do for us, but in my experience, it has been an overall pleasant experience.

Do you use ACV? If so, how and does it work for you? Are there any other miracle  cures out there that you've tried?

Until Next Time,
Shelby

Separating Fact From Fiction of PCOS

I will warn to begin this blog that there may be a bit of TMI.

Over the past few years that I have had this blog, I've mentioned somewhat sporadically that I have PCOS (aka Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).  A few people have asked what it is, as it's not a well known issue. 

That's weird though, because one in ten women suffer from it. 

1 in 10. 

Let that sink in for a moment. 

PCOS is possibly one of the most common hormone driven issues that women of childbearing age have. It is one of the leading causes of infertility in developed nations. 

What is PCOS? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal (generally reproductive hormones) problem where too much or too little of certain hormones are created by the body. Generally it effects a woman's eggs so they don't develop properly as they are being released during the menstrual cycle. It causes cysts on the ovaries and can result in insulin resistance. It also causes thickened lining in a woman's ovaries which causes issues with ovulation.

What causes PCOS? There isn't a lot known exactly about what causes PCOS. It is thought genetics play a role in it, but there is very little known about it. Which is frustrating considering how many people have it. There are two noticeable factors that contribute to it, but aren't the only causes.

• High Insulin Levels: Women who are overweight and have high insulin levels tend to develop PCOS. That being said, they aren't entirely sure as to whether women become overweight and start developing insulin resistance and THEN PCOS comes to play or is people develop PCOS and THEN the insulin levels start running a muck. 
• High "male hormone" levels: While it is known that women do produce androgens (aka "male hormones"), some women do produce more than normal. This is another commonality among women with PCOS. 

How is PCOS Diagnosed? Doctors are still trying to figure out the best way to diagnose PCOS. Since there is still very little know about it overall, there are obviously multiple ways to diagnose it. With that said, many women are commonly diagnosed with other syndromes. According to Right Diagnosis.com the following are all things that have similar symptoms:

• Cushing's syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Ovarian tumor
• Adrenal gland tumor
• Pituitary adenoma (type of Adenoma)
• Endometrioma/endometriosis
• Late onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Obesity
• Ovarian failure
• Androgen secretive tumors
• Metabolic syndrome
• Prolactinoma
• HAIR-AN syndrome
• Hyperthecosis
• Pregnancy
• Diabetes
• Hypothalamic dysfunction
• Adrenal gland dysfunction
• Acromegaly
• Medication effects
• Hirsutism
• Masculinisation
• Menopause
• Oligomenorrhea
• Weight Gain

There are four ways to actually test for it that are most commonly used. A blood test to check hormone levels, a pelvic exam, a pelvic ultrasound to check for cysts, and just a normal exam. 

How was I diagnosed? A common question I have received is how did I find out I have PCOS. To answer that, I have to go back to my schooling days. From the beginning of my "womanly" days, my period was ALWAYS very consistent, at least after it settled down. In high school, my weight remained firmly within two pounds of 136. No matter how much I ate (or didn't), no matter how much exercise I got (or didn't), I never weighed more than 138 or less than 134. Never. That stuck with me through most of college, even my most stressful times. 

My Senior year of college started out normally. Although I had begun to gain some weight, it wasn't a lot and I contributed to the fact I was drinking alcohol. It didn't concern me. January of 2014 rolled around and I hadn't stepped on a scale since the previous summer. I noticed my clothing was getting tighter, but blamed it on clothing shrinking in the wash or something. 

That month was the first time I truly "skipped a period." I blamed it on the sheer amount of stress I was under, which looking back on it, wasn't any more than I had been under at any specific point in time. There was no way I was pregnant, so after the initial concern about carrying the next baby Jesus. I just let it slide. February came and went, and my period which normally would last 6-8 days lasted maybe two days. But they were two days of misery. 

March, I didn't have one (but I did experience my first panic attack ever). April, it again lasted a short amount of time. May, it seemed normal again. May is also when I finally accepted that I had gained A LOT of weight. My graduation pictures showed that to me in a glaringly obvious way. Especially since my dress was a 2XL. June and July, my period wasn't there. So I figured that I probably ought to go to the doctor to see if anything was wrong. 

My doctor was a bit concerned with the sheer amount of weight I had gained. At that point I was around 210-220. In the course of a year, I had gained almost 100 pounds. 

My doctor took some blood for testing and it showed strongly elevated androgens and an uncomfortably high insulin level.

How is PCOS treated? There is no cure for PCOS. There is no magic pill or magic supplement to cure it. With the extreme lack of knowledge about it, there is even remarkably little research being put into it. Symptoms can be managed though. The three medications generally given are:

-Birth control

-Anti-androgen medications

-Metformin

Metformin is what I was placed on. It is originally for diabetics to help control the insulin levels. It helped kick start my weight loss, but there are many people it doesn't help. My main advice for anyone put on this medication for anything would be eat it with protein. Protein helps the stomach issues it tends to cause a lot. 

Myths of PCOS: 

1.) You will gain hundreds of pounds and will never be able to lose it. This is the biggest, most ridiculous myth I've heard about it. Yes, PCOS does cause you to gain weight, especially before it is diagnosed. Yes, it is difficult to lose weight. And yes, it is difficult to keep the weight off. But No, it is not impossible. You just have to work at it. PCOS has given a lot of women the excuse to just give up when it comes to losing weight. And when other women who do struggle with PCOS come across this myth it is detrimental. 

It is possible. Over the course of two years, I've practically lost all of the weight I've gained. And I understand how hard of a struggle it is to lose weight when you have this. 

But no matter what people say, it is NOT impossible. 

It takes a lot of self discipline and a lot of hard work. And in most cases it takes some sort of jolt to begin the weight loss (like when I went on Metformin, or when Sasha Pieterse went on Dancing with the Stars). 

The older you are, the more difficult it is. 

2.) You will never be able to have children. Depending on when you were diagnosed with PCOS and how long you've been working against it, the easier it will be to have children. With that said, PCOS does make it more difficult. But again, that doesn't mean it's impossible. Many women go on to have healthy and beautiful children. (Side note: if you are someone who has PCOS but doesn't want children-- because just because you're a woman doesn't mean you have to want children, I'd still recommend doing whatever you can to fight against PCOS because it does affect many other things.) Recent studies have been coming out that although women with PCOS have more difficult time getting pregnant, they actually remain fertile longer and hit menopause later. Just as a reminder, although PCOS does cause issues with fertility, it doesn't actually have any issues with the eggs. A woman with PCOS doesn't have poorer quality of eggs. 

3.) To have PCOS, you have to have cysts on your ovaries. I have PCOS and I don't have cysts on my ovaries. It's very misleading in the name of the syndrome, but no. To qualify for having PCOS, cysts are not a requirement. 

4.) You have to take either Metformin or be on Birth Control to help. I have admitted that when I was first diagnosed with PCOS, I was put on Metformin. That said, I was only on it for three months. It made me feel miserable, emotionally. And my face started breaking out so badly that I felt like a teenager again. Except my face had never been as bad as it was then. My doctor did want me to avoid being put on birth control for as long as possible, so when my periods started coming back to normal, she didn't put me on it. 

When I realized that I needed to do something to get off of Metformin, I scoured the internet looking for different things. The one thing I found that I decided to give a try was Apple Cider Vinegar (which I've mentioned before on this blog, in fact I've blogged about it before, but since there's been more information come out about it in the two years since I initially blogged about it, I think I will do a post about that in the near future). It helped me. 

Do you have PCOS? If you do, how do you manage it? Are there myths out there that frustrate you about it and want to help spread the word that they aren't true? 

Until Next Time,

Shelby

Not Losing Weight?

Have you been diligently following a weight-loss program but aren't seeing any changes on the scale?

Are you becoming discouraged because no matter how hard you work out, the numbers just aren't moving?

Perhaps the numbers are even moving the wrong direction?

That is what has happened to me recently. Overall it seems a drag.

Frustration.

Discouraging even.

But if you are only using the scale to tell whether your diet and exercise program is working, then you could really be seeing a difference, just not realizing it.

After I was sick last month, I got back on my workout program almost religiously. Plus, I'm getting more squats and stairs in (the curse and blessing of the new puppy and sleeping upstairs while he's being potty trained and learns to sleep through the night).

And my diet has been remarkably good (compared to what it has been).

But the numbers on the scale, oh the numbers. They were climbing.

As of this morning, I weigh in at 146 lbs.

Now, if I was still focusing solely on the numbers of that scale, I'd probably be devastated right now.

All of that hard work to get down into the 130s just vanished? It would b a major set back, for sure.

The thing is, it's not.

It has taken me over a year to finally really understand muscle takes up less room than fat.

Because, really, it does.

Even my measurements aren't really showing the progress. Which sounds really weird.

Take my glutes for instance.

When I started taking my measurements in January of 2017, the number was 38 inches. Now, they are 37.5 inches. That doesn't seem like much. But comparing the shape and overall look of the glutes? Man guys, I officially have a butt.

My thighs, although they have gone down three full inches since the beginning and now rest at 20 inches, there is visible muscle in them.

Although my abs aren't super flat or firm, there are times when a hint of definition pops out.

The only aspect of measurements that is consistently lowering happens to be the chest. Which is slightly saddening, but I'm not complaining.

One pound of muscle does weigh the same as one pound of fat. But one pound of muscle looks so much nicer than one pound of fat.

So when the say, don't worry too much about the numbers, try to believe them. If you are doing everything you are supposed to be doing, eating well, exercising, sleeping enough, being healthy, then your body will do what you want it to.

Pay attention to positives.

Even if the numbers are rising, are your clothing getting tighter again? Or are they getting looser?

For my leggings, either they are losing elasticity in the waist or my waist is shrinking. Since it's happening with my jeans as well, I'm going to go with the latter option.

My swimsuits from last year BARELY fit anymore (mainly the bottom half).

Sports Bras (and bras in general), I'm going to have to get new ones relatively soon because of fit.

But remember, my numbers aren't showing this change.

Remember to notice what fits differently.

Until next time,
Keep up what you're doing.

Shelby

p.s. here's a new picture of Ajax.

and here's one with him and Bri.

 By one, I mean two.

What to do When Waiting for the Inspirational Muse of Motivation

The last week or so has been a very trying week.

I went through a rough phase of self-doubt where my writing is concerned. I think that part of it is because I took on too much.

Between working full-time at a bookstore, I'm also working on two novels, trying to read a non-fiction book a month, trying to branch out with new authors in fiction, write a short story a month, have a social life, and prepare for my trip to Belize. Along with all of this, I've been getting limited sleep the past few days because of a new puppy.

(He's a cute little man isn't he? Don't be too fooled, his teeth are sharper than knives.) 

When I don't have a lot going on, I usually have no problem with my muse wanting to hang out. I do believe that everyone has at least one muse. It might be a communal muse, visiting different people at different times, but still. Everyone has one. 

There are all sorts of muses, but for this blog's purposes, I'll focus on inspirational muse (for writing) and the motivational muse (for health).

Mine normally visits me in my sleep. Dreams have been a common place for my story ideas to pop up. Like for the story I started working on in high school, the entire beginning played out in very detailed dreams. I've been fortunate enough to have dreams that play out like a TV series, so if I start one dream, it generally picks up the next night if I have remembered the original dream.

Goodness, if Freud were still around, he would have a field day with my dreams. (One of the more recent ones involve a Russian Spy working in my bookstore, and an FBI agent trying to track her down -- plus one of my coworker's child was also helping the FBI agent.)

But there are times that the muse doesn't want to pop up. He or She runs away for an extended period of time. 

So what's a girl to do?

In the past, I've given up on my diet and exercise plans. And I've just stopped writing. Writer's block hits buries me under a mountain of stone so heavy that there's no way to dig myself out. 

Here are a few of my tips for pushing through.

1.) Don't give up. It's so tempting to completely give up on everything. Especially if you've not been visited for a long time. Muses are busy. They've got things to do. So do you. If you depend entirely on your muse, then your muse will feel the pressure and flee quicker than a roach from the sun. 

2.) Keep writing. If you give completely up, your growing skills as a writer (or artist in any other aspect) will rapidly start to decay. When strength training, you lose muscle quicker than you gain it. It's the same thing with writing. I know it is hard to keep it up, but it's something that has to be done.

3.) Try writing something new. If you feel as though writing what you and your muse have been working on together will suffer too terribly without your muse, then start something new. It can be a short thing based off a side character or a legend that has been mentioned (or will be mentioned) in your story. It could be something completely new. It could even just be a random list of words and ideas. Whatever it is, just play around with it. 

4.) Go out and find your muse. Sometimes our muses get tired of the same old, same old surroundings. So they go out and try to find somewhere new. But you see, if your muse finds a spot, then I doubt said muse would want to lose it. So you have to go out and find your muse yourself. Maybe it's in a new coffee shop, perhaps it went across town and is swinging at the park. It could have just left the room and is now distracted hanging upside-down on a fan, spinning round and round, growing increasingly dizzy waiting for you in a room down the hall. I don't know why they decide to be weird and go wandering, but sometimes they just need to be free. 

5.) Learn a new artistic hobby. Along with getting tired of a scenery, sometimes your muse just wants to try something new. So pick up something else, maybe rather than writing, try painting (even if it's just paint by numbers or one of those painting with a twist classes). Or maybe try your hand at knitting or crocheting, cross-stitching or embroidery, or cooking, or recycling things out of old used objects. 

With all of these in mind, the main thing is just keep doing something. The ideas are the same with motivation for things like working out and being healthy. Don't give up, keep trying, go out and try something new. 

It might be frustrating if your muse hasn't shown up in awhile, but at least you're still doing something.  And doing something will draw a muse to you (whether it's your original on or a new one, that's a different story).

How do you push through when you feel like you've no motivation or inspiration?

Until next time, 

Shelby