Health: Comfort

When you are chronically ill, comfort is ripped away from your life. Struggling with Lyme Disease and Mold Illness changed my life in many ways, and one was a major lack of comfort. I had chronic pain in my back and neck and in my left leg and hip. I had migrating pain throughout my whole body. I was exhausted all the time, and was dealing with intense depression and anxiety. Finding moments of relief were important for me to stay positive and focused on my healing journey. Finding relief was difficult though when the pain and my health didn’t improve. Here are a few ways that helped me find calm in midst of the pain.

Hot Packs: I used hot packs all the time! The weight was comforting and the heat helped my pain. They helped me sleep better too. Its a small cost for some great comfort!

Weighted Blanket: I actually have not invested in a weighted blanket yet, but I want to. My hot pack kind of doubled as a mini weighted blanket and I would pile on the blankets to help me sleep. Something about the weight on my body helped with comfort and sleep.

Cats: I love cats and they were so helpful to have around as company when I was not up to seeing people. They were a good distraction from the pain and stress, but not a huge responsibility.

Coffee: While healing, I have been on a very strict diet, so all of my comfort foods are off limits. One thing I look forward to every morning is my coffee. The warm drink and routine is comforting to me.

Fresh Air: Even when I had zero energy, it was super helpful to go and sit on my back patio. The sunshine and fresh air is refreshing and is good for my health.

My Husband: Having someone in my life who understood what was going on and continued to give grace was the greatest gift I could have asked for. Whether you are married or not, find someone in your life that understands just how hard chronic illness can be and is patient and encouraging. It is the biggest comfort to have someone who gets what you are working through.

 

Health: Recipes

Our gut plays an important role in our health. While most of us need the help of probiotics to keep our gut in check, a great place to start is with food and your diet. As I have mentioned before, I am on a very strict diet to help me heal. It most closely resembles the GAPS diet. When I first switched to this strict of a diet, it was very difficult and overwhelming. I even had a hard time remembering what I could and could not eat. So it was even more difficult to come up with recipes. We ended up loving a few different resources for healthy eating recipes. Here they are:

{1} GAPS Introduction Diet Cookbook: 100 Delicious & Nourishing Recipes for Stages 1 to 6

{2} Heal Your Gut, Change Your Life: Step by Step Guide to the GAPS Diet + 50 Recipes

{3} GAPS Diet One Pot Delights Cookbook: Delicious Slow Cooker, Stockpot, Skillet, & Roasting Pan Recipes

{4} The Allergy Free Family

Keep your eye out for some of my favorite recipes in the future on this blog.

{learn more about my diet}

Health: Supplements

A lot of us, whether we are sick or not, are low on certain supplements. It is pretty common to be low in Vitamin D and Iron. A healthy diet and lifestyle are super important to getting the supplements we need, but sometimes we need a little more help than that. I take a ton of supplements because struggling with Lyme Disease and Mold Illness has knocked me down in a lot of areas. Here are a few supplements that I take that are helpful for those struggling with major health issues or not!

Multi-Vitamin

Omega-3’s, 6’s, 9’s & Fatty Acids

Iron

Vitamin D

Zinc

Magnesium

Vitamin C

Electrolytes

Vitamin B

 

{Learn more about probiotics}