Anxiety, stress, lack of motivation, and low energy

[Cantera]

Since a few months ago I've been suffering from some physical discomfort where sometimes my throat is constricted and I have difficulties breathing. I'm starting to think its because of high anxiety and stress. Another thing I've been feeling is a lack of motivation to do things that I usually like to do, often finding myself sleeping through most of the day or doing very passive activities. The latter happens in a cyclic form, with periods of high intensity work, and periods of very low activity levels. I have been suffering from depression for a long time, and that may be one of the causes for the lack of energy periods. Which, in turn, makes me procrastinate so much all the work is left for the last day and I get very stressed.

I've been looking for a way out of this cycle for a while because its making it very difficult for me to do any kind of work. I recently read the article in SOTT “Are you addicted to stress” http://www.sott.net/article/301482-Are-you-addicted-to-stress and found that I fit the description very much. One of the solutions is to take 400mg of phosphatidylserine per day. So, my question is, does any of you know if it's really effective? Looking at the NOW Foods product (http://goo.gl/6WMzTP) I noticed in one of the reviews one guy mentioned taking fish/krill oil along with phosphatidylserine; any thoughts about that?

I'm 'mentally' aware that changing my diet to a ketogenic one would probably be beneficial in terms of having more energy, but it has been very difficult for me to do the change (mainly because I still don't work and thus can't buy my own food, so I have to eat what my family eats, high carbs foods). I've also practised EE for a while, but dropped it after a few weeks (bad move). My plan is to retake it now. However, I've noticed pipe breathing doesn't help much with relieving the constriction.

 

[Gaby]

Hello Cantera,

I would give the diet a try even if it is not full keto. Removing inflammatory foods is very important for your mental and physical health, no doubt about that. Make sure you remove gluten, dairy and processed foods. That will reduce your intake of unnecessary toxic carbs.

Phosphatidylserine is very expensive. You'll likely waste your money if you take it while making no dietary changes.
I take it and it does seem to help, but without dietary changes, I would not invest in something like that.

Dietary changes is not as difficult as it seems and when you feel better, you'll find more ways to keep eating healthy :)

Do keep doing EE. Constriction in the airway could be related to an allergy or food intolerance... Another reason to remove inflammatory foods! Doing pipe breathing with 3 stage breathing and PotS will help you balance your autonomic nervous system which will reduce the constriction episodes. That effect is cumulative over time and not necessarily something you notice with a few sessions here and there. If you feel uncomfortable with beatha, I would skip it.

 

[Meg]

Hi Cantera,

The throat constriction and difficulties breathing might be a food allergy. Could you talk with your family to see if there are some other, more paleo/keto friendly foods they can buy? Can you eat eggs? Bone broth is a good option and it's pretty cheap to make.

Also, Louise Hay says that breathing problems can be about having a fear of, or the refusal to take in life. Not feeling worthy to take up space. She also says that the throat represents our ability to speak up for ourselves, to ask for what we want. When we have throat problems, we can feel unable to stand up for ourselves. Do those things have any merit in your life right now?

If you are stressed out, the best thing would be to start EE again. The pipe breathing stimulates the vagus nerve which releases anti-stress hormones like acetylcholine, prolactin, vasopressin, and oxytocin. It's an instant stress reducer.

Other than the stress, what is preventing you from working right now, if you don't mind my asking? :)

 

[Solie123]

Hi Cantera :)

Seems like you know what you should do, but you're having a hard time implementing them. I would suggest writing and setting up small goals for yourself on a daily basis, just be realistic and don't make goals that you know you wont be able to, or accomplish.

I would suggest doing some light exercises as that should help you get a better night's rest so you don't end up "sleeping all day." I would also suggest to really take a look into adjusting your internal clock. If you sleep a lot during the day and a at night or on and off, anytime you do sleep it will not be restful. You're body needs a set time to shut down and wake up optimally. (Because it's a hormonal process)

Slowly by slowly try exercising your will power, if you said you're going to do something, do it.

 

[loreta]

Hi Cantera, sorry that you feel without energy, without energy all is grey and life is difficult. Try to follow the advice of Gaby, what we eat is what the energy we put in our bodies. Stress and dealing with it would be more difficult when we eat carbohydrates. It is a vicious circle: we eat carbos that makes us feel more stressed and we are stressed so we eat more carbos. A diet without carbohydrates or very little gives us more strength to deal with stress. And also we are less stressed.

There is also the change of season that can produce a low in energy, specially at the end of the summer. I don't know where you live but here when Fall arrives I feel with less energy. We are the sons and daugthers of Nature, and winter is not far away. We need to eat more fat, to feel stronger. Winter even without drastic colds is winter. The sun is less present. The light is lesser, so this is something that the body need to adjust.

Do you take sun? Sun gives energy.

Maybe trying to talk with your parents about the diet? Maybe print some articles with information about diet low in carbohydrates for them?

And also try to meditate. EE and also stretch exercises are good to calm...

 

[Cantera]

To Gaby:

Thanks for the input. In that case, I'll skip phosphatidylserine for now, and focus on my diet. I'll give the Ultra Simple Diet a try, adding some porkchops for a bit more fat. I'll try to do EE every night or every other night from now on until I feel more relaxed.

The throat constriction and difficulties breathing might be a food allergy. Could you talk with your family to see if there are some other, more paleo/keto friendly foods they can buy? Can you eat eggs? Bone broth is a good option and it's pretty cheap to make.

You see, I've told my mother about the paleo diet and she is reluctant to try it. For her, a healthy diet should be 'balanced' - therefore it should include carbs, and cereal. I try to avoid cereal, and wheat, as much as possible, but sometimes is kind of hard in a house where everyone loves sandwiches for breakfast/dinner. We are 6 people living in the house, and at least 3 of them aren't very interested in the ketogenic diet, one is neutral, and the two of us that care are unemployed (for now).

This is what I normally eat:
Breakfast:
Eggs or salami with either potatoes, sweet potatoes, or platain. Or a sandwich.
Lunch:
Rice, meat (chicken, and beef – with little fat), and salad (tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber)
Dinner:
Eggs or salami with either potatoes, sweet potatoes, or platain. Or a sandwich.

And every now and then some cookies, soda, pizza, and many other devils. I lack the willpower to reject them even when I know their bad for me. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I try to call out my siblings when they think of buying them (not getting them in the first place is easier than having to avoid them every time I go to the kitchen).

Bone both sound's good, how do I cook it?

Also, Louise Hay says that breathing problems can be about having a fear of, or the refusal to take in life. Not feeling worthy to take up space. She also says that the throat represents our ability to speak up for ourselves, to ask for what we want. When we have throat problems, we can feel unable to stand up for ourselves. Do those things have any merit in your life right now?

Maybe. I feel that could be playing a part on it. I've been trying to write an answer to that question but nothing coherent comes out :/. Probably because I never thought of the situation from that perspective, and because it's more difficult for me to write in English. I'll give it more thought and answer you later.

Other than the stress, what is preventing you from working right now, if you don't mind my asking? :)

How I see it is that all this anxiety and low productivity is preventing me from fulfilling my responsibilities as a student, daughter, etc. So, if I sort out this problem I might free myself from the biggest obstacle at the moment. Or maybe I'm just making excuses, or going about simple things and overcomplicating them...?

Hi Cantera :)

Seems like you know what you should do, but you're having a hard time implementing them. I would suggest writing and setting up small goals for yourself on a daily basis, just be realistic and don't make goals that you know you wont be able to, or accomplish.
...
Slowly by slowly try exercising your will power, if you said you're going to do something, do it.

I definitely need to exercise my will power. Often, I find myself planning goals I really won't be able to accomplish, sometimes even telling myself that I “should” be doing this much and if I don't I'm “lazy, a coward”, etc (too much perfectionism). But so much expectation makes me freeze in panic. The same thing happens in many personal projects, where I want to do too much that I end up doing nothing.

There is also the change of season that can produce a low in energy, specially at the end of the summer. I don't know where you live but here when Fall arrives I feel with less energy. We are the sons and daughters of Nature, and winter is not far away. We need to eat more fat, to feel stronger. Winter even without drastic colds is winter. The sun is less present. The light is lesser, so this is something that the body need to adjust.

Do you take sun? Sun gives energy.

Maybe trying to talk with your parents about the diet? Maybe print some articles with information about diet low in carbohydrates for them?

I live in Dominican Republic, we have sun to share here XD. I actually like winter more than summer because it cools down, and this particular one was terribly hot. That said, I spend most of my day inside my house without much exposition. I'll try to do some light walking outside every now and then. Also, I'll follow your advice and read to them some of the articles I've read. The problem with all the info is mostly in English, and they don't read the language :/.

 

[Meg]

With what you have described with your diet and anxiety, it's likely food is the culprit. The Ultra Simple diet thread should give you some clues on what foods allergies are most common. If you aren't able to do the elimination diet that is described in the thread right now, it might be best to avoid the typical foods that cause problems.

With working, you may be giving your anxiety and low productivity more power than they deserve. We all live with those things to one degree or another and we have to work to fight against them. The best way to overcome them is to start small, make a plan and take it step by step.

As far as bone broth, we have a Forum thread on it and there are several articles on the web and Sott.net about it. I've put a couple of links below. Enjoy :)

Traditional Bone Broth in Modern Health and Disease

10 benefits of bone broth + gut healing recipe

 

[Mike]

Hi Cantera,

You might find the exercises mentioned in this article worth a try for dealing and getting at the root of the anxiety - http://www.sott.net/article/304137-The-story-behind-your-anxiety

Also, it sounds like you are in a cycle and rut of a mix of depression and perfectionism making you stuck which leads to stress and anxiety as obligations come due, such as being a student and having assignments due. As others have encouraged, dietary changes might make a huge difference, especially with help with intially breaking this cycle.

Take a look at the thread on the book 'Fear of the Abyss' - http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,28420.0.html

I have written this book for a specific type of person, one that I frequently see in my private practice. These people - whom I refer to as "PCS personalities" - suffer from problems with perfectionism, control, and shame, but they also have trouble with making decisions, think in rigid black-and-white terms, live in dread of criticism (especially selfcriticism), and experience poor self-esteem, among other characteristics. I like to picture the individual issues of this PCS constellation as the spokes of a wheel. The hub of this wheel is what PCS personalities really feel inside that drives them to have these problems. It is the center of this wheel that needs to heal; then the whole constellation of issues or symptoms can disappear.

Although the name "PCS personality" comes from just three of the traits often found in this personality - perfectionism, control, and shame - I could just as easily have chosen any of the others. PCS is simply a shorthand way to refer to all the traits which are all found to a degree in anyone with this personality. You might recognize some of these traits as those of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but the clients I see with this personality type do not have the essential features of this disorder. People with true OCD, with their repetitive, often elaborate rituals, are in such pain that it often prevents them from participating in insight-oriented psychotherapy or even the type of self-reflection that is required by this book.

Thus, though the PCS personality may share some traits with the obsessive-compulsive, most come to me suffering from depression, anxiety, or panic disorders. Sometimes they have already been to another therapist who has told them that their anxiety or other symptoms are best treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches coping devices to alleviate and control the symptoms. They learn these techniques but then are dissatisfied with the results, because they know on some level that something is causing them to have the symptoms that they continue to cope with. The symptoms that are being treated are merely the manifestation of their underlying feelings, which remain in place even after being taught new ways of "coping." No one has ever told them that there is hope that they can actually heal, by addressing the "hub" of their personality, the underlying dynamics that cause them to suffer. They have never been asked to tell their "story," the narrative of their lives that led to the symptoms.

You mentioned perfectionism. Does any of the rest of the above description apply to you? If it does, the book has a lot of recommendations for self-care when a professional is not available to help a person address the issues.

If diet changes help to start to break the cycle, then you might get some momentum with using exercises to make changes and address the underlying issues. OSIT

 

[Keit]

You see, I've told my mother about the paleo diet and she is reluctant to try it. For her, a healthy diet should be 'balanced' - therefore it should include carbs, and cereal.

Well, but would she be willing to support you if only you try it? Tell her that you would like to make an experiment for 21 days (3 weeks) and see if it helps you to improve your health, both physical and mental. And if she will worry, tell her that it's ok, and it's the standard time that all the mainstream nutritional doctors advice on. Also tell her that it isn't enough time to do any permanent damage if the diet is unbalanced. ;) Probably for this experiment going 100% off gluten would be the first thing to do. It means that even one crumb of cookie or bread is not allowed, or the experiment is ruined and you need to start all over again.

The thing is that we all did it gradually, so gluten should be the first to go. Don't worry about other things for now. Letting go of all gluten completely is already very hard, especially if it is part of your daily diet. Though in my personal case, my emotional ups and downs got significantly quiet only after I also started to limit sugar.

I definitely need to exercise my will power. Often, I find myself planning goals I really won't be able to accomplish, sometimes even telling myself that I “should” be doing this much and if I don't I'm “lazy, a coward”, etc (too much perfectionism). But so much expectation makes me freeze in panic. The same thing happens in many personal projects, where I want to do too much that I end up doing nothing.

I can totally understand you, because I get the same "deer in the headlights" reaction whenever faced with a big task and lots of unknowns. It takes some initial panicking and procrastinating when I process all the stuff, and then a fair amount of self-coaching and separating the task into manageable pieces before I feel that the issue isn't that huge anymore. There is also a saying in Russian: "Eyes are afraid, but hands are doing". ;D

In any case, here are couple of quotes and links to things that were and are still useful for me. First of all, Ark's quote:

So, I suggest, forget all your "I should", and replace it by "I ALWAYS WANTED...". It may take
a while for you to specify what it is that you "always wanted", but, on the other hand, perhaps you
know it right away.

FORGET "I should", forget it all. Replace it by "I LOVE TO DO ...." and skip completely the TIME issue.

If you need five lives to accomplish what you WANT, let this be the first of those five. And then, without any "time obligation"
or "should stressing" - start it.

First step first. And ENJOY it. And LOVE yourself - take care of yourself.

This is the only thing that the Universe (God?) wants from you, I think.

And then, there is this small quote from a book that was recommended to me by a friend, and it's called "Time Warrior: How to defeat procrastination, people-pleasing, self-doubt, over-commitment, broken promises and chaos".

What do I do when I’m overwhelmed?


This is not a book about time management because a time
warrior does not manage time. A time warrior goes to war
with (challenges and cuts away) all the beliefs that create
linear time.

What’s left is timeless.

When we imagine (perceive) that we are overwhelmed
by outside events (or options, or tough choices, or
situations, or ways of making money, etc.) it is an
illusion, because the brain doesn't even function that way.

Only a thought believed can produce a feeling of
overwhelm.

In a simple life in which you only do what's in front of
you, there can be no overwhelm, ever.

That life is yours to create. And it never just arrives, it
must be created.

Speaking of brain, and learning how to "overcome oneself". Here's an excellent lecture:

http://<iframe width="420" height="...fA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

But I agree with what others said, that just working on changing the diet will be already a big step toward making your life better in other areas too. Because otherwise you spend too much energy on unnecessary inner battles. And since you have this constantly "bleeding wound", chances are that you may lose most of the battles. So why not give yourself a winning chance? :)

 

[Solie123]

You live in Dominican Republic? :D That's where my parents are from ^^ beautiful place.

You actually have a lot of tools at your disposal then, since its a tropical island you have a lot of coconut and avacado that are both really high in fat. The other thing is Dominicans typically eat a lot of eggs, which is great, except they're always fried in corn oil, instead maybe try boiling them. I know finding real butter over there is hard, but if you can that would be great... Just make sure to stay away from that corn oil and that fake butter.

Eat some coconut as a snack. I know they're extremely cheap over there, just try and get the dry ones and not the green ones. On the bright side, a typical Dominican diet isn't super high in grains, just a lot of startch, e.I. potatoes, plantians, yucca, etc.. Which have a to of carbs.

The other thing is, I know fresh fried pork skin is sold on the streets there, that's another thing that's high in fat that should be avalible to you.

Check the ingredients on the salami, if the ingredients aren't horrible, and it doesn't have corn syrup it should be RELATIVELY OK. I wouldn't recommend eating salami, but being considerate to your situation, if its decent ingredients it should be OK. (Just don't friend it in corn oil)

I know how tough it can be dealing with Dominican parents xD or any parents for that matter, my mother still think I'm going to have a heart attack any minute now...

How about you offer to help her cook something and make some mondogo, which I'm sure your know what that is, its a traditional Dominican soup made of cow feet and tripe, and is relatively high in fat. Try to stay away from the chick peas though, or if your mom insists in adding them just don't eat them when you serve yourself, they're very high in carbs.

Also, I know Dominicans are pretty good when it comes to including organ meat, so maybe convince your mom to buy more liver and stuff like that. Just tell her about all the benifits that are in them and I'm sure she'll be happy to include them.

I know it tough dealing with parents, especially when you don't have the means to provide for yourself. I was introduced to the diet at a very young age, before I had the ability to buy my own food, and trying to navigate my way was really tough but it wasn't impossible.

I encourage you yo really put in some effort. If you can't due to circumstance go completely keto, make some small changes to keep your carb count down and add some more fat. Do absolutely stay away from anything fried in corn oil and junk food. No more pizza. And please please, no more bread.

I hope this was some help, and if you have any other questions I'll be glad to give you some advice. :) *hugs*

Edit: Spelling

 

[Cantera]

Traditional Bone Broth in Modern Health and Disease

10 benefits of bone broth + gut healing recipe

Thanks for the bone broth recipes, I'll try them asap! So many benefits from something so simple…

From the article:

Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. It results in symptoms such as bleeding gums, bruising, and poor wound healing. These manifestations are actually due to a deficiency of collagen, because vitamin C is needed to synthesize collagen. It converts proline into hydroxy proline.33 Collagen, along with minerals are needed for the creation and healing of bone. It is also integral to cartilage formation and repair, along with GAGs.

To summarize, collagen (broth) can be considered for use in the following conditions: poor wound healing, soft tissue injury (including surgery), cartilage and bone injury (including dental degeneration).

I've been suffering from bleeding gum since I was a teenager! Also, recently my wounds have been healing poorly and slower than before. Maybe I need some vitamin C supplements too? From all I could collect from the articles, my mother would benefit strongly from having it too. She has joint pain, gastritis, and many digestion issues. But I told her about it and the fact that it has to boil for 6 hours scared her right way *sigh* :/. Maybe if I try it myself and it works she'll be convinced. Actions speak louder than words…

Also, Louise Hay says that breathing problems can be about having a fear of, or the refusal to take in life. Not feeling worthy to take up space. She also says that the throat represents our ability to speak up for ourselves, to ask for what we want. When we have throat problems, we can feel unable to stand up for ourselves. Do those things have any merit in your life right now?

Maybe. I feel that could be playing a part on it. I've been trying to write an answer to that question but nothing coherent comes out :/. Probably because I never thought of the situation from that perspective, and because it's more difficult for me to write in English. I'll give it more thought and answer you later.

I promised you an answer, so here it goes: before starting university I wanted to become a game designer. I have a twin sister, and we decided to focus on two of the building blocks of game producing: I in programming, she in art/graphics. Well, she left to study architecture in the US and spent 4 years there, while I remained in DR. Meanwhile, after some depression due to failures in collage and other pains brought from my perfectionism, programs, etc., I came in touch with this group. I realized that there are things in me that will ultimately prevent me from living a meaningful life, and that there are more important things out there to do than program videogames. But know she is back from the US and is eager to start working on game projects, and all that. I would like to do that too, but not with the same intensity. I haven't been completely open to her about my new priorities and how I feel, and maybe that's also part of the stress…

Hi Cantera,

You might find the exercises mentioned in this article worth a try for dealing and getting at the root of the anxiety - http://www.sort.net/article/304137-The-story-behind-your-anxiety

Thanks for the link, very enlightening. I read it quickly, but I'll make an effort to do the whole exercise tomorrow. I had little time today and really want to do it seriously.

Also, it sounds like you are in a cycle and rut of a mix of depression and perfectionism making you stuck which leads to stress and anxiety as obligations come due, such as being a student and having assignments due. As others have encouraged, dietary changes might make a huge difference, especially with help with initially breaking this cycle.
...
You mentioned perfectionism. Does any of the rest of the above description apply to you? If it does, the book has a lot of recommendations for self-care when a professional is not available to help a person address the issues.

It does apply to me. I already had that book in my ‘books to buy’ list. Guess I'll move it to the top and make sure to get it asap.

You see, I've told my mother about the paleo diet and she is reluctant to try it. For her, a healthy diet should be 'balanced' - therefore it should include carbs, and cereal.

Well, but would she be willing to support you if only you try it? Tell her that you would like to make an experiment for 21 days (3 weeks) and see if it helps you to improve your health, both physical and mental. And if she will worry, tell her that it's ok, and it's the standard time that all the mainstream nutritional doctors advice on. Also tell her that it isn't enough time to do any permanent damage if the diet is unbalanced. ;) Probably for this experiment going 100% off gluten would be the first thing to do. It means that even one crumb of cookie or bread is not allowed, or the experiment is ruined and you need to start all over again.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm currently negotiating things with her. I'm also reading more information from the forum about diet to decide what to go for. From the “Blood type” diet thread I got that iota's best for A types to eat more veggies and fruit, and I'm an A type. Is the ketogenic diet safe for every type? Right now I'm limiting both sugar and gluten. I'll see what happens.

In any case, here are couple of quotes and links to things that were and are still useful for me. First of all, Ark's quote:

So, I suggest, forget all your "I should", and replace it by "I ALWAYS WANTED...". It may take
a while for you to specify what it is that you "always wanted", but, on the other hand, perhaps you
know it right away.

FORGET "I should", forget it all. Replace it by "I LOVE TO DO ...." and skip completely the TIME issue.

If you need five lives to accomplish what you WANT, let this be the first of those five. And then, without any "time obligation"
or "should stressing" - start it.

First step first. And ENJOY it. And LOVE yourself - take care of yourself.

This is the only thing that the Universe (God?) wants from you, I think.

And then, there is this small quote from a book that was recommended to me by a friend, and it's called "Time Warrior: How to defeat procrastination, people-pleasing, self-doubt, over-commitment, broken promises and chaos".

What a powerful quote. It touched me deeply (I even teared up a bit). I'll keep it close to heart. Another book that goes to my shopping list! I'll also make sure to watch the video.

You live in Dominican Republic? :D That's where my parents are from ^^ beautiful place.

Hello, fellow Dominican!

Eat some coconut as a snack. I know they're extremely cheap over there, just try and get the dry ones and not the green ones.

Coconut is cheap, but the ones I can more easily find are the green ones :(. I live in the capital, and getting cheap vegetables or fruits is kind of hard, because we buy them mainly from supermarkets. I'll do some research though, there's probably some better options somewhere.

The other thing is, I know fresh fried pork skin is sold on the streets there, that's another thing that's high in fat that should be available to you.

Yes, I can buy it from the super too, and is very cheap.

How about you offer to help her cook something and make some mondogo, which I'm sure your know what that is, its a traditional Dominican soup made of cow feet and tripe, and is relatively high in fat. Try to stay away from the chick peas though, or if your mom insists in adding them just don't eat them when you serve yourself, they're very high in carbs.

Also, I know Dominicans are pretty good when it comes to including organ meat, so maybe convince your mom to buy more liver and stuff like that. Just tell her about all the benefits that are in them and I'm sure she'll be happy to include them.

Unfortunately, I don't live with her. I live with my siblings, in the capital, 3 hours apart from her. I'll ask her to teach me how to cook liver then because from what I can see I'll have to cook all my meals from now on (I'll have to empower myself more).

 

[Nienna]

I'm also reading more information from the forum about diet to decide what to go for. From the “Blood type” diet thread I got that iota's best for A types to eat more veggies and fruit, and I'm an A type. Is the ketogenic diet safe for every type? Right now I'm limiting both sugar and gluten. I'll see what happens.

I, too, am a type A. However, I don't put much stock in the Blood-type diet, mainly because most veggies and fruits inflame me fairly seriously. I am on the Ketogenic diet and I have had a lot of problems taken care of by eating this way.

Grains and dairy are a huge part of problems that many people suffer from. So is sugar in most forms, including fruits.

As far as your mother goes, it may be best to let yourself be the convincing evidence she needs to see. If she doesn't mind it, you saying a few things about what you have read about gluten, paleo and ketogenic diets, how a lot of carbs are not so good for us - just little things that you could toss out there; unless she does not want to hear anything about it at all.

And, I don't get the part where cooking something for 6 hours scares her. Why?

 

[Shared Joy]

Hi Cantera,
you talked about fatigue, lack of energy - maybe there is a problem with low adrenal production - in this case the diet is important, especially avoid blood sugar surges, that is high variation in insulin production.

Please check Nora Gedgaudas latest video on her book Rethinking fatigue, and also dr. Rostenberg's video about adrenal fatigue.
Just listen to these info sources, but take care not to identify with it, if it is not your case, OK?

_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWMFmOSi3Co Nora Gedgaudas

_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iERqD2XrUk dr. Rostenberg

keep us informed!

Joy

 

[Cantera]

And, I don't get the part where cooking something for 6 hours scares her. Why?

I didn't mean it in a literal way. The conversation went like this:
Me: "... it's very beneficial and easy to do! We just have to cut some veggies, add the bones, and let it simmer for 6 hours or more-"
Mom: "Six hours! Oh no, no, that's too much!

I didn't take it too seriously and she'll let me do it anyway. She just doesn't want to cook it herself :P

 

[Meg]

I've been suffering from bleeding gum since I was a teenager! Also, recently my wounds have been healing poorly and slower than before. Maybe I need some vitamin C supplements too? From all I could collect from the articles, my mother would benefit strongly from having it too. She has joint pain, gastritis, and many digestion issues. But I told her about it and the fact that it has to boil for 6 hours scared her right way *sigh* :/. Maybe if I try it myself and it works she'll be convinced. Actions speak louder than words…

Eliminating grains and diary would go a long way to helping with those symptoms. Taking vitamin C would help, too, but not as much as eliminating those things from your diet. As far as the bone broth, you can use a crock pot instead. Put it on in the evening set to low and let it cook overnight. It'll be ready in the morning. She can just enjoy it instead of cooking it. It's really delicious, too.

I promised you an answer, so here it goes: before starting university I wanted to become a game designer. I have a twin sister, and we decided to focus on two of the building blocks of game producing: I in programming, she in art/graphics. Well, she left to study architecture in the US and spent 4 years there, while I remained in DR. Meanwhile, after some depression due to failures in collage and other pains brought from my perfectionism, programs, etc., I came in touch with this group. I realized that there are things in me that will ultimately prevent me from living a meaningful life, and that there are more important things out there to do than program videogames. But know she is back from the US and is eager to start working on game projects, and all that. I would like to do that too, but not with the same intensity. I haven't been completely open to her about my new priorities and how I feel, and maybe that's also part of the stress…

It sounds like that may be a factor. Maybe it's time to be open and have that conversation with her.