Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Day Two and Beyond...

So, the week that began with my last post turned out to be the hardest work week in living memory.  Not only did I do my own regular shifts, but I picked up two additional extra-long shifts on my days off, and outside-of-work life turned out to have a bunch of deadlines of stuff I simply had to get done right then as well.  Physically, it should have put me down, sick and in bed, for at least a day or two.  But, I survived.  Almost as if I were doing just a little less than usual.

Nice.

My general energy level has risen steadily since then.  I'm also sleeping much better most nights.

I have added Alfalfa Complex to the mix, for allergies.  My reaction to taking this supplement has been thus: The first day or two, it loosened everything in my sinuses, and I sneezed and blew my nose more than usual.  Then, my regular "hay fever" type allergies backed way down, to a manageable level (minor nose tickles now and then).

I also added Menopause Balance Complex because I had a hysterectomy some years ago, and just last year, my hormone replacements were taken off the market.  Bah!  I was not at all willing to try out various new hormone formulas until I found one that worked - I've been down that road, and it's not pretty (think, "PMS explosion in your face").  So, with suddenly zero uterine or ovarian hormones coursing through my blood, the hot flashes were ... well, they felt atomic ... like atomic cluster bombs, because they were one after the other, day and night, heart racing, sweat pouring, nasty.  I tried two different kinds of natural Black Cohosh based women's balance formulae, and I got minor relief from those.  This product has gone above and beyond.  I still get minor hot flashes, but they're more like a too-warm summer breeze that makes me thirsty and a bit uncomfortable for about five minutes, two or three times a day.  What a relief!

Along with that, I have tried the Performance (R) Natural Endurance Sports Drink because, sorry guys, but I have to say this... menopause is a sweaty business.  I wanted something to replace the minerals and other things I was losing.  Gatorade had helped in the past.  So, I thought this might help more.  It does.  It's a little better, maybe ten to twenty-five percent better.  Also, it's not as sweet or sugary, so I don't have the worry that I'm fattening myself up (or, conversely, with the low- and zero-calorie options, putting strange and unnatural chemicals into my bloodstream that give me headaches).  The cool thing is that, if I have had a glass of the Sports Drink, then my body thinks about having a hot flash, sometimes it just thinks about it, then decides not to go there.  This makes me very happy.  It also makes me much more comfortable at work, especially when talking with customers.

On a final note, a cold virus has attempted to infiltrate my system this week.  In the past, colds have taken up residence within me for weeks at a time.  I once went to the doctor because one hung on so long.  As we all know, antibiotics will do nothing against a virus, so I was stuck, sticking it out for the duration.

This cold, now...

It started with sniffles, a few sneezes, and a cough or two.  Anyone with allergies can tell you that you can feel the difference when it's a cold.  This was a cold.  The next day, I had a sinus headache, a fairly minor one in comparison to others I have had.  The day after that, as well.  The day after that, I could feel the thing dying off and leaving.  It's gone now.  Four days, and it was done!

If you are interested in obtaining any of these products for yourself, please feel free to use this link: http://mara.myshaklee.com/

Namaste.