Sweet Potatoes, Sjögren's Syndrome, and Flare-ups
First of all, I am convinced that you can put anything on a sweet potato and call it a meal. Because that is essentially what I have done every. single. day. this. week. (And chicken salad on a sweet potato is just shy of heavenly.) Also, life without tomatoes and peppers is HORRID. I hate it times one million and twenty-three. I'm not sure why I picked that number, but the level of suckage without peppers and tomatoes in my life is REAL, y'all. Until I accidentally eat something with freaking cayenne pepper, paprika, or cumin in it. Then life escalates to suckage of a whole new degree and I consider the fact that maybe life isn't so terrible without them. Until I miss them again. It's a relentless cycle of mostly hatred. BUT. I am now six (6) weeks into probably six (6) months of no tomatoes and peppers before I try to add them back in and see what happens (gulp), so I can't turn back now!
Side note: Remember that chili sauce situation that I told you about a couple of weeks ago that I was going to attempt to make? Well....that never happened. Because I decided that I was craving enchiladas. Y'all, I can't tell you the last time I even ate an enchilada. Five, six, eight years ago? I find it absolutely hysterical what things you all of a sudden crave when you remove something from your life. But, alas, I had to figure out a way to make enchiladas free of all things tomatoes and peppers. Ahem. Did I figure it out? Absolutely. Were they delicious? Surprisingly so (not even kidding. I shocked myself stupid). Did they take all. day. to make? Yes. And, by the time I finished, I was so mentally drained that I said, "to heck with the chili sauce, I will have my Easter lamb plain!"
It took a myriad of recipes (five to be exact), which I tweaked because I just wasn't happy with them. (Go figure. Sheesh.) And seriously took me roughly eight hours to make, but aren't they pretty??
Anyway.
I realized on Monday that I didn't post last week. Which would normally make me feel bad because I have come to fall in love with blogging... but sometimes life just happens and things slip from your control. And sometimes when life happens, you spend the entire weekend doing absolutely nothing and feeling zero remorse, then carry yourself through a very tough week with as much grace as you can muster. That has been me for the last week. So... I'm sorry that I'm not sorry. (But I'm making up for it today!)
Another thing that I didn't realize until halfway through April, is that April just so happens to be Sjögren's Syndrome awareness month. Like all "awareness"-type dealios, they happen to be diseases or life situations that not many people know about. The idea is that, by getting the word out to more people, things can change. I'm not sure how I come down on the whole "things can change by more people knowing" part, but the idea that people could actually have the opportunity to understand something that they may or may not have ever heard of before is very appealing. Shoot, I've learned so much about Sjögren's Syndrome in the last twenty-nine (29) days...and I have Sjögren's! If you're wondering what in the heck I'm talking about, click here to see my explanation of the type of Sjögren's that I have.
I've actually benefitted from learning more about Sjögren's this month, because I've been dealing with another small flare-up unfortunately due to taking pain medication post-elbow surgery a month ago. (Side note: has it really been an entire month since I had surgery?! Holy shoot.)
Acute inflammation is not a bad thing. It's actually necessary as I've said before (here and here). Acute inflammation let's us know when something is "off" or needs to recover and heal (like after a muscle-intensive workout). Chronic inflammation tends to come from the body's inability to get rid of an acute inflammatory issue. Say, for instance, you twist your ankle while running. It almost immediately becomes swollen and is painful when you try to walk on it. To treat that twisted ankle, you need lots of ice and elevation. If it's cared for, within a few weeks you are back on your feet and running again. If you don't take care of your twisted ankle and continue running through the pain, your ankle is already in such a compromised position that it could very well result in a stress fracture or break. In an odd sense, this is similar to the way that our bodies deal with internal acute/chronic inflammation. If you have a compromised gut and/or immune system, your body has a much harder time identifying the problem (inflammation trigger) and, therefore, cannot figure out how to flush it. Because your body can tell that there is a problem, it still tries to do its job...but it ends up killing off everything bad and good in the process...resulting in an even bigger issue. But I digress.
So, I am in the middle of this annoying flare that (I hope and pray) is almost over with (praise. the. Lord.). When I get flare-ups, they generally localize in my hands, wrists, feet, and ankles...and now my knees for some unknown reason! At the onset of this flare, I hadn't connected it with the pain medication. But I went to my naturopath and, before I could even tell her that I was having another flare-up and didn't know what the trigger had been, she informed me that my Estrogen levels are currently OUT OF CONTROL. And, yes. This calls for all caps because a "normal" person's levels are supposed to be between 50-75. Mine have been teetering in the 115-120 range for I can't tell you how long. Back in February they were 113, which we considered to be an improvement and sign that my gut is healing. This was great news because I have been trapped in a relentless breakout (which I am, unfortunately, still in) that currently gives me horrid flashbacks to puberty. So the sign that my levels were decreasing was encouraging. This time, however, my levels had increased to 130. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY. To which she responded, "that explains why you're breaking out all over the place. And it also indicates that your gut is not happy again. So let's figure out how to get you back on track."
Cue crocodile tears.
She took me off of my probiotic for about a week (apparently the one that I was taking was "really good" and my body probably didn't know how to process it since it was unhappy. Who knew that getting a good probiotic could be so problematic?). She switched the type of turmeric/curcumin that I was taking to an even stronger dosage, and suggested that I take a joint/mobility supplement to help me get over the flare and keep the next one at bay.
Am I better? Yes, to a degree. But then Mother Nature decided that our town needed rain this week and my body, being the Barometer that it is, has decided that it will continue to let me know that it is overcast and yucky until it is clear and sunshiny.
By the grace of the good Lord, I generally handle flare-ups with my head held high and my optimism on point. But there are times when I want to curl up in the fetal position and stay there until the storm passes. (Let's be real though, if I stayed in the fetal position like I desired, it would probably take a crowbar to get me OUT of that position. Have mercy.) However, this flare has been one of those times that I just threw my hands up and said, "right now, I do not care. I don't care about eating. I don't care about smiling through it. I just don't care." Being completely transparent right now, I hate myself when I reach that state of mind. Because, in all honesty, I do care. And I know that I'm strong and that I'm a fighter. But there are times when reading my Bible, praying, and self talk, self love, and self motivation only go so far. Sometimes it takes another person standing beside me in the pain, maybe not even knowing what's really happening, to help me walk through it. Someone that says, "know that you are not alone." And then, I can stand up, brush myself off, and keep going. Life's tough... but it's a beautiful thing. And I have everything that I need in this exact moment to make it wonderful. And I dearly love the friend that stood with me from a distance at 7:38 last night and reminded me of that.
So, I'm back and I'm going to tell you how to steam butternut squash in your Instant Pot because my Instant Pot still brings me great joy. And I still feel really bad for bashing my IP when it didn't roast a chicken the way that I wanted it to! This is honestly the best way to fix butternut squash if you're wanting to peel it because, generally, peeling butternut squash is a pain in the butt. When you cook it in your IP though, the skin practically falls off. Don't believe me? TRY IT!
XOXO,
Instant Pot-Steamed Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash (or 2 depending on the size), cut in half (maybe in fourths, again, depending on size), seeded
1 cup Water
Side note: Remember that chili sauce situation that I told you about a couple of weeks ago that I was going to attempt to make? Well....that never happened. Because I decided that I was craving enchiladas. Y'all, I can't tell you the last time I even ate an enchilada. Five, six, eight years ago? I find it absolutely hysterical what things you all of a sudden crave when you remove something from your life. But, alas, I had to figure out a way to make enchiladas free of all things tomatoes and peppers. Ahem. Did I figure it out? Absolutely. Were they delicious? Surprisingly so (not even kidding. I shocked myself stupid). Did they take all. day. to make? Yes. And, by the time I finished, I was so mentally drained that I said, "to heck with the chili sauce, I will have my Easter lamb plain!"
It took a myriad of recipes (five to be exact), which I tweaked because I just wasn't happy with them. (Go figure. Sheesh.) And seriously took me roughly eight hours to make, but aren't they pretty??
Anyway.
I realized on Monday that I didn't post last week. Which would normally make me feel bad because I have come to fall in love with blogging... but sometimes life just happens and things slip from your control. And sometimes when life happens, you spend the entire weekend doing absolutely nothing and feeling zero remorse, then carry yourself through a very tough week with as much grace as you can muster. That has been me for the last week. So... I'm sorry that I'm not sorry. (But I'm making up for it today!)
Another thing that I didn't realize until halfway through April, is that April just so happens to be Sjögren's Syndrome awareness month. Like all "awareness"-type dealios, they happen to be diseases or life situations that not many people know about. The idea is that, by getting the word out to more people, things can change. I'm not sure how I come down on the whole "things can change by more people knowing" part, but the idea that people could actually have the opportunity to understand something that they may or may not have ever heard of before is very appealing. Shoot, I've learned so much about Sjögren's Syndrome in the last twenty-nine (29) days...and I have Sjögren's! If you're wondering what in the heck I'm talking about, click here to see my explanation of the type of Sjögren's that I have.
I've actually benefitted from learning more about Sjögren's this month, because I've been dealing with another small flare-up unfortunately due to taking pain medication post-elbow surgery a month ago. (Side note: has it really been an entire month since I had surgery?! Holy shoot.)
Acute inflammation is not a bad thing. It's actually necessary as I've said before (here and here). Acute inflammation let's us know when something is "off" or needs to recover and heal (like after a muscle-intensive workout). Chronic inflammation tends to come from the body's inability to get rid of an acute inflammatory issue. Say, for instance, you twist your ankle while running. It almost immediately becomes swollen and is painful when you try to walk on it. To treat that twisted ankle, you need lots of ice and elevation. If it's cared for, within a few weeks you are back on your feet and running again. If you don't take care of your twisted ankle and continue running through the pain, your ankle is already in such a compromised position that it could very well result in a stress fracture or break. In an odd sense, this is similar to the way that our bodies deal with internal acute/chronic inflammation. If you have a compromised gut and/or immune system, your body has a much harder time identifying the problem (inflammation trigger) and, therefore, cannot figure out how to flush it. Because your body can tell that there is a problem, it still tries to do its job...but it ends up killing off everything bad and good in the process...resulting in an even bigger issue. But I digress.
So, I am in the middle of this annoying flare that (I hope and pray) is almost over with (praise. the. Lord.). When I get flare-ups, they generally localize in my hands, wrists, feet, and ankles...and now my knees for some unknown reason! At the onset of this flare, I hadn't connected it with the pain medication. But I went to my naturopath and, before I could even tell her that I was having another flare-up and didn't know what the trigger had been, she informed me that my Estrogen levels are currently OUT OF CONTROL. And, yes. This calls for all caps because a "normal" person's levels are supposed to be between 50-75. Mine have been teetering in the 115-120 range for I can't tell you how long. Back in February they were 113, which we considered to be an improvement and sign that my gut is healing. This was great news because I have been trapped in a relentless breakout (which I am, unfortunately, still in) that currently gives me horrid flashbacks to puberty. So the sign that my levels were decreasing was encouraging. This time, however, my levels had increased to 130. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY. To which she responded, "that explains why you're breaking out all over the place. And it also indicates that your gut is not happy again. So let's figure out how to get you back on track."
Cue crocodile tears.
She took me off of my probiotic for about a week (apparently the one that I was taking was "really good" and my body probably didn't know how to process it since it was unhappy. Who knew that getting a good probiotic could be so problematic?). She switched the type of turmeric/curcumin that I was taking to an even stronger dosage, and suggested that I take a joint/mobility supplement to help me get over the flare and keep the next one at bay.
Am I better? Yes, to a degree. But then Mother Nature decided that our town needed rain this week and my body, being the Barometer that it is, has decided that it will continue to let me know that it is overcast and yucky until it is clear and sunshiny.
By the grace of the good Lord, I generally handle flare-ups with my head held high and my optimism on point. But there are times when I want to curl up in the fetal position and stay there until the storm passes. (Let's be real though, if I stayed in the fetal position like I desired, it would probably take a crowbar to get me OUT of that position. Have mercy.) However, this flare has been one of those times that I just threw my hands up and said, "right now, I do not care. I don't care about eating. I don't care about smiling through it. I just don't care." Being completely transparent right now, I hate myself when I reach that state of mind. Because, in all honesty, I do care. And I know that I'm strong and that I'm a fighter. But there are times when reading my Bible, praying, and self talk, self love, and self motivation only go so far. Sometimes it takes another person standing beside me in the pain, maybe not even knowing what's really happening, to help me walk through it. Someone that says, "know that you are not alone." And then, I can stand up, brush myself off, and keep going. Life's tough... but it's a beautiful thing. And I have everything that I need in this exact moment to make it wonderful. And I dearly love the friend that stood with me from a distance at 7:38 last night and reminded me of that.
So, I'm back and I'm going to tell you how to steam butternut squash in your Instant Pot because my Instant Pot still brings me great joy. And I still feel really bad for bashing my IP when it didn't roast a chicken the way that I wanted it to! This is honestly the best way to fix butternut squash if you're wanting to peel it because, generally, peeling butternut squash is a pain in the butt. When you cook it in your IP though, the skin practically falls off. Don't believe me? TRY IT!
XOXO,
Heather
Instant Pot-Steamed Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash (or 2 depending on the size), cut in half (maybe in fourths, again, depending on size), seeded
1 cup Water
Directions:
Place the wire insert (I think they actually call it a trivet or a steamer rack) inside your Instant Pot. Pour the water inside. Place the butternut squash on the wire insert, then slide the lid on and lock it into place (make sure the steamer valve is "sealed").
Press the "manual" button on your IP and set it at high pressure for 12 minutes. Sit back and relax while your IP comes up to pressure (5-10 minutes), runs the 12 minute pressure cycle, then sits for 5 minutes.
"Quick release" the pressure on the IP (use a towel when you go to turn the valve from "sealed" to "vent." No one likes a steam burn). Carefully remove the butternut squash from your IP to a bowl or a cutting board. Let it cool just a few minutes to where you can touch it without it melting the prints off of your fingertips, then peel the skin away with a fork, small knife, or your hands.
Then prepare however you so desire! The most recent thing I made when I steamed butternut squash was this "Cheesy" Paleo Chicken Casserole and it was fine.
Press the "manual" button on your IP and set it at high pressure for 12 minutes. Sit back and relax while your IP comes up to pressure (5-10 minutes), runs the 12 minute pressure cycle, then sits for 5 minutes.
"Quick release" the pressure on the IP (use a towel when you go to turn the valve from "sealed" to "vent." No one likes a steam burn). Carefully remove the butternut squash from your IP to a bowl or a cutting board. Let it cool just a few minutes to where you can touch it without it melting the prints off of your fingertips, then peel the skin away with a fork, small knife, or your hands.
Then prepare however you so desire! The most recent thing I made when I steamed butternut squash was this "Cheesy" Paleo Chicken Casserole and it was fine.
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