Sweet Eye-Relief at Long Last

Ahhhh the serenity....

It has been about 3 weeks, and so far no irritating eye-puffing flare-up's.  It has been such a long, frustrating experience, as my eyes did their own thing.  At times, it seemed, without any provocation. I have a couple of instances this week of very low-grade itchiness in my left eye, but some hot water on a cotton square over that eye, thankfully did the trick.  No antihistamine drops required.  Sweet relief!

I stripped absolutely everything back until there is nothing left to do, and that has left my eyes totally normal again.

• No make-up
• No moisturiser on my face
• Coconut oil, sparingly applied, until irritation cleared up
• New pillow
• Change pillow case every 5-7 days (this seems to make a difference)

It's been an interesting experience, in reflection.  I use a shampoo and conditioner without sulphates or parabens or nasty things like that because they make my scalp itchy.  Like, "I think I might have lice" kind of itchy, that drives you completely bonkers.  I can't use liquid hand soap, because it gives me contact dermatitis, which often ends up requiring an anti fungal cortisone cream to clear it up.  I am so sensitive to synthetic chemicals, yet I was slathering them on my face.  Then I was surprised when, one day, that wasn't working anymore.

So...my next step?  Now that everything has settled and feels normal again, I have begun to investigate make-up that has very little in the way of all those synthetic chemicals that upset my skin so much.  I'm investigating and researching and watching/reading reviews and finding good Aussie companies that care about what's in the products we use.

And the Eye Issues Continue

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I'm sad to say, breaking up my friendship with micellar water did not cure my eyelid issues.  They did finally stop itching, but the puffing up has been coming and going with totally unpredictable abandon.  It hasn't been distressing so much, as completely frustrating.  Even the most non-reactive moisturiser I possess, which I have never reacted to before, is causing my eyes to flare up.  I can use it anywhere else, just not my eyes.  So I'm on a mission to deal with this issue and get rid of it, yet wary of what I put on my eyelids, because they. will. swell.

Last week I was watching a vlog by Jennifer over at The Daily Connoisseur (one of my most favourite new-to-me bloggers), where she talked about her current skincare favourites.  One little gem she shared was regarding frankincense.  It seems, upon further investigation, that this essential oil is quite the miracle worker for repairing skin and reducing scarring.  Since my local pharmacy carries it, I dropped in there yesterday and picked up a little (expensive!) bottle.  I've mixed a handful of drops into some extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil.  I had to use a warm teaspoon to mix it, since the oil is now quite solid, due to the cooler days we've had.  But now it sits in a teensy little pot, looking quite cute.

Last night I had it on my eyes for about an hour and then had to get it off.  My eyes were tearing up terribly, but the coconut oil feels so smooth and silky!!  Interestingly, my eyes are a little puffy this morning, not as much as I would have expected.  The skin on my eyelids has settled right down.  It's not red and irritated, like it has been. So half a win.

I'm going to try using the coconut oil/frankincense mixture for short amounts of time and see if I can't build up some resilience for my eyelids.  Maybe if I take it off after 15 or so minutes it'll help my lids to resist puffing up, and the skin will continue to heal?

The saga continues....
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The Health Files: A Successful 5:2 Fast Day

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Finally, after much frustration and lacking the mental wherewithal to plan for regular fast days I have finally had success.  This is absolutely the unsteady beginnings of what will hopefully become easier to manage in life's busyness. 

Breakfast:  1 slice toast with sliced tomato (84 calories)*
Morning Snack:  1 orange (45 calories)
Lunch:  2 slices toast with sliced tomato  (185 calories)*
Afternoon Snack:  1 small slice iced fruit bun (87 calories)
Dinner:  Tofu & vegetable stir fry (118 calories)
Total:  519 calories

* I used one roma tomato and sliced it very thinly so it was sufficient for both breakfast and lunch.  

I wouldn't normally have the same thing for breakfast and lunch, but I have yet to work out some appropriate, satisfying options so for today it worked.  I use a spelt and sprouted grain bread and find that it is satisfying.  I know some people eat in the morning and then in the evening, skipping lunch, but I seem to find that incredibly difficult.  For me success is easier to come by when the calories are spread across the day more evenly.

If you're a 5:2 veteran I'd love to hear your ideas and how you manage your meals.

The Health Files: Rediscovering Wonder Foods

My journey to rediscovery of fruits and vegetables has been ... not as difficult as I thought.  My fruit basket (pictured above) is overflowing with fuji apples, corella pears, mandarins and bananas.  Below is my version of "wonder soup".  Isn't it colourful?! As you can see it's not a soup at all, but rather all the ingredients made into a stir fry (minus the water and tomatoes, of course).  I sprinkled in a little sesame oil and a dab of chilli paste for flavour and I have to say I was much happier eating a bowl full of this than the mac 'n cheese the kids wanted, and got for lunch today.

  

 A relatively new discovery for us has been pre-seasoned butterflied lamb roasts, which we can get in our local Safeway (no, really, our sign still says Safeway!).  We have a particular thing for the lemon and garlic version, which is beautiful and succulent as a roast and then absolutely stunning sliced thinly on a pumpkin pizza the next day.  The kids aren't so keen on the pumpkin but I'm sure we can figure something out that they will enjoy more.  I have pita bread to use up before our school-holiday trek in to Costco.  I want that freezer emptied!!

You know I said I was using the 7-Day Diet website as my 'guide'?  I think I like Day 3 with a little bit of protein thrown in at dinner time and space for a slice of gluten-free bread around mid-morning.  It feels a little more reasonable, do-able and balanced.