Hi friends!
Unfortunately I had another sleepless night last night. And by sleepless, I mean SLEEPLESS. I think I might have dozed for about an hour or so before the alarm sounded. Around 11:00, I was back downstairs watching more of the news with my mom after laying in bed for 3 hours. I’ve always suffered from insomnia but this is getting ridiculous! I better pull my act together asap or I am going to make myself sick 
. On my way to work I nibbled on this bar:
I ate half in the car and the other half around 5:30. Tons of hot water as well. No lemons though—we are out!!
I had the standard work breakfast this morning—oat bran, skim milk, pumpkin seed butter and spices (ginger, cloves, cinnamon):
Along with a hot cup of Chai with stevia to try to shrug off the blurry eyes. Worked for about an hour but then I started to crash around 10:00.
I also had a small snack around 11:00 but don’t have a picture because we aren’t allowed to photograph anything in the store, as yall know. I had a “mini breakfast cookie”—the Erin Baker’s brand. I used to eat these all the time and then found one in the pantry here. They are pretty satisfying for a little midmorning treat!
The bread turned out really well today. Actually, its getting better and better each day. I think I’m just getting used to all the equipment and the ovens especially. I had to memorize all the different oven temperatures for all the breads as well as the different cuts made. I’ve pretty much gotten it down here and have fallen into a rhythem. From 4:00-5:45 I prepare and bake all the breakfast pastries, from 5:45 to 7:30 I work with the different doughs—cutting it and shaping it. I take a break at 7:30-8:00 and then when I come back its all baking. Since I’m in charge of whatever goes in and out of the proof box and oven, I really have to pay attention to everything! All the breads are baked by 10:00 usually and then its on to preparing doughs for the next day. I wish yall could come visit!
I bought some of the organic sourdough that was baked only about 3 hours ago on my way home—
And made a hummus sandwich with it for lunch at home. I used about 3 spoonfuls hummus and had a yogurt with honey on the side.
And now I am just relaxing before I have to go to another post-op appointment at the dentist at 2:00. When I come home I AM doing yoga, no matter how difficult it might be because of my exhaustion. I need to just get on the mat and release it all for a little while. Today is the 3rd day in my 6 day work week because I have to work this Saturday as well. I’ll sure I’ll never work 6 days in a row again but Saturday is the beginning day of the new schedule and I got all last weekend off for graduation instead of two days interspersed throughout the week. Or actually it will be ONE weekday (next week its Wednesday) and Sundays. This week is just long and I gotta get through it! And SLEEP!
Some of yall have been asking for more details about my doctor’s appointment yesterday. Without getting into tooooo much specific to my symptoms, here is some information on food incompatibility that I found incredibly interesting. It basically goes again everything we were brought up to do….if you stick to a strict ayurvedic diet you would need to follow the following guidelines, although its noted that individuals should do what they can and not stress about it. This list is only a guideline and not incredibly comprehensive. Read this as the first item should not pair with the second item/items.
Fruit—-with any other item
Mangos—with cheese, yogurt or cucumbers
Milk—banana, cherries, melon, meat, fish, yogurt, bread containing yeast
Yogurt—milk, meat, fish, eggs, hot drinks
Eggs—fruit, yogurt, cheese, meat, fish, beans
Honey—never boiled
Grains—fruit, tapioca
Beans—fruit, cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, milk
Take it for what you will, but combining these food items is said to lead to toxins known as ama that spread from the digestive tract through all the body. This leads to IBS and a variety of other indigestion and tummy problems. Yuck!
I’m off to the dentist and to return some library books! See you for an early din-din!
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Careful with the MoJo bars! The peanut butter recall includes ALL MoJo bars, and some Clif, Luna, and Zbars as well. Check it out at .
You don’t want your sleep-deprived body fighting off salmonella.
Good luck with the insomnia, it’s been affecting me this week as well.
(back to lurking)
Katie
Hmm, the url didn’t work, but it’s from webMD, if you want to check it out.
Ciao!
so sorry about the sleep trouble! i saw a thing about insomnia on maury povich probably 15 years ago or so (ahhh, how old am i!!) that has always stuck with me, though i’ve never tried it. some specialist said that if you have trouble sleeping, you should keep a closed jar of freshly cut onions next to your bed and take a big whiff when you can’t sleep. supposedly it knocks you out or something?? might be something to try if you get desperate …
Have you come across any information that might explain the science behind why these foods are incompatible?
Kath,
I haven’t done any further research on my own in the past few days but I’ve heard this from now five people in the eastern medical field. It is very contradicting to anything done in the west and is hard for one to look past black and white and start looking at the body as energy channels but I do think its interesting! Its very much one of those cases “to each their own”, I think. This list is very strict and I know I could never apply all these rules to my daily life…but it is interesting and thought provoking!
I think the recalled Mojo bars have been taken off the shelf, so if you bought it recently it should be fine. Here is the exact batches of bars they think were affected:
http://www.clifbar.com/voluntary-recall/
That nwould be tough…no blueberries in my oatmeal?
I don’t think I can separate fruit from grains…..
PS I find if I can get exercise outside in fresh air it helps me get to sleep…..
I’m sorry you are having trouble sleeping. I know it must be frustrating.
I hope you get a pattern down soon.
That bread looks so good!
The food “pairing” is interesting! I have heard of something like that. Not sure if it is this same thing but I have heard about certain foods you shouldn’t eat together.
Insomnia is no fun… I hope you are able to sleep tonight! Good luck!
Your water bottle is so cute!That list is really interesting, too. I def agree w/ the grains one.
Yep!! That list is accurate – as someone with Crohn’s Disease, I can verify that certain food combinations are “deadly.”
Hope you can sleep better tonight!!
Jenna,
wow I can so relate to the sleep problems. I have always had trouble falling asleep and it always takes me forever. . .while I listen to my boyfriend breathing in and out in that heavy manner when you know they are asleep. I haven’t found a cure either but I know if I were in your work situation I would lay in bed and just stress about the fact that I had to get up at 3am. Melatonin sometimes works for me, but it didn’t last night as I had a terrible nights sleep as well. I’m sorry for what you’re going through. Your body will eventually adjust but I know how much it sucks right now.
hi jenna,
I find your job so interesting and fun. I was just wondering if you are working all by yourself or are there other bakers helping you with all of these breads? Also you have really been inspiring me to do yoga so thank you I feel great!!
Oh no! I hope you get a better night of sleep tonight! I know how frustrating it can be when you can’t sleep.
That’s definitely an interesting list! I knew about the not boiling honey thing, but none of the others! Thanks for that
Sorry about your lack of sleep! I’ve suffered from insomnia before and it’s just awful. Hope it gets better. On a positive note, that bread is gorgeous!
Thanks for listing all the food incompatabilities. Very helpful!
Hope you catch up on your sleep!
W0W! This was so interesting and I’m S0 BEY0ND THRILLED that you posted this, J-Webbs. This is very interesting, but I feel like I always eat fruit with something else… I.E. yogurt, or anything in general! How long are you supposed to wait in between these items?
Julz,
Anisha said its best to eat fruit on an empty stomach without eating anything else for an hour. I don’t know about anything else though.
Sour dowgh is my favorite!
Those are interssting food combos. I eat eggs with cheese all the time among many other things!
This is all very interesting… I deal with IBS, too… badly, unfortunately!
Yeah, it seems odd to not combine fruit in my oatmeal or my yogurt
thank you for passing this along!
Hope everything goes well at the dentist and that you get some sleep tonight! Your sourdough looks fabulous though!
The lists of foods looks similar to the ideas that Natalia Rose sets out in her books. I learned a lot from her : )
I hope you get a good sleep in tonight!
Hi Jenna,
I have definitely had insomnia issues in the past. Two things always work for me,
counting backwards from 100
taking gaba relaxer from Country Life.
Sleep is for chumps!
Those food combos look kind of tricky to work around. Are you going to try it? Good luck!
Enjoy your yoga!
HI sweetie!!
Oh man, sleeeeep is so wonderful and so stinkin’ crazy making when you can’t!! I understand, and will pray for a good night tonight, okay? HUGS!!!
That list is so interesting. I have heard the same things before, in a natural way to promote healthy digestion and all around wellness. I couldn’t do it all, but i must agree with the milk one! (milk in my belly even alone… ouch!!!)
Are you still on Proverbs? I need to keep up, but plan to be on Proverbs 31 by the 31st!
XOXO bread bakin’ lady!!!
That bread looks awesome! I really enjoy reading about what you do at work. Mostly cause I have no CLUE when it comes to baking bread.
Good luck with the sleep issues!
I understand your sleep problems. I slept for two hours on monday night. It is so frustrating to just lay there, I try everything……counting forward and backward, listing states, fruits, vegetables, and names in alphabetical order, deep breathing, staring at the fan. Melatonin has not worked either. It is hard when you know you have to be up early. Maybe I will try the gaba relaxer that someone above suggested.
that is some good info about the food pairing! my friend from Europe was telling me about some of it.. it sounds really interesting, maybe i should follow it sometime see if it actually works!
I was just reading about Pancha Karma and it doesn’t say how long to do the actual fasting. Is this just one day (after the preparation and cleansing phases)?
Ashley,
I’m sorry but I don’t know!! I am so not an expert on any of this. All I know is Panchkarma is a period of detox. I don’t know about the fasting times. You might want to google it! haha
Hi Jenna,
I’m sorry you’re still having trouble adjusting to your new schedule. I worked a morning shift for a few months, 3:30 – 12:00 and went to school full time after that my junior year of college. It was pretty miserable, to be honest. I think it’s a shift that your body can learn to accept after a while, but mine never did completely. Interestingly though, I’ve been a morning person ever since. It’s like my clock never shifted back to being a night owl. Best of luck!
Sorry about your sleepless night! I hate when it happens to me, but I couldn’t imagine that plus having to get up so early.
It sounds like the job is going well, though, so that’s great.
That bread looks amazing !
I hope you get a chance to rest soon!
That food information is interesting, thanks for posting it!
I have trouble with insomnia as well, and can definitely sympathize.
First of all, I would say to be kind to yourself. Retraining your body to adjust to a new schedule is not going to be easy. Give it time and try not to stress about it TOO much (easier said than done, I know!)
In addition, I know you eschew “western” medicine in favor of more “natural” remedies, but as a short term aid when you’re desperate, you could try an over the counter sleeping pill or tylenol pm-type medicine. Sometimes I have found that when I have bad insomnia its a “choosing between two evils” situation and taking a less preferred medicine is better than being a walking zombie with headaches and irritability.
The keys I’ve found to effectively using these things is to make sure you give it an hour to work and eight hours to sleep so the medicine is completely out of your body when you wake up and you don’t feel groggy (for example, if you want to sleep from 8 to 3, make sure to take the pill at 7) and have an hour to “wind down” and let the medicine work. Also, try taking half (or less) of the prescribed dose. For me, even breaking an over the counter sleeping pill in half (when the dosage is two full pills) sometimes gives me the drowsy feeling I need to get to sleep with less of the side effects.
Sorry this was so long, and hope it helps!
Hope you feel better soon, and try to get some rest!
That sourdough bread you bought looks so tasty!
I have heard about the fruit thing and usually I try to eat big fruits (apples, pears, ect) with nothing else but little things like blueberries I mix into oats and such.
I have been having the same problems sleeping! I think I get way too stressed out about work the next day and then I can’t settle down. I’ve been trying to get into bed earlier and just read or watch TV so my mind can settle down before I try to fall asleep.
hmmm, that list of food is very interesting! I, too, find it SO interesting but on the other hand, it is somewhat frustrating because following that list would require some major sacrifices for me. (no fruit in oatmeal???) Thanks for the info though!
hmm, that’s intriguing, but i’m glad i don’t have chrohn’s b/c i always have my eggs with dairy or meat or fish or beans
J – Thanks for the response! I’m curious to know more so I can ask my professors, specifically my Biochem and Clinical profs. I’d like to know more before I brought it up. Guess I’ll go dig around.
Bummer, I combine all of those foods.
I’ve heard about specific yoga poses to help sleep. I can’t direct you to any because I don’t know much about yoga, but maybe you can do some research or ask your instructor.
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