Northerly Shaken

Day Fourteen: The Two-Week Turning Point Two weeks down. They say the second week of any challenge is the hardest because the initial excitement wears off and the reality of the daily grind sets in. But hitting Day 14 is a massive milestone. It’s the point where trying something new starts to turn into a legitimate lifestyle shift. Today isn't about the workout; it’s about the scoreboard. Looking back at these first 14 days of the TrailBlaze, the consistency is showing up in ways that actually matter for my day-to-day life: •The Scale and The Gear: I’ve officially lost 5lbs. The best part isn't the number, though—it’s the fact that my snow pants are fitting much more loosely than they did last winter. Having gear that fits comfortably makes a huge difference when dealing with the winter elements. •Listening to My Gut: I have cut out meat almost entirely. My guts are never happy the day after I eat meat, and making this change has been a huge win for my daily comfort and ener...

Day Thirteen: Consistency Over Perfection I’m showing up. That is the win for today. We are on Day 13 of the 60-day TrailBlaze Back to Health, and the theme is simple: consistency over perfection. In the past, I’ve been guilty of the all-or-nothing mindset. If I couldn’t do the "perfect" workout, eat the "perfect" meal, or write the "perfect" post, I felt like I had failed. But when you’re managing the daily complexities of EDS, Hashimoto’s, and Endometriosis, perfection is an impossible bar to clear. Consistency is different. Consistency means that even when the cold has me locked up and the systemic fatigue is heavy, I still find a way to honor the commitment. Today, that meant getting some time in on my Equalizer bars and walking mat. It wasn’t a record-breaking pace, but it was movement. It was a choice to keep the gears turning when my body wanted to stay frozen. It also brought me back into the kitchen. I took the time to prep another batch of my v...

  Day Twelve of the 60-day TrailBlaze is hitting a little differently today. I am tired—deeply, bone-level tired—and the cold isn't just on the outside anymore; it feels like it has moved into my joints. We had to venture into the bitter cold to get supplies before the next big 'winter event', and just being in the frigid cold was exhausting. When you have EDS, the cold makes your muscles work double-time just to keep your joints stable. The physical drain is real, and it makes even a simple blog post feel like climbing a mountain. It is hard to stay motivated when your body feels like it is fighting the environment every second of the day. Some days, blazing a trail to health is about big movements and progress. But today, the healthiest thing I can do is acknowledge the exhaustion. The pain feels louder and the motivation feels thinner when you are this worn out. I am giving myself permission to hibernate a little. Day 12 isn't about a workout or a grand epiphany; it’...

Day Eleven: Calling It Quits. Smoking, I mean. It might be safe to say at this point that I’m done. I’m not sure if it’s being off work, not having a long commute for a while, or simply the fact that it’s stupid cold outside—but the urge has finally gone quiet. I haven’t felt the need to reach for a cigarette in a while, and that’s a win I’m ready to claim. I’m not making any grand "never again" proclamations, but the daily ritual is over. The "necessary vice" has lost its necessity. For the first time in a long time, I know I can turn it off. Shut it down. I’ve reached a point where I feel I can handle a stressful moment without it spiraling back into a pack-a-day habit. For me, that’s everything. In the past, I’ve always been an all-or-nothing person. I once quit for three full years, but then 2020 happened. As my life and career started to collapse, I found myself right back at a pack a day. I hated it, but I couldn't stop. Stress has a way of killing you s...

Day Ten- a high pain day. It's been one hell of a week of snowstorms, digging out, rinse, repeat. Unfortunately it's done a number on me- my shoulder doesn't feel too nice, but my hips tho.. ouch. The Reality of the EDS "Grip" 🦓⚡💥 Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome means my "glue" is a little different than everyone else’s. Most people don’t have to think about their hips staying in the socket—mine requires a 24/7 manual labor contract from my muscles just to stay put. What this feels like today: * The Instability: It’s like being a skyscraper built with rubber bands instead of steel bolts. Every step is a negotiation between my brain and a joint that wants to go "off-roading." 🏗️🥴 * The "Electric" Pain: Sharp, white-hot zaps that feel like someone is flicking a live wire against my hip bone. It’s not just an ache; it’s an alarm system that won’t shut off. ⚡🔥 * The Fatigue: My muscles are pulling double shifts acting as ...

Day 9: The Mix and Match Meal Prep Hack in Action 🥗🔥 Moving into day nine, the momentum is really building. After crossing the one-week mark, I’m finding that the success of this 60-day journey isn't coming from willpower alone—it’s coming from the systems I’ve put in place. This week was the ultimate stress test for my kitchen setup, and it passed with flying colors. Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on the mix and match meal prep method I’ve developed. It’s not about making five identical, boring Tupperware meals for the week. It’s about building a library of prepped ingredients that I can assemble into a fresh, vibrant meal in under five minutes. The Foundation: Starches and Bases 🍚🥔 I keep the heavy lifters ready to go in the fridge. By pre-cooking these, I have a solid base for any meal. My fridge is currently stocked with the classics like prepared pasta and fluffy rice, along with the root crew of potatoes and sweet potatoes. And of course, I have my gut-health hero...

Day Eight- The Mix & Match Meal Prep Hack 🥗🔥 One week down, and if there is one thing I’ve learned so far in this 60-day venture, it’s that preparation is the antidote to poor choices. When the grind hits, I don't want to be chopping onions; I want to be eating. Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on the mix and match meal prep method I’ve developed. It’s not about making five identical Tupperware meals for the week—it's about building a library of ingredients that I can assemble in minutes. The Foundation: Starches & Bases 🍚🥔 I keep the heavy lifters ready to go in the fridge. By pre-cooking these, I have a base for any bowl or wrap. This includes the classics like prepared pasta and fluffy rice, along with the root crew of both a mix of colorful 'regular' potatoes and sweet potatoes for that hit of complex carbs. Of course, I also have my gut hero, the spaghetti squash, which has been a total game-changer for my digestion. The Flavor Engine: The Veggie ...

  Day Seven- Progress Report. One week down, and here's where I'm at so far. The purpose of this 60 day venture is to blaze a path of healthy habits, rituals and rhythms to keep me on track for life- no matter what comes up. I don't have any particular number goals, but it's nice to track my progress regardless. Here's where I'm at. Diet- I think this was my biggest challenge overall, developing better eating habits that I can take with me back into the grind. I'm discovering different ways to 'meal prep' all kinds of fresh plant based ingredients that I can mix and match through the week. Plus tools that help me get the job done more quickly! Movement- besides the almost daily ritual of going out and shoveling snow for a couple hours, I've been taking full advantage of the walking mat I purchased earlier this year. I knew I would have some time off, and given the winter we had last year, I figured I wouldn't get out for many walks. Game cha...

Day six- be prepared. Food prep and keeping the fridge stocked with goodness is a big part of this 60 day venture. Basically whenever I have a minute, even if it's too early or too late to eat- prepare! When I get back to working full time, I know I won't always have time to make healthy meals when I'm hungry for them. Some of my favourite things to have ready in 'bulk' is cooked potatoes, rice and pasta. The cool thing about cooking starches- once they're cooked and chilled, they become resistant starch. But what does that mean? It's like food magic! In Plant Powered Plus, Dr. Bulsiewicz explains that resistant starch is a unique carbohydrate that skips digestion in the small intestine. Instead of being broken down into sugar and absorbed into your bloodstream, it travels intact to the large intestine. Once there, it acts as a high-grade fuel source for your beneficial gut microbes. When these microbes ferment resistant starch, they produce a powerful com...

Day 5. Timing is everything. And I kinda failed yesterday with that. I started the chapter in Dr. B's new book that focuses on leveraging our circadian rhythm. It made me realize that the past few years of instability in this department is likely how I ended up in such rough shape this time around. Having Hashimoto's, Endo and hEDS, messing with my rhythm worsened my conditions. I put down my book, and went on to eat too late, got the treadmill at the exact wrong time of day, and I didn't fall asleep till after 3 in the morning. *phew*. No wonder I'm exhausted! Anyhoo.. the takeaway from the chapter is this- When circadian rhythm is disrupted by shift work or irregular habits, it triggers a state called chronodisruption that impacts the entire body through the 'gut-immune axis'. One's metabolism suffers because the body cannot process sugar or insulin effectively at night, leading to weight gain and increased diabetes risk. The immune system loses its abil...

Day Four. One step at a time. One thing I have been struggling with, unbelievably- keeping up on my steps! I used to joke about "getting my steps in". For years, thanks to my career choices and active lifestyle, it was never really a problem. When I was in shipping/receiving for example, I would hit 15,000 steps by lunch. I got my first fitbit in 2013, and being the stats nerd that I am.. kind of became dependent on it. Not just for steps, but to make sure I *wasn't* moving too. I needed to know how much (or rather how little) I was sleeping, especially when I was doing shift work. I'll circle back to that in another post. For now, back to the walking. I lost my fitbit sometime while I was working in the factory because we couldn't have anything on us while we were on the floor. I stopped wearing it altogether, and ended up misplacing it. I went from that job to the shop which ended up being even more sedentary, and then I got laid off. Never have I ever had an i...

Day Three. Easy does it- simple loaded meal hacking to keep me on track. 🌱✨️ Today was a rough day. Endo took the wheel on my energy, or rather lack thereof. It happens. Usually I would pull a frozen pizza or maybe a bowl of KD, something instant, loaded with sodium and over processed. Something that would fill me up in the moment, but with the aftertaste of regret. Thankfully this past week, I've been loading up on healthy choices- and making a little extra each day. This ensures that there's something grab-and-go ready in the fridge, minimizing the likelihood of making unhealthy choices that I'll pay for in the days to come. Behold- the loaded rice bowl. It took roughly three minutes to prepare. Leftover Basmati rice, leftover 3 colour quinoa, sauce made from natural peanut butter, tahini, rice vinegar and tamari. I sprinkled on a little nooch (nutritional yeast) and wheat germ, and topped with a scoop of kimchi. Ridiculous right? Absolutely loaded with gut supporting g...

Day two. No excuses. I've pretty much been excusing myself for the past.. I don't know, 5 years? Maybe longer. There was just no good time to start a whole new thing. I was too busy stressing. First it was about the pandemic. Then it's was about moving east. Then it was about leaving my life behind in BC. Finding a job. Moving north. Finding another job. Moving further north. Finding an awesome job that I loved- but didn't leave me any time to take care of myself. Getting laid off from said job. Stressing about getting my employment insurance.. it never ends. I could be stressing about sitting at home. I could continue to worry about the unknown. Or- do what I can with the time that I have to jump on a path to healing. Thing is, there's always going to be things to stress about. I'm in a unique position now where I have a paycheck, a roof overhead, and time. About 8 weeks, as far as I know. And zero excuses. None. I have a tentative job lined up for spring that...

Today is day 1 of 60. For the next 60 days, my entire full time job is to blaze the trail that will put me on a permanent path back to health. Not just a challenge- a lifestyle. A forever thing. It's do or die- literally. For me this is a well-timed restart as Dr. Bulsiewicz's new book dropped today, and I've already started to dig in on Audible. So who is this guy? Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a board-certified gastroenterologist and world-renowned expert in gut health. He is a New York Times bestselling author known for his book Fiber Fueled and his brand new release Plant Powered Plus. And he also happens to be my personal hero. Dr. B focuses on using the power of plant diversity to heal the microbiome and tame chronic inflammation. He serves as the U.S. Medical Director for the nutrition science company ZOE and is a leading voice in lifestyle medicine. His approach is rooted in the idea that a healthy gut is the foundation for a strong immune system and overall longevity. ...