1) Rest-easier said than done for me, especially with the recent house move but I've committed to resting and I have noticed a difference. Thanks to all my friends and family who have helped out driving me around and carrying my bags and bringing me food!
2) Ibuprofen every 4 hours. To reduce inflammation. I learned early on that I must not get caught out without my meds if 4 hours goes by as meltdown ensues. That seems to have subsided now, thank goodness.
3) Arnica cream applied to sternum and taken orally in tablet form 3 times a day. This is a homeopathic remedy that many people swear by. I certainly believe it, whenever I apply to any visible bruises, they disappear within 1-2 days instead of going horrible greeny/yellow colour for days.
4) Physiotherapy 2 x per week consisting of Tens machine to get my body to produce it's own painkillers and Laser to help the damaged cells heal. I'm unable to have any joint function assessed yet due the pain.
5) Chondroitin supplement 1 x day to help repair bones and cartilage.
6) sleep..lots! I've been clocking in 8-10hours per night of solid sleep. The healing is done when sleeping so this is the most important part, in my opinion. The bedroom at my new house is extremely conducive to good sleep and both me and PB have had solid sleeps there since we moved in. I think it's something to do with it being a big room with high ceilings so there is lots of air flow. And having the window open is crucial.
I'm now able to sleep on my front with minimal pain and to rotate a little further to each side. I can shrug my shoulders higher but I do have to do it slowly.
I was concerned at having a vast expanse of time ahead of me during my time off but it's actually gone pretty fast. I can do most things at home like admin/computer work and light chores and I can cook. I have been eating randomly though, mainly due to not having a regular schedule and not doing any major exercise. I have been having a late breakfast and then a very light snack for lunch. Evening meals have been bigger though. Last night, a friend from work was kind enough to visit and bring sushi for us and her son to eat. I hadn't been that hungry all day but was famished when she arrived and devoured a spinach gomae, salmon sashimi and a selection of rolls. There are leftovers waiting for me in the fridge today so lunch will happen!
Last week, I finally made a no bake frozen banana pie that I had spotted on one of my favourite blogs The Nourishing Gourmet. It's dairy free, wheat free and very healthy with minimal added sugar. It's also raw (if you use agave instead of honey) and vegan. Sometimes I have found that allergy free versions of foods are really unhealthy but this one, and this blog, in general are very healthy and tasty. The blogger adapted it from Clean Eating Magazine which is a great magazine and there is a link in my sidebar to the website and to the blog too.
Frozen Chocolate Banana Pie
Crust
1 cup of almonds, (soaked and dehydrated, optional)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
Pie Filling:
5 bananas
1 cup of full fat coconut milk
½ cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoons vanilla
1) Toast the almonds in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until browned and fragrant. Place in a food processor with the butter and honey. Blend until finely ground. Push evenly into the bottom of a greased 8 inch springform pan, or pie pan.
2) Rinse out the food processor and add the pie filling ingredients to it. Blend until quite smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Pour over pie crust and freeze until well set (at least 4 hours).
3) Use a very sharp knife to cut into pieces. Can let sit for about 20 minutes to soften it up a bit. For presentation and added flavor, top with sliced bananas, sliced almonds, or chocolate shavings.
The pie certainly looked appetizing and was easy to make but when I've made stuff like this before, the ice crystals can be a problem. When I first took it out of the oven, I mean freezer, It was close to impossible to cut and then I remembered the recipe said to leave it for 20 mins to warm up a bit. That did help but I still need to use a really sharp heavy wusthof knife and it was still too much for me with the injury so I got some help.
The verdict on the pie from all who sampled was a resounding "DELICIOUS!" and I would for sure make this again. The base is really tasty and almost chewy. I'd like to experiment more with a more crumbly base like a cheesecake but I really like this base too and most people commented on the base before anything else. The topping was rich and satisfying but it was great to know the only sweetness came from the bananas. I preferred it slightly more melted and mouss-ey but having a more frozen piece added a nice texture. PB LOVED this dessert and his mom told me he usually doesn't eat dessert so I was secretly feeling very smug. His Dad, PB senior on the other hand, loves desserts. Particularly of the chocolate variety I have observed and he loved this too. My friend D was the first to taste it and she suggested making fudgsicles with the topping. I'll need to get some moulds but this would work great and they wouldn't need to sit for 20 mins before eating.
I refroze the pie several times and it hasn't seemed to affect the taste or quality. There is still a wedge in the fridge that I will pull out later in the week.
Overall verdict: Try it, it's a light, healthy alternative to cheesecake and chocolate pie.
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