Your Graphic Knit Recs | Episode 84 - Colorful graphic knits from 80s to today and a personal ramble

[@shebear9251]

If you ask me, I am all for the "women at that age" talk :) Also, I am looking at your book recommendation about the pelvis area. Thanks for that 😊

[@knitnkitten]

Yes, 💐thank you, Michelle. I'm totally getting this book. Sounds great!! I want to breathe more deeply🌬️ And, obviously trampoline w/o peeing my pants 🙂

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

Sometimes I wonder if it is a turnoff to younger women, as if they don't need to hear these things. But I mean this pelvic floor issue started when I was 27!! So... also it's my podcast, I get to ramble about what I want to ramble about, lol. If you're interested Claire has the youtube channel that I linked in the notes but she also has a facebook group you can find in a search and there is a lot of free info there. That free stuff is what I started practicing that wowed my chiropractor. So she is offering a service with those resources. I haven't started doing all of the little exercises daily yet, but I imagine my progress with get better. I didn't even mention that I got IBS symptoms and nausea to an extreme a couple of years ago. It seemed to happen overnight. I thought I had a virus for weeks. Finally, I looked on some menopause forums and it seems a very reactive stomach and digestive system is common at this age. However, Claire's book referenced some of that as maybe being because the pelvic floor is sort of contracted and not flexible and it affects the gastro and urinary systems bc they run through it and it is sort of stuck. It's as annoying as prolapse without actually being prolapse. Since doing her breathing exercises I have noticed all of those gastro issues are a lot better. So that's another benefit I've noticed.

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

Oh yeah and her book is free on kindle right now. I forgot that.

[@hannabruzi9483]

I love the deer sweater you're working on! I could make one like this, looks so fun. You can count me in for the test knit :D As for the intermittent fasting, I haven't tried it but my friend did, and she found it very challenging. I do another type of fasting once a year, when I eat only selected vegetables and fruit for one week, nothing else. It is hard but I feel really great later and you wouldn't belive how creative you need to be to cook satisfying meals with vegetables only ;)

[@selfishknitter]

The mosaic blanket 😮😮😮 I would not have guessed it was mosaic knitting! What a beautiful design.

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

I know! Every design in this book looks fun to make. I want to start the blanket, but maybe I can make a Xmas gift out of one of the smaller projects in time.

[@knitnkitten]

I hear you, Michelle❤ Intermittent fasting is really challenging. Really happy for you to hear you are starting to notice positive effects, though💗 No two ways about it - Coffee without cream (or cream alternatives) sucks😩 The only way I can handle it is to make espresso (with a medium roast) add scalding hot water as the espresso percolates. That added hot water keeps the coffee from being bitter, and actually helps it taste smooth. OK, it will never be as good as cream. But hopefully in a few more weeks you will forget/lose the taste/desire for it❤🖤 Luckily caffeine is a bit of an appetite suppressant🙂 However, I have noticed drinking it black can stain my teeth quite a bit, so I do rinse & brush my teeth after my morning Americano.

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

Yes, this style of fasting is different every few days, ending with eating normally the last half of the month. So I only struggle on the days when I have to do a 17-hour fast overnight. I have been putting a little bit of cream in my coffee though. Thanks for the reminder that espresso is the answer!! I have a machine. but I've got to add a conversion piece to it so I won't have to buy a specific espresso pod for it. I've been putting it off. That's a good incentive to get it done! I think it has helped with restless legs at night. That's a fairly new thing I've been experiencing. I read it happens at this time of life, often with people who need iron. I can't take supplements for it, so I've been eating beef. Lots of beef. I'm so sick of beef -but it helped. At the start of this third month, I noticed my legs don't jerk and wake me up at night- even when I don't eat beef. I didn't realize how much it interfered with my sleep until it stopped and I have slept much better. I consider it an answer to prayer that may be related to the fasting and inner healing it creates in the gut. So I guess I can live without the big breakfast cup of coffee and cream, lol.

[@sarawhear633]

This was such an interesting episode to watch for me! Aside from the cool graphic knits (I love that houses and roses sweater and also the Kaffe Fasset flower sweater!), your other convo was spot on for me. I'm in my early 30s and have a just turned 2yo and an 8mo baby. While I didn't have any complications (like bad DR) from those, I did really want to focus on getting back my body's integrity before having (hopefully) more babies. I just finished a workout plan (the 12 week postpartum plan by GlowbodyPT, hiiiighly recommend) where the focus is getting in rrally good shape while also healing your linea alba (the connective tissue holding your abs together) and improving your pelvic floor. I have also done intermittent fasting at times (sometimes for years), to help with PCOS issues. At the time, I hadn't heard of Mindy Pelz. After this last pregnancy I saw her on a podcast and am really curious to read her book! My husband is a huge proponent of fasting for healing the body and wants us yo eventually get to the point where we're regularly doing longer fasts (1-7 days) several times a year. I haven't read the book yet because she recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women NOT fast and I expect to be one or the other of those for a good few years more.

[@knitnkitten]

I remember when I started breast feeding my first baby🤱🏼 I read that breastfeeding uses more calories than being pregnant - significantly more!.. (I mean this is pretty vague and also 28 yrs old information might be worth researching or talking to your local La Leche League leader/chapter for current & accurate information😊) Please consider waiting at least until your wee one is eating solids and mainly nursing for comfort. A well nourished lactating woman is better equipped to give healthy breast milk, handle the vagaries of changing hormones, manage the shift in relationship demands (some partners need help realising the baby's needs are the prime focus) and have the energy to do all the things! lol ps. cuddling your wee one is a million times more important than dishes or laundry 🥰🥰🥰 pps. Oh! did I misread? Were u saying ur not planning to fast for a couple of years? If so - sorry. And hope I don't come across as patronizing🫣 It's just I followed a strict vegan diet when my second child was nursing, and I regret it so much! I think it affected the growth of her teeth & maybe other stuff...🥺

[@sarawhear633]

@@knitnkitten my original comment was confusingly worded, but don't worry, I am not planning to do any fasting until I'm not pregnant OR breastfeeding!! I definitely am not willing to put my baby's food supply at risk.

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

@@knitnkitten I think Sara can see that you're thoughts are offered lovingly, Anna. And sharing what has worked and hasn't from personal experience is kind of what we do here. I appreciate your candor about making a parenting choice you now regret. Those are hard to think about and talk about.❤

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

Wow, Sara, you sound really informed and proactive in how you're handling your body's recovery from pregnancy. I love that. I included a link to Claire Sparrow's KZbin channel in my notes here. She also has a Facebook group where she shares lots of info, all for free. (But her book is still free on kindle right now.) If you are interested in seeing whether her definition of a healthy pelvic "floor" is what you have, you can get tons of benefits without even making a purchase. I started her breathing exercises- where I made sure my lower belly extended and pelvic floor extended normally when I inhaled, before I got her book and that was when I noticed my lower back was more flexible and not hurting. My chiropractor said he didn't know what I was doing but I needed to keep doing it. In the 3 years he had seen me, my sacrum/ low back had never been this relaxed and in place. My husband is also big on IF but I was on the fence until I saw Mindy's interview. The way she describes feeding your body what you need during the time before your cycle and then practicing IF when you have more natural energy in the beginning of the cycle intrigued me. My one difficulty is making sure I take the time to eat enough calories when I am in my eating window. I don't want this to be about calorie restriction, just giving my gut time to heal most night. I hope you continue to have good recovery from your pregnancies and if you check out Claires sites and have any thoughts about her info, I'd love to hear it. I haven't yet started applying all of the principles but plan to.

[@jennenns654]

Thanks for podcasting. Will you start the blanket right away? I am very interesting to see how it turns out and what you think of the new book.

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

I hope to cast on for the blanket today, Jenn! I am getting dazzled by all of the Christmas things, but I do want to get some progress on it so I can discuss it more thoroughly and I want to have more thoughts on it before the end of the month. I may take a week and work on it alone. It is surprising to me that it is mosaic knitting. If I thought it was stranded I don't know if I would tackle it. but knowing all of these projects are mosaic, makes them seem so doable. And you're welcome, Jenn!! Thanks for saying so.

[@casuarinagirl8067]

My mum had a prolapse and required a hysterectomy. My nana had the same issue so I was determined not to follow that path. My stomach muscles also ripped apart during pregnancy 😬 I was told I needed surgery but I’m a stubborn nonrule following type of person. I instinctively felt I should just strap my stomach so that’s what I did. I made an elastic corset and got back into exercise. I was swimming (ha ha more like splashing and playing with a few laps thrown in) six days after giving birth and took my baby in the water with me! I never do as I’m told 🤭😂 I love water so in I went. I was into yoga so I understood breathing and stretching and I just intuitively did what I felt was right. I’ve always focused more on how I feel and longevity, that’s my main goal. I read the book Wheat Belly many years ago. I resisted reading it for a few years because once I know I can’t unknow 🫤 and I wasn’t ready to give up my carbs. I was the queen of carbs 😂 I eat them occasionally but know it’s better for me to stay away. I started intermittent fasting a few years ago, just to try it out and see how I felt. I read so much great info about how good it is for you so I thought why not. Also for me after turning 50 I found I needed to eat less and I’ve never been a dinner person. I eat when I’m hungry so it was breakfast that I gave up. Huge lunch then something early evening when I’m hungry. It’s all an experiment and I’ll play around with things for fun. I had no issues with menopause. I had some hot flashes and I thought, oh hell no I’m not doing this especially in summer! I thanked my body for letting me know I was now in this chapter of life and I told it to go away and maybe we talk about it in winter when a hot flash might be useful 🤭 I’ve had none since and I have been postmenopausal for six or seven years I think. My mum still gets hot flashes 😯 My life is boring (by choice) so it’s easy to be me focused. I ignored myself for too long and felt the consequences so now I’m like a guard dog with my health and sanity 💪🏻 it’s the 80/20 rule for me with most things 80% good 20% whatever, pass the cheesecake, life’s short and near enough is good enough 💕 thanks for sharing 😘

[@mysocalledhandmadelife]

This is interesting, Karen. The author I referenced has been counseling women for years with prolapse and helped many improve it greatly. I had never heard of reversing (or improving) prolapse. Also the SI joint issues being attached to pelvic floor and affected by its lack of flexibility…how did I get to adult life, even teaching movement at times, and not get the connection? Well, I’m so glad to know now. I love that you trust your intuition!

[@casuarinagirl8067]

@@mysocalledhandmadelife It’s fascinating isn’t it? I watched my mum suffer for years but she was unwilling to do anything about it. She got so bad her insides actually started to fall out 😱🤯 It is the most horrific thing. For years I kept telling her about pelvic floor exercises and she kept saying she can’t be bothered! I think it made me kegel away like a mad woman 😂😂 the body is so cool how it can work and repair. Something interesting I just learned is they are learning about the circadian rhythm of organs. The kidneys rhythm requires that it needs hydration for the first 10 hours upon waking to function optimally and then it doesn’t matter as long as you get your daily requirement in during that period, of course if you’re sweating excessively due to exercise of an evening (that’s not me 🤭) then that’s different. I always drank too much of an evening (cups of tea and knit knit knit) and then will be up three times a night going to the toilet 🙄 Such a fun age we live in, so much learning available, I love it, never a dull day 💕