Skip to Content

Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas + Health Update

Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas are filled with peppers, onions, steak, and oozy cheese. Yum!

Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas recipe

Quesadillas are one of those foods that are just a pleasure to eat. Crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. The textures are just fantastic if done correctly.

Another reason to love quesadillas: they lend themselves so well to a variety of fillings! I happened on a really great combo with these Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas. Fried peppers + onions, thinly sliced steak, and melty cheese. I mean, what could go wrong?

If you’d like to make these cheesesteak quesadillas yourself (probably tonight), head over to The Pioneer Woman’s blog for the recipe!

Health Update

Health Update

I FINALLY got in to see my naturopath about my blood test results, and it was very encouraging! Here’s what we found:

The good news:

  • My omega 3 and DHA levels were stellar – she said that she rarely saw levels that good. I was really happy about that – all the cod liver oil + emu oil have paid off! Good thing too…they’re expensive!
  • She said that I have awesome genetics, at least for the big ones that we tested for. YES!
  • My Vitamin B levels were also great. So I don’t have Vitamin B anemia!
  • My heart, kidneys, and liver are also doing great. This was a relief for me, especially the kidneys. I had a kidney infection a few years ago, so of course I imagined the worst: kidney failure.
  • My iron levels are within normal range, but the naturopath would like to see them higher. She thinks that the supplements that I’m taking will help with that.
  • I don’t have any signs of chronic or acute infections.

The not so good news:

  • My Vitamin D levels are within normal range, but on the low end. The naturopath said that she’s tested people that are brown from sun exposure, and their D levels are low. And she’s tested someone that didn’t get in the sun often, and her levels were amazing! So there has to be more at play here…
  • She said that my CoQ10 levels are horrendously low. CoQ10 deficiency is associated with extreme fatigue, so that made a lot of sense to us! She wasn’t sure what causes low levels of CoQ10, except for smoking. I have never smoked, but it’s typical for me that I get something that usually only happens to people that drink, smoke, and do drugs. ?
  • She said that she thinks I’m sub-clinical hypothyroid. So most people would say that I’m in the normal range, but she thinks my thyroid is a bit sluggish.

Supplement + Diet Changes:

  • Many thanks to Anna for suggesting the beef heart as a source of CoQ10! I mentioned it to my naturopath and she really liked the idea. I ordered a bottle, and within a few days of taking it, my energy levels improved! I’m still nowhere near back to normal, but it’s encouraging to see results so quickly. Hopefully continued use will build up my CoQ10 stores.
  • I’m also taking Thytrophin PMG by Standard Process for my Thyroid.
  • I’ve upped my Vitamin D intake to 6 drops of this supplement.
  • The naturopath also suggested that I eat 4 Brazil nuts a day for selenium, seaweed for iodine, and shellfish (such as oysters) for zinc. Those all help to support your Thyroid.

That’s it! Kudos to you if you read through all of that!

I have high hopes that I’ll be able to turn my fatigue around. Your prayers for my recovery would be greatly appreciated!

Health Update - Buttered Side Up

Wednesday 7th of November 2018

[…] time I talked about this back in July, I had found out that I was super low on CoQ10 (a substance that every cell in you body needs to […]

Nrona

Thursday 23rd of August 2018

Hi Erica, I learned a lot from you abou shopping for food well - I wanted to ask - do you think you could provide some advice how to shop for supplements? There are so many on Amazon @_@

Erica Kastner

Thursday 23rd of August 2018

Hey, Nrona! Yes, it can be very overwhelming when there are loads of supplements to choose from! I usually look for ones that are made with whole food ingredients if possible and without a bunch of added junk. I also tend to stick to brands that are reputable. Some of my favorites are Thorne, Pure Encapsulations, MegaFood, Garden of Life, Vital Proteins, Perfect Supplements, etc.

Hope that helps! If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask. ?

We Have Some News... - Buttered Side Up

Wednesday 22nd of August 2018

[…] while pregnant! In fact, I saw an uptick in energy almost as soon as I got pregnant, even before I started my new supplements! My naturopath said that this was probably because your CoQ10 levels go up when you’re […]

What I Ate Wednesday (7-25-2018) - Buttered Side Up

Wednesday 1st of August 2018

[…] Of course I also took all of my supplements as well. You can read more about them in my previous post HERE. […]

dianewenric

Thursday 26th of July 2018

Hi Erica!

It sounds like you are very healthy, albeit fatigued. I was the same way when my children were small. There was always so much to do: shopping, cooking, visiting with my mother and my friends, keeping the house cleaned up and the laundry done. Whew! It makes me tired just thinking about it again. Now that Helen is five, you can teach her to sweep the floors and do the low dusting for you. She can put placemats and napkins on the table at meals, too, unless James would like to do that. When they are about three, children love to do chores. It's when they are teens that they rebel.

I think you aren't being true to your Norse heritage and are giving yourself short-shrift on coffee. That's right: coffee. My family is German and we drink coffee at all hours of the day and night. It must be something to do with those cold winters with their short days and long nights. Coffee will pick you right up. ; )

Here's hoping you perk right up!

Diane

Erica Kastner

Wednesday 1st of August 2018

Hey, Diane!

Yes, there's always something to do! Helen and James LOVE helping out (most of the time). Helen in particular is becoming very helpful. She unloads the silverware from the dishwasher, sweeps under the table, wipes down the bathroom, wipes down my stove, etc. It's so nice! James is also becoming a good help.

I love the taste of coffee, but it makes me so crazy when I have it! Maybe if I did half caf? Haha!