As this year closes....

Greetings, Everyone...

As this year closes, there is much to be grateful for, and much to look forward to in 2011. I hope that each of you has had a special time with family and friends over this holiday season, and that we can all carry forward the peacefulness, patience and goodwill throughout the coming year.

The lyme journey continues on, and I find myself in a rhythm of "pulsing" the Salt and Vitamin C, since during the holidays we not only took the cruise, but had lots of company at the house, which means it was a challenge to stay the course with my personal eating and supplementation plan. Today my daughter, Ariana and her dear friend, Monique, will be heading home and the house will be empty. This means I am back to upping my Salt/C doses so I can herx, and back to my saunas every other day, as well as diligence with my supplements that has fallen somewhat by the wayside over the past week. I have been feeling SO good, so healthy and pain-free, and that's been awesome! Yet last week I pushed the salt levels up high for 2 days and wow, I got real sore real fast, which says my work with the lyme bacteria is very much unfinished. Who knows how long it will take to really break the numbers down and reduce the bacterial load to the point that the body takes it all under control and handles it without my constant attention.

At any rate, this continues to be my challenge for awhile, and the winter is the best time to focus on things like that, when there isn't so much competing for attention. That being said, I have much to do this winter...... my mother's cancer has returned, and she is going to be going into intensive treatment for a few weeks. I will be spending time with her every day, helping her to be as comfortable as possible and inspiring her to keep her spirits up. For this reason, I have made the difficult decision to bring this blog to a close, at least for now. I need to be able to focus all of my attention on my mom, and really be there for her during this time of her life.

When all is said and done with the lyme journey (a year from now? Two?), I may consider writing a book about the Salt/C protocol and my healing process. If I do that I will surely let everyone know. If you are one who would like to stay in touch in between times, you may feel free to email me at reiki4innerpeace@yahoo.com with any questions or comments. I hope my journey so far has been some inspiration for others with lyme, or for those who are supporting people with lyme, as well as helping to keep my friends and family informed of my healing process. As I mentioned in a recent blog, "I'm back!" I feel better than ever and amazingly, I have the energy now to be there for my mom in her time of need. As I always say, "The Universe knows what it's doing...." Had my mom needed this treatment a year ago, I don't know how I would have mustered up the energy or ability to help her. Thankfully, my health has returned and I'll be able to provide daily support to her.

Thank you for keeping up with this blog, and for your kindness and enthusiasm. I wish everyone well, and at some point in the future, I may log back onto the blog and begin again, we'll see..... And when I am clear of the bacteria to the point I can dramatically reduce the Salt/C levels, I will find a way to let the world know.

Namaste' - the spirit in me honors the spirit in you. May many beautiful blessings fall upon you in this new year ripe with potential,

Sukie

How sweet it is.....

Life that is.... family, friends, nature, beauty, spirit. Life is grand, if not bittersweet, and time with our loved ones is too short, yet perfect at the same time. Just some musings from one who is spending more and more time with an elderly mother who is increasingly more frail and whose time on the planet is winding down. I have so many friends who are experiencing this now... caring for our elderly parents, and/or having lost them already. I lost my father about 13 years ago, and I still miss him. My inner knowing tells me my mother will soon be leaving.... and I find myself making more time to spend with her, and a protective spirit I have for her, to do whatever it takes to make her last days, months, years - whatever she has left - as joyful, meaningful, and comfortable as possible. Death is a reality of life, part of the yin-yang of existence, and but the blink of an eyelash.... and we never stop missing those whom we love, even though it may eventually get easier to accept. I am also reminded how important it is to live in the moment and savor each day. Each day is a gift, ripe with potential. Some may be joyful, some sorrowful, but each one is a gift in its own way. At this time of year when "gifts" abound, I find it important to meditate upon the deeper meaning of the word....

Now on to the "gift" of lyme disease. Well.... in some sense we can call it a gift, for it has helped me slow down, re-group, re-frame and re-think my life and what is most important and close to my heart. It came into play at the same time we moved from a busy city life in California to a slower-paced country life on an island in the Puget Sound, and it came at a time when I had retired from a career of many years with a desire to ratchet down my stress and activity levels all the way around. Had it not been for lyme disease knocking on my door, I'm not sure I would have learned the lessons I've learned, and really been able to overhaul my lifestyle, including the healthy eating piece, without something so "big" in my face. So in that sense I am grateful for the experience and, at the same time, I am also very grateful that it now takes less and less precedence in my world.

Something I find really exciting is that I haven't taken an aspirin for at least a couple of weeks now. You may remember that for over a year I relied on aspirin (generally four per day) to help manage the severe inflammation in my joints and to take the edge off of joint pain. The only joint pain I am experiencing now is in my knees, and that's only if I squat as far as I can. I've also noticed that since I have stopped taking aspirin, a nagging pain in my liver area has cleared up - no big surprise there.

The food allergy thing can also be looked at as a gift, for that is what has, more than anything, literally commanded my attention to eating in a healthful way. I truly don't have a choice. In my last post I mentioned that I had hives again from what I ate on my 10 day trip to Hawaii. The hives are still running their course - once I get them, they last 3 weeks or more. They are itchy little monsters, and I will be all too happy to see them go away. Nothing stops the itching for long, and I have found that once they start, any type of sugar, whether cane sugar, honey, agave or whatever, will trigger the itching. On the cruise ship I ingested far more sugar than I usually do, as well as wheat, which I know is what triggered the hives. So now I have to stay away from these completely for awhile, until the hives have run their course, and then I should be able to go back to a little honey or agave from time to time.

That being said, I was intrigued to find a new sugar alternative on the shelf on our grocery store the other day - one I hadn't heard of before. It is called "Coconut Secret" and is raw coconut crystals. It claims to provide a low glycemic sugar alternative. It's gluten-free, unbleached, unrefined, non-GMO, vegan, pesticide and chemical-free, and is made with sap from coconut palms. It also claims to provide an abundant source of minerals, amino acids, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, live enzymes, and a neutral pH. Says it can be used in tea, cereal, and "all your favorite dessert recipes". Wow! If this is true, what a find. I wish I could remember what I paid for this little cannister - I'm sure it was pricey. But it may be worth it, especially since I need to make a couple of gluten-free desserts for Christmas Day. So I'll let you know more about it once I experiment with it a bit. Erick tasted it last night (it looks a bit like brown sugar). He was skeptical, as he is not a huge fan of coconut (texture and taste), but he proclaimed it delicious and said it doesn't taste like coconut, but it nicely sweet.

If you're interested in learning more about this potential sweetening wonderment, go to www.coconutsecret.com.

Counting the days down to Christmas. If you haven't seen it, there is a really fun Advent Calendar on the internet at the site of amazing English Artist Jacquie Lawson, who does beautiful internet greeting cards. We have been having wonderful fun checking the virtual snow globe every day to see what's new in the village. Go to: www.jacquielawson.com.

Special love to my sisters who are dealing with the losses or critical illnesses of parents right now - I love you ladies. And wishing jolly holidays to us all, as we surely all deserve them! Besides the most important three little words (I Love You, of course), remember the other three most important little words (from Ram Dass), Be Here Now! Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present....

Big Aloha love,

Sukie

Holiday Spirit + important article

Greetings ~

Hope this finds everyone in the holiday spirit. The TRUE spirit of the season, of course, not just grappling with all the hype and stress created by greed energies of those who see Christmas commercially and materially. I think our society has gone a little askew in terms of what the season is truly about. I always strive to focus my energies upon what I feel is the true message of the season: Love and peace are what matter, and how we treat our fellow humans... as well as the respect and love we give to all creatures, nature, all of life. For me it's a time to remember what is important and what my values and priorities are, and then to strive to behave in a way that matches my personal ethics and integrity throughout the coming new year. While I personally do not belong to an organized religion, I view Jesus as an extremely evolved being who set a selfless and beautiful example of how to love others unconditionally. He was a humble, mindful man who not only spoke from his heart, but actually lived what he spoke - he walked his talk. That's what this season reminds me to do - to walk my talk - and to be true to what my own heart and spirit tell me is the way to behave and act in this world.

Just wanted to put that out there. Erick and I both love the Christmas season for the same reasons, and so for us it is a particularly joyous time of year. We love the lights, the music, the magic, and most of all time spent with our loved ones.

This holiday season finds me feeling a WHOLE LOT BETTER than the last one! For that I am truly grateful. I am overcoming the little setback of the cruise dining, and feeling really good, overall, although I still have hives that have not run their course. For some reason, they are focused upon my hips and my chest, so at least they aren't all over my body this time. But they sure do itch.

It's good to be back in my particular rhythm again, also, as the way to work with lyme disease and the Salt/C protocol, for me, is to hold steady, which means really being focused on when and how I take the salt and vitamin c, as well as my supplements, and what/how I eat, AND working in some exercise and of course, sleeping at night on my beloved earthing sheet!

I'm starting to mull over in my head what to cook for Christmas dinner this year, since Erick and I will be out-numbered by four carnivores at the dining table. We'll probably purchase an organic turkey breast for them, and then do a traditional meal the vegan way - stuffing, mashed potatoes, greens, sweet potatos, rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie... and Erick is really wanting us to try making a flourless chocolate cake. If anyone has a good recipe for any of the above that is vegan or could be converted, let me know!

I hope you are able to walk in balance during the holidays and truly enjoy what is beautiful about this time of year. I think another reason I love Christmas is that the colorful lights stand out so dramatically against the darkness, signifying a knowingness that no matter how dark things may seem, there is always light, always hope. I actually welcome the darkness and honor the Winter Solstice as a time to tuck into my dark, welcoming cave, like the bear who hibernates, to get some extra rest and relaxation so that my body, mind and spirit can rejuvenate and I can poke my head out into the sun once again come springtime and rejoice in all the flowers and signs of new life. I appreciate all four seasons even more now that I live on Whidbey Island, where the seasons are clearly delineated. I can feel the natural rhythm of things here much more easily, and I really love and appreciate that.

Before closing today, I'm going to paste-in below an article by Dr. Mercola that I feel is a must-read, whether or not you agree with some or all of these concepts, since some of it challenges what the medical world has told us to be true. I remember the old adage "Question Authority!" and I really do believe it's important to do that. Only I would say, "Question So-Called Authority!" Like any other large institution, there are pros and cons about the medical world, and we tend to think whatever a doctor says is gospel. One thing I've really learned through this process of healing through lyme disease, is how important it is to educate myself and to follow what my own inner compass guides me to do, in concert, when necessary, with healthcare providers of my choosing. I believe there is much in this article of value, so I hope you will find it useful, as well.

In the spirit of joy, peace, and unconditional love,

Sukie

CANCER IS A MAN-MADE DISEASE by Dr. Mercola

According to the latest statistics compiled by the American Heart Association, cancer surpasses heart disease as the top killer among Americans between the ages of 45 to 74. The odds are very high that you or someone you know has cancer or has died from it.Cancer rates for various types of cancer are on the rise, and environmental/lifestyle factors are increasingly being pinpointed as the culprits, such as:

•Pesticide- and other chemical exposures
•Pharmaceutical drugs
•Processed and artificial foods (plus the chemicals in the packaging)
•Wireless technologies, dirty electricity, and medical diagnostic radiation exposure
•Obesity, stress, and poor sleeping habits
•Lack of sunshine exposure and use of sunscreens
This not an all-inclusive list, of course, but as the research into the health of our ancient ancestors shows, cancer is not a "natural" disease, and genetics are not a primary factor.

What Ancient Mummies and Prehistoric Fossils Tell Us about Cancer
Cancer is, by and large, the tragic result of humans veering too far off course – avoiding health-sustaining diets and activities, while embracing a highly unnatural lifestyle and continually dousing your insides and outsides with excess chemicals.

The Daily Mail reports:

"Tumors were rare until recent times when pollution and poor diet became issues, the review of mummies, fossils and classical literature found... Despite slivers of tissue from hundreds of Egyptian mummies being rehydrated and placed under the microscope, only one case of cancer has been confirmed.

Dismissing the argument that the ancient Egyptians didn't live long enough to develop cancer, the researchers pointed out that other age-related disease such as hardening of the arteries and brittle bones did occur.

Fossil evidence of cancer is also sparse, with scientific literature providing a few dozen, mostly disputed, examples in animal fossil... Even the study of thousands of Neanderthal bones has provided only one example of a possible cancer."

According to Professor Rosalie David, co-author of the recently published study stated:

'There is nothing in the natural environment that can cause cancer. So it has to be a man-made disease, down to pollution and changes to our diet and lifestyle."

The good news is, medical science is finally starting to catch up with common sense, and studies are emerging showing the powerful potential of food and lifestyle to both prevent and treat cancer.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to take this information to heart, and apply it in your own life. Don't wait for the "definitive scientific" proof You don't have to wait to incorporate these changes into your life and benefit immediately, and save you and your family so much unnecessary grief...

The medical industry as a whole is resistant to change, and you likely will not see any major revisions to conventional cancer treatments anytime soon. Widespread adoption of many of these recommendations will take many decades at best.

Remember the words of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer who, 200 years ago, said all truth goes through three stages:

•First it is ridiculed
•Then it is violently opposed
•Finally it is widely accepted as self evident
Are Drugs Really the Answer?
A case in point: ten of the 12 "major cancer advances" named by the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2008 involved drugs.

Not food, not lifestyle changes, just drugs.

They claim these drug-based "advances" have made cancer treatments and prevention "a lot better," but what are they basing that opinion on? Certainly not statistics!

That same year, about 12.4 million people from all over the world were diagnosed with some form of cancer and 7.6 million people died from the disease.

In the last 30 years of the 20th century the global cancer burden has doubled, and it will likely double again between 2000 and 2020 and nearly triple by 2030. Projected mortality estimates for 2030 range from just over 13 million, to 17 million people dying from the disease.

With statistics like these, how can anyone talk about cancer treatment "advances," particularly when they have completely overlooked the methods that can actually turn the cancer trend around!

Below I will review three major cancer strategies that, according to researchers' estimates, could have a FAR greater impact on cancer statistics than any cancer drug or treatment currently available.

I strongly recommend implementing these strategies rather than relying on the drug cartel to concoct "better drugs."

There is a Better Way
I am firmly convinced that you don't have to die from cancer if you follow a healthy lifestyle. I'm fairly convinced that cancer or heart disease will not be the cause of my death. If you follow these strategies and start at an early enough age your body will be able to limit the progression of any malignant cells.

We see dramatic reversals in so many people with advanced cancers that apply these strategies, but what we fail to see are the millions of miracles that occur every day that eliminate cancers that have yet to surface because the body's healthy immune response suppresses them.

Remember it is exponentially easier to prevent cancers than it is to treat them. So just what are some of these strategies that can insulate you from ever developing cancer?

Anti-Cancer Strategy #1: Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels Year-Round
It is estimated that if people around the world optimized their vitamin D levels, cancer deaths could be slashed by 30 percent -- which amounts to 2 million worldwide and 200,000 in the United States -- each year.

On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure! I can't think of any other strategy that can offer this level of protection. You may even be able to significantly boost your chances of survival if you already have cancer, by maintaining vitamin D levels of around 80-90 ng/ml.

Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:

•Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
•Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
•Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
•Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
Vitamin D, which is created in your skin after exposure to sunshine, is even of extreme importance for preventing skin cancer. It's important to realize that the risk of skin cancer from the sun comes only from excessive exposure, which can damage your skin.

The fact is that countless people around the world have an increased risk of cancer – including skin cancer -- because their vitamin D levels are low or deficient due to lack of appropriate sun exposure...

For example, in the US, the late winter average vitamin D level is only about 15-18 ng/ml, which is considered a very serious deficiency state that can cause a wide variety of health problems, from an acute bout of cold or flu, to an increased risk for cancer, long-term.

In fact, low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk of dying from ANY illness by 150 percent!
If you still find this hard to believe, I highly recommend watching my one-hour vitamin D lecture to clear up any confusion you may have about this essential nutrient.

Anti-Cancer Strategy #2: Optimize Your Insulin Levels
Normalizing your insulin levels is yet another powerful action you can take to lower your risk of cancer.

Otto Warburg actually received a Nobel Prize in 1934 for his observation of cancer cell physiology, which clearly demonstrated that cancer cells require more sugar to thrive. Unfortunately, virtually no oncologists appreciate or apply this knowledge today.

Your pancreas releases insulin -- produced by beta cells -- after you eat carbohydrates, and this is why numerous studies have linked refined carbohydrates with cancer. Over time, if you eat too many grains and sugars, and your body is constantly releasing an abundance of insulin, your body will become resistant to it. This means you will require even more insulin to produce the same effects, and it starts you on a vicious cycle.

Many people now have insulin levels that are too high, courtesy of our modern day's sugar-laden diet and lack of exercise, and this can cause major damage to your body.

The most recognized of these is diabetes, but that is far from the only one. As Ron Rosedale, M.D. said in one of my most popular articles, Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects:

"It doesn't matter what disease you are talking about, whether you are talking about a common cold or cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or cancer, the root is always going to be at the molecular and cellular level, and I will tell you that insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally control it."


The good news is that controlling your insulin levels is relatively straightforward.

First, limit your intake of processed foods, grains and sugars (particularly fructose!) as much as possible to prevent your insulin levels from becoming elevated in the first place.

Next, exercise regularly, as this will drive your insulin levels down.

Anti-Cancer Strategy # 3: Opt for a Safer, More Effective Cancer Screen
As I mentioned in the beginning, the danger inherent in radiation exposure from medical screens such as mammograms is increasingly being revealed. Yet most physicians continue to recommend yearly mammograms for women as a breast cancer screening tool.

This is to be expected, I guess, considering the fact that the American Cancer Society – one of the main proponents for mammograms -- has close financial ties to the makers of mammography equipment.

This financial bias hypes mammography, even though it is clearly a cause of breast cancer itself...

According to a recent World Wire press release:

"Routine mammography delivers an unrecognized high dose of radiation, warn Drs. Epstein and Bertell. If a woman follows the current guidelines for premenopausal screening, over a 10 year period she would receive a total dosage of about 5 rads.

This approximates the level of exposure to radiation of a Japanese woman one mile from the epicenter of atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima or Nagasaki."

The risks of mammograms far outweigh their benefit, which is why I encourage you to think for yourself and consider safer, more effective alternatives.

The option for breast screening that I most highly recommend is called thermographic breast screening, which measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images.

Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer as much as 10 years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam – before a tumor has even formed!

This is made possible because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis -- the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size.

More men's lives could also be spared from the disease as mammography is not frequently used on men, which leads to most men with breast cancer being diagnosed at a very late stage.

To find out more about this safe and highly effective method of cancer detection, you can read my free report on the topic or visit my Thermography Diagnostics Center now.

Winning the War Against Cancer is Simpler than Anyone Might Think
There is a lot that you can do right now to significantly impact your cancer risk. Even the conservative American Cancer Society states that one-third of cancer deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight. So making healthy lifestyle changes is one of the most important ways to protect yourself from cancer.

A "cure for cancer" is not impossible -- it's mostly just common sense!

I've detailed my comprehensive list of what you can do, right now, to virtually eliminate your cancer risk many times before, but for those of you who haven't seen it, the entire list is printed at the end of this past article.

Aloha Spirit

Aloha, one and all.... we are home from the islands and had a fabulous time. Still feeling like I'm on a boat... attuned to a gentle rocking motion. We snorkeled with green sea turtles, played on a catamaran with dolphins all around, watched glowing red lava flowing into the ocean at night, floated past the stunningly gorgeous Napali coast, trekked through gorgeous vistas of waterfalls and rainbows, and just generally had a spectacular time. The best part of course was the time spent with family, and watching my mom's face light up with joy and delight every day at being able to share amazing experiences and quality time with all of us. She did really well on the trip, overall, though it was tiring for her, and all the commotion on the ship a bit confusing for her at times. But she had a blast, as did we all.

Let's be clear on one thing, though. Cruises are not conducive to one's health when it comes to eating, at least not if you have food sensitivities. There were virtually no gluten-free options (except one dessert that was a flourless chocolate torte, although of course it contained sugar), nor was anything organic, etc. Honestly, they do a pretty good job of feeding 2,000 people all day long, and hopefully they will do better in the future as people begin to make more requests for healthier food. I mean, they did have lots of fresh, tropical fruit, and a fairly good salad bar, and a couple of interesting veggie options here and there (mushroom turnovers one day, a veggie lasagna another time). So while I was fairly careful in what I ate, for some meals I pretty much threw in the towel and said, "here I go..." and ate the bread, the pasta, had a glass or two of sangria, a mai tai, a pina colada, a couple of decadent desserts (shared with Erick), a couple of orders of fries and.... I seem to have survived fairly well. Truthfully, my liver hasn't been happy since I left home 10 days ago, and I have hives coming back (clearly these are related to food, as my last two trips I have gotten the itchies, although not as bad this time).

Of course, I was "earthing" the whole time, as I spent a good amount of time snorkeling in salt water, and walking on beaches, so I'm sure that helped a lot, since my earthing pad wasn't much good on the ship. Salt water is the best conductor of all, though, so that was a built-in blessing. The ship did have a sauna and steam room, so I was able to keep up a bit with my sweat routine, which I'm sure also helped maintain some equilibrium.

I was also really good about taking my supplements, so I don't think I did any un-doable damage, but I can say for certain that the lyme bacteria definately got a vacation, too. I'm pretty sure the sugar and wheat cancelled out much effect from the salt and vitamin C. Conclusion? It was priceless time well spent, a great time was had by all, and now it is back to reality (organic foods, eating wheat-free, dairy-free, processed sugar and processed food-free), and let's hope my liver and my sore joints will soon forgive me. The reality is that I am not lyme-free yet, and the Salt/C protocol is going to be a part of my life for probably another year-ish...

Sending aloha spirit to you - which is much like the namaste': the spirit in me honors the spirit in you. Aloha is not only hello, good-bye and I love you, but I honor you: We share the same spirit and the same breath.

And Mahalo to you for keeping up with this journey of mine...

Sukie
p.s. for those on Facebook, I'll be posting some beautiful Hawaiian pics later today...

The Autumn Flare

Greetings to all ~

Just a quick note before heading out the door on our trip to Hawaii.... (and YES, we are very excited!!). I wanted to note that in the literature about lyme disease it always talks about the lyme flares that happen in the spring and fall. For some reason, life-cycle-wise, these times of year encourage great activity amongst the borrelia spirochetes. I hadn't really noticed so much before, possibly because I was in such extreme pain all the time, anyway. Now, I am realizing that these past few days I have been feeling a lot of pain, as well as "movement", if you will, of the bacteria. The "movement" thing is hard to explain.... it's a sense of weakness in the bones and muscles, and an essence of motion that I've been feeling off and on for years. Kind of how I feel if I can in an elevator that drops quickly...

Anyway, as I ponder these sensations, as well as almost flu-like symptoms of aches and pains I've had for a couple of days, I am realizing it's probably the autumn lyme flare. I feel fine, otherwise. No fever or anything like that. Head is very clear. Just achey-breakey. Wonder how the borrelia will like the tropical weather of the islands? I want to be very diligent about my eating over there and stay away from sweets, so that I don't give them any encouragement to want to propogate any further than they already are. I will be keeping up with my Salt/C and supplement protocol throughout the trip, also, which will keep the critters on the run....

While we're gone I'm loaning my two earthing sheets to a couple of friends with fibromyalgia (and also taking an earthing pad along on the trip). It will be interesting to hear about whatever results they may have from using the sheets for 10 days.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving - so much to be grateful for! I am grateful for all of you for caring enough to check in with this blog to see what's happening. I hope it's helpful for you. It's been a fabulous experience for me...

Special LOVE shout-out today to RKay! xoxoxox

Much love, aloha, & see you soon,

Sukie

It's all about the Herx...

Hello to you!

I've been feeling so darn good that I've gotten a bit lax on my blogging, haven't I? Well, this week I am herxing and in some pain, which reminded me to blog! The herxes these days are essentially self-imposed - meaning that I have to "up" my Salt/C intake to create a herx reaction, so on weeks when I don't have guests, travel, or major responsibilities, I ratchet up on the Salt/C so that I can herx and do more clearing of the borrelia bacteria.

What I've noticed is that the herxes, while painful, are not as severe as they used to be. Not fun still, but definately more do-able now. It never feels good to ache all over or have intense pains in your joints. This week the pain is mostly limited to my right knee (ouchhh) and the back of my neck just below the occipital ridge, and some shoulder pain. So that tells me pretty much where the critters are holed-up. Another thing I've noticed over the past few months is that generally when I start herxing, I will get little pin-head-sized red spots that will sometimes break open. Some of the literature on the Salt/C protocol postulates that these may be "exit points" for the bacteria. I have no idea if that's true, but there is some correlation between the higher doses and the phenomenon of the spots.

I continue to be grateful every day for my improving health and vitality, my wonderful, charmed life in general, including my amazing and sweet Erick, dear friends and family, beautiful island home, meaningful work and projects, and my Earthing sheet! I am so grateful for that amazingly simple little piece of fabric that helps to keep the inflammation way down. I'm including a comment here from Caroline, one of my Reiki students, who recently purchased an Earthing sheet:

While restless leg syndrome is often what sends me to bed, I no longer have the RLS while in bed. I am experiencing more clarity when I wake up in the morning. Even the morning when I woke up at 3:30 (urgh), I was clear and un-foggy. I have noticed that when I go out for my weekly shopping trips (or trips to Alderwood Mall for a play day), I am no longer exhausted at the end of the excursion. And (joy of joys!!!!) I can once again sit cross-legged. Yoga will be much easier now. And finally (or maybe not!), I'm getting all those little projects completed. I just do them. Already this sheet has more than paid for itself.

On to fun stuff: One more week until we leave for Hawaii. It'll be lovely to spend Thanksgiving with family in the tropics; we're all looking forward to that. I feel really ready for some snorkeling and hiking, and I think my body is ready to rock and roll. While I've spent time before on some of the islands, this will be an inter-island cruise, so we'll have time to sit on our deck and watch the beautiful magic of the water and Hawaiian nature pass by....then we have stops on Maui (2 days), Kauai (2 days), Hilo (1 day), and Kona (1 day), plus a couple of extra days to cavort around Oahu. Having grown up in Arizona, I always appreciate a time when I can spend my day in shorts and bare feet. My hair gets some funky waves in it from the humidity - a few years ago in Roatan my hair was so wavy I looked like a different person. And so nice that my 89-year-old mom will get to enjoy this Hawaiian interlude, as her health has been declining a bit this past year. She so deserves this special time with her loved ones in paradise.

Aloha & catch up with you again soon,

Sukie

Progress Report....

Hello to all~

Just got back from an appointment with Dr. R. She was happy to hear that I am feeling so much better, and we will start gradually reducing some of the supplements that I'm taking. She also looked at my blood under the microscope. The cells are still hanging onto each other in chains, for the most part, not quite as free-floating as I'd like to see them, which means that there is still a significant amount of inflammation in my system. The borderline anemia I had going has resolved itself without me adding supplements. There is showing some type of intestinal disturbance, and so I am going up on the probiotics.

In December I'm going to do another test for heavy metals to see how the levels are looking, and if some reduction is still necessary I'll probably do another round of chelation therapy in February. Chelation therapy is not too much fun, so I figured doing it in the dead of winter when there isn't much going on, is as good a time as any. Last time I did chelation was the autumn of 2009, and it helped reduce the mercury quite a bit, and the lead somewhat. Need to "get the lead out..."!

Soooo, slow progress continues to be made. The inflammation is getting better very gradually, and certain aspects of my blood have improved.

I've upped my Salt/C levels twice (temporarily) the last couple of weeks to induce herx reactions, knowing this is necessary to my overall healing. The herxes still aren't fun, but they don't seem to be as extreme as they once were. I get stiff and sore during herxes, but not as intensively as before. This is a GOOD THING!

For those of you who also have joint or bone issues/pain, I'm including a 9-day rejuvenation plan shared by my dear friend Shirley, who is a master energy worker and wise sage. This is information that she "downloaded" through a dream. As always, this is posted for your info; you should always check with your healthcare provider before starting any new plan.

I'm going to try this 9-day rejuvenation this month, myself, before leaving for Hawaii Thanksgiving week. See the plan below.

Enjoy & be at peace,

Sukie

NINE DAY INVITATION TO NATURE'S WELLNESS FOR BONE HEALTH
For nine days:

Oil of Cedar, 1x per day, used in one of the ways below:
Cedar neutralizes inflammation and toxins in bones, and balances alkaline levels
* Soak in warm bath w/essential oil of cedar (3 drops under running faucet)
* Steamed cloths - in water w/oil of cedar (several drops); place on joints
* Spend time amongst cedar trees with gratitude

Brown Rice w/Baby Spinach & Flax (ground seeds & oil)
* Every 2 or 3 days for 9 days...
Flax nourishes and lubricates joints with all Omega's and Vitamin B's.
Brown rice carries silicon, for formation of collagen needed for bones and connective tissue; also a god source of B6 and B1 for nourishing joints and regulating energy levels.
Spinach helps immune system and is a good source of folic acid (B9), and calcium, to strengthen bones and cellular energy.

Send Chi to joint areas with deep breaths, both morning and evening...
* Every day if possible, reach into the heart of the Earth with deep inhale, then exhale to the skies and into the body, releasing and enjoying the experience. Repeat as desired.

The above allows rejuvenation of the whole body, regulating organs and circulation. Also lubricates joints and brings an inner smile to body, mind and spirit. :-)

Coconutty

Hello there...

I have been nuts about coconut oil for a long time. Several years ago I started hearing about the wonderful benefits of consuming it. It's really the only oil that's safe to fry with (if you must fry), and it is powerfully antibacterial and anti-viral, as well as very supportive to the thyroid gland. There is so much good stuff to say about it that I'm including an article by Dr. Mercola (see below) who, once again, has succinctly summarized and captured the essential info about coconut oil, as he so often does about many other foods, supplements and products.

If you've heard that coconut oil is a saturated fat and that you should stay away from saturated fats, please read the info below to understand that all saturated fats are not created equally. There are naturally occurring ones and human-manufactured ones. And big differences between the two.

I often make soups where I use coconut oil to saute' onions, tomatoes, leeks and sometimes mushrooms together, before I add them to the soup stock... love it!

On another note: Taught my Reiki III class today - stellar group of students! All enjoyed having a chakra tune-up on the Earthing sheet, as well as learning to work with a higher level of Universal energy. I am so grateful for both Reiki life-force energy and for Gaia Earth energy for working together to create an optimal healing environment for me, as well as for others.

Also enjoying my daughter, Ariana, being here with her dear friend, Esmer. Two very wise, articulate and creative young women, and I adore them! Truly I have been blessed to have such an amazing daughter...... LOVE YOU ARI JAAN!

So here is the coconut oil 4-1-1. Hope you're enjoying this fabulous weekend!

Sukie

This Cooking Oil is a Powerful Virus-Destroyer and Antibiotic…

Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 22 2010

PreviousNextYou've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60% of their total caloric intact from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?[1]

Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals.

But I'm going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren't telling you.

The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.

The operative word here is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.

The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.

These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.

And guess what?

These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!

But the truth finally came out. Trans fat was rebuked, debunked, and revealed as the true enemy to good health that it has always been, regardless of what the seed- and vegetable oil shills told the American public for the last half century.

Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding naturally occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.

If one form of saturated fat is bad for you, the argument goes, then all saturated fat must be bad.

Right?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Truth about Coconut Oil
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,[2] demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health.

In fact, no evidence exists that the naturally occurring high saturated fat intake had any kind of harmful effect in these populations!

That's not what you expected, is it? Based on 60 years of negative public policy towards naturally occurring saturated fats, you would expect these cultures to be rife with clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease.

It may be surprising for you to realize that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil actually has some amazing health benefits, such as:

•Promoting your heart health[3]
•Promoting weight loss, when needed[4]
•Supporting your immune system health[5]
•Supporting a healthy metabolism[6]
•Providing you with an immediate energy source[7]
•Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
•Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland[8]
But how is this possible?

Does coconut oil have some secret ingredients not found in other saturated fats?

The answer is a resounding "yes".

Coconut Oil's Secret Ingredient
50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. If you're a frequent reader of my newsletter you already know that I consider lauric acid a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties.

Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.[9]

Monolaurin is a monoglyceride which can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:

•HIV, herpes
•Measles
•Influenza virus
•Various pathogenic bacteria
•Protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!

Capric acid, another coconut fatty acid present in smaller amounts, has also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.

This is one of the key reasons you should consider consuming coconut oil, because there aren't many sources of monolaurin in our diet. But the health benefits of coconut oil don't stop there.

The Benefits of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids produce a whole host of health benefits.

Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.

By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

Let me tell you why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs found in coconut oil[10] :

•LCFAs are difficult for your body to break down -- they require special enzymes for digestion.
•LCFAs put more strain on your pancreas, liver and your entire digestive system.
•LCFAs are predominantly stored in your body as fat.
•LCFAs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.
•In contrast to LFCAs, the MCFAs found in coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following beneficial qualities:
•MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
•MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system.
•MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
•MCFAs actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Coconut Oil Helps Fight Diabetes
Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.

But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.

Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. You read that correctly, Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption!

Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions (an exploding health epidemic in America), should immediately realize the benefit of a fast acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body. In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 Diabetes.[11]

Cococut Oil, the Friend to Athletes and Dieters
If you live in the United States, you have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight.

And, by now, I'm sure you're well aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.

Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

It didn't work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.

In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs can enhance physical or athletic performance.[12]

Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut Oil on Your Skin
Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight stressed muscles.

However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.

Coconut oil is actually ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.

In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant[13] , due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he believes it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.

Coconut Oil and Your Heart
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.

And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe.[14]

Plus, the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.

Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen
I only use two oils in my food preparation.

The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing.

However, it should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double bonds.

I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets.

Why?

Reason # 1: Most people believe that frying creates trans-fat. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils thantrans-fat.

Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fat.

Reason # 2: Most of the vegetable oils are GMO. This would include over 90 percent of the soy, corn and canola oils.

Reason # 3: Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of damaged omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.

They are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago. This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6/omega-3 ratio which controls many delicate biochemical pathways which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss and thyroid function -- coconut oil.

So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

Coconut Oil Safety
The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems. Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.[15]

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.

Two thumbs up on Salt/C protocol

Greetings ~

I was just looking at my planner and realize that I have an appointment on November 2 with Dr. R. to do a functional blood analysis, to see how my blood cells are looking at this point. I am really hopeful that they are going to show a marked improvement, since I am feeling so much better this past couple of months. It is SO amazing how much the inflammation has been reduced, mostly since I added sleeping on the earthing sheet. I keep thinking about that song that says, "I feel good! Like I knew that I would....." (James Brown?).

I've always felt like I would get better ~ in fact, I've always believed I would end up feeling better than when I started. I already do! Now of course, at this point "getting better" means that I feel better, which is more important to me than anything else. Just how much the bacterial load has actually been reduced is hard to say, but I feel now that I know how to handle it, that I have a mechanism for dealing with it.

I know that I'm definately at a point where I can say wholeheartedly that I believe that the Salt/C protocol works. Whether it will work for everyone is something I can't say, but I would certainly encourage people with lyme disease to give it a try, with the blessing of your healthcare professionals, for sure.

And regardless of whether a person tries the Salt/C protocol or some other treatment(s) for Lyme, I would also very enthusiastically recommend purchasing an Earthing sheet. What a difference that has made in terms of reducing and practically eliminating inflammation, as well as improving my quality of sleep!!!

So stay tuned and let's see how the functional blood analysis turns out. In the meantime, I'll catch you in a few days.... hope you're enjoying the beautiful autumn. I am literally watching the leaves fall out my window right now.

Blessings,

Sukie

Passion

Greetings ~

Before I launch into the topic of "passion", an update is in order. Since I've been feeling SOOOO good for quite some time now, and because, apparently, I am a masochist at heart, I decided to pump up my Salt/C levels to see if a herx reaction would follow. I haven't had a serious herx in awhile....

Tonight I am stiff and sore! And that tells me something. My body has gotten used to the 8 Salt/C caps a day, and needs more than that (at least right now) to encourage a herx, which means focusing upon the downsizing of the bacterial load. I'm going to follow the lead of other Salt/C pioneers before me, and start "pulsing" a higher dosage for at least one week a month. I've come this far.... gotta stay the course.

Lately, the back of my neck has been fairly sore. Tonight it's REALLY sore. The rest of me hurts a little, but not so much. This also tells me that the remaining bacteria has moved into my neck area, which fits with the literature that says that the borrelia bacteria when on its way out of the system (which takes time) will often travel to the head. So it makes some kind of wicked sense to me...

I've had a few delightful weeks of very little pain, and I wish I could just go with that, but I knew it was time to tweak my dose to see if a herx would result, and it has. A lot of folks back off of the Salt/C protocol too soon, for a variety of reasons, including thinking they are healed because their pain is gone, or because they are in so much pain they feel they can't handle it, or they assume incorrectly that their lyme disease is getting worse. As I've explained in several other posts, one has to kill off the majority of the bacteria, which means the infamous Herxheimer reaction, so that the immune system can recover and take over the handling of any remaining bacteria.

So most importantly, what I've learned is that I am really making awesome progress with getting well: reducing the bacteria, strengthening the immune system, reducing my aspirin consumption, starting to overcome some of the food sensitivities, getting better sleep and rest, and so forth and so on.... I look forward to seeing Dr. R again in a couple of months for another functional blood analysis, to see how much progress can be seen. I predict the Earthing sheet is also helping with all this, and it will show, with evidence of healthier blood cells under the microscope.

I feel I'm close to coming full circle on this adventure, but not quite yet. One thing I've realized lately is that my passions and ideas are changing, or shall we say evolving. For so many years, my passion, among other things, was about social work and helping support and educate families where children had been abused and neglected, as well as working with teens in a variety of settings and programs. Those were amazing years and I have no regrets. I absolutely loved all the opportunities I was given to make a difference. A lot of wonderful, magical stuff happened, and I was able to do much in not only one-on-one, hands-on work with kids and adults, but also with program development and management of teams who made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many.

Moving here to Whidbey was a huge adjustment. Even though that adjustment was expected and embraced (at least most of the time), it has still been BIG. In retrospect, it took something like the crash of my immune system to get me to re-think my priorities and my health on all levels, and to adjust more for what I now want the future to look like. As I have meditated lately on what my passion(s) really is about now, I realize how far I have come with this transformative process I continue to undergo, as I open ever more deeply to the work of my soul. And my passion is delighting me. While I will always care about making the world a better place for children and people in general (through my work with the Whidbey Children's Theater, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, my Reiki practice, etc.), and while I will always love art, travel and all that jazz, I'm seeing and feeling that my passion right now is about the journey itself - what I've learned, and what I can impart to others in terms of inspiration, information, and enthusiasm for optimal health... mind, body and spirit.

While I'm not totally out of the woods yet with lyme disease, I can honestly say that I have transformed my health in ways I'd only dreamed of before. I finally broke the sugar addiction after many years of getting close to it. I watched 35 pounds come off as I traded "pretty OK" eating habits for "stellar" (mostly) eating habits. Not the easy way, mind you, since I literally HAD to clean up my eating, and since I was in so much pain a year ago I could barely move - but it was weight I had gained through stress and comfort eating (even as a vegetarian). I was so comfortable with stress and multi-tasking during my career days in California that I was just used to it and it seemed normal. I always balanced it with spiritual practice, travel and retreats, etc. Yet when I look back at photos from a year ago, I see someone so very exhausted and bloated, who was flat-lined energetically, emotionally, and physically. BOOM! Welcome to the results of years of burning the candle at both ends!

Today I look in the mirror and I see/feel revived energy, excitement, radiance (most days), and just a more healthful me, overall. Nothing is perfect, though. When you lose 35 pounds at the age of 54, your skin doesn't just snap back into place like it did when you were younger. If I had a magic wand I'd be waving it over my upper arms, my butt and thighs, and my neck. Yet there is also something to be said for aging gracefully (and fitting comfortably into size 6 jeans after years of tight 12 jeans).... and I feel "forever 21" in my heart and soul. I think we are at our most attractive when we are joyful and smiling, and that's when I feel my best, so I am really thankful that I feel that way 98.5% of the time. Those wrinkles around my smile and my eyes have been well earned with all the laughter and delights of life.

I was raised by two very positive, optimistic parents (my dad was calm, patient, unconditional and kind; my mom not quite as much, being more of a worry-wort...yet still she held a positive outlook and enjoyed her life). I'm not a worrier, and I do have a tremendous capacity for unconditional love, and so I give thanks every day for my amazing dad, as well as for my mom who always gave me someone to "push against" since we differed greatly in our politics. They say the people who push our buttons the most are our greatest teachers, so in that regard my mom was on top of her game (and at the age of 89, still is, although she's mellowed a lot, while I've become more patient).

All of the above being said, I am feeling the desire to write another book. Don't know when I'll start it or how I will frame the adventure of the healing journey, but my sense is that it's starting to bubble up and will soon make its presence known. One thing I do know is that I will pace myself better this time (my last book The Ways of Spirit: 30 Visionaries Share Philosophies, Paths & Practices, was largely written in the wee hours of the morning, yawn, as I was so driven to create it). This time, healthy eating, restful sleep, spiritual practice and just balance-in-general will take precedence. I don't think I need to feel driven anymore... those days are over. Passionate YES, but driven, no....

"Island time" helps a lot. Living someplace where people aren't fixated on profits at the expense of others helps, too (not to mention the 2-lane highway with only one traffic light in our little town, and tranquil water views at every turn). My friends and I all shop at the thrift stores because it's fun, and we love our "such-a-deal"s.... Here on the island it's just a way of life, as is not obsessing over the news and politics. Not that people don't care.... they just seek not to stress, knowing that doesn't solve anything.

It takes a lot to get me off this island for any length of time, unless it's for a truly awesome vacation. I'd rather be here embraced by nature and peace, and open up our home and healing space for others who want and need a time-out. We all need a fresh perspective and some R&R once in awhile...

So we'll see where this emerging, evolving passion leads.... I hope you'll take the journey with me and feel inspired to own your power and thrive. I have always felt like a pretty powerful person, but once I got kicked to the curb by lyme, I had to re-claim that power by not giving it away to the powers-that-be of the medical world, and by educating myself and making informed decisions in partnership with my healthcare providers. After a few months of being so debilitated that I hoped someone or something would "fix" it, I realized I had to rally up, follow my own guidance, and set parameters around what was best for me and my body.

I envision vitality and dynamic health for ALL of us, as well as meaningful work - however we each define that term - that we feel passionate about. For me, work is not necessarily about making scads of money, although that can be part of it. The older I get, the more work and play morph together in a desire to live each moment conscientiously,with gratitude, mindfulness, compassion, grace, and intention guided by integrity. Our passion is whatever makes our heart sing.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be doing free mini-Reiki sessions tomorrow at Living Green in Langley from 11 am until 2-ish, so if you're on the island, stop by! I can't wait to try their new chef who lived in India and cooks healthy Indian fare (my favorite; Erick's too).


Namaste...

Sukie

GMO foods...

Hi All ~

Things are going so great this week. I'm feeling really good; the ol' body is pretty darn happy! I can tell my immune system is healing - I don't react as harshly to little "blips" of things.... for example, I ate something the other day with a bit of soy in it, and no major reaction. I had a whole wheat tortilla today, and no major reaction. Progress is being made!

The other night I went to a recognition dinner for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization with my little sis, Morgan. The organizers wanted a group photo, and Morgan, who is 9, went into the front row with the kids. Someone suggested I kneel next to her. At first I hesitated. Not too long ago, I couldn't get down onto my knees without a great deal of effort - and serious pain in my knees. Suddenly, I realized I could do it! I knelt down beside Morgan for the photo with little effort and no pain, and got back up again easily. That may sound like a small deal to someone who's used to doing that, but for me coming back from being nearly wholly incapacitated, it was HUGE. Today I've been pain-free all day.... I probably could have done a (gentle) yoga class today.... If I feel this well tomorrow I'll put on one of my yoga DVDs and see how far I get. Pretty EXCITING!!!!

I re-read the Salt/C protocol just to refresh my memory, and some folks have said that after 9 months they've really turned a corner on seriously reducing the pain and other symptoms. I'm at about 6 months now. I'm prepared to "do" the winter, and am visualizing that spring will bring about a true shift toward vitality, wellness and the ability to abundantly thrive.

It's become ultra clear to me that the various components of the protocol work together to create a space for healing to occur. The salt and vitamin C, of course, are the key to the whole deal, but also healthy (fresh, organic) eating, mild exercise, minimizing exposure to toxins (including EMFs), regular sweating (in my case, far-infrared sauna), lots of rest and sleep, and simplifying one's life as much as possible. I'm also really convinced my Earthing sheet is making a tremendous difference in my energy and overall pain levels. I've consciously been making my health a bigger priority than the gazillions of other things I want to do, which is very hard for me sometimes. There have been occasional days where I've exhausted myself but, for the most part, I've learned to pace myself.

For me, the area I'm weakest in is probably enough sleep. I'm starting to keep a sleep journal to help inspire me to get to bed earlier.

Anyway, on to the topic of the day. I'm seriously concerned about genetically modified foods (GMOs) for a number of reasons, most especially because of the companies that will stop at nothing to get what they want because of the profits involved. I wish I could feel that they had our health and well-being in mind, but politics and profits are the bottom line. Dr. Mercola had a great article about this recently, so I thought I'd share it with you. October is GMO food awareness month. I hope you'll take a few moments to peruse this and see if you feel compelled to act on any of these suggestions (see article below).

Enjoy the rest of this spectacular week! Wishing you beautiful weather and golden leaves falling gently all around you as you walk peacefully and in joy,

Sukie

from: www.mercola.com

Together we CAN get GMOs banned from the US. Europe was able to do it over a decade ago without any government assistance. All they did was educate the consumers, and that was enough pressure on the food industry to drop their ploys.

If we band together as an effective army we will be able to do this. Please understand that the VAST majority of people in the US do not want GM foods, so this is an EASY battle to win. All we have to do is a bit of organizational work.

So let me tell you how we are going to achieve the removal of GMOs in the US.

October is Non-GMO Month, and you've been receiving a lot of important information about genetically engineered foods this week.

Tomorrow, October 10th (10/10/10) is Non-GMO Day, so I'm pleased to bring back Jeffrey Smith, the real leader behind this movement to eliminate GM foods from the US market, for another interview.

This month, Jeffrey's organization, Institute for Responsible Technology, is launching a plan to bring their message to the necessary numbers of people to create a tipping point that can effectively drive GM foods off the market. Nearly 400 retail stores selling natural products around the country are already actively promoting the information about choosing healthier non-GMO products.

I'm thrilled to be part of this movement, and I strongly urge you join us.

The Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) has created a variety of tools that will make it easier for you to choose non-GM foods, and this is the way to eradicate GMO's from your local store. If no one wants to buy them, stores can't sell them, and will simply stop ordering them. Food manufacturers will have to adjust and quickly change their ingredients or risk losing their business.

It's really that simple!

Remember, you as a consumer is still at the top of the food chain.

The Tipping Point is Near -- The Time to Join is NOW!

In this interview, Jeffrey shares some of the history of his organization and what they've gone through over the last 15 years to get to this point, and why it's so important that we all act now.

"In [the beginning of] 1999, the biotech industry… was still anticipating that they could replace 95 percent of all commercial seeds with genetically engineered seeds within five years… But a single high profile GMO food safety scandal erupted in middle of February 1999.

Dr. Arpad Pusztai… has been gagged and told that if he talked about what he knew, he would be sued. Well, by an order of parliament, his gag order was lifted and he could finally talk about how he discovered that genetically engineered foods were inherently unsafe and could create all sorts of damage -- just from the process itself, irrespective of what gene you put in.

Seven hundred and fifty articles were written within a month, and within 10 weeks virtually every major food company committed to stop using GM ingredients in Europe because it had become a marketing liability.

They weren't instructed to do that by the government. They were instructed to do that by consumers at the top of the food chain."

How many Americans do we need to convince to avoid eating genetically modified foods to achieve the same victory in the US?

We believe it's only about FIVE PERCENT of US shoppers!

So, changing the shopping habits of about 5.6 million households may be sufficient to eliminate GMOs in the US.

That is our goal!

We already have these numbers on our side. About 28 million Americans buy organic on a regular basis. Eighty-seven million Americans think GMOs are seriously unsafe. A hundred and fifty nine million Americans, the majority, say they would avoid GMOs if labeled!

Unfortunately, no labeling is required, making your commitment to avoid GM foods all that more complicated. But that's where we come in.

How You Can Help Others to Avoid GMO Foods
Most people want to avoid GMO foods but it is virtually impossible to do so, since the government prevents GMO labeling.

However, Jeffrey Smith has compiled a resource for you to avoid the government block of information. It is the free Non-GMO Shopping Guide. We realize that with the challenging economy it is very difficult for many to donate money to help this cause, so we are merely asking for your time and connections with your family and friends.

You can really help by making this message go viral. So if you are convinced that GMO foods should not be in the US, please send this information to everyone you know; post it on Facebook and Twitter…

You can also print out the Non-GMO Shopping Guide and give it to your friends and family.

If you feel more ambitious you can also order the Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure in bulk, and bring them to the grocery stores in your area. Talk to the owner or manager and get permission to post them in their store.

Who Will You Share this Information With?

We have the tools right now to make a national movement quicker and more complete than any time in history. One important part of this message is that buying organic whenever you can is not enough to actually ban GM foods…

Instead, what is needed is the consensus that "I buy organic whenever I can, but if I don't buy organic, I buy non-GMO."

Remember, this also includes dairy from cows treated with rBGH, as it is a genetically engineered growth hormone, and the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is derived from GM microorganisms.

If those of you who already buy organic whenever possible also always avoid GM foods when you can't get organic, then we can reach the tipping point.

You can help nurture this consumer mindset by bringing information to your local natural food store owner, so that she can share it will all of her customers as well. IRT has created a complete Retailer Campaign Kit for this purpose.

You can also share information with your child's school, your health care providers, and food manufacturers. The IRT has created information kits for all of them, available here:

•Heath care provider kit
•Parents and Schools educational material
•Manufacturers information kit

Please remember to share this with your friends and family, but do so lovingly. You don't want to make yourself a pest and risk your relationship with them. But believe me, this is a MUCH easier sell than getting them to stop smoking or eating less sugar since most do not want GMOs anyway, and it doesn't involve giving anything up.

You may even want to share this information with your church or religious leaders. As Jeffrey says,

"There are certain religious groups that think the genetic engineering process itself violates God's laws. So 'GMO' for them really means, 'God Move Over' and not 'Genetically Modified Organism.'"

The Non-GMO Project

"Now the good thing about the natural products industry today is the Non-GMO Project movement," Jeffrey says. "A couple of years ago, the leaders of the natural food industry got together and backed a new standard for making non-GMO claims, and they called it the Non-GMO Project.

Now there are thousands of products enrolled in the Non-GMO Project, and you're going to start to see a little seal on packages, just like the organic seal.

You're also going to see something called Non-GMO Project Verified, meaning that the claim that something is non-GMO is now backed by a third party verified system.

In the past, if an owner of a natural products store had a lot of things that contained GMOs and a lot of things that didn't, they may be quite hesitant to start ringing the bell that GMOs were unhealthy. But now stores are becoming populated more and more and in some cases, completely, with products that are non-GMO verified.

Now you have store owners and managers and staff who are happy to shout from the rafters, our products are non-GMO and here is why."

For example, Whole Foods has now entered all of their store brand labels, the 365 brand and anything else that has the Whole Foods name, into the Non-GMO Project. They are also participating in non-GMO month. They've taken a strong leadership position to try and push the non-GMO message.

For timely information and updates, you can join the Non-GMO Project on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

Must-See Movies to Share!

The IRT has created a film called Hidden Dangers in Kid's Meals, which is a powerful way for parents to get an initiation into the health dangers. It's only 28 minutes long, which is ideal for local access TV.

You can simply bring the film to your local access TV station, and sometimes they'll play it 10, 20, or even 30 times because they're always looking for material and are open to support from the community.

There's also a video called Your Milk on Drugs - Just Say No!, which exposes the dangers of GM bovine growth hormones. Any parent still feeding their child milk from cows injected with rBGH needs to see this film! They'll never make the same mistake again…

Another powerful video you can share with your friends and family is Jeffrey's Everything You Have to Know About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods lecture.

Your Action Plan

I've already mentioned a number of different ways for you to get actively involved during Non-GMO Month. To recap, and add a few more suggestions, here is a list of Action Item for you to pick and choose from:

1.Distribute WIDELY the Non-GMO Shopping Guide to help you identify and avoid foods with GMOs. Remember to look for products (including organic products) that feature the Non-GMO Project Verified Seal to be sure that at-risk ingredients have been tested for GMO content.

2.Download the Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure and keep it with you whenever you shop, or download the free iPhone application that is available in the iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications.


You can also order the Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure in bulk and give it to your family and friends.

3.Urge food manufacturers to join the Non-GMO Project and become Non-GMO Project Verified. This is currently the only way for manufacturers to get around the fact that there's no GM-labeling system.

4.Urge your local food retailers to join the Non-GMO Project's Supporting Retailer Program.

5.If your budget allows support this urgent mission by generously donating to the Institute of Responsible Technology.

6.Bring the film Hidden Dangers in Kid's Meals to your local access TV station, or perhaps your child's school, along with some educational material specifically designed for teachers and educators.

7.Share Your Milk on Drugs - Just Say No!, and Jeffrey's lecture, Everything You Have to Know About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods with everyone you know. Post them to your Facebook page, or email the links to your network of friends and family.

8.Join the Non-GMO Project on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Together, We Control the Future of Our Food

Please join us in this important campaign. Do as much or as little as you can. Maybe you can't make a donation to IRT, but you can distribute 20 Non-GMO shopping guides to your closest family and friends.

Plus, all orders placed through Mercola.com, starting October 6th, will receive a FREE, printed 16-page Non-GMO Shopping Guide.*

No purchase necessary. You may also download the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, for free, here.

Please, support this urgent mission by donating to the Institute of Responsible Technology, a non-profit organization.

Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can reach the tipping point and push GMOs out of our food supply.

Sweet dreams...

Greetings everyone ~

I haven't been so great about keeping up the ol' blog this past couple of of weeks, have I? I've had a lot going on - first a trip, and then my mother's oral surgery to remove a tumor, followed by more company. But things are settling once again and I intend to get back to blogging at least twice a week or so...

I may have to re-name the blog "Saved by Salt & Earthing"... I truly love the earthing sheet, as well as spending more time walking barefoot on the beach and on our property. I still have some days where I'm stiff and achey, but the pain is not as intense, and I have more days that I feel relatively little pain at all. AND my sleep and level of rested-ness has truly gotten better. I've always been a morning person, and since lyme came to visit my ability to bounce out of bed feeling refreshed took a dive for over a year. Since I began using the earthing sheet, I awake around 6:30 am-ish, feeling very well rested, alert and alive. I LIKE THAT! It makes such a huge difference in my day.

Since we're on the topic of sleep, I thought I'd include a recent article from Dr. Mercola on sleep that is super informative. So many factors impact the quality and quantity of sleep that we get, and we can make it much easier on ourselves by being mindful of a few basic things, such as the time we go to bed, the EMFs in the room, the level of darkness in the room, etc.

Scroll down for the article, & enjoy!

Sukie

By Dr. Mercola

Sleep is one of the great mysteries of life. Like gravity or the quantum field, we still don’t understand exactly why we sleep—although we are learning more about it every day.

We do know, however, that good sleep is one of the cornerstones of health.

Six to eight hours per night seems to be the optimal amount of sleep for most adults, and too much or too little can have adverse effects on your health.

Sleep deprivation is such a chronic condition these days that you might not even realize you suffer from it. Science has now established that a sleep deficit can have serious, far reaching effects on your health.

For example, interrupted or impaired sleep can:

•Dramatically weaken your immune system
•Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions
•Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight
•Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day
•Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability

When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, your body produces less melatonin (a hormone AND an antioxidant) and has less ability to fight cancer, since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer. This is why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly.

Impaired sleep can also increase stress-related disorders, including:

•Heart disease
•Stomach ulcers
•Constipation
•Mood disorders like depression
Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep (and during certain types of exercise, such as Peak Fitness Technique). Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger.

One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause.

Lost sleep is lost forever, and persistent lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes to disrupting your health. Poor sleep can make your life miserable, as most of you probably know.

The good news is, there are many natural techniques you can learn to restore your “sleep health.”

Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning—or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep—you are bound to find some relief from my tips and tricks below.

**If you are interested in more information about sleep or any of the 33 items listed, I invite you to delve into the links that follow, which are grouped by subject.

Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary

1.Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. This will help decrease your risk of cancer. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio.

Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes.

All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Little bits of light pass directly through your optic nerve to your hypothalamus, which controls your biological clock.

Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.

2.Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.


When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.

3.Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well.


To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.

4.Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.

5.Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.


I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each morning if you can't wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time, which is ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.

6.Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.

7.Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.

Preparing for Bed

8.Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health.

Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

9.Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

10.Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.

11.Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.

12.Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.

13.Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.

14.Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.

15.Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.

16.Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.

17.Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night wakings. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.

18.Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.

19.Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.

20.No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.

21.Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD. Another favorite is the Sleep Harmony CD, which uses a combination of advanced vibrational technology and guided meditation to help you effortlessly fall into deep delta sleep within minutes. The CD works on the principle of “sleep wave entrainment” to assist your brain in gearing down for sleep.

22.Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep!

23.Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my cortisol levels are high.

Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep

24.Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely effect sleep. In most cases, the condition causing the drugs to be taken in the first place can be addressed by following guidelines elsewhere on my web site.

25.Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine (for example, diet pills).

26.Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.

27.Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.

28.Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep. (CLICK HERE for my nutritional recommendations.)

29.Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.

30.Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.

31.If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.

If All Else Fails

32.My current favorite fix for insomnia is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Most people can learn the basics of this gentle tapping technique in a few minutes. EFT can help balance your body's bioenergy system and resolve some of the emotional stresses that are contributing to your insomnia at a very deep level. The results are typically long lasting and improvement is remarkably rapid.

33.Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night.

If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue.

Melatonin is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep.

I prefer to use a sublingual melatonin product because it is absorbed much faster and therefore works more quickly. I offer a melatonin spray on my website that I believe is one of the very best on the market.