Aloha!
Yes, that is a greeting, as well as a farewell, and is also just a beautiful traditional Hawaiian word meaning affection, love, compassion, mercy and peace. It seems a perfect word for this beautiful sunny morning that comes after three days of rain. We just spent a couple of days hanging with my cousin Dave and his wife Heidi, and now gearing up for our trip to Sedona in a couple of weeks.
I have been feeling really well, for the most part. Not much pain, energy levels good. I did see my doctor last week who took my blood pressure and assessed the small red spots on my skin. My BP was 130/76, which was slightly higher than she'd like to see it but, since I am doing well on the salt/c protocol and feeling generally well, she thinks it is fine for me to continue as long as we monitor it. I'm not accustomed to monitoring anything, so this is new for me. As a child and teen I had low blood pressure which, as a youth, I always assumed must be a good thing since it was the opposite of high blood pressure. I later learned that low blood pressure isn't desirable either. But from my twenties onward my BP has always been in the normal range, so this is the first time it's been up a little. I feel fine, though, so I envision it all being good.
The tiny red spots are called cherry angiomas, and they are nothing to worry about. They are very common, especially after age 40, and are a form of benign tumor, created by clusters of dilated capillaries.
So that's the medical report. I'll go back in another month and we'll see how the BP looks.
So we all took a long beach walk on Friday, and I was concerned it would do me in for Saturday, but actually I felt awesome all day yesterday - I don't think I even took any aspirin at all. It reminds me that I need to do more walking on the days that it feels right, and we have a nearby beach that is perfect for that.
I made some yummy gluten-free, refined-sugar-free muffins the other day that everyone liked. I'm including the recipe here for Heidi, since she loved them and I forgot to xerox the page for her. Try these! If you have lyme only eat a little at a time, so you don't feed "the bugs" (since sugar and carbs will do that). You can also make them dairy free by using the egg substitute described below:
BERRY MUFFINS
1 cup organic apple sauce
1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup organic honey
3/4 cup flax meal or amaranth flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 egg OR 1 egg equivalent (1 T ground flax seed mixed with 3 T water - let stand for 2 minutes before mixing in)
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1 tsp gluten free baking soda
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic berries
(FYI, I didn't have baking powder so I put in extra baking soda and they came out just fine....)
Preheat oven to 325. Mix applesauce, oil, honey and sea salt. Add egg (or egg substitute), vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until blended. Add nuts and/or berries and gently fold in. Fill muffin pan (spray cups or use paper liners), making the cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test center with fork or toothpick before removing from oven.
Enjoy, and mahalo!
Sukie
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Deceptively sweet....
Greetings everyone ~
Ahhhh, life is grand. After those several really "herxy" days, I have been back to "normal" for a couple of days now. Meaning my energy is back and I haven't been hurting much. I had to listen to my body and do a lot of sleeping and resting for a couple of days. I was truly wiped out. But we're back in the saddle again.... I must confess that yesterday I did some spring cleaning and today I'm a bit sore, but it felt so good to do it! I also took a couple of naps in my cozy chair on the deck...
I have an appointment with Dr. Rabinovich on Thursday and will ask her to check my blood pressure, and also ask about the little teeny red dots. I'll report back here about those soon.
Today Dr. Mercola has an excellent article on his website that I thought I would post here. I know I've mentioned his website before: www.mercola.com. It is a truly valuable site with many useful articles, as well as products (Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil, ubiquinol, cocoa casava bars, water filters, etc.). A dear friend of mine, Mary Saint-Marie, who is a powerful teacher and brilliant artist and always on the cutting edge of everything, met Dr. Mercola recently and was truly impressed with him and his integrity. So I hope you'll enjoy the article below - I think it probably applies to pretty much every human, at least in the western world....
Back soon,
Sue
DR. MERCOLA'S ARTICLE ON FRUCTOSE
If you have been reading my recent articles about fructose you will probably recognize Dr. Richard Johnson.
Dr. Johnson is one of the physicians on the cutting edge of sugar metabolism research today, his focus being on how the overabundance of sugar in the American diet -- particularly fructose -- is causing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and a number of other health problems in staggering numbers.
In this lecture, Dr. Johnson takes a more historical approach to obesity and cardiovascular disease, reviewing the important uric acid connection and some interesting evolutionary findings related to the way humans metabolize sugar.
Cardiology is a Relatively NEW Field
Obesity rates have paralleled sugar consumption trends in Western civilization. Although the obesity epidemic is relatively recent, obesity is not a new phenomenon.
In 1860, the prevalence of a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher (which defines obesity) was 1.6 percent among 50 year-old men. By 1900, it had tripled, and it has sharply increased over the past century.
Like obesity, hypertension was also rare prior to the twentieth century:
•In 1900, only 5 percent of the population had a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher.
•By 1939, 10 percent of adults had blood pressures above 140/90.
•Today, 31 percent of adults are hypertensive.
Prior to 1940, there was no such thing as a cardiologist because there was no need for them. That was only 70 years ago!
The first reported angina was in 1929. In 1950, there were 500 cardiologists in the United States. Now there are 35,000 -- and they perform more than one million heart surgeries annually.
What is driving this eruption of cardiovascular disease?
One key factor: the explosion of sugar in the Western diet.
Sugar used to be quite expensive. It was a nonessential food item reserved mostly for the wealthy. Prior to 1800, Americans were consuming only about 4 pounds of sugar per person, per year. By 1800, that number had increased to 18 pounds as sugar plantations began to emerge. And by 1900, it was 90 pounds.
And sugar consumption has literally exploded since then -- our entire society is dependent on a substance that offers no nutritional value at all.
Diabetes Was Linked to Sugar Back in the 1800s
Diabetes has shown similar historical trends.
In 1892, there were just two cases of diabetes per 100,000 people, according to a famous medical textbook by Sir William Osler, The Principles and Practice of Medicine. Today, the rate is 9 percent across all age groups, and sadly one of every three children is diabetic.
When you look at the numbers of adults aged 20 and over, the incidence rate is almost 11 percent. And when you look at seniors aged 60 and up, the prevalence is over 23 percent!
The statistics are even more grim when it comes to the prevalence of pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose).
Almost 26 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 20 are pre-diabetics, and more than 35 percent of seniors, 60 and older.
All in all, the reality is that one in every four Americans is now either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Even in the 1800s, it was recognized that diabetes was related to sugar consumption.
Dr. Haden Emerson, one of the first epidemiologists and a public health commissioner of New York, wrote a brilliant paper about the rise in diabetes in New York City. In it, he commented that people who got diabetes were wealthy, sedentary, white, and he posed that sugar was driving it, according to the information presented by Dr. Johnson.
Today, the average American is consuming 56 gallons of soda and 152 pounds of sugar-based sweeteners annually. Soda consumption has risen by 70 percent since 1977. Ten to 20 percent of children’s calories come from sugar -- and the top 20 percent of sugar-addicted children are getting 40 percent of their calories from sugar every single day.
It is no accident that childhood obesity is at a record high and life expectancy for the youngest generation is, for the first time, lower than that of their parents.
The worst type of sugar you can ingest is fructose, which may surprise you because it is derived from fruit.
Fructose Turns You Into a Uric Acid Factory
It’s been known for ages that meats and purine-rich foods can raise uric acid, but it turns out that one of the most profound ways to raise uric acid is by consuming the simple sugar fructose.
The chemical name for regular table sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose, that are linked together.
Glucose and fructose are different types of simple sugars. After they are separated apart and broken down in your body they are metabolized using completely separate pathways. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body -- in fact, your body was designed to use it for energy.
But fructose breaks down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. As it turns out, uric acid drives up your blood pressure.
How does it do this?
Uric acid inhibits the nitric oxide in your blood vessels, and nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity. Nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure.
In fact, 17 out of 17 studies demonstrate that elevated uric acid levels lead to hypertension.
Thanks to Dr. Johnson’s research, we now know that fructose generates uric acid within minutes of ingestion. High levels of uric acid are normally associated with gout, but it has been long known that people with high blood pressure and kidney disease, and people who are overweight, often have elevated uric acid levels.
It was thought this increased uric acid resulted from the disease, but it appears now that it may have been CAUSING it!
Not surprisingly, uric acid levels have been increasing for the past hundred years.
When your uric acid level exceeds about 5.5 mg per dl, you have an increased risk for a host of diseases, including:
•Hypertension
•Kidney disease
•Insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes
•Fatty liver
•Elevated triglycerides, elevated LDL, and cardiovascular disease
•For pregnant women, even preeclampsia
This is exactly why I am so passionate about educating you about the dangers of fructose! I am thoroughly convinced it’s one of the leading causes of a great deal of needless suffering from poor health and premature death.
One of the other professionals who truly opened my eyes and educated me on this issue is Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at University of California in San Francisco.
If you still haven’t watched his very popular and excellent lecture on the dangers of fructose and other sugars, I strongly recommend you take the time to do it. (I’ve published it in two parts. Click here for part 1, and here for part 2.)
Glucose Makes Fructose Even More Potent!
Fructose consumption clearly causes insulin resistance, whereas straight glucose does not. Insulin resistance can eventually lead to full blown diabetes.
Interestingly, glucose actually accelerates fructose absorption. So when you mix glucose and fructose together, you absorb more fructose than if you consumed fructose alone. This is an important piece of information if you are struggling to control your weight.
Remember, sucrose, or table sugar, is exactly this blend -- fructose plus glucose.
Is Fruit Bad?
If you are craving something sweet, your best bet is to reach for an apple or a pear. And if you give yourself a sugar holiday for even a couple of weeks, you will be amazed at how much those cravings will decrease. But be sure and count the grams of fructose and keep your total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day as you are sure to consume plenty of "hidden" fructose in the other foods you will be eating.
You can use the table below to help you count your fructose grams.
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Limes 1 medium 0
Lemons 1 medium 0.6
Cranberries 1 cup 0.7
Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9
Prune 1 medium 1.2
Apricot 1 medium 1.3
Guava 2 medium 2.2
Date
(Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6
Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8
Raspberries 1 cup 3.0
Clementine 1 medium 3.4
Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4
Blackberries 1 cup 3.5
Star fruit 1 medium 3.6
Cherries, sweet 10 3.8
Strawberries 1 cup 3.8
Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0
Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Boysenberries 1 cup 4.6
Tangerine/mandarin
orange 1 medium 4.8
Nectarine 1 medium 5.4
Peach 1 medium 5.9
Orange (navel) 1 medium 6.1
Papaya 1/2 medium 6.3
Honeydew 1/8 of med. melon 6.7
Banana 1 medium 7.1
Blueberries 1 cup 7.4
Date (Medjool) 1 medium 7.7
Apple (composite) 1 medium 9.5
Persimmon 1 medium 10.6
Watermelon 1/16 med. melon 11.3
Pear 1 medium 11.8
Raisins 1/4 cup 12.3
Grapes, seedless (green or red) 1 cup 12.4
Mango 1/2 medium 16.2
Apricots, dried 1 cup 16.4
Figs, dried 1 cup 23.0
My Recommended Fructose Allowance
As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.
However, for most people it would actually be wise to limit your fruit fructose to 15 grams or less, as it is virtually guaranteed you will consume “hidden” sources of fructose from most beverages and just about any processed food.
Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or just two Medjool dates!
Since the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, this can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment of 15 grams -- plus it offers you absolutely nothing nutritive, only empty calories.
Reducing sugar in your diet can be tough. After all, sugar is just as addictive as cocaine!
In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the content of fructose in different foods -- an information base that isn’t readily available when you’re trying to find out exactly how much fructose is in various foods. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this excellent resource.
If you feel you must have a sweetener, here are a few guidelines to follow:
•Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners.
•Avoid all conventional agave and high fructose corn syrup
•If you have favorite products that you use PLEASE write the company and tell them to remove the fructose or you will not purchase them in the future. We have been VERY effective as many major companies have already shifted their practice of using HFCS.
•Limit sugar of all types as much as possible. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) as a sweetener for about $1 per pound, which has none of the adverse effects of fructose if used moderately. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you’ll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose -- but still well worth it for your health.
•Use high quality agave that has fructose in it's conjugated from. You can also use raw honey in moderation or avoid it completely as it is 70 percent fructose which is higher than HFCS. However the fructose is not in its free from so that moderates the damage. But each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so you will want to carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) and keep them under 15 grams per day.
•Use regular stevia in moderation, but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia because they have undergone more processing. My favorites are the liquid stevias that are flavored with English Toffee or French Vanilla. Remember, in the US it is illegal to advertise stevia as a sweetener so you will need to look for it in the supplement section where it is legal to sell.
•Lo Han is another excellent natural herbal sweetener.
•Exercise can be a very powerful tool to help control fructose in a number of ways. If you are going to consume fructose it is BEST to do so immediately before, during or after INTENSE exercise as your body will tend to use it directly as fuel and not convert it to fat Additionally exercise will increase your insulin receptor sensitivity and help modulate the negative effects of fructose.
Lastly exercise will also help to blunt your appetite and control your sweet tooth.
If you have fasting insulin levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, I suggest you avoid all sweeteners, including stevia, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity.
Ahhhh, life is grand. After those several really "herxy" days, I have been back to "normal" for a couple of days now. Meaning my energy is back and I haven't been hurting much. I had to listen to my body and do a lot of sleeping and resting for a couple of days. I was truly wiped out. But we're back in the saddle again.... I must confess that yesterday I did some spring cleaning and today I'm a bit sore, but it felt so good to do it! I also took a couple of naps in my cozy chair on the deck...
I have an appointment with Dr. Rabinovich on Thursday and will ask her to check my blood pressure, and also ask about the little teeny red dots. I'll report back here about those soon.
Today Dr. Mercola has an excellent article on his website that I thought I would post here. I know I've mentioned his website before: www.mercola.com. It is a truly valuable site with many useful articles, as well as products (Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil, ubiquinol, cocoa casava bars, water filters, etc.). A dear friend of mine, Mary Saint-Marie, who is a powerful teacher and brilliant artist and always on the cutting edge of everything, met Dr. Mercola recently and was truly impressed with him and his integrity. So I hope you'll enjoy the article below - I think it probably applies to pretty much every human, at least in the western world....
Back soon,
Sue
DR. MERCOLA'S ARTICLE ON FRUCTOSE
If you have been reading my recent articles about fructose you will probably recognize Dr. Richard Johnson.
Dr. Johnson is one of the physicians on the cutting edge of sugar metabolism research today, his focus being on how the overabundance of sugar in the American diet -- particularly fructose -- is causing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and a number of other health problems in staggering numbers.
In this lecture, Dr. Johnson takes a more historical approach to obesity and cardiovascular disease, reviewing the important uric acid connection and some interesting evolutionary findings related to the way humans metabolize sugar.
Cardiology is a Relatively NEW Field
Obesity rates have paralleled sugar consumption trends in Western civilization. Although the obesity epidemic is relatively recent, obesity is not a new phenomenon.
In 1860, the prevalence of a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher (which defines obesity) was 1.6 percent among 50 year-old men. By 1900, it had tripled, and it has sharply increased over the past century.
Like obesity, hypertension was also rare prior to the twentieth century:
•In 1900, only 5 percent of the population had a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher.
•By 1939, 10 percent of adults had blood pressures above 140/90.
•Today, 31 percent of adults are hypertensive.
Prior to 1940, there was no such thing as a cardiologist because there was no need for them. That was only 70 years ago!
The first reported angina was in 1929. In 1950, there were 500 cardiologists in the United States. Now there are 35,000 -- and they perform more than one million heart surgeries annually.
What is driving this eruption of cardiovascular disease?
One key factor: the explosion of sugar in the Western diet.
Sugar used to be quite expensive. It was a nonessential food item reserved mostly for the wealthy. Prior to 1800, Americans were consuming only about 4 pounds of sugar per person, per year. By 1800, that number had increased to 18 pounds as sugar plantations began to emerge. And by 1900, it was 90 pounds.
And sugar consumption has literally exploded since then -- our entire society is dependent on a substance that offers no nutritional value at all.
Diabetes Was Linked to Sugar Back in the 1800s
Diabetes has shown similar historical trends.
In 1892, there were just two cases of diabetes per 100,000 people, according to a famous medical textbook by Sir William Osler, The Principles and Practice of Medicine. Today, the rate is 9 percent across all age groups, and sadly one of every three children is diabetic.
When you look at the numbers of adults aged 20 and over, the incidence rate is almost 11 percent. And when you look at seniors aged 60 and up, the prevalence is over 23 percent!
The statistics are even more grim when it comes to the prevalence of pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose).
Almost 26 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 20 are pre-diabetics, and more than 35 percent of seniors, 60 and older.
All in all, the reality is that one in every four Americans is now either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Even in the 1800s, it was recognized that diabetes was related to sugar consumption.
Dr. Haden Emerson, one of the first epidemiologists and a public health commissioner of New York, wrote a brilliant paper about the rise in diabetes in New York City. In it, he commented that people who got diabetes were wealthy, sedentary, white, and he posed that sugar was driving it, according to the information presented by Dr. Johnson.
Today, the average American is consuming 56 gallons of soda and 152 pounds of sugar-based sweeteners annually. Soda consumption has risen by 70 percent since 1977. Ten to 20 percent of children’s calories come from sugar -- and the top 20 percent of sugar-addicted children are getting 40 percent of their calories from sugar every single day.
It is no accident that childhood obesity is at a record high and life expectancy for the youngest generation is, for the first time, lower than that of their parents.
The worst type of sugar you can ingest is fructose, which may surprise you because it is derived from fruit.
Fructose Turns You Into a Uric Acid Factory
It’s been known for ages that meats and purine-rich foods can raise uric acid, but it turns out that one of the most profound ways to raise uric acid is by consuming the simple sugar fructose.
The chemical name for regular table sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose, that are linked together.
Glucose and fructose are different types of simple sugars. After they are separated apart and broken down in your body they are metabolized using completely separate pathways. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body -- in fact, your body was designed to use it for energy.
But fructose breaks down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. As it turns out, uric acid drives up your blood pressure.
How does it do this?
Uric acid inhibits the nitric oxide in your blood vessels, and nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity. Nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure.
In fact, 17 out of 17 studies demonstrate that elevated uric acid levels lead to hypertension.
Thanks to Dr. Johnson’s research, we now know that fructose generates uric acid within minutes of ingestion. High levels of uric acid are normally associated with gout, but it has been long known that people with high blood pressure and kidney disease, and people who are overweight, often have elevated uric acid levels.
It was thought this increased uric acid resulted from the disease, but it appears now that it may have been CAUSING it!
Not surprisingly, uric acid levels have been increasing for the past hundred years.
When your uric acid level exceeds about 5.5 mg per dl, you have an increased risk for a host of diseases, including:
•Hypertension
•Kidney disease
•Insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes
•Fatty liver
•Elevated triglycerides, elevated LDL, and cardiovascular disease
•For pregnant women, even preeclampsia
This is exactly why I am so passionate about educating you about the dangers of fructose! I am thoroughly convinced it’s one of the leading causes of a great deal of needless suffering from poor health and premature death.
One of the other professionals who truly opened my eyes and educated me on this issue is Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at University of California in San Francisco.
If you still haven’t watched his very popular and excellent lecture on the dangers of fructose and other sugars, I strongly recommend you take the time to do it. (I’ve published it in two parts. Click here for part 1, and here for part 2.)
Glucose Makes Fructose Even More Potent!
Fructose consumption clearly causes insulin resistance, whereas straight glucose does not. Insulin resistance can eventually lead to full blown diabetes.
Interestingly, glucose actually accelerates fructose absorption. So when you mix glucose and fructose together, you absorb more fructose than if you consumed fructose alone. This is an important piece of information if you are struggling to control your weight.
Remember, sucrose, or table sugar, is exactly this blend -- fructose plus glucose.
Is Fruit Bad?
If you are craving something sweet, your best bet is to reach for an apple or a pear. And if you give yourself a sugar holiday for even a couple of weeks, you will be amazed at how much those cravings will decrease. But be sure and count the grams of fructose and keep your total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day as you are sure to consume plenty of "hidden" fructose in the other foods you will be eating.
You can use the table below to help you count your fructose grams.
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Limes 1 medium 0
Lemons 1 medium 0.6
Cranberries 1 cup 0.7
Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9
Prune 1 medium 1.2
Apricot 1 medium 1.3
Guava 2 medium 2.2
Date
(Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6
Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8
Raspberries 1 cup 3.0
Clementine 1 medium 3.4
Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4
Blackberries 1 cup 3.5
Star fruit 1 medium 3.6
Cherries, sweet 10 3.8
Strawberries 1 cup 3.8
Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0
Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Boysenberries 1 cup 4.6
Tangerine/mandarin
orange 1 medium 4.8
Nectarine 1 medium 5.4
Peach 1 medium 5.9
Orange (navel) 1 medium 6.1
Papaya 1/2 medium 6.3
Honeydew 1/8 of med. melon 6.7
Banana 1 medium 7.1
Blueberries 1 cup 7.4
Date (Medjool) 1 medium 7.7
Apple (composite) 1 medium 9.5
Persimmon 1 medium 10.6
Watermelon 1/16 med. melon 11.3
Pear 1 medium 11.8
Raisins 1/4 cup 12.3
Grapes, seedless (green or red) 1 cup 12.4
Mango 1/2 medium 16.2
Apricots, dried 1 cup 16.4
Figs, dried 1 cup 23.0
My Recommended Fructose Allowance
As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.
However, for most people it would actually be wise to limit your fruit fructose to 15 grams or less, as it is virtually guaranteed you will consume “hidden” sources of fructose from most beverages and just about any processed food.
Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or just two Medjool dates!
Since the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, this can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment of 15 grams -- plus it offers you absolutely nothing nutritive, only empty calories.
Reducing sugar in your diet can be tough. After all, sugar is just as addictive as cocaine!
In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the content of fructose in different foods -- an information base that isn’t readily available when you’re trying to find out exactly how much fructose is in various foods. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this excellent resource.
If you feel you must have a sweetener, here are a few guidelines to follow:
•Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners.
•Avoid all conventional agave and high fructose corn syrup
•If you have favorite products that you use PLEASE write the company and tell them to remove the fructose or you will not purchase them in the future. We have been VERY effective as many major companies have already shifted their practice of using HFCS.
•Limit sugar of all types as much as possible. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) as a sweetener for about $1 per pound, which has none of the adverse effects of fructose if used moderately. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you’ll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose -- but still well worth it for your health.
•Use high quality agave that has fructose in it's conjugated from. You can also use raw honey in moderation or avoid it completely as it is 70 percent fructose which is higher than HFCS. However the fructose is not in its free from so that moderates the damage. But each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so you will want to carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) and keep them under 15 grams per day.
•Use regular stevia in moderation, but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia because they have undergone more processing. My favorites are the liquid stevias that are flavored with English Toffee or French Vanilla. Remember, in the US it is illegal to advertise stevia as a sweetener so you will need to look for it in the supplement section where it is legal to sell.
•Lo Han is another excellent natural herbal sweetener.
•Exercise can be a very powerful tool to help control fructose in a number of ways. If you are going to consume fructose it is BEST to do so immediately before, during or after INTENSE exercise as your body will tend to use it directly as fuel and not convert it to fat Additionally exercise will increase your insulin receptor sensitivity and help modulate the negative effects of fructose.
Lastly exercise will also help to blunt your appetite and control your sweet tooth.
If you have fasting insulin levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, I suggest you avoid all sweeteners, including stevia, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Herxy...
Hi there ~
I have been "herxy" these past few days. Very sore and achey, very tired, lots of brain fog, and my vision has been more blurry than usual. I've also been doing way too much, and will be getting some serious rest this weekend. Sometimes I get to feeling so well that I book myself tighter than I should; I forget that I'm still seriously in healing mode and that overall, I must rest. And it's easy to forget the cyclical nature of healing from this bacterial conundrum..... just when you start to feel better you have herx reactions. They say they tend to come about every four weeks, and so far, that's what I've seen (I'm on my 8th week now).
I'm also going to check my blood pressure today. I've never in my life had high blood pressure (growing up I had low blood pressure), but another person with lyme told me she discontinued the salt/c protocol because her blood pressure went up. I realized I haven't checked mine at all and so I will do so, just to make sure all is well in that department.
Anyway, right now it's all about resting and sleeping. And planting a few flowers. I hope you have a fabulous weekend; I'll check in again soon.
Sukie
I have been "herxy" these past few days. Very sore and achey, very tired, lots of brain fog, and my vision has been more blurry than usual. I've also been doing way too much, and will be getting some serious rest this weekend. Sometimes I get to feeling so well that I book myself tighter than I should; I forget that I'm still seriously in healing mode and that overall, I must rest. And it's easy to forget the cyclical nature of healing from this bacterial conundrum..... just when you start to feel better you have herx reactions. They say they tend to come about every four weeks, and so far, that's what I've seen (I'm on my 8th week now).
I'm also going to check my blood pressure today. I've never in my life had high blood pressure (growing up I had low blood pressure), but another person with lyme told me she discontinued the salt/c protocol because her blood pressure went up. I realized I haven't checked mine at all and so I will do so, just to make sure all is well in that department.
Anyway, right now it's all about resting and sleeping. And planting a few flowers. I hope you have a fabulous weekend; I'll check in again soon.
Sukie
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Checking in....
Hello everyone ~
Just a quick note today. Things are going well with the protocol. I was feeling really great until last Sunday when I decided to push the envelope on exercising more than I should have. I did some stretches that included hanging from a bar to fully lengthen and stretch my arms, and also squatting as much as possible (while hanging onto something). It felt good at the time, but for the next three days my knees were SUPER sore, along with my shoulders and collarbone area (doesn't help that I have a rotator cuff prob with my right arm). In our Chronic Wellness group today we talked a bit about this and I heard from everyone (both fibromyalgia and lyme sufferers) that overdoing the exercise, or in some cases just any exercise period, can be too much and throw the body into severe pain mode. So it's not just my imagination. Exercise really HURTS sometimes! What's hardest is realizing that I need to start waaaaaay smaller than I would like to. Like maybe working from gentle stretches with no repetitions, to stretches with one or two reps, and slowly upward until I'm doing - gasp - six of them. It is just amazing to think that a year ago all of this stuff felt GOOD to do and my body still liked it. It is said that patience is a virtue - I'm still trying to fully appreciate that one.
I want to clarify something I said recently on my blog about not living in fear. Fear can be a healthy thing in certain situations. Obviously, if a snarling dog is running at you, you should be scared and take cover. If you are feeling incredible pain or find yourself in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming situation, it is also natural and normal to feel afraid. What I was referring to earlier was that sometimes it's easy to fall into living in fear all the time because of the stuff the media throws at us constantly. It can be really liberating and health-inducing to stop watching the news and reading the papers. I'm not suggesting we become total hermits to the point that we are completely uninformed, but I do believe that 90% of the "news" out there is intended to play upon our fears, for whatever reason (maybe so their ratings will go up, or you'll buy their expensive medication with the bazillions of side effects, or so you'll be afraid of a certain cultural or ethnic group, or so you'll go out and buy a Hummer, or... whatever...?). Healthy, rational fear is a necessary part of our lives, and may in fact save our lives. Irrational fears can be destructive and paralyze us from living our lives to the fullest.
Just thought I'd throw that in there...
Anyhoo, I'm about to jump in the car and go pick up our weekly bag of healthy organic produce from the Raven and Spade. I SO appreciate them and what they provide for the community! Then back home to watch the rain and wait for the heavy winds that are supposed to hit tonight. Could get interesting....
More soon,
Sukie
Just a quick note today. Things are going well with the protocol. I was feeling really great until last Sunday when I decided to push the envelope on exercising more than I should have. I did some stretches that included hanging from a bar to fully lengthen and stretch my arms, and also squatting as much as possible (while hanging onto something). It felt good at the time, but for the next three days my knees were SUPER sore, along with my shoulders and collarbone area (doesn't help that I have a rotator cuff prob with my right arm). In our Chronic Wellness group today we talked a bit about this and I heard from everyone (both fibromyalgia and lyme sufferers) that overdoing the exercise, or in some cases just any exercise period, can be too much and throw the body into severe pain mode. So it's not just my imagination. Exercise really HURTS sometimes! What's hardest is realizing that I need to start waaaaaay smaller than I would like to. Like maybe working from gentle stretches with no repetitions, to stretches with one or two reps, and slowly upward until I'm doing - gasp - six of them. It is just amazing to think that a year ago all of this stuff felt GOOD to do and my body still liked it. It is said that patience is a virtue - I'm still trying to fully appreciate that one.
I want to clarify something I said recently on my blog about not living in fear. Fear can be a healthy thing in certain situations. Obviously, if a snarling dog is running at you, you should be scared and take cover. If you are feeling incredible pain or find yourself in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming situation, it is also natural and normal to feel afraid. What I was referring to earlier was that sometimes it's easy to fall into living in fear all the time because of the stuff the media throws at us constantly. It can be really liberating and health-inducing to stop watching the news and reading the papers. I'm not suggesting we become total hermits to the point that we are completely uninformed, but I do believe that 90% of the "news" out there is intended to play upon our fears, for whatever reason (maybe so their ratings will go up, or you'll buy their expensive medication with the bazillions of side effects, or so you'll be afraid of a certain cultural or ethnic group, or so you'll go out and buy a Hummer, or... whatever...?). Healthy, rational fear is a necessary part of our lives, and may in fact save our lives. Irrational fears can be destructive and paralyze us from living our lives to the fullest.
Just thought I'd throw that in there...
Anyhoo, I'm about to jump in the car and go pick up our weekly bag of healthy organic produce from the Raven and Spade. I SO appreciate them and what they provide for the community! Then back home to watch the rain and wait for the heavy winds that are supposed to hit tonight. Could get interesting....
More soon,
Sukie
Friday, May 14, 2010
Interesting times...
There is nothing like a beautiful, sunny day to put a smile on your face. We're having a gorgeous week and I hope you are, too. I've gotta squeeze in some serious deck-time today in my lounger.... as well as a walk along the waterfront.
So... those couple of days after Mother's Day were rough, but by Wednesday I had bounced back to "normal" - whatever that really means right now. I was back to a "3" on the pain scale as opposed to a "9". What I'm really noticing is how much more resilient my body seems since I started the Salt/C protocol. I'm on my 7th week now, and I feel better overall, and when I do have a rough spot, I bounce back much more quickly. I'm been at my max dosage for a couple of weeks now - taking 10-12 salt capsules and C capsules each day (three each, four times per day). People ask me all the time if I feel bloated from the salt. The answer is NO. Using sea salt in its un-iodized, natural form doesn't seem to cause water retention for most folks. I do feel a little water-logged sometimes because when taking that much salt you do need to drink a lot of water. I drink about 16 ounces of water with each dose, and then 20-30 minutes later I drink another glass or two. And I drink water in between times, too. So right after taking the salt/C I feel full, which is a different feeling from being bloated. I still have the tiny little red dots appearing in various spots on my body, which I haven't figured out yet. They don't hurt or bother me in any way; I'll ask my doctor about them when I see her on the 27th.
I've been engaging in conversations lately with a wide variety of folks about the illnesses going on all around us. It seems like we all know several people with cancer, arthritis, or some type of immune-related disorder like fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme, MS, chronic fatigue, Epstein-Barre, etc. What I'm hearing is that most people think, as I do, that we have been way over-exposed to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, electromagnetic fields, pollution of all types, etc. for so many years now that it's becoming glaringly obvious that something is really wrong. I think most of us have known that in our hearts for a long time. It's not normal for so many people to be "sick". And we're talking about folks in their 30's, 40's and 50's, not just seniors.
A doctor I know who has cancer was recently sharing with me that when he was a youth he lived on an apple farm. When DDT came out, they started spraying their orchards with it. "We didn't know of the dangers then," he said, "We didn't wear masks or gloves or anything. Just sprayed in on the trees. Imagine how much of that stuff I breathed in and absorbed through my skin."
Last night I was speaking with a wise young man who said, "We are at the end of a 50-year experiment. It's been about 50 years since all the chemicals and pollutants came into play in a big way." His reasoning is that all we need to do is "turn the clock back" to the way things were 50 years ago. He spoke of the renaissance in consciousness that is happening on the planet; the awareness levels of people rising to meet the challenges and looking for healthier ways of life, creating win-win situations for all and respecting all of life.
I loved hearing him speak about this, for it is what I also feel. It's clear there are solutions out there. And while there are other types of things that can also be factored in to illness and disease, I think it's very clear that we have created a toxic world. Erick was talking about the recent BP oil spill possibly being the worst toxic disaster in history, to date. Things seem to really be coming to a head.... we're at a "make it or break it" point. We are either going to have a shift in consciousness that will allow us to clean up our act, or we will continue to suffer the consequences. That shift isn't coming easily.... mainly due, I believe, to our greed-and-power economy. Our large corporations won't go down without a fight, and they sure don't want their vast income streams to dry up. I could go on and on about this, but I'll stop here. I think the imbalances on the planet can tip us in either direction. I do believe we have the capability to stop it, but it will take a pretty radical change in thinking and action for those who are a part of the greed mentality. I actually find it rather fascinating to watch from a distance... whoever said "May you live in interesting times" must have been giving us a heads-up..... it doesn't get much more "interesting" than this.
If you haven't already, I hope you look into the whole issue of EMFs - electromagnetic fields. When I was first experiencing the seriousness of the lyme symptoms, I was very weak and worn-out. I was VERY sensitive to EMFs as well as all kinds of chemicals (car exhaust, household cleaners, etc.). I still am, although they don't bother me nearly as much (and of course I stay away from them). Many people are sensitive to EMFs and don't realize what the problem is. There is a lot of well-documented info out there about the dangers of cell phones, as well the EMFs in our houses and work environments. Many people don't want to hear about this, because they don't want to make changes in their lifestyles. I nearly drove Ariana crazy for a few years with all the info I gave her about cell phones. Her generation lives to talk on the phone and text message. She finally did get a phone with a headset. I'm not sure if it's the kind of headset that is safe or not, but I'm happy that she now recognizes the problem and is striving to create a safer environment for herself.
There are devices out there that measure the EMFs in homes and workspaces. I was shocked to find out that when I was Director of a local non-profit a year ago, my office was absolutely over-the-top in EMFs. We took some steps to help resolve it, but it could still use some work to bring it into true compliance (I am now a Board member with the same organization - and I no longer have to sit in that office!). :-)
There are certain rooms in our home that are higher in EMFs than others. We purchased a few Stetzerizers, which are gadgets that plug into outlets in houses and help balance and re-distribute the EMFs. I learned the importance, especially, of having these in the bedroom. Both my doctor and acupuncturist echoed the literature on this.... when we are sleeping our bodies are at their most vulnerable, energetically. We want our sleeping space to be as EMF-free as possible.
The other change we have made is to build an office behind our house for our computer, printer, fax, etc. I want the EMF-soup out of the house altogether, or at least as much as possible. We can't live without electricity very well in this day and age, but there are safe levels and un-safe levels, and I feel much better in a space that has low EMFs.
Just thought I would share in case it's something that resonates with you. I don't live in fear and I don't wish to instill fear-thinking in anyone. It's not about being afraid, it's about being informed and then taking whatever actions are needed to create a healthy environment for ourselves. Everyone is different and has their own needs.
I wish you wonderful health and unbridled joy on your journey. Thanks for checking in and following the blog.
Sukie
So... those couple of days after Mother's Day were rough, but by Wednesday I had bounced back to "normal" - whatever that really means right now. I was back to a "3" on the pain scale as opposed to a "9". What I'm really noticing is how much more resilient my body seems since I started the Salt/C protocol. I'm on my 7th week now, and I feel better overall, and when I do have a rough spot, I bounce back much more quickly. I'm been at my max dosage for a couple of weeks now - taking 10-12 salt capsules and C capsules each day (three each, four times per day). People ask me all the time if I feel bloated from the salt. The answer is NO. Using sea salt in its un-iodized, natural form doesn't seem to cause water retention for most folks. I do feel a little water-logged sometimes because when taking that much salt you do need to drink a lot of water. I drink about 16 ounces of water with each dose, and then 20-30 minutes later I drink another glass or two. And I drink water in between times, too. So right after taking the salt/C I feel full, which is a different feeling from being bloated. I still have the tiny little red dots appearing in various spots on my body, which I haven't figured out yet. They don't hurt or bother me in any way; I'll ask my doctor about them when I see her on the 27th.
I've been engaging in conversations lately with a wide variety of folks about the illnesses going on all around us. It seems like we all know several people with cancer, arthritis, or some type of immune-related disorder like fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme, MS, chronic fatigue, Epstein-Barre, etc. What I'm hearing is that most people think, as I do, that we have been way over-exposed to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, electromagnetic fields, pollution of all types, etc. for so many years now that it's becoming glaringly obvious that something is really wrong. I think most of us have known that in our hearts for a long time. It's not normal for so many people to be "sick". And we're talking about folks in their 30's, 40's and 50's, not just seniors.
A doctor I know who has cancer was recently sharing with me that when he was a youth he lived on an apple farm. When DDT came out, they started spraying their orchards with it. "We didn't know of the dangers then," he said, "We didn't wear masks or gloves or anything. Just sprayed in on the trees. Imagine how much of that stuff I breathed in and absorbed through my skin."
Last night I was speaking with a wise young man who said, "We are at the end of a 50-year experiment. It's been about 50 years since all the chemicals and pollutants came into play in a big way." His reasoning is that all we need to do is "turn the clock back" to the way things were 50 years ago. He spoke of the renaissance in consciousness that is happening on the planet; the awareness levels of people rising to meet the challenges and looking for healthier ways of life, creating win-win situations for all and respecting all of life.
I loved hearing him speak about this, for it is what I also feel. It's clear there are solutions out there. And while there are other types of things that can also be factored in to illness and disease, I think it's very clear that we have created a toxic world. Erick was talking about the recent BP oil spill possibly being the worst toxic disaster in history, to date. Things seem to really be coming to a head.... we're at a "make it or break it" point. We are either going to have a shift in consciousness that will allow us to clean up our act, or we will continue to suffer the consequences. That shift isn't coming easily.... mainly due, I believe, to our greed-and-power economy. Our large corporations won't go down without a fight, and they sure don't want their vast income streams to dry up. I could go on and on about this, but I'll stop here. I think the imbalances on the planet can tip us in either direction. I do believe we have the capability to stop it, but it will take a pretty radical change in thinking and action for those who are a part of the greed mentality. I actually find it rather fascinating to watch from a distance... whoever said "May you live in interesting times" must have been giving us a heads-up..... it doesn't get much more "interesting" than this.
If you haven't already, I hope you look into the whole issue of EMFs - electromagnetic fields. When I was first experiencing the seriousness of the lyme symptoms, I was very weak and worn-out. I was VERY sensitive to EMFs as well as all kinds of chemicals (car exhaust, household cleaners, etc.). I still am, although they don't bother me nearly as much (and of course I stay away from them). Many people are sensitive to EMFs and don't realize what the problem is. There is a lot of well-documented info out there about the dangers of cell phones, as well the EMFs in our houses and work environments. Many people don't want to hear about this, because they don't want to make changes in their lifestyles. I nearly drove Ariana crazy for a few years with all the info I gave her about cell phones. Her generation lives to talk on the phone and text message. She finally did get a phone with a headset. I'm not sure if it's the kind of headset that is safe or not, but I'm happy that she now recognizes the problem and is striving to create a safer environment for herself.
There are devices out there that measure the EMFs in homes and workspaces. I was shocked to find out that when I was Director of a local non-profit a year ago, my office was absolutely over-the-top in EMFs. We took some steps to help resolve it, but it could still use some work to bring it into true compliance (I am now a Board member with the same organization - and I no longer have to sit in that office!). :-)
There are certain rooms in our home that are higher in EMFs than others. We purchased a few Stetzerizers, which are gadgets that plug into outlets in houses and help balance and re-distribute the EMFs. I learned the importance, especially, of having these in the bedroom. Both my doctor and acupuncturist echoed the literature on this.... when we are sleeping our bodies are at their most vulnerable, energetically. We want our sleeping space to be as EMF-free as possible.
The other change we have made is to build an office behind our house for our computer, printer, fax, etc. I want the EMF-soup out of the house altogether, or at least as much as possible. We can't live without electricity very well in this day and age, but there are safe levels and un-safe levels, and I feel much better in a space that has low EMFs.
Just thought I would share in case it's something that resonates with you. I don't live in fear and I don't wish to instill fear-thinking in anyone. It's not about being afraid, it's about being informed and then taking whatever actions are needed to create a healthy environment for ourselves. Everyone is different and has their own needs.
I wish you wonderful health and unbridled joy on your journey. Thanks for checking in and following the blog.
Sukie
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Over-brunching, little red bumps, and paying it forward...
Hello All~
I have a few things to share about today.... In regards to my Salt/C protocol and Lyme journey, I had a little set-back with Mother's Day, in the form of Mother's Day brunch! We took my mom to a lovely restaurant up in Bellingham, and I made a conscious decision to eat a couple of things I normally wouldn't eat, including a piece of french toast (wheat/gluten), and a salad that seemed innocent enough, made of black beans and corn, but that had some type of light dressing mixed into it. I also had a mimosa (champagne & orange juice), knowing that the concentrated sugars would probably not make my body too happy. But sometimes you just make the choice knowing you will deal with the consequences...
So by Sunday evening I was feeling the familiar "lyme flare" sensation, where it feels like a weird energy is underneath the skin and vibrating in certain places which is, as I understand it, the bacteria going a little wild ("Hey look, here is some sugar to devour - Yeee Haaa!!). Of course I tried to counter it a bit with large doses of Salt and C, but these things take time, and so Sunday night and all day yesterday I was feeling pretty sore and moving slower than usual. I can always tell when I've overdone it, when it hurts to climb stairs. That all being said, we had a beautiful mother's day (it was a little hard since it was the first one without Ariana here, but she called twice and that was sweet), and I am feeling much better today (Tuesday), so life moves forward. Was it worth it? Sure. Am I going to do that again any time soon? NO!
Still pretty much doing 12 doses each day of both Salt and Vitamin C. That should be enough to drive any non-friendly bacteria crazy. And now I am noticing (actually for the past 10 days or so), that I have these little red bumps, very teeny, on my skin in certain places. They range from the size of a pin prick to the size of a pin head. They itch slightly but not too much. They seem to congregate at/near my joints (especially inside my elbows and near my wrists and around my shoulders), and also on my tummy. I am trying to decide if this is a reaction to something I'm taking (definately could be), or if this could be the bacteria looking for "ways out". I've read quite a few stories of people saying that the bacteria literally find ways to exit their bodies. So I'll ask Dr. R. about it and will also email the folks who developed the protocol, to see if I can get a sense of what these red dots are about. I really noticed them last night in the sauna, and wow, I had a seriously deep sweat (probably purging the Mother's Day indulgences...).
So now I want to move to a concept that I'm sure many of you are familiar with: Paying It Forward. A dear friend asked me if I'd find a way to weave this into the blog, and so this is my attempt to do that. She and I were on the phone last night and she was so excited about help her family had received from a very kind and generous stranger, after their boat broke down. She spoke of how grateful she felt, and how much it motivated and reminded her of the importance of helping others, without necessarily feeling one has to receive something in return. I shared with her that I really relate to that, and that one of the concepts I like to share (as well as practice) when working with others, especially children and teens, is the concept of "Pay It Forward."
I'm sure some of you have seen the movie "Pay It Forward" starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and that cute "I-see-dead-people" kid whose name I think may be Haley Joel Osment...? It's a true tear-jerker yet feel-good drama that highlights the beauty of doing for others, and how "big" the results can be when we intentionally "pay it forward", rather than asking for or expecting payment in return. The idea is to let them know that we hope they, also, will pay it forward when they can and help somebody else.
To me, this concept fits in perfectly with any discussion of healing, on whatever level(s). As I mentioned before, I feel that we create our own reality in a variety of ways and on different levels (mostly unconscious). We can also create our lives very consciously. I have been working with paying it forward for many years now, and I feel it has really opened me and helped me grow as a person. In my heart, I am always guided to share Reiki, or group work, or other services I may provide, with others, regardless of their ability to pay. Once I moved to Whidbey Island I really put the word out there that Reiki and other services are available to all. Of course, I deeply appreciate it when those who can afford to can pay cash, as I need to eat and pay the bills. I am also always amazed and delighted, too, with the variety of ways that people propose to make trades and barter arrangements. We (Erick and I) have received delicious fruit and veggies, gardening and landscaping services, incredible artwork, body care products, and more by being willing to accept whatever another person wants to share. I also do trades with many other bodycare workers - other Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapists and more....
And always, with those who don't have money or anything to trade, or with whom I sense that it would just be a nice thing to do right now, there is the option of paying it forward. Providing goods or services because it feels neighborly, friendly, good, "right". Sometimes I do that without saying anything more about it, viewing it more as a gift I wish to give while wishing that person well. Sometimes I consciously pay it forward by suggesting to people that they can help someone else when they have a chance, especially when they have asked me "How can I repay you?" Often, especially with young people who are learning about how to navigate life, I will suggest they pay it forward: help someone else sometime who needs it, when they are in a position to do so. It might be tomorrow, next week, next month or next decade.
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm the only one who operates this way - I know many folks who do. It's not that it's a revolutionary concept: it's just a simple one, and I am all about simplicity! I do think it tends to fly in the face of our "typical American" way of doing business, which is make as much as you can in any way that you can, and the one who dies with the most toys/money "wins".... That kind of thinking/practice are what has created the econonomic mess we're in now....
As with anything else in life, it's all about intention. The whole "pay it forward" philosophy works when we are willing to trust in the abundance of the universe, and that we will be taken care of. When we truly know this, then we can practice this type of generosity without fear. If we do it because we think we "should", then it may not work as well for us, as there isn't a pure energy flow that accompanies it. I truly believe and know, after so many years of working intimately with energy, that everything is about energy and going with the flow, as well as about intention driven by integrity. At least that's how it looks for me - that's how I "frame" it. When energy is restricted it can't flow, and fear (i.e. greed, hatred, jealousy, judgement, etc.) is the one thing that will really gum up the works....
Stated in a different way.... what goes around comes around.... sooner or later. It just does. If the intentions we put out are honorable, they will return to us in honorable and beautiful ways at times when we need that the most. And the more we are "doers of good deeds" the more that comes back to us. You can also call that the upside of karma, as well as the Golden Rule: Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. I have always heard that espoused as a core religious value, yet I don't see so many people - especially those in positions of "power and authority" - embracing it. To me it just makes sense and is the only way we can ever hope to have any type of balance and harmony on good ol' planet Earth. Practice the Golden Rule, love your neighbor as yourself, do good deeds, pay it forward, go with the flow, all you need is love......simple concepts, yet deep.
So any time in life we're dealing with something "heavy" - be it death and loss, chronic illness, life-threatening conditions, financial disaster, or some other happening we might think of as "bad" or a "disaster" - I believe the more we can face it with a hopeful, honorable outlook, the farther along we'll be. That's not to say we will never get angry, discouraged, depressed, frustrated, or feel other emotions we might label as "negative." When we suppress these they just find other ways to show themselves. I fully believe in allowing ourselves to feel our feelings, whatever they may be, and express them in ways that don't hurt self or others, and then move forward as soon as we can with hope, faith, trust, love. Sometimes I literally give myself permission for a day or two to really feel pissy or angry or "down" about something. After I've wallowed in that for awhile I can work through it and be ready to let it go. It's much easier to rebound and move back into a positive slant on things. It also helps to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people, and that's what can be hardest, I think, for those in chronic pain or with health crises that last a very long time..... sometimes others don't understand.
I recently began facilitating a support group for women experiencing chronic pain. It's called "Chronic Wellness" (thanks again Rikki for that catchy title!), because even though we want a place to process through negative feelings and experiences, we don't want to forget that wellness and quality of life are our ultimate goals or at least hopes. I am so blessed that I'm feeling better all the time, because it enables me to have the energy to facilitate groups like this, as well as my women's spirituality group, and to do Reiki work to help others with healing and transformation. As I help others, I help myself.
I'm always tremendously inspired by other people's stories about how they have overcome difficulties in life to be stronger spiritually and emotionally, as well as physically. As a social worker in child welfare for over 20 years, I saw it all - every difficult, painful situation you can imagine - and yet I also saw so much resilience, so much healing, and so many people who made huge leaps in awareness about their lives and situations, so that they could lead happier and more productive lives. I could (and maybe someday will) write a book about the wonderments that I have experienced in child welfare, school-based social work and teaching, and also the five years I spent working with refugees from countries around the world. Talk about loss! Try losing many - maybe even all - of your loved ones (usually to cruel deaths), your home, even your country. If anyone has a reason to be depressed, it is someone in that type of situation, war-torn and battered. And yet the majority of these folks go on to live healthy, happy, productive lives, often because they are able to allow themselves to receive help and support for awhile until they can re-invent themselves and their lives. Their memories of those awful times where they have witnessed unconscionable things will never go away, yet the human spirit is just remarkably strong and resilient. Some will not make it and the sorrow and depression will overshadow their lives (in most cases understandably so, it has been just too much to bear), but many will go on to keep putting one foot in front of the other until things are better, and until they can find a reason to wake up with a smile on their face, at least half of the time.
That's what inspires me. And what makes life worth living - all of us in this together, helping one another, and allowing ourselves to be helped when we need it. It's very easy in this crazy and chaotic world to get caught up in the fear and the mania and the "spin" that is put on it by the media (one reason why Erick and I don't watch TV or read much of the news.... too much negativity). The more we can live with open minds and open hearts, the more we will thrive, I believe, in spite of what may be going on all around us that is challenging.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. Lauryn, thanks for the inspiration! Wishing you a beautiful and meaningful day,
Sukie
I have a few things to share about today.... In regards to my Salt/C protocol and Lyme journey, I had a little set-back with Mother's Day, in the form of Mother's Day brunch! We took my mom to a lovely restaurant up in Bellingham, and I made a conscious decision to eat a couple of things I normally wouldn't eat, including a piece of french toast (wheat/gluten), and a salad that seemed innocent enough, made of black beans and corn, but that had some type of light dressing mixed into it. I also had a mimosa (champagne & orange juice), knowing that the concentrated sugars would probably not make my body too happy. But sometimes you just make the choice knowing you will deal with the consequences...
So by Sunday evening I was feeling the familiar "lyme flare" sensation, where it feels like a weird energy is underneath the skin and vibrating in certain places which is, as I understand it, the bacteria going a little wild ("Hey look, here is some sugar to devour - Yeee Haaa!!). Of course I tried to counter it a bit with large doses of Salt and C, but these things take time, and so Sunday night and all day yesterday I was feeling pretty sore and moving slower than usual. I can always tell when I've overdone it, when it hurts to climb stairs. That all being said, we had a beautiful mother's day (it was a little hard since it was the first one without Ariana here, but she called twice and that was sweet), and I am feeling much better today (Tuesday), so life moves forward. Was it worth it? Sure. Am I going to do that again any time soon? NO!
Still pretty much doing 12 doses each day of both Salt and Vitamin C. That should be enough to drive any non-friendly bacteria crazy. And now I am noticing (actually for the past 10 days or so), that I have these little red bumps, very teeny, on my skin in certain places. They range from the size of a pin prick to the size of a pin head. They itch slightly but not too much. They seem to congregate at/near my joints (especially inside my elbows and near my wrists and around my shoulders), and also on my tummy. I am trying to decide if this is a reaction to something I'm taking (definately could be), or if this could be the bacteria looking for "ways out". I've read quite a few stories of people saying that the bacteria literally find ways to exit their bodies. So I'll ask Dr. R. about it and will also email the folks who developed the protocol, to see if I can get a sense of what these red dots are about. I really noticed them last night in the sauna, and wow, I had a seriously deep sweat (probably purging the Mother's Day indulgences...).
So now I want to move to a concept that I'm sure many of you are familiar with: Paying It Forward. A dear friend asked me if I'd find a way to weave this into the blog, and so this is my attempt to do that. She and I were on the phone last night and she was so excited about help her family had received from a very kind and generous stranger, after their boat broke down. She spoke of how grateful she felt, and how much it motivated and reminded her of the importance of helping others, without necessarily feeling one has to receive something in return. I shared with her that I really relate to that, and that one of the concepts I like to share (as well as practice) when working with others, especially children and teens, is the concept of "Pay It Forward."
I'm sure some of you have seen the movie "Pay It Forward" starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and that cute "I-see-dead-people" kid whose name I think may be Haley Joel Osment...? It's a true tear-jerker yet feel-good drama that highlights the beauty of doing for others, and how "big" the results can be when we intentionally "pay it forward", rather than asking for or expecting payment in return. The idea is to let them know that we hope they, also, will pay it forward when they can and help somebody else.
To me, this concept fits in perfectly with any discussion of healing, on whatever level(s). As I mentioned before, I feel that we create our own reality in a variety of ways and on different levels (mostly unconscious). We can also create our lives very consciously. I have been working with paying it forward for many years now, and I feel it has really opened me and helped me grow as a person. In my heart, I am always guided to share Reiki, or group work, or other services I may provide, with others, regardless of their ability to pay. Once I moved to Whidbey Island I really put the word out there that Reiki and other services are available to all. Of course, I deeply appreciate it when those who can afford to can pay cash, as I need to eat and pay the bills. I am also always amazed and delighted, too, with the variety of ways that people propose to make trades and barter arrangements. We (Erick and I) have received delicious fruit and veggies, gardening and landscaping services, incredible artwork, body care products, and more by being willing to accept whatever another person wants to share. I also do trades with many other bodycare workers - other Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapists and more....
And always, with those who don't have money or anything to trade, or with whom I sense that it would just be a nice thing to do right now, there is the option of paying it forward. Providing goods or services because it feels neighborly, friendly, good, "right". Sometimes I do that without saying anything more about it, viewing it more as a gift I wish to give while wishing that person well. Sometimes I consciously pay it forward by suggesting to people that they can help someone else when they have a chance, especially when they have asked me "How can I repay you?" Often, especially with young people who are learning about how to navigate life, I will suggest they pay it forward: help someone else sometime who needs it, when they are in a position to do so. It might be tomorrow, next week, next month or next decade.
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm the only one who operates this way - I know many folks who do. It's not that it's a revolutionary concept: it's just a simple one, and I am all about simplicity! I do think it tends to fly in the face of our "typical American" way of doing business, which is make as much as you can in any way that you can, and the one who dies with the most toys/money "wins".... That kind of thinking/practice are what has created the econonomic mess we're in now....
As with anything else in life, it's all about intention. The whole "pay it forward" philosophy works when we are willing to trust in the abundance of the universe, and that we will be taken care of. When we truly know this, then we can practice this type of generosity without fear. If we do it because we think we "should", then it may not work as well for us, as there isn't a pure energy flow that accompanies it. I truly believe and know, after so many years of working intimately with energy, that everything is about energy and going with the flow, as well as about intention driven by integrity. At least that's how it looks for me - that's how I "frame" it. When energy is restricted it can't flow, and fear (i.e. greed, hatred, jealousy, judgement, etc.) is the one thing that will really gum up the works....
Stated in a different way.... what goes around comes around.... sooner or later. It just does. If the intentions we put out are honorable, they will return to us in honorable and beautiful ways at times when we need that the most. And the more we are "doers of good deeds" the more that comes back to us. You can also call that the upside of karma, as well as the Golden Rule: Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. I have always heard that espoused as a core religious value, yet I don't see so many people - especially those in positions of "power and authority" - embracing it. To me it just makes sense and is the only way we can ever hope to have any type of balance and harmony on good ol' planet Earth. Practice the Golden Rule, love your neighbor as yourself, do good deeds, pay it forward, go with the flow, all you need is love......simple concepts, yet deep.
So any time in life we're dealing with something "heavy" - be it death and loss, chronic illness, life-threatening conditions, financial disaster, or some other happening we might think of as "bad" or a "disaster" - I believe the more we can face it with a hopeful, honorable outlook, the farther along we'll be. That's not to say we will never get angry, discouraged, depressed, frustrated, or feel other emotions we might label as "negative." When we suppress these they just find other ways to show themselves. I fully believe in allowing ourselves to feel our feelings, whatever they may be, and express them in ways that don't hurt self or others, and then move forward as soon as we can with hope, faith, trust, love. Sometimes I literally give myself permission for a day or two to really feel pissy or angry or "down" about something. After I've wallowed in that for awhile I can work through it and be ready to let it go. It's much easier to rebound and move back into a positive slant on things. It also helps to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people, and that's what can be hardest, I think, for those in chronic pain or with health crises that last a very long time..... sometimes others don't understand.
I recently began facilitating a support group for women experiencing chronic pain. It's called "Chronic Wellness" (thanks again Rikki for that catchy title!), because even though we want a place to process through negative feelings and experiences, we don't want to forget that wellness and quality of life are our ultimate goals or at least hopes. I am so blessed that I'm feeling better all the time, because it enables me to have the energy to facilitate groups like this, as well as my women's spirituality group, and to do Reiki work to help others with healing and transformation. As I help others, I help myself.
I'm always tremendously inspired by other people's stories about how they have overcome difficulties in life to be stronger spiritually and emotionally, as well as physically. As a social worker in child welfare for over 20 years, I saw it all - every difficult, painful situation you can imagine - and yet I also saw so much resilience, so much healing, and so many people who made huge leaps in awareness about their lives and situations, so that they could lead happier and more productive lives. I could (and maybe someday will) write a book about the wonderments that I have experienced in child welfare, school-based social work and teaching, and also the five years I spent working with refugees from countries around the world. Talk about loss! Try losing many - maybe even all - of your loved ones (usually to cruel deaths), your home, even your country. If anyone has a reason to be depressed, it is someone in that type of situation, war-torn and battered. And yet the majority of these folks go on to live healthy, happy, productive lives, often because they are able to allow themselves to receive help and support for awhile until they can re-invent themselves and their lives. Their memories of those awful times where they have witnessed unconscionable things will never go away, yet the human spirit is just remarkably strong and resilient. Some will not make it and the sorrow and depression will overshadow their lives (in most cases understandably so, it has been just too much to bear), but many will go on to keep putting one foot in front of the other until things are better, and until they can find a reason to wake up with a smile on their face, at least half of the time.
That's what inspires me. And what makes life worth living - all of us in this together, helping one another, and allowing ourselves to be helped when we need it. It's very easy in this crazy and chaotic world to get caught up in the fear and the mania and the "spin" that is put on it by the media (one reason why Erick and I don't watch TV or read much of the news.... too much negativity). The more we can live with open minds and open hearts, the more we will thrive, I believe, in spite of what may be going on all around us that is challenging.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. Lauryn, thanks for the inspiration! Wishing you a beautiful and meaningful day,
Sukie
Friday, May 7, 2010
Supplementally speaking...
Greetings to all ~
I have been feeling really well overall and out enjoying the gorgeous weather a lot, so it has been a few days since I've written anything. I continue to feel better, both physically and energetically. Of course, these are very much "baby steps" so far.... I do have my herxes and just plain crappy moments, too....
I wanted to mention a few of the supplements that I'm using along with the Salt/C protocol. Obviously, everyone has their own healing path and we all have different things that we need. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. I just want to mention a few things that I have found to be useful.
The first one is systemic enzyme supplementation. This is a different protocol than taking digestive enzymes with food. These are taken away from food and allowed to flood the system. They clean the blood and the cells of the body. There are many toxins that systemic enzymes are able to break down and eliminate. One of these is the Lyme disease neurotoxin. Reducing the quantity of circulating neurotoxins can have significant healing and symptom-reducing value. Persons using blood thinners shouldn't take systemic enzymes, since they are so effective in cleansing the blood that the blood can become dangerously thin.
For those of you with fibromyalgia, one of my favorite books, The Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments by Bryan Rosner, has much info that may also be applicable to fibromyalgia. For more info about how systemic enzymes may possibly help fibromyalgia, take a look at this book, page 240.
Magnesium is another important nutrient to consider supplementing with if you have lyme disease. There is evidence that "in certain diseases, magnesium deficiency can cause a decrease in immune response..." and this includes lyme (see page 287 of the afore-mentioned book). There are many forms of magnesium, including MSM and Epsom salts. My favorite is a powder called "Calm" from a company called Natural Vitality. It comes in several flavors (sweetened with stevia), and the lemon raspberry one also has added calcium. It is so important to balance calcium and magnesium levels as the two effect one another in the system.
These are a couple of supplements that seem to be important for many lyme sufferers and, possibly, those with other immune disorders. I take other supplements, too, many of which I have already blogged about. I think the key to all of this is finding a naturopath or allopathic doctor or health practitioner that you really trust that is willing to listen and take your own intentions and intuitions about your health into consideration, and make recommendations accordingly. As I've mentioned previously, my healing journey took a brighter turn when I finally realized I needed to take responsibility for my own health and began to study up on everything I could find.
I'm SO not out of the woods, yet, and I may find that the Salt/C protocol - or other protocols - may not be the ultimate answer for me. I am feeling truly blessed right now to be feeling as well as I am, and I am envisioning an uphill trend, even though I know that every few weeks I can expect some massive herxes. Time will truly tell whether or not the lyme bacteria are really reduced, and my immune system strengthened, to the point that a balance is gained and my symptoms go into remission. We are far from that point yet..... my knees still don't want to bend, my shoulders are out of whack, and my sit bones really hurt much of the time. My vision goes from blurry to blurrier and back again. And sometimes I just hurt all over, and haven't much energy to do much more than sleep. And yet something just feels different........ something very intangible.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure of discovery. And have a beautiful weekend including a fantastic Mom's Day! All of you moms out there ROCK!
Sukie
I have been feeling really well overall and out enjoying the gorgeous weather a lot, so it has been a few days since I've written anything. I continue to feel better, both physically and energetically. Of course, these are very much "baby steps" so far.... I do have my herxes and just plain crappy moments, too....
I wanted to mention a few of the supplements that I'm using along with the Salt/C protocol. Obviously, everyone has their own healing path and we all have different things that we need. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. I just want to mention a few things that I have found to be useful.
The first one is systemic enzyme supplementation. This is a different protocol than taking digestive enzymes with food. These are taken away from food and allowed to flood the system. They clean the blood and the cells of the body. There are many toxins that systemic enzymes are able to break down and eliminate. One of these is the Lyme disease neurotoxin. Reducing the quantity of circulating neurotoxins can have significant healing and symptom-reducing value. Persons using blood thinners shouldn't take systemic enzymes, since they are so effective in cleansing the blood that the blood can become dangerously thin.
For those of you with fibromyalgia, one of my favorite books, The Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments by Bryan Rosner, has much info that may also be applicable to fibromyalgia. For more info about how systemic enzymes may possibly help fibromyalgia, take a look at this book, page 240.
Magnesium is another important nutrient to consider supplementing with if you have lyme disease. There is evidence that "in certain diseases, magnesium deficiency can cause a decrease in immune response..." and this includes lyme (see page 287 of the afore-mentioned book). There are many forms of magnesium, including MSM and Epsom salts. My favorite is a powder called "Calm" from a company called Natural Vitality. It comes in several flavors (sweetened with stevia), and the lemon raspberry one also has added calcium. It is so important to balance calcium and magnesium levels as the two effect one another in the system.
These are a couple of supplements that seem to be important for many lyme sufferers and, possibly, those with other immune disorders. I take other supplements, too, many of which I have already blogged about. I think the key to all of this is finding a naturopath or allopathic doctor or health practitioner that you really trust that is willing to listen and take your own intentions and intuitions about your health into consideration, and make recommendations accordingly. As I've mentioned previously, my healing journey took a brighter turn when I finally realized I needed to take responsibility for my own health and began to study up on everything I could find.
I'm SO not out of the woods, yet, and I may find that the Salt/C protocol - or other protocols - may not be the ultimate answer for me. I am feeling truly blessed right now to be feeling as well as I am, and I am envisioning an uphill trend, even though I know that every few weeks I can expect some massive herxes. Time will truly tell whether or not the lyme bacteria are really reduced, and my immune system strengthened, to the point that a balance is gained and my symptoms go into remission. We are far from that point yet..... my knees still don't want to bend, my shoulders are out of whack, and my sit bones really hurt much of the time. My vision goes from blurry to blurrier and back again. And sometimes I just hurt all over, and haven't much energy to do much more than sleep. And yet something just feels different........ something very intangible.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure of discovery. And have a beautiful weekend including a fantastic Mom's Day! All of you moms out there ROCK!
Sukie
Monday, May 3, 2010
Cautiously Optimistic
Greetings~
Yes, I am feeling cautiously optimistic. I'm not sure I've ever used that phrase before, but I've heard it all my life. Today it fits. I have really realized the past few days that it feels like progress is being made with the Salt/C protocol against the bacterial overload presented by lyme disease.
It is true that herx-times, lyme-flares and healing times will ebb and flow, and so even though a person feels well today, they may not feel so well tomorrow (and in fact, might feel horrible). Yet despite this, something has shifted a bit; something is changing. I notice that my body is bouncing back quicker from herx reactions and lyme-flares, and that things that normally would throw me into an extreme state of pain are not having such a heavy effect as they were.
For example, Erick and I took a little trip over the weekend. I indulged in a delicious, spicy Indian meal, and walked all over town which included quite a few hills. I did all this knowing that I would probably pay for it the next day with some serious agony. Yet when Sunday morning came along, I was feeling fairly well, and it lasted all day, and has continued throughout today, also. In fact, I was feeling so good yesterday that I treated myself to a bit of "Coconut Bliss".... a non-dairy frozen dessert that is much like ice cream. Now mind you, I haven't had ice cream or anything like it in over a year, but I found this yesterday at the natural foods market on Bainbridge Island, and decided to give it a try after reading the label. It contains no dairy, gluten, and best of all, no refined cane sugar! It is sweetened with organic agave syrup.
It is a well-named product, for I truly WAS in bliss. I ate about 1/3 of a pint which really was dicey, since sugar in most any form will activate the lyme bacteria. And it did after awhile, but not very much. Next time I'll stick to just a few bites. But let me tell you, it was really quite exciting to have a yummy dessert after such a very long time AND not to experience a severe reaction, to boot.
So after savoring my Coconut Bliss, I was thinking I'd have to come back to Whidbey Island and beg our grocer to carry this product. However, when I stopped in today, there it was in the freezer case; I'd just never seen it before. So if you enjoy coconut and would appreciate a dessert with a low glycemic load that is also gluten free, dairy free, and refined-cane-sugar-free, now you know what to look for.... Luna & Larry's Organic COCONUT BLISS!
Let's suffice it to say that I am really enjoying this past few days of feeling pretty great, despite having not adhered as strictly to my eating plan, and having engaged in more strenuous activities than usual. My pain is at about a "2.5" on the 0-10 pain scale right now. More herxes will definately come, and more times when I will be wiped-out and flat on my back, but for now I am feeling truly grateful that I can actually feel progress happening. I can even tell that some of those little clusters of bacteria under the skin of my forearms are getting smaller. To me this says that the Salt/C protocol is starting to have a significant effect. I'm taking pretty much the max recommended dosage, and will be following this for quite some time into the future. We'll see what the long-term results are..... For now, I can report that there is definately HOPE.
I came across a couple of wonderful cookbooks over the weekend that piqued my interest. Now I have never been much of a cook, much less a "cookbook person." But as I refine my eating habits, I become more and more interested in ways to make fresh veggies and grains as interesting and flavorful as possible. One of these beautiful books is called Clean Food, by Terry Walters. It has wonderful recipes that are mostly very simple to make. That scores huge points with me! The other one is The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, by Donna Klein, which I had a quick look at and ordered, so I can't tell you much about it yet, except that at first glance it was very appealing. I can tell you that Erick and I are both very much in love with Mediterranean food, so this book promises to be a hit at our house.
OK, we are having high winds here on Whidbey Island right now and I am in danger of losing this post (the lights are flickering), so I'll sign off for now. Bon Appetit, or as my friend Shirley would say, "Zen Appetit!"
Sukie
Yes, I am feeling cautiously optimistic. I'm not sure I've ever used that phrase before, but I've heard it all my life. Today it fits. I have really realized the past few days that it feels like progress is being made with the Salt/C protocol against the bacterial overload presented by lyme disease.
It is true that herx-times, lyme-flares and healing times will ebb and flow, and so even though a person feels well today, they may not feel so well tomorrow (and in fact, might feel horrible). Yet despite this, something has shifted a bit; something is changing. I notice that my body is bouncing back quicker from herx reactions and lyme-flares, and that things that normally would throw me into an extreme state of pain are not having such a heavy effect as they were.
For example, Erick and I took a little trip over the weekend. I indulged in a delicious, spicy Indian meal, and walked all over town which included quite a few hills. I did all this knowing that I would probably pay for it the next day with some serious agony. Yet when Sunday morning came along, I was feeling fairly well, and it lasted all day, and has continued throughout today, also. In fact, I was feeling so good yesterday that I treated myself to a bit of "Coconut Bliss".... a non-dairy frozen dessert that is much like ice cream. Now mind you, I haven't had ice cream or anything like it in over a year, but I found this yesterday at the natural foods market on Bainbridge Island, and decided to give it a try after reading the label. It contains no dairy, gluten, and best of all, no refined cane sugar! It is sweetened with organic agave syrup.
It is a well-named product, for I truly WAS in bliss. I ate about 1/3 of a pint which really was dicey, since sugar in most any form will activate the lyme bacteria. And it did after awhile, but not very much. Next time I'll stick to just a few bites. But let me tell you, it was really quite exciting to have a yummy dessert after such a very long time AND not to experience a severe reaction, to boot.
So after savoring my Coconut Bliss, I was thinking I'd have to come back to Whidbey Island and beg our grocer to carry this product. However, when I stopped in today, there it was in the freezer case; I'd just never seen it before. So if you enjoy coconut and would appreciate a dessert with a low glycemic load that is also gluten free, dairy free, and refined-cane-sugar-free, now you know what to look for.... Luna & Larry's Organic COCONUT BLISS!
Let's suffice it to say that I am really enjoying this past few days of feeling pretty great, despite having not adhered as strictly to my eating plan, and having engaged in more strenuous activities than usual. My pain is at about a "2.5" on the 0-10 pain scale right now. More herxes will definately come, and more times when I will be wiped-out and flat on my back, but for now I am feeling truly grateful that I can actually feel progress happening. I can even tell that some of those little clusters of bacteria under the skin of my forearms are getting smaller. To me this says that the Salt/C protocol is starting to have a significant effect. I'm taking pretty much the max recommended dosage, and will be following this for quite some time into the future. We'll see what the long-term results are..... For now, I can report that there is definately HOPE.
I came across a couple of wonderful cookbooks over the weekend that piqued my interest. Now I have never been much of a cook, much less a "cookbook person." But as I refine my eating habits, I become more and more interested in ways to make fresh veggies and grains as interesting and flavorful as possible. One of these beautiful books is called Clean Food, by Terry Walters. It has wonderful recipes that are mostly very simple to make. That scores huge points with me! The other one is The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, by Donna Klein, which I had a quick look at and ordered, so I can't tell you much about it yet, except that at first glance it was very appealing. I can tell you that Erick and I are both very much in love with Mediterranean food, so this book promises to be a hit at our house.
OK, we are having high winds here on Whidbey Island right now and I am in danger of losing this post (the lights are flickering), so I'll sign off for now. Bon Appetit, or as my friend Shirley would say, "Zen Appetit!"
Sukie
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