Greetings, Friends ~
Since we last connected, a month or so ago, I’ve had the good fortune to converse with the author of the Salt/C protocol handbook, titled “Lyme Strategies: Practical Research on Lyme Infection.” I was re-reading the protocol the other night, since I’ve been ramping up on the Salt/C this past week to get down to some serious herxing, since it’s been awhile and I want to keep decreasing the bacterial levels. In the course of reviewing the strategy, some questions came up and so I searched on the internet and found an email address that is connected with the protocol. Here is the response from the author, Marc (don’t have a last name). I was really pleased to hear from him promptly, and the response came with many encouraging words, validating what I was beginning to expect... that I’ve stayed with the protocol long enough to have “broken the back of” the disease… to have gotten a “leg up” on it by not only working to eradicate the bacteria, but to strengthen and reinforce my immune system. My sense has been that my immune system has been getting stronger and is now more able to “handle” the bacterial load and keep it under control.
Based upon Marc’s input, I feel I can now ramp down on the Salt/C and stay at a maintenance dose indefinitely. If I feel a need to, I can always ramp up again and increase the Salt/C levels to the point of creating herxes. It will be interesting to see, at this point, if that’s really necessary (I just went through a mega-herx this week after taking quite a bit of Salt/C, and I’ve been experiencing some serious pain, most especially at the base of my skull. Clearly, there is still bacteria there, but it’s possible that the immune can now take over from here and I will continue to improve and feel better and healthier all the time).I've been feeling a true VIBRANCE of health now for a few months.
Truly, I’m so grateful for the Salt/C protocol and those who developed and tested it. According to info on a variety of websites, the protocol has literally helped thousands of lyme sufferers overcome the debilitating effects of this disease with its array of co-infections. And so I say a huge thank-you and a BRAVO to Marc and the others who have shared this information with the world. It is a tremendous blessing to have my life back! And to have achieved this with a treatment protocol that is very simple to work with, inexpensive, and best of all effective! In this case, subjective data is currently the best we have to determine the effectiveness of the Salt/C protocol in having an affect on lyme bacteria, since the Borrelia and other co-infections are so good at hiding out, and are so hard to find and measure with conventional medical tests.
Read the email exchange below if you’re interested in the details of my conversation with Mark. Many blessings to you. I probably won’t be continuing with this particular blog, but if you’d like to stay in touch, please visit my new website at www.whidbeyislandreiki.com, and check out my blog, “Journey to the Soul.”
And FYI, my mom continues to undergo radiation treatment for oral cancer. It is arduous. She amazes me with her sheer will to get through it. And I'm truly appreciating the extra time with her.
Namaste,
Sukie
Below is the email… Marc’s comments are in bold as he responds to various portions of my emailed note… my comments are in regular text.
Hi Sue,
Thank you for your note.
Greetings ~
Thanks so much for your work with the Salt/C protocol The protocol has literally changed my life, SO much for the better, and I feel not only pretty much "back to normal", but I feel like I am thriving like never before.
----------------------
Yay!! You made my day:-)
In addition to the protocol, I have also been using an Earthing sheet on my bed which has made a HUGE difference in terms of reducing my joint inflammation to essentially nil (which was my worst symptom prior to getting the Earthing sheet). I would love to see more lyme sufferers try an Earthing sheet, and/or for someone to undertake a study of this, as it can have such a positive effect on dramatically reducing inflammation (for everyone with inflammation, not just lyme folks). The implications for the combination of the Salt/C protocol with Earthing are profound (I also combine Earthing with Reiki; in case you're interested my website is www.whidbeyislandreiki.com).
----------------------
That is very interesting, Sue. Thanks for your site ref. I look forward to it.
So I continue on with the Salt/C protocol, and can still get myself to herx if I take high enough levels of Salt/C (9+), and now the herx pain is pretty much all located in the back of my neck/base of my skull. I'm trying to determine how long I need to keep herxing at this level, or if my immune system has kicked in enough to "handle it", since when I drop down to a "maintenance dose" of Salt/C (6-8 per day), I am essentially pain-free and can move freely, kayak, do yoga, all the stuff I did before starting Salt/C on April 1, 2010. During the months of November and December 2010 I just did "maintenance" and did not attempt to herx, and I was pain-free and 98% symptom free the whole time.
-------------------------
It sounds like you have broken its back, so to speak, and your immune is subjugating. What folks will do at this point, typically, is back down to the level you note as maintenance and will continue immune support items. That is, with the immune getting on top of it, it is beefing them up to where their antibody production, scavenging, etc. is enhanced and remainder of "vestige" phenomena will fade even more to out completely.
I did download your e-book last spring. I am unclear as to whether I have the most current version or not, and if not, whether I need to read the current one, since I am having such great results with the protocol. Is there info in the revised version that is more specific about when/how to begin tapering off the protocol, and how to determine a maintenance dosage? While I can probably figure this out myself, it would be good to know how (if?) others have done this and how it has worked for them.
-----------------------
The ebook you have is the most current. Regarding reaching the alleviation point, on p. 31 of the ebook it states: "Note: when individuals achieve alleviation, they will continue for a time at a "maintenance" measurement that usually is around the 4g each salt and C daily (2g each for children). In practice, individuals have varied in how long they follow this. It is recommended to it well past the point of alleviation. Some have done it for an extended period beyond alleviation (months) as a precaution against any latent encysted or dormant forms of the bacteria being present. Others have done it for a shorter time and then just diligently used liberal amounts of natural salt with their foods. To-date both has been seen to work but we would encourage the first as a precaution."You may find, Sue, having the gift of being a Reiki Master that your attunement with the body may present you with an intuitive sense as to what is right for yourself. We note the "4g" as being typical, with some doing 5 or 6, others doing 3-4, etc., as personal choice. Know that anything in this range is therapeutic in terms of effect an any "strays". (We are big on the "gut feeling", inner sense - it so often exactly right.)
So.... if you have feedback on any of the above, I would be most grateful to hear from you. Thanks once again for all you've done to promote the protocol. I hope it eventually becomes the protocol of choice for the vast majority of lyme sufferers as it is simple, inexpensive, and it actually WORKS!
Sincerely,
Sue Averett
-------------------------------
You're very welcomed, Sue. I am so very happy for you -and very well done!
You did a great job and deserve the rewards :-)
Onward & upward,
Marc
Showing posts with label herx reaction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label herx reaction. Show all posts
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
As this year closes....
Greetings, Everyone...
As this year closes, there is much to be grateful for, and much to look forward to in 2011. I hope that each of you has had a special time with family and friends over this holiday season, and that we can all carry forward the peacefulness, patience and goodwill throughout the coming year.
The lyme journey continues on, and I find myself in a rhythm of "pulsing" the Salt and Vitamin C, since during the holidays we not only took the cruise, but had lots of company at the house, which means it was a challenge to stay the course with my personal eating and supplementation plan. Today my daughter, Ariana and her dear friend, Monique, will be heading home and the house will be empty. This means I am back to upping my Salt/C doses so I can herx, and back to my saunas every other day, as well as diligence with my supplements that has fallen somewhat by the wayside over the past week. I have been feeling SO good, so healthy and pain-free, and that's been awesome! Yet last week I pushed the salt levels up high for 2 days and wow, I got real sore real fast, which says my work with the lyme bacteria is very much unfinished. Who knows how long it will take to really break the numbers down and reduce the bacterial load to the point that the body takes it all under control and handles it without my constant attention.
At any rate, this continues to be my challenge for awhile, and the winter is the best time to focus on things like that, when there isn't so much competing for attention. That being said, I have much to do this winter...... my mother's cancer has returned, and she is going to be going into intensive treatment for a few weeks. I will be spending time with her every day, helping her to be as comfortable as possible and inspiring her to keep her spirits up. For this reason, I have made the difficult decision to bring this blog to a close, at least for now. I need to be able to focus all of my attention on my mom, and really be there for her during this time of her life.
When all is said and done with the lyme journey (a year from now? Two?), I may consider writing a book about the Salt/C protocol and my healing process. If I do that I will surely let everyone know. If you are one who would like to stay in touch in between times, you may feel free to email me at reiki4innerpeace@yahoo.com with any questions or comments. I hope my journey so far has been some inspiration for others with lyme, or for those who are supporting people with lyme, as well as helping to keep my friends and family informed of my healing process. As I mentioned in a recent blog, "I'm back!" I feel better than ever and amazingly, I have the energy now to be there for my mom in her time of need. As I always say, "The Universe knows what it's doing...." Had my mom needed this treatment a year ago, I don't know how I would have mustered up the energy or ability to help her. Thankfully, my health has returned and I'll be able to provide daily support to her.
Thank you for keeping up with this blog, and for your kindness and enthusiasm. I wish everyone well, and at some point in the future, I may log back onto the blog and begin again, we'll see..... And when I am clear of the bacteria to the point I can dramatically reduce the Salt/C levels, I will find a way to let the world know.
Namaste' - the spirit in me honors the spirit in you. May many beautiful blessings fall upon you in this new year ripe with potential,
Sukie
As this year closes, there is much to be grateful for, and much to look forward to in 2011. I hope that each of you has had a special time with family and friends over this holiday season, and that we can all carry forward the peacefulness, patience and goodwill throughout the coming year.
The lyme journey continues on, and I find myself in a rhythm of "pulsing" the Salt and Vitamin C, since during the holidays we not only took the cruise, but had lots of company at the house, which means it was a challenge to stay the course with my personal eating and supplementation plan. Today my daughter, Ariana and her dear friend, Monique, will be heading home and the house will be empty. This means I am back to upping my Salt/C doses so I can herx, and back to my saunas every other day, as well as diligence with my supplements that has fallen somewhat by the wayside over the past week. I have been feeling SO good, so healthy and pain-free, and that's been awesome! Yet last week I pushed the salt levels up high for 2 days and wow, I got real sore real fast, which says my work with the lyme bacteria is very much unfinished. Who knows how long it will take to really break the numbers down and reduce the bacterial load to the point that the body takes it all under control and handles it without my constant attention.
At any rate, this continues to be my challenge for awhile, and the winter is the best time to focus on things like that, when there isn't so much competing for attention. That being said, I have much to do this winter...... my mother's cancer has returned, and she is going to be going into intensive treatment for a few weeks. I will be spending time with her every day, helping her to be as comfortable as possible and inspiring her to keep her spirits up. For this reason, I have made the difficult decision to bring this blog to a close, at least for now. I need to be able to focus all of my attention on my mom, and really be there for her during this time of her life.
When all is said and done with the lyme journey (a year from now? Two?), I may consider writing a book about the Salt/C protocol and my healing process. If I do that I will surely let everyone know. If you are one who would like to stay in touch in between times, you may feel free to email me at reiki4innerpeace@yahoo.com with any questions or comments. I hope my journey so far has been some inspiration for others with lyme, or for those who are supporting people with lyme, as well as helping to keep my friends and family informed of my healing process. As I mentioned in a recent blog, "I'm back!" I feel better than ever and amazingly, I have the energy now to be there for my mom in her time of need. As I always say, "The Universe knows what it's doing...." Had my mom needed this treatment a year ago, I don't know how I would have mustered up the energy or ability to help her. Thankfully, my health has returned and I'll be able to provide daily support to her.
Thank you for keeping up with this blog, and for your kindness and enthusiasm. I wish everyone well, and at some point in the future, I may log back onto the blog and begin again, we'll see..... And when I am clear of the bacteria to the point I can dramatically reduce the Salt/C levels, I will find a way to let the world know.
Namaste' - the spirit in me honors the spirit in you. May many beautiful blessings fall upon you in this new year ripe with potential,
Sukie
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Autumn Flare
Greetings to all ~
Just a quick note before heading out the door on our trip to Hawaii.... (and YES, we are very excited!!). I wanted to note that in the literature about lyme disease it always talks about the lyme flares that happen in the spring and fall. For some reason, life-cycle-wise, these times of year encourage great activity amongst the borrelia spirochetes. I hadn't really noticed so much before, possibly because I was in such extreme pain all the time, anyway. Now, I am realizing that these past few days I have been feeling a lot of pain, as well as "movement", if you will, of the bacteria. The "movement" thing is hard to explain.... it's a sense of weakness in the bones and muscles, and an essence of motion that I've been feeling off and on for years. Kind of how I feel if I can in an elevator that drops quickly...
Anyway, as I ponder these sensations, as well as almost flu-like symptoms of aches and pains I've had for a couple of days, I am realizing it's probably the autumn lyme flare. I feel fine, otherwise. No fever or anything like that. Head is very clear. Just achey-breakey. Wonder how the borrelia will like the tropical weather of the islands? I want to be very diligent about my eating over there and stay away from sweets, so that I don't give them any encouragement to want to propogate any further than they already are. I will be keeping up with my Salt/C and supplement protocol throughout the trip, also, which will keep the critters on the run....
While we're gone I'm loaning my two earthing sheets to a couple of friends with fibromyalgia (and also taking an earthing pad along on the trip). It will be interesting to hear about whatever results they may have from using the sheets for 10 days.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving - so much to be grateful for! I am grateful for all of you for caring enough to check in with this blog to see what's happening. I hope it's helpful for you. It's been a fabulous experience for me...
Special LOVE shout-out today to RKay! xoxoxox
Much love, aloha, & see you soon,
Sukie
Just a quick note before heading out the door on our trip to Hawaii.... (and YES, we are very excited!!). I wanted to note that in the literature about lyme disease it always talks about the lyme flares that happen in the spring and fall. For some reason, life-cycle-wise, these times of year encourage great activity amongst the borrelia spirochetes. I hadn't really noticed so much before, possibly because I was in such extreme pain all the time, anyway. Now, I am realizing that these past few days I have been feeling a lot of pain, as well as "movement", if you will, of the bacteria. The "movement" thing is hard to explain.... it's a sense of weakness in the bones and muscles, and an essence of motion that I've been feeling off and on for years. Kind of how I feel if I can in an elevator that drops quickly...
Anyway, as I ponder these sensations, as well as almost flu-like symptoms of aches and pains I've had for a couple of days, I am realizing it's probably the autumn lyme flare. I feel fine, otherwise. No fever or anything like that. Head is very clear. Just achey-breakey. Wonder how the borrelia will like the tropical weather of the islands? I want to be very diligent about my eating over there and stay away from sweets, so that I don't give them any encouragement to want to propogate any further than they already are. I will be keeping up with my Salt/C and supplement protocol throughout the trip, also, which will keep the critters on the run....
While we're gone I'm loaning my two earthing sheets to a couple of friends with fibromyalgia (and also taking an earthing pad along on the trip). It will be interesting to hear about whatever results they may have from using the sheets for 10 days.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving - so much to be grateful for! I am grateful for all of you for caring enough to check in with this blog to see what's happening. I hope it's helpful for you. It's been a fabulous experience for me...
Special LOVE shout-out today to RKay! xoxoxox
Much love, aloha, & see you soon,
Sukie
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
It's all about the Herx...
Hello to you!
I've been feeling so darn good that I've gotten a bit lax on my blogging, haven't I? Well, this week I am herxing and in some pain, which reminded me to blog! The herxes these days are essentially self-imposed - meaning that I have to "up" my Salt/C intake to create a herx reaction, so on weeks when I don't have guests, travel, or major responsibilities, I ratchet up on the Salt/C so that I can herx and do more clearing of the borrelia bacteria.
What I've noticed is that the herxes, while painful, are not as severe as they used to be. Not fun still, but definately more do-able now. It never feels good to ache all over or have intense pains in your joints. This week the pain is mostly limited to my right knee (ouchhh) and the back of my neck just below the occipital ridge, and some shoulder pain. So that tells me pretty much where the critters are holed-up. Another thing I've noticed over the past few months is that generally when I start herxing, I will get little pin-head-sized red spots that will sometimes break open. Some of the literature on the Salt/C protocol postulates that these may be "exit points" for the bacteria. I have no idea if that's true, but there is some correlation between the higher doses and the phenomenon of the spots.
I continue to be grateful every day for my improving health and vitality, my wonderful, charmed life in general, including my amazing and sweet Erick, dear friends and family, beautiful island home, meaningful work and projects, and my Earthing sheet! I am so grateful for that amazingly simple little piece of fabric that helps to keep the inflammation way down. I'm including a comment here from Caroline, one of my Reiki students, who recently purchased an Earthing sheet:
While restless leg syndrome is often what sends me to bed, I no longer have the RLS while in bed. I am experiencing more clarity when I wake up in the morning. Even the morning when I woke up at 3:30 (urgh), I was clear and un-foggy. I have noticed that when I go out for my weekly shopping trips (or trips to Alderwood Mall for a play day), I am no longer exhausted at the end of the excursion. And (joy of joys!!!!) I can once again sit cross-legged. Yoga will be much easier now. And finally (or maybe not!), I'm getting all those little projects completed. I just do them. Already this sheet has more than paid for itself.
On to fun stuff: One more week until we leave for Hawaii. It'll be lovely to spend Thanksgiving with family in the tropics; we're all looking forward to that. I feel really ready for some snorkeling and hiking, and I think my body is ready to rock and roll. While I've spent time before on some of the islands, this will be an inter-island cruise, so we'll have time to sit on our deck and watch the beautiful magic of the water and Hawaiian nature pass by....then we have stops on Maui (2 days), Kauai (2 days), Hilo (1 day), and Kona (1 day), plus a couple of extra days to cavort around Oahu. Having grown up in Arizona, I always appreciate a time when I can spend my day in shorts and bare feet. My hair gets some funky waves in it from the humidity - a few years ago in Roatan my hair was so wavy I looked like a different person. And so nice that my 89-year-old mom will get to enjoy this Hawaiian interlude, as her health has been declining a bit this past year. She so deserves this special time with her loved ones in paradise.
Aloha & catch up with you again soon,
Sukie
I've been feeling so darn good that I've gotten a bit lax on my blogging, haven't I? Well, this week I am herxing and in some pain, which reminded me to blog! The herxes these days are essentially self-imposed - meaning that I have to "up" my Salt/C intake to create a herx reaction, so on weeks when I don't have guests, travel, or major responsibilities, I ratchet up on the Salt/C so that I can herx and do more clearing of the borrelia bacteria.
What I've noticed is that the herxes, while painful, are not as severe as they used to be. Not fun still, but definately more do-able now. It never feels good to ache all over or have intense pains in your joints. This week the pain is mostly limited to my right knee (ouchhh) and the back of my neck just below the occipital ridge, and some shoulder pain. So that tells me pretty much where the critters are holed-up. Another thing I've noticed over the past few months is that generally when I start herxing, I will get little pin-head-sized red spots that will sometimes break open. Some of the literature on the Salt/C protocol postulates that these may be "exit points" for the bacteria. I have no idea if that's true, but there is some correlation between the higher doses and the phenomenon of the spots.
I continue to be grateful every day for my improving health and vitality, my wonderful, charmed life in general, including my amazing and sweet Erick, dear friends and family, beautiful island home, meaningful work and projects, and my Earthing sheet! I am so grateful for that amazingly simple little piece of fabric that helps to keep the inflammation way down. I'm including a comment here from Caroline, one of my Reiki students, who recently purchased an Earthing sheet:
While restless leg syndrome is often what sends me to bed, I no longer have the RLS while in bed. I am experiencing more clarity when I wake up in the morning. Even the morning when I woke up at 3:30 (urgh), I was clear and un-foggy. I have noticed that when I go out for my weekly shopping trips (or trips to Alderwood Mall for a play day), I am no longer exhausted at the end of the excursion. And (joy of joys!!!!) I can once again sit cross-legged. Yoga will be much easier now. And finally (or maybe not!), I'm getting all those little projects completed. I just do them. Already this sheet has more than paid for itself.
On to fun stuff: One more week until we leave for Hawaii. It'll be lovely to spend Thanksgiving with family in the tropics; we're all looking forward to that. I feel really ready for some snorkeling and hiking, and I think my body is ready to rock and roll. While I've spent time before on some of the islands, this will be an inter-island cruise, so we'll have time to sit on our deck and watch the beautiful magic of the water and Hawaiian nature pass by....then we have stops on Maui (2 days), Kauai (2 days), Hilo (1 day), and Kona (1 day), plus a couple of extra days to cavort around Oahu. Having grown up in Arizona, I always appreciate a time when I can spend my day in shorts and bare feet. My hair gets some funky waves in it from the humidity - a few years ago in Roatan my hair was so wavy I looked like a different person. And so nice that my 89-year-old mom will get to enjoy this Hawaiian interlude, as her health has been declining a bit this past year. She so deserves this special time with her loved ones in paradise.
Aloha & catch up with you again soon,
Sukie
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Two thumbs up on Salt/C protocol
Greetings ~
I was just looking at my planner and realize that I have an appointment on November 2 with Dr. R. to do a functional blood analysis, to see how my blood cells are looking at this point. I am really hopeful that they are going to show a marked improvement, since I am feeling so much better this past couple of months. It is SO amazing how much the inflammation has been reduced, mostly since I added sleeping on the earthing sheet. I keep thinking about that song that says, "I feel good! Like I knew that I would....." (James Brown?).
I've always felt like I would get better ~ in fact, I've always believed I would end up feeling better than when I started. I already do! Now of course, at this point "getting better" means that I feel better, which is more important to me than anything else. Just how much the bacterial load has actually been reduced is hard to say, but I feel now that I know how to handle it, that I have a mechanism for dealing with it.
I know that I'm definately at a point where I can say wholeheartedly that I believe that the Salt/C protocol works. Whether it will work for everyone is something I can't say, but I would certainly encourage people with lyme disease to give it a try, with the blessing of your healthcare professionals, for sure.
And regardless of whether a person tries the Salt/C protocol or some other treatment(s) for Lyme, I would also very enthusiastically recommend purchasing an Earthing sheet. What a difference that has made in terms of reducing and practically eliminating inflammation, as well as improving my quality of sleep!!!
So stay tuned and let's see how the functional blood analysis turns out. In the meantime, I'll catch you in a few days.... hope you're enjoying the beautiful autumn. I am literally watching the leaves fall out my window right now.
Blessings,
Sukie
I was just looking at my planner and realize that I have an appointment on November 2 with Dr. R. to do a functional blood analysis, to see how my blood cells are looking at this point. I am really hopeful that they are going to show a marked improvement, since I am feeling so much better this past couple of months. It is SO amazing how much the inflammation has been reduced, mostly since I added sleeping on the earthing sheet. I keep thinking about that song that says, "I feel good! Like I knew that I would....." (James Brown?).
I've always felt like I would get better ~ in fact, I've always believed I would end up feeling better than when I started. I already do! Now of course, at this point "getting better" means that I feel better, which is more important to me than anything else. Just how much the bacterial load has actually been reduced is hard to say, but I feel now that I know how to handle it, that I have a mechanism for dealing with it.
I know that I'm definately at a point where I can say wholeheartedly that I believe that the Salt/C protocol works. Whether it will work for everyone is something I can't say, but I would certainly encourage people with lyme disease to give it a try, with the blessing of your healthcare professionals, for sure.
And regardless of whether a person tries the Salt/C protocol or some other treatment(s) for Lyme, I would also very enthusiastically recommend purchasing an Earthing sheet. What a difference that has made in terms of reducing and practically eliminating inflammation, as well as improving my quality of sleep!!!
So stay tuned and let's see how the functional blood analysis turns out. In the meantime, I'll catch you in a few days.... hope you're enjoying the beautiful autumn. I am literally watching the leaves fall out my window right now.
Blessings,
Sukie
Friday, October 15, 2010
Passion
Greetings ~
Before I launch into the topic of "passion", an update is in order. Since I've been feeling SOOOO good for quite some time now, and because, apparently, I am a masochist at heart, I decided to pump up my Salt/C levels to see if a herx reaction would follow. I haven't had a serious herx in awhile....
Tonight I am stiff and sore! And that tells me something. My body has gotten used to the 8 Salt/C caps a day, and needs more than that (at least right now) to encourage a herx, which means focusing upon the downsizing of the bacterial load. I'm going to follow the lead of other Salt/C pioneers before me, and start "pulsing" a higher dosage for at least one week a month. I've come this far.... gotta stay the course.
Lately, the back of my neck has been fairly sore. Tonight it's REALLY sore. The rest of me hurts a little, but not so much. This also tells me that the remaining bacteria has moved into my neck area, which fits with the literature that says that the borrelia bacteria when on its way out of the system (which takes time) will often travel to the head. So it makes some kind of wicked sense to me...
I've had a few delightful weeks of very little pain, and I wish I could just go with that, but I knew it was time to tweak my dose to see if a herx would result, and it has. A lot of folks back off of the Salt/C protocol too soon, for a variety of reasons, including thinking they are healed because their pain is gone, or because they are in so much pain they feel they can't handle it, or they assume incorrectly that their lyme disease is getting worse. As I've explained in several other posts, one has to kill off the majority of the bacteria, which means the infamous Herxheimer reaction, so that the immune system can recover and take over the handling of any remaining bacteria.
So most importantly, what I've learned is that I am really making awesome progress with getting well: reducing the bacteria, strengthening the immune system, reducing my aspirin consumption, starting to overcome some of the food sensitivities, getting better sleep and rest, and so forth and so on.... I look forward to seeing Dr. R again in a couple of months for another functional blood analysis, to see how much progress can be seen. I predict the Earthing sheet is also helping with all this, and it will show, with evidence of healthier blood cells under the microscope.
I feel I'm close to coming full circle on this adventure, but not quite yet. One thing I've realized lately is that my passions and ideas are changing, or shall we say evolving. For so many years, my passion, among other things, was about social work and helping support and educate families where children had been abused and neglected, as well as working with teens in a variety of settings and programs. Those were amazing years and I have no regrets. I absolutely loved all the opportunities I was given to make a difference. A lot of wonderful, magical stuff happened, and I was able to do much in not only one-on-one, hands-on work with kids and adults, but also with program development and management of teams who made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many.
Moving here to Whidbey was a huge adjustment. Even though that adjustment was expected and embraced (at least most of the time), it has still been BIG. In retrospect, it took something like the crash of my immune system to get me to re-think my priorities and my health on all levels, and to adjust more for what I now want the future to look like. As I have meditated lately on what my passion(s) really is about now, I realize how far I have come with this transformative process I continue to undergo, as I open ever more deeply to the work of my soul. And my passion is delighting me. While I will always care about making the world a better place for children and people in general (through my work with the Whidbey Children's Theater, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, my Reiki practice, etc.), and while I will always love art, travel and all that jazz, I'm seeing and feeling that my passion right now is about the journey itself - what I've learned, and what I can impart to others in terms of inspiration, information, and enthusiasm for optimal health... mind, body and spirit.
While I'm not totally out of the woods yet with lyme disease, I can honestly say that I have transformed my health in ways I'd only dreamed of before. I finally broke the sugar addiction after many years of getting close to it. I watched 35 pounds come off as I traded "pretty OK" eating habits for "stellar" (mostly) eating habits. Not the easy way, mind you, since I literally HAD to clean up my eating, and since I was in so much pain a year ago I could barely move - but it was weight I had gained through stress and comfort eating (even as a vegetarian). I was so comfortable with stress and multi-tasking during my career days in California that I was just used to it and it seemed normal. I always balanced it with spiritual practice, travel and retreats, etc. Yet when I look back at photos from a year ago, I see someone so very exhausted and bloated, who was flat-lined energetically, emotionally, and physically. BOOM! Welcome to the results of years of burning the candle at both ends!
Today I look in the mirror and I see/feel revived energy, excitement, radiance (most days), and just a more healthful me, overall. Nothing is perfect, though. When you lose 35 pounds at the age of 54, your skin doesn't just snap back into place like it did when you were younger. If I had a magic wand I'd be waving it over my upper arms, my butt and thighs, and my neck. Yet there is also something to be said for aging gracefully (and fitting comfortably into size 6 jeans after years of tight 12 jeans).... and I feel "forever 21" in my heart and soul. I think we are at our most attractive when we are joyful and smiling, and that's when I feel my best, so I am really thankful that I feel that way 98.5% of the time. Those wrinkles around my smile and my eyes have been well earned with all the laughter and delights of life.
I was raised by two very positive, optimistic parents (my dad was calm, patient, unconditional and kind; my mom not quite as much, being more of a worry-wort...yet still she held a positive outlook and enjoyed her life). I'm not a worrier, and I do have a tremendous capacity for unconditional love, and so I give thanks every day for my amazing dad, as well as for my mom who always gave me someone to "push against" since we differed greatly in our politics. They say the people who push our buttons the most are our greatest teachers, so in that regard my mom was on top of her game (and at the age of 89, still is, although she's mellowed a lot, while I've become more patient).
All of the above being said, I am feeling the desire to write another book. Don't know when I'll start it or how I will frame the adventure of the healing journey, but my sense is that it's starting to bubble up and will soon make its presence known. One thing I do know is that I will pace myself better this time (my last book The Ways of Spirit: 30 Visionaries Share Philosophies, Paths & Practices, was largely written in the wee hours of the morning, yawn, as I was so driven to create it). This time, healthy eating, restful sleep, spiritual practice and just balance-in-general will take precedence. I don't think I need to feel driven anymore... those days are over. Passionate YES, but driven, no....
"Island time" helps a lot. Living someplace where people aren't fixated on profits at the expense of others helps, too (not to mention the 2-lane highway with only one traffic light in our little town, and tranquil water views at every turn). My friends and I all shop at the thrift stores because it's fun, and we love our "such-a-deal"s.... Here on the island it's just a way of life, as is not obsessing over the news and politics. Not that people don't care.... they just seek not to stress, knowing that doesn't solve anything.
It takes a lot to get me off this island for any length of time, unless it's for a truly awesome vacation. I'd rather be here embraced by nature and peace, and open up our home and healing space for others who want and need a time-out. We all need a fresh perspective and some R&R once in awhile...
So we'll see where this emerging, evolving passion leads.... I hope you'll take the journey with me and feel inspired to own your power and thrive. I have always felt like a pretty powerful person, but once I got kicked to the curb by lyme, I had to re-claim that power by not giving it away to the powers-that-be of the medical world, and by educating myself and making informed decisions in partnership with my healthcare providers. After a few months of being so debilitated that I hoped someone or something would "fix" it, I realized I had to rally up, follow my own guidance, and set parameters around what was best for me and my body.
I envision vitality and dynamic health for ALL of us, as well as meaningful work - however we each define that term - that we feel passionate about. For me, work is not necessarily about making scads of money, although that can be part of it. The older I get, the more work and play morph together in a desire to live each moment conscientiously,with gratitude, mindfulness, compassion, grace, and intention guided by integrity. Our passion is whatever makes our heart sing.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be doing free mini-Reiki sessions tomorrow at Living Green in Langley from 11 am until 2-ish, so if you're on the island, stop by! I can't wait to try their new chef who lived in India and cooks healthy Indian fare (my favorite; Erick's too).
Namaste...
Sukie
Before I launch into the topic of "passion", an update is in order. Since I've been feeling SOOOO good for quite some time now, and because, apparently, I am a masochist at heart, I decided to pump up my Salt/C levels to see if a herx reaction would follow. I haven't had a serious herx in awhile....
Tonight I am stiff and sore! And that tells me something. My body has gotten used to the 8 Salt/C caps a day, and needs more than that (at least right now) to encourage a herx, which means focusing upon the downsizing of the bacterial load. I'm going to follow the lead of other Salt/C pioneers before me, and start "pulsing" a higher dosage for at least one week a month. I've come this far.... gotta stay the course.
Lately, the back of my neck has been fairly sore. Tonight it's REALLY sore. The rest of me hurts a little, but not so much. This also tells me that the remaining bacteria has moved into my neck area, which fits with the literature that says that the borrelia bacteria when on its way out of the system (which takes time) will often travel to the head. So it makes some kind of wicked sense to me...
I've had a few delightful weeks of very little pain, and I wish I could just go with that, but I knew it was time to tweak my dose to see if a herx would result, and it has. A lot of folks back off of the Salt/C protocol too soon, for a variety of reasons, including thinking they are healed because their pain is gone, or because they are in so much pain they feel they can't handle it, or they assume incorrectly that their lyme disease is getting worse. As I've explained in several other posts, one has to kill off the majority of the bacteria, which means the infamous Herxheimer reaction, so that the immune system can recover and take over the handling of any remaining bacteria.
So most importantly, what I've learned is that I am really making awesome progress with getting well: reducing the bacteria, strengthening the immune system, reducing my aspirin consumption, starting to overcome some of the food sensitivities, getting better sleep and rest, and so forth and so on.... I look forward to seeing Dr. R again in a couple of months for another functional blood analysis, to see how much progress can be seen. I predict the Earthing sheet is also helping with all this, and it will show, with evidence of healthier blood cells under the microscope.
I feel I'm close to coming full circle on this adventure, but not quite yet. One thing I've realized lately is that my passions and ideas are changing, or shall we say evolving. For so many years, my passion, among other things, was about social work and helping support and educate families where children had been abused and neglected, as well as working with teens in a variety of settings and programs. Those were amazing years and I have no regrets. I absolutely loved all the opportunities I was given to make a difference. A lot of wonderful, magical stuff happened, and I was able to do much in not only one-on-one, hands-on work with kids and adults, but also with program development and management of teams who made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many.
Moving here to Whidbey was a huge adjustment. Even though that adjustment was expected and embraced (at least most of the time), it has still been BIG. In retrospect, it took something like the crash of my immune system to get me to re-think my priorities and my health on all levels, and to adjust more for what I now want the future to look like. As I have meditated lately on what my passion(s) really is about now, I realize how far I have come with this transformative process I continue to undergo, as I open ever more deeply to the work of my soul. And my passion is delighting me. While I will always care about making the world a better place for children and people in general (through my work with the Whidbey Children's Theater, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, my Reiki practice, etc.), and while I will always love art, travel and all that jazz, I'm seeing and feeling that my passion right now is about the journey itself - what I've learned, and what I can impart to others in terms of inspiration, information, and enthusiasm for optimal health... mind, body and spirit.
While I'm not totally out of the woods yet with lyme disease, I can honestly say that I have transformed my health in ways I'd only dreamed of before. I finally broke the sugar addiction after many years of getting close to it. I watched 35 pounds come off as I traded "pretty OK" eating habits for "stellar" (mostly) eating habits. Not the easy way, mind you, since I literally HAD to clean up my eating, and since I was in so much pain a year ago I could barely move - but it was weight I had gained through stress and comfort eating (even as a vegetarian). I was so comfortable with stress and multi-tasking during my career days in California that I was just used to it and it seemed normal. I always balanced it with spiritual practice, travel and retreats, etc. Yet when I look back at photos from a year ago, I see someone so very exhausted and bloated, who was flat-lined energetically, emotionally, and physically. BOOM! Welcome to the results of years of burning the candle at both ends!
Today I look in the mirror and I see/feel revived energy, excitement, radiance (most days), and just a more healthful me, overall. Nothing is perfect, though. When you lose 35 pounds at the age of 54, your skin doesn't just snap back into place like it did when you were younger. If I had a magic wand I'd be waving it over my upper arms, my butt and thighs, and my neck. Yet there is also something to be said for aging gracefully (and fitting comfortably into size 6 jeans after years of tight 12 jeans).... and I feel "forever 21" in my heart and soul. I think we are at our most attractive when we are joyful and smiling, and that's when I feel my best, so I am really thankful that I feel that way 98.5% of the time. Those wrinkles around my smile and my eyes have been well earned with all the laughter and delights of life.
I was raised by two very positive, optimistic parents (my dad was calm, patient, unconditional and kind; my mom not quite as much, being more of a worry-wort...yet still she held a positive outlook and enjoyed her life). I'm not a worrier, and I do have a tremendous capacity for unconditional love, and so I give thanks every day for my amazing dad, as well as for my mom who always gave me someone to "push against" since we differed greatly in our politics. They say the people who push our buttons the most are our greatest teachers, so in that regard my mom was on top of her game (and at the age of 89, still is, although she's mellowed a lot, while I've become more patient).
All of the above being said, I am feeling the desire to write another book. Don't know when I'll start it or how I will frame the adventure of the healing journey, but my sense is that it's starting to bubble up and will soon make its presence known. One thing I do know is that I will pace myself better this time (my last book The Ways of Spirit: 30 Visionaries Share Philosophies, Paths & Practices, was largely written in the wee hours of the morning, yawn, as I was so driven to create it). This time, healthy eating, restful sleep, spiritual practice and just balance-in-general will take precedence. I don't think I need to feel driven anymore... those days are over. Passionate YES, but driven, no....
"Island time" helps a lot. Living someplace where people aren't fixated on profits at the expense of others helps, too (not to mention the 2-lane highway with only one traffic light in our little town, and tranquil water views at every turn). My friends and I all shop at the thrift stores because it's fun, and we love our "such-a-deal"s.... Here on the island it's just a way of life, as is not obsessing over the news and politics. Not that people don't care.... they just seek not to stress, knowing that doesn't solve anything.
It takes a lot to get me off this island for any length of time, unless it's for a truly awesome vacation. I'd rather be here embraced by nature and peace, and open up our home and healing space for others who want and need a time-out. We all need a fresh perspective and some R&R once in awhile...
So we'll see where this emerging, evolving passion leads.... I hope you'll take the journey with me and feel inspired to own your power and thrive. I have always felt like a pretty powerful person, but once I got kicked to the curb by lyme, I had to re-claim that power by not giving it away to the powers-that-be of the medical world, and by educating myself and making informed decisions in partnership with my healthcare providers. After a few months of being so debilitated that I hoped someone or something would "fix" it, I realized I had to rally up, follow my own guidance, and set parameters around what was best for me and my body.
I envision vitality and dynamic health for ALL of us, as well as meaningful work - however we each define that term - that we feel passionate about. For me, work is not necessarily about making scads of money, although that can be part of it. The older I get, the more work and play morph together in a desire to live each moment conscientiously,with gratitude, mindfulness, compassion, grace, and intention guided by integrity. Our passion is whatever makes our heart sing.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be doing free mini-Reiki sessions tomorrow at Living Green in Langley from 11 am until 2-ish, so if you're on the island, stop by! I can't wait to try their new chef who lived in India and cooks healthy Indian fare (my favorite; Erick's too).
Namaste...
Sukie
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Feelin' fine...
Greetings to all ~
Just got back from a refreshing retreat in the Russian River area, and it was quite rejuvenating. My body cooperated pretty well during the five days there, probably because I was able to stick to my eating and my Salt/C regimens pretty well. I did allow myself one delicious sandwich on focaccia bread with mozzarella, and a couple of bites of chocolate, but otherwise was focused (and made a few converts to my breakfast treat of gluten-free pancakes with a small drizzle of agave). Such beauty in the wine country, and also got to one of my very favorite spots in the world - Jenner - where the Russian River meets the sea. Exhilarating. Also got to spend quality time with dear friends and family, which was the best part of all.
I did take my Earthing sheet along and slept on it every night; I'm sure that also helped tremendously. I find my sleep to be deeper and more restful since starting to use it, and I awake with a clear head, ready to go. My body aches and pains have also eased up a bit, and I appreciate that. I now also have an Earthing sheet on my Reiki table, so from now on my clients will receive the best of both energy-worlds when they come for healing and rejuvenation. A sweet combination of energies from both heaven and earth.
It's hard to believe I've only been on the Salt/C protocol for five months. Seems like longer than that. I certainly can see positive change since beginning it.... my body aches and pains just continue to improve (with the occasional setbacks from herxing or eating something my body doesn't like), and I have been slowly regaining my stamina, as well. Since I'm a traditionally high-energy, zippy person, I really appreciate the days that I feel that way again, more and more. And yet I have to remind myself to rest. Rest and reflect and just "be." More consciousness; more awareness; more mindfulness; more gratitude; more nurturance of spirit.
If you're ever in Freestone, CA, you may want to experience the Osmosis Spa. Patti and I went there one day and began the adventure with an enzyme bath where we were completely submerged up to our necks in a deep pit of cedar shavings and rice bran, inflused with special enzymes from Japan. It naturally ferments and creates heat, so one is able to deeply relax while the process works to relax and purify. Followed by a massage, it's a pretty amazing experience.
Oh, and if you're interested in the gluten-free pancakes, the brand I use is Pamela's. I cook them in coconut oil and they are delish!
That's all for now - catch you again very soon,
Sukie
Just got back from a refreshing retreat in the Russian River area, and it was quite rejuvenating. My body cooperated pretty well during the five days there, probably because I was able to stick to my eating and my Salt/C regimens pretty well. I did allow myself one delicious sandwich on focaccia bread with mozzarella, and a couple of bites of chocolate, but otherwise was focused (and made a few converts to my breakfast treat of gluten-free pancakes with a small drizzle of agave). Such beauty in the wine country, and also got to one of my very favorite spots in the world - Jenner - where the Russian River meets the sea. Exhilarating. Also got to spend quality time with dear friends and family, which was the best part of all.
I did take my Earthing sheet along and slept on it every night; I'm sure that also helped tremendously. I find my sleep to be deeper and more restful since starting to use it, and I awake with a clear head, ready to go. My body aches and pains have also eased up a bit, and I appreciate that. I now also have an Earthing sheet on my Reiki table, so from now on my clients will receive the best of both energy-worlds when they come for healing and rejuvenation. A sweet combination of energies from both heaven and earth.
It's hard to believe I've only been on the Salt/C protocol for five months. Seems like longer than that. I certainly can see positive change since beginning it.... my body aches and pains just continue to improve (with the occasional setbacks from herxing or eating something my body doesn't like), and I have been slowly regaining my stamina, as well. Since I'm a traditionally high-energy, zippy person, I really appreciate the days that I feel that way again, more and more. And yet I have to remind myself to rest. Rest and reflect and just "be." More consciousness; more awareness; more mindfulness; more gratitude; more nurturance of spirit.
If you're ever in Freestone, CA, you may want to experience the Osmosis Spa. Patti and I went there one day and began the adventure with an enzyme bath where we were completely submerged up to our necks in a deep pit of cedar shavings and rice bran, inflused with special enzymes from Japan. It naturally ferments and creates heat, so one is able to deeply relax while the process works to relax and purify. Followed by a massage, it's a pretty amazing experience.
Oh, and if you're interested in the gluten-free pancakes, the brand I use is Pamela's. I cook them in coconut oil and they are delish!
That's all for now - catch you again very soon,
Sukie
Friday, September 17, 2010
Feelin' Groovy....
Good morning.....
I am in the midst of prepping for a trip to Northern CA for a spa/retreat week with dear friend Patti. The weather says high 70's.... I'm down with that! Nothing like dropping out for a few days, along with a little pampering. And I'll get to see my baby-girl, too, as well as the new home of dear sister Coralee. Life's good.
One thing I'm packing for the trip is my new Earthing sheet! I've got to say, this thing is amazing. Erick and I have used it for two nights, and both of us feel much better rested and more awake, with greater energy during the day. I had been in severe pain all over my body for a few days before trying it, with really serious pain in my right knee (following a 2-mile walk). When I woke up yesterday morning I was essentially pain-free all over my body, and was able to do a squat practically to the floor, which I haven't been able to do in over a year. So color me IMPRESSED with the Earthing sheet. I have also ordered one for my Reiki table, and am going to begin doing Heaven & Earth Reiki once I return from my trip. That is, blissing people out on my Reiki table with universal life-force energy (Reiki/Unconditional Love), while they lie on the earthing mat absorbing deep grounding from Gaia/Mother Earth. What a blessing to be able to offer this to others!
So I continue on my Salt/C regimen. Travel is always a mixed blessing, as it's hard sometimes to find food I can eat that won't mess with my body chemistry. But there are lots of organic/vegan/healthy-type folks in the Sonoma area, so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do pretty well.
If I can find access to a computer on my trip I'll drop a line or two here in the Blog; if not, I'll be back in touch again after the 24th.
Wishing you inspiration & joy,
Sukie
I am in the midst of prepping for a trip to Northern CA for a spa/retreat week with dear friend Patti. The weather says high 70's.... I'm down with that! Nothing like dropping out for a few days, along with a little pampering. And I'll get to see my baby-girl, too, as well as the new home of dear sister Coralee. Life's good.
One thing I'm packing for the trip is my new Earthing sheet! I've got to say, this thing is amazing. Erick and I have used it for two nights, and both of us feel much better rested and more awake, with greater energy during the day. I had been in severe pain all over my body for a few days before trying it, with really serious pain in my right knee (following a 2-mile walk). When I woke up yesterday morning I was essentially pain-free all over my body, and was able to do a squat practically to the floor, which I haven't been able to do in over a year. So color me IMPRESSED with the Earthing sheet. I have also ordered one for my Reiki table, and am going to begin doing Heaven & Earth Reiki once I return from my trip. That is, blissing people out on my Reiki table with universal life-force energy (Reiki/Unconditional Love), while they lie on the earthing mat absorbing deep grounding from Gaia/Mother Earth. What a blessing to be able to offer this to others!
So I continue on my Salt/C regimen. Travel is always a mixed blessing, as it's hard sometimes to find food I can eat that won't mess with my body chemistry. But there are lots of organic/vegan/healthy-type folks in the Sonoma area, so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do pretty well.
If I can find access to a computer on my trip I'll drop a line or two here in the Blog; if not, I'll be back in touch again after the 24th.
Wishing you inspiration & joy,
Sukie
Monday, September 13, 2010
More Earthing...!
Hello once again, dear readers....
I have spent the last couple of days reading the book on Earthing, by Clint Ober, MD, that I mentioned in my last post. I must say that I feel more enthusiastic about this book and the work the authors have done, than I've felt about anything else I've read in a long time. It is stunning in its practices and implications, and easy for anyone to do. While we can all go outside and "earth" ourselves (and we should all be doing that), Erick and I are also really interested in the earthing sheets that can be purchased for the bed (we've ordered one). People who sleep grounded all night report dramatic reductions, if not complete disappearances, of pain, as well as deeper, more restful sleep. Ultimately, what I've learned from reading the book is that the more we can be "earthed" - grounded - connected to the planet - whatever you want to call it - receiving the electrons that naturally keep living things healthy unless we disconnect ourselves from them - the healthier we will be overall, and the better we will feel. There are numerous success stories in the book from people with all types of ailments, including fibromyalgia and immune-related conditions (bingo), heart troubles, MS, arthritis, etc. And lots of thumbs-up stories from women who say that sleeping grounded has dramatically reduced PMS and menopausal symptoms.
Fascinating stuff. This is that one book that I'd give a copy of to everyone I know for Christmas, if I had that kind of money. I'd buy 500 copies! Please consider reading it and putting the principles and processes into practice. I will be reporting out soon on how Erick and I are faring with the grounded bed sheet, and I have started spending more time outside on the earth barefooted, which does feel really GREAT! I probably won't be able to give you feedback on the bedsheet for a few weeks, since it will probably arrive next week while I'm in California for a few days, which means I won't be able to start using it until after the 24th of this month.
Another thing I'm jazzed about is doing Reiki with people who are earth-grounded. If I like the bed sheet, I will purchase a smaller earthing pad for my Reiki table. I'm also doing more work with people sitting in chairs with their feet on the ground. Going to start collecting some anecdotal evidence about that. Receiving both earth and cosmic energies at the same time has got to be a great experience for the person on the receiving end, and I surmise, a case where they catalyze each other for greater effect. I'm looking forward to sharing the book, case histories and research with both of my women's groups, particularly the one for women with chronic pain. If they can find something to relieve their suffering, there will be a loud shout heard around the world, I guarantee it....
www.earthinginstitute.net. www.earthinginstitute.net.
Hey Llynya, have you read this yet? Maybe order a few copies for the shop??
So that's the scoop on all that. Otherwise feeling pretty good. I took a 2 mile walk yesterday that felt spectacular, followed by 30 minutes of meditation (barefoot) up in the Sacred Circle. Everything feels pretty great today except my right knee which is not too happy at the moment. It's been really shouting at me lately.
Off to do more Reiki with a couple of friends today.... wishing you a blessed, beautiful week - "see" you again soon,
Sukie
I have spent the last couple of days reading the book on Earthing, by Clint Ober, MD, that I mentioned in my last post. I must say that I feel more enthusiastic about this book and the work the authors have done, than I've felt about anything else I've read in a long time. It is stunning in its practices and implications, and easy for anyone to do. While we can all go outside and "earth" ourselves (and we should all be doing that), Erick and I are also really interested in the earthing sheets that can be purchased for the bed (we've ordered one). People who sleep grounded all night report dramatic reductions, if not complete disappearances, of pain, as well as deeper, more restful sleep. Ultimately, what I've learned from reading the book is that the more we can be "earthed" - grounded - connected to the planet - whatever you want to call it - receiving the electrons that naturally keep living things healthy unless we disconnect ourselves from them - the healthier we will be overall, and the better we will feel. There are numerous success stories in the book from people with all types of ailments, including fibromyalgia and immune-related conditions (bingo), heart troubles, MS, arthritis, etc. And lots of thumbs-up stories from women who say that sleeping grounded has dramatically reduced PMS and menopausal symptoms.
Fascinating stuff. This is that one book that I'd give a copy of to everyone I know for Christmas, if I had that kind of money. I'd buy 500 copies! Please consider reading it and putting the principles and processes into practice. I will be reporting out soon on how Erick and I are faring with the grounded bed sheet, and I have started spending more time outside on the earth barefooted, which does feel really GREAT! I probably won't be able to give you feedback on the bedsheet for a few weeks, since it will probably arrive next week while I'm in California for a few days, which means I won't be able to start using it until after the 24th of this month.
Another thing I'm jazzed about is doing Reiki with people who are earth-grounded. If I like the bed sheet, I will purchase a smaller earthing pad for my Reiki table. I'm also doing more work with people sitting in chairs with their feet on the ground. Going to start collecting some anecdotal evidence about that. Receiving both earth and cosmic energies at the same time has got to be a great experience for the person on the receiving end, and I surmise, a case where they catalyze each other for greater effect. I'm looking forward to sharing the book, case histories and research with both of my women's groups, particularly the one for women with chronic pain. If they can find something to relieve their suffering, there will be a loud shout heard around the world, I guarantee it....
www.earthinginstitute.net. www.earthinginstitute.net.
Hey Llynya, have you read this yet? Maybe order a few copies for the shop??
So that's the scoop on all that. Otherwise feeling pretty good. I took a 2 mile walk yesterday that felt spectacular, followed by 30 minutes of meditation (barefoot) up in the Sacred Circle. Everything feels pretty great today except my right knee which is not too happy at the moment. It's been really shouting at me lately.
Off to do more Reiki with a couple of friends today.... wishing you a blessed, beautiful week - "see" you again soon,
Sukie
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Earthing...
Hi there...
Another week is drawing to an end.... I've been home the last two days with my car in the shop, and they need it again tomorrow, so I am getting a chance to catch up on some rest and "stuff" that needs doing. I wish I could say my car is faring as well as I am - it is needing some major repairs that are adding up - ka-CHING!!
Today a new client came to see me and was talking about the book "Earthing." I have heard great things about this book, so decided to go onto their website. www.earthing.com. You would think that "earthing" would be a no-brainer... we feel better when we are connected with the earth, as our ancestors were... through walking bare-footed and sleeping on the ground. But amazingly we have gotten away from all that, wearing shoes with rubber and plastic soles, which keep us from connecting energetically to the planet. Plus, we don't spend nearly as much time outdoors as we used to.
And I was reminded of how, especially those first few months after being diagnosed with lyme disease, it felt so important to me to spend time outdoors, barefooted, connecting to the ground and feeling it under my feet. And I am reminded once again of how I should be doing more of that now.... consciously walking barefoot upon the earth and soaking in all the good vibrations she naturally provides.
As woo-woo as it may all sound, there is solid science behind this. Check out the website - especially the FAQ's - for some great information about "earthing." I am also pasting-in some info below, from the site.
Life is good.... Some herxing going on this week and quite a bit of achiness. Connecting with the earth helps reduce inflammation, and so tomorrow I will be up in the sacred circle, rain or shine, spending some time with the good, clean, healing dirt. (Note to Patti: Maybe your dirt-loving instincts have been calling you to roll in the dirt for healing!).
See below........ & catch ya later!
Sukie
EARTHING
Earthing, or grounding, refers to connecting your body directly with the Earth.
Earth is an electrical planet, charged with a subtle surface energy commonly known in the electrical world as "ground.” When in contact with the Earth, this tranquil energy naturally transfers to any conductive object—whether it is a metal rod, a wire, a tree or plant, an animal, or a barefoot human—and they become “grounded.”
The known effect of grounding is that it discharges and prevents the buildup of electrical stress. Walking barefoot on the Earth, as humans have done throughout history, naturally grounds and discharges the body. The most reported benefit from people who place their bare feet directly on the Earth and ground themselves is that they “feel better.”
Go to http://www.earthinginstitute.net to learn more about the scientific basis of Earthing.
Another week is drawing to an end.... I've been home the last two days with my car in the shop, and they need it again tomorrow, so I am getting a chance to catch up on some rest and "stuff" that needs doing. I wish I could say my car is faring as well as I am - it is needing some major repairs that are adding up - ka-CHING!!
Today a new client came to see me and was talking about the book "Earthing." I have heard great things about this book, so decided to go onto their website. www.earthing.com. You would think that "earthing" would be a no-brainer... we feel better when we are connected with the earth, as our ancestors were... through walking bare-footed and sleeping on the ground. But amazingly we have gotten away from all that, wearing shoes with rubber and plastic soles, which keep us from connecting energetically to the planet. Plus, we don't spend nearly as much time outdoors as we used to.
And I was reminded of how, especially those first few months after being diagnosed with lyme disease, it felt so important to me to spend time outdoors, barefooted, connecting to the ground and feeling it under my feet. And I am reminded once again of how I should be doing more of that now.... consciously walking barefoot upon the earth and soaking in all the good vibrations she naturally provides.
As woo-woo as it may all sound, there is solid science behind this. Check out the website - especially the FAQ's - for some great information about "earthing." I am also pasting-in some info below, from the site.
Life is good.... Some herxing going on this week and quite a bit of achiness. Connecting with the earth helps reduce inflammation, and so tomorrow I will be up in the sacred circle, rain or shine, spending some time with the good, clean, healing dirt. (Note to Patti: Maybe your dirt-loving instincts have been calling you to roll in the dirt for healing!).
See below........ & catch ya later!
Sukie
EARTHING
Earthing, or grounding, refers to connecting your body directly with the Earth.
Earth is an electrical planet, charged with a subtle surface energy commonly known in the electrical world as "ground.” When in contact with the Earth, this tranquil energy naturally transfers to any conductive object—whether it is a metal rod, a wire, a tree or plant, an animal, or a barefoot human—and they become “grounded.”
The known effect of grounding is that it discharges and prevents the buildup of electrical stress. Walking barefoot on the Earth, as humans have done throughout history, naturally grounds and discharges the body. The most reported benefit from people who place their bare feet directly on the Earth and ground themselves is that they “feel better.”
Go to http://www.earthinginstitute.net to learn more about the scientific basis of Earthing.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Info on Chlorella & life in general...
Good evening~
It's getting late, but I wanted to check in to say hi, and share an article I came across on the Mercola website about Chlorella. This type of green algae is a truly wonderful supplement that is useful for many things. For me, because I have high levels of mercury in my system, it is a helpful chelating agent, as well as a source of protein and B vitamins. Since I am sensitive to so many proteins (soy, eggs, cheese) and I don't eat meat, I have to be a bit more creative to get enough protein from things like nuts, beans, and more "unusal" things like Chlorella. The brand I use, which is very high quality is Jarrow, which seems to be easily found in places like Whole Foods and local co-ops.
In terms of life in general, we've had two fabulous days with a couple, Linda and Marek, who are very dear to Erick and me. These two soulmates met online a few years ago, and have been radiating their love out into the world ever since. Marek just turned 69 and Linda is just a few years behind him. It just goes to prove that it is never too late for love. Not only do they adore each other, but they share their love for life and humanity with everyone who crosses their path. Erick and I feel truly blessed to know them, and just blessed in general for all the amazing and beautiful friends in our lives. We have the most vibrant spiritual family!
I might also mention that Linda is an amazing watercolor and acrylic artist. You can check out her website at www.lindacurtispaintings.us. But you need to use Google as your search engine - for some reason it doesn't come up on Yahoo.
Lyme-wise, I am being very diligent about my eating, supplementation, and salt/C, and while I've been fairly sore quite often lately, I'm feeling well overall (that is the weird irony of lyme!). It's the ol' hurt-so-good thing..... the pain means I am healing. One day I do envision that intensive pain levels will be completely a thing of the past. I've come a LOOOOONNNNNNNG way already...!
I get concerned sometimes that a number of people who get diagnosed with fibromyalgia may really have lyme disease (and I've read about many cases of this happening). The symptoms can be identical, including the horrific pain. The difference? While fibromyalgia often doesn't get better for many folks, lyme disease can often be controlled and, dare I say, overcome. I know folks who took lyme tests in the past that came out negative, so they have accepted a fibromyalgia diagnosis. However, if the test they took wasn't the Western Blot, it's very possible they received a false negative. Sometimes the Western Blot can give false negatives too, but not false positives, like many other tests can. My personal opinion is that anyone with major pain that can't be definitively diagnosed should be tested for lyme disease by someone who has worked extensively with it and knows how to identify it. Especially people who know they have had tick bites before.
I know one woman who was labeled with fibromyalgia years ago. She has horrible periods of excruciating pain that are relentless for days on end. She had several tick bites when she was younger, but also had a negative test for lyme 10 years ago. After recently doing some reading about lyme and conversing with me about it, she is planning to ask her doctor for the Western Blot. Wouldn't it be something if after all this time she found she actually had lyme, and could possibly come up with a plan that might bring her some relief? That would be amazing.
Anyhoo, here is the article on Chlorella. Hope this may be useful for you or someone you know.
Sukie
Interview about Chlorella with nutritionist, Ginny:
Chlorella, single-celled fresh water algae, is often referred to as a near-perfect food, as its range of health benefits is truly astounding. Chlorella is perhaps most well known for its ability to detox your body by binding to toxins, such as mercury and carrying them out of your system.
But that’s not all this green algae is good for.
Chlorella can also be of great benefit to vegetarians and vegans who want proteins and B vitamins from a non-animal source. Chlorella is about 60 percent protein, and is considered to be a “complete protein” source because it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs.
Other health benefits include:
• Repairing nerve tissues
• Enhancing your immune system and reducing your cancer risk
• Improving digestion
• Promoting healthy pH levels in your gut, which in turn helps good bacteria to thrive
• Enhancing your ability to focus and concentrate
• Increasing your energy levels
• Normalizing your blood sugar and blood pressure
Chlorella vs Spirulina
Spirulina is another algae that is frequently confused with chlorella. While it has many of the same characteristics, there are some nutritional differences between the two.
One major difference is that spirulina does not have the ability to draw out heavy metal toxins like chlorella does. It has, however, been used to treat arsenic poisoning.
Nutritionally speaking, spirulina is another good source of complete protein. In fact, at 65-70 protein, it beats chlorella in terms of protein content. It also has higher amounts of B12, essential fatty acids, and the antioxidant superoxide dismutase.
Chlorella, on the other hand, contains higher levels of chlorophyll, nucleotides RNA and DNA, and beta carotene.
Ideally, it makes sense to take both, as one is not nutritionally superior than the other. Rather it’s the combination of both that can truly turn them into a nutritional powerhouse.
Chlorella is a Potent Detox Agent
Heavy metal toxicity, just like chemical toxicity, has become one of the most pressing health hazards of our day. Your body is assailed by chemicals and heavy metals on a daily basis, oftentimes from the most innocent-looking sources, from your everyday cookware to your dental fillings and the occasional seafood dinner.
This is one area where chlorella can be of tremendous assistance as it’s a very potent detoxing agent for heavy metals. According to Ginny, it may even attract and expel certain pesticides.
Chlorella plays a particularly crucial role in systemic mercury elimination, because the majority of mercury is rid through your stool. Once the mercury burden is lowered from your intestines, mercury from other body tissues will more readily migrate into your intestines -- where chlorella will work to remove it.
Cilantro can also be used as a synergetic detoxification aid along with the chlorella and is particularly useful to take when you are consuming seafood, as most are invariably contaminated with heavy metals and chemicals for which the chlorella is well suited to help remove. Ideally you would need to take it with the meal so it binds directly to the toxins while they are in your gut, before they absorbed into your body.
The Crucial Detail that Determines Chlorella’s Effectiveness
The key to chlorella’s detoxing abilities lies within the membrane of this single cell, but the cell wall of chlorella is actually indigestible to humans. This is why most chlorella products use the term “broken cell wall,” to describe the fact that the chlorella has been rendered digestible.
If a product does not specifically tell you that the cell wall has been broken, you are likely flushing your money down the toilet as the chlorella will simply pass right through you without doing you any good.
There are a number of proprietary methods to break the cell wall, but the key comparison you need to pay attention to is the nutritional profile of the end product.
How to Determine the Quality of a Chlorella Product
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that a product will contain the exact level of nutrients listed on the label, so you’ll want to make sure you’re buying from a reputable company. It may come as a surprise, but according to the legal requirements, a natural product may contain plus or minus 20 percent of the stated level of any nutritional component.
Reputable companies, however, will adhere to certain processes that increase your chances of getting the levels of nutrients stated.
Please understand that there are only a few producers of chlorella in the world who provide the raw material to manufacturers, who then process and package the chlorella.
Manufacturers who are known for quality will make sure they receive a certificate of analysis from the producer of the raw material, and will get batches evaluated by an independent third party on a regular basis to ensure consistency.
Recent changes to the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) guidelines and the labeling requirements also make it easier for consumers to investigate company claims as companies are now required to list their phone number and website on every label.
Under these standards a company must also maintain a paper trail showing where the material came from and any testing that has been done.
When calling the company directly, some of the questions you may want to ask would include:
• How often do you test batches for nutritional consistency?
• Ask for a specification sheet ('spec sheet'), or the Certificate of Analysis, known as the 'C of A'. These are documents that itemize every single test that the final product gets tested for.
• How and where is the chlorella grown? Variations in climate and season can cause nutritional variations, but if the chlorella is grown in artificial ponds the producer has greater control over consistency. You’ll also want to make sure the chlorella is grown in unpolluted areas, since chlorella binds to heavy metals.
• Does the producer test for heavy metal contamination? A high quality producer will perform regular heavy metal analysis’, for which there should also be a verifiable paper trail. And organic producers must adhere to even more stringent rules in order to become certified organic, which is another sign of a clean, high quality product.
How to Use Chlorella for Heavy Metal Detox
In order to optimize heavy metal detox, you’ll want to take it every day.
“It’s not something that you just take occasionally like some herbs or some supplements,” Ginny says. “Chlorella is something you want to be taking every day.
… You need to be getting at least 4 grams each day of chlorella to get the benefits that it provides.”
Ginny recommends taking it once a day, preferably in the morning. Many chlorella products are sold in small tablets, typically 500 mg each, which means you’d need to take eight tablets a day.
Some people may experience slight nausea initially. This is likely because you’re pulling toxins out of your system. Mild diarrhea may also occur. If these symptoms are too bothersome, you may want to lower your dose initially, and increase it slowly. Taking it with food may also alleviate the nausea.
It's getting late, but I wanted to check in to say hi, and share an article I came across on the Mercola website about Chlorella. This type of green algae is a truly wonderful supplement that is useful for many things. For me, because I have high levels of mercury in my system, it is a helpful chelating agent, as well as a source of protein and B vitamins. Since I am sensitive to so many proteins (soy, eggs, cheese) and I don't eat meat, I have to be a bit more creative to get enough protein from things like nuts, beans, and more "unusal" things like Chlorella. The brand I use, which is very high quality is Jarrow, which seems to be easily found in places like Whole Foods and local co-ops.
In terms of life in general, we've had two fabulous days with a couple, Linda and Marek, who are very dear to Erick and me. These two soulmates met online a few years ago, and have been radiating their love out into the world ever since. Marek just turned 69 and Linda is just a few years behind him. It just goes to prove that it is never too late for love. Not only do they adore each other, but they share their love for life and humanity with everyone who crosses their path. Erick and I feel truly blessed to know them, and just blessed in general for all the amazing and beautiful friends in our lives. We have the most vibrant spiritual family!
I might also mention that Linda is an amazing watercolor and acrylic artist. You can check out her website at www.lindacurtispaintings.us. But you need to use Google as your search engine - for some reason it doesn't come up on Yahoo.
Lyme-wise, I am being very diligent about my eating, supplementation, and salt/C, and while I've been fairly sore quite often lately, I'm feeling well overall (that is the weird irony of lyme!). It's the ol' hurt-so-good thing..... the pain means I am healing. One day I do envision that intensive pain levels will be completely a thing of the past. I've come a LOOOOONNNNNNNG way already...!
I get concerned sometimes that a number of people who get diagnosed with fibromyalgia may really have lyme disease (and I've read about many cases of this happening). The symptoms can be identical, including the horrific pain. The difference? While fibromyalgia often doesn't get better for many folks, lyme disease can often be controlled and, dare I say, overcome. I know folks who took lyme tests in the past that came out negative, so they have accepted a fibromyalgia diagnosis. However, if the test they took wasn't the Western Blot, it's very possible they received a false negative. Sometimes the Western Blot can give false negatives too, but not false positives, like many other tests can. My personal opinion is that anyone with major pain that can't be definitively diagnosed should be tested for lyme disease by someone who has worked extensively with it and knows how to identify it. Especially people who know they have had tick bites before.
I know one woman who was labeled with fibromyalgia years ago. She has horrible periods of excruciating pain that are relentless for days on end. She had several tick bites when she was younger, but also had a negative test for lyme 10 years ago. After recently doing some reading about lyme and conversing with me about it, she is planning to ask her doctor for the Western Blot. Wouldn't it be something if after all this time she found she actually had lyme, and could possibly come up with a plan that might bring her some relief? That would be amazing.
Anyhoo, here is the article on Chlorella. Hope this may be useful for you or someone you know.
Sukie
Interview about Chlorella with nutritionist, Ginny:
Chlorella, single-celled fresh water algae, is often referred to as a near-perfect food, as its range of health benefits is truly astounding. Chlorella is perhaps most well known for its ability to detox your body by binding to toxins, such as mercury and carrying them out of your system.
But that’s not all this green algae is good for.
Chlorella can also be of great benefit to vegetarians and vegans who want proteins and B vitamins from a non-animal source. Chlorella is about 60 percent protein, and is considered to be a “complete protein” source because it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs.
Other health benefits include:
• Repairing nerve tissues
• Enhancing your immune system and reducing your cancer risk
• Improving digestion
• Promoting healthy pH levels in your gut, which in turn helps good bacteria to thrive
• Enhancing your ability to focus and concentrate
• Increasing your energy levels
• Normalizing your blood sugar and blood pressure
Chlorella vs Spirulina
Spirulina is another algae that is frequently confused with chlorella. While it has many of the same characteristics, there are some nutritional differences between the two.
One major difference is that spirulina does not have the ability to draw out heavy metal toxins like chlorella does. It has, however, been used to treat arsenic poisoning.
Nutritionally speaking, spirulina is another good source of complete protein. In fact, at 65-70 protein, it beats chlorella in terms of protein content. It also has higher amounts of B12, essential fatty acids, and the antioxidant superoxide dismutase.
Chlorella, on the other hand, contains higher levels of chlorophyll, nucleotides RNA and DNA, and beta carotene.
Ideally, it makes sense to take both, as one is not nutritionally superior than the other. Rather it’s the combination of both that can truly turn them into a nutritional powerhouse.
Chlorella is a Potent Detox Agent
Heavy metal toxicity, just like chemical toxicity, has become one of the most pressing health hazards of our day. Your body is assailed by chemicals and heavy metals on a daily basis, oftentimes from the most innocent-looking sources, from your everyday cookware to your dental fillings and the occasional seafood dinner.
This is one area where chlorella can be of tremendous assistance as it’s a very potent detoxing agent for heavy metals. According to Ginny, it may even attract and expel certain pesticides.
Chlorella plays a particularly crucial role in systemic mercury elimination, because the majority of mercury is rid through your stool. Once the mercury burden is lowered from your intestines, mercury from other body tissues will more readily migrate into your intestines -- where chlorella will work to remove it.
Cilantro can also be used as a synergetic detoxification aid along with the chlorella and is particularly useful to take when you are consuming seafood, as most are invariably contaminated with heavy metals and chemicals for which the chlorella is well suited to help remove. Ideally you would need to take it with the meal so it binds directly to the toxins while they are in your gut, before they absorbed into your body.
The Crucial Detail that Determines Chlorella’s Effectiveness
The key to chlorella’s detoxing abilities lies within the membrane of this single cell, but the cell wall of chlorella is actually indigestible to humans. This is why most chlorella products use the term “broken cell wall,” to describe the fact that the chlorella has been rendered digestible.
If a product does not specifically tell you that the cell wall has been broken, you are likely flushing your money down the toilet as the chlorella will simply pass right through you without doing you any good.
There are a number of proprietary methods to break the cell wall, but the key comparison you need to pay attention to is the nutritional profile of the end product.
How to Determine the Quality of a Chlorella Product
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that a product will contain the exact level of nutrients listed on the label, so you’ll want to make sure you’re buying from a reputable company. It may come as a surprise, but according to the legal requirements, a natural product may contain plus or minus 20 percent of the stated level of any nutritional component.
Reputable companies, however, will adhere to certain processes that increase your chances of getting the levels of nutrients stated.
Please understand that there are only a few producers of chlorella in the world who provide the raw material to manufacturers, who then process and package the chlorella.
Manufacturers who are known for quality will make sure they receive a certificate of analysis from the producer of the raw material, and will get batches evaluated by an independent third party on a regular basis to ensure consistency.
Recent changes to the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) guidelines and the labeling requirements also make it easier for consumers to investigate company claims as companies are now required to list their phone number and website on every label.
Under these standards a company must also maintain a paper trail showing where the material came from and any testing that has been done.
When calling the company directly, some of the questions you may want to ask would include:
• How often do you test batches for nutritional consistency?
• Ask for a specification sheet ('spec sheet'), or the Certificate of Analysis, known as the 'C of A'. These are documents that itemize every single test that the final product gets tested for.
• How and where is the chlorella grown? Variations in climate and season can cause nutritional variations, but if the chlorella is grown in artificial ponds the producer has greater control over consistency. You’ll also want to make sure the chlorella is grown in unpolluted areas, since chlorella binds to heavy metals.
• Does the producer test for heavy metal contamination? A high quality producer will perform regular heavy metal analysis’, for which there should also be a verifiable paper trail. And organic producers must adhere to even more stringent rules in order to become certified organic, which is another sign of a clean, high quality product.
How to Use Chlorella for Heavy Metal Detox
In order to optimize heavy metal detox, you’ll want to take it every day.
“It’s not something that you just take occasionally like some herbs or some supplements,” Ginny says. “Chlorella is something you want to be taking every day.
… You need to be getting at least 4 grams each day of chlorella to get the benefits that it provides.”
Ginny recommends taking it once a day, preferably in the morning. Many chlorella products are sold in small tablets, typically 500 mg each, which means you’d need to take eight tablets a day.
Some people may experience slight nausea initially. This is likely because you’re pulling toxins out of your system. Mild diarrhea may also occur. If these symptoms are too bothersome, you may want to lower your dose initially, and increase it slowly. Taking it with food may also alleviate the nausea.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Something to think about...
Hello....
It's late and I'm on my way to bed. I've had a lot of activity this past couple of days, and today I actually took time out to nap in the sun. I can't tell you how delicious that was! I have a sign in the bathroom that says "When in doubt, take a bath" (Mae West), which sums up how I feel about life. But sometimes I think it's important to insert the word "nap" for "bath." Naps and baths, two of life's simple pleasures....
I realize I must be feeling better, as my aspirin use is down a lot from where it was a year ago. At that time, I was taking two aspirin both morning and night, every day. Now I take two aspirin once a day, probably three or four days per week. I still have some severely sore days, but when I look at where things were last year, I can truly see that progress has been made!
On the flip side, I also realize how tired I still am much of the time. As we begin the progression into fall and then into winter, I am feeling there will be more time to rest, to relax, to chill it, to nap, to sleeeeeeeeep....
I just came across an article on the Mercola website that I thought was worth including here as something to think about. This blog is about more than lyme disease, and a good part of it is devoted to healthy eating and re-thinking what we put into our bodies. This article highlights a very serious threat to everyone's health.... genetically engineered crops. We are going to be seeing more and more about this as Big Agra fights to take control of the agricultural market and the profits to be made.....
I hope to watch the movie mentioned below. Thanks for your willingness to explore with me,
Sukie
Blood on our Farms: Is Monsanto Responsible? Posted By Dr. Mercola | September 03 2010 | 5,327 views
India is in the midst of a flood of suicides among farmers. A new feature film written and directed by Anusha Rizwi and produced by Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan, called Peepli Live, takes a look at this grim topic.
The vast majority of people in India still farm for a living, but are caught between deep debt and the erratic nature of seasonal change.
Indian farmers are pressured into mortgaging their farms to purchase genetically modified seeds, pesticides, and fertilizer from American companies like Monsanto.
According to AlterNet:
“Since GM seeds are patented by Monsanto, their repeated use each year requires constant licensing fees that keep farmers impoverished. One bad yield due to drought or other reasons, plunges farmers so deep into debt that they resort to suicide. One study estimates that 150,000 farmers have killed themselves in the past ten years.”
Meanwhile, in the U.S., District Judge Jeffrey White, a federal judge in California, has banned the planting of genetically modified Roundup Ready sugar beets created by Monsanto. The beets are engineered to withstand Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.
White said he was “troubled by maintaining the status quo that consists of 95 percent of sugar beets being genetically engineered while [the USDA] conducts the environmental review that should have occurred before the sugar beets were deregulated.”
The ban does not affect crops already planted and harvested for sugar.
The St. Louis Business Journal reports:
“Environmental groups ... filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in January 2008 to challenge the deregulation of Roundup Ready sugar beets by the USDA ... Opponents say the beets promote superweeds, weeds that cannot easily be killed because they have developed a tolerance to weed killer. They also raise concerns about the contamination of conventional and organic crops.”
Sources:
AlterNet August 16, 2010
St. Louis Business Journal August 16, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
I believe genetically modified plants and foods are one of the most significant threats against humanity and life on this planet, for a number of reasons.
Biotechnology has changed the face of farming as we know it, and with each passing year, we move further away from the ancient farming practice of saving the best seeds for replanting the following season – a method that is both inexpensive and proven successful for optimal crop quality.
Now, the increased use of genetically modified seeds that must be purchased anew each year are starting to take its toll. A mere 15 years into commercial GM seed use, we’re now seeing GM crops contaminating conventional and organic crops; different GM varieties combining with each other in the wild, creating unintended GM hybrids; and farmers driven to desperate acts due to financial devastation.
Genetic Engineering May Sterilize Nature. Then What?
Consider this: Monsanto’s “suicide gene” has not only been inserted into certain food crops, rendering them sterile in order to force farmers to buy new seeds. This technology is now spreading to other industries, such as forestry.
Scientific American reported on this in January. Two paper industry giants are planning to replace the native pine in the forests of southwestern US with genetically engineered, sterile, eucalyptus. By making the trees unable to reproduce naturally, they propose there’s no need to worry about the GM eucalyptus turning into an invasive species…
Really?
Earlier this week I wrote about two GM varieties of canola spreading into the wild, and cross-breeding with each other, creating a third hybrid that is resistant to not one but two herbicides. Science has already discovered that the genome is more “intelligent” than previously thought, and by planting non-native trees that have been gene spliced to reduce proliferation does NOT make me rest easy.
On the contrary. I believe there are plenty of indications that the introduction of sterile plants of various kinds may allow this genetic ability to “turn off” reproductive capability to spread into other parts of nature, in ways that none of us can predict.
For an eye opening look at the genetic engineering now overtaking the forestry industry, I highly recommend watching the documentary film “A Silent Forest,” available in full on MEFEEDiA.com.
How are GM Crops Provoking Farmers to Commit Suicide?
According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, more than 182,900 Indian farmers took their own lives between 1997 and 2007. It estimates 46 Indian farmers commit suicide every day. That equates to roughly one suicide every 30 minutes!
Some will argue that natural events are to blame, such as lack of rain, but crop failures have occurred before, and it didn’t push thousands of farmers to end their lives by drinking pesticide.
No, the increased desperation can be traced directly back to the use of patented, and therefore expensive, seeds, and the unconscionable tactics of Monsanto.
Monsanto has been ruthless in their drive to use India as a testing ground for genetically modified crops. Over the past decade, millions of Indian farmers have been promised radically increased harvests and income if they switch from their traditional age tested farming methods to genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton seeds.
So, they borrow money to buy GM seeds, which need certain pesticides that were previously unnecessary, which requires even more money. When rain fall is sparse, the GM crops actually fare far worse than traditional crops – a fact that these farmers oftentimes don’t learn until it’s too late and they’re standing there with failed crops, spiraling debts, and no income.
And by next season, they have to do it all over again because the GM seeds cannot be saved and replanted. They must be purchased again.
In addition, GM crops have spawned:
•Bt resistant pests
•New pests
•Superweeds
For example, the evolution of Bt resistant bollworms worldwide have now been confirmed and documented, and what used to be minor pests are now becoming major problems – such as mirid bugs, which have increased 12-fold since 1997 in China, and can be directly linked to the scale of China’s Bt cotton cultivation.
In addition, the promise that GM crops would reduce pesticide/herbicide use has turned out to be entirely false.
The use of Roundup herbicide has increased dramatically since the GM Roundup Ready crops were introduced. In the first 13 years, American farmers sprayed an additional 383 million pounds of herbicide due to these herbicide-tolerant crops. And now the repeated exposures have given Mother Nature all she needs to stage her comeback in the form of devastating superweeds.
Since 1996, when GM crops were first introduced, at least nine species of U.S. weeds have developed resistance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, which means farmers must use additional herbicides, some of them even more toxic than Roundup.
In the end, we’re left with all of the downsides and none of the intended benefits.
Bollywood Brings Indian Farmers’ Plight to the Big Screen
AlterNet.com reports on a new Indian film called Peepli Live that grapples with this topic:
“The story is set in an Indian village named Peepli where one young debt-burdened farmer named Natha is talked into taking his own life after he learns that his family will be financially compensated through a government program created to alleviate the loss of farmers taking their own lives.”
The film features Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan. An interview with him about the film and the plight of Indian farmers can be found here.
Hopefully this film is successful in raising awareness about the destructive power of this technology.
It's late and I'm on my way to bed. I've had a lot of activity this past couple of days, and today I actually took time out to nap in the sun. I can't tell you how delicious that was! I have a sign in the bathroom that says "When in doubt, take a bath" (Mae West), which sums up how I feel about life. But sometimes I think it's important to insert the word "nap" for "bath." Naps and baths, two of life's simple pleasures....
I realize I must be feeling better, as my aspirin use is down a lot from where it was a year ago. At that time, I was taking two aspirin both morning and night, every day. Now I take two aspirin once a day, probably three or four days per week. I still have some severely sore days, but when I look at where things were last year, I can truly see that progress has been made!
On the flip side, I also realize how tired I still am much of the time. As we begin the progression into fall and then into winter, I am feeling there will be more time to rest, to relax, to chill it, to nap, to sleeeeeeeeep....
I just came across an article on the Mercola website that I thought was worth including here as something to think about. This blog is about more than lyme disease, and a good part of it is devoted to healthy eating and re-thinking what we put into our bodies. This article highlights a very serious threat to everyone's health.... genetically engineered crops. We are going to be seeing more and more about this as Big Agra fights to take control of the agricultural market and the profits to be made.....
I hope to watch the movie mentioned below. Thanks for your willingness to explore with me,
Sukie
Blood on our Farms: Is Monsanto Responsible? Posted By Dr. Mercola | September 03 2010 | 5,327 views
India is in the midst of a flood of suicides among farmers. A new feature film written and directed by Anusha Rizwi and produced by Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan, called Peepli Live, takes a look at this grim topic.
The vast majority of people in India still farm for a living, but are caught between deep debt and the erratic nature of seasonal change.
Indian farmers are pressured into mortgaging their farms to purchase genetically modified seeds, pesticides, and fertilizer from American companies like Monsanto.
According to AlterNet:
“Since GM seeds are patented by Monsanto, their repeated use each year requires constant licensing fees that keep farmers impoverished. One bad yield due to drought or other reasons, plunges farmers so deep into debt that they resort to suicide. One study estimates that 150,000 farmers have killed themselves in the past ten years.”
Meanwhile, in the U.S., District Judge Jeffrey White, a federal judge in California, has banned the planting of genetically modified Roundup Ready sugar beets created by Monsanto. The beets are engineered to withstand Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.
White said he was “troubled by maintaining the status quo that consists of 95 percent of sugar beets being genetically engineered while [the USDA] conducts the environmental review that should have occurred before the sugar beets were deregulated.”
The ban does not affect crops already planted and harvested for sugar.
The St. Louis Business Journal reports:
“Environmental groups ... filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in January 2008 to challenge the deregulation of Roundup Ready sugar beets by the USDA ... Opponents say the beets promote superweeds, weeds that cannot easily be killed because they have developed a tolerance to weed killer. They also raise concerns about the contamination of conventional and organic crops.”
Sources:
AlterNet August 16, 2010
St. Louis Business Journal August 16, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
I believe genetically modified plants and foods are one of the most significant threats against humanity and life on this planet, for a number of reasons.
Biotechnology has changed the face of farming as we know it, and with each passing year, we move further away from the ancient farming practice of saving the best seeds for replanting the following season – a method that is both inexpensive and proven successful for optimal crop quality.
Now, the increased use of genetically modified seeds that must be purchased anew each year are starting to take its toll. A mere 15 years into commercial GM seed use, we’re now seeing GM crops contaminating conventional and organic crops; different GM varieties combining with each other in the wild, creating unintended GM hybrids; and farmers driven to desperate acts due to financial devastation.
Genetic Engineering May Sterilize Nature. Then What?
Consider this: Monsanto’s “suicide gene” has not only been inserted into certain food crops, rendering them sterile in order to force farmers to buy new seeds. This technology is now spreading to other industries, such as forestry.
Scientific American reported on this in January. Two paper industry giants are planning to replace the native pine in the forests of southwestern US with genetically engineered, sterile, eucalyptus. By making the trees unable to reproduce naturally, they propose there’s no need to worry about the GM eucalyptus turning into an invasive species…
Really?
Earlier this week I wrote about two GM varieties of canola spreading into the wild, and cross-breeding with each other, creating a third hybrid that is resistant to not one but two herbicides. Science has already discovered that the genome is more “intelligent” than previously thought, and by planting non-native trees that have been gene spliced to reduce proliferation does NOT make me rest easy.
On the contrary. I believe there are plenty of indications that the introduction of sterile plants of various kinds may allow this genetic ability to “turn off” reproductive capability to spread into other parts of nature, in ways that none of us can predict.
For an eye opening look at the genetic engineering now overtaking the forestry industry, I highly recommend watching the documentary film “A Silent Forest,” available in full on MEFEEDiA.com.
How are GM Crops Provoking Farmers to Commit Suicide?
According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, more than 182,900 Indian farmers took their own lives between 1997 and 2007. It estimates 46 Indian farmers commit suicide every day. That equates to roughly one suicide every 30 minutes!
Some will argue that natural events are to blame, such as lack of rain, but crop failures have occurred before, and it didn’t push thousands of farmers to end their lives by drinking pesticide.
No, the increased desperation can be traced directly back to the use of patented, and therefore expensive, seeds, and the unconscionable tactics of Monsanto.
Monsanto has been ruthless in their drive to use India as a testing ground for genetically modified crops. Over the past decade, millions of Indian farmers have been promised radically increased harvests and income if they switch from their traditional age tested farming methods to genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton seeds.
So, they borrow money to buy GM seeds, which need certain pesticides that were previously unnecessary, which requires even more money. When rain fall is sparse, the GM crops actually fare far worse than traditional crops – a fact that these farmers oftentimes don’t learn until it’s too late and they’re standing there with failed crops, spiraling debts, and no income.
And by next season, they have to do it all over again because the GM seeds cannot be saved and replanted. They must be purchased again.
In addition, GM crops have spawned:
•Bt resistant pests
•New pests
•Superweeds
For example, the evolution of Bt resistant bollworms worldwide have now been confirmed and documented, and what used to be minor pests are now becoming major problems – such as mirid bugs, which have increased 12-fold since 1997 in China, and can be directly linked to the scale of China’s Bt cotton cultivation.
In addition, the promise that GM crops would reduce pesticide/herbicide use has turned out to be entirely false.
The use of Roundup herbicide has increased dramatically since the GM Roundup Ready crops were introduced. In the first 13 years, American farmers sprayed an additional 383 million pounds of herbicide due to these herbicide-tolerant crops. And now the repeated exposures have given Mother Nature all she needs to stage her comeback in the form of devastating superweeds.
Since 1996, when GM crops were first introduced, at least nine species of U.S. weeds have developed resistance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, which means farmers must use additional herbicides, some of them even more toxic than Roundup.
In the end, we’re left with all of the downsides and none of the intended benefits.
Bollywood Brings Indian Farmers’ Plight to the Big Screen
AlterNet.com reports on a new Indian film called Peepli Live that grapples with this topic:
“The story is set in an Indian village named Peepli where one young debt-burdened farmer named Natha is talked into taking his own life after he learns that his family will be financially compensated through a government program created to alleviate the loss of farmers taking their own lives.”
The film features Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan. An interview with him about the film and the plight of Indian farmers can be found here.
Hopefully this film is successful in raising awareness about the destructive power of this technology.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A meditation on pain ...
Greetings ~
Hooray, I am feeling pretty well again, thankfully! My body chemistry was a bit out of whack there for a few days, I could tell. Once I started ramping back up on the salt I started getting bladder infection symptoms. Since I had previously tested sensitive to cranberries (unsweetened cranberry juice being my preferred treatment for the bladder, historically), I purchased some Uva Ursi, and it dealt with the infection in a couple of days. A new, wonderful herb for the "medicine" chest!
One of my favorite books is Kahlil Gibran's, The Prophet. In re-visiting it recently I came across his passage on "pain", and reconnected with the profound and simple truth of this wisdom. This pretty well sums up how I feel about the pain that we experience in life, whether physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or all of the above....
Perhaps this will speak to your soul, as well,
Sukie
On Pain
Kahlil Gibran
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.
Aho ~ and so it is! Many blessings to you...
Hooray, I am feeling pretty well again, thankfully! My body chemistry was a bit out of whack there for a few days, I could tell. Once I started ramping back up on the salt I started getting bladder infection symptoms. Since I had previously tested sensitive to cranberries (unsweetened cranberry juice being my preferred treatment for the bladder, historically), I purchased some Uva Ursi, and it dealt with the infection in a couple of days. A new, wonderful herb for the "medicine" chest!
One of my favorite books is Kahlil Gibran's, The Prophet. In re-visiting it recently I came across his passage on "pain", and reconnected with the profound and simple truth of this wisdom. This pretty well sums up how I feel about the pain that we experience in life, whether physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or all of the above....
Perhaps this will speak to your soul, as well,
Sukie
On Pain
Kahlil Gibran
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.
Aho ~ and so it is! Many blessings to you...
Friday, August 27, 2010
Lyme life...
Greetings to all ~
We had a fabulous trip up to Whistler, BC - amazing scenery, gorgeous views from our condo, awesome waterfalls, rivers and lakes, peaceful canoeing, a visit to Olympic Park, a spa experience, zip-lining for Erick..... it was a wonderful week! My goal is to feel well enough to zip-line next time we go back up there!
Fortunately, we had a full kitchen and cooked almost all of our meals in the condo. We stopped at the co-op on the way up and picked up fresh, organic produce. I was still getting over hives (3 weeks of non-stop fun!), and so really had to watch my eating while up there. I also spent the week ramping back up on my Salt/C intake (back up to 8 grams of each, per day), and I experienced a few aches and pains, but nothing too serious.
Since I've been home, however, the lyme bacteria have been making their presence known, and I spent the last few days herxing harder than I have in quite some time. I had kind of forgotten how awful that felt, since I was in "coast" mode during July and August with my protocol, and was feeling remarkably healthy and pain-free.
So what does this mean? It means that even though I've come a long way with the protocol, to the point of being nearly pain-free when I'm not on high levels of Salt/C, the bacteria are still very present in my system, and when challenged with the higher levels of Salt/C, they are responding to that aggressively, and also with toxic die-off symptoms. It means I must really stay the course and continue to go the distance until I can remain pretty much symptom-free over time. I'm thinking at least another year of diligence with the protocol, and then I will taper off again and see how I feel.
I've been really tired.... it's been good to catch up on sleep and rest. As much as I would like to be working more hours and bringing in more income at this point, my body is clearly letting me know that we are still very much in healing mode. As they say, patience is a virtue..... and being patient has been one of my life's lessons. I tend to want things now.....
So that's the scoop for today. Envisioning bliss and radiance surrounding us all in all that we do.
Shanti,
Sukie
ps - I'm pasting in an article that came from Dr. Mercola today that I feel is important for us all to consider.....
DOES SUGAR FEED CANCER?
Are all sugars equal in terms of the health effects they produce?
Sooner or later, science will put this debate to rest once and for all. It's already been conclusively shown that fructose, most commonly consumed in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is FAR more hazardous to your health than regular sugar, but the corn industry still vehemently denies such claims.
Through successful PR campaigns, industry has managed to pull the wool over your eyes for some time now, but eventually even they will have to surrender to the scientific evidence...
Until then, propaganda machines like the Corn Refiners Association's site, SweetSurprise.com, will continue telling you that "research confirms that high fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey. All three sweeteners are nutritionally the same," and that "though the individual sugars are metabolized by different pathways, this is of little consequence since the body sees the same mix of sugars from caloric sweeteners, regardless of source."
But are these metabolic differences of little consequence?
Far from it!
Fructose Speeds Up Cancer Growth
Research just published in the journal Cancer Research shows that the way the different sugars are metabolized (using different metabolic pathways) is of MAJOR consequence when it comes to feeding cancer and making it proliferate.
According to the authors:
" Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different... These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation."
In this case, the cancer cells used were pancreatic cancer, which is typically regarded as the most deadly and universally rapid-killing form of cancer.
The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
If this difference isn't of major consequence, then I don't know what is.
Whether you're simply interested in preventing cancer, or have cancer and want to live longer, you ignore these facts and listen to industry propaganda at your own risk.
How Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may surprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct.[i] The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.[ii] [iii]
This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tired and undernourished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Connecting the Dots: Fructose—Uric Acid—Cancer and Chronic Disease Risk
One particularly interesting tidbit I noticed in this latest study is the mention of how fructose metabolism leads to increased uric acid production along with cancer cell proliferation.
In my first interview with Dr. Johnson, he explained just how detrimental the impact of fructose is on your uric acid level. Interestingly, ONLY fructose, NOT glucose, drives up uric acid as part of its normal metabolic pathways
And, the connection between fructose, uric acid, hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes and kidney disease is so clear that your uric acid level can actually be used as a marker for toxicity from fructose -- meaning that if your levels are high, you're at increased risk of all the health hazards associated with fructose consumption and you really need to reduce your fructose intake.
For more information about this topic, please see this link.
Dr. Richard Johnson has written one of the best books on the market on the health dangers of fructose, called The Sugar Fix, which explains how fructose causes high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. As I've mentioned previously, he does promote the use of artificial sweeteners in this book, which I cannot recommend. His research on fructose, however, is unsurpassed in my opinion.
Now it's safe to say that cancer, at least pancreatic cancer, is also definitely on the list of diseases that are directly linked to excessive fructose consumption.
So are Fruits Good or Bad for You?
This recommendation has created much controversy among many who regularly consume fruit and believe this recommendation does not apply to them.
Many who eat large amounts of fruit have no symptoms, just as those with high blood pressure may not have any symptoms. However lack of symptoms is no assurance you are not exposing yourself to some danger.
Please remember that over three-quarters of the population has insulin resistance.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance? If you have any of the following conditions it is a safe bet you have it:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Overweight
High Cholesterol
Cancer
If you have insulin resistance it would be strongly recommended to limit your total grams of fructose from fruit to below 15 grams per day (see the table below). If you believe you are very healthy and are an exception to this recommendation, then you can easily confirm if this is true for you by measuring your uric acid level.
If your uric acid level is greater than 5.5 than you have a risk factor and should limit your fructose consumption. The higher over 5.5, the stronger the risk factor is.
Keep in mind that fruits also contain fructose, although an ameliorating factor is that whole fruits also contain vitamins and other antioxidants that reduce the hazardous effects of fructose.
Juices, on the other hand, are nearly as detrimental as soda, because a glass of juice is loaded with fructose, and a lot of the antioxidants are lost.
It is important to remember that fructose alone isn't evil as fruits are certainly beneficial. But when you consume high levels of fructose it will absolutely devastate your biochemistry and physiology. Remember the AVERAGE fructose dose is 70 grams per day which exceeds the recommend limit by 300 percent.
So please BE CAREFUL with your fruit consumption. You simply MUST understand that because HFCS is so darn cheap, it is added to virtually every processed food. So even if you consumed no soda or fruit, it is very easy to exceed 25 grams of hidden fructose in your diet if you are consuming anything processed.
If you are a raw food advocate, have a pristine diet, and exercise regularly, then you could be the exception that could exceed this limit and stay healthy. But in my experience that is certainly the exception and not the norm.
So please, carefully add up your fruits based on the table below to keep the total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day.
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
Restricting Fructose Consumption is Crucial Part of a Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Plan
Reducing (or preferably eliminating) fructose and other added sugars, as well as limiting grain carbohydrates from your diet, is usually a primary priority on my list of cancer reducing strategies, and for good reason.
This dietary strategy should also be part of your comprehensive cancer treatment plan.
By severely reducing your intake of fructose and carbs in your diet, you help stave off any potential cancer growth, and "starve" any tumors you currently have.
It also bolsters your overall immune function, because sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately.
Unfortunately, few cancer patients undergoing conventional cancer care in the US are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat healthy foods." I believe many cancer patients would see major improvement in their outcome if they controlled the supply of cancer's preferred fuel, glucose, and stayed clear of fructose to significantly reduce tumor proliferation.
Starving Cancer – Another Up-and-Coming Strategy
Before I go into further cancer prevention strategies, I'd like to remind you of another recent cancer research development I recently wrote about, namely 'starving' cancer by eating foods that prevent angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis (too many blood vessels) is a hallmark of cancer as the tumor actually needs blood in order to grow (this is how it feeds on the glucose in your bloodstream). But angiogenesis appears to be preventable by consuming foods that are natural inhibitors of excessive blood vessel growth.
When you regularly consume these foods, you can effectively starve any microscopic cancerous growths, effectively preventing them from growing further and becoming dangerous.
According to Dr. Li, who is currently leading this research, resveratrol from red grapes, for example, have been shown to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis by 60 percent. Even more potent is the ellagic acid found in strawberries.
Other potent anti-angiogenetic foods include:
Green tea Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries Cherries
Citrus: oranges, grapefruit, lemons Kale Turmeric
Nutmeg Artichokes Parsley
Garlic Tomato Maitake mushroom
Logically, different foods contain different potencies of anti-angiogenetic compounds. Some foods have even been found to be more potent than current anti-angiogenetic drugs! These include parsley and garlic.
But interestingly, when researchers evaluated a combination of two of the LEAST potent teas, for example, they discovered that this combination tea had greater potency than any given tea by itself.
"There's synergy," Li states, which should come as no surprise to those of you who are well-versed in holistic nutrition.
It is this synergy that makes fresh, whole foods so potently nutritious!
The sum is far greater than the individual parts, and this is why it's far more important to focus on eating a diet of whole, organic foods, rather than obsessing about individual nutrients.
Other Cancer Prevention Strategies
Aside from avoiding fructose and other added sugars (which means cutting out not only soda and sugary beverages, but also processed foods since most are loaded with HFCS), and incorporating more anti-angiogenetic fare into your diet, here are several additional strategies you can incorporate to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:
Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This is one of the most effective, and least expensive, cancer prevention strategies available to most people. Ideally, you'll want to monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure your levels stay within a therapeutic range year-round.
Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
Exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with, preferably fresh and organic.
Ideally, you'll also want to determine your nutritional type, as some veggies are better than others, depending on your type. In addition, if you are a carb nutritional type, for example, you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.
Maintain an ideal body weight.
Get enough high-quality sleep.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
References
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] Warburg O. On the origin of cancer cells. Science 1956 Feb;123:309-14.
[ii] Volk T, et al. pH in human tumor xenografts: effect of intravenous administration of glucose. Br J Cancer 1993 Sep;68(3):492-500
[iii] Digirolamo M. Diet and cancer: markers, prevention and treatment. New York: Plenum Press; 1994. p 203
We had a fabulous trip up to Whistler, BC - amazing scenery, gorgeous views from our condo, awesome waterfalls, rivers and lakes, peaceful canoeing, a visit to Olympic Park, a spa experience, zip-lining for Erick..... it was a wonderful week! My goal is to feel well enough to zip-line next time we go back up there!
Fortunately, we had a full kitchen and cooked almost all of our meals in the condo. We stopped at the co-op on the way up and picked up fresh, organic produce. I was still getting over hives (3 weeks of non-stop fun!), and so really had to watch my eating while up there. I also spent the week ramping back up on my Salt/C intake (back up to 8 grams of each, per day), and I experienced a few aches and pains, but nothing too serious.
Since I've been home, however, the lyme bacteria have been making their presence known, and I spent the last few days herxing harder than I have in quite some time. I had kind of forgotten how awful that felt, since I was in "coast" mode during July and August with my protocol, and was feeling remarkably healthy and pain-free.
So what does this mean? It means that even though I've come a long way with the protocol, to the point of being nearly pain-free when I'm not on high levels of Salt/C, the bacteria are still very present in my system, and when challenged with the higher levels of Salt/C, they are responding to that aggressively, and also with toxic die-off symptoms. It means I must really stay the course and continue to go the distance until I can remain pretty much symptom-free over time. I'm thinking at least another year of diligence with the protocol, and then I will taper off again and see how I feel.
I've been really tired.... it's been good to catch up on sleep and rest. As much as I would like to be working more hours and bringing in more income at this point, my body is clearly letting me know that we are still very much in healing mode. As they say, patience is a virtue..... and being patient has been one of my life's lessons. I tend to want things now.....
So that's the scoop for today. Envisioning bliss and radiance surrounding us all in all that we do.
Shanti,
Sukie
ps - I'm pasting in an article that came from Dr. Mercola today that I feel is important for us all to consider.....
DOES SUGAR FEED CANCER?
Are all sugars equal in terms of the health effects they produce?
Sooner or later, science will put this debate to rest once and for all. It's already been conclusively shown that fructose, most commonly consumed in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is FAR more hazardous to your health than regular sugar, but the corn industry still vehemently denies such claims.
Through successful PR campaigns, industry has managed to pull the wool over your eyes for some time now, but eventually even they will have to surrender to the scientific evidence...
Until then, propaganda machines like the Corn Refiners Association's site, SweetSurprise.com, will continue telling you that "research confirms that high fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey. All three sweeteners are nutritionally the same," and that "though the individual sugars are metabolized by different pathways, this is of little consequence since the body sees the same mix of sugars from caloric sweeteners, regardless of source."
But are these metabolic differences of little consequence?
Far from it!
Fructose Speeds Up Cancer Growth
Research just published in the journal Cancer Research shows that the way the different sugars are metabolized (using different metabolic pathways) is of MAJOR consequence when it comes to feeding cancer and making it proliferate.
According to the authors:
" Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different... These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation."
In this case, the cancer cells used were pancreatic cancer, which is typically regarded as the most deadly and universally rapid-killing form of cancer.
The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
If this difference isn't of major consequence, then I don't know what is.
Whether you're simply interested in preventing cancer, or have cancer and want to live longer, you ignore these facts and listen to industry propaganda at your own risk.
How Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may surprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct.[i] The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.[ii] [iii]
This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tired and undernourished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Connecting the Dots: Fructose—Uric Acid—Cancer and Chronic Disease Risk
One particularly interesting tidbit I noticed in this latest study is the mention of how fructose metabolism leads to increased uric acid production along with cancer cell proliferation.
In my first interview with Dr. Johnson, he explained just how detrimental the impact of fructose is on your uric acid level. Interestingly, ONLY fructose, NOT glucose, drives up uric acid as part of its normal metabolic pathways
And, the connection between fructose, uric acid, hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes and kidney disease is so clear that your uric acid level can actually be used as a marker for toxicity from fructose -- meaning that if your levels are high, you're at increased risk of all the health hazards associated with fructose consumption and you really need to reduce your fructose intake.
For more information about this topic, please see this link.
Dr. Richard Johnson has written one of the best books on the market on the health dangers of fructose, called The Sugar Fix, which explains how fructose causes high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. As I've mentioned previously, he does promote the use of artificial sweeteners in this book, which I cannot recommend. His research on fructose, however, is unsurpassed in my opinion.
Now it's safe to say that cancer, at least pancreatic cancer, is also definitely on the list of diseases that are directly linked to excessive fructose consumption.
So are Fruits Good or Bad for You?
This recommendation has created much controversy among many who regularly consume fruit and believe this recommendation does not apply to them.
Many who eat large amounts of fruit have no symptoms, just as those with high blood pressure may not have any symptoms. However lack of symptoms is no assurance you are not exposing yourself to some danger.
Please remember that over three-quarters of the population has insulin resistance.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance? If you have any of the following conditions it is a safe bet you have it:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Overweight
High Cholesterol
Cancer
If you have insulin resistance it would be strongly recommended to limit your total grams of fructose from fruit to below 15 grams per day (see the table below). If you believe you are very healthy and are an exception to this recommendation, then you can easily confirm if this is true for you by measuring your uric acid level.
If your uric acid level is greater than 5.5 than you have a risk factor and should limit your fructose consumption. The higher over 5.5, the stronger the risk factor is.
Keep in mind that fruits also contain fructose, although an ameliorating factor is that whole fruits also contain vitamins and other antioxidants that reduce the hazardous effects of fructose.
Juices, on the other hand, are nearly as detrimental as soda, because a glass of juice is loaded with fructose, and a lot of the antioxidants are lost.
It is important to remember that fructose alone isn't evil as fruits are certainly beneficial. But when you consume high levels of fructose it will absolutely devastate your biochemistry and physiology. Remember the AVERAGE fructose dose is 70 grams per day which exceeds the recommend limit by 300 percent.
So please BE CAREFUL with your fruit consumption. You simply MUST understand that because HFCS is so darn cheap, it is added to virtually every processed food. So even if you consumed no soda or fruit, it is very easy to exceed 25 grams of hidden fructose in your diet if you are consuming anything processed.
If you are a raw food advocate, have a pristine diet, and exercise regularly, then you could be the exception that could exceed this limit and stay healthy. But in my experience that is certainly the exception and not the norm.
So please, carefully add up your fruits based on the table below to keep the total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day.
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
Restricting Fructose Consumption is Crucial Part of a Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Plan
Reducing (or preferably eliminating) fructose and other added sugars, as well as limiting grain carbohydrates from your diet, is usually a primary priority on my list of cancer reducing strategies, and for good reason.
This dietary strategy should also be part of your comprehensive cancer treatment plan.
By severely reducing your intake of fructose and carbs in your diet, you help stave off any potential cancer growth, and "starve" any tumors you currently have.
It also bolsters your overall immune function, because sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately.
Unfortunately, few cancer patients undergoing conventional cancer care in the US are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat healthy foods." I believe many cancer patients would see major improvement in their outcome if they controlled the supply of cancer's preferred fuel, glucose, and stayed clear of fructose to significantly reduce tumor proliferation.
Starving Cancer – Another Up-and-Coming Strategy
Before I go into further cancer prevention strategies, I'd like to remind you of another recent cancer research development I recently wrote about, namely 'starving' cancer by eating foods that prevent angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis (too many blood vessels) is a hallmark of cancer as the tumor actually needs blood in order to grow (this is how it feeds on the glucose in your bloodstream). But angiogenesis appears to be preventable by consuming foods that are natural inhibitors of excessive blood vessel growth.
When you regularly consume these foods, you can effectively starve any microscopic cancerous growths, effectively preventing them from growing further and becoming dangerous.
According to Dr. Li, who is currently leading this research, resveratrol from red grapes, for example, have been shown to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis by 60 percent. Even more potent is the ellagic acid found in strawberries.
Other potent anti-angiogenetic foods include:
Green tea Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries Cherries
Citrus: oranges, grapefruit, lemons Kale Turmeric
Nutmeg Artichokes Parsley
Garlic Tomato Maitake mushroom
Logically, different foods contain different potencies of anti-angiogenetic compounds. Some foods have even been found to be more potent than current anti-angiogenetic drugs! These include parsley and garlic.
But interestingly, when researchers evaluated a combination of two of the LEAST potent teas, for example, they discovered that this combination tea had greater potency than any given tea by itself.
"There's synergy," Li states, which should come as no surprise to those of you who are well-versed in holistic nutrition.
It is this synergy that makes fresh, whole foods so potently nutritious!
The sum is far greater than the individual parts, and this is why it's far more important to focus on eating a diet of whole, organic foods, rather than obsessing about individual nutrients.
Other Cancer Prevention Strategies
Aside from avoiding fructose and other added sugars (which means cutting out not only soda and sugary beverages, but also processed foods since most are loaded with HFCS), and incorporating more anti-angiogenetic fare into your diet, here are several additional strategies you can incorporate to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:
Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This is one of the most effective, and least expensive, cancer prevention strategies available to most people. Ideally, you'll want to monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure your levels stay within a therapeutic range year-round.
Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
Exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with, preferably fresh and organic.
Ideally, you'll also want to determine your nutritional type, as some veggies are better than others, depending on your type. In addition, if you are a carb nutritional type, for example, you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.
Maintain an ideal body weight.
Get enough high-quality sleep.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
References
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] Warburg O. On the origin of cancer cells. Science 1956 Feb;123:309-14.
[ii] Volk T, et al. pH in human tumor xenografts: effect of intravenous administration of glucose. Br J Cancer 1993 Sep;68(3):492-500
[iii] Digirolamo M. Diet and cancer: markers, prevention and treatment. New York: Plenum Press; 1994. p 203
Thursday, August 12, 2010
And there they are....
Hello....
Just a short check-in. I went in to see my naturopath the other day for a functional blood analysis (my fourth in the past year). My blood cells look healthier these days, so much better than when we started. For awhile the borders were kind of "puckery" looking (is that a word?), and now most of them are beautifully round, although a few still shaped like balloons. And lots of inflammation still showing (it looks like cottage cheese splattered all over a field of red); however, it seems to be somewhat less.
Whenever she does this test, she also lets some of the blood incubate for a period of time and then scans for the Borrelia bacteria, which is the primary critter causing Lyme disease. To date, she has never found Borrelia... until now. After two days of incubation the spirochetes were visible under the microscope.
So even though I've tested positive for Lyme through the Western blot, it's strangely validating to also finally be able to "see" the bacteria, as it's so notorious for hiding throughout the body. Some people never receive a visual confirmation of Borrelia, even though they've tested positive for Lyme and have all the symptoms. These bacteria are very smart and they tend to stay in hiding except during certain phases of their life cycle when they are proliferating. So it's an interesting little game to try and catch them under the microscope.
I still have hives, although I think I am finally feeling slightly better today; I think the worst of it may be over (knock on wood!!). I drank only water for two days and took Quercitin, as recommended by Dr. R. I had a couple of handfulls of spinach along the way, that's it. Hives can last for a day, or they can last for weeks and even months. So I am truly hoping these wretched little itchy welts are on the way out....
That's it for now. Going to go enjoy the beautiful sunshine,
Sukie
Just a short check-in. I went in to see my naturopath the other day for a functional blood analysis (my fourth in the past year). My blood cells look healthier these days, so much better than when we started. For awhile the borders were kind of "puckery" looking (is that a word?), and now most of them are beautifully round, although a few still shaped like balloons. And lots of inflammation still showing (it looks like cottage cheese splattered all over a field of red); however, it seems to be somewhat less.
Whenever she does this test, she also lets some of the blood incubate for a period of time and then scans for the Borrelia bacteria, which is the primary critter causing Lyme disease. To date, she has never found Borrelia... until now. After two days of incubation the spirochetes were visible under the microscope.
So even though I've tested positive for Lyme through the Western blot, it's strangely validating to also finally be able to "see" the bacteria, as it's so notorious for hiding throughout the body. Some people never receive a visual confirmation of Borrelia, even though they've tested positive for Lyme and have all the symptoms. These bacteria are very smart and they tend to stay in hiding except during certain phases of their life cycle when they are proliferating. So it's an interesting little game to try and catch them under the microscope.
I still have hives, although I think I am finally feeling slightly better today; I think the worst of it may be over (knock on wood!!). I drank only water for two days and took Quercitin, as recommended by Dr. R. I had a couple of handfulls of spinach along the way, that's it. Hives can last for a day, or they can last for weeks and even months. So I am truly hoping these wretched little itchy welts are on the way out....
That's it for now. Going to go enjoy the beautiful sunshine,
Sukie
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Rice Dreaming...
Hello, Readers ~
Sorry to have been away so long. This is the busiest summer I can remember in quite some time! We've had lots of company, which has been tremendous fun. Of course that means more restaurant food, and I've found it more challenging to stay the course with my protocol this past month. I have been drifting away here and there from my healthy eating plan, most notably by eating breads with wheat, a little dairy in things like dips, and have eaten a couple of things containing small amounts of cane sugar, which has caused me to have some really itchy hives....! Additionally, our sauna is in the guest room so I've only been able to get in there a couple of times a week. But let's face it, I made these choices, so I really can't complain about it. I've also lowered my salt/C intake a bit so that I don't find myself having terrible herxes while guests are here.
So I've given myself permission to be "on hold" with the protocol through Labor Day, and after that I will be resume my diligence with the plan. I must admit I do miss the routine of the protocol because I can literally feel myself healing. The good news is that even though I haven't been right on target with everything, I am holding my own... not regressing into previous pain levels or anything like that. I have some pain, some stiffness and achiness, to be sure, but it's been manageable.
One thing I truly look forward to week after next is a few days in a condo up in Whistler, BC, just Erick and me. It has a kitchen so we will stop at the co-op on the way up and stock up on healthy foods, and spend a week relaxing and decompressing from the summer madness. I'm really ready for that! And in September I'm doing a spa week with a dear friend in the Sonoma area, and that will also be SO much welcomed!
A friend who was here last week, Jennell, showed me how to make "pudding" with chia seeds, so thought I'd share that here with you today. Chia seeds are very high in protein, and they do this weird little thing where once they are soaked in liquid for awhile, they plump up and get this slippery coating - similar to the consistency of tapioca. When you put 1/3 cup of them into 2 cups of a liquid, it will "gel" a little bit and make an interesting concoction. She made some for us using chocolate Rice Dream (I also added some cardamom which made it really pretty awesome). She says at home she usually uses chocolate chai Rice Dream, and sometimes the vanilla Rice Dream. She says it can also be made as a savory treat by using it with a soup or boullion base. And it can also be added to juices that are non-acidic (grape; apple). If making it as a pudding, let the seeds soak in the Rice Dream at least an hour at room temp, or for several hours in the fridge.
There you go.... a new way to get some extra protein in your diet. Let me know if you think of more creative ways to use chia seeds!
I hope you're enjoying these last weeks of summer. How about those solar flares? Our skies were hazy and funky looking for three days or so earlier this week. We had hoped we might get a glimpse of the northern lights down here, as it was reported they would be seen further south, but we weren't able to see anything. May we all live in interesting times..... ;-)
Sukie
Sorry to have been away so long. This is the busiest summer I can remember in quite some time! We've had lots of company, which has been tremendous fun. Of course that means more restaurant food, and I've found it more challenging to stay the course with my protocol this past month. I have been drifting away here and there from my healthy eating plan, most notably by eating breads with wheat, a little dairy in things like dips, and have eaten a couple of things containing small amounts of cane sugar, which has caused me to have some really itchy hives....! Additionally, our sauna is in the guest room so I've only been able to get in there a couple of times a week. But let's face it, I made these choices, so I really can't complain about it. I've also lowered my salt/C intake a bit so that I don't find myself having terrible herxes while guests are here.
So I've given myself permission to be "on hold" with the protocol through Labor Day, and after that I will be resume my diligence with the plan. I must admit I do miss the routine of the protocol because I can literally feel myself healing. The good news is that even though I haven't been right on target with everything, I am holding my own... not regressing into previous pain levels or anything like that. I have some pain, some stiffness and achiness, to be sure, but it's been manageable.
One thing I truly look forward to week after next is a few days in a condo up in Whistler, BC, just Erick and me. It has a kitchen so we will stop at the co-op on the way up and stock up on healthy foods, and spend a week relaxing and decompressing from the summer madness. I'm really ready for that! And in September I'm doing a spa week with a dear friend in the Sonoma area, and that will also be SO much welcomed!
A friend who was here last week, Jennell, showed me how to make "pudding" with chia seeds, so thought I'd share that here with you today. Chia seeds are very high in protein, and they do this weird little thing where once they are soaked in liquid for awhile, they plump up and get this slippery coating - similar to the consistency of tapioca. When you put 1/3 cup of them into 2 cups of a liquid, it will "gel" a little bit and make an interesting concoction. She made some for us using chocolate Rice Dream (I also added some cardamom which made it really pretty awesome). She says at home she usually uses chocolate chai Rice Dream, and sometimes the vanilla Rice Dream. She says it can also be made as a savory treat by using it with a soup or boullion base. And it can also be added to juices that are non-acidic (grape; apple). If making it as a pudding, let the seeds soak in the Rice Dream at least an hour at room temp, or for several hours in the fridge.
There you go.... a new way to get some extra protein in your diet. Let me know if you think of more creative ways to use chia seeds!
I hope you're enjoying these last weeks of summer. How about those solar flares? Our skies were hazy and funky looking for three days or so earlier this week. We had hoped we might get a glimpse of the northern lights down here, as it was reported they would be seen further south, but we weren't able to see anything. May we all live in interesting times..... ;-)
Sukie
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Peace signs, rainbows... & aspirin
Hello to all....
I hope you're enjoying the sunshine.... it's just fabulous here this week! We're hoping it lasts, since summer came late this year. Summer always brings all kinds of visitors to the island, and our guest room is booked for the next few weeks. We love it. Of course, all the extra visitors means extra activities, so I have to remember to pace myself and to stick to my healthy eating plan as much as possible. Last weekend Erick and I spent three days up at Mt. Rainier which was GORGEOUS by the way.... I was able to adhere to my gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, eating because we had an awesome cabin with a kitchen, and we found a co-op on the way up that had everything we needed. Also, an unexpected find in the town of Ashford was a Himalayan restaurant, the Wild Berry, that had some vegetarian options.... that was a delight to enjoy.
I'm really sore today, though. Did that small hike up part of the mountain just catch up with me today, or was it the vegetarian soy sauce I used while sauteeing portabella mushrooms last night? I do have a sensitivity to soy, and occasionally I test it out to see if I still do..... looks like I STILL DO. Anyway, thank goodness for aspirin.
I've been taking aspirin once or twice a day, almost every day, for the past 15 months. That, you may say, doesn't sound like a very good thing to do, and of course, my preference would be not to take it (i.e., not to need it). Thankfully, I've had no problems with it, as I always take it on a full stomach. It helps reduce inflammation, which is the only thing that makes me feel better some days, since I refuse to take anything stronger. I remembered the other day that once upon a time I had a large, round gold paperweight that someone gave me that was an aspirin tablet. At the time it was funny, as I had a job with lots of challenges to deal with (although I never took aspirin or any type of pain relievers). Now I wish I still had that paperweight because of the irony that aspirin has become a friend of mine. I do appreciate having it in my life, AND I look forward to the day that I don't need to take it anymore. I do have more of those days.... maybe once or twice a week I can get away without taking any. This is progress!
Soooo, off to swim in the lake this afternoon with my "little sister" Morgan. She's 8years old, and truly an awesome kid. Thankfully, I've always been able to arrange to meet with her when I'm feeling my best. I haven't had to explain to her yet about lyme disease and all that jazz..... she's at an age where butterflies and fairies fascinate her, and everything is peace signs and rainbows. I LOVE THAT!!! And I love her. As I continue to feel better all the time, I think that perhaps, just maybe, Morgan may never even need to see me in serious pain. Although at some point I will tell her what lyme is and how it's contracted, to make sure she knows how not to contract it. I also live in that world of peace signs and rainbows, and I don't want anyone to suffer pain. Idealistic and unrealistic, I know, as planet earth is not designed to be a pain-free place. But the world is a friendlier place when you make it a point to look for rainbows.....
I will close today with "namaste" ~ the spirit in me honors the spirit in you.
Sukie
I hope you're enjoying the sunshine.... it's just fabulous here this week! We're hoping it lasts, since summer came late this year. Summer always brings all kinds of visitors to the island, and our guest room is booked for the next few weeks. We love it. Of course, all the extra visitors means extra activities, so I have to remember to pace myself and to stick to my healthy eating plan as much as possible. Last weekend Erick and I spent three days up at Mt. Rainier which was GORGEOUS by the way.... I was able to adhere to my gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, eating because we had an awesome cabin with a kitchen, and we found a co-op on the way up that had everything we needed. Also, an unexpected find in the town of Ashford was a Himalayan restaurant, the Wild Berry, that had some vegetarian options.... that was a delight to enjoy.
I'm really sore today, though. Did that small hike up part of the mountain just catch up with me today, or was it the vegetarian soy sauce I used while sauteeing portabella mushrooms last night? I do have a sensitivity to soy, and occasionally I test it out to see if I still do..... looks like I STILL DO. Anyway, thank goodness for aspirin.
I've been taking aspirin once or twice a day, almost every day, for the past 15 months. That, you may say, doesn't sound like a very good thing to do, and of course, my preference would be not to take it (i.e., not to need it). Thankfully, I've had no problems with it, as I always take it on a full stomach. It helps reduce inflammation, which is the only thing that makes me feel better some days, since I refuse to take anything stronger. I remembered the other day that once upon a time I had a large, round gold paperweight that someone gave me that was an aspirin tablet. At the time it was funny, as I had a job with lots of challenges to deal with (although I never took aspirin or any type of pain relievers). Now I wish I still had that paperweight because of the irony that aspirin has become a friend of mine. I do appreciate having it in my life, AND I look forward to the day that I don't need to take it anymore. I do have more of those days.... maybe once or twice a week I can get away without taking any. This is progress!
Soooo, off to swim in the lake this afternoon with my "little sister" Morgan. She's 8years old, and truly an awesome kid. Thankfully, I've always been able to arrange to meet with her when I'm feeling my best. I haven't had to explain to her yet about lyme disease and all that jazz..... she's at an age where butterflies and fairies fascinate her, and everything is peace signs and rainbows. I LOVE THAT!!! And I love her. As I continue to feel better all the time, I think that perhaps, just maybe, Morgan may never even need to see me in serious pain. Although at some point I will tell her what lyme is and how it's contracted, to make sure she knows how not to contract it. I also live in that world of peace signs and rainbows, and I don't want anyone to suffer pain. Idealistic and unrealistic, I know, as planet earth is not designed to be a pain-free place. But the world is a friendlier place when you make it a point to look for rainbows.....
I will close today with "namaste" ~ the spirit in me honors the spirit in you.
Sukie
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tick tock...
Hello again....
I've talked with a few folks lately, as well as read in a couple of books about how prevalent ticks that carry lyme bacteria are back east. Even though all 50 states have reported cases of lyme disease, it is running rampant back in New England and the east, and into the south. Someone from New Hampshire recently told me that she couldn't walk across her front lawn without finding at least one tick on her foot. Up to 80 percent of some tick varieties carry the borrelia bacteria (as well as numerous other bacteria known as "co-infections"). I've seen a few articles that posit that the changing climate of the planet, which of course affects the delicate balance of nature, is causing rampant tick proliferation.
At any rate, this is something to think about. Things we take for granted, such as walking barefoot across our own front lawn, may become a thing of the past if we aren't able to assist the Earth in rebalancing herself. That's why I feel it's so important to take the "eagle's view". How are our collective actions affecting the interconnectedness of life? Clearly, we are going to have to find new ways of doing business in our world if we are to survive as a species. I'll stop right there rather than launching into a political discourse. I think "new ways of doing business" means different things to different people, and if we all share an intention of rising above the status quo to embrace life-affirming, healthy business and political practices, we can come together individually and collectively to transcend business and politics as usual. I strive to take the high road in my thinking wherever possible, and have been accused more than once in my life of wearing rose-colored glasses. That's okay with me, because I'd rather live in joy and health as much as possible, rather than in fear and hopelessness. While we all despair at times, it's important that we continue to hope and dream, and to live in ways that we can feel good about in our hearts and our souls. Everything matters, every good intention carries with it an energy for positive change and healthy relationships. Times are hard right now on planet Earth.... yet I envision that change is possible and even probable if we follow our conscience and our highest wisdom.
Just a little thinking out loud.... As for my journey with lyme disease, I am coming down off a week of serious herxing and feeling pretty good again. I'm still losing a lot of hair, which I think is a side effect of the Salt/C protocol. However, I feel so much better, that a little hair loss will not deter me...! Hopefully it won't come to the point where I have to purchase a bad wig! ;-)
Have a lovely week & will check in with you again soon,
Sukie
I've talked with a few folks lately, as well as read in a couple of books about how prevalent ticks that carry lyme bacteria are back east. Even though all 50 states have reported cases of lyme disease, it is running rampant back in New England and the east, and into the south. Someone from New Hampshire recently told me that she couldn't walk across her front lawn without finding at least one tick on her foot. Up to 80 percent of some tick varieties carry the borrelia bacteria (as well as numerous other bacteria known as "co-infections"). I've seen a few articles that posit that the changing climate of the planet, which of course affects the delicate balance of nature, is causing rampant tick proliferation.
At any rate, this is something to think about. Things we take for granted, such as walking barefoot across our own front lawn, may become a thing of the past if we aren't able to assist the Earth in rebalancing herself. That's why I feel it's so important to take the "eagle's view". How are our collective actions affecting the interconnectedness of life? Clearly, we are going to have to find new ways of doing business in our world if we are to survive as a species. I'll stop right there rather than launching into a political discourse. I think "new ways of doing business" means different things to different people, and if we all share an intention of rising above the status quo to embrace life-affirming, healthy business and political practices, we can come together individually and collectively to transcend business and politics as usual. I strive to take the high road in my thinking wherever possible, and have been accused more than once in my life of wearing rose-colored glasses. That's okay with me, because I'd rather live in joy and health as much as possible, rather than in fear and hopelessness. While we all despair at times, it's important that we continue to hope and dream, and to live in ways that we can feel good about in our hearts and our souls. Everything matters, every good intention carries with it an energy for positive change and healthy relationships. Times are hard right now on planet Earth.... yet I envision that change is possible and even probable if we follow our conscience and our highest wisdom.
Just a little thinking out loud.... As for my journey with lyme disease, I am coming down off a week of serious herxing and feeling pretty good again. I'm still losing a lot of hair, which I think is a side effect of the Salt/C protocol. However, I feel so much better, that a little hair loss will not deter me...! Hopefully it won't come to the point where I have to purchase a bad wig! ;-)
Have a lovely week & will check in with you again soon,
Sukie
Monday, July 12, 2010
Disney or "real life"?
Greetings ~
Just woke up and watched the "movie" outside my bedroom window for a little while... deer grazing, bunnies hopping about, birds of all shapes and sizes twittering in the trees, squirrels and chipmunks scampering around. I live in a Disney movie!!! How awesome is that?? There is also a handsome prince involved, and wonderful adventures. I guess that makes me the princess..... and in Disney movies the princess always has some type of issue. Wonder if they'll ever make a movie where the princess has lyme disease?? Mmmmm, probably not. The good news is that the princesses usually eventually get blessed with what they want; they just have to pass some personal challenges and hang in there. Yes, this is sounding familiar!
Anyway, this past few days I have been experiencing a fair amount of fatigue. The aches and pains have been very manageable, but I've been pretty tired and drowsy and taking naps. I love to take naps, so that's not a problem. What I'm noticing though is that I'm not waking up feeling refreshed, which is another characteristic of lyme. That's one of the questions the doctors always ask: is your sleep refreshing? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. All my life I've been a morning person and bounced out of bed bright and early with the energy of a hurricane. I'm still a morning person, but usually now I wake up slowly, stretch out my sore muscles (especially my knees and hips), sometimes doze off again a time or two, and then coax myself into verticality (I realize that's not a word, but you know what I mean). My brain starts to kick in a little and we eventually shift into drive.
So that's what I am realizing right now.... with my body feeling better I'm starting to notice more about the underlying fatigue. It comes and goes. Some days I have my old energy and I zip around like a tornado. When I was working full-time I was one of the craziest multi-taskers you've ever seen. I made a conscious decision a couple of years ago to break myself of that, and I've done fairly well. I still always have my proverbial list of things to do - I am a listmaker and planner, for sure - but I pace myself and don't expect to accomplish all those things in one day. I try to make time to just "be", and to meditate, sleep in the sun, read or do art.
Bottom line: Life's grand and I am joyful. I'm blessed with a life of meaning and magic. As much as we'd all like that Disney fairy-tale ending, life is a journey, and that's the beauty of it. Nothing is always "perfect." But it is beautiful in its imperfection and diversity. I am so grateful for the amazement of life, and as frustrating and maddening as this chaotic world can be, I'm happy to be along for the ride.
Today's mantra comes from Dr. Emoto, who has done all those amazing studies with water. This is for the waters affected by the oil spill, which affects all of life:
"To the oceans, waterways, and all sea animals and sea life. I love you, I'm sorry, please forgive me." We are all in this together, and to transform our planet we must take responsibility, collectively, for our actions, so that we can transform ourselves. By setting our intentions this way, we truly love ourselves and all of the life that we are a part of.
Much love & many blessings to you,
Sukie
Just woke up and watched the "movie" outside my bedroom window for a little while... deer grazing, bunnies hopping about, birds of all shapes and sizes twittering in the trees, squirrels and chipmunks scampering around. I live in a Disney movie!!! How awesome is that?? There is also a handsome prince involved, and wonderful adventures. I guess that makes me the princess..... and in Disney movies the princess always has some type of issue. Wonder if they'll ever make a movie where the princess has lyme disease?? Mmmmm, probably not. The good news is that the princesses usually eventually get blessed with what they want; they just have to pass some personal challenges and hang in there. Yes, this is sounding familiar!
Anyway, this past few days I have been experiencing a fair amount of fatigue. The aches and pains have been very manageable, but I've been pretty tired and drowsy and taking naps. I love to take naps, so that's not a problem. What I'm noticing though is that I'm not waking up feeling refreshed, which is another characteristic of lyme. That's one of the questions the doctors always ask: is your sleep refreshing? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. All my life I've been a morning person and bounced out of bed bright and early with the energy of a hurricane. I'm still a morning person, but usually now I wake up slowly, stretch out my sore muscles (especially my knees and hips), sometimes doze off again a time or two, and then coax myself into verticality (I realize that's not a word, but you know what I mean). My brain starts to kick in a little and we eventually shift into drive.
So that's what I am realizing right now.... with my body feeling better I'm starting to notice more about the underlying fatigue. It comes and goes. Some days I have my old energy and I zip around like a tornado. When I was working full-time I was one of the craziest multi-taskers you've ever seen. I made a conscious decision a couple of years ago to break myself of that, and I've done fairly well. I still always have my proverbial list of things to do - I am a listmaker and planner, for sure - but I pace myself and don't expect to accomplish all those things in one day. I try to make time to just "be", and to meditate, sleep in the sun, read or do art.
Bottom line: Life's grand and I am joyful. I'm blessed with a life of meaning and magic. As much as we'd all like that Disney fairy-tale ending, life is a journey, and that's the beauty of it. Nothing is always "perfect." But it is beautiful in its imperfection and diversity. I am so grateful for the amazement of life, and as frustrating and maddening as this chaotic world can be, I'm happy to be along for the ride.
Today's mantra comes from Dr. Emoto, who has done all those amazing studies with water. This is for the waters affected by the oil spill, which affects all of life:
"To the oceans, waterways, and all sea animals and sea life. I love you, I'm sorry, please forgive me." We are all in this together, and to transform our planet we must take responsibility, collectively, for our actions, so that we can transform ourselves. By setting our intentions this way, we truly love ourselves and all of the life that we are a part of.
Much love & many blessings to you,
Sukie
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Uggghhhhhhhhh.....
Hi Friends ~
Interesting that when I go to log-in using the URL for this blog, it now takes me to another blog about the Salt/C protocol. It's a blog I've seen before and it's really good reading, so I guess if my blog is going to be co-opted, it's as good a site as any to arrive at..... still..... what happened to my own URL?? I just don't understand these things, just like I don't understand why Facebook has gone all freaky. Anyone else experiencing these challenge with the internet?
Anyhoo.... I am feeling like a slug today after having Salvadoran food last night for dinner. Erick and I went off-island last night to pick up a Health Rider for me ($50, Craigslist) and hoped to find an Indian restaurant for dinner, but finally settled on a Salvadoran place. I ate plantains and pupusas with beans (which were all delicious, but fairly greasy). It surely has upset my system....! My liver is definately NOT happy with my choices, so I'm drinking lots of water with my homeopathic liver cleanse drops, as well as taking chlorella in large amounts. Ugggghhhh. Sometimes I can stray a bit from my eating plan, and sometimes I just can't get away with it. This is one of those times.
But anyway, I have a new Health Rider (gently used) that is really wonderful for exercising all the muscles in one's body. I think they must be promoted on TV as weight-loss devices, because people keep asking me if I'm trying to lose weight. No! I lost 30+ pounds already; not wanting to lose more weight. But I do want to get more exercise, and since it's still hard for me to do yoga and to walk up hills, the Health Rider will be a way to make sure all the muscles in my body get some attention. We don't watch TV (don't have cable, just Netflix), so I am often clueless about some things that everyone else seems to know more about. I discovered the Health Rider in the exercise room where my mom lives, so there you go....
I continue to feel like I'm on an upward trend. Have had a couple of days of pain this week at maybe a 4, which is not so bad.
Otherwise, not much else to report; haven't read anything new about lyme lately. I think I'm on vacation from thoughts of lyme disease for awhile. We finally have a week of full sun upon us and I am all about spending time in it! This weekend is our big Choochokam Arts Fest and all us islanders get out there and have a blast. I've got a couple of days to de-tox so my body is ready to dance in the streets!
Hope you are having wonderful summer fun, wherever you are!
Sukie
Interesting that when I go to log-in using the URL for this blog, it now takes me to another blog about the Salt/C protocol. It's a blog I've seen before and it's really good reading, so I guess if my blog is going to be co-opted, it's as good a site as any to arrive at..... still..... what happened to my own URL?? I just don't understand these things, just like I don't understand why Facebook has gone all freaky. Anyone else experiencing these challenge with the internet?
Anyhoo.... I am feeling like a slug today after having Salvadoran food last night for dinner. Erick and I went off-island last night to pick up a Health Rider for me ($50, Craigslist) and hoped to find an Indian restaurant for dinner, but finally settled on a Salvadoran place. I ate plantains and pupusas with beans (which were all delicious, but fairly greasy). It surely has upset my system....! My liver is definately NOT happy with my choices, so I'm drinking lots of water with my homeopathic liver cleanse drops, as well as taking chlorella in large amounts. Ugggghhhh. Sometimes I can stray a bit from my eating plan, and sometimes I just can't get away with it. This is one of those times.
But anyway, I have a new Health Rider (gently used) that is really wonderful for exercising all the muscles in one's body. I think they must be promoted on TV as weight-loss devices, because people keep asking me if I'm trying to lose weight. No! I lost 30+ pounds already; not wanting to lose more weight. But I do want to get more exercise, and since it's still hard for me to do yoga and to walk up hills, the Health Rider will be a way to make sure all the muscles in my body get some attention. We don't watch TV (don't have cable, just Netflix), so I am often clueless about some things that everyone else seems to know more about. I discovered the Health Rider in the exercise room where my mom lives, so there you go....
I continue to feel like I'm on an upward trend. Have had a couple of days of pain this week at maybe a 4, which is not so bad.
Otherwise, not much else to report; haven't read anything new about lyme lately. I think I'm on vacation from thoughts of lyme disease for awhile. We finally have a week of full sun upon us and I am all about spending time in it! This weekend is our big Choochokam Arts Fest and all us islanders get out there and have a blast. I've got a couple of days to de-tox so my body is ready to dance in the streets!
Hope you are having wonderful summer fun, wherever you are!
Sukie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)