As this year closes....

Greetings, Everyone...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sukie

How sweet it is.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big Aloha love,

Sukie

Holiday Spirit + important article

Greetings ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sukie

CANCER IS A MAN-MADE DISEASE by Dr. Mercola

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

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

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

The Daily Mail reports:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not food, not lifestyle changes, just drugs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

According to a recent World Wire press release:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aloha Spirit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Autumn Flare

Greetings to all ~

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

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

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

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

Special LOVE shout-out today to RKay! xoxoxox

Much love, aloha, & see you soon,

Sukie

It's all about the Herx...

Hello to you!

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

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

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

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

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

Aloha & catch up with you again soon,

Sukie

Coconutty

Hello there...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sukie

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

Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 22 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And guess what?

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

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

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

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

Right?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The answer is a resounding "yes".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It didn't work!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two thumbs up on Salt/C protocol

Greetings ~

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Sukie

Passion

Greetings ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Namaste...

Sukie

An autumn meditation

Hello ~

As I write this the sun is dappled and dancing through the leaves, and the breeze is lightly motivating some of those leaves to let go and wind their way slowly to the ground. Fall is in the air, and I am loving it!

As we move into autumn, the precursor to winter, the time of hibernation and rest, I find myself more and more wanting to curl up and go inward, not necessarily with a lot of "things to do", but to just be open to whatever comes up, and to allow my soul to identify the wanderings and journeys it needs to make on an unconscious level before it awakens and arises renewed in the spring. The older I get the easier I find it to go with the flow and rhythms of the seasons and of nature.

Today as I was looking through my files for something else, I came upon this guided meditation that I have used in the past with various groups I've facilitated, and thought I would take the opportunity to share it with you. Especially when we are doing healing work on all levels, it can be amazingly useful to allow ourselves to be guided through a process of setting intentions and opening to whatever messages our unconscious has for us that want to find their way into our awareness.

I hope you get a chance to try this and that you find it useful. More soon about the more mundane aspects of the Salt/C protocol, but for today, just an invitation to go deeper.....

Sukie (scroll down for the meditation)

Crystal Cavern Meditation

This meditation works best as guided imagery, being read to you by someone else in the room, or through use as a recording. Feel free to record this for your use.

Imagine you are walking down a mountainside trail, with only starlight to guide you. Even though it is dark, everything is luminous and you feel no fear. The energies about you are embracing and welcoming, and as you turn your gaze upward to the widening sky, you are immersed in the bedazzlement of thousands and thousands of stars. You have a faint remembering of something a teacher told you long ago: the stars are really the spirits of those who have passed on into spirit world, and that one day you, too, will shine brightly in the night sky. This thought stirs ancient memories and causes them to rise. These memories have been yours forever.

As you walk through the depths of the night, your nostrils pick up a subtle scent upon the air, probably the blooms of some identified tree or bush. It is exotic and invites a slow, delicious breath as you inhale its sweet perfume. You notice the air swirling all about you is cool – refreshingly so – but not cold, even as you are aware that this is the time of year when the spirit seeks solace in the internal cave of the inner night. It is a time of rest, retreat, release, and replenishment.

You hear the call of a night bird, interwoven with the soft singing of frogs. You pull your cloak closer about you and continue onward down the trail, feeling as if you know where you are going, though you have no memory of having been there before.
In the darkness you notice a faint blue glow, and instinctively head towards it. As you get closer, you realize you have come upon the mouth of a cave, and that the light emanates from within. The soft indigo blue illumines the way as you make your way inside the cave, beckoning you deeper.

You continue to explore the depths of the cave, feeling one foot in front of the other, occasionally reaching out to touch the rock walls about you. You feel completely secure, surrounded by a knowing that communicates pure love.

You soon become aware that the rock walls have turned to crystal, and that you are entering a large, subterranean room filled with soft pastel hues – pink, lavender, turquoise, green, amber, and soft white. This play of light is subtle, yet completely entrancing.

Your consciousness alights upon a softly glowing Being of Light resting in the center of this natural sanctuary. It beckons you closer, and motions for you to lower yourself onto a soft, comfortable cushion. It reaches out, touching you lightly upon your forehead, and you feel yourself sinking into deep bliss and relaxation. You hear an inner voice: We have a message for you….

Your body and mind unwind and become quiet, as you allow whatever information is there to work its way gently into your awareness.

Take a few moments now to just BE as you rest peacefully in this atmosphere of perfect acceptance and love. (take 5-10 minutes to relax with eyes closed)

Now gently come back to an awareness of your surroundings…. Move and stretch a little; take a deep breath. When you’re ready, open your eyes. It is suggested you take a few moments to capture in your journal whatever feelings, images and words come to mind, and/or to share your feelings with another person whom you trust to simply listen.

Remember that whatever seeds of consciousness are sown now in the inner cavern of your heart will lie seemingly still, resting throughout the deep winter. They will emerge into the light with renewed life in the springtime, at a time ideally suited to your awakening to new aspects and expressions of your soul’s growth.

Aho, and so it is….

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

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.

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...

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

Got an itch for sugar?

Hello there ~

Thought I'd weigh in once again before we leave for vacation on Tuesday. Can you believe it? I still have the hives! And boy are they itchy, not to mention pretty darn ugly.... I have tried just about everything.... baking soda (not helpful), aloe vera (somewhat helpful), Caladryl (fairly helpful for a little while). A couple of people told me to take a sulphur bath, but I really don't want to smell like sulphur, so I've been holding out on that one as a last resort. I did a 2-day water fast (lots of water; no food) as suggested by my naturopath, and that didn't seem to help too much, either. Hot baths are definately OUT for now. Cold water helps a LOT, so I keep a cold wash cloth handy. Quite honestly, the two things that have helped the most are my far-infrared sauna (go figure!), and Karen's Nourishing Coconut Cream (my next door neighbor whom I've mentioned before who is an absolute genius with all things, healthy, organic and botanical). Even though I get redder and itchier for awhile in the sauna, I actually feel better afterward, once I've taken a cool shower, and can go for a few hours without any major scratch-attacks. I guess this is because the hives are actually releasing something from the inside, and sweating would naturally expedite that process. The coconut cream is also awesome as it's very soothing, and I've been slathering it on like it's going out of style.

The internet says hives can last for up to 6 weeks (say WHAT???!!!!!!!!). However, I feel confident that mine are very slowly drying up and going away. I also feel strongly that not only are they an allergic reaction to sugar, wheat, and garlic that I ate last weekend, but that on a higher level they are also purifying and helping me cleanse something that needs releasing. So I'm trying to look at them as ultimately helpful. Though I'm not quite ready to say "hives are my friend...."

Anyway, of all my food allergies the one that is probably hardest to handle, overall, is the allergy to cane sugar, simply because it's in so many things, even things you wouldn't think it would be in, and quite frankly, it's pretty addictive. That's why I get really excited when I find a gluten-free, cane-sugar-free, dairy-free dessert recipe. I still have to eat desserts in moderation because sugar is sugar, and agave, honey, maple syrup, etc., will also make me crazy if I eat too much of them.

Therefore, when I saw an article today about how addictive sugar can be, I realized it was something I wanted to post here for folks to think about. The American diet is so over-saturated with sugar, and it seems a good time in the great scheme of things to really re-visit how much of it we want to put into our body temples. See the article below. Oh, and here's the Sweet Sisters website again if you ever need some coconut cream, or other healthy products: www.sweetsistersbodycare.com.

Sukie

10 Ways to Overcome Sugar Addiction

Are you addicted to sugar?

When I ask that question, most people attending my weight-management lectures raise their hand. Addiction to sugar is stronger for some people than others, but the truth is sugar is a powerfully addictive substance. If you've overindulged in cookies, candy, cake, or ice cream—and who hasn't, at some point—you know its seductive pull. Food manufacturers bank on it when they load sugar into soft drinks, breakfast cereal, soups, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, energy bars, and even catsup.

THE DETAILS: Addiction to sugar is probably more common than you think. Americans consume an average of 20 to 30 teaspoons (about ½ cup!) daily of this substance, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), attention and memory problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. Every month a new study comes out adding to the list of dangers posed by consuming sugar and its cousins, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and dextrose. Despite the risks, we continue to eat sugar because it is so addictive.

In fact, sugar meets all the criteria for an addictive substance:

•It stimulates release of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, in a manner similar to alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse.
•People eat it compulsively, despite negative consequences and the intention to stop.
•With continued use, people develop a tolerance to its effects.
•Heavy sugar consumers have trouble functioning without it.
•When consumption ceases, withdrawal symptoms occur.

WHAT IT MEANS: Breaking free from a dependency on sugar is easier said than done. Because the roots of sugar addiction are both physical and emotional, you need a combination of physical and psychological approaches. The less you eat sugar, the less you will crave it. If you get withdrawal symptoms, know they will only last a few days and then you'll feel more balanced and energetic than ever.

These 10 recommendations will make it easier to get a sugar problem under control.

#1: Keep sugar and sugar products out of your house. This includes white and brown sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup.

#2: Eat enough healthy food to satisfy your hunger. Eat healthy, whole food snacks like fruit, carrots, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, dates, and dried fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Drink plenty of water, too. Add a little fruit juice to sweeten iced tea, carbonated water, and other sugar-free drinks. Frozen fruit, whole or pureed, makes a delicious alternative to ice cream. Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying. If you slow down and eat mindfully, you'll enjoy these foods even more.

#3: Eat three regular meals each day that combine complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, and fruits), lean protein (poultry, fish, meat, dairy, tofu) and healthy fats (milk, cheese, omega-3's, olive oil and other cold-pressed oils). This will help you maintain a steady blood sugar level throughout the day and reduce your sugar cravings. Eating a diet high in fiber also helps to reduce sugar cravings.

#4: Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Chromium picolinate and l-glutamine help to reduce cravings for some people.

#5: When you go out, make sure you are not ravenously hungry, especially if sugary sweets will be the only food available. Bring your own healthy snacks with you, or eat before going out.

#6: Get regular exercise, plenty of sunlight, and adequate sleep to reduce sugar cravings.

#7: Learn to identify and manage cravings that are not a result of physical hunger, but instead are rooted in stress or anxiety. Develop alternative ways of managing stress: Take a walk, call a friend, read a book, play with your pet, watch a movie. Breathe, meditate, listen to music, or take a hot bath to activate your body's relaxation response. Relaxation helps to balance your blood sugar and reduce cravings.

#8: If you have turned to sugar to deal with uncomfortable feelings, learn to identify the specific feelings and respond appropriately to them. If you are tired, take a break or rest, rather than trying to persevere in the face of fatigue. If you are bored, find something stimulating to do. If you are lonely, reach out to a friend. Overcoming your sugar addiction involves really paying attention to what you are feeling, and giving yourself what you really need instead of using sugar as a substitute.

#9: If you do overindulge in sugar, acknowledge that you slipped, and get back on track as soon as possible. Let go of the guilt and shame. Eating sugar is unhealthy, but it's not a sin. As with other addictions, it doesn't matter if you need multiple attempts to quit, just that you keep trying until it sticks.

#10: Be kind to yourself. To end the struggle with sugar, learn to nourish your body well and respond compassionately to your own feelings. The best sugar substitute is genuine self-acceptance.

Jeffrey Rossman, Ph.D., is a Rodale.com advisor and director of life management at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA. His column, "Mind-Body-Mood Advisor," appears weekly on Rodale.com.