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
Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
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...
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...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Autumn Flare
Greetings to all ~
Just a quick note before heading out the door on our trip to Hawaii.... (and YES, we are very excited!!). I wanted to note that in the literature about lyme disease it always talks about the lyme flares that happen in the spring and fall. For some reason, life-cycle-wise, these times of year encourage great activity amongst the borrelia spirochetes. I hadn't really noticed so much before, possibly because I was in such extreme pain all the time, anyway. Now, I am realizing that these past few days I have been feeling a lot of pain, as well as "movement", if you will, of the bacteria. The "movement" thing is hard to explain.... it's a sense of weakness in the bones and muscles, and an essence of motion that I've been feeling off and on for years. Kind of how I feel if I can in an elevator that drops quickly...
Anyway, as I ponder these sensations, as well as almost flu-like symptoms of aches and pains I've had for a couple of days, I am realizing it's probably the autumn lyme flare. I feel fine, otherwise. No fever or anything like that. Head is very clear. Just achey-breakey. Wonder how the borrelia will like the tropical weather of the islands? I want to be very diligent about my eating over there and stay away from sweets, so that I don't give them any encouragement to want to propogate any further than they already are. I will be keeping up with my Salt/C and supplement protocol throughout the trip, also, which will keep the critters on the run....
While we're gone I'm loaning my two earthing sheets to a couple of friends with fibromyalgia (and also taking an earthing pad along on the trip). It will be interesting to hear about whatever results they may have from using the sheets for 10 days.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving - so much to be grateful for! I am grateful for all of you for caring enough to check in with this blog to see what's happening. I hope it's helpful for you. It's been a fabulous experience for me...
Special LOVE shout-out today to RKay! xoxoxox
Much love, aloha, & see you soon,
Sukie
Just a quick note before heading out the door on our trip to Hawaii.... (and YES, we are very excited!!). I wanted to note that in the literature about lyme disease it always talks about the lyme flares that happen in the spring and fall. For some reason, life-cycle-wise, these times of year encourage great activity amongst the borrelia spirochetes. I hadn't really noticed so much before, possibly because I was in such extreme pain all the time, anyway. Now, I am realizing that these past few days I have been feeling a lot of pain, as well as "movement", if you will, of the bacteria. The "movement" thing is hard to explain.... it's a sense of weakness in the bones and muscles, and an essence of motion that I've been feeling off and on for years. Kind of how I feel if I can in an elevator that drops quickly...
Anyway, as I ponder these sensations, as well as almost flu-like symptoms of aches and pains I've had for a couple of days, I am realizing it's probably the autumn lyme flare. I feel fine, otherwise. No fever or anything like that. Head is very clear. Just achey-breakey. Wonder how the borrelia will like the tropical weather of the islands? I want to be very diligent about my eating over there and stay away from sweets, so that I don't give them any encouragement to want to propogate any further than they already are. I will be keeping up with my Salt/C and supplement protocol throughout the trip, also, which will keep the critters on the run....
While we're gone I'm loaning my two earthing sheets to a couple of friends with fibromyalgia (and also taking an earthing pad along on the trip). It will be interesting to hear about whatever results they may have from using the sheets for 10 days.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving - so much to be grateful for! I am grateful for all of you for caring enough to check in with this blog to see what's happening. I hope it's helpful for you. It's been a fabulous experience for me...
Special LOVE shout-out today to RKay! xoxoxox
Much love, aloha, & see you soon,
Sukie
Friday, August 27, 2010
Lyme life...
Greetings to all ~
We had a fabulous trip up to Whistler, BC - amazing scenery, gorgeous views from our condo, awesome waterfalls, rivers and lakes, peaceful canoeing, a visit to Olympic Park, a spa experience, zip-lining for Erick..... it was a wonderful week! My goal is to feel well enough to zip-line next time we go back up there!
Fortunately, we had a full kitchen and cooked almost all of our meals in the condo. We stopped at the co-op on the way up and picked up fresh, organic produce. I was still getting over hives (3 weeks of non-stop fun!), and so really had to watch my eating while up there. I also spent the week ramping back up on my Salt/C intake (back up to 8 grams of each, per day), and I experienced a few aches and pains, but nothing too serious.
Since I've been home, however, the lyme bacteria have been making their presence known, and I spent the last few days herxing harder than I have in quite some time. I had kind of forgotten how awful that felt, since I was in "coast" mode during July and August with my protocol, and was feeling remarkably healthy and pain-free.
So what does this mean? It means that even though I've come a long way with the protocol, to the point of being nearly pain-free when I'm not on high levels of Salt/C, the bacteria are still very present in my system, and when challenged with the higher levels of Salt/C, they are responding to that aggressively, and also with toxic die-off symptoms. It means I must really stay the course and continue to go the distance until I can remain pretty much symptom-free over time. I'm thinking at least another year of diligence with the protocol, and then I will taper off again and see how I feel.
I've been really tired.... it's been good to catch up on sleep and rest. As much as I would like to be working more hours and bringing in more income at this point, my body is clearly letting me know that we are still very much in healing mode. As they say, patience is a virtue..... and being patient has been one of my life's lessons. I tend to want things now.....
So that's the scoop for today. Envisioning bliss and radiance surrounding us all in all that we do.
Shanti,
Sukie
ps - I'm pasting in an article that came from Dr. Mercola today that I feel is important for us all to consider.....
DOES SUGAR FEED CANCER?
Are all sugars equal in terms of the health effects they produce?
Sooner or later, science will put this debate to rest once and for all. It's already been conclusively shown that fructose, most commonly consumed in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is FAR more hazardous to your health than regular sugar, but the corn industry still vehemently denies such claims.
Through successful PR campaigns, industry has managed to pull the wool over your eyes for some time now, but eventually even they will have to surrender to the scientific evidence...
Until then, propaganda machines like the Corn Refiners Association's site, SweetSurprise.com, will continue telling you that "research confirms that high fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey. All three sweeteners are nutritionally the same," and that "though the individual sugars are metabolized by different pathways, this is of little consequence since the body sees the same mix of sugars from caloric sweeteners, regardless of source."
But are these metabolic differences of little consequence?
Far from it!
Fructose Speeds Up Cancer Growth
Research just published in the journal Cancer Research shows that the way the different sugars are metabolized (using different metabolic pathways) is of MAJOR consequence when it comes to feeding cancer and making it proliferate.
According to the authors:
" Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different... These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation."
In this case, the cancer cells used were pancreatic cancer, which is typically regarded as the most deadly and universally rapid-killing form of cancer.
The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
If this difference isn't of major consequence, then I don't know what is.
Whether you're simply interested in preventing cancer, or have cancer and want to live longer, you ignore these facts and listen to industry propaganda at your own risk.
How Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may surprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct.[i] The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.[ii] [iii]
This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tired and undernourished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Connecting the Dots: Fructose—Uric Acid—Cancer and Chronic Disease Risk
One particularly interesting tidbit I noticed in this latest study is the mention of how fructose metabolism leads to increased uric acid production along with cancer cell proliferation.
In my first interview with Dr. Johnson, he explained just how detrimental the impact of fructose is on your uric acid level. Interestingly, ONLY fructose, NOT glucose, drives up uric acid as part of its normal metabolic pathways
And, the connection between fructose, uric acid, hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes and kidney disease is so clear that your uric acid level can actually be used as a marker for toxicity from fructose -- meaning that if your levels are high, you're at increased risk of all the health hazards associated with fructose consumption and you really need to reduce your fructose intake.
For more information about this topic, please see this link.
Dr. Richard Johnson has written one of the best books on the market on the health dangers of fructose, called The Sugar Fix, which explains how fructose causes high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. As I've mentioned previously, he does promote the use of artificial sweeteners in this book, which I cannot recommend. His research on fructose, however, is unsurpassed in my opinion.
Now it's safe to say that cancer, at least pancreatic cancer, is also definitely on the list of diseases that are directly linked to excessive fructose consumption.
So are Fruits Good or Bad for You?
This recommendation has created much controversy among many who regularly consume fruit and believe this recommendation does not apply to them.
Many who eat large amounts of fruit have no symptoms, just as those with high blood pressure may not have any symptoms. However lack of symptoms is no assurance you are not exposing yourself to some danger.
Please remember that over three-quarters of the population has insulin resistance.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance? If you have any of the following conditions it is a safe bet you have it:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Overweight
High Cholesterol
Cancer
If you have insulin resistance it would be strongly recommended to limit your total grams of fructose from fruit to below 15 grams per day (see the table below). If you believe you are very healthy and are an exception to this recommendation, then you can easily confirm if this is true for you by measuring your uric acid level.
If your uric acid level is greater than 5.5 than you have a risk factor and should limit your fructose consumption. The higher over 5.5, the stronger the risk factor is.
Keep in mind that fruits also contain fructose, although an ameliorating factor is that whole fruits also contain vitamins and other antioxidants that reduce the hazardous effects of fructose.
Juices, on the other hand, are nearly as detrimental as soda, because a glass of juice is loaded with fructose, and a lot of the antioxidants are lost.
It is important to remember that fructose alone isn't evil as fruits are certainly beneficial. But when you consume high levels of fructose it will absolutely devastate your biochemistry and physiology. Remember the AVERAGE fructose dose is 70 grams per day which exceeds the recommend limit by 300 percent.
So please BE CAREFUL with your fruit consumption. You simply MUST understand that because HFCS is so darn cheap, it is added to virtually every processed food. So even if you consumed no soda or fruit, it is very easy to exceed 25 grams of hidden fructose in your diet if you are consuming anything processed.
If you are a raw food advocate, have a pristine diet, and exercise regularly, then you could be the exception that could exceed this limit and stay healthy. But in my experience that is certainly the exception and not the norm.
So please, carefully add up your fruits based on the table below to keep the total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day.
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Limes 1 medium 0
Lemons 1 medium 0.6
Cranberries 1 cup 0.7
Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9
Prune 1 medium 1.2
Apricot 1 medium 1.3
Guava 2 medium 2.2
Date (Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6
Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8
Raspberries 1 cup 3.0
Clementine 1 medium 3.4
Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4
Blackberries 1 cup 3.5
Star fruit 1 medium 3.6
Cherries, sweet 10 3.8
Strawberries 1 cup 3.8
Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0
Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3
Restricting Fructose Consumption is Crucial Part of a Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Plan
Reducing (or preferably eliminating) fructose and other added sugars, as well as limiting grain carbohydrates from your diet, is usually a primary priority on my list of cancer reducing strategies, and for good reason.
This dietary strategy should also be part of your comprehensive cancer treatment plan.
By severely reducing your intake of fructose and carbs in your diet, you help stave off any potential cancer growth, and "starve" any tumors you currently have.
It also bolsters your overall immune function, because sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately.
Unfortunately, few cancer patients undergoing conventional cancer care in the US are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat healthy foods." I believe many cancer patients would see major improvement in their outcome if they controlled the supply of cancer's preferred fuel, glucose, and stayed clear of fructose to significantly reduce tumor proliferation.
Starving Cancer – Another Up-and-Coming Strategy
Before I go into further cancer prevention strategies, I'd like to remind you of another recent cancer research development I recently wrote about, namely 'starving' cancer by eating foods that prevent angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis (too many blood vessels) is a hallmark of cancer as the tumor actually needs blood in order to grow (this is how it feeds on the glucose in your bloodstream). But angiogenesis appears to be preventable by consuming foods that are natural inhibitors of excessive blood vessel growth.
When you regularly consume these foods, you can effectively starve any microscopic cancerous growths, effectively preventing them from growing further and becoming dangerous.
According to Dr. Li, who is currently leading this research, resveratrol from red grapes, for example, have been shown to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis by 60 percent. Even more potent is the ellagic acid found in strawberries.
Other potent anti-angiogenetic foods include:
Green tea Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries Cherries
Citrus: oranges, grapefruit, lemons Kale Turmeric
Nutmeg Artichokes Parsley
Garlic Tomato Maitake mushroom
Logically, different foods contain different potencies of anti-angiogenetic compounds. Some foods have even been found to be more potent than current anti-angiogenetic drugs! These include parsley and garlic.
But interestingly, when researchers evaluated a combination of two of the LEAST potent teas, for example, they discovered that this combination tea had greater potency than any given tea by itself.
"There's synergy," Li states, which should come as no surprise to those of you who are well-versed in holistic nutrition.
It is this synergy that makes fresh, whole foods so potently nutritious!
The sum is far greater than the individual parts, and this is why it's far more important to focus on eating a diet of whole, organic foods, rather than obsessing about individual nutrients.
Other Cancer Prevention Strategies
Aside from avoiding fructose and other added sugars (which means cutting out not only soda and sugary beverages, but also processed foods since most are loaded with HFCS), and incorporating more anti-angiogenetic fare into your diet, here are several additional strategies you can incorporate to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:
Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This is one of the most effective, and least expensive, cancer prevention strategies available to most people. Ideally, you'll want to monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure your levels stay within a therapeutic range year-round.
Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
Exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with, preferably fresh and organic.
Ideally, you'll also want to determine your nutritional type, as some veggies are better than others, depending on your type. In addition, if you are a carb nutritional type, for example, you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.
Maintain an ideal body weight.
Get enough high-quality sleep.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
References
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] Warburg O. On the origin of cancer cells. Science 1956 Feb;123:309-14.
[ii] Volk T, et al. pH in human tumor xenografts: effect of intravenous administration of glucose. Br J Cancer 1993 Sep;68(3):492-500
[iii] Digirolamo M. Diet and cancer: markers, prevention and treatment. New York: Plenum Press; 1994. p 203
We had a fabulous trip up to Whistler, BC - amazing scenery, gorgeous views from our condo, awesome waterfalls, rivers and lakes, peaceful canoeing, a visit to Olympic Park, a spa experience, zip-lining for Erick..... it was a wonderful week! My goal is to feel well enough to zip-line next time we go back up there!
Fortunately, we had a full kitchen and cooked almost all of our meals in the condo. We stopped at the co-op on the way up and picked up fresh, organic produce. I was still getting over hives (3 weeks of non-stop fun!), and so really had to watch my eating while up there. I also spent the week ramping back up on my Salt/C intake (back up to 8 grams of each, per day), and I experienced a few aches and pains, but nothing too serious.
Since I've been home, however, the lyme bacteria have been making their presence known, and I spent the last few days herxing harder than I have in quite some time. I had kind of forgotten how awful that felt, since I was in "coast" mode during July and August with my protocol, and was feeling remarkably healthy and pain-free.
So what does this mean? It means that even though I've come a long way with the protocol, to the point of being nearly pain-free when I'm not on high levels of Salt/C, the bacteria are still very present in my system, and when challenged with the higher levels of Salt/C, they are responding to that aggressively, and also with toxic die-off symptoms. It means I must really stay the course and continue to go the distance until I can remain pretty much symptom-free over time. I'm thinking at least another year of diligence with the protocol, and then I will taper off again and see how I feel.
I've been really tired.... it's been good to catch up on sleep and rest. As much as I would like to be working more hours and bringing in more income at this point, my body is clearly letting me know that we are still very much in healing mode. As they say, patience is a virtue..... and being patient has been one of my life's lessons. I tend to want things now.....
So that's the scoop for today. Envisioning bliss and radiance surrounding us all in all that we do.
Shanti,
Sukie
ps - I'm pasting in an article that came from Dr. Mercola today that I feel is important for us all to consider.....
DOES SUGAR FEED CANCER?
Are all sugars equal in terms of the health effects they produce?
Sooner or later, science will put this debate to rest once and for all. It's already been conclusively shown that fructose, most commonly consumed in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is FAR more hazardous to your health than regular sugar, but the corn industry still vehemently denies such claims.
Through successful PR campaigns, industry has managed to pull the wool over your eyes for some time now, but eventually even they will have to surrender to the scientific evidence...
Until then, propaganda machines like the Corn Refiners Association's site, SweetSurprise.com, will continue telling you that "research confirms that high fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey. All three sweeteners are nutritionally the same," and that "though the individual sugars are metabolized by different pathways, this is of little consequence since the body sees the same mix of sugars from caloric sweeteners, regardless of source."
But are these metabolic differences of little consequence?
Far from it!
Fructose Speeds Up Cancer Growth
Research just published in the journal Cancer Research shows that the way the different sugars are metabolized (using different metabolic pathways) is of MAJOR consequence when it comes to feeding cancer and making it proliferate.
According to the authors:
" Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different... These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation."
In this case, the cancer cells used were pancreatic cancer, which is typically regarded as the most deadly and universally rapid-killing form of cancer.
The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
If this difference isn't of major consequence, then I don't know what is.
Whether you're simply interested in preventing cancer, or have cancer and want to live longer, you ignore these facts and listen to industry propaganda at your own risk.
How Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may surprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct.[i] The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.[ii] [iii]
This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tired and undernourished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Connecting the Dots: Fructose—Uric Acid—Cancer and Chronic Disease Risk
One particularly interesting tidbit I noticed in this latest study is the mention of how fructose metabolism leads to increased uric acid production along with cancer cell proliferation.
In my first interview with Dr. Johnson, he explained just how detrimental the impact of fructose is on your uric acid level. Interestingly, ONLY fructose, NOT glucose, drives up uric acid as part of its normal metabolic pathways
And, the connection between fructose, uric acid, hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes and kidney disease is so clear that your uric acid level can actually be used as a marker for toxicity from fructose -- meaning that if your levels are high, you're at increased risk of all the health hazards associated with fructose consumption and you really need to reduce your fructose intake.
For more information about this topic, please see this link.
Dr. Richard Johnson has written one of the best books on the market on the health dangers of fructose, called The Sugar Fix, which explains how fructose causes high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. As I've mentioned previously, he does promote the use of artificial sweeteners in this book, which I cannot recommend. His research on fructose, however, is unsurpassed in my opinion.
Now it's safe to say that cancer, at least pancreatic cancer, is also definitely on the list of diseases that are directly linked to excessive fructose consumption.
So are Fruits Good or Bad for You?
This recommendation has created much controversy among many who regularly consume fruit and believe this recommendation does not apply to them.
Many who eat large amounts of fruit have no symptoms, just as those with high blood pressure may not have any symptoms. However lack of symptoms is no assurance you are not exposing yourself to some danger.
Please remember that over three-quarters of the population has insulin resistance.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance? If you have any of the following conditions it is a safe bet you have it:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Overweight
High Cholesterol
Cancer
If you have insulin resistance it would be strongly recommended to limit your total grams of fructose from fruit to below 15 grams per day (see the table below). If you believe you are very healthy and are an exception to this recommendation, then you can easily confirm if this is true for you by measuring your uric acid level.
If your uric acid level is greater than 5.5 than you have a risk factor and should limit your fructose consumption. The higher over 5.5, the stronger the risk factor is.
Keep in mind that fruits also contain fructose, although an ameliorating factor is that whole fruits also contain vitamins and other antioxidants that reduce the hazardous effects of fructose.
Juices, on the other hand, are nearly as detrimental as soda, because a glass of juice is loaded with fructose, and a lot of the antioxidants are lost.
It is important to remember that fructose alone isn't evil as fruits are certainly beneficial. But when you consume high levels of fructose it will absolutely devastate your biochemistry and physiology. Remember the AVERAGE fructose dose is 70 grams per day which exceeds the recommend limit by 300 percent.
So please BE CAREFUL with your fruit consumption. You simply MUST understand that because HFCS is so darn cheap, it is added to virtually every processed food. So even if you consumed no soda or fruit, it is very easy to exceed 25 grams of hidden fructose in your diet if you are consuming anything processed.
If you are a raw food advocate, have a pristine diet, and exercise regularly, then you could be the exception that could exceed this limit and stay healthy. But in my experience that is certainly the exception and not the norm.
So please, carefully add up your fruits based on the table below to keep the total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day.
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Limes 1 medium 0
Lemons 1 medium 0.6
Cranberries 1 cup 0.7
Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9
Prune 1 medium 1.2
Apricot 1 medium 1.3
Guava 2 medium 2.2
Date (Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6
Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8
Raspberries 1 cup 3.0
Clementine 1 medium 3.4
Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4
Blackberries 1 cup 3.5
Star fruit 1 medium 3.6
Cherries, sweet 10 3.8
Strawberries 1 cup 3.8
Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0
Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3
Restricting Fructose Consumption is Crucial Part of a Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Plan
Reducing (or preferably eliminating) fructose and other added sugars, as well as limiting grain carbohydrates from your diet, is usually a primary priority on my list of cancer reducing strategies, and for good reason.
This dietary strategy should also be part of your comprehensive cancer treatment plan.
By severely reducing your intake of fructose and carbs in your diet, you help stave off any potential cancer growth, and "starve" any tumors you currently have.
It also bolsters your overall immune function, because sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately.
Unfortunately, few cancer patients undergoing conventional cancer care in the US are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat healthy foods." I believe many cancer patients would see major improvement in their outcome if they controlled the supply of cancer's preferred fuel, glucose, and stayed clear of fructose to significantly reduce tumor proliferation.
Starving Cancer – Another Up-and-Coming Strategy
Before I go into further cancer prevention strategies, I'd like to remind you of another recent cancer research development I recently wrote about, namely 'starving' cancer by eating foods that prevent angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis (too many blood vessels) is a hallmark of cancer as the tumor actually needs blood in order to grow (this is how it feeds on the glucose in your bloodstream). But angiogenesis appears to be preventable by consuming foods that are natural inhibitors of excessive blood vessel growth.
When you regularly consume these foods, you can effectively starve any microscopic cancerous growths, effectively preventing them from growing further and becoming dangerous.
According to Dr. Li, who is currently leading this research, resveratrol from red grapes, for example, have been shown to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis by 60 percent. Even more potent is the ellagic acid found in strawberries.
Other potent anti-angiogenetic foods include:
Green tea Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries Cherries
Citrus: oranges, grapefruit, lemons Kale Turmeric
Nutmeg Artichokes Parsley
Garlic Tomato Maitake mushroom
Logically, different foods contain different potencies of anti-angiogenetic compounds. Some foods have even been found to be more potent than current anti-angiogenetic drugs! These include parsley and garlic.
But interestingly, when researchers evaluated a combination of two of the LEAST potent teas, for example, they discovered that this combination tea had greater potency than any given tea by itself.
"There's synergy," Li states, which should come as no surprise to those of you who are well-versed in holistic nutrition.
It is this synergy that makes fresh, whole foods so potently nutritious!
The sum is far greater than the individual parts, and this is why it's far more important to focus on eating a diet of whole, organic foods, rather than obsessing about individual nutrients.
Other Cancer Prevention Strategies
Aside from avoiding fructose and other added sugars (which means cutting out not only soda and sugary beverages, but also processed foods since most are loaded with HFCS), and incorporating more anti-angiogenetic fare into your diet, here are several additional strategies you can incorporate to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:
Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This is one of the most effective, and least expensive, cancer prevention strategies available to most people. Ideally, you'll want to monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure your levels stay within a therapeutic range year-round.
Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
Exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with, preferably fresh and organic.
Ideally, you'll also want to determine your nutritional type, as some veggies are better than others, depending on your type. In addition, if you are a carb nutritional type, for example, you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.
Maintain an ideal body weight.
Get enough high-quality sleep.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
References
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] Warburg O. On the origin of cancer cells. Science 1956 Feb;123:309-14.
[ii] Volk T, et al. pH in human tumor xenografts: effect of intravenous administration of glucose. Br J Cancer 1993 Sep;68(3):492-500
[iii] Digirolamo M. Diet and cancer: markers, prevention and treatment. New York: Plenum Press; 1994. p 203
Sunday, August 15, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Peace signs, rainbows... & aspirin
Hello to all....
I hope you're enjoying the sunshine.... it's just fabulous here this week! We're hoping it lasts, since summer came late this year. Summer always brings all kinds of visitors to the island, and our guest room is booked for the next few weeks. We love it. Of course, all the extra visitors means extra activities, so I have to remember to pace myself and to stick to my healthy eating plan as much as possible. Last weekend Erick and I spent three days up at Mt. Rainier which was GORGEOUS by the way.... I was able to adhere to my gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, eating because we had an awesome cabin with a kitchen, and we found a co-op on the way up that had everything we needed. Also, an unexpected find in the town of Ashford was a Himalayan restaurant, the Wild Berry, that had some vegetarian options.... that was a delight to enjoy.
I'm really sore today, though. Did that small hike up part of the mountain just catch up with me today, or was it the vegetarian soy sauce I used while sauteeing portabella mushrooms last night? I do have a sensitivity to soy, and occasionally I test it out to see if I still do..... looks like I STILL DO. Anyway, thank goodness for aspirin.
I've been taking aspirin once or twice a day, almost every day, for the past 15 months. That, you may say, doesn't sound like a very good thing to do, and of course, my preference would be not to take it (i.e., not to need it). Thankfully, I've had no problems with it, as I always take it on a full stomach. It helps reduce inflammation, which is the only thing that makes me feel better some days, since I refuse to take anything stronger. I remembered the other day that once upon a time I had a large, round gold paperweight that someone gave me that was an aspirin tablet. At the time it was funny, as I had a job with lots of challenges to deal with (although I never took aspirin or any type of pain relievers). Now I wish I still had that paperweight because of the irony that aspirin has become a friend of mine. I do appreciate having it in my life, AND I look forward to the day that I don't need to take it anymore. I do have more of those days.... maybe once or twice a week I can get away without taking any. This is progress!
Soooo, off to swim in the lake this afternoon with my "little sister" Morgan. She's 8years old, and truly an awesome kid. Thankfully, I've always been able to arrange to meet with her when I'm feeling my best. I haven't had to explain to her yet about lyme disease and all that jazz..... she's at an age where butterflies and fairies fascinate her, and everything is peace signs and rainbows. I LOVE THAT!!! And I love her. As I continue to feel better all the time, I think that perhaps, just maybe, Morgan may never even need to see me in serious pain. Although at some point I will tell her what lyme is and how it's contracted, to make sure she knows how not to contract it. I also live in that world of peace signs and rainbows, and I don't want anyone to suffer pain. Idealistic and unrealistic, I know, as planet earth is not designed to be a pain-free place. But the world is a friendlier place when you make it a point to look for rainbows.....
I will close today with "namaste" ~ the spirit in me honors the spirit in you.
Sukie
I hope you're enjoying the sunshine.... it's just fabulous here this week! We're hoping it lasts, since summer came late this year. Summer always brings all kinds of visitors to the island, and our guest room is booked for the next few weeks. We love it. Of course, all the extra visitors means extra activities, so I have to remember to pace myself and to stick to my healthy eating plan as much as possible. Last weekend Erick and I spent three days up at Mt. Rainier which was GORGEOUS by the way.... I was able to adhere to my gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, eating because we had an awesome cabin with a kitchen, and we found a co-op on the way up that had everything we needed. Also, an unexpected find in the town of Ashford was a Himalayan restaurant, the Wild Berry, that had some vegetarian options.... that was a delight to enjoy.
I'm really sore today, though. Did that small hike up part of the mountain just catch up with me today, or was it the vegetarian soy sauce I used while sauteeing portabella mushrooms last night? I do have a sensitivity to soy, and occasionally I test it out to see if I still do..... looks like I STILL DO. Anyway, thank goodness for aspirin.
I've been taking aspirin once or twice a day, almost every day, for the past 15 months. That, you may say, doesn't sound like a very good thing to do, and of course, my preference would be not to take it (i.e., not to need it). Thankfully, I've had no problems with it, as I always take it on a full stomach. It helps reduce inflammation, which is the only thing that makes me feel better some days, since I refuse to take anything stronger. I remembered the other day that once upon a time I had a large, round gold paperweight that someone gave me that was an aspirin tablet. At the time it was funny, as I had a job with lots of challenges to deal with (although I never took aspirin or any type of pain relievers). Now I wish I still had that paperweight because of the irony that aspirin has become a friend of mine. I do appreciate having it in my life, AND I look forward to the day that I don't need to take it anymore. I do have more of those days.... maybe once or twice a week I can get away without taking any. This is progress!
Soooo, off to swim in the lake this afternoon with my "little sister" Morgan. She's 8years old, and truly an awesome kid. Thankfully, I've always been able to arrange to meet with her when I'm feeling my best. I haven't had to explain to her yet about lyme disease and all that jazz..... she's at an age where butterflies and fairies fascinate her, and everything is peace signs and rainbows. I LOVE THAT!!! And I love her. As I continue to feel better all the time, I think that perhaps, just maybe, Morgan may never even need to see me in serious pain. Although at some point I will tell her what lyme is and how it's contracted, to make sure she knows how not to contract it. I also live in that world of peace signs and rainbows, and I don't want anyone to suffer pain. Idealistic and unrealistic, I know, as planet earth is not designed to be a pain-free place. But the world is a friendlier place when you make it a point to look for rainbows.....
I will close today with "namaste" ~ the spirit in me honors the spirit in you.
Sukie
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunshine & muffins
Aloha!
Yes, that is a greeting, as well as a farewell, and is also just a beautiful traditional Hawaiian word meaning affection, love, compassion, mercy and peace. It seems a perfect word for this beautiful sunny morning that comes after three days of rain. We just spent a couple of days hanging with my cousin Dave and his wife Heidi, and now gearing up for our trip to Sedona in a couple of weeks.
I have been feeling really well, for the most part. Not much pain, energy levels good. I did see my doctor last week who took my blood pressure and assessed the small red spots on my skin. My BP was 130/76, which was slightly higher than she'd like to see it but, since I am doing well on the salt/c protocol and feeling generally well, she thinks it is fine for me to continue as long as we monitor it. I'm not accustomed to monitoring anything, so this is new for me. As a child and teen I had low blood pressure which, as a youth, I always assumed must be a good thing since it was the opposite of high blood pressure. I later learned that low blood pressure isn't desirable either. But from my twenties onward my BP has always been in the normal range, so this is the first time it's been up a little. I feel fine, though, so I envision it all being good.
The tiny red spots are called cherry angiomas, and they are nothing to worry about. They are very common, especially after age 40, and are a form of benign tumor, created by clusters of dilated capillaries.
So that's the medical report. I'll go back in another month and we'll see how the BP looks.
So we all took a long beach walk on Friday, and I was concerned it would do me in for Saturday, but actually I felt awesome all day yesterday - I don't think I even took any aspirin at all. It reminds me that I need to do more walking on the days that it feels right, and we have a nearby beach that is perfect for that.
I made some yummy gluten-free, refined-sugar-free muffins the other day that everyone liked. I'm including the recipe here for Heidi, since she loved them and I forgot to xerox the page for her. Try these! If you have lyme only eat a little at a time, so you don't feed "the bugs" (since sugar and carbs will do that). You can also make them dairy free by using the egg substitute described below:
BERRY MUFFINS
1 cup organic apple sauce
1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup organic honey
3/4 cup flax meal or amaranth flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 egg OR 1 egg equivalent (1 T ground flax seed mixed with 3 T water - let stand for 2 minutes before mixing in)
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1 tsp gluten free baking soda
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic berries
(FYI, I didn't have baking powder so I put in extra baking soda and they came out just fine....)
Preheat oven to 325. Mix applesauce, oil, honey and sea salt. Add egg (or egg substitute), vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until blended. Add nuts and/or berries and gently fold in. Fill muffin pan (spray cups or use paper liners), making the cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test center with fork or toothpick before removing from oven.
Enjoy, and mahalo!
Sukie
Yes, that is a greeting, as well as a farewell, and is also just a beautiful traditional Hawaiian word meaning affection, love, compassion, mercy and peace. It seems a perfect word for this beautiful sunny morning that comes after three days of rain. We just spent a couple of days hanging with my cousin Dave and his wife Heidi, and now gearing up for our trip to Sedona in a couple of weeks.
I have been feeling really well, for the most part. Not much pain, energy levels good. I did see my doctor last week who took my blood pressure and assessed the small red spots on my skin. My BP was 130/76, which was slightly higher than she'd like to see it but, since I am doing well on the salt/c protocol and feeling generally well, she thinks it is fine for me to continue as long as we monitor it. I'm not accustomed to monitoring anything, so this is new for me. As a child and teen I had low blood pressure which, as a youth, I always assumed must be a good thing since it was the opposite of high blood pressure. I later learned that low blood pressure isn't desirable either. But from my twenties onward my BP has always been in the normal range, so this is the first time it's been up a little. I feel fine, though, so I envision it all being good.
The tiny red spots are called cherry angiomas, and they are nothing to worry about. They are very common, especially after age 40, and are a form of benign tumor, created by clusters of dilated capillaries.
So that's the medical report. I'll go back in another month and we'll see how the BP looks.
So we all took a long beach walk on Friday, and I was concerned it would do me in for Saturday, but actually I felt awesome all day yesterday - I don't think I even took any aspirin at all. It reminds me that I need to do more walking on the days that it feels right, and we have a nearby beach that is perfect for that.
I made some yummy gluten-free, refined-sugar-free muffins the other day that everyone liked. I'm including the recipe here for Heidi, since she loved them and I forgot to xerox the page for her. Try these! If you have lyme only eat a little at a time, so you don't feed "the bugs" (since sugar and carbs will do that). You can also make them dairy free by using the egg substitute described below:
BERRY MUFFINS
1 cup organic apple sauce
1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup organic honey
3/4 cup flax meal or amaranth flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 egg OR 1 egg equivalent (1 T ground flax seed mixed with 3 T water - let stand for 2 minutes before mixing in)
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1 tsp gluten free baking soda
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic berries
(FYI, I didn't have baking powder so I put in extra baking soda and they came out just fine....)
Preheat oven to 325. Mix applesauce, oil, honey and sea salt. Add egg (or egg substitute), vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until blended. Add nuts and/or berries and gently fold in. Fill muffin pan (spray cups or use paper liners), making the cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test center with fork or toothpick before removing from oven.
Enjoy, and mahalo!
Sukie
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Deceptively sweet....
Greetings everyone ~
Ahhhh, life is grand. After those several really "herxy" days, I have been back to "normal" for a couple of days now. Meaning my energy is back and I haven't been hurting much. I had to listen to my body and do a lot of sleeping and resting for a couple of days. I was truly wiped out. But we're back in the saddle again.... I must confess that yesterday I did some spring cleaning and today I'm a bit sore, but it felt so good to do it! I also took a couple of naps in my cozy chair on the deck...
I have an appointment with Dr. Rabinovich on Thursday and will ask her to check my blood pressure, and also ask about the little teeny red dots. I'll report back here about those soon.
Today Dr. Mercola has an excellent article on his website that I thought I would post here. I know I've mentioned his website before: www.mercola.com. It is a truly valuable site with many useful articles, as well as products (Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil, ubiquinol, cocoa casava bars, water filters, etc.). A dear friend of mine, Mary Saint-Marie, who is a powerful teacher and brilliant artist and always on the cutting edge of everything, met Dr. Mercola recently and was truly impressed with him and his integrity. So I hope you'll enjoy the article below - I think it probably applies to pretty much every human, at least in the western world....
Back soon,
Sue
DR. MERCOLA'S ARTICLE ON FRUCTOSE
If you have been reading my recent articles about fructose you will probably recognize Dr. Richard Johnson.
Dr. Johnson is one of the physicians on the cutting edge of sugar metabolism research today, his focus being on how the overabundance of sugar in the American diet -- particularly fructose -- is causing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and a number of other health problems in staggering numbers.
In this lecture, Dr. Johnson takes a more historical approach to obesity and cardiovascular disease, reviewing the important uric acid connection and some interesting evolutionary findings related to the way humans metabolize sugar.
Cardiology is a Relatively NEW Field
Obesity rates have paralleled sugar consumption trends in Western civilization. Although the obesity epidemic is relatively recent, obesity is not a new phenomenon.
In 1860, the prevalence of a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher (which defines obesity) was 1.6 percent among 50 year-old men. By 1900, it had tripled, and it has sharply increased over the past century.
Like obesity, hypertension was also rare prior to the twentieth century:
•In 1900, only 5 percent of the population had a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher.
•By 1939, 10 percent of adults had blood pressures above 140/90.
•Today, 31 percent of adults are hypertensive.
Prior to 1940, there was no such thing as a cardiologist because there was no need for them. That was only 70 years ago!
The first reported angina was in 1929. In 1950, there were 500 cardiologists in the United States. Now there are 35,000 -- and they perform more than one million heart surgeries annually.
What is driving this eruption of cardiovascular disease?
One key factor: the explosion of sugar in the Western diet.
Sugar used to be quite expensive. It was a nonessential food item reserved mostly for the wealthy. Prior to 1800, Americans were consuming only about 4 pounds of sugar per person, per year. By 1800, that number had increased to 18 pounds as sugar plantations began to emerge. And by 1900, it was 90 pounds.
And sugar consumption has literally exploded since then -- our entire society is dependent on a substance that offers no nutritional value at all.
Diabetes Was Linked to Sugar Back in the 1800s
Diabetes has shown similar historical trends.
In 1892, there were just two cases of diabetes per 100,000 people, according to a famous medical textbook by Sir William Osler, The Principles and Practice of Medicine. Today, the rate is 9 percent across all age groups, and sadly one of every three children is diabetic.
When you look at the numbers of adults aged 20 and over, the incidence rate is almost 11 percent. And when you look at seniors aged 60 and up, the prevalence is over 23 percent!
The statistics are even more grim when it comes to the prevalence of pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose).
Almost 26 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 20 are pre-diabetics, and more than 35 percent of seniors, 60 and older.
All in all, the reality is that one in every four Americans is now either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Even in the 1800s, it was recognized that diabetes was related to sugar consumption.
Dr. Haden Emerson, one of the first epidemiologists and a public health commissioner of New York, wrote a brilliant paper about the rise in diabetes in New York City. In it, he commented that people who got diabetes were wealthy, sedentary, white, and he posed that sugar was driving it, according to the information presented by Dr. Johnson.
Today, the average American is consuming 56 gallons of soda and 152 pounds of sugar-based sweeteners annually. Soda consumption has risen by 70 percent since 1977. Ten to 20 percent of children’s calories come from sugar -- and the top 20 percent of sugar-addicted children are getting 40 percent of their calories from sugar every single day.
It is no accident that childhood obesity is at a record high and life expectancy for the youngest generation is, for the first time, lower than that of their parents.
The worst type of sugar you can ingest is fructose, which may surprise you because it is derived from fruit.
Fructose Turns You Into a Uric Acid Factory
It’s been known for ages that meats and purine-rich foods can raise uric acid, but it turns out that one of the most profound ways to raise uric acid is by consuming the simple sugar fructose.
The chemical name for regular table sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose, that are linked together.
Glucose and fructose are different types of simple sugars. After they are separated apart and broken down in your body they are metabolized using completely separate pathways. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body -- in fact, your body was designed to use it for energy.
But fructose breaks down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. As it turns out, uric acid drives up your blood pressure.
How does it do this?
Uric acid inhibits the nitric oxide in your blood vessels, and nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity. Nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure.
In fact, 17 out of 17 studies demonstrate that elevated uric acid levels lead to hypertension.
Thanks to Dr. Johnson’s research, we now know that fructose generates uric acid within minutes of ingestion. High levels of uric acid are normally associated with gout, but it has been long known that people with high blood pressure and kidney disease, and people who are overweight, often have elevated uric acid levels.
It was thought this increased uric acid resulted from the disease, but it appears now that it may have been CAUSING it!
Not surprisingly, uric acid levels have been increasing for the past hundred years.
When your uric acid level exceeds about 5.5 mg per dl, you have an increased risk for a host of diseases, including:
•Hypertension
•Kidney disease
•Insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes
•Fatty liver
•Elevated triglycerides, elevated LDL, and cardiovascular disease
•For pregnant women, even preeclampsia
This is exactly why I am so passionate about educating you about the dangers of fructose! I am thoroughly convinced it’s one of the leading causes of a great deal of needless suffering from poor health and premature death.
One of the other professionals who truly opened my eyes and educated me on this issue is Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at University of California in San Francisco.
If you still haven’t watched his very popular and excellent lecture on the dangers of fructose and other sugars, I strongly recommend you take the time to do it. (I’ve published it in two parts. Click here for part 1, and here for part 2.)
Glucose Makes Fructose Even More Potent!
Fructose consumption clearly causes insulin resistance, whereas straight glucose does not. Insulin resistance can eventually lead to full blown diabetes.
Interestingly, glucose actually accelerates fructose absorption. So when you mix glucose and fructose together, you absorb more fructose than if you consumed fructose alone. This is an important piece of information if you are struggling to control your weight.
Remember, sucrose, or table sugar, is exactly this blend -- fructose plus glucose.
Is Fruit Bad?
If you are craving something sweet, your best bet is to reach for an apple or a pear. And if you give yourself a sugar holiday for even a couple of weeks, you will be amazed at how much those cravings will decrease. But be sure and count the grams of fructose and keep your total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day as you are sure to consume plenty of "hidden" fructose in the other foods you will be eating.
You can use the table below to help you count your fructose grams.
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Limes 1 medium 0
Lemons 1 medium 0.6
Cranberries 1 cup 0.7
Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9
Prune 1 medium 1.2
Apricot 1 medium 1.3
Guava 2 medium 2.2
Date
(Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6
Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8
Raspberries 1 cup 3.0
Clementine 1 medium 3.4
Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4
Blackberries 1 cup 3.5
Star fruit 1 medium 3.6
Cherries, sweet 10 3.8
Strawberries 1 cup 3.8
Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0
Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Boysenberries 1 cup 4.6
Tangerine/mandarin
orange 1 medium 4.8
Nectarine 1 medium 5.4
Peach 1 medium 5.9
Orange (navel) 1 medium 6.1
Papaya 1/2 medium 6.3
Honeydew 1/8 of med. melon 6.7
Banana 1 medium 7.1
Blueberries 1 cup 7.4
Date (Medjool) 1 medium 7.7
Apple (composite) 1 medium 9.5
Persimmon 1 medium 10.6
Watermelon 1/16 med. melon 11.3
Pear 1 medium 11.8
Raisins 1/4 cup 12.3
Grapes, seedless (green or red) 1 cup 12.4
Mango 1/2 medium 16.2
Apricots, dried 1 cup 16.4
Figs, dried 1 cup 23.0
My Recommended Fructose Allowance
As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.
However, for most people it would actually be wise to limit your fruit fructose to 15 grams or less, as it is virtually guaranteed you will consume “hidden” sources of fructose from most beverages and just about any processed food.
Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or just two Medjool dates!
Since the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, this can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment of 15 grams -- plus it offers you absolutely nothing nutritive, only empty calories.
Reducing sugar in your diet can be tough. After all, sugar is just as addictive as cocaine!
In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the content of fructose in different foods -- an information base that isn’t readily available when you’re trying to find out exactly how much fructose is in various foods. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this excellent resource.
If you feel you must have a sweetener, here are a few guidelines to follow:
•Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners.
•Avoid all conventional agave and high fructose corn syrup
•If you have favorite products that you use PLEASE write the company and tell them to remove the fructose or you will not purchase them in the future. We have been VERY effective as many major companies have already shifted their practice of using HFCS.
•Limit sugar of all types as much as possible. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) as a sweetener for about $1 per pound, which has none of the adverse effects of fructose if used moderately. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you’ll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose -- but still well worth it for your health.
•Use high quality agave that has fructose in it's conjugated from. You can also use raw honey in moderation or avoid it completely as it is 70 percent fructose which is higher than HFCS. However the fructose is not in its free from so that moderates the damage. But each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so you will want to carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) and keep them under 15 grams per day.
•Use regular stevia in moderation, but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia because they have undergone more processing. My favorites are the liquid stevias that are flavored with English Toffee or French Vanilla. Remember, in the US it is illegal to advertise stevia as a sweetener so you will need to look for it in the supplement section where it is legal to sell.
•Lo Han is another excellent natural herbal sweetener.
•Exercise can be a very powerful tool to help control fructose in a number of ways. If you are going to consume fructose it is BEST to do so immediately before, during or after INTENSE exercise as your body will tend to use it directly as fuel and not convert it to fat Additionally exercise will increase your insulin receptor sensitivity and help modulate the negative effects of fructose.
Lastly exercise will also help to blunt your appetite and control your sweet tooth.
If you have fasting insulin levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, I suggest you avoid all sweeteners, including stevia, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity.
Ahhhh, life is grand. After those several really "herxy" days, I have been back to "normal" for a couple of days now. Meaning my energy is back and I haven't been hurting much. I had to listen to my body and do a lot of sleeping and resting for a couple of days. I was truly wiped out. But we're back in the saddle again.... I must confess that yesterday I did some spring cleaning and today I'm a bit sore, but it felt so good to do it! I also took a couple of naps in my cozy chair on the deck...
I have an appointment with Dr. Rabinovich on Thursday and will ask her to check my blood pressure, and also ask about the little teeny red dots. I'll report back here about those soon.
Today Dr. Mercola has an excellent article on his website that I thought I would post here. I know I've mentioned his website before: www.mercola.com. It is a truly valuable site with many useful articles, as well as products (Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil, ubiquinol, cocoa casava bars, water filters, etc.). A dear friend of mine, Mary Saint-Marie, who is a powerful teacher and brilliant artist and always on the cutting edge of everything, met Dr. Mercola recently and was truly impressed with him and his integrity. So I hope you'll enjoy the article below - I think it probably applies to pretty much every human, at least in the western world....
Back soon,
Sue
DR. MERCOLA'S ARTICLE ON FRUCTOSE
If you have been reading my recent articles about fructose you will probably recognize Dr. Richard Johnson.
Dr. Johnson is one of the physicians on the cutting edge of sugar metabolism research today, his focus being on how the overabundance of sugar in the American diet -- particularly fructose -- is causing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and a number of other health problems in staggering numbers.
In this lecture, Dr. Johnson takes a more historical approach to obesity and cardiovascular disease, reviewing the important uric acid connection and some interesting evolutionary findings related to the way humans metabolize sugar.
Cardiology is a Relatively NEW Field
Obesity rates have paralleled sugar consumption trends in Western civilization. Although the obesity epidemic is relatively recent, obesity is not a new phenomenon.
In 1860, the prevalence of a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher (which defines obesity) was 1.6 percent among 50 year-old men. By 1900, it had tripled, and it has sharply increased over the past century.
Like obesity, hypertension was also rare prior to the twentieth century:
•In 1900, only 5 percent of the population had a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher.
•By 1939, 10 percent of adults had blood pressures above 140/90.
•Today, 31 percent of adults are hypertensive.
Prior to 1940, there was no such thing as a cardiologist because there was no need for them. That was only 70 years ago!
The first reported angina was in 1929. In 1950, there were 500 cardiologists in the United States. Now there are 35,000 -- and they perform more than one million heart surgeries annually.
What is driving this eruption of cardiovascular disease?
One key factor: the explosion of sugar in the Western diet.
Sugar used to be quite expensive. It was a nonessential food item reserved mostly for the wealthy. Prior to 1800, Americans were consuming only about 4 pounds of sugar per person, per year. By 1800, that number had increased to 18 pounds as sugar plantations began to emerge. And by 1900, it was 90 pounds.
And sugar consumption has literally exploded since then -- our entire society is dependent on a substance that offers no nutritional value at all.
Diabetes Was Linked to Sugar Back in the 1800s
Diabetes has shown similar historical trends.
In 1892, there were just two cases of diabetes per 100,000 people, according to a famous medical textbook by Sir William Osler, The Principles and Practice of Medicine. Today, the rate is 9 percent across all age groups, and sadly one of every three children is diabetic.
When you look at the numbers of adults aged 20 and over, the incidence rate is almost 11 percent. And when you look at seniors aged 60 and up, the prevalence is over 23 percent!
The statistics are even more grim when it comes to the prevalence of pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose).
Almost 26 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 20 are pre-diabetics, and more than 35 percent of seniors, 60 and older.
All in all, the reality is that one in every four Americans is now either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Even in the 1800s, it was recognized that diabetes was related to sugar consumption.
Dr. Haden Emerson, one of the first epidemiologists and a public health commissioner of New York, wrote a brilliant paper about the rise in diabetes in New York City. In it, he commented that people who got diabetes were wealthy, sedentary, white, and he posed that sugar was driving it, according to the information presented by Dr. Johnson.
Today, the average American is consuming 56 gallons of soda and 152 pounds of sugar-based sweeteners annually. Soda consumption has risen by 70 percent since 1977. Ten to 20 percent of children’s calories come from sugar -- and the top 20 percent of sugar-addicted children are getting 40 percent of their calories from sugar every single day.
It is no accident that childhood obesity is at a record high and life expectancy for the youngest generation is, for the first time, lower than that of their parents.
The worst type of sugar you can ingest is fructose, which may surprise you because it is derived from fruit.
Fructose Turns You Into a Uric Acid Factory
It’s been known for ages that meats and purine-rich foods can raise uric acid, but it turns out that one of the most profound ways to raise uric acid is by consuming the simple sugar fructose.
The chemical name for regular table sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose, that are linked together.
Glucose and fructose are different types of simple sugars. After they are separated apart and broken down in your body they are metabolized using completely separate pathways. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body -- in fact, your body was designed to use it for energy.
But fructose breaks down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. As it turns out, uric acid drives up your blood pressure.
How does it do this?
Uric acid inhibits the nitric oxide in your blood vessels, and nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity. Nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure.
In fact, 17 out of 17 studies demonstrate that elevated uric acid levels lead to hypertension.
Thanks to Dr. Johnson’s research, we now know that fructose generates uric acid within minutes of ingestion. High levels of uric acid are normally associated with gout, but it has been long known that people with high blood pressure and kidney disease, and people who are overweight, often have elevated uric acid levels.
It was thought this increased uric acid resulted from the disease, but it appears now that it may have been CAUSING it!
Not surprisingly, uric acid levels have been increasing for the past hundred years.
When your uric acid level exceeds about 5.5 mg per dl, you have an increased risk for a host of diseases, including:
•Hypertension
•Kidney disease
•Insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes
•Fatty liver
•Elevated triglycerides, elevated LDL, and cardiovascular disease
•For pregnant women, even preeclampsia
This is exactly why I am so passionate about educating you about the dangers of fructose! I am thoroughly convinced it’s one of the leading causes of a great deal of needless suffering from poor health and premature death.
One of the other professionals who truly opened my eyes and educated me on this issue is Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at University of California in San Francisco.
If you still haven’t watched his very popular and excellent lecture on the dangers of fructose and other sugars, I strongly recommend you take the time to do it. (I’ve published it in two parts. Click here for part 1, and here for part 2.)
Glucose Makes Fructose Even More Potent!
Fructose consumption clearly causes insulin resistance, whereas straight glucose does not. Insulin resistance can eventually lead to full blown diabetes.
Interestingly, glucose actually accelerates fructose absorption. So when you mix glucose and fructose together, you absorb more fructose than if you consumed fructose alone. This is an important piece of information if you are struggling to control your weight.
Remember, sucrose, or table sugar, is exactly this blend -- fructose plus glucose.
Is Fruit Bad?
If you are craving something sweet, your best bet is to reach for an apple or a pear. And if you give yourself a sugar holiday for even a couple of weeks, you will be amazed at how much those cravings will decrease. But be sure and count the grams of fructose and keep your total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day as you are sure to consume plenty of "hidden" fructose in the other foods you will be eating.
You can use the table below to help you count your fructose grams.
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Limes 1 medium 0
Lemons 1 medium 0.6
Cranberries 1 cup 0.7
Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9
Prune 1 medium 1.2
Apricot 1 medium 1.3
Guava 2 medium 2.2
Date
(Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6
Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8
Raspberries 1 cup 3.0
Clementine 1 medium 3.4
Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4
Blackberries 1 cup 3.5
Star fruit 1 medium 3.6
Cherries, sweet 10 3.8
Strawberries 1 cup 3.8
Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0
Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3
Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose
Boysenberries 1 cup 4.6
Tangerine/mandarin
orange 1 medium 4.8
Nectarine 1 medium 5.4
Peach 1 medium 5.9
Orange (navel) 1 medium 6.1
Papaya 1/2 medium 6.3
Honeydew 1/8 of med. melon 6.7
Banana 1 medium 7.1
Blueberries 1 cup 7.4
Date (Medjool) 1 medium 7.7
Apple (composite) 1 medium 9.5
Persimmon 1 medium 10.6
Watermelon 1/16 med. melon 11.3
Pear 1 medium 11.8
Raisins 1/4 cup 12.3
Grapes, seedless (green or red) 1 cup 12.4
Mango 1/2 medium 16.2
Apricots, dried 1 cup 16.4
Figs, dried 1 cup 23.0
My Recommended Fructose Allowance
As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.
However, for most people it would actually be wise to limit your fruit fructose to 15 grams or less, as it is virtually guaranteed you will consume “hidden” sources of fructose from most beverages and just about any processed food.
Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or just two Medjool dates!
Since the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, this can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment of 15 grams -- plus it offers you absolutely nothing nutritive, only empty calories.
Reducing sugar in your diet can be tough. After all, sugar is just as addictive as cocaine!
In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the content of fructose in different foods -- an information base that isn’t readily available when you’re trying to find out exactly how much fructose is in various foods. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this excellent resource.
If you feel you must have a sweetener, here are a few guidelines to follow:
•Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners.
•Avoid all conventional agave and high fructose corn syrup
•If you have favorite products that you use PLEASE write the company and tell them to remove the fructose or you will not purchase them in the future. We have been VERY effective as many major companies have already shifted their practice of using HFCS.
•Limit sugar of all types as much as possible. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) as a sweetener for about $1 per pound, which has none of the adverse effects of fructose if used moderately. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you’ll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose -- but still well worth it for your health.
•Use high quality agave that has fructose in it's conjugated from. You can also use raw honey in moderation or avoid it completely as it is 70 percent fructose which is higher than HFCS. However the fructose is not in its free from so that moderates the damage. But each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so you will want to carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) and keep them under 15 grams per day.
•Use regular stevia in moderation, but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia because they have undergone more processing. My favorites are the liquid stevias that are flavored with English Toffee or French Vanilla. Remember, in the US it is illegal to advertise stevia as a sweetener so you will need to look for it in the supplement section where it is legal to sell.
•Lo Han is another excellent natural herbal sweetener.
•Exercise can be a very powerful tool to help control fructose in a number of ways. If you are going to consume fructose it is BEST to do so immediately before, during or after INTENSE exercise as your body will tend to use it directly as fuel and not convert it to fat Additionally exercise will increase your insulin receptor sensitivity and help modulate the negative effects of fructose.
Lastly exercise will also help to blunt your appetite and control your sweet tooth.
If you have fasting insulin levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, I suggest you avoid all sweeteners, including stevia, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Interesting times...
There is nothing like a beautiful, sunny day to put a smile on your face. We're having a gorgeous week and I hope you are, too. I've gotta squeeze in some serious deck-time today in my lounger.... as well as a walk along the waterfront.
So... those couple of days after Mother's Day were rough, but by Wednesday I had bounced back to "normal" - whatever that really means right now. I was back to a "3" on the pain scale as opposed to a "9". What I'm really noticing is how much more resilient my body seems since I started the Salt/C protocol. I'm on my 7th week now, and I feel better overall, and when I do have a rough spot, I bounce back much more quickly. I'm been at my max dosage for a couple of weeks now - taking 10-12 salt capsules and C capsules each day (three each, four times per day). People ask me all the time if I feel bloated from the salt. The answer is NO. Using sea salt in its un-iodized, natural form doesn't seem to cause water retention for most folks. I do feel a little water-logged sometimes because when taking that much salt you do need to drink a lot of water. I drink about 16 ounces of water with each dose, and then 20-30 minutes later I drink another glass or two. And I drink water in between times, too. So right after taking the salt/C I feel full, which is a different feeling from being bloated. I still have the tiny little red dots appearing in various spots on my body, which I haven't figured out yet. They don't hurt or bother me in any way; I'll ask my doctor about them when I see her on the 27th.
I've been engaging in conversations lately with a wide variety of folks about the illnesses going on all around us. It seems like we all know several people with cancer, arthritis, or some type of immune-related disorder like fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme, MS, chronic fatigue, Epstein-Barre, etc. What I'm hearing is that most people think, as I do, that we have been way over-exposed to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, electromagnetic fields, pollution of all types, etc. for so many years now that it's becoming glaringly obvious that something is really wrong. I think most of us have known that in our hearts for a long time. It's not normal for so many people to be "sick". And we're talking about folks in their 30's, 40's and 50's, not just seniors.
A doctor I know who has cancer was recently sharing with me that when he was a youth he lived on an apple farm. When DDT came out, they started spraying their orchards with it. "We didn't know of the dangers then," he said, "We didn't wear masks or gloves or anything. Just sprayed in on the trees. Imagine how much of that stuff I breathed in and absorbed through my skin."
Last night I was speaking with a wise young man who said, "We are at the end of a 50-year experiment. It's been about 50 years since all the chemicals and pollutants came into play in a big way." His reasoning is that all we need to do is "turn the clock back" to the way things were 50 years ago. He spoke of the renaissance in consciousness that is happening on the planet; the awareness levels of people rising to meet the challenges and looking for healthier ways of life, creating win-win situations for all and respecting all of life.
I loved hearing him speak about this, for it is what I also feel. It's clear there are solutions out there. And while there are other types of things that can also be factored in to illness and disease, I think it's very clear that we have created a toxic world. Erick was talking about the recent BP oil spill possibly being the worst toxic disaster in history, to date. Things seem to really be coming to a head.... we're at a "make it or break it" point. We are either going to have a shift in consciousness that will allow us to clean up our act, or we will continue to suffer the consequences. That shift isn't coming easily.... mainly due, I believe, to our greed-and-power economy. Our large corporations won't go down without a fight, and they sure don't want their vast income streams to dry up. I could go on and on about this, but I'll stop here. I think the imbalances on the planet can tip us in either direction. I do believe we have the capability to stop it, but it will take a pretty radical change in thinking and action for those who are a part of the greed mentality. I actually find it rather fascinating to watch from a distance... whoever said "May you live in interesting times" must have been giving us a heads-up..... it doesn't get much more "interesting" than this.
If you haven't already, I hope you look into the whole issue of EMFs - electromagnetic fields. When I was first experiencing the seriousness of the lyme symptoms, I was very weak and worn-out. I was VERY sensitive to EMFs as well as all kinds of chemicals (car exhaust, household cleaners, etc.). I still am, although they don't bother me nearly as much (and of course I stay away from them). Many people are sensitive to EMFs and don't realize what the problem is. There is a lot of well-documented info out there about the dangers of cell phones, as well the EMFs in our houses and work environments. Many people don't want to hear about this, because they don't want to make changes in their lifestyles. I nearly drove Ariana crazy for a few years with all the info I gave her about cell phones. Her generation lives to talk on the phone and text message. She finally did get a phone with a headset. I'm not sure if it's the kind of headset that is safe or not, but I'm happy that she now recognizes the problem and is striving to create a safer environment for herself.
There are devices out there that measure the EMFs in homes and workspaces. I was shocked to find out that when I was Director of a local non-profit a year ago, my office was absolutely over-the-top in EMFs. We took some steps to help resolve it, but it could still use some work to bring it into true compliance (I am now a Board member with the same organization - and I no longer have to sit in that office!). :-)
There are certain rooms in our home that are higher in EMFs than others. We purchased a few Stetzerizers, which are gadgets that plug into outlets in houses and help balance and re-distribute the EMFs. I learned the importance, especially, of having these in the bedroom. Both my doctor and acupuncturist echoed the literature on this.... when we are sleeping our bodies are at their most vulnerable, energetically. We want our sleeping space to be as EMF-free as possible.
The other change we have made is to build an office behind our house for our computer, printer, fax, etc. I want the EMF-soup out of the house altogether, or at least as much as possible. We can't live without electricity very well in this day and age, but there are safe levels and un-safe levels, and I feel much better in a space that has low EMFs.
Just thought I would share in case it's something that resonates with you. I don't live in fear and I don't wish to instill fear-thinking in anyone. It's not about being afraid, it's about being informed and then taking whatever actions are needed to create a healthy environment for ourselves. Everyone is different and has their own needs.
I wish you wonderful health and unbridled joy on your journey. Thanks for checking in and following the blog.
Sukie
So... those couple of days after Mother's Day were rough, but by Wednesday I had bounced back to "normal" - whatever that really means right now. I was back to a "3" on the pain scale as opposed to a "9". What I'm really noticing is how much more resilient my body seems since I started the Salt/C protocol. I'm on my 7th week now, and I feel better overall, and when I do have a rough spot, I bounce back much more quickly. I'm been at my max dosage for a couple of weeks now - taking 10-12 salt capsules and C capsules each day (three each, four times per day). People ask me all the time if I feel bloated from the salt. The answer is NO. Using sea salt in its un-iodized, natural form doesn't seem to cause water retention for most folks. I do feel a little water-logged sometimes because when taking that much salt you do need to drink a lot of water. I drink about 16 ounces of water with each dose, and then 20-30 minutes later I drink another glass or two. And I drink water in between times, too. So right after taking the salt/C I feel full, which is a different feeling from being bloated. I still have the tiny little red dots appearing in various spots on my body, which I haven't figured out yet. They don't hurt or bother me in any way; I'll ask my doctor about them when I see her on the 27th.
I've been engaging in conversations lately with a wide variety of folks about the illnesses going on all around us. It seems like we all know several people with cancer, arthritis, or some type of immune-related disorder like fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme, MS, chronic fatigue, Epstein-Barre, etc. What I'm hearing is that most people think, as I do, that we have been way over-exposed to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, electromagnetic fields, pollution of all types, etc. for so many years now that it's becoming glaringly obvious that something is really wrong. I think most of us have known that in our hearts for a long time. It's not normal for so many people to be "sick". And we're talking about folks in their 30's, 40's and 50's, not just seniors.
A doctor I know who has cancer was recently sharing with me that when he was a youth he lived on an apple farm. When DDT came out, they started spraying their orchards with it. "We didn't know of the dangers then," he said, "We didn't wear masks or gloves or anything. Just sprayed in on the trees. Imagine how much of that stuff I breathed in and absorbed through my skin."
Last night I was speaking with a wise young man who said, "We are at the end of a 50-year experiment. It's been about 50 years since all the chemicals and pollutants came into play in a big way." His reasoning is that all we need to do is "turn the clock back" to the way things were 50 years ago. He spoke of the renaissance in consciousness that is happening on the planet; the awareness levels of people rising to meet the challenges and looking for healthier ways of life, creating win-win situations for all and respecting all of life.
I loved hearing him speak about this, for it is what I also feel. It's clear there are solutions out there. And while there are other types of things that can also be factored in to illness and disease, I think it's very clear that we have created a toxic world. Erick was talking about the recent BP oil spill possibly being the worst toxic disaster in history, to date. Things seem to really be coming to a head.... we're at a "make it or break it" point. We are either going to have a shift in consciousness that will allow us to clean up our act, or we will continue to suffer the consequences. That shift isn't coming easily.... mainly due, I believe, to our greed-and-power economy. Our large corporations won't go down without a fight, and they sure don't want their vast income streams to dry up. I could go on and on about this, but I'll stop here. I think the imbalances on the planet can tip us in either direction. I do believe we have the capability to stop it, but it will take a pretty radical change in thinking and action for those who are a part of the greed mentality. I actually find it rather fascinating to watch from a distance... whoever said "May you live in interesting times" must have been giving us a heads-up..... it doesn't get much more "interesting" than this.
If you haven't already, I hope you look into the whole issue of EMFs - electromagnetic fields. When I was first experiencing the seriousness of the lyme symptoms, I was very weak and worn-out. I was VERY sensitive to EMFs as well as all kinds of chemicals (car exhaust, household cleaners, etc.). I still am, although they don't bother me nearly as much (and of course I stay away from them). Many people are sensitive to EMFs and don't realize what the problem is. There is a lot of well-documented info out there about the dangers of cell phones, as well the EMFs in our houses and work environments. Many people don't want to hear about this, because they don't want to make changes in their lifestyles. I nearly drove Ariana crazy for a few years with all the info I gave her about cell phones. Her generation lives to talk on the phone and text message. She finally did get a phone with a headset. I'm not sure if it's the kind of headset that is safe or not, but I'm happy that she now recognizes the problem and is striving to create a safer environment for herself.
There are devices out there that measure the EMFs in homes and workspaces. I was shocked to find out that when I was Director of a local non-profit a year ago, my office was absolutely over-the-top in EMFs. We took some steps to help resolve it, but it could still use some work to bring it into true compliance (I am now a Board member with the same organization - and I no longer have to sit in that office!). :-)
There are certain rooms in our home that are higher in EMFs than others. We purchased a few Stetzerizers, which are gadgets that plug into outlets in houses and help balance and re-distribute the EMFs. I learned the importance, especially, of having these in the bedroom. Both my doctor and acupuncturist echoed the literature on this.... when we are sleeping our bodies are at their most vulnerable, energetically. We want our sleeping space to be as EMF-free as possible.
The other change we have made is to build an office behind our house for our computer, printer, fax, etc. I want the EMF-soup out of the house altogether, or at least as much as possible. We can't live without electricity very well in this day and age, but there are safe levels and un-safe levels, and I feel much better in a space that has low EMFs.
Just thought I would share in case it's something that resonates with you. I don't live in fear and I don't wish to instill fear-thinking in anyone. It's not about being afraid, it's about being informed and then taking whatever actions are needed to create a healthy environment for ourselves. Everyone is different and has their own needs.
I wish you wonderful health and unbridled joy on your journey. Thanks for checking in and following the blog.
Sukie
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Over-brunching, little red bumps, and paying it forward...
Hello All~
I have a few things to share about today.... In regards to my Salt/C protocol and Lyme journey, I had a little set-back with Mother's Day, in the form of Mother's Day brunch! We took my mom to a lovely restaurant up in Bellingham, and I made a conscious decision to eat a couple of things I normally wouldn't eat, including a piece of french toast (wheat/gluten), and a salad that seemed innocent enough, made of black beans and corn, but that had some type of light dressing mixed into it. I also had a mimosa (champagne & orange juice), knowing that the concentrated sugars would probably not make my body too happy. But sometimes you just make the choice knowing you will deal with the consequences...
So by Sunday evening I was feeling the familiar "lyme flare" sensation, where it feels like a weird energy is underneath the skin and vibrating in certain places which is, as I understand it, the bacteria going a little wild ("Hey look, here is some sugar to devour - Yeee Haaa!!). Of course I tried to counter it a bit with large doses of Salt and C, but these things take time, and so Sunday night and all day yesterday I was feeling pretty sore and moving slower than usual. I can always tell when I've overdone it, when it hurts to climb stairs. That all being said, we had a beautiful mother's day (it was a little hard since it was the first one without Ariana here, but she called twice and that was sweet), and I am feeling much better today (Tuesday), so life moves forward. Was it worth it? Sure. Am I going to do that again any time soon? NO!
Still pretty much doing 12 doses each day of both Salt and Vitamin C. That should be enough to drive any non-friendly bacteria crazy. And now I am noticing (actually for the past 10 days or so), that I have these little red bumps, very teeny, on my skin in certain places. They range from the size of a pin prick to the size of a pin head. They itch slightly but not too much. They seem to congregate at/near my joints (especially inside my elbows and near my wrists and around my shoulders), and also on my tummy. I am trying to decide if this is a reaction to something I'm taking (definately could be), or if this could be the bacteria looking for "ways out". I've read quite a few stories of people saying that the bacteria literally find ways to exit their bodies. So I'll ask Dr. R. about it and will also email the folks who developed the protocol, to see if I can get a sense of what these red dots are about. I really noticed them last night in the sauna, and wow, I had a seriously deep sweat (probably purging the Mother's Day indulgences...).
So now I want to move to a concept that I'm sure many of you are familiar with: Paying It Forward. A dear friend asked me if I'd find a way to weave this into the blog, and so this is my attempt to do that. She and I were on the phone last night and she was so excited about help her family had received from a very kind and generous stranger, after their boat broke down. She spoke of how grateful she felt, and how much it motivated and reminded her of the importance of helping others, without necessarily feeling one has to receive something in return. I shared with her that I really relate to that, and that one of the concepts I like to share (as well as practice) when working with others, especially children and teens, is the concept of "Pay It Forward."
I'm sure some of you have seen the movie "Pay It Forward" starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and that cute "I-see-dead-people" kid whose name I think may be Haley Joel Osment...? It's a true tear-jerker yet feel-good drama that highlights the beauty of doing for others, and how "big" the results can be when we intentionally "pay it forward", rather than asking for or expecting payment in return. The idea is to let them know that we hope they, also, will pay it forward when they can and help somebody else.
To me, this concept fits in perfectly with any discussion of healing, on whatever level(s). As I mentioned before, I feel that we create our own reality in a variety of ways and on different levels (mostly unconscious). We can also create our lives very consciously. I have been working with paying it forward for many years now, and I feel it has really opened me and helped me grow as a person. In my heart, I am always guided to share Reiki, or group work, or other services I may provide, with others, regardless of their ability to pay. Once I moved to Whidbey Island I really put the word out there that Reiki and other services are available to all. Of course, I deeply appreciate it when those who can afford to can pay cash, as I need to eat and pay the bills. I am also always amazed and delighted, too, with the variety of ways that people propose to make trades and barter arrangements. We (Erick and I) have received delicious fruit and veggies, gardening and landscaping services, incredible artwork, body care products, and more by being willing to accept whatever another person wants to share. I also do trades with many other bodycare workers - other Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapists and more....
And always, with those who don't have money or anything to trade, or with whom I sense that it would just be a nice thing to do right now, there is the option of paying it forward. Providing goods or services because it feels neighborly, friendly, good, "right". Sometimes I do that without saying anything more about it, viewing it more as a gift I wish to give while wishing that person well. Sometimes I consciously pay it forward by suggesting to people that they can help someone else when they have a chance, especially when they have asked me "How can I repay you?" Often, especially with young people who are learning about how to navigate life, I will suggest they pay it forward: help someone else sometime who needs it, when they are in a position to do so. It might be tomorrow, next week, next month or next decade.
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm the only one who operates this way - I know many folks who do. It's not that it's a revolutionary concept: it's just a simple one, and I am all about simplicity! I do think it tends to fly in the face of our "typical American" way of doing business, which is make as much as you can in any way that you can, and the one who dies with the most toys/money "wins".... That kind of thinking/practice are what has created the econonomic mess we're in now....
As with anything else in life, it's all about intention. The whole "pay it forward" philosophy works when we are willing to trust in the abundance of the universe, and that we will be taken care of. When we truly know this, then we can practice this type of generosity without fear. If we do it because we think we "should", then it may not work as well for us, as there isn't a pure energy flow that accompanies it. I truly believe and know, after so many years of working intimately with energy, that everything is about energy and going with the flow, as well as about intention driven by integrity. At least that's how it looks for me - that's how I "frame" it. When energy is restricted it can't flow, and fear (i.e. greed, hatred, jealousy, judgement, etc.) is the one thing that will really gum up the works....
Stated in a different way.... what goes around comes around.... sooner or later. It just does. If the intentions we put out are honorable, they will return to us in honorable and beautiful ways at times when we need that the most. And the more we are "doers of good deeds" the more that comes back to us. You can also call that the upside of karma, as well as the Golden Rule: Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. I have always heard that espoused as a core religious value, yet I don't see so many people - especially those in positions of "power and authority" - embracing it. To me it just makes sense and is the only way we can ever hope to have any type of balance and harmony on good ol' planet Earth. Practice the Golden Rule, love your neighbor as yourself, do good deeds, pay it forward, go with the flow, all you need is love......simple concepts, yet deep.
So any time in life we're dealing with something "heavy" - be it death and loss, chronic illness, life-threatening conditions, financial disaster, or some other happening we might think of as "bad" or a "disaster" - I believe the more we can face it with a hopeful, honorable outlook, the farther along we'll be. That's not to say we will never get angry, discouraged, depressed, frustrated, or feel other emotions we might label as "negative." When we suppress these they just find other ways to show themselves. I fully believe in allowing ourselves to feel our feelings, whatever they may be, and express them in ways that don't hurt self or others, and then move forward as soon as we can with hope, faith, trust, love. Sometimes I literally give myself permission for a day or two to really feel pissy or angry or "down" about something. After I've wallowed in that for awhile I can work through it and be ready to let it go. It's much easier to rebound and move back into a positive slant on things. It also helps to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people, and that's what can be hardest, I think, for those in chronic pain or with health crises that last a very long time..... sometimes others don't understand.
I recently began facilitating a support group for women experiencing chronic pain. It's called "Chronic Wellness" (thanks again Rikki for that catchy title!), because even though we want a place to process through negative feelings and experiences, we don't want to forget that wellness and quality of life are our ultimate goals or at least hopes. I am so blessed that I'm feeling better all the time, because it enables me to have the energy to facilitate groups like this, as well as my women's spirituality group, and to do Reiki work to help others with healing and transformation. As I help others, I help myself.
I'm always tremendously inspired by other people's stories about how they have overcome difficulties in life to be stronger spiritually and emotionally, as well as physically. As a social worker in child welfare for over 20 years, I saw it all - every difficult, painful situation you can imagine - and yet I also saw so much resilience, so much healing, and so many people who made huge leaps in awareness about their lives and situations, so that they could lead happier and more productive lives. I could (and maybe someday will) write a book about the wonderments that I have experienced in child welfare, school-based social work and teaching, and also the five years I spent working with refugees from countries around the world. Talk about loss! Try losing many - maybe even all - of your loved ones (usually to cruel deaths), your home, even your country. If anyone has a reason to be depressed, it is someone in that type of situation, war-torn and battered. And yet the majority of these folks go on to live healthy, happy, productive lives, often because they are able to allow themselves to receive help and support for awhile until they can re-invent themselves and their lives. Their memories of those awful times where they have witnessed unconscionable things will never go away, yet the human spirit is just remarkably strong and resilient. Some will not make it and the sorrow and depression will overshadow their lives (in most cases understandably so, it has been just too much to bear), but many will go on to keep putting one foot in front of the other until things are better, and until they can find a reason to wake up with a smile on their face, at least half of the time.
That's what inspires me. And what makes life worth living - all of us in this together, helping one another, and allowing ourselves to be helped when we need it. It's very easy in this crazy and chaotic world to get caught up in the fear and the mania and the "spin" that is put on it by the media (one reason why Erick and I don't watch TV or read much of the news.... too much negativity). The more we can live with open minds and open hearts, the more we will thrive, I believe, in spite of what may be going on all around us that is challenging.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. Lauryn, thanks for the inspiration! Wishing you a beautiful and meaningful day,
Sukie
I have a few things to share about today.... In regards to my Salt/C protocol and Lyme journey, I had a little set-back with Mother's Day, in the form of Mother's Day brunch! We took my mom to a lovely restaurant up in Bellingham, and I made a conscious decision to eat a couple of things I normally wouldn't eat, including a piece of french toast (wheat/gluten), and a salad that seemed innocent enough, made of black beans and corn, but that had some type of light dressing mixed into it. I also had a mimosa (champagne & orange juice), knowing that the concentrated sugars would probably not make my body too happy. But sometimes you just make the choice knowing you will deal with the consequences...
So by Sunday evening I was feeling the familiar "lyme flare" sensation, where it feels like a weird energy is underneath the skin and vibrating in certain places which is, as I understand it, the bacteria going a little wild ("Hey look, here is some sugar to devour - Yeee Haaa!!). Of course I tried to counter it a bit with large doses of Salt and C, but these things take time, and so Sunday night and all day yesterday I was feeling pretty sore and moving slower than usual. I can always tell when I've overdone it, when it hurts to climb stairs. That all being said, we had a beautiful mother's day (it was a little hard since it was the first one without Ariana here, but she called twice and that was sweet), and I am feeling much better today (Tuesday), so life moves forward. Was it worth it? Sure. Am I going to do that again any time soon? NO!
Still pretty much doing 12 doses each day of both Salt and Vitamin C. That should be enough to drive any non-friendly bacteria crazy. And now I am noticing (actually for the past 10 days or so), that I have these little red bumps, very teeny, on my skin in certain places. They range from the size of a pin prick to the size of a pin head. They itch slightly but not too much. They seem to congregate at/near my joints (especially inside my elbows and near my wrists and around my shoulders), and also on my tummy. I am trying to decide if this is a reaction to something I'm taking (definately could be), or if this could be the bacteria looking for "ways out". I've read quite a few stories of people saying that the bacteria literally find ways to exit their bodies. So I'll ask Dr. R. about it and will also email the folks who developed the protocol, to see if I can get a sense of what these red dots are about. I really noticed them last night in the sauna, and wow, I had a seriously deep sweat (probably purging the Mother's Day indulgences...).
So now I want to move to a concept that I'm sure many of you are familiar with: Paying It Forward. A dear friend asked me if I'd find a way to weave this into the blog, and so this is my attempt to do that. She and I were on the phone last night and she was so excited about help her family had received from a very kind and generous stranger, after their boat broke down. She spoke of how grateful she felt, and how much it motivated and reminded her of the importance of helping others, without necessarily feeling one has to receive something in return. I shared with her that I really relate to that, and that one of the concepts I like to share (as well as practice) when working with others, especially children and teens, is the concept of "Pay It Forward."
I'm sure some of you have seen the movie "Pay It Forward" starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and that cute "I-see-dead-people" kid whose name I think may be Haley Joel Osment...? It's a true tear-jerker yet feel-good drama that highlights the beauty of doing for others, and how "big" the results can be when we intentionally "pay it forward", rather than asking for or expecting payment in return. The idea is to let them know that we hope they, also, will pay it forward when they can and help somebody else.
To me, this concept fits in perfectly with any discussion of healing, on whatever level(s). As I mentioned before, I feel that we create our own reality in a variety of ways and on different levels (mostly unconscious). We can also create our lives very consciously. I have been working with paying it forward for many years now, and I feel it has really opened me and helped me grow as a person. In my heart, I am always guided to share Reiki, or group work, or other services I may provide, with others, regardless of their ability to pay. Once I moved to Whidbey Island I really put the word out there that Reiki and other services are available to all. Of course, I deeply appreciate it when those who can afford to can pay cash, as I need to eat and pay the bills. I am also always amazed and delighted, too, with the variety of ways that people propose to make trades and barter arrangements. We (Erick and I) have received delicious fruit and veggies, gardening and landscaping services, incredible artwork, body care products, and more by being willing to accept whatever another person wants to share. I also do trades with many other bodycare workers - other Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapists and more....
And always, with those who don't have money or anything to trade, or with whom I sense that it would just be a nice thing to do right now, there is the option of paying it forward. Providing goods or services because it feels neighborly, friendly, good, "right". Sometimes I do that without saying anything more about it, viewing it more as a gift I wish to give while wishing that person well. Sometimes I consciously pay it forward by suggesting to people that they can help someone else when they have a chance, especially when they have asked me "How can I repay you?" Often, especially with young people who are learning about how to navigate life, I will suggest they pay it forward: help someone else sometime who needs it, when they are in a position to do so. It might be tomorrow, next week, next month or next decade.
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm the only one who operates this way - I know many folks who do. It's not that it's a revolutionary concept: it's just a simple one, and I am all about simplicity! I do think it tends to fly in the face of our "typical American" way of doing business, which is make as much as you can in any way that you can, and the one who dies with the most toys/money "wins".... That kind of thinking/practice are what has created the econonomic mess we're in now....
As with anything else in life, it's all about intention. The whole "pay it forward" philosophy works when we are willing to trust in the abundance of the universe, and that we will be taken care of. When we truly know this, then we can practice this type of generosity without fear. If we do it because we think we "should", then it may not work as well for us, as there isn't a pure energy flow that accompanies it. I truly believe and know, after so many years of working intimately with energy, that everything is about energy and going with the flow, as well as about intention driven by integrity. At least that's how it looks for me - that's how I "frame" it. When energy is restricted it can't flow, and fear (i.e. greed, hatred, jealousy, judgement, etc.) is the one thing that will really gum up the works....
Stated in a different way.... what goes around comes around.... sooner or later. It just does. If the intentions we put out are honorable, they will return to us in honorable and beautiful ways at times when we need that the most. And the more we are "doers of good deeds" the more that comes back to us. You can also call that the upside of karma, as well as the Golden Rule: Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. I have always heard that espoused as a core religious value, yet I don't see so many people - especially those in positions of "power and authority" - embracing it. To me it just makes sense and is the only way we can ever hope to have any type of balance and harmony on good ol' planet Earth. Practice the Golden Rule, love your neighbor as yourself, do good deeds, pay it forward, go with the flow, all you need is love......simple concepts, yet deep.
So any time in life we're dealing with something "heavy" - be it death and loss, chronic illness, life-threatening conditions, financial disaster, or some other happening we might think of as "bad" or a "disaster" - I believe the more we can face it with a hopeful, honorable outlook, the farther along we'll be. That's not to say we will never get angry, discouraged, depressed, frustrated, or feel other emotions we might label as "negative." When we suppress these they just find other ways to show themselves. I fully believe in allowing ourselves to feel our feelings, whatever they may be, and express them in ways that don't hurt self or others, and then move forward as soon as we can with hope, faith, trust, love. Sometimes I literally give myself permission for a day or two to really feel pissy or angry or "down" about something. After I've wallowed in that for awhile I can work through it and be ready to let it go. It's much easier to rebound and move back into a positive slant on things. It also helps to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people, and that's what can be hardest, I think, for those in chronic pain or with health crises that last a very long time..... sometimes others don't understand.
I recently began facilitating a support group for women experiencing chronic pain. It's called "Chronic Wellness" (thanks again Rikki for that catchy title!), because even though we want a place to process through negative feelings and experiences, we don't want to forget that wellness and quality of life are our ultimate goals or at least hopes. I am so blessed that I'm feeling better all the time, because it enables me to have the energy to facilitate groups like this, as well as my women's spirituality group, and to do Reiki work to help others with healing and transformation. As I help others, I help myself.
I'm always tremendously inspired by other people's stories about how they have overcome difficulties in life to be stronger spiritually and emotionally, as well as physically. As a social worker in child welfare for over 20 years, I saw it all - every difficult, painful situation you can imagine - and yet I also saw so much resilience, so much healing, and so many people who made huge leaps in awareness about their lives and situations, so that they could lead happier and more productive lives. I could (and maybe someday will) write a book about the wonderments that I have experienced in child welfare, school-based social work and teaching, and also the five years I spent working with refugees from countries around the world. Talk about loss! Try losing many - maybe even all - of your loved ones (usually to cruel deaths), your home, even your country. If anyone has a reason to be depressed, it is someone in that type of situation, war-torn and battered. And yet the majority of these folks go on to live healthy, happy, productive lives, often because they are able to allow themselves to receive help and support for awhile until they can re-invent themselves and their lives. Their memories of those awful times where they have witnessed unconscionable things will never go away, yet the human spirit is just remarkably strong and resilient. Some will not make it and the sorrow and depression will overshadow their lives (in most cases understandably so, it has been just too much to bear), but many will go on to keep putting one foot in front of the other until things are better, and until they can find a reason to wake up with a smile on their face, at least half of the time.
That's what inspires me. And what makes life worth living - all of us in this together, helping one another, and allowing ourselves to be helped when we need it. It's very easy in this crazy and chaotic world to get caught up in the fear and the mania and the "spin" that is put on it by the media (one reason why Erick and I don't watch TV or read much of the news.... too much negativity). The more we can live with open minds and open hearts, the more we will thrive, I believe, in spite of what may be going on all around us that is challenging.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. Lauryn, thanks for the inspiration! Wishing you a beautiful and meaningful day,
Sukie
Friday, May 7, 2010
Supplementally speaking...
Greetings to all ~
I have been feeling really well overall and out enjoying the gorgeous weather a lot, so it has been a few days since I've written anything. I continue to feel better, both physically and energetically. Of course, these are very much "baby steps" so far.... I do have my herxes and just plain crappy moments, too....
I wanted to mention a few of the supplements that I'm using along with the Salt/C protocol. Obviously, everyone has their own healing path and we all have different things that we need. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. I just want to mention a few things that I have found to be useful.
The first one is systemic enzyme supplementation. This is a different protocol than taking digestive enzymes with food. These are taken away from food and allowed to flood the system. They clean the blood and the cells of the body. There are many toxins that systemic enzymes are able to break down and eliminate. One of these is the Lyme disease neurotoxin. Reducing the quantity of circulating neurotoxins can have significant healing and symptom-reducing value. Persons using blood thinners shouldn't take systemic enzymes, since they are so effective in cleansing the blood that the blood can become dangerously thin.
For those of you with fibromyalgia, one of my favorite books, The Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments by Bryan Rosner, has much info that may also be applicable to fibromyalgia. For more info about how systemic enzymes may possibly help fibromyalgia, take a look at this book, page 240.
Magnesium is another important nutrient to consider supplementing with if you have lyme disease. There is evidence that "in certain diseases, magnesium deficiency can cause a decrease in immune response..." and this includes lyme (see page 287 of the afore-mentioned book). There are many forms of magnesium, including MSM and Epsom salts. My favorite is a powder called "Calm" from a company called Natural Vitality. It comes in several flavors (sweetened with stevia), and the lemon raspberry one also has added calcium. It is so important to balance calcium and magnesium levels as the two effect one another in the system.
These are a couple of supplements that seem to be important for many lyme sufferers and, possibly, those with other immune disorders. I take other supplements, too, many of which I have already blogged about. I think the key to all of this is finding a naturopath or allopathic doctor or health practitioner that you really trust that is willing to listen and take your own intentions and intuitions about your health into consideration, and make recommendations accordingly. As I've mentioned previously, my healing journey took a brighter turn when I finally realized I needed to take responsibility for my own health and began to study up on everything I could find.
I'm SO not out of the woods, yet, and I may find that the Salt/C protocol - or other protocols - may not be the ultimate answer for me. I am feeling truly blessed right now to be feeling as well as I am, and I am envisioning an uphill trend, even though I know that every few weeks I can expect some massive herxes. Time will truly tell whether or not the lyme bacteria are really reduced, and my immune system strengthened, to the point that a balance is gained and my symptoms go into remission. We are far from that point yet..... my knees still don't want to bend, my shoulders are out of whack, and my sit bones really hurt much of the time. My vision goes from blurry to blurrier and back again. And sometimes I just hurt all over, and haven't much energy to do much more than sleep. And yet something just feels different........ something very intangible.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure of discovery. And have a beautiful weekend including a fantastic Mom's Day! All of you moms out there ROCK!
Sukie
I have been feeling really well overall and out enjoying the gorgeous weather a lot, so it has been a few days since I've written anything. I continue to feel better, both physically and energetically. Of course, these are very much "baby steps" so far.... I do have my herxes and just plain crappy moments, too....
I wanted to mention a few of the supplements that I'm using along with the Salt/C protocol. Obviously, everyone has their own healing path and we all have different things that we need. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. I just want to mention a few things that I have found to be useful.
The first one is systemic enzyme supplementation. This is a different protocol than taking digestive enzymes with food. These are taken away from food and allowed to flood the system. They clean the blood and the cells of the body. There are many toxins that systemic enzymes are able to break down and eliminate. One of these is the Lyme disease neurotoxin. Reducing the quantity of circulating neurotoxins can have significant healing and symptom-reducing value. Persons using blood thinners shouldn't take systemic enzymes, since they are so effective in cleansing the blood that the blood can become dangerously thin.
For those of you with fibromyalgia, one of my favorite books, The Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments by Bryan Rosner, has much info that may also be applicable to fibromyalgia. For more info about how systemic enzymes may possibly help fibromyalgia, take a look at this book, page 240.
Magnesium is another important nutrient to consider supplementing with if you have lyme disease. There is evidence that "in certain diseases, magnesium deficiency can cause a decrease in immune response..." and this includes lyme (see page 287 of the afore-mentioned book). There are many forms of magnesium, including MSM and Epsom salts. My favorite is a powder called "Calm" from a company called Natural Vitality. It comes in several flavors (sweetened with stevia), and the lemon raspberry one also has added calcium. It is so important to balance calcium and magnesium levels as the two effect one another in the system.
These are a couple of supplements that seem to be important for many lyme sufferers and, possibly, those with other immune disorders. I take other supplements, too, many of which I have already blogged about. I think the key to all of this is finding a naturopath or allopathic doctor or health practitioner that you really trust that is willing to listen and take your own intentions and intuitions about your health into consideration, and make recommendations accordingly. As I've mentioned previously, my healing journey took a brighter turn when I finally realized I needed to take responsibility for my own health and began to study up on everything I could find.
I'm SO not out of the woods, yet, and I may find that the Salt/C protocol - or other protocols - may not be the ultimate answer for me. I am feeling truly blessed right now to be feeling as well as I am, and I am envisioning an uphill trend, even though I know that every few weeks I can expect some massive herxes. Time will truly tell whether or not the lyme bacteria are really reduced, and my immune system strengthened, to the point that a balance is gained and my symptoms go into remission. We are far from that point yet..... my knees still don't want to bend, my shoulders are out of whack, and my sit bones really hurt much of the time. My vision goes from blurry to blurrier and back again. And sometimes I just hurt all over, and haven't much energy to do much more than sleep. And yet something just feels different........ something very intangible.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure of discovery. And have a beautiful weekend including a fantastic Mom's Day! All of you moms out there ROCK!
Sukie
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Drifty sleepy....
Hi there....
Just a short post today as I'm in a drifty-sleepy-dreamy sort of place right now. I realized that this is the fourth week of my Salt/C protocol, and every four weeks is generally when a major herx period will set in, which explains some of the stuff going on this past few days. I feel pretty "herxy" a lot of the time, but I also realize I'm learning ways to help clear it more quickly from my system. The biggest thing is drinking a ton of water, and then taking things that help detox like lemon, Chitosan, chlorella, and hot baths & saunas. I also re-read one of my books on lyme and was reminded that the special enzymes I take each day on an empty stomach are really helpful in helping to work through a herx more quickly. The brand most referred to in the literature is Wobenzym, although my naturopath, Dr. Rabinovich, has her own formulary for them.
Anyhoo, I sailed through a couple of meetings today, plus some time on the deck enjoying the sun, and now I'm getting this very clear message: NAP! So that is what I'm about to go and do now, until Erick comes home and then on to a healthy dinner.
I wish you an enjoyable evening!
Sukie
Just a short post today as I'm in a drifty-sleepy-dreamy sort of place right now. I realized that this is the fourth week of my Salt/C protocol, and every four weeks is generally when a major herx period will set in, which explains some of the stuff going on this past few days. I feel pretty "herxy" a lot of the time, but I also realize I'm learning ways to help clear it more quickly from my system. The biggest thing is drinking a ton of water, and then taking things that help detox like lemon, Chitosan, chlorella, and hot baths & saunas. I also re-read one of my books on lyme and was reminded that the special enzymes I take each day on an empty stomach are really helpful in helping to work through a herx more quickly. The brand most referred to in the literature is Wobenzym, although my naturopath, Dr. Rabinovich, has her own formulary for them.
Anyhoo, I sailed through a couple of meetings today, plus some time on the deck enjoying the sun, and now I'm getting this very clear message: NAP! So that is what I'm about to go and do now, until Erick comes home and then on to a healthy dinner.
I wish you an enjoyable evening!
Sukie
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The "C" Word
Hellooooo...........
Just thought I'd take a few moments to check in and say hi. It's a very lazy day of rest that I am really seriously needing! Erick has been in a play the past three weeks, and in two months of intensive rehearsals before that, which has kept me up really late many nights, as we love to de-brief and share the events of the day with each other, no matter how late it is. I think my body is very ready to get back to bedtime by 11 pm. I read something recently that said that when one is working to strengthen one's immune system, the body is in need of 9 1/2 hours of sleep, in total darkness, per night. Well I've been falling WAY short of that lately, and I can really feel it. Slept for several hours last night, though, following the close of the AWESOME play, and have had a couple of lovely naps today, including one out on the deck.
So this is the deal.... as I enter week four, I can literally "feel" that the Salt/C protocol is starting to have some effects. It's hard to describe what that feels like exactly, except to say I can feel it in my bones and my bloodstream, amongst other places. In addition to the type of herx reactions that I'm used to, I have also been having chills for a couple of days, which is another sign of herxing. My vision has been blurrier than usual, which means that the bacteria in my eye area is gettings its feathers ruffled. That's ultimately a very good thing.
For me, then, the "C" word is "Vitamin C." I love and appreciate what it's doing for me, together with the sea salt. I can feel that we are making some progress here, even though sometimes the progress feels like one or two steps back. If I didn't have the stories of other folks who've been through this to reference, I would probably have stopped the protocol by now, but I know that I must hang tough with it, as eventually it will rev up the immune and also make it impossible for undesirable bacteria to thrive in my body any longer. And of course I have to do my part, which is not only the Salt/C, but the healthy eating, the sauna, the resting, the sleeping (the latter two I have slacked off on a bit the past couple of weeks, but I am re-grouping...).
The other "C" word I want to mention is cancer, simply because in all the research I have done on how to heal the immune system, there are many articles and protocols that speak to healing from cancer. I don't know about you, but I've had several people in my life who have had it who did not survive (some have been friends and family, some have been colleagues and clients), and as I write this, a dear friend in California, and a powerful healer in her own right, is working hard to clear cancer from her system. I am also working weekly with a very dear gentleman who is undergoing chemo for the second time. It totally depletes his energy. He comes in for Reiki, and afterwards he is feeling revived and re-vitalized, ready to move forward again for a few days until he has to back in for his next chemo treatment. I have found that Reiki has eased the pain of many with cancer, some of whom have lived to thrive, and some who have passed over into the next world. Even for those who don't make it, the energy work not only eases the pain, but also promotes their ability to accept what is happening and make peace with it.
In case you may not have noticed, I have a bit of a bias about working with more natural and eastern healing modalities (and healers), as opposed to western medicine. So that is the type of information I share most here in the blog.
I do believe western medicine has a definite place and that there are times when surgeries are needed, and possibly even interventions like chemo and radiation. When I was younger and had a couple of ectopic pregnancies, I probably wouldn't have survived without surgery. And when my daughter was breech, the C-section seemed like the way to go at the time (although if I'd had a midwife I might have tried other options first). And yet, when doctors were adamant about wanting to remove my gallbladder, I chose to make a lifestyle change... and my gallbladder has never bothered me again. Surgery was definately not necessary that time.
Whatever works best for a person in any given situation and helps them to feel like they are receiving the support they need is, I feel, for the best. I respect those brave souls who choose to sometimes go against conventional "wisdom" and follow a course that they feel will best support them holistically.
At any rate, I want to share a link here that has a really interesting (and rather lengthy) article about alternative ways to heal from cancer. I found it fascinating, and most of what they recommend makes good sense to me. So I share it here in case any of you may be interested, or may perhaps have loved ones who may benefit from the information. Obviously, I'm not in a position to give medical advice - I'm just sharing info that will possibly be of use to those who are walking such a difficult journey as cancer. The website is: www.cancerfightingstrategies.com.
It is interesting the journeys we choose for ourselves, on some level. While I would never have consciously chosen lyme disease, I also am able to see how I am learning and growing from this experience, and how it mirrors what is happening in the world today as she re-births herself, creating lots of energetic shifts that some may perceive as negative but, as I choose to look at it, need to happen for the planet to be purified and able to evolve. Whenever I do healing work with someone, I always ask that the outcome be for that person's highest good, regardless of what that may look like. It may not always be what I would personally want to choose for that person, but it may ultimately be for their soul's growth, and I have learned to accept that. I believe we are so much more than our egos and our earthly forms. And I believe that there is a higher purpose for everything. I love the words from The Desiderata: "Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." That doesn't mean I always like the way it unfolds, but I do have a sense in my heart of hearts that there is a reason behind it all.
What matters to me is this very moment, right now. I don't dwell on the past, and I try not to over-plan the future (although it's always good to have some things to look forward to - like our Sedona trip in June! :-). I think if we can strive to live a balanced, respectful, and centered life - as well as a grateful life - with intentions driven by integrity, that is the very best thing we can do for ourselves, our communities, and our planet. That's how we heal the world and evolve ourselves and life. Of course that includes reaching out with a helping hand where needed. We all need each other, and what a beautiful blessing to have loved ones to help us when we need it, and vice versa. The bottom line is: life will always go on, regardless of the forms it takes, and that is quite the magical mystery tour!
In peace,
Sukie
Just thought I'd take a few moments to check in and say hi. It's a very lazy day of rest that I am really seriously needing! Erick has been in a play the past three weeks, and in two months of intensive rehearsals before that, which has kept me up really late many nights, as we love to de-brief and share the events of the day with each other, no matter how late it is. I think my body is very ready to get back to bedtime by 11 pm. I read something recently that said that when one is working to strengthen one's immune system, the body is in need of 9 1/2 hours of sleep, in total darkness, per night. Well I've been falling WAY short of that lately, and I can really feel it. Slept for several hours last night, though, following the close of the AWESOME play, and have had a couple of lovely naps today, including one out on the deck.
So this is the deal.... as I enter week four, I can literally "feel" that the Salt/C protocol is starting to have some effects. It's hard to describe what that feels like exactly, except to say I can feel it in my bones and my bloodstream, amongst other places. In addition to the type of herx reactions that I'm used to, I have also been having chills for a couple of days, which is another sign of herxing. My vision has been blurrier than usual, which means that the bacteria in my eye area is gettings its feathers ruffled. That's ultimately a very good thing.
For me, then, the "C" word is "Vitamin C." I love and appreciate what it's doing for me, together with the sea salt. I can feel that we are making some progress here, even though sometimes the progress feels like one or two steps back. If I didn't have the stories of other folks who've been through this to reference, I would probably have stopped the protocol by now, but I know that I must hang tough with it, as eventually it will rev up the immune and also make it impossible for undesirable bacteria to thrive in my body any longer. And of course I have to do my part, which is not only the Salt/C, but the healthy eating, the sauna, the resting, the sleeping (the latter two I have slacked off on a bit the past couple of weeks, but I am re-grouping...).
The other "C" word I want to mention is cancer, simply because in all the research I have done on how to heal the immune system, there are many articles and protocols that speak to healing from cancer. I don't know about you, but I've had several people in my life who have had it who did not survive (some have been friends and family, some have been colleagues and clients), and as I write this, a dear friend in California, and a powerful healer in her own right, is working hard to clear cancer from her system. I am also working weekly with a very dear gentleman who is undergoing chemo for the second time. It totally depletes his energy. He comes in for Reiki, and afterwards he is feeling revived and re-vitalized, ready to move forward again for a few days until he has to back in for his next chemo treatment. I have found that Reiki has eased the pain of many with cancer, some of whom have lived to thrive, and some who have passed over into the next world. Even for those who don't make it, the energy work not only eases the pain, but also promotes their ability to accept what is happening and make peace with it.
In case you may not have noticed, I have a bit of a bias about working with more natural and eastern healing modalities (and healers), as opposed to western medicine. So that is the type of information I share most here in the blog.
I do believe western medicine has a definite place and that there are times when surgeries are needed, and possibly even interventions like chemo and radiation. When I was younger and had a couple of ectopic pregnancies, I probably wouldn't have survived without surgery. And when my daughter was breech, the C-section seemed like the way to go at the time (although if I'd had a midwife I might have tried other options first). And yet, when doctors were adamant about wanting to remove my gallbladder, I chose to make a lifestyle change... and my gallbladder has never bothered me again. Surgery was definately not necessary that time.
Whatever works best for a person in any given situation and helps them to feel like they are receiving the support they need is, I feel, for the best. I respect those brave souls who choose to sometimes go against conventional "wisdom" and follow a course that they feel will best support them holistically.
At any rate, I want to share a link here that has a really interesting (and rather lengthy) article about alternative ways to heal from cancer. I found it fascinating, and most of what they recommend makes good sense to me. So I share it here in case any of you may be interested, or may perhaps have loved ones who may benefit from the information. Obviously, I'm not in a position to give medical advice - I'm just sharing info that will possibly be of use to those who are walking such a difficult journey as cancer. The website is: www.cancerfightingstrategies.com.
It is interesting the journeys we choose for ourselves, on some level. While I would never have consciously chosen lyme disease, I also am able to see how I am learning and growing from this experience, and how it mirrors what is happening in the world today as she re-births herself, creating lots of energetic shifts that some may perceive as negative but, as I choose to look at it, need to happen for the planet to be purified and able to evolve. Whenever I do healing work with someone, I always ask that the outcome be for that person's highest good, regardless of what that may look like. It may not always be what I would personally want to choose for that person, but it may ultimately be for their soul's growth, and I have learned to accept that. I believe we are so much more than our egos and our earthly forms. And I believe that there is a higher purpose for everything. I love the words from The Desiderata: "Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." That doesn't mean I always like the way it unfolds, but I do have a sense in my heart of hearts that there is a reason behind it all.
What matters to me is this very moment, right now. I don't dwell on the past, and I try not to over-plan the future (although it's always good to have some things to look forward to - like our Sedona trip in June! :-). I think if we can strive to live a balanced, respectful, and centered life - as well as a grateful life - with intentions driven by integrity, that is the very best thing we can do for ourselves, our communities, and our planet. That's how we heal the world and evolve ourselves and life. Of course that includes reaching out with a helping hand where needed. We all need each other, and what a beautiful blessing to have loved ones to help us when we need it, and vice versa. The bottom line is: life will always go on, regardless of the forms it takes, and that is quite the magical mystery tour!
In peace,
Sukie
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Just "normal" aging??
Greetings~
I always find it interesting when folks between the ages of 35 and 65 make comments like, "Yeah, my joints hurt", or "My bones hurt", or "I guess I'm getting arthritis", or "I'm getting rheumatism", etc. While that may be true, I believe that much of the time what people - people who are too young to feel this way - are suffering from are the effects of the western diet, combined with the toxins we have been ever-increasingly exposed to over our lifetimes. I'm talking mainly about baby boomers and younger, here. While the industrial and agricultural ages have brought about many wonders for society, many of the practices that have become standard are quite frankly toxic and unhealthy for the human body (not to mention the mind and the spirit!).
Honestly, I do believe that we create our own reality, on many levels, from the unconscious to the conscious. I believe we do so individually and collectively. Which means that ultimately we as individuals and as humans must take responsibility for what we create, and also healing that which needs to be healed and transformed. While it's true that so much, if not all, is about what we truly believe in our heart of hearts, there are certain practices and concepts we have bought into (as a species)to the extent that we have made them extremely real for everyone. And let's face it, our over-arching western culture is driven by money (and power), plain and simple. Profits. Often at the expense of our health and well-being. That isn't to say that there aren't many awesome people out there creating healthy, life-affirming programs that support vitality. There are (thank goodness), and hopefully one day the organizations that control through power for profits (think: FDA)will be replaced by programs that are truly for-the-people.
I'm not going to jump into a huge political discussion about this here, but I just want to say that I do not for one minute believe that it's just "normal" that young and middle-aged people are hurting so badly they can hardly move. That is not normal. All of my grandparents eventually got to the point where they had some arthritis - in their 70's and 80's. My parents started to get a few aches and pains in their 70's. So why is it that so many of my friends,(I'm 53), clients and colleagues (some as young as 35) have such serious pain that sometimes they can hardly move? Why are they getting labels like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia? Why is Lyme Disease on the verge of becoming an epidemic? Why are cancers on the rise? Does anyone really believe this is normal? And what if we can "blame it all on DNA"? How did that DNA get damaged in the first place? How far away have we gotten from eating and living in ways that support our vitality, while always seeking to make things quicker, easier, etc. And how much "stuff" have we been sold, not because it's really good for us, but because somebody can make a tidy profit from it?
There are many theories out there on specifically why certain diseases are becoming a problem, and you can always find research and articles to support any position you want to take. Unfortunately, many of those research projects are funded by organizations that have a lot to lose if the results don't come out in their favor.
At any rate, I don't believe in being a victim of anything. I believe in taking charge of my own health, while at the same time allowing help from other people and therapies, as needed. Today I may need reiki; tomorrow it may be a massage; the next day it could be acupuncture; the day after that, I may need to sleep. Or all of the above in one day..... It's all therapeutic and contributes toward my well-being. And of course, having a system full of the bacteria that create lyme disease means I also have to be engaged in some type of strong healing protocol such as the one I have been describing here for a few weeks now. (I'm not routinely taking 10-12 servings of salt and vitamin C each day).
One facet of the healing approach that I embrace is to strive to keep a healthy pH in my body. It is common knowledge these days that the body needs to stay in an alkaline state to thrive; yet our western diet steers us toward an acidic body-state with all of the processed foods we eat. I am pasting-in some info below that gives more details about the alkaline/acid eating plan, along with charts that explain which foods contribute to both conditions, in order to help with healthier choices.
Since our body’s pH level is slightly alkaline (with a normal range of 7.36 to 7.44) the body should also be slightly alkaline. Therefore, when the body absorbs or takes in many acidic foods like fish, meat, distilled water, coffee, and grains, the balance of alkaline is disrupted. This imbalance could lead to a depletion of bodily minerals like magnesium and calcium, and can eventually lead to degenerative or chronic diseases.
There are symptoms of excess acidity that one should be wary of: low energy and chronic fatigue, formation of cysts, headaches, neuritis, hives, leg cramps, spasms, and gastritis. When one experiences some or all of these symptoms, an alkaline diet is sure to be recommended.
Alkaline forming foods that restore health include coconuts, raisins, lemons, maple syrups, dates, most vegetables, herbs, and some fruits (except bananas which are acidic).
In general, alkaline foods are mostly those that are produced naturally, while most acidic foods are either machine-produced or those that imitate naturally-produced foods. Using an alkaline-acid chart will greatly help you identify what to eat and at what proportions.
Most experts will suggest that to stay in an alkaline state, one's diet should be approximately 70% alkaline.
By using an alkaline-acid chart and by eating a predominantly alkaline diet, you lower the risks of many life-debilitating illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, immune-related deficiencies, brittle bones, chronic fatigue, and effects of premature aging.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I hope it is helpful in some way. The food charts I mentioned are listed below. I'll be back in touch soon!
Sukie
The following alkaline/acid food charts are from www.essence-of-life.com.
ALKALINE
ALKALIZING VEGETABLES
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Beets
Beet Greens
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard Greens
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Dulce
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Fermented Veggies
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Nightshade Veggies
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach, green
Spirulina
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
ALKALIZING FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit*
Honeydew Melon
Lemon*
Lime*
Muskmelons
Nectarine*
Orange*
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine*
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon
ALKALIZING PROTEIN
Almonds
Chestnuts
Millet
Tempeh (fermented)
Tofu (fermented)
Whey Protein Powder
ALKALIZING SWEETENERS
Stevia
ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs
ALKALIZING OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Molasses, blackstrap
Probiotic Cultures
Soured Dairy Products
Green Juices
Veggie Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
ALKALIZING MINERALS
Cesium: pH 14
Potassium: pH 14
Sodium: pH 14
Calcium: pH 12
Magnesium: pH 9
ACIDIC
ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES
Corn
Lentils
Olives
Winter Squash
ACIDIFYING FRUITS
Blueberries
Canned or Glazed Fruits
Cranberries
Currants
Plums
Prunes
ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth
Barley
Bran, wheat
Bran, oat
Corn
Cornstarch
Hemp Seed Flour
Kamut
Oats (rolled)
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Rice
Rice Cakes
Rye
Spelt
Wheat
Wheat Germ
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti
Bread
Crackers, soda
Flour
ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk
ACIDIFYING DAIRY
Butter
Cheese
Cheese, Processed
Ice Cream
Ice Milk
ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Legumes
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts
ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN
Bacon
Beef
Carp
Clams
Cod
Corned Beef
Fish
Haddock
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Organ Meats
Oyster
Pike
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Sardines
Sausage
Scallops
Shrimp
Scallops
Shellfish
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Venison
ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS
Avacado Oil
Butter
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil
ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS
Carob
Sugar
Corn Syrup
ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine
ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS
Catsup
Cocoa
Coffee
Vinegar
Mustard
Pepper
Soft Drinks
ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides
Tobacco
ACIDIFYING
JUNK FOOD
Coca-Cola: pH 2
Beer: pH 2.5
Coffee: pH 4
There are several versions of Acid/ Alkaline food charts to be found, both online and in nutrition books. The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side. Remember, you don't need to adhere strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.
Asparagus
Brazil Nuts
Brussel Sprouts
Buckwheat
Chicken
Corn
Cottage Cheese
Eggs
Flax Seeds
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Honey
Kombucha
Lima Beans
Maple Syrup
Milk
Nuts
Organic Milk (unpasturized)
Potatoes, white
Pumpkin Seeds
Sauerkraut
Soy Products
Sprouted Seeds
Squashes
Sunflower Seeds
Yogurt
RANKED FOOD CHART : ALKALINE TO ACIDIC
EXTREMELY ALKALINE
________________________________________
Lemons, Watermelon
ALKALINE FORMING
________________________________________
Cantaloupe, Cayenne Celery, Dates, Figs, Kelp, Limes, Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley, Seaweeds, Seedless Grapes, Watercress
________________________________________
Asparagus, Fruit Juices, Grapes, Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Pears, Pineapple, Raisins, Umeboshi Plums, Vegetable Juices
MODERATELY ALKALINE
________________________________________
Apples, Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas, Currants, Dates, Figs, Garlic, Grapefruit, Grapes (less sweet), Guavas, Herbs, Lettuce, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears (less sweet), Peas, Pumpkin , Sea Salt
________________________________________
Apples (sour), Green Beans, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carob, Cauliflower, Ginger, Grapes (sour), Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes (with skin), Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberries, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Corn, Turnip, Apple Cider Vinegar
SLIGHLTY ALKALINE
________________________________________
Almonds, Jerusalem Artichokes, Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Olives (ripe), Onions, Pickles (homemade), Radishes, Sea Salt, Spices, Tomatoes, Brown Rice Vinegar
________________________________________
Chestnuts (dry, roasted), Egg Yolks, Essene Bread, Goat's Milk and Whey (raw), Mayonnaise (homemade), Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds (whole), Soy Beans (dry), Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Sprouted Grains, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet), Nutritional Yeast
NEUTRAL
________________________________________
Butter (fresh, unsalted), Cream (fresh, raw), Cow's Milk and Whey (raw), Margine, Oils (except olive), Yogurt (plain)
MODERATELY ACIDIC
________________________________________
Bananas (green), Barley (rye), Blueberries, Bran, Butter, Cereals (unrefined), Cheeses, Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), Cranberries, Dried Beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), Dry Coconut, Egg Whites, Eggs Whole (cooked hard), Fructose, Goat's Milk (homogenized), Honey (pasteurized), Ketchup, Maple Syrup (unprocessed), Milk (homogenized), Molasses (unsulferd and organic), Most Nuts, Mustard, Oats (rye, organic), Olives (pickled), Pasta (whole grain), Pastry (whole grain and honey), Plums, Popcorn (with salt and/or butter), Potatoes, Prunes, Rice (basmati and brown), Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), Soy Sauce, Wheat Bread (sprouted organic)
EXTREMELY ACIDIC
________________________________________
Artificial Sweeteners, Beef, Beer, Breads, Brown Sugar, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals (refined), Chocolate, Cigarettes and Tobacco, Coffee, Cream of Wheat (unrefined), Custard (with white sugar), Deer, Drugs, Fish, Flour (white wheat), Fruit Juices with Sugar, Jams, Jellies, Lamb, Liquor, Maple Syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pasta (white), Pastries and Cakes from White Flour, Pickles (commercial), Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Sugar (white), Table Salt (refined and iodized), Tea (black), White Bread, White Vinegar (processed), Whole Wheat Foods, Wine, Yogurt (sweetened)
I always find it interesting when folks between the ages of 35 and 65 make comments like, "Yeah, my joints hurt", or "My bones hurt", or "I guess I'm getting arthritis", or "I'm getting rheumatism", etc. While that may be true, I believe that much of the time what people - people who are too young to feel this way - are suffering from are the effects of the western diet, combined with the toxins we have been ever-increasingly exposed to over our lifetimes. I'm talking mainly about baby boomers and younger, here. While the industrial and agricultural ages have brought about many wonders for society, many of the practices that have become standard are quite frankly toxic and unhealthy for the human body (not to mention the mind and the spirit!).
Honestly, I do believe that we create our own reality, on many levels, from the unconscious to the conscious. I believe we do so individually and collectively. Which means that ultimately we as individuals and as humans must take responsibility for what we create, and also healing that which needs to be healed and transformed. While it's true that so much, if not all, is about what we truly believe in our heart of hearts, there are certain practices and concepts we have bought into (as a species)to the extent that we have made them extremely real for everyone. And let's face it, our over-arching western culture is driven by money (and power), plain and simple. Profits. Often at the expense of our health and well-being. That isn't to say that there aren't many awesome people out there creating healthy, life-affirming programs that support vitality. There are (thank goodness), and hopefully one day the organizations that control through power for profits (think: FDA)will be replaced by programs that are truly for-the-people.
I'm not going to jump into a huge political discussion about this here, but I just want to say that I do not for one minute believe that it's just "normal" that young and middle-aged people are hurting so badly they can hardly move. That is not normal. All of my grandparents eventually got to the point where they had some arthritis - in their 70's and 80's. My parents started to get a few aches and pains in their 70's. So why is it that so many of my friends,(I'm 53), clients and colleagues (some as young as 35) have such serious pain that sometimes they can hardly move? Why are they getting labels like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia? Why is Lyme Disease on the verge of becoming an epidemic? Why are cancers on the rise? Does anyone really believe this is normal? And what if we can "blame it all on DNA"? How did that DNA get damaged in the first place? How far away have we gotten from eating and living in ways that support our vitality, while always seeking to make things quicker, easier, etc. And how much "stuff" have we been sold, not because it's really good for us, but because somebody can make a tidy profit from it?
There are many theories out there on specifically why certain diseases are becoming a problem, and you can always find research and articles to support any position you want to take. Unfortunately, many of those research projects are funded by organizations that have a lot to lose if the results don't come out in their favor.
At any rate, I don't believe in being a victim of anything. I believe in taking charge of my own health, while at the same time allowing help from other people and therapies, as needed. Today I may need reiki; tomorrow it may be a massage; the next day it could be acupuncture; the day after that, I may need to sleep. Or all of the above in one day..... It's all therapeutic and contributes toward my well-being. And of course, having a system full of the bacteria that create lyme disease means I also have to be engaged in some type of strong healing protocol such as the one I have been describing here for a few weeks now. (I'm not routinely taking 10-12 servings of salt and vitamin C each day).
One facet of the healing approach that I embrace is to strive to keep a healthy pH in my body. It is common knowledge these days that the body needs to stay in an alkaline state to thrive; yet our western diet steers us toward an acidic body-state with all of the processed foods we eat. I am pasting-in some info below that gives more details about the alkaline/acid eating plan, along with charts that explain which foods contribute to both conditions, in order to help with healthier choices.
Since our body’s pH level is slightly alkaline (with a normal range of 7.36 to 7.44) the body should also be slightly alkaline. Therefore, when the body absorbs or takes in many acidic foods like fish, meat, distilled water, coffee, and grains, the balance of alkaline is disrupted. This imbalance could lead to a depletion of bodily minerals like magnesium and calcium, and can eventually lead to degenerative or chronic diseases.
There are symptoms of excess acidity that one should be wary of: low energy and chronic fatigue, formation of cysts, headaches, neuritis, hives, leg cramps, spasms, and gastritis. When one experiences some or all of these symptoms, an alkaline diet is sure to be recommended.
Alkaline forming foods that restore health include coconuts, raisins, lemons, maple syrups, dates, most vegetables, herbs, and some fruits (except bananas which are acidic).
In general, alkaline foods are mostly those that are produced naturally, while most acidic foods are either machine-produced or those that imitate naturally-produced foods. Using an alkaline-acid chart will greatly help you identify what to eat and at what proportions.
Most experts will suggest that to stay in an alkaline state, one's diet should be approximately 70% alkaline.
By using an alkaline-acid chart and by eating a predominantly alkaline diet, you lower the risks of many life-debilitating illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, immune-related deficiencies, brittle bones, chronic fatigue, and effects of premature aging.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I hope it is helpful in some way. The food charts I mentioned are listed below. I'll be back in touch soon!
Sukie
The following alkaline/acid food charts are from www.essence-of-life.com.
ALKALINE
ALKALIZING VEGETABLES
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Beets
Beet Greens
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard Greens
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Dulce
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Fermented Veggies
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Nightshade Veggies
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach, green
Spirulina
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
ALKALIZING FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit*
Honeydew Melon
Lemon*
Lime*
Muskmelons
Nectarine*
Orange*
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine*
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon
ALKALIZING PROTEIN
Almonds
Chestnuts
Millet
Tempeh (fermented)
Tofu (fermented)
Whey Protein Powder
ALKALIZING SWEETENERS
Stevia
ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs
ALKALIZING OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Molasses, blackstrap
Probiotic Cultures
Soured Dairy Products
Green Juices
Veggie Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
ALKALIZING MINERALS
Cesium: pH 14
Potassium: pH 14
Sodium: pH 14
Calcium: pH 12
Magnesium: pH 9
ACIDIC
ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES
Corn
Lentils
Olives
Winter Squash
ACIDIFYING FRUITS
Blueberries
Canned or Glazed Fruits
Cranberries
Currants
Plums
Prunes
ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth
Barley
Bran, wheat
Bran, oat
Corn
Cornstarch
Hemp Seed Flour
Kamut
Oats (rolled)
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Rice
Rice Cakes
Rye
Spelt
Wheat
Wheat Germ
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti
Bread
Crackers, soda
Flour
ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk
ACIDIFYING DAIRY
Butter
Cheese
Cheese, Processed
Ice Cream
Ice Milk
ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Legumes
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts
ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN
Bacon
Beef
Carp
Clams
Cod
Corned Beef
Fish
Haddock
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Organ Meats
Oyster
Pike
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Sardines
Sausage
Scallops
Shrimp
Scallops
Shellfish
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Venison
ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS
Avacado Oil
Butter
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil
ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS
Carob
Sugar
Corn Syrup
ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine
ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS
Catsup
Cocoa
Coffee
Vinegar
Mustard
Pepper
Soft Drinks
ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides
Tobacco
ACIDIFYING
JUNK FOOD
Coca-Cola: pH 2
Beer: pH 2.5
Coffee: pH 4
There are several versions of Acid/ Alkaline food charts to be found, both online and in nutrition books. The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side. Remember, you don't need to adhere strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.
Asparagus
Brazil Nuts
Brussel Sprouts
Buckwheat
Chicken
Corn
Cottage Cheese
Eggs
Flax Seeds
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Honey
Kombucha
Lima Beans
Maple Syrup
Milk
Nuts
Organic Milk (unpasturized)
Potatoes, white
Pumpkin Seeds
Sauerkraut
Soy Products
Sprouted Seeds
Squashes
Sunflower Seeds
Yogurt
RANKED FOOD CHART : ALKALINE TO ACIDIC
EXTREMELY ALKALINE
________________________________________
Lemons, Watermelon
ALKALINE FORMING
________________________________________
Cantaloupe, Cayenne Celery, Dates, Figs, Kelp, Limes, Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley, Seaweeds, Seedless Grapes, Watercress
________________________________________
Asparagus, Fruit Juices, Grapes, Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Pears, Pineapple, Raisins, Umeboshi Plums, Vegetable Juices
MODERATELY ALKALINE
________________________________________
Apples, Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas, Currants, Dates, Figs, Garlic, Grapefruit, Grapes (less sweet), Guavas, Herbs, Lettuce, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears (less sweet), Peas, Pumpkin , Sea Salt
________________________________________
Apples (sour), Green Beans, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carob, Cauliflower, Ginger, Grapes (sour), Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes (with skin), Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberries, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Corn, Turnip, Apple Cider Vinegar
SLIGHLTY ALKALINE
________________________________________
Almonds, Jerusalem Artichokes, Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Olives (ripe), Onions, Pickles (homemade), Radishes, Sea Salt, Spices, Tomatoes, Brown Rice Vinegar
________________________________________
Chestnuts (dry, roasted), Egg Yolks, Essene Bread, Goat's Milk and Whey (raw), Mayonnaise (homemade), Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds (whole), Soy Beans (dry), Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Sprouted Grains, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet), Nutritional Yeast
NEUTRAL
________________________________________
Butter (fresh, unsalted), Cream (fresh, raw), Cow's Milk and Whey (raw), Margine, Oils (except olive), Yogurt (plain)
MODERATELY ACIDIC
________________________________________
Bananas (green), Barley (rye), Blueberries, Bran, Butter, Cereals (unrefined), Cheeses, Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), Cranberries, Dried Beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), Dry Coconut, Egg Whites, Eggs Whole (cooked hard), Fructose, Goat's Milk (homogenized), Honey (pasteurized), Ketchup, Maple Syrup (unprocessed), Milk (homogenized), Molasses (unsulferd and organic), Most Nuts, Mustard, Oats (rye, organic), Olives (pickled), Pasta (whole grain), Pastry (whole grain and honey), Plums, Popcorn (with salt and/or butter), Potatoes, Prunes, Rice (basmati and brown), Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), Soy Sauce, Wheat Bread (sprouted organic)
EXTREMELY ACIDIC
________________________________________
Artificial Sweeteners, Beef, Beer, Breads, Brown Sugar, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals (refined), Chocolate, Cigarettes and Tobacco, Coffee, Cream of Wheat (unrefined), Custard (with white sugar), Deer, Drugs, Fish, Flour (white wheat), Fruit Juices with Sugar, Jams, Jellies, Lamb, Liquor, Maple Syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pasta (white), Pastries and Cakes from White Flour, Pickles (commercial), Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Sugar (white), Table Salt (refined and iodized), Tea (black), White Bread, White Vinegar (processed), Whole Wheat Foods, Wine, Yogurt (sweetened)
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