Recommendation for Stress

Hi all! I haven't blogged in quite some time and I am happy to report the my health has been improving slowly but surely as I move forward in the healing process.

I wanted to take a moment to recommend a great product that has helped me tremendously with anxiety and stress. Its a natural supplement by Shaklee called Stress Relief formula. I have to say that since I started taking it over a year ago, my sleep is better and I no longer have that pit of anxiety and fear in the bottom of my stomach. Click her to check it out and get 15% off!

Hope you are all well and would love to hear how you are doing!

Sharing the Recipe for Two of My Favorite Dishes

As a lot of you know, I don't eat sugar or sugar free items, so I have to get my kicks from somewhere! The following two recipes are for winter squashes that I eat on a daily basis- I look forward to them and what's even better is that they are healthfully prepared and good for you too:

1. Butternut squash: preheat oven 400,spray a non stick pan with cooking spray or coat with oil, cut butternut squash into cubes and place in pan, then sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, cover with foil. I usually cook it for about 20-25 min with the foil on, then I take a spatula and flip the cubes over and let them finish cooking with the foil left off. If it happens to get too dry then add a bit of water and cover again. You can also use this on Acorn and other similar squashes but they are more delicate and cook much faster.

2. Kambocha: preheat to 350, put some water in the bottom of a non stick pan, cut squash into pieces and sprinkle with the same seasonings as the butternut squash. Cover with foil and after about 25 min check it to see how far it has progressed. This squash is a little trickier- if you cook it too much it dries out or even becomes like shoe leather. I have also found that when you buy the squash its best to get one that looks older and is not a vibrant green- when they are a vibrant green they aren't quite ripe and the don't turn out very well.


Let me know how it goes!!

Toxins In Your Skin Care

I just want to put it out there for those of you who may not be aware: there are many, many toxins in most of our beauty products, cleaning aids, laundry detergents, deodorants, and last but not least, processed foods. One area in particular that I would like to lean more about is skin care- from what I have taken in so far, most of these items contain parabens which are small amounts of toxic chemicals found in almost every beauty product on the market today. They have been shown to effect changes in estrogen levels, linked to breast cancer, and harmful to those with chemical sensitivities. This doesn't really sound like something that I want to be putting on my body and face everyday- what about you?
I have tried several natural alternatives,and so far I have been rather disappointed. Do I have to sacrifice my health in order to look good? I do intend to look into this further because I feel that it's quite important for my health and my return to wellness. I have stopped using deodorant (don't need it actually), I clean my house and wash my clothes in natural detergents, and I eat organically as much as possible. I really feel that the next step on my path to total wellness is to get rid of the chemicals that I use in the name of beauty each day- there must be some great alternatives out there- if you know of any good brands please let me know!

My Artificial Sweetener Nightmare

My Artificial Sweetener Nightmare


I was recently reading a great post on Dr. Mercola’s web site about the dangers of Splenda and it got me to thinking about my own personal experience with these harmful sweeteners. Having had a weight problem my entire life and not being able to tolerate sugar (it made me want to eat and eat!), I did what most people do in my situation- I used artificial sweeteners. On top of that I am quite compulsive, so I used a lot of it. Drinks sweetened with Equal and Splenda were a daily staple, as well as packets and packets of Splenda, which I put in my coffee and on my food. It took me many years to face up to the fact that these so called “safe” sweeteners were really poising my body, and on top of that I had a chronic illness, which was exacerbated by anything chemical and highly processed.
Needless to say, I finally was willing to let all of them go about a year and a half ago, and although it was difficult, it wasn’t the hardest part of my withdrawal from them. About three days into it, I had a severe liver attack which lasted for almost an hour, and I had to lie on my back and deep breathe the entire time so that I didn’t throw up or have to head to the hospital. I had terrible stabbing pains in my side, burning in my intestines, and hot and cold flashes running through my body. Not a pretty experience at all! It has taken me months to heal my liver, and it still gives me trouble now and then.
The reason that I am sharing this with you is because I really want to get the word out about just how toxic these substances are! Splenda may be derived from sugar, but the end result is that it becomes chlorinated artificial sweetener once it has been molecularly altered. Do you really want something like that in your body?

Please go to the following websites for more information:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/10/New-Study-of-Splenda-Reveals-Shocking-Information-About-Potential-Harmful-Effects.aspx
www.truthaboutsplenda.com

Do yourself a huge favor and stop using these poisons as soon as you can!

Do What You Love

As many of you know, I have been working to overcome chronic illness and depression for a while now and I have finally figured out that making it a point to do the things that I love brings me closer to being completely well.
People have been telling me for years to follow my heart and to do things that I enjoy, and I would just dig in my heels and respond that I didn't feel well and I would get to it when I was better. Well, it turns out that I had the cart before the horse! The more that I make having fun and doing things that excite me a priority, the better I feel (physically and emotionally). One thing that helped me to figure out just what those things were was to look back over my life at the times that I was happiest. What came up for me was going to college, singing, attending church, riding horses, and just hanging out with friends. The sad part was that I hadn't been doing much of anything fun for a very long time, and once I began to make an effort to bring those things into my life, the stronger and happier I have felt. Once I made a firm decision to move forward with some of the things that bring me joy, amazing things started to happen: I began to look forward to getting out of bed in the morning, I was able to accomplish more things during the day, and it gave me the strength to affirm that I am no longer a victim and that I really want to be well. Pretty powerful stuff if you ask me!
I can't recommend doing what you love enough- please take the time to put your passion and what makes your heart sing at the top of your list(or at least on the list!)- it will make all the difference in the world. I promise!

Vitamin D Deficiency

A few weeks ago I got my blood tests back from my new Endocrinologist and the biggest issue was a very low count of vitamin D. This was news to me! I was expecting it to be my adrenals or my hormones, but vitamin D? How strange. The doctor’s answer was to prescribe 50,000 IU’s of vitamin D to be taken twice a week. She also said that I should check my levels again in three months to see if I have made any progress.
Well, it was no surprise to me that my body couldn't tolerate such a high dose of the supplement. The first time I took it, I ended up having to lie down for a few hours until my feelings of sickness passed. About four days later I took a second dose (but this time at night) and the next two days were difficult for me as well. I felt dizzy, nauseated and a bit weak. Finally I decided that this was not the way for me to get my vitamin D levels up. My acupuncturist asked me to get some of the supplement in liquid form, which I may do, but I have a feeling it won’t come in a high enough dose to make a real difference. My other choice is to take a supplement- so within the next week I will make a choice and start to take care of this piece of my wellness puzzle. Feel free to share any experience you may have with this issue- I would love to hear what has worked or has not worked for you.
Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
- Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin D
- Malabsorption of vitamin D
- Too little exposure to sunlight
- Chronic Pancreatitis
- Celiac disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Colitis
- Fistulas
- Bilary Obstruction
- Renal disease
- Malfunctioning parathyroid gland

If you can’t go out and spend some time in the sun every day, here are some other ways of increasing your vitamin D:
- Take 2 teaspoons of cod liver oil daily
- Carlson Labs and Solgar make a 1,000 IU vitamin D supplement that can be very helpful. Take one daily. Swanson also carries some great brands too.
- Eat foods rich in vitamin D: bone broth, egg yokes, milk, salmon, sardines and cod.
- If you do decide to supplement do so under the care of your doctor- it is easy to increase your vitamin D to toxic levels- this can be avoided with regular blood tests to monitor your progress

Alternative Anxiety Treatments

I have been dealing with anxiety for many years- usually it is hormone related and the two weeks before my period are the worst by far. Due to the fact that I am unable to tolerate anxiety meds I have been looking into natural alternatives so that I can be free of the stress of feeling like I am on high alert all of the time. Here is what I have found so far:

Supplements:

Magnesium Taurinate
Valerian Root
Apple Cider Vinegar
Rhodiola
Sam-E
L- theanine
Passion Flower
Niacinamide
Gabba


Treatments/Therapies:

Massage
Acupuncture
Tai Chi/Martial Arts
Cold showers (need to look into this one further- doesn't make much sense to me)
Walking/Exercise
Yoga
Meditation
Abdominal Breathing


I would love it if you could share with me what has worked for you or someone that you know- I am absolutely open to suggestions.



Be well!

Oh, What A Relief!

I wanted to let you all know that after much thought, prayer, and consideration, I have decided not to have the defibrillator implanted at this time. I also came to the decision to come back and review my options in six months- that way I haven't completely closed the door on this issue.
I have to say that it is a tremendous relief to have this taken off of my shoulders. I hadn't been sleeping, and I found myself crying a lot over the idea of putting a foreign device into my body and having to rely upon western medicine for the rest of my life. It just didn't sit well with me at all! I am so grateful that I am now able to move forward into the new year with my focus being on health and growth, and not having to spend more hours in hospitals and doctor's offices. Some may be afraid that I will just drop dead without it, but honestly, my intuition is telling me that I am going to be just fine. I really do believe that what we choose to focus on increases, and if I am looking at my poor health and what the doctors have to say, I will be stuck in this place for the rest of my life. On the other hand, by choosing to look at how fantastic my life can be, how good it feels to be well, and how amazing it is to grow and move forward, I can achieve these desires and leave the sick girl in the past where she belongs.
Before I end this post I just want to wish you all a healthy and happy new year- we all deserve a fantastic 2009- and I hope that we can all heal, grow, and prosper together!

Cardiac Catheterization

Last week I went to see another Cardiologist and it was a great visit, but it turns out that she does not specialize in heart failure like my current doctor does, so needless to say I felt a little bummed out. She did, however, give me a lot of great information:
- She believes that I am currently seeing one of the best doctors there is for Cardiomyopathy
- She agreed with the cardiac catheterization and the biopsy as the right direction for us to go
- I am indeed a unique case, and a visit to a new Rheumatologist is probably a great idea
- That if it comes time for a defibrillator to be implanted, I should compare doctors and hospitals (hers being one of them)
- The chances of my needing a heart transplant are very slim- I am at stage 2-3, and I would have to be at a stage 4 (Whew!)
-If nothing improves in the next couple of years, stem cell therapy is a great option

Even though I felt like it was almost a waste of time to see her (just because she couldn't be my new doc), I did leave the visit feeling much more confident and certain about my current cardiologist and the upcoming tests I have chosen to undergo on the 24th. As scary as the tests seem to me (once I really think about it), I am hopeful that they will shed some light on what is really going on with my heart and my body. Wouldn't it be great if the mystery was finally solved? I have learned, though, that I can't just put all of my eggs in one basket and when it doesn't pan out I feel deflated and depressed once again. I can only do the next indicated action, which is to take care of myself physically and emotionally, show up for the tests at the end of the month, and then go on from there. I also have to remember to keep working on the emotional issues that most likely caused these problems, and I am committed to doing whatever work I can to improve my health- on all levels.