Thankful on Thanksgiving

I just read a Bonnie Hunt blog that I read on Twitter and it gave me a great idea for this week’s main blog. There won’t be a new revelation or healthy idea just a trunkful of gratefulness.

I am so grateful this Thanksgiving week for having had a mother like mine. She was there when I needed to talk and was always my best friend. She was the lady who stood behind her children no matter what sort of misdeed we had done. I have laughed many times about the rose colored glasses she perpetually wore but the more I think about it the more I appreciate that looking at life through rose colored glasses gets you much further than looking through a gray sludge of negativity.

I would not have wanted to be the person who would criticize her family. She was always your biggest fan be you her friend, sister, husband, son or daughter not to mention her many grandchildren and great grandchildren. There was nothing wrong with any one of us and she was proud to let you know all about it.
I am guessing her rosy approach to life made more than one person irritated or perhaps even made them wish her ill. However, as the recipient of her undying love and support I could not have asked for more.

Her last years were spent in a wonderful nursing home in a world marred by dementia but I have never experienced a person with dementia being so gracious, loving and happy. She put the lie to the “misery” of Alzheimer’s if indeed that is what she suffered from.

I would visit once a month and the minute I entered the doorway of her room her face would light up and she would greet me as if I was the most wonderful person she had ever known. She told me many times she couldn’t remember who I was but she knew I was someone important in her life, to which I would I agree. I was someone who loved her and I know in her dreams she loved me in return because I often heard my name come out of her mouth as she dreamed her day away. Her “dreams” were so vivid and honestly were her contact with the real world because when she was awake confusion reigned. When she would dream we were all there being naughty or nice but there being called by name and being “mothered”.

Mom died in March from complications of the flu. Pneumonia robbed her of her last breath (and by the way she had had the pneumonia vaccine) and even in the throes of life robbing fluid in her lungs she told me she wasn’t ready to die. She also laughed and said she felt like she had a demon inside her and indeed it was a demon. She died peacefully a week later in a Morphine haze with her granddaughter and daughter at her side.

Thank you Mom, thank you for being you, for taking care of all of us and making us feel we were the most special people in your life. Thank you for your smile and the way your cheeks would blush when you were happy. Most of all thank you for being my mother and teaching me how to live my life to its fullest. As it is Thanksgiving Week I just want to say I am full of gratitude and give thanks for all the days I had you in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Eat healthy, drive safely and do me a favor, tell your mom you love her.

God Bless.

Do you hate all this antibacterial gel sitting around everywhere? Would you like to make your own natural and yet effective lotion for those times when the child in front of you has just wiped their streaming nose and is now smearing it all over the door knob you need to use? Or how about when you visit your dentist? People are always putting their fingers in their mouths to show us the tooth that hurts. When they leave our operatories those same fingers are on door knobs and handles, touching the front desk and may even be used to shake hands.
Thanks to Mary Hunt in the Sunday St. Paul Pioneer Press I can share a simple recipe to make something useful but not so noxious or perhaps better said obnoxious. She states the recipe is from http://www.WholeChildCenter.org which is a blog by a New Jersey pediatrician, a Dr. Lawrence D. Rosen. Dr. Rosen dispenses natural health advice on his blog. The recipe follows:

Equal portions of the following therapeutic essential oils: cinnamon bark,lemon, eucalyptus, clove and rosemary. Mix them with jojoba, avocado or grapeseed oil as a carrier and then use on hands as a sanitizer. Essential oils are very potent, so dilute adequately and test on a patch of skin before using liberally.

To your good health.

Oh my God this is so inspirational and encouraging I had to post it

I am amazed at the enlightenment of the past few days and I capped it all this morning by listening to Mike Adams interview Suzanne Somers. I have put it on Twitter and if you have 20 minutes (even if you don’t make time) it is fascinating.
She has recently published Knockout and in it she shares a plethora of information regarding cancer, its cures, the preventive practices you can implement in your life, the doctors who have had success, etc. I am ordering the book from Amazon today and will post a “book report” in a few weeks. In the meantime, I will be engrossed in learning everything she has researched on the subject for my own benefit and for my family.
Do not underestimate the former air head from Three’s Company even my medical doctor told me to read her books. Suzanne has done more research than most scientists, she knows of what she speaks and her only goal is to educate the public, give them options and help people live better lives.

Are You Kidding?

The following is from W.C. Douglass, M.D. and if you have never subscribed to his newsletter you should because he has a unique perspective and a touch of realism that most medical gurus do not.

I read today’s entry and nearly laughed except I am sure Lord Stern, who was quoted in the Guardian UK is not being funny he actually thinks it would be better to fill our earth with fields of soy bean plants and all the chemicals that go with that, all the land leaching that occurs when you grow soy not to mention the resources used to power the gigantic machines that are used to plant and harvest this so-called miracle food.In other words, he thinks we should all be vegetarians.

Think again just for one minute or even two. Just one example of natural and green is roaming cattle and/or sheep on grasslands? All that is needed to raise beef for example is otherwise useless land that is covered with grasses. The cattle are put out to pasture, they stay healthy, they are happy, some are used for meat, some are used for reproduction and it is a very natural eco friendly way to feed the earth and its inhabitants. If we want to talk about green house gases just think of the fossil fuels burned every day by farmers and then there are the chemicals they put in our earth to grow soy, it is a travesty.

Do not be fooled by Stern’s appeal to the good citizens of Earth. Let it be known that governing bodies all over the world are trying very hard to put the small eco-friendly farmer out of business. Even as I write, and as close as 50 miles from my home in east central Minnesota, Wisconsin state officials are putting a good farm that supports two to three families out of business and there are at least three other farms that have been shut down. They have criminalized the cow share program that so many of us were privileged to be part of and I can imagine if the Lord Sterns of this planet we call home have their way we will all be eating soy burger, wrapped in soy flour buns, drinking soy milk and our little boys will be growing breasts.

If you need to be awakened to the problem then the story W.C. Douglass published may be just the ticket. Enjoy!

“UK climate weirdo’s strange demand

Of all the screwy ideas I’ve heard lately, this one takes the cake: A British “authority” on global warming says that in order to save the planet, we all need to become vegetarians.

“Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better,” Lord Nicholas Stern told the Times of London.

Don’t you love the titles they give themselves over there? He’s also known as Baron Stern of Brentford… but as far as I’m concerned, he’s the baron of baloney – or at least the soy equivalent of it.

If mass vegetarianism changes the impact humans have on earth, it’ll be because this deadly lifestyle would reduce the number of people on the planet. I’m sure that would thrill the self-hating humans behind the climate police.

But the question you should be asking is: how? How in the world does Lord Stern plan to convert the entire global population to vegetarianism? The answer is both simple and alarming… through cost-hikes and brainwashing.

Stern said that if the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is successful, it’ll lead to “soaring costs” of meat and other foods they deem bad for the planet.

In other words, if people won’t voluntarily shun meat, no problem! They’ll just make it impossible for you to afford it. Problem solved.

But if all goes according to plan, you won’t even want to eat meat once he’s done with you. He’s made it very clear that his goal is to shift your attitude towards meat over time.

He said, “I am 61 now and attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed radically since I was a student. People change their notion of what is responsible.”

That’s right folks, he’s comparing meat eaters to drunk drivers.

So along with your generous portion of rice and beans, you can have a health dose of a guilt trip on the side.

I think these nobles should save their high horses for fox hunting.

Why a fringe wacko like this even gets the time of day, much less the attention of a major newspaper, is beyond me – but don’t let the climate bullies lord over your dinner table.

I don’t care if you listen to Lord Stern, Lord & Taylor, or the Lord of the Rings… the fact is, we NEED meat. Most vegetarians need a shelf full of supplements and protein powders to get by, and it’s no wonder. Our bodies simply can’t function properly without the healthy fats, proteins, and minerals we get from this vital food source.

Don’t be alarmed by this radical control freak.

Eat your meat, and enjoy the weather.”
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Let me know what you think…………

Are You Getting Enough Iodine?

I thought the following article might be of interest to some and a good follow-up to yesterdays entry regarding the joy of doing an Iodine Loading test. I have to say that collecting voids all day and early this morning was not the highlight of the 24 hours but now that it is packaged up and ready to go whenever FedEx arrives I am anxious to see what the test reveals.

In the past I have had quite a negative reaction to Lugol’s solution and thus was a little hesitant about taking a large dose of Iodoral. However, I seemed to handle the Iodoral just fine with no side effects, so if I had to guess the test will prove my need for supplemental iodine and I will take Iodoral for several months to get my levels up to normal.

Read the article I have attached if you have an interest in learning more about Iodine and its effect on your body and take the test, after all to void is not so bad, to collect quite easy and to mail, FedEx. Enough said.

Are You Getting Enough Iodine?.

Iodine Loading Test Commences

This is the day of saving all voids which is a nice way of saying catching all of one’s urine in a cup and transferring it to a large container. I am doing as my functional medicine doctor recommended eons ago; checking my iodine levels. How and why I am doing this will fill the next few paragraphs.

If you have never done an Iodine Loading test the procedure is quite simple but I am happy to have the house to myself as it makes it even easier. If you are prescribed an Iodine Loading test you will be sent or given a box with the instructions, a medium size cup, a large plastic container, Iodoral or some form of iodine and a vial and packaging to send all this back via FedEx. Then it is left to you to pick a day that is convenient to collect all voided urine for 24 hours, starting after you take your mega dose of Iodoral. The only special instruction is to avoid all Iodine containing food for 48 hours prior to the test.

Why would a person do an Iodine Loading test? Simply put, most Americans are deficient in Iodine but there is much more to the story and I will try to summarize as best I can (actually not something I excel at). First of all, we live in a world full of toxins and one toxin that has become increasingly more prevalent is Bromide. Bromide is present in the food we eat (some breads and some soft drinks), computers, fabrics, dyes, mattresses and furniture, hot tub cleaners, some cosmetics, some hair products,  prescription drugs,cell phones,fabric softeners, car interiors, televisions, and the most toxic form is found in fire retardants. When I look at that list I realize that I am in contact with Bromide nearly every day although it would not be in the food I eat as I do not ingest industry tainted food or sodas. The real problem is that Bromide will displace Iodine if a person is consuming inadequate amounts of Iodine.

If a person has a normally functioning thyroid and healthy levels of Iodine, they will maintain a  good Bromide-Iodine ratio and Bromide might not present a problem. However, if your thyroid is under functioning and you are not getting enough Iodine in your diet this Bromide poisoning may contribute to dis-ease. Science has found a strong link between breast cancer and low levels of Iodine and Bromide may be a contributing factor to the low levels of Iodine.

Depleted soil may also be a contributing factor to hypothyroidism and low levels of Iodine. In the 1920’s it was found that people living in Michigan had consistently low levels of Iodine and high incidence of goiter and thyroid problems. It seems that the soil in that part of the country was very low in naturally occurring Iodine. The solution was to add Iodine to table salt in 1924 (iodized salt like Morton’s). However, it has been found recently that most Iodine added to salt evaporates quickly, so that may not be as useful a source of Iodine as once thought. I personally do not want to eat chemically treated salt like Morton’s and sea salts have very little to no Iodine despite being high in other necessary minerals. Add to that the fact that a lot of misguided doctors recommend low salt diets which means people use Lite Salt or no salt and you are down to very little Iodine being ingested.

Sea vegetables are high in Iodine but Americans eat very little vegetables from the sea. The country that eats the most sea vegetables is Japan and they have the lowest incidence of breast cancer in the world. All in all, we Americans ingest very low levels of Iodine, so supplementation may be necessary to maintain a healthy level.

That is where the Iodine Loading test is valuable. A person should excrete 90% of the Iodine you ingest, so the doctor will give you a product like Iodoral in a specific dose. During the subsequent 24 hours you should excrete 90% of the amount prescribed and if it is less a formula can help determine how much Iodine you need to get your levels to a more normal and thus healthy level. “Iodine supplementation alters the competitive bromide-iodine relationship causing bromide excretion. Thus, bromide dominance is diminished and proper iodine enzyme metabolism may be restored.” The Iodine Loading test also can be used to check levels of Bromide and Fluoride both of which if too high contribute to dis-ease. I have opted to just check my Iodine levels because the treatment if my levels are too low will be the same (Iodoral daily) whether we check my Bromide and Fluoride levels or not and the test is about $200 less.

There is too much information out there to share in one post on the subject of Iodine and dis-ease but that is a brief and hopefully an understandable summary of my day full of urine and containers, the whys and wherefores. If you think you would benefit by taking an Iodine Loading test contact your physician, tell them you will even pay for the test if insurance won’t cover it (mine was $120 including postage) and proceed from there. After all, you are in charge of your body and you can make the choice to have dis-ease or vibrant health. Yes you can!

One more thing, I just viewed a great selection of photos from the London Telegraph. I enjoyed most of them tremedously. However, the world wide photos of people with surgical masks on to “protect” themselves from the flu are an abomination. Has the public really been convinced that covering their nose and mouth is sufficient? What are they doing about their very delicate and vulnerable eyes? Will we next see goggles on everyone in a public park or metro station along with rubber gloves? If not, they might as well leave the masks at home unless they themselves are sneezing or have a runny nose.

“‘Recently, Dr. Otis Brawley, ACS chief medical officer, stepped up and said the most astonishing thing to the New York Times: “I’m admitting that American medicine has overpromised when it comes to screening. The advantages to screening have been exaggerated.”

That last sentence is the kind of thing you expect to hear from, well…me, but NEVER from ACS.

“The advantages to screening have been exaggerated.’”

That is a paragraph or two from HSI Research’s Jenny Thompson and I find them amazingly powerful. Is it possible that the American Cancer Society is admitting that they have been overscreening for cancers, possibly detecting tumors that might actually heal on their own? What, you say? What, to which question, that they have admitted overscreening or that some cancers can heal themselves if left alone. I believe both are true and the research is out there to prove the latter statement.

For instance, many breast cancers are now found when they are very small and everyone flies in to a panic but out of the other side of their mouth they talk about how great it was that it was found while small. However, that small tumor may have been an aberration, basically a few cells gone off course that would with a healthy immune system soon right their course and all would be well. Unfortunately, for the woman or man involved now that small, harmless tumor has been smashed by numerous mammograms (they must take many) exposed to radiation that would kill a horse and the unhealthy, aberrant cells have been spread throughout the breast tissue. What joy is there in that? None.

Whether PSA screenings or mammograms sometimes, and make no mistake I stress the sometimes, the screening or the results of the screening do more harm than good. We have been literally brain washed by our current allopathic nightmare of a medical system in to believing that lives have been saved, cancers cured when what we really want is cancer prevented and dis-ease of the body squelched.

Five Fingers of Pure Delight

I am reveling in my latest “try-it you might like it” Five Finger Vibram’s. However, this recommendation comes with a warning: you must keep a very open mind and have a willingness to try that which your mother would not approve of (or possibly your spouse) walking in the woods in your bare feet.

What are Five Finger Vibrams? They are a clever little pair of shoes that you can wear anytime and anywhere. They are defined by the company as “barefooting: the exhilarating joy of going barefoot without leaving yourself exposed; 2. any activity requiring unconventional foot wear offering the protection of a thin flexible Vibram skin; 3. an intelligent way to deepen your connection with your natural surroundings. …Our customers report an increased sense of balance, an expanded range of motion, and visibly improved posture.” I have to say that at times I found myself thinking this is deliciously naughty because I would never walk this trail in my bare feet yet it felt as if I were doing just that.

My test for my FFV shoes included shopping this morning for about 2 hours with the Injinji socks on my feet as well as it is 45 degrees here in Minnesota today. Since that worked just fine for me, I donned them again and took them out on rougher terrain for a 45 minute hike. They not only went through mud and over rocks they handled holes, pine needles and even the hard surface of my paved driveway. I am more pleased than I can say because taking this same walk on Wednesday in conventional walking shoes (Merril trail shoes) I actually turned my ankle more than once due to the uneveness of the walking path. Today my feet gripped the earth and other than the slippery feel of the occasional muddy patch they came through everything with flying colors. I can feel a little stress in my calves  but otherwise my feet don’t hurt and better than that the one toe that always screams after a long hike has no comment today other than “ahhhh!!”

I must be complete in my review of my FFVs and mention the cons. They were not the best in mud as it felt slightly slick underfoot. However, that said, I never fell or even slipped it was just the feeling of mud on your “barefeet” that was off putting. I occasionally looked down to see little flowers between my toes or a piece of straw but I never actually felt the flowers. The straw was poking me in the leg thus caught my attention but even that made me smile, so not much of a “con”.  Another possible negative is they are a bit hard to put on the first few times as you must assist each toe in to its finger but that is getting much easier and I have only put them on three times now.

Sizing was pretty true to your shoe size but you need to know what size you would wear if you bought a shoe that was made in Europe. For instance if you wear a woman’s 10-10 1/2 you need to order a 41 and the socks will fit if you buy a medium.

All in all, the shoes get a “thumbs up” from this nascent FVV wearer. It felt so good to exercise “barefoot” that I almost felt like dancing, only a certain amount of modesty held me back.