Relavant to today's craziness!

 What is relevant in a world gone crazy? Do I address the clot shot? VAERS? Thehighwire.com with Del Bigtree? Jessica Rose and her statistics at Jessicasuniverse? Dr Ardis and his thedrardisshow.com? Dr Mcculough? DD Kory? The American Frontline doctors? The American Frontline Nurses? The coming of Gold Care? a new system of health care? You and me both wondering just what that will be all about! True healthcare or just another version of the same old stinking thinking disease care system?

I did sign up to be notified of this Gold Care and the progress of these new Clinics. Having just signed up, I know nothing yet. Some are calling it a parallel system of care. Really? We already have that in and with our alternative care practitioners. 

Get a coach, get an advocate. Learn to be open minded but critical of everything you read about health. Watch for pure junk science statements like "we all know this or that", or "it's obvious.......".

Be open to criticizing everything you hear and read and take nothing from main stream media (or anywhere for that matter) as a truth without deeply researching their statements. In my opinion, they (meaning main stream media) have run completely off the rails of good, honest journalism. I believe nothing they say. After all, have you noticed that they are all saying the same thing. You can not get anyone to deviate from the party line. 

Not good! Information is being censured. Not good for a supposed free country. Sounds more communistic to me. OK, OK my opinion only. But when "they" try to discredit everyone that disagrees openly with them and attempt to ruin careers of many good honest providers of care, there has to be a skunk in the wood pile somewhere! Just saying!

I have to say, I am very confused by a group of the main stream media, Doctors and nurses who don't even listen to what is being said by the Powers That Be! Yeah, even they are saying, the "vaccines" do not keep you  from getting Covid and don't keep you from spreading it! Main stream media does continue to state that with the "vaccine" you don't get as sick as you would without it, but in reality, they have no real proof of that and I myself have actually seen plenty post vaccine people get plenty sick with Covid and even die. Say what? 

It is almost unbelievable that information is being censored like it is. No proof on the main stream media's side. I just read an article by the "intercept" which condemns the Frontline Doctors for spreading dis information. I'd like to scream at them. What this group of brave doctors are doing is trying to spread good common sense and viable treatments for Covid. What is wrong with that? Oh, I know, We don't want any affordable treatments for Covid because then we could not demand that people get this experimental jab. This jab that has led to thousands of deaths and debillitation. So much so that the folks in charge can not deny that they exist. Well actually they do deny it while at the same time say well but really those facts don't mean anything because the truth is too revealing. OMG! Can we say dystopian world?

I know this sounds like a rant, and it is. I make no apologies. We all need to wake up and start thinking for ourselves. Yes, dear reader, I am entitled to my opinion!

Homework for next time, research Boron as related to arthritis. Very interesting information!

Until then, be safe, healthy, and happy,

Healthbug

Awaken to a New World of scary stuff!

 March 18,2022

How the world has changed since I last posted on this blog. Starting in 2019 the world became a really crazy place with fear of a supposed novel virus, Covid-19, as it was named at that time. 

Being holistic and an RN, I could not understand, from the very beginning, why we would wait to begin treatment of those who presented with Flu like symptoms? Why? Never in an almost 30 year career has medicine done this. The moto has always been, "early treatment for every disease in the book leads to the best outcomes". 

Well sure enough, that was what we were told to tell people. Go home, get sicker, come back when you just can't breath, we'll help you then. Really? Well you can think of this what you will. I believe my words speak my thoughts loudly! So now what to do?

Take charge of your own health! This is what I have been shouting out for a long time! We just cannot depend on a disease care system to take care of us as we would really like to be taken care of. This latest plunge into poor disease care has so proven that out. If you want the best chance to survive anything, you must be aware of your options, inform yourself, be prepared and have the correct medicines on hand. Also decide how you are going to treat yourself if you do come down with Covid. Save your own life!

Many of the effective treatments for Covid are not readily available. If you are fearful about what to do, go to American Frontline Doctors website and see what their protocol is. Get a health coach. One that knows how to coach you and help you prepare. Then if you come down with the flu/cold, start treating yourself on day one! And yes, if you get to where you can't breath, you might need to go to the hospital. I'd find a doctor who agrees with early treatment of any disease but especially Covid, and then let them guide you.

Please note: I am suggesting you your do your own research, find your own treatment protocol, decide on your own treatment protocol, treat yourself and seek advice, coaching, and guidance. Taking charge of your own health means being responsible for your own health and the health of the children you are responsible for.  Don't act upon anyone's advice, not even mine, until you are convinced of the best course of action.

This type of health care is not for everyone. It takes determination and commitment, and it takes time and effort to do your own research. It's only for those who chose to be accountable for themselves. What I'm here to say is, you can do this! No one knows you better than you do and when you ignore that fact and put your full trust in anyone else, you are eliminating the most important person of your healthcare team, yourself.

Our health is nothing to be taken for granted.  Yes, I know that the Medical model would have you believe that the primary care Doc knows best, but just for a reality check, they don't and never have, and because the medical model teaches people to be dependent on it and it alone, you, as their "patient", are left doubting yourself. Hmmmm, ever wonder why that is. Yeah, so you don't question just what is going on. Besides the focus of the healthcare system (as it is now) is disease care, symptom care, drug and surgery based "medicine". Most providers are not taught anything about true healthcare. How to stay or get healthy is not the concept providers are taught. Thus they know little to nothing about building health.

I encourage you to take the leap of faith into self care, if you haven't already! Trust yourself to find good information, advice and guidance! Don't be closed minded when it comes to what works and what doesn't. Many treatments are labeled junk when they work miracles. There are also many truly junk treatments out there touted as miracles. This is where you come in. You have to learn to read between the lines. This will take time and effort but you can do this!

 If you already take charge of you own health, I hope you have gotten some encouragement from this post! It is hard enough to have to listen to providers who criticize you for this, and believe me, I know they do. That is unless you have the right kind of care provider who should and does really value his patient's as clients and knows that if he partners with you, they will be able to do a better job of helping you address your health issues. And by the way, congratulations for being brave, trusting yourself, and knowing how important you are!

Until next time,

 

Healthbug 

Chronic pain making you feel desperate?

Desperation is not a very happy feeling. When I keep trying new things for my chronic pain and I keep coming up with little relief, I feel desperate! I use this feeling to spur me to new and deeper research. Yes, sometimes you just have to live with the chronic pain, but I am stubborn and will never accept that there is nothing else I can do. So I soldier on and on. (There's a smile here) I use my desperation to keep me focused and wondering just what more is there out there that I just haven't found? What new research? New technology? New procedure?

At the risk of sounding too simple, ridiculous even, I have to say that some of the best research I've done needs repeating. Some of the things I've tried in the past need re trying.

Why would I say these things? Because when we try something the first time, we may have not given it our best try. Maybe we were discouraged at the time and a few days, even weeks was not enough to give whatever new supplement, knee brace, etc a good healthy try. Many times I have returned to some former research I've done, re read it and decided to give it another go. The second time around, I've found more success.

One example for myself recently has been a knee sleeve/brace I had purchased in the past, tried for a day or so and discarded because it hurt too much. As I was packing to take a trip, I found it again and thought I would give it another try as my knee was hurting enough to really catch my attention. Voila, Oh my goodness, what relief I have received from this knee sleeve. It is an incrediwear and made of material that is supposed to help circulation and reduce swelling. It sure appears to be helping with the swelling!

I will acknowledge that the first time I tried it I might have been several pounds heavier and thus it did not fit so well. However it is, I am glad I found it again and gave it another try.

I went online and ordered a hip brace, another knee sleeve, and a back brace for a friend. I am impressed with this knee sleeve and would recommend it to anyone to try. At least check it out at www.incrediwear.com. There are lots of testimonials that seem to match my experience with the product. And no I do not make any commission on this product!

MSM is a product that I use on and off. Our bodies need this supplement and our good ole SAD diet just does not supply enough of it to keep us healthy. So I return to this as needed. This one supplement was responsible for finally improving my sleep! I was taking it for pain relief and voila, I began to sleep a really deep sleep. As I had been sleeping in 45 minute intervals for a couple of years and was miserable from lack of sleep, the deep sleep was a tremendous relief!

As to new research, I received an email just this morning on a stem cell therapy docouseries (all the rage now it seems). while I have tried stem cell therapy injections in my right hip and right knee with no relief, I am interested in what the new research says.  I have been told my hip's femoral head is at a stage 4 collapse and that stem cell would not help, but who knows, maybe the new research will say otherwise. See I just keep going on and on and on with my research.

My main point is just that, use your emotions to spur you to new heights of research. Maybe there is no answer for your issue out there, but just maybe there is. And of course, only you can know what is best for you!

Be strong, be encouraged, be well!

Until next time,

Healthbug

The Sacred Plant Series: Season 2

I have, as a nurse and care giver, looked upon Cannibis Sativa as a "bad" plant. All I knew was what I heard from the media and from People on the streets who smoked a little marijuana. I never heard anything good about the plant so I viewed it with the same prejudice I viewed any other street drug. Addictive and destructive.

Fast forward to several years ago when I was working part time in a small Holistic Clinic. One slow afternoon a pharmaceutical rep came by the office and I was able to sit in on the conversation that occurred between the Rep and the DR. Boy did I get a quick education! I was surprised to hear that there were in fact hard evidence of solid medicinal uses for Cannibis, most evident was the use of Cannibis to treat intractable seizures.

That evening I went home and searched the internet for more information. I never rely on one source for my knowledge. Needless to say, my opinion was changed completely.

I have been researching this plant every since and believe there is much merit in it's legalization. I have just watched Episode 1 of Season 2 of The Sacred Plant Series. If you wish to know more about the healing powers of this much maligned plant, I suggest that you watch this series.

This series is very well documented. I hope you enjoy the series. If it doesn't answer all your questions, it at least will encourage you to do some more investigation on your own!

My son's father-in-law was able to use the Cannibis oil to ease his pain and nausea at the end of his life. While it didn't keep him alive, there is a lot to be said for staving off pain and acute nausea! Just ask anyone who has chronic pain.

For me, this series was well worth the time it took to watch it!

There are many, many other resources out there for information. Go and have fun learning about this incredible plant. If it even does half of what people say, it is well worth taking a look at, for yourself and/or for a loved one who might be suffering.

Until next time, be well,

Healthnut

Fasting,Detox and Chronic Pain!

Hello, 2019 and the beginning of a new year. I, personally, hate 'new year's resolutions", but I do love to look at a new year as an opportunity to begin anew efforts to make my life better in as many ways as I can think of.

I have been thinking of fasting as another way to address my chronic pain. Many who write about fasting claim that it will help with pain by inducing your body to autophagy (you can look that term up). Basically it refers to the body breaking down old cells and replacing them with new cells. The claims are that intermitent fasting will also do the job, however, I have inadvertantly been practicing intermitent fasting for years with no relief of my chronic pain. So there you go. I can also make allowances that every body is different, therefore, as with everything, I suggest that you try it for yourself and see if it does help. This is the only way to see if it is something for you. I am contemplating a 72 hour fast to see if that helps with the pain.

Detoxing shows another promising way to decrease chronic pain and as a side benefit, get rid of a few extra pounds of fat. With all the toxins in our food and environment, it makes sense to 'detox". I am just now studying the best way to do just that.

I am sure there are many ways that are equally as effective. One such option just arrived in my email created by the Green Smoothie Girl. I watched her mini masterclass 3 videos and they were interesting. Most of the knowledge I already knew, but she does put it together in a very organized and easy to understand way. I would consider joining her class myself if it weren't for the timing.

A 26 day detox twice a year is recommended. It is also recommended that you be at home for those 26 days. As I am looking to travel soon, now might not be the best time to for me to get involved with this. I want to set myself up for success not failure.

So our Detox Green Smoothie guru Robyn Openshaw puts out that detox is much better than diet to get into shape and I whole heartedly agree with her. It makes so much sense. Sick and skinny is no better than fat and sick! Detox does look like it would help lead to being healthier. I am anxious to give it a try.  If you are interested in the 26 day detox with Robyn her website at www.greensmoothiegirl.com hop on over there and see what she has to offer. I like that she has a lot of free information. I do not make anything at this time if you visit her site, but I do think it will be well worth your time.

The other important thing a detox addresses is constipation. This is not talked about a lot but is a huge issue when it comes to our health. In fact it is such a big topic I think I will leave it for next time so that I can address the issue in depth.

Happy New Year to all,
Take charge of your own health and be healthy happy and wise! Determine to learn more everyday about how you can be the healthiest you possible!

Till next time,

Health-nut

Don't just do as I say!

I have many people who ask me what I do for my chronic pain so I just share with them as to what I am doing. After I share, sometimes I get a,'so what supplement was that again?" or 'what brand of supplement do you take?' or 'where do you get that?' who do I go to for a physical therapy? Not the right questions to be asking.

I am probably speaking to the choir here as most people will not be reading this blog unless they are already taking charge of their own health. However, because the system does not encourage independent thinking, it bears repeating, if we don't take responsibility of those things only we control, we can not expect to be our healthiest. As more and more people are finding that Healthcare goes far beyond the reached of their favorite primary care physician, clinic or hospital, they are seeking other avenues of information. This is good. However, we always want to make sure that we double, triple check our sources for reliability.

Only we control what we put in our mouths. Only we control the bad habits we might have like smoking, staying up all night, saying yes or no to a bit of exercise and have a support system to help us make good decisions.

What I am getting at here is that just because this and that has helped someone(even me, as a nurse with 25 years of knowledge and experience), everyone needs to do their own research. Never, ever, ever do something, exercise, diet change, or take a supplement, just because someone else did it and it helped them. That should be part of the decision tree, yes, but not the whole ball of wax so to speak.

Being healthy can be as simple and as complicated as a person wants to make it. Eat only whole foods or don't eat processed foods. Take a walk to relax or have to go to the gym which you hate. I or anyone else who blogs, teaches, shares, informs, etc, can only share their experiences and of course research. However when it comes to lifestyle, so much of the research is flawed. It really takes dedication and determination to figure out when someone is just selling a product and when they are sharing their truth.

I feel like I am just rambling. If I ever recommend a product with this blog, It will be because I truly believe in the product. If I make any money off of you buying it, I will let you know. So far, I have not gotten to where I make any money with this blog. I do hope to change that in the near future, as a writer has to make a living. But I hope never to have that be the main thing this blog is about.

Merry Christmas and wishing you all a healthy new year!

Until next time,

Healthbug

Determination with chronic pain.

Hi,

Just wanted to make a post that deals with the need for serious determination when dealing with chronic pain. A lot of people with chronic pain look only for effective pain relief, and that is OK as far as it goes. Isn't that really the goal, somehow, some way, getting pain relief?

Yes and no, the yes, I want pain relief, but not entirely the only result I want. I want healing also. So I continue to try anything and everything that seems to promise help. Diet adjustments to eliminate inflammation, nutrients to help my body heal, physical therapy to strengthen my bones and muscles.

It takes a lot of determination to keep researching and trying new things. Persistence is the name of the game. Going sugar free had been the best thing so far, that I have done. Not easy but definitely worth it. Of course I have to keep reminding myself of the pain the sugar causes. I've also found that once I was off of sugar for 1 week, I could tell if anything else was causing me inflammation and thus more pain. Corn, was one of those that popped up.

I have supplemented with D3 20,000IU for the last two weeks and that has helped with pain reduction and feeling less stiff. Today I reduced that amount to 10,000IU and will take this amount for 10 weeks then take 5,000 IU for the rest of the year. This is a protocol I came up with form my research. You will need to do your own research to determine home much or even if you would like to try this.

I also have supplemented with NAC (n acetyl-cysteine) methy B-12 and methylated Folate for about 3 months now and have not really found any pain relief from that protocol. So I will probably stop these supplements and see what happens. Sometimes it is when you stop a supplement that you find out it really was helping just in such a suttle way that you don't notice until you stop and the benefits go away.

I am also using some magnetic insoles I picked up for cheap at Natural Grocers. I wear them in my work shoes and I do see some pain relief also with them.

My physical therapy seems to be helping some with my muscle strengthening but not as much as I would like. Perhaps I need to just walk more. And this I will do as the pain allows.

As I said, determination and persistence is the name of the game when trying to get to the bottom of chronic pain. My next addition will be hyaluronic acid that I plan to add as soon as I get enough to start taking 3 doses a day for at least a week. It is expensive so I am ordering it online to get enough to give it a good try. My research indicates that it may help with bone and ligament repair. I good to try any supplement that appears like it will do no harm.

Does it get expensive? Truthfully, yes. However, I view it as less expensive than surgery and with just as much a chance of helping me with the help being much more holistic and beneficial in the long run. I am all in for the long run and not just the temporary relief. Research, research, research! Try, observe results, try again.

I know that now that I am off of sugar, I have gone back to some of the things I have tried previously to see if maybe the benefits of those earlier tries were overshadowed by the sugar inflammation pain.
It never hurts to renew and refresh your mind as to what kind of helped in the past too as those things may be more helpful now with the new regimen you are on. My opinion only.

Yes I am stubborn and will keep working at addressing my pain in as healthy way as I can. Yes and most likely unconventional way. So be it.

Each to their own journey. I am just sharing my journey with the hope there might be some little something there that might help other people with chronic pain out even if it is just a little bit.

At present I am watching the iThrive docu-series that documents Jon McMahon's journey of weight loss. While I disagree with much of their "expert's" opinions, I do very much agree with one of their main points which is that we have control of what we eat and what we eat does hugely affect our
health! It is very encouraging to make the dietary changes you need to make to get and stay healthy. What that dies might consist of, once again, in my opinion is no flour, sugar or anything processed. Organic as much as possible. The rest is up for debate and debate the experts do.

Well till next time. Strive to be happy, healthy and wise. Take charge of your own health as much as possible  and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Healthbug

The pain of chronic pain!

I am struggling. I am sure anyone with chronic pain struggles with discouragement. I am also struggling with self image and self esteem. My pain shows and there is nothing I can do about that. I walk with a definite limp/hitch in my step. My right hip and right knee are painful with walking and sometimes just standing still for a length of time (as in when I am working in the kitchen or worse stopped at work to chat with a patient). The pain increases significantly.

I even had a patient ask me 'how long have you been crippled'! I have never considered myself crippled. Geez. Very depressing! Getting up and sitting down are difficult for me. I used to be an athlete. I ran 3-9 miles a day in high school. Had 5 children and was always very active with them. When my children left home I continued to be active. About 15 years ago my right knee started hurting once in awhile. And once in awhile it was bad enough I sought help from a chiropractor who said my knee was fine, adjusted my hips and off I went feeling better. The frequency of my pain increased with frequency and intensity to the point where about 10 years ago I began to experience pain every day. I began seeking answers.

I am unable to take any of the opioids, they make me deathly sick. I would rather be in pain. So I sought PT, therapeutic massage, chiropractic, supplements, ND's, DO's, Orthopedic advice and at present I am going to a special kind of Physical therapy called restorative muscle balancing. I had prolozone therapy and stem cell therapy. I've taken Ibuprofen 400-800mg experementing with combining the ibuprofen with some tylenol. Everything helps for a little while but nothing seems to help for the long term. My present supplement program consists of NAC three times a day, methyl folate once a day and methyl cobalimine B-12 once a day and just a week ago I started taking the collagen chews with  Hyluronic acid for bone support once a day.

At what point will I feel better? Is that never? I do try to compensate for and deal with the pain in healthy ways. I distract, I also do mega research on how to address the underlying cause of my pain.

Pain, depression and discouragement serve as an impetus to research deeper, more intense and revisit some research. I use my discouragement to spur me to renew my search for answers! I seek out new research and revisit old. Just this last week I took a hard honest look at my diet and found I had let some processed foods and sugar sneak back into my daily eating so I stopped eating sugar and once again removed processed foods from my diet! I do feel better without the sugar.

I revisited Acupressure  and trigger point therapy! I have started doing acupressure on key points and I seem to be finding some pain relief. I also researched cobblestone walking. The internet has sure made research so much easier. Thank goodness. I don't have cobblestones to walk on but I do have a wooden roller I can use to massage my feet!

My point with this post is to encourage. I know chronic pain is discouraging! There may be no answer but you will never know if you do not look. I refuse to say there is nothing I can do about my pain. There is a lot I can do! Most of it take effort on my part and I constantly have to battle wanting a one pill solution. Dealing with chronic pain and health issues is a multifaceted adventure. 

Till next time. Keep your chin up and never give up!

Healthbug

Brief AARP Article Review!

The following in a  post I was working on ....... well you can see, two years ago September of 2016. However, upon reviewing what I had written, I found it good and noteworthy, so I am going to post  what I did review. I hope you enjoy my viewpoints.

 

9/18/2016

Today I would like to review an article I read in the AARP Bulletin Dated September 2016. Yup, That means it is totally current, mainstream and legit, right?

Well lets just take a look at it first before making decisions. The title of the article is “How the Healthcare System can Harm You’.  (front page title) Then on the article page in large bold letters 12 WAYS THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM MAY BE HARMING YOU.  Well that doesn’t sound good. Can we believe this. Let me clarify, as a nurse, I find the system of care to be miss named, more correctly it should be disease care, or disease management.  If you are reading this, I am thinking you somewhat agree with me.

Why should we even read such things, right, because all it does is put fear in our hearts and leaves us not knowing what to do. After all, Isn’t this is the only care system that we have? Not true. There is a growing number of practitioners who approach your health with a preventative, core issue, healing modality. These Practitioners are MD’s, ND’s, DC’s and Holistic nurses like myself. At the core of all of those who practice in a more holistic, healthy, foundational way, not just disease management but healing and health prevention, is you. Did I say that loud enough? YOU! You are at the core of your health! There is no argument here. Ask any practitioner and they will tell you that they are limited by the client’s (plug in patient here) ability to understand what needs to be done and will follow through with the lifestyle changes that need to happen for them to obtain/maintain improved health.

So knowledge is king here. Reading an article like this can open your eyes to what happens when you don’t take your health seriously.

1.     Wrong Diagnosis-

According to this article, 10% if patient’s deaths and up to 17 percent of all episodes of preventable harm in hospitals are possibly due to errors in diagnosis. It seems the recipe way of diagnosing is not all that valid.  The take charge of your health perspective: Know what the Doc is thinking and if the shoe doesn’t fit, let him know about it. Always, always, always have another family, friend, person there to help you think all this through. If you don’t protect your health no one else has the time to.

2.     Sloppy practices

OOPs, sorry, we cut off the wrong limb. Guess we’ll get it right the next time. Are you shuddering at this reality? You should be. We all should be. The article explains that in a recent study of 12 U.S. cities 45 percent of patients didn’t receive the recommended care for their condition. This happens, the article says, because “patients are complicated”. Where the article talks about people having A,B, C, and D disease to treat with the treatment of condition A conflicting with condition C and D.  That is the disease model of care take on the problem. The Integrative, Functional, holistic models of care address a person’s overall health issues. The “diseases” here that the article is talking about are nothing more than chronic health problems which are brought on by diet and lifestyle choices as well as environmental toxins.  Bottom line; if the root cause is never addressed, you will never reach a treatment that will help your body heal from all of you chronic illnesses. 

3.     Lax Hygiene

Folks, this is just the good ole wash your hands, keep things clean issue.  While there has been some great strides in decreasing diseases spread in the hospital, according to the article, patient’s still pick up an estimated 721,800 infections a years in health care setting! Their take, if you see one of your care givers(DR, RN) not wash their hands, say something to them. The Take Charge of your Health take is to STAY OUT OF HOSPITALS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Again, take a buddy with you if you have to be there for some reason.

4.     Poor communication

Yet another reason to stay out of the hospital if you can. It is near impossible to not loose information from nursing shift to shift report and from change of DR to DR. Don’t hesitate to fill in you care giver if it appears they are not treating you appropriately.

5.     Dismal discharge Planning

Understanding what to do after discharge . Making sure the discharged patient understand what to do after discharge can be fatal for the patient. Make sure you are sent home with instructions that address all your questions. If it is written down you will be able to refer to it if you forget what you were told. And do not be afraid to call the provider of care if you do have a question that was not addressed in the instructions.

The following key issues were covered in this article but I no longer know where the article is. Please note, the above information and comments are still relevant today Oct. 1, 2018. Not much has improved. The system is trying, but as with any large system, there are problems and that is why I always promote taking charge of your own health. Being responsible for yourself, your diet, lifestyle, medications, medical treatments! Sounds like a big undertaking, and it is, but oh so worth the effort. Without our health life can be miserable. Once lost, health is hard to regain. And even with our best efforts, we can still deal with some pretty daunting health issues.

 

6.     Drug Blunders

7.     Knowledge Gaps

8.     Dangerous Doctors

9.     Buried information

10. An Out-paitent Black hole

11. Small thinking

12. Clinician Burnout.

If I can find the AARP article I will finish my review of it. Until then, this gives than, this gives a small insight into one nurses viewpoint of the first 5 key issues of the article.

See you next week! Thank you for reading my blog.

Healthbug

Supplements and Chronic Pain

This has been a hard post to write. The subject of vitamins and supplements is huge. Just as with diet, what we put in our mouth and thus our bodies, does affect every part of our health!

 If you think the foregoing statement is not true, just try eating only protein, sugar, or ..... well anything single food for even a few days. It is a safe bet that you will feel the affects of whatever mono diet you are eating.

 One item to note is that any diet, supplement or vitamin regimen must be followed for at least 3 months to be able to tell if the new regimen is of any benefit! I know three months should like a long time, but less that that is usually really not enough time to tell anything. You don’t want to waste your efforts!

There are always exceptions to the above, when I stopped eating anything with aspartame! was able to tell within 1 week that I felt a lot better without it and a lot worse when I ate anything with aspartame in it!  

The only time I would quit a regimen before the 3 months is when I felt much worse after starting the diet or supplement. Then, of course I stopped immediately.

I have determined I cannot take Alpha Lipoic Acid on an empty stomach after only 3 doses.  I just seems to explode in my stomach about 5-10 minutes after I take it and causes severe stomach pain. Use your common sense when trying new supplements. 

MSM helped my sleep tremendously. With better sleep, I have a better chance of healing my bones, muscles, etc. Vitamin C is my good all around go to vitamin for preventing and staving off infection and  general all around feeling good vitamin. However, MSM did not help directly with my pain.

I have tried many supplements and vitamins to aid with my pain. Most have not yielded the results I wanted which was some good pain relief. I seek supplements that will heal versus supplements that will cover up the symptoms. 

Dr Sherry Rogers has written many books about taking charge of your own health and give numerous suggestions as what to do in the various situations. Her book on chronic pain is chock full of suggestions. Of course, you will need to try each supplement one at a time, otherwise you will not know what it was that made things better or worse as the case may be. 

To be honest, I have not found any supplement (yet) that helped much with my pain. I have tried MSM, curcumin, turmeric, glucosamine, chondroitin.  What I have found the most helpful is the not eating something. Like not eating anything with aspartame, not eating sugar,  not eating anything with high fructose corn syrup. 

My supplement regimen now consists of NAC (N Acetyl Cysteine) one, three times a day. Methyl-folate 1 a day and methyl B-12 one a day. As I suggested, I am giving it a 3 month’s trial. This regimen was suggested to me by Dr Neil Rawlins who practices in Richland, Wasington. I have been taking these supplements for one month. Hows it going so far? I don't see a down side ans it no negative side effects. I do think they are helping, but in all reality, it is just too soon to tell. Some changes are so subtle that I keep a log of how my pain is doing so that I can look back and note more objectively whether my pain is better. The placebo effect can sometime convince myself something is helping when, in the long run it is only a brief, in my mind, so to speak. I’ll let you know.

So until next time, be healthy, never give up looking for your health answers! You are your best health advocate and only you know you like you do.:-}

Healthbug

The Food Aspect of Chronic Pain

My previous post was about all the physical things I have done (or the majority of them) to decrease the chronic pain I have had. This post, I will share what I have done, food wise, to decrease my pain.

You can read all over the internet how people with arthritis, osteoporosis, etc, should avoid nightshades. Bummer for me because nightshades are a group of foods that I am most fond of. Eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes are all members of the nightshade family. So what to do? I decided a couple weeks, even a couple of months without these foods would be worth it if I received even some pain relief. Those of you with chronic pain will try just about anything that with that even suggest it might help to relieve pain!

I went not just a few weeks, but 6 months without my favorite foods, each day hoping that would be the day that I would begin to feel some pain relief. Sad to say, but that did not happen. Absolutely no pain relief from eliminating these foods from my diet! I am not sorry I tried this alteration in my diet. Now I know for sure that elimination does not help. However, there are some people who do receive pain relief by eliminating the nightshades. In my opinion it is very worth a trial run of elimination.

So carry on. one of the most helpful foods I've eliminated that does help with pain relief is sugar! Wow! I can tell when I eat something with sugar in it! I do in fact have increased pain. In fact sugar and high fructose corn syrup both add to my pain! So I eliminate them as much as possible.

Aspartame, and any derivative there of, causes me to have a ton of pain. I experience deep bone pain when I have even the smallest amount of aspartame in my diet. This is one additive I tell anyone that will listen, to avoid at all cost. I have heard neurologists tell nurses that aspartame is a neuro-toxin. Many people are skeptical when I share this, however, those that have decided that they could do without aspartame for a week just to see if they felt better, have found that they, in fact, do feel better.
 Aspartame symptoms that other people experience are, head aches, bone pain, muscle pain and uncontrolled shaking. If fact some people who are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are really experiencing the affects of aspartame!

I continue to try to be vigilant about what I eat and how it affects how I feel. That is all part of taking responsibility for myself, my health and my life.  I also try supplements that promise pain relief. This will be the subject of my next post. Until then, be in good health!

Thanks for reading my blog.

Healthbug

Chronic Pain Update

What is chronic pain? Any pain you've had more than 3-4 months. Pain you have had for years is, of course, chronic pain. Anyone who has chronic pain or has had chronic pain knows how energy zapping this can be. My suggestion is to never give up trying to find the root cause. Even when you know it is due to degeneration of a joint, there are still healing modalities that may help your body heal these joints. Oh, I know "they" say "joints don't heal" but I don't buy into that thinking. If you do, the best thing you can do is get that joint replaced as soon as you can afford to. For me, and I believe, many others, any part of our body can heal if it gets the right nutrients, exercise, blood flow,  muscle balance, whatever, to heal. Don't get me wrong, I am not against joint replacements, they are a great thing, but for me they are the absolute last resort. Thankfully, many others think the same or there would not be so many alternatives out there to choose from these days.

I promised to fill in the gap from 2013 to present 2018. In the exercise/physical realm I tried a packaged program that is sold through chiropractic's offices that include: Chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massage, and physical therapy. This help a little bit for a little while. Then I went to a wonderful Physical Therapist, Eric-who graciously saw me in his home as he usually does not take private clients. Eric kept me going so that I could work in a busy ER. I even kept going after I moved on for about 6 months. The hassle of traveling so far to a therapist became too much and also the benefits I gained from the exercises peaked at a level still not acceptable for me.

During this time frame I tried prolo therapy injections in both my right hip and right knee. After 11 injections in both, I and the Dr concluded that they were not going to help. I was referred to a clinic that does stem cell injections to the tune of $10,000. "gasp". No, I can't afford that but was able to find a facility that would do the injections for $2,000 and injection. Expensive, but if it worked it would be far less than surgery. Six week post injections and no improvement. Huge disappointment  here, as you might expect. What now? A specialist that said I have nothing wrong with my knee per x-ray and MRI and Avascular necrosis (AVN) in my right hip! Say what? That's a nasty sounding diagnosis. It means lack of blood flow to the joint/bone causing degeneration. Hmm.

On to Acupuncture, with Joel Dunning-Omaha, NE, goal- to open up the circulation in my hip and thus allow for healing nutrients to flow to that joint. 6-8 months into that modality and I added lymphatic drainage and therapeutic massage which was done by the Acupuncturist's wife, Theresa. Another 2-3 months and I was feeling discouraged so asked for a referral to a Chiropractor or someone else and was referred to John Macy in Omaha, NE. Two appointments with John and I felt I had some hope of better pain relief! At my second appointment with John he referred me to the Hruska Clinic in Lincoln, NE.

I Promptly made an appointment with Jason at the Hruska Clinic (Restorative therapy which uses Postural Restoration). I am now 2 appointments into this therapy which involves assessment by a trained individual and then exercises that help to restore muscles balance. This therapy is powerful, and so far I am encouraged. In fact yesterday I was able to walk with absolutely no pain! Plus my right leg felt much stronger! Yeah for exercises that are working those muscles.

Here's a thought for those thinking of joint replacement, if your posture and muscle balance is out of whack and doesn't get fixed before a joint replacement, most likely you will have the same problem/pain after the joint replacement. Just a thought.

Along with the Physical Therapy, I have tried changing up my diet in many ways to see if that would help. Without addressing diet, I believe, you are only touching one of the root causes. Diet is a huge subject and I have tried numerous diets and supplements to achieve pain relief. This is too much for this one post so I will leave that to next time.

Thank you for reading this, I hope you have a great day!

Till next time, Healthbug

Pain! A Review

Hi,
Oh my gosh!!! I have finally been able to access my blog! What a frustrating struggle. I am going to post this article I had in my drafts. A huge update needs to be added but am so excited I am finally able to access my blog that I wanted to post something right away so I am going with this. Update to come soon.....Promise!
I think pain is one of the most frequent reasons people seek medical help. Pain is a symptom. Something that should not be ignored! In the ER it is one of the things that will get you bumped to the front of the line about as quick as anything.

So what can I say about pain that most people don't know? Before you seek professional attention, or as you are going to seek professional attention answer these questions. When did it start? Was it horrible pain from the start or did it gradually get worse? What does it feel like? sharp, dull, tingly, burning, stabbing, cramping? Does it radiate anywhere? That means does the pain start in one area of your body and move to another area? What were you doing just before the pain started? Maybe you have had the pain a lot longer than you think. We all seem to put minor pain out of our mind and keep going.

Pain is a signal. It is your body's way of saying, "Hey, you, there is something not right here!" It could be something you ate, a movement you performed that injured something, or an organ not functioning as it should. Pain should never be ignored. Your body is telling you something.

In reality, chronic pain is the hardest to deal with. As that low grade chronic pain becomes louder and louder, you eventually have to begin to listen to it. What to do? I have been dealing with Chronic right knee and hip pain for years. It may have started years ago when I had a bicycle accident and injured my right knee. I have dealt with it as it has gotten severe throughout the years with chiropractic care which has taken the pain away. Since I am such a do it your-selfer, I've done trigger point therapy, which worked for a time, Chiropractic with physical therapy and therapeutic massage, to any and all nutritional avenues I could think of. Most alleviated some of the pain for awhile. As long as I was doing whatever therapy. None alleviated the pain completely. About 6 years ago this pain became more or less constant and with any amount of walking, I was in a lot of pain. Now I don't do pain medication much at all because I know it just masks the pain that we need to be paying attention to. However, I must admit to taking some Ibuprofen every once in awhile when I just couldn't stand the pain.

Sounds a bit pathetic. I am doing everything I knew how to do. I've been to acupuncturists, chiropractors, had an X-ray that showed I have degeneration in that right hip. I don't take that as the last word. I know my body can heal. My right knee was more painful than my hip but after expert examination, it seemed to have nothing wrong with it but maybe slightly stretched ligaments. Other than that the pain in my knee, I was told was from compensating for the misplacement of my hip.I spent $350 on orthoutics. OK so maybe they helped a bit. But nothing helped enough for me to get on with the living of my life without chronic pain.

Comes now the search for something else. I am working from the inside out with nutritional supplements recommended by a thorough hair analysis and still looking for the answer. Pain Free Living by Pete Escogue. Pete is a postural therapist. I had never heard of such a person. But there you have it. That is why I will never claim to know it all. There is so much out there that even with my constant research I am still running into something new to me. So Pete has been doing his thing for 30 plus years and has clinics all over the world and the US. I got myself his book and started reading. On the face, it sure does make sense that your posture can make or break you. Give you pain or give you relief.

Update, I was seen by an Escogue practitioner who did an analysis of my posture and gave me exercises to do. They helped, like all else, a little. This is something I would encourage anyone dealing with chronic pain to consider. While it has not solved my issue, it shows promise to at least help.

Just 6 weeks ago I had Prolo injections on my right hip and knee with quite a bit of help with the pain, especially in the beginning. However now I am back to hurting quite a bit.

Main thing here is to Keep searching for the underlying cause of that pain! My pain update coming soon. This was written 2013 so a lot has happened since I initially wrote this.

Till later,
Healthbug

1/2/2015 Wow! It looks like I have managed to be real consistent with publishing at least once a year. LOL. Hesitant, crooked smile here. Once again the ole new year rolls around and I make promises to myself. This year will be different, I will commit and I will follow through with my writing. Gosh, with a whole new year spread out before me, it is easy to be positive, ultra determined and gun how one more time. No goals set, none met. So here goes another try. Broad smile here :-)

I do not want to make this post about making resolutions and following through. That is a very in depth subject and not one I want to tackle at this time. What has been on my mind lately is Chronic muscular/skeletal pain. How do you deal with it? How does it relate to all that we do? Getting to the bottom of our pain. Following our noses so to speak to find out just what the real cause of the pain is.

If you suffer from chronic pain, you know that answering just those few questions is a tall order. This is a subject close to my heart because I suffer from chronic right hip and right knee pain. Dealing with pain can include many modalities of care. You can mask it with drugs and or herbs or you can have surgery (maybe if that is indicated, which may or may not fix the underlying problem). Being self responsible people when taking charge of my own health, I like to first realize that whatever I do, I must be able to accept the consequences of those actions or non actions as the case may be. The answer to this question will be different for everyone depending on their view of health and healing.

Chronic pain can and does affect every aspect of your life. How you move, how active you are, your self image and how much you get done in your day.

Getting to the bottom of our pain is one of the most difficult and most rewarding. Answering the following questions can help with this. When did it start? Did it start gradually or suddenly? Did something happen just before the pain started?IE trauma of any sort or a sickness? Could the pain be related to this? Did you start eating something consistently just before the pain started? IE Aspartame? Has the quality and quanity of pain changes since it began. Does the pain radiate from one spot? Keep asking yourself questions about the pain until you run out of questions to ask then think again. Usually chronic pain is chronic because it sneaks up on you or because "they" can't find the cause of your pain.

You and only you should be making these decisions as to what to do about your pain. I would suggest that you also put a lot of research into your decision. Please don't just take the surgeon's word for it. Hey, guys, I have my reasons, I am a nurse with 22+ years of experience.

The biggest thing I see about chronic pain is that it is never, well I guess I should not say never, but rarely is the solution a simple one step. As much as I would like it to be. It is a lot of trial and error as well as openness to using different techniques. Some therapies to try Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Therapeutic massage, Prolo-therapy, Escogue therapy and more, much more. Be open, be critical, skeptical even, but keep searching for what will get to the bottom of your pain. Don't forget the impact diet has on our bodies either. Some foods cause us to have more inflammation. Watch your diet for connections. Some foods are poison to us such as aspartame. Herbs and vitamins can also help relieve pain.I know it can be a long difficult search but it is time well spent.

May the pain spur you to continue your search till you find an answer.

Happy New Year to all! Thanks for reading my blog and I wish you all a healthier, happy new year.

Till next time,

Healthbug

Affordable Healthcare

My main goal with this blog is to encourage and empower anyone who already wants to take charge of their own health. Since I have been a registered nurse for over 21 years, I hope that it will carry some weight when you hear me encourage you to consciously take responsibility for your own health.

Let's face it, there are a ton of naysayers out there that discourage people when it comes to "doing something for your own health". Many of these naysayers are healthcare professionals that mean well but, speak from a place of fear. Fear that you might make 'the wrong health decision'. What they fail to recognize is that those decisions are yours to make irregardless of whether you are following 'doctor's orders' or following your own well researched, better judgement. You and you alone have to make those decisions. In fact, no one else can make those decisions for you. You decide what to put in your mouth, you decide, how much and what to eat, you decide what to drink or not drink, you decide the drugs you take or don't take, you decide the amount of sleep you get, you decide whether to smoke or not.

No healthcare professional or any other person can or will follow us around and tell us what to do at every waking moment. Thus, whether you recognize it or not, everyone is making their own health care decisions. What some people don't realize is that when they blindly 'do what the DR tells them to do' they relinquish responsibility for those decisions when ultimately they are responsible.

You, who might read this blog have consciously recognized this and have decided to take this responsibility seriously. And since you have already made that decision, I am here to simply encourage you and offer you a little guidance in making those decisions that you need to make for yourself. Nothing I say is gospel. I can only lend you my opinion which is based upon my professional experience. You still have to ultimately make those decisions for yourself.

I am convinced that the most affordable healthcare is that which you can give yourself! Who stands to benefit the most from better health? What are the things that can effect your health the most?

Whether you are at the beginning of your journey, already taken some pretty big steps toward health, or are a veteran pro at it and just want to be validated in you commitment, I hope to have something to interest you.

My first words of encouragement are "Yes, you can made a difference! Yes, you are making a difference and Yeah for you for making a difference in your own health!"

Till next time, smile, love, laugh and be good to you.

Healthbug

Water-Dehydration

Health conscious people, like you and I, know that drinking enough water is important. According to Wikipedia who uses Guyton's and Jackson's Anatomy and Physiology books for nursing as references, the adult body is made up of an average of 57-60% water. These percentages decrease to as low as 45% as a person ages. There are many technical facts about the water that is within the body like intracellular (within the cell)is 2/3 of the body's water and extracellular (outside the cell) makes up the other 1/3rd.

Electrolyte balance is connected to the amount of water, potassium and sodium that is in our body. Out of balance electrolytes can cause all kinds of horrible side effects. As an ER nurse, I have seen many out of whack heart rhythms from too much or too little potassium as well as muscle cramps from too little K+. Low sodium can cause mental confusion.


Considering all the health benefits of hydrating with water, it is easy to agree that "yeah, I should really drink more water". Then comes the confusing question. How much water is enough? Can you drink too much water? Does it mater when you drink your water? What kind of water should I drink?

The answer to these questions vary wildly depending upon which 'expert' you talk to. What is important to know is that there is generally at least a little truth in every experts opinion. This is why I say it is very important for everyone to find their own answer. Does that mean you should not listen to the 'experts'? No, listen, but know that your answer is somewhere between what each expert says and where you personally are with your body. Does that make sense? In other words, the answer is an individual one. There is a generally true answer but anytime we do not address individuality, we can really miss the mark as far as what is the right answer for you personally.

My opinions on these questions is as follows:

*How much is enough water? A general rule of thumb is half of your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 100 pounds, aim for 50 ounces, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim for 90 ounces and so on and so forth. That said, use your "how do I feel when I drink this much water?" answer to guide you. Every body is different.

**Yes, you can drink too much water. This usually only happens to people who have a Psychological disorder (which is the only incidences of water intoxication I have seen in my 20+ years of clinical experience) or in people who are way over zealous in drinking water. Too much intake of water causes an electrolyte imbalance (low sodium levels) which can cause severe neurological symptoms like confusion, convulsions, coma and in severe cases, death.

***Does when you drink water make a difference. I believe drinking 8 to 16 ounces of water upon arising in the morning helps to get things moving. Many people believe that you should drink a cup of water at least 15 minutes before you eat so that your body will have enough fluids for digestive enzymes. I reality, you will have to find a pattern that works for you. My thoughts are, it is more important to drink enough than exactly when you drink it.

****The kind of water is important, but, and this is really more of an opinion, I believe it is most important that you do drink sufficient water. The body does filter out toxins, especially if you are healthy. However, once you get in the habit of drinking sufficient water, and if you have the money, you may want to switch to filtered water. There too there is a huge differing of opinion, and you will have to make up your own mind between spring water, RO water, distilled water or just charcoal filtered tap water. It seems there is an expert who recommends any one of these so you just have to make up your own mind and trust that that is the answer for you.

Taking personal responsibility for my own health is a commitment and.... well, a responsibility. If I take that responsibility seriously, I will not begrudge the time it takes to read what the experts have to say and then examine my own lifestyle and my body's response to the added intake of more water, etc.

One of the more radical books on water is "Your Body's many cries for Water" by F. Batmanghelidj,MD. I am not sure you can cure all things with water but I think his is a good read to see just how important hydration is in all health issues.

As health conscious individuals, most of you have already determined how much and what kind of water you choose to drink. Nothing I am saying here is new to you. I applaud you and encourage you to keep on doing that which you know to do to keep healthy! My main goal with this blog is to encourage and empower anyone who wants to take charge of their own health.

Till next time,

Healthbug

Sites I used as reference.
1. http://www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/pdin-en/ehi3/dehydration?gclid=COL-m_eKq7sCFbBAMgodyVAAlQ
2. http://web.pdx.edu/~sujata/FruitEze/education/laxative/water_chart.html

Motivation to Eat more Veggies

In contemplating my own health and health habits, I am looking for those things that motivate me to eat, exercise, and other wise take better care of myself. I have been a long time believer in the fact that people can make the most difference in their own health. Meaning, I, with my choices, can have the most effect on whether I am healthy or not. Sounds too simplistic, I know but in my 20 plus years of nursing, and 40 years of being a health conscious Mom, I do see that this is a truism.

How and what we think and believe about our health has a great effect on our health. If I think that my health is something that I either have or do not have,something that only the Doctor can help you maintain, then essentially you believe that nothing you do effects your health and with those beliefs, I am not motivated at all to do anything that would help prevent disease or make me healthier. However, if I believe that my life choices have a great affect on how I feel and what kind of health I have, then I am much more likely to make choices that have a positive affect my health.

Motivation is one of the great game changers. How motivated we are to do those things that will promote health will determine how vested we get in healthy living. Sometimes I find it helpful to use extremes to motivate myself. Say I am struggling to eat more vegetables (which I am at this present time) and I really don't like many vegetables, or at least not enough to be able to eat 2 cups of cooked veggies 3 times a day, which is what I am experimenting with at the present time. So I ask myself if I would be more enthusiastic about the process, if I knew that I had cancer, or some other life threatening disease that I know would benefit greatly from addition of this amount of veggies, would my motivation improve. Hmmm maybe not. But if I had research in front of me that indicated that those who ate that amount of veggies had a much higher chance of recovery, or that health issues were greatly improved, then I would be much more motivated. So the key is to keep those facts in mind and then figure out a way to make the veggies more to my liking.

So sauces it is. Sauces, sour cream dip, yogurt dip, seasonings and what ever I have to do to make Veggies my most favorite food.I'm on it.

Remembering that any 'diet' must be composed of food I enjoy eating, foods that I love eating and foods that agree with my body is the only way that I will be able to eat healthy for a lifetime.

Till next time,
Healthbug

Time keeps flying by and I keep loosing track of this blog. Each and every day I study, research, experience new ways of healing and yet I forget to post. I forget that I have made a commitment to this blog. Not so much for others, but for myself. In getting to where I want to go, I have to go through what I need to go through. Sounds trite, I know, but the living of this is not trite.

I use to try to go around painful areas of my life that I did not want to deal with. I somehow thought that if I did not confront my feelings, thoughts, doubts, fears, and perceived short comings, they would magically not be there. I mistakenly thought that bringing up hard issues, emotions, unpleasant thoughts would somehow make things worse. I have long since learned a better way. It is about time I used it to get busy and attend to this blog as I really want to. I know that the only way to get to where I want to go is to go through those things I need to go through. By saying that I mean acknowledge the disappointment, fear, self sabotage, and bad habits that have kept me from being diligent with this blog as I want to be. If I don't give myself permission to have a new start, yes, yet again, than who will.

The only place I know to start is where I am in the moment. This moment I have begun reading a book by Louise DeSalvo entitled "Writing as a way of Healing, How telling our stories transforms our Lives"! I have only begun to read this book and it has taken me back to my roots. Back to my love of writing and my hope of "being a writer". This is a very profound book. One that I can see has already changed my life.

In a brief nutshell, by writing about our emotions and the traumas we have experienced,we can not only heal our minds and psychi but also heal our bodies. The two must be connected. It appears that connecting the trauma with our feelings, both then and now, have a healing effect beyond what researchers expected! Wow, that is powerful!


This means that if I allow myself to write about and express the pain, dis-empowerment and self disappointment of failure to my own self imposed commitment, I can strengthen myself? I am game for this.

My passion is empowering myself and others to do all that we can do to be as healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually as possible. Connected to this passion is finding ways that anyone and everyone can afford if they wish. Writing fits this bill. Got pen, got paper and you can write. The brain supplies the rest! The adventure begins with you first words. Anything and everything is open to discuss. No one ever needs to read what you write and you never need to read what you have written. It appears that the effort to be organized, specific, and connected to your traumas and the feelings that are attached to them and writing all this down, is the catalyst for healing.

I make no attempt here to a complete review of this book. If this mode of healing attracts you, you can go to the library and check it out. If they don't have it, chances are they can order it. Or if you are like me want to own an inspiring book you can most likely find it cheaply on the internet. I love Amazon.com for used books. I am a book hound! I love to read and learn. It is about time I start healing deeper wounds with my writing.

A while back I promised some information on water. I WILL get to that. We are 75% water. So how important do you think it could be? LOL.

Till next time and hopefully I will be more regular at posting. No, not hopefully, I will be!
Happy Thanksgiving to all,

Healthbug

The Value of Mom

Just what is Self Care Health Care? It sounds just like a tongue twister to me.Self care speaks of taking responsibility for your health and well being. Self directed Healthcare might be a better way of putting it. Because of my history, Mom of 5 children with limited monetary funds, I felt I constantly had to think about how to keep my family safe and healthy. Accidents do happen. Minor ones can be taken care of at home (If you know how),slightly more acute injuries might need an expert hand and should be taken to your DR/Healthcare Provider and of course acute injuries should be taken to the Emergency Room.

I think I was very fortunate to have a Mom who taught me how to assess the everyday ouies and boo boos that come along. She taught me not only to assess these but how to treat them at home to decrease the possibility of infection and then how to treat infection if it did develop. As an ER Nurse I have often said that "We all need a Mommy hotline". It is amazing how many things can be prevented but then also treated very effectively at home.

Outside of injuries, which you have only a modicum of control, general health is the piece of health that you can have enormous affect on, not only for yourself but also for others in your household like spouse/partner, children and/or other family members. Yep, Mom helped me out there too. She was very aware of how important a healthy diet was. At one point she sold vitamins "Nutrilite". This was one of the first vitamin companies around. So as a kid I learned that what I ate was very important to keeping me healthy. I have continued to build on that knowledge by reading almost everything I can get my hands on and have the time to read that talks about health,healing and dealing with chronic diseases.

Bottom line, taking responsibility for you and your family's health, takes a commitment, motivation, a few skills and knowledge. Why bother? You might say "All this sounds really great but it is so out of reach. I mean, taking care of the house,laundry as well as the outside job is a tremendous drain on my time. Add a family in there if you have one and it all seems very overwhelming! I don't have time for all that learning!" You might also say "You'd have to be a nurse to know all that. I don't want to be a nurse. I just want to be healthy and help those around me be healthy."

Gosh, I just realized I am talking to those people who don't "get it". If you are reading this blog, you "get it". You already take responsibility for you health and it's care. You "get" that knowledge is power and you "get" that you can do so many base level things to get and stay healthy. You also already know how to take care of the minor stuff yourself at home. When you get the fact that you are responsible for your health whether or not you recognize it, the next step is to decide to not be passive about it, you then search for answers.

Mom's for centuries have been the nurse. They had no formal training. They learned from their Mom. Much of that knowledge has been lost since Mom's went to work outside the home. They became stressed and more limited with their time. Now we have one or two generations who have not had the advantage of learning simple self care.


Mostly this post is about getting back to that basic. Moms and Dads teach. I encourage all the readers of this silly little blog to know your value! Your desire to keep healthy and your search for the knowledge with which to do this is the stone in the pond that can cause a ripple effect. It's all about one step at a time, one small change at a time. That's why I love my moto "Small changes BIG results".

Next post is going to be about water. You can't get more simple than that.

Until then Hope you keep coming back. Drop a comment if you would like to know something specific. I really am a real person and am eager to share my knowledge. I don't know it all, but love to do research.

Later,

Healthbug

Weight Loss

I know this is a worn out topic but I just have to go here yet again, one more time. I know when I was looking for a way to loose weight, I was always looking for that "something new" that would help me be successful. The "magic bullet" to end all my misery just had to be out there somewhere? Where oh where to find what I needed to loose the weight in a successful way.

My long history of dieting, trying to loose weight led me to be very skeptical of ever getting a handle on my weight. I felt I had a lot going against me being successful. Family history of being obese, I was older and my metabolism was slower, family history of low thyroid all helped to discourage me from even trying to, yet again, one more time, to loose the weight.

Thankfully, 3 years ago I found a way of eating that I was able to follow and loose not only all the weight I wanted to plus more. I just spent some time this morning talking with my beautiful daughter-in-law about the various ways to loose weight. I lost weight using "Let's Do Lunch". This program teaches you how to eat not only for weight loss but also for health. Since I am such a health nut this really spoke to me. I have kept the weight off and am still excited about this way of eating.

So for me the LDL way of eating worked great and I know it works for others. However the discussion went like this, not everyone has the same metabolism and not everyone has the same mindset. When it comes to loosing weight it is a combination of mindset, determination and metabolism. I think the most important is mindset being attitude. Everyone has their jump off point and what they can and can not tolerate. I use a "how healthy is this way of eating" format to determine if the diet is a good one. The next most important criteria is that you have to love the foods that you are eating.

The more you get away from processed foods the better your food tastes to you. But you still have to start with foods you love even with numbed out taste buds. So fill up on those "good for you" foods before you even think of adding anything else to your plate. Hint: one week without processed foods will make those taste buds come alive. Then it seems like everything takes on a new dimension of flavor! Its like adding color to a black and white picture. When those healthful foods taste great, you are not even tempted to eat junk!

I have talked to many who have used the HCG protocol and diet to reset their metabolism and thus loose weight and keep it off. If you use this to help you get a handle on a healthy diet while loosing weight, I think this is a great way to go. It is fast and, if done correctly, not too painful. If I had not been so successful with LDL I would give it a shot.

I am now reviewing a book on aging and metabolism! Boy am I excited to get to the meat of this book. Even though it is 10 years old, it has some great info on little known research. The big issue is even though I have lost the weight and keep it off I seem to be loosing muscle strength as I age. Not too cool. Supposedly there is a way to increase your muscle mass as well as loose the fat thus becoming healthier as you age. Hey, that is for me! So look for my review of this book in the next few weeks.

Until then, to your best health possible,

Heathbug