EXCELLENT Book on Natural Medicines!

I received this book from my sister-in-law and family for Christmas and I have to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising Unbiased About What Treatments Work and Why, by Jonny Bowden



The title of the book says it all - it is honest and straight forward about using natural healing for the body, which is built to be extremely resilient. The introduction in the book is especially important to read.

I really like that it confirms my feelings that using alternative and all natural treatments does not have to be expensive, it eliminates horrible side effects (and in fact helps the body become more healthy all around) and that simple changes in lifestyle and diet can have HUGE impacts. Natural cures, while they do take time to work, they treat the whole body and no matter what you suffer from, or don't suffer from, you can always learn something about making a healthier you.

It does touch on fibromyalgia here and there, and in fact confirms some things I have already read and researched, so that too made me feel good about the direction I am heading. (Ribose, Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Vitamin B, Sam-e, Magnesium, Reflexology)

But I am really enjoying the new things I am learning about, like all the benefits of apple cider vinegar (which for me can help with my acid reflux, but in addition has a lot of vitamins and minerals to also help my overall health at the same time!) and the benefits of Selenium, Cinnamon, and even Cranberry Juice.

Has anyone else come across this book?!

e-rewards.com - Join Today!

https://www.e-rewards.com

This is a cool site. I've been a member for almost 3 years now, its free to join, and at various times they send you surveys on a variety of things and you provide feedback and then get credit, and then can redeem credit for "rewards" like magazine subscriptions, discounts at various stores and what not.

I noticed they now have a subscription to a magazine called "Whole Living", once my rewards reach that level I'm going to cash in and try that magazine out. For free! Super cool.

Here is a description of the magazine, sounds interesting:

Whole Living
Great tips to enrich your life, stay young and vibrant, and improve your health. Stay younger, look better, be stronger -- naturally! Great ideas for natural eating, inner growth, and a healthy home. (Formerly body+soul magazine. From Martha Stewart.)

Tunies Super Save Nutrition Store

http://www.tunies.com/

I heard about this local nutrition store via word of mouth and wanted to check it out for myself, as I had heard it was comparable to Whole Foods but had much, much more reasonable prices. TO NOTE: After visiting their website I also noticed that you can place orders online for shipments throughout the U.S. and international.

I wandered through the aisles this evening and am highly impressed, the carry all the products and supplements that I order online and seek out at various stores, and at prices cheaper than I am currently paying! From my Ultra-Mag magnesium, to my Neem Gentle Shampoo and Neem Toothpaste. I had my eye on the peacekeeper nail polish and some organic lip gloss, for my next visit :)

Super friendly employees and very helpful. They carry not just a wide variety of supplements and vitamins but they have a good selection of foods, snacks, even sulfate free wines, and again all at very reasonable pricing.

Since I have developed so many chemical sensitivities I am super happy to have found this place which offers a huge variety of chemical-free and organic products for me to try.

I love it, it has opened my horizons even more! And I love that its a one-stop shop for me on so many things! Check them out!!

http://www.tunies.com/

Tunies.com Super Save Nutrition Center

5651 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076

(954) 510-0410 Phone

(954) 796-2218 Fax

 

L-Lysine for Canker Sores - Follow Up

As promised in my December 5th post (http://adayinthelifeoffibro.blogspot.com/2010/12/l-lysine-for-canker-sores.html) I am following up with my continued successful results with L-Lysine!

I have not had any mouth sores or canker sores since Thanksgiving, and after having suffered a continuous onslaught of canker and mouth sores for over a year, to me this is such relief, and a miracle! I even indulged in some trigger foods over Christmas, but was able to double up on the Lysine in anticipation and never developed the sores like I did before.

I also think that adding the Lysine and Vitamin C has been just an overall good boost to my immune system, as some really nasty sickness has been going around at work and I am one of the few in my department who remain unscathed by this horrible flu-like illness.

My next true test will be when I visit the dentist in February, I plan on doubling up on the Lysine a few days before to see if it helps the burning mouth syndrome from coming on full force after the dentist knocks around in my mouth. Keeping my fingers crossed!

5 Reasons God Permits Problems

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you-- depending on how YOU respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five reasons God May have Permitted the problems for experience in your life:

1. God permits problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God allowing this situation to get your
attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways. " - Proverbs 20:30

2. God permits problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags ... if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith by allowing a problem or two into your life? What do
problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something... health, money, a relationship. ..by losing it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws." Psalms 119:71-72

4. God permits problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical
that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem-but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good"... Genesis 50:20

5. God permits problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your
character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-4

** Here's the point: God is at work in your life-even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

The Three Minute Egg for Yoga

This looks kewl! Has anyone tried these? Some positions in yoga aren't comfortable for me, these look like they might help.


http://yoga.about.com/od/yogagear/fr/Three-Minute-Egg-Yoga-Prop.htm?nl=1

Good Story

This is a good story, inspiring. I like this advice the best:

"And so the first thing to do, I think, is to accept that you have this condition, but do not accept that it’s going to run your life.” - Becky Halstead

http://fibroblog.org/2010/12/14/becky-halstead-learning-to-say-no/

Good Posture is Essential

I have noticed that with the fibro I have started to slouch and get lazy. I have tried to be more aware and catch myself, try to sit up straighter and improve my posture. As bad posture can affect so much i the body and create terrible misalignment and subsequently pains. I think my recent return to yoga and also working with a postural alignment massage therapist, as well as me just being more aware and sitting up straighter, has helped a lot. I found this good (short) article on posture:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00002_D

Drink Water for Health

I have noticed that the mroe water I drink each day the better I feel. Found this interesting info on drinking water:

 

 Correct timing to drink water, will maximize its effectiveness on the Human Body.

a) Two glasses of water – After waking up – Helps activate Internal organs.
b) One glass of water – 30 Minutes before meal – Help Digestion
c) One glass of water – Before taking a bath – Helps lower Blood Pressure
d) One glass of water – Before Sleep – To avoid Stroke or Heart attack.

http://www.eface.in/correct-timing-of-drinking-water-maximize-its-effectiveness/

Yoga

Yoga is a stress-reducing, muscle-toning and spirit-strengthening exercise. It also opens your arteries and improves bloodflow.

I have a really difficult time with downward dog, really hurts my hands and I have a difficult time breathing (is supposed to be a restorative and relaxing pose!)

I was wondering if any fibro-mites have every tried anythiing like these wrist savers?

http://www.yogastickysocks.com/WristSaver.html

I love my yoga, I just have to sit out or do alternative moves sometimes :)

L-Lysine for Canker Sores

Ever since I started with fibro symptoms over a year ago I've suffered too from frequent boughts with canker sores in my mouth as well as what I recently discovered is called "burning mouth syndrome."

I have discovered along the way foods and what not that seem to be triggers, (foods that are acidic like pineapple and cranberry, and spicy foods like jalepenos, cajun, anything with horseradish, even tangy things made with tomatoes like ketchup, cocktail sauce, salsa; this unfortunately has been a VERY difficult adjustment as I LOVE all these foods, most were staples of my diet :/)

I also quickly discovered that any toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate was a huge instigator of my canker sore boughts. (So I now use Burts Bees toothpaste - is SLS free :)

I have also noticed that when I go to the dentist every 6 months for my regular cleanings I seem to suffer a month of burning mouth afterwords. Probably chemicals (maybe even SLS) in the products they use.

Anyhoo so I started on a path of research, and I discovered via amazon a booked called The Fibromyalgia Dental Handbook, by Flora Parsa Stay.

I was reading through the book and in the canker sores chapter came across an alternative treatment for canker sores which involved taking vitamin C, vitamin B and L-Lysine (boosting immune system and recovery.) For me canker sores are pure misery, 3 weeks from start to finish for each one, often multiples overlapping. And it seems that once I get a canker sore it initiates burning mouth syndrome and the burning pain in my gums. So yes I was willing to try something that would help them heal faster and quite possibly prevent them for occurring so often!

I was 4 days into a new canker sore with a another new one starting and began taking  500mg L-Lysine twice a day, as well as 500mg vitamin C at night and 1000mg vitamin B12 in the mornings. Now I have tried taking vitamin C and B before to no avail, but I was curious about this L-Lysine (is an essential amino acid that out bodies don't produce but we get from eating certain foods.)

5 days later and BOTH canker sores are COMPLETELY GONE!!! I am highly impressed, and excited! So I have cut back the L-Lysine to 500mg once a day, trying to prevent future breakouts. Crossing my fingers. I am hoping that by taking the vitamin C, B and L-Lysine daily it may also help with the burning mouth and hopefully help with the episodes after teeth cleanings with the dentist.

I will post updates if I have any more sores or not!

Anyone else have experiences like this with L-Lysine? I found it at the grocery store, fairly inexpensive, a bottle for about $8.