upcycled by ash: Lymetastic Giveaway

Please check out this incredible giveaway from my friend Ashley. She's giving away the handmade clutch she took with her to the Turn the Corner Gala this past fall. What an awesome gift.

upcycled by ash: Lymetastic Giveaway: "YAY a giveaway. I feel like it has been forever since I did a giveaway. This month's giveaway item is the fantastic clutch I made for the ..."

The Do Not Eat List

I, like most Lymies, have quite a long list of foods I can not/should not eat. I created this list after several visits with a naturopath, allergy testing, and listening closely to my body. Here is what is on my do not eat list which I have hanging on my fridge just in case I can't remember.



Cow Milk
Lactose
Anise Seed
Aspartame
Maple Sugar
Gluten
Carob
Casein, Cowmilk
Chili Powder
Corn
Cocoa
Equal
Ham
Whole Wheat
Wheat Bran
Pinto Beans
Mushrooms
Cane Sugar
Corn Sugar
Cheddar Cheese
Barley Malt
Pork
Sacchrin
Beet Sugar
MSG
Rye
Date Sugar
Superheated Vegetable Fat
Sweet and Low
Whole Wheat
Barley
Navy Beans
American Cheese
Coca-Cola
Honey
Hops
Horseradish
Liver
Peanut
Tea
Pineapple
Kidney Beans
Chocolate
Soy
Almonds
Mango


Lucky for me many of these foods weren't in my diet to begin with. Many of these foods I can handle in small quantities infrequently, but others make me sick almost instantly. What do I mean when I say they make me sick? Well it depends on the food. For example, significant ammounts of sugar makes me itchy and not able to sleep especially in chocolate. Chocolate also makes me break out. I was so in denial of this for forever, but when I quit my skin clears up a lot. Milk makes me flemy right away. Wheat makes me bloated, tired, stuffy headed and in pain. I also think it makes me sneeze. MSG causes such bad migraines I nearly always throw up. Lovely isn't it? Mango causes sores in my mouth that scab over. Almonds cause canker sores. Most beans cause major stomach upset and digestive issues. I could go on and on.

I've learned over the last 3 years what bothers me and what doesn't. How much of each thing I can handle with out major side effects. However, the most important things I have learned have come from really being strict about this diet.

At first I was freaking out and wondering what the hell I was going to be eating. I used to be vegetarian and survived somehow on mostly sugar, carbs, dairy, and soy. I also felt like crap. What was I going to eat? It took me a while and but I figured it out. I had to stop thinking about what I couldn't eat and start focusing on WHAT I COULD EAT. Along the way I tried a lot of foods that I used to think I didn't like and found out that if made properly they're not so bad. Some are even good, like asparagus and quinoia. Yum.


Most importantly I learned that nothing tastes as good as feeling great. Once I stopped eating all these foods I started feeling a lot better and most of my sinus issues went away along with a lot of other symptoms including pain, insomnia, itching, extreme fatigue, and digestion issues. What I had thought was seasonal allergies was really food allergies. Crazy! Stop eating wheat and dairy and BAM I can breathe again. Awesome!

I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel when I really stick to this diet. It makes a big difference. I had no idea just how much of an impact what we feed ourselves has on our daily lives. I get it now.

I still eat some of these things in moderation or on special occasions or if there really is nothing free of these ingredients, like at a party for example. But in general I try pretty hard to stay away from them and the payoff is worth it.

It's not always easy, but the longer I've been doing it the easier it has become. At first I would have the hardest time passing up the tempting warm fresh baked cookies from the Pacific Cookie Co. downtown or frozen yogurt with my husband, or the box of See's candy at Christmas. Okay, I did eat a piece at Christmas this year, but I refrained from eating all of my most favorite ones like I would have years ago. I of course suffered a few days later when I woke up with red splotches on my face. Damn acne, damn See's candy tasting so good. However, now when I see things like a loaf of bread, pizza, muffins, and creamy cheese I don't see yummy foods that I want and can't have. Instead I see tonixs, pain, ruin and an invitation to the feeling like crap party. I don't even want to eat those things any more. Al least most of the time I don't. Occasionally I'll crave something that I'm not supposed to have and now I am able to see that it's either a component of that food that my body wants like the calcium in the cheese or the carbs in the pasta or it's one of the many infections living in my body trying to get what it wants to eat. I am now better able to see that it's not me who wants the sugar it's the candida and bacteria in me that do and I'm not about to feed them!

What I have learned is that life is much better when I avoid these foods and stick to a diet of lean meats and lots of veggies. I have gotten in the habit of taking food with me nearly every time I leave the house, especially if I'm traveling. If I don't I'll end up eating whatever is easiest and paying for it in the long run.

Sometimes I'll hear other Lymies complaining that they don't feel good. I'll ask about their diet and most of the time they say they know they should stop eating things but haven't done it yet. I don't understand that. We don't have control over many things in our lives, but we do have total and complete control over what we put into our bodies. How could you consciously choose to continue feeling really crappy? I don't get it.

I think part of the reason for a lot of lymies or people on specific diet in general is that they're stuck in the phase of not knowing what to eat if they take all of these things out. People tend to focus n what they can't eat instead of what they CAN enjoy eating. Over the last 2 and a half years of being on this diet I've figured out some really great things to eat. In fact I'd say that my diet is the healthiest and most diverse it's ever been, even compared to when I thought I was being healthy as a vegetarian.

I've made it my intention to help out my fellow Lymies and friends in general by sharing some of my kitchen tips, tricks and recipes for eating well when you have a long DO NOT EAT list like me.

Please stay tuned for more blog posts about what you can eat and be prepared for some yummy treats. I hope you find out that nothing tastes as great as feeling good!

Remarkable Redwood Remedies Magnesium Bath Crystals Giveaway

While down at the farmer's market I spoke with a very nice and knowledgeable man, Richard Goldberg is his name, about his magnesium bath crystals. I explained that I have Lyme Disease and understood that his product could be really helpful for some of my symptoms. I also told him that I know a lot of lymies who would love to try his product and he offered me some samples so we could try it out. Super cool! Keep Reading and you'll find out how you can get some for yourself for free!



I took mine home and poured them in the tub and relaxed while reading the informational material he gave me. I had no idea how amazing magnesium is, it's remarkable! Did you know that magnesium is on the crash cart in ERs to help people having heart attacks? I didn't.

Buy the time I got out of the tub I was calm, relaxed, happy, educated and totally convinced that I'm magnesium deficient and in love with this product. I have used the Remarkable Redwood Remedies magnesium bath crystals several times they always make me feel so much better then before I got into the tub. I can't believe the difference in my level of relaxation, pain reduction, and mood. LOVE LOVE LOVE these bath crystals and I think you will too!

I did some research on magnesium chloride and here is what I've learned.

Most Americans are deficient in magnesium. This is because our soils are depleted and cooking and processing foods further deplete this vital mineral. Another reason is because our awful American diets don't contain many magnesium rich foods such as dark leafy veggies, sea veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds. I know I didn't used to eat many of these foods. I still don't eat as many as I probably should, but I'm trying.

When I saw the list of symptoms that can occur with magnesium deficiency I was surprised at how many roles it plays and how many of the symptoms I experience in a regular basis. You might be magnesium deficient if you have any of these symptoms: depression, muscle cramps,contractions or twitches, depression, insomnia, irritability, sensitivity to noise, anxiety, autism, ADD, palpitations, angina, constipation, headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, asthma, kidney stones, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, allergies, chemical sensitivities, anxiety and psychiatric disorders, hearing loss, menstrual cramps, premature birth, scar formation, seizures, TMJ, and many many more. I also found out that chocolate is high in magnesium and craving chocolate can be a sign of deficiency. Guess what!? When I use the bath salts regularly I don't crave chocolate and when I stop the cravings come back, cravings I've had for years and years and are very intense simply go away.

Magnesium is so important for our bodies I can't believe I didn't know more about it before. It helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, heart attacks, it calms the nerves, prevents blood clots, helps with nearly all digestive and eating related issues, relaxes muscles, dilates blood vessels, keeps toxins out of the brain, relieves muscle cramps and menopause symptoms. What amazing stuff this is!

Magnesium comes in many different forms. These bath crystals are magnesium chloride. This is different from Epsom salts. It's easily assimilated and metabolized by the body, does not create an unwanted laxative effect like oral magnesium and Epsom salt can, less is required to get the desired effects, it's affordable compared to other effective types of magnesium, and trans dermal(through the skin) absorption is the most effective way to use it.

I bet you're super excited to find out how you can get your hands on some of this amazing stuff. So, HERE'S HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY for the Remarkable Redwood Remedies Magnesium Bath Crystals:

***be sure to leave your email so I can let you know you've won******

1. share the link to this blog post on facebook or twitter then leave a comment for each share

2. share the link to the Remarkable Redwood Remedies website on facebook or twitter and leave a separate comment for each share
http://www.remarkableredwoodremedies.com

3. leave a separate comment with a fact about magnesium that I haven't mentioned

4. share your personal experiences with using magnesium chloride products

For each entry leave a separate comment. Three winners will be randomly chosen on January 13th. One grand prize winner will get a big sample baggie and two addition winners will get one of the smaller sized sample baggies.




For more information on this product or to order some for your bath check out www.remarkableredwoodremedies.com

For more information and a fellow lymies take on magnesium check out the Lymenaide blog at http://lymenaide.wordpress.com/?s=magnesium

Good Luck and happy health to all of you.

Nutritional IV

On Wednesday I had my first nutritional IV per recommendation from my new and wonderfully nice LLND. It was a mineral IV with extra vitamin C, 15 grams, and a glutathione(sp) push at the end. The IV tech was really good and I didn't even feel it. I kicked back in a big comfy chair and let the hot pink bag of liquids go to work. As I understand it it's supposed to help with detox and making sure I have all the essentials since I'm not digesting properly.

I was going to sleep but there was this awesome old guy (84 years old, but looked late 60's at most) on his smart phone making dates with ladies while getting an IV to keep himself "young and healthy" and I was too distracted to sleep. I felt a little bit better at first, but then on the car ride home I felt worse and worse until I finally got home and slept for about 3 hours. I felt a little better after that. Went to bed early and slept in late, and still I'm tired. All these new meds are causing me to herx big time. I'm just pushing through and doing what I can despite the burning knees and fatigue. I have a really good feeling about this Dr. and his treatments. I really good feeling.

Crazy Rash

WOAH that was weird!

Last night as I was getting ready for bed I started experiencing new symptoms and they came on really fast. At first I was noticing that I wasn't cold at all. My hands and feet were warm HORAY!! Then, my face started feeling hot and I had a burning sensation that traveled from my nose up my forehead and then across my cheeks into my ears and with in a minute or so my forearms started burning. At first I just took notice, but then the burning and heat got worse rapidly and I felt like my face was swelling around my nose and forehead and certain parts of my face hurt to move.

I looked in the bathroom mirror to discover that my entire face and chest were covered in a BRIGHT RED splotchy rash and I mean RED. Weird this all came on so fast. My husband then noticed that my entire body was covered in this splotchy rash. It seemed to be worse on my face and major joints. Then, I started shaking. It wasn't because I was freaked out, which I was a little because If felt like my face was swelling around my nose and eyes. Even so I totally understood that with Lyme anything can happen. This was new though and I hadn't heard about it before so it seemed strange. We considered taking me to the ER, but they never know what to do with us Lymies so instead I called my friend Ashley at 11:30 and woke her up.

She was able to tell me that the same exact thing has happened to her several times and that it is some kind of weird reaction to the samento I'm taking. I just need to lower the dose for a bit and hopefully it will go away. She said the shaking was adrenaline and that it should all pass in about an hour. She was right, within an hour I was sound asleep and no rash today. Wow that was a weird one.

I don't think you really get the whole effect from these late night photos, but here they are.

Going over the hill for a new Dr.

On the first of the month I went over the hill all the way up to San Francisco to meet with a brand new Dr. This Dr. is a naturopatic Dr. that was recommended to me by a friend who is almost done with Lyme treatment. There is another Dr that she sees whom I'd also like to work with, but he has a waiting list a mile long. I'm on it, but it'll be a while.

So anyway, I really like this new guy. He knows what he's talking about, totally understands Lyme Disease, is down with both so-called western and alternative medicine as well as some European perspectives on health and meds. But mostly he's a really nice person. He asks great questions, takes great notes, and really listens to everything we Lymies have to say. He's simply a good person and I could tell that right from the start.

After asking me lots of questions and reviewing all of my tests from labs and my naturopath in Sonoma County he was able to determine some things I had already been told before or suspected about my current health state. This was good because he wasn't coming out of left field with his evaluation.

So...he says that I've for sure god Lyme, but it's only a piece of what's going on. It's hard to say what comes first other issues and then Lyme can invade easier or Lyme and possibly leading to or causing other issues. Either way, he says I have a lot of things out of whack, but for now we're gonna focus on the main issues which are my digestion being totally messed up, my liver not working fully and the Lyme and co-infections.

He said that having my guts so out of whack plays a big role in why I feel so crummy. I didn't fully realize that 70% of our immune system is in our guts. Unless I get that under control I'm not going to get better. I've got candida, bacteria, and he suspects some sort of parasite(s) as well. Not surprising at all. I have to do a stool analysis so he can confirm and get details about it all. As part of this I'm not properly digesting and absorbing food or meds. which is why I'm so thin and feel the need to eat ALL THE TIME. Essentially, I'm malnourished because I'm not getting the nutrients out of the food I'm eating. It wouldn't matter how well I ate because I'm not digesting it. This is also why he's not putting me on traditional antibiotics. I am way too imbalanced and I know candida is a big problem for me because I seem to always be fighting off an oral thrush infection. All this yeast can cause leaky gut syndrome and IBS among other problems, so at least for a long while, we're not going to use prescription antibiotics because my gut can't handle them.

To help with this, I'm sticking to my list of foods not to eat, taking new probiotics as well as rotating them, and my new meds are tinctures instead of pills so I have a better chance of absorbing them. I also have to take all my meds on an empty stomach, which is by far the hardest part because I'm always hungry and not eating for at least 2 hours is hard for me.

In addition he suggests that I do a series of nutritional IVs to get some essentials in my system. I have to do these in SF every week for 4 weeks starting this coming week. Not really sure how I'm going to get there, but I guess I'll figure it out.

The rest of my current plan includes some additional testing including some tests I haven't done yet. I'm starting the modified Cowden protocol for Lyme with tinctures of Enula, Cumanda, and Samento. Therabiotic, VSL 3, and florastor are for my tummy. Naicin I think was also for the guts. Nutritional IVs to feed me and reboot my system. I'm so looking forward to those. I think they're gonna make me feel better. I'm also adding in Apo Hepat for liver functioning. He removed a few things from my current list of meds and so I'm not really taking much more then I was before. Already in a week, I can tell they're working cause my gut is reacting to the probiotics, and I think I could be having a mini herx from the tinctures. I know I've been run down and feeling feverish these last few days.

So..in summary, I like the new Dr. I think his assessment is right on, he called for appropriate testing, and his recommendations make sense to me. I think I've found a winner. YES!!!

Shopping for a good cause

Please consider checking out all the wonderful goodies being offered at the Lymenaide Holiday Bazzar. Several artists have gathered their work in one location to share with you. All of the artists are people living with Lyme or those who have loved ones living with Lyme Disease. Your purchase from their shops will help to pay for medical bills, living expenses, or become donations to organizations doing good work in the Lyme community. Please take a look and if you see something you like, or something you think would make a great gift, consider putting your money to good use. I can not tell you how much every sale means to these wonderful people.

http://lymenaideholidaybazaar.blogspot.com/p/welcome.html

Thanks,
Keri