Another great book...or two...

"I was Poisoned by my Body...I have a gut feeling you could be too!" by Gloria Gilbere ND. Really great book on what breaks down in your body and how to fix it.

Also "The Yeast Connection Handbook" by William G. Crook MD. Tells how yeast can cause many symptoms that are baffling and how to rid your body of yeast.

I have been feeling a little more "foggy" lately, I think I need to cut back on the sugar(even the macrobiotic treats). This is the hardest thing for me which leads me to believe there is a "craving" there which signifies an allergy/intolerance or a yeast feeding problem.

Many of the books I am reading say that if you crave something that is "bad" for your body, there is usually a problem with it.(ie. allergy, intolerance, yeast feeder)

Keeping a happy attitude...doctors, nutrition, more research

I read a funny line in a Raw Food book from the library. It said something like "I realized that every time I went to see the doctor he would tell me what to do, it would stress me out and I would do the opposite of what the doctor said to do and feel better". So I said what do I need the doctor for? ,and I need less stress ... so I "fired" him. And I felt better ever since!

I love that line because going to the doctor is my most stressful part of being sick. I am hoping to one day soon find a great doctor that I can talk to about all my research and they will listen, or maybe they will have done all the research too. I found the name Edgar Cayce while searching around the internet yesterday, he has a very healing diet. The diet looks like it's on the right track.

I am going to a new doctor in June that is an MD and holistic too. I can't wait for the appointment in June! I have found that it is very important to ask questions and research as much as you can about your disease. You need to stand up to the doctor and ask "What do you know about this disease?" What would you do if you had this disease?" They really don't have a stake in healing you. It is even better if they have had some experience with your disease either by having it themselves or having a family member that had it. When you think about it , it probably is better if you stay sick and visit them often so they can make more money!

The more I learn about disease the more it seems as if many of the diseases are a result of the body being too toxic and very deficient in nutrients. This happens in the body in many ways, and you should always remember that 80% of the immune system is in the digestive tract, so you want to make sure that is functioning properly.

When I go to the grocery store these days and I see what people put in there carts it really saddens me. I start to wonder now, when I see a person in a motorized cart that is buying 2 cases of soda and chips and cake, would that person be able to walk if they ate healthy foods? I believe they would!

Someday I hope to give a class based on nutrition that will be really fun, enlightening, healthy and delicious. I know how to make lots of gluten-free goodies now but I think that those foods should be eaten sparingly, what you really need is lots of veggies, fruits and a little fish and lean meats, beans (if tolerated)nuts and seeds. The gluten free goodies/breads/cakes/cookies/desserts should be occasional treats, so you don't get frustrated and blow your diet altogether.

I will be giving 2 gluten free cooking classes in addition to my regular dog training class if all the classes fill up. I hope to teach as much about nutrition in these classes too.

My doctor OK's a few tests...

The nurse from my rheumatologist's office called back and said they are sending me a prescription for an INR test and a PT(Prothrombin Time) . She said she doesn't do the homocystein levels or the fibrinogen test. I already had my cholesterol checked and everything was good. These are all tests that I heard can predict your blood's clotting possibility when you have antiphospholipid antibodies. I will probably go for the tests in a few days.

MS Recovery Diet on "The Incurables"

I watched the Ann Sawyer " The Incurables" show again this morning on Veria channel. She wrote the book "The MS Recovery Diet". This time, as I was watching I heard a reference to Ashton Embry, when I seached the web this is the website I found. http://www.direct-ms.org/recommendations.html . It gave me another clue into my diet. I think I will try to take out beans/peas/peanuts from my diet and check if I feel even better.
He has a Best Bet Diet/Treatment link too http://www.direct-ms.org/bestbet.html
I am going to study this and I will let you know about my progress. Wish me Luck!

A Lupus Healing website, Check it out!

I found a great website on healing Lupus:

http://www.healinglupusnaturally.com/

It has great tips and hints on how to get well.

I truly believe that everyone's body has the abilty to heal naturally, you just need to take away the body's "toxic load" . Read any of Sherry Rogers MD's books, of course the one that is geared most toward Lupus is "Pain Free in 6 Weeks...".

I sent away to a far off library for a few of her older books, they are great too. One I am presently reading is called "The Cure is in the Kitchen"(macrobiotic diet) and I also received "You are What you Ate"(about the body's toxic load and how to eat/live to restore health). I am seriouly considering talking to this doctor(she is about 8-10hours away from me) I think she truly gets healing and how to do it naturally. I wish I could find someone closer but I think she's the best!

One of my downfalls lately is the lack of money to be able to see any doctor or use any method of healing I would choose. I usually don't care about money, but this is one time in my life that I wish I was loaded. I wish I could go for massages, therapy, chiropractic more often, acupuncture, buy a far infrared sauna, fly anytime I needed to to see Sherry Rogers, and to pay for Dr. Oz, Dr. Weil, to see me with a team of specialists. Oh boy am I dreaming now!!!! Wish me luck!

Tai Chi and Biking

I was watching a show on Veria channel called "What's the Alternative?" the other day. They had a woman on that had cured her cancer with nutrition and Tai Chi. I am doing well on the nutrition front, still doing a mixture of macrobiotics and "raw" food diet,(want to lessen sweets/even the macrobiotic ones), so I figured I'd try the Tai Chi. I requested 2 DVD's from the library and tried Tai Chi today. My joints cracked and crunched but it felt good to stretch. I will try to do the DVD each day.

Also I have been going for a daily bike ride, for the past 5 days or so. Thank goodness the weather has broken here in NY. It is a bit cold but the extra oxygen is good, and working my lungs is important. I feel tired but better after the bike rides.

I found that for the Antiphospholipid Antibodies there are some tests to tell clotting possibility and I have a call in to my doctor to see if she thinks they are a good predictor. They are cholesterol, fibrinogen, homocystein levels, prothrombin time and INR.

I also called the Kushi institute to see if they could give me a name of a macrobiotics counsellor in my area. I also received a name of a doctor that is an immunologist/allergist that I will try to see soon. Keep in touch!

Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Diseases

It seems as if Leaky Gut or Intestinal Permeability is a very common occurence with all autoimmune diseases. Leaky Gut is caused when the walls of the intestines are compromised and holes in the intestines allow larger molecules of food that have not been properly digested to go in to the bloodstream. The body then sees these large molecules of foods as invaders and creates antibodies to them. Thus an allergy is formed. It is very common for people with autoimmune diseases to have several allergies, usually hidden until tested for.

One of the main reasons the intestine becomes compromised(develops gaps/holes) is candida yeast overgrowth. Other causes are drinking too much alcohol,taking too much aspirin/ibuprofen, lingering viruses, and not enough good bacteria in the gut(intestinal dysbiosis), drinking too much coffee with meals, and eating foods high in chemical additives. For more information on this see "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics..." by Kenneth Bock MD.

4 steps to follow for a lifetime:

1) Superior Nutrition
2)Supplement vitamins/minerals/nutrients you are missing
3)Detox your total body load(pesticides, chemicals, mercury etc.)
4) Medication if necessary(to combat yeast, bacterial infections etc.)

Your body's wellness goes in and out of balance throughout your lifetime, you need to follow these guidelines for life.

So where am I now? How is my Lupus? almost Spring 2009

Well right now after all my hard work and having changed my diet for over a year now, I still have double stranded DNA, I have antiphospholipid antibodies, I have a positive ANA, I still have some painful days. I get very stiff joints some days. I still seem to have sun sensitivity but will check more when the weather gets warmer, I am in NY and it is still winter and very chilly here. I am very tired (fatigued) some days, more than others.

I have figured out that my red face means I have eaten something my body doesn't agree with, either an allergy or an intolerance. I figured out that my face would get red(Lupus rash) when I eat wheat, tomatoes or tomato sauce, or corn, (also when I am in the sun too long.) I figured this out through keeping a food/symptom diary.

On the positive side, my face rarely gets red anymore, my migraines have gone away, my acid reflux went away, my restless leg syndrome went away, I lost 30lbs, and my cholesterol went down 14 points(I don't eat cheese/dairy or red meat, very little chicken, no eggs because of my allergies and being health conscious). I have no sores on my face or scalp(discoid Lupus), they went away. Where I had sores on my scalp the hair has grown back!(I've read that the scarring from the discoid Lupus makes that impossible. BOLONEY!) Another positive is I haven't caught a cold in a very long time(my kids have been sick and I didn't catch their illnesses either!)

I am not on any medications at this time, not even aspirin, but I do supplement my Vitamin D-3 and calcium and magnesium. I also take UltraInflamex360 Plus by Metagenics that was given to me from the chiropractor/nutritionist. It has lots of ginger and turmeric(anti-inflamatory and blood thinning) and vitamins in it. I also try to eat as much healthy anti inflammatory, and other blood thinning foods as well.

I get monthly chiropractic treatments as well as craniosacral treatments.

I try to get exercise each day, just a little, if I am feeling too tired, I find the exercise lessens the stiffness, even if I am very stiff at the beginning.

Because of possible kidney problems with Lupus I don't eat very much salt and try to have VERY little fried food if at all, also dry foods are not good, like chips, rice cakes etc.

One thing that is hard to hide is my frustration with doctors. I feel that doctors form their own opinions and many of doctors are very hard to talk to. For instance I had been seeing 5 doctors at one time, an GYN Oncologist(I had pre cancerous cells in my cervix), a dermatologist specialist, a breast surgeon(had a possible mass in my breast), my general physician, and my rheumatologist and all 5 doctors knew I had Lupus with sun sensitivity and none of them told me to get tested for Vitamin D deficiency. Finally the chiropractor/nutritionist asked me to get tested, but my blood work would not be covered with my insurance through her, so she asked me to see if my general physician would order the test. After fighting with him, he finally tested me and my D levels were extremely low! I thought Vitamin D was in the news so much lately that surely all doctors were aware of the importance of testing and supplementing if a person had low levels but that just wasn't the case!

If you find a doctor that you can talk to and trust, this is worth it's weight in gold! Be very thankful if you have such a doctor!

OK you have Lupus, What's Next?

Here are some steps I recommend that you try if you are diagnosed with Lupus or any other autoimmune disease:

1)Keep a food/symptom diary. This will show if you have a repeated reaction to a food that you need to avoid to feel better.

2)Get tested for Celiac disease(often Lupus and Celiac go hand in hand,check the internet for articles)

3)Get a complete blood test from your health practitioner and also test if you are deficient in Vitamin D, Magnesium, Calcium, check mercury levels, thyroid function .Check for osteoporosis, bone density.

4)Test for allergies(with kinesiology or blood testing) (allergies and autoimmune diseases go hand in hand too again check the internet)

5)Avoid all foods you test allergic/intolerant to.

6)Detox your body(safely) don't try anything too wacky... I like eating tons of organic veggies and fruits and making fruit or veggie juices(always fresh fruit or veggies) or smoothies(with fresh or frozen fruits/veggies)

7)Flood your body with nutrients, eat super healthy foods,seasonal foods, raw food diets, macrobiotic diets, certified organic food, lots less salt(if you overdo), NEVER eat processed
foods, don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, have lots of Omega 3's, no soda, avoid too much caffeine/coffee, no trans fats, no artificial sweeteners, less real sugar or no real sugar. Chew each mouthful of food many times to aid in digestion, swirl juices smoothies in your mouth to be sure they are mixed with saliva before swallowing. Try to eat in a peaceful environment.

8)Exercise(don't laugh at me) I know you are in pain, try small steps, go get the mail, walk your kids to school, park further out from the grocery store, walk walk walk anywhere you can. Stretch! Yoga Or Tai Chi or Pilates. One thing to remember, DO NOT overdo on your good days, always strive to end early don't push yourself or you will hurt and not be able to do ANYTHING tomorrow.

9)Rest when you need to, say "no" if you are too tired!

10)Stress less... try not to sweat the small stuff, practice breathing exercises, many CD's are available at your local library, Andrew Weil has some excellent CD's on breathing/relaxation visualization and healing. Watch comedies, read joke books LAUGH!!!

11)Feng Shui-or lessen the clutter, clean your environment(don't laugh at me) I know you are too tired to clean! Try to do a little at a time or at least clean your bedroom and that can be your retreat...

12)Detox your house and your work space and your world as much as possible.
What is in your soap,shampoo, your deodorant, your toothpaste,your make up, your shaving cream,etc.?
Your skin absorbs everything into your body.
Try to get a shower water filter, or a whole house water filter(chlorine is a nasty chemical). Don't use bleach in your laundry, get a environmentally safe laundry soap, dishwasher soap.
Don't use aluminum pans/foil(at least don't let the aluminum foil touch your food, use less canned products many are coated with harmful chemicals, don't wear cheap jewelry many have lead in them and other harmful chemicals, don't wear nail polish
Home carpets/rugs and paints have many nasty chemicals in them try to find environmentally safe home decor items. Use wood, stone metal rather than plastic etc.
Avoid phlalates in many toiletry items(soaps, shampoos,perfume,etc.)
Get an air purifier and use it.
Use natural home cleaners such as vinegar and baking soda.
Real the labels, look up chemicals on the internet. Some are very scary!
Wear organic cotton clothing
Read "Pain Free in 6 Weeks..." by Sherry Rogers MD and/or any other Sherry Rogers books.


***Always ask questions and keep reading and learning about your disease. Doctors don't know everything and there is so much information to learn. You may stumble on something that can help you and you can bring it to your doctor's attention. Good Luck!

The Lupus Recovery Diet is the Same as the MS Recovery Diet?????

I love to watch a channel on Verizon FIOS(also is on Satellite TV, but not on Optimum cable)called Veria. One of my favorite shows to watch is "The Incurables" . Many times this show has a person on that was deemed to be incurable by main stream doctors, but through holistic means and doctors they are cured.

One day I turned the show on and a woman was talking about how she "cured" herself of Multiple Sclerosis(MS). She explained that diet was very important and that she had created a diet that helped her heal. She listed what the diet avoided, and guess what??? it was SO CLOSE to the "Lupus Recovery Diet" and to what my doctor told me to avoid ! OK this is making MORE sense to me!

I requested that book from the library "The MS Recovery Diet" by Ann Sawyer. This book proved to me that I was on the right path.

I also met a great group of moms on the GFCFKids@yahoogroups.com that showed me I am on the right path. They are a group of mostly moms of children on a gluten-free casein-(dairy)free diet for a variety of reasons. Many of the moms have autistic children and if it's anyone who knows about detoxing and building bodies up with nutrition/supplements, it's moms of autistic children. I want to thank all of them VERY much for helping me and teaching me, for my children's sake(my children need to be dairy and wheat/gluten free also) as well as for my own sake. I am always thanking them, but again THANK YOU!!! I found 2 great books through being in that group, one is "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics...." by Kenneth Bock MD and "Nourishing Hope..." by Julie Matthews. I think both books are great for healing ANY disease!

Also I found a Doctor named Sherry Rogers MD that has written many books on healing. My favorite is " Pain Free in 6 Weeks..." (OK it may not be as little as 6 weeks... but the book is great!!!!)

I learned that "Raw" Food Diets cure many diseases and Macrobiotic Diets have cured many diseases. There are many books on these diets in your local library.

I found out that many diseases are created because the body is toxic and/or doesn't have enough nutrients.(many times the intestines are so dysfunctional that they can't absorb the nutrients from leaky gut syndrome and not enough good bacteria in the intestines)

I also learned that Celiac Disease and Lupus many times go hand in hand .(just search the internet for articles)

I have read that many people have cured their diseases, including Lupus.

I learned that many people with autoimmune diseases have leaky gut and need to heal that, also intestinal dysbiosis(not enough good bacteria in the intestines).

That medications many times cover up the symptoms but don't get to the root of the bodies' problems. So the inflammation still runs rampant ("Pain Free in 6 Weeks")

I found the book and DVD on the "Gerson Therapy".

I found that many people with Lupus have hidden allergies, candida(yeast) and problems with environmental toxins("The E.I. Syndrome(Environmental Illness) by Sherry Rogers MD)

Allergies lead to more inflammation in the body.

You need to take care of your liver, it detoxes and controls many processes in your body.

"The Lupus Recovery Diet" and Kinesiology

My next discovery was that many of the foods I tested weak for were excluded from "The Lupus Recovery Diet" book. OK, this was starting to make sense to me.... I continued to see the Chiropractor/Nutritionist/Kinesiologist(Dr. Christine Gizoni) and she explained to me that "Leaky Gut" or intestinal permeability is present in many diseases, especially autoimmune diseases. I needed to heal my "leaky gut".

Back to the library I went to get "The Lupus Recovery Diet" by Jill Harrington again! I studied again. This time it made sense and somehow do-able. So I eliminated all the foods I tested weak for at the doctor's office. I began to feel better, the doctor was RIGHT! I tested many more foods over many months and my present list of foods to avoid is this: Bananas,tomatoes,wheat,dairy,eggs,gluten,salt,sugar,shrimp(shellfish), beef,yeast,onions,all processed foods,peppers(not the hot chile variety),corn.

What do I eat?
Salmon(wild caught), tons of organic veggies and fruits, homemade oatmeal cookies, homemade chocolate peanut clusters, chicken and lamb(only occasionally), beans, brown rice, quinoa, brown rice pasta, almond "milk", nuts, seeds, tofu(occasionally), gluten free oatmeal, homemade brownie bottom "cheesecake", flax crackers, "raw" seed bread, and lots more!

Yes some days it is difficult,VERY difficult. I had to relearn to cook with different foods, I MISS some foods and cooking some foods immensely but my HEALTH is worth it!

In the next post I will tell you how I keep knowing I am on the RIGHT TRACK!

Nutritional Kinesiology

I went to the Chiropractor/Nutritionist/Kinesiologist and was very impressed from the start. The idea behind nutritional kinesiology is that each food you put in your body either gives you strength or makes you weak.

What this doctor did was to have you lie on your back and put a small piece of food in your mouth. Then she tested 3 sets of muscle groups, left arm held up and pushed down, right arm held in to your body pulled out, and right leg held up and pushed down. If the food makes you strong, you will be able to hold your arm/leg up against the doctor's pressure. If the food makes you weak, your arm/leg will "flap like a chicken wing". I know it sounds hokey, but in the hands of an accomplished doctor this type of allergy/intolerance testing REALLY works!

When I went I told the doctor "I can't believe this will work." She said "Many people don't believe in kinesiology until she tells people what foods to avoid, they avoid the foods, and feel tons better!

I left the office that day with very little left to eat... I tested the most allergic foods first, I tested allergic/intolerant(weak) to bananas, wheat, dairy ,tomatoes, yeast, eggs. I still needed to test other foods at the next visit. I was very confused as to what I would eat now. I was shell shocked when I left her office that day...

Dog Food Recalls, Dog Nutrition Seminars, and Lupus?

After reading "The Lupus Recovery Diet" trying the diet and failing at it, another opportunity presented itself. I am a professional dog trainer, with 25 years experience behind me. I love all animals especially dogs. I have 3 German Shorthaired Pointers that are very special to me.

The last dog food recalls really threw me. I had been feeding one of the canned foods that was recalled, along with dry food also that was not recalled. This was the third or fourth time that a major dog food recall had happened in my lifetime. My dogs, were fine thank God, but I decided, I vowed, I would not trust the dog food industry again.

I heard there was a dog nutrition seminar at the local dog training facility. I went and learned all I could about a proper home-made diet for my dogs. The dog trainer/dog nutritionist also taught about chinese medicine, holistic medicine and kinesiology(muscle/energy testing).

I have had problems with my back most of my life, and asked the dog trainer hosting the event if she knew of a good chiropractor. She gave me the name of her chiropractor and she said by the way she also does nutritional kinesiology.....VERY COOL!!! What is nutritional kinesiology? I will tell you in my next post.............

Oprah, Autism and Jenny McCarthy...and Lupus?

I turned on Oprah one day and the show's guest was Jenny McCarthy. She was talking about how she had "cured" her son, Evan, of autism. She used a recovery diet, along with other things. I was riveted to the television. Could this be done?Curing autism? Well I watched the entire show and liked what I heard.

I decided to look in my local library to see if there was a book about a lupus recovery diet too. Imagine my surprise when the title "The Lupus Recovery Diet" by Jill Harrington popped up. I requested the book immediately and proceeded to study it. I tried the diet for a short time but it is really difficult. There are many foods that you need to cut out of your diet. I tried the diet and failed...but the story doesn't end there.....

Books to Read on Healing

You can request many of these books through your local library. Ask the librarian for the book/s you are interested in and if they don't have the book, many times they can do an interlibrary loan (get it from another library).

"The Lupus Recovery Diet" by Jill Harrington (title says it all)

"Pain Free in 6 weeks" by Sherry RogersMD (total toxic load on the body, ways to heal, holistic)

"The Gluten Connection" by Shari Leiberman (diseases that can be exacerbated by gluten)

"Gluten Toxicity..." by Shelly L. Stuart R.N., B.Sc.N. (how gluten can wreak havoc in the body)

"Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen (A raw food diet, tons of recipes and testimonies)

"The Great Life Diet" by Denny Waxman (A macrobiotic diet)

" The MS Recovery Diet" by Anne Sawyer (healing MS through diet)

"Living Well with Autoimmune Disease..." Mary J. Shomon (holistic)

"The Ageless Woman" by Serafina Corsello, MD (MD+alternative/holistic)

"Dr. Mercola's Total Health Program" by Dr Joseph Mercola (diet for your specific body type)

"Arthritis..." 2nd Edition by Ellen Kamhi PhD RN HNC and Eugene Zampieron ND MH(AHG)(Holistic and Alternative by the "Natural Nurse" and a Naturopathic Doctor)

"An Alternative Approach to Allergies" by Theron Randolph MD and Ralph W. Moss PhD

"Celiac Disease a Hidden Epidemic" Peter H.R. Green MD and Rory Jones

"Food That Helps Win the Battle Against Fibromyalgia" by Deirdre Rawlings N.D., Ph.D.

"Breakthrough, Eight Steps to Wellness.." by Suzanne Somers(interviews cutting edge doctors)

""The UltraMind Solution.." by Mark Hyman MD(healing your broken brain, through healing your body first)

" The Cure Heal Your Body, Save Your Life.." by Dr. Timothy Brantley

"52 Ways to a Healthy You" by Laura Lewis

"The Women's Guide to Thyroid Health" by Kathryn R. Simpson, MS (Holistic, root cures, thyroid disease)

"Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests are Normal" by Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS

"The Optimum Nutrition Bible" by Patrick Holford

Dr. Andrew Weil's Guide to Optimum Health" CD Set

 "Health Wars" by Philip Day

"Cereal Killers..." by Dr. Ron Hoggan and Scott Adams (celiac disease treatments and other diseases that can affect a celiac patient- outrageous book!)

"The Sinatra Solution" by Stephen T. Sinatra MD (reversing heart disease with diet and holistic medicine)

"Is Your Cardiologist Killing You" by Sherry Rogers MD (research into the protocols tat cardiologists employ and why holistic approaches are safer and work better)

"Your Child Doesn't Have to Die" by Leanne Sorteberg (Holistic medicine and nutrition healed her child's cancer)

"The Detox Strategy" by Brenda Watson CNC with Leonard Smith MD

" ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine..." by John LaPuma MD (healthy cooking and halting disease with foods)



A link to my recommended raw food  "un-cookbooks" (you know what I mean! Raw Food!)
http://lupushopecookbook.blogspot.com/2009/08/great-raw-food-books.html

A link to some of my favorite Vegan and Macrobiotic Cookbooks
http://lupushope.blogspot.com/2010/05/some-favorites-vegan-and-macrobiotic.html