Today’s the day we say goodbye to 2019, and while most are discussing plans to hit 2020 hard and heavy, I’d like to introduce a thought on behalf of your adrenal glands: consider allowing yourself some time this winter season to rest and recover.
YOU KNOW HOW WE POWERED THRU THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS…..ALL THE WHILE SECRETLY WISHING WE COULD JUST CURL UP ON THE COUCH WITH A GOOD BOOK AND READ OURSELVES INTO A BLISSFUL WINTER’S NAP? IF YOU HAVE THAT FEELING, YOU’RE NOT ALONE…. THAT’S YOUR BODY TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. IT NEEDS TIME TO REST AND RECOVER FROM THE RAT š RACE! WE ARE NOT DESIGNED TO RUN 24/7/365.
āļøWinter is a time for fallen leaves, hibernation…. an energy reset. That’s an inaction not just reserved for nature! Prior to man-made electricity….. it was what we humans did too. We haven’t changed ya’ll….. allowing ourselves time to be still and quiet (ESPECIALLY in the Winter) will help boost internal health and go a long way towards setting the tone for your health in 2020.
āļøWinter is especially important for an adrenal gland / kidney / bladder reset. (Think water….. in the winter, water tends to slow down to a crawl…. especially if frozen).
Our adrenal glands are the little party hat shaped organ that sit atop the kidneys. They produce the stress hormone cortisol….. an absolutely critical factor in regulating metabolism, and helping us “power thru”. Too much tho?….. and trouble begins to brew. The body cannot keep up. Dysregulation occurs, and adrenal fatigue may result.
š„Common signs of adrenal fatigue: deep, long lasting exhaustion, water retention, weight gain, lack of motivation, depression/anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, feelings of chronic stress.š„
The emotion of fear is based in the kidneys, and allowing chronic stress into your life will only guarantee a fear based emotional lifestyle. #lovenotfear
Stay tuned…. Part II is to come….. but in the meantime….. that bucket list for 2020?….. consider allowing time for a winter reset so that you don’t fizzle and can be all you are meant to be in 2020 with vibrant health! š
Hugs and Love xxooxx ~ Liz
#ThanksYL
#loveyouradrenalglandsandtheywillpayyou1000fold
#theresanoilforthattoo
Bladder
Equipped and Called
Have you ever felt like you were at a crossroads in your life? Iām not talking about a midlife crisis, but rather something bigger and more profound.
About 3 years ago, we took a pretty long road trip to pick up a bull in a remote (VERY REMOTE) area in West Texas. I meanā¦ā¦ drive to the very edge of civilization and then head 3 hours furtherā¦..the kind of remote that requires a physical map instead of cell phone/ GPS service. Without a map or good navigational tools, youāre sunk kind of remote. As you might guess, we confidently drove down the roadā¦.. in the wrong direction because we thought we knew where we were going. It cost us about 3 extra hours that day. We were reminded the value of an old school map and a dose of intuition!
This kind of parallels the last 15+ years of my life. I have been a pharmacist since 1991. I graduated, and like most health professionalsā¦. upon graduationā¦ā¦ was pretty sure I had a really good grasp of the profession. Iām not saying I was Godās gift to pharmacy (hardly!), but I certainly thought I knew enough to make a difference in peopleās lives. I toodled along in pharmacy doing the absolute best job I could do (because thatās my natureā¦.. never tackle anything halfway).
When I was in my 30ās I thought we were living the dream. Charlie and I both had good jobs, had bought our farm, and had begun building our home (by hand, ourselvesā¦. because thatās how we do thingsā¦. with all our heart and soul). We worked super hardā¦. 40-60 hrs a week at our respective jobs and then swung hammers and wielded paint brushes on nights and weekends for about 3 years before completing our home. It was somewhere during that time that I broke my wrist, was subsequently diagnosed with osteopenia , and both Charlie and I were diagnosed with high cholesterol. In hindsight, that broken wrist was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I wonāt go into great detail (you can read more about that journey here and the second half here), but it was a big fat hairy road sign to stop and assess what I thought I knew.
That broken wrist reopened a different avenue of education for meā¦. only this time, it was not subsidized by the pharmaceutical industry and there was some skin in the gameā¦. my own. When you are a pharmacist, youāre in the business of knowing side effects of meds. The good news isā¦. you know the potential side effects. The bad news isā¦. you know the potential side effects. I wasnāt willing to go down that road given the med options they were dangling in front of me. My gut said no way, and once my research started it changed my life forever. It all began with raw milk. From there, my research extended into finding access to truly healthy and healing foods. Each time I thought I knew enough, I found that more pieces to health puzzles were MIAā¦. not just my puzzle, but everyone elseās too.
About the same time, I went to work at a pharmacy that specialized in rare diseases, oncology, auto-immune disorders, and infertility (which frequently has an auto-immune component). Sadly, this pharmacy represented the outcome of people living in toxin filled environments. Silly me. I still thought I was helping people. I guess I was. Kindness matters, especially when you are dealing with life altering body dysfunctionsā¦.. but kindness and pharmaceuticals donāt dissolve the problems these patients face every day.
Another personal puzzle piece fell into place after I was diagnosed with something called interstitial cystitis and discovered (after 9 years of no REM sleep and frequent trips to the bathroom), that it could be managed well with a fresh and healthy, but limited, diet. Expensive medication and daily catheterization are the common treatments. Ummm, no thank you. I would later learn that IC is part of the autoimmune disorder family. Not surprisingly, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the USA are card carrying autoimmune disorder patients. I had been given my card.
Eight years ago, my dad was diagnosed with dementia. It made no sense to me and we had no family history of dementia. I backtracked the onset to a statin drug (commonly prescribed for high cholesterol). In the finest of the fine print of this class of drugs you will find information alluding to possible memory loss with these drugs. Dig deeply and youāll find it. I thank God for leading me to raw milk to lower my cholesterol instead of that which stole my dadās memory. I donāt blame the pharmaceutical industry for burying the whole āmemory lossā side effect in the fine print. I mean, would you want to take a drug that could potentially rob you of your memory as a side effect? Ummmm, no thank you.
By now, Iāve truly begun second guessing pharmaceuticals. I began educating myself on everything I could get my hands on that gave honest and documented proof that maybe what I knew wasnāt EVERYTHINGā¦ā¦ that perhaps there were some gaps in my education and knowledge base. I dug deep deep deep into gut health and discovered the link to most autoimmune disorders. I studied sleep patterns, herbs, thyroid and hormones. I picked up yoga and began healing my posture and my stress level. That led to my recent certification (7 years later) as a Christian yoga instructor. ā
I had a life changing accident 3 years ago this week, and (eventuallyā¦ after a 3 month recovery) walked out of it when I should have been an amputee. Last week I walked a 37 minute 5K with many close friends. Thank God. Despite the severity of my injury, I have no pain day to day and am not on any medication. Iāve got oils, supplements and a little thing called Dolphin MPS that rocked my recovery world so much so that I decided to begin taking classes so that I could help others as I was helpedā¦. another tool in my toolbox that wasnāt related to pharmacy.
The last 18 years, by serendipity or Divine design (I believe the latter), I have been gathering tools to help people (myself included) heal physically and emotionally. What had started out as a mission to care for myself and my family gradually extended to include friends and strangers who have become dear friends. The more truth in healing I gleaned, the more uncomfortable I became in my white lab coat. Back in the day, we took an oath to do no harm (that oath has been changed and no longer includes that phrase).
Once you know something, you canāt unknow it.
I have grown uncomfortable in my pharmacist skin (and coat)ā¦.. able to speak only truths that are approved talking points regulated by the pharmaceutical industry.
Once I found that there are better, safer, more life sustainable ways to heal, it became harder and harder to deny people access to these opportunities in wellnessā¦ā¦. because they exist for the taking.
Every day, people make unconscious choices that affect their healthā¦.. making poor food choices, drinking chemically treated water, watching too much media and not exercising enoughā¦. taking meds without researching them thoroughly first. They think a pill will solve their ills. Iām here to tell you that medications are simply adding to the already hefty toxin load within all of us. The heavier the load, the sicker the individual.
Iāve had several people in the last many months call me a healer. I donāt claim that moniker. I feel more like a shepherd, leading those who are thirsty to a safe place to drink, eat, and rest. It gives me great peace, and it makes my heart sing a song itās never sung before.
I have straddled both worlds now for many years, and being true to myself is becoming increasingly difficult despite the six figure income that comes with the white coat. I fill prescriptions for people I have grown to love in the community, knowing that they can be helped in other ways that actually heal. I respect my duty as a pharmacist and do not step outside that boundaryā¦ā¦but I feel Godās hand firmly on my back telling me to Go. Do. Become. Shepherd those I send your way.
Really God?
Yes. Really.
And so I prayed. āLord, if it is your will, send me those who need me.ā I began praying this daily about 5 months ago. God has a sense of humor. Iām sure of it. About a month ago, I had to alter my prayer a tiny bit. ā Lord, if it is your will, can I have a little breather so I can adequately help those you sent so far? ā God is so very good.
I would have never in a million years guessed that I would step away from pharmacy more than halfway thru my career. Pharmacy has taught me so much. Perhaps most importantly, it has given me the gift of scientific discernment: the ability to understand fact from fiction or skewed data.
When I was a young pup out of pharmacy school, I thought my life was set on auto pilot. I couldnāt have been more wrong. God took me down a completely different path, guiding me and giving me tools along the way: pharmacy, nutrition, exercise, yoga, health coaching, scientific based knowledge of essential oils, supplements, and herbs, Dolphin MPS, and most importantly the empathy acquired from personal experiences.
God doesnāt call the equipped. He equips the called.
Hereās to the journey! I canāt wait to see what the second half of my life holds.
Hugs and love, Liz
PS: I am not completely stepping away from the pharmacy just yet. You will still see me in a white coat one or two days a week.
Grateful for the Little Things
One of my most favorite things about wintertime is grapefruit! I was prepping my breakfast this morning and I felt a surge of gratitude that I could eat something that I loved so much. I knowā¦. it probably sounds weird. But way back whenā¦. about 20 years ago, grapefruit suddenly landed on my āno noā food list. That list became a very significant part of my life for about 12 years.
I think I was 33 when I started having peeing problems (sorry if thatās TMI!ā¦ just being real here). I simply felt like I had to pee all. the. timeā¦ā¦ but especially at night. There were nights I probably got up 8-9 times to go to the bathroom. Doctors ruled out infection and said I simply had an overactive bladder. How does this even happen? I mean, how does one simply āacquireā an overactive bladder? I wasnāt that oldā¦. and had never had any children (both risk factors). We tried a few medications to limit the frequent trips. Pharmaceutical fail. The side effects of dry eyes, dry mouth, blurred vision, and dizziness and drowsiness were not a good trade off for the minor decrease in the number of trips to the bathroom at night. Just when I was approaching my witās end, I went to another doctor who finally gave me a definitive diagnosis: Interstitial Cystitis.
If youāve never heard of IC, here is a short clip from the TV talk show, Drs as a way of explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mzAQgQaauM
IC is a beast. I was relatively fortunateā¦. and only had the urge to pee with ungodly frequency. Many other women have IC much worse, and the urge is accompanied by pain. The medications used are modestly effective at best, and have an impressive list of side effects. Daily self catheterization, surgical procedures, and even cystectomy (bladder removal) are also treatment plan options. My doctor was ahead of her time 2 decades ago. She recommended that I start a very restrictive diet as a means of helping control the urge to pee. I literally began the diet with a menu that consisted of 4 foodsā¦ā¦ slowly adding one food at a time back into my life. Looking back, I realize that as awful as this diagnosis may sound, it was thru this that I was given the gift of culinary discernment and the ability to read even minute clues within my body based on how my bladder reacted to what I had eaten earlier in the day.
Hereās a sampling of my crazy āno noā list: most citrus (except blood oranges, which are lower in acid and seemed to be okay for me), pineapple fresh or canned (but itās ok to eat pineapple if I am actually in the country of origin), onions, peanut butter that had hydrogenated oils (natural was ok), food with dyes, fried foods, spicy food, tomatoes (unless they were yellowā¦ also lower in acid), coffee, many over the counter medicationsā¦. the list went onā¦.. but the biggie: processed foods. Those were like a lightning bolt to my bladder.
I learned that getting dehydrated definitely made things worse (and so I became a dedicated water drinkerā¦. another blessing in disguise). I also learned that stress made an awful companion to a temperamental bladder, and have learned ways to mitigate stress. It was many years later that I actually learned I had inadvertently joined the ranks of 1 in 5 adultsā¦.. I had an autoimmune disorder.
I talk about this from time to time with people. Our bodies are like buckets and toxins drip slowly into that bucket on a daily basis from the moment we wake up til the time our head hits the pillow at night. And then, if you are an air freshener girl or guy (like I was), youāre lucky enough to be adding those toxins to your body even while you sleep. (Throw those plug-ins away and get yourself a diffuser and some toxin free oilsā¦ I promise you, your home and office space will smell awesome, AND youāll be deriving therapeutic benefits instead of being slowly poisoned to death). Once that toxin bucket is filled and begins overflowing, well thatās when the trouble really startsā¦. and you get diagnosed with something fun like IC, or a host of other autoimmune disorders. Which autoimmune disorder you get usually depends on which part of your body is the weakest. In my case, it was my bladder.
My diagnosis of IC set my future in motion in ways Iām ever grateful for. IC became my dietary enforcer. I mean, who wants to eat something that will make them pee every 30 minutes ad infinitum? I also came to realize that being surrounded by chemicals (even basic skin care products) didnāt help the situation at all, so we began switching to nontoxic alternatives. My toxin bucket was clearly full and overflowing given the evidence my bladder had coughed up. It was a slow processā¦. this detoxing our livesā¦.. and Iām not going to lieā¦.itās still an ongoing process. We are picky about where we eat (is the food freshly prepared, and preferably organic?), and we are picky about what we are willing to expose ourselves to. Do I fail? Oh yes. Iām not anywhere near perfect. I still have a hard time resisting Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (the peanut butter in them are of the devil as far as my bladder is concerned). But falling off the wagon will nearly always guarantee me the need to pee often and with urgencyā¦so itās usually not worth it.
Iām not saying it will work for everyone with an autoimmune disorder, but think about thisā¦ā¦ If one in five of us are so sensitive to toxins that our bodies begin revolting in whatever unique manner it chooses toā¦ā¦.. why in the world wouldnāt you want to minimize the exposure to those toxins simply so that your life would be less complicated, less painful, and even less embarrassing? (Iāve had some truly embarrassing moments. Trust me.)
Fast forward to 3 years ago. The cleaner my personal environment got, and the more balanced my body became with essential nutrients, the calmer my bladder became. Just like a pesky sibling, I know exactly how to rile my bladder up and can do it in a New York minute, but why would I? Most of the time, when I do suffer with IC these days, itās because I did something stupid. I got dehydrated. I got careless with food. I allowed myself to become stressed out.
Today, my bladder is a fairly normal organ. Yes, I still have IC and I probably always will. But I have healed considerably. I still have a āno noā list of foods that will set my bladder off, but take a look at it now: processed foods (anything with a chemical component) and coffee. My bladderā¦.. sensitive little creature that it is, can usually even tell the difference between what is organic and what is not. And reallyā¦. you gotta respect that in an organ :).
Grapefruitā¦. itās whatās for breakfast! I am grateful indeed.
āHugs and love~ Liz
Sheep…Er, Sleep 101
As much as this oily farmgirl loves her animals, counting sheep as I lay in bed is NOT my favorite thing to do. In fact, itās downright annoying and, over time, it can actually become destructive to the body. Usually, I have no trouble falling asleep, but there are times when I wake up with some thought that is front and center in my brain and refuses to leave. Thatās a problem. Thankfully, it isnāt a chronic issue for me, but when it does happen, it sure makes the following day a little more challenging.
If you do suffer from chronic sleep dysfunction, ultimately your health will be affected. Heart disease, cancer, mood disorders, immune system function, the healing process, memory loss, diabetes, and increased speed of agingā¦.. all of these (and more!) become more likely to occur with chronic insufficient sleep.
Sleep issues are incredibly diverse, and this post will certainly not do the topic justice. Some of the most common reasons for not falling asleep, not achieving deep sleep, or nocturnal awakenings (my occasional complaint) can be blamed on everything from health conditions to bad sleep habits.
- vitamin (D) or mineral (magnesium or potassium) deficiency
- decreased melatonin production
- hormone imbalances (especially common in menopause and āmanāopause)
- thyroid or adrenal imbalances
- pain
- diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- heartburn and reflux (GERD)
- kidney disease and/or bladder dysfunction
- respiratory disorders (including sleep apnea)
- poor gut health (our gut bacteria is largely responsible for neurotransmitter production that facilitate sleep)
- a bad mattress or pillow (or one that doesnāt suit your bodyās needs)
- stress, depression, and/or anxiety
- the result (a side effect) of many many medicationās side effects
- caffeine (especially in the afternoon/evenings)
- not enough exercise during the day (preferably early in the day)
- money! (this is actually THE #1 reason people lose sleep)
- poor sleep hygiene habits:
- not dark enough in the bedroom
- temperature of the bedroom is not cool enough
- light emitting technology (TVās, ipads, phones) in the bedroom
- heavy meal at dinner time
- not enough ādowntimeā (including technology) before bed
Recognizing that one or more of these factors may be affecting your sleep quality is the first step to achieving a better nightās sleep. Many of these factors are physiological dysfunctions and the ācause and effectā can become cyclical very quickly. For example, pain can prevent sound sleep. Conversely, lack of sleep can magnify pain and lower the pain threshold. It is situations like these that can easily develop into chronic sleep pattern disruptions.
Lest you think āMy doctor can give me a pill for that, right?ā, let me lay out some facts. I see far too many people at the pharmacy assume that taking a pill is an easy fix for a sleep disorder, and this group of medications is a classic example of cause and effect.
- Prescription sleeping pills are designed for short term use only. None of the narcotic sleeping aids are approved by the FDA for daily longterm use (Ambien, Lunesta, etc).
- Narcotic sleeping pills increase the risk of:
- developing a rapid tolerance to the prescribed strength and bear the risk of addiction (if you have been using them regularly, tapered discontinuation is generally recommended because of this)
- falls
- drowsy driving
- erratic behavior/ memory issues
- DEPRESSION (can cause and actually make existing depression worse)
- increasing the risk of infection
I am all about sustainable living in all aspects of life. Long term nightly use of prescription sleep aids is not sustainable, safe, or approved by the FDAā¦.. and yet nearly 9 million Americans take prescription sleep aids on any given night.
By far, the majority of sleep dysfunction can be corrected by simply improving sleep hygiene habits, improving diet (Ā and adding a probiotic like Young LivingāsĀ Life 9), adding activity and exercise to a life schedule, and most importantly managing stress in a holistic manner.Ā The limbic system within our brain is a powerful tool we can utilize to help us fall and stay asleep. If you have been around oils for any length of time, you understand the important role that the limbic system also plays in memory and in our bodyāsĀ physiologic response to odorsā¦ā¦ odors including those of our belovedĀ Young Living oils.Ā There has been a tremendous amount of research on this topic, especially regarding fragrances with very specific constituents that have therapeutic properties.Ā Fascinating stuff. So, in addition to modifying your sleep habits, it may behoove you to experiment with a few of the Young Living oils or oil blends known for their sleep support:
Any or all of the above may support your sleep in ways you never imagined possible. Tranquil and Rutavala are designed to be used topically, and come in a roller bottle ready for use. I use Tranquil nightly at the bottom base of my big toes (vitaflex points) to help me sleep at night. All of the other oils can either be applied topically (same location) or on the wrist or neck, diluted and spritzed on a pillow, or diffused.
Two other products,Ā Ā Sleep EssenceĀ andĀ ImmuproĀ are Young Living sleep support supplements that may also keep you from having to count sheep. Both are oil infused and contain melatonin, a key hormone needed for healthy sleep patterns. Additionally, 1-3 drops ofĀ Lavender VitalityĀ oil under the tongue may also prove to be your best nighttime friend.
As mentioned previously, there is a tremendous amount of information on sleep, and I always feel like understanding a body process (or dysfunction) is key to finding a solution that affects the root of the problemā¦. not a band-aid to simply address the superficial symptoms. Moving forward, I will be offering an online class on Sleep at least every 6 weeks if youād like to learn more. You can watch for class dates (as well as other classes) here on my blog, where upcoming classes are posted regularly.
I hope that this post has encouraged and inspired you to give your sleep a little support. So put that flock of sheep away, and work towards getting at least 7 hours of quality ZZZZZZ a night!
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The (Health) Road Less Traveled…My Story – part 2
Well hello there!
I had no intention of leaving you hanging precariously on my lifeās edge, but the last few days have gotten away from me. Farm life is full of unknowns, and at times you must drop everything and take care of the business at hand.
So where was I? Last I left you, you were dealing with a 30ās something gal with endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, osteopenia, and hypercholesterolemia. That makes it sound like I had one foot in the grave! Not soā¦. other than āthatā, I was pretty healthy and pretty active. I had given up Diet Cokes and coffee as my New Yearās resolution in 1995 simply because my stomach couldnāt take them anymore. (Itās the only resolution Iāve ever kept!). That was probably the best unintentional health step Iāve ever taken.
The combined diagnosis of osteopenia and hypercholesterolemia was a rude awakening tho! I realized that something had to give in my lifeā¦.but it wasnāt going to be my cheese (I am a confirmed cheese-aholic). I started researching natural ways to decrease cholesterol and interestingly enough, I came across an elderly person, an article, and a book all about the same time. All three recommended raw milk. Say what? You can learn more about raw milk here and here and also by reading The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid, ND. After doing some very thorough research, we drank the Kool-Aid milk and never looked back. Because Iām science-minded, I decided that we would be guinea pigs ourselves.. since we both had cholesterol issues (high LDL and low HDL and average Triglycerides) pre- raw milk. A year after drinking it religiously we both went back and were rechecked. No other methods of lowering cholesterol were used during that time. And by gollyā¦. the proof was in the Quest Medical Diagnostics report. It was like our cholesterol had turned upside down. The LDL was now low, and the HDL was remarkably high and the triglycerides had lowered too. Hmmmm. I might just make it to old age after all. I was unable to get a bone density test at that time because our insurance wouldnāt pay for it again. (stay tunedā¦ we will revisit that in a big way later).
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my bladder situation had improved a bit, but only with close diet control. In addition to my stomach, it appeared that I had a very finicky bladder tooā¦ my doctor had told me that certain foods would cause bladder spasms, but that everyone that has IC has a different set of food triggers, and I would have to figure out which triggers were mine. Oh boyā¦. hereās what I found out immediately: citrusā¦ all kinds (except for low acid oranges). onions (but not garlic). Tomatoes (but not yellow ones). Peanut butter (but not organic peanut butter). Pineapple (but not if I eat it in the country itās grown in!). Cantaloupe (but not Honeydew). Peppers of any kindā¦.and many more. Yes, the list was strange. And frequently, I would avoid everything I thought I should, and I would STILL have problems day and night. It was very frustrating and I went for nearly 10 years with no REM sleepā¦ at least not deep enough to ever dream. Heavy sigh.
In 2009 Charlie and I went on a business trip (for him.. pleasure for me) to northern Thailand. It was an amazing tripā¦ā¦even including the political uprising occurring while we were there which prevented us from leaving the country. Over the 3 weeks we were in Chiang Mai, we ate nothing but fresh clean food, and guess whatā¦by the end of our stay, I had very few bladder problems. It was amazing. We talked it over, and came to the conclusion that eating fresh and organic food might have played a part in this dramatic improvement. So upon our arrival home, I did the āgreat kitchen overhaulā and threw out everything that wasnāt fresh or that would qualify as being a processed food item. My eyes had been opened even further to food as a true healing agent. Interestingly, I had been an āabove averageā eater in terms of eating healthy before, so even the seemingly insignificant semi-poor eating habits were wreaking havoc on my bladder. The food changes I implemented really helped, but I was still getting up 3-4 times a night on a good night.
I had been dabbling in supplements and herbals for several years by now. We had discovered that exposure to chemicals of all kinds (including certain medications both prescription and OTC) had the tendency to set my bladder on fire, whereas I could usually achieve the result I needed (whether that be cleaning or needing to rectify a fairly common health issue) with a cleaner product. We discovered that we are actually pretty dang good organic gardenersā¦.and that we really could grow what was healthy AND safe for us to eat. We also bit the bullet and got our own dairy cows (whom we LOVE). There is much more to this story, but for the FDAās sake, let me just say that I was introduced to a product that I ended up making into a face serum (for my 40 something year old farmgirl face) along with another product designed to āsupport recovery time and acute inflammation associated with exercise and overall joint healthāā¦.. both of which were NOT for my bladder. Serendipity is a wonderful thing when it happensā¦.And thatās what happened. I āserendipi-fiedā my bladder, and woe and beholdā¦. I slept thru the night, not just once, but fairly regularly from that point forward (late night farm noise notwithstanding). I understand now how and why each product worked as it did adding support to my bladder, but at the time, I was shocked at the beauty of sleeping without needing to constantly pee. Now, let me be clear. I am not cured, but my IC is nearly 100% managed when I abide by a good diet, hydration, my face (wrinkle) serum, and a joint supplement. Interesting, huh?
Fast forward again to 2015. I had a run in with our bull. Literally. He charged me, and pretty much knocked my left foot off of my leg. By the grace of God, I did not bleed to death right then and there in the pasture. AND, by the grace of God, an excellent EMT team, and a great surgeon, I was able to keep my foot despite the destruction that had occurredā¦.. tendons severed and complete external dislocation of the tibia, and fracture of the fibula among other things. Wait. Back up. Did you notice anything peculiar about the last sentence? That girl who was osteopenic 15 years prior who should have now been osteoporoticā¦. was charged by a bull who knocked a bone literally out of her leg, that didnāt break? The surgeonās comments were these: āYour leg should have shattered upon impact given your history. I think itās time for another bone density scan.ā. And yes, the scan revealed that I now (as a 48 year old) had the bones of a healthy 18 year old woman. Shut up. Yes, really.
So what was my secret? Again, serendipity stepped in. The raw milk Iāve been drinking for 15 years for my cholesterol and the magnesium Iāve been taking for the last few years have done their job wellā¦.. better than I had imagined they would. People, proper food heals. Elimination of chemicals in your life heals. Listening to your body and correcting problems before they are out of control are life sustaining actions that heal. Exercise heals. Itās that simple. (and yes, I do walk without a limp, have participated in multiple 5Kās, and work out weekly with a P31 bootcamp sisterhoodā¦ and my EMT friends who saw me that day think THATāS miraculous)
I want to shout from the rooftops! Being healthy is really not that hard. I see people every day at the pharmacy who come in looking older than me, or struggling just to make it thru the day. Who are on disabilityā¦.. ENORMOUS numbers of people in our country on disability. That limits their income, and limits their life and their lifeās dreams. Donāt tell me itās too hard to be healthy. Watching them, Iād say itās much harder to be āpermanently sickā than to constantly strive towards good health.
This is my heart songā¦. to help others find their way back towards health.
āWant to join me in this journey? Come on in,ā¦.. and Welcome!