Iron and Acne

What an obnoxious winter so far! We've had about 60" of snow in just over a month. It's been a blizzard almost every Monday! Between the snow blowing, shoveling, roof raking, salting, being unable to leave the driveway for days waiting for snow plows to free our street, and trying to get hours in at work... you get the picture, between all of this I've been rather burnt out and exhausted. It's been actually very hard for me to even move some days due to the burn out. Instead of working on Part 3 of my mattress series, which I'll finish up soonish, I'm going to write about something a little easier: iron and acne.

My naturopathic doctor had me start taking pasture raised liver capsules 3x a day about a month ago. He wanted me to simply try eating liver first, but my tongue couldn't handle it and it made my stomach churn a bit. If you can tolerate liver, more power to you! The reason for the liver is to raise my iron level. Without telling him, I tried taking Black Strap Molasses with 29 mg of elemental iron. I've tried taking iron in the past during my teen years and it did help me feel way more stable and in control, so I decided to try it again to see what would happen. What happened was that I didn't feel any different at all (except for a little sugar high at times, and my yeast issues increased), but my lab values showed much better numbers:

End of 2015, Iron at 66:



If you go by Stop The Thyroid Madness's book/ support group, I was too low:




So after one month on those iron pills, my iron and CBC looked better than ever (almost everything was actually in range for the first time in years):



According to Stop the Thyroid Madness, my labs still are not optimal here, but they look much better.

My doctor received this lab and sounded a bit confused, and I told him I was on the iron. He wasn't happy with me. And THIS is why you listen to your doctor! He explained that I was "pushing" my iron without all the co-factors, which I understand to mean is disruptive to other minerals and nutrients in my body. He said if I'm going to push my iron I need to do it with all the co-factors, and the best way to do that is to take pasture-raised liver.

I've been on the liver for a little more than a month, but I have not had new labs drawn yet. I would like to do so soon so I can see what is happening. What I can tell you is that it's working. Taking the iron pills did not change how I felt. Taking the liver is changing how I feel. I haven't felt anemic and faint since taking them! I've felt weak from not being able to breathe well, low blood sugar, and maybe even low blood volume, but not the anemia-like weakness. I feel strong even while fatigued and exhausted. I'm not used to feeling strength below the tired.

There have been plenty of side effects, though. The liver pills are certainly stirring up my liver, which is not in great condition. I've had lots of rashes, acne, nasty prolonged PMS, and a much heavier period. This makes sense considering the liver does help make sex hormones. It also is the first detoxer in the body. My stirred up liver is pushing toxins out through my skin, causing the rashes and acne. Add hormone issues to acne issues and I get super acne issues. It's not been fun. The majority of this acne has been under my jaw near lymph nodes, which also makes sense to me.

So what do I do about acne? What helps?

STOP EATING SUGAR! Sugar does nothing positive for the body, only negative. It's highly acidic, makes the pancreas and liver work overtime, feeds bad bacteria and yeasts, feeds infections, penetrates a weak gut lining, usually goes right into fat storage, causes hormonal imbalances... and the body tries to detox it through the skin.

Figure out your food intolerances. For me, dairy and grains both gave me acne and I didn't figure that out until I first went gluten free for a year, then dairy free for a while. My skin improved so much. Then I met my doctor, who had me cut all starches, grains, dairy, sugar, moldy foods, and nightshades.  I stopped getting acne except around my period, and it cleared up very quickly after my period started.

Okay, got those down? Good, now what to do about acne that defies preventative causes:

Aztec Indian Healing Clay mixed with Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar as a mask:

The darker areas are where it went on heavier. I simply pour about a quarter sized amount of clay in to my palm then pour just enough vinegar in my palm to make it fizz and turn into paste. Then I rub the paste in my hands and spread it all over my face and neck. I let it sit for 20 minutes, then typically shower to wash it off, but a wet warm cloth to scrub it off will do. It pulses my skin in the process, and after I wash it off it feels like my skin is breathing. The vinegar leaves my skin pink/ red for about 20 minutes, then my skin looks so refreshed! This stuff sucks junk out of pours with a magnetic bond. It feels amazing. The vinegar feeds the skin nutrients and kills bad bacteria. I love this stuff.

Note: French Green Clay is supposed to be the best kind of clay for acne, but I haven't tried it.

Desert Essence Blemish Stick

This is one that I reserve for bigger, more painful acne that I want to get rid of faster. It does work well, but it's a bit drying and irritating to my skin. It features tea tree (and this brand makes a high quality trustworth tea tree, it's not a knock-off or low quality version that other brands use.) Tea Tree is antibacterial and it does help clear up rashes and acne for me. I use this brand's tea tree soap for rashes. It does work, I just have to be careful not to over do it.

Badger Balm Beauty Balm

I'm a huuuuugggeeee fan of Badger Balm products in general. They're mostly organic and use safe low doses of extracts and essential oils that are strictly for a purpose, not a fragrance. I can't tolerate their orange oils, but I've done very well with all their other aromatherapy products, when I don't tolerate many essential oils in general. I typically stick to their unscented line anyway since I don't care for fragrances anymore, even when I don't react to them.

This beauty balm is ultra moisturizing, but doesn't clog pores. It has seabuckthorn, an oil known for healing skin blemishes. I find that this balm is anti-itch, soothing, cooling, very moisturizing, and noticeably healing. I when I'm broken out I use it as my face moisturizer, let it soak in for 15 minutes, then apply my Lauren Brookes Cosmetiques or Mineral Fusion make up.


Organic India's Amalaki
Make sure you're getting enough real whole food vitamin C. I really like Organic India's Amalaki, which is rick in vitamin C and has the ability to pull out oestrogens. Basic abscorbic acid (what's used for "vitamin C" in synthetics) is often made from mold, yeast, or with high VOC chemicals like formaldehyde. It's also incomplete - it needs bioflavanoids to complete the vitamin C, so why not just take a whole food version that doesn't have to be reconstructed?

I keep reading about Camu Camu being a great source of vitamin C too, but I like the alma berry (Amalaki) better because it has the oestrogen balancing effect.


Additionally:

• Eat your fats: drink bone broth, eat coconut oil, drink collagen, eat gelatin, eat the fattiest cut of steak, eat avocados, use real butter, etc. Your skin and brain need good healthy fats in order to function. Make sure you're feeding yourself what your skin needs.
• Drink organic fair trade green tea (certifications are important since non-organic green tea can contain high amounts of fluoride, aluminum, and pesticides.) It's a natural antioxidant. Then press the used wet green tea bag against your acne!
• Get chiropractic adjustments. Freeing up nerves that can't communicate well due to a spine that's out of alignment can significantly increase circulation in your body, and better blood flow means faster healing.
• Use a pimple popping tool for the ones that are ready to pop. In my experience, popping the ones that are ready with this tool doesn't leave scarring or bleeding.

Let me know in the comments if you have more good advice!

How I Respond to MCS: Before, During, and After.

I have learned that I need to use my sauna and neti pot after ever shift at work. If I do not, I have agitated sleep full of angry and annoying dreams and I wake up feeling exhausted. I have a headache and some pain while at work, but the real reaction tends to be delayed (like many reactions for me) and hits me hours later. Yesterday I did go for a hike through the trees along the river, a little ways outside of town and away from any car exhaust. I was hoping the fresh crisp air would help as much as the sauna, but it didn't. It just left me feeling very exhausted. I'm still very fatigued this morning.

I attended my university's Jazz Band, Vocal Jazz, and Steel Drum Band concert a few days ago because I was craving to do something "normal" with my husband and this sounded like fun. When my husband and I were students, he was in both Jazz Band and Steel Drum band, so it was nice to go to reminisce. It was located at the main concert call downtown, where the local symphony performs. I knew that many ladies wear heavy perfume at those concerts, as they're dressy affairs, and I know that cloth seating tends to absorb perfume. This was not a dressy event, mostly college students in the audience, so I thought there was a chance I could get away with going. Unfortunately, I had heart palpitations the entire time. I could feel something inside my ear twitching every so often too. I wore my ionizer necklace during the concert. It helped some, and I know this because I had to shut it off for the last 15 because the battery was running low, causing it to hum loudly. I developed a headache and some eye pain after I shut it off. Because we got home late, I did not use my sauna. I just took an extra glutathione and NAC, which helped a little. I had agitated sleep that night too. Was it worth going? I'm undecided. It was honestly so nice to feel "normal" and get out of the house with my husband that I think this feeling overshadowed the MCS reactions.

MCS is so frustrating. It hinders my ability to be me - I can't go places I want, I can't do things I want, and I can't spend time with people I can't trust to be safe. My reactions are not as severe as many people with MCS. I survived the concert hall with lots of discomfort, whereas others would be sent to the ER by it. It doesn't mean I'm not hurting, and I don't want to go to places or do things that cause pain.



This is what I've learned to do before, during, and after exposures in order to recover the fastest:

1. Take glutathione and NAC throughout the day every day. I take 1 of each with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I take my Naturopathic doctor's brand, but there are other brands on the market. I can't speak to the quality of these brands, sorry.

2. Take extra glutathione and NAC right before going somewhere risky, like church.

3. Wearing a mask (I use Vog Mask) helps some, but some things that cause reactions still bother my eyes, ears, and skin. They stick to my clothes, hair, and skin. It's best to just avoid. There's no armor that works. But if I need to go somewhere risky, such as on an airplane, wearing a mask does help some. (See my review of my Vog Mask here.)

4. Eat protein and fat every 2 hours. I get hypoglycemic, and I've noticed that keeping my blood sugar as stable as possible helps me avoid feeling faint and overly dizzy during a reaction. I used to get the feeling of very low blood sugar, blood pressure, and faintness fairly often, definitely made a lot worse by reactions, but I haven't experienced this much in the last year.

5. I wash my clothes very often. If I go to a risky place, like church or work, I put the clothes I wore in that place in the laundry as soon as possible. Toxins tend to stick to clothes and I don't want to keep wearing what I was reacting to. (I don't know that I have to say this, but make sure you're using natural plant-based detergent that doesn't cause more clothing toxicity. I really like Biokleen's Free & Clear line, both the powder and liquid.)

6. Getting directly in the shower helps, but I recover much faster and tend to suffer less bad reactions when I use my far infrared sauna often. The more often I use it, the more I can tolerate toxin exposure. I've learned to get in the sauna after each shift at work. I sit in it and sweat for 30-40 minutes, pushing out toxins in my skin and increasing my circulation so my body can clean it self out better, then get right into the shower. I bought a $200 portable sauna on Amazon about 2 years ago. It's made in China, and some people with MCS are likely to react to it. A real, full-sized, wooden sauna is always better (they work better too,) but I have no idea which one on the market is best, safe, most effective, etc - the one I linked to is just an example. But I have no problems with it at this point (when I first bought it I probably reacting constantly and didn't understand that MCS was the problem, so I don't remember how it made me feel when it was new - it was when I first started seeing my doctor who's done so much good for me.)

7. Sometimes I opt to take a hot bath instead. I can add salt, clay, ginger, and other good stuff to detox when I take a hot bath (see previous post for more details on my favorite detox baths.) I make sure the water is as hot as I can stand it so that I sweat a lot. I then take a full shower after my bath.

8. Neti Pot. Seriously: Neti Pot. (The ceramic kind - NOT plastic!) I know many of you that I've talked to are afraid of them. Normally I would accept this and help you find a different solution, but in this case, I'm going to keep pushing it. Use a Neit Pot! They do not hurt, you can breath while using it, and it's a very low cost solution for something that helps so incredibly much! I always use reverse osmosis filtered water that's been slightly warmed on the stove. Do not use tap water - you do not want to pour all sorts of contaminates through your nose, such as live bacteria or organisms that didn't get cleaned out at the water processing plant. Pushing the water through my nasal passages simply helps clean out a lot of crap that I've breathed in. Furthermore, the salt that I add to the water stays in the nasal passages for about 30 minutes afterwords. It soaks up mucus and clumps it up so that I can spit or blow it out. Mucus is what traps toxins, so getting rid of the mucus is very important to detoxing. Yes, the water only flows through the nasal passages, but the salt absorbs mucus from all of the sinuses, even my ears. My Neti Pot is a staple for me!

9. Rest. If I don't give my body rest so that it can recover, repair, and recuperate, my body doesn't let me push forward. I can't simply go back to work the next day. Reactions take a lot of energy, energy that I'm short on anyway (chronic fatigue!) I MUST let my body rest for as long as it takes if I plan to keep moving forward in life. Sometimes I only need half a day. Sometimes I need a few days of doing nothing. I have to listen to my body and do as it says.

10. I have to keep my home as safe as possible at all times. I never bring anything into my living space that's risky for me. I don't invite people over. I use my own cloth shopping bags and wash them regularly so that I'm not bringing home the store's bags that are infused with the smell of the store. I vacuum, sweep, mop, and clean regularly. I run an air purifier regularly. I dust regularly. This is not to say my house looks organized: it's not. I don't spend energy picking up after myself, it's poorly decorated, and sometimes looks like I just don't care. I just focus on keeping the home environment safe enough. I only have so much energy to spend.

11. I do have many houseplants. Mold and fungus has been an occasional problem with them, but I stay proactive with my plants. I keep a close watch for the mold and fungus and clean it out the moment I spot any. Otherwise, they're great. Certain houseplants clean the air. Check out this article for more details.

12. I practice a lot of escapism. Instead of giving in to the feelings of anger, agitation, pain, discomfort, anxiety, depression, and other unpleasantness I experience during reactions and periods of poor health, I try to do something that allows me to mentally escape. I do something really risky: I bring my phone into the bath with me so I can read or watch videos while bathing. I watch Netflix while I use the sauna. The reason for this is that if I don't have a distraction, my thoughts get really anxious and dark, and I feel a lot worse and more fatigued. Negative thoughts take a lot of energy, and often times I don't have enough power over the negative mental feeling. So I distract myself with something until the reaction calms down. I spend a lot of time playing video games, reading easy books and graphic novels, and watching my favorite series. These things occupy my mind, which is a huge blessing.

Note about 12: Lots of people have argued that I should be practicing mindfulness, guided meditation, or prayer instead of using distractions. I'm sorry. These things simply do not work for me. At all. I don't have the energy to control my thoughts - these things take a lot more work and stamina than I have to give. If these things work for you, yes, you're probably going to recover faster employing them. They allow for a deeper rest and a better calm. They train us to have better control over our mental and spiritual states. These things are important! But I'm sorry, they're not enough to combat my anxiety and reaction agitation. I tried praying the rosary while in the sauna during a really nasty reaction once. I was shaking with anxiety and desperate to calm down. The rosary should be very calming, reflective, and meditative - it simply called attention to all my problems that I wanted to share with God. It caused me to think about how hard life is, how much suffering we go through, and how I just wanted to be dead to end the suffering. Prayer is a very powerful thing. I strongly believe in God and I strongly believe in the importance of prayer. But I've learned that my prayer isn't effective during my deep anxiety times - it makes me feel worse. I pray when I'm feeling strong so that I can actually calm my mind enough to listen to God. It's a big reason why I'm struggling so much with church - church causes me to react, and I can't focus or be worshipful when I'm reacting.

13: I take care of my health to the best of my ability. I'm taking a ton of supplements , eating a very strict diet, exercising the best I can, practicing avoidance to the best of my ability, avoiding as much stress as possible, etc. I'm doing what I can to heal my chronic illnesses, weak organs, etc. My issues are my own. You need to learn your body and address your body's needs. The stronger our body's health, the better it can tolerate environmental toxins... or at least recover from reactions.

14. I try to spend plenty of time in nature, in the trees or by the sea, away from car exhaust, cigarette smoke, toxic people, city pollution... you get the idea. Nature is the ultimate air purifier. It's the ultimate stress reliever. It also helps me adjust to the changing seasons better. The more time I spend outside, the less traumatic seasonal changes are for me (despite that winter is horrible anyway.)

(Isn't it just calming thinking about being in nature?)

15. Therapies help. I can't say enough about how much chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage helps me. All of these help the body work optimally, all of which will relieve body tension, stress, and toxin build up.

16. I do use a Himalayan Salt Lamp. This is one of my favorite items to sell at the store I work at. It is not enough on its own to help with a reaction, but it does serve an important role for me. The salt releases negative ions into the air to counter the positive ions. Positive ions are harsh on our bodies: electricity/ lightning, environmental toxins, etc. The negative ions clear the air so our bodies don't have to fight the environment as much. They are very calming. My favorite time to use it is right before bed. I read to the light of it. I feel less agitated around it, which is really important in the process of falling asleep.

The ionizer necklace I use works very similarly: it puts out negative ions near my body to help me breathe a little better. It does help some.

(Note: There's a lot of New Age spirituality tied to them, and this has turned some of my customers off from buying one. I've never used it to call spirits, work magic, fortune telling, etc - I don't believe in this stuff, and the lamp has never drawn me in to any type of witch craft. Keep in mind that you can tie spirituality into any object, such as gemstones and minerals. I don't believe in the spiritual properties of gemstones, but they're really pretty and I wear them. Salt is a natural product of the earth, it was around long before humans even existed.)



I encourage you to share with me what helps you! Leave comments on this blog so others can read them too.

Adrenal Fatigue

I'm very surprised to find out that I haven't actually blogged about adrenal fatigue yet, as it's something I'm constantly contending with. This time, however, I won't write much. I came across this article that describes me perfectly, especially the part that describes the symptoms:

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

• Morning fatigue -- You don't really seem to "wake up" until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon "low" (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Burst of energy at 6 p.m. -- You finally feel better from your afternoon lull.
• Sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. -- However, you resist going to sleep.
• "Second wind" at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
• Cravings for foods high in salt and fat
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Lack of energy
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Muscular weakness
• Increased allergies
• Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein

Yes, this is me - especially the frequent sighing part. :) It also explains my low blood pressure and low blood sugar, digestive issues, and menstrual issues. The adrenal glands produce and regulate hormones, and when the adrenals can't properly work with hormones, naturally our hormones will act up.

Adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome tend to go hand-in-hand in my experience, and yet they are not the same thing. While I believe that adrenal fatigue does feed my chronic fatigue, do I believe that there are other causes to my chronic fatigue for reasons I've stated throughout this blog.

This article explains that "nervous breakdowns" are symptomatic of or cause adrenal fatigue. Yes, I did have a "nervous breakdown" that occurred right before I became chronically ill. It was actually on the incredibly overwhelmingly stressful move from Idaho to North Dakota, when my truck was breaking down from carrying too much weight. I was stuck, all alone, in the middle of western Montana, scared to death, not wanting to even do the move. I completely broke down. Ever since then I've been unable to recover my energy.

What do I do for my adrenal fatigue? I have a great naturopathic doctor. Sure, you can buy all sorts of herbal adrenal supplements at your local health food store, many of them even contain the same herbs that I take, but I'm not a doctor or a physician. I'm not going to give advice on what herbs or remedies to take. Now that said, 2 years of healing with my doctor and I still have a lot of these symptoms. Do not expect to heal quickly. This article says that for severe cases it can take up to 2 years to heal from adrenal fatigue. I definitely need more time, but I've made a lot of progress.

http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/treating-chronic-fatigue-and-adrenal-fatigue-naturally




I can suggest lifestyle changes that have helped me a ton:

- Avoid caffeine!
- Avoid sugar!
- Avoid all stress, even if that means quitting your job. Stress will keep attacking your adrenal glands, preventing them from healing and possibly making them even worse. I couldn't work for almost 2 years. If I would have kept working, I couldn't heave healed. Getting away from all stress is an investment in your ability to work in the future.
- Get as much rest as possible. I have no shame in the fact that I've laid in bed for hours watching Hulu, playing my Nintendo DS, or reading. It makes me feel a lot better.
- Exercise enough to keep your circulation strong and to feel good, not enough to wear you out. I like to go for a 2.5 mile walk most days.
- Get acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and massages. These are very healing therapies, but they also are very relaxing. They will help eliminate stress.
- Spend time in the sun, which is very relaxing and invigorating.
- Do not ever "beat yourself up." It isn't your fault that you're sick.
- Pray. Let God heal you. Let him take your stress from you. Let him relax you and comfort you. Do not push him away. Do not get angry at him. If you resist him, you're holding onto stress unnecessarily. Even if you don't believe in God, try giving up your stress to him anyway - just the "letting go" will help.

Set back

It all started with that sinus infection, which I could have prevented. If I didn't go into 4 stores that cause me to react mildly in a row, or if at the very least I had worn a mask, I probably wouldn't have had that sinus infection. We all have to learn somehow, right? Chemical sensitives are no joke!

Recovering from the infection went fairly quickly. It lasted 9 days, and sinus infections usually last up to 3 weeks in the average person. I'm proud of my body for doing so well with it. Recovering from the stress that the infection put on my whole body, however, is what this post is about.

I've noticed my digestion has been poor for a few weeks, but the worst of it hit like a brick wall last Saturday, 6 days ago. I went to bed that night, but hardly slept at all. I was plagued with horrible anxiety that kept me tossing and turning - every time I closed my eyes some stress or horror dream would begin and would wake me back up. Nothing psychological triggered it. The next day I noticed that my food wasn't going through me very easily. I normally eat lightly every 2 hours in order to keep my blood sugar stable, but I wasn't able to. 6 hours went by and I still didn't feel hungry in my stomach, though I was getting dizzy and fatigued (which indicates hunger.) I ate a little bit anyway, and while it took the edge of off the dizziness and fatigue, all it manged to do for my stomach and gut was bloat it. This problem stayed this strong for 3 days.

I went to my Chiropractor on Tuesday afternoon for an adjustment. I slept better that night than I had since this problem started. My anxiety had calmed down quite a bit and I had an easier time relaxing, but I still woke up a few times during the night and I was still struggling to eat enough. I woke up Wednesday morning feeling like a slightly rested zombie. I was able to eat a little more often, which I was very thankful for.

I went to my acupuncturist on Wednesday afternoon. He normally is not one to say how "good" or "bad" of shape I'm in, though will comment on any concerns he has, but this time he very bluntly said, "You need this." He explained that my "wiry" pulse, circulation, skin color, and every other sign was a "classic textbook case" of a liver and spleen that is shot. It was a very unusual session for me. He needled several points that he normally does not. At first I was feeling all sorts of odd pressure sensations. It felt like someone had gripped my upper ankle and tried twisting hard, then I felt intense pressure between my eyebrows that made my eyes water (this pressure slowly migrated up my forehead,) then I felt a deep pressure in my lower throat which caused me to cough hard. Coughing with needles all over your body is not pleasant. I do not recommend it! After the pressure had lifted, I felt very fidgety instead of relaxed, like I normally do during acupuncture. I felt like something had "released," like a dam burst within my veins. Whatever that "release" I felt was, I'm still feeling it trying to work its way out of my body. I left feeling a lot more "put together," or in control. It wasn't enough to treat my issue, but it definitely helped kick start the healing process. Since then, I've noticed my heart rate has been occasionally very high, I'm over producing adrenaline for no obvious reason (I'm purposefully avoiding all stress and caffeine,) and I'm getting occasional flash fevers.  My anxiety is down to a tolerable level now and I have been able to sleep most of the night for the last two nights. My digestion is better, but not back to where it used to be before the sinus infection.

Liver and spleen/ pancreas issues are nothing new to me, as my doctor reminded me. We've known all along that these organs are weak. What's very frustrating is that I've spent over a year and a few months now working on healing my digestive organs, only to get hit hard with a sinus infection that stressed my body enough to burn out my organs all over again. Thursday morning I really didn't feel far from the "zombie" status that I was in at the end of 2013 when I first went to see my doctor. My hope is that with enough rest and the right food I can help my organs recover quickly from this. I know they will still be weak, but if they can at least work as well as they did before this set back I'll be happy. My doctor is having me eat as gently as possible, meaning meat that has been slow cooked for a very long time (because the cooking process is breaking it down for my stomach.) I'm also avoiding leaving the safety of my house for several days so that I don't risk exposure to harsh chemicals or allergens that will stress my body again.

One concern I have is that something in my house is causing me to be in a constant mild reaction, preventing me from healing quickly and possibly causing me to react harder when I am hit with something. During this past week that I've been very weak I've been experiencing allergy and/or chemical exposure symptoms: irritability ranging from mild grumpiness to raging anger, itchiness, rashes, unusual headaches, occasional blurred vision, very poor circulation, menstrual spotting, and adrenaline rushes that cause me to go from relaxed to very jittery down to zombie within an hour's time. The problem is, if there is something causing a constant mild reaction in my house, I don't know what it is. It would be easy to blame our bed, go out buy a new organic cotton mattress with zero chemical additives, and then find out I'm still just as bad. While this is a good idea anyway, we cannot afford it. Our houseplants keep developing a white fungus that doesn't stay gone for long. Smokers have been coming into our house. Our cabinets and wood furniture are mostly made from particle board (formaldehyde off-gassing.) Our house is carpeted. I have a hard time keeping up with the dusting. Truthfully, for a seriously chemical sensitive person this house would be a nightmare, despite the fact that it's been fragrance-free for years. I'm not seriously chemically sensitive, but my MCS is bad enough where I can't find a job at a place that doesn't make me sick. I'm not able to up and move to a 100% toxin-free house, so I need to make this house work. Frustrations!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some bone broth to can! It's been brewing in the crockpot for 26 hours and the house smells so bad that it needs to be done. Bone broth may be a highly nutritious liquid, but it sure does reek.

Flu

On December 3rd, the CDC issued a warning that the 2014-2015 flu vaccine is less effective due to drifted influenza A viruses (in other words, the CDC isn't promising that this year's flu shot will work.)  This may come as a shock to many people who rely on the flu vaccine to prevent the flu. Despite this warning, is it still worth getting the flu shot? Many sources still say yes, claiming that the flu shot will make any flu you get more mild.

Why rely on a shot that probably won't protect you from getting the flu, no matter how mild? Does the flu shot even work? Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. explains why it's innefective. This study also explains that "Vaccination shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalisation." 
While I normally try to link to scholarly articles and studies, this article also makes a great case against the CDC for not documenting actual results of the flu shot. This is another case against the flu shot by Dr. Mercola.

But, the flu shot still has a chance of working, so it's better than nothing, right? I disagree. The flu shot is full of toxins. The CDC actually lists the ingredients in a flu shot. They're not hiding the fact that there are known toxins in it.

Formaldehyde is in the flu shot. The EPA does a great job of listing the known toxic effects of formaldehyde.

Thimerosal is a type of mercury. The FDA recognizes that it does cause many people to have allergic reactions, but also claims that it's a different type of mercury than the known toxic kind (the kind found in ocean fish.) However, there are still many studies out there about the harmful effects of thimersal. 

There's also the danger of the other preservatives and heavy metals in the flu shot. Rather than explaining all of this, read this. It's overly sensationalized, which is normally a turn-off for me, but it contains a lot of research all on the same page.

My intention for this blog wasn't to re-research the flu shot. Plenty of other people have already done that. My intention is to share my experience with the flu.

I can only remember having the flu once in my life.  That one case was H1N1, and I got it while working at a movie theater during a particularly busy weekend, where I helped to serve more than a thousand customers in my shift. I should note that I got sick very often in my child hood. I was often told I had the flu, but we called every sickness "the flu." I rarely vomited, had the shakes, or the other symptoms associated with the flu. I normally was sick with high fevers, headaches, sinus infections, and seasonal allergies. I also got sick easily from certain objects, like gray crayons, which I now know is part of MCS. More importantly, since my early teenage years I've never had the flu shot. I don't remember if I got the flu shot when I was younger - I assume my schools required it, but I don't remember getting it.

So how is it that I've only had the flu once and I've never had the flu shot? Part of the explanation is going to be guessing, but I'll get into known facts too.

1. I've been allergic to corn my whole life, meaning I've always avoided High Fructose Corn Syrup. This means that I've eaten less sugar than the average person, because I often couldn't eat the pre-packaged foods that most people regularly ate. I also could eat out very easily, so I had to be careful. I ordered salads with oil and vinegar as a dressing, or meat without the marinade with a size of vegetables. I occasionally would get pizza from a local business that read all the ingredients they used to make sure they didn't use any corn. Don't get me wrong, I did eat sugar, but I did not eat it with most of my meals like the average American does (because HFCS is in almost everything.) Read ingredients if you don't believe me. Sugar is an immune system suppressant. It also feeds infections, promotes the growth of yeast in our bodies, and causes our bodies to become very acidic. This single article says enough for the purpose of this blog on how sugar affects whole body health.

2. I've spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid, getting a lot of sunshine. I grew up in Idaho and Oregon, meaning all year round I had access to amazing outdoorsy things to do. I was in girl scouts, soccer, sailing camp, track, and more sports. I also just spent a ton of time on the ocean and went for plenty of bike rides and walks. I got plenty of sun. In my adult years, I've spent less time outside, but I have started taking vitamin D regularly at the request of my chiropractor. Vitamin D is known to prevent the flu. The sun is the best source of vitamin D, and the sun is known to boost immunity.

3. I've been getting chiropractic adjustments regularly for about 6 six years. The trouble with offering a source for how chiropractic adjustments help fight the flu is that most sources are written by chiropractors, well researched or not. I have personally had so much benefit from chiropractic care, that it doesn't surprise me at all that it helps prevent the flu because of what it does for the body. Remember, chiropractors are nervous system doctors, not bone doctors. They manipulate bones in order to free nerves so they can do their jobs. When the nervous system is working well because nerves aren't blocked or pinched, the body can respond well to invasion or harm. I'm going to link you to a chiropractic article anyway.


In conclusion, I hope that my perspective at least raises awareness of how the flu shot is not a guaranteed to prevent you from getting the flu. I hope that my perspective helps raise awareness of the fact that our bodies have a great natural defense system that needs to be nurtured in order to work effectively. If you're afraid of the flu, I highly recommend working on boosting your own immune system by avoiding sugar, getting enough vitamin D, and even going to a chiropractor regularly.

Acupuncture and Chiropractic Adjustments

Acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy are a perfect trinity. They each play an important role on their own, but each treatment is most effective when all 3 treatments are done. I have come to rely on these treatments because they're just that helpful. I will not discuss massage therapy in this post, but will in a later post.

I've talked with many people who claimed that these treatments didn't do enough good for them, so they have dismissed them. When I asked how long they were getting these treatments, most of the people said only once or only a few times. The trouble is that people tend to have the impression that any type of body care therapy should have instant results. I believe this idea stems from how Western Medicine operates: go to the doctor once or twice, get put on pills or have a procedure, and then you're supposed to be healed. Acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy do not fit into this model. Each of these therapies require many sessions, and are not able to be "instant fixes." It is just like going on an exercise program: going to the gym and working out once won't do much for you. It's an important start to a long-term exercise plan, but it won't make you lean and muscular. If you go the gym 3-4 times a week over the course of year, then you can expect a major change in how your body looks and feels. You should expect to be more muscular and lean after that much work. With acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy, you really must have treatments done consistently and regularly to produce results.

Chiropractic care:
I'm starting with chiropractic care because it is the treatment I have been getting the longest. I've been regularly seeing a chiropractor for 6 years now, and it has been one of the best investments in my health I've ever made. The reason I initially went to a chiropractor was because we were trying to get my husband into one. He was complaining of never-ending back pain during grad school (to get a degree in Piano Performance, which is taxing on the body.) When he went in for the first time, the chiropractor invited me to do a free consultation, including x-rays. What ended up happening is that the chiropractor looked at both of our x-rays and said to me, "I'm surprised that you're not the one complaining of pain! Your husband will benefit from adjustments, but your spine is really out-of-shape." He wasn't exaggerating. My spine looked bad. My neck was curved backwards by 9º and my back was in the shape of an "S," from side-to-side, when it should be perfectly straight. Truthfully, I was in pain pretty often, but I was so used to the pain that I didn't know it wasn't normal. We think the cause for me was being in gymnastics, ballet, swimming, karate, soccer, t-ball, and track as a kid. I was contorting and working my body a lot while it was still developing. So my husband and I both signed up to get adjusted regularly, and we both benefited immensely. After a year of regular adjustments, my neck was close to normal (it was at least bent back in the correct direction again.) I was thinking more clearly, sleeping better, walking with better balance, had better circulation, didn't get headaches as easily, could hear better, had improved vision, my shoulder wasn't in constant pain anymore, and much more. I kept improving over the years, but I also go in regularly to maintain my spine. I don't always hold adjustments well, so I tend to need an adjustment on a regular basis.

Let me back up. What does a chiropractor even do? Should you see one if your back is straight? I originally thought that chiropractic care was only for people with bone problems, and it seems to me that most people who haven't been to one share this assumption. It's true that chiropractors adjust bones, but they are not bone doctors. They are nerve doctors. They move bones back into place in order to free up nerves that could no longer function fully or properly due to surrounding bones that were out-of-place. When nerves are constricted, all sorts of problems occur. Most obviously, it can be painful. Less obviously, but more importantly, organs cannot function as well. When the nerves going to organs get constricted, they can no longer send all the messages from the brain to those organs. This is how adjustments improve vision, hearing, brain function, digestion, menstrual troubles, infertility issues, bladder control problems, hormonal imbalances, and more.

I highly recommend everyone seeing a chiropractor, even if you think you're in good shape. Getting adjusted can free up nerves you never knew needed to be free. It also helps to prevent your spine from getting worse over time. Bones that are out-of-place can degrade over time from being worn in the wrong way. Cartilage can wear out, even to the point of disappearing. Yes, chiropractic care benefits everyone.



Acupuncture:
I love acupuncture. I cannot speak enough good about the effects of acupuncture. I was a bit skeptical of it before trying it. I didn't doubt that it was effective, otherwise acupuncturists wouldn't stay in business. I doubted that it was for me. I thought it was too spiritual, like yoga is, and I didn't want to try a New Age practice that would conflict with my Catholic faith. I also thought the ideas of putting needles into my body sounded unnecessary - I thought there must be other ways to get the same healing effects without putting myself through torture. I was so very wrong, and I'm so thankful I decided to try it. My occupational therapist was the one who suggested acupuncture first, saying it can offer relief in my hands ways she couldn't. I didn't want to try it then, because I didn't want to spend the money. About a year later (last year,) my chiropractor suggested it too, and even gave me a recommendation on who to see. He pushed me pretty hard to go. My health was deteriorating so quickly, and I was so desperate, that I decided to try it. If my OT and Chiropractor, who are both Christian, highly recommended it, then maybe it wasn't what I though it was.

My first acupuncture treatment was interesting. I didn't walk away with great relief, but I was very intrigued and I was looking forward to my next session. I learned a substantial amount. I learned that Chi (or qi - however you prefer to spell it) does actually exist, and it's not some New Age, Hindu, or Martial Arts stuff that I should avoid. While many Eastern religions recognize chi and use it in their religions, it isn't in contradiction to my faith at all. It is something I now openly embrace. Chi is simply our life energy that flows through us. Acupuncture works by releasing blockages that prevents our chi from flowing through us correctly. When that chi starts flowing correctly, it's one of the most amazing feelings ever. Before you blow this concept off, you should know that actual scientific studies have been done on acupuncture, confirming that it does work to heal the body, such as this study, and this study. Science hasn't been able to find this mysterious "chi," but the studies have proven that the effects people claim acupuncture has do happen.

After about 3 sessions, I started to notice a fantastic change in my body. I was much calmer, my pain was in more control, and my fibromyalgia flares were easier to deal with. After a few months of sessions, I noticed that my energy levels were always at their best the day or two following treatment. I noticed that my aching joints moved more freely. I noticed that my brain was working better. I noticed that I didn't bruise as often or as badly. I noticed that I was more in control of my self. I've been going regularly for a full year now. The most obvious benefit as of late? My menstrual cycles have become much less painful and more tolerable. It has been the perfect therapy to accompany my health plan of dieting, supplements, detoxing, and exercise. It has increased the benefit from all of these things. 

Do the needles hurt? Not usually. They only hurt when I'm tense, stressed, or my health is poor (and by the end of the session I'm no longer feeling poorly!) I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so when I say the pain is mild-tolerable, it may mean that it's a bit intense for people with low pain tolerance. The pain only lasts a second or two, as the needle goes in. If the pain lasts any longer than that, then something is wrong and your acupuncturist will adjust the needle so it doesn't hurt anymore. The needles are not painful 80% of the time - in fact, I often don't feel them going in at all. The needles are so thin that they don't even leave holes or marks on your skin.

Acupuncture is not something that I think everyone needs to try, unlike chiropractic care. I do think it's something that everyone can benefit from, though! It is great for pain management, destressing, detoxing, or relieving discomfort (mental or physical.) It it not a treatment to fear!