Product Reviews Due to Changes or Supply Issues

First, let's talk about Fitbit... No, I won't replace it since I have years of history in the app, but it's something I want everyone to understand about Fitbit, especially if you have POTS too. 

Earlier I opened my app to look at my heart rate, and I saw the bpm in real time. I can also see this on my Fitbit screen, but I cannot read my screen outdoors because I have an Inspire 2... and it's impossible to read outside. 

When I went to see my heart rate through the day, however, it doesn't show the 157 bpm. This is because Fitbit only shows an average of every 5 minutes, so it misses my peaks. 

There's an app called Cardiogram that will show you every single BPM reading the Fitbit took. I used to use it when it was free, and it was really enlightening to see how often my heart rate spikes high. Then they started to charge a yearly subscription that was over my budget, so I stopped using it. I feel a little blind by only relying on Fitbit now, but thankfully I've been monitoring for enough years to have learned how my heart is. 

And now let's talk about products I've recommended that have changed or are no longer available... 

1. Starting with Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer, my favorite part of every morning, and the reason my nails have been surviving thyroid issues! 

I have heavily recommended this product for years, but Vital Proteins decided to change the ingredients BEFORE changing the product description on any store front. Their own website, Amazon, Vitacost, and other stores all show the old ingredients, but they're shipping the "new and improved" product instead, which has different ingredients. They removed the silica, but also added stevia (it was good without the stevia, why add it?) Unfortunately, the new product contains Maltodextrin now, which is often made from corn (I'm allergic to corn.) I wrote Vital Proteins to ask if it's made from corn, and they said:

Thank you for reaching out to us!  Our Collagen Creamers have indeed undergone a recent reformulation- this change was made to improve the mixing experience. As this is our new formulation for this product, we will no longer continue to offer the previous version. Our team is working to update the product page to reflect the new formulation. The Maltodextrin used in our product is a combination of corn and tapioca. Based on the information you shared with us we recommend to not consume the product. 

Yes, corn. Thankfully I didn't consume it without looking at the ingredients for changes! Allergies aren't the only problem with this situation. Even if I was not allergic to corn I would never willingly buy and consume something with maltodextrin in it due to how it spikes blood sugar in the body (click the sentence for a link.) I'm too sensitive to blood sugar changes and I can't handle ingredients like this.

At the bottom of that email I noticed something:

In Health,
Team Vital

Customer Care Team
Nestlé Health Science U.S. - VITAL PROTEINS

How long as Nestle owned them? Here's the thing about Nestle: I think they do very evil things and I will not support them until they change their terrible habits, but when they bought Garden of Life they didn't change anything about the quality of the product as far as I could tell. I've read that they do tend to take a hands-off approach to companies they buy. So is this terrible business with their collagen creamer a problem of Nestle? Not sure.. but for the sake of having a scapegoat, I will happily blame Nestle! 

So I switched to Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel. I don't like it as well, but it's good enough. No bad ingredients, but it also doesn't say grass-fed cows... normally I'd keep looking for something grass-fed, but all the other brands that make collagen creamers add ingredients like maltodextrin to help it mix better in coffee. This is the only option on the market right now without maltodextrin. By the way, Primal Kitchen was bought by Kraft Heinz in 2018. It is what it is. It's hard to avoid these megacorporations in this world unless I live completely on food I grow myself and farmer's markets. It's more possible to do that here in South Carolina than anywhere else I've lived... but I want my collagen!

2. Dickinson's Witch Hazel Wipes, individually wrapped. These have been "out of stock" for a very long time, and they have introduced a new package with multiple sheets per package instead. I'm all for less packaging, but that defeats the purpose. These were a perfect fragrance-free option for cleaning up while traveling. I used them on my hands, face, and body. They were small and fit into my purse or pocket, so I could keep them with me. I have not yet found an alternative that's fragrance-free at a reasonable price point. I bought out the last of the other TN Dickinon's witch hazel brand individual wipes for now, so I'll look for an alternative later when I need to buy something. 

3. Biokleen laundry powder... Now this one has me the most upset of all. I can't link to it because it no longer exists. I prefer powder because it significantly reduces plastic waste, it's pure soap and not mostly water, and it's easier to work with. The problem with powder is they normally require warm to hot water to work. At first, they made their laundry powder with hydrogen peroxide and enzymes, which meant it cleaned and dissolved in cold water really well. I also liked it because it contained zeolite, which binds to mold spores. It helped me decontaminate my clothes. Then they changed their formula and removed the hydrogen peroxide and enzymes. They switched to using citrus as the cleaning agent. I wasn't happy, but it's been working well enough for me. They also offered a fragrance-free version, which normally I would prefer, but I wanted the grapefruit seed oil to help break down biofilms on my clothes and that was only in the citrus version. Now they no longer make it at all. 

Instead, Biokleen started to make laundry sheets. 🚩🚩🚩 Red flag alert!! Let me make something very clear: Laundry sheets are TERRIBLE in every possible way. They claim to be better for the environment because they don't use plastic packaging, but what they don't tell you is that every sheet contains plastic: polyvinyl alcohol. You're literally washing your clothes in plastic if you use these, and no, the plastic does not "magically dissolve." Read this study about how 75% of it ends up in water ways. But it's worse than that: these sheets don't work well. They don't dissolve in cold water, but most natural fibers require cold water. They end up clogging up pipes because they don't dissolve. Look... there's nothing good about laundry sheets. Fine idea for reducing plastic, but wrong execution. I'm really upset that Biokleen went this direction instead of continuing to make their enzyme-based laundry powder. I would have paid more for it if I need to, because it worked... 

So I switched to Dirty Labs. It's liquid, it uses enzymes, it's fragrance-free, works great in cold water, and contains no plastic at all. Honestly, it's a great product. I really like how well it cleans. I like that it's super concentrated, so I'm not buying water. My complaint, unfortunately, is how messy it is. It's very thick and goopy, so it's slow to pour. It's hard to measure the right amount because not all of it will pour out. They made a dispenser bottle, but based on the reviews it's problematic and needs to get perfected before I spend money on it. 

4. ....Oh!! It's back in stock!! I don't have to lament about how my favorite product is out of stock anymore! Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques pressed powder foundation. Yay!!!!!!! This product is very clean, and it works brilliantly. It gives my skin life and a glow, but it doesn't look heavy like foundation. It's breathable and stays in place when I sweat. It's amazing. I frequently wear it without any other make up just because it makes me look normal and healthy.  

Aurora - The Seed

Far Infrared Sauna: Why I Use One Regularly

I honestly can't believe that in 10 years of owning this thing that I haven't written a post about how helpful it is for me... I think it just proves that I do A LOT and I can't really keep track of it all to write about it! 

My super duper cheapo portable Far Infrared Sauna! (As opposed to the $1,000+ ones...)

I bought it for about $179 on Amazon about 10 years ago. I'm still using it. I just used it today. I told you, I'm all about buying things that last! Although I had no idea if this would when I bought it, ha!

And look, despite CRAZY inflation, it's only gone up to $219 in 10 years! Ha! They're still making it too, so I think I made a good choice:

 Amazon.com : Infrared FAR IR Negative Ion Portable Indoor Personal Spa Sauna by Durherm with Air Ionizer, Heating Foot Pad and Chair, 30 Minutes Timer, Large, Silver : Patio, Lawn & Garden

First, let me acknowledge the elephant in the room, which was something I didn't know about at the time of purchase:

EMFs. I have no idea what kind of EMFs this sauna emits, and I recognize that they are a problem with infrared saunas in general. If you're sensitive and must avoid them, you will probably need to invest in a much more expensive brand that verifies low EMFs from their products. I know there are sauna companies out there, but I have zero experience with them and I'm the wrong person to ask. 

I'm not real clear on if EMFs affect me... maybe they're the reason I zone out so much indoors, but feel way more awake and alert when I'm up in the mountains in national parks. What I can say is that I don't feel worse from using my sauna regularly. 

I got started with using saunas because of my Naturopathic Doctor, who is the reason I recovered some of my health. He has a really high quality far infrared sauna in his clinic, and he had me using it regularly as part of my treatments. It was really difficult to endure. I was so sick that the energy it took to survive that thing still haunts me. I remember my heart pumping into my throat, the sweat flowing like waterfalls, my vision going in and out... it was tough. But the more I used it, the more I was able to endure it, and the better I felt after each session. I was comfortable with the process because I trusted my doctor, and his nurses were monitoring me. 

I was living in North Dakota, and my doctor was in New Hampshire. I wanted an option to use at home. So, on a whim, and with encouragement from my dad, I bought this one. It's not as effective as my doctor's, but it has the same effect if I stay in it long enough. I sweat waterfalls, my heart rate goes sky high, and I'm left feeling completely exhausted after. Yeah, it does the job I want it to do. 

Yes, it does seem crazy for someone with ME/CFS and POTS to be using a sauna. I am only sharing my experience, and I am NOT recommending all my readers do this. Remember, these blog posts are NOT medical advice. In fact, I would probably work with your doctor before using a sauna, because there are definitely some potential risks. I do not use my sauna when I don't feel strong enough to tolerate it - in fact I usually take all my pills and drink some caffeine first to stabilize myself the best I can. I don't use it on days when I have something to do. I only do it on days when I know I can rest and recover. It can trigger my PEM (post exertional malaise) when I don't time out when and how I use the sauna, but the PEM it causes is so much more peaceful than a typical crash and I recover faster from it. 

Here's the benefits for me, personally:

- Clears up hives and rashes on my skin
- Helps my blood flow to every part of my body (it's like a miracle!)
- It takes away my shakes, jitters, and itches and lets me rest calmly afterwords
- I sleep more deeply and peacefully when I use it regularly
- My digestion and metabolism is improved when I use it regularly
- It reduces my muscle pain and cramping, probably because it gets blood to my muscles
- I feel more stable and stronger when I use it regularly, with fewer POTS episodes 
- It helps manage my weight a little
- My vision seems to be sharper after I use it
- I feel more resilient to changes or stress when I use it regularly 
- My reactions to allergens and chemicals are reduced when I use it regularly
- I just feel better... yes, it leaves me tired, but I feel more calm and at peace. 

And here's some articles and studies on Far Infrared Saunas for you skeptics:

sauna-webinar (drbenlynch.com)

Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors - PMC (nih.gov)

Far-infrared therapy for cardiovascular, autoimmune, and other chronic health problems: A systematic review - PMC (nih.gov)

I like to lay a thick towel on the bottom to collect my sweat. I fold another thick towel into a soft seat to sit on. I've found that I do not like to sit on the chair and poke my head out the top. I greatly prefer to sit on the bottom cross legged, completely enclosed. It's easier for me to endure this way, and I feel the whole effect on my whole body instead of keeping my head cool.  I keep another towel or two in there to use to wipe my face regularly. 

They say it's safe to use a phone inside it, so I do... but it does get hot. I like to keep it on the bottom front (it's a lot cooler down there because the heating plates are only in the upper back) and watch something on my phone while I use it. I need something to focus on while I'm dying from the high heart rate. I also bring a water bottle full of electrolyte water in with me. I use a stainless steel bottle, not plastic. I also like Ultima Electrolytes because they're sugar-free, but effective. 

I always try to manage for 45 minutes (typical for a dry sauna, not for a wet sauna,) but somedays I really can't. I just stay in as long as I can tolerate it. Once I'm done, I wipe as much sweat as I can off of me with a towel while I'm recovering. You don't want your skin to let the sweat soak back in, so you want to dry yourself as quickly as possible. Once I'm able to walk into the shower, I take a hot shower. Not cold. I don't want my body to cool down. I want to keep that blood moving well. But, me being the way I am, I typically sit during the shower so I don't fall over and hit my head and kill myself. 

In a good session I SWEAT. I sweat so much it's hard to keep it from dripping into my eyes! It's amazing! I remember when I first started to use the sauna it would cause me to break out with acne... but that doesn't happen anymore since using it regularly. I think I'm keeping my pores clear this way.

Side note... I've had times when I can't sweat in the sauna, and other times when I sweat waterfalls. Not being able to sweat can be a sign of dehydration. It can also be a symptom of dysautonomia, when the nerves don't signal instructions to do things like sweat (or breath, or digest, or pump blood... isn't dysautonomia fun?) In my experience (again, NOT medical advice!) when I can't sweat I still get the benefits of pushing blood in my body. It still helps. But I also notice that I'm WAY more tired after. I had an episode once when I couldn't stand up to get from the sauna to the shower, so I crawled into it and laid down in the bottom of the tub until I was able to turn the water on and just take a bath. That was kind of scary... so since then, if I'm unable to sweat in the sauna after 15 minutes, I don't continue. I stop and get out before I hurt myself. 


THE ONLY CON about this particular sauna:
 
The zippers are made of metal, and they get REALLY hot. I can burn my skin on them. The zipper... what do you even call it, the part of the zipper you grab to use it? The tag? The handle? That part hangs down on all 3 and I have to be careful not to let it touch my forehead. The main big zipper handle can be tucked away in the Velcro that seals the top, so that won't bother me. It's the two zippers for the arms that can burn me if I'm not careful. 

So, I'm not trying to sell you on this exact sauna... there are probably better choices. But, I can tell you that it's been reliable for me for 10 years! 


UPDATE

It's the next day, 24 hours since I finished using my sauna. I'm struggling to move much today. I'm so tired my eyes are zoning out on me frequently. I can move as long as I keep moving, but if I sit down then I can't get back up. I go frozen. It's hard to move. I'll recover... but it's worth it to me because it's helping combat my allergies (it's spring it the south, there's layers of yellow pollen on everything.)

Tom Odell - Heal (Live )

Emiliana Torrini - Let's Keep Dancing

Water Is Life: Product Review of RO Filtration Systems and Why You Need Them

I agree with the Native Americans who fought against the pipeline in North and South Dakota: 
Water Is Life.

It's true. We can't live without clean water.

We said the mantra over and over, demanding that the source of our water supply wasn't ruined by fracking and leaking oil pipelines. But why don't we really live this mantra by choosing to drink clean water and choosing practices that keep our water clean? Why are we still drinking from plastic bottles, drinking the tap water, and choosing to buy foods grown with pesticides that run off into our water supply and ruin in? 

 In the words of Nestle's CEO: 

“Water is, of course, the most important raw material we have today in the world. It’s a question of whether we should privatize the normal water supply for the population. And there are two different opinions on the matter. The one opinion, which I think is extreme, is represented by the NGOs, who bang on about declaring water a public right. That means that as a human being you should have a right to water. That’s an extreme solution. The other view says that water is a foodstuff like any other, and like any other foodstuff it should have a market value. Personally, I believe it’s better to give a foodstuff a value so that we’re all aware it has its price, and then that one should take specific measures for the part of the population that has no access to this water, and there are many different possibilities there.”

So... if water is to be treated as a "foodstuff" with market value, that means you have a choice. What water are you buying? Do you know what you're buying when you pay your water bill for tap water? Do you know what you're buying when you buy plastic water bottles because you don't trust the tap water? Are those alkaline waters you're buying to be healthier actually better for you? It's all a bunch of marketing, because water is a product to be sold. 

Oh boy. This one is a heavy subject, one that I could write a whole 200 page thesis about. It's easy to feel like it's too big of a problem to tackle, but I want to promise you that there are some solutions.

Let's talk about solutions, because the problems with water are too much for me to get into. 

But first:

Well... yes. Dave is right. 

1. Your body won't turn alkaline by drinking alkaline water. You will struggle to digest well if you drink alkaline water with your meals, because it reduces stomach acid. You need enough stomach acid to bread down food and absorb the nutrition from it. Lowering your stomach acid can lead to heartburn. That said, you definitely do need minerals in your water to absorb it and retain it, but more on how to do that later. 

2. You really don't want to drink chlorine. Chlorine kills bacteria and sanitizes. Do you want to kill the bacteria in your body? Bacteria basically control the health of our bodies, so without enough good bacteria our bodies won't function well. If you're taking probiotics to help add more good bacteria into your gut, are you swallowing it with chlorine, a substance that kills bacteria?

3. Fluoride is very controversial. Does it have benefits? Yes, it does reduce cavities. Is it a neurotoxin that kills brain cells? Yes. It's essential you don't consume too much, because the toxicity of fluoride is dose-dependent. So how exactly do you control the dose when you're drinking tap water? (Also, do we need to add fluoride to toothpaste when there's already enough to prevent cavities in tap water? That's a post for another day.) 

4. Okay, so avoid tap water to avoid chlorine and fluoride... got it. But then he says not to drink out of plastic? Plastic does break down into microplastics that end up in the water, and they do mess with hormones. Then how to do I get water? Those glass bottles are expensive, and hey, don't they contain water from sources high in arsenic? Some do, yes. That's what I'll offer you some solutions in this post! There are options. 

5. Don't focus on division and hate while you drink it? On the surface this might seem silly, but in reality it's a great practice to focus on gratitude instead of what we're angry about while we're eating. Our thoughts do control the quality of energy that flows through our body, and our energy will affect our digestion. It's not woo-woo voo-doo - many cultures have known this for thousands of years. Did you know that Kung Fu masters can change the properties of water by moving their qi? We've simply lost sight of it in our dumbed-down modern consumerist fast-paced culture. Our minds really do affect our physical health. (I'm not promoting toxic positivity here - there's a time and place to process all emotions, but processing anger should not be done while eating.)

I'll show you what I use for my drinking water. (Bathing water is for a different post.)

The best solution I have found is to filter my water with Reverse Osmosis. It is a very effective way to remove most of what is in your tap water. It's easier than distilling, and allows you to have safe water from a tap in your home. Reverse Osmosis usually involves 5 stages of filtration, sometimes with added UV light to kill anything after the chlorine has been filtered out. Your responsibly is primary just to change filters on time, so it's not that big of a commitment. Personally, I find it way less to manage than buying pounds upon pounds of water from stores.

Let me show you what it does. In these photos I'm using a TDS Meter that measures Parts Per Million (PPM) of water. The PPM are everything in the water that isn't water. This can include good healthy minerals along with heavy metals, chlorine, drugs people flush down the toilet along with anything else the waste water treatment plants can't filter out, fluoride, and any other additives to treat the water. The higher the PPM, the harder and less acceptable the water quality is. In Bismarck, ND, the tap water was normally near 300 PPM (I'll have to dig back through a million photos to find that one to show you.) Here in Gaffney, SC, I have measured it between 44 PPM (shocking low) up to 150 PPM after they did some work on the water pipes under my street. Because the pipes burst open and were leaking. That was the day I started my period, and had zero running water in my house all day long. Ayyy... that's a story for another day. UPDATE: I'm returning to finish this post several months later, and as you'll see in upcoming photos, the tap water here in Gaffney is now over 300 PPM. 

(I'm going to add photos of Bismarck's water here when I find them, but they're at least a year old now and I have to actually dig for them! Keep reading to see how my current system measures though.)


You have a few options:

1. Go to a store that sells the big blue jugs of RO water, then put them into a dispenser at home. This is a lot better than drinking tap water, but the RO water spends a lot of time in plastic stored in warm or sunny areas. Heat is what breaks down the plastic so it leaches into the water. The blue jugs are BPA-free, but the trouble is that what they replaced BPA with is just as harmful... but they're not going to tell you that part of the story, are they?

2. Install an RO water filtration system onto your kitchen sink. This is my favorite solution, but it does help to have some plumbing knowledge to manage it. You also might need permission from a landlord if you don't own your kitchen sink. I bought and installed the APEC filter in my last home.

I highly highly highly recommend it! It brought my PPM down to around 10, and once it started to go up to 20 I knew it was time to change a filter or two. I used the hole for the sprayer in my kitchen sink, and installed a faucet with a built-in sprayer instead. This was very convenient because I could flush the tank directly into the sink when needed, and I could fill my glass with water from the RO faucet at the kitchen sink. 

After years I ran into an issue with the system, but customer service was the best I could have ever asked for. The bladder in the tank was wearing out. At first we used an air compressor to refill the pressure, but that solution didn't last long. The tank itself started to leak, and I found it falling into the wood of the cabinet it was in. The wood was soaking wet. We had help cutting out the wood and replacing it. We had to buy a new tank from APEC, and then we needed help installing it because we couldn't get the water pressure to where it needed to be. APEC spent 40 minutes on the phone with us to walk us through how to fix it ourselves. The guy knew the system inside and out, and he patiently talked us through every step as we did it. He didn't end the call until the problem was resolved. It was amazing! Best customer service ever!

3. You might need to do something less complicated if you're in a rental, or not staying in any place for long. That's my current situation, so I bought this:

 

The SimPure countertop RO water system. (It was $100 less when I bought it last June... INFLATION.) It's ok. Not great, but ok. So much better than nothing. I'll show you:

It only uses 2 filters, rather than the 5 of the under sink RO filter I used to have. It simply can't be as thorough. Where I used to get my PPM down to around 10-15 with that under sink filter, this gets it down to around 50-65. 

Tap water in Gaffney, SC: 308 PPM

Filtered water: 61 PPM, filters are 3 months old, still have 3 months of life left in them.

I would recommend this if you need to buy any portable RO water filtration system... but if you have the ability to install one under your sink, just do it. They cost the same, and the sink system works WAY better. But I'm happy enough with this countertop system for now, while renting. 

My complaint is that it's on rubber feet, so it's hard to move it around on the counter, but I have to move it around to be able to take the water tank out of the back of it to fill it up. I have to fill it about 2x per day for my husband and I. 

It assumes you will only fill glasses with water. It has 3 buttons for the amount of filtered water it will pour out. The trouble is that the amounts for each are a little too little or too much for my glasses. I also need to keep a Pyrex measuring cup next to it because I use it constantly for getting enough filtered water to pour into my tea pot. The teapot itself won't fit under the spout. So... it's a little less than perfect, but it's so much better than nothing. 

My husband only drinks cold water (I can't drink cold water, it hurts me!) So he fills up a pitcher from the RO machine and keeps the filtered water in the fridge. 

So the problem with RO water or distilled water is that the good necessary minerals are filtered out too. It makes the water "dead" so-to-speak. You won't find any water in nature that isn't full of minerals from the rocks and soil it flows through. We're meant to drink the minerals in the water. In fact, our kidneys rely on the minerals in the water to be able to absorb the water. That's okay - just add them back in. You can buy trace mineral to add to your water before you drink it. 

I personally can't drink water without thickening it, otherwise it flows right through me and my kidneys and bladder can't handle it. I get dehydrated by drinking water that isn't thick enough. So I use powdered electrolytes to thicken my water. I use the ones from my naturopathic doctor, but I also like Ulitma a lot because the flavors are great. 

Here's a link for Ulima Electrolytes - You get $5 off with my link, and I get $5 if you use it! 

This is also a great product for all your POTsies reading this - if you have POTS you NEED electrolytes to build your blood. It's critical! Ultima has less sodium than other brands, but it has more electrolytes and no sugar! So just add some Redmond Real Salt to your water if you need extra sodium. That's what I do. 

(It took me close to 6 months to finish writing this post... I started many posts and couldn't finish them, but I knocked this one down... yay me! Life with ME/CFS, Endometriosis, and POTS... sheesh, it's hard to get much done.)

Eivor - Salt

Surging through my body,

The ocean in me.

Crashing waves of memory,

Currents of longing.

Favorite Things!

It's been a while since I've made a blog with my favorite things. The world has changed. Brands have come and gone. I've discovered new products to love. So... what do I love right now? 

Culina Dairy-Free Yogurt!

https://www.culinayogurt.com/flavors

I've only ever seen it at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers, but I know some small local organic markets carry it too.

I don't really need to be eating any yogurt on my diet, but I need an occasional treat! I can't have any dairy, and most non-dairy yogurts are not good because they're mostly starch and sugar, and I think it creates a bad texture anyway. There is only one single brand I've been impressed with, and that's Culina. They don't use starch, they ferment the coconut with agar. Agar is from seaweed and is rich with fiber, which I love. They sweeten with maple syrup, a nutrient-dense whole food. It's the only non-dairy yogurt I have found that is not junk food. It's so creamy and thick too!! It has the same texture as dairy yogurt! 

The mango flavor I'm looking at right now has 10g of sugar and 15g of carbs, but the others favors have 7 or 8 grams of sugar. All the flavors contain 5 grams of fiber. The net carbs are lower than most non-dairy yogurts, so I eat it as a treat on occasion. 

But the Plain and Simple flavor has 0 g of sugar and 4 carbs, with 5 g of fiber! So I like to buy a tub of it and make small smoothies with it. I add protein powder, allulose, and marshmallow root... along with a few berries and unsweetened cacao. Sometimes I'll use frozen avocado instead. I'll thin it with coconut milk or water. It's great! It's low in sugar, although it has some carbs, but it's a treat! I should probably add fiber to it too. 

I really want to try making something new with it next, like tzatziki! It has the perfect texture for it, unlike most non-dairy yogurts. 

Hippo Sak (Plant-Based) Trash Bags!

https://www.hipposak.com/trash-bags/plant-based/

Trash bags. They're required where I live. Avoiding plastic is really important to me, and going zero-waste is not easy (or even possible in some situations.) You'll see me recommending products that come in plastic, but when there's an alternative choice that's good, I'm going to choose it. I've tried many non-plastic trash bags before, and they almost all don't work. They're designed to biodegrade too quickly, they rip too easily, they're not really the right size for the can and they don't stretch, etc. Loads of problems. But.... Hippo Sak. They figured it out. 

I'll be perfectly clear - I don't really know if they're being honest that their bags are plant-based because of how good they are. They say they are made of sugar cane, but they say they're recyclable and not compostable. It's suspicious because these bags are super durable and strong. So, even if they are made of plastic, they're the best trash bags I've ever used. They have ZERO smell (very important for MCS issues), and all plastic trash bags at least smell of plastic (and so many have fragrances added, which is so unhealthy!) 

Another bonus is that this brand is made in the USA!

Reel Toilet Paper

I have a subscription to toilet paper. Every 12 weeks Reel sends me a box of 24 rolls. It's almost always perfect timing, and I never have to think about it. But the best part is, Reel is the best quality toilet paper I have found. I don't mean in terms of how it feels (I like it, but it's strong instead of soft), I mean in terms of how it's made. It's made from virgin bamboo, without any additives or chemicals to be concerned about. Recycled toilet paper is full of ink, plastic, perfumes, and other agents of the paper it was made from. Many brands have been tested positive for PFAS. (Read that Time article. It's important. This is not only a major problem for our healthy, but our water is seriously polluted with PFAS because of things like toiler paper.) 

Also, this toilet paper comes shipped in a box, and each roll is wrapped in paper. There's no unnecessary plastic. I've never had a box ruined by moisture. 

Want a discount? Click here: 
reelpaper.com/s?SARAHLANGER

Four Sigmatic Protect

Protect Mushroom Blend - Four Sigmatic

(They don't offer coupon codes for friends, sorry, but I explain how to save the most money buying this product below.)

Mushrooms are all the rage, and with good reason. They have incredible benefits! They're neuro-protective, support the immune system, help regulate hormones, improve mental clarity, help us adapt to stress... and so much more. I love this blend because it has 10 mushrooms that cover all my bases, and I feel noticeably more resilient because of this blend. I add it to my matcha every morning and I love it! I drank this every day during the pandemic, and I never got Covid. That might have more to do with my genetics (I mean really, how is it possible that I never got Covid?), but I love to say that these mushrooms really did protect me!

But why Four Sigmatic, why not other brands? Four Sigmatic is expensive! This is truly a case of "you get what you pay for." Four Sigmatic is really careful about how they grow their mushrooms, so they control the process to reduce the risk of mold, yeast, bacteria, pesticides, and other contaminates. They get 3rd party testing on every batch. They grow on logs, not on food products I'm allergic to (like some brands grow on oats.) They are certified organic too. Also, and perhaps most importantly, they use the fruiting body, not the mycelium. Cheaper brands are using the mycelium bound to grains like oats, not the fruiting bodies. The mycelium grows the mushrooms, but has not been studied. We don't have any evidence that the mycelium offers any of the same benefits as the fruiting bodies. I love Four Sigmatic's high standards!

The trick to making Four Sigmatic affordable is to subscribe to a bundle. So every 3 months they send me my Protect blend, and it comes out to $21 per bottle (and I use one bottle per month.) It's usually around $24 per bottle in stores. Once you have a subscription, you can add other products to each delivery without needing to subscribe to those products too. So when they come out with a product I want to try, I order it once along with my subscription. I get the subscription discount that way too. If I don't want to buy it again, I don't need to. 

Almooni Loofahs

Check it out on Amazon

I love real natural loofahs (as in, the plant, not the plastic net balls.) No plastic, because they're plants! They're gently exfoliating. They lather my soap well. They get me clean. They're antibacterial because they breathe so well. But what I love most about them is the sensory experience on my skin. I can rub it against my skin in the shower and feel like I'm gently scratching without breaking my skin or causing irritation. It's so warming to me, because I can rub and rub and get blood to the area, which gives me a lot of relief. This might sound really strange people with good circulation. 

This particular brand is my favorite because they're so carefully crafted. They are extra careful to remove all the seeds, unlike other brands I've tried. They offer options with a cotton backing and a strap, which are so comfortable to use in the shower. My favorite, however, are their giant ones. I can scratch at big areas of my skin, which is heavenly. Again, it might sound weird to those of you with good circulation. But I'm telling you... these huge loofahs are the best. 

Briut Electric Toothbrush Heads

I always get them on Etsy

These toothbrush heads are made of bamboo with plant-based (non-plastic) bristles. The listing no longer says it and their website is down at the moment, but the bristles are made from castor oil. Yes, they actually work really well! They're soft enough to feel comfortable, but they stay stiff and actually do the job. They're supposed to last about 3 months each too, so it's very cost effective. I tend to use my brushes up a little faster because I can't seem control how much pressure I use while brushing... but hey, they get the job done, my teeth feel clean without sensitivity, and I'm saving money on a plastic-free option! 

I did buy the Briut bamboo electric toothbrush initially, but the first one didn't take a charge, so they sent me a replacement. (Amazing customer service from this small company.) The 2nd one worked well for one year, then stopped charging. At that point more reviews had come out and many people said the same thing. It's not really Briut's fault - a few brands were putting their brand names on the same exact toothbrush. The manufacturer was the issue. I discovered that I loved the electric toothbrush, so I ended up buying a more reliable Soniccare. So now I buy the toothbrush heads that fit the Soniccare, and I'm happy has a clam. 

Sleeping Bean Body Pillow

I bought mine on Etsy

This is not your average body pillow. This is a body pillow made from organic cotton and stuffed with Kapok, a plant-based organic material that never seems to go flat (I've had this pillow for at least 5 years). This pillow isn't spongey or too soft to be supportive. It molds to my shape and cradles me. This helps me a lot while I'm sleeping because it helps my legs and arms stay in a good position all night. I put the bottom between my knees and I hug the top, and my achy muscles are happy. I don't put my head on it though, I have my own latex pillow that works better. 

Also.... This pillow was extremely helpful while I was recovering from my permanent toenail removal. It kept the blankets off my foot, but I was able to keep my feet under the blankets to stay warm. Super helpful!! 

Tencel Bed Sheets

Also bought this on Etsy

When we spend so much time in bed, the sheets are incredibly important. Normally I'd be most excited about organic cotton, and I have a few sets that I like. Then I bought these Tencel sheets, and honestly, it's hard to go back to cotton. Tencel is a wood-fiber from eucalyptus trees, and it's natural. It needs to be processed to be turned into a fiber, but unlike some cheap non-organic bamboo fibers (viscose and rayon) I don't seem to have problems with any Tencel fabrics. 

Tencel is very silky smooth. It's very breathable. It's very cooling. So I can roll around on these sheets like I'm rolling around on silk, with no friction at all. It honestly makes a huge difference because it takes less effort for me to move around in bed. When I haven't shaved my legs my hair doesn't get caught in the fabric the way it gets caught in cotton. 

This might sound gross... but when you have ME/CFS, it's just reality. I can get away with washing them less often. Cotton gets rotten a lot faster. 

There are several brands that make Tencel sheets, but I chose this brand after talking with the owner. They don't use fragrances, their dyes don't bother me, and they're slightly oversized so they can fit my deep mattress. I don't have to put a lot of effort into pulling on the sheets to stretch them to actually get onto my mattress. They're large enough. 

I have been sleeping in the same exact set of sheets for 4 years now, very rarely switching to my flannel sheets when I'm cold. The sheets are just now starting to show a tiny bit of wear with some fraying around the seams, but they're still just as soft and silky as ever! You all know how much of a fan I am of longevity. 

More "favorite things" blogs to come soon... 

Online Store Review - For Days

For Days: 2/5 Hearts 🧡🧡🖤🖤🖤

🔸 Quick reason:

Has a lot of potential to gain stars as they grow. They do some things very well, but have some business practices that I don't feel good about. I won't discourage you from using them because their store is good for what it is, but their services are gimmicky. 


🔸 What they do best:

They promote brands I would never have heard of otherwise, brands that I actually might like. It makes me go to the websites of these new-to-me brands and discover! For Days might have a better price, but they only care a limited number of items from each brand. They also offer select items from brands I already love at lower prices.



🔸 What they can improve on:

They mostly offer styles that are too trendy, and therefore not necessarily what the average person might like. I wouldn't wear the vast majority of what they sell because it doesn't flatter my body type (I'm looking at you, cropped shirts and super wide leg pants!) If you like to buy expensive trendy styles and have a body type that looks good in anything, you will probably love their selection. 

Their concept has a lot of potential, but their inventory is mostly... not for me. 

🔶 Full Review:

When I moved from North Dakota to South Carolina, I needed to downsize my closet because it was too much to move into a smaller space. I tried to donate to thrift stores and other organizations that help those in need, but they were not accepting donations in the 6 months I spent packing. I didn't want to throw away perfectly good clothes. That's when I saw an advertisement for a new brand: Fordays.com

The ad really caught my attention:
Buy a huge Take Back Bag for $20. Stuff it full of clothes I don't want anymore. Mail it to them (the $20 for the bag covers the cost of shipping.) They give you $20 in store credit in exchange. They recycle your clothes for you so they stay out of landfills. 

Okay, so I don't profit from this, but it does allow me to exchange clothes I don't want for new clothes I do want. Not a bad concept. It keeps my clothes out of the landfill, and textiles in landfills are causing quite a bit of an environmental crisis. Okay, so I was convinced. I bought 3 Take Back Bags, and I stuffed them each very full. 

I did have some trouble with the Take Back Bags. The registration code on them (to link that bag to my account) didn't work on all 3. Customer service took about 5 days to help me. It was resolved in the end, but I couldn't actually ship my bags back until they helped me. 

My Closet Cash appeared in my account. $60 to spend to on anything I want in the store. Cool! That was a decent trade!

... kind of. 

I have not used my closet cash yet simply because I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy. For Days sells clothes from a wide variety of sustainable brands, so I expected I would have plenty to choose from. But when I really started shopping seriously, I quickly discovered that almost everything on their site was way too expensive and luxurious, or was just weird. Maybe even ugly. Things I actually liked were not in my size. Other things I liked were not things I needed, like more towels.

Until yesterday. I finally found some clothes from Happy Earth, one of my favorite brands, at a really good sale price. So I added two pieces to my cart, then tried to pay with my Closet Cash. It wouldn't work yesterday. The closet cash has to be redeemed on a different website, then it's supposed to magically show up as an option when you go to your cart. It never showed up yesterday. 

Wide Leg Herringbone Flex Pants - Calathea Green – For Days

Today I was able to choose to pay with Closet Cash, now that they've sold a lot of their inventory at that great price. But, I didn't buy them.

Because I'm only allowed to use $20 of my Closet Cash per transaction. 

Whoa.... wait. WHAT!? That's terrible business for a sustainably-minded company! That forces me to buy each item in a separate transaction so I can get a $20 discount on each item. If I want something that costs $50, I only get $20 off, so I have to pay $30 for it even though I have more Closet Cash. This might get them more business, but it pisses off customers. It also means they have to do more shipping in more shipping bags, which is so not sustainable! That kind of ruins their whole model. 

So now I'm sitting here wondering how badly I want those Happy Earth pants that I've been pining over for a while. I have zero budget for clothes because money is very tight, and I'd still have to pay $40 after using my $20. 

If I don't buy things that cost exactly $20, then I'm not going to be able to spend my Closet Cash. And trust me, they have almost nothing for $20. They have a ton of $150+ pants though. I feel lied to. I feel like this company doesn't care about me, the customer. The only silver lining is that if they actually do recycle the clothes I sent them, then I am morally rewarded for doing a better thing than sending them to the landfill. 

🔸 Conclusion:

This site is probably best when treated like a search engine for brands that fit your values. 

You might like their Take Back Bag (their featured service) if you like their selection, and you're willing to only get a $20 discount per order.

Dear Organic Clothing Brands,

Coupon codes
Satva: FRIEND-W5NKDQS (Good until May 15th, 2019)
Pact: http://fbuy.me/iAufr



Dear organic and natural clothing companies,

First of all, recycled polyester is not organic or natural. It's not even sustainable. Plastic sustains until the end of time, but it breaks down to forms we can't use anymore, washes out of our clothes as micro plastics and gets into the water, then ends up in the fish we eat, so then it ends up in us and causes estrogen hormone disruption. Please stop treating recycled polyester as an organic fabric addition - it isn't!

Should I even get into the problem how many us with sensitivities cannot tolerate polyester on our skin? The reason I wear organic is to get away from the added chemicals and synthetic fabrics that my skin doesn't like. Polyester gives me horrendously awful body odor with a rash. It's so bad I gag myself on the body odor. My skin gets super tender and uncomfortable to touch, and then slimy too. My skin does its best to get polyester away from it.

Pact, I'm looking at you more than any other brand I'm frustrated with, mostly because I've loved you for years. You used to never use polyester at all, now you have way too many options with polyester. Most of your men's line contains polyester. Why? Why would you exclude men from having 100% organic cotton options like you do in your women's line? There are natural textile alternatives you should be using, especially considering your slogan, "Make organic an unnecessary adjective." Polyester doesn't fit that slogan at all.

Second, stop assuming all of your customers do yoga or are athletic. Some of us don't have the bodies we want for whatever perfectly valid and politically correct reason, and we don't really want to show off our butts and stomachs in overly fitted clothes. I have endometriosis, which causes me to bloat badly. I'd rather not call attention to my bloat with tight or overly fitted clothes. Some brands have gone the opposite extreme of making oversized baggy options. I don't want to look like a potato sack either! I have no problem with you offering plenty of athletic skin tight options for those with the bodies or desire to wear it, but please remember the average person wants their clothes to flatter them, not show off their flaws. Would it be possible to buy a pair of sweat pants with a bootcut and a thick enough and just loose enough fabric that doesn't show off every dimple in the butt? A pair of pants without any of that recycled polyester crap? Why not replace it with hemp or tencel or bamboo? Because I've been actively looking for that pair of pants for years. Maggie's has done the best job so far with this pant (due to the thickness, and can be sized up for a more relaxed and just as secure fit), but the length is too long and the hem is very difficult redo myself.

Third, I'm all for being fashionable... but why does that have to mean making so many options that show cleavage? Do you know how hard it is to find an organic cotton short sleeve tunic/ shirt tail cut that actually covers my butt (from the tight yoga pants your forced me to buy because there are not other options) without a super low cut neck line? Well you should know since you make the clothes! Maybe the super low necklines don't matter so much for the A and B cup ladies who can find an organic fabric sports bra to fit them, like on your models. But for the rest of us with average or large busts... could we please have modesty?

Let me take this point even further. We all have different bodies, but every band seems to be catering to the same body type. Most tunic center back lengths are around 27". (I know because I've spent hours researching the length on every organic tunic I can find.) I have a long torso and short legs, so I need a 30" center back length for the tunic to actually look like a tunic on me. 31" would be awesome too. I would wear tunics/ high-low hems if only I could find one that's long enough!

Speaking of men's issues, please stop with this snug shoulder width problem. If XL fits everywhere else just right, why are the shoulders always too tight? Because of the "modern fit" and "slim fit" issue. I don't need it to be slim in the shoulders! It's nice not have to excess fabric hanging off in the back, but why does that automatically mean as tight as possible in the shoulders?

Fourth, bras. Seriously, why in the world hasn't any brand filled this need!? I'm ready to fundraise money so I can start making brass myself. MANY women are 29 DD+ in size. I'm a 34DDD. It's impossible to find any sports bra made from natural fibers that actually fits us larger busted women. I've settled on this t-shirt Natori bra made from modal. There is no polyester that gives me skin irritation, and it fits well. But it's seriously the ONLY bra I've been able to find that works for me... and it's not a natural or organic fiber bra. Modal is borderline natural and my skin tolerates it, so good enough. But what about sports bras? Nope. Can't find any options. There are brands making great options if you're humble-size chested. Tasc, Boody, and Pact make great bras without polyester added. But none of them are designed for anyone over a D cup. Please, for the love of comfort and dignity, one of you brands cater to the rest of us ladies!

Fifth, stop making most of your pants as short ankle pants or long 32" inseams. In fact, can we move towards the way men's pants are sized (well, in conventional fabric pants)? I would love to be able to choose my waste size and inseam. If I'm going to spend $80 on a pair of pants, I shouldn't have to hem it or limit what shoes and socks I wear with it due to being short. Women come in all shapes and sizes, and the S, M, L, XL sizes with no choice of inseam is awful. Even the petite, regular, and long choices have too big of a difference between them! I was looking at pants that came in 28", 31", and 34". Um... too short and too long! Where is my 29.5 to 30" option?

My husband has a couple fit issues too. He has short legs, and needs a 29" inseam. 30" is too long and requires hemming or rolling up, but there are no organic pant options in a 29" inseam! In fact, men's organic pants have a *major* issue with not actually offering different inseam lengths. Most brands only offer their pants in 32" inseam lengths... way too long!

Lastly, color choices and patterns... are rare! If I wanted all of my shirts, pants, and dresses to be solid black then I'd be happy. Black looks bad on me. My skin is pale and my hair is brown - black washes me out. I want color! I want green, purple, blue, salmon, magenta, dark orange, violet... and I want them in prints or patterns! Almost all of the tops I own are solid colors because that's all that was offered, and they're mostly blue, because blue is the main color being offered (that isn't black or white.) Sigh. Try looking for a green 100% organic cotton t-shirt. Last I checked, Pact was the only brand offering it - and they didn't offer it for a long time. Try finding a green 100% organic 3/4th sleeve high-low/ shirt tail hem with a modest boat neck. It doesn't exist anywhere, I looked. All I'm asking for are options, please. Stop trying to be so basic all the time.



I want to commend some brands that are getting it right. Sometimes. Or mostly. Or good enough. Better than everyone else, at least?

Toad and Co's Earthworks Pants. Organic cotton with tencel, under $100 SRP, and you can find it at clearance prices. Tencel (from the eucalyptus tree) does what polyester does: prevents the wrinkles and helps with drape. Without destroying our water or hormones. Awesome! I know there have been some concern about the chemicals required to turn it into a textile, but I'm sensitive and have had no issues with the tencel in this brand. They have a bit of issue with size consistency. I own three of these pants and they fit differently. One is a skinny ankle pant, the other is full length and straight cut, and the other is full length and practically boot cut. I ordered the exact same style each time, I didn't go for the skinny or wide leg options. Hmm.

Toad and Co is also the best company for finding organic options with prints and designs. They do offer a lot of synthetic options too, so you have to be careful and read the fabric composition. They tend to be a little too expensive, but their clothes often end up on liquidation sites likes Sierra Trading Post and Camp Saver. Amazon sells many of their clothes, but not all, and often not at the lowest clearance price.

Pact Organic (in general). They have gone through too many big changes over the years, but I can usually (not always) rely on them for affordable enough well made basics. They make clothes the right way: small batches. When they come out with a new style, you better buy it quickly if you like it. They do offer amazing clearance sales, but that one shirt you loved may sell out before it reaches clearance. I normally just shop their sales, but I have occasionally splurged on a full price item just to make sure I get it.

They have done a really good job with the cut and fit of their clothes, and I'm never guessing about which size to order. Their underwear is all I wear - it's the best! It fits my wide hip size, doesn't ride up, doesn't sag, doesn't curl, doesn't wear out quickly... it's just perfect. Ironically, they offer lots of prints and patterns for underwear, but no longer do on their t-shirts. (Pact, if you read this, I miss your prints on your outerwear clothes!)

Gramicci's hemp and cotton mix tops. Simply awesome. The fabric is very lightweight and breathable, but not sheer or flimsy. It holds shape very well. I do have one hemp/cotton long sleeve shirt from them that is thicker than their summer options. Hemp is an amazing textile, much sturdier and less stretchy than cotton, also tends to be more breathable. My complaint with the brand is that their medium tends to be a little too snug, and their large tends to be a little too large. You will need to be careful with sizing.

I've tried several of Gramicci's pants, and I've returned most of them. They're very well made, but they are all cut for the same body shape that I don't have. They tend to be straight from the waist all the way down, and that doesn't work for me. I'm too curvy. I kept one of their pants that's a super skinny ankle pant that built in room for my wide hips, and they're a deep purple color. I paid $10 for them on clearance, so it's ok that I won't wear them too often.

PrAna's organic cotton tops. PrAna is a sustainable, fair trade brand (they are B Corp), but their focus is not on avoiding synthetic fibers. All of the cotton they use is organic, but most of the time it is mixed with polyester. This is because they're an athletic brand and they're focusing on moisture wicking properties. That said, their non-synthetic options tend to be fantastic. They are a very high quality brand, and their clearance prices are reasonable. I can't link to any specific shirt on their website because they update very frequently, but you can search by the fabric content. Such an amazing search feature! Check out their sale section - it tends to be full of a wide variety of options.

I have a hard time recommending PrAna's pants, though. I'm always between sizes, so they're either too big or too small. Some of the ones that have fit me have been too stiff. The quality is so high that it's hard to move in them. Recently most of their pants have moved towards being a cotton and polyester mix, or nylon. They occasionally come out with a natural fabric pant. I have their Avril Hiking Pant, which is all organic cotton with a little spandex. The band is stretchy, not a button close, so they're actually comfortable for most situations. The inseam was incredibly long and I had to hem them, which took some skill to do because the bottom has an elastic draw cord. The problem is that they are hiking pants, meaning they look like outdoor adventure gear and not normal casual pants. I tried on their new Soledad pant last week - I was so excited by the drawcord waist and the non-synethic fabric. I ended up hating it - billowy around the thighs, too tight at the ankle. They advertise it as if you should roll up the cuffs as a style choice, and I was able to, but it was tight.

Tasc Performance. Careful, some of their older styles use polyester and nylon. But they have a big line of a blend of organic viscose (bamboo) with organic cotton. Bamboo is the best anti-odor moisture wicking fabric - it can be made naturally (Tasc does it the best possible way), and it's superior to polyester's abilities.

Look at their St. Charle's collection. It's all made from this fabric, and they have a wide variety of options. Yes, it's all athletic gear, but much of it can be worn in any situation. Their goal is to eliminate the problem of needing different clothes for different situations. It's very high quality, so it might be out of your price range, and their sale prices are not always good enough.

I wear their TFFN sports bra. It's too small, but it fits better than any other organic sports bra on the market. I sweat a lot and this bra is amazing at keeping my skin breathing.



Honorable mentions:

Maggie's Organics. They have a few good options, but overall their sizing is really difficult to work with. Their colors tend to be bland too. They're worth giving a try to see if their clothes will work for you. You'll have the best luck if you're slender. The few articles of clothing I own from them have lasted for years and still look new, so the price is worth it. These are not fast fashion clothes designed to be thrown out after a season.

Fisher's Finery. Like Tasc, they use a mix of organic cotton and organic bamboo, as well as some silk options. The quality is very high, and their clothes are very comfortable. The problem is that they stick to skin-tight pants. They are all essentially leggings and yoga pants, even their business dress pants. This style does not flatter my butt and thighs, so I avoid it in public or without a tunic or dress. The pants and leggings are ridiculously overly comfortable though - it's better than not wearing pants at all. They compress slightly, have a silky texture, thick enough for warmth and modesty, and are not tight anywhere.

Satva. They occasionally have a really good option, but most of the time they're just not for me. They're mostly yoga clothes.

They make organic cotton work out tops with built in bras that I want so badly to like, but they just don't fit. I bought one in large (I'm typically a medium, but I have a large bust). The top is very tight around my stomach, but too big in the bust. It makes zero sense! The shelf bra band is only in the front, sewn into the sides. There is no supporting for the band from the back. The band is too big, so I get zero support whatsoever... but meanwhile you can see the shape of my belly button because it's so tight.


Other brands worth looking at, but I don't have enough luck with:
Woolrich - clothes tend to be boxy and stiff, only some organic options.

Patagonia - I have a lot of respect for the brand paying to research how polyester fibers wash away into our water! They do offer some organic options, but they still focus way too much on polyester... despite the results of their study. They try to educate on how to be responsible with polyester, but I don't think that's the responsible answer. Polyester is the problem, just stop using it. That's my opinion.

Columbia - just like Patagonia, they're an outdoor company that offers some organic cotton and hemp options. When they do offer it, the options tend to be really attractive and unique (a good unique.)

Product Review: Computer Glasses, Gamma Ray vs Gunnar

You may have heard about, or already using, blue light blocking computer glasses. They're glasses with an amber tint to the lens that filters the blue light from screens.

Why wear these? Blue light is what disrupts our melatonin production (making it hard to fall asleep at night), gives off the wrong circadian rhythm cycle messages in our eyes, and creates a lot of the eye strain from staring at screens. There are all sorts of studies on this, but Harvard has a good simple, fast article about it.

I can't use my phone or computer for long without wearing these glasses. It doesn't take more than a few minutes for me to start squinting, getting red eyes, tears start producing... and before I know it the dreaded screen headache. It was never that bad for me until recent years, after developing these illnesses. I used to stare at a computer for hours and hours during my teens and early 20's without much complaint. I'm a gamer, what can I say? But now I have to use screens in small doses or wear my computer glasses.

For a few years I've been wearing a pair made by Gamma-Ray, which I bought on Amazon. This particular pair isn't sold anymore, but the brand is pretty much the same, you just choose the frames you like.

They help a lot, and I've relied on them. They've served me well. But I was never entirely happy with how easily they smudge, and how hard it is to clean the lenses. I often just put up with feeling like I have a film on the lens. I've also been unhappy with how they're flat, letting light in from the sides. If I'm near LED lights (which also affect my vision like screens do, so be cautious about putting them into your home if you're light sensitive), the light from them hits my eyes from the sides. Most of the time this isn't a problem.

But I started to question if other brands really were making computer glasses better. There are a couple name brand companies that claim to do it best. Gunnar and TrueDark (Bulletproof's Dave Asprey supports the TrueDark brand) both are the elite brands, and both offer glasses with curved lenses to protect the sides of your eyes too.

I found a pair of Gunnar glasses on discount, so I decided to buy it and try it out. I bought the Blizzard Heroes of the Storm (video game) themed glasses, lol. Gunnar makes glasses for specific video games. Anyway, they have larger lenses than my other pair, and they are curved. Also, the frame is very thin, and my hope was that I wouldn't be looking at the frame in my peripheral vision like I do with my Gamma Ray glasses.



They're ugly as sin on me! 😀 lol

But that doesn't matter so much. For a pair of glasses that was originally around $80, I'm actually not impressed.

First of all, the frames feel cheap, like a toy. I worry that they'll be easy to break.

Secondly, yes, they are curved lenses, but not as much as I expected. They do offer a slight advantage in width over the Gamma Ray glasses, and I do get more eye protection. But not as much as I was hoping for. The problem is that the curvature makes me really dizzy! If I'm looking straight ahead at the screen there is no problem, but I cannot walk around with them on. They give me vertigo like nothing else does!

Thirdly, the lenses truly are better. There is a noticeable difference between the Gamma Ray lenses vs these Gunnar lenses. Gunnar is known for having the best lenses, and I understand why now. It's like I'm not looking through a lens at all. They're very clear, and I don't see the frames in my peripherals. They definitely block out the blue light. It doesn't look like there is an amber hue while I'm wearing them, but the screen looks very purple to me when I take them off. They simply do work better for me, even though the Gamma Ray glasses are more comfortable and don't make me dizzy.

Gunnar:


Gamma Ray:



Can you see the difference?

I was happy with the Gamma Ray for years. They do work, they significantly cut down on eye strain and redness. But the Gunnar filter better. I don't see the amber color when I'm wearing them, my screen still looks white. It just doesn't look as glaring, bright, and shiny.

Ideally I'd rather have a pair of Gunnar glasses that have all the features I like without the way the lenses are curved to make me so dizzy. I'd also love a pair that isn't black and has a more feminine shape. I'm asking for too much, aren't I? Sigh.  

Product Review: Fitbit Alta HR 2

 I have been extra unwell this month, but I have several things I want to write about before I forget to. After all, this blog is to help me chart my progress as much as it is to help you, my readers, find your own path based on my experiences.  

I decided to buy a few things for Black Friday, one of them being the Fitbit Alta HR 2. This review will look at it not for fitness or athletic reasons, but almost strictly for how well it helps keep track of heart rate issues.

The reason I, as a person diagnosed with POTS and Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia, have been so hesitant to even bother investing in a tracking device is because they simply haven't been good enough. They're still not good enough. The new Apple watch might be good enough from what other people have told me, but I really don't want to buy any Apple phone or PCs or tablets to pair it to. What I mean by "good enough" is that they are not accurate enough measuring HR on the wrist (a chest strap is still the most accurate), but also that they don't record HR often enough and miss when the HR spikes. I also am getting really burned out on this whole chronic illness problem I have, so the constant reminder that I have problems isn't the best for my mental health. The problem is, I was constantly reminded I have health problems even without wearing a tracker, so is there really a difference if I wear one? Maybe it's more fun for me to see and track details about my problems as they come up?

I decided to go with the Alta HR 2 for one main reason (other than the major sale price): it will take continuous heart rate measurements. Most trackers only track while you're working out, if you put it in work out mode, and capture your heart rate every 5 minutes or so. This one will show me my current HR every time I look at the Fitbit itself. I did have to program it to be in "continuous" mode, it doesn't automatically do that, but it works fairly well.

I've used this for a couple of weeks now. It already revealed something that I've learned from my Oura Ring, except that the Oura only measures HR at night. This is measures through the day.



I was in PMS when I first started to wear the Fitbit. It showed that my average resting heart rate was around 80 during PMS. I started my period on Sunday, December 9th. See the difference after that day? My average resting HR went down to the lower to mid 70's. My Oura Ring is still much better for using HR to track my period because it's measuring HR only at night, when I'm still. Going to work having an active day doesn't factor in to affect my lowest heart rate. My Oura also gives other good tracking info for my period, like body temp and respiration rate changes. If you're looking for the better tool to track your period with, I'd recommend the Oura Ring over Fitbit.

The green in the HR chart is when my heart rate is normal. When my HR is above 94 bpm it turns yellow, which is the "fat burn zone." I have to laugh really hard at the fact that I'm often in "fat burn" for 5 or more hours every day... and I have fat to burn on my body! I'll show more details about this in the next photos. With this weekly chart view alone I can see that I have tachycardia problems. If I wanted to, I could change the fat burn zone to start at 100 bpm, and then all the yellow would only show when I'm in tachycardia. The medical definition is that a normal resting heart rate is 60-99 bpm. But if you're just sitting on the couch listening to relaxing music and your heart rate is 94-99, don't you think that's too high? That's why I'm leaving it set at the default 94 bpm. I definitely feel like my heart is working out at 94 bpm.

So, is this Fitbit helpful for POTS? (POTS being an increase of 30 bpm or more when going from sitting to standing.) I'll show you in photos why it's only mildly helpful, and why I wouldn't insist any POTS patient go out and buy one.

Here is a day when I was very symptomatic.



The problem is that each point on this chart is about 5 minutes apart. I watched as my screen on the Fitbit showed 150's and 160's, but those numbers don't show up here in the app. It's because when I peak, I only stay at that high HR for maybe a minute or two at the most. Not long enough for the Fitbit app to record it. It happened to catch that I was near 130 in the evening, but what if that peak was actually in the 150's? So yes, the app shows that something wacky is going on, but there are not nearly enough details to actually use the information. If I were to want to use this information medically, I could not. It might be enough to convince a doctor to prescribe a heart rate monitor, like the Zio Patch I already wore for 2 weeks.

But let me show you the day when I felt the most normal/ healthy since wearing my Fitbit.


I did not work on this day, and I was very restful all day. It's a big contrast to the last day I showed you where I was very symptomatic. The data can give a decent overview of which days are better than others, as long as you're not trying to rely on the finer, often more important, details.

What I'm finding is that the most helpful feature, by far, is being able to simply look at the screen and see my HR. I've compared its readings to my pulse oxygen meter's readings, and they're almost always the same.


Most of the time. When I'm symptomatic or my HR is changing too quickly it just shows me a few dash lines instead of a number. There have been plenty of times when I wanted to know where my HR was, but it couldn't read it. My pulse oxygen meter has the same problem - I can't trust that it will actually pick up a reading either.

As far as using the Fitbit for steps, food tracking, water logging, period tracking... that's not really what I'm using it for. I greatly prefer Clue for period tracking, and the feature on Fitbit is very irritating for someone who is not regular. I check my steps, but it really doesn't mean much to me. I learned what I wanted to from my steps with my Flex 2. At this point, the only thing step tracking is good for in my case is with the Achievemint app. If I were trying to get more physically fit I would use the feature, but I don't have the energy.  Food tracking and water logging? Hahaha, you really think I'm going to take the energy? I don't believe in counting calories. I believe in eating the right foods at the right times, and I'm already doing that.

As for sleep tracking? I'll analyze that against my Oura Ring later. I'm curious, but honestly I've been struggling way to much to have the energy to compare the two devices. This Fitbit does show all the same sleep stages that the Oura Ring does, but the technology is different, and I would be surprised if the Fitbit were accurate. The Oura Ring is only about 65% accurate (according to the Oura Ring user's group I joined on Facebook), and it specializes in sleep tracking.

One big problem I had right away, that I was able to change, was the band. The original silicone band that came with the Fitbit gave me eczema. This surprises me, because I used to wear a Fitbit Flex 2 for about 2 years. That silicone band did not cause a reaction with my skin. I went on Amazon and bought a pink genuine leather replacement band for $6. With my MCS issues you'd think that a dyed leather band would be more problematic for me, but nope, I've had no issues with it so far this week.

And if you're not concerned about the EMF radiation, the fact that I can read text messages on my Fitbit is pretty handy! I also like actually having a clock on my wrist too. It's a massive upgrade from the Flex 2 I was wearing. That said, I would prefer to keep my EMF exposure as limited as possible, while still actually using technology. I keep my Oura Ring in airplane mode for that reason. I could do the same for the Fitbit, but right now I'm using the "all day sync" feature.

In conclusion:

If you have the money to spend, yes, it's useful and might even be helpful, if you're not relying on accuracy. If you're tight on cash, don't worry. I don't think a monitoring device like this is essential for mild to moderate POTS patients.