Birthday blues

My birthday isn't even here yet, but I find myself a little sad. Is it the fact that I'm turning 33? Or is it because it's like Christmas and you want to expect some really cool presents, but a reality check comes, and you realize that nothing "cool" is coming because:

1. you are not a shallow person who is materialistic enough to find clutter and cheap plastic "cool" anymore,
2. you don't REALLY need anything anymore,
3. your family doesn't know what you really want anyways,
4. your family couldn't afford it even if they did!  

So what is important to me? Family and quality time with those I love. Sadly, that takes planning and intentional forethought. . .not something most husbands are very good at. Mine is no exception. Every Mother's day is a complete flop for that reason, and birthdays are only sometimes better because of one thing: a woman. (Usually my Mother in law, ironically.) Either friends or family usually jump in to plan a party, outing or short vacation, because they feel it is as much their place as my husband's to do so I guess. When I look back on any birthday that I actually enjoyed, it was always planned by a woman! So my thought now is, that maybe that's just the way it should be. It's kind of like birth, sickness and even death. . .woman are there for each other. Nurturing both physically and emotionally; men are just a disappointment if expected to be. So again I find myself lowering my expectations in order to be happy in my marriage. . . but you know, why should I expect him to be like me in order to make me happy? And for that matter, who says I'm so hot at planning parties and fun stuff for friends birthdays?! I've never really thought it my place before, so I used that as an excuse to not feel bad for my lacking forethought and organization. Truth be known, I'm much more like a guy in this. As I want to live by the golden rule though, I need to start paying more attention to stuff like that. So when is everyone's birthday? . . . (Now I'm digging a hole for myself:(

He said he'd marry his first girlfriend. . . how we met.

There once was a story told

of a maiden with hair like gold,

and the man on who she was sold.

At first it was she who was bold,

but as he showed love, she was cold.

And so the story did unfold. . .

 until she removed her blindfold.

Now they are a couple to behold,

yet not without trials untold.

May they live a life of love 'til they're old.

By Angela

 It all started with college days: Because of pressure on both sides, both my husband and I were planning on going to Bible school, Being "in the ministry" was something we were both expected to do . . just what aspect of it was the nagging question. My now husband Mike was not really sure what he was suppose to do with his life, but he was always told that he should "aspire to the office of Bishop", so that was his first major in Bible school: a pastoral major that is. While mine was a strong preference for Missions like   

my Grandparents who went to Africa for 35 years.

 I had no preference for one college over another, but after my Grandparents told me that they would pay my way if I chose their favorite (very conservative) Bible college, and my parents pitching in the rest, I promptly signed up for one half way across the continent from me. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the manipulation, as that was where I met my dear hubby, but that poor choice of schools guided me for many years. . . 

As was par for our lives, we didn't fit in with the fun-loving, immature, and gullible kids in college very well. That's not completely true though. . .I got off to a great start! I boldly introduced myself to everyone, including Mike, and spent most of my first few weeks that I was there in the Rec. Hall. I had gotten there early because we were just driving by at the time, so I was the only one not there for tryouts or music other than a few.  Mike was there for music.  At first I was taking him on as a project-because I saw him as lonely and socially needing help. Then when I found he was making me lose friends (guy friends) I tried to get rid of the rumors by claiming I didn't like him. He fought very hard for me, and I was very soon powerless under his charm. I could no longer resist someone so like me, and yet so opposite. I had hidden behind a tomboy/blond facade for years, and he being the school's brain and gentleman was both my tutor and appreciator as he saw and developed my hidden intelligence and femininity.

 We both found such solitude in each other, that after only 2 months into meeting (it seemed like years though with every spare moment together), we asked our parents if we could get married in the coming up break. Being a parent myself now I realize that it was of course scary for them, but they had seen it coming. There should have been no question in my parent's mind about me being sincere and decisive in my choice, as I am the epitome of decisiveness and sincerity. . . my husband more just the later.  I was his first girlfriend and he had always planned on marrying his first girlfriend; so he wasn't devoid of some determination there himself. He had even made a little wager with his roommate to that effect. . .which he still hasn't collected on mind you. I hope he reads this, because we could always use an extra $20 bucks!

Sadly, we were "talked" out of getting married by some parents, and even told to stop dating. . .and that lasted about one miserable week, until we both followed our hearts again. The college also tried to split us up; seeing too much obvious passion in us (as much as is possible at a place where any touching is outlawed. . .just looks and touching with PENS got us in trouble!), they "socialed" us twice! That meant we were told we couldn't write, talk, call, or even look at each other except from a distance. . .the funny thing was, thinking we had to obey them, we actually complied!) Finally we decided that marriage "wasn't in the cards" for us yet and being together in that environment made it torture, so I decided to change colleges.

 After the first semester my husband changed his music minor to a major partially because I said I don't want to marry a guy who can't sing (like I grew up doing as an evangelist's kid), while I moved on to a local community college back in my home town in Canada where I took a 6 month nursing (geriatrics) course to further prepare me for my life's goal of being a Missionary in a foreign country. .  .if I could only talk my future husband into it someday!

  Then I went on to work in a retail store, and later as a "Care Aid" (the equivalent of which they don't have in the States) in a Nursing home for a few years while waiting for my man to come for me. We were apart for 2 1/2 years, and separated by half a continent!

Then we got to thinking; Mike was working his way through four years of college slowly, and with a special diet, because he had carelessly made himself hypoglycemic in the past, my husband reasoned that it would be actually saving money to live off campus as a married student with me keeping house and possibly working too. So two and a half years later, we were finally able to get the much desired permission, even if not blessing, from both sets of parents to get married, even though he had not graduated. Mike was even allowed to give his Great Grandma's wedding ring for our engagement.

 So after much hassle from the immigration people, we had a Christmas wedding in Washington state, right over the border from my family in Canada.  We had a second reception for his friends and family in New Hampshire, then flew to honeymoon in Florida. Coming back to New Hampshire, we then drove, through a horrible snow and ice storm, (passing 60 cars in the ditch!) back to Wisconsin to bible college. And if you think that was a wild start, it only got crazier from there!

An EASY and cheap health fix for most everyone!

There are some things that cause a vicious cycle of bad health. . .that a lot of us put up with unnecessarily, out of ignorance. For instance, stress causes progesterone to be depleted, thus causing an estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance causes PMS symptoms, (as well as a lot more!) and that makes us miserable and moody, which makes us deal poorly with life and causes more stress. Then the cycle starts again.

The entire body being involved can lead to a lot of confusion, with people only seeing part of the picture. Some put blame on numerous things before getting to the root of the problem. Some want to blame just diet, as certain deficiencies do hurt your emotional health, which is then connected to stress, weight and the hormones.

Others go straight to the stress, and claim it was what has made them overweight in the first place, and that made them estrogen dominant, as estrogen is carried in fat. But although there is some truth to that, it is a self defeating, vicious cycle, that has no solution because they can't lose the fat until they aren't stressed, and the fat causes them to be more stressed. . . so it's hopeless then? Forgiving yourself for the past is one thing, but claiming this fallacy gives you no hope for change in the future, and we know that's not the case!

Or others yet blame the thyroid for all their hormonal and weight issues, simply because it seems to be involved. From what I can tell, It is another victim, but it's not the culprit. It could make sense though. . .a lot of people need iodine in pregnancy for instance, and if listening to doctors and reducing their salt intake, (instead of using a good salt with iodine and a lot of other complementary minerals in it, like we know to do with other pregnant mammals,) then you will find the Thyroid suffering, because it's main fuel is iodine. Thus, more babies= depleted iodine stores, and a compromised Thyroid.

Pregnancy & Your Thyroid

"A common problem all too many women experience, especially after their 2nd or 3rd child is that 'baby weight' gained during pregnancy that just refuses to come off. It doesn’t matter how careful you are about diet and exercise. Those stubborn extra pounds stick to you like they’ve been soldered on.


The fact is this: It isn’t what you’re eating, or the type of exercise you’re doing. It’s simply that your iodine reserves have been almost totally drained.

Breast Tissue & Iodine

A Double Whammy For Woman

As if pregnancy wasn’t enough of a problem when it comes to women, weight gain and their thyroid, here’s yet another: Women have more thyroid problems than men simply because of breast tissue. Did you know that a woman’s breasts require almost as much iodine as the thyroid? So for women, iodine has to do double, or during pregnancy, even triple duty.

There’s even a condition named for this breast tissue iodine deficiency: Fibrocystic Breast Disease. Clinically, a woman with fibrocystic breast disease should be assumed to be thyroid deficient. It has also been reported that women with this specific iodine deficiency disease are also more likely to develop breast cancer than those that don’t. "

"Thyroid hormone and estrogen balance each other's effects. If there is estrogen dominance the thyroid may be unable to keep up."

Thus causing:
fibrocystic breasts
uterine fibroids
endometriosis
heart disease
stroke
high blood pressure
obesity
arthritis
osteoporosis
depression


So let's take the issue of estrogen dominance, and just focus on that problem for a bit:

"Estrogen excess is a very common problem in animals and humans today. Estrogen excess is being implicated for all sorts of problems, especially concerning, but not limited to, reproductive health. PMS, infertility, low sperm counts, miscarriage and premature birth, menstrual difficulties, breast, uterine and prostate cancers, and premature puberty are just some of the problems caused by estrogen excess.

Not only do we get xeno-estrogens from our air, food, water and environment, but synthetic estrogens are routinely prescribed by health professionals for menarche problems, birth control, menstrual regulators, and especially for menopause symptom relief.

Synthetic estrogens are also given in abundance to non organic meat and dairy animals to help fatten them up and stimulate their reproduction and milk production. We ingest these synthetic estrogens when we eat the meat, poultry or eggs and drink the milk or dairy products from these animals. The truth is that in an ideal state of health, our bodies produce all the estrogen we need, and we almost never need to supplement. It seems that, on the contrary, our biggest concern should be reducing estrogen levels in our bodies."

These estrogens also come from:
-Excess body fat (greater than 28%)
-Too much stress, resulting in excess amounts of cortisol, insulin, and norepinephrine, which can lead to adrenal exhaustion and can also adversely affect overall hormonal balance

-A low-fiber diet with excess refined carbohydrates and deficient in nutrients and high quality fats
-Impaired immune function
-Environmental agent in our air, water, drugs, etc. (So no one can escape having more then we should be having most likely.)




The symptoms listed below, as well as many others, often arise when estrogen overstimulates both the brain and body.

Decreased sex drive
Irregular or otherwise abnormal menstrual periods
Bloating (water retention)
Breast swelling and tenderness
Fibrocystic breasts
Headaches (especially premenstrually)
Mood swings (most often irritability and depression)
Weight and/or fat gain (particularly around the abdomen and hips)
Cold hands and feet
Hair loss
Thyroid dysfunction
Sluggish metabolism
Foggy thinking, memory loss
Fatigue
Trouble sleeping/insomnia
PMS
allergies
autoimmune disorders
breast cancer
uterine cancer
infertility
ovarian cysts
increased blood clotting
accelerated aging 

Obviously, if we have an issue caused by something we can stop, then we should stop it. . .but sadly, because of the viscous cycle, the harm is done! We may very well need to change some bad habits, but we need to get additional help as well to get out of this imbalance. So instead of only the obvious avoiding of future problems, I like to focus on the heart of the issue: Low Progesterone. And I want to tell you there's hope!

"Progesterone is the one hormone in the body of both male and female that regulates the entire endocrine system. That means that progesterone helps to keep all the other hormones in check and in balance. When there is a deficiency in progesterone the entire body can seem out of whack. The woman's body produces progesterone in the second half of their cycle, known as the luteal phase. It’s progesterone that causes the basal body temperature to rise." Low temperatures first thing in the morning is both a sign of Hypothyroidism and a need for progesterone to balance it. (Though iodine rubbed on your neck would likely help some too.)

It’s progesterone that helps the lining of the uterus to thicken for a possible fertilized egg to implant. It’s progesterone that goes on to maintain a pregnancy, once implantation takes place. And it’s progesterone that keeps the baby safely in the womb until ready to be born. If progesterone is deficient, you will experience PMS, luteal phase deficiency, miscarriage, preterm labor and possibly premature birth. Low progesterone is also responsible for postpartum depression in many cases. Knowing what progesterone does, you can certainly see why a deficiency in this can cause a lot of problems. "

"Progesterone is the “mother of all hormones”. It is the raw material from which your body makes all other hormones. If your body is overloaded with environmental estrogens then dis-ease is the result. "

"It has been shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that supplementing with a natural progesterone cream (made from wild yams) raises progesterone levels safely and corrects these unchecked estrogens, providing relief to a wide range of health issues. "

Here is a list of some of the benefits you may experience once you begin to balance a progesterone deficiency and curb estrogen dominance:

• Happiness :) Natural progesterone is a natural antidepressant. 
• You get to rediscover your lost libido. 

(Natural progesterone restores the sex drive.)

• You get relief from PMS, pregnancy or menopausal symptoms like: weight gain, bloating, headaches, moodiness, chronic fatigue, breast tenderness and a loss of interest in sex. 
• You get relief from menstrual cramping. Many women have found relief within 20 minutes of rubbing natural progesterone cream onto their stomachs. 

• You get relief from the normal symptoms of menopause which include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, restlessness, vaginal dryness and mood swings. Menopause is not an estrogen deficiency disease. Estrogen levels fall by 40 - 60% during menopause, but progesterone levels often fall to zero or close to zero, which means the symptoms experienced by menopausal women are actually the symptoms of estrogen dominance! The most effective and safe treatment of menopause symptoms is to balance off the excess estrogens in the body with natural progesterone. 

• You lose weight. Balancing the excess estrogen in your body with natural progesterone normalizes blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar level is too low – you crave food – usually high-sugar or sweet foods such as chocolate. If you indulge in these quick sugar fixes your body pours insulin into the blood to help remove the sugar from the bloodstream … it then stores it … as fat.
• Once insulin removes the sugar from the bloodstream into the fat cells water fills the space where the sugar was – causing bloating and cramping. Natural progesterone therefore helps to reduce symptoms of both bloating and cramping giving further relief and further … weight loss.

• Because it normalizes blood sugar levels natural progesterone also alleviates cravings and binge-eating and therefore further helps to reduce weight. 
• More weight loss benefits – it is a natural diuretic helping to release excess water that is being stored in the body. 

And, one more on the weight loss front -

•  it helps your body to use fat for energy.

Natural Progesterone:

• Protects against breast cancer 
• Protects against ovarian cancer 
• Protects against endometrial cancer 
• Reduced stress
• Normalization of zinc and copper levels 
• it gives you more energy because it restores proper oxygen levels in the cells 
• it stimulates scalp hair re-growth and reduces facial hair
• it restores normal sleep patterns 
• is effective in preventing varicose veins which are caused because of excess estrogen which causes the collagen to age and the vein walls to weaken.

It also protects against:

• fibrocystic breasts
• uterine fibroids
• endometriosis
• heart disease
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• obesity
• arthritis
• osteoporosis
• depression

" By contrast, and contrary to popular opinion, estrogen does not prevent heart disease. It causes salt and water to be retained and potassium and magnesium to be lost, thereby increasing blood pressure. Estrogen promotes fat synthesis and blood clots. Estrogen also accelerates the aging of collagen, weakening the walls of the arteries. When the known actions of progesterone are reviewed, it is clear that many of its actions are also beneficial to the heart.

What about men? Progesterone is essential for male health as well, as it helps to protect against prostate problems and cancers."

So the next question could be: "why don't doctors know this, and prescribe it?!" They do know some of it, specifically how beneficial it is to woman who are infertile or prone to miscarriage. They even routinely check levels of progesterone in pregnancy! When they find the inevitable in unhealthy woman though, do they send you to the natural food store to get some harmless wild yam cream to rub on? Noooo. . . there's a much better synthetic version that's prescription strength (read: dangerous and toxic)!

Sadly the synthetic Progesterone is more likely to CAUSE a miscarriage then save it from happening I've read. Again, let's just leave good enough alone in nature, and not mess with it more then needed. Not that I'm one to rub a wild yam on me though. Also I guess most people growing them don't find them as easy to ship whole. So as for me, I'm pretty happy with using them as either creams or tinctures made from them. I have had much success with different creams, and as long as they are paraben free, and natural, I don't as of yet have a favorite. Otherwise, some might think I was selling it anyhow:) I just want to help in an unbiased way as much as I can. . . and from all I can tell, this would help most people some or a lot! Because we live in a toxic, stressful world, where people also willfully eat a lot of junk. . .all leading to estrogen dominance. So, to sum it up, just slap on some cream as directed for a few months, and if you don't see results, you must not have needed it. At worst case scenario, you're out by $25 bucks to take a pretty safe bet on what's causing your bad health. If that doesn't work, I have some more tricks up my sleeve in future posts. . .

Prednisone- our story made public.

Doctors and I have never seen eye to eye. Now let me tell you of yet another experience of mine that adds a strike against them in my book: 

It started a number of months ago when I had a horrible reaction to poison ivy. My face was so swollen I couldn't even see out of one eye! The itching was unbearable so I went against my better judgement and listened to someone who told me that I could just go to the walk in clinic and get a shot for the allergic reaction. It seemed simple enough, so I went. 

For whatever reason, when I had talked with them about nursing, they never brought up a shot, but  told me that I should take a weeks supply of Prednisone instead. Claiming it was "safer" and a "category C" medication. Not being schooled in all the terms, I didn't know what that meant, so after getting home, I foolishly just "turned a blind eye" to my nagging conscience, literally, and took it, for the whole week. My symptoms went away as promised, and I thought no more about it, as no side effects seemed to show up. Now months later, as my 20 month old's teeth are growing out, I notice he has a line on all of his big teeth that seems to be the end of his enamel! For one brief second I thought I should have brushed his teeth more, but then looking closer realized it was all of the front big ones in a neat line. . .that is not natural! So I called up a dentist, and the first question they asked was "Were you taking any medication while pregnant or nursing?" 

Thinking back to that poison ivy episode, I had to answer "yes". Now, I realized I had been a sucker, and hurt my baby, but I still wondered why I wasn't told. So I looked up what the drug was, and it's category, and what that meant.

  On the FDA's website they say: " . . Pregnancy Category C," which means that they have not been studied in pregnant women.  However, Pregnancy Category C does NOT mean the drug cannot be used in pregnant women.  Pregnant women can and should receive a category C drug when the possible benefits of using the drug are more likely than the possible risk of harm to the woman or her baby."

I don't put much stock in anything the FDA says, much less the Pharmaseudical companies, or the doctors "in their back pockets". So I wanted to look up what real people were finding out for themselves about the drug Prednisone. Here is a compilation of some of the comments I was able to find online: 

"According to the National Library of Medicine, side effects of prednisone include vertebral compression fractures (fracture of your back bones), stunted growth in children. . ."

"Medications That Can Cause Bone Loss

Use of corticosteroids, such as prednisone, and antiepileptic drugs, can lead to the loss of
 bone that supports your teeth."

 "It’s also possible to develop osteoporosis when on prednisone for long periods of time, and the medication has been shown to cause poor growth or stunted growth in kids who are on it long-term."

"Has anyone else had teeth problems because of prednisone?"

 "Wow...funny; you should say that...I was in the hospital nov 1st to 6th, and on very high doses of
 IV steroids. 

   Since that hospital stay,  I have had the WORST tooth sensitivity.   Just breathing in will hurt.  I
order all my drinks in restaurants with no ice, and leave all my drinks out of the fridge.   I figured
 its the steroids (what bad side effect ISN"T the steroids?)     I am currently tapering, and was hoping
 the tooth sensitivity would improve after being off the steroids.   You think it might be permanent????
  YIKES! now I'm freaking out!"

"My dentist told me I have hypo-calcification and that I need to use ACT mouth wash. That was
about 6 or 8 months ago. I never had a doctor tell me in my life that I had hypo-calcifacation. You're
 making me paranoid that it might be the prednisone now."

" I had pretty much perfect teeth - only one or two cavities - until I was diagnosed with UC and

 had been on a couple of extended rounds of high dose pred. After that, I began to get soft spots
and cavities pretty often. One tooth was so bad, it had to be crowned and I've got another that's
cracked that we're keeping an eye on. I've had people tell me this is normal as you get older,
 but I disagree. My brother is almost five years older than I am and still doesn't have a cavity in
his mouth. It only makes sense if pred causes bone loss, it would affect your teeth, too."

" I noticed tartar seemed to build up faster, too since I started taking Pred (8th week) my teeth are
 VERY SENSITIVE to anything cold, especially my front teeth."

"Oh yes, when I started on Pred, in just a week or two, my teeth became extremely sensitive to
anything cold, even mild water out of the tap...I'm finally off of pred, first time in close to 8 months...
My teeth are still very sensitive...I wonder if that will go away?? I'm down to 15mg and I'm getting
 off this stuff, flaring or not."

 "I also am having the teeth problem too :("

"Yes - the pred resulted in major tooth sensitivity for me. It took a long time for my teeth to return 
to "normal". 

"Currently tapering off Prednisone (have been on for 9 weeks) and at 20mg/daily. Experiencing tooth
 sensitivity for about 1 week now - out of the blue and very sensitive to cold."

"Yes, 2.5 years on varying doses of pred left me with very sensitive teeth. More than anything I think
 time has improved the situation. I am 8 years out from my last pred dose and the tooth sensitivity is
 almost a thing of the past. I still get ocassional bouts but they are less in severity and don't last as 
long. Sensitive teeth is a known side effect of Prednisone. My teeth are still sensitive but not nearly
as bad as when I'm on Pred."

"My dentist thought I was crazy that my gums had receded so bad because of the Pred.  Teeth are
 a little different from bone in their structure. Bone tissue is constantly being rebuilt over a lifetime, 
which is why bone loss is common with long-term prednisone use. Suddenly the amount of bone 
being built is less than bone being destroyed. Tooth enamel, once formed, doesn't rebuild itself 
over a lifetime. You can strengthen enamel. . . but once formed (around birth and just after for 
most permanent teeth), it doesn't readily rebuild itself. This is why you get cavities in your teeth,
 but you don't get "cavities" in your bones. (your bones can heal; enamel, in most cases, can't.)"

(In this guys opinion he sees the damage as permanent, but I

believe the information found in a good diet -called "Cure Tooth Decay"- that it's possible to

rebuild both enamel and bones.)

"That being said, prednisone is absolutely, definitely, a contributor in tooth decay, especially if it's used over the long term. "

"My teeth became sensitive to anything cold when I was nearing the end of my three-month Prednisone treatment. Two years later, they aren't nearly as sensitive. I've been taking calcium supplements for years
Once again a reminder - if you're on pred, take your calcium!!!"

"Has anyone tried the new mouthwashes that are supposed to help deposit minerals back in your teeth? ACT is the one that comes to mind...
stupid prednisone!"

"After several years of remission, the decay seems to have slowed or stopped, much to my relief. I've been on steroids for 4 years continously now. I was declared steroid dependent years ago." 

"I have had terrible problems with my teeth and gums but I attributed that to the azathioprine?  Always bleeding throughout the day, etc. Maybe it's the pred.  I go to the dentist often and floss all the time, not much else I can do."

" I was diganosed with UC at the age of 17 and was put on a high does of predisone because nothing else worked.I was on and off it for almost two years.The 2nd time I was on it I noticed strange things happening to my teeth,brown spots forming on them which was clearly decay.What's sad is right before I got sick with UC I had my braces taken off and my teeth had never looked better."


"Things got worse even though I was going to the dentist all the time.They would fill in my teeth/bond them and a month later some random tooth would start breaking apart/they were crumbling apart *the stuff of nightmares* or I would need a root canal.The dentists *it was a team of two* I went to said the predisone had stripped my teeth of all it's calcium/protection.
It was hopeless,scary and painful till after 4 years of not being able to stop it,they sent me to a cosmectic dentist who completely shaved down all my teeth and capped them all with Porcelain veneers,which cost a darn fortune. Ive only had to have a couple of root canals in my teeth since ive been going to him and it's seemed to stop the decay because he bascially got rid of all my teeth except for the roots.
My former pediactric gastro doctor didnt warn me of any of this and frankly if I could sue him I would.
And to top it off the steroids have given me Osteoporosis in my hip and osteopina in both my wrists and I just found out about that 3 months ago. My first scan a few years back showed nothing was wrong."

"I was on Prednisone for about 5 years. After I finally got off of it I had a bone density scan done. 
I was diagnosed with osteopenia. The doctor told me that it was reversible now that I was off the prednisone."

"I was diganosed with UC at the age of 17 and was put on a high does of predisone because nothing else worked.I was on and off it for almost two years.The 2nd time I was on it I noticed strange things happening to my teeth,brown spots forming on them which was clearly decay.Whats sad is right before I got sick with UC I had my braces taken off and my teeth had never looked better."

"Things got worse even though I was going to the dentist all the time.They would fill in my teeth/bond them and a month later some random tooth would start breaking apart/they were crumbling apart *the stuff of nightmares* or I would need a root canal.The dentists *it was a team of two* I went to said the predisone had stripped my teeth of all it's calcium/protection."

 "Just a positive word: I was on high doses of pred a couple of times early in my history of UC. I did experience bone thinning and problems with my teeth; however, with a healthy diet and a serious weight training regimen, I was able to reverse the bone loss and am now back within normal ranges. This was also without regular calcium supplementation or osteoporosis drugs."

So my conclusion is that in order to have descent teeth, my little guy will first have to have his teeth fall apart, before the drug gets out of his system, and then they can (with a good diet) start to rebuild themselves. In the meantime, it will likely cause him pain, and I would be tempted to do a lot of dental work. My poor baby:( I hope someone can learn from this so that they won't make the same mistake in the future. Maybe sometime I'll tell you of the disaster I averted by avoiding the doctors with My Daughters 

Eosinophilic Esophagitis. . .

P.S At the age of two my sons weakened teeth made one break right off when popped in the mouth one day. When I went to the pediatric dentist, instead of telling me the discolored lines were drug induced, he said it was because I breastfed my little boy Biologically. (The way it's been done for thousands of years in most every culture of the world that has good or perfect teeth.) So now I see that Dentists are in the back pocket of the Pharmaseudical companies too, and nursing woman have become the "scapegoats" of the drugs companies blunders. No wonder I haven't heard more about these effects on babies if mothers are told that! More on this in a future post. . .

"Gullible's travels"

It's funny to me that I've actually had people discredit my husband's and/or my stability, spirituality or Aspergers based solely on our unpredictability and travels. "We mock what we don't understand". So let me help you understand the real reason for all our moving and changes.


I for one come from a background of an evangelist's kid for starters. We stayed one week in each place we went, (with the exception of December when we went "home"for the holidays.) and I did that since I was 6 and until I was in college.


 Some have claimed that I must not have Aspergers syndrome, as I have no desire for routines and sameness in my life. To this theory I see the obvious problem that I had no routine in my life as a kid, and certainly none that I could replicate in later life. . . other then being flexible with no routine and moving a lot. 
So the story of our lives together since college is one of different churches, different homes, different jobs, different passions, as well as different countries. As I look back though, while I may have had a predisposition to be changeable, it was actually good character in listening to "the Spirit" or our conscience that led us to make most of the changes and moves.


I have observed this same tendency in many other people of character as well, who have no background like mine,or Aspergers, but who simply wanted to follow "God" or what they felt to be right, or "the leading of the Spirit".


 We can see this lived out in many typical church situations easily enough. When we find issues in some church leadership or doctrine, and we are convicted of being in the wrong, or with the wrong crowd, we move on to another church. 


That is easier said then done when you ARE the church leadership though, or are at least part of it. You have your identity as with that church in the community. If you left even in the best of terms, people talk. . .You see, none of us can understand what leads a person to do something, we just see the outcome. So we try to figure out the reason why they left, based on what would make us leave. So the more character a person has, the more likely it is for them to come up with an extreme reason for you to have left, judging the church leadership or doctrine. And the less character a person has, the more they will presume you did something wrong and got caught for it, thus judge you for leaving. That's how we project our thoughts and issues on others. And that's how every time a leader leaves a church, we are causing an inevitable church split when it's not clear about why you are leaving. And when is it ever clear?!


Matters are complicated even worse when part or all of your livelihood is caught up in your specific church or religion. Sometimes we had a business partner who trained my husband in a trade, specifically so they could bolster each others faith. It's also tricky when you often work for church people. Mostly though, we were hired directly by the church.
So when we left the church, we knew the job was most often gone too. 


Some Christian groups believe in pastors being like Paul, and being self supporting, and we can see why. Being paid to preach or work for the church makes you manipulated into staying with a church you might someday not agree with.  Whereas, if you are simply hired for your talent as a musician say, and don't have to be a member or sign any doctrinal statement to do it, that would be fine! Sadly, I'm not sure if that kind of church exists, but I do know musicians, that for the money, sign things they don't mean. I guess we had too much character to lie about our beliefs. (My husband gave up graduating from his 4 year program in music by a few credits, because he knew that he couldn't sign the doctrinal statement for graduating from that Bible school.)


So, not running per se, but trying to have peace with a church's teachings, and a job that usually came with it, we moved, and moved again. Thankfully we had some family who would move with us, as they saw each time the predicament we were in, either financially or emotionally. (And who knows just how many of our physical problems have been caused by all the stress and trauma of change. . .) 


There were also moves involving being financially wise, or getting out of a bad neighborhood, but those were the exceptions. As a handyman,(from necessity in the end) getting fixer upper houses just made sense, and it has helped us to work up to a house that we are now very content with staying in. Between that, not being dependent on a job tied to religion, as well as being just one of the crowd in a very unusually accepting church, I see no need to move again. . .as for vacations, that's a whole "nother story. . .!

Bitter, or better?

Life is filled with drama, but it's our choice how we react to it. So when I tell my story of a hard spiritual journey, I wonder why people automatically presume it has made me bitter and angry? Many people as they age become mellow and wise, maybe a little frustrated or sad even, while others turn around their opportunity to have learned, and they get bitter and angry. I hope to never be the latter; I want to not get bitter, but better! I think I have too, but there is confusion sometimes with bitterness and passion. Like my blog tile alludes to, I am a passionate person. . .about a lot of things! It is both my personality, and my Aspergers. . .or whatever. (I've always been that way when convinced I had knowledge that could help someone.) I'm sorry if you cannot hear my tone, but I'm not angry and bitter, as some accuse me of being.

I have often recalled my experiences, especially in a cult, as a teaching tool. (It taught me so much about myself that many have not learned about themselves yet I feel). I love to discuss how my mindset of proving the Bible's words, and following them (as it was always followed in the past) led me astray in my search for "truth". I also learned how blinded I was by my own pride in wanting to belong with such a spiritual and exclusive group. All in all though, the experience was mostly GOOD for 5 years! Unfortunately, with it came a teaching to do things against my conscience, be very prideful, judgmental and very different. That brought with it mental anguish and confusion, as I knew that was also what the Bible taught against! Through little fault of the actual people in the cult, we followed our hearts/conscience/God by leaving them suddenly and moving far away. (We knew we would be tempted to go back and needed some distance to think rationally.) This is a common story and someone else put it this way:
 " You see, these events had no impact whatsoever on my faith.  I. . . truly believed that God was speaking to us.  We prayed, we read our Bibles, we felt impressed upon by the Holy Spirit.  No matter whom you spoke to. . . they all believed they were doing what God was telling them to. The fact of the matter is we believed, at least some of us, that this brought us closer to God because we had to rely on him.
I have long since given up the notion that other people’s behavior or attitude should have any bearing on my Christianity or lack thereof.  I was a True Believer.  As such I knew that all people, including myself, were fallen, that we all had a sin nature, and that people would disappoint.  I’ve recanted that to myself more times than I care to count.  God is the only perfect being.  Christians behaving badly was just a result of their sin nature.   I could preach that sermon.
. . . I say I’ve just woken up to reality, to the fact that things in Christianity don’t add up. I’m not turning my back on faith because someone else didn’t live up to it.  That’s a ridiculous notion. . .
What I’m saying is, that in the cold light of day, when you wake up to reality and figure out that the Holy Spirit isn’t acting in the world, nobody. . . can be a Christian."                                                                                        (From the wise fool's blog called "speaking in foolish tongues":)


As much as I'd like to still believe, it is much like a kid who has found out about Santa being his Dad in a costume, and all the Santa's in the mall being paid, as well as the historical man being exaggerated upon in every culture. You realize you've been duped, and aren't going to fall for myths like that again. When you judge me as rebelling against the truth, because of some sin in my life, or because Satan has deceived me, you judge yourself more perfect and smart! I hope your immediate family, friends or coworkers can substantiate that claim. . . should I ask them? :)

Cultural differences leading to blindspots.

How can cultural blindspots lead us away from nature, and it's ways? First we need to establish that we are culturally different, and not just "we are right, and they are wrong". Or "We are smarter, and they are ignorant".

We in North America (other then the Native Americans) have a short history here, and a modpodge of cultures -who should be- all trying to tolerate and learn from each other. We have been called "the melting pot of the world" for good reason. Unfortunately, we have a human tendency to fear what we don't understand. . .and we don't even understand ourselves!

We often don't realize that people in different cultures focus their energies differently. Some on being the right kind of person, and are more introspective; some on doing, and are more task oriented. While those from the US might focus on doing and finishing the task, those from China may want to focus more on thinking about it before rushing in. Both are invaluable, but if misunderstood, could be mocked by the other, and seen as a lack of character one way or the other.

We may not see the differences of cultures in how we communicate either. While some may have their focus of formality and etiquette to gain respect, others would focus more on nonverbal and literal meaning. Yet others value accuracy or emotional communication. They are all understood as acceptable ways to communicate in their culture, but may not be understood at all in others. This often leads to misunderstandings and prejudice.

Different races also have "genetically" predisposed health issues that are somewhat unique to them, possibly linked to their diet. Health issues, a mindset, or an environment will cause certain people groups to make choices that other people groups would rarely choose. For instance, getting a tattoo for an Indian is connected with family and culture, not gangs and bikers.

Those are some differences in "personalities" within a culture, but there is a lot more that is not directly to do with characteristics.

In North America we have come to treat our "snake oil" peddling doctors with an almost god-like honor in many areas of health, and yet they have really only excelled in a few: "pain management and symptom control". We see doctoring as a science, not the art it is, mixed with science. It has been said by a doctor, " We doctors are not gods. Nor should we wish to be. The concept of medical godhead reflects a mistaken notion of medicine, in my view; I call it Galenic, because it stems from the medical theory of Galen, which has seeped into our profession and our culture after two millennia of wide acceptance. This is the view that nature causes disease, and that the doctor fights nature to cure the disease. The doctor provides the cure: only a step is left to godhead.

The other view, long lost but deeply correct, I think, is the Hippocratic view of medicine: The idea here is that nature heals disease, as well as causes it, and the role of the doctor is to help nature in the healing process. The doctor is the not the central hero, but the handmaiden to nature. This does not mean that cure does not occur, but it occurs less than we think, and nature deserves the credit, not any human being. There is no room for doctor as god, and our purposes are more humble: to cure sometimes, to heal often, to console always."

The medical people in many cultures are their witch-doctors, blending medicine with unexplainable "magic." We have an aversion to magic in our culture, because of the unknown. Someone put it this way:

"Some folks will tell you that if you don't believe in it, it's not real. Others will say it's real, but it's a tool of the Devil/Satan/MyLittlePony so you shouldn't use it. Only you can decide for yourself. In a way, a lot of people do (magic) but don't realize it. Do you ever make a wish and blow out your birthday candles? Cross your fingers for good luck? Pray that you'll get an A on a math test? Some people might consider that magic. For some people, it's simply a matter of preference. In many cases, it's a matter of not believing. If you don't believe in magic, or if you think that it only exists in the realm of Harry Potter and the movies, then why bother trying to learn it? After all, it's fiction, right? For other people, there's a perception that magic is evil. In some religions, any power that doesn't come from God is considered bad. The bottom line is that people have a choice -- for whatever reason, not everyone chooses to live a magical life."

Our culture seems to be unaware of it's long history of prejudice to differences in practices. People practicing "magic" for instance, even with herbs, have been burned at the stake as witches! Chiropractors were considered "quacks" not long ago. And many Eastern medicine practitioners are considered either quacks or evil still today! Understanding has led to tolerance of some differences, but we have a long way to go. . .

Take religious differences: every culture sees miracles and magic done when they "pray" for it, and every culture has their stories passed down of their first people on the earth, as well as often a family who was on a boat and started a new civilization. . .but when we understand the time they were written in, their education, travel capabilities, and the like, we can see a pattern. Everyone had to have answers, so in order to passify the masses, their leaders or respected men came up with their theories to make sense of their world. They didn't have time machines or space ships in order to get the first people here, but they saw that there must have been less of everything at one time, because of the natural reproduction they could see around them. So feeling a need for a starting place, they had to have people come from somewhere. They had boats very early on, so it stands to reason that a story of a family arriving by boat would make a fine "creation" story for many people. Others dug in even deeper and wanted to know where those people came from, so made up their god figure. Some even speculate the gods to have been aliens! Or maybe from a time machine.

Simply because some passed the stories down from generation to generation instead of writing them down, doesn't change the thought that they were all coming from a worldview of needing a God to explain all the weird stuff around and the awesomeness of nature. They were equally as ignorant, as none of them were there in the beginning, but some believed their teachers, and expanded upon their words until, like the game of telephone, a huge tale had been spun, and a religion formed. All were speculation, but some people, depending on their predisposition to action, made it into a big deal. While others simply used the theory of their god and creation story to inspire and change their own life. Of course it's the ones who yell the loudest, and the winners who write the history books. . .so thus we have intolerance of differences of religious views of others, because we know based on history and our own culture's writings, that we are right. . .

What about psychology? Are there differences in how we think about even our own culture, and the individuals in it? Well from the start of life some would say we are human, but clueless, helpless and need to be controlled lest our sinful natures take over. Some look on babies as having their one goal in life to manipulate you, and get away with their own way. . .disregarding the principle of "projection" that Sigmund Freud came up with. Others respect the sanctity of life in their every treatment of the baby, from the womb on. Someone put it this way:

"Traditional cultures have long known what Pre and Perinatal Psychology is discovering in our modern age. In Tibetan culture, for example, ‘before conception, or preconception, couples prepare themselves in many ways. It is an important time to prepare body, emotions, mind and spirit so that all is in readiness to invite a child into the womb'."

Then there is a cultural difference between how we view our governments.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. "
Thomas Jefferson

There may be more peace breeding sheep-like people in a communist country where they have no choices, but depending on the mindset of the people, they could also be violently opposing any control. Depending on who has power, a nation might even be fooled into complacency while heading towards communism . . .but in the end we as a nation are in control, not our leaders. Some races and personalities will never harness the power they have in order to see that reality though.

We can look at Germany as absurd for letting their prejudice lead them to mass annihilation, but can we see ourselves as foolish in other areas as other countries look at us:  circumcising our baby boys (similar to but not as bad as girls in some other countries) or adding toxic waste to our water because greedy big companies don't want to have to pay to dispose of it in the dump.

That brings me to yet another different mindset; that of our thoughts on sanitizing and improving upon nature for instance. We in the western world seem to disrespect and try to constantly control or change nature. Our form of gardening is mono-cultures like a big grass lawn, or fields of grain. We call "weeds" anything not growing exactly where we put it, and if a thing grows to it's normal height we call it "overgrown" and want to trim it. Animals are kept in mono-cultures too. Huge feedlots raise only one animal in a setting a far cry from their natural habitat, resulting in sickly animals. We want to control our environment from birth to death, and consequently with that control come risks as well. We even try to control our natural body functions that serve as a warning for our health. . .but we'd rather symptom control then get to the heart of our health issues.

In contrast, some cultures almost idolize nature or specific aspects of it. On the other hand, in some cultures, parts of the body are changed through piercings, cuttings, drawings, filing down, squeezing while it's growing, or the like. No matter the reason a culture tells us, if anything is changed from it's natural state, you can bet either culture or, more often, religion is the reason for the mutilation or change.

In closing:

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

Unnatural ways from the start, set us up for future problems.

   From the very start of life within we need to pay attention to the way it's done in nature, in order to help not only ourself, but the future generations.
   
    Animals go away to a dark, quiet place to have their baby. Mothers left alone with their babies afterwards to bond are those who become responsible "good" mothers in nature. The minute we step in and manage their births, they sense our scents on their young, and leave them to starve with us. So many mothers having their births micro-managed by hospital staff comment that they didn't feel bonded with their baby. Not feeling connected, bonded and empathetic with babies can lead to bad choices in their care, and nursing issues even with the best of intentions.

       Not to be depressing, but if our mothers didn't nurse us (much less for 2-4 years like they did historically) we are going to be at a disadvantage in our health even as an adult. Natures' way is usually letting the baby self wean. . .which usually happens at 2-4 years old in other cultures. And nature shows the baby to dictate when it's hungry as well. Following that method of "Demand" feeding from the start, a mother is practically guaranteed the absence, or at least lessening, of the nursing problems so much more common in this culture. (Engorgement, milk drying up, mastitis, plugged ducts. . .)

        There are a lot of other physical, neurological and psychological issues that we can cause in the next generation simply by not following our instinct and natural ways. How our moms birthed and fed us is only the start!

         How we learned to trust or not has been theorized to start in babyhood. There aren't mothers in nature, that I am aware of, who let their babies cry, "just to exercise their lungs", or because they think their babies are "manipulating them because of their sinful and fallen nature".  When our parents immediately come when we cry, it builds a natural trust that our parents are there for us. Interestingly, they are linking that trust to a carryover trust in all authority as an adult, which for better or worse, makes us not question authority as much. To continue to see and look for help from "above", even as adults, is a likely result of a childhood trust in being rescued by a parent from your crying. It has been observed that the more that trust is broken by letting a baby cry, the more the baby will "shut down", not laughing much, not communicating much, and playing alone often. As an adult these tendencies lead to relational issues as well as bad self esteem.

 So consider the "Ferberizing" method of sleep training (named after Dr Richard Ferber who came to regret what he use to teach) and the unnatural scheduled feedings that make miserable the millions of babies for two decades. . . It may be my imagination, but I see a connection with those methods of raising children and the going away from blindly trusting our authority, and the going away from the presumption that God is up there listening to us when we cry to him. I'm obviously not going to say we should go against nature, and many of you think it is a good thing to believe in a God, so maybe we can compromise and both just help our children to trust us AND think for themselves because of our example. . .just a thought.

       So, if we are typical of our generations as of late, we are both hurt ourselves and often hurting our own children, in the name of "progress" from "being like animals". Next I'll get into how our cultural blindspots can lead us away from nature.

Truths in health from mother nature?

         Is there truth in nature? I'd like to think so. We see a predictable consistency in the planets and stars, but also in the plants, and animals and even us!  So what can nature tell us about ourselves?

We are mammals, otherwise known as animals, (much to the chagrin of some religious folk) and we are not unlike or above the rest of nature in it's workings. We are an integrated part of the "web of life". We are as much affected by as we are effecting everything around us. When we pollute the soil and the air, (and then depend on that soil and air for life), we not only hurt ourselves, but weaken future generations. If we want us, and all life to be extinct in the future, well, lets keep it up. . .otherwise, let's clue in on natures' cues.

Let's first look at soil:

 Soil that is full of life is able to produce life that itself is healthy. Soil that is healthy has no disease problem, or issues with soaking up what it needs in the way of it's water or nutrients. Natures' life giving nutrients do not just go through it quickly, or run off of it before being soaked up.

Now let's look at plants:


 When a plant in our yard is set up to thrive, we make sure that the soil's ph is right, it's soil can digest the nutrients, (so we amend he soil or poke holes to aerate it if needed) and then lastly, make sure that it gets enough water  and the right amount of nutrients/fertilizer. . .which in the end usually fixes the ph issues as well.  All of those things are perfectly done in a natural setting, all without our help!

Then let's look at animals:

Animals left to their own in the wild will get their balance of minerals from bare dirt if needed. They will get enough vitamin D even though they will make or find shelter for when it's too hot or cold. They will groom themselves (or other animals will) and will forage for healthy native foods that they have grown accustomed to. They have no problems with health or reproduction as a general rule. We are silly to worry about diseases of wild animals simply because they haven't gotten their shots, or been taken care of by us! Domesticated animals are the sick ones that usually get wild ones sick if anything! Unless the animals have been affected by pollution, starved from urbanization or fed bad food, (commonly leftover people food. . .) they are usually a lot healthier then our domesticated animals that are over bred (leading to genetic problems) and shot up full of vaccines, antibiotics and hormones. . .not to mention fed foods that are GMO's and have pesticides and herbicides on it, as well as being an unnatural food in the first place.

So if we want to learn from nature, we will see that natural and wild is safest and is best! If you see any hints of disease or bugs on the outside or in their droppings (like parasites or even eaten alive by mosquitoes or flies?) it is a sign of problems. And in the same way that a sick plant or animal can usually be fixed with natural helps and the right conditions, so a person doing what nature requires can also usually heal themselves.

There are many signs outwardly in all of nature that the plant or animal is stressed or unhealthy (which I will probably get into in another post on plants or pets in the future), and the same goes for humans. If we are overweight, that's a bad sign we simply cannot deny. Where we carry our weight also means something about it's root cause. The color, lines, spots or ridges in our nails tells of root health issues. The spots, moles, or moisture level of our skin all means something as well. Where we have pain is a huge red flag! Also numbness, lack of circulation or swelling all means something. If we have wrinkles or stretch marks; If we have yellow color in the "white" of our eyes, or too much red in areas of our tongue that's a problem. If under our eyes is darker or puffier then they should be or if we have crooked teeth or lots of cavities it means something about either our health, or our mothers when she was pregnant. If we have bad eyes, it means something about the health of our mothers in pregnancy. If we are infertile, have PMS, migraines, indigestion, constipation, the runs. . .etc. So many are problems that so many just learn to ignore because they think they are part of their genetics or aging! They aren't! They are our warning lights to our body's health. We don't need to run out to the doctor, like we do to the mechanic when we see the "check engine" light on though. . . because we know from nature that if something's wrong, it's because we are doing something unnatural. All we need to do is figure out what it is, then change it, and the body will heal itself! Sound simplistic? Well, I've found it usually is. . . but if you doubt me, check it out for yourself, you have nothing to lose.  You also can't prove me wrong until you try it. :)

So then the question could be begged, "what or who defines 'natural' living?" I don't have all the answers, but let's start from scratch in our thinking, realizing that we will need to relearn much of what we have probably grown up doing in this culture. There are some basic principles I will give you as a teaser to my next posts, but it often comes down to these quotes: "If it doesn't rot, you shouldn't eat it." "If you can't eat it, you shouldn't put it on your skin."