In the 2 1/2 year quest to heal from adrenal fatigue and estrogen dominance, I have encountered a twist in the road. In three weeks I have an appointment with the renowned Dr. Edelberg, a specialist in fibromyalgia.
Basically fibromyalgia is chronic fatigue plus flu-like aches and pains. In severe cases, the pain can be debilitating and pain medication is needed.
In my case, I have chronic exhaustion and pain when I get under 9-10 hours of sleep. Often fibro patients also have adrenal fatigue, estrogen dominance and sub-clinical low levels of thyroid hormone. (I tested as being in stage 3 of adrenal fatigue--exhaustion--2 1/2 years ago plus estrogen dominance. I also have the low basal temperature indicator of low thyroid levels.)
Dr. Edleberg prescribes a mostly natural protocol for fibro. I am hoping to get a natural thyroid hormone if I need to take one.
Fibromyalgia affects 5-7% of women, and sometimes takes a long time to diagnose because most doctors are not educated or informed on the condition.
Dr. Edleberg has had great success healing his patents, and I will have to wait three weeks to see what the outcome is for me.
Check out his book Healing Fibromyalgia. He has a great reputation as both a western medical doctor and naturopath who helps many people with fatigue caused by a variety of conditions.
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health) Alix
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
More on Adrenal fatigue
Here are two links with information about adrenal fatigue. I have been being treated for two years for severe adrenal fatigue with an eating plan (eating enough protein and fats, and keeping my blood sugar normalized.) I've also been taking bio identical hormones (the Kalish Method), since adrenal fatigue leads to female hormone imbalance. After seeing an acupuncturist from time to time, I am still very tired, so I am always searching for new ideas. My friend Claudia is a holistic health professional who is helping me with more ideas--check out her website at www.livingmindfully.net
She talked to some of her friends in the holistic health field and sent me the following link:
http://naturalanxie
Also, I also found Norm Shealy's acupressure points that are helpful for adrenal fatigue:
https://www.normshealy.com/?page=118&title=The%20Sacred%20Rings
[Copy and paste web addresses that do not automatically link]
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health,) Alix
She talked to some of her friends in the holistic health field and sent me the following link:
http://naturalanxie
Also, I also found Norm Shealy's acupressure points that are helpful for adrenal fatigue:
https://www.normshealy.com/?page=118&title=The%20Sacred%20Rings
[Copy and paste web addresses that do not automatically link]
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health,) Alix
Friday, January 11, 2013
Invest Organic
For those of you who want to invest in stores selling organic foods, check out Hain, Sun Opta, United Natural Foods, and Whole Foods Market. Grocery stores usually do well in recessions, and data shows that more people will be buying organic foods in the future.
www.nasdaq.com/article/organic-food-stocks-health-trends-may-boost-these-stocks-cm87319
(copy and paste in browser)
A Votre Sante (Here's To Your Health), Alix
www.nasdaq.com/article/organic-food-stocks-health-trends-may-boost-these-stocks-cm87319
(copy and paste in browser)
A Votre Sante (Here's To Your Health), Alix
Monday, January 7, 2013
GMO Fact Check
The publication Natural Awakenings did a GMO fact check in their January 2013 issue. The article talks about how the Union of Concerned Scientists are questioning the safety of GM foods. The article also mentions that the Center for Food Safety has concerns about allergens and toxins from herbicides and pesticides that are used on and implanted into the GM foods.
This article also speaks about research that tracks the 527 million pound increase in pesticide use on GM crops. Also in this writeup according to Warren Porter, Ph. D., a biologist is concerned that glyphosate (in Roundup) is an endocrine disruptor. This material also sites a Canadian study showing that Bt toxins from GMO corn (fed to animals, coming from meat, and now being put on the market for human consumption) is showing up in umbilical cord blood and the blood of pregnant women.
I'm glad this national publication is covering the dangers of GMO foods. And although the initiative to label GMs in California didn't pass, several other states are attempting to pass labeling legislation this year. Check out Melinda Hemmelgarn's website--she wrote the article for Natural Awakenings--she is known as "the food sleuth." kopn.org and enduring-image.blogspot.com.
By the way, "Hello," to my readers in Canada and Europe. BPA is banned in the lining of tin cans in Canada (but not America), and of course, GMOs are banned in 25 countries--many of them in Europe. I hope America can catch up to the rest of the the Western world soon!
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health,) Alix
This article also speaks about research that tracks the 527 million pound increase in pesticide use on GM crops. Also in this writeup according to Warren Porter, Ph. D., a biologist is concerned that glyphosate (in Roundup) is an endocrine disruptor. This material also sites a Canadian study showing that Bt toxins from GMO corn (fed to animals, coming from meat, and now being put on the market for human consumption) is showing up in umbilical cord blood and the blood of pregnant women.
I'm glad this national publication is covering the dangers of GMO foods. And although the initiative to label GMs in California didn't pass, several other states are attempting to pass labeling legislation this year. Check out Melinda Hemmelgarn's website--she wrote the article for Natural Awakenings--she is known as "the food sleuth." kopn.org and enduring-image.blogspot.com.
By the way, "Hello," to my readers in Canada and Europe. BPA is banned in the lining of tin cans in Canada (but not America), and of course, GMOs are banned in 25 countries--many of them in Europe. I hope America can catch up to the rest of the the Western world soon!
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health,) Alix
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Good News for Labeling GMOs in 2013
According to the Organic Consumers Association: "We may have narrowly lost the GMO labeling fight in California this past November, but there’s good reason to believe we’ll win in at least two or three states in 2013.
Today, activists in Washington State will deliver approximately 350,000 signatures to the state legislature, guaranteeing that when voters show up at the polls in November, they’ll get the chance to pass I-522, a statewide GMO labeling initiative.
On the other side of the country, Vermont is picking up where it left off last year after the governor caved in to Monsanto’s threats to sue the state if it passed a GMO labeling law. Undaunted, and buoyed by stronger-than-ever support from consumers and lawmakers, Vermont legislators will reintroduce GMO labeling legislation in early January. Connecticut is moving forward, too, with plans to introduce a similarly popular GMO labeling bill early this year.
All signs point to an uphill battle for Monsanto and friends to defeat I-522 in Washington State. I-522 proponents have a full nine months to raise awareness and money, compared with the YES on 37 (California Right to Know Genetically GMO Labeling) Campaign which had only six months to reach voters and raise money. Plus we had to raise a lot more money in California, which has five times as many voters as Washington."
A Votre Sante (Here's to Your Health), Alix
Today, activists in Washington State will deliver approximately 350,000 signatures to the state legislature, guaranteeing that when voters show up at the polls in November, they’ll get the chance to pass I-522, a statewide GMO labeling initiative.
On the other side of the country, Vermont is picking up where it left off last year after the governor caved in to Monsanto’s threats to sue the state if it passed a GMO labeling law. Undaunted, and buoyed by stronger-than-ever support from consumers and lawmakers, Vermont legislators will reintroduce GMO labeling legislation in early January. Connecticut is moving forward, too, with plans to introduce a similarly popular GMO labeling bill early this year.
All signs point to an uphill battle for Monsanto and friends to defeat I-522 in Washington State. I-522 proponents have a full nine months to raise awareness and money, compared with the YES on 37 (California Right to Know Genetically GMO Labeling) Campaign which had only six months to reach voters and raise money. Plus we had to raise a lot more money in California, which has five times as many voters as Washington."
A Votre Sante (Here's to Your Health), Alix
Friday, November 30, 2012
Melatonin and Adrenal Fatigue
Recently Dr. Oz did a show on women who overdose on melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone, a natural sleep aid (it regulates sleep bio rhythms), and is sold over the counter. Most women were taking up to 9 mg a night, when the recommended dose is 1mg a night for two weeks only. Melatonin in the small dose is good for shift workers and for jet lag. The symptoms of overdose do not harm the body but result in sleeplessness and a hangover type of feeling.
I've written about adrenal fatigue causing an imbalance in DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, and pregnenolone, but I have never mentioned the low levels of melatonin (associated with the adrenal fatigue) when I received my test results from my saliva testing. There are other kinds of tests than saliva testing, but these tests are all given by naturopaths, as there is still controversy in western medicine over the existence of adrenal fatigue. I take only 1mg of melatonin occasionally.
My western medicine doctor told me to go to a naturopath because western medicine isn't good with chronic fatigue. I was also diagnosed by my naturopath with sub clinical low levels of thyroid hormone, which is caused by low blood sugar. Most people don't know that low blood sugar puts stress on the body and can cause adrenal fatigue and low thyroid hormone levels.
It is always encouraging for me to hear western medicine doctors like Dr. Oz introduce the concept of adrenal fatigue to the general public. Here is a link to a western medicine doctor's post that talks about adrenal fatigue. Her name is Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP, so she is both a western doctor and naturopath. http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalhealth/adrenalglandfunction-nutrition.aspx
The things she recommends parallel the recommendations made to me by my functional nutritionist (naturopath.) Eat every 2-3 hours to avoid spikes in low blood sugar. Stay away from caffeine and too much sugar. Take an array of vitamin supplements, and reduce stress in general.
I wouldn't wish adrenal fatigue on anyone ever. It is absolutely exhausting, and mine has been chronic over a number of years. Unfortunately, still, due to ignorance, a lot of people have no clue what I'm talking about when I mention it.
Here is a description taken from that website:
“Adrenal fatigue” is another name for sub clinical adrenal dysfunction, also called adrenal imbalance. While adrenal fatigue is well recognized in other parts of the world, there has been some skepticism about it within conventional medical circles here in the US.
Perhaps part of the mystery lies in the conventional approach to testing for adrenal function. The current tests that doctors are likely to recommend are very good at detecting the furthest extremes of adrenal imbalance: Cushing’s syndrome at one end of the spectrum and Addison’s disease at the other... Conventional practitioners could use a deeper understanding of these serious, full-blown adrenal disorders by recognizing that such conditions do not arise overnight. Less dramatic, “subclinical” manifestations of adrenal dysfunction can be terribly incapacitating for patients, too — and these warrant treatment as well. But in the minds of many if not most conventional practitioners, any degree of adrenal imbalance that isn’t Cushing’s or Addison’s falls “within normal limits.”
This is so unfortunate, because millions of people today suffer debilitating symptoms of adrenal imbalance, to the point that their quality of life may be significantly compromised. We know that overwhelming fatigue, inability to cope with stress, sleep disturbances, lightheadedness, recurrent infections, fuzzy thinking, low libido, marked irritability, and many other symptoms can and do arise even when the numbers on conventional tests look “normal.” You may feel unwell and know something is not right, yet have one provider after another tell you he or she cannot seem to find anything medically wrong with you.
When conventional lab results appear normal, many [conventional] practitioners move on to other possible diagnoses, missing the opportunity to heal the underlying causes of adrenal imbalance."
I think western medicine is great at a lot of things, but I wish conventional practitioners would get on board with adrenal fatigue because I read that up to 2/3 of people are struggling with some degree of this condition.
A Votre Sante (Here's To Your Health,) Alix
I've written about adrenal fatigue causing an imbalance in DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, and pregnenolone, but I have never mentioned the low levels of melatonin (associated with the adrenal fatigue) when I received my test results from my saliva testing. There are other kinds of tests than saliva testing, but these tests are all given by naturopaths, as there is still controversy in western medicine over the existence of adrenal fatigue. I take only 1mg of melatonin occasionally.
My western medicine doctor told me to go to a naturopath because western medicine isn't good with chronic fatigue. I was also diagnosed by my naturopath with sub clinical low levels of thyroid hormone, which is caused by low blood sugar. Most people don't know that low blood sugar puts stress on the body and can cause adrenal fatigue and low thyroid hormone levels.
It is always encouraging for me to hear western medicine doctors like Dr. Oz introduce the concept of adrenal fatigue to the general public. Here is a link to a western medicine doctor's post that talks about adrenal fatigue. Her name is Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP, so she is both a western doctor and naturopath. http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalhealth/adrenalglandfunction-nutrition.aspx
The things she recommends parallel the recommendations made to me by my functional nutritionist (naturopath.) Eat every 2-3 hours to avoid spikes in low blood sugar. Stay away from caffeine and too much sugar. Take an array of vitamin supplements, and reduce stress in general.
I wouldn't wish adrenal fatigue on anyone ever. It is absolutely exhausting, and mine has been chronic over a number of years. Unfortunately, still, due to ignorance, a lot of people have no clue what I'm talking about when I mention it.
Here is a description taken from that website:
“Adrenal fatigue” is another name for sub clinical adrenal dysfunction, also called adrenal imbalance. While adrenal fatigue is well recognized in other parts of the world, there has been some skepticism about it within conventional medical circles here in the US.
Perhaps part of the mystery lies in the conventional approach to testing for adrenal function. The current tests that doctors are likely to recommend are very good at detecting the furthest extremes of adrenal imbalance: Cushing’s syndrome at one end of the spectrum and Addison’s disease at the other... Conventional practitioners could use a deeper understanding of these serious, full-blown adrenal disorders by recognizing that such conditions do not arise overnight. Less dramatic, “subclinical” manifestations of adrenal dysfunction can be terribly incapacitating for patients, too — and these warrant treatment as well. But in the minds of many if not most conventional practitioners, any degree of adrenal imbalance that isn’t Cushing’s or Addison’s falls “within normal limits.”
This is so unfortunate, because millions of people today suffer debilitating symptoms of adrenal imbalance, to the point that their quality of life may be significantly compromised. We know that overwhelming fatigue, inability to cope with stress, sleep disturbances, lightheadedness, recurrent infections, fuzzy thinking, low libido, marked irritability, and many other symptoms can and do arise even when the numbers on conventional tests look “normal.” You may feel unwell and know something is not right, yet have one provider after another tell you he or she cannot seem to find anything medically wrong with you.
When conventional lab results appear normal, many [conventional] practitioners move on to other possible diagnoses, missing the opportunity to heal the underlying causes of adrenal imbalance."
A Votre Sante (Here's To Your Health,) Alix
Monday, November 12, 2012
Yikes, more bad news about GMO foods
Dr. Mercola has been on a roll lately, so I included another synopsis from his site. I really appreciate all the money he gave to the California campaign to label GMO foods. This proposition lost due to the large amount funding going into commericals that Monsanto was pumping out before the vote-- including commercials that intentionally tried to discredit Mercola. Here is the blurb from www.Mercola.com that reviews a documentary :
The documentary film "David versus Monsanto” details the groundbreaking victory of a lone farmer against one of the most powerful companies on the planet
The world’s first lifetime feeding study discovered that rats fed a diet containing 11 percent GE corn developed massive breast tumors, kidney and liver damage and other serious health problems in the 13th month of life.
To put this into human perspective, if the average lifespan of a person is 80 years, these health problems would start rearing their ugly head somewhere during the 43rd year of life, provided your diet contained just over 10 percent GE foods and you began eating them in early childhood
According to a report released by the Environmental Working Group, Americans are eating their weight and more in genetically engineered food every year—an average of 193 pounds of GE foods annually
No thanks for me, I'll avoid GMO foods...especially the hidden ingredient of Canola oil (there is no such thing as a canola plant) and soy lecithin, as most soy is GM.
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health) Alix
The documentary film "David versus Monsanto” details the groundbreaking victory of a lone farmer against one of the most powerful companies on the planet
No thanks for me, I'll avoid GMO foods...especially the hidden ingredient of Canola oil (there is no such thing as a canola plant) and soy lecithin, as most soy is GM.
A Votre Sante, (Here's To Your Health) Alix
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