So, Just Exactly Where Have You Been?

It would appear that I have lost my interest in blogging.

Why ~ I am not sure.

So much support and love across the miles came my way when I blogged my feelings through my fathers illness and ultimate death. During my knee and gall bladder surgeries I was overwhelmed by your concerns and good wishes.

So why, I wonder has my interest died. I have always enjoyed expressing myself through writing, painting, taking pictures, crafting, but all of these things have fallen by the wayside.

Well, part of the issue is that I am presently under construction to improve my health.

A few months ago, I decided to incorporate a Naturopathic doctor into my health management.

She discovered a great many problems in my blood chemistry, not the least of which was glucose at pre-diabetic levels. As well, I have acidosis which is a highly acidic body chemistry, high sodium levels, high potassium levels, too many liver enzymes, high cholesterol and anemia from very low iron.

She really put the "fear-of-God" into me by telling me that she felt within 5-6 years I would be a very sick woman if I did not make some big changes.

So, what am I doing?

First I am moving towards a vegan lifestyle. I have removed all red meat from my diet and am eating mostly oily fish (ie., salmon) as well as chicken and turkey. For the time being no more alcohol and I am following a 1600 calorie per day diet consisting mostly of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, eggs, yogurts and again only white meats and fish. Dark chocolate, olive oil and olives are also in diet daily.

To date I have lost 12 pounds and dropped a size. YAHOOOOO!!! The weight loss has been slow (in my opinion), but my chances of keeping it off are greater according to statistics if I lose approximately 1 pound a week, rather than rush things along with a faster weight loss.

As well on my last follow up visit, my bloodwork showed considerable improvements in all the areas that she was very concerned with.

On the recommendation of my naturopath, I have also undertaken a series of colonics hydrotherapy.

What is colonics you might ask ~ here is a short overview.

Colon hydrotherapy, or colonics, is a centuries-old therapy using filtered water to flush accumulated fecal waste, harmful bacteria, intestinal parasites, gas and mucus from the colon. It is a safe and gentle yet powerful way to cleanse the body, and to make all body systems and organs more efficient.

When waste matter is not efficiently eliminated from the colon, it becomes impacted and eventually putrefies and turns toxic. These toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream through the colon wall, where they travel throughout the body and eventually settle in various tissues. The stress created by these toxic deposits weakens the body, and can cause or aggravate a multitude of symptoms. Colon hydrotherapy cleanses the colon, helping to prevent the absorption of toxins into the bloodstream, and provides a clearing for the body to release trapped toxins so that these can be properly eliminated. Facilitating the optimal efficiency of practically all body processes, and thereby preventing the onset or degeneration of illness, is what makes colonics a useful part of virtually any treatment for virtually any condition.

The practice of using water to flush waste from the colon as a form of therapy dates as far back as 1300 B.C. An ancient Greek medical text called the Eber Papyrus (named after George Eber, a German professor who had the text translated in 1873) extols the virtues of cleansing the colon via the rectum. Early fathers of medicine Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) and Galen (129-210) were strong proponents of colon cleansing as a medicinal tool. Ambrosio Paré (1517-1590), a French physician, was the first to describe colon hydrotherapy (also known as colon irrigation or colonics) in detail and to differentiate it from an enema.

Into the 20th century, pioneering physicians including Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (of Kellogg's cereal fame), Dr. Norman Walker and Dr. Bernard Jensen stressed the importance of receiving regular colonics as part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, until the 1930's, colon hydrotherapy was commonly practiced in many hospitals and doctors' offices, attesting to its legitimacy. Regrettably, the advent of pharmacology and the ensuing ubiquity of pharmaceuticals relegated colonics to virtual obsolescence for several decades.
Since the 1970's, however, there has been a grassroots resurgence of interest in the health benefits and healing potential of colon hydrotherapy.

Hectic schedules, high levels of stress, a growing dependence on nutrient-deficient processed and fast foods, artificial food additives and preservatives, sedentary lifestyles, alcohol consumption, smoking, recreational and prescription drug use, thousands of toxic chemicals in every day household and industrial products, environmental pollution, soil depletion - these are some of the common contributing factors to a general decline in people's health, producing conditions ranging from a vague feeling of malaise to more serious chronic and degenerative disease states. Ultimately, the body is burdened by toxic overload as it is not designed to cope with these hazards in the excessive quantity and frequency to which it has become exposed.

The consequences of these excesses have left many people searching for ways to regain their lost vitality. Drugs and surgery have become the interventions of choice in the field of medicine. However, although typically prescribed, drugs and surgery are limited in their effectiveness as a means of prevention. In fact, they are of little value until after the onset of illness. The use of drugs and surgery as a cure is also restricted. Because they tend to target a specific symptom rather than addressing the relationship between a symptom and the rest of the body, drugs and surgery generally do not address the underlying disturbances which caused illness to occur, leaving the door open for symptoms to recur or for new symptoms to develop. While modern medicine can be of invaluable service in certain critical circumstances, more and more people are seeking holistic health care alternatives to help alleviate illness before it reaches a critical stage.

As a holistic preventative and healing therapy, colon hydrotherapy is beyond comparison. It is widely practiced in the United Kingdom and in many European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland. In North America, a growing number of people are experiencing the far-reaching benefits of colonics as word spreads about this unique therapy and as more holistic practitioners offer colonics as an integral part of health care.

I have also gone back to chiropractic adjustments which I firmly believe are important to prevention of illness. Unfortunately I have let it go over the past year, but have just started back again. Still going through the difficulties of flare up due to the adjustments, but this too shall pass.

Back in August of 2007, I wrote how much I love chiropractic care and why you should see a chiropractor. Here again are my reasons for seeing a chiropractor.

1. Relieve nerve irritation caused by narrowed openings of the spine due to degenerated discs.
2. Restore movement by stretching shortened ligaments resulting from chronic joint stiffness.
3. Restore joint movement by breaking down scar tissue from old injuries.
4. Help to "pump" in nourishment and lubricates the discs to avoid drying, cracking and rupturing of discs.
5. Calm muscle excitability to reduce tensions and spasm.
6. Can trigger specific pain-controlling nerve reflexes.
7. Can save you time and money in the long run by preventing chronic pain and future disability.
8. Correct underlying structural problem, rather than "cover up" your symptoms.
9. Pain relief without drugs or surgery.

Many, many people are nervous to see a chiropractor because of many horror stories of neck twisting, cracking, etc.... When you look for a chiro make sure that you and he/she understand your fears. Many do not employ twisting and cracking, but use a small tool called an activator.

It's most important to understand that chiropractic is not a treatment for disease. It's purpose is to reduce nerve system stress, a serious and often painless condition most adults and children have in their bodies. Nerve system stress interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system, can weaken internal organs and organ systems, lower resistance, reduce healing potential and set the stage for sickness and disorders of all kinds. When a chiropractor frees the nervous system from spinal stress, the healing power of the body is unleashed: the immune system works more efficiently, resistance to disease increases, and your body functions more efficiently. You can then respond to internal and external environmental stresses such as germs, changes in temperature, humidity, toxins, pollen and all the other stresses you may come in contact with more efficiently.

As well I have incorporated a small exercise program into my schedule. As I am sure you must all remember, exercise and me do not mix .... sort of like oil and water, but for the sake of my health it must be done.

So I went out and bought a good pair of walking shoes, a pedometer and started a walking program of 2-3 times per week. To date I have managed to walk 1 - 1 1/2 miles on each walk.

So, if you have wondered where I have been, now you know .... spending a great deal of time getting my health under control.

I want to continue to enjoy my grandchildren as they get older, not have to make excuses for why I cannot do .....