Death by Sugar

Well, now that Christmas is over and most people have eaten way more sweets and unhealthy food than they should have...I figured it was a good time to do a post about the harmful effects of sugar.

I've been learning about this for years, but today I decided to google "harmful effects of sugar." You would not believe the overwhelming amount of information available on this topic!

Since I try to keep my posts somewhat concise, I won't list all the websites I read or shower you with all the explanations of why sugar is such a dangerous substance. But I will give you a very short list of some of its harmful effects.

(Nancy Appleton, PhD, clinical nutritionist, has a list of 146 reasons of 'how sugar is ruining your health' in her book "Lick the Sugar Habit.")

Sugar -
- Depresses the immune system
- Increases candida overgrowth
- Raises insulin levels
- Leads to diabetes
- Depletes the body's natural levels of Human Growth Hormone (necessary for many essential functions in the body)
- Damages the body's production of collagen (also necessary for many functions)
- Causes inflamation in the body
- Increases cholesterol
- Feeds cancer cells
- Can damage DNA

...Ok, if you're not sweating in fear yet, you should be.

Consider this statement:
"Because sugar is devoid of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and has such a deteriorating effect on the endocrine system, major researchers and major health organizations (American Dietetic Association and American Diabetic Association) agree that sugar consumption in America is one of the 3 major causes of degenerative disease."

Did you catch that? Americans are sugar-ing themselves to death!

Now, maybe you're thinking, "Well, I don't eat a lot of sweets."

That may be true, but if you eat anything from a box, can, package, etc. then you are probably consuming much more sugar than you can imagine.

The government's recommended daily limit for sugar intake is no more than 30 grams. Most brands of soda have more sugar than that in one can!

If you read every label of what you eat throughout the day and added up the total grams of sugar you're consuming, I'm sure you'd be shocked. And even if somehow you're within the recommended limit of 30 grams a day, that "small" amount is still doing damage.

So, my challenge to you today is ... say goodbye to sugar! Choose LIFE, not Death by Sugar.

Miracles

Yes, God still does miracles. Just not always in the way we expect Him to.

Sometimes when I'm watching Christian programs on TV, I have a hard time listening to people's testimonies of being instantly healed from various health problems. I mean, I'm happy for them, and I praise God for healing them. But somehow it makes me feel bad that I'm still stuck in my situation, that God hasn't given me an instant healing.

Yet even though God has chosen not to heal me instantly, He has done many miracles in my life! They weren't the ones I expected. Sometimes they weren't even the ones I asked for.

But miracles aren't about us...they're about God! He does them for His glory! And He always knows which ones we need, and which ones someone else needs.


Over the last several years, these are a few of the miracles God has done for me:

*God has kept me alive "in famine."
Psalm 33:18-19 says, "the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."

On the surface, that doesn't sound like a good thing. Why wouldn't God deliver them from the famine? In this case the miracle was not removing the famine, but keeping them alive in it.

That's how I feel about the last 6 years. We know now that there were SOOO many things wrong with my body...but somehow God kept me alive through them.
Here's a partial list:
Lymes disease
Ehrylichiosis
Bartonella
Intestinal parasites
Microscopic parasites in my adrenal gland
Parasites in my blood
Mercury toxicity
Overload of about 60 other individual toxins
Systemic Candida infection
Numerous viral and bacterial infections throughout my body. (Yes, they can "hide" in various organs and wreak havoc for years.)

These are just a few of the root causes we've identified and treated over the recent months. Looking back I'm in awe that God kept my body going somehow in spite of everything that was attacking it. It truly is miraculous! And I am very grateful!


*God has kept me walking in faith.
There have been so many times when I wanted to give up, when I was angry, when I didn't even care anymore...and every time, somehow, God restored me to faith and trust in Him.

It's a terrible thing to lose your health. But I think it's even worse to lose heart and let go of faith in God. By God's miraculous power and overflowing grace, He didn't let that happen to me. He never let me go!
   
"If the LORD had not been on our side...the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD...Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." -Psalm 124:2,4-6,8

I will forever be grateful to everyone who has prayed me through this trial. God answered those prayers by sustaining not just my body, but my soul as well.


*God delivered me from the tyranny of a drug!
It's hard to put into words what an awful thing it is to be on a medication that you absolutely HAVE to take in order to stay alive. I pray you never have to experience that kind of bondage.

After 5 years of struggling to wean myself off this medication, we asked God for a miracle...and He did it!
In only 9 weeks I went from taking 12.5 mg of Cortef a day, to being completely Cortef-free!!! And I'm still functioning at the same level...maybe even a little better. Praise the Lord!

"In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and He answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid." -Psalm 118:5-6


So, yes, God still does miracles, but not always in the way we expect or the timing we ask for.

Remember, not every miracle looks the same. But it's the same God who works each miracle - graciously intervening in our lives with His power and love.

I pray we will all see more of His miraculous hand at work around us.

Blessings,
-Joanna
.

The Great Shoe Hunt

More than 7 years ago, on a whim, I bought a pair of flip flops at K-mart for $5. It turned out to be one of the best investments I've made in the last 10 years.
These stury, comfortable, washable (very important!) shoes have lasted really well (made in Brazil). But this fall I realized they were starting to fall apart. I thought my mom could just pick up a new pair at Wal-Mart, but I was wrong.
So began the Great Shoe Hunt!

I honestly had no idea that in 7 years the shoe landscape would have changed so much. =) Of course it doesn't help that I need a VERY specific kind of shoe.

I need a shoe that is -
either a flip flop or sport slide (so my feet can breathe),
washable (since shoes pick up all kinds of bacteria and other nasties),
thick sole (for my arthritic feet),
no massage beads or bubbles,
made from sturdy rubber (at least I think that's what it is, not sure),
no fabric, suede or leather,
no recycled material used in it...
but most of all,
NOT made in China. (In my experience, 99% of products made in China are highly toxic. I avoid them like the plague.)

First my mom looked in several shoe stores...with no results. Then I spent hours on the internet. After exhaustive research, I ended up frustrated and weary. I really had no idea it was going to be THIS difficult.

- I finally found a company with shoes made in USA, but they're made from recycled material, so that won't work.
- I found a style of Adidas shoe that looks good for me, but it doesn't say where it's made. I called customer service and they didn't know either. So they sent in a "research request" to find out. Supposedly they'll get back to me. We'll see....
- I found another adidas shoe that I think is made in Italy (it wasn't on the adidas website but on a different one), but then the website wouldn't work so I couldn't check out the details on it.

Those are just a few of my frustrating attempts to find a suitable pair of shoes. In the last 2 weeks I've looked at more pairs of shoes than I ever want to see again in my lifetime! haha =)

I was reading in Matthew 6 yesterday where Jesus said not to worry about what we eat, drink, or wear. I guess that includes shoes. =) This command is so much more difficult for those of us with E.I. Something other people take for granted can be a hazard for us. But I suppose it can also be even more meaningful for us...knowing that God will provide not just clothes/shoes, but "safe" clothes/shoes for us.

I know the Lord knows my needs before I even ask Him. So I'm trying to exercise faith, and just expect that He will meet this need...when He knows it's the perfect time.

And if I ever do find a good pair of shoes, I might just buy 3 pairs. =)
.

Holidays

I've been thinking a lot about holidays lately. For most of my life holidays have been about being with family, eating special food, and doing fun things...none of which I'm able to do in my current state. Which is why I often have to fight depression on holidays (as do most people with E.I.).

I just finished reading Leviticus and I was struck by the description of the Jewish 'holidays'. I discovered that they all have 2 things in common – 1) the people were not to work and 2) they were to bring an offering to God.

We Americans are pretty good at the not working part, but, speaking for myself, I know I've been lacking in the bringing an offering to God part.

So this Thanksgiving, since I couldn’t be with family, and I couldn’t eat any special food, and I couldn’t do anything fun…I decided to “celebrate” by bringing an offering to God - a "complaint-free" day. No grumbling, self-pity, or negative thoughts. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but, praise the Lord, He helped me do it! And I can honestly say I think it was the best Thanksgiving I've had in a long time. =)

This new perspective on ‘holidays’ is something I hope to keep for the rest of my life, whether healthy or sick.
So yes, sometimes there is an up side to living with E.I. =)

Blessings,
-Joanna

I'm Back

Hello! So sorry it's been forever since I've posted anything here. I have a whole list of posts ready in my head, just haven't been able to transfer them to the computer yet. Maybe in November I can....

Unfortunately, this is a big part of living with E.I. - wanting to do things, but not being able to; planning to do things one day and not being able to do them until much later; feeling frustrated, feeling useless....

One of the worst things for those of us with E.I. is having to listen to "motivational" speeches. What's the use of getting all "motivated" when you can't do anything about it? So much of our culture revolves around what we do, what we accomplish, pushing ourselves to do better, try harder, excel more than others.... For me the challenge is to NOT do, to NOT push my body, to NOT try harder - but to learn to be still, to accept the limitations God puts on me, to wait patiently for HIM to act, for HIM to change my circumstances, for HIM to do something through me.

Just once, I'd like to hear a "motivational" speech like that.
"Don't cram more things in your schedule. Don't push your body past what it can do. Don't try to accomplish more than your neighbor. Instead slow down. Listen. Wait. Let God act."
Wouldn't that be a shocker to the rest of the world.

Psalm 147:10-11 says, "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love."

That's what I want to do. I want to Fear God - to acknowledge that HIS plan is best, even when it's not what I would have chosen, to remember that He doesn't make mistakes and He worthy of my praise - always. I want to put my Hope in the LORD - to trust in Him, to have a good attitude wherever He puts me, and to never forget His love for me.

That is what God delights in. Not how much I get done, how great my accomplishments are, or how many people know my name. He delights in those who acknowledge Him as GOD and who rest in His love.

So even if I never get to make another post on this blog, it's ok. If it takes another year, or two, or three, or more...until I have a "normal" life again, that's ok too. If I never get to do all the things my heart has dreamed about, it'll be ok.

As long as God delights in me, I believe I can be happy and fulfilled.
May that be the prayer of all of our hearts.
Amen.

A Word About Cancer

I know this blog is mainly about Environmental Illness, but today I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts about cancer.

Recently I heard an amazing statistic: 40% of cancer is preventable. Forty percent! That's almost half of all cancer cases!
After everything I've learned about the human body, this statistic does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that the medical community doesn't seem to be taking this seriously! They keep pushing for a cure for cancer - and believe me I'd love to see that happen too - but if 40% is preventable, why aren't they focusing as much on education and prevention?

Cancer seems so prevalent now. There's hardly a home or family in America that hasn't been affected by it in some way. I know there's a lot of information out there about cancer, more than I have the strength to read through. But I've learned some things in the last couple of years that I hope might be helpful to someone who reads this.

We live in a world of cause and effect. If you see an effect, you know there's a cause. People don't get sick for no reason. There's always a cause (or several causes). So let's consider some causes of cancer.

1) Toxins - The obvious example is cigarette smoke. People who smoke (or who live with a smoker) are likely to get lung cancer. Why? Because tobacco is a toxin - a carcinogenic (cancer-causing) toxin.
So an important question to consider is:
Is there such a thing as a non-carcinogenic toxin?
I'm not a bio-chemist, so I can't give a definitive answer to that question. However, my suspicion is that all toxins are carcinogenic. I think some toxins cause cancer more quickly, while other toxins build up in the body for years before cancer appears.

Two years ago a doctor found at least 2 pesticides in my blood (DDE and something else). She said - "These pesticides are 100% carcinogenic. If you don't get them out of your body, you will get cancer."
Many toxins in our environment are known carcinogens. It makes sense that the rest are as well.

So if toxins cause cancer - DETOXIFY your home and personal care products as much as possible by switching to healthy alternative products. Then Detoxify your body through lymphatic massage, exercise, supplements, etc.
Don't let toxins build up in your body and possibly lead to cancer. You can do something about them now.


2) Fungus - In many cases, it's been proven that the cancer is linked to an overgrowth of fungus in the body. Anti-fungal drugs have proved effective against many forms of cancer (including Aspirin). Many doctors now tell their cancer patients to eat low or no sugar diets because the sugar feeds the cancer. Guess what? Sugar also feeds fungus! Maybe there's a reason for that....

If this is true, (and I believe it is) then the best thing to do is simply change your diet.
Don't eat foods that contribute to fungus growth - sugar, dairy, yeast, etc.
Eat more anti-fungal foods - brocoli, cinnamon, coconut/coconut oil, etc.
You can also use anti-fungal supplements - olive leaf extract, oregano oil, caprylic acid, etc.
Learn about how to keep fungus in your body to a minimum.
If fungus is linked to cancer, this is a good way to prevent it.
(There's much more information about this fungus-cancer link and an anti-fungal diet at KnowtheCause.com)


3) Radiation - The jury is still out on this one because the research is so new. Personally, I think there's already good evidence that radiation from things like cordless phones, cell phones, and laptops causes cancer.

My aunt died of a brain tumor a couple of years ago. As far as I know the doctors didn't give any reason why an otherwise healthy woman in her 60's would suddenly be brought down by a tumor. However, she spent hours every day on the phone at her job. My mom believes that the radiation from the phone is what caused the tumor.

Even if you think there is weak evidence to support this, isn't it worth it to take some precautions?
Don't use cordless phones. They emit as bad or worse radiation than many cell phones. Regular phones that plug into the wall are ok as far as I know.
Don't hold a cell phone to your ear. Use a headset or put the phone on speaker and hold it away from your face.
Don't carry cell phones in your pocket. Having the radiation next to you all the time is bad. Leave it in a purse or something else that you can carry away from yourself.
Don't set laptops right on your lap. Set them to the side or put something underneath them as a barrier between you and the radiation.

I'm sure there are other radiation precautions you can take if you research it a little.
(For more information about cell phone radiation and a list of phones with the least amount, go to ewg.org)


I wish & pray that there would be a cure for cancer soon. But in the meantime, I hope that more people will get serious about education and prevention.
So to all six of you who actually read this blog =) - please take care of yourselves! And please tell others about this, pass these ideas along, and maybe we'll be able to help someone in the process.

Blessings,
-Joanna

Some Specific Diet Changes

I know I said I'd do this post sooner...sorry for the delay.
Here are a few of the specific diet changes I've made over the years:


1) no pork or fish/seafood - Aside from my allergy to pork and lifelong distaste for fish, I also learned that these two meats are highly toxic. Pigs are basically 4-legged garbage disposals. They eat anything and everything. When you eat pork, you essentially eat whatever that pig ate. Not to mention that almost every form of pork is made with lots of preservatives (bacon, ham, sausage, etc.). Fish/seafood often sounds healthy because it has Omega-3 oils, HOWEVER it is also highly toxic. As the ocean becomes more toxic, so do the fish.
One other factor is that both pork and fish contain parasites and you have to cook them at VERY high temperatures to kill the parasites. Almost no one cooks them high enough to kill the parasites because people don't like meat that's "overcooked."
So generally speaking, it's best to avoid these two foods.


2) seldom eat dairy products or yeast - These two foods contribute to fungus growth in the body so it's best not to eat them often, if at all.


3) I rarely eat raw vegies (& fruits unless they're blended) - For some reason my stomach doesn't handle raw food well. I've heard from many sources that raw fruits and vegies is the "ideal" diet. I think for many people this is true. But if you're like me, you might notice a big change in how you feel if you just stop eating raw and switch to cooked vegies instead. (Once I stopped eating salad my stomach improved a lot.)


4) no cold drinks - Along with not eating raw, my doctor told me not to drink cold water. She said I have a "cold" stomach. That means I shouldn't eat raw foods, should drink warm water, and should eat other foods that will "warm" up my stomach. If you can identify whether you have a "warm" or "cold" stomach, it might help a lot.


5) no "nightshade" vegetables - This includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and green pepper I think. These vegies can deplete magnesium in the body. Since magnesium deficiency is a problem I've had for years, I don't eat these vegies, except for once in a while, on special occasions. I definitely noticed a positive change when I stopped eating these foods (especially potatoes and tomato paste/sauce).


Well, I thought there was one more, but I can't remember it for some reason. If it comes back to me I'll add it later. =)
I hope these ideas are helpful to you.
Remember, you ARE what you EAT. Take it seriously.


Blessings,
-Joanna
.