Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Keeping Inflammation Down
A huge problem with Sickle Cell and a cause of a lot of pain is the inflammation. From what I've learned, when a crisis begins, after the cells get stuck in the veins, an inflammatory response is triggered, which worsens the pain, and which can stick around long after the actual clot is gone. In the daily diet, their are things that can be done to help reduce overall inflammation in the body. To help reduce inflammation, I first looked up things that cause it. Sugar is a primary culprit, so I try to reduce sugar in my daily diet. I try to stay conscious of how much I'm having and try to keep it to a reasonable amount. Another thing I do is avoid white rice and refined flours and pasta. I don't eat a lot of bread, eat practically no rice (such a turnaround since rice was a staple when I was growing up!), eat very little (white) bread and pasta. When I do eat the above mentioned, I do later feel a difference in my body as if there is more inflammation going on. (I also break out! -__-') These are just the things that I do based on what I've learned about my own body and the way it works (and doesn't work.) Hopefully the observations I've made can be helpful to you!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Life without Serrapeptase/Nattokinase
I must admit, part of the reason why I don't update more often is because I've gotten a lot of page views, but very few comments, which makes me wonder if this is helping anyone at all. But maybe some people prefer to read and not comment. If so, this is for you guys!
March 15th was the day I stopped taking Serrapeptase regularly, since then I've barely taken it at all. It was making me feel like my ulcers were still bleeding, so it definitely had to be dropped from my routine. However, my body still feels good, and I still do take my Liquid Chlorophyll every morning, sometimes in the evening. I also continue to stretch every morning which has greatly helped my body. In the past, the muscle in my right leg between my pelvic bone and thigh was very weak and would sometimes cause me to limp. The muscle would sometimes get so stressed throughout the day that it would get to a point where it felt like it twisted, and then I wouldn't be able to walk for about a week. This, of course, was at times the bane of my existence. Stretching helped change all that. Since I started stretching, I noticed the muscle wouldn't hurt as much when I would walk, and over time it's become more limber and flexible, and it now feels like it works with me, as opposed to against me. All in all, stretching has helped my existence become easier! And it's such a simple thing to do, my basic routine can be done in about 5 minutes, though I'm sure sometimes I take longer with it by taking deeper breaths and just getting oxygen into my lungs. Trust me, it's a relaxing way to help start your day! Experiment with stretches and see what works for you :)
As usual, I have to put a reminder here about eating a diet high in Thiocyanate. It's simple to do once you get the hang of it, I promise! For instance, last night's dinner was beets, lentils, and roasted chicken. It was healthy and delicious! This morning's breakfast was Golden Grahams and warm milk. Variety in the diet is essential so you don't get bored and hop off the wagon like I did when I first started my new way of eating. A good suggestion for adding Thiocyanate filled foods to the diet would be to add a little bit at a time. For example, experiment with different recipes and find what works for you. Over the summer, I would make smoothies out of frozen strawberries and coconut milk ( with a bit of brown sugar and vanilla essence for extra flavor!) The smoothies were delicious, filling, and high in Thiocyanate! There are tons of things you can try, such as fried, baked, or boiled plantains, baked sweet potatoes, stewed lentils, steamed broccoli, raw carrots, bananas, and almonds just to name a few! Try them out consistently and get your Thiocyanate in large amounts as well as your other vitamins from foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Try these out and let me know what works for you!
March 15th was the day I stopped taking Serrapeptase regularly, since then I've barely taken it at all. It was making me feel like my ulcers were still bleeding, so it definitely had to be dropped from my routine. However, my body still feels good, and I still do take my Liquid Chlorophyll every morning, sometimes in the evening. I also continue to stretch every morning which has greatly helped my body. In the past, the muscle in my right leg between my pelvic bone and thigh was very weak and would sometimes cause me to limp. The muscle would sometimes get so stressed throughout the day that it would get to a point where it felt like it twisted, and then I wouldn't be able to walk for about a week. This, of course, was at times the bane of my existence. Stretching helped change all that. Since I started stretching, I noticed the muscle wouldn't hurt as much when I would walk, and over time it's become more limber and flexible, and it now feels like it works with me, as opposed to against me. All in all, stretching has helped my existence become easier! And it's such a simple thing to do, my basic routine can be done in about 5 minutes, though I'm sure sometimes I take longer with it by taking deeper breaths and just getting oxygen into my lungs. Trust me, it's a relaxing way to help start your day! Experiment with stretches and see what works for you :)
As usual, I have to put a reminder here about eating a diet high in Thiocyanate. It's simple to do once you get the hang of it, I promise! For instance, last night's dinner was beets, lentils, and roasted chicken. It was healthy and delicious! This morning's breakfast was Golden Grahams and warm milk. Variety in the diet is essential so you don't get bored and hop off the wagon like I did when I first started my new way of eating. A good suggestion for adding Thiocyanate filled foods to the diet would be to add a little bit at a time. For example, experiment with different recipes and find what works for you. Over the summer, I would make smoothies out of frozen strawberries and coconut milk ( with a bit of brown sugar and vanilla essence for extra flavor!) The smoothies were delicious, filling, and high in Thiocyanate! There are tons of things you can try, such as fried, baked, or boiled plantains, baked sweet potatoes, stewed lentils, steamed broccoli, raw carrots, bananas, and almonds just to name a few! Try them out consistently and get your Thiocyanate in large amounts as well as your other vitamins from foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Try these out and let me know what works for you!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Steamed Broccoli and Plantains
...that is what I am having for dinner. There is some cauliflower on my plate too, actually more cauliflower than broccoli. I brought a frozen mix and the great thing about my dinner is that everything on my plate is high in calcium. I cut way down on my intake of Nattokinase. I was also able to get my hands on some goat's milk, which I rather like, and my ulcers seem to be doing a lot better. I am not sure how long it would take for the goats milk to completely heal my ulcers, I am also not sure how strong pasteurized goat's milk is in healing them because I'm sure the raw version has more nutrients in it, but I will keep drinking some everyday until I go back home. The fact that I haven't been feeling any stomach pain that feels ulcer related since I began eating more foods that would help heal them has been very encouraging to me.
Sometimes, I get a bit frustrated with my diet and just want to eat anything I want. For instance, tonight I wanted to have frozen pizza and nachos for dinner. Since I had pizza yesterday, and I know that it's not that good for me with all those starches and all that white flour which probably is causing me to break out today and also is probably causing inflammation in my body, I compromised with myself by buying nachos. I will have pizza another day. Knowing that sticking to my diet is essential to my health and well-being is a highly motivating factor, especially on days when I'm feeling down because I'm not feeling well, and I wonder if sticking to my diet that day is worth the trouble. At this point, I probably shouldn't even call it a diet, because I've been making sure that the majority of what's on my plate each week is high in thiocyanate. It is probably safe to call it my new way of life. If I weren't dedicated to my health, I probably would have given up already. But seeing how my diet helped me over the summer, and again seeing how it's been helping me now, where I can mostly stick to my regular activities and be a "normal gal" for the most part is what keeps me going. Looking at my health charts and seeing all the information I've collected so far is also something that continues to inspire me to stay on the path that I am on. Again, I must reiterate that I haven't found a cure, and that if I don't stick to my diet, then my health won't stay as good as it is now. But the fact that I am able to feel a lot better than I used to because I am eating foods that are high in thiocyanate is truly encouraging, and I hope that other people will find the encouragement that they need here on these pages.
Sometimes, I get a bit frustrated with my diet and just want to eat anything I want. For instance, tonight I wanted to have frozen pizza and nachos for dinner. Since I had pizza yesterday, and I know that it's not that good for me with all those starches and all that white flour which probably is causing me to break out today and also is probably causing inflammation in my body, I compromised with myself by buying nachos. I will have pizza another day. Knowing that sticking to my diet is essential to my health and well-being is a highly motivating factor, especially on days when I'm feeling down because I'm not feeling well, and I wonder if sticking to my diet that day is worth the trouble. At this point, I probably shouldn't even call it a diet, because I've been making sure that the majority of what's on my plate each week is high in thiocyanate. It is probably safe to call it my new way of life. If I weren't dedicated to my health, I probably would have given up already. But seeing how my diet helped me over the summer, and again seeing how it's been helping me now, where I can mostly stick to my regular activities and be a "normal gal" for the most part is what keeps me going. Looking at my health charts and seeing all the information I've collected so far is also something that continues to inspire me to stay on the path that I am on. Again, I must reiterate that I haven't found a cure, and that if I don't stick to my diet, then my health won't stay as good as it is now. But the fact that I am able to feel a lot better than I used to because I am eating foods that are high in thiocyanate is truly encouraging, and I hope that other people will find the encouragement that they need here on these pages.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Tips I Will Be Using to Help Heal my Ulcers
* Eat at least three bananas a day. These fruits contain an
antibacterial substance that inhibits the growth of ulcer-causing H.
pylori. Studies show that animals fed bananas have a thicker stomach
wall and greater mucus production in the stomach, which helps build a
barrier between digestive acids and the lining of the stomach. Eating
plantains is also helpful. (Will have to buy more bananas to keep up with this!)
* Raw honey soothes and reduces inflammation of the lining of the stomach and is good for healing as well.
* Garlic's antibacterial properties include fighting H. pylori. Take two small crushed cloves a day. (This at least will keep away the vampires. Haha. I'll keep cooking with garlic.)
* Plums and other red and purple colored foods such as berries inhibit the growth of H. pylori. (For this I will eat more beets.)
* Coconut oil kills the bacteria that cause ulcers and gas, but it's mostly a long-term remedy. (Will see if I can buy some at an exotic food store.)
A few other good ulcer remedies are: raw goats' milk (perhaps goat milk yogurt counts?), barley water, aloe juice (will see if I can buy this), propolis capsules, licorice root or marshmallow root.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028644_stomach_ulcers_remedies.html#ixzz2MKY6OAd7
Apparently cranberry juice is also helpful. I will look for 100% cranberry juice later today.
"As far as getting rid of the bacteria I decided to use cranberry juice. Studies showed that drinking cranberry juice flushes the bacteria from your digestive system."
Learn more: http://next-level-nutrition.com/?p=8170
* Raw honey soothes and reduces inflammation of the lining of the stomach and is good for healing as well.
* Garlic's antibacterial properties include fighting H. pylori. Take two small crushed cloves a day. (This at least will keep away the vampires. Haha. I'll keep cooking with garlic.)
* Plums and other red and purple colored foods such as berries inhibit the growth of H. pylori. (For this I will eat more beets.)
* Coconut oil kills the bacteria that cause ulcers and gas, but it's mostly a long-term remedy. (Will see if I can buy some at an exotic food store.)
A few other good ulcer remedies are: raw goats' milk (perhaps goat milk yogurt counts?), barley water, aloe juice (will see if I can buy this), propolis capsules, licorice root or marshmallow root.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028644_stomach_ulcers_remedies.html#ixzz2MKY6OAd7
Apparently cranberry juice is also helpful. I will look for 100% cranberry juice later today.
"As far as getting rid of the bacteria I decided to use cranberry juice. Studies showed that drinking cranberry juice flushes the bacteria from your digestive system."
Learn more: http://next-level-nutrition.com/?p=8170
Dangers of Nattokinase
Pretty upset right now. My stomach has been hurting on and off for the past week and a half, it's been doing it more since last night, I actually woke up with a bit of pain last night. Nothing extreme, but enough to wake me up. I mentioned before that I have stomach ulcers, and I think they are what make my stomach so incredibly sensitive to when I eat out, which I've been doing more since last Sunday. It only occurred to me tonight, after I ate dinner and my stomach began hurting, that since I have ulcers and Nattokinase is a blood-thinner, that the Nattokinase is probably what has been contributing to my stomachaches. I looked it up, and lo and behold, the website says,
"Nattokinase should also not be taken by those who bleed very easily. It should be avoided by those who have recently had a bleeding ulcer, surgery, stroke or heart attack."
This is all even more upsetting to me because my health has been feeling a bit more poor in different ways as well, and I can't be certain, but I wonder if my elevated heart rate during my work outs was not attributed to the Nattokinase in my system. As I said to a friend last night who said I should live it up more, "my health is a full time job." It gets incredibly frustrating when I have setbacks such as these. I was doing really well on the Serrapeptase and Liquid Chlorophyll alone and I really should have done more research before adding Nattokinase to my diet. It should have popped out at me that it was a blood thinner, but then again, I really wanted to be rid of the clutches of this disease.
So this is where I am now, my ulcers are once more proving to be a problem when I eat, and it will take several weeks before they heal sufficiently to not bother me anymore. I'm not sure if they will ever heal completely, hence my absolute and essential need to stay away from blood-thinners, Ibuprofen, and anything else that might irritate them. Really can't say how frustrated I am about my ulcer situation, but I gotta press on. My warning to everyone is to really do your research before you add anything new to your diet, please look into the side effects. I still suggest eating a diet high in Thiocyanate and eat healthy in general. Eat as natural as possible because that's always best for your body.
"Nattokinase should also not be taken by those who bleed very easily. It should be avoided by those who have recently had a bleeding ulcer, surgery, stroke or heart attack."
This is all even more upsetting to me because my health has been feeling a bit more poor in different ways as well, and I can't be certain, but I wonder if my elevated heart rate during my work outs was not attributed to the Nattokinase in my system. As I said to a friend last night who said I should live it up more, "my health is a full time job." It gets incredibly frustrating when I have setbacks such as these. I was doing really well on the Serrapeptase and Liquid Chlorophyll alone and I really should have done more research before adding Nattokinase to my diet. It should have popped out at me that it was a blood thinner, but then again, I really wanted to be rid of the clutches of this disease.
So this is where I am now, my ulcers are once more proving to be a problem when I eat, and it will take several weeks before they heal sufficiently to not bother me anymore. I'm not sure if they will ever heal completely, hence my absolute and essential need to stay away from blood-thinners, Ibuprofen, and anything else that might irritate them. Really can't say how frustrated I am about my ulcer situation, but I gotta press on. My warning to everyone is to really do your research before you add anything new to your diet, please look into the side effects. I still suggest eating a diet high in Thiocyanate and eat healthy in general. Eat as natural as possible because that's always best for your body.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Health Chart Update!
I am really glad that I had the idea to keep track of what I am eating and my supplements daily with a chart! It has been 12 days since I began using my chart and it shows me what I need to eat more (greens) as well as showing me trends in my diet. The first page of my charts is finished (I made 5 copies of the original, which I drew up by hand, no need for complicated computer work!) and I wrote a conclusion at the end to sum up all my data. This weekend I was feeling some mild pain in my legs and arms, which felt like they could have been crisis pain, and yesterday I did take 1000mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen) for it, but other than that, I've been okay. It seems like the Nattokinase has been doing its work to keep my blood from clotting, for which I am thankful! I have been feeling good since I added it to my diet.
I had to stop working out due to what I mentioned earlier, but I walked a lot today. One thing I must note, my body feels different when I drink tap water, and from what I have read about parasites, which I talked about in another post, I feel like I have an infection. For that I am eating carrots on a empty stomach (eat nothing else for 30 minutes afterward) and will be trying the garlic cleanse mentioned on this website. Today, I also started with something I hope to keep up, which is to eat a clove of raw garlic on an empty stomach 15 minutes before a meal (yes, I am worried about how I will smell -_-'). I had to take it with two spoonfuls of honey because it is very strong. Garlic is also good for the flu and many other things! Though it did give me a bit of an upset tummy! I am going to try eating it the way it's suggested on this website. Sorry to have to talk about parasitic infections here, I know it's totally gross, but it's very real and incredibly common and is affecting my health! Definitely won't leave that stone unturned!
I had to stop working out due to what I mentioned earlier, but I walked a lot today. One thing I must note, my body feels different when I drink tap water, and from what I have read about parasites, which I talked about in another post, I feel like I have an infection. For that I am eating carrots on a empty stomach (eat nothing else for 30 minutes afterward) and will be trying the garlic cleanse mentioned on this website. Today, I also started with something I hope to keep up, which is to eat a clove of raw garlic on an empty stomach 15 minutes before a meal (yes, I am worried about how I will smell -_-'). I had to take it with two spoonfuls of honey because it is very strong. Garlic is also good for the flu and many other things! Though it did give me a bit of an upset tummy! I am going to try eating it the way it's suggested on this website. Sorry to have to talk about parasitic infections here, I know it's totally gross, but it's very real and incredibly common and is affecting my health! Definitely won't leave that stone unturned!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Working Out Bad for My Heart?
I feel terrible at the moment. I am unable to sleep, and for the past few days, my heart has been pounding and I have been unable to pinpoint why. I thought it might be due to low calcium in my body because my nails have been breaking as well, but only my fingernails have been showing signs of breakage, and I'm wondering if it's just wear and tear taking it's toll and not low calcium. The feeling of my heart pounding is really worrisome as I've never experienced a feeling like it that's lasted for so long. It's also keeping me from sleeping. I just feel really terrible right now and it worries me. I will stop the working out. I had previously tried and quit a workout schedule because it was causing inflammation in my ribs. Now with this elevated heart rate, it just seems that even a gentle workout won't do. I guess I will turn to walking as my exercise. That will be harder to be consistent with. I'll see if I can start walking for 20 minutes a day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)