Weak Digestion ?

I must take another little diversion to record some very interesting information I just found, that really applies to me and I'm sure to a lot of other people as well.  Though the dietary restrictions I've been discussing here have certainly made some improvements in my health, things are really not as good as I would have expected.

Something made me google 'weak digestion' this afternoon, and I found the website of Dr John Douillard at LifeSpa.com - specifically his articles and videos on Surprising Symptoms of Poor Digestion .

I must say looking at his list of symptoms of poor digestion, I was mentally ticking off many of them, which drove me to keep reading and to watch his videos.  I won't try to abbreviate what he says here, but simply say that his approach to the reasons behind weak digestion, and his method for curing it, are extremely logical and persuasive - and full of common-sense and inspiration.

Though he does say many of us would be on a more healthy diet if we eliminate some of the most allergenic foods, like gluten, dairy, soy and a few others, his argument is that rather than fighting a rearguard action to deal with poor digestion by eliminating problem foods, we need to understand the reasons why our body has turned down the digestive fire.  Then we can take steps to get it burning brightly again.

In other words, don't just treat the symptoms - fix up the problem itself.

I won't go into further detail, but simply flag this very valuable resource.  I myself am going to put into practice the step-by-step procedures he lays down for getting one's digestion back to normal. 

And as I continue with this blog, I'll be reporting on my own progress with his How to Turn Up the Digestive Furnace procedure.  If anyone else out there decides to do the same, please share your experiences with us too.

Stay tuned!

Patricia.

Wool - What's With Wool?

Ok, I'll start this post by quoting the real bottom line in Dr Mercola's The Mattress That Plays Havoc With Your Hormones article that I referred to in my Heal Your Food - And Your Home post a couple of days ago.  His final paragraph reads as follows:

You spend from six to nine hours every night with your face in close proximity to your mattress, breathing in these chemicals. Your children spend even longer sleeping, with their faces even closer to the mattress surface. And if your children jump on the bed, or you bounce on your mattress, even more of these toxins can be released into the air. For this reason, look for a chemical-free, organic or 100% wool mattress for your child.

As for the rest of the house, PBDEs are widespread in:

• Carpets
• Textiles
• Polyurethane foam furnishings
• Electronics and plastics
• Motor vehicles

They outgas into your home regularly and are commonly found in household dust, where they can be inhaled. Again, since they are persistent environmental pollutants, PBDEs are also found in various foods, including wild fish and the most "pure" food of all, breast milk.

For those of us looking for answers, here it is - "Look for a chemical-free, organic or 100% wool mattress for your child".  And I would add to that - any members of your family who are specially at risk.  Plus make it your aim to get your whole family off sleeping on toxic mattresses as soon as possible.

So you say to me, "Why wool?"

And living in New Zealand, 'OF COURSE' I would be in favor of wool.  Well, there's more to it than that. Here's a few reasons 'why' wool:

• Wool is 100% natural (provided no-one's 'improved' it by adding any man-made fibres, chemicals etc);
• Wool resists fire - wool does not catch fire or burn readily;
• Wool is the warmest fibre you can have close to you.  As a long-term high-country walker, I know that the best thing you can have next to your skin in bad weather is 100% wool, because even if it gets soaking wet in really cold conditions, it will keep you warm.

Although people with sensitive skins may find wool next to the skin a bit 'scratchy' (and this is usually due to an allergic condition NOT caused by the wool itself), once it has been properly processed (as in 'chemical-free') and made into a mattress, you won't have the actual wool next to your skin.

Do more than just think about it.

Take Control - and have a great day!

Patricia

The Plastic Hot-Water Jug Gets Retired

I went out as promised and bought a stainless steel hot water jug this morning.  I've made a number of drinks and heated water for cooking dinner with it.  I usually drink VERY weak coffee, and without a doubt the taste is different - definitely better.  The young guy who served me in the appliance store said he and his girlfriend had bought a jug the same as my new one because they decided they didn't like the plastic taste from plastic jugs. 

I hadn't been aware of a plastic taste, but then our taste buds get used to all sorts of things. The new taste is certainly milder and nicer, though.

Why Not Plastic?

My distrust of plastic when combined with heat and foods goes back to a family experience many years ago.  I was at college, and my parents happened to be working quite close to each other, so they'd meet and have lunch together.  My mother would take along a flask of hot tea and some cups.

A little while after they started doing this, my father developed a very sore mouth.  It went on for a while and though they tried a few things to get rid of it, it wouldn't go away.  Then it dawned on them that the cups they were using at lunchtime were plastic.  My mother threw them out, got some cheap glass cups, and the mouth healed up a treat.

It will be interesting to see if I can identify any changes in myself as I continue using this jug. Plastic is made from petroleum and I've had a problem with petroleum for years -   another of my sensitivity issues due to the systemic candida.  So who knows, I might have something worthwhile to report frm this experiment!

Petroleum And Estrogen

While on this topic, it's also worth pointing out that petroleum and petroleum products are all estrogen-mimicking.  That is, they act in and on our bodies just like the female hormone estrogen - not something desirable for anyone, man, woman or child. These are toxic chemicals running loose in our environment.  If you doubt me on this, then make sure you read
Hormone-Mimics In Plastic Water Bottles Act As Functional Estrogens on "Science Daily".

The authors conclude: “We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of xenohormone* contamination of many other edibles. Our findings provide an insight into potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals due to unexpected sources of contamination.”

That's just one instance, and you can soon google up some more.

Take Control - and have a great day!

Patricia

Heal Your Food - And Your Home

I apologize for lack of posts recently.  I've been finishing work on a project that's taken me the best part of a year - illustrating a book due for publication here in New Zealand in December.  It was a major job - 36 full color, wall-to-wall, exhibition quality paintings, 15"x20" and as things got down to the wire this last 12 weeks or so, the pressure was quite intense.

If you'd like to see a very small taste of what's involved please visit my Taketakerau Project on  the Behance Professional Network (which I'll update with more pictures once the book is published).  AND - if you like what you see, there's a neat blue button at the bottom that you can click anonymously - just to give me a 'thumbs up' for all my hard work!

Back to the point of this post.  It's no good taking charge of your food if you don't take charge of things in your immediate environment that can harm you.  I got a very interesting email from Dr Mercola this morning that's going to send me out today on a mission I've had in mind for a few months but not yet got down to - searching out a new, non-plastic electric jug for my kitchen.

Toxic Mattresses

The article I'm talking about isn't just about electric jugs - there's a whole lot more to it than that, including your mattress.  It has been estimated that 97% of Americans have significant levels of a toxic chemical group called PBDEs in their blood.  It can alter calcium signalling in your brain which affects learning and memory. It's found in 80% of 12 common household products.

My old mattress suddenly starts to look more appealing!  At least it's not made of polyurethane foam...  Go check out The Mattress That Plays Havoc With Your Hormones. Especially if you have kids, if you're pregnant or if your partner is pregnant or even if you care for an elderly person.

And give a thought to that plastic hot water jug.  Heat and plastic are not good together. How much hot water from that jug do you put into yourself every day?

Take Control - and have a great day!

Patricia