Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Turn, Turn, Turn...
For me, my Journey to Wellness is about to take another turn...
Today, May 12, 2020, I received a call from my ID doctor re: my blood count from Thursday's (05/07) recent test shows that my white blood cell count is dropping. Being that this is the potential issue from the Linezolid that I am taking, I am being switched (again) to a different antibiotic. Tomorrow, I get to go to New Haven for a 3+ hour infusion with a vancomycin-related drug - Oritavancin.
The overall plan is to do this IV tomorrow and Wednesday of next week. Of course, the weekly blood tests on Thursday will continue to happen in order to monitor the future progress of my WBC.
After we (I) am done with the IV next week AND the results from the following blood test, I'll be going back on the Linezolid for another week to finish off the 6-week antibiotic plan...
As it stands, we'll see how things go with this turn...
Friday, October 13, 2017
Oh My! So Good!
...and crazy simple! Last month, the family went to the Eastern States Exposition - better known as The Big E. The weather was fantastic, it was great family time, and it planted a seed (pun intended) for the new path on My Journey to Wellness.
The seed that was planted was my discovery of the booth of Hempfully Green Healing House on the Vermont property of The Big E. While hemp is closely related to marijuana - like cauliflower is to broccoli - hemp lacks the quantity of the psychotropic compound "THC" that marijuana has but still has the compound "CBD" that provides the primary benefits of hemp! It's kind of like comparing kombucha to vodka - both have alcohol, but you won't get drunk from kombucha.
The next step on the path was to find a good source of hemp seeds/products to add to my diet. This was a big step! My focus was to find viable hemp seeds that I could sprout to gain the additional benefits. While there are organic sources, everything that I could find was hulled and can't be sprouted. I did find a potential source for viable seeds, the cost was too high - 2 oz. for $20! If my interest was to plant and grow hemp, that might not be so bad. That's not my goal, though. I simply want to gain the additional benefits of the sprouted seeds and there is no way that I can afford a daily 'snack' for $20 each! So, until I can find a good source of viable, sprout-able hemp seeds, I'll go with the organic, shelled seeds.
Call it faith or fate... my next step came from Ocean State Job Lot. Last week, they had a 40th anniversary sale - everything priced less than $10 was on sale for 40% off - so, we went shopping! Ocean State Job Lot has an amazing selection of Bob's Red Mill products - most of which qualified for the sale. I picked up the Hulled Hemp Seed Hearts and the Hemp Protein Powder.
Last night, it took another step on the path - and, the source of the title of this post... Certainly not a great recipe but it was so good! I made a simple mix of the seeds, protein powder and ...drum roll, please... peanut butter!
Today, while composing this post, I took a relatively short step on the path. I made the same mix that I did last night but added a tablespoon of coconut oil. I'm thinking that I am going to cut out the peanut butter from the mix...
Call it faith or fate... my next step came from Ocean State Job Lot. Last week, they had a 40th anniversary sale - everything priced less than $10 was on sale for 40% off - so, we went shopping! Ocean State Job Lot has an amazing selection of Bob's Red Mill products - most of which qualified for the sale. I picked up the Hulled Hemp Seed Hearts and the Hemp Protein Powder.
Last night, it took another step on the path - and, the source of the title of this post... Certainly not a great recipe but it was so good! I made a simple mix of the seeds, protein powder and ...drum roll, please... peanut butter!
Today, while composing this post, I took a relatively short step on the path. I made the same mix that I did last night but added a tablespoon of coconut oil. I'm thinking that I am going to cut out the peanut butter from the mix...
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Isn't It Ironic...
I could go on forever quoting songs in this post, but I won't - well, maybe not too much.
Ironic, why? (Song 1, Ironic - Alanis Morissette) Well...a little over a week ago - on May 18th, to be exact - I suffered a stroke (song 2, The Stroke - Billy Squire). After so much effort to achieve wellness, I can still suffer from a setback such as a stroke. You know what, though? 'Suffer' isn't exactly the right word. 'Experienced' is more appropriate, I think.
For the last few months - well, since January - I have been working for a radio station (actually working, not just interning). I started with one shift per week but had added a second and, recently, a third shift. I am a board operator for WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio. While the station is largely automated - playing classical music 24/7 via Beethoven.com - it hosts the satellite broadcast of Imus in the Morning, M-F from 6-10 am, over the air. It is my job to receive the satellite signal and make sure that it goes out over the 1290 AM broadcast channel. As well, I have to report the news, weather, and traffic for the Greater Hartford area throughout the 4 hour broadcast.
On the 18th, I did my normal radio shift and then went to help a friend with an A/V (audio/visual) job. I got home around 2 pm and immediately set myself to a video editing project that I had been working on. It wasn't long before I started feeling odd sensations. Well, largely because I don't fully recall all of the details and because the details don't really matter, I'll just say that what I was experiencing was a stroke. My wife enlisted our neighbor's help in getting me to the hospital and the last thing I remember from that day is my wife getting out of the car and rushing into the hospital. After that, while I didn't lose consciousness, I lost all coherence. The next thing I know, I was waking up in a hospital room on Saturday morning - though I didn't even know that it was Saturday at the time - with my parents, wife, and daughters smiling at me.
As mentioned, what I experienced was a stroke. The cause is yet unknown. One thing that I do know is that my recovery has been remarkable! The fact that I am even able to write this post should give some indication to my healing.
I was released from the hospital on the Tuesday following the stroke with almost all function and faculties with me. I still have some therapy scheduled over the next few weeks but, after only my second session, the therapist doesn't think that I will have to go for the full 12 sessions that were scheduled.
I largely contribute my fast recovery to my continued use of VIDACELL.
Ironic, why? (Song 1, Ironic - Alanis Morissette) Well...a little over a week ago - on May 18th, to be exact - I suffered a stroke (song 2, The Stroke - Billy Squire). After so much effort to achieve wellness, I can still suffer from a setback such as a stroke. You know what, though? 'Suffer' isn't exactly the right word. 'Experienced' is more appropriate, I think.
For the last few months - well, since January - I have been working for a radio station (actually working, not just interning). I started with one shift per week but had added a second and, recently, a third shift. I am a board operator for WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio. While the station is largely automated - playing classical music 24/7 via Beethoven.com - it hosts the satellite broadcast of Imus in the Morning, M-F from 6-10 am, over the air. It is my job to receive the satellite signal and make sure that it goes out over the 1290 AM broadcast channel. As well, I have to report the news, weather, and traffic for the Greater Hartford area throughout the 4 hour broadcast.
On the 18th, I did my normal radio shift and then went to help a friend with an A/V (audio/visual) job. I got home around 2 pm and immediately set myself to a video editing project that I had been working on. It wasn't long before I started feeling odd sensations. Well, largely because I don't fully recall all of the details and because the details don't really matter, I'll just say that what I was experiencing was a stroke. My wife enlisted our neighbor's help in getting me to the hospital and the last thing I remember from that day is my wife getting out of the car and rushing into the hospital. After that, while I didn't lose consciousness, I lost all coherence. The next thing I know, I was waking up in a hospital room on Saturday morning - though I didn't even know that it was Saturday at the time - with my parents, wife, and daughters smiling at me.
As mentioned, what I experienced was a stroke. The cause is yet unknown. One thing that I do know is that my recovery has been remarkable! The fact that I am even able to write this post should give some indication to my healing.
I was released from the hospital on the Tuesday following the stroke with almost all function and faculties with me. I still have some therapy scheduled over the next few weeks but, after only my second session, the therapist doesn't think that I will have to go for the full 12 sessions that were scheduled.
I largely contribute my fast recovery to my continued use of VIDACELL.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Breathe...Breathe in the Air.
Breathe
is one of my favorite songs from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
album. It is a fitting title to this entry because I am going to talk about...well...breathing.
One thing that Jordan Rubin recommends in The Maker's Diet
and also in his co-written book, Restoring Your Digestive Health
(w/ Joseph Brasco), is to take some time every day and do some deep breathing. This simply means to A.) breathe properly and deeply and B.) Well...there is no B - just do A.
For more information about deep breathing, I recommend that you visit Authentic Breathing's website.
All of the above listed benefits are easily achieved for free. Let's face it, everyone that is alive breathes. Taking just 5-10 minutes out of your day - heck, taking 5-10 minutes a couple of times per day - is not all that difficult. It doesn't take any special equipment, gym membership, or personal trainer - though you may want to consult a source about deep breathing technique. Wait a minute, I'll even provide that for free!
Deep Breathing Technique
To breathe properly, don't suck in your gut! Thanks to the protective rib cage, there simply isn't enough room for your lungs to expand to full capacity without letting your abdomen expand. With proper deep breathing, the diaphragm will push down into the abdomen thus pushing out your stomach. Simply filling your lungs without allowing your gut to expand will not achieve deep breathing.
So, to begin with deep breathing your best bet is to find a comfortable position - I find that lying down or sitting in a recliner with my feet up works the best for me. Relax your abdominal muscles and allow your stomach to rise and fall with each breath. Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale fully through your nose for 4-6 seconds and exhale quickly through your mouth while contracting your abdominal muscles. There is no need to forcibly contract, just give a little push. By focusing on counting the seconds while you inhale, you will clear your mind of other thoughts and enter a state similar to meditation. What you do with this state is entirely up to you - no government influence here.
Personally, following my deep breathing 'exercise,' I find it even more beneficial to pray, read, and/or study. I am undecided, though, if it is better to eat a meal prior to or after deep breathing. One school of thought would be that you are priming your digestive system to receive food. The other school of thought would be that, by deep breathing after eating, you are assisting directly in digestion. It seems to me that the former is better than the latter as it can be really difficult to breathe deeply depending on the size of the meal that you just consumed.
My morning routine now looks like this:
On the subject of breathing...
One of my favorite action movies of the 80's is Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins
. This movie stars Fred Ward, Joel Grey, and Wilford Brimley (was there an 80's movie that Wilford Brimley wasn't in?). Contrary to its title, this also marked the cinematic end of Remo's adventure. At any rate, Joel Grey plays an ancient Korean man (his age is never truly revealed) who takes Remo as a student in the art of Sinanju - an even more ancient (yet fictional) Korean Martial Art. His first lesson to Remo is simply 'breathe.'
And Finally...
Falling into the 'breath of fresh air' category, there is a new publishing company that is focusing on helping the writer get published. Rather than overlooking works with wonderful potential just because the author is unknown, G8Press (not G-8 as in the summit, but G8 as in gate) will welcome them. Check out The Gate Webzine for more information!
is one of my favorite songs from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album. It is a fitting title to this entry because I am going to talk about...well...breathing.One thing that Jordan Rubin recommends in The Maker's Diet
and also in his co-written book, Restoring Your Digestive Health (w/ Joseph Brasco), is to take some time every day and do some deep breathing. This simply means to A.) breathe properly and deeply and B.) Well...there is no B - just do A."Proper breathing relieves stress and lowers the blood pressure. It delivers life-giving oxygen to the seven trillion cells in the body. Through a chemical process called oxidation, it permits the body to eliminate toxins and to convert nutrients to energy". - Page 109, Restoring Your Digestive HealthThat statement alone is reason enough for me to follow at least the recommended 5-10 minutes per day of deep breathing. However, the benefits don't stop there! Deep breathing or 'Gut breathing' when done properly will also stimulate the body process called peristalsis, help strengthen weak abdominal (core) muscles, and help focus the mind - similar to meditation.
For more information about deep breathing, I recommend that you visit Authentic Breathing's website.
All of the above listed benefits are easily achieved for free. Let's face it, everyone that is alive breathes. Taking just 5-10 minutes out of your day - heck, taking 5-10 minutes a couple of times per day - is not all that difficult. It doesn't take any special equipment, gym membership, or personal trainer - though you may want to consult a source about deep breathing technique. Wait a minute, I'll even provide that for free!
Deep Breathing Technique
To breathe properly, don't suck in your gut! Thanks to the protective rib cage, there simply isn't enough room for your lungs to expand to full capacity without letting your abdomen expand. With proper deep breathing, the diaphragm will push down into the abdomen thus pushing out your stomach. Simply filling your lungs without allowing your gut to expand will not achieve deep breathing.
So, to begin with deep breathing your best bet is to find a comfortable position - I find that lying down or sitting in a recliner with my feet up works the best for me. Relax your abdominal muscles and allow your stomach to rise and fall with each breath. Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale fully through your nose for 4-6 seconds and exhale quickly through your mouth while contracting your abdominal muscles. There is no need to forcibly contract, just give a little push. By focusing on counting the seconds while you inhale, you will clear your mind of other thoughts and enter a state similar to meditation. What you do with this state is entirely up to you - no government influence here.
Personally, following my deep breathing 'exercise,' I find it even more beneficial to pray, read, and/or study. I am undecided, though, if it is better to eat a meal prior to or after deep breathing. One school of thought would be that you are priming your digestive system to receive food. The other school of thought would be that, by deep breathing after eating, you are assisting directly in digestion. It seems to me that the former is better than the latter as it can be really difficult to breathe deeply depending on the size of the meal that you just consumed.
My morning routine now looks like this:
- Wake up
- Walk the dog - sometimes longer than just letting her 'do her business'
- Prepare my VidaCell with raw honey and cinnamon
- Feed the dog
- Drink my VidaCell
- Deep Breathing
- Quiet time or devotional
- Breakfast (unless I am fasting)
On the subject of breathing...
One of my favorite action movies of the 80's is Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins
. This movie stars Fred Ward, Joel Grey, and Wilford Brimley (was there an 80's movie that Wilford Brimley wasn't in?). Contrary to its title, this also marked the cinematic end of Remo's adventure. At any rate, Joel Grey plays an ancient Korean man (his age is never truly revealed) who takes Remo as a student in the art of Sinanju - an even more ancient (yet fictional) Korean Martial Art. His first lesson to Remo is simply 'breathe.'And Finally...
Falling into the 'breath of fresh air' category, there is a new publishing company that is focusing on helping the writer get published. Rather than overlooking works with wonderful potential just because the author is unknown, G8Press (not G-8 as in the summit, but G8 as in gate) will welcome them. Check out The Gate Webzine for more information!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
It was a good day...
Today was expected to be a busy one and that proved to be true. The morning found us at the library for a couple of hours. We make a regular, weekly trip to the library - though I don't always go - but today's trip was a little different. Rae is teaching an acting class for homeschoolers. The class is normally taught at the Green Street Arts Center, but due to school vacation this week the center is closed. In order to not lose momentum, she scheduled a special class today at the library.
While there I was able to borrow (for a second time) book 12 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, The Gathering Storm
. I had borrowed it previously but had very little time to actually read it and only got through the third chapter before having to return it. Of course, one reason why I had little chance to read The Gathering Storm was because I had borrowed Nourishing Traditions
at the same time. Now that the most of the reading of Nourishing Traditions is done and I am only using it for reference, I can spend more time reading for fun. Hopefully I will be able to finish reading The Gathering Storm before I need to return it this time.
After the library, we enjoyed lunch with several of our friends and fellow homeschoolers. While this meant cheating on The Maker's Diet
for a meal, I tried to minimize it. I drank water and had a salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. While I did have some pizza, I ate a lot less than I would normally have done. We hadn't planned on having lunch out but it was time well spent with friends.
Next, we headed down to Durham to visit Deerfield Farm so that I could pick up some more milk. Knowing that we would be out today, I had called yesterday to reserve a couple of gallons. I didn't want to take the chance that we would get there only to find that they had sold out of milk. My precaution turned out to be unnecessary this time as there was plenty of milk available. As a result, I picked up an extra quart.
Upon arriving home, I promptly poured all but 4 oz. of the extra quart into a wide-mouth container in another attempt at cheese-making. This time, I added a tablespoon of yogurt to the milk hoping that the yogurt cultures might aid in the process. I still need to find a better filter, but I have at least 4 days to find something to use. I may not bother with the expense for this trial, anyway. If it is successful, then I will likely buy something to use for future attempts.
Finally, tonight I enjoyed the results of my previous cheese-making attempt. I toasted a slice of the Genesis 1:29 bread and spread on some of the cream cheese I had made. I still think it tasted more like sour cream than cream cheese, but it is still good. In fact, I am looking forward to the next time I have a baked potato and top it with the cheese.
While there I was able to borrow (for a second time) book 12 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, The Gathering Storm
. I had borrowed it previously but had very little time to actually read it and only got through the third chapter before having to return it. Of course, one reason why I had little chance to read The Gathering Storm was because I had borrowed Nourishing Traditions at the same time. Now that the most of the reading of Nourishing Traditions is done and I am only using it for reference, I can spend more time reading for fun. Hopefully I will be able to finish reading The Gathering Storm before I need to return it this time.After the library, we enjoyed lunch with several of our friends and fellow homeschoolers. While this meant cheating on The Maker's Diet
for a meal, I tried to minimize it. I drank water and had a salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. While I did have some pizza, I ate a lot less than I would normally have done. We hadn't planned on having lunch out but it was time well spent with friends.Next, we headed down to Durham to visit Deerfield Farm so that I could pick up some more milk. Knowing that we would be out today, I had called yesterday to reserve a couple of gallons. I didn't want to take the chance that we would get there only to find that they had sold out of milk. My precaution turned out to be unnecessary this time as there was plenty of milk available. As a result, I picked up an extra quart.
Upon arriving home, I promptly poured all but 4 oz. of the extra quart into a wide-mouth container in another attempt at cheese-making. This time, I added a tablespoon of yogurt to the milk hoping that the yogurt cultures might aid in the process. I still need to find a better filter, but I have at least 4 days to find something to use. I may not bother with the expense for this trial, anyway. If it is successful, then I will likely buy something to use for future attempts.
Finally, tonight I enjoyed the results of my previous cheese-making attempt. I toasted a slice of the Genesis 1:29 bread and spread on some of the cream cheese I had made. I still think it tasted more like sour cream than cream cheese, but it is still good. In fact, I am looking forward to the next time I have a baked potato and top it with the cheese.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year...
So, a new year has begun. While I am not prone to making New Year Resolutions, I felt that this year I might do that very thing. Though I would have made this particular resolution on any other day of the year, the timing was just right to do so for New Year's Day.
This year, I am resolved to work harder to being symptom-free. As such, I plan to do a couple of new things to help me to achieve that goal.
As you probably know by now, I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. However, I am not 100% sold on this diagnosis. As such, I feel that there are things that I can do to not only reduce my symptoms, but to possible even heal myself completely!
For over a year now, I have been using a product called VIDACELL to aid in recovery. I have no doubt in my mind that I am better off today as a result. My symptoms, though not gone, have been less severe than they were previous to my using VIDACELL. While the battle seems to be going in my favor, it seems that it will not be won in the near future without adding a few more weapons to my arsenal.
One of the things that I have resolved to do is to learn the art of T'ai Chi. Several years ago, I purchased a DVD to learn T'ai Chi at home. While I tried it out a couple of times, I just did not have the time or the motivation to stick to it very long. Knowing that I would someday regret getting rid of the DVD, I hung on to it. Well, it seems that the time has come for me to dust it off and give it another shot. Because T'ai Chi is used to bringing the mind, body, and spirit together to gain balance, prevent injury, and promote good health, I felt that it might help me out. MS or not, whatever is causing my symptoms is definitely neurologically based. From my experience as a personal trainer, I know that the brain-muscle connection is improved through repetitive motion. I know - I KNOW - that exercise is essential to my recovery. Due to my symptoms, beneficial, effective exercise is not always the easiest thing for me to achieve. I know that this can also be an excuse for me to not even try. Last year, I joined the YMCA to use the pool and gym equipment. While it worked out well for me when I was able to get there, getting there was not always possible. I am dependent on having my wife drive me there as I cannot drive myself. I had it worked out so that I could go to the YMCA once a week during the time that the rest of my family took their weekly trip to the library. Well, circumstances change - as they are prone to do - and the weekly library trip is now part of a day long educational event (we homeschool our children), thus making it next to impossible for me to continue with that plan. As a result, I have not been to the YMCA in over 5 months, now. One option is for me to find an alternative at home. Well, it seemed about time to dust off the DVD and do my best to learn the basics (this particular DVD covers the first 30 positions) of T'ai Chi. In the brief attempt I had made previously, I know that T'ai Chi is fully capable of filling my exercise needs. However, I fully intend to supplement my T'ai Chi sessions with other exercise options.
Last year, we purchased Wii Fit
for the family. We weren't really sure how much of a benefit we would get out of using it, but I figured that it would at least provide me with a higher level of activity as well as something to do as a family. As you would expect, motivation waxed and waned over the year. Well, it is my plan to utilize this tool more regularly and even expand my options by picking up the new addition, Wii Fit Plus
.
For the third arm of my exercise program, I plan to use the heavy bag
that I purchased during the height of my physical fitness craze several years ago.
Earlier, I mentioned that the time for this resolution just seemed right. Well, when I posted my intent to "to learn T'ai Chi and work towards being symptom-free in the coming year" as my status on Facebook, a good friend of mine responded. He provided me with a link to a website about nutrition. When I went to the site, I was immediately in conflict. Some of the things mentioned just flew in the face of all of the currently held beliefs about nutrition. Now, one thing that you have to understand about me is that I have an open mind. I am willing to take a look at opposing views and hear the supporting arguments. If there is merit, then I am willing to consider the options. Rather than state the point of view and their supporting data, I will simply direct you to the website and let you come to your own conclusions. Mind you, I still need to do a lot more research, but I have known for some time that changes need to be made in my nutrition. Prior to even looking at this website, I knew that I wanted to take steps to move away from processed foods and toward natural foods. While the site talks about things that I may or may not agree with, they do have some things that I very much agree with. To establish your own opinion, I recommend visiting the site by clicking HERE.
As a result of another suggestion by my friend as well as supporting reviews on the above site, I ordered a copy of The Maker's Diet
. As I have not yet taken delivery on the book, I cannot offer my own opinion of it. When Josh mentioned it to me, the name rang a bell. It turns out that it was a book that I had at least passing familiarity with. It had been sold, along with another book by the same author, Patient Heal Thyself
, at one of my former employers. Of course, at that time I didn't have any reason to review either book for my own purposes. The author of these books went on a nutrition program with which he was able to cure himself of Crohn's Disease.
Well, I hope to receive my copy of the book in the next day or so (tracking shows that the shipment is currently at my local Post Office!), read it, and get started soon on my new nutrition plan. I am obviously not yet sure if I will adopt the one detailed in the book or some other plan, but I do intend to provide regular updates here.
For now, I am off to another T'ai Chi DVD session in my living room!
This year, I am resolved to work harder to being symptom-free. As such, I plan to do a couple of new things to help me to achieve that goal.
As you probably know by now, I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. However, I am not 100% sold on this diagnosis. As such, I feel that there are things that I can do to not only reduce my symptoms, but to possible even heal myself completely!
For over a year now, I have been using a product called VIDACELL to aid in recovery. I have no doubt in my mind that I am better off today as a result. My symptoms, though not gone, have been less severe than they were previous to my using VIDACELL. While the battle seems to be going in my favor, it seems that it will not be won in the near future without adding a few more weapons to my arsenal.
One of the things that I have resolved to do is to learn the art of T'ai Chi. Several years ago, I purchased a DVD to learn T'ai Chi at home. While I tried it out a couple of times, I just did not have the time or the motivation to stick to it very long. Knowing that I would someday regret getting rid of the DVD, I hung on to it. Well, it seems that the time has come for me to dust it off and give it another shot. Because T'ai Chi is used to bringing the mind, body, and spirit together to gain balance, prevent injury, and promote good health, I felt that it might help me out. MS or not, whatever is causing my symptoms is definitely neurologically based. From my experience as a personal trainer, I know that the brain-muscle connection is improved through repetitive motion. I know - I KNOW - that exercise is essential to my recovery. Due to my symptoms, beneficial, effective exercise is not always the easiest thing for me to achieve. I know that this can also be an excuse for me to not even try. Last year, I joined the YMCA to use the pool and gym equipment. While it worked out well for me when I was able to get there, getting there was not always possible. I am dependent on having my wife drive me there as I cannot drive myself. I had it worked out so that I could go to the YMCA once a week during the time that the rest of my family took their weekly trip to the library. Well, circumstances change - as they are prone to do - and the weekly library trip is now part of a day long educational event (we homeschool our children), thus making it next to impossible for me to continue with that plan. As a result, I have not been to the YMCA in over 5 months, now. One option is for me to find an alternative at home. Well, it seemed about time to dust off the DVD and do my best to learn the basics (this particular DVD covers the first 30 positions) of T'ai Chi. In the brief attempt I had made previously, I know that T'ai Chi is fully capable of filling my exercise needs. However, I fully intend to supplement my T'ai Chi sessions with other exercise options.
Last year, we purchased Wii Fit
for the family. We weren't really sure how much of a benefit we would get out of using it, but I figured that it would at least provide me with a higher level of activity as well as something to do as a family. As you would expect, motivation waxed and waned over the year. Well, it is my plan to utilize this tool more regularly and even expand my options by picking up the new addition, Wii Fit Plus.For the third arm of my exercise program, I plan to use the heavy bag
that I purchased during the height of my physical fitness craze several years ago.Earlier, I mentioned that the time for this resolution just seemed right. Well, when I posted my intent to "to learn T'ai Chi and work towards being symptom-free in the coming year" as my status on Facebook, a good friend of mine responded. He provided me with a link to a website about nutrition. When I went to the site, I was immediately in conflict. Some of the things mentioned just flew in the face of all of the currently held beliefs about nutrition. Now, one thing that you have to understand about me is that I have an open mind. I am willing to take a look at opposing views and hear the supporting arguments. If there is merit, then I am willing to consider the options. Rather than state the point of view and their supporting data, I will simply direct you to the website and let you come to your own conclusions. Mind you, I still need to do a lot more research, but I have known for some time that changes need to be made in my nutrition. Prior to even looking at this website, I knew that I wanted to take steps to move away from processed foods and toward natural foods. While the site talks about things that I may or may not agree with, they do have some things that I very much agree with. To establish your own opinion, I recommend visiting the site by clicking HERE.
As a result of another suggestion by my friend as well as supporting reviews on the above site, I ordered a copy of The Maker's Diet
. As I have not yet taken delivery on the book, I cannot offer my own opinion of it. When Josh mentioned it to me, the name rang a bell. It turns out that it was a book that I had at least passing familiarity with. It had been sold, along with another book by the same author, Patient Heal Thyself, at one of my former employers. Of course, at that time I didn't have any reason to review either book for my own purposes. The author of these books went on a nutrition program with which he was able to cure himself of Crohn's Disease.Well, I hope to receive my copy of the book in the next day or so (tracking shows that the shipment is currently at my local Post Office!), read it, and get started soon on my new nutrition plan. I am obviously not yet sure if I will adopt the one detailed in the book or some other plan, but I do intend to provide regular updates here.
For now, I am off to another T'ai Chi DVD session in my living room!
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