Saturday, September 7, 2013

Aspartame Hurts...

I found this article on my Facebook feed.  The author of the blog I am re-posting is, like me, not the author of the actual article, but has the same sort of passion as I do from first hand experience.  I wanted to share it here for all to read, as well.  Food is powerful...powerfully good and powerfully bad.

A Killer In Your Fridge ~ Sweet Poison…A MUST READ

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain.
By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so sick she just knew she was dying.
She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter’s name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of.
She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd.
On March 19, I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn’t find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS.
I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment.
I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda! I e-mailed her an article my friend, a lawyer, had sent. My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk! The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn’t feel 100% but, she sure felt a lot better.
She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home.
Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind. In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda.. and literally dying a slow and miserable death
When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her way to a complete recovery. And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life. If it says ‘SUGAR FREE’ on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!  I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on ‘ASPARTAME,’ marketed as ‘Nutra Sweet,’ ‘Equal,’ and ‘Spoonful. ‘In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant. I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.
I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus.
Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!
Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues it’s use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas.
In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. We’ve seen many cases where vision loss returned and hearing loss improved markedly.
This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia. During a lecture, I said, ‘If you are using ASPARTAME (Nutra Sweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs,
Cramps,
Vertigo,
Dizziness,
Headaches,
Tinnitus,
Joint pain,
Unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!’ People were jumping up during the lecture saying, ‘I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible?’
Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem. Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice; a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!
Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates.
It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!
These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve ’tissue specimens.’
Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body!
Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the ‘diet products’ and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period. Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame. The Aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control. Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance.
Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE.. Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage, Seizures, Depression, Manic depression, Panic attacks, Uncontrollable anger and rage. Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well. Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet.
So called ‘behavior modification prescription drugs’ (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place!  Most of these children were being ‘poisoned’ on a daily basis with the very foods that were ‘better for them than sugar. ‘It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome.
Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners.
There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.’
Herein lies the problem: There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included in 100 different products and strong objection was made concerning its use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets.
Sadly, MONSANTO’S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED! There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced. Everybody wants a ‘piece of the Aspartame pie. ‘I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is.
And isn’t it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians?
This has been recently exposed in the New York Times. These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and are required to endorse their products. Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially regarding pregnant women, children and infants.
The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioural symptoms.  The bill was killed. It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you’re informed now!
Note:  I have been studying health and nutrition for 35 years.  What I’ve learned in the past 3 years has been by far…the most valuable.  My husband was diagnosed with liver disease 3 years ago and that sent me on a very aggressive search for help.  I came across an article about Dr. Otto Warburg that said…he won the Nobel Prize in 1931 for proving that no disease including cancer, can survive in an alkaline body.  From there…a friend told me about a Japanese medical device that makes alkaline water.  She went on to tell me that since our body is 70% water, drinking alkaline ionized water is the easiest way to raise your pH.  It makes perfect sense…the health “puzzle” is made up of many pieces including water, diet, exercise, sleep, etc.  But since 3/4 of that puzzle is made up of one big piece…WATER, drinking enough of the “right” kind of water will have a HUGE impact on your health.  If you’d like to learn more, click on the link and request your FREE eBook on Healthy Water:   http://www.usakangenwater.net
(just sharing this info from another blog…i’m not the author)

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Amazing Results

I know it, I know it, I know it.  I KNOW that if I stick to eating lean protein and veggies ONLY...no sugar, flour, grains....I feel amazing.  As of May 1, the day of my latest failed scope, I have been on my "Live-it".  Within two days, I had no pain, no vomiting, no bloating or inflammation, no reflux, or indigestion.  I lost 15 pounds right off the bat.  It's truly amazing the healing that takes place in my body when I exclude the sugar, flour, grains.  The only hard part is sticking to it.  But I have to and I am.  Every time I do it, we discover new great recipes and it gets easier.

It seems like such a basic concept:  Eat the food that God meant for us to eat. Period.  Don't eat preservatives and all the over-processed sugary foods.  I found this on Pinterest and how very true it is...

It doesn't surprise me anymore when people tell me that once they made the decision to change their diet, that their ailments of every kind go away.  Migraines, diabetes symptoms, psoriasis, all the crazy symptoms! The saying that "You are what you eat" rings true!  If you eat crappy food then your body reacts crappily :)  {I don't think that is a word, but you get it, right?}

Another point of note for me.  I still take my Humira shots.  I hope to not have to forever.  Before the diet, I knew by Thursday or Friday before my shot {I take them on Saturday} that it was time to take it.  I started to have break thru symptoms, felt just a little off.  This round, I made it to Monday before I realized I hadn't taken it.  No symptoms.  I FIRMLY believe that is because I am following a good diet.

This is not to say I am perfect.  I acknowledge that I make mistakes in my eating intentionally and unintentionally.  The best advice I received from a nutritionist was to not beat yourself up over the fact that you failed in that moment.  Pick yourself up and hop right back on.  By succumbing to the guilt, you will typically gorge and continue to take yourself down a losing streak.  If you brush yourself off and focus on getting back on track, you will continue to heal, continue to see results, and continue to feel amazing.

Go for it!  Healthy and unhealthy alike.  Eat right to heal.  Eat right to stay healthy.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Chin Up Buttercup!

I have SO many things to be grateful for.  In regards to my health, I am not enduring the unbearable pain I had in October and November.  I am not visibly ill.  I am not malnourished. I am functioning. :)  Truly grateful to just be functioning as a mom, a wife, a friend, a business owner.  I have been able to increase my endurance considerably.  I am back on the tennis court, I am walking and "trotting", but dare I say running :)  God has truly blessed me and my family.  I know this.  And every time I visit one of my doctors, I am reminded of it.

I had an endoscopy today because I have been having some break thru symptoms again.  Some pain, sensitivity to food, etc.  At my last doctor's visit he confirmed that should definitely NOT be happening on the Humira and wanted to take a peek.  My doctor has not been able to see the bottom of my stomach for over a year, as each time we have gone in, my stomach has been full of food.  It hasn't been emptying properly.  Thus, why the GI's in Houston felt it necessary to remove all the food in my stomach thru a tube in my mouth.  While I forgive them, they tortured my throat to the extent that it is still sensitive to cold foods. {In hind site I wonder why, instead of pulling all my food out over 5 hours, didn't they wake me up and induce vomiting? Wouldn't that have been easier?}

My doctor, whom I love, walked in after I was all prepped for the scope and said in this thick accent to his nurse anesthetist, "This one.  She's a fighter!"  While I appreciate his encouragement, I found the moment get lost in space as I sat there and wished I didn't have to be a fighter.  I had visions of the Mayo Clinic doctor telling me I should be in a wheelchair and for a brief moment wondered what it looked like to stop fighting.  And for that brief moment, I exhaled at the thought. And very quickly I jumped back into my wonderful life with my amazing husband and adorable children that never stop loving me.  Who wouldn't fight for this?  It's hard to keep it all together at times, but isn't that the lesson we are here to learn?  To trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding.  In ALL our ways acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight.  He will take care of me.  He IS taking care of me.  After 15 years of doctors looking at me standing before them in disbelief at the severity of my illness, it has finally started to sink in that I really am a sick girl.  But I don't choose to be a sickly girl.

While I was lost in my thoughts, the nurse announced that she was going to relax me and the fabulous juice came and I flittered off into a good place.  I LOVE that juice!  What seemed to be a minute later, I woke up in my recovery room with a new nurse telling me the scope was aborted and my stomach was full of food.  They didn't want to risk aspiration.  I was still loopy and hoped I was just in a dream....but I wasn't.  They hadn't called Babe back yet and I was quickly becoming more coherent and I cried.  Babe came in and I cried more because he started to get tearful.  By the time my doctor came in, I was dried up and asked him, "What is wrong with me??"  He knelt down and said, that he honestly didn't know.  He can't see the exit to my stomach, it is obviously narrowed, it is obviously still working, but very very slowly.  I am on the best meds.  Surgery is my only option, but he, gratefully, doesn't want to encourage surgery, as there could be SO many other complications with surgery.  We have no plan aside from continuing on my current meds.  I was VERY sick six months ago and because I was SO sick it is possible that I could continue to see improvement with continued use of the Humira.  He ultimately confirmed my fear in that the narrowing in my stomach is, once again, a stricture or callous of sorts.  It can't be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs.  It can't be treated unless I have a complicated surgery...that I am not going to have any time soon.

He said that since I am not vomiting {i have a couple times, but nothing consistent} and I am feeling well, that we just proceed with treating me clinically.  ie..If I feel good, great.  He doesn't want to continue to do scopes and fail.  So...I have been instructed to chew well, eat healthy, and not eat things that can cause blockage.

Gratefully, Babe stepped in to make me dinner.  I was doing fine this afternoon until I started to get really hungry and then I got frustrated and then sad.  I really don't know what to think.  But I do know that God is good.  ALL the time.  And I have been given ample opportunities to just trust and be still and know the HE is God.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

I am Not Perfect!

...but who is?

It has been approximately 4 1/2 months that I have been taking my Humira shots.  I think I mentioned earlier that they wanted to put me on 2 forms of treatment:  a pill and the shots.  The pill is supposed to be used supplementally, but I, of course, wanted to see how the shots worked alone.  First and foremost, I didn't want to take more medicine than I needed.  The pills further suppress my immune system and place further risk of side effects.  I also loved the idea of not needing to take a pill every day.  If I could count the numbers of pills I have ingested since I first started having problems...ugh.  I am so over pills!  I already have to take daily thyroid pills and B-12 shots...I just wanted something to be easy.

I feel amazing.  I feel amazing because I can eat without vomiting. I can eat without excruciating pain.    To be able to go to dinner with friends or go to a party and be able to have a bite of what they are serving, all of that will never be taken for granted again.  Of course, I have put on some pounds because I can eat again.  However, for the first time in my life, I need to lose weight and I don't care.  I am just thrilled to be alive without chronic pain.  I have had many issues with my Crohn's, including 2 very painful recoveries after 2 reconstructive surgeries of my stomach.  I cried buckets imagining another surgery like those.  To put the pain in perspective, those surgeries didn't come close to the pain I felt in October and November.  Either I let it go too long, I have been sick too many years....I don't know what, but while I was in bed {and there were lots of hours in bed} I dreamed of a Heavenly body.  The pain was never ceasing, as the pain meds, no matter how much they increased my dose, never covered my pain.  That kind of pain affects you...and your sanity!

So...compared to all that, I am golden!

To those who have Crohn's or GI issues...I am not, by any means, 100%.  For some people it is corn products, or wheat products, for me it is sugar.  I still get bloated if I eat a bowl of ice cream, or drink any kind of drink with sugar in it {lemonade, to Gatorade to Cokes...all of them}.  I still have reflux.  This worries me just a little, as I fear that there are more permanent strictures that remain that can only be removed with surgery.   However, surgery is even more of last resort now that I am on an immunosuppressant.  I still have heartburn....ooh, heartburn.  For some, they might be making an appointment with the GI for these things, but for me, I have a different perspective.  My only conservative option at this point would be to start taking that immunosuppressant pill and I just don't want to if I can manage without it.

What I DO know and when I decide to put my big girl panties on to do it, is that eating clean is life changing even without medication.  I can't imagine how I will feel while medicated.  I want to enjoy the freedom to eat food just a little longer before I start restricting myself again.

My energy and endurance has returned much slower than I thought.  However, being in bed for 2 months does take its toll.  I have been biking the boys to school 2 1/2 days a week since November and just last week started to run a mile every day. WOWSA! I already feel better.  Being so sedentary for so long is draining on your body and your spirit.  Dare I say it here that anyone may hold me accountable, but in October, I would like to run the Ten for Texas, which is 10 miles.  A month later is a half marathon close by that I would LOVE to run if I can make the 10...whats 3 more?

My running friends are starting to train in August for the Ten for Texas.  So, my goal is to be running 5 miles with ease by August.  Then, I could certainly tack on five more over 2 months at that point?  Woohoo!  Here's to a BIG goal!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Good, The Bad, and The GREAT!

Oh my!  I am delinquent in posting.  I was very discouraged after Thanksgiving.  In hind site, I just pushed it too hard too early.  We had family here and I was feeling "better" so I worked too hard, got too tired, ate too much and I paid the price.  When I started hurting again after Thanksgiving, I was really sad.  It was a rough week of recuperating and trying to stay positive.

The Good...
However, I took my next round of Humira on December 8th after Thanksgiving.  I remember that I was so grateful it was a Saturday and Babe was home, as it wiped me out.  I probably took a 4 hour nap that day.  I fully believe that was a "healing" nap.  I woke up cautiously optimistic at how I felt.  The next morning I had a skip in my step and each day got better and better.  I can safely say that since then, to date, I have not had ONE day of pain.  For this girl, that is a HUGE miracle.  Each day I had been improving, but it was more of a "I feel less pain" than "I feel great!"  Now....I feel great!  I think that shot was the turning point.

My family came down for Christmas and I was cautious about overdoing it and made a good effort to pace myself.  We had a wonderful time, had wonderful food and I never suffered a bit.  Again...still cautiously optimistic.  I was so afraid that I would have to start taking an additional drug WITH the Humira that the GI initially wanted me to take as well.  I asked him if we could start with JUST the Humira and if it didn't work, we could add it.  I just didn't want to take more meds than need be and that med added further risk to my health.

SO, it is safe to say I began 2013 feeling healthy!  Woohoo!  Sad to say, that Babe and I just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary yesterday and as we thought about past anniversaries, I was sick for at least the last four.  When your illness is defined by eating, going out to a special dinner isn't exactly enjoyable.

The Bad....
I saw my hematologist last week. I thought I was just there to check-in, however, he told me that my stored iron (Feratin) was dangerously low again. UGH! I was feeling so good. I certainly wasn't prepared for that.  However, in hind site, I did have signs that I overlooked.  I wasn't sleeping well for a while, my bones hurt (I can't believe I didn't put that together), my joints hurt, my skin was really dry.  TYPICALLY, I start to crunch ice...true symptom!  When he asked, I said, "No" and he asked if I was craving salty foods.  BINGO!  I had just said to his nurse (when I saw the scale) that I needed to cut back on the salty foods.  I am not typically a salty food eater and I had been over New Years.  Isn't the body amazing?

So, this meant I had to go in to get 2 iron transfusions this week.  The nurses are so nice, it's not usually a bad experience, but I will admit that the IV's are starting to hurt more and more.  My veins aren't good anymore, they are scarred and often invisible.  I try really hard to drink lots of water the day before and on my way to plump them up, but "skinny" is used to describe my veins and NOT my body :)  It hurts and they have to try multiple times.  Yes, it's minor.  But I am starting to get anxiety before they poke me knowing they will poke multiple times and end up in my hand...which I hate! :(

He does believe that the low stored iron is not a reflection of my current health, but due to the resections of my small intestine and stomach years ago.  Apparently, the portions that were removed were most responsible for absorption of iron and it takes 10-15 years for your body to exhaust all its storage and end up where I am.  I fully believe that and know that he knows what he is talking about.  However, it has been almost a year since I last had iron (I think).  I have to believe that since I was so sick and so inflamed that nothing was being absorbed. I am hopeful that as the inflammation improves, so will my iron absorption...wherever it can be absorbed.

The Great...
This is be BEST news!  The day after I saw the hematologist, I saw my GI doctor.  After our experience with the GI doctor in Houston and the total lack of anything personal, I wanted to jump into Dr. Dural's arms.  This was the first time I saw him since he sent me to Houston for surgery.  He is so nice and has a very thick accent.  If I were to guess, I would say it was of the Russian/Czech kind.  He sat down in the chair and looked at his little laptop and said in his thick accent, "Thes drug is verking MIRACLES on your body!"  I knew I was feeling better, but his blood test was one I was anxious to hear the results.  He said that the CRP determined if there was any inflammation in my body.  Typically that number is off the charts for me and it was a ZERO.  A ZERO!  He said I had NO inflammation in my body.  Definitely a miracle.  I almost jumped into his arms {almost} but I definitely had tears in my eyes.  Tears of joy.  I am kicking this thing!

I am kicking this thing in the butt, but not on my own.  My friends don't know it, but every time I see one of them that has prayed for me or sent me a note or a text, it still encourages me.  I remember how they lifted me up and encouraged me when times were bleak and how they STILL encourage me and tell me they are praying for me.  I still have the texts on my phone that I received when I was in the hospital.  I still have the cards.  There's no way to express how much every little gesture meant to me and how much even the smallest gesture carried me thru it all.  I am one lucky girl. Lucky to have such amazing friends and family, lucky to be improving so much, lucky to be able to eat with my family.  Just plain lucky! :)

God is good.  All the time.  Here's to 2013...a HEALTHY 2013!