Killing the Zombie?

 A zombie? Really? Where?

Do you ever feel that way?  You know, totally out of it, without being down-and-out sick.  Tired;
deeply tired.  Brain-fog.  No energy, or completely depleting all of your energy reserves in an hour
or two.  Taking a nap, sometimes two in the middle of the day -- just because normal tasks need to
be broken into segments in order to complete them.  Blood pressure? Well, that becomes a roller
coaster; rolling from really, really UP there, to DOWN to an elevated normal and then back again.

I just couldn't figure it out.   I felt like a zombie. All the time.

I remember experiencing shortness of breath for no reason.  I had difficulty sleeping.  There would
be at least one night a week when I wasn't able to sleep at all.  I remember feeling unexplained
aches and pains, that would move like phantoms from one part of my body to another.

Then there were the headaches. Usually starting on the left side of my head, with pangs at my temple. Tension would extend from my neck, into my shoulders and back; lasting anywhere from
12-24 hours.  Many times, I would put an ice pack on my neck or head, drink a couple of caffeinated
beverages, gobble down a few Excedrin Migraine, and try to keep going. Now, eight years later,
I wonder.  Since it was the left side of my body which eventually froze in the middle of the night, I
wonder why I didn't stop in my daily busy-ness to think about how I was feeling physically.  Or even,
how the symptoms were lining up to indicate something serious.

I just kept working. I kept pushing myself.  Looking back, I can see many indicators that I missed;
indicators that could have helped me to recognize what was happening inside my body.

At one point, I was experiencing such hoarseness that I sought out a specialist in eye, ear, nose and throat. The doctor found no nodules on my vocal chords. However he did find another symptom. I
was unknowingly experiencing acid re-gurge while I was asleep. He also tested for allergies, and
subsequently began a regiment of shots for several years. Now, I have learned to consider I might have considered something else. A hoarse, raspy throat can be an indication of thyroid issues.

Who knew?

At the time, I thought everything could be relegated to just getting older. You know, menopause.  In fact, it became a family joke.  "Mom can't find her phone, again."  "Mom can't find her keys again."
"Oh, it was so funny! Mom asked me to help her find her glasses, and they were on top of her head!"

I laughed too. It made me feel better, at first. But then, after a while, it wasn't so funny anymore.

I forgot meetings. I double-scheduled myself. A lot.  Most of my clients were understanding. But the problem created more stress in my own heart. And that added to the cycle I was in. I began to think I was going a little nuts.  Suddenly, I wasn't managing my life as well as I had been.

Oh, and then there was the blood sugar aspect of things. Back before I was diagnosed, I would wake up feeling exhausted and extremely thirsty.  As the day wore on, I would always feel drained in the late morning and mid-afternoon.  Back then, I believed the problem was that my blood sugar was too low.  To fix it, I would eat something for quick energy, or drink something filled with caffeine.  

The immediate results I experienced from those bad practices did produce a desired result.  I had energy and focus. But then, within twelve hours, I would crash.  Always physically; sometimes emotionally.  It was a definite pattern.  At first, I was oblivious.  I wrote it off to imbalanced hormones.... or menopause.... or just to "getting older."

But the issue turned out to be much deeper.

It was more than two years before I discovered the patter to what was happening inside myself.  In fact, I didn't see it until after my diagnosis. 

A lot changed that day.

Statistics gathered in 2012 tell us that almost 10% of the American population are affected by diabetes.  That's 29 million people.  The stats also indicate that 25% of those 29 million are in a similar state to my own in the past; unaware of the unseen "land mines" being laid in place, triggered to explode in one unforeseen, unexpected moment -- like mine did.

There are days when a person battling Metabolic Syndrome, (or syndrome X, as it is called by some), will struggle with many symptoms, all at once.  For me, just the fatigue would stop me in my tracks; literally.  I hate to admit it, but there was a season when I concluded that what was actually occurring had to indicate a form of laziness in me, and required a "little more personal discipline."

In 2011, studies were released indicating that Diabetes Miletus, or Type 2, as well as Metabolic Syndrome should be reclassified as an autoimmune disease, originating from inflammation in the body.  Based on those findings, new treatments for diabetes are emerging; treatments which focus on the body's immune system, rather than just seeking to lower blood sugars.

When I began learning some of these things, I eventually began looking into natural methods to trigger healthy metabolism.  And I have to say here that my motive wasn't to lose weight.  I was just tired of not feeling good; of feeling exhausted; of making myself walk through my days. One of the first helpful things I discovered was a connection between citrus fruits and metabolism.

Did you know that a person's resting metabolic rate can be raised by eating citrus?  Also, the natural acidity in many of the citrus family fruits, such as lemon and grapefruit, actually help bring a balance to the body's Ph levels.  These fruits trigger alkalinity, which is also an important element for health and healing.

It turns out that the zest and the fruit of each of the citrus fruits are good catalysts for our physical metabolism.  And, even with diabetes to consider, I made a change.  Once a week, I now make what I call a "chunky smoothie."  It just requires blending a little longer, and the addition of a little plant-based sweetener.

Oh, and its really good, and energizing too!  Here is the recipe:

DEB'S CITRUS SMOOTHIE

Peel the following fruits, leaving as much zest attached to the fruit as possible. Then, cut the fruits into chunks and drop into a blender.
1 peeled grapefruit
1 peeled lemon
1 peeled lime
1 peeled navel orange
1 tablespoon xylitol or stevia (optional)
1 cup of ice (more or less as desired)

Pulse until liquefied, then blend on high speed for three minutes.  This recipe makes about thirty ounces.  I  usually drink it throughout the morning on Mondays.  Note:  This recipe needs all the ingredients in order to synergize well.  It doesn't freeze well either.  If you try it, I'd love to know if it helps.  I know it's helping me.

Next up:  Can I wear out my adrenal glands?  If so, what can I do about it?


 (c)2016 Debbye Graafsma/Awakened to Grow.  No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. 

Disclaimer:  Although I am a counselor, and life coach, and hold my doctorate, I am not a medical doctor.  So, the views and suggestions which have helped me in my own healing journey may or may not work for you.  While I hope that my stories and suggestions will help and encourage you, nothing I post here should be taken as a diagnosis or medical opinion.  If you are concerned about your health, please seek the advice of a professional.    
  

What Inflammation Got To Do With It?

 When I was fifteen, I rode my bicycle everywhere.  It was a red, ten-speed, Schwinn, with the wide comfy seat. It had a flat shelf attached to the rear mudguard. It was equipped with a headlight, a squeeze horn, and a basket in front of the handlebars. Its funny, but I can still remember the road rules published by the State of Oklahoma for cyclists; as well as the hand signals! (Back in the early 70’s, so many teens rode bikes to our particular Junior High School, an entire section of the parking lot was designated just for us.)

Come to think of it, not only was my bike red, but my combination bike-lock chain was red too.

One evening, I rode my bike to a babysitting job. The home of the four children I would be watching was only three or four blocks from our house. It was dusk when I headed that way, and I failed to see a large, fresh divot in the asphalt. Riding blindly into it, my bike suddenly dipped, tipping me over. I faltered, and then fell. On the way down, somehow, my right foot ended up stuck between spinning spokes.

Immediately, the foot began to throb. When I raised my bike up, taking the saddle once more, I quickly realized I was unable to put pressure on the foot.  Within an hour, a nasty red, blue and purple line was clearly visible where the offending spokes had made contact with my foot. By morning, the foot was three times its normal size. In fact, it was so swollen, that ex-rays were inconclusive as to whether any bones had been broken. Later, thankfully, when the swelling subsided, the radiologist was able to determine no bones had been broken.   

“You see,” he told me, “when a part of the body is injured, the brain instructs the circulatory system to send water, hormones, and platelets to the injured area. The swelling serves as a natural pad of sorts, protecting the foot from further injury until it heals. However, you might always have a little bit of squishy tissue on the top of that foot. It was badly bruised, and some bruises take a long time to heal.”  

He was right. Today, some forty-five years later, there is still a little scar tissue under the skin on the top of that foot. And it still hinders me wearing shoes with constriction in the middle of the shoe (like athletic shoes.)  In fact, there have been times in the last forty-five years when I have been out, shoe shopping, and have been unable to purchase a pair of dress shoes because the right foot couldn’t accommodate one style or another.

Since my diagnosis in 2010, I have been on a learning journey. One of the largest discoveries I have made in the process has to do with chronic inflammation. Did you know?  The human body responds to harmful stimuli (like viruses, infectious bacteria, cellular damage, allergens/irritants) with swelling?  The proper term for this swelling is “inflammation.” The same simple explanation I was provided when I was fifteen (in regard to my foot) can be used to explain the basis of almost every chronic condition emerging in our physical bodies today.

In its creative design, inflammation is an initial protective response to injury, sickness, or disease. As it did with my foot injury, the body sends immune cells, blood platelets and molecular mediators to the source of the problem. The purpose?  To cleanse and eliminate the primary cause of injury, removing damaged and dead cells from the area, beginning the repair of tissues and organs.  

Years ago, the medical field did not yet know that the majority of major diseases begin with the same systemic problem: that there is one systemic cause for major diseases.  Now, it is generally understood that most disease begins with inflammation. (The pre-cursor to such inflammation is 
now recognized: chronic stress, which the leads to inflammation. Some diseases have now become linked to a person’s emotional responses to stress overload, which lead then leads to a build-up of toxins and sleep deprivation, which in a majority of cases spark the onset of a chronic disease.)

Inside the nucleus of a cell, each person’s individual genetic code, is designed in twisted, ladder-like strands of molecules.  This artistry of chromosomes is commonly referred to as DNA.  The “cross threads” of each ladder are called “telomeres.” It is telomeres that guard the thousands of “files of genetic code.”  They keep the ends of the DNA from “fraying” at the ends. It is telomeres which keep the chromosomes from sticking to each other, scrambling/destroying vital information.

Each time a cell divides the width between the two “outer strands” of each DNA ladder gets smaller.  This shortens the cell’s telomeres. When those “cross threads” become two short, the cell is unable to divide, and it dies. This shortening process of telomeres has been likened to a lit fuse on a bomb, simply because they shorten naturally with the onset of aging.

Most pain and diseases have chronic inflammation at their core. The DNA telomeres begin to shorten, sometimes causing a fragmenting of the genetic code as the “cross threads” thin and weaken.  Inflammation begins unseen,

1.       in the liver (which is the purifying organ, where excess toxins and chemicals are stored);

2.       in the digestive system (the feeding and fueling organs, causing re-gurge and/or irritation);

3.       in the endocrine system (the hormonal and energy providing organs – breakdown causes thyroid issues, pancreatic issues, etc.);

4.       the circulatory system (the healing and oxygenating organs – breakdown causes blood pressure issues, heart attack, etc);

5.       the renal system (the liquid processing/cell waste expelling organs – breakdown causes kidney failure);

6.       the respiratory system (the air processing organs – breakdown causes such diseases as emphysema).  

7.       The skin system (the toxin expelling organ – breakdown causes cancers, age spots, liver spots, etc.

8.       The skeletal system (the bones; blood regeneration occurs within the bone marrow)

In the past few years, people in the health and exercise industries have begun taking HGH (or Human Growth Hormone.) It is currently marketed as a steroid, and banned in athletic competitions.  

It has been shown that people who systematically utilize de-toxifying supplements (liver and/or colon) experience greater health, more energy, as well as a greater positive outlook.  And in the same studies, subjects who were given anti-inflammatories and/or antioxidants experienced a rescue of unhealthy tissues, enhanced autocrine and paracrine feedback, which stabilized DNA damage.

Now, here’s what all that boiled down to for me, in my situation, dealing my own diagnosis.

First: all of the issues I have been dealing with in my physical body have their basis in chronic inflammation. Now, I am fifty-nine years old (a few months from sixty.)  I am now trying to work with my body, cooperating with what is healing.

Second: every time I put a processed or artificially constructed food into my mouth, I am encouraging my body to react with inflammation – within one system or another. This includes processed flour products and sugars.  (I have come to believe that the “choke and gag” reflex was one such signal my digestive system was trying to send me. (It was a mistake to “force myself” to take them.) Organic and/or natural is better.

Note: There are alternatives to processed cane sugar, that can be used sparingly. (Stevia, Agave syrup, Xylitol plant extract, and Palm Coconut sugar).  Each of these have low glycemic indexes, and do not affect blood glucose a great deal. I have to rotate them, because after a while I become aware of an aftertaste.

Third: Dealing with my health to rebuild from the core outward, (cellular health first), is more effective than treating the more apparent outward symptoms, no matter how strong the medicine.

Fourth: It is good to supplement with a few herbals for cellular heath. I do have a couple supplements I take daily….. 1) NAC (N-acetyl Cysteine) …  2)Turmeric and Bromelain (NOW Company capsules) … 3) Dr. Tobias Probiotic Capsules

Fifth:  If you find your appetites are more accustomed to sweets or salts than they should be, it is better in the long run to make small changes incrementally, eventually coming to a place where your appetites are healthy. 

There are several oils I use each day for inflammation. I use the recipe below morning and evening. I put it on the bottoms of my feet, in the middle of the arch (foot reflexology point for the pancreas and liver.)  I also rub a few drops on the right side of my belly, just outside the pancreas and liver areas. If you want to use it aromatically, drop a few drops on your hands, and rub them together. Hold your hands like a cup, covering your nose. Take a deep breath and hold it for 15 seconds, then breath out slowly.  Do this 5-6 times.


                                                ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BLEND

                Drop these oils into a dark, glass 3 milliliter roller bottle.


                10 drops each:                  thyme                   wintergreen                       turmeric
                                                                Rose                      eucalyptus                          chamomile
                                                                Copaiba                bergamot                            clove
                                                                fennel

                 Fill the remainder of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil. Store in
                A cool place, out of the light.  



Next up:  Using citrus for metabolism


©2016 Debbye Graafsma/Awakened to grow. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

Disclaimer: Although I am a counselor, and hold my doctorate, I am not a medical doctor. So, the views and suggestions which have helped me in my own healing journey may or may not work for you. While I hope that my stories and suggestions will help and encourage you, nothing I post here should be taken as a diagnosis or medical opinion. If you are concerned about your health, please seek the advice of a professional.

How Can I Juice for Health when I'm Diabetic?

 

So, before we get into the details of juicing, let me share something that happened to me last week. I was working on some set materials with a friend and our youngest daughter, for our church fellowship’s annual KiDZ Adventure Week. Due to the theme we’re doing this year, we were doing everything from airbrushing backdrop, to cutting apart pool tubes and carving them just a little to create sponge coral.  Long story short version; we have 140 square feet of coral to build.  (Just for the record, I think I am enjoying making the sea fans most of all….

Anyway, at some point that day, my right forearm came in contact with a substance I must be allergic to.  By evening, I had hives from the inside of my right elbow down into my hand. And they itched like crazy.  I was so tired; I didn’t have the energy to go into the adjacent room to find the “right” oil. I certainly didn’t want to take something that was going to dry up my sinuses.  (That’s how my immune system got in this condition…. right? Doing something to just “fix” it – quickly?)

It was evening. Bill and I were sitting in the Living Room, debriefing our day, catching up. Our living room diffuser sits on top of a cabinet about three feet away from the chair I was sitting in. Next to the diffuser, a small bottle of therapeutic grade essential lavender oil sits, waiting for evening dispersion.  I didn’t really think about it, to tell the truth. And lavender wasn’t exactly the oil I would have gone to look for, (like chamomile, calendula, or tea tree). Still, lavender is really one of my personal “go-to” oils for anything that comes up. When I’m not sure which oil to use, I’ll grab lavender or frankincense.  Did you know there are more than 30 different kinds of lavender? Not only does this magnificent substance have antifungal, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antibiotic properties, but it smells heavenly! (Personally, it is one of my all-time favorite oils for massage and bath oil too.  And it helps me get sleepy, naturally, at bedtime, without leaving me “out of it” the next morning!)

Now, this is what continues to amaze me about essential oils – any of them I have used! Just like using a hand lotion, I put a few drops on the inside of my forearm, and rubbed them in where the hives were making themselves known. It only took a few drops.  There was no oily residue. Within two minutes, all of it had soaked in. Almost immediately, the itching stopped. And within 20 minutes, all of the hives had completely disappeared! 

That situation is just one evidence of how essential oils are helping me to pursue healthy living in a holistic manner.

So, let’s talk about today’s subject. Can a person drink juice if they are diabetic?  Until a year ago, I wouldn’t have thought so. But now I have found something that works.

For the record, I love fresh juices; cranberry, orange, pineapple, apple. One juicing memory I still hold onto took place during our trip to Israel. I remember drinking freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a street-side stand. I picked the fruits I wanted, and the juice was extracted in front of me…. It doesn’t get any fresher than that… There's nothing like fresh juice.... and its so good for you too! When I was a small child, my mother made fresh orange juice in the mornings. It was the best!! Freshly squeezed, with no sugar added!!  That is the real thing!

But then, in 2010, when I was diagnosed with diabetes, part of the nutritional information I received warned against drinking fruit juices. Not only that, but I was told to limit the amount of fresh and dried fruits I allowed myself to eat.

That secondary loss was difficult for me. I remember going to the Green Grocer in the market when my parents were overseas in my childhood. I loved apples! Raisins, dates, fresh pineapple, clementines, kiwi, bananas, fresh coconut, mangos .....

After the diagnosis, I was told to begin to consider them unhealthy for my own consumption. I found myself grieving that loss. In fact, as a therapist, I came to realize that the day of my diagnosis had become a traumatic day for me. Over time, I discovered I had actually divided my memories into two categories:  "before" the diagnosis, and "after" the diagnosis. (We all do this, don't we? It is a denial mechanism that detaches our thinking patterns from including that traumatic event into our daily considerations!) 

Presently, however, I have been able to grasp a conclusion. This physical condition is, as our family doctor told us, generational. As such, it seems to be subject to the problems and difficulties of this realm. I cannot just "get over it," or "make myself do things anyway." Such thinking is not healing for me. It is destructive. My grandmother dealt with diabetes, for years, and she lived in days when the understanding of the condition's confines and effects was limited. Not much hope for change was extended in those days.

Then, my grandmother's daughter, my mother, for her part, I must say, has walked through the genetics of this condition from the hypo-glycemic angle.  She used natural foods and supplements to overcome. Looking back, I remember teasing her for not using sugar in her coffee. She made a switch to honey. In my youth at the time, it seemed like a really nasty option. But now? 

Now I get it. I really do.

These days, we are hearing stories describing how depleted our nation’s farming soils are. Synthetic nutrients and fertilizers are routinely added to our soils. The motive is to hopefully insure the quality of the foods grown to feed us all. Additionally, insecticides, herbicides and pesticides are sprayed and dusted on those fields and foods as well. In some instances, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are added to our tomatoes, peppers, and other crops, some for cosmetic appeal, some for taste appeal, and so on. I recently read, in one health-focused publication; the nutrients contained in our fresh produce in the 21st century are half, or less that half, in quality of what it was at the beginning of the 20^th century. What that means is that in order to ingest the daily nutrients and minerals needed by the human body, a person would have to eat two carrots these days, just to receive the value contained in just one carrot a hundred years ago.

What I have discovered is this: Our physical bodies need fresh fiber to keep the intestinal tract healthy. And we need clean water every day. Filtered. Alkaline is better. My personal goal is 100 ounces per day. 

We also need enzymes, and elements present in raw fruit and vegetables each day.  Such properties are not present in canned or dried fruit or vegetables. Such foods have been exposed to heat, and the fresh-ness is depleted. For my own health, I made another personal decision based on this information. I eat one piece of fresh fruit every day (ie. an apple, or a small orange, or a 1/2 cup of berries.)  Each time I do so, I try to balance the natural fruit carbohydrates with some cheese, nuts, or peanut butter. In this way, the protein balances out the carbs. (If I don’t balance the fruit out with protein, I have learned the hard way that some sort of unpredictable "sugar crash" will overtake me in my near future. And no one wants that!) 

These days, I have learned to juice vegetables. It isn’t difficult to find healthy combinations these days. There are so many recipes out there. For the past few months,  I have been on a green juice kick. And, although I do the actual “juicing” chore just one day a week, I drink it every morning. Setting a "juicing appointment" for myself that one day a week, helps me to make time for doing something for myself that will help me become healthier.

If you would like to try green juice, will include it here. After trying several recipes, I came to this combination. If, when you try it, it tastes too strong, add another apple, or some cucumber.  If the juice tastes too plain to you, why not add a little extra lemon or ginger?  

Here is my current green juice recipe. It works as a liver/gall bladder cleanse, and provides healthy vitamins and enzymes needed for digestion.  (For the record, I have always just loved Spicy V-8 juice. I cut my freshly juiced greens half-and-half with V-8 each morning, after downing my lemon-water.)

                                GRAAFSMA GREEN SUPER-JUICE

                                5 Granny Smith apples, (cored and quartered)

                                1 entire bunch of celery, (cut off stem end and use greens and all)
                                2” peeled fresh ginger root
                                10 oz baby carrots, peeled
                                4 cucumbers, peeled
                                2 lemons, (outer skin peeled, leaving as much of white zest as possible)
                                1 large bunch kale (20 leaves or so, well washed, with stems)
                     

                Juice all of the above. Combine in a one gallon, covered, pitcher. Sometimes, when I

                remember, I might stir a couple tablespoons of lemongrass powder into the gallon when

                all the ingredients are combined. Refrigerate. Stir before pouring each time, as this juice

                separates.

                For healthy living, each of us should consume 8-10 ounces of vegetable juices each day. If    

               desired, pour 8 ounces of green juice into a glass, and combine this recipe with 8 ounces of 

               V-8 juice (spicy or regular).  Enjoy!!

  Extras I add: For my own added health benefits, I also add the following. I order each liquid 

  from Amazon, and they are delivered in their own 2-4 oz eye dropper bottles.

2-3 milligrams of Lugol’s Iodine (for endocrine balance)
½ dropper of cayenne extract (also known as capsicum. good for heart, blood
                                                       Pressure/circulatory health)

                          ½ dropper of grape seed extract (antioxidant. Good for heart, health, skin & brain)

Next up:  What's Inflammation Got to do with it?

©2016 Debbye Graafsma/Awakened to grow. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

Disclaimer: Although I am a counselor, and hold my doctorate, I am not a medical doctor. So, the views and suggestions which have helped me in my own healing journey may or may not work for you. While I hope that my stories and suggestions will help and encourage you, nothing I post here should be taken as a diagnosis or medical opinion. If you are concerned about your health, please seek the advice of a professional.

What's in That Eye Dropper?

When the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome began to manifest in my body in early 2008, I noticed what I thought was a consistency in the occurrences of weakness and fatigue. As far as I could tell, I seemed to fall apart physically after I ate bread of any kind, even though I had gone back to trying to avoid bread altogether.

I was sure it was a gluten intolerance. It would have to be…. Right?

So, after doing a little research (of course! Isn’t it great what you can read online these days?), I decided to try doing some baking with low carb flours. I tried rice flour, and a low carb baking mix. Making the change did seem to help a little, but the change wasn’t enough to explain what had been happening in my body.  (Also during this time, I was trying to change my diet completely, adapt to injecting myself twice a day, and taking prescribed medications.

Things were challenging during that season. I was also learning to check my blood sugar three to four times a day.  It took a while to find healthy levels. At first, every time the numbers went under 270, I would go sweaty, get the shakes, be unable to think, and feel dizzy. Sometimes, I felt so ill I’d need to get a quick nap. (My brain was just used to the levels being way too high, and the adjustment took place gradually.)

That was the first principle God had for me to learn. Healing is not an event. It is a process, and a journey. I had always believed that to be true, but walking through these lessons has taught me things I will never forget.

After a couple of months of avoiding breads, and trying to eat gluten free, I wasn’t seeing any long-term changes. My reserves were still non-existent. I would go to sleep at night exhausted, and wake up feeling the same way.  And, although my glucose levels were beginning to approach the 240 range on a regular basis (which I thought was really good, by the way, considering…), the fatigue and weakness still plagued me.

So I went back to the books. I began reading on the root causes for gluten intolerance, and made a few discoveries which have helped me considerably.

Now, you might remember me telling you about our oldest daughter going through a journey with cancer, a blog or two back. Well, part of her recovery involved eating a low/no iodine diet for 3-4 months after her surgeries. Then, after doing so, she was given radioactive iodine. She was radioactive for a few days (and no, she didn’t glow….) It was a learning curve for all of us.

Anyway, the treatment she experienced was based on the human thyroid’s need for iodine. Did you know that in order to create hormones needed for thyroid production, the thyroid depends on whatever iodine we take in in our daily diet? So, the medical concept was to starve any cancerous thyroid cells still remaining in her body from receiving any iodine for 12-16 weeks.  After that time, when radioactive iodine was introduced into her body, any remaining thyroid cells would uptake the radiated substance, thus killing any and all still-operational cancer cells.

Thinking about my condition at the time, I realized I needed more information than I had on hand in order to fight through the condition in my body. I was still gaining weight, even though I was limiting my diet to 1500 calories a day, and trying to eat raw and/or low-carb mas much as possible.  One afternoon, exhausted and “benched” once more on the couch, I was researching online.  I saw an article written by Dr. Joseph Mercola: “Avoid This if you Want to Keep your Thyroid Healthy.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/thyroid-health_b_472953.html)  

Basically, I learned that the majority of industrially produced flours in our food industry have an additive called Potassium Bromate. Bromate, once inside the body, becomes bromide, which is highly toxic. Apparently, years ago, the “someones” who made the decision to use bromate did so, because they thought it would be more cost effective to use bromates to preserve stored grains, than it would be to use Potassium Iodine.  Additionally, bromates are also used in pesticides and herbicides. They are added to plastics and vinyls. Even more dangerous is the addition of bromate to some bottled waters!

Simply put: here’s the problem.  The body needs iodine for many daily functions, in addition to thyroid assimilation. But bromide “holds onto” the iodine in our bodies, and prevents its absorption. Over the years, studies have confirmed the increase in thyroid malfunction, fatigue, breast cancers, severe acne, rashes, abdominal pain, and several other issues; not the least of which is psychological paranoia.

I was fascinated, and read further. Did you know that women in Japan, who eat mostly seafood, and consume kelp (seaweed), ingest as much as 3 milligrams of iodine or more each day? Subsequently, medical studies show that Japanese women have a much smaller percentage of breast cancer, than do women in the United States. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3204293)

The Japanese government has decided that 3 milligrams of iodine a day is a healthy dosage for their citizens. In contrast, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for iodine in the United States is just 150 micrograms. I was amazed.

I made two lifestyle changes that day. 

First, I stopped eating bromated products. By the way, when you read the ingredients on most bread labels, “bromated enriched wheat flour” is a common ingredient. Pepperidge Farm uses no bromide in any of their products. Panera Bread is another company which has decided to bake bromide free.

Second, I began taking supplemental iodine. I found a 5% solution of liquid iodine I could take by eyedropper, adding it to my morning lemon water. (Incidentally, lemon water is a great liver cleanse, and works as a metabolism wake-up, if you can do it first thing in the morning.)  I have to say that I did try taking tablets of potassium iodide first, but the “gag and choke” reflex was still no fun. Besides, to this day, my kids still giggle if I’m “doing the healthy” and “have a reaction.”

Within days of trying the addition of iodine to my diet, I experienced the first building block towards bringing my body back to a healthy state. I noticed I was encountering consistent “spurts” of longer-lasting energy after taking liquid iodine in the morning. But I knew I needed to maintain the level I was using.

After all, more is not always better. Most of the time, more is just more. That can become too much.

Did that mean the problem had been my thyroid all along?  I’ve discovered it was only part of the issue. And that other areas of my endocrine system needed attention as well.  Then, it occurred to me; if my thyroid was deficient, then my entire endocrine system was probably out of whack. And, logically, it just followed that if one system in my body was out of balance, other systems had followed suit.

Just like living a life in the Spirit, gaining physical alignment, would take time. I made a decision that that point to intentionally discover what the rest of my body’s systems needed in order to become healthy as well.   

I also made a realization. I was tired of not feeling good. Sure I had gained weight, and would like to lose it all again. I had thought I was chasing “healthy,” but somehow, I had chased “skinny” instead. Over those past few months, my goal had become “getting healthy.”  I couldn’t focus on “skinny.” I had discovered a flaw in my thinking. This time it couldn’t be image based. It had to be about longevity. After all, hadn’t He told me: “Eat what I made?”

I began making protein smoothies each morning.  Here is my first recipe.

                                BERRY PROTEIN SUPER SMOOTHIE

1 scoop strawberry Un-jury protein (Unjury.com)

                                8 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk

                                ¼ cup of fresh raspberries or blackberries

                                1 scoop Vitamin Shoppe powdered vitamins w/ minerals

                                1 scoop Amazing Grass, Green Superfoods, acai/berry flavor

                                1 Tablespoon from seed mix (I made a Ziploc bag mix of black sesame, flax & chia seeds)                                                ¾ c ice

Pulse in blender. Then puree on high for 3 minutes.  This yields about 12 oz. If its too thick, add a little water. Enjoy!

I also set the alarm on my cell phone for every two hours.  I would eat protein and a little fruit when the alarm went off. 

If you are following these lifestyle changes, please just do one thing at a time. Try to keep it natural.  Remember, the idea is to modify your appetites, and work with your own body where your own systems are already working hard to help you heal.  If you’re like me, my system responded to sugar like it was a drug. I would experience a type of “high,” and then crash. And by crash, I mean ugly.

Believe me, trying to climb out of the pit from that crash was very, very difficult. I remember one day in particular when I went through the drive-through at a local Arby’s. I ordered cheese sticks, a wrap, and a diet drink.  Sad to say, I can’t always tell the difference between diet and “not-diet.” The drink they gave me was “not-diet.”  It was three-fourths gone when one of our daughters tasted it, and told me it was the wrong drink. Needless to say, I had a great afternoon that day, but then crashed later in the evening. I remember having the shakes. It was difficult to work up the willpower, to even get up to walk to the restroom! I felt hot all over, and just wanted to crawl into a ball until the symptoms went away!  The next day was spent sleeping, trying to figure out what I could have done differently.

During those months, I did try to do exercise. I was sure if I could just get my body used to it, I would build up a resistance, and reclaim my inner reserve. I tried walking. I was part of a “Curves” near our home. When I did exercise, which was at usually twice a week with cardio, I came home and had to take a nap before I could continue with my day. I’ve since learned that many people relate to my situation then.  I came to the decision that five minutes a day was better than no minutes.  And, even now, I can only physically do what my energy levels will allow me to do without exhaustion.

So, dear reader, if you are on a healing journey of your own, like mine, please be kind with yourself. Don’t push, expecting perfection. Accept the Gift of Limitations.  God made you human for a reason, you know. When we allow a desired image (like “skinny”) to push us, we lose sight of the desired goal our Creator has for us (like “healthy”).  

Next up: How to juice for health when you’re diabetic

©2016 Debbye Graafsma/Awakened to grow. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

Disclaimer: Although I am a counselor, and hold my doctorate, I am not a medical doctor. So, the views and suggestions which have helped me in my own healing journey may or may not work for you. While I hope that my stories and suggestions will help and encourage you, nothing I post here should be taken as a diagnosis or medical opinion. If you are concerned about your health, please seek the advice of a professional.

Daily Bread

Is there anything better than warm, home-baked bread, fresh from the oven? Imagine a slice smothered in butter. Think about it.  

Can’t you just see it in your mind; the tiny rivulets of light yellow, soaking down into the soft, heavenly, spongy mixture of yeast and grains?

Isn’t it just the best? Now, what if we made it even better? Let’s add a spoonful of your favorite fruit preserves on top?  Is your mouth watering yet? (No, don’t stop reading to go get food…..stay with me….)

Cravings are horrible aren't they?  Mine tend to be powerful! Especially when they are brought on by my sense of smell! 

It was like that this afternoon. Today, Bill and I made one of our regular trips to a discount warehouse not far from our home. You know the place. When we joined, we became unknowingly committed to purchasing our toilet paper in 36-roll bulk packages. And almond milk only comes in sets of three. Well, we have been members at this particular place for years, and it has become a habit to make at least one monthly trip for needed items. 

Today was such a day.

I found myself following a scent, seeking its source; hoping to purchase whatever baked delight was coming out of the oven….. I just stood there, eyes closed, lost in the luxurious odor; in the middle of an aisle. I was sniffing the air like a dog.

“What are you doing?” my hubby asked. I opened my eyes.  He was looking at me with his head cocked to one side.

“Don’t you smell that?” I responded. “It’s wonderful. Somebody’s baking bread.”

“Uh-huh. It’s great.”

He didn’t seem as impressed as I was. Smiling at me, he moved on to check on a tool further down on that particular aisle.

Not to be deterred, I closed my eyes once more. “I want some," I told him dreamily.

“We just ate, Honey," he answered. He reminded me of the facts.  Who wants to be reminded of the facts when an appetizing smell has hooked itself into your jaw, and is drawing you back into your childhood? And then, just like a Looney Tunes, that scent has the audacity to pick you up off your feet, and tempt you to buy a whole case of the delectable stuff you aren’t supposed to eat anyway?

“That’s very true,” I answered, pushing the cart further into the bakery. Needless to say, a few pastries ended up on the conveyor belt on the way out.

Just a few, mind you.

There is something powerful about the human olfactory system; our God-provided sense of smell.  Just like gazing at a photograph can help a person recapture a memory from the past, so a person's sense of smell can trigger forgotten and/or repressed memories as well. Several years ago, I had the privilege of helping a client heal from hidden pain such as this. As she climbed into a taxi cab while on a business trip, she was overwhelmed by the odor of the vehicle's interior. The smell triggered a sudden eruption of repressed memories of harsh abuse sparked a series of full-blown, trauma-filled panic attacks. It took several sessions to realize the trigger had been a smell.

As I stood in the warehouse bakery, my own sense of smell reminded of earlier days in our marriage, when the girls were small. Those were the days when I had baked our family's bread on a regular basis.  And in my remembering, I recalled how difficult it had been to get a warm, fresh loaf to the table for the evening meal, without losing several samples beforehand. The catalyst for that problem had also been the sense of smell.

Our sense of smell is tied to physical responses as well.  For instance, I remember one time when our oldest daughter became sick after eating a certain brand of canned spaghetti.  Because I was also dealing with nausea that particular day, it sealed a memory of nausea in my brain, along with the memory of the odor.  To this day, I cannot smell that brand of canned pasta without becoming nauseous.

You see, when a smell enters nasal passages, it travels through them, to the Olfactory Bulb in the center of the brain. Within seconds, the effects of the essence have saturated the Midbrain, Hypothalamus, and Pituitary Gland.  From there, the scent affects the Pineal Gland, the Medulla Oblongata and the Spine’s Sympathetic Chain, into the Spinal Cord.  Lastly, the smell affects the Thyroid.   

Which brings me to the subject of Essential Oils. The diffusion of distilled, therapeutic oils has made a tremendous difference in my own life.  For my birthday one year, a dear friend graciously provided me with a diffuser and two vials of essential oil.  Grateful, wanting to utilize the gift, and honor my friend, I set the appliance up with lavender oil in our family living room a few evenings later. I don’t know what I expected. In fact, I didn’t really expect anything to happen. But, I did think it would provide our family with a nice smell in the room.

But then, an hour after the diffuser was turned on, our entire family was asleep in the living room! My friend had mentioned we might sleep better using lavender.  I hadn’t given it any thought. After all, we all have busy schedules, so I guess I wrote it off to that.  But I liked the smell it made. So the next evening, I filled the diffuser again.  And once again, the whole family was asleep within an hour!

Curious, I began to research the effects of lavender. I was amazed at what I learned.

Did you know that therapeutic essential Lavender oil is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, anti-fungal, anti-septic, and anti-microbial in its effects?  It is an anti-spasmodic. It also is hypotensive, and analgesic.  It is detoxifying, and provides a sedative effect. Just those few facts have placed Lavender oil on the go-to list of oils in our home. As far as I’m concerned, it’s good for just about everything!

Since the evenings of the family falling asleep in the living room (which they still do, by the way), we now have two more diffusers.  I run an air purifying/energizing mix during the day. We diffuse a sleep well/anti-snore mix in our bedroom. And amazingly, they really make a difference for all of us!

How does an essential oil accomplish such a thing? I’ll share a little of what I have learned.

You see, when a therapeutic essential oil is diffused into a room, the resulting vapor is inhaled. And, because of the pathways followed by the human olfactory system, not only is the brain stimulated by scent, but so is the nervous system, the circulatory system, the renal system, the digestive system, the skin and the emotional system.

How do they work?  Well, a plant’s oil is its life-blood.  During a plant’s life, the oil circulates within the plant, carrying life to the plant, and removing toxins.  Such oils are made up of micro-molecules, smaller than those found in many substances.  And, because the micro-molecules are so tiny, they disperse over a broader area.  When they are diffused, or applied topically, essential oils continue the same actions within the human body they did within the plant from which they originated.

I love the fact the oils are natural; organic; living.

I now use a diffuser in my counseling office. A blend of soothing and comforting oils helps my clients to experience calm and emotional healing on a deeper level.  All I can say is “it works!”  A dear friend was recently invited to teach a class on the effects of oils on the behaviors of hyperactive children at a preschool. The subsequent usage of diffusers in classroom has provided amazing changes in the learning environment.

I am now learning how to apply oils topically for several different health issues of my own. I am seeing strength returning. Years ago, before becoming ill, I always seems to have a vast physical reserve I could draw on.  Just before I was diagnosed, I discovered that reserve energy was completely depleted. (More on adrenal fatigue later on.)  But now, after several discoveries, made Providentially in order, one at a time, I am sensing my physical strength and energy returning; little by little.  

Next up: What’s iodine got to do with it, anyway?  

©2016 Debbye Graafsma/Awakened to grow. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

Disclaimer: Although I am a counselor, and hold my doctorate, I am not a medical doctor. So, the views and suggestions which have helped me in my own healing journey may or may not work for you. While I hope that my stories and suggestions will help and encourage you, nothing I post here should be taken as a diagnosis or medical opinion. If you are concerned about your health, please seek the advice of a professional.