A Tale of Two Women

  Woman #1:   Once upon a time there was a woman who came down with a serious Urinary Tract Infection.  As per her usual routine (instilled in her growing up years as a child), she made an appointment with the doctor. She had been through this before and usually responded well to antibiotics.   After a few tests and questions, it was determined by the doctor that she did have an infection and a prescription was given.  She returned home and began the prescribed medication.  The UTI began to clear up right away and the pain lessened.  What a relief she felt to feel better and be back to her normal routine.  After a few days, however, she began to notice that her heart was pounding in her ears when she would lie down at night.  Her hands and neck felt flushed and she was having trouble sleeping.  She made another appointment with her doctor and tests were run.  Her blood pressure seemed elevated, so she as given a common drug to take care of the blood pressure problem.  The medication seemed to help the problem, but she started to have anxiety attacks in the night and would wake up overly worried about small problems and would feel physically drained and not able to get back to sleep.  Other tests were run, other medications prescribed, other side effects revealed themselves.... and the original side effects never went away.  She had other plans for her future, but had to put them on hold due to her condition.

  Woman #2:  Once upon a time there was a woman who came down with  a serious Urinary Tract Infection.  She began to research and knew what needed to be done to stop the infection.  She eliminated sugar and white flour from her diet and added a juicing regimen and lots of garlic.  There were times that she thought she was getting better, but then the symptoms would flare up again.  She even fasted a day to try and stop the infection, but it had a strong hold on her and she just couldn't shake it.  So, reluctantly, she  made an appointment with her doctor.  The usual tests were run and the results were conclusive-- a very serious UTI had taken hold.  She had kept it at bay with the nutrition, but just needed a simple antibiotic to clear it up.  She was prescribed a very strong antibiotic and returned home to take it.  She stocked up on good yogurt to keep her store of intestinal flora intact as she knew that antibiotics can deplete that. After just taking 1 pill, she felt better, but the UTI symptoms had been so severe, she did not want them to return, so she finished the medication and thought that was the end of it.  A few days later, she began to notice that her head and hands were  pounding at night when she would lie down and at times she would awaken to feel an extremely fast heart rate.  Other symptoms began to emerge, and she started doing some research on the drug she had been prescribed.  She found hundreds of other patients who had shown the same (and much worse) side effects from taking this drug.  She asked her doctor about it and was told it was just "coincidence".  After 3 months, she contacted a nutritionist to seek help in getting her body's balance renewed, in  hopes that the symptoms would eventually go away.

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     The first story described here is merely hypothetical, based on testimony after testimony that I have read about the side effects suffered by those who are prescribed Ciproflaxin or other medications that are similar ( Levaquin, and other quinolone drugs).  The second story is a true account of what happened to me.  My UTI was in September of 2012 and I am still suffering from the side effects. I am under the care of a nutritionist, but have not seen results as of yet.  If you know of anyone who has had these same problems, please email me at whataileththee@gmail.com .  I write this only to warn you of the dangers of pharmaceuticals.  Please, read the side effects before taking any drug.  My pharmacy usually gives a print-out with each prescription and did not in this case.  I was in such pain,however, I don't know that I would have heeded.   I know that there are many who take Cipro on a regular basis and do not have these symptoms, but you don't know ahead of time who will be affected.  The company that produces this drug gives a list of questions for the patient to ask the doctor before taking this drug (shouldn't it be the other way around?).  There are many simple problems that could cause major health issues if Cipro is taken.  Please take this as a warning.
      So, the rubber meets the road: I have had to completely change my lifestyle for the time being.  From what I have read, the symptoms do not go away, so this may be a forever change.  I would appreciate your prayers and input. I will write again soon about the nutritionist that I contacted and the health changes that I have made in hopes of healing.  I am so thankful that I know the Great Physician and that He knows what can be done to heal this problem!

   Exodus 15:26 ".....for I am the LORD

 

that healeth thee."

Foods that Heal: Honey

     Honey is one of the most amazing foods that the Creator gave to us.  I have known about a lot of its healing properties, but just in the past few months I have been doing more research and finding out much more!  It is amazing to realize that honey is the only food that we consume from insects.  When God promised the Israelites a "land flowing with milk and honey", they probably knew what amazing things could be done with honey.  It is also interesting to me to see that the Word is compared to honey. What an appropriate analogy as you will see soon!  Not only does it sweeten life, but also brings healing and restores life!

     Now, when I speak of honey, I mean a particular kind.  The honey that you reach for off the grocery store shelf has been processed and heated to kill any bacteria. In the processing and heating, vital nutrients are destroyed along with the good bacteria.  When you search for real honey, purchase it from a  bee keeper or health food store making sure that it is unprocessed, raw honey.
     Honey is such an amazing food.  It contains its own bacteria fighting powers so that the worst infections are kept at bay.  At one time, a bacteriologist set out to prove that honey was fertile ground for growing bacteria and in the process, discovered the opposite!  He placed actual typhoid and dysentery bacteria in honey and within 48 hours all the bacteria were dead!  Amazing!  Those of you in countries that suffer with these ailments should find a local bee keeper or invest in some bee keeping equipment yourself!  What a valuable and simple way to kill off germs!  The amazing thing is that honey is so pleasant to the tongue, it would be no trouble to get your children to take it. 
     The antiseptic properties of honey extend far beyond internal healing.  Any external wound or skin ailment would heal much more quickly if covered in honey.  Before the invention of penicillin, honey was used extensively in both world wars to effectively heal battle wounds and was even used to treat gangrene.  The emollient properties of honey  would also reduce scarring and keep a wound moisturized.  I read testimonials over and over again of individuals who had some type of skin ailment or wound that would not heal with modern medicinal tactics, and after hearing of honey's healing abilities, had the problem cleared up in just days.
     Honey is also an amazing food that never spoils.  I remember hearing about explorers opening up an ancient Egyptian tomb and finding vats of honey that were still usable.  Honey does have its own way of preserving itself by crystallizing, but add a little heat, and it is as good as new.
     Because honey is a by product of the bee, then it has already been digested.  So, it is very easy on the stomach.  Its smoothness eases stomach upset and soothes the intestines.  Little tummies would benefit from a spoonful of honey now and then.
     I have been amazed to see that modern doctors are now telling parents to give their children honey in the place of cough suppressants.  The moisturizing ability and its smooth stickiness allows honey to coat the throat, keeping coughs at a minimum and effectively soothing a sore throat. 
     Honey is a lower sugar, so the body is not overwhelmed with a sugar high, like it would be with regular sugar.  Honey is a very effective energy booster, yet also helps to relieve anxiety.  Anyone who suffers with allergies would benefit greatly by eating honey that is from their local area.  The bees collect the pollen from the local plants, giving the eater an immunization of some sorts from the plants that they are allergic to. High cholesterol, skin problems, diabetes, weight loss, infection: the list could go on and on.  I read so much on this topic, I was overwhelmed with the information. If you have a particular ailment that you are interested in reading about, I suggest researching that ailment to see if honey can be used to heal it.  I also read a ton of amazing information at  www.whfoods.com which gave a wealth of information on the healing powers of honey.
     One word of caution, doctors warn mothers of young children not to give honey to an infant younger than one year of age.  Unprocessed honey can carry bacteria that may be too strong for an infant to handle.  Honestly, with compromised immunity from being bottle fed instead of breast fed, more infants would be affected by these bacteria.
     So, support your local bee keeper today and add honey to your natural medicine cabinet.  Your children will be happy you did!

Avoiding the after Christmas blahs....

     Yes, it's that time of year when everyone is having a party and you are invited. All that sugar and cream cheese and candy starts to take its toll on you and by New Years, you wonder why everyone is sick. Of course, when crowds of people get together, there is bound to be a virus floating around, but there are some things you can do to avoid what I call the "After Christmas Blahs".

#1.  Try to keep the sugar to a minimum. We all love to show off our culinary skills this time of year, and all of those traditional recipes are loaded with sugar.  Every gift you receive has something sweet in it.  When you are at a party or get together, don't load your plate with sweets.  Maybe try one or two of them so you don't overdo it. Even the drinks are loaded with sugar and will give you a high that will make you feel great at first, and then drop you later.  Remember that white flour, corn, potatoes and white rice also turn to sugar in your system, adding to the problem.  Some of the signs of sugar overdose are: dry mouth, dizziness, sleepy or sluggish feeling, and a  headache on your forehead.  Some things you can do to quickly bring your blood sugar under control are: drink a large glass of water, take a jog ( or some other form of exercise),  or eat some protein (nuts, eggs, cheese, meat). Cinnamon is also great for  regulating blood sugar.  Take a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in unsweetened apple sauce to help keep your levels normal.  My mother-in-law also gave me another suggestion.  She is freezing some of the holiday candies that she was given and saving them for later so she doesn't overdose on them now!

#2.  Eat something raw with the meal.  Those veggie trays are there for a purpose.  Eating something raw with all of that junk will add some raw enzymes to your digestive juices to keep things working. You will also benefit from the antioxidants that will keep your immunities up!  Carrots, celery and raw broccoli are also great sources of fiber to keep things running smoothly.

#3. Prepare for battle. You know that there are viruses and bacteria floating around you, so get your body ready to fight.  Start taking Vitamin C to boost your immunity.  If you feel like you are about to come down with something, start taking nature's own antibiotic: Garlic.  Taking 2 or 3 pills (Kyolic is a good brand at Walmart, doesn't make you smell like you have been eating garlic!) a day will help your body fend off the sickness and may even end one that has already started.  If you feel a sore throat coming on, drink hot tea with honey. The honey will soothe your throat, and the "hot" will help to kill the infection. Salt water is also a great virus killer. Gargling  with it (1 tsp. salt per 1 cup water) or using it in a nasal spray will fend off an infection and will quickly dry up mucous.

#4. Take advantage of your vacation time. In other words: RELAX.  Take that extra nap or sleep in some of the mornings.  We all stay up and out too late during this time of the year.  Not getting enough sleep is another way to make you more prone to illnesses.  If your body is tired, it doesn't have the energy to fight and it won't. 
 
#5 Fill your plate with better choices. Bean dip and salsa with corn chips is better than potato chips and sour cream dip.  Whole grain crackers and cheese will fill you up and keep you filled up much better than chocolate cake and ice cream.  Veggies and fruit will keep you energized and healthier and won't drag you down like punch and cookies.  Keep the sweets to a minimum and fill up on the better choices.

#6.  Watch out for food poisoning.  That crab salad or pasta dish may have been sitting on the table for an hour or more.  Be careful.  Mayonnaise can go bad very quickly.  If you are the hostess, place salads like these on ice so they can stay cold. We are very careful about paying attention to this in the summertime because of the heat, but when you get a large group of people in one area, the room can get just as warm as summer heat!  Make sure that food is properly cooked to the correct temperatures.  According to guidelines for safe food handling, meat dishes need to be cooled as quickly as possible.  Consider the food you serve if you are going to something where you know it will be sitting out for awhile. 

#7.  Don't gorge yourself.  Eat slowly, and chew your food completely.  When you feel satisfied, stop eating.  It is at these times of the year that the food is out all evening and we keep grazing the entire time and make ourselves miserable later.  If your stomach is too full, it can't do its job and you will end up feeling sick and possibly even getting sick.  Use a smaller plate (it tricks your brain into thinking you are eating a lot!), take tiny portions if you must try everything, and don't stand near the food!  If it is out of your line of sight, you will be less tempted to grab some!


     Of course, even when taking all of these steps, there will still be sickness floating around.  But, we may be able to avoid some of the down time by making smarter choices and being prepared for sickness to come.  Who knows, maybe you will be one of those who don't get it this year!

  

Breakfast

   

      Yes, moms all across the ages have been saying it for years: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  And they are right.  Let's take a look at the first meal of the day.
     First of all, the very name can teach us a lot.  Breakfast comes from "break the fast".  You have been ( or should have been) sleeping all night.  Your body has been on a fast (unless you are a midnight snacker!).  Your metabolism has slowed down significantly.  When you get up, your body is hungry and needs some nourishment.  Breakfast is the fuel that your body needs to get going and make it through the day.  It awakens your brain as well!  Breakfast helps to curb your hunger and keeps you from binge eating throughout the day.  It has been proven that kids do better in school when they have eaten a good breakfast. 
     The key word in the above paragraph is "good".  Let's investigate some of the common breakfast foods that we often eat.  Walk down your local grocery store's cereal aisle and you are overwhelmed with colors and kinds and flavors.  Have you ever noticed that the junkiest cereals are the cheapest?  As a health conscious and budget conscious shopper, that fact alone drives me nuts.  Why are the cereals that go through the most processing and have the most ingredients in them and are advertised the most have the lowest price?  Supply and demand  my dear, supply and demand.  There is more demand for the colorful, sugar infested foods and so the ones that are the healthiest cost the most.  Argh.  And then there are the pop tarts.  These have become staple in the American diet.  A dry chunk of goo and cardboard, supposedly loaded with 11 essential vitamins and minerals, that you just pop into your toaster and you are ready to go!?!?  Sugar has become the staple ingredient of breakfast foods.  We all think sweet when we want breakfast.  Yet, sugar is the worst thing you can put in a body that has been fasting.

     Do you know how to read sugar content in foods?  It's pretty easy.  Look at the nutrition facts on a package.  Near the bottom you will see "sugars" and an amount in grams.  Divide that number by 5 and that will tell you how many teaspoons of sugar are in one serving of that particular item.  Notice the following picture:

     19 grams of sugar calculates to about 4 teaspoons of sugar.  Have you guessed what these "nutrition" facts are for??  Yes, pop tarts.  My husband is addicted.  I can tell my kids what to eat, but I can't tell him!  So, for each  pastry, there are 4 teaspoons of sugar.  Of course, Kellogg's puts them 2 in a package so you think that 2 is a serving.  So in reality you are getting more like 10 teaspoons of sugar!!  Wow.  Pay attention next time you buy something to the serving size on a common food you eat.  Usually they give a small portion size so the nutrition facts look better.  Deceptive!
     Eating sugar for breakfast makes you feel energetic at first and then drops your energy level quickly.  Sugar is one of the foods that digests the fastest, so you feel its effects quickly and then feel empty sooner.    A better choice for breakfast foods would be to choose something with more protein that takes longer to digest and stays with you longer. You will feel fuller longer, you won't get that sinking feeling at 10 a.m. and go looking for more sugar to fill you up.  Did you know that white, processed flour and corn and rice also turn to sugar in your system?  Isn't interesting that most popular cereals are  made of these ingredients.   If you must eat something sweet, balance it with an egg or bacon or some REAL whole grain bread.
     Eggs are a perfect breakfast food.  They are full of super protein.  When I eat eggs for breakfast I don't feel hungry again until lunch time.  I fact, I have read of a diet that consists of eating 30 grams of protein for breakfast (about 6 eggs!!), and starting your day full and giving you the boost of energy and fuel that you need.   Many people would lose weight quickly if they followed this plan.
     One of the complaints about breakfast is that you don't feel hungry at that time of the day.  Yes, stress about your day can complicate the feeling of needing food.  You also can stifle the hunger pangs after a certain length of fasting.  Find something you do like.  Change the breakfast menu and eat meat and potatoes, or soup, or a sandwich for breakfast!
     One of my favorite breakfast recipes is the following pancake recipe.  Yes, is has some sugar in it, but the balance comes from the whole wheat, oil and eggs.  No, I don't get up at 5 a.m. to make these. I make them during the day and freeze them (Eggo had the right idea!) and then just pop them in the toaster or microwave for a happy kid's breakfast.  My kids like maple syrup, apple butter, powdered sugar (slight amount! ) and even honey or just butter.  They are super easy to make and a very flexible recipe to shape to your family's needs.

Whole Grain Pancakes
 *Makes approx. a dozen medium sized pancakes.  I cook them in coconut oil  (or butter, or olive oil) on my griddle set at 300.

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or milk, cream, canned milk, water, juice, yogurt...)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil (hint: use the same measuring spoon for the honey and it will slide right out!)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour ( I often add half oat flour, or ground flax for added nutrition)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder

     Combine all ingredients.  If you like thin pancakes, add more liquid;  add more flour if you like thick pancakes.  Fry in oil or butter (coconut oil seems the best!).   Cool on a cooling rack if you are planning to freeze them.  I freeze them in bags of a dozen (yes, I triple the recipe).


     So, let me encourage you to start your day with a good foundation.  Nothing for breakfast is not good, but a junky breakfast is not good either.  Take the time to think about what you are ingesting and make choices that will help you get through your day feeling more energetic and better about yourself!