Welcome:
Welcome to my blog, Simply Natural, Simply You! The name of my blog says a lot in a few short words what health and wellness mean to me. So many people look to medicine and ways to control their problems. I experienced a rapid decline in health about 2 years ago. I immediately turned to doctors to help me. I was becoming violently ill and losing weight rapidly. I was sent for test after test without any results. I remember crying to the doctors because my blood work kept coming back "normal". I actually wanted them to find something wrong with me so I didn't feel crazy. Finally I took to the internet and came across the idea of a food log. I had told my doctors I thought it may be food related and they told me there was no way. I decided to go back to basics and track my symptoms and food. Within a couple weeks I could pinpoint exactly what was making me sick and the symptoms associated with it. My entire life I fought weight problems (underweight and over weight), migraines, anxiety, and depression; the list goes on. All I had to do was take dairy out of my diet & I found 80% of these struggles were removed from my life. It was in this pivotal moment that I realized my health was in my hands; NOT my doctors, nor will it ever be again. (OK that's an exaggeration, I'm totally not giving myself stitches, but I will forever look to myself before a doctor) I realized that by simply listening to my body, I could be healthy. I want now more than anything to be able to help others. I felt so hopeless, so helpless during that time. Such a simple, natural solution changed my life & I want to do that for others in need. Now, here I am, working towards my degree, here with you fine folks, writing this blog and working on this exercise!
Relaxation Exercise:
The relaxation exercise was interesting to me. I've tried these before but they tend to make me giggle and nervous. (I am not a serious personality at all) But I really gave it a good try. First off, I have to say it was pretty cool to learn about blood flow and that 80% is in your abdomen while you are resting. Then how he went on to explain that the other 20% does just enough to send oxygen and vitamins to the rest of your body. To picture it so well helped me to focus on the technique of "pushing" the blood to my arms. I thought it wasn't working until he asked me to pick up my arm. They felt exhausted. I was amazed at how relaxed I felt. I never did feel a warming sensation, but I'm blaming the thermostat for that one.. I don't think these types of exercises are very "me". When if comes to relaxation, I'm more of a, go on a walk & get some fresh air kind of gal. I also enjoy drawing. It seems that the more I try to relax my mind the harder I fight it. Yet if I put myself in motion, doing something I enjoy, my ability to relax is almost immediate. Perhaps this is something I could work on. There are times in life where I am unable to physically get up and move so to learn and practice sitting still and relaxing would be beneficial.
http://www.kushs.net/kaplan/HW420/JourneyOn.mp3
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteAre you lactose intolerant, because at first when you were describing your symptoms I almost yelled out 'she's allergic to something'! Not to take any credit away from doctors because I truly feel they do the best they are taught to do, but like you said they are very narrow minded even with 8 years of college. They think conventionally only, and fail to realize sometimes that healing isn't always about a prescription of a disease with a name and a single cause, sometimes people just get sick, or are allergic to something, or anything can be out of their control. I'm glad you were able to overcome your ailment and figure out what the issue was without resorting to a false diagnosis and tons of medicine you didn't even need and even more medicine for the symptoms that were caused by the initial medicine. You can tell I'm not a fan of prescriptions, lol. Best of luck to you in everything that you do!
-Jess
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteI really agree with a lot of what you have said here. I too have spent years hoping for test results to come back abnormal. (isn't it the strangest feeling?) I suffer from a lot of the things you have listed anxiety. migraines, depression (which has now been diagnosed as bi-polar disorder)and also ADD, joint pain, sleep & fatigue issues, a hair loss condition, a strange condition with my eyes that has resulted in glaucoma, and numerous other ailments. It is so frustrating when you get test after test and they keep coming back normal. I have actually sought the help of a holistic D.O. He ran a battery of non-conventional (and expensive) tests. We finally have some abnormal results, but I have not seen him for follow-up. That comes tomorrow (or later today, actually) Hopefully he has some kind of answer for me. I sought this D.O. because a while ago I found out I had a genetic defect of the A1928C gene, which inhibits the bodies methylation (processing, if you are not familiar with the term) of folic acid. This can be related to so many different ailments. This doctor has actually been able to greatly improve (I hesitate to say "cure") autistic behavior! All because he understands how the body processes different things. I also work for a D.O. who is in the process of implementing functional & integral medicine into his practice, but he combines it with "conventional" medicine. However, his knowledge is limited, not to say that he isn't trying. But he's been in practice for over 30 years, so you know, old habits die hard! My suggestion to anyone who feels like a doctor is not listening or not looking at the body as a whole is to find a good D.O. instead of a M.D. D.O.'s are actually trained to look at the body as a whole, not just as a single symptom.
I also agree with you about the relaxation exercises. I feel like I am trying too hard to be "calm" and when I can't be calm or clear my mind I get frustrated and tense. I'd much rather go to the gym. (I'm not very outdoorsy, as I live in MI where we have more winter than any other season.) I too just feel like these exercises aren't "me." Give me a treadmill! Lol
Sorry for the ramble. I just get excited when I find others who are taking their "illnesses" into their own hands, and being proactive about their own wellbeing. I also get a little excited when I see success stories from people who suffer from some of the same issues I do. I've thought about doing a log like you did, but I always start off strong and by day 3 or 4 I forget!
Okay, your probably saying I'm tired of reading this crazy lady's post, so I will say good luck in your schooling! Looking forward to your next post!