Showing posts with label chronic illness recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chronic illness recovery. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

7 Healthy Apple Recipes + 3 Apple Dessert Tips



Over 2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States

I made three major lifestyle changes that led to my recovery from fibromyalgia. Making these choices can help moderate symptoms, not only from fibromyalgia, but also from many other chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases. 

  • I got as many chemicals as possible out of my home environment by changing what I used for cleaning and personal grooming. 
  • I stopped eating most processed food. 
  • I started eating real food with a lot of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Check out the post from February 8 for info on the health benefits of adding antioxidant rich foods to your diet. Want to make something with almonds? Check out last week's post. This week is all about apples. Buy organic ones when possible. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that grows apples, you may be able to find an organic apple farm that allows you to pick your own fruit.

Apples are on several dirty food lists because of the high concentration of chemical residue in commercially produced apples. If you buy them from the supermarket,wash thoroughly and peel before eating. 

Or try this. Put 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar in a large metal or glass bowl. Add apples. Fill the bowl with water until the apples are covered. Put a heavy plate on top of the apples to keep them submerged. Or turn the apples every few minutes to make sure the whole surface is coated. Soak in the vinegar and water mixture for 15 minutes. Rinse the apples in plain water and dry them with a paper towel. This helps lift chemical residue off the apples. I also soak grapes, lemons, berries and any fruits that may have been exposed to pesticides and other chemicals in the vinegar mixture before eating. 

I have searched the web this week for healthy apple recipes. Here are seven delicious ways to use this antioxidant rich fruit.

Apple Spinach Chicken

Baked Apples

Beet and Apple Salad

Chicken with Apples and Cranberries

Pork Chops with Apples and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Pumpkin Apple Soup

Updated Waldorf Salad


Apple Desserts

Apple pies, crisps, cakes, and tarts are delicious for dessert. Here are three tips to make your apple dessert recipes a little healthier.

Add healthy ingredients. To increase the nutritional value of the dessert, add healthy ingredients that blend well with the flavor of apples. Try adding chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, raisins, or medjool dates. Add 2 tablespoons of flaxseed or flaxseed/chia seed mixture to the dry ingredients. Replace part of the butter called for in the recipe with organic coconut oil. Replace part of the flour called for with rolled oats.Use unbleached flour and whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour.

Sugar. Consuming too much refined sugar is linked to a variety of health problems. Instead of white refined sugar, use raw organic sugar, raw organic honey, real maple syrup, or molasses for sweetener. Reduce the amount of sweetener called for in the recipe. I have reduced the amount by up to half with delicious results.

Shortening and oil. If your apple dessert recipe calls for oil, always use pure olive oil. Olive oil is much healthier than corn oil, canola oil, or other vegetable oils. If the recipe calls for shortening, try using organic coconut oil instead. Coconut oil looks like solid shortening and works much like shortening in recipes. Try this coconut oil pie crust.

Coconut Oil Pie Crust


Want to join my online community?

Follow this blog on one of the links located on the sidebar.

Follow my faith blog Living Faith Words

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Connect with me on LinkedIn  Kathy K. Norman

Like my Facebook page Practical Healing in a Toxic World  to find practical ways to move toward a healthy life, recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3

Visit my website www.kathyknorman.com


Monday, February 15, 2016

10 Healthy Recipes with Almonds


Raw Almonds


I made three major lifestyle changes that led to my recovery from fibromyalgia. Making these choices can help moderate symptoms, not only from fibromyalgia, but also from many other chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases. 

  • I got as many chemicals as possible out of my home environment by changing what I used for cleaning and personal grooming. 
  • I stopped eating most processed food. 
  • I started eating real food with a lot of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Check out the post from February 8 for info on the health benefits of adding antioxidant rich foods to your diet. Almonds are a delicious and versatile food high in antioxidants.They are a great source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B2, manganese, copper and other nutrients. Look for raw unsalted almonds with no additives. They can be eaten by the handful for a snack, sprinkled over yogurt, added to muffin batter, and used in stir-fry recipes. I have searched the web this week for healthy almond recipes to give you some ideas of creative ways to use this nutritious little nut.Click the links to check out some of my favorite finds.

Main dishes with an extra crunch factor.


Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers

Almond and Lemon Crusted Fish with Spinach


If you want to go vegan, try these scrumptious burgers.

Lentil and Almond Burgers


Side dishes that add a dash of pizzazz to company dinners or family meals.

Wild Rice with Shiitakes and Toasted Almonds

Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes,and Almonds


A Colorful salad that complements any menu.

Strawberry Spinach Salad


Delectable desserts.

Flourless Honey Almond Cake

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake


Snacks that blend the nutritional power duo of almonds and honey.

Almond Honey Power Bars

Honey Glazed Almonds


Want to join my online community?

Follow this blog on one of the links located on the sidebar.

Follow my faith blog Living Faith Words

Follow me on Twitter  @KathyKNorman

Connect with me on LinkedIn  Kathy K. Norman

Like my Facebook page Practical Healing in a Toxic World  to find practical ways to move toward a healthy life, recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3

Visit my website www.kathyknorman.com

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

5 Ways to Make Christmas Treats Healthier


Joy to the World

Christmas is coming and I love to bake holiday cookies and treats.I also love being free from fibromyalgia symptoms. A big part of my recovery plan involves skipping processed food and eating real food. Christmas cookies are not high on any nutritionist's list of the healthiest foods out there. However, my recovery plan focuses on practical ways to move toward a healthier life and completely giving up holiday baking is not practical for me.I have found a few ways to hold on to our family Christmas baking traditions without completely ditching my goal of eating healthier food.

1. I make sure I continue to eat plenty of real food during the Christmas season.

Before I refocused my eating plan, it was not unusual for me to consider a holiday party plate to be nutritionally balanced if it contained an equal amount of sweet and salty treats. I now know how much harm that can do to my body all the way down to the cellular level.So, I stick to my plan, even during this festive time of year. I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink ginger tea, and have protein at every meal. Eating a few cookies and treats in addition to my regular diet is a different thing altogether than eating treats in place of real food.

2. I create festive platters of fresh fruit and raw vegetables

Family and friends enjoy having more than cookies at holiday parties. I've discovered I'm not the only one trying to eat healthy during the holidays.There are a lot of fun ways to present the nutritious goodies.I served a fruit plate at Thanksgiving shaped like a turkey and my grandchildren absolutely demolished it. Need inspiration? Check out this Christmas Fruit Tree and Joy Veggie Plate I found on Pinterest. These two dishes are great for family celebrations and to take to potluck parties.

3. I avoid using processed ingredients when I bake cookies and treats.

A lot of my old holiday recipes included ingredients like a box of cake mix, candy bars, packaged cookie crumbs, and boxes and tubs and cans of things filled with all kinds of potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients. Once I started reading labels and learned all the ways the things we eat can harm us, I couldn't just ignore the truth that processed food products are often filled with chemical preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and other ingredients that research studies have linked to numerous health problems.

Baking from scratch is not as difficult as I imagined it might be. Most cookies and treats can be made from simple ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, milk, butter, nuts, and fruit. Here are a couple of ideas for using real ingredients instead of processed ones.

Does your recipe start with a box of cake mix? Just stir together 2 c flour, 1 1/2 c sugar, 1 T baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt and - Voila! - you have a homemade cake mix.

Want to decorate cutout sugar cookies? Use fruit juice instead of artificial dye to tint the icing. Decorate the tops with chopped nuts and dried fruit.

Does your recipe call for coconut or chocolate chips? Most packaged coconut contains artificial blue dye. Some chocolate chips contain high fructose corn syrup. Try organic versions. I like Wild Oats coconut which contains one ingredient: coconut. And I use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips which are great for families with allergies since they are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and peanut free.

4. I add nutritional ingredients to everything I bake.

Nutritious ingredients can be easily added to your favorite recipe. Use whole wheat flour for half the flour called for in the recipe. Replace part of the flour with oatmeal. Try almond butter and other nut butters instead of peanut butter. If you use peanut butter, buy a kind that contains only peanuts. Use real butter instead of margarine. Replace part of the butter with a few tablespoons of organic coconut oil. Add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your baked goods. I toss one or two pre-measured travel size packets of ground flaxseed into almost everything I bake. Add chopped nuts and dried fruit to up the nutritional level of your cookies.

5. I reduce the amount of sugar in every recipe.

Nutritionists have widely varying opinions on using sugar. Some say that sugar is fine as long as it is used in something you make yourself from real ingredients instead of in something you buy that is full of artificial ones. Some say that you should never use any sugar at all because it has been linked to increased inflammation in some people.

I limit the amount of sugar I eat. I used to eat sweet treats every single day, including packaged cookies and candy. Now I eat sweet treats I make myself and I only bake on holidays and other special occasions. And I eat one or two cookies at a time instead of losing track of how many I've plucked off the buffet table.

I use raw organic sugar, raw organic honey, or real maple syrup instead of refined white sugar. I reduce the amount of sugar in everything I make and you can't tell the difference. If the recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar, try making it with 1 1/2 cups instead. 

Between now and Christmas, I'll be sharing specific recipes for Christmas cookies and treats on the blog. Merry Christmas!



Want to stay connected?

Like my Facebook page: Practical Healing in a Toxic World  to find lots of practical ways to move toward a healthy life.The page has recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

Follow me on Twitter  @KathyKNorman

Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3




Monday, December 7, 2015

Recovery: Happy Third Anniversary To Me!







Yesterday was a happy milestone for me. On Sunday, December 6, I celebrated three years of freedom from fibromyalgia. When I was first diagnosed with this horrible disease, I never anticipated writing those words. Every doctor I saw and everything I read about fibromyalgia sent discouraging messages my way:


"There is no cure." 
"This will last for the rest of your life."
"Get used to feeling horrible every day."
:"You will have to adjust to your new norm of being chronically ill."


For the first year, I muddled along trying to cope with the symptoms that overwhelmed me.I had severe constant pain. I was tried on all the medicines used to moderate the pain but I had side effects and couldn't take any of them. I had unremitting fatigue, pain in multiple joint and muscle groups, insomnia, an inability to concentrate, and spiking pain in my knees, elbows, back, legs, hands, neck, and hips.I was barely able to complete the simplest tasks of daily life. It wasn't long before I tumbled into depression at the thought of feeling that awful for the rest of my life.

At first, I kept hoping that maybe I would wake up one day and miraculously feel better. But an entire year went by, and the symptoms were getting worse each day. After that first year, I finally climbed out of the fibro fog long enough to ask myself, "Now what?"  I had two choices: resign myself to living the rest of my life as a semi-invalid, or start looking for better ways to cope. I read everything I could find on chronic illness, in general, and fibromyalgia in particular. My laptop became my constant companion. The internet was both a blessing and a curse.There was endless information available but how in the world was I supposed to find the right path for me in the middle of such a deluge of data?

I am a person of faith, so I prayed for spiritual guidance as I continued my research. Slowly a sensible plan that seemed logical to me began to emerge. I decided my filter for trying different therapies would be, "First do no harm."  Some of the suggestions I read about were bizarre, potentially dangerous, or came with too little information about possible complications. Whatever I tried also needed to be practical. I didn't have the energy or resources to implement exotic and unrealistic ideas.

I kept seeing one thing over and over again that intrigued me.Some researchers are studying the possibility that fibromyalgia and other autoimmune diseases may be triggered by exposure to toxic chemicals that are ubiquitous in our modern world. They are in our environment and in things we use every day like cleaning products, makeup, personal grooming products, and processed foods 

I couldn't do much about the chemicals that were in the environment outside. But I could certainly work on the ones I was being exposed to in my own home. The plan I eventually developed required me to be willing to change a lot of things in my lifestyle, but there was nothing about it that could harm me.  

I made three primary lifestyle changes:

I eliminated as many potentially harmful chemicals as possible from my home.

I stopped eating most processed food.

I started eating whole food with lots of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.



This was a process that took time. I had to look for less toxic cleaning products, personal grooming items, and makeup to use. I became an avid label reader of all the products I used. I read ingredient labels on food packages.I stopped eating things that came in boxes that listed preservatives, artificial dyes, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and other potentially harmful substances as ingredients. I learned which real foods are the most nutritious. I eventually added other secondary steps: movement, resetting my sleep pattern, adjusting my focus, removing toxic people and situations from my daily life, and surrounding myself with a support group of encouraging people.

My expectations were extremely low. I was simply looking for a way to survive living with a chronic illness. My depression over being so sick improved as soon as I became proactive and started looking for ways to cope. My symptoms were still there but I felt less helpless once I started looking for possibilities. It took almost a year to figure out everything I needed to do. Six weeks after I had all the pieces of the puzzle in place, the totally unexpected happened. 

My symptoms had been improving a little each day for a year. I still had pain and fatigue but it was not as severe as it had been previously. On the morning of December 6, 2012, I woke up, got out of bed, and was sleepily staggering toward the bathroom when I suddenly noticed something quite astounding: my fibromyalgia symptoms were completely gone. I had no pain, no fatigue, none of the other symptoms that had plagued me for three years. I was shocked, amazed, and beyond grateful. Every morning since that day, I wake up counting my blessings and giving thanks to God for this surprising gift.

I was extremely ill for three years. Yesterday, I celebrated my third year of being symptom free. I was told that I would never be well. I want to encourage you that recovery from fibromyalgia is possible. If that sounds too good to be true, I completely agree. I wouldn't believe it myself, except for this: it happened to me. 


Want to stay connected?

Like my Facebook page: Practical Healing in a Toxic World  to find lots of practical ways to move toward a healthy life.The page has recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

Follow me on Twitter  @KathyKNorman


Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3





Saturday, November 2, 2013

3 Great Green Cleaners You Can Make at Home




Green Clean Green

Getting chemicals out of my home environment sounded like a great idea to help me move toward recovery from chronic illness.  Never cleaning my house again sounded like a good way to get my home condemned by the health department.  I figured there was a solution out there somewhere.  I started searching the web for chemical free cleaning options. There are some non-toxic manufactured products that you can buy but they can be expensive, some have added scents which are unhealthy, and these products aren't always easy to find in my little rural corner of the world.

So I started experimenting with cleaning products I could make at home out of cheap readily available non-toxic ingredients. Now my house is sparkly clean and I am sparkling with health.

Here are three of my favorites:


ALL PURPOSE CLEANER

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  

Use this mixture to clean countertops, mirrors, appliances, chrome, faucets, and anything else you would normally clean with a commercial all-purpose cleaner.  Spray the solution on the surface you want to clean. Wipe it off with paper towels or a micro fiber cloth.  No rinsing needed.  Be sure to use a micro fiber cloth when cleaning mirrors and chrome. It will leave them clean and shiny without leaving behind paper residue.  You can buy large jugs of inexpensive vinegar at any big box store or supermarket.  

Interesting factoid:  Vinegar contains 5 % acetic acid which kills bacteria and viruses. Vinegar is such an effective germ killer that it is used in many hospital high risk neonatal units to protect vulnerable newborns from exposure to both germs and harsh chemicals.


FLOOR CLEANER

I have beautiful quarry tile floors in my kitchen, den, and sunroom.  I love the natural swirly look of the tile that makes me feel like I'm walking across stones on a creek bed.  I don't love that they need heavy duty cleaning because this area gets a lot of foot traffic. I experimented with various combinations of ingredients and this one keeps my floors cleaner than any commercial product I have ever used.

Mix 1 gallon of warm water with 1/2 Tbs of mild dish detergent, 1/2 c vinegar, 1/2 c baking soda.  Be sure to add the dish detergent to the water before you add the vinegar and baking soda to keep the solution from fizzing over the top of your mixing container.  Stir well.  Store in a plastic 1 gallon pitcher with a lid.  I use a mop that has a pump sprayer, a container to add your own cleaning solution, and a micro fiber cleaning pad that can be tossed in the washing machine after use.  It is easy to fill the mop container with the solution since the pitcher has a pouring spout.  Put the lid on the pitcher when you are done and store any leftover solution for your next mopping task.

Clean kitchen floor. (Until I start cooking and spill something)



WOOD CLEANER 

This mixture is great for cleaning and restoring scratched wooden surfaces.  Use it on tabletops, furniture, door frames, or any wooden object in need of a little TLC.  I have used it to make 30 year old rocking chairs look brand new and erase all the scratches on a dining table I purchased at a huge discount because it had been a floor sample.  I just used some of the wood cleaner today on the inside of a closet door that was covered in scratches.  The scratches disappeared as soon as I put the solution on the door.

To make the wood cleaner:  Mix 3/4 of a cup of canola oil with 1/4 of a cup of white vinegar. Apply to the marred wooden surface with a clean rag, micro fiber cloth, or a paper towel.  The wood will soak up the mixture so there is no need to wipe it off after applying.

Closet door before I applied the wood cleaner

Closet door two minutes after I applied the wood cleaner 


Getting chemicals out of your home environment is just one step in the recovery process for fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses.  I got rid of chemicals in cleaning products, cosmetics, personal grooming products, and scented products.  I also stopped eating processed food which is full of all kinds of toxic chemicals.  I started eating whole foods that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.  I have been symptom free for almost eleven months. I learn something new every day about how to help my body stay healthy.  And every single day I am thankful for this blessing.  

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

While I Wasn't Sleeping









Before fibromyalgia struck, I was an extremely sound sleeper.  I have slept through tornados, blaring car alarms, and a bomb exploding in a house down the street.  So it came as quite a shock to my system when one of my fibromyalgia symptoms was insomnia.  I had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.  When I managed to catch a few fitful hours at night, I never felt rested in the morning.

I believe sleep disturbances are related to the larger problem of the cellular damage that results from exposure to chemicals in our food and environment. I got rid of chemicals in my life through changing the products I used for cleaning and personal grooming.  I stopped eating processed food and started eating whole foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. 

When I was so sick, I had severe fibromyalgia pain in multiple joints and muscles, debilitating chronic fatigue, and many other symptoms.  I was barely able to function and often was unable to leave my house.  After making the lifestyle changes necessary to limit my exposure to chemicals, it took about six weeks for my body to detoxify.  I woke up one morning and the pain, fatigue, and other symptoms were gone. I was elated!  I felt like I suddenly had my life back.  I was beyond thankful for my restored health.

However, my sleep pattern had been disrupted by this horrible disease for such a long time that I had to do some things to reset my natural sleep cycle clock.  Be sure to check with your doctor before trying any plan that involves medications or supplements.  Here is what I did.


I stopped taking prescription sleep medication.  This type of drug is intended for only short-term use.  It is not designed to be used for longer than a few weeks. Sleep induced by medication does not follow a natural sleep cycle pattern. Besides all that, I knew that drugs for sleep were adding another chemical substance to my body on a daily basis. So I stopped this cold turkey.

I took the over-the-counter supplement Melatonin for eight weeks. Melatonin has been shown to be effective in restoring the natural sleep cycle. It should not be taken for more than six to eight weeks.  That is sufficient for resetting your natural biorhythms. 

During the eight weeks I was on Melatonin, I created a bedtime ritual I could follow every night.  After dinner, I did not do any work related activities.  I watched television, checked my Facebook page, and did other just-for-fun things until 11:00 p.m. I took a hot bath or shower before getting into bed.  This helps with relaxation.  I grabbed a book and read until I felt a little sleepy and then turned off the lights.  In the beginning, I often read until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning.  After a couple of weeks, I was turning out the lights by 12:00 and sleeping until 7:00 or 8:00 the next day.

After eight weeks, I stopped the Melatonin, and continued the bedtime ritual I had established. I was worried the first night about how I would react without taking the Melatonin. But, I started reading at 11:00, turned out the lights at 11:30 and slept all night.  I have been sleeping soundly ever since.

Before you attempt to reset your sleep pattern, it is important to detoxify your body first by eliminating chemicals from your environment and diet.  You need to build up your body’s immune system and ability to take care of itself by eating natural whole healthy foods.  If you are just beginning this process, hold on to hope.  You can recover from fibromyalgia and a multitude of other autoimmune diseases by making lifestyle changes to get rid of chemicals.  You can sleep and dream again.  

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Exploring Unknown Territory








I recently visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.  The soaring sculpture is located on the approximate site where Lewis and Clark begin their westward journey of exploration to map unknown territory for those who would come after them.  

I have been on my own trek of discovery the past few years.  When I started searching for a possible cause for my fibromyalgia symptoms, I was definitely exploring unknown territory.  It is my hope and prayer that all those who are currently suffering from fibromyalgia or other autoimmune diseases will benefit from what I have learned.

I found my first clue doing research online.  I read an article describing the enormous quantity of toxic chemicals that are used in products with fragrances.  These include VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) used to bind fragrances to whatever they are being added to; plus a whole lot of other toxic substances. I had a history of allergic reactions to fragrances so the following sentence immediately captured my attention:

“The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions.”  “Chemical Sensitivities and Perfume”. Medical News Today.  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/9682.php

Having fibromyalgia and a history of allergies turned out to be a gift.  Of course I didn’t think that during the time I was sick.  My mindset was more along the lines of, “Oh great.”  “Just what I needed.”  “Something else to deal with.” (Feel free to insert your own favorite phrase dripping with sarcasm here.)

I learned that the chemicals in scents cause all kinds of responses in our bodies.  Since these reactions can occur several days after contact with a fragrance and because some of the damage is caused on a cellular level that is not readily obvious, many people are unaware of how dangerous the chemicals used in scented products are to their overall health and well-being. 

I know a lot or folks who are very sick with a variety of autoimmune diseases who have responded to the idea of a chemical cause for their illness with, “Oh, chemicals and fragrances and those kinds of things don't bother me. That can't be it."  Because I had reacted to scented products previously with symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and headache, I knew that they could cause problems.  So right away I considered the possibility that exposure to chemicals might be one of the culprits in my development of fibromyalgia.

This little nugget of truth nudged me to think about just how many chemicals we are exposed to each day in a wide variety of items including fragrances, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, pesticides, insecticides, and processed food.

Some researchers have developed a theory that exposure to multiple chemicals over a long period of time is one of the primary factors in the development of numerous autoimmune diseases.  The theory is that long term exposure to these chemicals causes the autoimmune system to malfunction.  When we are exposed to a physical, emotional, or mental stressor such as heart disease, surgery, an injury, a nasty divorce, etc., this triggers a response that our chemically poisoned immune system cannot overcome. If we do not get the chemicals out of our environment and food, there is a cascading effect.  We can never get well as long as the exposure to chemicals continues. 

Doctors who have recognized this connection are encouraging their patients to make changes in their lifestyles to get chemicals out of their environment and food and to eat a diet rich in whole foods full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. They have seen dramatic improvement and often complete resolution of the symptoms in people who have suffered for years with chronic autoimmune diseases such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, sjogren’s syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome.

If you have no health problems at the moment, making these changes can keep you healthy.  If you are currently sick and want to feel better, take a thorough survey of your home.  How many products that contain fragrance do you use every day?  Read the labels on your cosmetics, cleaning products, laundry detergent, and lotions. What chemicals are you breathing in each day?  How many chemicals are being absorbed through your skin?  Read the labels on boxes, cans, and bottles of processed food. What chemicals are directly entering your body through what you eat and drink each day?  How many years have you been exposed to these multiple sources of toxicity?

I had been using chemically laden products and eating processed food for over five decades without giving a single thought to how this might adversely affect my health. But because I didn’t want to live out the rest of my years with daily excruciating pain and constant debilitating fatigue, I was highly motivated to make lifestyle changes that otherwise I never would have considered.  I am thankful that being so sick with fibromyalgia eventually led me to make healthier choices for the rest of the time I have left here on earth.

My symptoms have been in complete remission for over eight months with the exception of a one-time occurrence when I used sunscreen without thinking. That incident provided additional evidence of the chemical connection. (You can read about this in an earlier post). 

We don’t have to resign ourselves to a life of misery.  The truth is out there for anyone who wants to find it.  Making a few simple lifestyle changes can make a world of difference in your life and your world.   

Stop using products that contain fragrance.

Get rid of cosmetics and cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals.

Stop eating processed food.

Start eating whole foods that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.


It took Lewis and Clark over two years to complete their journey,  With all the information and resources at your disposal, you can  map out your road to recovery in considerably less time. Westward ho!








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