Lots to write about this topic but not lots of time today, so for expediency check out www.thepaleomom.com and click on the drop down menu for Autoimmunity.
I am stoked about this website and her new book The Paleo Approach. I can't say enough and strangely one reason is that today I violated her suggestions and ended up with a stabbing headache (I never get them) a nose full of what feels like rubber cement, and, um, a lot of gas.
What I ate to bring that on was: a "Whenever Bar" (grain, nuts, sugar, etc. - just because it is gluten-free does not mean it is good for you) which brought on cravings for cashews (I have not eaten nuts for over a month) and I ate a LOT of them. I have been mostly grain free for about 2 months I think. The exceptions have been white rice several times a week, and lately some gluten-free bread a couple of times a week. Grain, legumes and nuts are "off" the Paleo Approach AI plan. Also nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers of all kinds including any type of cayenne etc... and eggplant). I hate it a lot because I love nightshade vegetables. However, the last time I went off them and then challenged myself with them I had a flare of fibromyalgia that lasted for several weeks.
So, I have to count this experience as one more verification of her approach. To be continued!
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Update
Eleven days after starting LDN I can report a subtle deepening of sleep which occurred immediately, and now I am getting up only once in the middle of the night to pee. Also, strangely, the first effect I noticed was that my facial skin seemed softer. I can only imagine that some kind of low-level inflammation was causing roughness of my skin.
I noticed that one night when I forgot to take my dose before going to sleep, and woke up and took it around three or four in the morning, I had a crummy day the next day. As I understand it, the dose should be taken before bed or before a normal bedtime whether you go to sleep or not. There is evidently a window of time from between 2 and 3 AM when the LDN works to reset the body's opiate receptors. I guess I missed it that night, because the next day I was out of sorts and uncomfortable.
The next night I took it around midnight or 12:30 and it seemed okay the next day.
I will keep you posted going forward!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Emotional Safety
Heading Transforming Conflict; Awakening, others
Disclaimer: everything in this blog is my own opinion, of course. Sometimes I pull from other sources, and sometimes I can remember what those sources are! And then I list them. It is no doubt partial truth, from my perspective, and I welcome civil dialogue that adds to our common understanding.
In my experience, my emotional safety comes from within me. You could argue that that extends to physical safety as well. I remember teaching a nutrition series for Cooperative Extension in Las Vegas in a housing project in a rough neighborhood. I don't think I realized how rough it was until one day during class a man came in carrying a pistol case with the gun in it. He was no threat, in fact he was carrying the weapon because he was afraid. He seemed genuinely surprised that I, as a white woman, did not appear to be afraid. Evidently there was quite a lot of violence thereabouts of which I was blissfully unaware. We had a discussion about it and as I recall he tried to convince me that I should take precautions. Despite that, I never felt unsafe there. I don't advocate ignorance as a strategy for safety, far from it. I do think that habitual fear can lead to behaviors that predators recognize as "prey" cues, leading to increased likelihood of violent attack.
I learned about this in detail some years later from my qi gong teacher Master Mikel Steenrod of Water Mountain Martial Society in Flagstaff Arizona. Master Mikel taught people to stand, walk and move with confidence so as to signal predators that they were NOT prey. You could say that we are no longer in the jungle, but regardless of how civilized we are, I think he is right that many of our power interactions with others are based on animal signals and cues. We are human animals, we transcend and include our animal-ness, intentionally or not. Master Mike also teaches Kung Fu and other forms of self-defense so that genuine confidence arises based on a real ability to defend oneself.
Aside from self-defense moves, Qi Gong as a discipline teaches the practitioner to be aware of her own subtle body energy. This energy can be felt, cultivated, and strengthened so that there is a healthy, resilient cushion between the practitioner and outside forces. I honestly think this is one of the best ways to cultivate emotional safety.
I don't know how to describe these techniques or teach them in a blog format. Master Mike has a free online study course here http://www.h2omt.com/ (scroll to bottom of page). In our upcoming Waking Down in Mutuality retreat here in the Atlanta area, my partner Corwin and I will be leading morning Qi Gong exercises focused on cultivating emotional safety. We will work with the subtle body in physical ways, and also teach Qi Gong meditation practices aimed at the same goal.
Why is this necessary? Will we not be in a safe place? With safe people? Yes indeed. But as I say emotional safety comes from within. Any time you are opening up and being vulnerable it is important to know how to to take in what others share and stay centered. More on this soon.
Disclaimer: everything in this blog is my own opinion, of course. Sometimes I pull from other sources, and sometimes I can remember what those sources are! And then I list them. It is no doubt partial truth, from my perspective, and I welcome civil dialogue that adds to our common understanding.
In my experience, my emotional safety comes from within me. You could argue that that extends to physical safety as well. I remember teaching a nutrition series for Cooperative Extension in Las Vegas in a housing project in a rough neighborhood. I don't think I realized how rough it was until one day during class a man came in carrying a pistol case with the gun in it. He was no threat, in fact he was carrying the weapon because he was afraid. He seemed genuinely surprised that I, as a white woman, did not appear to be afraid. Evidently there was quite a lot of violence thereabouts of which I was blissfully unaware. We had a discussion about it and as I recall he tried to convince me that I should take precautions. Despite that, I never felt unsafe there. I don't advocate ignorance as a strategy for safety, far from it. I do think that habitual fear can lead to behaviors that predators recognize as "prey" cues, leading to increased likelihood of violent attack.
I learned about this in detail some years later from my qi gong teacher Master Mikel Steenrod of Water Mountain Martial Society in Flagstaff Arizona. Master Mikel taught people to stand, walk and move with confidence so as to signal predators that they were NOT prey. You could say that we are no longer in the jungle, but regardless of how civilized we are, I think he is right that many of our power interactions with others are based on animal signals and cues. We are human animals, we transcend and include our animal-ness, intentionally or not. Master Mike also teaches Kung Fu and other forms of self-defense so that genuine confidence arises based on a real ability to defend oneself.
Aside from self-defense moves, Qi Gong as a discipline teaches the practitioner to be aware of her own subtle body energy. This energy can be felt, cultivated, and strengthened so that there is a healthy, resilient cushion between the practitioner and outside forces. I honestly think this is one of the best ways to cultivate emotional safety.
I don't know how to describe these techniques or teach them in a blog format. Master Mike has a free online study course here http://www.h2omt.com/ (scroll to bottom of page). In our upcoming Waking Down in Mutuality retreat here in the Atlanta area, my partner Corwin and I will be leading morning Qi Gong exercises focused on cultivating emotional safety. We will work with the subtle body in physical ways, and also teach Qi Gong meditation practices aimed at the same goal.
Why is this necessary? Will we not be in a safe place? With safe people? Yes indeed. But as I say emotional safety comes from within. Any time you are opening up and being vulnerable it is important to know how to to take in what others share and stay centered. More on this soon.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Multipurpose Multi-topic Blog: Permaculture for Humans
This blog will be all over the map, so I will title each segment to give readers a head's-up so they can choose what to read based on their own interest. Here are some of the areas I expect to cover:
Embodied consciousness awakening (Waking Down in Mutuality, Deeksha, 12 Steps, Integral Spirituality, Thich Nhat Hanh, etc.)
Creative expression (knitting, artwork, writing, etc.)
Sustainable gardening
Transforming conflict
Paleo diet/cooking
Reclaiming health (generally and for autoimmune, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue)
I will be conversational in tone and probably leave out some background information for brevity and ease, but if you have questions please write me and I will try to fill in the gaps. Feel free to take what you like and leave the rest :-) I expect people to read just the sections that interest them.
Embodied consciousness awakening (Waking Down in Mutuality, Deeksha, 12 Steps, Integral Spirituality, Thich Nhat Hanh, etc.)
Creative expression (knitting, artwork, writing, etc.)
Sustainable gardening
Transforming conflict
Paleo diet/cooking
Reclaiming health (generally and for autoimmune, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue)
I will be conversational in tone and probably leave out some background information for brevity and ease, but if you have questions please write me and I will try to fill in the gaps. Feel free to take what you like and leave the rest :-) I expect people to read just the sections that interest them.
Fibro/Autoimmune: Started Low-dose Naltrexone
I started 1.5 mg of low-dose Naltrexone (LDN) on April 17. Here is
the link to read about the drug http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/
There is some decent evidence that it is useful in fibro and
chronic fatigue (FM/CFS). Some people reason that this means that FM/CFS is
autoimmune in origin. It may be that LDN has other mechanisms of action though
too. I am keeping track of my starting levels on a variety of symptoms, and
will track that at 28 days out and report. It takes 28 days for full saturation
in the body, but longer than that to see full effect I expect.
I'm on the Learning Curve!
As a blogging newbie, I'm beginning to explore the bells and whistles available. Seemingly, there is a way to add labels to my different posts – I would really like that, because I'm aware that there is no "average reader". Each person has different interests.
I am also intrigued by ways to add gadgets to help people follow my blog, and all kinds of other cool things.
Today I'm interested in talking about how we can maintain our own safety, and I'm talking emotional safety, when we're in a group of people, especially a group dedicated to "digging deep", recovery, transforming conflict or even awakening. Read on!
I'm on the Learning Curve!
As a blogging newbie, I'm beginning to explore the bells and whistles available. Seemingly, there is a way to add labels to my different posts – I would really like that, because I'm aware that there is no "average reader". Each person has different interests.
I am also intrigued by ways to add gadgets to help people follow my blog, and all kinds of other cool things.
Today I'm interested in talking about how we can maintain our own safety, and I'm talking emotional safety, when we're in a group of people, especially a group dedicated to "digging deep", recovery, transforming conflict or even awakening. Read on!
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