'Cause I'm Always Cooking Up Something! : )
Health and Wellness
Personal Journeys
0June 18, 2011
Personally, I think that one of the most appealing aspects of the internet has been its ability to allow people everywhere to share their stories.
Stories of inspiration, hope, challenges, joys, hobbies, interests, and more.
I’m somewhat saddened to watch the internet morph into a corporate salesplace, as it slowly loses the human touch that made the early internet a pioneering space filled with real stories about real people.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but Facebook really isn’t the center of the universe and you really don’t have 10,000 “friends” this week.
So, as I have the time to do it, I’m going to share with you some of the “other internet.” The Old School Internet that was composed of people with a burning desire to communicate something of importance to their fellow human beings (not just that they “like” Britney).
We’ll start here:
Here’s the story of Sandy Beardsley, who chose to share her journey as she fought to overcome the effects of a brain tumor. Sandy died in 2006, but her husband, Dan, has left her website in place to help inspire and help others. As she said in the first chapter of her site, “I hope that my words can in some way help anyone that is facing such a challenge. You are not alone.”
Thank you, Dan and Sandy, for sharing your story and helping others find their way through what can be a very confusing and scary process.
Here are more of Sandy’s words, from the genesis of her site in the Summer of 1999:
This is an ongoing written account of my journey through living with a brain tumor. I have kept a journal and continue to write about my experience. At first I kept the journal to express my emotions in a positive way. I began to think I might share these words with others when my journey was finished. Now I realize that that day may never come. Life is a journey and the process is what’s important, not the ending. My husband came up with the idea to share my words on a website.
Please visit the site here and experience for yourself Sandy’s wonderful, giving spirit, filled with strength and hope. And remember this: Life is what’s happening NOW, today. Make the most of it while you have it!
Awesome Energy in a Bottle: A Special B-Complex
4May 2, 2011
Country Life Coenzyme B Complex
Here’s a quick post about an awesome supplement for anyone who needs an energy boost (and who in 21st century America doesn’t?).
Add the extra benefits of boosted mood, better memory/mental clarity, and improved immunity, and you’ve got a winning combination.
We’ve all heard of the importance of taking a good B-complex vitamin and I’ve tried many, many different brands over the years. Unfortunately, almost all of them caused me to feel nauseated, no matter what kind of food I tried to couple with them.
So, I dedicated some time last year to find some alternatives. I started with Source Naturals Coenzymate B Complex
These worked GREAT and because they were sublingual (dissolved under the tongue), they bypassed the liver, allowing the B Complex to move directly into the bloodstream. This meant no more nausea! The downside was that since they had to be dissolved under the tongue, I found (to my dismay) that they stained my teeth. Even though they gave me more energy, it came at the cost of temporarily yellowed teeth. No go!
Then I found Country Life’s Coenzyme B-Complex Caps, thanks to the help of the generous reviewers at IHerb.com and Amazon.com
They worked GREAT for me. I took them for a good 6 months or so before it dawned on me that they might just help my husband with his longstanding fatigue problem. He took his first two on April 22 and has been feeling great ever since (it’s now May 2).
We shared some with some neighbors in their 70′s who were having some fatigue issues, and to our amazement, within a few hours of their first dose, they were feeling energized. SERIOUSLY energized. They spent the whole first day out in their backyard, doing yard work.
I can’t recommend this particular supplement highly enough. My husband has tried countless other forms of B-Complex vitamins that never, ever worked anything like these. The effects were potent and immediate.
One important point: unlike any other B Complex I’ve ever used, this one is DESIGNED TO BE TAKEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. We take 2, first thing in the morning, with a full glass of water, about an hour before eating.
Depending on your energy needs, you may need multiple doses a day or just a single capsule in the morning. The great thing about B vitamins is that they’re water soluble, so you really can’t easily overdose on them–your body will eliminate what it doesn’t need. Fat soluble vitamins, on the other hand (like A, D, and E) are stored in the body and it’s important that you exercise more caution.
What seems to make this particular form of B Complex so effective are the additional coenzymes that make the B Vitamins more bioavailable (absorbable by the body’s tissues).
Here’s the ingredient list, FYI, direct from the manufacturer–just click on the “View Product Label” link on this page.
Good luck; hope this helps you as much as it’s helped us; let me know how it works for you!
If you’ve never ordered from IHerb before, you can click on the green banner on the right side of the page and you’ll save $5 off your first order. Amazon
also has a great Subscribe & Save price on this supplement. Sign up for regular delivery (every month, 3 months, or 6 months) and it ships FREE.
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More Info about the value of taking a high quality B Complex:
Study shows B Vitamins reduce incidence of macular degeneration in women by 1/3
Study finds Vitamin B supplementation may delay onset of Alzheimers
B Vitamins crucial in helping alleviate depression and anxiety
[--Be sure to scroll down about 1/3 of the page; top of page of this particular blog post is FULL of Google ads]
Consumer Reports: Supplements to Avoid
0April 24, 2011
by Kerri
in Supplements
Here’s a link to a useful chart from Consumer Reports, detailing twelve supplements to avoid, including several that have been proven to cause liver damage.
Superb Interview of Japan Quake Survivors
0March 21, 2011
by Kerri
in Human Behavior
Here’s an excellent, first-person account of how two people in Japan are coping with the aftermath of the quake/tsunami/reactor drama, from The Global Post.
Great Article All Parents Should Read
1March 18, 2011
Is it possible? Can you really love your kids TOO much?
Here is a terrific article from The Huffington Post that gives some fabulous free advice to “cockpit parents.” What’s a “cockpit parent”? A step above the helicopter hovering so prevalent in the Baby Boomer generation, these parents are unintentionally controlling their child’s life to such a point that the child really HAS no life of their own.
I see this all the time, even in my own extended family (and I’m sure a lot of you do, too).
I’ll ask a college kid “What’s your major?” and the mother or father will jump in: “He’s an English major.”
I’ll ask the kid “What do you want to do when you graduate?” and before the college student can answer, I get a 10 minute dissertation from the parents about all the “child’s” plans.
Ask the child about their hobbies, and be prepared for a 30 minute diatribe from Mom or Dad.
Sheesh! Give the poor kids a break–so many of them today are totally and completely smothered and handicapped by their parents. There are even statistics cited in this piece from American Express market research to demonstrate it.
I call it “Failure to Fledge” syndrome, and it’s all around you.
Kids are living with their parents even AFTER obtaining an all-expenses-paid college education (and sometimes even multiple advanced degrees) and yet still find themselves dependent on their parents’ bank accounts for even the most basic needs. I even know a couple who regularly fund their married, unemployed, adult daughter’s “Savings Account” (yes, she’s 27 and still lives at home for free, too). Some of these live-at-home-with-mom-and-dad’s are even married with children of their own.
Long term, the price these childlike adults actually pay in personal self-respect is terribly sad.
It’s a type of personal paralysis that’s very painful to watch and leaves an adult child racked with self-doubt (though often successfully camouflaged with an appearance of utmost confidence).
They have all the credentials, but no career. No motivation. No aspirations. No desire. No ambition. No self-direction.
Here are a few warning signs to look for in your own parenting (if your child is over 18, of course).
Have you ever:
Filled out an application for your child?
Written their resume?
Called in favors from professional friends, requesting internships, etc.?
Listed yourself as a reference on your child’s resume? [Please, tell me you didn't!]
Provided groceries, laundry services, etc. free of charge?
“Straightened out” a cell phone or other bill or interceded in a phone call to customer service?
If you think there’s the slightest possibility you might be handicapping your children while trying to help them (in other words, are you out of the denial phase yet?), please do yourself a favor and read this insightful article by Christine Hassler at the Huffington Post: “Cockpit Parents: How They’re Flying 20-Somethings Into the Ground.”
I strongly urge you to take some time to read through some of the readers’ comments at the end of the article so you can see how some of these “kids” (and their competitors in the real-world marketplace) feel about the situation.
Here’s a bit of sage advice from the conclusion of the piece:
“Get your own life. This is a tough one for many parents who pride themselves on being friends with their children. Please don’t be their friend on Facebook and comment on all their photos. Give them some space, and find your own as well. Invest in yourself, spend time with friends and start doing the things you put off because you were investing so much time into making your child what you think he or she could be. Let them be who they are, and discover who you are.”
Words of Wisdom, if you’re ready to receive them yet.
Do you love your children enough to let them go?
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P.S. If you’re one of the kids on the receiving end of this parenting “style,” Christine Hassler has written a five-star rated book, 20 Something Manifesto: Quarter-Lifers Speak Out About Who They Are, What They Want, and How to Get It
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Update from ABC News: 60% Parents Providing Financial Support to Their Adult Children
One of My Favorite Wellness Tools
1March 4, 2011
Ask a Patient
If you’ve taken personal responsibility for your own health and wellness, here’s a link to an invaluable tool, Ask A Patient.
This is a CONSUMER-based forum that allows actual patients/users post their reactions to a variety of prescription drugs and supplements.
Just enter the name of the RX or supplement you want to research, then read pros and cons that have been posted by real people, revealing their real world experiences.
I’m a very athletic, normal-weight ( size 8 ) woman. Recently, I experienced a very surprising, almost inexplicable 3-day, 6 pound weight gain, centered exclusively in an area where I never gain weight (upper abdomen). I quickly realized that for some reason, my cortisol levels were up. I eventually traced this (thanks to askapatient.com) to a very tiny dose of bioidentical progesterone cream
Much to my shock and concern, I learned from browsing through AskAPatient that many women are experiencing some HORRIBLE side effects from what is often considered a “safe” and side-effect-free over-the-counter cream.
As in anything else you supplement, if you need it, it’s great; but if you don’t (or if you get too much, as I apparently have), you can start a cascade of negative side effects.
Just as an FYI, here’s an in-depth article about the interplay of hormones and their complex relationships from Women to Women.
If you’re into self-care, preventative medicine, and personal responsibility for your own health, you owe it to yourself to make good use of AskAPatient.com. You’ll have to do a lot of reading and evaluating for yourself, but this is a priceless treasure trove of real world experience. Good luck & let me know what you think!
[Photo Credit: Thank you Image: worradmu / FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
Are Diet Sodas Addictive?
1March 2, 2011
by Kerri
in Health and Wellness
Diet Soda
Are diet sodas addictive?
Here’s an interesting gloss of the topic from CNN. Personally, I’ve felt that the aspartame in diet sodas is highly addictive, giving the user the powerful reinforcement of a “dopamine hit” with each drink.
In the interest of full disclosure, about 4 years ago I realized I was completely addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper (I drank at least eight a day). I quit “cold turkey,” experiencing some excruciating stomach pains and nausea on the second day (which convinced me of the powerful effects of this “harmless” sweetener).
I rarely drink diet sodas today, but if I do, they’re strictly sweetened with Splenda (like Diet Rite Pure Zero).
If you’re unwittingly addicted to aspartame, you owe it to yourself to learn more about its effects.
Here’s just one link about aspartame (some Congressional testimony) to get you started.
And here’s a more in-depth discussion about aspartame from Dr. Joseph Mercola.
[Photo Credit: Thanks to Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
Blogger Addresses Disease Called Perfection
0February 25, 2011
by Kerri
in Health and Wellness
A friend forwarded me a link to a stunningly honest blog post at Dan and Noah’s Single Dad Laughing blog. The post is about the disease called Perfectionism, and it’s a wonderful piece of brave and thoughtful writing. The kind of brutally honest piece you’ll never read in a commercial magazine.
Check it out here. You owe it to yourself. Then give yourself permission to be less than perfect today. Have a great weekend!
Important Recall of Alcohol Swabs
0February 22, 2011
Here’s some information about a very important recall of medical supplies:
Triad Group, which manufactures “sterile” alcohol wipes and swabs, lubricating jellies, and hemorrhoidal creams, has been found to have shipped tens of millions of possibly contaminated products. These products have apparently been implicated in cases of serious illness and death, including the death of a 2 year old child in Houston. Apparently, these products are contaminated with a rare strain of bacteria, bacillus cereus.
Unfortunately, some of these products have been/are being used in doctor’s offices. Some, you may have at home (particularly if you do home testing of blood sugar, INR, etc.).
The voluntary recall states: If a consumer has any of these types of products in their possession listing “Triad Group” as the manufacturer, they should not use the product and should return it to the place it was purchased for a full refund or call Triad Group Customer Service Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Central Time: 262.538.2900.
The company lists the following store brands as affected by this recall:
Cardinal Health
PSS Select
VersaPro
Boca/ Ultilet
Moore Medical
Walgreens
CVS
Conzellin
Just as an FYI, I checked my own medicine cabinet and found I had a box of sterile alcohol wipes I purchased from Target last year (Up and Up brand) that have “Triad Group” stamped on the individual packages, so the list above is obviously not all-inclusive. Check your supply yourself to verify whether it is included in this recall or not.
Here’s a link to the FDA’s Recall Notice: http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm239219.HTM
Possible Stroke Suffered By On-Air Reporter
0February 16, 2011
by Kerri
in Health and Wellness
Covering the Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, CBS affiliate reporter Serene Branson suffered what appears to be a stroke during her live coverage of the event.
It’s a startling reminder that strokes can happen at any age [and a more concrete reminder to avoid diet sodas, which, it was announced last week, are somehow linked to stroke and heart attack (the excitotoxin aspartame, perhaps?)].
The video has been removed from YouTube, but here’s a story from ABC News containing parts of the live clip: Serene Branson at Grammy Awards 2/13/11.
Strokes happen quickly and need to be quickly treated to lessen complications. If you or someone you know has any of the following symptoms, get to the emergency room right away:
Sudden weakness on one side of the face or one side of the body
Slurred speech
Sudden loss of vision in one eye
Sudden, extreme headache
Sudden dizzyness or loss of coordination
Sudden confusion, loss of speech, or inability to understand
Learn more about stroke here at the American Heart Association website.
UPDATE 2/18/11: Reporter Serene Branson gave an interview, posted here, explaining that her doctor diagnosed her issue as a “migraine” and that the symptoms “mimick a stroke.”