Category Archives: Year 1 to 2

1st year to 2nd year.

Autoimmune Detox – The Benefits and Side Effects

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The essence of detoxification is to rid the body of poisonous substances.  From chelation to dietary detox, there are many ways to detoxify your body and in Ayurvedic tradition, spring time is one of the best times to do this.  My choice of autoimmune detox was to minimize any strenuous exercise and rely only on the essential supplements / medications for a month.  Items crossed out below were removed during detox:

Exercise

  • Swimming exercises 2-3X per week
  • Wii Fit+ Yoga & strength exercises

Supplements

Medicine

One Month Autoimmune Detox History

As of 3/17 I stopped exercising & at 3/20 I’ve removed all supplements from my diet.  3/20-3/22 visited Sarasota (2 hours North of where I live) & had the longest sustainable day since I began the diet on 3/21 from 8:30am to 11:30pm.  Back in Naples on 3/23 & crashed – 13 hours of sleep on 3/23 & 12 hours on 3/24.  This confirms I am still anemic & am back on my iron supplement.  Started feeling better and then had something that did not agree with me at Whole Foods on 3/30 (may have been tomato paste hidden) and flared up for the next 2-3 days.  Normally this would only take 1 day, but detoxing makes me more susceptible to flare-ups and I got a cold (1st time since I started the diet) that everyone around me was getting (lethargic, scratch throat) from 4/1 – 4/14.  Worst days were 4/5 & 4/6 as coughing prevented me from sleeping.  On 4/5 at 2am and 4/6 10pm felt a chocking feeling and violent cough to remedy which made me sore all over from shoulders to bottom of ribs.  Using an elevated pillow, Mucinex (Fast-Max severe congestion & cough), a sore throat spray, lots of chicken soup, and menthol cough drop while going to sleep improved my condition and allowed me to sleep.  Cold started to go away on 4/8 but is still lingering around and did not leave the house for a week.  The detox reduced weight slightly but the cold took my weight from 130 to 127lbs – my lowest since starting the diet.  Average weight in so far in 2013 is 131 lbs. and fluctuates from 127 to 134lbs.  Most days I average 8 hours of interrupted sleep (get up 2-3 times per night) and add 1 1/2 – 4 hours of sleep in the daytime.

Benefits and Side Effects of My Autoimmune Detox

Benefits

  • Helps identify which supplements are working and which are not.
  • Allows the body to heal on it’s own terms.
  • Lack of rigorous exercise made my body less sore in some areas, but exercise back in the pool will help other areas.  Finding a balance of exercise intensity is key and may need to work with a rehab facility with a pool to find out.
  • Less pills to take!  Much less side effects from the medicine.

Side Effects

  • Longer lasting and more susceptible to flare-ups
  • More susceptible to colds / flu
  • Weight loss since I’m underweight
  • Less physical strength and endurance along with soreness in areas which may prevent from longer periods of sleep throughout the night
  • Need to sleep more (but this might be the best thing for me)

Conclusion

While detoxing has it’s risks, you get to know the truth on what your body really needs and not what you think it needs.  Now that the detox is almost over, I can introduce one supplement at a time to see if it’s helping along with slowly starting my swimming regimen again.   In the next few months, I will start blood tests again to see how I’ve progressed without these supplements.

Raw Key Lime Pie (Less Sugar Than Soda)

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After another great Whole Foods evening meal served with raw key lime pie dessert, I did some calculations on how much sugar is in the raw key lime pie vs. the conventional sodas we commonly drink today.

Sugar vs. Raw Key Lime Pie

Compared to the Big Gulp which has 10.66 tablespoons of sugar and no nutritional value, all the ingredients of an entire raw key lime pie is 6 tablespoons of sugar (most of which comes from dates).  Skip the soda & be guilt-free when having your pie.  Plate-licking optional…

Raw Key Lime Pie

Crust

  • 1 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 6-8 dates pitted & chopped

Filling

  • 2 cups cashews, soaked for 3 hours
  • 3/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 cup coconut nectar (or 6-8 dates)
  • 1/4 cup coconut manna
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • zest of 2 limes

Directions

CRUST:  Combine crust ingredients in the food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Press into base of 8″ springform pan or make individual pies within a muffin pan (make sure to include the muffin paper cups).

FILLING:  Combine all filling ingredients using a high power blender and blend until smooth, using water to thin the mixture so it will blend (NOTE:  if you have issues with this, blend in food processor first and add to high power blender to make it smoother).  Spoon filling on the crust and refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.  If the mixture is not firm enough, cut pie slices after refrigeration and then add to the freezer.  OPTIONAL:  Serve with berry sauce (high-power blend frozen berries).

 

doTERRA Aromatherapy Essential Oils for Autoimmune Disease

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Why Do I Use doTERRA Aromatherapy Essential Oils for My Autoimmune Disease?

Everything created starts from basic elements.  For example, the Enbrel that I took for 9+ years is derived from Chinese hamster ovary cells to create a genetically engineered protein to suppress the autoimmune system.  The problem is the vast list of side effects when taking Enbrel or other medications.

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants and have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits (Example:  Frankincense was given to the baby Jesus from one of the 3 wise men when he was born).  doTERRA Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils claim to have very little side effects.  For more information on how it all works, please watch their promo video below:

What doTERRA Essential Oils Do I Use for My Autoimmune Disease?

As recommended by a naturopath and their recommended website, here are the oils and methods I use:

doterra-oils-supplements

doTERRA Oils & Supplements I Use

Morning & Evening Supplements Taken with Food

As with any supplement, take one type at a time and test for a minimum 4 days.

  • TerraZyme (1) – Enzymes to help with digestion.
  • Alpha CRS+ (2) – Helps immune function & inflammatory response to oxidative stress in cells.
  • xEOMEGA (2) – Similar to fish oils, it helps joint function, heart health, and brain function.
  • Microplex VM (2) – maintains the cells by supplying vitamins and minerals commonly missed in diets.
  • Zendocrine (1) – Suggested by my naturopath, it’s a detoxification supplement.  My heart raced & I received a flare-up when using.  I do not recommend.
  • Except for TerraZyme, these supplements are sold together as doTERRA’s Life Long Vitality Pack.

Oils and Methods

  •  With an empty vegetable (Size 0) capsule, I digest these oils together:
    • Ginger (2 drops) – anti-inflammatory to replace the Prednisone medication.
    • DigestZen (2 drops) – digestive blend to replace the Asacol HD.
    • Frankincense (4-6 drops, still testing) – anti-inflammatory to replace the Prednisone medication.
    • Peppermint (1 drop) – digestive blend to replace the Asacol HD.
      ..

    Lotus-DiffuserWith an aroma diffuser (photo on left), I use 2 drops each of these oils for aromatherapy:

    • Lavender – overall stress, use for daytime
    • Serenity – calming oil used before bedtime to induce a restful sleep
    • Lemon Grass – daytime oil for headaches and pain
    • Balance – Geared toward the central nervous system, this oil helps calm spikes in emotions.
    • Breathe – Use at the onset of cold, flu, and congestion.

 

Do doTERRA Oils Work for my Autoimmune Disease (Initial Review)?

Since the timing of this post, I have been using the above protocol for a month. Before I was on the oils, I tried getting off Prednisone and had multiple symptoms come back the next few days.  On 2/19 I tried again by not taking any Prednisone at night and the usual 1/2 pill (5mg) daytime.  While the first morning was difficult, I am now able to manage my symptom and pains without needing the Prednisone again at night.  The next test will be next week when I get off Prednisone completely and the final major test for these oils will probably be a month after my body is in remission.  At that time, I will stop using the oils & supplements to see if there is a difference.


natural-solutions-kit

Which Products Did I Buy? 

The naturopath suggested to start out with the natural solutions kit, but you need to sign up with a doTERRA representative to get it.   By purchasing the kit, you automatically become an “Independent Product Consultant” (IPC) and get discounts on doTERRA’s product lines.

Feel free to comment below on your experiences with doTERRA.