Winter of Wellness

In the last year, I've listened to The Truth About Cancer, The Truth About Autoimmune Disease, and now I am finishing up 30 days of podcasts with alternative health practitioners from all over the world in Winter of Wellness 2017. Educating and inspiring! Wouldn't it be nice if all I had to do is take a test on all this and be a doctor? Without paying for college?

Food plan: It's been two months since I've completely stopped eating grains and legumes. It can take up to six months for the effects of these to clear out of my body, but I remain hopeful. After all, I had no idea that just avoiding wheat wouldn't do it for gluten sensitivity, a result of gut permeability. I also had no idea that the lectins in legumes couldn't be digested if you don't sprout them first. Here I was, thinking my mostly vegetarian diet was doing me good, when it turns out it wasn't.

I learned to make a pancake type bread snack with Almond Flour, Tapioca Flour, eggs, olive oil, coconut milk powder/water, and favorite spices. These are so delicious! I usually don't cook... but the desire to eat these has over-ridden my aversion to cooking.

My Triglycerides are still too high, and hopefully eliminating grains and legumes will help bring it down. My nutritionist, Ambika, pointed out to me that other blood results such as just a bit high on protein indicates I am not processing sugars (the healthy ones) which indicates my thyroid is not producing enough of whatever it is and neither is my gut. She added two new supplements to my regime. Yes, I'd been taking a number of supplements including Organa Liquid Minerals--and my hair is growing in BROWN. Places that were thinning out are filling in! Hoping my muscles will begin feeling better soon, too! Despite autoimmune responses in my body, I have succeeded in not coming down with a cold or the flu--not since my trip to Washington when I got sick from being exposed to Mold.

We had our Annual Local Author Fest on the 28th of January. I had the utmost pleasure of meeting Michael Lanning, a new author who moved to Lampasas about two years ago. We were seated in the same little group so we got to chat. I also listened to his 10-minute talk. He said they moved to Lampasas because as a result of his research, it is supposedly the fastest growing city in the state of Texas. Four different highways merge into our main drag (Key Avenue) before picking up on the other end again. This is good news but also bad. Our main drag is only two lanes each side and has lots of lights as it runs through the center of town. I am glad there are plenty of side streets to get me to where I need to go.

Mrs. Lanning: I found out Michael's wife is the one who opened "Wildflowers on the Wall" downtown on our square. There had already been wildflower murals on the side of the building which is why she named the business this. It has antiques and an old fashioned soda fountain. She also opened a little book store called "Cork and Press"--wine tasting, olives, and books. AND she is also the one who bought and had moved a two-story large house I had discovered while going for a bike ride last summer. She is going to refurbish it. I had taken photos of this house months before she bought it and drafted ideas of a book I planned to write about it (fiction). Then I saw the article in the paper about it being moved and the plans for it. Mrs. Lanning has a background in business development and plans to ignite the growth of business in our downtown area.

Other authors: there were some other well-known successful authors at our fest this time, too. Hardly any customers, which was disappointing, but us authors had more time to visit with each other! I took away a list of their books I wanted to read to add to my extremely long list I already have. I've got bookshelves with books, over 140 Kindle books on my tablet, a folder of info on books I want to read, and now these. When will someone invent a head-phone type device we can put on and just download the books into our data-base brain? I know, then what would the purpose be of learning to read?

The Chadwicks: I also know Kelly & Johnny Chadwick. They bought a little land a few miles away. Kelly is a wedding planner and loves to grow things... like olives. Johnny is a nurse at our hospital and loves music. He built a huge stage out there and has huge concerts with well-known bands. I went to two concerts for free after offering to do the PR for them with local papers. Kelly also loves all things natural, so I invited her to attend Essential Oil classes my Acupunturist/Chinese Medicine lady, Kristin, started teaching. Tuesday night, I told Kelly about Cork and Press and she said she already knew about it and had been there. Great connections! I also experienced an Acupuncture session this last week.

Writing: inch by inch, I am progressing on a book about the above mentioned house AND another one (secret for now). To add to my above wish of being able to download books, I wish I could attach a brain scan to my brain and just download all my ideas (and have them transcribed)! I have a number of stories in the works...

Reading: The Autoimmune Fix by Dr. Tom O'Brian. NOBODY SHOULD EAT ANY WHEAT, DAIRY, OR SUGAR! IKES! I'm good (at least now), but I worry so much about all the people I care about who still do. For instance, I am surrounded by people who have rotten teeth, not realizing the bacteria is affecting their health, which includes heart disease, and many other problems.

Nowadays, we are told not to give our babies dairy products until they are at least a year old. I know my mother had to quit nursing me when I was only three months old and put me on cow's milk. No formula, no vitamins. I didn't get much of a kick start in life and ended up with severe gas pains as a result of an inability to digest dairy products. Our doc said I had a case of nerves and I was given Bella Donna. Can you imagine?

Happy February! As someone posted on Facebook, January was just the 30-day trial for the new year so February is the official start date.

Join me in striving to become healthier this year!