As each day comes and goes I try not to think about my situation, I think dwelling on the good and bad in my life would eventually get me down because as much as I’d like to think of myself as undefeatable when it comes to my health that may not be the case.

Every day I tell myself that I will beat this supposedly incurable disease, stumbling and shuffling like an old decrepit geezer if watched from outside my head probably looks amusing, even humorous to those aware of my statements about where I believe I will be soon.

But I have to believe that the various supplements I take, my faith and belief in the power of my inner self, my prayers and meditation will pull me through and out of this dense cloud and mist that surrounds me, hiding me from the healthy Stefan I know still exists.

Although each new day is very much the same as the previous one, the differences between a weekday and the weekend mainly comes down to what’s on TV or that Debs doesn’t come here on Sunday. But I see them as a different day, another 24 hr period that may reveal new information, a new or different perspective for me see a way out.

When I stop and try to look objectively, try not to be optimistic but basing my view on the obvious facts I giggle a bit, laugh at myself because ridding myself of MS looks impossible. But what this horrid debilitating disease doesn’t know is that I’m Stefan, I am the son of Gina, a woman thats been through a war, had seven kids and  a thousand things that would have beaten mere mortals. So my statement to multiple sclerosis is this…”I’m giving you notice, you have been given a month and thats how long you can stay here. This is my body not yours so get the heck out”

Against all odds, I will win…

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Great day….Today has been wonderful especially after the stressful time over the previous couple of days, friday was seeing the neurologist at Queens medical in Nottingham, I’m not really sure why I have to see him because they have told me I’m at stage 4 MS which in their view means incurable. I saw a different doctor 6 months ago who gave me that view. Actually I see that as their opinion and as we all know everyone is entitled to an opinion.

My opinion is completely different, I see this as I’m on a stepping stone to my healing, this is just a place I’m staying temporarily. I refuse to look at this as my end days, yes I’m a lot better off than I was in Colorado but this is not exactly as I’d like to be, I’m in pain and discomfort 24 hours a day. I can stand and shuffle about using furniture and walls but walking just doesn’t happen…

But as I said I’m massively better off now than 18 months ago, so happy and so very grateful to be here, to be alive…

So yesterday was again in Nottingham but this time seeing the people that decide if I’m worthy of disability benefits.

I, we, sat with a doctor who asked a lot of questions then wrote a report so in a couple of weeks I’ll get a letter notifying me if they deem me sick enough for disability benefits or healthy enough to go back to work…Hmmm.

Today my wonderful sister Suzie came over then drove me back to her place for Sunday lunch. Stuart her boyfriend was busy cooking, he’s a great guy and a fantastic cook. Lamb, roasties, new potatoes, carrots, broccoli, red cabbage and gluten free gravy, it was heavenly, one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. I’ve another serving in the fridge and there’s no way I’m waiting till tomorrow to eat it.

I’m confident that everything will work out as it’s meant to be, I will remain positive and confident that wonderful amazing things will happen to me and for me.

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I’ll start with this, in the main I’m feeling good, now by good I mean that I’m not feeling any negative effects from the new additions to my daily regimen of magnesium chloride, sphingolin, herb robert and black cumin seed oil.

I take the herb robert as tea three times, sphingolin is four tablets, magnesium chloride is three tablets twice a day and the black cumin seed oil just the one time in the morning.

I am very conscious of not raving about the positives because over the years it seems that there can be a reversal or complete changes in a heartbeat. MS is a tricky disease to beat, the symptoms are not limited to any specific part of the body. It’s perceived an autoimmune disease as in the body is attacking itself. Although I’ve worked for an amazing man and studied the research of many experts in the field of alternative or complementary medicine I’m not qualified to have an accepted opinion. Accepted by others officially trained that is, but I reserve the right to my own opinion and treat myself.

So moving around the flat where I live is restricted to gripping the furniture and doorways and shuffling about, this enables me to get to the bathroom (15 times) and kitchen and bedroom. It does however mean that I can’t carry anything. Fortunately for me my sister and niece reload my water bottles daily.

Upon waking I have to drink 1 ½ litres of water before getting out of bed, over the last 17 months I’ve tried not drinking or drinking less but the outcome is the same and it’s resulted in an overall weakness and legs that simply don’t work which can be a tad worrying.

People don’t die of MS per se, but the symptoms cause organs and limbs to not function correctly resulting in problems. Because the immune system is working overtime it means it’s not available to fight off minor problems that can lead to something serious.

I’m still a little unsure about why my body seems to be crying out for salt, oh I’m sure there are some readers shaking their heads and tutting about the salt thing but I’ve mentioned this before that contrary to the general opinion, everyone needs salt but not the crappy nutritionally bereft table salt.

If I just drink plain filtered water I become very weak but having a half litre with himalayan rock salt tends restore my somewhat weakened strength and allows me to get around in my gimpy way.

I’m expecting my blood test results soon, possibly even tomorrow, so I’ll be able to make an educated guess as to the efficacy of my supplements. As the subject line states, my health is a work in progress.

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After the serious and complex dental revision and body chemistry re-balancing I dabbled in a few other potential remedies that weren’t expensive and relatively ineffective at changing or improving any of the debilitating symptoms but I kept a positive and optimistic attitude.

It was in 2010 that I read about Dr.Paolo Zamboni in Italy, his wife had suffered very badly with MS which spurred him on to research the disease and possible cures. He discovered that every MS patient he saw had the same problem in their veins. As blood is pumped around the body he found that in all patients there was a blockage as the blood travelled from the brain causing a back up. Keeping this as simple as I can it meant that the restricted blood flow meant less oxygen getting to the brain and other organs. Obviously no oxygen or less of it restricted the effectiveness of these essential organs resulting in symptoms. OK this is a very basic explanation for the condition now called Chronic CerebroSpinal Venous Insufficiency or CCSVI. The operation on his wife resulted in a 75% improvement in her condition including a return of her sight,

As I’d lost my job for no fault of my own (see Ignominiously dumped for a more detailed explanation) I desperately wanted to have this operation. I sought financial assistance from the Huggins Alliance of dentists that I’d helped for three and a half years. I was able to raise enough money to have the operation. Not at the best hospital but a far less expensive one in Bulgaria.

Again there is a detailed post called My Quest..part 2.5

Part of the operation to maintain the blood flow was to have a stent put into the jugular vein but because of my knowledge right or wrong I refused to have a metal stent left in my vein. So the problem was…is that stenosis happened or the vein closed or narrowed again meaning the MS didn’t go.

So far there have been more than 50,000 CCSVI operations around the world with a better than 90% success rate.

Sometimes I could kick myself for not having the stent, oh well, thats in the past so onward and upward.

Since getting back to the UK I have read and researched as much as I could which leads me to the last two things. I read about a doctor called Celeste Pepe D.C N.D. who wrote a book on her MS recovery. Of the nine steps she used only one I’d not heard of, Sphingolin Myelin Basic Protein which is harvested from the spinal cord of New Zealand cattle.

The explanation by the medical profession is that the immune system is attacking itself hence the term Autoimmune disease, the suggestion is that by taking the sphingolin myelin basic protein the immune system could attack this instead of the myelin surrounding the nerves in the brain then the excess taken could slowly replace the damaged myelin.

I am not expecting massive immediate results but over time I’m hoping for an improvement.

The last and other current thing involves magnesium, I’ve used magnesium for several years but in a book I read by Dr. Carolyn Dean, she goes into more depth than anything I’ve ever seen.Without going into this too deeply she talks of magnesium being crucial in the workings of over 800 systems and enzymes in the body.

I take Magnesium Chloride in tablet form daily and soak for an hour or more three times each week in warm baths with 8 cups of magnesium chloride which is about a kilo.

My very well educated friend in Japan has researched a herb called Herb Robert that I will be taking as a tea when it arrives from Australia, I’ll keep you updated so watch this space,

Now I’m sure there are some readers confused by the title of this post. If you are in England and ever watch TV you may have seen a commercial advertising Landrover’s.

Several people are shown including a guy who lost his leg from the knee down, he’s running. There’s a guy climbing a sheer rock face then falling, he’s roped up then he’s climbing again. Throughout the commercial there are several people doing things they were told they couldn’t.

I was told by neurologists and other doctors that I have an incurable disease and I will never get better and I should just accept what they tell me that my condition will only get worse.

The tagline in the Landrover commercial is:

I CAN AND I WILL

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When I was first diagnosed with MS in February 2004, the neurologist who told me in his inimitable New York straight to the point way that I had Multiple Sclerosis, my reaction was “I’d deal with it”. He then said I couldn’t just deal with it because it was a life threatening incurable disease and I’d be bed ridden and using a wheelchair full time  within six months if I didn’t start using the drugs. I didn’t and never have used the med’s, actually they don’t deserve to be called medicine’s, because they are quite simply pharmaceutical drugs that mask a symptom not the cause of the health condition.

I was soon to hear about a juice made from the Mangosteen fruit that only grows in south east asia and Hawaii. I’ve taken the juice that’s called  XanGo ever since I first started in November 2004. Without it I struggle really badly, yes it is addressing the symptoms but there are no side effects, or should I say no negative side effects. I’ve had arthritis in my knees since I was 28 which was a few years ago…… actually 30 years ago….wow that made me feel really old. Taking the juice helps considerably with the MS symptoms and completely eases the arthritis.

I started working for Dr.Huggins and the inquisitive side of me became more than an interest in trying to fix me. It became an obsession not just for me but for the thousands of people I talked with during the 3 ½ years.

I studied quite aggressively to learn as much as I could of Dr.Huggins work and Alternative or Complementary medicine.

The next thing I tried was Progurt, a probiotic in yoghurt form. I talked a great deal with a Phd called Robert Beson, who strangely enough was another New Yorker but he had set up a company called Micro Bio Flora near Sydney, Australia. OK we’ve all heard of probiotics so what made Progurt better than the thousands of others. Well you might see something on the bottles telling you there are 5 million CFU’s or some might say as much as 5 billion CFU’s. Colony forming units are friendly bacteria, Progurt is not just a little different it’s massively different in the way it’s made and the variety of bacteria it uses. Oh there is another reason, it has a trillion CFU’s so not only does it use significantly more strains of healthy bacteria it is also 200 times more powerful than anything else.

I used it for six months and yes it was helping me, so why am I not using anymore, hmmm well it could be that my wife started having an affair then cleaned out our bank account and filed for divorce. Her reason’s basically all came down to my MS symptoms., nice.

This made it impossible to afford as Progurt was costing $600 per month. But if I had the money I would get back on with Progurt in a heartbeat.

Working for Dr.Huggins convinced me of the dangers of the materials and methods used in conventional dentistry. I talked with thousands (literally) of patients and a number of dentists qualified in biological dentistry and more importantly in the Huggins protocol. I soon became good friends with two of the best dentists in the country (USA), Dr.Blanche Grube and Dr.John Rothchild.

Dr. Blanche performed a total dental revision that lasted 10 hours over two non consecutive days, that was very important. Following the body chemistry plan from Dr.Huggins after the dental revision gave me hope of a full recovery from MS.

Sadly that didn’t work although I certainly made improvements.

I’m struggling now after all this one finger typing, I’m getting cramp in my right hand not just the typing finger, so I’ll stop now and continue tomorrow.

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Well sadly that didn’t work for me, I’m referring to the Viobin wheat germ oil. I’d tried it after hearing about it from a friend. I think with everything that I research myself or hear about it from a trusted source I use myself as a guinea pig and give it a try.

Now being intolerant to a variety of foods or at least the additives used or integral to foods I have to be a little careful. Now please understand this isn’t a case of not liking the taste of a food it’s a little more serious than that.

For instance, I’m gluten, milk and sugar intolerant, I don’t eat fish or pork although my reaction to the last two is mainly based on my knowledge of the damage they can cause in the body when taken consistently over a long period of time.

Gluten, Milk and Sugar however tend to act within minutes

Gluten,  this is a protein found in wheat that is the natural component that helps breads to stick together, you’ll notice that gluten free breads tend to flake or split and break up much easier than other breads.

The wheat based products like breads and pasta will create physical problems in my body such as aching in my calves and shoulders and it’s in my upper spine and neck that understandably worry me most.

I tried various milk’s but they all had the same negative effect on me so no I love coconut milk, although rice milk and almond milk are good alternatives to dairy coconut milk is the best from a health standpoint. Lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric. Coconut is a MCFA medium chain fatty acid and unlike other fatty acids this is big time healthy.

Sugar is quite simply the most toxic food on God’s green earth, most people will be eating this bad stuff regularly and say it’s perfectly fine for them…But…!! .but, how many of you have health problems that you ignore such as weight gain, headaches, sleeping problems  and so many more things that you don’t associate with the chocolate bars and desserts. It’s the flipping sugar, cut it out and the crappy artificial sweeteners and over a period of time, months, you’ll see improvements.

Now back to my problem, I hoped that as the wheat germ was only 2.5% of the kernel I was optimistic that the gluten wouldn’t be a big enough problem.

This was like me telling Dr.Huggins patients that being shot by a single bullet has an equally bad effect as being shot by a machine gun, just because it’s smaller it still kills.

Never mind, the effects last night after the Viobin wheat germ oil, which almost completely incapacitated me, I say almost, but I couldn’t stand straight up and had to crawl to the bathroom and then bed was a tad worrying.

After 5 hours sleep, a litre and a half of my water, 2 hours in a magnesium chloride bath I’m back to normal. Ha….me normal…naaahh but I’m feeling a lot better than 12 hours ago.

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Since reading several book by Paul C Bragg ND and Patricia Bragg ND I’ve become quite a believer in intermittent fasting. After I became settled in my own place back here in England I try to fast one day each week. Normally from 6 pm Saturday through 6 pm Sunday. As I’m sure you can appreciate, my health sometimes restricts me, having MS and being hypoglycemic sometimes means it’s not always possible. However the article written by Dr.Joseph Mercola who I was fortunate to talk to several years ago is very interesting. I think following his 5.2 option sounds like it will work for me. This is very interesting and the explanation makes a lot of sense…

In the featured documentary, Eat, Fast, and Live Longer,1 British author and journalist Dr. Michael Mosley documents his journey as he decides to try fasting, to see if it might improve his health.

At the outset, his blood work revealed he was borderline diabetic and his cholesterol was high, which his doctor wanted to treat with medication.

Concerned by this diagnosis—especially as he considers himself somewhat of an expert on conventional health strategies—Dr. Mosley sets out to investigate his alternatives.

“I have always been interested in self-experimentation as a research device because so many of the most important discoveries came from scientists and doctors who used themselves as test subjects,” he says, “but I had never before performed a series of trials on my own health.”

His journey takes him across the United States, where he meets with both long-lived, healthy folk, and health and longevity experts, to learn the secrets of their success.

Your Body Was Built for Periodic Cycles of ‘Feast and Famine’

Fasting, it turns out, has a number of health benefits that most people seek: from improved cardiovascular health and reduced cancer risk, to gene repair and longevity.

In short, he discovers that part of what appears to be driving the disease process is the fact that we’re eating too frequently. When you’re in constant “feast mode,” your body actually forgoes much of its natural “repair and rejuvenation programming.”

It’s true that severe calorie restriction promotes both weight loss and longevity in animal models, but this kind of “starvation diet” is not a very appealing strategy for most people.

However, newer research shows that you can get most if not all of the same benefits of severe calorie restriction through intermittent fasting, i.e. an eating schedule where you feast on some days, and dramatically cut calories on others.

This effectively mimics the eating habits of our ancestors, who did not have access to grocery stores or food around the clock. They would cycle through periods of feast and famine, and modern research shows this cycling produces a number of biochemical benefits. In short, by altering what and when you eat, you can rather dramatically alter how your body operates. And that’s great news.

Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Fasting is historically commonplace as it has been a part of spiritual practice for millennia. But modern science has confirmed there are many good reasons for fasting, including the following:

• Normalizing your insulin and leptin sensitivity, and boosting mitochondrial energy efficiency: One of the primary mechanisms that makes intermittent fasting so beneficial for health is related to its impact on your insulin sensitivity.

• While sugar is a source of energy for your body, it also promotes insulin resistance when consumed in the amounts found in our modern processed junk food diets. Insulin resistance, in turn, is a primary driver of chronic disease—from heart disease to cancer.

• Intermittent fasting helps reset your body to use fat as its primary fuel, and mounting evidence confirms that when your body becomes adapted to burning FAT instead of sugar as its primary fuel, you dramatically reduce your risk of chronic disease

• Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as “the hunger hormone”

• Promoting human growth hormone (HGH) production: Research has shown fasting can raise HGH by as much as 1,300 percent in women, and 2,000 percent in men,2 which plays an important part in health, fitness, and slowing the aging process. HGH is also a fat-burning hormone, which helps explain why fasting is so effective for weight loss

• Lowering triglyceride levels and improving other biomarkers of disease

• Reducing oxidative stress: Fasting decreases the accumulation of oxidative radicals in the cell, and thereby prevents oxidative damage to cellular proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids associated with aging and disease

There’s also plenty of research showing that fasting has a beneficial impact on longevity in animals. There are a number of mechanisms contributing to this effect. Normalizing insulin sensitivity is a major one, but fasting also inhibits the mTOR pathway, which plays an important part in driving the aging process.

Intermittent fasting is by far the most effective way I know of to shed unwanted fat and eliminate your sugar cravings. Since most of us are carrying excess fat we just can’t seem to burn, this is a really important benefit. When sugar is not needed as a primary fuel, your body will also not crave it as much when your sugar stores run low.

As mentioned above, the other mechanisms that makes fasting so effective for weight loss is the fact that it provokes the secretion of HGH—a fat-burning hormone that has many well-recognized “anti-aging” health and fitness benefits.

Last but not least, intermittent fasting has also been identified as a potent ally for the prevention and perhaps even treatment of dementia. First, ketones are released as a byproduct of burning fat, and ketones (not glucose) are actually the preferred fuel for your brain.

In addition to that, intermittent fasting boosts production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, and triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health. It also protects your brain cells from changes associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Research by Dr. Mark Mattson, a senior investigator for the National Institute on Aging, suggests that alternate-day fasting (restricting your meal on fasting days to about 600 calories), can boost BDNF by anywhere from 50 to 400 percent, depending on the brain region.3

The 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Plan

Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term that covers a wide array of fasting schedules. As a general rule, it involves cutting calories in whole or in part, either a couple of days a week, every other day, or even daily. Dr. Mosley became so convinced of the health benefits of intermittent fasting he wrote a book on the subject, called The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting.4

The fasting schedule he ultimately suggests in the book (after trying a couple of variations in the film), is to eat normally for five days a week, and fast for two. This schedule is sometimes referred to as the “5:2” intermittent fasting plan. On fasting days, he recommends cutting your food down to one-fourth of your normal daily calories, or about 600 calories for men and about 500 for women, along with plenty of water and tea. Dr. Mosley claims to have lost 19 pounds in two months by following this 5:2 intermittent fasting plan.

Alternate-Day Fasting—Another Alternative

Yet another variation that is quite common is the alternate-day fast. This fasting protocol is exactly as it sounds: one day off, one day on. When you include sleeping time, the fast can end up being as long as 32-36 hours. The drawback is that it requires you to go to bed with an empty stomach every other day, which can be tough for most people—at least initially.

However, according to Dr. Krista Varady, author of The Every-Other-Day Diet: The Diet That Lets You Eat All You Want (Half the Time) and Keep the Weight Off, the alternate-day fasting schedule does have a much higher compliance rate than many other fasting schedules. In the end, the best fasting schedule is the one that you will comply with. If you’re constantly cheating, it won’t work.

Dr. Varady’s research shows that alternate-day fasting, where you consume about 500 calories on fasting days and can eat whatever you want on non-fasting days, works equally well for weight loss as complete fasting, and it’s a lot easier to maintain this type of modified fasting regimen.

In her study, which was recently completed, participants ate their low-calorie fasting day meal either for lunch or dinner. Splitting the 500 calorie meal up into multiple smaller meals throughout the day was not as successful as eating just one meal, once a day. The main problem relates to compliance. If you’re truly eating just 500 calories in a day, you will lose weight. But when eating tiny amounts of food multiple times a day, you’re far more inclined to want more, so the cheat rate dramatically increases.

Download Interview Transcript

My Personal Recommendation

A third  version of intermittent fasting, and the one I recommend and personally use, is to simply restrict your daily eating to aspecific window of time, such as an eight hour window. I have experimented with different types of scheduled eating for the past three years, and this is my personal preference as it’s really easy to comply with once your body has shifted over from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary fuel.

Fat, being a slow-burning fuel, allows you to keep going without suffering from the dramatic energy crashes associated with sugar. And, if you’re not hungry… well, then not eating for several hours is no big deal! You do this every day until your insulin/leptin resistance improves (weight, blood pressure, cholesterol ratios, or diabetes normalizes). Then you continue to do it as often as you need to maintain your healthy state. I used a six hour window until I was burning fat for fuel, and now eat in a 9-10 hour window, and will snack on macadamia nuts during that period. I rarely eat anything for four or more hours before going to bed.

Compliance is always a critical factor in any of these approaches and it seems this is one of the easiest intermittent fasting schedules to implement. It really is beyond amazing to me how the food cravings literally disappear once you have regained your ability to burn fat for fuel. You don’t need iron willpower or enormous levels of self-discipline to maintain this eating schedule. Yes, you will get hungry, but your hunger will be appropriate and you will be surprised at how much less food will completely satisfy you once you regain your metabolic flexibility and no longer need to rely on stored sugar in your body for your primary fuel.

What Should You Eat on Non-Fasting Days?

In the featured documentary, Dr. Krista Varady takes Dr. Mosley out for lunch at a local fast food restaurant, noting that it doesn’t seem to matter what you eat on your non-fasting day, as long as you’re fasting properly every other day. I would caution against versions of intermittent fasting that gives you free reign to eat all the junk food you want when not fasting, as this seems awfully counterproductive. From my perspective, I simply cannot agree with or promote this idea.

I view intermittent fasting as a lifestyle, not a diet, and that means making healthy food choices every time you eat. Your goal is to seek to emulate the eating patterns of your ancient ancestors, which was a constant feast and famine pattern. Besides, if alternating between feasting on junk food and fasting can produce favorable metabolic results as in the video, just imagine the health benefits you’d get if you were actually making healthy food choices each time you ate!

Unfortunately, Dr. Varady doesn’t appreciate the dangers of processed foods and trans fats in particular. She focuses mostly on the quantity, not the quality, of the calories. A healthy diet includes minimizing non-starchy, carb-rich processed foods and replacing them with healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, olives, butter, eggs, avocados, and nuts (macadamia are particularly beneficial, as they are high in fat and low in protein). I also recommend being moderate in your protein consumption, and making sure meat and other animal products like dairy and eggs come from organic, pasture-raised animals.

I would also caution against eating enormous amounts of fruit, like Joe Cordelli, the calorie restricter at the beginning of the film. He starts out his day with a supersized bowl of fruit, and even though he tosses out certain parts that are particularly high infructose, I believe most people would be wise to refrain from excessively large amounts of fruit—at least until your weight and health has normalized. While a fruit-rich diet may work for some people, in the end you need to pay close attention to your metabolic parameters, and getting your vitamins and antioxidants from vegetables would be a more appropriate strategy for most.

Speaking of sugar, if you have a sweet tooth, don’t despair. It typically takes several weeks to shift to burning fat as your primary fuel, but once you do, your cravings for unhealthy foods and carbs will automatically disappear. Again, this is because you’re now actually able to burn your stored fat and don’t have to rely on new fast-burning carbs for fuel. Once you are at your ideal body weight, and do not have diabetes, high blood pressure, or abnormal cholesterol levels, you can be less rigid with your fasting. However, it is probably best to resume some type of scheduled eating regimen once in a while, to make sure you don’t slip back into old habits.

Who Should Use Extra Caution When Fasting, or Avoid It Altogether?

Intermittent fasting is appropriate for most people, but if you’re hypoglycemic or diabetic, you need to be extra cautious. People that would be best served to avoid fasting include those living with chronic stress (adrenal fatigue), and those with cortisol dysregulation. Pregnant or nursing mothers should also avoid fasting. Your baby needs plenty of nutrients, during and after birth, and there’s no research supporting fasting during this important time.

My recommendation would be to really focus on improving your nutrition instead. A diet with plenty of raw organic foods and foods high in healthy fats, coupled with high-quality proteins, will give your baby a head start on good health. You’ll also want to be sure to include plenty of cultured and fermented foods to optimize your—and consequently your baby’s—gut flora. For more information, please see this previous article that includes specific dietary recommendations for a healthy pregnancy, as well as my interview with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.

Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by an abnormally low level of blood sugar. It’s commonly associated with diabetes, but you can be hypoglycemic even if you’re not diabetic. Common symptoms of a hypoglycemic crash include headache, weakness, tremors, irritability, and hunger. As your blood glucose levels continue to plummet, more severe symptoms can set in, such as:

• Confusion and/or abnormal behavior

• Visual disturbances, such as double vision and blurred vision

• Seizures

• Loss of consciousness

One of the keys to eliminating hypoglycemia is to eliminate sugars, especially fructose from your diet. It will also be helpful to eliminate grains, and replace them with higher amounts of quality proteins and healthy fats. You can use coconut oil to solve some of these issues as it is a rapidly metabolized fat that can substitute for sugar, and since it does not require insulin, it can be used during your fast. However, it will take some time for your blood sugar to normalize. You’ll want to pay careful attention to hypoglycemic signs and symptoms, and if you suspect that you’re crashing, make sure to eat something, like coconut oil. Ideally, you should avoid fasting if you’re hypoglycemic, and work on your overall diet to normalize your blood sugar levels first. Then try out one of the less rigid versions of fasting.

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A couple of day’s ago…

I mentioned Herb Robert a herb that could possibly help with my MS, I can’t find it as a tea or tincture here in the UK so I’ve ordered it from a company called MiddlePath in Australia. Here is a little information on the herb and the owners of MiddlePath.

In Europe, Herb Robert has been a traditional herb for cancer, and it was believed to supply a natural dose of radiation. My herbal mentor called herb robert the radiation plant . Herb Robert contains ellagic acid. Researchers have found ellagic acid may slow growth of tumours caused by certain carcinogens; and it has been used to fight and prevent cancer. Here we see the herb has many actions & that can work on our behalf.

Researchers have found that Herb Robert is a natural source of germanium, a valuable element and powerful antioxidant that has the ability to make oxygen more readily available to the cells of the body. Germanium also stimulates electrical impulses at a cellular level to create a beneficial ripple effect, throughout the whole body. Germanium s remarkable effects on the immune system have been documented in medical journals. It enhances energy levels and is a powerful healing agent.

Fergus & Trijntje Reilly – creators of Middle Path

Biographical Information

Fergus & Trijntje

Fergus was born in Glasgow and Trijntje (pronounced “train-cha”) in Holland, we both emigrated to Australia in the 1950’s. Fergus returned to Scotland and completed a Ph.D. in Computing Science at Edinburgh University while Trijntje was developing the basis for her work in the Natural Healing Sciences. Fergus’ computing career culminated in managing the technical side of the Queensland State Government Computer Centre. However, a growing dissatisfaction with the de-humanising insensitivity of that work place led to an “early retirement” and a move to the country. We met on St. Valentine’s day in 1986 and married two years later, again on St Valentine’s day. By this time Trijntje had established a well-respected and widely-known Natural Health clinic in Northern NSW and Fergus was becoming increasingly involved with teaching and studies involving mind/body/behaviour mechanisms.

In 1987 Fergus was asked to develop a Behavioural Therapies course for the Australian Academy of Natural Therapies. During this period Fergus was engaged by the fledgling University of New England at Lismore to lecture on Computer Operating Systems. Fortune decreed that lectures for these two courses were to be delivered on the same day – separated by a 3-hour drive. This time provided extensive opportunities to reflect on parallels between the human mind and computer systems – behaviours and operations.

We began developing MindVision in 1988 as a practical, experiential platform for our growing committment to “making a difference”. To this day we continue to offer MindVision at our home as our way of sharing the fruits which life has given to us.

In 1992 we moved to a 3¾-acre property 3¾ kilometres outside of Maleny – a lot which had been cut off a downsizing dairy farm. It was an “essential cow-paddock” when we arrived, although a few gums and pines had been planted here and there.

Our entrance when we first met it

A further set of “coincidences” led to Fergus returning to computing activity (after a 12-year hiatus) through the development of a computer-based tool which would demonstrate a computer’s “clairvoyant” ability. The outstanding success of this project led to the development of CyberSayer , a PC-based (for Microsoft-Windows) tool which encourages personal empowerment and supports individuals to develop their awareness or insight into their lives and affairs. Over the years CyberSayer has evolved and incorporated much of MindVision’s magic.

Trijntje and Charm at the “shed site”

Much of what we have been doing since we moved to Middle Path is documented on the web. Of particular interest to many are:- Our home – The Temple – the story of its construction (to date – it remains a “work-in-progress”) – where the clinic is situated. CyberSayer ~ Software for Your Soul – a program Fergus is developing as a tool for self-empowerment and developing awareness in these “interesting times”. A powereful tool for personal and planetary change. eyesite – a brief introduction to the view through the “windows of your soul” – based on Fergus’ studies with Denny Johnson, the developer of Rayid.

We have been through much as we built this property into what it is today – a sanctuary, an Awareness Sanctuary where people from all over the world are welcome to come and discover themselves and their strengths. Middle Path is also a place where it is safe to accept yourself – just the way you are!

The flora and fauna enjoy Middle Path’s “Land for Wildlife” status whilst humans appreciate the freedom from distraction in a beautiful space which showcases what life can be like when lived with awareness.

Our focus was, and remains, personal empowerment and life enrichment. We are devoted to “making a difference” and we believe that the only effective way to achieve this is to “walk our talk” – Middle Path is the result for us and we love to share it with all who are interested in conscious living.

Fergus – “man must measure”

Thanks for sharing a glimpse of us – We wish you a wonderful today and a brighter tomorrow!

Fergus & Trijntje Reilly

Qualifications

Trijntje Reilly ND

Fergus Reilly BSc(Hons), PhD

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A few days ago a friend of mine, a professor at a university in Japan told me about a herb he’d been researching on my behalf, I’d never physically met Duncan but I’d helped him and his lovely wife when I was working for Dr.Huggins. Anyway he told me briefly about Herb Robert and that I should look into it.

Although the majority of the research was primarily in relation to it’s uses with cancer patient’s of which there are hundreds of papers, I/we can see this could help me.

Here is a post from Isobel Shipard’s blog.

I strongly recommend you read this.

Herb Robert ~ Natural Alterative ~ 3/02/08

(Geranium robertianum)

Herb Robert is perhaps the most profound natural alterative to the many toxic treatments for cancer.

Many people diagnosed with cancer have come to hear of Herb Robert, have taken the herb, and are in remission from cancer. Health has been restored to people who had been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, mouth, oesophagus, bowel, prostate, breast, uterus, spine, lymph and other cancerous conditions, including skin cancer. It is wonderful to receive feedback from people who have been using the herb.

Many years ago, someone shared with me a news item from Herald of Health, (a European magazine) entitled, Geranium robertianum, ancient herb used in the treatment for defeating cancer . The article gave details of how to use the herb and case histories of people in remission from cancer. The full article from the magazine is given in my book, How can I use herbs in my daily life?

In Europe, it has been a traditional herb for cancer, and it was believed to supply a natural dose of radiation. My herbal mentor called herb robert the radiation plant . Herb Robert contains ellagic acid. Researchers have found ellagic acid may slow growth of tumours caused by certain carcinogens; and it has been used to fight and prevent cancer. Here we see the herb has many actions & that can work on our behalf.

Researchers have found that Herb Robert is a natural source of germanium, a valuable element and powerful antioxidant that has the ability to make oxygen more readily available to the cells of the body. Germanium also stimulates electrical impulses at a cellular level to create a beneficial ripple effect, throughout the whole body. Germanium s remarkable effects on the immune system have been documented in medical journals. It enhances energy levels and is a powerful healing agent. Germanium provides a strong antibiotic and antioxidant arsenal, and I believe we receive so many benefits when we use it on a daily basis.

Herb Robert is highly valued for haemorrhaging and as a wound healer, undoubtedly, because of its astringent properties; and it was also used for bone fractures.

This week a young mother shared with me, that she had started to drink the tea. Her toddler was experiencing severe pain, distress, sleeplessness, crying every time she would cut a tooth, however, since giving the child Herb Robert to drink, now the child is more placid and has new teeth show through without trauma. Also the child is not longer constipated.

Last week a lass from Brisbane rang to say she had been diagnosed with breast cancer over 3 years ago. She followed the suggestions given in the herb book, and recently she has been diagnosed free of cancer.

A woman with lung cancer and given a life expectancy by her doctor of 16-19 months, is now free of cancer. She said she will continue to take Herb Robert as a preventative.

Many people taking the herb have experienced relief from pain, diabetes and chronic fatigue; digestive, stomach and bowel conditions; diarrhea, arthritis, rheumatism and numerous other ailments.

For any person wishing to use Herb Robert as a preventative measure, the herb can be made as a tea; or by using 4-5 leaves, eaten daily. I have the leaves chopped over my breakfast each morning.

Numerous animal owners have shared that pets with cancer, when given Herb Robert in their food, are now free of cancer.

Herb Robert continues to be the most requested herb at the Herb Farm. No doubt, this has resulted from information being passed on by word of mouth, after people have experienced the benefits of using the Herb Robert as a natural alterative.

Herb Robert is a powerful herb that we can all grow and use, daily, for our entire lifetime, to enhance and strengthen the immune system.

I encourage every home garden to have Herb Robert growing. It is a very special herb.

Isabell Shipard

Anyway I searched and searched for Herb Robert tea or tincture in the UK, none could be found however, I decided to buy some from an Aussie provider of which I found many.

I settled on a company called MiddlePath as they responded quicker than any other.

My next post will provide specific information about them.

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