Rather Be Healthy

At the end of the last decade while working at Huggins Applied Healing I was lucky enough to meet, talk and study with some of the world leading experts in health and nutrition. I was truly shocked to learn the truth about preservatives, taste enhancers and artificial sweeteners. To learn about the life threatening damage these additives do, not can do or possibly do but really DO. Just because the negative effects aren’t immediately recognised most people will just avoid the warnings. That might be acceptable for you personally but think about your kids and how the cumulative effects will affect, damage and possibly shorten their life.

Experiments have found that sweet taste, regardless of its caloric content, enhances your appetite, and consuming artificial sweeteners has been shown to lead to even greater weight gain than consuming sugar. Aspartame has been found to have the most pronounced effect, but the same applies for other artificial sweeteners, such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose and saccharin.

Yet, weight gain is only the beginning of why artificial sweeteners should generally be avoided. Aspartame, for instance, is a sweet-tasting neurotoxin. As a result of its unnatural structure, your body processes the amino acids found in aspartame very differently from a steak or a piece of fish.

The amino acids in aspartame literally attack your cells, even crossing the blood-brain barrier to attack your brain cells, creating a toxic cellular overstimulation, called excitotoxicity, similar to MSG.

Further, inflammatory bowel disease may be caused or exacerbated by the regular consumption of the popular artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose), as it inactivates digestive enzymes and alters gut barrier function.2

Previous research also found that sucralose can destroy up to 50 percent of your beneficial gut flora. While you certainly don’t want to overdo it on sugar, there’s little doubt in my mind that artificial sweeteners can be even worse for your health than sugar and even fructose.

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No it’s not the end of my time, well not in a bad way, no, it’s the end of the bad times for me, I love life and have been really happy about most of the life experience I’ve had so far. The last 17 years or the equivalent of a teenagers existence has been a struggle. That’s a long time to be struggling physically and constantly in pain 24/7, for 5 years before I was officially diagnosed in 2004 I knew I had a serious problem I just didn’t know it’s name.

Anyway I’m done with it, I’m not ending my life because that would be wrong, it would be stupid and a weak get out option that I’m never going to take. What I am saying is that I’ve tried so many things over the years, some have helped and some not at all, I’ve not failed completely but as yet I’ve not succeeded.

I have faith in a higher power, it might be God, it might just be an entity thought of as The Universe, they might be the same thing, I don’t know and I don’t think anyone else truly knows, I’m not insulting anyone’s belief but it’s just that, an opinion, a belief.

So I’m appealing to you, yes you who knows and sees everything, you that has the power to control and influence everything in this universe should you choose to do so. I’m not saying I’m more deserving than anyone else. There are others that have suffered more and for longer, and I know we sufferer what you think we can handle, but enough is enough. Give me back my life……please.

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It’s strange that if ever there is a health issue however small or large the thing 99% of people do is either take a pill or go see the doctor. Everyone wants the quick fix, as in for the problem to go away. Pills, doctors, basically do their best to remedy the problem, in the main the problem would probably go away on its own given time and decent nutrition that enables the incredible human body to fix itself. But it’s become the norm to artificially bring a resolution quicker and by taking a drug that can happen. Well actually that’s not entirely true, seeing the drug pusher, oops sorry, the doctor has a psychological effect, you’ve convinced yourself that seeing him or her and taking a pill will help. In reality all that’s happening is your immune system is working and the drugs are easing the symptoms.

Everything in your body is made up of cells, there are hundreds of different types of cells and there are literally billions of each type making trillions of cells. Each organ requires these cells to work properly so that particular organ can function correctly and do the job it was expertly designed to do. The system as in your body is constantly losing deceased cells and replacing them with newly created cells, because we tend to consume nutritious and non nutritious foods and the later in greater quantity unfortunately the body isn’t capable of replacement quick enough to keep us perfectly healthy.

Sadly, artificial sweeteners, synthetic foods, drugs all exacerbate the process of deceased cells which leads to the inability of organs to do their job, hence sickness and another trip to the doctor or pharmacy or both and the deterioration cycle continues.

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Just imagine this, one day you wake up and start the normal process of getting ready for your working day, but instead of normal you feel very unstable, you have to grip the bathroom sink as tight as you can because it feels as if the room itself is violently rocking from side to side. Over time, as in years, the symptoms have gotten worse, much worse actually to the point that you are unable to walk unaided, you are ridiculously weak and your balance and stability is non existent. The medical professionals have said that there is no known cure for what you have in fact there is no medicine known to the world’s medical and pharmaceutical specialists that can help or ease the symptoms. This being the case would you give in? Knowing that even though you try your very best to overcome the extreme fatigue and constant pain and frustration and being slapped in the face (not literally) and beaten back no matter how much effort you put in everyday. Well this is my life and it would be so easy to give up, so easy to say “okay enough is enough”, but this is where the difference is between me and 99.9% of other people. As annoying, frustrating, humiliating and painful it is there are five hopes of me giving up, Bob Hope, Periscope, Antelope, Envelope and NO HOPE…

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I’ll start this post with wishing everyone reading a very Merry Christmas, over the years this special day has gradually lost its importance, not just to me but in most parts of the western world. As a child this was the most special day, not as a celebration of Christ as initially marked but just as a day of family and prezzies and yummy food.

We as in my mum and dad, my 4 brothers and 2 sister’s living in a two bedroom terraced house that looked like Coronation Street were not religious but just accepted this day as very special. I think over the years and decades Christmas day has morphed into a commercial extravaganza for kids, not all but most just see this as “What else can I have” time, sad but true.

For me this day is not a special time other than it’s a nice time, I feel good and warm in my heart, I’m grateful and happy, I have three beautiful women in my life, Mum, Suzie and Debs, I love my daughter Lucy and son Josh although I haven’t seen or heard from them in years.

This day, Christmas day is…. a day.

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I have so much to be grateful for, from the outside looking in that probably seems like a strange comment to make. To most others looking at me and the life I’m living it’s not obvious why I say I’m so grateful, I mean here I am, I’m not a spring chicken anymore, I have one of the many “so called incurable diseases”,  I live alone and am living on disability benefits.

“Change the way you look at things and things you look at change”

Ok I’ve been there, done that and I’ve got the T shirt and the video, not a spring chicken no, but I’ve been, seen, done and learned things others may only dream about.

When I was officially diagnosed with this so called incurable disease in 04 the neurologist told me I’d be in a wheelchair permanently within 6 months if I didn’t take the prescribed medication, I didn’t and I’m not.

I live alone, yay… I get up, go to bed, read, watch telly and eat what I want, when I want.

I have enough to pay my bills, buy the supplements and foods I need, so yes I have so much to be grateful for and I’m happy.

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When actually given the genuine choice of Allopathic or Ayuvedic medicine, and by that I mean if both were available as conveniently as each other and a true explanation of what was intended by the practitioner then I firmly believe that Ayurvedic medicine would in the majority.

Allopathic medicine..

A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptom and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery.

Ayuvedic medicine

is one of the world’s oldest holistic (“whole-body”) healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in India. It’s based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit.

If you walked into your house and found the kitchen floor was soaking wet, would you just grab several blankets and lay them down to soak up the water….or would you quickly turn off the tap and pull the plug out of the sink, then mop up the water…

Sounds ridiculous when you see it like that but in reality that’s whats happening with the Allopathic way which simply treats symptoms, surely its best to find the cause of the problem and fix that.

What is the goal for western medicine and that refers to the pharmaceutical giants (Big Pharma) and followers….the sad fact is it’s Job Retention…

The UK is not quite, but nearly as bad as the US when it comes to the “just take a pill” attitude. Drive through any city or town in the US and Walgreens are almost as common as Starbucks. Here you can find a pharmacy as popular as “the corner shop” used to be.

I know if given choice of “fix it” or put a Band-Aid on then my choice every time is Fix it…

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Over the past twelve years since my official diagnosis I’ve spent a very long time in research, often two or three hours each day and that’s not including my years with Huggins Applied Healing where I was fortunate to work in the presence of greatness.

My disease has required me to see neurologists and conventional doctors who have in their limited western medical way have given their advice, I’m not demeaning them but in all honesty this has been absolutely no help in any shape or form. The fact that I’m able to cope with the symptoms comes down to my own research and experimentation with natural supplements and nutrients.

At the start of each day I take what I believe to be the highest and best quality supplements that have been meticulously researched and formulated by an incredible team. I exercise, obviously I’m limited physically but this is done to complete exhaustion three times each day. During the day I’m also drinking around 4.5 litres of liquids, primarily water based.

My exhaustion and total weakness tend to last for an hour after exercise but a couple of hours after my third spell I feel strong and stable, that’s all relative of course.

I entitled this post as Bill Murray, now we can all think of him as a great actor and many of his movies have brought big laughs to most people. Why the title for this post? Well there’s one particular movie that my life seems to mimic and that’s Groundhog Day. What seems to be happening is that I’m starting every day as if the days and weeks and years previous efforts mean nothing.

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I feel it’s important in life to have a goal, something to aim for rather than ambling along with no focus on anything other than what is in front of you right now, this second. There’s no doubt that living in the “Now” can bring pleasure, but so often that pleasure has consequences. As I was saying in my previous post, this can be very pleasurable in the short term but in my case that wouldn’t work, I just can’t live that way, so regardless of the aches and pains I will continue in my quest.

Now I’ve always thought quite highly of myself, I’m determined almost to the point of being downright stubborn when it comes to my health and how I can restore it. So having this determination and what I’ve thought about as special and almost unique, isn’t…….

Last night I stayed up a little later than what’s normal for me to watch all of “Sports personality of the year”. Seeing the determination and commitment of the olympians  and paralympians and what they choose to do and sacrifices they make every day of their lives was inspiring and motivational. It was great to watch but what it did do, and I see this as positive is it brought me right back down to earth.

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As I said yesterday, this health issue is a problem that I have to deal with every minute of everyday, there’s no respite as everything I do and in a lot of cases don’t do has an effect on me being alive or not. Dramatic…. exaggeration… No…

Ok to explain, to start, the foods I eat all have an impact on me, the basics are that it has to be gluten free, if it’s “gluten free” it’s definitely wheat free, however if it’s “Wheat free” doesn’t mean it’s “Gluten free” as there is gluten in other grain, so I have to pay close attention to food ingredients. Dairy, I’m lactose intolerant, however not all lactose affects me and that also is affected by quantity.

Sugar, refined sugar is a killer for me and that’s not an exaggeration. My body is ok with small quantities like 10 to 15 grams over a 24 hour period, larger amounts play havoc with my body chemistry.

The above are the prime individual problems, however not ingesting water, not just liquid has an equally damaging effect on me, I have to drink about a gallon or 4.4 litres of water each day. Over time, research and literally hundreds of adjustments  I’ve finally found ways to actually get through each day with bearable pain, discomfort and frustration. I say bearable because pain, discomfort and frustration is a 24/7 thing, so it’s accepted and controlled.

Regardless of what anyone thinks they know about me, who I am or what I’ve done, I know I’m a vain, narcissistic but very proud man. Until I got sick I was always reasonably  fit and strong so getting this illness has been humiliating to me, not being able to do physical things is incredibly humbling.

The title refers to living in the “Now” which is important, I am happy, I don’t get depressed or bored, but as much as it would feel great initially to indulge in some Cadbury chocolate or a shot or two of a 24 yr old malt whisky, I can’t, I don’t because I know what it would do to me and how badly I’d be affected. So yes I do live in the “Now” but I also have to be very aware of the “Then”.

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