WorkoutMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Powerlifer- I was wondering if you have any proof
> or storys about long term use of glandulars
> causing the adrenals to atrophy. In the past Ive
> used a glandular for the thyroid/parathyroid and
> found it to be quite beneficial!

As far as studies go i don't think there are much if any on glandulars anyway. From an anecdotal point of view ive seen this happen in many individuals, glandulars contain small amounts of hormones, supplementing with any hormones has the potential to atrophy and weaken whatever gland its substituting for.

Short term use from what ive read this doesn't tend to be an issue and i know many who have had good success with glandulars. I don't tend to talk about them for the reasons above though and i didn't find them of any use personally for adrenal fatigue, although i know many have. Sometimes they'd help then at other times they'd make me tired, panicky, shakey etc.

I personally prefer to rebuild my adrenal glands nutritionally, but i can see the uses of glandulars if needed, especially in people with severe adrenal insufficiency.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 10:54AM by powerlifer.

I take 10 mg of DHEA daily, and my blodds levels do not go up. I can only tolerate walking for 20 minutes at a moderate clip, sometimes not even that. My muscles are very week and I hope that getting my testosterone levels up will help me to tolerate more so that I can be stronger, and honestly, more sculpted.
I use coconut, olive oil and avocado.
Fruit agrees with me for the first part of my day, mainly because it is light and refreshing and I don't have an appetite for anything more.

februarygirl

Lilahbean98 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PL, thanks for advice. You think smoothies with
> vegies like kale, swiss chard, etc with some fruit
> is a good idea? I was going to start having them
> for breakfast instead of something like eggs? And
> proteins for every meal, like some kind of meat,
> or some kind of shake like sunwarrior or what
> should I do for proteins with every meal?
>
> I understand staying away from caffeine. One of
> my supplements I take for adrenal fatigue though
> one of the ingredients listed is green coffee bean
> extract. I was concerned about it so I emailed
> them and they just said it was decaffeinated but
> what are anyone's thoughts on whether this is ok
> or not?
>
> Also, any suggestion on my other post on
> addressing certain issues like allergies to any of
> the herbs and/or food allergies/sensitivities,
> poor liver function, heavy metal toxicity, poor
> digestion and my question on all of the
> recommended herbs?

This forum is vegan, as such non-vegan foods can't be discussed as per the rules, so it makes this discussion quite difficult. What you had originally for breakfast sounds a better choice if im honest in regards to adrenal fatigue, if you have any blood sugar problems it is definitely the better choice. Saying that these days i start mostly with a green smoothie(berries/greens and a scoop of protein).

Green coffee bean extract contains caffeine as such i wouldn't personally take it if i had adrenal fatigue. My adrenal fatigue was so severe that id react adversely to even minute amount of stimulants such as theobromine/caffeine in raw cacao/chocolate etc. Even decaffeinated it will still have a small level of caffeine, really this depends how severe your adrenal fatigue is and if you notice any adverse reaction such as energy depletion afterwards and so on then i would avoid personally.

Allergies to herbs and foods is a common symptom of decreased adrenal gland function. As such you may notice you react to a number of herbs or foods you try. The common symptoms of mild allergy include racing heart beat(tachycardia), stimulation/wirey feeling, this is due to the release of adrenaline which is in part to help counter the allergen. Although multiple herb formulas are almost always more helpful for helping adrenal fatigue, i often like to try small amounts of herbs individually to see how my body reacts to them first. Leaky gut is also common in those with adrenal fatigue due to the increased inflammation from low cortisol, which is one of the bodies most important anti-inflammatory steroid hormones. As adrenal function improves so will allergies, this is why many can be born with allergies/asthma but outgrow them as they get older and this is because the adrenal glands have matured.

Which brings me to my anger on how much current western medicine ignores the role of adrenal glands in relation to health. Steroids that are usually prescribed, are just to substitute what the adrenal glands should be outputting naturally. Now i do understand there are times and needs when steroid medication can be beneficial such as with acute asthma attacks, but long term they are actually very counter productive to recovery because they cause the adrenal glands to further atrophy.

Heavy metal toxicity the three best i feel are brown seaweed extract(modifilan) which is a highly concentrated brown seaweed extract which contains very high levels of alginates and other beneficial compounds such as fucoidan. Alginates are what bind to heavy metals in the digestive tract and are eliminated naturally. I feel brown seaweed extract is one of the most gentle chelators of heavy metals and other radioactive elements. Very good for lowering the body burden of heavy metals. Cilantro for example is often recommended but is very problematic to many, one because it can cross the blood-brain barrier and because it merely mobilizes metals from tissues. Unless you combine this with a binding chelator such as Chlorella then it has potential to re-distribute heavy metals to other tissues and areas of the body. I used cilantro in the beginning and the detox is immense, it made me feel like i was going crazy, as did Zinc in the beginning due to the release of Copper. Chelation should be done under the guideance of a professional also, lots of trial and error caused lots of problems.

Far Infared sauna is very good for lowering body burden of heavy metals also, but you must watch if you have adrenal fatigue, because individuals with poor adrenal function often have electolyte imbalances. Far infrared sauna will cause you to sweat out the good minerals/electrolytes along with the bad. Many with poor adrenal function also cannot tolerate the increase in body temperature from sauna use, so i voice caution and again seeking a professional if you do decide.

Ill post more later if anyone is interested, time for a rest.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 03:01PM by powerlifer.

Chris I'm going to have to agree with you overall about adrenal fatigue. Especially the frustration we have all had trying to deal with ignorant allopathic doctors. However, the elctrolyte regulating issues not withstanding, I still feel fruit (eaten in moderate quantities) is good for dealing with adrenal fatigue. Eating it will save the nervous system energy needed for healing. It can help keep blood sugar in a more balanced state, because as you know, low blood sugar can be as much as of problem as high blood sugar, when the adrenals are not doing their job. You would have to explain further what you mean when you say that someone should eat protein at each meal to help regulate blood sugar, as all food contains protein.

If you mean mixing carb type foods with protein foods, then I whole heartedly disagree with the theory especially for sick people. One reason it slows the rise of blood sugar is because it retards the disgestive process, and leads to fermentation and putrifaction in the GI tract, this causes more problems than its worth. Most people don't have either the stomach acid and/or the pancreatic strength to eat like this.

Lilahbean98, I feel your green smoothy with fruit would be better than eggs for breakfast.

I wasn't advising against fruit, just that fruit alone first thing in the morning can be problematic for some with adrenal fatigue/blood sugar issues. Most with adrenal fatigue i find tolerate moderate amounts of fruit very well and find it beneficial due to the Vitamin C content.

What i mean though is that the usual standard breakfast often revolves around cereals, grains or other carb rich foods. Mostly carbohydrates basically, people with adrenal fatigue often find a small amount of protein at meals helps keep blood sugar balanced. Especially first thing when they have been fasted all night, blood sugar regulation issues is often part and parcel of adrenal fatigue.

It can depend on the fruit too, i remember eating watermelon many times first thing and being left shakey, panicky and all the horrible blood sugar symptoms. Whilst berries, oranges etc wouldn't cause much if any issue.

Eggs are a good source of saturated fats and cholesterol which are vital pre-cursors to adrenal hormones also. This is one reason why many vegans and even vegetarians can have problems recovering from adrenal fatigue. If your liver is sluggish and congested, you will not be producing adequate amounts of Cholesterol, so dietary Cholesterol may become essential.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 05:27PM by powerlifer.

Hey FG, 10mg is considered a low dose of DHEA as you'll know, have you talked with your doctor about the possibility of increasing the dosage seen as how your blood levels are not increasing, pending your not having any of the negative hormonal effects from the dosage you currently are on. 25mg is considered a moderate dosage of DHEA, i wouldn't personally go any higher than this if you do consider experimenting, hopefully your doctor can monitor your hormone levels if you do.

Transdermal Magnesium oil has also shown to help increase DHEA levels and is often low in individuals with adrenal fatigue/chronic fatigue syndrome and those who are chronically stressed and anxious. A big part of my fatigue and symptoms were caused from low magnesium levels. Regular blood testing is not an accurate diagnostic measure of intracellular magnesium levels, however a test known as red blood cell magnesium is thought be to a very accurate indicator of true magnesium levels. It is however expensive and rarely prescribed unfortunately, always worth asking. Magnesium is such a crucial mineral to many body functions.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 05:38PM by powerlifer.

With such a proliferation of people with adrenal fatigue, perhaps a gentle reminder is necessary about taking a substance, whether truly adaptogenic or just slightly stimulating to deal with the fatigue. According to the folk (usually people in the supplementation industry) who profess the reality of adrenal fatigue and its various solutions, an adaptogenic substance can somehow make the body respond better and even adapt to the level of stress without any negative side effects. Say this is true, and even say that there really is no negative side effect. What then happens when the level of stress increases after your adaptation to the current level of stress? Do you just take some more adaptogen to deal will the new increase of stress since there is no alleged negative side effects of taking these so-called adaptogens? And if you do this, what if the stress bumps up even more, as when a person operates at excellence, they are often given even more responsibilities and duties. Keep on adding more adaptogens, since they are theoretically harmless and have no alleged side effects?

I don't know. I guess each person has to get their lessons about how much work or stress from their life situation is necessary for each of us to feel good about ourselves. I see with coco that she took the adaptogen, but then also made a conscious decision to reduce the stress in her life. What about for the person who feels they need to work or do even more to feel good about their ability to provide for themselves or their family?

There is a price for deferring the hard choices, say to do with less material goods by working a bit less or accepting less status or getting a less stressful job or life situation. The price is the health of your body and your general well being. Yes, perhaps these adaptogenic substances can make your feel better right now. But this isn't the same thing as being healed. Because if you really felt you were healed, you could quit taking the adaptogen, do your stressful life, and you would feel just fine. But I have to wonder about all those people taking adaptogens right now, if there were to suddenly quit the adaptogen, how many of them would feel that everything was OK?

Our lives don't have to be hard. We've been trained by society, by our families and teachers, that life is hard, because they were trained that way, and there is this underlying current of suffering and the acceptance of suffering as a way of life. But I have found out for myself that the suffering need not be a part of my life, if I am willing to surrender myself to what each and every situation is telling me, to get the lesson that my life is trying to teach me right now. If my current life situation is putting me in a position where I am tired after the day is done, and the next morning I am still tired, perhaps I need to make some changes in my life situation rather than to "fix" or "adapt" my body so it can handle the stress load better or handle the stress the way I could when I was 18.

Like I said earlier, each of us has to get their lesson about how much suffering is acceptable. I did the coffee experience for 12 years, working like a madman, and wore out my body and my health working hard and playing hard. At some point I realized that all the work I was doing and all the social activities I was doing wasn't really what I wanted for myself, and the price of doing it the way I was doing it wasn't worth it. It wasn't until I was 44 that I realized I needed to change my mindset, to reprogram or at least discard much of the old programming inside of me so that I could get the kind of gentle life I was starting to yearn for in my middle years. And now, my stress is zero. I left the big jobs, I left the big city, I left behind my ambitions and desires, and the stress is history. I am no longer concerned about the accumulation of wealth and status and social acceptance, I am just doing what I want to do with whom I want to do it with. And it feels good.

This is still not how adaptogens work though, the effects come from "behind the scenes" we could say. Levels of stress hormones that are released at least initially in response to stress are naturally regulated by adaptogenic herbs, again the goal of adaptogens is to try and normalize the body as a whole. Whether the stress is emotional, or a physical stressor such as an illness it doesn't matter, adaptogens help to increase the bodies resistance and try to achieve homeostasis.

The example you are using is still viewing the adaptogen from a drug like perspective such as alcohol temporarily numbing someone to stress. This is not how adaptogens work, you are still coping fully with the effects of whatever stressors you are encountering, just that your body is not taking the same beating under the scenes.

I think thats a pretty good trade off personally. Like i say not everyone can instantly give up what is causing them stress, people may be trapped in relationships with people that cause them significant stress, job/money worries and so on. These are not things that people can instantly change, so you need to find healthy ways to reduce the impact of these stressors.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 05:58PM by powerlifer.

powerlifer, a question about those folk who are trapped in a relationship or job or worries or whatever. If you take a perfectly healthy person, and they get involved in one of these life situations that don't work, on day two or three of this situation, they aren't going to experience adrenal fatigue, even though they may be feeling the stress of the situation after a few days. In fact, given a perfectly healthy person, probably being in a stressful life situation like the ones you described, even after a few months they aren't going to be experiencing adrenal fatigue, assuming they were healthy to start with.

So then how long does it take to get to a state of adrenal fatigue. Years? Decades?

And if indeed its takes years to get into this state, then is getting some relief from your internal stress hormones via some adaptogen, it this going to heal the life situation? Probably not. Because if a person did well with the stressful situation for years, but is only now beginning to feel its effect, then they probably have the belief that its normal to experience stress all the time, and they probably also have the belief that there is something wrong with their body and their health, not that they were in a harmful life situation. The adaptogen then encourages this faulty belief, that something is wrong with the body, and they will probably tend to ignore the reality of the situation, that something is wrong with their life situation and a change in that is in order.

The relationship was only one example, my overall point was that not everyone lives perfect lives whether that is through choice or not doesn't really matter. Adaptogens help support the body in times of stress, i don't see what the issue is.

Adaptogens can often be the difference between people developing adrenal fatigue and not developing it. Not to mention that many adaptogens naturally improve athletic performance also.

Adaptogens are a very unique class of herbs and i am looking forward to researching these as much as i can in the future. Id love to get my hands on some more wild ginseng also but can often be rather expensive due to the rarity.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 06:24PM by powerlifer.

powerlifer, you wrote in the past that adaptogens helped you heal your adrenal fatigue. Are you truly healed, that is, are you able to function at a level of excellence right now without the adaptogens? Are you currently taking adapogens?

Prana Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> powerlifer, you wrote in the past that adaptogens
> helped you heal your adrenal fatigue. Are you
> truly healed, that is, are you able to function at
> a level of excellence right now without the
> adaptogens? Are you currently taking adapogens?

Yes i no longer suffer from adrenal fatigue and no longer need adaptogens. However i regularly cycle the use of many adaptogens now in relation to athletic performance or whenever i encounter a period of long term stress.

Again the example way you are applying adaptogens is not how they work. If you cease use nothing happens, you don't develop adrenal fatigue because you have stopped use of an adaptogen herb. Again most of the benefits from adaptogens come behind the scene by helping to regulate the HPA-axis, balance levels of stress and endocrine hormones and so on.

Adaptogen herbs are not a cure all and ive never suggested they were anything more than additional support for your adrenal glands, you will still need to nutritionally rebuild the adrenal glands and apply other healthy lifestyle factors to overcome adrenal fatigue. But adaptogenic herbs can be a massive help to many, they have thousands of years of traditional use and scientifically there is much evidence of the benefits of these herbs.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 06:55PM by powerlifer.

powerlifer, you have never stated that the use of adaptogen are a short term event either. If fact, the way you write, it sounds like its OK to take adaptogens all the time for the rest of your life. This is the danger I addressed above, that NOT changing the stressful life situation will be problematic, and taking an adaptogen continuously to deal with stress is not going to lead to long term health and happiness.

Let's not forget Holistic medicine guys, is'nt that what this is all about. Remember, Mind, Body, Spirit and not necessarily in that order. Whoop Whoop, Merry holidays to all

Prana Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> powerlifer, you have never stated that the use of
> adaptogen are a short term event either. If fact,
> the way you write, it sounds like its OK to take
> adaptogens all the time for the rest of your life.
> This is the danger I addressed above, that NOT
> changing the stressful life situation will be
> problematic, and taking an adaptogen continuously
> to deal with stress is not going to lead to long
> term health and happiness.

Please quote, i have never suggested anyone should take adaptogens all the time. I always stress the importance of taking breaks from herbs and seeking the help of a professional and not using any of these herbs without proper guidance.

Where have i ever wrote on the forum or suggested that "its OK to take adaptogens all the time for the rest of your life" ??

Where is anyone suggesting that an adaptogen will cure all your problems. If you had watched my video i suggested a number of lifestyle changes which are important in regards to stress and adrenal fatigue.

Unlike many of you guys constantly claiming raw diets to be a panacea with no proof. Im very open minded that adaptogen herbs don't work for many and are not cure all's. But as ill say again for many they are a beneficial additional support.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 07:07PM by powerlifer.

I don't have a quote, what I said is "taking adaptogens forever" sound like the advice you are giving. For example, you said people are in difficult life situations, say with relationship, jobs, or other stressful situation, and using adaptogens are a good way to deal with those stressful life situation. Since you don't advise getting out of those stressful life situations like I have advised, and you claim that adaptogens have no negative side effects, then I must assume that the individual taking your advice is going to take adaptogens forever, since the life situation doesn't get better if a person is just staying in it, and there is no bad side effect of coping with the stress using adaptogens. If I am incorrect here, please correct me.

Where did i say not to try remove the stressors that are causing adrenal fatigue?. I have always STRESSED(no pun) that eliminating whatever ones stressors are whether caffeine overuse, drug abuse, lack of rest, alcohol, emotional stress must be removed in order to recover from adrenal fatigue. Not everyone lives in a fairytale world where instant change is possible, so like ill say again adaptogen herbs can provide some additional support in times of stress.

However there is nothing wrong with the long term use of many adaptogen herbs according to research. You do need to take breaks however.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 07:15PM by powerlifer.

powerlifer, the necessity for breaks in the adaptogen usage, is this from the research or your own personal experience. What happens if a person does not include breaks in their adaptogen usage?

Prana Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> powerlifer, the necessity for breaks in the
> adaptogen usage, is this from the research or your
> own personal experience. What happens if a person
> does not include breaks in their adaptogen usage?

It is considered common knowledge that we must take continual breaks when using herbs long term, regardless of the herb. As to the latter part of your question that really depends on the herb. Someone who takes cordyceps mushroom long term would likely experience very little problems. Someone taking high doses of licorice root long term, has the potential to lower potassium and increase blood pressure.

This is why i can't stress enough about finding a professional. If anyone does experiment with herbs be sure you have properly done your research.

Let me ask you a question if i can Prana, why do you take this probiotic product that you have been promoting in various posts of yours ?. I can only assume you are taking this probiotic supplement because you are adding some additional support for your gut flora/digestion and have had positive experiences?.

Many people like to take adaptogens in times of stress because they have proven to be beneficial for supporting the body and have personally had positive experiences with them. If something is beneficial, has little side effects, is relatively cheap then what is to lose. Pending you are guided by a professional and someone who is qualified(which ill note again i am not). These experiences are purely my own.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 07:43PM by powerlifer.

I suppose the reason I've been taking the probiotic is so I can indulge in some of the fattier/spicier gourmet raw foods I've been enjoying over the last year. I was not able to eat gourmet raw foods without having to pay a price (runny nose, feeling hung over) when I was eating 80/10/10. With the probiotics, I can indulge in the gourmet foods. I am certainly enjoying the entertainment factor in eating the gourmet raw foods.

And even though I have relatively low toxins in my diet (well, maybe a bit more with the raw gourmet stuff), there are toxins in my work environment even though I live in rural northern California in the temperate rain forests. These particular probiotics eat though petrochemicals and other toxic chemicals. I am much less toxin adverse because these probiotics neutralize their effects.

People eating a clean diet and living in a clean environment have no need for these probiotics. But the people not in this situation, or if a person has impaired digestion, these probiotics can offer some extra detoxing and nutrient absorbing ability.

So you take the probiotic supplement for a reason, which is to support digestion in times of less than optimal diet. These people are just wishing to do the same with adaptogenic herbs, there lifestyles might not be perfect or easily fixable and they would like some additional support.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 08:11PM by powerlifer.

Man you guys are really splittling hairs here. Id have to agree with both of you. Brian I enjoyed your post about changing the underlying problems in your life to eliminate stress. Happy holidays to everyone

Hi Prana...I have to give you my firsthand personal experience with Powerlifer.

First, let me just say that I wholeheartedly agree with you that people should put their health and well being ahead of materialistic pursuits. I have always tried to keep things in perspective with regards to providing for my family physically, emotionally and spiritually. It can be a real balancing act.

Being at home with my children has always been a priority for me. I place a lot of importance on not just quality time, but quantity of time...yes, as much time as possible being present with them so that I can support them, provide healthy food for them, read with them, etc...

Although I have always had to work in some fashion just to meet our basic needs I have tried to minimize this by living a very simple life. We don't travel, go to restaurants, have cable t.v. or many of the so called luxuries that most people we know indulge in. Living a simple life is what we have chosen for ourselves because we know that this is a much richer life than the daily grind that so many have chosen.

My mother grew and prepared most of our food. I never ate processed chemical laden foods, and I was a big fruit and veggie person.

That being said...life has a way of getting in the way. We don't always get to choose our path.

I started taking antibiotics at age 3 for urinary tract infections, strep throat and ear infections. I had Epstein Barr Virus and every flu that existed. I was later given antibiotics for acne and was on birth control pills as a teen. I was given prednisone and methotrexate for a severe skin condition, all before the age of 15. My body's defenses were undermined before it had a chance to do well by me.

I had a severe health crises at 16 and went on a macrobiotic diet and was virtually cured of all of my ailments.

At age 21 my macrobiotic, breastfeeding infant son had an aggressive cancer that led to the surgical removal of his bladder, rectum and prostate. This, followed by 20 years of infections, ostomies, medical supplies, and suffering for him, and 20 years of stress, worry, job loss, bankruptcy, and thyroid cancer and adrenal insufficiency for me and my now family of five.

Here is where Powerlifer comes in. Doctor after doctor including naturopathic ones, and every dietery trial, including a strict raw vegan diet have not helped me to connect my poor health to my levels of stress. He did. I've always focused on diet and he put the rest of the puzzle together for me. He did not try to force me into some dietery box that is unsustainable, did not push me to any extremes, did not insist that I exercise, in fact he cautioned me to take it easy at this point, and he has encouraged things like meditation and breathing, along with reducing my stress in any way that I can. Yes, he has brought up adaptogens, but certainly not jammed them down my throat, and has never pressured me to purchase them from him, in fact he told me that it might be more economical to buy them in the states rather than from him. He stood nothing to gain. I've benefitted mostly just from reading his work on the forums, but also through some personal emails in which he has generously given of his time. I have truly been helped wholistically, more from a man living in Scotland, whom I have never seen, at no charge, than from any of my many other pursuits. And this is because of his insight into my stress and adrenal insufficiency.

I know folks differ in how they see things, and I have also been greatly helped by you and many others on the boards, as everyone has experiences that I can take valuable wisdom from, but from at least my point of view, I don't think people are going to confuse taking supportive adaptogenic herbs with putting a band aid on a problem, because it's been made pretty clear that it is only one potential piece of the puzzle. Just saying

februarygirl



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2012 02:49AM by Februarygirl.

That was a very kind and refreshing post to wake up to FG . if i can take anything beneficial from those horrible 10 years + of being ill, it will be that talking about my story has helped unravel many other individuals chronic health problems.

Cheers again FG, ill say though if anyone had bothered to read my articles or watch my videos, they would have seen i rarely recommend products. 95% of the articles and videos i do contain foods or simple lifestyle tips.

I always recommend natural food sources over supplements if possible and you will never see me recommending dodgy proven restrictive deficient low fat raw diets or water fasting like most do in every other thread. Remember natural culinary herbs and spices are toxic, but synthetic B12 supplements are healthy. #sarcasm

The use of supplements is so hypocritical on this forum, its ok to supplement synthetic B12 because you follow a deficient raw vegan diet. But its not ok for someone with adrenal fatigue to support themselves with adaptogen herbs.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2012 11:31AM by powerlifer.

Prana,
how come you eat store bought gourmet raw food which you acknowledge have spices, nuts and salt that are not raw and yet you still claim to be 100% raw for 11 years?

That is a miracle!

I guess I need to stop making that claim, since really the only way to be sure is to not buy food in stores that are not fresh produce. This would mean no foods like "raw" nuts or "raw" seeds or "raw foods" that contain spices. Technically I am on a high raw diet, even though I don't cook my foods and the foods I buy are claimed to be raw.

Prana Your experiences of breaking caffeine addiction and getting your priorities straight to the end of being much more healthy and happy have been very encouraging to me.
I think labeling ourselves and putting percentages on our food consumption, at least for me, makes me go buggy. It also makes me feel really bad when I step out of the imaginary cage that I make for myself...for instance declaring that I will only eat raw foods, but then I eat a piece of highly nutritonal seaweed, or a fabulous roasted winter vegetable dish, while everyone I know is consuming pure junk, this only sets me up for feeling I have failed myself, and for never feeling content, and yes, also for not having good physical resutls, be it because of the added and unneeded stress of putting that kind of pressure on myself, or be it from a lack of nutrients.

This is a raw vegan forum. I get that. In a perfect world I truly believe that our food should be the only medicine needed. But with the added pollution and stress and certain pressures that society puts on us, we should all be damn proud of ourselves for the care that we take to be healthy, whether it be from foods or meditation, or adaptogenic herbs, and we should enjoy nuts and seeds and spices if we so desire. To have pleasure from a wonderful spicy yet healthy dish when most need fat and chemical and meat/cheese laden foods in order to feel satisfied is a gift and we are leaps and bounds ahead of so many people who just don't get it.

I personally took a break from the forums for several months because I got fed up with the nonsense and the way that people were treating each other and I settled on this board because you guys are all so nice And becasue it's a great environment for learning and support. A lot of us really need that cause it can be lonely out there.

februarygirl

februarygirl, thank you for your kind words. I agree that creating these imaginary cages are not useful.

I agree that there can be many paths to health, and being raw is not necessarily a requirement. For some people who are really sick, they sometimes have no choice but to be all raw. But for others with better health, they can attain great health without the raw diet, and some people have achieved incredible longevity and health by smoking cigarettes and eating meat and have other habits I would consider unhealthy. I think a person with low stress and who gets a lot of sleep can eat a very unhealthy diet and still have good health.

I am appreciating your input on the forum. And believe it or not, I appreciate powerlifer's input also.

Likewise Prana, even if we often don't agree .

I forgot to mention FG, i feel that DHEA supplementation has the ability to further lower Cortisol levels. I have seen this in a few friends and there is research to suggest DHEA can lower Cortisol. So care has to be taken, as you don't want the DHEA to further decrease your Cortisol levels.

Has your doctor ever discussed isocort with you, its generally for individuals like yourself with more severe adrenal insufficiency. It does come with the same risks of atrophying the adrenal glands with long term use. But can be helpful if your Cortisol levels are low enough to warrant it.

Hypocortisolism is hell especially the more advanced ones adrenal insufficiency is. With severe adrenal fatigue levels generally tend to be low all day but are worst in the morning. Mornings were horrible. I remember the shaking, crazy fatigue, low body temp, panic attacks, just generally feeling weird all day, the low blood sugar. Every single day was just living hell.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2012 04:53PM by powerlifer.

This board wasn't always such a nice, understanding and tolerant place like it is nowadays. Good to see that this board is now more about helping people get better, rather than pushing an ideology down their throat.