I've been a nurse for more than 30 years and in that time I've watched a lot of doctor's apply "band-aid" medicine to real-life situations. Lately I've been having some thyroid issues; thinning hair that doesn't grown, brittle nails, dry skin, depression, lack of energy. The only way I can lose weight is to exercise 5 or more hours a day and eat less than 800 calories a day. My basal body temperature is between 95.8 and 96.2. Your basal body temperature is supposed to be 97.8 to 98.6, if your thyroid is working normally. I have a long list of other symptoms of low thyroid function as well.The only nutrient that regulates thyroid is Iodine. So, I've done a LOT of research. I don't want to take thyroid medicine. Thyroid medicine only stimulates the thyroid gland, it does not replace the iodine that is the cause of the thyroid malfunction. Of course, we are assuming here that I find a doctor who will do a thyroid test and Not say that it's borderline to ok. And the majority of doctors don't do Iodine testing. So as the proper medical skeptic/ nurse that I am, I will diagnose and self-treat.
So, I googled my list of symptoms and I found a site on-line to buy Iodoril, which is THE Iodine supplement. Anyone can goggle Iodoril and find it. Now, there is a long list of precautions and instructions on the site. I found another site that explains how to do a home-test for low thyroid. I ordered my supplement and on Friday last, it was here. Now, keep in mind that I have been taking 5 kelp capsules every day for about 5 weeks.
Day 1. Took half Iodoril tablet at 2pm when I got home from work. Within 15 minutes I had more energy than I have in 5 years! Made Ham pies and started on Easter candy.
Day 2. Took half tablet again. Finished up 3 batches of candy. Did 3 loads of laundry and started on yard work for the rest of the day.
Day 3. Took half tablet and still getting more done in a day than I have in the month prior. Basal body temperature 96.1 . Weight 157.5 (and I don't admit that to most people) Did an Iodine Patch Test. On the inside of the upper arm paint a 2 x 2 area with Iodine. If your Iodine levels are good it will take about 24 hours for the Iodine to absorb into the skin. If your Iodine levels are low it will take less time. After 5 weeks of Kelp capsules and 3 days on Iodine supplement my Iodine patch was absorbed within 1 1/2 hours!
Today, I took half tablet and went to work, the day buzzed by. I will need to remember to take a full bottle of water to work and maybe stash some extra in the car. I was thirsty all day, and a bit headache-y by the end from not having enough liquids today. So far though, I must admit, this is a great way to repair a malfunctioning thyroid. Do your own research. I'll try to post my journey as I go along. My understanding is, that this can take the better part of a year. Iodine supplementation needs to be slow or you risk elevated heart rate and high blood pressure issues among other things.
More later.
The link:
http://joannebrophy.com/programs/iodinetherapy.htm
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ogden Nash
I think that I shall never see
a billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all
a billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all
I think that I shall never see....
I think that I shall never see...
I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day, 5
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain. 10
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree
I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day, 5
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain. 10
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree
Summer's End
Well, it looks like summer is about over. We closed the pool a couple of weeks ago and today we started working on ordering calendars for 2011. Summer seems to get shorter every year...
I fell when we went hiking for my birthday. The hiking trip was the 7th of September, I've been sitting since then encouraging the laceration on my leg to heal. I'm not good at sitting, I'm the one who takes care of everyone else! Hubby has been great, he hangs laundry, loads and unloads the dishwasher, makes breakfast and dinner, and has been fussing that I don't sit enough. I try, really, I do, it's just not as easy as it sounds! haha
So, here I am working on web sites and Etsy accounts and finally getting back to this blog!
I lost a good bit of weight over the summer, now I've been sitting for almost a month and am terrified to get on the scale! Went through two courses of antibiotics, so I need to build my immune system back up. Increase protein, increase vitamins, extra vitamin C, and increase fluids. I'm back on water today. I had to drink a lot more than I'm used to while I was taking the antibiotics so that meant drinking things that actually tasted good. Antibiotics were finally done yesterday!!
So, while I'm sitting here, the gardens need to be closed out for the winter and the weeding finished. Maybe one more week and I can get back to being me and finaly get things done. You'd think that sitting would be like a vacation, but it looks like catching up on everything is going to be a lot of work!
I fell when we went hiking for my birthday. The hiking trip was the 7th of September, I've been sitting since then encouraging the laceration on my leg to heal. I'm not good at sitting, I'm the one who takes care of everyone else! Hubby has been great, he hangs laundry, loads and unloads the dishwasher, makes breakfast and dinner, and has been fussing that I don't sit enough. I try, really, I do, it's just not as easy as it sounds! haha
So, here I am working on web sites and Etsy accounts and finally getting back to this blog!
I lost a good bit of weight over the summer, now I've been sitting for almost a month and am terrified to get on the scale! Went through two courses of antibiotics, so I need to build my immune system back up. Increase protein, increase vitamins, extra vitamin C, and increase fluids. I'm back on water today. I had to drink a lot more than I'm used to while I was taking the antibiotics so that meant drinking things that actually tasted good. Antibiotics were finally done yesterday!!
So, while I'm sitting here, the gardens need to be closed out for the winter and the weeding finished. Maybe one more week and I can get back to being me and finaly get things done. You'd think that sitting would be like a vacation, but it looks like catching up on everything is going to be a lot of work!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Mosquitos... 'tis the season...
"Mosquito bites and treatment
Mosquito prefer some people over others. The preferential victim's sweat simply smells better than others because of the proportions of the carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds that make up body odour [38]. The powerful semiochemical that triggers the mosquito's keen sense of smell is Nonanal.[39] A large part of the mosquito’s sense of smell, or olfactory system, is devoted to sniffing out human targets. Of 72 types of odour receptor on its antennae, at least 27 are tuned to detect chemicals found in perspiration.[40]
Visible, irritating bites are due to an immune response from the binding of IgG and IgE antibodies to antigens in the mosquito's saliva. Some of the sensitizing antigens are common to all mosquito species, whereas others are specific to certain species. There are both immediate hypersensitivity reactions (Types I & III) and delayed hypersensitivity reactions (Type IV) to mosquito bites (see Clements, 2000).
There are several commercially available anti-itch medications, including those taken orally, such as Benadryl, or topically applied antihistamines and, for more severe cases, corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone and triamcinolone. Many effective home remedies exist, including calamine lotion and vinegar. A paste of meat tenderizer containing papain and water breaks down the proteins in the mosquito saliva. Both using a brush to scratch the area surrounding the bite and running hot water (around 49 °C) over it can alleviate itching for several hours by reducing histamine-induced skin blood flow.[41]
[edit] Repellents
The chemical DEET repels mosquitoes and other insects.[42] However, with increasing reports of the harmful effects DEET has on humans (including a small number of fatalities, psychological effects, and birth defects[43]), there has been a move to rely on alternative, safer repellents, repellents that are organic and otherwise of the kind that have had traditional household purposes prior to their becoming used now more often as mosquito repellents.
For example, the much safer[44] compound nepetalactone (found in catnip essential oil) has been found by Iowa State University researchers to be about 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes."
OK. I read all of that. The full article is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito
And I thought it might be fun to do an experiment. If mosquito's are drawn to our perspiration by smell, then if we alter our odor we should be able to essentially hide from the mosquito's. I've been using Auric Blends perfume oils, which we sell in the store and so far I've had pretty good results with the Black Coconut fragrance. The Jasmine didn't seem to work as well. So, if you're willing to help me out with this experiment post your findings here in the comments. I'm anxious to find a way to avoid DEET this summer!
Mosquito prefer some people over others. The preferential victim's sweat simply smells better than others because of the proportions of the carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds that make up body odour [38]. The powerful semiochemical that triggers the mosquito's keen sense of smell is Nonanal.[39] A large part of the mosquito’s sense of smell, or olfactory system, is devoted to sniffing out human targets. Of 72 types of odour receptor on its antennae, at least 27 are tuned to detect chemicals found in perspiration.[40]
Visible, irritating bites are due to an immune response from the binding of IgG and IgE antibodies to antigens in the mosquito's saliva. Some of the sensitizing antigens are common to all mosquito species, whereas others are specific to certain species. There are both immediate hypersensitivity reactions (Types I & III) and delayed hypersensitivity reactions (Type IV) to mosquito bites (see Clements, 2000).
There are several commercially available anti-itch medications, including those taken orally, such as Benadryl, or topically applied antihistamines and, for more severe cases, corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone and triamcinolone. Many effective home remedies exist, including calamine lotion and vinegar. A paste of meat tenderizer containing papain and water breaks down the proteins in the mosquito saliva. Both using a brush to scratch the area surrounding the bite and running hot water (around 49 °C) over it can alleviate itching for several hours by reducing histamine-induced skin blood flow.[41]
[edit] Repellents
The chemical DEET repels mosquitoes and other insects.[42] However, with increasing reports of the harmful effects DEET has on humans (including a small number of fatalities, psychological effects, and birth defects[43]), there has been a move to rely on alternative, safer repellents, repellents that are organic and otherwise of the kind that have had traditional household purposes prior to their becoming used now more often as mosquito repellents.
For example, the much safer[44] compound nepetalactone (found in catnip essential oil) has been found by Iowa State University researchers to be about 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes."
OK. I read all of that. The full article is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito
And I thought it might be fun to do an experiment. If mosquito's are drawn to our perspiration by smell, then if we alter our odor we should be able to essentially hide from the mosquito's. I've been using Auric Blends perfume oils, which we sell in the store and so far I've had pretty good results with the Black Coconut fragrance. The Jasmine didn't seem to work as well. So, if you're willing to help me out with this experiment post your findings here in the comments. I'm anxious to find a way to avoid DEET this summer!
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Diet
Yes, we're still on the diet, but can you really call it a diet? I think what gets people in trouble is the word "diet" in general. It gives the impression that this is temporary. It's not. This is a forever habit we're trying to build. But anyway. I've lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks. I have 25 pounds to go to goal #1 and then 15 pounds to goal #2 and then we'll decide about goal #3... I really want to, but we'll see how I feel then. I think the most important thing is learning to listen to your body. We get away from that when their are millions of "experts" trying to find us a shortcut to great health and stamina.
I've been reading all of these millions of diet plans written by these millions of experts and I'm having trouble understanding some of the recommendations.. For example: eat more... eat this miracle food... keep your calories up... don't miss a meal... Isn't that what got us in trouble in the first place? (That and of course, I Love to cook...)But wait... if you don't do this you won't lose weight and if you don't do that you won't lose weight and if you don't eat enough you won't lose weight...and since when is anorexia a disease of obesity? I'm a Certified Sports Nutritionist and a retired Body Builder, so I certainly understand the nutritional aspects of dieting. Where in all of these diets does it say,"get up off your butt and go DO something"? I remember when I was a kid we ran and played outside every day. Mom had to call us to remind us it was lunch time. We were having too much fun to want to stop just for food! Then when we become teenagers our responsibilities increased and we lost that sense of fun. Maybe that's the problem, we're too grown to remember fun... Hubby and I have been taking one day each week and DOing something. One week we took the dog to the park and we walked the nature trail. Last week Hubby and I went to the campground and walked the roads and up by the dam. This week we have a list of options. I'm waiting for him to decide what he wants to do for our "day out". I absolutely miss having a place to go for a bike ride or taking a ride down the shore and walking the boardwalk for hours on end. We don't have safe bike routes in Virginia, we don't even have a shoulder-of-the-road! I rode my bike every where when I lived in South Jersey! All of the nature trails here are mountains. It's harder to get started on a walking plan when you start out going up hill! Maybe by the end of the summer the trails will get easier.
We've finally gotten the pool to clear, the algae was winning for a while, but it looks like tomorrow afternoon I will be able to try out the new float and start swimming every day again. I've been swimming since I was 3. My cousin was a lifeguard and our community pool. He decided to drop me in the water and explain it to my Mom later. I've been swimming ever since. Of course, the dog insists on his walk every day whether I swim or not, so it looks like the summer is going to be busy and the "moving around" is going to keep increasing (YAY!).
We've decided to rearrange the bedroom. A friend of Hubby's gave us a couple of old doors from his house. We had planned on putting a door on the bedroom anyway to lead to the outdoor jacuzzi. So now we're going to move all of the weights and equipment to that end of the room and the bed to the other end. It will give us the impression of a workout space within our limited space. And we can open the door and feel as thought the space is a lot bigger than it is!
Well, it looks like I need to go and refill was water glass, maybe I'll add a few strawberries to the water this time instead of orange slices... and then I'm going outside to play!
I've been reading all of these millions of diet plans written by these millions of experts and I'm having trouble understanding some of the recommendations.. For example: eat more... eat this miracle food... keep your calories up... don't miss a meal... Isn't that what got us in trouble in the first place? (That and of course, I Love to cook...)But wait... if you don't do this you won't lose weight and if you don't do that you won't lose weight and if you don't eat enough you won't lose weight...and since when is anorexia a disease of obesity? I'm a Certified Sports Nutritionist and a retired Body Builder, so I certainly understand the nutritional aspects of dieting. Where in all of these diets does it say,"get up off your butt and go DO something"? I remember when I was a kid we ran and played outside every day. Mom had to call us to remind us it was lunch time. We were having too much fun to want to stop just for food! Then when we become teenagers our responsibilities increased and we lost that sense of fun. Maybe that's the problem, we're too grown to remember fun... Hubby and I have been taking one day each week and DOing something. One week we took the dog to the park and we walked the nature trail. Last week Hubby and I went to the campground and walked the roads and up by the dam. This week we have a list of options. I'm waiting for him to decide what he wants to do for our "day out". I absolutely miss having a place to go for a bike ride or taking a ride down the shore and walking the boardwalk for hours on end. We don't have safe bike routes in Virginia, we don't even have a shoulder-of-the-road! I rode my bike every where when I lived in South Jersey! All of the nature trails here are mountains. It's harder to get started on a walking plan when you start out going up hill! Maybe by the end of the summer the trails will get easier.
We've finally gotten the pool to clear, the algae was winning for a while, but it looks like tomorrow afternoon I will be able to try out the new float and start swimming every day again. I've been swimming since I was 3. My cousin was a lifeguard and our community pool. He decided to drop me in the water and explain it to my Mom later. I've been swimming ever since. Of course, the dog insists on his walk every day whether I swim or not, so it looks like the summer is going to be busy and the "moving around" is going to keep increasing (YAY!).
We've decided to rearrange the bedroom. A friend of Hubby's gave us a couple of old doors from his house. We had planned on putting a door on the bedroom anyway to lead to the outdoor jacuzzi. So now we're going to move all of the weights and equipment to that end of the room and the bed to the other end. It will give us the impression of a workout space within our limited space. And we can open the door and feel as thought the space is a lot bigger than it is!
Well, it looks like I need to go and refill was water glass, maybe I'll add a few strawberries to the water this time instead of orange slices... and then I'm going outside to play!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Getting Back on Track
I moved to Virginia from South Jersey in 1998. I was a Body Builder when I lived there. I competed in 1996 and did pretty well (I'll post pictures sometime...). It was a lifestyle and I loved it. When I moved to Virginia, I found myself in "the land before time". There were 2 gyms. The Nautilus (now Gold's) is the sole ownership of every college student that attends JMU. It's not really a gym, but a social club. There was also a little tiny gym at my end of the county. It's run by a Christian family, very nice people, who play only Contemporary Christian music in the gym. The music doesn't seem to enhance my work out in any way. One day while I was working out on the leg press, the owner came through with a potential new member on tour. The leg press was always my strongest exercise and naturally my favorite, so I had it completely loaded with 45 pound plates. As I was leaving the gym, the owner politely asked me to avoid the leg press whenever he was showing the gym, especially if it were police officers from the next town (his friends), he said it makes people nervous that I use that much weight. I realized that this was not going to be the gym for me either. Then recently that same town opened a community center with a work out area. How exciting I thought! Husband and I went and checked it out. No free weights (too dangerous) and a lot of elderly people. We joined anyway and decided to try it, we needed to do something. We were members for two months and we had to reorganize the workout schedule every week because of something being repaired... It wasn't working. So now we are back to the beginning.
My mind has never recognized me as a "fat girl", and that has always been a problem for me. I had a lot of self esteem issues as an young adult. I was in that "follow the crowd" mentality. I gained a lot of weight. In 1991, I decided to quit smoking. In order to keep myself from gaining even more weight, I also joined a gym the same day. There were three gyms between my home and my job, and I only worked in the next town. I started working out and I was hooked! I loved it! The endorphins were the best "high" I'd ever known! I met a lot of great people and found a trainer! I started training seriously for competition in 1993. I lost the equivalent weight of a 8 year old child!
So now here we are, I've gained the weight again. Not as much this time, though. But this time I have a real work out and diet partner, my wonderful husband. Husband quit smoking on December 3, 2009, and has gained a bit of weight. We found a great program online ~ caloriecount.com ~ that will even allow me to list my recipe ingredients and it will calculate the nutrient values for me. We've been using the program for a week now. Through my bodybuilding programs I learned the importance of a food diary, which is essential for me to stick to my eating plan. A food diary shows me everything I ate and the nutrients in those foods. It makes it easier to adjust the foods I'm eating, and it makes me accountable for everything I ingest. Everything I eat is written down, so if I don't want a particular food on my diary for that day I won't eat it. My biggest problem with an eating program is that I tend to eat too few calories just because I'm being so very careful.
So this is our diet plan:
1.Keep the calories and nutrients within the recommended range for our weight loss goals.
2.No dieting on Sunday. Everyone needs to have treats and "bad" foods from time to time and if it's not in the diet plan, you will cheat everyday, guaranteed!
3.Stay as active as possible.
4. We're working on figuring out a place to set up our own work out equipment. Once we do that, we'll set up a work out schedule.
5. Drink at least 2 quarts of pure water every day. Yes, I know coffee is a liquid too, but it's not a pure liquid. Pure liquids help to flush out some of the bad stuff that you accumulate through bad diets.
6. A multivitamin every day, insurance that we're getting our minimum...
OK, here we go, I can feel the fat melting off as I type these words!
My mind has never recognized me as a "fat girl", and that has always been a problem for me. I had a lot of self esteem issues as an young adult. I was in that "follow the crowd" mentality. I gained a lot of weight. In 1991, I decided to quit smoking. In order to keep myself from gaining even more weight, I also joined a gym the same day. There were three gyms between my home and my job, and I only worked in the next town. I started working out and I was hooked! I loved it! The endorphins were the best "high" I'd ever known! I met a lot of great people and found a trainer! I started training seriously for competition in 1993. I lost the equivalent weight of a 8 year old child!
So now here we are, I've gained the weight again. Not as much this time, though. But this time I have a real work out and diet partner, my wonderful husband. Husband quit smoking on December 3, 2009, and has gained a bit of weight. We found a great program online ~ caloriecount.com ~ that will even allow me to list my recipe ingredients and it will calculate the nutrient values for me. We've been using the program for a week now. Through my bodybuilding programs I learned the importance of a food diary, which is essential for me to stick to my eating plan. A food diary shows me everything I ate and the nutrients in those foods. It makes it easier to adjust the foods I'm eating, and it makes me accountable for everything I ingest. Everything I eat is written down, so if I don't want a particular food on my diary for that day I won't eat it. My biggest problem with an eating program is that I tend to eat too few calories just because I'm being so very careful.
So this is our diet plan:
1.Keep the calories and nutrients within the recommended range for our weight loss goals.
2.No dieting on Sunday. Everyone needs to have treats and "bad" foods from time to time and if it's not in the diet plan, you will cheat everyday, guaranteed!
3.Stay as active as possible.
4. We're working on figuring out a place to set up our own work out equipment. Once we do that, we'll set up a work out schedule.
5. Drink at least 2 quarts of pure water every day. Yes, I know coffee is a liquid too, but it's not a pure liquid. Pure liquids help to flush out some of the bad stuff that you accumulate through bad diets.
6. A multivitamin every day, insurance that we're getting our minimum...
OK, here we go, I can feel the fat melting off as I type these words!
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