Re: Intro- Pt 2 (very long dietary post)

[Guest guest]

Lee,

Wow. It sounds like you have undergone quite a transformation---not just

physically, but mentally and spiritually, as well. I congratulate you on

your diligence and patience with yourself. I am sure you are an inspiration

to many of us!

Continued Good Health,

Beth

[Guest guest]

Wow. Very impressive. Changing your habits couldn't have been easy,

and my hat is off to you for your efforts. Thanks for the thorough

report. I have Mark's information but hadn't put it into use, mostly

because I don't really understand the garlic/ginger/horseradish. Is

this a single product that you buy, or do you put it together

yourself?

I too have SLOWLY started towards healthier eating but slip back now

and again. Thanks for the inspiration!

Patti

> To continue from my last post, with some dietary-related changes and

> experiences which have brought me dramatic improvements, not just

in my

> rosacea but in many areas of health:

>

> I also have had digestive difficulties for years, and found myself

> gradually eliminating more and more foods from my diet, because I

> couldn't handle the symptoms they would cause. Over the past year

or two

> a number of conditions got really bad: gas and bloating, high blood

> pressure, increasing stiffness and fatigue, deteriorating posture,

> etc...

>

> After some attacks that I first thought were food poisoning, I

recently

> found out that I have a dangerously enlarged, fatty liver that isn't

> functioning well. My serum bilirubin levels are sky-high, and I was

> hospitalized at one stage, with the doctor telling me my situation

was

> life-threatening, if it got any worse. I recieved the liver

diagnosis

> within a week or so of the rosacea diagnosis. The doctors all

> immediately said that I should give up the booze, with both a bad

liver

> and rosacea, but I NEVER drink alcohol, and hardly ever have in my

life

> - I just do not like the stuff at all, and never have! When I told

them

> that, they hardly knew what else to say, except that " maybe it's a

> dietary thing " . I have learned that most doctors know pitifully

little

> about nutrition, and nutrition-related disorders.

>

> Determined to cure these problems and make an all-out attack on

> restoring health and wellness, I started on the garlic/ginger/olive

oil

> mix [had trouble locating the horseradish here in Hong Kong] and a

few

> other steps that Mark on the board here has advocated. He has been

very

> supportive and helpful in some private email exchanges, which I

> appreciate very much.

>

> I have also read and studied several thousand pages on liver

chemistry,

> nutrition and the digestive tract, including piles of original

research

> reports (mostly courtesy of a friend at medical school), all the

> relevant books in the public library ...I've even spent hours in

all the

> bookstores reading books (I couldn't afford to buy them ALL!), read

> hundreds of pages on websites, etc... made lots of notes and tried

to

> plan the best possible " attack " on my health problems, including

every

> natural step and dietary change that seemed needed or appropriate.

>

> SO, at the same time as starting the garlic, etc..., I ELIMINATED

> COMPLETELY from my diet ALL processed/packaged-type foods, ALL foods

> containing refined flour or refined sugar, ALL hydrogenated fats or

oils

> (in fact, all fats/oils except the olive oil and the naturally

occurring

> oils in flaxseeds and whole vegetables), ALL caffeine, All junk

food,

> ALL dairy products (except a small amount of real, additive-free,

live

> yoghurt), ALL wheat products (although I will add these back in, in

> modest quantities, once I'm sure I'm not sensitive to them), ALL

meats

> except fish (and recently, a very small amount of skinless, non-

fried

> chicken), ALL drinks except pure water and freshly-made (not

> store-bought) fruit and vegetable juices, etc... Basically, I

stopped

> eating almost anything that didn't look like something direct from

> nature that a caveman might have eaten, period.

>

> I have also eliminated all aerosol sprays, insecticides, etc...

from my

> home, and added electrostatic filters to my air conditioners and my

> vacuum cleaner, to reduce household dust and contaminants. I no

longer

> use aluminum-containing deodorant products, and have stopped using

> flouride toothpaste. [Plain salt makes an outstanding toothpaste,

and

> is all you need if you don't eat refined sugar. Flouride is made

from

> flourine, one of the most toxic substances known, which depresses

the

> immune system. It does nothing for the teeth themselves, it just

kills

> bacteria in the mouth (like salt does!), along with lots of your own

> immune and other cells (which salt doesn't)] Steps like these

reduce

> the burden on the eliminative organs (liver, kidneys, lungs, skin,

> etc...) and on the immune system, letting the body turn more of its

> limited resources to healing.

>

> Does this sound fanatical or obsessive? Maybe, but from all the

reading

> I've done, every single step I've taken had a good, logical reason

> behind it. The explanations are too lengthy to repeat here, but

there is

> real " method to the madness " . I have never smoked and am a non-

drinker,

> yet I developed all these health problems, including rosacea, while

> living a supposedly " normal, healthy " life. The problem, I've

finally

> learned, is that much of what we think is " normal " , just because it

is

> commonplace in today's world, is actually very abnormal for the

human

> body, which evolved over thousands of years in a very different

world

> from the one we live in today.

>

> My diet is now about 75 percent raw, fresh fruits and vegetables,

with

> no more than one cooked meal each day. Cooking destroys needed

enzymes

> and other nutrients, so if I can eat something uncooked, I don't

cook

> it. I take supplemental digestive enzymes and betain HCL with each

> cooked meal, which is usually steamed fish on rice. I have fish

about

> three times a week, and occasionally eat a boiled egg (never fried

or

> scrambled, which oxidizes the cholesterol in it) for extra

protein. I

> do add psyllium for extra fiber to some meals. I supplement with

vitamin

> C, vitamin E, Lecithin, MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane), Brewer's

Yeast

> (not advisable for some people, but I'm OK with it), Pure Aloe Vera

> Juice, Flaxseed, and Milk Thistle (for my liver).

>

> Everything I eat gets chewed and chewed and chewed until it is well

> mixed with saliva and completely broken down and liquid-like, before

> swallowing. NOTHING gets down my throat that is not COMPLETELY

chewed to

> death. I do not listen to radio, watch tv, or read the paper while

> eating -- the mind is very closely linked to digestion, and no one

> should EVER eat when stressed, alarmed, or depressed. Obviously, I

have

> to prepare most of my own meals, but if I'm in a restaurant (for

steamed

> fish on rice, for example) and it's noisy, I put in earplugs, as

loud

> noise creates a stress reaction in the body. As much as possible, I

eat

> in a slow, peaceful attitude, and sit still for a few minutes after

I

> finish, before getting up.

>

> I drink a lot of pure water each day. Actually, I always have,

since I

> grew up in the hot desert, but most people don't drink nearly

enough.

> One indicator: if your urine has more than a pale straw color, you

> aren't drinking enough. It should be very pale or clear.

>

> Incidentally, some mention was made recently on the list about PH

> testing. If you eat enough raw fruits and vegetables, your PH

> automatically becomes more alkaline, which helps with many aspects

of

> health. Cooked or processed vegetables do not always have this

effect:

> tomatoes, for example, are alkaline when raw, but very acidic once

> cooked.

>

> After several weeks on the above regimen, I have recently added hot

> (cayenne) pepper to the garlic mix, and some whole grains, nuts and

> lentils, which I buy in their original state, like birdseed.

Sometimes

> I eat these raw after soaking [ALL grains and nuts must be soaked in

> water for at least several hours before eating; ideally, until they

just

> start to sprout], but sometimes I cook them like the rice, so I only

> have to chew them maybe 100 times instead of 1000 times [;^/]. If

> cooked, they get eaten with a digestive enzyme supplement, like any

> other cooked meal.

>

> I make sure I get a wide range of vegetables from different

families,

> not just the " usual " ones, and also make sure I eat a little raw

onion

> every day. It makes me sweat some, but has very beneficial effects,

> similar to garlic, which is in the same family. Garlic and onion

> together are better than either one alone.

>

> Whenever available, I buy certified organic vegetables. Although

they

> cost a little more, they are probably better value, because they

usually

> have significantly higher nutritional values and are relatively

free of

> toxins (pesticides, herbicides,etc...) that damage our health.

>

> Interestingly, hot cooked foods like curry are a trigger for me, so

I

> was skeptical about trying some of these things, but the " hot "

tasting

> garlic, ginger, and even the red peppers (in small amounts), despite

> making my mouth " burn " , have not caused any real flares and have

brought

> me nothing but improvements. I've never liked eating hot, spicy

foods

> and avoided these all my life, but I force myself to eat these,

because

> they are so beneficial. It's a case of " no pain, no gain " .

>

> Garlic has always made me very ill [Yes, I got teased a lot about

being

> a vampire!]. Until recently, the last time I ate it was in the

1980s,

> and it made me feverish and very ill for three days. This time, I

felt

> sick and ran a low fever for 8 hours, until I finally fell asleep.

The

> next day, I actually felt a little better, so I tried it again. I

got

> sick again, but not as badly as the first night, and the next day I

felt

> even better, so I kept eating it. After about a week, the garlic no

> longer made me sick. I later read in several places that garlic

> intolerance is a clear sign of liver dysfunction, and there is

clear,

> proven chemistry to back this up. If anyone finds they cannot

tolerate

> garlic, they probably actually need to eat it!

>

> Also regarding Garlic, the pills you can buy in the health stores

do NOT

> work, in my experience. It has to be raw, fresh garlic, and if you

do

> not want stomach discomfort, you have to chew it up first. This is

near

> agony for me, but it's the only way to get the real benefits. To

get

> rid of the smell, chewing and eating fresh parsley, apples and

carrots

> afterwards helps. I only eat the garlic in the evenings, and by the

> morning there is no odor.

>

> The results from all these changes have been dramatic, to say the

> least. I am tempted to call it a miracle. I no longer am plagued

with

> gas and bloating that has bothered me for over 20 years, and the

fat is

> rapidly " melting " away from my whole body, although I eat as much

as I

> want without even thinking about calories or amounts. My waistline

has

> shrunk by more than three inches in the first month [my wife is

> absolutely delighted by that!], and my previously tight trousers

are now

> so loose, I'll soon have to get a new wardrobe. My skin tone and

skin

> color all over my body has improved noticeably. It's smoother, more

> flexible, more resilient, a little more transparent -- the best way

to

> describe it is that my skin looks YOUNGER than before. ALL of the

> stiffness has left my joints and muscles, and I am more flexible now

> than I have been since I was twenty years old (I just turned 42). I

have

> good posture again, whereas a few months ago my back was stooped

over

> like an old man's, and it was physically impossible for me to stand

up

> straight. My circulation has improved a lot, with visibly increased

> blood vessels all over (but NOT the rosacea type of visible ones!).

> Instead of fatigue, I have good energy all day long, and

the " bounce "

> has come back to my step. I have lost a substantial amount of

retained

> fluid that I didn't even realize I had: my face is more sculpted

and my

> muscles firmer, and along with this much of the " orange peel " of my

> rosacea has gone. My blood pressure has dropped to a completely

normal

> approx. 120/80, and is quite steady. My heart doesn't pound anymore

> after going up stairs, and I don't get out of breath; in fact, I now

> ride a stationary bike until I get too bored or sweat too much (I

don't

> want to trigger a flush from the sweat, although it doesn't seem to

be

> as much of a trigger anymore). There doesn't seem to be a limit to

my

> endurance now -- at least, not within the first hour or two! A

chronic

> shoulder pain and a snapping in my knee (old sports injury site -

had

> surgery twice there) have simply disappeared. My liver has not

fully

> healed yet -- it takes several months for liver regeneration -- but

it

> is functioning better and better as time passes (I can tell from

both

> stool color and blood tests). My nasal and bronchial passages have

> opened up and I breathe very easily. Not a hint of a cold or sore

throat

> or anything like that since I started this. Even the high air

pollution

> here doesn't seem to bother me anymore. I smell things and taste

things

> better now. I sleep better, fall asleep more quickly and wake up

> earlier, and need less total sleep than I did before. This has

been the

> closest thing to a " fountain of youth " that I have ever

experienced, or

> even heard of.

>

> As for the rosacea, it hasn't disappeared, but it improved quite a

bit,

> with my skin becoming less red, less dry and sensitive, thicker and

more

> " normal " feeling, with less thick oiliness in the oily areas, and

with

> more areas of natural (non-flushed) color, and with almost no more

> papules and no pustules ... UNTIL the temperature shot up into the

high

> 90's with high humidity last week. Hot, humid, sunny weather is by

far

> my worst trigger, and because of work I had to be out in it

sometimes,

> so it did make me relapse a bit. Still, I am sure it would have

been

> much, much worse if I hadn't already made such big improvements

first.

> The last two days have been rainy and a bit cooler, and the

improvement

> is returning rapidly.

>

> To all the people who say they " tried the garlic, and it didn't

work " , I

> would suggest that maybe it takes more than just ONE or two things

to

> make a big difference that you see quickly. In my case, I went

> completely nuts and changed everything at once, but the results have

> been probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. By

several

> objective and subjective measures, my body has become from 5 to 25

years

> younger, within a matter of weeks. I can't remember ever feeling

> physically this good, except when I was a kid or teenager. I've

taken up

> weight training again, and plan to go dancing again soon, which I

> haven't been able to do for ages. I'm applying for a new job,

too. I

> was prematurely aging and dragging through life, with potentially

> life-threatening deterioration and little hope or optimism, only

about

> two months ago. These dietary changes have rapidly helped me

to " get a

> life " again.

>

> I will never go back to the old ideas of eating, and I am optimistic

> that once my liver has fully healed and my hormone, circulatory and

> immune systems (which are already greatly improved) are very strong

and

> fully restored again, I may be able to completely eliminate all

signs of

> rosacea. [i actually came somewhat close to that, before the

weather

> got so hot again.] Like Dr. Nase, I have decided on a " zero

tolerance "

> attitude to disease, including rosacea, and although the war is not

> over, many battles have been decisively won in very short order.

Future

> improvements will come more slowly and less dramatically, but they

> should still come, and I will never give up trying to find better

> solutions for better health.

>

> Sorry for the very long post, but I hope this inspires/helps someone

> else to try this approach, and experience the positive metamorphosis

> that I have. If you can't do everything so completely at once, at

least

> do what you can, step-by-step, to make positive changes in the right

> direction. The more improvements you make, the better chance you

give

> your body to achieve the health it wants to have. Whatever your

health

> problems are, and regardless of what other steps you take to heal,

> feeding your body the kind of food it wants and needs, instead of

the

> usual junk, will accelerate your healing. Don't stop doing a good

thing

> just because you don't see immediate results from just one change.

Some

> things take a longer time to change, especially if not all the right

> conditions are present. The more you can give your body of what it

> wants (and eliminate what it doesn't want), the faster and more

dramatic

> the improvements will be.

>

> I hope this post helps someone, the way Mark's post about the

garlic mix

> helped me get started. I sincerely apologize to anyone who resents

it

> being so long.

>

> -Lee