food for thought

[Guest guest]

Joe, Somehow I lost your birthday. You were next on the list. Please

send it again.Sorry

Cooky

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this material, Carol. It's very good.

I think that there is a fair amount of material on coping with chronic

illness out there, especially if you look for information which is not

necessarily RA-specific.

Sites that discuss the physical aspects of RA are more numerous, but

probably because it is usually easier to discuss something more

concrete.

Coping strategies depend so much on the individual and his or her

circumstances, too. Some things that play a big part on how one copes:

the level of disease severity, other concurrent diagnoses, the quality

of healthcare one receives, accessibility to the necessary meds,

work/economic status, one's past experiences, and one's current family

and social support situation.

For me, the things I have found most helpful are: trying not to focus on

myself too much, remaining optimistic, learning as much as I can about

rheumatic diseases and the new research that applies to them and sharing

what I find with others, and facing the fact that people around me will

never " get it " unless they have some sort of chronic illness.

[ ] Food for thought

> I've been reflecting on how well I've accepted and adapted to having

RA

> in the past year (I don't think I'm doing all that well, to be

honest),

> and I was rereading the book " Celebrate Life: New Attitudes for Living

> with Chronic Illness " by Kathleen . It is endorsed by the

> Arthritis Foundation. I thought I would share this passage, because

> it's good to do an inventory of how well we're adapting/coping.

>

> Signs of accepting your illness:

>

> 1. You no longer focus on your illness or yourself. For a while,

> this focus is necessary, but eventually, as you reach acceptance, the

> illness becomes only part of your life and not it's overriding

concern.

> (I think I'm on the road to that one)

> 2. You begin to see the needs of and reach out to others again.

> (I've been working on that a lot with service to others this week, and

> let me say a lot of people on this list are very giving and reach out

to

> others regularly. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back - if you can

reach

> LOL)

> 3. The illness is only a part of your total identity.

> 4. You don't need to hide your illness. Acceptance requires that

> you absorb it within your psychological outlook in such a way that it

is

> no longer a painful fact that must be concealed.

> 5. You learn to handle the illness' effects so they do not

> contaminate every part of your life (still learning there.)

> 6. You identify with people who have similar conditions (we all do

> that here).

> 7. Your life is well-rounded, with many interests from your old

> life and the new (working on that one)

> 8. You've accepted your condition intellectually and emotionally.

> 9. You no longer think of yourself as a victim but as a participant

> in your illness who is in control and responsible for yourself. (I'm

> going through a " victim " phase again this month, since having such a

bad

> flare - but I'm working on it)

> 10. Your fears turn from generalized, consuming anxiety to more

> realistic concerns.

> 11. You acknowledge your limitations and learn to ask for help in an

> assertive way. (I am really lacking on the " learning to ask for help "

> part)

> 12. You see humor in your situation and learn to laugh and play

> again.

> 13. You set new goals when old ones are no longer realistic.

> 14. You feel hopeful again. Those hopes are no longer unrealistic

> scenarios, but possible, reachable achievements - if you stretch for

> them.

> 15. You see yourself as being no different from others, only as an

> average Joe. (Uh, not really)

> 16. You see yourself as a person of value as you are right now.

> Acceptance is an everyday see-saw and balance. Part of you wants to

get

> on with life as it is now and another part wants to stay with the

loss.

> Accepting a chronic phasic illness can be like trying to hit a moving

> target while riding a roller coaster. Acceptance implies a refusal to

> let your illness control you.

>

> This is from pages 60,61 of the above mentioned book.

>

> I think there's so much info on the physical aspect of RA on the

> internet, but there's very little about learning to cope with such

> immense lifelong changes.

>

> Any thoughts?

>

> Love to all,

>

> Carol

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol,

I think those 16 suggestions are great. I have had my psoriatic arthritis now

for five years. At first, I focused a lot on my aches and pains. Then I

started to find doctors and medicine that would help. It also helped to talk to

people about my disorder. My fingernails are classic for psoriasis of the nail.

I used to polish them, but now I just keep them clean and well groomed. I make

sure that I show my nails to every physician that I see as I was misdiagnosed by

a dermatologist, who had me on an oral anti-fungal for a year. Then the joint

swelling occurred and a rheumatologist showed me a picture of my nails in his

color atlas. What a nightmare.

Thanks for sharing.

Vi Wilkes

[ ] Food for thought

I've been reflecting on how well I've accepted and adapted to having RA

in the past year (I don't think I'm doing all that well, to be honest),

and I was rereading the book

[Guest guest]

<PRE>i have that nail fungus too. i have often asked my dr's about it. the first

one told me not to worry and just keep them polished. which i did, but

haven't since my surgeries. my feet just don't feel good enough for polish.

still no answers to my itching either. my last cultures came back negative

for any yeast or bacterias. (which is a good thing, but....) i just bought

myself some good detergent free of perfumes and dyes. if this works i will be

angry at myself for waiting too long. now all i need is the energy to do the

laundry. i had a friend stop and look at my car yesterday and he says my

water pump is not leaking and the guy is trying to rip me off. so i think i

will head for another opinion to see what is said. $650 is a lot of money if

it will not fix the problem. Kathy in IL Ps my dad just won the pool

tournament at lake griffin harbor (again!!) yeah

[Guest guest]

What do you think about this?! I think it's really cool!

Ev

A sliced Carrot looks a little like the human eye. You can see the pupil, iris, and radiating lines like the human eye and, yes, science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to the eyes as well as the function of the eyes. A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. Research shows tomatoes are indeed heart and blood food. Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and research today shows that grapes are also heart and blood vitalizing food. A walnut looks like a little brain, with a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles and folds that are on the nut look just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function. Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look just like the human kidney. Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body. Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female and they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them). Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries. Grapefruits, oranges and other citrus fruits look like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts. Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

[Guest guest]

Very cool Ev.. thank you for sharing with us. Suzi <autumn3scorpio@...> wrote: What do you think about this?! I think it's really cool! Ev Suzi List Owner health/ http://360./suziesgoats What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

[Guest guest]

'Welcome!

Ev

Very cool Ev.. thank you for sharing with us.

Suzi

[Guest guest]

I have seen these parallels before. It is cool!

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiaaeranch@...

[Guest guest]

Yeah, I thought they were kinda neat - but >sob< - where's the CHOCOLATE????Ev

I have seen these parallels before. It is cool!

[Guest guest]

LOL! My daughter absolutely loves

chocolate, but there is one food she will choose over chocolate and that is

tomatoes…. Yes, tomatoes. When she was 3 years old, we were sitting in

her godmother’s garden having tea and sandwiches. Her godmother had

brought out a little bit of chocolate for dessert, but Alyssa had her first

taste of tomatoes and did not want the chocolate. Ahhh… memories.

Janet

From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 5:59

AM

health

Subject: Re:

Fw: Food for thought

Yeah, I thought they were kinda neat - but >sob< -

where's the CHOCOLATE????

Ev

I have seen these

parallels before. It is cool!

[Guest guest]

Hee hee...strawberries are shaped like hearts, so chocolate strawberries are good for the heart.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiaaeranch@...

Re: Fw: Food for thought

Yeah, I thought they were kinda neat - but >sob< - where's the CHOCOLATE????Ev

[Guest guest]

You know - I just LOVE stories like that!!

A-WAY back when, my family moved (yet AGAIN! and no, we weren't military) when I was, oh, maybe 8 or so, and the best thing about the place was the old guy selling tomatoes from the back of his truck just around the corner. Used to eat them like apples.

Yummmmmmmm!

Ev

LOL! My daughter absolutely loves chocolate, but there is one food she will choose over chocolate and that is tomatoes…. Yes, tomatoes. When she was 3 years old, we were sitting in her godmother’s garden having tea and sandwiches. Her godmother had brought out a little bit of chocolate for dessert, but Alyssa had her first taste of tomatoes and did not want the chocolate. Ahhh… memories.

Janet

[Guest guest]

Now THAT'S the kind of thinking I'm liking!!Ev

Hee hee...strawberries are shaped like hearts, so chocolate strawberries are good for the heart.

Gayla

[Guest guest]

I can't help myself, but you KNOW what chocolate looks like..................

Ewwwwwwww.....................

Shari

[Guest guest]

melted cocoa...

Suzi

From: SV <shavig@...>

I can't help myself, but you KNOW what chocolate looks like..................

[Guest guest]

Hi everybody,

I apologize for the bluntness of my words in my description of the mental

process I use to avoid feeling deprived when I can't eat delicious-seeming food.

I didn't mean to offend anyone.

In case you're interested, here is an excerpt from Pollan's book " In

Defense of Food " that states the idea much more articulately:

" the chronic diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the

industrialization of our food: the rise of highly processed foods and refined

grains; the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in huge monocultures;

the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced by modern

agriculture; and the narrowing of the biological diversity of the human diet to

a tiny handful of staple crops, notably wheat, corn, and soy. These changes

have gives us the Western diet that we take for granted: lots of processed

foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of everything--except

vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. That such a diet makes people sick and

fat we have known for a long time " (10).

So, even as I feel bummed that I can't eat a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie,

I am also thankful that I am forced to make healthy choices for myself because I

don't have to contend with the diseases (obesity, heart disease, etc.) that are

clearly linked to the Western diet.

I hope this better states my point, and again, I apologize for inadvertently

offending people.

--

palmer@...

________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I highly recommend watching the movie Food Inc which features Pollen. It is an eye opener. I have not read the books so would also appreciate a recommendation.

I am also enjoying Oliver's Food Revolution on tv. I record the episodes and watch when I can. This is another eye opener about what is being served to our kids at school lunch. No wonder America has health problems.

Thanks,

Dana Hoppe, Owner

Gluten Free Gourmet, LLC

408-887-6141

www.gluten-free-gourmet.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saratoga-CA/Gluten-Free-Gourmet-LLC/238175996382?ref=mf

http://blog.gluten-free-gourmet.com/

From: "melbatavia@..." <melbatavia@...> Sent: Mon, April 12, 2010 12:31:31 PMSubject: Re: [ ] food for thought

I have been meaning to read Pollan's books. Are they good? and readable??

Thanks.Melis B----- " Palmer" <palmersmccd (DOT) edu> wrote: >

> > > Hi everybody,> I apologize for the bluntness of my words in my description of the mental process I use to avoid feeling deprived when I can't eat delicious-seeming food. I didn't mean to offend anyone.> In case you're interested, here is an excerpt from Pollan's book "In Defense of Food" that states the idea much more articulately:> "the chronic diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food: the rise of highly processed foods and refined grains; the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in huge monocultures; the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced by modern agriculture; and the narrowing of the biological diversity of the human diet to a tiny handful of staple crops, notably wheat, corn, and soy. These changes have gives us the Western diet that we take for granted: lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of

everything-- except vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. That such a diet makes people sick and fat we have known for a long time" (10).> So, even as I feel bummed that I can't eat a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie, I am also thankful that I am forced to make healthy choices for myself because I don't have to contend with the diseases (obesity, heart disease, etc.) that are clearly linked to the Western diet.> I hope this better states my point, and again, I apologize for inadvertently offending people.

[Guest guest]

Read Omnivore’s Dilemma by him and have seen Food Inc.  andliked them both (among many other books by other authors as well.)   By being “forcedâ€to label read, etc it’s really been a great self education process to know moreabout the food I eat, where it comes from, etc.  Before I got diagnosed I startedto get more into knowing about where food comes from/how it’s made etc.  Theone thing I am grateful for is how this disease (CD) has opened my eyes to alland I agree that all the subsidizing, processed foods, etc is what is makingpeople like us “sick†etc.  If you don’t take control of your diet know oneelse will.  It makes you question how some countries ban certain things, yet wedon’t. Cheers to good health for all! From: [mailto: ] OnBehalf Of Dana HoppeSent: Monday, April 12, 2010 12:38 PM Subject: Re: [ ] food for thought I highly recommend watching the movie Food Incwhich features Pollen. It is an eye opener. I have not readthe books so would also appreciate a recommendation. From: " melbatavia@... " <melbatavia@...> Sent: Mon, April 12, 2010 12:31:31 PMSubject: Re: [ ] food for thought I havebeen meaning to read Pollan's books. Are they good? and readable??Thanks.Melis B----- " Palmer " <palmersmccd (DOT) edu> wrote: > > > > Hieverybody,> I apologize for the bluntness of my words in my description of the mentalprocess I use to avoid feeling deprived when I can't eat delicious-seemingfood. I didn't mean to offend anyone.> In case you're interested, here is an excerpt from Pollan's book " In Defense of Food " that states the idea much more articulately:> " the chronic diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directlyto the industrialization of our food: the rise of highly processed foods andrefined grains; the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in hugemonocultures; the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced bymodern agriculture; and the narrowing of the biological diversity of the humandiet to a tiny handful of staple crops, notably wheat, corn, and soy. Thesechanges have gives us the Western diet that we take for granted: lots ofprocessed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of everything--except vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. That such a diet makes people sickand fat we have known for a long time " (10).> So, even as I feel bummed that I can't eat a fresh-baked chocolate chipcookie, I am also thankful that I am forced to make healthy choices for myselfbecause I don't have to contend with the diseases (obesity, heart disease,etc.) that are clearly linked to the Western diet.> I hope this better states my point, and again, I apologize forinadvertently offending people.