Cholesterol

This is sorta funny but do you all understand what HDL cholesterol actually does?

It helps the body break down and get rid of fat!

See, that's why they call it the GOOD cholesterol, and it's such an odd thing to have high body fat and great HDL-doesn't match unless it's something like AD36.

That's why they always think that active, exercising people are the ones that have great HDL. Oops. Bursting that bubble! :)

Here is a great article on thyroid/adrenal issues
Thyroid.about.com . They talk about the thyroid, adrenal, sex hormones connection.

Test your thyroid: put a thermometer by your bed, and in the morning, before you get up, take your temperature. Do it for 5 days, and then average it. If it is low, you are likely in the range of low functioning thyroid.

Interesting that coconut oil helps thyroid function (3 tbs a day), but what most stresses the thyroid is low adrenals.

Here's another article that talks about estrogen dominance and how it opposes thyroid function.
Hypothyroidism

Estrogen causes food calories to be stored as fat. Thyroid hormone causes fat to be turned into energy.
Natural Progesterone inhibits estrogen. Low progesterone can be assisted by eating organic soybeans.

But-can we find organic soybeans that have NOT been genetically modified? That may require some more research. Happy hunting!

Meantime, they are starting to rethink the 'bad' cholesterol thing...it was a marketing ploy to increase the use of pharmas that lower cholesterol. Create a need for the product that you have...

Ad36 in response to Joy's Ad36 thoughts

Do you think Ad36 like candida? Can we apply the same behaviors we used to fix candida to Ad36? For example, when I'm fixing my candida I stop consuming sugar of any kind, I start taking lactobacillus, things like that.

So, sugars, starches and anything I'm jonesing for should be noted as foods that create the happy Ad36 environment. Maybe even thoughts should be noted. It's the weirdest damn thing, I'll be driving along, out of the clear blue I think of fudge brownie shakes -- then my car is on auto-pilot and I'm in the back seat watching the virus order a fudge brownie shake. We used to think it was our little girl, maybe it was the virus.

I hope you expand on your thoughts or hits that "this is [not] a continuous thing". I do agree that now that the condition is here, I believe we have to treat the condition. We have excess stored energy that needs to be used or flushed. BUT I still think the virus is alive and well in me, otherwise why would we be getting the death distress signals? And if the virus isn't continuous, then why doesn't the body recover from the temporary body fat increase as it is naturally programmed to do and now that the virus is gone? And what do they test for when they are looking for people infected by Ad36, the carcass, a latent virus? What do you mean by the virus isn't continuous.

I can't remember if I had elevated liver enzymes, but it seems like that's possible. I'll dig those tests out and look at it. The thing is, my body responds to my efforts in blood tests, meaning I have great cholesterol numbers, A1C is great, even my blood sugars are good, but it never manifests in fat loss. Either I can't maintain my efforts long enough to achieve fat loss or the fat loss is impervious to my efforts. Either way no fat loss.

Changing our perception of ourselves. Okay, that has come along gradually. All the work I (we've) done on treating my little girl in a good way, healing past wounds/issues. And more so recently since I've been learning how to take care of my self esteem. PLUS learning about this virus has short circuited most of that ugly negative self talk and self judgement. You're right it's moot now.

So to address your points by number:
1.Overly abundant and active fat cells.
First of all, yes certainly we have too many fat cells. But it is a myth that they never go away. I've been following that particular idea since I was 18 years old. That's when I first went to a Dr. for liposuction because I figured that the only way I could get rid of them. Instead he sent me to Nutri-Systems. They put me on 800 cal/day. Killed my metabolism. Bastards!

It's a myth. We can get rid of fat cells. We are getting rid of cells all the time, not only fat cells all cells. We turn over all of our cells every 7 years. Dr. Oz on the Oprah show is one person who said we could get rid of fat cells. I can dig deeper on that if you want me to.

Fat cells do produce estrogen, yes, but if you balance that with progesterone it should help, at least until the problem is solved and the body can go back to homeostasis.

2.Lipo is NOT the answer. That does NOTHING to address the root cause of the problem. The answer is to first turn off the virus. And second then weight loss efforts WILL work. THEN raw food will drop 40, 50, 60 lbs like other people experience and the body will normalize its self.

3. I think we are making fat cells in abundance because the virus is actively alive in the body. I look at the Ad36 virus more like a cancer than a simple cold virus, and the tumor it is growing is the fat.

I don't understand this mechanism that the virus runs its course in 60 days after exposure. I haven't happened upon that information yet. I feel like this has been going on for years. Like 20 years. What if there is a virus exposure, active period, dormant period (while "baby" viruses are gestating), then a growth to "adult" virus for 60 days. Then dormancy. And it's cyclical? What do you think? Would that fit with your readings? Can you point me to where you read about that it runs it's course in 60 days part.

Are you saying that, oh let's say for example, I was exposed 20 years ago. I put on fat. The virus died. But the fat that I put on in those 60 days has affected my body ever since? All this is the result on one exposure? Eventually resulting in obesity, morbid obesity, heart disease, diabetes etc. Then why have all my weight loss efforts failed over the last 20 years when the virus was gone? Multiple exposures? Does that mean we have to run frequencies every 60 days for the rest of our lives? (I'm going to need my own machine, in that case.)

Okay, so these are good things to follow up on. Good thinking. I hope anyone with ideas on this will chime in no matter what the idea is.

Did you know...progesterone and estrogen

That it is progesterone that helps with myelinization-the myelin sheath that protects our brain neurons. So progesterone improves memory and cognitive abilities, and synaptic function. So if we feel fuzzy headed, that could be low progeseterone!

Progeseterone also relaxes muscles, acts as an antiinflammatory, and increases our core temperature. Have you noticed your core temperature going up or down? Mine has gone UP!
It helps with blood clotting, and with zinc and copper levels, and cell oxygenation, and it's supposed to help with metabolizing fat.It also helps with thyroid function, ligaments, skin and tendons.

Progesterone is protective. If women have too little, they can be prone to miscarry, as progesterone signals the holding of the lining. We felt GOOD when we were pregnant due to the rise in progesterone. I felt great when I was pregnant!

Here's something else-if you are using the cream, they say to NOT use it for 4-7 days once a month so the cells remain sensitive to it.

If your progesterone drops-you could get a headache! I stopped using the cream 5 days ago to take a break. I had a wicked headache for a day. Worse than coffee!

You could also get food cravings, irritability, edema, low libido, mood swings, anxiety, and fuzzy thinking...if low in progesterone.

And the hot flushes are due to the drop in both estrogen and progesterone...

ok anyone else confused???

DId you know...

that hot flashes can be because of adrenal fatigue? i didn't know that. And the hot flashes are DIFFERENT from hormonal hot flashes-haven't we been saying that?

Here are some symptoms of adrenal fatigue:
-trouble going to sleep, even if you are tired
-you wake up frequently, especially between 3-5am
-you have a hard time waking in the morning
-bright lights bother you
-If you feel emotional, your body gets very hot, but not like a hot flash.
-Your blood pressure is around 115/84
-You have a faster pounding heartrate sometimes
-you are more defensive, and feel like you aren't coping well

I have all of those except the bright lights and not coping-I think.

Here's a test, and I will bring a cuff to class tomorrow night if we want to play with this:
take your blood pressure while lying down (lay down for 5 min before taking)
take your blood pressure upon immediately standing

if the blood pressure is LOWER after standing, you may have adrenal fatigue!

Guess what the adrenals produce: progesterone!

Lists

As I look at the two new lists I just posted, I gotta say that I am craving all the estrogen rich food sources! I've been eating cherries, licorice, dairy, dates, eggs, papaya, potatoes, apples, carrots, yams, tomatoes, soybeans...so why am I low in estrogen? That doesn't even make sense.

I look at the lists of estrogen inhibiting foods and they totally aren't even appealing except the pineapple.

Anyone else feeling confused by all the propaganda out there? Is everyone just guessing? She suggested I not take the progestin cream as I am estrogen insufficient. Huh? So I am back to not sleeping, and I woke this mornng feeling bloated and irritable. Oh great! I don't like this at all. With no progesterone to oppose the estrogen, I feel it climbing which is causing the puffy feeling. And my joints hurt this morning. Ew!

Hopefully tomorrow the tests will be in. I'm finding this really irritating!

Maca Journey

I'm in on the maca journey with you, Joy. I started today with 1 teaspoon in the a.m. and 1 in the p.m. I'll start being more cognizant of my temperature fluctuations and see if the maca starts balancing these rampant hormones. I'll try this for a couple of days, then I think I'll try some progesterone frequencies - sure couldn't hurt!

Hormones

Foods that encourage hormonal balance are garbanzo beans, lentils, mung beans (and sprouts), aduki, and the whole grains. Flax seed too. Are you eating beans and grains? Well we really aren't because beans are better cooked-and grains too. So unless you are eating alot of sprouts, this could be part of your hormonal fluctuations.

Phytoestrogens-foods that block the estrogen receptors in our cells and tell our body we are cool with the estrogens are:
Coffee
Soy, Licorice, Red clover tea, Thyme, and Turmeric were said to be the strongest, in one study.
Alfalfa, Sunflower seeds, Fennel, Oregano, Nutmeg, Cloves, Goldenseal, Camomille, Verbenna, Hops (beer), Turmeric - remember when I was dreaming about turmeric and didn't know why?
Pomegranate - the Greeks used this as a contraceptive because it is such a strong phytoestrogen.

This is one of the reasons to add more spices to your foods.

Other good foods for us:
Coconut oil, Flaxseed oil, Nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Hemp seed oil is a balance of 3/6/9 as is UDOS.
Anything in the Cabbage family: broccoli, caulliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbages because they increase the rate at which the liver changes oestrogen into a water soluble form that can be excreted. All the oil rich foods-like fishes Jac, which may be exactly why you are craving it.

When we register a fluctuation in our moods, we get irritable, short tempered, anxious, edgy, it means that there are HIGH levels of oestrogens in our bloodstream in relation to our progesterone. If your breasts suddenly feel really tender-your estrogen is high in relation to our progesterone. If you start to get food cravings for sugar-high estrogen.

Reduced levels of progesterone could be due to the liver being unable to process out the excess estrogen in our systems. We get fuzzy thinking, heart palpitations, water retention, food cravings for sugar-we are estrogen high in relation to progesterone. It's all a balancing act.

Magnesium helps, B6, B complex, red clover tea, licorice to calm the adrenals (NOT with high blood pressure please). I've just started adding magnesium.

Progesterone stimulates the healing process in connective tissue/bones and skin, and prevents collagen breakdown (like stretchmarks), and it stimulates bone growth. Good things. Ah but when we are getting hot flashes, having dips in our energy, feel depressed, or are noticing connective tissue stuff going on (joint stuff) we could be low in progesterone. See?

Soybeans and yams are what progesterone is chemically identical to in our body. And if you use a progesterone cream it makes you sleepy-I put mine on at night for that reason.

20% of our progesterone comes from our ovaries and the rest from your adrenals. When you are flooding, you don't have any progesterone to oppose the estrogen. Estrogen gets your uterus to thicken and when estrogen levels hit a certain level you ovulate, and progesterone to heal and maintain the "pregnancy". Progesterone also stabilizes the lining of the uterus-so it will help stop flooding.

Estrogens are produced by the fat cells and the adrenals. No wonder we have more estrogen than progesterone...So estrogen stimulates tissue growth, and progesterone signals the body to slough it off.

We make 3 types of estrogen, and only 1 progesterone. Too much estrogen in relation to the progesterone in your system-and we get fibroids. Progesterone will shrink them. Progesterone is your happy hormone! It's the feel good hormone, and it keeps the estrogen in check for most of us.

EVERY CELL has estrogen receptors. If our adrenals are pumping out cortisol, if we are under alot of stress, our body in its infinite wisdom, will DIVERT progesterone to make the cortisol...then we don't have enough progesterone to oppose the rising levels of estrogen. And stress triggers estrogen overproduction.

Guess what else progesterone does? It converts fat to energy. It metabolizes glucose. If we are low in progesterone, we gain weight, and have trouble losing it. Now some of us pears are naturally highly estrogenic...but you know I don't think so! I think we are naturally lower in progesterone. Same same...but why?

Low progesterone effects thyroid function! Imagine that! Low thyroid function, low progesterone. Big thighs-estrogen dominance by the way. Hey, what a surprise. And cramping means high estrogen.

Even if we are low in estrogen, we can have estrogen dominance because of the overall ratio to progesterone! So, even if you are done with menopause, if you ratios are off it could still be hormonal.

HOT FLASHES-sluggish liver. And you might want to avoid ginger if you are getting hot flashes...try it and see if it helps.

MENOPAUSE means a drop in progesterone, and without progesterone to oppose all that estrogen-the estrogen levels go up, hence the typical "mood swings" everyone talks about.

IRREGULAR PERIODS means stressed system and means a hormonal imbalance

Understanding our Hormones-not

This weekend I had an incident as you all know.
Very clearly I "heard" apple cider vinegar during the second day. Now, it could have been from the blood loss, but hey! I listened.

This is an old old folk remedy, and 20 years ago or more I remember I had a book by a botanist who went to the Ozark Mtns to study this remedy and it was filled with amazing cures. Mostly I remembered that it was awesome for balancing the intestinal tract with the best bacteria possible, and that if you ever ate any food you suspected of being tainted, to drink the tea.

So I sent Jon to the grocery store with one thing on the list. Why?
Because the immune system is in the gut. It just is, and my gut was off track. I wasn't clearing, and I was overtoxinanted. :) My own word.
And if we are out of balance-anywhere-including our hormones-it has to do with our gut. EVERYTHING ELSE in our body is coming off that.

I knew I had triggered something, and I knew that I had to get on top of it. It might be my hormones that were reacting, but it was my gut that I had to clear, and I wasn't up to a colonic, or starting that colonix. I had been getting the right message-I just was overthinking the solution. When I got "empty" a simple solution, my favorite, came to me.

So, in addition to the progesterone cream, I did apple cider vinegar tea.
If any of you had taken my Intuitive Anatomy class, you would have it in the materials, but you haven't so I want to give it to you, and if this rings for you-use it.

2-3 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of raw honey-or more
hot water
sip it throughout the day, at least 2 mugs full a day, preferably before each meal. And if you drink it at night, you will sleep like a baby. Deep and deeper.

We've talked about the power of fermented foods to balance the bacterial load in your system.
We've talked about the importance of clearing your g.i. tract.
We've talked about cleanses, and detoxes, and colonics...

I still have to say, that the very best is nature.
I overstressed my stressed system-that's what caused the bleedout.
Yes, my body was trying to rebalance.
Yes, my body crashed.
Yes, it was a healing crisis.
Yes, my hormones were off.
Yes, I have been bloated-which is another word for inflamed. And inflammation means toxins that are backed up. And inflammation has lots of fancy disease names: arthritis, high blood pressure, edema to name a few.
Yes, toxins are stored in fat cells, cellulite pockets and saddle bags.
Yes, the bloat wasn't clearing, and I looked like I was 4 mns pregnant!

This is ALL symptomatic of overloaded lymphs BTW.
Yes, sluggish lymphs are helped by two things-deep breathing and movement. You can do either and they will move. If you stand and do deep rhythmic breathing from the gut for 15 min-without moving-your entire lymphatic system is MOVED and ENERGIZED. We'll do this in class.

Why? Because the LUNGS move your lymphs.
Not your muscles. Well, they help, but truly, it's your lungs.
Your HEART moves your blood
Your LUNGS move your lymphs
Most of us think that you have to MOVE your body to get your lymphs pumping...but that's not true/not only true. People in wheechairs can do this breathing and move their lymphatic system just fine.

So, sluggish thyroid-an issue for years with me. When I do the breathing, I get results. WHY I forgot this is really interesting.

Last year after the healing, I started doing this breathing, and I lost fat around my waist, and I increased my bust size, and I felt awesome! I wasn't doing any other exercise. But I was absolutely moving my sluggish lympathic system.

When I stopped, I coincidentally gained volume around my thighs, hips, belly.
You know, I didn't put it together. I went and got a blood test, they put me on thyroid, and a water pill to control the bloating, and those pills were supposed to take care of it. They didn't. They made the problem worse. My mother has been on a diuretic for 20 years or more and is terrified of coming off it.

That's our medical system. And I fell right into it. I was busy. I wasn't listening. I wanted it taken care of. It didn't work. I realized that month after month I was holding MORE. I was defying their usual results. So she upped my thyroid. To 2 grains, and then to 3. Why? She figured that because of my bypass, the thyroid wasn't in my stomach long enough to really digest. Ok. That made sense I suppose. And she changed my water pill.

It didn't help. I didn't lose a pound. Not one. And I didn't lose inches. I didn't want to do high protein, meat was gagging me to even cook, but I didn't know what else to eat! I was very very confused. Very. I didn't want to cook anymore. I totally didn't want to go in the kitchen even! Old past history.

I could rebalance my thyroid with theta but I couldn't seem to get it to hold. Amd it also told me it was fine. FINE. Meant it was doing it's job. The body always thinks that.

It made sense that it was my blood. low iron, low oxygen, low metabolism, low thyroid. Or was it?
Could it ALL be congested bowels from YEARS of high protein eating? I mean YEARS of it??? I always resorted to high protein because it was the only way I dropped weight. Before. Something was way off now. Overloaded liver?

Maybe.
So, this weekend, in addition to the progesterone cream, I drank apple cider vinegar tea.
Trust me, after the first day, you like it. We retrain our tastebuds all the time. Rebecca and CA are noticing that the old sweet stuff is actually TOO SWEET now. Yes.
And actually, my body LOVED IT right away, which tells me that I really listened. Clearly heard the correct thing to do with no mixed signals.

I am still drinking it.
This is Tuesday, i started on Saturday. I've had almost a whole bottle of vinegar.
During the night on the weekend I was waking with swelling in my hands between 1 and 3 am which is the liver cycle. I knew that my liver was working on the congestion and the inflammation. I kept water by my bed and drank it.

This morning
I woke up and realized that I could take my rings off. I hadn't been able to before.
This is Straight inflammation reduction.

My lungs are clear-they had been feeling congested-which is a sign of a stirred up liver btw.
I feel really good. My eyes feel extremely clear. Another sign that my liver is clear.
Why? Because the liver and the eyes are connected. Deeply connected.
We see clearly when our liver is clear.
Our liver clears hormones. When our body starts dumping the toxins-i.e. the imbalance of stored estrogen and progesterone, and it is already stressed-
well the result was the bleed out in my case.

Our liver is so so important. And you know what. I don't agree with Vianna about the liver cleanses. I don't think we should go into a healing crisis. It's why I like the footbaths. But now-I love the apple cider tea.

A bleedout is NOT normal. It is NOT ok. And it's not OK that we are told it is.
Yes women bleed. A reasonable amount. Our hormonal balance is our brain chemistry.

If you choose, keep a detailed MOOD diary for yourself. Straight moods. NOTICE how you feel. Document it rather than trying to control it, or run from it. Tune IN to it. That's what the shamanic work is. TUNING IN, not out.

I started to feel agitated, and irritable, and I wasn't sleeping.
All signs of a drop in ESTROGEN.
Ok. But I am estrogen dominant. I have TONS of estrogen. What else is going on?
Well, I could be estrogen dominant because I am not producing enough progesterone.
Or is it that I am not STORING enough progesterone? See, Progesterone is ALSO stored in fat cells, but if our oestrogen receptors are taking up all the cellular space-then we can't store progesterone-unless we get more fat cells....could our bodies be trying to do that?

See I think our bodies are doing the best they can with what they have.

What is clogging up and confusing the estrogen receptors?
Well, how about the xenoestrogens and synthetic estrogens that mimic the same molecular structure? Our bodies are being tricked. Surprise.

By going raw, we are getting our bodies to clear the clogged cells and attach to phytoestrogens which come from leafy vegetables and good fats like the omega 6s from food sources-yams, avocados, flax, coconut. These then feed our bodies with exactly the nutrients that we need. Exactly what feeds us. But it takes up to 3 mns for those new improved cellular generations to cycle in-and several cellular rotations for the future generations to recognize and prefer the phytoestrogns. So, keep doing the raw. GOOD GOOD GOOD.

And
here's the biggest of the food myths-no fat.
we DO have to eat fat. Lots of fat. GOOD fats. Organic olive oil, flax seed oil, UDOs, yes, even though it has omega 6 which we are overloaded in. AVOCADOS, COCONUTS. Exactly what we have been called to eat! Surprise that when we listen our bodies DO know what they need, when we get out of the way.

BAD Omega 6 oils are all the cooked oils, all the vegetable oils. Sunflower, canola, on and on. Anything that has these-like crackers, and packaged foods. Omega 6 goes to estrogens. Omega 3s go to progesterone. Our thyroid LOVES progesterone.
hah. Of Course. It's about our power and progesterone makes us feel more powerful.

Omega 6s are awful for us because they are loaded with rancid cooked omega 6 oils. Lots of them. Omega 6 converts to estrogen, and clog us up. We are supposed to have much more omega 3 than 6, but our modern diet, since the 1940s has shifted us into a predominance of processed foods which means a predominance of omega 6 and lower and lower omega 3s.
Omega 3s convert to progesterone by the way, and our thyroid-LOVES PROGESTERONE. But in our country, women especially have low functioning thyroid. NOT to mention that the medical community considers it normal and natural for us to have a DECLINING thyroid function as we get "oler". Piss on that. Why??? What is normal and natural about having less vital life force?

We get our energy and the get up and go from progesterone. And our thyroid is our metabolism and it loves progesterone. So, what do they give "perimenopausal" women? ESTROGEN therapy. Hmmmmm

We get our sluggish want to sit from estrogen and estrogen dominance leads to insulin resistance.
While we need both, we need them in the correct ratio. And HRT increases our heart disease and cancer rates which are now the two leading causes of death in women in our country.

Ok-so lots of information fast.

If you want to experiment gently-
add the apple cider vinegar for a week and let me know what happens to your intestines and bowel movements.
Do this BEFORE you submit to a colonic. Just try it. Just try it.
I am passing some interesting really DARK colors that I haven't eaten so more than you want to know! :)

And I am dropping the bloat.

Hemorrage and Progesterone Cream

Well well!
"Nother rule: if you suddenly start profuse bleeding...pay attention! My body had been giving me hints and I wasn't really paying attention-with both ears, so to speak. You know how when the kids are trying to get your attention, and you are SORT of there, but not really, until something breaks?

Thankfully after 3 days of this insane amount of blood flowing out of me nonstop, I called jim, and he says "you are progesterone deficient" I say "No, I think I'm estrogen dominant" He says "ummm..." I say "Sorry. Blood not in the brain..." It amounts to the same thing.

So he sends me to get progesterone cream in those little individual servings-3 tubes rubbed on my wrists, inner elbows, abdomen, and I am finally not flooding! 3 tubes and I can stand up again and walk into the kitchen and make myself 2 soft boiled not-really-cooked eggs. Hey-I'm not quite ready to slurp raw ones.

3 tubes and I can even come sit and write to you! I have a few more to do. 10 he said. A day. Until this shifts. So if anyone out there is doing that "flooding" thing, it's not normal. It's not ok. And if you have a recent history of chronic anemia-a no no for sure!

How insane that women are told that it's "perfectly normal" to soak through everything in an hour, hour after hour. I guess some women do that every month! Oh My GOD! No way Jose. Apparently if you are anemic, you bleed MORE! That makes sense. Not. The body needs the iron to form clots. As to vitamin K-it's an adaptagen. It will thin the blood OR thicken it, so don't worry about the greens thinning blood, which a fellow healer mentioned.