Rebecca's Blog

“Over my thirty years in pediatric practice, I have noticed a striking connection between how children are fed and how healthy they are. Mothers who consistently don’t allow any unhealthy food to pollute the minds and bodies of their children seem to have healthier children. I have noticed that these children are sick less often, and when they do come for periodic checkups they seem more settled and better behaved. These “pure children” seem to get tagged with fewer labels, such as “ADD” or “learning disabilities.” Even when these children do warrant such tags, they seem to cope better with behavioral and learning differences, and they seem less severe. These moms have made a believer out of me. I truly believe that there is a connection between how kids are fed and how they act and learn.” — Dr. Sears

That is my goal. I want to be so well adjusted with food and consistent in balanced nutrition, that my children grow up with a better start than I did to Nutrition. Isn’t that what life is always about? Providing a better future for your children than you had so posterity just gets better and better?

In yesterdays visit with the Chiropractor/Nutritional expert – I learned some more about how to help my Endometriosis. He determined through a few questions he asked me (i.e. Do you crave Chocolate intensely before your period? Are your emotions unstable, etc) that I do indeed have a hormonal imbalance in my body. I told him how being on a Vegetarian diet helped, but didn’t resolve the problem completely. That made sense to him, but he said “Soy won’t help you. In fact it has been found to alter your hormone levels and give a reverse affect.” He went on to say that removing the meats helped, but having the large amounts of soy based products in their place is most likely the reason why I wasn’t seeing a complete recovery of the Endometriosis/Dysmenorrhea symptoms. So I asked him, “Well, then what do I eat?” And he gave me the below list of Brain Foods. He said that increasing the dopamine levels through these foods should help alleviate the cramping and balance out my hormone levels and should see progress in healing myself from Endometriosis/Dysmenorrhea.

He also suggested that I increase the 5HTP and GABA supplements that I have been taking as an Anti-Depressant alternative, right before my period begins. I am actually looking forward to my next period in July to test this out! Hello pain-free FREEDOM! So excited to meet you!!!

Our Dr. also suggested an all in one solution to getting a balanced amount of Omega’s for the body. I expressed to him my distress over being overwhelmed with always having the right amount of nuts and seeds and fish in the house and being able to afford to keep them all available to eat consistently. He suggested that Clark and I eat Hemp Hearts. They have several of the Omega’s the body needs and should be sufficient and better than nothing when compared to not being able to have the variety in the house. I tried some, they’re good!

* Note, that a proper serving of these Hemp Hearts is 5 TB a day. Caution to not eat a high sugar consumption when eating these as they will cause you to be stuck in the bathroom often throughout the day. Hemp Hearts + large amounts of sugar = ‘gotta go gotta go, gotta GO RIGHT NOW!!!!’ A great motivation (scare) to eating less sugar and more of the good stuff!

You can purchase these Hemp Hearts at Whole Foods or Online [here] for a better deal.

The quote above by Dr. Sears was found as I studied further these Brain Foods. I find the science of how food affects the body to be so delicious to me. This year has been incredible in my discovery of healing myself mentally, physically and spiritually. It has made me the happiest I have ever been in my life and feeling like such a strong woman in complete control of my life. I LOVE it!

What I found on Dr. Sears site was so intriguing (he specializes in child nutrition – which what’s good for a child is good for us, right? ) :

“It’s what you eat not what you say that impresses a child most. By treating yourself to a healthy breakfast, you model to your children that eating a healthy breakfast gives the whole family a smart nutritional start…

10 BALANCED BREAKFASTS

An ideal, nutritious breakfast contains a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein. Think grains, plus dairy, plus fruits. Examples of balanced breakfasts are:

1. granola cereal, yogurt, a sliced apple
2. scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice
3. veggie omelet, bran muffin, fruit with yogurt
4. whole-grain pancakes or waffles topped with berries and/or yogurt, milk
5. whole-wheat zucchini pancakes topped with fruit, milk
6. french toast topped with fruit, orange juice or milk
7. low-fat cheese melted on toast with a piece of fruit
8. low-fat cream cheese on a whole-grain bagel, orange juice
9. peanut butter and banana slices on an english muffin, milk
10. For a breakfast-on-the-run smoothie, see “School-Ade.”

Dr. Sears “School-Ade” for Breakfasts’ on the run:

• 3 cups milk or soy beverage
• 11/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
• 1-2 servings Juice Plus+® Complete or similar multinutrient supplement
• one banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g., organic strawberries, papaya, mango)
• 2 tbsp. flax oil or 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
• 4 ounces tofu
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 avocado

“…Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately after blending while the mixture still has a bubbly milkshake-like consistency.

We formulated this recipe based on the principle of “synergy.” The nutrients consumed together enhance each other’s benefits, so the whole nutritional effect is greater than the sum of its parts. I have prescribed this recipe for several hundred school-children and their parents, and we drink it ourselves four to five mornings a week. It’s a powerful performance booster for working parents and school-children….

WHY BREAKFAST IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE BRAIN

“..How you think, act, and learn is affected not only by the types of food you eat, but also by how the food is prepared, how and when you eat it, and what foods you eat together…

• Beware of sugar blues. Most scientists discount the relationship between sugar and behavior, especially when Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is blamed on sugar in the child’s diet . In a 1995 paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers analyzed the results of sixteen different studies in which children were given foods containing lots of sugar and their behavior compared with a control group. The analysis concluded that sugar had no impact on behavior. Try explaining this to a mother whose child goes wild after eating a Twinkie. Researchers tend to discount parents’ observations, believing that they have been conditioned by media reports and other parents to expect their children’s behavior to deteriorate after sugary snacks.

  The best sugars for the brain are complex carbohydrates, or what grandmother termed “starches”. Starches and fruit sugars (fructose) do not cause the roller-coaster mood swings that the junk sugars do. The molecules in complex carbs are long, so it takes longer for the intestines to break them down into the simple sugars the body can use. Thus, they provide a time-release source of steady energy rather than a sudden surge followed by a sudden drop.
  

• Eat brain-friendly carbs. The rate at which sugar from a particular food enters brain cells and other cells of the body is called the “glycemic index” (GI) of a particular food. Foods with a high glycemic index stimulate the pancreas to secrete a lot of insulin , which causes the sugar to quickly empty from the blood into the cells; this produces the ups and downs of blood sugar and the roller coaster behavior that goes with them. Foods with a low glycemic index do not push the pancreas to secrete so much insulin, so the blood sugar tends to be steadier. Feeding your child carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index is one way of helping him control his behavior and performance in school or at play. Foods with the best brain sugars include the following:
  

• • • Fruits: grapefruit, apples, cherries, oranges, and grapes have a low glycemic index. Fruits have a lower G.I. than fruit juices, because the fiber in the fruit slows the absorption of the fruit sugar. A whole apple will be more brain-friendly than apple juice; a whole orange better than orange juice. Freshly-made juice containing a lot of pulp is more brain-friendly than filtered juice.
    • Cereals and grains: oatmeal and bran have the lowest G.I. Other foods with a favorable G.I. are spaghetti and rice. Corn flakes and sugar-coated cereals have higher G.I.s.
    • Vegetables and legumes: Legumes, such as soybeans, kidney beans, chick peas, and lentils have the lowest glycemic index of any food. Potatoes and carrots have a much higher G.I.
    • Dairy products: Milk and yogurt have low glycemic indexes, slightly higher than legumes, but lower than fruits. Plain yogurt has a lower glycemic index than yogurt with fruit preserves or added sugar.

Encourage grazing. We have noticed that children’s behavior often deteriorates in the late morning and late afternoon, or three to four hours after a meal – whether the child has ADHD or not. Children simply run out of fuel. When blood-sugar levels go down, stress hormones kick in to raise it up again, but this can cause behavioral problems and diminished concentration. To smooth out the blood-sugar mood swings, try the fine art of grazing. Let your child nibble, or graze, on nutritious foods throughout the day. Make them easily accessible in a lunch pack at school. (Smart teachers allow even upper-grade children to have a mid-morning snack.) Carry snacks with you when you are away from home. While at home, keep a supply of healthy snacks readily available in the pantry or refrigerator.

Perk up your proteins. Proteins in the diet affect brain performance because they provide the amino acids from which neurotransmitters are made. Think of neurotransmitters as biochemical messengers that carry signals from one brain cell to another. The better you feed these messengers, the more efficiently they deliver the goods. Some neurotransmitters are neuron turn-ons that perk up the brain. Others have a calming or sedative effect.

Two factors influence whether the brain perks up or slows down following a meal: the ratio of protein to carbohydrate, and the ratio of the amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine. High protein, low carbohydrate, high tyrosine foods that are likely to jumpstart the brain are seafood, soy, meat, eggs, and dairy. High carbohydrate, low protein, high tryptophan foods that are likely to relax the brain include: chocolate, pastries and desserts, bean burritos, nuts and seeds (e.g., almonds, filberts, sunflower and sesame seeds), and legumes.

Eating too much at any meal, regardless of the carbohydrate or protein content, seems to diminish mental performance. So, to perk up the brain, eat a meal that is:

• High in tyrosine-containing proteins.
• Moderate in the amount of sugars, containing mainly complex carbohydrates.
• Relatively low in calories.

To relax, or even sedate the brain, eat a meal that is:

• High in tryptophan-containing proteins.
• High in carbohydrates.
• High in calories.

Skip the dessert at lunchtime if you have a lot of work or learning to do in the afternoon. If you want to be alert after the evening meal, save dessert for a before-bedtime snack.

The balance between calories, carbohydrates, and protein in a meal affects different people in different ways. This is not an exact science. You need to figure out what combinations work the best for you, giving you energy and alertness when you need it. Keeping a diary of what you eat and how you feel can help you make corrections. For parents, careful observation of your school-age child is important when you’re trying to figure out what foods enhance behavior and school performance, and which foods make it worse. This is a challenging game, but one that every home nutritionist can play.

Feed your brain the right fats. There are two windows of time in which the brain is especially sensitive to nutrition: the first two years of life for a growing baby and the last couple decades of life for a senior citizen. Both growing and aging brains need nutritious fats.

Smart fats. Besides being found in human milk, DHA appears in high levels in coldwater fish: sardines, salmon, and albacore tuna. Besides fish oils, vegetable oils (primarily flaxseed, soy, and canola) are also rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids, with flaxseed oil being the best. The two F’s, fish and flax, are the top brain-building foods for growing children, and adults.

Dumb fats. Avoid factory fats, which are biochemically-altered fats recognized by the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” in the fine print on the package label. The hydrogenation process produces trans fatty acids which may affect brain function and health in two ways. The trans fats enter the cells of the central nervous system where they may compete with the action of natural fats, so that the nerves in the brain don’t function as well as they were designed to. Also, hydrogenation turns unsaturated fats into saturated fats, in which the fat molecules pack together tightly, like lard. Brain researchers worry that the same type of packing could occur in blood vessels, compromising the blood flow to the brain. Avoiding hydrogenated fats is especially important for the growing brains of children, since children who fill up on these undesirable fats are likely to eat less of the omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the brain.”

– Dr. Sears

[Read his full INCREDIBLE article here]

Quick and Easy Healthy Brain Building Grocery Shopping!

A few useful tips I’ve come to learn when selecting the best products to keep in the house, while also accomodating the already-trained taste palette of the tongue are the following:

If you’re already used to this kind of peanut butter:

which is better than no peanut butter, but chuck-full of Hydrogenated Oils (Bad Brain Builder) so it essentially cancels out the nutritional value of it…

Here is a yummy taste-filled alternative:

It removes the BAD hydrogenated oils while still tasting like the original because it still has the sugar (that is what makes the original taste good).

The BEST choice would be something like this:

It’s making gradual changes like this that makes all the difference to our overall health. Baby steps are better than standing still.

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My next goal in life is to tackle my Endometriosis. This is a big one. A normal period – any girl can handle and do normal daily activities. The symptoms of Endometriosis & Dysmenorrhea – not so much. But I will.

Why I want to make the pain go away, is because it takes about a week out of my month because it’s not always predictable. First signs before my approx. ‘due date’ is major fatigue and major nausea with mild cramps. Then, when it all starts I go through labor like pains (NOT FUN!) for the first two days, the last two days are bearable.

Why I’m so optimistic, is because for the past two months Clark and I have been going to see a Chiropractor. We both are converts and totally believe in the benefit of going to see one. He did a heat scan on my spine to tell me all the areas that have the most stress. Then he showed me what each “notch” in your spine, that contains nerves that send messages to certain organs in your body. The areas of heat that were the hottest (red) all connnected to my uterus! Imagine that!!! The other major organs that have been affected are the heart and lungs.

Here are my x-rays of my spine where it began:

I feel so vain saying this, but I think my spine looks AWESOME and so sexy!!! The areas he pointed out were first my c1 (the very first notch) of my spine being tucked under my skull. Clark and I figured that this process of degeneration was because I’m always ‘looking up’ at him since I’m like a foot shorter than him. Over time my neck just curved like that. haha. All kidding aside, it’s dangerous and cause for concern because that c1 (first notch) is what connects to my brain!

The interesting thing is that I look at my most recent pictures that I have before going to the chiropractor and to see my face naturally tilt up, and then to see how my head holds itself after two months of adjustment –  for example – here:

Before (DEC '09) - After (May - '10)

You’ll also noticeably see that I feel better.

Clark and I will never forget the first adjustment he did on my neck. The Dr. calls it the ‘OMG’ move, Clark thought he was going to pop my head off my body, the move literally moved my head up and over my body! It sure felt GOOD for me though. Where it took effort to keep my chin down so I could stop looking ‘up’, now didn’t take hardly any effort. I imagine by looking at my x-rays, that he popped that first notch into it’s correct position. It felt that way anyway.

He then pointed out that at the very bottom of my spine I have a very mild case of Spinabifida. Nothing to worry about, most likely due to toxins in my Mother’s womb affected my development. And then in the mid part of my spine I have Facet Sydrome. Where the hooks of each ‘notch’ in my spine are meshing together squishing the nerves – causing a great deal of back pain (yes, I attest that this is true!). With adjustments, this will all reverse its degeneration and I’ll get better. Just a VERY good thing I caught this when I did, so I can reverse it all and be healthier.

He did tell me that my ‘notches’ are twisted correctly, it’s just my spine that is not curving correctly and they’ll fix that. Also, my pelvis as you’ll see here:

is tilted completely uneven. Every time so far he has had to readjust my pelvis. A big problem area for me. He’s given me a belt to wear to help keep my pelvis in place. Good news is, overall progress is moving along really well for both Clark and I. Where Clark would have a few migraines a week, he now has only a very mild head ache once every two weeks, little tiny baby head aches maybe once a week. MAJOR progress!

I can see why you need to go to the Chiropractor for so long, because you’re re-teaching your body a new ‘memory position’. It’s used to going in a certain direction, that when you change course, your body has to program a new norm . It doesn’t happen right away, but over time of telling it ‘NO! Stop going there, this is where I want to be!” and soon it believes you. Kind of like learning a new healthy habit of eating. Your body doesn’t believe your consistency with good foods, until you keep at it. Same with exercising.

Learning that the spine is the central hub along with your brain to your overall health of your body (organs), this is why I’m optimistic that I can heal myself of Endometriosis. By my consistency of seeing the Chiropractor and then teaching myself to not be afraid of my period day, and just move along with life as normal, I feel that I’ll tackle this out of my life! Like the Anxiety I had, the vulnerability to the condition is always right there waiting to reenter, I just have to continue on with Faith that God will take care of it and just keep up with all the healthier habits and enjoy a better life.

So my Chiropractor advised that I continue on with losing weight. That even losing 1 pound per month is very healthy. He suggested I cut down on carbs, avoid foods with belladonna herb (nightshade foods – Potatoes, Tomatoes, Egg plant and Green Peppers) because “Foods from the nightshade family tend to exacerbate any inflammatory conditions you might have. [source] “

He also recommended to me that I take Calcium Lactate to help naturally ease the pain during my period and also when I’m not on my period to help reduce and prevent inflammation.

I’m excited. So far, the progress proves very promising. I’m feeling LOTS better.

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I received an email from a friend I’ve never met, located in the UK. I was so touched by this email. How brave she was to ask for help and advice on how I was able to overcome this beast of a trial in my life. From here on out, I’ll refer to her as “Kathy” (not her real name). I was initially going to reply to her via email, but since there are so many people I come to find out that read my blog – but I hardly hear from (which is totally OK, I read over 200 blogs and I maybe reply to 5 of them ever – so I understand), that I decided that there may be several of you out there who have the same question. So I thought I would reply here, just in case.

Kathy’s email:

Hi Rebecca -

I’ve been reading your blog on and off since you started the 30min walking challenge.  I notice that you have mentioned your struggles with anxiety and panic attacks.  I’m going through a kind of crisis with mine right now – they’re getting bad and I’m running out of coping techniques.  It seems from some of your recent entries that you’ve been able to conquer this problem.  I was wondering if you’d share with me how.

Thanks so much,

“Kathy”

My Reply:

Kathy,

Thank you SO much for your courage in asking for help. You’re on the right path to healing already by doing so. This is a challenge in life that is not to be dealt with alone or IT WILL swallow you whole.

Taking you in the order of where I first began on my journey to where I am now – it began with a strong desire to rid myself of emotional negativity. I first experimented with Nutrition. My anxiety grew right along with my Endometriosis (Dysmenorrhea) rising to the surface. I thought they might have been interrelated, but found that my Anxiety was a big cause of stress on my Uterus during ‘that time of the month’. Changing my diet to more of a Vegetarian diet helped my Endometriosis – but my Anxiety was still present.

While working on my diet, I noticed my Depression getting worse, which made my Anxiety worse. I kept asking myself “What in the world is going on here? This is so not like the ME I know… or I thought I knew.”

While visiting UT 2 years ago, my Mom had made an appointment with a nurse, a Dietitian and Craniosacral Therapist. All helped immensely get me kick-started in the right direction. Especially the Craniosacral Therapist who helped me let go of a past friend of mine that I was emotionally holding on to. These were my first Angels I met on my healing journey.

At this point I was still drowning in Anxiety, but I was making baby steps of progress. At least at this point, I was seeking for help, meeting with professionals and eating healthier (i.e. Organic Foods, as little processed as possible, better portions). Before, through the depression of feeling like I was losing my mind because of the Anxiety- I gained a lot of weight. My Anxiety was a fear of being far away from where I felt safe. It was a weird fear (like most Anxiety driven fears are) of not being able to find a bathroom quick enough and humiliating myself in front of people I know and don’t know. Feeling like a freak – kept me indoors quite a bit. What made my fear seem so real – was that every time I felt “i needed to go” I did go. So that told my mind that I don’t have a ‘fear’ – it’s reality. Little did I know, the stress to my body was actually what was driving me to go so much (i.e. giving me bladder infections, diarrhea, constipation, an overall unhealthy digestive condition, etc).

I did some research on Anxiety online, always studying ways to make the process of healing quicker. I came across a forum of women who were giving each other suggestions and once I saw that there were women who had been battling Anxiety for over 30 years I freaked out! I hit my ultimate low of depression, emotional eating, it was a big low point for me. Soon thereafter I sought out professional counseling and that is where I found the Angel in my life who would help me discover ‘the cure’ and find happiness and joy and love in life again – like I have never experienced before.

She first taught me that most everything is rooted emotionally. We needed to find the roots of where this all comes from before we can truly be set free and move forward in life – to a better life. Most roots are completely unrelated to the Anxiety/fear we suffer from. Our Anxiety is just our body’s or Spirits way of calling attention to ourselves that something is wrong – and you need to fix it ASAP! To help guide me through self discovery, she recommended I read a book called “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay and use the workbook to help write out my feelings as I learn from the book. An AMAZING read for ANYONE to help heal their life OR refine it. It took me step by step through my entire life to this point – helping me discover my life wounds and scars, where I learned particular behaviors and to help teach me that where I was hurt emotionally or where I learned negative behaviors – there is no one to blame. We all learn behaviors from those who raised us – but so did they, and it goes on and on until one decides to stop any negative behaviors and become a better person. While working through this workbook – I was blessed that my Mom and Dad were willing to join me on this journey of healing and work through this workbook with me.  I was able to speak to others in my life as well, which wasn’t easy – but it helped me heal.

I also learned that these feelings I was going through were more a blessing than I gave them credit for. I discovered that through this HARD challenge of Anxiety I was learning the true meaning of Faith. Through emotions of depression – I have a tool and a gift for writing and artwork. Without those emotions – my writing and artwork are one dimensional, with them – they are 3 dimensional.

The most powerful lesson throughout my time with this Angel in my life and help from God – was the true meaning of beauty. To LOVE me. It didn’t come quick – but I have found that the more I loved me and not feared what others thought – the less Anxiety I had. I also needed to bring God more into my life than I have ever before. I needed Him. This is where Faith played an important part in my life because I needed to trust Him. God knows us, every hair of our head – He knows our thoughts – He knows us better than we know ourselves. In my faith, we believe in Priesthood power – and boy do I have such a strong testimony of this power of Priesthood Blessings. It was my portal to heaven to receive blessings of healing – more powerful than I have ever seen man perform on earth. The blessings helped me build a road map to my ultimate time of healing.

God has a plan for us, and I wasn’t all at once healed by one blessing alone, but I was guided on a path to help me decide for myself when I wanted to receive and accept the healing that washed away my Anxiety. I had to make adjustments in my life to help surround me with support of family and friends, to help surround myself with peace and love and happiness. To accept in my mind what was real and not real, what was right and not right. All emotional based and choosing to stand in environments that keep me strong to help me continually progress in being an emotionally, physically and spiritually strong individual.

Kathy, I am still healing. I think I will always be on this path of healing to become stronger and stronger each day, because there is always room to improve and better ourselves.

Here is my recipe for what helped me get rid of the Anxiety fears:

* Desire. Without a strong desire to heal, you accept the fears as part of your life. You have to have a strong desire and motivation to take action and control of where your life is headed in order to find a healing solution for you. I don’t believe that everyones roots of their fears are healed the same way, because we’re all unique. Similar tools can help us – but there is no ‘one thing fixes all’. Medication only hides the fear, it’s up to us to be willing to dig up the dirt and clean out what is causing us to not be healthy in our mind and body. Are you willing to dig deep into your past? Even if it hurts? Are you willing to do what it takes to heal completely?

* Seek help from professionals. Always a good idea to get some good diet tips, but what helped me the very most was seeking help from a professional counselor that you feel comfortable and safe with. I don’t know if you are LDS Kathy, but I would highly recommend finding a counselor that shares your same faith/ spiritual beliefs.

* Eat Clean Foods. It’s important to keep our systems as clean as possible. I have found myself to be an emotional eater, so this is something I am still perfecting myself as I crave the more processed foods when I am feeling down. I find that I feel better about myself, my body feels better – the more Organic and Natural clean foods that I put inside me. It also helps me think clearer

* Exercise. The last thing I feel like doing when I’m down, but one of the first things that I find that help me feel better about life and about myself after I actually do it.

* LOVE yourself! The key to ridding yourself of negativity and Anxiety driven fears in your life. Faith and love together is more powerful than any anti-anxiety drug you could have.

* Stand on taller ground. Place yourself in situations, environments, and around people who help you feel better about yourself. Who support you and you feel understand you. This is vital to growing stronger and more confident. This won’t always be easy or possible at times to avoid, but you have choices. You can leave, you can take a ‘vacation’ and not leave for good, but until you feel stronger. I have discovered that certain people or places are triggers for me being vulnerable to my past Anxiety fears / feelings and even depression. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel stable and strong.

Keep in mind if you are worried about informing someone that you need some time away to help yourself become stronger:

President Harold B. Lee said, “You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is” (Stand Ye in Holy Places [1974], 187

Of course you love them, this is why you are on this journey of healing – so you can be strong enough to help them when needed. But until you feel strong enough – you have to do what you need to do in order to help them in the end.

It’s like an alcoholic trying to not relapse. He has buddies in the bar he wants to help too – but every time he goes back into the bar, he’s tempted. He has to go to rehab, he has to leave until he’s 100% recovered. Then he can go back to the bar and help remove his buddies from the bar and show them a better life. He might not ever be able to help all of his buddies, but he’s taken the higher road to a better life and will in the very least be a positive and uplifting example to his friends whenever they are willing and open to accepting the opportunity for a better life. Make sense?

* Hold on to Faith . Trust God, He LOVES you and wants you to be happy. I firmly believe that everything that happens to us in life – happens for a reason. There is a lesson in everything we experience in life. What isn’t fun – can be good for us. It’s like the refiners fire – it’ll get worse before it gets better – but in the end we’re smooth and polished and a better person because we never gave up. You’ll need to trust God. At first it may seem like answers aren’t coming fast enough, but that’s where faith comes into play. Trust God, have faith that an answer will come – because it will. I promise you this, I have experienced this. You will find joy and happiness and relief from your Anxiety and depression through God.

If you are LDS, I would recommend seeking help from your Husband through a Priesthood Blessing, or from a Bishop, your Home Teachers or even the Missionaries. If you are not LDS/Mormon, and you’re interested in a Priesthood blessing, there are Missionaries in your area who I know would love to help. You may request their visit from this site: here.

* Natural Remedies. My counselor/(a.k.a “My Angel”) suggested that I take an alternative to an anti-depressant. We discovered that my brain had been so depleted of natural GABA and 5HTP through consistent stress from particular environments and situations that instead of getting on anti-depressants, that I take a natural route and take a daily dose of GABA and 5HTP. It’s safer and all natural. I found that before I enter an environment or situation that would normally ignite my Anxiety, that this helped give me a kick start to controlling my thoughts (as it helps clear out my thoughts) and calm my body. It’s not a cure all, but it helps. PLEASE seek advice from your Therapist or Dr. before taking these supplements, because your situation might very well be different.

* Challenge Yourself. Set goals to challenge yourself in situations that normally you felt high anxiety about. For me, it was driving long distances in unfamiliar environments where I didn’t know where a bathroom was if I needed it.  As I worked on my emotional well being through counseling, I found these challenges to be more and more easy to do. Soon I began to notice I had gone about 20 min before even the least bit fleeting thought of worry or concern, to now I don’t even think about any worry at all anymore and just enjoy my time out.

* Happy Activities. We all have gifts and talents – utilize them for good! Doing service is a wonderful way to help yourself feel good inside. It might be that you’re a talented scrap-booker or you enjoy doing crafts, writing or you love animals. Whatever it might be, that you enjoy doing as a hobby – also use it to brighten someones day or to contribute to a local charity. Give your crafts away for free as a gift for someone or an organization. I love doing this, it’s one of the many things that helps me feel good. Whenever I am having a really down day and I’m not motivated to sketch or to write, I sit down and let my mind go blank and do some breathing exercises. Then I tell myself, “I realize I’m not interested – but I’m going to just do this for a few minutes anyway.” and once I do – my day slowly gets better and better.

* Go for walks. I always tell my self ” I always forget how much I LOVE it out here!” and I usually am reluctant to go back home. Going out and getting sunshine always helps.

* A Clean home is a Happy Home. I find that when my home is clean, I just feel better. Opening up your living space to allow sunshine to pour in, room to stretch out and breathe – your body is literally less stressed. I usually go on a cleaning spree to help myself distress.

Here are some interesting reads on the necessity to help your home be a heavenly place:

• Sacred Homes – Sacred Temples
• Happiness is Home Centered

I hope this helps. Recovery ‘how to’ or ‘how I did’ is never a simple answer. This might have been WAY more than you expected, but as long as it is – I hope there are at least some parts that help.

Know that I’m here anytime you need to vent or just to chat or ask a question. I’m happy to help and be a friend. ♥

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The idea of a baby has been consuming my mind lately. The one frustrating thing about having Endometriosis/Dysmenorrhea is that I have “pregnancy-like” symptoms when it’s ‘that time of the month’. Oligomenorrhea makes it harder to get pregnant (as well as the Endometriosis), but I’ve known so many people with the same conditions who seemingly have no trouble at all getting pregnant. So within these next 2 weeks, where either result will manifest itself is driving me all crazy. Am I? Or am I not?

The fact that Clark and I are both on board together mutually to finally feel ready to have a baby, I really want to be pregnant. So, yeah – I’ll be sad if I find that I’m not pregnant this time… but I’ll also be at peace in my mind that – it’s just not meant to be yet.

Wish me luck, I will be overwhelmingly ecstatic to find out that I am! I’ll be bummed out if not, but I’ll survive. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to. Just another challenge in faith.

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