Movements XV: Where I have REALLY been!

Hello everyone!

As you can see, I have been very busy with this blog!! My blogrolls are now on a separate page! At the linkbar, click "Do Right Blogroll" and go to town! I have to thank MommyDoodles for providing the insight for this to happen. Now I can give you more or what you're looking for - the path to health and happiness - without me having to worry about how many blogs I can fill a page with! No more distractions!  

Ok...so, where to begin...ah yes, with my regularly scheduled routine!

Went to both jobs on Thursday & Friday. Both days were an arduous task because I had to get juices for LT46's next phase of our Legacy Project. I had to go to both jobs and then lug @ least 4 huge bottles home! Gotta love NYC...cabs are everywhere and for some reason, the fares were pretty decent (considering).

I know all of my new viewers are wondering, "what is LT46? Legacy Project? What's that?"  
I created a post in Oct 2008 explaining the Legacy Project that I share with my Leadership Team from Momentum Education, LT46. Click here for that post. Now we have gone into "Phase IIa," by showing a movie at the shelter we raised money for. Here is a picture of the flyer that was put up at the Shelter:

 

It was a great event! About 70 people - men, women and children - attended. They all enjoyed the movie as well as the pizza and beverages we provided. I got the beverages, which consisted of  apple juice, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, and pear juices and water- all organic, of course.  I got 3 large apple juices, 7 bottles of the other juices and 3 one gallon bottles of water. I made a conscious choice to buy these kinds of juices to see if there would be a difference to their behavior (in comparison to drinking soda or juices with a lot of processed sugar in it). I am very happy to say that the crowd was very plesant and patient and kind. Even the children were relatively calm (I loved to hear the children give ask their parents where the juice came from!) and there were moments of virtual silence during certain parts of the movie. I'm not going to attribute all of this to drinking organic but I KNOW that if I had offered soda, it would have been a madhouse at that Shelter.

What made the event even more special was twofold. First, Liz Murray came to speak to the guests and I'm sure it was great (unfortunately, I had to go to work so I had to leave early). I know Liz personally and she's an amazing lady. If you would like to meet her for yourself, check this out:

Liz Murray: Homeless to Harvard 

The other thing that made the event amazing was seeing my family. You see, my brother and his family live in a shelter. It was an amazing coinky dink that the shelter LT46 chose to support was the same shelter that my brother and his family are in! I got to see my neices and nephew and it was so great! Right before I left, I explained to one of my friends that my brother and his family will have to stay in the shelther a little longer due to unforseen circumstances. Well, I must say that today, my sister-in-law had a healthy baby boy and right after I spoke to my friend, I called my brother and he said they would be out of the shelter very soon!!  

The next day, I taught two Yoga classes - one private and one at IYI. On Monday, I taught another Yoga class.

Before this weekend, I wrote up a post on the Uterus Diaglogues on Yoga and Fibroids. It was a general post and I will write something more specific really soon. If you would like to read my post, please click here. If you are affected by Uterine Fibroids and Ovarian Cysts, I ask that you become a member of this site and share their experiences, past, present and future. Sharing is caring. My friend and fellow IIN graduate, Simone Turner is also a part of this network. She is a Holistic Health Counselor that also specializes in Women's Issues, more specifically fibroids. Tell her that "Drea from IIN" sent you!

Well, that's it...for not. I have a lot of catching up to you and I must admit, I'm becoming addicted to twitter. Hello My Twitter Friends!!  

Enjoy your night. Until the next time...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Health Sidebar I: Uterine Fibroids and Ovarian Cysts

Greetings everyone!

I am writing this piece at the request of a friend of mine. A couple of women I know were diagnosed with fibroids and they were worried about surgery. I gave some of my advice and it was then requested that I put my information onto my blog. So I'll call this my little health sidebar. I'll probably post more of these as time goes on (yes, I'm still sticking to my schedule...I'll make it, I'm telling ya! LOL). Please remember that the information is given from a holistic point of view. Much of it will be based on proven facts but there is a lot that will come from my own experience in dealing with several friends and family members that went through these dis-eases.

• fibroids and cysts will affect fertility if any of the reproductive organs are damaged while they are growing or when they are coming out.However, this is rare. I was amazed when I read that "Once a woman with fibroids does manage to become pregnant, her fibroids will typically increase in size."
• there is technology out there that enables a woman to get rid of a fibroid without surgery. Please look into it.UFE is one such procedure, however, it mentions that this procedure should be done only if you do not wish to get pregnant or have a hysterectomy as your only other option.
  
• I have a natural way to get rid of cysts and fibroids (it has worked for a co-worker of mine who has a cystic body - meaning she is prone to getting cysts everywhere) but it takes a while. (I'll talk about this more a little later)
• fibroids are NOT cancerous. They only cause problems when they are large and press against any of the reproductive organs.

Diet

Estrogens Dominance (i.e. an excess of Estrogens relative to Progesterone) may be a common cause of Uterine Fibroids. references

In-Tele-Health © 2008 (from Hyperhealth Pro CD-ROM)

There are many foods that are high in estrogen or may increase the high levels of estrogen in your own body. I say this to women who already have fibroids as well as women who may not have fibroids in the uterus or something similar to uterine fibroids (like fibro-cystic-breasts). Dairy is high in estrogen. Soy contains phytoestrogens, plant estrogens that will bind to estrogen receptors and may cause a decrease or level of estrogen that is beneficial to the body. However, in some women (such as myself), too much soy can increase estrogen levels which can possibly lead to fibro-cystic breasts or uterus.

Maitake Mushrooms may alleviate Uterine Fibroids. However, you would need around 6000mg of powered Maitake Mushroom and take it for a long period of time.

Herbs

Various herbs can help uterine fibroids in many different ways. Black Cohosh is said to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of fibroids temporarily (painful menstruation, etc.). Vitex maybe helpful since this herb deals with the endocrine system and hormones, effectively decreasing estrogen levels and aiding in the healing process.

UPDATE - A customer came into my job asking for Shepherd's Purse. She explained that it helps to stop
excessive bleeding. I looked it up and found this:


Cardiovascular System

Shepherd’s Purse may inhibit excessive Bleeding: [more info]

In-Tele-Health © 2008 (from Hyperhealth Pro CD-ROM)



Sexual System


Shepherd’s Purse may alleviate the heavy bleeding associated with Menorrhagia. [more info]

In-Tele-Health © 2008 (from Hyperhealth Pro CD-ROM)



Another female customer I know told me that Burdock is great for decreasing estrogen and has worked well for her. I mentioned this to the customer that spoke about the Shepherd's Purse. Later on that
night, I decided to look on the internet and I found this:


Burdock is useful in cases of hormone imbalance that are not attributable to uterine fibroids, cancer, or other diseases. Many conditions, such as premenstrual syndrome, fibroids, and endometriosis, are associated with
excess estrogen levels. Because of its alterative action, and because of the small amount of plant steroids it contains, burdock can help improve the liver's ability to metabolize hormones such as estrogen and thereby improve symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance.

Worried that I gave this customer the incorrect information, I decided to ask my boss, Manu Dawson, for advice. He told me that Burdock does decrease estrogen levels but in the cases of fibro-cystic breasts, uterus, and similar ailments, it is not as effective as other herbs, such as Maca (not roasted. Maca is also good for hormonal balance, especially with the reproductive/sexual organs and functions) Hops (by inhibiting the activity of aromatase, an enzyme located in Estrogen-producing cells including the ovaries, placenta and the brain. Aromatase catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Excessive conversion leads to a negative effect), and Vitex, as I have mentioned
above.

Other Methods

Progesterone, a hormone created in the body, can be topically applied to the womb to alleviate symptoms of fibroids. This is because higher amounts of progesterone can balance the levels of estrogen in the body.

Other than the option given above, the only other option is surgery. I hear that it's not that great. I'll leave it there.

With fibroids and cysts, please check what you are eating, wearing and
putting on your skin. In the case of fibroids, you maybe wearing
something too tight and that can increase pain and discomfort.
Especially with cysts, what you put on your skin can affect it. Even if
you put lotion on every body part except for where the cyst is, it can
affect you. Certain foods may help to increase the growth of a cyst or
fibroid.

I know this because I was talking to my cystic co-worker this morning. She is the first person I guided in doing the MC and she was able to get rid of two, grapefruit sized cysts in her womb by doing the MC and using Poke Root Oil. After this first time, she understood that she has a cystic body (she was told this by doctors but didn't understand it). Everytime she did the MC, her cysts, etc. would go away and then it would come back after she would eat solid foods.

She became allergic to processed foods and was eating whole foods so I told her that it had to be related to something she is putting onto her body. At first, she didn't believe me. She now has a cyst inside her kidney and came to me today explaining to me that this cyst first formed when she got some skin cleaner and "skin lightener" (cost about $300). She realized that the cleaner worked so well, that it opened up her pores and allowed the bleach to go deeper than her epidermis. I asked her where she was putting the lotion. She told me that she would put it on her arms, chest, and back and could not understand why she still has cysts in her lungs and kidneys. I told her that the kidneys are actually closer to the back than the front and the light bulb came up on her head.

This doesn't mean that you're in the same situation. It's just something to think about and keep in mind as you do research. Body awareness is key here.

Cysts are pus filled sacs, which are usually beign but can become cancerous (if they grow into tumors). Some cysts in the ovaries can be filled with blood, as the case when dealing with endometriosis.

So far, the general consensus is that you shouldn't be too worried if you are diagnosed with fibroids or ovarian cysts. There is a high percentage of African-American women that get fibroids and trust me, the ones I know, worry.

It's normal to worry. My suggestion would be to stay calm throughout this process and get second (and third and forth, if necessary) opinions. I'm reading a lot about the correlations between ovarian cysts and endometrosis so please make sure that you're not taking in too much estrogen into the body (via food), you work out, and make time to relax.

This is the first time I'm doing this "Health Sidebar." Let me know if it works for you. The next time I do this sidebar, I will talk about too much estrogen and how it affects the female body. I will also include foods that are highly estrogenic and herbs that help decrease estrogen levels in the body. I will also discuss phyto-estrogens and their effects on the body (like soy).

I'm going to reintroduce Matt Stokes' Health Tips...it's been too long and I need to catch up! You do too.

#5

Diet Books and Theories

Diet books and their theories need to be approached with caution.

Most of them are full of invaluable information, but we need to be
aware of diet books that suggest blanket dietary theories and take no
account of the individual. They are formulated outside the idea of
bio-individuality.

Bio-individuality is the idea that we are all different. If I eat
an a piece of pizza and and you eat a piece of pizza, our bodies are
going to deal with that nutrition differently. In theory, Nutrition is
not a science for this reason.

Diet books can be good places to start, but the only healthy way
to incorporate a dietary theory is to educate yourself, be informed and
slowly change your diet to include those healthy ideas that work the
best for you.

Courtesy of

Until next time...stay strong, stay healthy and fight dis-ease!

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