My Natural Healing Success!

A while ago I wrote about my new holistic life approach when it come to dealing with health issues. I wanted to give everyone an update since it's been a while.

I have completely overhauled my medicine drawer (not cabinet, I need a whole drawer) and my cleaning supplies and beauty products. Most are considered all natural. But what does that really mean? For me, it means no chemicals or ingredients that cannot be found in nature. I have made some exceptions, but not many.

The biggest triumph has been the natural medicines. I confess I still use ibuprofen on occasion due to bad headaches caused by pressure changes in the atmosphere and tension issues and the fact that natural pain meds are expensive. I save them primarily for Nova. She's the "pure one".

I wanted to specifically write about a HUGE victory I had just recently. It put my natural convictions to the test and I am super happy to report they paid off BIG TIME.

This past Friday, at about mid-day, I started having some serious pain issues with one of my teeth. It was the strangest pain I've ever experienced. It was only affecting one of my front teeth, super high up near my nose, as if it was deep in the root. The weird thing was that it was a tooth that has had a root canal. Years ago. That tooth (and three other of my front teeth) also have venires (caps).

The pain was like intense pressure and was highly localized. It would hurt in one spot that I could easily pin-point right below on of my nostrils. It did not affect my eating abilities and there was no pain if I bit down. What made it worse was when I smiled. It seemed to stretch something that did NOT want to be stretched.

I wondered if it was an abscess forming or a sinus issue. I know quite a bit about having an abscess because I had one in high school and needed oral surgery. I knew what it would look like, how it would feel, and how it would develop over time. So I put most of my effort into researching sinus infections and discovered it was most likely not one of those. I have no other sinus infection symptoms. However, researching dental abscessed was more fruitful. The pain described seemed to be spot on to what I was feeling.

I started to panic a little. Partially because I hate going to the dentist, but mostly because we cannot afford dental surgery at the moment!

So I took my natural remedy knowledge about treating infections and tooth issues and I went upstairs, dug through my remedy drawer, and made a plan of attack. This thing was not going to survive what I was about to throw at it.

The routine started with OregaDent, a mixture of oregano and clove oils meant to support gum and tooth health. I put come on a cue tip and shoved it under my lip, letting it soak (and burn) into the spot that hurt the most. Because oregano and clove BURN hahaha! Not in a bad way, kinda like cinnamon altoids burn, and then it numbs the spot. Ahh, sweet relief.

Then I took two oregano gel capsules, vitamin C, and ibuprofen. I'm not perfect. That night before bed I oil pulled with coconut oil, because it would only help.

The next day (Saturday) it still hurt. I applied OregaDent to the spot again and then got out the "big guns" from the drawer. My small bottle of Colloidal Silver. Never used because I never had a reason to use it before. My new protocol included applying a soaked Q-tip to the main painful area for about 2 minutes, swishing a spoonful around the painful area for about 5 minutes, and then swallowing a spoonful. I repeated this about 5-7 times a day.

Sunday was the worst day. I looked up local dentists online, checked x-ray prices, took way too many ibuprofen, and was really nasty to Mike. I kept up with my natural remedies routine but was ready, in the morning, to call a dentist and schedule an x-ray.

Monday morning I wake with to zero pain. A little tenderness, but no pain. I wondered if it was because I still had ibuprofen in my system so I waited, continued my OregaDent, Vitamin C, Colloidal Silver, and oil pulling routine. Monday went by with zero pain, even when poking my face obsessively.

Tuesday. No pain. I can smile again! I laughed and talked and continued my routine to ensure healing was still happening.

Wednesday. Still no pain. Routine is being continued because it can't hurt. That's what I love about natural remedies, continuing them or overdoing it can't really hurt. It just makes you healthier!

The reason I started looking into natural remedies is because of MANY terrible experiences with pharmaceutical medications. My body seems to react negatively to almost all prescription drugs, especially antibiotics and pain meds like Vicodin. I remember many times hanging onto the toilet and dry heaving because of prescription meds. It started with Vicodin when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. Worst reaction ever. My mom can attest to that. Then I was diagnosed with Crohn's and was prescribed the worst medicine ever- Prednisone. A steroid. I had a TON of bad reactions, all of which were considered "normal" side effects. Then I got esophagitis and had tons of meds (I don't even remember what they were all for...) and I threw most of them right up. Stop the meds, no more throwing up.

I have anemia and poor nutrient absorption due to my Crohns, so I tried almost every possible iron and vitamin supplement known to man, from liquid to capsule. The only one that works are patches because I don't have to digest anything, it also adds vitamin D and calcium to the mix to help with absorption.

But guys, my body responds GREAT to natural remedies. Whether I'm using it to stop a cold in it's tracks, or sooth an aching muscle, or coating a sore throat, they WORK.

Colloidal Silver is spectacular. It's the strongest antibiotic in the world and absolutely safe (make sure you're buying the best, I prefer Sovereign Silver for it's purity). It doesn't wreck your gut like prescription antibiotics and does more than just kill the bad thing, it also boost the immune system and heals the body.

I love my new natural lifestyle. I spend a long time reading and researching and trying them myself. I am a born skeptic, so I have to try things personally before I endorse it or profess it's miracle-like abilities. I am also happy knowing that if Nova gets into my medicine drawer, nothing can hurt her. Everything in there is totally and completely safe and natural.

The other great thing about natural remedies is that many have crossover benefits. So whether I was treating a sinus infection or a tooth abscess, everything I was doing would help both! I don't know what it was, but I know I'm better because of my natural remedies (and also cutting out sugar for the few days I was on the mend).

**and for those of you wanting to call all this quackery, I just shake my head. It's sad when people believe so strongly in the pharma industry and think they have our best interests at heart. People have been treating ailments with natural remedies since the dawn of time. Some things should not be brushed aside just because you don't understand it. This is why I spent a lot of time trying it and being willing to go the western medicine route if it didn't work out. But it does, time and time again, work. Doubt me? Do your own trials and come back.

This also reminds me of Bernadette from Big Bang theory, the most accurate representation of the pharma industry comes from her quotes on the show!

Being Pro-Choice and Mormon: A Harmonious Relationship

I can't believe this, but...I've had actual requests for more political blog posts.

I was just telling Mike that I write these because that's who I am, a writer, and as such I use words to help organize my thoughts and express my emotions. It's how I decompress. I could keep it to myself, but writers write in order to be read and understood. I share my thoughts not out of vanity or because I seek approval, but because I hope it helps someone...somewhere. I'm an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. Learning new things is one of my greatest passions. Because of that, I like to hope that my writing adds something to the conversation and opens up more minds to new things.

A Little Background

Before I was in high school, I firmly did not give a rat's tushy about politics. I enjoyed my civics class, but that was the extent of my political activism. Sometime around junior or senior year in high school started talking- REALLY talking- to my mom about deeper topics. I learned that she was had a bachelor's in Political Science before she decided to pursue her masters in Communication. I also listened to her opinions on certain events happening in our world at the time. But, I didn't really think too much about politics beyond those short talks.

It wasn't until college that I realized my lack of knowledge was actually hurting rather than helping me. I would have small and scattered conversations with people who were politically aware and always found myself left in the dark and feeling ignorant about the world around me. I had no idea what my stance on anything was. I knew my religion, my core beliefs, but I had no idea how I felt about bigger topics- those essential political platforms everyone talked about when electing a government official or president. I had lived for so long thinking politics didn't matter. I thought- how can one person make any difference? None of that stuff directly impacted me or my life, why should I bother learning about it? I was a privileged and naive kid.

And being the person I am, someone who HATES feeling stupid or unknowledgeable about a subject, made a decision. I would systematically go through each platform, read each side, try hard to find unbiased reports, and speak with people on both sides in order to form my own political opinions. I had to understand both sides before making my choice. That was a rule.

--SIDEBAR--

I don't have many talents in life, but one of my talents (I like to believe) is that of discernment. I can dig and dig through information and feel when something is wrong or right. I know that's a little vague, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. I'm not just talking about morally right and wrong, but logically. It's how I honed my animal behavior philosophy and came to discover the truth of positive reinforcement. It's how I look at every big issue in my life. I didn't always have this talent, I think it came with age, but I can look back and see time when it's driven me to dig deeper instead of taking things at face value. 

On that note, back to politics...

One of the first platforms I chose to undergo this exhausting process was a biggie. I chose it because it came up in conversation often, because I had friends who had to make this hard decision, and because it directly intercepted with my deeply held religious beliefs. I needed to know my own stance. I thought I knew, I assumed which side I would align with, but I surprised myself.

The topic: Abortion

Pro-Life or Pro-Choice

Both of those sound like good options, right? If you had no idea what it meant and someone asked you which one you were, I bet you'd say both.

I know what they mean and guess what? I am both.

Personally, in my own heart and soul, I am pro-life. I believe a baby is a human being from conception. I value the life growing and maturing from the moment the little spermy enters the eggy and I believe that each one is precious. Each one has amazing potential. I believe in the divinity of those little embryos. I mourn for the loss of each potential life.

But more than that, I am pro-choice. One of the teachings of my church is that we all chose this life we are currently living because we value the ability to learn and grow above all else. Our church teaches that our spirits all lived in heaven with our Heavenly Parents before the earth was created. The plan was for us to come to earth, learn as much as we could, make the best choices possible, and come back to Him. However, there was an alternate plan presented. One that would take away our agency while on earth and would make sure we ONLY made the right choices. It was a plan to guarantee a safe return home. This was not the plan God wanted for us. A battle unused (because even then, God did not want to force agency on us, that would be wrong) - think of it as a pro-choice and anti-choice battle- and guess which side won? Pro-choice (a different kind of pro-choice, but actually not that different at all)! Because of that, we all have our agency and it cannot be taken from us. That's what Mormon's believe.

So why in the world would I try and take that agency from anyone else? We know the value of making our own choices. Our Heavenly Father trusted us enough with agency- even though he knew we would make mistakes or go down the wrong path at times or get lost completely- to give it to us without conditions. Having agency is so important He didn't see it as a risk, but as a necessity.

Even if you're not Mormon, if you're another denomination of Christianity or if you don't believe in organized religion, I ask you this: how can you justify taking away the choices of others? If this still doesn't  convince you, keep reading. The logic train is about to hit you. (Was that too smug?)

The answer I always receive back from this argument is:

It's not their choice anymore. Their choice was made when they had sex and they knew the consequences. *shrug* now they must face the music. They cannot destroy the life of another (the baby) because of their bad choices. Actions have consequences. Now they must deal with it like an adult.

Here is my rebuttal. It's lengthy.

1) Having a baby should not be seen as a punishment for sex. Let's just get that out of the way.

2) Most pro-lifers do say that abortion may be permitted in the cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger. To that, I simply say: How can you prove the first one? Rape. Most rape charges are dismissed before they even get to court. Even if they get to court, conviction is nearly impossible. Only the tiniest portion of men who have been accused of rape have actually gone to prison or been found guilty. So tell me, if a woman claims her pregnancy is the product of rape, why WHY why do you assume she will be believed if that's not the case today? Right now? And would she be able to prove it in time to get an abortion? Trials take months- years- to complete. Do you already see our legal system being clogged indefinitely due to rape/baby/abortion cases? "I'm sorry, the soonest court date is in 6 months - 1 year. I'll put you on the waitlist." Or imagine a women, who has been raped, discovering a couple weeks later that she's pregnant. Then she has to go through the horrific experience of PROVING it to a judge before being allowed to end the pregnancy. It defies logic.

Now let's go on to incest. Again, the burden is in proving it. Here is what I found about DNA testing:

"The tests can be done using a small sample of your blood sometime between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, counting from your last menstrual period. Results are usually available in 1 to 2 weeks."

Usually way too late for abortion in most states if there is no medical reason to do so.
  
Most incest cases are also rape cases. So riddle me this: If a girl is raped by her father or brother and gets pregnant, how is she going to prove to her doctor that's the case WITHOUT telling the father or brother? Do you think the father or brother will come clean and allow an abortion? Highly doubtful. It would also only increase her abuse at home. So go ahead, make the law that only allows abortion for rape, incest, or to save the mother's life. The legal red-tape would be inhumane.

So we cannot limit the law based on these things.

3) I'm all for "facing the consequence of your actions" because being an adult. However, the fact that religious people believe that life begins at conception is, if fact, a religious belief and we CANNOT make laws based solely on religious beliefs of a certain denomination. There are a large amount of people who do not hold that belief. We cannot restrict their views and choices because of our own beliefs. That is unethical. Many people view a baby within the first stages of growth as a collection of cells. They are the scientifically minded and usually do not subscribe to organized religion and we cannot impose our own religious beliefs on them through law. I mean, think of all the other religions in the world. What if we imposed a law that forced people to be kosher and ALL food to be prepared kosher? What if we made a law that stated all modern devices were forbidden? Like the beliefs of the Amish. What if we made a law that said everyone must pray to Mecca five times a day? No, we cannot make laws based on a sect of religion, no matter how widely practiced.

Because of the teachings of our religion, we have grown up to consider life to be divine and precious from the moment of conception. But many people do not hold those beliefs and feel intensely oppressed when pro-lifers (who are pretty much ALL religious) try to push their beliefs into law for the whole land.

This is where our agency comes into play. See? Full circle. We cannot ethically make a law restricting access to safe abortions because it is 1) oppressing those who hold different beliefs and 2) cannot be done effectively or precisely and 3) would only increase the number of unsafe abortions and suicides. The numbers don't lie. In countries and places where abortions are tightly restricted, the number of abortions does not decrease. They increase, along with the death and suicide rate

Also, this: 

Having unrestricted access to abortions and unrestricted access to birth control actually makes the number of abortions go down.

So to that end, voting republican because you're pro-life will not save babies. There is nothing any law or legislation can do to stop women from having sex and getting pregnant and, if they choose, getting an abortion.

We are here in order to express our agency.

We. Cannot. Restrict. People's. Choices.

But we can help them make those choices as safely as possible and then support them once they've made their choice. There's this amazing thing my mother-in-law and my parents do. When we (their kids) are trying to make a choice, they will weigh in their their opinions when asked. But once we make a choice, they will support it, even if it's different from what they would personally choose.

P.S. There is a myth about women who choose to have abortions always feeling regret. That's statistically not true. People want to believe that because it solidifies they belief that, intrinsically, we all know that life starts at conceptions, but it's not true. Most women who choose abortion feel relief or they feel nothing significant. Those who feel regret are those who didn't feel they had a choice, like they were forced into it by pressure from the boyfriend. So once again, lack of choice either way causes problems. Trust people to make the right choice for themselves. It's their burden to bare, and most feel quite sure about what they choose either way.

Here are a few articles on the subject:

The Myth of Abortion Regret

Hardly Any Women Regret Abortions, New Study Finds

Most Women Who Have Abortions Don't Regret Them


Also about rape convictions:

Why it's so hard to get a conviction

Criminal Justice System Statistics: Vast Majority of Rape Perpetrators will not go to jail or prison

Prosecuting Sexual Assault


Also:

Unsafe Abortions: The Preventable Pandemic 

What Happens When Abortions are Outlawed 

Proud Snowflake

I'm going to openly admit that I'm confused about something...

The whole "special snowflake" thing that conservatives tend to throw at liberals when they show any kind of empathy, compassion, or stand up for someone feeling oppressed. Apparently, and let me know if I'm wrong, people think that having feeling and expressing them is weakness. Why else would they revert to name calling?

I can see how hard it can be for us middle-class white folk to learn new words and how frustrating it can be to try and be "politically correct" all the time. Golly, there is just so much to remember and learn about! I just wanna talk how I'm going to talk and I want to say whatever I want and if I hurt someone's precious feeling then that's THEY'RE fault. Why should I take the time to learn and listen to others? But when I get hurt you BETTER listen to me- those commercials were unamerican! The flag and the anthem! War on Christmas! Waaaaaah! Listen to me, my feelings matter! But you want us to be considerate of YOU? What a special snowflake.

That's what I see and hear all the freaking time, you guys. From both sides.

Stop calling people names to minimize their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

I embrace the term snowflake, personally. I think it's a beautiful way to describe someone. We are all snowflakes. We're each unique and different, yet made of the same stuff. We all have the same feelings, they're just triggered by different things. The main problem is that when we see someone getting hurt over something we personally agree with or support, we consider them to be "too sensitive" or ignorant or semi-human.

I spent the last decade listening, learning, and deciphering my own feelings in order to decide my true stance on many issues. I didn't want my religious beliefs to be the sole reason for me to side with any issue, so I put them aside and truly listened. Then I reopened my religion box and let it fill in the gaps.

I don't use my religion as an excuse to support laws that oppress people. However, I will practice my religious beliefs within my own life, quietly in my home, while simultaneously publicly marching for the rights of others. I will try to be a light rather than a dark storm cloud of oppressive doom. I want people to see that you can strongly believe in your religion while also not forcing those beliefs on others. I mean, if we did that then missionaries would just force baptisms on people rather than giving them time to investigate the teaching of the church and urging them to pray for their own answers. If someone choose to walk away from the church, that's their choice. We don't hogtie them and drag them to church every week, but we might reach out in an unobtrusive way and let them know they're missed.

So back to the whole snowflake thing....

Here's some snark for you:

If people with feelings and individuality are considered snowflakes, then what is the opposite?

I've decided they're rocks. Emotionless, dull, immovable, and always in the way. Never changing, stubborn, and in order for growth to happen they need to be removed.

And though this makes me smile, I'm never going to name-call and tell someone they're a "rock". I've been called a precious snowflake more than once and I'm happy about it. It means I've stood up for someone.

Being politically correct isn't about stifling someone. It isn't about censorship. It's about the power of words and labels.

As a writer, I can tell you that words matter. They have the ability to be uplifting or to cut someone down. Being PC isn't about NOT saying things, it's about compassion and empathy. It's taking the time to learn what words are hurtful and caring enough to alter our language.

Something we are taught in church is that our language should be clean.

Some people would call that silly or prudish. What I've found is an increased vocabulary and the ability to analyze my emotions rather than ranting and swearing when I get frustrated or upset. Of course, we have substitute words, but they are considered tame by the general public.

I think it's sweet when people tailor their own language when around me. I've noticed it my whole life. People pick up on the fact that I don't swear or curse without me ever telling them. They just never hear it from me. So I've had co-workers, friends, family members, schoolmates, etc alter their language when around me. If they do swear, they almost always immediately apologize (though I have never told them that foul language offends me or hurts me in any way). Many of my coworkers didn't know I was Mormon, they just did this out of consideration.

Now if you're reading this and you're like "I've done that!" Then just know that I don't mind swearing, I just don't participate myself. But I also appreciate your consideration. :)

If you're reading this and you're like "Hm, I've always let my mouth run away with me around Laurel" then just know that's cool. I really don't have a problem with it. It is just an assumption that most people make.

This brings me back to being PC. Most people, regardless of political affiliation, tailor their language subconsciously depending on who they're around. Why? Do they do it out of fear? Or out of habit? Usually not. They usually do it because they are being considerate human beings. GASP!

It's not that hard to learn about what words are offensive to large groups of people. And most people don't know what they don't know...so learn! Practice! Apologize when you get it wrong.

So let's embrace our unique snowflakeness. Use our compassion and empathy for good and don't sink to the rocky lower levels. Go out there and make an avalanche, people!

And because I'm a Stark I must end with...

Disclamer: I'm not perfect. Too often I find myself sinking down and being snarky and sarcastic, resorting to name-calling when tired and frustrated and angry. But, look, I try REALLY hard to be better. And I hope that someday I can look back and be proud of how I represented myself.

___



Some helpful Links:

Allys Guide to Terminology withing the LGBTQA+ Community

Disability Etiquette

Transgender Terminology

Sexuality -vs- Gender

A Few GREAT Videos:

How can you support this?

Stay with me. I'm going to do my best to organize my thoughts into a coherent post. I apologize for it's extreme length.

Here is the theme:

I am a liberal because of my religious beliefs, not in spite of it.

I heard these words from a fellow Democratic Mormon and I instantly fell in love with it. These words perfectly describe how I feel.

However, this is post 1 of....many. I hope people read them, but it's mostly for my own sanity. The way I deal with my thoughts and feelings is by writing. I also love having meaningful conversations so I will post this for others to read and, hopefully, reply.

This post is not specifically about why I am a liberal Mormon, but rather this post is asking a very important questions. I'll get to that a little later.

About Me

First, I want to introduce you to my background. That way you can understand how I gain and filter my information. Remember, this post is anecdotal and based solely on my personal experiences. I do not claim to be totally impartial or statistically correct, I only claim to have formed these opinions over time and with an open mind.

I grew up in the Bay Area (California) and worked in Oakland for a number of years for the SPCA. I also attended theater school in San Francisco and received a Bachelor's Degree in Theater and Performance Studies from UC Berkeley. I like to think of this degree as the "human behavior and analysis" degree, because that's really what it was all about.

On the opposite side of all that, I grew up in an active Mormon family (though it was only my immediate family that were members, my parents being converts) and am still very active. I am a temple recommend holder and have a deep testimony of Jesus Christ. I attended BYU-Idaho for two years before becoming extremely ill (I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was eighteen, during my second semester at BYU-Idaho). I could not continue going to school after trying for four semesters and came home to recuperate and attend the local community college. I met Mike Stark during my second semester at community college and by the time I transferred to UC Berkeley we were married in the Oakland temple.

I tend to think that I have a unique view of the world because of all these diverse experiences. It's probably why I spend a large portion of time on Facebook and why I find it extremely edifying. My feed is filled with some of the most intellectual and compassionate people I've ever met....both from Berkeley and from BYU, from my church friends in California and Idaho, and from my work at the SPCA.

I see liberal and conservative views. Each day I see and read every single article my friends post. No, I'm not exaggerating. If I don't have time to read something in that moment, I save the article and go back each night and read a couple. I spend a lot of time discerning whether an article is worth sharing or should just be for Mike and I to discuss. I've read some extremely enlightening and interesting articles that I felt were a little too biased or snarky to share widely, though they brought up excellent points and were ultimately correct in their assessments and observations. If I didn't repost it, then I knew it wouldn't be received well by those on the other side (whether that be liberal or conservative) because of the strong bias or the slight condescending tone. Or because I simply knew the ones I wanted to read the article would not read it. And sometimes my passion gets the better of me and I end up posting a very snarky article...I'm not proud of that. But I'm human.

But yes. I read every single article my friends post and because of that I've learned SO much about many social and political issues.

There's still a lot I don't understand.

I am having a hard time wording my feelings because I don't want to alienate anyone or over-generalize.

In our church, we are urged often to be the light of the world. I have always interpreted this to mean a few different things.

- To be kind, compassionate, loving, and merciful to all people in my life. Easier said than done, of course, but it's the goal. I have a lot of snark in this little body and it often bursts out of me at inopportune moments...

- To find the positive, the silver-lining, or the lesson in all hardship. (I'll come back to this one)

- To let the light of Christ shine through us and to serve our fellow man.

And this is why I am deeply troubled. 

As I stated above, I have many kinds of people in my life. Do you know when I felt the MOST acceptance, compassion, kindness, and love from people? When I attended UC Berkeley. Keep in mind I was the black sheep. I was married and Mormon. These two things were oddities all by themselves, but together they made me SUPER different from everyone else around me. But I had some of the best conversations, made some the best friends, met some of the most amazing people, and never once felt judged. I also made sure I didn't make anyone else around me feel judged and did my best to listen to each conversation. It was here I learned how to have productive and meaningful conversations about hard subjects with people of many different viewpoints. It's when I truly developed my political and social views.

Back to the present and my conundrum...

I have seen and read a lot about politics in the last 18 months. Never before has our country been so polarized in their views. Well, I've never seen it this bad during my 30 year life.

And here is what I have the biggest problem with...

How in the world can any Christian support our current administration? 

I have gone back and forth with this question and cannot find an answer that is not rooted in these three factors:

- Fear
- Tradition
- False Positivity

I will address each one separately.

Fear

I have to admit that there is a great deal of fear on both sides right now. Maybe more if you are not a conservative, but that's just based on observation. I've heard that many conservatives were unhappy with the Obama years and I understand somewhat. We're never going to 100% agree with any politician because we're all individuals and we have the luxury of having all sorts of opinions without any real consequence. But I digress...

May people are supporting the current administration due to some kind of underlying fear. Sometimes it's based on immigration policy and the belief that bad things are happening in this country because of illegal immigrants. Please explain this to me. If you feel you have a good grasp on this subject, message me. I have not heard any real explanation as to why people feel we need to put our energy and money into finding and booting out people from our country. I've have easily been able to counter each argument posed to me and I find all of them very, very flawed.

Sometimes that fear is based on the "other" factor. You think this administration will keep us safe from terrorism, from the "other", from people with different beliefs, from people with different sexual identities, from people with different skin color, from people with criminal backgrounds, from people who are "unfairly" living off "the system", from people who want to regulate everything, etc, etc, etc.

Perhaps you fear that those asking for equality are asking for entitlement? Or maybe you misunderstand was equality means to those fighting for it? Maybe you are afraid that if that equality is gained it will negatively effect your life in some way?

If that's the case, I would ask you to look at the facts about each of those things you fear and see that "liberal" policy has actually helped the most in those circumstances- or perhaps your fear is unfounded. Try to understand why you feel this way and try to see if it's rooted in logic or, well, irrationality. I can't go into all of them or this post will be a million times longer than it already is (and it's already a novel). But feel free to comment or message me.

False Positivity

This is the part where I address the "finding the positive, the silver-lining, or the lesson in all hardship" portion of being the light of the world. There is such a thing as BLIND positivity, or false positivity. And that's not what we need to have right now. There's a difference between being positive and being blind. I can be positive AND realistic AND angry AND fight for what's right.

The sentiment I've seen over and over is this: It doesn't matter if you voted for someone else, our president is our president, and we must accept that. That's the mindset right now among conservatives and some moderates. Acceptance. The "roll over" mentality. But why? Because he claims to be a member of the party you prefer or because what's done is done? How does this relate to false positivity?

Well, in the behavior world, there's something called Learned Helplessness and I think the whole country is feeling this right now, but more acutely the Republicans are feeling it and continue to pretend all is well. What is Learned Helplessness?
 
Learned Helplessness 

A condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.

The Misconception: If you are in a bad situation, you will do whatever you can do to escape it.
The Truth: If you feel like you aren’t in control of your destiny, you will give up and accept whatever situation you are in.

I am sick of hearing "give him a chance" or "it'll be okay" or "we've had bad presidents before and the world didn't implode, it'll work out."

This is learned helplessness because we've been abused, kicked, lied to over and over, listened to terrible things, seen horrific things, and accepted it as being okay because we feel as if we have no other choice. He's our president. Let's blindly support him now.

But you know what? It's okay to say no. Millions of people worldwide said no the day after the inauguration. Millions of people are still saying no, loudly and vehemently. We do not need to just roll over and accept whatever the White House chooses to do.

Our nation was built on revolt. It was created because of oppression. Each time we are oppressed, our nation fights back. Our leaders came forward even though they were terrified of being hanged for treason because enough was ENOUGH. These days a revolution is a lot less bloody, but it's far more vocal. The republican party does not have to accept what's happening. You deserve better! We all deserve better! I urge you to familiarize yourself with past presidents and their speeches, actions in office, and policies and then compare them to what's happening now.

Recognize that this is NOT okay. This is not normal and that the patriotic thing to do is to fight back through protest and by electing officials that will stand up for the people- not for money, not for themselves, not for power...but for the people they represent.

Push away that false positivity and wake up. The world need you.

Tradition

The worst of these is tradition because it shows absolutely no independent thought.

It's passive. It's indifferent. It's extremely dangerous. The mindset of "I always vote republican" is inherently dangerous- same if you're a democrat or any other party and only blindly vote for that party. Though I label myself as a liberal (moderate liberal), I have voted Republican before and I will again if the candidate is worth supporting. I hope to find the same rational thinking from everyone regardless of party. If the choice is between two candidates of different parties, I hope we look at both candidates with open minds and vote for the person we believe will be the best civil servant.

I also hope we can all be more than a one-issue voter.

And I hope that we take character into account. It DOES matter and it has everything to do with running a country. I've heard so many people justify our current president's behavior over and over again.

If he was unstable during his campaign (there isn't a better word for his behavior. He's mentally unstable people.) then he will be unstable as president. People seem to think that he will have a large cabinet around him all the time to buffer his irrationality, or that he will be controllable for some reason. Was he controllable during his campaign? Did he say terrible and horrendous things about our fellow human beings? Did he make hate, anger, prejudice, and racism explode at his rallies- an encourage it? What kind of people tend to follow him? Do they seem to have love and compassion in their hearts?

Are you wondering "well, Laurel, do you know if they have love or compassion in their hearts? You don't know them. Don't be so judgemental."

Okay. That's fair. I'm basing these conclusions on things like this:

AND these gems...

And yes, I would say (I hope) these are extreme examples. But they are SO EASY to find in large numbers. You can hear this constantly from those that support our current president. Does that trouble you? It should make you very disturbed and scared. Because extreme vetting? What have we become? If our leader has the support of extreme organizations like the KKK and alt-right people then something is terribly, horribly WRONG.

I'm not going to sit here and debate specific policies, I will most likely make a separate post about those things, but this is about one simple thing - general support.

If you were one who said "Give him a chance, let's wait and see what he does."

Well, it's only been eight days. Read these articles:

What Trump Has Done SO FAR

Wednesday Was the Worst Day Yet

Understanding Trump's Executive Orders

To me, these are all terrifying things. Just the pipelines are terrifying to me...but the gag order? The immigration halts? Defunding many, many, many amazing programs that won't do anything to help the national debt? REALLY?

Let's not even mention his constant stream of unpresidential, childish, and threatening tweets.

Please, enlighten me, how can ANY Christian support him?

He was not called by God. He does not have God on his side because he was elected. If you believe that then do you believe that of all world leaders? What about the actual tyrants in history? How could they have rose to power? Wickedness exists and can rise up their own leaders. Use the power of discernment to see this horrible man for who he truly is, not one called of God. We only have one of those people in the world and he's not the US President.

The Power of Habit

It takes me a while to learn new things. By that, I mean it takes me a while for the things I learn to really sink in, take hold, and grow roots in my brain. I'm not sure, but I think this is normal. Most of us might think we learned something new, but unless we actively keep thinking about it and exploring it, we'll never really, truly, deeply learn it. That's why repetition is the key to knowledge.

That leads me into the main point of this post. Habits and changing them.

I had a bit of an epiphany the other night about this subject, and as is common with epiphanies, it's not that groundbreaking but actually super obvious. That is the best kind of epiphany.

I learned a long time ago-- while working with animals-- that progress is not linear. As stated earlier, even though I learned something doesn't mean I know something well enough to apply it to my everyday life. The epiphany was this simple thought:

If progress isn't linear when it comes to training an animal to do something new or to change their behavioral habits....then that means progress isn't linear when I'm trying to change my own habits. DUH.

Then this thought:

Habits aren't just tangible things like my morning routine, but people also have a habitual way of processing information and habitual thought patterns. Some of which are self-harming and detrimental, but it's still HABIT...which is extremely hard to change unless we recognize this fact and purposefully work to change them.

There's this amazing book called The Power of Habit. It's one of the most mind-blowing and fascinating books I've ever read. Once again, this proves how long it takes me to learn something. I'd read it with animal behavior in mind- not my own! So it didn't quite sink in until now. So silly.

The reason I started thinking about it is because of two things:

1) My shopping habit

2) My eating habits

 
Both are detrimental in their own ways. Though I don't shop too crazily, it's still more than I should be doing on our current tiny budget. I know, in my brain, that I should NOT buy this shirt or those shoes...and yet...I do. Then I feel crappy, but not crappy enough to return the item.

My eating habits hurt me physically and yet I can't seem to stop eating junk. I know the power of my full-blown sugar addiction and have always been disinterested in breaking it until now. Mostly because I love, love, love the deliciousness of hostess cupcakes and BBQ potato chips. Not together. Sometimes together.

The reason this is all coming to a head now is because I truly want to change my habits. Every time I have tried in the past, I have failed miserably. Like, within hours miserably. Then because I percieve my mistakes as failure, I give up.

Stupid me!

Why?

Because I KNOW that PROGRESS IS NOT LINEAR! But I never applied it to ME and MY habits. To train a dog to be less reactive on leash? Totally! To train a dog to be friendly around strangers? Yes! To train a cat to tolerate more invasive handling? Completely! But to train me to eat less junk or buy less shoes? Nope. One mistake on my end and I figured, why bother? Also, I looked at it from a slightly more abstract angle- like "healthy food should satisfy me more than junk because of all the nutritional benefits, so I should not even want junk anymore if I eat healthy enough..." and "I should be satisfied with the things I already own and not feel the need to buy more." Thoughts like that are actually really damaging because they tell me what I should be feeling and so if I feel anything different I perceive it, again, as failure.

I am forgiving of animals taking time to learn new habits and changing their behavior, but not with myself. I'm patient and understanding when it comes to a dog having five great sessions and one horrible session, but not with myself. I hurt myself by having negative thoughts without even realizing they're negative and harmful. I need to be accepting of my slip-ups and start with small, incremental changes.

Failure comes when we try to make a major change and expect 100% progress instantly. I see that all the time with pet-parents. They start training and instantly feel as if their dog's behavior should change overnight because they have a couple good sessions. But that's not how behavior changes work. It's not instantaneous and takes time to form a HABIT.

As long as I keep trying and making some kind of progress each day and set realistic short-term goals, I will be successful.

It's been hard training myself to think, "I may have done badly these last few days, but today I can do better. And that's progress." Instead of saying, "Well, this is just who I am. Why try to change it?"

This is what I need to remember:

And to be more forgiving. To ALWAYS keep trying. First I have to change my thought patterns, because that is the root of my problem. Then I have the change my tangible, physical habits- like going through a drive-through and getting a burger while out and about. Instead, train myself to plan dinner ahead of time. Also, I need to be okay with mistakes and back-tracking and giving in to stress. Sometimes a burger is okay, but do it mindfully, not impulsively.

That's the end of my epiphany. Thought processes are habit. Habits have immense power over our behavior and choices. We can change them, consciously, with patience and a long history of reinforcement. So giving up after one mistake? The worst think I could do! Then I will not have enough history of reinforcement to fall back on when things get hard! So ALWAYS KEEP GOING.

The End.

The Idaho Connection

It's a big change, and one that we've been anticipating and hoping would happen for a long time.

I get the same reaction, though...

Idaho?!

I've discovered a lot of people either don't know where Idaho is or have no idea Idaho existed or get it  confused with Iowa (you know who you are).

I think in each of our souls is a happy place. Somewhere we can retreat to when things get stressful at home or work. My happy place is always in nature. A wide open field of flowers or near a cheery stream with moss covered rocks, or overlooking a vast mountainous landscape. For some people, their happy place is in the hustle and bustle of city life. High sky scrapers and concrete oceans.

For years now my heart has ached for a more open and slower place to live.

Not a lot of people know how beautiful Eastern Idaho is. Most assume it's flat. However, there are the Rocky's on one side and the Tetons on the other. In the middle is the gorgeous Teton Valley.

Let's take a hike together.

 

Seriously. Excited.

Except for this part...

But nothing is perfect. We'll deal with it. I think Nova will go crazy for the snow, though. Whenever she sees some on TV she gets very excited. Snow and Rain, she loves them!

The Deets:

Mike entered into an online(ish) program through BYU-Idaho the fall of 2014 called Pathway. This was a huge thing for us because A) We knew for a while that we wanted Mike to earn a BS in Engineering, but also knew it was impossible by traditional means and B) We'd had some many educational failures when it came to Mike's degree. Pathways felt like it was heaven sent...and I truly believe it was. 

There aren't a lot of options for people trying to go to college later in life and also provide for a family. He needed to complete a ton of prerequisite classes at community colleges before he could apply to a 4 year university. In order to get the classes completed and also still be able to afford the daily necessities of food, shelter, and WiFi, it would take him approximately FOREVER to finish just the prerequisite courses to transfer. 

Figure one class per semester...8 prerequisites before being able to start any basic engineering classes...that's FOUR YEARS just to get those 8 prerequisites done. Three years if he could manage to get into summer classes, which is iffy because community colleges are seriously impacted right now and summer typically only offers the *super basics* like English 101 and Algebra 1.

I think Mike had about 12 classes at the community college level to complete before being able to transfer. The time it would have taken...mind boggling.

We tried having him to go school full time for one semester while I worked and brought home the bacon, but we quickly found that we were drowning in bills. Another fun fact: there's pretty much zero financial aid for community college and non-profit pay isn't exactly lucrative. 

We had no choice but for him to go back to work. Our plans for the future seemed bleak.

Then, one Sunday, we had a special meeting in which a representative from Pathways came and spoke about the program. It was like God was literally pointing and saying "LISTEN".

It was too perfect not to be divine intervention. The saga of Mike's schooling woes had been long and arduous. 

[[ The Saga, to summarize:

1) Community College (meets Laurel) and just taking a buncha music classes without any real direction (sorry, Babe, you know it's true). 2007

2) Stops school to work so Laurel can finish her degree at Berkeley. Cuz, you know, a theater degree is super important ya'll and I'm obviously putting it to good use. Totally worth it. 2009

3) Pursues dream and starts E'xpressions College for the Digital Arts (sound design program) 2010

4) Discovers it's about 90k per year, no financial aid available, only personal loans. And no one has ever gotten a personal loan for school and regretted it [insert eye roll here]. Ultimately, we made a heart-wrenching decision and pulled him out of E'xpressions. His dream. Shattered. Thanks over-priced non-accredited trade school. I send vague but slightly threatening glances your way. 2011

5) Himming and hawing. My relentlessly asking "What do you want?" and Mike saying "......." for about a year. 2012

6) Eureka! A huge break through. After a long deliberation, it's decided gleefully that Mike wants an Electrical Engineering degree. The reason it took so long to decide was because we thought it was unrealistic to pursue because we kept only looking at fast ways for Mike to earn a degree. EE is not a fast or easy degree, but one Mike truly yearned for. But, perhaps maturity comes from disappointment, because we said "Screw how long it's gonna take, let's put all our energy into this and it will work out."  2013

7) Nova is born. We realize we're stuck again because Mike can't go to school full-time and trying to get an EE degree part-time is impossible. Not hard. Im-poss-i-ble. 2013

8) Special meeting at church about pathways. Do three core classes, then you can be free to fully persue ANY degree the school has to offer. Plus, guaranteed admission. Some degrees you can do online, but others must be done on campus. EE = campus. We knew that meant moving to Idaho. 2014

9) We embrace the fact that we will be moving to Idaho 1 year from enrollment into pathways and start to mentally prepare. 2014.

10) Enrolls into Pathways. End of 2014.

11) And here we are 1 year (and a couple months) from when he enrolled. 

MUCH faster than the community college --> transfer to four year school option.]]]

Yes, this degree will take the FULL 4 years to complete. It's that type of degree. It's demanding and hard and requires all your commitment and energy. He can't even have a minor because the degree is so demanding. But we're happy life is moving forward and that it's FINALLY allowing Mike to do something he loves.

He's never had The College Experience and though he's married with a kid, so are a ton of people at BYU-Idaho. I think it's the perfect environment for him and I'm beyond thrilled. I went to BYU-I for a stretch, before I got sick and had to come home, and I loved it. Now we'll have similar experiences and will be able to grow closer because of it.

We are now living in Ammon, a town about 20 miles outside of Rexburg (where the college is located). We chose this route for a few reasons:

1) Cheaper

2) Less of a "college town" and much larger, packed with the essentials, and feels more like an adult community.

3) I won't feel disoriented and like I'm reliving my college days. 

There will be a clear separation of school and home life, something I really wanted for Mike. 

We went to visit Idaho and the Rexburg area over the summer, in August, to scope things out and to let Mike have the opportunity to get to know the area and campus. When we were there, I felt slight anxiety at the thought of moving back. Perhaps it was the memory of being sick with Crohn's and far away from home, or maybe it was just realizing the move was really going to happen...I don't know, but I started to feel less excited about the idea.

Then someone proposed we live in Idaho Falls instead. Again, a huge revelation that was super obvious! The simple thought of living in a larger and more industrialized area was appealing. It's still a smallish town, about the size of Pleasanton/Dublin put together, but still much larger than Rexburg. It meant the feeling of isolation no longer plagued me.

Ammon is directly connected to Idaho Falls. Think of it like a newer and more hilly suburb of I.F. Honestly, when I drive toward the hills (with windmills on them) I think we accidentally moved to Livermore. Then we turn around and BAM, snow covered mountains. 

So far, we are loving it. It's been less than a week, but our new place is great and Nova is adjusting just fine.

I severely miss my family and having such a great network of people around to help watch Nova...but sacrifices must be made for progress. We looked at our lives and said "This isn't what we want for the rest of forever..." and we made a big leap.

Mike is one of the smartest and most talented people I've ever met. His potential is off the charts. Pest control forever would have been a terrible fate for him. Not saying it's a bad job, I truly believe that all jobs are meaningful, it just wasn't where Mike was supposed to end up. That's what I mean by terrible. If you're stuck doing something that doesn't help you grow as a person or that you have no passion for. 

We're scared about some aspects of the future...nothing is ever certain or guaranteed, but so many things have worked out strangely well since making this choice and I see God's hand everywhere right now. If we look for help, I know we'll find it. If we work hard, the Lord will make up the difference. 

That's what faith is all about! But I also have to remember that faith without works is dead. So no sitting around waiting for things to happen. Push forward and work for them.

Thanks you to everyone who has helped us thus far. 

Especially family. 

I miss them already.

But onward...nothing changes if you don't move forward. Stagnation...icky.

It's All Natural!

Have you ever experienced that moment when you find an answer to a problem you've had for ages, a problem you stopped thinking of as a problem because it's just become part of your life, a problem that most people shrug off as normal because everyone has the same problem, and you think the answer can't possibly be as simple as it seems and so your don't try it even though it could solve your problem and won't hurt to try?

That's holistic medicine for you.

No, I'm being serious!

This is a huge revelation for me and I hope this post can help at least one other person discover this simple way of living, too. (Okay, it's actually complex, but at the same time super simple.)

Let me preface this with the disclaimer of: I'm still learning. I'm like a little child. Excited, eager, but with huge gaps of knowledge. 

I haven't tried everything, but I am more than willing. It has more to do with time and money for some aspects of holistic medicine (acupuncture, for one) and yes, a little skepticism others (energy healing). But I'm willing to try it.

So the big question you're probably asking is: What is my problem and how is it being solved?

Well...it's problemS (with a big S) and it's still in the process of being solved because I'm stoopid and didn't try these things until just recently.

Of course, as most of you know, my main problem is Crohn's Disease. It's a evil little monkey on my back that just won't. go. away.

As I told my mother the other day, I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!! (Yes, the second exclamation mark is necessary.)

There are days I feel okay. Days I can pretty much ignore any minor symptom like general fatigue or a little tummy ache. Then there are days where I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Then there are days that start out okay and end in a lot of unpleasantness. Or start rocky and end decently. It's never completely consistent and I've been wondering for YEARS how to make it better.

I'm not very good at committing 100% to any extreme health measures. I'm not going vegan or raw or paleo or only drink bone broth for a week. It's not in my personality at all to even attempt something like that. So I need things that I can integrate into my normal routine that will make me feel better.

Wait. Scratch that.

I need things that I can integrate into my normal routine that will make me heal.

Remember that. It's a hugely important difference.

The question remains. How can I solve my problem of Crohn's? What are the problems of Crohn's? It's different for many of us diagnosed...

Wait. Scratch that.

The symptoms each of us feel are the same, but at different levels. But the REASON is the same.

Want to hear the ridiculous things doctors have told me about my disease?

1) Food has nothing to do with your symptoms.
2) You need to take 6 iron supplements a day.
3) Steroids have very little side effects.
4) Steroids will make you better.
5) You will need surgery at some point in your life.

And those are just the ones that stuck with me all these years. I haven't seen a doctor for my Crohn's for....uh....seven or eight years. I just suffer through it on my own. I have seen doctors for a myriad of other issues (some listed below) but not the gastroenterologist specifically for Crohn's because, frankly, most are useless.

So, the main problems with Crohn's are:

1) Anemia. 
This means low iron. Like, dangerously ridiculously insanely low. After I had Nova my doctors couldn't understand how I was still conscious, let alone walking and talking because my iron levels were so low. By all accounts, I shouldn't have been able to function. Yet I did! Take that, Anemia.

2) Inflammation of the gut...somewhere...anywhere.
Crohn's is chronic. That means when I end up needing surgery (because that's how doctors word things: when), the Crohn's will just move to a different place in my gut. Yippee skippee. Inflammation is the main source of the pain because food just makes it angrier.

3) Immune system overload (AKA failure)
My stoopid immune system get's kind of confused when I get sick and thinks that my body and my healthy cells are the intruder and attacks itself. Go home immune system, you're drunk. This also means I will catch every cold, every time.

4) Because of the inflammation in my gut, I barely absorb nutrients from solid food. 
And don't even get me started on vitamin supplements or iron supplements. If I can't even absorb apple juice, I can't absorb iron supplements (which is one of the hardest things to digest...see the humor?). Because I'm not absorbing nutrients, I end up with deficiencies in...everything. When you have deficiencies in everything then your body goes...wonky.

So they tell me to take a million iron supplements a day and guess what happens? Gold star for anyone who guessed pain! So my choices are no iron and be anemic, or yes iron and be curled in bed in pain.

Also, remember #4? How I can't absorb nutrients? This is why I never need to exercise. Because I'm basically starving all the time. Not that I don't eat, I do. Plenty. My body just doesn't know it so I don't gain any weight.

I will eat, get a pretty intense stomach ache (thanks, inflammation!), not receive any nutritional benefits from the food, and feel exhausted from the anemia. That's my basic day.

On top of it all, I barely sleep. More on that below.

How does holistic medicine help?

Well, as I said I'm pretty new to this so some things I still need to try. However, it's helped about a billion times more than conventional "western medicine". AKA Just-Pop-Those-Pills-And-Shut-Up medicine.

I have yet to find a conventional doctor who will listen to my symptoms and problems and recommend a way to heal my body. They always, always, always, prescribe pills to mask or suppress the problem.

As an animal behavior person, I know how dangerous suppressing the problem can be. This is what punishment based training does, suppresses the problem until the dog bites someone in the face. It's basic psychology.

It's dangerous to suppress and mask things, that's how bodies end up breaking without warning, because the problem (pain, usually) is being suppressed.

Anyways...holistic medicine aims to correct the underlying issue, to heal, instead of looking at the problem as something to put a band-aid on and then claim it's "all better".

Here are (some of) the things I've discovered and tried (or will be trying very soon):

1) Chiropractic care
Holy moley, I can't say enough good things about going to the chiropractor. did you know conventional doctors will just brush it off? But if you go to a doctor with back pain, what do they recommend? Muscle relaxants and surgery. Instead, consider the chiropractor. You've got nothing to lose from trying it and everything to gain. Ask for a referral from a friend (like me!) and try it. When I went in and had my x-rays, the chiropractor asked if I'd ever been in a serious car accident because that's how screwed up my back and neck were.

After 6 years, it's probably the main thing holding me together. It helps me sleep better, it makes the pain in my hip (after years of retail and standing for 8 hours, you develop some issues) go away. When I clench my jaw at night, he adjusts it back in place. When my knee twists out of place, he adjusts it. When Mike's shoulder kinks up from hours of pest control, the chiropractor adjusts it. The spine is connected to every part of your body, if it's messed up then you're not going to feel so great. This is so obvious to me, now, but I was definitely a huge skeptic before Mike forced me convinced me to go.

2) Angstrom Iron and Vitamin C
Angstrom minerals are minerals in their tiniest and purest form. They are liquid and can pass through the stomach wall without the need to be digested. Instant absorption. Did any of my doctors know about them? Nope. But holistic medicine did. I've been taking angstrom iron for about a year and even though I'm not totally consistent (I should be taking it three times a day...most days it's once) I have zero pain from it and more energy than without it. It's been a miracle supplement.

3) Probiotics
My poor gut. It's pretty sickly. The first thing I discovered to help was probiotics. Some of you are probably nodding as if this would be an obvious thing to try. Did any of my doctors recommend it? Something so simple and universally accepted as important to our health? Something that would obviously help me, a person with gut issues? Nope, not one doctor brought it up. They just kept pushing the steroids. I'm kind of stoopid and didn't start probiotics until last week. That's mostly due to the fact that when trying to buy probiotics you're bombarded with about two thousand options. I got overwhelmed and placed my head in the sand for a while hoping my body would just heal on it's own.

But then I got desperate (not absorbing nutrients from food and being in a fair amount of pain after every meal will do that) and really dug into the research aspect. I've started with a powder probiotic of the strain b-infantis which is usually used for babies, kids, nursing mothers. However, my gut has almost zero useful or helpful bacteria/gut flora so I need to start with the basics for a few weeks, then add in some adult strains slowly over time. Powder, also, is easier to absorb than capsules. So there ya go. We shall see if this helps, but I predict it will.

4) Getting more sleep
I haven't been able to sleep for years. Since about my first semester of college, when my Crohn's got serious. I wake up, on average, 10 times per night. Those are just the times I can clearly remember. It could be more. I predict that I only get between 3-5 hours of real sleep per night. For the last 10 years. I'm surprised I haven't been admitted to an asylum. Anytime I've brought this up to a doctor, guess what they respond with? Pills. They don't try to solve the underlying issue or think about why this could be happening. They just want to give me pills. Sometimes they give priceless advice like "try not to use electronic devices before bed" or "don't eat for a few hours before bed". Yea...tried. For years. No difference. Guess what I just found out? And this is mind-blowing to me because it's so obvious now...

Lack of calcium and magnesium absorption can lead to insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety. There are so many other symptoms linked with a calcium or magnesium deficiency that really add up for me, too. And guess what? There is angstrom bone health with calcium and magnesium! That's my next thing. To try that and see if my sleep improves. I'm excited but blown away that no one, not one doctor, ever mentioned this as a possibility for sleep issues. There are so many documented studies where adding more calcium and magnesium to the daily diet solve serious insomnia cases. I barely get any calcium or magnesium so this definitely is an issue for me.

I'm hoping these few things will start to make a big difference when all put together. I hope the probiotics will allow me to eat a meal without instant pain. I'm hoping the iron will continue to help with my energy level so I can keep up with Nova. I'm hoping the calcium and magnesium help me sleep more, therefore giving me more energy and less headaches.

My next big step is ridding my life of chemicals found in make-up, skin and hair products, soaps...and food. This is a long process, but one I've already started. I've been slowly collecting natural products over time. Replacing one thing here and one thing there and soon my whole inventory will be clean of chemicals. That will help my long term health- and my family's.

I also need to read more about holistic medicine and listen more to people who are smarter than me and be willing to try something new.

I have clients all the time NOT try something with their dog (something that will dramatically help the issue) because it sounds too easy. It's all too common with us, not trying something because it's too easy. It's an epidemic among humans. We say "no, this is a serious problem. I need serious medicine or a complex answer." I think that's why we're so easily swayed by pharmaceuticals. It's the perfect balance of easy and complex. The pill itself is made of complex elements, so it must work, but it's so easy to take and it makes us feel better in the moment, therefore I must be better.

Unfortunately, that's not usually the case.

Now don't get me wrong, not ALL pills are evil little pieces of poison. Some have their purposes. There are some benefits to western medicine, like life-saving surgery and emergency care. But they are limited and I truly and strongly believe it should be very limited and selective in our lives.

The more I think about moderation in all things, the more this applies to every aspect of my life. It makes perfect sense to me. As someone who believes in God and creation and evolution all at the same time, it makes sense that the plants and minerals found naturally on our planet would benefit us in a much more meaningful way than chemicals created by man.

I think the more we advance medically, the more we need to do to heal our bodies from the damage being done by our advancements. Look at c-sections. They save lives, but they also strip the newborn baby's body of almost all good gut flora (biodiversity of intestinal bacteria) that helps develop the immune system. So we need to add probiotic supplements to the baby's milk because something unnatural happened and threw off the body's natural path. Breast milk helps a ton, but from my reading, additional probiotics are still needed if a c-section occurred. I didn't know this until recently!

Look at other medical interventions. I hesitate to mention some because of backlash buuuut....look at vaccines. They also strip your gut flora and add heavy metals and virus's into your body in an unnatural way. Detoxification must take place in order for the body to heal from the unnatural chemicals we humans force upon them. I think we have good intentions, but you know the popular saying with that, right? All things must be in moderation and there must be balance.

Our food, too, is being genetically altered. It blows my mind that people don't think this would be an issue. OF COURSE it would be an issue. If you believe (like me) that the plants and minerals naturally found on our planet would be best thing for our bodies, then it would only make sense that altering our food at the core level would mess things up. A lot. Especially if it's being done to almost everything we eat. Not to mention adding antibiotics, preservatives, unnatural emulsifiers...it's a miracle the human race hasn't just crumbled to pieces with all this junk we cram into our bodies.

Even when you use "healthy" ingredients like veggies and whole grains, you're still most likely putting weird and trace amounts of dangerous chemicals into your body.

It's enough to make someone want to live in the Canadian wilderness and grow their own food.

This will be Mike in a few years.

But seriously....

Paradise.

To end my very long propaganda message, I'm going natural. Or trying to. I still have my weaknesses, like cheeseburgers, fries, and Jack in the Box, and I'm not all anti-corporation (I shop way too much at Target for that to ever happen...) or anti-government or a crazy hippie. I just wholeheartedly believe there is a better way to treat your body than with drugs and unnecessary interventions by conventional medicine. There always have been better ways, but then it became about $$ and other things rather than healing and health and those better ways were discounted and presented as "junk science" or "crockery" or "placebos". Just like people discounted a lot of other true things back in the day as "witchcraft" or "devil-speak" or just plain "nonsense". Washing your hands is beneficial? Shut your crazy mouth, Semmelweis.

The human body in infinitely complex, saying the science regarding the body and health is clear is foolish and naive. We need to remember nurses and doctors are humans, too, and don't know everything about their field. This is why specialists exist and why there are always studies happening about every aspect of the human body. Am I grateful for health professionals? Of course! Do I think they are all-knowing demi-gods? Sadly, no. But that would be cool. Do they know more than me? About some stuff, for sure! Might I learn something they don't know? It's possible. Occasionally, people come in with new behavioral research I haven't seen. That's the neat thing about information availability, nowadays. It's there, just waiting to be read and absorbed.

Here are some cool things I found on google:

Nifty, right? Of course, you can use both forms of treatment, but don't discount homeopathic and holistic medicine. It's easy, much cheaper, much healthier, and works wonders. I used clove, oregano, and olive oil on a severe tooth ache recently and it worked wonders. Oregano is a spectacular healing agent. So is coconut oil. Seriously, I've learned so much and have used many suggested holistic treatments with shockingly great success. I'm a convert and trust me, it took years for my stubbornness and skepticism to be overpowered by my desperation and I wish I'd tried these things sooner.

Well, all I can say is...

Happy Healing! I bet you didn't even know you could feel better. I didn't.