MAKING LIFE EASIER, HAPPIER, BETTER FOR ADRENAL FATIGUE

When faced with adrenal fatigue, but for a long while not really knowing what it was, the severity of it, what to do about it... it's easy to keep on doing what you've always done, which of course is what got you to where you are in the first place. Once you then come to terms with it all, you go about trying to figure it all out on your own, or seek professional help. Either way there's quite often a long time in and out of sessions, buying multiple supplements, trial-and-error-ing just about everything.

So I wanted to shed some light on a few strange things that made my life easier, better, happier, or even just a bit nicer, whilst dealing with adrenal fatigue myself.

Are You Stuck in a Food Rut? Here's my tips to get out

 

It happens to the best of us. We start out with great intentions. We are food lovers at heart after all. We crave the healthier food more often, and are happy to give in the some choccie here and there. We get creative in the kitchen, Instagram incredible looking dishes, that taste even better.

What happens when that food spark dulls a little?  

IT ALL STARTS IN YOUR GUT

 In studying natural medicine, gut issues crop up all over the place and we see them in almost everyone. It's where most therapists look to heal first as the cascade of events that follow are usually nothing short of miraculous. Our gut has everything to do with digestion of our food, but it is also inextricably linked to our liver health and function, our gallbladder, our pancreas, stomach acidity, how well we absorb the nutrients we are eating, our efficiency and ability to detoxify daily, our happiness and moods, ability to think properly, immune health, and so much more.

Are you treating a Symptom or the Cause?

 

More and more I see and interact with people who are wanting a greener version of a pharmaceutical drug (Disclaimer here; I read those last few words in a text book recently and was like "ooooh I LOVE that analogy" and so here my friends, I just used it!).

Need health advice? Ask Yourself... No-one knows your body better than you

This has been a looooong lesson learned for me. That I know best. Those are big words right? It implies that we trust ourselves. That whatever decision we make will be perfect. That regardless of what everyone else says will work, if we feel so strongly that it's not for us, being brave enough to roll with that feeling, contrary to every body else.

The biggest part of why I have struggled with trusting myself for so long was because of a disconnection to myself. I could say it all begun with my parents divorce when I sat there very upset but telling myself "don't cry, don't cry, don't cry" for whatever reason I seemed to think was good enough at the young age of seven, but for all I know, it could have been even earlier. I was sad and felt to cry but made myself not. Incongruence at it's best. And from then on I taught myself how to master the art of hiding my feelings and disconnecting from my emotions.

This unfortunately also laid the path for what was to become a very strong dis-connect from myself. Eating disorders, depression, binge drinking... these all appeared and stuck around for a good few years because I was incredibly 'not-attached' to myself. I know this may sound ridunculously stupid, by being 'not-attached' to myself I simply mean that my thoughts and my body were never on the same page.

I felt hungry, but didn't eat. Or I was full but kept eating. I felt unhappy but tried to mask it. These still, to this day, cause me minor hiccups every now and then as I often look at the clock to see how long it has been since I last ate, as hunger and fullness signals get muddled up from years of ignoring them all.

But over the years I have gotten better at re-connecting with myself and allowing myself to feel everything I never used too; hunger, fullness, pain, saddness, happiness and more. And in the process of doing so I have begun to hear and feel the little nudges and whispers I get in direct relation to my health; my own journey, what is great for me and what is not, and everything that encompasses.

+ Like feeling that turkish bread will bloat me - but eating it anyway, and of course, getting bloated.

+ Being told my daily coffee enema would aggravate my colon more than help my liver (which needed support) - I stopped them and have felt nauseous most days since.

+ Wanting to join a female bootcamp to meet friends on arriving to Cairns last year, but knowing it was not the best as I was trying to heal adrenal fatigue - well I got worse, almost pulled out (didn't coz of stubborness and not enough self love though) and ended up putting on weight.

+ Knowing somewhere within me that nothing would heal my acne except learning to love and accept myself - not that this made it any easier; it's still a work in progress (having said that, plenty of things have made great improvements in my skin, but even through science-based studies, and knowing the physical and physiological reasons for acne and how to treat it, I simply know they are not my answers)

At the same time, it can be a bloody tough slog realising that we are our best teachers. Hopefully it's only initially and will get easier (I'm still new to this too remember). Sometimes we want to heal and correct something right now and so go about trying, ingesting, and changing everything we can. Even if we know deep down there's a lesson here and it won't go away instantly, we continue trying everything we can.

Think of the overweight woman who has tried every diet, every personal trainer at her gym, every supplement known to shred, every tea to help boost her metabolism, every tapping technique, hypnosis technique, portion sizes, even meal times. All the time having no luck, and in fact knowing that her issue has nothing to do with the food but everything to do with the whispers she is getting about the need to love herself just as she is (and then the weight will magically fall off - no joke).

Additionally, and I know this one too well, when we really want help with something but fail to find anyone who can really help us. As if that isn't a sure enough sign that you've gotta work it out for yourself! We either don't believe what we are feeling intuitively or are too scared to follow it. But I've heard and read time and time again about people who after years of seeking help, end up trusting their gut and healing themselves of cancer, autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, you name it, simply because they could never find someone who could help them with their condition.

Does your gut tell you that the best exercise right now is to do nothing, yet you're too attached to your routine that you don't listen, only to get an injury next week or go further downhill with fatigue?

It's not miraculously easy to just begin trusting your gut and knowing that you are your best healer - or we would all be doing it right? But we can at least practice day by day. Ask yourself "what would I like for lunch?" and see if you get anything back. Next time you're at the markets hold an apple in one hand and a banana in the other. Which one feels lighter (and no, I don't mean by weight)?

These little questions and experiences get us in touch with our body and it's innate wisdom so that when we are presented with bigger things, we will still feel, see, hear the sensations so we can trust our gut.

If you (think you) don't know why you're always bloated, sit with it, as I'm sure you'll get some sense of an idea (you might just not want to accept that you have to ditch your beloved dairy).
If you still have no clue why you've had eczema for 10 years, and no doctor has helped you, feel into this one. Something is sure to come up, if it hasn't already but you've chosen to ignore it.

As an almost-qualifed-Nutritionist, of course I can help you with many things as I have learnt so much through my studies and truckloads more through my own experiences. But only YOU will already know more about YOUR body than I ever will. So trust that girl. Sure an apple is super healthy... but if you feel sick eating it, and only you will feel this sickness, then stop eating it, no matter how many people tell you it's good for you.

Capishe?

Christie xx

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Prescription: Listen to Your Inner Guide

Day 29 of my I Quit Sugar, and I have to confess to some balsamic vinegar on my cafe eggs this morning, and to trying a native cherry at the organic shop - other than that I'm still all good and feeling great (you can check out how B is doing with his as well as he does a youtube vid each day on how he's going) !

Well - not quite great with an exclamation mark. But in regards to how I'm going without the sweet stuff, I'm doing well. That aside it's still fatigue and a few other niggly issues that I'm dealing with to get myself back to feeling amazing, but I'm working on it daily and little by little I know I'm getting there.

Sometimes health issues seem like they are with us forever and we wander when things are going to get better. The tricky things is that as we are all so different and unique, so too are our health concerns. If it's weight we want to let go of, what works for Sarah isn't the same as what works for Jane. If we're battling depression, it might be a simple nutrient deficiency for Bobby, but a whole load of deeper childhood issues for Bill; not nutrient issues at all.

Having studied bits and pieces of healing modalities and a lot of nutrition over the years, on top of coming up against quite a hefty load of lessons and issues of my own to deal with, I can tell you that there is always a reason and sometimes these issues can hang around longer than we want because we might not have learnt the lesson yet. Some of my lessons have been so that I can teach others - the powers of nutrition; knowing what works best for healing eating disorders, balancing blood sugars, and losing weight. Or why exercise and nature are just as important. Other lessons are for me - to slow down, look within and connect back to my spiritual practice. Or to learn to love myself looking back at my reflection everyday.

Whatever it is, we all need to stop, close our eyes, breathe, and try to listen to what we really need. Our heads will say one things, but our bodies will say another.

Take my acne for example; I could say (as I've heard it a million times before) that all I need to do is eliminate dairy and wheat, use glycolic acid peels regularly, drink plenty of water, and address any gut issues. Now these alone would cure someone's acne I know it. I've seen it. For some, their only problem is a dairy intolerance causing their skin conditions. For others, it's living in a hot climate. For others again, it may be hormonal or stress related. You try everything anyone mentions.

But only by listening to my inner guidance did I learn that none of that matters so much for me and that my acne is all about self love. No doctor, skin specialist, naturopath, or health store chic would tell you that (unless you ran into me at my shop). Now, don't get me wrong, all the aforementioned things will definitley benefit skin conditions (and other suggestions will benefit other conditions). It may or may not be one sole issue that needs addressing, but regardless, you may as well stack all the odds in your favour and do as much as you can in all areas of your life to help you with whatever it is you may be experiencing, struggling with, distressed by, etc.

If it's letting go of weight that no longer serves you - address diet, exercise, thought patterns, lifestyle, energy blocks, stress and relaxation, self love and acceptance, lymphatic drainage, water intake, visualisations...

If it's a skin condition - address diet, hydration, essential fatty acids, topical solutions, working from inside-out, parasites, hormones, energy, feelings and emotions surrounding it, self love issues...

If it's fatigue and exhaustion - you need to look at diet, movement, supplements, oxygen and nature, hormones, affirmations, thought patterns, music, meditation, massage, rest and relaxation...

The list goes on. I've learnt that rarely one things will solve everything. People come into the health store everyday wanting the latest weight loss pill they've seen on Doctor Oz, and to his credit, there have been some that do work - but not on their own. If we really want to heal health and life issues and imbalances then we really need to stand up, say so loud and proud, and commit to doing everything we can in order to do so. I know it can be bloody hard work; I'll be the first to admit, but I'm also willing to hold your hand and see you through because I've been lying on my bedroom floor in tears unable to get out of bed as well. I've been left empty and unable to walk up the home stairs to my bedroom, falling asleep half way. I've hit my rock bottom and know how frustrating it is when you seek help here, there, and everywhere to only be given one piece of your 1000-piece puzzle at every appointment.

I want to give you half the puzzle. At least. I can't give it all to you because you're actually the one with the last piece you just don't know it. We came into this lifetime already writing down what we want to experience and what we want to learn. I find this invaluable to remember when things seem overwhelming. To stop and accept that my eating disorder, my acne, my adrenal fatigue, exhaustion, thyroid issues, blood sugar issues and more are all as a result of me wanting to know what all this really felt like so I could truly put myself in others shoes and help them by understanding exactly what they are going through, because this is my passion. This is my love. This is what I am here to share with the world right here right now.

So I want to connect with you and for you to know that if you're struggling with anything right now, find that place inside of you that knows there's a greater reason for it. And that's it's all part of the master plan for you to grow, deepen, come alive and connect with others in a beautiful and meaningful way. You're not the only one going through what you're going through. You have love and support surrounding you.
Try new things if you haven't already. Don't solely rely on diet or your energetic healer. You need a little from everything as you are a little of everything.


Written in true Christie rambling fashion post an amazing healing session I just got home from, with no planned blog post for today.

xxx

WHY BONE BROTH IS THE BOMB + RECIPE

Here it is – the Bone Broth post. Most of you know I had followed a vegetarian-vegan-raw vegan diet collectively for over 15yrs up until last year when I made some changes due to my health. Most recently the addition of bone broth has been thrown in the mix. I wanted to try this as I felt it was what my body needed, and rationally it made sense being good for gut health, loaded with minerals and easy on digestion. I had read and heard of other people’s amazing experiences with it and wanted to try it for myself.

ALIVE IN A NEW CITY, SLOWLY GETTING MY FOOTING (and energy) BACK

So here I am. Sitting with a black sapote and a licorice tea up in Queensland's Far North Cairns. It’s not the typical hot sunshine drenched day you might ponder in your thoughts today, but nonetheless I am still in short and a tshirt – a far cry from my thermals, trakkies, ski socks, ugg boots, scarf and dressing gown I used to wear around my place in Sydney only last week. Yep I’ve made the big move and such explains my absence from here. Well that and trying to finish last assessments, cram for exams, see people, pack, clean, the list went on.

Cancer; Allowing The Body To Heal

 A couple of weeks ago I was driving back from Birkenhead Point, the opposite of Sydney for me, to go and buy my mum a handbag for her birthday that we couldn't get anywhere else. A step back in time as my dad used to take us there as kids and I hated it (factory outlet shopping for all those unfamiliar), but I have to say it has perked up and offers quite good shopping now! But here I am getting side-tracked as I often do... 

Driving back home I get a phone call from a friend of mine; let's call him 'Terminator' (always an Arnie fan). Naughty me was still driving whilst chatting to Terminator until I hear the words 

"I've been diagnosed with lymphoma". My heart sank, and I pulled over right away.

I'm not sure whether or not my friend knew that I have been hugely interested in learning more about cancer and healing it naturally the past couple of years, but he is aware of the diet and lifestyle I follow. So he rang me to ask for some help. Some suggestions. Contacts of people I know. Information I had. I believe he wants to heal this as naturally as possible.

As soon as I got home I began compiling a list for him, and with his permission am sharing it with you here.

Our bodies are designed to heal themselves - I heard an analogy only the other day that was so good to hear... something along the lines of... when we fall over and scrape our knee, the graze forms a scab to heal. We don't need to go to a doctor or the chemist to buy a scab, coz our body is already in the process of forming it! So long as we don't interrupt the process and start picking at it, our body will heal the way it knows how.

Sure cancer is a little different to a scab, but with the right tools and putting each foot in front of the other, in the right direction, I believe our body's know and will do exactly the right thing. After all it's all it's ever tried to do isn't it?

Unfortunately, like a lot of us find over time, our bodies continue to take a beating from us until we make big changes. I know health and lifestyle coaches now helping and supporting clients through processes, having come from big places of learning themselves - like cancer diagnosis's, or chronic inflammatory conditions, adrenal exhaustion, the list goes on. So when I heard the news from my friend, I was shocked, but at the same time I was a little excited for him knowing that now is the time to change his life. For the better. Cancer is just one big f*#k-off mach-truck life experience your physical body gives you. There's usually small, niggly little things leading up to such an event (inflammation, exhaustion, trouble sleeping, digestive upsets, headaches, etc) but when these get pushed aside due to stress, work, relationships, to-do-lists, earning money... the list goes on - our body then decided it's no longer sitting there quietly waiting until you destroy it. It yells HEY MISTER WAKE THE F*#K UP AND DO SOMETHING!!! And then Hello cancer.

So over the phone I told Terminator a bunch of things to begin with, but followed it up with more detail and places to get more info.

First up tho was Raw Foods Baby! Take MASSIVE raw food action! Step number one and he told me he had already done it so that was AWESOME! 

I will let you know that Terminator was a meat eater right up until his diagnosis. It was only a week before he was asking me how to eat less meat, and drink more juice. I wouldn't recommend going from a meat based diet to a raw food diet overnight... in this circumstance I believe it was of up-most importance to do so, but I still had concerns.

Stock your place with SHITLOADS of delicious raw foods. Of course only organic but he already only eats organic! And don't forget variety! When there's good looking produce lying around, our bodies instinctivley know to go for that, and not the chip packet in the pantry. Juices are AMAZING also, I'd stick to green juices with lemon but be warned - the detoxing here will be profound (esp. coming from a meat diet) so book colonics asap. Ur in for a bumpy ride. I wont hide that from you. Due to your circumstances going raw is the best thing for you, but I am a little concerned of the shock it might initially put your body in so be very very gentle on yourself. If you feel you're detoxing far too quickly for your comfort, bananas are great 'earth-ers' I say. They bring you back to earth, if you feel you're up high in la-la-land, which raw foods can do to you. Nuts are also good here, and will give you calories and satiety. But look into this more on the Gerson website as they say no to nuts - only recommending flax oil for your fats. 

One thing that may not be so great to hear is that fruits may not be so good for you. You've likely heard that cancers feed off sugars, and even natural ones are food for them. Look more into it for yourself tho. I wouldn't be eating fruits, but again I'm not in your shoes. Right now I'm sure whatever you're eating is already an immense step forward from where you were last week and that alone should be commended :) I know how hard raw food can be - I live it everyday! I'm not perfect. I don't expect you to be. If you get stuck with it, call me anytime. Maybe even do up a list of reasons you're now eating the way you are and phrase each point positively. Refer to that anytime your having a hard time. Put it in your wallet. Stick it on the fridge door.

And don't worry about all the nutrients we read about, hear about, get asked about - "what about protein?", "where's your omega 3's?", etc etc etc. Right now they are the least of your worries (raw veggies have everything you need anyway!).

“When our bodies are exposed to carcinogens, free radicals are formed that try to steal electrons from other molecules in the body. These free radicals damage cells, affecting their ability to function normally, and the result can be cancerous growths.” Get on the antioxidants baby!! Get your bare-feet onto Mother Earth as much as possible (I eat my lunch in the back yard with my shoes off, in the sun, on study breaks).

I mentioned The Gerson Therapy which you said you have already heard of. Like you I wasn't too sure how lymphoma would go but I read this from their website - “the therapy has had repeatedly good results with the following diseases: melanoma, lymphoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Duke’s C colorectal cancer, Systemic Lupus Erythematosis.”  Yay to that!

The website is here 

General questions about it are here
There are also menu plans which would be of great use to you when you get stuck.

Movies about the therapy can be found here -  I have seen 2 of the 3 (not The Gerson Miracle) and have happily gone back to watch bits again as I find them both fascinating with huge WOW factors!! Must must see's!

Wellness Warrior herself

Next up we have The Wellness Warrior - A Sunshine Coast girl who is still doing Gerson Therapy herself ; I'm sure you can email anytime. A great blog site and under ‘CANCER’ on the home page are a lot of great write ups, info, her experiences with different things, including Gerson.

Colonics - YAY :) haha I laugh only coz I know everyone's initial thoughts on such a thing (mine was also)... but those thoughts only last until after your 2nd or 3rd colonic (with Leanne it'll be after your first or 2nd guaranteed!) and then you'll be converted!! I wont say much more here but would love to hear your experience after you've been. Don't wanna give too much away ;)

In Newtown is the Release Wellness Centre owned by the beautiful Leanne who is very much into clean healthy living. Once a raw foodie herself, but no longer. Has lived in the USA and has a wellness centre there also, an absolute treasure chest of information to chat about for the hour you're with her. HAVE FUN! You'll come out a new person. Take my word! A blog write-up on it can be found here if you're still wondering what to expect.

Enemas - I only mention these as something I would do. I'm no expert in this field but like I said, I'd do it. Particularly as colonics are not cheap and I think Gerson Therapy recommends enemas anyway. Again, first time is a little scary only coz you've no clue what you're doing, but I'd be happy to run you through it. I still use enemas at home if and when I need be/feel like/want too. Yep, there is a place you might one day get too where you just FEEL like doing an enema coz u WANT too! Haha who would have thought?!?! Enema bags can be bought at chemists, are cheap, like I said you can then do them at home anytime of the day, whenever you want. Water enema, apple cidar vinegar enema, but I believe coffee enema's are used for cancers. Google it if you don't believe me!

Eating all raw straight from a meat diet, you're going to be detoxing HARD! All those toxins will now be circulating in and around your body and they cannot escape fast enough without colonics and enemas. Without these, the toxins will only be reintroduced to your cells again, and you will feel potentially a hell of a lot worse. This is the reason I say after your first or second colonic, you will be a new person and feel AMAZING!! Ooh Leanne also has an infra-red sauna. DO IT! Sweat out toxins as well. I always do the 2 together and often feel nauseous in a colonic, a little in a sauna, but then WOW I feel 100% better! Toxins gone!

Something else I stumbled across in my research was something called "POLY-MVA" which seems to work very well for patients with non-hodgkens lymphoma. Google into it for more info.

Rebounding - another of the first things that popped into my mind when I got home. So I looked online and it seems others agree. Check out this blogspot and this womans experience with rebounding (ie. jumping up and down on a mini trampoline). It's amazing for your lymph fluid, which cannot move unless we actively do it for it! Our bodies (at a really basic level) are just a bunch of cells (the body is made up of system's which are made up of organs which are made up of cells etc), and 2 fluids; blood and lymph. Get these 2 working and it's smoother sailing! The blood circulates all the time thanks to our heart pumping it around. The lymph however cannot get pumped around the body so we have to do it for it... by exercising, dry body brushing, rebounding!  

Which brings me to the next guy - Dr. Morse. I've only recently been reading, watching, and learning his stuff but think something here might help you also (as I said, 2 fluids, and he has worked with cancer patients before and I'd be interested to see what the clinic there would recommend for you). A telephone consultation to the USA, any herbs they suggest can be made up in the shop, as all herb ingredients in his formulas are listed on his website. YouTube him for tonnes of his video's to get a feel for him. I'm likely to begin some of his lymph herbs myself for my acne issues.

I just thought of Marilyn Golden - my girlfriend's Doctor/Nutritionist/Herbalist/everything else... She's done allopathic medicine as well as natural so she knows her stuff. A raw foodie vegan herself, if u need to see someone about something, maybe give her a try. She's got an amazing recipe book as well (all raw vegan).

Hmmm what else... I'm sure that's more than enough to sink your teeth into for now. Oh Emergency Essence!! Take 7 drops morning and night for 2 weeks straight!! After that we can put you on a different one :) 

Like I have said before, you all know I am not a doctor and these are only suggestions for my friend and a list of things I would do if put in the same situation. It is his choice what he chooses to do and not do, I have pushed nothing onto him, he asked for my help. It should not be taken as prescriptive advice. If you're seeking a formal medical diagnosis or prescription, or if you are contemplating any major dietary change, I suggest you speak with a health care provider.

Since that phone call a few weeks ago, Terminator "had my 3rd colonic yesterday and moving so much junk out of my colon and feeling less bloated each time". He is eating mainly raw, but some fish, cooked millet and a few other things. I will let you know of his progress.


In 2007, there were more than 62,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in males, which when age-standardised equated to about 595 cases per 100,000 males.
 In 2007, there were 46,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in females, which when age-standardised equated to about 394 cases per 100,000 females.*

* These data are supplied annually for national collation into the Australian Cancer Database (ACD) through the National Cancer Statistics Clearing House (NCSCH) and reported biennially in the joint AIHW and Australasian Association of Cancer Registries (AACR) publication Cancer in Australia: an overview. This complex process of collecting and collating national cancer incidence statistics means the most recent national cancer data generally lags 2–3 years behind the current year.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Cancer Incidence Projections 2011-2020