I celebrated my 31st birthday yesterday. Times fly. I’m growing older each day, and according to my husband, I’m a day older, a day wiser, prettier and ever charming (*Thanks to his compliments*). This is always the special day of the year that I’m looking forward to. Put it this way, I have been getting so used to being showered with lots of gifts and presents and even with my upgraded status now (ie from a teenager to a mother), I still enjoy pampers.
My husband bought me a Matcha (green tea) mousse cake for my birthday. He knows that I love everything green tea. As I blew off those candles on the birthday cake (rather, my kids did), I was making the same wishes year after year. I hardly believe that birthday wishes are going to come true because no tales have ever been told about this; and yet, every year, I’m still following this tradition of blowing candles. Probably for the fun of it! Or maybe, just maybe… that those same wishes have been part and parcel of my life, I would rather wish (out of habit) for their presence to remain intact. Anyway, it was an awesome day – lots of nice birthday gifts from my beloved family, a big feast of Indian cuisine, heaps of birthday wishes coming in from friends who can still remember this day.
Enough for a day of putting everything behind my back and enjoying it to the fullest. Today, I’m facing the consequences of my action. What kinds of action am I talking about? It’s the very action of breaking all dietary rules that I’ve been preaching about – the consumption of dairy, sugar, biscuits (gluten), white flour, chocolate, yogurt, red meats, various Indian condiments, and all inflammatory or potentially allergenic foods. Very luckily, I do not experience any differences (phew~). Yes, no flare ups (that’s great). But having said this, I still decide to give myself a little ‘punishment’ I deserve for a lack of discipline. A-ha! The punishment is to perform a 1-week juice fast, with immediate effect.
This is no joke. I’m starting my juice fast today and right after this. Since I begin my fast regimen, I will not be putting up any posts temporarily during this duration of my fast. I love to have a break like this because this gives my body a chance to take a break as well. I will always make time for detoxification and healing. This break also comes in timely for me. I’ll be doing some catching up on training and reading of several health materials that are going to be very powerful and useful for healing RA. Once I have mastered the essence of it, I shall share this in the near future. And, of course, since rest is mandatory with a fast (Yipee!), I’m going to entertain myself with one of best Korean dramas ever – The Secret Garden (see the youtube link below for this highly recommended drama).
In the mean time, if you happen to drop by my blog to check out for any new posts updates, I do not want to disappoint you with a lack of inputs. I encourage to join me and other RA warriors on my Facebook page. Or perhaps, you would like to check out some of my older posts that you might have missed out in the past. Right here, I have made a compilation a list of recommended posts (with hyperlinks for your easy access). These are some articles I feel are of values in terms of management and self-help with RA:
On RA’s Alternative Modalities:
1. Start Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment at Earliest Possible: Avoid the Same Mistake I Had Once Made
If you are just diagnosed with RA or having chronic pain that last for at least 3 months, do not leave your fate to the disease by not doing anything. Arrange a rheumy appointment asap and receive treatment – steroids, etc – immediately to stop the disease progression. Drugs have harmful side effects but they are also important to prevent deformity. Once your RA is under control, you can begin your search for holistic answers to heal RA.
2. The Many Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis Explored
Begin your thought process of what may be the potential causes of your RA – food allergies, pathogenic infections, Leaky Gut syndrome, periodontal diseases, root canals infection, amalgam, chronic stress, etc. This makes your job easier when dealing with RA.
3. Are You Drinking Enough Water?
For rheumatoid arthritic joints and pain, that cannot be easily identified as infections or other exact known causes, should first be viewed as sign of regional thirst signal of your body. Find out how much water is enough and what kind of water you should be drinking?
4. Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Relief – Get Started with An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Makeover
You know that with RA, we are dealing with excessive and chronic inflammation. This inflammatory property is pro-inflammatory and it reacts to an imbalance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These fatty acids are found in our foods. Check out which foods are pro-inflammatory and which are anti-inflammatory, and make a drastic change now.
5. The pH & Health Equation: The Acid-Alkaline Balance and Its Role in Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Understanding the role of pH balance between acidity and alkalinity plays in RA. If you have RA, your body must be in an acidic stage. Learn how to perform a simple test of your pH now.
6. Restoring Optimal Alkalinity for Rheumatoid Arthritis Improvements
The best way to alkalize our body for energy and metabolic detoxification is to impose a diet that include cruciferous vegetables, the essential greens; as well as whole fruits and one that is low in animal proteins. Take a look at the Acid-Alkaline Food Charts on the foods you are eating are acidic or alkaline in nature.
7. A Decision that I will Reverse if I could Turn Back Time – One Known to Trigger My RA Onset
The only myth that we are made to believe is the unscientific claim that Gardasil (cervical cancer) vaccine is safe against HPV virus. Vaccines are known to trigger allergies, chronic illness and autoimmune diseases if our body’s response cannot resolve the inflammation triggered by foreign invaders. Check out the profiles of two young women victimized by cervical cancer vaccination.
8. Therapeutic Fast for Rheumatoid Arthritis Reversal and Sustained Recovery
The 101 facts about therapeutic fasting, one of the strongest tool of getting well from RA. With clearance from your doctor, give this a go. You’ll be amazed by the result.
9. My 11-Days Juice Fast Experience and Celebrating an Incredible Transformation
My juice fast experience at least confirmed one thing – that I’m allergic to foods. I’m sharing my juice recipe and how to perform a fast with other little things that can make you feel rejuvenating.
10. I Had All My Amalgams Removed – A Decision Deemed Necessary for Treating My Rheumatoid Arthritis
There is a reason why I’m flying all the way to Singapore in multiple trips and spending a lot of my fortune each trip just to remove and replace 3 amalgam fillings. The answer is not that I’m rich, but I need to reduce the toxic burden in my body from the amalgam sources.
11. Detoxification after Amalgams Removal – What to Do to Prevent Mercury Intoxication
Mercury is toxic. Even after all amalgams are removed, that is not the end of your exposure to heavy metal. What about those accumulation of toxins that build up in your body over that many numbers of years? Yes, heavy metal detoxification needs to be done carefully and correctly; and as long as they are needed. Here are some treatment protocols for detoxing mercury or other heavy metals from our body.
12. What’s On My Face? Time to ‘Green’ my Beauty Regimen
I’m a typical woman who likes to make-up and transform myself into a beautiful woman. I used to have at least 20 different cosmetics, all branded, believing they are the best and safest in the market. But, little did I know that using these cosmetics on a daily basis means I’m taking in nearly 5 pounds of chemicals a year, including carcinogens, pesticides and other reproductive toxins. Embrace green beauty – beauty without toxins.
13. Focus on Food Allergies or Intolerances: How to Stop Rheumatoid Arthritis in its Deadly Track
The solution for some people to their RA problems can be no more complicated than radically changing their diet.
When they start to view food allergies or intolerances as a major causes of RA, most of them will be able to stop RA in its deadly track.
14. Clueless about Triggers of Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare-ups? Find Out the Culprits with an Elimination Diet
The gut has finally been scientifically revealed to be the first site of exposure to food; and the immune system in the gut is the first to recognize the potential allergens. Know that each individual has allergies to different foods and chemicals and there is no ‘one-size-fits all’ diet recipe. Train yourself to identify your foods culprits, get started on an elimination diet and foods rotation diet.
15. Constipation – A Common Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptom – Originates in the Colon
While RA is often known as the disease of the gut, it can also be a disease of the colon, as the saying goes, death begins in the colon. The Royal Society of Medicine of Great Britain, comprising some 57 leading physicians, reported that nearly every contemporary chronic disease is related to poisons in the colon. Hence, bowel cleanse or colon cleanse is of paramount importance. What can you do about your colon?
16. Coffee Enema Detox for Rheumatoid Arthritis – Disease of the Colon
I had struggled past the once fearful thought of performing a coffee enema. If the rationale of a ‘sick colon’ does make sense to you, read this post to know if a coffee enema detox is the right thing for you.
17. A Step-by-Step Guide on Performing a Coffee Enema for Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief
If you are not disgusted by this idea of performing a coffee enema, I’m going to teach you the fine art of doing it. Bear in mind, it can get messy initially but with practices, it will become second nature (just like driving).
18. Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) – A Better Drug for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
For those of you who are going with the alternative route of fighting RA full force, then LDN is something for your consideration. LDN is not very mainstream in their uses against RA but it is very little or no side effects compared to the conventional medications prescribed for RA – steroids, DMARDs & biologics. Remember though, LDN does not cure, it mainly allows our body to fight RA once our immune system is balanced. Try out to see if it works for you.
19. Exercise Must Not be Ignored in Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment
I believe many of you (even your rheumy) know the importance of doing exercise, especially if you are having RA. Fair enough, on some days, the flare ups are so bad that you cannot get out of bed; but on days you can, get moving . Just move any joints. Do not get trapped into the cycle of physical inactivity. It will become a habit. I lay out in this post how exercise is beneficial, in detailed, to our joint health, bone mineral density and muscle function.
20. What are Some Joint-Friendly Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
No ideas about the kinds of joint-friendly exercises that you can do for RA? Don’t worry. Here is the list and some instructions on performing range-of-motion and stretching exercises. Get moving. If you do not use your joints, you are going to lose them!
21. The Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS) Series 1 – 7
Leaky Gut Syndrome is not a single disease. To begin with, it is a pathological condition that occurs as part of many different diseases including RA.
- Part 1: Your Gut’s Feeling for Rheumatoid Arthritis – The Leaky Gut Syndrome – Leaky Gut Syndrome 101 and the many causes of LGS.
- Part 2: Dealing with Leaky Gut Syndrome of Rheumatoid Arthritis – Parasites, Pathogenic Bacteria & Fungi – Understand the sources of inflammation triggered by harmful pathogenic bacteria, fungi/yeast/candida and parasites that perpetuate the internal condition driving Leaky Gut.
- Part 3: Dealing with Leaky Gut Syndrome of Rheumatoid Arthritis – Specific Remedies for Parasites, Pathogenic Bacteria & Fungi – Use any of these natural antiparasitic, antibacterial and antifungal remedies to address these pathogenic issues.
- Part 4: Dealing with Leaky Gut Syndrome of Rheumatoid Arthritis – Parasites Cleanse: The Hulda Clark’s Protocol – Check out Dr Hulda Clark’s perspective of RA’s connection with parasites in our joints. I’ve also laid out her parasite cleanse and maintenance program protocol.
- Part 5: Dealing with Leaky Gut Syndrome of Rheumatoid Arthritis – Zapping: The Hulda Clark’s Protocol – Zapping is a way of killing bacteria and parasites electrically, another parasite cleanse protocol of Dr Hulda Clark. This may be useful for people with allergies or intolerance for the antipathogenic remedies.
- Part 6: The Reversal of Rheumatoid Arthritis-Leaky Gut Syndrome – Food Allergies, Nutritional Balancing, Lifestyle & Healing – The recipes for mending the gut holes are a combination of dietary modification, nutritional balancing, natural supplementation, parasitic cleanse and lifestyle changes.
- Part 7: The Reversal of Rheumatoid Arthritis-Leaky Gut Syndrome – Liver & Kidney Cleanses: The Hulda Clark’s Protocol – If you have a prolonged Leaky Gut Syndrome, you can be rest assured that you are also having sluggish liver and kidneys. Be sure to also perform liver and kidney cleanses for best results.
On Motivation:
1. Can You Ever Recover from Rheumatoid Arthritis? The Impossible Just Takes A Little Longer
Do not let RA defines who you are or what you are. Dare to explore a cure, dream the impossible and discover the ways! The past does not mean that future will be the same unless we still live there. Do not fear to fail and do not fear to change. It makes us a stronger person at the end. How strange is it that the most important battlefield to conquer is in the inside. We can only win this battle if we want to win it and we prepare ourselves to conquer!
2. Never Lose Sight of Hope
If there is anything that I have learned throughout the craziness and madness of my life with Rheumatoid Arthritis, it is how true that words are because if you lose hope, you lose everything and the slightest chance of getting well.
3. Look Ahead, Not Behind – Only One Life to Live
Our eyes are placed in front, because it is more important to look ahead than to look back. If someone asks me what is worthwhile in my life? My answer is going to be: this one and only life to live that is worthwhile.
Any Comments or Questions
The good list above should be quite handful for one to go through and comprehend. If you have any comments you wish to share or any questions you need answered, feel free to drop me a line at MY RA Diary’s facebook account. I will check in to my FB account from time to time, and reply to your comments and questions. Stay tuned till I come back with more RA-helpful posts. XoXo