Grounding and Warmth

April 22, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Technically, Grounding and Warmth are two tips, but together they work synergistically.

Grounding and Warmth groundedHave you ever had electrical work done on your house and saw them put a grounding rod in the ground and connect it to your electrical system?  This is because the earth absorbs electricity – it is actually grounding. Our bodies are an electrical system too, and at rest, a human body can generate about 100 watts of electricity! We can achieve grounding by just connected to the earth, such as walking barefoot.

The fourth tip on the “5 Simple, Unique and Fast Ways to Help Fibro Pain NOW Where Ever You Are” Infographic is Ground with Warmth. For this tip, try sitting in a sunny area barefoot, with your feet touching the earth, for only about 10 minutes – you can go longer if you have the time. Daily practice of this is cumulative and can help in many other ways as well.

I would love to know your results with this tip!  Feel free to contact me at leah@thefibrolady.com.

Yours in joy and health,

Leah

Filed Under: Holistic remedies, spring, taking care of yourself

L1T: Leah’s 1 Thing – Spring

April 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Spring is a good thing, right?

Hi! As many of you know I published a newsletter for a few years. I have decided to change the format a bit, to better communicate with you. I am pleased to introduce “Leah’s 1 Thing” to you. This will be a weekly (mostly) communication with you about what’s going on. I am very excited to be bringing you interesting information you can use!

The pros and cons of spring Spring L1T: Leah’s 1 Thing - Spring Leahs 1 thing

I recently received a phone call from one of my “graduates,” someone who is well on their way to recovery, or who has recovered. “Linda” has recovered from fibromyalgia and most of the coexisting conditions for over a year now. She even sent me a note recently about how she had been out dancing for the first time in ten years. She said the look on her husband’s face was priceless.

Linda confided to me that she wasn’t feeling as well as she had the last month. After doing some detective work of going over her food, sleep, supplements, current stressors, etc., we concluded that it was probably Spring causing the slight downturn.

For many in the Northern Hemisphere, the return of Spring can help begin an upward spiral of feeling better and better. The increase in sunlight and outdoor activities are like a tonic to the body and soul. However, due to plant and animal life reactivating, there are new conditions in the environment. This is part of what causes seasonal allergies, and can also cause a downturn in some peoples’ health.

Further, the body goes through daily, monthly and seasonal cycles of clearing. As an example, if a person wakes at 3 am consistently, it can often be an indication of liver dysfunction. That is because the liver cleanses itself during the hours of 2-4am. At the change of the seasons, our bodies change too. We are part of our environment and our environment is part of us.

Linda initially recovered using the Freedom from Fibromyalgia Method as described in my book, Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery. She did what is known in the book as The Healing Cleanse, a combination of a therapeutic-grade probiotic and the detoxification mineral zeolite. She used these supplements at the detoxification amount for several months. (The detoxification amount is generally three times the maintenance amount.) Linda was doing the normal maintenance amount of The Healing Cleanse for the last six months or so, and it seemed fine. In the past month, she felt a worsening of symptoms, even though she had not changed her food and supplements, but she noted her stress was a little higher.

The wonderful thing about these supplements is that you can customize the amount for the way you feel. People ask me all the time how long they have to be on The Healing Cleanse. My standard answer is “as long as you are seeing beneficial results month over month.” In my own personal case, I did the detoxification amount for a good month and then stayed on a higher maintenance amount of two times the normal maintenance amount, for a couple of years. I continue to stay at a maintenance amount now, because of the toxins in our environment we are continually exposed to.

After this discussion, Linda decided that she should go back to the detox amount (three times the normal maintenance amount) for the next week or so, to see if she gets out of this funk. After just one day of doing this, she had already started to feel better! That’s powerful!

My husband suffered from seasonal allergies for years. It was so bad, that he had to take a prescription medication – the only prescription med he ever took on a regular basis. I started “dosing” his morning coffee with zeolites and another supplement that has helped me, an immune system booster made from the medicinal mushroom agaricus blazei, Agaricus Gold. Now he rarely even has seasonal allergies – and if he does, he just takes an OTC med, maybe once or twice the entire season.

In my own case, Agaricus Gold turbo-charged my recovery efforts. It removed the constant sore throat I had, and my lymph nodes under my jaw were no longer perpetually swollen. (These are classic symptoms of Chronic Fatigue!) Agaricus Gold is a must-have product in our home during the winter to ward off colds and in the spring to help prevent seasonal allergy symptoms.

All of the supplements mentioned in this article can be found on www.RipplesHealthShop.com, and you can get 5% off your entire order with the coupon code SPRING17 until April 30, 2017. You can also purchase my book there, or my website www.TheFibroLady.com, or even on Amazon. If you are interested in working with me one-on-one, please email me to set up a free discovery session at Leah@TheFibroLady.com.

Filed Under: allergies, Blog, Fibromyalgia Recovery, Holistic remedies, immune system, seasons, spring Tagged With: , , ,

Get Rid of a Hangover

December 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The Unconventional Hangover Remedy You’ve Probably Never Heard 

hangover remedy Get Rid of a Hangover hang over remedyI like to drink a little wine, but sometimes even only a little wine will cause me to have a hangover.  So even if you like to drink a little, or even a lot, if you have never heard of this unconventional “cure” for a hangover, then I’ve got something for you!

Nux Vomica is a homeopathic remedy mainly used for vomiting and hangovers, basically supporting the body to remove toxins.  (Not to be confused with holistic, homeopathy is a type of holistic healing.)  Homeopathic remedies work on the principal “like cures like,” meaning something that causes illness is the same energetic signature that stimulates healing.  For example the remedy for a bee sting is homeopathic bee sting, Apis.  Homeopathic remedies do not contain active ingredients, just energetic signatures, so they do not contraindicate with other medication.  Also homeopathics are very inexpensive especially compared to other medications.  One tube of homeopathic pellets is around $8.  

I originally learned about homeopathy from being involved in the Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization dedicated restoring nutrient dense foods in our diet.  In their quarterly journal, Wise Traditions, the Classical Homeopath Joette Calabrese, writes a regular column about healing with homeopathy and nutrition.  She has an amazing website full of free resources, classes, kits and even consultations.  She is such an inspiration to me!

Although the homeopathic remedies seem to work like magic, they just support your body’s own innate healing.  This remedy, Nux Vomica, like most other homeopathic remedies, work very subtly.   One may find they have a raging headache one moment, get very sleepy in the next moment, or the symptoms just dissolve with nary a memory of their existence.

Although homeopathics are not my area of expertise, I use the 200c strength remedies as often as possible.  I like this brand for Nux Vomic 200c.  I’m new to this so this may not be the most accurate thing to do, but I find them to work faster.   

If you would like to learn more about homeopathy I suggest you check out a couple of resources.  The book I use in my home is Homeopathic Self Care.  It’s so important to me that it is one of the books I would never lend out.  I often find this book next to the display of homeopathic remedies at the health food store.

I am not a practitioner, I just let people know about what’s working for me and others.  If you would like professional advice, I very highly recommend Joette Calabrese.  

Here are the Unconventional Hangover Remedy Steps:

Prevent a Hangover

  1. Drink plenty of fluids, but not just plain water before, during and after alcohol intake.  (If all you have is water, add a pinch or so of unrefined sea salt, such as Celtic or Himalayan, to each glass.)  Other beneficial fluids would include milk, broth, beet kvass or even herbal tea.
  2. Do not use homeopathic remedies within at least 10 minutes of having anything like coffee, mint (toothpaste), eucalyptus, or menthol.
  3. Before bed take 3-5 pellets of Nux Vomica 200c under the tongue and let dissolve.

If You Have a Hangover

  1. When first arising take 5 (more) pellets of Nux Vomica 200c under the tongue and let dissolve.
  2. Take another 5 pellets every 2 hours until symptoms fade, up to 4 doses.
  3. Drink plenty of fluids listed in #1 above, and stay away from items listed in #2 above.
  4. If you are so sick that you are vomiting and having the dry heaves and can’t keep anything down, here’s a trick.  Put the pellets in a small jar with some water.  Put the lid on and shake the jar about 10 times.  Dose yourself by putting some of this water on a spoon and put that under your tongue, just enough to not cause you to vomit.

Additional Steps

When I was in the Army, our Saturday morning run was often referred to as a “beer run.”  It helped heal the damage Friday night beers inflicted.  The reason seems to be because oxygen to the brain really helps a hangover.  So consider going for a run or a brisk walk.  If you can’t do that consider this:  lay down and take 30-40 deep breaths.  (Inhale all the way using your stomach, stop for a second with your lungs full, exhale out all the way, and stop for a second with your lungs empty.)  This can make you a little off-balance so you need to be lying down.

Do you have any hangover strategies?  Please share in the comments.

My wish for you is to have a joyful, healthy and safe holiday season!

Leah,

The Fibro Lady

 

Filed Under: Holistic remedies, homeopathy, taking care of yourself

Protected: 5 Gifts for Fibromyalgia Sufferers

December 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: Fibromyalgia Recovery, Holistic remedies, Paleo/Primal, Winter Tagged With: ,

Thanksgiving Day Before and After Fibromyalgia

November 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Before and After Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day Before and After Fibromyalgia Before and AfterWhat are you doing today?

How I’m Celebrating Thanksgiving This Year

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I just love the idea of setting aside a day to celebrate gratitude with family and friends.  However, in the past before I recovered from fibromyalgia, it was an ordeal.

Thanksgiving before Fibromyalgia Recovery

My husband and I would go to a family member’s house, and I could just see the looks of pity and disbelief about what a waste of human I had become.  To be clear, no one actually treated me like that, that was my own loathing self-talk at work.  Near the end of my illness, I was so bad off that I had to make arrangements with my mother-in-law ahead of time to lay down after dinner.  The house was so chock-full of overnight guests she let me use her bed.  My sweet mother-in-law was very accommodating.

Sometimes in my normal day-to-day life, my life didn’t seem so horrendous.  But then the reality of my situation became exposed to the awful light of day when someone asked some form of the simple question, “What do you do all day?”  My illusions shattered by the light of that question, especially if it was posed by someone whose opinion mattered to me.

Trying to answer that question with any semblance of dignity was impossible.  I was embarrassed and ashamed that I was sick.  I tried to hide it as best I could, but for the people who knew me well, the life I was leading was just not me.  I felt like I was in a black hole and that I was just enduring life.  Being asked about my days on the occasional holidays highlighted the fact that my life sucked.

So between Halloween candy, overindulgence during the holidays, lack of sunlight and of course an already raging case of major depression and anxiety, by the time February came along I was usually in a black pit of despair.  I never wanted to actually commit suicide, but I certainly didn’t want to keep on living that way, I just didn’t want to be alive anymore if this was my reality.

This went on for about six years and then one year was different.  In December of 2007 I met holistic therapist Victoria Smith.  In January I started what later became The Healing Cleanse™ (as detailed in Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery) and within three weeks I felt so much better, I thought I was cured.  I was far from cured, I had a long way to go, but I continued on The Healing Cleanse™, and other healing therapies, for nearly a year and every one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia and the coexisting conditions disappeared.  (I teach about this in-depth in my book Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery.)

Thanksgiving Now

Fast forward seven years from then, and my life is completely different.  I am living the life of my dreams!  I have everything I have ever wanted and more on its way.  I have a child (I was infertile before), I have an exciting and fulfilling career that aligns with my life mission, I have lots of friends and go to parties, I travel, and I exercise because my body WANTS to move.

I am not saying all this to brag or make anyone feel bad.  I am looking to inspire and motivate, to show what is possible.  The way I am celebrating Thanksgiving this year is by participating in a 5 mile run.  (You can read about my Half-Marathon Miracle here.) Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day Before and After Fibromyalgia 675d6ca5 c5dd 4a59 a96c aefeffaea586 Now I run because I love how it feels and how I feel afterwards.
My body loves to move.  This is a real thing – a healthy body WANTS to move.  (When I was sick, every fiber of my being screamed at me to be still.)
So instead of feeling dark despair by the time February comes along, I am hosting the first-ever of its kind world-wide Fibromyalgia Telesummit Janurary 26-28th, and then the teleseries course 3D Fibromyalgia Healing in February.  And then later on into March, I will be a keynote speaker at a medical conference to instruct medical doctors about how to go about helping their patients heal from fibromyalgia.
Wow!  What a difference!

That, my friends, is a lot to be thankful for!

So how are you spending Thanksgiving this year?  What are your hopes for next year?  I look forward to reading your answers in the comments!

Happy Heartfelt Thanksgiving!!
Yours in joy and health,
Leah
The Fibro Lady

Filed Under: chronic fatigue, depression, Fibromyalgia Recovery, Holistic remedies, PSTD Tagged With: , ,

Why You Need a Therapeutic Probiotic

September 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Why You Need a Therapeutic-Grade Probiotic

organic probiotic probiotic Why You Need a Therapeutic Probiotic organic probiotic
All the steps in Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recover are important for complete recovery of fibromyalgia and the coexisting conditions, but I get asked often if there was only one thing I could do, what would it be?  My answer is always Step 3: Quickly Begin to Heal Your Gut.  If you heal your gut, then that will eventually make the way for all of the other healing.  (That being said, if you do all seven steps in order it is the fastest, most efficient way to heal from fibromyalgia, of which I am aware.)

If you have the symptoms of fibromyalgia, rest assured you have a damaged digestive system (gut).  You more than likely have other issues as well, such as toxicity, but the digestive system is at the crux of most of the issues with fibromyalgia.

Healing your gut is actually a long and slow process which can take years.  The only way I know of to jump-start the healing process is to use a therapeutic-grade probiotic at high levels for an extended period of time (thirty to ninety days or more)  This, combined with a simple no-fake-food diet, and a detoxification element such as zeolites, is what we call The Healing Cleanse.  (You can find in-depth information about this process in Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery.)

Probiotics fortunately are receiving mainstream attention and now you can buy them everywhere.  I remember trying the yogurt and the various “pearls” all to no avail.  So what’s the difference between foods such as yogurt and raw sauerkraut, supplements you can buy in stores, and the supplement that saved my life?   Foods are great for maintaining gut health, while probiotics at the store are just not very strong because they do not contain multiple strains of beneficial microbes that colonize like therapeutic-grade probiotics do.

 

Features to Look for in a Therapeutic-Grade Probiotic:

  • Several strains of beneficial microbes such as:
  • Lactobacilli
  • Bifidobacteria
  • Beneficial yeast strains such as Saccharomyces boulardii
  • (antagonist to the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans)
  • Colonizing
  • Organic
  • Free of gluten
  • No GMOs, artificial coloring, flavorings, or preservatives Every batch tested

Therapeutic Grade Probiotic probiotic Why You Need a Therapeutic Probiotic prescript assist probioticThe brand of therapeutic grade probiotic I use is SH FermPlus Pro.  (I use a maintenance amount daily and a few times a year I do a “detox” for a period of time.)  This is the probiotic I consider to have saved my life, and I know a lot of others that feel the same way about it.

If for some reason you cannot use SH FermPlus Pro, perhaps maybe there is an ingredient in it you are allergic to, then my second choice is Prescript Assist.  It is available in chewable tablets or capsules.  (SH FermPlus Pro is only available in a powder that needs to be mixed in water.)  I give the Prescript Assist chewable tablets to my child who is too small to take capsules, and I use the capsules while traveling.

The main point is to address healing of the gut.  If you would like more information on this subject, get my free eBook, Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 30 Days Without Exercising, Starving or Stressing (by signing up for my newsletter) and see the section on “The Healing Cleanse.”  Feel free to contact me, Leah McCullough, at www.TheFibroLady.com or at The Fibro Lady on FaceBook and Twitter. This video also explains the difference. Once you begin this process, there are ways to maintain a healthy gut. You may have to seriously consider what you eat and drink. When you are ready, please visit the site, check out the recipes and sign up for my newsletter, which will give you great ideas for continuing to heal and take your life back!

Filed Under: Blog, Fibromyalgia Recovery, Holistic remedies Tagged With: , , , , ,

Holistic Guide to Cold and Flu

January 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Leah Winter Holistic Guide to Cold and Flu Leah WinterHello, everyone!  We are in the middle of winter here in Ohio, in the Midwest of The United States and it is cold!  In the past couple of weeks it seems like many my friends, their kids and their spouses have been getting sick.  Really sick, like “call in sick from work or go to the hospital” sick.

I got some treats in the mail recently and, during a weak moment, I went on a bit of a sugar binge. I preach the ills of sugar, and here I go, succumbing to the thing that causes me a lot of issues.  I think I had a weak moment because I was already a bit depleted from holiday stress, and then I came down with a rare cold.  Boo!

I have been using this fever protocol for a while now, mostly for my little one, but also for me and my husband.  I used the entire protocol for myself for this recent illness, and I feel like I really bounced back!

Symptom-reducing medication for things like coughs and fevers, should really only be used in extreme situations or if the person needs to sleep.  These symptoms are actually helpful to your body to get rid of the germs that are making you feel miserable.  By suppressing the detoxifying effects of fever and cough, the illness can be prolonged and made more severe.

The protocol is a mixture of comforting the person who is sick, while supporting the body in fighting off the illness.  This greatly reduces the duration and severity of illness.  Last year the flu came knocking at our door, and by following this protocol, it was in and out of the house, affecting all three of us, but for only 10 hours!Don't let Cold and Flu Season get You Down Holistic Guide to Cold and Flu natural flu remedies

First, don’t get sick:

At the first sign of illness:

If illness persists to the point of fever:

  • Keep the person quiet (no rough play, errands, etc.)
  • Keep the person hydrated (broth, Smooth Water, Sweet and Salty OJ Spritzer, mineral water, medicinal teas such as Gypsy Cold Care)
  • Keep the person warm (stay in bed, with socks and covers on)
  • No tv/screen time (your brain needs this capacity for healing), books ok
  • Homeopathics as symptoms warrant (for example: for vomiting take Nux Vomica 30c, for body aches Arnica Montana 30c)
  • If the person can eat, clear brothy soups such as chicken soup
  • Grave Robbers/Thieves Oil (clove-based essential oil blend) on the bottoms of the feet, and then socks over them
  • Enlist the power of prayer.  Visualize yourself on a healing table with the violet light of healing surrounding you.  Call in healing angels.

No Fever, but the illness progresses:

  • Continue to support your immune system by doing everything in “The First Signs of Illness”
  • Whatever you do, don’t go around saying, “I’m sick” or “I have a cold.”  If asked how you are doing simply state with all integrity, “I’m feeling a little under the weather, but I’m sure I’ll be fine soon.”

If the person must get some sleep and symptoms are keeping them awake:

  • Chestal Homeopathic for coughing
  • Tepid or very hot bath to reduce fever enough to allow sleep (Add 1 cup sea salt and 1 cup baking soda plus a few drops of the essential oil of your choice, such as lavender, to make it detoxifying and relaxing.)

If you are new to homeopathic remedies I suggest the book Homeopathic Self Care:  The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whole Family by Robert Ullman, ND and Judyth Reichenburg-Ullman, ND.  Symptoms and illnesses are listed alphabetically, so one can quickly look up their issue and then specific remedies are recommended.  Although homeopathic remedies do not induce sleepiness, sometimes that is a result of using them, due to your body’s healing response.  Do not ingest anything within 10 minutes of taking homeopathic remedies, especially coffee or use anything with mint, menthol or eucalyptus.

It is a good idea to stock up on supplies of broth and soup before winter.  I make about a gallon of chicken soup and freeze in 1 quart and 1 pint containers.  I make chicken broth on an ongoing basis.

It is my sincere hope that this list of recommendations and resources serves you and your family during this cold and flu season.

Yours in joyful health,

Leah

Filed Under: Blog, cold and flu, Healing Food, Holistic remedies, Winter Tagged With: , , , ,