Yes, according to the Ten Thousand Things,
there is none who doesn’t honor the Tao
as well as precious De.

Tao’s honor, De’s presciousness,
there is none who in life,
plan to exhault or worship,
but it frequently happens naturally.

Thus, Tao gives birth to it,
De raised it;
always nourishing it;
maturing and completing it;
giving birth even to the point of overflow.

To give birth without needing to exist,
To be without needing to rely upon,
To live forever without needing to slaughter,
This is to speak of mysterious De.

But then I looked at my site stats and noticed something: there were hits every day, even when I didn’t write anything. Sure, they weren’t homepage hits, but every day somebody looks at one of my earlier entries. Whether it’s my paleo chili recipe or the paleo chocolate chip cookies recipe, my self-care awesomeness chart, or learning about how EMDR helped me get rid of seizures, my blog entries are being read by people, even while it doesn’t grow, and even while I am doing nothing with it!

There’s something really awesome about the knowledge that even when I’m not doing anything, I’m making a difference in the lives of people I don’t know. It makes me want to write more and to continue to share the challenges that go on in my world. It lets me know that I matter, and that writing matters, in a way that is much larger than just the catharsis and creative outlet it gives me.

And that’s really cool.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting my writing habit. Thank you for helping to change the way I look at the world and my place in it. Whether we know each other or not, reader, you’re very special to me.

Of every 10 born, there are 3 who are disciples of life.
Of every 10 dying, there are 3 who are disciples of death.

People grow until death where they rest in the earth.
Of every 10 living, there are 3 who are disciples of the earth.

And for what reason?

According to their life essence, to grow generously.

But I have heard of one
who is so good at absorbing life and growing
that he need not shun a rhino or a tiger
who would fear no military force.

A rhinoceros would be indifferent to throw his horn.
A tiger would be indifferent to show his claws.
Soldiers would be indifferent to raise their arms.
Who is this man?

A man in which death does not reside.

Well there has been!

First, my husband, Adam, got a new job! He made a big move into management at a new company, complete with an increase in hours and responsibility. I’m incredibly proud of him. His new gig means that within the next 6 months, we’ll have enough money saved up for a down payment on a really respectable house! Which brings us to #2

We’ve also been shopping for houses! Those two things (adjusting to a new job and shopping for houses) are enough to keep anyone busy. If that weren’t enough, I’ve also been keeping up with my food journal enough to have noticed that there’s a real, genuine need for us to return to a modified Paleo lifestyle.

It’s not just me who has increased feelings of sluggishness and ache-iness with increased grains and legumes in our diet! Adam does too. He’s much more quick to blame the weather for his aches and pains though.

The first step, for me, before deciding to make the move back to the Paleo diet, was to get allergy tested. Thankfully, I’m not allergic to anything. I’ve just noticed that my MS aches are worse when I eat a lot of corn products.

As for dairy – American dairy products have been banned in Europe because they contain rBGH (Bovine Growth Hormone), which has been linked to causing cancer. So, I’m sticking with the Paleo dairy rules – sheep and goat cheeses, almond milk. The last thing I need is cancer on top of what I’ve already got. I know I can do raw milk, but I don’t really drink that much milk, so I’m not fretting over it.

When we were on the diet earlier in the year, we were keeping ourselves much more honest and good with our food choices and we lost weight and felt better. Since we dropped off the diet, we’ve gained weight and haven’t been very pleased with the way we feel. We both thought that we were returning to an alternate healthy way of eating, but the way we feel and the way we look say otherwise!

So, you can look forward to new recipes, as I find and make new delicious paleo meals.

It’s time for me to once again ditch the sandwiches and embrace the salads… to eschew the oatmeal in favor of the egg scrambles.

Truth be told, eating well and properly tastes better. It just takes a lot more time and requires that you wash a lot more dishes. Good health is worth the work, though.

Well, I closed my Etsy account because I had sold a total of 1 pair of earrings and it was to a childhood friend. I can do that here, without paying someone a quarter a month.

Heck, I could make earrings all year long and get a booth at a craft fair and do better.

Happy Birthday to my Dad, Aunt Caren, and Uncle Stuart

Dad and Aunt Caren’s Birthday is today. Uncle Stuart’s birthday was yesterday. I hope that you all are doing well and that you have a lot of fun on your birthdays respectively and that this year is better than this past year for everybody.

It’s May!

That means it’s time for me to learn guitar scales. Why? Because I put it on my calendar, that’s why. You can’t play wicked solos and prog rock if you can’t play scales.

I’m gonna try to learn the major scales from this:

Maybe you can play along?

To those who are good to me,
I am good to them.
To those who are bad to me,
I am also good to them.
Virtue good.

The most trustworthy person, I trust him.
The most untrustworthy person, I trust him too.
Virtue trust.

Saints exist everywhere and anywhere
because anywhere there is muddy heart,
common people open up
their eyes and ears.

The saint in all cases is a child.

Professor Claude Bernard and Dr Steven Petratos are two of the doctors responsible for finding a way to halt the progression of multiple sclerosis in patients.

Led by MISCL’s Dr Steven Petratos, also of RMIT University, and Professor Claude Bernard, the research team found that a modified version of CRMP-2 is present in active MS lesions, which indicate damage to the nervous system, in a laboratory model of MS.

The modified CRMP-2 interacts with another protein to cause nerve fibre damage that can result in numbness, blindness, difficulties with speech and motor skills, and cognitive impairments in sufferers.

When either the modified CRMP-2 or the interaction between the two proteins was blocked, using a method already approved in both the US and Australia, the progression of the disease was halted.

Director of MISCL, Professor Richard Boyd said the discovery could lead to new treatments for MS.

“Blocking the same protein in people with MS could provide a ‘handbrake’ to the progression of the disease,” Professor Boyd said.

Dr Petratos said the method used to block the protein was approved for the treatment of other disease conditions by both the US Food and Drug Administration and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration.

“This should mean that clinical trials – once they start – will be fast tracked as the form of administration has already been approved,” Dr Petratos said.

MS Australia estimates that the disease affects more than 20,000 people in Australia, and up to 2.5 million worldwide. The disease tends to strike early in adulthood, with women three times more likely than men to be diagnosed. The total cost to the Australian community of the disease is estimated at $1 billion annually.

The research received major funding from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of the United States of America and partial funding from MS Research Australia.

Provided by Monash University (news : web)

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-scientists-handbrake-ms.html

For me, the worst part about having MS is the lack of control over the disease. I keep reaching out and trying anything I can to control it.

Dr. Wahls’ Diet is a step towards paleo, so I went paleo. That had some benefit for me, but was difficult to stay on.

I’m not suggesting that the Anti-Inflammatory Diet is easy or something I’m going to start on right away, but after talking to the nurse about how MS is a disease of inflammation, it seemed to make sense.

I think what I’m saying is this: I am not an expert, but a patient who is flailing about, looking for control over her disease. As you read my blog remember that you are on this journey with me, please.

I don’t expect miracles. I just want to notice if there’s change, positive or negative, related to the food I eat.

That doesn’t mean that it’s a wrong diet to be on. It just means that for right now, I’m on hiatus from it.

I spent more than an hour on the phone this morning with a nurse from Shared Solutions, the care team from Copaxone, discussing multiple sclerosis, and how to treat it.

MS is a disease of inflammation, and so, if we’re going to do our part to eat well, we should eat foods that are anti-inflammatory.

You can best help your body eliminate inflammation by reducing stress, removing sugar and processed foods from your diet, and by getting more sunshine! Even if you’re not going for a walk, and you’re sitting on a computer, try to get it outside!

Foods That Help Eliminate Inflammation

1. Vegetables in the Broccoli Family: Broccoli, Cauliflower, & Broccolini
2. Oils high in Omega 3, such as flaxseed oil, canola oil, or hemp. Olive oil is ok too.
3. Fish high in Omega 3s – Salmon, Sardines, Herring, and Black Cod
4. Spinach has carotenoids, one kind of inflammation-reducing antioxidant and it also contains vitamin E.
5. Onions contain quercetin, a potent antioxidant that can help your body fight inflammation.
6. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that stimulate your immune system to fight disease.
7. Tart cherries! They’ve got better anti-inflammatory powers than aspirin, believe it or not!
8. Pineapple contains bromelain, an antioxidant that boosts your immunity.
9. Soaked Walnuts. It’s important to soak them to remove the enzyme inhibitor.
10. Ginger, Tumeric, Curry, Oregano, Rosemary, and Green Tea contain bioflavonoids and polyphenols that reduce inflammation and limit free radical production.”

Foods to Avoid

1. Sugar – It causes inflammation. Nuff said.
2. Corn, Safflower, Sunflower, Peanut and Soybean Oils that are high in Omega 6
3. Trans Fats
4. Dairy Products: Why? Because it has cassien, which is a common allergen that causes inflammation.
5. Feedlot-Raised Meat: because the meat was fed inflammatory food, like soybeans and corn, which means when we eat the meat, we’re also eating the inflammatory agents of the legumes and grains that are in the meat.
6. Red Meat & Processed Meat: Why? Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that red meat contains a molecule that humans don’t naturally produce called Neu5Gc. After ingesting this compound, the body develops anti-Neu5Gc antibodies – an immune response that may trigger chronic inflammatory response. And low-grade simmering inflammation that won’t go away has been linked to cancer and heart disease. And multiple sclerosis. Much as my husband will hate this, it means no beef, lamb or pork, including hams, sausages and salami.
7. Booze. I don’t think I need to qualify this one.
8. Refined Grains. They are devoid of fiber and vitamin B compared to unpolished and unrefined grains that still have the bran, germ and the aleurone layer intact. This makes refined grains as good as refined sugars, which are practically empty calories. UNREFINED GRAINS ARE OKAY! As long as you are not allergic or intolerant to gluten, go for minimally processed grains. Check labels and go for things made with 100% whole grains.
9. Artificial food additives/Exitotoxins: NO MSG, aspartame, or the like.
10. Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes, if you’re having real problems.

As I put this together, I can’t help but notice that there are many similarities to the Paleo Diet, but there are a few differences that are obvious, like the inclusion of whole grains if you do not have gluten intolerance, the complete exclusion of all red meat, and the exclusion of tomatoes and potatoes.

Since I quit the paleo diet, I have broken out (yay acne!) and gained weight. So it’s obvious to me that I have unnecessary inflammation going on. I think if I tried to follow these rules, I would probably feel better, lose weight, and be happier.

Sources
http://bodyecology.com/articles/top_ten_foods_that_prevent_inflammation.php
http://nutrition.about.com/od/dietsformedicaldisorders/a/antiinflamfood.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/anti-inflammatory-diet-road-to-good-health?page=3
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet
http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/803649/the-anti-inflammatory-diet-eating-foods-to-heal-your-body
http://theconsciouslife.com/top-10-inflammatory-foods-to-avoid.htm

You seek the non-assertion of Wu-wei
as well as the ability to refrain from going to extremes
in meting out punishment of the self or others.

To get all the land under heaven,
Always use “wu-shi” (“lacking-matter” or “anti-matter”) as well as matter.
It’s inadequate to use (only matter) to take all the land under heaven alone.