Whole Foods (the store)

There is no Whole Foods market near where I live. But there IS one near where my father lives. So every time we visit, we make a trip to Whole Foods. And drop a BUNCH of money. Every time I get a new "assignment" from the Natural Health Improvement Center, it means a trip to a store which sells natural supplements and the like. We have one near us, but it's just fun to go to Whole Foods. They have everything you could possibly want for getting healthy, and stuff you didn't even know you wanted until you saw it.

This morning, we went. Oh my. $140.00 later, we came home with two bags of stuff, including a bottle of PCB-free fish oil supplements ($30.00), organic flax seed oil, which was recommended by the Clinical Nutritionist I'm seeing ($6.50), a 14.6 oz. bag (not big!) bag of protein powder, also recommended by the CN, (!!$22.00!!), Topelo honey, recommended to replace sugar in coffee/tea, ($9.00) and so forth. Yow! The protein powder really through me for a loop. I thought it was expensive simply trying to buy organic produce. The healthier I try to be, the more broke we get. Yeesh. And this is all on top of the supplements I purchase directly from the Natural Health Improvement Center. And the essential oils. I hope it's all worth it.

 

I think it is.....

NRT - Appointment #3 and "Food Demystified" talk

Visit #3 at the Natural Health Improvement Center was last Thursday evening. I decided this time to make my appointment at a time when hubby could watch our son. I wanted to see how the clinical nutritionist responded to me when I didn't have a child with me. She did appear to be more relaxed. I'm sure I was, too. As directed, this time I had brought with me all all of the supplements I was taking. These included multi-vitamins, calcium, vitamin D, a probiotic (Jarro-Dophillus,) and the supplement she had recommended (Lact-Enz.) I informed her of my gut issues over the preceding week. She tested me (one arm out, the other hand holding each bottle/box in turn) and agreed with my theory that the two probiotics (Jarro and Lact-Enz) were causing my intestinal issues. There was no shock when she told me to discontinue the probiotic I had bought for myself and continue the one she had recommended! She did tell me to cut back from taking 4 each day to taking 3. (I implemented this plan 7 days ago, and I have had no further issues.) She took a look at my food diary, which admittedly was kind of sad. (Goofy grin) I had given up on the dairy and gluten thing when she did not give me much direction with it. She advised me to try making one meal each day dairy-free, gluten-free, and without any processed foods. Ok, now that is a plan I can work with! What else did she say......? Hm. Oh yes. She told me to up my vegetable intake. No problem. Though I can't say I've done a great job of that, but today I shopped and bought a bunch of stuff. So was that it? Oh, she also tested me (arm out and so forth) to see if the one eczema spot she's sort of focused on (I have many) has improved. Her report? Yes, I have improved. (I haven't) She presses my out-stretched arm, starting at the wrist and heading up toward my elbow. She told me that there are 10 steps. If 10 is reached, that area is healthy. I went from a zero to a two on that rashy spot. Hm. Not sure about that. But if I'm going to see this through, I have to follow what she says, and so. Oh, and she asked me how the wheat germ in the belly button was going. I informed her that I never received wheat germ. I did this time! And I've been doing it. Voo-doo. We'll see.

Also that evening at the Center, a talk was given by a young woman called Food Demystified. I missed some of the talk due to my appointment, but caught some. She had given a hand-out which included such things as a Good Foods List. She went through this with the group. (I can elaborate if there's interest - I could even photograph the page. Let me know.) The packet includes a small list of foods to avoid, including fairly obvious things such as fast foods, sugars and junk food. There were also suggested meal ideas and menus. (Which I especially appreciated!) I felt the talk was good, and I felt that it helped me to begin to get my $'s worth out of this whole ordeal, ya know? I will attempt to attend all such talks as I'm able. They are free. They strongly request that members bring friends, as this brings them business, of course. They give members incentive - each referred person results in the referring member receiving a free office visit. And so forth. Anyhow, I was glad I went. I did, in fact bring a friend, who says she enjoyed the talk. Cool.

I have mellowed myself into the idea of gradual change. I find that the easiest way to help myself make dietary changes is when I'm shopping. If I buy healthier items, that's what we have here to eat. I have bought some foods that were recommended by the CN at the Center, including Chobani yogurt. DS just devoured a container of it. I tasted it, expecting it to taste terrible, but it didn't. It was good. And not very expensive. Ok, cool. I also bought a package of red quinoa. I don't like quinoa, but I am going to try it again, and try it on the family. Why not?

Next appointment, Thursday eve.

NRT - Reaction To The Supplements?

Just a quick update on my experiences with the Natural Health Improvement Center.... As I mentioned in a previous post, the NHIC counselor I am seeing has put me on Lact-Enz supplements. They are allegedly whole food supplements that are designed to help my body "heal" and become healthier.

Perhaps this is a coincidence, but twice in the past week I have woken in the night with roiling guts. Without going into too much detail, I've needed the rest room at odd times, and with a displeased digestive system. Both times I had a gassy belly with diarrhea throughout the morning. The first time I figured it was the Indian food I had eaten for dinner. It was a dish I hadn't tried before, but it was predominantly rice, so that shouldn't cause it. But Indian food is often cooked in ghy, or clarified butter, which could have been the culprit. But the second time I had eaten vegetarian chili with rice. Hm.

Anyhow, it could be the supplements. I had, in fact, asked the Clinical Nutritionist, who suggested them for me, if anyone had stomach or gut reactions to the supplements. She said on the contrary, they help the gut. Hm. Then there's this paper that came home with me from the center that reads, "Please keep in mind that our nutritional products DO NOT cause 'side effects' as they are not drugs. Occasionally after starting a nutritional program, you may feel a temporary worsening or even feel 'sick.'" ... "Sometimes these 'flare-ups' are actually a 'Healing Crisis' which indicates your body is starting to heal by throwing off toxins that have been keeping you sick. By fine-tuning your program, we can help you get through these types of situations much more smoothly, if they even occur...." And so forth.

It will be interesting to see what she has to say when I see her Thursday. Thursday evening I will also be attending a talk at the center called "Food Demystified." I am going mostly because it is included in my treatment, and I feel that it will help me to feel that I am getting closer to getting my money's worth. Secondarily, it is strongly recommended. Once form actually says that attending at least one program within the first hour weeks of "treatment" is required, though I'm not sure how they can "require" anything. But anyhow. I'll let you know what that is like!

FYI....

Lact-Enz^®

Introduced in 1988

Lact-Enz is a gastrointestinal support product that combines digestive enzymes with normal intestinal flora. The combination of these ingredients assists in the breakdown of macronutrients and maintains a healthy intestinal environment.†

Here's a more thorough explanation of what Lact-Enz is and what it does. LINK

NRT - The Follow-Up Appointment

Today DS and I went to the Natural Health Improvement Center for our follow-up appointment. We met with woman A who went over the findings report with me. This report basically informs you if you are or are not a good candidate for NRT (I am.) It then identifies the "Nutrition Response Reflex Points." For me, those are "blocked/scars" and "skin/hand/feet." It lists my "Clinical Nutrition Supplements Needed" as "wheat germ oil" and "Lactenz." The report goes on to explain the steps toward achieving health through this system. The are "Fine Tuning Your Program," "Natural Healing and Observation Period" and "Maintenance Phase." It was explained to me that the first phase involves weekly visits for 3-6 weeks, the second takes about 12 weeks, and the third involves months visits for about 4-6 months, with follow-up visits every few months as needed. A fee schedule and review of a "family plan" follows. The final page is a print out from my first visit, and I don't much understand it except that it reports that my fitness level is pretty poor. (How they determined that, I can't imagine...) It says I'm in the green, or normal level, but I'm much closer to the yellow, or below normal than I am to the blue, or athletic zone. I have to chuckle at this! I did no fitness test of any kind while there. Interesting. Anyhow, the rest of the visit...

We were then seen by woman B, the Clinical Nutritionist who saw us last time. She did a shortened version of the test she did last time, with the wheat germ oil bottle in my hand, and pushing down on my other arm. She briefly tested DS the same way as last time, with me holding him. She gave me a metal "flashlight" for lack of a better word, and instructed me to shine in into my belly button for 4 minutes. (If I wasn't so incredibly under control at all times, I would have cracked up....ok I'm not that in control, but I didn't laugh out loud.) She informed me that I would need to prick a wheat germ oil capsule every day and rub the oil on my belly button. (oooooohhhhkaaaaaaayy) She had me hold one, then two, then three, etc up to five tablets which I presume were the lactenz tablets, and by pushing on my arm with each "dose" she was able to tell how many my body needs. She informed me that I need to take 4 every day, divided up with my meals. (2 at dinner, the biggest meal) She tested Sean to see if this amount in me would also work for him, with positive results. I asked her about our diets, because I've kept us off of dairy and gluten for 1.5 weeks now. She didn't give me any direction with that, so I said that I might as well drop the diet. Then she told me not to do that, but to gradually turn the kitchen into a healthier one. She did tell me to reduce our sugar intake.

On the way out, we were given, to the tune of $39.00, a bottle of lactenz supplements. No wheat germ oil, but I didn't think at the time to ask for it. They gave me the appointment free, as I had emailed to say that I was surprised at the cost of the initial visit, and asked if the follow-up was included. So yay me.

I told them that I wasn't sure I was going to continue to have DS as a patient, as I feel that he'll benefit from whatever changes I make. They didn't disagree with this, but will see him again in a month for a couple of months. Fair enough. I go back in a week.

Supplement one taken with lunch today. I added slightly less sugar to my afternoon cup of coffee. ;)

Nutrition Response Testing

I have made an appointment for today for Nutrition Response Testing, for both me and my son.

This is in response to DS's skin breaking out in dry, rashy areas on his torso. Eczema. Shoot. I have seen very small patches on his skin from time to time, all of which have been easy to resolve without using steroid creams. (I used a very tiny amount two times on one patch that looked very uncomfortable) In any event, I would really like to find a way to get rid of his rashes, and if I can resolve my own, well, that would be miraculous and amazing. I have been to doctors and dermatologists uncountable, so I am going the natural route this time. It just goes along with everything else I've been experimenting with lately. I'm nervous....I'm always nervous before an appointment, especially for something I'm not yet familiar with. But here is what I know of it so far....this is a link to the Natural Health Improvement Center I found locally. Just scroll down on the page to read about NRT.

Nutrition Response Testing

A bunch of hooey? Maybe. But I think of it this way. At the least, it is another attempt at managing (and resolving?) my skin issues that I can cross off my list, and it gives me something to try to help eliminate DS's skin issues. At best, it works, and his skin rashes go away! It's non-invasive, so all we really lose by trying this is a little money and a little time. So....fingers crossed.....

To be updated!

Fish Oil Supplements Found To Contain PCBs

After reading for years about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and the benefits of taking fish oil supplements, I finally bought some. This morning I took my first capsule. Then my husband saw this news reel from Yahoo.com and sent it along to me. Wow. I guess I'll learn to tolerate fish, instead!

LINK