Thank you for sharing this very interesting article. :) Thanks for this book recommendation. I just decided to order it. Looks good. I've always implemented the Charlotte Mason method of short lessons. We've done this all along. Narration is great also. For a while, I began questioning and doubting the short lessons, but now I'm a believer once again. Thank you for reassuring me. :)

Julie, I'm sorry that you're feeling this way. I hope that you feel better soon and that you can get relief from a good counselor. :grouphug: Susan, great job. :D Would you mind sharing where you got your hhcg drops/pellets from? Thank you.

Great job! :D Good for you also! :D Wow, you did great :)! Thanks so much for the detailed info. Copied and pasted them to look at and possibly consider. I need to be careful about candida diets. My dh had a horrible, horrible time with the anti-candida diet. I'm very cautious.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - very nice so far, not too heavy, which I like, since we have so much going on. I signed up for goodreads, but have been extremely lazy and unmotivated to add any books. Need to get on that. Been more into pinterest lately. Pinterest doesn't require me to think and is my time to totally veg out. ;)

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This sounds interesting and possibly do-able. Do you have more details/tips or is that a stupid question? Sorry. I'm a bit stupid/off today. Just protein, correct? Chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, etc. Carrots and veggies are carbs - so avoid? Or, are veggies okay, but not other carbs such as bread, potatoes, etc. I assume the latter.

I do want to add the following from my hcg notes that I wrote while on it a few months ago: The hcg diet is not for everyone - nothing ever is - but so far I have had no side-effects and have found it to be safe and effective. In some ways, I have more energy, since my body is digesting much less food. The friends that I have known have experienced little or no side-effects – other than the occasional headache on the first few days. That’s a sign of the body getting rid of toxins. I have read that some experience hair loss AFTER hcg, but again, none of my online friends. Most who do experience hair loss get back to normal after a few months – with increased protein and certain supplements. I take those supplements all the time anyway. Some experience headaches, itchy skin or a rash – these are probably toxins being released from the fat that’s being released. They will last as long as you don't provide other pathways for them to exit your body. One way to do this is to take a cleansing bath in the evening. Add 2 cups of Epson salts or one of baking soda and one of the Epsom salts to a tub with water as hot as you can stand it and get in for 20 minutes. Make sure it comes up to your belly button or higher. For headaches, I like to take magnesium. For releasing toxins, I also like to dry body brush daily. In order to prevent hair loss, I take Biotin, Silica, and Biosil - some days, I take all 3; some days, just 1 or 2 of them. I vary my supplements a lot. I also plan on starting a protein powder (very few ingredients and a good quality one) either in P3 or P4. I've heard this helps with hair loss. I've also heard that hair loss is less common with those on hhcg. I had huge issues with possible hair loss. It almost made me not want to go on hcg. But the more I read and thought about it, the more I realized: * that not all experience it. Several of my online friends who've been on it (and their friends and family members) did not experience it * my understanding is that any hair loss is temporary and generally returns to normal once protein levels are restored in P3 and P4 * it's not the hcg that causes hair loss, but the fact that the diet brings you to the brink of calorie and protein deficiency - but again, not all experience it.

Julie, that's really smart of you to do so. You sound like me when I was doing all my research. I spent months researching hcg. I'm a bit of a research nut. I do tend to take things to extreme when it comes to research. This is possible. My dh believes this. But I don't. There's no way that I would have had such energy and almost no hunger on 500 calories a day. All I can say is, if it is a placebo effect, it is worth every cent to me because it worked and I was very seldom hungry. No other diet has ever done that to me. None. Nada. I was not hungry, I had tons of energy, and if it was all in my head, well, I don't really care because it worked :D. This is not to say that there weren't days that were difficult. There were. But not nearly as hard as on other diets. My first round: homeopathic drops - worked like a charm. Followed the hcg diet to a t. 2nd round - homeopathic pellets - and lots and lots of life disruptions/stressors - did not do as well, but still did okay considering. I never went on P3 and P4. Wish I had. Those phases are like being a detective. If done properly, you know what causes YOU to gain weight. I would love to know, say, that mangoes are the reason my weight gain, or whatever. You find out what your own personal food sensitivities are. I hope to start another round in a few months' time. Hope to. We'll see. I will only do hcg if there are few stressors in my life. This diet is very, very mental. If you have too much stress, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Dawn, I agree. I've been thinking about this a lot. 15 miles per day is a heck of a lot. Wow. I also do want to point out that the whole weight loss thing is different for men. I really believe that. Never mind that every single individual is different. Age is also a factor. I've done 7 miles per day for a while. Made no difference in the weight loss department whatsoever. A few inches and more toned up. And I didn't even eat excessively. Exercise just makes me feel better and gets me more toned. But now that I'm in my 40s, exercise no longer helps me with weight loss like it did in my teens and 20s. Back then, I could eat that cheesecake or ice cream and then go for a run, and I was good to go. Not anymore. For me, it gets harder and harder, the older I get. The whole weight loss thing blows. :glare: I have so much info on all this. Lots and lots. Here's just a little bit. “Overexercise (and 15 miles a day to me is overexercise) —for a variety of reasons—actually makes it harder to lose weight. Overly strenuous exercise—especially combined with insufficient sleep, unrelenting stress, and poor eating habits—can push your body into survival mode, raising your level of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol’s job is to boost energy levels by any means necessary. If these levels stay high for too long, cortisol starts breaking down the cells in nerves, muscles, and bones, converting them into energy. In the short term, it’s a rush. In the long-term, it’s debilitating. Cortisol has another job: storing energy where the body can get at it quickly. And guess where that is? In the most accessible place, biologically—belly fat. Ongoing high levels of cortisol lead to weight gain, fatigue, nervousness, and possibly osteoporosis (loss of bone mass).†Here's a great article if anyone is interested in reading 6 pages ...

http://pinterest.com/paddingtonbear/ I've become addicted to pinterest. :D Thanks to Cyndi. :grouphug: I went on vacation and came back. She tells me about pinterest and sends me an invite. And my life has changed :lol:. I now dream in pinterest mode - seriously :lol:. http://pinterest.com/pin/166290558/ don't know if that link will work. I don't crochet, but this sums it up for me. Give me pinterest over FB any day. :)

I just started, but it will be a while before I post all my books. :) I've only posted one book so far.

I visited the Arsenio Hall show in the late 80s. Harry Connick Jr. was performing and was absolutely brilliant. Patrick Swayze was on also, since Ghost was coming out.

IODINE More than 90% of us are low in iodine and adrenal fatigue is often linked to an iodine deficiency. Today's environment makes it almost impossible to get the amount of iodine you need. 1. There's very little iodine in the soil. So unless you're eating a ton of iodine-rich foods like kelp, seaweed and shellfish, you're not going to get much iodine from your diet. 2. Many salt companies have stopped adding iodine to table salt. 3. Food manufacturers have stopped using iodine in baked goods and are using bromine instead. Bromine (a halogen) competes with iodine to get into your cells. So the more bromine you consume, the less iodine you get. Unfortunately, many foods today (primarily baked goods) are loaded with bromine. 4. Our water supply contains chlorine and fluoride, both of which are halogens. Again, halogens compete with iodine to get into your cells. And you can't avoid chlorine and fluoride simply by drinking filtered water. That's because you get a hefty dose any time you bathe, shower, soak in a hot tub, or swim in a swimming pool. 5. Most conventional doctors never test for iodine deficiency. They figure there's no need to test iodine levels when they can just test your thyroid function instead. The problem with this is that the most widely used thyroid test, the TSH, is wildly inaccurate. Reason: While the TSH measures thyroid hormone, it can't tell the difference between active thyroid hormone with iodine and de-activated thyroid hormone with bromine or chlorine or fluorine. So the test shows you have plenty of thyroid hormone. But most of the thyroid hormone isn't doing its job! CORRECTING AN IODINE DEFICIENCY: I think it was Dr. Nan Fuchs who wrote: “I've had women come into my office who look like the poster child for underactive thyroid. They're overweight, they're losing their hair and eyebrows, their skin is dry, and they tell me they feel cold all the time. Yet when their doctor gave them a thyroid test, it came back normal! When I put these women on iodine supplementation, their conditions improve dramatically. Their skin improves, they stop losing their hair, and they finally lose that excess weight — and keep it off.†The RDA for iodine is 150 mcg. This amount was set based on the amount needed to prevent goiter. This amount will prevent goiter but it will not prevent other serious diseases and symptoms connected to an iodine deficiency. The average consumption of iodine from seaweed by the mainland Japanese is nearly 14 mg. They have some of the lowest incidence of iodine-deficiency diseases like goiter, hypothyroidism, and cancers of the reproductive system (breast, ovaries, and uterus). Increase your intake with mineral-rich sea vegetables (agar, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame) at least twice a week. You can eat as much seaweed as you want. Brown seaweeds are highest in iodine. They include all forms of kelp. Fucus, also known as Bladderwrack, is considered to be the best for underactive thyroids. Hijiki and Sargassum are two other forms of brown seaweeds. Red seaweeds include dulse, nori, Irish moss, and Gracillaria. Since toasting doesn’t affect seaweed’s iodine content, you can eat it dried or dried and toasted. Toast some in the oven or in a dry frying pan to see if you prefer that taste. You can also powdered seaweed to your food or add larger pieces of seaweed to soups, grains, or vegetables. Seaweed should be an enjoyable addition to your diet, not an unpleasant experience. If you simply don’t like its taste, you can get it in capsules. Use 5-10 grams of mixed brown and red seaweed for thyroid problems. This is about 1 ½ teaspoons per day. If you’ve been told that your thyroid is borderline-low, eating seaweed makes sense. But remember, you need to eat seaweed every day or take iodine in a different form. Not all seaweeds are safe to eat. Some come from polluted waters. Be more cautious and talk to a naturopath if you’re on thyroid meds and want to try seaweed. Use iodine-rich Seaweed Gomasio to season your food. Instead of using seaweed to boost your iodine levels, you might consider taking an iodine supplement. Iodoral is a very good one. You may need 1 to 4 tablets of Iodoral, a combination of 5 mg of iodine and 7.5 mg of potassium iodide. Additional research finds that vitamin C improves the transport of iodine in the body, so it may be best to take Iodoral with Vitamin C. Studies show that women who weigh about 110 pounds need at least 5 mg of iodine a day for normal breast function. If you’re heavier, you may need more. Start off slowly over a 4 week period. Take 1 pill for 30 days Then 2 pills for 30 days Then maybe 3 for 30 days Then 1 in morning and 1 in evening for 30 days Can then go back to taking 1 or 2 a day to maintain Your body will know....listen to it... One Iodoral tablet provides 12.5 milligrams of iodine/iodide which is about the amount the average Japanese consumed in 1964 in their everyday diet. Iodoral is the best way to get the recommended amount of iodine. When we take 50 mg of iodine/iodide a day, it acts as an adaptogen, regulating various body functions. Substances that interfere with iodine Chlorine – present in most city water supplies – unless you de-chlorinate your water, you are being exposed to thyroid-lowering gases whenever you bathe, shower, or have a drink of water. Fluorine Bromide or Bromine – found in some pesticides – try to eat organic whenever possible Bromide is even used in some asthma drugs Mountain Dew, Fresca, and orange Gatorade all contain bromide in the form of brominated vegetable oils. Drinking beverages with bromide causes low thyroid function in some people. These toxins are in our water, hot tubs, non-organic foods, and some soft drinks. If you don’t have enough iodine, chances are you have too much fluoride and bromide. Sufficient iodine pulls these toxins out of your body. Aspirin, blood thinner meds, and steroids can result in iodine deficiency thyroid problems. If you’re taking these, ask your doctor to check your thyroid function. Our cortisol levels tend to be highest in the morning. If you’re stressed, morning is the best time for you to use two stress-reducing techniques: meditation and exercise. But don’t push yourself and over-exercise. This perpetuates your stress cycle. Walking, swimming, biking, low-impact aerobics, gardening, and dancing are easier on your adrenal glands than running. If you’re too tired to exercise, don’t do much. Listen to your body and take a 10-minute walk instead of a longer more strenuous workout. Mild to moderate exercise from 4-6 times a week will help lower your cortisol. And it takes only 10-30 minutes of prayer or meditation to help break the stress cycle.

SUPPLEMENTS Vitamin C is probably the most important vitamin for adrenal function – found in sprouts, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, red peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries Magnesium – sea vegetables, nuts, brown sesame seeds, whole wheat (if tolerated), brown rice, peas, beans The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good. Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements). Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate. B Vitamins – The most important ones are B5 (pantothenic acid) and B6 – whole grains, brewer’s yeast, egg yolks, miso, avocado, liver, soybeans, lentils Calcium – sesame seeds, beans, nuts, collards, kale, broccoli, parsley, sea vegetables, goat’s milk TIMING IS EVERYTHING When you eat is critical. Don't skip meals. Have breakfast before 10 AM Eat lunch around 11 AM Snack around 2 PM Have dinner no later than 6 PM Few bites of a snack at bedtime Regular aerobic exercise and strength training can burn off excess adrenal hormones. But don’t overdo – more than 1 hour, 5 days a week, can overstress your adrenals. Yoga also helps. Meditation, biofeedback, or take a 15-minute time-out every day to reduce adrenal stress. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night to keep your stress hormones in check. You must find a way to recharge. There are many ways to unplug from your busy routine. But the most elemental requirement for recharging your battery is addressing your body's basic needs for sleep, exercise and nutrition--because without addressing those, your body won't be able to reboot, regardless of how many breaks you take from your routine. If you feel tired when you first wake up, you probably aren't getting sufficient sleep. It's best to observe how you feel immediately upon waking rather than after you're up and moving around. Be sure your exercise routine contains the four principle components--aerobic (cardio), anaerobic (interval), strength training, and core exercises. Variety is key.

LIMIT OR AVOID Coffee and Black Tea (including decaf) Juice Sugar Alcoholic Beverages Deep-Fried Foods Rancid Oils, Seeds, and Nuts Soda, including diet soda Processed Meats and Cheeses Chocolate White Flour in Breads, Cakes, Pies, Cookies, and Pasta Cow’s Milk Artificial Sweeteners and Ingredients Fast Food Junk Food White Rice Eliminate processed food, junk food, soda, sweetened drinks, sports/energy drinks, and all artificial sweeteners from your diet. Radically reduce your sugar consumption, and stay away from products containing high concentrations of fructose, such as high fructose corn syrup.

NUTRITION High-quality animal protein Heart-healthy fats – Omega3s 5-6 servings of vegetables a day Sea Salt Complex Carbohydrates Lightly cooked or raw protein whenever possible to preserve amino acids and naturally occurring enzymes needed to digest food – such as sashimi, eggs, plain yogurt, sushi, goat’s milk and cheese, whey protein, legumes combined with whole grains, seeds or nuts Licorice Tea Seaweeds – nori, wakame, kombu, hijiki Naturally fermented miso without MSG Sprouts Soy Sauce without MSG Carob Ginger Beans combined with whole grains Organic Meats – like lamb, wild meats like venison Alaskan Salmon Bone broths with vinegar added Red and Orange Vegetables Almond Oil Coconut Oil Palm Oil Olive Oil Add a vegetable to your eggs at breakfast: sautéed spinach, mushrooms, or sliced tomatoes Spinach Red Pepper Yellow and Butternut Squash Beets Carrots Millet Brown Rice Quinoa Papaya Mango Plums Pears Kiwi Apples Cherries Black Licorice Tea has adrenal-rejuvenating properties – Traditional Medicinals Organic Licorice Root Tea – only have 2 well-brewed cups every other day since licorice can cause a fatigue-inducing potassium imbalance. After 6 weeks, take a 5-day break before repeating the regimen. 1-3 cycles of this helps most women. Do not consume if you’re pregnant or have high blood pressure. Eat as much fresh, organic raw food as possible (at least one third of your intake), particularly vegetables. Drink plenty of pure, filtered water every day.

Adrenal Issues have so many symptoms, by the sound of things, many of us could have it. Others doubt that it even exists. What you are experiencing may be stress. I don't know. I'm no expert. Just sharing what I've read. I know that I have many of the same symptoms. Stress is a horrible thing. I think that with small changes, you can soon start to feel better. :grouphug: In adrenal fatigue, your body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Eventually, this causes your adrenal glands--your front line stress defense--to become depleted. SYMPTOMS • Absentmindedness • Severe Allergies • Asthma • Stubborn Belly Fat • Increased blood pressure and cholesterol • Unstable blood sugar levels • Chocolate Cravings • Chronic Colds • Unstable moods, depression, and anxiety • Constant Fatigue • Hair Loss • Hormone imbalance • Chronic Illness • Impaired immune function and less resistance to infections • Insomnia • Irritability • Panic Attacks • PMS • Salt Cravings • Decreased Sex Drive • Long Sinus Infections • Unclear Thinking • Weight gain May need a salivary cortisol test To test whether your adrenals are overwhelmed, you’ll need a dark room, a mirror, and a flashlight. In a dark room, face the mirror. Turn on flashlight and hold it at your temple so the beam passes over your eyes. Your pupils will contract. Leaving the flashlight on, observe your pupils in the mirror for 2 minutes. If your adrenals are healthy, the pupils will remain tiny. If your pupils dilate at any point during the 2-minute exposure to light, it means that your adrenals are exhausted. CAUSES Too much cumulative stress Adrenal Fatigue is the result of living with a constantly aroused sympathetic nervous system--living in a perpetual state of "fight or flight." Poor diet Perimenopausal Hormonal Shifts Copper –zinc imbalance affects the adrenals and the liver. Zinc is needed for the production of adrenal cortical hormones, so if zinc levels are low or copper is high, production of these hormones diminishes. The adrenals then aren’t able to rise to the challenge of stressful situations and give the body the get-up-and-go it needs. The recommended daily copper allowance for adults is 2 milligrams – the amount already provided in most multis. Compound that with what you’re getting from copper-rich foods: tea contains about 5 milligrams of copper per 100 grams and cocoa powder is not far behind at about 4 milligrams per 100 grams. You can see how easily your copper intake can build up in the body and interfere with the actions of your hormones and other nutrients. Try to get a copper-free multivitamin. BOOK “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome†by James L. Wilson

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this.

Stacia, because you're there, I think I'll start there also. :D I'm on Library Thing, but the layout is not nearly as nice as the one on goodreads. What I like about Library Thing is that it recommends books that are close to what one likes. I don't know if goodreads does that or not. :iagree: I think I'll appreciate them more once I spread the books out even further apart. Yes, I love Precious and the secretary. Love their insight into human character, etc.

I always loathed physics. Hated it, hated it, hated it ...

Bridget, thank you :grouphug:. Everyone's posts has certainly helped me maintain my sense of humor with this. I know, I just know, that next time we're there, I'll get the giggles. I'm often that way. :D This on my pinterest is so true, I find. Not sure if the link will work.

A few years ago, I was very, very fit and I started the Shred. I did it every other day. Never got past Level 2. I injured my ankle so badly. It took months to heal. My knees didn't do great either. I have a love-hate relationship with her stuff. I love the fact that it's a quick and very effective workout. But I really, really want to avoid long-term damage to my joints. So, very reluctantly, I may need to stop Shredding. :confused: Yesterday, I shredded again for the very first time in more than a year or so. It felt fabulous. Wasn't even extremely difficult for me, but I think I may have to stick with gentler stuff. I have a family history of joint problems. I'm 43 and need to take better care of all that.

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Roald Dahl. :D If you're on pinterest, there's quite a bit of Roald Dahl pins you can add or enjoy. :) Here's just one:

Karin, you're right. I don't read them back-to-back either. I've been spacing them out, but I think I may space them out even more. Yes, I like the humor and I really like the characters. I'm very aware of the language. I have a friend from Botswana. Just find it irritating when I'm reading, which, of course, I shouldn't complain about, since the book has to be true and accurate. I just find it annoying and feel horribly mean for saying that. Haven't seen the mini series yet. I hope to, but don't know when or if I'll be able to. Good to know that it's not just me. :tongue_smilie: "Meander" is the perfect description. It does annoy me at times. Haven't yet gotten to his 44 Scotland Street series.