I finally joined pinterest this week. I got totally addicted in a very mind boggling way. :eek: :lol: I also developed a love/hate relationship with it - all those yummy recipes and gorgeous homes and places that I know I'll never have or seldom go to. :lol: I think that too much of those pictures might lead to a lack of contentment (at least, for me). You get off the computer and see that the fridge is still the same and your home still looks the same ;). Plus, it really started to take up my time - it is a great way to kill time, I have to say. I don't always want to be productive and there are times when I simply cannot be productive - when drinking tea, or having just woken up, or when there's too much noise and distractions around, for example. I actually prefer the layout and look of pinterest over FB. I despise the layout of FB. Yuck. :eyes: Pinterest's layout is really nice. Almost like looking at a magazine. Great for visual people like myself. Then last night I started to get slightly paranoid about my user name. Tried to change my user name countless times. It wouldn't allow me to. I got upset and deleted my account. Not sure if I'll join again or not. I'm getting some withdrawal symptoms ... On the one hand, I love the layout and look. It's entertainment. OTOH ... well, you've heard all my negatives about it. :unsure: * If you don't like pinterest, why not? * If you deleted your pinterest account, why? Would love to read your thoughts on this. I know I'm overthinking it ;).

POSSIBLE IODINE DEFICIENCY Today's environment makes it almost impossible to get the amount of iodine you need. First of all, 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. Second, many salt companies have stopped adding iodine to table salt. Third, food manufacturers have stopped using iodine in baked goods and are using bromine instead. Bromine 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. Fourth, our water supply contains chlorine and fluoride, both which 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. Fifth, 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! Dr. Nan Fuchs 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. Correcting an iodine deficiency also provides a whole host of other health benefits, including fighting fatigue and giving you greater energy You may need 1 to 4 tablets of Ioderal, 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. Take 1000-3000 mg of vitamin C daily. Start off slowly over about 4-6wk period. 1 pill for 30 days Then 2 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. I take Iodoral and love it. :)

GOOD BOOKS TO LOOK INTO Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again by Dr. Frank Lipman Food Rules by Michael Pollan The Anti-Cancer Book is THE best overall health book for everyone – not just for those who are concerned about cancer 456 Rules by Dr. Nan Fuchs The Diet Cure by Julia Ross TO GIVE INSTANT ENERGY Brush your teeth when you feel tired. The minty-fresh feeling may help wake you up. Drink a glass of water. Dehydration is often related to fatigue. I try to drink 1 glass of water upon waking up and after each bathroom trip. I stop drinking an hour or so before leaving the house. I also stop drinking around 6 or 7 PM at night. Jumping Jacks Walk around the block Lie on bed with your head hanging off if you KWIM. Get all the blood circulating to your head. Rinse for as long as you can tolerate in the coldest water that you can tolerate. Feels really good when the cold is on your back and spine. I would often jump in for a quick shower when I was tired during my student years. You can also alternate between hot/warm and ice cold. Dunk your wrists in a bowl of water with ice cubes OR run them under a very cold faucet. Peppermint oil-infused air reduces fatigue. Inhaling peppermint causes capillaries to constrict and then dilate, sending a rush of blood through the body, and, as a result, a rush of energizing oxygen. Listening to whatever music you love 1 spoon of honey – honey will give you energy quickly and keep it there

OTHER TIPS Healthy lifestyle changes: • exercise regularly – an outdoor walk helps immensely. Being outdoors is energizing. Do what you like, what you enjoy. For overall energy, the best are anything outdoors, rebounding, and yoga. • sleep well • manage your stress • Having a thankful heart and positive attitude • Avoiding negative thinking and complaining Loss of energy is one of the many symptoms of a congested lymphatic system. Things that help to clear up the lymphatic system: • Daily Rebounding • Deep Breathing every day • Dry Body Brushing every day - either before showering OR before exercise, whichever comes first • Massage and/or Reflexology Many yoga poses and the regular practice of yoga help relieve symptoms of fatigue. There are specific yoga poses that help deal with fatigue. Don’t exercise within 2 hours of when you plan to sleep. Acupuncture is a great way to relieve stress and improve function. Most people say they feel calm yet energized after acupuncture. A bad mood can sap your energy because it keeps your mind busy ruminating. Substituting thoughts about what you have in your life, as opposed to what's missing, can help reverse the negative spiral. Slap on a smile. Apply some bright lipstick. Wear a crisp, clean outfit instead of baggy sweats. If you fake energy until you feel it, soon enough your body will catch on. The same ol' same ol' is more than boring -- it's an energy drain. Even small changes -- like taking an alternate route to work or making that morning jog an afternoon swim -- can make a difference. Deep breathing is essential. Your lungs may hold an important clue to lagging energy, because fatigue is caused by a deficiency of oxygen in the cells. This is why if you have difficulty concentrating or suffer from fatigue, the first step for you to take could be taking a few deep breaths. Frequent yawning or sighing can mean you need more oxygen. Of all our organs, our lungs are the only ones we can control with our will. Your heart beats on its own. Our liver performs hundreds of different functions whenever they’re needed. But we can consciously fill our lungs with full breaths of air for increased energy or breathe slowly to calm ourselves down. Still, few of us breathe consciously. Take more control of your breath. It can directly affect your health and energy. Clutter is a great big drag on your energy -- and not just because of all the stuff taking up space. So much of what ends up as clutter are tasks that we haven't finished or obligations we haven't been able to meet. If it's time for a real workout, but you're dragging, -- researchers have found that matching the tempo of a workout to music with a strong, fast beat can increase one's capacity for exercise by 15 percent. Choose songs with 120 to 140 beats per minute (the norm for most pop and rock songs). "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas, for instance, clocks in at 128 beats per minute. The exercise-and-energy equation goes like this: The more active you are, the better your circulation. And the better your circulation, the easier it is for blood to transport oxygen and nutrients (fuel for the cells) to your muscles and brain. So take a walk. A brisk, 10-minute walk is enough to boost your energy level for up to two hours.

Eleuthero is a relative of ginseng, that’s proven to keep you going. This herb gives people mental stamina in situations that would normally burn them right out. 800 mg- 2 or 3 grams daily of dried eleuthero to aid concentration Rhodiola rosea is an excellent addition to any stress-reduction program – along with exercise, daily meditation, prayer, more rest, a healthy diet, and specific supplements • Increases energy • Alleviates depression • Helps with weight loss • Relieves mental and physical fatigue • Improves function of the thyroid, thymus, and adrenal glands • Helps chemotherapy patients deal with depletion and exhaustion • Stimulates brain chemical production – norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin – which all help you think and feel better • Improves sleep • Improves mental alertness • Improves short-term memory • Enhances weight loss Reduces heart palpitations A group of male doctors were given 170 mg of R. Rosea extract just one a day for 2 weeks. They had a great reduction in fatigue compared with doctors who took a placebo Chemotherapy often leads to depletion and exhaustion. 150 mg of R. rosea extract twice a day can help relieve fatigue and normalize red and white blood cells The amount of Rhodiola you need to take is not critical. High or low amounts of this her both work. Not all Rhodiola supplements are equally effective. Any Rhodiola you buy should be standardized extract and say Rhodiola roesa on the label. Nature’s Way Planetary Formulas HerbPharm American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)/Panax Ginseng: Fewer tension-related aches and pains Feeling more happiness Better blood sugar control Deeper sleep Boost in brainpower Heightens energy Nourishes the entire Central Nervous System, helping it cope with changes in cortisol, estrogen, progesterone and other troublemaking hormones. 100-600 mg daily Cancer patients who took 1000 mg daily for 8 weeks reported energy levels that were twice as high as those on a placebo. Or ask your herbalist for a formula that combines all three of the above.

EAT MORE Eat real food, as close to nature as possible. A great book is “Food Rules†by Michael Pollan. Think close to nature, think Mediterranean diet. Make sure to eat a healthy and balanced breakfast. Aim for an energy-balancing mix of high-quality carbs, lean protein and healthy fats -- oatmeal with a serving of almonds, an egg white omelet with a slice of avocado and a side of berries, or even last night's leftovers. Stay hydrated – drink lots of water Besides drinking enough water and eating water-based fruits and vegetables throughout the day, aim for at least 1 serving of a potassium-rich food or drink -- such as avocado, coconut water, or a banana -- each day. Dark chocolate contains the stimulant theobromine, which boosts energy without the jitters that can come from caffeine. Choose chocolate with at least 70 percent cacao. Cumin boosts energy. It’s rich in iron, a mineral that combats fatigue by stimulating the production of red blood cells. It’s also anti-inflammatory and inhibits the buildup of harmful protein deposits in the brain to boost mental energy. EAT LESS Limit processed sugars and processed foods Try going gluten-free for at least 3 weeks. See if you notice improvement. Many do. SUPPLEMENTS I try to take Carlson's Fish Oil daily. I don't know if this has any direct effect on energy, but I have read that it helps. I know that it's amongst the very best supplements that one can take for overall health. A good fish oil, such as Carslon’s is one of the best supplements you can take. Green foods boost the body’s energy production. Many feel better by starting the day with a green drink. Green Magma is a great one. If you're under 50, take at least 2,000 IU Vitamin D3 per day. If you're 50 or over, take at least 5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3. Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption. Your need for vitamin D3 is affected by age, skin color, and the severity of any deficiency B Complex

I am a member of Library Thing and really, really love it when they recommend books based on what I have loved or liked. That's the only reason I joined. I didn't sign up for the Early Reviewers program, mainly because we don't live in the U.S. I always thought it sounded good however. :)

I LOVE getting facials, except for the very, very painful blackhead squeezing part which some do and some don't. For me personally, the ones that do them - well, my skin looks much better afterwards.

Is it that B vitamins make you feel nauseous or that your body doesn't absorb them? Agreeing on the salt and potassium advice, as well as all the others - cucumbers, etc. Most fruits and veggies should help also.

:iagree: on both. I love hcg, but yes, you do have to be in the right place mentally. No big or major transitions, etc. Also thinking of trying The 17 Day Diet, but I would need to get the book first. Very true. ;) I think any or most diets will work if one sticks to it. Some give faster results - hcg, 17 Day, Dukan, etc. Others are less extreme and take longer to get where you want to be. The hardest part is maintaining. Losing is relatively easy compared to keeping it off ... :glare: For me, weight loss is more like 80% of what I eat and 20% of what I do. As with most things in life, the usual 80/20 Principle applies. Whether or not I lose weight is all about what I put in my mouth. If I really watch what and how much I eat I lose. If I don't I will just maintain or gain. Exercise does help to maintain when I'm not not watching what I eat, but I can no longer lose any significant amount of weight without really watching what I eat. I've been forced to accept this fact. During my teens and twenties, since I've always loved to workout, I would workout a LOT and eat whatever I wanted, granted that I knew that if I truly overate, the pounds would come on. I was fit and slim. Yet once I had my dc and entered my thirties (I'm now in my 40s), I realized that I couldn't get away with eating whatever I wanted and exercising anymore. I now have to watch what I eat and how much I eat. Someone said that her trainer, who really knows her stuff, always says that it's actually 90% what we eat. I agree. I have lots and lots of info on this. Here's just a sample: To burn sufficient calories to lose one pound of body fat, you might: * Briskly walk a total of 35 miles * Swim moderately fast for 6 hours * Dance for 12 hours * Play about 12.5 hours of golf, carrying your own clubs * Jog for about 29 miles At the same time, you would need to monitor your eating habits to ensure that you are not increasing your calorie-intake in line with your increased exercise! And we all know that it’s much easier to eat 1000 calories than it is to burn 1000 calories! If you're looking to control your weight, exercise is the least efficient way to do it. You'd have to run for hours to keep the cookies you ate from adding to your waistline.

:iagree: :hurray: And Tricia, congrats to you also. :D Muscle takes up much less space and is so much healthier than fat. For every 10 lbs. you lose by dieting alone, you go down one dress size, but if you also exercise, for every 15 pounds you lose TWO sizes! What's frustrating and annoying is that health insurance companies, doctors' offices, etc. - all or most of them focus on weight and BMI rather than on body composition and waist measurement :glare:. Scientists from the Mayo Clinic were questioning the accuracy and usefulness of the BMI. Reviewing data from 40 studies involving 250,000 people with heart disease, they found that while severely obese patients had a higher risk of death, overweight people had fewer heart problems than those with a normal BMI. Because muscle weighs more than fat, many physically fit people are mistakenly classified as "overweight", while they are actually less likely to die young than a "normal" weight individual whose excess weight is mostly fat.

Me too. Would love to go back. Midnight In Paris is a really nice movie. We loved Le Marais. Had the best falafels there and really enjoyed this garden. You were lucky to have stayed there, although we weren't too far from it. The B&B lady we stayed at, however, was just horrible ... :glare: Rosie, I hear you and can fully relate. :grouphug: As you may know, if a book doesn't grab me (and many haven't recently) in the first 10%, I give up on it. Life is too short to read things that don't fully appeal to me. Good luck with finding something you love, or, at the very least, like :).

For quite a few years, I also wasn't at all up to date with current music and thought that I would never get back into it. And this, coming from me, who has always, always loved current music. What happened was that our dc were small and nursery rhymes and all that sort of took over. ;) :iagree: and this artist is also one of my very favorites. Amazing voice and song. He's incredibly talented and has been performing since the age of 4. If you've read "Outliers" - well, all I can say is, he's definitely put in his 10,000 hours. :D

You probably know this already: Drink more water. Eat less salt and processed foods, even sugar. This may be helpful.

:iagree: I have a very plump face and it's the first place to gain weight and pretty much the last place to lose :glare:. Now that I'm 43, I appreciate the fact sometimes that my face is plump and round, but for all my teen and adult life, I did not ... I remember FIRST magazine had an article a while back showing woman of the same age - one very thin and one more normal - and the latter always looked younger. For example, Christie Brinkley and Cyndi McCain - Christie Brinkley looked MUCH younger. They also had Madonna and someone else and Madonna looked really old. She herself said that she made a conscious choice many years ago to choose figure over face. She knew about this. Well, it certainly showed. There was a great thread several months or so ago about what makes someone look young and someone here posted this: There was a website I saw once where they had twins or siblings who looked very different ages but were really close in age. It explained why you thought that X looked older. Some of the biggest reasons were - smoking, bad teeth and being thin. It seems like in young people (under 30 or 35), thinness looks younger but in people over 35, it makes you look older.

This is on my wish list. I'm particularly interested since this is one of my favorite places in Paris. :)

Yes, that may be it for me also. :D Just love the Stieg Larsson books and wish so much that he had been able to write the entire series. Also love Maeve Binchy :). For the 2nd time, I started and gave up on The Moonflower Vine Just couldn't get into it and yet it has very good reviews. Couldn't concentrate or something. :confused:

I've been meaning to read this for a long time. I have a general idea of what he says and agree with him, but I'd still like to read it. My problem these days: not in the mood for non-fiction at all. Wish I was. Oh well. At least it's not self-help ;), so there is hope. I may get it soon. I read both of her books and the parents drove me absolutely nuts. I wanted to clobber that dad on the head. :glare: Sounds really interesting. :)

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE – IF I COULD If I lived in the U.S., I would try my utmost to get as much as I could from Standard Process - which you have to buy from an alternatiave health care practitioner. Standard Process is wonderful. But they don't have every single supplement. They're very specialized. ALKALIZING MULTI VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS Most of us have systems that are overly acidic. Working towards a system that is balanced or more alkaline is the key to overall health. These supplements are said to be very good for alkalizing the body. • http://www.auntiegs.com/index.php 12 Systems Synergistic Multiple – one tablet per meal • Vita Lea (Shaklee) – one tablet with each meal • Bio Strath – One teaspoon with each meal or tablet as indicated – I saw it on vitacost AFTER THAT I prefer searching for good brands on vitacost or amazon – reading reviews, and looking at brands. The following are brands that I like and trust: Carlson’s Nature’s Way Twin Labs KAL Enzymatic Therapy Green Magma – for green, alkalizing drink Solgar Source Naturals Rainbow Light Solaray NOW Swanson UniKey (do a google search) New Chapter Organics Brands I've heard good things about, but have not yet tried, and don’t yet know enough about: Aerobic Life Products Blue-Green Algae Country Life Darwin’s Gaia Herbs Health from the Sun Jarrow Kyo-Green Member’s Mark Metagenics Nature’s Plus Nature’s Sunshine Nordic Naturals Planetary Formulas Pure Encapsulations Puritan’s Pride Shaklee Trace Minerals Research Vitamin World Zone Perfect

WHAT I LIKE TO AVOID Many “one-a-day†formulas - Theragram-M, Geritol, Centrum usually: • Have such long ingredient lists (a red flag for me!) with synthetic coloring, waxes, and other undesirable ingredients – this is my main reason for avoiding them • Are too low in potency – most one-a-day formulas cannot possibly give you high enough potencies of nutrients. There simply isn’t enough room to pack a lot of nutrients into a single capsule. Do be aware that a good multivitamin and mineral formula requires that you take it in larger quantities – from 3-6 capsules daily. This may seem like a lot, but it’s not. When it comes to herbs, and often minerals and vitamins, most of the time, the quantity and potency is so very, very low, that it really isn’t going to do anything much at all. I prefer to research all the brands and see which has the highest dosage, or I have found that I may need to double or triple the dose. I have to admit that due to financial constraints, I seldom do this these days, unless I'm focusing on a specific health concern. I do believe that nutrition (healthy diet) is first and foremost. • Are often poorly absorbed As Peela here once reminded me: :) Anything that is multi-marketed. Supplements from multi-marketed companies are obviously going to cost much more. The supplements may be good, but remember that you’re paying for a wealth system that may play on people’s greed. Any supplement (usually they are minerals) that has the word “oxideâ€. The oxide form of any is the cheapest source of that mineral. Most of the cheaper brands include oxide to cut down on costs, but these brands do our bodies no good, since they’re barely absorbed. Any supplement that has vitamin E as dl-alpha – dl-alpha is synthetic and junk. Any supplement that has calcium carbonate – ditto, as above Most brands at Walmart, Costco, etc. But this doesn’t always apply. Some brands at these larger stores are fine. You'll have to do your own research to know. Just because the supplement is sold at Walmart or Costco does not that it’s necessarily bad. You need to look at the ingredients. are the same. WHAT I PREFER Bio-available when possible – these are best absorbed. Many bio-available forms are patented and identified on the label. Anything with a short ingredient list – no soybean oil, no sugar, starches, colorings, soy, etc. – the less things in it, the better! With vitacost, you can click on side bar buttons to say that you're looking for something without soy, etc.

Hyaluronic Acid - not to be nosy, but was this recommended to you for joint/arthritis pain? Again, sharing info that I have. This is from a very good book, 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets. I don't have any experience with this, nor do I know anyone who does. Vitacost and/or amazon may have some helpful reviews. She writes: "As we age, we begin to 'dry up'. Our joints become creaky and painful, our eyes get dry leading to glaucoma, and our skin gets more wrinkled. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a protein that helps our tissues retain moisture. It's the normal lubricant in our joints. Inflammation breaks down HA molecules into smaller, less effective, pieces. As our HA declines, and enzyme that breaks it down increases resulting in still less HA than when we were young. (My thoughts: I just read "inflammation". Have lots of info on that ... there are ways to reduce it - good fish oil, healthy diet, etc.) Preliminary research suggests that people using HA may experience a slow-down or even reversal of arthritis pain. When HA is present in a joint - even if that joint has very little cartilage - it cushions the joint, which, in turn, reduces pain. This makes sense, because HA is a very long molecule that rolls into a ball like yarn and has a natural electrical charge that causes it to resist compression. It actually suspends the body and allows the joint to glide. In addition to its unique cushioning ability, HA naturally breaks down into glucosamine. For that reason, if you're taking glucosamine sulfate for your arthritis pain, it should not be necessary to take it along with HA. You're already getting it. The theory behind using HA for joint pain makes a lot of sense to me. I've heard of a number of testimonials about it from reputable people and read quite a bit about it. But there aren't many studies on oral HA. HA injections, we know, do work. And they're not the same. There are a number of studies on HA injections for arthritis in the knee. All but two of them had positive results. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for oral HA. There are few studies on this form of HA. We can't assume that if one form works the other one will as well. HA breaks down when it's taken orally. If an HA product can be made that survives through the stomach, it may be an effective alternative to injections. So far, studies do not indicate that this has been accomplished. There are testimonials, but not research published in peer-reviewed journals. One doctor conducted a 2-month double-blind study at his own expense using 2 mg of oral HA a day with people who had arthritis in the knee. I spoke with him after the study was finished, and he wasn't satisfied with the results. He believes that the amount of HA he used wasn't sufficient. The participants who took higher doses of HA had a greater improvement than those on a smaller dose, but these improvements were not dramatic. This doctor believes that we don't have enough information to know the optimum dose for oral HA, and that the issue of purity has not yet been established. These are major concerns that I share. There's another problem - a discrepancy between various forms of HA. Some companies say their product has a high molecular weight, others say theirs has a low molecular weight. Some are powdered substances, containing collagen made from the sternums of young chickens, while others are a liquid made in labs from bacteria. Each claims to be superior to the other. The benefits of HA are not necessarily related to its molecular weight or viscosity. There may be something else in it - like co-factors - that are responsible for its efficacy. This assumes that HA does work. Rather than get into an argument over which product is better, I'm waiting for the researchers and the manufacturers to duke it out in scientific studies. Meanwhile, there's a simple and inexpensive oral therapy for arthritis pain. It's called magnesium. She then goes into a bit more detail about too much calcium contributing to arthritis, which I very strongly believe, and how most of us are deficient in magnesium. Most of us need more magnesium. HOW MUCH TO TAKE For most people on a healthy diet, 400 mg of Magnesium daily should be sufficient. But for those who have symptoms of deficiency (and most of us are deficient - achy joints are one of the many symptoms), I would recommend more, but probably no more than 1200 mg. Add in more magnesium gradually. Your body knows how much it can handle according to how much your bowels can tolerate. The stools should feel soft, but not excessively loose. Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night I have read that it’s preferable to not take magnesium at the same time as calcium. Others say that it’s fine. This is where I am confused. I think the former makes more sense. The most absorbable forms are: Magnesium Citrate Magnesium Glycinate Magnesium Taurate Magnesium Aspartate Magnesium Malate Magnesium Succinate Magnesium Fumirate Avoid: Magnesium Oxide Magnesium Carbonate Magnesium Gluconate Magnesium Sulfate These are not absorbed well and are the cheapest forms Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to Magnesium Glycinate. People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision. NATURAL SOURCES Almonds Avocado Barley Beans Brazil nuts Brown rice Buckwheat Dark Chocolate Dates Figs Garlic Greens (including Collard Greens and Dandelion Greens) Kelp Molasses Millet Parsley Pecans Rye Sea vegetables (seaweed and kelp – but make sure they come from non-polluted waters and are high-quality) Shrimp Walnuts Whole Grains Wheat bran Wheat germ EPSOM SALTS BATH Taking a bath or a foot soak with Epsom salts is one of the best ways to increase the body’s absorption of magnesium. Epsom Salts are Magnesium Sulfate and are easily absorbed by the body. Take a hot bath with up to 2 cups of Epsom salts and 1 cup baking soda (optional) to help draw toxins out of the body. Try to do this once a week, but for no more than 20 minutes. A foot soak can also be very beneficial. Epsom salts are so helpful in bringing relief to: • Arthritis pain, stiffness, soreness, and tightness of joints • Muscle aches, pains and tenderness • Painful bruises, sprains and strains • Pain from over exertion as a result of exercise • Insomnia and Sleep Problems • Stress • Insect Bites and Splinters

Here's some info I have: Vitamin C with bioflavonoids – 500-1000 mg daily If you’re prone to heartburn or acid reflux, avoid ascorbic acid – and opt for Ester-C. Ester-C is a patented form of bio-available vitamin C. Bio-available means best-absorbed. Vitamin E This vitamin does its best work when combined with other nutrients. Vitamins E, C, beta-carotene, and selenium appear to work as a team. Consumption of vitamin-E rich foods is associated with a lower risk for cancers of the colon, stomach, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and breast. Take 400 IU of vitamin E a day. Take d-alpha, NOT dl-alpha Vitamin E is most effective when taken with selenium. Vitamin E is usually deficient in even well-balanced diets. Some recommend up to 800 IUs daily – but most suggest 400 IU If you’re taking as much as 400 IU a day, you may want to stop taking it before surgery. If your multi contains 400 IU, ask the anesthetist or your doctor if this amount is safe for you to continue right up until surgery. The PDR for Nutritional Supplements suggests that people who are already on blood thinning medications should not take much more than 100 IU of vitamin E a day. Curcumin aka Turmeric - Personally, when I'm good and disciplined, I just take regular turmeric mixed with black pepper and olive oil. But if you need to take the supplement, here's some info. To be assimilated by the body, turmeric must be mixed with black pepper and dissolved in olive, canola, or linseed oil. All of us should regularly consume at least a teaspoon of turmeric every day, with a generous pinch of pepper and olive oil. You can use it in your salad dressings, cooking, vegetables, and soups In store-bought curry mixes, turmeric represents only 20% of the total, so it’s better to obtain turmeric directly. Because powdered turmeric is a powerful blood-cleansing herb, don’t overdo it. Research has shown that turmeric in capsules is poorly absorbed by the digestive system. When turmeric is not mixed with pepper or ginger, it does not pass the intestinal barrier. Pepper increases the body’s absorption of turmeric by 2000 percent CAUTION: Some brands of turmeric powder and supplements have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals themselves. Make sure to obtain a high quality brand.

Karen, actually, I'm a bit confused about that also. This is something I read either here or somewhere else. The following are what's really helped my dad with his joint pain/mild arthritis. He has noticed an amazing difference, particularly when cutting out the nightshades (see below). I think that avoiding the nightshades is more accurate and helpful than cruciferous veggies. Again, not knowing exactly what your dh has, it's hard for me to recommend stuff. I do know however, that improving one's diet, etc. certainly can't do any harm. Be patient, however. Dietary and supplement changes take at least 6 weeks to see benefits, sometimes longer. Season meals with ginger and turmeric as often as possible These spices have anti-inflammatory properties. You can add fresh ginger to soups, salads, veggies, entrees. Be careful if you’re taking blood thinning medications. Get more omega-3s from: wild Alaskan salmon and other cold-water fish; freshly ground flaxseed; omega-3-fortified eggs; and walnuts. 5-9 daily servings of fresh fruits and veggies from across the color spectrum Pineapple contains bromelain, an anti-inflammatory compound. Bromelain suppresses inflammation and pain and minimizes swelling. Selenium reduces swelling and helps keep delicate joint tissue healthy. More selenium-rich foods: Brazil Nuts Eggs Fish Lamb Oatmeal Pumpkinseeds Mushrooms Salmon Shrimp Snapper Sunflower Seeds Tuna Turkey Vitamin K found in lettuce, spinach, chard, cabbage, broccoli, collard greens, turnip greens, parsley, cauliflower, kidney beans Vitamin K helps build and repair joint tissue. People with K-rich diets are much less likely to develop arthritis in their knees and hands Because the body cannot store vitamin K for long periods of time or in large doses, benefits are best obtained through food Try to have 1 cup of spinach at least 3 times a week Vitamin K is fat-soluble, so eat your greens with a little olive oil to help absorb the nutrient Cloves help arthritis pain. Try to get ½ teaspoon a day. Saute 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil. After 3 minutes, add 4 cups shredded leafy greens (rhubarb chard), and fry until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with chicken or fish. Eat: Asparagus Brown rice Cauliflower Eggs Fish – particularly all oily fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines (canned sardines) and herring Fresh vegetables Garlic Green leafy vegetables Liver Lots of ginger and turmeric Non-acidic fresh fruits Oat Bran Oatmeal Onions Whole grains Olive Oil’s high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (particularly oleic acid) seem to protect against joint inflammation. In one study, participants who consumed about 3 tbsp of olive oil a day lessened their chance of developing RA by 61%. But be sure to use it as a replacement for less healthy saturated fats like butter, since 3 tbsp can add almost 400 calories to your daily diet. A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, fish, and olive oil has been found to give great relief to arthritis patients. It contains less red meat and dairy products than do Western diets. Bone broths are easy to make. Begin with bones from fish, poultry, beef, lamb, or pork. The bones can be raw or cooked, and they can be stripped of meat or still contain meat remnants and skin. You can also add leftover eggshells because the membrane that separates the white from the shell contains four joint-boosting nutrients—hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen. Place the bones and eggshells with water in a pot—and add a couple of tablespoons of one of the following per quart of water: apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Gently stir and then let it sit for about 30 minutes to let the acid go to work. After 30 minutes, bring the pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 4 to 6 hours for fish, 6 to 8 hours for poultry, and 12 to 18 hours for beef, lamb, or pork. Keep a lid on the pot, and add water when necessary. Once it’s done, you can strain it immediately and sip it as a soup (but don’t reheat the broth in a microwave—certain amino acids may become toxic if microwaved). Juicing “Live†juices help rebuild the body and the joints—and all you need is a juicer to make them. Alternate between these two combinations: carrot & celery juice one day (8 oz of each), followed the next day by 10 oz carrot and 6 oz spinach juice. Make them fresh every day and consume immediately. Carrot juice is loaded with zinc, vitamin E, copper, and beta carotene. Celery provides potassium and sodium, and it has an alkalinizing effect on the body. An alkaline diet supports joint healing. Eat cherries as often as possible. Consuming 20 a day (about 2000 mg of cherry fruit extract) has been proven to provide more pain relief than aspirin and other painkillers. Limit or avoid: Nightshade foods: Cayenne Pepper Eggplant Paprika Peppers – sweet and hot peppers Potatoes Tabasco Sauce Tomatoes 74-90% of people with ache from any cause have a nightshade sensitivity. Temporarily avoid all foods with any amount of nightshades. Read labels carefully. Spend a day or two getting ready for this experiment. Then eliminate all nightshades entirely – 100% - for 2 full weeks. Did your pain subside or disappear during this time? If so, nightshades are a problem for you. At the end of 2 weeks, eat one food from the nightshade family by itself – like a tomato or bell pepper, and watch for any reactions. You may feel tired, agitated, your heart may race, you could have more pain, or you could have other undesirable side effects. If you react, continue to avoid the entire nightshade family for 3 months or more. If not, bring them back into your diet. Some people with arthritis who have a nightshade sensitivity can eventually add small amounts of them back into their diet – like the amount found in salad dressing. Others can’t. But if they trigger your arthritis pain, you’ll need to avoid them completely for at least 2-3 months. Even tiny quantities of nightshades hidden in other foods can contribute to excruciating arthritis pain, and nightshades are everywhere. Potato starch is disguised in many frozen and processed foods in the form of modified food starch, modified vegetable protein, modified vegetable starch, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Look for it meatballs, mock crab, sausages, and deep-fried foods that have been cooked in the same vegetable oils as French fried potatoes. Some Rx and OTC medications use potato starch as their fillers. You need to find out. Tomatoes are an ingredient in brown meat sauces like Worcestershire sauce and steak sauce, as well as salad dressings, some luncheon meats, gravies, and baked beans, so read labels carefully. Green olives may be stuffed with pimentos, a sweet red pepper, and dried pepper flakes are often sprinkled over pasta dishes. Avoid sauces, especially Thai, barbecue, Cajun, Mexican, Southern, and Jamaican dishes, as well as Tabasco sauce, prepared mustards, and Cayenne pepper. Safe foods you might think are unsafe include sweet potatoes, yams, and black pepper. You may not react to vegetables in the nightshade family, but if you do, you need to stop eating them. You can test yourself at home. Corn Oil Soy Oil Sunflower oil Safflower oil Margarine Vegetable shortenings Processed foods that contain these fats Fewer animal products Inflammation and pain go hand-in-hand, and food sensitivities cause inflammation. Limit milk, red meat, sugar, citrus fruits, and salt for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. These foods all affect cartilage. HTH. Hope he finds relief very soon. :grouphug:

Gorgeous cover. :) Now both her books are on my wish list. :D

Some other suggestions I've read either here or elsewhere. Can't remember. The other major thing that makes a difference for most people is (refined) sugar intake. Any type of processed sugar (including maple syrup and other natural choices), white flour, etc, causes inflammation in the body. Some people respond similarly to gluten, so reducing or eliminating grain intake can really reduce inflammation effects. (Sugar substitutes are just as bad though -- it's really a matter of learning to get by with less sweetness than replacing sugar with alternative chemicals.) It may be worth trying an elimination diet and see if he's sensitive to anything. One thing is for sure, the less sugar, the less inflammation, and therefore the less overall pain. Pain is almost always about inflammation. You might also want to read about cutting cruciferous vegetables out of your diet. They're well known for aggravating and causing inflammation, especially affecting the joints. I think someone here wrote this. My parents have found relief with this also. Bone Soup/Broth. Once a week I cook a whole chicken. Debone it, save the skin and bones, drop it in a crock pot. Fill the crockpot with water and about 2 TBSP. of apple cider vinegar, and egg shells (as many as you have or what can fit). Cook on high for at least 24 hours. If the water level gets below the bone level add water to it. You can use beef, chicken, fish, whatever bones you have left over from the week's meals.