I am so happy to hear this and so excited for you! I have thought of you and this class and wondered how it was going. My health has been kicking me in the butt the past few weeks, so I haven’t been able to read/keep up with this thread. My DH and I have been watching Dr Fuhrman’s DVDs together and really enjoying them. Some of the things he has said - like every Parkinson’s patient he has tested has had extremely low DHA levels - has really resonated with us. I agree that I wish the information regarding health and diet were accessible to everyone. I know someone who had a massive stroke in January and have have been floored by the comments of, “Wow, I didn’t know someone (obese, heavy drinker) so young (60) could have a stroke!” I am so sad for the family. Oh, I need that cookbook. I made a no knead bread, gluten free, vegan, at Christmas and it was so good! I have been wanting to explore this more. I make socca with chickpea flour. Equal parts flour and water. I do add some spices to it, generally turmeric, black pepper, garlic, then whatever flavor profile I am going with. We eat it with hummus, white bean dip or soup.

I am so sad. He is someone I had really always wanted to meet in real life. edited to add: Wishing him a peaceful time left on Earth.

And where do you find the quills? I live in large metro area and have never seen them. Logee’s has the plant, though I have also seen at a local nursery. https://www.logees.com/cinnamon-cinnamomum-zeylanicum.html

Oh my goodness. Where? In states or overseas? I have been eyeing buying the plant and growing it, just so I can have fresh.

I am not a pastry chef, but long time herbal enthusiast, blog about herbs, etc. That has always been the standard recommendation. I will say it depends on the herb/spice and the taste preferences. Also, fresh herbs are added near the very end of cooking, if possible. (Like a pasta sauce or soup. This obviously doesn’t work in a casserole like lasagne or in a baked pastry.)

My DH and I have been married 35+ years. We were of vastly different religious preferences until just the past few years. We were also vastly different in our support of political parties and always joked about canceling out each other’s vote. That said, we did agree on the big political issues, just that we saw solutions differently. The last few elections have swayed one of us from one side to the other. I do realize that may not work for all marriages, but I do think opposites attract. That is certainly the case for us.

I am so sorry. I understand and feel your pain. Different diagnosis, but losing one’s voice is such a key part of our identity, esp as mothers. Hugs. Please always feel you have a very important voice, here and in your family. I do think it is important to point out things like this, as many people truly don’t realize what they are doing unless we do point it out.

That is my son’s birthday. He has always enjoyed it because he gets two days in a row of celebrating and cake. DH has always had that day off work so we could go and do something special. DS was premature and almost was born on the 24th. If I had gone back to the hospital even a bit earlier, he would have been born on the 25th. For years, I played, Which would have been worse? But he is a young adult now and still likes his birthday. For me, it is exhausting, but I also always went out of my way to make sure that his birthday was totally separate from Christmas. My sister and I have birthdays right at the holidays and our mother always lumped all three together. My sister and I grew up hating that, which is why I always made sure DS has his own day, with birthday plates and birthday wrapping paper, etc. When DS was younger, I had his birthday parties a week before his birthday and the other parents loved it because I offered drop off babysitting so they could do last minute errands or wrap presents without their kids around. When he was older, we would do a party on his birthday, but at a bowling alley or laser tag place and the parents would say they looked forward to their kids having someplace to go and burn off the Christmas energy.

I am sorry about his TIA. My DH and I are watching Dr Fuhrman’s DVDs nutrition program right now and the last episode we watched was on this topic. I don’t know if it might be available online, but his books are widely available, new, used or at libraries.

I recently started using Bare Minerals and love it. I used redkin hair products for 20 years but now want to go to more natural. I am still struggling to find anything I really like. I have super thick hair that knots easily.

One green world, Washington or Oregon almost Eden nursery, Louisiana logee’s those three are my fav mail order places

It’s a long time addiction of mine. I am an antique dealer so it’s always a struggle: keep or sell?! LOL But I am pretty selection of what I do keep. I am drawn to 1970’s green. And certain shapes, gnomes, elves, mushrooms, etc.

I have way too many houseplants. I don’t have any of them in terra cotta pots. I love vintage pottery, so the majority of them are in those. No drainage, I am just super careful with watering. I do love the look of terra cotta, but not as much as I love vintage pottery. LOL edited to add: I do agree that plants in terra cotta need more watering as the clay pulls out the moisture.

I love White House/Black Market and Chico’s. I buy clothes from both places as they have good sales and the quality is always good. The staff at both places have always been very helpful. Sometimes I just look at their website, buy a few nicer items from them, then get the basics at Kohl’s. Chico’s, in particular, does a great job with jackets. I have some that I have worn for a long time, Excluding time when I was heavier. Sigh. But glad I kept them as they fit again. I try to buy classic pieces, nothing flashy. I also love the nicer tank tops (shells?) from Chico’s.

Oh hell no. I am not sure the backstory of why you got this diet plan, but I would not and could not follow it. I have numerous chronic health conditions and went almost totally Whole Foods plant based two years ago and I have had amazing changes in my chronic inflammation and pain levels. I know every body has different needs, but I don’t think liver pills and such are the answer to anything. LOL I am also familiar with the Whal’s protocol for MS and know that she thinks we need to eat meat, but I still am not convinced that is the answer.

I have the double pain diagnosis - young onset Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia. I am certified as a yoga instructor, though I do not teach. I would say listen to your body, but also that yoga *should* be beneficial to all body types. I am not a fan of online yoga or dvd programs, as I think one should learn from an awesome yogi in person, where they can ensure you are practicing the poses properly. What makes one awesome? They acknowledge that every body is different and they don’t push yogis into poses that may not be accessible to their body. They would look at things like hip alignment in warrior one, foot placement in crescent vs warrior one, etc. Poses should never be forced. Slight adjustments - gaze point, foot flexed vs pointed - can totally change how you feel a pose. For myself, hot yoga (in infrared heated studio) has been a game changer. It is the only time that I can move and not be in some level of pain. I joke all the time that I would live in the studio if I could. But even as a certified instructor, there are some instructors that I will not go to, as they teach from a perspective of “Do this!” instead of “Honor your body.” There are checklists around, “People who should not do hot yoga.” I could check every box. On paper, I should not be doing hot yoga. (I do have my doctors approval.) But I love hot yoga and my body loves it. (I didn’t do hot yoga until after my diagnosis.) I cannot do yoga at home because I cannot get our house warm enough to ease my joints. I need to be really warm before I can move without pain and stiffness. I’m not saying that you are inexperienced, as I don’t know your level of practice. But I do hear from people that were injured by doing poses incorrectly or by forcing their body into poses that were not accessible to them. I am also going to be a bit hypocritical here after saying “Honor your body.” But I realized last year that I could be in pain and work out or be in pain and not work out. Either way, there would be some level of pain. I don’t push past the pain. I do honor it. But I have also realized that the more I move, the easier I can move, if that makes sense. I am also on an anti inflammatory Whole Foods, plant based diet. I think it is a huge trial and error to find what works for your body. But for me, I was so tired of being in pain and everyone telling me to just take it easy and not push my body. Thankfully, my doctors were on board with me working out hard. (It is now recommended for Parkinson’s patients, as that helps dopamine levels.)

I look at it from a different perspective. We set healthy goals and eat healthy 95% of the time so that we can enjoy those 5% times when we over indulge or eat foods we really now we shouldn’t eat. We really need to stop thinking of foods as “bad” or “good,” but building a healthy lifestyle where our body naturally wants healthier options. But at the same time know that it is okay to have a meal or two or a weekend of not ideal food choices. It isn’t failure to enjoy pizza here and there or eat some cookies. Are you familiar with John Robbins, of Baskin-Robbins? He walked away from inheriting the ice cream chain because he didn’t like the health issues his dad and uncle were having. He says, Ice cream is good as a treat, just not every day. Make things a treat. Where you really enjoy them. Like eating ice cream, seated, with family or friends. Not eaten in the car, from a drive through window, as you go from place to place. Enjoy the foods that are less than ideal. Just not every day or even every month.

Oh, I love spin class at a chain spin place. I did stop going last year because of the cost. My gym offers spin classes but they use flashing lights, which I cannot tolerate. Pace yourself and listen to your body. Drink plenty of water before and after, during as needed. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is awesome. Arrive early so the instructor can help you set up your bike. I always set my bike lower, as that is where I felt best, but after I let an instructor raise the seat way above my comfort, I realized I was a stronger cyclist. I am so not competitive, but loved to see my class ranking.

I use Origin brand. I rotate which face wash and moisturizers I use. I only wash my face in the evening, just rinse my face with cold water in the morning. I would like to be better about applying moisturizer but it only happens once or twice a week. I have been blessed with great skin, even during the teenage years. I seldom wear sunscreen. I know I should, but I detest it and I struggle with low vitamin d. I do get skin cancer checkups. Several years ago, a friend of mine started a soap and lotion business. She isn’t selling online anymore, as she has had some life changes, but she still makes bath items as a hobby. I absolutely love her products. It is such a fun treat to decide which bar to use next.

I am the same. I am opposed to the death penalty, but this case is so horrible.

I have Parkinson’s and did similar. I have not yet read the book, but Being Mortal by Atul Gawande was recommended to me. As far as who to ask to be the decision maker, know that it can change. My cousin had been on my DH and mine, but we changed it after my aunt passed away. My cousin was struggling with decisions she had to make regarding her mom and we didn’t feel she could handle going through that again. In the meantime, my SIL matured well and settled down and moved near us, so we talked with her about being on our legal documents.

I think SWB says in one of her books or lectures to start them early, whenever you are traveling and by any potential schools. We started late middle school, though DS was always insistent he knew where he wanted to go. We wanted him to see other schools so he would have a wider view. He did end up going to the school he wanted to and he loves it there. It is a great fit for him. But we all did enjoy touring other schools. edited to add: I don’t think 9th grade is any too early.

I have been on Armour thyroid for 12 years. I do have anxiety and am on medication for that, but my anxiety most likely stems from family dysfunction.

We have just started watching Dr Fuhrman’s dvd program a few nights ago. The episode last night said *some* people lose 20-30 pounds/month at his retreat. Women - 20 pounds. Men - 30 pounds. I understood that those numbers are from people that had really bad eating habits going in and those that had significant amounts to lose. I went mostly wfpb two years ago this March, but I started recording my weight / percentage body fat two years ago this past November. Since I started logging my numbers, I have lost around 55 pounds and lost 11% points in body fat. It has been painfully slow, but steady. I am very motivated right now to dial in my nutrition even more.

I have a love/hate thing with Buc-ees, but no road trip is without a stop. love: great unsweetened ice tea, gluten free no bake oatmeal cookies (!!!), clean bathrooms, great customer service, you can find healthy food/drink options, the place is extremely well lit if you are a female traveling alone or with young kids, they pay good wages. (We made a lot of trips to Houston when my FIL was in hospice and we ate many meals from Buc-ees. I loved that all of us could get something to eat that each person liked, so we could eat on the road.) hate: that would probably weave into politics, so I will leave it at I don’t care for their support of some politicians.