When I was four years old I was under a very old fig tree with my older brother, Richard and one or two of his friends... I know it was an old fig tree because it towered over us.  We squatted under its boughs with the early morning sunlight filtering down upon us.  My brother had brought matches and a toy plastic gun. 

In my memory I see it as the type of gun that might possibly shoot ping pong balls.  My brother, with the encouragement of his friends and the help of the matches set it ablaze! 

I will be 60 years old this October and can still vividly remember the intense greens, the earthy browns and dappled sunlight filtering through the large leaves of that old fig tree as the blazing fire melted the plastic.  The smell of burning plastic is forever etched in my mind.  I remember Richard made little explosion sounds as the melted plastic dropped like bombs onto the ground, each one burned for a few moments then winked out.  My brother moved the gun around letting the drips of hot, molten plastic drip onto the earth. 

As I squatted there enraptured by the sensations of sights and sounds and smell of that burning plastic gun and the effects of its burning I remember that I was squatting like a little frog, leaning over for a closer look which required me to place my hands on the ground to prop up my position.  Richard held the gun over my left hand and let one of those fire balls drop onto my hand. It landed near the base of my thumb.  The plastic did the same thing on my skin as it did in the dirt…blazed for a few moments then winked out. 

It may have been my first experience of being burned and it was horrific!  The funny thing about that day is that I don’t remember the pain at all.  I’m sure it was extremely painful but any memory of it is so vague as to seem totally forgotten.  It was a 3rd degree burn.  What I remember though was as my brother walked me back to the house I thought that the black area on my hand was now a permanent part of my hand!  I distinctly remember thinking that I didn’t like the way it looked.  In actuality the plastic was just still there… I was greatly relieved when it was removed by my mother as she examined the injury.  I never really minded having the scar that was left behind.  I used it sometimes to try and garner sympathy in the way that small children will sometimes to with a “boo-boo”.  I wonder now what my brother's memories of that event may be...for all I know he has dismissed it from his mind...it was after all my trama rather than his. 

I was looking at the scar a few days ago and realized that it has gradually, over these past 55 or so years, faded from its former “glory”… and is a mere shadow of itself, hardly noticable.  That is very curious to me, it has always been very obvious.   

This recent observation made me think of the effects of aging and how that process affects each of us as we become mere shadows of our former selves.

As common as aging is, it is a very UN-NATURAL thing and very unfair. 

Take care of yourselves… we live in an age when life expectancies will double or even triple in the very near future… within my children’s lifetimes and perhaps even my own we will see this advancement. 

There is a wonderful website called The Methuselah Foundation http://www.mfoundation.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to extending healthy human life.  Its founder,  Aubrey de Grey, PhD, is the world’s leading authority on human aging.  It is a fascinating website full of information on cutting edge advancements in the field of human aging. 

Lydia

I know that this may sound crazy to some but I swear it's true...I've had green eyes most of my life but over the course of the past several months my eyes are slowly turning blue!  There is only a patch of really green area in the upper portion of my eyes from about the 11 o'clock to the 1 o'clock position in each eye... well, that is the way it looks to me in the mirror so it probably is 1 o'clock to 11 o'clock.  I have really got to try and figure out a way to photograph this development. 

I have a photo of me as a small child of about 5 or 6 years old.  I have always been struck by how blue my eyes are in that particular picture.  I've always considered myself to have green eyes; that is what my driver's license says about my eye color... so this is pretty cool...not that I have ever minded having green eyes, in fact I have always enjoyed having green eyes but I think this is a truly awesome development because of what it portends. 

If one were to ask a geneticist he or she would most likely say eye color can naturally change over time or from an assortment of factors that affect the way proteins are manufactured in the eyes that product the eye color pigments. Yawn….

An Iridologists would have a completely difference view which is more in line with what I believe is the cause... if one mixes yellow and blue one gets green.  That is basic color wheel stuff.  I believe that the green eye color I had for most of my adult life was due to having a toxic system due to medications, lifestyle etc.  Now that I have changed all of that I feel convinced that my body is gradually detoxifying and that the green color of my eyes was the effect of mixing "yellow" toxins with natural blue eyes producing green.  

As my health has improved and as my body is cleansing itself with the tools I am providing for it to use, like the Chlorella (Chlorella is a GREAT liver detoxifier), the yellow toxins are gradually diminishing and being flushed out and otherwise removed from my body which is allowing my true eye color to come through.

 

To me this is the only explanation that makes sense. 

 

Now if I can just figure out how what tools my body needs to cure itself of tinnitus!  I can not even say how long I have had tinnitus… I cannot even say if it has been a long time or a short time… I just know that few months ago I realized that I have it fairly badly… what is weird, no matter how loud it is it really has not affected my hearing.  It’s as if it is in my head rather than something I hear through the ear canals…. Strange stuff I’m telling you!

 

Lydia

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is a chemical substance that is used in permanent hair dye; in fact, ALL permanent hair dye contains PPD.  The PPD is what makes it "permanent".  It can also be found in textiles and dark colored cosmetics, some temporary tattoos and an assortment of other products like inks, etc.  Without PPD in hair dye the color would not be a natural looking and also would easily wash right out.  Why am I writing about this topic? 

I have an extreme allergy to PPD.  The effects of coloring my hair with any permanent or even semi-permanent hair color is a violent, allergic contact dermatitis reaction that develops over hours and days and last for weeks.  Severe allergy to PPD (which I have) can result in contact urticaria (which I also have) and rarely, anaphylaxis.

Reactions to sensitive individuals vary from mild to severe.  Mild cases usually only involve dermatitis to the upper eyelids or the rims of the ears.  More severe cases involve marked reddening and swelling of the scalp, neck, and/or face and often will progress to include blisters that burst and ooze clear fluid.  Yep, I develop those symptoms as well.  The worst symptom of all though is probably the intense and unstoppable ITCHING!!

I don't use permanent hair dye anymore.  Self-preservation finally won out over vanity for me as each time I did use permanent hair color my symptoms became worse and lasted longer and longer. 

Also, there are actually some very compelling case studies out there that link various cancers in men & women that color their hair and also to hairdressers that come in frequent contact with hair coloring products.

Many of the scientific studies that have been done over the past 20 years have indicated that hair dyes may be carcinogenic.  Why?  Hair dyes are applied directly to the scalp, nearest the root where it is easily absorbed into the body. 

Bottom line on hair dye…it’s a chemical.  A very strong chemical.

Did you know that the hair root is where the blood supply is the richest in the entire human body?  It is also where the blood supply may carry any carcinogenic components right into the blood stream.

Ok, off the soap box and back on topic.

For those of you that do develop an allergy to PPD here are some tips that will help.

1.   Wash your hair and scalp thoroughly with a mild shampoo to remove some of the excess dye.  Rinsing the scalp with a solution of    oatmeal paste water helps relieve the intense itching (this works for poison ivy rash too).

2.  Apply a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution or potassium permanganate in a 1:5000 dilution to completely oxidize the PPD. 

3.  To sooth, and soften the crusts and to alleviate the tight feeling of the scalp try using a wet dressing of cold olive oil to which some fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice has been added.

Good luck and please accept my heartfelt sympathies if you suffer from this affliction...

Lydia Brandy

 

I had to share this information with all of you! 

Yesterday my husband received an email from his brother in France.  That in itself is not unusual...the fact is my husband, who came to America in 1965 at the age of 16 has not had any contact with his brother in 43 years!!! 

John had registered on a French that is similar to some of America's "find a classmate" sites.  The one he registered on allows people to lists all the various sports clubs and other assorted clubs and schools and locations. 

Yesterday evening John received an email with the subject line:  Are you my brother?

It turns out that his brother, Michel had also joined this same site.  He noticed my husband's name and clicked on it.  My husband had uploaded a photo of himself (a couple photo of the two of us).  His brother immediately saw the family resemblence and promptly wrote the AMAZING EMAIL!  They have already exchanged several emails with each other and photos....

I'll keep you informed as to the progress.

My husband is very emotional about all of this...as I'm sure you can imagine!  He never believed he would ever have contact again with his only surviving brother... and had resigned himself to that. 

Lydia Brandy

Today is my daughter, Deanna's 39th. Birthday!  I am sooooo proud of her.  She is such a unique and beautiful person!  It is an honor and a JOY to be your mom.... I hope your day is as lovely and beautiful as you!  I love you, Deanna... you help make my life worth living.

Mom

This is one area that science just doesn't have an answer for yet though not for lack of trying!  The drug companies would LOVE to find something that can be synthetically created that will raise a person's HDL.  So far, with no success. 

Everything that does seem to help with this problem is NATURAL and cannot be patented.

One of the effects of the hyperlipidemia that I have is that I consistently have very low HDL (one test my HDL registered a measly 1! I'm not kidding...it was ONE)...this is not a good thing!  Unfortunately, this will always be an uphill battle for me as this issue has genetic roots in my case. 
I have found a number of things that do help and which can make a HUGE difference! 

Everyone knows that exercise helps with this problem.  Even a brisk 15 minute walk, at least 4 or 5 times a week will make a difference.  More is better but set your goals for something you can live with and will stick to!


Believe it or not eating raw onions, about 1/2 cup per day, can boost your HDL by as much as a whopping 25 to 30%!  Good thing that I LOVE onions!   Please note that cooked onions may be delicious but unfortuantely they don't have the effect of raising HDL...

Again, another GREAT things about fish oil...it too will raise your HDL.  You will need to take a supplement that contains 2 to 3 grams of DHA and EPA everyday to see benefit from this approach. Be patient....it can take up to a year or longer!  Well worth the wait!

I'll be adding more tips on this topic later!

My hubby is begging me to cook breakfast so I've gotta run for now... He is such an angel and very patient with me when I am working on my website...I guess I can feed him as a reward!

Someone recently wrote and asked if it matters what time of day they take their multi...in a word...YES! 

 

Taking your multivitamin and mineral supplement in the A.M. ensures that your body has the "tools" it needs to function at its best throughout the day! 

 

A word of caution though...don't take it on any empty stomach...doing so can cause nausea and/or heartburn.  Also certain vitamins need fat or other nutrients in order to be broken down and fully absorbed.  Vitamins A, D and E are among some in the group that requires fat to be broken down and absorbed. 

Speaking of fat...it is extremely unhealthy to eliminate fat from your diet!!!  Even a little saturated fat is not bad... fat is an essential element for good liver function!  Of course the kind of fat you eat is important....try to get most of your fat from great things to eat like ¼ of a fresh avocados, ¼ cup of your favorite nuts including walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc. ¼ cup of olives, and 1 ounce of dark chocolate!   You can and SHOULD have these and more each and every day!

 

More tips tomorrow!

In honor of my own Mother I would like to say how blessed I am that my mom is still living.  Many of my friend's have lost their mom's and my heart goes out to them!  I know I am so lucky!  

My mom is quite a gal too!  She will be 80 years young in August and despite some serious health problems she is doing pretty good.  She even still drives!  She faithfully goes to the beauty shop once a week to have her hair washed and styled and gets a professional manicure every 2 or 3 weeks.  She won't even think about leaving the house without being completely color co-ordinated, including her fashion jewelry, every hair in place, and make-up on. 

She gently scolds me if I don't put on some lipstick whenever I take her shopping or to the doctor and such.  I try and do the driving for her as much as possible.  She and my dad (he's actually a step dad, but come on, they have been married nearly 40 years) live on a small portion of our 10 acre track of land. 

She was diagnosed 8 years ago with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  She is receiving no medical treatment as her Oncologist told us that chemo does not work for the type of NHL that she has which is slow growing and chemo only works for rapidly dividing cells.  We had heard of an hebal cancer treatment.  My siblings and I chip in each month to buy this treatment for her, their are five of us and we each contribute $50 per month. To our great relief it seems to work very well for her.  At the beginning of her treatment she had several very large tumors, some as large as my fist, in and around her neck area.  The cat scan also showed numerous large internal tumors as well.  I am happy to say that almost all of her tumors have disappeared.  A recent cat scan showed only some very small internal tumors are still present.  Her Oncologist says he is a "man of science" he will hear nothing about this herbal cancer treatment.  sigh... It works for us. 

I love you, MOM!  Thanks for hanging in there for all of us!  Happy Mother's Day!

Well, its been four days since I've managed to post something on my blog.  I feel confident that as soon as I get all of my links added and working on my site I'll have more time for the blog.  Right now between working my "paid to click" programs, editing and tweeking my web site answering emails and the other various things I do each day my time is well covered. 

For those of you that have asked, yes, I am working on a heart friendly cook book and will let everyone know when it is ready to publish.

On that note I will write about what I came here today to write about.  I need to lay some background first.
This past saturday there was a family gathering at a relative's.  They live in a marvelous log home (so do I) but their's is on about 50 acres and is actually a ranch.  Anyway, there was this gathering....

It was an all day, come and go as you please event with lots laughter, good food, children playing, relatives catching up...you know...a family gathering...

I should have come more prepared...the food was all wonderful: Brisket, baked beans, queso dip, salsa and chips, sausages, bar-b-que sauce, deviled eggs, taco salad, and all sorts of desserts!

As I said, all wonderful, but not really a single thing there that I should actually be eating.  Did I eat?  Of COURSE!  Brisket, baked beans, queso dip, salsa and chips, sausages, bar-b-que sauce, deviled eggs, taco salad, and all sorts of desserts! Who could resist?  I should have anticipated this and brought some of my own food with me.  I did expect that there would be a fruit/veggie tray, there wasn't... I should have brought one...I probably would have if I had given it more thought.

The consequences is that yesterday I finally got up enough nerve to check my triglycerides and they were 345; my cholesterol was 195.  I admit, it could have been worse but still was it worth the price for me to misbehave and eat so poorly?  NO!  Will I ever do it again....probably but I will try and be smarter about it next time. 

I have made a promise to myself that I will ALWAYS carry something with me to gatherings that I can actally eat so that I will not be as tempted by the other foods that are always at these events. 

I think it would be fine to have some of those yummy foods...just not fill up on them.  Bringing some my own food will be best for me...THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH for me...I owe it to myself and those that LOVE me to behave.  

I have never really participated in a blog before so please bear with me as I learn how to build my website and post anything relevent to this blog on a regular basis. 
I've added a few new pages to my site...

One is about showing you a few ways to earn some "mad money", without investing any of your own money whatsoever.  I belong to the programs listed (and a whole bunch more) and I actually do make money from them.  I will only EVER list programs that I personally use and make any money from.  Mind you, none of them individually will earn you very much income but each of them easily will pay you $30 to $50 per month (or more) if you work them.  If you were to sign up for at least 10 that is an extra $300 to $500 per month and most of them offer additional income opportunites by referring family and friends who join.  They are a win/win/win for everybody. 

I have only just begun adding these programs to my site so please just keep checking back.  It takes time to add all the links with text etc. to the pages but I promise to add at least one progam a day for the next several days.

The next page I added is a helping hand page which I will use to list some of the wonderful places on the internet where I love to help out and though you might like to know about them to.  There are wonderful programs out there that help people help themselves....I really like the idea of helping others help themselves.

The third page I added is a testimony page that will only have infomation added if somehow I have touched you or taught you or someone you love anything about taking charge of your own health.  Or if I have moved you in any way to learn more about the things that you can do to facilitate your own health and well being.  I will be happy to add your photo and testimony to this page.  Just drop me a line via the contact me page.  Put the word "Testimony" in the subject line.  Include with your testimony a photo if you would like to add one.  Be sure and state in your email that I have permission to publish your testimony and photo.  I will publish it within a day or two of receipt.

I have also added a "shopping page".  This page will receive constant updates as I add shopping sites that I use and would like to recommend to others.  If you use any of the link from my shopping page to do any shopping on some of them I will earn a small referral fee or commission.  Not all but some.  I thank you all DEEPLY in advance. 

Please know that if you do shop from any of these links your shopping experience is totally between you and the vendor.  I have no way of knowing any of the details of your shopping experiences.  Your privacy is totally protected by each and every vendor.

Each link will take you directly to the vedors website.  

 

I've had my 6 month follow-up with my cardiologist.  I debated with myself to cancel this appointment as I am doing so well.  But then it occurred to me that I would LOVE to see his face when I told him I had found a way to manage my lipids WITHOUT his prescription drugs! :)

I'm actually really pleased that I did keep this appointment.  For one thing, some of the tests that his lab does I am not able to do at home.  The CardioChek that I use at home only tests for total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides. (I am so happy to have this device) anyway, I was curious about some of the other things for example, what my thyroid levels are, etc.  all good, by the way.  I was a bit annoyed that he had not ordered HsCrp test (highly sensitive C-reactive protein test) which is an inflammation marker within the arteries, nor did he order the test which is a scale of "at risk" for heart disease test. 

He was rather amazed at my success! (inside I was saying....YES!!!!!)  He was not very happy that I had stopped taking the plavix.  He said that there is a lot of evidence that people that have a medicated stent (which I do) are now being advised to take Plavix for the rest of their lives.  It seems that this medicated stent which was invented to avoid deposit build up at the stent location has actually increased the incident and it is believed that Plavix will help avoid this threat by keeping the platelets from being as sticky as they otherwise might be.  That is how Plavix works, it makes the blood platelets less sticky. 

I told him that I feel that the fish oil will work the same way and I felt that the fish oil was a better choice for me than the Plavix. 

He also was not happy I had stopped taking the Crestor...but then he turned around and admitted that the Red Yeast Rice works the same way the Crestor does.  (YES, Again!!!!!!!  hehehe... I'm LOVING this!)

The bottom line though he could not deny his own labs results... he had to admit that I am doing fantastic...and also admitted to me that some of my previous symptoms, like the tiredness and headache and the abdominal discomfort were possible side effects of some of the meds I had been taking.

He and I then made a deal...he would go along with my plan and would be supportive if I would agree to do two things...take aspirin everyday and for me to come back in 6 months again and do some more extensive tests such as a sonogram of my cartoid arteries. 

I readily agreed.  I want to be smart about this plan... 

I've recently been reminded that our angels are with us constantly and they will never STEER us wrong!  
Today I want to thank one of my personal Angels, Patty, for preventing me from slamming into another car a few days ago.  Patty, without your intervention and help I would not have been able to avoid a terrible accident.  Your guidance has helped me many times through the years and I am deeply grateful! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!