Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Leaky Gut and more.....

I found this video/article so informative that I felt I needed to share it.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/11/how-to-cure-irritable-bowel-syndrome-in-a-few-days/

Dear Gluten

Dear Gluten: How can I explain my love for you? You hide yourself in all my favorite foods and you make me read label after label and cross-reference words I cannot even fathom how to pronounce to make sure you are not hiding somewhere trying to get me. Gluten, you can be very tricky! I cannot believe you even hide yourself in makeup, shampoo, conditioner and soaps which makes me spend countless hours of research finding what products I can put on my skin and face without erupting into a red volcano rash and many times large painful zits. You have taken away one of my favorite things called bread. Oh bread, I miss you. I can only hope someday I will discover how to make a gluten-free Bánh Mì - Vietnamese baguette sandwich! and gluten free chocolate croissants. Gluten, you have caused my grocery budget to basically quadruple over the last year which really cuts into my FUN money! Let's not forget how you drive my friends and family nuts when trying to find a restaurant that has gluten free options. I could go on forever how much I love you but I will digress here.

Makeup, Sephora & Tarte = Heaven

This weekend I spent some time at Sephora.  The mall is really not my kind of favorite hangout but my friend had taken Friday off and we decided to make the road trip to shop for gluten free makeup at Sephora.  We had a wonderful sales associate, Ava, help us and she had many of the same issues I did which was a nice change. Ava really took the time to explain all the products we looked at to buy.  We went with the line Tarte.

Tarte's line is formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, synthetic fragrances and gluten.  They are passionate about pure cosmetics.  All those ingredients cause issues for me when it comes to cosmetics, soaps, toothpaste and you name it, I usually have an reaction.  So imagine how excited one can get when they see a cosmetic line dedicated to being pure and natural. I almost did a little happy dance in the store.

If you haven't checked out the cosmetic line Tarte, I strongly encourage you to do so if you are looking for natural and pure makeup that has strong recommendations.  Just a heads up that Sephora does give out free samples at the store if you ask for them.  That is always helpful when someone has picky skin!

Progesterone Deficiency - Progessence Plus Serum

In the past few months my healthcare professional and I have been researching progesterone since I have an estrogen dominance.  I did take progesterone pills which let's just say we believe I was exposed to gluten even after researching the medicine.  My local pharmacist called the manufacturer would not confirm or deny if there was gluten in it.  That tells me it is time to quit the supplement.

There are other ways to get progesterone.  My doctor and I could have it compounded but my insurance quit paying for compounded creams.  Also, you still run the risk of the side effects synthetic progesterone can cause. I have previously stated I tend to be the freak of nature when it comes to the side effects of medication and so I decided to keep looking for all natural solutions.  I have had done some research thanks to a co-worker doing aromatherapy and made a decision Young Living Essential Oil Progessence Plus Serum is an option.  

The catch with the Progessence Plus Serum is that it has tocopherol/Vitamin E that is derived from wheat (gluten issue).  I have been fortunate my co-worker was able to obtain a sample of this serum.  After a week and a half of trying the serum, knock on wood, I have shown no signs of reacting to the serum and I am feeling better at the moment.  We will see if there is a reaction in the future.

The other option I am still researching and will post about in the future is wild yam creams.  The one I found at the local Whole Food's Store was not guaranteed gluten free and with no sample I am not willing to take my chances trying it.  So, I am still researching.

Below is a picture of the YLEO's Progessence Plus Serum and a link to their webpage.

http://www.youngliving.com/anti-aging-creams/Progessence-Plus

Dial Soap and Acne. Who knew?

The other day an esthetician made the suggestion  to try using Dial soap to wash my face because of the antibacterial qualities that could help clear up my acne.  If you purchase the Dial Gold it does not appear to have parabens (possibly hidden in the fragrance), there is no Tocopherol/Vitamin E present (which can be derived from wheat) BUT it does have a sulfa component.  I am allergic to parabens, gluten and sulfa.  When it comes to sulfa the worst thing it could do is cause an allergic reaction which tends to happen on a regular basis from other things.  So, I figured I would try it.

I have been using the Dial Gold as a face wash for about a week.  The acne seems to be clearing up at this point in time with the exception of a few problem spots.  The Dial Gold is very drying and I am still searching for a good moisturizer I can use in the future.  I don't want to put too many new things into the mix at this point in time, but when I find a good moisturizer that doesn't aggravate my acne I will blog about what I have found.  I will keep everyone posted on the progress.

If anyone reads this and decides to try using Dial Gold as a face wash for their acne please let me know your results.  Remember your acne might get worse before it gets better and the esthetician had told me try it for at least a month before giving up on the regimen.

One major plus is Dial Gold is reasonably priced and you can find coupons for it online or in the Sunday paper. People who are gluten free, paraben free and sulfa free know how important it is to find good deals because it gets extremely expensive!

http://www.dialsoap.com/products/gold-with-moisturizer-antibacterial-liquid-hand-soap

Disclaimer-

The opinions expressed on my blog are based on my own thoughts, knowledge, and experiences. Please keep in mind that I am not a Doctor or other health professional so please consult the appropriate professional before making any changes to your diet, health, or other applicable areas. 

Any views or opinions represented in the blog comments are accredited to the respective commentor and do not necessarily reflect my own views or opinions. I reserve the right to moderate comment suitability in support of respecting racial, religious, personal, and political sensitivities.

Young Living Deep Relief Essential Oil Roll-on

Over the past few months I have been blessed with a co-worker that is doing a lot of magical things when it comes to aromatherapy.  She has introduced me to Young Living Deep Relief Essential Oil Roll-on.  This stuff is amazing and for anyone with chronic pain I suggest giving it a shot. In my case, it is worth every penny I spend on it.

http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/roll-ons/deep-relief-roll-on

Acne - Accutane

Acne, Acne, Acne - ARGH.

Acne has by far been one of my worst enemies over the years.  I have always suffered from cystic acne that would get so painful and utterly embarrassing I would want to craw under my bed and not come out until it was all gone. Real realistic when cystic acne can take weeks to go away.

So, my mother, bless her heart, a nurse that thought and still thinks everything little sniffle can be cured by pill popping started the journey dealing with my acne by means of pill popping.  We tried sulfa drugs, tetracycline, doxycycline, birth control, topical gels and let's just say if you name it I probably tried it.  After awhile nothing was working.  She finally took me to a real dermatologist.  The solution:  ACCUTANE!  If you know nothing about Accutane let's just say it is one of the worst drugs out there.  It is used in cancer treatments.  Not just once did I take Accutane but FOUR times.  You would think if you have acne come back over and over you are NOT part of that small percentage of people that will never have acne again. I would think a dermatologist would suggest other options rather than push more drugs at you.  That didn't happen and I went through several dermatologists that still claimed Accutane was the best solution.  Don't get me wrong, I had beautiful skin when I was on Accutane and for about six months after but the acne always returned.  Knowing what I know now I wish I would have gone to a nutritionist or naturalpathic doctor for help with my acne but at that time in my life nutritionist and naturalpathic doctors were not as prevalent as they are today.

 I still wonder to this day how much damage Accutane has caused my body and I don't think it ever will be "normal".  My healthcare professionals and I are still working on damage control. There is a lot of Standard Process Purification Programs in my future to keep candida manageable and keep my body cleansed of toxins to try and maintain a healthy body/immune system.

I will add more to this or do a follow-up blog to take the acne issue further.  There is a lot of things I have tried that I have not even touched upon yet.

It's a Start

Today I find myself sitting at the computer ready to work on my blog but have absolutely no idea where to start.  There are so many things I want to bring to this blog to share with people it is completely overwhelming.  So, I will start by saying I have had one heck of a journey with my health issues throughout my years.  A few of these issues are migraine headaches, acne, gluten sensitivities, muscle fatigue, hormone imbalances, allergies, behavior disorders, ADHD, melasma, adrenal fatigue, autoimmune disease and so many other issues that have made people think I was just a complete hypochondriac.  It turns out that all of these things were not just in my head. I decided to take my health upon myself and became my own best advocate.  Now through my own research and by surrounding myself with great friends and health care providers, together we have found more solidified but not perfect answers after about 20 plus years of what I laugh and say craziness.  We are still trying and testing different theories with a long road ahead of us.  I am just going to share my trials and tribulations in order to help others who might be searching for what I call the freak of nature answers.

Disclaimer-

The opinions expressed on my blog are based on my own thoughts, knowledge, and experiences. Please keep in mind that I am not a Doctor or other health professional so please consult the appropriate professional before making any changes to your diet, health, or other applicable areas. 

Any views or opinions represented in the blog comments are accredited to the respective commentor and do not necessarily reflect my own views or opinions. I reserve the right to moderate comment suitability in support of respecting racial, religious, personal, and political sensitivities.