A Story
I was just starting college and I didn’t cook anything but white rice with salsa and cheese on top and meal option #2 was chunky soup with more white rice. I ate several different sugary cereals + milk for breakfast options and whatever was left over for snacks.
Sugar was a staple throughout the day and I prided myself on not being able to cook.
I lived on allergy meds and took them twice a day so I could handle the cat that I had, Tiger. I really loved Tiger but it was a very unhealthy relationship that we had…
He peed on my laundry when he was mad and made me sneeze a dozen times a day but he made me feel love at a time I didn’t…. Likely the reason I kept a cat I was allergic too…
I smoked Marlboro Light cigarettes at the time, and when I wasn’t smoking, I was chewing watermellon or Big Red gum.
I ate BBQ, salt & vinegar or Hot chips often and my favorite beverage… none other than Coca Cola and a little Dr. Pepper on occasion. I also drank milk sometimes with that Hershey’s chocolate syrup.
At the time, my job was managing a local ice cream parlor so I had access to all the treats and hot dogs you can imagine.
You get the picture.
Obviously not a vision of health both emotionally and physically.
It was around this time that I began realizing that I was always sick. I started off blaming the cat allergy, but when my nose was so plugged I couldn’t breathe; I had to admit it was a cold.
I’d pick up the cold and sinus drug from the pharmacy and take them around the clock. Nothing worked for me. The allergy meds didn’t work anymore either.
I paid a visit to my doc and she did some routine blood tests. She came back and asked me to have more blood tests; I was concerned for days waiting…
Long story short, my white blood cell count was so low, they thought I had leukemia… (I did not have leukemia) But, I was told that since I was constantly exposed to an allergen (the cat primarily) my immune system was severely compromised.
About 6 months after this experience, I began noticing an area on the side of my body (below my armpit) that looked like a spider bite. I stripped the bed. I vacuumed like crazy. This “bite” hurt badly and I wanted that spider dead.
The next day, there was another bite and then another and another… Now I’m going to visit the doctor again, concerned.
It turns out that I had Shingles (a virus like rash that is kind of like chicken pox…).
Now Shingles is common in leukemia patients so then I’m sent back for more testing again for that. Negative results again, thankfully. I became so sick I missed a month of school and ended up failing a class.
I’m 18 years old and I’m told that my body is acting like an “old person”.
Two years prior to this, at age 16, I was told I had high cholesterol and I didn’t really think anything of it. I ignored it actually. Now at 18 this is my news and my response:
“There is no way I’m getting rid of my cat and I’m not stopping smoking!”
Insanity at it’s finest.
Denial.
I had doctors and meds treating me for everything you could imagine at that time and I can honestly say it never once dawned on me to look at my diet or lifestyle…
I wish I could say I had a memory of thinking about the health food thing, but I can’t recall anything. I literally just felt stuck with the hand I was dealt and figured it was what I needed to live with.
If you don’t listen to your body, you will keep getting wake up calls that get bigger and bigger until you finally wake the hell up! Obviously, I had some more afterward since these didn’t do the trick.
My emotions.
At the time, I had just started college, I had recently broken up with a boyfriend after 3 years together and I was living in a house with a parent who was going though a divorce.
I was just trying to hold myself together emotionally and I didn’t have too many people I was talking to about was going on with me. I didn’t want to be that complainer, debbie downer.
Now
{Please knock on wood for me}
I very rarely get sick and if I do, it is always emotionally connected. For example, if i’m not in my truth or I am having a hard time making a decision, etc then my body will react by getting sick.
I know this because I have the health stuff figured out now.
When I heal the emotions, nurture myself with love and the right foods/herbs, I believe I can now knock out most of what is ailing me in a day or two because I focus on the root cause.
BUT…
Healing the emotional stuff is the hardest one to focus on and many of us never even realize that it is one of the biggest contributing factors to our suffering immune system.
Immunity
“Your relationship is either growing or dying”
“How you love one person is how you love everyone”
I’m going to speak to one relationship today: the one you have with YOU.
Is yours growing or dying?
How to do you love you?
No really, how do you treat and respect yourself? How do you speak to you? How’s your intimacy doing or your quality time? Do you have a date night with you?
Reality check.
The clients and patients I see these days are complaining of depression, lack of energy, dry skin, colds, flu’s, allergies and feeling like they can’t lose the pounds…
It’s this time of year that we can be in a semi-state of fear with the holiday’s coming and how we will manage the stress, the foods, the family, the shopping and the parties without packing on more weight or getting sick.
{Lymph}
I love talking about our lymphatic system and I won’t bore you with all of the geek knowledge I have on it right now.
Know this: the lymph system is your drainage system. They are the pipes within your naked body that keep it flowing easily and effortlessly.
It is when these pipes get clogged up and blocked that we experience immunity problems and we get sick, fatter and unhealthier.
Your immune system will not work well for you if your lymphatic system is sluggish and you will have issues fighting infections.
Your skin is a mirror of how things are going on inside your body so listen to it.
Get sick often?
It isn’t normal by the way… getting sick isn’t a seasonal thing that is supposed to happen every year. By the way, I get it. I used to think that too when I got sick all the time.
The pharm companies want you to believe it’s “that thing that happens” every year so you need their drugs. We’ve been telling stories of “it’s cold season” for years.
Yes, it’s easier to get sick when the season changes but it only happens if your lymphatic system and immune system are not working right.
I’m living proof that it doesn’t have to be that way.
I have not taking cold meds, antibiotics or allergy meds (very thankful) since 2004. My allergies are completely gone and I don’t get colds.
Exceptions
I got a cold in March 2011 last and it was definitely emotionally related.
I still have a small allergy to cats, and I’m working on healing it. The 70+ other back-prick allergens don’t seem to bother me anymore.
I took antibiotics in 2009 because I was bit by a brown recluse spider… yes, another insane story!
How do you know if you have clogs in your pipes?
{Commonalities}
*You lived a lifestyle similar to mine above and you haven’t cleansed
*Lots of dairy in your diet
*You get viruses easily
*Pesticides/chemicals in your body
*Smoking
*A lowered immune system (you get sick regularly)
*You take regular medications
*You are dehydrated (Not drinking half your body weight in water each day)
*You are often tired and low in energy
*You have poor circulation
*You have regular allergies and sinus stuff
*You sweat excessively
*You may have high blood pressure
*Itchy dry skin can also be related (not all skin conditions are related)
{Commonalties when I got sick a lot in the past}
*I was not in my truth and stressed out
*I was eating dairy often
*I was eating processed foods often
*I was smoking lots, eating fast food lots, soda and sugar.
*I was around allergens that lowered my immune system
*I wasn’t taking time for myself
*I was stuck in my “head”… thinking too much a not following my intuition
*I was really stressed out
*I was trying to make a decision and didn’t know what which path to choose or what to do
Two paths to build immunity
{Emotional}
When you are sick:
It’s your body warning you!
Your mind is working overtime and it needs to be shut down.
Take time and get recentered on loving YOU.
Find more ways to experience joy with YOU.
If you can’t do the love and joy thing, then you’ll be no good for others and your immune system will suffer.
This gives new meaning to the phrase, “peace of mind”… that’s what you’re looking for.
You must pursue all love and joy with deep passion.
You must pursue YOU.
{Body}
Cleaning up your lymphatic system is often works best with a cleanse or a long-term plan for your “drains”. I can help you or someone else, but just make sure that your path ahead includes someone you trust to look at your whole body and personal history. Drinking juice for 10 days isn’t always the answer.
Acceptance
Here are some things I do now that you can too.
My diet includes mostly whole foods
Avoid eating/drinking dairy (My calcium levels are off the charts in case you’re curious)
Brisk walks or quick, fast runs
Yoga
Dancing around the house for 5 minutes each time throughout the day
Use a rebounder
Drink warm water with lemon
Eat seasonally
Drink half my body weight in ounces of water each day
Cleanse my other organs (kidney’s, liver, colon) 1-2 times per year.
Get massages
Avoid skin products with chemicals
Acupuncture/chiropractic care
Wherever you are at with your health, here is my biggest suggestion:
Stop Blaming!
Nothing good will ever come from blaming or point fingers.
Stop blaming others for your feelings or emotional stuff
Stop blaming the kids you’re around for getting you sick (it’s your immune system that is compromised to begin with)
Stop blaming the season you are in or saying that your body “just gets sick at the same time each year”
It’s not your spouses fault that you are unhappy
It’s not your parents fault you have issues and bad genes (by the way, there is scientific proof we can change our genetics now so you can’t use this as an excuse much either)
It’s not that girl in the 4th grades fault who called you fat.
It’s not the airplane ride that you took that lowered your immune system.
It’s up to you.
It’s your body.
It’s your responsibility.
Accept this.
When you do, things will change.
Takeaway truths:
Please don’t be hard on yourself and those near and dear to you… especially during this time of year when there is mores stress around the holidays.
“An inflexible attitude plants seeds of rebellion” {Don’t deprive yourself because you will always rebel}
Thinking about healthier habits both with food and emotions isn’t going to change them.
You must open yourself up to action!
Ask for help if you need it.
Practice kindness, especially to you.
“Think of your social network as your immune system safety net. At some level, every human illness is connected with a lack of social support. Thus it behooves you to look at your life and ask yourself how many different types of people are in your safety net. Remember, no man or woman is an island. You are a member of a herd species.”
“When nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, then compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should come from the inside”
Cheers to your Love Yourself Naked journey!
I’m so honored to be a along for the ride,
Renee
PS. Please comment below. I love hearing your stories. xo
