Where to Start?

For those of you posting about sleep problems (particularly no sleep) -- I've had a lot of experience with that. A few months ago I went through a spell again (after falling off the diet wagon) lasting maybe 3 months where I could sleep no longer than 2 hours at a time, and not sleep again until I was exhausted and then again only 1-2 hours regardless of my physical activity level, etc.

Well, the first time I went on the UltraSimple diet, after about 5-7 weeks my sleep got really good and I starting falling asleep again naturally rather than staring at the back of my eyelids for hours on end. Then, I fell off the wagon completely (E-E breathing too except for *some* POTS and pipe breathing some nights) and totally crashed really hard in every way (depression, sleep problems, etc.)

In January I got back on the diet, breathing, etc.. Sleeping got better but still not great. In late Jan or early Feb I followed some more recommendations and started taking 300mg 5-HTP, 3-6mg Melatonin, and GABA powder all right before bed. As of about a week or 2 ago, I'm now sleeping really well and feeling pretty good during the day.

So, stick with it! Also try the 5-HTP, melatonin, and GABA and give it at least a couple of weeks :)

:)

Aragorn said:

Bidoche, if you are determined to get to know your self and your reactive programs I think it could benefit you to think why you have taken offence and are being ungrateful, when Belibaste was only being helpful.

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I don't think Bidoche was being ungrateful or reactive nor taking offense.

Laura said:

Aragorn said:

Bidoche, if you are determined to get to know your self and your reactive programs I think it could benefit you to think why you have taken offence and are being ungrateful, when Belibaste was only being helpful.

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I don't think Bidoche was being ungrateful or reactive nor taking offense.

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Thank you, Laura! When confronted with cryptic messages, i.e. those saying things that only the sender is aware of, I try to understand to the best of my ability. There was no sarcasm in my post whatsoever.

On another level, although the Neuropathy hasn't let up and I'm still sleeping with the help of an anti-inflammatory drug, my blood-sugar levels are now in the normal range. A few more months of this incredible diet and I will be diabetic-free.

Laura said:

Aragorn said:

Bidoche, if you are determined to get to know your self and your reactive programs I think it could benefit you to think why you have taken offence and are being ungrateful, when Belibaste was only being helpful.

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I don't think Bidoche was being ungrateful or reactive nor taking offense.

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My mistake, sorry for the misunderstanding! Could have been a "language thing" or maybe a ghost in my own machine. :)

Aragorn said:

Laura said:

Aragorn said:

Bidoche, if you are determined to get to know your self and your reactive programs I think it could benefit you to think why you have taken offence and are being ungrateful, when Belibaste was only being helpful.

Click to expand...

I don't think Bidoche was being ungrateful or reactive nor taking offense.

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My mistake, sorry for the misunderstanding! Could have been a "language thing" or maybe a ghost in my own machine. :)

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Pas de problème, mon vieux! Parfois, c'est plus facile de s'exprimer dans sa langue maternelle - Je comprends qu'on se perd dans la traduction.

(lost in translation, but something to do with The Police)


Mod's translation: No problem my friend. Sometimes, it is easier to express oneself in his mother tongue. - I understand that we can lost ourselves in the translation.

Bidoche said:

Laura said:

Aragorn said:

Bidoche, if you are determined to get to know your self and your reactive programs I think it could benefit you to think why you have taken offence and are being ungrateful, when Belibaste was only being helpful.

Click to expand...

I don't think Bidoche was being ungrateful or reactive nor taking offense.

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Thank you, Laura! When confronted with cryptic messages, i.e. those saying things that only the sender is aware of, I try to understand to the best of my ability. There was no sarcasm in my post whatsoever.

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Sorry Bidoche for seeing sarcasm where there was none.

Well I've almost completed two weeks on the UltraSimple diet and am completely constipated. The (left) thigh pain has diminished some, but keeps me awake at night (if I don't take an anti-inflammatory). Daily baths with Epsom salts these days do alleviate the problem which I still believe is liver-related. I'm considering doing a Liver Cleanse (olive oil, bicarbonate, grapefruit ala Dr. Hulda Clark). Any suggestions?

Hi Bidoche,

Constipation is a big no no. Here are some steps to help you clear your bowels, it is taken from the UltraMind Solution book:

Step 1: Basic Bowel Care

✣✣ Eat two tablespoons of ground flaxseed a day, sprinkled on salads or vegetables. You can also put them in your UltraShake for breakfast.

✣✣ Take 3 grams (or more) of buffered ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a powder or in capsules once a day. This also helps with detoxification and supporting your immune system. [You can take it every hour until your stomach "gargles." Magnesium citrate also is helpful in relaxing your intestines, so they can move more smoothly]
These products can also be safely used over the long term to keep your bowels regular and healthy in the months and years ahead.

Step 2: Take an Herbal Laxative
Common preparations include cascara, senna, and rhubarb. Take two to three capsules before bed.
These should NOT be used regularly, as they are habit forming and may make your colon lazy.

Step 3: Dulcolax or Bisacodyl Suppository or Fleet Enema
Most people can achieve a normal bowel movement with Step 1 alone. Step 2 can be helpful in more extreme cases. Steps 3 is rarely needed.

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As an alternative of a liver cleanse, you can also try a coffee enema. There is more information in the following thread:

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=13241.msg135209#msg135209

Make sure you're having plenty of fiber. You can also try psyllium husks for example, as a source of fiber.

Bidoche said:

Well I've almost completed two weeks on the UltraSimple diet and am completely constipated. [..] I'm considering doing a Liver Cleanse (olive oil, bicarbonate, grapefruit ala Dr. Hulda Clark). Any suggestions?

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fwiw, do not do a liver cleanse until you get your intestines under control. This is one rough procedure and requires careful preparation.

As Psyche said, you'll need to take plenty of fiber, and I would add to it, drink plenty of water. Fiber without water can contribute to constipation even more. Aim for 8-10 glasses of water a day, or more.

It is often recommended to do a series of enema before attempting a liver cleanse. A protocol I used to follow suggests dedicating a whole month to it if you have never done it before: daily for a week, every other day for the next week, every three-four days for the next two weeks. Using coffee enema for some of those procedures will be even better.

Another recommendation is to go to a sauna, take long warm baths or do the FIR blanket daily for at least a week before the procedure. That soothes and conditions the liver. Lastly, for a week before the procedure, eat plenty of fresh squeezed vegetables juices, no animal products and minimum oil. They recommend fasting the whole day right before the procedure on apples and apple juice, too, or doing at least something like that.

I mix olive oil and grapefruit/lemon juice in a blender and drink it gradually, sip by sip, while laying down on my right side on a hot water bottle or a heating pad. I would also take magnesium sometimes before the procedure (I never did bicarbonate). Your sleep that night would likely be very fitful. Stay put and breath diaphragmally. There are way of yogic breathing (through the right nostril only??) that are supposed to raise heat in the body and help the cleansing along. If you feel nauseated, put your palms in a prayer position on a diaphragmal level and press in hard while breathing in short panting sort of breaths. If you do throw up, do not worry, the procedure will still work. Just brush your teeth well and rinse with bicarbonate or other rinse.

Dedicate the whole next day at least to recuperation. I keep reading that after doing it, sometimes at night or the next day, the intestines naturally loosen and expel the gallbladder junk, if any. Never could make it happen to myself and always ended up drinking plenty throughout the day and doing a couple of enemas, and a couple more next day. Expect to see soft green and yellow blobs or various size. Those could be either gallbladder stones or curdled oil, sometimes it's hard to make a call.

Lastly, if this is a first time doing the procedure, it is very likely that not everything will come out. Moreover, there is a danger that some junk will get moving and then will get stuck in a new place, causing inflammation. Because of this, it is recommended to repeat the procedure another two or three times, allowing for 3-4 weeks of recuperation between the cleanses.

PS To add: this olive oil/grapefruit juice cleanse is not so much a "liver cleanse" as a "gallbladder flush". If your goal is to cleanse the liver of toxins and improve its function, then coffee enema or certain herbal blends would probably do a better job. E.g., coffee enema stimulates blood flow in the liver and the production of glutathione-S-transferase, which is an enzyme that facilitates the liver detoxification pathways. Gallbladder flush is more for removing physical obstructions in the bile ducts. It's worth doing if you have symptoms os such obstructions, e.g., a heavy feeling under right ribs or e tendency to get an upset stomach / throw up bile after eating a heavy meal. Otherwise I would probably stick to the herbal blends / enemas first.

Thanks to both of you for the fine suggestions! Although I've been having 2-3 bowel movements each day since starting the UltraSimple diet, I've felt the constipation coming on; probably little or no fiber whatsoever.

Yes, Psyche, I took 5 grams [normally 2 grams] of Vitamin C but in pill form. (Where I live, powdered ascorbic acid is unavailable and I do not have a credit card to purchase it online). I do drink plenty of water and have a hot lemon drink upon waking. As for the coffee enema, well that just scares me to death and I don't see how I could do it as I live alone. Surely, this would be easier with a "helping hand"?

Hildegarda, this is my second day of being blocked up. Daily hot bathes are on the menu (usually with Epsom salts and/or Dead Sea salts) to relieve the thigh pain. My eyesight has gone down too, so it's more of an immediate solution than those you recommend although they sound really good. I'm opting for the poor man's hot porridge trick which hopefully will put pressure on the liver and get me running.


Edit=Quotes

Just to let you know that everything is back to normal! Probably the extra vitamin C, plus the fact that I only had breakfast yesterday and had multiple hot lemon drinks, solved the problem. Constipation has never been on my list of ailments and this was the first time I've had it in decades. Thanks again for all the support given.

I spent 2 weeks on the UltraSimple diet and really felt that the hot lemon drink in the morning was highly beneficial. For this reason, I started a 3-day lemon juice fast yesterday in order to help clear out the liver and once again, reduce inflammation. The pains in the left hand and leg have not gone away ... but I'm confident. To keep my bowels moving, am taking a dessert spoon of Epsom salt with water upon waking.

Bidoche said:

I spent 2 weeks on the UltraSimple diet and really felt that the hot lemon drink in the morning was highly beneficial. For this reason, I started a 3-day lemon juice fast yesterday in order to help clear out the liver and once again, reduce inflammation. The pains in the left hand and leg have not gone away ... but I'm confident. To keep my bowels moving, am taking a dessert spoon of Epsom salt with water upon waking.

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New trick we've learned about how to best use epsom salts is to load it into capsules and take between 35 to 40 grams of it once a week for a purge. See here:

http://www.michaellevitt.com.au/constipation/sluggish-bowels/

Laura said:

New trick we've learned about how to best use epsom salts is to load it into capsules and take between 35 to 40 grams of it once a week for a purge. See here:

http://www.michaellevitt.com.au/constipation/sluggish-bowels/

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But, since I don't have any capsules handy, I'm assuming I could gag some down in water without poisoning myself, eh? ;)