Who hasn't had a pinched nerve or inflammation? My natural cures and discoveries for pain.

This post could lead to so many things because I am no stranger to pain. I'm also blessed with the will to keep fighting and researching for answers. In 2009, One blessing in disguise was the awful experience of my health insurance ending. I gained panic attacks for the first time and fears of not being able to treat my pains. I bought my own insurance  with what I could afford and tried to make it work. I found the system scamming me for $900 X-rays and payments that were not going towards my health, but to the companies standards of you give everything, then we give some. This did not fit into my college student with a part time job life.  I know others can relate and for us fighting for answers I hope to shed some light with my journey on each pain I cured without health insurance. I for now do not see health insurance benefiting my health when it comes to common non life threatening problems.  I believe lifestyle is the key to preventing those life threatening diseases as well. I believe God placed everything we need here on earth to cure ourselves, but we buy into the world's lie of this is as good as it gets, so take these harmful side effect pills and complain no more.  Yeah no thank you! Through the years I really am baffled at the lack of knowledge some doctors have about the human body. It is made to cure itself without meds and how I'm able to find these health alternative changes for a better fix,yet I'm just a regular college student. I also believe God gives knowledge and wisdom to those who ask for it. My journey of no health insurance began with a pinched nerve and inflamed shoulder. The cause for this was over use of my shoulders to compensate for my back that I had surgery on. Doctors told me this after I did not receive the proper therapy or information to prevent this damage. I now had a left shoulder where all protective synovia fluid was gone! The muscles and ligaments connect bones, and the space between them is cushioned by fluid-filled capsules (synovia) and cartilage.I was told you could not repair the fluid and once cartilage was gone then its gone. Excuse me, but what a bunch of Bull. I was literally paralyzed and unable to work or move for that matter. My search began for something else besides anti-inflammation drugs. I found Hyaluronic acid to be the answer for a cure. Hyaluronic acid is the primary natural polymer compound present in the synovial fluid of joints. I know for a fact this stuff works because the paralyzing pain was completely gone after the first bottle. It makes sense because the body naturally creates hyaluronic acid for this reason and can be replenished with intake of it in pill form. I have yet to find any bad side effects to this treatment. Now if I'm working out or going to be using my shoulder for a length of time then I take hyaluronic acid to prevent further damage and pain. I was able to stop taking the pills after the first month and can go several months without having joint pain or needing pain meds. The point is there is no more pain and they work well enough so its not something you have to take everyday till you die haha There are many other alternatives for inflammation that I may try in the future but for this specific issue hylaronic acid was my cure. I also want to say that pain was the worse I ever had experienced. My back surgery didn't come close. I turned my helplessness into a will to find a cure and so glad I did and can share it with you! I could not possible post all the links to the research I did on this issue and I want ppl to do their own research for their specific problem if needed. I'm posting a link to simple experiment with hyalronic acid. 

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/mar2007_report_joint_02.htm

 It's important to have at least 100mg in each pill to take effect.

Here is another list of alternatives to anti-inflammation drugs that you can research to your hearts desire! 

 

Astaxanthin – This is one of the most effective oil-soluble antioxidants known to man today. Astaxanthin has very potent anti-inflammatory properties. In some cases, it may even be more effective than NSAIDs. You may need to take high doses of this antioxidant (as much as eight milligrams a day), though, to achieve this benefit.

•Ginger - This anti-inflammatory herb has pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Steep fresh ginger in boiling water to make a delicious and fragrant tea. Grating and adding it to your vegetable juice is a good idea as well.

•Curcumin – This is the primary therapeutic compound found in the spice turmeric. A study of osteoarthritis patients revealed curcumin’s pain relief effects: individuals who added 200 milligrams of curcumin a day to their treatment plan were found to have reduced pain and increased mobility. In fact, over 50 clinical studies have proven curcumin’s potent anti-inflammatory activity. There are also four studies that demonstrated its ability to reduce Tylenol-associated adverse health effects.

 •Cayenne cream - Also known as capsaicin cream, this is a spice made from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting the body's supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to your brain.

 •Boswellia - Also called boswellin or "Indian frankincense," this herb has been prized for thousands of years for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. This is one of my personal favorites, as I have seen it work well with many of my rheumatoid arthritis patients.

•Bromelain – Found in pineapples, this protein-digesting enzyme is a natural anti-inflammatory. Bromelain can be used in supplement form, but eating fresh pineapple may also be helpful. Most of the bromelain is found within the pineapple’s core, so make sure you leave a little of the pulpy core intact when you eat the fruit.

•Cetyl myristoleate (CMO) - An oil found typically in fish and dairy butter, CMO acts as a "joint lubricant" and an anti-inflammatory. I use a topical preparation for myself to relieve ganglion cysts and alleviate mild annoying carpal tunnel syndrome that flares up when I type too much on non-ergonomic keyboards.

•Evening Primrose, Black Currant, and Borage Oils – The fatty acid gamma linoleic acid (GLA) found in these oils is useful for treating arthritic pain.

***Korean Angelica (Angelica gigas Nakai). This is mention in the article I linked and will be my next experiment. I now have to find another cure for the inflammation pain in my lower back from a car accident. I have no more anxiety over being in pain because I know there are cures at my fingertips as I type in questions to my unanswered issues.

Thank you for joining me on my journey to better health!

Better than all those other recipes on Google, My creation of White Chili. Oh La La....YUM!

Like what you see?! Wait till you smell and taste it as well .

This recipe is as easy or hard as you make it. No SALT needed

I literally threw this together from gathered information on how to make white chili and because I lost the one favored recipe over the years. So when those crumbled up recipes disappear it time to see whose got the real stuff haha.

First check to see if you have any of these food items before you make a list to shop for. I made this with health intentions such as fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. Canned food in general I believe from research is a big cause of cancer after WWII when everything was being canned instead of jarred. Something definitely spiked the charts.  So if you want, precooking the beans would prob be better than canned as well. Just try to find BPA free canned foods. The tomatoes are more of a risk because their acidic levels can cause more absorption of BPAs through can linings. Better safe than sorry so posting a link of this issue at the bottom. Now back to yummy, hot, tasty chili!

Pick up some:

 

1- Two Red bell peppers (for color and vitamins)

2-One big yellow onion (flavor and color)

3-Two cans worth of Great white northern beans

4- Two cans worth of pinto beans

5- Three of your favorite kind of tomatoes

6- Two cans worth of corn (GMO free taste way better)

7- Two packets of original Ranch seasoning, not the dipping packets.

8- Fresh cilantro

9- Two packs of frozen chicken thighs, white meat from chicken breast doesn't fit the bill for this recipe. (Free of Antibiotics and Hormones) Thank you FDA for pumping our food full of antibiotics for years just to come out with a statement that its causing super bugs. DUH!

10- Swanson's organic chicken broth. I used three small boxes. But two will suffice.

Extra food to look into would be bread! I buy the sour dough soup bowls from Publix. A loaf of French bread would be good for dipping as well. But I'm going to go all fancy with the bowls!

Prepare one big pot to boil the chicken.

Have your beans precooked drained or cans all opened.
Pour chicken stock in another large pot on medium heat. 
 Add the beans and corn UN DRAINED if using cans.
Dice the tomatoes, and red bell peppers
Keep the onion whole! From my grandfathers cooking skills its a European thing in giving the soup color and flavor. Just drop it in and it'll break apart from the heat and stiring. Pull the skin out at the end.
Add the diced tomatoes and red bell peppers
Take a small stalk of cilantro to dice the leaves from the stems. Throw in the diced leaves. 
Add just one of the Original Ranch seasoning packets.
Keep on medium heat or a little higher but not on high and stir.

This soup, if done right takes a few hours to get that savory flavors mixed together. 
Take a break but don't let the bottom of the pot burn. Enjoy your time reading my blog for instance ;)

Keep an eye on the chicken. 
Bonus fact: I'm a fan of  Shark Tank and one pitch was for boneless ribs, but the bones create the flavor so no one would touch those, except the guy who invented a way to cook them first them take the bone out! So if you think about getting the skinless, boneless chicken thighs then its your risk.

I use gloves and hand pick out the meat parts only. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, make sure it has time to cool or a burn will be in your future, then add it to the other pot cooking. Once the chicken is added then add the second packet of original ranch seasoning. Stir, stir, and stir, do a lil dance and stir. 
Confession: I always dance while cooking and it seems to be genetic.

Two hours at this time should be enough for your chili to be perfect!  Also feel free to make this your own as I understand not everyone is a health nut like me. Just trying to give easy, healthy, and flavorful recipes. Taste test and enjoy with loved ones!






 
Link to BPAs in canned food

http://www.christianpost.com/news/cancer-causing-compound-linked-to-canned-food-62851/

Women to women. Balancing hormones to balance your life.

        Okay so I promised some advise on making life easier in a healthy way, and one of the things I mentioned that affect us all is hormones. I don't know what people really know about their hormones but one thing you need to know is if you didn't have them, then you would die. So to me keeping your hormones healthy is just as important as taking care of your heart or lungs. 
Since I'm a women I don't have much advice to help you men out but I encourage you to research ways on preventing cancer from balancing your hormones, but other wise this post is not for you unless you have a girlfriend who turns into a monster once a month haha Okay so to all the ladies who have search for that magic pill that would make cramps go away, keep you regular, and fight cancer at the same time, I have good news after years of searching with trial and disappointments, I finally found what works with scientific research to back it up. I'm talking about MACA! It's a root that's been used for women's health in other countries for years. My gift is sharing the real stuff with you and not the westernized product being advertised every where. Americas think if some thing is raw, then its better for you. Raw maca is easy to find, but its not as beneficial as cooked maca. Plus the villagers who grow maca don't eat it raw so why should we? So maca basically makes your hormones balanced by not introducing hormones into your system but nourishing your
hypothalamus and pituitary glands which are the "master glands" of the bodyThe maca root contains natural substances, which are believed to stimulate the pituitary and hypothalamus and adrenal glands to support and balance hormones. Different things in our system produce different hormones for different reasons so need to do your own research for a specific reason your needing to balance hormones but so far I only seen good results from it so it must be going where ever it is needed. There is a Plethora of products that claim to balance your hormones that I tried so just trying to save you time and money. There's dong quai, primrose oil, omega 3's, and many others that only introduce plant like hormones into your system instead of actually balancing your hormones. I tried it all and for you ladies that can relate to unbalanced hormones you can relate to why I didn't give up on trying things. I wasn't going to accept irregular menstrual cycles, pain, sickness, weakness, and my world having to stand still unless I took dangerous medicines like birth control. If it works for you that's great but for us girls who only take it for clear skin, and balancing hormones and not the main reason why others take it then that's a whole other issue. maca's not going to keep you from becoming pregnant in fact maca actually  helps couples who haven't even been able to conceive with fertility help.
Like I mentioned my body is very weak physically so my mind and emotions determine more on how I feel physically. For example if I'm stressed like many women that time of the month will start and not stop....I don't have time for that! and I'm assuming neither do you. I've been on Maca, the cooked kind you can find at royal maca company online buy just typing royal maca into google. http://wholeworldbotanicals.com/info_royalmaca

 I've been taking maca for over two years with no bad side effects. I went from stressful pains that would actually keep me from working and going out and having to schedule events around my menstrual cycle bc I would be feeling I rather get hit by a truck to put me out of my misery then live on. No joke and I know some can relate. Its very frustrating on trying to live a healthy life style and  having problems showing your not completely healthy bc your missing a piece of the puzzle.  The good news is now I barely have a cycle now because I learned how to make it regular, short, painless, and keep my sanity. But that's not all I found in my research of making things better. Since I was once thought to have PMDD, then I had extra issues so for some the maca may not be enough, but have some good advice for others like me. I had the maca make things regular and better but I was still having pain so I actually just researched what causes cramps in women and guess what I found out?! Studies done on women with bad cramps all had one thing in common, bad estrogen. Yes, there is good and bad estrogen that can make a big difference on your life and even determine your chances at having cancers. This miracle is called DIM and is made with maca from the company I linked earlier. Which makes perfect sense to pair a hormone balancing herbs with one that flushes the bad ones out as well.
Diindolylmethane (DIM, in short) is the principal breakdown product of indole 3-carbinol (I3C), the phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, mustard greens, radishes, watercress, and turnips. DIM, has been shown in scientifi­c studies to reduce the risk of breast, cervical and other estrogen-driven cancers cancer by helping the body to make a better balance of the “good estrogen” (2-hydroxy-estrone) compared to the “bad estrogen” (16-alpha-hydroxy-estrone).*
Royal Maca Plus for Women™ with DIM is an ideal product combining the hormone-regulating effects of maca with the estrogen metabolite regulating effect of DIM. It relieves PMS and painful periods, and alleviates peri-menopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms. Maca & DIM together help your body make healthy estrogen metabolites and a healthy progesterone level. Progesterone is important for healthy hormonal function and helps provide protection against cell proliferation in estrogen-sensitive tissue. There are many scienti­fic studies which show that indole 3-carbinol and DIM can improve the ratio of healthy estrogen metabolites produced in 87% of women.

So I put this stuff to the test and found it delivers. I thought Really? Really? bad estrogen is the cause all these problems women spend millions on trying to cure with senthetic hormones and there's a natural alternative with fast results? Something that actual fixes the problem from its source?! Just like it describes from studies, there is bad estrogen that goes through the 16-alpha-hydroxy-estrone which goes back into your system instead of being flushed out which causes cramps and cancer plus other life annoyances.
So there it is ladies a simple breakdown on how making life easier and healthier. The health benefits of maca are enough for anyone to take. Maca is rich in vitamin B vitamins, C, and E. It provides plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids. It strengthens teeth and bones, evens skin tone which I can see a difference in from taking the royal maca brand compared to others taken. I've read info on even doctors using maca to treat depression because it gives you energy and well being. It helps with anxiety and has been used in placement of hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women. There is just too much good news about this stuff that I can't put it all on  one post, but hopefully I got you interested enough to research yourself or tell a friend about it.
Okay so lets review and get some important facts down if you are thinking about adding maca in your diet. It comes in powder and a pill form. I recommend the pill form or putting the powder in a pill unless you like a nutty taste. The powder will only mix in with a blender with other substances. I've put the powder in pills myself and taken the DIM separate but buying the two in one pill is easier and cheaper. Also important to know DIM and indole 3-carbinol (I3C) are not the exact same thing and from studies on using both they found the indole 3 to have bad side effects and not as beneficial as DIM. So please stay away from it and I'll share the link on those studies if anyone is curious. Then there's the amount to take. This stuff is strong and you will feel a difference within a month. You should not take more than 1/4 teaspoon or one pill a day when starting out. The only bad thing I can say about maca is if I over dosed with over 1 teaspoon then my heart would be racing at night were I couldn't sleep, but nothing life threatening. Then 100-200 mg of DIM should be taken daily. The royal maca pill already has 100mg of DIM with the maca as well.

Maca with DIM has helped me focus, given energy, cure cramps, and improves my mood overall from balancing hormones. Its my lil secret I'm telling the world who haven't found out for their selves yet. Some may think its too good to be true or I'll just keep my birth control. That's fine, but I rather not take anything that is made in a lab to mimic the real thing, because I'm convinced that it can directly cause cancer when taken for too long. Our bodies were not made to adapt to synthetic hormones.  Sometimes being seen as the crazy one is benefit within itself because you think outside the box instead of following the crowd. My belief is God has given everything we need on earth to cure certain diseases, we just haven't done enough research on tapping into that thought. So if your willing to come to the crazy, hippie, all natural side haha then ask me any questions and give yourself a better value of life.

Caribbean black beans and rice recipe inspired by Pompano Joe's beach restaurant

I was eating at Pompano Joe's on the beach which was one of the best vaca ever by the way:) but I don't just want good food while on vaca so I studied my plate and went to cooking!

 

Here's a picture of their black beans and rice.

I usually research tons of recipes till I find one most like I'm trying to create then use it as a guide while taking out or adding more ingredients than the actually recipe. I like to think the rest is filled with love.To keep any recipes from getting messed up while cooking I used one of my mom's magnets to hold it up over the stove where i can see it as I cook:)

First cook some old fashion white rice. I luv white sticky rice but if your going healthy you can use brown or wild rice I suppose just can't make any promises on it tasting the same. If you hate white rice then it will prob taste pretty good to you though. Cook as the box says for how many serving you think your'll need. I cook 2 cups worth.

Now for a short cut as I think of all the ppl out there with children and lives! I use bell peppers for a lot of recipes bc they taste good and are good for you:) This recipe calls for finely chopped bell peppers though and how lucky was I to find this at publix containing all three colored bell peppers already chopped up?! Located by the salad stuff. So if you already have bell peppers use them or you can buy this. The next thing is to get a yellow onion which they provide as well if you don't have one around the house.

So here comes the fun part! Thow in the whole thing of bell peppers, chooped onion, and chopped celery about 1 cup each. I use extra virgin olive oil to saute it all. This can be on med heat while your rice is covered staying warm. I like my onion to be almost carmelized while the bell peppers are a tad crunchy, So you can use your own judgement as when to add stuff. Next depending on ur luv of garlic you will want to add just a little or a whole clove. I'm afraid of the garlic taking away from the caribbean taste I'm going for. So I add only a tsp of minced garlic to the pan. Notice how you prob can't see it in the picture bc I want it to flavor it but not over power. So lets review the pan should have bell peppers, onion, celery, and a lil garlic. Just add 1 TBS of oregano to the mix.

Lastly add 2 cans of black beans. I use bush's canned beans bc it doesn't have any added stuff like salt or special sauce. We just want black beans in only water if possible. IMPORTANT! This comes from experimenting with cooking. I only made this recipe because I love the black beans and rice I had on vacation last week at the beach. But I don't just want good food while on vaca so I studied my dish to make this taste and even look the same. The goal is to get the mix to soak down into the rice. To do this you must no drain the can just toss the whole thing in there:) cook till the beans have been able to warm up about 20 min. After adding the beans add 1/8-1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. This is going to give it that caribbean kick! So if you can't take hot stuff only put 1/8 of a tsp into this to the mix. Towards then end add 2 TBS of white vinigar also to make it a lil runny if all the liquids are evaporated. you want it to be a lil soupy to put over your rice.

Scope a couple spoons of rice then scope the black beans mix over it and wha-la!