The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Over the course of the last week I've seen my mom go from communicating like she was 30 again to not being able to spit out her words.

It can be frightening not just for the demented but the care giver as well.

I'd say the time that it's worse for me is in the wee morning hours when my mom has no idea if it's day or night even though the sky is still black.

She is back to packing her bags and thinking that she's going home. We sold my house a year ago.

She listens to herself talk about her hallucinations and then she stops herself when she realizes how crazy it all must sound to the listener.

My mom's eyes get hollow when she's in her demented state, trapped in her own mind. She's very disagreeable; nothing is right and her only answer is NO. It's pretty frustrating as a caregiver. Fortunately I realize that she has no idea what she's doing. She's not lashing out at me on purpose.

We have found a homeopathic remedy that is working for her, helleborus niger. It is pretty amazing how it brings her around. I just wish she'd stay around and not go in and out every other day.

All of this got me thinking about a twanging string. If you flick a taut string, the string will vibrate back and forth until it reaches an equilibrium and stays constantly calm. I'm hoping that my mom's mind is like the twanging string, that it will gradually move to a center ground that is neither of the extremes; imbecile or genius.

I believe in miracles.

Why are People Sheeple?

I've been thinking about the healthcare fight in this country and watching the news and TV ads that are working over time to kill the personal option to healthcare.

What I find to be insanity at it's finest are the people who could benefit most from a personal healthcare option are the very people who have been convinced that the insurance companies need to continue to rape them of all their money.

Last week I saw Rep Anthony Weiner on Morning Joe's show and he asked Joe Scarborough a question that Joe would not answer. He asked Joe, what do insurance companies have to offer healthcare?

The logical answer is, NOTHING. The insurance companies very existence is to make money and lots of it. Have you ever been turned down by your insurance company for a test which a doctor ordered? If you have it leaves you scratching your head and asking the question, "What am I paying this insurance company for?"

The insurance companies are making money off the hides of the same American people who are fighting for the insurance companies rights to continue on with the healthcare for profit plan.

You know, healthcare for profit doesn't work... this is the problem. Did you know that Medicare is a government healthcare option that works? The CEO of Medicare doesn't bring home a huge salary, he earns something in the neighborhood of 150K per year and Medicare is working. Medicare keeps the insurance companies under control so that they don't overcharge.

How come it's OK for the CEO's of the big insurance companies to make 7 and 8 figure salaries? Who is worth that much money? Another question, if these individuals are worth the big salaries that they take home, how come we are in such a healthcare crisis right now?

I have more questions...

How come it takes months to see a specialist under the current plan? The argument that people are toting, that it will take us months to see a specialist... well, I've got news for you, it takes us months to see a specialist now, how is this better?

Why do people believe the public healthcare option will fail? Are they even looking at the current government healthcare option that our seniors receive? If Medicare is so bad, why don't the morning news shows have real senior citizens who have Medicare on to talk about how bad their healthcare plan is? Know why they don't? They can't find a senior to diss their awesome healthcare plan that everyone in this country has a right to receive.

The fear mongering ads that are on TV do not have the public interest in mind, they have the interest of the few who are profiting from the illnesses that are brought on by the poison sold as food and then treated with more poison from the pharmaceutical companies. It's a viscious cycle where we are used as pons.

Even my one time favorite market, Whole Foods is a huge disappointment. Especially after their CEO had the bright idea to write a memo about how bad the public healthcare option would be for the country.

(Here's the memo - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html )

I do want to thank the CEO for writing the memo because it made me open my eyes. Whole Foods is really like the Wal-Mart of all things that are supposedly Organic. A more fitting name would be Whole-Mart.

Yesterday I received an article in my email that I found very informative with solutions to Whole-Mart shopping. http://www.naturalnews.com/026906_food_foods_whole_foods.html

There are alternatives to Whole Foods, buy direct from farmers. Join a coop where you get your share of food, fresh from the farmer instead of from some farm in Mexico that uses pesticides.

The answer to our personal healthcare option really begins with each of us individually. It's our choice what we chose to eat. It's our choice what we chose to believe about anything that we hear. We all need to tune up our BS (belief system) and pay attention.

Now more than ever complacency must be avoided or you too will become one of the many people buying yachts and big mansions for the few business executives running the show. Do you want to be one of the "sheeple" who are lead to their ultimate slaughter by buying in to the mis-truths? I have been asking the question... "What is in it for the so called authority figures?" The answers typically point to one thing, MONEY... YOUR MONEY... they want it and don't care if they have to make you sick to get it.

Wake up and become a person who takes responsibility for yourself, initially it might be frightening but ultimately, it's very liberating.

Eating yourself healthy is the best solution to this problem we now face with our healthcare system, stop enabling the enablers.

Uncle Al's Birthday 2009

August 22, 2009 - the day Uncle Al turned 83.

It was a beautiful Saturday, all I wanted to do was put on a bathing suit and float in the pool that my awesome sister Ann had given to us.

Up here in New England we don't have too many lazy and hot summer days so when we have one I like to indulge myself in nothingness.

The week was totally crazy for me.

Wednesday night, Savita the Cat jumped up on the arm of my chair and faced me so that I could see her swollen little face. I noticed one of her canine teeth was sticking out; she had a narly looking tooth. Immediately I knew I needed to bring her to a vet on Thursday.

Oh boy, one more thing to add to my to do list. My plan for Thursday was to go and pick up Uncle Al since I hadn't taken him out in nearly a week.

However, plans changed, Savita needed some medical attention.

As though there wasn't enough going on, my mom looked at me on Thursday morning and said to me, "You're not Sue."

Man, really? You are going to forget who I am today?!

I contacted her doctor and asked him what we can do to help her with her memory. He suggested that I go and get Helleborus and give her 5 pellets. It was the homeopathic remedy that he had given her in his office a couple of weeks earlier that seemed to do the trick for her memory.

Off we went in search of Helleborus. No one had it. Whole Foods didn't have it. GNC didn't have it. AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I had to find it.

Fortunately, I found the remedy in a small town about 35 miles west of where I live. My mom took the pellets as soon as we bought them. They seemed to work a little. The next day she was still confused so I had her take 5 more pellets under her tongue. Still not much improvement. I didn't want to give her any more just in case more would have an opposite effect to our desired outcome - sanity.

Through all of this, Rachel wanted to go to the Registry to take her vision test to have her drivers license renewed. She's been driving around with out a license since January. She was waiting to have her cataract surgery done because she believed she'd easily pass the vision test once the cataracts were removed.

Much to her dismay, the surgery didn't go as well as she had planned. Her vision hasn't been good enough to pass the vision test so that she can legally drive. She had been driving anyway, which needless to say, freaked me out.

We have been able to convince her that she needs her license in order for her insurance to be valid and so that she doesn't end up in a boat load of trouble which could be avoided by using common sense. In the elderly mind, driving is a right, not a privledge. Oiy!

Somehow, after months of expressing my thoughts about her driving, she has finally stopped driving herself around town. Now, I take her and my mom wherever they want to go. It's a bit tiring taking both my mom and Rachel out, especially when my mom is slipping down the dementia slope and Rachel just wants to run in and out of stores. She's not a shopper like my mom and me.

So, how does this all tie in to Uncle Al's birthday? All week I wanted to take Uncle Al out for his birthday but just didn't have the time to give to him. The weekend was here and I was torn. Do I take the day to do what I want or do I give my day to Uncle Al?

Believe it or not I did not want to go and see Uncle Al. I was exhausted and needed a mental break from the insanity that I had to face all week with the moms and the cat's emergency.

Brian had different thoughts. He knew we needed to see Al. It was his birthday. My mom, she wasn't up for going to see him. She was still dealing with the thought that she couldn't remember my name.

It was now 10am on Saturday morning. I called Uncle Al and sang Happy Birthday to him. Then I asked him if he wanted to go out for his birthday. Of course he said YES! Followed by a "hurry up and get here."

We left my mom sitting in the living room with a pen and paper. She was writing down Donna and Ann's name and where they live. It was like she was giving herself some sort of test. When we got home, there were several post its stuck to the coffee table.

We arrived at the home around 1pm and Uncle Al was upset. Maryann had called. Uncle Al told her that I had called too and I was taking him out for his birthday. Unfortunately, she went nuts on him and yelled, telling him that I am a terrible person and how she doesn't want anything to do with me or my family (which is Al's family.) His daughter clearly hates me and blames me for all her ills in life. I do feel sad for Maryann and hope that one day she finds peace of mind.

Off we went with Uncle Al. The nurses had him dressed up and even gave him a shave. Al was happy to be going out with both Brian and me.

We took him to his favorite place, Rever Beach and got him an ice cream. Uncle Al was in his glory and enjoyed his special birthday treat. While we were standing along the shore and eating our ice cream, Uncle Al looked at me and said, "uh oh, I need to go to the bathroom." In all the excitement, I forgot to have Uncle Al use the toilet before we left. Damn!

Part of me wanted to say, "just go in your pants" because I knew he had a diaper on, but I couldn't get myself to say those words to him. Instead I looked up and saw the bath house about 1/4 mile away. We walked to the bathroom and I had Brian go in with Uncle Al.

Brian told me that once Uncle Al got inside the men's room, he saw an open stall and went into it. He was in there awhile so Brian checked on him. Al was using the toilet as a seat! He left his pants up and just sat down. He didn't need to use the bathroom after all.

It wasn't a big elaborate birthday celebration for Uncle Al, but it did mean a lot to him to see us.

All I can hope for is that one day, on my 83rd birthday, one of my nephews or neice come, spend time with me and take me out for an ice cream.

Hypertension in the Elderly

I've been puzzled by my mom's blood pressure. Her cardiologist told us that it's too high and he wanted her to take more high blood pressure meds.

It's ranging 160's/70. When I give her a banana, her blood pressure will drop.

Earlier I wrote a post about Fenugreek and how it raises blood pressure. My mom's blood pressure was lower when she was using Fenugreek.

I did a search on the net with key words hypertension and elderly, this is an article that helps me to make sense of my mom's blood pressure.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18397

Maybe my mom's BP is fine?

Type II Diabetes... there IS a CURE!

Now, I know the title of this blog post sounds too good to be true, but it IS! There is a cure for type 2 diabetes and it's been known for quite sometime.

So, what's the secret?

Stop eating processed foods. It's as simple as eliminating the poison that is labeled as food.

I found this website yesterday http://www.cancertutor.com/Diabetes/Diabetes_Type_II.htm which describes exactly what I did to help my mom beat her diabetes II.

No Bread, No Pasta, No Preservatives... this was my mantra for months because I noticed that when my mom stopped eating them, her blood sugar went down.

What I read from the above webpage is that if you stop eating the so-called food packaged in bright boxes with misleading print that states it's "all natural" or "sugar free" ... you can reverse your diabetes in 7 - 12 months. Plan and simple. Go back to basics.

I watched my mom become very sick over the years. It was a gradual decline, almost as though it was some sinister master plan of money hungry CEO's and boardmembers being played out before our eyes. All of us hypnotized by the flashy TV commercials to believe that this "new product" will help us feel good.

The stuff that they make, it tastes good to us. Our taste buds hijacked by the chemicals that seem to turn off our taste buds to REAL food. Vegetables don't taste good to us. We crave the salt and sugar that's in the bright packages.

The beginning to our end, processed foods.

There are foods, herbs and spices that lower blood sugar naturally. I've been writing about my mom's results based on her eliminating the poison from her diet and adding foods, herbs and spices that are known to regulate blood sugar.

The results? She has a normal A1C. Her Diabetes is a thing of the past. She's dropping weight. She's regaining her memory. Hallucinations have stopped completely. Why? Because she stopped eating the stuff in pretty boxes with misleading information printed all over them.

There are no magic pills that you can take that will reverse or stop diabetes. We can't jury rig the system so that we can continue to eat the crap in boxes and maintain good blood. Our blood is like our engine's oil, we need to give it the best nutrients so that we produce balanced blood that cleans our organs.

However, the supplements, herbs, spices and foods that I've been talking about in my blog posts help to speed up the healing.

Based on my observations and personal experiences, I believe that the first step is to stop eating the garbage. Second step is to use Fenugreek. It is known to fix the pancreas so that it produces insulin on its own. It also seems to reset the taste buds. I'm wondering if it's the bitterness of the herb that convinces the taste buds that vegetables are delicious?

Cinnamon is a superb spice. It's amazing the healing properties in this spice. Just a little bit sprinkled on an apple will lower blood sugar.

I've been talking to everyone that I meet about my mom and our discoveries. It seems that everyone we talk to either has diabetes or knows someone who has diabetes. Why the epidemic of diabetes and obesity? It's simple, just as I learned in one of my programming classes years ago, "Garbage in, garbage out." If you code a program that is not well thought out, you will not get the desired results. The same is true with our bodies. If we feed it garbage, we will feel like garbage.

Curing diabetes isn't just about changing how you eat, it's also changing how you think about yourself and the food you eat. Why take short cuts on yourself? Why believe what the TV commercials and glossy ads in magazines tell us to believe is true? The answer isn't in a magic pill that will miraculously cure our ailments. The answer is within your own head.

We all have free will. No one can force us to put anything into our bodies that we don't want to put into them. But, we can be bamboozled into believing what the executives in their ivory towers want us to believe, all through the power of suggestion.

The human mind is very suggestible. It can be led around with out us even realizing what is happening. People want to be accepted and feel like they belong, that they are part of something. Emotions are toyed with until we are all walking zombies, believing that "all natural" means organic (which it does NOT) so we buy it and ingest it.

What I have learned through my studies as a Hypnotherapist is that we can take control of our minds. Once we are aware of what is going on, we can regain control.

Curing diabetes requires a lifestyle change. It requires that we all take responsibility for ourselves and question authority. Just because someone claims to be an authority on something, doesn't mean that they are. Tune in to your gut. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Curing diabetes is a lifetime committment that you will make to yourself.

No matter how bad your diabetes is, you can cure yourself. My mom is proof. If I didn't see it for myself, I never would have believed it. I'm grateful to my mom for showing me that it's never too late to turn your health around. It all begins with you.

Diet, exercise, relaxation and fun... this is the prescription for living a long, healthy and happy life.

Herbs - they all seem to have a place

This morning, my mom's blood pressure had come way down, 149/80. This is her reading before taking her one high blood pressure med. In previous mornings, her readings had been well over 170/80.

I had the epiphany about fenugreek, raising blood pressure because of it's diuretic effects. Once I stopped cooking with fenugreek, her blood pressure has come down.

I still love fenugreek. It seems to have fixed my mom's pancreas so that she produces her own insulin.

What I'm learning first hand is that there are lots of herbs out there that treat the same ailment.

The trick appears to be finding the right herb to use or come up with a chemistry of different herbs and spices that work together to benefit the body in all ways.

I am on a mission to find the solution to having the right blend to promote superior health throughout my life (and anyone else who wants to listen.)

Fenugreek: Raises Blood Pressure

My mom's blood pressure has been on the rise. It got me wondering which herbal supplement raises blood pressure, it's Fenugreek.

Because Fenugreek is a diuretic, it makes you pee a lot more which makes your blood potassium deficient.

If you are going to use fenugreek, you really should consider eating bananas, walnuts, black beans, quinoa, to name a few potassium rich foods.

For now, we're holding off giving my mom anymore fenugreek until we talk to her Naturopath Doctor.

My next puzzle to solve is how much potassium type foods do you cook with fenugreek to keep blood pressure normalized.

Soon I'll write a post about Royal Camu. It's a supplement that my mom and I started to take a couple of weeks ago. So far, we both like this super food's affects.

How'd she do it?

If you've been reading my blog, you know that my mom was a heavy insulin user. She took 62 units per day and was on a cocktail of other pharmaceuticals that were prescribed to treat some "new" ailment.

It's no mystery that drugs are given to counteract side effects. I saw the devastating effects that this health prescription had on my mom. I watched her slowly decline and even begged her at one point not to die. Of course she lived or I wouldn't be writing about her successes in this blog and my future e-book.

My mom's journey toward renewed health after her pacemaker was installed a couple of years ago was challenging. The enviromental events that were occuring around us added extra stress and in many instances exaserbated the situation.

It was a gradual process for my mom to beat diabetes. First, she worked to take less insulin. Instead of just taking the insulin as prescribed, she would check her blood sugar. Often she'd say, "Susie, my blood sugar is 165, how much should I take?"

We recorded all of her blood sugar readings and I was able to see a pattern form. I showed my mom how to see the pattern and soon she was reducing her insulin. It was gradual.

I knew that her diet needed to change so I made sure that when she shopped, she bought real food. Nothing in a box if she could help it. She tossed out her coupons because the products that they were selling were poison.

My mom ate a lot of yogurt and jello. Looking back I laugh at how aggravated I got because she had so much yogurt and jello in our small refridgerator, it often landed on the floor splattering its contents all over my legs and bare feet. I will never forget the yogurt. It is how my mom helped herself break her habit of poor eating.

Over the course of about a year she weened herself off insulin.

When we moved from my house to where we live now, she wasn't able to find her way home so she stopped driving her car. It wouldn't start anyway, it had sit for so long in the driveway that squirrels began to build a nest under the hood somewhere.

I also took control of the shopping. My mom always came along. She wasn't able to buy herself candy treats and sneak them in the car on her drive home. Her car was always full of candy bar wrappers.

I have learned that you can not trust a diabetic with any sugar. You can't take it away from them either. It's like a drug.

Take it away and the person goes nuts and does their best to take you with them. It becomes a short trip to the nut house for both parties, the diabetic and the caregiver. No one wins.

There are ways to get yourself off white sugar and sugar-free. Use low glycemic Agave Nectar as a sweetener. Moderation. It's the key.

Eat more bitter stuff. Fenugreek is very bitter and also helps you to change your taste buds. Changing the taste buds was hard for my mom and me. So many times she told me the beautiful organic meal that I had made for her "sucks." But, because I have this sick urge to always try and please my mom, I try a little harder. That's when I discovered the miracle of Fenugreek and how it seemed to neutralize the taste buds to accept other healthful spices.

I analyzed everything about my mom. I even had her go to the dentist where she had her teeth repaired. Every 3 months we get our teeth cleaned. Brushing every day is very important. The nights she doesn't brush, her blood sugar readings are about 20 points higher in the morning. Brushing ones teeth is so important with maintaining good blood sugar levels.

The sooner you change your eating lifestyle the better you will feel all around. Everything takes time... there's no magic pill that will make diabetes go away. It took you a long time to get it, be patient with yourself.

Seek a Clinical Hypnotherapist to help you overcome your obstacles to success. Believe in yourself because when you believe in you... it's easy for every one else to believe in you too!

Let their be light!

The other day I was out in our back yard with my mom and my mother-in-law. We were admiring the garden when I turned and saw this beautiful dragonfly on Rachel's hair. It looked like a hair ornament.

I know that dragonflies are a totem that let's the person who's life it enters, know that there is a big change coming. It's time to face emotional issues that stem from childhood.

My mother in law talks about her horrible childhood all the time. She has trouble forgiving her parents for taking her childhood away. She tells me that she was the oldest daughter and had to take care of the kids. Her parents had a lot of kids.

Rachel definitely resents them for this. My wish for her is that she can forgive her parents and be grateful that those experiences she had helped her to raise an awesome man, my husband.

Maybe the dragonfly is a sign that good things are ahead? It's certainly a symbol of light.

My Mom's Progress Over the Last 14 Months

My mom was pretty sick not too long ago. Just one year ago she had slipped into a demented state. Looking back, I noticed that she quickly began to lose her mental abilities when we moved from my house and into my new husband's house. My mom was not happy about moving and even more unhappy when I sold my house. A place where my mom lived with me for 10 years, it was what she knew as her home.

I know from personal experience that it is extremely difficult to live with a parent that has dementia. I also know first hand that the decision to put a parent into a nursing home can make you lose sleep at night.

Fortunately, I didn't want to accept that there is no cure for dementia. I believe that the body can heal itself. I believe that we have the power in our minds to move mountains, so I searched for a solution to help keep my mom out of a nursing home.

During the time when I was researching different herbal remedies, my mom was driving me nuts. She would argue with me about people that were hiding in her room. There were people outside looking in. It was frightening for my mom and me. I didn't know what to do.

I used hypnosis on her. It helped a little. Then I began to really focus on her diet. I read about carbs and how they work with the body. How they trigger disease in the body and how the traditional medicines could have been making her mental state worse.

My mom hated being demented. She would have clear moments when I could talk to her about what I was learning off the internet. She went along with the diet changes. I had to deal with her hating the new food I was preparing for her, it wasn't out of a box. When she was demented she was very disagreeable about everything.

I learned that when she was in a demented state I needed to be gentle and happy. I couldn't be frustrated or agravated because she would pick up on the energy and turn on me like a rabid dog. It sucked. I cried until I figured out how to turn her weird state into a happy state of mind. It all began with me. She took her lead from me. If I was in a lousy mood, she was in a bad mood.

The time that we went through together, figuring out how to live with her dementia, was trying for me. I look back in amazement that we got through the rough spots. I suppose it was because I kept remembering my dad's favorite poem, "Don't Quit." I also knew that my mom was showing me my potential health troubles if I didn't make lifestyle changes. I had to find a solution, not only for my mom but for me (and the rest of my family.)

Now, just one year later, my mom is alert and laughing. She is a new person who appears to be getting younger every day.

What's her secret? I'm writing it in a book right now that I hope to have available with in the next couple of months as an ebook.

There is hope for diabetics and seniors who have been diagnosed with Alzheimers or dementia.

A Day at the Beach

Today my mom and I picked up Uncle Al at 11:00 am so that we could go to Kelly's for clams. Uncle al LOVES Kelly's fried clams and clam chowdah, so do I. My mom, she enjoyed some chowder and chicken.

Uncle Al ate as though he hadn't eaten in days. He had passed up on his breakfast this morning at the home so that he could eat at his favorite restaurant.

His nurse told me how he argued with her this morning and wouldn't eat much of his breakfast because he was "saving himself" for his lunch with my mom and me.

After we had clams, I drove him down to Revere Beach. My mom wanted an ice cream, so we went to Kell's Kreme and got a little soft serve. It was a treat, although it did drip all over my mom, Uncle Al and me. It was a beautiful day down the beach to have an ice cream.

My mom is doing great. Uncle Al is doing well. Every one is happy... yay!

A Day at the Dentist

My mom has wanted to have her broken teeth repaired for a couple of years.

We didn't have the money to get her teeth fixed, so she saved.

Today, she had enough money and went to the dentist where she had her teeth repaired.

She'll be able to enjoy eating food again. I know she'll smile more now that the missing and broken teeth were made to look perfect.

Right now she's not too thrilled. Her face is a little swollen.

I made her chicken soup.

Tomorrow, she can eat a steak!

The Wonders of the Body

Yesterday was my birthday where I started into my 50th year. Woooo Hooo! A half century has passed since I graced this Earth with my presence. Who knew back on August 5, 1960 that on my 49th birthday I would feel that the greatest gift I could have received was having my mom sweep the patio. But, it was!

My mother is coming back. She's finding her mind. Yesterday she not only picked up a broom to sweep the patio, she actually INITIATED a conversation with my husband and me. Yes, she did have trouble remembering names, but for the most part she was speaking and communicating. She was laughing. I almost started to cry, but I held back the tears... crying makes my face blotchy.

On Tuesday we visited a Naturopath Doctor. I figured I'd better talk to a pro about my mom's health, someone who knew the supplements that I was giving her. Dr. Barton gave her a homeopathic remedy, just a few drops in water. He told us that it would help clear up her confusion.

Sure enough, it is working. I wouldn't say my mom is 100% yet, but she's way better than just a few short weeks ago where I still had to play "guess what I'm trying to say" with her.

This morning my mom said to me, "I feel smarter. Is it in my head or am I really smarter?" I told her that she's really smart. That it's real, that she's getting her memory back.

Not being able to remember is like not being able to catch your breath... very frustrating and scary.

I do highly recommend people seeing a Naturopath Doctor for all that ails you and even for general health. These doctors are old time doctors, the ones who cared about their patients and got to know everything about the person so that they treated the ENTIRE person, not just the symptom.

If more people started to take charge of their lives, no matter how sick you think you are, there's hope. There's hope because of the wonders of the body and its ability to heal itself.

Happy Birthday Scottie!

Today is my nephew Scott's 23rd birthday, where did the years go?

You are an amazing pitcher with a warm personality that lights up any room that you walk into.

My birthday wish for you is that you can achieve all of your goals with ease.

Happy Birthday Scottie!

Happy Anniversary - Ma and Dad

Today is the 57th anniversary of when my parents got married.

Here's a picture of my dear old mom with my dad. This was before they had all of us kids, when they were young and had NO idea where life would take them.

I do know that my parents loved their kids the best that they could. I'm grateful to have had them as my folks.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Ma and Dad!

Hey You...

On Saturday my sister Donna came over and took my mom out for the day. As usual, my mom was up, dressed and sitting in the living room with her purse waiting for her to arrive.

Friday I had taken Uncle Al out for the day and I had mentioned that we should go to the zoo. It put the thought in my mom's head so when Donna was driving around lost, they saw the sign for the zoo and made a spur of the moment decision to stroll the zoo.

Eight bucks admission for each of them. Wow! I remember going when I was a kid, it was something like a dollar to get in the park.

Donna told me that they walked all over the park and they didn't have many animals. How sad. At least they paid an admission price that would pay to care for the animals.

During their day out together, my mom couldn't remember Donna's name. Donna is the one she sees most often (beside me of course) and has a hard time remembering her name. She has been calling my sister Donna, "Sue" (which is my name) for a long time. I did correct her for awhile, but thought it was frustrating her when I would so I just ignored her error and let her continue with her conversation.

Donna began to quiz my mom on the names of all of her kids, she had 5 of us. She has no problem remembering my name (I live with her) or my sister Ann's name because her name is a derivative of my mom's middle name, Anna. She remembers my brother Ed too, the son who passed away 8 years ago, he was named after my dad. But, Donna and Marty, those 2 names escape her more often than not.

During the name your kids quiz, my mom looked at Donna when Donna said, "So what is my name?" My mom looked at her with a little smile and said, "Hey you?" They both laughed out loud... now we joke when my mom is trying to remember Donna's name, I will say, "What's Hey You's real name?" My mom laughs and eventually she remembers Donna's name.

When Donna brought our mom home, she told me about my mom not remembering her name. I told her that her memory is really getting better with her supplements, at one time she didn't even talk because she couldn't form complete sentences. I assured Donna that her memory is returning and that I am sorry that she had to experience it first hand.

Seeing our mom's memory slip away really freaked me out the first time I noticed it, which is the reason I went in search of a natural solution to bring her memory back. I believe the body can heal itself with the right coaxing from natural herbs and spices.

Yesterday, I added some extra memory boosting spices and herbs to our diet. My mom also began taking Royal Camu capsules in addition to Brain Tonic (made from Gotu Kola, Sage, Rosemary and thyme.)

I took everything that my mom took yesterday. The Zucchini Brain Cakes that I made for breakfast (recipe will follow in another post) were packed with brain stimulant herbs and spices. She had 3 cordyceps, 2 royal camu and food that was packed with memory powering herbs - she was more alert. I gave her the "name your kids" quiz and she REMEMBERED EVERYONE'S NAME! Even Donna and Marty.

For dinner she had chicken soup with egg noodles (store bought, 42 g Carbs) and a slice of bread with a little butter. No fenugreek capsules. No Cordyceps.

This morning she woke up and we checked her blood sugar... her reading was 83! This was the lowest Blood glucose number I've seen in a long time. Any fasting number below 90 is fabulous and is NORMAL.

What am I learning from all of this?

First of all, I'm seeing with my own eyes that managing blood glucose is key to keeping all of your organs healthy and happy. Secondly, I am learning that the body CAN AND WILL heal itself if it's given enough love and care. Eat right, get plenty of rest, laugh and move your body... the result will bring you loads of happiness.

A Royal Breakfast for the Elderly

This morning I woke up early and had some time to read up on the medicinal properties of spices and herbs... what are they good for? It was what was used back in the ancient times and I've heard tales that people lived a very long time. It's been this thought that I've held since I was a little girl that piqued my interest in food. I like growing it. Preparing it. Most of all, I enjoy tasting.

As far back as I can remember, I've always had the gift where I can smell and taste flavors in my mind and then pull them together into a unique recipe.

To this day I love creating recipes, much to the chagrin of my family at times. Most of the time however, my food art sends eyes rolling with delight from the explosion of flavors.

My mom is not afraid to tell me if something that I make "sucks" and for some stupid reason, ever since I was a kid, I always look for her approval, especially with food that I prepare. This desire to please my mom marches on.

This morning, after reading about spices and herbs, I was inspired to create. I created what I am going to call a Royal Breakfast for the Elderly. In it are spices and herbs that are good for lowering blood sugar, blood cholesterol, memory boosting and antioxidants to scrub the plaque off brain neurons.

Here it is... my first recipe that I am giving to my faithful readers. Thank you!

Royal Breakfast for the Elderly

(and those of us who just FEEL Elderly)

1/4 tsp Royal Maca (Whole World Botanicals - this can be purchased at Whole Foods)

1/4 Tsp Royal Camu

1/4 tsp Allspice

1/4 tsp Fenugreek

1/4 cup organic oat flakes

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (frozen blueberries have more antioxidant properties - freezing does something to make them stronger.)

1/2 cup water

Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar to taste - it's sweet so go light

A little milk to put over the oatmeal

Microwave Instructions

• Put all dry ingredients in a microwave safe bowl
• 
  
• add water
• 
  
• mix
• 
  
• Microwave on high for 1 minute - watching it to make sure it doesn't boil over
• 
  
• Stir
• 
  
• Microwave on high for 45 seconds
• 
  
• Add blueberries and stir
• 
  
• Microwave on high for 15 seconds

I ate some with my mom and it's really quite good. The Agave Nectar drizzled over the top was superb.

I'll make observations with my mom and me and report the results in a future post.