tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79555709619727202922024-02-07T11:53:18.261+00:00Food And ArthritisAdd the RIGHT foods to your diet to REDUCE arthritic pain and inflammation.<br>
Include the WRONG foods to your diet and INCREASE arthritic pain and inflammation.<br>
My choice? A life-journey based on a low-oil whole-food plant based diet.<br>
Whatever your current state of health, make yourself healthier - you deserve it. Start your plant based diet journey today.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-22245058828544433562019-04-07T09:10:00.000+01:002019-04-07T09:14:59.838+01:00Two toes change in my body because of yogaI have been trying to think of some way of documenting the beneficial changes in my body because of my Bikram Yoga practice at <a href="http://yogavenue.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yogavenue in Oxford</a>. Now I think this blog is the right place. Bikram yoga is a static yoga, that is you get into a pose and hold it, thus strengthening the muscles under focus for that position. With this yoga you do the exact same 26 poses day in day out, wherever you are in the world. This means you can see the microscopic improvements. Such changes mean little to someone else, but to the individual they can be enormous.<br />
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The are huge because they are solid improvements across the body that accumulate over time. So one recent example was my two left toes beside my big toe. Suddenly I felt them "grounding" on the floor providing greater more stable support to my standing poses. It is not as if I had not thought my left toes were not doing anything before, but suddenly, and permanently, they are going to provide my standing poses with a much more solid foundation.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-36888370469416988132019-04-06T17:14:00.001+01:002019-04-07T08:21:57.111+01:00Still going strongI have not posted on this blog for a couple of years and guess some people might think that is because my health might have deteriorated. The opposite is true. My body has been in a healing groove, as I like to think of it, and continues to repair itself. I still do my Bikram Yoga and stay true to the Paddison Program.<br />
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I write this now, prompted by a couple of posts on the NRAS forums on <a href="http://www.healthunlocked.com/nras" target="_blank">HealthUnlocked</a>. There is a strange buearocracy on HU which prevents me responding directly. The problem was caused by my rejection of NRAS policy that "diet has no effect." And since this is my first post for a long long time let me address that subject again.<br />
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"Diet has no effect. " That's completely wrong in both my experience and understandinf of the science.<br />
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Yes, had I just adopted a whole food plant based diet then I would not be where I am today. The key benefit of Paddison Program is that it is about the process. It is about self-education and learning what foods trigger arthritis in your body. That is a huge lesson to learn and not an easy one!<br />
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For some people, perhaps many people coming from a heavy meat-based diet they could very further complications such as one or more of a range bowel issues. For example they may have trouble digesting oxalates. So some vegetables are high in oxalates and so part of the eduction is about reducing those foods while increasing others. Such a restriction may be needed for one or more months. You can get blood tests to help identfy issues, but with so much else going on, including arthritis looking at the overall picture is a key strength of the paddison approach.<br />
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Let me pin this one down. Modern society is fixated with a pill mentaltity. We are inundated with media messages, if not eduction, that there is a magic pill that can make us right, possibly overnight.<br />
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And so on that kind of note I agree with NRAS. There is no magic pill. But Paddison Program first and foremost is a process, a process about self-education. No-one, and I mean no-one comes out of PP eating the same as anyone else. Everyone is different.<br />
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But that difference is based on them finding their own healing groove. A healing groove where they feel better almost each and every day. Yes some days might be tough, but the general trend is that healing is taking place.<br />
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That's where I am. My body was totally wasted. I mean life in a wheelchar is not exactly conducive to good physical health. So now, following the trend I started October 18th 2016, I continue my Bikram Yoga regime. My physical body continues to improve, slowly, steadily.<br />
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I continue to research, daily research and modify my diet slightly to improve the nutrition I consume. This I will do to my dying breath. I also hope to live to a 100 and be doing my yoga at that age.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-53825963287464331232017-11-16T23:14:00.003+00:002017-11-16T23:20:12.785+00:00Why some people fail on a vegan dietI thought I might do my own rant on the subject of why people transitioning to a vegan diet might fail. Let me start is with listing all possible reasons:<br />
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<li>Poor <b>motivation </b>to become a vegan in the first place,</li>
<li>The vegan diet they tried was an <b>unhealthy </b>one,</li>
<li>They did not give sufficient time for <b>gut bacteria </b>to change, and finally</li>
<li>It was not a <b>lifestyle </b>change</li>
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As you can see, on the surface, this is not a big list. But inside these bullet points there are some big subjects. Let's start out with motivation.</div>
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<b>Motivation</b>: People usually wish to become vegan for one or more of three main reasons: personal health, animal welfare or the health of the planet.</div>
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I became a vegan for personal health reasons. The transition to becoming a vegan resolved my long standing arthritis problems. So with such a clear personal experience of how my own good health is woven into the mesh of what foods go down my throat, there is no way I will deviate far from my chosen diet.</div>
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However, what has been interesting and totally unexpected is not only that my immediate health issues have been addressed but also a range of other health issues, including weight also seem to be addressed. My skin is clear, by body rebounds from health challenges better, I could go on.</div>
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And yes, let me go on a little bit more. You see I have done my research. I have checked out the extensive peer-reviewed independent research and it is unequivocal: such a diet as I have is a protection from many of today's chronic diseases.</div>
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<b>Healthy Diet</b>: So from my small beginnings of changing from a vegetarian to a vegan I have come a long way. But along that way I learnt about what constitutes a healthy vegan. You see it is very possible to be a vegan and at the same time be unhealthy. Again there are several reasons for this. Perhaps someone idly thinks that just becoming a vegan is all that is necessary. Sadly there is danger in "transition" processed foods that many new vegans try. Perhaps it is a bacon or sausage replacement. Perhaps it is vegan cheese. These foods have their place but one does need to be wary. If all you do is replace meat with direct vegan alternatives that, in my opinion will become a poor diet.</div>
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Fortunately for myself my transition moved me straight on towards the Paddison program diet. They great thing about that change is it moved me straight into a healthy vegan diet, or to be more precise an ultra-healthy vegan diet. Let me explain why I say healthy and ultra-healthy. A healthy vegan diet is one that focuses on whole-foods particularly at the expense of processed foods. The implication is that someone on a healthy vegan diet has little or no processed foods and so is in fact cooking almost all meals from scratch.</div>
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Take today's evening meal as an example. I soaked some black beans overnight, cooked them this morning and added a range of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices. This was all cooked in a large heavy pan with enough for four evening meals for myself and my wife and I am very pleased to say the meal was delicious. There was nothing in that meal that was processed. And, from my researches it proves that that meal was incredibly nutritious, meeting all our protein, calorific etc etc.</div>
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My goal here is not to prove I am a great cook. Rather that what I created was easy to make, cheap and very healthy. Anyone could cook it and be very happy with the result.</div>
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And so onto that extra word "ultra". Why do I claim that my diet is ultra-healthy. Well for starters excluded from my meal is anything that could cause an arthritic reaction in my body. That means excluding foods like fresh tomatoes.</div>
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But ultra means more than that. It means that the meal was cooked with no oils. Our modern society has a love affair with oils, especially extra-virgin olive oil. It has been sold by plentiful and assiduous marketing to believe that refined oils are good for you. The result is a fat society. Not only that, for my body fats and oils are significant triggers of inflammation. Yes, I can tolerate some oils, but I monitor what I eat carefully.</div>
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A third dimension of an ultra-healthy diet is about continuing research. It is about being awake to new research that explains how to optimise my life.from a food perspective. It is about taking blood readings for cholesterol, B12 and other indicators of a healthy bloodstream. I do not want to paint a picture of someone who is paranoid about their health. But my body has a proven serious weakness, and that is arthritis. People with arthritis commonly are expected to die early. Well, I am not going to let that happen to me if I can help it. My body has a proven weakness and it would be foolish to ignore that.</div>
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Just because I have little or no arthritis reacting in my body today does not mean I am immune to its problems tomorrow. In fact after recent cold and back sprains I have experienced some difficult nights with pain in joints such as wrists and ankles. My point here is that my body has a weakness and I have to pay attention to dealing with that. Sitting on my laurels, so to speak is not an option.</div>
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<b>Gut Bacteria</b>: Now let me move onto the matter of gut bacteria. Many people who attempt to become a vegan do not give it enough time or do not take the matter seriously enough. The gut rules the mind. Your gut is telling you what to eat. So if you have had a life of eating meats then giving that up means your gut is going to fight back. I read of cases all the time when someone has reactions to basic foods that generally cause no reaction. Perhaps it is a plain food such as quinoa, which on its own is as bland as bland can be. Contrast that with a highly seasoned sausage or fish, then in terms of taste and attractiveness quinoa will lose out every time.</div>
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Add to this the challenge of friends and family saying you are doing something silly or even stupid and it takes a brave ad determined person to get past that threshold. I was talking about time. The human gut fully replenishes itself every 3 months. Every time you poo down the toilet the majority of what is excreted is gut bacteria, billions of them.</div>
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Anyone who does not fully commit to a vegan diet (and by this shorthand I really mean a whole-food plant based diet with no oils) will find their gut bacteria taking longer to adapt. Even a piece of meat or fish or some cheese once a week can slow that change to a grinding halt.</div>
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<b>Lifestyle</b>: And so we come to the final piece of the jigsaw. My kind of diet is a lifestyle diet. I don't have to plan meals, I simply go to the fridge and make up meals from whatever I find. It is an amazing feeling to be able to make something substantial out of nothing, and that is often what cooking seems like. Water goes in the pan over a low heat, add onions, garlic, ginger, spices & herbs, cooked pulses and beans and then move onto the veg. Towards the end of cooking check for taste and serve.</div>
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But there is more to lifestyle than the cooking. Shopping is brilliant, since the only aisles you typically need to visit in supermarkets are whole-foods and fresh veg. Supermarket visits are so quick and cheap!</div>
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A huge part of lifestyle is exercise. I remember in the early part of our marriage my wife washing with a twin-tub. That was, compared to today's modern washing machine hard work because you had to lift wet clothes from the washing tub and place them in the spinning tub, day in, day out. Of course in its day the twin-tub was a miracle that made life easy. My point is that modern society for most people is completely lethargic and lazy. We drive everywhere and even exercise for many people is limited to 30 minutes per week because of pressures of work.</div>
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Well, my life has changed, and as I have blogged my life revolves around yoga, Bikram yoga. Yesterday I did around four hours of sweating yoga postures. Every day for the last seven days I have done at least two hours per day of hard focused exercise.</div>
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Yes I need the yoga. My body definitely needs the yoga. If I did not do yoga my body would regress. There is no middle ground. Because of my arthritis I have to fight. If I fight I get healthier. If I stop fighting I regress.</div>
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But becoming a healthy and successful vegan is about people seeing my story in themselves. What motivates me will not easily motivate someone else. For success they need to see that just becoming a vegan is not simply about leaving meat or fish off the plate.</div>
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To successfully become a vegan is about understanding what health is all about. That is a journey and sadly some people fail to complete the journey. Hopefully they will try again another day, for their sake.</div>
andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-51652869825286779172017-10-30T13:35:00.001+00:002017-10-30T14:48:31.019+00:00The rebuild continuesI have not posted for a while, and perhaps that infrequent-mode will be a continuing trend. After all I am not selling anything just documenting my recovery from a chronic disease using food and exercise. So while it is nice for me to post how I have done this, that or the other, I have never felt that the most useful time for my readers. So why post now?<br />
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Well in recent months I have had two non-RA related health challenges. Firstly I felt well enough on holiday to jump off a high cliff into the sea. All was well until I landed, which I did badly and suffered back strain which meant I had a couple of hospital visits. That incident was in September, and what is notable, to my mind anyway is the rate of recovery. Because of my yoga I now I have the internalised knowledge of how to deal with back pain. That's not to say the pain is any less or more than anyone else's at the outset. But rather I knew how to deal with it to help both manage the pain and aid recovery.<br />
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I am very thankful for my whole-food plant based diet which, in my mind, clearly helped provide, in my mind, the best foundation for great recovery. On top of that a serious approach to appropriate yoga poses and techniques, not least a focus on lifting the chest whilst pulling the tummy in.<br />
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My second incident was also self-inflicted. I recently watched a great video advocating fermenting oats. Well I got it wrong and suffered a bout of food poisoning as a result with a day's diarrhea followed by a week or so of gradually lessening stomach cramps.<br />
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As my stomach now returns to normal and my back pain feels more like a distant memory I look back on my wounds. I conclude that life is full of challenges and I am proud to have made some challenges to myself. Yes, I got these wrong, but my body recovers and recovers well. But there is more than that. I now know more about my body, what it is capable of given the right conditions.<br />
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And my RA? Well on the one hand when I get my next blood test results later this week I full expect them to be the best I have ever had. And my as to my yoga practice - well that just gets better. I still have no masterful poses to astonish people with, but for me I feel I am becoming a master of my own body.<br />
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And that is more than sufficient.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-75575311842003207132017-08-03T07:13:00.001+01:002017-08-03T10:33:59.388+01:00A story of a broken health service and back pain with an arthritic endingMy apologies if this seems a long story...<br />
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The ending of last weekend has not been my favourite, not by a long chalk. I, we, have lost one child and the merest inkling of a possibility of losing our other is beyond comprehension. And so as last weekend ended that was how it felt to me.<br />
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[Let me just insert a point here, I am trying to tell this story from my own perspective because this is my blog. That is not to diminish in any way the equal and great love and concern of my wife and my son's wife and indeed my 8-month old grandson (who was reacting to the escalating emotions and lack of access to his Dad).]<br />
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The weekend itself was full of fun and joy, lots of new babies, three generations of friends, lots of happiness and photographs. And then time to go home. Except that my son's back pain exploded into a such a state that he could not move. He had made it upstairs to bed and as Monday unfolded (and other guests disappearing) found that coming downstairs was an increasing impossibility. Not only that he could make it to the toilet, could not move any which-way without spasms of pain wreaking through his entire body.<br />
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To see a human in such pain is an awful experience. Though I am sure my son would say to be that person is much much worse! For us it is that feeling of helplessness. This is a moment in the UK you turn to our beloved <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/" target="_blank">NHS</a>. The first question is whether to phone the <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservices/Pages/NHS-111.aspx" target="_blank">111 helpline</a> or <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservices/Pages/responding-to-emergencies-FAQ.aspx" target="_blank">999 emergency helpline</a>. Is this a life-threatening emergency? We decided, despite the pain, no.<br />
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So we called 111. They said we needed to call our local GP first. And so a call to <a href="http://www.sixwaysclinic.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sixways</a> medical centre in Charlton Kings area of Cheltenham began our dive down a black hole of the NHS system. You see my son is a visitor to Cheltenham. So to get a doctor he needs to sign on as a patient to a local GP. We tried two GP services over several calls and neither would nor could not help. The final recommendation was to call back after 6.30 pm when the out-of-hours service would help. We called back then only to be told to call the 111 service!<br />
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And so we found ourselves in a no-man's land. The 111 service (largely staffed by tick-box people) would not send anyone to help. The local GP refused help. Time to escalate and call 999. Except because this was not "life-threatening" that 999 called replied that we must call 111.<br />
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A black hole. Remember here we have someone writhing in pain. I say writhing. My son could not writhe. He could not stand, could not sit, even lying down was not a place where anything like comfort resided.<br />
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Let us briefly talk medication. Before the weekend my son had had back pain. Nothing like what he now had. From his own GP he had been prescribed codeine and dicoflex. The latter raised alarm bells with me because being based on Diclofenac this is the drug that brought me to my knees with my Rheumatoid Arthritis. And codeine is one of the other drugs that I took as my own situation deteriorated back in late 2015. Bells are going off in my brain everywhere.<br />
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If you want to say panic set in, then I was "this" close. I like to think I am a stable person who thinks rationally and acts on best information. But here was my son, his health deteriorating rapidly and a UK health service unwilling to help.<br />
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Hours are going by here. Phone calls left hanging. Very, very fortunately we had the help of an amazing family, our weekend hosts, who had been there, done that - including experience of back pain. They took the strain of dealing with much the problem off from our shoulders. For that and so much more, we can never thank them enough. They made call after call trying to navigate local GPs, 111 and 999 with skill, patience and diligence.<br />
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Eventually, eventually we were told a paramedic would visit our son in 4-6 hours. This was now around 7pm so we are talking about someone coming around midnight. With everyone exhausted we needed sleep. The door bell was checked to make sure we would here the impending arrival of help and fitful sleep started. I "awoke" around midnight to our hosts dressed and on their way out of the door. It turned out this "fabulous" health service had failed again. They had taken a phone call from 111 service to say that there was no on-call doctor available that night anywhere in Gloucestershire. Our lifeline of someone who could help had evaporated into the ether.<br />
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Let me repeat that. The entirety of Gloucestershire had no doctor available for Monday night.<br />
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As a replacement they said that a prescription for Diazepam was available for collection. Of course the NHS could have prescribed this 6 hours earlier! That would have been a cheap and sensible alternative to the charade that was being played out at my son's expense. That, in my opinion is where 111 should have finished the job.<br />
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Whatever at that moment our hosts drove off into the night. I tried to stay awake expecting our friends to be back at any time. Instead sleep took over and it was not until early next morning that I found out they had travelled many miles to Gloucester Hospital and back. With Diazepam inside him my son's back spasms somewhat subsided allowing him to get some sleep.<br />
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I'd like to put a shout out here for <a href="http://acupuncturetherapeuticmassage.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Craig</a>, a local acupuncture and therapeutic masseur at this point. He came on Monday morning at very short notice to do what he could to give my son some relief. Thank you, Craig. I was not present since I was walking my grandson in his pushchair around local streets. I don't know if what you did helped my son. It certainly did not harm him and I feel your advice and assistance was of great value. You ensured what you did caused no conflict with the process of our pathway through the UK health service.<br />
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As Tuesday rolled by the back spasms were reducing slowly. The cocktail of drugs was helping him to get some rest and with that the healing process began. We are now coming towards the end of the story. Our sanity is returning. Yes, our son clearly needed an MRI scan to ensure no actual damage had been done internally to his spine. But he was finding a smile and that can never be a bad thing. This brilliant thing called the human body was doing what it was good at, healing itself. That is not to say my son was out of bed and running around - not by any stretch of the imagination. Late Tuesday afternoon a call came from our son for help. It turned out that he had actually been able to get out of bed and stand up and walk to the door. That is a small miracle.<br />
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This miracle is where I would like to draw my story to an end, and an arthritic end. You see I have spent the last two years studying and learning about my disease. A lot of that has been learning about the way the body deals with attacks such as broken bones, arthritis - and as it turns out back pain.<br />
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It was Craig who brought me to see something. After visiting my son, Craig said, that as likely as not Arthur might probably suddenly find some pain relief and good improvement in his condition. That had actually happened. What was going on?<br />
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The body, when attacked develops an auto-immune response. This is the liver producing a flood of CRP (C-Reactive Protein) that is carried through the body via white blood cells. In Arthritis this flood never stops, especially if you continue eating foods that cause further floods. In my son as soon as the Diazepam stopped the lower back spasms he had his last flood of new CRP. He then had only to wait for the CRP to die back. That CRP flood and associated die back has a predictable pattern that is well documented. The life-cycle of CRP means that within 18 hours to two days my son would feel relief. That is exactly what happened.<br />
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Yesterday, Wednesday, my son was well enough to get downstairs and even travel in a comfortable car the 100 or so miles to his home in Loughborough where his own doctor was able to see him. This is well away from Gloucester and Cheltenham's health service. Never have I been happier.<br />
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Yes, my son has a way to go in his recovery. His doctor is convinced that there is no internal damage that would not be healed by good rest and the assistance of a relevant physiotherapist. That task starts today. He, his amazing wife and our beloved grandson are home and safe.<br />
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Thank you for reading. If there are any errors here they are probably because at the moment I am not even sure what day it is. But to be sure it is a better one than yesterday, and I know even more about arthritis than I did before.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-43252556944718404972017-07-03T10:44:00.002+01:002017-07-03T14:17:40.771+01:00Are NRAS fit for purpose?Excuse me for making a controversial post. Over some months I posted onto the <a href="https://healthunlocked.com/nras" target="_blank">NRAS forums</a> on the HealthUnlocked website about my dietary changes and progress towards good health. I even went to meet Ailsa Bosworth at NRAS headquarters to discuss the benefits of dietary improvements. Ailsa was kind enough to take a paper from me to present to the NICE committee and came back with the feedback that the research supporting the Paddison Program was not "gold standard".<br />
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So good so far.<br />
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I continued to post that my health was continuing to improve. Sadly my posts, both and after the meeting met with hostility from certain forum members. Indeed I started one thread, "I feel sorry..." whose remit was again to help people begin to think that they might actually help themselves to better health with dietary interventions. This was met with a barrage of hostility.<br />
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It's not that NRAS are against diet.<br />
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NRAS has always upheld the advantages of a Mediterranean diet. Whereas I have always challenged this position. For me, anyone who puts meat in their mouth is putting a minimum of 30% fat, and often trans-fats, into their body. Also almost everyone who seriously explores dietary options finds that dairy - milk, eggs and cheese - are big triggers for inflammation. And so we are at odds.<br />
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But today NRAS goes too far.<br />
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Today one of NRAS staff posted arguing that the program I have benefited from has two issues. The thread you can read at <a href="https://healthunlocked.com/nras/posts/135777663/ra-sufferer.">https://healthunlocked.com/nras/posts/135777663/ra-sufferer</a>. All someone asked was has anyone tried the Clint Paddison program. NRAS jumped in with the response, "absolutely no proven evidence to back up the claims of this programme" and also then went on to describe his program as a "money making scheme with no evidence base at all."<br />
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That is too far. This is coming from an organisation who year after year takes money from drug companies! After all Ailsa had already accepted that she had presented evidence from Clint Padisson to the NICE committee on Arthritis. As to money-making, yes Clint charges for his program. He has to live. He does not get any money from drug companies. He does not sell any supplements or tablets of any kind. He advocates yoga as being 40% of his program and yet receives no financial reward for that promotion.<br />
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I realise that by posting this probably NRAS will do some kind of cleansing of its forums to remove my posts. The organisation has had a history of doing this for other people, so I guess my posts will suffer the same fate.<br />
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Who cares?<br />
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Well, the only reason for ever posting anything is to change someone else's life. In my case I do it to help people with arthritis think about improving their lives. I would hope that NRAS had similar aspirations. Apparently not. Rather than encourage people to think about changing their diet for the better NRAS want to shut down that kind of debate.<br />
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A final note. The first of July, a couple of days ago. I finished tapering my methotrexate. No more drugs. A drug free life begins now. I took almost six months of tapering to be safe in the knowledge I was not doing my body any harm. Instead I have never felt healthier. I wish I could say the same for people on the NRAS forums.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-5524544897041107942017-06-23T14:15:00.002+01:002017-06-23T14:29:22.298+01:00Respecting my Doctor and my RheumatologistThroughout my entire blog, and indeed anywhere else I have posted I have hardly touched on the subject of my doctor. That is unfair, so I will correct it with this post. I would not be as healthy as I am without the full support of my doctor and my Rheumatologist. A big fear for anyone who thinks about going down the road of changing their diet is that somehow they may be going against their doctor's advice. This is especially true when the first likely response when the subject of diet is raised is that "diet has no effect."<br />
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But if you remember that all your doctor wants is for you to be well and healthy. And in my case my doctor had repeatedly said, "lose some weight." Mind you don't most doctors say that to most people! Anyway I insisted that I was going to begin to explore dietary options, that was my choice. Whatever and very importantly I also accepted the doctor's advice in what they are good at - that of medication. And so I started my course of methotrexate, something my doctor thought I would be taking for the rest of my life.<br />
<a name='more'></a>It wasn't just the methotrexate, it was codeine, naproxen, ibruprofen, diclofenac, 10% gel and more. And when my doctor wanted to up the dosage on methotrexate, I accepted that, very reluctantly, but I accepted it.<br />
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However according to the program I follow, my diet changed, and as I have repeatedly posted that was towards one of a low-oil whole-food plant based diet (which for simplicities sake some times I call a vegan diet). My <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGWZ6hsOZ0" target="_blank">15 minute youtube video</a> about my story shows clearly how having started down my dietary route that my CRP began to descend, and apart from stalling around August 2016 (at which point I reluctantly stopped anything I could with oils in it), and steadily dropped and dropped until in February this year it was deemed almost normal.<br />
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When I say "it was deemed", I really mean that my doctor accepted that was okay - and that's on my medical records. What I had set out to achieve I had succeeded in, and my doctor was seeing that.<br />
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So in February I had a meeting with my doctor and we discussed how to taper, how to reduce and eventually come off my methotrexate. Now, let me be clear, I was in the driving seat here. My doctor was still cynical, and rightly so. But I said I would never know if I actually needed the methotrexate if I simply stayed on it for the rest of my life.<br />
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I then cautiously started tapering at one less tablet every month. Methotrexate comes in 2.5mg tablets and at the time I was on five tablets. And so I tapered and now as I write I am almost on my last ever tablet. There is an important point here. Every month I get blood tests and every time my doctor marks his comments. I specifically have waited for the comments on my blood tests to ensure everything this good. If there was ever a negative comment I would have stopped tapering and perhaps increased my dosage. That hasn't happened and the tapering has gone smoothly.<br />
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There are a couple of other point about this tapering period worth noting. Firstly I added an extra dietary challenge during the period. That of adding-back foods that I previously had had an intolerance, an RA reaction, to. These are bread & gluten and the nightshade family. All food reintroductions went smoothly. Tomatoes was my big one, and I took a whole month adding tomatoes back into my diet. I took a whole month over tomatoes because, previously tomatoes could put me in agony for a couple of weeks!<br />
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The second thing is that as I tapered, when I was down to I think 3 tablets I began to feel my body becoming healthier. There is nothing I can prove of show on this. It was an extraordinary feeling. My guess is that, in reality drugs are really poisons, so besides halting serious health challenges such as RA they have side-effects on one's general health.<br />
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And so last Monday I met with my Doctor again to provide an update. If I remember it right, I was amazed by a comment he made, "nutrition is the future." So from being a sceptical doctor now he is at least open to thinking that it is possible that a good or even great diet can have beneficial effects on the human body. This is based on him seeing first hand the significant benefits on my health.<br />
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Of course, my diet is neither good nor great. My diet is superb. It is tuned to support my body and in that it does exceedingly well.<br />
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Oh, and my rheumatologist? Well I am due my next six monthly appointment soon, but at my last visit he said, "I wish all my patients were like you."andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-1506797198210364992017-06-23T13:31:00.000+01:002017-06-23T13:31:11.456+01:00June Meetup Next MondayThe next meetup for anyone interested in chatting about diet and arthritis will be in the Emporium next Monday 11-1pm. I am usually sat at the oval table with a pile of books on the subject.<br />
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http://eynsham-pc.gov.uk/org.aspx?n=Diet-Arthritis-Chat-Timeandyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-79020109573539032942017-06-10T08:23:00.001+01:002017-06-10T08:23:27.210+01:00Please help me!I have been struck recently by some people of my age who seem to give up on life. They seem to think is is somehow normal that getting older means getting ill. No-one wants to be ill. Being ill is a horrible thing. And yes, in today's modern society being ill is associated with being old. Not only that the older you get the more ill people seem to expect to be. These people want to avoid being ill and so their solution is to hope to die quickly when it happens. They are hoping the die (dice) spins that way.<br />
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<b>But they do not need to rely on the spin of a die. </b>From my experience over the last two years I am totally convinced that a most common illnesses (many life-threatening) of the older population can be completely avoided with close attention to just two things: <b>what you eat </b>and <b>what exercise you get</b>. Critically to be healthy is not just about exercise. Exercise, however hard and regular, on its own will not stop stroke or cancer or a heart attack. The answer begins with a very serious close look at personal dietary choices, and that's where I need help.<br />
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If people very seriously look at what they consume it is possible I will not be the only last men standing amongst my friends and family! Do I really want them to have strokes (small or large), cancers, heart attacks and yes chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis? No, I do not. That's where I need help.<br />
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It is very difficult to talk about the very comprehensive health advantages of a whole-food plant based (low-oil) diet without coming across as preaching. The UK culture does not like preaching. I do not like preaching. So when my talking about this subject becomes a day to day habit then probably it falls largely upon increasingly deaf ears. So what do I do?<br />
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Here I am wanting to wake people to the very serious health disadvantages of what people crave most. This includes the insatiable desire to have bacon (which has sugar and salt added before it gets to your plate). The whole big English breakfast thing around having eggs, bacon, sausages and toast smothered in butter and jam just hits the mark. It includes the huge array of totally fabulous cheeses, each one stuffed with unhealthy fats and crammed with salt to make that an unmissable item at the supermarket. It includes extremely cheap chocolate bars with very attractive wrapping close to the checkout. It includes lots of cream products such as ice-cream which are totally unmissable on a hot summer's day.<br />
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But what people crave is not just driven by the bodies desire for calories. It is also about many years of insidious sales & marketing efforts to sell the so-called health benefits of meat, dairy and fish by corporations and governments. Importantly it also demagogue TV-chefs who pile on the cream and sugar into beautiful creations that are salivating mains and deserts day after day.<br />
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I don't blame anyone. I was one of those people for over 60 years of my life. Before Rheumatoid Arthritis hit my body I was a happy man. I was convinced I had a relatively healthy diet, after all I have been vegetarian since 1980 or thereabouts. How wrong was I! So I cannot claim to be innocent.<br />
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But I have had an awakening. Both a horrible and a beautiful awakening. Horrible because the all-consuming pain of rheumatoid arthritis is just that - all-consuming. It feels like you are being eaten alive. It is beautiful because I am out the other side with a very healthy body and even increasingly healthy body. Not only that my RA has continually reducing signs of reduction, despite having steadily and intelligently reduced my medication. One month to go and I will be free of my last drug.<br />
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(As an aside, this drug, methotrexate works by inhibiting my immune system, which is why everyone who takes methotrexate also takes folic acid, vitamin B9. Yet despite my immune system being closed down by this drug I have had no problems such as colds or flu or anything else.)<br />
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I am aged 64 and want and expect (ignoring the proverbial bus knocking me down) another forty years of a great, healthy happy life until my body reaches its natural zenith. I hope many of my friends and family will come with my on this journey.<br />
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It does not mean going vegan overnight. Such drastic changes are bound for failure for most people. Migration is the best way. For instance when I gave up cheese it took me three to six months to achieve this change. First I dropped cows cheeses and limited myself to sheep and goats cheeses. Also I tried some vegan cheeses and also used cheese-like substitutes like nutritional yeast.<br />
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However it does mean starting today. If they are going to be successful it starts today, not in ten years time when they have already had a stroke or two.<br />
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And that's my problem. I want my friends and family to come with me and be happy and healthy by design, not by luck. But as soon as I talk about making choices then I start to preach (as I have done no doubt in this post). And I hate that in anyone, and I hate it in myself.<br />
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But I don't want to be alone. Some years ago I clearly remember my Dad (who died aged 91) saying all his friends had died and so he had no-one to visit. He probably said this about two years before he died. What he said hit me like a brick at the time but I had no answer for him. This was because of my ignorance. I am not ignorant anymore.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-867052497521631352017-05-20T16:03:00.000+01:002017-05-20T17:48:23.532+01:00Where am I?Over the last few months I have had two main challenges. That of reducing my methotrexate and also adding back foods that previously caused me arthritis problems. Along with this I have been continuing my yoga and in fact doing more. But let me start with my medication.<br />
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<b>Medication</b>: Like many people I wanted to avoid the DMARD medication such as methotrexate. Emotionally I simply could not handle it. In fact after starting I found no noticeable side-effects and settled down to it. That said I refused point blank to have the dosage increased, as advised by my doctor. Had I done that I am sure my doctor would have doubled the medication level, possibly moved on to injected methotrexate and/or other drugs. But I held out at 10g in four tablets at first and then reluctantly allowed an extra tablet to raise it to 12.5g.<br />
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Now that my arthritis is disappearing, after discussions with my doctor and rheumatologist, I started tapering the drug a month or so after I had had no RA reactions. Also remember I had previously stopped all other medication (primarily anti-inflammatory drugs) months before with no sign of any need. So the methotrexate was my last drug (let's ignore the Folic Acid which will disappear as the MTX disappears.)<br />
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Initially I started tapering at a tablet every two months. But as I progressed, with no RA reactions appearing I decided this was to slow. So I have settled on 1 tablet reduction per month. Still no reactions. I am now down to just two tablets.<br />
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One point worth noting is I only reduced my medication after a successful blood test, that is my CRP levels continue to be low. So every month I would wait for my blood test results and look for the doctor's comments. If everything was good (which it was) then I continue to taper.<br />
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Interestingly reducing my medication has not just been problem free, I have noticed that my body is feeling healthier. It is as if the brakes on health have been released. Yes, this is nothing tangible, just a feeling. But believe me this is a very strong feeling that encompasses my entire body.<br />
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<b>And now to the food</b>: To further make this phase a challenge I have decided to test my body with the full range of foods which previously I found serious RA reactions to. I have named this my add-back phase. In summary this has also been a resounding success.<br />
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I will detail two parts. Adding back Gluten and Tomatoes. I have tried to stick with home-made bread with high-quality flour but everything I have tested has caused me no problems. My standard flour is spelt which makes fabulous bread.<br />
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Tomatoes were one of my biggest no-nos. At my worst a hint of tomato would take me out for a couple of weeks. So I planned my tomato attack with great care. In fact I took a month over the whole process, starting with tomato paste, then passata, moving on to tinned tomatoes and finally fresh.<br />
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This adding-back of foods proved to me as much as anything that I was in control of my RA. I am the master of it, not the slave.<br />
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All foods that I want to test have been tested. My gut microbiome is working perfectly well and digesting everything I want to throw at it.<br />
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In future I will never go back to dairy, milk or cheese. Nor will I have lots of oils, never things like margarine (which without lots of salt would taste appalling!) I am sure my body will be able to tolerate them in small amounts, but I choose to stay clear of them.<br />
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<b>Finally my yoga</b>: Anyone who thinks a whole-food plant based diet is for wimps is talking out of their posteriors. Over last months I have stepped up my yoga. Let me just say that what I started doing, Bikram Yoga, often people refer to as "90 minutes of hell." I subject myself to this day in day out, at least four days a week. Well I did do.<br />
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In recent months I have stepped up my sessions with double-Bik's, back-to-back Bik's and weekend intensives. My diet, my body, I cope with these with ease. Yes, I benefit from being retired, and yes, I know when I need to do things like sleep and pace-myself.<br />
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But if you had asked me a year ago, or even five years ago if I would be able to keep up this kind of intensive training... Well, I do this for me and because I can. <br />
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Physically I can do it. Not bad for someone who a year ago could not walk even a 100 yards to his local supermarket across the road.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-83952825028857463312017-04-18T18:28:00.000+01:002017-04-18T18:28:06.950+01:00Next Monday's Diet&RA chat at the Emporium cancelledMy apologies to anyone who wished to talk about diet & ra at my monthly meetup in the Eynsham Emporium. I have to cancel this because of a local funeral.<br />
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If anyone wishes to contact me urgently I can talk to them outside the normal time, by arrangement. Otherwise I will be at the Emporium in a month's time. Again, many apologies to one and all for the short notice.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-34827538732482177132017-04-14T02:06:00.000+01:002017-04-14T08:33:45.459+01:00Thank You RuthThis is a very big thank you to Ruth, who I met but once.<br />
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In my opinion, when you are afflicted with Rheumatoid Arthritis you would do well to look at every avenue open to you to reduce the crippling pain and inflammation that is your life, while you sleep and while you are awake. I go on and on about the superb diet I was very fortunate to find. I similarly go on and on about the superb exercise regime I am fortunate to have found.<br />
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Yesterday I heard about the sad, very sad death of Ruth, taken by cancer.<br />
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When I was at my worst a very dear friend told me about his cousin, Ruth and said, "why don't you send her a lock of your hair." Ruth, you see is, or was, a <a href="https://www.britishdowsers.org/" target="_blank">dowser</a>. My friend argued that she professed to be able to tell me what foods would be good for me, and which ones were bad for me - all from a simple lock of my hair.<br />
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After a couple of months I gave in.<br />
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Come on I thought this is very much in the land of hogwash. How could someone come up with a solution to my health problems from a lock of my hair. But living in RA hell, I eventually acceded to my friends request, took a snip of my hair, sealed it in an envelope and posted it to Ruth.<br />
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Three days was all it took.<br />
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Three days later, by email, I received a recommendation of foods to eat and foods to avoid. How on earth Ruth had come up with a list of foods that turned out to be the same diet that I eventually found through testing worked in my body I may never truly know. Whatever she gave me hope. Let me repeat that in case you didn't hear me. Ruth gave me hope that I was embarking upon the right path for me and my body.<br />
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A coincidence of timing?<br />
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I started my Paddison Program elimination diet at almost the same moment as I took that cutting of my hair. Despite recommendations from a whole universe of people that "diet has no effect on arthritis" I had started my journey. Despite the medical fraternity, the government, our beloved NHS official recommendations, despite NICE guidelines I began the serious process of testing what foods had a beneficial effect on my body, and which ones hurt my body.<br />
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My own, my very own experiment falters.<br />
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It is not an easy thing going against all medical advice. But when imperceptibly you find each day is just ever so slightly less painful, less full of inflammation. That gives you the confidence to go on. Ruth gave me that confidence. But despite improvements my recovery faltered.<br />
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Who said it was going to be easy?<br />
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Looking back in my mind I knew that what triggered RA was to a large extent emotional issues. And so at about three months after starting my journey of recovery I remembered that generous email from Ruth. In it she offered a follow-up consultation. She said if I came to visit her she could dowse me for emotional issues, or something like that.<br />
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And so I met Ruth just once.<br />
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On a nice sunny day one afternoon I met Ruth at her home. She very kindly dowsed me over a three hour period. At the end of this period she reckoned that many of my emotional issues were sorted, or on the road to recovery. What, more hogwash?<br />
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Anyone who doubts that diet will affect arthritis will surely reject the idea my emotional issues were sorted.<br />
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Nevertheless as I walked away I felt a better person. I am not going into the details of my session with Ruth. That is very personal. But afterwards I felt lighter emotionally, as she argued I would.<br />
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And so thank you to Ruth.<br />
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I can honestly say that without meeting Ruth I would not be as healthy as I am today. She was, is, and will be someone who made a difference to my life. She both gave me the confidence to fight my fight and then helped me troubleshoot some of the issues inside my brain.<br />
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Next week I will walk the Dorset Coast Path.<br />
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It is almost exactly a year ago today that I sent that clip of my hair in the post. At that time I was in a wheelchair and simply unable walk any distance. Even walking just three feet was done in excruciating pain. A year ago, with friends and my much better half, Ruth's cousin walked the Dorset Coast Path without me. This year will be very different. With Ruth's cousin I will stride out and walk one of the tougher stretches of the UK coastline, without even a walking stick, with head held high and with my life, a happy healthful life ahead of me.<br />
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I dedicate this forthcoming walk to Ruth, who I met but once but will be in my thoughts forever.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-61218494066638673412017-03-31T15:15:00.001+01:002017-03-31T15:29:06.973+01:00Video showing dietary effects on my Rheumatoid ArthritisHere is a video of a talk I gave recently to the Oxford Vegan Festival to help others understand the dramatic effect food can have on rheumatoid arthritis. Some people who are cynical argue either I am a special case or some other excuse. I am in no way special. Also, apart from the fact I have so far had no surgery, my arthritis was as bad as it gets. Had I accepted doctor's advice I would be in a mobility scooter today and probably be having changes made to my home to make it arthritis-friendly.<br />
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Other people argue that diets only work for some people, or that they have tried and failed - even tried the Paddison program and failed. Well changing diet is not easy, that is a fact. There are cultural reasons, family reasons, even your body is conditioned to sticking with the foods you have eaten regularly.<br />
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From people I have talked to, those who seem to fail on the Paddison program seem to have a particular medical history or a particular dietary history. Beyond that doing the paddison program takes motivation, serious motivation.<br />
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The big question in my mind is, how much does someone want - and truly need - to get rid of their RA. Some people are relatively happy on their medication, and that's fine by me. For others who are very unhappy with medication, or have tried and failed on other diets then this fifteen minute video may be of interest.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TxGWZ6hsOZ0" width="480"></iframe>andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-18009482114425274252017-03-27T14:54:00.000+01:002017-03-27T22:29:34.251+01:00Phew, my first real drop-in session on Diet & ArthritisI have just returned from my Diet&RA meetup at the Eynsham Emporium. I shared my story with about six people in total. Not a lot of people perhaps, but quantity was not what I wanted.<br />
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At the outset I did not want people turning up who wanted to simply complain about their arthritis. Yes, we all need to express our pain and get some of it off our chest, so to speak. After all at its core Rheumatoid Arthritis is about as awful an illness as there can be. Talking out our own issues is very important, and I would not be able to understand people's issues if I did not listen to their stories. However what I really needed was people who already had in their minds that somehow dietary changes might help them. Further I wanted to inspire people through my experiences to try to do something more themselves.<br />
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If I may step back and take a second I'd like to share my inspiration for starting these sessions. For some time, I posted about diet and arthritis on the HealthUnlocked NRAS forums. Sadly amongst other vehement and many negative interpretations of what I wrote I was accused of actually selling the Paddison Program. Yes, I personally have gained so much from the Paddison Program and it has inspired me to help others find it. That's why I set up these meetups. But if people come to my meetings and never ever hear the word paddison, that's fine by me also.<br />
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At these meetups the message I want to get out is to help people understand the benefits of making good choices in what they eat and drink. Since the second world war particularly this world is full of processed foods, and that includes oils! Since the same war chronic diseases have escalated in all modern economies. I argue that if people review and make good changes to their diet then they will get improved health outcomes.<br />
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Further, for some people just dropping one food and adding another may not be sufficient. For these a great elimination process is needed. Sadly some people say things like, "I have tried an eliminate diet and it didn't work." The fact is there are poor elimination processes and there are good ones. A successful elimination process needs persistence, determination, a lot of support and most of all a very very good plan.<br />
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The Paddison Program I feel has an excellent elimination process. And that's why I recommend it to anyone it is appropriate for. Because of its elimination process they have a good chance at getting all the outcomes I have gained.<br />
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Thank you to the people who came and told me your stories and asked your questions. (And Pete, thank's for the Green Tea, I'll buy you one too some day!)<br />
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And to everyone else I'll be back at the Eynsham Emporium fourth Monday each month 11am-1pm.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-51025131761510900292017-03-24T15:26:00.002+00:002017-03-24T15:27:46.334+00:00I'm at the Oxford Vegan FestivalTomorrow I shall be talking about my arthritis and my dietary and exercise changes at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oxfordveganfestival/" target="_blank">Oxford Vegan Festival</a>, in the Kassam Stadium probably around 4pm.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-91847660925325875012017-03-22T15:17:00.002+00:002017-03-22T15:17:36.989+00:00Just watched BBC's CarnageI have watched quite a number of documentaries on the subject of vegan-related lifestyle options in recent months, The latest, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04sh6zg/simon-amstell-carnage" target="_blank">Carnage</a> has just gone live on BBC iplayer, by Simon Anstell. It has chosen the name carnage as an opposite concept to veganism, that of a minority lifestyle of people eating meat etc in a world full of people living a vegan lifestyle.<br />
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With all these documentaries I find myself in a difficult position. My previous lifestyle as a vegetarian for forty years, in the end did not sustain my health. In fact rather the opposite is true, in the end the dairy I consumed has without doubt been a significant contributor to the onset of my Rheumatoid Arthritis.<br />
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And here I am now living healthily without any dairy whatsoever. My RA has all but gone, my bones are stronger and healthier than at any time in my life. I have more energy and focus. What more could I want from health?<br />
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Well such a film as Carnage presents me with a further challenge. Yes it puts into clear focus the change inside me. I have conquered several devils inside me over recent months, including my love of cheese. Yes, I love the smell of cheese and I do not crave it anymore, however gooey and smelly it may be.<br />
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In chasing down my own personal good health I have come across countless documentaries arguing veganism as a global health solution. These I can accept inside myself on humanitarian grounds. My eyes have been opened to inhumanities of which I was previously unaware.<br />
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But.<br />
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But I cannot and do not lecture anyone else. For each of us this is a very personal journey. The media hype around "you need your protein", subtext "eat more meat" and "you need calcium for good bone health", subtext "drink more cows milk" are very powerful and deep going back to after WW2. To defeat these subliminal messages means that each one of us has to accept these, what I consider, falsehoods in our own way in our own time.<br />
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There are many other sales and marketing messages that, had I paid attention to them my recovery would have been halted and I would have failed. "Olive oil is necessary for whatever", pushes olive oil into a premium price cooking oil. It took me a long time to break that one, but I have done it.<br />
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Carnage is another movie that helps people come closer to my reality by hypothesizing a vegan society in 2067, looking back at present day global and personal issues of eating meat and dairy. I hope my friends and family in particular take the time to watch it, but to those who do be prepared - in some parts it is very tough viewing.<br />
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Whatever I don't have the right to judge anyone. After all I am far from a perfect person. I have actually been very lucky to hit that almighty road-block of Rheumatoid Arthritis since it made me face up to my own health challenges and with a huge amount of effort I came out on top.<br />
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I wouldn't want anyone, even my worst enemy, to suffer RA or any other auto-immune disease. But if you do then please consider the messages of films like carnage as part of your motivation for adopting a vegan and oil-free lifestyle.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-8146024224142987062017-03-21T20:01:00.000+00:002017-03-22T08:59:43.121+00:00Feeling Sorry...I am very proud of my recovery from Rheumatoid Arthritis. So very easily I could have simply taken the tablets, after all that was both my doctor and my rheumatologists recommendations. Taking the tablets is what most people do, so who am I to think I know any different? After all I have no medical training, no nutrition training. In fact I hardly even studied biology at school.<br />
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So who am I to dare that I can beat possibly the most debilitating disease on this planet. I know it was debilitating because, like so many other people I suffered RA at its most vengeful. At a recent meeting for people with RA, entitled "everything you always wanted to know about arthritis..." the word diet seemed like a dirty word. Certainly the hosts of the meeting did not wish that word uttered. In fact the first talk was a sideways attack on diet, arguing that anyone with any sense should treat dietary reports with total distrust. I am exaggerating the point, but the audience was left in no doubt about the implications of daring to think that diet might help someone with RA.<br />
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The second talk was a showcase of what modern medicine was doing for RA. "Aren't we lucky to be on the cusp of personal medication", was its main message. Of course there was no mention of the fact that they had no actual solution to RA, just a promise of getting better at suppressing the symptoms.<br />
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And that's the problem, as I see it. Modern medicine has a very blinkered view of the world. It is argued that if something cannot be backed up by solid science then it is not worth considering. Of course it is the pharma companies that created this closed shop attitude in the first place as a foolproof way of protecting their investment. After all it is very easy to create a large-scale fully randomised trial of a white pill, and so much more difficult and expensive to do the same with a plate of salad!<br />
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I have spent some time and energy trying to tell people my story. In many ways it may be seen as a true David and Goliath story. in that I have not only beaten RA but I have also defied the medical establishment.<br />
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And seriously won.<br />
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Winning against RA, is that even possible? Surely other people have brought their RA into remission. But that is just what it is - remission, for other people. Remember the word remission implies a temporary recovery.<br />
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Because I followed the Paddison Program it has taught me about myself. I have learned about myself from the inside, literally and I have a vast array of tools to help me ensure RA never visits my door again.<br />
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These tools are not just dietary. They include profound exercise, good social interactions, and all in all an improving lifestyle.<br />
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When I have advocated to others that they consider looking at my approach, I do so with a hope they consider whether it is relevant to them. I know this diet, while I think everyone could benefit, actually is very much a tight-rope walk that requires immense determination and focus. Those two words alone will prevent many people from considering it.<br />
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The good thing about the Paddison Program, for those people for whom it works well, is that they see progress (many from the first days, others have benefits delayed often due to drug complications) and that that progress is solid. It is very easy to build determination when you are seeing progress on an almost daily basis. That is my experience and of many others.<br />
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However I feel most sorry when I read post after post on discussion forums where people are in serious difficulties with RA and object to anyone arguing that for some people there may be a way forward out of that RA hell-hole.<br />
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Quite recently I had a person comment on this blog, someone I had shared a house with many years ago. He also thinks I am in a state of delusion. Well this delusion is pain and inflammation free with every day feeling healthier and more in control of my life. My blood test results are normal and my doctor has agreed to my final reduction of methotrexate down to zero.<br />
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If that's my ex-friend's definition of delusion I'll take it and enjoy full health for the rest of my long drug-free life. Of course, there is one caveat in that. I have joint damage in the form of osteoarthritis so that is unlikely to ever recover, but that won't stop me trying!andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-59343837341100168222017-03-18T20:20:00.002+00:002017-03-18T20:23:54.600+00:00Monthly Meetups in EynshamFor anyone local to Oxford who is interested in talking about diet and arthritis there will be monthly meetups at the <a href="http://www.eynsham-emporium.co.uk/" target="_blank">Eynsham Emporium</a>, 4th Monday in the month at 11am. So the next is the 27th March.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-20302329507596174002017-03-09T18:05:00.001+00:002017-03-09T18:05:14.321+00:00The diet and arthritis controversyBecause of my own experiences in resolving my rheumatoid arthritis I am very keen that others hear about my story and my theories of what works and what doesn't. That means not only talking about my diet of choice but also the wider issues around diet. Such a discussion can quickly become very controversial for various reasons, not least of which is there are many diets to choose from. To further make life difficult some of these diets come from seemingly polarised positions. However the biggest challenge comes from those who argue that diet has no effect.<br />
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Leading the cause arguing diet has no effect tend to be the charities, the doctors and the rheumatologists. These are backed by pharmaceutical companies, copious gold standard research sponsored by the same. And most of all government guidelines.<br />
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So how come such big players seem committed to denying what I consider a well researched and proven subject? The starting point has to be that the leaky gut theory is the new kid on the block. Big players always have considerable momentum on their side. They can, by definition be highly influential in creating national and even international guidelines. Such people tend to sit on the right committees and it almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that they accept the status quo.<br />
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Also it is relatively easy to create a high-quality test when considering drugs and medication. Placebo tablets that look identical to active medication is very cheap to design and run. On the other hand creating a placebo that looks like a grass-fed cow of a standard size and weight, or a lettuce of a particular colour very quickly becomes a joke. So instead creating meaningful results for dietary solutions can take years of collecting data on large populations. Even then problems persist, for instance, one might challenge exactly how well diets were followed.<br />
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The good news is that those advocating diet are gaining strength and credibility. The program I favour, the Paddison Program now argues that 19 our of 20 people who are committed to its program can gain considerable relief in just a few days, and that the remaining 1 in 20 often take longer because of long term damage done by certain drugs or combinations thereof. If this claim is proved true then it cannot be too long before good verifiable statistics should be available. I, for one, look forward to that day with great relish.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-67766585245256781042017-02-09T11:00:00.000+00:002017-02-10T13:06:10.284+00:00Remission DawnsAccording to the website <a href="http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/life-stages/remission/rheumatoid-arthritis-remission-drug-holiday.php">arthritis.org remission</a> the <a href="http://www.rheumatology.org/">American College of Rheumatology</a> and the <a href="http://www.eular.org/">EULAR</a> developed criteria defining remission from RA in 2011. These criteria are used by scientists when conducting clinical trials. They are: <br /><ul>
<li>One or fewer swollen joints </li>
<li>One or fewer tender joints </li>
<li>An assessment by the patient that on a 0–10 scale, arthritis activity is 1 or less </li>
<li>A blood test showing little or no inflammation in levels of C-reactive protein, a key marker of inflammation </li>
</ul>
I am very glad to report that my latest blood test (just last Monday) showed my CRP coming in at just over 9 mg/L. At its worst in April 2016 my CRP was over 170, and just last month it was around 25.<br /><br />Since the other criteria are largely true, accordingly I will very soon be in remission, possibly next month! I attribute my progress down to drugs to halt the problem, to diet and exercise to resolve the problem.<br /><br /><div>
Apart from continually improving my health, I have two final goals regarding remission. The first is to remove myself from RA medication. The second is to re-introduce some foods back into my diet that I had restricted myself from. The latter I have already started with successfully eating "normal" potatoes (with no side-effects and some oils. I will continue with the latter by re-introducing foods back on a weekly basis, or thereabouts.<br /><br /> The medication reduction I will do after discussing the subject with my doctor. That will happen slowly because methotrexate is a seriously dangerous drug and is not to be treated lightly. But it will happen. I anticipate some blips of pain or inflammation as I reduce the methotrexate, but also anticipate these will be temporary.<br /><br /> We will see.</div>
andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-28815627602746823412017-02-02T16:39:00.000+00:002017-02-02T19:26:05.506+00:00I'm back and I'm healthy!Sorry to one and all for not having posted for a long time. Like one of the vloggers I follow, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEYuuMAS0q8TQKPbc6S2pYQ" target="_blank">Healing Josefine</a>", I needed a rest from blogging. Not only that I decided I did not like the epithet, "the sick one." Does anyone? Finding people taking about you rather than with you is not pleasant, no matter how the words come out.<br />
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So, from now on, I am not sick. I may not be fully healthy, but I am not sick. That's not just me asserting some dreamed up alternative truth. Quite often recently friends and family have told me how healthy I look. So what changes have come upon me?<br />
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<li>I am walking much better</li>
<li>Not quite running yet, possibly more hobbling short distances</li>
<li>My daily yoga has helped enormously with flexibility. I did not know how bad my body had become!</li>
<li>Bowel movements have made solid improvements. I can go into details...</li>
<li>Brain is functioning. For anyone who has not experienced "brain fog", let me just say you don't want to. Hidden from view it is crippling.</li>
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In summary I am beginning to feel like I am re-entering humanity. There are no easy guarantees of course. I know that RA can come back and bite hard. But there are differences now.</div>
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Now I have tools to aid fast and effective recovery. My diet has turmeric in it every day. If I ever feel RA has bitten me then I overdose on turmeric at each and every meal and every drink possible. My diet anyway keeps me on the road to better health. And so does my yoga. And I have a goal...</div>
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My goal is to become more healthy each and every day. That's not just some blithe statement but rather a practical outcome of my whole-food plant-based diet, exercise regime, and outlook on life.</div>
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I feel sorry for people, we all know them, who say "I'm getting old" and "you'll have to make allowances for me." Well that's them, and I am sorry for each and every one of them - and their families who have to put up with a poor second best & foreshortened lives.</div>
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That may be their attitude, it's not one I share. And unless I get knocked over by a bus etc, nor will I share it in forty years time when I am still enjoying an active and healthy life even though I will be over a 100 years old.</div>
andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-930087307962583922016-12-12T13:49:00.001+00:002016-12-12T13:49:37.122+00:00Yoga updateGenerally speaking I have been improving through my Bikram sessions. The small if not minuscule improvements are definitely having their cumulative effect. So last week thought here was an opportunity to get the best out Bikram and so I did six Bikram sessions on the run. Well, not exactly running, but you understand!<br />
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I had hoped that as the week rolled by I would feel better, after all the effort I was putting in! However the third session seemed to be my high, and a mixture of issues seemed to hold me back towards the end of the week. On one hand I seemed to have developed a bit of intermittent lower back strain, sadly otherwise I seemed to have more arthritic pain, stiffness and fatigue hitting me. And so with some trepidation on Friday I made my last visit, asking myself was I overdoing it.<br />
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As with all Bikram advice the rest is as much if not more important than the exercise and so as my deserved weekend of rest progressed I found my health perking up in several ways. Walking seemed to become easier. My sleeping seems to have improved. I say that, over recent months I find I am able to rest awake during the night without actual sleep. Putting shoes and socks on etc is easier, chopping vegetables is easier.<br />
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The big marker is how I feel as I get up in the morning. Again, this seems better to me. These small improvements are often difficult to define, it is more just a general feeling, "oh that went well."<br />
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One thing that was different, and clearly different is motivation. We're heading for Christmas and New Year, enjoyable for most people with little effort. For me it means planning. I will be travelling and staying with family and friends over the holidays. So I need to prepare meals etc and I want this to be festive food that is exactly on my diet.<br />
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So yesterday I went through the Deliciously Ella book and marked off recipes that appealed to me, that I might adapt. For any Deliciously Ella addict the book largely delivers interesting vegan recipes but many if not most are not good for people with arthritis. There is too much emphasis on oils for instance.<br />
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I have just adapted the first recipe, her easy veggie stock and it is now cooling to go into the freezer ready for use in the near weeks. My adaptation started by using my juicer to macerate my chosen vegetables, which in this instance was to add broccoli stems to the mix. Obviously I omitted the tomatoes and added more herbs.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-88704150916822582632016-11-24T15:25:00.000+00:002016-11-24T19:43:32.806+00:00Are we betrayed?<div>
Though I have no financial interest, I am pleased to circulate the following press release by Dr Tom O'Bryan:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Dr. Tom O'Bryan and I invite you to his FREE #docuseries on #Autoimmunity, #BetrayalSeries ... Register as my guest: <a href="http://bit.ly/BetrayalSeries">http://bit.ly/BetrayalSeries</a> ... The world's leading minds say autoimmune disease is behind ALL disease, even cardiovascular disease, MS, brain disorders, CANCER, depression, suicide... Autoimmune disease CAN be reversed and put into remission. THIS is the info desperately needed."</blockquote>
My reasons for doing this is because so much of what he says in his series Betrayal follows my own path of recovery from a totally debilitating auto-immune disease, in my case Rheumatoid Arthritis. If I had followed the recommendation of my doctor and rheumatologist I might be taking a considerable portfolio of drugs by now. Consequentially I might be looking to a future of drugs and more drugs, each one removing the goodness from my body. If I was lucky, my body would stabilise, but as with so many people with RA, struggle to find a blend of drugs that keep my RA under control. I have already had approval and indeed recommended to have both knee joints replaced.<br />
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Instead I took responsibility for my own health. I researched solutions that worked for me and thus gradually changed my diet to a whole-food plant-based diet which is also oil-free, gluten-free and nightshade plant free. This was the diet recommended by Clint Paddison, and he and other people on this diet have helped me with considerable advice and support during some very difficult periods, and continue to help me to this day.<br />
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After seven months my body has become healthy enough for me to start Bikram Yoga. And now just over a month later I can walk normally and live an increasingly normal life. I am not yet totally without drugs - that day will come after my next visit to my Rheumatologist.<br />
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Do I feel betrayed by the UK's medical system? I'll let you, dear reader, decide that. All I will say is that this morning I looked at my knees in the mirror and I thought, "wow! Not pretty perhaps, but when you have had knees like I have, the only word is WOW! These are my knees, and slowly but surely they are regaining full health."andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-36578859665960143362016-11-03T15:40:00.000+00:002016-11-03T15:40:45.193+00:00Is Bikram my future?Okay, I have been waiting to blog about this but wanted to wait until I had evidence. Well I have now had my tenth session of Bikram Yoga. Most people know what Yoga is, even if they have not experienced it. Bikram Yoga is Yoga in a form that is ideally suited to people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Each yoga session lasts for 90 minutes and takes place in a hot room. Each session has exactly the same twenty-six postures.<br />
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Bikram Yoga is not a replacement for dietary changes. Without having adopted a whole-food plant based diet I would never have been able to get my health to a sufficient standard to be able to attend a single session. However RA will cause significant damage to the body for most people who suffer it. Sometimes that damage is in the form of distorted limbs. In my case, due to arthritis I have not been able to kneel properly for forty years. Also I have not been able to straighten my right elbow. The last year's RA has also meant that using my right elbow can cause a searing pain.<br />
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So about three weeks ago I felt my health was good enough to get me out of the house. I thus left and went to my first Bikram session. Sadly due to traffic problems I was five minutes late and so advised to come back tomorrow! The next day I went to my first session and I have not looked back.<br />
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This is not to say I am having some kind of miraculous recovery, rather that I am perceiving minute but persistent improvements. When I say "minute" I really mean that - they are tiny. But improvements are being felt on several fronts.<br />
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And so at last I wanted to blog about my reasons for continuing with Bikram Yoga as I feel at this stage. So here they are:<br />
<ol style="background-color: #fcfcff; color: #141414; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14.6667px; margin: 1em 0px 1em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The heat really helps. Just being in the heat is nice, but also it helps improve flexibility through the class. It also brings out that sweat.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The sweat really helps. If Rheumatoid Arthritis is about anything it is about impurities in the blood inside your body. Sweating many of those out gives my body a spring clean. After a session it really feels like a cleanse that means less pain in the hours ahead.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The relaxation really helps. Right now I neither get up or down to the floor without assistance, but once down, and despite pain in my right elbow I could lie down for a long time...</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The breathing feels great. Not just the initial pranayama session and the ending "doggy" pant (as I call it) but the continual need to breath steadily helps my chest enormously. Apparently good breathing also reduces acidosis in the body: and that means less pain!</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"It helps the digestion." Words from several Bikram teachers affirmed, not least by my improved bowel movements, all mean less pain!</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The same 26 postures wherever and whenever. It is really good to know what you are letting yourself get into. In my first session I cried inside with a mixture of embarrassment and fear. I stuck through and now calmly read my body, listen to instructions about the posture goals and feel progress. I have tried two venues (Warwick and Oxford, UK) and it is a great relief to know the experience is exactly the same.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Taking time to concentrate on me. Every beginners Bikram session is 90 minutes long. I try to get to class early to benefit from the heat as much as possible and I don't hurry away. Mind you with my stiffness I could not hurry if I tried!</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">It's working. I cannot put my finger on exactly what is happening to me, but after 10 sessions I feel something very positive is happening inside my body. But let me try one...</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I feel warmer. I have felt cold over the last months. However now my circulation must be improving because I feel warmer in myself.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A Daily Dose Does Best. I will be doing 4 days at least most weeks. My body needs that, no joke. Missing some days already has felt bad. Bikram is good if you travel because there are centres in or near most major towns and cities. And they all give you exactly the same experience.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Drink the water. With Bikram you simply must drink water, before, during and after. Water is so purifying that anything that encourages that regime must be a good thing.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What about other yogas? The heat makes me a Bikram person. Bikram teachers are very skilled and know exactly the pain I am going through. They make sure I don't do too much or the wrong thing. They also give great personal advice on alternative stretches I can achieve.</li>
<li style="list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Everyone at class is so kind and helpful. Each person concentrates on their own frailties and strengths and do not worry about my issues. They just express full-some support for what I am trying to achieve. At my last Warwick session I was told, "I was an inspiration." Not bad for someone who cannot do a single posture!</li>
</ol>
andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955570961972720292.post-49311753012181625382016-10-09T15:05:00.002+01:002016-10-09T15:05:38.364+01:00What the future holds for meRight now I am in some kind of control of my diet and my lifestyle. I cook my own food, buy my own produce and so forth. But the future could be frightening. Imagine I have to go into a residential or care home, whether that be 10, 20 or more years ahead. Will they provide me with a raw salad or will they force met to have mashed potatoes and over-cooked veg? Now if I had limitless funds then surely I could get the care I choose and need. But will care homes of the future bother caring for my dietary needs.<br />
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Also at that time will they take control of my medication and usurp my wishes without my knowledge? Perhaps they might argue, with support from doctors, to relatives, "of course he needs sleeping pills", or whatever.<br />
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In essence will they treat the symptoms - or the cause?<br />
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There is no doubt that with sufficient funds anyone could choose the exact care they need. But will I be in that position? That, I doubt.<br />
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Fortunately I am becoming aware of <a href="https://www.bluezones.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blue Zones</a>. These are places in the world like Okinawa where most people live beyond 100 years of age in great health, perhaps riding motorbikes, exercising regularly and probably more exercise than I do now! Fortunately my diet is already on its way to fulfilling the Blue Zone goal.<br />
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However Blue Zones are more than just diet. It is a social goal. Eynsham, beware! If I am to have a future then encouraging a Blue Zone community around me is a must.andyswarbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154386502436504497noreply@blogger.com0