Potato arthritis.
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 16:41:50 -0500
To: herb.lists.ibiblio.org
From: Anya mccoy.newsguy.com
Subject: [Herb] How I stopped poisoning my mother and myself
First, I have to thank Henriette and others on this list and the newsgroup, that some common sense information finally sunk in, and now my mother and I are better. Let's back up a bit:
Last February, when I was suffering the worst bout with mango pollen allergies I had ever experienced, I noticed that after two weeks of practically not eating, practically every ache and pain in my body had disappeared. Before that, I feared I had fibromyalgia, and I know I had severe rheumatoid arthritis in my fingers (but I had been treating them for several months with herbal and aromatherapy oils and was getting great relief.)
This basic diet consisted of some oatmeal, bananas, toast with butter, maybe some milk or cheese. I can't really remember the specifics, but I could only force down bland food. My joke at the time was that I felt like I was on death's door, but I could spring out of the chair like a five year old, I was so light and agile and pain-free.
Of course, when I recovered from the allergy, I went back to my old eating ways, and the allover pains returned.
I did follow Henriette's advice about liver support and started silimarin and schizandra six months ago, and no allergy this year (so far, and the blooming season is practically over :-)
Now to the poisoning part. My 83 yo mother lives with me, and I do all the cooking. Several threads recently talked about elimination diets to try to determine if certain foods can cause health problems. Wheat and grains, dairy, and Solanaceae family plants were singled out.
My mother and I have been in a real crisis with our aches and pains, weakness and lethargy for months. Sometimes the weakness in our muscles would cause us to stumble. It was very hard getting up out of chairs, every little thing seemed to be a big effort. Even turning in bed at night was painful. About three weeks ago we both were so bad one day it almost seemed like medical intervention was needed. I said I felt like I had tumbled down a rocky mountain, I hurt so bad allover. My mother felt the same.
We were used to having 'bad days', but this was a terrible, terrible day. I knew something was radically wrong, so I decided to try the first round of the elimination diets to see if we were sensitized and being poisoned by the food.
I chose Solanaceae plants -- tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants for several reasons. We love them and eat them in great quantity, making Italian, Greek, Mexican and Asian dishes every day of the week, and secondly, I knew I hadn't eaten any of those foods last year when I was sick and all my pains went away.
Well, I'm happy to report that two days after the elimination diet began, we were feeling better. We have not had one 'bad day', albeit some days a certain joint will ache, but not the overall pain, the fatigue, the weakness -- they're all gone!!!
It is now day 12, and I feel reborn. Ditto for mom. My energy level is very high, I don't have to ask her, or she me, to finish a task because of pain or fatigue. No stumbling, no aches that practically cripple me about walking four blocks. This is the first time I have felt this good in years.
I saw a nutritionist on TV, synchronistically, a few days ago, discussing this. She says the poisonous foods, whether wheat, dairy or Solanaceae, can be eaten occasionally, maybe every four days or once a week. I may try that, but I am going to be very careful.
We probably built up such an amount of the harmful alkaloid of the Solanaceae that our bodies were just poisoned. I don't know if we should play around with the good results, although I think I would freak out if I could never have tomatoes or peppers again. Potatoes and eggplants I can do without.
I tell you, I could hardly sleep last night because of the happiness at getting my health back. Even my voice sounds better, perkier, as a friend said on the phone today.
So keep spreading the word, I know I am going to -- look to the diet to try to cure your problems. So simplistic, and I thought that by watching sugar, fatty stuff, alcohol, etc., the obvious culprits, I was doing OK. Never thought that low-calorie, nutritious veggies could be poisoning me.
Anya
http://member.newsguy.com/~herblady
