Journey to Wellness April 2008 T

If you are taking a bulk liquid Omega 3 supplement, then I recommend the Barleans brand. Just read the labels and make your decision based on the recommendations. Since I take the fish oil capsules, I get the Norwegian fish oil caps that are enteric coated at my local Longs Drug Store. And they are very inexpensive. The enteric coating keeps me from burping the fish oil, and I personally have a difficult time getting the liquid oils down. I hate the taste. As Mary Poppins said, anything that makes "The medicine go down" easier, I'm for!

We keep reading more and more about mercury contamination of fish, so I decided that the fish oil from fresh Norwegian waters would probably be a good source. Those are my reasons for selecting enteric coated Norwegian fish oil capsules. Longs Drug every few months has a special feature of two for the price of one of all their own label supplements, and I stock up on their fish oil at those times. I don't know where you live, but one of the big chains like Walgreens should have the enteric coated fish oil.

Hello Betty,

Thank you so much for all you do for those of us who share your "uninvited guest." Quite a while ago, perhaps 2-3 years, you gave a tip from a urologist to help completely empty the bladder. I didn't need it at the time, but I sure do now! Could you please repeat. Thanks so much. /s/ Geraldine

Hi Gerry,

I'll be glad to repeat. Almost everyone diagnosed with MS lives with urgency incontinence. It is not fun! It is most often combined with incomplete emptying of the bladder, which leads to annoying frequency of having to "go." Incidentally, urgency incontinence and optic neuritis are most often the first symptoms of MS.

Early on in my MS experience a urologist taught me to "double void"...that's what he called it. I later passed the tip along to my primary care physician and learned that he had no idea what that phrase meant. So I explained for him, just as the urologist had for me. You must "fool" your body into thinking you have completed urinating (voiding). You do that by standing up, then sitting down again. You will always be able to void more urine. That little trick has saved me many times, and I will be eternally grateful to that urologist. Sometimes the act of wiping yourself tells your body that you are finished, and then you will be able to void more urine (I do both "tricks") every time). I hope this helps you deal with this difficult-to-manage symptom of MS, as well as diabetes and a few other problems.

Hi Betty,

It was nice to chat with you on the phone a few weeks ago. I was surprised when you answered. My exercise videos arrived promptly, and I have not missed exercising a single day since they arrived. I did as you suggested starting with the Tai Chi/Qi Gong -- I love it -- and now I have just started adding the Yoga for MS routine. I see what you mean about the different purposes for the two. Thank you for all your suggestions and support. /s/ Jon

Thanks for writing Jon. I too enjoyed talking with you. I'm glad you are using both the exercise videos. I do the Yoga for MS routine, usually in the late morning, and then I do the Tai Chi in the evening before I go to bed. I find it very relaxing, and I drift off to sleep doing the deep breathing exercise Mark gives.

Bon Appétit - Healthy Food Tips and Recipes

Here are three new recipes from my friend and subscriber Pamela T. All three are great. Thanks very much Pamela. I loved them all. And they all fit beautifully into the BBD.

Zucchini Fettuccine

        4 zucchini, each about 1 to 1-1/2" in diameter, with peel
        2 T olive oil
        2 garlic cloves, minced (after mincing garlic, let set for 10 minutes before cooking to allow all
            of the health benefits to mature in the garlic)
        2 T grated lemon zest
        1/2 t. salt

Slice zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strips using a vegetable peeler or mandolin. (Take care as you get to the last bits of the zucchini; don't try to use the entire vegetable. Save the remainder to chop into another dish.) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic. Cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute. Add zucchini strips. Season with the salt. Cook, stirring gently, until zucchini begins to color, about 5 minutes. (Do not let it become too soft.) Remove from heat; stir in the lemon zest. Top with your favorite pasta sauce or the Spicy Chicken Pasta (on page 28 of the new cookbook). Enjoy!

Pasta Sauce

I previously sent you the recipe where you use zucchini ribbons as a substitute for pasta [great gluten-free idea]. Try this sauce on top. You don't even cook it. Ingredients are approximate. I just added things into my blender.

        approx. 4 oz. pine nuts
        approx. 8 oz. package of sun dried tomatoes
        2 fresh tomatoes
        2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
        sea salt and pepper to taste
        approx. 1 T. olive oil
        1 5.5 oz. can of V8 juice

I just blended all of this up in my blender. I sauteed the zucchini ribbons with some onions, and served the sauce over the pasta. I also toasted a few more pine nuts and chopped some basil and put that on top. It was fantastic.

Here's another great recipe from Pamela.

Avocado Salad with Lime and Cumin Vinaigrette
Serves 4 in theory, but it really depends on how much you like avocados.

SALAD
        4 large avocados, pitted, peeled, cut into 1 in. chunks
        4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1 in. pieces
        ¼ c. chopped cilantro
        1 red onion, sliced thinly

VINAIGRETTE
        ¼ c. lime juice
        2 T cider vinegar
        1 T raw honey (or agave nectar)
        1 T cumin seeds, ground
        ½ c. raw olive oil
        salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Mix first 4 ingredients gently in a bowl. The next 5 ingredients are for the vinaigrette.

Whisk lime juice, vinegar, honey/agave, cumin in another bowl. Add the oil while whisking briskly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, garnish with a little more cilantro and enjoy immediately!

- Healthy Aging -

It's not about the lines on the face or the gray in the hair - it's about
the wisdom behind them. Rather than lamenting the passing of the years,

celebrate what you have achieved, learned, and earned,
for the benefit of others.

- Anonymous

Absence of Research News

I know that I have not included any new research news in a while. The reason for that is that there hasn't been any to report. Which makes one wonder about all the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It seems that we must always look to one important fact - medical research is a huge industry, employing tens of thousands of people. Sometimes I feel as though it is like the oft-called alphabet soup agencies in our country's capitol. Many well-known authors over the years has called them self-perpetuating agencies.

I tend to become more cynical with advancing maturity, but I believe the state of MS research - and many other disorders as well - is appalling.

Tysabri Survey

I have heard from several visitors to my website recently, saying that they are newly diagnosed and are getting infusions of Tysabri. Everything I have read about this drug indicates that it must be very carefully monitored, and that it is only recommended in extreme cases where other avenues of treatment have failed.

If you have personal experience with Tysabri, would you please send it along so that I can share it with Journey to Wellness readers. Anything you can contribute would be much appreciated.

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Spotlight on Exercise

	If you want to keep your immune system strong
	If you want to keep walking
	If you want to be pain free
	If you want to not be fatigued
	If you want to not have muscle cramps
	If you want to not have depression

. . . THEN YOU NEED EXERCISE!

We don't have to reinvent the wheel, we just have to DO IT!

It always amazes me that we want to make up reasons that we can't (don't) do consistent exercise. It is really very simple...you just have to MOVE! It doesn't matter if we are sitting in a wheel chair, lying in bed, walk a little, or are fortunate enough to walk normally; EVERYONE CAN DO IT!

Some of us - me included - get bored with doing the same thing repeatedly. The answer for us is variety. I always know when I find myself not wanting to exercise that boredom has set in and I need to shake things up a bit. If you walk, then a walk in the fresh air is probably the best exercise there is. Otherwise think about dancing to music with a good beat.

I love many of the programs on PBS (Public Broadcasting System in the U.S.), and recently they featured a program on "The British Beat," honoring British pop music performers from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I recorded it, and when I am bored with my regular exercise programs, I play that and dance to that wonderful sound and beat. Please don't think that you can't dance. You can "dance" (move to the music) seated in a chair.

Exercise doesn't have to be complex or complicated. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. While I am not addicted to exercise, I am addicted to what it does for me, and how it makes me feel.

And please, please, remember to do deep diaphragm (belly) breathing, not only while you are exercising, but several times throughout your day. I cannot overstate its importance.

~ Every Body Needs Exercise ~

Featured Exercise Videos and Books

I absolutely do not believe one can prevent
the tendency of MS to progress
without a consistent gentle stretching and deep breathing exercise program

As I said above, he worst aspects of MS respond very positively to gentle exercise. Such a deal! And it really doesn't matter what level of disability one has. Many exercises can be done either standing, seated, or lying down. And deep breathing -- which is so essential -- can be done any time and any where.

Several readers have contacted me in recent weeks about various Qi Gong programs they have purchased that they cannot use. I understand. I have many, many different DVD programs but most do not work for me either. That is the joy of the Tai Chi/Qi Gong for Seniors routine. It is designed specifically for people with limited mobility. It is simple and easy, perhaps deceptively so. At first it seems too simple. But over time when you really learn to work with it and do the simple movements in a slow, meditative way, the benefits are enormous.

Over the years I have evaluated personally many exercise programs, and the absolute best I know of are Tai Chi for Seniors by Mark Johnson, Yoga for MS by Shoosh Crotzer, and Gentle Fitness by Catherine MacRae. I am very confident in recommending them.

~ Yoga for Strength and Qi Gong for Healing ~

YOGA FOR MS AND RELATED CONDITIONS - I found this modified yoga program in the Yoga Journal about 10 years ago, and it remains a mainstay of my own exercise program. This program is recommended by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

TAI CHI FOR SENIORS - This is a simple, easy-to-do Qi Gong (chi gung) Tai Chi video program. It was the very first exercise program I found after being diagnosed with MS, and about 12 years later I still find it very beneficial and do it almost every day. This program complements the Yoga for MS routine beautifully.

GENTLE FITNESS - Catherine and I connected on the Internet about 8 years ago, and I ordered her Gentle Fitness. I find it an excellent program, and use sections of it together with the Yoga for MS program.

These videos make up my personal exercise library, and alternating the programs keeps me from getting bored. Together with deep breathing exercises for a few minutes at least a couple of times a day, and walking about a mile several mornings a week with my ExerStrider poles, weather permitting, not only keeps me fit and energetic, it keeps my legs strong and moving.

Each of these exercise DVDs are available for $29.50 each plus $4.00 shipping and handling.

Follow this link for more information on these videos and books.

FOUR STEPS TO OVERCOMING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS is an easy to read, understand and follow e-book guide to the management of Multiple Sclerosis using the healthy lifestyle approach that I practice and recommend. It incorporates each of the four areas, exercise, meditation, diet, and supplements. This book includes an extensive recipe collection as well as an all inclusive guide to the Best Bet for MS food plan.

Four Steps to Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis is available for $21.50.

You may order any of the above by providing credit card information by e-mail to me, or by calling 800-651-3155 (in the U.S. and Canada), or $530-753-5595.

Follow this link for more information on this newly-published e-book.

THE HEALER WITHIN is an excellent book by Roger Jahnke, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, which I no longer carry in stock. You may, however, order it from Amazon.com. Just click on this Amazon link to order. The Healer Within is based on Qi Gong, the healing form of Tai Chi, and I highly recommend its simple movements. The best thing about this book is that all the movements may be done standing, seated or lying down.

Have a great month everybody. I thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. You are all very special to me. Please feel free to write to me anytime.

As I say so often, please remember to smile and laugh a lot, and to say "I love you" often to those you love. One never knows when we will be saying it for the last time. I have learned that when all is said and done, it is only the love that lasts!

Big {{{hugs}}} to you all,

Betty

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