Journey to Wellness
  Fall 2011
  THE GOOD NEWS, NATURALLY HEALTHY NEWSLETTER 

Hello to everyone from Davis, California, U.S.A.  Welcome to this issue of Journey to Wellness.  As difficult as it is to grasp, fall has arrived again.  I hope you enjoyed a lovely summer wherever you live.

Each month I have this unique opportunity to share my MS story.  Years ago I chose to be "enabled" by my uninvited guest (which is what I have always called my MS) rather than "disabled," and I sincerely believe that each one of us has the opportunity to make that same choice.  My task is to help you believe that also.  If there is any "secret" to my program, it is - BELIEF.  Belief in yourself, and belief in your body's ability to heal itself.  I believe my body is innately designed to be self-healing, and my challenge is to learn how to "listen" to my body and to help it turn on that internal self-healing process. 

This famous adage is wrong: The journey of a thousand miles doesn't begin with the first step.  It begins with the assurance that you can take the first step,  Many people lack that assurance, for all kinds of reasons.  Some feel unworthy to see beyond the limited territory of the known; some feel trapped behind walls or are inwardly blocked; some feel paralyzed by timidity, fear, doubt, and skepticism in all their dubious colorings. 

I hope you find the various items included in this month's newsletter to be helpful to you.  Please remember that this newsletter is meant to be interactive.  Please send me your input and especially your personal story.  And if possible please include a photo.

If you are not on my newsletter mailing list, or you are changing e-mail addresses, please fill in this request to join the list and you will always receive a brief e-mail when a new newsletter is available at the website.  Please also know that my mailing list is never used by anyone else for any other purpose: 

   Sign up for our Email Newsletter

Do you enjoy reading this free on-line newsletter? Do you appreciate the fact that there are no sponsoring commercial ads cluttering the pages of the newsletter and website? Then please consider making a contribution to help sustain them.  I have always wanted Betty's house to be commercial free, and that is still my intention.  Nevertheless everything connected with the website and newsletter costs money, and over time I learned that I could not do it alone.  I cannot say strongly enough how appreciative I am for those of you who help make the newsletter and Betty's House possible.  Thank you just doesn't seem adequate to express how grateful I am.

A few months ago when I learned to make short motivation videos for my personal use I showed them to friends and everyone wanted one.  Out of that came the idea of offering them as a premium when someone makes a donation of $25.00 to this newsletter and the work of Betty's House . . . Life After MS.  I then spent many, many hours over several months developing several of the videos. 

I call them LifeDesign Videos, and since I introduced them the response has been very gratifying.  Each video is from 4 to 5 minutes in length and incorporates affirmations and appropriate images, backed up with motivational music.  Two are currently offered:  Spirituality and Health and Weight Loss.

Help keep this newsletter thriving by making a donation and I will send you
a "thank you" video today.

→  YOU MAY WATCH A SHORT SAMPLE VIDEO BY CLICKING HERE.  ←

If you received one of the videos before I was able to make them available
for download directly from my website, and you are still accessing them only from
YouTube, please send me a note and tell me which video(s) you have and I'll send
you download instructions so you can place an icon on your computer desktop for ease of playing.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIDEOS, CLICK HERE.

You may mail your contribution to Iams House, 139 Inner Circle, Davis, CA  95618, or use credit card or Pay Pal at my on-line shopping cart here.  When making your contribution through the shopping cart, please indicate under "shipping instructions" which video you would like to receive. The on-line shopping cart makes it very easy,   You will receive instructions, normally the same day, for downloading directly from my website.  If you send a contribution by mail, please be sure to include your e-mail address and video selection.  Your contributions make the website and this newsletter possible.

  

THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT MY AMAZON STORE:  Just click on this Amazon link, then when it opens bookmark it in your "favorites" and it will be easy to always use it.  Each order you place using this Betty's House Amazon link means a few cents is returned to Betty's House to help pay the monthly expenses for the website and mailing list maintenance and publishing.  It doesn't amount to very much, but every little bit helps. Thanks so much.

PLEASE NOTE: 

1. Archives of recent issues of Journey to Wellness are always available here. If you are a new subscriber I suggest you take one archived issue each week and really study the material covered.  Over a period of a year Journey to Wellness covers just about every aspect of the healthy natural lifestyle that I recommend. 

If you wish to send an e-mail to me, please be sure to use the following as the subject: From a Newsletter Subscriber and your e-mail won't be lost in the never-never land of spam.  

  

MILESTONES: 

Those of you who are 40 years of age or older will remember an early popular daytime TV program called "Queen for a Day." I always wondered what it would be like to have that experience. Well, September 24 I had an opportunity to enjoy such an experience . . . well at least close to it anyway!  

September 24 was my 75th birthday, and it was the most incredibly wonderful day. My daughter-in-law Christine and grandson Zachary hosted a birthday party for my close friends, and we had a really grand time. I am truly blessed with the most amazing "daughter" in Chris, and equally amazing 15-year-old grandson Zach. Only 10 years old when we lost his father, Chris has done an incredible job of being mother and father to Zach, and surrogate "mother" to me.  

Chris invited my close friends from the neighborhood where I live, as well as one of the secretaries who used to work in my son's law firm. She and I became very close during Kevin's 2-1/2 year struggle with lung cancer, and she was literally my "emotional rock" during that period. I had not seen her in a couple of years, and it was wonderful to reconnect with her. Chris even served a lovely sit-down dinner at her beautiful home. I am truly blessed. 

Increasingly over this past year I have contemplated that I am now closer to the end of my life than the beginning - which is a very interesting place to be. Something about the number 75 made it seem like a significant milestone to me. It is certainly true that with each passing year of age the perception that time is moving at a faster and faster rate of speed becomes true. I keep thinking that there remains so much that I want to do, and so little time remaining in which to accomplish them. And I consider what my legacy will be. I hope it will be the body of writing I have done, attempting to get across the message that the healer resides in each and ever one of us.

If one could outrun the aging process,
I would be the first one to get in line,
but unfortunately we were
not given that option.

Since MS came into my life and through sheer determination, dedication and belief in my own innate self-healing ability I was able to stop it in its tracks, I have been dedicated to trying to get the message out to anyone and everyone that there is nothing truly unique about what I did, and that they - all of you - can do it too!

For as long as I have breath I will continue to be committed to sharing my YOU CAN DO IT TOO! message, including sharing "how to" techniques. And that it makes no difference what your challenge may be - physical, emotional, relationship, career, etc., each one of us has a built-in innate self-healing system, and YOU/WE have the ability to activate that system and heal (change) whatever you wish to heal in our lives. 
 

   Bon Appétit - Healthy Food Tips and Recipes

Orange Zested Chicken Breasts

From the Betty Crocker Kitchens

1/2 t. seasoned salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

2 T butter or oil

1 t. grated orange peel

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)

In small bowl, mix seasoned salt and garlic powder.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat butter and orange peel over medium heat until butter is melted. Add chicken; sprinkled with seasoning. Cook about 15 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear. Makes 4 servings

Gourmet Grilled Tuna with Honey Dressing 

        4 5-ounce tuna steaks
        salt and pepper to taste
        1 c. brown basmati rice
        1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
        3 T honey
        1 T Dijon mustard
        1 t. minced green onions or 1 shallot
        1 t. poppy seeds
        1 t. olive oil
        10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed well, stems trimmed 

Preheat outdoor grill or stovetop grill.  Season both sides of tuna with salt and pepper and set aside. 

To prepare rice, in medium-sized saucepan add 1 cup of rice, well-rinsed, and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Let stand 5 minutes. 

While cooking rice, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, honey, and mustard.  Transfer 1/3 cup of mixture to a shallow dish (reserve remainder, add tuna steaks one at a time, and turn to coat.  Discard marinade. 

Grill tuna 3 minutes per side, or until fork-tender. 

To prepare dressing, add shallot and poppy seeds to remaining honey mixture.  Mix well and set aside.  To prepare spinach, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add spinach, cover, and cook 1 minute until wilted. 

To serve, spoon rice and spinach onto serving plates.  Place tuna steaks alongside and spoon honey-poppy seed mixture over top. 

*Tuna may also be broiled, 5 inches from heat source, 5 minutes per side. 

Serve this with a fresh fruit for dessert and you have a dinner fit for royalty. 

NOTE:  Tip for mess-free measuring of honey.  Coat your measuring spoon with canola or olive oil spray (may be brushed on).  The oil makes the honey "slip" off the spoon easily.

BLT Wonton Crunchies
From www.Hungrygirl.com per serving (2 filled wpontons) 93 calories

I love these creamy, crispy bites.  They have all the flavor you want from a BLT, but WAY fewer calories. 

            12 small square wonton wrappers (in the refrigerated section of the supermarket)
            6 slices center-cut bacon or turkey bacon
            1/4 c. fat-free mayonnaise
            3 T Dijonnaise
            1/8 t. garlic powder
            Dash salt and black pepper, to taste           
            1 c. seeded and finely chopped plum tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes' worth)
            2 c. finely chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Place each wonton wrapper into a cup of the muffin pan, and press it into the bottom and sides. Lightly spray wrappers with nonstick spray. 

Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, until the bottoms of the wrappers begin to brown. Set aside to cool. 

Prepare bacon on the stove in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray or on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave. (Refer to package instructions for exact temperature and time.) Once cool enough to handle, crumble or chop and set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine mayo, Dijonnaise, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce, and gently stir until uniform.  Evenly distribute mixture among the cooled wonton shells, about 3 tablespoons per shell. Serve immediately!

 MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Tip from Betty: If you wish to cut down your chopping time, buy bagged shredded lettuce, and then just give it a rough chop.  Dijonnaise is too expensive for me, so I make my own mixture of mayo and Dijon mustard (to taste).  

  Your personal Inner-Net

I recently heard a presentation by David Morelli in which he compared searching the Internet using Google when we wish to tap into the vast information available on the Internet, with our own Internal intelligence, which David called our Inner-Net.  

I was mesmerized by how David presented our Internal Guidance System - which he characterized as our Inner-Net - as the place where answers to all our questions reside.  He then characterized that Inner-Net as a place, specifically  a "room" available only to us, and that we can go to anytime we wish to get answers as needed.

I was reminded of my "healing room" I created in meditation a number of years ago.  I had a friend a the time who was very ill, and I was led to create a special healing room to which I would go and invite his spirit to join me.  No one else could gain access to that room except me.  Those of you who have been with me for a while know that I am not a religious person, as in any organized religion, but I am a deeply spiritual person.   My healing room is essentially the same thing as David's Inner-Net. 

Whatever we choose to call our special place, it is merely a place we create in our mind's eye through meditation.  It is a place where we ask questions and get answers.  It teaches us to listen - really listen - for those answers.   Meditation is the avenue I use to connect with my higher self or Source.  Nothing I have ever shared with you is any more important than this.   We tend to think meditation is in some way mysterious, when actually It is just as simple as learning to still our mind. 

Today meditation is being prescribed by many allopathic medical doctors.  It is important to note that meditation is different things to different people.  To some meditation is merely an easy way to relax . . . and if that is all one does with it, it is certainly beneficial.  However the ultimate meditation experience is learning to connect with your own inner voice - your Inner-Net, or what I call our Internal Guidance System. 

Not learning to connect to our Internal Guidance System is a little like going through life blindfolded, struggling to find our way; not a very efficient way to get from one place to another.  YOU - ALL OF YOU - CAN TAP INTO YOUR OWN IGS!

See my Four Steps to Overcoming MS e-book for more information on our Internal Guidance System.

 CHRIS WEBER - THE SPARK OF INFAN

Since I have lived my life vicariously through this newsletter for the past 14+ years, I would be remiss if I did not share my latest Iams' news.  My grandson, 15-year-old Zachary Iams, is now a published author!  His first book, Chris Weber The Spark of Infan, was published this past week on Amazon Kindle.  Chris Weber is a young man with supernatural powers, and this book takes place mostly on an alternate planet called Infan.  Actually Zach first began to create this work of fiction when he was only 7 years old.  He had the most creative imagination I have ever encountered in a young child.  Over the years he would work on it for a while, then set it aside for a year or more, only to come back to it again.  Did I say that I am a very proud grandmother? 

If you go to Amazon and do a search in books for Zachary Iams, you can see it and read about it.  Incidentally, did you know that if you do not have a Kindle reader, you may get a free app from Amazon that allows you to read their Kindle books on your computer.

Zach's mother and I are so proud of him.  He is a very talented young man.

 

UPDATE ON CCSVI

•  The Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) has published a comprehensive overview of all of the CCSVI research that has been done to date.  There is a Facebook report from The BNAC Patient Advisory Council,  in an easy-to-read digest that has been condensed the much longer piece, written in an easy to read and follow Q&A style,  specifically for patient education.

Don't miss this excellent report.  You'll find it at:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/bnac-ccsvi-study/buffalo-neuroimaging-analysis-center-advisory-councils-digest-of-92011-ccsvi-art/261324733901128

My thanks to Wheelchair Kamikaze for the following recommendation:

For those interested in a comprehensive and extremely well researched and well-written account of the history of the CCSVI hypothesis and the science behind it, a terrific resource is the book "CCSVI As the Cause of Multiple Sclerosis" (click here), written by Marie Rhodes, a nurse and MS patient who was at the forefront of the CCSVI movement when it was in its early infancy. The book offers a wealth of knowledge, and is even available in a Kindle version.  

•  If you wish to stay informed about the latest CCSVI news, I suggest you go to:

      http://ccsvi-ms.ning.com/

And register for the CCSVI Locator.  It is the best all-around source of up-to-date information I have found.

One more death and five more cases of the rare brain infection PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy), have been reported in MS patients taking the disease modifying drug Tysabri. This brings the total number of deaths to 15 and the number of PML cases to 75 (November, 2010).

The overall global PML rate is about 0.96 per 1,000 patients, which still falls within the 1-in-1,000.  They found that in those people treated with the patches containing myelin peptides, the T cells which react to myelin were reduced and the T cells which help regulate immune responses were increased.

Tysabri . . . was temporarily withdrawn from the market beginning in 2005 and Re-launched in 2006 with a strict access plan that monitors every patient using the drug.

Source: Biogen Tysabri update November 2010 Fox Business News Network

  FROM MY MAILBOX

    Thank you Betty for your wonderful newsletter.  It always seems like you include just what I need at any given time.  I appreciate your Research Report updates, and especially your CCSVI updates.  And thanks for your Spirituality video.  It is so inspiring.  Keep up the good work.  /s/  Gerald K.

Thanks for your words of encouragement.  Since I was forced into taking on the presidency of a local non-profit in my town early this year, it has been very difficult to juggle all my responsibilities.  Thankfully my  commitment to the non-profit will end at the end of this year.  

   Hi Betty.  Thank you so much for the time you spent with me in a phone consultation.  I couldn't believe how fast two hours passed.  Your knowledge and enthusiasm is very impressive.  I recommend it to everyone.  Thank you again.  /s/  Rebecca G.

Thanks for your note Becky.  I too enjoyed our time together.

NOTE:  If you are interested in a phone consultation, for up to two hours, just send me an e-mail and I'll send you details.

    Hi Betty.  Just wanted to say thanks for the Pear and Gorgonzola Salad recipe in the recent newsletter.  My family loved it.  /s/ Carol J.

Thanks Carol.  I loved that too.

   Featured Books, DVD Exercise Programs and Videos

Please, everyone, do not sit around and wait for testing and treatment if warranted for CCSVI.  Even if that becomes the standard MS treatment down the road, you need to get moving and improve your quality of life NOW.  Even those who have the corrective procedure done still have to work to recover their quality of life. 

How do you do that? I suspect that you already know. Start a simple daily meditation ritual, and move your body with healthy exercise and breathing exercises.

Oh you say you can't exercise? Excuse me, but that is rubbish. There is no such thing as a person who can't exercise. You can do a very effective exercise program sitting in a wheelchair, or even lying in bed.  You just begin with some simple deep breathing and very simple arm movements. EVERYBODY CAN IMPROVE HIS/HER BODY WITH A COMMITMENT TO EXERCISE.

If you don't have them, order Yoga for MS (for strength) and/or Tai Chi/Qi Gong for Seniors (for healing) or  Gentle Fitness (for overall fitness) and get moving. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT!  Then pick two or three things from one or two of these programs and get started. Soon you won't believe what a tremendous improvement you will experience. The only thing hindering you is your own lack of enthusiasm and passion. There is no person who cannot improve the quality of his or her life with exercise.  Just get moving!

I absolutely know that one of the primary reasons I live a normal, healthy life today is because of these exercise programs.  Come on. Get started today! 

CHECK OUT THE DETAILS OF THESE EXERCISE
VIDEO PROGRAMS AND FEATURED BOOKS HERE

That's all for this month.  Please remember to tell those close to you how much you love them.  There are some things for which there is never a second chance in this lifetime. 

 

That's all for now.

 

Sincerely,

Betty

PLEASE NOTE:   I AM NOT A MEDICALLY TRAINED PERSON, AND I DO NOT GIVE MEDICAL ADVICE.  BUT I HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS STUDENT OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOR MANY YEARS, AND I HAVE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT HAS KEPT ME SYMPTOM FREE FOR A LOT OF YEARS NOW SINCE PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE MS FIRST MADE ITS APPEARANCE IN MY LIFE.

TO BETTY'S HOUSE