My thyroid is healed!

I don’t know about that 90-day thing in the title of Dr. Wentz’s book. My journey was closer to 22 months.

I started the Wentz protocol in May 2017. Then, in March 2019, I got super jittery and couldn’t sleep, so stopped my thyroxine. My doctor and I decided to wait a full three months to see how I was feeling without it and let my blood get to where it would give the most accurate results. I got the results back yesterday; my thyroid levels are all NORMAL!

A Few Sun Facts

Scientist have now shown that sunscreen chemicals soak all the way into the bloodstream. But the Food and Drug Administration has never tested how they might mess up people’s hormones, affect their reproductive systems, or cause cancer.

Wait, wut?! My grandkids get slathered with the stuff on a regular basis! Ack! I’m chemically hypersensitive, so I’m always inclined to lean heavily on “Don’t Trust Chemicals.”

But my brother died of a malignant melanoma. And Hubby Dearest has vitiligo; patches of his skin and hair are white. His still-Italian-pigmented skin tans beautifully every summer, but what I call his “pinto patches” turn pink, including the entire back of his neck.

NUTRITION: Beware of headlines!

I was very interested in recent headlines like this one, “There’s even more evidence that taking supplements is a waste of money — and could be harmful to your health.”

Uhhhhhhh … no.

What the study cited ACTUALLY FOUND was that:

• Dietary supplement use is not a substitute for a healthy balanced diet in otherwise healthy people;
• Taking mega doses can harm your health.

Meta Analysis: Probiotics reduce inflammation

This doctor gives a clear, easy-to-understand explanation of the meta data and several of the mechanisms that are probably involved.

Canned Tuna and Salmon Products

How to choose the best brands

Upping My Game

I am extremely mold sensitive and did not understand before this month that my mason jar/airlocks aren’t sufficient for creating a truly anaerobic, 100% mold killing ferment. I haven’t had any VISIBLE mold, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still mold in there. And in Chrissy World, ANY mold is too much mold.

There’s also no way to ensure my ferments are not stalling at Stage 2. They will only move through Stages 3 and 4 if the jar is truly anaerobic and it is only in these stages that the histamine is lowered. I’m histamine sensitive too, so I was frankly appalled to learn that most mason jar ferments get stalled in Stage 2.

Fasting

After I watched this video, in which this M.D. (Nephrologist) explains why “eat less, move more” diets don’t work and why intermittent fasting does, I ordered his book which I’m avidly reading.

Fun with Extra SCOBYs

Kombucha needs Camellia sinensis to be properly nourished.

That means black, green, white, and/or oolong teas. Flavored teas, such as Earl Gray, Red Zinger or Chai, often contain antipbacterial essential oils that may damage the kombucha culture, so avoid using them for your main brew. Strongly smokey teas such as Lapsang Souchong, while they won’t technically damage the culture, are not considered a good flavor match by most brewers.

SCOBYs grow baby SCOBYs.

In the past, I’ve puréed the extras in water and fed them to the garden. But I just tried brewing a batch of kombucha with herbal teas. It’s so delicious!

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has a number of health benefits, leading certain people I know (me) to think it’s a good way to have a guilt-free sweet treat.

But according to Consumer Lab, even a relatively small serving daily can easily put an ADULT over the safe limit for CADMIUM, a toxic heavy metal that accumulates and hangs around in the body doing mischief for YEARS.

Resistant Starch: Reheating Makes It Even Better For You!

When certain starchy foods, including pasta, potatoes and rice, are cooked and then cooled, the digestible starches convert to resistant starches via a process called retrogradation.

Resistant starch is REALLY GOOD FOR YOU. Many studies in humans have demonstrated that consuming resistant starch improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar levels, reduces appetite, and has numerous benefits for digestion.