Reviveyourhealth

Revive Your Health
A 12-Week Strategy for Tackling Conditions Like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
This book is dedicated to my parents who never questioned that I was actually sick and who somehow continually helped me finance a journey to better health; to all those friends who have supported me along the way; and to the doctor who thinks outside-the-box and helped save my life, Dale Guyer.
Table of Contents
Foreword 7 About This Book 9 Introduction 11 My Story 15 Before You Get Started 21 Week 1 Forming a New HabitHow Did We Become So Unhealthy? 27 Week 2 Why Tracking All This Information Is Important 37 Week 3 Why Pacing Is Critical 47 Week 4 How To Organize Your Wellness Like a Business 57 Week 5 Having the Discipline of Champions 69 Week 6 Key Components Of Your Physical Health 79 Week 7 Youre Halfway There! Staying Motivated 89 Week 8 Watching What You Eat (I Know, I Know) 99 Week 9 Tips & Tricks To Working Smarter, Not Harder 111 Week 10 Maintaining Your Dignity When Facing a Chronic Condition 121 Week 11 Forming a Support Community 131 Week 12 Pulling Together All the DataWhats Next? 141 Appendix A The Unify First Foundation 157 Appendix B Adapted Recipes 159 Appendix C Ingredient Substitutions 167 Index 169
Foreword
As an osteopathic physician in a private practice, a week does not go by without meeting new patients who state they are at the end of their rope. They have had every test, tried every medication, supplement or therapy, and have seen every specialist recommended to them. They have run out of money or are in debt due to their healthcare bills, and they still do not feel better. They feel their lives are spinning out of control and they want to take it back. Sound familiar? The healthcare system we currently have in place in the United States offers options, and there are plenty of them. The typical first option for most patients would be what I will refer to as traditional medicine or western medicine. Healthcare is guided by physicians, medical doctors, who have attended medical school, either allopathic or osteopathic. Allopathic physicians make up the majority of US doctors referred to as MDs. Osteopathic physicians, or DOs like myself, are doctors of osteopathic medicine. They too are fully licensed to practice medicine or surgery. After medical school, physicians complete an internship and may select a residency training program for which they can complete requirements for board certification. Another option for many people may be alternative healthcare provided by a naturopath, homeopath, herbalist, chiropractor or acupuncturist. It is my belief that there are so many options for healthcare practitioners, some more accepted than others, because one type of medicine or treatment does not benefit all patients. One area in particular where many patients seem to find a void is in the treatment of conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. This is likely due in part to the agreement on a diagnosis or that either chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia even exists for that matter. At every conference where the topic of fibromyalgia is discussed, for example, there are still some holdouts as to its existence. This is likely due to the inability to prove the diagnosis. As doctors, we like to hear a history, put a theory to the test and prove our theory. A satisfying case. Next step, we apply the current therapy in favor and oh yes, these therapies do change. Remember what your doctor wanted your cholesterol to be in 1986? That same number today is called ELEVATED! In many instances a patient may present to a healthcare providers office, a history is obtained, and a few tests are run. If these tests come back as normal, the patient does not have that certain condition. The test was ordered to confirm or rule out diagnosis. When test after test comes back normal, patients may get the message that Youre not REALLY sick, youre just not well. Attached to this
may be, You are stressed, or my favorite, Nothing is wrong with you, you are probably depressed. Well, if you werent depressed before, you might be after hearing that. The truth is YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL AND THIS DOCTOR DIDNT FIND OUT WHY! He or she gave up, or you quit looking. DONT GIVE UP! There are answers out there, just maybe not where you were looking. Patients have to be their own advocates and seek out what works for them. If you are seeing a healthcare provider who is not helping you, move on! Unfortunately, for those patients suffering from conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, we do not have standard therapies that are even beneficial for most. We offer exercise, anti-inflammatories, sleeping aids, antidepressants and medications for chronic pain, to name a few. A professor of mine once said, If there are a lot of options for treatment, none of them work. Okay, maybe I wouldnt go that far, but these options are simply symptom relief. The goal of treatment should be to treat the problem, not the symptoms. Sometimes to find the cause, one needs to look outside the box. Revive Your Health is particularly valuable because it helps accomplish just that. It provides a practical approach to achieving improved health. The author is herself a typical patient who has been through the system. Luckily she knew to be proactive and kept searching for answers to improve her health. It is not easy, and at times, very tedious. Keeping track of symptoms, and trying to identify triggers is key. Using the tracking sheets, patients can easily see their progress, or lack thereof, and identify the therapies that are beneficial. In dealing with conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, by the time of diagnosis, symptoms have been present for an extended period of time and typically have an insidious onset. Regaining health and a sense of well-being may also take an extended period of time. Looking at the progress made, even though it may seem slow, is very beneficial. Chronic illness is not cured with a pill in days to weeks. It takes lifestyle modification including dietary changes, exercise and stress reduction techniques, in addition to searching and treating the underlying causes of symptoms in the first place. You are in control of your health. Ann Marie Nelson, D.O., FAAFP
About This Book

Revive Your Health is about a decade-long journey of someone struggling to heal from a chronic and mysterious medical condition given a name like chronic fatigue syndrome. Because it is a personal account, it is written from a perspective that may differ from your own but regardless, the principles presented here can be far-reaching. There are no cures claimed in this book, nor is it even assumed that everyone will get better by following any specific medical protocol. It is believed, however, that most who suffer from these types of conditions can get better with the right intervention. Mentioned in this book are several ideas on health and wellness, but the majority of focus will be on a strategy of structuring a recovery. It will take a lot of planning to organize all the different facets of recovering from a chronic and mysterious condition. That being said, you will most likely be called upon to have considerable discipline in order to experience some recoverydiscipline that may rival Tiger Woods approach to his golf game or Michael Phelps swimming routine! You may find that among all of the elements required to recover, three demand the most attention: Time, Finances and Discipline. You will need time to allow treatments to work; finances to fund treatments and doctors that insurance unfortunately doesnt always cover; and disciplinebecause without it, all the time and money in the world may not be enough.
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Introduction
For as long as I can remember, I liked to organizeat least as an adult. Writing Revive Your Health evolved because I wanted to share how health goals can be achieved by organizing, scheduling and pacing yourself, along with following a protocol to address your specific health challenges. This book describes what has worked well for me. My goal has been to conquer a stubborn illness, but this concept can apply to any health goal, such as weight loss or trying to follow a healthier diet. My health training was earned in the trenches because beginning around age thirty, stubborn health problems of a mysterious origin began to surface. (See My Story chapter.) For clarification purposes, the mysterious conditions referred to here can be diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome or even autism. Basically, in my opinion, these diagnoses are at times just another way of saying that you dont feel right and doctors dont necessarily know why. The problems I had certainly seemed unexplainable. It was annoying, and yet, intriguing at the same time because by my nature, if you give me a seemingly impossible challenge, I only become more determined. Although we eventually uncovered various probable causes and solutions, the condition was certainly stubborn but I was even more stubborn! As with any situation, hindsight is always 20/20. Of course, there are many things I would have done differently if the future could be predicted. But over the years, a strategy began to emerge while dealing with the many aspects of a long-term stubborn illnessthe research, planning, scheduling, pacing, financing, figuring out what helps you get better and what doesnt, hiring the right doctors and practitioners and just generally keeping track of everything. At times its much like youre running a small business where your own health is the product. In fact, while attending support groups over the years where new attendees would lament not being able to officially work, I assured them they did indeed have a joband that job was getting well because at times it seems to take just as much time and devotion as any full-time jobarguably more! Because of a natural tendency to organize, I thrived on the challenge facing me to piece together the puzzle of a stubborn health condition. Of course, it was an unwanted job that was forced on me and
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tested my patience, but somehow the chutzpah necessary to persevere would continually present itself. Along the way, I would hear How in the world do you keep track of all that?! I began to see that what came easily to me wasnt necessarily easy for others and perhaps results from a regimen were more apparent simply because of how the details were organized. I noticed a strategy emerging. Of course, Revive Your Health isnt meant to overwhelm those who arent natural at organizing things. Instead, it is meant to be a practical account of someone who turned the concepts of organizing and planning into a strategy for treating her health like she would any job. Its a different way to look at approaching your health goals. I hope you find your own adventure in the process and gain some pointers that help you along the way. Revive Your Health is divided into 12 Weeks of health-related topics. Following each week is the Revive Your Health Calendar and Tracking System designed to help you keep a detailed account of various key elements to monitor. Also included is an Appendix of recipes adapted to be more healthy. Each week begins with a subject matter that either explains organizing in more detail or touches on a topic important to healing. Subjects include the key components to health, diet strategies, forming a support community and tips & tricks for staying motivated. Each week concludes with a goal to work on as well as a brief journal to track your thoughts for the week. In Week 11, you will learn about the companion website to this book, www.UNIFYFIRST.com, which is a social networking community for people with conditions that are mysterious and stubborn in nature. You can track the information you note in Revive Your Health through a free Wellness Tracker software downloadable from the site. This software will help you determine what is working for you and what isnt. You can then print off this information and share it with your doctor, thereby establishing a team effort to your healing. My hope is that the tracking system presented here will help you heal and achieve your health goals. It will most likely take longer than 12 weeks to attain most goals, especially those related to chronic illness, but the information presented here will help you get started on a strategy for whatever you are facing. Also, please make a special note of Appendix A which details the Unify First Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed to financially help those in the effort of recovering from chronic and mysterious health conditions.
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This book was not written to tell you how to heal from a particular illness or condition. I am not a physician and do not suggest any certain modalities of treatment, even though there may be some I personally believe in. Rather, this book will guide you in how to schedule and pace yourself so that whatever treatment or modality you choose in trying to heal has the best opportunity to work. My history and specialty is organizing information and planning schedules that make sense. I have a graduate degree in college administration and have worked previously in higher education helping incoming students map out their college careers and beyond. Much in the same way, this book will help you map out your strategy to achieve health goals. Again, Revive Your Health describes a strategy. No specific medical treatment for getting better is recommended here. Those very important details should be left up to the health team you hire. But I believe you will need to pursue a medical protocol that fits your particular situation. Scheduling and pacing alone will likely not be enough in most cases. How much you research a protocol on your own or rely on the advice of professionals is up to you. Even after following a strategy for nearly a decade, healing my body continues to be a work in progress. Effort is still being focused on getting to a level where it can support itself and function as it should without a lot of intervention. While working to get there, I reflect on ten good things that are vital to recovery: Good Food Good Rest Good Thoughts Good Friends Good Supplements Good Support Good Doctor Good Purpose Good Choices Good Routine Many of these good things will be covered throughout Revive Your Health because some combination of these elements are needed to get well. It is a privilege to walk with you on your journey to being healthier. It is a road well-traveled, and I hope you feel the energy of those who are cheering you along the way. Best wishes to you!
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My Story
Never ask me to do that again, my good friend and co-worker explained, it felt like you had died! Ill never forget her words. She had just cleaned out my office because of my sudden departure due to feeling so sick. I left for the weekend one Friday afternoon and never went back. I was too ill to even go back to my office for my things. My friends haunting words have always stuck with me, because little did I know then that a part of me would indeed die, and a new me would have to take over in her placea person called to physically endure more than she had ever imagined to be possible. By the fall of 2000, I hadnt been feeling right for a solid year and a halfand was getting worsebut had no idea why or how badly a body could crash. Unfortunately, I found out on that ill-fated weekend, which ended my job as a college advisor and opened up a new world of physical limitations. What followed would be a long battle of slow-coming triumphs, abrupt setbacks, and symptoms that would literally drive me to the brink of what was tolerable. At times, the worst symptom I experienced was nausea 24/7. Many of my friends still say they think of me every time they feel like theyre going to throw uphow lovely! When they have the flu or eat something that doesnt agree with them, they tell me of their sympathy and ask how I survived feeling that way for so long. Truthfully, I really dont know how I did. Pain can be the greatest motivator. And for me, nausea (or, more importantly, to not be nauseous) pushed me to dig deep and fight hard to fix whatever was out of balance in my body. As mentioned, one way I fought back was to get really organized about all of the elements it was going to take to get well. A friend once said to me that these types of mysterious conditions are ideal for perfectionists because at times a single poorly-planned meal, trip to the mall or too-late night could be enough to launch an avalanche of symptoms that seem impossible to stop. I couldnt agree more. So I quickly knew it was going to be necessary to be on
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top of everything, especially while beginning to heal. Sound like a lot of work? It is, and that work gets even harder when youre sicka total Catch22. Thats why I want to share my experiences and provide a roadmap to follow when you feel too overwhelmed to navigate it at all, and especially when having to navigate it virtually alone. It is possible to make progress even when it seems truly impossible. The tendency to organize served me well as a college advisor and now it would be crucial in planning my way back to good health. After many years of managing my health, the realization came that everything I was doing required businesslike skills. Increasingly, I was being called upon to use just about every skill learned in 18 years of schooling and nearly a decade officially on the job to conquer what I was facing. My story may indeed seem extreme as it isnt often you encounter someone who is ill for such a lengthy period of time without seeing significant resultseither to the positive or negative end. Admittedly, it is unusual to just feel really awful for years at a time. Typically you either get better or a condition somehow takes your life. However, this is not the place I found myself. And I have learned that Im not alone. In 2000 when the symptoms became so disruptive that they could no longer be ignored, I immediately circled the wagons to try to figure out what was happening. Action was taken so quickly only because I had experienced a similar (yet much milder) mysterious illness several years before in college that was marked by constant malaise, low-grade fever and weight loss. Fortunately, that time, following a very strict healthy diet and consuming 20 or so specific supplements a day helped me feel back to normal in a little less than a yeara length of time that seemed like an eternity then. For years afterward, I assumed I had suffered an isolated episode due to a virus or mutant bug, and that it was over. At least this is what I had hoped. Not until illness came again several years later did I start to put twoand-two together. When something similar started happening again, I wasted no time and began seeing a doctor (a licensed MD) who thought outside-the-box from the traditional route in medicine and specialized in these types of stubborn conditions. Fortunately, my family doctor made the quick referral. This specialist immediately pinpointed issues involving the digestive system (most likely stemming from years of antibiotic abuse for what I thought were sinus infections) and the adrenal gland systemissues I still face today and will always monitor. Relief came slowly, but over time, I began to feel better. Improvements in my health tend to plateau until new treatments are tried that are successful and push me to another plateau. Significant milestones were reached when treatments and supplements were introduced that
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balanced the bacteria in my digestive system, after starting SAMe (a methyl donor that helps build many critical compounds in the body, including hormones) and later intensely addressing detoxification. By 2005-06, I felt 70-80 percent back to normal and was able to work independently, earn a significant salary and return to a somewhat normal life. By Christmas 2006, however, a backslide began that couldnt be stopped with the previous approach. I began to see my doctor again after a two-year absence and found several more issues to address, including a significant opportunistic staphlycoccus aureus invasion in my intestines. Once this bacteria was brought under control (along with support of other body functions such as the adrenal system, addressing issues like detoxification, and most recently the use of HGH) decent health returned. I consider myself to be functioning around 80 percent nowsometimes as much as 90 percent. Unfortunately, however, I personally havent discovered a cure for this condition as much as ways to carefully manage it. Along the way, managing all of the areas necessary to still keep a life going became very challengingconducting hours of research; juggling bills and credit cards better than a circus clown; forming teams of people to support me (which required firing those who needed to be); acting as my own PR agent in the constant quest for help to manage it all and retain a hardearned reputation; setting up a detailed system to track what worked and what didnt and just trying to maintain sanity while feeling so poorly! I found that diligence, discipline and self-control (whether I felt like it or not) was always being required of me. And by always I mean literally just about every minute of every day because you cant take a vacation from your body or poor health, so there are no real breaks. Needing to be on top of things all the time can become very frustrating and exhausting, to say the least. You watch others eat, drink, party and play, and they all appear to feel fine (at least for now). And you know they have to feel much better than you do simply because of what they are able to do the following day, or just able to do at all. But I recall a weight-focused episode of Oprah when she asked Dr. Phil, Arent some people just genetically prone to being thin? and he replied, Yeah, but that aint you! I believe the same is true heresome people are more genetically prone to getting away with doing potentially detrimental things to their bodies, but for sure that aint me and if you are reading this, perhaps that aint you either! The sooner reality is embraced, whatever it is, the sooner necessary adjustments can be made to see a change. And more importantly feel a changefeeling better. _____________ On the following two pages is a journal entry from about a year into feeling sick. I include it to give a better idea where Ive come from and to give hope that even if you feel this sick, you can truly get better...
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I cant take it anymore. Feeling sick all day every day. Knowing that any moment of relief wont last. Not knowing if this will ever stop. Not knowing definitively whats wrong. Not being able to work. Not feeling like leaving the house. Feeling disoriented and dizzy. Not feeling like myself. Not looking like myself. Not seeing someone I recognize when I look in the mirror. Not feeling like seeing my friends. Not having most of my friends anymore. Things dont taste good that I have to eat. Im scared to eat, I dont know what may be hurting me. Lying in bed in the morning only thinking about another day of struggling and suffering without knowing why or when it will stop. Thinking about how Im ever going to pay my bills. Not knowing what doctor to believe or follow and paying them hundreds of dollars for just 15 minutes of their advice. Having pressure from traditional doctors to not do anything to help myself, feeling stupid for trying to get well by alternative means. Taking all these pills and powdersI cant even keep them straight anymore. Not knowing if something Im taking or eating is making me sicker and knowing that even if something is, it would take me forever to figure out what is doing it. Feeling achey in my shoulders and feeling warm and like I have the flu out of nowhere and for no reason all day long. Being tense every time I drive because I feel like I could throw up in the car. Having people think this is in my head. Feeling pressured to better deal with this emotionally when people dont know how miserable this is. Feeling so bad most of the time that I cant even talk on the phone. Sitting here day after day after day becoming more and more isolated. I think my brain is actually changing, I dont even feel right, everything feels weird. Not smiling anymore, not remembering the last time I laughed. Having every single thing under the sun be a struggle. Having lost that easiness of life. Nothing is easy. Watching people play and go to work and know that used to be me. Not being able to get my health back no matter what I do. Knowing that my job resume is ruined. Feeling like Ive tried to live right morally most of my life and it didnt mean anything.
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Feeling like its just Gods plan for me to suffer and theres nothing I can do about it. Knowing that God knows Ive had about all I can take, that I just cry all day long in pain and he still wont give me any long-term relief. Feeling bad when I feel too cool. Feeling worse when I feel too hot. Not feeling like seeing my niece and nephew. Missing all the holidays. Feeling pressure to go out or see people when my body just doesnt feel like it at all. And not knowing if this will ever not be the case. Feeling like a failure because my body has failed me. Having things get worse instead of better. Not having any hope. Feeling like my body is incapable of being healthy. Having my body fail me day after day after day. Knowing another week has gone by with no answer and no improvement. Not knowing what will help and confused by all the research. Having something I research and try fail again. Knowing that when I feel bad, nothingabsolutely nothingI or anyone can do will make me feel better. Not wanting to die but not wanting to feel this way anymore. Not feeling secure on this planet anymore. Knowing that at any moment everything can be taken from me. Knowing that my parents are having to solely take care of me. What will I do when I dont have them to help anymore? Knowing that most of the time all I want to do is escape this permanently and how shameful that will be and how it would hurt people. Feeling like I have nothing and the complete inability to be independent anymore. Knowing that God has the power to change this, to make me feel at least some better and make it so that I at least dont lose my mind. To give me a little of myself back or something that is familiar and he just wont do it. Being constantly afraid of what my body is going to do to me. Not knowing if I can withstand the misery of what it will do. Knowing that Ive tried to be a good person and this has been the reward for that. Knowing because of what theyve read here, that people will probably label me as just depressed or mentally disturbed and feel justified in doing so even though they have no idea how much I physically suffer. No idea.
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Before You Get Started

If you choose to follow along, you are about to begin tracking more information than you may have ever thought humanly possible! You may think some of the information is irrelevant, and it might be for your given goal, but to fully experience the proposed strategy, I encourage you to track what is suggested for the 12 Weeks. To make tracking easier, the following is suggested before you begin the 12 Weeks: 1. Insert the month and date by the days of the week on each Calendar and Tracking Sheet. 2. Mark all previously-scheduled appointments for the 12 Weeks on your calendar. Include everything you can think of, even lunch with friends, workouts, etc. 3. Set your Personal Goals on page 20 so you can reassess where you are after 12 Weeks. 4. In order to set a starting point for following what you add and subtract each day on the Tracking Sheets, note all of the supplements and medications you are currently taking on page 21. 5. If possible, purchase a set of erasable colored pencils and a dry erase calendar you can hang on your refrigerator. The dry erase calendar is for planning meals, which is addressed in Week 8. The erasable colored pencils are for the detailed calendar that follows each week. The pencils are highly suggested because the color-coding is key to glancing across your week and seeing what is coming up and how much energy it will take. Its vital for pacing, which is discussed in Week 3, and just makes things easier overall. As a special note, while in graduate school, it was quickly noticed that the amount of coursework assigned and the allotted time given to complete it simply didnt match up. I needed to maximize every hour in order to get assignments finished and retain my sanity in the process. I purchased a detailed calendar similar to the one here, that noted 15-minute increments from 8am-8pm, and the set of colored pencils to color code my time. This system worked and even left me with some much-needed downtime because it was literally scheduled in as well. Upon the realization that getting healthy required the same kind of detailed planning, I adopted a similar strategyexcept this time instead of scheduling in class, assistantships and report writing, it was about scheduling yoga, meditating, doctor appointments, cooking fresh meals, sorting supplements and doing household tasks like laundry and cleaning. It was back to the basics! Also included on the following pages are sample Calendar Sheets to demonstrate how this color-coding system works, along with a sample Tracking Sheet.
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Personal Goals
Because this book will be read by a variety of individuals with different situations, limitations and energy levels, having goals tailored to your specific starting points will be important. For some, a goal of walking around the block may be of priority. For others, making sure they exercise several times a week consistently may be their goal. Where you are starting is not as important as where you are going. List the 10 realistic personal goals you would like to attain over the next 12 weeks:
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Current Supplements & Medications

Supplements
What kind How much How often
Medications
What kind How much How often
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Real Estate Other Work Appointments Book/Website Exercise Personal/Fun
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Week 1
Forming a New Habit How Did We Become So Unhealthy?
There is a popular theory that it takes the body 21 days to form a new way of thinking. This theory has been tested in several different arenas, one being the time it takes for amputees to begin to stop having phantom sensations. Evidence of this 21-day phenomenon has occurred in my own personal life. Recently, after ending a relationship, I noticed in my journal that right around the 21-day mark of not speaking to this person, my feelings began to noticeably subside and I was astonished at how widespread this 21-day theory could possibly be! The good news is if you follow all 12 Weeks of Revive Your Health, you will have four times the reinforcement you need to form a new way of thinking (or new habit) of healthy living. So there are really two issues at task here: forming the new habit and adjusting to the time it will take for you to actually see results. Forming a new habit is only part of the process. Seeing results takes an undetermined amount of time, especially in cases of chronic conditions, and thats where the frustration can set in. Personally, it has at times taken months to see any result from trying treatments, watching a diet closely or taking many supplements. But, evidence has shown that if you can get your body to a certain level of health, seeing positive results from that point on can be quicker and somewhat easier to maintain. If you do slide backward from there, it will more likely be easier to regain your momentum. The healthier you are, the easier it is for you to stay healthy. Much in the same way that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer due to their circumstances, the same can be true with health. Being healthy puts you in a better position overall to stay there, or return there more quickly. All of this begs the questionHow in the world did we get so unhealthy in the first place? Why is all of this tracking and pacing suggested here necessary to reach better health? Shouldnt it be easier than this? It certainly appears that some people can eat or live however they choose, seemingly with little or no physical consequence. This presents another topic entirely but it is mentioned here to further illustrate the frustration you may feel while waiting to see results.
Seeing results takes an undetermined amount of time...and thats where the frustration can set in.
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To address the question of how we got here, and how the mysterious conditions began to proliferate, I believe it is perhaps from a series of incidents in history combined with our bodies not being as resilient as they can be. As I write this, the big 4-0 birthday is rapidly approaching, so I grew up in the 1970s and 80s. For one thing, fast-food restaurants first appeared on the scene in the 50s and became increasingly popular over the next 20 years, making my generation one of the first to be raised on this type of food. The entirety of mysterious health conditions cannot be blamed on fast food of course, but I do believe that this set in motion a series of life choices most Americans began to make for speed and convenience. Freshly preparing food is far from convenient. But feeling good is the ultimate convenience, so those sacrifices are worth it. Our vision of health needs to be greater than short-term conveniences. Sadly, the casualty of the fast-food generation has been preparing locally grown food at home, which was the way of life for most Americans until the mid-20th Century. Processed foods with added chemicals and preservatives has been the replacement. This is only part of the problem. Air, water and land are increasingly polluted with toxins which eventually make their way into food. Perhaps, the most interesting yet forgotten place we encounter toxins is within our own bodiessuch as when we digest and eliminate food. Fortunately, we were divinely given an internal detoxification system, and this may be the key that unlocks the mystery many of us struggle withour own detoxifcation systems may be impaired to varying degrees. In addition, our immune systems get bogged down by all the extra stress put on it by toxins and bugs allowed to proliferate by the avalanche of impaired body systems. On a side note, we were born at an interesting time in history to be coping with conditions of mysterious origin. Sixty years ago, our bodies may not have been resilient enough to sustain themselves without some modern conveniences like certain medications, for example. Without antibiotics, serious bacterial infections might have easily taken over our systems and shortened our time here. And 60 years from now, more medical research will most likely have been done that will allow people with these conditions to have more choices for treatments. Therefore, we live in an interesting discovery period in history. So, those are some theories on how we got here, at least in part. Obviously, its a complex situation with many unanswered questions. I believe that even if one day we discover a virus or similar culprit behind this condition, our bodies will be so depleted from the experience that we will still need to work hard to feel better. What we know for sure, though, is that forming new habits will help your body do what it needs to do for good health. These concepts arent rocket science and probably not new to you or anyone, but my hope and intention is that we will begin to look at them in a new way.
Our vision of health needs to be greater than short-term conveniences.
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From my experience, recovering from a mysterious condition can be a very long and difficult journey. Again, it can feel like everyone around you at
times can get away with murder by the way they eat and live. I still struggle with this and can lose the battle of bitterness from time to time. But then I remember that those of us with these conditions are in a fight for our lives, in some ways not unlike battling cancer or lingering on the wait list for a donor organ. While mysterious condtions are not always as obvious, easily explained or abuptly fatal, they are just as real and sometimes devastating in every conceivable way. We must fight for our health just the same as anyone else. Sufferers of these types of conditions have been likened to canaries in a coalmine. Canaries were sent in ahead of the coalminers to detect hazardous conditions. Because canaries are highly sensitive birds, the miners knew that if the canaries could survive the coalmine, then it was safe to go in. Well, many of us with these conditions are barely surviving, or feeling terribly as we try to, and we may very well be the messengers foretelling what is to come for many who, at least for now, seem unaffected. There is still much to learn. What we do know now is that some of us feel terribly and the symtpoms are overwhelming. A theory I once learned about that made a lot of sense was called the symptom line. In this concept, basically, health is on a continuum and when it becomes too poor, you begin to feel symptoms. But, even if your symptoms go away, that doesnt necessarily mean you are totally better. It may mean that you have just moved above the symptom line and you may only be a little better than when you experienced symptoms. The goal is to continue with healthy habits so you can stay above the symptom line and move up the continuum to where you are increasingly further away from experiencing symptoms. The further you are away from this line, the more relaxed you can become with your disciplines, although I would suggest always keeping up with a program. A healing line could look something like this (note how close your progress is when you feel okay vs. when you feel sick): Feel okay Symptom Line Feel sick Regarding the strategy presented here to tackle what youre facing, this will be the first week to begin tracking your schedule and information. Beginning in Week 2, more will be explained about what to note each week on your Calendar and Tracking Sheets. Take Week 1 as your trial period to get a feel for things by trying to schedule and keep track of important indicators of your health condition. (The scale for the Physical and Emotional Well-Being numbering system is defined in Week 2 for your reference.) Begin to note throughout the week all activities that come to mind. The Calendar Sheets have been divided into 15-minute increments so that you can be very specific in trying to reserve some energy for yourself. A sample calendar of how a week might look is on pages 24-25 for your reference. Also, you can begin to note some key factors that influence you daily on the Tracking Sheets to follow. This Weeks Goal: Accept the level of health you now have as your reality, understanding that it can change, and commit to following through on the next 12 Weeks of this strategy.
Those of us with these conditions are in a fight for our lives.
29
CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
30
WEEK 1
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
31 29
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Weather Temperature Humidity Body Temperature Blood Pressure Added or Increased Supps/Meds
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
Subtracted or Decreased Supps/Meds
Sleep Supps/Meds Hours of Sleep Dreams/Other
What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
Physical Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Emotional Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes
Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes On Cycle?
32
On Cycle?
WEEK 1
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
Weather Temperature Humidity Body Temperature Blood Pressure Added or Increased Supps/Meds Subtracted Supps/Meds
What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with What upset me What was fun
What upset me
What upset me
Physical Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Emotional Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
Weather/Temps/BP +/-Supps/Meds Sleep Symptom Changes What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Physical Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Emotional Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Other/On Cycle?
33
Journal for Week 1

While youre healing physically, you may also learn a lot about yourself emotionally and spiritually. Note some thoughts each day about what you are experiencing, other than physical symptoms. Suffering can be quite the teacher. Reflect on your deepest ideas, challenges and triumphs in forming new habits and on this weeks goal of accepting the level of health you now have.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
34
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
35
36
Week 2
Why Tracking All This Information Is Important
Early on, it became obvious to me why it was important to keep track of everything being done for my health. Anyone who has maneuvered taking multiple supplements while trying to figure out what was working, what was creating a herx effect (what your body does when something works well but creates detoxification symptoms) and what was just plain making you sicker knows what Im talking about. This is why I started tracking information so closely. While not always finding tracking so much information to be a necessarily difficult taskit did become very tedious and time-consuming! Please know it is understood that not everyone enjoys noting the minutia of everyday life. Such detailed record-keeping can be overwhelming and exhausting, especially when you are sick for long periods of time. However, I truly believe that, if used as a tool, the information you gather will be critical in helping you get wellor reach whatever health goal you have in mind. So, please ask others for help if you have trouble keeping track of things on your own at first. Along with the calendar portion of this book, Tracking Sheets are allocated for you to keep a detailed account of whats going on every day for the next 12 weeks. The companion website to this book, www.UNIFYFIRST.com, offers free downloadable tracking software where you can enter the data you collect. The information can then be processed into a chart you can study and take to your doctor. This will be mentioned throughout the book when applicable. The information you gather will be critical in helping you get well.
37
For the tracking system, the suggested information to note is: Weather-While weather does not always affect everyone, elements of weather such as humidity, precipitation and temperature changes can at times appear to impact healthsuch as the amount of physical pain a person will face daily. Supplements and Medications Added & Subtracted Daily-This section is critical because it will tell you and your doctor a lot about what is working and what isnt. Changes here can be subtle, but note them because it can make a lot of difference in how you feel. Sleep Supplements/Medications-Broken into its own section, noting these specific supplements and medications is important because good solid sleep is extremely critical to good health. Without it, its difficult for even the healthiest person to feel well. What You Ate-Especially if you suspect food allergies may be a culprit, noting what you eat daily can help you monitor ups and downs. Even if you dont have food allergies, make sure for the first 12 weeks that you write down everything you eat throughout the day because you may be surprised by what you learn. What Upset You/What Was Fun-Note here the things that stood out during the day that affected you positively or negatively. Often times, if we can connect with others who are important to us, we will feel a boost physically. Levels of Physical and Emotional Well-Being-Noting Well-Being levels and tracking these changes can be one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle. At the end of each day, assign a number to how you felt both physically and emotionally. You can use a line chart and track them yourself, or you can track this with the Wellness Tracker software to discover the up and down trends. You can create your own numbering system to track how youre feeling both physically and emotionally or, for how youre specifically feeling physically, you could use something like this: 0 Bed-bound where all activities must be conducted on your behalf, even basic care like bathing. 1 Stay in bed most of the day, but able to get up for quick trips only around the house. 2 Move from bed to sofa to computer, for example. Make small meals or snacks and perform short routine activities around the house.
The companion website to this book, UNIFYFIRST.com, offers free downloadable tracking software where you can enter the data you collect.
38
3 Spend more time out of bed than not; able to perform a few more daily tasks around home. Able to leave home for appointments only. 4 Spend a little more time out of bed, able to leave the house a little more than before, maybe one sporadic shopping trip. Can make more of own meals. 5 Consistently at this level, you may feel illness and pain on regular basis but are out of bed and able to leave the home for a few hours several times a week, perhaps even for a short social visit. 6 Could begin to consider working very part-time at this level, 10 or so hours a week, for example. Still feel ill but are a bit more functional. 7 Although still feeling ill at times, able to run most of your errands and may think about working more hours, still mostly part-time. Still need flexibility to be able to work because how you will feel is not reliable. 8 Describe yourself as feeling more normal. Able to do regular, low-impact exercises like yoga. Able to take longer walks for exercise. Can still experience low-level pain or illness, but it doesnt always affect your ability to get out and about or work. 9 At this level, you may describe yourself as feeling fine. More strenuous activities such as intense exercise or long-term traveling are more possible but can still be difficult at times. Would be able to work a more typical fulltime schedule although you still may pay for overexertion. 10 Able to perform most any normal activity like those around you without any real noticeable difficulty. Notes-In this section, make note of anything else that stood out about your day that you think impacted your health. Again, feel free to download the Wellness Tracker software at www.UNIFYFIRST.com to help track and chart this data for you. You can then study the results for clues about what may have caused you to feel better or worse. This will be invaluable information for your doctor as you make changes to your plan to get well. Tracking information can be tedious but it is truly worth the effort, especially when you are starting a new routine. With mysterious conditions, many times the clues to our health are subtle, and the changes are subtle, but the answers can have complexity. Being able to organize everything is paramount. This Weeks Goal: Pay close attention to possible triggers you might have missed before that are making you feel sick and make note of them. Many times the clues to our health are subtle, and the changes are subtle, but the answers can have complexity.
39
CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
40
WEEK 2
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
41 37
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
42
On Cycle?
WEEK 2
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
43 43
Journal for Week 2

Ideas to write about this week: What triggers did you notice this week? Were you surprised at what number your condition reflected on the given scale and how did you feel about the number you assigned yourself ? Reflect partially this week on your level of optimism to improve that number and what it will take to get there.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
44
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
45
46
Week 3
Why Pacing Is Critical
Pacingtheres a word my carefree former self never considered before my health took a nosedive! In fact, my type-A personality most likely didnt even know the meaning of the word. So, what exactly is pacing? It is the art of planning out your activities so you have enough energy, vitality and health to accomplish what you want to. Before going further, understand that what you want to accomplish will likely vary according to your level of activity in general. For example, one person may consider it an accomplishment to leave the house once a day for a few hours, while anothers goal could be to work a full-time job, make all meals at home, have a social life and do daily yoga. These goals will change as your health improves but whatever your current activity level, pacing is vital to your continued recovery. The subject of pacing may be one of the most debated topics discussed in this bookother than diet. Some readers will probably think its impossible to control every little detail of their time. True. However, in order to gain control of your health, I am a firm believer that you must attempt to pace yourself. I admit, Im freakish about scheduling! I find it kind of fun and make a game out of it. I actually enjoy breaking out the colored pencils to help me figure out whats going on in my life for the next several weeks. It is a challenge to mark up my calendar somehow to creatively fit it all in. I realize you might prefer a root canal to planning your next 168 hours or so in detail, but for the sake of your health, it is important to invest this small amount of time. In the long run, conserving your energy will help your body heal. Pacing is the art of planning out your activities so you have enough energy, vitality and health to accomplish what you want to.
47
To begin, here are the types of activities you can pencil in for the next 12 weeksyou can also fill in the blanks with more items: 1. Self-care/Grooming (manicures, pedicures, hair appointmentsany type of self-care that takes a considerable amount of time) 2. Preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner 3. If you have children, activities surrounding them (getting kids ready for school, homework time, baths, bedtime, carpooling, sports, weekly activities, etc.) 4. Cleaning (dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, bathrooms, kitchen, etc.) 5. Laundry 6. Grocery shopping and errand running (those done on a regular basis) 7. Pet care (bathing & walking dogs, cleaning fish tanks, etc.) 8. Checking e-mail and voicemail 9. Commitments to other family members (caring for elderly parents, preparing family meals, running errands, etc.) 10. Exercising 11. ______________________________________________________ 12. ______________________________________________________ 13. ______________________________________________________ 14. ______________________________________________________ 15. ______________________________________________________ Make sure you use a pencil when you note these activities on your calendar because you may have to move them around. Dont leave them out though because it is important to schedule even the most mundane tasks that take energy right now in order to not overdo it. Look over your day and judge how much you will be able to do without wearing yourself out. This may even mean for some dusting one day, sweeping the next and cleaning a bathroom on another day instead of all at once. One of the most important activities to plan is coordinating your meals. Specifics of diet arent discussed here but rather, what youre going to eat when. For the process of meal planning, look at one month at a time.
It is important to schedule even the most mundane tasks that take energy right now in order to not overdo it.
48
After scheduling in all known outside and in-home activities, work, appointments, and errands, you then can plan a successful menu. Success here is defined by eating as many healthy homemade or brown-bagged meals as possible. Over the years, being disciplined to make freshly prepared meals was one of the most difficult challenges for me. I finally succumbed and now eat most of my meals at home or brown-bagged. It is really important to try to make this a priority. Its not that healthy dishes cant be found at restaurants, but the more that you have control over how items are prepared the better off you will be. When you really attack a health goal with gusto (like dealing with a mysterious condition), filling your body with the best fuel possible is essential. Suggestions on how to plan your meals are detailed in Week 8, but your task now is to just sit down with a blank dry erase monthly calendar (the kind you hang on the refrigerator) and your detailed Calendar Sheets that are filled out for the month. Looking at your activities, you can then decide on your menu. To simplify, eat similar meals each month. Plan ahead so that if youre going to be away from home from early afternoon until evening, take something like a turkey wrap and carrots with you to eat along the way. It is vital to avoid last-minute grab & go, fast food as much as possible. It seems like everyone grabs a quick burger and fries as much as several times a week, but this kind of food is crippling to the recovery of chronic, mysterious conditions. Also try to never plan more time-intensive meals on days youre overly busy. Finally, mark on this monthly calendar when you plan to grocery shop so that you can easily make a list for shopping and keep a running list on your computer or phone that you edit to take with you each time. A sample calendar is on page 103. These tips about planning may seem unrealistic and you may find that jobs, spouses, kids or otherwise hinder you from following this kind of regimen. We all know that situations and life in general can get really complicated. But if we dont exert as much control as possible over the use of time and energy, getting well can be very difficult, if not impossible. It may be necessary to get very creative about the resources in your life such as neighbors, friends or relatives who can help you. The answers to finding help arent easy but its important to keep looking. Unfortunately sufferers of mysterious conditions can lose their ability to function at all and from there on, its a frightening future. If our health slips too far, decisions will be then forced upon us to the point where we ultimately lose virtually any control of our lives. So take what control you have where you are right now. This Weeks Goal: With emphasis on planning your meals more carefully, take more time for yourself and plan in those little details of your life.
Without exerting as much control as you can over your time and energy, getting well can be very difficult, if not impossible.
49
CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
50
WEEK 3
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
51
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
52 52
On Cycle?
WEEK 3
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
53
Journal for Week 3

Ideas to write about this week: How is increasing the planning out of your life going this week? Has it been easier or harder than you thoughtor is it something that youve already been successful at doing? Are your meals getting any easier to plan? Reflect this week on how pacing is affecting your health in positive ways.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
54
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
55
56
Week 4
How To Organize Your Wellness Like a Business
When first becoming ill, I tackled recovery like any problem that direly needed a solution. Although symptoms came on gradually, when they finally hit full-force, they struck unbelievably hard. Working at a job or even functioning at all was hardly manageable in that stateI had to get well because living while feeling that poorly wasnt possible. When the reality of a mysterious condition and all of its complexity arises, confusion usually abounds What doctor should I see? What supplements should I take? What food is okay for me to eat? How do I pay for all this? Should I try to apply for disability? Will this just resolve itself ? Pondering these questions and more, it occurred to me how much overseeing a plan to regain good health was like managing a business. Heres how: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTThis step is important for the investment in your future health. In the business world, Research & Development (R&D) can take on different meanings, but basically it determines how and what a company will produce to bring the biggest profit. Healing from a mysterious condition is the perspective illustrated here, but keep in mind that any health goal could be put in its place. The steps will be similar. For a mysterious condition, R&D is where you would conduct Internet searches to read what others with your condition are doing and which doctors are getting results. Another aspect of R&D is determining what is best for you to eat. This could be accomplished by limiting foods according to an allergy
Overseeing a plan to regain good health is like managing a business.
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elimination diet or another method. When first becoming very sick, I tackled what to eat by reading several of the best books written on diet for these conditions and compiled a list of all the foods the authors agreed on. Now, granted, this left me with only about ten total foods to consume for the better part of a year. Was it tedious and boring? Yes and yes. Absolutely yes. And not being a doctor I cant speak on its medical efficacy, but eating this way helped me get better. (I believe digestive components are a major factor for mysterious conditions and this is discussed more in Week 6.) Whom you hire to help you heal may be the single most important step to reach your health goal. Bottom lineR&D is the first step to take to learn from what others already know about what you are facing and to determine what your next steps will be. HUMAN RESOURCESWhom you hire to help you heal may be the single most important step to reach your health goal. In watching others trying to get well, one key element they often struggle with is locating appropriate guidance. Fortunately, about three months into feeling ill, my family doctor referred me to a specialist who turned out to be one of the leading doctors in the country for these types of mysterious conditions. Its vital to have a doctor like this on your team if you are facing a difficult medical condition. They can be quite expensive, and this issue must be tackled accordinglyhowever you can possibly negotiate it. Still, without at least the occasional insight of one of these specialists, and depending on the severity of your case, managing all the issues you will face can be tough. In addition to hopefully having an outside-the-box-thinking physician in place, it is good to also hire additional people to help your healing. Think of them as your health team. Your roster can change; if someone doesnt work out, you can replace him or her as needed. Or if particular physicians are expensive, you may only be able to see them sporadically. Ultimately though, your team works for youafter all, you are paying them. Its easy to be intimidated by doctors or anyone who seems to know more than we do about a subject, but the freedom to hire and fire is yours, so exercise it when you need to. Other team members could include an osteopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist, nutritionist, homeopath, counselor or yoga instructorand even other roles such as an accountant, financial planner, personal assistant or life coach. Unfortunately, we all know that money plays a key factor in the kind of help we can seek and I strongly encourage you to share your situation and needs early on with the people you are close to. Because these are conditions that are usually without specific, definable or acceptable causes, the requests for help can be met with scrutinysometimes scrutiny even bordering on cruelty. But keep searching until you do find people who have compassion for what you are facing and who will help you. I havent yet met a struggling person who could conquer this alone. (Tips on how to maintain your dignity during this time will come in Week 10.) Ultimately, it helps to imagine yourself as CEO of your team so that you feel more empowered to control a seemingly uncontrollable situation.
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ACCOUNTINGStating that managing the financial strains of these conditions can be devastating is an understatement and there is no easy answer to this financial burden. Because of the structure of our healthcare system, nearly 100 percent of what I do for my health comes out-of-pocket. In this kind of situation, you can get yourself between a rock and a hard place very quickly. With being unable to work at all for periods of time, or not able to work normally, you can easily lose thousands a month just in health costs, on top of living expenses. It doesnt take a skilled accountant to see the problemunless you have substantial savings or a trust fund established before you get sick, you will constantly be behind the 8 ball. (And many of the systems set in place to help, either through the government or otherwise, can create a Catch-22 situation, such as limiting total income.) Therefore, its helpful to be aware of the potential financial strain early on. Of course, allow any condition a few months to improve on its own or with a little intervention. On the positive end, a simple change of diet and a few supplements may get you back to normal function within six months or so. But if you find this isnt happening, begin to establish sources of help quickly. Unfortunately this may boil down to blatantly asking relatives, churches or similar sources for financial assistance. Its been my experience that its better not to wait until things are really desperate. The bigger the problem gets, the more people will feel too overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation to help you. Start asking when bills are small. Try including your friends early on, before they may become weary of hearing about your struggles. Again, there is no easy answer. Bottom line, if regaining your health becomes a longer process than you realized, do all you can to establish financial help as early as possible. No one wants to think about money problems, especially when ill, but this is a realistic issue none of us can avoid. PRODUCTIONProduction is getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to obtain your wellness goal. Included in production are following a routine, diet, exercise, medicines & supplements, rest, sleep and managing your focusto name a few. Following a Routine-To manage obtaining a health goal, following a routine is key. Being disciplined to stick to a routine actually allows more freedom because you can schedule in free time! Use the calendars set up in this book to schedule as much as possible at first. Fifteen-minute increments are provided so that you can be as detailed as you want. Again, this may seem overwhelming or too restrictive but in actuality, following a detailed routine is in order to not have those feelings in the long run. Scheduling is meant to be strict for now. This is a training ground. When you reach your goal, you can be more relaxed with scheduling, but for now, a routine is key. Diet-During Week 8, the importance of what and how you eat will be covered more fully. Diet is a key component of any health goal. We eat
Imagine yourself as CEO of your team it helps you feel more empowered to be able to control a seemingly uncontrollable situation.
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a lot of junk food in America, and if this has been your mainstay, youll need to reconsider your diet to see progress in your health. Exercise-Depending on the limitations of the condition you face, you may find it nearly impossible to exercise. Or, some exercise may still be invigorating. Whatever your level of fitness, pay attention to your body and its limitations. If youre a normal tired, attending yoga class or taking a walk may make you feel better. But if you have to peel yourself off the sofa to take that walk, its probably better just to rest. Wherever you find yourself, though, look into some form of energy movement every day like yoga, qi gong or meditation. Take walks for as long as you are able. Bounce on a rebounder, which is also good for detoxification. Put a TV by the treadmill if you need the entertainment. Start small, but inject some kind of fitness into your routine and stick to it as best as possible. And of course, check with your doctor first regarding your limitations. Medicines & Supplements-A good health team will guide you in this area. Unless you face a mild condition, most likely you will need some kind of supplementation to help you heal. Also, be selective where you buy your supplements so that you take a quality product. Supplements are like any product, there are poorly-produced as well as quality-produced versions. Stick with health stores or ask your doctor for the best place to purchase them. Rest-Relaxing has been one of my biggest challenges. Im not necessarily a big fan of slowing down. But I once read that literally lying down for several minutes during the day is one of the most simple and restorative things you can do for your body. There is something about the position of lying flat on your back that gives your body an extra amount of rest, so take some time out to relax during the day. Of course, research also supports that taking a daytime nap is very helpful too. So, if you have the time and place, take a snooze. Sleep-Over the years, the importance of sleep has become obvious. Until I was 30, I marveled at people who claimed they needed eight hours of sleep to function. Whats that about?! Now, at nearly 40, about eight hours of good solid sleep a night is necessary or my body will begin to noticeably decline. Sleep has a restorative purpose and many functional processes, like regulating hormones, are completed by our bodies overnight. Its not just quantity, but quality that counts. So work with your health team to insure you get the best sleep possible. Managing your Focus-Weve all heard how important it is to control our thoughts to live optimally. Lately, the media has focused on the law of attraction: the belief that the same energetic vibration you send out will come back to you. While I have my own personal beliefs or observations about these matters, I can definitely report that having a positive focus will make all of this more manageable.
Being disciplined to stick to a schedule actually allows more freedom because you can schedule in free time.
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Some suggestions to consider on how to keep it positive when the negatives seem to be winning: Surround yourself with people who believe healing can happen and hold you accountable to believe it too, even when it seems impossible. Stay focused on your routine. Get out of bed every morning when at all possible and do something that will help you heal. When life gets tedious, reward yourself with a treat now and then. Define what this means for you and dont always think of a treat in terms of food or something that costs a lot of money. Do your best to control your attitude. Of course, youll be in a lousy mood sometimes but work toward a balance of good and bad thoughts. Dont feel like you own your story, no matter how terrible everything seems to be for you (or even if it really is that terrible). Try not to connect or identify with it too much. Dont be attached to your story of pain to the point that it defines you. This isnt about denial, but rather to encourage not feeling victimized. Avoid using words like I am or my, such as I am sick or my illness. Rather say, I feel sick or this condition. QUALITY CONTROLDetermining the effectiveness of your regimen will be another vital part of reaching your health goal. This will be the only logical way to determine what your next step will be. Taking the data you will collect in this book and charting it by using the numbers of how you feel and then literally making a line chart to follow your ups and downs will aid in this process. This is again where you can download the Wellness Tracker software at www.UNIFYFIRST.com to track it for you. After you have compiled this data, you can follow where your ups and downs are to see how things such as the weather affect you or if a supplement seems to cause a positive or negative effect. And again, having a chart is also something you can present to your doctor to help him or her determine the next course of action. PUBLIC RELATIONSMaintaining dignity (covered more in Week 10) while you are dealing with a devastating health condition is critical. Feeling helpless and powerless can strip you of believing you have a place in this worldlet alone a place of importance. How you interact with the world while on this journey is important. This is especially true when you are asking for help. Keep supportive friends and family close and informed about what is going on and how you are struggling, if you are. Dont be ashamed of what you are going through. No matter what. Keep your head held high and surround yourself with people who can also do this for you. Its hard to be the CEO of your situation during a difficult time. But to take charge, you must draw upon all your strengths and surround yourself with good people. Hopefully, these tips on how to organize the tasks to reach your goals like a business will be helpful to that end. This Weeks Goal: View yourself as the boss of your situation, if you havent already, and think about how you can feel in charge of your health.
Surround yourself with people who believe healing can happen and hold you accountable to believe it as well, even when it seems impossible.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
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WEEK 4
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
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TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
64
On Cycle?
WEEK 4
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
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Journal for Week 4

Ideas to write about this week: Do you find it hard or easy to assume the role as boss of your body and this condition, and boss of your own health team? How does feeling poorly affect this image? Reflect this week on any frustrations you are feeling with having to take charge of these noted situationsespecially when you are already tired due to dealing with your level of health.
Monday
Tuesday
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Thursday
Friday
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Week 5
Having the Discipline of Champions
Lets be honest, theres really no intrinsic fun in being disciplined. But being self-controlled certainly manifests irreplaceable benefits in ones life. It reminds me of a concept I once read about comparing pleasureseeking vs. joy-seeking. The idea shared was that when we pleasure-seek only, we can ultimately feel negative effects from these pursuits. In other words, too much of anything can be bad. For example, chocolate cake can be really yummy but eat a whole chocolate cake at one sitting and youll probably wish you hadnt! On the other hand, seeking joy is a more longterm endeavor. It entails making decisions with the future more prominently in mind. Thats one way to view the concept of discipline. It may not be fun in the short-term to be disciplined but the benefits realized in the future make it worthwhile. One clear illustration of this concept is in the life of an athlete. Studies have been conducted trying to figure out why some people have the inner motivation to do what it takes to be an athlete while others dont. Some will find the inspiration to put in hours of practice to perfect their sport, but others will give up. Why? Perhaps one reason is being able to hold the vision of what they are trying to achieve. So, when needing the discipline to make healthy living choices, its important to keep your ultimate goal in mind. Following the examples set before us by champion athletes, these are the qualities, practices and disciplines exhibited by those who find themselves winning medals: They stay focused on their goal. Whether they win or lose a particular event, champion athletes are hard to shake from their goal. After a setback, they get right back on their feet and face the next challenge. They dont give up. To achieve health, we have to do the same. Its not always easy, as certainly it isnt for athletes either, but when experiencing a frustrating setback, its important to honor how youre feeling and then refocus on your goal.
It may not be fun in the short-term to be disciplined but the benefits realized in the future make it worthwhile.
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They sacrifice small pleasures for big rewards. Winning athletes give up many pleasures, such as certain social events, so that they can practice more. For sufferers of health conditions, giving up a comparable small pleasure, such as not staying out too late so you can get proper rest, is how we contribute to our greater goal and seek bigger rewards. They have repetitive routines that build skills. Weve all heard stories about the routines of professional athletes such as Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. Champion basketball players sometimes shoot hundreds of free throws every day to perfect this particular skill. Larry Bird has said that as a child, hed shoot 200 free throws alone before school every day. This kind of perseverance is also necessary when healing from a mysterious medical condition. Having a disciplined routine for your day that is full of positive, healthy behavior is vital to recovery. They devote a lot of resources to their sport. Athletes usually end up spending quite a bit of money toward being skilled at their game. Theyll need funds for facilities in which to practice, equipment, training, and elite coaches. They may also not be able to hold steady jobs like their peers in order to devote more time to practice. Obviously there is a connection here to those who deal with chronic medical conditions. For us though money is spent on treatments, supplements, and elite doctors instead. They devote a lot of hours to perfect their sport. Athletes in general, let alone champion athletes, practice a lot. Even people who just like to stay in shape usually spend a lot of time in the gym. For those who are sick and maybe cant be that active, time may not be spent so much in activity but rather other practices of good health such as a meditation routine or preparing good meals. They have incredible mental stamina. Read any biography written by a champion and they will probably stress the importance of mental fortitude. They may even state that it is equally important to their physical skill. In the area of mental strength, Ill bet on any long-term sufferer of a mysterious medical condition against that of an athletic champion. It truly takes some kind of supernatural strength to get up every day and face uncertainty and pain. They gear up for important matches. Athletes are performance driven so every match is taken seriously in some way. But there are also matches that they look forward to, such as those against key rivals. They learn to perform well in these pressure-filled situations. Much in the same way, we must gear up for the important battles in our life. At times, everything we face will feel like a challenge but we still need to reserve our energy for critical elements such as keeping up a routine and eating well. They wear a game face. Never let them see you sweat, is a popular quote. We all know what that meansnever let your opponent see that you might be unnerved. Champions know how to intimidate their opponents and they never just give up. They keep fighting. The same is true
Having a disciplined routine for your day that is full of positive, healthy behavior is vital to recovery.
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for us. Many of us feel the need to keep a game face while in public. We have probably learned the hard way to whom we can admit we dont feel well and whom we cant. Keeping a game face is used for protection and is usually necessary to some extent. What is also important, however, is having at least a few people we can let our guard down around. They eat food as fuel. Did anyone escape watching the campus bodybuilders load up dozens of hard-boiled eggs on their tray in the college dinner line? I remember watching this tradition and laughing with my friends about it. But now, ironically, there is wisdom I can draw from this practice. Not about what to eat of course because its probably safe to assume eating only eggs, and so many of them, is not very healthy. Rather there is wisdom in the devotion to eating what they think their body needs to meet their goal. Issues around food and eating will be just as critical for us as any champion. They know when to rest their bodies. Swimmers, runners and other athletes have an interesting routine they do after a competition called the warm down. During this time, they gradually unwind their bodies in a controlled fashion, such as swimmers who may swim slow laps after a heat. In the same way, when we have pushed our bodies, we must take extra time to slow down in a controlled fashion. They get up early. Now all athletes might not do this but in general, practice begins early when you want to become a champion. However, this is the one area where the concept doesnt necessarily translate literally. It isnt always good to get up early when you have a mysterious medical condition. Sleeping at least eight hours is actually more critical. Where this concept does translate is in just getting up and getting going. Even if you are bed-bound, still get up in whatever fashion you can and make a step toward your goal of better health. However, in all that we can learn from how champion athletes conduct their lives, one major difference exists between their lives of those with chronic medical conditions. That difference lies in the likelihood of receiving accolades for achieving goals. When a champion athlete wins, he receives perhaps a medal, monetary reward or at least his picture in the newspaper. When we achieve our goals of better health, we may not get any attention at all. It makes putting in the hours of hard work a little less appealing to know that perhaps no one will really appreciate the effort. Our incredible accomplishments may be looked upon as what we should normally be able to do anyway, so whats the big deal? It would be helpful if our discipline and achievements were appreciated, and maybe that time will come. In the meantime, our reward is to feel better. And when youve experienced the consequences of being sick for years on end, feeling better can truly be enough of a reward in itself. This Weeks Goal: Take one of the disciplines of champions listed here and implement it into your life, such as concentrating on warming down.
Feeling better can truly be enough of a reward in and of itself.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
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WEEK 5
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
73
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
74
On Cycle?
WEEK 5
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
75
Journal for Week 5

Ideas to write about this week: Are you finding that the discipline of keeping a stricter routine actually lends to having more free time? What times are you pushing yourself when you could actually rest? Do you have people in your life who can hold the belief for you that healing is possible when you get discouraged?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
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Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Week 6
3 Key Components Of Your Physical Health
Over the last decade of dealing with this condition, several areas of physical health have emerged that deserved my special attention. Of course not being a doctor, I wont make specific suggestions for your health or your medical protocol, but rather submit these ideas for your own R&D. DIGESTION Time and time again, I have read that one of the main sources of our health lies in the general healthiness of our digestive tract. And after suffering years of horrendous digestive symptoms, of course I believe this is true! There are more neurotransmitter receptor sites present in our guts than in our brains. Although having not experienced brain depression, it has been suggested to me that perhaps my body has been depressed due to poor digestion. Rather than having feelings of sadness, my body was sluggish in a similar way. Regardless of the validity of this theory, it is nonetheless important to pay particular attention to how we treat our digestive system. Diet is mentioned throughout this book, and here it is again having a good, clean diet (avoiding junk and prepackaged foods) is foundational to a healthy digestive system. Specific meal plans may vary slightly from person to person depending upon condition, but in general, healthy, whole foods are the way to go. Talking about cleaning up your diet can be a thorny issue, especially in America where so much bad food is conveniently available. People want to eat what they want to and they want it to taste good! They get rather testy if someone tells them they cant or shouldnt eat certain foods. But some foods, like sugar, can set up an environment of imbalance in our
One of the main sources of our health lies in the general healthiness of our digestive tract.
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digestive tract. Its not that any food is wholly bad, but rather its the overindulgence of a food that creates an imbalance. A major factor in my health has been the balance of good and evil (bacteria, that is!) The gut contains millions of bacteria and this balance is kept properly in check in the average healthy person by the good guys keeping the bad guys at bay. We never totally get rid of the presence of bad bacteria in our gutthat is a side effect of being alive! But when we struggle with illness, this balance is often thrown off in the direction of the bad bacteria. To keep them from winning, make sure you take a quality probiotic. Personally, I take several forms of them to make sure to replenish many strains of bacteria. Probiotics replace the good bacteria that diet or illness have knocked out. Especially if you are taking antibiotics, be sure to ask your doctor about probiotics. ADRENALS The adrenal glands are tiny organs sitting above our kidneys that send out cortisol to help us deal with the stresses we encounter. And we all know how much stress we encounter in todays society! Most of us never stop moving and get little true rest. Our adrenal systems can become exhaustednot to the point of complete failure called Addisons Disease but rather become too strained to pump out the appropriate amount of cortisol a body needs. When first under a lot of stress, the adrenals may produce too much cortisol, but eventually exhaust themselves to cause deeper problems. Adrenal Exhaustion (or Adrenal Insufficiency) is not always considered a valid condition by the medical community, so many people go untreated and remain affected. Sadly, this further exhausts the system and deters its ability to recover from infections and keep up with daily tasks. Cortisol is also a very important component of our sleep cycle and is sometimes the culprit preventing us from getting to sleep or staying asleep. Cortisol levels have a cycle to them and if they are out of whack, sleep will inevitably be as well. Usually, trouble falling asleep, waking suddenly only a few hours after drifting off, and not being able to fall back asleep, are common indicators of adrenal trouble. If you believe your adrenal system is suffering, find a doctor or other health professional who is open to the topic of Adrenal Exhaustion and will explore this area with you in depth. Many people are seeing positive results by addressing this issue. A simple saliva test can reveal if adrenal issues are present.
We never totally get rid of the presence of bad bacteria in our gutthat is a side effect of being alive!
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DETOXIFICATION Some of our bodies simply do not clear toxins as they should. From my understanding, the body has two phases of detoxification, appropriately named Phase I and Phase II. For some people, their bodies will perform Phase I properly and stop short of completing Phase II. The toxins created by Phase I that dont get eliminated can cause you to feel extremely ill. The sluggishness of clearing Phase II is also thought to be a possible cause behind environmental and chemical sensitivities. Some of us are born at a disadvantage because variations in our genes prevent proper detoxification. Several gene variation tests can determine how well your body detoxifies. Interestingly, detoxification has become a popular topic of discussion also in the area of autism. Vaccines have been blamed for causing autism and have ignited controversy between many parents and most medical professionals who claim no link exists. There is further thought that vaccines themselves are not the culprit but the amount of shots administered. If a child cannot detoxify these vaccines properly, there is belief that autism could develop. Toxins are not only ingested through food, air and water, but they are also created as a by-product of our bodies own natural processes. In other words, you cant entirely avoid toxins. I have found the keys to helping my body detoxify as best as possible to be clean living, along with taking extra calcium and magnesium supplements, supporting the adrenals, skin brushing, drinking lemon juice with olive oil, taking Epsom salt baths and using a rebounder. These activities have helped ease the body aches and other symptoms associated with a toxic system. For most of us, detoxification (and its companion topic, methylationalso an issue to R&D) is hard to understand. With its complicated scientific nuances, it may seem impossible to comprehend it all, but spend some R&D time with this topic to understand it as best you can. And talk about it with a doctor who is open to exploring it with you. An all-encompassing and equally complex and integral issue to R&D is how the immune system is affected by all three of these topics and vice versa. After ten years of personal experience and research, these are the important areas of health that have stood out to me. It is necessary to research these topics and others on your own (as Im writing this, mold avoidance seems to be working well for some, which is another area to explore) and find what works for you. And again, please mention these areas to those on your health team to get their input as well. This Weeks Goal: Do some extra research in the areas of digestion, detoxifcation and adrenal function and discuss these topics in depth with your doctor if you havent already.
Detoxification has become a popular topic of discussion in the area of autism.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
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WEEK 6
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
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TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
84 84
On Cycle?
WEEK 6
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
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Journal for Week 6

Ideas to write about this week: What specific areas of physical health could be affecting your particular condition? Are you open to exploring all the layers of the onion that could be affecting your health? If not, is anything holding you back from being open to possible causes?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
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Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Week 7
Youre Halfway There! Staying Motivated
At this point, you may be tempted to jump ship because of the types of changes being suggested here. It isnt easy to form new habits, but dont give up! How many times have you quit something part way through and maybe just short of realizing the payoff? This week be encouraged to stay strong to achieve your health goal. You may be getting anxious to see results if youre not seeing many. Depending on how long you have been ill (or how long you have been in the situation youd like to change), it can take a painfully long time to see any truly significant result or improvement. Not only are you dealing with the literal pain of being sick but also the emotional pain of having it last so long and expending so much energy, and usually money, without perhaps seeing enough progress. For example, it may take a bed-bound person a full year of recovery before she can simply run her own errands at the grocery store. In a world where people who are sick for a week with a typical flu think they will die if they dont get better fast, a new perception of healing is in order. Remember, it probably took a while to get this sick and it may take you a while to feel better as well. Try to be realistic when you set your starting goal. If youre very ill and incapacitated, make your initial goal to reach 60 percent of your full capacity (this would be a Number 6 on the Physical Well-Being scale on the Tracking Sheets.) Depending on your circumstances, even that may seem impossible at first, but the point is to try not focusing yet on 100 percent. If you can get to at least 60 percent, some freedoms will begin to return. These freedoms will naturally make you more emotionally secure in your healing so that you can continue to improve and with that more hope will begin to return. This security and hope can help propel you to even higher levels of healing. Its like creating like.
If youre very ill, make your initial goal to reach 60 percent of your full capacity.
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Always remember that all of the good things you are doing for your health are having a positive cumulative effect.
Keep in mind that all of the good things you are doing for your health are having a positive cumulative effect, even if it doesnt seem like it. Its not uncommon to hear, I tried this or that and it didnt work for me so I gave it up. This is not to dismiss that there are indeed treatments that work for some and not otherscertainly not everything Ive tried has shown improvements in my health. (Again, this is why tracking everything is so importantto be able to decipher what works and what doesnt.) But, it is necessary to keep at it and to put foundations in place that you know do work for people (such as having a good, solid diet) and sticking with it until. Its not useful to think, for examplewell, I tried eating well, sleeping well, doing mindful exercises, etc., for a month and I didnt feel any better so I went back to eating fast food, staying up all hours and watching television most of the day. Benefits are cumulative. All of the healthy things we do are cumulative. They build upon each other. Unless you have a very difficult case, or if your doctor is unable to find a crucial cause to why you feel sick (in other words, the hole in your bucket) you will likely feel better over time as all of the healthy things you do begin to rebuild your foundation. Please take heart that, even though the improvements can be gradual, it is very possible to get there. An illustration that can help is to think of poor health like looking at the back of a tapestry. A minister I once knew used this example to describe how the events of our lives look messy to us but that they are actually being orchestrated into a beautiful image. The same concept can apply here. When we are very ill or struggling in a significant way our lives look very much like the back of a tapestrymaking no sense and full of jumbled, loose threads. But these threads of our journey are being woven together and better health can be attained. In fact, you may end up with better health than you would have ever had before this challenge because of all the new things you will learn and apply to your life. As youve been working through this book, you may be picking up on the mindset to live more consciously. For me, that has meant not to fall asleep at the wheel of life. Personal responsibility is a big part of that. Most of the time, we should try to not live on autopilot. Be conscious of what you eat, how you deal with stress and with whom you spend time. Were not really taught how to do this when we are young and, typically, full of vitality. Our bodies can take much more abuse in youth than when we are older. But as we age, living consciously becomes more and more critical. Because improvement can be gradual, it is especially important to take notice of the changes that are happening. In my case, when I was able to do something simple like going out to dinner and a movie with a friend again, I would think to myself, I should be able to do that anyway anyone can do that and dismiss it as unimportant. But its absolutely
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critical to look at each and every improvement as evidence of conquering what you are facing. Celebrate achievements no matter how insignificant they seem! When I was really suffering, it would have been impossible for me to travel just less than 30 minutes from my house to attend an event downtown. This is coming from a girl who didnt sit still the first 30 years of her life! There wasnt a weekend from ages 16 to 30 that I didnt find something to do. Attending any kind of event downtown was a no-brainer. Then suddenly, I found myself hardly able to leave my house at all, let alone travel even 30 minutes away. After several years of hard work, getting out and about became somewhat easier. One evening, at an event in a sports arena downtown, a friend was with me who was aware of all I had gone through with my health. He said to me, Im proud of you that youre here. I paused and thought about ithere I was a 32-year-old woman and someone was actually proud of me for being at this simple sporting event. It seemed ridiculous to me because of comparing this outing to what I had used to do and to what others can seemingly do with ease. In my heart though, the significance didnt escape me and instead I thought more about being proud of never giving up the fight than being able to attend this particular event. To this day, no matter how good I can feel, it is never totally lost on me the significance when doing an activity that at one point, I couldnt ever imagine doing again, or certainly not with any sort of ease. After experiencing chronic illness, Ive noticed that we really do take for granted the concept of well-beingthis ability to just feel at ease or feel good. When you dont have well-being, and you get it back, youll probably never look at being able to actually feel good in your own skin the same again. So, at the halfway point, be encouraged to keep going. Giving your best effort is an accomplishment in itself! I commend you for your courage and persistence. Growing up, we consider making millions of dollars or somehow changing the world as big-time achievements. But what is considered big-time will change over timefor all of us. Not unlike someone who suffers a severe brain injury must relearn to walk and talk and to tie his shoes again, our improvements may seem slow and insignificant but they arent. How is what youre going through like recovering from a severe injury? What will be a significant improvement for you now? Be encouraged that you are getting there, no matter how slowly you are moving forward! This Weeks Goal: Take extra breaks this week and be extra kind to yourself. Getting well is hard work! Its absolutely critical to look at each and every improvement as evidence of conquering what youre facing.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
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WEEK 7
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
93
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
94
On Cycle?
WEEK 7
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
95
Journal for Week 7

Ideas to write about this week: This is the week to let it all out. People who suffer greatly and continuously can really become quite skilled at putting on a brave face and pretending like they are in no pain. Let out this week how youre really feeling.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
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Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
97
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Week 8
Watching What You Eat (I Know, I Know)
Nothing will present more groaning than the topic of what we eat. Of all the lifestyle changes necessary for healthy living, diet is often the most resisted. Who can blame us? In America, we are continually bombarded with yummy food on television, every street corner and at any social event. But, is it really food? The textbook definition of food is: Any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. * With this definition in mind, how can we really call the standard American diet food? How much nourishment is really present in the average fast-food cheeseburger, fries and soda? Think about how many fresh fruits and vegetables an average person eats every day. One? Two? None at all? Before I had noticeable trouble with my health, a vegetable hardly ever passed my lips and when it did, it was cooked or fried beyond recognition. Its actually surprising that we arent even sicker than we currently are as a nation. Its a true testament to how resilient we are as human beingshow much our bodies just strive to LIVE! However, we may be seeing a slow decline of our health overall. Were not ingesting what we need for our bodies to perform optimally. Were becoming increasingly full of inflammation and toxins, which create breeding grounds for cancers and infection. FOOD. We need to rethink what is actually considered food.
*food. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 09 Apr. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/food>.
We need to rethink what is actually considered food.
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Even though Im neither a doctor nor a nutritionist, Ive made a few observations over the years about food and diet. These observations are especially important to consider if you are feeling severe symptoms in your body. Personally, the first of several foods I eliminated was white sugar. I know, I knowI didnt like it either. But pain is a great motivator and being in so much misery, I would have done anything to make it stop. Passing up cookies and cake seemed like a doable sacrifice. Weve all heard why sugar is not good for us, but the reasons extend beyond weight gain. The red flag to me is how sugar feeds bad bacteria in our guts, so when digestion is poor, our health will be poor as well. I also removed yeast from my diet. This meant no bread of any kind, and the removal of mold and fungi-related foods such as mushrooms and packaged orange juice. The reason behind this is to restrict the growth of candida. Candida are yeast that are naturally found in our bodies but can take over in an unbalanced environment, so they flourish when the bacteria in the gut is out of order. The topic of candida is controversial in mainstream medicine but seems to be a problem for some with chronic health conditions. Also crossed off my shopping list were nearly all processed food and carbonated beverages. At the grocery, one rule of thumb you may have heard about is to shop only around the perimeter, avoiding the middle aisles. This is to avoid processed and packaged foods. Basically, if the food comes in a box or bag, avoid it when you are really sick. Its not that you can never enjoy things like potato chips or soda again, but when your body is in crisis, you are only further harming yourself to eat this way. In addition, I avoided cow milk products because of how these items can be less absorbable than other dairy due to their form of casein and the larger size of their fat molecules. So, as a substitute, I consume goat milk products because they are easier to digest. I really missed cheese, but there are some delicious goat cheeses available. The taste is tangier at first, but if it agrees with you, it can be adapted to and enjoyed just as much. So, then what do you eat? This is what you were thinking, right? This question comes up a lot! Before addressing that, its important to note one key point I live by: View eating as providing fuel and nourishment for your body.
Basically, if the food comes in a box or bagavoid it when you are really sick.
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It was important for me to shift my thinking from eating for pleasure to eating for fuel and nourishment. Stopping the expectation to be overly satisfied at every meal and losing the requirement that everything must taste great all the time, took the pressure off mealtime as being a source of fulfillment. Its vital to find excitement outside of food. This is not to say that every meal has to taste like cardboard! On the contrary, healthy meals can be deliciousincluded at the end of this book are some recipes I use regularly. But, it was good to gain the mindset that every food wont necessarily be an exhilarating experience at every meal, and thats okay. Eating for more utilitarian purposes also means not complicating weekly menus with a lot of change. Consider establishing numerous recipes that work for you and use them interchangeably. Although the nuances of your situation may dictate something different for you, a typical day for me looks like this: Upon Waking, early morning supplements along with a hard-boiled egg and a glass of sea salt water, which aids the adrenals. For Breakfast, a smoothie jammed with good stuff (fruit, aloe vera juice, flax oil, fiber, protein powder and other powdered supplementslook in the Appendix for this recipe.) Ill sometimes also have a rice cake with fresh almond butter so my stomach isnt empty when taking my numerous breakfast supplements. For Lunch, depending on my day, it may be chili or some kind of wrap with carrots or another handy vegetable. For a Snack, nuts, yogurt, trail mix or a protein bar. For Dinner, usually some kind of fish, chicken or other meat along with a salad, one or two vegetables and a fermented vegetable like kimchi to promote good gut bacteria. After Dinner, indulging a little (for me!), Ill have some popcorn and pieces of dark chocolate or a few strawberriesdepending on whats in season. This might not seem significant but I look forward to it every day because its truly a treat! I also make sure to take a digestive enzyme with each meal. Aside from the specifics of what to eat, it is also extremely important to schedule what to eat. Earlier, I mentioned using a dry erase calendar to plan your meals for a month at a time. This is critically
View eating as providing fuel and nourishment for your body.
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important for pacing and writing your grocery list. It keeps wasting food to a minimum as well. On the next page, you will find an example of what a typical month of meals can look like. Planning a monthly meal schedule is fairly simple and takes less than thirty minutes a month: 1. Draw a line dividing each day into two sections, one for Lunch and one for Dinner (Breakfast is similar for me each day, which is why its not noted.) 2. Mark your shopping days with an S. 3. Reference your detailed calendar of events to plan portable lunches and/or dinners for busy days. 4. When you know dinner will be rushed, plan to cook a simple meal or heat up a leftover. Leftovers are easy, but so are quick and simple dinners like baked fish with spinach or a simple broiled steak (see Appendix for recipes.) Note: Consider not eating more than one leftover from a meal due to mold that can grow on stored food. 5. On relaxed evenings, plan a more elaborate meal that will leave you with one night of leftovers. 6. Plan a chili or soup that lasts for several days. Because its quick, consider making this at lunchtime and consume it for lunch or dinner, wherever it fits best. 7. If you have a few remaining gaps, fill in as best you can according to your schedule. Planning your meals this way can be a little tedious, but this routine can make planning, preparing and shopping for meals much quicker and easier. It also eliminates the need for most takeout meals, not to mention the amount of money you will save on not wasting food. Give it a try and see how it works for you. This Weeks Goal: Commit to replacing one not-so-ideal food you regularly eat with a more natural version. If you already eat fairly well, good job! And remember, nothing tastes as good as healthy feels!
Aside from the specifics of what to eat, it is also extremely important to schedule what to eat.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
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WEEK 8
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
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TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
106 106
On Cycle?
WEEK 8
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
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Journal for Week 8

Ideas to write about this week: As mentioned several times, diet can be one of the most frustrating aspects of healing. We are surrounded by poor eating habits. This week write about your feelings and frustrations of sacrificing, for now, some foods you enjoyif you have made the choice to do so.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
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Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Week 9
Tips & Tricks To Working Smarter, Not Harder
If dealing with a condition that is equally frustrating and mysterious has taught me anything, Ive learned that its critical to work smarter, not harder. Crisis certainly breeds creativity! Most of the time, chronic conditions come with an element of fatiguesometimes to the point of utter exhaustion both physically and mentally. And on top of that, managing all the elements of being sick is additionally tiring. Bottom line, working harder can make you sicker, so you, along with those who love and support you, must find ways to work smarter so you can save your energy for the greater task of healing. Over the years, I have noticed several tips and tricks to help deal with these issues and with the frustrations of having to be strict and organized about a health routine. Here are just a few of them:
Rest
If youre active, make yourself lie down during the day for extra rest. The amount of time is up to youwhat is important is to stop constant activity. If you have children, coordinate your nap schedule with your childrens naps or quiet times. Working harder can make you sicker, so you must find ways to work smarter.
Household Cleaning
Use automatic shower and toilet cleaners. Keep quick wipes next to sinks for daily touch ups to avoid one big cleaning. Schedule in your cleaning and try to stick to it. Dont let messes bother you in the meantime because you know that cleaning day is coming.
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Medicines/Supplements
Make sure to organize your supplements and medicines a week at a time so that youre not spending time every day sorting them. There are many different types of vitamin organizers. For a large number of daily supplements, you can use two different kinds, a bigger one at breakfast when you may take the majority of your supplements and one divided into four compartments a day, with removable sections, for those pills that need to be taken throughout the day. Make your goal to accumulate more positive thoughts than negative so you dont bankrupt yourself. Sorting all of your supplements and medicines into weekly vitamin organizers also allows you to know when youre running low on something, and to order it immediately so you wont run out completely. Take advantage of your phones and organizers with alarms. Forgetting to take a supplement when it is required at a certain time is not only ineffective, it can add stress. Being able to forget about it and let a phone remind you relieves that anxiety. Divide snacks such as trail mix and popcorn into snack bags so you can monitor how much you eat and still allow treats. This also makes them portable and cuts down on buying unhealthy snacks when youre out. For early morning pills, place them next to the bed on top of the container, so when you wake up, youll know to take them. Sometimes in my morning fog, I cant remember if I took a pill yesterday or today!
Out & About

Drive yourself, or ride with a friend who understands your limitations, to as many events as possible so you can leave when you need to. When energy allows, line up several activities back-to-back rather than spreading them throughout the week. This will give you longer spans of time to rest and days when you dont have to get fully ready to leave the house.
Diet/Cooking
Learn to substitute healthier ingredients in recipes. Examples of this are in the Appendix. If you are tempted to eat the entire bag, divide snacks and treats into smaller snack-size baggies. Add vegetables wherever possible for extra nutrients. Add them to your wraps, egg salad, chili, meatloaf, etc. Set up a personal reward system to treat yourself once in a while. Get a piggy bank and a roll of dimes. Deposit a dime each time you have a success. When you have saved enough money, you might then consider splurging on a food you love. If your level of health allows, make this the one time you allow yourself to really cheat on your diet.
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Mental Health
Wearing a silicone wristband can be a tangible way to remind yourself to remain calm as much as possible. This really comes in handy in situations like being behind the wheel! We all know how quickly we can give into road rage. So instead of tensing up and clenching fists when a driver cuts you off, looking down at the wristband reminds you that it isnt worth your health to get overly upset. Obviously this works in similar situations as well. Rather than trying to force yourself to only think positively and risk denying how you really feel, think of your every thought, for now, as putting money in your mental health bank, either for the negative or positive. Make it a goal to accumulate more positive thoughts than negative so you dont bankrupt yourself.
Correspondence
Only answer your phone when necessary. Let voicemail take over. Return messages when youre ready. Let your snail mail accumulate over a few days and open it during one of your favorite television shows or other similar activity. Make at least three piles: one for trash, one for items to file and one for bills to pay, and put them away during a commercial. Prepare your bills by putting the statements in the envelopes, noting the due dates on the back and placing them in an area where you see them frequently to remind you when they are due. Add reminders to your calendar too.
Saving Money
Find various ways to get things you need cheaper. Contact food companies to request coupons. Write or call supplement companies to negotiate discount deals. Take advantage of library book sales. Shop secondhand or online. Leave coupons in a Ziploc bag in your car so that theyre always available. Join in with a few friends and buy whatever food items you can in bulk. Write or call supplement companies to negotiate discount deals.
Exercise
If walking on the treadmill is a little boring for you, place a TV with a DVD player nearby so you can also watch something to entertain you. To break up the monotony of walking, get an inexpensive rebounder or mini-trampoline so you can bounce for a few minutes every ten minutes or so. This is good for detoxification as well. This Weeks Goal: Consider what other ways you can work smarter, not harder, in your own life.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
114 114
WEEK 9
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
115 115
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
116
On Cycle?
WEEK 9
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
117 117
Journal for Week 9

Ideas to write about this week: Just trying to appear normal and dealing with feeling ill at the same time can be all the work you can stand. Did any of the ideas represented in this chapter help you to work smarter? Did you come up with any new ideas to streamline your life?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
118
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
119
120
Week 10
Maintaining Your Dignity When Facing a Chronic Condition
When you are faced with a condition that isnt easily defined or understood, your dignity may come under attack. People with mysterious conditions not only face sometimes endless physical suffering, but also tremendous emotional suffering because of the suspicion that what they are experiencing isnt even real. The mental stability of those suffering from these conditions is often questioned, along with psychological fortitude. Ironically, the people who greatly and mysteriously suffer, while facing financial destitution because of it, and still somehow get up and go on every morning, are some of the strongest people I have ever met. To be honest, shrugging off disparaging comments and holding onto the truth has been one of the most difficult challenges of my life. Usually, I am a strong person who is hard to take downIll get back up fighting every single time. A counselor was even once surprised that I didnt get depressed after getting knocked down but rather, after a few hours of sulking, would get up and get on with it. So, I can be strong. And many who deal with these conditions tend to be too. Were fighters. But even with this fighting nature, the pressure of physically suffering more than I ever knew a person could and keep breathing has all but caused me to crack. Entire days have been spent crying while struggling to cope with the physical discomfort. As crazy as it sounds, I have felt better the day after a terrible stomach flu than for entire years at a time. I really dont know how Ive made it. And with the exception of my parents and a few friends who try to understand, Ive somehow survived despite what can feel like living under a cloud of judgment! Or if not finding that people are judgmental, their concern has still not been great enough to actually help out in any real way. I know that I still face many challenges,
People who greatly and mysteriously suffer, while facing financial destitution because of it, and still somehow get up and go on every morning, are some of the strongest people I have ever met.
121
especially if not taking good care of myself, and this pressure can be unspeakable. I share this information because most likely some readers will be able to relate. Also, over the years, a few strategies have emerged to deal with this kind of judgment when it crosses your path: 1. Dont put people who insult you on your health team. If you are badgered or mistreated by anyone who provides your healthcare, eliminate him or her from your team immediately. Sometimes you may have to deal with difficult office staff and that can happen, but Im speaking here about the doctor or practitioner specifically. 2. If you find you cannot avoid an insulting individual, ask people who care about your well-being to run interference for you. Just do whatever you can to stay away from people who mistreat you because the stress can take an extra toll on your health. 3. To the degree that its possible, cease contact with anyone who questions that your symptoms are real or have a legitimate origin. This gets tricky when these attitudes come from family members who financially support you, but try to keep your relationships positive. Surround yourself with people who can truly support you and dont tell you that you are crazy. 4. Research any and all supplements, medications or other treatments suggested to you by your practitioners. Its okay to accept that someone with a medical education knows more than you, but that doesnt mean he or she always knows whats best for you. Know why you are taking your supplements and medications and doing what you are doing. Always. 5. Maintain your independence for as long as you can, and planning can help. Plan ahead as much as possible to do your own shopping, meal preparation and home maintenance. If you overdo it and become too tired, you will have to depend on others more, which can eat away at your sense of independence. It is important to your well-being to feel autonomous for as much as possible. Its great to ask for help when you need it, but take responsibility for the details of your life for as long as possible. 6. Share the details of how youre feeling every day only with those who respect you. Most people cannot relate to what Im dealing with physicallymostly because I dont even know how to explain it a majority of the time! Therefore, I am selective with whom this information is shared. 7. Listen to your intuition. This can become difficult as more and more people may question your sanity, but you know your symptoms are real. Honor what your instincts tell you.
If you find you cannot avoid an insulting individual, ask people who care about your well-being to run interference for you.
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8. Dont lose total sight of who you were before the symptoms of this condition became so blatant that they demanded your utmost attention. Remembering who you used to be before illness hit can be a painful but necessary process. It seems that who we are at our core doesnt necessarily change a great deal during our lifetimesalthough we certainly get refined by the fire life puts us through and hopefully we improve over time. But whatever you enjoyed and the spirit you had before you developed symptoms, try to remember how this felt and honor these parts of you. It is important to remember what makes you unique. 9. Find a safe place to let out all of your negative emotions because you will probably have plenty of them after a lot of suffering. I try to stay positive as much as possible, but sometimes things do come to a head and these emotions need to be released. I tend to feel guilty when losing it emotionally, like after having a really bad day and subsequently throwing a fit like a two-year-old. Im not sure its ever good to act like a two-year-old, unless you are actually two of course, but the ugliness has to come out somewhere! Journal your feelings. Be totally honest with someone. Punch pillows. Swear like a sailor. Do what you have to do to get it out. And dont feel guilty that you feel this way. 10. Try to find a way to contribute to others, which will vary according to your level of activity. Even if you cant get out of bed for entire days, you may still be able to encourage a friend by phone or e-mail and by doing so you will have contributed to a greater good. It may not seem like much but you never know how much just an encouraging word may do. Of course, only plan these activities when you have the energy to do so, but find a way to give back to others. 11. When you need to request financial assistance, dont feel racked with guilt or feel like a beggar. Remember, you havent done anything wrong. You are legitimately sick, even though the medical community, at this time in history, may not be able to completely pinpoint whyor be able to find the hole in your bucket that allows even your hard work to go without reward because symptoms remain. For these reasons, treatments tend to be expensive and sometimes experimental in nature, therefore not covered by health insurance. If you need to ask for help, imagine you are on dialysis and the assistance youre asking for is like a financial kidney. Its necessary for your survival. Most likely, you have worked very hard and suffered through unimaginable pain, so dont think that you shouldnt ask for help. This Weeks Goal: Feel good about yourself. You have the same rights as anyone else, even though you may be ill.
If you need to ask for help, imagine you are on dialysis and the assistance youre asking for is like a financial kidney.
123
CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
124
WEEK 10
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
125
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
126
On Cycle?
WEEK 10
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
127 127
Journal for Week 10

Ideas to write about this week: This weeks topics is one of the most important to cover, because what is it all worth if we cannot at least maintain our dignity while tackling a difficult condition? Did this concept hit home for you and if so, in what way?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
128
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
129
130
Week 11
Forming a Support Community
The emotional component of being sick in any significant way, let alone for long periods of time without sometimes even knowing why, can become very wearing and frustrating. Finding the adequate support to get through it all can also be tough, but resources are out there. When you first start dealing with these mysterious conditions, a lot of information is new and confusing, so you may find yourself lacking the time and additional motivation to seek out support in the form of official groups. And you may not even know where to start looking for this type of organized support. So, the first place most of us turn, as it is with most information nowadays, is to the Internet. What in the world did we do before the Internet? Can you imagine how much more difficult it would be to manage a challenging health condition without being able to use this resource to find critical information and support? While the Internet is a great tool, its not the only source of support you can seek. Before we talk about support, first and foremost the most supportive thing you can do for yourself is limit the unsupportive people in your life, as mentioned in Week 10. How often do we find ourselves trying to persuade someone that were legitimately ill? Trying to convince someone youre really sick is not worth the effort and about as productive as trying to convince someone to fall in love with you. Try limiting your contact with people like this because the negativity can only worsen your condition and deflate your already challenged self-esteem. Those of us in the position of being chronically ill can be extra sensitive to feeling invalidated and violated. And rightly so. There are countless accounts of incidents when the very people whose role it was to take care of us literally took advantage of our compromised position. We feel trapped however because there are at times few other avenues for help.
Trying to convince someone youre really sick is usually not worth the effort and about as productive as trying to convince someone to fall in love with you.
131
It can be easy to slip into the awkward position of accepting the abuse to get the care you need. Its a terrible Catch-22. So, to get the support you are going to direly need, try to emotionally protect yourself wherever possible. Ask a caring relative or friend to run interference for you. If an insensitive person works at a place of business you have to frequent, for example, ask a friend or relative to interact with this person for you. This may mean making the phone calls necessary to schedule appointments or order more supplies. If your health was normal, Id say buck-up and face the person. The fighter in me doesnt back down easily! But when your physical body is so fragile, consider passing off whatever you can when it comes to dealing with difficult people. Choose your battles wisely. Dont waste precious energy fighting people who may never change. In general, traditional support groups are a great source of encouragement. However, there are good and not-so-good support groups. Try out a few to gauge the energy of the groups. If you encounter a wellnever-get-well energy, consider moving on. Once there was an occasion when, after having been sick for a while, I was at a point of feeling better and shared with a support group about looking for a part-time job. A person in the group told me negatively, I think you are in denial about how sick you really are. Since this was the general vibe from the entire group, I never went back. I was on the road to feeling better and didnt need to be discouraged from a group that was supposed to help. The well-never-get-better-so-why-bother-fighting-it attitude is detrimental and even prevalent in the medical profession. It occurred to me early on that no one was going to tell me that healing wasnt possible from a condition that lacked a definable cause or cure. If you cant tell me whats really wrong then you cant tell me I cant get better either! We should be encouraged that anything is possible, even if it doesnt seem possible. The Internet is replete with support sites. Message boards are always handy, and the knowledge of others who are dealing with similar issues can be truly invaluableespecially if you are working with a health team who values your research and will help you experiment with treatments. Message boards can also list the top doctors for these types of conditions. If youre unsure of who they are, pose a question and see if you get any feedback. Typically, there are a handful of names that get passed around as the best who are out there.
It occurred to me early on that no one was going to tell me that healing wasnt possible from a condition that lacked a definable cause or cure.
132
While message boards are helpful, I began to notice an increasing usefulness in people sharing information with each other in a more organized fashion. UNIFYFIRST.com was created to unify people who suffer from conditions considered to be mysterious in one specific cause or cure, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Toxic Mold Syndrome and Autism, in order to provide a place where information can be exchanged for encouragement and healing. Loads of information is being traded on the Internetbut a single website where people could build a personal profile, tell their story and search for other profiles, conditions and situations similar to theirs for answers didnt exist. At www.UNIFYFIRST.com, you can search for a multitude of similarities including symptoms, supplements, protocols, conditions and doctor referrals. You can also search for people local to you for more personal support if you seek it. Anyone who has been trying to manage one of these mysterious conditions for a while knows of the horror stories that are out there. People losing their jobs and homes. Filing bankruptcy. Going on welfare. Living in government housing. Trying to survive on less-than-$1000-a-month disability check. People lose hope that theyll ever get out of their situation because they are unable to work and the care they need to get better is too expensive. We live in a world where you typically have to work harder to improve your life. If youre unable to physically do so, youre pretty much out of luck. Its not unusual to hear about people at rock bottom who consider suicide just to escape the suffering and the feeling that they are a burden to everyone they touch. To help address these financial needs, the Unify First Foundation was formed. Please see Appendix A for more information on how to give and receive help through this foundation. We should take care of our sick neighbors. It doesnt matter if the origin of the illness is mysterious and the process of discovery is like peeling away layers of an onion to figure out whats wrong. And especially when previously highly-productive people have the chance to regain their quality of life, we should help them do so. Visit www.UNIFYFIRST.com for more ways of exchanging information. It is free and you can maintain your confidentiality. Also visit www.UNIFYFIRSTFOUNDATION.org to see how you can give and receive aid. We need to help and support each other when at times it seems like no one else understands. Without the support we need, our futures can look very frightening. This Weeks Goal: Reach out to one new form of support, maybe someone youve been meaning to connect with for a while.
UNIFYFIRST.com was created to form a social network for people with mysterious medical condtions.
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CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
134
WEEK 11
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
135
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
136
On Cycle?
WEEK 11
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
137
Journal for Week 11

Ideas to write about this week: How well do you believe you are supported by family and friends you have made your extended family? What frustrations do you have in trying to build a support system at this point in your life? Or are you simply grateful for the support that you already have in place?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
138
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
139
140
Week 12
Pulling Together All the DataWhats Next?
Youve made itWeek 12! Congratulations! Hopefully, you have seen the advantages of planning your schedule with more detail, even if at this point your time is mostly spent at home due to how you feel. What you do with the hours that make up your day matters. You matter, and your life matters, regardless of what you can do. Try to never let go of that. You should have 12 weeks of interesting data by now, which the Wellness Tracker software available at www.UNIFYFIRST.com can track and process for you. This program will alert you when youve had a significant change in your level of well-being so that you can begin to decipher what may have caused this change. For example, did you add or subtract a supplement? Did the weather affect you differently? Were you exposed to a moldy place? Did your diet impact how you felt? If youd like to chart your data by hand, an example of how to do this is on page 151, with a blank chart on the following page. Again, print off this information and share it with the members of your health team so they can help discover causes for your symptoms. And as always, if you sense resistance from your professionals when trying to join them in this discovery, consider seeking someone new. Of course, if you have one of the experts on your team, you may have to deal with more in order to have this experienced care. In other words, their help may be too invaluable, but just be careful that what you are doing for your health is respected. Dont let anyone dismiss the work you have done to monitor what you are going through. As is commonly the case with mysterious conditions, the source of physical discomfort can be hard to pin down. But, with the help of this strategy, companion website and tracking system, you can start to unravel this mystery. You may likely find yourself on this journey alone, with the
You matter, and your life matters, regardless of what you can do. Try to never let go of that.
141
occasional help of loved ones and good practitioners. But more often than not, at the end of the day, you are the one who feels miserable at times and are the most motivated to locate answers. With as much energy as you can muster, the responsibility ultimately falls on you to be the master of this journey. People are simply more affected by what happens in their own lives, perhaps to enable human resilience. Think about itif we were devastatingly affected by all the problems around us, wed never survive the grief. As much as you are suffering, only you can truly know the pain you are experiencing. It is discouraging to face the seeming unwillingness of most people to help in any real way. Its frustrating to fight all your own battles when you are sick, but its sometimes the way things are. This book was written to share how the details of one persons journey was processed into a strategy to heal. Please be encouraged to take the reins and demand to be the boss of your healing journey. It may not come naturally, but its time to call upon strength you didnt know you had. Havent you heard the stories of a parent who miraculously lifts a car off her child to save his life? Think you can pick up a car? Probably not, but something supernatural happens inside us when we are faced with a reality we so want to be different. That parent is so desperate to rescue her child that she becomes super human. These conditions will demand your inner super hero. Now certainly dont try to go around lifting up cars for fun, but do try to find that same place inside you that has super human qualities and call upon it. Youve heard it said before but this is your life, and unless you believe in past lives and this isnt your last time here, this is the only one youll get. It flat out sucks that you have to deal with a difficult physical condition while youre here (Ive never been happy about it!) but staying mad about it doesnt change it. No one knows that better than we do. For people with mysterious medical conditions, being super human may take on many forms. It may look like: Swearing off candy, cookies and pop for years because our digestive systems are too messed up to handle the sugar. Watching family and friends eat delicious, forbidden foods, knowing that if you ate like that, you chance being sicker for the entire next week or more. Pretending to feel fine around your friends while youre out just so you dont have to talk about feeling bad anymore or face the scrutiny. Being brave while facing a sometimes very uncertain future.
With as much energy as you can muster, the responsibility ultimately falls to you to be the master of this journey.
142
Figuring out how to pay for expensive medical treatments. Dragging yourself to work when you know in your gut that you really shouldnt even be working at all. Taking a walk around your block, which may be all you can do at first, then adding a few more feet every day just to build stamina. Trying not to cry because youre tired of even your own tears. Dealing with the mental strain that accompanies not feeling good, at times, all day long, every single day, every single month, every single year. Watching your peers achieve success and continue their lives as normal while your circumstances dont change or perhaps even worsen. Being ridiculed that youre not really sick every time you encounter that one particular relative or friend. Or maybe it is just plain getting out of bed in the morning. Never, ever forget what a BRAVE soul you are for facing these obstacles every day! One last thing, challenge yourself a little every day. Its important to strike a careful balance between not pushing yourself too hard (pacing) with going a little past what you think you are able to do. For example, if I really only felt well enough to walk around the block, Id challenge myself to walk a little further than that and would build on what I could do each day. Challenges like these helped me continue to gain progress back to normalcy. So, we are at the end of our journey together, at least for now. Additional Revive Your Health Calendar and Tracking Sheets are available at www.UNIFYFIRST.com if youd like to continue tracking your life as shown here. The journey itself will yield rewards, not just the destination. Planning and organizing is a benefit to any life situation, but especially to getting well. This can feel like a job in and of itself. As I mentioned before, Ive told different support group members over the years who were too sick to work, Now you have a new full-time jobgetting well! The pay is terrible, but the pay off is great! Thanks for working through this book with me. If you are interested in personal coaching sessions for applying the strategy presented here or if you have any feedback for making this information more useful, please e-mail me at gina@UNIFYFIRST.COM. This Weeks Goal: On page 155, update the goals you wrote for yourself in the Before You Get Started section. Then, celebrate! Treat yourself somehow. You made it! Best wishes on the rest of your journey.
Never, ever forget what a BRAVE soul you are for facing these challenges every day!
143
CALENDAR
Monday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Tuesday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Wednesday____
144
WEEK 12
Thursday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00
Friday____
7:00 :15 :30 :45 8:00 :15 :30 :45 9:00 :15 :30 :45 10:00 :15 :30 :45 11:00 :15 :30 :45 12:00 :15 :30 :45 1:00 :15 :30 :45 2:00 :15 :30 :45 3:00 :15 :30 :45 4:00 :15 :30 :45 5:00 :15 :30 :45 6:00 :15 :30 :45 7:00
Saturday____
Sunday____ Sunday
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
145
TRACKING SHEETS
Monday____
Tuesday____
Wednesday____
What upset me
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
What was fun
146
On Cycle?
WEEK 12
Thursday____
Friday____
Saturday____
What upset me
What upset me
What was fun
What was fun
Sunday____
147
Journal for Week 12

Ideas to write about this week: How did the last 12 weeks go for you? Did you find the concepts presented in this book to be useful? Did these concepts bring any new ideas that you hadnt thought of before? Do you think you will keep up with a routine going forward?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
148
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
149
150
Physical and Emotional Well-Being Charts (sample)
151
152
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Day 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 1
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Physical and Emotional Well-Being Charts
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84
153
154
Personal Goals-Update
On page 21, you wrote several goals you wanted to reach during the course of these 12 weeks. Were any of these goals met or did they change along the way?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
155
156
Appendix A
The Unify First Foundation
The Unify First Foundation was formed to help those who suffer from chronic conditions considered to be mysterious in one specific cause or cure, like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Toxic Mold Syndrome and Autism, pay for necessary medical intervention to heal. Traditional routes of government aid (such as filing for disability) can limit ones income and therefore limits the kinds of treatment that can be sought. The Unify First Foundation simply seeks to help people heal by providing another option for financial support. An application process is used to consider requests for financial help. Future fundraising activities are planned, such as golf & poker tournaments and awareness walks. For more information or to inquire how you can help spread the word and raise funds in your area, please visit www.UNIFYFIRSTFOUNDATION.org.
157
158
Appendix B
Adapted Recipes
Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
2 Chicken Breasts 2 T Plain Goat Milk Yogurt 2 t Rice or Soy Parmesan Cheese 1 T Shredded Goat Cheese 2 t Diced Onion 1/2 T Melted Butter 1/4 t Cilantro 1/2 Cup Thawed Frozen Spinach or Cooked Fresh Spinach Mix spinach with yogurt, parmesan cheese, goat cheese, onion, butter and cilantro. Cut a pocket in the chicken breasts and fill the pockets with the mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink when cut open. Makes 2 servings.
159
Waldorf Turkey Wrap

Sliced or Cubed Cooked Turkey 1 Diced Small Granny Smith Apple 2 T Yogurt 1 T Walnuts (or other nut) 1 T Diced Red Onion Squeeze of Lemon Soft Goat Cheese Lettuce Pieces Sprouted Tortillas Combine apple, yogurt, walnuts, onion and lemon; set aside. Spread small amount of soft goat cheese on tortilla. Place lettuce, turkey, then apple mixture on top. Roll. Makes 2 tortillas. *In place of an apple, use anything with a similar texture, such as avocado or cucumber.
160
Turkey Chili
1 lb Ground Turkey 1 Diced Yellow Onion 1 Can Tomato Sauce 1 Can Diced Tomatoes 2 Cans Kidney Beans 1/8 t Garlic 1/2 t Chili Powder (or more, season to taste) 1 t Parsley 1 t Sea Salt 1/2 t Cilantro 1/2 Cup Water Dash Pepper 1 T Honey Brown turkey and onions with garlic until turkey is cooked through and onions are translucent. In separate large pot, bring tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, parsley, sea salt, cilantro, water, pepper and honey to boil. Add turkey, onions and garlic to boiling pot and reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Makes up to 4 servings. *For a sweeter chili, try adding a dash of Cinnamon. *As an alternative, you can make a chili & pasta dish by pouring chili over cooked rice pasta (or pasta of your choice.) Add a few tablespoons of plain goat yogurt and shredded goat cheese.
161
Egg Salad Wrap

2 Boiled Eggs 1 1/2 T Plain Goat Milk Yogurt 1 1/2 t Mustard 1 T Diced Red Onion 1 Diced Stalk of Celery 1 T Diced Red Pepper Lettuce Pieces Sprouted Tortillas Peel boiled eggs and separate yolks from whites. Blend yolks with yogurt, mustard, onion, celery and red pepper. Dice egg whites and mix in. Place lettuce on tortilla and spread on egg mixture. Makes 2-3 tortillas.
Quick Roast Beef Wrap

1/4 Cooked Roast Beef, sliced 1 T Soft Goat Cheese 2 T Chopped Onion Lettuce 1 t Olive Oil Saute onions in olive oil. When almost translucent, shred roast beef and add to onions. Cook for about a minute. Spread goat cheese onto tortilla and add roast beef mixture. Finish by adding lettuce.
162
Stir-Fried Chicken
2 Cubed Chicken Breasts 2 Diced Peppers (Any combo of red, yellow or green) 1 Cup Diced Pineapple 1/2 Cup Diced Carrots 1 T Vinegar 1 T Natural Sugar 1/3 Tamari (a type of soy sauce) 1 T Cornstarch 2 T Pineapple Juice 1 T Coconut Oil 2 Servings Brown Rice Cook chicken for approximately 10 minutes in coconut oil on medium-high heat or until no longer pink. Add peppers, pineapple and carrots. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add vinegar, pineapple juice and sugar. Mix together tamari and cornstarch and add to mixture. Bring to boil for 1 minute and then simmer for 3 minutes. Serve over brown rice.
163
Parmesan Fish with Spinach

1/2 Slice Extra Toasted Sprouted Bread 1/2 t Parsley 1 T Melted Butter 1 t Rice or Soy Parmesan Cheese 2 Tilapia Fillets 1 Cup Thawed Frozen Spinach or Cooked Fresh Spinach Dash of Oregano Dash of Basil 2 T Crushed Almonds 1 t Olive oil Dice bread into crumbs. Add butter, parsley and parmesan cheese. Spread mixture over both sides of fish and place in a baking dish coated with butter. Meanwhile, saute spinach in olive oil over medium-low heat. Add oregano, basil and almonds. Saute for 3 minutes. Spread spinach over fish and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes with fork. *Can also use chicken breasts rather than fish. Add spinach to top of chicken halfway through cook time for chicken (approximately 30 minutes total at 400 degrees or until chicken is no longer pink.)
164
Broiled Steak
1 lb Steak, your choice (or whatever size you like) 1 T Butter Dash of Soy Milk (or other type of milk or whipping cream) Dash of Salt & Pepper Melt butter in skillet, medium heat. Sear steak for 1 minute on each side. Place foil on broil pan to collect juices. Season steak to taste and then broil each side for approximately 3-5 minutes, or to how well-done you like your steak. Take remaining juices and remove to skillet with remaining butter. Add a dash of your milk equivalent product. Stir and serve over steak.
Easy Meatloaf
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey 1 Egg 1 Cup Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained 1 Chopped Onion 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt 1/2 Cup Water 1 Cup Sprouted Bread Crumbs Ketchup, Mustard and Natural Sugar for Topping Salt & Pepper to taste Combine beef or turkey with egg, spinach, onion, yogurt, water, bread crumbs and salt & pepper. Form into a loaf and either place it in a greased baking dish or a loaf pan. For a topping, you can mix together a few tablespoons of ketchup and mustard with a little natural sugar and spread over the top before baking about an hour at 350 degrees, or until no longer pink.
165
Smoothie
1/2 Cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks 1/3 Cup Plain Goat Milk Yogurt 1/3 Cup Aloe Vera Juice 1 T Flax Oil 1/2 Banana 1/4 Cup Frozen or Fresh Blueberries 1 Scoop Protein Powder (your choice, such as whey, soy, or goat) 1 Scoop Fiber Powder (usually available in supplement section of store) Combine and mix all in blender. Add other powdered supplements as needed.
166
Appendix C
Ingredient Substitutions
White Flour Rice Flour Spelt Flour* White Sugar Turbinado Xylitol Cane Sugar Fruit Juice Vegetable Oil Olive Oil Coconut Oil Soy Sauce Tamari Milk Goat Milk Soy Milk Rice Milk Coconut Milk Bread/Crumbs/Croutons Sprouted Bread *Spelt contains gluten Mayonnaise Plain Yogurt Pasta Rice Pasta Spelt Pasta* Sprouted Pasta Parmesan Cheese Soy Parmesan Cheese Rice Parmesan Cheese Grated Cheese Goat Cheese Soy Cheese Rice Cheese White Rice Brown Rice Salt Sea Salt Milk Chocolate Dark Chocolate
167
168
Index
A
accounting as part of business plan 59 adrenal exhaustion 80 adrenal insufficiency 80 adrenals importance in overall health 17 role in overall health 80 antibiotics 80 autism 11 online support 133 possible causes 81 tips to destress 112 digestion role in overall health 79 discipline 69-71 doctors as part of health team 58, 122 importance of open mind 58
E
emotional well-being tracking levels defined 38 environmental sensitivity and detoxification 81 exercise and limitations 60 tips to aid in 113
B
bacteria balance in digestive tract 80, 100 business managing health like a 11 accounting 59 human resources 58 production 59 public relations 61 quality control 61 reseach & development 57
F
fibromyalgia 11, 133 finances stress of 59 tips for saving money 113 food definition of 99 determining what to eat 57 fast food effect on health 28 importance in digestion 79 frustration in comparing self to others 29 in seeing results 27 staying motivated 89
C
calendar sample 24-25 candida 100 CEO seeing yourself as 58, 61 charting your progress 61 chronic fatigue syndrome 11, 133 cortisol 80
G
genes and detoxification 81 goals setting according to limits 47
D
detoxifcation "herx" effect 37 detoxification aiding in 81 importance in overall health 17 internal system for 28 role in overall health 81 diet and digestion 79-80 as part of business plan 59 determining what to eat 57, 100 sample menu 101
H
habits forming new 27 Human Growth Hormone (HGH) 17 human resources as part of business plan 58
I
immune system 81 irritable bowel syndrome 11
169
L
levels physical well-being numbers defined 38-39
M
meals determing what to eat 57 pacing and 48 planning 21 medicines as part of business plan 60 tips for organizing 112 menu calendar how to plan 21, 101-102 sample 103 methylation 81 milk products effect on digestion 100 mold and food 100 multiple chemical sensitivity, 11
and areas of physical health 79 as part of business plan 57 rest as part of business plan 60 importance of 60 routine importance of following 59
S
SAMe 17 scheduling meals 48 types of activities 48 sleep and adrenals 80 as part of business plan 60 importance of 60 staphlycoccus aureus 17 stress and adrenals 80 and resting 60 importance of pacing 48 maintaining dignity 121-123 scheduling freetime 59 sharing with others 58 tips to destress 111-113 sugar effect on digestive health 80, 100 supplements as part of business plan 60 tips for organizing 112 support groups 132 online 133 types of systems of 131-133
N
nausea 15, 79
P
pacing activities 48 importance of 11, 47 perfectionists 15 personal goals list of 22, 23, 155 setting 21 physical well-being tracking levels defined 38-39 planning meals 21, 48, 101-102 positive thinking role in healing 60-61, 113 tips to aid in 113 probiotics 80 production as part of business plan 59 public relations as part of business plan 61
T
toxins effect on overall health 28, 81 tracking system definition for categories 38-39 sample sheet 26
U
Unify First Foundation 12, 133, 157 UNIFYFIRST.com 12, 37-39, 61, 133, 141, 143
Q
quality control as part of business plan 61
W
Wellness Tracker software 12, 61, 141
R
recipes 159-166 research & development
Y
yeast effect on digestive health 100
170
171
172

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Revive Your Health

About This Book

Before You Get Started

Current Supplements & Medications

Real Estate Other Work Appointments Book/Website Exercise Personal/Fun

Our vision of health needs to be greater than short-term conveniences.

Those of us with these conditions are in a fight for our lives.

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What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

What was fun

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Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes

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Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes On Cycle?

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What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

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Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes On Cycle?

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Journal for Week 1

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What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

What was fun

What was fun

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Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes

Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes On Cycle?

Symptom Changes Exercise/Notes On Cycle?

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What I ate BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACK Who I connected with

Physical Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Emotional Well-Being 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

What was fun