Puffy No More: How I Fixed Bloating, Healed Veins, Restored The Color Of [one] Hair & Reduced Cramps

[Integra]

I'm a female in her twenties, some of my specs:

- functionally hypothyroid
- prone to anxiety/anger issues
- had a period of rapid shedding of hair
- recurrent sleep issues
- stubborn thigh and upper arm fat
- periodic veiny legs

I'd like to list some of the physical improvements I noticed when following some dietary recommendations.

1. I stopped getting bloated during PMS. It used to be more of a cosmetic issue for me as I didn't like the way my face was getting round before my periods, and I could, odd as it sounds, feel resistance as I tried to bend my fingers. All of that is old news now.

What did I do? Around that time of month, I'd make sure to eat all the salt that I craved, and then some more. I'd frequently lick salt, especially before bed. I would repeat this as many times as the small dose of salt tasted good, but once it felt sort of 'fiery', I'd know I reached my needs.​

2. One leg vein 'returned' to normal volume (turned dark blue and 'set' into the leg). It can still at times be visible through the skin but it no longer hurts. I used to have these flashy pains that shoot up my shin because of it, but now it happens very rarely. I also suspect I may have some nerve damage in my foot, but that's a different story.

What did I do? I ate a lot of friggin jello (OJ + gellatin). How much? About a tablespoon per 12 ounces or 15mg per 200ml in metric. If the numbers don't add up, the metric measurements are definitely correct.​

3. I managed to reverse one gray hair back to brown. (Just one, but then three new ones came to its funeral.) Still, that was fun to do.

What did I do? I ate shrimps once or twice a week, had some preg, eggs. Also, I was quite curious about it and had a sort of playful attitude about the whole thing, so that might have been an important factor actually.​

4. I still get menstrual cramps, but they're much more manageable and sometimes I can abate the pain by just stretching in a certain way.

What did I do? As it didn't go away completely, I don't count this as a success, but it is definitely an improvement. So far, I'd take 500mg aspirin/day 3 days before the period... Had my fill of icecream, super salty foods, made sure to have at least 2L (quarts) of milk a day, and if life permitted, would eat jello (OJ + gellatin) a couple of times a week.​

Please feel free to ask me about anything as I'd love to contribute as much as I can. I'd also appreciate advice on or personal experiences with dealing with issues listed above the fixes.

 

[tara]

Congratulations on your improvements. :)

 

[Peata]

Congrats, that's wonderful report. My only question is:

had some preg,

Is that pregnenolone?

 

[Saracatt]

So glad to hear this. I'm scrolling through the testimonials for positive encouragement.

I'm dealing with some of the same issues, and doing some of the things that you did. I've had some improvement, but still have a way to go.

 

[Integra]

Congratulations on your improvements. :)

Thank you! I'm really happy about them.

Congrats, that's wonderful report. My only question is: Is that pregnenolone?

Yes!

So glad to hear this. I'm scrolling through the testimonials for positive encouragement. I'm dealing with some of the same issues, and doing some of the things that you did. I've had some improvement, but still have a way to go.

It really can be done. That's sort of why I posted. I remember scrolling through the forum looking for people who've had improvements. I think no testimonial will replace you figuring things out on your own, but I want to underline that change is possible, no matter what. Much good luck to you!

 

[superhuman]

Hmm i still struggle with water retention/puffyness but im a male tho

 

[SQu]

Congrats and thanks for the inspiration!

I still get menstrual cramps,

Magnesium?

 

[Guyfranke]

How are your anxiety / anger issues now ? And has your sleep improved ?

 

[Integra]

How are your anxiety / anger issues now ? And has your sleep improved ?

My sleep issues: hormonal connection
It is much harder for me to sleep at times of high estrogen. These are also the times when I am most likely to wake up tired and depressed and be prone to bouts of anger. What I need to try to establish as a non-negotiable habit is the daily carrot salad, but for the life of me, I just can't seem to squeeze it into my daily schedule sometimes; it has to be between meals, otherwise it'll mess up digestion and the absorption of nutrients. I chomp down a carrot on my way to work here and there but it just seems that a properly sliced carrot with some salt and coconut oil has extra effects, probably also in the very act of making it and taking the time to take for yourself.

I've started taking daily B1 and B6 so we'll see if that does something on that front.

Evolving attitude towards sleep
Regarding sleep, I have many damaging attitudes towards it in that I always feel sad that a day is over :) I know it's childish, but I keep thinking of all the things I want to do that day and I do actually start doing them the next morning but it never seems enough. I've had days when I conciously decided to stay up because I really wanted to either draw, paint, or work on some other project I couldn't manage throughout the day, so even if I wake up feeling tired the next day, I still do it sometimes. On average, I get about 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night, so I wouldn't say that I'm critical, but the sleep quality varies, especially with where I'm at in the cycle (hormones affect this much more than I'd want them to).

Baffled by exercise
Exercise or plain movement in combination with bright light seems to help, but to a limited degree and somewhat unpredictably. I'm very mentally engaged because work involves a lot of analysis, creativity, so I usually feel very fulfilled or 'in the flow' but never satiated. I take these long weekly walks in nature, but honest physical 'exercise' except for super gentle yoga (sometimes even that) is a bit of a hit-and-miss for me. I noticed that sometimes, when I go on walks when I'm already physically tired, my fingers would swell up and I'd get these heart palpitations from lower levels of exertion than normal. I'm neither overweight nor fit, but I gravitate towards the heavier demographic. At times it seems to exacerbate sleep issues (but improves mental clarity so a bit of a trade-off sometimes).

In general, what helps with sleep for me is to invoke feelings of love, grattitude, and similarity (or harmony, or merging, or whatever) in different ways and that puts me in a very relaxed state of mind. But this whole process takes at least half an hour and it needs to be without any screen-time or any other kind of stimulation because I'll just get super interested in something and stay up beyond bedtime. It pains me that since I am not a seven-year-old, this should not be such an issue.

My anxiety is...
Almost completely gone. (Anger is still present, but I notice a much stronger connection to hormones with this one, so it's not really in the same basket in my situation.) I rarely get anxious anymore. I eat protein + carbs before a stressful situation, or I regularly eat such snacks throughout the day to keep my blood sugar nice and high. Also, I lick salt like there's no tomorrow, especially when I'm drinking a lot of liquids. I also eat a lot of chocolate which is less than desirable but it helps in emergency situations.

As most of my anxiety issues involve situations with people, or oddly situations in which I am forced to wait for something and it involves an uncomfortable degree of uncertainty (which I have a low threshold for), I generally focus on how I'm similar to people and then feel this bond between us--like we're all in the same boat kind of thing--and then the palpitations and the sweating go away. Discomfort stays, but it becomes sort of grounded. And there's another trick I use which is funny but very quick when the long-term meditation is not feasible. I just ask myself:

:p WHERE IS YOUR TONGUE??? :p

And then I focus on trying to find my tongue, or the sensation of it against the roof of my mouth. It's silly but so distracting that it pulls me out of a moment enough to be there in a calm way and get something done but it steals some of my focus, so for me it's best used as a quick solution rather than a meditation.

Stop defending against anxiety and it loses wind
And then, if none of the two work, I just stop defending against the feelings of anxiety. I just say, "Well **** it," and accept it in the form of not defending against it. I immediately feel my shoulders drop down whenever I do this and it makes me aware how much of my anxiety is caused by a pulling up of the shoulders, so this is also something to think about.

P,S. Still in fight with Mama Nature every month
On that note, I have to say I get horrible, extremely painful monthly cramps. They literally incapacitate me for a day or two despite the aspirin, red light, magneisum, salt, all that jazz--I just mope around the house and try to time my schedule so that I don't have to be anywhere so that I can deal with the heavy flow, existential crises, and all accompanying drama that comes with this magical time.

 

[tara]

:p WHERE IS YOUR TONGUE??? :p

I like it. :)

On that note, I have to say I get horrible, extremely painful monthly cramps. They literally incapacitate me for a day or two despite the aspirin, red light, magneisum, salt, all that jazz--I just mope around the house and try to time my schedule so that I don't have to be anywhere so that I can deal with the heavy flow, existential crises, and all accompanying drama that comes with this magical time.

Oh dear. I used to lose a day a month to horrible dysmenorrrhea too - I don't envy you.

Can't remember if you've experimented with progesterone?

I wonder if inflammation in the gut could be contributing to swelling in the area that makes it worse? Mittir has written some good posts on common irritants.
Have you tried something like the aged cascara sagrada to help reduce inflammation and keep the output moving, eg the day before menstruation? Maybe also activated charcoal once or twice sometime in the day or two before menstruation? (if using both, I'd guess AC first, and cascara a few hours/half a day later.)

 

[Guyfranke]

My sleep issues: hormonal connection
It is much harder for me to sleep at times of high estrogen. These are also the times when I am most likely to wake up tired and depressed and be prone to bouts of anger. What I need to try to establish as a non-negotiable habit is the daily carrot salad, but for the life of me, I just can't seem to squeeze it into my daily schedule sometimes; it has to be between meals, otherwise it'll mess up digestion and the absorption of nutrients. I chomp down a carrot on my way to work here and there but it just seems that a properly sliced carrot with some salt and coconut oil has extra effects, probably also in the very act of making it and taking the time to take for yourself.

I've started taking daily B1 and B6 so we'll see if that does something on that front.

Evolving attitude towards sleep
Regarding sleep, I have many damaging attitudes towards it in that I always feel sad that a day is over :) I know it's childish, but I keep thinking of all the things I want to do that day and I do actually start doing them the next morning but it never seems enough. I've had days when I conciously decided to stay up because I really wanted to either draw, paint, or work on some other project I couldn't manage throughout the day, so even if I wake up feeling tired the next day, I still do it sometimes. On average, I get about 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night, so I wouldn't say that I'm critical, but the sleep quality varies, especially with where I'm at in the cycle (hormones affect this much more than I'd want them to).

Baffled by exercise
Exercise or plain movement in combination with bright light seems to help, but to a limited degree and somewhat unpredictably. I'm very mentally engaged because work involves a lot of analysis, creativity, so I usually feel very fulfilled or 'in the flow' but never satiated. I take these long weekly walks in nature, but honest physical 'exercise' except for super gentle yoga (sometimes even that) is a bit of a hit-and-miss for me. I noticed that sometimes, when I go on walks when I'm already physically tired, my fingers would swell up and I'd get these heart palpitations from lower levels of exertion than normal. I'm neither overweight nor fit, but I gravitate towards the heavier demographic. At times it seems to exacerbate sleep issues (but improves mental clarity so a bit of a trade-off sometimes).

In general, what helps with sleep for me is to invoke feelings of love, grattitude, and similarity (or harmony, or merging, or whatever) in different ways and that puts me in a very relaxed state of mind. But this whole process takes at least half an hour and it needs to be without any screen-time or any other kind of stimulation because I'll just get super interested in something and stay up beyond bedtime. It pains me that since I am not a seven-year-old, this should not be such an issue.

My anxiety is...
Almost completely gone. (Anger is still present, but I notice a much stronger connection to hormones with this one, so it's not really in the same basket in my situation.) I rarely get anxious anymore. I eat protein + carbs before a stressful situation, or I regularly eat such snacks throughout the day to keep my blood sugar nice and high. Also, I lick salt like there's no tomorrow, especially when I'm drinking a lot of liquids. I also eat a lot of chocolate which is less than desirable but it helps in emergency situations.

As most of my anxiety issues involve situations with people, or oddly situations in which I am forced to wait for something and it involves an uncomfortable degree of uncertainty (which I have a low threshold for), I generally focus on how I'm similar to people and then feel this bond between us--like we're all in the same boat kind of thing--and then the palpitations and the sweating go away. Discomfort stays, but it becomes sort of grounded. And there's another trick I use which is funny but very quick when the long-term meditation is not feasible. I just ask myself:

:p WHERE IS YOUR TONGUE??? :p

And then I focus on trying to find my tongue, or the sensation of it against the roof of my mouth. It's silly but so distracting that it pulls me out of a moment enough to be there in a calm way and get something done but it steals some of my focus, so for me it's best used as a quick solution rather than a meditation.

Stop defending against anxiety and it loses wind
And then, if none of the two work, I just stop defending against the feelings of anxiety. I just say, "Well **** it," and accept it in the form of not defending against it. I immediately feel my shoulders drop down whenever I do this and it makes me aware how much of my anxiety is caused by a pulling up of the shoulders, so this is also something to think about.

P,S. Still in fight with Mama Nature every month
On that note, I have to say I get horrible, extremely painful monthly cramps. They literally incapacitate me for a day or two despite the aspirin, red light, magneisum, salt, all that jazz--I just mope around the house and try to time my schedule so that I don't have to be anywhere so that I can deal with the heavy flow, existential crises, and all accompanying drama that comes with this magical time.

Thank you for the reply Integra. You sound quite real and normal considering everything happening the way it is in this world today !
One thing you might try is not using food as a quell or antidote for symptoms and that may take some deeper understanding ...and what i mean is like people who use coffee to prevent headaches or stave off a migraine attack or carbs and protein to do something tricky elsewhere only to have it all repeat and repeat throughout the month. Yes even those who get headaches because of hunger ... that means they are toxic to some degree. Food should be used to quell / satisfy hunger ..not other bodily symptoms nor emotions for that matter. Believe me i am not nowhere near perfect having lived half a century already ... ha! Emotions, stresses, etc... hit everyone in this society of today. Maybe something you can investigate and try is either intermittent fasting and then possibly extended water only fasting supervised by someone knowledgeable in conducting this excellent therapeutic intervention that can "Reset" your body. Sometimes all our body is asking for is to get out of its way.
We can at times become too 'mental' about health and nutrition you know? EVeryone has their two bits of advice. Personally, i respect and admire Loren Lockman at tanglewoodwellnessCenter.com and in YouTube for his empirical insight and experience into the human body physiology especially during extended water only fasting of many people in Costa Rica. To get out of the way and let the body clean 'itself' out and reset. Then start to make better food choices little by little ... there is no race. THere is no 'wrong'. ..and therefore no 'guilt' here. We don't only fast once for all the damage we've done in this life. It is like exercise for the body's cells believe it or not. So it should be cycled into your lifestyle... and not a one time only thing. Just the same as say doing saunas ..they help out tremendously and also not just a one time deal but part of one's lifestyle. ONce your body learns to shift gears quickly from carb burning to fat burning (lypolysis) via intermittent fasting then what you may think are sugar swings or whatever won't matter...the body just keeps up its energetics with either fats and ketone burn and or plus some aminos and fat in gluconeogenesis for the required levels of glucose in certain cells and organs. Plus it develops a more efficient metabolism so you don't need as much food all the time. Plenty of pure water though because most of us aren't pure raw vegan juicy fruits eaters like Loren. Use Grey Celtic sea salt when salt is needed. ..it is high in ocean minerals compared to other types. I am an omnivore but do intermittent fasting in my lifestyle almost daily for about two years solid now... i go about 16 to 18 hours then eat during a 6 - 8 hour window later in the day. Sometimes fast almost 20 hours or even a 24 hour where my hunger comes in the evening only but not often. Don't believe in big breakfasts but non-caloric liquids or coffee etc yes in the mornings. First real meal is in afternoon and bigger meal in evening. My personal approach at this time but trying to incorporate more and more of the Lockman vegan attributes along these lines and definitely planning for an extended water fast cycle soon. I definitely have some issues and need a body reset. It is all a journey of discovery , yes? CHeers ! !

 

[Integra]

Can't remember if you've experimented with progesterone? I wonder if inflammation in the gut could be contributing to swelling in the area that makes it worse? Mittir has written some good posts on common irritants. Have you tried something like the aged cascara sagrada to help reduce inflammation and keep the output moving, eg the day before menstruation? Maybe also activated charcoal once or twice sometime in the day or two before menstruation? (if using both, I'd guess AC first, and cascara a few hours/half a day later.)

Cascara or activated charcoal. Got it. Thank you, Tara! I'll look into that. I think I read somewhere that your menstrual issues resolved over time, but I'd be really happy to hear more about the protocol or any details you might have to share. My BM's are 1 x day or 2 x day but I can definitely tell a difference when I start feeling a bit...Stuck, or that foods are just 'sitting' inside. I might also go bananas with the carrots and eat them according to taste/in much higher amounts than just one (at least temporarily) and see if that gets me somewhere! Just worried about blocking the thyroid though, I'm already clearly sluggish as it is... I used progest-E but I started seeing more improvements with increasing protein/monitoring macros a little bit.

Do you have any experiences with dosage or tips on how to use it?

To get out of the way and let the body clean 'itself' out and reset. Then start to make better food choices little by little ... there is no race. [...] We don't only fast once for all the damage we've done in this life. It is like exercise for the body's cells believe it or not. So it should be cycled into your lifestyle... and not a one time only thing. Just the same as say doing saunas ..they help out tremendously and also not just a one time deal but part of one's lifestyle. ONce your body learns to shift gears quickly from carb burning to fat burning (lypolysis) via intermittent fasting then what you may think are sugar swings or whatever won't matter...the body just keeps up its energetics with either fats and ketone burn and or plus some aminos and fat in gluconeogenesis for the required levels of glucose in certain cells and organs. Plus it develops a more efficient metabolism so you don't need as much food all the time.

I like the idea of not using food for addressing mental issues, or to 'gear up' against a stressful situation. I understand your point there, and I think you might be onto something with that idea. I think Katharina Dalton said that IF works way better for males but I have been thinking about doing fruit-only days or something similar like that--it's just that my liver and I need to establish some kind of a dialogue first. Good luck with your experiments!

 

[tara]

Do you have any experiences with dosage or tips on how to use it?

Hi Integra,
My bad dysmenorrhea started late teens, and largely ended around 30 yrs (I'm 50ish now). Since then I've had occasional mild bouts, but nothing debilitating. I'm afraid I don't know what it was that lead to the improvement - possibly some change in eating haits, but I can't pin down what. I have had other health struggles that have become more of an issue since then.

Cascara sagrada: People seem to need varying doses to get effects. I've used it sometimes, but don't seem to need it to keep moving most of the time. For me, I got capsules, and if I drank a tea made of half the contents of one, it would be enough to help keep things moving. Some people need more. It can get fast and vigorous if you use a lot. So it's a matter of experimenting.

Activated charcoal: I've not had dramatic results from this, but some people really notice the difference. I got powder and mixed a couple of heaped teaspoons in water by shaking in a closed bottle and drinking it. Capsules don't have much in them. Theoretically, it can help bind and remove junk from the gut - eg bile-bound estrogen, endotoxins, other poisons. It can also bind and remove nutrients, so unless there is a strong reason, best to take away from food and supplements, and not every day. There may be a risk of persorption of fine powder in the gut, but if it works well it may be worth that risk.

Progesterone: I've used progest-e regularly - nearly every day - for the last couple of years. I started with the suggested 3 drops (~10mg) x5/day, intended to eventually reduce it and use it only between ovulation and menstruation, but when the time came I wasn't prepared to go without it. I gradually got slacker about measuring and was using quite a bit more, then after more than a year I dropped back to ~3 drops x 2/day. I tried taking a break a few months ago to see if alternating 2 weeks on 2 weeks off worked for me, but I had a horrible week and haven't gone without it again since. When I was taking more and not measuring as carefully, and occasionally skipping a dose, I think it may have occasionally affected menstrual timing, but I have continued to have a menstrual cycle continuously while taking it. At my age I'm not intending to have more kids, so not having to think about effects on that.
I think it's a reasonable one to try, you can experiment with taking it more often/larger doses and see how it affects you. Probably good to get to a dose you like and try to keep it stable, either just half the cycle or the whole cycle if you find it relieves serious symptoms in a way you don't want to go without. This may affect the cycle, so if you are wanting to either conceive or avoid conceiving during the next while, it would be worth reading up more on those effects before considering high daily doses all month (I'm not expert on this, but the re are one or two related threads).

 

[Integra]

Hi rpf! Life's been busy for the past few months but, knock on wood, I'm happy to report that the monthly cramping issue also seems to be gone -- they're either greatly diminished or completely gone at this point.

Possible reasons (here's what I've been doing):

• this could be simply be a function of time (I've been on a Peatish diet for a couple of years now)
• I moved recently and decreased my consumption of meat (gross in this country)
• could be my attempts to keep my blood sugar steady by snacking every 3-4 hours
  
• could be the various dairy + fruit meal combos
• I've been fairly consistent in eating a daily carrot (just peeled, no coconut oil)
• I take 500mg of aspirin 2-3 days before my period (feels good)
• I drink coffee like a mothafucka, and I refuse to give it up
• greatly reduced stressful contact with people (I started a PhD, which can be a really introvert-friendly environment)
• I try to take some happy me-time and do girly things - draw, take walks in the park, yoga, etc.
• started therapy to deal with past abuse
  
• I do bioenergetic exercises by Lowen and there's a couple that momentarily (but temporarily) reduce cramping
• I've been working on my posture and walking

I take few supplements now, but I took Estroban, vit K, vit E, Haidut's B-complex, magnesium (didn't help me at all), and, most importantly, I crave less salt these days though I still lick it, mostly out of nostalgia :)

Hope this helps someone.

 

[Integra]

Oh, but I forgot to say - my acne seem to have worsened a little, butt I'll take that any time over the pain!

 

[CarbAppreciator]

I started a PhD

First, your posts are incredible. Really. Second I am wondering if you are pursuing a degree in psychology and what that experience is like coming from a reichian/peatarian etc point of view?

 

[bionicheart]

My sleep issues: hormonal connection
It is much harder for me to sleep at times of high estrogen. These are also the times when I am most likely to wake up tired and depressed and be prone to bouts of anger. What I need to try to establish as a non-negotiable habit is the daily carrot salad, but for the life of me, I just can't seem to squeeze it into my daily schedule sometimes; it has to be between meals, otherwise it'll mess up digestion and the absorption of nutrients. I chomp down a carrot on my way to work here and there but it just seems that a properly sliced carrot with some salt and coconut oil has extra effects, probably also in the very act of making it and taking the time to take for yourself.

I've started taking daily B1 and B6 so we'll see if that does something on that front.

Evolving attitude towards sleep
Regarding sleep, I have many damaging attitudes towards it in that I always feel sad that a day is over :) I know it's childish, but I keep thinking of all the things I want to do that day and I do actually start doing them the next morning but it never seems enough. I've had days when I conciously decided to stay up because I really wanted to either draw, paint, or work on some other project I couldn't manage throughout the day, so even if I wake up feeling tired the next day, I still do it sometimes. On average, I get about 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night, so I wouldn't say that I'm critical, but the sleep quality varies, especially with where I'm at in the cycle (hormones affect this much more than I'd want them to).

Baffled by exercise
Exercise or plain movement in combination with bright light seems to help, but to a limited degree and somewhat unpredictably. I'm very mentally engaged because work involves a lot of analysis, creativity, so I usually feel very fulfilled or 'in the flow' but never satiated. I take these long weekly walks in nature, but honest physical 'exercise' except for super gentle yoga (sometimes even that) is a bit of a hit-and-miss for me. I noticed that sometimes, when I go on walks when I'm already physically tired, my fingers would swell up and I'd get these heart palpitations from lower levels of exertion than normal. I'm neither overweight nor fit, but I gravitate towards the heavier demographic. At times it seems to exacerbate sleep issues (but improves mental clarity so a bit of a trade-off sometimes).

In general, what helps with sleep for me is to invoke feelings of love, grattitude, and similarity (or harmony, or merging, or whatever) in different ways and that puts me in a very relaxed state of mind. But this whole process takes at least half an hour and it needs to be without any screen-time or any other kind of stimulation because I'll just get super interested in something and stay up beyond bedtime. It pains me that since I am not a seven-year-old, this should not be such an issue.

My anxiety is...
Almost completely gone. (Anger is still present, but I notice a much stronger connection to hormones with this one, so it's not really in the same basket in my situation.) I rarely get anxious anymore. I eat protein + carbs before a stressful situation, or I regularly eat such snacks throughout the day to keep my blood sugar nice and high. Also, I lick salt like there's no tomorrow, especially when I'm drinking a lot of liquids. I also eat a lot of chocolate which is less than desirable but it helps in emergency situations.

As most of my anxiety issues involve situations with people, or oddly situations in which I am forced to wait for something and it involves an uncomfortable degree of uncertainty (which I have a low threshold for), I generally focus on how I'm similar to people and then feel this bond between us--like we're all in the same boat kind of thing--and then the palpitations and the sweating go away. Discomfort stays, but it becomes sort of grounded. And there's another trick I use which is funny but very quick when the long-term meditation is not feasible. I just ask myself:

:p WHERE IS YOUR TONGUE??? :p

And then I focus on trying to find my tongue, or the sensation of it against the roof of my mouth. It's silly but so distracting that it pulls me out of a moment enough to be there in a calm way and get something done but it steals some of my focus, so for me it's best used as a quick solution rather than a meditation.

Stop defending against anxiety and it loses wind
And then, if none of the two work, I just stop defending against the feelings of anxiety. I just say, "Well **** it," and accept it in the form of not defending against it. I immediately feel my shoulders drop down whenever I do this and it makes me aware how much of my anxiety is caused by a pulling up of the shoulders, so this is also something to think about.

P,S. Still in fight with Mama Nature every month
On that note, I have to say I get horrible, extremely painful monthly cramps. They literally incapacitate me for a day or two despite the aspirin, red light, magneisum, salt, all that jazz--I just mope around the house and try to time my schedule so that I don't have to be anywhere so that I can deal with the heavy flow, existential crises, and all accompanying drama that comes with this magical time.

Hi @Integra I'm a twenty something with almost every issue you have.
Especially anxiety and estrogen issues. So how much salt do you think you get on a daily basis? I took a 1/4 tsp of mortons canning salt mixed in OJ once and got sharp shooting pains under my left rib cage, so I haven't been big on adding salt to my foods, do you have my recommendations based on your experience? I told my doctor and his only comment was,"...hmmm, that IS a lot of salt.." hah.
also, I used to get awful cramps but after taking 40-60mg progesterone on my lips and gums for two months straight reduced my cramps dramatically! I used health natura brand mostly but also some progest-e.
Thanks!

 

[Integra]

I feel like some kind of a salt expert now @bionicheart , try sea salt, that worked for me. Also consider taking it orally, straight up, and only in amounts that taste good. If you take some salt and you feel your mouth is burning, spit it out. Progesterone never helped me with cramps, though I'm not saying it doesn't have beneficial properties. @robknob I'm not a psych student, though I rely on analytical methods and what I learned in psychology more than I'd like to admit. It's pretty easy to spot the kind of issues people have. Reich seems to be considered a quack in the academia, which is a shame. Most people pretend they never heard of Freud. It's like a big elephant in the room. But if you're interested in pursuing education in psychology, don't let that discourage you.

 

[CarbAppreciator]

I feel like some kind of a salt expert now @bionicheart , try sea salt, that worked for me. Also consider taking it orally, straight up, and only in amounts that taste good. If you take some salt and you feel your mouth is burning, spit it out. Progesterone never helped me with cramps, though I'm not saying it doesn't have beneficial properties. @robknob I'm not a psych student, though I rely on analytical methods and what I learned in psychology more than I'd like to admit. It's pretty easy to spot the kind of issues people have. Reich seems to be considered a quack in the academia, which is a shame. Most people pretend they never heard of Freud. It's like a big elephant in the room. But if you're interested in pursuing education in psychology, don't let that discourage you.

I'm not, i was thinking retail communications, sounds like what I knw from the psych dept at santa clara, academic psych has basically been corrupt from the beginning as far as i can tell.

 

[bionicheart]

I feel like some kind of a salt expert now @bionicheart , try sea salt, that worked for me. Also consider taking it orally, straight up, and only in amounts that taste good. If you take some salt and you feel your mouth is burning, spit it out.

Thanks! I consider myself incompetent when it comes to salt usage,:: so, how much do you take at a time and get over the day...? What would be a good starting dose if taking it straight?
For example, getting a 1/4 tsp and eating it a little at a time until it starts tasting bad/burning? I just sprinkle a pinch on ice cream every now and then, and prepare a lot of my own meals aside from fruit juices, so not a lot of added salt in my diet. What is the effect your aiming for? Does it feel like it boosts your metabolism? like higher heartbeat, warmer etc...