Why I Cook and Prepare Meals at Home and You Should, Too!
I truly practice what I share with you and am in very good health. I do everything I can to enrich my health and well-being each and every day. And I’m grateful, that I am feeling better today than I did when I was in my twenties and thirties.
In the fall of 2009, I suddenly began experiencing unusual symptoms. I began, while on my computer at night experiencing flashes of light (known as scintilla). I thought it was from computer overuse. It wasn’t. Around the same time, usually in late in the afternoon. I just as suddenly began to experience feel nerve pain, severe numbness, and a heightened sensitivity to touch normally in my arm or leg, occasionally in my heart, that lasted for several hours. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I wondered if I was developing a neurological disorder maybe Multiple Sclerosis.
It was a perplexing and confusing experience. The symptoms really weren’t typical for any specific disorder, and at times, the pain was quite debilitating. Nothing had really changed in my life, except for one thing—and fortunately, my observant husband, Victor after a few weeks figured it out. He told me, “It’s your Latte. You need to stop drinking it.”
He was right, my symptoms began after I regularly started to visit a well known coffee chain three or for times a week. During an extended visit, a house guest had begun to get them for me, and I fell into the seemingly innocent habit of getting one. Also, I noticed I had begun to crave these drinks. In general, I don’t have cravings. As soon as I stopped drinking my delicious Lattes, all of my symptoms disappeared.
I began investigating, and discovered that MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer, was probably the culprit that caused my symptoms. It and aspartame are the two major neurotoxins, substances that damage our nerves and brain cells, leading to many symptoms, and increased risk of developing neurological and other diseases. . Over the years, I’ve shared a lot of information with you about the massive damage it causes.
Fast forward to summer 2013, after 2 days of eating lunch at a restaurant, I developed the most severe excruciating pain in my left shoulder that radiated into my arm. I knew the restaurant food was the culprit, as I don’t normally eat out. It was so severe, I had to postpone a much needed vacation, as I was in no condition to travel. Within a couple of weeks the pain subsided. So I made it a point to avoid eating out to the best of my ability.
While preparing for the nationwide launch of SuperHealing Secrets on PBS, I had another experience of the same debilitating pain—this time it was even worse, and lasted longer. I could not figure out the source, until we remembered we’d eaten a couple of times at a local Italian restaurant we hadn’t visited in years that had the most mouthwatering food (a sign of MSG) you can imagine. That episode lasted for 2 months—I cannot tell you how debilitating the pain was. At one point—the thought of cutting off my arm, something I would never do, but understand why the thought occurred. It robbed me of the capacity to celebrate the launch and enjoy the moment—I was in too much pain to do anything, but my best to get through.
After that episode, I stopped eating out, period. It wasn’t worth the challenge of trying to figure out what to eat—who knows what’s in it.
Since that last episode, we cook at home and eat out rarely—maybe once every 60 days or so. I also continue to avoid processed foods, and that includes organic. And if by some chance, I consume enough MSG or Aspartame to cause a flare up, I discovered that a specific form of magnesium, Magnesium Malate, helps to reverse my symptoms (what a blessing!)
I decided to share my story with you while watching an enlightening and informative interview with Dr. Robert Lustig, conducted by Dr. Joe Mercola. Dr. Lustig is a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, and a leading expert on sugar, and its toxic impact on our health.
I urge you to set aside the time to watch this entire interview. If you’re still eating out regularly and consuming processed foods, I think Dr. Lustig’s research backed information might convince you to reconsider.