Hi to all you fans of Italy and especially Tuscany. We have just returned, from an extended holiday in the Tuscan Hills.....enjoying the fabulous food and drink. To try and moderate the excesses, we would often go for a walk to burn off the calories, prior to re-filling with many more of the same!
One day we learnt a valuable lesson about walking in the hills..........We set off at about 4.00pm for a short walk, only to get lost. (didn't take the map....stupid people!!)
We ended up walking for about four and a half hours solid, by which time it was dark. We realized that we were in trouble at about 6.00pm, and tried telephoning friends, to help us with directions. (we had a multiple choice of paths, and without the map we took the wrong path.) Eventually, decending down off the mountains, towards lights and the nearest village that we could see, we found civilization again, but far from home!
We knocked on a door and asked for help. Explaining our predicament, we realized that we were in a village on the other side of the mountain, and any rescue by our friends was going to be long winded. In fact it took them one and a half hours to reach us by car, as they had to travel right around the mountain. (no roads across). We Eventually reached home at 1.30am in the morning!
We had made some good new friends, in the people that helped us out, and allowed us into their home for a few hours....but what a way to meet them! Ciao amici.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Sunday, 23 August 2009
How to control Arthritis without drugs (and lose weight at the same time!)
Hi, My name is Hugh Bird, I live in Wales with my wife and family. Approx 20 years ago I seemed to develop arthritis. Slowly but surely, my joints were becoming swollen and very painful. The first joints affected were my wrists, followed by the fingers, then toes, ankles, and feet, and as time progressed the larger joints such as my knees and shoulders became extremely sore.
Life changed dramatically…..from playing squash, cricket and golf, I developed a very sedentary lifestyle, sitting around watching t.v., now watching others play rather than being able to play myself. Very depressing!!
I found that it was a real effort to get to work, having to take painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs just to enable me to put any weight on my feet at all. Even after taking the painkillers walking was difficult. I hobbled around like an old man! (And just in my 30s!) The guys in work started calling me bones! All very good natured of course, but galling that I could do nothing about my condition. My hands and wrists….the fingers swelled up to twice the size, at least, and my wrists became fixed rather than flexible!
To see waiters carrying heavy trays of food, on wrists bent at right angles depressed me! My body had let me down! I could no longer squeeze a tube of toothpaste without severe pain. I had great difficulty in doing up the buttons on my shirts etc. Even undoing the zip on my fly, to go to the toilet took real effort and sufferance of pain. Doing things that most of us take for granted, on a daily basis, now became very difficult and painful. Life was very frustrating! I could no longer pick up boxes of produce (apples, oranges, etc) which I did on a daily basis in work, my hands and wrists just would not allow it, even after taking the anti-inflammatory and pain killing drugs prescribed by the doctors.
At home, I became angry, frustrated, and I am sure quite nasty at times to my lovely wife. Putting a strain on our marriage, I am sure. I could not sleep properly at night, because as I moved around in my sleep the pain in my shoulders and knees kept waking me. (Seemingly every half hour or so.)
I hated taking the drugs. Being a sportsman (although never very good at anything!) my body was always very important to me. I have never been overweight, I have never smoked or taken drugs…..my body is a temple!
After a few years of this torture, I also developed stomach problems. Probably as a result of the drugs! Another worry! I also put on weight because of my now sedentary lifestyle! All in all, very depressing!
I remember my young daughter asking Linda….Is Daddy going to die?
The doctors at the time could do nothing for me! Having diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, and prescribing pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs, that was it….I was on my own!
Linda had an Aunt (Jose…poor soul) who suffered incredibly with arthritis, eventually becoming wheelchair bound, having feet amputated, and numerous operations on other joints, and eventually dying quite young. I am thinking to myself…..”This could be me, in a few years”.
In some ways I wish she were alive now, I could have helped her! However, I believe that I can help many other like sufferers, whether they have rheumatoid or osteo arthritis!
After many years of suffering, a good friend suggested that I try a diet that was supposed to help arthritis sufferers, another sufferer friend of hers was using the diet with some success.
I was very unbelieving and did nothing! But Linda nagged, and eventually with her help (she has been a “rock” through the tough times!) we decided that I must give the diet a go! Nothing to lose!
Then, slowly an incredible series of events unfolded! I remember standing in the shower a only week after starting the diet and thinking to myself, “This is working!” I had stopped taking the painkillers and was now totally out of pain. It really was a revelation, it is a feeling that I find difficult to describe. Except for the birth of our children I don’t think that I have ever felt so good! The relief was fantastic, the weight lifting from my shoulders, the knowledge that perhaps I could control this illness after all!
It gave me a great spur to carry on, and not deviate from the diet. Slowly but surely the swelling reduced in all my joints. Almost a year to the day I was totally back to normal, all my joints were in full use, no pain whatsoever and I was back to playing sport. (squash and golf)
I then made a grave mistake!
I thought that I was cured, and that I no longer needed the diet. Although I maintained part of the diet, I cheated big time! Within weeks, I could feel the onset of my symptoms…..I still did not heed the warnings, until I was back in agony!
Some of the food that I was now eating was crippling me!
I immediately reverted back to the diet. Again, the same thing happened, all the pain and swelling reduced over a long period of time. This time I managed to rid my body of all the swelling, except for one joint, the middle joint of my right hand thumb. This remained very swollen and stiff. (Although I had no pain) Whatever I did I could not get rid of this stiffness!
I think that I then learned a lesson……that my body is intolerant to some foods, and reacts badly to them. It is of utmost importance that I stick to the diet at all times to avoid the onset of arthritis again. The important thing is.......that this diet does work for both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, BUT.....YOU HAVE TO BE SO STRICT WITH THE DIET! It requires a strong will! You have to decide what you want in life? To be crippled with disease or to life a healthy active and painfree life?
I now follow my diet at all times. At first it was a change in lifestyle, a change in the way we bought food, but these days after many years I respect the fact that I am pain free, and live a very active life. I decided very early on that I would rather stick to the diet than be a cripple!
Over the years when I have travelled abroad and found it difficult to stick to the diet I have had a lot of adverse affects, that I have been able to rectify quickly by returning to the diet as soon as possible.
It has happened too many times to be a coincidence! Diet definitely has an affect on the arthritis. For some reason, something changes in the body of an arthritis sufferer, and there are certain foods and sustances that our bodies will no longer tolerate.....it took me a long time to find out!
There has been the odd occasion that I have come back from holiday in better fettle than when I went, this is because the foods and methods of cooking in these countries are similar to those of the diet.
But again, it reinforces the point that diet has an effect, beneficial or otherwise, on the condition we all know as arthritis.
A quote from my diary of some years ago.....
"I was getting the washing off the line yesterday and was reminded of the days when I could not open the pegs, sometimes having to do it with my teeth, because my fingers were so swollen and painful.....a little job that most men probably do not do, but now, when asked, I am only too pleased to go and get the washing in, relishing in my re-born ability to use my fingers. Such a simple task, yet one that we all take for granted, as we take good health for granted! We sometimes do not realise how sick our bodies have become until you get better. (just because we get used to the pain and discomfort). Also we went to a dinner dance last night, making me think of the days when I would sit out the dancing because of the pain in my feet. Now I am able to dance the night away, with my lovely wife. But I see many men standing or sitting aside watching the women dance together.......why, have they all got medical reasons? I think not, just cannot be bothered! But again, I just love the feeling of "good health", and no pain....I just hope that I can enjoy the dancing for years to come."
The weight loss came as a result of sticking to the diet......"A double whammy you could say!"
I tried many years ago.....homeopothy, it did no good at all. Then another time I tried reflexology....foot massage. (This was all before the diet....I would try anything to improve the situation), again this failed to work.....I just kept trying.
If you would like to find out more, I have an ebook being written, and intend to publish it on line, with details of the diet. It will be available for a very reasonable cost. (10% of all funds received will be donated to arthritis charities). The publish date will be within the next 6-8 weeks......but the first 20 applicants will recieve it free of charge! Just send your Name, address and email address to either sales@abbeyinfo.com or hughbird54@hotmail.com (The first 20 copies of the booklet will be downloaded or sent to you as soon as they are available)
Life changed dramatically…..from playing squash, cricket and golf, I developed a very sedentary lifestyle, sitting around watching t.v., now watching others play rather than being able to play myself. Very depressing!!
I found that it was a real effort to get to work, having to take painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs just to enable me to put any weight on my feet at all. Even after taking the painkillers walking was difficult. I hobbled around like an old man! (And just in my 30s!) The guys in work started calling me bones! All very good natured of course, but galling that I could do nothing about my condition. My hands and wrists….the fingers swelled up to twice the size, at least, and my wrists became fixed rather than flexible!
To see waiters carrying heavy trays of food, on wrists bent at right angles depressed me! My body had let me down! I could no longer squeeze a tube of toothpaste without severe pain. I had great difficulty in doing up the buttons on my shirts etc. Even undoing the zip on my fly, to go to the toilet took real effort and sufferance of pain. Doing things that most of us take for granted, on a daily basis, now became very difficult and painful. Life was very frustrating! I could no longer pick up boxes of produce (apples, oranges, etc) which I did on a daily basis in work, my hands and wrists just would not allow it, even after taking the anti-inflammatory and pain killing drugs prescribed by the doctors.
At home, I became angry, frustrated, and I am sure quite nasty at times to my lovely wife. Putting a strain on our marriage, I am sure. I could not sleep properly at night, because as I moved around in my sleep the pain in my shoulders and knees kept waking me. (Seemingly every half hour or so.)
I hated taking the drugs. Being a sportsman (although never very good at anything!) my body was always very important to me. I have never been overweight, I have never smoked or taken drugs…..my body is a temple!
After a few years of this torture, I also developed stomach problems. Probably as a result of the drugs! Another worry! I also put on weight because of my now sedentary lifestyle! All in all, very depressing!
I remember my young daughter asking Linda….Is Daddy going to die?
The doctors at the time could do nothing for me! Having diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, and prescribing pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs, that was it….I was on my own!
Linda had an Aunt (Jose…poor soul) who suffered incredibly with arthritis, eventually becoming wheelchair bound, having feet amputated, and numerous operations on other joints, and eventually dying quite young. I am thinking to myself…..”This could be me, in a few years”.
In some ways I wish she were alive now, I could have helped her! However, I believe that I can help many other like sufferers, whether they have rheumatoid or osteo arthritis!
After many years of suffering, a good friend suggested that I try a diet that was supposed to help arthritis sufferers, another sufferer friend of hers was using the diet with some success.
I was very unbelieving and did nothing! But Linda nagged, and eventually with her help (she has been a “rock” through the tough times!) we decided that I must give the diet a go! Nothing to lose!
Then, slowly an incredible series of events unfolded! I remember standing in the shower a only week after starting the diet and thinking to myself, “This is working!” I had stopped taking the painkillers and was now totally out of pain. It really was a revelation, it is a feeling that I find difficult to describe. Except for the birth of our children I don’t think that I have ever felt so good! The relief was fantastic, the weight lifting from my shoulders, the knowledge that perhaps I could control this illness after all!
It gave me a great spur to carry on, and not deviate from the diet. Slowly but surely the swelling reduced in all my joints. Almost a year to the day I was totally back to normal, all my joints were in full use, no pain whatsoever and I was back to playing sport. (squash and golf)
I then made a grave mistake!
I thought that I was cured, and that I no longer needed the diet. Although I maintained part of the diet, I cheated big time! Within weeks, I could feel the onset of my symptoms…..I still did not heed the warnings, until I was back in agony!
Some of the food that I was now eating was crippling me!
I immediately reverted back to the diet. Again, the same thing happened, all the pain and swelling reduced over a long period of time. This time I managed to rid my body of all the swelling, except for one joint, the middle joint of my right hand thumb. This remained very swollen and stiff. (Although I had no pain) Whatever I did I could not get rid of this stiffness!
I think that I then learned a lesson……that my body is intolerant to some foods, and reacts badly to them. It is of utmost importance that I stick to the diet at all times to avoid the onset of arthritis again. The important thing is.......that this diet does work for both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, BUT.....YOU HAVE TO BE SO STRICT WITH THE DIET! It requires a strong will! You have to decide what you want in life? To be crippled with disease or to life a healthy active and painfree life?
I now follow my diet at all times. At first it was a change in lifestyle, a change in the way we bought food, but these days after many years I respect the fact that I am pain free, and live a very active life. I decided very early on that I would rather stick to the diet than be a cripple!
Over the years when I have travelled abroad and found it difficult to stick to the diet I have had a lot of adverse affects, that I have been able to rectify quickly by returning to the diet as soon as possible.
It has happened too many times to be a coincidence! Diet definitely has an affect on the arthritis. For some reason, something changes in the body of an arthritis sufferer, and there are certain foods and sustances that our bodies will no longer tolerate.....it took me a long time to find out!
There has been the odd occasion that I have come back from holiday in better fettle than when I went, this is because the foods and methods of cooking in these countries are similar to those of the diet.
But again, it reinforces the point that diet has an effect, beneficial or otherwise, on the condition we all know as arthritis.
A quote from my diary of some years ago.....
"I was getting the washing off the line yesterday and was reminded of the days when I could not open the pegs, sometimes having to do it with my teeth, because my fingers were so swollen and painful.....a little job that most men probably do not do, but now, when asked, I am only too pleased to go and get the washing in, relishing in my re-born ability to use my fingers. Such a simple task, yet one that we all take for granted, as we take good health for granted! We sometimes do not realise how sick our bodies have become until you get better. (just because we get used to the pain and discomfort). Also we went to a dinner dance last night, making me think of the days when I would sit out the dancing because of the pain in my feet. Now I am able to dance the night away, with my lovely wife. But I see many men standing or sitting aside watching the women dance together.......why, have they all got medical reasons? I think not, just cannot be bothered! But again, I just love the feeling of "good health", and no pain....I just hope that I can enjoy the dancing for years to come."
The weight loss came as a result of sticking to the diet......"A double whammy you could say!"
I tried many years ago.....homeopothy, it did no good at all. Then another time I tried reflexology....foot massage. (This was all before the diet....I would try anything to improve the situation), again this failed to work.....I just kept trying.
If you would like to find out more, I have an ebook being written, and intend to publish it on line, with details of the diet. It will be available for a very reasonable cost. (10% of all funds received will be donated to arthritis charities). The publish date will be within the next 6-8 weeks......but the first 20 applicants will recieve it free of charge! Just send your Name, address and email address to either sales@abbeyinfo.com or hughbird54@hotmail.com (The first 20 copies of the booklet will be downloaded or sent to you as soon as they are available)
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