Happy New Year to Good Friends & Beloved Family

Hi,

Red Zinger. I now know why it is called Red Zinger. If you are unfamiliar with the name it is an herbal tea made by Celestial Seasonings. I had purchased some when the market was out of dried Hibiscus flowers and had begun taking it after having been told about it from my personal doctor as a remedy for high blood pressure. Even though I was making a very mild tea with it, I began to notice I could not take it close to bedtime because it seemed to keep me awake.

Well a day or so ago it did more than that. I was just sitting and watching some TV and had made a stronger pot of tea so was sipping a cup, and started having some pretty bizarre and scary thoughts. I reigned in the fear and wondered why this was happening as I turned and glanced at the half full cup of Red Zinger tea. Wow!  I actually had a panic attack from drinking Red Zinger tea. It does not seem to affect me unless I drink it for a few days in a row, which is what my doctor instructed me to do. But now I know why it is called Red Zinger -- it certainly does.

So if you need something to help keep you awake then Red Zinger will certainly do the job. I have not drunk any since that incident and my emotions are now back to normal. So that means I will continue with the Hawthorn berry and skip the hibiscus as a daily dose. I suppose once in a while could be OK but I cannot drink it on a daily schedule.  Whew.

I have had trouble with certain food items causing fear, bizarre thoughts, and panic attacks before. One thing I discovered when I was trying out some fermented tea (Kombucha) that a friend had shared with me. It is very tasty so I started making it myself. It was supposed to be very good for the digestion because it was "grown" from a colony that had been shared. As you make it, you create your own colony from which to make further batches. Many people use it. I was curious about it and started reading everything I could find on the internet and ran across an interesting statement from a Kombucha guru who said that the fermentation process creates lactic acid -- but consuming lactic acid will cause panic attacks in certain individuals. It turned out that I am one of those people.

I believe this process of lactic acid formation happens in all things that ferment. That is perhaps the reason that I have never been attracted to alcohol -- it makes me feel really bad. I have only tried it a few times in my life and I really don't like the physical reaction I get. I have often wondered how others could possibly drink it when it makes me feel so bad. I cannot drink even a little wine -- two fingers of wine in a glass filled up with water and I feel like I have the flu. I cannot eat yogurt for many days in a row for the same reason. Since I am aware of the problem it is no biggy to deal with it. You just don't eat or drink a lot of fermented foods. They are supposed to be good for the body in other ways, so they are fine to partake once a while, but in no way can I do them on a daily basis. I don't know if my Red Zinger/hibiscus tea reaction is from lactic acid but there is something in it that affects me, so, fore warned is fore armed and I don't have to do that again. (Maybe it comes from being a blood type A+ -- they say that the A's are the most sensitive. Perhaps it is true. Oh well.)

For what it is worth, if you have never had a problem with panic attacks you are probably fine to drink both Kombucha and Red Zinger but if you are like me, you may want to avoid drinking those things on anything like a regular daily schedule. I suppose a cup or two now and again would probably not cause a problem but it seems to build up in the system if you drink it every day and that will cause problems for some people. At least that is what I found in my life.  Just passing on the info.

I was also becoming a little bored with the salad dressing I was using. I had been making a simple mixture of apple cider vinegar, a little water to thin down the vinegar (vinegar is fermented so perhaps my daily use of this dressing contributed to the speed of my other reactions -- may have to cut back on the vinegar -- we'll see) and some extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). I had even recycled an old round globe bottom, tall stemmed glass bottle that I had purchased filled with red wine vinegar and one of those plastic pouring inserts that slows down the output. I liked the bottle so had saved two of them. It was absolutely perfect for salad dressing of this sort. But I was no longer enjoying the bland flavor. Even though I sprinkle my salad greens with lots of turmeric/curry powder (homemade), powdered garlic, Italian herbs, salt and pepper, my salad was just becoming tasteless to me. So one day I opened up the dairy cover in the fridge and noticed I had a honey mustard packet from Wendy's and pulled it out and dumped it on my salad along with some of my bland dressing to make it thinner and more like dressing than dip.

The different taste was refreshing, even though a bit odd, but I realized I could add something to my bland dressing to spice it up a little and why not some prepared mustard? So I opened the bottle, pried off the plastic spout, and dumped in some spicy brown mustard. I also pulled out the liquid aminos which are like soy sauce and dropped a couple of salty drizzles into the bottle. At first it did not mix well and each layer separated as it sat in the bottle. It was odd looking with that thin dark brown stripe of liquid aminos, between the individual layers of spicy brown mustard, EVOO and vinegar water, but it sure tasted good. As I used it for a few days and shook it up each time it began to become blended and is now a nice cloudy yellow color which stays blended and tastes very good on my salad. Problem solved.

My morning salad today was excellent. I have made a change in how I do that too. I used to go to the trouble of making each salad I ate all day long. That was at least three salads and sometimes more that I had to make every day and I was beginning to avoid making them. Eating right had become a chore. One day I was making my small salad and along side it I was making a large salad in a flat round plastic container to take to a friend's house for some occasion. As I worked I realized that it did not matter how big the salad was, it was all the same actions. I realized it was just as easy to make a huge salad as it was to make a small one. So I got the idea to make a large "daily" salad in the morning and eat off of it all day long. I sprinkle the herbs and seasonings with salt and pepper on the daily large salad in the morning but do not put the dressing on until after I have scooped out my individual salad and added a few nuts. It lasts pretty well for the whole day in the fridge and is a lot less of a chore now.

It is kind of like having "fast food" right in my fridge. It is already prepared and when I get hungry I pull out the container, scoop out some freshly made salad, dress it up and eat. Sure saves a lot of time and is a whole lot less boring for me.

I am still dealing with cravings, though. I went my three days without starches but suffered with sporadic cravings the whole time. It was all I could do on the third night not to stop and get some chili cheese fries at Hardees which is only one block from my house. (I chose those because my first craving was for hot dogs from QT, and even though it was a starchy food with a lot of bad fats, I justified it in my mind by knowing that I was, at the very least, not eating any grains or flour in a bun. Addiction is crazy.) Only with the help of God was I able to get through the three days without a starchy food episode. I did not make it through the fourth day. I broke down, had a low carb burger and chili cheese fries before going shopping at Whole Foods for fresh salad fixings and other groceries.

I also noticed on the third day, as I dealt with a very strong craving that I had fear behind it when I did not act on the craving. That was a little scary, but as I think about it today, that might have been left overs from the Red Zinger.  I also prayed and asked God to help me with that one. I'm not experiencing that right now as I am completely satisfied with my morning salad.

I just realized that tonight is "Watch Night" service at church where we pray in the New Year and there will be food there. I usually let myself eat a few (not a lot) of traditional foods on holidays and I have a New Year's day party tomorrow. I will try to make good choices on both occasions, not feel too guilty if I partake a little, and then remember that on Sunday I can begin again in the new year to follow the healthy program I have found for myself. Having the goal and a plan helps to keep things in line. I don't have to fall into a pit when I go off the program. I believe it is really OK to stumble a little as long as you know that the next day or next meal will be the beginning of new habits AGAIN.

Every day is a new beginning and tomorrow will be a whole new year! The question is what shall I do with this new day? I pray that God will show me what He wants me to do and make me able to accomplish it. You cannot live a year at a time, and it does no good to carry the burden of the last one into the new year. Today is the opportunity to admit or acknowledge whatever defeats you had and let go of them. Today is also the day to admit or acknowledge any wins that you had. You don't have to let go of wins, though. It is nice to have good memories, but you really cannot "hang on to them" because that can hamper the journey, too. So New Day, New Year, Clean Slate ahead. Yippee!

What do you want for the New Year?

For me 2011 will be the last year that I struggle with unemployment because I will turn 62 in October and will then go on Social Security. If I had been able to work until I was 65 my retirement benefit would have been greatly increased, but life did not happen that way. I am happy that the Lord has taken care of me and promises to continue to be my Provider. Praise the Lord.

I don't know all that this new year will bring but I trust the Lord and His Goodness! I can move forward with Him!

Jerimiah 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14  I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; ....

Happy and Prosperous New Year to You!!

God bless

Be back soon

--Marcia