Answer: Dear A.: I can only recommend what has worked for me when I have hit a wall like that and it’s NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) with hypnosis. I only use one therapist because they are not all as accomplished as she is.

Her name is Ragini Michaels and she does Skype sessions. You can reach her at: (425)462-4369 PST (Seattle, WA.) Use my name as a referral, if you wish.

My son is a retired NLP therapist, also. That’s how I learned about it. He got rid of my allergy to cats (asthma) that I’d had since I was 15 in one session.

Blessings, Luise

Answer: Thank you for your question. Yes, I do know of something. I asked a family member to help me answer your question thoroughly since I wanted to cover all facets of your question. There are many different areas to discuss to help with your pain symptoms. I also have been privileged to learn about and experience a wonderful “life giving whole food. You will soon learn about, too!

When we were kids and fell down (after the initial shock and a few tears shed) we would bounce back up and off we’d go. As we age our response to aches and pains increases because with aging the body’s structural integrity begins to break down and can show up as many different types of ailments. We also store stress which increases cortisol in the body that can contribute to an increase in pain response along with many other symptoms and ailments. Instead of giving you a long explanation on the progression of body ailments, disease, and pain let’s move the conversation to healing solutions.

Function of Drugs - Drugs tend to target symptoms and work to push the body around to attain a desired effect. At times they are wonderful when they can help diminish pain to help a person in daily function. But, drugs do little to address the cause that brings on the pain nor do they synergistically feed the body to help it repair and rebuild. Drugs do not provide the physical stimulation to support the body in maintaining physical flexibility, tissue and cartilage repair, and building muscle tone.

There are several factors, when combined, that can aid the body in rebuilding its structural integrity. This support can help address a myriad of imbalances and physical symptoms and include: eating nutritious foods, supplementing with balanced nutrition, and adding gentle and efficient exercise such as: Yoga, QiGong, walking, and swimming. Another important factor ensuring your drink enough pure water each day.

Let’s discuss exercise and water intake first, then we can move the discussion to an optimal nutritional supplement that is proven to aid the body in healing, repairing, rebuilding, and restoring structural integrity. The merits of this formulation’s ability to naturally promote pain reduction has been greatly proven in double blind clinical studies, and a vast database of testimonials.

 Five Important Components to Pain Reduction

1. Each person should consume ounces of water equal to 1/2 their body weight each day. For instance a person weighing 100 pounds should drink 50 ounces of pure water in a 24 hour period, or about one quart and a half. Our body is mostly water, and when we become dehydrated it greatly effects on our body’s ability to function at an optimal state.

2. Find a compatible exercise that allows you to move your body but does not cause additional stress. Gentle movements like Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, walking at a pace you are able, or swimming are wonderful choices. There is no need to push the body where you experience discomfort. Once you reach a sustainable level, gently increase your exercise. Also, a rebounder is a fantastic exercise device; It helps the lymph system release toxins and flushes the system by gently bouncing if you are able to do so. Meditation is also good because it can help reduce stress.

3. Eating a sensible diet is very important. Learn about foods you can eat that help to decrease inflammation in the body. Pain is often associated with increased inflammation. Also eat foods that are as close to whole as you are able. It is true that due to monoculture (large industrialized crops, like corn, wheat, etc.) much of the soil is now depleted of nutrition. It is unable to transfer nutritious elements to the crops as they grow. So, if you can eat foods that are as close to whole, organic, or locally grown you are giving the body greater nutritional support.

4. Now more than any other time our bodies need additional vitamins and minerals. However, taking too many vitamins and minerals is of little value if the body can not absorb them, and if our brain lacks the ability to communicate and direct nutritional elements to the optimal pathways. Most supplements on the market today are isolates (isolated elements versus whole food nutrition) and there is little synergistic benefit. For instance for selenium to work in the body you need to add Vitamin E, or for Calcium to be absorbed it must be combined with Magnesium. Why not let the intelligence of nature go to work for us, and ingest the best, high quality supplements that are based on whole foods. This way the body is getting synergistic and balanced support.

5. Now we are back to your initial question! “What else besides drugs can I do to help relieve my pain?” First, drink a lot of water, incorporate good whole foods into your diet (stay away from foods that contribute to inflammation), and incorporate gentle exercise and even meditation for a calming effect. Next, add high quality “whole food nutrition” to your daily regimen.

There is ONE “synergistic, life giving, whole food supplement” I HIGHLY recommend due to its wide reaching benefits and ongoing clinical double blind studies. Its doctor recommended and there is currently a long list of “pain relief” testimonials. It just may be a perfect food that will support your body in healing a myriad of symptoms, and it also reduces pain.

Here is a recent testimonial from one of my family member’s acquaintances: 

Due to a spinal injury with several fractures 19 years ago I have lived in chronic pain. Last November while deer hunting I hurt my hip. Oh boy, more pain. I had a 50 year class reunion on October 1st. While walking to the ball room I would take about 20 steps and then sit down for 5-10 minutes to rest because of hip and back pain. We received our Laminine on October 10th and immediately I started taking 3 capsules 2 times a day. On October 13th my hip pain went away. I seen a small difference in my back but now on Oct 31 my back pain has reduced 40-45%. My wife says my mood is better, you know it is hard to be happy and pleasant when you are in constant pain. By the way steel rods hold my spine together along with steel spacers as disc. Before Laminine I would only sleep 2 hours at night and then catnap during the day in my chair. Now I sleep about 6 hours straight and during the day I am either out fishing or cutting fire wood. Laminine has been a miracle and answer to many prayers. I am now taking 2 capsules 2 times a day. I will never be without this miracle product! - Bill Kinnett

My family and I take Laminine whole food supplement and we all have found it invaluable in maintaining our health and a sense of wellbeing. Laminine goes to work to support your body in improving your overall structural integrity. Laminine contains all 22 of the amino acids, and peptides the body needs to function. It helps increase laminin in the body which is the molecule that essentially holds us together. Laminine whole food supplement increases our brain function. It aids in the brain’s ability to communicate with our cells to deliver nutritional support to our body’s priorities. Taking Laminine on an ongoing basis will support the body in getting high quality nutrition that efficiently helps us heal what ails us. Many people have noticed a reduction in pain within 10 to 30 days.

 Doctor Formulated & Made in the USA

Laminine is formulated in the United States in an FDA approved facility, and the Nutraceutical company that holds the patent and formulates the product has made it available through relationship marketing, so you will not find Laminine on the shelf in your local drug store. It can only be purchased directly from the formulator and manufacturer, or an independent representative of the company. Most people who share the product do so because they have had a direct positive experience and want to share it with others.

As you know from reading all the questions and answers on MomResponds.com I like to help people find solutions, and after seeing how Laminine benefited me and members of my family I have decided to open the door to share it with others. The product comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, so there is no risk!

It is always wise to research and share with your doctor any new supplements, or dietary changes you make. Here are a few online videos of Doctors who are using Laminine and recommending it to their patients to address their wide array of symptoms.

A Cardiologist Discusses Laminine

Here are some other videos: Dr Poling, who is a Dr. of Osteopathy.

Dr. Poling, a Doctor of Osteopathy discusses Laminine for Various ailments:

Laminine for Parkinson’s Disease

Diabetes Support

Insomnia

I am happy to provide additional information or answer any further questions. Or if you like, just visit the following website, and click “Buy” and you can purchase the product at a retail price. Be sure and order enough for the first month, which is 3 boxes. After the initial 30 days you can determine your maintenance level, which is often 1 or 2 boxes each month. Another option is to click “Join” to receive the product at wholesale cost. This gives you the option to share it with others if you choose to do so.

Another Pain Relief Testimonial:

 ”I have only been taking LAMININE for about a week. I’ve had this ARTHRITIS on my fingers for sometime now. I could not bend my fingers in the mornings without any pain. I can’t take any conventional medicine because of the side effects. I have been taking natural herbs, which has been helping me some. But the morning after I took first two capsules of LAMININE, I could get out of bed more pleasantly and I could use all my fingers without any pain. I thought it was nice but I did not realize what helped me. I didn’t sleep well on the 3rd night so I had to get up in the middle of the night to take LAMININE capsules. I don’t want to forget to take capsules before I go bed again! I am giving Laminine to my daughters and my sisters and I can wait to share with many other people. I give thanks to our God all mighty and all the people whom are working toward to help people like me.” -Misuk

Start Today! Click  > MyLifePharm/AgingWisely

I strongly feel Laminine will naturally support your body to help with pain reduction while also supplying your body with the life giving nutrition to help improve your overall sense of wellbeing. For additional research, direct your doctor to the following website designed to provide information to medical professionals to help them gain awareness on the merits of Laminine.

Medical Professionals, click to learn more > Doctor’s Corner: I Want To Try Laminine

I wish you much success in reducing your pain and improving your quality of life.

Blessings,
Luise

Start Today ! Click > MyLifePharm/AgingWisely

NOTE: Laminine helps YOUR body repair itself because it contains the complete spectrum of 22 amino acids synergistically
combined with Fibroblast Growth Factor. Think of Laminine as a life energy, whole "Super-Food-Supplement." 
The product referred to has not been evaluated by the FDA.The statements are not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. If you have a health condition or concern, consult a physician.

Answer: Dear A.: It is pretty hard to pull back when you have so much on your plate but I am sure your cardiologist has told you to do just that. There are measures that can be taken to put the odds in your favor. Otherwise, the stress you are under could be lethal. The family history doesn’t have to be your fate. Find out what you can do and then make it your priority. Be proactive and it may radically reduce your thoughts of death.

In my own family, my father in law died of a stroke, my husband died of a stroke and my eldest son died of a stroke. My surviving son (56) altered his diet, exercise and life style and has changed the family history as a result. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear T.: I know the feeling. Well. All I know to do about it is three things. The first is that no one can “make you upset.” That is something you choose. I know it doesn’t feel like that, but another person might let your mother’s remarks roll off her back and someone else might think they were funny, etc. You are totally in charge of how you choose to let them affect you. (That’s actually good news.)

The second thing is your mother is how she is and you aren’t going to alter that. Not liking her attitude and remarks is pretty healthy but not her having your mother be how she is…is a waste of energy.

Thirdly, you are old enough to research nutrition and exercise and take it from there. She has definitely let you down in that department but don’t let it be an excuse. Blessings, Luise

If that doesn’t give you any answers, the next thing I’d do would be to look at alternative solutions, the first being seeing a NLP practitioner. That stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. You can look them up on the web. I had a condition one time that produced some very negative symptoms.  NLP quickly and permanently took me through my unconscious anxiety and back into good health.

I found out about it when my son retired as a youth pastor and became a licensed NLP practitioner.

It seems normal to me that you feel like a total loser and a failure but that is simply not true. You are facing some serious difficulties and that isn’t easy. Good for you for facing them head-on. Blessings, Luise

Question: Dear Luise: if you feel very, very, very active should you go on birth control even if your not having sex and never took birth control. L.

Answer: Dear L.: I have no idea. Better take that question to your doctor. It is not wise to try to get this kind of advice online. Blessings, Luise

Question: Dear Louise: My mother wants to control me!  I left my husband over 1 month ago and have since met someone new.  He is so good to me and he has helped me to see that I can do better and that I deserve better in my life. My mother calls me every day to tell me how crazy I am for having an affair on my ex.  She is constantly telling me that I am sinning and that this relationship will amount to nothing.  I am getting tired of hearing this day in and day out!  I am 31 years old and allowed to make my own decisions.  I know that I want out of my marriage, I just don’t have the money to get a divorce yet, I am saving up for it and should be filing soon.  My husband and I have been married for 10 years, and we have separated at least 4 times and then got back together.  Every time we get back together he promises to change, but then it ends up in screaming and yelling and fighting.  I am over it and ready to leave because there is no hope in saving it.  My mother doesn’t understand.  I know that I am having an affair. But it is my business.  I told her she needs to cut the apron strings and let me go.  She called my cell phone 3 times the other day because she couldn’t find me.  I was with new boyfriend.  She left 3 voicemails that said “if you don’t call me within 5 minutes I am sending the state police to find you!”  She also called his work and demanded that they give her his home #.  He got in trouble over that and his job is at stake.  How can I get her to realize that she needs to stop?  My sister in law has tried to tell her. She said, “your daughter is old enough to make her own choices, it doesn’t matter what you think, she is going to do this weather you like it or not, you are just pushing her farther away from you.” Sorry this is so long!  Any advice would be appreciated. J.

Answer: Dear J. I doubt that your mother is remotely interested in what your SIL has to say. And I also doubt that you can get her to realize anything. It sounds like she sees the world the way she sees it and that’s that. It’s a very simple premise, everyone else is wrong. It looks to me like you are going to have to be the person who takes action. Your mother is how she is. Logic has nothing to do with any of it.

It may be too late to save your new friendship but from now on, I would never tell her anything. Don’t tell her where you’re going or who with or why. She’s not your best friend. Actually, she’s probably not your friend at all. She sounds obsessed. For some reason that no one except your mother can understand, you are still “her little girl.”

It’s going to be a very costly lesson if you lose the guy you are interested in and he loses his job. Look at that. Threatening to call the Police because you didn’t answer your cell? Calling his boss? That’s nuts. Get a new cell phone and don’t give her the number. If you can’t find any privacy living near her, I would head for the hills…seriously…and continue to love her from a distance. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear D.: My DIL just gave me a birthday party. I planned everything; the location, guest list and menu with her blessing. I’m afraid some of us are like that.

On a more serious note, I think you are right about the problem that seems to be emerging. When the dynamics of a family change and new people are added, there is often an undefined and unacknowledged struggle for supremacy among the women. Both MIL and DIL may want to take over or one might want that while the other doesn’t see the necessity for one-upmanship at all. Grade school girls can be very cliquish and cruel…a very useful analogy. (I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t help but wonder what your DIL has said to her SIL about you.)

I would back off and I would think twice before I made such an offer again. I would also clue my husband in on what is going on, asking him not to get into the “triangulation”, (he said/she said gossip), with her. Ask him to just tell her that he doesn’t have a clue. That would need to be followed up with a firm refusal to continue on the subject. If he could include some humor about “girl-stuff, that might help. (My husband actually used to revert to the “There’s someone at the door and I have to go now.” ruse.)

When grandchildren arrive, the whole situation can get more complex. I am in the process of having a Web Forum designed to address these very issues, since so many questions come into my site on the subject.

Your son picked this woman. That’s the bottom line. They are now a new and separate family unit. It may not be easy for you to watch that develop. Still it’s their business, just as establishing your home was your business. If you did it with kindness and wisdom…and she is lacking those qualities, you will soon be able to see the difference in the result, if you don’t already. That’s if your own MIL worked with you instead of against you. Sometimes it becomes necessary to terminate family all ties in the name of peace. Lets pray it doesn’t come to that.

Your DIL with probably define your participation or lack thereof in her new family.
And for political reasons, your son will probably back her. Presently that involves your being limited to writing checks and attending an event where you are the hostess.

You can try being heard but that often is ineffective and adds to the conflict.  Becoming invisible, not matter how hard that is to achieve, is usually the best policy. That’s not what you want or deserve but that’s what will work. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear S.: You can go into a health food store and buy “Betaine HCL with Pepsin” and the dose for children will probably show on the bottle. If not, the clerk may be able to contact the manufacturer and get that information for you.

However, I would suggest that you consult a nutritionist first about your son’s diet. It’s very possible that it may be too high in carbohydrates and too low in protein. I have heard that is a common cause of heartburn and acid reflux. Instead of treating the symptom, I suggest you locate and eradicate what’s causing it, if possible.

I have also heard, (and have no idea how it works), that if you lie with your feet elevated and your head low, it will lessen acid reflux. You might want him to give that a try, too. Sounds weird, I know. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear C. I would suggest http://www.lauricidin.com/ Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear J.: I think I would give my doctor back at home a call. Tell him what you told me and ask him what you asked me. Trying to find another doctor when you’re away from home on a busy schedule can be a bummer, I know. So…see what your own doc says.

It’s always hard to know when to make a big deal of something and when to try to tough it out…but I always feel that to ere on the side of caution is a good idea.

It sounds like you may be connecting it with the nerve damage in your left shoulder and arm. If so, many hotels offer massage. That may be an interim thing to do. You also might get some relief from a topical ointment like Myoflex.

What you don’t want to do is to find out after the fact that it’s something serious that needed immediate attention. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Liza: I wish I didn’t have a clue. I wish I was one of those people who declare they are totally full when they have eaten about a third of what’s on their plates and I wish I could remark that something was “way too sweet!” Not so! Not in this lifetime!

So, yes, I am willing to pass on a few ideas and resources to you on this bewildering subject. I know, I know…it’s hard to trust a woman’s magazine that has banner headlines on the cover about the newest, greatest diet and also their very latest recipe for the chocolate cake to die for. And every diet pill ad shows someone so skinny and so young that you know they must think you’re an idiot to believe their testimonials.

I would like to suggest a recently published book that refers to the other countless books out there on the subject, gleaning from each, the basic, viable points being offered. It is “SUGAR SHOCK! ” by Connie Bennett , C.H.H.C. and Stephen T.Sinatra, M.D.

There’s a perfectly logical reason we are overweight…as a nation. Somehow that removes a lot of the personal guilt for me. Yes, I know…I’m the one who bends the elbow…but…there are a lot of other factors that are already stacked against me/us. Being better informed on the subject has changed my shopping habits, radically, and I am also much more careful about how often I eat out, where I eat out and how much of which specific foods I consume.

Those of us with this problem to a lesser or greater degree are not going to find any magic diet, exercise machine, pill or guru that will transform us, in our sleep, to the proportions we dream of. Weight goes on slowly. It comes off slowly and often with great difficulty. Not always. But that’s true for me.

Start out by reading “SUGAR SHOCK!” if what I have said about it appeals to you, and then hit their website, www.sugarshock.com for guidelines and support. Good for you for asking about this confusingly dangerous subject. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear D.: The pattern you’re describing may be more than allergies. Many illnesses, some very serious ones, have similar symptoms and should not be ignored because the cause is unknown.

You need to get your mom into a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and treatment program.

You are right about questioning what is going on but my web site isn’t the place. Personal attention is needed…as soon as possible.

Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Deitra: There is a lot of information on the web on Tubal Ligation if you do a Google Search.

I honestly think you know more about the subject than I do.

If you feel like your sterilization may have failed and you might be pregnant, why not take a pregnancy test?

It sounds like you have gotten conflicting information and unfortunately that is often true when you do medical research. Some doctors don’t want to admit that a procedure failed. Trust your own instincts.

Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Sharon: There are definite, proven benefits that can be gained from drinking red wine moderately but the same benefits can be obtained in other ways. Talk with your doctor about this.

Apparently the sulfite in red wine can be very dangerous, (as in life threatening), to the people allergic to it but the kind of symptom you describe, headache, appears to be related to the histamines present. Here is a website where you can read up on this and a quote from that source:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tswa0329.shtml

“If you find that you get stuffy or headachy after drinking wine, you are most likely reacting to histamines, a common allergen that occurs primarily in red wines.”

Your body is telling you that it’s not for you. So the best thing to do is to stop drinking it instead of looking for a way to avoid the reaction you are having. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Jan: It is true that softened water contains more sodium than the hard water before treatment. For most people, softened water is not a significant source of dietary sodium. You may find you consume much more sodium in the foods you eat unless, of course, you are on a sodium-restricted diet. Consult your doctor if this is a concern to you.

If you aren’t sure about the amount of sodium you consume, have your softened water analyzed by your local health department. As a rule of thumb, for every grain per gallon of hardness removed, the softened water will contain an additional 8 milligrams of sodium per gallon over the amount of sodium present in the hard water.

For example, if you drink eight 16-ounce glasses of water every day (one gallon), and if your water is “10 grains hard”, you would be adding about 80 milligrams (0.08 gram) of sodium to your diet by drinking softened water. Compare that with the sodium content of some of the foods you eat.

For drinking purposes there are several options, including bottled water or a reverse osmosis drinking water unit. Some consumers prefer the taste of their hard tap water, yet they appreciate soft water for the benefits of reduced cost for cleaning agents and to prevent hard water deposits in pipes and water heaters, and on fixtures and surfaces.

This information comes from the Culligan Company. I hope it helps. To me, it sounds like you can drink it or not based on your health and your taste but it definitely adds a small amount of salt to your diet. A can of soup can contain 500 to 700 milligrams of sodium, so it’s all pretty relative. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Mary: Tough stuff! Good for you for not giving up on yourself. You may be your own worst enemy but you are also your own best friend.

This is such a personal thing. Over and over I have heard people tell about what worked for them, and it is always so varied. Some read a book, some took a seminar, some went to counseling, some had surgery and some figured it out alone.

Overeaters Anonymous worked wonders for my grandson. Not only is the excess weight off, he’s keeping it off. Others do not like groups and don’t respond to that kind of support.

Seminars by Geneen Roth and Carol Hansen have reached hundreds of people by either attending in person, listening to CDs or reading their books. Ann Louise Gittleman has a wonderful website for those plagued by chronic, compulsive overeating.

If you want to go it alone then look at your own values and beliefs for a clue. I have a friend who beat it by stumbling across the idea that faith was the answer. Not faith in a religious sense so much as having figured out for her self that faith went beyond both logic and limitation. She stepped up to the plate and made a silent declaration that she really did believe and have faith in the principle that she would live through not eating in a destructive way. Like you, she knew exactly how that looked. So, every time the overwhelming urge came over her, she just dug in and told her self that she had faith that not having it at that moment wouldn’t kill her. And, moment- to- moment, she’s making it!

Don’t give up. There’s an answer for you because you say so! Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Mark: Most people, of which I am one, who have attended Overeaters Anonymous meetings are familiar with the “midnight-willies”. And many serious books on overeating refer to it as well. If your weight problem is mild and you haven’t gone those routes, then it probably does seem unique to you.

Many different causes have been attributed to the “hunger that comes with the dark”. Psychologists have suggested that it is connected with our earliest years when we were put to bed and felt isolated and point to a more subtle emotional hunger. Medical doctors remind us that the end of the day finds us to have the lowest energy level and the lowest resistance.

Whether psychological, physiological or both, it’s a dangerous time for most of us who have eating issues or the more formidable classification of actual eating disorders. Most weight-loss programs prohibit any food after 6:00 PM…when lessened physical activity and impending sleep decrease metabolism.

I think I would consult a good nutritionist if I were you to see if you can get a handle on what’s going on. It may be as simple as your needing something more lasting in your evening meal or you may need to look more closely at your feelings and how they affect you at the end of the day. Some of us even have strange internal clocks and need to skip breakfast, eat in the afternoon and again much later on.

If you are only slightly overweight, good for you for be willing to take a closer look at this before you get into serious difficulty. You are probably well aware that obesity is a major cause of many life-threatening conditions. I would suggest that you take a look at the website of the world-renowned, nutritionist Ann Luise Gittleman: www.annlouise.com and consider ordering one or more of her books that are available there. That might be a good jumping off spot for you. Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Sue: I believe that for some it is a lifelong struggle and I also know of people who have suffered as you do and have eventually put it behind them. There is no one program or method that works for all…that’s the unvarnished truth. Those who find “The Way” have found what works specifically for them but it may not work at all for the next sufferer. Each of us must find his/her own answer.

On the path to wholeness and fulfillment, we often fixate on the area in our lives where we see the greatest evidence of failure. It’s not food for everyone, as you know. When it is food, we look around us and think, “if only I could eat as simply and as easily as she does, I’d weigh what I did I high school”. But she may be secretly admiring you and saying to herself, “if only I wasn’t a workaholic. She seems to be able to take or leave it.”

Very few of us are whole. Some pretend to be but usually they only fool themselves. We work most of our lives to solve our own personal riddle that centers around what we haven’t conquered yet. It could be Bingo!

I have a suggestion but/and I first want to say “don’t give up”! Life is an unfolding for most of us. It’s a path of learning and growing and to stop both doesn’t usually bring comfort, it brings a living death. Keep on reading books, keep on joining groups and keep on looking under the leaf that is under the leaf that is under the leaf of your experience of being you.

OK. If you haven’t yet heard of Geneen Roth, she may be your next step toward freedom. For the last three decades her “Breaking Free” workshops have helped literally thousands to move through and beyond emotional eating. And her books, like “Feeding The Hungry Heart,” “Why Weight?: A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating,” and “Breaking Free from Emotional Eating” have opened doors for compulsive eaters all over the world. You can also get her seven hour seminar, “When Food Is Food and Love Is Love” on six CDs.

It’s not impossible to feel normal about food. If we say so, nothing’s impossible!

Blessings, Luise

Answer: Dear Belinda: What a bummer to be well and feel good and have no zip. You did what I would have done, and that was to be sure there wasn’t some underlying or untreated problem. Smart move in my book.

One of the things I have found difficult about the aging process is the subtle energy level changes that occur in most of us. We keep adjusting to what we can comfortably do now as opposed to what we used to be able to do. Right along with that comes a slower recovery process and people of advanced age often don’t ever get back where they were before their fall or illness.

A confusing issue in all of this, for me, is that physical exercise helps us recover our lost energy, yet it feels like we have to recover before we can do any physical exercise! When this happens to me, I try to sneak up on it. By that I mean I take short easy walks and gradually work up to longer, faster ones. That’s my first suggestion. I’ve found that a mini-iPod is worth its weight in gold when walking. They can be researched and purchased at apple.com. Mine is an iPod Shuffle and only cost $69.00. My music is walking CDs from Dr. Ken Cooper’s site at mywalkingmusic.com. Once I get back in shape, I use the intermediate stride of 126 steps per minute. At first, however, I just meander.

In addition, you might want to see a good naturopath about supplements. They can test you to determine what you may need. Self-prescribing is often unwise and leaves you taking way too many and/or not the right ones. I feel it’s wise to build yourself up nutritionally after an acute or chronic illness.

Along that line, I especially like a natural food supplement called “E3 Live” that you can buy frozen. It is a form of algae and is full of all kinds of wonderful vitamins and minerals. It is shipped from its source, which is Klamath Lake in Oregon, in insulated containers so it arrives still frozen. Click here if you find that interesting.

Here’s to better days for you beyond “not sick, yet not well.

Blessings, Luise