Welcome back! Last week, we visited with Judith Kroll, as she reminded us to listen to our body and feed ourselves whatever our body is craving, because as she said, “our body knows”. 
This week, we hear from Jakye Orr, and her experience with finding wellness in her life. ~Linda Tate
In 2014 I became concerned about long term side effects from certain prescribed medications I had been on for over 30 years to treat my Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Seasonal Affective Disorder. My personal health journey took me on a mission to eliminate them, with my new doctor’s knowledge, in order to find my “new normal” without them.
These prescriptions had caused chronic constipation for decades, requiring stool softeners and magnesium to manage my discomfort. There was bloating and weight gain, and some medications actually had a side effect of depression which only triggered more emotional eating. Some caused dry eye which required eye drops and yet I still struggled with all the symptoms of my diagnosed illnesses. I also took extra vitamins, supplements, over the counter medications, topical salves for pain, and yet I still battled chronic insomnia as well.
After a grueling one and one half years of gradually detoxing my system, I found several things had taken place. I dropped 60 pounds overall. Over 20 of those pounds fell off in the last 2 months after successfully removing the final drug. I went through a period of extreme nausea where I could hardly eat a few bites at a time. I had no appetite whatsoever. I drank half my body weight (in ounces) of water and herbal tea to stay hydrated.
I mainly ate raw and steamed vegetables, soups and fruit, poached chicken and fish, all in very small portions. I found I could not tolerate sugars. I could barely get through the sweetness of half a small apple. I no longer craved pastas, potatoes and breads. I no longer enjoyed sitting down with a container of my favorite ice cream or yogurt, and I drank absolutely no soda.
Then somewhere I read about this drink. I began a regimen of a hot “tea” every day made of the following:
1-2 tsp Bragg’s Appple Cider Vinegar; 1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 tsp 100% raw wild honey; mixed into a 12 0z. mug of piping hot water. (I was usually generous on the spoonfuls of each!) Stir well and enjoy while piping hot!
I believe the benefits of this “tonic” have been invaluable in helping my body adjust to a new eating pattern and in detoxifying my system. There is an impressive list of minerals and essential vitamins found in apple cider vinegar. It is key in aiding digestion and eliminating toxins and waste that have built up over time. High in Vitamin C, lemons are noted as being among the most valuable fruits for preserving health. Raw honey is a good source of antioxidants called phenolic compounds, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is filled with phytonutrients and also helps with digestive issues.
One of the first things I noticed after being faithful to my daily drink, was that once my appetite started to improve, my bowel system was working perfectly for the first time in decades. I had no desire to return to my poor eating habits. Although I previously ate relatively “healthy” I often over-ate. Now I could have a slice of pizza but I didn’t need to eat half of a large. I could have a couple of bites of ice-cream in a small espresso cup and be content. I was completely satisfied with smaller portions and simpler meals. My metabolism was up.
Happily, I have not re-gained any weight other than the typical 3-4 pound fluctuations. I do not “diet” in any way whatsoever. I am simply satisfied with less and with healthier choices. I have continued to limit sugars of all kinds considerably and am very aware of their presence in everything. Of course there is the occasional special indulgences, but they are rare, small and selectively chosen. OK, so there was the giant chocolate waffle on vacation in LA … again..rare.. lol.
I currently take no pharmaceuticals except for my low-thyroid medication. I choose to deal with my chronic issues drug free. I do take an all natural tablet comprised of a patented blend of 5 herbs and extracts that significantly alleviates my inflammation, sleep issues, brain fog, and fatigue. I have mental clarity and have my personality and laughter back. I do not advise others to forsake their medications unless they choose to do so under medical supervision, and if they feel their quality of life needs reassessment. That was my personal choice with my new doctor’s consent and I am delighted with how it has worked out.
I stopped taking all the extra vitamins and minerals as well. For me they are unnecessary. All my blood work comes back perfect with no deficiencies other than the typical low Vitamin D-3 for our region. In fact, I actually have a higher than usual level of Vitamin B-12 for a person of my senior age.
I fully credit my apple cider vinegar tonic with getting me back on a track of healthy eating habits and a cleansed and detoxified system, and all the benefits which that precludes… a happier and healthier, slimmer, non-toxic me!
Here is the response from Sally Mangum, PhD., DO
Jakye, thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on getting off of pharmaceutical medications with such success. I’m glad to hear that you could find a healthy alternative and lose weight in doing so. The quantity of water that you mentioned, half of your body weight in ounces, is what we should all be striving for daily. You hit the nail on the head with the health benefits of your apple cider vinegar, lemon, and honey ‘tonic’ and I’m so happy that you brought this up and shared your recipe. In a recent study published just this year apple cider vinegar was found to suppress obesity-induced oxidative stress and therefore reduce the risk of obesity-associated disease. I suspect that the changes that you made to your diet were also instrumental in your healing process. Keep up the good work in the new year, and thank you again for sharing your inspirational path to health!
About Sally Mangum: Sally was raised in Alaska and completed her BS in chemistry and PhD in biochemistry at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her doctorate research focused on the nutritional properties of wild berries and their ability to decrease inflammation. She worked for the USDA at the North Carolina Research Campus where she studied the effects of post harvest handling practices on the bioactive compounds in blueberry fruit. Sally was called to medicine and attended the Pacific Northwest University of Health sciences for her medical training. She is currently a second year Internal Medicine resident in Corvallis, Oregon, and has a strong desire to return home to Fairbanks after residency to help fulfill the need for primary care physicians in her home community. Sally continues to be passionate about the healing properties of food and has been known to prescribe fruits and vegetables to her patients. She enjoys yoga, cross country skiing, and spending time with her two toddlers.
Very interesting. Over the years, patients have told me about trips I should take, experiences I should have, books I should read, and movies I should go see. They have told me about diets they are on, supplements they are taking, cleanses they are experiencing, and multiple pyramid schemes I should buy into. One patient even scheduled an appointment, expecting insurance to pay for his visit, while he tried to convince me to join his team of Amway sales people. Some of the ideas I rejected outright, like skydiving and trying to sell Amway. Other ideas I considered a little longer, but very few have I actually tried for my self.
I’m about 60 pounds overweight and this apple cider thing caught my attention. No downside I could think of so I started rounding up the ingredients. Water: No problem. Lemon juice: No problem. Raw Honey: A little problem and a great education about bees, bee pollen and the such. Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar: Big problem. After three stores, I finally found it in the health foods section at Fred Meyers. I apparently mistakenly believed that all the food at Fred Meyers was healthy, but even they make a distinction. Interesting.
With all the ingredients collected, I made my first apple cider vinegar drink. Not bad at all. Easy to do so I think I will give it a try. It’s called emperical research.
This comment was transferred from the Canby Now page on Facebook:
Michelle Frazier Davis Well written and thorough. This is awesome! I have been drinking ACV and water in the morning, but cold. I’m going to try this recipe. Thank you!
Thank you, Charlie Ross.
Yes, and while the ACVinegar has continued to play a large role in maintaining my weight loss, a good 80% or more of my weight was lost as the initial result of getting off the Rxs, whose many known side effects included the chronic constipation. And the last portion was lost during the severe nausea I experienced during withdrawals. The ACV definitely helped me through that last cleansing process.
Even though I was off the meds and beginning to regain my appetite the constipation didn’t clear until I had been using the ACV tonic. Then I was able to stop taking extra magnesium as well.
I have always eaten predominantly healthily, with lots of fruits and vegetables and lots of water, just too much of a good thing combined with too many sugars and carbs. And I do agree that less meat is healthiest. I’ve routinely fed my family with meats as an ingredient in dishes/soups as opposed to the main course.
The ACVinegar was also instrumental in cleansing my palate from the sugars and, as a result, tremendously decreased my “taste” for them. Another weight loss/maintenance boost from the ACV. This has been a great learning experience for me in many ways. Thank you for your kind input.
Jakye….glad to hear you are improving your health. Apple Cider Vinegar has bee shown to help with weight loss. Your increase in fiber intake by eating more plant foods like your fruits and veggies and increasing your water intake likely is the fix for your constipation. The benefits of increasing the fiber from whole plant foods (not from supplement fiber) translate into less craving, weight loss, lowered heart attack and cancer risk. For every 10 grams of fiber you add to you diet…you decrease your heart attack risk by 10%, colon cancer risk by 10%, and breast cancer risk by 8%. When your body does not get enough fiber, the good bacteria in your colon do not produce enough butyrate to signal your brain that you have had enough to eat. Focus and increasing you total daily fiber intake to over 60 grams per day…that is the fiber from real whole foods and avoid processed foods as much as possible. Remember that there is no fiber in any animal food…so keep these to a minimum.
Most in the Northwest are low on Vitamin D so consider taking Vit D3 2000 IU daily or at least check your level. Thus important Vitamin/hormone is important for your overall health. If your level is low, you can try to raise with getting more sun exposure, eating mushrooms, or supplementing with Vit D3 to get the level above 30. The site http://www.nutritionfacts.org has a good video on this topic.