*By no means is this to be considered anything more than Lee just saying what is on her mind. No endorsement. No encouragement. Just doing what I do.*
Option #1:
Option #2:
I pick the one with the skull & crossbones.
I have a few really good friends and we get together for lunch - not as often as we'd like! When we do, it is always lively with a ton of laughter and plenty of conversation: we cover all manner of topics like our children, the schools, extracurricular activities, our husbands, new finds and our health. A while back, when lunching with my girlfriends, we combined our new finds with our health.
New find: IODINE - the one with the skull and crossbones.
Mid-winter is never a good time to look toward feeling 100% but I've not been well for a while. It is more of a passive unwell, not an active or aggressive unwell. It took a long time to get here and I have no doubt it will take a while to feel good again. I'm taking some time to lay the groundwork: eating better, sleeping better, exercising better. Part of the new program is iodine.
Apparently iodine is necessary in our system: it enables the thyroid gland to produce hormones needed to develop and maintain the brain and nervous system. Without it you run the risk of heart, liver, kidney and muscle damage if not failure. There is plenty of anecdotal as well as official documentation that without iodine in your diet you run the risk of: hypothyroid and hyperthyroid conditions, goiter, fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, brain fog, constipation, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, and detoxification issues. Highlighted in green are my obvious issues, the rest are being tested.
We here in the West get our iodine in iodized salt, which I cut out of our household diet years ago in favour of kosher salt which is not iodized. A typical choice made by a number of women I know.
My friend, E, had just been treated for breast cancer and the addition of iodine in her diet was one of many conversations she had with medical experts during her ordeal. There is plenty of evidence linking iodine deficiency with breast cancer. Am I afraid of breast cancer? Of course, but no more so than having a heart attack or contracting MS or Parkinson's Disease or Alzheimer's. What I am is concerned that something strange is going on and it needs to be fixed.
I was slow about doing this. You know, the skull and crossbones were a bit of a put off. While on Facebook last week E asked if I'd tried it and I admitted I had not. E refreshed my memory as to the brand to buy (for proper concentration) and the "test" to see if I actually needed it. A couple of drops on my upper arm (no chance of sweat or water getting to it) and if absorbed in 24-hours it would be a good indication that I was iodine deficient. Well, it was absorbed in six hours. Hmm. I immediately started to take a few drops (0.30 mL) in cranberry juice twice every day.
So, my diagnosis by the dining table may be as effective as the last four thyroid tests I've taken, which means not one bit; but, all things being equal, I'd rather take a moderate amount of poison that will taste dreadful and might cure me than something I know for sure will be tasty and kill me.
Here's to a clear head and weight loss!
Oh, and here's to lunch with my girlfriends - I meet them today at noon. Whoot!
(Now, those of you who promptly climbed up on your high horse while reading this entry, please do not leave any unkind comments if you know or endorse anyone who uses Botox or serve/eat countless things we know are bad for us but don't have a poison label - let's start with French Fries and add in some Pop/Soda just for fun. I stand behind my opinions 100% but am not voicing them for subjective attack purposes - there are plenty of other places for that brand of poison. Now, if you live a perfect life, with perfect choices, you are welcome to throw stones. Otherwise, say anything you want, I love hearing from you! Smooches!)
