What I Have Healed You Can Too

Introduction

I want to share the most powerful steps I discovered during my search for health as simply, clearly, and as quickly as possible—because these steps led to real, life-changing miracles. As I revisited them, I realized there had been results for each that I hadn't recognized before.

These same steps can heal not only you but also our incredible Earth. It took me many years to learn this information. If you follow these ideas, I believe you will feel significantly better within 30 days or even sooner. If I can heal, so can you.

We are constantly getting messages. Our body talks to us with symptoms. You may hear a still, small voice that has messages for you. Listen to these and also to what feels right to you. This will help you choose which of these ideas you want to follow.

The illnesses we have today are not simple. Multiple causes must be addressed before your health will improve. If you are severely ill, you may need to follow many of these ideas. If you have mild symptoms, you may need only a few. However, all of these solutions will protect your health in the future, and many will heal our Earth, which is in crisis.

As always, please consult your doctor before making any health changes.

This Is Where I started

In 1975, at the age of 22, I took two aspirin for a headache. Within minutes, my stomach was in pain, my eyes poured, my nose was running, and I had severe asthma. I told myself the solution was simple: avoid aspirin.

I didn't realize how wrong I was.

Over the next year, my health declined rapidly. I now know I had developed Samter's Triad, which resulted in losing my sense of smell, my lungs decreasing to 30% capacity, and instant, severe, frightening asthma attacks. Later, I developed hypothyroidism, and then I was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an autoimmune illness.

These are very serious illnesses, and they have all healed! While my lungs still function at only 30%, and my sense of smell hasn’t returned, I feel fantastic and am able to live my life joyfully.

I had also learned that I had osteoporosis from the seven years I took cortisone, which is improving.

Rather than detail how severely ill I was in so many ways, I want to tell you what I did to heal and the results.

I now know that Samter's Triad is a form of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) since it improved with every step I took to reduce toxins in my life. MCS is when you react to small amounts of toxic chemicals.

MCS is not an allergy. An allergy is a reaction to something that is normally harmless, such as pollen and certain foods. I don't have any reactions to these things. I also don't react to all chemicals. Many chemicals are beneficial and cause no harm. Toxic chemicals are those that off-gas as VOCs, and the worst ones continue to off-gas indefinitely.

I suffered from depression. I had learned that it only made my life worse, made the day go worse, and made me feel worse, so I worked to be positive.

I used to think Why me, why me? Then I thought, maybe I could find the answers and help others. This gave me so much hope.

I went to the doctor.  Many, many doctors. Despite cortisone pills, allergy shots, and a regimen of 40 pills a day, my symptoms persisted. I tried so many medications. Asthma medications, antibiotics, and many other medications caused severe asthma. Nothing my doctors tried helped. I went to alternative doctors, and nothing they tried helped me.

I would not give up. I would find solutions. My motto was "Never give up, never give in." It has seen me through a lot.

I began to read mountains of books, looking for answers to improve my health. 

These Are the Steps I Took to Heal

I have shown you how I was doing, now I want to show you how I learned to make a change, and what the results were. The results were nothing short of miracles!

I learned this from the book The Miracle Morning, which I love. It takes thirty days to create a new habit. The first ten days can be very difficult. In the second ten days, it will begin to get easier. Over the last ten days, you will start to notice the benefits, which will help you stay on track.

Why does it matter what I react to? Because every time I investigated the cause of a reaction, I discovered that the substances affecting me were harmful to everyone. Through this process, I realized that reducing toxins and increasing proper nutrition were key to my healing.

I’m living proof that my approach works—I am well unless I get exposed to a toxin. It used to take me days or weeks to recover from a reaction. Now I remove the cause or leave, and I recover in minutes or hours! I am thankful for MCS. My body is a toxic alarm system, which has led me to answers that not only healed me but will also heal you and our gorgeous Earth.

These invisible toxic chemicals are being released nonstop from almost every home, business, and farm across America seven days a week. These toxins harm our health, our emotions, and damage our beautiful planet, yet doctors, politicians, and even the news rarely talk about them. The danger remains largely hidden.

Because of these changes, I’ve gone from severely ill to thriving at 71, free of the usual age‑related ailments.

I Avoided Fragrances and Some Food Additives

In 1981, my new allergy doctor informed me that scented products, artificial colors, flavors, and three preservatives —BHA, BHT, and TBHQ —were all salicylates, compounds chemically related to aspirin. I stopped using any scented products and avoided these toxic chemicals in my food. 

To see the harm of fragrances, look up 'Are fragrances bad for you' on the internet. You will get your answer. Fragrances make you think of nature and romance. But there is nothing natural about these products. Hundreds or thousands of toxic chemicals cause that smell. As fragrances mix together, they result in more toxins. The result is VOCs, and many of these last endlessly, giving off toxins that harm us, our family, and our Earth. Even as ads tell us to add extra fragrances to our laundry.

The additives in our food are not there for our benefit. Extra salt, sugar, as well as artificial flavors and colors, are added to make the food more addictive and appealing. Preservatives are added to extend the shelf life of the food. Who approves these additives? The manufacturing company. We are part of a giant experiment with no protection or oversight.

Results: It was such a miracle. I no longer was ill every night, coughing, wheezing, fighting to breathe, and blowing my nose for hours. This was a huge improvement. I was so thankful since good sleep is so important.

I Added Organic Foods

I read about how traditional chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides used in conventional farming cause significant pollution and harm to our air, water, and the Earth. I also read how farmers die from exposure to these toxins. I decided to vote with my money and buy organic foods.

I do not recall reading any book that recommends this for health; in fact, many books offering health advice say it makes no difference. This is bad advice. This simple step protects you and your family from numerous toxins while also protecting our beautiful Earth.

I began buying many foods and personal products from health food stores, which offer safer, less toxic options. Since Whole Foods stated that all its foods did not contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, I began to shop there exclusively.

Results: This simple act removed so many toxins from my life. I have found this step has made a huge difference in my health. I will get ill if I eat conventionally farmed foods.

*** I Began to Eat Whole Foods

I transitioned to whole foods, such as whole wheat and brown rice. I read that the introduction of refined flour caused widespread malnutrition issues, including beriberi, pellagra, and anemia. To address this, manufacturers began "enriching" refined flour with vitamins, but these additions cannot replace the full spectrum of nutrients lost during processing. Why was refined flour offered? Simply put, it benefits businesses by extending shelf life.

Eating whole foods allows you to consume your food in its original form, so your body receives all the fiber and nutrients it contains.

Results: Once again, the results were miraculous. Individuals with Samter's Triad typically require sinus surgery every four to seven years. I had a major surgery in 1983. The second major surgery I had to address my sinus polyps was in 1989. After the above three changes, I have not required this surgery since 1989.

I Switched to an Organic Garden

It took time to experiment with different solutions. I now find organic gardening both simple and deeply rewarding.

One product I love using is Organic Corn Gluten Fertilizer — GMO-Free, All-Natural Lawn Care for Healthy Grass is available on Amazon or the Old Cobblers Farm website. (It is not officially certified organic — it is non-chemical and GMO-free) It acts as both a fertilizer and a weed preventer.

To provide our plants with even more nutrition, we also use Down To Earth All Natural Fertilizers, which are also available on Amazon. This combination has made our garden flourish!

When we mistimed our pre-emergent application, we found a great solution: a weed hoe from Ace Hardware.

Results: Switching to an organic garden allowed me to avoid the chemicals used in a conventional garden and prevent them from being tracked into my home. I love knowing I'm doing what's best for the Earth.

*** I Went Off All Sugar

I was reading about the harm of sugar over and over again. It is associated with many forms of cancer and the increase in diabetes in our country. Artificial sugar is even more harmful. It causes your body to prepare for sugar, which never comes. Sugar damages your immune system for five hours each time you eat it.

Then I realized I was addicted to sugar, and everything I ate contained it. I started looking for sugar-free alternatives. I discovered Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread, the only whole-grain bread I could find that doesn't contain added sugar. I committed to cutting sugar out of my diet entirely — not just processed sugar but honey, maple syrup, dates, and even alcohol, which is essentially pure sugar. Each one of these types of sugar made me ill.

Going off sugar can make you feel unwell as your body detoxes, but there are ways to ease the process. I found that eating plenty of fresh fruit helped curb my cravings and reduce my symptoms. Cravings often stem from nutritional deficiencies — your body isn't getting the necessary nutrients it needs.

We are designed with a sweet tooth because we are meant to eat fruit. The World Health Organization says the two most significant risks for your health are high blood pressure and a lack of fruit.

Result: If I have any form of sugar now, I will instantly get an infection and become very depressed.

More Miracles!

These are the steps I had taken:

I avoided all scented products, BHA, BHT, TBHQ, artificial colors, and flavors.

I ate organic foods.

I ate only whole foods such as whole wheat and brown rice.

I switched to an organic garden.

I stopped eating sugar in any form.

Results: On Thanksgiving Day 2002, a miracle happened: my ears popped many times, and I could hear everything. After years of struggling with limited hearing, my dream had come true: my hearing was perfect! Then I had more miracles! My ITP was gone! My bruises disappeared, and my platelet levels returned to normal. The constant, severe, instant asthma attacks and that horrible, sick feeling that made it challenging to survive each day were also gone! I also stopped having hives!

What I Have Learned Since Then

*** Since that time, I have learned to avoid all processed foods rather than the few I first avoided when I experienced these miracles. Processed foods contain over 2000 allowed additives, and even organic processed foods contain additives. These are not good for anyone. By processed foods, I mean any food that is not fresh, such as frozen fruit or vegetables, packaged or boxed salads, or any foods prepared for you, such as broth, soup, frozen dinners, vegetables, and fruit. I eat absolutely none of them. I have learned that all of these make me ill. I was eating frozen vegetables until I realized that my health had worsened from this simple change.

I have also switched to 100% organic foods at home.

I learned that essential oils, which are considered "natural," are harmful and make me very ill. Producing a single pound of oil requires hundreds or even thousands of pounds of plant material. This not only concentrates the oils but also the pesticides and toxins that come with them. Our bodies were never meant to handle such intense exposure.

I no longer recommend Whole Foods; we now shop at Sprouts Farmers Market. The reason is that Whole Foods has reduced the size of its produce department. I found I could not buy the organic foods I used every day. Additionally, I discovered that simply eating a salad would make me feel unwell. I went to Whole Foods and asked what they use to wash their produce. The woman showed me the product they used — it was a chemical! I have recently rechecked this, and once again, I was shown a chemical. Sprouts only uses water to wash all their organic produce.

Results: Embracing what I later learned—eliminating all processed foods, choosing only organic foods, avoiding essential oils, and shopping exclusively at a dedicated organic food store—has been a major reason why I’m now so well and have been able to heal so much. This will allow you to heal much faster.

Barbequed Foods Are Very Harmful

Then, despite my best efforts and all my miracles, my health deteriorated. My asthma worsened to the point of disability. For three long years, I felt so ill or exhausted that I could do very little, and I ended up in the hospital often.

My pulmonary doctor prescribed various medications to help control my asthma, but I reacted with worse asthma.

The problem was hidden in a simple, unintentional shift. At our previous home, we had installed an outdoor kitchen, and Keith, excited to make use of it, had barbecued nearly every night. When we moved to our new home, the outdoor kitchen was uninviting, and barbecuing became an occasional activity rather than a daily one.

In our history, people cooked over a fire; why is it harmful now? Because we didn't cook over natural gas, propane, and charcoal! Even using wood can expose you to numerous toxins, and it takes a serious toll on our environment. We're surrounded by harmful chemicals every day, so it's essential to eliminate as many toxins as possible.

Result: My three-year disability ended, and I suddenly had a lot of energy! Cutting back on barbecued foods has had a powerful impact on my health. Now, if I am even around barbequed food or Keith brings it home, I will get instant asthma.

Importance of Air Purifiers

Buying a home with black mold led us to buy HEPA air purifiers. The restoration company used HEPA air purifiers to detoxify our home, so we purchased three Idyllis air purifiers after they completed the restoration.

The Idyllis air purifiers are no longer available. I have tried many air purifiers, and they all cause severe asthma. Then I bought the AirDoctor AD 5500 HEPA and VOC air purifier. I love it! No reaction, finally success! It has an ionizer, which I have never used, and I do not recommend using it. I recently purchased an AirDoctor 2200 air purifier, and it’s been working wonderfully. In fact, my health improved using it, so I ordered another one. I have now replaced all my Idyllis air purifiers with AirDoctor air purifiers. Their filter system is so much more robust. I highly recommend the AirDoctor air purifiers; I rely on them daily for my health. I purchased mine on Amazon. I now know you get much better pricing buying direct from AirDoctor! They also have fantastic service, and they answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I am so impressed, what an amazing company!

Result: My air purifiers saved my life when I had a severe reaction to a forever chemical on my husband's new hiking pants. These air purifiers have proven invaluable for my health in endless ways. They cleared out air pollution and wildfire smoke from our home; they removed toxins when a cleaning woman showed up who had used Tide, and they made my home safe when I became so ill from reactions.

I Stopped Eating Dairy and Grains, and Stopped Cheating on What I Ate When I Went Out

In July 2015, I ended up in the hospital for the third year in a row with pneumonia.

When I got home from the hospital, my neighbor told me about the Paleo diet. I decided to try it.

Why avoid dairy? We are the only mammal that drinks another animal's milk. Mother's milk is designed specifically for that baby, and we are not that baby! It causes a lot of congestion; it is implicated in many cancers and is mentioned as harmful in most health books.

Why avoid grains? Grains can be very inflammatory because they have been bred to be hardier and more profitable, which benefited the farmers but not the American people. This was done before tampering like this was recognized as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

I learned that cheating just once a week with harmful products can affect your health all week until the next time you cheat again. I stopped cheating.

Result: I made these changes and had another miracle! The stomach pain I always suffered from was gone! I was also able to reduce my medications.

I Reduced My Medications

After going off grains and dairy and never cheating, my health improved so much that I was able to reduce my medications.

For Montelukast, suicidal thoughts were listed. I stopped this medicine, and the thoughts of suicide I had been suffering from recently went away. My body never noticed that I had stopped taking it.

I was also able to stop taking Zyrtec. Then I began experiencing intense reactions—my feet burned severely until I traced the cause to the laundry soap we were using. After switching to a new brand and rewashing all our clothes, the burning stopped. I reacted to our shampoo, conditioner, and so many things. Zyrtec had been covering these reactions!

It is also crucial to verify that none of your medications interact with each other and to ensure that you actually need them.

Result: Another miracle! After these three changes - going off grains and dairy, and never cheating on what I ate as well as reducing my medicines, I never ended up in the hospital again!

Exercise

Exercise is essential because it stimulates your lymphatic system. Otherwise, your lymph system gets stagnant. Find something that you love to do, so you will continue to do it. It is hard to be truly healthy without exercise.

I do the rites explained in the book "The Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth."  I also love to go for a walk in my neighborhood.

When I first started, I could only do one of each rite. For any exercise you choose, simply start, and you will see your body improve. If you are unable to exercise at all, that's okay. I had times when I was too ill to do any type of exercise. Following my other steps, you will reach a point where you can exercise as I did.

Result: I can hike six miles a day and do all that I wish to live my life well, despite my lungs being only 30% of normal.

The Miracle Morning

I absolutely love this book! On January 3, 2017, I began applying the ideas that Hal Elrod shares so powerfully in The Miracle Morning. It does cause miracles; I still practice it the majority of days.

Result: Every day, I’m improving in countless ways, and my healing is accelerating like never before. After I do my SAVERS from The Miracle Morning, including my rites, I feel an incredible, uplifting energy, as if every cell in my body is rejoicing.

My Magical Treatment:

I learned I had Valley Fever. I found out that I reacted to the last antibiotic my body would tolerate. I became so incredibly ill, but the medication for Valley Fever had the longest list of side effects I've ever seen. I was too afraid to take it.

I used ideas I'd been practicing and experimented with other ideas, and came up with this system. It truly is magical.

1. Saltwater Gargle — I mix one-half teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt or regular non-iodized salt in 1 cup of water and gargle three times a day or more often as needed.

I used to gargle only when I had a sore throat. Then I caught a very bad virus. Since I had a sore throat, I started gargling with salt water. Soon, the sore throat was gone, but now I was aching. I decided to gargle again, and soon, the aching was gone; I never needed to take any Tylenol! When I began to feel ill, I gargled again. For every symptom, I gargled with salt water, and soon the virus was gone. I also had green tea all day long. I never needed any of my other treatments, and I recovered so fast; it was amazing! I have also been gargling to reduce the time for a bad reaction or at the first sign of any infection. Just this with green tea has been amazingly powerful, not just for a sore throat but for every symptom!

2. Green Tea - I only use Choice Organic Green Tea from Amazon. I love this brand because this product is entirely free of plastic—every detail is thoughtfully designed with health and sustainability in mind. I drink six to eight cups every day; it's incredible!

3. Fruit — I have seen apples, oranges, and so many other fruits make huge improvements in how I feel. We only eat low-glycemic fruits. 

4. Ventolin —my last Resort. I have found that an apple or an orange often completely stops an asthma attack. Nutrition, in the form of food, is the true healer.

5. Tylenol — I found that fever was the culprit behind that terrible, sick feeling, and Tylenol can make a world of difference. Even a mild fever could make me feel so ill. Because my temperature runs low, I haven't always recognized when I have a fever.

6. Heat Therapy — For lung, sinus, or other pain, I swear by the Thermipaq Reusable Hot Cold Pack Ice Pack for Injuries, which is available from Amazon. It is incredibly challenging to find products that I do not react to. I am so thankful for this product. A hot shower can work wonders, too.

6. Self-Massage — Self-massage is a powerful healer.

Never have sugar in any form when you feel sick, no junk food, fast food, only very nutritious food. Poor quality food will cause harm and not heal you.

Result: This magical treatment has healed me of viruses, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, a partially collapsed lung, and even Valley Fever. The vast majority of the time, the progression of illness ends within hours or a day or two.  It’s affordable, accessible, and all-natural! I am so thankful!

Fruit and Vegetables - the True Healers

Then, everything changed on October 3, 2018. I watched the documentary What the Health, and it resonated deeply. That day, I became a vegan. The compelling evidence in the film aligned with so much that I had read — a whole-food, plant-based diet could offer the best nutrition.

I was a vegan for four years, but I am no longer a vegan. No culture on Earth practices veganism. I learned that I needed many supplements to provide what my body needs, and I have found that I cannot tolerate supplements. I also found that the recipes called for sugar and processed foods, making food preparation so difficult.

I’ve come to realize it wasn’t simply becoming vegan that transformed my health—it was the abundance of fruits and vegetables I began eating. They made all the difference. I’ve learned that fruits and vegetables are the real healers.

Results: Once again, miracles. The constant, never-ending cough that had plagued me for years completely stopped at times. I realized that this had been endless asthma. Also, my depression was gone! I felt as though a fog had cleared, and for the first time in all these years, I could identify what triggered my symptoms. I have never suffered from depression since, even when I lost days or weeks because I was so sick or exhausted, which I found incredibly surprising. I was so thankful and thrilled!

*** Please Make Note of This

These steps may cause you to feel worse at first because your body will begin to release toxins. Fruit is very healing; adding more fruit may help. If not, proceed slowly during these steps. 

If you have diabetes, it's essential to monitor your progress closely as you follow these steps.

A home blood glucose monitor will help a lot since your blood sugar can improve causing you to end up taking too much medication, which can cause hypoglycemia and be serious. The CVS blood glucose monitor is excellent. If you prick the side of your baby finger, you barely feel it. This is a powerful daily action you can take to identify what improves or worsens your glucose level, allowing you to make adjustments as needed.

Conclusion

Now that I was no longer constantly coughing, I began to pay attention to when I coughed. This led me to uncover so many toxins that contributed to my severe symptoms. I have been surprised and shocked by what I have learned about the factors impacting our health and how we can protect ourselves.

In Part Two, I will outline all that I learned that made me ill and the solutions I discovered that led to so much healing.

I have learned how to protect myself from these toxins, and now I am well! I am filled with such joy and gratitude, and this is why I want to share what I have learned with you. I hope you will join me in this thrilling healing journey that offers you, your family, and our planet incredible health. 

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