Vitamin D versus Depression and Viruses

Over the years I’ve shared 13 posts where I mention vitamin D. It is that vital for good mood, avoiding depression, reducing risks of mood disorders.

A few times I have mentioned that it essential for the immune system. It is this that provides protection against viral infections and allows more rapid recovery. This morning I was reminded of this front page:

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Every cell in the body has vitamin D receptors. Vitamin D has a function in every aspect of the body’s complex interactions.
Vitamin D coupled with vitamin C and zinc are major factors in supporting the body against virus, bacteria and fungal infections.
There is not much money in promoting vitamin D, vitamin C and zinc, so we need governments to promote these as big businesses probably will not.

I’ve been asked “How can I sleep longer without taking any extra medication or drug”?

Something of a breakthrough on sleep?

BipolarSleepAfter many nights of not sleeping more than 3hrs in a block, then at least 2 nights of longest sleep being only from 11pm to 1pm = 2hours!…

The breakthrough? Well, it has been too warm for the typical ‘Brit’ to sleep well. I believe optimum sleeping temperature for most people is about 19’C (66’F). For me, I think it is needs to be several degrees lower. Last night even with all windows open it was 26’C (79’F).

During the afternoon, I had filled hot water bottles with cold water, chilled them in fridge, went to bed with one, and slept 11pm to 3:25am = 4hr 25m in a block, then fetched the other chilled bottle. If you’ve not done this before it may seem odd yet worth finding out if it helps you during any warm/hot nights.

If you do then please let me know how well it works for you?

 

 

Nearly 10 years med-free – then…

After about 14 years on medications, including a period of reducing dose, I was pleased to be living without any prescription medications. Under normal circumstances this may have continued. ‘Lock-down’ and socially isolating are not ‘normal circumstances’. I found I was sleeping less and reluctantly agreed to see a GP.

There are times when prescription medications make sense. I intend to go through what I have been saying over the years and where necessary update to match the new reality I find myself in.

If your life were planned for you

“If your life were planned for you…” Has it ever seemed to you that everything that happens has been pre-planned? Little bits of deja vue perhaps or you’ve got a good idea about what is about to happen.

I have experienced a lot of this lately. The realisation that there is a far greater power at work than I grew up believing in has been eye-opening.

I believed I was doing good. I believed I was good father for my children, a productive helpful worker at each business I worked for or at.

Looking back now, after the various interactions I have had with friends and relatives, I now question just who I was and what I was achieving. It seems I was less than I wanted to be in both ways.

Let us see what today brings. More ups and downs. More ups than downs perhaps.

Wishing you peace and love

Roger

mood success

Good behaviours can create good moods

mood-act-as-if

sad inside – ‘putting on a face’

Coping with solitude and isolation

We are about 5 weeks into the stay at home / social distancing regime.

I am hoping you have experienced the joys of; bluer skies, more peaceful times with so much less traffic and fascinating birdsong. I certainly have.

Solitude can be enjoyable to, while silence (or relative silence) can be seen as a bonus.

One thing I have found challenging is the physical isolation from people I can share ideas with. This has revealed a weakness in me and has led me to question the sort of person I am. I have written about me being a liar, cheat and coward. This self-deprecation may seem extreme. It has taken a lot of time alone and some social blunders for me to better see my faults. It seems I am not so kind and generous as I had been believing I was prior to this self-isolating period.

Would you like to read, “Was I bipolar or have I been a Liar, Cheat and Coward”?

Birdsong – What’s the Time?

Birdsong – What’s the Time? – Warning: this is an unedited, 6am, 600 word ramble. I enjoyed writing it and think readers will enjoy… reading time? 5mins maybe.

I’d been awake for a while when the dawn-chorus suddenly started as it does almost everywhere everyday throughout the spring here in England. What I noticed, that I’d never noticed before was that it started as if someone had switched on a tape player. Ha! Of course, someone could have switched on a tape player outside my bedroom window that I’d left open. Now, would that be verging on psychosis? I’ll leave you to make up your mind about that. Didn’t Einstein say something like, “Intelligence is being able to keep two ideas in the mind at the same time”? Possibly he did not use those exact words. There seems to be some truth in it. I suggest that unless a tape recorder outside the bedroom window were to become the dominant idea then all is fine.

So why did the birdsong strike me as being different this morning?

Cricky… I am not even going to use time trying to identify all possibilities. Here is theory number…

  1. I left the bedroom window open overnight and had not done that on the previous few nights
  2. There is a lot less traffic of all kinds. (a big chunk of rambling starts here) Lying in bed the sound of a distant train or plane may have been what woke me an hour or so earlier. I listened to the sound and could not make out: plane or train? I thought that would surely be obvious… then, remembering almost every plane is grounded…

And yes I may put this in or after everything I write for the next few days, COVID19 is serious and not getting infected needs to be everyone’s priority all over the world. Don’t anyone think they are safe. Take care out there.

…and surely no passenger train runs through here at that ‘unearthly’ hour, it could be a freight train? Not many of those these days, but probably what disturb the silence (silence other than moderate tinnitus).

My mind then said Cargo Plane / Freight Train… no idea why not the other way around. What does that sound like? Freight Plane / Cargo Train. Nope, still no clue. It don’t matter!

Getting back to birdsong: I figured that if the birds were up then it must be light outside. I drew back the curtain and what did I see? Darkness! Hang-on!

I went to the bathroom and DAYLIGHT! I sleep in a west facing bedroom until the summer kicks in then ideally move to an east facing one (God knows how I got to live in a house like this considering how much time I am not earning any money) because west facing gets too hot as the sun goes down. Bathroom? East facing with thin curtains… Who can see me through the curtains if I have the light on? Now that is probably not for the psychosis or neurosis label. That is more like paranoia… Hang-on… Could that be a healthy paranoia… and might it be a good example of that?

Getting back to the plot: Her bathroom blind looked thick from the inside, but parking my car late one evening in the big town-centre-car-park behind her place, it was obvious the blinds were near enough see-through. This was a few years back, so not sure whether it was same day that I fitted additional curtains. I never checked to see if blinds plus curtains did the job… Okay that is the very bottom of this page, so stopping – no conclusion – no definitive answers. Does all life provide food for thought?

About Building Immunity & My Personal Thoughts on ‘Sleep is Number One’

I work for a charitythat shares information about being healthier.

Below is a link to an article from one of our ambassadors. It is about building immunity to be more resistant to diseases, including viruses.

At this time, we are all challenged to look after our own immune system, so as not to allow any specific virus to thrive within us… for the sake of others.

=== Our charities key message continues to be: EAT REAL FOOD ===

I used to facilitate 3-day self-management courses for groups of people with bipolar diagnosis. An important part of that course was, how mood troubles and sleep troubles are always related (maybe 99% of the time). We all found that when we slept well life was so much better.

I gradually came to realize is that focusing on sleep only helped a little. My belief now (for me and perhaps for you too) is that when you start to get most other things right then sleep comes so much more naturally. So, the only thing I would change in Lou Walker’s article is that I would move ‘Sleep’ from number 1 to number 10.

Sleep is essential. It may be the most important thing for good health and healthy moods, yet I find ‘not focusing on it more helpful these days’. I am not expecting many people to agree with that – I am just sharing my thoughts.

A good read: https://louwalker.com/ten-ways-to-support-your-immune-syst…/

Best wishes

Roger

After the virus – “Welcome to a Brave New World” – Of Good Nutrition, Greater Health and More Happiness

I said that I’d say nothing more about viruses. I know most of my followers here have a bipolar diagnosis, yet whatever diagnosis we have, or have had, we need good nutrition to resist viruses. A friend I just spoke to said the following is ‘too intimate’ to be sharing. Yes, there are risks around sharing anything. I hope the risks I take here are worth it and that you each will be able to rethink what you are eating and start switching from fake to real.

Dear Mum,

On the radio at 6am the announcer said, “Welcome to a brave new world”. Well, certainly things are different. It was then announced that there have been “No new cases of the CoVid19 virus in China.

What might they be doing differently in China? Whatever they are doing… IT WORKS!

On the internet, it seems to me that, hundreds of expert doctors such as Joseph Mercola have been telling us that when Chinese doctors started to recommend and use VITAMIN C the spread of the CoVid19 virus slowed rapidly and this is why they are getting over the crisis quickly. They say that South Korea have been doing the same and have slowed the spread.

VITAMIN C KILLS VIRUSES. It always has and probably always will.

How then can we share this knowledge with doctors in the UK?

Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps, somewhere at some time someone has found a virus that can resist VITAMIN C? Have you ever read any scientific report on the internet or in any book that says anything about a virus that can survive in the presence of VITAMIN C?

There is the question of “Why do some people who take VITAMIN C daily still get colds, the ‘flu and people taking VITAMIN C sometimes do still die?” Well, if they have had a diet that is high in sucrose or have had consistently high blood sugar then they will need A LOT MORE VITAMIN C.

For many years Dr Thomas Levy and Andrew Saul have been two famous doctors, among the hundreds of experts, who have been writing and teaching about the different amounts of VITAMIN C needed. The more unwell a person is the more VITAMIN C that person needs.

If this really is “a brave new world” as the radio announcer says, then if it is to be a benevolent world then it is time the government, the NHS, charities and businesses work together to:

  • Ensure the people who need the most VITAMIN C receive the most, while explaining that people, who are healthy and not having foods with added sugar, only need tiny amounts. (I take just 0.1g three times a day.)
  • Help the charity I work with ‘The Public Health Collaboration’ to spread the word about benefits to all of a REAL FOOD LIFESTYLE.

Of course, VITAMIN C is not the only nutrient needed to be healthy and happy. By the 1930’s about 50 vital nutrients had been discovered. Nutritionists are aware of these 50 nutrients, yet so far, I have not met a GP, endocrinologist or any other non-nutritionist who can even name 50 essential nutrients.

I have returned to working full-time in my efforts to spread the word about healthy nutrition and how people can change from a fake food diet to the kinds of real foods that you had as a child.

Perhaps we, ambassadors for the PHC, need to bring people like you (ex-nurses, now over 80 years old and in good health) along to workshops to explain that illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes are optional. People can make healthy food choices once they understand which foods are needed for those 50 essential nutrients.

Love from Roger

19th March 2020

Why aim to keep reducing lithium rather than aiming to stop taking it altogether?

The above is a question I was asked this morning. I have been asked this several times before. I rapidly typed the answer below. Not saying it is anything like a perfect answer. I put it here as it may help.

Hi A, Here is my answer…

Often, it seems, people get put on lithium because doctors and psychiatrist know so little about nutrition and do not realize how many mood troubles are caused by eating fake foods (foods with added sugar, toxic oils and so on)…

It is the last little bit of reduction that causes the biggest shock to the system.

This is my understanding, although be warned that I am speaking as a scientist, nutrition-expert and expert-by-experience-of-taking-prescribed-lithium rather than a pharmaceutical person, therefore I am sharing what I believe and not offering advice.

Dropping from say 800mg/day to 650mg/day makes little difference because your blood and cells are still flooded with a lot of lithium and your kidneys are still working hard to detox. Whereas, dropping down just from 20mg/day to zero may make a huge difference.

Here is a different way of looking at mineral supplements. We require only about 10mg/day of zinc (I’ve not looked up precise value)… If you are consistently consuming between say 20mg/day down to 10mg/day from real foods you’ll probably be okay. If though you were to go from 10mg/day down to zero-ish then symptoms of shortage will start to occur.

Supposing we consider lithium to be a nutrient… (it has not been proved that lithium is essential as it comes in real foods (less or none in fake foods) and so most people get plenty most days.  This makes it hard to work out what would happen to people who do not get enough as people start to run out of other nutrients, such as magnesium before anyone would notice a shortage of lithium.)

Supposing an adult human needs 1mg/day of lithium (this is quoted in at least one reputable book on nutrition). Then if consuming several hundred mg/day from tablets goes along with our concerns over the slight long-term toxic effects from lithium carbonate tablets. Reducing your lithium intake down to just a few mg will be matching any natural requirements (we are assuming there is a requirement), while stopping altogether could be a bit like choosing to eat only foods that contain close to zero zinc.

I do hope that makes sense. Sorry, it is a bit waffly.

By the way, zinc is a nutrient MOST people do not get enough off, which not only causes emotional troubles (extreme shortages can be associated with psychosis as zinc needs to be balanced with copper to avoid psychosis) Getting enough zinc is easier when we stick to ‘real food’. Very topical at this time; low zinc also makes people vulnerable to viruses.

Dear A, If you would like me to do some nutritional analysis for you to help identify for which nutrients you may have low intakes and which ones you may have excessively high intakes – I can do that.

Uitwaaien Therapy

uitwaaien, a Dutch word referring to spending time outdoors in wild and windy weather

I never knew this had a name! It can be great therapy. If by the coast watch out for big waves, otherwise… ENJOY!

 

Everyone (even Dr Bruce Lipton) is talking about a virus. I’ll risk sharing my less expert thoughts…

  1. Does talk of a pandemic and self-isolation mess up people’s moods and make them more vulnerable to all illnesses and disorders?
  2. Is the following too controversial?

As Bruce Lipton points out, corona-viruses cause the common cold as well as ‘flu.

We have probably all been infected by corona-viruses, when catching colds, most winters, as tends to happen in our early years. As our immune system matures, if well-nourished and not too stressed we rarely catch colds or ‘flu.

The amount of harm any virus can do to us is related to our cortisol levels (as well as our nutritional status (i.e. have we been eating real food and taking any essential supplements such as vitamins C & D)).

To keep cortisol low; avoid stress and ideally spend time with friends or family and most especially we others who have a keen interest in health and longevity.

Here is a link to Bruce Lipton’s words being read by a man on a boat!. Why man on boat? …because I do not know yet how to link from here to his original article.

Philip, “Are potatoes good for us?”

Yesterday I was asked, “Are potatoes good for us?”

  • Half the people I know say “No, don’t eat potatoes.”
  • Half the people I know would agree with Kathleen DesMaisons who wrote the book, ‘Potatoes Not Prozac’ which is a good read if you have any kind of mood disorder.

After a long discussion about potatoes I wrote…

*** EAT REAL FOOD ***

What can we add to the above simple message that is also easy to understand – very simple black and white?

How about; classify each person as metabolically healthy or unhealthy based on the 5 tests described on the PHC ‘Real Food Lifestyle ‘booklet’’.

  • If healthy continue to EAT REAL FOOD.
  • If unhealthy EAT REAL FOOD while cutting out the foods that are known to delay recovery.

You asked about potatoes and sweet potatoes. These tend to delay recovery because the sugars go into the blood too quickly for unhealthy people.

After regaining health, organic potatoes can be a useful source of energy.

— STOP — END — FINISH — THAT IS ALL I AM SAYING ABOUT POTATOES —

Although if you type ‘potatoes’ into the search bar at top right, above the menu you’ll find I have previously mentioned potatoes in at least 4 other articles. Enjoy!

 

A Whole New Life working with the Public Health Collaboration #PHCUK

Yesterday, I was able to return to presenting to health professionals.

This time was different. Rather than having a focus mood management or any specific diagnosis, I shared the P.H.C. message of… ‘EAT REAL FOOD.

This message being supported by ‘AVOID FAKE FOOD’ and ‘BE ACTIVE EVERYDAY’

What does this have to do with the title of this blog, “Rethinking Bipolar”?

Many drivers for psychiatric diagnoses are to do with what people have been eating and drinking. Personally, I have found the best thing for sustaining healthy moods, having energy, working well, getting on with people, making friends and living in a happy home has been to consistently… EAT REAL FOOD.

EATing REAL FOOD makes it easier to AVOID FAKE FOOD and to BE ACTIVE EVERYDAY.

Find Out More about having a Real Food Lifestyle

Public Health Collaboration – How You Can Find Zero-Cost Support for Your NHS Practice #PHCUK

I spent yesterday with 15 other Public Health Collaboration ambassadors. We are all ready to help Health Care Professionals to help their patients.

Our focus is on helping everyone to have the best possible blood sugar and insulin levels. In doing so we are helping to; reverse diabetes, fatty liver diseases, reduce obesity, make cancer/heart-attacks/strokes less likely, protect eyesight and so on.

To get zero-cost support for your NHS practice, click on this map to be taken to the PHC-UK ambassadors pageFinding a Local PHC-UK AmbassadorThat’s me – in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Currently, there are only about 200 PHC ambassadors covering the whole of the UK (News-flash: If the page is up to date then there are now 236 ambassadors in 201 locations.)

More good news: The Public Health Collaboration charity are training more new PHC ambassadors in Manchester next weekend.

Public Health Collaboration – Tackling the Causes to Improve Everyone’s Well-being

Tomorrow = Saturday 7th March 2020 will be my first full day in my role as an ambassador for the charity, Public Health Collaboration (PHC).

On Wednesday 11th March I will be making my first presentations to NHS staff, explaining how PHC can help with improving the health of patients while saving money at their surgery.

These are exciting times, now that the causes of so many diseases (and ‘dis-eases’) have become better understood, because eliminating the causes so often eliminates the suffering.

Whether you are a doctor, nurse or member of the public, if you are prepared for big changes, to get well and stay well, then I believe I/we can help you.

PHC Resources: https://phcuk.org/resources/

To contact a local PHC ambassador (UK only) visit: https://phcuk.org/ambassadors/

If you can find Grantham on the map, you can click there to get my email address.

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