Six Year Later, Still Going Strong

In 2012 I said it was hard to believe that it had been over a year since my last post.  It's even harder to believe that was almost 3 years ago!  Yes, time has been flying because I've been very busy living life.

I turned 64 this year, though I'm still claiming to be 45 forever.  I can't imagine what my life would have become by now without i26.  I am still using this fantastic product and the fear of advancing age without it is enough to motivate me to continue my current regime.  I still remember the problems I had before I started i26 and I have no desire to return to those days.

I'm still working full-time as a paralegal and regularly involved in some volunteer work. While I am looking forward to the time when I can retire from full-time work, I plan to work part-time and increase the time devoted to my volunteer work.  So i26 will definitely be a part of my future.

The aging process often invites periodic visits from arthritis.  Noticing some minor aching in my joints, I started taking Flex - High-Quality Glucosamine a number of years ago.  It has definitely made a difference. About a year ago, I stopped taking it for about 3 months and felt a major difference, especially in my knees. Needless to say, I added it back to my regime and within a few weeks I noticed a distinct difference. Today my joints are much happier, even on those dreaded damp or rainy days.

So, if all goes well, it may take another year to make another post!  I would like to say I'll be back next week, but that is not very likely; but I will try to keep the blog updated at least once a year with my progress and i26.

Wishing you good health today and always....

Hard to Believe

Seems like it was only a few months ago that I made a post, but it has been over a year! But, once again, I am back. I've been in excellent health and doing more than I ever imagine possible. When I say i26 has allowed me to return to a normal life, I am not exaggerating.

A year ago, my long-time interest in law and a need to redirect my career, motivated me to go back to school for paralegal certification. Despite my "mature" age, working part-time, and recovering from a back injury, I completed a 3-semester course in 2-semesters with straight A's! I'm not that smart, just a very determined student, who enjoys research. Now the really hard work begins - finding suitable employment in a tight economy.

New From i26

Athletes are gaining a legal edge by using 100% natural IgY recovery proteins. It's not science fiction it's science in action. A new and specific class of protein have been developed that leads to shorter recover time, less muscle soreness and better overall performance, IgY Recovery Proteins. Learn more...

Flu Season

Good immune support is important throughout the year, but especially during the cold and flu season.  The combination of omega-3 and vitamin D is believed to enhance the body's immunity to infection, which is essential during the flu season. Although I take omega-3 year round, I generally add vitamin D3 in September, when my time in the sun (natural vitamin D) is decreased.  I've found that 2000 mg of omega-3 and 5000 mg of vitamin D3 extremely helpful. I have not had a cold or the flu in over 2 years!

I'm So Sorry Australia...

I recently learned that i26 can not be shipped to Australia, Mexico and New Zealand.  These countries apparently have laws which restrict the shipment of egg products into their country.  This is very unfortunate, because it prevents the people of those lands from receiving the one thing that just might help those suffering from a number of auto-immune disorders.  Hopefully, as more people learn of the benefits of i26, these laws will be eased to allow access to this amazing product.  In the meantime, if you are suffering with an auto-immune disorder and living in either of these lands, don't give up or lose hope, because relief may be just around the corner.

Happy Anniversary!

This week is my 2nd anniversary with i26 and I am doing great! The wonderful experiences I've heard from others have only intensified my conviction that this product is everything I'd hope it would be.  If you are still wondering if this is the answer for your health problem, consider some of these testimonials... http://www.i26forhealth.com/about.php#testimonials

Bariatric Surgery & Mental Illness

If this doesn't make me stick to my diet, nothing will! Read this unbelieveable connection between bariatric surgery and psychiatric problems!

MyPlate - USDA New Dietary Guidelines

On first glance the USDA's new MyPlate design for dietary guidelines appears to be much less complicated than the old pyramid.  And it is, however, a closer examination shows just how complicated and, perhaps, misleading it really is.  Check out this informative review/analysis of these new guidelines.

Better Health and Little Time

Since my health has greatly improved, I have become extremely delinquent in my maintenance of this blog.  I guess I'm spending so much time living my new life, that I have little time to write about my progress. 

It's been 2 years since I started taking i26 and it has totally changed my life.  As I've mentioned before, I can now eat and enjoy any foods I want without any allergic or sensitivity issues.  And believe me, I have enjoyed eating some of everything, except for meats!  With over 20 years as a fish-eating vegetarian, I just have no interest in eating (or cooking) meat.  I wish I could say the same about sugar and cheese! 

Unfortunately, my love affair with these once forbidden foods has lead to an over indulgence and some unwanted weight gain!  Fortunately, I have finally returned to my senses and, primarily for calories sake, I am severely limiting my intake of sugars and white flour.  Of course, I was well aware that these items were unhealthy, but the lure of real butter pecan ice cream and homemade strawberry shortcake was impossible to resist.  The havoc that this weight gain has had on my wardrobe is certainly making it easier to resist the temptation of all these unhealthy, high-calorie delights!

As for cheese, well, that's a different story.  Although I choose low fat cheeses whenever possible and I am cutting back on how often I eat it, I just can't give it up totally!  And why should I?  After all it is good protein!

Another Winter Season Without Getting the Flu!

Since i26 helps to balance the immune system, it stands to reason that my enhanced diet isn’t the only benefit I’ve derived from taking the supplement. I’ve been taking i26 since September 2009 and I haven’t had a cold or the flu in more than a year!  

This may not sound all that amazing for some, but for me it is. Without fail, I used to get a summer cold, several winter colds (lasting 5-10 days), and at least one bout of the flu (lasting 2-3 weeks) every year!  I started getting an annual flu shot about 15 years ago, to avoid getting the A-strain of the virus; but I still got all of the others!  I was so susceptible that it seemed as if I looked at someone with a cold, I would be sick within a couple of days!  I even tried avoiding babies and toddlers during the cold/flu season, because whatever they had, I got within days!  Being asthmatic certainly didn’t help; any hint of a respiratory infection would result in further complications and prolong the recovery time.

Ice Cream Anyone?

My favorite ice cream is Butter Pecan, but until recently I hadn't even tasted real ice cream in many years.  While I thoroughly enjoyed my dairy-free, sugar-free, coconut milk frozen dessert, aptly named Purely Decadent, it just wasn't the real thing.  My new diet allowed many good things, but for general health reasons, I was still avoiding processed sugar, white flour, anything artificial, and preservatives.

During my move last summer I ate a number of convenient foods that were not so healthy, including pizza, potato chips, and French fries.  Still lactose intolerant, I was really hesitant to give in to my number one weakness - ice cream.  My determination was wearing thin each time I passed Bruster’s Ice Cream Parlor, which was conveniently located at a traffic light en route to my new home.  One warm September afternoon, stopped by that traffic light, I decided to give in and turn in to Bruster’s.  “One scoop butter pecan on a cake cone, please.”  It was down hill from there!

It was delicious - cold and creamy, and loaded with pecans!  Interestingly, it was rather sweet for my palate, but I worked thru it, enjoying the freedom to eat my favorite warm-weather treat!  Mindful of the calories piling into my body, I vowed to treat myself only once a month; a vow I failed to keep!  Two months, and many calories later, my waistline and my doctor’s scale screamed out to me, “forget once a month, try once a year!”

Winter rescued me!  It has been unusually cold and snowy this winter, so it’s been a lot easier to bypass my favorite indulgence without a second thought.  Watch out summer!

Grapes and Wine

I’m back, again! My life has improved so much since I started i26 that I actually have the energy I need to really enjoy life. In fact, I’ve been enjoying it so much that I’ve lost track of time and neglected this blog! Well, I’m back on track and will start, once again, to post all the amazing changes that have taken place in my health and diet, thanks to i26!

In May, 2010 I mentioned that I could finally eat red grapes, but the green ones still caused itching. Well, that is no longer the case! In October I decided to give green grapes another try and to my delight, no itching! Yes! I can eat any grapes I want now and no itching! Interestingly, even though wine grapes are different from table grapes, I couldn’t tolerate white wines either. Now I can drink red wines, white wines and even rosé wines, and I’m enjoying every glass, in moderation, of course!  :-D

Energy Plus

It seems like a lifetime ago that I was struggling to walk with a cane, unable to drive, and completely dependent on the help of others to accomplish even the most mundane chores. Pain was a constant feature of my life. I was fatigued by the slightest exertion and spent more hours lying down than moving around. This was extremely stressful for me, a normally active, outgoing person. I later learned that some of my friends secretly thought I was dying. The reality that it was only four years ago still baffles me.

As I mentioned previously, I was unable to keep up with the demands of my gift basket business, and was forced to stop working all together. I wished I had found i26 back then; it would have saved my business and my wallet! My initial efforts to improve my health naturally were certainly successful, but I was still easily fatigued and required a 2-3 hour middle-of-the-day nap to keep functioning. Missing that nap for two days would result in a full-day crash, putting me in bed for the day. Pacing was essential to enjoying my new measure of health.

In 2006 I started working part-time from home, which allowed me to rest when necessary. If I got my required 12 -14 hours of sleep every day, I could handle a twenty-hour work week. Three months after starting i26 my work load increased and within weeks I was working full time. Actually, I have two part-time jobs (one working outside the home) and my i26 distributorship. Of course, I still have my other interests, and this blog, that keep me busy as well. When I think back to even a year ago, I’m just absolutely amazed that I have the energy to do all of this. I no longer need my daily naps, though I will still try to include a 20 minute power nap whenever possible.

I'm back!

It's been quite a while since my last post and if you've been following me, I appologize for the delay.  It's been a hectic summer and I've had far more commitments and surprises than time, including preparing for a move to a new home in September.  So likely, my posting won't be back on schedule until October.  However, I will try to do better than I have the last couple of months.

My journey with i26 Hyperimmune Egg continues to be an amazing one.  With each passing month I'm seeing improvements and positive changes in my health, weight, and diet.  I'm making mental notes so that I can share them when time allows.  But for now, suffice it to say, that despite a number of stressful challenges, I am doing really well and working even harder than I ever thought would be possible for me at this point in life!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Immediately I began making plans for the return of my all time favorite meal - Shrimp Fra Diavolo, a spicy shrimp and pasta dish! Perhaps I was a bit too optimistic in introducing two new items – shrimp and garlic! Rethinking this plan, I decided to just try the shrimp alone – pain and indigestion can be a miserable combination. My normal reaction to shrimp was rather severe -- an unusual migraine headache that feels like a dagger entering through the left side of my skull and piercing through my right eyeball. This pain could last from hours to weeks, and was the one pain that could put me in bed. But after my success with tomatoes, I just had to take the chance. To my surprise, the only reaction was a sore spot on my skull where the dagger normally entered. After my experience with the tomatoes, I believed that even this would improve in time, so I would limit my intake of shrimp to once a month for now.

Today, seven months after starting i26, I can not only eat shrimp and tomatoes without any reaction at all, but I can also have garlic powder (hopefully fresh garlic will be okay in the near future), and red grapes, which used to make me itch! The green grapes still make me itch, but I can live with just the red ones! Over the next few months I will reintroduce a number of other restricted food items in hopes that at least some of them can be returned to my diet.

i26 and Food Allergens/Sensitivities

For many years I’ve used MACA750 for menopause symptoms and energy, and Rhosavin100 (rhodiola rosea) for stress and physical endurance; but since they are both herbs, I had stopped taking them during the first few weeks of taking i26. I was doing so well with i26 that I had forgotten to reintroduce these herbs into my regime. I started thinking that i26 was also controlling my menopause symptoms! Well, that wasn’t the case. Halfway through the second month, my personal summer (hot flashes) returned and I realized that MACA750 still had a job to do. I quickly discovered that it is best to take herbs 30 minutes to an hour after i26. When I took them together I suffered from really bad indigestion. Taken an hour later and everything was fine. Unfortunately, my work and sometimes my life are very stressful, so I also reintroduced Rhosavin100 as a precaution. It is an adaptogen herb and is clinically proven to help the body adapt to stress. I also had to take it an hour after the i26.

My Introduction to i26 Hyperimmune Egg

It’s hard to believe that any one product could have such a positive affect on my life and health in just seven months, but it really has. Four years ago I was forced to close my gift basket business because of my poor health and low energy levels due to MS. Today I am working full time in addition to being a distributor for i26. With each passing month the benefits steadily increase. Mind you, after years of focusing on my health and diet, I am very much in tune to my body. I quickly notice any changes, good or bad, and lately it’s all been good! But first, here’s an overview of my initial experience with this amazing product.

i26 Hyperimmune Egg Supplement – To the Rescue

A friend called me one day and said, “Debbie, you have got to check this out!  It may be just what you need. It’s called i26 and I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know if it works.”  I couldn’t wait that long!  It sounded too good to be true, and I wanted to know more right away.  Pressing her for more information, I listened carefully to her every word.

Music to My Ears
“They say it balances the immune system and it’s all natural.”  Am I hearing right?  Did she say  balance the immune system - naturally?  Yes!  That was all I needed to hear.  Armed with the name of the product and the manufacturer, I immediately began my search. Oh, how grateful I am to Google!

My initial search took me to a website that spouted the advantages of selling the product, which didn’t interest me, so I moved on.  Then I came across a website called HyperimmuneEgg.org and was amazed by the clinical studies, and the scientific background, and the fact that this product has over 100 patents worldwide!  After reading every word on this site I had to find this product.

It just made sense.  But I couldn’t help wondering how something this amazing and simple could be virtually unknown.  I was so impressed with what I was learning about this egg supplement that I just had to order it.  This would prove to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.  But before I tell you how it has helped me, let me tell you about the product itself.

A Balanced Immune System

Our health, both physical and emotional, is controlled by our immune systems.   A balanced immune system reacts to the right degree to heal us when we’re hurt, and to protect us from infections and cancers.  It does not “over react” or “under react” to these challenges, it simply reacts appropriately to each situation.  However, an unbalanced immune system, whether over-active or under-active, does not react appropriately and can lead to opportunistic infections and diseases, or even cause them. 

Based on my medical history, I was certain that my immune system was totally out of balance and had declared all-out war on my body!  And while my recent alternative therapies were proving to be very effective, clearly I would have to avoid many (normal) things for the rest of my life.  I was still hopeful that I would find a natural solution to my over-active immune system.  Before this could become a reality I still needed a better understanding of the immune system.

Eating Out

When you’re allergic to almost everything, there is nothing you can quickly grab and eat.  Even snacks have to be planned. Fast food is totally out of the question and many of the nicer restaurants are not much better.  Determined to maintain a “normal” life, I looked for restaurants that I believed prepared food from scratch, or close to it.  Although I gazed longingly at the menu, my order was always the same; “I’ll have this salad, but please hold the tomatoes, croutons, onions, and dressing.  And bring me a lot of lemon.”  Within minutes a sympathetic waiter would return with an unappetizing plate of lettuce and cucumbers and a small bowl of lemons.  “Are you sure there’s nothing else here you can eat?”  I’d just smile and say enthusiastically, “No, but this is great! Thanks!”  As I ate my healthy, allergen-free salad I savored the aroma of my friend’s garlic-rich shrimp marinara.