This actually has nothing at all to do with Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Valentine’s Day, but it does have to do with the unknown consequences of a well meaning and completely innocent act.  This particular incident occurred when my children were young and I was trying to ensure that their father lived a long and healthy life. This little story just goes to prove that even the best intentions can be rife with danger when it comes to chemicals.

My (now) ex-husband was a hard working man who did sheetrock for a living and had the dark haired olived skinned coloring of the black Irish (A legacy from the sailors of the sunken Spanish Armada that managed to swim to Ireland’s  shore and decided to stay.) He also had the broad shouldered build of the Viking Invaders that often visited those shores as well–i.e. a 54 inch chest, and the weight-lifter muscled gut to go with it.

So here I was married to a big burly, hard-working man who loved his sweet tea…by the gallon. One day I decided that he needed to lose some weight so that he would live to see his sons grow into men.  Every day I had to fix him a couple of gallons of sweet tea to take to work and drink when he got home at night…. It had to be heavily sweetened with sugar, nothing else would do–not unsweetened, nor sweetened with honey, saccharin, or any other healthy (so we thought back then) low calorie sweetener.  His main objection to these additives was the fact that they do not mix well with cold tea and just sink to the bottom of the glass no matter how much you stir.

Then one day I got the bright idea to trick him, by making his tea just like I normally would with sugar but to sneak in artificial sweetener instead.  So I dumped about a dozen packages of the newly introduced latest and greatest wonder sweetener Aspartame also known as Equal into his hot tea and put it into the refrigerator to cool.  Well lo and behold, he drank it by the gallons without even noticing the difference…for a day or two.  Within a week this huge man who had never complained with a headache in his life came home from work, too weak to move and in such pain from a blinding headache that tears actually poured down his cheeks.

This went on for three days with him refusing to go to the doctor because we didn’t have much money and couldn’t afford health insurance.  By the fourth day, he thought he was dying and finally agreed that if the headache wasn’t gone by morning he would give in and go to the emergency room.

I was scared, all of this was so unlike him. Then suddenly it hit me…the tea!  I rushed downstairs and poured the latest batch out and made a new batch using good old-fashioned sugar instead of the Aspartame and switched out the glass at his bedside with a tall fresh glass filled with ice and put the remainder of the new batch into the refrigerator to cool. Within 24 hours the killer headaches were gone never to return.

I confessed my foolish trick and he being the good natured soul that he was, forgave me.  I later mentioned the incident in a writer’s club where I was a member and one of the doctor’s who was there, told me to quit beating myself up over it.  He said that it was probably just a coincidence.  However, years later I learned that Aspertame when heated to over 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade) forms free Methanol which, when ingested breaks down into the same stuff they embalm corpses with, i.e. formaldehyde, both of which are deadly poisons that have killed people, and caused blindness and other deadly and irreversible long term health problems.  And if that wasn’t bad enough I was literally dosing him with something like twelve times the amount even the FDA said was OK to use.

So the moral of that story is…when it comes to ingested foods and drinks even the best intentions can have deadly consequences. So if you don’t know what you are doing…do a little research before using your loved ones…or anyone else as a guinea pig.

Smiles and Good Health,

Teresa Thomas Bohannon

PS Be sure to visit us daily to check out all the latest news and information on living with Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Seek Arthritis Relief with Apple Cider Vinegar

Let me begin by saying that self-medication and home remedies can be very dangerous!  I know because I’ve accidentally used them to ill effect before.  A few years back my mother had a heart attack and scared us all half to death.  Naturally I was concerned and wanted to fix the problem and so I started doing some online research.  During my research I ran across an ad for Apple Cider Vinegar pills that sounded like it offered the perfect combination of all-natural miracle cures condensed into one convenient pill for my mother that would help her lose weight, without creating havoc with her diabetes and her newly weakened heart.  After all, it was all-natural which meant it had to be good…right?

Wrong!

I, being the loving and well-intentioned daughter that I am,  immediately purchased a 30 day supply for her and because she loves me and thought that she had raised a daughter that had the sense “God gave a Goose.” she took the pills.  After all, it was all-natural which meant it had to be good…right?

Wrong again!

She took the all-natural little wonder pills and lost some weight and grew progressively weaker.  We attributed the weight loss to the healthy effects of the Apple Cider Vinegar pills, and the fatigue to the after effects of the of the heart attack. Fortunately, thirty days later she had a doctor’s appointment and an an odd discovery was made… the blood in her veins had dried up to an almost critical point.

The all-natural little miracle pills were the culprit…and needless to say I did attempt any more unregulated homeopathic cures on my dear mother.  And, of course, the moral of this lesson is…. It may sound like a perfectly innocuous home remedy, all-natural therefore safe and good, and it may look like a perfectly harmless little miracle cure–but you do not know what kind of effects it may have with any individual person or their immune system.

Anytime you decide to self-medicate either for yourself or for someone else you are potentially playing with fire. If you insist on trying alternative or homeopathic medicine follow these three golden rules;

1. Do your research thoroughly.

2. Do not practice on someone who is already ill or otherwise in a weakened state.

3. Ask the doctor first about potentially unforeseen side effects!

Keep in mind that too much of a good thing can kill…and that most poisons are all-natural too!

Do suffer from arthritis?  Are you tired of the aches, pains, difficulty moving, and trouble sleeping?  Your physician will recommend pain reliever and exercise.  Yes, these do help, but you may want to try something new.  If and when you reach that point, turn to apple cider vinegar.  For many years, arthritis patients, just like you, have claimed it relieved their pain and discomfort.

As nice as it is to know that apple cider vinegar can give you arthritis relief, you may be looking for more information on this natural remedy.  What type of apple cider vinegar?  How much?  Do I drink it?  Continue reading on to find out.

The following are accounts gathered from the internet.  These remedies have worked for some.  The common ingredient is apple cider vinegar.  Always proceed with caution with natural and home remedies.  Never consume or apply anything to your skin that may cause an allergic reaction.  Know that natural and home remedies vary.  What works for one may not work for another.  You should experiment, through trial and error, to develop the apple cider vinegar remedy that works best for you.

Apple cider vinegar is made from apple must and cider.  The apples are crushed and the liquid is squeezed out.  Yeast and sugar are later added.  This starts the fermentation process. The alcohol is later converted into vinegar.  Your best bet is to purchase from a health and nutrition or organic food store.  With that said, apple cider vinegar is available for sale at many retail stores, both on and offline.

When buying apple cider vinegar to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis, opt for the fresh kind.  It is found in most health and nutrition stores.  When looking at the package, you should see sediments at the bottom.  This is natural apple cider.  Yes, the kind sold at the grocery store does look more enticing, but it has been altered and strained, losing some of its helpful properties.

Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy #1

Combine up to three tablespoons of the vinegar in a cup with large water.  If you cannot stomach the taste, as a few drops of honey.  You can do this anytime through the day, but most recommend before bed.  Some recommended drinking the mixture two to three times a day.

Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy #2

Combine ¼ cup of apple cider with one to two cups of warm water.  Place the combination in a bowl and soak the achy joints.  For example, if it is your fingers or toes that hurt, soak them.  Do so for at least ten minutes.

Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy #3

Combine ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar with one to two cups of warm water.  This is a continuation of remedy two.  If your achy joints are too large to soak, put a cloth in the bowl.  Let it soak up the mixture, wring to prevent dripping, and apply to the achy area.  Keep the wrap on for at least ten minutes.

Apple cider vinegar is full of acid.  For that reason, never drink straight.  Always mix with water.  This should not be a problem, as most are unable to stomach the sour taste anyways.  As with most natural supplements, it is available in capsules form.  You can take these, but it is best to opt for the real thing.  You receive added health benefits and get a better value for your money.

Now that you have three different apple cider vinegar remedies, you may wonder exactly what they will do for you.  As previously stated, results will vary.  With that said, most noticed a decrease or elimination in pain.  Users also noticed increased mobility.  So, not only was it less painful to move around, but easier too!

Apple cider vinegar is not an immediate pain reliever.  You may notice some improvement right away, but continued use is best.  The longer you drink an apple cider vinegar mixture or soak your joints, the more benefits you feel.  Some arthritis patients commented that they stopped drinking or soaking in the mixture due to improved movement and less pain. Unfortunately, those same individuals saw their pain return.

Smiles and Good Health,

Teresa Thomas Bohannon

PS Be sure to visit us daily to check out all the latest news and information on living with Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.