As patty perfect as this all might sound, I still have a long way to go. Just like a diet, the maintenance and permanence of what you have created is often overlooked and the more challenging part!  I have been seeking solace at my home the past 2 months and have started to create a pretty zen atmosphere that include diffusers, essential oils, just keeping it extra tidy, no more background junk TV- only meditation youtube videos, and a mindful day of being in the moment as I chug through my new daily routines. I am getting out of my robes in February and plan to hit the town! I really want to continue my adventures. To date the Flying Trapeze lessons took the cake and were REALLY awesome! I am becoming an adrenaline junkie i think! This whole living in the moment is really fun and creates lots of happiness. I have not mastered it by any means, but even a little improvement in this area feels really great!

As I re-embark on my mediation and self-help journey I am finding that these emotions are a good thing and we can use them as markers on where we are in our spiritual journey. I am learning.  When I say spiritual, I am not a participant in organized religion and I do not declare any religion. I view my spirit as my love and connection to the world and use this to help guide my way. That is what God is to me. I always felt shy about discussing spirit, but now I feel a very strong pull to keep it the absolute leading force in my life. If that is to happen, I must pay attention to it and discuss it sometimes.  I am now understanding more about how ego pops up EVERY DAMN DAY and tries to sabotage us! SO I invited my ego to meditate WITH me instead of just telling it to shut off for the time being. If I am gonna experience it, I thought my ego should too! :) This part of my journey has pretty much taken over and I will update you on how I am doing at a later date. Just know I am in the works and probably will be for a while in regards to this topic.

 I guess I should not expect a doctor to think outside the box of what they have been taught. Just like I should not expect everyone to follow my lead on natural healing.  Just like I should not expect that a person with a disease should not be expected to think about alternative solutions to heal themselves as prescribed by their doctors? As I embarked on my own healing breast cancer journey naturally, I was definitely going against the grain. I met with 3 doctors. They all told me to get surgery. Pretty hard to stomach and then walk out feeling confident about your decision. To be completely honest, it is YOU all reading this and asking me questions and cheering me on and lending your support and love that has really kept me going. So thank you. I know this was by choice. I knew it would be hard. But I have to get through it day by day and feel it too. I am really focusing on the positives. So as angry as I might feel, It is also put me in a "state of emergency" to help others.  It is an emergency and it is urgent.  People need information so they can make informed decisions. They need to be told the truth. They need to be told the consequences. This is so much bigger than you or I could ever dream. It will take a mass number of people to make change. Yes we can do it a little bit at a time. But collectively, for example, what would our state of health and the idea of health insurance look like if we could choose a company based on what type of medicine we decide is best for us?  There is no insurance that covers the western or traditional medicines, only conventional. What would the world look and feel like if we ALL demanded our products be toxin free? I will tell you, we would ALL be in a healthier state. GUARANTEED. Wonder if I put out a Documentary and Book that informed people on a 3rd option that involved no surgery or drugs? AND it works??  Just stirring the pot. Get your braincells churning.  :)

Remember I told you i was in my bathroom one night because I needed to figure out why I was feeling so bad? This was it.  This was the heavy load I chose to carry for no reason. Remember i am learning. BUT in that learning process, great things are developing. I have been shocked at the core and my spirit was so riled up from all those past years that it has put me in fighter mode. I consider myself about 1/3 through my journey. I am giving myself a year to get my self and my spirit in alignment with my true destiny. It's a tall order and I am also getting 2 sides of love and happiness with that order! Til' next time.. Namaste and thx for caring! - Tami xo

Today was fun. I experienced Flying Trapeze with kids, well mostly kids. 3 other adults and 6 kids between 7-13years I would guess. As you know I have also been doing lots of soul-searching in my breast cancer journey. One of the things I wanted to work on was being fearful. I always thought of myself as not fearful, but as the past months have gone by, I realize I have been riding on fumes the past handful of years. I have clutched onto things in lieu of fear. The fear of FEELING fear was terrifying. Before my 2nd swing today, I asked the professional if she still gets the "roller coaster stomach drop " when she swings. She said "no, only when I try something new". AHA moment. There were many parallels with today's experience and LIFE. 

When I arrived, I saw nothing but kids and thought oh this should be fun. As I walked to the waiting area where everyone was belting up they were all picking which "number" they wanted to be. They all giggled and were oohing and awing as each of them signed up for a number. When it was my turn I could select 1, 4 or 6. (those were the only spots left) Which one do you think I picked?  1 of course! Hello! This is Tami! :)  They all giggled and gasped and eyes wide as I said wish me luck, I've never done this before. ( I later found out it was everyone's first experience at flying trapeze).  We got the rules and breakdown of what we were supposed to do when it was our turn to swing. We gathered around and chalked up our hands.

I started climbing the ladder which was the first big feat, the room got a little silent. The pressure was on to be brave in front of the kids. I won't lie, when I got up there I had about 1 second where I wanted to turn around, but going back down the ladder seemed worse.  If you have never had a flying trapeze experience, in order to "mount the bar" before you swing you have to grab one side, then let go and put your other hand on the bar and lean forward over the ledge as the instructor holds you with a harness before you make the swing.  You definitely have to put trust in someone else with your life. Trusting they will hold you up as you take the dive and try something new.

I got the stomach drop, butterflies, breathe cut off, and eyes closed the 1st 2 swings. You had to learn the cues and then LISTEN to the instructor on the microphone so you knew WHEN to " knees up" ,"legs through", " hands over head", "catch hands", "legs out", swing legs forward-back-forward", "tuck and spin". Each time we would all cheer and clap and high 5 and say good job! One little girl was getting frustrated on how to get her legs through so she could swing upside down. She asked me, " how do you do this?", " was it scary?". I said yes it was a bit scary but you just focus and go for it and visualize yourself doing it from start to finish. Her friend chimed in with, " you just gotta believe in yourself". GOOD GIRL! I wanted to give her a Fly Girl shirt for a prize since she answered that way, it was great!

So we got to the last round, ROUND 5. They selected 4 of us to try the CATCH. I was first again.  All eyes were wide and it was SUPER SILENT as I climbed the ladder.  I talked to myself the whole way up. All I had to do is do the patterned Swing that I had mastered after 4 swings, then extend my arms and trust and believe that the other instructor (who was perched on a shorter swing on the other side of the net) would reach out and grab my arms in mid swing and that it would work.   Well I will let you watch my video to see what happened.....

AS I left today, I felt very elated and happy that I tried something new. Something that put a little fear in my body and I was able to do it. I was able to progress. I was able to finish the established task that the instructors had demonstrated. It never felt TOO hard. It never felt TOO terrifying. It was a good lesson in just getting out and doing it. I had told one of the little girls who kept asking if it was scary and what would happen if they didn't catch me, " just think of the worse case scenario, you drop and the net catches you".  As I think back to all in my life that has happened, I have had a net every single time. Every thing has eventually worked itself out. No need to be fearful. Our minds take over and then we become fearful when there is no reason.

When I got home, for some reason I had the urge to dig up an old  poem book that I made in 1999. I was smart then. :) I thought I had it together, then LIFE kicked in. How could I have gone from writing these poems (below) to letting FEAR creep in and dictate certain parts of my life? There was a mom who participated today with her 2 kids.  Her kids were pretty full of energy and VERY rambunctious and you could tell the mom was just worn down from mommyhood. I noticed that as she took her swings she commented on how she didn't think she was STRONG enough to get her legs through the bar to swing upside down. It made me think about how as kids we can be SO #fearless and just put ourselves out there and then as we grow older and LIFE grows on us somehow our BRAVERY and SELF-WORTH and SELF- ESTEEM and SELF-CAPABILITIES get brushed under the rug. All we have to do is remember and believe.

I wanted to share 3 of the poems specifically in my book. They just seemed applicable for my journey right now.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for being part of my Journey. TAMI xo

As you can see, this is a full time job! Precisely WHY I am working from home this January. I was slowly preparing for this the month of November and December. The only gifts I asked for the holidays... Whole Foods Gift certificate, baby! And that is precisely what I got! Thx Fam!  It just made life easier to be able to get my veggies 2x a week so they would stay fresh.  I now don't waste any fruits or veggies cuz they can always go in the juicer! It's awesome! 

Some interesting tips and side notes for you all!  

Cancer likes sugar. Sugar is the #1 item anyone will tell you to stop consuming. Does it mean 100%? No, you can still eat minimal fruits. The idea is to keep your Glycemic levels really low to help kill off the cancer cells. That is why there are such diets as the Budwig , Keto and Gersen diets that people follow.  I still like to follow the Tami-diet :) which is... fresh is best, green is good, protein it up, fruit for dessert, all other food only consume once in a while. :)

Olive oil is what you should use for salad dressing NOT to cook with! Cook with Coconut or Grapeseed oils. ( reason: they can withstand a hot cooking temperature and won't become carcinogenic) 

If you are not eating meat, you should eat a sh++load of seeds for protein.

Consume Nuts for healthy omega fats.

Good idea to include a fermented product ( i do sauerkraut) for a healthy gut or a Probiotic. My Natrapath suggested this one... ​http://www.shopraby.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=probiomax

Cruciferous veggies ( the leafy ones) are what you want to mainly eat.

When you are shopping at the store you want ALL non-fresh items to have the label NON-GMO and USDA  and ORGANIC no questions asked! Why not try the farmers markets instead of the grocery store? Support local!

If you consume meat, you want GRASS-FED.

AND of course remember you want your water FILTERED in glass, ceramic or stainless steel drinking items.

Thanks for joining me in my healing breast cancer journey. Things are going well and I feel really optimistic with all the changes and new routines I have implemented. I am now out of the starting gate and ready to tackle even more! It feels good to take care of myself and know that I am doing "all the right things".  The REAL test will be making all these changes and instituting them for the REST OF MY LIFE.  At this point in the game, I feel it is REALLY POSSIBLE. I don't feel like I wanna deviate. ALL this research has really opened my eyes and shed light on where we have evolved this world and what we need to do to fix it so we can protect ourselves from disease and protect our children and the future generations. It IS possible. I am often thinking of "how my grandmother grew up" and I really wish she was around to school me again on WHAT their day to day life consisted of.... Even though electronics seem to be the evil of alot of health issues and stress, I believe we CAN use our knowledge and technology to help us GET BACK to what WAS working.  FOOD really can be our medicine. We have just altered it SO MUCH that our bodies don't know how to react and they are now toxic.  When you think about it, all we really need it Shelter, Food, Water and Fire to survive. WE have all these material things and get consumed with all that is out there, and we forget what we really NEED to be happy and healthy. My huge shoe collection sure is cute BUT at the end of the day it does not make me healthy and happy. So let's CHEERS our GREEN DRINKS to a new future that is less toxic because WE all helped us get back there as a nation!

Tami - xo

All I can say regarding my online buying habit is... "no amount of money is too much to try something that might work and is a healthier option for me". I have a sh++load of notes to still go through and see if I have forgotten anything. They are sprawled across my office floor so I can sift through them daily. (picture to the left) After my profuse note taking skills were zapped, I googled everything. I read WHY I should take or do something. I researched WHERE I could get it. I then looked to see IF what that site was selling WAS the real deal. It was time consuming BUT now I know.

I do this each and every time now when I buy something NEW. Hopefully over time I will develop my staple BUYS and this will become less of an ordeal.  You already know my 1st buys, the Berkey Water Filter and the Austin AIR Purifier. They are both GREAT and continue to use them! You also know I joined THRIVE and made my 1st order that contained mostly toiletries, spices, and some random buys.  I have NOT placed a 2nd order because luckily I don't need anything yet. However, I plan to research WHERE I can buy cheaper bulk raw NUTS and SEEDS and ESSENTIAL OILS in the future. I get them at Whole Foods right now and we all know Whole Foods is expensive. I AM currently buying ALL of my ORGANIC veggies and fruits at Whole Foods. I plan to research Farmers Markets in my area and also look into the Produce delivery from local gardens. Just haven't gotten there yet.  I have now also started some DIY items. I started to make my own hand soap, dishwasher soap, laundry soap, multi-purpose cleaner and floor cleaner. The best one was the multi-purpose cleaner. I am not spreading the Gnewz on ANY recipes until I have mastered them and think they ARE THE BEST! I gotta say the dishwasher soap was a struggle, my stuff looks hazy and I have to run it 2x.  I will get there eventually!

As I researched non-toxic products to buy , I then knew I had to decide on what I was gonna do for my DETOX in January. I will share that with you in my next blog. I then started reading about all the different supplements that were possible for me to take and why. I ended up with these....

I started to dig into non-toxic clothing.......

NOT good! BUT something to strive for as I build my a Fly Girl clothing line. Turns out MOST clothes are made with toxic fabrics... sigh. I made some purchases and to be honest, have not found a particular company that I love. I ordered a handful of basic items... the worst offender was a SMALL pair of panties I ordered. Well they ended up way too big and looked like major granny panties ( no offense if you are a grandma) My boyfriend said "well they have lace on the top". Thx! We will see how you like them when I wear them for my pajamas every night! I have again ravaged my closets and am trying to re-stock with healthier clothes. This is a really hard one right now. The 2 brands I wore the most Adidas and Nike were on the "most-toxic" list. I felt really defeated. I was pissed. I had a really bad day and felt so crappy I threw out all of my sport bras. Which was alot! Remember I am a Trainer so that is what I wear every day. Well I also learned the ladies should not be wearing bras for extended periods of time. Double sigh. WTH? Was I suppose to walk around all flippity floppedy? This is a simple article I found that can sum up what to look for BUT the question still remains, well where can I buy Stylish non-toxic clothing. (with emphasis on stylish- that seems to be the main problem)

This brings me to armpits and toiletries  and cosmetics.... MORE getting used to items.  The smells around the house and on ME were gone! I could no longer use my dove deodorant that I love so much and I can use NOTHING with FRAGRANCE in the ingredients. Double sigh. SO! in bougy-tami style you know I found makeups and parfum that I could use asap! I am still finishing up some of my JUICE beauty products (couldn't get myself to throw them out PLUS they are organic and not  bad for ya)- BUT as far as a beauty regimen I have been using just oils on my skin. Usually a base oil like Jojoba or Almond with some Essential oils mixed in.  I found THIS beauty oil which I love and it's cheap!  https://djehutymaatraherbs.com/beauty-oil 

REALLY happy with these buys ladies....
http://www.100percentpure.com/  for my some new makeup AND for my new parfum... http://www.eccobella.com/parfums/
I am still going to do more research on what to buy and I will even dig into some DIY recipes for body lotions and some cosmetics. And yes after I use up those pretty Eco Bella parfums I will keep the bottles and start to make my own parfums with Essential oils!
My most recent buy was for hair care. I bought this product http://shop.morroccomethod.com/ .  I am in the middle of deciding what to do with my hair. I went Platinum a couple years ago and am starting to grow it out... guess what... hair color is toxic too... triple sigh. I will gradually get some browns back in there, I am struggling with what to do and will likely use regular dye at least one more time so I can blend my hair and so I don't look like Nikki Minaj's color part. That would be a nice picture, my hair halfway grown out and the top 1/2 is brown and the bottom half platinum... hmm!  So long story even longer, I have done some research and purchases and will keep you updated when I FIND the ones I think are BEST!

In conclusion, I STRONGLY suggest you  browse through this site when you have time... ​http://www.ewg.org/ . It is a great site to understand your job as a CONSUMER and what you are getting yourself into with your purchases.  We are bombarded by nothing but chemicals EVERY DAY in almost EVERYTHING. It's really scary to think about. We must take measures to protect ourselves and DEMAND safer products and ingredients. My BEST advice would be just to start READING any and all labels for everything you purchase. Even if you don't know what everything is , at least you will be more aware. 

Thx for reading and caring! Til next time... xo  Tami
​

People were asking me questions and I just couldn't seem to concentrate on the tasks at hand or get anything productive accomplished. So frustrated that I had to leave before I let out a scream just to release. I realize now that this was part of the process. Just as I tell my Depaul students it's about getting rid of the old negative stuff and bad habits/patterns so you have room for the new positive good habits and things that bring you joy and fulfillment.  YES this was a TEST and I had to eat my words and walk the talk. Just like a cluttered closet you have to get rid of things so you have room for new stuff, right? The problem is letting go of the old because...... we might need it again? we will miss it? we paid all that money for it? We just can't seem to let go of things sometimes.  

From this I developed my first legit cancer-fighting motto "let it go" and " detox your life". I even developed some phrasing for a Fly Girl  and made a retractable banner with these words.​ (up above) I am a big advocate in surrounding yourself with what you want to be, in the environments that help you be that, and around the people that can also help you develop into that intention or vision. I believe this is a great tool to help you achieve change. Change can be very challenging. We all will go through changes throughout our lifetime. Which brings me to the word  "fear".  I have always believed that this "fear" is what holds us back, what makes us do or believe certain things, why we sometimes stay in our safe zone, why we might have insecurities, and why we might have racist or judgmental qualities. We act out of fear sometimes and it can be a pretty ugly picture and it can be very self deprecating.

My NEW improved MOTTO...

My 2 BIGGEST Challenges in this journey are surprisingly NOT the Cancer. I find myself back in the saddle doing an abundance of self-work again! I guess we always feel we have it figured out, then nope, you get a big swift kick in the a++ with something else that needs to be resolved or experienced in your life in order for you to move forward. My 2 biggies: FEAR- Reacting out of Fear or NOT acting because of Fear, LETTING GO of all that exists in your Life to let CHANGE happen. Let me be more explicit. Let's address Letting Go. The opposite, holding on, controlling, manipulating, not allowing, keeping at arms length, are all actions that were present in my life. YUCK! Whether it was me putting restrictions on my own self, other people, or in relationships. GROSS! Who wants RULES and REGULATIONS on how you should be , talk, act, do, give, receive, feel? Gosh I feel like the lifetime movie Stepford Wives and I am not even a wife! AND the worst part.. I did it to myself! No one did it to me! I feel kinda sheepish... baaah. :) Time I had a talk with myself and tell myself the real deal. Get straight to the point with no sugar coating.  YOU are your own worst enemy Tami. BUT, I forgive you and let's learn, heal, and move forward.  xo :) thx Tami, love you too. SEE! That's all you have to do! Talk to yourself! :) I have been doing it for years! In my head, not out loud. I think I will start doing it out loud, maybe that will help it sink in better. On the realz, letting go is challenging for some, I knew it was there but did not know how to  "fix it".  I am really hoping that out of this whole process and my new adventures, these 2 things, Letting GO, and battling Fear will just go away, along with the cancer.  As I experience more Ayurvedic sessions, approach meditation, create ZEN in my home, create my new daily routine, I find my MIND changing and adapting to NEW healthy ways for my SOUL that just seem to automatically help the past negatives disappear. I am blowing in the wind and one by one this monsoon is blowing away the wreckage and they are no longer part of me.  So enlightening and freeing and helpful for my Life. 


As I analyze my own self and my own habits and reactions I now realize in certain areas of my life I let FEAR sway me. It could be a little fear or a big fear and it could also be a FAKE fear. Fake meaning I look at it now and ask myself " why did i do that? or react that way? or why didn't I speak up? or why did I not just try to do that? why did i procrastinate?" and really the list goes on and on for me.... Fear for losing what? Fear of being what? Fear of people thinking what? I would like to quote Katt Williams and say my new motto is like IF you were gonna take a hit from a joint and you get high and you have an attitude that feels like...  "fu++ it!". So what! Who cares! Well I care. BUT why? If I was truly in touch with my spirit I think I would have known better. I think I would have been able to put on a smile and go ahead with the things that really gave me joy and happiness and laughter, no matter what. I would have been able to be in this material world and been able to move down my TRUE path.  Well no more! I AM working on it and coincidentally the "I AM" is part of the resolution. Look up different forms of meditation and read about the I  AM and maybe this will start to make sense. The " I AM" is a whole other subject that has lots of sentiment and is a tool to help people CHANGE and grow and be confident and set intentions to what and where they want to be.  We act out of fear so we need to FEAR LESS and be FEARLESS. FEAR holds us back and does not allow us to live our lives completely and fully. FEAR can paralyze us. FEAR can hinder us. FEAR makes us act out unnecessary judgements. FEAR  is NOT my friend right now BUT I will walk side by side with FEAR so I can move out of FEAR. Friends with the Enemy, right? Maybe a passive aggressive way to deal, but hey, gotta do what ya gotta do. 

So namaste Friends, I have some fears to go battle.  I shall return!

​Tami xo

NOVEMBER- Weeks 7-8-9-10

As I started to declutter my house, my closets, and my pantry, my soul started to shake a bit. I became weepy at a moments notice. I swear my spirit was beginning to detox. I was having all sorts of "aha moments" about relationships both past and current, both family and friends. I was seeing clarity in relationships. I was seeing things I wanted to be different in relationships. I was seeing my downfalls and contributions to NOT having success in GREAT relationships with really most people in my life.  I feel like I have been on auto-pilot the past 10 years. I have been pretty numb to just about everything and just getting through each day. THIS was a problem for me and I did NOT like it! The feeling of feeling "UN-fulfilled" when I have so much to be grateful for baffled me.  I am writing this blog on week 16 so I am looking back a bit and still figuring everything out.  I will say this " I am in the Works".  I always have been on a mission to be the best version of me and to be happy.  I have never felt "there" yet. I am learning slowly but surely to enjoy the process and that "there" is "here and now". What can I say? I am a product of life today? I hope to drastically CHANGE this part of me. To be honest, I think THIS is the hardest part of ALL the parts about detoxing your life and filling yourself back up with goodness.  The Soul is definitely a part of all of us and separate of our physical body that seems to take charge all the time. I think I will sit down and have a talk with my body today.  Inspired by my hip-hop ness and the Geto Boys, "My Minds Playin' Tricks on ME"! AHA moment. Hello- this is exactly WHY I started a Fly Girl.  Full Circle Moment. I am using my own product. Gee who would have thought I needed encouragement or support or a pick me up? :) Could this part of me be the connection to feeling fulfilled and moving forward with my passion and dreams in a way I never dreamed about? (stay tuned) browse this site if you have no idea what I am talking about. I started this BRAND about 3-4 years ago. It was a way for me to fuse my music, fitness, and fashion all together. Just like me, it is in the works. I am sure this journey will give me some directional points.

About a year ago I discovered the 21-day Oprah and Deepak Chopra Mediation series. LIKE them or start to read about it here... https://www.facebook.com/ChopraMeditation .  I have always been into reading self-help books, but this seemed like a quick day to day thing I could start to incorporate. I listened to "Manifesting True Success" for 21-days and was hooked!  Well, just like many, I became a bandwagon junkie. I would do it for a while, then fall off, then do it some more, then fall off.  NOW was the TIME to re-open that APP and listen to them again! 20 minutes  a day- in the morning is when I like these specific ones best. ALSO, when I am working from home on the computer I turn YouTube on and play a 6-hour meditation music video rather than just have the TV on in the background for company. These new sounds along with my NEW Essential oils ( which I will get to in another blog) seem to be having a very positive effect on my mood and temperament.  

As I journey through each day  it HAS to be approached " day to day" since there are really no instructions that are SIMPLISTIC on how to cure your own Cancer. It is multi-tiered, multi-layered, multiple emotions, many foods, daily devotions of fitness and meditation, many oils-herbs-supplements,  and for me a NEW WAY of THINKING. I have always been what I call an "A-holic". I have an addictive personality and when I like something I jump right in and usually overdo it. On multiple times in my life  I have shopped like a shop-a-holic, drank like an alcoholic, worked like a work-o-holic, and exercised like an exercise-a-holic. These were my vices along with watching the same movies over and over, listening to the same songs over and over, and eating the same snack foods over and over. I suppose that was what I was trying to fill myself up with all this time. Look where it got me. God works in mysterious ways. I get it now. I just hope I can keep my changes permanent and continue to dig deeper into a fulfilling life. 

I am definitely at a crossroads.  It feels very challenging to heal and change, then go out into the world that was knocking you down. My TOXIC radar is in full blast and I feel like I have my battle shield up. Whether it's food, house products, clothing, environments, people, or situations, it is easiest right now just to bow out and not participate until I feel stronger in my devotions and myself. 
It sucks. I don't want to live like a hermit, it is finding the ways to pave new roads to a new me.  I am trying NOT to overthink the future. Right? That's what I said, day by day! See I am already learning!

My investigations into Deepak Chopra and his  "message" lead me to an Ayurvedic Lifestyle. When you begin practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle, what you are really doing is starting a journey of self-discovery, mindfulness, and awareness. With this, comes an improvement in your overall well-being and your spiritual growth. I am just in the beginner stages so I don't have many answers, but I do know it is helping. There are a small handful of centers in Chicago/land areas that I am "experiencing" and trying to get my feet grounded. For some you could say this is "my church" even though there is no building you go to, it is looking inside yourself. You are your own temple, right? I am currently learning about the doshas, using herbs and oils, meditation, yoga, and meeting with a healer. It is helping me get through my emotions, release, let go, just be, and know that everything is ok.  Dare I say I am becoming an Ayurvedic-aholic? :)  I know, I know, don't get your panties in  a bunch and think all these changes will make Tami boring. I always strive for balance and know that everyone has their own preferences, likes, beliefs, and own personal journey. I still want to kick is sometimes and drink my Biodynamic Cabernet and get tipsy. Point is, this is working for me and I wanted to share.

Check out my 1st Ayurvedic experience in this video!

Ok. Now I had no way to clean my house. I went to Whole Foods and went down the small cleaning supply aisle and started to read the ingredients in each item. I noticed that Whole Foods put up what I call a "GREEN" -o-meter. It told you how GREEN the item was as far as environmental friendly. SO, I figured between picking the GREENest and the items with the MOST ingredients I could pronounce I settled for those items that day! I got home to restock my items and then started thinking about my diet. I knew what I needed to eliminate already. It took me the next 10 weeks to ween myself completely off alcohol, coffee, my boyfriends chips & crackers, and to decrease my sugar consumption. It was hard. They ALL were hard to stop doing. BUT, I think when your mind starts to shift, it becomes easier. I had other detoxing in my life to do and I knew it all was combined together and would eventually work itself out. 

I continued my readings and research every day. I was looking for answers and I found them. The MORE something was REPEATED, I knew I should be doing it. I had not even scratched the surface. I merely threw out some trash and had weeks and months of work ahead of me. Researching became my new full-time job along with my other jobs. I couldn't stop. My first 2 BIG purchases were an AIR Purifier and WATER Filter.  I dropped my first $700. Worth it! I use them ALL DAY EVERY DAY! 

 I bought the $200 Berkey Water Filter - they have lots of sizes and it is portable. 
http://www.berkeyfilters.com/?gclid=CNnInuLqpcoCFQymaQodUDoOgA

I will eventually upgrade to one of these... LIFE IONIZER or KANGEN - 2 BIG points about WHY I would want to purchase these:

1) I can use it via my sink so cleaning veggies and the house and drinking water is simplified and I am not depending on 4.5 gallons of water that need to be refilled.
2) These machines ALKALIZE your water. Read through the sites to understand. In a nutshell, we are ACIDIC because of all the things we consume daily. We need to balance our PH levels daily and this helps! 

http://www.lifeionizers.com/products/ionizers.html
http://www.enagic.com/shop/en/machines.html

WATCH THIS VIDEO AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I STARTED WITH WATER.

​I received my AIR purifier on WEEK 6 via USPS. Thanks Mail carrier I KNOW it was SUPER HEAVY!  I keep it in my bedroom since that is where I sleep 8-9hours right now each night. I had smaller ones before BUT this one ROCKS! Basically, the more you spend, the more it will do for you. I have 2 cats and have been getting allergies more and more the past 10 years so it is totally worth a peaceful and clean feeling nights sleep. I bought it because I feel like it is helping to maintain the CLEAN and non-toxic environment in my home that I am trying to now create. I bought this brand, AUSTIN,  and REALLY like it!    http://austinair.com/ It was not on the list of things you HAD to have for ALTERNATIVE healing it just seemed like a good idea and my sister was told to purchase one after her double mastectomy so her surgical healing process at home went smooth. So glad I did it. I don't think I have even turned it OFF since it arrived. (with the exception of rolling it into another room)  Weeks later I also researched air purifying plants and purchased a bunch! Not only are they pretty and make the house FEEL more natural and fresh, they are spreading GOODNESS! I started with a Peace Lily, Spider Plant, and Dracaena. Also, as a side note, I would like you to know that I bought roses and lillies from Jewel for Christmas Eve and used my FILTERED water in the vases. I have NEVER seen flowers bloom so FULL and stay for so long!  Just sayin, it might be the water. :) ALSO, we had my sisters' kids over for Christmas Eve and one of them has SEVERE allergies. I cleaned well and used my AIR purifier in the upstairs the 3 days prior to them coming and not even a sneeze or sniffle or red eyes! aha! PROOF! 

 Week 4
My diligent mother was doing her own in depth research now that she had 2 daughters with breast cancer. She started sending me links to these Cancer videos. I drug my feet to watch, but once i started I was hooked. They were long. They were terse. They were informational. They were eye opening. Ironically, they came out only this October 2015. Destiny? I don't know.   There were 9 documentaries. Each documentary was about 90minutes.  The documentaries consisted of interviewing MANY physicians and health professionals and researchers within what insurance companies call  ALTERNATIVE medicine. Here is the link If you feel like checking it out... http://thetruthaboutcancer.com/ . I had lots of questions. I instantly became my own research assistant. I thought my computer time was too much already, I was now permanently glued to to my computer, my ipad, and my iphone. I took notes, then re-watched and took notes again. I researched ALL the people mentioned in the documentaries and came across Dr. Veronique Desaulniers  the "http://breastcancerconqueror.com/ ". I bought her audio book and listened to it 2 times. Then a 3rd time and took notes. I also came across this site http://www.americanaci.org/ and this guy Bob Wright author of  Killing Cancer- Not People . There was a definite theme that kept repeating. 1) Yes you can cure yourself naturally 2) Yes you should be detoxing your body, your household, your spirit  3) Yes you can use herbs and supplements 4) Yes you should be exercising and eating  mostly cruciferous vegetables right now 5) Yes you should include stress relieving regimens daily . 

Bam! My decision was made. I was going to cure my breast cancer naturally. It all made sense and seemed to Fit ME best considering my health & fitness background and spiritual beliefs. I began my mission and had no idea what was in store for me or WHO could essentially help me.  I went to a 3rd doctor to get another opinion, extensive blood tests, and to check out the option of "integrative" medicine at http://www.blockmd.com/ where I met with another author and doctor. I thought I could get some diet advice, and perhaps utilize some of their integrative services and have it be covered by insurance. I had informed them prior I was going to be healing naturally and I wanted some guidance. The Dr. opinion was Yes I needed surgery because my cancer results contained  "cribriform". I was told to contact his surgeon friend and line up a surgery in the next few weeks. The dietician in my opinion was very amateur and gave me very basic text book guidance. The therapist could see I was on my journey and felt my emotional and spiritual behaviors were A ok and told me to do a bit of meditation each day. After 20 vials of blood, I walked out of the center past patients receiving chemotherapy.  

I left feeling like sh++. I learned that "integrative" means using  "complementary  therapies that address the physical, nutritional, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects of healing" AFTER surgery. AND furthermore, NO these services are NOT covered by insurance. Just to be clear, "Conventional medicine is a system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery." I learned the definition of WHAT I was seeking to be "Traditional medicine which is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness." After all my readings, my OPINION and simplistic dissection of differentiating the 2 are:  Conventional is based on the technical biological science that we study in schools, and Traditional is based on how particular segments of our population have repeatedly used natural elements to help heal the body. 

Time to get my brain straight and pump myself up for this journey ahead of me. I now saw it was gonna be a very tough and challenging one. I realized I was personally being challenged and my belief is it was happening for a reason. So in true Tami-style, I picked up the reigns and charged forward. No looking back to see if I made the right decision. No looking back and feeling sorry or regretful. No looking back and judging. 

My MRI also came back in week 4. I was told they found suspicious areas in the other breast and wanted me to come back for another Breast Biopsy. I made the decision to NOT have a 2nd Biopsy and to start my Alternative journey, which I will now officially start to call Natural Healing.  I declared this in my head so I can be strong in my decision and keep trudging through this quicksand.  I feel like ALTERNATIVE has perceptions of "it's not good", "it doesn't work", "it's quackery", "it's not necessary" AND the FACT that it is NOT covered by Health Insurance also SENDS THE PUBLIC MESSAGE to People that it is NOT good and NOT supported. According to WIKIpedia, "Alternative examples include new and traditional medicine practices such as homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, energy medicine, various forms of acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and Christian faith healing. The treatments are those that are not part of the science-based healthcare system." Thanks WIKIpedia!

I sat in front of my computer majorly PISSED OFF at the world of Insurance, the world of Peoples Perception, and the world of What Government Deems acceptable in regards to our Health Care. I was PISSED OFF that because I was CHOOSING my declared
3rd Option  (that is what I am now also officially calling it) that did not include surgery or drugs, Insurance would not pay for my choice. I felt penalized. I felt let down. I felt ripped off. I felt deceived. NOT the feelings I was going for BUT necessary to provoke CHANGE. It catapulted me into a solid Natural Healing mode and I have not stopped since.

Thanks for reading!

Tami
xo

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