Forty is fabulous! After years of putting others first, I have finally grasped the concept that my life belongs to me. As a young woman, I lived for the approval of others. If I was just pretty enough or did enough for others, I thought, the whole world would like and accept me. Now I know that I no longer need to impress the whole world; I just need to impress me. I still love being beautiful, but it no longer defines who I am. Instead, I have embraced my imperfections and found my talents. I have converted my dreams into goals, and have begun to achieve them one by one. And I now enjoy a new level of comfort with who I am and what I can achieve in life.
As a wife, mother, businesswoman, friend, daughter, sister and granddaughter, the demands on my time never end. However, I no longer strive to be Superwoman because I have learned that when I take time for myself, I don't take from others. Instead, I add to their wellbeing as well as my own. I now know that when I love myself more, others will respond in kind. And that has given me the freedom, confidence and courage to become more than I ever dreamed possible. A year ago I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I went from being very active to completely disabled. I couldn't make it from my bed to my bathroom, but everything happens for a reason. I began to research alternative medicine and treatment available, and in three months I had a complete turn around. Since then I'm armed with this newfound awareness, I have embraced my courage, ambitions and independence with a confident smile, sassy red lipstick, and a proud new slogan -- the best is yet to come!
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I'm just watching what I eat, and every time I deviate I feel it in 5 days.
I found about the Dead Sea by doing my own research.
June 24, 2008 - 3:48pmThis Comment
Thank you for sharing. I wasn't familiar with this condition before. How did you find out about the Dead Sea treatment. Was it recommended by a doctor or naturopath? Are you currently on medications?
June 20, 2008 - 10:54amThis Comment
What is Psoriatic Arthritis- PA? The most primitive but accurate description would be, it is a skin condition (psoriasis) with arthritis to go along for the ride.
Not a good thing. PA can be very debilitating, it's just as bad as Rheumatoid Arthritis as far as pain, but with the break out of psoriasis patches all over the body, or in particular areas.
I had taken a test from www.alcat.com it is a company in Florida that does blood work for food sensitivities, not allergies, SENSITIVITIES. After the test I got my death sentence. I was not allowed to eat practically anything that I was eating at the moment.
No gluten, no sugar, no meat, no chicken, no chocolate, NO LIFE....
But when you can't walk you have no choice, I stuck to it, and amazingly enough in 5 days, yes just 5 days I felt 50% better. I began to walk and limp...
I than discovered the miracles of the Dead Sea and put my life on hold for three weeks and baked on the sun
(my whole body was covered with psoriasis patches) the treatment is brutal, six hours on the sun and 4 times 15 minutes at a time in the sea.
First I got worse, it took 18 days to see improvement. After 21 days my skin cleared up, I came back home, stuck to a diet and after three months of the diet my SED rate (the inflammation measured by blood work in the body) fell 63%
This is one year later, I cheat, sometimes, I have my sugar fixes, and sometimes I eat chicken and meat, but as soon as I do, my skin lets me know the next day. So I have to be careful. As for arthritis, it's triggered by gluten, 5 days of croissants, (and I'm talking one once a day) and I feel it in my back.
Doctors tested me for gluten and assured me that it was okay, apparently it's not.
I LOVE food, so for me to give it up is tough, and the worse is to accept that we really are what we eat.
Yana Berlin - Founder of www.fabulously40.com a social network for women forty and beyond.
June 19, 2008 - 11:06pmJoin the movement and live your best life.
This Comment
I loved your post...thank you for sending the uplifting, positive vibes out!
I'm happy that you are doing so well! I am in my mid-30s, and could relate to your message about "pleasing others". I am now just getting to that point of pleasing myself, first, and not worry about approval (or rejection!) from the rest of the world.
Can you SHARE with us what psoriatic arthritis is, and how it differs from other types of arthritis? Also, what did you learn about this condition, as well as the treatments (traditional, complimentary and alternative) that are available?
June 19, 2008 - 1:17pmThis Comment
Thank you! Your post was just the kind of inspiration I needed today. As I near 40, it's nice to know there's something to look forward to as the message (from society and the media) is often the opposite.
Can you share what you did to overcome the psoriatic arthritis?
June 19, 2008 - 5:27amThis Comment