Hello all,

I have been on Life Start II at 1/4 t. once/day for 3 months now, and cannot ramp up past that dose even the tiniest bit. If I do, my body 'overproduces and undermotivates' (my problem is NOT diarrhea, it's spasms, gas and resulting contipation)...I have extreme gas and slow, multiple bowel movements that need to be instigated with hot tea and/or food. This can go on for 3 hours in the morning before I even feel 'acceptable' to proceed with my day. I have talked to Natren and I know that I just need to be patient, but I am getting pretty frustrated. Here is my question: (besides needing some bolstering up to remain patient) The Natren website describes Digesta-Lac as helping elimination, stimulationg the intestinal tract, etc. That sounds positive for my problems and I am wondering why I should wait to get my Life Start dose up higher before trying it additionally. Also, I know that is not the order Jini suggests going in but Natren says that Megadophilus firms the stool and I certainly don't need that right now. Any thoughts? (I excercise, do yoga, etc., drink lots of water, so that part is not an issue)

Also, I am on a Climara estradiol patch, which is a very low dose of bioidentical hormones...but am wondering if that has a detrimental effect on bacteria? My GYN wants to put me back on a super low dose birth control pill and I am wondering too if such a low dose disrupts the bacteria? (this is new, not for birth control at all--only for menopause, too low dose for birth control).If anyone can speak to that, I would appreciate it. If I am shooting myself in the foot everyday with this, I need to do some choosing. I need something for the bone protection, but hate the major bowel problems.

thanks so much!!!

Hi, Susan.

I know the patience part can be hard, for both we ourselves and sometimes for our families/support networks. And it is like putting a puzzle together. Jini's been able to give us wonderful guidance, based on her own experimenting and experience and from feedback from her many consultation clients, but ultimately, we all still have to customize that guidance to ourselves and that means time, testing and sometimes, indeed, frustration.

I like something Jini said to someone else several months ago.

Feeling, "yeah, that sounds interesting, that sounds as if it should work" is often a way our intuition nudges us towards what we need.

So if you're feeling drawn to trying the DigestaLac, I say, go for it! I certainly can't claim to know what the exact response will be and I advise starting slowly (which you probably would, anyway), but it could be just what your system needs.

See if your local library has a copy of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause. The same authors also have a book called What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, but I haven't read that one. The first title has a wealth of information about hormone balance and the multiple factors we can address to achieve and/or maintain it.

I don't have a definite answer to this one, but my intuitive response is that bioidentical hormones will not have a detrimental effect on beneficial bacteria. Synthetic birth control pills are known to interfere with beneficial bacteria, on the other hand.

There are a lot of things you can do naturally to promote bone health, however. (Fortunately, because I agree, it's definitely important!) Weight lifting is proven to increase bone mass, even for elderly women. Weight-bearing exercise has the same effect.

Here's a couple of articles I found on Dr. Mercola's website that you may enjoy on the subject, as well.

http://www.mercola.com/2005/nov/19/keep ... ercise.htm

http://www.mercola.com/2005/mar/19/oste ... _wheat.htm

Finally, remember to keep using EFT and/or craniosacral therapy. You can use EFT purely for symptom relief (I've often found that it doesn't give me immediate relief, but I'll do a few rounds and half an hour or so later, all of a sudden I'll realize that the pain/discomfort is gone). However, I encourage you to try to address any emotional issues, as well. I've shared a few specific emotional events I've used EFT for on the site that you can check out for examples. Doing so can only benefit any of us.

Another idea is to use EFT in conjunction with an affirmation. For instance, "My colon has a comfortable, complete and gas-free bowel movement every morning when I get up." Decide what you'd like to be true, state it as if it is already true in the present tense and repeat your affirmation in front of a mirror as you tap on the EFT points. I did this every night before going to bed for a few months and it helped my body to get into the habit of getting a full night's sleep without having to get up in the middle of the night for a bowel movement.

Hope some of these ideas will be helpful for you.

Nicole

Thanks for this, Nicole---your slant/quote regarding listening to yourself is a nudge I always seem to need. I think, (like many of us) I have tried so many things and many don't pan out....that my self-trust level regarding food/supplements is a little low. I need to really listen hard and rebuild those 'trust' muscles!

Have ordered the DigestaLac from Whole Foods and will give it a shot next week. In the meantime, I think my Life Start reaction is changing...so I need that all important patience. I've become a little more constipated. Am taking a chance and trying a very low dose of a gentle insoluble fiber and a magnesium powder the folks on Heather's website swear by, called Natural Calm. So far, so good.

Thanks also for the EFT nudge. Had a cranio-sacral session this week, and, again, just cannot say enough great stuff about that therapy.

thanks again---

Yes, I can sympathize.

I think most of us look first to food & supplements and truthfully, they do play a big part in getting better. Obviously, eating something aggravating regularly is going to retard or prevent healing, for instance. Looking to outside things to help/'fix' us just seems to be a natural tendency, maybe because of the medical paradigm we all grew up with. (When is the last time a doctor encouraged you to connect with yourself to develop a treatment plan, for instance?)

So I think it takes most of us some time and practice to rebuild our self-trust.

The truth is, it would be much easier and less work if someone could just give us a plan, 'just do x,y and z' and it would work for everyone.

But ultimately, complete healing requires us to go inside ourselves first and often, connect with our intuition, listen to our gut! and go forward with that. And my own experience is, that certainly is a journey, not just a little side trip!

Not preaching here, you just got me thinking.

Thanks for the comment on cranio-sacral therapy, too. I did some looking up on the Internet and found a therapist not too far from me that I can try, to begin with, but I've just been so busy these last couple of months that I haven't made the call. So you've given me a needed nudge, too. Thank you!

Take care,

Nicole