In my search for healing, I've come across many things that have helped me. Because of my traumatic brain injury and other issues, I am very sensitive. Therefore I have chosen to use as many natural modalities as possible to support my recovery. One of the first areas I realized I was reactive to was scents. Room deodorizers, laundry soaps and fabric softeners, perfume and cologne, incense, and candles can cause me to react with sinus congestion and/or asthmatic flair up not to mention a very intense headache or nausea. To reduce this exposure, I use only borax or Dawn for stains in my laundry. I don't use fabric softener. I use my earthing sheet to remove any static electricity. I don't use most perfumes but have been known to use a very high quality, pure essential oil such as lavender or vanilla. The only candles I'll use are beeswax or palm wax with very light, natural scents. As for incense, I only use very, very pure ones and not often.
Light is another huge area of sensitivity for me. When I am in yellow or off white light, my eyes water, I may get a headache, or become extremely irritable and tense. I do my best to use very clean light. Revere light bulbs, natural sunlight unless it contains a lot of glare, or very minimal lighting suits me best. Fluorescent is by far the worst for me and I really can't tolerate it for long. I'm one of those people who hears the buzzing in them. Mega stores are not places I go to often.
Movement is another area of sensitivity. I am bothered by fast pictures, traffic, sounds, or movement of others. I can process things much better when things are slowed down. People don't need to speak excessively slowly but I do much better with little or no background nose or distractions.
Food is another gigantic area for me to handle. I do my best to avoid all conventional and most organic soy and corn, including high fructose corn syrup. I avoid processed food. I do my best to consume organic, non-genetically modified (non-gmo) foods. I will occasionally eat conventional wheat, sugar or flour but really keep it to a minimum. I don't eat dairy except for a rare occasion of butter. My diet is largely plant based.
I agree with David Wolfe, Daniel Vitalis, and many other whole food/raw food consumers that eating food as close to nature is important. I do take a few supplements but most of my nutrition comes from whole foods. I take raw cacao for magnesium and combine it with cinnamon along with some raw, unheated honey. I do use chaga, reishi and rhemannia herbs in teas. I take lion's mane mushroom capsules and gingko biloba for neurological support. I consume healthy fats to also help support my neurological system such as spirulina, coconut oil, krill or high quality fish oil, and COQ10.
When I was younger, I had chronic allergies and frequent colds. Because of my changes in diet, removing dairy specifically, I am rarely sick and my allergies at their worst can be dealt with by taking quercetin and/or nettles.
Even after years of black mold exposure, my system is healing. I particularly like non-gmo D-Ribose to help with energy. When my electrolytes are not up where they need to be, I turn to raw, unheated coconut water. It makes me feel better faster than anything else I've tried. I am not trying to be redundant in saying, raw and unheated. Sadly food labeling does allow for products to be labeled raw even though they have been heated. Heating does remove some degree of nutrition and when enzymes and phytonutritients are involved, heating doesn't allow for these precious nutrients to stay in tact.
I love the kirlian photography of foods that David Wolfe offers in his book Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future. I can feel the difference in the types of foods I eat. I believe that spiritually we do receive energy from what we take into our bodies. If we eat or drink when we are angry, sad or fearful, we are not getting all that the food is capable of sharing with us. Eating like praying is sacred and I believe we need to consume our food with honor and gratitude.
My sensitivity is something I have needed to accept about myself. Some people have honored it and some have critiqued it. I am not one of those types who can handle anything anywhere. I need to honor myself and accept that I do need quiet, peace, reflection, gentleness, and kindness. Sometimes it's a challenge to be so sensitive in such an insensitive world, yet I have found that if I honor this gift than interestingly so do others.
References:
http://www.earthing.com
http://www.danielvitalis.com
http://www.davidwolfe.com/
Wolfe, D. (2009) Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future Berkely, California: North Atlantic Books.
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