I forgot to mention that I am enjoying the Aquas...my elbow are not brittle now, the dry skin on my feet is going away, my eyes are moist, not dry and agravating and I am actually wanting to drink water again. Haven’t wanted it for quite a while. Mentioned them on Neurotalk and have already had an inquirey about it….so you may hear from more people with PD
Take care
Aunt Bean
(Sandra)
Just a quick note to let you know that I have come across something else that is helping two of my difficulties: Organic Blackstrap Molasses. I was researching to see if it is healthy or not, because it is a byproduct of sugar cane. The information said it was good for acid reflux and constipation.
Constipation has been a problem since my diving accident in 7th grade (when my foot drag first appeared). I don’t have acid reflux (have very rarely) But, have a problem with the “door” to the stomach not opening to receive food or liquids sometimes.
I thought, that’s the same area at least needing help … can’t hurt to try it. Well, I have taken a teaspoon every day for a week or so and my bowels are moving much better and the digestive system is cooperating also.
Fermented papaya still a major blessing. Also still eating stewed rhubard and strawberries.
Favas in the 50′ covered raised bed are starting to flower. I planted 3 raised beds with favas on Monday in a cold rain (about 100 sprouting seeds). So, this year’s garden is on it’s way. I should have a lot more planted by now, but the weather is not cooperating.
God is good, we still have tincture from last year to go on.
I have just enjoyed “Howard’s blog on Chi Gong….interesting enough….I do alot of the same stretches with no involvement in yoga, etc. The stretches & torquing my muscles (like full body isometrics…using my muscles against each other) have been part of my life since about 2003. Perhaps that is a major part of my not succumbing to my symptoms of PD/ along with a mostly vegetarian diet. I eat eggs, a small amount of deer meat occasionally/ and fish plus dance /do hard work in the garden/ play music and sing.
God is so good.
Blessings from Aunt Bean
(Sandra)
Still having wonderful effects from the fermented papaya that I have been making since November. It has truly helped my symptoms, especially the night time difficulties that had become increasingly worse. I felt like the hunch back of Notre Dame from a movie watched in 6th grade. My left hand was drawn to my chest/ severe right foot drag/ and right arm flailing to try to keep my balance on the once nightly trip to the bathroom.
In the last month, I decided to take a little more than I had been using and low and behold…the night time trips are back to normal walking again. It still takes walking on my right foot for about 10 minutes in the morning for it to straighten up & Fly Right! But that is ok with me…it is the slowest thing to “come around” after my first fava tincture dose in the morning. (The foot drag was the first major symptom after a diving accident in 7th grade.)
A lot of PD’ers had symptoms early in life when major stress emotionally or physically came into their life. Then the symptoms will disapear until the next major stress comes along.
Here is my current recipe for making the Dried Fermented Papaya Chips
1. Buy a papaya and let it sit on the kitchen counter until ripe (can gently push skin like a peach)
2. Wash outside of skin with soapy water & rinse well/Peel and discard skin….mash the fruit.
*the seeds are edible in small amounts-like a few on salad/but can possibly cause miscarriage
if pregnant
3. Place mashed fruit in a very clean container (I use a 2 Quart corningware casserole)
4. For 3 Cups I mix in 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and cinnamon spice
5. Place plastic wrap directly on the top of the papaya mash and chase out air bubbles starting at the
center . You want to block out all air. Seal on the side/ then place another sheet of plastic on top .
(to create a double seal
6. Let the mixture sit on the kitchen counter for 7 days to ferment
7. Remove plastic. Check color of mixture…it should still be pretty orange top to bottom
If there is some dark areas on the top./or any mold….remove and discard this
*use only nice clear orange…if it has spoiled, throw it out. I lost one batch & had to remove an
inch from the top from another, usually the whole amount is usable.
8 I add about 3 Tablespoons of ground flaxseed, a teaspoon of salt, a Tablespoon of Agave
to about 3 Cups of mash . Stir well and let stand about 20 minutes , stir well again.
9. Place in a dehydrator. on unbleached parchment paper in teaspoonful blobs
10. Turn on dehydrator (I use living foods temp on excaliber) but if yours has no temperature control
It will work at higher temperature
Well, this came from reading about the last Pope using papaya for his PD. Hope some of you are able to make this and try it for yourself.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Aunt Bean
Greetings from TN. We had a beautiful day today, up to 70 degrees, but we will have more cold weather for sure. I have planted my first fava beans for 2011. The ones that I planted in the 50 feet raised bed with hoops and a row cover are finally starting to grow. They have been sitting kind of dormant since planted in November….they must have gotten the signal from nature that it is finally time! They are beautiful and I crawled down the middle of the 2 rows and weeded.
Also, was able to weed and remulch the 100 asparagus plants that were started from seed last year, The spears are starting to pop thru the ground now. A few spears broke off and were immediately enjoyed fresh and raw ….delicious!
We still haven’t found anyone to work at moving the big greenhouse that the neighbor gave us…but, there is a new person coming to look at it on Monday. His wife has PD. He helped a couple of days in the garden last summer, and we hope he will have a good idea how to get started.
I am looking forward to having more beautiful days to enjoy digging, planting, harvesting. Have started making a few arbors to plant vines on and create shaded places for people to sit thru-out the garden.
Also, hope to find a source for old carpet to turn upside down and lay in the pathways…making a smooth pathway for wheelchairs to travel on. I’ve read that the old carpet will hold up for several years before falling apart. I will have a lot of work just keeping the raised beds weeded, without constantly fighting the weeds and grass growing in the pathways (which will be wide enough for 3 people side by side/ wheelchairs , and a wider loop that a golf cart and wagon can go thru to haul water/ mulch, etc…)
Aunt Bean
Well, the wind blew my row cover off my 50 foot raised bed of favas this week. I was able to crawl down the center of the 2 rows and weed. The weeds were growing really good! Managed to get the row cover back over the hoops and mend the hole it received twisting around a stake close by. The favas will definitely make it thru the winter here with protection!
We still have not found anyone who will move the 80 foot greenhouse for us from the neighbors yard at the end of our driveway, So close and yet so far away.
In the meantime…still conducting an experiment of growing 2 favas in a window in our kitchen. This is to tell me if those out there who cannot have a garden could grow them indoors for making tincture or not.. So far, they are growing well, not quite as green as those outdoors…mainly from receiving only about 6 hours of daylight and not full sun. Spring is coming…keep your chin up!
People have been asking me about how much tincture I take a day. Finally measured yesterday. Approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons…..unless under unusual stress or exersion…then maybe 2 teaspoons over the course of the day total. ( 2 drops equals about 1 mg l-dopa). I didn’t measure how many drops in 1/4 teas, which is a dose for me…….
God Bless. Aunt Bean (Sandra)
A neighbor has given us an 80 ft long tall hoop greenhouse! We have to move it to our land/ dig a water line and one for electricity for it, which will be a lot of work, but what a blessing. This way , we can grow fresh food year round and even grow papaya trees….which I’ve been studying for PD nutritional support also.
God is good!
Blessings……
Aunt Bean
Things are going well. Just planted a 50 foot raised bed of two rows of fava bean. Now there are hoop frames in place so they can be covered if the temperatures drop to 26 degrees. I really feel like they could grow here year round with a few nights of protection in the winter.
I started harvesting the mucuna beans we have growing up the backside of the barn. Shelled and steamed them and tried one. It tasted so good that I ate another one (no discipline!) Well, it was a bit too much…I’ve found that one very small one is about right for me and holds me a long time. (probably 1/2 of a full sized one would be enough). I think I will try to tincture them…not sure how yet.
The chickens have a fenced area in back of the barn now. We dug potatoes and peanuts and still need to dig sweet potatoes. Need to dry some more comfrey leaves and make echinacea tincture yet and cook up some more kushaw pumpkins to freeze for pie. Then, perhaps I can slow down here and enjoy making music with friends and at the nursing homes in the area…they enjoy the music so very much.
That’s all for now…enjoy the fall weather and beautiful colors all around us.
Blessings …….Aunt Bean
We started harvesting mucuna beans yesterday. The vines have gotten to at least 14 ft tall up the back side of our barn. Some of the vines reached the top and turned the corner, starting around the side !
The beans pods are very hard to open, which is necessary in getting the beans out. I preyed and cut on them with a knife and each one took a couple of minutes (a bit time consuming and hard on the fingers). The next bunch I tried steaming the whole bean pod and then opening them up. That was a bit faster, still not easy…but the beans were already steamed and ready to pop out of their inner rubbery covering when it was done. So, that will be the method of choice for the next batch I pick.
I ate 2 steamed beans in place of a fava tincture dose. They definitely worked, but may have been a bit more than I needed…I was ready to wrestle tigers, but I got a lot of work done in the next few hours, with no bad effects.
Today I tried just one bean in place of tincture. My tapping was not as quick, but I am completely functional on one. So, time will tell if the mucunas will be grown next year…they are a lot of work when it comes to shelling them, unless I can find an easier method. But, they work.
I have harvested several batches of fava plant tops now and a few beans. Have had a little trouble with aphids on the plants on the farm, and will probably have to make a point of spraying them with mild dish soap & water every week or so to avoid plant damage. Have started making raised beds to cover and try to grow favas all winter. Will let you know if this works…….
Blessings!
Aunt Bean
Hi Robert….just wanted to fill you in on the farm. Things are going well…couldn’t do it without Dad, who just turned 85. He brush-hogged for me this week.
A young man with PD drove over from Knoxville area and helped in the garden last Tuesday and then came to our support group meeting. He was a real encouragement to me. He is the only person I’ve met with PD that excercizes like I do. He rides long distances on his bicycle, sometimes with his airforce buddies. He is in great shape and I would never guess that he had PD. It helped me alot to know that people out there do care about what I am trying to do on the farm. Plus he helped me make a long raised bed to hoop frame & cover for winter favas. I think we might be able to grow them year round here if they have a cover.
Still picking green beans, greens , beets, carrots, tomatoes and hopefully corn on Saturday. God is Good. Have several small batches of tincture made, and saw my first couple of fall fava beans on the plants yesterday.
Blessings to all
Aunt Bean
Well, dad is doing ok, but taking it easy the last few days. This morning I finished “banking or hilling” the rows of fava beans and found some of them are starting to make tops already, the part I use for medicine. It is always exciting to start seeing the tops form.
I hope more people will start growing their own favas to replace l-dopa. Especiallly people who have not yet started on pharmaceuticals. Always get a G6pd blood test first and make sure you are not taking MAOI meds.
The farm is looking good. The chickens are happy. LIFE IS GOOD.
Blessings from Aunt Bean
