Gout help please!

[Bum Grasshopper]

About a month ago I got hit with a terrible gout attack. It did not surprise me as gout runs in the family (my mother), and as a chef, I love shellfish, red meats and rich sauces. As a home brewer, I also have a penchant for yeasty craft brews.

 

But now I am stricken with an "undeserved" hit. I have cut down or completely eliminated all the bad stuff and drink water like a camel. It still feels like someone dropped a refrigerator on my toe.

 

Some of the home remedies I have run across include:

 

-drinking a glass of water with a half teaspoon of baking soda 3 or 4 times a day

Which conflicts with

-drinking lemon juice and water

-drinking lemon juice and honey

-eating cherries and drinking cherry juice or blueberry, strawberry

-arnicia ointment

-soaking the foot in epsom salt

 

Amongst others. I turn to the taobums for clarification and for a taoist angle. Please help

[karen]

Hi BG,

 

Illness always has a higher purpose. If you feel it's "undeserved," that's only because you're seeing it as a punishment, but it's not. It's a non-judgmental message, and the challenge is to embody the meaning of the message consciously so that it doesn't need to manifest in your body unconsciously as illness.

 

You might start with exploring the feelings of "undeserving" and connect them to an older emotional pattern. Where does this feeling really come from.

 

Gout is often connected to resentment and rage, a feeling of being trapped and helpless. There may be feelings of scarcity or "poverty consciousness" associated with that.

 

Hyperinsulinemia often contribues to gout, so look at the carbs you're eating and cut down on the starches and sugars. Whole food sugars like honey are different from processed junk sugars like corn syrup. Aajonus Vonderplanitz says that cooked meats and poor quality fats contribute to gout - by poor quality fats he means cooked fats, so switch to raw fats like virgin coconut oil, avocados, etc., and raw protein like raw dairy and raw eggs.

 

Cut out all refined salt and replace with Himalayan salt or Celtic salt.

 

Rudolf Steiner talks about the deeper meaning of gout on a spiritual level.

 

I'd also highly recommend Heilkunst/homeopathy treatment for any chronic condition.

 

Arnica ointment is for injuries only, not just any pain. Re. drinking water, be careful that you're not overdoing it and stressing the kidneys. The healthy fats and salts will help keep this in balance, but the deeper emotional/spiritual issues need to be addressed.

 

Best,

Karen

[Yoda]

BG,

 

I've heard that gout was associated with European royalty and upper class due to their rich diet. Luigi Cornaro suffered serious gout and healed himself through calorie restriction and lived to approx 100 with lots of vigor.

 

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglib...105cornaro.html

 

I bet that would work, but I'm sure there are easier solutions out there.

 

Your pal,

Yoda

[agharta]

I would eat fresh cherries daily. I would also cut out the heavily-cooked foods. You might want to do some vegetable juicing, particularly celery and maybe cucumber. Try a short juice fast, maybe 3-4 days.

[Bum Grasshopper]

Hi BG,

 

 

Gout is often connected to resentment and rage, a feeling of being trapped and helpless. There may be feelings of scarcity or "poverty consciousness" associated with that.

 

Best,

Karen

 

Thank you Karen.

 

When I originally posted, I meant "undeserved" as that I had made the adjustments in diet and followed the precautionary measures but I still took a hit.

 

But after reading your post I realize it may be a subliminal message. I have been with out a job the past 3 months and have not been able to find another one, making me feel trapped and helpless. The unemployment agency has been jacking me around giving me feelings of resentment and rage. The lack of income has definitly given me feelings scarcity and poverty.This is quite possibly the reason I am being stricken with this malady at this point in my life.

 

Any ideas on how I can deal with these feelings short of finding a job? I have turned my life to the Tao, trusting that it will provide me with what I need, when I need it.

[Trunk]

cherry extract (lots of it)

[karen]

Thank you Karen. When I originally posted, I meant "undeserved" as that I had made the adjustments in diet and followed the precautionary measures but I still took a hit.

 

Yes. I can tell you from my own personal experience, that I've struggled with chronic illness for over 30 years, having done "all the right things," and then it comes to the deeper karmic issues that have little to do with diet or faulty regimen.

 

Of course many people think they're doing regimen correctly and they're really not, so that can take some sorting out too, and you need that foundation in order to get moving on the other levels.

 

But after reading your post I realize it may be a subliminal message. I have been with out a job the past 3 months and have not been able to find another one, making me feel trapped and helpless. The unemployment agency has been jacking me around giving me feelings of resentment and rage. The lack of income has definitly given me feelings scarcity and poverty.This is quite possibly the reason I am being stricken with this malady at this point in my life.

 

Yes, and also that we're never "stricken," because that has a sense of victimization, like we had nothing to do with it . It's actually our higher self that has chosen this situation for learning. It's only the fact that our conscious awareness is out of touch with that higher choice we made, that makes us feel like it wasn't our own choice. The ego self feels indignant, like "this isn't supposed to happen to me." .

 

Any ideas on how I can deal with these feelings short of finding a job? I have turned my life to the Tao, trusting that it will provide me with what I need, when I need it.

 

Yes.. even poverty and illness can be what we "need" - there is a lesson there, that we get what we need even when that includes what we don't want. Illness is a divine gift in that sense, although it feels like a curse.

 

Finding a job doesn't fix the problem - it's the other way around. The outer circumstances are just reflections of our inner condition. So when the inner condition shifts, then the circumstances that are resonant with a healthier consciousness will start to manifest.

 

I think the place to start is to embrace whatever you're feeling, without judgment. You have anger and resentment, allow those feelings so that you can follow them to their source. Where do they come from. What is the old pattern that this current job situation is triggering. If there was no old pattern, there would be no emotional charge on the current situation. Look at how you felt trapped and helpless as a child, what were the circumstances.

 

The thing is, we're never trapped and helpless in reality, as adults. But often the unresolved issues from childhood, or past lives which are simply replayed in this life, keep us relating to the world from that place of helplessness because we didn't get to resolve it.

 

First the feelings need to be experienced, and connected to the earlier pattern, and then you could have a dialog between your higher self and the one that experienced that victimization. You find out what that victimized self needs *emotionally* in order to feel safe. Not a job or anything like that, but emotionally. Your higher self knows that there is no longer any victimization, and that you have choices, and you can "teach" that frightened self that he will really be taken care of well, this time. There is no need to react from past hurts anymore.

 

This can take considerable exploration, and time to work through the many layers to get in touch with the core levels of fear and what they're really about. Fear of not having a job isn't the core. Being sick often is what the ego self uses to try to stay safe. So we have to look at what the payoff is. What purpose does being ill serve for this part of you that is feeling like a victim. This is usually really hard to face, because we don't want to look at how we chose this situation. We're used to feeling like a victim, so "this isn't my fault" is the usual sense. It's never a question of fault, but responsibility. We created this reality, and it has an important meaning for us. The problem as it manifests is like Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs to help us find our way home. We need the message in the form of symptoms until we can find our way home ourselves.

 

For anyone working with illness consciously, it's a journey through the labyrinth, and can be a beautiful and terrible one, with the greatest rewards.

 

Blessings,

Karen

 

PS. Also it helps to have a really good guide through the labyrinth. Very rare to find a therapist who is healthy enough to go there, but I know a couple.

Edited February 20, 2009 by karen

[三江源]

My mother suffers from this condition.

 

What Trunk said. It really works.

[Bum Grasshopper]

[quote name='karen' date='Feb 20 2009, 03:20 PM' post='1060

 

The thing is, we're never trapped and helpless in reality, as adults. But often the unresolved issues from childhood, or past lives which are simply replayed in this life, keep us relating to the world from that place of helplessness because we didn't get to resolve it.

 

First the feelings need to be experienced, and connected to the earlier pattern, and then you could have a dialog between your higher self and the one that experienced that victimization. You find out what that victimized self needs *emotionally* in order to feel safe. Not a job or anything like that, but emotionally. Your higher self knows that there is no longer any victimization, and that you have choices, and you can "teach" that frightened self that he will really be taken care of well, this time. There is no need to react from past hurts anymore.

 

This can take considerable exploration, and time to work through the many layers to get in touch with the core levels of fear and what they're really about. Fear of not having a job isn't the core. Being sick often is what the ego self uses to try to stay safe. So we have to look at what the payoff is. What purpose does being ill serve for this part of you that is feeling like a victim. This is usually really hard to face, because we don't want to look at how we chose this situation. We're used to feeling like a victim, so "this isn't my fault" is the usual sense. It's never a question of fault, but responsibility. We created this reality, and it has an important meaning for us. The problem as it manifests is like Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs to help us find our way home. We need the message in the form of symptoms until we can find our way home ourselves.

 

For anyone working with illness consciously, it's a journey through the labyrinth, and can be a beautiful and terrible one, with the greatest rewards.

 

Blessings,

Karen

 

PS. Also it helps to have a really good guide through the labyrinth. Very rare to find a therapist who is healthy enough to go there, but I know a couple.

 

Once again Karen, You are spot on. I have had abusive parents as a child and often had feelings of despair, resentment and rage. I grew up in constant fear. I was once diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome by a therapist, but he did not tell me how to work through it because the insurance ran out.

 

I am hopeful that when I get though this, good things will manifest in my life.

[karen]

BG,

 

Most therapists really don't know how to work at this level, even if they were getting paid top dollar . They have to have gone through their own personal journey and resolved their own fear first. The academic training and required therapy they go through doesn't necessarily go to that level.

 

I'm sure that being on this track will be rewarding for you.. and I should have mentioned that it doesn't have to take everyone 30 years

 

Blessings,

Karen

[mat black]

Most therapists really don't know how to work at this level, even if they were getting paid top dollar . They have to have gone through their own personal journey and resolved their own fear first. The academic training and required therapy they go through doesn't necessarily go to that level.

Blessings,

Karen

Yep.

Training, and various types of expertise are great, but in addition, I feel it's it's necessary to be free of judgements & prejudice, to have genuine compassion and real wisdom.

Not necessarily easy, as most of us are still working through our own 'stuff'.

[katonline]

well, .......

*a* homoeopath would say: on day 1 - belladonna 30c, two under the tongue three times in 24 hours, Then: colchicum 30c two under the tongue daily for a week.

*an* allopath would say allopurinol by Rx for a few weeks.

Practically: Gout is caused by purines in the diet, largely from meat (especially offal in the form of sausages), but also caused by sugar, smoking, coffee, alcohol, (and fatigue, emotional stress and illness, or surgery). The problem with gout is that the uric acid crystals build up in the blood and urine, isn't expelled by the kidneys, and ends up forming nodes composed of urate crystals in the joints which lead to deformed (and eternally) painful and twisted joints. That would make sitting on a mat or meditation bench for hours very distracting.

Spiritually, the inner is reflected in the outer.

[karen]

well, .......

*a* homoeopath would say: on day 1 - belladonna 30c, two under the tongue three times in 24 hours, Then: colchicum 30c two under the tongue daily for a week.

 

IF the person happens to have the particular symptom picture of Belladonna, or Colchicum . And dose and potency need to be individualized too. And then, there are other ways of prescribing more directly that may preclude the need for those altogether.. In other words, homeopathy doesn't prescibe on the condition called "gout" but the individual case. And a good practitioner would include the diet issues. Can't get far without that!

 

-Karen

[gendao]

Interesting inverse relationship between Vitamin C & gout:

Vitamin C intake associated with lower risk of gout in men

 

Men with higher vitamin C intake appear less likely to develop gout, a painful type of arthritis, according to a report in the March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

 

"Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in men," the authors write as background information in the article. "Epidemiologic studies suggest that the overall disease burden of gout is substantial and growing. The identification of the risk factors for gout that are modifiable with available measures is an important first step in the prevention and management of this common and excruciatingly painful condition."

 

For every 500-milligram increase in their vitamin C intake, men's risk for gout appeared to decrease by 17 percent. Compared with men who did not take vitamin C supplements, those who took 1,000 to 1,499 supplemental milligrams per day had a 34 percent lower risk of gout and those who took 1,500 supplemental milligrams per day had a 45 percent lower risk.

 

Vitamin C appears to reduce levels of uric acid in the blood, the authors note; a buildup of this naturally occurring compound can form crystal deposits in and around joints, leading to the pain, inflammation and swelling associated with gout. Vitamin C may affect reabsorption of uric acid by the kidneys, increase the speed at which the kidneys work or protect against inflammation, all of which may reduce gout risk, the authors note.

[Pietro]

Would you still get gout if you eated your red meat raw?

[karen]

Would you still get gout if you eated your red meat raw?

 

Good point - raw meat (from grass-fed animals, we should qualify), doesn't contribute to gout.. but we also have to remember that gout is just a symptom that can come from other causes, not only from eating cooked meat. I know a strict vegetarian who has gout.

 

-Karen

[Mak_Tin_Si]

For the long run, training in the lineage of Chi in Nature can help. When you do the stage 1 training, it shall be good enough to help you reduce this problem. It's root cause is the "karma debt" that generated this out, so you can dissolve the karma as you train in stage 1 trianing and as time goes on you find it dissolve and gone naturally without notice. But of course, it takes time to train and learn too.

[gendao]

For the long run, training in the lineage of Chi in Nature can help. When you do the stage 1 training, it shall be good enough to help you reduce this problem. It's root cause is the "karma debt" that generated this out, so you can dissolve the karma as you train in stage 1 trianing and as time goes on you find it dissolve and gone naturally without notice. But of course, it takes time to train and learn too.

Could you go over again what the cost of stage 1 training, and what it entails, are?

[Mak_Tin_Si]

Cost of stage 1 trianing is $90 for the enrollment and attunement for your whole life, then you got to learn the stage 1 training and of course you became a student of the lineage of the whole life. (just less ads here, go to www.chiinnature.com if you need to know more)

 

you can also hear more from the online students at (www.daoismworld.com/forumbb/)

[Yoda]

Vortex,

 

Randi's heartburn going from almost 2 prilosecs a day to ****gone**** has inspired me to do Stage 1 practice... day 2 of 49!!!

 

Your pal,

Yoda

[Mak_Tin_Si]

how does your trainings go Yoda? Any feelings now?

 

Mak Tin si

[gendao]

Vortex,

 

Randi's heartburn going from almost 2 prilosecs a day to ****gone**** has inspired me to do Stage 1 practice... day 2 of 49!!!

 

Your pal,

Yoda

Wow, that's really quite impressive!

 

MTS - If we enroll and get the Stage 1 attunement...would we still need various FUs for various problems? Like kidney, etc? Or would the attunement have a braod-spectrum therapeutic effect on all problems?

 

I guess I'm wondering if I'd be better off spending $70 for a kidney FU...or $90 for Stage 1 enrollment?

[Bum Grasshopper]

Hi BG,

 

 

Gout is often connected to resentment and rage, a feeling of being trapped and helpless. There may be feelings of scarcity or "poverty consciousness" associated with that.

 

 

Best,

Karen

 

 

Last week the unemployment agency corrected their mistake and paid my benefits. Up to that point I was one step above being homeless, having my car repossessed and having to find another home for my dog. I had to accept donations from the food bank as well as charity from my friends and relatives to survive as my money ran completely out. I meditated and put my trust in the Tao. I cultivated for hours everyday. After a couple of months of this, the gout attacked.

 

I did a 3 day juice fast along with psyllium and clay detox. I followed with a vegetarian diet and cut all alcohol consumption. I consumed cherries and cherry juice everyday.This helped considerably but the pain and stiffness in my big toe did not subside completely. I would get repeat attacks causing great pain.

 

Last Friday I received my compensation. The next day I could barely feel any pain! By Monday the pain was completely gone, despite the fact that I went back to eating the "wrong" diet. I feel great!

 

Amazing the healing powers a little money in your pocket has!

Edited March 12, 2009 by Bum Grasshopper

[Pietro]

...

Amazing the healing powers a little money in your pocket has!

 

Totally agreed. I too remember when I was with little money, and then I would earn 50.000 lire (about 25 euro, but was worth like 50 euro) doing a massage, all my paranoia, mental problems and similar would disappear. Maybe were the endorphine, but surely financial success does have some healing power. (or better, rephrased, financial unsucces tend to bring with itself healing problems)

[Wayfarer64]

It seems we are back letting go of attachments!- It may be that you can let go of yr angst and thus your gout?