[Read this excellent article by my friend, Nina Antolino, about how she conceived her beautiful son, despite being told it was impossible! An inspirational story about healing, wellness and the power of intention]
The Journey to Conscious Creation
By Nina Antolino
In life, millions of moments sadly pass unnoticed. We are not awake to our experiences while they are happening. We often walk our path habitually, building deeper grooves in our minds and reinforcing our deeply entrenched, self-limiting beliefs about who we are and what is possible. We are pulled outside ourselves for the answers we seek, rather than trusting our inner guidance. We vacillate between trying desperately to control everything in our life on the one hand, and completely abdicating to some outside authority on the other. We pay attention only to that which supports our thinking and ignore any evidence that stands in contrast.
But every so often there are moments that cannot be ignored. Moments that have the power to wake you up, propel you in a new direction, help you to see your life and your Self in a new light. Moments that challenge what you believe to be true and change you forever: Empowering moments. Transformational moments. Sometimes they are found in a moment of profound kindness or beauty. Often, they are hidden within our most challenging experiences. It is in these moments that we have the potential to discover the deeper messages and lessons of our life.
At the age of 40, I was told by a Reproductive Endocrinologist that it would not be possible for me to conceive, even with assistance. It was one of THE most defining moments of my life. For months while trying to get pregnant, all of my attention was focused on what was wrong with my body, what my body wasn’t doing, why now that I was ready to get pregnant, my body wouldn’t cooperate. My mind was creating so much stress, how could my body cooperate? And my life had gotten so out of balance. All I could focus on was my inability to achieve this goal. I had gotten so caught up in worrying and wanting desperately for something to happen, that I had forgotten everything I had already learned about the mind/body connection. As a yoga instructor and empowerment life coach, I knew about the inherent connection between body, mind, heart and spirit. But now I was being beckoned to trust in it like never before, to really live it, not just to guide others to it. This time, it is I who really had to learn to listen and trust, perhaps for the very first time, the wisdom within. It was a reminder for me: the body, mind and spirit are inseparable and greatly influence each other. To create wellness get back to what you know, find balance and trust your body’s wisdom.
I had sought out two other professional opinions but each reinforced the assertion that with endometriosis, my age, and an FSH of 27, pregnancy would not be possible. In that defining moment, I woke up! I could choose to turn my future over to that limiting belief and the scientific data and authority that supported it, or I could implement everything I had learned in my life and had been teaching my clients about the power of beliefs and our creative potential. Many of our thoughts and beliefs are self-limiting and self-defeating and are reflected in our lives. We live in a culture that teaches women to doubt their body’s wisdom and innate creative abilities (especially if you are over 40!). But interestingly in places like Africa, women have children into their fifties, naturally. (They have never been told that their bodies are too old to conceive). I decided right then: “I am not going to believe that it’s not possible for me. It’s just data!” This experience had a message reminding me: Believe in possibilities rather than just what science tells you. Let go of trying to control the outcome, trust your connection to something greater and recognize your creative ability to influence and shape your life
And so I began again to practice yoga, meditate, to pray, to set an intention and notice the flashes of intuition that would arise. Within a few weeks through a series of synchronous events, I was led to an acupuncturist who specialized in fertility. I was reminded of power of breathing, releasing emotional stress, nurturing yourself, staying present and knowing we attract into our life what most focus on with our minds.
She helped me to understand that her clients came to her not only as a last resort or an alternative to conventional methods, but also as a way to support one’s body while going through fertility treatments. It was about creating balance. She helped me understand the role that nutrition played and put me on a fertility diet. She used herbs and acupuncture to address my specific imbalances.
It was then that I recognized the importance of choosing someone I trusted for such an important journey. Equally important was that I would be a full partner in this process and no longer abdicate responsibility to anyone else for my health and well being. Although I had been in the holistic field for a decade, this modality was new to me. The more I learned, the more I became an advocate for myself. I was on a new, more empowered path. It reinforced for me: Educate yourself. Knowledge is empowering. Surround yourself with people that help you feel safe but be your own best advocate.
Within a few months, between changes in diet and the acupuncture, yoga and meditation, visualizations and guided imagery, emotional support and finding support and balance in my life, I was really feeling a difference in my energy level and my ability to really tune into my body’s signals. One night, I walked into our bedroom and said to my husband, “I think I’m pregnant”. I hadn’t even missed my cycle but I just felt it in my body, I just “knew”. The next day, my instincts were confirmed. The call came in: “Nina, congratulations, you are pregnant!”
I would remain a patient of the RE through my first trimester. On the day I left the practice, I asked the RE what he thought about my ‘miracle’ since he had told me many months ago it wasn’t possible. He just congratulated me for being tenacious and not giving up. And before I left his office, I simply turned to him and said “I really think it is vital that no woman ever hears ‘It’s not possible’ just because science says so.” I spoke those words with my whole heart, mind and soul. It was in that transformational moment that I knew I wanted to share that message with other women: to help them to know that no matter or anyone tells them, anything is possible! There is always something greater working on their behalf and they have the power to consciously create and shape their experience by changing their beliefs, trusting their inner wisdom and by tapping into the union of their body, mind and spirit!
On July 31, 2008, a healthy 8 lb-13oz boy, Noah Bennett (which means Peaceful, Little Blessed One) was born! Had I believed that it wasn’t possible, my story may have had a very different ending!
Nina Antolino, BE, MBA, RYT, is the Founder and Executive Director of Limitless Potential, a consulting and coaching practice designed to empower clients to achieve their full creative potential. She is a Certified Empowerment Life Coach and has been coaching clients locally and tele-coaching nationally since 2005. She is a Nationally Certified Yoga Instructor since 2000 and a Strategic Learning Consultant. Nina’s passion and personal experience has inspired her to design Women’s Empowerment and Wellness programs to help educate, empower and encourage women to be conscious creators of their life. Through a mind-body-spirit approach and empowerment workshops and empowerment groups, she coaches women to find balance, trust their inner guidance, release fears and limiting beliefs, and empower them to achieve their limitless potential. Whether contemplating/struggling with conception or wanting to create a more inspiring vision for all areas of their life, the empowerment coaching process is a powerful tool for self-transformation.
For more information go to www.limitless-potential.com or email nantolino@aol.com
Just a friendly reminder that April is (or WAS, as April is almost over!) Autism Awareness Month
Be sure to read the Epidemic Answers April Newsletter which is devoted solely to Autism–This issue has some great articles contributed by Nancy O’Hara, MD, Gail Szakacs, MD, Vicki Kobliner MS RD C-N and Lorna Aliperti ARNP–all outstanding healthcare professionals dedicated to spreading the word about the epidemic of autism and helping children recover from this and other chronic conditions. Click the following link to read the newsletter: http://p0.vresp.com/5Iq2Ij
Could too much oxidative stress from toxins, vaccines and other environmental exposures be the cause of SIDS?
By Beth Lambert, Author, A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in America’s Children (Sentient, 2010)
The cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, has long been a mystery. Recent research, however, may point to pre- and postnatal toxic exposures such as flame-retardants in mattresses, nicotine smoke or chronic immune stimulation as contributors to SIDS. It is believed that SIDS may be the result of mitochondrial dysfunction in key organs such as the lungs, heart, or brain caused by excessive oxidative stress on infants’ tiny bodies.
Simplified, oxidative stress is when peroxides and free radicals damage our DNA, cells and tissues. More specifically, oxidative stress can damage mitochondria in our cells. The mitochondria are our cells’ “power plants” helping us to make energy that is used for everything from breathing to thinking. When mitochondria are damaged by oxidative stress, this can result in mitochondrial dysfunction, a condition where we lose the ability to effectively produce energy in our cells.
Mitochondrial dysfunction can affect all major organs in the body including the brain, heart, lungs, GI tract, in addition to the immune system. New research reveals that mitochondrial dysfunction is at least part of what causes the symptoms of many conditions including autism, asthma, ADHD, Parkinson’s disease, and many others.
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction can be caused by:
- Exposure to toxins like pesticides, mercury, flame retardants, aluminum, or PVC
- Exposure to food or environmental allergens
- Immunological responses (especially chronic infections with viruses, bacteria, or upon inoculation)
- Radiation (e.g. from WiFi, cellphones, computers, etc.)
Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and SIDS
Research shows that at least some cases of SIDS result from mitochondrial dysfunction, including mitochondrial DNA defects and fatty acid oxidation disorders (considered inherited disorders). Geneticist, Dr. Richard Boles of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles documented this scientific finding over a decade ago. However, scientists are now looking into the possibility that environmentally-derived mitochondrial dysfunction could be one of the potential causes of SIDS. In other words, exposures that cause oxidative stress in tiny bodies, like toxins, allergens, or vaccinations, could be causing mitochondrial dysfunction and sudden death in infants.
Parental smoking has long been known to be a risk factor for SIDS. Studies in rhesus monkeys show that monkey fetuses exposed to nicotine smoke (a source of oxidative stress) have a higher risk of SIDS, but prenatal administration of an antioxidant like vitamin C (known to protect against oxidative stress) reduced the risk of SIDS in infant monkeys. Other studies have confirmed that prenatal administration of antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress on the fetus.
Respiratory and gastrointestinal infections are also known to increase the risk of SIDS. The risk may be from the increased level of oxidative stress triggered by the infections. In addition, defects in serotonergic pathways (how serotonin is utilized) are believed to be part of the pathophysiology of SIDS. Mouse models have shown that a SIDS-like condition can be created in mouse pups by altering or damaging serotonin pathways. Interestingly, mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the factors that can affect how serotonin is utilized in the brain, particularly because it seems to affect neurons that have high firing rates.
A 2010 study out of University Hospital in Norway found that babies who died of SIDS had signs of inflammation and ischemia in their lungs. Researchers must now look to whether oxidative stress caused by environmental exposures causes inflammation and ischemia in the lungs of the babies who died of SIDS.
While more research is needed to confirm the suspected connection between oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and SIDS, it seems clear that reducing exposures to factors that cause oxidative stress is a safe and responsible step to take for all infants.
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19773461
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20580581
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21320590
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20676222
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21152449
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20805497
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20801236
http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajbb/ajbb42198-207.pdf
http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/mitosyn.html
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/321/5885/130.abstract
http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/articles/2001-10_02.asp
http://www.epidemicanswers.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Mito-Dysfunction-in-Health-Conditions-.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9627580
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http://www.jimmunol.org/content/183/8/5379
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http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/mp2010136a.html#aff2
Our society tends to view antibiotics as benign wonder drugs useful for everything from sinus infections to urinary tract infections. Antibiotic use, however, does not come without a cost. Research shows that babies exposed to antibiotics either prenatally or postnatally have a higher risk of developing a chronic illness like autism, asthma, ADHD, or allergies. If you are pregnant or if you just had a baby, please read my latest article on Natural News: Prenatal, perinatal and postnatal antibiotics may threaten the health of your child. If you know someone who is pregnant–please pass this article along and advise them to use antibiotics with caution.
Following is some nutrition advice from Victoria Kobliner MS RD, excerpted from A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness.
Victoria is an integrative registered dietician specializing in chronic illness recovery and pre-pregnancy and pregnancy planning. For more information see www.holcarenutrition.com.
Fats are necessary. Fats are important. Fats make up the biggest part of our brains, are required for hormone production and insulation, and they carry certain vitamins to the cells. They provide energy, and the right fats even decrease inflammation. We need fat in our diets, just not too much, and in the correct proportion. Choosing the right fats can be extremely confusing as supposedly expert recommendations have flip-flopped in the last decade.
We have been taught that vegetable oils are healthful, and saturated fats cause disease. Yet vegetable oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, and in excess these promote inflammation. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential in the human diet since we cannot manufacture them ourselves, and a healthy balance of omega-6 to omega-3 is believed to be 1:1 to 4:1.[i] The ratio in the typical American diet is approximately 25:1! In addition to the imbalance in the anti-inflammatory omega-3s and proinflammatory omega-6s, margarine and other hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fats, which have been shown to cause heart disease and increase inflammation.[ii] This type of fat is used in a plethora of processed foods, and although once lauded as the healthier choice, its disease promoting power is so great that municipalities are even banning trans fats in restaurants and food supplies.[iii]
Margarines with minimal trans fats are now on the market, but a decade from now we may find them as dangerous as the partially hydrogenated fats we used to trust. Once again, a food not found in nature has stressed our normal biochemistry. The best fats come from natural sources, such as olive oil, organic butter, coconut oil, rice bran oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Despite the coconut’s categorization as a saturated fat, it is actually quite healthy. The saturated fat in coconuts is mostly composed of something called medium chain triglycerides (MCT) which have antimicrobial qualities,[iv] and are easily digested as an added benefit to their delicious taste. Fats are delicate and many become rancid when heated, producing disease-promoting free radicals. Nut and olive oil do not tolerate heat well, while coconut and rice bran oil are appropriate for high heat cooking.
[i] G Caramia, “The Essential Fatty Acids Omega-6 and Omega-3: From their Discovery to their Use in Therapy,” Minerva Pediatrica 60, no. 2 (April 2008): 219-33. Italian.
[ii] D Mozaffarian, A Aro, and W Willett, “Health Effects of Trans-Fatty Acids: Experimental and Observational Evidence,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63, suppl. 2 (May 2009): S5-21.
[iii] S Angell et al., “Cholesterol Control Beyond the Clinic: New York City’s Trans Fat Restriction,” Annals of Internal Medicine 151, no. 2 (July 2009): 129-34.
[iv] Do Ogbolu et al., “In Vitro Antimicrobial Properties of Coconut Oil on Candida Species in Ibadan, Nigeria,” Journal of Medicinal Food 10, no. 2 (June 2007): 384-7.
Think Your Child Won’t Be Affected by the Epidemics of Autism, ADHD, Asthma? Think Again.
A Compromised Generation offers an alarming portrayal of an emerging health crisis affecting America’s children. We are witnessing the earliest signs of an epidemic of historic proportions, where children are being diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as autism, asthma, allergies, and ADHD, at a breathtaking rate, and even more undiagnosed children suffer silently. This book reveals how specific, but seemingly benign, elements of American culture are making millions of children sick, disabled, or dysfunctional.
The etiology of autism continues to confound mainstream medicine, yet parents, medical researchers, and healthcare practitioners dedicated to unraveling the mystery are beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle into place. What they have found is that environmental factors that cause autism are the same factors that are causing epidemics of ADHD, juvenile diabetes, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, and many other chronic illnesses. Although the specific pathophysiology of each individual child’s illness varies, they all have the same basic underlying causes.
The central tenet of A Compromised Generation is that there are two fundamental biological mechanisms, or dysfunctions, that lie at the center of the epidemic of chronic illness in children. It is a “perfect storm” of environmental factors that causes these underlying biological dysfunctions. These factors include: Decades of pharmaceutical over-usage, toxic and/or nutritionally anemic diets, excessive exposure to environmental toxins, specific American habits and lifestyles, and excessive or improperly administered vaccines.
