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Daily Journal with Mitochondrial Myopathy

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder

My Journey with a Mitochondrial Disease - "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 KJV

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Diagnosis in 2006 - Parkinson's Disease and Peripheral Neuropathy, then in 2007 - Essential Myoclonus. Finally in 2011, after a muscle biopsy, I was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy as well as Peripheral Neuropathy.

Share my journey - coping with the testing, the medicines, nutrition, digestion problems, exercise, the emotions, uncertain diagnoses and no telling what else!

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Immune System Issues, Slowly Recuperating

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on January 25, 2018 by DBSeptember 30, 2019  

Immune System Takes a Hit

My immune system has certainly taken a hit in the last six weeks or so. Back around Thanksgiving I came down with a bad sinus infection that turned out to be MRSA. The skull base surgeon put me on a powerful antibiotic. Then, the day before I finished the round of that antibiotic, I was diagnosed by my Primary Doctor with a strep throat. So that meant another round of antibiotics. I always take a probiotic, so at least I didn’t have to deal with a yeast infection!

It’s been a long time since I’ve run a fever, but I sure did with these infections. I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. The bad part about it was that dear hubby was also sick with the crud that’s going around in our town. It’s not the flu, but the coughing fits seem to go on forever and the whole mess lasts for several weeks. So he didn’t feel like taking care of me, and I didn’t feel like taking care of him. The poor cats were lucky to be fed LOL. I stayed out of church for several weeks, and we didn’t even go out to eat, either.

The Worst Is Over

Anyway, we’re both pretty much over our infections, and he’s more or less back to normal. I, on the other hand, have been so weak it’s all I’ve been able to do to walk around to do what just had to be done. I had cut way back on my food intake while I was running such a high fever. Food doesn’t taste that good now, anyway, thanks to my sense of smell being so limited for the last couple of years. But the thought of fixing any food was just too much. So, I lost about 5 pounds.

Now it’s time to work to get my immune system working properly again. I’ve gradually returned to the good nutrition I was used to eating. Our diet is based on whole foods, mostly plants, as The Energy Blueprint* program I’m following recommends. I have increased my protein intake, too. I had stayed away from kefir while I had a fever. Dairy products just didn’t sound like a good idea then. Now I’m back to making kefir for the probiotics and growing broccoli sprouts for the phytonutrients every day.

Not Exercising Yet

Up until the last couple of days, I didn’t dare try anything that resembled exercising. Just absolutely necessary walking and standing in the house was quite enough to exhaust me. But now I’ve started being more active. I haven’t vacuumed the house yet, but I did walk once around the yard yesterday and today. I had gradually worked up to 8 laps around the house (about a quarter mile total) prior to getting sick, so it will be awhile before I get back to that point.

And I haven’t been to the gym at all since before Thanksgiving. Maybe next week I’ll try going long enough to at least use the recumbent bike for maybe 10 minutes and then relax on the water massage machine. I have a free membership to a Silver Sneakers gym, thanks to my health insurance. Getting more exercise will improve my immune system and a great way to increase my mitochondrial health.

DIY Sauna

I had stopped using my DIY infra-red sauna setup, too. I was just too weak to dare use the heat lamps for fear I’d faint. But I have now started gradually using it again. And I’m almost back to my full Energy Blueprint* light routine now. The small bathroom now has my 3 infra-red lamps setup that is meant to help with detoxing and increasing cellular energy. I’ve moved the 10,000 lux full spectrum lamp that helps to set my Circadian Rhythm and prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder in there, too. At my skull base surgeon’s insistence, I’ve also started back smelling the essential oils while I’m using the sauna. He still feels like I can get my smell back if I keep working at it.

AND I’ve recently added dry brushing my skin to my sauna routine as a way to improve my circulation. It’s supposed to help with detoxing under the infra-red lamps, too. All the while I’m doing the rotisserie chicken imitation under the red lights and white light, so I can get all the benefits at the same time.

I also recently purchased a special 850 nm wavelength light panel that The Energy Blueprint* recommended. That wavelength increases the photobiomodulation that is supposed to increase my mitochondrial energy. I’m only standing close to it for about 5 minutes or so each day. I want to increase my exposure very slowly, so I get the benefits without causing any issues for my mitochondria.

All the time I’m in my sauna I’m usually listening to a health related podcast or learning a stress relieving breathing program. I pack a lot into that 30 minutes of me time.

Working at Getting Better

So my immune system was hard hit with one infection after another. But I’m gradually improving and feeling more like putting in the work to improve my mitochondrial function. Now to just get myself back to where I was this Summer!!

Oh NO! Revision

Well, I just got a call back from the skull base surgeon’s office. I had a “routine” visit with him last week, and they took another culture. I STILL have MRSA – so now 3 more weeks of antibiotics. UGH!

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged energy, immune system, nutrition, recuperation, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Flu Shot? Yes or No?

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on December 20, 2017 by DBOctober 1, 2019  

Have you had your flu shot yet? Are you planning on getting one? Maybe you avoid them? This is a hard decision to make for some people. Others have very definite opinions about getting vaccinations or not.

Flu Shot + Probiotics

This article on Examine.com* about combining the flu shot with probiotics might help you decide one way or the other, if you are inclined to get one but not sure about it.

MRSA Me

I won’t be getting a flu shot again this year. I’m on high powered antibiotics for a sinus infection once again. That means the flu shot would not work on me. This time it’s MRSA. I’m struggling again with the weakness the antibiotics bring on and the sleeplessness from the steroids I’m taking. I’m using the probiotics now to keep from having candida issues with the antibiotic. So far it’s working well. Fingers crossed it continues to forestall that problem.

I’m using my DIY RubyLux light bulb sauna every day, too. The infrared rays should help my mitochondria work as well as possible. Hopefully the infrared lamps will eliminate some of the toxins these medicines produce in my body. And I’m flushing out my system with lots of filtered water.

But for now I’m not exercising very much. I just don’t feel like it.

I will say I’m not anywhere near as sick with this infection as I was last year when I had one sinus infection after another. The skull base surgery I had on my sinuses this July has improved my overall immune system. And I am sure my improved diet and other strategies I’m using from The Energy Blueprint* have a lot to do with the milder time I’m having this year, too.

I hope you’re getting through this season without the crud that so many people around here are dealing with right here at Christmas time. And if you do plan to get a flu shot, please consider the advice from Examine.com*.

Posted in Medicines and Supplements | Tagged antibiotics, energy, examine.com, flu shot, sinuses, steroids, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Nutrition Information Sources

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on December 14, 2017 by DBDecember 18, 2017  

Energy Blueprint

We have been working on improving our diet and supplement choices for some years now. My Type II Diabetes diagnosis started us on the journey to more healthy eating. And hubby has been more interested in making improvements since his triple bypass heart surgery. We’ve been following The Energy Blueprint* protocol for about six months with considerable success. There are many strategies in the program that help to increase mitochondrial function. The program contains tons of good nutrition information. And it does not limit a person to eating one particular dietary lifestyle. So we were able to take what we were already eating and just improve it a bit.

We have lived in the South all our lives, but we certainly don’t eat “Southern”.  We have upped our serving of raw greens and other healthy raw veggies and fermented foods. Today we grated turmeric root into our huge lunch salad, a new experience for us. I had no idea what it was going to taste like and was pleasantly surprised it was not “weird” – maybe like a cross between a radish and a carrot??

Examine.com

Another source I recently found for reliable information about supplements and nutrition is Examine.com*. They do NOT sell any supplements, but they do sell a reasonably priced pdf encyclopedia of Supplements, plus some other materials. You can search the encyclopedia by supplement and by health concern. Each supplement has a graph showing results of medical research using that supplement to treat various health problems. I’m finding it extremely useful. And they keep the encyclopedia updated with results from current medical journal studies. There are also lots of free articles, such as this one on Super Foods, and if you open an account with them you will get informative emails.

We continue to learn ways to improve my health and my hubby’s. We may be in our 70’s, but we want to be as healthy as we possibly can. We’ve seen first hand the devastation of dementia while we were caregivers for our parents, and we want to do everything we can to enjoy a high quality of life as long as we can.

Nutrition Information

I could only wish that we had been this health conscious many years ago. But I thank God that hubby found The Energy Blueprint* program and we took the leap of faith to buy it. It has certainly been money well spent. And I’m glad I found Examine.com*. We continue to use the internet to learn as much as we can. And I plan to continue sharing sources of nutrition information with you. Hopefully something I write encourages you to improve your own lifestyle.

 

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged energy, examine.com, mitochondria, nutrition, Quality of Life, supplements, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Cold Intolerance

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on November 18, 2017 by DBOctober 10, 2019  

I have had a problem with extreme cold intolerance for years. We bought The Energy Blueprint* program to learn strategies to increase my mitochondrial energy. The doctors told me in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy, that there was no treatment and no cure. My Neurologist suggested several supplements that might help, and I’ve been on them for years. But I’ve continued to have very low energy and poor muscle strength all those years, too.

I’m ecstatic that I am seeing so much improvement in my energy level and cold intolerance now that I’ve implemented just some of the EB strategies!

Sunbathing and Sauna

The most surprising lifestyle change I’ve made is to start sunbathing at midday! So my normal habit has been to wear a long sleeve jacket year round – in the air conditioned house and outside of the house. That was even in the Alabama Summers! I was miserable all Winter.

So this pasty white old lady bought a bathing suit. I started to lay out in the sun super slowly – maybe a minute to a side to start with. It took a while to work up to the 30 minutes I can now enjoy. And, just as the program explained, it has given me a tremendous amount of energy. And, for the first time in my life, I have a tan! Someone at church complimented me on wearing makeup (I do not). I laughed when I told her it was my tan.

When sunbathing is not possible, thanks to the weather, I have a DIY sauna setup in the bathroom. I use three RubyLux 850nm infra-red bulbs and a small ceramic heater. It doesn’t help with my tan, but it is supposed to be energizing. The process is called photobiomodulation. The heat feels great, although I’m building up gradually. I sure don’t want to get burned. I’ve worked up to about 15 minutes a day. I don’t sweat, even though the room gets up in the 80’s, and I exercise some while in there. Ideally the room should be much hotter, but it’s make-shift at best. Sweating is one of the ways to get toxins out of the body. So I’m hoping with time I will start sweating again and get more benefits.

Cold Intolerance

I wasn’t expecting to see a difference in my cold intolerance, but I’m making progress. I don’t have to bundle up with a blanket all the way to my chin to sit through church every time any more. Oh I still wear thermal underwear and double socks for church. But now I usually only drape the blanket across my legs to block the draft under the pews.

It remains to be seen how I do during the cold Winter weather. I am still walking in the mornings, if it’s not raining. Previously I would never have even considered being outside in 60° weather for any longer than absolutely necessary. I was always in a hurry to get to and from the car. Now I can walk about a quarter mile, even in the cold air. That’s a gigantic improvement for me.

I continue to praise God for His healing Hand, for leading us to this program, and for the wonderful joy of feeling better! And I hope to continue learning more ways to improve my quality of life.

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged cold intolerance, energy, MITO, Mitochondrial Myopathy, photobiomodulation, sauna, sunbathing, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

Eating Habits Changed

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on October 26, 2017 by DBJune 6, 2019 2

I’ve never liked to cook, so over time we’ve changed our eating habits from cooked to raw. We’ve been eating salads for lunch for several years. But thanks to The Energy Blueprint* program, our lunch salad is now gigantic. And we eat largely raw for breakfast and supper as well. We like to eat out several times a week, so that’s the only time we eat a completely cooked meal any more.

We consciously eat fruits and vegetables of different colors every day. That way we get a wide variety of phytonutrients without having to take so many pills. And we intentionally vary the fruits and vegetables we buy each week to add even more variety to our meals.

We do still eat some meat, and we keep hard boiled eggs handy at all times for added protein. Occasionally I’ll fix an omelet with coconut oil and lots of veggies. Hubby still eats bread, but I rarely do. Once in a blue moon I’ll fix organic oatmeal, but I try to avoid gluten grains.

Trying New Foods

I’ve discovered purple potatoes! These little new potato size wonders have purple skin AND purple insides. The color means they are extra rich in anthocyanins, which are very powerful nutrients with many health benefits. Since I’m a Type II diabetic, I boil a pot of them at the beginning of the week and then eat them cold. Sometimes I have them for breakfast and occasionally for supper. I add them to our lunch salad sometimes. Cold potatoes have what is called resistant starch, which does not create an insulin spike the way hot potatoes do. Of course I eat the skin, too.

When I eat the potatoes, I also have fresh fruit, such as raspberries or blueberries, or red grapes. And we’ve discovered a kind of grapes I had never heard of before – Moon Drops! They are long! Sometimes they are almost as long as my little finger! And they are such a dark purple they look almost black.

And I’m eating WAY more blueberries than I ever have before – usually at every meal. Dark blue, purple, and red fruits and vegetables, plus lots of different greens make up a large part of our diet now. We had made salads with spinach for many years, but now our salads also include arugula, butter lettuce, and watercress. We had tried kale in the past and didn’t like it, so that’s not been included.

Eating Fermented Every Meal

I make milk kefir every day now, something I had never tasted before going on the Energy Blueprint program. But one of the suggestions in the Blueprint is to eat fermented foods at each meal. They have way more probiotics in them than any supplement we could be buying. I make a “cereal” with pecan pieces, flaxseed meal, and kefir most mornings. I’ve always liked yogurt and cottage cheese, so it was not surprising that I like kefir. It’s a little like buttermilk, but tastes a little different to me. I bought the starter online, and it only takes a few minutes to make a full glass for each day. I’ve always loved milk, but as I have gotten older, I’ve become lactose intolerant. The kefir grains digest the lactose in the milk as they ferment it, so it’s not been a problem for me to digest it. And it increases my calcium intake – something I need, since I have Osteopenia.

I’m also learning how to make my own sauerkraut. And, again to up the nutrition value, I make it with purple cabbage! I’m still experimenting with how to do this easily, and have had one complete flop that I had to throw away. I don’t like a lot of salt, so it’s a matter of using enough salt in the brine to keep it from spoiling, without getting it so salty I can’t stand it.

Sprouting Seeds

Another new discovery for me is sprouting seeds. Sprouts are a powerhouse of natural energy and nutrition. Hubby bought a big container of alfalfa sprouts from the store to add to our ever growing salads, but it went bad before we could eat it all. After doing some research, I discovered that broccoli sprouts are way higher in nutrition than grown broccoli florets. And I’ve always had digestive troubles with raw broccoli, anyway. But growing my own broccoli sprouts has been easy, and I eat them with every meal now – even breakfast.

Healthy Oils

Since we’re not cooking at home, we’ve had to make an effort to get the good fats in our diet. Improving our fat intake is still a work in progress. I get some fat from my whole milk kefir every day, and a little bit of olive oil from the vinaigrette salad dressing we use. Hubby eats yogurt every day, but he usually eats the low fat kind, so that doesn’t help as much as the higher fat types would. I try to eat an avocado every day, as well. And we eat pecans and walnuts every day. We also take MCT C8 oil several times a day. It is a brain boosting fat made from coconut oil.

Changed Eating Habits = Better Health

All these changes from the typical Southern fried foods diet has not happened overnight. We took the first steps in changing our eating habits when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. We gradually moved away from frying, then stopped cooking everything, and finally stopped buying processed foods almost entirely. The Energy Blueprint program encouraged me to increase my intake of raw fruits and vegetables. And today I can honestly say I am feeling more energetic than I have felt in decades. Diet is not the only thing I’ve changed while following this program, but it’s certainly an important factor in my improved health.

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged energy, fermented foods, nutrition, probiotics, raw foods, sprouting seeds, The Energy Blueprint, whole food plant based diet | 2 Replies

Lifestyle Changes = Feeling Great

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on October 5, 2017 by DBDecember 2, 2017 8

I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes over the last few months, and I’m feeling better than I have in years.

Exercising Again

As part of the changes I’ve been making, based on The Energy Blueprint Program*, I’ve gradually increased my activity level over the last few months. I can now walk briskly around the perimeter of our yard four times – maybe 1600 feet. When I started, walking 50 feet wore me out. Hubby and I have used Handicap stickers for years, and we’ve always needed them. With his paralyzed leg, hubby still needs his. Me…. not so much. THAT’s a huge improvement for me.

I’ve also found online a Qigong program that suits me, called the Satori Method Flow Form. The Sensei teaches a Westernized version of the Asian practice. And he’s a good teacher. I used to do Tai Chi regularly. But I quit practicing it as I got weaker, and eventually I forgot how to do the forms. This time, I had a lot of tension from the high powered steroids I was on after surgery. I was considering getting a series of massages as a way to relax and stop the insomnia.  Buying this program seemed to be a better use of the money to me. And I’m glad I did.

I’m still learning how to do this method, but the downloaded lessons are well done and only cover a few moves at a time. Plus there is a practice video for each section. That way I can work on the forms a little at a time and then try to follow as the pieces are put together. The squatting leg movements have done a lot to strengthen my legs, but I still have a long way to go before I can practice for 30 minutes without being worn slap out. But even though I’m tired, and even a little sweaty by the time I stop, I’m very relaxed.

Nutrition Improved

Ari Whitten, the originator of the Energy Blueprint, does not advocate any particular diet style, other than to emphasize a Whole Food Plant Based diet, preferably organic. He leaves the choice to eat meat or not up to the individual, but really does emphasize that any meat needs to be grass fed and hormone free. We haven’t made the change to organic yet. He really emphasizes eating large numbers of raw vegetables and fruits, so we’ve greatly increased the size of our usual lunchtime salad. I’m also eating something fermented at every meal. I’ve even learned how to make kefir and sauerkraut, and I add home grown broccoli sprouts to every meal as well – even breakfast!

Mitochondrial Energy Increased

Energy Blueprint explains many scientifically researched strategies that directly increase the energy level that the mitochondria create in the cells. I’ve consistently been sunbathing since learning that this will increase my energy without having to eat more calories. And I can definitely testify that it is working for me.

Since sunbathing will be out of the question once the cold weather comes to Alabama, I have also made a home-made version of an infra-red sauna in our bathroom. I Googled DIY sauna to come up with something that works for me. I can use this regardless of the weather or season.

Since I have had cold intolerance for many years now – a common symptom of Mitochondrial Disease – the heat feels fantastic. And it’s been so long since I could sweat, I know that’s helping me heal. Hopefully I’m getting rid of some toxins that are released in sweat, but don’t leave the body any other way.

Lifestyle Changes Making a Noticeable Difference

A lot of people at church have been asking me lately how I feel. I think it’s because my tan makes me look healthier, and I’m walking so much better! It’s wonderful to be able to say I’m feeling better than I have in years!

Thanks be to God for his Healing Hand in leading me to the right surgeon to deal with my serious sinus infection and bone overgrowth. And we thank Him for making us aware of the Energy Blueprint Program. Because of that program I’ve made a lot of positive lifestyle changes. I plan to continue gradually making changes the program suggests to improve my mitochondrial function. The reward of feeling so good makes the new lifestyle changes worthwhile, even though it means changing habits of a lifetime!

 

 

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged energy, exercise, mitochondria, nutrition, qigong, Satori Method Flow Form, The Energy Blueprint, whole food plant based diet | 8 Replies

IMPROVING!

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on September 16, 2017 by DBDecember 2, 2017  

Improving a LOT

I’m really improving, and it’s only been six weeks since my skull base surgery! I saw my own ENT this week to have more debriding done to remove crusting in the nose and sinuses. This was at the direction of my surgeon. As usual, it did not feel good, even though he used a numbing material in my nostrils. And I took a muscle relaxer ahead of time, attempting to keep my neck from such painful spasms afterwards. I did have neck pain, but it was nothing like the last time at the surgeon’s office.  That’s when he removed the splints in the frontal sinuses that he completely re-designed. (I now have one large cavity above my eyebrows, rather than two separate ones with bone in between.)

Energy Improving

I started a few weeks before surgery to increase how much I walked, and I also started a new program that is supposed to improve Mitochondrial energy. Hubby found the program, and we watched the free introductory videos. It appeared to be compatible with everything I had learned on my own about how the mitochondria work. We prayed about it and talked a lot about it. So we decided to take a leap of faith that this program would help me. And we bought the program. I was assured before purchasing that I could get a full refund if I decided my Mitochondrial Myopathy had not shown improvement with the lifestyle changes that were being recommended.

The Energy Blueprint

So I have now been studying and using for the last two months many of the Energy Blueprint* program strategies. It’s all explained by Ari Whitten in great detail in video modules, summary documents, podcasts, and information on a private Facebook group. And I can say without a doubt that I do NOT want my money back! I feel more energetic than I have in years. I am sure a lot of that is due to finally getting rid of the inflammation in my sinuses. But I credit the Energy Blueprint diet and lifestyle changes I have made to improving so fast after surgery. My sinuses are a long way from being healed, but everything is progressing as it should. And that certainly did NOT happen with my first sinus surgery two years ago, when the bone overgrowth first began.

It takes at least two months to watch everything in the Energy Blueprint program and even begin to implement the lifestyle changes. Ari does a good job of offering many strategies, understanding that no one would be able to do all of his suggestions at once. I’ll probably be making lifestyle changes for at least a couple of years to even come close to using every suggestion that is appropriate for me. He always spends time explaining which strategies are more suitable for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and similar fatigue causing diseases. So I feel comfortable going slowly and building up very gradually.

Sunbathing??

For instance, Ari goes into great detail to explain the science of how the sun can increase the energy in the mitochondria. I had never before read that the sun had anything to do with my energy level. So this 74 year old lady started sunbathing at noon, no less, after years of wearing a long sleeve fleece jacket outside, even in the summer. At first I turned over like a rotisserie chicken, staying maybe two minutes total. Because I have cold intolerance, the 100 degree days at noon in the Alabama sun felt good to me.

But I was terrified that I would burn. As I have approached all the changes I’ve made with this program, I increased time to my sunbathing routine extremely gradually. Now I stay on each side for about ten minutes. For the first time I can ever remember – I am beginning to tan – I even have some tan lines! And yes, I can tell I am feeling more energetic, without having to get all my energy supply from food calories. I’m actually losing weight, even though I am eating a huge amount of fresh greens – much of it raw.

If I’ve said anything that peaks your interest in increasing your energy level and improving your health, you can learn more about The Energy Blueprint and about Ari Whitten HERE. There are several free videos you can watch to decide if this is something you would want to try. The course is not cheap, by any means, but I am convinced it was the right decision for me. If you decide to buy the course, I’d appreciate you using my affiliate link* for your purchase. But that’s definitely not necessary, if you don’t feel comfortable doing that.

Thankful!!

I am very thankful that we made the leap of faith to buy The Energy Blueprint program. I am thankful to God for leading us to this course. And I’m thankful to Him for how much I am improving at this point after surgery. I look forward to all the positive changes I will see over the next few years! And I’ll be writing from time to time about some of the Energy Blueprint lifestyle changes I’m making to improve my health and energy.

Posted in Quality of Life | Tagged energy, exercise, fatigue, mitochondria, Quality of Life, recovery, The Energy Blueprint | Leave a reply

3 Parent DNA in the News

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on September 30, 2016 by DBOctober 17, 2016  

You may have seen the news stories about a baby boy born this year with 3 parent DNA. If you’re interested, it’s easy to find with a Google Search for “3 parent dna”. This form of artificial conception is legal at this time only in the UK. So the American doctor who performed this procedure went to Mexico, where rules are evidently more lax.

2 Kinds of DNA

The human egg cell from the Mom has two distinctly different kinds of DNA. The DNA in the nucleus carries all those characteristics we associate with family, like hair color, ethnicity, stature, etc. The other kind of DNA is NOT in the nucleus. This DNA is in the mitochondria organelles found in each cell, including the mother’s egg cell. The Mitochondria are responsible for converting our food into the energy each cell needs to function properly.

We ALL have some level of damaged nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Mutations occur naturally over many generations of procreation. Over our lifetime, we eat unhealthy foods and take chemicals into our body intentionally and unintentionally. We are assaulted by various viruses and bacteria. The older we get the more faulty DNA we have.

The mother in this news story had already miscarried 6 times and had carried 2 babies to full term. But they were not healthy babies, and both died very young. They had Leigh’s Disease, which is caused by faulty mitochondrial DNA passed from the mother to her babies.

Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child. The baby does NOT receive any mitochondrial DNA from the father.

So, they harvested egg cells from the mother and fertilized the eggs with the father’s sperm. Many people who cannot conceive naturally go through in vitro fertilization. So that’s not that unusual.

How it Was Done

What made this conception so ground breaking is what they did BEFORE they fertilized the egg with the father’s sperm. They literally took the Mom’s nucleus out of her egg cell and put her nucleus into another woman’s egg cell. This prevented the mother’s defective mitochondria from being passed on to her baby. And then they implanted the fertilized embryo into the mother’s womb.

The baby boy has all the genetic characteristics of his Mama and Daddy, except the donated mitochondria work the way they should.

Controversy

Obviously this little boy’s health is going to be followed by the medical community – probably for his whole life. And just as certain will be a debate on whether this doctor should have performed this procedure without sanction from the medical community.

Having miscarried and having trouble even getting pregnant myself, I now suspect my own mitochondrial disease contributed to our difficulty conceiving. Let the medical community and legal authorities deal with the ethics, research methods, and legality of this 3 parent DNA conception.

I can only pray that this little boy will grow up to be a healthy young man.

Posted in MITO | Tagged DNA, energy, Michondrial Disease, MITO, mitochondria | Leave a reply

Trying the Low Carb High Fat Lifestyle

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on January 19, 2014 by DBMay 8, 2016 2

I’ve been studying anything and everything I could get my hands on about mitochondria and cellular energy production ever since I received the diagnosis of Mitochondrial Myopathy. Since the doctors can’t offer much in the way of treatment, other than suggestions of taking CoEnzymeQ10 and B vitamins, it seemed that if I were to improve – it was going to be by improving my diet.

So over the last year I’ve studied several books and searched all over the internet for information about Paleo, Biblical diets like the Maker’s Diet, and most recently Low Carb High Fat (LCHF), or Ketogenic diets. These are not “diets” in the usual sense of the word, but lifestyle changes. I found quite a few points of common ground in all three of these approaches.

All three emphasize eating the way God meant for our bodies to be fueled, long before the food industry convinced us that stuff in pretty cardboard boxes was better for us than real food. And all of them would be appropriate for my Type II Diabetes.

After seeing Dr. Perlmutter on the Dr. Oz show some time ago, I bought his latest book, “Grain Brain”, and found his approach to make sense for me.

So I’ve been grain free and also greatly increased my fat intake for about the last two weeks and can definitely tell the difference in my energy level. And I don’t just mean I feel peppier – I’ve actually not been as cold as I normally would have been. It may just be a placebo effect, but I’ll take it, either way!

I’m hoping I will see some of the brain fog lift as well, as I reduce the inflammation in my gut that gluten has probably been causing. In all the years of digestion issues I’ve had – I have never been tested for gluten sensitivity, even though I have been diagnosed with IBS and GERD, as well as experienced several ulcers over the years. Since I have so many symptoms of gluten sensitivity, it seemed worthwhile to experiment with the Grain Free approach for at least a couple of months.

I don’t think the dietary adjustments required in a LCHF or Ketogenic diet are something that everyone would want to adhere to, but the continued pain, lack of energy, and brain fog I’ve been experiencing now for several years has made me desperate enough to try just about anything that looks safe.

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged diet, digestion, energy, gluten, Ketogenic, LCHF, Maker's Diet, MITO, Mitochondrial Myopathy, nutrition, Paleo | 2 Replies

Co-Enzyme Q10, Ubiquinone, Ubiquinol

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on July 15, 2012 by DBMay 8, 2016 2

I’ve spent a great deal of time during the last year doing research on vitamins, minerals, enzymes,  cofactors, foods, and herbs that promote the best possible energy production in the mitochondria of our cells. So I figure it’s time to try to pull together some of what I’ve learned.

You don’t have to have a Mitochondrial Disease to reap the benefits of proper nutrition. Whether you are trying to improve or maintain your health, I hope you’ll find some of this information to be useful. But of course I am not a medical professional, so I can only tell you about what I’ve read and tried.

Since I have been gradually adding a wide variety of supplements, it’s hard to decide how much of my improvement can be attributed to any given effort, but so far I’ve not stopped taking most of what I’ve tried.

I’ve chosen to start this series of posts with information about Co-Q10, because that’s the only supplement that was suggested to us by the UAB specialist who diagnosed my Mitochondrial Myopathy. I was told at that time that it might help, but there is no known treatment and no known cure for this disease.

Almost immediately I started working up to an 800mg dose of CoQ10 spread over the day. Because I have a tendency toward insomnia, and I had read that taking CoQ10 late in the day could cause sleep issues, I decided to be finished with the CoQ10 with my afternoon snack. From what I have read it can take several months of use before a person can tell any difference. I seemed to be a little stronger within about a month of starting it. And I’m certainly stronger now than I was in October, 2010.

WebMD is a good place to get simply written information concerning medical issues, so read more about Coenzyme Q10 here. It is a vitamin like fat soluble substance. CoQ10 is a key ingredient in the chain of chemical reactions within the mitochondria in our cells. This process generates 95% of the human body’s energy.

It is also an extremely powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are needed because all the natural processes that are constantly going on in the body produce free radicals. And we eat, breathe, and come in contact with a world full of chemicals that release free radicals into our bodies. Left un-neutralized by antioxidants, these free radicals can cause genetic mutations that can lead to serious diseases such as Diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Cancer.

The cells can’t directly use CoQ10 in the less expensive version, which is ubiquinone. But normally humans can easily convert the ubiquinone into the ubiquinol form that the cells can use.

But I’m far from normal when it comes to the way my Mitochondria function, or should I say fail to function. So I decided it made more sense for me to take the more expensive Ubiquinol form, which is not supposed to require as high a dose to receive the same benefit, as it’s immediately available to the Mitochondria. I’m currently taking 600mg Ubiquinol, still taking the last dose in the afternoon.

From Fibromyalgia to Heart Disease, there’s a long list of diseases and disorders for which taking CoQ10 might be beneficial. I hope you find this post to be useful, and I look forward to reading your comments.

Posted in MITO, Nutrition | Tagged anti-oxidant, Coenzyme Q10, energy, Mitochondrial Myopathy, nutrition, supplements, Ubiquinone. Ubiquinol | 2 Replies

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