[Stephanie]

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted. Thank you for the discussion on Osteoporosis. I've followed it with interest... and it seems to have moved a little into philosophising at this point, but I want to say I'm grateful for the comments, especially the three articles, which I have printed out and will read when I get off line.

I'm trying to limit my computer time.

I've been macro only 6 years, and not exatly a stereotype, model macrobot at that. I've recently (due to two falls) been xrayed and found to have "ostoepenia" and degenerative bond disease in the lumbar spine, sacrum and left hip. Osteopenia, I was told is a pre-Osteoporetic condition. I have just come back from 4 months at the Kushi Institute, where I went through a week of Way To Health, and was a volunteer worker, and totally emersed in the Macrobiotic Way. While there I had a consultation, and am now struggeling to fit all the recommendations and remedies, into my new lifestyle. Easy does it, they tell me, and I must say, though I agree with their advise, my personality is one that is Gung Ho, and wants to work it all in as quickly as possible. So I struggle, mainly with my own ambition to improve my cooking skills toward balance, and increase my understanding of yin and yang and the 5 transformations and how it all fits in. I also studied do-in, and was the recipient of several shiatsu masages while there.

I am not healed by any means, and still climb the three flights to my NY apartment, on "all=fours" by evening time; but I've improved. I haven't used my cane for almost two months, and the scholeosis (sp?) in my lower spine is improving greatly. The pain, which was a constant level 9 - 10 in June, is now neither constant nor ever level 9 or 10, and as I write, I'm not even in pain.

Carry Wolf - one of the KI cooking instructors blithly said, "cooking is food is only 10% of the big picture! Now lets don't start a hughe debate over her statement please!. She includes many facets, like cooking, cooking for yourself, the energy of the cook, the many kinds of energies involved in our lives which include inside energies and outside energies of our inner and outer invironments. and many more. Attitude is a biggie. I was the recipient of so many gifts and blessings while I was there - from the staff, instructors and students and guests, that I would require much of the rest of my life to recount them!

But the reason I mention Carry's statement is that I agree that one persons "perfect" macro is not another's. Today's perfect balanced meal for me is not tomorrow's, because I will be different tomorrow. I don't put too much trust in my counselors. They are just human and learning as I am. But I trust myself to try what they say and intuit the results. And to keep coming back so we can both learn.

I'm so glad to have people like you here still putting out your thoughts and showing the world that it's worth it to try our best.

Be well,
sk