Cure for fibromyalgia - my healing and detox journey 2018

Healing. By Annie Hamman. June 2018

Healing. By Annie Hamman. June 2018

At the beginning of this year I had so many health issues, it was running me down and taking over my life. Currently I am on detox program: a day 32 of a 40 day grape fast. I eat only dark grapes and some lemon juice at the moment (smoothies and juice made of grapes), no other food and no water. Between February and now I have lost 20 kg of weight (44 pounds), got rid of migraines, depression, mood swings, reflux, candida, piles, hot flushes, joints and muscles pain, chronic back pain, brain fog. Severe skin pigmentation on my tummy have magically evaporated, my mind cleared, I got back my concentration and drastically improved quality of sleep, and my eyes cleared from brown to green. I got off all my chronic medication and feeling perfectly fine without it. I feel abundance and steady flow of energy. Its consistent though the day, I never get tired anymore and need only 5 hours to sleep.

I started my health journey in February, where I decided I need to lose some weight and joined gym: 3 times a week for 2 hours: 1 hour Zumba and 1 hour pilates. After going for 3 weeks and getting to result, I saw a quote online that said: “Losing weight is 80% right eating and 20% exercise. You can’t outrun your fork.“ The quote stuck with me and after debating it for few days, I stopped eating sugar and wheat. As a result, in March I had heavy detox symptoms: coughing up phlegm for 5 weeks. My body was getting rid of mucus accumulated in years of eating bread, pasta, cakes, pizzas and sweets. That was my favourite food and no kidding it was tough giving it up. Trying to compensate I ate huge load of very unhealthy salty snacks: biltong (jerky), chips, french fries, pop corn. It was probably not the best idea, but it really helped me to get though the stage of forgetting about wheat. Now I am thinking it was brilliant idea really, or I would not have coped.

In March I quit dairy and salty junk and by then I already lost 10 kg of weight. After that I started feeling better, but I still battled with fibromyalgia, felt very down emotionally, and had several other annoying health issues. I even made appointment with psychiatrist at the point of getting on bipolar medication (which I needed for years but never took by the way). I was looking for something, for an answer to it all. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I felt that the answer was there, a cure for everything incurable, a firm comeback to a healthy happy life.

On 9th of May –World War II Victory Day, I met with a group of Russians to celebrate and catch up. One of them – a 35 year old girl from Lithuania, Inesa, had stage 2 breast cancer. I haven’t seen her for a year. She sat with us at the table, all happy and positive, and ate only grapes. I was curious. Grapes? Full of sugar? To recover cancer? I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I asked her few questions and she told me she is curing herself on the detox system by Dr Morse, apparently he has many health related videos on youtube and she will send me a link. She indeed sent me a link that very evening, but curious yet lazy creatures we are – we kind of just push it to the back of our minds and forget about it. That is what I attempted to do. Something in my mind was so fearful to open up to the new idea, that involved abandoning the old. However 2 days later I bumped into Inesa in a mall. She lives in another town, so I never ever by chance bump into her, but this time I did. We arrived to have breakfast in the same coffee shop in Hermanus, me with my family and our eggs and bacon, her with her family, and a bottle of grape smoothie in front of her. I sat there, with all of the bells ringing in my head: “I must watch that video she sent me!” I saw meeting her as a sign and that night I indeed watched the video.

www.youtu.be/kn7TvPb_MSI

From that point, I had the missing puzzle pieces aligned in my head. “The answer to life, universe and everything”, so to speak. – This line is from Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy, if anyone don’t know, lol. I just instinctively knew – I found it. In a nutshell the video says that there are acidic forming foods: grains, dairy, preservatives, cooked processed and heated meals, meat and animal products, and there are alkaline foods: fruits, berries, melons, herbs, nuts and seeds, vegetables. Our bodies are alkaline, there were designed that way. We were made to eat predominantly fruit. Even if your think that there is no way you will eat only fruit till the rest of your life – and that it exactly what crossed my mind at that point, putting that aside – fruit are still the only things that will detox and completely regenerate diseased and aging body. It’s worth a shot to try it out temporarily – I thought - just for the healing purposes, to get rid of my “incurable” illness of fibromyalgia and all the other stuff.  

Fruit salad with berry smoothie, nuts and seeds was my regular breakfast in May-June.

Fruit salad with berry smoothie, nuts and seeds was my regular breakfast in May-June.

The truth looked so simple, it was almost hard to believe. But then, it almost always is. All the acid forming foods that we were putting into our bodies throughout our lives, are stuck around each cell in our lymphatic system, and sit there, unable to get properly eliminated, creating variety of chronic and auto-immune diseases, cancers and other problems. It’s all very well explained in this short 6 min video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvGtDnv0DXk

From 23 to 31 years old I used to be vegetarian. I still remember at 31 I started eating meat again, and 8 months later I had first severe symptoms of fibromyalgia. I lived with that illness for 10 years. Meat was probably that extra acid that my body couldn’t handle, on top of everything else. Vegetarian diet is by no means healthy. Dairy, eggs and grains/ wheat, desserts, processed foods are often in vegetarian’s diet, and all these foods are filled with acid as much as meat. It’s just meat was that extra amount of acid that my body could not handle.

Raw vegan lettuce leaf wrap. One of my favourite dinner items.

Raw vegan lettuce leaf wrap. One of my favourite dinner items.

So on 12th of May this year I stopped eating meat again. I cancelled my appointment with psychiatrist (scheduled for 15th, thank God they could only see me in 1 month when I called them a month before!). I started eating only raw fruit and vegetables: melon or fruit salad for breakfast, bowl of other fruit for lunch and salad with oil, nuts and seeds for dinner. On day 3 of this diet my piles were gone and never returned. 2 weeks later my depression and mood swings evaporated. By end of May I have lost another 5 kg and I felt amazing. I had clear mind and abundance of energy. It felt like I was flying. For someone with fibro, living with fatigue and brain fog is a given, so that improvement in just 2 weeks have truly blown my mind. On day 10 of this diet I drastically stopped my prescription medication. That was amytreptiline for sleeping and pain issues related to fibro and estrogen for hot flushes and migraines related to menopause. I only left taking 8 drops of cannabis oil at night, because technically it’s a herb. I know that was a bold and probably unwise move to stop meds abruptly, I do not recommend you to do so. I was waiting for fibro and menopause to crush on me, but… nothing happened. I continued to sleep with the support of cannabis oil and no hot flushes or migraines came back. I also used to have sensory problems for years, which got worse every year.

I also used to be sensitive to touch, smells, sounds and sunlight, all fibromyalgia related issues. Sunlight on my skin, or sand on my skin felt like someone is brushing with metal brush on my bare brain nerve endings. I could scream. Most of the time I couldn't even listen to music, unless very soft and gentle tune. No perfume, colon, body deodorant or toilet sprays were allowed in the house. No TV or music in the house. I was hectic with all that stuff. It was resolved within a month on raw vegan diet. Suddenly I was enjoying sunlight and started going to the beach with my daughter and friends. I listen to loud music in the car and smells or strong spices like ginger and cinnamon are no longer an issue to me.

From end of May my husband FC have suddenly join me on this program. I didn't expect him to or even invited him, hehe. He came from a culture where social barbecues and fair amount of meat daily is a given, so I did not have much hope in him joining. He told me that he got inspired by my transformation and wanted to try. He used to have a lot of pain in his back for decades and went for massages 2 times a week (imagine the fortune he spent just on that?), he took pain killers daily and had large arthritic nods on his fingers. Every morning it was hard for him to unbend his fingers. Within a month all of it was cleared. His hands look and feel fine, his back is not sore most of the time, and he no longer need massages. Huge bags under his eyes began to disappear too.

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Our bodies were thriving and singing on raw living food. I was researching raw vegan recipes, got dehydrator as a gift from a friend and powerful blender from another friend (thank you so much, beautiful people Bevan, Janet and Shane). In mid July I did a liver flush, by drinking mixture of olive oil and grapefruit juice one night, and next day I had 12 gall stones come out of my gallbladder and small black and white parasites come out of my liver. Wow, I didn’t even know that stuff was there! Next day my face skin, that had some breakouts, have magically cleared.

At end of May my friend Inesa have completed her 40 day grapes and lemons fast, went for a test and got results that her cancer have cured. That was just another confirmation for me on what an incredible power fruit holds to restore and rejenerate our bodies.

My raw vegan flaxseed crackers, made in dehydrator, with vegan cheese, tahini, sprouts and almonds. One of my favourite in between meals snacks.

My raw vegan flaxseed crackers, made in dehydrator, with vegan cheese, tahini, sprouts and almonds. One of my favourite in between meals snacks.

Why I didn’t share this before? Up until mid June I haven’t fully realized that I am on some kind of mission or a journey. By the time realization hit, I started looking back and reflecting on this spontaneous and powerful journey that I felt strongly compelled to take. Between June and now I was putting my testimony and knowledge together, so that could share it with the world to empower others.

I kept watching numerous Dr Morse videos, free on youtube, and connected to like minded people on Facebook, there is a group called “Fans of Dr Robert Morse”, who discuss daily challenges of going through regenerative detox. I started taking herbal teas after making extensive research, they are absolutely invaluable on this journey. Beginning of July I evaluated my health so far and felt the need to dig deeper into detox to resolve my chronic sleeping problems and right side half of the body pain, both fibro related. On 9th of July I went on 40 day grape mixed with lemon juice fast. Grapes and citrus fruit has great astringent properties, so when we are on this mono fruit diet for a while – they pull out accumulated toxins from around the cells and tissues in our body, and eliminate them via kidneys, bowels and skin.

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For those who interested in trying this regenerative detox system:

In 1 week when I am done with grapes I will write another post with detailed account on how I did 40 day grape fast. What I did and did not do, at what times, what I combined and how I progressed from smoothies to juices, to more lemons, what were my detox symptoms, etc. I plan to do 36 hour dry fast – no food no water, at the end of my fast – dry fast is the most powerful detox tool for regeneration.

In a mean time if you would like to watch some Dr Morse videos, just search his name on youtube. However most of his videos are 2 hours long, so to get answer on your specific problems, please go to: www.rawfigs.com and enter keyword in search block. It will give you segments of his videos on a specific topic. Do join Fb group Fans of Dr Robert Morse, it has wealth of information there and invaluable support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/216687125511753/

Some more links:

- Newbie introduction text: https://bit.ly/2hOoL4g

- 101 basics by Dr. Morse: https://bit.ly/2vnaG2F

- Detoxification explainer video: http://bit.ly/2vp3KBW

- The healing system in more detail: https://bit.ly/2wy8p3g

- Frequently asked questions: https://bit.ly/2wxALuz

- Dr. Morse's book: https://bit.ly/2ut32Vt

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What's new:

My last year workshop on faces Close-Up is open for 2nd guided session, starting from 9 of September! :) Early bird price is on until end of this month:

I have placed some of my originals and reproductions in my Etsy shop:

Completed Sketchbook Project

So here it is! If you haven't seen my previous post on Sketchbook Project, this is a project run by Brooklyn Art Library. They accept sketchbooks from around the world from anyone. I have been working on this one for about 8 months, slowly filling it page by page, with collaged stamps, writing and painted faces. 

I have posted this sketchbook all the way from South Africa at the end of last month and just received notification that my sketchbook is going on a tour in their Mobile Library and will be passing through:

CHICAGO: August 3rd - 5th
Hyde Park Arts Center
5020 S Cornell Ave Chicago, IL 60615

ATLANTA: September 21st - 23rd
Ponce City Market 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30308

How exciting would it be to pop in to that library and browse thousands of sketchbooks from artists around the world? I would stay there day and night!

By the way you can participate too. Here is a link to read more: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/libraries

(Please note: I am not gaining anything by advertising this link. This is just a friendly suggestion because I enjoyed this project so much. :))

My sketchbook is also digitized there with the code 345.112-3

Photos of some of the pages:

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Around The World Through Art

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Dear friends!

First of all – happy Valentines Day! A bit lonely day for me, as my husband is away in Johannesburg, filming for a client. As creatives, we work in schedules that ignore public holidays and celebrations. Sometimes I wish it was not the case. Just on 24th December I was sitting painting in my studio. I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. I suppose creative flow doesn’t fit into a calendar.

Second, I would like to let you know that I will be part of collaborative workshop “Around the world through art”, that will begin on 26 of April. And I am allowed to giveaway 1 spot! 14 wonderful art teachers came together and created classes related to the country each of them are born in or attracted to. I have Russian origin, so my 2 classes there will be Russian theme inspired. In one of the classes I will demonstrate how I paint on stacking wooden Matryoshka dolls (or sometimes they called Babushka dolls). In another class I will paint a girl in a colorful Russian costume. I am so excited about this project, together we can learn about other cultures in the most exciting way – through art! There will also be art inspired by Spain, Mexico, Italy, Japan, India, China and other countries!

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To learn more about workshop and sign up, please go to:

www.tinyurl/atwta-annie

With regard to giveaway, please go to my FB post, share it and comment there, and I will add you to the draw. I will announce the winner on Monday, 19 February. :) If you already paid and won a spot – you will be refunded. 30% off is offered for early bird sign ups!

My FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/annie.hamman

I hope you are having a great day with someone you love or with something you love. Valentine’s day is about love, and it doesn’t have to be a person. :)

Hugs,

Annie.

Artist in transit

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The most valuable advice I have ever received from an art teacher was: "Paint until you are happy." Most profound thing that have affected my art in a deep way and always pushed me to discover how can an artwork be brought to the next level.

I took this advice as my most valuable tool that I have applied into every artwork I created in the last 5 years. Little did I know that at times this advice would become a nagging thing in my head that would not let me rest until an artwork is brought onto a more complex and intriguing state. Sometimes I would be stuck at an artwork for weeks, painting and repainting it obsessively, and when not painting I would go around house grumpy and dissatisfied, pondering and guessing, what if and how to?

In the last several months the need to change have become my torment and obsession. I discard everything I attempt to paint in the old way and constantly question whether this complete work can be brought to the next level. I call it a love-hate relationship with the canvas.

My recent work "Set sail and love" was one of those I struggle with the most. It all started with my usual 15 min Pinterest browsing before bedtime. I came across a photo of a beautiful ship, my mind immediately went on an adventure, imagining incorporating something like this into my art and the name "Set Sail and Love" have jumped to mind right away. I wrote the name down, went to sleep and next morning started working out a composition.

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First thing I always do is paint a face. That's usually the easiest part. Then I painted a ship and glued collage of flowers that I completely overpainted in my own way.

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Great thing about acrylics is that it can never be too many layers on the artwork. You can continue adding layers again and again, literally until you are happy. In fact the more layers you add, the better the artwork will be in the end.

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In this case the more I added, the more I resented this work. It felt stagnant and lack in energy. And the worst thought that I completely hate coming to my mind kept arriving and nagging me: "the whole story lacks in meaning and confusing, it's just a pretty artwork in rococo style."

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Truly, the last thing I want to make is simply pretty art. To make matters worse, my husband walked into my studio and remarked: "Very nice. Reminds me of your earlier work." My husband is often my worst critique, who pushes me onto another level. Perhaps he did not mean it this time, but I got totally depressed over his comment and almost trashed the whole thing in a bin.

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But wait, before you ever trash your artwork, just put another layer on it! Paint until you are happy - came to mind. And so I did.

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I think it's that tension between how i am used to paint story art and how my heart wants to evolve into painting it differently. That struggle to evolve pushes us artists to go for drastic wipe out and repaint, sometimes several times. 

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I cannot say that I am madly in love with the result, but at least I am much happier with her now than in any other stages.

 

 


Did you know? This month I have finally found time to load many originals and prints of my best work into my Etsy shop. :)

Above artwork will be offered for sale on 6 of February in the HeArtful Soul Artist collactive online event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1144706549000042/


Christmas gift - free video tutorial. :)

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Dear beautiful artists,

I hope you like my Christmas gift, I have filmed and edited a 25 minute video tutorial on how I painted this painting (see full painting picture below). I wish you a wonderful holiday and family time, or alone creative time (which is also awesome), however you choose to make your December exciting - I wish you all the best in that. If you have time to paint with me, please do, this project requires about 2 hours of your time. :) Please tag me on Facebook is you would like me to see what you have created.

Password: loveistheanswer

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Supplies:

300 lb paper, rough or smooth
black India ink, or black acrylic ink
tray for ink
white & red acrylics, heavy body, Golden is great
small palette, I use a lid from tupperware
black & red Stabilo All, or watersoluble pencil or crayon (Lyra aquacolor, Neocolors II)
black Lyra crayon woody, or Stabilo All woody, or any thick black crayon that is watersoluble
square flat brushes, or filberts if you prefer
porcupine stick or any sharp tool to scratch into wet paint
water container, rug

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"Dragonfly Mirror" 13"x17" mixed media on paper. This original is available. Please inquire. 


current workshop on painting faces: 

"CLOSE-UP"