Hello friends!
I doubt that many of us are looking back on 2024 (or 2023 or 2022 or 2021 or 2020) with much fondness or enthusiasm. That is not to say that nothing good happened last year, although with all the yuck and suck it may seem hard to find the good.
Aside from the landslide MAGA victory, which I hope is a turning point for our nation to get back to sanity, decency and common sense, here are few highlights.
First, I discovered True Lemon. It is real lemon juice in powdered form. One packet equals one lemon wedge, but it is much more convenient, cheaper and they don't spoil before you can use them. Why is this a big thing? I'll tell you why. If you have ever had heartburn, you know how unpleasant that can be. The most common thing people do for heartburn is take antacids like Tums or Prilosec. Most folks equate heartburn with excess stomach acid, and yes, that can be a cause. However, the opposite is also true. Low stomach acid is another common culprit, but less often considered.
Here is where the True Lemon comes in. I had picked up a package some time ago just to have on hand. Seemed like a good idea, right? So I started using one pack per day in about 10 oz. of water (I use small plastic water bottles - don't judge). I'm not sure now why exactly I started doing this other than I had read that lemon water has health benefits. Anyway, within a week or so, my frequent nighttime heartburn had disappeared. I have been doing this daily since sometime last spring. Now I get only the occasional twinge of heartburn. I am not giving medical advice nor suggesting that this will work for everyone, but it certainly has worked for me. It seems to me that the more you take of an antacid, the more you need them and for those with low stomach acid, this is a cycle you need to break. Could I stop using True Lemon and be fine? I don't know, but somehow I don't think so.
Second, by having made a purchasing mistake, I discovered Grape Seed Extract. I was buying Resveratrol for my hubby, and accidentally picked the wrong item because they were side by side in similar packaging. The online store could not accept a return, but generously gave me credit for it. Rather than letting it go to waste, I decided what the heck, I'll take it myself (ordered hubby the right stuff). To keep this from getting too long, the short story is that it has done wonders for my eyesight. I had been wearing prescription reading glasses for years. I began to notice that I could no longer see well with my glasses, but instead could see better when I took them off. An older pair worked, but I gradually stopped wearing them altogether. Now to be perfectly honest, my eyes are not back to where they were when I was young, but certainly good enough to not need my glasses. Would this also remain true if I stopped taking it? I don't know that either. Nor do I know why this happened. It is possible that it has made the part of my eye that focuses more flexible.
I realize that this is all anecdotal, but I am truly thankful to have stumbled upon them. Those reading this are welcome to share their experiences.
Until next time, take care and be safe.
