Hi Again Roy,

Thanks for the re-send.

<< I mentioned that Dr. balch mentioned that edema can be caused by
allergies.>>

Yes I have considered this. This is probably what's going on. This is the area
I've been most concentrating on - trying to figure out what's causing it,
rather than finding remedies. I do have food allergies, some self-induced by
excessive overeating of a particular food, and others of mysterious, and very
recent as far as I am aware, origin.

By the way - my edema is not severe. No one else would notice it - even a
health practitioner would be hard-pressed to notice it unless they saw me
frequently enough to see differences in my appearance.

I definately notice it though.  I can see and feel it in my fingers (sometimes
my rings won't even get past the first joint, wheras other times they are so
loose they fall off my fingers); I can see and feel it in my knees and ankles
(even Genie studying  hard can't see the difference) yet I find that its hard
to bend my knee because it feels uncomfortably swollen up with fluid - sort of
like the swelling after you sprain an ankle, and, if I press hard with my
finger, an indent mark is left in that spot for a while. Last of all, and most
obvious to me,  is swelling in my eyes - the upper lid gets so puffed out that
I can actually see it if I look up. And my eyes look very noticeably smaller
and puffy, and bloodshot. Sometimes - perhaps only following long fasts - I
seem to have some edema in my abdomen as well.

 <<... are you familiar with the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients >>

Yes I am :-))  They're great, and its a great newsletter.

<< I bet,being a professional nutrtionalsts, you can take it off your taxes or
stick it to your employer >>

Roy, I am liking you more and more by the minute here :-))

<<  Liza, you mentioned that you were into weight lifting.  Don't you think
jogging ,aerobics or hatha yoga would be a better choice? .... isn't our
vitality and longevity more closely related to organ and gland health than
muscularity? >>

Well, I try to practice what I preach in terms of overall health, and in terms
of excercise I don't believe that a person can effectively train with weights
without cardio training as well, and vice versa. That's not just my opinion,
by the way, the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) who supposedly is
the umbrella authoritative word on what fitness is and isn't, also defines
fitness as including muscle strength and endurance, cardiovascular fitness,
and flexibility. There are sound reasons for this.

At any rate, I personally have a very active lifestyle which includes a 2-6
mile run every day, biking, a daily weight session (I have a complicated split
routine which allows me to train every day), and Ashtanga Yoga ("power yoga")
for flexibility, strength, and other mental benefits. I'm sure it must sound
like all I do is work out, but after many years of refining my routine I've
managed to figure out a way to work this into my days so that I can do
everything else I want to do, and have the excercise, too.  As a hobby, Genie
and I compete in a form of ballroom dance, so that provides a little
additional movement (mostly grace, balance and coordination - its not aerobic
- for us, anyway).

I agree with you that in terms of the edema, cardio excercise would probably
be the most useful, if one had to choose. But I think I'm covered on that
score.

<< Also, Liza, if you have a sauna available, consider using it 2 or 3 times a
week >>

Our gym does have a sauna, and from time to time I'll sit in it for the
reasons that you are suggesting. But its not that often - I haven't made time
for it. Probably a good idea though.

Roy, thank you very much for your long and thoughtful post concerning my
health. Much appreciated. Thanks also for the info about sci-veg. I subscribed
instantly, and am totally, completely thrilled to have discovered it. It is
top-notch.

Looking forward to getting to know you! Thanks again.

Love, Liza
[log in to unmask] (Liza May)