Color Therapy Glasses

I've purchased a full set of 8 color therapy glasses from Rainbow OPTX and am loving these! They truly do affect your sensory responses, mood, energy! I will post more about them and a full review soon - I need more time to try each in different settings. I've had them for a week now and am using multiple colors daily. My husband is also trying them out for different reasons - headaches, seizure prevention, and SAD (seasonal affective disorder).



I had expected the blue to be the most used for my SPD - having read others wear blue tinted glasses to filter artificial light, to calm, to correct visual stress, etc. But I've found for me the green and the purple/indigo work best for calming my senses. And so far the yellow is fantastic for SAD (seasonal affective disorder) & cloudy days.



The full set is on sale for $29.88 off and once on their site they give a coupon code for 20% off for new customers, which equals an additional $25.99 off the set! Noel from Rainbow OPTX let me know there will be a *holiday sale in early December*, so if interested in purchasing, that would be a good time! You can purchase the entire set or each color individually.


This was my first purchase and I am very happy with their customer service, shipping time, and product. I only recently discovered Rainbow OPTX while researching Chromotherapy. I don't mean to sound like a commercial, but I am very excited that these seem to help my moderate to severe SPD!!

Book Review

I finished reading Been There Done That Try This. As soon as I got the book I excitedly went straight to the sensory section and read the entire chapter. I am always so hopeful I will find something new that will help me. I only found common sense advice like avoid what bothers you, use ear plugs (can’t – they hurt my ears & give infections), wear sunglasses (can’t - hurt after more than 10 minutes and make me sweat under eyes, give headaches), do & eat the things you enjoy.


So I went on to read the entire book. This is probably best for someone very young who has just discovered they have ASD a/o SPD, and do not know much about ASD and how to deal with sensory and other issues or someone who wants to read how others are affected by ASD. It might be a good read for parents who wish to learn more about what their child is going through or spouses of those with ASD.


I went back and read the sensory chapter four more times just to see if maybe I missed something. Unfortunately not the case. Off to Half Price Books it went.

Henna

Today I am coloring my hair. Since SPD affects me greatly and I have allergic reactions and hives to most chemical products, I use pure Henna to color my hair. My hair is naturally a medium brunette with some greys, maybe 5% or less - but enough to be annoying and it doesn't look good on me. Henna gives my hair a slight burgundy tint and tons of shine. The first time I did it, it looked slightly orange until it oxidized, but I’ve been doing it for so many years now that it really doesn’t do much other than shine and thankfully cover greys.


If you are interested in using Henna, make sure you purchase body art quality Henna from the Middle East, as high quality as you can afford with no pesticides used and a lab guarantee on dye content. Many box mixes include carcinogens, coal tar, and other things that could make your hair turn green. There are many Henna suppliers online, so shop around and read reviews. I buy in bulk a year’s supply and freeze it to keep fresh. Because my hair is rarely longer than a few inches past my shoulders and I only use half a bag or less per time, it breaks down to about $6 every 2 months to Henna my hair - which is cheaper than most at home hair dye kits, and much less than having a professional dye your hair.


I often hear, “I didn’t know you could color your hair that way”. Yep, it is a very natural process. You take crushed Henna leaves, mix with water and an acid (eg: orange juice, ACV, pomegranate juice) to a yogurt consistency, let sit for 24 hours to let the acid break down the leaves and release dye, then apply just as you would any at home hair color, then wrap in shower cap, cling wrap, a/o a towel. The longer you keep it on your hair, the darker the color. I usually let it sit on my hair for about 2-3 hours. I have slept a full 8 hours in it and have let it sit for only one hour once. For my hair type, 3 hours seems a good time for perfect coverage. It takes 24-48 hours to oxidize after rinsing out and once set, that will be your color. The Henna penetrates the keratin, unlike chemical hair dyes which only coat the hair strand. So with Henna, it will not fade, change color in the sun, wash out. It is permanent and thickens each hair strand. Indians use it as a cure for thinning hair & baldness. It also greatly conditions the hair and leaves it very shiny.


You can add natural indigo to your mix to achieve a darker, black, or blue tint to your color. You can add pure grape powder to achieve a purple tint. There are many natural ways to color your hair and change the tint.

Pinterest

If you are on Pinterest, please be sure to follow my Sensory Processing Disorder Pinterest Board. I regularly pin SPD articles, blogs, products, studies, books, OT activities, supplements, etc. there (including the above t-shirt!).

Magnesium - Part II

The combination of drinking Calm (easily digestible magnesium supplement) and Qi Gong, has been doing wonders for me - I've been drinking Calm twice a day for about a month now. I keep waiting for the effects of Calm to stop working, but it has helped many issues so far. My husband has said for him drinking Calm has helped him sleep, stopped his restless leg syndrome, makes headaches go away, and we have read it can help prevent seizures (he has Epilepsy). For me it has done some things I never expected. For instance I have suffered on and off for years with Plantar Fasciitis - I do stretching for it daily, use massagers, get foot massages, take Ibuprophen, wear shoe insert supports, etc. and it never completely goes away and has actually got worse over the years. After taking Calm for a few days my foot pain went away completely. I remember waking up and getting out of bed and feeling like dancing since my feet felt so good and pain-free! I do get sleepy within 1/2 hour of drinking Calm, it has made headaches go away, helps me feel good and I seem to have more energy (but that could be a combo of it & the Qi Gong I've been doing), eliminated acid reflux, regulated bathroom issues from probiotic I take, lessened PMS/PMDD, and helps regulate my blood sugar. My knees have been hurting me for the past few years and I had to use the railing to go downstairs and sometimes would walk diagonal on our narrow stairs - just felt like my bad knee (hurt years ago in car accident, never had surgery I was supposed to) would go out. Since drinking Calm twice daily my knees haven't been hurting at all and I've been able to walk up & down the stairs daily normally without the rail and go straight up and down.


My husband and I have both said it is a miracle drink and can't believe all the things is has helped - I was very skeptical and still keep waiting for it to stop working/my body to adapt. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for Calm, but I am so happy with all that it has helped and enjoy drinking it more than coffee or tea. If you do a search on magnesium, it is required by the body for over 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is included in saline drips at hospitals, is used to treat many ailments, and the majority of US citizens are deficient. If I recall correctly, the RDA for a man is approx. 400-450mg and 320-360mg for a woman. *Consult your doctor for more info, dosing, side effects, interactions. 


We have since purchased a larger container twice the size of the first and will continue to take it. Another (cheaper) source of magnesium, though also used as a laxative so use much lesser amounts, is Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate), which you drink mixed with water a/o juice or you can bathe in it and your body will absorb it. You can also find magnesium in spinach, nuts, and beans naturally. There are also magnesium supplements available in pill & oil form. I've read you can apply the oil to the bottoms of your feet or anywhere on your body for absorption. I may try this also.


You can find Calm at iherb.com and use coupon code MOD625 to get $5 off your first purchase, or $10 off your first purchase over $40!

Movie Review

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer

*Warning - spoilers ahead...


I’ve wanted to see this movie for years, ever since reading about it and the main character having extreme olfactory sense. With my sense of smell being the most hypersensitive of my senses and of anyone I’ve ever known or read about, I am drawn to books & movies exploring this topic even if works of fiction. I noticed it was OOP (out of print) and I knew I could rent it via Amazon, but I really wanted a physical copy after viewing the trailer - I knew I would like it, I collect strange OOP movies, and don’t like to watch movies on my computer. I searched all of our local 2nd hand shops for a copy of the DVD for years, with no luck. It is available online used for $69+, but I wasn’t willing to pay that much for it. Unfortunately it is not out on Blu-ray -seemed like it would look amazing due to the trailer/cinematography. After finding a reasonably priced DVD, my husband purchased it as a gift for me (yay me!).


This movie resonated deeply with me on many levels – and I’m not talking about the murder part. Objectively, it was beautifully filmed, I loved the music, it was an interesting story, disturbing yet captivating. Obviously I relate to the character's extreme sense of smell. While mine is strong and I can smell things others can’t, smells hurt & burn me where as they didn’t seem to affect him as such. Even when I like a smell, which is very rare (fresh cut grass, peppermint, lemon, water, dirt), I can only tolerate it for a short period before it starts hurting me.


In the film, when he chose the longer path to Gras that took him up the mountains, the farthest away from society and discovered the cave with no smell, I actually cried. I so often wish I could find such a solace. I’ve read that in the book he stayed there for 7 years, which wasn’t thoroughly portrayed in the movie – you knew from his beard growth he’d been there awhile but I don’t believe they mentioned how long.


This movie was depressing and dark, but I still liked it very much.  The movie made me sad, because I could relate to him (not the murders), and because someone (though fictional) with my same hypersensitivity, ended their sadness by their own hand. Either way, I thought it was a good movie and I am so glad I finally got to see it and obtain a copy.