What does your username "Alecto" mean?

"Alecto is the Erinye with the job of castigating the moral crimes (such as anger), especially if they are against other people. Her function is very similar to Nemesis, with the difference that the latter's function is to castigate crimes against the gods." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alecto

Where's the love in a name like that?

It's in the power of not standing to take the well-trodden route of negative emotions.

Is that easy?

I am continually seeking to improve in this area. I am naturally curious & introverted, useful powers to have when directed well. I find that if I spend too much time thinking & not enough time being - then I can get critical, particularly of myself - so I manage this.

Why did you create nurture.wikidot.com?

I am interested in healing the body through nutrition. While I grew up with parents who highly valued good nutrition, and believed in giving alternative remedies a chance, I soon gave up on the power of good nutrition, as to me, the effects weren't as immediate as my convenience-based lifestyle demanded. I became convinced that it didn't really work, that I had bad genes & there was no way of dealing with any health issues I had. Some of the issues I even stopped recognising altogether.

I have had psoriasis since I was twelve, and none of the special diets or herbal remedies I ever took were ever effective. I think this is partially due to never sticking with a particular diet completely. There is also a lot of false hype surrounding psoriasis products. I also think that this is in part, due to following "healthy" diets that still contained many triggers.

Since adolescence, I have had health conditions that have affected me at an increased amount the older I get. This is largely due to stress, though the body has become less tolerant of stressful conditions. Perhaps it's just that age tends to increases stress. Since stress can be managed, but never entirely removed (save for staring at a belly button for life) - I seek to find out about more powerful ways of managing this.

I recently stopped drinking coffee and went on a highly alkaline diet for a month. I have been a strong coffee addict for the last fifteen years. I really didn't think I could do this. The results were incredible. I felt so much more alive, cleaner & my acne cleared up. Though my psoriasis descreased, it didn't go away - and over this time I had cold sores. So while in some ways I felt better, it became clear to me that the alkaline diet wasn't the only answer, it was just part of the answer.

Now that I am off the diet - I went on a bender the other way - coffee, pizza, chinese, ice-cream (though still some salads in take away subways and so on) my psoriasis is through the roof. It's in places it has never been before. The acne came back immediately. I have a stuffy nose, occasional bloating, decreased energy, increased irritability. I sometimes feel nauseous for no good reason & have an unusual "dna" scent coming from my skin from my whole body (in places I do not get psoriasis). I have increased earwax & the cough I had every morning has returned.

Scientific Evidence

Having completed 90% of a science degree, I have an interest in obtaining proof. I also recognise that experience is often good enough (in the absence of proof). Sometimes the only difference between a more "scientific approach" is that someone, or a pharmaceutical company somewhere is making a good amount of cash from it. The full depth of knowledge surrounding many of the medications that are sold is inadequate.

If I talk to my friends doing their PhDs - they are more than happy to explain their partial knowledge about food digestion to me & that ten-cent noodles are really just fine-because-it-all-gets-broken-down-to-y-anyway. Through this wiki I seek to become more informed at a scientific level. That said, always seek your own understanding of the wiki information before assuming that what I interpret is correct. On occasion I will put forward possibilities that have no scientific basis - though I will attempt to distinguish between them.

If something makes a difference to me, and I can repeat that change - causing the same change, then that is enough for me. Where possible - I try to stay on top of the research, and I like to recognise connections. Often that is based on a combination of what I've read & personal experience. I am not saying that this will work for everyone, or that it is correct. It is just a way of connecting and remembering what I learn and know.