Holidays, Grief, and Ignatia

One evening my four month old puppy was let out of the kennel as part of my evening routine.  He annoyed his 11 year old sire around the farm as usual.  The pup did not come back.  My wife and I called and looked in the usual places for hours.  We called the neighbors just in case.  He did have a collar with my name and phone number.  At night fall I took the ATV and a spot light and rode the woods and fields.  There was some reason, he could not come home.  Did his collar get hung up on something, did the coyotes get him, or was he at someone's house?  It was hopeless to find him at night.  I went to bed and did not sleep very well.  I got up at 3AM and went back into the woods to look again.  At day light I walked the deep ravines for 3 hours to no avail.   My neighbor called to say his wife saw a dead dog by the highway a half mile away. 

I found him, took him home and buried him.  Loosing a pet it tough.  But it reminds me of the loss of what some experience when they lose a wife, a husband, a father, a mother, or a child.  Someone that is part of that person.

For many, the holidays bring happy times of family gatherings and good food.  However, this time can be difficult for those that have lost loved ones.  Grief is an awful state.  In the initial phase of shock and disbelief comes an emotional roller coaster. 

Grief can be the loss of a friend, relationship, or job.  It can also be the loss of a concept.  The fairy tale world is not like the real thing.  The princess did not live happily ever after.  This is not the way I thought my life would turn out.  What ever the reason, time sometimes helps.

In the world of homeopathy, Ignatia is the premier acute grief remedy.  Key notes of the remedy include:  the emotional state of grief or frustration, suppressed or deep grief with long drawn sighs, ailments from grief, emotion shock, disappointments, quarrelsome, and worse from consolation. 

Some have suggested that it may not be best to give a remedy for grief.  Of course regular prescription medicine may include some anti-anxiety or anti-depressant.  Robin Murphy, ND put it quite well.  "If a child broke his arm would you say let him experience the pain so he could learn from the discomfort?"  Ignatia does not change the process but allows the individual to feel more balanced in the process.  Start with Ignatia 30C as needed.  You can also increase the potency to 200C if needed.

Stay Well.

Antibiotics Causing Nerve and Tendon Damage

A recent customer asked what could be used for peripheral neuropathy.  He was not a diabetic and it began three weeks ago after a sinus infection.  He had taken an antibiotic known as ciprofloxacin.

This was likely a drug induced "side effect".  This August the FDA is requiring labeling changes to the antibiotic drug class known as fluoroquinolones that include AveloxÒ (moxifloxacin),  CiproÒ (ciprofloxacin), LevaquinÒ (levofloxacin), Factive (gemifloxacin), and NoroxinÒ (norfloxacin).  Fluoroquinolones carry the risk of serious peripherial neuropathy (nerve damage) that may be permanent. 

Peripheral neuropathy symptoms may include muscle weakness, tingling, numbness and burning pain of the legs or feet.   It can feel like freezing, burning, or electric like sensations.  Many diabetics experience these symptoms.  Unfortunately, this drug induced problem may be associated with other nerve related problems including tinnitus (ringing in the ears), decreased sense of smell or hearing, anxiety, headache, and memory problems.  In 2008, the FDA also issued a warning about tendon damage as some individual experienced a sudden tear of the Achilles' tendon.  This disaster may impact other joints to include inflammation of tendons, weakness,  and swelling.

Fluoroquinolone's are suppose to be used for serious bacterial infections.  They chemically have a fluoride attached which allows greater penetration in tissue that is not easy to reach.  This includes the brain where it interferes with GABA receptors associated with calming, hence, anxiety and panic attacks.  This class of antibiotics are also associated with the development of MRSA and C. Diff (Clostridium difficile) bacterial infections.

Who would think that taking a "simple" antibiotic had the potential to create such havoc? 

Diabetic neuropathy has been helped with alpha lipoic acid 300mg three times daily.  It is best to find a compound pharmacy (requires a prescription) that keeps this health fat frozen or in the refrigerator, as it is a perishable product.  Add a vitamin B Complex.   Magnesium Complex can be helpful for nerve or muscle related problems.  Neuropain HP by Natural Creations is a homeopathic that can be helpful for nerve related pain.  And, always take a good probiotic (Enterobiotic SBO) any time you take an antibiotic.

Stay Well

Pumpkin Seed Medicine

The fall is my favorite season.  The cooler weather and changes in the color of the landscape feels good.  It is also the season of the pumpkin, one of my favorite pies.  The winter squash known as pumpkin was part of the Native Americans diet shared with the Pilgrims.  Although most discard the pumpkin seed,  it is a useful nutritious food.  (Roasting Pumpkin Seeds)   It is odd that many prefer seedless grapes and then buy grape seed extract.

What you may not know is that the pumpkin seed is also a valued medicine that is rich in nutrients and medicinal properties, includes Vitamin A, C, and E.  It is also rich in minerals including zinc, manganese, potassium and phosphorous. 

Cucurbita pepo seeds (pumpkin seeds) is mentioned in many of the old Materia Medica (materials of medicine) references.  One primary use is in the treatment of parasites, including round and tape worms.  But the seeds and oils are also well known as a treatment for non-cancerous enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia). It is also useful for intense nausea and vomiting especially related to motion sickness or pregnancy.

 

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I'm Pretty Healthy

While there is a place for medication, by design it exists to suppress symptoms.  Drugs do not heal.  We are trained via culture and media to take one pill for this and one for that.  We live in a drug culture that trains us as children the way of the pill.

I have observed that most people think they are “pretty healthy”.  They can be on six or more prescription medications, have a current cold and they will say, “Overall, I am pretty healthy.”  It often takes a lot for them to make the shift to something is wrong.  How would you define “pretty healthy?  I can still get up in the morning and go to work?  I can make it to the mail box and back?  I go to the doctor and take my prescriptions?

I love positive thinking but it could be an obstacle to making change.  Sometimes we slip toward poor health so gradually that we don't even notice.  For some there may be a feeling of, "this is as good as it will get, or I am getting old".  I am sure that at some point in time, I will be old and it really will be as good as it gets.  However, there is a time before that where something really can be done.

Do we deceive ourselves into thinking we are healthy when we also know we have health problems?  Is it our survival mechanism to keep going, or do we truly believe we are healthy in spite of evidence to the contrary.  Perhaps it is a strong spiritual perspective carries you forward.  Are we intentional or unintentional in our self-deception?  A newsman once said, "we view things thru the prism of our experience".  Interesting. 

Advertising has pounded the message that drugs are good, the flu shot is good, and anything we tell you to do is for your benefit.  Many are sincere in this belief.  We know what we are doing because we are smarter than you are.  We have done all the research so you don't have to.  If you do not do as we say you are just ignorant.  Oh contraire.  Just some thoughts.

Stay Well

Arsenic, Victorian Lace, Draft Teams and Chicken

The old Belgium team survived on oats and arsenic.  Yes, arsenic was commonly fed to older horses to help them maintain their weight.  The old horse trader’s story was that one-month after buying a beautiful team the purchaser, who did not know about arsenic, witnessed his team turning to skin and bones. 

Arsenic is commercially used in insecticides, fungicides, and in treated lumber.  Victorian women consumed it to make their skin paler to show that they did not work outside. It is theorized that Napoleon Bonaparte’s death was due to arsenic poisoning.   I recently learned that it is or has been used as feed additive for poultry and swine production.  It improves weight gain and meat color.  What kind of twisted mind decided arsenic would be good to feed to chickens?  I guess chickens are made to sell and not to eat.

Chronic arsenic exposure is associated with lung, bladder and skin cancers.  It is also associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive problems.  Less associated symptoms include burning pains, diarrhea, anxiety, and restlessness.  The mental impact may include obsessive-compulsive disorder.  These individuals also have a fear of poverty, death, disease, and “germs”.  This is another example of a toxicity having a mental impact.

Ironically, homeopathic arsenic, known as Arsenicum album is a premier remedy that is especially useful for food poisoning.  Remember that a homeopathic is highly diluted and does not contain the element arsenic.  Homeopathy is in the realm of physics.  Arsenicum album 30C is a remedy you should always have available.  I remember being in Phoenix the day before a 6AM flight back to Charlotte.  Unfortunately, about midnight, I discovered that I had made a poor choice of restaurants.  Without the Arsenicum, I would not have been able to leave the motel at 4AM.

Know Ledge

Some take what they know as something that will not change.  Knowledge can become a fixed idea that ignores all else.  What if a new piece of information changes my mind?  It happens, so, how do you know that what you know is all there is?

After all, I have the complete ability to objectively perceive, analyze, and experience information without emotion or prejudice. I think I will just look for evidence that supports my preconceived fixed idea, which allows me to maintain my cerebral security.  That is simple.  “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest “ (The Boxer, Simon & Garfunkel).

There are those that make fun of past medical interventions as ignorant.  George Washington’s medical treatment, the bleeding of about 5 pints of blood in less than 16 hours contributed to his death.  That was the medical treatment of the day and I am sure the physicians were well intended.  I like the false security of just knowing how far we have come and how smart we are now.  

There are those that religiously believe in allopathic (today’s prescription/surgical treatments) medicine or “natural” medicine.  Some Allopaths make fun of natural medicine.  Some Naturopaths make fun of allopathic medicine.  There are strengths and weakness in both.  Stay open to both possibilities.

Stay Well!

Constitutional Amendment-The Remedy?

Gus is a one-year-old male German Shorthaired Pointer that seemed to have that adolescent teen personality.  He has great physique and ability but is entirely bashful in new situations.  Even though he was well socialized he still did not meet people well and would cower with a new person or loud noises.  Conversely, he was completely comfortable with pointing birds and a shotgun blast.  Gus also had a poor appetite and ate the occasional bite all day long.  I decided it was time to give him a constitutional remedy. 

A constitution is the emotional, mental and physical state of an individual.  It is his or her nature or temperament.  This can be genetic and/or acquired.  While most of our focus is on the physical aspects of health, the more important is the emotional or mental health.

A constitutional remedy is one that fits most of the entire person: physical, mental and emotional.  Ideally a constitutional remedy is used on a healthy person to fortify them.  However, most remedies are used when something is out of balance.  When “out of balance”, the remedy selected may not be the individual’s “constitution” but is the remedy picture presented.  Each homeopathic remedy has physical, mental, and emotional aspects.  It is the homeopaths job to select the remedy that best fits the total person. 

While most use homeopathics for a single purpose, such as Arnica for bruising, each homeopathic remedy can influence a number of seemingly unrelated symptoms.  Lycopodium (club moss) is commonly used for gas and poor digestion.  The mental aspect of Lycopodium includes indecision, timidity, loss of confidence or poor self-esteem.  There is a fear of strangers and a fear of being alone.  The key note here is impotence.  This is not a sexual impotence but overall ineffectiveness. 

Gus received one dose of Lycopodium 1M with no results.  With the second dose one day later he made a complete shift.  He was more confident and happy to meet anyone new.  It was as if he thought everyone had a gift for him.  He also began eating all of his food when presented.   The only down side was that he was interested in mounting any other canine of any sex.  No more ineffectiveness of attitude.  Hopefully, better judgment would come with experience.  Pretty amazing.  

(Note:  most homeopaths would not use a 1M potency first and would start with a 30C, but this was not my choice). 

Stay Well!

Obesity as a Disease?

Last week the American Medical Association voted to classify obesity as a disease.  Obesity has been characterized as a major health concern, a complex disorder, and an urgent chronic condition.  It is reported that this move will add 78 million adults and 11 million children to the list of individuals needing treatment for a disease.  This will oblige physicians to offer treatment for an illness that requires no more than a visual assessment.   Is it really the physician’s responsibility?  I assume we all have a mirror. 

This begs the question, “what is disease”?  Perhaps obesity is just another symptom of a disease with a real underlying problem.  In a broad sense disease can be anything that impairs normal function.  The implications are huge.  Any new “disease” is worth big bucks to the pharmaceutical industry.  Add this to an overweight medical system with poor performance.  Will insurance companies be required to cover subsequent treatments?  It will more likely become a pre-existing condition for them to exclude coverage.  Some seek gastric bypass which generally results in them being uninsurable.  Will it open the door for individuals to get disability? 

In a world gone mad, the government food stamp program has contributed to the problem.  Covered items include soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, ice cream, bakery items, and energy drinks with a nutritional fact label.  The oversimplification is better food equals better health but not everyone has that luxury. 

The basic problem is too many calories of the wrong types of food verses the amount of calories burned.  Just for the record, obesity can include other factors such as food allergies, hormone balance, toxicity, addiction, and emotional considerations. 

Do we create our own disease?  Are we enabled to create our own disease?  Do we blame others for creating our disease?  Don’t think about this one too hard as it will be disruptive to your stress hormone system.

Stay Well!  It's your only chance!

Mind Mimizing Drugs at a Pharmacy Near You......

From a health perspective there is nothing more worrisome as having memory or mind processing issues.  This is especially true if you have seen the impact of Alzheimer’s disease.  The study published online, November 2012, in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia offered a look at common drugs that impact cognition.  In just as little as two months, this class of drugs, known as anticholinergics, showed a 50 % increased risk of “mild cognitive impairment”.  Personally, I need all the brain power I can get.

Anticholinergics impact the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  This communication chemical works in the brain and in nerve tissue for muscle activation.  It functions in memory, decision making and in sleep.  Acetylcholine is made from acetic acid (vinegar) and choline, a B vitamin.  A good source of choline is found in lecithin as phosphatidyl coline and is a good memory supplement.

Ironically, Benadryl® (diphenhydramine), an anti-histamine has long been used for sleep due to its drowsiness side effect.  Most would consider it as generally harmless.  But if it decreases your acetylcholine then sleep quality can be affected.  This is one of many drugs in a class of anticholinergic drugs that impair cognitive function.  Interesting is that many of the Alzheimer’s drugs work to inhibit an enzyme that degrades acetylcholine.  Some of these patients are also receiving some of the above drugs.

Others include but are not limited to:

Hyoscyamine (Levsin®, Donnatal®, Levbid®, HyoMax SR®)

Methscopolamine (Pamine®)

Dicyclomine (Bentyl®)

Bupropion (Wellbutrin®)

Dextromethorphan (common cough suppressant)

Ipratropium (Atrovent®)

Tiotropium (Spiriva®)

Products that may help memory include lecithin, coconut oil, Cerecomp, and Gaia Mental Alertness.

Stay Well!

Nocebo Expectations?

Some will remember the Andy Griffith Show where Emma Watson was taking her pill for her aches and pain.  The pharmacist, Ellie Walker, was conflicted about refilling her prescription with a placebo.  Emma simply could not live without her pill.  In a clinical trial some get a real drug and others get a placebo.  There can be a placebo effect on individuals taking the real drug.  This means that the placebo effect can be beneficial to the results for the real drug.  If you believe a medical treatment will have a positive effect then you are more likely to have that experience. 

The nocebo is just the opposite.  A harmless substance creates a negative effect.  If you are uncomfortable with a medical treatment, the inability to embrace it could be a problem.  What if a physician prescribes a statin drug for elevated cholesterol, which you do not want?  Every time you swallow you have a negative feeling.  The results can be about one’s expectations.

Interesting. 

Stay well!

Safe Weed Killer

The ever popular Round Up weed killer is toxic to humans and the environment.  Here is a cheap and effective way to kill unwanted weeds and grass without the harsh chemicals.  The picture is one day after I sprayed the formula in a strip.  The dying vegetation was the same as the right and left.

One Gallon of Vinegar
1/2 cup of table salt
1 teaspoonful of dish washing detergent.

If you use this in your garden you could substitute Himalayan Salt to add trace minerals to the dirt.

Stay Well!

Poison Ivy- The Plant, The Song, The Villain

My least favorite plant as a child, poison ivy has been the focus of more than just the miserable skin rash that some have endured.  It was also a 1959 song recorded by the Coasters (I remember 45’s).  Poison Ivy in the song was a temptress and code for a carrier of a sexually transmitted disease.  Perhaps the song was the inspiration for the fictional character in DC Comics, Poison Ivy, Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, an enemy and interest of Batman. 

Rhus radicans (Poison Ivy) and Rhus toxicodendron (Poison Oak) are well known for their production of urushiol, a plant resin that causes mild to major skin irritation.  The remedies of the 60’s were primarily white shoe polish, oatmeal baths, and a good mopping of calamine lotion.  Failed plant identification in emergency situations with children in the woods could result in a rash in places the sun does not normally touch.

The homeopathic, Rhus tox 30C has been used both as a preventive or treatment for poison ivy.  It is also used for the relief of joint inflammation and stiffness.  Another use is the treatment of shingles in the blister stage.

If exposed to poison ivy you can use Tecnu as a wash to remove the oil.  My all time favorite remedy is Cortsym Gel by Natural Creations.

Stay Well!

Mental Resistance

There have been many times that I am getting on an interstate when the big WRONG WAY sign is all I see.  At that moment, I cringe only to realize the sign is for the other lane.  The next thought is, “I wish they would angle those signs in more so it would not look like it is for the correct lane”.

How we think is vital to our health.  If you do an inventory of your self-talk you may find many negative perceptions that frame your world.  “I can’t lose weight”, or “I have bad knees”.  These types of statements are both self-fulfilling and also not true.  I promise that if I gave you a diet and you followed it-you would lose weight.  Also, your knees may not be those of a 20 year old but they may still work.  If you were to say, “I am not going to eat sugar”, the last thing you actually said was “eat sugar”.  You could say “I will make healthier choices in my diet”. 

A diagnosis can be a curse.  If you hear the words, “You have cancer”, then every thought or experience of that disease is immediately in your mind.  And every time you repeat those words the negative feelings are reinforced.  Even the concept of fighting disease is extremely negative.  Fighting creates resistance, and a mental picture of a struggle and destruction.  More positive statements could be, “I am improving my health”, or “I am living my best”!

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Doctor....You want do WHAT?

The most talked about new therapy, the fecal transplant, is a bit disturbing.  Can you imagine the physician explaining that he/she wants to share someone’s healthy stuff with you?  The concept is to take the feces of a healthy individual and put it in the colon of the recipient to re-inoculate the bowel with healthy bacteria.  Is it the answer for individuals with severely disrupted bowel bacteria suffering from Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infection?  C. diff is usually created by the use or overuse of antibiotics that destroyed the natural bacteria or flora of the intestine.  The result is life threatening diarrhea (not at the top of my list) and inflammation of the colon.  The C. diff is actually part of your normal bacteria and the standard treatment is more antibiotics.

Probiotics are becoming more mainstream.  At the same time, many hospitals do not routinely give probiotics to their antibiotic patients, nor are they generally recommended in the community.  How about an ounce of prevention?  If you take an antibiotic, always, always, always take a probiotic.

As a side note, there are over 100 species of Clostridium including C. botulism, C. tetani (tetanus), and C. perfringens (food poisoning and gangrene).  The effects of these bacteria are due to the toxins they excrete.

The New England Journal of Medicine (January 2013) reported a 81% cure rate of pseudomembranous colitis caused by C. Diff using fecal implants.  The use of fecal bacteria is not new.  Dr. Anthony Bassler wrote of Intestinal Toxemia in 1874.  Dr. Edward Bach (Bach Flower Remedies) isolated, studied and treated patients homeopathically with his seven bowel nosodes in the 1920’s.  In World War I, a strain of Escherichia coli was isolated from the stool of a soldier who survived an outbreak of shigellosis without developing entercholitis.  This strain was successfully used to treat acute infectious intestinal disease.  And Dr. John Paterson detailed the role of bowel flora in chronic disease in 1948.

The bacterial environment of the intestines includes over 400 species of bacteria and yeast that can weigh as much as 6 pounds.  This is no doubt a complex ecosystem that is a part of our immune system.  Other killers of our good bacteria include cortisone, birth control pills, stress, and the consumption of chlorine treated water. 

A more common, persistent problem is the overgrowth of yeast after antibiotics.  This may require a good probiotic for an extended period of time.  My favorite probiotic is Enterobiotic SBO.  It contains 13 strains of the good bacteria, Saccharomyces boulardii (a beneficial) yeast, soil based organisms, and FOS to support friendly bacteria.  Soil based organisms are naturally occurring bacteria that release powerful enzymes.

Stay Well!

Causes of Mental/Emotional Dis-ease: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

While the mental emotional and spiritual can create disease, the opposite is also true.  There are physical situations that can create diseases of mental or emotional problems.  Heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, or mercury are well known for this.  Remember the Mad Hatter that got mercury poisoning from the making of felt hats.

Environmental toxins such as the pesticide DDT (see blog) mimics estrogen and can play hormone havoc.  The pharmaceutical product of the pre -1950’s diethylstilbesterol (DES), a synthetic estrogen, was given to mothers to aide in a healthier baby.  The female offspring receiving the drug in the first trimester suffered from a rare form of cancer, infertility, and an increased incident of lesbian or bisexual orientation.  Any health problem can bring on anxiety and depression.  These horrors of the past are not currently taught in medical or pharmacy schools so we will likely repeat these errors.

Steroids such as prednisone or food allergies that increase cortisol can lower the working threshold of neurotransmitters in the brain, which can contribute to panic attacks, emotional instability, and attention deficit.

Today, a common drug therapy (proton pump inhibitors) that prevents the stomach from creating acid for digestion is a potential setup for such brain problems.  Acid is needed to breakdown protein into small enough components to be absorbed and to create many of our brain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters.  Most of our neurotransmitters are created in the gut. 

Neurotransmitters control nerve conduction and are either excitatory or inhibitory. They either speed up nerve conduction or slow it down.  Epinephrine or adrenaline, known to be the “fight or flight” neurotransmitter is excitatory.  Serotonin and GABA are examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters.  Serotonin is associated with depression and GABA is associated with anxiety.

Common antidepressants allow the serotonin to remain available longer hence increasing the excretion in the urine, therefore actually contributing to its depletion.  Some targeted amino acid (protein) therapy works to help build such neurotransmitters.    This provides the building blocks (precursors) for the body to make it’s own neurotransmitters.  Natural Creations product Inhibitory Neurotransmitter is a helpful intervention for depression.

Gaba is another neurotransmitter that may be viewed as the brains natural tranquilizer.   The supplement approach is Gaba Calm which can be helpful in anxiety, panic attacks and sleep.   HPA Calm is helpful for high stress anxiety related to elevated cortisol and racing thoughts. 

Stay Well

Head Cold Les Mise'rables

I had forgotten how miserable a head cold could be.  There was so much mucous I started to wonder if it was coming from my brain.  The simultaneous stinging and pressure inside the sinuses on my forehead was amazing.  I knew it would eventually pass as my throbbing head abated any possibility of sleep.  Since my wife is sensitive to the sound of a long rolling snork (and the slurping of soup), I elected to sleep in the other bedroom, which prevented a 911 call.

It may sound strange but it is normal to get sick.  You come in contact with a virus that enters your body through your eyes, nose, or mouth.  Sometimes you get sick and sometimes you don’t.  What if you never get sick or if you get sick too often?  This may indicate a problem with an under or over acting immune system.  What if you get sick and just cannot shake a cold.  Antibiotics are of no value if you have a virus.  However, may times a viral infection such as the cold or flu may turn into a bacterial “infection”. 

A great example of this is “Strep Throat”.  You get a viral infection, your tonsils (part of your lymphatic system) excretes fluid in an attempt to detoxify which is like opening the grocery store for the normal Streptococcus bacteria in your body.  Yes, Strep is part of your normal bacterial flora.  If you take an antibiotic the strep will be killed OR if your body is able to clear the problem, the secretions are minimized, the grocery store closes and the bacterial count naturally diminishes. 

Any stressor can make you more susceptible for a virus.  Stressors include anything that puts you out of balance.  This includes the lack of good water, food, exercise and rest.  It may also include any toxic load (see detoxification blog 1 thru 5) or emotional upset.  This is where a proactive approach to wellness is so important.  TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST!

The helpful remedies for a cold include lots of water, homemade chicken soup, and rest.  I take Influenzium 1M monthly as a viral preventative.  You can also take Colostrum to boost immune function.  Probiotics such as Enterobiotic SBO can be helpful.  Homeopathic Sinus HP is great for head congestion.  Vitamin C can also be helpful.

Stay Well!

Detoxification Part Two

If you are going to start some detoxification program, it only makes sense to decrease the toxins that come from the outside of the body.  These are toxins that can enter the body by inhalation, thru the skin and mouth.

I love the example of a room full of puppies.  Do you keep cleaning up after them or put them outside?

An example of inhaled toxins include cigarettes, gasoline fumes, solvents, cleaning fluids, and welding fumes to name a few.  The use of chlorinated cleaning solutions in a poorly ventilated bathroom is adding to your toxic load.  Other inhaled toxins include a cold virus, mold, or some airborne bacteria that can create an acute or chronic problem.

Toxins that enter the skin include gasoline, solvents, cleaning fluids, pesticides, herbicides and metals.  It is rarely considered that children playing on chemically treated lawn can absorb such chemicals.  Also, swimming in pools or sitting in a jacuzzi allows for the absorption of chlorine.  Golfers playing on wet grass have the potential for absorbing all the course treatment chemicals.  Metals include aluminum from antiperspirants, lead in paint, and mercury from amalgams (dental fillings).  The injection of some drug products such as the flu vaccine or hepatitis B vaccine contains toxic material. 

Toxins can also be ingested and include chemically treated foods, fluoridated water or toothpaste, chlorinated water, parasites, or bacteria.  Gardeners that want their vegetables to stay insect free use sevin dust as a chemical intervention.  How about spraying with a weak soap solution as often as needed?

While in this world it is impossible to completely avoid external toxins, you can certainly take steps to decrease your overall load.

Stay Well!

Natural Detoxification Part One

I always get questions about how to do a “cleanse” which is another way of saying detoxification.  Basic detoxification is a daily wellness activity.  Toxins can be normal waste products internally created by our body’s normal function.  Toxins can also be substances from outside of our body in our water, food, personal care products, drugs, chemical products (cleaners, pesticides, herbicides), dental materials, and microorganisms. 

Your body naturally detoxifies via exhalation of carbon dioxide, sweating, urination, or through bowel movements.  Acute detoxification includes a runny nose, vomiting, or diarrhea.  Another type of detoxification could be a pimple or a boil that discharges toxins directly thru the skin.  There are some basic principles of detoxification as follows.

 Being well hydrated(Got Water Blog) is the first principle.  You must have water intake in order to dilute and process toxic substances.  This obviously includes urination, but dehydration can also contribute to constipation.  Joints also require fluid for synovial fluid that lubricates and cushions joints.  Undiluted toxic material in joints allows for inflammation and pain. 

The second principle is good bowel movements.  Every time you eat the food creates movement in the gut.  Having less than one bowel movement per day is constipation.  Fiber(Got Fiber Blog) is vital as it acts as a broom to sweep the colon; absorbs by products of bile from the liver decreasing the possibility of reabsorption.

The third principle is good bile flow.  Dehydration is a factor in thick bile that does not flow properly.  The liver creates waste that flows thru ducts from the liver into the gall bladder.  Bile contains byproducts of liver detoxification including components of hormones and cholesterol.  Bile also is used to breakdown fats from the diet.  Fats in food that pass the bile duct cause bile to move out of the gall bladder to aid in the digestion of fats.

Never use any products that aid in liver, kidney, lymphatic or cellular detoxification without having the above in place.  You must have hydration, good urination, and bowel movements.  The pipes must be open first!

Stay Well! 

Hysterectomy, Progesterone, and the Whole Body Effect

In 1966, Forever Feminine by gynecologist Robert Wilson, was a best seller.  It touted the use of Premarin® for women to maintain their youth.  For some, the “side effect” of this therapy was endometrial cancer.  The solution was to add a progestin or progesterone the last two weeks of each month.  The progesterone protected the uterus from cell overgrowth caused by the estrogen to minimize the cancer risk.  This simplified approach is an effort to mimicking the natural monthly hormonal changes a woman experiences.

Most estrogen is prescribed to manage hormone symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.  I often hear health professionals say that if you do not have a uterus then you do not need progesterone.   After all, the drug is no longer needed to protect the uterus.  This is a drug management approach not a whole body approach. 

A woman’s hormonal changes that happen in the ovaries and uterus IS a whole body experience.  Progesterone has action all over the body.  Perhaps it is time to shift our thoughts to whole body hormone management instead of symptom management.  This is a quality of life issue.  Why would we just look at estrogen when other hormones play other roles?  Could adding just one hormone cause a shift of balance in the body?  It did in the above example.  Does estrogen cause cell growth in breast tissue?  Every woman knows there are changes in her breast related to her cycle.  Can progesterone mediate cell growth in areas other than the uterus? 

Whole body hormone balancing is possible.  The use of saliva testing for hormone levels can be revealing.  And then if you use estrogen in any form, you should always take progesterone.

Stay Well!

Got Intent?

As I woke this morning, the windows were open and the rain fell with the steady washing that invites you to stay in bed just a little longer.  What was my intent for the day? One was to write this blog on intent.  I also intend to eat breakfast, go to work, etc.  The point is that we all have the skill to make a decision and take action on that decision.  This is a skill that can be used to make conscious powerful changes in your life and health.

 Intention is a conscious purposeful decision that directs an individual’s actions toward a specific goal.  This actually means I can make a conscious decision to be happy.  I can choose to be at peace.  I can improve my health by the choices I make.  Today is a good day and my intent is to be kind and helpful to others.  Intention is everything.

Stay Well!