Tramp Stamps, Millennials, and the Road to Cancer

In my youth, a tattoo was only seen on military men or bikers.  Otherwise it was something that was covered up.  One lady described it as her permanent reminder of temporary insanity. The poor choices made with the aid of an altered state of mind.  The label is or was a “tramp stamp”.  Today, it amazes me the number of individuals with tattoos.  Thirty eight percent of the Millennials (those born after 1980) (full report)have tattoos, compared with 32% of Generation X (1965-1980) and 15% of Baby Boomers(1946-1964).  Ironically, Millennials are more conscious of social issues, organic food, conservation via recycling, and healthful exercise.  For some a tattoo may be a way of feeling special, or an expression of individuality, devotion, or commemoration. 

Most of the health focus is on the self-imposed cleanliness of the operator, equipment and facility.  The famous last words from someone you don’t know…“trust me”.  Death by 1000 puncture wounds via the magical manifestation of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, Epstein Barr Virus, tetanus, tuberculosis or any other imaginable blood born infectious disease?  While the initial and post tattoo pain is real, the other death by 1000 cuts is the slow un-noticed embracing of change with unwanted consequences that impact our heath.  The tattoo is nothing short of a future health risk.

The first rule of health is to avoid toxic material.  Few know the composition of tattoo ink that is no doubt toxic material foreign to the body.  So we inject toxic material into the skin.  The ink goes into the cell.  The impregnation of the cell is the fourth stage of disease.  The fifth stage is degeneration of the cell and the sixth is cancer.

The body has mechanisms to remove toxins from the body, which means the material may travel thru lymph fluid or blood to end up anywhere.  It is possible that the liver may not be able to process such chemicals, especially if viruses, nutrients, drugs or alcohol compromises it.  This means the toxin must be deposited in fat or connective tissue for storage.  This is the creation of a disease state that will never be connected to acts of youth.  Do we really need a more toxic personal environment?

Live Well!

PCB's and Hand-Me-Down Poisons

On April 9, 2013, the NC Department of Health and Human Services issued a fish consumption advisory for Lake Norman.  Due to elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) you should not consume Stripped Bass and Large Mouth Bass.  This is the first fish consumption warning for the 32,475 acres lake that was filled in 1963.  PCB’s have beenused as insulators for electrical transformers, lubricants and electric motors.  PCB’s are an environmental toxin that can cause neurological damage, reproductions, immune disorders and cancer.

Biphenyl compounds have been the chemical curse of the environment.  They also include diethylstilbesterol (DES), Bisphenol A (BPA), and DDT.  These chemicals do not readily break down, are fat-soluble, and readily penetrate the skin.  This means they can be stored in the fat of animals with an end storage point in humans.  Such a hand-me-down poison can be an underlying toxic load and a contributor for disease.  Theoretically, the larger and older fish will accumulate higher levels of toxins as they consume other contaminated fish.

The following are the chemical structures of these toxins, included only to demonstrate their structural similarity.

Picture of biphenyls

PCB



DDT


BPA

DES

It is not known why the Lake Norman fish have such elevated levels since there is no known contamination in the area.   They are made by electrically chlorinating a bisphenyl.  The most likely explanation could be related to the number of hydroelectric facilities or unauthorized dumping on the Catawba River.

At one time I was highly allergic to poison ivy as a child and adult.  I had mentioned this to Dr. Jack Hinze, a mentor and friend.  Questions led back to the DDT fogged in the summer streets.  He suggested homeopathic Addazen by Natural Creations along with herbal liver (Hepata Comp) and kidney (Kidney Comp) support as a possible detox.  I took his suggestion and, much to my surprise, my allergy to poison ivy decreased dramatically.  In theory, since homeopathy is based in “likes cures likes”, this product may be helpful in other biphenols. 

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 and Tacks Law

A physician at a seminar presented tacks Law.  While it may seem a bit obvious, there may be those that could benefit. 

First Tacks Law
If you sit on a tack, it takes a lot of aspirin to feel good.  The appropriate treatment for tack sitting is tack removal.

Second Tacks Law

If you are sitting on two tacks then removing just one does not result in a 50% improvement.  Chronic illness is multi-factorial and often requires attention to more than one aspect in order to achieve results.

Detoxification Part 5-Liver and Kidney

                                                                                       DANDELION

Now that we have given attention to keeping the “pipes” open it is time to offer some liver and kidney support. 

 The liver functions it to detoxify the blood.  Common drugs that inhibit the livers ability to do its job include acetaminophen and statin drugs for cholesterol.  The liver requires specific vitamins to perform its job.  This includes Vitamin A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, and folic acid.  Minerals needed include copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur and zinc.  This is all part of the wonderful biochemical processing system of the body.

Herbs have long been used in liver support.  The most common are dandelion, milk thistle seed, tumeric, garlic, schisandra, and rosemary.   These herbs can be used as teas, tinctures or capsules.  Choices include Hepata Comp, Dandi Comp, Milk Thistle Seed capsules or Liver Health Capsules.  I like the Comp tinctures as they contain minerals from the plant.  You could also add the homeopathic Liver Gall Bladder HP.  Always take a B Complex, vitamin A and C with a liver program.

Urine from the kidney is viewed as a waste product but it is also a filtrate of the blood that maintains fluid and electrolyte balance.  Kidney support can be accomplished by good hydration.  Sweating is another great way to decrease the kidney load.  Activated charcoal can also help decrease toxic load the kidney.  Support products include the herbal tincture Kidney Comp

I think it is helpful to combine Hepata Comp and Kidney Comp with Liver Gall Bladder HP in taking this next step.

Stay Well

Detoxification & Terrain Part Three

Once you have taken care of Part One and Part Two then you can move on to other areas.  A parasite cleanse may be the next step if you are at risk.  Parasites can rob you of nutritional resources and add to your toxic load.  Please see the blog on parasites. 

The next concept in wellness is terrain.  Terrain is simply the overall environment.  Terrain can be internal or external.  It can be physical but can also be emotional or mental.  If you normalize the terrain or create an environment for wellness then health will follow.

If you spray herbicide around a spring or branch you not only kill the vegetation but you also alter the entire environment.  This includes a complex ecosystem of animal, reptile, insect, and microorganisms that live there.  With such a change different organisms that may be unwanted could thrive.  If you remove the herbicide residue then plant life will eventually return along with the ecosystem.  While we view this as external, it is an example of what can happen internally. 

Internal terrain could be any part of the body such as the intestinal environment.  Taking antibiotics alters the bacterial terrain, creating imbalance and allowing yeast or unfriendly bacteria to grow.  Keep in mind that an imbalance such as yeast can create waste products that can be detrimental to your health.  Maintaining the good intestinal bacteria is vital to your overall health.  Taking a probiotic such as Enterobiotic SBOis a positive step in gastrointestinal health.

While cleanliness is important, avoid antibacterial soaps that alter bacteria on the skin.  A good vegetable based soap such as Dr. Bronner's Castile soap is adequate. Brushing the skin while bathing aids in lymphatic flow and exfoliation of dead cells.  

Another example of external terrain may include a clean hygienic space.  This may also include a spiritually healthy space that is supportive, friendly and happy.  Such an external environment is supportive of emotional health, which impacts your internal environment.  Negative emotions can increase blood pressure, decrease respirations, and cause hormone disruption.  While this is a sidelight to physical detoxification, there is such a thing as emotional detoxification.

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! 

Parasites?

                                                         Hook Worm (hook like) Mouth

At one time the image of the Southern “redneck” was viewed as a person poorly clothed, barefoot, lazy and of poor intelligence.  Some were thin with large abdomens and poor muscle development.  This was the Southern anemia caused by hookworms that enter the body as larvae thru the skin of bare feet.  They then enter the blood stream, migrate to the lungs, up the trachea and are swallowed to the digestive system.  The parasites feed on our blood.  They mate in our intestines and produce thousand of larvae that are passed on thru feces.  This was an illness of poor hygiene, clothing and the lack of adequate facilities.

In this day and age, little thought is given to human parasites. We are of course diligent about worming our pets.  Given their dietary indiscretions, worming our pets is a good idea.  So is there any risk to humans? 

You could be at risk if you have pets, allow them in your home, and/or sleep with them.  There is the old saying that “if you lie down with dogs you wake up with fleas” and perhaps other creatures.  Another potential risk is eating in restaurants that have workers that do not wash properly.   Some workers from the USA or other countries may have poor hygiene habits or contracted parasites from other parts of the world. Other risks include eating poorly cooked meat, especially pork, or eating sushi.  At risk recreational activities include swimming in lakes or rivers.

Symptoms of parasite problems include itching of personal areas, loss of appetite, hunger without satiety, constipation, protein deficiency, dry skin and hair, insomnia, fatigue, anemia, abdominal discomfort and grinding teeth at night.  Keep in mind that parasites consume your nutrition and create waste that your body has to deal with. 

Stool samples are not always conclusive.  You can have a negative stool sample but still have parasites.  So if you are at risk or have any of the symptoms listed above you might consider a parasite cleanse.  Herbal products include Wormwood, Black Walnut, Fennel seed, Pumpkin seed, Betel Nut, and West Indian Pink root.  This combination can be found in Verma Comp.  Adding the homepathic combination Verma HP is a great addition.