Water

Pure, clean water may be your missing component to having vibrant health. As a practitioner of energetic medicine, I am continually amazed at the power energetic remedies have in producing a positive shift in health. By using Infoceuticals, homeopathic and isopathic remedies the body can address deep seated and or long held conditions.  However, water is essential to any and every health plan. Though the drinking of pure water is slowly making a comeback, most individuals still drink only soda, coffee or tea as their main fluid. Many teenagers go weeks without a single glass of pure water. Their drink of choice is pop. Soft drinks are a problem because they not only contain 9 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounce can but are usually full of caffeine. The excessive intake of sugar is readily converted to fat storage; caffeine robs vital minerals including calcium. Phosphoric acid used in the carbonation process also depletes calcium and other minerals. The pop drinking victim is headed toward osteoporosis. Today not only do we see adult onset (type II) diabetes moving down to very young ages due to high sugar intake, we also see the beginning stages of osteoporosis attacking girls in their twenties. This is largely due to high intake of carbonated drinks in childhood and teen years.

If you drink diet sodas, the potential risks shift to a whole different area. Aspartame elevates levels of aspartate, a brain toxin, relatively quickly and Aspartame is known to influence the hypothalamus, which may altar the manufacturing of growth hormone. It should also be noted that the hypothalamic/pituitary axis has a functional relationship to the pancreas and this potential feedback loop could impact weight gain as well. Additionally many diet sodas are loaded with sodium, which has a tendency to make an individual retain water and negatively influences blood sugar regulation. Aspartame converts to formaldehyde and the diet drinker is slowly poisoning his whole system.

Good health depends on the continual replacement of water through daily intake. Water is responsible for the transport of electrolytes, hormones, nutrients, and waste products. Water is of primary importance in all aspects of metabolism. Our bodies have a multitude of chemical reactions that are dependent upon abundant water. It regulates the osmotic flow through cell membranes and is responsible for the energy which is created and stored in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and guanosine triphosphate (GTP). Thus water becomes a key factor to the Krebs cycle which provides energy to the body. Water is involved in the transport of materials manufactured in the brain to the various points in the nervous system network. Proteins and enzymes act more efficiently in solutions of low viscosity produced by optimal water intake.

How much water should I drink? It is best to drink one half of your weight in ounces of water every day.

The body redirects water to more vital roles at the expense of other metabolic needs when the supply is not adequate. Dehydration may play a role in elevated cholesterol, poor stress response, inadequate detoxification, poor pain management, obesity, and poor insulin regulation.

Some facts about water:

One in five Americans drinks tap or well water which is polluted with lead, feces, pesticides, radiation, or other contaminates. The Center for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend that people with weakened immunity drink only filtered or bottled water. A one micron filter is required to protect against cryptosporidium. Only 9% of the filters sold meet this requirement. Ninety percent of the municipal water systems still use World War 1 technologies to clean water. In the last 10 years, 6 outbreaks of cryptosporidium affecting 400,000 to 7 million people yearly, have occurred. Scientists believe that Heliobacter Pylori may spread through water.

Most people need between two and three quarts of quality water daily. A good rule of thumb is to drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily. Some of our water need may be supplied by fruits and vegetables, which will also supply organic sodium and potassium. These are at the foundation of the electrolyte system.

Mary Georger of the Center for Cardiovascular Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center says that 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. When the body gets slightly dehydrated, it goes into “conserve water” mode. Just as when you skip meals you enter a “starvation” mode, which causes the body to become very efficient at conserving calories and slowing metabolism. The mechanism for this efficiency is that the fat cell membrane becomes very permeable to the uptake and storage of fat. In addition fat cells become very IM-permeable to fat leaving the cell. In the same way, when your body perceives a drought, it hordes water by storing it between the cells (extra-cellular water).

When dehydrated, there is an inability to concentrate; some people get headaches, joint pain (sometimes mistaken for arthritis) and a general fatigue and irritability. Additionally, a lack of water can interfere with a person’s metabolism, making it harder to keep off weight.

Clean and unpolluted water is the healthiest drink. Many today despise drinking pure water falsely thinking that their water need will be met by drinking coffee, tea, soda pop, alcohol, fruit juice, and other liquids. These all have different effects on metabolism and can not replace pure water. Therefore, as a foundation to your health, drink pure water.

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Over a lifespan, an average person will take into their bodies 1 tsp arsenic, 1 tsp lead, 1/3 tsp mercury, 1 tsp nickel, 300 mg cadmium, 80 mcg uranium, and a whopping 1460 grams of aluminum. A 12-inch square of aluminum foil is about five grams. Over your life you will ingest the equivalent of 292 twelve-inch square sheets of aluminum. Not a comforting thought when you consider all the havoc these toxins play on your health. Listen to We live in Toxic Times.

As a young and dumb science student, I practiced experiments in an enclosed chemical storage room attached to the regular laboratory classroom. One procedure required the use of a Bunsen burner. The architects of this lab wisely knew that gas should never be provided in this ventless confined space. My partner and I, not to be daunted by this faulty design, rigged up our own outlet. We hooked up twenty feet of rubber tubing to the gas outlet, ran it under the closed lab storage door and proceeded with our experiment. We put mercuric oxide in a test tube and heated it till the oxygen dissipated and only mercury remained in the bottom of the test tube. We would then pour out the mercury onto the floor and watch the quick silver flash and disappear. Though our motives were innocent (our assignment was to demonstrate this experiment to other students), the situation exposed us to toxic mercury vapor.

Today the average American is exposed to a plethora of toxic metals and chemicals common in our environment. Hollywood actress, Daphne Zuniga has raised awareness on toxic metals due to her own mercury poisoning. She suffers from weak memory, headaches, crying spells, skin rashes and low grade depression and autism-like symptoms attributed to mercury toxicity. Zuniga states that mercury poisoning is epidemic in America and that one out of six women are toxic with mercury.

Let’s just look at toxic metals (misnamed heavy metals since not all heavy metals are toxic and not all light metals are safe). Over a lifespan, an average person will take into their bodies 1 tsp arsenic, 1 tsp lead, 1/3 tsp mercury, 1 tsp nickel, 300 mg cadmium, 80 mcg uranium, and a whopping 1460 grams of aluminum. A 12-inch square of aluminum foil is about five grams. Over your life you will ingest the equivalent of 292 twelve-inch square sheets of aluminum. Not a comforting thought when you consider all the havoc these toxins play on your health.

Often my patients are amazed when my Energetic assessment reveals their environmental toxicity.  Both toxic chemicals and metals play a significantly infamous role in well being. Cancers, coronary conditions, premature aging, dementia, brain fog, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia all have been linked to toxic overload. What can be done to clean up this toxic sludge that pollutes our bodies?

There are several purifying processes that we use in our office. The first step is detoxifying our homes and pantries by using nontoxic household products and organic foods. Next, would be to use nutritional and herbal supplements to support the body’s elimination and cleansing processes.

Energetic and homeopathic remedies will remove distortions and blockages that may have hindered your body’s ability to clear toxins. Then it is time to bring out the big guns. Various forms of chelation therapy have been used for over 50 years to safely and effectively remove toxic metals. Di-Sodium EDTA intravenous drip, though often harsh, time consuming and expensive is the most common. The I.V. EDTA is also problematic due to its ability to dump unwanted calcium into joints.

In an effort to reduce the harshness of Di-Sodium EDTA I.V. therapy the idea of oral chelation arose. This turned out not to be feasible since the absorption of EDTA given orally is about five percent due to denaturing by stomach acids. Giving larger doses of EDTA orally to make up for this lack of absorption did not work since even in small amounts Di-Sodium EDTA causes ulcerations and hemorrhaging in the colon and digestive tract. Even when administered by I.V. anesthetics must be injected into the EDTA solution.

It was reasoned that if a form of EDTA could be developed which would not burn tissue and did not contain calcium, then a suppository chelation would be possible. Since the colon has a fairly neutral pH, these suppositories would not hinder the effectiveness of EDTA.Our office now provides Magnesium Di-Potassium EDTA suppositories that do not burn healthy tissue. These suppositories allow the benefits of intravenous chelation therapy without the prohibitive negative impact of the I.V modality. Magnesium Di-Potassium EDTA suppositories (opposed to Di-Sodium EDTA I.V.) will not stimulate the Fight-or-Flight mechanism.

In addition, the suppositories will also remove toxic forms of calcium that build up in the system causing arthrosclerosis, plaque, and arthritis. To remove chemical toxicity from the blood and tissues, we recommend glutathione and organic coffee suppositories along with various homeopathic and energetic detoxifying agents. In every detoxification and purification process it is vital to maintain healthy elimination and liver support. Often toxicity is at the root of our health challenges, but by taking a holistic and naturopathic approach the result is renewed vitality, energy and clarity.

Naturopathic Medicine

For those who have read these articles on a regular basis know that I was not always orientated toward a natural approach in health care. I lived as a junk food junkie. I would pretend to eat correctly while secretly I’d sneak disgusting fast foods. Indeed, I was a connoisseur of grease and trans fats. In addition, my upbringing was totally focused on the medical model. Every week I saw a doctor for allergies. We even vacationed with that doctor two weeks out of every year and my father is a pharmacist. We had every type of drug you can think of in our medicine cabinet.  In high school, I sold drugs door to door. (I delivered prescriptions and oxygen for my father.)

When any personal medical symptom arose, I learned to pop a symptom stifling drug and move on . . . till some new condition raised its ugly head. This new symptom was usually the consequence of indulging in the previous symptom reducing drug. The medical environment I was raised in taught me that synthetic was always better than natural and to treat symptoms rather than the cause.

Later I became convinced that there must be a better way. Rather than thinking of health care as a war against germs and the body as the war zone. I began to understand that the body is more like a house that needs to be refurbished. Home maintenance and upkeep are required. Constant cleaning is needed. When these are provided the home is comfortable and provides wonderful protection against the elements and pestilent invaders. If you give the body the correct resources and environment it will be a wonderful place to live. It will provide health and energy when it is in balance and supported. This approach was a new paradigm for me. Indeed, I moved from the traditional symptom based medical model to the alternative natural based model. What is exciting is that my pharmacist father also made the paradigm shift to natural medicine.

Many in “Alternative Medicine” quote Thomas Edison who said, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” This statement is well accepted by those involved with a natural or alternative approach because it encapsulates the general philosophy of naturopathic medicine. We believe in an approach to health and healing that does not rely on drugs, surgery, and/or other conventional medical procedures for treating illness. Rather than looking at the body as a machine or simply a bag of chemicals, Naturopaths address the whole patient. We understand that the mind, body and spirit are interconnected not separate. The natural practitioner’s emphasis is on achieving good health rather than the elimination of disease or treating symptoms. Naturopathic medicine is a system of medicine that focuses on prevention of illness and the use of nontoxic, natural therapies.

Henry David Thoreau said, “Nature is doing her best each moment to make us well. She exists for no other end. Do not resist. With the least inclination to be well, we should not be sick.” Naturopaths focus on diet, lifestyle, and preventive measures rather than invasive heroic measures. We believe that the practitioner must be an empathic and caring partner in the healing process. The days of the detached, emotionally neutral physician are coming to an end. The medical model views the physician as the one who must be in control of the patient’s health decisions while naturopathy believes that the patient is in charge of health care choices and the Naturopathic Doctor is a guide and teacher.

Naturopathic doctors believe in the first tenet of medicine, primum no nocere, first do no harm. A few years back Ralph Nader said that between 100,000 and 300,000 patients are killed by medical mistakes and drug interactions annually. Naturopaths employ only safe and effective natural therapies. Our goal is to release the body’s considerable power to heal itself, to enhance this process with the aid of natural, nontoxic therapies. We identify and treat the underlying cause not the symptom. The symptom is only the body’s attempt to heal: a common cold is the body’s attempt to cleanse itself. The true cause of disease may be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Thus, we must treat the whole person physically, energetically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Naturopathic doctors are primarily teachers. When you come to me, my goal is to educate, empower, and motivate you to assume personal responsibility for your health by adopting a healthy attitude, lifestyle and diet. This personal instruction is focused on prevention of disease, achieving physical and energetic homeostasis. When we are in balance and harmony health flows. So be encouraged, you can achieve and maintain optimal health.

SEVEN STEPS TO RE-BALANCE YOUR HEALTH

Americans tend to believe that major health improvements will happen by simply eliminating or reducing a bad habit. We look for the instant fix – the microwave cure. So we plunge headlong into a new fad diet that promises miracle results or we vow to stop eating or drinking our favorite treat. Sometimes we look to the “magic remedy” to fix us. By taking this newfound secret nutrient that obscure native people have used for thousands of years — all your health problems will disappear. Right!   The simple truth is the path to a strong, vibrant, healthy life has many aspects. Regaining a powerful health platform is a process.

Our health is influenced by an interaction between major health factors. Imbalance in any of these can contribute to disease. The cause of disease is multi-factorial. External health such as diet, lifestyle/environment and attitude can alter your internal health such as immune function, micro-flora and pH balance. These can then translate into changes in cell function leaving the body susceptible to illness.

As a Naturopath, my goal is to remove the underlying causes of disease, to re-establish balance within the body’s energetic system, and strengthen the immune system. There are seven basic steps to re-balancing your health. We must put in the time and discipline to address each area using lifestyle changes, nutritional, and energetic remedies aimed at removing the underlying causes or imbalances.

Re-balance immune function and energetic communication, a vital first step. Our cells have their own micro-circulation taking in nutrition and oxygen then excreting waste. If cells do not absorb the required components for proper function, health declines. Such components may be found in the blood stream, but if absorption fails deficiency results. An example of this is sub clinical hypothyroidism. The blood test shows normal levels of thyroid, yet hypothyroid symptoms persist. The cells are not balanced to the utilization of thyroid. By restoring the energetic communication (opening the thyroid meridian) and restoring the cells integrity a positive improvement will follow.  On the other hand, if the cells are not excreting their internal waste, a toxic overload will occur. Balance is vital.

Re-Establish the microflora that has been altered or destroyed by medications, antibiotics, poor diet, and diseases. This of course has to do with colon health. It has been said that all disease begins in the colon and the path to health is through the bowels. A woman might win a man through his stomach, but you will win back your health through your bowels.

Regulate internal ecology. Diet, stress, and mineral reserves all influence our body’s pH levels. The body usually does a very good job of maintaining the blood pH, but sometimes at the expense of other tissues. When our mineral reserves are low, pH values in urine will vary. Proper pH regulation is critical for optimum health – without which, an environment that allows opportunistic microbes to flourish can exist –   contributing to disease.

Repair the structure and function of tissues, organs and systems. Organs provide the power required to create our energetic fields, supplying communication and energy to our body. Although the Kreb cycle turns calories to energy, it is your organs that provide the power of your energetic field. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Accidents, traumas, illness, diet, stress and lifestyle abuses all can aggravate existing compromised functions or create new areas of weakness. By using nutrition and correcting the body’s energetic field to repair damage to our glands, organs, and systems amazing results occur. Sometimes your body does not have sufficient energy to heal. Repairing this area of energy flow is fundamental.

Replace nutritional deficiencies. Whole food nutrition opposed to fragmented and synthetic supplements provides the resources that allow your body to function optimally and repair itself effectively.   Remove any blockages to the healing process. All practitioners have seen patients who do not respond to treatments. These patients have a blockage to the healing process. Frequently, the problem is a blockage in the energetic meridians that need to be cleared. By evaluating your Bio-energetic field, the practitioner can identify damage to the meridians and toxins that are creating energetic errors. Energetic remedies, such as Infoceuticals, will unlock your body’s natural ability to detoxify. Our system like any combustion engine accumulates wastes. Internal waste can mimic hormones and interfere with cell function. Waste can be the underling cause to many symptoms. When the body overworks to eliminate waste, symptoms increase.

Reduce mental stress levels. Stress directly affects our health and immune system. When the body is nutritionally deficient we will not be able to handle stress. Embedded stress robs our natural resources creating imbalance and energetic weakness. By learning to release and reduce stress vitality will return.

The lifelong journey to vibrant lasting health is very worthwhile and valuable. Sometimes the road may seem difficult or tiresome, but when we stay the course the rewards are priceless.

Although this article on Bird flu is a little dated, the information is still relevant and positive.

Over 50 million Europeans died from the highly contagious Spanish flu virus during 1918-1919. This strain of flu was determined to have derived from infected birds and it is the world’s deadliest recorded outbreak of flu to date. Many experts fear that H5N1, the recent Avian Flu virus spreading through Asia and Europe, will greatly surpass the previous pandemic. The BBC interviewed a top UN health official who warned, “A new flu pandemic could happen at any time and kill up to 150 million people.” Currently there are over 200 confirmed cases of Avian Flu (H5N1) reported since 1997. Most of these are the result of coming into contact with infected poultry. The reported symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical influenza-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections (conjunctivitis), pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.

President Bush has considered the possibility of implementing a military quarantine of any areas potentially affected by a bird flu crisis. He said in a recent press conference, “If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine? It’s one thing to shut down airplanes. It’s another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine? One option is the use of a military that’s able to plan and move. So that’s why I put it on the table. I think it’s an important debate for Congress to have.”Billions upon billions of dollars are being set aside worldwide for the stockpiling of pharmaceutical drugs that will hopefully help stem the tide of a global pandemic despite clinical evidence of their ineffectiveness in preventing H5N1 virus. Needless to say there are grave concerns surrounding the possible pandemic of avian influenza. Is there anything we can do to prepare for this grim situation?

Indeed yes! Instead of stockpiling drugs we must tend to our natural immune defense system. Creating a healthy nutritional and energetic terrain in which H5N1 has no place to reside. One simple, protective nutrient for the ravages of flu and other viral infections is Vitamin C.

This does sound too simple, yet the results are outstanding. With such a panic surrounding the lethal bird flu, could something as simple as Vitamin C be the answer? People infected with bird flu exhibit symptoms of extreme Vitamin C deficiency. When treated with Vitamin C supplements, the patients show a marked improvement in their ability to fight the infection. As a preventive, Vitamin C when taken in high doses from a natural, whole food source will help stop the symptoms of an infection before they start. One reason for Vitamin C having such a powerful affect against Avian Flu is because the H5N1 virus depletes Vitamin C stores so quickly the cause of death is fulminate scurvy. Since humans do not manufacture Vitamin C we must ingest it. The need for it is vital in the support of our immune system. The H5N1 virus depletes vitamin C so rapidly that the immune system is overwhelmed and blood vessels loose their structural integrity – they leak so badly that infected animals literally bleed to death. The probable reason birds carry this virus and are not killed off is that they can create their own vitamin C, while we do not. Choosing a quality whole food source for your vitamin C is best.

Beyond increasing vitamin C levels, we can also prepare our immune system for the threat of influenza by shutting down Energetic Terrains (ETs) that provide a friendly environment to viruses. ETs appear to have a dual property that they exert on real microbes. They provide a host environment where a microbe such as H5N1 can exist and create infection. They also hide or shield the microbes or disable the immune system, so that they cannot be detected within the local tissue occupied by the ET. Thus the infectious microbes can remain in the tissue area undetected, yet still active. In addition, Energetic Terrains can even communicate to your RNA causing it to recreate the virus after your body’s immune system has destroyed it. Our clinic in Post Falls uses the Nutri-Energetic system which uses quantum bio-technology to identify these Energetic Terrains and then eliminate them.

So a simple approach to beat the coming Avian Flu or other bugs that are ready to attack us, is to build the immune system, get plenty of vitamin C, strengthen your Energetic Body Field (Toxins, trauma, emotions, tiredness, EMFs allergens all weaken our Energetic Body  Field) and clear out all Energetic Terrains. Be Healthy!

NATURAL APPROACHES TO SUMMER AILMENTS 

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.  ~Russel Baker. How we all love summer days. As a boy I would run bare foot all day, swim in the ocean, hike in the mountains or just lay around watching the clouds. Summer camp also holds fond memories with all its adventures, not to mention the 5 pound mosquitos eager to drain every ounce of blood you have. Summer reminds us of sunburns, cold sores, allergies and August colds that should only do business in winter.

We all love summer and summer, like a woman scorned all year, makes most of us suffer for it. Therefore, as we are again about to launch into the heat of summer let us explore some natural remedies for common summer ailments. One of the most severe and dangerous of all summer ravages is sunburn. We frolic at the lake and bathe in its coolness all day only to find that we are scorched and in excruciating pain due to sunburn. As a boy my mother would always ice us down after the slightest evidence of overexposure to the sun. She rightly knew that the sun’s heat was still creating deeper and more severe damage in the skin’s tissue. Though we were no longer exposed to the sun’s harmful rays, the damage was increasing. Ice drew out the heat reducing the damage and lessening the intensity of the coming burn.

However, this simple remedy does not address the true underlying cause of sunburn which is the depletion of vitamin F. Vitamin F is linoleic acid which exists in poly-unsaturated fats such as Safflower Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Bean Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Peanut Oil. The sun tends to burn up vitamin F as it increases vitamin D which is vitamin F’s antagonist. Both vitamins are required in balance for optimal health. When we are overexposed, the body sends its entire vitamin F reserve to the sunburned area to correct tissue damage. Vitamin F is a skin regenerator. Also as a result of this depletion wheat and corn allergies often develop. These allergies are common in summertime because of the lack of vitamin F.  This is why people put oils on their bodies when in the sun.

When you get sunburned, you should avoid wheat and corn products. Salads, vegetable rich Chinese food and rice are much better then buns, rolls and pasta. It is wheat allergy that so drains your energy after sun exposure. Unsaturated fatty acids are important for tissue respiration in vital organs, making it easier for oxygen to be transported by the bloodstream to all cells, tissues, and organs.

Vitamin F is able to restore resilience and lubrication of all cells and combines with protein and cholesterol to form living membranes that hold the body’s cells together. It regenerates the skin.  Thus, vitamin F is the antidote to sunburn as well as wheat and corn allergies.

When you get sunburned, cool the area with ice or cool water (some recommend cold whole milk for a soothing cool down) then apply safflower oil to  the skin and let it absorb into the pores. This not only will address the damaged skin with a wonderful regenerating factor, but it will stop the development of wheat allergy instantaneously. Safflower oil has the highest polyunsaturated fat content.

Another summer ailment associated with the depletion of vitamin F and the development of wheat allergy is swimmers ear. It is not an infection from the water, but a wheat allergy caused by the sun. When you think you have an infection in your right ear, it is probably an inflamed ear from a wheat allergy. The left ear is governed by rice allergy. By using vitamin F as an antidote to the allergy, often the inflammation of the ear will subside relatively quickly.

Although cold sores and fever blisters are caused by herpes simplex viruses, they usually only develop in the summer. This also is due to the depletion of vitamin F from over exposure to the sun. By consuming quality polyunsaturated oils to maintain ample vitamin F in our system, summer cold sores and fever blisters will remain dormant.

Supplementation of vitamin F is available. My office recommends Cataplex F from Standard Process. I also suggest the use of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil which may be used both externally and internally.

Insect bites and stings are also more common in summer. It takes the venom of 100 bees to create a fatal dose for most adults, yet one sting may cause a fatal allergic reaction in a hypersensitive individual. What is amazing is that there are three to four times more deaths from bee stings than from snake bites. As far as remedies, there are numerous natural approaches to insect bites and stings.

Drinking cilantro juice and applying sandalwood paste to the sting for instance comes to us from Ayurveda medicine. The use of flower essence rescue remedy or applying fresh bruised plantain leaf or juice to the sting along with Aloe gel is also common. An aromatherapy approach would be to use basil, cinnamon, garlic, lavender, lemon, onion, sage, savory, and thyme oils. Lavender may be effective in treating itching from stings. Nutritionally, vitamin C should be taken as soon as possible with vitamin B5. One gram of vitamin C and 500 mg of B5 every hour until pain and swelling subside. Vitamin E could also be applied to the sting.

As you enjoy this wonderful time of year, remember that there is a natural remedy to the havoc that summer may throw your way.

As a child I was one of those kids who always had a runny nose. Often I would suffer the embarrassment of having to blow my nose in front of the class because the teacher would only allow us to use her Kleenex on her desk. I would have to walk up in front of the whole class and then honk and honk to clear my nasal passages. How precious a deep breath of air became. I had a drugged childhood with weekly antigen injections, handfuls of anti-histamine drugs and over-the-counter remedies. One major root to my problem was the fact that my parents smoked in the home. The stale fog of toxic tobacco smoke always lingered in my residence. Thus, my very environment was dragging down my health, while the remedies I was given increased the toxic overload prolonging the condition. It was not till stopping the drug therapies and moving to a natural approach did I discover a symptom free life.

Many illnesses are caused by the body’s inability to absorb nutrients because the source of these nutrients is hostile to the body. Often our foods, which contain vital nutrition, become the adversary. The medical profession and many with an alterative approach use the term allergy to describe these sensitivities. The difficulty with using a term like allergy is that it implies a permanent, incurable condition. You have allergies. It is your genetic make up. It is how you are. You can take anti-histamines to control them, but you will never be free; it is incurable. You will be a slave to these drugs for life. I have found this to be false both personally and in my practice.

Rather than thinking of these sensitivities as allergies, let’s use the terminology “Metabolic Antagonist”. It does not matter if the antagonist is from our food or something environmental (pollen), for every metabolic antagonist there is a nutritional antidote. Many people with so-called incurable conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Arthritis, Herpes, and many others are restored to vibrant health. We must avoid using terms such as healed or cured. Let’s just say that many, by applying the correct nutritional antidote have become symptom free.

The nutritional antidote could be a vitamin, mineral, amino acid, herb, cell salt, homeopathic, or Infoceutical remedy. The specific metabolic antagonist and the antidote needed to neutralize it can both be discovered energetically. In addition, synergistic nutrients support and act as catalysts to assist in the absorption of the antidote.

An example of this is the fact that great numbers of the population are suffering from deficiency in B-complex vitamins. This is due to the high stressed, over stimulated, adrenal exhausting lifestyles we live. Nutritional Yeast is promoted by the health food industry as a wonderful source of B vitamins. Yet, over 50% struggle with severe reactions to nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is their metabolic antagonist. Thus, they are reactive to one of the main food sources to B-complex vitamins. They might turn to fragmented or synthetic B vitamins; however these are harsh and further stress the body. Fragmented or synthetic nutrients lack the elegant restorative elements of food source vitamins.

The reason nutritional yeast has become reactive is because of a Zinc deficiency. Zinc is the mineral important for the absorption of nutritional yeast. Therefore, a sensitivity to yeast can be corrected by administering Zinc. There are many wonderful herbs rich in zinc and B vitamins such as Pau d’Arco, Red Clover, and Comfrey. The amino acid necessary to alleviate yeast sensitivity is Lysine, which is also found in Comfrey.

Menopause is not a disease! Contrary to the current medical view that menopause is a disease; it is a natural and normal physiological process. In fact, many cultures around the world have the healthy perspective that the cessation of menstruation in older women is an accepted part of the life process and a positive event in a woman’s life. In these cultures most women do not experience the negative symptoms associated with menopause.

In 1966, Robert A. Wilson, MD introduced his menopausal theory that now has become medical science’s current thinking. He stated that menopause is an estrogen-deficiency disease that needs to be treated with estrogen to compensate for the normal decline of estrogen levels. This allopathic medical approach views the natural process as an unnatural intrusion. It believes that without estrogen replacement therapy women are destined to become sexless caricatures of their former selves the equivalent of a eunuch. It is difficult for me be accept this notion.

The current medical treatment of menopause primarily involves the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), utilizing a combination of estrogen and progesterone. The question that screams out to us is: “If menopause is a natural process, is hormone replacement therapy really necessary?” The answer to this question is to understand the natural processes of this change of life. Supporting the natural physiology produces positive benefits.

Menopause is more than a biological event. Social and cultural factors contribute greatly to how women react to menopause. Our culture devalues older women. Many believe that beyond the physical components contributing to the impact of menopause, this devaluation of older women is the root of negativity associated with menopause.

As hard as it is to believe, women in cultures that hold great respect for the elderly look forward to menopause. Advanced age is viewed as a sign of divine blessing and great wisdom. Most of these women pass through menopause without hot flashes, vaginitis, and other common menopausal symptoms. Even osteoporosis is rare in these cultures. Achieving a smooth and natural menopausal experience is possible when given the correct balance of nutritional, emotional, and social support.

Women generally experience menopause between the ages of 48 and 52. Some women cease menstruating in their late thirties, others in their mid-fifties. The US Census Bureau reports that the number of menopausal women, 45 – 54 years old, numbers 13 million. This is expected to grow by 73% by 2010. Over 3,500 women enter the “menopausal years” every day. Today, women are healthier and menopause no longer indicates the onset of old age.

The natural process of menopause does include hormonal changes. Hormonal output, instead of merely reducing gradually, it stops and starts. This endocrine readjustment leads to many of the symptoms of menopause. Estrogen supplies do not totally cease and will regulate and remain at a plateau till about age 70. It is too simplistic to say that menopause means that a woman runs out of estrogen. The symptoms of menopause are caused by estrogen dominance in the body as progesterone production declines in the years leading up to menopause.

Hot Flashes are the most irritating of symptoms. Someone said that you should not think of it as getting hot flashes, merely your inner child playing with matches. Hot flashes are defined subjectively as recurrent, transient periods of flushing, sweating, and a sensation of heat, often accompanied by palpitations and a feeling of anxiety, and sometimes followed by chills. By accepting the natural process and providing your body with foods rich in phytoestrogens, which the body can convert into usable estrogens, the frequency and severity of hot flashes is reduced.

Modern, educated women have reduced hot flashes by avoiding caffeine, which stress and exhausts the adrenals, and alcohol. These women are proactive with nutritional supplements such as vitamin E and bioflavonoids. Many herbs are known to reduce hot flashes such as dong quai, ginseng, gotu kola, and motherwort.

Rather than attempting to artificially counteract the symptoms of menopause with hormone replacement, the naturopathic approach focuses on improving physiology. Through diet, whole food supplementation, herbal and botanical medicines, exercise, energetic balancing, and homeopathic remedies many women have entered their golden years with few symptoms. These women are extremely youthful, active and energetic. They report that the absence of monthly menses is a relief. They are surprised that their libido is unaffected.  By taking a natural approach, you will find that life blossoms and renews every day.

Menopause has now come crashing into the lives of baby boom generation women. Questions about Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), bio-identical hormones, breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis often are in every woman’s mind as they enter the menopausal years.

I’m trying very hard to understand this generation. They have adjusted the timetable for childbearing so that menopause and teaching a sixteen-year-old how to drive a car will occur in the same week – Erma Bombeck, 1927-1996

Menopause has now come crashing into the lives of baby boom generation women. Questions about Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), bio-identical hormones, breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis often are in every woman’s mind as they enter the menopausal years.

Between 2002 and 2003, the incidence of breast cancer surprisingly decreased 7% on the average and 15% for women over age fifty. After decades of no statistical change in breast cancer incidence except a steady rise, this decrease is the result of an unexpected and remarkable therapy. Many women stopped using HRT. Baby boom women challenged the advice of their physicians and rejected horse estrogens (Premarin – pregnant mare’s urine) and synthetic progesterone (progestin) hormone replacement therapy. These twisted, misshapen, manufactured hormones given to women are based on questionable science and great marketing.  By simply refusing artificial HRT and moving toward a healthier lifestyle, breast cancer experienced a huge decline.

Hot flashes typically drive women to seek out some type of HRT, yet as early as 1987 it was known that estrogen and synthetic progesterone drugs like premarin and Prempro caused 59% increase in breast cancer. Once you develop cancer, you will wish you had your hot flashes back.

Many women have turned to new hormone drugs claiming to be natural and bio-identical. These drugs do originate from plant sources; they are without preservatives, adhesives, dyes, binders, and fillers and women who use them report feeling better. Yet they have not been tested thoroughly for safety and efficacy. At this time, due to lack of adequate research, it is not possible to state that bio-identical hormones are safer than conventional HRT and some research has implicated bio-identical estradiol as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

No hormone therapy can be considered completely safe. The use of HRT weather bio-identical or conventional always has some risk. Indeed, HRT should only be employed after other non-hormonal therapies have been attempted and severe menopausal symptoms exist.

Rather than viewing menopause as a medical condition needing drug therapy to survive or, as past physicians crassly told their female patients, that menopause is the equivalent of castration; let us understand that the change of life is a natural process that can have a smooth, elegant progression when properly supported. At the risk of over simplifying things, menopause is the process where the ovaries slow their production of estrogen and hand that primary purpose to the adrenal glands.

The difficulty today is that the American lifestyle especially that of the typical baby boomer does everything it can to stress and exhaust the adrenal glands not to mention the entire endocrine system. Caffeine, which stimulates (stresses) adrenals is consumed from early childhood as colas and then later in adulthood as espresso and lattes, depletes adrenal integrity throughout life. Then, we live in a fast paced, hectic world with extreme pressures. Many women remain in the adrenal fatiguing fight or flight mode for years. Their sleep is erratic their diets are sporadic. Cortisol, an adrenal stress hormone limits the brain’s sensitivity to estrogens producing hot flashes in menopausal woman who otherwise would have adequate estrogen levels.

So, when the time comes for the ovaries to pass the baton to the adrenals the adrenals are so stressed and poorly functioning that they are ill equipped to produce needed estrogen resulting in negative menopausal symptoms.  One outward sign of adrenal exhaustion is dark circles under the eyes.

Thus if we are to have a better approach to menopause than hormonal and drug therapy, it would be to nutritionally support and restore the adrenal glands and the endocrine system. This is done on several levels. These include dietary adjustments, food supplements, whole herbs, losing weight (if needed), regular exercise, proper sleep, stopping smoking, relaxation techniques etc.

The adrenals require plenty of vitamin C complex, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, other B vitamins; minerals, essential fatty acids and other nutrients. Adrenal glandular and adrenal protomorphogens are positive as is various whole herbs.

On an energetic level, the Thyroid/Triple warmer Meridian not only brings source energy to the thyroid gland (another gland needing support during menopause) but it supports the adrenal medulla. The adrenal cortex is supported by the Circulation/Heart Protector Meridian. It is also positive to keep the kidney meridian open as well. By using a bio-energetic diagnostic device such as the Nutri-energetic system (NES), you are able to see where the energetic flow is weak and where restoration is required.

Rather than using a hormonal band-aid to mask the symptoms of menopause, which fails to address root causes of menopausal symptoms and complications, I encourage you to seek the advice of your naturopath to develop a comprehensive natural plan of action.

Recently I attended an in depth Naturopathic course where one of the instructors confessed that he had been battling Lyme disease for several years. This instructor is a wildcraft herbalist, who gathers herbs and creates his own tinctures.  He contracted Lyme disease from a tick while foraging for his herbs. I was fascinated with this class because of the similarities between Lyme disease and many conditions people suffer with in our area. Indeed, many who endure Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s and dementia, have similar symptoms to Lyme disease.

Both Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia are often mistaken for Lyme disease due to the tremendous overlap of symptoms. Approximately seventy percent of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia meet all the diagnostic criteria for CFS. The only difference in diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia and CFS is the requirement of musculoskeletal pain in fibromyalgia and fatigue in CFS. Because both CFS and FM are so similar to Lyme, some believe that everyone who suffers with CFS or fibromyalgia should consider the possibility of Lyme being at the root. Lyme disease, on the other hand, is often mistaken for numerous conditions not only chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, but borderline thyroid gland dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and other debilitating conditions. Lyme can play a contributing factor in Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions as well as neuropsychiatric problems, such as brain fog, bipolar disorder, vision disorders, neurological problems, headaches, and even heart disease.

We tend to think that Lyme disease is relatively rare and only transmitted by ticks, which are not commonly found in the Northwest. Contrary to this conventional wisdom, Lyme disease is epidemic and it can be spread by other insects, including fleas, mosquitoes, and mites. It is also spread by human-to-human contact, raw cow’s milk, or even breast feeding. Nick Harris, Ph.D., Director of the International Lyme and Associated diseases Society (ILADS) states, “If it weren’t for AIDS Lyme would be the number one infectious disease in the U.S. and Western Europe.”

Lyme disease was first recognized in 1975, after a mysterious outbreak of arthritis near Lyme,Connecticut. In 1982 the spirochete that causes Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) was identified. Lyme disease is a multi-system inflammatory disease. It is a complex illness that often consists of other co-infections. Symptoms include: skin lesions, rashes, flu-like symptoms, sleeping difficulties, muscle pains and weakness, headaches, back pain, fever, chills, nausea or vomiting, facial paralysis, enlargement of the lymph glands or spleen, irregular heartbeat, seizures, blurry vision, moodiness, memory loss, dementia, and joint pains. Lyme disease is a fatigue causing disease.

Now, what made my naturopathic class really exciting is that after struggling with the devastating symptoms of Lyme for several years, the herbal instructor found a plan that made him virtually symptom free. His condition had grown to incapacitating levels as he desperately researched for a natural approach that offered some hope of success. His health triumph came by combining nutritional, herbal and energetic modalities to his condition. One key herb that produced wonderful results is Tincture of Teasel Root.

Teasel is an erect biennial weed with small prickles on the stem and distinctive spiny flower heads.  Common teasel may reach 6 1/2 feet in height and is primarily a weed of roadsides, pastures, hayfields, and occasionally rosettes can be found in turf grass.  This weed is found throughout the United States except in the northern Great Plains.

The use of Teasel along with other herbs such as Cat’s Claw seems to provide remission of symptoms in many cases. When you combine this approach with opening the system’s communication energetically and supporting the body nutritionally, we find a very powerful approach to dealing with these conditions. Because Tincture of Teasel Root is not readily available my herbalist instructor created his own wild-crafted supply. I was motivated to purchase a case of Tincture of Teasel Root to use in my practice because not only does Teasel relive the symptoms from Lyme disease, it also has a profound effect upon the other conditions with similar symptoms. Tincture of Teasel Root seems to greatly improve the symptoms of Dementia, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, ALS, and even Gulf War syndrome.

As a naturopath, I do not believe in a magic bullet or that there is one supplement that will work as a “cure all”. Anyone dealing with these conditions must take a full compressive approach in addressing them. Your approach should include nutrition and diet along with whole food supplementation. Herbs, homeopathic, and energetic remedies like Infoceuticals also provide deep response. Also, Enzyme therapy should not be overlooked since these conditions all have an inflammatory element.

IS IT NATURAL? IS IT ORGANIC? 

Many Americans are asking if their food is natural. Our growing desire for a healthful diet is encouraging, however we are often asking the wrong questions when it comes to food selection. Madison Avenue seems to have keyed into the term “Natural”. We see such a diverse scope of products advertised as natural that it boggles the mind. Natural peanut butter, all natural soft drinks, natural tooth paste, natural fried foods and the list goes on and on. Natural tasting is another term we see. It means that nothing in the product is natural, but it taste like it is. Natural tasting margarine, which is hydrogenated oil, is far from being natural. Another new marketing term that will help you make the plunge into purchasing crunchy products that tend to drag down your health is the term: No Trans Fats. Since Trans Fat levels are now required on package labels, the snack food industry loves to say that their fried product has zero Trans Fats, which of course does not mean that the product has zero Trans Fats, rather the level of Trans Fats in the product is below the minimum level established by the government.

Just because something is natural does not mean it is healthy. Crude oil occurs naturally in the earth yet it does not seem too healthy. The deposit Rover left on the back lawn or the tootsie rolls Tabby leaves in the sand box are also natural. Parents often catch their children raiding the sand box due to a life of junk foods and the Standard American Diet (the SAD diet) they crave such organic deposits. WHY? They are seeking organic minerals. These children suffer from pica a disorder which causes cravings due to a gross deficiency of organic minerals. But don’t worry mom, its all natural!

The confusion over the terms organic and inorganic grows daily. We hear these expressions a lot today, but what do they really mean? Some use organic to mean not having anything artificial added. Others would say that organic means that their product has not been altered. In chemistry class we all learned that organic substances contain carbon. According to Webster, the word Inorganic is described as – Not organic; not endowed with, or subjected to, organization; devoid of an organized structure, or the structure of a living being; unorganized; thus rocks, minerals and all nonliving chemical compounds and elements are inorganic. The word organic is described as pertaining to an organ or its functions; consisting of organs or containing them; as the organic structure of the human body or of plants and herbs.

We know that plants and herbs are able to assimilate inorganic mineral matter and convert this inert and lifeless mineral into living organic material. Then, when we consume the plant or herb we are able to utilize the mineral since it has been converted from the inorganic to the organic by the plant’s cell engine. What we must understand, when attempting to improve our health by eating more naturally, is the life process of human cells cannot be sustained by any element or compound obtained directly from the inorganic kingdom. Inorganic sodium found in salt has been a concern to hypertension patients for years. Yet, it is well known that organic sodium found in celery will improve blood pressure. The inorganic has a destructive effect while the organic a beneficial one.

Incalculable injury can be done to the human organism by consuming inorganic substances, especially those elements which have been artificially made or separated from organic matter by the action of violent acids, alkalies, or reduction to ashes by burning. Iodine is an insidious poison when consumed in an inorganic state. However, organic iodine found in kelp and other marine plants supports the thyroid gland and is extremely beneficial. Cod liver oil, which is making a come back, contains 37 parts of organic iodine in 100,000 and has proven a tremendous benefit.

What then should we look for when reading food labels to insure we are consuming the organic rather than the inorganic, the truly natural rather than the artificial? The answer is a simple one: If you are reading labels you are buying the wrong foods! Let’s get back to real food. Dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce do not come with ingredient labels. Herbs and spices do not have a list of preservatives. The easiest and best change someone can make to improve their health is to stop eating artificial food filled with inorganic compounds and move to consuming real organic food.

HERBS  

In health care we should first take the advice of Hippocrates, the Father of modern medicine who said, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food.” It just makes sense to use diet and lifestyle as the foundation of health. Herbs are the highest quality foods available, which contain naturally and harmoniously balanced vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Herbal medicine is the most ancient form of health care known to humankind. Yet because of economics, modern medicine has veered away from the use of pure herbs in the treatment of disease. Herbs by their very nature cannot be patented. Because of this drug companies cannot hold the exclusive right to sell a particular herb, thus they are not motivated to invest in testing or promoting herbs.

A few years ago I talked to a pharmacist about carrying natural remedies and herbs in their pharmacy. I was amazed at the response. This young pharmacist had grave concern about the safety of herbal remedies. Where are the double blind tests? She asked. How do we know herbs are safe? Unlike pharmaceuticals, which are often harsh stimulants and poisons, herbs are gentle and not dangerous when taken correctly. For thousands of years herbs have been used safely and effectively.

The bible has many examples of herbal use starting in Genesis 1:29-30: “And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food’, and it was so.”  In the book of Revelations 22:2 there is a tree (not a pharmacy) that brings healing to the nations.

Herbs are at the root of both Traditional Chinese and Ayurveda medicine. In Western Medicine the use of medicinal plants is fundamental. When my father attended pharmacy school over 50 years ago, he had to identify herbs by sight, smell, and taste. He had to know how to compound them into medications. His personal return to natural medicine came as he remembered the natural basis of the medicine of his youth.

Today, as drug companies are pushing the synthetic, herbal medicine is experiencing a renaissance worldwide. This phenomenon is due to the growing concern about the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, the impersonal and often demeaning experience of modern health-care practices, and a renewed recognition of the unique medicinal value of herbs.

Herbs are more elegant and less harsh than drugs; though their action is often slower in the inception, they provide remarkable lasting results. As integrative medicine proponent Andrew Weil, M.D. said, “Herbs and the dietary supplements made from them use an indirect route to the bloodstream and target organs, their effects are usually slower in onset and less dramatic than those of purified drugs administered by more direct routes. Doctors and patients accustomed to the rapid, intense effects of synthetic medicines may become impatient with botanicals for this reason.”

Many people attempt to use herbs to simply control symptoms, though they are seldom as effective as their heavy-handed chemical-drug counterparts. Suppressing symptoms does not heal. This is true for both herbs and drugs. To use herbs to their true advantage – the ability to support the body’s effort to heal itself – we must understand the body’s actions and the action of the herb.

The body is designed to be healthy and self-healing. When the natural state of health fails with the onset of disease, one of two events has occurred. We have become deficient in essential resources necessary for maintenance and protection, or we have accumulated excess toxins and irritants. Thus, the best use of herbs would be to take out the trash and restock the pantry: Detoxification and Regeneration. The medicinal action of herbs can be classified into three general groups: Detoxifying, Regenerating, and Symptom Regulating. Balancing the desire for comfort and the need for some regulation of events with the body’s choices and its own innate intelligence, constitutes a great part of the herbalist’s art.

Detoxifying herbs are used to eliminate blockages and excesses. When toxins, irritants, and pathogens have accumulated in the body, they must be removed or disease will manifest. To remove this “bio-sludge,” herbs are used that have properties that tend to stimulate the self-cleansing processes of the system. For example, herbs with laxative properties cleanse the bowel, diuretics detoxify the kidneys and alterative herbs aid in cleansing the blood. The resolution of virtually every disease of the human frame will be beneficially affected by clearing the metabolic and pathogenic debris that has accumulated in the body.

Regenerating herbs are those that build and tone depleted and overwhelmed tissues and functions. Regenerating herbs nourish and strengthen the body, improving the operating efficiency and recuperative powers of all tissues and organs. This bolsters resistance to disease. We use these herbs to recover from acute and chronic ailments, injury, and surgery.

Some herbs are used as crisis management and pain relief. Symptom regulating herbs are beneficial once detoxification and rebuilding is underway. This category of herbs mitigates the uncomfortable symptoms that called us into action in the first place. However, if we only look for symptom relief and neglect detoxifying and regeneration we will never deal with root causes. As a naturopath and master herbalist, it is vital to deal with root causes which will release the body’s powerful resources to provide optimal health.

Your body has a wonderful intelligence. It is a marvel filled with a dynamic aptitude for health. Energy surges through the body with a vibrant life force. So, why is there such a struggle with disease? What hinders this healing energy and drains your vigor and vim? Why do so many suffer various illnesses and lose their exuberant vitality? These of course are not simple questions. Yet if you apply straightforward and basic principles to your lifestyle, optimal health crashes in dispelling every malady and crushes every degenerative disease. The blockages to your healing potential dissolve.

Americans tend to believe that major health improvements will happen by simply eliminating or reducing a bad habit. We look for the instant fix – the microwave cure. So we plunge headlong into a new fad diet that promises miracle results or we vow to stop eating or drinking our favorite treat. Sometimes we look to the “magic remedy” to fix us. By taking this newfound secret nutrient that obscure native people have used for thousands of years — all your health problems will disappear. Right!   The simple truth is the path to a strong, vibrant, healthy life has many aspects. Regaining a powerful health platform is a process.

Our health is influenced by an interaction between major health factors. Imbalance in any of these can contribute to disease. The cause of disease is multi-factorial. External health such as diet, lifestyle/environment and attitude can alter your internal health such as immune function, micro flora and pH balance. These can then translate into changes in cell function leaving the body susceptible to illness.

As a Naturopath, my goal is to remove the underlying causes of disease, to re-establish balance within the body’s energetic system, and strengthen the immune system. There are basic steps to rebalancing your health. You must put in the time and discipline to address each area using lifestyle changes, nutritional, and energetic remedies aimed at removing the underlying causes or imbalances.

One step is to remove blockages to the physical and energetic healing process. This is done by evaluating your Bio-energetic field. Toxic damage and blockages are revealed. We also evaluate which organ systems are weak and need to be reinforced.  Energetic remedies will unlock your body’s natural ability to detoxify. Organ and tissue weakness can be corrected restoring your body’s energetic flow.

We must admit that we live in a toxic world. Toxins, parasites, and energetic smog all engender weakness that blocks our health.  Everyone is confronted with toxic metals (misnamed heavy metals since not all heavy metals are toxic and not all light metals are safe).

Over a lifespan, an average person will take into their bodies 1 tsp arsenic, 1 tsp lead, 1/3 tsp mercury, 1 tsp nickel, 300 mg cadmium, 80 mcg uranium, and a whopping 1460 grams of aluminum. A 12-inch square of aluminum foil is about five grams. Over your life you will ingest the equivalent of 292 twelve-inch square sheets of aluminum. Not a comforting thought when you consider all the havoc these toxins play on your health.

Often my patients are amazed when my Energetic assessment reveals their environmental toxicity.  Both toxic chemicals and metals play a significantly infamous role in well being. Cancers, coronary conditions, premature aging, dementia, brain fog, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia all have been linked to toxic overload.

What can be done to clean up this toxic sludge that pollutes our bodies? The use of various non-evasive chelating agents administered through suppositories or homeopathic remedies has provided wonderful results in cleaning up toxic overloads. Specialized herbal remedies also are able to target and support the body’s cleansing process. Energetic remedies increase the body’s awareness to its need for purification by providing correct internal information to the cells.

Parasites, yeasts, molds, and Candida all weaken our systems integrity by hindering the absorption of vital nutrients. These also produce their own cocktail of noxious substances increasing the deluge of toxic mire coursing through our bodies. These can be addressed through specific, personalized natural health protocols including the correct diet for the condition, whole food nutritional supplementation, and targeted herbal and homeopathic remedies.

In every detoxification and purification process it is vital to maintain healthy elimination and liver support.  In addition, you should re-establish the micro flora in that has been altered or destroyed by medications, antibiotics, poor diet, and diseases. This of course has to do with colon health. It has been said that all disease begins in the colon and the path to health is through the bowels. A woman might win a man through his stomach, but you will win back your health through your bowels.

When you combine the power of energetic medicine with a sound nutritional foundation that incorporates whole food supplementation, enzymes therapy, and sensible purification; you break down the blockages to your health and ignite the fire of your body’s curative powers. Indeed, you will experience a whole new level of wellness – those nasty degenerative diseases won’t stand a chance!

FITNESS IS DEPENDENT UPON HEALTHY TERRAIN

It is amazing to watch Olympic athletes perform with incredible skill, agility and stamina. We all dream of being so fit. We admire each athlete’s performance which is either enhanced or buffeted by weather conditions. Ice, snow, temperature and visibility either make or break you. Cross country runners are greatly affected by road conditions, hills, wind, etc. We call these conditions the terrain. Our body’s terrain also plays the major role in the quality of our fitness and health. For instance, when we exercise we produce acid as a byproduct. This acid is excreted when we exhale. However, if we are already running an overly acidic system, the increased acid produced by our exercise can become overwhelming. We pant and lose our breath. An athlete’s performance is much greater by maintaining a healthy pH balance.

Many begin a new fitness program only to come down with an infection soon after. The loss of healthy terrain due to increased acid and fatigue from over exertion, being so enthusiastic to get healthy with our new fitness program plus poor eating habits, lowers our resistance to germs. The problem is not that we chose to exercise but that we did not pay attention to maintaining a healthy internal terrain. It is not the germs it is the terrain that counts.

Rather than addressing our body’s terrain, the allopathic medical community focuses on Germ Theory. Simply stated, Germ Theory says a disease is caused by a specific type of microorganism. We get sick because we were exposed of a virus or bacteria. The treatment plan then is to give an agent to destroy the microbe such as an antibiotic (meaning: anti-against, biotic-life; against life), vaccinations, drugs, chemicals, surgery, or radiation. Though such treatment may also destroy good cells and organisms the end justifies the means. In the late 1800’s Louis Pasteur popularized Germ Theory and today most allopathic medical professionals accept this theory and consider it to be the most important contribution to medical science.

One proof offered for Germ Theory is the child in the classroom. When the negligent parent brings her germ infested sick child to school, those nasty bugs spread to the other innocent and unsuspecting children – they also succumb to the illness. Though this scenario seems to prove Germ Theory, it actually reinforces the Terrain Theory. If Germ Theory is correct, why doesn’t every child in the classroom get sick along with the principal, teachers, and the janitor? Some people are under a constant exposure to many germs and never get sick, while others will become ill at the mere mention of the word germ.

In the Terrain Theory camp the reality of microbes and pathogens is not denied, however it is understood that defense against such “bugs” weakens because of a poor lifestyle, including consuming devitalized food.  The sad American diet along with the intake of a host of preservatives and additives has diminished our nutritional resources so that the terrain of the body is more appealing or at least tolerable to outside invaders. The body simply does not have enough ammunition to defend itself against them. Some would call this having a low resistance or compromised immunity. Invaders will move in if the Terrain provides a nice home. The answer is to replenish vital nutrients to the starving body. By changing our lifestyle to incorporate healthy choices in diet, beverages, activity, and thought, the body will be able to defend and restore itself.

Dr. Carey Reams, a mathematician and agriculturist showed that plants grown in a soil (the Terrain) with proper balance of nutrients, pH, water, and sunshine had no need for pesticides, insecticides, herbicides. Plants grown in a healthy soil full of rich minerals and humus – a healthy terrain – find the ability to defend against would be invaders.

A few years back, I visited Malaysia. Everyone in our group was encouraged to take high doses of B vitamins to discourage malaria exposure from mosquitoes. It seems that mosquitoes avoided people who had lots of B vitamins – they did not like the terrain. Any back yard BBQ will prove this out as well. There is always someone getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Their Terrain, maybe because of high sugar intake or deficient vitamin Bs, is a mosquito’s smorgasbord. However, others hardly seem to notice them. They have a better terrain. A healthy lifestyle will always be the forerunner of good health and fitness with the least negative symptoms.

The pH factor is one part of the Terrain that can directly affect our health. It is generally agreed among most health professionals that the pH of the blood level should be between 7.35 – 7.45. Most Naturopaths look for urine or saliva pH levels to be between 6.2 and 6.8 for an optimal healthy Terrain. Allopathic physicians use a much wider range for normal. Naturopaths are not looking for normal ranges (the range where most of the population falls) they want an optimal range.  If the pH falls, raising acidity, cells become weaker and the body becomes more inviting to disease. When pH rises to high alkaline levels the body is in an emergency mode trying to buffer extreme acidity also creating an unhealthy Terrain.

By maintaining a healthy Terrain, though germs may abound, we can win the fight for optimal health. While germs do play a partial role in sickness, they do not have the last word. The terrain of the body is far more important. At the end of his life, even Louis Pasteur supported the Terrain theory of health stating: “The microbe is of little consequence if one’s internal environment is in order.”

Naturopathic medicine, though never directly treating any disease, works wonders in resourcing the body’s ability to restore balance and harmony. An example of this is the power found in applying nutrition, energetic balancing, and detoxification to those who suffer with fibromyalgia.   Fibromyalgia is a common cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Over the past few years, awareness of this syndrome has increased, yet we all remember the days when those suffering from the plethora of symptoms associated with fibromyalgia were told that, “It’s all just in your head”.  Indeed fibromyalgia syndrome is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. The most common complaint of fibromyalgia sufferers is that they ache all over. Their muscles feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn.

Fibromyalgia occurs mainly in women aged 30 to 50. Some clinicians believe that fibromyalgia may be induced or intensified by physical or mental stress, poor sleep, trauma, exposure to damp or cold, and occasionally by a systemic and usually rheumatic disorder. People often report a traumatic event that triggered the initial symptoms, such as severe infectious illness such as lymes disease. Here are some common symptoms:

Pain –The pain is a deep muscular aching. It can be throbbing, shooting, or stabbing. Also intense burning may be present. Fatigue – Fibromyalgia is often described as “brain fatigue” that totally drains your energy. Sleep disorder – Fibromyalgia sufferers often wake up at night with a feeling of stiffness, fatigue, and aches all over. People with fibromyalgia appear to have abnormal brain waves in stage 4 sleep, the deepest stage of sleep. Stage 4 sleep is important for tissue repair, antibody production, the formation of growth hormone, and muscle and bone health. Irritable Bowel Syndrome – As a naturopath I am constantly looking at digestion, liver support and energetic balance to aiding the body’s ability to heal itself. Roughly 40 to 70% of Fibromyalgia patients suffer with constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas, and nausea. Acid reflux or gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GRED) also occurs with the same high frequency. Thus, a comprehensive treatment plan must address these issues.

Chronic headaches – Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 70% of FMS patients

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome – TMJ causes tremendous jaw-related face and head pain in one quarter of Fibromyalgia patients. Typically, the problems are related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the jaw joint and not necessarily the joint itself.

Other common symptoms – Premenstrual syndrome and painful periods, chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur. Patients are often sensitive to odors, loud noises, and bright lights.

People with fibromyalgia have increased amounts of neurotransmitters that cause pain responses, such as substance P, decreased number and function of immune system “natural killer” cells. Plus they have lower than normal levels of the hormone cortisol, which affects the body’s response to unpleasant stimuli. In addition, the levels of natural painkillers are depressed, such as serotonin and growth hormone. Lower levels of serotonin are also involved in depression.

Many fibromyalgia sufferers are seeking a single “magic” remedy that will fix all their problems. Certainly the use of a single supplement may bring some relief, but a total program is usually necessary to bring true healing to people with fibromyalgia. A naturopathic doctor or other qualified health practitioner can assess the symptoms and develop a customized health plan. This plan should include the correction of digestion disorders, liver function, detoxification, energetic balance and nutritional support. The primary treatment goals in fibromyalgia are to raise serotonin levels, improve sleep quality, and assure adequate magnesium levels. With energetic medicine we need to increase “Source Energy” which improves all the vital energy in the body and remove blockages to energetic pathways. Sleep is like a battery charger. If the body is not being recharged, especially the muscles, the result is pain. The use of 5-HTP (short for 5-hydroxytryptophan), which is converted to serotonin will not only improve sleep but will also help with depression associated with fibromyalgia. Magnesium also comes into play because low magnesium levels are common with fibromyalgia patients. Magnesium participates in more than three hundred enzymatic reactions in the body; particularly those processed that produce energy. When magnesium levels are low, energy is low. Low magnesium levels cause muscles to cramp. The best food sources of magnesium are legumes, tofu, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables. However, fish, meat, milk, and most commonly eaten fruit are low in magnesium. Most Americans are on a low-magnesium diet.

The key in dealing with fibromyalgia is not to lose hope. There are many wonderful stories of those finding complete relief when applying the comprehensive approach found in naturopathic medicine.

ENZYMES

Years ago someone said something to me that at the time I dismissed as a naïve, silly unlearned notion. They suggested that you must eat live foods if you want to add to your life. Now, I was raised in a pharmacist’s home. I learned at an early age that our bodies require vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats etc. I also was told that the source of these did not matter. Though my family usually ate a salad with dinner, everything else was cooked to death. As a young person, I seldom ate live foods and I still had all the energy I needed.

Now that I am much older, I understand this truth. The key is to recognize what is alive in live foods and what is dead in dead foods and that is ENZYMES. Enzymes are major (and often missing) key to optimal health. The reason that I had ample energy as a young person while eating an overcooked diet of dead food is that I was living off my enzyme reserves. For every chemical reaction that occurs in the body, enzymes provide the stimulus. In other words, as stated by Edward Howell, M.D., who pioneered enzyme therapy in the United States, “Enzymes are the substances that make life possible. No mineral, vitamin, or hormone can do any work without enzymes. They are the manual workers that build the body from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The body may have the raw building materials, but without the workers, it cannot begin.”  

Enzymes are involved in every process of the body. It is enzymes that digest all of our food. Enzymes in the blood take prepared, digested food and build it into muscles, nerves, blood and glands. Enzymes work in our immune system to attack waste materials and poisons. Without enzymes there would be no breathing, no digestion, no growth, no blood coagulation, no sense perception, and no reproduction. As we become enzyme deficient, we age faster. The more we store up our enzyme reserve, the healthier we will be.

There are two ways to preserve and replenish our enzyme level: by eating raw food and by taking enzyme supplements. All raw natural foods have an abundance of enzymes. However, at 129^o F, all enzymes are destroyed. Baking bread kills enzymes. Pasteurization kills enzymes. Canning kills enzymes. Enzymes are destroyed when our food comes into contact with hot water! Americans eat most foods cooked. Because of this, our systems have to produce all the required enzymes, thus causing an enlargement of the digestive organs. To supply essential enzymes, the body draws on its reserve from all organs and tissues, causing a metabolic deficit.

The pancreas is a gland that has two basic functions: first and most importantly, it produces enzymes used with digestion; second it produces insulin that regulates sugar metabolism. The more our foods lack enzymes, the more the pancreas must produce them. If we introduce to our digestive system only overcooked, un-chewed food chunks the pancreas must work overtime to create the needed enzymes to assimilate this dead food. Eventually, the pancreas can fail to produce the required enzymes as well as the needed insulin. When this happens, we become one sick puppy struggling with blood sugar problems, inflammation and toxic problems and digestive problems. All because we failed to eat and chew healthy, raw natural foods.

Our bodies require metabolic enzymes, plant enzymes, and digestive enzymes. Plant enzyme deficiency predominantly from cooked-foods may result in general inflammation, pancreatic hypertrophy (enlargement), a toxic colon, and allergies. Because of inflammation, conditions such as bronchitis, sinusitis cystitis, rhinitis, and arthritis may occur and may be accompanied by fever, redness, swelling, and pain. Plant Enzyme Therapy can increase the absorption of nutrients and reduce the demand upon the pancreas as well as reduce the inflammation overload.

Pancreatic enzymes are animal enzymes that include protease (digest protein), amylase (digest starch), and lipase (digest fats). These enzymes function in the intestine and the blood. By supplementing the body’s own enzymes with pancreatic enzyme therapy improved health is promoted. Sometimes, partially digested protein molecules due to this lack of enzymes are able to absorb into the bloodstream. The immune system treats these molecules as invaders. When this occurs, unnecessary stress to the immune system and toxic overloads will increase. Undigested protein in our system often is the root cause for many medical conditions such as allergies or even cancer. Pancreatic enzyme therapy has shown beneficial results in a variety of disease conditions including inflammation viral diseases, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and cancer.

As we get older the more we should supplement with quality, professional enzymes. Most Naturopathic clinics use both plant enzyme therapy and pancreatic enzyme therapy to support the healing process. These therapies work well with other modalities. For example, in our clinic we use energetic remedies to correct the basic flow of information and energy within the body. This is like renewing the blue prints to the building or restoring the system’s software. Then we use nutritional and herbal supplementation and diet plans to provide the basic building materials needed to renew the body. Enzyme therapy then provides the workers to follow the blueprints and use the basic building materials to rebuild the structure into restored health. Other therapies such as correcting pH or detoxification are used to provide a positive work environment for the workers (enzymes) to utilize the nutritional support.  Often people struggle to gain major results in their health while taking many supplemental nutrients because they do not have the foundational enzymes to allow their supplements to work.

Growing up in the television generation, as a young person I watched several weekly shows. I would not miss my favorites no matter what. Among these was Star Trek. How I longed for the days where doors would open without walking on a pressure pad. Somehow they just knew you were there. I thought it would be wonderful to have your own personal communication device that was more than just a phone, or a computer that would answer any question inquired. One of my favorite parts in Star Trek however is how Captain Kirk would be deathly ill and Bones would wave his trusty Tri-Quarter over him and know just what was going on in his body.

In one episode, Bones was complaining about the barbaric practices of surgery and conventional approaches to medicine before the use of the tri-quarter. Often I have a similar feeling when I think of the healing power and potential within the body waiting to be released. This power is frequently inhibited through the use of drugs and other toxins. We live in a world of synthetic food, synthetic vitamins, and artificial lifestyles.  However, in the midst of this artificial culture is an explosion of demand for the natural. We long for balance and harmony in the rhythms of life. This balance will not be found if we ignore the energetic realities of life.

Today in the emerging field of energetic medicine many of these futuristic marvels are now in practice. By adopting a wellness approach that prevents breakdowns in our health rather than a sickness approach that only reacts to symptoms, the human body’s energetic field becomes a wonderful sign-post as to where and when to address issues before they become symptomatic.

Ancient cultures have said, and now modern science is proving, that everything is made of energy – including our bodies. Your “body-field” surrounds and infuses your physical body. It directs information to all cells, DNA, organs, and other systems of your body, so that they communicate and function properly. When information is distorted in your body-field there is a corresponding effect in your physical body.

Detecting and affecting the Human Energy Field is evolving with many aspects. Homeopathy, for instance, is a later medical system in which health is thought to be evoked on an energetic level. Homeopathy is based on the ‘Principle of Similars’, first expressed by Samuel Hahnemann in the exhortation similia similibus curentur or ‘let likes cure likes’. It differs from conventional medicine because rather than being based chemically, it heals the body by energetically stimulating the body’s own healing energy through a vibratory field.

Electrodermal Screening Devices are able to interpret clinically using a number of test and tools. Besides Kirlian photography, which picks up disturbances in the electromagnetic field generated by the body, these tools include thermography, which measures disturbances in the heat patterns of the body; and electrodermal screening devices which detect interference fields in the body.

Reinhod Voll, M.D., created one of the first devices in the 1950s. Dr Voll developed a system called ElectroAcupuncture by Voll (EAV). Today many devices use this foundation to evaluate the energy flow through acupuncture meridians. These electrodermal screening devices are used for determining which remedies the patient needs and which materials are compatible with the body. The Bio-Meridian, and Vega devices are among these.

A paradigm leap ahead of all this came when Peter Fraser and Harry Massey in 2003 developed the Nutrienergetic Systems (NES) which is the first device able to read and map the human body field on the quantum level. Previous devises only measured disturbances through meridians while NES is able to evaluate not only the flow of energy through meridians, but the creation of that energy from your organs, distortions in the energy field, how your energy field is in harmony with the earth’s energy field. NES even can determine which toxins have affected you and where you are sensitive.

Where the NES device is most like Dr McCoy’s Tri-quarter is that unlike other devices, which can take up to an hour to produce a useable assessment, NES analyzes your body-field and identifies your distortions, weaknesses and problems immediately. NES displays structural damage done to the energetic body field. This damage can come from geopathic stress, ionic and earth’s magnetic fields, weak organs and bodily systems, toxins, shock, trauma, and micro-organisms.

One of the main reasons our naturopathic office has decided to use NES is the power of Nutri-Energetics’ Infoceutical remedies. These are able to correct imbalances which reflect damage done to the body-field. They strengthen major organ function and open up correct energy flow. Many thousands of people from around the word have reported significantly positive changes through NES therapy including: Improved health, restful sleep, more energy, improved digestion, improved skin conditions, reduced pain and discomfort, mental clarity, calmer emotions, tolerance to stress.

When you combine energetic therapy with a sound nutritional foundation you release the power of your own body’s healing ability. Indeed, you will experience a whole new level of wellness!

Diabetes

There is a diabetes epidemic in America! This of course is common knowledge. We all have family or friends who have blood sugar difficulties. My first introduction to diabetes was as over 46 years ago when as a boy my sister was diagnosed as an extremely brittle Type I diabetic. The name Diabetes Mellituscomes from the Greek; diabetes means “passing through” and mellitus means “honey.” In other words, “honey passing through,” or high levels of sugar in the urine. When I was 10 years old, one of my chores in the morning was to test my sister’s urine for sugar using a little chemistry set designed for that purpose. This was before all the fancy blood sugar monitors we have today. These tests were to see if sugar was “spilling” into the urine. This happens when the blood has high levels of sugar that spills over into urine because the body was not properly metabolizing sugar due to a lack of insulin or insulin resistance.

Juvenile diabetes later classified as Type I diabetes was a misunderstood disease back then. Today, however the epidemic rages with adult onset diabetes now known as Type II which often leads to insulin dependence. Indeed because of our poor diets and lifestyle many pre-teens are developing what use to be known as Adult Onset diabetes at very early ages, the term Adult Onset became a misnomer.

The major cause of Type II diabetes is the high processed foods we eat in America. These processed foods, especially white flour and white sugar products (white trash) push us into glucose intolerance. White flour is the foremost cause of high triglycerides in the blood and the quickest way to normalize triglycerides and glucose levels is to stop eating all white trash products and processed foods. As Type II Diabetes develops our cells become resistant to insulin. Most Type II diabetics do not lack insulin; rather cells see insulin as an enemy and block its uptake. The first stage of its development often is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyper-insulinemia (high amounts of insulin in the blood). The Cells begin to resist this deluge of insulin which develops into Type II diabetes – more and more insulin is required to metabolize sugar.

The pancreas’ primary job is not to make insulin. Rather it is to create enzymes. You can think of the pancreas as a single gland with two functions: to create enzymes and supply insulin. Since our diets are largely made up of dead over cooked foods lacking vital enzymes, the over worked pancreas is further stressed having to create additional enzymes that are lacking in our diet. Often the result of this burden is that the pancreas cannot keep up with the taxing requirements of required insulin. We eat high sugar, white trash foods and over cooked foods; both stress the pancreas. You could say that the lack of enzymes in our diet is another cause of diabetes.

The medical approach to Type II is to use drugs to artificially stimulate the pancreas to increase insulin production. By increasing the insulin levels you force insulin into resistant cells by overwhelming them with insulin. There are two problems with this approach. First, this will build greater insulin resistance creating the need for even greater stimulation of the pancreas. Second the pancreas will eventually not be able to keep up. Your doctor will tell you that you will now need to supplement insulin by injection. Congratulations! You have just graduated from being a diet controlled diabetic to an insulin dependent cash cow for the medical industry.

A better approach is to first work with diet changes and exercise to lower triglycerides and glucose intolerance. The key is basically low to no refined sugar, high complex carbohydrates and raw foods, low fat, high fiber and easy on the fruit. Refined sugar means any carbohydrate that has been processed, bleached or otherwise chemically altered. All White Trash Foods (white flour and white sugar) are problematic. We’re talking about cookies, cake, candy, ice-cream, pastries, pizza, boxed cereal, all soda-pops, alcohol; these foods push us toward diabetes. Recent studies also have linked the ingestion of cow’s milk by children to the development of Diabetes. Cow’s milk is just not fit for human consumption, especially not when it’s full of bovine growth hormone and antibiotics.

Quality nutritional supplements can be used to restore the cells integrity. Correct forms of calcium and Essential Fatty Acids will work on cell walls to restore their integrity. Quality forms of chromium, vanadium and other minerals will reestablish glucose balance. Chromium is the central element in a very important molecule called the “glucose tolerance factor” (GTF). GTF is needed to allow insulin to do its work in getting sugar into the cells.

Foods that help resist diabetes are Chromium-rich foods such as Brewer’s yeast, lean beef, calf’s liver, wheat bran, rye bread, oysters. Also, Zinc rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, oysters, ginger root, wheat germ, lamb chops, pecans, Brazil nuts and split peas are good for many biochemical reactions in our body. Onions and garlic prolong the action of compromised insulin stores. Jerusalem artichokes, burdock, parsley are high in inulin, an insulin analog. Spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, bay leaf, and cloves also lower blood sugar. The list of vitamin and mineral “pills” can be overwhelming, so get the help of a naturopath, nutritionally trained doctor, or progressive dietician to help choose the right ones for you.

The fight against Type II Diabetes is winnable, but it takes a true commitment to the principles of good health: Eating whole real food. Avoiding white trash, taking quality supplements, exercise, and educating yourself.

CHOLESTEROL, STATIN DRUGS, AND EFAS: SECTION 2 CONT’D

A few years ago I received an invitation to join AARP. I was shocked! I’m not that old. I’m not ready to retire. As the coffee mug says: Life begins at 50 . . . and so does arthritis, high blood pressure, aches and pains, and high cholesterol.

Hypercholesterolemia is today’s new disease of choice. The concern of high cholesterol has risen over the last few years as health professionals discovered how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol exhibits no outward signs except the tell tale symptom of feeling good. The medical literature of 25 to 30 years ago identified a sufferer of hypercholesterolemia as: any middle-aged man whose cholesterol is over 240 and with other risk factors, such as smoking or overweight. After the Cholesterol Consensus Conference of 1984 the parameter was dropped to anyone with a level over 200. Recently the numbers were moved down again to 180. Also, if you have had a heart attack, you will be put on a cholesterol lowering medicine even if your cholesterol is already very low. The thinking is that since you had a heart attack you must have a cholesterol problem. When people ask me about cholesterol numbers, I tend to side with the health professionals of 25 to 30 years ago: don’t panic unless you are over 240. However, your diet must contain a proper balance of Essential Fatty Acids.

Contrary to the popular belief that Cholesterol is the root of all evils, it serves many beneficial functions. Every cell membrane in our body contains cholesterol, making cells waterproof. Inadequate cholesterol levels cause cell membranes to become leaky or porous triggering an emergency mode. The body then releases corticoid hormones that steal cholesterol from one place and deposit it to areas where it is lacking. Some believe this causes Alzheimer’s disease since the brain is the cholesterol cash cow of the body.

Cholesterol is the body’s repair substance. It is also the precursor to Vitamin D, necessary for mineral metabolism. Bile salts required for digestion of fat are made of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a powerful antioxidant protecting us against cancer and aging. It plays a key roll in our memory function and the uptake of hormones in the brain including serotonin. Cholesterol is the precursor to all hormones produced in the adrenal cortex and without it our energy, ability to heal, libido etc will suffer.

Statin Drugs lower the production of cholesterol by inhibiting mevalonate, an enzyme in a long chain of chemical processes that has three end products: Cholesterol, Ubiquinone (Co-Enzyme Q10) and Dolichols. Thus, when you take a Statin Drug you not only hinder the production of cholesterol but Co-Q10 and Dolichols as well. Co-Q10 is a vital heart nutrient. The heart requires high levels of Co-Q10; it plays a role in maintaining cell membrane integrity and muscle integrity. It is vital in the formation of elastin and collagen. Side effects of low Co-Q10 include muscle wasting leading to weakness and severe back pain, heart failure, neuropathy, and inflammation of the tendons and ligaments. Dolichols work to direct various proteins manufactured in response to DNA ensuring that cells respond correctly to genetically programmed instruction. Thus, Statin Drugs can lead to unpredictable chaos on the cellular level.

Statin Drugs have many side effects including muscle pain and weakness, neuropathy, dizziness, cognitive impairment, pancreatic rot, depression, and cancer (In every study with rodents to date, statins have caused cancer.). It is ironic that a drug given to prevent hearth disease hinders the heart’s main nutrient – Co-Q10.

Rather than turning to Statin Drugs, naturopaths choose Essential Fatty Acids. These polyunsaturated oils are the good fats. EFAs produce beneficial hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids that affect the function of virtually every system in the body. When the body receives a proper balance of eicosanoids from EFAs, it can maintain proper blood pressure and cholesterol levels. EFAs relive many women’s health issues, prevent cholesterol from becoming sticky in you blood, and increase your HDL.

The richest and most beneficial EFAs come from cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring. These oils contain EPA and DHA. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) is a long-chain Omega-3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid. EPA supports cardiovascular health and reduces inflammation. It reduces the risk of cardiac arrest and ischemic stroke with virtually no side effects. In addition studies have shown EPA to improve symptoms in both schizophrenia and depression. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) also found in fish, protects us from the harmful effects of stress, and increases membrane fluidity, supports learning functions and cognitive development.

GLA found in borage oil and evening primrose oil also has anti-inflammatory effects and promotes healthy skin, hair and hormones. I encourage everyone to include a high quality EFA supplement to their preventive health program. It should contain balanced levels of EPA, DHA, and GLA.

CHOLESTEROL, STATIN DRUGS, AND EFAS

Hypercholesterolemia is today’s new disease of choice. The concern of high cholesterol has risen over the last few years as health professionals discovered how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol exhibits no outward signs except the tell tale symptom of feeling good. The medical literature of 25 to 30 years ago identified a sufferer of hypercholesterolemia as: any middle-aged man whose cholesterol is over 240 and with other risk factors, such as smoking or overweight. After the Cholesterol Consensus Conference of 1984 the parameter was dropped to anyone with a level over 200. Recently the numbers were moved down again to 180. Also, if you have had a heart attack, you will be put on a cholesterol lowering medicine even if your cholesterol is already very low. The thinking is that since you had a heart attack you must have a cholesterol problem. When people ask me about cholesterol numbers, I tend to side with the health professionals of 25 to 30 years ago: don’t panic unless you are over 240. However, your diet must contain a proper balance of Essential Fatty Acids.

Contrary to the popular belief that Cholesterol is the root of all evils, it serves many beneficial functions. Every cell membrane in our body contains cholesterol, making cells waterproof. Inadequate cholesterol levels cause cell membranes to become leaky or porous triggering an emergency mode. The body then releases corticoid hormones that steal cholesterol from one place and deposit it to areas where it is lacking. Some believe this causes Alzheimer’s disease since the brain is the cholesterol cash cow of the body.

Cholesterol is the body’s repair substance. It is also the precursor to Vitamin D, necessary for mineral metabolism. Bile salts required for digestion of fat are made of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a powerful antioxidant protecting us against cancer and aging. It plays a key roll in our memory function and the uptake of hormones in the brain including serotonin. Cholesterol is the precursor to all hormones produced in the adrenal cortex and without it our energy, ability to heal, libido etc will suffer.

Statin Drugs lower the production of cholesterol by inhibiting mevalonate, an enzyme in a long chain of chemical processes that has three end products: Cholesterol, Ubiquinone (Co-Enzyme Q10) and Dolichols. Thus, when you take a Statin Drug you not only hinder the production of cholesterol but Co-Q10 and Dolichols as well. Co-Q10 is a vital heart nutrient. The heart requires high levels of Co-Q10; it plays a role in maintaining cell membrane integrity and muscle integrity. It is vital in the formation of elastin and collagen. Side effects of low Co-Q10 include muscle wasting leading to weakness and severe back pain, heart failure, neuropathy, and inflammation of the tendons and ligaments. Dolichols work to direct various proteins manufactured in response to DNA ensuring that cells respond correctly to genetically programmed instruction. Thus, Statin Drugs can lead to unpredictable chaos on the cellular level.

Statin Drugs have many side effects including muscle pain and weakness, neuropathy, dizziness, cognitive impairment, pancreatic rot, depression, and cancer (In every study with rodents to date, statins have caused cancer.). It is ironic that a drug given to prevent heart disease hinders the heart’s main nutrient – Co-Q10.

Rather than turning to Statin Drugs, naturopaths choose Essential Fatty Acids. These polyunsaturated oils are the good fats. EFAs produce beneficial hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids that affect the function of virtually every system in the body. When the body receives a proper balance of eicosanoids from EFAs, it can maintain proper blood pressure and cholesterol levels. EFAs relieve many women’s health issues, prevent cholesterol from becoming sticky in you blood, and increase your HDL.

The richest and most beneficial EFAs come from cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring. These oils contain EPA and DHA. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) is a long-chain Omega-3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid. EPA supports cardiovascular health and reduces inflammation. It reduces the risk of cardiac arrest and ischemic stroke with virtually no side effects. In addition studies have shown EPA to improve symptoms in both schizophrenia and depression. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) also found in fish, protects us from the harmful effects of stress, and increases membrane fluidity, supports learning functions and cognitive development.

GLA found in borage oil and evening primrose oil also has anti-inflammatory effects and promotes healthy skin, hair and hormones. I encourage everyone to include a high quality EFA supplement to their preventive health program. It should contain balanced levels of EPA, DHA, and GLA.

CANDIDA 1 AND 2:

Our battle for health is often a battle against yeast and fungus. Indeed, one of the basic premises I use in my practice is: The sicker you are the more fungal you are. Although we contend with many types of yeast and fungus, Candida albicans does rise to the top of yeast’s bad guy list. It may not be the most deadly, but it certainly violates the health of thousands upon thousands, many of whom do not even suspect that this villain is at the root of their health concerns. Candida albicans is a yeast and a fungus that exists naturally in small amounts in everyone’s intestines.

The problem comes when we fail to keep Candida in check. Because of antibiotic use, high sugar and high wheat diets, toxins, etc. our natural resistance fails to keep Candida in check. The homeostasis of our intestines becomes disbiotic. Yeast overwhelms the intestine’s natural flora which is supported by pro-biotic micro organisms.  When disbiosis occurs we’re headed for trouble. You could say that the battle for your health is a battle against yeast. The sad fact is that we all fight yeast through out our lives. Then we die and yeast wins by consuming our remains. Not a pleasant thought indeed.

William Crook, MD in his 1983 book, The Yeast Connection exposed Candida as the sinister culprit it is. This opportunistic scoundrel hides in the digestive tract waiting to wreck havoc. The Candida infection known as Candida-related complex, polysystemic candidiasis, and chronic candidiasis is at the root of dozens of health difficulties. If you suffer from chronic vaginal yeast infections, with classic symptoms of itchiness, burning, and abnormal discharge; digestive symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or heartburn; respiratory allergies, such as sneezing, congestion and/or wheezing; food allergies; chronic fatigue; nervous system symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, poor memory and/or poor concentration; menstrual irregularities, such as severe premenstrual tension and/or irregular menstruation; skin rashes  — Candida may be your problem. Are you bothered by moldy smells, strong perfume, tobacco smoke, car exhaust and other smells? Do you crave sugar or wheat? Do you get “foggy brain” and can’t concentrate? Yeast may be at the root.

Many medications and drugs such as antibiotics, NSAIDs, and others, kill off our pro-biotic micro organism, which have been quietly and thanklessly doing battle against yeast. These Good Guy bacteria keep yeast in check. It is amazing that many powerful drugs are dispensed without a passing thought of how they will attack our natural flora. A microscopic caution of diarrhea might be printed and hidden on the paper insert, but nothing about how a dose or two of acidophilus might be good to restore the natural flora you just killed.

Some doctors dismiss candidiasis as a “fad” diagnosis, however an increasing number of doctors and naturopaths are recognizing that Candida infection can be a serious health concern. Anti fungal drugs are regularly given to those with compromised immune systems (such as AIDS patients) because as their immune system fails yeast attacks.

Yeast feeds on sugar! All diabetics have to be concerned with yeast complications because all diabetics encounter high blood sugar levels. As Americans, we eat an average of 500 pounds of sugar each year. Most regular soft-drinks contain 9 teaspoons of sugar and most fruit at the bottom yogurts have over seven. (Not the product to fight Candida. The live cultures make little dent to yeast in that high sugar environment.)

As a child you would go to the doctor who gave you an antibiotic shot killing your infection and killing all the good bacteria in your gut. He would then give you a grape sucker encouraging yeast’s take over of your intestines. Once you become disbiotic with yeast, you will remain that way until you become intentional on restoring your system. This is a complicated process and can take several months.

Several things need to happen: You must change your internal environment so it does not support yeast. This is done both nutritionally and energetically. Nutritionally by avoiding foods such as white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, maple sugar, molasses, date sugar, turbinado, raw sugar, demerrara, amisake, rice syrup, sorghum. The hidden sugars to watch for include: sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glycogen, glucose, mannitol, sorbitol, galactose, monosaccharides, polysaccharides. Avoid fruit. It contains natural sugars that support the growth of yeast. The following foods should be eliminated: Frozen, canned, and dried fruit, all canned and frozen fruit juice, oranges and orange juice, melons, especially cantaloupe. Foods that contain yeast should be eliminated. These include: Baker’s yeast, Brewer’s yeast, Engevita, Torula, and any other nutritional yeast. Baked goods raised with yeast such as breads, rolls, crackers, bagels, pastries, and muffins should also be eliminated.

All Foods Containing Gluten must be eliminated. These include wheat, barley, and rye and include products made with these ingredients such as wheat bread, rye bread, and pasta. Vinegar is made with a yeast culture and should be avoided. Foods that contain vinegar include: White vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mayonnaise, commercial salad dressing, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, BBQ sauce, shrimp sauce, soy sauce, mustard, pickles, pickled vegetables, green olives, relishes, horseradish, mincemeat, chili sauce. Mushrooms are fungi. Eliminate all mushrooms.

While this strict diet is going on, you also should take natural supplements that kill Candida. Grapefruit Extract, Olive Leaf extract, Caprylic Acid, wormwood, etc. Homeopathic remedies and Infoceuticals have proven themselves to be of great benefit supporting your supplementation energetically. In addition to all this, you can not over look your systems pH balance.

To make this process even more difficult, as Candida dies it gives off toxins which stress the liver so a good liver support is also required. By taking personal responsibility with the aid of your Naturopath you will restore balance and regain optimal health.

CANDIDA 2:

No you are not crazy! It’s not all in your head! Though everyone around you is telling you that nothing is wrong, you know that things are not right. You know that life is not supposed to feel this way. The loss of energy, the hypersensitivity to smells and persistent confusion could have its root in a nasty bug called Candida albicans.

Our battle for health is often a battle against yeast and fungus. Indeed, one of the basic premises I use in my practice is: The sicker you are the more fungal you are. Although we contend with many types of yeast and fungus, Candida albicans does rise to the top of yeast’s bad guy list. It may not be the most deadly, but it certainly violates the health of thousands upon thousands, many of whom do not even suspect that this villain is at the root of their health concerns. Candida albicans is a yeast and a fungus that exists naturally in small amounts in everyone’s intestines.

The problem arises when our intestinal tract loses its healthy balance. Because of antibiotic use, high sugar and wheat diets, toxins, etc. our natural resistance fails to keep Candida in check. The homeostasis of our intestines becomesdisbiotic. Yeast overwhelms the intestine’s natural flora which is supported by pro-biotic micro organisms.  You could say that the battle for your health is a battle against yeast. The sad fact is that we fight yeast throughout our lives, then we die; yeast wins by consuming our remains. Not a pleasant thought indeed.

William Crook, MD in his 1983 book, The Yeast Connection exposed Candida as the sinister culprit it is. This opportunistic scoundrel hides in the digestive tract waiting to wreck havoc. The Candida infection is the root of dozens of health difficulties. If you suffer from chronic vaginal yeast infections, IBS, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, respiratory or food allergies, chronic fatigue; anxiety, depression, irritability, poor memory and/or poor concentration, menstrual irregularities, skin rashes  — Candida may be your problem. Are you bothered by moldy smells, strong perfume, tobacco smoke, car exhaust and other smells? Do you crave sugar or wheat? Yeast may be the root.

Many medications and drugs such as antibiotics, NSAIDs, and others, kill off our pro-biotic micro organisms, which have been quietly and thanklessly doing battle against yeast. These Good Guy bacteria keep yeast in check. Many teenagers took tetracycline for extended periods of time to fight acne greatly promoting yeast’s takeover. It is amazing that many powerful drugs are prescribed and dispensed with out considering how significantly these drugs altar the normal bacteria (natural flora) of the digestive tract. Once you become disbiotic with yeast, you will remain that way until you become intentional on restoring your system. This is a complicated process and can take several months. A simple recommendation to restore the normal flora with multi-strain acidophilus can make a world of difference in fighting the battle against yeast.

Some doctors dismiss Candidiasis as a “fad” diagnosis, however an increasing number of doctors and naturopaths are recognizing that Candida infection can be a serious health concern. Anti fungal drugs are regularly given to those with compromised immune systems (such as AIDS patients). As their immune system fails yeast attacks.

Yeast feeds on sugar! All diabetics have to be concerned with yeast complications because all diabetics encounter high blood sugar levels. As Americans, we eat an average of 500 pounds of sugar each year. Most regular soft-drinks contain 9 teaspoons of sugar. Most fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt has over seven teaspoons of sugar. This sugar negates any positive impact produced by the live cultures in the yogurt.

Several things need to happen: You must change your internal environment so it does not support yeast. This is done both nutritionally and energetically. Nutritionally by avoiding yeast promoting foods and balancing your systems pH – energetically by homeopathic and Infoceutical use the internal communication and energy flow can be restored. Your system can not fight yeast unless it recognizes it energetically. In addition, it is necessary to use powerful herbs and supplements to destroy Candida. As Candida dies it gives off toxins which stress the liver. Supplementation is also required to cleanup the toxic backlash and to support the liver.

There are seven steps to rebalancing health. These are: Rebalance immune function, Re-Establish microflora, Regulate internal ecology (pH), Repair organ function, Replace deficient nutrients, Remove or detoxify environmental and lifestyle blockages, and Reduce stress levels. All seven steps are required in the battle against Candida.

Bones:  Just good information.

• Your body should be losing bone everyday! Yes you read that right; I said that you should be losing bone everyday. Bone loss is a natural part of the body’s renewal process. Our bones are dynamic, living structures providing strength and support to our entire life. Bones are a connective tissue consisting of bone-building osteoblast cells, stationary osteocytes, and bone-destroying osteoclast cells. Our bones are renewed and kept strong when osteoclast cells remove old, brittle or diseased bone and osteoblast cells rebuild new strong, healthy bone by depositing calcium and other bone building elements at these sites.
• Those suffering with osteopenia or osteoporosis might be tempted to take a biophosphate drug like Fosamax to ward off bone loss.  The problem with this approach is that these drugs only stop your body’s normal process of clearing away the old, brittle or diseased bone. When aged bone is not removed new, strong, healthy bone cannot be deposited by the osteoblast cells. Open sites for the fresh bone are not available because the old bone still occupies those sites. Biophosphates may stop your bone loss but your bones slowly grow older and weaker.

• Osteoporosis is not a problem of losing the old bone; rather it is the predicament of not gaining new bone. Drug companies are fully aware that biophosphate drugs have serious side effects and no long-term studies showing efficacy. These drugs do nothing for the formation of new, strong, healthy bone. Instead they interfere with the shedding of old bone. The notion of blocking osteoclast cells from their normal function of removing old and diseased bone cannot work for the long term. You might gain an improved bone density scan, but it is only creating an old brittle, weak skeleton. Is there a better solution?

• Restoring and maintaining the natural bone replacement function of healthy live bone cells is the key to avoiding osteoporosis. There are several components to this process that must be in place. Your body requires the correct pH levels to take up calcium. You must ingest absorbable calcium along with other bone building nutrients. Proper hormone balance is a must for both men and women and your energetic field must remain open, not blocking the metabolism of calcium.

• Ancient cultures have said, and now modern science is proving, that everything consists of energy – including our bodies. Your “body-field” surrounds and infuses your physical body. It directs information to the cells, DNA, organs, and other systems of your body, so that they communicate and function properly. When information is distorted in your body-field, there is a corresponding effect in your physical body.

• The small intestine energetic meridian is foundational to the body’s ability to digest and assimilate food through the small intestine (including the stomach and duodenum) and the mucous membrane linings. The seat of calcium metabolism is found in this energetic meridian. It affects bone tissue, neurological and muscular activity and a wide variety of metabolic functions. This meridian governs the spine and segmental sclerotomes which are the bony, cartilaginous, or membranous partitions which separate each spinal nerve supplying the muscles. As you can see, when there is a distortion in the small intestine meridian both bones and muscles will suffer.

• The small intestine energetic meridian’s strongest relationship is to the bone matrix of the skeleton as a whole. Thus, when it’s distorted or blocked calcium metabolism will be inhibited. Both osteoclast and osteoblast cells will be in confusion and the body’s ability to restore bone inefficient. Therefore, using energetic medicine along with proper nutrition is vital to maintaining bone health.

• Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Its role in bone health cannot be understated. Calcium is used in many functions: the formation of bone and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, inflammation and repair of tissue, immune system function and cardio function. Calcium is absorbed mainly in the duodenum in a highly acidic environment, which is why antacids are a poor choice to maintain calcium levels. In addition, acid blockers hinder the absorption of calcium.

• To maintain or restore bone health, not only do we need to balance our energetic field, but we need to supplement with quality whole food nutrients. The bones require more than just calcium. Chlorophyll and vitamin C are important in building bones. Many trace minerals along with boron, strontium and silica are used to build your bone matrix. Cartilage, tendons, and ligaments must be maintained as well as the bone ends. Proper oils and essential fatty acids: Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s must be in balance. A diet full of live foods and good protein is a necessity. You must maintain a urine pH of 6.8 while having a high acidic digestive system. Weight bearing exercise also stimulates bone restoration. Lifting weights is essential for bone health.

• From ancient times the entire health of the body was related to the bone health. An unhealthy person was said to have dry or brittle bones. Bones represents your whole being. Your bones are the foundation to your physical being. Blood is created in the center of the bone, thus your very life force, your blood, finds its origin in your bones. To have healthy bones is to be healthy.

Our makeup is more than just a chemical one. Many today are becoming aware of our energetic side. Although the energetic component is somewhat confusing, an approach to health that unites whole food nutritional support with bioenergetics makes the most sense. It is able to address imbalances in both the chemistry of body and the flow of energetic information, which controls physiological processes allowing nutritional resources to reach their targets.

The traditional Western approach explains our bodily functions through biochemistry – the study of chemical reactions, compounds, proteins, nucleic acids and cells within living organisms. Modern health care has its roots in Biochemistry. It attempts to trace all the biochemical interrelationships in the human organism to foundational chemical reactions, but are we not more than a bag of chemicals? The scientific basis to the biochemical approach has allowed surgeons and doctors to become highly successful for the treatment of acute health conditions. We tend to believe that everything can be explained in biochemical terms. Yet, a growing number of researchers admit that the deeper we delve into the workings of human chemistry, the less we really understand. There is an energetic level that has direct effect upon how our body functions.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 4,000 years has included acupuncture and other energetic systems to both treat disease and diagnose weaknesses within the body. Today acupuncture has spread worldwide. It is highly regarded for its ability to aid and maintain health. To have survived and developed over such a great length of time, you can only conclude that the system is diagnostically accurate and therapeutically effective.  In our country, the energetic approach has evolved into a host of new modalities.

Many today are confused about the new practices that go beyond the biochemistry model. These practices include modalities such as: Acupuncture, the stimulation of subtle energy channels in the body; kinesiology (muscle testing) is used to reveal imbalances through demonstrating a weakening or strengthening of muscle groups. Iridology is a science that demonstrates that organs and functions are reflected in specific parts of the iris. An experienced iridologist can perform a full, detailed health examination solely through an eye examination. Flower essences are used to bring about emotional changes using the “essence” of a plant, with little relation to its chemical make-up. The list goes on, but the obvious conclusion is that we are far more than sum of our parts. There is interconnectedness within us. We have an energetic side that needs to be addressed.

Meridians are foundational to any bio-energetic system, but what are they? Meridians, also termed channels or pathways, are described as carriers of bio-energy. A meridian can be considered as an invisible energy and communication highway through the body. They have no physical form, but are purely energetic channels with no detectable material component. These channels link together various parts of the body and supply nourishment, regulatory information and life-giving force to the body organs. In the sixties, Prof Kim Bong Han was able to trace the acupuncture meridians with radioactive isotopes proving the reality of their existence.

You can think of meridians as a railroad network. The train tracks are like the meridians, fixed pathways that guide the flow of energy while the train represents the energy. Without the pathways the trains (energy) would not know where to go. The passengers and cargo represent nourishment. Without the people and cargo, the train network has little real function. The stations are the acupuncture points. If a station becomes blocked the trains cannot flow, this will create a major disruption.

Where this system becomes very exciting is when we understand that there are twelve principal meridians and each is related to one of the twelve major organs of the body. The Chinese divide the twelve meridians into Yin and Yang pairs, which allow you to address a condition in a strong way or a more elegant way depending which meridian pathway you choose. The Meridian organ pairs are: Lung and Large Intestine, Heart and Small Intestine, Kidney and Bladder, Liver and Gall Bladder, Heart Protector (Pericardium) and Triple Burner (Triple Warmer), Spleen and Stomach.

Therefore, by approaching health from both the biochemical and the energetic points of view we are able to achieve longer lasting results. Using whole food nutrition to provide the biochemical components and meridian therapy for the energetic balancing improve your whole system.