Inflammation: A Natural Treatment - Don't Cause It.

Inflammation is a huge issue. On one hand we need it acutely as without it, we won't heal nor will we be able to fight off illnesses.

Chronic inflammation on the other side is not good. When I say chronic inflammation - that means long time in an inflammed state - like a few weeks. In pathology, chronic usually means anything longer than 3 days but in some instances - like chronic bronchitis - it is chronic only after 3 months.

Three months of inflammation is not healthy for the most part. Inflammation is causing cell membranes to bust open and leak out histamine causing further inflammation. Cell membranes get damaged and cannot heal well. Immunity gets hyperactive and begins to react to things it should not react to - ie. autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. What about asthma? Major inflammatory condition with a major link to inflammatory foods, poor air quality and intolerant foods.

So how does one attempt to limit inflammation? What are natural treatments for inflammation? That is a super long list - Ill try to keep it short.

Limit the intake of inflammatory foods. Huge. Why take ibuprofen or white willow bark if you just keep eating inflammatory causing foods? That makes sense right?

Inflammatory foods are those which have arachidonic acid in them - or omega 6 fatty acids. Those foods are red meats typically as those animals are fed with grains. If you can find grass fed beef or chickens fed with seeds and grass, then the arachidonic acid is much less.

Foods that are by nature - inflammatory:

• red meat
• peanuts
• butter
• corn or canola oil
• safflower oil
• trans fats
• deep fried foods
• farmed fish! big time bad news
• margarine

Instead eat anti-inflammatory foods which actually help stabilize and build healthy cell membranes. These anti-inflammatory foods are high in omega 3 fatty acids and contain no trans fats. What you eat is what makes your cell membranes. If you eat reactive omega 6 acids, then your cell membranes will be reactive. If you eat stable omega 3 acids, then your cell membranes will be stable therefore not leaking out histamine at the drop of a hat.

Food that are by nature - anti-inflammatory:

• olive oil
• ocean fish - wild only!!
  
• cooked onions in olive oil (contain quercetin)
• garlic
• tumeric
• rosemary
• vegetables
• non-citrus fruits
• almonds
• brazil nuts

Other things which are inflammatory:

• stressssss
• little sleep (uh oh...that's me)
  
• poor water intake
• exposure to pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals
• no exericse
• shallow breathing
• too much adipose (high estrogen which is inflammatory)
  
• high sugar diets - (insulin is inflammatory).
• high protein diets (high metabolic demand leaving urea and ammonia)
  

Lifestyle changes to decrease inflammation naturally:

• sleep 8 hours a night
• exercise
• proper weight
  
• deep breathing exercises
• realizing your breathing patterns - breathe!
• relax...try not to react with yelling, hitting, cussing swear words
• eating anti-inflammatory foods like wild fish, vegetables, whole grain brown rice, olive oils
• no fried foods
• limit processed crap foods
• maintain proper hydration with pure filtered water
• eat balanced meals with complex carbs and protein
• perhaps supplement with quality cod liver oil, flax seed oil, quercetin, probiotics, tumeric, cinnamon
  

Don't believe me? How about some research:
"Resolution of acute lung inflammation and injury is an active process, not merely the absence of pro-inflammatory signals. Restoration of homeostasis is coordinated by specific mediators and cellular events. In response to injury and inflammatory stimuli, infiltrating leukocytes and tissue-resident cells interact to generate lipoxins (LXs), bioactive eicosanoids derived from arachidonic acid." PubMed Citation: 16990613

"An hypothesis is presented which argues that repeated acute or chronic psychologically stressful states may cause this inflammatory process...The linkage of inflammation to fat metabolism is apparent since weight loss diminishes the concentration of inflammatory mediators. The linkage of stress to inflammation is all the more apparent since the efferent pathways from the brain in response to fat signals, which results in inflammation to decrease and limit fat cell mass, is the same as the response to psychologic stress, which strengthens the hypothesis presented herein." PubMed: 16781084

"It now appears that, in most obese patients, obesity is associated with a low-grade inflammation of white adipose tissue (WAT) resulting from chronic activation of the innate immune system and which can subsequently lead to insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and even diabetes....In humans, it has been suggested that the improved glucose tolerance observed in the presence of thiazolidinediones or statins is likely related to their anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, it can be considered that obesity corresponds to a sub-clinical inflammatory condition that promotes the production of pro-inflammatory factors involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance." PMID: 16613757

"The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in high proportions in oily fish and fish oils. The n-3 PUFA are structurally and functionally distinct from the n-6 PUFA. Typically, human inflammatory cells contain high proportions of the n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid and low proportions of n-3 PUFA. The significance of this difference is that arachidonic acid is the precursor of 2-series prostaglandins and 4-series leukotrienes, which are highly-active mediators of inflammation. Feeding fish oil results in partial replacement of arachidonic acid in inflammatory cell membranes by EPA. This change leads to decreased production of arachidonic acid-derived mediators. This response alone is a potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of n-3 PUFA."

"Inflammation is part of the normal host response to infection and injury. However, excessive or inappropriate inflammation contributes to a range of acute and chronic human diseases and is characterized by the production of inflammatory cytokines, arachidonic acid-derived eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, and other oxidized derivatives), other inflammatory agents (e.g., reactive oxygen species), and adhesion molecules. At sufficiently high intakes, long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as found in oily fish and fish oils, decrease the production of inflammatory eicosanoids, cytokines, and reactive oxygen species and the expression of adhesion molecules." PubMed Citation:

Urticaria: Possible Treatments

A quick note mainly to myself as I am in clinic - but those of you who suffer or know someone who suffers from the nasty chronic condition of urticaria - read on:

Consider:

• low vitamin K1 status - if low, 10mg K1 daily has improved urticaria
• hypothryoidism - if have hypothyroid symptoms, have TSH measured and if high, your doc may put you on thyroid support - this will likely improve your urticaria
• if no hypothyroid symptoms - you may need to check your autoimmune status against your thyroid which you can do with your doctor ordering the anti-TPO and the anti-TG antibody tests. If they are elevated, some docs will put patients on thyroid meds which dont treat the cause but they may improve your symptoms. Related to that, if you want to treat the cause, consider dental amalgam removal, heavy metal screening tests or other environmental causes. Low selenium may be a culprit also.
• Low selenium - found in many autoimmune conditions - if low, consider supplementing with selenomethionine - the superior form of selenium - or sodiom selenite.
• Low B12 status - possibly due to diet or low HCl in the stomach due to Helicobacter pylori (H Pylori). If H Pylori exists, may consider eradicating it or simply boosting the acidity of the gut with digestive bitter herbs or betaine HCl.
• Low HCl - see above. Also may be due to stress and stress is highly correlated with urticaria. Many individuals with urticaria have very high levels of stress or some other main emotional component.

Off to go see patients - with urticaria - Ill post a comment once I follow up with the patient and if anything improves should they order lab tests and follow our treatment suggestions.

The Power of One and The Power of Hugs

A classmate of mine sent me the link to this video. I was pretty touched and impressed by the actions of this man and the people within it.

Here is what my classmate wrote along with the link to the video:

Dear community,

I just wanted to share this link with you to view a video about a man named Juan Mann and his campaign for Free Hugs. It is a short video and reminds us how touch deprived we are in our society. Too often we get busy in our lives and forget the essence of being, whether it be with loved ones, family, friends, colleagues, or strangers. The more we connect technologically, the more distanced we seem to become. There's something special about having coffee/tea with a friend rather than just talking to them over the phone and a handwritten letter has much more meaning than an email. We busy ourselves with errands, work, and have multitudes of things to do. It is important to remember to slow down and just be in nature, with friends, or just present doing whatever you choose to do at the moment. Remember that there is only so much time in the day; we just have to schedule certain things into our lives if we so choose to. So reach out and give somebody a hug (with permission that is), a compliment or a smile in passing...the world could use a lot more love :)

Here's the link!
https://students.bastyr.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Blessings,
Lorina

Wheat Free Pancakes!! Really tasty ones...

Can't eat wheat? Miss pancakes? So did I until now! Give these wheat free pancakes a whirl. They may even take ya on one! :)

This recipe serves 4 (so ya may want to triple it!)

I'm writing this and staring at that lovely shot of fresh natural maple syrup laden stack of heaven...


Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts (or pecans)

1.5 cup buckwheat flour

1.5 cup rice flour

2 bananas

1.5 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups rice milk

(personally, I would do almond milk. Too expensive? - make your own. Take about 20 raw unroasted unsalted almonds, throw in a blender with 3 cups of water, hit the button to grind 'em up. Grind for about 2 minutes. Stop, strain and dump in the lovely nectar of almond milk. Heck, toss the whole gamut in there for extra fiber and some crunch. If you want the almond milk even better, soak the almonds over night in some water. Rinse them well before blending.)



Instructions:

1. Grind nuts into fine powder using a coffee grinder or pulsing them in a food processor.

2. Mash bananas until smooth(ish).

3. Preheat pan on low-medium heat.

4. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a medium-sized mixing bowl with ground nuts.

5. Whisk 1 cup rice milk into dry ingredients, and then add the rest of the rice milk until desired consistency.

6. Brush your choice of oil (we like walnut!) onto the pan. Add batter by dropping large spoonfuls onto the pan. Heat until bubbles form in the pancake and flip to the other side. Heat on that side until pancakes are lightly brown.

7. Serve with Grade B maple syrup and fruit (we used chopped pears, bananas, and raspberries)

Temper Tantrums: Solutions which work

Temper tantrums pretty much suck - not for just you - but for the little ones as well. They want that thing now and if they don't get it, well - you know.

Problem is how can they be angels and other times far from it?

Simple answers if you pause a moment.

• Tired is an obvious one which Ill throw a twist.
• Role-modeling of other little temper tantrum-causing rascals is another
• Hungry is another obvious one which I will throw a twist on also
• Parent giving in before to temper tantrums - the rascal winning.
• Food intolerances causing brain fog and digestive upset
  

Tired: Yes, tired seems obvious. But why are they tired? Common reasons of tired are they are past nap time, parent not being consistent with bedtime, or them not getting enough sleep overall. Obvious? Yes. Ok. Now there is another major reason for fatigue causing temper tantrums.

Low blood sugar. This is huge. If there is only one thing to remember from this blog post, remember this: less sugar, more protein. This is easily accomplished for some and not for others. The trick is to have tasty forms of protein that compete with the tasty sugary snacks.

There are numerous energy bars out there that you can get but they don't have enough protein. Get one that has ample protein, healthy forms of fat and complex carbohydrates. The Biogenesis Gluco-Support bars have all that. Keep them in your purse and when you walk from your car with you kids to the store, give them a bar to snack on - or some almond butter and jelly on whole grain bread.

Basically, feed your little one before you go out anywhere. If you are home all day, it is easy to forget to feed them as they are playing like mad or watching the tube - indifferent to eating. Well, make them eat something every hour or so to keep their blood sugar balanced. When I say make them eat something, I mean just a bite of something if they are not hungry.

Food Intolerance: This is a big one. Many kids have been introduced to some foods too early in life or are fed the same food over and over - predisposing them to an inflammed gut lining. Parents must look at the foods being fed to Rascal and make sure it isn't the same all the time. If it is, rotate that food around - say feed it every 3rd day or so. Yes, you'll need to find another food that Rascal likes but believe me - as a parent I know these kids put on a show about this or that not tasting good. My kid told me our bread had 'dark places on the edge' and he wanted them off because it wasn't good. I told him that whatever kid told him that in school is wrong - go tell that kid the 'dark places' are good. My kid then ate the crust. Your kid isn't the boss. You are.

Anyhow - back to the food intolerances. Main food intolerances in people are: peanuts, dairy, wheat, egg, corn syrup, citrus fruits, highly processed foods like chips. Find a healthy snack alternative from your store and see how your kid goes. Pick up some healthy almonds, brazil nuts, raisins, almond butter, celery, jerky without nitrites, etc.

Foods to avoid in order to avoid temper tantrums:

• refined sugar
• soda pop
• fruit juice
• white breads
• sugary peanut butters (read labels)
• sugary energy bars (read labels)
• corn syrup
• food colorings
• perhaps dairy if they are acting in rage and anger (I've seen many kids become less nuts when off dairy - uhmm - mine for one and patient's kids as well)

Foods to offer the rascals:

• almond butter
• wild salmon (some kids love it) - comes prepackaged in handy fillet slices
• whole grain rye breads, whole grain wheat (if not intolerant)
• balanced energy bars
• protein smoothies in the morning
• healthy jerky - nitrite free
• goji berries! they have protein and minerals...lots

Moor Mud Bathing Instructions for Physicians and Health Professionals

Balneo Peat Bath (aka Moor Mud) Series Bathing Instructions:

The Balneo Peat Bath is a therapeutic full body treatment. When properly prescribed and performed, patient safety is met and beneficial outcomes result.

Indications:

• Musculoskeletal pain (perhaps useful for acute or chronic – evaluate)
• Post-workout soreness (perform after exercise or workout within 0-6 hours for optimum effect)
• Infertility (collaborative care ensuring cooperative treatment)
• Chronic inflammation (after 72 hours post-injury)
• Circulatory Insufficiency (CHF, cold hands/feet, varicosities)
• Hypertonic or spastic muscles (use with 1-2 pounds Epsom salt)
• Chemical Sensitivity (mild treatments to start and increase in strength)
• Decreased range of motion (use with traction, MES and ROM during bath)
• Skin disorders: rashes, eczema, acne, psoriasis (may worsen before improvement)
• Anxiety (keep bathing temperature at 104 F maximum)

Patient Instructions Day Before Bath (Pre-Peat Bath Protocol):

1. No caffeinated beverages:
• Caffeine causes vasoconstriction decreasing effective treatment time during and post-bath. Adaptive hyperthermia effect is not obtained well when using caffeine nor is proper circulation.
2. Minimum 10 glasses of filtered drinking water:
• Water ensures proper hydration of all cells allowing transfer of toxins/metabolites to liver, kidney, skin and out of the body. Low water intake circulates metabolites and toxins around the body as they cannot be flushed. Chlorinated water with pesticides, herbicides et al defeats the treatment outcome – use filtered water.
3. Eat protein, whole grains and vegetables attempting to avoid sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats:
• Balanced blood sugar during a hyperthermic treatment is necessary for safety and therapeutic outcome. High circulating glucose in the blood stream is pro-inflammatory and also may cause a reactive hypoglycemia – defeating patient safety and desired treatment outcome.
4. Eat balanced snack 20 minutes before bath – not a large meal:
• Hyperthermia decreases blood to the digestive tract so a large meal will not be digested well. A low protein, complex carb snack bar will be just right.
5. Take antioxidant supplement or vitamin C – to help bind and metabolize increased circulating toxic burden – preventing post-bath headache

Physician Instructions Evaluating Patient:

• Evaluate and screen: hypertension, pregnancy, renal disorders, clotting disorders, medications, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular irregularities, chemical sensitivity, acute autoimmune diseases, liver failure, respiratory distress
• Perform physical exam: cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, eyes
1. Rule out blood pressure over 150/80, erratic heart rhythms, pulse over 80, respirations above 20 breaths/minute, moderate tremors, decreased skin sensations or absent (make sure to evaluate temperature sensation in diabetics), orthostatic hypotension, menstruation, pregnancy, DVT, acute rheumatic conditions, aversion to heat
2. 12 hour diet recall – including drug and beverage use.

Bathing Instructions (for in-office hyperthermia treatment):

Important:

• Filter bathing water with chlorine filter as chlorine is more volatile with heat and may irritate patient especially if asthmatic or chemically sensitive.
• Water temperature should never exceed 104 F for first time bathers.
• Always keep lights on in bathing room to reduce parasympathetic response (fainting may occur)
• Have ice water bowl set up next to bathing tub with large washcloth or hand towel inside. Apply to patients head dripping wet if patient is getting too hot too fast.
• Have massage table set up within 1 meter of bathing tub so patient can get out of tub and lay down immediately after bath. (Never leave patient unattended
• No ‘mood relaxing music’
• Have dry towels and preferably non-skid mats on floor near bathing tub to avoid slipping on getting out of tub
• Have wide stable stool next to bath for patients who need it.
• Monitor pulse and if pulse reaches 120 beats per minute, patient must be assisted out of bath and lay down on prepared post-bath treatment table.
• Monitor temperature and if temperature reaches 103.6 F, patient must be assisted out of bath and lay down on prepared post-bath treatment table.
• Have warm filtered water next to patient and have them drink often. Do not offer cold water – may cause colic.
• Have electrolytes next to patient: BioPlasma cell salts, Emergen’C or other forms – no caffeine.
• Instruct patient to inform attendant when:
• The patient feels ‘odd’, getting a headache, dizzy, lightheaded, sleepy, not right. Patient likely will say they do not understand what ‘odd’ means but ensure them they will when the ‘odd feeling’ arrives.
• When patient informs attendant the above symptoms, have patient assisted out of the tub quickly and onto the post-bath treatment table.

In Office Bathing Equipment:

• Bathing tank or tub deep enough for a full body immersion
• Non-skid mat on floor
• Wide stable foot stool
• Oral thermometer
• Blood pressure equipment
• Clock with second hand
• Massage table or cot equipped with flannel/cotton sheets and wool blankets
• Gown
• Filtered warm water
• Electrolytes such as BioPlasma cell salts, Emergen'C
  
• (optional but nice) Shower with chlorine filter– no soap in shower
• Towels
• Cold water bowl with hand towel

First Time Bathers:

· Tell them the ‘day before’ peat bath rules – as stated above

· Bath water temperature no hotter than 104 F

· No more than 20 minutes in the bath

· Do not use more than 1/3^rd liter balneo peat

· Fully explain to them not to ‘tough it out’ – if they get any of the feelings of: dizzy, lightheaded, odd feeling, sleepy, not quite right, eyes glazing over – they must tell you and get immediately out of the tub.

o Note: not many patients can last a full 20 minutes their first bath – usually last around 12-15 minutes)

· Tell them someone must be with them to help them out of the tub before and after bath (if in-office) and if at home, have someone help them out.

o Note: have patient sign a waiver understanding that they must have an assistant if using the balneo peat at home (sample below- edit as needed)

Balneo Peat Bath Protocol:

• Never exceed patient-in-bath statistics of: 103.6 F oral temperature, 120 heart rate, 108 F bath water, 20 minutes bathing time
• Balneo peat bathing is an adaptogenic therapy requiring a series of increasing intensity treatments providing lasting therapeutic effects.
• The patient’s physiology adapts to the hyperthermia treatment requiring increased bath water temperature and increased amount of balneo peat over time.
• Bathing must be done 2x/week for 8 weeks for optimum long-term results.
• Shorter series of baths may be done but long-term benefit may not occur.
• First Bath:
• Bath water: 104 F and use 1/3^rd liter of balneo peat
• Second Bath
• Bath water: 104 F and use 1/3^rd liter of balneo peat
• If patient had no improvement with First Bath and lasted a full 2o minutes, use 105 F bath water and ½ liter of balneo peat.
• Third Bath and Ongoing:
• If patient is improving using ½ liter of balneo peat and 105 F, stay on this level of therapy until patient is not improving further or is tolerating this level easily.
• When patient is no longer improving or easily tolerating ½ liter of balneo peat and bath water temperature of 105 F, increase bathing temperature to 106 F and use ¾ liter of balneo peat to stimulate more improvement.
• Increase balneo peat by adding ¼ liter if improvement is not occurring and increase the bath water temperature by one degree F.
• Stop at a maximum of 2 liters of peat per bath. Increased balneo peat in the bath water increases the insulation of the heat thereby increasing the intensity of the treatment. Increased temperature and increased balneo peat is needed as body is adapting to the hyperthermic effects. This is a positive sign.
• Note: I have never seen a patient last in a bath for 20 minutes, use more than 1 liter of peat in a bath water temperature of 108 F. A duration of 20 minutes bathing time is more effective than a short burst of hyperthermia – remember, you are aiming for the adaptogenic long-term effect. Get your patients to bathe for 20 minutes before you increase the bath water temperature or increase the amount of balneo peat. Once the patient can bathe easily for 20 minutes, then step up the intensity by raising the bath water temperature and increasing the amount of balneo peat.

Likely Patient Post-Bath Remarks:

• My pee stinks: due to increased lipolysis allowing the fat-soluble toxins to become mobilized and metabolized along with water soluble toxins and metabolites being excreted. A positive sign of detoxification.
• I’ve a mild headache all day: due to increased toxic burden circulating in the bloodstream – increase antioxidants, filtered water and minerals pre and post bath – such as NAC, MSM, selenium, magnesium, vitamins a, c, e, d, whole plant taraxacum, silymarin, medicago sativa, urtica dioica, allium Do not increase water bath temperature or amount of balneo peat until patient is without headaches post bath
• I’m constipated: increase water intake overall
• I couldn’t sleep all night: perform peat bath earlier in the day or decrease bath water temperature as heat is a sympathetic stimulator. Or also consider having the patient do the post-bath sweating for an hour and follow it up with a neutral temperature shower to calm the nervous system. Consider nervines for sleep: passiflora, avena, biochemic phosphate cell salts, pinch of salt on the tongue before sleep, hops filled pillow, melatonin, meditation, protein snack 30 minutes before bed.
• I’m tired: likely due to the amount of circulating toxins. Prolong treatment at current bath water temperature and at current amount of balneo peat. Do not increase water bath temperature or amount of balneo peat until patient is feeling more energetic.
• My skin is breaking out in pimples and rashes: evaluate current medications, make sure chlorine bath filter is being used, inquire what additives are in bath as peat itself is not allergic or sensitizing, may be a good sign of detoxification as skin is the largest detox organ. Consider adding liver support nutrients and herbs.
• My joint pain is much less: treatment is working – advise patient not to over do it as they will. If they over do it with exercise or increase of daily activities, they may aggravate their condition – advise them allow the treatment to progress slowly while you increase your daily activities slowly. I’ve seen many patients able to finally do more and be so excited they over do it and get back to square one.
• I am more flexible: treatment is working – keep stretching, do yoga to speed treatment. Consider increasing bath water temperature and amount of balneo peat if patient is handling current amount and remaining in the bath easily for 20 minutes.
• The treatment didn’t do anything: be specific in your questions – did you increase your daily activities? You notice more flexibility? Your pee stink? Your head less cloudy or more cloudy? Do you notice an increase in appetite? Some patients want to show you that the treatment doesn’t work. Try increasing the bath water temperature and increasing the amount of balneo peat if they were able to stay in the bath water easily for 20 minutes during the last bath treatment. They may need more temperature or peat. However, if their first bath was less than 20 minutes and they had to get out quickly, try the treatment again and ensuring the patient is adhering to the pre-peat bath protocol.
• I feel worse – my joints ache even more: Balneo peat baths and hyperthermia increase the immune function and circulating antibodies which may cause autoimmune diseases to flare up and aggravate the patient. Stop peat baths and evaluate diet, remove allergic/intolerant foods – do IgE/IgG food panel or elimination diet, restore gut health first before peat baths.

• I feel worse – I’m even more sensitive to smells: Evaluate if you were increasing the bath water temperature too fast or adding too much balneo peat. Proper balneo peat immersion treatments are not a race and must be done slowly to patient tolerance. If you were going too fast, back the water temperature down to 104 F and use 1/3^rd liter of peat. Evaluate patient. If still worse, then discontinue peat baths as the patient’s toxic load is too high. The overall toxic burden must be decreased first prior to balneo peat baths. Stop balneo peat baths and evaluate patient’s surrounding environment and remove obstacles to cure. Add air filters to their home, remove mold in home, remove carpets, carbon filter masks while driving to reduce CO exposure, mild liver support, colonics for sure, constitutional hydrotherapy, consider ordering urinary toxic metal panel, increase fiber and healthy monounsaturated oils to stabilize cell membranes. Consider ordering genetic liver functional enzyme tests to see if patient can in fact detox at all.
• I stink more: the treatment is working well. The patient’s body is releasing more toxins via the skin. Continue treatment and add dry skin brushing before bath. Add a quality chlorophyll liquid supplement to help with binding toxins and remove body odor. Instruct patient to remove dairy, saturated fats and refined sugars from diet – this is a strong moment to ask as you will have great compliance. Dairy and sat fats make the patient’s body odor worse. Tell patient not to use anti-perspirant as they contain aluminum and also stop the body’s natural pathway of detoxification. Consider colonics or enemas to speed detoxification along – or constitutional hydrotherapy or a wet sheet pack.

Additional Supportive Treatments while performing the Balneo Peat Bath Series:

• Constitutional hydrotherapy
• Colonics and/or enemas
• Yoga
• Traction, muscle energy work, spinal adjustments
• Supportive detoxification protocol
• Dietary improvements – remove dairy, saturated fats, refined sugars, stimulants
• Wet sheet packs
• Dry skin brushing

Healthy Forms of Electrolytes:

• Green tea (low caffeinated forms)
• Seaweed tea
• BioPlasma cell salts
• Emergen’C packets

Contraindications of Balneo Peat Baths:

Depends on the physician and their comfort level.

Absolute contraindications: renal failure, severe hypertension, DIC, cachexia, pregnancy, breastfeeding, fever, open wounds, respiratory difficulty, uncontrolled diabetes

Possible contraindications (balneo peat may help or may harm):

Acute autoimmune flare-ups, moderate hypertension, anxiety, epilepsy, tremors, profound chemical sensitivity, congestive heart failure, cancer

Disclaimer: Physicians must follow their own comfort level in treating patients. Author assumes no liability as information provided is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe.

Sample Waiver:

Therapeutic Home Peat Bath

I, _________________________ (patient) of _________________ (clinic or doctor), have been properly informed and understand the risks of at-home peat bathing. The doctor has explained that I must:

o have an assistant to help me in and out of the bath

o have a light complex carbohydrate snack before the bath

o have healthy balanced meals 12 hours before the bath

o have avoided caffeine, refined sugars and recreational drugs before the bath

o have a non-slip mat on the bathroom floor

o have the temperature of the bath water no hotter than 104 F

o have a light on for the duration of the bath

o have no relaxing music playing while in the bath

o have an ice-water bowl with cold hand towel to place on my head or chest

o have a bed or table to lay on post-bath near the bathing area

o have warm water with electrolytes in the bathroom and drink often

o have a thermometer and use it every 2 minutes and get out of the tub if my oral temperature reaches 103 F

o have a means to measure my pulse and get out of the bath if my pulse reaches 120 beats per minute

o have the notion to get out of the bath at 20 minutes maximum duration and earlier if feelings of dizziness, light-headedness, headache, tiredness, irregular heart rhythm or other related symptoms occur.

o have long sleeve cotton shirt and pants to put on post bath and lay down on a bed for at least one hour post-bath covered with warm blankets.

o have windows closed to avoid cold drafts

o have ample warm filtered water with electrolytes to drink during the post-bath sweat.

o have a telephone nearby should I need to get in contact with anyone for medical assistance.

I hereby release all liability from the doctor and clinic with regards to the Therapeutic Home Peat Bath. I abide by the requirements listed by the above bullets.

____________________________________ ____________

Patient Name Date

_____________________________________

Patient Signature

Medications or Nutrients? Losing our roots...

Man I am getting tired of watching drug ads and research calls for common ailments.

Tonights special event on the tube:
"Are you depressed? You have signs of fatigue, weight gain, overeating, anti-social, hard to get out of bed some days? If so, you may be a candidate for a drug research trial at blah blah blah."

How about actually attempting to diagnose the CAUSE of the depression rather than medicating people? It is so simple to find causes of ailments if docs just take 30 minutes and actually talk with their patients.

Nowadays it is: "Whatcha got? Depression. Here's a script of DepressX. Ok - thanks." Done. $350.00 later the patient is drugged up and finds they have headaches, diarrhea or cannot sleep at night.

They come back to the doc two weeks later with this issue and doc says: "Whatcha got? Diarrhea. Here's a script of DiarrheaX. Ok - thanks."

Patient leaves, pops wonder pill, diarrhea gone. Depression is back. Shoot. What now? Month later, patient goes back and sees wonder doc. Doc says: "Whatcha got? Depression. Here's a script of DepressX2 - much better than the first one I gave ya. It's new."

Patient pops it along with the diarrheaX, DepressX and also DepressX2 as doc forgot to pull patient off of DepressX. Now patient is wired and cannot sleep at night and is having heart palpitations for 4 weeks.

Patient goes to wonder doc: "Whatcha got? Heart palpitations and I cannot sleep. Here's a script for SedativeA."

Patient pops it and now is depressed again - feels super sleepy and cannot do anything.

Goes back to doc 4 weeks later: "Whatcha got? Depression. Oh yeah - DepressX2 was pulled as it causes heart attacks. Try this one."

This is really what happens folks. I see this day in and day out in the clinic. Don't blindly watch the butterflies and happy people on TV taking pills for this that and everything else.

There is a cause to your illness. Find it will ya? You have diarrhea? Why? Food intolerance? Stress? No fiber in your diet? E coli infection? Celiac? Crohns? Hyperthyroid?

What about natural health techniques? Healthy eating, sleep, exercise, meditation, yoga, herbal medicine, homeopathy, physical medicine, hydrotherapy, counseling, high force nutrients, vitamins, cell salts?????

The wonder and amazement of technology has impressed many. So many in fact that doctors cannot really diagnose much without running expensive MRI's, CT scans, x-rays, ultrasound, this that and every other blood test.

Folks - a good doctor gets their diagnosis from the history taking - the meat of diagnosis is in the history taking - 80% of diagnosis should come from that. It is not happening anymore.

Well - it is with naturopathic physicians and also with holistic MD's. Discover them. Use them.

It works. Day in and day out I see it, use it and patients are amazed by it.

Don't take my word for it - go see a licensed qualified naturopathic physician for yourself. Get better - the traditional way. The modern way may kill ya.

Granted the modern way is super dandy for many severe ailments - but not the common day to day ones. Sure if I have a heart attack, break my arm or have a serious bacterial infection, Ill use high force medical intervention - beyond that, Im all about traditional medicine.

I look forward to the day when drug ads go to the wayside. It will happen.

Find the cause. Lose the drugs.

Be well.

Protein Intake: How much protein do you need in a day?

Many ask us this question and amazingly many patients I see are not getting enough protein - especially in the morning.

Not eating protein in the morning is like not starting your car before you drive away. It will simply roll down the hill a bit with momentum, be very hard to steer and then stop.

How Much Protein Does An Average Joe Need?
Do this simple calculation:

1. Take your weight
2. Divide it by 2.2 (to get it into Kilograms)
3. Then multiply it by 0.8 grams
   
4. Voila - that number is how much protein an average person needs in a day.

Example:
I weigh 195 pounds. So I take 195 pounds/2.2 and that gives me 88.6 kilograms. Then I take 88.6 kg and multiply by 0.8 grams of protein and get: 71 grams of protein a day is my required intake.

How much protein to eat with each meal?
Breakfast is most important, then some for lunch and a decent amount for dinner.

Eat about 40% of your daily protein requirement for breakfast
Eat about 30% of your daily protein requirement for lunch.
Eat about 30% of your daily protein requirement for dinner.

If you don't eat enough protein for breakfast - your mind will be foggy, you won't think well, you'll crave sugar to get you through the day, you'll be more irritable, mood swings, you will be more sleepy. You will be playing the 'catch up your blood sugar' game all day long.

If you don't eat enough protein for lunch - you'll also have the same issues as above - getting sleepy, having cold sweats, craving carbs and sugar, being irritable and cranky, mood swings and not thinking clearly.

If you don't eat enough protein for dinner - then you'll have the same issues as above plus a big bonus issue - you won't sleep worth a darn. You may fall asleep just fine but then a few hours later you're up. That is your body saying - hey - listen up - I need food - go eat some protein. If you ate enough protein at dinner, then you'd have enough energy stored up to get your body through 8 hours of sleep a night. More info is here on this subject: Insomnia? Tired of it? Try Protein.

How much protein do you need if you exercise?
The same amount as an average person - unless you are training very hard daily. If you are a high caliber athlete, then you need 1.0 grams of protein per kg of body weight.

How much protein do you need if you are pregnant or breastfeeding?
There is some debate here. Many state that you need 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight while pregnant. While breastfeeding, it could be less by a bit. Remember simply eat enough and if you have nausea, eat protein - that is a big player in nausea with pregnancy - and actually - nausea in general.

Healthy Forms of Protein:
Again depends on what camp you're in -

Vegan, you'll be loving those beans, brown rice, quinoa, almonds and walnuts.

Mega carnivore - then you want to consider lean grass fed animals such as lamb, organic cows which are grass fed, grass fed chickens, wild fish - absolutely no farmed fish none zip nada - Farmed Salmon is the most Toxic Food on the Planet.

Good ol' omnivore - mix your beans, almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, quinoa, brown rice, wild salmon, grass fed beef, grass fed chickens. Those are great forms of proteins.

Horrid Forms of Proteins:
As above, any farmed raised fish, any farm raised non-organic meats, pretty much all forms of pork - they eat everything so their meat is pretty much a toxic waste dump.

Pretty much all forms of dairy - milk, cheese, cottage cheese are horrific as they are loaded with antibiotics, growth hormone causing cancers and other issues. The cow milk protein is very hard for many to digest and therefore dairy causes numerous food intolerances.

Earaches? Children with ear infections? Otitis Media? Stop dairy.

Earaches are a very common complaint. Doctors see it all the time in clinics - especially in children.

If the public was more educated what to do in order to prevent earaches, then less time would be wasted visiting the doctor. Not only that, but less antibiotics would be used and less longterm issues with digestion, resistant bugs and weak immune systems would no longer be so pervasive.

Research supports the link between food allergies and food intolerances to earaches. (see bottom of this post) Of course there are other causes as well but the type of earaches and ear infections that you can easily prevent are linked to offending foods.

The common foods which are linked to earaches, ear infections and otitis media:

• Dairy
• Beans
• Eggs
• Citrus fruits
• Tomato

If you are having recurrent ear infections, ear discharge, diminished hearing, ears popping in and out, slight ear pain, otitis media, or generalized ear discomfort, consider the food allergy or food intolerance picture.

I must define food allergy and food intolerance.

Food allergy: basically one eats a food and if highly allergic, he/she goes into respiratory failure, wheezing, anaphylaxis shock, edema, full body hives, swollen lips and is downright scared as breathing is getting to be impossible. Emergency room or medical assistance is required. There are more mild forms of food allergy as well causing less serious problems but still these problems occur pretty quickly. These are triggered by the IgE immune response - the fast acting response.

Food intolerance: an underlying cause of numerous health conditions - one being recurrent ear infections and earaches. Food intolerance means that your immune system is slowly responding to a food as foreign and attacking it. For some reason, small amounts of food proteins are escaping from your digestive tract and into your circulation causing an immune response. These are triggered by the IgG immune response and the signs and symptoms of a IgG response are very subtle. One must be looking for them in an individual to pick them out.

Typically an unhealthy digestive system is the cause of food intolerance. One must repair their digestive system and avoid the offending foods.

How does one avoid the offending foods? Well, if you make an effort trying to determine which foods are causing your symptoms, then likely you can figure it out without having to resort to Food Allergy/Food Intolerance blood tests, skin prick tests or the RAST Food Allergy test.

Simply eliminate the likely offending foods and see how you feel in about 2 weeks. Dont eat any of those foods as the slightest amount of the offending food may cause you to react again.

Consider this very important tip into food intolerance:
The foods one LOVES and the foods you CRAVE are usually the actual culprits. Clinical Ecologists see this and practice this all the time. I have seen it with my own eyes and when I am successful in educating patients about it, they typically return to health quickly.

Also look at what foods you eat the most of and eliminate those. It sounds tough and it is frankly for the first week. Then after that, you lose the addiction to that food.

Take my wife for example:
Ate bread with every meal or if in a hurry, grabbed a piece of it, put some butter on it and wolfed it down. Her digestion would vary from constipation to diarrhea, her mind would cloud up and not think clearly, her joints would ache. I suggested she stop eating wheat for 2 weeks.

Im surprised Im actually still alive as she freaked out on me. That was the food addiction talking and I knew it. I told her about this and she still resisted. Finally, after months of showing her research supporting food addictions and food intolerance, she gave it a whirl. Imagine - she got better immediately.

My oldest son - 3 year old:
He will get a bright red rash around his anus if he eats wheat. Take him off wheat, and poof, it goes away. If he eats dairy, he becomes angry and more reactive to his younger brother and to us. Take him off of dairy, and he is a more typical kid without the reactivity and anger.

Myself:
I eat wheat and I get a red tipped tongue which hurts - it actually feels like it is burnt. I stop eating wheat, and it goes away in a couple days. I eat or drink dairy products and I get earaches. So I have stopped them. Yes it was tough at first and didn't want to admit I had an intolerance to these highly prevelant foods but I do. And I do as my digestion stinks due to stress of being in medical school. I know that as soon as I chill more, my digestion will improve and my intestines and stomach will heal. I could try to heal them now but I know that with stress, it is worthless as Ill just create a leaky gut again.

To this day, there is no wheat in our home - nor is there any dairy.
We have no earaches in our home. We have no itchy butts or sticky stools from wheat - which is a common sign of food intolerance to wheat. We have very few runny noses. Our kids have never had any antibiotics - none. My wife and I have not had antibiotics either in years.

Remove your ills by taking a difficult step but a highly effective one:
Eliminate dairy, wheat, perhaps egg, citrus fruits and tomatoes. Corn is way up there also - and that includes corn syrup.

Here is some research for those who think I tend to blow smoke - and remember that serous otitis media is a type of ear infection - commonly triggered by intolerant foods:

Role of food allergy in serous otitis media.

Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.

BACKGROUND. The relationship between IgE-mediated hypersensitivity and recurrent serous otitis media has not been completely established.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of food allergy in patients with recurrent serous otitis media.

METHODS. A total of 104 unselected patients (age range 1.5 to 9 years, mean 4.6 years) with recurrent serous otitis media were evaluated for food allergy by means of skin prick testing, specific IgE tests, and food challenge. Patients who were allergic to food(s) underwent an exclusion diet of the specific offending food(s) for a period of 16 weeks. A non-double blinded food challenge was performed with the suspected offending food(s). Their middle ear effusion was monitored and assessed by tympanometry (Welch Allyn Model 23600) during the pre-elimination, elimination and challenge diet phases.

RESULTS. There was a significant statistical association, by chi-square analysis, between food allergy and recurrent serous otitis media in 81/104 patients (78%). The elimination diet led to a significant amelioration of serous otitis media in 70/81 (86%) patients as assessed by clinical evaluation and tympanometry. The challenge diet with the suspected offending food(s) provoked a recurrence of serous otitis media in 66/70 patients (94%).

CONCLUSIONS. The possibility of food allergy should be considered in all pediatric patients with recurrent serous otitis media and a diligent search for the putative food allergen made for proper diagnostic and therapeutic intervention.

Utility of food-specific IgE concentrations in predicting symptomatic food allergy.

Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

BACKGROUND: The double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge is considered the gold standard for diagnosing food allergy. However, in a retrospective analysis of children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis and food allergy, discrete food-specific IgE concentrations were established that could predict clinical reactivity to egg, milk, peanut, and fish with greater than 95% certainty.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the utility of these 95% predictive decision points in a prospective evaluation of food allergy.

METHODS: Sera from 100 consecutive children and adolescents referred for evaluation of food allergy were analyzed for specific IgE antibodies to egg, milk, peanut, soy, wheat, and fish by using the Pharmacia CAP System FEIA. Food-specific IgE values were compared with history and the results of skin prick tests and food challenges to determine the efficacy of previously established 95% predictive decision points in identifying patients with increased probability of reacting during a specific food challenge.

RESULTS: One hundred children (62% male; median age, 3.8 years; range, 0.4-14.3 years) were evaluated for food allergy. The diagnosis of food allergy was established by means of history or oral food challenge. On the basis of the previously established 95% predictive decision points for egg, milk, peanut, and fish allergy, greater than 95% of food allergies diagnosed in this prospective study were correctly identified by quantifying serum food-specific IgE concentrations.

CONCLUSION: In a prospective study of children and adolescents referred for evaluation of food allergy, previously established 95% predictive decision points of food-specific IgE antibody concentrations for 4 major food allergens were effective in predicting clinical reactivity. Quantification of food-specific IgE is a useful test for diagnosing symptomatic allergy to egg, milk, peanut, and fish in the pediatric population and could eliminate the need to perform double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges in a significant number of children.

PMID: 11344358 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Recurrent otitis media with effusion and food allergy in pediatric patients

INTRODUCTION: Recurrent otitis media with effusion continues to be important pediatric clinical problem and is related to food allergy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if the recurrent otitis media with effusion was associated to food allergy.

METHODS: We reviewed medical charts from children with food allergy and otitis media with effusion for a period of three months of duration or every month for the last six months seen in an allergy clinic. Patients with anatomic abnormalities, polypous or immunologic deficiencies were excluded. Every patient was challenged with foods to which he/she was allergic in order to demonstrate cause-effect. In all patients we performed tympanometries.

RESULTS: We found twenty five patients with recurrent otitis media with effusion and food allergy demonstrated by positive skin testing. The most common food found to be associated was milk, egg, beans, citrus, and tomato. The elimination of the food diet led to a significant amelioration of the otitis in 22 patients, in whom clinical and tympanometry evaluation was performed. The challenge diet with suspected offending food provoked a recurrence of the otitis problem.

CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated the association between recurrent otitis media with effusion and food allergy. Therefore, all patients with recurrent otitis media with effusion should be investigated for food allergy.

PMID: 11759256 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

The role of food allergy in otitis media with effusion.

Department of Otolaryngology, Cukurova University Medical Faculty, Adana, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the relationship between food allergy and otitis media with effusion (OME).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed on three different groups. The patient group was made up of 56 patients with OME (group I). There were 28 patients with food allergy in group II and these patients were investigated for OME. The control group consisted of 28 patients without any complaints concerning food allergy or OME (group III).

RESULTS: Food allergy was detected in 25 patients with OME (44.6%) (group I). In patients with food allergy (group II), OME was detected in 7 patients (25%). In the control group (group III) food allergy was diagnosed in 5 patients (18%) and OME in 1 patient (3%). The incidence of food allergy in OME group was statistically significant when compared to the normal group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that food allergy may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of OME.