Identifying Heavy Metals

Identify heavy metals and how they contribute to increasing health-related issues

Many people are not aware of the problems of heavy metal toxicity. Heavy metals include mercury, aluminum, lead, cadmium, nickel and arsenic. They are particularly toxic to the system because they damage the inner workings of the cells and at the same time impair all pathways of detoxification, affecting skin, cell, blood, lymph, bowel, lungs, kidney and liver. Heavy metals will collect inside cells especially those of the brain, nerves, kidneys, and the immune system. We are exposed to heavy metals through environmental contamination from industrial processes and fossil fuels that spew lead particles in the environment.  We can absorb mercury from cracked or old amalgam dental fillings and contaminated fish.

Heavy metal toxicity can have a wide range of symptoms from headache, fatigue, tremors, dizziness, and impaired ability to think. Heavy Metal can be detected through hair and urine analysis.

We can detoxify heavy metals through intravenous chelation therapy with EDTA in a doctor’s office. Benefits occur rapidly, but side effects can be headache, mild pain, fatigue. Oral chelation is just as effective, but works more slowly.                                                                                                        

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a wonderful tool for self-care and one of the best things you can do for your well-being.

In today’s hectic world the calming effects of massage therapy help to treat mental and physical ailments such as stress, pain, anxiety and depression in a holistic way.

Here are its top 10 benefits of massage-therapy:

1. Pain Relief

One of the most important reasons people get massages is to relieve pain. Whether it is chronic pain from an illness or from excessive exercising, massage therapy is the key to relieving pain in a holistic, noninvasive way. Regular massage therapy sessions relieve muscle cramps and spasms, stiffness and body aches and reduce or prevent them altogether.

2. Stress Relief

Daily life can be stressful. Work or family life can overload our nervous system and elevate our stress hormone levels. By raising dopamine levels, massage therapy will calm the system down and put us in a state of deep relaxation. This can be a complete reset to the system.

3. Increases Circulation
Through the pressure applied during a massage therapy session, blood flow increases, and the lymphatic systems is stimulated. This creates pain relief while also improving circulation. The circulatory system then pumps oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and organs to improve blood flow and remove waste.

4. Boosts the immune system

Our immune system is designed to fend off colds and fight infections. Sometimes, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, and stress can weaken our body’s natural ability to fight infections. Massage therapy is a wonderful way to increase immune function and protect oneself and keep healthy. Certain massage techniques will improve the flow of lymph, a bodily fluid that fights infection and disease, as well as remove excess lymph through manual drainage.

5. Improves Posture and Flexibility

Massage therapy can greatly increase flexibility and improve posture by loosening and relaxing muscles. This will also increase range of motion, improve posture and greatly relieve pain.

6. Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a serios condition. Massage therapy reduces stress and anxiety which then lowers stress hormones and helps to keep blood pressure down. This leads to a more relaxed and stress-free way of living.

7. Relaxes Muscles and Mind

Daily life can be very stressful. Massage therapy activates the para-sympathetic nervous system which controls the ability to feel good, therefore helping the body to relax. As muscles are relaxed tensions melt away leading to a calming state for the body and the mind.

8. Rehabilitates Injuries
 Massage therapy can be a wonderful adjunct to any rehab program. Massage therapy increases circulation, relaxes muscles, increases flexibility and posture while also reducing recovery time. This can help to ease stress that is intensified by painful injuries.

9. Flushes Bodily Toxins
Regular massages therapy can flush out lactic acid build-up in the muscles, promote sinus drainage, loosen mucus in the lungs and break up scar tissue. Through this process of clearing out toxins and inflammation, massage can improve energy levels and stamina.

10. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Massage therapy can support the body process of regulating blood sugar levels. This is because massage releases endorphins, which are hormones that can help to regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, massage therapy has been shown to reduce cortisol, which can also help to improve blood sugar levels.

Seasonal Eating

 Seasonal eating is a sustainable way of changing your diet that has many health advantages.

It is an easy way to add more nutritious produce to your diet and save money, while also lowering your carbon footprint at the same time.

Getting started is simple: you can visit your local farmers’ market, grocery store, or consider joining a community-supported agriculture group (CSA).

Here are some of the health benefits of seasonal eating

Instead of eating the same small group of fruits and vegetables year-round, seasonal eating encourages a varied diet. Branching out from your favorite kinds of fresh produce will give you important vitamins and minerals that you might not usually get.‌

Additionally, the quality and freshness of in-season produce are much better than out-of-season produce. Because demand for certain crops is high year-round, they are modified to grow in bulk and to resist disease, but these modifications take away some of their nutritious benefits. When fruits and vegetables are grown during their natural timeframe, they will grow and thrive without any harmful additives.

Here are some vegetables and fruits available in each season:

Spring: Apricots, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Cauliflower, Daikon, Cherries, Fava Beans, Fennel, Green Garlic, Green Onions, Leeks, Mangoes, Radishes, Rhubarb, Sugar Snap Peas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Shallots, Strawberries, Turnips, Watercress.

Summer: Blackberries, Blueberries, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Figs, Garlic, Green Beans, Melons, Nectarines, Okra, Onions, Peaches, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Summer Squashes, Tomatoes, Tomatillos.

Fall: Apples, Arugula, Asian Pears, Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Fennel, Green Tomatoes, Hard-Shelled Squashes, (Acorn Squash, Butternut, Blue Hubbard, Delicata, Baby Dumpling, Pumpkins) Pears, Persimmons, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Sweet Peppers, Sweet Potatoes. Winter: Broccoli Rabe, Cabbage, Celery Root, Citrus Fruits, Cooking Greens (Kale, Collards, Chard), Leeks, Parsnips, Rutabagas.  

References :

Hawthorn university (seasonal eating)

Web md seasonal eating

Healthy Beverages

Many beverages consumed today, especially sodas, are loaded with caffeine, concentrated sugars, artificial sweeteners or alcohol and should be avoided. We can see the detrimental effects sodas have had on the American population and how consuming unhealthy beverages can contribute to obesity, health problems, diabetes and even cancer.

So how can we replace some of the unhealthy drinks with healthier choices? In the morning instead of drinking large amounts of coffee we can substitute with organic green tea which is rich in antioxidants, assists in weight loss and even helps to ward off cancer.

Water is one of the most important beverages and essential to our body. The average adult needs about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. Water is necessary to assist the body in performing many functions. It hydrates, flushes the system and eliminates waste and toxins. Many people are chronically dehydrated.

If you like fruit juices the best choice are natural organic juices with no sugar added, which can be slightly diluted with water.

Another healthy choice is fresh juiced vegetables like beets, carrots, cucumbers and greens which are high in nutrients and antioxidants.

Herbal teas are a great choice. Not only do they have many medicinal properties, but they are also free of caffeine and wonderfully hydrate the body.

Fermented beverages like kombucha, a drink that goes through a 7 to 10 day fermentation process or kvass a fermented drink from Russia, are both high in nutrients like beneficial lactobacilli, lactic acid and enzymes, and aid in digestion and assimilation.

Healthy Dessert: Brownies

These are the best flowerless brownies ever, and they’re just in time for Christmas!!

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

3 tbs of melted ghee

2 tbs of coconut oil

¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

Dash of salt

2 tsp of vanilla

5 tbsp of stevia

2 oz of dark unsweetened or semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 dashes of cayenne pepper

1 ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

You can also add walnut or pecan pieces

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Once blended stir in chocolate chunks and nuts.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and crease with ghee or coconut oil.

Pour the mixture into the backing pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

This will make 16 brownies.

How to Take Care of Your Immune System During Flu Season

1.    First off, please be kind to yourself and others!

Stress is proven to lower immune health. During these times it is easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out, but it is important to stay grounded so that you can maintain you and your loved one’s immunity. This will be your best chance at staying healthy.

2.  Eat whole, organic, unprocessed, healthy foods. This includes eating lots of colorful vegetables that are packed with antioxidants to boost your immune system.

Farmers markets are open and for about 20 dollars, you can buy all the vegetables you need for a whole week. You will get a discount from most farm stands if you arrive just before closing.

3.  Try to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours per day.

Sleep is very important. It helps your body to support and regenerate your healthy immune system.

4.  Try to exercise at least 30 to 60 minutes per day.

It doesn’t have to be intensive. Just the act of moving your body will tune up the immune system. Go on a long walk, do some yoga, or take an online workout class.

5.  Stay away from sugar. It lowers your immunity by 50% for about 30 min after consuming.

If you are craving sweets try monk-fruit sweetened chocolate from choc-zero.

Also, fruit like berries or apples are a good alternative.

6.  Consume only moderate amounts of alcohol as it can negatively affect your immune health.

7.  Take a good strong probiotic to support gut health.

Seventy percent of your immune system is in your gut, so you want to do everything you can to maintain it. My preferred probiotic is Complete Spore Restore by Dr. Mercola. It also contains medicinal mushrooms that boost your immunity.

8.  Take immune supportive nutrients like zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A and NAC as well as COQ10. 

A great supplement that is doctor formulated and specifically designed to support the immune system is “K pax Mitonutrients” by Integrative Therapeutics. An alternative option would be Phyto Multi by Metagenics combined with Mitothera by Klaire labs.

9.  Take a fish oil supplement to give your body omega-3 fatty acids.

I recommend “Omega Genics Epa DHA 720” by Metagenics. This will support your immune system as well as your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system.

Here is an additional list of immune supporting herbal supplements with antimicrobial and antiviral properties:

Black Seed oil – Black seed oil comes from the medicinal plant Nigella sativa which has been used in various traditional systems of medicine for hundreds of years. Black Seed Oil is a great antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal agent that helps to prevent disease. Its effect in reducing inflammation in the airways may also help with bronchitis symptoms. 

Oil of Oregano and Thyme Oil – Both oil of oregano and thyme oil have strong anti-viral properties. With a virus, thyme oil damages the envelope, which is a protective coating around the membrane (the membrane is like the skin of a microorganism). The envelope is crucial to the ability of the virus to do its dirty work. So, if the envelope is damaged, the virus is basically inactivated. A great formula that contains both oils and is geared towards healing the respiratory system is Candi Bactin-Ar by Metagenics. 

Curcumin – An extract of turmeric, curcumin has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic activity. It is well known for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects as well as its anti-cancer benefits. Curcumin is a stronger antifungal than most prescription antifungals.  

Silver Hydrosol – Argentyn 23 is an extremely pure [colloidal] Silver Hydrosol available only through health professionals. It is a strong anti-infective used in treating Hepatitis, Herpes, Lyme Disease, Staph, and many other infections. I recommend Argetyne 23 by Natural Immunogenics.

Thuja – Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen tree native to Canada and the Northeastern United States. Nearly every part of the tree has a long history of medicinal uses, as it has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties. Thuja is also known to stimulate your immune system. I recommend Daily Immune Builder by Herb Pharm.

REFERENCES

https://store.alchemistlab.com/products/argentyn-23

can Vitamin C protects against coronavirus 

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=228745

http://community.omtimes.com/profiles/blogs/health-benefits-of-black-seed-oil-amazingly-powerful

[3] Vitamin D Deficiency Likely Responsible for Flu Epidemic. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/255604.php

Levy TE (2014) The clinical impact of vitamin C. Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v10n14.shtml

Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC et al. (2006) Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. 

Echinacea. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/252684.php

Black seed oil. https://www.ideahacks.com/black-seed-oil-benefits/

Vitamin D Protects Against Colds and Flus, Finds Major Global Study; Science Daily: https://tinyurl.com/j649e4v

Rona, Zoltan P. Vitamin D, The Sunshine Vitamin. Tennessee, USA: Alive Books, 2010 https://www.amazon.com/Vitamin-D-Sunshine-Zoltan-Rona/dp/0920470823

Good bacteria fight the flu. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/08/15/good-bacteria-fight-the-flu.aspx

https://store.alchemistlab.com/products/argentyn-23

Disclaimer

This blog does not dispense medical advice, nor does it diagnose or treat any medical condition. It only provides nutritional support and nutrition education, to enhance knowledge of health through the use of whole foods, dietary supplements, and emotional awareness. While nutritional and botanical support can be an important and a compliment to any medical care, this e-mail is not not a substitute for medical care. Before starting any Protocol please consult with your physician.