Articles by Donna DiMarco

Healthy bones are needed for support, protection of vital organs (like the brain, lungs and heart), movement, storage of minerals, and formation of blood cells.  And yet, with these important responsibilities, many people don’t address what is really needed to maintain bone health, and end up with osteoporosis.  Osteoporosis affects men almost as much as women.  There is a simple test you can ask your doctor for, called N-telopeptide.  This simple urine test measures how much bone is being broken down and excreted. 

We have all been told that it is because we lack calcium and now the savvy say we lack vitamin D as well, but I say there is a lot more involved.  For instance, vitamins K and A are necessary to make the bone protein called osteocalcin, which is needed in bone health.  Osteocalcin plays a role in weight control and insulin reception.  Maybe healthy bones are needed for the maintenance and prevention of diabetes and obesity.
Vitamin K is found in many green vegetables.  Vitamin A, along with essential fatty acids are found in fish oils.

Inflammation can affect bone health since it promotes the body to produce cortisol, which stimulates the breakdown of bone.  If you have any inflammatory process that requires anti-inflammatory meds like aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc. on a regular basis, you may be losing bone density.  Regular use of prednisone or any cortisone-like medication will stimulate bone loss.  Instead of masking the pain, find out what is causing the inflammation and fix it.

Studies show that people with elevated homocysteine (an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease) have an increased incidence of osteoporosis.  We are not sure if it is the homocysteine itself that affects the bones or the deficiency of vitamins B-6, B-12 and Folate, all of which help keep homocysteine low.  Be sure to test your own homocysteine level; it should be 7 or less.

Of course, vitamin D’s main purpose (and it has many) is to maintain a calcium balance in the blood so that the heart will function properly. But vitamin D helps prevent hypertension, cancer, immune disorders and controls many other important body functions.  I find most people are significantly low so I recommend at least 2000 IU’s of Vitamin D each day.  Check your vitamin D OH-25 level, which should be above 40.

Hormones play an important part in bone health.  Men need sufficient testosterone and women need sufficient estrogen, and both must have enough progesterone for the bone-building cells to work properly.
But with our sugar-laden diets and the increased incidence of diabetes and pre-diabetes (insulin resistance) we are finding that in men, the testosterone converts into estrogen and in women, the estrogen converts into testosterone, which is responsible for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hair loss.

The function of the thyroid, which produces calcitonin, and the parathyroid, which produces parathyroid hormone, are important players in maintaining calcium balance in the blood.  They must be considered when addressing bone health.  These hormone levels are only tested if there is abnormal calcium levels so don’t run off asking for these tests yet.  Keep them in the back of your mind.

We must not forget the role lifestyle plays in bone health.  Exercise, especially weight bearing exercise, strengthens the bones.  Lack of exercise causes weak bones to get weaker.

Diet is important too.  Not just for the consumption of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for bone health, but for maintaining the proper pH in the body.  (See my article on the Power of Hydrogen)
If you consume foods on a regular basis that make you more acid the body will try to neutralize the acid by pulling calcium out of the bones to act as a buffer.  These acid-forming foods are: red meat, white flour, sugar, dairy, coffee, soft drinks, processed foods, etc.; all foods found in the typical American diet.  The foods that alkalinize the body are mostly green leafy vegetables, which many of us lack.

Most importantly, we must remember the importance of magnesium, which is found in green leafy vegetables (yes, the same ones that help your pH).  Calcium and magnesium must be in balance, but unfortunately, many of us take in lots of calcium and not enough magnesium so the bones suffer.  EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!!
A red blood cell (RBC Mg) magnesium test is a good way to check this, NOT a serum magnesium level, which only shows deficiencies if severe.

 We forget that the body, although comprised of many organs and systems, must be viewed as a whole and that many of these organs, systems and functions affect other organs, systems and functions.  So before you start popping calcium to prevent bone loss, check if you are breaking bone down, your inflammation is addressed, your nutrient levels are fine, your diet contains fish, fruit and vegetables in sufficient amounts, your hormones are in balance, and you are  exercising regularly.

Stay Healthy,
Donna
 

Everyone is gearing up for the Swine Flu.  You have all heard how important it is to wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes and nose, cover your mouth when you cough, and most importantly, if you feel ill DO NOT go in to work or school.  We don’t have to succomb to it though.

The good news is that we have a natural defense against foreign invaders.  Our skin and mucous membranes in our gut and respiratory tracts are loaded with natural fighters to protect us from anything that my hitch a ride on what we ingest, inhale, or touch. 

Inevitably, something will get in and we have another defense- we produce natural killer cells, interleukins and interferon.  A lot of the flu symptoms you feel is caused by the increase in interferon.  The fever we get is the body’s way to kill off the invaders. This can begin rather quickly.  The sweating we experience is how the body gets rid of viruses and toxins.  Both are good so don’t be too quick to stop these reactions; they are just doing their job.  Of course too high a fever must be addressed.  Use common sense.

A third defense is the body’s ability to tag the offenders so they can be easily identified and killed by other cytokines so if ever this type of invader comes in the body knows just where it is and how to kill it.  This is what vaccines are; we inject a small amount to tell the body to fight anything that is tagged as this pathogen.  There are some problems with this: the body may actually get the disease from the inoculation, often there are boosters needed, it takes some time for the body to build its defenses to the tagged item and the invaders change and mutate so often they get by the previous vaccine. This is what happened with this new Swine Flu, it is a combination of other viruses so flu vaccines offer no protection.  So what do we do? 

Well, a healthy body has a strong immune system and can usually fight off the invaders.  Unfortunately, sugar knocks out a lot of your immune system and we are presently consuming 150 pounds per year each in the United States.  Diabetes and pre-diabetes is rampant, even in children.  Stop the simple carbs!

Eat lots of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits and a bit of protein with each meal.  This will give your body what it needs to keep the immune system up to the fight.  Vitamin A, in particular, supports the gut and respiratory immune system.  The precursor, beta carotene is found in yellow and orange vegetables and fruits.  Cold water fish also supplies a lot of vitamin A.  Nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin, supply the zinc that has been shown to fight viruses (remember zinc lozenges?).  Fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamin C, which we all know helps the immune system.

Many of us run to the doctor for antibiotics, which are useless when a virus hits.  But there are some natural things that can be done.  First, reduce your consumption of sugar, refined products and dairy products. 
Be sure to get some exercise to keep the circulation going but also to move the lymphatic vessels, which are the vacuum system of the body.  They search around for invaders and toxins and carry them out to be disposed of.  A swollen gland is an indication that the vacuum bag is filled and needs to be emptied.  Exercise helps it empty so it can collect more debris.  A mini trampoline is excellent to stimulate lymphatic drainage.

Drink lots of pure water, never tap water unless it is filtered to remove the chlorine and fluoride and other chemicals.  Good quality water dilutes the toxins and helps the body eliminate them quickly.  Try to drink at least 8 glasses per day.  This is especially important if you get the flu and sweat a lot or lose a lot of fluid by having diarrhea.  Water with fresh squeezed lemon juice is great.

Far infrared saunas are the best to remove viruses and toxins through the sweat glands.  Be sure to remove the sweaty cloths and launder well before re-use.  The immune system is up-regulated by taking a hot shower first then immediately turning the water cold.  Europeans are quite familiar with this technique, especially around the hot springs in Northern Europe.

There are herbs like andrographis paniculata, elderberry, echinacea, oregano, olive etc., which help stimulate the immune system.  Supplements like zinc, selenium, vitamin C and vitamin A have all been shown to boost the immune system.  I carry products that have a combination of these substances in one product and at the first sign of exposure I take it to boost my resistance.

There is also a great selection of homeopathic remedies available to help prevent the flu from getting hold and for relieving the symptoms.  There are even homeopathic flu prevention remedies that are formulated each year to prevent the expected viruses.  Many people choose this instead of flu shots and they are very effective.  But when a pandemic strikes there is very little time to build the protective defenses so act now.

If you get the flu be sure to stay home and isolated.  Rest and drink lots of fluids, especially water.  One way to stimulate the body is to take a hot soak in a tub filled with water in which ½ cup of baking soda and ½ cup of Epsom salt has been added.  Soak for at least 15 minutes and wrap yourself up to sweat.  Be sure to change the sheets and pajamas if they become wet.  Don’t let them dry and wear them again, they are contaminated and need to be laundered.  Eat and drink warming foods like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, garlic and cayenne.  Tomato juice or soup with garlic and Tabasco is a good remedy to induce sweating.  But if your fever is too high, the body must be cooled.  I generally don’t try to reduce a fever until it is over 102°.  Please stay in touch with your doctor and follow his instructions. 

Take advantage of this flu threat to gather some of these preventive remedies so that you have them immediately if you need them.  You can contact me for the homeopathics or any of the immune boosters.
Hopefully, you won’t have to use them, but if you do, they are there. 

If you follow these simple recommendations you will grab Swine Flu by the tail.

Stay Healthy!
Donna
 

We are all familiar with the dangers of pesticides in our foods.  Not only are they toxic to us, but many of these chemicals have shown up in the umbilical cord blood of  newborns.  That means the toxins are being passed on to the child before it even takes a breath.  Some people believe that the toxic exposure to the fetus may be one of the reasons for the rampant rise in autism and ADHD. 

Pesticide exposure puts us at risk of particular cancers.  The pesticides are similar in structure to hormones, especially estrogen; it is therefore linked to breast, prostate, uterus, and ovarian cancers.  They are called xenoestrogens and they wreak havoc on the body so they must be avoided as much as possible.

But in these economic times, many people are complaining that they can’t afford organic produce; we are all in the same boat.  Hopefully, this list put out by the Environmental Working Group may help you make better choices as to the pesticide exposure to the produce you purchase

Many people think that washing and peeling will help.
When the items in this list were tested it had  already been taken into account how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled).  While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them.  Peeling may reduce exposure, but it will also remove the valuable nutrients and fiber with the peels.  The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

How This Guide Was Developed

The produce ranking was developed by analysts at the not for profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the results of nearly 87,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2007.   Be sure to visit their sites at www.ewg.org.  and  www.foodnews.org

Keep in mind that this is only measuring the pesticide exposure. Many foods, like corn and soy are grown from genetically modified seeds that have weed killers placed within the genes of the plant so that the plant can withstand heavy chemical spraying.  The weeds will die but not the plants.  I avoid these also. 

Another thing is that organic produce is grown on nutrient rich soil, not depleted, over-worked soil with chemical fertilizers added, just enough to make the plants grow.  These nutrient deficiencies are reflected in the produce.  Just one more reason to buy organic if possible.

Be sure to choose from the bottom of the list; for example, conventional onions may not be as bad as conventional apples or peppers.  The last 15 items may be the safest to purchase, but if you want the items on the top 15, be sure to spend the money on the organic.  It isn’t worth the risk- your health is worth the extra money.

Stay Healthy!
Donna

RANK   FRUIT OR VEGGIE   SCORE

1.   (worst)  Peaches                       100 (highest pesticide load)
2.   Apples                                         93
3.   Sweet Bell Peppers                     83
4.   Celery                                         82
5.   Nectarines                                   81
6.   Strawberries                               80
7.   Cherries                                      73
8.   Kale                                            69
9.   Lettuce                                       67
10.   Grapes- Imported                     66    
11.   Carrots                                     63
12.   Pears                                        63
13.   Collard Greens                         60
14.   Spinach                                    58
15.   Potatoes                                  56
16.   Green Beans                           53
17.   Summer Squash                      53
18.   Hot Peppers                             51
19.   Cucumbers                             50
20.   Raspberries                            46
21.   Grapes – Domestic                 44
22.   Plums                                     44
23.   Oranges                                 44
24.   Cauliflower                             39
25.   Tangerine                              37
26.   Mushrooms                            36
27.   Bananas                                34
28.   Winter Squash                      34
29.   Cantaloupe                           33
30.   Cranberries                          33
31.   Honeydew Melon                  30
32.   Grapefruit                             29
33.   Sweet Potatoes                   29
34.   Tomatoes                             29
35.   Broccoli                                 28
36.   Watermelon                         26
37.   Papaya                                20
38.   Eggplant                              20
39.   Cabbage                              17
40.   Kiwi                                      13
41.   Sweet Peas-Frozen              10
42.   Asparagus                            10
43.   Mango                                   9
44.   Pineapple                              7
45.   Sweet Corn - Frozen             2
46.   Avocado                                 1
47. (best)  Onions                        1 (lowest pesticide load)

The New Year is here and resolutions are being made.
Why not start the New Year off with a resolution to do a three week cleansing program?

This program involves eliminating foods that are known to cause sensitivities and inflammation, while supporting the body with supplements and nutrients that help eliminate the toxic loads we’ve all accumulated.  It will also help rid the excess weight we put on over the holidays. But the main reason to do this program is to feel better.  Aching muscles, swollen hands in the morning, allergy symptoms, tiredness, foggy brain function and more may clear up in just three weeks…if you don’t cheat!

Toxins may be just an accumulation of excess hormones, cholesterol, metabolic wastes, pesticides, medications, environmental toxins, etc.  The elimination of these antigens and toxins allows the inflammatory response to wind down and usually diminishes symptoms significantly.

The process is simple; just modify your diet and add nutritional support; then gradually add foods back in to identify the offenders.  A reoccurrence of a symptom indicates a sensitivity that needs long term elimination.

One of the main ingredients of this program is the addition of functional foods, usually in the form of ahypo-allergenic rice protein powder, which is designed to support the gastrointestinal tract while prompting the liver and kidneys to release toxins. This is NOT just a protein powder, but a scientifically designed compound that functions as a multivitamin-mineral supplement, nutrient- absorption-enhancer, intestinal supporter, liver and kidney cleanser, and more!

In addition, supplements to support specific detox functions are taken to quicken the process and make the functional foods work a bit better.  It is so simple!

It is important to drink copious amounts of water to wash the toxins out of the body.  It is also important to have regular bowel movements for the same reason.  Saunas are a great way to remove toxins through the process of sweating.  Speaking of sweating, remember to exercise; the increase in heart rate helps to get the blood flowing.  That extra flow rate carries nutrients into the cells for repair and maintenance, while carrying toxins and wastes out of the body.  It also increases bowel transit time, helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce stress.

Just think, by February 1, 2009 you could be symptom free, have enhanced energy, more restful sleep, clear thinking, better skin and better bowel habits, not to mention you possibly could have lost weight .
Wouldn’t you like to make THIS New Year’s resolution?
Health is right around the corner- GO FOR IT!
Contact me to get started.
Donna

Too many women still confuse detection with prevention.  They are NOT the same.  Mammography can only detect cancer - there is no way it can prevent it once it’s already in the breast.  This problem is perpetuated by the media, which persists in sending out this wrong-headed message.  Further, mammography is also being promoted as a one-size fits all screening tool, even though we know that it does not work as well on women who have dense breast tissue, which is a common condition for premenopausal women and women who still continue to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women are being lulled into a false sense of security by merely having a mammogram. Ionizing radiation is the only thing we know that definitive causes cancer (think Hiroshima). Radiation is cumulative in the body and is stored in the breast tissue. For some women, a sonogram may be a better screening tool. Since most breast cancers have a long latency period before they are diagnosed (10-20 years), some breast cancers have been caused by the amount of radiation a woman has been exposed to over many years. What is even more problematic is the idea that younger women with either a genetic mutation or a significant family history are encouraged to be screened beginning in their 30’s.  We simply don’t know that exposing these women to radiation so early will be the key that unlocks the gene that triggers a breast cancer. 

Here’s the criteria I use to determine the effectiveness of a mammogram. I tell women to get a copy of the radiologist’s report.  If the radiologist indicates that the breast tissue is very dense, then the benefit of mammography is limited.  By the way, density of breast tissue may change with a women’s menstrual cycle.  That’s why the best time for a woman to have a mammogram is after she’s had her period, but of course, no one tells women this either. Because of this, I created a handout “Getting the Best Mammogram”. I also created another handout “What Type of Screening Is Right For You?”, to help women make sense out of which is the best screening tool for them. I will gladly email these handouts to anyone who is interested.

I encourage women to educate themselves about breast cancer. Awareness of breast cancer is not the same as understanding the underlying issues. Sadly, education is not high on the list of priorities for doctors or most national breast cancer organizations that merely espouse conventional screening and treatment modalities. In these difficult times of managed care, it’s incumbent for all women to be proactive and engaged about their healthcare.
_______________

Sandra Blank
Executive Director
Florida Breast Cancer Resource Network
Email: bcfbcrn@aol.com

If you’ve read my previous article on allergies and sensitivities, you know that there is a difference, and you also know that these sensitivities cause inflammation and can eventually lead to adrenal burn out. Food sensitivities can be a reason that diabetics are unable to get a grip on their blood sugar levels; even if they stick to a low carb diet. Food sensitivities can cause arthritis and achy joints to become more inflamed and can also result in sinus problems, achy back, high blood pressure and a myriad of other issues. One of the best ways to prevent developing sensitivities is to rotate your food at least every other day; every fourth day is better still. Those who eat the same thing every day are at highest risk. What if you have sensitivities already? One way to check is to avoid the suspected food for at least three weeks in order to see how your symptoms improve, then eat a lot of that food and take notice of how you feel. The problem is that there are often many food sensitivities simultaneously, so avoiding one or two does not bring significant relief or improvement of symptoms. One way to get results is to have a blood test taken. Many doctors do an IgE test, which only identifies immediate reactions, like eating a strawberry and getting a swollen throat and tongue. This is important but it does not measure those offending substances that have a delayed reaction. This delayed reaction is measured by an IgG test. I find this to be the most accurate way to identify the offenders.This test is offered by many labs and if your doctor orders this test, it may be covered by insurance. It usually requires a blood draw and takes about a week or so to get the results. This test changed my life and ended many years of allergy suffering since all my doctors told me it was pollen and dust. Yet, when I removed these offending foods, I was able to tolerate the pollen and dust. After 30 years of allergy shots and treatments, like magic, my symptoms were gone.The latest development is the availability to do these tests by a simple finger stick at home. This test is quick and easy and less expensive than the other types of allergy testing. It doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that help you incorporate food rotation and avoidance into your diet, but if you are creative and determined, this finger stick test is for you.In many cases, I can support the body so it can restore balance to the adrenals and immune system. Sometimes, other factors affect the results; food sensitivities are one of those factors. Unless these sensitivities are addressed and eliminated the body cannot completely heal itself.I strongly encourage you to consider doing this simple, inexpensive test to identify any sensitivities before they become an issue. Until next time…Stay Healthy!Donna

It has been said that you are not what you eat, but rather what you digest, absorb and assimilate.  This is true.  Health begins with the food choices, but I frequently find people who make significant dietary changes, yet the issues still remain.  One of the first places I look is in the gut.  Is the food moving along the GI tract at the right speed?  Is digestion occuring?  Are the pathogens interfering?  Is there “leaky gut”?  Is there a significant amount of probiotics?  Are the wastes being eliminated?  Is the immune system in the gut functioning properly? Each of these aspects must be investigated thoroughly and must also work properly in order to restore and/or maintain health.

The stomach needs to be acid in order to break down food which will then trigger the release of bicarb from the pancreas.  If you take a lot of antacids, there won’t be enough acid to trigger the bicarb release.  Bicarb is alkaline.  The small intestines must be alkaline in order to digest food further.  When you upset the stomach, you upset the small intestines.

The GI tract is where 70% on your immune system resides.   If you are someone who gets frequent colds and is susceptible to catch whatever someone else has, you may want to support your gut.  Secretory Immunoglobulin A is a good indicator of gut health. 

 ”Leaky gut” is a term used to describe intestinal permeability.  Tiny junctions between the cells that line the GI tract become separated.  This leaves a pathway for partially digested food or pathogens to enter the body.  If it is partially digested food, it may manifest as a food sensitivity.  If it is a pathogen, it may mean an infection.  Either way, it will stimulate an immune response and send your body into an alarm state.  This causes adrenal stress and could lead to the development of an autoimmune disorder.  Leaky gut is caused by a high refined diet, steroid hormones, birth control pills and some other medications. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to reverse.

Probiotic are the good bacteria that live in your gut and help keep the bad bacteria in check, they help absorb nutrients and help provide vitamins like the B vitamins and vitamin K.  If you take an antibiotic and you get a yeast infection, it means your gut flora (probiotics) is low. A normal, healthy gut can withstan 8-10 days of antibiotic therapy without having the good guys die off enough to cause the yeast to grow.  Everyone should be on a good probiotics formula, always.  Lack of probiotics is often the cause of constipation.  Sometimes I find that food is improperly digested.  This can easily be remedied by supplementing with digestive enzymes.  There are different enzymes produced in different parts of the GI tract.  I suggest a broad spectrum digestive enzyme to skip the guess work.  But ultimately, you need to get your body producing enzymes again.  If you have indigestion and pain after eating, consider enzymes.

This is especially true of  hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is produced in the stomach.  This strong acid keeps pathogens from infecting our bodies; it helps digest food, absorb minerals and triggers the bicarb release from the pancreas.  It can be hindered by poor diet, medications, especially proton pump inhibitors, which are given for acid reflux and heartburn. There is also a bacterium called H. Pylori that can cause low HCl, but I find that the most common cause is a deficiency of niacinamide.  Low HCl sufferers typically have gas and bloating  after a meal and foul smelling stool and flatulence.  They may also have symptoms very similar to too much acid, like reflux and indigestion.  Simple supplementation with niacinamide in a hefty dose helps the body produce enough acid.  I have found that this works when nothing else does.  Be sure to use niacinamide; niacin actually works but it causes a flush and itching response to occur. Fiber is another important part of good GI health.  Fiber bulks up the waste material, which triggers the bowels to expel the stool.  Fiber also absorbs toxins, cholesterol and excess hormones released from the liver to be excreted.  Lack of fiber allows these wastes to be re-absorbed back into the body to further hinder proper function. Pathogens, parasites, yeast and fungus can all be found in the gut.  Parasitic worms are often picked  up from walking barefoot outdoors, from kissing and sleeping with pets, from casual, and of course intimate contact.  Any of these can cause the immune system to respond in an effort to get rid of the offender.  These “bugs” must be identified and destroyed so health can be restored. 

There is only one sure way to check for most of these issues– polymerase chain reaction/DNA stool test.  This state of the art exam can help you identify all these factors at one time, and with considerable accuracy.
If you have some of the symptoms described, consider this GI test for yourself.

Stay Healthy!

Donna

Dysglycemia  is a term given to the many blood sugar dysfunctions. It is in epidemic proportions in this country. Our children, young people and adults are severely over weight. Our fast food diets and high carbohydrate meals are to blame. Diabetes is a totally preventable disease, in most cases and is rampantly growing. It accounts for much of our health care costs. Let me explain what happens.

When we eat a sugars (or carbohydrates) the pancreas produces insulin to help the sugar transport into the cells to produce energy. When we eat a lot of carbohydrates we produce a lot of insulin. This sends much of the sugar into the cells, leaving little left to keep the brain happy. This is Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar- all the sugar is sent into the cells- none left for the brain.  Symptoms of hypoglycemia are you get shaky if meals are missed, along with light headedness, foggy thinking and irritability.

If we ignore these symptoms and continue to eat a high-carbohydrate diet, the pancreas will continue to produce an excess of insulin. The cells try to compensate for the abundance of insulin showering upon them so they “down-regulate”; they close up some of their receptors. This is called Insulin Resistance or  Syndrome X. The signs of insulin resistance are: craving something sweet after a meal, needing a nap after you eat and awakening after you fall asleep at night. This is the step before diabetes.

In men, insulin resistance leads to testosterone being converted to estrogen (low libido and men developing breasts) and in women it leads to  estrogen being converted into testosterone, which leads to polycyctic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and infertility.  It is suspected that if this happens to a pregnant woman, the increase in testosterone may affect the development of the blood brain barrier in the unborn baby. This protects toxins from getting into the brain. If compromised, and the baby is exposed to a toxin (like in a vaccination) it may lead to the development of autism.

Now the insulin resistant body needs more insulin to force the glucose into the cells. The pancreas puts out insulin at a frantic pace until it wears itself out and says “I quit!” This is Diabetes (type II), the pancreas is burned out from making insulin so insulin shots or pills are given to stabilize blood sugar levels. Some medications force the pancreas to work harder. This only exacerbates the issue.

Here’s the problem: insulin is very irritating to the lining of the blood vessels (even if given by injection) so it promotes inflammation but the body tries to patch it up by putting LDL’s in the arteries. This only leads to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. This is why so many diabetics have heart disease and lose feet or toes due to poor circulation. Diabetes also causes kidney problems, blindness, and a myriad of other degenerative diseases, all of which could be prevented.

One way to avoid these disorders is to avoid the high carb diet. Eat whole, fresh fruits and vegetables with lots of fiber to slow the blood sugar level down. Whole grains, not refined must be eaten. They contain many of the glycemic factors. Avoid any packaged food, even cereals. They have been known to raise blood sugar considerably. Meals that contain protein, fat and carbs cause a slower rise in blood sugar levels than those with just carbs alone. Remember that alcohol, even wine is going to raise your blood sugar level a lot. In fact, most people with alcoholic tendencies are hypoglycemic.

Another way is to make sure you maintain a sufficient level of nutrients that help insulin to work. They include: chromium, magnesium, vanadium, alpha lipoic acid, Conjugate Linoleic Acid (CLA), etc. These are called glycemic factors. These nutrients are used up by continuous consumption of sugars and need to be repleted.

One more way to avoid dysglycemia is to eat every three hours so your blood sugar level doesn’t get too low. The worst thing you could do is skip a meal, especially breakfast. That sets up a whole new set of problems. If you just can’t handle food first thing in the morning,, you must start slowly and gradually build up to a good high-protein meal for breakfast.

If we give our bodies what it needs it will heal itself. If we continuously abuse it it will quit working properly.

Stay Healthy,

Donna

I was sent this link to pass on.  I believe not enough women understand about inflammatory breast cancer.  This news brief does a good job of getting the word out.  Please view it and have all your female friends view it as well.

http://komonews.s3.amazonaws.com/ibc/komo_ibc.wmv

Thanks,

Donna

Natural Healing is really a simple process; if there is not enough nutrients—replace them; if there are too many toxins—eliminate them; if functions like digestion, elimination, immune protection, etc. are not functioning properly—support them; and if inflammation is wreaking havoc—identify and quench it.

How simple can it be? Then why aren’t we all doing it? Because these issues often make themselves known by producing symptoms like gas & bloating, foggy thinking, constipation, weight gain or loss, headaches, joint pain, allergies, frequent illnesses and many more. Our medical mentality has been to relieve the symptom. Cover them up. If we make you feel better quick you can go on with living your life.

This may work for a while but not for long. I just got off the phone with a pilot. I explained it this way: suppose you are cruising at 30,000 feet and an alarm goes off on the control panel. Do you take out the fuse that controls the alarm or take out the light bulb that lights up the alarm? Of course not! The annoying noise and flashing light is there to get your attention to address something that is not functioning properly. There are specific alarms for different areas of the plane. Each area of the plane has its own specific function and each of these functions together keep the plane in flight. A malfunction in any one area may affect other functions so it must be addressed quickly to keep the plane safe until proper repair is made.

Our bodies are more complex than a plane, yet when the symptom alarm goes off we immediately look to take out the light bulb or silence the alarm. We are totally unconcerned that the improper function that caused the alarm may eventually hinder other functions.

A good example of this is a fever. Some people panic at the slightest rise in body temperature and immediately seek ibuprofen and such to lower their temperature. In reality, a fever is the body’s way of killing off pathogens, kind of like pasteurization, where high heat kills the germs. If we keep the fever from getting high enough to kill the germs we are actually giving them a chance to proliferate and we end up with a full blown infection. Now I am not saying that all fevers should go unaddressed. No, I am saying that a slight temperature means that the body is working properly and is trying to protect you without the need of antibiotics. This is a good symptom.

What about stomach issues? Many people take over the counter antacids to deal with indigestion. They sometimes get some relief but find they can’t function well without them. Are their bodies suffering from an antacid deficiency? I doubt it. But it is easier to cover the symptom than to identify and correct the cause.

In many cases, people who take antacids actually suffer from not enough stomach acid. This leads to the proliferation of bacteria, fungus and other pathogens like H. Pylori, which cause ulcers. The GI tract is lined with a mucosal membrane that helps keep pathogens out. It also protects the stomach from being irritated by the strong stomach acid. This acid is needed to insure proper digestion. If we are deficient in zinc or chloride or other nutrients, the stomach acid production diminishes and actually produces symptoms much like too much acid. In addition, the improperly digested food ferments and produces irritation to the GI tract. If a person is on an anti-inflammatory Cox inhibitor, they may end up with thinned mucosa, which may lead to an ulcer. If they take antacids for the gastric symptoms without determining the cause, they may actually be making the stomach worse.

Even natural health methods may fall short. Many people believe that if they take a natural remedy for a symptom that it is better than taking a drug. In some ways it is since natural methods rarely have side effects if taken correctly. But how does this help find the cause? The underlying problem still remains. Health practitioners need to be familiar with how the body functions and must be able to trace the symptoms to the cause of the issue. Fix the pathway, fix the function and the symptom will go away.

I recently had someone come to me for help because after working with several practitioners, his stomach issues still remain. Each practitioner did gastrointestinal testing. Some natural remedies were given to stop the symptoms, yet they remain. The cause of the alarm was not found.  After assessing the person I was able to trace back to the ultimate imbalance, in this case lack of stomach acid.  After this was addressed the symptoms went away. 

Think about this before you reach for the next over the counter remedy. 

Donna

By Donna DiMarco

Remember when we all used IODINE? Every family had a bottle in the medicine cabinet. I remember always being afraid of the burning sensation it caused so when given the choice, I opted for mercurochrome. (We didn’t know about mercury toxicity then.) What we did know was that iodine was the best to kill germs but mercurochrome didn’t hurt. What happened? How did iodine, a historically safe substance, become a bad guy while mercury, a known toxin, is still being used in dental amalgams and certain vaccines?

Back in 1948, Wolff and Chaikoff published a paper based on a study they did on rats. Basically, they stated that after injecting a certain threshold amount (20 to 35 ug percent) of potassium iodide into the rat’s peritoneum, the iodine would no longer be bound to the thyroid, causing hypothyroidism and goiter (Wolff-Chaikoff Effect). They erroneously concluded that the inorganic iodine was stopping the thyroid from working properly. This was totally untrue. The truth is that the thyroid iodine level reached its maximum. No more was needed. Wolff and Chaikoff went on to conclude that if it happened in rats, it should happen in humans as well. And so began the bad rap for iodine. Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D. calls it “Medical Iodophobia …the unwarranted fear of using and recommending inorganic, non-radioactive iodine/iodide within the range known from collective experience of three generations of clinicians to be the safest and most effective amounts for treating symptoms and signs of iodine/iodide deficiency (12.5-50 mg./day)”

But history and experience tells a different story. Way back in the early 1900’s, the mid-western states noticed an increased incidence of goiter in their population. But some determined scientists came across the research of both Coindet and Boussingault who each identified the correlation between iodine and goiter. As a result, in 1924 the state of Michigan, decided to add iodine to salt so the population would have a minimal source in their daily diet. The results were amazing. The incidence of goiter was reduced by 75% by 1928 and by 1951, less than .5% of school-aged children had goiter. Shortly after, the rest of the United States and Switzerland followed suit and the incidence of goiter reduced significantly, along with cretinism and myxedema. What a great solution! Or was it?

This minute amount of iodine prevented goiter but what about all the other cells and organs that need iodine? The rest of the body was never considered. If a small amount eliminated goiter, that was all the body needed. Not true! This marvelous body of ours will do what it can to survive. Like a wilted flower that perks up after a little watering, the thyroid stops complaining (goiter symptoms) with a little iodine, but that small amount is insufficient for growth and wellness. In fact, we later learned that iodine is needed all over the body. The organs with the greatest demand quickly light up when radioactive iodine 131 is injected into the body.

As a result, the RDA was set at the amount needed to prevent goiter without concern for other body tissue requirements. Those levels still stand at 150 mcg/day for adult men and women, 220 mcg/day during pregnancy and 290 mcg/day during lactation. Still believing that goiter prevention was the gold standard for determining sufficient intake, little was done to insure sufficient iodine for the masses until the1960’s when iodine was added to baked goods as an anti-caking agent.

This provided a great iodine supply since 1 slice of bread supplied up to 150 ug of iodine (the RDA‘s magic number!). Since so many people ate bread even if they didn’t eat salt, all was well.

Not so fast! In 1980’s some brilliant minds felt that the amount of iodine in baked goods might be dangerous so they took all the iodine out and replaced it with bromide. Bromide is a halogen (from bromos, the Greek word for “stench” due to its strong odor). According to the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, it has no known actions for dietary supplements and no known supplemental use. It use to be sold in an effervescent granule form for upset stomachs but is no longer available. As I stated, bromide is a halide, which means that it is in the class of elements with fluoride, chloride and iodide. The similarity of these four elements presents us with a problem; they are able to fill the iodine receptor sites (dressed up as iodine if you will), but do not offer the benefits that iodine offers. In fact, some people have so much of the halides that the iodine is rendered helpless. With iodine being taken out of bakery products and the increased consumption/exposure to halides, it’s no wonder that the National Health & Nutrition Survey (NHANES) showed that iodine levels in the United States declined 50% while thyroid illness, thyroid cancer and other autoimmune thyroid disorders, breast, prostate, endometrial and ovarian cancers increased.

Iodized salt wasn’t enough. Salt is sodium chloride. Yes, chloride is a halide that blocks the iodine receptors so only 10 % of the iodine is bio-available. Total body iodine deficiency was eminent, but not as visible since goiters disappeared.

The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that an iodine deficiency is the world’s greatest single cause of preventable mental retardation. We know that iodine is essential for normal growth and development. Deficiency can result in cretinism, mental deficiency, delayed physical and intellectual development and ADHD, but what are we doing to insure every pregnant mother, every child gets an adequate iodine intake?

Our schools are filled with increasing numbers of students with hyperactivity disorders. A recent Italian study demonstrated that if a woman is iodine deficient during pregnancy she has a greater chance of having a child who will suffer from ADHD. High incidence of ADHD was unheard of years ago! Maybe removing the iodine from bread provoked the deficiency that lead to ADHD. A strange coincidence indeed.

The relationship between breast cancer and thyroid problems dates back over 100 years, but even with breast cancer in high numbers today, thyroid function and/or iodine levels are rarely mention, if ever checked. Yet the countries where iodine consumption is the highest has the fewest incidence of breast cancer. This was always attributed to their increased consumption of soy, the lack of hormone-rich beef and dairy, and/or the greater consumption of vegetables, but these may not be the only reasons. Maybe it is the increased consumption of fish and seaweeds, both high in iodine.

When iodine is ingested, approximately 6 mg. of iodine is taken up by the thyroid; the rest of the entire body takes up 8 mg. approximately. Research has shown that of that remaining 8 mg. approximately 5 mg will go to the breast leaving 3 mg. for all other organs. They also found that the larger the breasts, the greater amount of iodine is needed. Well, if there is a correlation between iodine deficiency and thyroid function, and a correlation between thyroid function and breast cancer, and the breast is the second largest storer of iodine it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that women with iodine deficiency may have a greater incidence of breast cancer.

Some doctors believe that iodine is stored in the prostate, like the breasts store it in women. If that is true, then the rampant iodine deficiency would explain the increases in prostate cancer.

Even if doctors ignore this information and never test for iodine levels, surely some check the thyroid at least! The problem is that too many doctors think that testing T4 and TSH levels correlate to sufficient iodine levels. This is incorrect. A recent study conducted in Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC stated it this way “…TSH and T4 are not appropriate markers of UI (urine iodine) concentrations in this population. Monitoring the status of iodine nutrition of individuals in the United States may be important because serum TSH and T4 concentrations do not indicate low iodine status.” In fact, just the opposite may be true. Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D., the man who brought iodine supplementation into the forefront, brought to my attention that by suppressing TSH we are decreasing the amount of iodine that can get into the cell. There is a feedback mechanism that works this way: If the thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones, TSH levels will increase to stimulate more production, but that same TSH also allows more iodide to get inside the cells since a deficiency was sensed. When the thyroid hormones increase, the pituitary reduces the amount of TSH released and the amount of iodide allowed into the cells diminishes. So by giving thyroid hormones supplementally may actually be depleting the cells of iodine.

72% of the world’s population is affected by iodine deficiency, but why?

There are many reasons why iodine deficiency still occurs. Less than 50% of households in United States use iodized salt. Many people with hypertension are afraid to use salt so on medical advice they avoid it. Dr. David Brownstein, M.D., the author of the book Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, (and whose lectures and conversations contributed greatly to this article) recommends Celtic Sea Salt for those who use salt. Be sure to look for his latest book on the benefits of salt entitled Salt Your Way to Health. In it he states that most of the nutrients are processed out of regular table salt but Celtic Sea Salt maintains a good mineral supply. It is also free of sugar and not processed (color is not as white as table salt). If you look carefully at your own brand, you might find that the second ingredient is dextrose-a sugar!

A goitrogen is a substance that decreases iodine uptake as well as inhibits iodine from binding where it is needed. Goitrogens have become commonplace in our lives and are major causes of iodine deficiency.

Goitrogens include:

• Chlorine derivatives in pools, cleaning products, water supply, steam from dishwasher, sucrolose (Splenda).

• Fluoride in water supply, toothpaste, dental treatments, mouthwash.

• Bromide in some soft drinks (Mountain Dew & some Gatorades), baked goods, pesticides, hot tubs, fumigants used on produce, and some medications.

It takes large amounts of iodine/iodide to displace these imposters. This must be done with a careful eye. In some cases detoxification symptoms can occur once iodine intake begins mobilizing them.

Other reasons for iodine deficiency include:

• Declining mineral levels due to soil erosion and poor farming techniques.

• Failure to eat sufficient iodine-containing foods.

• Exposures to chemicals and toxins.

• The use of radioactive iodine used in diagnostic testing, which exacerbated an iodine-deficient state.

• A combination of any or all of these.

•  Whatever the cause, iodine deficiency must be identified and corrected.

How Can We Test Iodine Levels?

In the past we would paint a spot of iodine on the stomach in the evening, wait until morning to see if it disappeared. If it was all gone we needed iodine. If it remained, we would interpret that to mean that the body had enough so the iodine wasn’t absorbed. We now realize that iodine can be stored in the skin so residual staining may only mean that the skin has a supply while the body is lacking.

Here’s a better way. Iodine deficiency can be detected by an iodine overload test developed by Dr. Guy Abraham M.D. of California and is offered by FFP Laboratory in North Carolina. It is very user friendly so compliance is high. Simply, urine is collected first thing in the morning and saved for a spot test. (Dr. Jorge Flechas, M.D. just shared at a lecture that this spot test showed that women with breast cancer retain more iodine than women without breast cancer). Then 50 mg. of potassium iodide and iodine in combination is ingested. Urine is then collected throughout the day until the first urine of the next morning. A small sample, plus the first sample (spot test) is shipped to the lab.

If the body has sufficient iodine at least 90% will pass out of the body in the urine. If the body is deficient, some of the iodine will remain in the body to compensate for the deficiency. The more that remains, the greater the need for iodine/iodide. I have had several people have a level of 10% and one person even lower. After iodine/iodide supplementation, their health status was significantly improved. Without an initial baseline test and follow-up tests to monitor progress I would have no idea how great the need for iodine was, how long to give it and how much to give. So first establish baseline levels. Then supplement with liquid, capsules or tablets of iodine/iodide combination.

Be sure to monitor levels every 3-4 months to adjust the dose. Be aware of some possible side effects like runny nose, increased salivation, sinus headaches and metallic taste. These symptoms are temporary and due to the fact that iodine is mucolytic (breaks down of mucous), and they typically disappear after 2 weeks. Drinking lots of water can help. There are some people who are truly allergic to iodine, but Dr. Brownstein states that of the 3000 or so people he treated with iodine, he only had a few with a true iodine allergy; most people who react to shellfish or iodine in contrast solutions used in x-ray procedures react to the organic forms of iodine, not the inorganic form. Use care here.

Here’s what iodine can do:

• Elevate pH- a typical American diet tends to leave us in a more acid state. Oxidative stress, bacteria, and other opportunistic infections tend to thrive in an acid environment. Iodine can help bring the serum pH up to 7.4 so the body can maintain optimum function.

• Is needed to produce thyroid hormones- T3 is called triiodothyronine.

• Prevents goiter, autoimmune thyroid conditions, thyroid and other cancers, hypothyroidism

• Is antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic

• Is a mucolytic agent (breaks up mucous)

• May effect the pituitary-adrenal axis recovery in response to stress

Therapeutic Actions:
• Antibacterial
• Anticancer
• Anti parasitic
• Antiviral
• Mucolytic Agent
Conditions treated with Iodine
• Breast disease
• Dupruyten’s contraction
• Excess mucous production
• Fatigue
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Hemorrhoids
• Heachahes and migraine headaches
• Keloids
• Ovarian Cysts
• Parotid Duct stones
• Peyronie’s
• Sebaceous cysts
• Thyroid disorders
Taken from Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, Medical Alternative Press, 2004, Pages 20, 38-39
As you can see, iodine has a history of beneficial use and physiologic need. Some old information cast a shadow on this important mineral. Fear drove the exclusion of iodine from the standard diet. The addition of goitrogens in the food supply and the environment, along with depleted soil, fear of salt, goitrogenic medications and medical imaging methods added to the problem. People like Dr. Guy Abraham, Dr. David Brownstein, and Dr. Jorge Flechas have paved the way to put an end to all the misinformation in the medical community, to make public the more aware of the importance of iodine for vibrant health, and to prevent medical problems that might affect future generations. I choose to join the cause as well. It is important to know that if you have auto-immune thyroiditis iodine could make it worse. Have your doctor run a TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies) blood test. DO NOT TAKE IODINE IF IT IS POSITIVE. Talk to your doctor about how to deal with that issue. I hope that this article will open some eyes, stimulate some questions, but ultimately result in better health for you and your patients
1. Abraham, Guy, The Safe and Effective Implementation of Orthoiodosupplementation in Medical Practice. The Original Internist, 11:17-36, 2004. Also, conversations and fax.
2. Abraham, Guy, The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect: Crying Wolf? www.optimox.com
3. Brownstein, David, Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, Medical Alternative Press, Pages 20, 38-39, 80-81, 2004. Also conversations and lecture notes.
4. Flechas, Jorge, Iodine Seminar, given at Bio-energetic Conference in Orlando Florida, May 22, 2005.
5. Oketlund M.D., The Clinical Utility of Fluorescent Scanning of the Thyroid. In Medical Applications of Fluorescent Excitation Analysis. Editors Kaufman and Price, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL pg 149-160.
6. PDR for Nutritional Supplements; First edition, Medical Economics, 2001, p 73
7. Soldin OP, Tractenberg RE, Pezzullo JC. Do Thyroxine and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels Reflect Urinary Iodine Concentrations? Ther Drug Monit. 2005 Apr;27(2):178-185.
8. Vermiglio F, et al, Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders in the offspring of mothers exposed to mild-moderate iodine deficiency: a possible novel iodine deficiency disorder in developed countries.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Dec;89(12):6054-60.
9. Wolff, J. and Chaikoff, I.L., Plasma Inorganic Iodide as a Homeostatic Regulator of thyroid Function. J. Biol. Chem, 174:555-564, 1948.

Don’t Lie Down!

By Teresa Biber M.S., CCC-SLP

Remember when our mothers used to warn us to “wait thirty minutes before going into the water before eating or you might get a cramp and drown.” Fortunately for those rebellious youngsters who refused to listen, there has yet to be a documented death attributed to swimming right after eating. Yet to this day most people probably will refrain from doing so. What our mothers should have told us was, “Don’t lie down for at least 2 hours after eating.” That warning would have been much more biologically correct and ultimately saved a lot more lives! I am amazed at the number of patients I encounter daily, both young and old, who admit to lying down right after eating. The simple truth is, this is not only unwise but potentially very dangerous. 

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC.

Everyone is familiar with the inflammatory response. At some time in our lives we’ve had a sprained ankle, an insect bite, a cut or sprain. Typically, we would notice a red area, maybe some swelling, and it might be warm to the touch, as well as painful. This is the body’s way of protecting itself. White blood cells are activated and sent to the area, muscles may stiffen to prevent movement that might injure further. These are all inflammatory reactions. Nerve endings in the affected area respond (pain) to make us aware of the assault so that we might take better care. Our response might be to wrap or bandage it, put ice on the area, elevate it, possibly use a topical antibiotic or anti inflammatory like hydrocortisone, and these remedies would be appropriate. As healing takes place, the symptoms subside and we gradually restore full function to the affected area. Inflammation is a normal part of the healing process. It is a good thing.

But what do you do if the inflammatory healing process goes awry? What if the body’s method of attack turns on itself? Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common nowadays. Research has documented what many of us had known all along, that the inflammatory process is a key factor in cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, psoriasis, kidney problems, in fact, many diseases. This is the basic cause of many autoimmune diseases. If the body attacks the nerves, we call it multiple sclerosis, if it attacks the digestive system, we call it Crohn’s or Irritable Bowel Disease, if it attacks the connective tissue, we call it Lupus, if it attacks the mucous membrane, we call it Sjorgren’s Disease, if the joints are attacked, we call it Rheumatoid Arthritis. The list goes on and on. In these and other autoimmune diseases there is a common factor, the body attacks itself or stimulates an inflammatory response inappropriately.

Some of these diseases manifest symptoms that signal a problem, but this is usually after a long time of enduring an inflammatory response. When the pain or symptom occurs, we go to a doctor and ask for a medicine to make the pain subside. And it works! We get allergy relief if we take the right allergy pill. We get pain from arthritis if we take the appropriate NSAID (Non steroidal anti-inflammatory) like aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc. If we stop the medicine the symptoms return. That’s because we are not getting at the cause as to what causes the inflammation initially.

What if the inflammation occurs inside your body in a place with few pain nerve sensors? You wouldn’t feel pain or see the swelling or redness. How would you tell if there is inflammation if you don’t feel or see it? This is the case behind most cardiovascular disease. Inflammation of the veins and arteries stimulate a protective mechanism (plaque, fat or calcium deposits) to protect the injured vessel from further damage. As a result, it lines the vessel in an effort to insulate the injury. This inappropriate protective response can lead to narrowing of the blood vessels causing high blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Well, fortunately, there are now simple blood tests available that should routinely be performed by your practitioner that can help you make wise decisions to act preventively before an autoimmune or other disease takes hold. Here’s a few:

CRP (C-Reactive Protein) is a special type of protein produced by the liver that is only present during episodes of acute inflammation. CRP rises as a nonspecific response to tissue injury and inflammation.

Those with an elevated CRP have a 2-3 times greater risk of stroke, an increased risk of cancer and are three times more likely to get Alzheimer’s Disease or suffer from dementia. They are also more likely to develop macular degeneration.

Homocysteine, although not really an inflammatory indicator it is an important test. It is a by-product of protein metabolism and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is produced when protein is eaten and the necessary nutrients of B-12, folic acid, and B-6 are missing. These nutrients are necessary for the homocysteine to be transformed into a harmless form. If these vitamins are missing, homocysteine would not be rendered harmless and could promote aging and calcification of the blood vessels. Dr. Kilmer McCully found that supplementation with B-6, B-12 and Folic Acid can prevent the elevation of homocysteine, and can lower these levels in a relatively short time. This is a great reason to make sure you are taking a high quality, high potency B vitamin daily.

Interleukin -6 Elevated IL-6 serum or plasma levels may occur in different conditions including sepsis, autoimmune diseases, lymphomas, AIDS, alcoholic liver disease, and in patients with infections or transplant rejection. But a person with an elevated IL-6, regardless of the cause, is more likely to develop diabetes, especially if there is also an elevated CRP. Thus, we can now conclude that there is a definite relationship between inflammation and diabetes. If these indicators are corrected early, maybe a life of insulin shots would be prevented. Lack of sleep can cause a 40-60% rise in IL-6

TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor-a) Tumor necrosis factor is a cytokine which is involved in the inflammatory process. Cytokines are chemical substances which deliver messages between cells in the body.

TNF- serum or plasma levels may be elevated in sepsis, autoimmune diseases, various infectious diseases and transplant rejection. TNF elevation may be indicative of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythmatosis, and Systemic Sclerosis.

Sed Rate (Sediment Rate) has a lot of names. It is also called Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; ESR; Westergren Sedimentation Rate but it is all the same thing. It is a measure of the how quickly red blood cells set in a tube over a given period of time. It use to be the most popular test for inflammation but now CRP has taken over that slot.

ANA- stands for Antinuclear Antigen and is measured in dilutions. A positive result is more common in older women. It is an indicator of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren’s Syndrome and several other disorders. The bottom line is it measures inflammation and inflammation is behind all these disorders.

I suggest you have your doctor check these levels at your next visit. It is NOT routinely done, even though it is helpful in preventing disease, so don’t be afraid to ask for them. If they are abnormal, make sure your doctor will do something to correct the underlying problem. On my insistence, a friend of mine asked her doctor for these tests and when the results came back abnormal he didn’t know what to do for her so he told her they just won’t test for them anymore. She was just released from the hospital where they diagnosed her with arteries in her brain, legs and arms so severely occluded that a pulse or blood pressure couldn’t be found on her limbs. Her doctor just offered an apology since the vessels are too far gone to be stented or by-passed.

In the mean time, stay away from over-cook and processed food, foods high in polyunsaturated oils, high in sugar and an over consumption of meat and dairy. Stay away from fried foods. Be sure to get sufficient sleep. Take some melatonin or 5 HTP if needed, but please be supervised. Take a good quality omega-3 fish oil with each meal. It is well documented to reduce inflammation, as is antioxidants like vitamin C and E. Green Tea, Nettle and Turmeric are anti-inflammatory. The herb Stephania works to reduce IL-6. The amino acid, N-acetylcysteine not only helps fight infection, but gets rid of toxins, which are generally the cause of the inflammation in the first place. Other nutrients that fight cytokines are: DHEA, a precursor to many hormones, Vitamin K, the clotting factor, GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid). Be sure to drink pure water, never tap water. Eat organic as much as possible. Have your teeth filled with composite fillings instead of mercury, which is a known cause of inflammation. Stay away from pesticides and chemicals in cleansers and plastics. Pay attention to your body and it will serve you well.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC

Water Is Important

Most people don’t drink enough water. A simple way to check is the skin turgor test. Simply pinch the skin at the anatomical snuffbox (the area where the thumb and index finger meet). If it snaps back into place easily, your water level may not be that bad, but if your skin remains pinched for a second before it falls back into place on the hand, you probably need more water.

Water dilutes toxins and allows them to flush out of the body. It is believed that most people eat when they really need to drink more. The main function of the large intestines is to absorb water out of digestive wastes. If wastes remain in the colon too long, the water is drawn out and the stool becomes dry and hard and more difficult to pass, so a vicious cycle begins

Drink at least 80 oz of pure water daily to keep the wastes moist.

2. Fiber for Health

Very few people eat the RDA allowance of fresh fruits and vegetables, which provide not only nutrients and antioxidants, but provide fiber as well. Whole grains are another good source, but again, we fall short. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is mostly made up of refined white flour. Think back to your elementary school days; you mixed white flour and water to make glue and paper mache. Fiber is needed to absorb toxins and wastes, but it also increases the bulk of stool, which in turn stimulate peristalsis, the wave-like contractions of the colon to force wastes out of the body.

Psyllium husk powder is inexpensive and works well. Add a teaspoon or two into a glass of water once or twice a day. You’ll be amazed at the results.

3. Walk, Run or Dance; Just Do Something!

Exercise daily, if even just a daily walk. Nothing helps constipation like exercise. It also stimulates the skin to remove wastes through sweat and the lungs to oxygenate more effectively. Exercise gets the GI tract moving, it stimulates the thyroid, helps stabilize blood pressure, helps sleep, reduces stress, and if done first thing in the morning, it gets the metabolism burning fat better. If you can only walk, start with that. Walk three minutes in one direction then walk three minutes back. Each day add another minute until you are walking 20 – 30 minutes each day. Of course, if you are physically able to do more vigorous workouts, do it.

Please be sure to get your physicians approval before you start any exercise program.

4. Magnesium, Please!

Consider a magnesium supplement. Because our vegetable consumption is so low, most people are lacking magnesium. Magnesium is needed for energy production, detoxification processes, sugar metabolism, maintenance of normal blood pressure and muscle relaxation. People who crave chocolate are often magnesium deficient, as are people who suffer from muscle cramps and those who fall asleep but awaken in the middle of the night. Another sign of magnesium deficiency is constipation. Remember the old laxative called M.O.? That stands doe magnesium oxide. If you’ve ever had a colonoscopy, chances are you drank citrate of magnesia or perhaps your mom gave you milk of magnesia. Things haven’t changed; magnesium helps the bowels move, but it is also needed for energy production, detoxification, muscle relaxation, blood sugar balance, and much more.

A supplement of magnesium glycinate works well. Be careful not to take too much and check with your physician first.

5. The Critters Within

We all should have about 4 pounds of good bacteria (probiotics) in our intestines. These friendly fellows help with digestion, help with vitamin intake, give us immunity, keep our colons at the proper pH, fight bad bacteria and parasites and help reduce cholesterol.

Probiotics are killed off by antibiotics, steroid hormones, birth control pills, poor diet, and other medications. Eating the most popular yogurts is ineffective at increasing their numbers. Some fermented foods like sauerkraut and miso can help, but I recommend an acidophilus supplement purchased from a good health food store that keeps it refrigerated. I recommend the powder but capsules work well too.

Acidophilus should be taken twice a day on an empty stomach so that stomach acid doesn’t destroy the live cultures.

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC.

It use to be a common occurrence for obese people to blame their weight on their thyroid, so much that it became quite a joke. But we may want to think of the “joke” as a possible cause of many maladies, including: inability to lose weight or rapid weight gain, brittle nails, cold hands and feet, constipation, depression, difficulty swallowing, tongue feels thick, dry skin, elevated cholesterol, fatigue, infertility, menstrual irregularities, nervousness, poor memory, low blood pressure and hair loss.

The thyroid is a small endocrine (ductless gland) located in the area of your Adam’s apple and has a large blood supply. It produces several hormones, most familiar is THYROXIN, which utilizes iodine to help regulate the release of energy from carbohydrates, metabolism. Thyroxin is also necessary for the circulation of fats in the body, the formation of protein, and the regulation of the calcium/phosphorus levels in the body. The thyroid also aids in the absorption of glucose, the secretion of insulin, respiratory rates, secretion of digestive enzymes, bowel movements, blood pressure and heart rate, the production of sex hormones, and our emotional state. Therefore, if this tiny little gland is the least bit off, our body can be affected in many ways.

The thyroid uses iodine more than any other organ in the body. (Next is breast tissue and there is a correlation to breast cancer, polycystic breasts and iodine.) Iodine molecules are attached to an amino acid to form thyroid hormones. Without a sufficient amount of iodine the thyroid functions improperly. We call this a goiter. The use of iodized salt provided just enough iodine to prevent goiters, but like a Margarita with all the ingredients but just a splash of tequila, it doesn’t quite work the same. It needs more! We often need more iodine than provided in salt, especially since so many people are now salt-free or on low salt diets. Iodine is also found in seafood and seaweeds, more popular in the Far East. In the U.S., seaweed is not high on the “must eat” list. In addition, some of us stay away from shellfish, another good iodine source, thinking it raises cholesterol. There is a direct relationship between low thyroid function and high cholesterol, so eating the shellfish may actually be beneficial. The message here is that we need to maintain a good source of iodine from foods or supplements, but there is another problem…

Iodine has a molecular structure similar to chlorine, fluorine and bromine. All four are called HALOGENS. These elements resemble iodine so closely that they can enter the iodine receptor sites and fool the body. We mostly get these dangerous iodine substitutes from our water supply. Fluoride is added to our water supply to prevent tooth decay but in reality it is a toxic waste.

Chlorine is in our water supply as well. Consider our pools and our cleansers and our tap water all contain chlorine. Mamma’s got the magic of bleach all right, but it is poisoning our bodies. Each time we take a shower, swim in a chlorinated pool, use bleach wipes, toilet cleansers and mildew removers we are taking in toxic fumes and exposing ourselves to potential health issues, including hindering our thyroid.

In addition, years ago iodine was found in baked goods. It was replaced with bromates (a form of bromine) cutting off that additional source of iodine.

There is a simple test you could all do to check if you are iodine deficient. Buy an inexpensive bottle of iodine at the drugstore. At night before bed, paint a circle about the size of a quarter on your stomach. If the circle is still there in the morning you may have sufficient iodine in your body. If it disappeared, as mine had, chances are you are iodine deficient. Now that doesn’t mean you take that iodine internally. IT IS A POISON!!! There are food sources but they require supervision.

I suggest you try adding sea vegetables to your diet. You can buy kelp in a shaker, which can be used on many foods. Sea vegetables like kombu, wakame, and arame are not only good sources of iodine, but are rich in other important nutrients and trace minerals, and should be a part of your regular diet. Give it a try!

Most doctors use thyroid testing to determine if the thyroid is functioning properly. Presently, a test called TSH (for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), which is one part of the thyroid panel, is the only test of concern for the conventional medical community. Some may look at T4 and T3 levels, but the TSH determine the treatment. You see, theoretically, the pituitary produces TSH to tell the thyroid to produce thyroxin. If the TSH level is “normal” it is assumed that the thyroid is producing enough hormone. If the TSH is low, the thyroid is producing too much so a feedback mechanism slows the TSH production in the pituitary gland. The opposite is also true; if the TSH goes up, it is believed that the pituitary is signaling more forcefully for the thyroid to produce more thyroxin. Sounds great, but it doesn’t always work that way.

Dr. Barnes believed that the conventional blood tests to check the thyroid were not always accurate so that many cases of sub clinical thyroid dysfunction went unnoticed. More than 50 years ago he found one common denominator in hypothyroidism patients, a low basal body temperature. After thousands of experiments, this was confirmed to be far more accurate than conventional testing of the thyroid. Presently, holistic physicians listen carefully to the patient’s symptoms, have the patient do a basal body temperature chart AND do a thyroid panel including free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies. It is only when equal weight is given to each piece of information that a careful and correct diagnosis can be made.

There is a simple self-test for thyroid function; although indicative, it is not conclusive. It is worth the effort. Have a conventional thermometer (not digital) shaken down and ready by the side of their bed at night. The first thing upon awakening, and before any movement, take your temperature under the arm for at least 10 minutes. Do not use an electronic thermometer, the old fashion works best. A temperature below 97.4 may indicate a sluggish thyroid even if your blood tests appear to be normal. Keep in mind that that there is a normal change in a woman’s temperature during ovulation; so try to take your temp at the beginning of your cycle.

If your basal body temperature is consistently low and your iodine spot disappeared from your stomach during the night and you are suffering from many of the symptoms mentioned, read Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, by Dr. David Brownstein, M.D., then armed with this information, ask your doctor to investigate a possible thyroid problem. Your doctor may brush you off but this book will prepare you to act from a position of intelligence and power. It is your body and you are really in control of your health so stand your ground. Maybe there really is a problem with “glands” and that’s why the weight won’t come off or your cholesterol is high. It’s worth checking out. Until next time…stay healthy.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC

Most people think that cholesterol, LDL’s, and triglycerides are the main culprits in cardiovascular disease. We came to believe this because back in 1913 a Russian scientist, Nikolai Anitschkow, fed a group of rabbits a diet high in cholesterol and when the animals were examined, their blood vessels were clogged with plaque. This was the beginning of the cholesterol fear. It didn’t matter that the amount of cholesterol given to each rabbit was equivalent to a human eating 50 eggs a day. It was also not considered that rabbits are inherently vegetarian and incapable of breaking down and utilizing the high concentration of cholesterol. Since that time we realized that less than one third of the cholesterol in our bodies comes from food. We also found out that the body produces LDL’s (the bad cholesterol) to plug the leaks in the blood vessels due to vitamin C deficiency. Most recently, we have realized that there is another important factor not previously considered in calculating cardiovascular risk. That factor is homocysteine levels.

Homocysteine is a by-product of protein metabolism an amino acid called methionine, which is found in protein. It is first converted into homocysteine then into harmless by-products but there must be enough B vitamins present, especially Folic Acid, B6, and B12, for this to happen. If there is not enough of these vitamins, the process stops after the production of homocysteine. The problem is that homocysteine causes irritation to the linings of the blood vessels, which then promotes the formation of plaque. The statistics indicate that 30-40 percent of strokes and heart attacks are completely preventable with simple supplementation of a B complex, and especially folic acid and B12.

There is a direct relationship between arteriosclerosis and homocysteine levels: the higher the amount of homocysteine, the higher the incidence of heart attack, stroke, and clogged blood vessels in the extremities. But an INVERSE relationship occurs between homocysteine levels and B vitamins: the lower the vitamin level, the higher the homocysteine level. In a recent study based on information from the Framingham study, “67% of the cases of high homocysteine” had low levels of one or more of the B vitamins. Researchers now believe that homocysteine levels are 40 times more effective than cholesterol levels when calculating the risk of cardiovascular disease.

There are indications that genes play a part in this picture. It has been found that the enzymes necessary to metabolize homocysteine are linked to a specific gene. Often there is a defect in that gene or, in the case of 12 % of the people, an extra gene that results in an increase of homocysteine; here’s how it happened.

More than 30 years ago a pathologist, Dr Kilmer McCully, M.D. working as a pathologist at Harvard, was performing an autopsy on an infant and was surprised to find the child had the arteries of a seventy year old person. Shortly afterwards he came across a 12 year old with the same “old-looking’ blood vessels. In his examinations, he found both of these bodies had a genetic defect that prevented homocysteine from being neutralized. In other research he found adults with “aged arteries” were deficient in folic acid and B vitamins. Further research and experiments resulted in him writing a paper for his peers, in which he hypothesized that folic acid, B12, B6, and B3 were necessary to prevent arteries from “aging” and that if there is a genetic defect in homocysteine metabolism, B vitamins could compensate. The medical community was outraged. They still believed in the bunny experiment. Harvard fired him and he was blacklisted. Out of work for 3 years, he finally was offered a job at the VA hospital where he remains today. A few years ago, Lancet published an article, written by doctors at Harvard, citing Dr. McCully and stating that folic acid, B12, B6, and B3 are necessary to prevent arteries from “aging”. How ironic!

 What can we do to insure “young arteries?” If we increase our consumption of dark green, leafy vegetables, we will increase our intake of some of the necessary B vitamins, especially folate. If we limit our amount of meat intake, reduce our saturated fat levels, while maintaining good levels of essential fatty acids, if we reduce our sugar intake (along with our refined and processed foods), and eat a wholesome and natural diet, our chances of cardiovascular disease are greatly reduced. The most important step to preventing arteriosclerosis is taking a good potency of a natural multivitamin, preferably bought in a health food store (there is a difference). This will usually contain at least 400 mcg. of folic acid, 10-50 mgs. of B6, and at least 500-1000 mcgs. of B12. If you are severely deficient in B vitamins, you may need higher doses to bring the levels up. B deficiency often shows up as grooves or pits on the surface of the tongue. If your tongue isn’t smooth and even, look for the co-enzymated forms that go under the tongue to assure good absorption, but talk to your licensed nutrition counselor to determine your body’s needs. Remember, good health is within your reach. Until next time… Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC.

There are many factors that affect a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer; age, genetics, alcohol, diet, etc. We all know about the increased cancer risk to smokers. We also know that there is a direct relationship between adipose tissue (stored fat) and breast cancer believed to be due to the increased production of estrogen from these fat cells (If you have a hip to waist ratio of .81 you are 7 times more likely to get cancer than if it were less than .73.) Simple solution- lose weight and quit smoking. There are some things you can control.

It is believed that estrogen, the hormone that keeps menopausal women sane, prevents hot flashes and night sweats, and mellows out our temperaments, causes breast cancer when there is constant exposure into the receptor sites of certain cells. The longer we expose these cells to estrogen, the greater the cancer risk. When a woman becomes pregnant, estrogen levels diminish and progesterone (pro-gestation) increases. Therefore, if a woman never has a child, she’s never had a break from estrogen exposure. The more children she has the less her chance of getting breast cancer. We can also conclude that the longer a woman either produces estrogen (naturally delayed menopause) or supplements with estrogen (intentionally delayed menopause by taking estrogen pills usually from horse’s urine, which is many times stronger than human estrogen) the greater the chance of breast cancer, as well as other diseases.

Menopause is nature’s way of keeping our hormones in balance, and to borrow from an old commercial, “It’s not good to fool Mother Nature!” The body naturally counters estrogen with progesterone. Often progesterone levels diminish and you need to add a bio-identical progesterone, NOT progestin, to keep estrogen in balance.

Estrogen receptor sites are conformed to receive estrogen for normal body function, but they can also filled with substances that look similar to but are not exactly estrogen. They have a similar enough configuration that the receptor sites welcome them in. But since they are not bio-identical estrogen they may have many undesirable side effects, one of these side effects is cancer. These false estrogens, or xeno-estrogens are found in many places. One major source is pesticides; yes, our monthly house spray, those cans of flying insect spray, or just the old roach spray is full of xeno-estrogens. And don’t think the toxic gas that is used in tenting houses dissipates quickly; it’s been known to remain for years. Some people with environmental illnesses can’t live in a house that has ever been tented. Now with the scare of West Nile and Malaria from mosquitoes, sprays are dropped from planes and we have no control. I understand the risks of these diseases, but we do pay for it with our health. Some exposure is inevitable and beyond our control.

Another source is plastics: plastic bottles, plastic wrap, plastic bags, plastic storage containers all contain the same dangerous substances. Even if recipes recommend covering food with plastic wrap before warming in the microwave, don’t do it. The toxins and vapors drip down into the food. How many of us have heated something a little too long in a plastic container and the plastic melted just a little. We’ve all done it. What’s even scarier is that most IV tubes used in hospitals are made of plastic. Try making a list of all the plastic you are exposed to. Store food in glass jars, reheat in non-plastic containers and never cover food to be reheated with plastic wrap.

Hormones or hormone-like substances are taken into our bodies through food as well. Animals are given Bovine Growth Hormone to increase mass; cows are forced into a permanent lactation state to produce milk. These hormones can be ingested and received in the receptor sites. Animals are fed grains that have been sprayed with pesticides. In fact, studies have shown that farm raised fish, like salmon and tilapia, have tested positive for pesticide content. It comes from the spraying of the food they are fed. Try to buy Alaskan salmon, non-farm raised fish, organic meats and poultry and organic eggs, and avoid milk.

Other sources of xenoextrogens are dry cleaning chemicals. When you bring home your dry cleaning, remove the plastic bag and let the clothes hang in a garage or the patio for about a week to allow the chemicals to escape. Never wear clothes right from the cleaners. Or better yet, buy clothes that you can launder yourself.

Gasoline fumes are also a dangerous source. When pumping gas, stand away from the fumes. But there are other petro-chemical sources all around us that you may not have thought of. I use to apply baby oil to my body after a shower until I read that it contains mineral oil- a petroleum product. Consider the many moisturizing creams that have a petroleum base. Even some expensive names have mineral oil in it. Try using natural moisturizers from the health food store. Remember petroleum jelly? What were we thinking, it was right in the name?

Stain protective sprays for furniture and carpets provide a constant source of fumes. As is polyurethane coating we put on wood. These things can out-gas for years to come. Tests have shown that the chemicals used to pressure treat wood gives off toxins for 20-30 years after being treated. Think of the children who play on jungle gyms or sit on picnic tables made from arsenic-treated wood. They are under constant exposure to toxins. Always use a tablecloth on wooden picnic tables and if you are wearing shorts or a swimsuit, avoid direct contact with wooden furniture.

If you have a cabinet full of cleansers and cleaning fluids, consider natural cleaners like baking soda and white vinegar. Your house may smell like a Greek salad but you’re reducing your toxin exposure.

What about nail polish and nail polish remover? There’s a company in Boca Raton called No-Miss, Inc. that makes healthier nail polish and remover. It is free of formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl-pthalate. I’ve tried it and it works great and they have a wide selection of colors and their nail polish remover doesn’t take my breath away. Their website is nomiss.com but you can pick it up at most large health food stores. While you’re there, check out the natural lip colors as well.

Consider your room deodorizing sprays and dispensers. Try using natural essential oils for fragrance. It can also be very therapeutic.

The list goes on and on. In my practice I spend a lot of time trying to remove these toxins from my client’s bodies since they are related to many other illness as well as breast cancer, including high cholesterol, high triglycerides and excess weight (the body tries to hold fat to give the toxins a place to be stored without harming the body).

I know you can’t stay away from all of these substances. We will always have environmental pollution, molded plastic in our cars, paint, sealers, varnishes, and cleansers, etc., but you can take some steps to minimize your exposure. Yes, it takes a little effort and time, but the benefit is certainly worth it. You’re worth it. Take a step today toward a healthier life.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco,C.N.,L.N.C.

Allergy symptoms used to be associated with spring and flowers, but it seems more and more people find themselves with symptoms year round. Runny nose, watery eyes, fits of sneezing are often attributed to allergies or, as it’s sometimes called, hay fever. There is no doubt that the pollen and blossoms provoke a response. Many transplants from other states find that the first few years that they are in Florida, their “allergies” are better. A year or two later, they often reappear. Consider this:

• More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergic diseases yearly.

• Allergies cost the health care system $18 billion annually and are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.

• About 16.7 million visits to health care providers are due to allergic rhinitis. The number of sufferers has increased significantly over the last 15 years.

Could it be that it may not be an allergy at all? An allergy is a reaction to a substance that does not normally affect other people. The word was first used in 1906 from the Greek words ALLOS, meaning other, and ERGON, meaning action. According to the Journal of Allergy and Applied Immunology, it is estimated that more than half the population exhibits some form of allergy-like symptoms which may include headaches, digestive disorders, joint pain, hives, and the more common, sneezing, runny nose and itching eyes. This is usually the body’s response to exposure to an invasive substance (allergens), which could be pollen, pet dander, dust, dust mites, and even their droppings.

In a mistaken effort to protect you from these allergens, your immune system releases histamines and other chemicals designed to rid your body of the offending substance. The histamine, which is released from mast cells, inflames the lining of your nasal passages, sinuses and eyelids and stimulates the production of mucus. These symptoms can resemble those of a cold. A sure way to distinguish is that with a cold, mucus secretions will eventually turn yellow-green; with rhinitis it will stay clear.

Most people use the term ALLERGY when in fact they mean sensitivity. The difference is distinct. Most true allergies are permanent where as a sensitivity can disappear after abstaining from the source. An allergy to seafood or bee stings can be life threatening but a sensitivity to milk or wheat may cause discomfort ranging from mild to severe, and are rarely life threatening.

Since early childhood, I suffered from allergies. I had every medication, air filters, inhalers, and weekly doctor’s visits, then eventually daily, injections to desensitize me, all to no avail. I moved to Florida and got some relief for a while but they eventually returned. When I was pregnant with my second daughter, I developed hives for no known reason. The allopathic medical community suggested I abort my baby so I could treat the allergies then simply get pregnant again. Since I consider life a lot more than a complication, that was not an option. In shear desperation, I found a nutritionist who tested me for food sensitivities. By following an elimination diet and using supplements to build myself up again, my hives and allergy symptoms all cleared up. I was so impressed with this life-changing experience, I studied nutrition myself and left the medical field I was working in, and 5 years later became a licensed nutritionist, and by the way, my daughter is now 23 years old and she and her sister, are the joys of my life.

But how can the foods we eat affect how we react to things like pollen and dander? It has to do with the amount of stress put on our bodies on a daily basis from the foods we eat. One theory explaining food sensitivities suggests that the body is improperly digesting the fat, carbohydrate or protein and the undigested food particles enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall provoking a reaction to the “foreign” particles. The body reacts like it would to an allergen by producing the same inflammatory response. In my own situation, I was eating wheat, dairy and sugar on a regular basis. My body was reacting so strongly to those foods that when I was exposed to pollens or airborne allergens, I reacted severely. By eliminating the offending foods and supporting my taxed immune system by body had a chance to rest so that when I was around allergens I could produce enough anti-inflammatory substances within to fight off their effects.

Typically, the foods that we consume on a regular basis, like milk, wheat, corn, soy, yeast and sugar, are often the culprits.

Here’s how you can act as your own nutritionist.

Step One: Keep a food diary of everything you eat in a week. Be sure to write it down; don’t rely on your memory. Then take colored markers and check off every time you ate wheat. Get a different color for dairy, and another for sugar. You’d be amazed at how often you eat these foods. Next, check to see which additional foods you ate every day. These are usually the offending foods. Eliminate the dairy, wheat, sugar and whatever food you eat EVERY DAY. Yes, that means coffee, orange juice, oatmeal, etc. No matter how good it is suppose to be for you, you must stay off these foods for at least three weeks. You should notice a significant improvement in your symptoms. Abstaining for 6 months will usually allow intermittent ingestion without reaction.

Step Two: Digestive enzymes help to insure that the food is properly broken down into nutrients that the body can identify, and then utilize. They also help balance the pH of the intestinal tract, kill off harmful bacteria and prevent the overgrowth of yeast in the intestines. Enzyme production begins in the mouth. Our saliva begins the breakdown of fat and carbohydrates. In the stomach, we produce hydrochloric acid (HCl). The pancreas and the small intestines contribute to the production of enzymes as well. Each must be produced in the correct balance to insure proper digestion. As we get older our inherent enzyme production diminishes. This could possibly explain why we suddenly develop reactions to things we never reacted to before. Sometimes we hinder the effects of enzymes my diluting them with large, cold drinks with our meals. Sometimes we exhaust our supply by eating junk foods, improper food combining and taking antacids. Often, we treat heartburn with antacids, which neutralizes the very acid we actually need more of. Not enough stomach acid can feel much like too much acid. If you’ve ever felt full and bloated after a meal, need to loosen your pants, or suffer from gas, flatulence and bad breathe, chances are you need digestive enzymes. Find a good digestive enzyme that works through all stages of digestion. Be careful not to take them on an empty stomach if they contain HCl (which they should). Begin with one tab or capsule with each meal (usually in the middle of the meal). After a few days, increase to two pills with each meal. Pay attention to your symptoms; they should be diminishing. Some people may need to increase further, but it would be best to do so under the supervision of your nutritionist.

Step Three: Supplement the body with adrenal supporters such as pantothenic acid and vitamin C, tyrosine (an amino acid that is also an anti-depressant), and adrenal glandular. The adrenals glands produce cortisone, which acts as an anti- inflammatory substance and helps us deal with the production of histamines, so supporting the adrenals helps them function more efficiently and effectively.

Step Four: Reduce Excess histamines. Bioflavonoids are currently being used with great success. In particular, Quercetin, a form of bioflavonoids, is believed to prevent histamine release, nature’s antihistamines from citrus fruits and berries can now be easily taken in pill form. Magnesium, vitamin B-6, and the herb Nettles can also help. Other antioxidants such as cysteine and selenium can help mediate the body’s response to the allergen by reducing the effects of free radical damage. A substance taken from pine needles called pycnogenol, helps prevent allergic reaction. It is also an effective antioxidant much like the proanthocyanidins found in grape extract, so it too prevents oxidative damage.

Step Five: Reduce the inflammatory response. Studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids may be effective in reducing inflammatory reactions by affecting prostaglandin E2 production (Bad Guy). Omega-3 fatty acids promote the production of Prostaglandin E3 (Good Guy). The inflammatory action of prostaglandin E2 is also responsible for arthritic pain, so it would mediate the pain response for other chronic conditions as well.

A diligent effort to eliminate offending foods, enhance digestion, support the adrenals and immune system, prevent oxidative damage and inflammatory response should keep you from the “allergy blues” But before you embark on a nutritional approach, check with your physician to make sure it is indeed an allergy. In addition to eliminating symptoms naturally, you will be restoring your health. This will leave you with plenty of energy to enjoy life rather than fight “allergens”. Give it try, and let me know how you do.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC.

 Everyone has an “off day” when sexual desire just isn’t there. The problem has affected people throughout history. The Aztec emperor, Montezuma II, was thought to have consumed approximately 50 glasses of liquid chocolate a day to maintain his libido. In addition, he drank two more glasses right before having sex. In Shakespeare’s Othello, the main character wooed his bride with shellfish and oysters, representing the remedies most popular at that time. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used ginger to prepare for a lovemaking session. Young Cajun men would sprinkle cayenne pepper on the dance floor in hopes of exciting their partners and diminishing their inhibitions. The Chinese consumed licorice as an aphrodisiac and also used ginseng as a libido booster. The list of aphrodisiacs is lengthy and varied; everything from deer antler to bee pollen. The people of old were willing to try anything to keep their motor running and many were effective! This problem remains today; sooner or later we will all experience a lack of interest in sex.

On February 10, 1999, JAMA published the results of a research project studying the sexual dysfunction of 1,749 women and 1,410 men from age 18 to 59. They found that the problem (sexual dysfunction) was more prevalent in women than men (43% of the women reported having sexual dysfunction as compared to 31 % of the men). Another on-line report concluded that 66% of all women have some sexual concerns, including lack of desire, lack of pleasure from sex, vaginal pain, inability to be aroused, inability to attain a completed climax, or the total lack of an orgasm. These problems can be caused by a myriad of factors including: medications (especially antidepressants), stress, emotional issues, hormonal imbalance, nutrients deficiencies (especially zinc, magnesium, and vitamin E), poor circulation to the genitals, lack of exercise, and physical (structural) problems. Some of these causes must be dealt with professionally but if you deal with the ones you have some control over, you may be pleasantly surprised in the bedroom. So where do we begin?

Total body health insures the proper function, including the production of hormones, which is one of the key factors in dealing with libido. Eating a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and good sources of protein will help the body’s endocrine system work at optimum levels to produce these hormones. Avoid processed and fast food to keep blood circulation flowing properly and to reduce toxins and free radical damage. Drink copious amounts of water to bathe each cell and to help stimulate the elimination of toxins. This is the key to good health and the remedy to many maladies, so I’ll keep repeating it.

Exercise is important to help dissipate stress, excrete toxins, enhance hormone production, relax the mind, and insure muscle tone and endurance for those all-nighters. The mind must be free to focus on the activity at hand. Stress is a mood killer. People in the South Pacific use herbs like kava kava before sex to help relax muscles, relieve anxiety and promote a feeling of euphoria. (Be careful with this herb if you have a history of liver problems.) Set the mood with relaxing music. Studies have shown that music can actually promote the body to heal and set the mood for your sexual encounter.

Aromatherapy can be very conducive to lovemaking. The Queen of Sheba seduced Solomon with fragrances and Cleopatra scented the sails of her barge so the fragrance would announce to Marc Antony that she was arriving. Scientists are looking into how pheromones (aromatic chemical compounds produced by one individual that affects the sexual physiology of another) communicate the urge to mate in humans, as well as in the animal kingdom. Women have a keener sense of smell than men do. This sense peaks at ovulation and drops during menstruation. It is believed that pheromones cause one woman’s cycle to line up with another’s after about 4 months of close proximity. Twenty-five percent of the people with smelling disorders lose interest in sex. The sense of smell also diminishes somewhat as a woman goes through menopause. You can compensate by using stronger scents when you are in the mood. Some companies are actually selling bottled pheromones to spice up your sex life and to make one more desirable.

As I mentioned before, hormones play a major part in sexual desire and there are lots of natural ways to give those hormones a boost. Dong Quai is believed to do for women what ginseng does for men. The Chinese believe that it helps nourish the female sex glands, rebuilds the blood, and is particularly good for women over 40.

Ginkgo biloba is known as the herb for memory and circulation, but it is especially helpful for those whose libido was affected by antidepressants. One study determined that by taking ginkgo, 91% of the women and 76% of the men experienced an improvement in sex drive after being on antidepressants. It took at least 4-6 weeks of supplementation, but the effects were in four areas of sexual response: desire, excitement, orgasm and resolution.

The Ayurvedic herb Shativari (Asparagus racemosa) is believed to balance estrogen levels. It is recommended for vaginal dryness, and to nourish the female organs. In fact, in Sanskrit, the word shativari means “one who can have a hundred husbands” (or wives).

Damiana is an herb believed to create a relaxed state of mind and to support the genitourinary and sex organs. It is believed that the alkaloids have a testosterone effect. Yes, I said testosterone. Men and women have both testosterone and estrogen, just in different amounts. If a woman has a low testosterone level her sex drive is affected much like a man’s is. For this reason, many of the herbal remedies recommended for men are also effective for women, ginseng is another one of those herbs. The Brazilian herb, Muira puama, can also work for either sex by increasing the blood supply to the sex organs. Avena sativa (wild oats) is believed to increase vaginal sensitivity and Nettle root (Urtica dioca) is recommended for vaginal dryness.

Amino acids like arginine and ornithine may increase nitric oxide levels in the body. This is especially important for men, but it is equally important for women since studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between nitric oxide levels and sexual dysfunction. Arginine and ornithine are helpful in stimulating the anterior pituitary to produce Human Growth Hormone (HGH), the anti-aging hormone, and who wants to age? So, stay young and enjoy a healthy sex life.

Although there are some over-the-counter hormones like DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), Pregnenolone and Progesterone, before you supplement with any, I suggest you speak with a qualified practitioner since you may actually exacerbate the problem by causing more of an imbalance.

Please don’t take all of these at once; it doesn’t work like that. Start with the basics of good health and give it time to work. Check your hormone levels with a saliva test (www.salivatest.com) to determine just what you are lacking. Choose your herbs carefully, paying close attention to their direct effect on the female body, get one that helps your specific problem. Check into any interactions with medication, for example, ginkgo should not be used if you are on blood thinners like Coumadin. Be consistent at taking the herbs and allow enough time for it to work, at least 2 months. Keep in mind that sex begins in the head. Take steps to insure a relaxed atmosphere; remember to use the senses, especially smell.

Sexual response is a normal, function of a healthy body. Give your body what it needs to be healthy and it will serve you well for many years.

Enjoy!!!

Donna