Adventures in Anti-inflammatory/hypoallergenic diets!

I realize that it has been well over a year since I last contributed to this blog, and not from a lack of any health or nutrition topics I could discuss.  Life's just been plain crazy!  So what is pulling me to suddenly write a random blog post, you ask?

My daughter's eczema.

It showed up about this time last year and has gotten worse and worse.  No amount of natural or medicated creams or lotions seems to help and though I have considered going to an allergist to figure out her issues, the wait to get an appointment would be months out and I have a hunch that the culprit may be one of the following: wheat, dairy, eggs, or peanuts (all amazing and delicious foods).  So, as much as I don't want to do this to her, why not just eliminate these foods from her diet and see if there is an improvement?

I was considering going on an anti-inflammatory diet anyway to see if I can regain some pep and get rid of some pain.  (An anti-inflammatory diet consists of a lot of beans, rice, fruits, and vegetables and no dairy, sugar, or gluten.  Though these are wonderful, nutritious foods they can feed a state of inflammation in the body if it's already brewing, so staying away from these foods for a time can help decrease inflammation in the body and allow for better healing) 


So to hopefully rid my daughter of her constant itchiness and bleeding/scabbed skin and to improve my health, we are going forward.

This is not easy for me.  I live off of bread and dairy products and I really love homemade cookies and fudge brownies.   However, the hardest part about going forward with this diet is the amount of prep work involved.  This diet is generally a diet of few (if any) processed foods, which means that I need to carefully prepare meals and snacks when PBJ's, pretzels, and cheese sticks have been the norm.  I usually wouldn't mind all the prep work, but I am a full-time working mother of two active little girls and I the thought has continued to circulate in my head: "I just don't have the time for this!"  Needless to say, I've been dragging my feet for the past month or two.......

....but after slowly gathering a meal and grocery plan, I've actually come up with quite a few delicious meals and snacks that will hopefully still be appealing to my daughter and won't leave my taste-buds crying for flavor from a bland diet of rice and beans.  It has involved a lot of research and recipe searching, but I think this will be very doable!

As I was preparing tomorrow's meals this afternoon, the thought came to me:  how many other people out there have thought about going on an anti-inflammatory diet to help improve their health or have thought of putting their child on a restrictive diet for similar reasons or to reduce allergies but have thought that it would be too much work or didn't know where to start or just thought there was no way they could give up good food?

Perhaps I need to revive this little blog and include some tips and recipes that others would find useful?

Just a thought.

And hopefully between my work days, my mommy days, and my quest to find a regular exercise routine, you'll be seeing me back on here soon....... :)

How do you solve a problem like Morning Sickness?

It has been a looooong time since I have posted on here, and I apologize.  The bummer is, I have had all these new, delicious, healthy recipes to share as well as a few other things I have recently learned about health, particularly the vital role that estrogen plays in health.  However, the last few months have seen me struggling to just keep up with my family blog let alone get my basic daily tasks done.  The reason?  Morning sickness.

While it has been a very exciting time in our family getting ready to welcome cherub #2, morning sickness, for me, is far more than just "morning sickness".  It is a 24/7, puking-all-the-time, losing-lots-of-weight, and taking-multiple-trips-to-the-hospital-because-of-low-blood-pressure-and-dehydration kind of sickness.  Good thing I have my precious little cherub #1 running around the house to remind me just why I put myself through this.

So I have had some posts I've wanted to write, but have failed to find the energy to do so.  I tried some healthy and deeeeelicious recipes at the end of the summer that I had posted up on my fridge to remind me to share on this blog, but just looking at the recipes made the so nauseated that I threw them all away (I'm sure I will regret this someday).  So this post will simply be about a health topic that has consumed my life lately (morning sickness) and what I have been learning.....

Like I said, my morning scikness tends to be a bit more than just a morning barf session.  I feel like I have tried every single trick in the book to battle nausea: ginger, lemon, sour candy (which does help take the "edge" off for me a little bit), eating regular small meals, eating first thing in the morning, meds, essential oils, chiropractic adjustments, pressure points, massage, and so on and so forth.  While none has been a cure-all for me in the least, the two things that have helped the most that I would recommend to any sick pregnant momma are the following: zofran and acupuncture. 


Zofran:  The only medication that has successfully kept me out of the hospital (for the most part).  There are a few other nausea meds out there that doctors prescribe pregnant women, but I would recommend this over them all because it has definitely been the most successful at limiting the vomiting (it is the #1 anti-nausea med prescribed to cancer patients) and is very safe to take while pregnant with minimal side effects.  Hallelujah for Zofran!


Accupuncture:  Now this is a treatment I would actually recommend for many ailments beyond morning sickness.  I got acupuncture once when pregnant with my first child and noticed no difference so I never went back.  With this pregnancy, while I was in the height of weight loss and trips to the hospital to get IVs, my OB strongly recommended that I go get acupuncture treatments on a regular basis.  So I started going once a week and after two weeks, I was able to start eating and stop losing so much weight.  It really is quite miraculous!  In addition, I have been taking a few Chinese herb pills that have seemed to be a big help in conjuncture with the Zofran.  I really have been surprised at the results.  Plus, the treatments are so relaxing that I take a nice little snooze every time (and this coming from someone with a former needle-phobia).  So I would oh-so-highly recommend this form of therapy if you ever find yourself suffering from morning sickness that you just can't seem to manage or control.  Or, like I said, for any ailment, really.  My acupuncturist specializes in treating women with infertility issues and has remarkable success!  I also know people who's chronic pain is relieved from acupuncture or who are able to better fight off cancers with regular acupuncture treatments, so check it out!   


So there's my explanation for the long blogging hiatus, as well as a few ideas on how to manage morning sickness.  I can't claim to have the "cure", but find it interesting that I have found one western (modern) medical modality and one alternative therapy that have really made a difference in my health the past month or so.  I say, thank heavens for both.

And now that I'm going on 19 weeks pregnant and gaining back some weight and energy, hopefully you'll see me on here a little more often.......  :)

Catching some Zzzzzzzz's

Through my many nursing school classes and continuing education courses, I can't count how often the importance of getting good, quality sleep is to one's health.  Like I said in a previous post, it is one of the three pillars of good physical health: diet, exercise, and SLEEP!

And if you don't believe me, the good people at Harvard Medical are here to back me up with 6 reasons NOT to scrimp on sleep:

1. Adequate sleep promotes learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Sleep affects metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Sleep deprivation threatens safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Sleep affects mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Adequate, quality sleep is correlated to good cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Sleep is a key player in a healthy immune system: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help prevent and fight cancer.

Okay, so sleep is good.  But how many people really get enough sleep??  Studies conducted have indicated the the majority of us are not getting enough quality sleep, which doesn't surprise me since we Americans lead these busy, go-go-go kind of lives.  I have said multiple times throughout my life that sleep seems to be the best friend I can never have.  When I haven't been pulling late nights studying as a college student or up with a crying baby in the middle of the night, I have suffered from insomnia off and on.  Interestingly enough, insomnia is often a symptom/indicator of sleep deprivation; how ironic is that!?  Sometimes I think, "well no wonder I feel like crap!  I NEED MORE SLEEP!"  So if you're needing to catch some extra "zzzz's" and need a few little pointers or guidelines, here are a few little tips I have learned about sleep from class after class after class, as well as from my own personal experience:

* Whatever sleep you can get, try to make it consistent.  I remember one of my professors saying that it would be better to consistently get 6 hours of sleep every night going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every morning, than to get an average of 7 hours of sleep a night but varying bedtime from 9pm one night to 12am the next to 10pm the next.  Our bodies run on an internal clock and the more we can keep scheduled wake and sleep hours the way our bodies like, the better they can function and the healthier we will be.  I remember an oncologist (cancer doctor) once speaking to a bunch of us nurses at a convention about the increased incidence of cancer in nurses who worked mixed night and day shifts (aka  nurses who had sporadic, varied times of sleep).  Thanks, doc.  I now have even a greater phobia of cancer.

* The average person needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night.  My body likes between 7-8, and everyone is different, so experiment a little.  You want enough sleep, but getting too much sleep can also be draining.

* Don't press the snooze!  It won't help you feel more rested.  In fact, notice that you'll often feel more drained throughout the day. That is because when you "snooze" for five more minutes, you are not allowing your body to run through a full "sleep cycle".  Did you know that while you sleep, your body goes through four different stages of sleep about every 90 minutes?  Getting multiple full sleep cycles every night is what helps our bodies to feel rested when we get up in the morning.  This is why a person who sleeps for 10 hours at night can still feel completely drained the next day if he was waking up every 1/2 hour at night: he was not going through complete sleep cycles.  He was not getting quality sleep!  So skip the snooze.  It's not going to help (but it sure is enticing sometimes!).

* Create a routine.  If you suffer from insomnia, it could be a symptom of sleep deprivation or it could be anxiety-related.  I think my insomnia comes from both. :)  And you know what has helped me the most?  The routine! 
     ~ Going to bed at the same time every night
     ~ Taking time to relax, meditate, or unwind so my mind isn't going a million miles a minute
     ~ Using a noise machine, soft music, anything consistent or repetitive to help me fall asleep.  For
        years, I would listen to the same religious talk on tape as I fell asleep.  I had heard it so many 
        times that my brain no longer paid close attention to every word, and the soft, quiet voice would
        put me out within minutes where it would have taken me an hour plus to fall asleep otherwise.

Sleep is really kind of my personal little soap box on health.  I swear by it.  Doesn't mean I always get it, but I swear by it.  I can honestly say that my health is ALWAYS better (and dramatically so) when I am getting enough, quality, consistent sleep.  And seeing as it is now 10pm, perhaps that is what I will go do right now. :)

Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!

Did you know that sugar is essential to your survival?  Your brain runs on sugar; and without it, your brain would cease to function and you would fall into a deep sleep and never wake up.  True story.  

But don't take it to mean that you should go down a box of Krispy Kremes with the excuse that you're just trying to keep your brain alive.  Lucky for you, (or unlucky, if you were wanting an excuse for a Krispy Kreme overload) the body is aaaaaamazing at controlling the level of glucose (sugar) that is constantly flowing through your veins to your vital organs....and your body doesn't require sugar in Krispy Kreme quantities to do so.  With the combined efforts of the liver and pancreas, the body can store and release glucose as needed so that it can enter into the body's cells (via the blood vessels--the body's "highway") and be used as energy.  

As many people may know, the pancreas's inability to release insulin (the hormone that allows sugar to enter the body's cells) results in type 1 diabetes.  Those with this type of diabetes are dependent on insulin injections to survive. Those who live with type 2 diabetes usually have a pancreas that works just fine, but their body's cells have become resistant to insulin usually as a result of a diet chronically high in sugar.  Many people with type 2 diabetes can manage their disease quite well with diet and exercise.  And then there are those of us who don't have diabetes.  As far as we're concerned, our body is processing its sugars just fine so we have nothing to worry about.  Right?

Well, not so.  Did you know that when the body undergoes increased amounts of stress that it can affect the health of vital organs (like the pancreas and liver) that control blood sugar?  I remember learning this truth right away when I first worked as an ICU nurse.  I had many young, healthy, athletic patients who had suffered multiple fractures and injuries from car accidents who had never been diagnosed with diabetes, yet their blood sugars were super high one hour (known as hyperglycemia) and would bottom out the next (hypoglycemia).  They hadn't suddenly developed diabetes; their bodies were just having a hard time regulating their blood sugars after suffering such stress and trauma.  The consequences of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) over a period of time include blood clots, circulation problems, and poor healing.  The consequences of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) are lightheadedness, dizziness, tiredness, and then eventually nighty-night brain and eventual death.  Yikes.

Well, unfortunately for us, our bodies don't have to experience extreme trauma before our organs begin to have a little trouble processing, storing, and utilizing our sugar.  Because pregnancy is taxing on the body, it isn't highly uncommon for mothers-to-be to experience hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.  Likewise, those with compromised immune systems, bad diets, and poor sleep habits can all be at risk for having unbalanced blood sugar (high or low).  It is my personal belief that many people are walking around having these issues without even knowing about it or knowing that it could someday escalate into full-blown diabetes, and trust me, you don't want diabetes. 

So here are a few "Holly Suggestions" to keeping your pancreas and liver healthy and to give your body an extra boost in controlling that blood sugar:

*Try to limit the simple carbohydrates in your diet (white bread, candy, cake, and, sadly, Krispy Kremes).  Simple sugars absorb into the bloodstream rather quickly giving you a nice sugar rush (and a momentarily-high blood sugar) and burst of energy.  Unfortunately, the energy dies down quickly and your pancreas has to work extra hard to keep the blood sugar stabilized.  Many people who tend to get a little hypoglycemic at times think that they need more simple sugars in their diet to help bring their blood sugar levels up, when in reality, they really need a diet less in simple sugars and consistently higher in the following:

*Get most of your carbs in your diet from whole grains (oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice) and hearty veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, broccoli, peas, beans, etc).  These more complex carbohydrates take longer to break down and absorb into the bloodstream.  The result is less stress on the pancreas and liver and a better ability to maintain a steady, healthy blood sugar level. 

*Cook with Coconut Oil.  Oh boy, this is my favorite!  I am obsessed with coconut anything.  I LOVE coconut, and lucky for me, coconut oil helps decrease the stress on the pancreas and is recommended by many chiropractors and naturopaths as a natural blood sugar stabilizer. 

*Cinnamon.  Okay, I don't know all the science behind this one, but it is a well-known blood-sugar stabilizer.  And did you know that cinnamon is a surprisingly delicious addition to savory dinner recipes!?  It's true.  So eat more cinnamon.

*Eat something every 3 hours.  I used to think my husband was ridiculous for always getting on my case about this, but it's true.  Sometimes I can lean on the side of hypoglycemia, but this never seems to happen when I'm making sure that I don't go unearthly-long stretches of time without eating.

*Get good sleep!  I am always getting on my husband's case about this one, only because it is my own personal belief that complete physical health consists of proper diet, proper exercise, and proper sleep.  And I don't believe any one is more important than the other!  7-8 hours every night.  Early to bed and early to rise, people.  You get your best sleep that way and I swear by making a habit of going to bed consistently at the same time every night (if you can help it) and not sleeping in regularly (again, if you can help it).  You'll feel better and your body will be better able to do its job to keep you alive and well and not just in the blood sugar department. :)

Guest Post: The Heavenly Infirmary

I have recently become well acquainted with someone else who has a passion for all aspects of health and is on her own mission to discover better health for herself.  She described to me her most wonderful analogy of finding peace and healing from physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering and I have asked her to write a guest post for this blog since she can explain it so much more eloquently than I can.  The following are her words about a "Heavenly Infirmary":


To the reader of this particular post: what I write here may seem a bit ethereal and "out there". I know. I have had the same reaction to it many times. But, after having truly experienced it for myself, I can no longer dispute it, nor would I wish to- I share this very private part of my existence, hoping to offer a venue of healing for the ravaged traveler out there.

In several different blogs, and elsewhere, I have alluded to difficult therapy. That is a compliment for some of what I have had to work through. My last therapist, while hating any organized religion, did love and serve God. In working with patients who have suffered miserably at the hands of others, my therapist has been given insights into how much Heaven really is a part of our daily lives, our happiness, and our healing, and what It will do to ensure that healing.

Probably the greatest gift this particular therapist has given me is a concrete knowledge of and experience of a Heavenly Infirmary. She had been, literally, trying for years to get me to go to this Infirmary in my mind and heart, to receive healing from some of the atrocities of my life. For whatever reason, I always resisted her. Maybe I did not fully believe in any power I might find there.

It was not until the last year or so that I finally gave in and went to the Infirmary. I did so because what was happening was so far beyond my scope of being able to help and I could not bear, for one second, the profound suffering that I saw. It dealt with a little child who had been so brutally beaten and broken that I knew he needed all the help that the Highest Being in the Universe could provide.

At the Infirmary, his little legs and body received the physical help and recovery he needed. While the physical hurts could not be completely washed away, they were tempered with understanding and spiritual balm.

As I witnessed the healing happening to him, I broke down and wept uncontrollably. I finally understood the power of this Infirmary. My therapist, a "tough old bird" was also very touched and moved as I recounted for her this experience.

I have not shared my feelings about the Infirmary with anyone besides her, other than with a trusted friend in the past day or so. I would like to share just a little about it here.

I believe that we, our souls, can and do exist on different planes, other than merely this mortal one. Given that, I also believe that spiritual and physical healing can also occur on these different planes. The Infirmary of which I speak, for me, exists on one of these planes. It is a very real place. I take myself there when I can find peace in no other place. I tell Heaven I need Their Help and that I am giving myself to Their comfort and care. I am greeted at the door by Their Love. I am taken in and given exactly that which I need.

In my experiences with the Infirmary, I have received rest from severe and debilitating physical pain that no medication has been able to touch. I have received loving chastisements, telling me what needs to change for me to be happy. I have received kind humor and familial intimacy from Them. They offer an unbridled and unconditioned support, love, and knowledge.

They give me a warm and fully functioning and safe place to be, away from heartache and hassles, until I am strong enough to again face them. When I leave the Infirmary, after receiving the help that I need and have asked for, I am never saddened with the good-bye.

In Their fully supplying love, They have given me the confidence of peace. I know when I need It again, I will be back. And, They will be there with outstretched hands and hearts.

Copyright © 2010 tba (URL: http://---.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information.

Feeling Buried Alive Never Die....

Ever heard of this book before?  I'm in the middle of reading it and I believe that some of the things I'm reading in this book may be the most important things I can learn to help me be the healthiest, most whole me that I can be. 

The book begins by reviewing studies that have been done which have recorded the physiologic changes that occur within the body when introduced to negative or positive thoughts and feelings.

According to this book, our feelings have a powerful effect on our bodies and subsequently, our health.  By recognizing and resolving negative feelings that we keep buried inside of us, we will regain and maintain emotional, mental, spiritual, and even physical health.

I feel the need to throw out a disclaimer....Remember my little post about the BS filter?  Welllll....I'm finding that I have to use it on this book a lot.  The author goes as far as saying that every disease (chronic or acute) and pain is a result of negative feelings that have been "buried" or shoved aside and not "dealt with".  Well, while I definitely can see how surrounding ourselves by negative energy through negative feelings can effect our health, I am not on board with the idea that all disease is a result of negative feelings.  I just don't buy that total, all-or-nothing philosophy.  In my opinion, everyone is different.  Everyone's body works differently and responds differently to its environment, habits, and diet.  What may be a healthy practice for someone, may not necessarily be the best health practice for another.  That's just my own thought and belief.....

I think this author is a lovely lady with amazing insights to help us get rid of buried feelings in order restore physical and mental health; however, she's just a little extreme for me.  There have been several times when I have thrown this book down and told Garrett, "I just can't read this anymore!  Some of this is just plain not true!"  I mean, there are more than just negative feelings that factor into the functioning of the body and the strength of the immune system!  But then I reminded myself to put up the BS Filter and absorb the truth that this book contains, because it does contain a lot and there is a lot I can learn from it.

I am stopping more during the day and becoming aware of my thoughts and the feelings that they produce.  When I dig up negative feelings (and I am surprised at how many of them I have!), I look for the root of them, and pray every night for the help and strength to get rid of them.  I'm not expecting that getting rid of these negative feelings will solve every physical malady.  I believe that illness and pain serves a purpose to help us learn, grow closer to our Maker, and to offer others the chance to serve us; so I believe that even a person with the most pure heart can be subject to physical pain and suffering for those very reasons.  However, I find that I am becoming more whole by ridding myself of unnecessary baggage (these feelings); and since the word "health" is derived from an Old English word that means "to be whole", then I guess in mind, spirit, and even body I will become a healthier person if I continue this practice.  Freeing my soul of the negativity that it harbors can only improve my mental, emotional, spiritual, and yes, even physical well-being.

Some of you may love every word of this book.  Others may be like me and think that some of this stuff is waaaaaay too far out there!  If you're thinking like me when you read this book, then I encourage you to not follow my example of throwing it and instead, simply allow yourself to say, "Um, okay.  A little weird." and continue reading.  There are some great things in this book; it is a pain to have to pick through some of the, um, oddness, but I think it's well worth it.

The Great Pill Debate

I am a nurse at an Alzheimer's home.  While completely different from my previous nursing experience in cancer and ICU, it is quite eye-opening and I am still learning a lot.  I have the greatest little old patients alive: one who calls me by "Unis", another who thinks we are best childhood friends and always asks me about my sister, and another little old man who is the resident "ladies' man" and has several women constantly trying to sit by him during bingo.  These people make my job awesome.  Period.

One big part of my job is, of course, managing medications.  Many medications I hand out are, no doubt, beneficial.  They help ease the anxiety, fear, and confusion that Alzheimer patients so often have.  Other medications are crucial for controlling diabetes.  Some, however, I wish I didn't have to give....


....I was setting up meds. the other day, and noted to my colleague what a bunch of bologna it was that one poor little lady had 15 pills to take that morning, most of them supplements: vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B, iron, potassium, a multivitamin for women, a multivitamin for the elderly, and on and on and on!!  (Just for the record, when I am 92 and--heaven forbid--if I ever have Alzheimer's, please do not shove 15 horse pills down my throat every morning.  I refuse!)  Some of you may be thinking, "But, Holly, vitamins are good!  Essential!  They make us healthier!"  To which I respond, "Yes, you're right.  But is it essential to get vitamins and minerals in pill form every day?"  In my humble opinion, the answer is simply,"yes" and "no".
Contradictory, I know.  But not really.  At all.  Okay, explanation:

While many people are moving away from the tendency to run to their MD for a prescription for every little malady, what they don't realize is that they are then often running straight into the arms of a million supplements that may not always be the best thing for them either.  Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent supplement companies--that my husband has become acquainted with through chiropractic school--that offer very beneficial products, which I will get into later.  But if there is one thing that nutrition classes, seminars, and books have taught me (often via my husband), it is that the best "multivitamin" we can give our bodies is a colorful, diverse diet full of all the nutrition a healthy body needs.  If a non-symptomatic (or generally healthy) person is eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, and meat (I know vegetarians would disagree on this one), then is there really a need to take a daily multivitamin??  I don't believe so.

Besides providing energy, food's greatest purpose is to give us the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients we need in a readily available, and most easy-to-absorb way possible.  It is far better to get your vitamins from a natural, whole food source rather than a lab-made supplement that is structurally identical to that particular vitamin.  It's just more natural.  Yes?  So if you're generally healthy and looking to make sure your body is getting all the good stuff it needs, I'd say shy away from the 15 pills a day.  Try new fruits, new vegetables, new grains, and different herbs to your diet.  The greater the variety of food you eat, the more likely it is that you'll be getting all the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.  Within the past few months, we have really tried this in our home and it is wonderful to rediscover all different varieties of foods after being stuck in a rut of just cooking enchiladas, stew, and chicken pot pie for years.

So then, what about all the research that shows all the benefits that taking zinc and vitamin c supplements has in boosting the immune system and fighting off disease?  Well, that's where I say, bravo!  Supplements can be a wonderful thing.....most especially to someone in an immune-compromised state, someone who is ill or struggling with pain, or someone who may merely be deficient in certain nutrients.  So if you are not feeling completely healthy and are looking for supplements to boost your health, strength, and physical well-being, then I suggest doing some shopping before you start popping the pills that are on the pharmacy isle in the grocery store.

I'm still sorting out which supplements and providers I think are "the best", but here are a few to look into that are available through naturopathic and chiropractic doctors.  (I would recommend supplements that are available through a practitioner.  They often have the most research and science-based evidence to back their effectiveness.  The reason some of these companies like to supply their products through a practitioner is to ensure that their products are used properly and that their use is monitored since supplements can have a very potent effect on the body just like a drug your MD would prescribe.)


Standard Process:  This company boasts of using whole foods to create all their supplements, which basically means that their multivitamin is made of mashed up plants, animal organs, etc.  It sounds kind of gross, but it follows with the idea that the best source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients comes from our food.  These supplements often do not provide the high doses that would be most beneficial for those who have more compromised health or chronic conditions.  I do recommend their cod liver oil, which is especially beneficial for women. 

Metagenics:  This company, in conjunction with Nutrition Dynamics, offers a wide variety of products: supplements, "green drinks", antioxidant creams, cleanses, protein powders, fish oil, and essential oils.  Their supplements are excellent, containing the higher doses of vitamins and herbs needed for those suffering from chronic and acute illness.  There is a lot of great research that backs the efficacy of their products and both Garrett and myself have been very impressed with the quality and purity of their products and the lack of "crap" that are so often included in many other supplements (extra sugar, fake sugar, preservatives, food coloring).

Apex:  This is a newer company that also offers a variety of supplements.  I don't know much about them as we are just starting to use some of their products for trial, but so far, so good!  It seems to be a quality company.


So those are just a few supplement companies that may be worth asking your practitioner about.  I would advise anyone to approach the pill-poppin' with caution.  I truly believe that the less pills and powders we can put in our bodies and the more variety of foods that we can eat, the better.  But I also believe that the Lord inspired the men and women who discovered modern medicine as well as those who have tapped into the healing powers of natural supplements and herbs in order to help restore our bodies to physical health.

Yoga, and more on deep breathing

I used to think that the idea of yoga was a joke.

I'm supposed to get a good workout by slowly moving, stretching and doing that woowie-woowie "kumbaya" meditation thing!?  Sounds like a workout-for-wussies to me! No thanks!  To me, working out was running and lifting weights and hiking and biking.  But then about 4 years ago when my knee was loudly protesting that I run a mile more and I began to look for a new way to workout, I decided to give that wacky yoga stuff a try.

And guess what?

I was wrong about it!  

Yoga is a killer workout that pushes your muscles to the limits, builds strength and balance, makes you more flexible than you thought possible, and leaves you completely exhausted yet refreshed (and less prone to injury, I might add!).  Yoga is not for wussies.  I became an instant fan. 

While yoga gives me the physical challenge and sweat dripping down my face that I like in a workout,

I think the biggest reason I love it is because it puts me in tune with myself--body, mind, spirit--and helps me to surrender and release stresses that weigh me down.  I know, it's so new-agey, granola-y, woowie-woowie.  I used to repel it, too.  But allow me to explain...

When I go running (which isn't often, thanks to my crap-tastic knee), I like to think about life, what I've done that day, what I need to do, what I'm feeling, etc, etc.  Running can be a good way to think and meditate, but in a different way than yoga.  When I run, I'm focused on running and my wandering thoughts and I breathe to keep up with the demands that running is placing on my body for oxygen.  The faster I run, the faster and harder I breathe.  Right?  Well, one of the things that took some getting used to with yoga is that instead of the breath reflecting the exertion or movement, each movement flows in rhythm with the breath. 

The yoga breath consists of deep, diaphragmatic breathing through the nose (mouth closed), and then breathing out through the nose as you raise the soft palate and hollow out the back of the throat, creating an "oceanic"--and, in my opinion--almost growly sound through the closed mouth.  (One of my yoga teachers is always telling us that she wants to be able to hear our breaths out as she walks around the studio.)  This type of breathing is not only designed to help provide the best oxygenation to the body as it works out, but to keep the individual focused on the breath--deep inhalations followed by complete exhalations--and focused on the present moment.

You see, yoga isn't really a time to contemplate all the day's happenings and all aspects of your life (like running is for me).  Yoga is a time to quiet the mind, focus on the breath as you work through movements, and allow yourself to surrender to the challenge, pain, and discomfort of each pose and stretch.  It is so hard!  I find myself starting to go through the laundry list of things to do today, tomorrow, or next week, and then I suddenly find my breathing frantic and the posture unbearable and painful.  It is only when I go back to that deep breathing, bring myself to the present moment, and surrender those muscles that are fighting the posture or pose that I can get the best yoga workout possible.

For a long time, I didn't understand how yoga was supposed to be a form of meditation and personal growth when all I'm doing is focusing on my breath, my movement, and kind of thinking about nothing!!  I mean, I consider a productive mind to be one that is going a million miles a minute!  But interestingly enough, when I dedicate the beginning of my workout to letting go and staying present, I come out of yoga feeling less frustrated, less angry, less emotionally hurt, and less stressed than when I had entered.  And oddly enough, it isn't because I had to think of how to resolve those feelings or circumstances; it was simply because I was able to quiet myself, be present for an hour, and let go.  Somehow, with the act of physically letting go, emotionally and mentally "letting go" just follows naturally (at least for me). 

It's still hard for me to be present and keep that deep yoga brath going the whole time, but I really love yoga and how it has helped me to stay physically fit while quieting my mind and strengthening the health of my soul.  
For those other yoga fans out there, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  And for those of you who haven't tried yoga because you think it's going to be weird: it's okay.  You're just like me :)  Just know that when you someday do decide to give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.

For those of you looking to get into yoga or to do yoga more often, I highly recommend the book "Power Yoga: Total Strength and Flexibility Workout" by Beryl Bender Birch.

The Breath

Since long before my husband and I ever dated, he would sometimes tell me that if I wanted to be healthier and more fit, I needed to take deeper breaths.  I thought, "Um, okaaay. weirdo."  Once when we were working out, he explained to me that Chinese monks are among some of the healthiest and longest-living people on the planet.  Several factors probably play into their health and longevity: nutrition, frequent meditation, and deep breathing. 

Our lungs have different lobes--or compartments--full of tiny sacs (called alveoli) that fill with air when we breathe in.  The left lung has two lobes, and the right lung has three.  The average American (me included) uses our accessory muscles (the small muscles in between the ribs and the neck muscles) when we breathe in, usually only filling the top lobes of the lungs with air.  This is why when we breathe, it is our chest that rises and falls.  While we seem to be getting the air we need to survive and feel fine, we are failing to use the bottom lobes of our lungs--the lobes that actually have the highest concentration of alveoli and therefore the greatest potential to bring the most oxygen to the body's cells.  

Those who practice deep or diaphragmatic breathing (like Chinese monks) primarily use their diaphragm (layer of muscle under the lungs) when they breathe.  They fill the lower lobes of the lung with air first and it is their abdomen that visibly rises and falls as they breathe.  Essentially, they are getting the most oxygen possible to their body with each breath.
 
Have you ever seen those oxygen booths at malls?  Or heard the claims that getting those boosts of oxygen help prevent illness or speed recovery from it?  Well, it is true.  Getting the optimal amount of oxygen to your body's cells does promote health and prevent disease.  In several functional medicine seminars that Garrett has attended, practitioners have reiterated that before any illness or disease state can be treated effectively or healed, situations that compromise or prevent the body's ability to properly oxygenate (like anemia) need to be reversed.  However, getting a little oxygen boost from a booth is not necessarily needed to prevent illness or speed recovery.  Many people would find similar beneficial results if they practiced deep breathing on a daily basis.  What a novel idea!  We could all be healthier if we just started breathing the way nature intended us to!

Not only does diaphragmatic breathing have the physiologic benefits of getting lots of yummy oxygen to our cells (because I bet that for our cells, oxygen is yummy like a big juicy steak is yummy to me), but in my experience, there are emotional, psychological, and even spiritual benefits as well.  I know it sounds all a little 'woo-wee-woo-wee" weird, but it's true.  I think that those Chinese monks not only get good oxygenation from their efficient breaths, but that they also quiet their minds and get in better tune with themselves through this practice.  You know, like how when the baby rips her diaper off and tracks poop all over the house and you husband tells you to take a few deep breaths?  You know how those deep breaths really do keep you from losing it and kind of have a calming effect??  Imagine if you did this all the time!  Would this solve the problem of overly-busy-and-frustrated moms everywhere!?!  Or would deep breathing help us all to be a little less stressed and more at peace with our lives no matter what the circumstances?  It's a thought!

(Deep breathing on top of a mountain? Yes, please.)

Because making a goal to "only take deep breaths from this day forward" may be a little too ambitious for most, perhaps spending a little time to take deep, abdominal breaths every day would be a good place to start. You can begin this practice in conjunction with meditation, Qigong, or yoga.  And folks, I am preaching to the choir here.  While I do yoga a few times a week, I am a very shallow breather by nature and definitely need to start taking time daily to practice deeper breathing.  Could this be the answer--or at least one of the answers--to my better health??  Maybe.  Besides, I think the free, deep breathing method is much more appealing than the more expensive, oxygen booth method....