How Your Thyroid Can Be Your Best Friend

I love the thyroid gland. It is like the conductor to your hormonal orchestra. The thyroid has many important functions from regulating metabolism to supporting your immune system and keeping you cheerful and full of energy. Helping your thyroid to work well is vital for long-term health. Most people do notice the symptoms of low thyroid function. But if their blood work comes back normal and their MD says it is not an issue, what does that mean?

Blood work identifies disease markers. It does not identify functional issues. But long before a disease sets in, there have been signs and symptoms that function was off. Medication is not the answer, and if you do medicate it may mean staying on medication for a life-time.

This is where Natural medicine is the answer. There is a large gap between perfect health and a serious disease state. And many people fall into that gap, with no answers until the situation worsens and a disease does occur.

So, prevention is staying up-stream from disease. You have to know where you are at before you can know which direction to go. Symptoms can help you to get your bearings and find a course of action that will not only prevent you from getting worse, but also greatly enhance your energy, and your life. Since you are not taking any dangerous medication, there is no liability in using natural and nutritional medicine.

First of all, it is important that you do get some proper medical care if you have serious symptoms. An enlarged thyroid, unexplained weight loss with severe dry hair and skin would be thyroid symptoms that require evaluation by an MD. Blood tests can identify or rule out serious conditions, and that is important.

For those of you who have symptoms that do not resolve, but your blood work is normal, here are some of the things to look for.

Easily fatigued

Depression and mood swings

Weight gain and difficulty losing weight

PMS

Sleepy during the day

Sensitive to cold

Constipation

Dry skin

Reduced initiative

Hard to think or remember

Thinning hair

Waking up unrefreshed

Restless sleep

Morning headaches

If you have these symptoms, book a free 15 minute consultation to find out if natural medicine can help you at 818-562-1400.

Many people who are overweight do have low-function thyroid. And doing a natural thyroid program may help the weight come off more easily. It will also improve general health and disease resistance. So, it is well worth exploring the possibility of thyroid issues.

Slimmer people may also have thyroid issues. Sometimes the thyroid can be over-active, and that is just as unhealthy. Or else they have other things they are doing to speed their metabolism and weight has not yet become an issue. This might change after childbirth or menopause.

Every gland in your body has the job of producing chemical messages that can race through the blood and bind with other glands and organs and tell them what to do next. Think if hormones like carrier pigeons. In order to get the message at the other end, there must be a place for the birds to land. So, organs like the heart and liver, and other glands like the ovaries and adrenals, have receptor sites on their cells. The hormone-bird lands, and the message can be read.

Today we have many substances in our food supply and environment that hog the landing site for the hormones by blocking the cell receptors. Plastics, soy products and synthetic hormones used in products like birth control pills, fall into this category. So, the glands are trying to send messages to each other and there is no place to land. Then the gland sending the message may start sending louder messages (more hormones) to try and get through.

If there are deficiencies of minerals, proteins, fats or vitamins, there may not be building material to make hormones, and the gland itself may be too tired to do its job. This is pretty easily remedied by changing eating habits, lifestyle and adding in natural medicine and herbal support in the form of concentrates that have the exact nutrients needed for healthy glands and strong, active hormones.

We can help. We love thyroids and we can help you get the life you enjoy with a healthy thyroid that works like it is supposed to. Call us at 818-562-1400.

Easy Colon Cleanse-10% Off

Good Way to Start 2015!

In my last blog I wrote about the importance of colon health. Our processed foods and stressful lifestyles make it difficult to stay healthy. I know that it may be difficult for many people to commit to a full detox program, so I have been researching an easy colon cleanse that anyone can do.

Benefits include less bloat easier weight loss, immune support, better digestion, and you may even find improved sleep and energy.

The products include a herbal Cleanse supplement, only two capsules per day, some great Probiotics, and digestive enzymes.  You take the products for a month. Ideally you eat a very healthy diet during that month of protein, vegetables, good fats and fruit and avoid alcohol, grains, sugar and coffee as much as possible. You can add in the SP Complete super nutritious shake if you like and juicing is a great idea.

Even if you cannot stick to the diet completely, at least you are doing something to improve your health and lower cancer risk. There should be no uncomfortable side-effects.

We can mail out the products to you if you cannot make it in to the office. So, let us know if you want a healthier intestine as a good start to 2015. Mention this blog and get 10% off the price of the supplements for the cleanse!

How Can You Avoid Colon Cancer?

One of the cancers that may be most easily prevented with diet and lifestyle changes is colorectal cancer-cancer of the large intestine and rectum.
This is the fifth most common type of cancer and the third leading cause of death in the United States.
 
When you consider the number of people who are constipated, and the Frankenstein foods that people eat, this may not be so surprising.
 
Cancer is a systemic disease, which means that the whole system is over-burdened and toxic to the point that rogue cells take hold and develop their own “entity” within the body. Your food and your blood are hijacked to feed the new entity or tumor. Of course, the host eventually dies, and so does the new colony. It is one of the oddities of Nature, considering that survival is the usual operating modality.
 
Unburdening your toxic load is one of your best defenses against this, and any other type, of cancer. Studies indicate that eliminating highly processed meats, refined sugars and commercial grains such as wheat, corn, rice, and soy may lower risk. Maintaining a healthy weight is a factor, and eliminating refined starches and sugars would help with weight control.
 
In recent years red meat has been considered a risk factor, but a review of the history of human health and nutrition did not correlate, since humans have eaten higher meat diets in the past, with little historical evidence of cancer. Studies show that it is the preparation of meat that is a factor. Meat that is heavily browned on the surface and over-cooked increases risk. When meat is over-cooked the proteins and amino acids are broken down and can no longer be utilized in the body for repair and nutrition.
 
High protein intake over-all was not associated with risk, but even seemed protective in some studies.[i] Consumption of fish and poultry as alternatives to red meat showed some protection. Fish Oil supplementation seemed to decrease risk in women, but also decreased inflammation in both sexes, and therefore may be generally helpful.
 
Intake of fiber from fresh vegetables and whole fruits appear to be protective of other gastrointestinal issues such as constipation and diverticulitis. However, the high fiber supplementation theory for cancer protection has not borne out. However, diets high in fruits and vegetables were associated with slightly lowered risk of colorectal cancer. Since certain vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts have sulfur compounds, which are necessary for PhaseII Liver detoxification, these vegetables may have potential in cancer prevention for all types of cancer. Phase II liver detoxification is the stage when toxins are fully broken down by enzymes so that waste products can be eliminated rather than stored in the body. Stored toxins cause cellular damage and clog the matrix between the cells, trapping waste and preventing nutrients from reaching the individual cells. Since organic food lowers the exposure to pesticide contamination, buying organic may contribute to lowered cancer risk.
 
Inflammation appears to be an issue in cancer and intake of B vitamins that decrease inflammation such as folate are associated with lower risk. Naturally occurring folate is not the same as synthetic folic acid, and folate is what was found to lower cancer risk. Organic eggs are a good source, as well as dark green veggies such as kale, spinach and broccoli. Look for unfortified Brewer’s Yeast, too. Brewers Yeast is also a good source of selenium, which was associated with a 50% reduction in colon cancer in one study.
 
Note that red meat contains natural B vitamins, particularly the organ meat of the animal. Liver is very nutrient dense. The fact that we no longer consume the most nutritious parts of the animal may be one reason we see more colon cancer now than we did in past times when people did not avoid any eatable part of the animal. Organ meat was often preferred for its nutrient value.
 
Alcohol is a risk, but the amount is not determined. High consumption is definitely a factor, and alcohol metabolism will burn folate and other B vitamins. Whether two or less drinks per day are a risk is undetermined.
 
Evidence suggests that a high level of physical activity lowers risk, even when weight is not managed in normal ranges.
 
So, we can conclude that lifestyle and dietary changes can lower the risk of developing colon and rectal cancer, and may lower it significantly. Basic and common sense changes towards organic whole foods bring about generally improved health and vitality. The same smart choices are the key to colon health.
 
If your colon is not functioning well, see your health practitioner. A colonoscopy may check for risks, but it will not prevent problems that could develop into cancer. We blame our intestine for bloat and indigestion. But any problems are just a reflection of what we are eating and our degree of toxic exposures. Colon cancer may be almost completely preventable. It was virtually unknown in cultures where people ate all natural diets of unprocessed foods. Next time I will tell your more about how to undo the damage already done. It takes guts to have a long and healthy life.
 
Warmly;

Anne

 

Is Your Health "Muscle" Flabby or Firm?

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful, magical, relaxing, fun-filled Christmas and New Year Holiday. Isn’t that what we most of us want from our holidays? That they are lots of fun, and yet relaxing at the same time?

If you indulged greatly, you may be wishing that you had spent more time at the gym instead of sipping eggnog, but who has time during this season? And studies show that the amount of calories available to us between Thanksgiving and Christmas can’t be offset by workouts. You still have to choose wisely what you put on your plate.[i]

Like 75% of Americans, I gained a few pounds over Christmas. But this blog isn’t about weight-it is about health. Just like your butt and biceps get flabby when you don’t work out, your health gets “flabby” when you don’t exercise it.

You know how you feel when you have neglected your health. Over-fed, bloated, tired, crabby, stiff, wooden, depressed, foggy, with difficulty sleeping, mood-swings, and a range symptoms of allergies or illness.

You don’t have to have a buff body to flex your health muscle. And, just like with exercise, you can’t get strong over-night. It takes consistency and dedication to build any kind of muscle. Building health will take some sacrifice. Everything worth pursuing takes sacrifice. Achieving goals always means traveling along a narrow channel and avoiding the distractions on either side.

So, here is my “prescription” for 2015. Embrace health. There has never been more to gain, or more to lose. We now know that mental and emotional health is very influenced by our physical health. You can be sharper, happier, less stressed as well as symptom-free.

It is true that many people from the Baby Boomers and Generation X are going to be living into their 90’s. One of my friends just lost his 94-year old mother. She passed at home, in her sleep. She was on no medication and raised her son on healthy food and supplements.  

Television is full of commercials about saving for your retirement years, because the money may run out before your heart gives out. But all the money in the world won’t buy back your health, if your body can’t function. And there are no medications that repair the body at a cellular level. Only organic living food, healthy life-style choices, and personal spirituality can give you a body tough enough to make middle and old age bearable, or even enjoyable.

Life is an Olympic event. Embrace health. Don’t make it a negative- make it a positive. Being your best and feeling your best means demanding for yourself.

Pick just one or two changes at a time, if you have a long road back to health. Drink more water, cook organic food at home more, walk and stretch more, smile more, hug more, breathe more, eat greens more, detox more, eat more healthy fat, sleep more. Health is life. All around us people are selling little bits of non-life in the form of chemicals, toxins and adulterated products that tease the senses, but make them dull over time. And those bits of tasty chemicals will erode our health, leaving us starved of the vitality that keeps a body strong and energetic.

Fresh, real, and alive food is the best medicine you can give yourself, and leads to the best quality of life. Choose a way to flex your health muscle every day. And let 2015 be the year that, despite being a year older, you became healthier and happier. That is my fondest wish for you.

[i] http://greatist.com/health/holiday-weight-gain-study-120513