For Mothers- And All Those Who Had One

When I was thinking about what to write for Mother's Day, I came across this charming piece written by Erma Bombeck. I hope that you enjoy it and will feel free to pass it on to your own Mother, with the warmest of wishes.

We have a Mother's Day special of $25 off Saliva Hormone Testing. Normally $225, it is $200 for the rest of the month of May. Since hormones rule the body, getting saliva testing can not only guide us in handling unwanted symptoms, they can also provide insight on anti-aging strategies. Being a Mom is a big job, and never really ends!

“When God Created Mothers"

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of "overtime" when the angel appeared and said. "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And God said, "Have you read the specs on this order?" She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts...all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head slowly and said. "Six pairs of hands.... no way."

It's not the hands that are causing me problems," God remarked, "it's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."

That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. God nodded.

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, 'What are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. 'I understand and I love you' without so much as uttering a word."

God," said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "Get some rest tomorrow...."

I can't," said God, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger...and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.

But tough!" said God excitedly. "You can imagine what this mother can do or endure."

Can it think?"

Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.

There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model."

It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."

What's it for?"

It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

You are a genius, " said the angel.

Somberly, God said, "I didn't put it there.”
― Erma Bombeck, When God Created Mothers

No More Congestion! Natural Help for Allergies

Don’t you love the baby green leaves and lovely Spring blossoms this time of year? It may be a feast for the eyes, but for sensitive noses, Spring is no picnic.  According to Web MD, one fifth of all Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. The cost of allergies to the health care system and business is  $7.9 billion dollars. http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergy-statistics

When you are congested, have a runny nose, itchy eyes and are too miserable to concentrate, you want relief. So, allergy medications are well advertised, and well purchased. But they don’t produce wellness and, and may actually make allergies worse in the long run because they don’t address the root cause.

Recently I have been able to help many patients handle their allergies by using a combination of Allerplex and some herbal medicines such as Albizia or Euphrasia.  And there are homeopathic medicines like Sinusalia and Cold Calm, which help with symptomatic relief as needed. Many people are able to kick their allergy medications altogether. These supplements help to remove the over-load in the sinuses and reduce inflammation. Allergies are like adding gasoline to a fire. A system that is already inflamed just reacts harder when a new irritant is added.

If you are having trouble sleeping, consider that you may have allergies. I have recently found that many people are sleeping better taking Allerplex, even if they do not have the symptoms of full-blown allergies. If you do get congested at night, or have post-nasal drip, Allerplex can help.

To really get to the core of allergies, it is often necessary to address the digestive system. The immune system is usually over-burdened when there are allergies, and that may occur when food or toxins are not broken down completely in the digestive tract. Then particles slip into the blood stream through the gut wall, and that causes havoc. The inside of our gut is actually supposed to be a pipeline to allow nutrients into the system and only very selective nutrients should pass the protective gateway of the gut lining. But the system is compromised by over-use of vaccination, antibiotics, chemicals and processed foods. You may have heard of this condition, named “leaky gut”.

The gut can be repaired, by improving diet, detoxification and limiting exposure to toxins and irritants.  There are simple steps that can be taken, like adding in good quality fish oil and taking digestive enzymes with every meal. Probiotics may help. Often it is fungus, not bacteria, which is causing sinus congestion and inflammation. So, taking antibiotics may make the problem worse in the long run.

Limiting dairy, wheat, and/or sugar is another step. One of the best things you can do for your allergies is a cleanse, like our Purification and Detox program. Spring is a perfect time to cleanse, and programs take from two weeks to a month. Not only will you breathe better, you will sleep better, have more energy and lose weight, all while eating plenty of whole foods.

Drugging your allergies is a short-term solution and all drugs are chemical toxins with long-term consequences. Your immune system cannot get stronger until you give it support with natural medicine. You don’t have to suffer, and you can have a sneeze-free, drug-free, uncongested life!

Real Help to Quit Smoking

Many of you have loved ones who smoke and have expressed concern about their health and future.

Smoking was made cool and glamorous by pure propaganda from the original “spin” doctor, Edward Bernays, who was a nephew of Sigmund Freud. He studied the subject of how to influence people in crowds, when their inhibitions were reduced, and behavior altered. He also proposed methods to influence the subconscious mind. Soldiers were given free cigarettes in their packs during World War I. Bernay’s secretary and a couple of other women smoked in public during the famous Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Bernays had them photographed for the newspaper and suddenly it was acceptable for women to smoke. Now lung cancer is the number one cancer for women.

So, here are some tips to pass on to smokers you care about.

Fish oil reduced cravings for nicotine in a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. After one month on high dose fish oil there were fewer cigarette cravings, even when exposed to common triggers. The fish oil contained 2,710 mg EPA and 2,040 DHA. http://www.betternutrition.com/fish-oil-may-help-smokers-quit/

Homeopathic medicine can be used to quit smoking. Lobelia 30c, Tabacum 30c and Carbo Vegetabilis 30c can be taken alternately through the day. All homeopathic medicines must be taken away from any food drink or other things used orally, such as tooth brushing or gum chewing. These remedies are available at Health food stores or online.

Gall bladder/liver cleanses or general detoxes may be effective to help people quit, by reducing general toxicity. The lungs of a smoker are filled with tar. The body seems to crave toxins when it is most toxic.

Balancing blood sugar and improving nutrition may help smokers by reducing cravings. When the body has a drop in energy, it seeks a quick fix. Sugar, alcohol and other drugs are craved more when blood sugar is low or when the diet is low in nutrients. Eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, protein and good fats will help keep nutrient levels and blood sugar at healthy levels. Supplements can be included, including minerals such as zinc, potassium and iodine.

This is why so many people gain weight when they quit smoking. Addiction is hard to beat completely, so a substitute is often found. Sugar is a common and acceptable substitute for alcohol or cigarettes. So, it is very helpful to do a cleanse and increase nutrition, with fish oil and other supplements.  Dr. Royal Lee formulated a supplement called Pneumotrophin, specifically to help heal the damage to the lungs from cigarettes. We use a lot of Pneumotrophin in the practice, because so many viral coughs from recent flu seasons seem to linger. Some of you have used Pneumotrophin for these coughs, as it will often knock out bronchitis or cough from flu more effectively than antibiotics.

Doing a real program, rather than just quitting cold turkey, may be the key to long term non-smoking status. Don’t fall into the Vapor cigarette trap or the marijuana trap. Breathing smoke of any kind into the lungs is a very bad idea, health-wise. There is no smoke that is healthy for lung tissue. Lungs not only allow us to breath oxygen, they also filter the air we breathe, and allow the oxygen to pass into the blood to be carried to all the cells in the body. To function correctly, and prevent cancer and malignancy, the cells must have oxygen. So smoking interferes with a vital function of life and survival.

Take a few deep breaths and notice how you feel.  If you have any other tips for quitting smoking, let me know and I will pass them along.