Blog 104 Staying Healthy in 2020 and 2021

 

This Fall and Winter 2020 as well as most or all 2021 will be especially challenging for many of us, so in this blog, I will share some information that can be used to support physical and mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.  In some cases, your survival may depend on the strength of your physical and emotional health, and especially on the health of your immune system.  It is important to start improving or rebuilding your health now if you are immunocompromised, a senior, or have other comorbidities, such as obesity, diabetes, or other degenerative or autoimmune conditions. 

 

First, stay away from toxic or immune-suppressing substances, such as tobacco, alcohol, white sugar, pesticides, medications or combinations of medications which may injure the lungs or other internal organs or elevate the blood pressure, junk or fast foods, almost all vegetable oils except flax and olive, and many other substances, including processed foods that inflame your body or overwhelm your liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and internal organs and systems. 

 

Nutritional support is essential for improving or rebuilding your health and strength.  Whole foods grown organically or biodynamically, without the use of chemical fertilizers or toxic pesticides will be most beneficial for you.  Different people find that different diets benefit them most.  Some do well on a Mediterranean diet, others on a strict vegetarian or pescatarian diet.  Some people need to avoid gluten or dairy, and others do best eating during only a limited time frame each day, such as from 7 am until 7 pm or even a smaller time frame.  Currently, with the compromised soil and air, almost everyone needs nutritional supplements to support their health.  A high quality multivitamin with herbs, such as that sold by The Synergy Company, Standard Process or Metagenics can be a good baseline on which to build.  A good source of omega-3 fatty acids will also be beneficial.  Wild caught small fish from relatively pristine waters (with microplastics, nothing is completely pristine anymore), high quality fish oil (most are very poor quality, so do your research and be discerning) or organic flax seed oil are  sources of omega-3 fatty acids.  Some people need other, more specific substances to support particular internal organs.  These can be herbs and also protomorphogens or extracts from bovine, porcine or other animal organs such as liver, kidneys, thymus, bone, and more.  Also, make sure to stay hydrated.  Juicing organic juices, especially from leafy greens plus some root vegetables and apples, is another good source of nutrients. 

 

Sufficient sleep is essential for good health.  Some ways to improve the quality of sleep is to keep cell phones and computers out of the bedroom, keep the television turned off at night, eat your last meal several hours before you go to sleep, keep your mind on positive things, such as thankfulness, love and caring that you feel for others and that others feel for you, inspirational literature, gentle harmonious music, and relaxing evening walks or stretches.  Additionally, avoid most alcohol and restrict caffeine intake to before noon.  Regular, relatively vigorous exercise earlier in the day can also help you sleep well at night. 

 

Practicing deep, relaxed abdominal breathing several times a day can help with sleep quality, as well as support your health during your waking hours.  We all need oxygen to support our cells as they undergo repair and growth.  Low oxygen is more conducive to the development of diseases such as autoimmune ailments, cancer, and dementia.   Cultivate strong, healthy posture, avoid wearing extremely tight clothes and become gently more and more aware of your breathing.  Consider learning and practicing a daily simple meditation or some daily progressive relaxation self-hypnosis to support yourself in becoming more relaxed physically and mentally. 

 

Chiropractic adjusting and acupuncture therapy can help you relax physically and mentally as well as support you in learning to breathe abdominally.  In addition, proper nutrition plus chiropractic and/or acupuncture have a synergistic effect in improving your energy level, supporting your immune system, and helping you absorb and assimilate food and supplements. 

 

This blog’s offer: to help stay healthy during this pandemic, contact me with questions about nutritional supplements, self-hypnosis instruction, chiropractic adjusting, acupuncture therapy, Chi Gong instruction, Strong Posture classes and more. 

 

Blog # 103  Rhinoceros, Tiger, Mountain Gorilla, Honeybee, Squirrel…..

 

What do these names have in common?  They are animals or insects, and three are very endangered, nearing extinction.  A fourth, the honeybee, is threatened.  This year, the fifth, squirrels, have become scarce in many parts of Chicago.  Well, let me change that - there have been quite a few dead squirrels spotted in Chicago this year, according to “Squirrel Patrol”, a division of the online Nextdoor, which is looking for squirrels on the north east part of Chicago. 

 

Now, what does this have to do with our health?  Plenty.  You see, when an animal, insect or plant is disappearing without obvious explanation, it is important to find out why their numbers are decreasing.  Sometimes, a fairly obvious cause can be found, such as hunting rhinoceros for their horns or mountain gorillas for their feet and other body parts.  Sometimes loss of habitat is also a main factor, such in the case of tigers.  And sometimes many factors contribute to a more toxic and less supportive environment, which makes creatures, such as honeybees, increasingly vulnerable to parasites and disease.  Cut and paste the link below to your browser to learn more about the decreasing bee population. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140502-what-if-bees-went-extinct

 

When the environment is no longer supportive or even destructive for plants, insects and non-human animals, what are the odds that humans will also be impacted?  Since our life cycles are longer than most insects and many animals, and since, unlike plants, we can move away from some dangers, such as fires and floods, the impact on human life is not initially so obvious.  But sometimes the negative effects on human lives are very obvious.  Although viruses are manipulated in labs, there are plenty that we humans acquire from animals like bats and monkeys upon whose habitats we have encroached.  A combination of irresponsible extraction of Earth’s resources and using water, air, and earth as garbage and toxic waste dumping grounds is pushing our planet quickly toward problematic climate change, in particular, global warming.  Some signs of these changes are increasing numbers of storms, hurricanes and tornados.  Wildfires are also becoming much more plentiful and severe, starting earlier and lasting longer than in the past.  Their impact (homes destroyed, lives lost) is felt by humans especially dramatically when we chose to live close to wilderness areas, thus encroaching on homes of animals and plants and threatening their health and even their very existence.  This trespassing eventually results in threats to human health, and sometimes, to human homes and lives.  And so the cycle continues, gaining momentum. 

 

I’ve thought about the reason for the precipitous decrease in squirrel population in some areas of Chicago (some people have also reported a decrease in skunk, racoon and opossum populations) and I have concluded that several factors are involved.  The current pandemic of coronavirus has resulted in many people staying at home, either due to job loss or having to work from home.  Because of this, people are eating at home and disposing of more trash than usual in their residential neighborhoods.  This increased residential trash has resulted in an explosion of the local rat populations, which many people address with rat poison.  Since people are not out and about to feed squirrels this year, the squirrels seek food elsewhere, and some, maybe many, encounter and partake of rat poisoned bait that may be placed in dumpsters, crawlspaces or other places where rats and mice travel and dine. Squirrels too, may be poisoned.  Which may explain, at least in part, the many dead squirrels people have seen this summer and early fall.  This may also be an explanation for the missing skunks, opossums and racoons in some parts of Chicago.  These three types of animals sometimes eat rats and mice, and it’s possible that they are being poisoned by some of the dead rats they consume.  Raptors, too may partake of poisoned animals and consequently suffer neurological damage, which generally will prevent their survival.  The link below will connect you to a site that has some interesting, usually non-toxic suggestions for catching rats and mice.  The Uhlik Repeater trap is no kill, and may be one of the best to use.  And let’s not forget cats as an excellent type of rodent control.  Hopefully they will not be damaged or killed by consuming poisoned rats and mice. 

 

youtube mouse trap Monday

 

This blog’s offer:  call or email me for more information on the above scenario, or for any other reason, including getting a good, health supportive chiropractic and/or acupuncture treatment that will help you resist infection, including the current viral threat we face worldwide.  Take care and stay safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          Blog #105 Balance and Thankfulness Despite It All

 

This has been quite a month.  The pandemic has increased in intensity, election results are revealing the best and the worst in people, emotionally-charged holidays are on the horizon, and some people are falling into deep despair.  Because my urge to solve problems and make things more harmonious is frequent and strong, when I see someone fail who could have benefitted from holistic health modalities but did not use them, it is difficult.  So today’s blog is about some of the ways holistic health care can be beneficial, even (or especially) when conventional western medicine has no solution, or the health establishment does not want to pay attention to the issue when other problems, such as a pandemic, occupy most of the attention. 

 

Female hormonal problems such as PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), miscarriage, irregular periods and infertility all respond especially well to Acupuncture therapy.  A skilled acupuncturist can direct qi (energy) in beneficial directions to relax muscles, slow or stop bleeding, wake up internal organs that have become dormant, and help direct the body to utilize nutrients or detoxify more effectively.  Often, when a person feels depressed, it is not only situational or chemical.  They also can be suffering from low energy due to blood loss, overwork, poor nutrition or detrimental coordination of internal organ systems.  For instance, when a woman miscarries, even when the bleeding stops and even though she is eating healthfully, a dysfunctional pattern is often established in the body that allows qi to flow downward and out of the body.  Sometimes, menstrual bleeding will be heavier than usual.  This dysfunctional energy flow will result in fatigue, which can lead to depression if the faulty energy flow continues for several months.  If depression becomes serious enough, the person may even become suicidal.  Herbs will usually not be enough to stop this energy loss, since qi needs to be redirected in a beneficial way by needling specific combinations of points and angling the needles in the proper directions.  The body needs to re-learn and then maintain that redirection.  This correction can take several months, but sometimes can be accomplished in just a few treatments a few days apart.  Acupuncture, herbal and nutritional therapy can also help balance hormones and support malfunctioning organs, which may have contributed to the miscarriage.  Of course, over time, the body may rebalance from the challenge on its own, but this takes time, and sometimes the person does not have enough reserves to recover fully, or at all.  Acupuncture will speed up the healing dramatically. 

 

Although it does not take the place of addressing physical imbalances, a thankful attitude is an excellent way to support and improve health and vitality.  Finding things for which to give thanks and doing this on a regular basis can help relax muscles, lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, support the immune system, and even help quiet the mind, thus making contact with deep intuition more likely.  When contact with true inner intuition occurs, a person is likely to make beneficial choices in their life and also act in ways that benefit others.  Making a list of several things for which you are truly grateful, and feeling that gratitude while thinking or speaking of these things/people/situations prior to bedtime and/or first thing in the morning  will have an increasingly beneficial effect.  The list may change, just as things do in life.  Sometimes it seems hard to find things to really appreciate, but there are so many.  For example:  A roof over one’s head.  Clothing to wear.  The ability of see or hear or walk.  A sense of humor.  Caring relationships.  Reasonably good health.  The ability to read this blog, articles, books.  Interests and hobbies.  Work - voluntary or paid.  Music.  Art.  A beautiful sunrise.  A lake, ocean or other body of water.  Mountains.  Trees, flowers and other plants.  Animal companions.  A majestic raptor in flight.  Spiritual or religious faith.  Love of humanity.  Inner peace.  Hope for the future.  And much more. 

 

I hope this blog has been both informative and inspirational.  Have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving holiday season.

 

This blog’s offer:  please contact me with questions about how holistic medicine can help during these challenging times, and every day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    Blog 106: Some New Ways to Support Your Immune Health

 

Happy Chanukah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Years, and any other holiday you may celebrate.  Today, my Season’s gift to you, my readers, are several new ways that you can keep yourself stronger this winter and into the coming year.  Previously, I have shared that eating well, getting regular exercise, and sleeping well will all help keep you strong and healthy.  I’ve also mentioned several nutritional supplements and herbs, such as high quality Vitamin D, zinc, high quality Vitamin C and Elderberry.  Chiropractic adjusting, massage or acupuncture will  very effectively support your vitality and immune system during these challenging times.  And here are some additional ideas that you can use to support your health and also your courage this coming year. 

 

Stay well hydrated - that means drink lots of pure water, as well as high quality coffee, herbal teas (preferably organic), vegetable broths, and juices (fruit juices only in moderation).  Additionally, it is important to keep your home and workplace sufficiently humid to support the health and integrity of your skin, but not so damp that mold growth occurs.  A humidifier or vaporizer will help with this.  Plants will also help keep a space humidified.  The bathroom is usually sufficiently humid, as is the kitchen, as long as stovetop cooking with water is done on a regular basis or if water is distilled.  Making teas and coffees can also help humidify the air. 

 

Aromatic oils can help kill bacteria, viruses and molds and also can help clear the sinuses, balance various internal organs, calm the nervous system, clear the mind and support sound sleep.  It is important to use high purity oils, preferably organic, when you diffuse, consume them or apply them topically.   If you are going to diffuse oils, it is best to use a cold air diffuser, since hot air compromises the composition of oils.  Some oils that have strong anti-infectious actions and also support the body’s vitality include basil, chamomile, cinnamon bark, clove, eucalyptus, frankincense, grapefruit, hyssop, lavender, lemon, lime, tea tree, lemon balm, myrrh, oregano, pine, rosewood, spearmint, tarragon, and thyme, to name a few.  When inhaling oils, you will optimize the effects by diffusing only a short period of time, say, 15 minutes, and then taking a break.  It is important to do research on aromatic oils and also to determine if you have any sensitivities by applying specific properly diluted oil to your arm or leg and watching for any inflammatory response. 

 

Organic black seed oil, taken orally is a supplement that can support your immune system as well as your general vitality.  Since it is strong-tasting, some people advise that it be taken with a small amount of honey and then followed by water.  It is also recommended that it be taken with food.  One teaspoonful a day is usually more than enough.  Preferably get this oil in a glass container.  Like most supplements, black seed oil will be most beneficial if taken for several days or weeks and then taking a short break.  Black seed oil is also known for its ability to help support those with type 2 diabetes.  However, if you are pregnant or nursing, have either kidney or liver disease or if you take beta blockers or anticoagulants, do not take this oil.  If you experience abdominal upset when using black seed oil, it would be best to discontinue. 

 

And there are many other ways to help support your health and immune system.  For instance, Perelandra, a farm located in Virginia, makes nature essences geared to strengthening people during flu season and also during a pandemic.  Some of these essences may also help minimize negative reactions to vaccines.  You can easily find Perelandra with a web search.  Some people have found them very helpful.

 

This blog’s offer: contact me with any questions regarding the suggestions in this blog or if you have difficulty finding sources for some of the oils or other remedies mentioned above.  As always, feel free to contact me for acupuncture or chiropractic therapy, as well as any of the other modalities I offer or teach.

 

 

                                  Blog #102 A Healthy Gut Protects from Illness

 

According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) our internal organs are paired together - one organ is yang, being more active at certain times and resting completely at other times, and the other paired organ is yin, being active (working) all the time, but less dramatically so than the intermittent yang organs.  Yin organs are necessary for life, while we can survive without the yang organs.  The five paired organs in yin/yang relationship are:

 

Heart/Small Intestine,

Spleen-Pancreas/Stomach,

Lungs/Large Intestine

Kidneys/Bladder,

Liver/Gall Bladder. 

 

Some of these pairings are easily understandable, such as kidneys and bladder.  Lungs and large intestine are not as obvious, until you give it some thought.  The intestines (this includes the sigmoid colon, rectum and anus) connect with the outside air, and so do the lungs (this includes the bronchioles, bronchi, sinuses and nostrils).  Also, the entranceway to each system (starting at the mouth and nose) are extremely close together.  Paired organs also are interdependent, meaning that in order for one to be optimally strong and healthy, the other of the pair must also be healthy.  During a pandemic, or, for that matter, during any time in our lives, we would want our internal organs to function as well as they possibly can.  A healthy gut will help support respiratory health, and vice versa.  Sometimes it is fairly easy to perceive the relationship between the two organ systems.  For example, if you overeat or eat foods to which you are sensitive or which are not wholesome, you may find that you feel bloated or nauseous or you may experience constipation or diarrhea.  Your nasal sinuses also may become clogged your nose may start running, or you may begin sneezing and develop a sore throat and symptoms of a ”cold” or upper respiratory infection. 

 

Of course, some problems with internal organs may not be so obvious.  A person may suffer from leaky gut, which means that the intestines are so inflamed that they cannot optimally perform some or all their many jobs. Most notably, the gut absorbs water from indigestible food and removes waste substances, such as bacteria, inorganic salts and epithelial cells from the body through the feces.  Additionally, the large intestine contains many lymph nodes, which work together to create antibodies that help defend against invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and molds.  There are hundreds of healthy (commensal) bacteria in the gut, which produce Vitamin B complex, Biotin, and Vitamin K, all of which the gut absorbs to support the body’s health and vitality, so this is another function of the large intestine.  Yet another function is performed by the gut’s mucosal layer.  This layer acts as protection against bacterial infection and also produces bicarbonates, which neutralize acidity produced by the large intestine’s synthesis of fatty acids.  Finally, the large intestine helps balance the body’s electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium.  Sometimes, people do not immediately associate issues like fatigue or unexplained weight gain with leaky gut.  Leaky gut can also result in autoimmune problems, such as hypothyroid, psoriasis, or food allergies. 

 

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often is associated with leaky gut.  Some symptoms are bloating, diarrhea, constipation, gas, abdominal pain, fatigue, and more.  Some people also have post nasal drip or other sinus problems along with IBS; some people even lose their sense of smell (that’s different from covid-19).

 

All these large intestinal problems not only reduce comfort and energy level, they also can compromise the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to a variety of health issues and infections. 

 

A few ways to help support gut health are eating a wholesome diet containing many vegetables and fruit and free of processed foods.  High quality probiotics and fermented foods, such as organic, refrigerated sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso can be helpful.  So can organic apple cider vinegar and unsweetened, well-cultured, preferably organic yogurt or kefir.  Sheep or goat’s milk is preferable to cow’s milk.  Other ways to care for the large intestine is to get enough sleep, reduce life stress, exercise regularly, learn to breathe abdominally, take some time daily for meditation or self-hypnosis, maintain a healthy body weight, and use holistic therapies such as Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and herbal or other nutritional supplementation, as needed. 

 

This blog’s offer:  feel free to contact me with any questions regarding ways to address your possible gut issues.  I may suggest lab work, supplementation, or nutritional changes. 

                                  Blog #101 Quiet the Mind, Sense the Gut

Some call this gut wisdom, some call it intuition, some tuning into the energy centers, and some call it finding the still small voice within.  They are essentially the same.  Deep inner listening helps us comprehend clearly and make beneficial choices.  These choices include treating ourselves and others with respect and kindness, knowing when to speak and when to keep silent, acting with responsibility regarding ourselves, our families, communities, nations and planet.  Beneficial choices include consuming nutritious, whole foods, avoiding addictive substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, and addictive patterns like compulsive gambling, and spousal and child abuse.  Additional beneficial choices include getting sufficient rest and sleep, avoiding draining relationships, gravitating toward caring, supportive connections, making an effort to communicate clearly, seeking inspiration and working toward peace, and accepting everyone where they are.  It can be difficult to become quiet and balanced enough to be still, listen and then put what is learned into practice. 

Quiet time alone or time alone in nature is required to reflect internally, and at least a minimal income is usually needed to support a simple level of survival.  For a short time, during this pandemic, some people have had both of these situations - time off from work or reduced workload along with income from unemployment or other governmental support or loans.  These situations eventually will give way to more regular work for some and financial insecurity for others, but in this pandemic limbo, right now, some of us, though challenged with difficult changes and choices, will also have opportunities to rest, be more secluded, and look and listen inside. 

In order to sense with the gut, the body must be fairly well in balance and the mind and emotions must be generally clear and calm.  Optimal sleep and nutrition is important for balance and health.  Meditation can help, as can regular, focused exercise, such as chi gong, tai chi or yoga.  Taking regular walks out in nature will also help to attain balance.  Some people can learn to direct energy through the acupuncture meridians with the mind to help heal or improve an out of balance condition in their own or another’s body.  I have often observed chi gong, self-hypnosis, chiropractic adjusting, acupuncture and/or improved nutrition improve physical and mental well-being. 

In my own life, several decades ago, I used one session of self-hypnosis to permanently rid myself of chronic migraine headaches that were so severe, I needed to lie in the dark for half a day each month over several years.  Using a specific technique during that one self-hypnosis session, I lay on the floor and focused my entire will on making the change happen.  To this day, I have not had another migraine headache.   Acupuncture can also be quite amazing in its effects.  I  remember a patient who came for acupuncture therapy to address chronic sinus congestion.  After six treatments, she was able to feel and remember the pathways through which the needles directed the chi (energy) flow during treatments at my office.  She found that she could move the energy along these same pathways (also called channels or meridians) on her own, and cured herself of sinus problems in this way. 

Today, I chose to write this blog intuitively, sharing concepts and experiences that I consider valuable.  Hopefully some of them will be valuable for you.  Next month’s blog will take a much more scientific approach, addressing gut and immune health.

This month’s offer:  call me for a treatment, qi gong instruction, or just to talk.  Stay well.

                                 Blog 100 Keeping Blood Pressure Healthy

Blood pressure is composed of two measurements - one, the systolic pressure is due to the force exerted by the lower two chambers of the heart’s forceful contraction, which pushes blood out to the various arteries, arterioles and capillaries in the body. The second part of blood pressure is the diastolic, is the resting pressure within the blood vessels, between the heart contractions.  During this resting phase between beats, the coronary artery supplies blood to the heart. 

Normal blood pressure ranges from a low of about 90/60 to a high of about 140/90.  Anything outside of this range can be problematic for health if it is long-standing.  Occasional blood pressure outside of this range occurs for just about everyone.  It’s much more common to have high blood pressure (hypertension), and almost 50% of adults in the U.S. have at least mild or borderline hypertension.  Some risk factors for high blood pressure include increasing age, especially over 65 years, increasing weight, especially obesity or morbid obesity, high consumption of processed foods, high intake of processed table salt, consumption of foods that produce an inflammatory effect in the body, including deep fried foods and those foods to which a particular individual is allergic, excessive mental and emotional stress, poor sleep quality and quantity, predominately sedentary lifestyle, exposure to environmental toxins, such as plastics, pesticides and cleansers, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and shallow chest breathing, especially when due to spinal subluxations, stress and poor posture. 

Many answers to managing hypertension are included in the preceding paragraph - just remedy the particular behavior or environmental circumstance - i.e. exercise regularly, eat whole, organic, non-processed foods, learn to breathe abdominally, and eliminate table salt from the diet are some examples of potentially helpful changes.  Consulting a chiropractor for spinal adjusting and nutritional guidance can also be highly effective in managing hypertension.   Some other changes, such as getting a restful night’s sleep, losing weight , consulting a chiropractor for spinal adjusting and nutritional guidance, and learning to manage mental and emotional stress effectively may be challenging for many people.

Low blood pressure, or hypotension is much less common but is an equally severe problem when present on an ongoing basis.  Some factors that can lead to low blood pressure are dehydration, taking too high a dosage of diuretics or anti-hypertensive medications, thyroid imbalance, pregnancy, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and adrenal exhaustion, to name just a few factors. 

Once again, remedies for some of these problems are fairly straightforward: check your dosages of medication with your health care provider and adjust as appropriate.  Do lab work to determine the presence of conditions such as diabetes and thyroid imbalance, then discover and follow approaches that help balance these problems as naturally as possible, using lifestyle changes as part of the remedies.  Drink more water.  Use the proper nutritional supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, plus use stress management and appropriate exercise to help alleviate adrenal exhaustion and congestive heart failure.  Consult your health care provider to help manage imbalances when needed.  Chiropractic adjusting, acupuncture therapy, and professional nutritional guidance can often be effective in addressing hypotension.

One suggestion is to get a reliable blood pressure monitor and check your blood pressure regularly.  Learn what tends to raise and lower your blood pressure, and what you can do to have an effect.  If you already have a tendency toward hypertension, you will likely find that certain herbs, such as licorice root, will probably push blood pressure higher.  Fried foods or foods high in oils will likely do the same.  Sometimes prescription medication is necessary, at least in the short run to manage blood pressure, since uncontrolled blood pressure imbalances can lead to a variety of problems, such as stroke, heart attack, organ failure, cognitive decline, sexual dysfunction, and depression.  

This blog’s offer:  call or email to schedule a complimentary consultation regarding your blood pressure.  There may be nutritional supplements, nutritional changes, and other approaches that can help balance your blood pressure. 

Blog #99 Breath, Air, and Keeping Lungs Strong

Summer is arriving, bringing warm weather, increased humidity and more air pollution.  The recent dip in air pollution due to much less travel, manufacturing and commerce in the last few months with the onset of coronavirus will quickly diminish and then disappear when the economy becomes more active again.  Actually, the air, water and soil pollution will likely become worse than before due to the United States governmental moves to reverse 98 environmental protections established prior to 2016 (see New York Times, June 2, 2019, where each protection is listed).   Since our government is not currently looking out for our best interests, but rather supporting industry, we will have to look out for ourselves and for each other.  Following are some suggestions and ideas for healthy breathing and strong lungs.

Optimal breathing.  Abdominal breathing allows us to bring more oxygen into the lungs and therefore into each cell of the body than does chest breathing.  Abdominal breathing (also called diaphragmatic breathing) comes naturally to some people, but takes practice for many.  It usually is easiest to learn to breathe this way lying supine, then when seated, and finally while standing and moving.  You will know that you are breathing diaphragmatically when you place one hand across the upper chest and the other across the lower abdomen, and the upper hand moves only minimally, while the lower hand moves noticeably.  Diaphragmatic breathing also involves muscles in the back and on the sides of the lower to mid-abdomen.  With continued practice, you will usually also be able to feel muscles expanding and contracting when you place your hands on these areas of your body. 

Breathing exercises.  There are virtually an unlimited number of breathing exercises, including those for detoxification, increased oxygenation, calming the mind, elevating the mood, improving digestion and elimination, increasing energy level, improving memory and intellect and improving and deepening sleep.  One very simple one is a “triangle” in which each of three parts of respiration is maintained for seven seconds (if that length of time is uncomfortable, it can, of course, be changed).  The three parts are: inhalation through the nose for seven seconds, hold in for seven seconds, and exhalation through the mouth for seven seconds.  Unless there is irreparable damage done to the lungs or related musculature or other internal structures, people can learn to greatly increase their vital capacity with various breathing exercises, when done consistently, on a daily basis, over time. 

Calming mind and emotions.  Mental tension will increase muscular tension, which decreases the lungs’ vital capacity and also interferes with the body’s utilization of oxygen.  Prolonged negative emotions, such as fear, guilt, anger, worry and grief interfere with internal organ function and cellular biochemistry, creating endocrine and other imbalances in the body, suppressing the immune system and increasing the likelihood of degenerative and acute disease.  Treating oneself with loving consideration, learning to be non-judgmentally aware of one’s thoughts and emotions as well as one’s level of structural relaxation will help enhance health, vitality, and mental acuity.  One safe and effective meditation is an inner smile, which involves smiling with one’s eyes, directing the smiling feeing inside oneself, allowing a half-smile to happen with the mouth, closing the eyes, and breathing peacefully three times before opening the eyes again. 

Fresh air and sunlight.  Fresh outdoor air is important for health.  Although city air is not particularly clean, it is still usually better than air in closed indoor spaces.  If affordable, a good air purifier will help improve the quality of indoor air.  Except when a person has skin cancer, regular time in sunlight is vital for good health, since it is energizing and a good source of Vitamin D.  Standing on the earth is also revitalizing, even if shoes are worn.  Before the discovery of the appropriate medications, lots of rest, sunlight, fresh air, and wholesome food was the treatment of choice for tuberculosis, a serious respiratory infection, which has now been largely eliminated.  Covid-19 also is an infection that primarily affects the lungs.  When out of doors, put on masks when within six feet of others or if suffering from symptoms which might be Covid-19.  Otherwise, let the fresh air and sunlight in. 

Looking out for others.  During this pandemic, certain suggestions and rules are in place to protect oneself and others.  When these rules are violated, i.e. not washing hands with soap and water sufficiently, not wearing masks when required by law or requested by businesses or vulnerable individuals, not isolating oneself for 10 days or more after close contact with someone known to have Covid-19, etc., people may endanger people in their communities with viral spread.  Unless you are a first responder in a hospital setting, masks are worn primarily to protect others.  Hand washing protects everyone, as does quarantining when appropriate.  When others are harmed due to lack of hand washing, mask wearing, or avoiding the company if others when ill, the offending individual may feel conscious or subconscious guilt.  These feelings, in turn, may result in disturbed emotions and thoughts as well as physical tension, all of which can compromise breathing. 

This blog could go on, but I think this is enough for one reading. I wish you good health and inner peace in these challenging times. 

This blog’s offer:  I have moved into a new space and have numerous new and/or unopened items that I will offer at little or no cost to interested individuals whom I currently am treating as patients or whom I have treated in the past.  Email or call me and we can make arrangements for you to see these items. 

                 Blog #98 Two Vital Factors for Good Immune Health

The two major factor affecting immune system health are reducing toxicity and optimizing nutrition.  Because we are in the midst of a global pandemic, I will present some suggestions that can help relatively quickly.

                                                  Detoxification

Remove toxic cleansers from your home, with the exception of Clorox and other bleach based products, alcohol and other alcohol based products, hydrogen peroxide, and possibly a few other germicidal agents, such as some high quality aromatic oils.  Good substances for cleaning include vinegar, baking soda, detergent and water, plus some other non-toxic cleansers that you can find in your local health food store or online.  Check the labels or even call the companies to check about ingredients.  One of my favorites for cleansing stubborn grease is Scour Off, made by Shaklee.  (I am not a distributor).

If you can afford to do so, purify your water with distillation, reverse osmosis, or a filtration system that also removes most or all fluoride.  There are quite a few companies that sell reasonably good water purification systems.  I have used Water Wise for water distillation and the Berkey water filter system.   Drinking lots of water, herbal teas, and/or fresh organic vegetable juices can help support your health.  Also beneficial for the immune system, especially for the skin, is to keep the indoor temperature around 66 - 72 degrees (maybe a little cooler at night) and to keep the air somewhat humid.  When the skin, especially in the nasal passages, is dry, it tends to crack and become inflamed. This makes it especially permeable to invaders, such as harmful viruses and bacteria.

Avoid habits that deliver toxins into your system, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and the regular use of recreational drugs.  Engage in habits that will help detoxify your body, such as regular exercise (walking, running, weight lifting, Pilates, etc), learning to breathe deeply from the abdomen, and daily breaks for relaxation, yoga, chi gong, meditation, self-hypnosis, listening and playing harmonious music, or reading inspirational writings, to name just a few activities.  Getting sufficient sleep and insuring that your sleep is sound is another excellent habit, and is essential for good health.

If possible, spend some time daily outdoors among trees.  Another good option is spending time by a large, relatively unpolluted body of water.  Walking and resting in natural settings is inspirational and also beneficial for the body. 

                                                            Nutrition

Most highly nutritional diets will help detoxify the body.  Perhaps the best detoxifying diet is a plant-based diet with lots of organically-raised vegetables.  Dark leafy greens are especially detoxifying.  Also essential for most people are a large variety of root vegetables, such as turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, beets, some potatoes, and more.  These provide a rich source of pre-biotics, which help support and grow the friendly micro-organisms in your digestive tract (the microbiome).  Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented carrots, beets, ginger, garlic, onions, and also soy bean paste (miso) are all rich in a variety of friendly micro-organisms.   If you consume dairy, then high quality yoghurt or kefir are also good sources of probiotics. 

Fruit, beans, nuts, seeds and some legumes and grains are also excellent nutritional sources.  Pectin is an important fiber for immune health.  It is most concentrated in the fruit skin, so it is best to consume organically raised fruit so you can leave the skin intact.  Some excellent sources of pectin are apples, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, guavas, gooseberries and pears.  If people are not vegetarian, then homemade bone broth and wild-caught small fish from relatively unpolluted waters are highly nutritious.  And remember to include seaweed and mushrooms in some of your meals, if you are able to consume them. 

Vitamin C and D are two of quite a few vitamins that are important for optimal health.  Vitamin C can be obtained from citrus fruit, white potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, as well as many other fruit.  Vitamin D is best gotten from sunlight, but when that is not possible, then high quality fish oil or other vitamin D supplements can supply this needed nutrient. 

Avoid consuming substances that are detrimental to your body.  Many people are sensitive to certain foods, and they should learn what these foods are and avoid them, at least for several months, if not permanently.  Some are sensitive or allergic to peanuts, dairy, fish or raw vegetables.  All people should avoid white sugar and flour as well as processed meats and most other processed foods.  There are exceptions, such as frozen fruit, high quality yogurt and bottled organic tomatoes.  Gluten creates inflammation in many digestive tracts, even if we don’t feel any discomfort, so frequently, gluten-containing grains, in particular wheat, barley and rye, should be avoided.  Artificial sweeteners, processed salt, and most oils are harmful.  If we consume foods to which we are sensitive or allergic, then our bodies are distracted into counteracting the problematic foods rather that devoting a lot more attention defending against circulating viruses and opportunistic cancer cells. 

Finally, be kind to yourself, learn from your mistakes, forgive yourself, look for things for which to be thankful, and proceed to make life a little better each day.  This way, you and your immune system will become increasingly healthy.

This blog’s offer:  Contact me and ask me for my new address and phone number.  I will shortly close my existing office due to the country’s pandemic shut down, and will open a much smaller, part-time space.  I wish you safety and good health. 

                               Blog# 97 Balancing Life at the 2020 Equinox

In the year 2020, the Vernal (spring) Equinox occurs earlier than most others.  Around this time, give or take a couple of days, there are equal amounts of sunlight and darkness.  You could think of it as a waxing moon or a rising sun, with the Summer Solstice or the full moon being the maximum. The vernal equinox can be viewed as a tipping point, from more darkness into more light.  With this change, there is a surge of growth in the world: animal young are conceived or are growing more and more rapidly.  Trees are starting to bud, tree sap is rising in maximum amounts.  Humans become restless and want to socialize, explore, flourish.  Unfortunately, these outgoing activities may help viruses and some other microorganisms proliferate. 

So this particular spring, it might be enjoyable to learn a new skill, such as taking a photography course online.  It might be fun to cook meals using new recipes, clean house (some people like doing that), write that novel or memoir or poetry or article you’ve been meaning to write.  It could be rewarding spending time with a partner or children and learn to communicate more effectively.  Learning about foods or exercises or herbs and other supplements could be essential in helping protect your health or the health of others. 

In addition to the above, there are many things you can do to help sustain yourself through the stress of the coming weeks, months or year.  Here are just a few things which some people may not have thought of. 

·      Learn and practice abdominal breathing.  This is also referred to as belly breathing and diaphragmatic breathing.  Not only will it help calm the mind, it will also help increase lung vital capacity and also help improve blood and energy circulation throughout the body.  This improvement of circulation through the organ massage provided by abdominal breathing will help improve digestion and elimination as well as help improve endocrine and immune system function.

·      Massage both feet, especially the soles, for at least 20 minutes every day.  This will help cleanse the body of toxins, make walking more comfortable, improve physical balance and stability, calm the mind, and will help support functioning of the internal organs, musculoskeletal system and more. 

·      Create, read, watch, and /or listen to something inspiring every day.  This will help counteract some of the stress and fear people may be feeling regarding health, occupation, finances, responsibilities, family and more.  This habit can also help improve intuition and allow access to more ideas than would be possible if worry, fear and other emotions took over the mind. 

·      Eat as healthfully as possible, stressing whole foods that nourish and benefit the body.  If some of these foods are not available, consider consuming a high quality multivitamin and mineral supplement or else some high quality herbal supplements to nourish the body and mind and assist in defense against various agents of infectious disease.

·      Without self-endangerment, offer and provide assistance, such as grocery shopping, car transportation, money gift cards, or cooked meals to those who are vulnerable and in need. 

This blog’s offer:  please feel free to contact me with questions about ways to support your health.  I may suggest nutritional supplements, yoga stretches, or new ways of coping with the world situation.  Currently, my office is still open to offer treatments to those who have no signs or symptoms of infection.  I wish you safe passage through these difficult times.

                      Blog #96 Staying Safe from Infection During a Pandemic

With news of the corona virus invading the media, most of us are probably starting to formulate plans to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  This blog features information about prevention, some of which may be novel to readers.

From Perelandra, an organization located in Virginia, which frequently features information about resisting and recovering from infection and about potential pandemics, I am including the following suggestions:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water. Soap between your fingers, don't forget your thumbs and finger tips. Or if water is not available, use alcohol wipes or anti-bacterial hand sanitizers. 

Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. If you do touch your face, wash your hands.

If infection is spreading in your region, wear a surgical mask when in close quarters with others, or at the grocery store. The key to the effectiveness of the mask is wearing it properly so there's no space or openings between the mask and your face. Also, don't reach under the mask to scratch your face. And if you do, don't put that mask back on.

Monitor your temperature. If it spikes, stay home from work out of consideration for other commuters and your coworkers.

Wear leather gloves at the gas pump.

Stay hydrated. Especially drink water. 

Shower and shampoo as soon as you get home, and put the clothes you were wearing straight into the hamper. Set yourself and your family up to make this easy. Put a hamper by the door through which you enter your home, and hang clean robes for each family member to use from the door to the shower.

Leave your shoes at the door. Have a set of indoor slippers ready if your floor is cold.

Carry your own pen for signing receipts when you're shopping.

Learn to use smart phone pay systems, and get them set up now so you can avoid having to touch the credit card swiper or sign anything at checkout counters or gas stations.

Use disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces two to five times a day, depending on the number of people using them. Surfaces include doorknobs, countertops (don't forget the edges), light switches, shared keyboards and mouses, printer keypads, shared phones, water cooler buttons, fridge handles, sink handles, toilet handles, remote controls all on/off switches and more.

Wipe down tablets or smart phones frequently through the day, especially if you share them with others.

If someone in your house isn't well, separate their toothbrush, give them separate hand towels, launder bedding frequently.  Wear a face mask while in their room, handling the bedding and laundry and consider using disposable/compostable dishes, utensils and paper towels for the duration of the pandemic.

Air out the building or the office, floor or classroom once a day for at least 15-20 minutes. It's a short time of being chilly, but it pays off with not breathing in stuffy air full of everything your coworkers or family have been exhaling!

Set up humidifiers (moist air vaporizers are best) in your home and office during the colder months when indoor air is dry. If you use filters, give your humidifier a thorough cleaning once a week to ensure nothing is growing in there and then traveling out into the air.

Sneeze or cough into your elbow. Teach your kids to do this. Remind friends and coworkers to do this, too.

Maintain good toothbrush hygiene.  Replace your toothbrush regularly — especially after an illness, and keep your toothbrush covered when not in use.

Get a good night's sleep. Lack of sleep may profoundly impact your body's immune function.

Keep your mind and emotions calm.  Fear, anger, worry and sadness are not inevitable responses to a pandemic.  Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. 

Should you and your family find yourselves at home for an extended period of time due to illness, it is helpful to have the needed supplies. Prioritize and purchase gradually so it doesn't seriously impact your budget.

One way to do this is to buy extra non-perishable foods with your regular groceries each week. Also, if you are able, buy an extra supply of the herbal, vitamin and multimineral supplements or prescription medicines you or your family members need to take regularly.  Check out my blog #94 for some suggestions re: remedies to strengthen your resistance to viral and other infections.

This may sound like overkill, and maybe it is, but in some cases, this approach would likely be very wise and may even save lives. 

Other things you can do is eat very healthy, get regular chiropractic and/or acupuncture treatments, is that is feasible, and get some regular exercise, even it is just doing Yoga or Tai Chi or even walking around in a small area. 

This blog’s offer:  here is a link about preparedness from the Red Cross that you might appreciate.  Anatomy of a First Aid Kit

As always, feel free to contact me with questions or problems, as well as for professional support of your health in these challenging times. 

                                       Blog 95 Addiction:  Shaking the Habit

Recently, I listened to an interesting interview with Annie Grace, where she described her addiction to alcohol and how she eventually overcame it.  One of the things she did was do extensive research for a year about how to overcome addictions (in her case, alcohol) and how to reconcile conflicts between the conscious and subconscious minds regarding habits and life choices.  The person’s conscious mind might want to stop drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes or consuming large amounts of sugar, or whatever else a person might do that impacts their health and their self-esteem negatively, (to say nothing of their finances).  But their subconscious mind may want to continue engaging in addictive habits.  Until a person can resolve this conflict, they will be struggling with themselves, something that consumes energy and negatively impacts health and self-esteem in the long run. 

She presented approaches which had worked for herself.  For one thing, she had never labeled herself as an alcoholic, and felt that her attitude gave her more power to take the next step.  She stopped drinking alcohol for one month.  She stopped 100% and promised herself that after a solid 30 days without alcohol, she would then allow herself to take a drink, and she had to do this mindfully.  This meant that she was completely aware of what she was thinking, feeling, tasting, smelling, seeing, hearing, and touching as she purchased the alcohol, as she took it home, and she opened the bottle, as she poured herself a drink, as she raised the glass to her lips, as she took a sip, as she swallowed, and as the alcohol then traveled down her esophagus and into her stomach.  Now, understand that she already consciously wanted to quit, but her subconscious had felt differently.  She chose a month free from the substance because by that time, the physical aspect of the addiction would be past, and what would be left was the mental and emotional attachments.  When she listened to her mind and body as she took that first sip after 30 days, she realized that she did not even like the feel of the alcohol in her body.  She also understood that she had survived emotionally and socially for 30 days without the substance.  She was able to quit, and no longer felt conflicted regarding alcohol consumption.  Understand, if she had been so addicted that she had severe shakes when she stopped drinking, then should would have needed some professional help to free herself from the substance.  Fortunately, she was not that seriously addicted.   

Annie Grace has shared her experiences and approach to quitting free of charge, and has helped many other people free themselves from alcohol addiction. Some of these people occasionally may have a drink. One to two drinks per week probably will not increase the risk of cancer, stroke, ulcers, autoimmune illness, heart attack, etc.  But more than this can negatively impact one’s health.  And generally, when people have been struggling unsuccessfully with a habit for a long time, they are relieved to finally succeed in freeing themselves.  It would make no sense to go back to the way things were.

Something struck me as I listened to her interview:  the same method of quitting alcohol should be helpful in quitting any other substance, as long as as a person is not seriously physically addicted.  I am including a link to Annie Grace speaking for a few minutes about her overcoming her addiction.  If that sounds good to you, or if you think it could help someone you know, you can find more information on her website.  Here is the link:  it would be best to cut and paste it to your browser.  Free Alcohol Experiment program 

This blog’s offer:  Consider having several sessions of hypnosis, as well as self-hypnosis instruction to help quit any undesired and harmful habit.  As a certified hypnotist, I can offer this service and instruction.  Happy New Year 2020.