Through the work of a Naturopathic Doctor named Donald Lepore and his book, The Ultimate Healing System, I discovered that a “recipe” of certain nutrients are needed by our body to breakdown and properly absorb dairy, wheat, corn, rice, fats, citrus, peppers, yeast and many other foods which are a sub-set of these groups.  So for instance, if someone has some wheat bread or crackers, Dr. Lepore discovered that the body needs adequate amounts of essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3 along with vitamins B1 and B6.  The mineral magnesium and the amino acid histidine are also needed to breakdown wheat.  Therefore, if any or a combination of these nutrients are depleted in our body we have a negative reaction to wheat.  We may also exhibit problems with airborne allergens, dust, dog or cat dander, detergents, wool or feathers when we have sensitivity to wheat.

Likewise, when yeast growth (fungus) has proliferated in our body and it is due to either a zinc, B6, B1, lysine deficiency or a combination there of, potatoes, walnuts and cherries become very difficult for the body to process.  Also, the eating of these foods can increase the yeast growth.

The chart below details a variety of foods that our body will not process properly if we are moderately to severely deficient in any of the nutrients listed.  It usually takes about 4-8 weeks to totally correct food sensitivity.  The longer you have had the problem the longer the deficient nutrients take to elevate and stop the sensitivity.  Most of the nutrients that are deficient need to be ingested at therapeutic levels.  This means usually 2-5 times higher than the recommended daily amounts.  In my health analysis I discover the correct amount.  Thereafter, once a  month, I adjust the amounts down until the nutrient is at its correct level.

Food Allergens and Their Neutralizing Nutritional Antidotes

I have helped countless of clients overcome wheat, corn, dairy, citrus, fat and yeast category sensitivities by discovering their nutritional deficiencies.  Many years ago I worked with a male client who would have sneezing attacks which lasted about 20 minutes. There was no pattern to when he would have the sneezing attacks.   After a health analysis, we discovered he was moderately deficient in magnesium and extremely deficient in B6 and essential fatty acids which caused his body to have a very difficult time in processing wheat (gluten).   He also suffered from extreme airborne allergies all year long.   I recommended he limit or stop his intake of wheat for about 6-8 weeks until the depleted nutrients were elevated.  On one occasion he ate some wheat crackers and his sneezing began.  Lo and behold we discovered the root of his sneezing attacks!  I am happy to report that he can now eat wheat products, the sneezing attacks have stopped and his extreme hay fever symptoms are gone; this recovery occurred in about 4 months.

These experiences make it very clear to me that our body is a well oiled machine and that every bio-chemical reaction is so important for optimum health.  A car would not perform well without the proper amount of gas, oil and water in the radiator.  Likewise proper levels of nutrients allow us to perform at our optimum level.

OWN YOUR HEALTH!

Previously, scientists would dismiss the placebo effect and not think about its implications; being that the mind and perception are very powerful.  In fact when someone has a  positive thought about a health related outcome in many cases there is a “healing” response.  On the contrary, research has also come to acknowledge what is termed as the nocebo (Latin for “I will harm“) effect which occurs when someone is given a sugar pill and they report having a number of side effects of the drug that they did not take!  In some circumstances not only can negative thoughts/perceptions or “nocebo” make you sick but they can kill you.

Research is beginning to bridge science with spirit and mind.  It is becoming more apparent to the scientific world that “thoughts” are very powerful whether they are positive or negative and consequently they affect the body likewise.  Not surprisingly, it is believed that close to 3/4 of our thoughts are negative in nature and repetitive.  Whether it is directed towards ourselves or others.  While we do this we literally rob ourselves of good health; we do harm (nocebo).

An internationally recognized authority on the subject of placebo and nocebo effects is Bruce Lipton, PhD, author of The Biology of Belief.  Dr. Lipton acknowledges that medicine is controlled by money and influenced greatly by the pharmaceutical industry.   He states that this “keeps us from looking at healing that does not involve chemicals and drugs only for the simple reason that a pharmaceutical company makes money by selling chemicals.  If we talk about healing yourself with your mind than that product doesn’t sell very well.  It is not in the interest of the pharmaceutical industry to support “free energy” healing and therefore, it is a subject that gets no coverage except for that 15 minutes on the “placebo” and then dropped out of the system; and yet it is the most important new understanding (though it is not new).”

Within the scientific world, Dr. Lipton is committed to bring awareness to this powerful truth of mind and beliefs.  By the way these thoughts and perceptions need to have a strong emotion behind it to have an effect; they often lead to our actions and type of lifestyle we choose to live. A great example of this is given by Tor Wager, an assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University. “Say it’s late at night and everything is quiet and then suddenly you see someone outside, near a window,” he explains. “Your body starts to respond. Your pupils dilate. Your heart rate goes up. You start to sweat.”  The belief that something threatening is out there produces a host of physical responses that you have little control over. If you were told to calm down and turn off these sensations, you couldn’t, Wager says. “But if the belief changes — say, it turns out that it’s just your husband coming home — the physical response changes.”  The question, now, is how to tap into these powerful, unconscious responses, Wager says.

The Placebo Effect

A placebo makes a person feel better for reasons unrelated to the specific healing properties of the treatment.  For years, scientists have looked at the placebo effect as just a figment of people’s imaginations.  Sure, sugar pills seemed to lessen epileptic seizures, depression and smooth out jerky movements in Parkinson’s — but these people weren’t really better. Or so scientists thought.  Recently researchers began using PET scanners and MRIs to Examine the heads of patients who responded to sugar pills, they discovered that the placebo effect is not “all in patients’ heads” but rather, in their brains.   New research shows that belief in a dummy treatment leads to changes in brain chemistry!

For example, a gentleman name  Chuck Park participated in a study and he was told that he might be getting a sugar pill, the 30-year-old software producer was pretty sure he was getting the real thing.  Just a few weeks into the clinical trial, Park’s depression started to lift.  He began to feel less anxious and sad.  Park later learned he’d been taking a placebo all along, it was a surprise.  “I was fully expecting to receive the real drug even though I knew that the placebo was a possibility,” remembers Park of Culver City, Calif. “I guess I wanted it to work — and in a way, it did.”

A woman, in her 30s, was “very significantly impaired,” says Straus, chief of the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “She had no energy, couldn’t work, and spent most of her time at home.” But her strength was restored during a study to test the effectiveness of an experimental chronic fatigue drug.  She and her parents were so thrilled with her recovery that they were blessing me and my colleagues,” recalls Straus, the principal investigator on that study.

It turns out, the woman’s quick turnaround from chronic fatigue occurred after taking placebo pills, not the experimental drug. “She was amazed by the revelation that she’d gotten better on placebo, says Straus”

“There have always been people who have said that we could make ourselves better by positive thinking,” says Dr. Michael Selzer, professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.  After pooh-poohing this for years, here are studies that show that our thoughts may actually interact with the brain in a physical way.”

The following video documents a groundbreaking 2 year study on patients who had severe knee pain.  Both the groups that received the actual surgery and the “make-believe” surgery had healing!

Placebo Surgery

The Nocebo Effect

In the 1970′s a man was diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer and given just months to live.   Though the patient died in the predicted time, an autopsy showed the doctors had been mistaken. There was a tiny tumor, but it had not spread.  Therefore, this man did not die of cancer but from the “belief” that he was going to die of cancer.  It was surmised that if everyone treats you as if you are dying, you buy into that perception and it becomes you reality.

In a Canadian study, more than half of the men who got the placebo pills reported significant relief from their symptoms, including faster urine flow. Researcher J. Curtis Nickel theorized that the patients’ positive expectations of the experimental drug’s benefits may have caused therapeutic smooth muscle relaxation by decreasing nerve activity affecting the bladder, prostate and urethra.  However, there was a percentage of participants on the sugar pill which complained of side effects too, ranging from impotence and reduced sex drive to nausea, diarrhea and constipation.  This is the nocebo effect.  You expect to feel worse and suffer from side effects.

Anticipating bad effects can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It may help to emphasize the limits of medicine and explain the close relationship between emotions and physical sensations, especially as it involves stress hormones.

The following video demonstrates the nocebo effect on unsuspecting participants who believe they have been given caffeine.

Coffee Placebo

Conclusion

The question, now, is how to tap into these powerful, unconscious responses.  Being aware that we can tap into these powerful unconscious responses is what I call owning your Grandeur and using your grandeur to take charge of your health, if not your life!   Literally, you can tell your body ” enough is enough”.  You can talk to it as you speak to a child in loving yet authoritative terms.  I recently, did this.  I had been struggling with both of the rotator cuff areas of my arms, especially the right arm.  I sought out some acupuncture and it helped with the right arm, but then the left arm became increasingly painful.

As I was doing research and reading as well as watching videos on the placebo and nocebo effect, it dawned on me to try this.  I spoke to my body as I would to a child that is doing something very annoying.  I said, “I am tired of this arm pain, I want you to stop the inflammation.  I have important things I need to do with my life and you need to stop and leave.  My natural state is to be pain free and healthy.”  I had this type of conversation with my body for about 5 minutes.  I did this one more time later that same day.  I also asked to receive clarity of possibly why my arms sometimes felt this pain (occurs about every 2-3 months).   I am happy to report that within hours the pain shifted and a day later I was about 90% pain free on my left arm and 100% pain free on my right arm.

I later had a knowing that I needed to stop pushing myself so hard and being so serious about the goals I set for myself.  It almost seemed that the pain was forcing me to STOP and give myself a break.

I have full confidence now that you and I have been given great ability to create and re-create our life experience.  We can create for the positive or for the negative results.  I choose the positive and to have a forward momentum.  I don’t have time nor the inclination to lead a life of stagnation or pain, do you?  Get angry about it and say no more!  Learn what you must, gain clarity,  and move on…

Own your GRANDEUR, HEALTH and HAPPINESS!

What are symptoms of uterine fibroids?

Not all fibroids cause symptoms.  It is only when they get very large or are pressing or obstructing areas that can no longer function properly is when some of the following symptoms occur:

• Extremely heavy, painful periods
• Irregular bleeding between periods,
• Large clots
• Severe pelvic pressure
• Pressure on the bladder with frequent or even obstructed urination, and
• Pressure on the rectum with pain during defecation.
• Pain with intercourse
• Constipation
• Kidney infections or kidney issues
• A feeling of pressure or fullness in the lower abdomen
• An abnormally enlarged abdomen
• May be the cause of some miscarriages

Fibroids seem to be most common during a woman’s fertile years, especially after the age of 30.  Uterine fibroids can be easily diagnosed via a pelvic exam or ultrasound.  The traditional medical treatments for symptomatic fibroids usually leads to surgery.  The most common surgeries are myomectomy, hysteroscopic resection, myolysis, and hysterectomy. Some surgeries keep the uterus while a hysterectomy removes the uterus. This can be very devastating to a women who still wants to have more children.  In addtion she is placed on hormone synthetics for the rest of her life.

A procedure which does not require major surgery is called uterine artery embolization (UAE).  It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure.  Embolization blocks the flow of blood through the vessels around the fibroids depriving them of oxygen. This oxygen deprivation results in the fibroids shrinking.  A substance is injected through a catheter and lodges in the smaller arteries that branch out to the fibroids. This chokes off the fibroid’s blood supply.  For more information on this procedure click on the following – Uterine Artery Embolization.

Alternative Treatments For Fibroids

It is suspected that estrogen dominance could be one of the reasons uterine fibroids develop.  Interestingly, one common need I found with all the women I worked with was the need for elevating progesterone hormone levels (for more reading on how low progesterone affects a woman’s health click HERE).  Progesterone balances out excess estrogen.  I also have noticed a pattern of high stress and in two cases excessive coffee consumption.  I have my suspicions that in some manner both these things can aggravate and contribute to the development of uterine fibroids.  An excellent herbal formula I have utilized for women with fibroids is called V-X.  This formula shrinks the fibroids and as they shrink the symptoms begin to withdraw.  Usually, within 2 months significant improvement begins to occur.  The formula may need to be taken for about 4 months.

One method in how to get even quicker results from V-X is to open up 6 capsules and mix the herbs with some cocoa butter.  Create a paste and form them into suppositories.  Place the suppositories in the refrigerator and insert one suppository into the vaginal canal, twice a day.  As the cocoa butter melts the herbs are absorbed (use a panti-liner).

When the symptom of excessive menstrual bleeding occurs anemia can set in.  Chronic anemia is very dangerous along with lower blood volume.  I suggest that western medicine treatment or the alternative methods I mentioned be utilized as soon as possible when bleeding is very heavy.

OWN YOUR HEALTH!

** If you would like to order some of the Nature’s Sunshine products (NSP) like V-X, call them at 1-800-453-1422 and you can use my account number #576437-6. Tell them you want a drop ship order. For more information about NSP go to my Health Analysis page and read the last section.

BPH is the condition in which a growth of non-cancerous cells occur and causes the prostate gland to become larger (not inflamed). Enlargement of the prostate is not a dangerous condition, but it does put pressure on the urethra.  If left unchecked, benign BPH can cause serious problems over time including urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones or incontinence.

The most common cause of prostate enlargement are changes in hormone levels.  As a man ages, his testosterone levels begin to fall. At the same time, his levels of the “female” hormones prolactin, estrogen, LH and FSH rise. This dramatic hormonal shift results in many body changes, such as weight gain, changes in fat distribution and a decrease in muscle strength. Even the testosterone itself changes. A potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) begins to dominate.  Unfortunately, DHT can cause prostate cells to multiply excessively.  Blood work reveals that on average four to six times the normal amount of DHT is found in most cases of enlarged prostate.

Most men by age 45 begin to develop a larger prostate gland (with no symptoms).  By age 60, it is believed that 80% of all men experience some sort of urinary interference due to prostate enlargement.  The prostate gland requires 10 times more zinc than any other organ in the body.  It has been discovered that when a man ejaculates he loses zinc.  Therefore, it is highly recommended that men in their late 30′s increase the intake of the mineral Zinc.  Zinc can be highly effective in preventing prostate gland dysfunction.

Studies have noted that lower levels of zinc increase the potential for prostate infection (prostatitis) as well as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP – excess cell growth).   Approximately 25 mg of zinc per day is recommended to help prevent these disorders.  It needs to be clarified that BHP is not a pre-cursor to prostate cancer.  However, the confusing aspect is that prostate cancer has the same symptoms noted below.   Sometimes with prostate cancer there is blood in the urine, but this can also happen with a kidney infection.

Symptoms of Inflamed Prostate Gland

• Difficulty urinating; dribbling
• Urgent need to urinate
• Pain in the abdomen, groin or lower back
• Pain or burning sensation when urinating
• Pain or discomfort on penis or testicles
• Frequent urination, particularly at night
• Painful ejaculations
• Fever
• Nausea

Symptoms of Enlarged Prostate Gland – similar to inflamed prostate w/out fever or burning

• Difficulty starting urine stream
• Multiple night urination
• Feeling the bladder is not completely empty
• Urge to urinate soon after urinating
• Pain during urination

How to Elevate Zinc

The best natural sources of zinc include: raw pumpkin seeds (very good source of zinc), oysters, meats, wheat germ, hard cheeses, lima beans, potatoes, oats, green leafy vegetables,  tuna, kidney beans, sunflower seeds and ginger root.   Other sources are brown rice, eggs, spinach and chickpeas (garbanzos).  However, when there is a great need for any mineral or vitamin, the easiest manner in which to elevate the level quickly is through supplementation.

Besides straight zinc (utilize a high quality product) an herb that is high in zinc content is Saw Palmetto.  A great mens’ herbal formula I have recommended to men in their late thirties as a preventative is Men’s Formula with Lycopene.  I recommend 3 capsules per day.  In the case of actual symptoms 6 per day is best with possibly extra zinc (maybe an additional 25 mg).  Straight zinc initial amount recommendation when symptoms are present is from 75 mg to 100 mg per day (these amounts lessen as the weeks transpire).

There are other benefits in elevating zinc when it is found to be deficient.  It seems to help with male pattern baldness, improves eye sight, prevents or reverses some fungal infections and it has been found to increase sperm count (has helped with infertility cases).

If you or anyone you know is exhibiting any of these symptoms it is very important to see a doctor to determine which prostate issue is present – prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or prostate cancer.  Either way know that there are always alternative natural medicine treatments which can be taken along with any western medicine treatment or as a stand alone.

Own your Health!

** If you would like to order some of the Nature’s Sunshine products (NSP) like Men’s Formula with Lycopene or Saw Palmetto, call them at 1-800-453-1422 and you can use my account number #576437-6. Tell them you want a drop ship order. For more information about NSP go to my Health Analysis page and read the last section.

Stress affects both the mind and body (for article on how to calm the mind read – You Have The Power To Keep You Inner Peace).  Physically the glands most affected by stress are the adrenal glands.   The adrenal glands are two small glands, one on top of each kidney.  Each has an outer part called the cortex and the inner portion which is the medulla.  The cortex secretes three different classes of hormones: mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgenic hormones.  The medulla secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine (commonly known as adrenaline).

ESSENTIAL HORMONES WHICH THE ADRENALS SECRETE

The most important  mineralocorticoid hormone is aldosterone.  It’s main function is to keep both sodium and potassium in check.  This in turn keeps blood pressure in check and fluid (water) in balance (so as not to retain water; edema, which increases blood pressure).  The kidneys need to have sodium and potassium at proper levels so they can also function properly and keep all fluids and waste acids in check.  Too much aldosterone hormone or too little aldosterone affects our organs, especially the heart, blood pressure, muscles (feel weak) and joints (painful and achy).

The more well known glucocorticoid produced by the cortex is cortisol (hydrocortisone) or “the stress hormone”.  Normally, it’s present in the body at higher levels in the morning, and at its lowest at night, which allows the body to “come down” and “unwind” so that we can get to sleep.  Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it is termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress (when the hormone epinephrine is secreted; a.k.a. adrenaline), and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body.

While cortisol is an important and a helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body return to a neutral mode after a stressful event.  Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that the body doesn’t always have a chance to return to normal, resulting in a state of chronic stress.  Which can lead to build up of body fat around the mid-section, muscle wasting, inflammation, blood sugar imbalances and depress your immune system which leads to more bouts of colds, flu and respiratory issues.

The adrenaline hormone, epinephrine, secreted by the adrenal’s medulla, historically came into play when our life was threatened.  The threat would cause a rush of this hormone to enter our blood stream so that we could muster as much ability to “win” a fight or successfully run away.  Epinephrine  increases heart rate, blood sugar, and it increases an individual’s metabolic rate in order to produce the most amount of energy for the individual to utilize.  If the brain is under constant stress, more adrenaline is secreted in order to satisfy the body’s needs. This is where the problem begins.

Living in a constant state of energy is not a healthy lifestyle because the brain is already over stimulated (sub-consciously as well).   An exhausted brain will not be much help when you are trying to perform trivial every day tasks much less important or complicated tasks.

HORMONES GONE WILD!

When the adrenal glands begin to act “dysfunctional” due to prolonged stress, they first go into a hyper (overactive, stressed) state.  As they are pushed further and not given the opportunity to recover they go into an “extreme” stressed/overactive state and eventually reach the hypo (under active, exhausted) mode.   At every stage of “dysfunction” certain symptoms begin to develop because the hormones secreted by the adrenal glands are not at their proper levels (too much or too little).  The following charts list many of the symptoms which arise due to adrenal dysfunction.

- Overactive – Hyper Adrenals (can lead to Cushing’s Disease)

- Underactive – Hypo Adrenals (can lead to Addison’s Disease)

HOW TO REVERSE THE SYMPTOMS

The adrenal glands in most cases can be brought back to normal function with appropriate herbs and vitamins.  When the glands are hyper they need substances which will calm down the hyperactivity.  Such herbs and vitamins tend to be passion flower, hops, chamomile, fennel seeds and vitamin C (in ascorbate form).   The vitamins and minerals which need to be replaced because of the hyperactivity are the B-complex vitamins (especially pantothenic acid, B-5), potassium and magnesium.

With a hypo condition the glands are in need of nourishment and support.  Herbs which nourish are astragalus, licorice root (avoid if have hypertension) and Korean ginseng.

The herbal formula I use with great success for a hyper condition is Stress-J. It provides an excellent mix of calming herbs.   The herbal supplement I recommend highly for a hypo condition is Nervous Fatigue Formula an excellent Chinese formula.   It takes about 2-3 months for a hyper condition to resolve itself while a hypo condition may take 3-4 months to fully resolve.

If you believe you are suffering from one form of adrenal gland dysfunction please do not hesitate to contact me to determine the correct course of action for you.  You do not need to continue suffering needlessly!

OWN YOUR HEALTH!

** If you would like to order some of the Nature’s Sunshine products (NSP) like Stress-J or Nervous Fatigue Formula, call them at 1-800-453-1422 and you can use my account number #576437-6. Tell them you want a drop ship order.For more information about NSP go to my Health Analysis page and read the last section.

At the end of the sessions researchers collected the “happy tears” and the “sad tears” with eye droppers.  They found that “happy tears” are made up of brine which is basically salt water.  However, the “sad tears” were found to contain the chemicals and enzymes that are found in tumors, ulcers and other lumps which create sickness throughout the body.

This test concluded that the body, when crying because of sadness, is literally flushing out all of the toxic-chemicals that accumulate and are a part of the sadness/heartache experience.  So it seems that if you  hold back tears which have a strong emotion attached to it, those toxic-waters will find somewhere else to deposit themselves and a holding-back of crying-release will guarantee that the body will accumulate large amounts of toxicity that could have been released through the tears.

“Protest” Crying -vs- “Surrender” Type Crying

Other studies have discovered that if the crying is happening out of “protest”, meaning you do not accept a loss or situation, then there is no soothing, comfort or release from the tears because the resistance and anger continues even after the crying.  Conversely, sad crying that is a call for comfort from a loved one can lead to closeness and healing.   Research also concluded that crying has important effects on healing and that it improves the mood of 88.8% of weepers.  Also, crying with just one other “safe” person present was significantly more likely to produce a therapeutic effect than doing so in front of a larger group.

I have come across two clients which I recommended they cry.  One client flashed back to an experience at 8 years old of having been told about her grandfather’s sudden death from an accident.  At first when she was told she thought it was a joke and because she expressed her disbelief her mother slapped her (she didn’t come from a supportive environment).    Later her mother and other relatives decided that the children should not go to the funeral.  She was very upset that others made that decision for her.  She recalls that she never cried over her grandfather’s death; not because she didn’t feel sadness but because she was “protesting” how she was treated by the others.   The idea of crying over this incident and the way in which she was treated appeals to her and she is considering releasing the “toxins” and “energy blocks” associated with this experience. UPDATE: The above client informed me that she did allow herself to cry off and on for three days.  The following is what she reported,   “It was healing and I had great clarity afterward.  I feel so much more clear and calm.  I have been able to maintain an observation like attitude with my husband and it is amazing.  I am not getting caught up in trying to reason with him.  I just let him express what he feels and thinks and I go on.  I think he appreciates it and it is so much more healthy than all the drama.   All that chatter is wasted energy.  I am still having pain in my back and leg but the other night when it had been really bad all day I was laying on the sofa and suddenly there was this little pop of energy out of my right sacroiliac area (lower right back) with immediate relief of the pain in that area. It has made walking easier and uplifted my mood considerably.  It was really neat.”

The second client did cry over being sexually abused by her own brother when she was about six years old.  Additionally she cried deeply over so many sad times in her childhood and marriage.  After about 3 weeks of off and on crying she reported to me that the release of all these pent up tears has allowed her to breathe more easily and deeply.  She noticed tightness in her muscles release.  More importantly her “spirits” are up and she feels more hopeful about her life.

It seems that “crying tears” release the original chemical reaction of the emotions – emotions which in some cases have been suppressed for years.   Next time you feel like crying DO NOT hold back.  If you don’t feel “safe” or comfortable in the moment, release the tears later.  If you know you have held back many tears over some past experience, then consider releasing all that exists within this “holding back”.  Even if it takes weeks or months to feel like you have cried your last tear (over an experience), the freedom, peace, joy and positive health benefits that will be yours is worth every drop.

Natural Progesterone Cream

Most women are quite aware of the hormone Estrogen.  But very little is mentioned about the other hormone, Progesterone.  Progesterone is primarily involved in the menstrual cycle, fertility and pregnancy.  Estrogen gives women their feminine look and shape.  Progesterone is produced in the adrenal glands and brain.  Both of these sex hormones in a woman’s body dance a delicate dance together.  They are synergistic; meaning they must work together to create the proper and best effects on a woman’s reproductive system.  There are many nutrients in our body that pair up like a yin and a yang (i.e. sodium and potassium, calcium and magnesium, vitamin e and selenium…etc.).  When your hormones are in balance, everything from digestion to immunity works properly.

In my consultations I have come across women in their late 20’s up to their early 50’s which have had some very undesirable symptoms due to deficient progesterone.  Many pre-menopausal and menopausal women are loaded with estrogen.

Some Symptoms of Progesterone Deficiency

Low progesterone can easily be elevated via natural means.  It is important to clarify there are significant differences between synthetic (lab made) progesterone which is identified as “progestogen” and natural progesterone.  Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or birth control pills do not have the same function in the body as our biological hormones. Presently, natural progesterone (bio-identical hormone therapy) is getting more recognition for its beneficial effects.  According to Dr. John R. Lee, an authority on hormone balancing, “natural progesterone has a molecular structure identical to the progesterone produced by the human body and is created through the fermentation process of the Mexican wild yam.” Natural progesterone helps to counter-balance the negative effects of too much estrogen.

The following is a chart of how Estrogen and Progesterone work together:

Estrogen Effects                                      Progesterone Effects

If you suspect you have low progesterone levels, either contact me and I can confirm your level or make an appointment with your doctor and run a blood test.

Either way, OWN YOUR HEALTH!

** Caution: There are many progesterone creams on the market which contain soy, I highly suggest you steer away from those products. Soy tends to increase estrogen levels. I recommend a product by Kokoro. It is a quality product.

Little did they know what type of price they would pay for all the potential “benefits”.  To read the over 4900 comments posted by women about Yasmin go to Medications.com, Yasmin Forum.   About 1/3 of the women on the forum did not suffer major side effects.  The other 2/3 suffered from a myriad of symptoms and some were even hospitalized.

Example symptoms are:

• Severe Migraines
• Depression
• Severe mood swings
• Blood clots
• Strokes
• Chest pains
• Stomach upset
• Breast pain
• Breast cysts
• Skin problems
• Nausea

In doing my research on this subject matter, I came across the story of a 16 year old girl in Switzerland who was on Yasmin (possibly for acne).  She suffered a lung embolism (when a blood vessel supplying the lung becomes clogged up by a clot – a lump of coagulated blood) and she is now severely disabled.  The Switzerland authorities are investigating her use of Yasmin as the potential cause for this rare ailment on a 16 year old.  To read the story go to “Truth About Birth Control”.

By the way, the Medications.com site  has comments posted by many users of other birth control pills and medications.  It may be a good idea to bookmark this site and learn more about how others are doing with a particular medication.

Dutch and Danish Study On Blod Clots

A Dutch study, which compared 1,524 women under the age of 50 who had deep venous thromboembolisms (blood clots forming in the legs) with 1,760 women with no such history, found a      5 time increased risk in oral contraceptive users. The risk of an event was highest in the first three months of use and lowest with birth control pills containing levonorgestrel (least risky synthetic hormone).  Pills with equal doses of estrogen that contained the progestogen desogestrel had double the risk of the pills using levonorgestrel, the researchers found.

The Danish study of all women aged 15 to 49 from 1995 to 2005 found roughly the same association.

Women taking oral contraceptives had a 5 time increased risk of blood clots compared with nonusers, and the risk differed by the type of progestin. “The newer types of oral contraceptives containing drospirenone (Yasmin and Yaz) or cyproterone acetate are associated with an increased risk compared with oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel,” Van Hylckama Vlieg says. Specifically, the researchers found that:

* Levonorgestrel boosted the risk of blood clots by nearly fourfold compared to nonusers.
* Gestodene boosted risk by 5.6 times.
* Drospirenone boosted risk 6.3 times.
* Cyproterone boosted risk 6.8 times.
* Desogestrel boosted risk 7.3 times. (double the risk of levonorgestrel)

The risk of blood clots was also associated with the level of estrogen in the pills, with higher estrogen dose linked to higher risk.

FYI, the brands which contain Desogestrel along with ethinyl estradiol go by the name – Apri, Cesia, Cyclessa, Desogen, Kariva, Mircette, Ortho-Cept, Reclipsen, Solia, Velivet, Azurette, Caziant

By the way, Yasmin’s and Yaz’s synthetic hormone ingredients are Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.

Your Body Communicates To You

Whether you are trying to clear up your skin or ease painful PMS, keep in mind that birth control pills are merely addressing the symptoms and are not solving the root problem.  Your body is actually trying to tell you something. Acne may indicate that your colon, lymph or liver need support.  PMS may be occurring because hormones are out of balance, your life is too stressful, and/or your adrenal glands may be very stressed. There are natural alternatives which can reverse the symptoms many young women seek to resolve with contraceptives.  Many of my clients with acne, painful periods, and fibroids have had great success with the right supplements.  Birth control pills may improve your symptoms for a short time, but your body and its overall health is at risk when you consider the long run.

Currently I am working with a handful of young female clients who are on different birth control pills.  Curiously they are all deficient on B6.  In addition to this deficiency one client is also having issues with Zinc and the other is having issues with B12.  The deficient B6 and zinc combination has caused a chronic yeast infection which has lasted over 3 months.  She has stopped the pill but now needs to work on undoing its ill effects.

My client who is deficient in both B6 and B12 struggles with debilitating fatigue, loss of appetite and depression.  Contraceptives can create depression because the body sometimes has a neurochemical reaction to artificial steroids (female hormones), and from a lack of a women’s own natural superior hormones, estradiol and natural progesterone secreted with ovulation.

Taking Birth Control To Prevent Pregnancy

There are no reliable methods of birth control available to women that are as easy to use as the birth control pill but as safe from side effects as the rhythm method.  This is the challenge.  Birth control pills, shots and implants are identified in just about every known woman’s reproductive disease and disorder, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and infertility. The intrauterine device (IUD) can cause irregular bleeding and infertility. That has left the diaphragm, cervical cap, and condoms as supposedly safe and effective alternatives.  Condoms are the second best alternative to an actual oral or injected contraceptive drug.  Though their efficacy is great it is not as high as the birth control pill because they must be used correctly and every time.  How responsible each couple is with alternative contraceptives varies.

I have come across couples who did not want to have any more children and they have opted for surgical sterilization procedures.  The male surgical sterilization is the least drastic in method and recovery.

The following is a great guideline of supplements for those women who still plan to take a contraceptive –

Nutrient Daily Amounts (in 1 or 2 doses)
Vitamin B6 50-100 mg.
Vitamin B12 50-200 mcg. (sub-lingual is best)
Folic acid 400-600 mcg.
Vitamin E 400 IU
Vitamin C 1-3 grams
Zinc 25-50 mg.

I understand that birth control pills can be initially an “easy” fix, yet it is wise to be aware of how our delicate inner “eco-system” can be affected.  All synthetic drugs including birth control pills can cause extreme side effects.

**Caution – if you are ever found to have an abnormal pap smear result, it is advised to stop contraceptives immediately.

As I watch my daughters, especially when they are with their friends, there is just so much joy, fun and laughter.  Recently, my eldest said to me, “Mom you need to do more fun things.  Have some fun in your life.”   I must admit I tend to be such an introspective person and can read or sit in front of the computer (researching) for hours.  I lose sight of incorporating just pure fun which many times leads to laughter.  Looking at it from an “energetic” point of view, laughter vibrates at a high frequency and therefore can help shift a person’s health in many forms.

Fun and laughter can…

• Dispel (at least temporally) distressing emotions like anxiety, anger, sadness and possibly give you a better frame of mind to deal with a difficult situation.
• Cleanse you physically and emotionally due to its “releasing” effects.
• Reduce stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline) which increase stress, tension and inflammation.
• Increase the feel good hormones like endorphins which are neurotransmitters found in the brain that have pain relieving properties similar to morphine and which rid the body of waste acids.
• Keep you healthy by increasing the white blood cells which are essential for your immune system as well as raising infection-fighting antibodies

Studies

Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved normally, they expanded and contracted easily. But the blood vessels in people who watched the drama tended to tense up, which restricted blood flow.  I can only imagine what horror or violent flicks can do to our blood vessels.  Also, the comedy or comedian you watch must truly be funny to you.  If it is only marginally funny it may actually frustrate you which will not give you any of the benefits of laughter

Experts have also found that while laughing we stretch muscles through-out our face, contract the abs and even work out the shoulders.  This leaves muscles more relaxed.   It even provides a work out for the heart because the pulse and blood pressure increase.  Additionally, we breathe faster which sends more oxygen to our tissues.

The Norman Cousins Story

Norman Cousins was a writer and became editor for 35 years of the Saturday Review. His story begins in 1964, when doctors diagnosed him with a condition which affects the spine; it could have been Ankylosing Spondylitis or a type of severe arthritis.  Either way he was not given any hope for recovery.  At the time he was basically incapacitated and could not work.  Cousins decided to take his health into his own hands and eventually did three things completely contrary to medical opinion.

First he asked to be weaned off his medications because he discovered how harmful they were.  He also thought that his body needed therapeutic levels of Vitamin C and so he took high dosages of this supplement.  Secondly, he decided to leave the hospital because he concluded that a hospital was “no place for a person who is seriously ill” what with their haphazard hygiene practices, culture of overmedication, general feelings of negativity, and routines that disrupted basic sleep patterns.

Thirdly, Cousins got a hold of a projector (no DVD or videos then) and a large supply of funny films, including Candid Camera tapes and several old prints of Marx Brother’s movies.  Cousins found that he laughed so hard at the films that he was able to stimulate chemicals in his body that allowed him several hours of pain free sleep.  When the pain would return he would simply turn the projector back on and the laughter would re-induce sleep, and he was able to measure the changes in his body by measuring his blood sedimentation rate, a key measurement of inflammation and infection in the blood, and found that this rate dropped by at least 5 points each time he watched one of these films.

He eventually returned to his job as editor of the Saturday Review.  He was not 100% recovered but dramatic enough to “have a life”.  What gave Cousins the idea of trying laughter and positive emotions?  While in the hospital Cousins theorized that if negative emotions such as anger and frustration could contribute to poor health, why couldn’t positive emotions such as joy and laughter have the opposite effect?  Cousins soon embraced this idea, and this contributed to an optimistic attitude that seems to have reversed much of his severe illness.

Be “In the Now”

The time is NOW to laugh and be happy.  We used to do it everyday as youngsters.  Actually having fun and laughing always seems to put you in the NOW moment.  Very few people think about what tends to trouble them.  Maybe this is why people enjoy vacations so much because they distance themselves from what troubles them and focus on fun and enjoyment.

My husband and I recently sat down and discussed having more fun and laughing on a daily basis.  He jumped at the idea and now wants me to open up a Netflix account so that we can rent comedies and watch comedians on their tour shows.  We are also doing much more bike riding as a family and playing more board games.  A game night with neighbor may be in the works.  Recently we booked our first cruise which we plan to take during the Thanksgiving week.  Scientist Boris Sokoloff explained, “Like swimming, riding, writing, or playing golf, happiness can be learned.”

I’m off to have fun with my girls; I invite you to play and laugh a lot more.    Share your stories.

You can begin your commitment to laughing by watching these funny videos or any other ones you deem funny -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFMVeZyhagI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-AG_yF1Uw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cyAqEjZ2as

]]> http://www.bodyandsoulreconnection.com/the-healing-powers-of-fun-and-laughter/feed/ 0 http://www.bodyandsoulreconnection.com/understanding-the-benefits-of-reconnective-healing/ http://www.bodyandsoulreconnection.com/understanding-the-benefits-of-reconnective-healing/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:00:27 +0000 Lu Martinez http://www.bodyandsoulreconnection.com/?p=1906

Dr. Eric Pearl's Right Hand

“We all desire to have great relationships, fulfilling occupations, joy, health, security and inner-peace. It is a constant challenge for us as human beings to keep every part within ourselves (emotional, mental, physical and spiritual) in balance, flowing, and attuned in order to achieve this desire.”

The above quote is found on the Home page of my website.  I have a deep commitment to help lead people towards balancing their multi-dimensional body; to helping them experience a “flowing” through life with less struggle and physical discomfort.  Currently one of the most powerful methods to help achieve internal balance is an energy type work called Reconnective Healing®, which has been brought to the public’s attention by Dr. Eric Pearl and his book The Reconnection. It is difficult for many people to accept this type of work because it cannot be seen.  Radio waves cannot be seen yet we are aware that they exist.  The electrical impulses which course through our body and allow for an EKG, EEG, and lie detector test to track this energy can also not be seen, yet they are real.  And so universal/planetary electromagnetic fields with their various vibrational frequencies also exist yet cannot be seen.

One of the most well known energy type works offered for decades is Reiki, originating from Japan.  Reconnective Healing is a recently discovered frequency (approximately 12 years ago) which seems to be working at a much higher frequency.  It can be accessed and directed to a person’s electromagnetic field to affect change at a molecular level.

How Do Higher Frequencies Work?

The higher a vibrational frequency is, the closer it is to the frequency of Light.  Because human energy fields exist, shifting energy to higher frequencies can be a very “healing” experience.  I have come to understand that everything holds energy and vibrates at different rates; each thought, emotion and experience that we have effects and changes the frequency of our personal energy field.  A pattern of thought that is repeated often enough takes on a tremendous amount of “solidity” in one’s energy field, and these “solid” thoughts are called “thoughtforms”.  All of our thought/belief forms hold a vibrational frequency.  A thought or belief which is “rooted” in fear/rejection holds a lower level frequency or energy.  Physical imbalances also hold a lower frequency.  On the contrary, a thought or belief form which is “rooted” in love/acceptance holds a higher level of frequency or energy.

Each person has a unique vibration, which is the product of all of the influences he/she has ever encountered. The healing benefits of Reconnective Healing occur when a habitual lower level energy thoughtform, belief or physical imbalance is raised in its vibrational frequency.  In other words a higher frequency begins to replace the lower frequency (block) and “frees” the person to continue moving forward from the stagnation of this lower frequency.  It becomes easier to inject “light” and cause a type of metamorphosis of the lower more “denser” frequency.  For example, confusion transforms into clarity, hate into love, fear into courage, and conflict into harmony.

Reconnective Healing®

Reconnective Healing reconnects us to the fullness of the universe as it reconnects us to the fullness of our beings and of who we are.  Not only does it seem to have a new set of healing frequencies, but it possibly has an entirely new bandwidth. The reality of its existence has demonstrated itself clearly in practice as well as in science laboratories.  Reconnective Healing doesn’t specifically “treat” anything.  If in its presence you have a specific intent, or not, but allow yourself to come back into balance, as many people do, then you do.  If you’re lucky, your healing will come in the form you anticipated; if you’re really lucky, your healing will come in a form you haven’t even thought of, one that the universe has in mind specifically for you.  Healing can come in all forms.

Everyone’s experience with Reconnective Healing is unique.  In some instances the molecular integration of these new and higher level Reconnective frequencies can have an instant effect on one aspect of your being while in other areas of your being it can take a few weeks or months to unfold. 

Who Benefits from Reconnective Healing®?

People who seek out this type of healing usually fall into three categories: 1) They have tried numerous things for a chronic physical or emotional/mental imbalance and this is a new approach, 2) They have reached a point in their life in which they want to feel more integrated/whole and attain higher consciousness and awareness of how to live their life and how to continue journeying in their life, or 3) They seek out this type of healing for a family member who is hospitalized or in a care facility.

The beauty about these frequencies is that they work in person or via distance (I’m in California and I performed Reconnective Healing for a client in New York).  Also, not more then three sessions are suggested so it does not become a habitual “fix” or a “crutch”.   After a session clients may feel tired for the next 24 to 72 hours as the frequencies integrate into the body.  Click the following to read about others experiences – Testimonials.

Examples Of The Effects Of Different Frequencies

The following videos visually demonstrate how the frequencies of certain words or high pitched sound vibrations can alter an element.  In a similar way we can also be altered for our highest good.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf0t4qIVWF4

Turn down the volume!

We also find that color is light of different wavelengths, and each color has its own specific wavelength and vibration.  These wavelengths resonate with energies in different areas of the body and can have restorative properties.  I have had many clients observe colors while in their Reconnective Healing session.

My desire for you is that you open yourself up to all choices which will propel you forward and open up a greater path of understanding and power.  Feel free to Contact me with any questions.

Either way it is ALL good!