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Archive for October, 2010

No Tox

Botox Injections from Dr Braun

Image by Vancouver Laser & Skincare Centre via Flickr

It’s interesting how things in medicine change. Things that were once considered unacceptable eventually become the norm when a majority of health care practitioners start using a specific modality regularly and without question. Take for instance, the most potent neurotoxin known to man. It is now being used for signs of aging such as wrinkles but also for medical problems such as migraine headaches or hyperhidrosis. It’s no doubt one of the most effective treatments against deep wrinkles. However, I believe that not everybody with wrinkles is a good candidate for this procedure. A person’s biochemical individuality should always be taken into consideration. This means that everybody is different and as such, each individual would react differently to a drug or procedure. The concept of biochemical individuality also applies when one is receiving dietary advise or taking nutritional supplements. Anyway, back to the subject of wrinkles. There are alternatives to Botox. These include acupuncture facelift, the use of derma roller, and mesotherapy using nappage techniques. I personally use the GUNA Italian remedies in my practice because of it’s holistic approach to beauty (external and internal approaches). Topical treatments can be used for prevention as well. I recommend and use organic products personally. My favorites are Boswella wrinkle cream and Sandalwood moisturizing cream from Young Living. I also like Dr. Haushka’s from Germany and Jurlique from Australia.
One thing to also consider is a principle better known to environmental medicine doctors as “toxic load”. Compare our bodies to a barrel filled with “stuff” including environmental toxins. Initially, people may be asymptomatic, but as this “barrel” overflows, so do the appearance of signs and symptoms of toxicity, which unfortunately, are mostly treated symptomatically, whether through the use of natural or synthetic remedies. My advise is to minimize exposure to toxins as much as possible and to detox, detox and detox.

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Fall Changes

Organic vegetables at a farmers' market in Arg...

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Yup, it’s that time of the year. Things around us are changing. That includes the weather, the trees and leaves, our moods (because of impending winter when days are dark and gloomy), among many other things. It’s also that part of the year when I recommend a thorough detoxification or cleansing program. The process of “detox” or detoxification is not just something an alcoholic or drug addicted person needs to do. It’s actually something that all of us need to go through regularly. The main reason for this is due to the environmental pollution that we’re all exposed to. Toxins can be found in our food, air and water. Then, there’s also toxins produced in our bodies from regular metabolic processes. The world has changed a lot during the last 100 years and our bodies haven’t kept up with these changes. Therefore, it’s really important to support the organs of detoxification since our bodies are practically overwhelmed with these external and internal sources of toxins. Simple things that a person can do include avoidance of environmental toxins. Eating organic food, drinking pure water, installing a shower filter  and having an air filtration system at home could be a good start. Avoiding petrochemical-based personal care products and shifting to natural or better yet, organic ones is better for our bodies and the environment as well. Herbal/nutritional support of the major detoxification organs such as the liver include the use of cruciferous vegetables, green tea, milk thistle, NAC, ALA, glutathione, etc. Other simple things anyone can incorporate in their regular detox program include regular exercise, dry skin brushing, and occasional fasting (medically supervised if someone has chronic degenerative diseases or is on medications). Therapeutic grade essential oils of clove, peppermint and cumin have different cleansing properties. Stay tuned for more specific detoxification protocols.

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Safe Travels

Taj Spa at Taj Exotica, Goa

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Just got back from NYC for a conference. It’s a short trip compared to the ones I’ve made before. However, it’s still important to take certain precautions to prevent yourself from getting sick during or after air travel. One thing is to make sure that you stay well-hydrated. Drink half your body weight in ounces (per day) ideally. Forget about the crappy airline food they serve. Bring your own food if possible. Feeling sleepy? How about bringing an eye mask and that cushy neck pillow (if you’re flying coach). Don’t forget to take melatonin to prevent jet lag esp. if you travel through “major major” time zones. Try getting up once in a while to get your circulation going. And if there’s an urge to urinate (or any other “urges” for that matter), don’t hold it. Suppression of these natural urges could lead to illness according to Ayurvedic medicine. We already know about breathing recirculated air when flying. Consider getting a personal air ionizer and if that’s not possible, essential oil blends such as Thieves or Purification from YLEO are really helpful. Doing a lot of walking like I did in NYC? Make sure to wear good shoes and take time out for breaks. I think I overdid it. Thank heavens for Brookstone! I got a foot/leg massage for 30 minutes and it helped a lot. Nothing beats a real massage though and I’m so glad that I got one yesterday. More travel tips later….

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Desperate Housecalls….

 

15. Desperate Housewives (PCD Fake) To ISAEL10...

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Saw Sunday night’s episode of Desperate Housewives. Interesting how one character has been experiencing anxiety and depression since his wife gave birth a few months earlier. He was diagnosed with post-partum depression and even got a brochure from his primary care physician about the condition. Anyway, he saw a doctor who prescribed him some type of medication for his condition. Upon his return home from the doctor’s office, he told his wife about the medication. His wife didn’t agree with this approach and she then advised him to see a holistic MD, especially after a friend of hers got great results for her back pain. So he did, and when he came back from this holistic MD, he was so delighted because he was prescribed some medical marijuana. Now, that’s stretching it a bit. Personally, I don’t think a holistic MD would prescribe marijuana as an initial treatment for depression. Although it’s one of the medical uses of marijuana, there are other nutrients that one should consider before resorting to this. Nutrients such as Magnesium, vitamin D, B complex, essential fatty acids, St. John’s wort, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, and 5-HTP could all help relieve a person’s symptoms of depression. Back to the story, the depressed guy’s wife wasn’t so happy with this recommendation from the doctor. So, she happily switched the medicine bottle with marijuana with oregano without her husband’s knowledge. Her husband however, got better and take note, he even experienced getting “high”. Think about the power of placebo effect. Long story short, he eventually found out about the switch. By that time, he was actually better. Lots of lessons to be learned from this episode but the main one that stuck is the role of the mind in the healing process. The mind is really powerful. So, be careful what you think.

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Flu Fighter

 

Fresh vegetables are important components of a...

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There’s more to preventing the flu than just getting your annual vaccine (which actually doesn’t protect against the current strain of the flu). A healthy immune system is always our best defense against any type of bug, whether it be a virus, bacteria, fungus or parasite. To achieve and maintain a healthy immune system, a person has to take care of the basics. That includes having a healthy diet, adequate water intake, deep breathing, stress reduction, adequate rest and exercise, quality sleep, healthy relationships and last but not least, spirituality. Besides these general recommendations, there are specific nutrients that could help in the fight against the flu. These include certain vitamins, minerals, herbs and essential oils. Vitamin D (D3 in particular), the so-called “happiness” vitamin because of it’s role in preventing SAD or seasonal affective disorder, is more than a vitamin. It’s a pro-hormone and and an immune modulator as well. Doses from 1,000 to 10,000 IU daily may be given to achieve an optimal level of 60-80 ng/ml. Vitamin A can also be used for short periods to help increase secretory IgA and improve the immune system. Doses from 50,000-100,000 units have been used for short periods to help against viral infections. Make sure that a person has a healthy liver prior to initiating high doses of vitamins A and D. Vitamin C complex (with bioflavonoids) can also be given at 1,000-6,000 mg daily. Adequate water intake is suggested when taking higher doses of vitamin C. Minerals such as zinc and selenium, and herbs such as astragalus and garlic, do help as well. Finally, there’s essential oils such as clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary and thyme. I specifically recommend a therapeutic-grade essential oil blend from YLEO called Thieves. It works!

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Depression Hurts, Holistic Medicine Can Help…..

Cover of "The Lonely Man"

Cover of The Lonely Man

Depression is not uncommon as you think. That’s why there’s a slew of ads  on prime time TV pouting drugs that address this problem. There’s no doubt that medications do help people but the truth is, it doesn’t help everyone esp. those who have chronic health problems. Antidepressants won’t bring optimal results if there are underlying issues such as low thyroid function, low testosterone levels in men, hormonal imbalance in women (low estrogen or progesterone), vitamin (vitamin D, B complex) or mineral (Magnesium) deficiencies, and gut issues (leaky gut, dysbiosis), among others. Depression is not merely due to imbalance in brain chemicals. It can be also be due to problems going in the body . That’s why it’s important not to separate the mind from the body (or one part of the body from the rest of the body, for that matter). It’s important to address the root cause/causes of the problem if one expects to achieve optimal, long-lasting results. Then, a holistic approach should be employed that takes factors such as diet, nutritional supplements, stress-reduction, optimal sleep, adequate exercise, social activities, spiritual practices and  hormone balance , etc. into consideration. Everybody is unique or different. Therefore, a cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all approach to treating depression (or any other illness) won’t work. A program that considers each person’s biochemical individuality would go a long way in obtaining great results.

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