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Just Breathe….

August 16, 2010
Fresh Air Breathing Exercises

It seems like a very simplistic advise but breathing can actually help a lot of conditions, not just lung problems. Breathing, before anything else, is much more than the intake of oxygen or the release of carbon dioxide. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that during the process of breathing, your brain actually scans what’s going on in the rest of the body. When a person breathes in a shallow manner, then they’re not able to fully scan their body. When that happens, the central computer (our brains) cannot do it’s job of coordinating what goes on in the rest of the body. Such is the interconnectedness of the mind and body that the concept that each part of the body functions independently is crap, for the lack of a better word. Breathing is very important. Unfortunately, we often take this for granted. We sometimes focus too much on diet or hydration, to the detriment of learning proper breathing techniques. Although we may last for weeks without food or a few days without water, there’s only a few precious minutes that we can survive without (breathing) air. It’s important to take deep, diaphragmatic breaths (similar to that of a baby’s). Benefits include lowered stress levels, better sleep, and overall better health. Now, take some deep breaths ……

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I’ve got a headache!

August 4, 2010
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Headaches are not fun at all. I’m not the one who would take medications right away though. However, I’ll probably use them as a last resort (of course, after I exhaust all the natural remedies available). The usual treatment for headaches would either be Tylenol or Advil or other anti-inflammatory agents (and in case of migraine headaches, ergot alkaloid agents). Natural pain-relief agents include feverfew and petadolex. They’re generally effective for symptom relief. Some lose their effectiveness over time, especially if the cause or causes are not addressed properly. There are different causes of headaches and they include the following: chronic dehydration, stress, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, structural disorders, visual causes, metabolic disorders, and rarely, tumors. I’ll discuss the more common, easily treatable causes. Dehydration, of course could be easily corrected. ideally, a person needs to drink half of their body weight in ounces, more so if they’re active and sweating. Stress could be addressed by taking vitamins (B complex and C), minerals (Magnesium, Zinc), and adaptogens (ashwagandha, rhodiola). Meditation, massage therapy and prayer all do help. Hormonal imbalances could also be a culprit (progesterone deficiency in women). Nutrient deficiencies including that of magnesium (natural vasodilator and muscle relaxant) and essential fatty acids (anti-inflammatory) could also cause headaches. Food sensitivities can trigger headaches as well. If a person knows what they’re sensitive or allergic to, it’s best to avoid them. Otherwise, address the cause of food sensitivities such as a “leaky gut.” Finally, metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemia can also be a cause of headaches. In summary, addressing the root causes of illness yields better, longer-lasting results than just symptomatic treatment alone.

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Hair Supply

July 29, 2010
I like big hair and I cannot lie.

Why is it that we’re seeing younger people getting hair loss at such an early age? Is it just a genetic issue or does it have to do with environmental factors as well? I believe that it’s due to both. Genetic causes of chronic degenerative disease is only about 3-4%, compared to greater than 90% due to environmental causes.

There’s a lot we can do to prevent or even reverse hair loss. We have to know the factors that lead to this condition. One, there’s the issue of poor circulation. Our hair needs to be nourished. Poor circulation means less nutrients going to the hair follicles. What causes poor circulation? Dietary factors such as intake of trans-fats or hydrogenated oils as well as calcium build-up along the arterial lining can do that. Poor nutrition also leads to hair loss. Where do you think our hair comes from? It comes from our food. Hair is primarily protein. Therefore, an adequate intake of amino acids should lead to a full head of hair. But, it’s not just that. An adequate amount of certain vitamins, minerals and glycosaminoglycans are also needed for healthy hair. Nutritious food should contain adequate nutrients. However, this is not always true because certain produce, esp. ones that are produced through commercial, chemical farming are nutritionally deficient. Produce farmed bio-dynamically and not just organically, should contain adequate amounts of nutrients to help our body renew itself (and that includes the hair).

What about personal products that damage the hair or hair follicles? There’s a substance in hair gels or products that could actually clog the hair follicles and cause them to ultimately die. The one implicated the most is a chemical called PVP coplymer, a petrochemical product. Avoid this at all costs. There are other chemicals that could cause damage to cells in general such as pthalates and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate. Just notice how more companies are touting that they don’t contain these products.

Another cause of hair loss is hormonal imbalance. Undiagnosed thyroid issues could cause hair loss. A testosterone metabolite called DHT could cause hair loss, thus the popularity of synthetic DHT blockers such as Propecia or Avodart. A more natural way to influence testosterone metabolism is through the use of zinc supplements (which by the way is a very common nutritional deficiency). Other natural DHT blockers include saw palmetto, lycopene (from tomatoes), pygeum and stinging nettle. Low testosterone levels in men as well as low estrogen levels in women could also lead to hair loss. Isolated HGH deficiency could cause regeneration and repair to slow down as we age. That means, less production of new tissue, including our hair.

What do you do to improve HGH levels? Besides exercise, there are amino acids that stimulate HGH release from the pituitary. The most effective one for people over the age of 40 is L-glutamine. Goji berries has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to stimulate HGH release from the pituitary. Otherwise, a peptide called HGHRH (analogue) could also be used. I found this as effective as HGH, with less side effects.

What are other natural remedies that could stimulate hair growth? An Ayurvedic treatment includes the use of neem hair oil. Traditional Chinese medicine may recommend fo-ti pr he she wou. Essential oils that stimulate hair growth include therapeutic-grade peppermint, cedarwood, rosemary, lavender, thyme and sandalwood. Minoxidil works for some people but it does work better combined with substances such as retin-A, aldactone, progesterone, azelaic acid, copper peptides, SOD, and copper-zinc binding peptides.

Procedures one should consider before the last resort (hair transplant) include the use of low level laser therapy and the use of a micro-dermaroller. Consult with your holistic health care practitioner before incorporating any of the above suggestions.

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Tired And Sick Of Being Tired and Sick?

July 27, 2010
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Fatigue is a very common complaint we see daily. It’s not something that should be taken lightly, however. Often, we’re told that it’s a normal part of the aging process. Not if you’re thinking that aging is a gradual and progressive degradation of parts and function. We do have a choice. We can age gracefully or we can age “badly,” for lack of a better word. If a person would like to age well, then they better take care of the basics such as good nutrition, adequate water intake, breathing properly, restful sleep, sensible exercise, stress reduction, detoxification, nutritional supplement intake (individualized) and hormone balancing (through diet and perhaps, the use of bioidentical hormones).
Anyway, back to the subject of fatigue. Fatigue (tiredness) is a vague, subjective symptom. It’s normal to get tired or fatigued at times. But, if it’s chronic and unrelenting, then it need to be addressed further. There are a lot of possible causes of chronic, persistent fatigue. I can enumerate a few here. These include nutritional deficiencies (lack of B vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, etc), heavy metal toxicity (lead, mercury, arsenic), hormonal imbalance (low thyroid, adrenals, growth hormone, low testosterone in men, estrogen/progesterone imbalance in women), poor detoxification mechanisms, anemia, heart/lung problems, pathogens (Lyme’s disease, chronic candidiasis), etc. It’s best to find out the cause/causes of fatigue rather than masking it with excessive caffeine intake (coffee) or using energy drinks (high in sugar).
Once pathologic causes of fatigue are ruled out, then someone may consider incorporating the following nutrients to improve energy levels. Coenzyme Q10 (or better yet, Ubiquinol), L-carnitine, B vitamins and D-ribose. Consult with your holistic healthcare practitioner however, before incorporating any of these into your health program.

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Water, the fogotten nutrient

July 26, 2010
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It’s interesting how we place so much emphasis on food or supplements when we are basically, made up of 75% water (just like the earth). Without water, a lot of the metabolic processes in our body won’t work efficiently. Why is it that we can’t somehow focus on just getting enough water intake? Is it boring to just drink water? Compare that with soda (called “cola” or “soft drinks” in other countries). You see all these ads about soda everywhere. It makes you think that drinking soda quenches your thirst (which it does somewhat) but more importantly, that it makes you “cool,” (well, not as cool as other legal drinks, but you know where I’m getting). More about soda later. Anyway, the typical recommendation of glasses per day is not the best because of everybody differs in their requirements. I typically recommend half a person’s body weight in ounces (more so, if a person’s sweating a lot or when it’s hot outside). Then, as far as the quality of your water in concerned, I recommend pure water, but not just any type of “processed” water. There are pros and cons to each type of water purification system. Some may only removed dissolved solids (filtration). There are others that remove pathogens (such as bacteria, cysts), VOC’s (volatile organic chemicals), heavy metals (lead, mercury), and substances that are typically added to our water supply (chlorine, fluoride and more recently, chloramine). I would go for one that removes all these. Distillation and reverse osmosis water systems are among the more efficient ones available. Distillation probably gets rid of everything, including beneficial minerals unfortunately. This makes the water’s pH acidic in general. So, I recommend squeezing a lemon or lime into the water. The minerals in the water makes the water’s pH more alkaline. Do you know that there are water systems that make alkaline water? They’re considered medical devices in Japan, where acidic and alkaline water have specific applications. More on this later. Have a great week and drink up (water, that is)!

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No Perfect Diet

July 23, 2010
Mediterranean diet

There is no such thing as a perfect diet. At least not any more. Even if we ate 100% organic, we all end up with nutritional deficiencies. Different factors such as stress, environmental causes and problems with digestion and absorption all affect our nutritional status.

I recommend an individualized approach when it comes to making suggestions for someone’s diet. I believe that we’re all unique and the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work and will never work. For instance, for people with thyroid problems, I recommend staying away from soy products and goitrogens which can be found in raw cruciferous vegetables (lightly steamed is okay). For Asians and African-Americans, I recommend staying away from milk and dairy products. For people with arthritis, I may recommend that they stay away from the nightshades (potatoes, pepper, tomatoes, eggplants). For people with autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, I recommend a gluten-free diet.

In general though, a plant-based diet has been shown to decrease the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases. For people taking hormones, a “cave-man” or a paleolithic diet consisting of vegetable, fruits, nuts/seeds, and meat (free-range/grass-fed) works better. Limit the grains as much as possible.

For vegetarians/vegans, it’s important not to substitute meat with low quality carbs such as bread and pasta. Eat more vegetable and fruits and take something like blue green algae for a non-meat source of vitamin B12.

I also suggest eating produce that’s in season and that’s grown locally. It will help reduce our carbon-footprint.

As far as eating raw versus cooked is concerned, I suggest keeping with the seasons as in Chinese medicine. In the winter months, it’s important to have some warm foods. In the summer months, it’s okay to have raw foods.

Regarding supplement intake, once again, supplements are just that, a supplement to our diet. Our diet is as important as our supplements. At this point in time, we can not rely on our diet alone for over-all health and this is because of farming practices and the process of refining foods. Therefore, it’s now necessary to take nutritional supplements. But you have to take the right ones, however.

I prefer whole-food based supplements and if one has to take synthetic supplements, just stay on it for a limited period. Isolate something from nature and it behaves like a drug (better to take vitamin C complex than ascorbic acid or mixed tocopherols than alpha-tocopheryl).

The nutraceutical industry is not regulated and as such, there are a lot of ineffective supplements according to a study conducted by the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association. I would suggest working with a nutritionally-minded doctor/health practitioner if someone has to start taking supplements.

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Medication Side Effects (and how to prevent them)

July 21, 2010
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Medications are essential for certain acute conditions. There are people who take medications for chronic symptoms, however. It’s all fine and well until side effects happen. That’s why, a person’s biochemical individuality should always be taken into account when a person has to take medications long-term. A regular review of your medications should be in order, taking into account that there’s less metabolism or excretion of medications as we age.
Fortunately, there are genomic tests available that could tell you instantly and reliably on the kind of pharmacological substances which are most suitable for you. It furthermore advises you which dose grants you optimized therapeutic success.
One such lab is called Genosense in Vienna, Austria. They have a genomic test called Pharmacosensor. This test examines carefully selected polymorphisms which lead to structural changes in proteins that strongly influence the speed of metabolism in a series of pharmacological substances and also account for the accelerated or reduced transformation of harmless precursors of given medication into highly efficient substances.
If a person is unable to do this test, then at least they should be aware of possible nutritional deficiencies their medications could cause and make sure to replenish them.
One such class of medications are the antacid or ulcer medications. Nutrient deficiencies in Vitamins B12, folic acid, Calcium, Iron and Zinc could occur with the following potential health problems: anemia,depression, birth defects, increased cardiovascular risk, cervical dysplasia, heart disease, cancer risk, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, hearing loss, tooth decay, hair loss, brittle nails, loss of sense of taste or smell, and sexual dysfunction.
Another class of meds are the cholesterol-lowering agents called “statins”. They deplete the body of Coenzyme Q10. When this happens, various cardiovascular problems, a weakened immune system and low energy could occur.
Anticonvulsants could deplete the body of Vitamins D, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, Magnesium, Selenium and Zinc. Potential health issues could include osteoporosis, muscle weakness, hearing loss, tooth decay, heart and blood pressure irregularities, cervical dysplasia, anemia, hair loss, depression, dermatitis, fatigue, reduced antioxidant protection, poor wound healing and skeletal problems.
My purpose is not to alarm people who take these medications but to make them aware that an integrative approach to any medical condition yields better results. It’s a good thing that we can now check for nutritional deficiencies. One such functional test in done through Spectracell. It checks for 33 nutrient deficiencies. I love this test because it takes the guesswork out of supplementation. Better yet, most PPO’s and Medicare cover for this test.

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Organic, really?

Official seal of the National Organic Program

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There are a lot of products in the market that claim to be organic. Just go to Whole Foods Market or your local supermarket, where they now have organic sections or aisles. Does it really mean anything? Up to now, a lot of companies are using the word “organic” or “natural.” These words are used liberally and loosely to create a niche for their products and to attract green shoppers. What’s up with personal care products that say organic ingredients in percentages? I’ve seen labels on personal care products that say 72% or 94% organic. What does that mean? Isn’t a product supposed to be 100% organic or not at all? Anyway, it’s dizzying just reading labels, much more deciphering what they mean. In a New York Times report, it asks the basic question: is it organic or not? Can a product be 100% organic if water used to grow a produce is not filtered or if there’s cross-contamination from a field that has GMO crops? Is biodynamic farming better? Ideally, one should grow their own crops. But, that’s not possible for most people. I myself can’t do it. I can barely keep my bonsai tree alive and healthy! So, I put my blind faith on these big retailers like Whole Foods. Finally, they’re going to require their suppliers to be certified by 2 agencies. Why just now, however? Shouldn’t they have done this a long time ago. Just wondering….

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Bad Make-Up

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What I mean by bad make-up is not how bad the way a person is made up (although, that gives me an idea on something to write about in the future). I’m actually referring to how harmful some of the make-up/cosmetics/personal care products are for our health. The cosmetic and even the perfume industry are industries that are not regulated. As such, some unscrupulous companies could use whatever they hell they want in their products. Some of these products are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and hormone disruptors. Some companies (even those that claim to be natural) state that the amounts of chemicals (used as preservative agents, among other things) found in their products are so minute to make a dent in someone’s health. Not if you’re getting a little bit of everything here and there. Who decides on what is too much or too little? An article on Time.com called “Toxic Cosmetics” is quite enlightening. Some examples of toxic chemicals include formaldehyde in hair-straightening agents, toluene in nail polish, mercury in skin whitening agents, parabens in shampoos and skin creams/lotions, coal tar in mascara and lead in lipstick. Men are not safe from these chemicals either. Some agents found in men’s personal care products are hormone disruptors, causing an imbalance in testosterone and estrogen. My advise is to use natural, organic products as much as possible. And don’t take a company’s word for it, do your research. Dr. Haushka’s form Germany, Jurlique from Australia and of course, Young Living Essential Oils are among the purest skin care companies on earth.

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To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse….

July 19, 2010
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If Demi and Ashton are doing it, shouldn’t we all be doing it? I’m talking about the Master Cleanse here, silly. What is it anyway? Actually, it ‘s a very simple program that consists primarily of a liquid diet. It’s divided into 3 phases but the main program involves a lemonade diet consisting of fresh lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in pure water. It’s a pretty drastic program especially if someone has never done any detox or cleansing program at all. This is not the only detox program available, however. I’ve recommended other ones that are as simple and effective. Anyway, doing a cleanse is no joke. It could be accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms depending on how “toxic” one is. These symptoms may include skin reactions (such as rashes), nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle aches, body odor, headaches, increased sweating, increased urination or increased mucus formation. They’re usually temporary and typically disappear in 2-3 days. When this happens, it means that the body is actually detoxifying itself. If the symptoms persist however, it may be time to call it quits or consult with your holistic healthcare practitioner. People who may not be candidates for a cleanse include those with sluggish bowel movement (constipation), decreased liver and kidney function, those who have chronic degenerative diseases and those are taking prescription medications. Who are appropriate candidates for a cleanse? Basically, everybody (except those previously mentioned) but especially those with people with allergies, joint pain, fatigue, asthma, digestive problems, weight gain, skin problems (eczema, adult acne), headaches, etc. When is the best time to do a cleanse? I recommend doing a major cleanse twice yearly. However, doing some type of cleanse daily could prevent the accumulation of toxins in our bodies (that in turn, could eventually lead to dis-ease). I use a glutathione precursor product twice daily myself and I love it. What can we do to support our detoxification program? Simple things such as getting enough sleep, drinking adequate water (half a person’s body weight in ounces ideally), eating a well-balanced diet, avoiding processed foods, reducing or coping with stress better, exercising regularly and maintaining a positive attitude. Let’s do it!

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