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Posts tagged ‘Medicine’

Scent Power: Essential Oils For Awesome Health

Chromatogram of ten essential oils coloured wi...

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Medical aromatherapy or the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, is one of the oldest forms of medicine and cosmetics known to man. According to Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese medical manuscripts, physicians and priests were using essential oils thousands of years before Christ to heal the sick. What are essential oils anyway? Essential oils are the subtle, aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from the flowers, seeds, stems, leaves, bark and roots of herbs, shrubs and trees. The extraction process is done primarily through distillation. Some of the oils that have been used since Biblical times include frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon. Modern clinical research has been confirming the medicinal properties of these oils. For instance, frankincense has been found to have superior immune stimulating properties while cinnamon has blood sugar regulating properties.

Are all essential oils equal? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. For example, the majority of the rose oils come from Bulgaria. In order to keep up with demand from the perfume or cosmetic industry, they have to produce large volumes and in the process compromise quality by using solvent extraction instead of steam distillation.

Some of the modern applications of oils include eugenol (from clove), which is used in the dental industry and thymol (from thyme) which is used as an antiseptic. For one of the best sources of essential oils, check out www.cleanbodycare.com.

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on November 29, 2010

I’m Back!

Ani Phyo

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Yup, I’m back after a brief hiatus. Was at a conference this past weekend in Las Vegas. Attended the fall meeting of the American College for Advancement in Medicine or ACAM for short. It’s one of the better, if not the best, integrative medical association in this part of the world. What I love about this group is that it practices what it preaches. One of the guests at the meeting is Ani Phyo, a raw foodist and raw food chef. What I like about her is that she’s not self-righteous as other raw foodists that I’ve met. And the food that she asked the hotel to prepare for one of our lunches was absolutely fabulous! As far as the workshops and lectures are concerned, I would have to say that ACAM puts up one of the best educational meetings. I constantly attend meetings and they do a great job of finding the best speakers on relevant topics. Cheers as well to Drew and Michelle. They’re doing a great job in “spreading the word” on the internet.

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No Tox

Botox Injections from Dr Braun

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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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BHRT: Is It Right For You?

Cropped version of Image:Suzanne Somers USO 1.jpg

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Long before bioidentical hormones became a hot topic, there were already doctors using the therapy with great success.  It took Suzanne Somers, a celebrity actress and health promoter, however, to bring the topic of bioidentical hormones to the general public.  I am fortunate to have learned about this therapy (from some of the pioneers in alternative medicine) about 13 years ago.  One thing I learned from these generous individuals is that everybody is different. Such is the concept of biochemical individuality.  What does this have to do with bioidentical hormones?  What this means that everyone is unique and as such, a program that works for one person may or may not work for another.

What are bioidentical hormones?  These are hormones that have the exact molecular structure that our bodies produce.  Any structure that deviates from the original endogenous molecule is synthetic and as such is not bioidentical.  Therefore, a person who gets a synthetic hormone is not having his or her hormones replaced.  What they’re getting is hormonal substitution.

A medical doctor just recently appeared on the Oprah show, who said that bioidentical is just a marketing term.  Dr. Christine Northrup, M.D. one of the main proponents of the use of natural bioidentical hormones, gently corrected her.  I’m still amazed at how people in the mainstream don’t think for themselves but just follow the “party line.” It’s like having an “earth is flat” mentality.

I believe that our hormones are like a symphony orchestra. If one is off, the rest get affected. Even so-called “minor” hormones have a great role to play. That’s why it’s important to balance everything. In my practice, I’ve encountered people who are just taking one hormone thinking that that would resolve their issue.

I believe in the concept of yin and yang in Chinese medicine.  For instance, when I treat the thyroid, I look into it’s sister organ, the adrenals. Their functions are closely linked together. Thus, it’s important to support both organs.

When I see a new client, I am always humbled because of all the new things I learn.  I look into a person’s signs and symptoms as well as their lab work.  One is as important as the other.  As the saying goes, “if it talks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it must be a duck.”  The problem with “what’s going on” is that if a person falls within a normal range, even though they may be symptomatic, they may be denied proper treatment.  What we do as healthy aging  practitioners (also known as anti-aging), is that we look at optimal ranges rather than normal ranges.

For individuals who may not be candidates for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), there are alternatives available.  Besides the use of herbal medicine, I’ve used medical aromatherapy with essential oils and spagyric/homeopathic remedies.

For anyone seeking answers to their health issues, my advice is to listen closely to your body and to always keep an open mind.

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Natural Antibiotics

Lavande / lavender

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Are there such things? You bet! Ancient civilizations have used them in the past. Traditional medical systems such as Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine texts are replete with information on natural germ fighting agents. In very recent times, just in 1987 in fact, one of the most comprehensive studies was conducted in Scotland that determined the most powerful antibacterial agents. These include the essential oils of thyme, cinnamon, clove and geranium. According to another study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the oils of cinnamon, thyme and clove killed 92% of 25 different Gram negative and positive bacterial strains. As a side note, do you know that Listerine antiseptic was originally named after Joseph Lister, the Father of modern surgical antisepsis? The formula has the following essential oils, namely; thymol (from thyme essential oil), eucalyptol (from eucalyptus essential oil), methyl salicylate (from wintergreen essential oil) and menthol (from peppermint essential oil). A study done in 1999 published at the Journal of Clinical Periodontology showed that a mouthwash that had the essential oils of thyme, peppermint, wintergreen and eucalyptus, was more effective in improving oral health than an antiseptic that was fluoride-based. In 2006, powerful anti-fungal oils were identified by researchers and they include the following: essential oils of cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, geranium and thyme. They were all found to be equal or superior to a well-known anti-fungal medication. Other natural anti-fungal agents include garlic, caprylic acid (from coconut), melaleuca (tea tree oil) and Saccharomyces boullardii (an anti-fungal yeast). One common infectious cause of gastritis is H. pylori. Mastic gum has been used traditionally to treat this. Other agents were found to be effective in a study conducted at the Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan. These include the essential oils of manuka, cinnamon bark, carrot seed, savory, white grapefruit, clove and eucalyptus. Meanwhile, natural anti-viral agents include eugenol from clove oil (found to be effective against Herpes virus), peppermint oil, and manuka essential oil. Finally, what natural agents are effective against MRSA and VRE antibiotic-resistant bacteria? In studies done at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow, UK, it was found that melaleuca, lavender, peppermint and thyme essential oils showed the strongest activity against these germs. Anyway, I want to acknowledge Dr. Carolyn de Marco for providing a lot of great information regarding the use of essential oils. If someone is suffering from an infectious illness, work with your healthcare provider on how to improve your immune system so that you won’t get sick in the first place.

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The Karate Kid

Medicines in a Chinese pharmacy in Seattle.

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Yes, I saw it on the opening weekend! It was actually better than I expected. Anyway, it’s interesting how the movie incorporated some aspects of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), primarily moxibustion. I don’t do this procedure in my practice but have referred clients to TCM practitioners. This traditional form of medicine has been practiced for over 5,000 years and is being used as primary health care by more than half of the world’s population. Moxibustion involves the burning of an herb called mugwort. It is useful for treating a variety of conditions such as aches and pains, colds and flu, and even poor digestion. Sounds like a Harry Potter movie, huh? Anyway, it does work and I encourage people to try other alternative forms of treatment once in a while.

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