Wellblends: Organic Auyrveda Products

I have a high respect for Auyrveda medicine. It originated in India more than 3,000 years ago and remains one of the country’s traditional health care systems. Its concepts about health and disease promote the use of herbal compounds, special diets, and other unique health practices which sounds exactly like my office!

Auyrveda medicine use herbs that include tumeric, clove, ginger, cayenne and many others. I use tumeric as an anti-inflammatory, clove for it's anti-oxidants, ginger helps settle an upset stomach, and cayenne helps increase metabolism and kill parasites. Many times over I have given these herbs in supplement form or asked patients to include them in their diet. I have not found an Auryveda line of supplements that have met my standards until now and I'm excited to share it with you!



Wellblends is organic and muscle tests extremely well. I have used it on myself, my family and a few of you have gotten sample packets as well to try and I love the results. For me, when using Wellblends I have a greater sense of well being and the moment I started feeling under the weather GOLDEN MILK- WELLNESS BOOSTING BLEND was wonderful at keeping my immune system strong to ward off what I started feeling.

Directions for Golden Milk:
Combine 1 tsp of the herbal powder with one cup of almond milk or cashew milk. Bring the milk and spices to a boil. Remove from heat and sip. This blend helps to reduce inflammation, fight free radicals, reduce the results of aging, improve circulation, curb cravings, calm the mind and improve sleep. Drink this elixir nightly. Kids will love it too! Once the liquid cools to room temperature verses pipping hot, you can choose to add a dab of honey for extra sweetness.

With all those benefits how can you not try it!

To check this product out and much more go to:

www.wellblends.com

Where Our Health is Going and How To Help Heal the Next Generation

In the 1930s scientist Francis Pottenger studied the effects of nutrition in animals, specifically cats. He studied over 900 cats between 1932-1942. He took three groups of cats and fed one group the natural diet of raw meat and raw milk. He took another group and fed a mixed diet of raw meat with processed milk and the third group with cooked meat and processed milk. He then studied the next four generations and found that the raw food group stayed healthy and vibrant while the cooked foods group started having health problems right away and giving those health problems to their offspring.

The results are amazing!
Control Group Cats Fed Raw Food Diet – 1st through 4th Generations

The control group cats fed a raw food diet remained healthy and gave birth to healthy kittens with each succeeding generation. Each generation grew up to be of uniform size and development with normal fur, tissues, and skeletal structure. Calcium and phosphorous levels in their bones were normal. Their organs and nervous system functioned normally and their coordination was perfect. They were very resistant to infections. Their mental state was stable and friendly and you could play with them. There were no birth complications and nursing was normal. The cats gave birth to an average of five kittens each one weighing roughly 119 grams.
Cooked Foods Diet (CFD) Group Cats – 1st through 4th Generations

The CFD cats gave birth to healthy appearing offspring in the first generation. However, they developed diseases and illnesses near the end of their lives. These diseased conditions developed midlife in the second generation of offspring. The third generation began manifesting unhealthy conditions in the beginning of their lives and many died before six months of age. The following conditions were noted in these cats:

Increasingly poor eyesight - nearsightedness or farsightedness, heart problems, thyroid and bladder problems, nervous system problems, meningitis and paralysis, infections of various organs, ovary and testis problems, liver problems, inflammations, uterine congestion, atrophy of various organs.
Each new generation of CFD cats had increasingly abnormal variations in their skeletal structure. Their bones became soft and rubber-like by the third generation.
Skin conditions including parasites, lesions, and allergies appeared worsening with each succeeding generation.
Increasingly abnormal mental states. With each new generation, the cats became more unpredictable, were more irritable, were biting and scratching more, were less playful, and so on. The males became docile experiencing a drop in libido and sexual interest while the females became very aggressive.
Failure of reproductive systems. The CFD cats aborted about 25% of the offspring in the first generation, about 70% of the offspring in the second generation, and in all cases the delivery was difficult and sometimes the females died giving birth. The kittens that were born were about 19 grams less than the ones that were born from the cats being fed a raw food diet.
There was no 4th generation of CFD cats. No CFD cats of the 3rd generation could give birth to healthy offspring. Either the third generation parents were sterile or the fourth generation cats died before birth!

Now think of how this is applied to humans. We are getting sicker and sicker with each new generation. There are new diseases all the time. Autism was never heard of before and now it is one in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a 30% increase from 1 in 88 two years ago, It's scary!!

What do we do about it?
We start eating correctly. This does not mean a raw food diet like the cats but it means eating exactly what our body needs. It means giving it the nutrition it needs to repair and heal itself and make healthy new cells including eggs and embryonic cells for women and sperm cells for men to make a healthy next generation. It means making the effort to make our children eat healthy. And by effort I mean effort! I know what it's like to argue with a child about what's for dinner and not liking her snack and why she can't have what her friends are eating. But trust me, it's worth it the effort. It's worth your child not being sick, not getting a disease and living a healthy, happy life.



I then think if my daughter grows up healthy and not a 'Pottenger cat' the only hope for her children is to marry someone else as healthy and what are the odds of that? So I am on a mission, not only for the next generation but for the one after that and after that to teach not only you but the children how to eat healthy and that it does matter. now and forever.

Should You Be A Vegetarian?

My patients often ask if I'm a vegetarian. I am not. My diet is free of gluten, sugar, dairy and fruit but not animal protein. Think paleo without the fruit. I love fruit. It has a lot of good vitamins in it but my body doesn't love it. In 2001 I did spend 3.5 years being a vegetarian but it wasn't for me. At first I felt like it was a relief to my body to go vegetarian but eventually my health started declining so I started eating meat again but I am 85% vegetarian.  That other 15% is just enough meat to make my body happy.  I can respect eating vegetarian or even going all the way vegan but unfortunately what I have found in my office is that being vegan for a long period of time is a disservice to the body. Being vegetarian can be sustainable given your body type and that's why muscle testing is so important. Everyone is different.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is an MD who wrote a great article on this topic called Feeding vs. Cleansing. This article explains the importance of a plant based diet for a temporary time in order to cleanse the body.  

                           

"Human body (without water) is largely made out of protein and fat (almost half and half), these are the 'bricks and mortar' from which your bones, muscles, brain, heart, lungs, liver and all other organs are made. Laboratory analysis of plants and animal foods show that the best protein and fat for human physiology comes from animal foods. The amino acid profile of animal protein is correct for the human body, while amino acid profile of plant-derived proteins is incomplete and unsuitable for human physiology. The same with fat: animal fat has the right fatty acid composition for human body to thrive on, while plant oils are unsuitable. So, when it comes to FEEDING your body and BUILDING your bodily tissues and structures animal foods are the best and the only suitable ones."

If you are thinking about becoming a vegetarian or are a vegetarian and you are thinking about incorporating more animal product you can always let me know so I can test the body and see what your body says. Just ask me; the answer is always to muscle test!

MONSANTO Finally Found Guilty of Poisoning and Kicked Out of France!!

An appeals court in Lyon, France has upheld a 2012 ruling against Monsanto, in which it was found guilty of the chemical poisoning of a farmer named Paul François.

The grain grower said that in 2004 he became ill due to Monsanto’s weedkiller, Lasso. François claimed he suffered from neurological problems, memory loss, headaches and stammering after inadvertently inhaling the herbicide.

In François’ case, doctors determined the cause of his ill health was monochlorobenzene, a highly toxic substance that made up 50 percent of Monsanto’s herbicide, according to teleSUR. The substance sent François to the hospital, where he entered in a coma. Subsequent tests showed that the farmer suffered permanent brain disease, teleSUR reported.

In 2012, he filed suit against Monsanto for not providing a warning on the product label and won. Monsanto appealed the decision shortly after.

September's ruling, however, stamps another victory for the farmer. The appeals court said Monsanto was “responsible” for the intoxication and ordered the company to “fully compensate” François.

“It is a historic decision in so far as it is the first time that a (pesticide) maker is found guilty of such a poisoning,” François’ lawyer, told teleSUR.



In response, France has kicked out Monsanto and 35 other countries have certain bans on GE food. For the time being USA is only talking about it. Hopefully, sooner than later, we can follow suit.

The Truth About Weight Loss

When people come to my office to lose weight I must first explain to them that I am not a ‘quick fix’ doctor and that my patients are in it not to just lose weight but to create a healthier body. True health is about lifestyle changes. While my weight loss patients make adjustments in their lifestyle to follow the guidance I give them they go through 3 phases. The first phase is the transition to restore the metabolism. Once that is established then the body can start losing weight (step 2) and then the final step is to maintain optimal health.
The transition is a journey of healing. You can only be in your transition if you are improving your nutrition and lifestyle habits.
During the transition one’s hormones will change in response to the nutrition and lifestyle changes that are being made and this allows the body to heal. However, balanced hormones will not happen immediately—there are sequential steps of healing that everyone must take.
When a patient starts their transition process by improving their habits, their body will begin to rebalance its hormones. Their body will also rebuild at the cellular level with nutrients that were not available during previous poor habits. The more damaged the current metabolism, the longer it will take for this process to be completed.
When one has healed their metabolism, they are primed to lose fat weight, if needed. Once they have lost all their excess fat, they are through steps 1 and 2.

The Three Transition Stages
For most people, the transition (step 1) to a healthy metabolism consists of three main stages. Here is what you may expect as you journey through your transition to health. You begin at your initial starting point and then enter 1) a healing phase. Then you enter a 2) fat burning phase, if you need to burn fat before you finally reach a 3) healed state. Depending on your current metabolism, your body may skip the healing and/or fat-burning phases.
Let's look at each stage in more detail:
Healing phase
Fat-burning phase
Healed state
The Initial Starting Point
The initial starting point is your current metabolism type and age when you start improving your habits and begin entering your transition. Listed to the right are the four metabolism types an individual can have.
Insulin-sensitive with healthy adrenal glands
Insulin-sensitive with burned-out adrenal glands
Insulin-resistant with healthy adrenal glands
Insulin-resistant with burned-out adrenal glands



These metabolism types are not genetic but acquired. Everyone begins life insulin-sensitive with healthy adrenal glands. It is only after years of poor nutrition and lifestyle habits that you may become insulin-resistant or have burned-out adrenal glands—or have both conditions.
Your age and how long you have had your current metabolism affect the duration of your transition. The older you are and the longer your metabolism has been damaged, the longer it will take for you to complete your transition.

Insulin-sensitive
It is normal to be insulin-sensitive. You are insulin-sensitive if your body responds to all the actions of insulin, including the ability to make and store fats.
The following is what happens when you eat carbohydrates if you are insulin sensitive:
Sugar is taken up by your liver.
Excess sugar in your liver is turned into triglycerides and cholesterol.
Triglycerides and cholesterol are taken up by various cells of your body.
Sugar is also taken up by your cells.
When all the sugar and fats are in your cells, blood-sugar levels start to drop and insulin levels go back down.
You eat again and the whole process starts all over
Insulin-resistant
Eventually, from sustained high levels of insulin, you become completely insulin-resistant. All your cells are completely overfilled with fats and sugar, and they barely respond to the action of insulin. At this point you usually have high triglyceride blood levels. (High triglyceride levels are not indicators of insulin resistance only. Smoking, stress, birth control pills and drinking alcohol can raise triglyceride levels in your bloodstream also, but that does not necessarily mean that you are insulin-resistant. Do not diagnose yourself as insulin-resistant from your triglyceride blood test alone.)
When you are insulin-resistant, you have high fasting insulin levels, you usually carry your excess fat weight around your midsection and you have one or more of the following symptoms or diseases.
Abnormal cholesterol profiles: High triglyceride levels with low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and high apolipoprotein B levels.
Hypertension: Sustained high blood pressure.
Type II diabetes: Sustained high levels of sugar in the bloodstream.
Coronary atheroscelrosis: Plaques in the heart arteries which may cause a heart attack when they rupture.
Cerebral atheroscelrosis: Plaques in the brain which may cause a stroke when they rupture.
Cancers: Abnormal cell growth. Breast, prostate and colon cancers are the most common cancers associated with high insulin levels.
Stein Leventhal Syndrome (SLS): SLS is a female clinical condition of infertility (anovulatory menstrual cycles), acne and/or facial hair.
There are three paths that lead to insulin resistance:
Years of high insulin levels due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits.
Years of high adrenaline and/or cortisol levels due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits.
Years of high insulin, adrenaline and cortisol levels due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits.
If you recognize that you are on any of these paths, now is the time to change your habits!

Your Goal
Your goal is to stay or become insulin-sensitive and to have healthy adrenal glands or to heal them. Therefore, the goal metabolism to have is insulin sensitive with healthy adrenal glands and then and only then will the weight loss start happening! Know that there is hope and weight loss just has to be approached holistically with the ultimate goal is changing how your body responds to insulin. This way you lose weight AND keep it off!

Trimona Bulgarian Yogurt Is The Best!

What makes this organic cow milk yogurt different is two amazing things. The cows are grass-fed and the yogurt is not strained. Their motto, "Let the Greeks have their philosophers, leave the yogurt to us," makes me laugh every time I read it. Bulgaria is proud to have the history of producing the healthiest yogurt in Europe dating back 4,000 years ago. Russian Nobelist Ilya Mechnikov attributed yogurt as the reason why Bulgarians lived so long. He studied the yogurt and linked aging to toxic bacteria in the bowel and showed that fermented milk inhibits these germs from growing by seeding the intestine with good bacteria. Mechnikov named the yogurt microorganism Lactobacillus bulgaricus.



I'm so glad Trimona has kept the tradition of making Bulgarian yogurt and knows the importance of not only organic but grass-fed and full fat yogurt. If the fat is taken out of the yogurt so are the natural enzymes so the body doesn't know how to break down the food. All yogurt that you eat should be full-fat. It's hard to find but not impossible. If the store isn't selling Trimona then I will buy the full fat FAGE yogurt. And to tell you up front because Trimona isn't strained it has a slightly sour taste which I think is delicious!

Bulgarians know how important consuming fermented foods are for gut health and eat about 400,000 tons of their yogurt. The importance of fermented food can be found at www.westonaprice.org or my blog.

For my vegan friends try the best coconut yogurt. Anita's yogurt is a little expensive but totally worth it!

Own Your Power With a Balanced Solar Plexus

The 3rd chakra or solar-plexus is located just above the naval and below the rib cage. It is our energy center and it is where our Will Power comes from; our ability to achieve, self-esteem, raw emotions, and self-discipline are all governed by the solar-plexus. It is where we can have a mental understanding of our emotional self.


The solar-plexus not only governs the emotional and mental aspect of your psyche but also your psychic experiences. Often a feeling of intuition or “gut feeling” in a certain situation will benefit you greatly if you listen to it. All aspects of the digestive tract, including the assimilation of nutrients are controlled by the 3rd Chakra.

When this Chakra is in balance you will be in complete control over your emotions and thoughts. Your ego will have no unwanted influence over your actions. You will know without a doubt, and accept your place in the Universe, have self-love and, in turn, have a great appreciation for all the people in your life and the uniqueness that they bring to world. When in tune, your Solar-plexus will radiate warmth and joy through-out your entire being, and to others who come into contact with you.

Over-active Solar-plexus Chakra

If your chakra is over-active you may be judgmental or critical – and you will easily find fault in others. You may be demanding and have extreme emotional problems, being very rigid or stubborn (it’s either your way or no way). Often anger, or aggressiveness result from an over-active chakra. You may always be planning to do things, but never doing, and your work or interests become a priority over things you have to do (a workaholic). You may also be a perfectionist and can’t settle on something that is already good enough, it always has to be better.


Under-active Solar-plexus Chakra

If this chakra is under active it can cause severe emotional problems. You may have a lot of doubt and mistrust towards the people in your life, and worry too much about what other people might think about you. You may also run on “auto pilot” avoiding your feelings of depression or anxiety; you may feel afraid or alone when you start to look at what you have been avoiding. You also may feel that you are not good enough and be seeking a constant approval of others, this can lead to a need, or dependency on the people in your life.

Physical Symptoms of a Solar-plexus imbalance: Poor digestion, weight problems, ulcers, diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, arthritis, pacreas, liver or kidney problems, anorexia, bulimia, hepatitis, intestinal tumors, food allergies and colon disease.

Healing the Solar-plexus

There are many ways one can begin to balance their Chakras.

Affirmation for the Solar-plexus:
Oh I feel it in my gut
A swirling mass of confusion, indecision and contempt
Breathe, breathe deep all the way down to the pit
On the breath bring all that is good
Whatever that may be to your center
Remember what you are good at
You have a gift to share
You have power to make a difference
I don't have to blame, judge or force you
I don't have to fix it and make it all right
I will breathe deep and remember to honor myself and others
I will exhale all that I don't need and inhale Love
Thank you, I am powerful
Like the unique perspective I bring to the table
I will move forward with self respect and integrity in tact
I will act generous with my gift

Color of the solar-plexus is associated with the color yellow. Picturing a beautiful yellow sunflower where the chakra is located can have an instant affect. Yellow Candles or surrounding yourself with pictures of yellow things can begin to bring this chakra into balance.

Organs/Glands governed by the solar-plexus: Large Intestine, Stomach, Digestive System, Adrenal Glands, Pancreas, Liver, Lungs.

Stones that help the solar-plexus: citrine, topaz, yellow calcite

Aromatherapy/Essential Oils for the Solar-plexus: Best is lemon, followed by Rose, rosewood, sandalwood, chamomile, rosemary, myrrh, frankincense.



Healing the Solar-plexus with Nature: The Solar-plexus’ Element is Fire. Taking a walk out in the sun is extremely beneficial. Sitting in front of a camp fire, or fire place can have an instant healing effect. Fire breathing from Kundalini Yoga will help too.

Solar plexus Chakracise – do the twist, belly dance or hola hoop for at least 70 seconds.

For the Health of It: Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a wonderful source of B vitamins, many minerals, including zinc, and essential fatty acids. They contain hormone building elements.The oils in these seeds not only support normal sexual function (see my video on the High Libido Diet), but also help protect against heart disease. They have traditionally been used for porstate disorders. They supply a safe and natural source of tryptophan. These seeds are anti-parasitic as well.

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids: oleic fatty acids as well as omega 3 and omega 6. Oleic acid has strong beautifying properties. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant omega 3 fatty acids are great for the body too.

The zinc found in pumpkin seeds can help with skin conditions including warts and acne. Zinc helps improve the ability to smell and taste and promote digestion. Because of the high levels of zinc along with being rich in magnesium pumpkin seeds are a wonderful food for the prostate. Chronic prostate inflammation is linked to a lack of dietary zinc and in Germany pumpkin seeds are an approved treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy (Fortschritte er Medizin, 1996, vol.10)

Pumpkin seeds are a true aphrodisiac, because, in men, they pump the prostate full of zinc, build seminal fluid and increase sperm count. In women they build hormones and build sexual fluids.



Raw pumpkin sees are on of the best sources of tryptophan. Tryptophan works with zinc to improve one's mood and increase levels of serotonin in the brain which helps alleviate depression and stress.

To eat pumpkin seeds to get rid of parasites eat a handful of raw seeds twice a day on an empty stomach for one week and then take a week off and then repeat this process again for another week. If eaten with garlic, pumpkin seeds are even more effective. The amino acid cucurbitin in pumpkin seeds is likely responsible for this anti-parasitic effect. Cucurbitin is believed to paralyze worms causing them to loosen their grip and then allowing them to be expelled from the body.

Because of the healthy goodness that can come from pumpkin seeds I feel I have to let you know that there are no known side effects or reports of toxicity regarding pumpkin seeds so eat your heart's desire!

Passion is in the Sacral Chakra

The Sacral Chakra is your passion and pleasure center and it is located in the pelvic area above the root chakra, below the belly button. While the Root Chakra is satisfied with survival, the 2nd chakra seeks pleasure and enjoyment.

The gift of this chakra is experiencing our lives through feelings and sensations. When balanced, the second chakra is the center of feeling, emotion, pleasure, sensuality, intimacy, creativity, friendliness and connection.

The main challenge for the second chakra is the conditioning of our society. When the sacral chakra is not balanced we can have trouble handling our emotions. We live in a society where feelings are not valued, where passion, and emotional reactions are being frowned upon. We are being taught not to "lose control". And we get disconnected from our bodies and our feelings.

As if this was not enough, we also experience the wounds of our collective cultural struggles over many sexual issues of our society. On one hand sexuality is magnified and glorified, and on the other hand it is rejected. This results in either blocked or excessive second chakra issues.

The sacral chakra is related to feelings of guilt and kidneys, constipation, muscle spasms, bladder, and large intestine. Carnelian agate, tiger’s eye, and orange calcite can help balance this chakra. The sacral chakracise are pelvic thrusts upward for at least 15 seconds and then circular in the clockwise direction and then counterclockwise, then clockwise again for at least 45 seconds.



Deep Blue is an amazing oil for the sacral chakra! It was developed for sore muscles, aches and pains and since a blocked sacral chakra can cause muscle spasms when I started using Deep Blue to open up the sacral chakra I was getting amazing results! The Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Osmanthus oils found in Deep Blue work together as the perfect soothing blend.

Affirmations can also help. They can be said at any time of day and used with Emotional Freedom Technique.


Sacral Chakra Affirmation

I am creating a life
That has an ebb and flow
Allowing me to grow
Into the individual I AM.
A person of immeasurable value,
comfortable with others and able to assert
my passions without manipulating
and stealing power.
Comfortable in my own skin I express
creatively who I am.
I accept your appreciation and nurturing of
me as I do for you in a healthy relationship.
Oh when I go the other way and fight the
flow to get my way I suffer so from guilt and
shame and have to find an addiction to blame.
No, I will go with the flow and let go of the
need to control, I will let go of the past,
I do not need all the drama to last.
I will take the passage within creating a life
of magical moments for us to share.

Best Shower Filter Uses Vitamin C

When I detox patients from chlorine or lead one of my suggestions to stop such toxicity is to get a shower filter. Shower filters are especially needed if I find the chlorine or lead is bothering the patient's skin or hair. I used to tell patients to go to Home Depot or just buy one online thinking that they were all pretty similar doing the same job until recently. I am lucky enough to have a chlorine filter on the main line of my house so all water coming into the house is chlorine free and I know that the house does not use lead pipes so all my water is chlorine and lead free. But it was recently brought to my attention for patients who don't have that option due to living in apartments there are many types of shower filters and my research has led me to suggest that the best one out there is the Sonaki shower filter. It works by the antioxidant power of vitamin C. Vitamin C is the most effective and efficient chlorine and chloramine filtration media on the market.

Sonaki Vitamin C shower filters are lab tested and proven to neutralize 99.9% of the harmful chlorine and chloramine toxins from your shower water! Sonaki shower filter cartridges are composed of 100% organic, pharmaceutical grade Vitamin C. It has 60 days return policy so that if for some reason you don't like it you can get 100% refund. So there is no risk in trying it. Even though the website doesn't say anything about filtering out lead I have never had Sonaki shower water test for lead energy. You can even bring in the shower water to get tested to make sure your body likes it. Shower filters really help patients suffering with hair loss, eczema, psoriasis, asthma, dry skin and irritated, itchy skin.

Emotional Freedom Technique

I have blogged about balancing the body's energy centers, also known as chakras, to help with both emotional and physical ailments. This week I want to write about another technique used to balance patients' physical and emotional energy. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, uses acupuncture points, that when tapped can help people release emotional and physical stress in the body. By applying pressure to the acupuncture points, EFT works on the meridians of the body to release emotional energy and because emotional stress can impede the natural healing of the body, once blocked energy is released, physical issues, chronic pain, or diagnosed conditions can get better.

EFT started in the 1990s by Gary Craig. To watch a video of him explaining it.

EFT can be explained in these simple steps
1. Identify the Issue:
Make a mental note of what is bothering you. This becomes the target at which you "aim" the EFT Tapping Basic Recipe. Examples might be: Sore shoulder, my father embarrassing me at my age 8 birthday party or doing well on a test. Be sure you are only targeting one issue at a time. As you will learn later, trying to combine issues in the process will compromise your results.
2. Test the Initial Intensity:

Here you establish a before level of the issue's intensity by assigning a number to it on a 0-10 scale where 10 is the worst the issue has ever been and 0 is no problem whatsoever. This serves as a benchmark so we can compare our progress after each round of The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe. If, for example, we start at an 8 and eventually reach a 4, then we know we have achieved a 50% improvement.

For emotional issues, you can recreate the memories in your mind and assess their discomforts.
For physical ailments you can simply assess the existing pain or discomfort.
For performance issues you can attempt the desired performance level and measure how close you come to it.

3. The Setup:

The Setup is a process we use to start each round of Tapping. By designing a simple phrase and saying it while continuously Tapping a point that is located at the center of the fleshy part of the outside of your hand (either hand) between the top of the wrist and the base of the baby finger. In this way you let your system know what you’re trying to address.

When designing this phrase there are two goals to achieve:

1) acknowledge the problem
2) accept yourself in spite of it

We do this by saying:

“Even though I have this _______________, I deeply and completely love and accept myself”.

The blank above represents the problem you want to address, so you can just insert things like:

This headache:
“Even though I have this headache, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”

This fear of heights
“Even though I have this fear of heights, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”

             

4. The Sequence:

This is the workhorse part of The EFT Tapping Basic Recipe that stimulates/balances the body's energy pathways. To perform it, you tap each of the points below while saying a Reminder Phrase that keeps your system tuned into the issue. I list the points below followed by a description of the Reminder Phrase:

Top of the Head (TOH)
Beginning of the Eyebrow (EB)
Side of the Eye (SE)
Under the Eye (UE)
Under the Nose (UN)
Chin Point (CH)
Beginning of the Collarbone (CB)
Under the Arm (UA)

The Reminder Phrase is quite simple as you need only identify the issue with some brief wording. Depending on your issue, you might say the following at each tapping point....

"This headache",
"My father embarrassed me",
"This difficulty in singing that high note."

5. Test the Intensity Again:

Finally, you establish an "after" level of the issue's intensity by assigning a number to it on a 0-10 scale. You compare this with the before level to see how much progress you have made. If you are not down to zero then repeat the process until you either achieve zero or plateau at some level.

Sometimes we are highly aware of what is bothering us and so figuring out what phrase to tap is easy but at other times it can be difficult. Since I believe this is a strong tool to help heal I have seen where a patient picks the wrong phrase of words to tap and so EFT actually has a negative impact on the patient. So to help prevent this I muscle test the chakras first and then depending on the chakra that is weak find a positive affirmation that makes the weak chakra change to strong. Then while tapping the patient is to say that affirmation at every point to help reset the chakra energy. Patient repeated report feeling lighter, breathing easier and physical relief after tapping this way.


The Root Chakra

The root chakra is red in color and is located at your lower pelvis . It is the root of your being and establishes the deepest connections with your physical body, your environment and the Earth. It is the most instinctual of all chakras — it is your survival center.


Chakras are energy centers of the body and can be either open or closed. When the root chakra is closed the energy is blocked and a person will experience fear, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, obesity, anorexia, or problems in the hip, legs, low back, knee or sex organs.



Having an open root chakra is about being physically present and such is needed in order to manifest what you want. It will be extremely hard to manifest what you want with a blocked root chakra because you aren't grounded enough with the physical world to make it happen.

When the root chakra is blocked one may not feel grounded. Expressions like "getting on your feet again" or "be on firm ground" convey a good connection with the ground or an open root chakra. "To lose ground" or "getting swept off your feet" convey a blocked root chakra.

When you aren't feeling grounded to help open up the root chakra you can wiggle your toes, stomp feet, march in place or do squats. It is best to do these chakracises with bare feet and on a wood floor. The wood contact is very grounding. When doing root chakracises have your attention on the root chakra, doing them fives times is sufficient.

Earthing pads may help one stay grounded as well. And rocks are said to have special energy characteristics. Rocks that will help open the root chakra are granite, smoky quartz, obsidian, and black tarmuline. When using rocks they don't necessarily have to be placed in the chakra but somewhere on your body or near it is good. Keeping one in your pocket where ever you go is a good idea. Wearing the color red will also help. 



Essential oils are great for opening up blocked energy. Balance is what I use for the root chakra. The warm, woody aroma of Balance, dōTERRA®'s grounding blend, creates a sense of calm and well-being. It contains Spruce needle/leaf, Ho wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy Flower and Blue Chamomile Flower essential oils in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil to offer an enticing fragrance which promotes tranquility and a sense of balance for the root chakra.


Root Chakra Affirmation

I belong where I was born
I belong to the family I chose
I needed to learn from them and them from me
I belong in this school of life
I thank you for lessons learned and those to come
I now choose to move up
I have decided to belong inside of me
vibrating in unison with my perfect self

How Salvestrols Save Lives From Cancer

I have been doing a lot of research lately on Salvestrols which are special compounds in plants (phytochemicals) that can help fight abnormal cell growth. In this way they are good for cancer patients and also cancer prevention. I am all about prevention! I am about healthcare not disease-care. May the next generation know cancer as we know the common cold.

The most well known Salvestrol is resveratrol. Resveratrol is known to be found in the skin of grapes, blueberries and raspberries. Resveratrol hit the supplement world pretty big and patients will still come in with their antioxidant supplement that contains resveratrol but since 2014 there has been evidence that it has limited health effects in humans. This led me to do my own research and figure out if salvestrols really do help.

The human cell has enzymes that help it detox on a daily basis. These enzymes are called Cytrochrome P450 enzymes, otherwise known as CYP (pronounced as 'sip'). To date, there are 57 CYP enzymes. Of these 57 CYP enzymes the one you need to know about is CYP1B1 (pronounced 'sip one be one'). This one is special. This one is only found in cancer cells and not in healthy cells.

Why is this important? Because all cancer treatment, chemotherapy and radiation, kill all cells and the doctors hope it kills all cancer cells and not all healthy cells and the patient lives. But if we find something that targets the CYP1B1 enzyme then it will only target cancer cells and the patient has a higher survival rate!

There is a compound, called Stilserene (developed by Gerry Potter PhD.), that is currently being worked on that targets the CYP1B1 enzyme. In laboratory testing Stilserene (think of it as synthetic Salvestrol) was effective in killing 95% of the cancer cells tested. This test included cancers that were resistant to other treatments including stomach, colon, lung, breast and brain cancer cells while having no damage to healthy cells!

When I first started reading about the CYP1B1 enzyme I thought it was only in cancer cells because it was something 'bad' the defective cell was making but Gerry Potter is a genius and figured out that the cancer cells were making the enzyme to try to protect itself and if you add resveratrol to CY1B1 you get piceatannol which is an anticancer agent! Yet studies were conducted that showed if you increased the amount of resveratrol given then the mechanism of producing piceatannol was shut off. This makes resveratrol of minimal use as cancer therapy because it would be difficult to determine how much is too much that would lead to shutting off the mechanism.

But what Professor Potter did find was certain compounds in plants called phytoalexins. Phytoalexins are part of a plant's natural immune system. Phytoalexins that create anticancer compounds through their metabolism by CYP1B1 he coined 'Salvestrols'.

Unfortunately there is no Salvestrol supplement out there yet. I feel like this research has not been translated to the supplement world. But it does explain why the Gerson Therapy Diet works so well for cancer patients and why a diet high in fruits and vegetables is so healthy. So again, your mother was right, eat your vegetables! Next week I will post the fruits and vegetables highest in Salvestrols.

Stop a Cold Before it Starts

You've been there. Adults average 2-4 colds a year that last about 7 days. So don't let your sniffle or slight cough turn into something big that lasts a week. My favorite things to take when starting to feel under the weather are Immuplex and Antronex by Standard Process. Every medicine cabinet should have one. If your medicine cabinet doesn't have them start with these steps until your next appointment:

1. Pop zinc. Research shows taking zinc within a day of your first symptoms can reduce both their severity and duration. Taking a zinc supplement regularly can help, too.




2. Then destress. When you’re under stress, your immune system ends up under-reacting to viral and bacterial infections. Stress goes up, immune system goes down. Use lavender essential oil. Rub on wrists or tension headache, bottom of feet when going to bed or even a few drops in your bubble bath.

3. Increase your water intake. Water helps flush out whatever little thing you are fighting so it doesn't become a big thing.

4. Swish. Evidence shows oil pulling helps clean the lymphatic system which helps boost the immune system.

5. Pop a probiotic. In a recent study, probiotic supplements shortened the duration of a cold from 6 days to 4, made symptoms a third less severe, and halved the number of days subjects stayed home.



6. Try an herbal remedy. It wasn't until recently I started using echinacea in the office. I had written it off as most of us had as being ineffective but when I understood that there were different types of echinacea and which one to use I couldn't believe the results patients were getting.

7. Hop on the D train. It seems like no coincidence that colds hit hardest when the sun is lowest. Add vitamin D during cold season to reduce risk and speed recovery.

8. Pause your workout. Regular moderate exercise is best for warding off bugs, research shows. But once you’ve caught a cold, take a rest. You just need to listen to your body. Don’t try to push through it.

9. Get garlic breath. Used as a home remedy for its supposed antimicrobial and antiviral superpowers, garlic hasn’t been formally studied much. However, some evidence shows it may ward off colds. Eat it raw if you can otherwise rush a clove with dinner.


10. Head to bed. Since sleep boosts immune function, that “pre-cold” may be a good indicator that you haven’t been getting enough lately. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who slept less than 7 hours a night were three times more susceptible to colds than those who slept 8 or more hours per night.

Best Healing Oil for Each Chakra!

After lots of testing and smelling and testing and smelling some more I have finally come up with the best oils for each chakra! It's been months on end of working with the oils and chakras and trying out all sorts of oils to narrow it down and then just choose one oil for each chakra.

Starting with the Root Chakra (red)
BALANCE
Balance is a blend of oils made from spruce, rosewood, blue tansy, frankincense and coconut oil. It helps promote relaxation, soothe sore muscles and joints and evoke a sense of balance and tranquility. It's good to rub on the bottom of our feet before we even get out of bed in the morning to start the day out feeling balanced.When feeling anxious, it's good to apply to neck or wrists.

Sacral Chakra (orange)
DEEP BLUE
Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Osmanthus found in Deep Blue oil are a powerful ally when suffering from the occasional achy muscles. Also good for headaches, joint pain, pre or post workout and anywhere where there is inflammation in the body. And that's what the sacral chakra is concerned with, taking care of the body. And when the sacral chakra is blocked muscle spasms do occur, So wherever there is an ache put deep blue on it. You can dilute it in coconut oil or it comes in a muscle rub too!

Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow)
LEMON
Solar plexus chakra is about digestion and the lemon oil helps cleans the body and aid in digestion. It's perfect to have on you and add to your water! It helps purify the air so add it in your diffuser. It also helps the lungs and promote a positive mood and increase brain function. These aren't just any lemons but they are sourced from Italy, where lemons grow the best!

Heart Chakra (green)
ELEVATION

Also known as the 'Joyful Blend', contains Lavandin Flower, Lavender Flower, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Tangerine Peel, Melissa Flower, Ylang Ylang Flower, Elemi Resin, Osmanthus Flower, and Lemon Myrtle Leaf essential oils. It is excellent when you feel you need emotional support. But it is also great for post-partum depression. Add a few drops in your bath after a stressful day to elevate your mood and of course, rub it on your heart when in times of grief or sorrow. This is my favorite oil to wear as a perfume, just dab on the wrists and you are good to go!

Throat Chakra (Blue)
BERGAMOT

Besides adding a drop into regular tea to make into Earl Grey tea this citrus oil has a great way of uplifting while calming. So it is great for those of us who are anxious and depressed at the same time. I know it sounds like an oxymoron but it's true! Anxiety and depression can go hand in hand. I love using it for headaches. Put it right on the head ache spot and massage in. It is also known to help cleanse the skin so it's great for acne, rosacea or the like. I was surprised it started testing well for the throat chakra but I think it helps so well with our anxiety and depression which can be due to an ineffective throat chakra that's why it works so well!

Third Eye Chakra (Indigo)
LAVENDER
If it's one oil that does it all it's lavender and that's why you see it in so many of the essential oil blends. It's good for

Physical uses:
Stress & Anxiety
Agitation
Exhaustion
Mood Swings
Jet Lag
Hyperactivity
Grief
Depression (including Postpartum)
Concentration

Spiritual Uses:

Inner Peace
Purification
Meditation
Protection
Dispel Negative Energies
Lift the Spirits
Mental Clarity
Intuition

Crown Chakra (Violet or White)
SERENITY
Of course this blend has lavender in it for all the spiritual uses but it also has Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, and Ylang Ylang with the warming aromas of Hawaiian Sandalwood and Vanilla Bean to really help one have a restful night sleep. Great to rub on bottom of feet right before bed. Calms one down and is more intense than lavender by itself that's why it's good right before bed or meditation!

For more about the oils, click here!

Best Protein Powder

Since writing about my smoothie people have asked more questions about protein powder. Let me tell you why I like Sun Warrior, Kachava and Garden of Life brands.

Sun Warrior is SPROUTED brown rice protein. Sprouted being the key word. It means they take the rice plant before it sprouts so it's all nice and green and has all the nutrients intact and they harvest it for it's nutrients which is rich! It comes in original flavor and also chocolate and vanilla which the flavors are sweetened with stevia. Sun Warrior has some other products but I have only used the Classic Protein Powder. It is raw, NON-GMO and vegan as well! The cost is about $1 a scoop.



Garden of Life is collagen protein made from grass-fed cows.  Collagen is great for healing the gut, joint support and skincare.  It also includes probiotics for an extra boost to help your gut.   It is also about the same price as Sun Warrior.  I think as far as taste goes both brands are about the same in taste. A little chalky if you drink alone with water but blended tastes just fine.

Kachava is a pea protein that also has tons of superfoods.  Because of the superfoods this protein powder is the more expensive one but well worth it.  It also is the best tasting one.  Just add water to it and it tastes great!  To order here is a code for $15 off.  We also carry it in the office along with the Garden of Life.  If you are interested in either we can muscle test you for which one is best for your body.  

My Favorite Green Smoothie

Many times a week I tell patients to add in more green vegetables into their diet. Instead of them taking another supplement I rather them get what their body needs straight off their plate (or bowl)! Sometimes I tell them they need it because they are testing low in iron and kale and spinach are great for iron. Sometimes I tell them to eat more leafy greens for calcium. Kale, collard greens and bok choy are good for that. Sometimes patients need the chlorophyl to help purify the blood and any 'green' is good for that! Green leafy vegetables are also a good source of protein for my vegetarians/vegans. But what if you are bored with the salad or green juice or already eating 2 salads a day? How do you add in even more? My answer is with a green smoothie!



It's easy to prepare. I don't have to think about what to have for breakfast. I just pop it all into the blender and I am done. After years of making different ones this is the recipe I like the most. All ingredients are organic. The avocado makes it creamy and the cocoa makes it chocolatey. If you don't like the chocolate taste feel free to not add it. It tastes good without it too. For the health benefits of adding cocoa, read my blog. Feel free to be creative with it and make it your own!

1 1/2 cups green leafy veggies
1/4 cup organic wild blueberries (frozen from Trader Joe's)
half an avocado
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Tablespoon flax seed
1 1/2 cups water or nut milk
1 scoop protein powder (I love Kachava)

A Visit to the Standard Process Farm Part 1

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a seminar, "Advanced Fundamentals" at the Standard Process farm in Wisconsin. I saw first hand how the crops grow on the 420 acres of farmed land to make 335,000 gallons of juice a day. The workers start at 630am to harvest and juice or dehydrate the crops before moving them to the production building 10 miles down the road.



Standard Process has been in business since Dr. Royal Lee made catalyn (Standard Process's multivitamin) for his dying mother in 1930. Dr. Lee grew up on a farm and knew how to take the nutrition in the food and make it into something the body could use to heal. As Hippocrates says, "let food be thy medicine."

The soil is the darkest soil I have ever seen for it is the soil that makes such nutrient rich supplements. The plants get their nutrients from this dark, nutrient-dense soil and it is those nutrients, juiced or dehydrated, that are made into supplements that help us heal when we take our Standard Process vitamins. For food is the genuine replacement parts for the body that is constantly turning over new cells.

To create this rich soil when Standard Process buys new land it needs to be cultivated for 3 years before crops can be harvested. So it's only in the 4th year that farming can begin. 90 acres are being cultivated right now.

Besides constantly testing the soil to make sure of it's nutrient content, Standard Process uses cover crops to prevent wind erosion and rain erosion of the soil. After a harvest cover plants are planted just to grow and then once mature are tilled back into the soil to never be harvested but to cover the soil so that it is never left bare and could be damaged from wind or rain plus the nutrients that the cover crops soak up are put back into the soil for the next planting of actual crops.

By nature the Standard Process land is marsh land and so their problem is how to keep water out of the land. Besides, the 6.5 inches of rain that came down the night before I visited the farm was not helpful. And so you see in this picture an impromptu pond among the crops.



Another way to keep the soil as amazing as it is is by not planting the same crop in the same area for at least 5 years. Because different crops absorb different nutrients from the ground such rotation of plants won't strip the soil of nutrients.

One of the arguements for non-organic food is that organic food cannot feed the world. Well, after seeing farming done correctly, I beg to differ. Organic farming, done right, can feed the world. We aren't going to win the battle in the courts. Every time a court case against Monsanto goes to the Supreme Court they win. The only way to win is by our grocery carts and choosing what goes in them. Please choose carefully and buy non-gmo, organic when possible!

Having Trouble Sleeping? Try Sleep Snack

When one of my patients asked me if a mixture of sugar and salt would help her fall asleep I instantly wanted to say, 'Of course not!'. Such a thing is something she read online and even when asking me my professional opinion she said that maybe she was asking as an excuse to feed her sweet tooth. But instead of saying no, curiosity got the best of me and when she sent me the link and I did my research I was surprised at how the data did add up. I still don't like the idea of eating sugar so I think a simple carb with a healthy protein is the best way to go.

I love to test new things on myself first before recommending it to patients but this natural remedy is hard to test unless you have trouble sleeping. So for those of you who try it I would love the feedback!

How to Make a Sleep Snack:

It’s either a spoonful of nut butter and some honey or avocado on a gluten-free cracker right before bed.  The protein plus the carb will help you sleep deeper and get better quality sleep.

You can eat it before you go to bed as you get ready for sleep, or leave on your night stand for if you wake up in the night.

There’s a reason why your eyes snap open at 3 am. You’re having a biochemical reaction to excessive amounts of stress hormones floating throughout your body that’s trying to sleep. In a healthy body with a healthy metabolism, hormone levels cycle moderately through highs and lows throughout the day. When you have a stressed metabolism, natural peaks of stress hormone levels spike to abnormal highs, initiating a stress response. When this happens at night, it seriously disrupts sleep patterns, and often causes you to wake up—often leaving you so wired up that you’re unable to fall back asleep.

Once the body has the right balance of blood sugar and especially if you are not as stressed you won't necessarily need the sleep snack but if you take it when it's not needed it definitely won't do any harm. Either way have, 'sweet dreams'!

For other tips on sleeping well, read my other blog on sleeping tips or listen to my podcast on For Better Sleep.

For the Love of Chocolate

Over the past dozen of years or so, a steady stream of science has emerged, showing that cocoa possess extraordinary life-imbuing and disease-fighting properties. Most notably, cocoa demonstrates significant benefits for the cardiovascular system, helping to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, reduce the risk of high blood pressure, and even reduce the risk of cancer.

Cocoa contains over 700 known compounds. And for all we know, there may be many more that remain undiscovered. Of particular interest to scientists are the antioxidant compounds in cocoa. Antioxidants are compounds that plants manufacture to prevent their own cells from premature destruction due to exposure to heat, light, air, moisture and time. In the human body, many of these compounds prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) from destroying cells and causing premature aging and disease. Cocoa is especially rich in polyphenols, a group of protective antioxidant compounds found in many plant foods such as red wine and tea. Yet, of all foods, cocoa has the highest antioxidant polyphenol content, and provides the greatest cardio-protection.

Cardiovascular disease is the primary killer of adults. The polyphenols in cocoa are cardio-protective in two ways. They help to reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or so-called ‘bad cholesterol.” Oxidation of LDL is considered a major factor in the promotion of coronary disease, most notably heart attack and stroke. Additionally, polyphenols inhibit blood platelets from clumping together. This clumping process, called aggregation, leads to atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. By inhibiting aggregation, polyphenols reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

Another dimension of the benefits of cocoa and chocolate consumption concerns mood. Cocoa is rich in agents that enhance the production of various feel-good chemicals in the brain, notably serotonin and dopamine. This means that cocoa possesses anti-depressant, mood-elevating properties. This is no surprise to the any millions of people who self medicate with chocolate every day.

Of the mood-modifying compounds in cocoa, one is PEA, or phenethylamine. This chemical, which occurs in chocolate in small quantities, stimulates the nervous system and triggers the release of pleasurable opium-like compounds known as endorphins. It also potentiates the activity of dopamine, a neurochemical directly associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. Phenethylamine increases in the brain when we fall in love, and during orgasm. The giddy, restless feelings that occur when we are in love are at least partly due to PEA. This adds a rather remarkable dimension to cocoa, and may account for why it is so highly prized. For while there are a great many agents in nature which boost libido and enhance sexual function, (High Libido Diet) chocolate alone actually promotes the brain chemistry of being in love. Chocolate is the gift of lovers for this very reason.

Cocoa additionally boosts a sense of well being by increasing brain levels of serotonin, the so-called feel-good brain chemical. For this reason cocoa provides a highly desirable mood boost to women during PMS and menstruation, when serotonin levels are often down. In fact, women are consistently more sensitive to cocoa than men. Women typically experience stronger cocoa cravings than men. And for many, cocoa is the perfect PMS prescription. A little cocoa can restore a feeling of well being.

The one thing that hinders chocolate from being a great super food is all the sugar we put with it. It is best to make your own using raw, organic honey. But if the craving hits and you need something convenient and cocoa nibs are not a choice go for Green and Black's 85% organic dark chocolate that is made with organic cane sugar or Hu and Evolved chocolate which are both sweetened with coconut sugar.  

B. Good, Best Burger Joint!

It's a dream come true! There really is a local, non-gmo, hormone-free meat with gluten-free bread burger joint. Only thing is that it's not in NY yet. Closest one to the Big Apple would be Greenwhich, CT but if you are traveling in the northeast definitely check it out especially in Boston where the original b. good restaurant is. B. good is about good food, both tasting good and good for you. The potatoes come from Massachusetts, the beef come from Maine, and the bread comes from a bakery in Long Island City. Having grown up on a dairy farm myself I appreciate them knowing the farmers directly and posting photos of the farmers in the restaurant with a slogan, "food made by people, not factories". I love the idea of small businesses supporting other small businesses. Their soda also comes from Maine and is made with organic cane sugar instead of white refined sugar. Since I let my daughter have cane sugar as a treat she was so excited to try soda for the first time in her life; she's 6 years old. After taking a sip of the regular soda, root beer and lime-lemon sodas at the soda fountain she declared she doesn't like soda (wow!) and went for their beet-ginger lemonade which I thought was too sweet and diluted with water before giving it to her to drink.

At Fairfield, CT, opening day where there were hamburger costumes for kids to dress up in and free sunglasses!

For my vegetarian patients they do have veggie burgers and what looks like an awesome kale and grain bowl which you can choose organic quinoa or super-grain mix. I have not muscle tested the kale yet to see if it's toxic but you know I will! (to read more about kale being toxic). I find some brands do test okay and some do not test well. The french fries are baked not fried and they have sweet potato fries as well which I prefer for my daughter because of the extra boost of vitamin A. They also have a separate counter just for fresh pressed juices and shakes made from fresh produce from Connecticut. All food is in season; I love it! Here is more info on their menu and locations!

Drink Switchel!

When it comes to health food I'm always trying new things partly due to curiosity and partly for new suggestions for my patients. I just blogged about using warm water and lemon for constipation and adding apple cider vinegar if you know you have a candida health issue. Here's a twist on the apple cider vinegar drink. SWITCHEL!!! So, before you read any further, I'm warning you now that if you don't like ginger then no need to try this drink but if you like ginger like I do then definitely try this.

It is a mixture of grade A maple syrup, raw apple cider vinegar and fresh ginger root. It has that spicy hotness of the ginger and yet sweet with the maple syrup. The back label says it all: ginger is an awesome anti-inflammatory and bug killer. Whether you are fighting bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungus ginger will kill them all! Apple cider vinegar is rich in enzymes and helps balance blood pH. Maple syrup is not only sweet but has tons of minerals and antioxidants.

With only three ingredients mixed with water you may want to try to make it at home but first try the real Switchel. I found it at DF MAVENS, 37 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10003
But you can also find it at www.drinkswitchel.com
Drink up!!!

Jennifer's Way Gluten-Free Bakery

At the suggestion of one of my patients who raved about it, I went to Jennifer's Way at 263 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009 at 1st Ave. this past weekend. Not only is it gluten-free but also refined sugar-free, soy-free, dairy-free, peanut-free and ORGANIC!!!

I went there 5pm on Saturday and the rolls were already sold out. But there were lots of other goodies, muffins. cupcakes, cookies, and bagels. I bought two sea salt bagels and this morning it was love at first bite!

Jennifer Esposito (yes, the actress) says on her website 'I’ve been a lover of food my whole life…the textures, tastes and smells! When I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009, my whole world fell apart. I had to re-learn how to EAT, COOK and LIVE!! I quickly learned that gluten was the enemy and not just for me, a celiac, but for so many. I also learned that not all gluten-free food is created equally. I was longing for delicious, homemade flavors of yesterday, but ones that are HEALTHY and NUTRITIOUS as well. I created Jennifer’s Way as an answer to all of this. To be the CELIAC STANDARD, requiring the purest, healthiest, organic, non-GMO ingredients I could find. All made in a GLUTEN-FREE FACILITY, ensuring quality, nutrition and TASTE. For the celiac, the gluten-challenged, and anyone who demands CLEAN SAFE FOOD."

I know many of us can relate to Jennifer's story of relearning how to cook, eat and live as we take our own health into our hands and make healthier lifestyle choices. I love when people like Jennifer make it easier for us.

For my non-New Yorker patients or for those who don't want to make the trip down to East 10th St and 1st Ave the great news is that you can order online and right now they have a bagel sale! Buy one package of bagels and get the second package of bagels for half price. Offer good on ALL bagel varieties.
And as always, FREE SHIPPING on all online orders over $150.

Healing Water

Dr. Masaru Emoto was a scientist that believed that water was a "blueprint for our reality" and that emotional "energies" and "vibrations" could change the physical structure of water. Emoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Emoto's studies show that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually pleasing crystals being formed when that water was frozen, and that negative intention would yield "ugly" frozen crystal formations.

And if this is what words do to water then you can imagine what they do to us on a cellular level for we are made up of about 60% water. To find out more go to Emoto's website. The main idea is quantum physics. E=mc2, so anything with mass has energy and that energy travels in waves and can be picked up on and interfere with water. Even the mass of the letters on a piece of paper.

I have read blogs on making your own special water using words, which Dr. Emoto calls HADO water and the most effective and efficient way is through a FLASKA. FLASKA makes special glass water bottles that restructure the water in 5 minutes. Using alkaline or reverse osmosis water is best. It comes with a sleeve for protection so if you drop the bottle it doesn't break.  They are $35 each and can be bought at the office.

To get the most out of your FLASKA restructuring the water write positive words on a piece of paper and leave under the bottle for 5 minutes so that it's restructured to your specific words. Make sure all the words are touching the glass so you may have to write small. An all encompassing phrase would work like 'love and gratitude'. But if you have pain or a health concern write, 'this pain is already gone'. For those of you who I give affirmations to this would be a great way to use them! Get creative and drink your 2-3 liters of water a day and even more if it's hot out or you are exercising.

Home Remedies for Constipation: Foods that Help!

Over the years I have given a lot of tips on how to help the bowels move better by adding certain things into the diet. I finally have decided to sit down and write about it! If you have a remedy that helps you please let me know.

#1 Lemon water

Increasing the amount of water you drink has long been touted as a remedy for curing your clogged pipes and it’s true. If your insides are all dried up like the Sahara how do you expect anything to flow? Adding the juice of half a lemon into 32 ounces of warm water and drink first thing in the morning will help. For those fighting Candida add a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar.

#2 Baking soda does it all

Baking soda lies at the heart of home remedies. It’s is so incredibly versatile, and it pretty much does its job most of the time. It works incredibly well for constipation (and tummy aches in general) because it is a bicarbonate, which will encourage air to come out of you one way or another, and relieve pain from pressure. It also re-alkalizes the stomach, neutralizing the acid a little bit and helping things pass through your gut.

You will need…
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 cup warm water

Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with ¼ cup of warm water. Drink all of the mixture-the quicker you finish it, the better it seems to work.

#3 Dandy Dandelions

Dandelions are a terribly annoying weed, but you might view them differently after they help relieve your constipation. The constituents of dandelions make it a gentle laxative as well as an effective detoxifier, and a cup of dandelion tea will be enormously beneficial to those who are suffering from constipation due to inactiveness or the consumption of a lot of processed foods (although drinking it does not mean you don’t need to exercise or eat healthy!)

You will need…
-1-2 teaspoons of dried dandelion leaves
-1 cup of hot water

Directions
Put 1-2 teaspoons of dried dandelion leaves into a mug, and pour hot water over them. Cover and let steep for 6-10 minutes. Drink up to 3 times a day.

#4 Coffee is our friend (sometimes)

A lot of people love their morning coffee, but it does more than just give off heavenly aromas and help you perk up. Caffeine is a natural stimulant for the digestive system, so indulging in a cup of joe will help get you up and running in more ways than one. 1-2 cups is fine, but make sure you don’t overdo it-too much can actually have the opposite effect. Coffee is a diuretic and makes you urinate more frequently, and if you drink it an excess, it can cause constipation by dehydrating your body and drawing out water that would normally soften your stool.

#5 Get moving

If you want stuff to move through your body, you need to move too! Our lifestyle these days not only involves dietary changes that increase constipation, but we’re often sitting much more than we’re active. While there isn’t an exact scientific reason as to why lack of exercise is linked with getting clogged up, we can assume that moving the body helps get the smooth muscle in the colon moving as well. Keep in mind, however, that you should wait an hour after big meals before exercising. Here is a stretch that works well!

Ardha Matsyendrasana (photo below): From a seated position, cross your right foot to the outside of the left thigh (or to the inside which is less intense). Bend left knee and draw heel towards you, sitting down between both feet (or keep left leg extended out straight on the floor which is less intense). Hook your right arm around your right knee and hug it in close to stretch the right outer hip and glute. Release your left hand to your mat behind your back. Inhale and lengthen your spine, exhale and twist, looking over your back shoulder. Hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat on other side.

#6 Oil…it gets more than cars running

Pure olive oil is more than just a healthy and tasty fat, it can also help relieve constipation. It’s not surprising really when you consider what olive oil’s texture and consistency is like- it’s practically the poster child for constipation home remedies. It stimulates your digestive system, which helps get things moving through your colon, and taken regularly it can prevent constipation as well.

You will need…
-1 tablespoon of olive oil


Directions
In the morning consume one tablespoon of olive oil. Easiest to take it like a shot. It works best on an empty stomach, so have it before you eat anything else. If you forget, wait until later when you haven’t eaten for a while. You can mix it with a little bit of lemon juice if you like to lighten the flavor (lemon juice also acts as a natural aid for constipation. See above, #1).

Muscle Testing 101

My patients love the results they get in my office but sometimes it's hard to explain to others the 'arm pushing thing' that I do, also known as muscle testing or Applied Kinesiology. So I thought it would be good to blog about muscle testing.



Applied Kinesiology began with Dr. George Goodheart in the 1960s when he made the first correlation between finding a weak muscle using muscle testing and then employing chiropractic therapy to make it stronger. He then looked beyond the chiropractic profession to the fields of biomedicine, osteopathy, acupuncture, dentistry, and nutrition putting it all together in a method called Applied Kinesiology. I am certified in Applied Kinesiology and use it in my chiropractic work.

Dr. Freddie Ulan took the muscle testing from Applied Kinesiology and applied it more extensively to the nutrition of the body and developed a technique called Nutrition Response Testing.. Dr. Ulan introduced me to Nutrition Response Testing when I was 16 years old and stopped my suffering from childhood asthma. I haven't used my inhaler since. Being inspired by how it changed my life I knew this is what I wanted to do for a living.

In explaining muscle testing to my patients I say that I can use any muscle in the body, it's just easier to use an arm. As I push on the arm with light pressure, the patient is to resist by matching my pressure.

With my other hand I then apply pressure to all the other organs. What happens when I put pressure, let's say, on the stomach, and if there is a problem there, the stomach won't like the pressure. It sends a signal to the brain to protect the area that if I push on the arm AND on the stomach at the same time the arm goes weak (meaning the patient can no longer resist the pressure I am applying) because the body doesn't care about the arm, it wants to protect the stomach. That let's me know what organs go weak and what organs go strong in the body and I can suggest nutritional support accordingly.

When organs go weak it doesn't mean they are diseased but rather they aren't functioning 100%. This is functional medicine, helping the body before it get's to the diseased state. If I am concerned that an organ is diseased I would refer them to the appropriate healthcare provider. The nutrition provided by Nutrition Response Testing is beneficial to work in conjunction with other healthcare providers because the majority of what I use for nutrition supplements comes from an organic farm in Wisconsin called Standard Process. These supplements are whole food supplements. The body knows how to heal with food.

The body is amazing at knowing what it needs. Muscle testing is a tool to communicate with the body and determine what it needs to rebuild and restore health. In this way Nutrition Response Testing is a way to design a personal nutrition program specifically for you and your health.

Welcome to the Team!

I've been in practice for over 9 years and I'm so excited to see the growth of the office. Lea Parayno has been a wonderful addition 3 years ago and with her hard work and dedication the office has now grown so that I can add on two new staff members. Raquel Reis has been under my wing learning Nutrition Response Testing since last September. As my associate she not only loves the work but is getting great results with her patients!

Kenna Tuski has been a newer addition, helping me at the front desk on Saturdays and now helping the office during the weekdays as the Patient Advocate. Patient education goes a long way and she is here to help patients with dietary changes, recipe ideas, teaching about oil pulling, liver flushes, etc.

Here are their bios, for I wanted you to know a little more about them.

Raquel Reis


After shrinking fibroids, avoiding complicated surgery and clearing a myriad of health issues with Nutrition Response Testing – Raquel Reis turned to studying and practicing NRT. She tailors a customized nutritional program for each patient based on their test results, findings, and their body’s needs and personal lifestyle. Her patients experience rapid and life-changing results.

Reis is also a health and wellness coach, certified yoga instructor and passionate cook. She specializes in treating chronic inflammation, supporting digestive health, facilitating weight loss and healthy detoxification. She runs group workshops, in addition to working privately with clients, giving them a hands-on approach to how health (and life) can be easy and delicious.

Kenna Tuski



Kenna Tuski is originally from Olivet, Michigan. She attended Interlochen Arts Academy through high school and then graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance in 2013. She has resided in New York CIty for two years as a professional dancer and performer. She currently performs in Punch Drunk's Sleep No More. Kenna is pilates certified. Kenna is using her knowledge of dance, pilates, yoga, and exercise to create a chakra energy class. She began working for Dr. Armitstead in March 2015 after being a patient for two years and is thrilled to be focusing on a new found passion. She is currently enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to further her nutrition studies as Dr. Armitstead’s Patient Advocate.