Better Health Naturally

             Have you been considering the flu shot this year?  Just remember two things.  One, the shots do contain actual viruses and mercury, and two there are natural preventatives available.  I always use a homeopathic pill that you take once every two weeks from October through February.  It is homeopathic preventatives for several of the most dangerous flu viruses and this has worked great for me and many others.  There are other remedies available in your local health food stores. Remember too, that washing your hands often is also very effective in preventing infection.  I believe one of the best preventatives is to eat foods that promote a strong immune system and provide the body with the nutrients that keep you healthy. One of my meals every day is a large fruit salad.  Fruits are full of the antioxidants and phytonutrients that are our natural medicines. There are also herbal teas, infusions, that help keep your immune system strong as well as herbal supplements for treatment if you come down with the flu.  Pro-biotics also strengthen our immune system, the system that contains our soldiers that fight disease and germs.  Just be sure to get one from a reliable source.  A Naturopath in Oregon purchased sever different brands of pro-biotics from a local health food store and had them analyzed in a lab and four contained no live bacteria at all.  It is especially important to take the pro-biotic if you are given an anti-biotic this winter.  This will prevent you from becoming immune to the anti-biotic, and it will also prevent digestive distress from the anti-biotic.Also remember that fever is your friend unless it becomes extreme.  It is one of your immune system’s first line of defense.  The heat will destroy many of the viruses.  Check with your practitioner about what becomes a dangerous level of fever. So, remember, you have choices, try a little prevention and stay healthy this winter, naturally.

Did you know that digestion begins in the mouth?  Your saliva contains enzymes that digest carbohydrates, turning them to sugar in your mouth.  That is, it will if you chew.  You should chew your food until it is liquid and easy to swallow.   In our society we take a bite, chew twice then wash it down with a big gulp.  There is no food grinder in your stomach, only in your mouth.  

          Did you know that your mouth is the strongest part of your body?  The amount of pressure exerted by your jaws and teeth is tremendous.  That is why it is not a good idea to grind your teeth at night.  That is very hard on your teeth and gums.  Also, the pressure and function of chewing causes the release of certain chemicals in your brain and stimulates brain function.  If you only eat mush, not only will your body not be fed, but your brain is not being properly stimulated.  Eat whole, healthy foods that require plenty of chewing to break down the fibers of the plants. Your mouth is very important for your overall health.  So, what is the best way to take care of it?  I brush my teeth with a mild, perfume and chemical free soap.  Cavities are caused by bacteria being caught between your teeth and a film that will develop over your teeth from foods.  Tooth paste really does not remove that film and most toothpaste contains toxic chemicals.  

          If you have strong odors of a bad taste in your mouth, chances are there is infection somewhere.  Self-check by applying pressure on your gumline top and bottom on both sides.  If there is swelling and soreness, there is infection trapped below the tooth.  You can use essential oils applied topically over the swelling several times a day to kill out the infection.             

Who takes care of the care giver?  Some of the most awesome, awe inspiring people I have had the privilege of meeting and sometimes helping are the care givers of this world. I am sure all of you know someone who fits this description. The person who daily tends their elderly parent who is beyond realizing what is being done for them.  A parent who is sometimes even verbally abusive, but is still taken care of with the utmost love and compassion. Or the parent or grandparent caring for a child who will forever be challenged either physically or mentally.  A child who will never live up to the hopes and dreams conceived for them while carried in the womb.We, on the outside, look at these people, these caretakers, and marvel at their strength and fortitude and wonder if we will ever be called on to do the same for a loved one.    

         A medical university did a study using the young medical doctors as their participants.  They hooked the med students up to sensors as they watched hours of video.  Some videos were of the doctors taking care of their patients in a medical setting.  Many of the videos were of the doctors caring for their own loved ones.  What they discovered was very interesting. When doing their job, caring for the sick, they were energized and enthused. When, however, they saw themselves caring for their own family, they became tired, drained and emotional.  Because of their emotional and spiritual connection to their loved ones, the task of care taking took a great toll on their own health, rest and energy. I challenge you to find that one hero you know who takes care of a loved one a daily basis and offer your services on a regular basis to give them a break from the routine that is so hard on them.  Many of these care takers never complain, but perhaps all they need is someone who “sees” what they are doing and gives them encouragement.  By giving this way you are not only improving your own health naturally, but also that of the caretaker. 

I receive many questions about the many different natural health supplements and products now available through network marketing.  Almost all of them are presented as “the” answer for all of your health problems.

            First, remember that I believe that food is your first medicine.  The master chemist that developed these medicines was the Lord himself.  He is the perfect chemist.  When you eat an apple it contains the precise amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes, fiber, and water to make it a perfect food.  And who knows what is in an apple that hasn’t even been discovered yet?  We think we know everything now, but the more we learn, the more obvious it becomes, we certainly do not know everything. 

           Second, food processing removes many of these nutrients, making them empty calories.  The food processing industry’s answer to this problem is to add synthetic or manufactured nutrients back in and call the food enriched or enhanced.  These synthetic nutrients are not easily used by the body and at the very least leave us mal-nourished.  Then, we over cook most food destroying the enzymes God put there to aid our digestion.  

          One thing I know for sure is that there is no single product that is “the” miracle for every single person.  Recently most of the questions I am getting are about the many fruit juices that are bottled and sold through network marketing.  All fruits contain antioxidants that are anti-aging and anti inflammatory.  If you hurt, chances are if you make one of your meals every day a big bowl of a variety of raw fruits, some, if not all of your pain will go away.  But, remember, there is no one miracle that works for every single person.  If what you need is an anti inflammatory, then the fruit will help.  However, if you suffer from some sort of yeast/fungus infection that much concentrated sugar (from juice) might actually make you worse. 

           Remember, raw food is one of the best ways to have Better Health, Naturally.

Essential Oils are a gift from God for our healing, body, mind and soul.  The oils of plants are the “essence” of the plants and contain all of the active chemicals.  There is no nutrition in essential oils, just natural, active chemicals.  These are the naturally occurring chemicals that the drug companies try to make synthetic copies of so that they can patent them and sell them for enough money to pay for the research to develop these synthetic drugs as well as make a tremendous profit. 

           With essential oils, like drugs, you must be careful of side effects, because the rest of the plant has the buffers needed to make them totally safe.  Some oils are totally without dangerous side effects and some are not.  

          This time of year would be a good time to begin your use of essential oils.  The insect repellent that the drug companies want you to use contains DEET.  This is a very harmful chemical and should be avoided.  But, what about the problem of mosquitoes that carry potentially life threatening diseases? 

           Essential oils could be your answer.  There is a relatively new product on the market called TKO Orange.  It is totally non-toxic.  It is made from the bitter white peel of the orange.  It will repel any insects.  You can spray yourr animals to repel fleas and ticks. You can spray across a doorway and ants will not cross it, but even if swallowed it is non-poisonous.  It is available in health food stores and some hardware stores.  

          If you would like to make your own repellent buy a copy of “Aromatherapy for Dummies” by Kathi Keville.  It has many good recipes for essential oils for many household uses and it gives the warnings for the ones that have potential side effects.  

          Essential oils are awesome medicine!  Add them to your medicine cabinet for Better Health, Naturally. 

Why do I see so many people with yeast/fungus mold/mildew infections?  What is it about our area or perhaps even the country that this kind of infection has become epidemic?          First consider the role these organisms fulfill in nature.  Anytime there is decay that needs to be removed, there are organisms in nature to help with the decomposition and cleanup.  Consider the terrain of the inside of the body.  It is a dark, warm, moist environment that is totally conducive to the growth of these organisms.  Then consider the condition of most digestive tracts.  They are slow and sluggish with much undigested food that either rots or ferments when in a dark, warm, moist environment.           

 When you either breathe in the spores or eat them on food that is not fresh, they find a home that is just what they need to flourish and have a family.  They begin to grow and coat the digestive tract and can eventually enter the blood stream and travel to any part of the body, causing the symptoms of almost any disease.         

 So, what are the symptoms of this kind of infection?  They are myriad and mysterious because they move around the body, causing inflammation and blocking absorption of nutrition.  Some symptoms are visible such as atheletes foot, thrush, and vaginal yeast.  Many symptoms, however, are not such as heart disease, cancer, depression, asthma and arthritis.          Contributing factors to the overgrowth are prolonged antibiotics, birth control pills, steroid therapy, malnourishment, chemo and radiation, stress, diets high in sugar and grains and overwhelming exposure to fungal spores and mold, such as an old musty building, flooding in a house, etc.         

To conquer this infection you must change your diet, (so that you are not feeding the infection) and take the proper supplements to begin to kill the infection.  Your thyroid must be functioning optimally or you cannot fight any infection.  And you must have normal bowel function in order to eliminate the infection.         

 I know it sounds complicated, but even in Leviticus in the Bible we are told that if mold cannot be removed from a home, it must be torn down stone by stone.  It is a serious problem that is causing many diseases.