Toxins: A Major Source of Inflammation
Have you ever walked down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket? What was your experience? I hate it! In fact, I completely avoid that aisle. If I need something, I hold my breath, quickly get what I need and beat a hasty retreat from that toxic soup.
The soaps, bleaches, softeners and fragrances in the cleaning aisle are all in sealed containers. Yet, they still give off an overwhelming, nauseating stench that may make a person sick for hours. What happens when we bring those containers home? They continue to give off toxins. Only now, the containers are open and the process happens 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Our toxic environment
In North America we are inundated with toxins every moment of every day. Pollution in our air, water and food challenges our ability to detoxify and adapt. Worse still, the place we think of as a haven from stress – our home – is likely the most toxic environment we face in our daily routines. Toxins released from household chemicals, fabric, carpet, fragrances and pesticides seep into our body in tiny amounts even as we sleep.
Toxic waste, like barnacles on the hull of a ship, drags us down. It slows the efficiency of our mitochondria (the energy-producing engines inside our cells). Noxious chemicals create fatigue, headaches, digestive disturbances and moodiness. Eventually, toxins become the focus for inflammation.
Inflammation
Your body uses acute inflammation to try to neutralize toxicity. Think of your reaction to a bee sting: redness, swelling, heat and pain. This is not caused by the toxins in the bee venom. It is the reaction of your body as it tries to eliminate the toxicity:
- Redness is the increase in blood supply to bring in immune system antibodies and remove the neutralized venom.
- Swelling is the lymphatic fluid that dilutes the concentrated poison while providing proteins for repair of the tissue damaged by the toxins.
- Heat comes from immune system activity as it battles the invading contaminant.
- Pain causes us to guard that area from further damage.
Chronic inflammation occurs when the toxins are not completely removed from an area. A good example of this may be found in simple lawn chemicals, like fertilizers and pesticides. Certain fertilizers are potassium-based. Potassium is important for human health. When we are exposed to these fertilizers, our cells may accept the potassium along with the toxic “attachments.” Your immune system will constantly attack these contaminated cells until it destroys them. Clusters of diseases like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis have been linked to these fertilizers.
Home sweet home – isolate and insulate
Neutralizing toxins in the body begins with isolating ourselves from chemical exposure. We must be diligent if we are to protect our family from toxic overload. Chemicals should be stored out of the living area in a place that is well-ventilated. This is especially true if there are children in the home, as developing brains are up to 10 times more likely to suffer damage from toxins than an adult nervous system.
Insulating ourselves against toxic exposure is equally important. Two nutrient classes shine when it comes to protection from pollution:
- Essential fatty acids – Many of the toxins we face are fat-soluble. We need “clean” fats in abundance to displace toxic fats in our brain, liver and other regions of our body.
- Antioxidants – Antioxidants neutralize toxins and Betalain antioxidants found in Nopal figs have two added benefits over standard antioxidants:
- Betalains drain away the toxin from an affected area
- Betalains shore up the cell membrane to help promote healing.
Betalains turn out to be our best tool in combating the causes of inflammation: toxins, stress, injury and nutrient deficiency. Use this excellent tool liberally to help you resist the increasing onslaught of toxins both inside and outside of our home sweet home!
Take Control of Your Health
- Breathe deeply
- Remove toxins from your living area
- Use HEPA filters for cleaner air
- Drink pure water
- Granular carbon filters remove many toxins
- Ultraviolet light kills many pathogens
- Mineralized, alkaline water displaces poisons
- Eat nutritiously
- Select organic foods
- Pre-soak fruits and vegetables
- Focus on high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables
- Supplement with Nopalea
- Betalains help your body neutralize toxins
- Betalains help your body drain away toxic waste
- Betalains help your body repair tissue damaged by toxins
- Supplement with OmegaPrime; at least two capsules per day helps you resist fat-soluble toxins
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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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Strengthen Your Immunity
You’ve heard that the best defense is a good offense. This is especially true when it comes to your immune system. By practicing healthy lifestyle habits and reducing our exposure to infection (offense), we can better help protect against illness (defense).
What determines if you get sick or not?
Louis Pasteur and Antoine Bechamp – physicians 150 years ago – were keenly aware of the same things you and I experience every year: during the cold and flu season, some people get sick and some people don’t. Pasteur spent his life looking for what makes sick people sick. Bechamp spent his career looking for what keeps healthy people healthy – and how we can be like them! They settled their argument with the discovery that illness visits people with poor habits much more frequently than those who care for their health.
It turns out that microbes prefer to wreak their havoc on people with compromised immune systems. Simple things can compromise our immune system, including:
- An imbalanced diet
- Alcohol and caffeine consumption
- An argument with someone you love
Just as Pasteur and Bechamp discovered more than a century ago, our health revolves around a healthy lifestyle more than the virulence of a microbe.
Help protect against illness
The phrase that describes our vulnerability or resistance to disease is “biological terrain.” The terrain or landscape of our health is made up of our genetics, our environment and, most importantly, our lifestyle. Vigorous application of the 10 Essentials yields the healthiest, most disease-resistant terrain. Skipping even one of these principles will change your terrain and leave you vulnerable to infection.
- A base of healthy nutrients
Establishing a base of healthy nutrients can provide us with a very resilient terrain. The more dense the base is, the more disease-resistant our terrain will be. Taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day is an excellent start. Almost all physicians recommend an Omega-3 supplement as well. If your terrain is being remodeled by stress, you may need adaptogens to help you cope while remaining disease-resistant. Indeed, the long-term studies of adaptogens in Russia clearly demonstrated that these plants help you resist infections and speed healing.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a favorite for protecting against and even treating virus infections. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you “flush.” By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush. This should really improve your terrain!
- Echinacea
Echinacea is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will help reduce symptoms and may help shorten the duration of a virus infection. Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even “abort” an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to protect against a relapse.
Reduce your exposure
Here are some great recommendations for reducing your exposure to infection:
- Wash your hands
First, the largest contributor to infection is unwashed hands. Washing your hands with soap every few hours will reduce the chance for pathogens to gain access to your system. You should also make sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles – usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.
- Clean surfaces
Next, disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, public telephones bring you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits were? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more!
- Reduce stress
Reduce stress. Stress decreases the effectiveness of your immune system. Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really does not matter. For instance, job stress and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.
Remember, building up your terrain and reducing your exposure are keys to a great offense… which will help improve your defense!
Take Control of Your Health
- Aggressively apply the 10 Essentials
- Take a “base” of nutrients:
- Reduce your exposure
- Wash your hands every few hours and dry thoroughly
- Disinfect common area surfaces
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Tags: adaptogen, antioxident supplement, echinacea, immune system, multiple vitamin and mineral supplement, omega 3 supplement, omega prime, omegaprime, trivita vitadaily, vitadaily multivitamin, vitamin c
Osteoporosis & Grandparent Guilt
Osteoporosis affects over 10 million people in North America. Two million of these are men. Osteopenia, a reduction in bone mass that usually occurs before osteoporosis, affects over 44 million people, 32% of whom are men.
One out of every two women and one in four men age 50 and older will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Each year, 80,000 men have a hip fracture and one-third of these men die within a year.
Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including approximately:
- 300,000 hip fractures
- 700,000 vertebral fractures
- 250,000 wrist fractures
- And more than 300,000 fractures at other sites.
No wonder many grandparents are hesitant to lift their grandchildren!
Grandparent guilt
Osteoporosis can effect more than your bones. For many grandparents, there is a psychological effect too! The issue of “grandparent guilt” has been discussed for many years. It arises when a grandparent cannot do the things he or she feels is necessary to fulfill their role. Concerns like osteoporosis, arthritis and even incontinence are listed as common reasons for not fully engaging with grandchildren.
Watching the exuberance of youth reminds us of a time in our life when we were more carefree. An old Chinese proverb says, “Even the old horse in the stable yearns to run.” This wistful longing for a body that matches the mind (forever 19) can lead to melancholia and guilt.
But guilt is not necessarily a bad thing.
Benefits of guilt
Guilt is a very misunderstood emotion. Feelings of guilt often arise from unrealistic expectations that we set for ourselves or that others set for us. So it’s important to examine what’s expected within the context of our life.
We can use guilt constructively to remedy situations we feel badly about. Guilt can prompt us to change our behavior. For example, do you believe that aerobic exercise and resistance training could benefit you? Guilt concerning what you should do, what you are able to do and what you have been doing may prompt you to intensify your efforts to exercise more. This will leave you happier, healthier and more able to engage with those rambunctious kids – a very good result!
Use this technique to examine other aspects of your life as well. Ask yourself:
- What do I want?
- Why do I want it?
- What’s so important?
- What should I do?
- What will I do?
- When will I do it?
- Who will support me as I meet this new challenge?
Foundation for longevity
A few helpful hints from centenarians (people over 100 years of age) can help us all stay engaged with grandchildren and others as we go through life:
- Reduce stress
- Stay connected with other people
- Cultivate optimism
- Watch your diet
- Exercise: even a little helps
- Floss your teeth
Proper supplementation aids vitality as well:
Conclusion
Another old Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (literally, “from where you stand”). Use that twinge of guilt to awaken you to greater possibilities for yourself and those you love. Decide what you want and why you want it. Then, take the first step!
Take Control of Your Health
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Tags: bone builder, omegaprime, osteoporosis, osteoporosis medications, osteoporosis prevention, osteoporosis supplements, TriVita, trivita bone builder, trivita omega prime, TriVita Products, trivita sublingual b-12, trivita vital c, vital c, vitamin c
Strategies to Help With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
I had lunch with a teacher recently. For years he had worked with special-needs children – those with learning disabilities requiring personalized teaching styles. He retired early from his profession because of the epidemic of children (especially young boys) diagnosed with ADHD.
My friend quit teaching, not because of the challenge of teaching a child with ADHD; he routinely taught children with far more severe issues. He quit because teachers and parents would label any child with a behavior problem “ADHD” just to get them out of their class and, often, onto some kind of sedative medication.
What is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by an inability to stay focused on any task. It may also include impulsive, disruptive and often destructive behavior. These symptoms may begin between the ages of 6 and 12, usually by age 7.
First, it is important to know that most children (and adults) are inattentive and impulsive from time to time. Also, many, many other conditions and circumstances share these same symptoms. For example, Stephen Covey described a man boarding the subway with two disruptive boys in tow. From the description of their behavior a person could easily see the traits of ADHD. What was the real problem? They were leaving the hospital where the mother of the two young boys had just died.
Inattention and impulsive behavior may be signs of ADHD or they may be signs of something else. We cannot be too quick to diagnose without fully investigating the circumstances of the person as a whole.
Brains in pain
One interesting line of exploration in the child with ADHD is the pattern of brain waves. The human brain responds in a similar way to similar circumstances. Most of us have an increase in Delta brain waves when we are concentrating and an increase in Alpha brain waves when we are relaxing.
Theta waves increase and Beta waves decrease when we finish a task and feel a sense of accomplishment. People with ADHD have the exact reverse of this pattern: They demonstrate a decrease in Theta waves and an increase in Beta waves when they are asked to focus on a task.
People in chronic pain have exactly the same brain wave pattern. This may be why it seems so painful for people with ADHD to “sit still” and concentrate!
Sources of help
Conclusion
My teacher friend pointed to a very real problem: Many times a child will be labeled ADHD because of a behavior problem in the classroom. Often, the problem was that these children were in distressing circumstances at school (for example, being relentlessly bullied) or not having appropriate parental supervision and nurturing at home.
However, ADHD is real and it is a serious disorder that will affect a person’s entire life. With proper diagnosis and assessment of the individual learning style of the child there is every possibility for a full and productive life!
Take Control of Your Health
- Get the proper diagnosis
- See a physician
- Test brain wave balance
- Don’t treat without testing
- Avoid colors, additives and sweeteners
- Avoid food intolerances
- Supplement the special nutrient needs of ADHD
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- Osteoporosis/Grandparent Guilt
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Please note that
Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare provider. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. You should consult with a healthcare provider if you suspect your child might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.
Tags: adhd, adhd diagnosis, adhd diet, adhd help, adhd symptoms, adhd treatment, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, omegaprime, peaceful sleep, sublingual b-12, super sublingual b-12, super sublingual b12, TriVita, trivita peaseful sleep, TriVita Products, trivita sublingual b-12, trivita vitamins, vitacal-mag D
Skin Disorders and What They Mean
Attractive skin is really a reflection of inner health. Good health comes only from healthy habits. This is a natural law.
Friends and enemies
Collagen and healthy fats are best-friends to healthy skin. They give skin its firmness and elasticity. Collagen is made from nutrients such as Vitamin C and glucosamine. Healthy fats in your skin come from healthy fats in your diet, including supplemental essential fatty acids. Fats in your skin are protected by antioxidants such as Vitamin E and those found in green tea.
Free radicals are your skin’s enemies. These naturally occurring inflammatory substances overwhelm and harm your skin. As a result, your skin may become looser, weaker, less elastic and drier. Remember, when collagen and fat loss is making your skin look bad it is also aging your entire body.
Your skin becomes the battlefield between free radical damage and nutrients supporting healthy skin. Trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress create free radicals. Antioxidants from your diet and dietary supplements neutralize free radicals. When nutrient reserves fail, skin disorders begin. The most common skin disorders include eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea dermatitis.
Eczema
Eczema is inflammation of the skin. The term eczema has come to be associated with a specific type of dermatitis, called atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, non-contagious condition.
Symptoms: Itchy, inflamed skin.
Causes: Although eczema can develop at any age, it is most common in infants and children. It is estimated that 65% of people with eczema develop symptoms in the first year of life, and 90% develop symptoms before age five. The condition often improves in adulthood, but 50% of those affected as children are affected throughout life. Eczema is closely associated with asthma and hay fever. All together, they are called atopy. Atopy tends to run in families.
Responds to: Eczema responds well to essential fatty acid supplements, which help keep histamine levels low and nourish the fat pads under the skin. It also responds well to anti-stress herbs called adaptogens and Vitamin B-12, which help protect the collagen links from free radical destruction. Vitamin D and aloe vera have been used to balance the immune system response to anxiety and stress – known triggers for eczema.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious skin condition.
Symptoms: Psoriasis is characterized by scaling and inflammation. The inflamed skin is most commonly found on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. It may cause pain and discomfort by cracking.
Causes: Currently, it is estimated that 5.5 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis. Psoriasis may be a disorder of the immune system. A type of white blood cell that normally protects the body against infection and disease triggers inflammation and causes skin to shed too rapidly. Psoriasis flare-ups may be triggered by a variety of factors, including infection, toxins, climate, certain medications and stress.
Up to 11% of people with psoriasis develop a condition called psoriatic arthritis when the inflamed areas of the skin are accompanied by joint inflammation.
Responds to: Psoriasis responds well to nourishment with essential fatty acids such as those found in OmegaPrime. Stress protection with adaptogens and Vitamin B-12 is also helpful in many people. Vitamin D has also been used for people with psoriasis to balance the immune system response to stress.
Seborrhea dermatitis
Seborrhea dermatitis is a chronic skin condition.
Symptoms: Scaly, itchy rash. Most commonly affected areas are along the hairline, in and behind the ears, on the eyebrows, around the nose and on the chest. Dandruff is a type of seborrhea dermatitis.
Causes: Common skin yeast organisms, called Malassezia, may play a role in seborrhea dermatitis. It seems to run in families and is associated with disorders of the immune system and the nervous system. Seborrhea dermatitis is strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Responds to: Seborrhea dermatitis responds to supplementation with essential fatty acids as do many other skin conditions. The EFAs in OmegaPrime help reduce inflammation, nourish the fat pads under the skin and soothe the immune system. Seborrhea, like most other skin conditions, is triggered by stress. Protection against stress with adaptogens and Vitamin B-12 is often helpful.
Conclusion
The best expression of a balanced, healthy life is often reflected in your skin. Health only comes from healthy habits practiced daily over time. These habits are reflected in the philosophy of the 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness. Learn and live the 10 Essentials for enduring health. Take antioxidant nutrients, anti-stress nutrients, immune balancing nutrients and essential fatty acids and you are on your way to radiant health – inside and out!
Take Control of Your Health
- Reduce stress and take stress-control nutrients:
- Reduce inflammation and balance immunity:
