Archive for May, 2013

I’m only sick if I have symptoms, right?

May 31st, 2013 Lynn

I’m only sick if I have symptoms, right? Unfortunately that is far from the truth.    It’s a long walk from great health, to symptoms, to disease, surgery and then death. 

The body wants to operate at a state of ease, otherwise referred to as homeostasis.  This we know as a fact.  We also know that when the body is subjected to stress (external or internal or both) it adapts to the stress and it attempts to restore normal functionality.  However if the body is subjected to repeat stress, it continuously attempts to adapt and compensate as needed.  This may work for a short or long time depending on the body’s ability to adapt and depending on the chronicity of the stress.

Let’s take, for example, that a person is stressed out at work.  The work environment, the crisis orientation of the work and the hours required are too much for this individual.  The chronic stress from the work environment is affecting this person’s response.  The body is equally responding to the stress: releasing blood sugar as needed to keep up with the exposure  and to help keep all of the other functions in the body ‘at ease’.  If the external stress continues; the internal body will become too stressed to respond. The body loses it’s ability to respond, cells become damaged and symptoms become present. 

As presented in the above example, symptoms come late in the game.  This emphasizes why it’s important to recognize early signs before symptoms appear.  It’s also essential to recognize that it takes time for the body heal.  It has backtracking to do, or in other words restoration. 

What can you do?

  1. Keep an eye on your external stressors and reduce them as needed.
  2. Don’t wait for the symptoms to appear. 
  3. ACT by contacting a practitioner that is willing to help.

Be well,

Lynn

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What do wildflowers and the human body have in common?

May 13th, 2013 Lynn

“post thumbnail” I was struggling of what image I could place in the thin header above the text. Then I came across a beautiful portrait of wildflowers and realized that it would be perfect , for now.  The picture reminded me of what I’m fortunate enough to see and experience every day; the beauty and the self-sufficiency of nature.

You see I live in the Eastern Sierra’s where I’m surrounded by beauty daily.  But it also lends itself as a world of wonderment.  I have hiked up many mountainsides, over saddles between peaks and found in the most unusual places wildflowers in full bloom and thriving.  I’ve often questioned the elements: how can this be? no rivers are visible, the elevation is quite high and the air is extremely dry. No trees can even survive in these areas and yet a lone wildflower sits healthy pointing its tip to the sun.

And yet for the past 10 years I’ve willfully attempted yearly to grow wildflowers in the soil in a plot in our front yard.  I believed to have bought the right soil, increased the watering schedule, reduced the watering schedule, bought different seeds, bought different soil, bought starter plants, dug deeper, dug shallow and yet no results.  In 10 years I have yet to be proud of one wildflower growing in the plot dominated by aspens. After 10 years, I sat staring at this mound and asked for the first time, how can I look at this differently.  It was then that I considered that perhaps the aspens were consuming all the nutrients that I believed that I was giving to my seeds.

As a result, I learned a few valuable lessons.  I made multiple attempts at scratching the surface but got nowhere because it took me 10 years to look at what could possibly be happening at the roots.   That nature just does: it provides for itself and uses what it needs.    Similar to nature, the human body provides for itself and does what it can to take care of itself.  We can treat the surface as symptoms arise or we can look at the roots and find out why something isn’t working quite the way we want it to and nurture it back to health.

Be healthy and happy!

Lynn

 

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Genetics do not cause epidemics.

May 10th, 2013 Lynn

“Genetics load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger”.

Over the past 20 years, autism has increased from 1 in every 2,500 to 10,000 births to 1 in every 150-166 births.   Some experts believe that today there are approximately 1.5 million children on the autism spectrum disorder.  Some argue that it’s simply a case of misdiagnosis.  If so, where are all of the 30 something adults with autism?

Autism is not the only disorder that has increased exponentially.    ADHD has increased by at least 400 percent, targeting 3.5 million children.  Recently, I heard an ad on the radio that reported latest research indicates that 1 in 5 high school children have been diagnosed with ADHD.  Asthma has increased by 300 percent and Allergies affect 20% of all children in the United States. 

Add these numbers together and this totals 1/3 of all American children.  Twenty million children are suffering from one or more than one of the only four major epidemics mentioned this article. 

It’s important to mention that not one of these disorders: autism, ADHD, asthma, or allergies is related to one particular gene.  There is no “autism” gene, nor an “ADHD” gene and the same goes for asthma and allergies.  Rather all of the four A diagnosis’ are a result of a metabolic breakdown.  Progressive Doctors, not necessarily “alternative” Doctors are observing this first hand.  Dr. Mark Hyman, a functional medical doctor, practices “treat the body and heal the brain” with his patients, including children diagnosed with autism.  His results, although not guaranteed, prove his findings.  Many of the children that he treats with the whole body approach are recovering, some slightly, some miraculously from a diagnosis that was thought to be incurable.  Dr. Kenneth Bock is another MD, who also has experienced mild to extensive recoveries with children diagnosed with asthma, autism, allergies and ADHD.   Fortunately, the shift from “it’s genetic” to “it’s metabolic” is hitting the practitioner community heavily.  Dr. Bock and Dr. Hyman may be pioneers in this form of thinking but there are growing numbers of practitioners that are jumping on board.

As a parent I can attest for a year we worked with the “it’s genetic” theory.  My son’s seizures increased and cognitively he declined.  For the six months following we changed our approach entirely to a metabolic assessment.  By doing so and addressing his body, we were able to help his brain heal and recover. 

More on ‘why is this happening to our children’ tomorrow.

For today, be well,

Lynn

*Estimates taken from Dr. Kenneth Bock’s book “Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders”

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“Listen to your Gut” may not just be an old adage

May 8th, 2013 Lynn

How many times have you heard the phrase “listen to your gut’ or perhaps even used it yourself.   This old adage often refers to relying on our intuition, thoughts, stomach reactions and more.  But  there is substantial evidence that supports that our gut is telling us even more  than what we think.

Scientists and even progressive physicians are recognizing that 60% of our immune system is developed in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  And if our gut is compromised in any such way: unable to absorb nutrients, properly break down and digest foods, hyper-permeable so that it leaks toxins (often referred to as leaky gut), is under attack by infections or food sensitivities ,overloads the liver, to name a few, our general health is greatly compromised .  Practitioners are discovering that how our bodies are performing in general are undeniably affected by the health of our GI tract.  In fact, our gut is often referred to as our “second brain”.

It may serve us well to trust our intuition and it may do us equally as well in health  to  literally ‘listen to our gut’.  How is it functioning? How do I feel? Nutrition for thought.

Be well,

Lynn

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