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Herbal eGram #528 Almost Spring

Good Morning!

            My primrose has flowers; the daffodils are poking through; I saw a Star Flower today and a Robin was singing away—there’s still ice on the lake and a pile of snow in my yard but the signs of spring are there too. I can tell when March begins by looking at the willow trees. They have a golden hue to them and by April that gold takes on the look of spring green as the leaves bud out. What’s your favorite sign of spring? Some people can smell it in the air. I love the energy of spring and the reminder of renewal. Our bodies too can regenerate if given the opportunity with the right energy and nutrients.

             The energy from the sun is very important and some people are more sensitive to it than others. We’ve had some nice sunny days. However, don’t plan on it providing the vitamin D you need for good health. Most of us are severely deficient in vitamin D. Blood tests (25[OH]D, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D) can be done to determine your levels but you usually have to ask for it. The more enlightened advocates of vitamin D recommend about 50-70ng/mL. Your doctor may not agree with this. Your doctor may also not understand the difference between D2 and D3—You always want D3; not the synthetic D2.

           You’d have to be an ostrich not to have heard why vitamin D is an important supplement to add to your daily intake and health routine. I guess the advisory board for the Institute of Medicine is just that—an ostrich. Research has been pouring in for the last decade on the importance of vitamin D in relationship to most “age related” diseases and that one should supplement with D3 in amounts of thousands of IU.  When you consider there has yet to be a toxic level when one takes a supplement D3 and the fact that it is quite inexpensive; why not?

           There is an old saying that it takes 17 years for the medical community to catch up on research data so I guess we’ll have to wait about seven more years for them to catch up—in the meantime take your 2000IU of vitamin D3 daily and more if you battle winter depression. Most women need their levels to be above 60ng/mL to prevent against osteoporosis the studies indicate. The best time to take vitamin D3 is in the morning and/or lunch time. Calcium supplements may have a small amount of D in them, but the studies show you need extra D for prevention. Calcium supplements are best taken in the evening. This is especially true if you are trying to nourish bones.

            Another vitamin the medical community misunderstands is K. Vitamin K may very well end up being as important for you as vitamin D, as research continues to illuminate the growing list of its benefits for your health. Vitamin K is probably where vitamin D was ten years ago, with respect to its appreciation as a vital nutrient that has far more advantages than originally thought.

            Most vitamin K is derived from a Japanese cheesy fermented food called Natto; It is, in my opinion, smelly and disgusting in flavor. However, I take Nattozimes Plus as a daily part of my supplementation regimen to help keep my blood viscosity balanced. I also take K2 which is included in my Krill oil capsule. Several human trials have shown that vitamin K is an important supplement in bone mineralization and the prevention of osteoporosis.

            A large part of arterial plaque consists of calcium deposits (atherosclerosis), hence the term "hardening of the arteries." This poor utilization of calcium has to do with digestion and assimilation and having the right balance of nutrients to absorb and utilize the minerals we take in. The reason I will recommend an enzyme product to practically everyone who consults with me is the fact that we don’t have good digestion—especially as one ages. This fact is the very reason I take enzymes with every meal.

            Some of you know the success I and many others are having with homeopathic HCG and the program I have laid out based on Doctor Simeon’s weight management research. If  you would like to have a copy of this protocol, send me an email. If you would like to follow along with our Healthy Losers/Winners group, let me know. In just 3 short months I have lost 25 pounds and am feeling terrific. Many of us are following the regimen and gaining better health while losing weight. This program includes taking Krill, Vitamin D3, enzymes and daily supplementation. Could you stand to be healthier while losing weight? No frozen dinners—no points to count. Just good fresh food, supplements and keeping in contact with us. You will save a ton of money—no more buying sodas, fast food, alcohol, sugar etc.--Just healthy food.

            What are you willing to do to get the Brilliant Body you deserve?

Have a healthy and joy filled week and remember to Share.

Herbal eGram #528 Core Meltdown

Good Morning!

            Early this week I had many phone calls and emails about where to find Potassium Iodide and what I thought about using it to protect against radiation. So, I investigated what the uses are of this OTC medication. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_iodide . KI can cause allergic reactions, skin rashes, salivary gland inflammation, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism in a small percentage of people and should only be used when one has been exposed—not as a precaution.

The big concern of course is to protect against radiation. Make sure the food you purchase has the organic label because they check for radiation, pesticide residue and many other harmful contaminants. This is the very reason I trust only Nature’s Sunshine to deliver the best product without any contaminants. If you’ve never taken the virtual tour of the manufacturing plant and checked into the many hundreds of tests that NSP goes through to guarantee quality—you need to do this: http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/company/quality/

Prevention is much better served by using high quality kelp. Algin is a very effective sea vegetable and beneficial absorbent that can bind harmful toxins in the support of elimination through the intestinal and urinary systems. This highly absorbent food can help the body detoxify from heavy metals as well.

Algin has been shown to absorb radioactive Strontium 90 and is a very effective and healthful way to be proactive when one is concerned with radiation exposure. As a sea vegetable it is high in iodine and therefore can protect the thyroid. When the thyroid’s receptor sites are unavailable—radioactive thyroid cannot absorb into the thyroid. (No room in the Inn).

Furthermore, when there is a healthy iodine available the body will naturally absorb it--“Natural iodine in seaweeds can reduce by almost 80% radioactive iodine-131 that is absorbed by the thyroid. Seaweeds are so effective that even the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission recommends that people consume two to three ounces of seaweeds a week (or 2 tbsp. of algin supplements a day) for maximum protection against radiation poisoning.”  

Taking two capsules of Algin between meals (with two glasses of purified water) is a good preventative and if you fear exposure, take two capsules 3 times a day with two glasses of purified water in between meals. Water is necessary for the Algin to activate and swell up to absorb toxins. Once again—don’t trust your body to just any Algin, use one that has been tested as pure and does not contain fillers.

Some people do not tolerate iodine and may have a response to this sea vegetable. You should make sure that if you have this type of allergy that you don’t take any entire capsule. You can open a capsule by “unscrewing” it and dumping a small amount on your tongue. Check the body for any responses—drink a large glass of water to reduce any response. If no reaction, try a little more but you should wait at least 4 hours in between trials. You sometimes can work up to taking a full therapeutic dose by doing small increments and letting the body adjust to it slowly. Do not take more if you experience a swollen tongue or any allergic response. These people are severely allergic and should not take even a natural iodine supplement.

A core meltdown happens in the body when nutrients are unavailable for the body through normal nutritional intake. With the use of fad diets, poor nutrition and fast food, Americans are undernourished and overfed. We need to take nutritional products that offer the body the tools it needs to be healthy. There are six core nutritional products I feel will assist the body in optimum health: A food source multivitamin/mineral—take two per day; Enzymes to promote the breakdown of nutrients—2 each meal; Omega 3 to help deter inflammation and to build healthy cells—2 per day; Probiotics to promote healthy gut and vitamin uptake—take 2 upon rising and 2 at bedtime; Antioxidants to fight free radicals and early aging-two per day and finally fiber to absorb toxins and eliminate them from the body. These core nutrients can be assisted by a healthy intake of water.

You can make your healthy water taste great with the use of Solstic. We have powder that you can add to your water that will boost energy; be a source of liquid nutrition; replace electrolytes; encourage circulation and support better immune health. What’s even better is that they are sweetened with Stevia so it won’t adversely affect blood sugar balance.

Protect yourself from a Core Meltdown with the Core Nutrition available through Nature’s Sunshine Products and be proactive in your health.

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments

Herbal eGram #527 Freckles

Good Morning!

            Upon looking at my hand one day, my granddaughter looked up at me and said, “You sure have a lot of freckles Grandma”! Then she proudly rolled up her sleeve and pointed to a pin point size freckle and said, “I have one right here”. She was delighted to have this little brown spot whereas; I was looking at my hands as a sign of aging. Perspective can be a funny thing. It did give me pause as to why “freckles” do seem to be more prevalent as we age.

            Some research says that there is a direct relationship to sun exposure and age spots. Since I’m a gardener I thought this kind of strange. I almost always am wearing gloves when I garden.  What makes more sense is the fact that I have what is known as Biliary tendencies according to Iridology. This means I am predisposed to conditions that would affect the Liver. Since age spots are also called “Liver spots” I understand how I would have a genetic tendency to them.

            The Biliary eye has a brown overlay of color. Depending on how thick the overlay, one might see the eye as green (often referred to as Hazel) all the way to golden brown. My granddaughter also has Biliary eyes. The other consideration is age. As we age we need more and more antioxidants to protect our body from free radicals. Free radicals form as a result of metabolism. They cause inflammation and contribute to many other age related conditions in the body. Antioxidants give Free Radicals what they need—an electron. The electron stabilizes the free radical so it doesn’t continue to cause inflammation throughout the body.

            Back to the liver and age spots. When we don’t have enough antioxidants in our body, our liver can’t protect the skin as it should. So, the skin becomes damaged. So, is it the sun, or is it our lack of antioxidants that causes the skin to be more susceptible to liver spots and abnormal cell growth? We’ve dealt with sun exposure since time began (or human kind began anyway). Why recently are we in need of screening ourselves? What has changed?

            I think it is the fact that we don’t eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables that are full of antioxidants. I think we eat food that is high in bad fats and our skin doesn’t have the protection of these factors. http://www.health911.com/liver-spots My friend Kathy said that when she did a liver cleanse her spots went away. Since it takes years for liver spots to show up, it may take a while for us as we get older to see a response. Certainly it is futile to do topical treatments that may not be healthy in the long run.

            While doing some research on natural skin care for this month’s skin class, I came across some interesting studies. One such study is how Grapefruit Seed Extract is far from natural. It may start out as even organic Grapefruit seeds and skin however somewhere along the way it turns into diphenol hydroxybenzene. A lot of “so-called” natural skin care products will contain this as a preservative.

            The name "diphenol" means that there are two phenol groups.  Phenol is a benzene ring with one hydrogen and one oxygen molecule.  Chemicals with benzene rings are particularly worrisome in personal care products because once they enter the bloodstream they can mimic the hormone estrogen. When they find a free estrogen receptor site they set up residence and create total disruption and contribute to estrogen driven cancers. So, what you put on your skin is often adversely affecting your health as the skin absorbs everything it is exposed to.

            Many essential oils also, it is claimed, are proficient natural preservatives, and these include neem seed oil, bitter orange extract, sweet orange oil and thyme oil, various root, flower and leaf extracts and, lately, extracts from trees known to have protection from fungal attack. http://www.personalcaremagazine.com/Story.aspx?Story=4456 This is one of the reasons I am a huge proponent of using essential oils. I love the fact that they are naturally antimicrobial and very safe when used as directed.  They are highly concentrated and must be diluted.

            Some studies have shown that grape seed extract can support a healthy liver and has 95% proanthocyanidins (PACs). A controlled study to determine the health benefits of grape seed extract on light vision using 100 participants with no ophthalmological disorders, showed those taking the PACs tolerated glare much better than those not taking them. Researchers believe that PACs provide improved retinal nutrition by increasing microcirculation.

            Our eyes also get weaker with age. Does this have to be? Perhaps we could all use higher amounts of PACs in our diet and give this study a boost. Pine bark also yields a concentration of 85% PACs and when you add the two together you have the possibility of seeing some really good results (pun intended)!

            Another side benefit of taking Grapine may be prevention of bruising. Since nutrients can be delivered to the capillaries and strengthen them, one of the causes of bruising, taking a couple of these capsules a day would be worth a try. This is especially good news to anyone trying to get their cholesterol in balance as there seems to be help in that area too with PACs.

Try some of the above hints and let me know if you are effective in “Turning back the Hands of Time”. If nothing else you may be improving vision, brain and capillary health.

Herbal eGram #526 Oxymoronic

Good Morning!

            When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began, it actually was put in place to protect and serve Americans against the corporations that manufactured and distributed our food and medicine. Now,  it is the very place where deceit and corruption of medicine has its roots. The officers of the pharmaceutical industry routinely change positions in the FDA decision making appointments. ( example: a CEO of a chemical manufacturer is hired by the FDA and in a few years switch back to another chemical company)

            This goal to protect us was lofty and I’m sure back a hundred years ago was brought about because of shifty manufacturers putting profit above safety. The FDA has exposed some very lethal foods and I applaud them for that such as when Cranberries were laced with pesticide residue and many people were dying due to this cancer-causing chemical. I actually remember this crisis and cranberries were acclaimed as cancer causing by the media. When in fact it was the pesticide used too heavily that was cancer causing. The actual blame was never publicized as much as the “Don’t eat cranberries—they cause cancer” was. We now know how cancer preventing cranberries are if they aren’t laced with pesticides.

            Now enter the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission determines whose area may be preventing free trade. To me Free Trade would be if I was allowed to state historical use of herbal medicines and how they can do just as good at supporting health and clearing up conditions, without bad side effects as any drug out there because herbs generally work with the body to help it heal. If I were allowed to state that—but the FTC doesn’t allow me to because of the quirky laws we have in this country at whose domain it is to treat conditions.

           The AMA wants you to believe that herbs are unscientific and proper trials have not been done on them to determine the risk/benefit ratio. The real fact is: Herbs have been safely used by traditional healers for centuries—on people. The fact is: there is very little toxicity to most herbs used properly. Unlike drugs that always have detrimental side effects and that is why they have a risk/benefit ratio that must be determined. If you check out the side effects listed for any drug you can see that they may contribute to other adverse conditions but scientists have determined it is worth it for you to exchange one condition for another.

            Have a healthy and joy filled week and remember to Share.

Herbal eGram #525 Oh! K

Good Morning!

A few years ago a pharmacist, Clell Fowles, wrote a booklet about the deficiencies common drugs create. His most hated drug is Coumadin –he called it the “nastiest of the nasty”. One of the reasons is that not only does it rob the body of vital nutrients, when you take it you’re instructed not to eat certain healthy foods. So, it may have saved you from a stroke but in the meantime you can die earlier from bleeding or malnutrition.

According to Clell, it was never meant to be a long term medication. You need monthly monitoring of this “rat poison” as it causes considerable damage to the health of the individual. Headaches and stomach aches are often experienced. I think this is due to inflammation in the tissue where the drug has an affinity to erode cell structure. Again, this is my opinion and I haven’t found anything to substantiate this hypothesis.

Here’s the thing: If you are told to not take certain supplements prior to surgery because they may inhibit the clotting factor, why aren’t these recommended instead of the harmful drugs now prescribed to thin blood? We know that some of these natural blood thinners are: Omega 3, Garlic, Ginkgo, and ginger. Taking these foods do not cause break through bleeding, however, they may not be strong enough in the beginning to use instead of prescribed Coumadin. Dr. Weil recommends that you talk to your doctor about weaning off medications. However if you were going in for surgery they’d tell you to stop taking it. Go figure!

You can greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by modifying your lifestyle and adding nutritional supplements proven to support cardiovascular health. Good circulation is necessary for good health. Taking Coumadin does not address the fact that you aren’t eating healthy foods, getting some exercise and drinking enough water.

Eating bad fats will contribute to platelet sticking—you need to change your oil. Stop the French fries, chips and hamburgers. Eat some Food Enzymes with each meal to properly break down your fats and proteins so the body can use the nutrients for repair and replenishing with healthy cells.

Friendly bacteria do more than help your immune system keep you healthy! They help produce Vitamin K in the gut. Taking some Probiotic Eleven each morning will help with healthy clotting and if you are concerned about thinning your blood, check out what the Asians are doing: Nattokinase. Natto is stinky nasty stuff to us but it keeps their blood from sticking together and they don’t have a high incidence of thrombosis. Have you ever seen an Asian squat? I know I couldn’t do that for hours! Even a few minutes of it causes my legs to go numb. I start each day taking one Nattozimes Plus to help make sure I don’t have sticky blood.

            In the final analysis what we have is an inability to break down fibrin. Fibrin is what is needed to form clots due to an injury. Nattozimes Plus helps the body break down this protein and reduces the risk factor for thrombosis. After a clot forms and the healing has taken place it is the body’s normal response to break down this formation. Many of us as we age do not have the factors present to accomplish this. Taking proteolytic enzymes such as what is in Nattozimes Plus, will safely and effectively give our body what is needed to help the blood move and circulate freely without clotting and causing obstructions.

            Research has shown that Nattokinase supports the body’s ability to break up and dissolve the unhealthy coagulation of blood. In fact, it has been shown to have four times greater fibrinolytic activity than plasmin—the body’s primary anti-clotting enzyme. Don’t stop your medication unless you talk with your medical doctor about a down-step process while increasing your dose of Natto.

There is a delicate balance between clotting and healthy blood circulation. A factor that has been shown to be obstructive is heavy metal toxicity. Doing an oral chelation process has helped many people detox from heavy metals and increase circulation (it helped me). Another is the aging factor and a sedentary lifestyle. Even not having enough probiotics in your gut can interfere with this delicate balance. This is why I start my day with Nattozimes Plus and Probiotic Eleven.

Probiotics help the body produce K2. They also help to move K1 out of storage to support healthy clotting. If you have frequent nose bleeds or bleeding gums you may be deficient in vitamin K. If you don’t eat enough green leafy vegetables on a daily basis, you may be deficient in VK.  Overdosing in K is rare. You’d have to eat tons of it to overdose. Most people are by far deficient in VK.

About 80-85% of VK is absorbed mainly in the terminal ileum into the lymphatic system; therefore, bile salts and normal fat absorption, as well as normal villi of the ileum, are necessary for the effective uptake of VK. So, the fact of absorption of K depends on good gut flora is the real concern. Most people do not have healthy bacteria in their gut.

This is why I take Food Enzymes with each meal and my probiotics away from meals. If the environment of the colon is full of good bacteria, then absorption is no problem. When I take in a food that is high in VK, I will digest and absorb this important nutrient because I take enzymes to break down the nutrients in the food and have the available environment in my gut for proper absorption.

Because my mother died of congestive heart failure, I am very particular to take supplements that strengthen my heart and circulation. These include Mega Chel, Cardio Assurance, Krill with K2. I also take Omega 3 along with Enzymes, Probiotics and Nattozimes Plus as mentioned above. I’m not on any medications and I want to keep it that way. I think of herbs as food and I would much rather address causes than symptoms.

One may not be able to stop the aging process but I want to keep it close to a screeching halt as possible. Hope you’re Oh! K with that too.

            Have a healthy and joy filled week and remember to Share.

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments

Herbal eGram #524 You are Beautiful, Inside and Out

Good Morning!

            Did you ever say that phrase to yourself? If you’re like most people it probably sounds crazy to tell yourself you are beautiful. Most people have such poor self esteem they couldn’t look themselves in the mirror and say that statement out loud. And yet, if you don’t believe it, how can you expect others to?

Is beauty as simple as thinking it? Many books have been written about beauty begins within. People who have a good sense of self often have a glow about them. Look at a baby’s skin. They haven’t developed an opinion of self—they’re too interested in learning continuously. They are focused on the outside. As adults we tend to focus on how people think about us and what we do. Many times we form the wrong opinion on what they are thinking.

If during your childhood you heard disparaging remarks about your intelligence or looks from parents, you may still be running those harmful tapes in your head. Do you say you’re stupid? Whose voice do you hear when you say it? Why parents would tear down a child is a whole other subject—the fact is we don’t have to believe it! We do have to recognize the harm in believing such thoughts. As Dr. Daniel Amen states, “Thoughts Lie!”  Dr. Daniel Amen teaches how to kill the “ANTs” (automatic negative thoughts) in your head and replace them with healing, rational thinking.

The brain needs to be fed. We need to give it good nutrition in the form of water and good fats. Since the brain is more than 75% water, we need to make sure we are hydrating it. Coffee and soda pop actually can dehydrate the brain and interrupt blood flow. High sugar foods can also cause inflammation and burn up brain cells. The formula generally accepted is to drink half your body weight in ounces of pure water every day. The Solstic Immune is a good way to get 20ounces of water into your body and support good immune health at the same time. If you add the Solstic Cardio to a bottle of water you will help increase circulation and support good brain health that way.

We also need to feed our brains positive thoughts. Catch yourself doing something right and give yourself congratulations. We tend to wallow in the things we don’t do which attract more guilt and negative feelings. Focus on what we do right and that is what we will get more of. Don’t wait for approval from others—they’re too busy with their own negative thoughts and feelings. If you don’t like how things are going, change the way you’re thinking.

Find 5 things you are grateful for and each day build on these so in a week’s time you have a list of 35 things you can pin up. Looking at this list will make you happy. We all need reasons to feel good when things seem to be going wrong. Having this list readily available and posted some place you see often keeps your attitude positive. If you are thinking about making that list you’re actually going through your day finding things to be happy about instead of looking for what isn’t going right.

Beautiful thoughts make for a beautiful you. Beauty is not just skin deep it consumes all of you. Your skin is a reflection of your health. When you feed your brain and your body right you just glow!

            Have a healthy and joy filled week and remember to Share.

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments

Herbal eGram #523 It’s Not Just Your Face

Good Morning!

             The skin is a protective organ. When we apply harsh chemicals to it in the form of cleaning products, we can damage its ability to protect our body from invasion. Gentle, safe products can do more than help the environment; they can keep our skin protecting us. Antibacterial hand and body soap strips the acid mantle from our skin exposing it to invasion. Gentle soap is the best solution to keeping our skin healthy. Defoliation of skin cells can also hasten new cells, which are not yet ready, to the surface.

            My favorite shower gel consists of half part NSP concentrate and half part purified water and whatever essential oil (6-10 drops per 2oz.) like peppermint, lemon and pink grapefruit combination or Lavender with a touch of Bergamot (this one is very relaxing). Most essential oils are antimicrobial and serve that purpose as well as smelling great. Sometimes in winter I’ll add a teaspoon or more of massage oil to keep my skin moisturized.

            No matter what one puts on the skin it is going to have an effect—so be mindful that you are either damaging or assisting the skin in whatever you expose it to. Protecting your skin is about more than just beauty—it’s about health. A trained person can identify a lot about the health of the body by the texture, tone and vitality in the skin. What you put in your body either in food form or in thought form is going to affect your skin. Joy makes our skin sparkle; whereas anger and disappointment makes our skin burn and sag.

            Have a healthy and joy filled week and remember to Share.

Herbal eGram #522 Enlighten

Good Morning!

            I think, therefore I am! The “Age of Reasoning”. In his famous essay "What is Enlightenment?" (1784), Immanuel Kant described it simply as freedom to use one's own intelligence. Thomas Jefferson stated: “Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.”

When every advertisement you see, whether read, seen and/or heard talks about drugs one thinks they are the only answer to pain and misery. When you go to a doctor and their objective is to find a diagnosis that then has a prescribed protocol to follow, you become the condition and no longer the whole person.  A Naturopathic doctor looks at the whole and tries to identify what is the message the body is trying to say with its varied symptoms?

When a person has had enough of the drugs and is still sick and tired they look for something else. Often it is so far down the path of disease that the road back seems discouraging. They look to those who have travelled that road for encouragement and guidance. What road have you travelled that you can help others know that health can be achieved when one addresses the cause of their symptoms.

It is balance the body seeks and enlightenment will come when one sees how that can be achieved. Balance is never achieved by controlling symptoms; only by addressing the cause will one achieve health. When one focuses only on disease then health is furthest from the mind. How do we identify the cause? We do this by looking at the body as intelligent and in its intelligence observing the symptoms or messages given.

Many people with the diagnosis of Arthritis will say, “I am in pain because I have Arthritis”. Therefore, they feel the only answer is pain control. What if there was something contributing to the symptoms of Arthritis that could be changed? What if Arthritis was a result of eating the wrong food and the pain you experience is because of an inflammatory response of the body due to the food you are eating? Would you still want to just take the pain medication?

What if the inflammatory response was a rise in blood pressure? Would you still try to “control” the blood pressure with medication? Or, would you want to know how you could achieve a balanced blood pressure response by learning how the body responds and how different thoughts and food and the lack of water could be contributing to this imbalance?

Many people have been able to get off medications. I highly suggest that you do not just drop any medications a medical doctor has prescribed without first discussing it with that doctor. When the body becomes dependent upon a medication it is not healthy to just drop it. Often times there is a protocol for down-stepping medications while increasing the health of the body.

Our country is sick! We struggle with rising obesity rates, Diabetes and Heart disease are rampant even in our young and Cancer is far from being destroyed. We need a better way to look at disease and maybe like Thomas Jefferson stated—enlighten ourselves. Suppressed knowledge is breaking forth through brave people like medical doctors who are challenging their own methods of treatment. Brave doctors like Hugo Rodier, Joe Mercola, Mayer Eistenstein and many others who are looking at nutrition and herbs along with vitamins/minerals as answers to our health imbalances.

Dr. Rallie McAllister taught an all day class recently in Ann Arbor and she disclosed that medical doctors are trapped into a system that they don’t know how to get out of. Dr. Hugo Rodier once said to a Nature’s Sunshine audience, “Medical doctors are waking up to the fact they have gone to bed with the wrong partner”.

With the onset of the Age of Communication comes the internet with many answers—sometimes too many. Guidance by someone who has been there, or someone who is trained to guide one through the path of wellness may help cut through some of the chatter and pinpoint what would be right for you. The next step is to make sure it “feels” right to you before you blindly follow someone’s instructions. You know what is going on in your body—get involved and make sure you stay involved in your healing process.

If you have found that addressing the cause has made you healthier you probably want to enlighten others and give them hope that they too can achieve balance by focusing on health. Sometimes just inviting someone to a class, lecture or to watch a webinar can be life changing for them. How can you be the beacon of hope; Enlighten!

Have a healthy week and remember to Share.

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments

Herbal eGram #521 Phagocytosis

Good Morning!

            Did you know that you have Pacman living inside your body that will engulf bacteria or viruses? If you don’t remember the game, it has been revised for computer: http://www.lupiga.com/igrice/pacman/index.php Now that you have an image of how Inky and Blinky and their buddies destroy Pacman in his/her search for little dots, you might want to know the tricks that can help keep him/her alive.

The process of eating up harmful microbes before they can do damage is called Phagocytosis. This is a very important and desirable part of our immune protection. We need this process to eliminate cellular debris that occurs when cells die and new ones form. If old cells are left to hang around they become the food that viruses, bacteria and fungi eat. These unhealthy cells can also mutate to become abnormal cells and pathogens that destroy health. They set up a bad neighborhood that breeds destructive cells.

The process of Phagocytosis is fascinating. Immunoglobulins (such as IgA) mark cells for destruction and the macrophages gobble up the “bad” cells or microbes. We can consider it like garbage collectors. The lymphatic system is the highway where garbage collectors travel to different neighborhoods to pick up trash. They dump garbage (dead cells, invaders etc.)  into the truck and the truck takes it to the lymph nodes for sorting and further destruction and elimination. The lymph fluid then continues on its path to repeat the cycle. The truck has a mechanism that mashes and compacts the trash—so does the immune system.

The whole theory of Phagocytosis can be attributed to the work of Ilya Metchnikoff. His work was the beginning to what is now known as the study of immunology. In another “school of thought” that takes a more defeatist role is the predestined attitude of serology. I embrace the idea that we have control over our body and it is the lack of knowledge as to how our body works that allows disease to control us.

Digestive enzymes play a part in the process of Phagocytosis. Therefore if you have a slow or weak digestive system it will be more difficult for this aspect of your immune system to be efficient. Taking enzymes such as Food Enzymes with your meals facilitates more than just making food more easily digested, absorbed and put into available nutrient form—they assist the immune system in breaking down harmful microbes before they even hit the blood stream.

In order for Phagocytosis to be truly effective we need to have the correct environment, or pH. If we take Food Enzymes with betaine hydrochloride, it will help the stomach to achieve proper pH. Bacteria and fungus have a certain environment that allows them to grow. If we change the environment, they die. Since most of us don’t have enough hydrochloric acid in our stomachs to destroy bacteria and fungus as it enters the stomach, the bad microbes flourish. Once past the stomach they can go into the small intestine and then enter the blood stream.

When a person takes an acid inhibitor such as Tums they allow the pH of the stomach to be alkaline enough to encourage bad bacteria and fungus. I feel that this is the main reason yeast overgrowth and allergies are rampant in this country. We simply do not have the right stomach pH. If we took enzymes with each meal and facilitated digestion we wouldn’t wear out our body’s ability to protect us with the correct pH.

Understanding how your immune system works and how you can support it has been the theme for January. If you knew you had a pharmacy within and all you had to do was to give it the prescription list and let it pick what was going to help keep you healthy, wouldn’t it be wonderful? Well—you do. Your body was designed to protect itself. We have become dependent on drugs and intervention for so long we don’t even know the amazing host we are.

When should you assist the body in mounting a defense and when should you just give it the nutrients needed to be on call? What nutrients can supply the body with what it needs to act in the fastest way possible? Which product is best for children, adults and the aged? Please join me on Wednesday, January 19^th as we explore the fascinating subject of our Immune System.

Learn how to get rid of a cold within 24 hours; Is it time to do a cleanse? And more.

9:00am EST Registration Link:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/289068738 

6:30pm EST Registration Link:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/661446674

Those who register by Tuesday evening will get handouts to follow along.

Have a healthy week and remember to Share.

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments

Herbal eGram #520 Leishmaniasis

Good Morning!

A trip to Mexico or getting away to somewhere warm during the winter months may sound wonderfully inviting. Be alerted to the fact that this is also where you will find issues regarding the sand fly. Having these little critters bite you may have lasting health effects. Once bitten you could be dealing with the ramifications for years unless you know what to do.

Leishmaniasis is a condition that arises when someone is bitten by a sand fly. Cases of Leishmaniasis have been reported on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. In the Americas, Leishmaniasis can be found in Mexico and South America. Leishmaniasis has been reported in military personnel returning from the Persian Gulf.

The immune system can fight it but most people do not have what it takes to support the immune system. People who live in places such as Mexico eat foods that protect them from these conditions. We can get the same response by supporting our immune system with an herb called Pau d ‘Arco.

This herb has a constituent called lapachol. Lapachol in combination with other mediating factors is found in Pau d’Arco. When scientists tried to isolate lapachol and do experiments in petri dishes they found it lacking. Again the attempt to make a drug out of a very effective herb didn’t work and therefore discounted as effective treatment.

Herbs are very complex and to try to isolate the “active” ingredient is like you trying to choose which part of your hand is the most important. Thumbs are definitely useful for many things. The pinky is less useful—unless when trying to type P and Q. So, if you want to watch your Ps and Qs, I suggest you go with what works and that is usually “whole” foods such as herbs.

            Every trip to a warm climate should involve supporting the immune system in a very special way. An herb that comes from a very warm climate holds the secret to dealing with parasitical invaders produced by the sand fly. It also is antimicrobial. Taking Pau d’Arco during your vacation may make it all the more pleasant. You might want to start a week ahead of time to make sure it is in your blood stream and active when it is needed.

            Nature’s Sunshine’s pau d’arco comes from Brazil. It is available in a variety of forms, including capsules, bulk for tea, liquid extract and soothing lotion. Each capsule contains 500 mg pau d’arco. The bottle recommendations are two with three meals per day for adults. The liquid can be given to children. Check bottle recommendations for age specific dosage.

            The best solution of course is to prevent sand flies from attacking. There are two very effective essential oils that deter skin parasites. But, before I go into those I want you to know that mixing Silver gel and Pau d’Arco lotion is a great way to ease rashes that may come from heat, candida albicans, or other skin disruption. Many of my clients have received over night relief by using this trick.

            Peppermint oil and Patchouli mixed together in equal parts can be added to the above or other carriers such as suntan lotion or oil to deter sand flies from biting. The two oils should not be used directly on the skin without a carrier as they may cause skin irritation due to their strong constituents. Using about a dime size dollop of lotion/gel to two drops of each essential oil is about the right amount to deter invasion.

            Another concern is from parasites that live in water. One thing I have found very successful is to take Probiotics – good bacteria that deter bad bacteria from taking hold.(I take two in the morning and two at bedtime). I also use Activated Charcoal with each meal. This trick has saved me from Montezuma’s Revenge countless times when visiting a foreign country. I love to travel and I want to make sure that what lives in these warm climates—stays in the warm climate.

            I hope these tips have helped you take control of your health and to share the good news with others. Enjoy your vacation (if you’re lucky enough to be able to go someplace warm) and don’t pick up any hitchhikers!

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments.

Herbal eGram #519 A Fresh Start

Good Morning!

            Is the New Year a time to have a fresh start for you? Do you plan on what you will accomplish this year? Most people make some kind of resolution of how they will improve their health or life in some way.

            There are many sayings that refer to a Fresh Start: Clean Slate; New Page; start anew; whatever your ways of referring to beginning a new project or goal, understand that it comes with the knowledge of the past. Our experiences often set us up for our new goals. They may be something we don’t want to see happen again, or see happen in a different way.

            Some people have new beginnings because of a health crisis or acute condition. It isn’t the preferred “wake up” call. But we often become complacent and don’t analyze our daily or even weekly lifestyle practices. Sometimes our “wake up” call is an accident or some other situation that we cannot see in advance or even prepare for. This is where it is good to be flexible and determine options. Learn from others.

            Most of us aren’t gifted with visions of the future so we can make a correction and all will be well. I wonder if that would really be a gift. I think most of us are just as happy not knowing what will happen. As far as world events go—we really don’t have a whole lot of control over what governments do. Things were a lot less stressful when we didn’t have instant communication. We went along with our business and feeling a bit more apt to handle our immediate circle of influence. I think people felt they could command their circumstances better when they weren’t blasted by reports of violence and mayhem.

            Don’t you often feel like you are on overload? News of this or that country and the wars perpetrated on the people—the more bloody and shocking the more exposure it gets. When is it enough? How can we achieve peace if we are bombarded with war? Peace begins with quiet. Learn how quiet sounds.

            This is probably difficult for most people. As it is right now for me as I’m hearing my neighbor (actually my son’s neighbor) blast away with his electric guitar. The other day it was my neighbor’s dogs barking for at least two hours. It always amazes me that people have so little consideration for others. People trying to block out their pain with noise is causing a rise in Noise Induced Hearing Loss especially in young people.

            Data from two nationally representative surveys indicates that the prevalence of hearing loss among U.S. adolescents increased by about 30 percent from 1988-1994 to 2005-2006, with 1 in 5 adolescents having hearing loss in 2005-2006, according to a study in the August 18 issue of JAMA. http://www.audiologyonline.com/news/news_detail.asp?news_id=4368 If this is to continue we will be a civilization of deaf people. Once hearing is damaged it is almost impossible to bring it back. We can support better hearing with devices however,  there isn’t much available to repair hearing loss. Some studies will state that hearing loss isn’t escalating but the test equipment was faulty. I think that any hearing loss is a concern.

            Sinus infections and ear infections can be a cause of hearing loss. If the head is congested from a person having a cold your head feels stuffy and your hearing is impaired. This type of hearing loss is temporary. However the damage sustained by improper blowing of the nose or infection itself can cause a problem or a weakness to the ear that makes one more susceptible to hearing loss. Medications such as codeine (often in cold preparations) will contribute to injury to the ear.

            Aging is the most significant cause of hearing impairment. It is also known as age-related hearing loss or presbycusis. Most people start to lose a small amount hearing ability in their middle age and they experience a remarkable hearing impairment in their old age. Age-related hearing loss is because of damage to hair cells within the cochlea, due to which electrical signals are not transmitted efficiently. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/causes-of-hearing-impairment.html

            Perhaps hearing loss occurs because of TMI—Too Much Information. We haven’t learned the value of quiet. Spend a little time evaluating the gift of hearing. What can you do to preserve it? How can you create more “quiet time” in your busy life? Stop right now and determine what it is you hear—a clock chiming? A bird singing? The wind blowing? Tune into this very amazing sense that we have and learn how to appreciate it more. However you create your Fresh Start, I’m glad to be a part of your health advisory resource. Thanks for “hearing me out”.

Dr. Mary

Yours, For The Health Of It!

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

For more info on other products, and how to get them at wholesale direct (member cost) click:

http://www.mynsp.com/born; and then go to Products A-Z. If already a member,

click on www.naturessunshine.com. If you want to get member prices you need to be

Sponsored with account 204150-1

If you have any questions or comments, please email me, or for an appointment Call: 248-559-6763.        

If you do not wish to get this e-brief, let me know by clicking reply.

If you find it valuable—send it on. This email is for information only. It is not intended to diagnose nor prescribe as that is the realm of a medical doctor. If you have specific symptoms, see an appropriate health professional. Please seek the advice of a health practitioner for specific ailments.