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Are you ready for cold and flu season? If you want to avoid being sick and feeling like you have to go to the doctor to get antibiotics and other drugs, now is the time to be thinking about prevention!

To that end, here’s some great tips to strengthen your body’s immune system during the winter season.

1. Drink the optimal amount of water. With the winter season here, it’s more important than ever to consume the right amount of water for your health.
2. Keep stress to a minimum. Studies have linked high stress levels to making a person more susceptible to catching colds and flu. Minimize your stress by working reasonable hours at your job. Aim for at least one night per week to spend with friends and family. If your stress is out of hand and you feel like you need some help, let me know. Frequently, I work with people who have stress or emotional challenges and utilize Bach Flower Remedies to bring their emotional health back into balance.
3. Eat a healthy diet. Maintaining a good healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and minimal amounts of organic meats is another way to keep your body clean and in good working order. Try eating an extra piece of fruit or veggie every day too!
4. Do your homework to find the best supplement for your health. Even if you eat “perfectly” all the time with loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, you still need to boost your nutrition with a supplement. What supplements you will need will depend significantly on your lifestyle. If you’re not sure whether you need them at all, read this post on why we need supplements. Let me help you choose the best supplement program for your lifestyle. Some supplements I recommend taking during the winter season include:
   • Young Living Thieves & Purification: These two powerful therapeutic essential oils are a must-have to protect yourself against bacteria. Thieves has been university-tested and found to be highly effective against airborne bacteria. Thieves and Purification Essential Oil are very powerful when mixed together.
   • After filling an empty spray bottle with water, add 10 drops of each of these oils. Finally, shake the bottle vigorously and spray it around your house! This will kill airborne bacteria and other pollutants to keep your air fresh and pure and your lungs free from toxins. Be sure, however, not to spray directly on top of fine furnishings as the oils and water could have a detrimental effect. Usually, I spray a few feet above the carpeting around fine furniture and directly above my head when there is nowhere underneath for the oils or water to land and harm.
   • Young Living NingXia Red: NingXia Red provides the best protection against the dangerous superoxide free radical as tested by Brunswick Laboratories’ S-ORAC test. It contains the power of the whole Ningxia wolfberry, formulated to maintain and support normal immune function along with five of the richest sources of free-radical-fighting antioxidants (wolfberry puree, blueberry, pomegranate, apricot and raspberry juices), including lemon and orange, essential oils that contain the phytochemical d-limonene to promote normal cell life cycles. Typically, I recommend about 1 ounce per day. During cold and flu season, however, I increase my intake at times to 3 ounces.
   • Standard Process Products: There are several products in the Standard Process / Medi-Herb line that I recommend during this time of year. Your unique health situation determines which one would be appropriate for you. Contact me to learn more about these whole food supplements!
5. Exercise regularly. It is important to exercise regularly, even if only for 15 minutes a day! Get out and take a short walk and enjoy the cooler weather.
6. Get the right amount of sleep every night. The average person needs 6-8 hours of sleep per night. If you’re not getting enough sleep, your body is extremely vulnerable to illness. Sleep is very much like fuel that recharges your batteries! You’ve got to do it to keep the machine running.
7. Wash your hands regularly. Keep the bacteria and viruses off your hands and out of your mouth and eyes. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer close-by for those instances where you can’t get to soap and water.
8. Don’t smoke. Most of you already know this, but it bears repeating because smoking significantly weakens your immune system. If you want to quit and have tried everything else, let me know. I have some nutritional recommendations that can help you quit!
9. Eliminate all forms of sugar. This includes not only the obvious kinds (cake, cookies and sweets, in general), but bread, pasta, rice, yogurt and commercial, store-bought fruit juices. Although all of these things are made with different types of sugars, your body still converts them to sugar, which will compromise your immune system.
10. Despite your best efforts, you still can feel like you’re “coming down with something.” Some things you can do to help your body recover more quickly:
    • Eliminate all dairy products.
    • Eliminate all alcohol.
    • Eliminate all grains (bread, rice, pasta, etc.).
    • Boost your Vitamin C (with bioflavanoids) intake when you initially feel something coming on.
    • Boost your intake of Zinc.
    • Increase water consumption (even more than normal!).
    • Eat less food as this will give your body a much needed rest from digestion and give it a chance to concentrate on fighting off potential invaders.
    • If you’re taking Young Living NingXia Red, increase your dosage.
    • Add herbs like Echinacea, Goldenseal and Grapefruit Seed Extract to your supplemental regime.
    • Get more rest than normal. If you normally get 6 hours of sleep a night, try increasing it to 7 or 8.
    • Increase the recommended supplementation above.

These are just some of the simple things you can do to strengthen your body’s immune system, so that you can stay healthy and well during the winter season! If you want to discuss this topic further or consult with me about additional supplements, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

(Read Part I here)

What Shapes Your Health? It starts with you!

Unlike a meal in your favorite restaurant, good health can’t be dished out by a doctor or naturopath, no matter how skilled they may be, or how much they’d love to serve it to you! Wellness is much more than a commodity we can buy or sell. Although it may appear that way, very few people live a long, happy and healthy life thanks to a lucky draw of genetics. The World Health Organization defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.”

These days, however, very few people can claim they are living in an optimal state of health and, worse, most have no idea how to get there. Rest assured, there is an answer and just like the Time cover says, “It’s All About Prevention.”

Whenever my clients ask me about wellness and prevention, countless factors can affect our well-being, but these are the most important ones:

• Lifestyle and behavior
• Biological and genetic makeup
• Environment
• Medical care

Of these four key factors, behavior is the one that is most within your control. Even with limited resources, educating yourself, then making the best choices, can pay big dividends when it comes to your health. It only makes sense that the better you treat your body, the better you’ll feel and, in the long run, the healthier you’ll be. So here are a few practical, affordable steps you can take today toward better health I recommend for all of my clients that are focused on Moderation & Balance:

• A truly balanced diet comes from consuming a live, plant-based diet with foods that are in as close to their natural form as possible. Skip the middle aisles of your grocery store or, better yet, visit a local farmers market. Not only will you save money, but you’ll have a fridge stocked with wonderful, flavorful foods!
• Add appropriate herbs and supplements, as recommended by a qualified natural health practitioner. With today’s modern food processing systems, the produce on store shelves has been often been shipped for days or weeks, pumped full of water or genetically modified, not to mention being exposed to all kinds of toxic chemicals like pesticides. Even if you do eat perfectly (not many can make that claim!), most of you still aren’t getting the nutrients your body needs to maintain optimum health. Supplementation can help to bridge the gap and, in my opinion, is needed for everyone to protect their health.
• A regular exercise program. Whether you choose to join a fitness club, take classes or simply take brisk walks around your neighborhood, exercise is an essential way to improve your health and maintain mobility as you get older.
• Cut back on or eliminate damaging habits, often referred to as the “New Diseases,” like smoking and drug and alcohol abuse.

Of course, changing habits is never easy. Mark Twain famously said, “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.” So if you’re struggling to change habits that have been deeply ingrained in your daily routine over the years, you are in good company. Keep in mind, however, each of these daily decisions has a big impact on your overall health and that taking positive steps will motivate you to improve. Remember, the healthier your lifestyle is, the better your chances are of living longer, and feeling better, even in old age. Is there any better way to spend your time and money?

Above and Beyond the Scope of Traditional Medicine

The growing field of Complementary Alternative Medicine offers many more ways to improve health and prevent serious illnesses. Combined with the lifestyle changes I described above, these therapies are affordable, effective and often much easier to follow for a lifetime than most options traditional medicine has to offer. Several of my health coaching clients have experienced dramatic improvements because they were finally able to address a range of symptoms that they could not cope with on their own or with the help of other medical practitioners.

As with all health products and treatments, alternative therapies need to be treated with respect, knowledge and balance. However, they offer a long history of safe and effective ways to cope with health concerns. From our earliest records of human history, natural and herbal remedies have been used to treat disease. Dating back to the 16th century BCE, the Ebers Papyrus compiled in ancient Egypt contains hundreds of remedies for various afflictions. Medical herbalism that is practiced in the Western world can be traced back to a first-century Greek physician Dioscorides, who wrote a text called De Materia Medica. It quickly become known as the world’s leading pharmacological text and was used for more than 1,600 years.

Whenever my clients ask me about the cost of naturopathic treatments, I explain that it’s still very common for traditional herbal remedies to be prescribed by medical professionals outside of the U.S. as a first line of treatment. In fact, many European health programs reimburse the costs of herbal prescriptions and supplements. Although the majority of providers in America don’t offer this type of coverage, the U.S. News & World Report says 13 of the 17 top-rated hospitals in America now offer “integrative” medicine.

These internationally renowned centers, including Johns Hopkins, UCLA Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic, have all taken steps to incorporate complementary and natural treatments into their traditional medical approach. Research performed during the past decade has shown time and again how therapies like acupuncture and massage, given in combination with traditional medicine results in faster recovery, improved pain management and better overall outcomes for patients. No wonder, the top medical centers in the country are changing their ways and in time, hopefully, insurers will follow suit.

So, with American health insurers not covering complementary treatments, you may be asking if it’s worth spending the money out of pocket. Just as you understand the necessary investment of time and money to maintaining your car, your health and wellness require constant upkeep. Put off maintaining your car (like forgetting to check the oil) and you’ll be spending lots of time (and money!!) visiting your local mechanic! Or, even worse, trading in a vehicle that you’ve invested thousands of dollars in for a newer more expensive model that may not work nearly as well.

When it comes to your body, there are no trade-in options! So investing a relatively small amount of time and money today will help you to avoid disastrous consequences down the road. If you “can’t afford” supplementation and natural health care, I’d argue taking a very honest look at your lifestyle and habits.

If you’re like most people, you probably spend much of your money on things like eating out, buying new clothes and entertainment (sporting events, movies, concerts, etc.) is long overdue. That $4-6 latte you’re buying at that national coffee shop chain conveniently located near you not only isn’t healthy, but can negatively affect your pocketbook. Fact is, those extra dollars you spend every week on lattes could be used to impact your health in much more important and positive ways, especially if you’ve got family history of disease and illness.

Imagine the difference it would make if more people start taking responsibility for their own health in small ways — like choosing a piece of fruit over a slice of pizza — instead of simply relying on an insurance policy or prescription drug to do the heavy lifting. Focusing on preventative care now will keep more people out of hospitals and doctors offices later in life. Not to mention, on a national scale, the more we each take care of our health collectively, the more we’ll reap the benefit of lower insurance claims by keeping premiums down overall.

Yes, it’s true that people in our part of the world are living longer than ever before. In addition to a longer life, however, it’s just as important to maintain a high quality of living that allows you to keep doing the things you love. In the big picture, all those seemingly small decisions really can add up to something good.

There’s no better time to get on the path to a healthy and well lifestyle than today. Giving your health priority now will pay off with years of feeling your best and enjoying life with people you love. If you’d like a personal consultation to help you learn more about the natural treatments that are available and how they can help, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me today and let’s get started!

However you define health care, there is no denying it’s costing all of us dearly. In fact, coupled with the economic crisis we are currently facing, the healthcare implications for the future may be like nothing we’ve seen before.

How did we get here? For decades, we’ve been convinced by established healthcare institutions that our health is totally dependent on expensive hospital care, medical procedures and costly pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately, these treatments have led many Americans to bury themselves in debt… It’s only later that they realize their medical “treatments” did little more than temporarily relieve their symptoms.

The downfall of modern medicine is that it often fails to address the actual underlying cause of a patient’s sickness.

Adding further to this problem, big business and the media use terms “healthy,” “all natural” and “good for you” in misleading ways to pitch their latest products, fad diets, processed foods and all the subsequent stories about them. With a public bombarded with misleading information and advertising from all sides, it’s no wonder we have a health crisis and obesity epidemic on our hands.

How to Cope with Spiraling Premium Costs

This is not to minimize, however, that all Americans are in need of an insurance policy, especially in the case of catastrophic illness or injury. Sadly, there are still an estimated 50 million Americans who remain uninsured and more than 75 percent of them are working families. There are countless examples of what can happen to families without insurance coverage. In 2007, more than half of all personal bankruptcies were due to medical expenses. The majority of them were middle-class, well-educated folks who owned their homes.

So as we wait for state and national governments and health care institutions to change policies, rework budgets and create legislation to solve these problems, is there anything WE can do on an individual basis? The answer is YES! When finances are limited, it becomes even more important to use our health resources wisely and efficiently. One way of doing this is to treat conditions in gentler, more natural ways that can often be handled at home, instead of in an expensive clinic. As a Naturopath, I believe strongly in this philosophy. By shifting our focus to preventing disease and relearning the skill of self-help wherever possible, we can improve and protect our health before our immune system weakens and illness strikes.

World Health Organization representative Dr. Michael O’Carroll puts it this way: “WE INHERITED a health-care system based on a medical approach to health. If you are sick, you go to a doctor. Forget about the fact that you drank two bottles of whiskey. Forget that you never exercise. You see the doctor and say: ‘Doctor, cure me.’ Then the doctor puts something in your mouth, puts something in your arm, cuts something off, or puts something on. Now, I am speaking grossly here, as you will understand, just to get the point across, but this kind of medical approach has prevailed. We have wrongfully medicalized society’s problems. Suicide, malnutrition, and drug abuse have become medical problems. But they are not. They are not even health problems. They are social problems with health and medical consequences.

“Then, over the last 20 years, people said, ‘Hey, slow down. We’re doing things the wrong way. We need to redefine what health is all about.’ Some principles underlying the primary-health-care approach developed, such as: ‘It is more humane and more cost-effective in the long run to prevent disease than to treat it.’ It is, for example, against this principle to build a clinic to deal with open-heart surgery when you do nothing about the causes. That does not mean that you do not treat diseases if they occur. Of course you do. If you have a hole in the street that is causing accidents every day of the week, you will treat the poor fellow who falls and breaks his legs, but the more humane and cost-effective thing to do is: Fill the hole.”

As trained Naturopaths, we are trained to look at the root cause of an illness/disease. By treating the whole person –- their lifestyle, habits and health concerns together –- we work with patients to better understand and stimulate the healing power of their human bodies, instead of treating them like machines made up of separate parts. Getting to the root cause of disease is much like filling a hole in the street. Carefully selecting appropriate natural therapies, and not costly and harmful prescription drugs, has helped many of my clients experience tremendous benefits, even those with chronic and long-standing illnesses.

The Hidden Costs of Our Health Care System

By the year 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently forecasted healthcare spending will consume nearly 20 percent of our total economy. Above and beyond the economics, the human cost of our health care issues is undeniably the gravest one. From 2000-06, an estimated 137,000 Americans died because they could not afford the high premiums of health insurance.

Why does health care cost so much? A recent study published in Health Affairs revealed that red tape in our health care system makes it a much less efficient one than our neighboring nations. With countless variations in billing and submissions, the paperwork associated with our health care system in dealing with insurance companies means that doctors are spending more time filling out forms and less time on health issues and treating their patients. All that extra paperwork has contributed to an extra $27 billion spent on health care bureaucracy costs annually.

Instead of depending on their insurance policy and an over-burdened healthcare system facing enormous challenges, many of my clients have asked me to create a personalized health promotion strategy. Taking a more active role in your health does not have to break the bank and, trust me, you won’t be gambling with your health. On the contrary, YOU will finally be in control of your health!

If you’d like to learn more about how to naturally care for your health, please review my Services page and then Contact Me to learn how we can work together.

Be sure to read Part II of How YOU Can Be Your Best Insurance Policy for more helpful ideas!

Do you have stress in your life? (Who doesn’t, right?)  Of course, we all do to some degree. But what really matters is how you handle that stress!

It’s a medical fact that emotional stress impacts health and well-being. Doctors, psychologists and healthcare professionals often diagnose stress and anxiety as underlying causes of physical problems. Recent research now shows a link between emotions and the immune system. However, the emotional demands and stresses of everyday life can make it difficult to maintain a consistent, positive mental attitude.

When you feel fulfilled, happy and positive you tend to enjoy better health. You are able to get your maximum potential out of life and have more to give your friends and family.

The original Flower Essences were developed by a famous English physician, Dr. Edward Bach. He believed that diseases of the body occurred because of imbalances or negative emotions in the brain and soul and by correcting the emotional imbalance, the body would be capable of healing on its own.

Flower Essences are prepared extracts (like homeopathic remedies) from various flowers and help to bring about gentle healing to balance negative energies in the body. Flower Essences are a natural and safe form of complementary healing and are free from any toxins or preservatives. They can be used in conjunction with other therapies and/or prescription medicine and can help to reduce your stress levels and promote overall health and well being.

If you are suffering with stress symptoms (grief, emotional turmoil, fear, anger, sadness, depression, inadequacy or any other emotional symptom), there is a simple and easy solution that can really help! I have had much success helping people get their stress levels under control thereby enhancing their health! I am available for phone appointments throughout the United States. I will mail you a custom-designed just for you flower remedy to help you manage your stress levels. Give me a call today!

This is a very common question that I get asked a lot in my natural health practice. Almost daily, in fact, someone will ask me if I have “anything” that can help them with… (insert ailment, condition or symptoms here). Some of more common questions:

• Can you help with my headaches?
• I’m depressed and I have anxiety… Can natural remedies help?
• Can you help with my stomach problems? I’m constipated/have IBS.
• Can you help with my pain? My joints hurt/my back hurts.
• I’m always tired and have lots of fatigue… Is there a natural substance that can help restore my energy?
• I have allergies and don’t want to take allergy shots anymore.
• My child has been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD… Is there something nutritional that I can do to help him or her?
• I don’t sleep very well at all and taking sleeping pills makes me groggy the next day… Is there some natural and safe substance that can help me?

These are just a few of the more common questions I’m asked. And the answer to all of them is always YES. There are natural substances, herbs, essential oils and gentle therapies that can help your body get back into balance and feel better.

The beautiful thing about working with natural health remedies, therapeutic essential oils and whole food nutritional products, is that those items are all very supportive of the human body. They help to restore balance INSIDE the body. While you do your part to work on changing your lifestyle, daily habits and dietary intake, the supplements that I recommend not only support you in that endeavor, but actually FEED your body the essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytochemicals and antioxidants you need. All of the “good stuff” that helps your body repair damage, grow new cells and get back in balance.

The human body is designed to be “in balance.” People are not meant to have all of these symptoms and ailments that, unfortunately, plague so many of us today. Typically, natural substances do not cause side effects like most prescription medications. Instead, they support gentle healing, so you can get back to feeling your best.

So, again, the answer is YES. There are a wide variety of natural and herbal products that probably can help you with your (insert symptom or ailment here). Regardless of your health condition, nutritional, natural and herbal therapies, combined with other safe therapies and treatments, support lasting healing to help you be the best you can be.

As a Naturopath, Health Coach and Aromatherapy Consultant, I am passionate about helping you become the best you can be utilizing natural therapies. Read on to learn more About Me, the various Natural Health Services that I offer, read Testimonials from those I’ve helped and contact me to get started today!

Online CE Classes for Texas Massage Therapists

www.TexasMassageCEU.com

Online CE Classes for all other States for Massage Therapists

www.OnlineMassageTherapyCEU.com

San Antonio, Texas In-Person Massage Therapy Classes

Please check back for ongoing class schedules.

or, What’s In Your Corn?

A 2009 episode of the CBS series CSI: Miami (Bad Seed, 10/19/09) centered around two people who had been poisoned. Turns out, both had been exposed to bacteria. One person had eaten bacteria that was exposed to E-Coli and the other had eaten genetically modified organisms (GMO) corn that had been produced with bacteria to prevent insects from eating the crop.

The bacteria contained in the GMO food caused many problems and, in the end, the person died from Botulism.

So it made me start thinking about our food supply. Of course, I’ve known about genetically modified foods. But so many people I talk to have never even heard of it, nor do they know what it means in terms of poisoning our food supply and robbing us of our health.

So what does genetically engineered or genetically modified food really mean? In the simplest terms, a food’s DNA has been altered by a scientist in a laboratory. It’s a process done for several reasons, but the primary one is MONEY. GMO advocates believe if a plant’s DNA can be altered to resist insects, crops can be protected from damage.

The foods involved in this are many, according to the Seeds of Deception website, that has extensive information about GMOs. Here’s a short list of crops affected by the GMO blight:

• Soy: 91 percent
• Cotton: 88 percent
• Canola: 80-85 percent
• Corn: 85 percent
• Hawaiian Papaya: More than 50 percent

That doesn’t take into account a very LARGE percentage of chickens, pigs and cattle that are being fed corn to fatten them up, likely from GMO crops. Consequently, those same animals are being slaughtered and served to us as food, meaning we are ingesting those GMOs indirectly too.

So what are the health risks to humans? Of course, food manufacturers and the FDA would like you to believe that consuming these foods is perfectly safe for humans. But I strongly disagree.

There is much research online about the dangers of “tweaking” our food supply (see resources and links below this post). The bottom line for me is that nature didn’t intend our crops to be tweaked.

It’s bad enough commercially grown produce is doused with herbicides and pesticides. But now we have to worry about some scientist in a lab purposefully manipulating the genes in the crop and, worse, inserting bacterias to make them resistant to insects…

Does this sound crazy to you too?

As a Naturopath, this is abhorrent to me. The human body is designed — and functions optimally — when consuming foods that are as close to natural as possible. Eating GMO foods are about as far away from healthy as you can get! Exposure to these chemicals is not good for us. Moreover, I believe our tainted food supply is directly contributing to the rise in allergies, digestive complaints, cancers, muscle and nerve diseases (and the list goes on and on) every day.

I urge you to review some of the websites listed below. But, first, I urge you to watch this wonderful 10-minute video lecture conducted by Jeffrey Smith, one of this country’s leading researchers on GMO issues.

If you’re alarmed after watching this video, it’s understandable. You probably realize how much more you have to do to get educated too. In the meantime, here;s some simple tips that will help you make better, healthier decisions today.

1. Always buy organically grown produce.
2. I don’t believe we are genetically designed to eat grains, but if you must, be sure you buy corn and grains that are labeled NON-GMO.
3. When buying meat or chicken, look for grass-fed and free-range options.
4. Buy meat and eggs that contain no hormones or antibiotics too.

Lastly, please feel free to share this information with your friends and family. Our health is directly related to the food we eat. Protect your health by eating as many natural and whole foods as you can.

Skip the poisons and the manipulated foods. Your body and your health will be better for it!

Seeds of Deception

Health Risks of GMO Foods

Safe Food.org

Organic Consumers

I remember watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show where Dr. Mehmet Oz was talking about America’s addiction to prescription medications. The show was primarily about pain-relieving, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications, the primary drugs people get addicted to.

It was an intense show and, although I know that Americans take too many prescriptions, I wasn’t prepared for the statistics. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reports that more Americans are addicted to prescription drugs than to heroin, cocaine and ecstasy COMBINED! They report more than 6 million people are addicted to prescriptions. YIKES! Those are staggering numbers.

Are you one of them? Chances are that either you, or someone you know, is taking a prescription. Unfortunately, Americans are being brainwashed into assuming, because the drugs are being prescribed by your physician, they are safe. That is simply untrue.

Have you ever read the multiple pages of “Side Effects, Contraindications, Warnings and Interactions” included when you pick up your prescriptions? You should… It will be a wake-up call. We have to do a better job about managing our pain or depression, rather than mindlessly reaching for a drug.

I agree with Dr. Oz when he states, “…..many people taking prescription drugs — legally or illegally — are hiding from their real problems. Instead of addressing painful emotions or aches, addicts swallow a quick fix.” Also, “We use these pills to numb ourselves to what’s really happening in our life, which is often a wake-up call to make a change.”

Of course, one of the main problems with taking all of these drugs: People don’t realize they have options.

While flipping through a magazine, watching TV or even listening to the radio, I’m absolutely certain you have heard an ad about a fantastic new drug that can “cure what ails you.” The media and Big Pharma are constantly bombarding us about drugs… You can’t escape them.

But most people don’t realize there are other ways to deal with what ails them that can be just as effective and far safer for them. Instead of addressing the real cause of the problem, unfortunately, we’d rather mask that symptom with a drug.

That’s not surprising. We do live in a world where we want instant gratification.  We want it fixed now and don’t want to be uncomfortable while we’re fixing it either.

I have met with countless clients over the years who have been addicted to anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs. In my opinion, this is the worst kind of addiction. In the beginning, they thought it was harmless enough. Just a little “help” to get them over the divorce/loss of job/boyfriend troubles, etc.

Then it turned into numbing. I always know when I’m talking to someone who is addicted. When I ask them a question — How do you feel? — they can’t answer it.

The drug has numbed them so much they are unable to get in touch with their emotions and express themselves. Whether it’s mad, sad, happy, or even depressed, they can’t feel anything at all. Of course, when they are ready to get off the drug, the predominant emotion people feel is FEAR. They are scared to FEEL. They don’t know it at the time, but that’s what it boils down to.

I strongly believe it’s those very emotions that can actually HELP people get better. The anger they feel is there for a reason: To tell them something about their life. If they are depressed, they need to look at WHY and work on fixing that problem. Drugging yourself so you don’t have to FEEL anything is not the way to handle it.

If you’re on prescription meds, you can get off them, but you will need help. Doing it on your own is not advised. You will need nutritional help, as your diet plays a huge role in the way your brain chemistry works. Naturopaths and holistic healers can help you slowly and safely wean off of dangerous prescription drugs.

As you start to feel withdrawals from a drug, your brain chemistry will be affected and eating certain foods (and not others) can make this process significantly easier. You will also need nutritional supplementation to help your body physically deal with the damage from the drugs and help to boost your immune system.

And, of course, talking to a qualified therapist or priest can help you with the emotional side of this problem and help you work through whatever it was making you anxious or depressed in the first place.

The important thing is to remember this: You do have options to help yourself heal from addiction to prescription medications.  There are MANY different natural healing modalities that work as well (if not better!) than prescriptions.

Before taking a single step, however, you must be able to answer all of the following questions with a simple Yes.

• Are you willing to work on yourself?
• Are you ready to address the real problem?
• Can you face what’s uncomfortable about your life and make changes?
• Can you put yourself, your body and health first in your life and do what’s in YOUR best interest?

If you are, it’s time to have a talk with your regular physician and discuss their approach for very slowly weaning yourself off of the meds. The next conversation should be with a qualified natural health practitioner who can give you the nutritional support so you can make this transition as easy for yourself as possible.

I have wonderful Natural Health Services that can help you manage this transition. Be sure to read my Testimonials to discover what others have said about working with me regarding their emotional and physical health.

And, lastly, get in touch with a good therapist or priest. It must be someone you trust and with whom you can discuss your innermost thoughts.

You don’t have to be addicted nor take the medications forever. There is help and hope out there for you.

Natural Health Consultations (only by phone)

The benefits of phone consultations include:

• Comfort and privacy – you can sit in the comfort of your own home, an office or whatever location works best for you.
• Convenience – you don’t have to fight traffic, drive across town to a doctor’s office and sit in a waiting room.
• Affordability – My prices are significantly lower than other doctors in the field because my overhead is lower. I don’t maintain a separate office, receptionist, expensive inventory, etc.
• Listening – My intense, personalized hour-long consultations provide you with a great opportunity to be heard. With a regular doctor, you probably only chat for a few minutes; with me, you’ll have much longer to explain exactly what’s troubling you and receive in-depth recommendations.
• Coaching – Naturopaths don’t give exams or diagnoses. Instead, we listen to your symptoms and provide recommendations on ways you can naturally improve your health. (Another benefit is you’ll never have to take a “prescription” from me – just natural remedies.)
• Scheduling – Since my appointments are all by phone, I can often accommodate your schedule. I’ve had early, late and even weekend phone appointments – sometimes appointments over lunch – whatever is convenient for you.

How I can help

Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired?

Do you have health challenges that you want to overcome? Are you done taking medication and dealing with the side effects? Are you ready to be well?

My natural health services can help you get back on the path to wellness by offering:

• Nutritional counseling & supplementation
• Herbal recommendations
• Lifestyle changes
• Integrative therapies geared toward your unique health challenges

You can’t help but reach your health goals when you have the attention, personal support and guidance you need.

As a young adult, I suffered from anxiety and depression and other health challenges.  I understand the challenges these conditions pose, and I know that conventional treatments can be frustrating and ineffective.  Don’t despair…people with the following health conditions have found relief with nutritional therapies (see Testimonials):

• Sleeping Problems
• Headaches
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Digestion Issues
• Fatigue/Low Energy
• Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue
• Allergies
• Pain Management
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress Management

If you suffer from any of these health challenges, please know there is often a nutritional imbalance involved.  Working to correct that imbalance can make all the difference.  The suggestions and recommendations I make can absolutely make a difference in how you feel and will help you manage stress levels and emotions.

“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.” -Thomas Edison

Nutritional Health Consultations

I offer natural health consultations exclusively via telephone so you can start enjoying better health in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Even if you are not in the San Antonio area, I can assist you and help you feel better.

To alleviate any concerns, I offer a complimentary 10-minute telephone appointment so you can address any questions or concerns you have.

To reach me by email, simply fill out this form and let me know the best times to phone you.

Are you ready to live a better life? If you are ready to put yourself first and make your health the top priority in your life, let’s get started! Contact me today for a phone consultation and for better health!

TX Natural Health Services

No matter how old or young you are — even in your 70s, 80s or even 90s — it’s never too late to make changes in your lifestyle that can have a direct positive impact on your health!

Every day, I talk to clients who are struggling to regain their health. Some have long lists of prescription meds they want to stop taking. Others are just starting to have some health challenges and they’re not on prescription meds yet, but their physician may be threatening them with the prospect of having to start to do so. And, some have a severe, debilitating, or even life-threatening, illness.

It’s NEVER too late to start to make changes and it doesn’t matter which one of the three categories you belong to either… You can improve the quality of your life. Chances are good — even excellent — that you can make have visible and positive changes in your health and get your life back.

Be aware, however, there is a single rule you must follow when it comes to your health, particularly when working with a natural health practitioner:

80 percent of what needs to be done is YOUR responsibility!

20 percent is the practitioner’s!

What this really means: YOU ARE the one who will have to stop eating garbage. YOU ARE the one who will have to make time to exercise. YOU ARE the one who will have to work on nurturing, growing or ending a toxic relationship that is making you emotionally and physically sick. YOU ARE the one who will have to take all the supplements and follow the plan that your health practitioner has created for you.

There are no quick fixes, no magic pills and no bullets. Make no mistake, taking supplements, making dietary and lifestyle changes and mastering exercise and stress control can help you obtain a level of health you never thought possible. But in the end, it is up to YOU to make that choice to do it.

Are you ready? If so, I can help you! Contact me today and let’s start improving your health together with simple, natural changes.

Essential Oils Kill Deadly MRSA Staph Bacteria

Tests at the University of Manchester conclude that certain essential oils can kill deadly MRSA bacteria within 2 minutes of contact. This is exciting news in the world of essential oils! Unfortunately, mainstream medicine will probably still want to use dangerous antibiotics to try to treat any infection. But it’s nice to know that essential oils are more powerful, safe – and they work.

The essential oil blend “Thieves” from Young Living has 5 single essential oils in it: Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus and Rosemary. These oils all have been found to be anti-viral, antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-infectious essential oils. Studies have been conducted at Weber State University in 1997 demonstrating this blend to have killing power against microorganisms. 

If you want to learn more about essential oils, ask me or look into Young Living Essential Oils – therapeutic grade essential oils that can help keep you healthy and well.

Over the years, I’ve had countless women assume that because they are coming to an “alternative” doctor, we have a crystal ball that can predict whether or not they will get cervical cancer. It’s great that women have confidence in me, but it’s very foolish for them to ignore their health in this way.

Case in point: I once had a 70-year-old woman who had been coming to our clinic for more than 30 years. (She is a long-time client of the doctor with whom I used to work.) She came to see us because she was experiencing “spotting,” not something that is normal in a 70-year-old woman.

We gave her a variety of homeopathic remedies and some herbal therapies. Over two weeks, it had not stopped — it hadn’t gotten worse either — nor had anything that we given her helped. So in our next appointment, I told her I thought she should visit her gynecologist to see what was going on.

Her reply: ”I don’t have a gynecologist. You have been my doctor for 30 years.”

I gently informed her this wasn’t a good idea and that women need to have annual checkups. I insisted that she visit my gynecologist and gave her my doctor’s card. After her visit and a Pap smear, she got the diagnosis: Stage 3 Cervical Cancer.

Fortunately, her cancer was caught in time. They treated her aggressively with chemo and surgery. And, we supported her during that process by boosting her immune system with natural therapies specifically designed for cancer therapy. Today, she is alive and healthy and well. But that was a very important lesson for her and, hopefully, for you too…

As much as I love alternative and natural medicine, we have our limitations. In most states, Naturopaths cannot perform Pap smears on women. We do not possess the training, nor the medical equipment that is necessary to perform this important test.

The Pap smear (named after the Greek Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou) is a gynecological test to check for the presence of pre-malignant or malignant cells found on the cervix.

Women should get a pap smear every year so that doctors can catch cervical cancer before it’s too late.

As a Cervical Cancer survivor, I can attest to the importance of this test. And whether you’re 15 or 70, if you still have a cervix, it is important that you go in to your gynecologist and have an annual test. I know it is not our favorite visit to the doctor… These tests are invasive and not so much fun. But do it anyway!

My prior post on taking responsibility for your health talks about that very thing. Don’t leave it up to your current medical professional to make sure you are doing all you need to do.

It is up to YOU to ensure you’re doing all you need to do to ensure your health. Even if you have a long-standing relationship with a nutritionist, a naturopath, acupuncturist or chiropractor, those practitioners cannot take the place of a regular visit to the gynecologist, and they can’t perform this all-important test.

So be sure you schedule that visit. It’s 15 minutes, once a year. Do it for your health!

Bring a natural travel kit for healthy travels

Many of my clients ask me about healthy remedies to take when traveling, so I’ve put together a list of some essential items for your consideration. I recommend that you always take these items with you just in case.

1. Homeopathic Arnica — You can find it in pellets, drops and ointment. Good to use in ANY injury to calm down inflammation.
2. Bach Rescue Remedy and Bach Rescue Remedy Cream — This product is one of my all time favorites. Bach Rescue Remedy itself helps in times of stress, so you can use it before a flight or boat trip if you get nervous and stressed out. The cream can be used for scrapes, skin abrasions, rashes and cuts. Click on the link to learn more about the various Bach Flower Remedies.
3. Nutribiotic Grapefruit Seed Extract — Take this extract as a preventive measure to protect your body against foreign invaders. Mix 10-15 drops with 4 ounces of a strong juice like grape juice, stir well and drink 2-3 times per day. Also, I use this amazing product to clean fruit and vegetables. If you’re camping or cooking in your hotel room, this product is essential to keep your food clean and fresh.
4. Probiotics — Good to keep your digestive system in running order!
5. Ginger Capsules — Great for preventing and treating nausea.
6. Essential Oils — There are several essential oils I never travel without:
   
   • Pan Away soothes any muscular inflammation that I might incur while hiking.
   • Peppermint Oil eases headaches and nausea.
   • Lavender treats bites, burns, or inflammed skin and also to help you sleep in strange places.
   • Purification cleanses the stale air in hotels or musty cabins.
   • To learn more about these therapeutic grade essential oils, click here.

I consider these items essential for traveling, and don’t leave home without them! Also, remember to drink plenty of water while traveling to keep your system hydrated, especially if you’re going to be on a plane.

Getting plenty of sleep is also essential to keeping your immune system healthy! And, remember not to go crazy with your diet. Eating plenty of fresh whole foods with the occasional splurge will result in you feeling your best while having fun traveling!

In my experience, many Americans don’t understand the positive aspects of choosing natural treatments and alternative medicine over conventional therapies. With that in mind, consider these key points when you’re looking for the best and safest solutions for your health:

Alternative medicine…

Is Safe, Natural and Gentle. Most forms of alternative therapies are safe and non-invasive. Most herbs, homeopathic remedies, nutritional supplementation and options like massage, Reiki and acupuncture are all wonderful therapies that Naturopaths would considered safe and gentle. By the way, one might argue that acupuncture is an “invasive” procedure with the use of needles. As an advocate of acupuncture (and having benefited by the many sessions I’ve had), needles are used, but they are very tiny and you can hardly feel them at all. Certainly, they’re not as invasive as a surgeon’s knife! Of course, please be sure the supplements you’re taking are safe for you too.

Offers more choices. Since most health insurance companies do not cover natural therapies, you’ll have many more choices available to you when searching for help. Often, insurance companies regulate who you can and can’t see, but because they’re out of the picture, you are free to choose what type of natural therapy you would like and which practitioner to see. Because each state has different licensing and laws, however, always check a therapist’s credentials before using him or her.

Ensures you are heard. Most alternative medicine practitioners will take the time to really “listen” to you and evaluate your symptoms. In the typical conventional medicine scenario, sometimes, all you’ll get is a quick appointment. I’ve had patients tell me, in some cases, their visits with their doctor were timed and lasted only 3 minutes! Yikes! Most Naturopaths and Chiropractors will take significant time with you (especially the first visit) to really assess you and your health. We take into account the health of your whole body, not only your physical symptoms, but the emotional ones too.

You’re In Charge. Whether you decide to take some herbs or homeopathy for yourself or make that Reiki appointment, you’re in charge of what goes into your body and what happens to it. Of course, for serious illnesses, I always recommend you partner with a natural health care practitioner who can assist you directly. But if you just have the sniffles or some allergies, there are LOTS of alternative remedies you can learn about, then try them for yourself.

There are some wonderful natural healing books that I recommend to help you in your quest to better your health. Although I don’t have this book on my list, for those of you who want to try homeopathy, this book and homeopathic kit are my favorites to have in your home.

Also, essential oils are some of my favorite things to try to use for allergies, insomnia and other minor ailments.

Don’t be afraid to try some natural therapies. The benefits far outweigh any risks that you may have heard about.

Of course, you’re always welcome to Contact Me with questions.

I’ve already discussed the importance of taking natural supplements to support your body and immune system. But which supplements do you take, and how do you know which supplements are the best ones? Americans spend billions of dollars every year on supplements, and it’s very important to understand that not all supplements are created equal. Sometimes, there are vast differences between products.

So let’s talk about the difference between whole food supplements and synthetic supplements – a.k.a. isolated or fractionated supplements.

A great example would be just to simply look at almost any multivitamin. When you scan the nutritional content fact and ingredient label, you’ll see quite an assortment of vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, etc.). Here is a portion of a label for a common multivitamin:

There are a lot more vitamins listed on this label than I had room for, but I think you get the idea. Look at the items listed under “Ingredients.” Those are what we call “Isolated” vitamins and other chemicals. There are no foods or herbal ingredients listed, only partial vitamins and other chemicals.

Nature intended for us to consume food in its WHOLE form because all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes are bound together in one package and work synergistically to deliver the nutrition your body needs.

Synthetic supplements give you isolated or fractionated pieces of the whole. It is simply not the same – you’re not getting the full benefit nature intended. The other problem is, by taking isolated vitamins, sometimes we are getting massive doses of some vitamins, but not enough of others. This imbalance this can cause health problems too. Aren’t we trying to get healthier – rather than cause more problems?

Whole-Food based supplements are different, as those will, typically, list the foods the supplement was made from. What follows is a partial example of what to look for when searching for a Whole-Food based product. Notice that under the supplemental facts, you still see all the vitamins listed, but there’s a huge difference in the ingredients.

What a difference this second product will make in your body vs. the first product! You’ll actually be gaining benefits from the WHOLE food and all of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes that occur naturally in the food or plant.

Another way that might make sense is to look at the source. When “Vitamin C” is listed on a multivitamin label, look for any natural sources, like citrus fruits, papaya or bell peppers. If you see a listing for “Ascorbic Acid,” that means it is an “Isolated” product, so you must keep searching for ones that list whole foods.

In summary, be sure you read your labels! It is important to educate yourself about what you’ll be putting into your body and supplements are no different than anything else.

It’s important to read food labels so you know what you’re eating. But it’s just as important, if not moreso, to be sure you’re reading all of your supplement labels too! You want to be consuming supplements that have actual whole foods, plants or herbs listed on the label. That way you know it is as close to natural as possible!

And lastly, understand that no supplement alone will help you achieve the level of health you desire. You will have to make lifestyle and behavior changes as well as taking supplements to achieve ultimate health.

It happened again recently when I met a new client coming in with lots of health problems…

One of the biggest misconceptions people have when visiting a Natural Health Practitioner is that they will only get one or two “medicines.” Their other mistaken belief: They might only need these “medicines” for a month or two to get over whatever serious symptoms that brought them to me.

Those are the misconceptions. Here are the facts.

By the time a new patient sits in front of me for the first time, he or she has allowed their bodies to get to such a state they are now experiencing uncomfortable symptoms. Generally, it’s taken years for their bodies to reach this breaking point. It’s also important to understand that it’s going to take many months, if not years, to help them out of it.

Natural and herbal supplements can help to restore the body to a place of balance. But, it’s probably going to take more than one thing, or even two. In fact, it might take between 5-10 supplements to restore your health. If there is a “serious” health issue on the table, it will take much more time and effort than that.

But for this article, I want to discuss why we need to take supplements at all. Most people who aren’t in a health crisis wonder why they need to take a supplement. “I feel fine…why would I need to take anything?”

Here are the top reasons why it is important for everyone to take natural, whole food supplements:

1. Depleted Soils. Even if you eat a healthy, predominantly plant-based diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, chances are good (unless you’re consuming everything organic) the food comes from soils that have insufficient mineral content. When foods are grown over and over again in the same soils, the mineral content of that soil becomes depleted over time. This is ANOTHER reason why it is so vitally important to consume organic foods as much as possible. Organic farming practices include “crop rotating” so that soil depletion does not occur. Unfortunately, even buying organic doesn’t always mean you’re going to get superior foods. Although organic soil can get depleted, buying organic remains the better, healthier choice for you and the planet!

2. Long Transit Time for Delivery. Have you noticed an increasing amount of produce finding its way to your grocery store comes from other countries? If you think your favorite mango or pineapple (from Hawaii or the Philippines) was just cut at its peak ripeness, then immediately boxed, rushed to the airport and shipped overnight to your favorite grocery store, you’re sadly mistaken.  Sometimes, foods are picked weeks and even MONTHS before we see it on our shelves. So much for obtaining the maximum amount of nutrition! I always suggest that my clients buy as much of their food as possible from local growers to reduce transit time and improve the nutritional value of the food they’re eating.

3. Overcooking Our Foods. Americans have a bad habit of cooking our food “to death,” resulting in a massive loss of nutritional value, meaning far fewer vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes to go around. What’s more, eating these depleted foods over time creates its own set of health problems. Cooking does “kill” the food, resulting in lost nutrition. As far as fruits and vegetables, consuming them in as close to a raw (uncooked) state as possible is always the best way.

4. Not Eating Regular Meals. So many people skip meals. Grabbing a bagel or doughnut while slamming down some coffee and rushing to work does NOT constitute a meal. Making up for it later in the day at an “all-you-can-eat” buffet is not in the best interest of our bodies either, as it puts much undue stress on the digestive system and will eventually cause a lot of uncomfortable symptoms.

5.  Normal Aging = Digestion Issues. As we age, our bodies produce fewer enzymes, including all the important ones needed to properly digest and assimilate the foods we eat. Eventually, this results in “common” stomach complaints, like reflux, heartburn, upset stomach and chronic constipation.

6. Stress + Stress, + Stress = Compromised Immune System. No question, we all lead busy lives and some of us are busier than others! Between commitments to your family, school, work, community, faith and other obligations, our lives are stressed to the max! All of this stress takes a toll on your body and weakens your immune system. Taking supplements can help to bridge that gap and give your body some of the nutrition it needs to function optimally.

Of course, nothing will take the place of eating a good and healthy diet. But taking quality, whole food-based natural supplements can go along way towards helping you maintain a better level of health. Besides, if you’re still working through some bad habits (skipping meals and not eating organic foods), you need them even more! For more information, read my other articles on whole food supplements vs. synthetic supplements and Can natural remedies help me with…?

One of my favorite additions to my smoothie recipes is fresh ground Golden Flax Seed, jam-packed with tons of nutrition and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

It’s the healthy lignans and the high quantity of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA, the Omega-3 fatty acid) contained in flax seed that make it so special and can help with a wide range of health conditions, including:

• Cholesterol problems
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Joint inflammation
• Constipation
• Menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and bone loss
• Blood pressure problems

There also is plenty of research out there that suggests consuming fresh ground Golden Flax Seed daily may prevent heart disease and certain cancers (prostate, breast, ovarian and colon).

Which one: Golden or Brown?

I prefer the Golden Flax Seed over the brown because it has a nutty flavor and really adds that flavor to my smoothie. Some people like to sprinkle it on cereal or oatmeal, add it to yogurt or a salad and even bake with it.

What about Flax Seed Oil?

My preference is to always consume the food in its most natural form. So, for your good health, I recommend eating Organic Whole Golden Flax Seeds. Also, it is not advisable healthwise to consume these seeds in the whole form, so you’ll need to purchase an inexpensive coffee grinder (you can easily find one at Wal-Mart or Target).

Grinding golden flax seeds fresh for each use is a far superior way to consume them and get the maximum health benefits.

I don’t recommend flax seed oil for several reasons:

1. Potentially, the oil will become rancid.
2. You’ll miss out on the important fiber you get by eating ground whole seeds.
3. Sometimes the lignans and the essential fatty acids are damaged when converted to oil.

How much golden flax seed do I need?

I recommend consuming at least 3 heaping tablespoons each day. These can be added to different foods. For example, mix a few with a smoothie and add some to your salad for dinner. But the important thing to remember is to get in those 3 tablespoons daily.

To make it easier, grind up about a cup’s worth and store it in an air-tight container in your freezer for easy access.

If you are wanting to get started with Young Living and take advantage of the true healing power of essential oils, there are three ways that you can order. 

Becoming a member of Young Living (YL) is pretty straightforward, and I’ll explain the 3 types of memberships below. If you decide to become a Young Living member, please know that I am here to support you and answer any and all questions you have about the use of the essential oils and their other products.

Young Living offers three types of memberships:

Retail Customer:
With this option, you will pay full price for all Young Living Products. Benefits include FREE sign up, and and there is never any obligation. You will receive email announcements of company product specials including buy one – get one free opportunities.

Preferred Customer:
With this option, you will receive a 12% savings on all products. There is a requirement to purchase at least $50.00 worth of products every month. In addition to the savings, preferred customers can earn an additional 10% reward (a rebate) back on every monthly order – plus FLAT RATE shipping. Rebates are redeemable towards future FREE products.

Wholesale Buyer:
With this option, you will receive a 24% savings on all products. There is NOT a requirement to make a monthly purchase, but there is a one-time fee ($40.00) in order to setup the wholesale account. Wholesale accounts are obligated to purchase at least one time every twelve months. In addition to the savings, wholesale buyers may earn a 10% reward (a rebate) back on orders. Additionally, if interested, wholesale distributors can participate in an affiliate referral program.

If you are ready to become a member:

• Contact Me and let me know you’re ready to place an order. I would be happy to assist you, and I would also like to answer any questions you may have.
• Join now online - select one of the 3 membership types above, and you’re ready to place your order!

As always, I’m available to discuss these essential oils and help you with deciding which oils would be best for you and explain how to use them. Let me know if I can help you!

Frankincense Essential Oil Being Studied for Cancer Treatment

Being an avid lover of essential oils, I was ecstatic to find this article this morning:

Frankincense Oil — A Wise Man’s Remedy for Bladder Cancer

It’s so exciting to see that conventional medical researchers are beginning to see the benefits of essential oils. Those of us that have been around them for years recognize and utilize them as powerful medicinal agents. I have seen them work on shrinking tumors, eliminate gastrointestinal problems,  alleviate allergies for many people and be fantastic remedies for a whole host of other ailments. In a word: they are POWERFUL.

I regularly recommend essential oils for people to help them enhance and improve their health. Fortunately, there is more and more research being done on these potent plant oils. It’s exciting to see mainstream medicine catching up and giving these oils the attention and recognition they deserve.

For more information about the best therapeutic-grade essential oils on the market, from frankincense oil to panaway oil and many others, please visit my essentail oil website: https://www.youngliving.org/HealthfulOils

In my opinion, Food Matters is another MUST-SEE documentary for everyone on this planet, right after you finish watching Food, Inc.

Not only does this film discuss the importance of nutrition in our lives, but how we are being over-medicated by the medical community and BIG PHARMA at the expense of our good health.

Many of us already know these things intuitively, but this film really does a great job of bringing the facts out into the open!

The moral of Food Matters is one with which I very much agree: We must begin to actively accept and take responsibility for our own health, rather than relying on our doctors — who have very little if ANY nutritional training — to make the best decisions for us. Moreover, we must educate ourselves about the habits and foods that truly help our bodies heal.

If you are suffering with an illness, please know that your body can heal itself! But you must use the right tools and surround yourself with the right conditions — and people — in order to transform your health.

You can get better. You can get rid of your disease. You can get off your medication! This movie will answer a lot of your questions and help you understand why nutrition — not drugs — is the way to go! We need to have education and valuable nutrition in our lives, not more medication and poisonous toxins.

Please, watch Food Matters with your family and friends. (Buy the DVD directly from the online store or watch it instantly via Netflix streaming.)

Changing your lifestyle one step at a time adds up over the long term to support a new and improved optimum level of health for you. It’s not as hard as you think!

Every day I see and talk to clients who live with chronic pain. Sometimes, these people have been in pain not only for several months, but for 10, 15 or even 20 years. To me, living in pain for up to two decades seems pretty extreme, yet people do it every day.

It is important to educate my clients on all of the options available to experience relief from their chronic pain. One of my challenges as a Naturopath: Many people don’t realize that natural remedies can make a SIGNIFICANT difference in their pain level. Changing your diet and lifestyle and adding nutritional supplementation and essential oils, believe it or not, can make a HUGE difference in how you feel.

Part of that education is showing patients how their bodies works. I do this by recommending to them that they purchase at least one, if not both of the following books, written by Pete Egoscue:

Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method For Stopping Chronic Pain

Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program For Ending Chronic Pain

Once you have a basic understanding of how important posture and structure is to the human body, you can better understand how the pain can be remedied when you start taking responsibility for your health and well being. The physical dysfunction that so many people experience as pain can be corrected once the body is able to maintain musculoskeletal functionality. This functionality can be accomplished by doing The Egoscue Method.

I highly recommend these books and The Egoscue Method to anyone in pain. Visit www.Egoscue.com to learn more about how you can take an active role in your life (and find a clinic near you) and relieve your pain permanently. Please Contact Me for recommendations on supplementation that can help you feel better in the interim too.

Emotional Freedom Technique releases energy blockages to improve your emotional health

You may have read about Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on the Web without really understanding how easy it is to learn and master or appreciating just how effective a tool it can be.

Although the importance of emotional health is largely overlooked, it is absolutely essential to your physical health and well being. EFT helps to eliminate these emotional barriers and often works when nothing else will.

The EFT tool is a form of acupuncture, without the use of invasive needles. Instead of the sharp stuff, your fingertips tap on various meridian points throughout your body to release energy blockages that, left untreated, can create emotional problems and be very detrimental to your well-being.

This technique often provides very rapid and long-lasting results for many different emotional health issues. Among them:

• Trauma
• Abuse
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Fears
• Phobias
• Depression
• Grief
• Addictive cravings (food, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc)
• Hundreds of physical symptoms like headaches, body pains and some breathing difficulties.

Gary Craig, the pioneer of EFT, developed this technique more than a decade ago and has been using it with extremely successful results. Because of its high success rate, even medical practitioners are using EFT as part of their practice. I have also successfully used EFT in my practice to help people with a wide range of symptoms.

I would recommend visiting Gary Craig’s site on EFT to learn more about this wonderful tool and download a free manual. There are videos on his site you can watch that will explain this powerful technique in more detail too. If you want to find a practitioner, you can search on his website to find someone close to you who has been specifically trained in this modality.

The Tapping Solution

If you’re the least bit skeptical about EFT, even after doing your homework on Gary Craig’s site, I urge you to watch The Tapping Solution, a moving documentary that follows 10 people who use EFT for four days on a variety of issues. I won’t give away the results, but I bet you’ll be impressed by the outcomes.

The movie features notables in a variety of fields, including Jack Canfield (who created Chicken Soup For the Soul), Dr. Joe Mercola (founder of the most popular natural health website on the internet), EFT Master Carol Look and Cheryl Richardson (author of The Unmistakable Touch of Grace) and more.

I recommend it highly, both for your own viewing and, even more importantly, to share this information with friends and family who may need it most.

Learn more about the film, the authors and view a trailer at The Tapping Solution.com.

One last thought… For every copy of the movie you buy, the creators of the movie donate one copy to a needy organization! So your purchase can foster some serious change in people’s lives and, in the long run, change the consciousness of our planet.

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a science that stimulates the individual’s body to correct imbalances, eliminate waste and maintain equilibrium in the body by means of preparations which facilitate the process of self-cure and enable the body to heal itself by following the Laws of Nature.

The principles of Homeopathy are ancient, dating back to India’s Ayurvedic medicine and Greece’s Hippocrates. In the late 18th century, Samuel Hahnemann, a German chemist and physician, began to re-verify and codify these concepts. He called this system of therapy, Homeopathy.

Homeopathic preparations act on the “vital force” of the body, in a very similar fashion to the electric current that activates your TV by energizing the human being mentally, emotionally and physically.

Making Gentle Adjustments

When a malfunction occurs in the body, disease and illness sets in and adjustments must be made at various levels. Most conventional medicine “replaces” the malfunctioning part, thus only temporarily relieving the problem and causing side effects in the process. Homeopathic preparations, on the other hand, act to direct and realign the vital force of the body, thus fine-tuning the essential balance within the individual.

Homeopathic remedies are prepared by making a tincture from seeds, bark, roots, minerals and other elements, then diluting this mixture with distilled water and alcohol, then shaking and diluting further to potentize the remedy (making the mixture even more potent).

Remedies are then used either externally as lotions or ointments, or used internally in liquid, pellet or tablet form. Pellets or tablets are dissolved under the tongue, away from all other food, drinks, toothpaste, mouthwash or other herbs. This enables the remedies to get absorbed into the body without interruption. The remedy, then, stimulates and encourages the body’s natural healing forces to begin recovery and heal itself.