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Herbal eGram #637 October-Pink

Good Morning!

Here comes October and with it PINK. Breast Cancer Awareness month and the little pink ribbons and everything pink is here to remind us that the whole month is dedicated to this disease. Even football players will be promoting pink! It enrages me because so little of your hard earned money is actually going toward cancer research. Most of the American Cancer Society’s budget is advertising, putting on fund raising events and promoting equipment that takes mammograms.

Whether you buy into this whole pink thing, or not; I think the focus should be about Breast Health, and not about the disease. There is some wonderful information on the internet in preventing breast cancer but the ACS doesn’t stand behind any of it. There is no profit in prevention, only in treatment and detection.

I have never had a mammogram and I intend to not have one. I still have not been proven the risk is worth the benefit of being exposed to this heavy radiation and compression. There is too much evidence that mammography only is effective in identifying DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) tumors which are slow growing and generally nonmalignant.

Another factor is that the radiograph is only as good as the person reading it—it is all subject to interpretation. Malcolm Gladwell, from the, New Yorker,  reports on the low efficacy of mammograms and the fallibility of the radiologists who read them. Researchers in one study, for example, found a broad spectrum of accuracy when they asked ten board-certified radiologists to analyze 150 mammograms. One radiologist caught 85 percent of the cancers on first look; another, just 37 percent. Check this link out: http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/7693      

There are many other more efficient ways of detecting tumors including self-exam. Prevention has always been my motto and no matter how much the American Cancer Society wants you to believe it—mammography is not prevention; it is detection. I make it my personal boycott not to wear pink or buy anything pink during the month of October. Only 3% of your donations actually support research and that research does not include natural therapies. There have been numerous natural therapies to cure cancer but none are sanctioned by the ACS. Watch: http://vimeo.com/25279346

Dr. Northrup recommends at least 1,000 IUs of vitamin D-3 daily, and studies indicate that tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E (vitamin E Complete) found in nuts and seeds, eggs, rice, and leafy vegetables, also dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer. Bioflavonoids, which are found in vitamin C, may inhibit estrogen synthesis, and the good bacteria in probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus help to detoxify estrogen made in the body after it’s been used.

Eat a balanced diet. Organic whole foods reduce the risk of breast cancer by modulating estrogen, a chemical that’s native to our bodies but a frequent precursor to cancer when present in the wrong amounts. For example, cruciferous vegetables—such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and collard greens—contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which changes how estrogen is metabolized, making the body’s own estrogen less likely to promote cancer. When you can’t fit in eating enough of these, Indole 3 Carbinol can be taken in supplement form. http://hartonweb.com/nsp-herbs/bornforhealth.com/?sn=1506-4

There is much evidence that even higher doses of vitamin D3 are required to protect against cancer. Getting tested to find out what your levels are should be promoted by the ACS instead of promoting mammograms and buying insurance to cover expensive surgeries. Experts agree that the D levels in your blood should be above 70mg nl. This helps support the immune system and protect against cancer. At the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in April 2006, researchers offered compelling evidence that boosting vitamin D intake could help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Along with doing self-exams, a woman should do breast massage to move congested lymph fluid out of the breast. This video shows how to do it properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6jgDk4apog It is a bare breast and some people may be uncomfortable with viewing it and it isn’t appropriate for children. Our society is so messed up in what is acceptable and what isn’t. There is nothing sexual or explicit in doing this—it is for health. Since a great deal of the breast includes lymphatic fluid moving congestion is of utmost importance.

Speaking of fluid—drinking purified water to make sure the lymph has enough to bathe cells is also an important health benefit. Too many women drink soda, coffee, tea and other beverages and therefore they don’t drink purified water. The formula for water should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water daily. 

Concentrate on doing healthy things for your breasts: relax and rest; exercise and massage; eating and drinking healthy and above all know that what you concentrate on matters. Think beautiful thoughts and find 5 things to be grateful for every day! And if you want to be like me, boycott pink in October.

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

This information is for educational purposes 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 #635 Unbelievable

Good Morning!

Information overload! You can find something on anything these days with search engines. It truly is amazing. It’s like having an encyclopedia at your fingertips. Better in some ways because you have the ability for hearing how to pronounce words and you can interpret into and from different languages. But, as far as looking up health issues…who do you believe?

Drug manufacturers will spin test results to make medications look as if they can cure anything. Recently there was a YouTube video about “Superfluous”. This is an imaginary drug that stops nose itching. It is quite entertaining in a disgusting way. The message is that some drugs have terrible side effects that are overlooked because we want to rid ourselves of symptoms that, in most cases, are the result of lifestyle choices. We eat food that isn’t healthy; we are too sedentary; we involve ourselves in negative thinking and we don’t look at what we do have and can be grateful for enough.

The real truth is: there isn’t a drug available that can cure conditions. They only mediate symptoms. The body can reverse and cure itself but in general, it needs the right tools to do that. Natural or, Holistic (Alternative), Health professionals believe that conditions in the body are a result of imbalances. If you can figure out where the imbalance is, then you can figure out how to correct it.

Use the internet to understand how the body works. Take classes on how to be healthier. Read the fine print on the medications you are taking and often it will state that a side effect is the very symptom you’re trying to eliminate. Many medical doctors are trying to think more holistically. Unfortunately, the American Medical Association is in partnership with the drug manufacturers and the FDA—they frown upon Medical Doctors who try to think holistically. I have had clients tell me that their doctor lost hospital privileges and had been threatened by the AMA that they will shut down their practice if they continue to recommend natural remedies.

Most holistically thinking doctors don’t also have a medical practice because they have to choose. They feel they can provide more good if they quit practicing medicine and lecture about health. Nature’s Sunshine has brought many holistically minded medical doctors to lecture for us. Dr. Rallie McAllister and Dr. Hugo Rodier, to name a couple. This coming March we will hear at our National Convention in Cincinnati from Dr. Mark Hyman. I’m looking forward to hearing his views on “Functional Medicine”. This is how he has coined alternative medicine because he feels it shouldn’t be an alternative but the first choice of medicine.

There are some very good resources for you to consider but don’t just take one person’s opinion. Check out several sources and make sure they aren’t quoting each other’s research.  Many times people will come to me with some “off the wall” technique and I will research it and see if it makes sense. You can do the same thing. Use the internet—not as gospel but as an information resource. Then take that information and get in touch with how it feels. Does it make sense? Are you comfortable with the facts and does it work for you? What have others’ experienced? What does your “gut” tell you?

The use of herbal remedies has been around for hundreds of years (in Chinese and other old world techniques; thousands of years!)—when was the drug you are taking manufactured? How much human use has it had and what are the findings in the field? Drugs push the body in a certain direction; Herbs work with the body to create balance. Find someone knowledgeable in natural medicine and then ask for resources you can check out.

Being healthy takes work. It isn’t easy like taking a pill. It isn’t for everyone. But, my thoughts are: I would rather do the work: eat right as often as I can; take the supplements I know I need because it isn’t all about food; drink a healthy amount of water; think good thoughts; get good sleep and “move it” as much as I can. I would rather keep health on my mind than to constantly be in pain and concerned about disease. I live by the rule: Do 80% healthy so that your body can deal with the 20% unhealthy. Nobody is doing 100% healthy. If they say they are than I feel they are being fanatical and will binge the other way. I’ve seen it too many times.

Check out the drug commercials. There is an old saying, “Don’t believe everything you hear and only half of what you see”. Tap into your intuition and get in touch with the knowing part of you. That is what you can believe! When you develop that part of you, you will be able to trust in your choices. In the words of Zig Ziglar: “You have to be before you can do, and do before you can have.” Focus on your health and not your disease. How can you improve your lifestyle choices to be healthier? Take some small steps toward healthier choices. Believe in yourself!

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

This information is for educational purposes 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 #634 Breathless!

Good Morning!

Did you ever have anything that took your breath away? Being at the top of a roller coaster and that first moment of decent does it for me. There’s something about the velocity of wind hitting my face and the impulse to scream. My family loves coasters. As I get older (70) I have decided not to chance the extreme coasters. I’m grateful for the breath I can take in and can enjoy from afar the exhilaration of that up and down and round and round a coaster does. I still look forward to The Beast, The Blue Streak and a few other favorites but not the “steepest, tallest, fastest” etc. I’ll leave those to the younger hearts to excite.

It is difficult to let air out when you didn’t drag any in. Trying to catch your breath after swallowing the wrong way is a scary thing. You need to concentrate on breathing and try to calm the coughing response. Yes, if food is lodged you need to expel it. But, sometimes the reflex keeps on and breathing is more of a concern. The expression “blue in the face” comes from a lack of oxygen in the head. Holding your breath for a while will produce this and so will our emotions when we don’t speak out and defend ourselves against what we feel is wrong and not heard if we do.

Chlorophyll causes hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells, to develop a voracious appetite for oxygen. When blood travels through the lungs, the chlorophyll-activated hemoglobin acts as a powerful magnet for the oxygen you inhale with each breath. As oxygen-rich blood travels through the tiny blood vessels in your tissues, hemoglobin loosens its grip on oxygen and surrenders it where it’s required. The result is that every cell in your body is finally saturated with the oxygen it needs, and your energy increases. - See more at: http://www.marlenesmarket-deli.com/?page_id=9507#sthash.PwtTTwpE.dpuf

As an aside: today is my son Michael’s birthday and his business is called Born Illustration and his tag is, “Breathing Life into Your Designs” visit him: http://www.bornillustration.com/Home.html

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

This information is for educational purposes 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 #633 Let Me Think!

Good Morning!

Do you need quiet to think? Or, do you do better with your favorite music playing? What enhances your ability to think? I need quiet to concentrate but I also recognize that other people need to have background noise so they can think better. I can’t read a book while the television or radio is going if I want to follow the story line or absorb the material. I find that I am doing either one or the other and usually it ends up being the television or radio.

I find I’m quite good at multi-tasking but I need to be able to concentrate on what steps are necessary next to accomplish the varied deeds. The old saying about chewing gum and walking at the same time is pretty lame but we were all tested at Convention this last time by “Big Al”. We were asked to make a circle with our right foot going in a clockwise manner, then at the same time take our right hand and do a counter-clockwise motion—it totally is impossible; try it!

Nutrition is said to be very important for a healthy mental state. Many people who have been observed as being “slow” thinkers are simply brain starved. In Dr. Daniel Amen’s book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, poor nutrition was sited in each of these conditions: poor intimate relations, appetite control, violence, obsessiveness, depression, anxiety, lack of sleep, bi-polor, and many mood disorders. An ability to think clearly and express oneself is essential in healthy relationships. I can’t think for you. And often when I assume I know what you’re thinking—it is wrong.

The most important nutrient after oxygen and water is fat. The “fat free diets” that were purported as being heart healthy have destroyed brain cells! The brain needs fat. It also needs protein for some of the areas such as “The Deep Limbic” system. Healthy fats include Omega 3 and too much protein (animal) can restrict the amount of good proteins that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Good sources of healthy fats and protein are in beans, nuts, grass fed chicken eggs, ocean fish, and some cheeses. What is needed in good amounts is serotonin and the precursor for that is L-tryptophan (a naturally occurring amino acid found in the above proteins). The brain converts tryptophan into 5htp when it crosses the blood brain barrier and then makes serotonin from it. http://hartonweb.com/nsp-herbs/bornforhealth.com/?sn=2806-4

Serotonin is your “feel good” hormone. It converts to melatonin when darkness occurs. Melatonin makes you “mellow” and sleepy or content. These two hormones need to balance so that you get the proper amount of high and the right amount of low. Serotonin helps you feel energized and melatonin helps you relax. In drug language it would be uppers and downers. Falsely affecting these hormones can lead to dependency and imbalance. Most medications will create imbalances in an effort to try to “outthink” the body.  

Water is also important. People often think that even if they don't actually drink water, they are getting enough by drinking coffee, tea, soft drinks, juice or beer. The truth is that many of these beverages have a diuretic effect, encouraging the body to excrete water through urination, rather than retaining it. Think about a grape versus a raisin. Your brain could be a raisin—shrinking away while you drink your sodas and energy drinks. Water, in the purest state you can find it, is necessary for healthy brains.

Keeping the brain safe from injury and chemicals will help it function better and having a good supply of oxygen is, of course, essential. I cannot believe that people who ride bikes and motorcycles go without helmets when it is proven that it saves brains. Even when wearing a helmet the brain can be jarred and damaged but at least you’re doing something. Dr. Amen says for us to think of the brain as custard and the skull is its protection. When banged the skull may be damaged but the “custard” is shaken and cells are damaged. He advises wearing a helmet for skateboarding, biking, snowmobiling and motorcycling. He also says the worst of all sports is soccer—head butting the ball.

Out of the many things that Dr. Amen says not to do is, “isolate a baby”. Being deprived of affection is above using tobacco, alcohol and/or drugs (which are adamant no-no’s). We are social human beings. We draw comfort from one another. According to recent research, Social isolation in youth may wreak havoc on the brain by disrupting a protein crucial to the development of the nervous system's support cells. Love and attention are absolutely necessary for proper brain development.

Our environment can also mean our relationships. Being in a loving relationship with someone who understands our needs and in whom we can feel supported is essential to a healthy thinking brain. Dr. Amen says that even if our relationships are not the best what is even more important is our thinking. He says we need to get rid of ANTS (automated negative thinking) as they are at the root of illness.

Sometimes we can’t choose our environment—it is our work. Sometimes we don’t realize the environment is toxic until damage is done. How does one detoxify from this and how can we “build a better brain”? It isn’t about what influences your ability to think properly, but the fact that everything does! So, the more you can do to protect it and give it what it needs, the better your brain will be.

Think good thoughts. Have an attitude of gratitude. Eat as healthy as you can—eliminate or deter sugar and starch. Drink half you weight in ounces of water each day. Take lots of deep breaths—enjoy the sunshine whenever you can. Give someone a hug—they generally hug back. Take a walk and clear your mind. Take the emotional healing quiz and assist yourself with healthy remedies: http://bornforhealth.com/clientinfoaboutmehome/home.html

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

Herbal eGram #632 Holy Water

In 2005 Masaru Emoto erupted our thinking of water as being just water. In his book, Hidden Messages in Water, he states: “All you must do is make a simple choice!”

He suggests that we can choose health, love, and gratitude while holding a glass of water and change its energy into a healing life force. We can also ignore the water and it can become distasteful and unhealthy.

If you’ve never read this little book I suggest you do. It explains how powerful our thoughts and words are. Every day –every hour—every minute, we can choose to be healthy, happy and successful. We can see beauty or we can go on complaining about our life and relationships. The person you are upset with isn’t feeling those negative vibrations you’re sending out—you are! We have to catch ourselves at being negative and change our thinking.

The problem is we let negativity in every time we hear a newscast, argue about politics or religion, think badly about someone else, eat poorly, drink too much, or abuse ourselves in all the possible ways there are. Basically when we go against our knowing what is right—we initiate the “sick” energy that must be compensated by the “good” energy. Emoto tells us this is possible through our minds and water.

There are people who have built machines that create a vortex in water—first spinning one way and then the next. Others have added to that concept by adding light energy and sound to the water. There are expensive machines out there but I feel that by using the homeopathic philosophy of rotating and tapping –you can accomplish a very healing energy in the water you drink.

Rotating can be accomplished by pouring the water into a glass container (can even be a glass you will then drink from). Take a glass stirring stick or rod (costs about .70) and begin to stir in a clockwise manner creating the vortex spin –between 30-60 seconds; lift out the stirring stick. When the vortex is still, put the glass rod back into the water and repeat only going in a counter clockwise manner. When the vortex is still again place your hands around the glass and envision healing, health, gratitude and joy. Now, enjoy your water!

How do you let negative influences in? Do you listen to the news before going to bed, or first thing in the morning? Starting your day with the negative the media portrays can make for a miserable day. Can you imagine beauty? Love and gratitude need to be nurtured and expanded upon. Since our body is mostly made up of water and can either support disease or health we must constantly feel the beauty within and be grateful. This is where healing will begin. Some people think that alkaline water is the right water for them—if they think it and believe it will help; it will. It really isn’t the water but the energy that exudes from the person’s cells that makes it so.

The science of energy is just beginning to be quantified. There is much to be learned about vibrational medicine—it is the wave of the future. Perhaps Holy Water will be the prescribed medicine of the future.

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

This information is for educational purposes 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 #630 Going with the Flow

Good Morning!

How often do you cross your legs? How long do you sit on your legs? When you’re young you think nothing of tucking a leg under your bottom and sitting on it. When the lack of circulation causes the foot to tingle and go numb, we simply shake it and walk on it to revive the flow. The unfortunate thing is that the small capillaries and valves get injured in the process. Once in this habit of sitting on our legs, or crossing them at the knee, it is difficult to break.        

I can remember when I was in 9^th grade and I sat on my knee so I could turn and face the teacher better. One day I actually felt something go “Snap”, and when I stood up I had broken a blood vessel. I’ve had that purple blotch on the back of my knee ever since. So, even at that young age I had fragile veins. My mother had varicose veins and you do inherit those types of tendencies. I sure advanced my poor circulation by choosing to sit on my legs and to continually sit with crossed legs.

Luckily my chosen profession wasn’t one of having to stand or sit for long periods of time. This inactivity contributes to poor circulation. Walking helps to pump the lymph and so does deep breathing. The heart pumps the blood but the muscles pump the lymph. Every aspect of health is determined by a well-functioning circulatory system delivering nutrients and helping the body eliminate toxins.

Blood circulation can determine whether one is vital or not. If your blood cannot deliver the goods, cells die. Blood supplies all our tissues with life-giving oxygen and nutrients by way of the arteries and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes from the tissues via the veins.

You might think of the lymph as the back alley where you put your garbage pails and magically someone comes along and empties them. Lymph dumps into the lymph nodes for processing. Lymph fluid flows throughout the body collecting toxins and carrying them to lymph nodes located in special areas such as the arm pits, groin and neck. You can sometimes feel when they are swollen. This means they are working hard to prevent infection. They will increase production of white blood cells that fight infection and this is the swelling we feel.

Unlike blood, which flows throughout the body in a continuous loop, lymph flows in only one direction — upward toward the neck — within its own system. It flows into the venous blood stream through the subclavien veins, which are located on either sides of the neck near the collarbones. I like to picture Tarzan and his curled fist striking the upper part of his chest just before he’d bellow. This exercise of striking the chest just below the collar bone can initiate lymph flow. Taking deep breaths will help move congested lymph.

There are two drainage areas that make up the lymphatic system. The right drainage area handles the right arm and chest. The left drainage area clears all of the other areas of the body, including the legs, the lower trunk, the upper left portion of the chest, and the left arm. So, by striking both sides simultaneously, you can in a brief moment help your body move toxins out of the system.

When the lymphatic system is congested many diseases can form. So, it is important to keep this system moving. Another way to help is by drinking water. Lymphaticus which is a Latin term meaning connected to water and is where the name for the lymph system comes from. Drinking half your body weight in ounces of pure water daily will help keep this system flowing.

The lymphatic system dumps toxins into the urinary system for elimination from the body. When there aren’t enough enzymes in the lymph to digest bacteria and other microbes the lymph can become congested. You might notice this in a thickened saliva or sinus congestion. You can assist the body’s ability to produce metabolic enzymes by taking digestive enzymes with meals. (I like both Food Enzymes and Proactazyme Plus).

Adding chlorophyll to your water will also improve the lymph fluid. Prevention is key to good health. Supporting your body with enzymes, chlorophyll water and taking Silver Shield will help your lymphatic system fight invaders that will harm cells and tissues. In this case an ounce of prevention is surely worth not having to deal with a pound of cure. The tonsils, adenoids, spleen and thymus are all part of the lymphatic system. Just because they swell and become painful is not a reason (anymore) to simply remove them.

There are many ways to support the lymphatic system and massage is another very beneficial method of moving stuck lymph. Congested lymph harbors disease. Don’t be sedentary—get up and move it! Drink your water. Take deep breaths. You can prevent congestive conditions that lead to clots, varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency.

Poor circulation in the legs can lead to ulcerations, swelling, heaviness, itching, irritation, being prone to infection and more. Stripping those veins leaves you without proper flow and is only a temporary fix. Create better circulation so that blood can flow like it should.

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

Herbal eGram #629 Bite Me

Good Morning!

Are you the one mosquitoes are drawn to? Some people more than others seem to attract mosquito and other biting bugs. Perhaps there is a simple answer for that.

There is a relationship between a lack of B vitamins and the emitting of CO2 that attract mosquitoes to you. If you aren’t taking a daily supplement that includes a natural form of B vitamins, you might want to. It is the simplest way of not being a mosquito magnet.

You could try NSPs liquid B12. It is easily absorbed as it is taken under the tongue and mixes with the saliva to tell the brain it is there. Just as signals go from the tongue to the brain to determine taste, so does the saliva carry messages to the brain to set up chain reactions allowing digestion, immune and nervous systems to gear up for what is entering the body.

It is important to give the body a banquet of B vitamins as we don’t know which one we may be lacking in. If you taking a multi vitamin that has B in it that is often good enough. But, if you are stressed, you might want to try something like Nutri Calm. This is a recipe that is designed to support nervous system health. It has herbs in it along with B vitamins that help the nerves deal with stress and anxiety. Usually a person would take one tablet with each meal. Your urine will be yellow. I disagree with doctors who say your urine should be clear.

I know I feel better when I’m taking enough B vitamins for my urine to be yellow. If I’m tiring too quickly or more achy than my work load deems, I’ll take B 12 under the tongue and my whole food B vitamin supplement at mealtime. The best time to take B12 is away from meals. It is a pleasant tasting liquid that is easy to take. I have it right next to my Probiotics which I take first thing in the morning.

Perspiration is one of the ways the body detoxifies. If you aren’t having proper elimination and drinking enough water…this too can have an effect on mosquitoes being attracted to you. Your perspiration might be full of those things that attract mosquitoes. In general, the female bites to draw blood to nourish her eggs. They are attracted to water and lay their eggs in still water.

Using products that include Deet have been shown to be cancer causing; do you really want your skin to absorb these chemicals that could endanger your health? Especially when there are some natural solutions! Natural remedies that are truly effective include such things as Neem oil (similar to Tea Tree); Rosemary; Lemon Grass; even Cinnamon Leaf is showing good promise in fighting off bugs.

Make an essential oil spritzer: a small spray bottle (2-3 ounces) filled with purified water (leave enough head space to add a teaspoon of liquid). I like to add a small amount of NSP’s Nature’s Fresh Enzyme spray as it helps to keep the essential oils emulsified. To this add: 2 drops Rosemary oil; 2 drops Lemon; 2 drops Lavender oil and 2 drops Peppermint. Before you go out spray yourself liberally (be sure to close your eyes). Check out other recipes for bug sprays and make some up for friends.

Once a month Kathy Peltier, at the Purple Iris in Berkley gives an Aromatherapy basic class. Check out her calendar and take a class. http://kathypeltier.massagetherapy.com/2013_july_purple_iris_event_calendar.pdf

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

This information is for educational purposes 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 #628 Wilted

Good Morning!

Do you love this heat? I, for one, am not comfortable in temperatures over 80. I know that some people don’t consider that hot, but I do. My brain even slows down. I can remember when we didn’t have air conditioning—and I felt wilted most of the summer.

The other day I made Dilly Beans. These are like dill pickles only made with green beans (I use yellow ones too). The canner was heating up; my jars were in the dishwasher and I had a small pan with boiling water on the stove for the lids and I couldn’t help but thank God for air conditioning! I can’t imagine what women did 100 years ago.

They preserved everything. They used a wood stove and wore layers upon layers of clothing. But, they knew that their survival depended on them “putting food up” for the winter or they might starve.

I enjoy canning tomatoes and using them in sauces or just heating up as a nice warm dish in the winter. Our Dilly Beans are the talk of the neighborhood as my husband shares them with friends when they all gather at the sandbar during the summer. I’m not fond of sitting around (or standing around) for that matter—I’d much rather be gardening or “doing” something. On the day they all gather to play Euchre I join in. It’s my one time a year to catch up on the neighborhood gossip.

I try to get my outside work done very early. Unfortunately that also is when the mosquitos are very active. I deter them with Lemon Geranium but occasionally my perspiration is washing that off and then I’m wiping off the sweat so a few mosquitos bite me in spite of my efforts of swatting. It’s really quite amusing I’m sure for on lookers. Here I am with my dirty gloves smacking dirt all over me.

When I am done with my shower I will dab on Tei Fu oil. This “Ancient Chinese Secret” stops the itching immediately. It smells kind of menthol but doesn’t last long. I find it refreshing. It is a recipe that a Taiwan doctor brought to the US. His family had created the recipe and passed it down from generation to generation. It had been used for all manner of conditions and purported to be very successful in relieving such ailments as: Arthritis and Headache pain; muscle aches; sinus congestion and poor circulation; coughs and colds; itching—poison ivy or oak; Sprains; congestion and stagnation of all sorts.

Tei Fu Essential oil comes in a handy little bottle or in a tube as a cream. I like both and use both forms for different things. When my back was hurting, I’d dab some of the cream on it and it would immediately calm it down. It is very interesting as it seems to warm and cool and then repeat the cycle.  I have found that if I put the cream on the back of my neck at the hairline—it helps me keep cool. I love Tei Fu both in the oil and cream form. It is a great little first aid kit. Bring a bottle with you when you go out into the woods, or camping, and dab away those bites.

Since the recipe was from a Chinese doctor, the camphor in it is more than likely from the Cinnamomum camphora tree, which is an evergreen know to Asia that grows quite tall. When the leaves are crushed you can smell camphor. The tree was introduced to the United States and can be found in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina. It is sometimes confused with Eucalyptus but they are different trees. The essential oil from the Madagascar trees is commercially known as Ravintsara and is especially prized for its healing benefits.

Camphor can also be synthetically produced through distillation of turpentine. The use of this product is not recommended! I only use Nature’s Sunshine products because I know how strictly they test for each ingredient to make sure the right amount and quality is present. Many creams you buy in the drug store and even health food store may be made with synthetic—they may not even label it as such. Turpentine can be made from all manner of trees and can include dirt and other microbes. It is generally very cheap (about .50 per gallon) so the profit for manufacturers is great. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the healing benefits our Tei Fu oil has.

One of the other ingredients is Menthol which is generally made from the mint family but it too can be synthetically produced. These creams and oils that are made with synthetic products are not what I recommend. I am very cautious about what I put on my skin as the skin is a conductor as well as detoxifier. It can draw in either good or bad depending on what you put on it. When someone is very sick, I’ll have them soak their feet in water with minerals in it and they will absorb the minerals. So, be careful what you put on your skin. Make sure it is pure and not synthetic.

I grow mint and my granddaughters love to munch on it. It is very refreshing. You can dry the leaves and have mint tea throughout the year or just put it in your water. Mint is healthy and refreshing.

One of the other things I talked about as a first aid in our Saturday class was Comfrey. This plant is very beneficial. It is high in Calcium and so you can dry it along with the mint and make a great tea that can help heal bones as well as relieve achy muscles or cramping. Comfrey made into a compress has helped me in many ways. Bites and stings are eased when you take a frozen compress of comfrey and lay it on the sting. It will draw out the toxins as well as help reduce inflammation.

Remember what I said about applying things to the skin and how minerals can be absorbed right into the blood stream. Using comfrey as a compress will put that calcium right where it needs to be. I used it years ago when I sprained my ankle and I know it was a huge factor in my healing so fast.

During the Herb Walk on Ladies Day each year, I talk about and show around 25 different herbs that I grow. Some of them you might call weeds. These plants have wonderful healing benefits that have been tested and used safely for thousands of years. Learning about these gifts from God has truly been a blessing to me and my family. I’m grateful for them even when I’m wilted from tending them.   

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

This information is for educational purposes 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 #626 Chill out!

Good Morning!

Are you a doer? Creating the right balance of relaxation and doing is sometimes difficult. We often have tasks that we find have “no stopping point”. So, we end up pushing through the point where our body should rest. Our muscles tell us when we are straining too hard but we often don’t listen. This extra strain can be harmful especially when you get older and recovery time is longer.

I know I, at 70, must take breaks more often than I did at even 50. I also know that when you Add temperatures of over 75 this adds more stress to when working outside. Drinking lots of water is important: (half your body weight in ounces of water daily). You need to make up for the water you lose during exertion. The skin can dry out and wrinkle quicker if there isn’t an adequate amount of water and healthy fat to plump it up. So, if you don’t want to look like a prune—drink your water and take your Omega 3 EPA supplements.

Stress is the same thing as pushing through tasks. The hot weather, the emotional upsets that occur during stress can play a factor on how hard stressful situations are on our body. If we have a good supply of nutrients, our body can bounce back quicker. If we don’t, the body will take longer to come back to balance.

We often don’t choose what we are stressed about. It can be something or someone at work and we just have to push through it and get the job done. Sometimes it is financial and we just don’t see our way to solution. Sometimes the weather can be stressful as in the record highs we’ve seen in the news out west. Life happens!

I have found that most people are deficient in B vitamins. These are water soluble and need to be replenished especially during times of stress. A complex of B vitamins is important even and sometimes, especially when you are taking an individual B supplement like B12. I have a lot of clients who get B12 shots but don’t take a complex of B vitamins. B12 aids Folic Acid in regulating the formation of red blood cells and assists with the utilization of iron. If you are not using the iron in your blood it can build up and create problems. B12 prevents nerve damage, maintains fertility and aids in cell formation and longevity. NSP has a wonderful sublingual liquid B12 that tastes great.

Anti-gout, anticoagulant and potassium supplements may block the absorption of B12 from the digestive tract. Since the greater amount of this supplement is found in animal products, vegetarians must be mindful that supplementation may be necessary to maintain proper balance. Some B12 is found in nori, dulse, soy and herbs like alfalfa. A deficiency can create abnormal gait, enlarged liver, fatigue, dizziness and many other neurological concerns.

Folic Acid is in the complex of B vitamins and is considered a brain food but is also needed for energy production and proper formation of white blood cells, proper cell division and replication; involved in protein metabolism and neurological concerns. It is especially important to a growing fetus. Studies have shown that a daily intake of 400mcg taken during early pregnancy may prevent a vast majority of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. A woman should consider taking a whole food source of B vitamins at least 6 months prior to getting pregnant.

Vitamin B5, Pantothenic acid is actually considered the anti-stress vitamin according to Balch and Balch in Prescription for Nutritional Healing. This book is a great source if you want to find out what each individual B vitamin does and how they work in concert to provide the support your nervous system needs. If you are taking Super supplemental or Super Trio, your B needs are being met by taking two of these per day. Trying to get the B vitamins you need from just the food you eat is like playing Russian Roulette.

B vitamins are synergistic and often require teamwork to support proper balance. The B vitamins help to maintain the health of the eyes, skin, mouth, liver, muscles and nerves. Be sure to include the complex of B vitamins as part of your health’s team support. Since the B vitamins are water soluble and are washed away there is no concern for overdose. There is a tremendous concern for “under” dose. If your urine is bright yellow, then you are taking what your body needs and eliminating what it doesn’t. There is no such thing as expensive urine! It is better to feed your body the B vitamins it needs and let it decide what to discard—you simply cannot anticipate what your nervous system will need.        

Yours, For The Health of It,

Dr. Mary

Mary Born, ND CNHP CNC

Mary@bornforhealth.com

This information is for educational purposes 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.